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Middlesex Community College  Music in the Time of Covid

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Middlesex Community College is offering live stream recordings throughout the Fall 2020 semester of MCC’s “A World of Music” concert series. The next performance of the concert series is “Lowell Threads: Mozart, Marshall, Nabors and Nakatani,” will air online at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 9.

Lowell Chamber Orchestra members will perform the four Flute Quartets by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with MCC faculty member Pamela Marshall, Yoko Nakatani and Brian Raphael Nabors. MCC faculty member Orlando Cela will perform on flute, Suzanne Powers on violin, Peter Sulski on viola, and Ariana Falk on cello.

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24 Hours of Climate Reality: Countdown to the Future

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A free, community presentation on “The Climate Crisis” will be hosted via Zoom by First Parish in Bedford on Sunday, October 11 from 4 to 5 pm.

Corinne Doud, a Climate Reality Leadership Corps member, will lead a discussion and present slides developed by former Vice President Al Gore. The presentation is designed to provide a pointed review of the science, the societal changes, and the solutions necessary to curb global warming and address the effects of climate change.

Behind the Scenes ~ What it Takes to Keep The Bedford Citizen on Track

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The Bedford Citizen doesn’t just materialize at 9 pm every weekday, or at 7:30 every Sunday morning when a compilation of the week’s stories goes to its email subscribers.

Besides a core of editors and writers, there is an organizational infrastructure that for nine years has ensured the Citizen’s solvency, integrity, and growth.

The 18-member Board of Directors meets quarterly, overseen by President Teri Morrow. At a more micro level, six members of the Board comprise an Executive Committee, which convenes monthly.

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Update: Lexington’s Plans for Hartwell Avenue

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At their September 22 meeting, Bedford Planning Board members expressed interest and concern about the long-term impact of changes on traffic volume and economic development in the town should new development go forward along Hartwell Avenue in Lexington.

Carol Kowalski, Lexington’s assistant town manager for development, said many of the specifics regarding rezoning property on Hartwell Avenue and changes in the traffic patterns on Routes 4/225 are still being refined.

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Support Bedford’s Neighbor Brigade and the 2020 Pam’s Run

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In case you need a reason to stretch your legs for a good cause in this crisp  New England fall weather, mark your calendar for Sunday, October 18 when  Pam’s Run will step off at 8:30 am as a virtual 5K walk or run. Sponsored by the Bedford Neighbor Brigade, the local event may be just what you are looking for.  Participants of all ages and abilities are welcome to join Pam’s Run.

Amy Mason, Bedford Neighbor Brigade Chapter Leader, explained, “Pam’s Run began in 2012 and has been held annually in Wayland, MA. It is going virtual this year due to Covid-19.

“Bedford’s Neighbor Brigade Chapter will be taking part in the event via a 5K course here in town. We’ll be staggering the start times to keep everyone safe, wearing masks, and staying socially distanced. It’s virtual in the sense that instead of hundreds of participants, sponsors, vendors, and volunteers all gathering together in Wayland, runners and walkers this year will have the option to follow a 5K Bedford route on October 18 or create their own 5K or 10K route anywhere they like during the week of October 18-24. Pam’s Run has been rated as one of the top 10 Best Road Races in Massachusetts and attracts over 600 participants each year.”

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Shawsheen Bridge Repairs ~ From Late Friday to Early Monday

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In order to repair the Shawsheen River bridge along The Great Road, through traffic will be detoured from 8 pm on Friday, October 2, until 5 am on Monday, October 5.

“Businesses will remain open and accessible at either end of the detour,” confirmed DPW Director David Manugian. “Whether you’re headed to Jiffy Lube or Stop and Shop, you’ll be able to get there.”

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Dot’s Reading Room: How Prior Pandemics Triggered Massive Societal Shifts

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It’s October 1 and time for a “good read” recommendation. This article by Andrew Latham is worth your attention.

“How three prior pandemics triggered massive societal shifts,” by Andrew Latham, Professor of Political Science at Macalester College.

