The following viewpoint was submitted by John D. Leone, moderator of Arlington's Town Meeting:

The most important vote at this year’s Town Meeting, was not the passage of our budget and capital plan, the leaf-blower bylaw compromise (passed) or the plastic water bottle ban (failed).  It was the unceremonious and near unanimous, no-action vote on Article 22.  

For those unaware, Article 22 sought permission from Town Meeting for the selectmen to file home-rule legislation to allow for the creation of an appointed "coordinated department of municipal finance" and the dissolution of the elected treasurer’s position.

In essence, this misguided article wanted to eliminate the elected treasurer position and replace the entire office of the treasurer with a new coordinated finance department headed by an appointed director of finance under the authority of the town manager.

The following letter to the editor was submitted by Tova Speter, lead artist for the Arlington Bus Depot Community Mural Project. Find out more about her work at www.tovaspeter.com: Read a news story about this issue here >>

I am devastated, frustrated, disappointed and saddened.

Devastated, on behalf of the community mural that I facilitated in Arlington that was recently destroyed without warning. Frustrated, on behalf of the students at Dearborn Academy who worked so hard to design and paint a mural that represented the colorful past and present of the town.

I would like to commend "Menotomy Observer" – aka Steve Harrington – for first reporting about the dumped snow in the athletics field behind Stop & Shop. The report was published Feb. 13 at Truepersons.com.

He got the scoop, but he failed to document key claims with respect to the field. He writes: "The DPW used the high school practice fields for a snow graveyard resulting in extreme damage and runoff that will affect spring sports."

In fact, the damage will require a $100,000 repair, as the town manager told me.

This is an edited version of the statement handed out at the Thursday, May 2, meeting of the Arlington Cultural Commission. It is titled “My Odyssey – by Scott Samenfeld, Former member of the Arlington Cultural Commission.” He is a musician and a consultant to nonprofits as well as to YourArlington:

So, before I begin to recount the details of my odyssey, I want to explain my byline above. I have resigned from the Arlington Cultural Commission in protest over the way the town has mishandled this entire situation. I have worked for several years in Arlington to build support and momentum for creating more opportunities for art and artists in Arlington. It was with great sadness, disappointment and frustration that I resigned, but it became clear that it was a necessary thing that had to be done in order to get this to be dealt with appropriately and fully and to maintain my own integrity.

That having been said, I will begin the story. Keep this in mind: "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem."

---

News story: Is Arlington art-friendly?

The following letter to the editor by Mary Fusoni of Arlington was published in the May 4 Boston Globe under the headline "After Marathon, will we take hard look at how we support disabled?"

Before long, some newly disabled people will be trying to navigate the streets in our cities and towns. In these days soon after the Boston Marathon bombings, everyone in the public sphere, and many of us privately, profess heartfelt support for the injured and maimed. It is what we say to each other now.

But I’d like to know what our public officials will propose to do, and what the public will support, in the months and years ahead. I’m talking about our willingness to use our tax dollars, not our charitable dollars, to collectively support the right of people with disabilities to participate as fully as possible in this life.

I thought I came in to work early, but Walt was often ahead of me, even though he drove in from Maynard. Longevity was his strong point; I was a short-timer.

In the nine months I was Advocate editor, in 1994-95, Walter V. Moynihan took care of sports, and I did not touch his domain.

A sports writer and editor for the Advocate for 47 years, Moynihan died Sunday, April 28. The Globe obit says, "peacefully." He was 88.

Let's see: Town Meeting approved a bylaw limiting leaf blowers last May, 95-85, stirring up a toxic dust of opinions that led to a special election last summer and a Special Town Meeting last fall.

Depending on whom you ask, each side "won" the July 19 election. Last October's meeting called for a committee to reach a compromise.

The committee, which included four representatives of landscapers, devised a lengthy list of tinkering with the original bylaw.

On Wednesday, April 24, Town Meeting supported that tinkering, 113-95.

As Town Meeting gets underway, Arlington's annual (or more often) exercise in local democracy goes on display in myriad ways.

