Festive planter outside Cambridge Savings Bank, which sponsored six planters throughout the area./ Courtesy Arlington Heights Community Association

Arlington Heights is tapping into the holiday spirit with new festive planters outside several businesses. The wintergreen arrangements with pinecones and berries are part of the Arlington Heights Community Association's beautification project.

According to a statement from the group, the project ensures that planters throughout the area will be filled with seasonal vegetation until next fall.

The association sent out acknowledgments to the businesses that sponsored these planters. These include Intelligent Labor and Moving, Realtor Julie Horvath of Senne, the Roasted Granola Café, Society Beauty Bar, Sports Etc. and Wonder Yoga.

A special thank you was given to Cambridge Savings Bank, which sponsored six planters this season. 

"We hope the community will continue to patronize these businesses and the many other unique Height businesses in this vibrant commercial district," wrote Janet O'Riordan, member of the AHCA.

Michael Cunningham

Town Manager Jim Feeney has appointed Michael Cunningham as Arlington’s new town counsel, as of Monday, Nov. 13.

The town counsel serves as the chief legal officer of the town, prosecutes and defends all litigation and provides legal representation and advice to the town manager, the Select Board and all other officials, departments and commissions, a town news release said.

“Arlington is an engaged community, from its leadership team to the many volunteers that make Arlington work," said Cunningham. “I look forward to this new opportunity.”

Col. Philip McGovern

Arlington Town Manager Jim Feeney appointed Col. Philip McGovern as the town’s new veterans’ services director beginning Nov. 6.

As director, he is responsible for the daily operation of the Veterans’ Resource Center, which connects veterans and their families to financial and other available benefits. The director also coordinates community events.

“Arlington has a reputation of honoring its veterans,” said McGovern. “I look forward to carrying on its mission, meeting Arlington veterans and connecting people with the services and resources they need.”

After an in-depth discussion and apparently taking into consideration points raised by members of the public, the Arlington Redevelopment Board unanimously approved a special permit extension, with conditions, for a 50-room hotel and restaurant combination first proposed before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At its Nov. 6 meeting, the ARB also voted 4-0 to accept the formal withdrawal of the application for a potential new pot shop, though its proponents still have the option to submit a new application to operate at the long-proposed Summer Street location.

Arlington already has two fully operational marijuana dispensaries; as mentioned in these notes from an ARB member, per its bylaws, the town can have only one more, for a total of three.

The two-story library is a key piece of the project. / photo by Arlington Town PIO Joan Roman

UPDATED Nov. 15: The largest and most complex of the four phases of the ongoing reconstruction of Arlington High School, phase 2, was substantially complete as of Wednesday, Nov. 8, officials said.

Public tours are expected to be scheduled early next year, after the phase's final aspect, Menotomy Preschool, is up and running in early January; the new preschool includes a separate and secure entry, age-appropriate interior classrooms and a dedicated exterior playspace, officials said. Earlier today, Arlington School Committee member Jeff Thielman told YourArlington that tours of the new wing of AHS currently are scheduled to take place between 9 a.m. and noon Saturday, Jan. 20.

View the phase 2 photo gallery and read about it on the town website.

Phase 2 features a 44-classroom humanities wing, a 600-seat cafeteria, a two-story library, forum stairs, an exterior learning courtyard, school district offices, the School Committee room and many other features, officials say. 

“It’s taken us over seven years to get to this point, and I’m thrilled to see three-quarters of the new Arlington High School facility finished,” said Jeff Thielman, chairman of the Arlington High School Building Committee, in a town news release.

“With a project of this scope and complexity, I am pleased to report that the project remains on budget and has only experienced minor schedule delays,” said Town Manager Jim Feeney. “As the project proceeds, our responsive and proactive project team continues to deliver a state-of-the-art, all-electric facility that will help Arlington meet its net-zero goals.”

For the fifth consecutive year, members of the Arlington Police Department are taking part in "No Shave November," which raises money for charitable causes. This year, many APD members may forgo facial hair restrictions throughout the month and are also donating or raising $100 each, with all funds to go to the Dan Kelly Foundation. Members of the general public may also contribute if they so choose.

