By Alissa Nicol

ACTON: On June 16, a bright, sunny day with blue skies, a new Habitat for Humanity home in Acton was dedicated. In a moving and inspiring program, the McTernan Daniels family moving into the Carlisle Road home expressed their deep gratitude to all who played a part in the project. Reverend Cindy Worthington-Barry led all who gathered in a blessing of the home, gifts were presented by the North Central Habitat for Humanity Construction Manager Rick Perkins, Discovery Museum CEO Neil Gordon, and the Local Project Committee. At the conclusion of the program, the key was presented to the family by Acton Community Housing Corporation  (ACHC) Chair Janet Adachi. 
 
Habitat for Humanity North Central Massachusetts is a local, independent affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. Volunteer labor along with donated materials, land, and funding makes the construction of these homes possible. Habitat homeowners provide labor as well, and pay for a below-cost home through an interest-free mortgage. The Carlisle Road home is the fourth Habitat home to be built in Acton. This sustained collaborative relationship with Acton is a testament to the Town’s commitment to providing affordable housing opportunities for families.

This project was made possible by numerous key partners. Senator Jaime Eldridge’s remarks touched on the Senate’s focus on affordable housing in its tax package and the fact that Habitat for Humanity provides one of the few home-ownership opportunities for low-income families. All five members of the Acton Select Board were in attendance and offered a warm welcome to Zach, Maribeth and their three young children. 
 
The Town of Acton donated the home and also provided funding from the ACHC’s Community Housing Fund and a CPA grant. The volunteers who worked on the construction of the home are too many to list here, but include residents from the neighborhood, students from Minuteman Technical High School, and corporate partner volunteers from Acton Boxborough United Way, Workers Credit Union, Emerson Hospital, Enterprise Bank, Great Road Church, Cisco, and Dell. Major contributors included Housing Ministries of New England, Wells Fargo, Acton Lions Club, Acton Congregational Church, South Acton Congregational Church, West Acton Baptist Church, UCC Boxborough, Lazaro Paving, and Solar Design Associates, and DSD Renewables.

PHOTO: Senator Jamie Eldridge

by Alissa Nicol

ACTON: The Acton Boxborough Cultural Council (ABCC) held its Annual Grantee Reception at NARA Park on Tuesday, June 6. Attendees enjoyed musical performances and also remarks by members of our local legislative delegation, Senator Jaime Eldridge and Representative Simon Cataldo. According to the ABCC website, “The Acton-Boxborough Cultural Council (ABCC) is one of 329 all-volunteer local cultural councils serving every municipality in Massachusetts. The legislature appropriates funds annually to the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), which then allocates funds to local councils.

The grantees in attendance were announced and had the opportunity to share details about their projects. A tribute was given by the ABCC Chair, Jin Yang, to two long-time ABCC members who passed away earlier this year, Dawn Wang and Nancy Evans. Dawn initiated and implemented the China Trail Garden special 3-year project at the Acton Arboretum which recently won a design award from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, and Nancy served as Chair of the Our World Film Series sub-committee for several years.

A total of $16,200 was allocated this year. Recipients included the Acton Chinese American Civic Society, Inc. for the 2022 Boston Asian Music Festival, the Acton Boxborough Regional High School  for the Orquesta de la Revolucion, the Chinese Family Network, Inc. for Hands-On Demos of Renewable Energy to Immigrant Families, Eileen Herman-Haase for Dancing Joy with Dance Caliente, Nashoba Valley Chorale for Wake Up, My Spirit, Open Door Theatre of Acton, Inc. for The SpongeBob Musical, Deepika Prakash for DiwaliFest 2023, Hongbing Tang for a Digital Art Workshop, The Concord Orchestra, Inc. for the 2022 - 2023 Season and Music Director Search, and many more. Details on the 2023 grant application cycle will be posted to the ABCC website this summer, www.actonboxboroughculturalcouncil.org. Applications are due in October each year.