Originally, what went on there was passed along by word of mouth -- the game of telephone long before Bell's invention.

Written records followed, part of annual reports kept before the place was called Arlington.

After 1872, The Advocate began to report what took place at Town Meeting. Other newspapers rose and fell.

Fast-forward to 2013, when the public now has the following ways to see what Town Meeting is doing:

Dave Rogers submitted the following viewpoint. He is the state representative for the 24th Middlesex District, which includes five precincts in Arlington, two in North Cambridge, and all of Belmont. Feel free to contact his office for any reason at 617-722-2400 or dave.rogers at mahouse.gov:

Governor Deval Patrick began this legislative session with an ambitious proposal to invest in transportation and education. To fund these objectives, the governor proposed raising $1.9 Billion in additional revenue with a major tax reform. While his plan had flaws, and I would have favored certain changes to it, the broad conceptual framework was a good starting point for all us to discuss some of the most pressing challenges our society faces and how to solve them.  

In a much-anticipated response to the governor's plan, the House and Senate took the unusual step of jointly announcing an alternative plan (the "Joint H/S Plan"). I was disappointed to learn that it was far narrower in scope than the governor’s articulated vision.

The following statement was submitted by the office of state Sen. Ken Donnelly, Democrat of Arlington after the Senate approved an $800 million transportation bill:

On Saturday, April 13, the Senate voted on a transportation financing plan. I voted yes to the Senate plan as it represented $300 million more than the House version and contained an amendment I filed that would require the MBTA to bring the transit system into a "state of good repair."

This is a federal standard and would include things like new Red Line, Green Line and Orange Line cars, upgrades to power stations and new buses. The amendment required the MBTA to include this work in their capital plan beginning in FY14.

The following letter to the editor was submitted by Maria Romano, who did not win election to the Board of Selectmen in the April 6 election:

Thank you for your vote. Your support drives me to continue to work for what is right for Arlington. I am not going away. I will stand with you to get things done for residents and businesses.

The vote was close, considering my opponent was an eight-term incumbent. A choice at the ballot box makes a difference.
There is sadness and disillusionment in our residents. The old-boy metwork needs to step into neighborhoods and talk to people.

Defining news recalls the way U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart saw the issue of pornography in a 1964 decision: "I know it when I see it."

News has no hard-and-fast definition.

Here's how I see it: News is information about your world that an editor decides to publish. It aims to be factual, accurate and fair.

Among other flavors, news can be hard (facts about someone in trouble), can be soft (an event you may want to attend) and can be a feature (including description that gives you the sense of a person).

In the six and a half years it has been in business, YourArlington has published all of these varieties.

So have Boston.com, The Advocate and Patch. Each outlet has its own news favorites.

The following letter to the editor was submitted by John D. Leone, who was unopposed for reelection as Town Meeting moderator in the April 6 election:

I wish to thank the voters of Arlington for returning me to the moderator’s chair for an additional three year term of office.
I am humbled to have received the most votes on any candidate on the ballot, and for your vote of confidence in the manner that I have been running Town Meeting for the past several years.  

The following letter to the editor was submitted by Judson Pierce, who won reelection April 6 to the School Committee for a second three-year term:

I want to thank everyone who came out to vote in this past weekend's election. I am very humbled by the strong show of support you offered me. I also wish to thank my campaign chair, Kurt Fusaris, and the many folks who contributed to my team with their time and generosity.

My wife, Laura, and my family deserve special praise, love and appreciation because of the sacrifice that this campaign and the term of service means to our family. I love my family from the bottom of my heart.

The following letter to the editor was submitted by Kevin Greeley, who won reelection April 6 to a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen:

I would like to thank the voters of Arlington for their participation in this local election. I was pleased with the size of the turnout and especially pleased that I won for reelection for my ninth term on the BOS. Again and again the voters have given me a vote of confidence -- I will work hard to honor that trust and try to make Arlington an even better community for all.

On Question 1: Again, I see this as a victory for Arlington. This was a very confusing question and nonbinding. I remain steadfast in my support for the federal and state funding of the three-lane project.

