The Bedford Citizen (https://www.thebedfordcitizen.org/category/extra/)
We take civic engagement seriously here at The Bedford Citizen, in fact, it’s kind of our mission. The Bedford Citizen – About Us. There was a recent article on the importance of local elections and lamenting the low turnouts.
Why do I think Chris Gittins is the best candidate for Planning Board?
Chris has deep roots in Bedford, with a connection that spans generations. He lives in the house he used to visit when his grandparents lived there.
It’s true, they’re not. But this is a story about click bait and elections. We have an important election coming up on March 13
Both candidates for the upcoming vacancy on the Board of Assessors were moved to seek the position by civic spirit.
Joseph Gilbert and Elliot Lovy told the League of Women Voters candidate forum Sunday that they decided to run because they noticed that there were no candidates.
One of them will succeed retiring Assessor Ronald Cordes on the board after the March 13 town election, joining Rebecca Neale, who was elected a year ago, and veteran Bruce Murphy.
Neither candidate has attended a virtual meeting of the board, and both recognize that they will need a state-mandated training course early in their term.
“We have been on the receiving end of a lot of hard work that goes on in this community. Reading about this opening, I thought this is my time to step up and give back,” said Lovy, a software developer and “statistics guy.”
Gilbert said he also noticed the opportunity. He cited his background and education in real estate and finance and noted, “It is going to be a very important and interesting year.”
The Select Board recently voted against a motion to change the town charter and bylaws which would have made assessor an appointed rather than an elected position. Gilbert and Lovy each endorsed that decision. “Independence is integral” to the position, Gilbert said. Lovy commented, “I came to understand that this position is about curating and governing data, building transparency and trust.”
Each candidate acknowledged that there’s a lot to learn. Gilbert said he has questions about how frequently taxpayers request abatements, how and when the board makes those determinations, and how soon the town expects to hire a full-time professional assessor. Lovy said he will need information about management of the property database, “mechanics of the meetings,” and the board’s role with the Select Board, as well as the abatement process.
Join the Bedford High School Interact Club in a scavenger hunt on Saturday, March 6 from 11 am until 12:30 pm!
This is a free activity for all ages to enjoy, no matter where you are.
You can participate virtually or in-person for a chance to win various prizes such as gift cards.
Texas and its recent cold weather problems are a long way from Bedford, but we’re not immune from the possibility-or even the probability-of similar outages here.
“The Texas blackouts showed how climate extremes threaten energy systems across the United States.”
This article from The Conversation shows how tightly our water, electricity, and power supplies are linked. The author, Roshanak (Roshi) Nateghi, Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University, says “Water, electricity and natural gas are connected… and because of these tight connections, outages in one system are bound to ripple through the others and create a cascade of service disruptions.”
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine seems to be very close to being granted emergency use authorization from the FDA. The two currently available vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are similar:
I fully support Dan Brosgol as a candidate for school committee. He is passionate about Bedford and our schools, always available to discuss questions and concerns, and has the best interests of our students at heart. I look forward to voting for him on March 13.
As a current member of the school committee, Dan drives action towards the continuous improvement of our district. At the beginning of October the Special Education Parent Advisory Council approached the school committee noting that our special education kids were really struggling on their home days and there was space for more students in the classrooms. Dan had an immediate and enthusiastic response of “Let’s do this!” As the school committee chairperson, Dan requested that the administration determine what it would take to get more special education kids into classrooms four days per week. Four weeks later, the school committee voted unanimously to offer four days per week in school to more special education and higher need students, as well as to bring back kindergarteners four days per week.
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.
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.
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.
Please join us in bidding adieu to the sellers and welcoming Bedford’s newest residents.
Bedford Town Historian Sharon McDonald will share tales about four 18th Century characters during the Bedford Historical Society’s next program, presented via Zoom at 2 pm on Sunday, February 28.
McDonald, the beloved former Bedford Free Public Library children’s librarian, has a well-developed knack for telling stories. Her unquenchable thirst for historic tidbits and talent for discerning fact from fiction gives her programs a special sparkle.
The Planning Board last week held a preliminary fact-finding session on a proposed 16-unit residential development on a former horse farm at 251F Old Billerica Road.
Popular Bedford High School teacher Michelle Pietrangelo is still facing a long road to recovery from serious injuries sustained when she was struck by a delivery vehicle more than five months ago. Pietrangelo, 35, is at Spaulding Rehabilitation Center, as medical specialists nurse her back from a serious traumatic brain injury and broken bones, according to Beth Billouin, who calls her “my closest colleague.”