Professor Latham’s article appears in The Conversation, a compendium of interesting articles gathered from around the world. He writes, “Societies and cultures that seem ossified and entrenched can be completely upended by pandemics, which create openings for conquest, innovation and social change.”

Bedford

Our Common Values: Please Support The Bedford Citizen

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Recently I joined a number of fellow residents on the Bedford Common to mark the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  There was little ceremony; a gathering of people carrying candles and the reading of a short essay written by Ginsburg.  And yet the experience was satisfying. 

2020 COVID-19

Easter Eggs, Flamingos, and Turkeys ~ Oh My!

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Some days it truly is the simplest of things that give us pleasure, amusement, or a smile.  Decorating an Easter Egg tree gives me all of those things and has been a tradition of mine for more than three decades – and some of my colorful eggs are clearly now a bit faded, fragile, and vintage.

This year, the eggs went on the tree earlier than usual, in mid-March, as a little something to brighten my Covid mood. With so many neighbors out walking to pass the time, l noticed more and more people stopping to snap a photo and say, “Thank you for this spot of color in what seems like a dark time.”

Easter has long passed and the eggs have remained on the tree for the cadre of neighborhood children (and their parents and others) who stop by daily to count the eggs and identify them by color.

One of our favorite daily visitors is an adorable two-year young lady who lives close by and spends as much time as her family will allow with the egg tree. Bird feeders and a birdbath were added and attract a colorful array of wings and birdsong.

2020 COVID-19

Bedford’s Neighbor Brigade says “Thanks for Your Gifts of Back-to-School Masks”

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Thank you to everyone who donated masks to the Bedford MA Neighbor Brigade Back to School mask drive!

We were able to collect or purchase, wash, iron, individually bag, sort by size, label, and deliver 455 masks in time for school to start. We brought 230 masks for distribution at the Bedford Food Bank, and 225 masks to the BPS Guidance Department in every color and pattern from tiny preschool to high school appropriate sizes.

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First Church Mask Makers Celebrate at Meet & Greet Farewell Party!

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First Church of Christ Congregational’s Mask-Making Ministry team members gathered in a spacious garden for a joyful, socially-distanced “Meet and Greet Farewell Garden Party” on September 12, 2020.   The intent of the party was to celebrate and thank each guest for sharing their time, talent, and skill set, to recognize and acknowledge what our group had accomplished as a whole, and to provide closure.

On the surface, the title may seem like an oxymoron, but since our group formed in response to the pandemic and we strictly adhered to social-distancing recommendations many of us had never met in person. 

2020 COVID-19

Dot’s Reading Room ~ “The Road Ahead: Charting the Coronavirus Pandemic over the next 12 Months, and Beyond” ~ September 22, 2020

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If you’re interested in looking ahead to what the next months will bring during “life in the time of pandemic,” you may find this report from the editors of STAT revealing.  (STAT is a media company focused on finding and telling compelling stories about health, medicine, and scientific discovery.)

“The Road Ahead: Charting the Coronavirus Pandemic over the next 12 Months — and Beyond” By Andrew Joseph -September 22, 2020.  Here’s a quick summary:

Bedford Common Gathering to Honor Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

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More than 100 individuals gathered in the crisp fall air on Bedford Common Sunday evening, in the early evening darkness to honor the memory of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. People of every generation arrived in response to Saturday’s last-minute invitation that was shared via social media among friends, and in The Bedford Citizen so as many people as possible would know. A large circle of masked mourners was for the most part appropriately distanced from each other.  Candles were held high to honor  Justice Ginsberg who died on Friday evening. The group stood in companionable silence remembering her.

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It May Not Have Been Bedford Day, but the Town Campus was Busy on a Gorgeous September Saturday

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Editor’s Note: While Bedford Day is typically celebrated on the third Saturday of September, the 2020 date was changed to September 26 to avoid conflict with Rosh Hashana which began at dusk on September 18 and ended on September 19.

It wasn’t Bedford Day, but there was a lot happening at the Town Campus on a beautiful Saturday, that in an ordinary non-pandemic year would have been a town-wide celebration.