At tonight's [April 8] BOS meeting I will recommend that we send a letter seeking final approval for the funding. With this 50/50 vote and at the final hearing 76 percent speaking in favor -- after eight years of input -- it's time to go out to bid and get this project started.

The following letter to the editor was submitted by Paul Schlichtman, who won election April 6 to a one-year School Committee seat:

I want to take this opportunity to thank my friends and neighbors for their support in Saturday’s annual town election. I am honored that 5,283 voters chose to fill in the bubble next to my name on the ballot, even though my name was the only one on the ballot for the one-year school committee seat.

The following is a post to the Arlington email list on Sunday, April 7, 2013:

Michaela May wrote:

<<I think a lot of people didn't know there was an election. I mentioned it to some neighbors who had no idea. If you're not a reader of the A-List and you didn't the signs by Town Hall, it's not hard to
overlook a Saturday election in April. I'm not saying the election shouldn't be then (and I know we are constrained by statute to some extent), but I don't think it's as simple as apathy. >>

A comment like this is posted to the A-List following nearly every town election. As someone who wants to inform people about elections, I think a key question to ask about our democracy is: What do you -- or anyone here -- think we ought to do to broaden how widely election information is known?

Buckley

Pallett

The following viewpoint was submitted by Jerri Newman of Arlington:

Fellow Arlington voters,
Arlington has a proud history and is a great community.  We have a strong Democratic party apparatus here, which has helped elect effective leaders to state and national office, for which I am grateful.
In Arlington, as in many communities, election to the School Committee is traditionally a stepping stone to higher office.  This is not in itself a bad thing.  But a strong party apparatus can have a downside, when preservation of “the team” touted publicly in this and the last election for School Committee, and even during official meetings of the SC, trumps open discussion of issues of paramount importance to our children, to our finances, and to the future of our town.  Through exploitation of the political apparatus, “the team” has a stranglehold on the membership of the SC that is preventing important voices from being heard.

The following statement, written by Maria A, Romano, was released by her campaign on Monday, April 1, 2013:

A person's record is not always judged by all the years of service, but by simple actions and comments. They speak volumes to a person's character, honesty and integrity. This election is about experience. I have 25 years of solid, strong and successful projects. I listen to people and help them realize their dreams.

On the one hand if you don't do what the customer asks, they will find someone else who will. On the other hand you are being paid to bring your knowledge to the process to make sure the project can be done on time and within budget. Ask yourself, is a town that has multiple overrides within a few years -- on time and on budget? Is it delivering for its citizens!

No easy pass for governor

The following opinion was submitted by Glenn Koenig of Arlington, who sent the enclosed to the governor's office, via its website.

A few years ago, I heard stories about how thousands of Fast Lane pass holders had been overcharged because a flaw in the system classified their cars as trucks.

For years, I have refused to get a transponder, for good reason. The driver has no recourse if there is an error in the system. Where is my receipt when I drive under a toll reading device?

If the system says I went through a toll station, and I know I didn't, how can I prove that? If the system overcharges me, where is the evidence I can bring to show that this occurred?

The point is, the entire system is one-sided. The state collects the information, and I have no idea if it's working properly or not.

Arlington is experiencing a renaissance.

Empty storefronts are rapidly being filled. Our schools are high-performing and competitive with the rest of the nation. And our real estate market remains one of the strongest in the country.

There is a vibrant, young management team in Town Hall, and key education leadership positions have been filled. Our local finances are stable, and long-delayed undertakings, such as the Thompson School rebuild and the Symmes redevelopment project, are on track. New public-art initiatives are thriving, and our school music programs have earned widespread acclaim.

Barbara C. Goodman, a former member of the Arlington School Committee who continues to be active in education-related issues, submitted this letter:

There are many people who have worked hard over the year to make Arlington a better place to live. But only one of them is running for the Board of Selectmen.

