The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced Discovery Museum of Acton, MA today as one of 10 recipients of the 2024 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. Over the past 30 years, the award has celebrated institutions that are making a difference for individuals, families, and communities.
“IMLS is delighted to announce the 10 recipients of the 2024 National Medal for Museum and Library Service,” said IMLS Acting Director Cyndee Landrum. “These institutions and their dedicated staff are stepping up to anticipate and meet the needs of their individual communities. From New York to Arizona, these 10 recipients are unparalleled sources of education, health, jobs, and cultural resources, bridging the gaps of distance, resources, and experience for community members. We look forward to honoring their accomplishments in Washington, DC, this summer!”
Discovery Museum’s mission is to “spark delight in learning by igniting curiosity and creativity in children and adults as they discover together the joys of science, nature, and play.” Throughout its 42-year history, the Museum has used a hands-on, low-tech approach to provide meaningful, playful, STEM-based learning experiences for kids, families, and students. A strong focus on removing economic, physical, developmental, and other barriers to participation provides for a series of access programs that result in 25% of the Museum’s annual audience being served for free or nearly free.
Discovery Museum’s fully accessible Discovery Woods nature playscape and treehouse serve as a focal point for outdoor, nature-based, environmental experiences, encouraging kids and families to reap the benefits of spending time in nature. The entire Museum campus is accessible, with facilities, grounds, and exhibits all reimagined and redeveloped to be made inclusive in every way. For school students, Discovery Museum’s engaging, materials-rich, hands-on STEM workshops in school classrooms served more than 53,000 students in 116 towns in 2023, the largest STEM-focused museum outreach program in Massachusetts. Discovery Museum is the first children’s museum in the country to produce all its own electricity onsite and unique in its role as one of the largest nonprofit community solar providers in the state, with four nonprofits and 11 low-income homes operating on discounted clean energy thanks to the Museum’s production.
Selected from 30 national finalists, the 10 recipients of the 2024 National Medal for Museum and Library Service represent institutions that provide dynamic programming and services that exceed expected levels of service. Through their community outreach, these institutions bring about change that touches the lives of individuals and helps communities thrive.
“We are deeply honored and proud to be recognized with a 2024 IMLS National Medal for our work, and very grateful to the broad community of visitors, supporters, donors, and community partners who make that work possible,” said CEO Marie Beam. “For our board and staff, this national recognition both reinforces the value of our work to support children and families and will serve as a platform from which to expand our reach and depth of impact in meaningful ways. Along with our operational and educational priorities around environmental sustainability, we will work to find more ways to make our science, nature, and playful learning experiences accessible to all kids, families, and students—despite barriers such as cost, developmental differences, sensory sensitivities, physical abilities, parental incarceration, refugee status, cultural approaches, or learning styles.”
The award will be presented at a ceremony this summer in Washington, DC. For a complete list of 2024 recipients and to learn more about the National Medal awardees, visit the IMLS website.

 

The Council on Aging at the Human Services & Senior Center is located at 30 Sudbury Rd, Rear.
Telephone: 978-929-6652          
Email: seniorcenter@actonma.gov     
Website: www.actoncoa.com/
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/actoncoa​
Hours: Mon, Wed & Thurs: 8:00am-5:00pm, Tues 8:00am-7:30pm, and Fri 8:00am-12noon

