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The Bedford Citizen - Community-supported news for Bedford, Massachusetts since 2012

The Bedford Citizen (https://www.thebedfordcitizen.org/)

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Moderator Cathy Cordes Resigns, Effective March 31

By Mike Rosenberg | 5 hours ago

Town Moderator Cathy Cordes will not be presiding at the May 15 annual town meeting after all.

Cordes has resigned, effective March 31, following the sale of her home. She and her husband Ronald, who recently announced his retirement at the end of his term on the Board of Assessors, will be relocating to suburban Philadelphia, close to their son Eric and his family.

Related: Planning Board Finalizes ADU Zoning Bylaw Amendment

Hanscom Field Advisory Commission ~ Short Takes for February 2021

The Hanscom Field Advisory Commission learned from Massport at its February 16, 2021 meeting that the pandemic continues to depress air traffic at Hanscom Field, with all categories of flight operations down for January as compared to last year. 

Two Generations Reflect on the Evolution of Bedford’s Black History

The second in The Bedford Citizen’s series honoring Black History Month, 2021

The fledgling U.S. Air Force began moving toward racial equality even before President Harry Truman’s 1948 executive order integrating the armed forces.

Two decades later, active and retired African-American Air Force personnel and contractors enriched the town of Bedford, diversifying the population to a level unlike most other Boston area suburbs.

Growing up Black in Bedford could be challenging, as the town was not immune from the racism that permeated much of society. But a sampling of voices from the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s also testify to experiences that were rewarding – thanks to family, community, and enlightened educators.

Select Board Affirms Elected Assessors by 3:2 Vote

The Select Board Monday voted 3-2 to sustain the current elective status of the Board of Assessors.

Members Margot Fleischman, Bopha Malone, and Emily Mitchell voted against proposed bylaw and charter amendments that would convert the position to appointed. Board member William Moonan, who has been an advocate of the change for more than a year, was joined by Chair Ed Pierce in support of including the proposed change on this year’s town meeting warrant.

These amendments would ultimately give appointment power to the Select Board.

More Headlines

Minuteman Senior Services To Hold its first ever virtual Spring Forward Fun Run & Walk
Letter to the Editor Supporting Margot Fleischman for Select Board
Letter to the Editor Supporting Michael Pulizzi for Library Trustee

Community News

  • VA Bedford opens COVID vaccinations to all enrolled Veterans

    VA Bedford Healthcare System will open COVID vaccinations to all Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare, regardless of age, starting Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. VA will administer the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at its COVID Vaccination Clinic in the auditorium of Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, 200 Springs Road, Bedford. Enrolled Veterans may call the COVID-19 vaccination line at 781-687-4000 weekdays to schedule an appointment. Appointments are available daily, including weekends, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

  • Protections from COVID-19 can lead to Feelings of Isolation

    Do you Feel Alone? Help is available. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a complex array of challenges including social isolation. As a result of curfews, stay-at-home mandates, and the need to keep gatherings to a minimum, people are staying at home more and experiencing unprecedented levels of isolation and a strain on their mental health. The Bedford Health and Human Services Department wants to make Bedford residents aware that supports are available. The Town of Bedford offers Social Services to any resident in need

All Community News

Government

  • Candidates Questionnaire for Bedford’s 2021 Town Election

    Responses to questions posed by the League of Women Voters of Bedford to each of the candidates on the ballot for the Town's 2021 election.

  • Joseph Gilbert: Candidate for Assessor

    Hello everyone, my name is Joseph Gilbert, and it would be an honor to represent you on Bedford's Board of Assessors.  I am a husband and father of two young children.  I'm also a Marine Corps veteran, a graduate of UMass Boston with a Bachelor’s in Finance, and a former realtor.   After the military, I continued my service as a government civilian with the Navy and a defense contractor.  While my family is relatively new to Bedford, I believe my experience and education provide me with both the necessary skills and a unique perspective to execute the duties required by the Board. I recently became aware of the proposal to remove selection of the Assessors from the public and place the decision solely in the hands of the Select Board.  I adamantly agree with outgoing Board Chair, Ron Cordes, that independence is integral to the Assessors.  While the Select Board is always aligned with our town's greater interests, they may not always directly align with those of the individual taxpayers in our town. It’s important that all interests are heard, represented, and balanced.  This balancing of interests - an important role of the Board of Assessors - is an important check on the Select Board and is the primary reason the Assessors should remain independently elected.  The feeling of paying our tax bill should be weighed against Bedford's great services - both perspectives are important, and both should be considered, especially given the changes to Bedford in these unprecedented times.

