Bedford

Speaking Out: Sharing Stories of Pain, Frustration, and Hope ~ Presented by Bedford Embraces Diversity ~ June 10 at 7:30 pm

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A panel of eight persons of color, all with strong Bedford connections, will explain and express their stories, pain, frustration, and hope during a Zoom presentation at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, June 10 sponsored by Bedford Embraces Diversity.

To obtain the Zoom link, email bedfordembracesdiversity@gmail.com. The event will also be live-streamed by Bedford TV and recorded for later broadcast.

The speakers, covering a range of ages and genders, including five Bedford High School alumni, will present first-hand experiences, emotions, and aspirations, joining thousands of others nationwide following episodes of homicide against unarmed Black victims.

2020 COVID-19

ICYMI ~ Phase 2 ~ Reopening Information Begins to Emerge, with More to Come

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Editor’s Note: The following information about Phase 2 Reopenings is excerpted from Town Manager Sarah Stanton’s daily update for June 3, 2020. Please remember that details are few, and much more information will be released as soon as it is available.

On June 1, 2020, the Governor provided an update that allowed businesses included in Phase 2 of the re-opening plan, to open their physical workplaces and facilities to workers for the purpose of preparing and planning for the re-opening. As occurred in Phase 1, all businesses will be required to comply with the General Workplace Safety Standards at all times, and specific sectors will have additional requirements.

Extra, Extra!

Town of Bedford ~ Update on Covid-19 ~ Wednesday, 3 June 2020

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Editor’s Note: Today’s case count from Town Manager Sarah Stanton and the Covid-19 Task Force, along with a first look at Phase Two (2) opening guidelines — more to come!

Click this link in the actual story to read the Town’s full update for Wednesday, June 3, 2020

2020 Annual Town Meeting

EXTRA! EXTRA! The Bedford Citizen Announces Special Tribute Edition Dedicated to ALL BEDFORD SENIORS!

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The Bedford Citizen is pleased to announce that it is preparing its first-ever special edition which will be dedicated exclusively to local young people graduating from high school this year. This issue will be published on or about June 8th and will be chock full of written content, photos, and videos for and about them.

Can you help us by sharing photos of students taken over the course of this year and most importantly taken during the time leading up to what-would-have-been-graduation?  Our goal is to create a keepsake edition for seniors and their families capturing this very unique commencement year.  (We are particularly interested in cap-and-gown photos but you are not limited to that.)

Please note: The Citizen wishes to honor ALL of Bedford’s high school graduates, not just those graduating from BHS. If your senior attended Shawsheen Valley Technical High School or an independent high school outside of Bedford we would like to honor them as well.

Photos may be submitted to editor@thebedfordcitizen.org.  Please include names, dates, and the high school from which your senior is graduating if other than Bedford High School.

2020 COVID-19

Phase One (1) Board and Committee Meetings May Resume on Zoom

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The Town of Bedford greatly values the participation of its residents and their spirit of volunteerism and is thankful for the patience that all our boards and committees have shown during this strange time of Covid-19.  We know how much board and committee volunteers enjoy serving our community, and working hard to make Bedford a better place.

Community News

Bedford’s Ryan Doucette Named Chair of Massachusetts Teenage Republicans

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Ryan Doucette. the newly-elected chair of the Massachusetts Teenage Republicans is a Senior at Bedford High School a frequent writer for The Bedford Citizen. He is also active in Troop 194 as an Eagle Scout.

Meredith McCulloch, one of The Bedford Citizen‘s founders said, “Ryan has taken an admirable early interest in politics. To write for The Citizen he has had to learn quickly about the New England Open Town Meeting form of government. I have been impressed with how quickly he has understood and even embraced it. It has been a pleasure to work with him.”

2020 COVID-19

Celebrating Senior Night ~ Buccaneers Baseball, 2020

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On what should have been the last home game for the seniors on the Bedford Bucs Baseball Team, the evening of May 27, 2020, the team’s 8 members of the Class of 2020 gathered on A field to celebrate Senior Night, the capstone of their high school baseball careers.

It was the season that wasn’t when the pandemic halted all practices and every game.

Government

Town of Bedford ~ Update on Covid-19 ~ Monday, 1 June 2020

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Editor’s Note: In addition to today’s case count, Town Manager Sarah Stanton provides information about Bedford’s ongoing Food Bank

Click this link in the actual article to read the Town’s full update for Monday, June 1, 2020

OpEd

OpEd: Bedford Embraces Diversity, Speaking Out

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Bedford Embraces Diversity, born seven years ago as an antidote to senseless hatred, stands in solidarity with the millions of Americans who are saddened and outraged by recent events surrounding George Floyd’s death. We speak primarily to our neighbors in this town – but we are also Americans, with a responsibility to demand the unconditional justice and fairness that are supposed to define our national ethos.

Three months of plague have exposed the disproportionate tragic results of our country’s shameful inequality — of opportunity and of health care — manifested in overflowing urban emergency rooms, ICUs and morgues. Yet, as an educator observed, in a week marked by the virus death toll exceeding 100,000, and the ranks of unemployed Americans swelling past 40 million, the incomprehensible killing of one individual moved the nation.

As we struggle to process what has happened and the growing sense of chaos, one thing is clear: our community must be part of a national effort to work toward a better tomorrow, replete with kindness and compassion. Please join us as we look to each other for support.

Bedford

The Citizen Chef: Masoor Dal

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In a conversation about cooking while ‘safer-at-home’ and not getting out to the market that often, local Mom and occasional personal chef Elizabeth Nemirovsky noted that Masoor Dal (spicy red lentils) requires mostly pantry items.

