Arlington Troop 306 expresses joy after assembling gift bags at an earlier drive. / Photo by Karin Turer

UPDATED Nov. 24: Troop 306 of Arlington is conducting its annual holiday gift drive. Unlike many other donation drives intended to benefit younger children, this specific collection is in conjunction with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and aims to help local teens in need.

From now through Dec.10, residents can drop off a new unused gift to one of nine locations accepting donation. The troop has been asked to try to provide for 250 teens this year, according to an email from Karin Turer, a community-service parent cochair for the troop.

Turer wrote that unwrapped items such as hats, gloves, scarves, socks, art and school supplies, gift cards and small games especially will be appreciated.

Bob Sprague speaks at gala. / Photos by Paulette Schwartz

Donut Villa’s back room was at capacity Wednesday night for a celebration centered on YourArlington founder Bob Sprague. A crowd of about 100 joined enthusiastically in choral repetitions  of the term “Whereas” to accompany Select Board Chair Eric Helmuth’s proclamation of Nov. 15, 2023, as Bob Sprague Day.

And when keynote speaker, news-media expert and Northeastern University professor Dan Kennedy referred to a Boston Globe columnist’s mischaracterization earlier this year of Arlington as a “news desert,” guests vigorously booed.

Kennedy and other speakers emphasized that, as master of ceremonies Jeff Barnd of ACMi put it, “most towns are not blessed with a Bob Sprague.”

Barnd contrasted Sprague’s quiet devotion to writing about the town he has lived in for decades with Sinclair Broadcasting’s consolidation of two radio stations into what it called a “regional content center” to “superserve” Tulsa and Oklahoma City with “hyperlocal” news, even though the two cities are more than 100 miles apart.

Kennedy noted that “the dead hand of corporate and hedge-fund ownership” explains at least some of the decline outside of Arlington in locally funded and local news, which people generally tend to trust more than they do the national news media.

UPDATED Nov. 21: The LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Commission is a local volunteer organization dedicated to promoting full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and groups in Arlington. Monday, Nov. 20, the group invited residents to a commemoration of Transgender Day of Resilience. Similar events have been held in previous years.

This event took place on the front lawn of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 630 Mass. Ave. Members of the Rainbow Commission and the Rev. Erica Richmond of the First Parish congregation honored the resilience of trans, nonbinary and gender-expansive people. 

Arlington has achieved the top score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation's annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI) for 2023, a town press release said. This is the 12th year of the MEI and the sixth year that Arlington has been included.

The MEI examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies and services are of LGBTQIA+ people who live and work in a  municipality. These communities are rated on nondiscrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and the city leadership's public position on equality. 

This is the fifth year since 2018 that Arlington was scored at 100.

 Incident closes Park Avenue for more than two hours: APD blog

Via the Arlington Police Department official news blog and social media, APD Chief Juliann Flaherty has reported that the APD is investigating a motor-vehicle collision that involved a pedestrian over the weekend. The pedestrian was transported to receive medical attention.

On Sunday, Nov. 19, at approximately 1:45 p.m., police and fire responded to a report of a pedestrian struck in the area of Park and Wollaston avenues in the Arlington Heights neighborhood.

Obscured no-trespassing sign at Burch and Edith streets, November 2023. / Susan Gilbert photo

UPDATED Nov. 27: The Conservation Commission at its Nov. 2 meeting requested peer review of Arlington Land Realty’s notice of intent under the Wetlands Protection Act to build Thorndike Place. The commission continued discussing this issue at its remote-only meeting Nov. 16.

Arlington Land Realty is the applicant seeking to construct Thorndike Place, a 124-unit apartment complex plus six duplex townhouses on the Mugar wetlands, a 17-acre wooded area that is habitat to birds and other animals near Dorothy Road in East Arlington.

