The following is based on selected Arlington Police Department logs from Nov. 7 through 13, 2023.

One arrest was reported; YourArlington published it as a separate item earlier.

Excerpts from the Arlington Police Department log:

Tuesday, Nov. 7
11:48 a.m. – Larceny. An Arlington resident appeared at the APD front desk to report that a new Xfinity cellphone that the company claimed had been mailed to his house had apparently been intercepted, signed for and activated by someone else. Police are working with Xfinity to locate the guilty party by monitoring the phone's usage or, failing that, disabling it.

 In a busy two-hour meeting, the Arlington Select Board voted unanimously to approve three appointments, including filling the longtime vacancy on the Arlington Redevelopment Board, bringing the ARB to full strength at five members for the first time since January. It also approved two other appointments and gave thumbs-up to a common victualler’s license for a Japanese restaurant in Arlington Center.

Other topics Nov. 8 included new stop signs at Brooks Avenue and Elmhurst Road, renewal of the Metropolitan Water Resources Authority’s permit for a Combined Sewage Overflow (CSO) outfall into Alewife Brook, three proclamations and a sizable donation toward a long-planned park retrofit. 

Video was posted to ACMi the following day.

The following column is based on selected Arlington Police Department logs from Oct. 31 through Nov. 6, 2023.

No arrests were reported.

Excerpts from the Arlington Police log:

Tuesday, Oct. 31
5:33 a.m. – Neighbor Problem. Police answered a call from an Arizona Terrace resident complaining of excessive noise from her upstairs neighbor. Upon arriving to investigate, police determined that the noise had originated from an active 3-year-old. The officers obliged the downstairs neighbor by filling out a formal report but also affirmed that the 3-year-old was within his rights to run around.

The following is based on selected Arlington Police Department logs from Oct. 24 through 30.

No arrests were reported.

Excerpts from the Arlington Police log:

Tuesday, Oct. 24
11:44 a.m. – Injury on Town Property. An elderly man walking on the bike path near Lake Street with his wife took a sudden fall due to a bad knee. When police arrived, the couple reported that the man's condition had stabilized and that no medical care would be needed.

The Select Board unanimously approved new signs for a locally notorious intersection; members that evening also received reports about installation and, in some cases, relocation of automatic external defibrillators; the overnight parking pilot program; next month’s Veterans Day parade; and last fiscal year’s final budget.

Improved signs are now to be installed at Downing Square in Arlington Heights -- where Lowell Street, Westminster Avenue, Park Avenue Extension, Alpine Street, Park Avenue and Bow Street all come together near Mass. Ave.

“These are advisory information signs that [will] go on the existing stop signs,” said Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) representative Jeff Maxtutis at the Oct. 11 meeting.

He and others recommended what they thought would be the most helpful at this unusual traffic configuration.

 Friday, Sept. 15, has been proclaimed Hunger Action Day in Arlington, as unanimously approved by members of the Select Board at their Sept. 11 meeting.

Those familiar with food insecurity issues say that local need may be up nearly 40 percent since a year ago.

Susan Stewart, Arlington EATS Board of Directors co-chair, thanked the Select Board for its work to raise awareness of food insecurity in Arlington and for declaring this year's Hunger Action Day.

“Arlington is a generous community that donates time and money to Arlington EATS, which serves an average of 375 households each week -- a 39 percent increase in households served since last year,” she said. “We encourage residents to take action throughout the month of September –Hunger Action Month -- by donating food, funds or volunteering. Visit our website at arlingtoneats.org  to learn more or stop by our booth at Town Day,” said Stewart. 

To cope with class sizes and enhance education in primary grades at Thompson School, the Arlington School Committee earlier this month approved a new position – inclusion specialist -- as the district prepares for the first day of classes.

The vote to approve the position as presented was 5-0, with two committee members – Len Kardon and Paul Schlichtman – absent. The meeting, conducted solely via Zoom on the afternoon of Aug. 18, was 12 minutes long.

This position, said Superintendent Elizabeth Homan at the meeting, is precisely what Thompson School leaders had specifically requested: a role requiring dual licensing, expertise in providing “intensive support” and an individual capable to “talk about concerns to address whatever the learning challenge is.”

She added more recently, “It is already posted; we're hopeful it will be filled quickly.” She noted that “This is a standard title used across departments. We have specialists in content areas and departments across the district.”

 The person chosen would be expected to “be in a classroom for the whole day” as a rule and would be qualified to substitute teach, though that is something that it is hoped would occur rarely.

UPDATED Sept. 8: The end of summer is nearing, but high temperatures recently were lingering throughout the state. Thursday, Sept. 7, the temperature hit a high of 95 degrees in Arlington; the heat forced six public-school campuses to shut down early for the day both Thursday and Friday, Sept. 8.

Forecasters said the "real-feel" temperature was 95 degrees as of 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8. 

To help people cool off, the North Union Spray Pond at Thompson School, 60 North Union St., was scheduled to be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sunday, Sept. 10, according to the town website.