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YourArlington staff
Category: Things to do: Events
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Jean Flanagan
Flanagan

Arlington Poet Laureate Jean Flanagan wants the whole community to contribute to a collaborative poem celebrating the small acts of kindness that create moments of grace in our lives.

Please email your short account of an act of kindness you have observed to Jean at:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

No more than 30 words, captured in a sentence or two.  Jean will go through the messages that come in and select as many as possible to assemble into a poem, to debut at the Arlington Heights Spring Fling Festival on June 10.

Inspiring Flanagan was a poem by Danusha Laméris composed in a similar way and a poetry prompt from a blog called “Two Sylvias’ Weekly Muse.” See both below.

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Renee Abbott
Category: Housing Authority
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AHA logo

The lack of state funding for housing authorities highlighted the Arlington Housing Authority board meeting May 18.

Board member Jo Anne Preston pointed to a Boston Globe news story from the day before about the need for housing-authorities funding in Massachusetts. She complimented Executive Director Jack Nagle for his hard work finding and securing grants for projects in the properties but said that, ultimately, if the authority had a bigger budget, projects could be completed faster and that it is the state’s responsibility to provide them with ample funds.

“We do not have enough money in the operating budget to repair and maintain our buildings,” she said.

She cited an example in which the authority got half the money it needed to repair a leaking roof in a senior residence. “You can’t put on half a roof,” Preston said.

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YourArlington staff
Category: Town Meeting
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Ottoson students urge composting. / Paul Schlichtman photoOttoson students urge composting. / Paul Schlichtman photo

Arlington High School student Henry Fenollosa. / Paul Schlichtman photoArlington High School student Henry Fenollosa. / Paul Schlichtman photo

UPDATED May 23: The seventh session of the 2023 annual Town Meeting, on Monday, May 15, voted all remaining 25 articles. By way of contrast, the 2022 Town Meeting, held over Zoom, lasted 13 meetings and ended June 8.

The previous day, Sunday, May 14, Town Moderator Greg Christiana announced that Monday's meeting was to begin with a motion to skip to Article 56 -- an appropriation for a pilot compost-collection program -- so that the Ottoson Middle School students who developed the article could present it to the meeting. That article was approved.

After that, the meeting returned to the sequence starting at Article 41, an appropriation for transportation infrastructure.

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YourArlington staff
Category: Court
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Mitchell Garabedian'It's time for Bishop O'Malley to reveal what he has ... in those secret files ....'
-- Mitchell Garabedian

UPDATED May 24: Three people who say that they were sexually assaulted by a former vice principal at Arlington Catholic High School have filed a civil lawsuit against Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley, leader of the Archdiocese of Boston.

WBUR and the Boston Herald reported the lawsuit, which is a new complaint following another filed last August. Both lawsuits allege that Stephen Biagioni abused the plaintiffs, known in the new complaint as John Doe I, II and III, between 2011 and 2016. The former students were between the ages of 15 and 17 at the time, their attorney, Mitchell Garabedian, told reporters Monday, May 22.

The civil suit names O'Malley and two of his top lieutenants — Bishop Robert Deeley, head of the Diocese of Portland, Maine, as well as Bishop Peter Uglietto, an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston. The three allegedly “knew, or were negligent in not knowing” that Biagioni, who is not a priest or church leader, posed a danger to children at the high school, the suit claims.

"Once again, we have to look at the secret files to see what Cardinal O'Malley has for information concerning Stephen Biagioni and concerning what his supervisors knew," Garabedian said, according to WBUR.

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YourArlington staff
Category: School news
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Weslie Etienne PierreEtienne Pierre

Weslie Etienne Pierre has been hired as the first director of communications and family engagement in Arlington Public School, the district announced recently.

Her role will be to oversee creation and implementation of the district’s first “Family Welcome Center” and to direct all aspects of communication, registration and family engagement, according to APS.

“The appointment of Mrs. Etienne Pierre follows a thorough search that included more than 50 individuals from across Arlington, and I am grateful to the many community members who participated in the initial screening committee and joined finalist focus groups,” said APS Superintendent Elizabeth Homan.

“Throughout the interview process and performance tasks, Weslie impressed us with her exceptional technical and interpersonal skills -- and feedback unanimously praised both her technical and interpersonal skills,” Homan said.

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Judith Pfeffer
Category: Health
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Helping hands logo

UPDATED May 29: YourArlington continues to report a running tally of Covid-19 incidence regionally based on wastewater analysis by Biobot Analytics. These figures are in reverse chronological order toward the end of this ongoing column, along with an explanation of why most scientists consider wastewater analysis statistics to be valuable data.

This information may be of greater meaning now in mid-2023, as major organizations including many Massachusetts hospitals are ceasing universal masking mandates -- and many other measures of what is no longer officially a pandemic soon may no longer be kept at all.

Based on readings taken May 24, 2023, Middlesex County, where Arlington is located, is down from the week prior, to 306, making it probably the second-highest in the commonwealth, second only to Barnstable County's 406, though with Franklin and Hampshire not yet posting updated numbers. Currently the national average is 186.

All the numbers cited here represent Covid-19 virus concentration per mililiter of wastewater; however, this is not the same as the total number of Covid-19 infections, which is near-impossible to know. 