Shredding Event       
Monday, June 3rd, 9:30-11:30am                                                                     
Acton seniors only                                         
A1 shredding company will be on site at 30 Sudbury Rd. to destroy personal documents. Limit of 5 grocery-sized bags per person. Any questions please contact us at 978-929-6652.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Acton Council on Aging. A $1 donation per bag is requested. Please do not arrive early.
Monday Movie Matinee
Falling for Figaro
June 3rd, 1:00-2:45pm
(2020) A brilliant young fund manager (Danielle Macdonald) leaves her lucrative but unfulfilling job to chase her lifelong dream of becoming an opera singer in the Scottish Highlands with a strict voice coach (Joanna Lumley). Light romantic drama with lots of opera music!
Community Resources for Caregivers: Caring for Loved Ones Living with Dementia
Tuesday, June 4th, 11:30-1:30pm                                                                       
Open to all                                                                                       
Join us for a lunch and learn. Find about local community resources and hear from a panel of experts about a variety of topics related to caring for someone with dementia. We will end with a Q&A session so come prepared to share your questions! Sponsored by the Liberty Alzheimer’s Partnership group.
Decluttering and Organizing Your Home Before Selling
Tuesday, June 4th, 1:00-2:00pm                                                           
Open to all seniors/free
Join us for a special seminar that will guide you through the process of decluttering and organizing your home to make it ready for sale. Whether you plan to move in one year or five, this seminar is designed to provide you with invaluable information from two experts in the field—Amy Roberts, the owner of Out of The Box Moves, and Heather Murphy, a local Realtor® with over 20 years of experience. You'll learn valuable tips and tricks and great resources that will help make the overwhelming process of downsizing manageable. Don't miss this opportunity to gain priceless knowledge to help you achieve your home-selling goals.
Live Elvis Tribute with Calvin Benelli
Tuesday, June 4th, 4:00-4:45pm                                                                       
Open to all/free                                                                        
Acton’s own Calvin Benelli will sing, dance, and speak in true Elvis character. A fun performance not to be missed, this special event is sure to bring back fond memories of the King of Rock & Roll! Calvin Benelli was involved in theater at Acton Boxborough Regional High School and is the son of our fitness instructor Yvonne. His performances at the Senior Center are always a big hit!
Free Narcan Training
Tuesday, June 4th, 5:30pm 
Open to all
Since 2000, the annual number of overdose deaths from any kind of drug in the U.S. has multiplied nearly six times. This training is an essential part of overdose prevention education. Learn what an overdose looks like and what can be done to reverse an overdose. Free Narcan rescue kits will be provided.
Acton Songsters with Ed Knights
Wednesdays, June 5th and 26th, 1:00-1:45pm                                                                     
Open to all seniors/free
Join Ed Knights to sing along to familiar popular songs. Don’t worry about your level of singing; this class is open to anyone interested in singing. Lyrics provided. Ed also covers the mechanics of singing. Only people new to the group need to sign up. Some of you may remember Ed from his career as an internal medicine physician at Acton Medical Associates, but he also has a love of music and singing that he enjoys sharing with everyone. He has studied voice at the Boston Conservatory and performs in musicals and operas.
Wedding Day Traditions
Thursday, June 6th, 1:00-2:00pm                                      
Open to all seniors/free
June has long been a popular month for weddings. The first recorded evidence of marriage ceremonies uniting two people dates from about 2350 B.C. in Mesopotamia. Over the next several hundred years wedding day traditions evolved, and many old customs continue despite most people not understanding the history behind them. We’ll explore many facets of “tying the knot,” from wedding dress fashions and the addition of bridesmaids and groomsmen to serving cake and tossing the bouquet. Come join the discussion and share memories of your own big day! Dawn Gomez, Reminiscing Round Table founder, provides topic-based programs for seniors at several local assisted living and senior center communities.
Heal the Healer Book Study Group        
Fridays, June 7th through September 6th, 10:00-11:00am
No group on 7/5    
Open to all/free
Join Tracy Woods for a 12-week group studying the book Heal the Healer: A Self-Care Guide for Wellness Workers and Caregivers by Joshua Rosenthal. It is a survival guide for givers filling an ever-widening care gap left by our healthcare system—who are often chronically stressed, exhausted, and undervalued. The book is available from Amazon and other booksellers. The group will read and discuss one chapter each week, so read the first chapter before the first class. Tracy Woods is a certified Older Adult Peer Specialist. All are welcome to this joint venture between the Acton Council on Aging and the Northeast Independent Living Program.

 

