Million-dollar question: What will your donations get our schools? See the complete list here

Three yard sales were held Saturday, June 5. Details below.

Barbara Dumery, FY11 School Gap Fund treasurer, reported June 4 that the Big Band benefit concert June 3 raised more than $11,000.

May 28: School Committee thanks Arlington

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3 Gap yard sales set for Saturday

Lincoln Street, Woodland Street, Upper Bartlett Street

Lynne S. Klosterman reports that a neighborhood yard sale to benefit the Gap fund is scheduled for Saturday, June 5, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. No earlybirds.

Directions >>

Parking suggested parking along abutting Gray and Jason streets

Food: Baked goods, coffee, beverages, and pizza available for purchase at 25 Woodland St.

Yard sale donations:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Food donations:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , general/volunteer questions:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Hundreds of Items to Sell Including But Not Limited To:

Antique bureau, baskets, vintage glasses

Artwork: Baby, Peg Perego Venezia Stroller, Car seats/strollers

Books, toys, children's books, Wooden puzzles

VHS Classics, play kitchen, Plasma Car (new), Legos

Ultimate Car Kit by DK (new)

Children's clothing, scarves (silk and others)

Furniture: Pottery Barn bar stool barn red, wooden garden bench

Gardening: Variety of perennials and annuals, pots for planting, 3 wooden garden trellises

Home Goods: picture frames (all sizes), assorted vases, linens, votives

Miscellaneous: Logitech Webcam (new in box), designer yarns for knitting/weaving/crochet

Recreational/sporting equipment: soccer cleats and shin guards, baseball batter's helmet, boys' hockey skates (like new), cross country skis, downhill ski boots/helmets, bikesm, scooter

 

East Arlington sale

Several East Arlington families are joining forces and used items for a Bridge the Gap yard sale, bake sale and lemonade stand on Saturday, June 5, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will be near 62 Herbert Road, the purple house next to Magnolia playground.

To participate, bake or donate quality items, please contact Sandra Miller  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Stratton/Dallin sale

A yard sale to benefit the Gap Fund is set for Saturday, June 5, from 9-2 (rain date June 6) at Stratton School.

What to Donate:  furniture, toys, clothes, etc. that are clean and saleable. Please: No electronics, except ones disposable in regular trash; No car seats, helmets, cribs.

Drop off items at Stratton between 6:30-8:30 a.m. on June 5 and put in designated areas.

Place a price tag on any item worth $10 or more. Please sort in advance -- clothes (by size), books, etc.

If you are unable to drop off items on June 5 or can offer storage space, contact Ann at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Lemonade stand/bake sale: Drop off baked items the morning of the sale to add to the fun and fund-raising opportunities; contact Saskia at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Volunteers Needed: contact Suchi at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to volunteer.

Questions or ideas: contact: Karen at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Pam at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Folding tables are needed: e-mail Gary at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Bridge Gap with Red Sox book

As a devoted Red Sox fan and parent of a Brackett kindergartener, Adam Pachter knows that one of the only things Arlington residents are more passionate about than the Sox is the quality of our schools. He also knows that quality has been put at risk by the nearly $4 million budget gap our schools face. 

His daughter Lucy has greatly enjoyed her art, music, library, and P.E. classes, all of which are threatened by the current budget shortfall. And that is why he am so grateful to the many donors who have already stepped up and contributed to the Bridge the Gap fund. 

To show his gratitude -- and to spur more contributions -- he is offering a personally inscribed copy of his book Further Fenway Fiction to the next 100 people who donate at least $500 to the Bridge the Gap campaign, and a copy of the original Fenway Fiction, which is no longer available in stores, to the next 25 people who donate at least $1,000. 

The Fenway Fiction books, which he edited, are collections of short stories, poems, plays, and novel excerpts, all inspired by the Red Sox, have been profiled in the Boston Globe and praised on NECN and in Yankee magazine. They make a great gift for you or your favorite Sox fan. 

To get your book, go to the AEF's Donate page, make your contribution, and then follow the link to the book page.

Pachter will be happy to mail or deliver the book directly to you. If you have any questions, drop him a line at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Other ways to contribute

Martial Arts with Body Mind Systems (ages 7-12) is a new martial-arts business in town at 301 Broadway (781-646-8660) that offers youth classes as well as summer camp and birthday parties. Mention "Bridge the Gap" when you sign up before June 7, and you will pay regular price, but they will donate 50% of the camp, class or birthday party fee to the Gap Fund. 

Until June 6, Tryst Restaurant will donate the proceeds from their featured dessert (chocolate crème brulee) for each dessert ordered with an entrée. Please mention the Bridge the Gap campaign when you order. 

Ice cream/bake sale held May 22

The PTOs of the Arlington public schools have joined forces and are sponsoring an ice cream/bake sale held Saturday, May 22, from 10 to 4, on the lawn of the Jefferson Cutter House/Cyrus Dallin Museum (the house in front of the Farmer’s Market parking lot at Mass. Ave. and Pleasant Street).

The PTOs of the Arlington public schools have joined forces and are sponsoring an ice cream/bake sale held Saturday, May 22, from 10 to 4, on the lawn of the Jefferson Cutter House/Cyrus Dallin Museum (the house in front of the Farmer’s Market parking lot at Mass. Ave. and Pleasant Street).

Simple ideas: How you can help

Apart from this, here's a list of simple things you can do to help:

• Donate (go to www.arlingtoneducationfoundationma.org/)

• Tell all of your friends/neighbors who do not have students in the schools about the Gap Fund

• Write a letter to the editor of YourArlington ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or The Arlington Advocate ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Advocate letters received on Mondays by noon are included in the next edition. YourArlington letters are published the same day; you may also be asked to register and post yourself.

• Send e-mails to as many people as you can think of to inform or remind them of the Gap Fund campaign.

• Volunteer to help. Go to www.arlingtoneducationfoundationma.org/ and sign up.

• Add a 'Bridge the Gap' signature to your e-mails and direct them to www.arlingtoneducationfoundationma.org/. 

• Share 'Bridge the Gap' on Facebook >>

• Get your kids involved - have a lemonade/cookie sale that benefits the Gap Fund (e-mail Jennifer at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to get a sandwich board to help advertise!)

• Thinking about doing a yard sale? Consider giving your proceeds to the Gap Fund (email Jennifer at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to get a sandwich board to help advertise!)

• Raffle off your Red Sox or Patriots tickets and give the proceeds to the Gap Fund

• E-mail your relatives and ask that they give a 'Birthday Gift' for your child to the Gap Fund 

• Get educated about the proposed FY11 school cuts and potential addbacks from the Gap Fund campaign at www.arlingtoneducationfoundationma.org/