Who would have thought that this year of pandemic could be a record-breaker for Bedford Dollars for Scholars Trivia Night?
There are 50 tickets remaining for the first virtual event, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m. The organization already has sold 150, and 200 participants would be a record for the seven-year-old fundraiser. Ticket sales end when they are sold out or on Feb. 2
Bedford local government’s welcoming approach was a big part of the reason why Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical decided to locate a major operation in the town.
Gil Stevens, senior director of capital projects for the 10-year-old California-based firm, told a virtual meeting sponsored by the Middlesex 3 collaborative that “the responsiveness has been absolutely stellar.” Stevens was a guest panelist on a virtual program entitled “Life Sciences and the Move to the Suburbs.”
“Not all communities are like that. We had a number of towns that just not did even respond,” Stevens continued. “The folks in Bedford were just phenomenal — Sarah (Town Manager Sarah Stanton) and Alyssa (Economic Development Director Alyssa Sandoval) coming out to discuss the town’s capabilities.”
Bedford has a little-known connection to the Inauguration this week. The new Vice President is the sorority sister of Bedford’s own Sharon McDonald through the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
McDonald was the beloved children’s librarian at the Bedford Free Public Library for nearly four decades. Currently, she satisfies her love of history and research by serving as the Bedford Town Historian. She is the author of three books about Bedford history. They are The Bedford Flag Unfurled; A Meeting House and Its People, a history of First Parish on Bedford Common; and Bedford History for Kids.
As of Jan. 19 there were close to 24 million cases of Covid-19 reported in the country with close to 400,000 deaths. There are some estimates that the actual number may be as much as six times that.
For today I’m not calling your attention to a specific article but to an online source that I think is worth following.
It’s The Conversation and it is a compendium of research papers from authors at various universities. In the posting on Jan. 16, the subjects range from Covid-19, to white supremacists, to the rollout of the polio vaccine.
Briefly, The Conversation is a nonprofit, independent news organization dedicated to unlocking the knowledge of experts for the public good. “We publish trustworthy and informative articles written by academic experts for the general public and edited by our team of journalists.”
On January 12th, we bid farewell to one of Bedford TV’s most beloved members, Ann Seamans.
Ann was a volunteer at Bedford TV for 15 years. She started in January 2006 when she stopped in to borrow a video camera to record her daughter Heather’s life. Former Bedford TV Executive Director, Greg Dolan remembered, “She was incredibly dedicated to telling the story of her daughter, Heather, and I was honored to be able to help her however I could. In working with her I was able to see how special the bond that they shared was and that project was one of the highlights of my time at Bedford TV.”
A timely address by an award-winning University of Massachusetts Lowell historian will keynote Bedford Embraces Diversity’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day community observance, planned for the morning of Jan. 18 on Zoom.
Dr. Elizabeth Herbin-Triant, associate professor of history, plans to explore “the historical roots of white supremacy in the US, focusing on the period after the Civil War, during which policies such as segregation and disfranchisement were put into effect.”
A link to the commemoration will be provided to those who register at bedfordembracesdiversity@gmail.com. The formal program will begin at 9:30 am; the meeting will open at 9.
Herbin-Trian’s talk “will draw connections to what took place in the Capitol last week, paying particular attention to the politics of white grievance.”
The Department of Public Works is relocating all drop-off sites for residential cardboard recycling to the Compost Center at 108 Carlisle Road.
Starting this Saturday, January 16, the Compost Center will be open every other Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. In addition to cardboard, residents can bring yard waste and brush. Starting January 20, the Compost Center will be open every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
“The program is very successful due to the overwhelming the response of residents,” said Ed McGrath, Bedford’s Recycling Coordinator. “But, having residents come to the DPW’s Great Road location has raised numerous safety issues.”
Bedford has 15 Daisy, Brownie, Junior, and Cadette/Senior/Ambassador troops ready to supply cookies to the community in 2021.
Your purchase helps troops raise funds to support their activities, awards, travel, and the Bedford-Hanscom Girl Scout Scholarship fund. Cookies are $5 per box.
Taking a page (literally) from the holiday letter tradition we thought we would update you on The Bedford Citizen’s year. I’m sure you can relate.
The year started off with such promise. A new boardwalk on Davis Road, a changing of the guard at the school department, new restaurants, new businesses, things seemed to be humming along. Here at The Citizen we had just mailed our first Bedford Guide and were coming off a successful match fundraising campaign where we exceeded all our expectations. 2020 felt like it was going to be a good year.
….and then…. We hit a bump, a big bump, a bump that was shared with the world. There was a lot of news, and we feel proud we were in position to keep our town informed.
If you think back to 2020 you would be forgiven for thinking that between Covid-19 and the presidential election, nothing else happened. Those two stories absorbed most of the attention of the national media, but here at The Bedford Citizen, our beat is Bedford and we know more was happening here than those two big stories. Here is a look back at some of the stories you might have missed or would like to read again.
There was a recent article in the Washington Post titled The NameGame: For these pets, inspiration came in many forms, November 23, 2020. It got me thinking, what is the local take on naming your pets.
Dog walking turns out to be a very social activity, cats, not so much, and having walked dogs twice a day for 15 years, you kinda learn stuff. In my own circle of dog walking friends, I became curious as to how the dogs I know got their names.