Concord 250, Tufts University, Robbins House and The Umbrella Arts Center Team Up to Spotlight Little-Known Story of “Concord’s Rosa Parks” for Semiquincentennial Half the History Project.
In 1835, 12-year-old Ellen Garrison marched in the Concord bicentennial parade, the only person of color to participate, launching her into a life of civil rights activism. Ellen Garrison: Scenes from an Activist Life, the latest Half the History film from Five Sisters Productions and Tufts University, highlights key moments in Garrison’s career, from the parade to her teaching in the South after the Civil War, to her challenging segregation in a Baltimore trail station waiting room in 1866, a century before Rosa Parks. The film emerges as the town’s Concord 250 committee has sought to plan an expansive and inclusive commemoration of its history and role at the start of the American Revolution, and the semiquincentennial of “the shot heard round the world” coming up on April 19, 2025. Garrison was born and raised in The Robbins House in 1823, granddaughter and daughter of formerly enslaved men including grandfather, Caesar Robbins, a farmer and Revolutionary War veteran, and father, Jack Garrison, who escaped slavery in New Jersey. A Town proclamation marking her 200th birthday on April 14, 2023, became the first formal Concord 250 event, followed in 2024 with a celebratory event with film preview at the historic Concord Armory. This June 8, 2024, The Umbrella Arts Center will host the world premiere screening of Ellen Garrison: Scenes from an Activist Life, directed by Jennifer Burton and Ursula Burton and produced by Five Sisters Productions and Julie Dobrow, with the Tufts Production Team. The short film will be followed by a behind-the-scenes
mini-documentary and an interactive discussion with members of the filmmaking team, Concord 250, and The Robbins House. This event is free and open to the public, but with limited capacity, so RSVP in advance is requested at https://TheUmbrellaArts.org/Ellen. The Umbrella is ADA accessible, and provides free parking and free admission to its visual arts galleries.

ACTON — Town Manager John Mangiaratti, Health & Family Services Director Penelope Funaiole, the District Director of Veterans Services for Acton and Boxborough James MacRae, the Celebrations Committee and Master of Ceremonies Gail Sawyer would like to invite members of the community to join the Town of Acton for its Memorial Day Parade and Ceremonies on Monday, May 27.

This year's parade will take place in West Acton, leaving the Gates School promptly at 10 a.m. and proceeding along the following route: Spruce Street to Massachusetts Avenue, then onto Windsor Avenue, and into Mt. Hope Cemetery.

To honor our nation's heroes, the Town of Acton will host a ceremony at Mt. Hope Cemetery, 166 Central St., starting at 10:40 a.m. The ceremony will include speeches by the Town’s Veterans’ Service Officer James MacRae and others, the raising of the flag, and more.

The Town will also recognize this year's Grand Marshal, who will be announced at the ceremony.

Attendees are welcome to bring their own folding chairs, as there will be limited seating provided.

After the main ceremony, the procession will continue down Central Street and conclude with an abbreviated ceremony on the West Acton Common on Massachusetts Avenue.

Maps detailing the West Acton Parade route, as well as pick-up and drop-off procedures for parade participants, are included below.

Youth groups that wish to participate should reach out to Gail Sawyer at 978-621-2308 or glsawyer374@gmail.com.

Those with questions regarding veterans and surviving spouse benefits should contact Veterans' Service Officer MacRae at 978-929-6614 or vso@acton-ma.gov.

6 Bridges Gallery presents “Formations: Clay, Stone, Time,” an exhibit of ceramics by Jeanne D’Amico, photographs by Julie L’Heureux, and sketches by Natalie MacKnight.
The exhibit will be on view at 6 Bridges Gallery, 77 Main Street, Maynard, from May 22 through June 22, 2024. It will also be hosted online at 6 Bridges Gallery. A reception will be held on June 8, 5:00–7:00 PM.
Ceramic artist, Jeanne D’Amico, makes functional pieces: tea bowls, mugs, bowls, vases and plates for everyday use. Working with clay on the wheel requires being present with continuous movements and decisions. Occasionally, while throwing one piece, suddenly the clay veers off in another direction. The change could be caused by an unintended hand movement or a change in the consistency of the clay. By choosing to continue in the new direction, a bowl might instead become a vase or a platter. Most times, Jeanne finds that the new piece is infinitely better than the one she had in mind. In addition, the piece often leads to ideas for new functional work.
Digital photographer Julie L’Heureux specializes in still life, landscapes, and portraits. She has a profound fascination for the enduring presence of rock formations and the enigmatic Petrified Forest. Her photography transcends mere representation, capturing fleeting moments set against the timeless backdrop of nature’s sculptures. Each image she creates is more than meets the eye; it is a canvas where light, shadows, color, and clarity are orchestrated to craft an illusion that stirs the realms of our imagination. Utilizing her camera, expert lighting, and the transformative powers of digital tools like Lightroom and Photoshop, L’Heureux invites viewers to explore the juxtaposition of the fleeting and the eternal which is central to her thematic focus on the Petrified Forest and the rock formations, while still capturing the artistic process and vision.
Natalie MacKnight is known for her energetic black and white gouache paintings of boulders and stone walls. In this exhibit, she presents a series of sketches in graphite, charcoal and pencil. MacKnight is one of the many artists displaced when her previous studio building shut down. Working in her home studio, she decided to set aside painting for a bit and focus on sketching. Sketching became an exploration of stone vs. the elusive nature of time:  Boulders and stone walls sit in the forest, patiently and determinedly waiting, while ever-shifting light and foliage flutter around them. MacKnight hopes these sketches will prompt the viewer to embrace the lightness in their own world.
For more information about the exhibit, please visit 6 Bridges Gallery, Facebook, and Instagram.