The Citizen is posting the recipe for Masoor Dal in the hope that other Citizen Chefs will share their favorite recipes, plain or fancy, as long as its tasty.

2020 COVID-19

Select Board Hears Business Updates, Five-Phase Plan to Open Town Facilities

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Town Manager Sarah Stanton opened the May 27 Select Board meeting with a briefing on the town’s reopening plans. In addition to businesses following Governor Charlie Baker’s four-phase reopening plan, Bedford has developed a five-stage plan for reopening town buildings and facilities.

A similar plan is being used by neighboring Lexington and Concord.

Government

Town of Bedford ~ Update on Covid-19 ~ Friday, 29 May 2020

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Editor’s Note: In addition to the current case count, today’s update includes guidelines for Outdoor Activities Permitted in Phase 1 of the Massachusetts Reopening Plan — for businesses offering outdoor classes, and for permitted outdoor activities.

Click this link in the actual story to read the Town’s full update for Friday, May 29, 2020

Schools

The Long Goodbye – Cut Short – The March 11th Project – Continued

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What I do know is that even if I had known that March 11 was my final day of school, there still
is no “right” or “perfect” way to say farewell. I know I would have taken the opportunity to say a final thank you to my teachers and express how much they mean to me, and how grateful I am for their belief in me and their ongoing mentorship.

Bedford

Caps and Gowns, and Ups and Downs ~ Pictures

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A lot of images were captured during Caps and Gowns, and Ups and Downs!

See the link to view a scalable 4-page PDF of the images

Or link to read the story about yesterday’s amazing event

2020 COVID-19

ICYMI: Bedford’s Covid-19 Reporting, Explained

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Editor’s Note: This message was included in the May 28 update from Bedford’s Covid-19 Task Force and Town Manager Sarah Stanton.

The Bedford Board of Health has consistently worked to identify, communicate with and conduct contact traces, as appropriate, on COVID-19 positive cases (Bedford residents) specifically attributed to Bedford by the MA DPH communicable disease surveillance database (MAVEN). Upon review of the data, several times each day, when an attributed positive case is identified that is not currently a Bedford resident (determined from provided demographic data or interviewing), we ensure the case is referred to the appropriate city/town Board of Health for appropriate follow-up. Today, we are providing an update on recently identified data anomalies in an effort to openly communicate with the Bedford community on some COVID-19 positive case count fluctuations that occurred today and we will see over the coming days.

Thank You to The Citizen’s First Quarter 2020 Donors!

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Thank you to all the donors who generously supported The Bedford Citizen during the first quarter of 2020.

As more and more communities are losing their local news, we bring Bedford news and voices right to your virtual doorstep. We cannot do it alone. Thank you to all our readers, volunteers, board members, writers, and donors. The generous support of donors helps us fulfill our mission of community-supported news for Bedford!

Donors January 1 – March 31, 2020

Government

Town of Bedford ~ Update on Covid-19 ~ Thursday, 28 May 2020

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Editor’s Note: In addition to the current case counts and a link to the full update to learn more about the way Bedford’s cases are tallied, Town Manager Sarah Stanton describes the Select Board’s decision to hold Annual Town Meeting at 9 am on the morning of Saturday, July 11, 2020.

Click this link in the actual article to read the Town’s full update for Thursday, May 28, 2020

Extra, Extra!

Bedford Being Bedford ~ Support a Senior ~ Community Spirit and the Class of 2020

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Each member of the Class of 2020 received a goody bag during today’s Cap and Gown pick-up. Among other gifts, each bag contained an envelope marked “CONGRATULATIONS — A little something to help you celebrate all you have accomplished! From: The Bedford Community”

In less than a week, Class of 2020 parent Lee Lavi-Delzingo leveraged the power of social media and her longstanding Bedford connections to make the envelopes a genuine community enterprise.

Homepage Featured

St. Paul’s Weekday Nursery School Welcomes Pauline Leone as its New Director

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In anticipation of beginning its 61st school year serving the greater Bedford community, St. Paul’s Weekday Nursery School is pleased to welcome Pauline Leone to serve as the next Director of the school.  She succeeds current Director, Sharon Healey, who will step down at the end of this school year after four years of service. 

Mrs. Leone’s energy and passion for young children and their education has been developed over a 20-year career as a teacher in early childhood education in eastern Massachusetts.  For the past four and a half years, she was Lead Teacher in the pre-school program at St. Mary’s School in Winchester, where she supervised a team of teachers in addition to being hands-on with her students in the classroom.  She has earned glowing recommendations from her program’s parents and co-workers.  Since her time at St. Mary’s, her classroom has been voted the #1 pre-school program both in Winchester and in the wider region by the local community.

2020 COVID-19

Rep. Gordon Joins Legislature to Pass Bill Improving Access to Unemployment Benefits

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Representative Ken Gordon recently joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature to pass a bill that will provide additional Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits to low-income families and relief to non-profit institutions and employers. The bill is a part of the Legislature’s ongoing efforts to support residents during the COVID-19 public health crisis.

The bill became law on Wednesday after receiving Governor Baker’s signature.

Bedford

BHS Class of 2020 ~ Celebration Day ~ Saturday, June 6 from Noon to 2:30 pm

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Mark your calendars! On Saturday, June 6, from 12 pm – 2:30 pm, please plan to turn Bedford Blue and Celebrate the BHS Seniors! (Rain date – June 7.)

Though the Bedford High School Class of 2020’s final year has ended unceremoniously because of the COVID-19 pandemic and mandated school closure, Bedford’s seniors deserve a celebration.