The foundation was established in honor of retired Lt. Dan Kelly, who fought cancer for several years but ultimately died at the age of 58 in May 2023. The foundation, often referred to as DK4 for short, provides athletic opportunities for children in honor of a man who loved sports and believed it was important that every child have the chance to be an athlete. Its next major public event, "Irish Night," is scheduled for March 15, 2024.

Brookline Bank has announced that it is once again teaming up with Marine Toys for Tots this holiday season.

Starting Nov. 1, the public is invited to donate new, unwrapped toys at its Arlington banking office, 856 Mass. Ave., Arlington, during regular business hours.

The campaign is set to run from Monday, Nov. 6, through Friday, Dec. 8.

Toys collected at Brookline Bank locations are to be distributed to children in need in Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk and Suffolk counties, a recent news release said.

Colleen Leger

The Town of Arlington has appointed Colleen Leger as its new director of Health and Human Services. In this position, Leger is set to oversee numerous human services divisions, including the Council on Aging; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Arlington Youth Counseling Center (AYCC); and Veterans Services.

According to a news release from town Public Information Officer Joan Roman, Leger began this role Oct. 10.

In the release, Town Manager Jim Feeney said he was pleased that Leger had accepted the position.

“She has extensive leadership experience in Arlington overseeing AYCC for the past decade. I am confident she will continue excellent service to the town,” Feeney wrote. 

Leger was the director of AYCC for 13 years before being promoted to lead the department. In her previous role, she developed policies for the delivery and evaluation of mental health services and oversaw community resource services.

The town of Arlington has launched a new online system for obtaining building, plumbing, electrical, gas, dumpster and sign permits. The new system will allow residents to apply for permits and to pay online via credit card or an e-check, greatly improving the permitting process, a news release said.

Residents may view the new online permitting system at https://arlingtonma.portal.opengov.com/.

This system offers many new features and will reduce paper use and in-person transactions, officials said. However, applicants still may schedule an in-person or telephone appointment by contacting the Inspectional Services Department. In all cases, applications will be reviewed and approved by the town before a permit is issued.

The system is now accepting applications for the Inspectional Services Department, which includes building, plumbing, electrical, gas, dumpster, and sign permits. Applicants can also schedule inspections and upload project plans with other related documents in PDF format.

Lynn Bishop of Arlington

Lynn Bishop, an Arlington resident and executive vice president of The Edinburg Center, received the Ruth M. Batson Advocate of the Year Award at the 48th Annual Providers’ Council Convention, held Oct. 2. 

According to the convention's website, this award recognizes the achievement of those who work to secure the funding, services and support necessary for people to reach their greatest potential.

 Bishop has been with the Edinburg Center -- a Bedford-based human services agency serving thousands of children and adults living with disabilities -- for more than 33 years. As well, Bishop has worked on political campaigns, including Maura Healey's successful campaign for govenor.

“Her compassion and commitment to justice for all people, including the persons she serves, paired with her passion for politics, has resulted in her being a strong and effective advocate,” Kathy Doherty, former executive vice president at Edinburg, wrote in a press release.

District stays the course with known quantity through end of school year 

UPDATED: Making good on its Oct. 12 promise to make a choice within two weeks, the Minuteman School Committee voted on Tuesday, Oct. 24, to name its acting superintendent-director as its interim superintendent director. Kevin Mahoney is set to lead the Minuteman Regional Technical Vocational School District through next June 30, the end of the current school year.

The Zoom meeting, the lion's share of which was in a closed session to hammer out contract details, took 45 minutes. The vote was 9-0.

If all goes as planned, Mahoney will actively lead the district for two months longer than did now-former Superintendent-Director Kathleen Dawson. She beat out two competitors in a lengthy recruitment process in early 2022 but actively served only from July 1, 2022, through May 11, 2023 -- after which she was put on paid administrative leave. Mahoney, who had previously retired from Minuteman as assistant superintendent, became acting superintendent-directorf just days later, in mid-May.