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Schools

  • School Committee Votes Lane School Full Return as soon as March 15; Retains Full-Remote Option

    Editor's Note: This complete report amplifies and replaces Wednesday morning's breaking news. Third, fourth, and fifth-grade students will be returning to Lane School four days a week as soon as March 15, following a unanimous vote by the School Committee late Tuesday night. The plan, which retains the full-remote option but drops hybrid, is based on converting the art room, library, and computer room to classrooms and doubling up pairs of adjoining rooms so they can be managed through connecting doors. Reopening will require six new teachers and three additional educational assistants. The School Committee approved spending up to $136,000 to cover the salaries for three months. The total bill for reopening Lane and Davis Schools is about $273,000. None of the Covid-19 protocols implemented this year will be compromised; indeed, the six-foot distancing is the reason for the classroom additions. “We know that our schools are safe. The data now is so clear,” said Dan Brosgol, School Committee chair. “In the absence of teacher vaccinations, I am not comfortable taking a step back from anything. I am happy to spend more to keep our protocols right where they are.” Tuesday’s discussion and vote were preceded by more than an hour-and-a-half of public comments, comprising 31 speakers, most of whom advocated a return to in-person instruction.

  • Breaking News: Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grade Students will be Returning to Lane School as soon as March 15

    Full details will post later today Third, fourth, and fifth-grade students will be returning to Lane School as soon as March 15, as voted by the School Committee late Tuesday night.

All Schools

Extra, Extra!

  • Mail-a-thon 2021 ~ CSF Dollars for Scholars Has a New Look this March

    The first week of March is almost here. But don’t wait for the usual telephone call from Bedford Dollars for Scholars – even though that has been as dependable as crocuses for many years. Dollars for Scholars is still conducting its fundraiser, but this year it is by mail instead of the annual student phon-a-thon.

  • World of Music Concert to Honor Black History Month

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impossibility of presenting live concerts for an audience, MCC’s A World of Music Spring 2021 Concert Series will present a series of live recordings of performances from venues in Bedford and Lowell. These concerts will be released on specific dates, and links will be provided on https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/worldofmusic/ February 26 at 7:30 pm: In honor of Black History Month the series will open with a Celebration of Black Composers from Europe, Africa, the United States and South America.

More Extra, Extra!

Features

  • Priscilla Douglas: “You can’t let anybody tell you who you are and what you can become.”

    (First of two stories on recent Black history in Bedford) “We were the first Black family in Bedford,” Dr. Priscilla H. Douglas affirmed. “But in my family, there was no […]

  • Ash-less Wednesday ~ A Reflection ~ The Rev. Chris Wendell ~ St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

    This week marks the beginning of the Lenten season for many Christians, a time of preparation, repentance, and renewal.  But unlike every other year for at least the last millennium, this year for many Lent will not begin by marking a sign of the cross in ashes on our foreheads.  Today may be the first Wednesday of Lent, but it is likely to be an “Ash-less Wednesday” for most.  The need to care for one another by limiting in-person contact to reduce the chance of spreading COVID has claimed congregational singing, preaching in person, the sharing of bread and wine, and now even the marking of our foreheads with ashes. Ashes have been part of this day’s liturgical observances going back to the 6th century in at least some places.  Their formalization in the Western church’s customary was made universal in the 11th century.  Even in my part of the wider Christian family, which broke away from Roman Catholicism during the Reformation five centuries ago, the use of ashes on this day took a mere 250-year hiatus before working its way back into our traditions and customs.  It is one that many faithful Christians of all stripes may find themselves missing this year.

All Features

Ask Aunt Laura

  • Ask Aunt Laura – Where’s The Bacon?

    Who doesn’t love bacon? And who doesn’t hate opening the package and finding the slices are mainly comprised of fat?

  • Ask Aunt Laura ~ Seeding a Pomegranate? Solved!

    Sweet and sour, and for me very addictive, I just love pomegranate seeds—however, I have always dreaded the process involved in extracting them. Problem solved!

Obituaries

  • An Obituary: Donald G. Blake

    Donald G. Blake passed away on February 15, 2021.  A resident of Bedford for more than 60 years, Mr. Blake was a longtime communicant of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and was a volunteer for many church projects, providing administrative support for the Monthly Epistle and serving as a cashier at the snack table at the annual Advent Fair.

  • An Obituary: James Michael Porter

    James Michael Porter passed away on February 8, 2021. Mr. Porter, a Woburn resident, was a US Postal Carrier in Bedford.

All Deaths

Sports

  • Football Season Begins with Next Week’s Practice on Sabourin Field

    There’s a foot of snow on the oval that surrounds Sabourin Field. You’ll need a shovel to get to the stands, let alone find a seat. And it’s going to be a while before the grills fire up next to the POMS snack shack. But the gridiron itself is green and dry – and ready for high school football practice to begin next Monday. The pandemic-induced “Fall II” season is actually going to take place, with safety modifications that have become routine for many student-athletes.

  • BHS Basketball Team Fulfills Commitment to Weekend of Community Service

    Fulfilling a commitment to a weekend of community service, members of the Bedford High School boys basketball team recently spent several hours as volunteers at the Bedford community food bank. They also wrote letters of thanks and donated gift cards to heath-care workers. “I am proud of our boys for following through on an important part of our program’s mission,” said Head Coach Ryan Kilian.

All Sports

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Opinion

  • Letter to the Editor: Supporting Catherine Van Praagh for Board of Health
  • Letter to the Editor: Supporting Maureen Richichi for Board of Health

All Opinion

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