
Apparent winners in town election: Mahon, Diggins, Exton, Schlichtman, Gitelson
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UPDATED April 1: Select Board incumbents Len Diggins and Diane Mahon have won reelection in the 2023 town election on Saturday, April 1, according to unofficial preliminary returns.
For School Committee, incumbents Elizabeth Exton and Paul Schlichtman were also returned to office, joined by newcomer Laura Gitelson.
Hand-counted drop-box ballots remain to be reported.
Here are the earlier numbers, subject to revision:




For two seats, Mahon tallied 4,563 votes and Diggins was close behind, with 4,524. Challenger John D. Leone had 3,128.
For three seats, Exton drew 4,500 votes, Gitelson drew 3,828 and Schlichtman 3,618. The other challenger, Jill Kristin Krajewski, had 2,849.
Seven key seats were open -- two of them on the Select Board and three on the School Committee. Candidates for clerk and assessors were unopposed.
12th annual Arlington Jazz Festival through Sunday
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John Patitucci Trio
The Arlington Jazz Festival, in its 12th year, has scheduled a wide variety of musical events, presented over a four-day stretch in several venues around the town, from Thursday, March 30, through Sunday, April 2.
This year’s headlining concert, to be held at the Regent Theatre on the final day of the festival, showcases the John Patitucci Trio, with multi-Grammy award-winning first-call bassist John Patitucci joined by saxophonist Chris Potter and drummer Obed Calvaire.
Tickets are on sale for $7 to $75, depending on the event.
The festival is presented by Arlington Jazz.
$88.9m School budget OK'd, as committee meets at METCO
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School Committee at METCO in March. / METCO photo
UPDATED April 1: The School Committee unanimously passed the 2023-24 school year budget at its March 16 meeting, held at the office of the METCO program in Boston. The operating amount is $88.9 million. See the budget details here >>
METCO stands for Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunities. The venerable voluntary busing program annually brings those children of color in Boston who wish to enroll in suburban schools to attend classes at campuses in Arlington and other communities.
This appears to be the first time that Arlington’s School Committee has convened at METCO, according to Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Elizabeth C. Homan. She noted that school committees from some other METCO-affiliated municipalities previously have done likewise.
“Arlington was one of the first districts to join the [METCO] program in 1967, and we are proud to continue our partnership with them,” she told YourArlington via email recently. She said committee members and district personnel were happy to be there “to show our commitment to the program and to the Boston families who entrust their children's education to us every day.”
New animal-control officer joins police
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Courtney Wilson with new animal-control vehicle. / APD photo
UPDATED March 30: Regarding a position that had been open since October --and in turmoil last summer -- the Arlington Police Department has announced that Courtney Wilson is the new animal-control officer for the Town of Arlington.
The previous animal-control officer, Diane Welch, resigned Oct. 26, Christine Bongiorno, head of human services, told YourArlington on Nov. 8. Welch has declined to tell YourArlington why she left.
Wilson comes to Arlington from the Lowell Police Department, where she served as animal control officer for three years, gaining hands-on experience working with domestic and wild animals.
Wilson graduated from the Massachusetts Animal Control Academy (MACA) in October and is certified in pet CPR and First Aid. She is trained to handle cases involving animal cruelty, dangerous dogs, reptiles and disaster-relief management specific to domestic animals, a statement said.
Select board backs Feeney to be next town manager, pending negotiations
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James R. Feeney
The Arlington Select Board on Monday, March 27, unanimously voted to appoint James R. Feeney as the next town manager, pending a successful negotiation.
Feeney was the sole candidate remaining after three of the four finalists withdrew themselves from consideration before they were publicly named.
The three other finalists withdrew because there was an internal candidate, said board member Stephen DeCourcey during Monday's meeting.
Currently Arlington's deputy town manager for operations, Feeney has played many roles during his 14 years in Arlington's town government.
Articles round 4: Special Stretch Energy Code recommended
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The Select Board in the fourth round of article hearings March 20 unanimously approved the Municipal Opt-In Specialized Stretch Energy Code, which regulates the design and construction of new buildings to manage energy effectively and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The vote was 4-0 (Steve DeCourcey was absent).
Massachusetts has three levels of building codes: (1) Base Code, (2) Stretch Code, and (3) Specialized Stretch Code. The Specialized Stretch Code builds upon the previous success of the Stretch Code, previously adopted by the town, in improving energy-efficiency requirements.
The code’s “primary mechanisms are heightened requirements for building envelopes that reduce the amount of energy required to heat and cool homes, and incentivized electrication, particularly for heating,” wrote Town Counsel Doug Heim in a memo to the board. Memo included here >>
Public forum Monday: Revolution's 250th anniversary
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Semiquincentennial committee seeks public input
Arlington played an important role on the first day of the American Revolution. On April 19, 1775, the fiercest fighting of the day took place in Menotomy, Arlington's name at the time.
Now Arlington is joining with other towns across Massachusetts in planning for a celebration in 2025.
At 7 p.m. Monday, April 3, the town's semiquincentennial committee, Menotomy 250, is holding a virtual forum.
The public is also asked to complete an online survey.
Learn more and take the survey >>
Select Board Monday: Reorganization, CPA presentation, long-range planning
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The Arlington Select Board is scheduled to meet at 7:15 p.m. Monday, April 3, in regular session in the Select Board chambers in Town Hall or remotely through Zoom or ACMi.
Viewing via Zoom requires advance registration. Click here >>
The meeting agenda is available on Novus here >>
Town man, 65, charged after graffiti found at Bluebike site
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UPDATED March 31: Arlington police have charged a 65-year-old town man in connection with hateful graffiti found at a Bluebike station in town. Albert Silva was arrested with four counts of malicious destruction of property over $1,200.
The arrest follows incidents involving at Arlington High School and elsewhere, as well as a demonstration by an estimated 300 teachers last week.
A March 23 news release reports that on Wednesday, March 22, at about 10:45 p.m., an Arlington officer was conducting a directed patrol in the area of Scannell Field, near Spy Pond, in East Arlington, where a Bluebike station had been vandalized with homophobic graffiti multiple times over the past month.
Brattle Square plan moves ahead with little public comment
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- Renée Abbott By
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Proposed condos and retail space at 1021-1025 Mass. Ave. / Harrison Mulhern Architects
When the hearing for the project proposed for 1021-1025 Mass. Ave. was held March 23 to allow the public to express its views, just one speaker addressed the Arlington Zoning Board of Appeals.
Steve Moore asked about the tree situation along the street, and a company representative responded as an estimated 20 people were present at the online session.
At the latest session of the virtual hearing for a comprehensive permit, which has been ongoing since December, the applicant presented a few minor changes to the plan, the sustainability report and addressed the historical status of the properties involved.
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