A jewelry sale will take place during the annual plant sale at First Parish Church of Stow & Acton (FPC). The jewelry will be available indoors and will include everything from fun costume bracelets and necklaces to vintage treasures, such as silver earrings and chains, signed pins, and more. The plant sale will include a selection of perennials, ground cover, herbs, annuals, shrubs, small trees, and garden-related items. The plant and jewelry sales will take place on Saturday, May 18, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., rain or shine, in the church parking lot and Community Room, respectively. To get to the Community Room, go through the main entrance (not the sanctuary entrance), take a left, and go through the second door on the right. Proceeds
benefit the church. FPC is located at 353 Great Road, Stow. For more information, visit www.fpc-stow-acton.org.

Many families struggle to offer their children the joyful birthday celebrations they deserve. First Parish Church of Stow & Acton (FPC) and FPC volunteer staff are offering 3 free parties, to occur between July 2024 and June 2025, to families that might not otherwise be able to have a party for a child. The youth at FPC have helped build a party “escape room” chest that’s available for birthday rentals. The parties are best suited for children and youth between 8 and
17. This includes the use of FPC’s Vestry, including tables and chairs for up to 20 people (though the escape adventure is recommended for 5 to 10 participants), and access to a small kitchen. The parties also include an FPC volunteer who will open and close the building and act as “games master” for the escape adventure. Pirate-themed Escape Room in a Chest: ● 12 puzzles to solve (suited to ages 8 to adult) ● A 60- to 90-minute adventure (approximately) ● Teams of 5 to 10 people Typical Party ● 2 hours total ● Up to 90 min in Escape Game ● Remainder of time in Vestry Cafe for any food, cake and beverages you bring. The value of the party is $300 ($250 rent and $50 sexton fee). Low-income families and foster families are encouraged to apply using the URL below. At least one adult must be present throughout the party. Tinyurl.com/FPCpiratebday Applications will be reviewed by FPC’s minister. Requests will be accepted until May 30. Recipients of the parties will be contacted by June 10, 2024. FPC is located at 353 Great Rd., Stow. Its facilities are wheelchair accessible.

Do you have a broken or non-functioning item you think may be repairable? Bring it to the *free* Green Acton Fixit Clinic, where knowledgeable coaches will help you troubleshoot, tinker, and maybe fix your item! We also do sharpening, so bring your

dull kitchen knives and garden tools. Coaches will help with small appliances, toys, devices, clothing, electronics, bikes and anything else that you can carry!

At the four previous Green Acton Fixit Clinics, our repair rate was about 70%. Some examples of what Acton residents have fixed, with our coaches’ help: vacuum cleaners, table lamps, winter coats, a piano stool, electric fans, an iPad, a laser printer, clocks, chairs, a wildlife camera, a mobility scooter headlight, flashlights, and many more. Plus, we have sharpened over 200 dull knives! Your visit is FREE, although we may ask for a donation to defray costs of supplies such as batteries, electrical fixtures, or sewing notions. Please join us at the Acton Memorial Library at
486 Main Street (Rt 27) for the 5th Green Acton Fixit Clinic, Saturday, 5-18-24 from 10 AM - 1 PM. Upcoming Fixit Clinic dates: September 14th, 2024; January 11, 2025; and May 24, 2025.

If you want to bring a repairable item for us to look at and have time to check in before the event, visit bit.ly/3W4MVFM
If you would like to volunteer or coach, visit  .ly/inpersoncoachsignup

Thanks for repairing and reusing to help save money, build skills and help the environment!