The following opinion was submitted by Richard G. Turcotte of Arlington, the principal author of the piece, on behalf of the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) Jeff Maxtutis and Howard Muise are TAC cochairs:

Those who have expressed their ardent support for the Mass. Ave. Corridor Project do so for many of the same reasons as do those in opposition: a desire to make our wonderful, vibrant town an even better community.

The members of TAC share that commitment. We are ever-mindful of the many competing interests, concerns and financial constraints accompanying changes both great and small on the projects for which we are asked to assist and advise town officials. It is an obligation we try to honor to the best of our individual and collective abilities.

Livable Streets Coalition launches site to improve Mass. Ave.

Do you passionately support a particular candidate for the April 6 town election?

Do you have specific, fact-based reasons for that support?

How Patrick's plan may affect education, transportation, taxes

The following was submitted by state Rep. Dave Rogers, a Democrat who represents a number of precincts in Arlington.

Our state is at a crossroads. Governor Patrick has proposed that we meet our challenges with his most ambitious policy recommendations to date. His plan dramatically overhauls our transportation and infrastructure systems and makes key investments in education.

To fund his plan, the governor has called for major tax reform that dramatically cuts the sales tax (6.25% to 4.5%) and increases the income tax (5.25% to 6.25%).

The plan also doubles the personal exemption from $4,400 to $8,800 which makes the system more equitable to those of modest means. Perhaps most significantly, the Governor has called for the elimination of 44 tax credits, deductions, and exemptions. Collectively, these changes increase state revenue by $1.9 billion.

Berger

Eric Berger was asked to provide the full text of his statement for the Feb. 26 Mass. Ave. Corridor hearing. Because of the three-minute limit on speakers, he did not deliver it in full.

Berger provides the following comments, which he termed a "reaction," plus a letter he sent the project's chief engineer and ends with his complete comments:

You asked for my reaction to the Feb. 26 MassDOT public hearing on the Mass. Ave. Corridor Project. I have attached a letter dated Feb. 28, 2013, to Thomas Broderick that states on behalf of the East Arlington Concerned Citizens Committee (EACCC) our view of that disgraceful event.

It was clear MassDOT and FST resented being required to hold that hearing, and it showed in the utter disdain of their responsibility to inform the public. There was no required display of any key FST documents submitted at 25% or 75% levels; nor were there any required engineer drawings or any other documents regarding the 75% submission or any list of easements made available. Very few answers to questions raised were provided.

Romano

The following statement from Maria Romano, a candidate for the board of Selectmen, is the full text of comments that she delivered in part at a Feb. 26 hearing about the Mass. Ave. Corridor project. She is among those represnting the East Arlington Commmittee of Concerned Citizens, which has long urged changes in the project.

Maria Romano: Resident ... Business Owner ... Town Meeting member

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

Among my earliest memories are of my mom reading to my brother and me. Nursery rhymes flowed like warm milk.

As I grew, I carried my mother's stories with me -- or they carried me.

When I was a teen, libraries mothered me. Protected by their stacks and carrels, I discovered secret entryways to so many adventurous worlds: Mountain men of the West, conquerors of Everest, Billy Sunday sliding into home in the 1880s.

"A golden ticket to the most magical place on earth" -- that's what Ryan Livergood called the public library at the Jan. 31 kickoff of the library-card campaign. He's biased, of course. He's the director of libraries for Arlington.

The following was submitted by Christine Aquilino on Feb. 8, as a blizzard was beginning to hit Arlington. She was advised to talk to Michael Rademacher, the director of the town Department of Public Works:

I live on Edmund Road, near Turkey Hill. I want to ask if it's really necessary to use the amount of salt that is being spread on the local streets. The streets, sidewalks and lawns are being sprayed with salt every time we have a sprinkle of snow. One of my friends picked up 60 pounds of salt on her little private way.

The following commentary was written by Peter Fuller, a Precinct 20 Town Meeting member, and published in February. His views expand on those expressed earlier on the Arlington email list and include points that others raised and asked him about. His comments remain relevant in May:

The Arlington Boys & Girls Club sent a letter, dated Feb. 7, 2013, to current members, informing them of an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse of children at the Club. While this letter reads as apologetic in tone and at first reading seemingly complete in explaining the situation, some statements in the letter raise further questions:

The letter of thanks and praise was submitted by Janice Bakey, clerk, Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Committee.