PHOTO: ABCC Grantee Reception at NARA Park. (Courtesy of Senator Jamie Eldridge)

ACTON: The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN) announced yesterday that Discovery Museum CEO Neil Gordon was selected winner of the 2023 Nonprofit Excellence Award in Leadership.
 
The Excellence Award in Leadership recognizes a nonprofit chief or senior executive who has an extraordinary record of organizational results and exemplifies strategic vision, passion, integrity, innovation, perseverance, and a collaborative spirit at an organization that exemplifies the most innovative, creative, and effective work being done throughout the Commonwealth.

As CEO of Discovery Museum, Gordon guided the beloved institution through more than a decade of transformative growth, successfully expanding access for children with disabilities, leading the industry on sustainability, and connecting kids and families with the joy and developmental and mental health benefits of nature play. Motivated by an unwavering commitment to families and to his staff, Gordon, who will retire at the end of 2023, also deftly steered the organization through the pandemic, with the Museum emerging stronger than before.

This year, an independent panel of judges reviewed more than 135 nominations for awards in six categories. The 30 finalists ranged from large education providers to small arts organizations and represented different regions of Massachusetts.

MAYNARD: The second annual Maynard Jazz Fest will be held on June 17 between 2-6pm! Make your way to Maynard’s lively downtown and enjoy the second annual Maynard Jazz Fest, sponsored by the Maynard Cultural District and the Massachusetts Cultural Council! Music will take place on the main stage in Memorial Park right in the center of downtown, and
on a second “education” stage in front of the mural in Naylor Court. This Maynard Cultural District event is FREE and “open air” allowing you to come and go as you please while you experience the buzzing life that surrounds Maynard’s downtown storefronts. Be sure to bring a blanket or some lawn chairs and come early to reserve your spot!

Listeners will hear a wide variety of talent on the main stage featuring Blueprint Jazz
Club, District 5 Jazz Band (pictured), Latin Logic: Boston based Salsa band, and headlining this year: BT ALC Big Band! Between the mainstage sets, MHS Jazz Band will perform and there will also be jam sessions hosted by JazzHers and Interlude Music! The headliner Boston’s BT ALC Big Band is a fabulous and entertaining group that never disappoints.

Mark your calendars, and expect to experience the best that Maynard has to offer this summer! If you have any questions, email maynardjazzfest@gmail.com.

By Franny Osman

ACTON: Acton’s annual Memorial Day parade stepped off from the Acton-Boxborough Regional High School at 10:15am on May 29, and headed toward Woodlawn Cemetery, with multiple marching bands, members of the Acton Select Board, state legislators, public safety officers, Acton Minutemen historic reenactors, and Scouts. The day was warm, but not so hot that band members would likely faint, as they do on occasion. Gail Sawyer, chair of the Ceremonies and Public Celebrations Committee, led the parade and emceed the ceremony. Behind her in the parade rode James MacRae, Acton Veterans’ Service Officer and Gail’s fellow organizer of the event, with Colonel Henry Hogan, a Vietnam-era veteran and local attorney honored as Grand Marshal of this year’s parade.

Before a crowd of a few hundred Actonians at Woodlawn Cemetery, Boy Scouts read Governor Healey’s  proclamation for the Memorial Day observance, laid a wreath, and raised the American flag as the Acton-Boxborough Regional High School Marching Band played the National Anthem. The Acton Minutemen let off a three-gun salute and James MacRae shared a biography of Colonel Hogan and presented Hogan with a flag box.

Select Board members Dean Charter and Fran Arsenault read the names of local veterans who have died this year. Select Board Chair Jim Snyder-Grant encouraged us to support and listen to each other, and remember those who are gone. A transcription of his speech follows.

“Good morning. It’s great to see everyone here. Thank-you for joining us here on Memorial Day 2023. It’s an honor to be here. For those that marched today, we passed the memorial at the Town Common. The words written there start with this: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts & the Town of Acton, cooperating to perpetuate the fame of glorious deeds of patriotism, have erected this monument in honor of Capt. Isaac Davis, & privates Abner Hosmer & James Hayward, citizen-soldiers of Acton & Provincial MinuteMen, who fell in Concord the 19th of April A.D. 1775.

