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

Bedford Embraces Diversity Responds to Recent Episodes of Hateful Graffiti

By The Bedford Citizen | 3 mins ago

The Board of Directors of Bedford Embraces Diversity this week issued a statement of response to recent episodes of hateful graffiti on the sides of a couple of local buildings. The grass-roots organization, which sponsors the annual Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration and multicultural festival, originated seven years ago in response to incidents of antisemitism.

Here is their statement:

The challenges presented by the worldwide pandemic are bringing out the best in people, and Bedford is no exception. Ordinary residents are stepping up, navigating the limits imposed by the virus, and finding creative ways to help those in need – health care professionals and support staff, neighbors who are isolated, anxious or elderly, and local first-responders.

In that context, it is especially infuriating to learn of hateful graffiti discovered last week on two buildings on the eastern side of the town and at Shawsheen Cemetary. Let’s be clear: the swastikas and Hitler references not only symbolize hate, they represent the methodical destruction of millions of human beings and entire cultures less than two generations ago. They represent beliefs and policies that spit in the face of all the inspiring efforts to do good that we see around us.

Town of Bedford ~ Update on Covid-19 ~ Wednesday, 8 April 2020

Editor’s Note: Today’s update marks one month (and one day) from the start of the Town’s Covid-19 messages. In addition to Bedford’s and Hanscom’s active cases, there is information about the patients now housed in the VA’s new Covid-19 ward. Among today’s other news — Memorial Day is canceled; there are new limits on the number of shoppers allowed in grocery stores at the same time; results of the School Department’s survey about April vacation that will be considered at tomorrow evening’s School Committee meeting (7:30 pm, remotely).

Go to the full story and click this link to read the Town’s update for Wednesday, 8 April 2020

HUZZAH: There’s a New Book in Town! ‘Bedford History for Kids’ by Town Historian Sharon Lawrence McDonald

With a publication date scheduled to coincide with this weekend’s sadly-canceled Pole Capping ceremony, Town Historian Sharon Lawrence McDonald’s new book for elementary and middle school readers, Bedford History for Kids, arrived from the printer on Monday.

It contains fun facts and historic tales—from stone tools to an alleged witch, from trains and trolleys to a new airport. McDonald believes the time is right for younger readers to be able to enjoy learning more about the town where they live. The book is appealingly filled with photos of artifacts, postcards, hand-drawn maps—and pictures of local children.

School Committee to Meet Remotely on Thursday Evening, April 9

The Bedford School Committee will meet remotely at 7:30 pm on Thursday, April 9, 2020.

In addition to other business, the Committee will decide on a proposed change to the 2019-2020 School Calendar and whether to cancel April Vacation.

Social Services Offer a Variety of Support for Bedford Residents

Bedford feels like a ghost town – which is a good thing. There are only 20 confirmed cases of Covid-19, according to the most recent report relayed by town officials from the state. But there is also a price to pay for many people engaged in disciplined social distancing and disconnection from normal activities, events, and culture. Professionals in government and private practice who are trained to address issues like isolation, insecurity and information overload have a handle on who is most vulnerable, and what steps can be taken to mitigate the mental health impact.
The Bedford Citizen Welcomes Interim Reporter Jordan Stewart

The Bedford Citizen extends a warm welcome to Jordan Stewart who joined us as an interim, part-time reporter on March 30. Regular readers may recognize Jordan’s name from the previous reporting he did for The Citizen in 2019. Most recently The Citizen published his account of his abrupt return from Scotland three weeks ago where he was enjoying a semester abroad through UMass Amherst when Covid-19 arrived.

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Government

Select Board Meets via Zoom to Address Covid-19 Agenda; Town Meeting Postponed 30 Days beyond April 6

At their April 1 meeting, the Select Board heard updates on the town’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, postponed Town Meeting due to the constraints of the pandemic, and discussed the organization of the Select Board for the coming year.
Town of Bedford ~ Update on Covid-19 ~ Tuesday, 7 April 2020

Editor's Note: In today's update, Town Manager Sarah Stanton announces that plans for Bedford's second Summer Solstice Festival have been scrapped because, "the Covid-19 crisis may require focused attention to public health and safety well beyond stay at home orders and advisories. Social distancing measures may be required for several months." Click the link in the full story to read the Town's full update for Tuesday, April 7, 2020

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Schools

JGMS Musical Cast and Crew Share a Virtual Rehearsal in Lieu of Opening Night

Wednesday, April 1, was supposed to be opening night of this year’s JGMS musical, FROZEN JR. But with schools closed due to the COVID-19 virus, and no clear idea of whether and when the production could be performed, the directing staff instead convened a Zoom meeting for cast and crew at 4 pm, the original curtains-up time.
Online Learning to Begin for Bedford Public School Students

The Bedford Public Schools, closed by state order until at least May 4 to slow the spread of Covid-19, this week forays into a new universe: “required engagement with online learning.” In a letter to student households Friday, School Superintendent Jon Sills wrote that the remote experience will be guided by a recent collaborative vision statement. This includes “providing meaningful work, promoting choice, flexibility, creativity, and engagement; nurturing connections with students; and “factoring in the anxiety and other conditions that the crisis is imposing on students, educators, and their families.”