The 25th Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Observance held Jan. 21 at Arlington Town Hall was a special evening.

Paul White's performance of "The King of Love is Dead" was sorrowful and hopeful while the Bethel AME Praise and Worship Team was resounding with hope. The speaker, the Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, MD, shared both her doubts and fears in undertaking difficult work in Sudan. She reminded us that Dr. King too had his doubts and fears but that rallying in the face of fear takes courage and faith. She challenged people to find their Sudan and to make a difference in people’s lives.

Sen. Ken Donnelly, Democrat of Arlington, submitted the following statement about his past accomplishments and outlines his priorities for 2013.

I would like to sincerely thank you for reelecting me to serve as your Senator in the Fourth Middlesex district. It is a great honor and I hope to continue to earn your support and trust over the next two years.

Last legislative session I focused on middle-skill job training aimed to prepare our workforce to fill good jobs that require more than a high school degree and less than a four-year baccalaureate degree in growing and important industries in Massachusetts. My Middle Skills Solutions Act was incorporated into the economic package that was passed last July.

The following view of the Mass. Ave. Corridor project written by Aram Hollman was first published Jan. 29 on the Arlington email list. It was titled "Mass. Ave.: A Contrarian View" and an edited version is republished with the author's permission. Hollman participated in various committees and municipal processes in Cambridge and Arlington that dealt with complex community problems, including asbestos contamination, real estate development, zoning, sewage and flooding, and traffic and transportation.

The Mass. Ave. debate now occurs on two levels, the merits of the proposal and the process used to develop it. The latest charge, that the town and the state colluded, deals with the process. The ballot question is an issue of both process and merit. I will comment first on process, then on merit.

How I took Lance Armstrong off his pedestal

by Donna Markussen

It is often said that laughter is the best medicine. I was able to test this theory when I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 44 years old. Going through this experience, I chose humor as my drug of choice.

My chemo was dose-dense, meaning fast and furious, leaving no time to recover in between visits, but had a shorter treatment cycle. I was also given a high-dose Prednisone drip, to help with nausea, and my immediate side effects were Superman-like. They created a short-term sense of having super power and endurance.

The following was written by Gina Sonder, a town resident who is a member of Occupy Arlington and its Climate Action Working Group. This opinion was sent to Sen. Ken Donnelly, Rep. Sean Garballey, members of the Board of Selectmen, as well as media organizations that cover Arlington.

If only we could see it, or touch it. Maybe if it had a terrible odor, we’d know that it’s all around us. It doesn’t even make a sound ... unless you’re listening ... but it’s crying out to all of us, and we’re too busy to notice.

I’ve often thought that if the cars we drive belched black smoke, we’d think “eeyew!” and drive less. People worldwide would demand that we find better, cleaner modes of transit. If jet engines left black contrails in the sky, and we could see the exhaust from our furnace flues, tailpipes and carbon generated electricity, we might comprehend the harm we are causing our atmosphere.

Can we go beyond the news of the day in Arlington and take something of a longer view? Well, at least a one-year look ahead? For issues in 2013, here is brief road map (your mileage may vary):

Let's go back to basics. If you want change -- or if you want some aspect of Arlington to stay the same -- making the town work for its residents means starting with clear, legitimate sources of information.

That is, those providing information should know what they are talking about based on their background and experience. They should be able to specifically document what they say with facts. They should stick to issues and not become personal. Anonymity is required sometimes; in most cases, it's not.

Let's apply those basics to the following issues, which are expected to make news here this year (they are listed in no particular order):

The following opinion was submitted by the East Arlington Livable Streets (EALS) Coalition:

A nonbinding referendum on Mass. Ave. that has qualified for the April ballot will have no effect on the design of the street because the measure “comes after the design has been decided and tries to fool people,” according to an East Arlington neighborhood group.