Reflecting on my own experience, naming one’s pet evolves over time. If you think about it, at least personally, it’s a bit of a snapshot of contemporary pop culture.
Frank Gardner says his father used to push him in a stroller around a bird sanctuary in his hometown of Jamestown, NY (“it’s basically Ohio”). At age four, he was already an amateur ornithologist.
So it’s no surprise that Gardner is Bedford coordinator for the 61st annual Concord Christmas Bird Count, scheduled for this Sunday in parts of 18 area towns, including a segment of Bedford.
Teams of field observers will physically visit the trails and meadows and document, with notes and photographs, not only various bird species but also raw numbers. Their work will be supplemented by feeder watchers, who will record data in their backyards. Residents may contact Gardner at frg444@gmail.com for details on how to participate.
The geographic outline for the count includes much of southwest Bedford, bounded by an arc that crosses the Concord River just south of the Route 225 Hart Desiato Bridge and continues onto Hanscom Field, entering there from Hartwell Road near the Edge sports center. The segment features many natural areas — Clark Field, Little Meadow, Dellovo and Webber conservation lands, as well as much of the Concord River flood plain.
The National Audubon Society is the “operating agency” of the exercise, according to the Concord Christmas Bird Count website, https://concordcbc.org/. The sponsor is the regional land trust Sudbury Valley Trustees.
The Middlesex Community College campus at the northern end of Springs Road will continue to be mostly a ghost town through the winter and spring. But the president is hopeful that students and teachers will be back full-strength later in 2021.
“Everyone wants to return, but that is just not possible at this point,” said Dr. James Mabry, President of the college and a Bedford resident. “We are going to stay about 90 percent online, with just a small number of health services lab courses the only ones on campus.” Chemistry and biology labs in the Henderson Building need to be hands-on, he said.
The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce (GBCC) has named Bedford resident Jennifer Harrington the recipient of its 2021 Pinnacle Award. She is one of nine businesswomen honored for outstanding achievement in the workplace.
The Pinnacle Award recognizes women for “demonstrated leadership that has made a difference and a commitment to enhancing the quality of life in the region.” The Pinnacle Awards were initiated 27 years ago by the Chamber’s Women’s Network and is considered the most prestigious honor for female professionals in the region according to a recent press release announcing the winners. Selection is tied to nine areas of accomplishment and Harrington was recognized for Achievement in Entrepreneurship.
Dylan DiGangi and Will Campbell have undertaken a community service project—giving back to the community—for Justine Flora’s DECA business education class at Bedford High School.
To accomplish their goal, DiGangi and Campbell are partnering with Operation Feed the Soul to raise funds that will support both local businesses and front line hospital staff. Operation Feed the Soul purchases meals from local restaurants and delivers them to support front-line staff in area hospitals.
The 13th annual Yankee Stick Swap found a surprise this year on Christmas Eve morning. Overnight, a large monolith appeared at the Clark Conservation area.
Was it aliens? Neighbors? Amazon Prime?
A mystery!
Unlike most mysteries, this one came with a note: Aliens have promised it will be removed on January 3rd.
Beth Taylor was drawn to a recent Letter to the Editor about celebrating a ‘Green Christmas’ on The Bedford Citizen and its photo of a Norfolk Pine as a holiday tree.
“They are fun to own,” Taylor wrote. “We have a long-lived [Norfolk Pine], now 8 1/2 feet tall, which has been our Christmas tree for at least 19 years.
The Bedford Citizen invites you to be our guest at a special one-night virtual event on December 26 featuring comedian Jim Colliton.
Eventbrite is handling tickets for this virtual event. While there is no charge for tickets, please register everyone who will be watching. It’ll give us a good idea of the audience, and they’ll be able to use separate devices if they wish. Click https://www.eventbrite.com/e/laughter-the-best-medicine-tickets-131467933127.
Jim Colliton is one of our own – born and raised in Bedford, BHS Class of 1988. Perhaps being the youngest of six children with five older sisters had something to do with shaping his sense of humor and love of performance. One of his bits describing an impulsive plan to “borrow” a Bedford school bus when he was a teenager is a beloved story for many locals who have seen him perform in and around the Boston area. Jim also does corporate events and has appeared as a featured act on Royal Caribbean cruise lines. You can find out more about his experience at www.jimwhat.com.
ByPauline Leone, Director St. Paul's Weekday Nursery School |
St. Paul’s Weekday Nursery School recently held a traditional Story Tree Event and Holiday Performances with hot chocolate and holiday cookies for the students. Rev. Chris Wendell recited T’was the Night Before Christmas.
Student Groups performed 5 Little Reindeers Jumping on the Bed, Jingle Bells, and Reindeer Hokie Pokie.
Santa and Mrs. Claus stopped at Chip-in Farm on Wednesday afternoon. A steady stream of ‘drive-by’ visitors welcomed them to Bedford and encouraged them to return on Christmas Eve.
A new poll just posted on The Bedford Citizen: In a recent poll, 30% of Americans say they are spending less on gifts this year than they did last year.
What is Bedford thinking?
Is your 2020 gift budget more or less than you spent on holiday gifts last year?
