Duxbury’s transition to its new town manager, René Read, took a large step forward this week with the final approval of his contract. On Monday, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to execute and sign a sevenpage contract to employ Read as the next town manager. He signed the contract at the selectmen’s meeting and will begin May 13.

More than five years after litigation began, the Johnson Golf vs. the Town of Duxbury lawsuit has now completed it's eleventh day at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn and is now expected to last until at least Monday, April 22. The trial was supposed to be in session on Friday, April 17, but in light of the recent incidents involving the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings, Middlesex Superior Court was closed on Friday. The lawsuit against the town alleges the Town of Duxbury violated the law in the bidding process and award of a new management contract for the North Hill public golf course in December 2008 and January 2009.

The trial began last Wednesday, April 3, at 9 a.m. with jury selection. Attorney Stephen Follansbee represents Johnson Golf management and Attorney Leonard Kesten and Duxbury’s current Town Counsel Arthur Kreiger repre­sent the town of Duxbury.

State representatives and experts on environmental issues joined together last Thursday to inform residents of the proposed updates to the state’s bottle bill. Phil Sego, of the Mass. Sierra Club, Representative Jon Hecht of Watertown, Representative Josh Cutler, Sean Sylver of the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection and Claire Sullivan of the South Shore Recycling Cooperative, presented on the bottle bill at the Senior Center, highlighting the importance of citizen support. 

Some Duxbury residents living along the beach near Marshfield were unable to access their homes for several days after the February blizzard and the March nor’easter because of severe flooding in their neighborhood.

An appeal of the pending liquor license for the Hall’s Corner store has been filed with the state Alcoholic Bev- erages Control Commission.

In an effort to improve Duxbury’s annual town meet ing, town officials including the moderator, selectmen, town counsel and financial committee members met this week to talk about the high points and low points of the 2013 annual town meeting and to find ways to make it better and more efficient.

A Duxbury tree worker was flown to a Boston hospital Monday afternoon after falling from a bucket truck.

Inspired by the legacy left by his father-in-law and a life- long dream to compete in the Boston Marathon, one man is setting out to raise money and awareness about stroke.

While many people enjoy spending winter weekends up in the mountains skiing and enjoying a vacation, one Dux- bury resident has discovered that the popular winter pas- time could allow him the opportunity to give back to the community.

Duxbury residents re-elected Nancy Oates as town clerk in Saturday's town election. Town clerk was the only contested position on this year's ballot, contested by Susan Kelley, former assistant town clerk. 

Oates, who has served as town clerk for 30 years, received 459 votes. Kelley received 378.

It is that time of year, when we need to look around and notice those rays of sunshine, those worker bees, those gentle souls – yes, Duxbury volunteers. 

Duxbury fire, police and the harbormaster spent two days over the weekend trying to free a pick-up truck and front end loader that became stuck off Powder Point Bridge Friday morning.