GIMME SHELTER

Sitting down recently with two first-time home-buying couples, I had the opportunity to highlight an important distinction between two types of real estate value.

The first, market value, is the one most of us typically think of when we think about buying a house. We want to know, "How much is the house worth?"

In the strict sense, market value is the highest price a house will sell for in a reasonable period (one to three months in my market) given its current condition, without any significant external factors, such as either the seller or buyer being desperate to sell or buy.

For example, my buyers want to buy a specific home. They know what the seller is asking, but they’re not sure what to offer. To establish the home’s market value, I review comparable home sales in that particular neighborhood, pointing out the differences in the other properties: the condition of the roof, the type of heating system, the lot size, the interior square footage, air-conditioning, garage, etc.

The following statements about the Arlington public schools' fiscal 2014 budget priorities reflect the opinions of three leaders of the Arlington Education Association (AEA) -- Linda Hanson, president; Siobhan Foley, vice president; and David Moore, an AEA board member. The statements were presented to the School Committee on Thursday, Dec. 20:

Good Evening. The Arlington Education Association appreciates the opportunity to address this body directly with a few thoughts of our own about the FY14 budget from a teacher's point of view.

As we move further into the new era of increased accountability for meeting goals and target test score outcomes, districts need to make sure they are funneling the limited resources they have at their disposal to help teachers successfully meet the goals that school committees and administrators establish.

Under the new Educator Evaluation System, all teachers must determine goals that align with school and district goals, which are in turn aligned to the four Standards of Effective Teaching Practice outlined in the new evaluation system.

I was born into a Christian family, but I have not been a Christian for many years. Still, the Christmas season resonates for me in many ways.

Two of my favorite poems, which bear directly on this season, reflect the complexity of feelings I have every December. Christmas not a simple matter:

Pierce

School Committee member Judson Pierce read the following statement at the beginning of the Dec. 21 board meeting:

Friends, I speak as a School Committee member and also a parent of two young children in elementary school in Arlington. I am angry, bewildered and quite sad as I am sure all of you are. The pain in our hearts is very real and will be with us for a very long time.

Make no mistake about this: this is a national tragedy. Aside from the sorrow we have for the children, educators and administrators who lost their lives senselessly, last Friday strikes terror in the hearts of everyone who sends their kids to school each day.

Gilligan

Before the Dec. 10 review of recommendations about changes to financial systems for the town and schools in Arlington, YourArlington asked town Treasurer Stephen Gilligan for a statement expressing his view of the matter.  It could be of any length and would run in full. He declined to provide one in advance of the meeting, but he issued one the next day, and it is published here:

Town Meeting authorized, as a compromise, the study of a consolidated finance department. It is clear from the Article 51 debate that Town Meeting wanted concrete information in order to make an informed decision. The subsequent efforts by the Coordinated Finance Stakeholders Group (CFSG) have not alleviated the need of Town Meeting to have verifiable, unbiased and objective data on the alleged inefficiencies of the town’s financial operations and the benefits, in hard dollars and specific improvements in the financial operations.

The following letter of thank you to Arlington voters was submitted by Dave Rogers, who was elected Nov. 6 to represent the 24th Middlesex District:

To the people of Arlington:

I am writing to express my gratitude to the people of Arlington (Precincts 2, 4, 8, 10, and 12) for electing me to be your new state representative. I appreciate your support and look forward with enthusiasm to serving as your advocate.

    I am pleased that the campaign for this position was competitive yet cordial. While all of the candidates in both the primary and general election campaigned with high spirits and great intensity, the campaign was remarkably free of the rancorous tone to which so much of our political discourse has succumbed.

I hope that, each in our own way, the candidates for this office both in the primary and general election have set a good example of what political debate can be -- spirited and forceful, yet respectful of the differences that any healthy society must tolerate and encourage.

What's a weekly newspaper to do? The world is changing and leaving it behind.

Consider this: Andy Levin, the editor of The Arlington Advocate, was moved to write an editorial. That's worth noting, because it doesn't happen that often.