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YourArlington staff
Category: Senior-citizen news
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Arlington Senior Association honored. / Frank Tadley photoArlington Seniors Association board members were honored recently. From left are Claire Foley, Lorraine Accardi, Joanne Morel, Pat O'Connell, Elisa Lopez, Peggy Pellegrino, June Mackey, Tim Mast and Rose Eromin. / Frank Tadley photo                 SEE MORE PHOTOS >>

“Everybody can be great ... because anybody can serve," said the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

"You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve .... You don’t have to know the second [law] of thermodynamics in physics to serve.

You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

In that spirit, an estimated 70 volunteers attended as the Arlington Council on Aging held its annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon earlier this month at the community center.

Executive Director Kristine Shah with Volunteer Coordinator Michelle Tse addressed those at the gathering to thank them for their dedication to the older adults of Arlington.

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Renee Abbott
Category: Zoning Board of Appeals
Hits: 369

Proposed condos, business, 1021-25 Mass. Ave., 2022Proposed condos and retail space at 1021-1025 Mass. Ave. / Harrison Mulhern Architects

UPDATED May 18: Town deliberations about “The Residences at Mill Brook,” a proposed 50-unit multifamily development and 1,000 square feet of commercial space at 1021-1025 Mass. Ave., near Brattle Square, have continued for nearly a year.

Now the lengthy process by the Arlington Zoning Board of Appeals is headed toward resolution.

The board has until June 4 to make its final decision, though it can request more time from the applicant. Ultimately, the ZBA can vote to approve the comprehensive permit with no conditions, approve it with conditions or deny the permit completely. 

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Judith Pfeffer
Category: School Committee summaries
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EL Education graphicEL Education graphic

The Arlington School Committee has unanimously adopted the administration-recommended literacy program for the elementary school level. It is called EL Education and was chosen over two other programs that were also considered.

Officials said that after considerable research, it appeared clear that EL Education was superior, based on a number of factors, to its competitors, My View Literacy and Wit & Wisdom. 

Its website states that “EL Education is a leading K-12 nonprofit redefining and raising student achievement in partnership with diverse public schools and districts across the country."

  1. When intelligence is artificial: AHS teachers, students ponder the issue

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YOUR VIEW: Opinions

How to seek agreement after Town Meeting 'turf war'

Recreation

Field Turf explainer / Source: Tarkett Co.
Tarkett Co. graphic used in 2014 report about Peirce Turf.

Linda Hanson, a Precinct 9 Town Meeting member, wrote this column about moving forward on artificial turf. She thanks Christa Kelleher, a Precinct 5 meeting member, for her contributions.

I am sharing an edited version of remarks given to the recently concluded Town Meeting on Article 12, a proposal to institute a temporary moratorium on the installation of artificial turf on town land pending the findings of an Artificial Turf Study Committee to investigate artificial turf in regards to its safety, environmental impact and cost effectiveness, as well as the available natural alternatives to its use.

This was one of the most contentious debates during this Town Meeting, and I’d like to offer some thoughts about how we can move forward on the important issues raised during this discussion.

I have close personal experience with the issue of field adequacy and availability. I coached boys' soccer for 13 years in the “all grass era,” so I know firsthand what it's like to vie for limited practice space and attempt to reschedule games with limited options due to weather cancellations. It was challenging, to say the least.

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8th graders call for changes in town bylaw to boost affordable housing

Housing Housing Housing Housing Housing Housing Housing

UPDATED May 26: The following opinion was sent to all Town Meeting members three days after the 2023 annual meeting ended. Signing it were Pavia Christiana, Calvin Cheung, Collin Burrell, Theo Ginggen, Dorsey Mitchell and Lorenzo Hamlin. It was published with the authors' permission. 

Arlington vua Google Earth: Your Town, Your Future

We hope this email finds all of you in good health and spirits. We are Ottoson Middle School students, concerned about the issue of affordable housing in the town.

There is a lack of affordable multifamily homes, and we are advocating for a change in zoning bylaws to allow for more of these homes, and for them to have access to public transportation.

We believe that spreading multifamily homes around town will create more ethnic diversity in Arlington Public Schools. Additionally, this aids Arlington's economy by creating job diversity and benefiting the town's gross domestic product.

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Officer Hogan to ride Pan Mass Challenge 11th time

Fund-raising Fund-raising Fund-raising Fund-raising Fund-raising

The following plea seeking support for his longtime effort in the Pan Mass Challnge (PMC) is from Officer Mike Hogan and K9s of the Arlington Police Department.Officer Mike Hogan with Eiko

This August, I am proud to say, I will have the privilege of riding in the Pan Mass Challenge for the 11th time as a member of the Arlington Angels Team.

I will be riding for my wife, Nancy, who was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 years ago and received treatment at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

I now know firsthand how important it is to raise money for DFCI, so it can continue its research for life saving cancer treatments.

I will also be riding for my sister-in-law Colleen Lombard, who also received treatment for breast cancer at Dana Farber.

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Letters: Emailing Advocate & Star? Copy it here; it'll be published first

Letters to the editor

YourArlington's policy about letters to the editor

UPDATED April 26: YourArlington welcomes opinions of all kinds from local residents, including national issues so long as you can draw a local connection. For example, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in June on Roe v Wade must have echoes here, too. Letters are reviewed for fairness, factualness and taste.

letters

Town Meeting began April 24. Factual letters supporting town candidates are welcome. Length of such letters should be no more than 400 words.

NOTE: When emailing a letter to The Advocate & Star, consider copying YourArlington at the same time. Your opinions will be published sooner.

Please support your view with facts and arguments that attempt to adhere to reason.

You may write on any subject, so long as you try to make a connection to Arlington. If you can't do that, then your residence in town will be a sufficient connection.

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