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Features

Passover 5780 – Differently Different

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Passover snuck up on me this year. After a March that came in like a lion and went out with a quarantine, and seemingly went on forever, I lost track of time. (After all, didn’t you hear- we are down to only three days a week: yesterday, today, and tomorrow.) But here it is, and here we are. One of the most cherished traditions at the Passover Seder is the recitation of The Four Questions, when the youngest child present asks a series of questions to the group about Passover and its rituals- eating matzah, eating bitter herbs, dipping vegetables, and eating while reclining. The beginning line of The Four Questions, which is perhaps the most famous, is traditionally translated as “How is this night different from all other nights?”, from the Hebrew “Mah nishtanah halaylah hazeh mikol halaylot?” But here’s a little known fact- that first word of The Four Questions- “mah”, is less of a question than a rhetorical exclamation. A better translation of that opening line is “”How different this night is from all other nights!” And that’s not really a question at all, it’s a reminder to the participants that the Passover Seder is far different from any other meal we have during the year. This year, though, it’s worth adding an element of reflection to the opening line of The Four Questions. This time around, Passover is not just unique among the other nights of the year, but in truth there has never been a Passover like the one we are about to celebrate, where we will attempt to celebrate a holiday so predicated on gathering together by gathering separately. Most years people boast about their Seders and how many people they will be with, but this year I’m ready for photos on Facebook of computer screens filled with face tiles of all of people’s remote Zoom or Skype Seder participants. This Passover will be, for lack of a better expression, differently different. We have literally never tried this before.
A Visit to Los Alamos, New Mexico, and the Manhattan Project

Any visitor to the Taos and Santa Fe area of New Mexico should consider a trip to Los Alamos, home of the Manhattan Project National Historic Park. Shortly after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941 during the Second World War, the United States began hiring scientists to work on a ‘better bomb’ to end the war. Secret sites were set up starting in 1942 across the country, with the beginning being in New York City, thusly named the “Manhattan Project.” Los Alamos was chosen as the main site for a new laboratory due primarily to lead scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer’s house in nearby Albuquerque and familiarity with the region. The new, secret town of Los Alamos was built in 1943 and called “Site Y.” Hanford, Washington, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, hosted secondary labs.

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Life Events

Life Events ~ March 11, 2020 ~ Humphrey-Hargreaves Wedding ~ John Citrano’s New Job

Congratulations to the happy couple and a local resident on a new work opportunity: Humphrey-Hargreaves Wedding Janet and Eric Humphrey of Bedford announce the wedding of their daughter, Ellen Humphrey to Michael Hargreaves, son of Janet and Derek Hargreaves of Beverley, East Yorkshire, UK. The couple was married by Justice of the Peace Stoddard Melhado on Saturday, November 2, 2019 at The Barn at Gibbet Hill in Groton, Massachusetts, with the reception following at the same location.
Life Events ~ February 28, 2020 ~ Michael McAllister

Congratulations to a local resident recently honored at work: Local resident Michael McAllister has been named as the new Director of Human Capital for Belmont Public Schools. He is currently serving as the principal of the Chenery Middle School in Belmont. In an interview McAllister had with the Belmontonian he reflected on his 20 years in the Belmont schools as well as the opportunities to learn and grow in this new position. McAllister grew up in Bedford and after graduating from Bedford High School in 1995, he attended Northeastern University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.

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Sports

Elise and Monique Lyons ~ Bedford Sisters are Austin Prep Hockey Stars

New England is at the forefront of developing woman hockey players, and two of the best are right here in Bedford. Elise Lyons, grade 11, and her sister Monique, grade 8, daughters of Pat Lyons and Therese Franks, played wing on the first line of the co-state champion Cougars of Austin Preparatory School in Reading. The team was two days away from a showdown at TD Garden with Woburn for the MIAA title when the Covid-19 threat took over, truncating the tournament.
Alli Lua Completes the ‘MS Climb to the Top’ Vertical 5k in 17.1 Minutes

Alli Lua who teaches second grade at the Davis School in Bedford has hidden powers. In just 17.1 minutes (!) she climbed to the top of 200 Clarendon Street, previously known as the John Hancock Tower, on Saturday, March 7.