WALES — The school board is expected to go into executive session early in its meeting Wednesday to discuss privatizing the busing contract for Regional School Unit 4, Litchfield Sabattus and Wales.

The board meets 6:30 p.m. at Oak Hill High School.

The system would save an estimated $233,000 by contracting out the driving to the lone bidder, Northeast Charter & Tour of Lewiston.

However, some residents have been vocal about their desire to see the busing — and the drivers — kept in-house.

The savings has been included in a projected budget for the 2012-2013 school year.

The board is expected to finalize the budget and set a public vote for June 6 at Oak Hill High School.

Bond Street work continues this week

AUGUSTA — More work on Bond Street is scheduled for this week, and police recommend motorists use alternate routes.

S.E. MacMillan Company will continue construction work on Bond Street Monday through Thursday, closing the short road to eastbound traffic. Westbound traffic will be permitted.

Augusta Police Deputy Chief Jared Mills announced that traffic will be disrupted 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. all four days.

The work will affect vehicles traveling along State, Bond and Boothby streets.

Construction will move to the Water and Bond streets intersection the following week.

When that occurs, only local traffic — no trucks — will be permitted to turn right off the Calumet Bridge. One way southbound traffic will continue down Northern Avenue.

USPS food collection scheduled for May 12

The U.S. Postal Service and National Association of Letter Carriers will hold their annual food drive to combat hunger on Saturday, May 12.

The drive, held in conjunction with a number of partner groups, is the nation’s largest single-day food drive in the nation, according to a press release from the U.S. Postal Service.

The Stamp Out Hunger food drive benefits Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization.

“The Postal Service is pleased to continue supporting the National Association of Letter Carriers as we enter our 20th year together to help Stamp Out Hunger in America,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe.

In 2011, letter carriers collected 70.2 million pounds of food donated by customers on their delivery routes.

To participate, people can leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned goods, pasta, rice or cereal next to their mailbox before mail delivery on May 12. Letter carriers collect the donations and deliver them to a local food bank or pantry.

For more information, go to www.helpstampouthunger.com.

Home sales up in New England

PORTLAND — The latest housing report from RE/MAX of New England has some good news for the region.

The report shows double-digit growth in home sales in March compared to the year before in all six New England states, but prices remained flat or even lost ground in some cases.

The monthly report says home sales jumped 25.6 percent in Rhode Island and 25 percent in Vermont.

The increases were less dramatic in the other four states in the region: 15.4 percent in Connecticut, 14.3 percent in Massachusetts, 12.3 percent in New Hampshire and 12.1 percent in Maine.

Median sale prices were flat in Maine and Massachusetts but lost ground in the other four states.

Nonetheless, Jay Hummer of RE/MAX of New England says median home prices are stabilizing.

Compiled from staff, wire reports