Minuteman School Committee begins search for interim superintendent-director

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• school committee

Superintendent, district/committee, union all release statements; committee meets briefly/virtually, with Arlington rep absent

UPDATED/BREAKING: Per a statement requested by and received by YourArlington on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 28, from the Minuteman Regional Technical Vocational School District, that district's top official is resigning.

Of note, the statement says that Superintendent-Director Kathleen Dawson has been declared innocent of sexual harassment.

However, Dawson herself late the previous evening, commenting for the first time to local media, characterized allegations of inappropriate behavior made against her as having been not only groundless but in essence grounded in some parties' dissatisfaction with her necessary and competent decisions on entirely different matters. She also stated that her resignation will be effective Saturday.

So far, no one at the district or the Minuteman School Committee is willing to say what Dawson's resignation date was, is or will be; what the School Committee vote tally was, assuming that such a vote was taken, or when; what the agreed-upon settlement, if any, is, was or will be; or any other details. Meanwhile, the committee met in open session earlier this evening; a report is below.

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Indigenous Peoples' Day to be honored Saturday morning at free family-friendly program

From left, Strong Bear Medicine, Daniel Boudillion

UPDATED Sept. 28: Local residents can learn about the resilience and endurance of the “Nashobah Praying Indians” at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30. This free, family-friendly event is to be held at the Robbins Library, 700 Mass. Ave., downstairs in the Community Room. It is intended as an early observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a term commonly used in Massachusetts and by some other states, cities and universities for what is also known as Columbus Day, occurring the second Monday in October.

 

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Street parking meters updated; '15 Minutes Free' feature finally works; enforcement continues; there's even a video tutorial

Can it really be?

In a move that likely will gladden the hearts of quick-errand shoppers, merchants and motorists throughout the business district, town authorities now report that all single- and double-space parking meters in Arlington Center have been reconfigured to include the 15 Minutes Free feature.

"This feature is intended [solely] to allow short-term parking to perform a quick errand. [Previously, and until this latest development] Since the new meters were installed, the feature did not work as intended," the town acknowledges in its online statement

Read more: Street parking meters updated; '15 Minutes Free' feature...

Sporadic showers can't wash away Town Day

Fireworks scheduled Oct. 7; next Town Day to be Sept. 21, 2024

UPDATED: With only brief light sprinkles at 12:30 p.m. and later a light but steady rain that began an hour before closing at 3:30 p.m., 2023's edition of Town Day in Arlington nevertheless delighted the crowds.

Despite the droplets, the popular long-running annual free street festival, held slightly later in the year than usual, on Saturday, Sept. 23, took place with just about all features intact including hundreds racing at "The Res" -- save for the previously announced postponement of fireworks, which originally were to have been the same night.

Friday afternoon Sept. 29, the Town Day Committee announced a new date for fireworks over Spy Pond -- 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. Walking to the event will be highly encouraged, as traffic delays and parking limits are anticipated. The committee also stated that the next Town Day has been set for 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.

Visitors seemed to demonstrate great diversity in terms of ages, disability statuses,Young, old, white, PoC, those with service dogs and walkers, others who strolled easily: many braved suboptimal weather Sept. 23, 2023, at Town Day near Robbins Library. / Tony Moschetto photo ethnicities and, especially, lengths of time having lived in the town -- from those who said that they had resided here for many decades to others who mentioned that they had arrived only in the summer.

The event, at the beginning of autumn, ran from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fewer guests seemed in evidence than in 2022, likely attributable to the cloudy weather, but those present appeared to enjoy themselves even so.

Food booths, too, were varied. Items for sale ranged from fried dough to vegan goodies to baked specialties to international delicacies: Indian, Mediterranean and Thai, among others.

There was free coffee at at least one booth -- most welcome on a still-chilly mid-morning -- and, at others,  sugary treats that some youngsters doubtless viewed as a preview to trick-or-treating nearly six weeks early.

Read more: Sporadic showers can't wash away Town Day

State Legislature passes bipartisan tax-relief package; legislation now headed to governor

Friedman

With the goal of providing financial relief to families across the commonwealth while making Massachusetts more competitive with other states, the Massachusetts Legislature overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan tax relief package supporting residents across all income levels on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2023.

This is according to a spokesman for Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), who joined her colleagues in voting to send this legislation to the governor’s desk. Having passed the House of Representatives and Senate, the bill now goes to Governor Maura Healey -- who is also an Arlington resident -- for her consideration.

The bill includes $561.3 million in tax relief in Fiscal Year 2024, $1.02 billion in Fiscal Year 2027 and beyond, according to Friedman's communications director, Stephen Acosta.

“The conference committee’s tax relief package passed in the Legislature today is a major victory for the residents of the Commonwealth,” said Friedman, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, in a news release from Acosta.

