Snow in athletics field at Arlington High as it looked in April with Symmes project in the background.

As cars lined up at the DPW so residents could hand off recycling on Saturday, May 11, not far away, on an athletics field behind Stop & Shop, another kind of environmental issue is due for resolution -- the residue of topsoil dug up last winter when the town dumped snow at the site.

The area in question is not just any field of play; it is an area, part of a much larger one including Arlington High School's football field, contaminated with cancer-causing chromium.

Because of a settlement between the town and industrial interests that manufactured at the site of the DPW Yard going back to 1913, the larger area has been capped to protect the public.

Arlington didn’t quite come out on top in its February library-card sign-up challenge with Belmont, Lexington and Somerville. As a result, Ryan Livergood, Arlington’s director of libraries, and Selectmen Joseph Curro plan on staying true to their promises of appearing dressed as Clifford the Big Red Dog.

The winner of the challenge was Somerville, and Livergood was to appear at the Somerville Public Library dressed as Clifford on March 22, at 10:30 a.m, during that library’s toddler story time, but his appearance was postponed.

At 10 a.m. Monday, May 20, storytime at Robbins Library, Curro will show up in Clifford attire.
Livergood will do his best Clifford at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 21,  at the Somerville Public Library.

What is an art installation that people may sit on and raise money?

You saw it last summer, and it's coming back: In its second year, Chairful Where You Sit is a temporary outdoor art installation on the Minuteman Bike Path and in front of the Jefferson Cutter House, featuring reimagined chairs created by local artists and community members.

Guidelines for participating

You have three opportunities to voice your opinion about Arlington’s strengths and weaknesses, and to map places of promise and places of concern for the future. They are:

Year trial for children who do not live here to attend school

The School Committee voted, 6-0-1, on Thursday, May 9, to support a one-year trial permitting the children of Arlington public-school teachers who do not live in town to attend school here.

Discussion showed some members changed their minds about the issue and were swayed by the incentive the move represents to retain teachers in Arlington.

Asked about the expected number of teachers with children who do not live in town, Robert Spiegel, head of human resources for the public school, wrote Friday, May 10: "At this point, we know of nine teachers who have expressed interest in sending their children to school in Arlington under this trial plan."

You can now download the 2013 Town Day Booth Guidelines & Application packet.

Deadline for special requests for booth space location is June 27; for all others July 11.

Displaying some of their work and their Awards are, from left, Vicky Slavin, Ryan Livergood and Rebecca Meehan.

Robbins Library took away three honors as the Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) presented the 21th biennial public-relations awards.

The library received a first in the bookmarks category for the foreign-language film bookmarks created by Vicky Slavin, a second in the logo category for the “We Want You to Sign Up for a Library Card” logo designed by Neva Corbo-Hudak and a third in the news coverage category for the Open Book column that appears in The Arlington Advocate, started by Ryan Livergood and Rebecca Meehan.

Livergood, the town's director of libraries, was presented with three award certificates by MLA Public Relations Committee at the PR awards ceremony at the MLA's annual conference at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge.

In a separate event, Barbara Fulchino, head of circulation at the Robbins Library, was honored as the outstanding paralibrarian for 2013.

Session No. 6:  Meeting OKs historic signs, dissolves

In the shortest meeting in years in terms of the number of sessions, the 2013 edition concluded its business Wednesday, May 8, as it debated a $20,000 appropriation for historic signs for 20 minutes before approving it.

For more, see humor from the Avocado as well as notes by Wes Beal, Christian Klein and Dan Dunn. | Official votes