No structures are on the private property, and no one officially lives there, though unhoused people are known to gather there. Thorndike Place was initially proposed in 2015 and originally was to have been much larger. Two years ago it was unanimously approved, albeit with many conditions, by the town's Zoning Board of Appeals. However, many in town continue to oppose it because of concerns about potential for flooding and other environmental issues.

The applicant earlier this autumn submitted a notice of intent -- an application outlining the work proposed in order to obtain a permit to conduct work within the wetlands jurisdiction. The Wetlands Protection Act is a state law that establishes procedures for conservation commissions to follow in issuing permits for work in protected areas. According to the introduction on the commonwealth's website, “Wetlands help clean drinking water supplies, prevent flooding and storm damage, and support a variety of wildlife.”

UPDATED Nov. 19: The Housing Corporation of Arlington is again providing free holiday nourishment to those who apply in time.

Applicants need not reside in HCA-affiliated facilities, according to Luca Cassano, civic engagement coordinator for the nonprofit organization whose stated mission is "to provide affordable, stable housing and empower residents in order to build a supportive and equitable community."

The deadline to apply for free food for Thanksgiving was Monday, Nov. 13, via this simple online form. However, the one-page form also can be used to request Christmas meals; a deadline for that has not yet been set.

Thanksgiving baskets were to be picked up from the HCA office at 252 Mass. Ave. on Saturday, Nov. 18, between 2 and 5 p.m.

In response to a YourArlington query, Cassano clarified, "As of now, there is no formal deadline for Christmas registration. People can still use the current form to only register for Christmas meals. But after Thanksgiving is over, around early December, we plan to do another round of outreach, with a new form that covers only Christmas meals."

Festive planter outside Cambridge Savings Bank, which sponsored six planters throughout the area./ Courtesy Arlington Heights Community Association

Arlington Heights is tapping into the holiday spirit with new festive planters outside several businesses. The wintergreen arrangements with pinecones and berries are part of the Arlington Heights Community Association's beautification project.

According to a statement from the group, the project ensures that planters throughout the area will be filled with seasonal vegetation until next fall.

The association sent out acknowledgments to the businesses that sponsored these planters. These include Intelligent Labor and Moving, Realtor Julie Horvath of Senne, the Roasted Granola Café, Society Beauty Bar, Sports Etc. and Wonder Yoga.

A special thank you was given to Cambridge Savings Bank, which sponsored six planters this season. 

"We hope the community will continue to patronize these businesses and the many other unique Height businesses in this vibrant commercial district," wrote Janet O'Riordan, member of the AHCA.

Michael Cunningham

Town Manager Jim Feeney has appointed Michael Cunningham as Arlington’s new town counsel, as of Monday, Nov. 13.

The town counsel serves as the chief legal officer of the town, prosecutes and defends all litigation and provides legal representation and advice to the town manager, the Select Board and all other officials, departments and commissions, a town news release said.

“Arlington is an engaged community, from its leadership team to the many volunteers that make Arlington work," said Cunningham. “I look forward to this new opportunity.”

Col. Philip McGovern

Arlington Town Manager Jim Feeney appointed Col. Philip McGovern as the town’s new veterans’ services director beginning Nov. 6.

As director, he is responsible for the daily operation of the Veterans’ Resource Center, which connects veterans and their families to financial and other available benefits. The director also coordinates community events.

“Arlington has a reputation of honoring its veterans,” said McGovern. “I look forward to carrying on its mission, meeting Arlington veterans and connecting people with the services and resources they need.”

After an in-depth discussion and apparently taking into consideration points raised by members of the public, the Arlington Redevelopment Board unanimously approved a special permit extension, with conditions, for a 50-room hotel and restaurant combination first proposed before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At its Nov. 6 meeting, the ARB also voted 4-0 to accept the formal withdrawal of the application for a potential new pot shop, though its proponents still have the option to submit a new application to operate at the long-proposed Summer Street location.

Arlington already has two fully operational marijuana dispensaries; as mentioned in these notes from an ARB member, per its bylaws, the town can have only one more, for a total of three.