Mark your calendars: On Thursday, Nov. 29, the 140-year-old weekly wheezed into print an opinion titled "A response to the 'listers'." Read it here >>

It is a defense of the newspaper in response to comments posted to the Arlington List in mid-November. The comments questioned the future of our town's weekly.

The following was written by Eric Berger, an Arlington resident who has long opposed the Mass. Ave. Corridor project. He is responding to a public statement made Tuesday, Nov. 27, by Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine at a state meeting about transportation. Berger's comments are published with his permission.

Thank you for your extremely accurate comments about traffic concerns delivered at the recent MassDOT meeting in Medford.

1. Traffic Concerns: Route 16 and the Mass. Ave Intersection

You painted a very clear picture of the gridlock traffic congestion which occurs daily for Arlington residents in the area where the Alewife Brook Parkway (Route 16), Route 2, and the Fresh Pond Parkway converge. An offshoot of this traffic congestion is the daily traffic congestion that occurs during evening "rush" hour times as vehicles inch along Route16 traveling north towards Mass. Ave. from Route 2.

It has been an honor to serve as your senator from the 4th Middlesex District for the past four years, and I am excited to be able to continue this role for another term.

As another hectic election year comes to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those that made this election a success. I would like to thank all of you that voted.

In the late fall, we look back in order to look forward. We give thanks.

We may remember the Pilgrims for the day whose rituals have come to involve turkey, football and family (the official holiday began with President Lincoln). Whatever the source, I'm thankful we have such a day.

In giving thanks, I do not cast off all reason. I try to be honest about the year to date and the way ahead.

This season, as Arlington prepares to celebrate in 2013 Town Hall's first century, let me praise this town of 42,000 people.

I've lived here since 1989, so I'm a newcomer. But I'm not a "blow-in," a human hyperburst who blows out as quickly as he came. Critics, take note: I love it here and plan to stay for as long as I live.

Arlington -- how do I thank thee? Let me count some of the ways:

Want to make a difference in town government? Here's your chance.

It's early, but you can start thinking now about running for office. The field is open.

As of Monday, Nov. 19, no one had taken out nomination papers for the next town election, set for April 6, the town clerk's office said. Last spring, 13 candidates for key town offices contended, the most candidates since 1993.

Here are the seats that will be on the ballot:

Arlington voters urge tax fairness, military cuts to avoid 'fiscal cliff'

By a margin of 77 percent to 23 percent, Arlington voters sent a clear message to both Democrats and Republicans in Washington on Nov. 6 about the federal budget crisis and the impending "fiscal cliff."

The "Budget for All" ballot question passed in Arlington by a vote of 17,093 to 4,975.

The nonbinding question calls for no cuts to Social Security, Medicare or other vital programs; investment in useful jobs; an end to corporate tax loopholes and to the Bush cuts for the highest incomes; redirection of military spending to domestic needs and job creation, and withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan now.  The question passed by a wide margin in all of the other 90 Massachusetts cities and towns where it appeared on the ballot, including Fall River, Norwood, Great Barrington, Holyoke and Boston.

Silver maple appellants defend local wildlife

Ellen Mass, cochair of the Coalition to Preserve Belmont Uplands and president of the Friends of Alewife Reservation (FAR)  has issued the following appeal  in advance of the the Belmont Conservation Commission hearing that includes Pennsylvania company representatives of O’Neill Properties set for 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, at Belmont Town Hall.

According to wildlife expert David Brown, "vertical complexity" or diversity of tree height of Alewife Reservation’s older tree canopy is extraordinary compared to Middlesex Fells and even certain Western Massachusetts forests where Dave lives as a wildlife guide and assessor.

The "upper flood plain" at the open-space juncture of Cambridge, Belmont and Arlington is where the Belmont Uplands construction proposed site sits on more than 5 acres.

There is no clear visible delineation between "upper" and "lower floodplain"; however, the state enforceable Wetlands Protection Act (WPA) stipulates these "significant" categories for the urban wild forested area of over 15 acres.