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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Proposed affordable-housing complex gets thumbs-up from Zoning Board of Appeals

• housing
• development

The plan for a 43-unit affordable housing project proposed to be built at 10 Sunnyside Ave. by the nonprofit organization Housing Corporation of Arlington by 2026 has been approved unanimously, with conditions, by the Zoning Board of Appeals.

“Conditions, which we are prepared to meet,” said Erica Schwarz, executive director of the HCA. “They [ZBA] are now finalizing the letter that they will forward to us,” she told YourArlington via email after the meeting.

For nearly two hours Sept. 12, the acting chair, Patrick Hanlon and the other board members went through the final draft of the HCA’s proposal, continuing this process from its previous meeting, at which the board covered findings, waivers and about half of the conditions.

Some conditions discussed at the Sept. 12 meeting focused on project design and construction -- and included a requirement that HCA maintain a frequently updated website, open to anyone who might wish to view it, to keep people informed on the construction process.

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Nominations for MassART awards have opened, are due soon; deadline Monday

The Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassART) has announced that the period for nominations have opened and that nominations are due soon. Self-nominations are accepted, and numerous categories have been established.

The MassART Common Good Awards is a new category and along with two others are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 16, at the institution's design and media center. This ceremony aims to celebrate the college's 150th anniversary and recognize the contributions of individuals and organizations at the intersection of civic life, arts and culture, according to a press release. 

MassART is looking to honor artists who push the boundaries of advocacy and teaching in their work. Qualifying applicants must place emphasis on the public influence of art and its role in problem-solving and quality of life, according to the release. 

The college is allowing open calls for nominations, including visual and performing arts, literature, film, fashion, design, advocacy, administration and creative economy. The deadline is Oct. 2; those interested can access the form here >>  and read more about requirements below:

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No empty tables for flavor-stuffed Mexican menu

• dining

Review: Acitrón

Frederick Kalil reviews

Having always been of the belief that good Mexican food needn’t suck the wallet dry, I habitually tap into Arlington’s modest — and very good — spots when I get the hankering. It’s come to my attention that the pattern of falling into habit and coddling assumptions resulted in harboring a blind spot to Acitrón, which I had last visited at least 10 years ago. A look at the current menu convinced me that a return was in order.

Starters worth attending to

The first-listed item on the menu is a sauced cornbread appetizer priced at $12, seemingly the kitchen’s bold, throwdown challenge to my faith in simpler Mexican fare. This pan de elote, made with peppers and cheese, is napped with an expanse of poblano cream sauce and impresses as a full-scale dish. Moist and puddingy but admirably crusted on the bottom, it might equally be enjoyed as a dessert. The abundant sauce was declared “velvety” by an impressed tablemate.

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Philanthropic group schedules program Sunday afternoon about human trafficking

• fund-raiser

Members of the Philoptochos Society pictured in 2016 / Aileen Maroney photoThe philanthropic group of St. Barbara's Philoptochos, part of St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church, has scheduled a free program to tell the community about human trafficking.

Called "Sins Before Our Eyes," it is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1, in the auditorium at St. Athanaius, 4 Appleton St. at  Mass. Ave.

People 18 years or older may attend the event featuring guest speakers,  discussions and refreshments. The event is free, but donations are encouraged. Those interested are asked to register in advance. The registration link can be accessed here >>

Inspired by the recent popula feature film, "Sound of Freedom," members of Philoptochos say that they wish to raise awareness that people of all ages, genders and backgrounds can fall prey to various kinds of trafficking—which some experts estimate victimizes some 27 million people worldwide. 

The speakers are educators devoted to combatting human trafficking, their work supported by both the Ecumenical Patriach and Greek Orthodox leaders around the world. They include Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou, visiting professor at Boston College; Presvytera Maria Drossos, member of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Task Force on Modern Slavery; and Dr. Vasileia Digidiki, a Harvard University instructor. 

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Late-September ZBA meeting now reset for Tuesday

• zoning

The town Zoning Board of Appeals had planed to meet Tuesday, Sept. 26, to hold six hearings. Officials now say that this meeting has since been rescheduled for the following Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. It is expected to be a remote session.

Three of the hearings scheduled for this meeting are continuations from previous ZBA sessions, according to the agenda. 

See the agenda here > It is necessary to pre-register for the meeting at this Zoom link >>

 Read more information about the expected hearings below:

Read more: Late-September ZBA meeting now reset for Tuesday

'Pippin' at Arlington Friends of the Drama's theater; first of four shows in new season

• Theater

UPDATED Sept. 24: A century ago, a few members of the Arlington Women’s Club decided to form a new group: Friends of the Drama. Since then, Arlington Friends of the Drama, or AFD, as the community theater came to be known, has produced season after season of plays, starting with a two-play season, and at times, performing up to five or six works in a single year at 22 Academy St. 

The AFD now has scheduled all upcoming performances for the 2023-2024 season. The theater is offering discounted tickets, with four show bundles priced at $70.

Those interested in a subscription with AFD can click here >> 

A modern classic, "Pippin," opened Friday, Sept. 22; a description of the plot ,times/dates, other details of the musical's run and that of the other three planned productions all appear below.

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Some 60 folks turn out on a sunny afternoon to fete new town manager

• personnel

Town Manager Jim Feeney, left, and Town Counsel Doug Heim confer during festivities convened for the former near Town Hall on the afternoon of Sept. 14. / Susan Gilbert photo

UPDATED Sept. 29: On a gloriously sunny afternoon, approximately 60 residents and town employees celebrated Jim Feeney, Arlington’s newest town manager.

Gathered in the Town Hall gardens, attendees enjoyed convivial conversation, light refreshments and uplifting speeches by Feeney, the Select Board and local state politicians.

Addressing the crowd Sept. 14, Feeney said, “This is the professional honor of a lifetime and is very special for me. It’s been a long journey since 2019, when I first started working for the town. I want to thank the Select Board for their confidence in me, and I am grateful for my staff’s support.”

Feeney said he was inspired to become town manager when he first started working for the town, yet at that point had no idea what the role truly involved.

“I’ve now held a variety of different jobs and positions over the years, so have been able to see the value that local government has in a community. There’s no more honorable profession than being a town manager, because of the wide range of services we provide and the number of people impacted.”

Read more: Some 60 folks turn out on a sunny afternoon to fete new...

Blue Cross Blue Shield supports trees through Bluebikes rides including in Arlington

In recognition of Environmental Awareness Month, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) is planning to donate $1 for every ride taken on Bluebikes to the Boston Tree Alliance Program through Sept. 30, a news release said.

BCBSMA’s donations will go directly towards the Boston Tree Alliance’s tree planting and care in environmental justice neighborhoods to increase Boston-area residents’ access to the physical and emotional benefits trees provide, improve quality of life, and promote biodiversity. The program works with Mass Audubon to bolster the tree canopy in the parts of Boston that are shaded by trees.

The donations will apply to all rides taken across the Bluebikes system’s 13 municipalities: Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Newton, Revere, Salem, Somerville and Watertown.

The state’s largest health plan says it plans to continue to honor its commitment to climate action and improving environmental health through its ongoing efforts of promoting Bluebikes as a sustainable and healthy mode of transportation.

Read more: Blue Cross Blue Shield supports trees through Bluebikes...