Billouin said Pietrangelo has been treated at length at Massachusetts General Hospital, but suffered some setbacks over the past several weeks. She said the teacher has been “semi-conscious for much of that time, though “when she is in a good place” she has had animated Facetime conversations with her husband Matt and family members. Doctors have said full recovery may be more than a year and half away, Billouin said. Pietrangelo teaches chemistry, biology and marine biology at BHS.
Visiting colleges was always a big part of the college admissions process. There is something about being on a campus and seeing students that really lets an applicant get a sense as to what the college experience at a particular campus might feel like.
Today’s article from The Conversation says Congressional members who espouse extreme positions get a lot of airtime and exposure but their actual impact on Congress isn’t all that great. The authors write:
“In recent work, we showed that extremely conservative and extremely liberal legislators receive far more airtime on cable and broadcast news than their moderate counterparts.
One if by land, two if by sea, and as many as you’d like with this fun family craft!
As so many of us are doing this school vacation week, we are spending more time around home. I know it might feel like all activities have been exhausted at this point. But! Here is one more for you that combines both indoor and outdoor fun for you and the kids this week.
These homemade winter lanterns are fun and interesting to make, yes, even for my middle schooler. After they were finished, we got to take them outdoors for a little twilight winter exploration.
The Covid-19 vaccine rollout is moving along. As of February 12, 11.3% of Massachusetts residents received their first shot, and 3.7% of Massachusetts residents are fully vaccinated.
After technical difficulties on February 7, the Winter Lecture Series featuring Professor Daniel Breen will get underway on Sunday, February 14, and continue through March 14. The series will be presented via Zoom.
Lunar New Year begins today, Feb. 12, and continues through Feb. 26, when the 15-day celebration ends with the Lantern Festival.
Rand Hall, Head of Reference at the Bedford Free Public Library, has had the idea of creating an index to books on Bedford history for a couple of years but in “normal” times his usual duties at the Reference desk kept him from pursuing this task.
Enter the pandemic. Hall now alternates one week at the Reference desk and one week working from home. Ergo, the perfect setup for compiling the index. It’s a side project, said Hall, who has been a Bedford resident since 2014, but one in which he is keenly invested.
The Bedford Arts and Crafts Society will present a 5-week virtual course, Creating Silver Metal Clay Jewelry, meeting from 2 to 4 pm on five Mondays in March (3/1, 8, 15, 22, and 29). In this live online course, students will create a one-of-a-kind silver piece and learn several techniques such as setting fire-safe stones, creating scratch-foam textures, working with coils, and finishing your piece. Experience with using metal clay is suggested but not mandatory. Most of the basic tools needed are probably available in your home. All materials will be provided in a supply kit via curbside pickup from BACS in Bedford prior to the first session.
The ballot order for Bedford’s 2021 Town Election has been set. The polls will open from 9 am until 8 pm on Saturday, March 13.
The last day to register to vote in the Town Election is Saturday, February 20; the Town Clerk’s office will be open from 9 am until 8 pm.
SELECT BOARD—One seat for a three-year term
MARGOT FLEISCHMAN (Incumbent)
145 Page Road
KORBEN ELLIOTT WHITT-LEITNER
111 Springs Road
BOARD OF ASSESSORS—One seat for a three-year term
JOSEPH ALAN GILBERT
38 Battle Flag Road
ELLIOT LOVY
328 Concord Road
BOARD OF HEALTH—Two seats for a three-year term
ALISON THERESA O’CONNELL
15 Fitchdale Avenue
MAUREEN RICHICHI
7 Norma Road
CATHERINE VG VANPRAAGH
69 South Road
ANITA RAJ (Incumbent)
4 Wildwood Drive
PLANNING BOARD—One seat for a three-year term
ARMEN MATTHEW ZILDJIAN
9 Hartwell Road
BRYAN PAUL JEAN
23 Evergreen Avenue
CHRISTOPHER M. GITTINS
8 Brooksbie Road
LIBRARY TRUSTEES— Two seats for a three-year term
MICHAEL PULIZZI (Incumbent)
10 Evans Avenue
DENNIS AHERN (Incumbent)
23 Neillian Way
FAHAD ALDEN
6 Carter Way
SCHOOL COMMITTEE—One seat for a three-year term
DAN BROSGOL (Incumbent)
57 Loomis Street
HOUSING AUTHORITY—One seat for a five-year term
KIM K. LOVY
328 Concord Road
REGIONAL SCHOOL COMMITTEE—One seat for a three-year term
BRIAN C. O’DONNELL
30 Fayette Road
President Joe Biden says his top appointments were purposely chosen “to look like America.” Will his mix of ages have an impact on policies and programs?
Marcy Ory, Texas A&M University, a scholar of how age is viewed in society, poses this question in a current issue of The Conversation.