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Historical Society Lecture on 9/23: National History Day Winners and Comparing the 1918 Flu to Covid-19

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The first program of the Bedford Historical Society’s 2020-2021 season, on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, will be a virtual Zoom program featuring presentations on Bedford High students’ award-winning National History Day projects and a discussion about the parallels and differences between today’s coronavirus pandemic and the flu pandemic of 1918.

The September 23 program will be available entirely via Zoom, and will begin at 7 pm.  The public and society members are invited to participate either via video or audio by telephone. The links will be emailed to Historical Society members; others are invited to contact the Society office at 781-275-5276 or by email info@bedfordmahistory.org and the link will be sent to them.

Bedford

Clocks to Move Back One Hour when Daylight Savings Time Ends on November 1

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Many sleep experts argue daylight saving is a health issue.  Scientists from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) warn that the adjustment runs counter to the human body’s natural circadian rhythms and they want the practice scrapped.”  World Economic Forum
 
Added to that, an added hour of daylight this fall could help restaurants with their outdoor dining.
 
The Bedford Chamber of Commerce has been working on ideas to help Bedford Businesses, including a suggestion to extend Daylight Savings time so that restaurants could extend their outdoor dining season. Seems like the later sunsets would help increase their outdoor dinner business plus, it would be an hour earlier so a bit warmer as well.

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Writer Lizzie Seibert Talks about “The Bro Code”

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Elizabeth (Lizzie)  Seibert will present a virtual book talk at 8 pm on September 23  to introduce her first young adult novel, “The Bro Code.”

If this were an ordinary time, Lizzie would actually be speaking in person and signing books for readers at the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, MA. But in today’s world, this event will take place via Crowdcast and YOU are invited to join the festivities.

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Newest Bedford Free Public Library ‘StoryWalk’ is ‘We March’

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Next time you’re in Bedford center, come take a walk around the library!

Our latest StoryWalk® follows Shane W. Evans’ beautiful picture book We March. It tells the story of the 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered this iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech on August 28, 1963.

It is a book that can be appreciated by readers of all ages, and we are happy to bring this StoryWalk® to you with support from the Friends of the Library.

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POMS Pop-Up Music: A Summer Success!

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If you were near the Town Center complex in the late morning this past Monday, you may have heard the dulcet tones of a jazz quartet. BHS junior Colin O’Toole led the group on trumpet, with music faculty Jim Felker on drums, Katrina Faulstich on keyboard, and Evan Grunwald on bass. Town staff, along with nearby neighbors and a few curious families who headed over from the Tot Lot playground, enjoyed fifteen minutes of jazz standards in the bright September sunshine. Monday’s concert was one of fifteen Pop-Up Music events in August and September coordinated by Bedford Patrons of Music Students (POMS). Five different groups comprised of fourteen student musicians performed all over Bedford, from backyards to driveways to front lawns.

2020 COVID-19

Bedford Police and Rotary Sponsor Bicycle Helmet Safety Event for Student Cyclists ~ September 19, 10 am to Noon

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The Bedford Police Department, in conjunction with the Bedford Rotary Club,
will host a back-to-school bicycle helmet safety event on Saturday, September 19 from 10 am until noon.

Residents are encouraged to stop by the Police Department parking lot on Mudge Way, where Bedford Rotary volunteers will distribute free, fitted helmets for child cyclists.

The free helmets, made possible through the sponsorship of the Bedford Rotary Foundation are all U.S. safety certified for Bike CPSC, and fit children ages 8-14.

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Fawn Lake Weekly Update ~ September 11, 2020

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The Dredgit crew continues to dredge and haul, having just completed 4 full weeks of dredge operations in the lake.  This week they removed 1,012 cubic yards of sediments for a total of 3,698 yards, approximately 46% of the total amount to be cleared.  This material is being sent to the Lexington facility for reuse in their compost operations.  The dredge barge is working in the O – O cross-section (see construction drawings, sheet C-6),  which is almost the middle of the lake.  The dredged material continues to be all organic, with a few small rocks and a couple of coins mixed in at the bottom.