“This legislation provides relief to our working-class and lower-income residents by raising the caps on child income tax credits, earned income tax credits and the senior citizen circuit breaker. We also ensure that the provisions of the Fair Share Law are upheld by all taxpayers, increasing much-needed investments in our transportation and public education systems. This package increases our competitiveness and will deliver targeted relief for our residents, and I am very thankful for the work of my colleagues serving on the conference committee for their work to deliver this legislation.”

The compromise bill includes the following tax changes, according to Friedman's office:

Read more: State Legislature passes bipartisan tax-relief package;...

October family-friendly events announced

 Three fun events for October were announced at the Sept. 11 meeting of the Arlington Select Board.

Wednesday, Oct. 4, is National Coffee with a Cop Day. That day, residents will have a chance to get acquainted with local police personnel in a casual setting. From 9 to 11 a.m.,people may join fellow townsfolk in Whittemore Park – 611 Mass. Ave. at Mystic Street – to meet with local law enforcement officers in a friendly, nonemergency setting, and enjoy free coffee and pastries. According to Cheryl Nahigian, at the meeting, representing the Arlington Police Department, “We host a few ‘Coffee with a Cop’ days each year for our police and Arlington residents.” Select Board Chair Eric Helmuth said of the event, “I’m happy to support this and our police department.”

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Town of Arlington hires economic development coordinator

Katie Luczai, town economic development coordinator 

The town recently announced that Katie Luczai has been named economic development coordinator, working in the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD). Luczai thus is in charge of retaining and recruiting businesses to increase the commercial and industrial tax base in Arlington and as such expects to work closely with local stakeholders to maintain successful business districts and support the arts community, according to the town website.

“I look forward to fostering relationships with business owners in Arlington and town committees engaged in economic development to help organizations excel, while also attracting new visitors and companies,” Luczai was quoted as saying in the news release.

Luczai began her position Aug. 23, when she was brought on board by DPCD Director Claire Ricker, who wrote that Luczai is expected to be a strong asset to the team thanks to her cross municipal departmental experience, enthusiasm and interests in Arlington's economy. Before this role, Luczai worked as the administrative manager for the town of Hudson for more than a year in its public works department, handling duties such as managing payroll and preparing the annual budget.  

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Former official pays $80,000; conflict-of-interest case dismissed

• inspections

A former Inspectional Services Department director in Arlington made certain admissions of repeated actions involving conflict of interest, paid a fine -- and the case was dismissed by the state Ethics Commission, which stated on Wednesday,  Sept. 27, the following:

yle="padding-left: 90px;">"The state Ethics Commission has issued a Final Decision and Order allowing a Joint Motion to Dismiss and approving a Disposition Agreement in which former Arlington Inspectional Services Department Director Michael Byrne admits to repeatedly violating the conflict of interest law by allowing his own plumbing company to do work without permits or inspections at more than three dozen Arlington sites, creating false permits for work his company performed, and through other actions.

 

"The Commission accepted Byrne’s payment of an $80,000 civil penalty and dismissed the adjudicatory proceeding against him."

The commission's full statement, plus background information about the case previously pending for months, continues below.

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Forum on town's anti-opioid efforts suddenly canceled, expected to be rescheduled

Martin

Town officials at the last minute canceled but said they plan to reschedule a forum on fighting drug abuse that was to have been held Thursday evening at Town Hall. It would have featured Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan along with Prevention Service Manager Anna Martin and other staffers of of the town Health and Human Services Department.

YourArlington was told that there may have been a conflict with other local events and that therefore the forum is to be postponed to later this autumn.

The forum is primarily to announce plans for the approximately $1.2 million that Arlington hopes to get over several years to cope with the impact that the opioid crisis has had on the town. That amount is just one small portion of a relatively recent nationwide deal between governmental authorities and opioid producers/distributors.

The town earlier this year appointed Martin as Arlington’s prevention service manager, to to help reduce substance abuse in Arlington and provide support for those affected by addiction. The prevention service manager works within the Department of Health and Human Services.

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New electric school buses drive Arlington closer to a greener future

Schools' Superintendent Elizabeth Homan, left, and Public School's Transportation Director Steve Angelo, right, cut the green ribbon on one of the two new electric school buses. / Brynn O'Connor photographs

School officials, state representatives, town employees and community members all clapped as a green ribbon on a school bus was cut outside Arlington High School just before Town Day on Saturday, Sept. 23.

The reason to celebrate? The school bus is one of two new electrically powered vehicles the town recently received as part of a program aimed at reducing carbon emissions and advancing clean transportation technologies.

After two years of planning, the new buses were brought into public view.

Speaking at the podium in front of roughly 20 people were schools' Superintendent Elizabeth Homan, Arlington School Committee Chair Kirsi Allison-Ampe, Town Sustainability Manager Talia Fox, local state Rep. Sean Garballey and others who support the schools' and the town's strides towards a greener future. 

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