That was written in 1851, on the eve of another important war where once again the patriots of Acton came together to keep the nation together.  From the ashes of that civil war, arose the practices and ideas that eventually came together as Memorial Day.

We've just heard about the horrors of the civil war, with hundreds of thousands of deaths; and the prisoner of war camps where captured soldiers were mistreated badly. One of those prisoner of war camps, in Charleston, South Carolina, built on an old race course, became the location for perhaps the first decoration day, just months after the end of the war.  Recently freed formerly enslaved people came together to individually rebury more than 250 union soldiers who had been left in a mass grave at the race course, because they understood that the arrival of their newly recognized freedom was because of the sacrifice of those soldiers. After the reburial, there was a solemn ceremony with flowers and marching and speeches with thousands in attendance, almost entirely formerly enslaved people to honor the sacrifices that had led to the end of chattel slavery in the US. That sense of deep thanks and appreciation for the sacrifices of warriors led to more Decoration day ceremonies across the country, formalized as the national Memorial Day holiday in 1971.

Each time our country went to war, Acton answered the call. Each cause was different, but one result was always the same: some of our bravest men and women went off to fight, some didn’t come back, and those that did come back, were changed.  Families mourned, and made do, and carried on. The Town, State and Nation do what they can to honor those who sacrificed, and support the survivors. What we do is never quite enough to meet the immensity of the need, so we are called to try to do more. So we have events like this, where we come together in solemn witness to thank and support those who survived war and those who did not, and their families and friends. We must always come together at events like this to reflect and reaffirm that those of us who are still here, we are here to support each other and remember those who are gone.  We remember the achievements of those who have left us, their courage and their dedication.  We must honor their memory by living our lives to the fullest and by always striving to make our country a better place. We must never forget their sacrifice, and we must always be grateful for their service.

Thank you so much to everyone for being here today.  Each of you have your own stories, your own reasons for being here. In my case, it’s the stories of my uncle Norris, who waited until near the end of his life to finally open up and share his war stories. There are plenty more stories out there to be shared and learned from. Please, seek each other out, talk and listen and learn. This is one of the simplest ways we can support those impacted by war, by sharing the memories and weaving these hard-earned lessons into all of our lives.  Thanks for listening, and thanks for being here.  May the spirit that unites us bless us and help us carry on.”

PHOTO: Acton Veterans’ Service Director James MacRae (left) and Select Board Chair Jim Snyder-Grant after the ceremony.

Free, safe, and private program for financially challenged families

CONCORD/MAYNARD: Open Table, the MetroWest charity dedicated to fighting hunger and building healthy communities, is bringing back Fuel Up for Summer, a weekly summer lunch bag program designed for local families who find it financially difficult to provide daily nutritious lunch and snacks for their children over the summer months. The summer program is free, safe and private for all participants. Parents can select a lunch, snack and drink each day for their child’s lunch box or bag. The lunch packs are always peanut free. No photo ID or proof of financial need is required.

Open table's weekly kid lunch and snack pack contains:
 

• 3 lunches such as wrap sandwiches, veggies and dips, fruit salads and cheese, and pasta salads;
• 3 individually portioned snack foods, such as granola bars, goldfish crackers, apples, raisins, and fruit cups.

Kids packs are available starting June 20 for pick up at Open table 33 Main Street, Maynard, Tuesdays: 3-6:30pm; Thursdays: 1-4:30pm. To guarantee availability, packs must be reserved in advance by Monday at noon for the week of pick up.
Online form: www.opentable.org/order-form, (978) 369-2275; orders@opentable.org.

“Kids’ summer programs may be free. And yet, many families still find it challenging to provide their children with healthy nutritious lunches,” said Alexandra DePalo, executive director, Open Table. “With most public school meal programs suspended for the summer, Open Table is filling the gap by providing free box lunches for kids to make sure that they get the most possible out of their summer experiences.”

ACTON: On May 28, the Iron Work Farm begins the 2023 season of “4th Sunday” open houses at their two South Acton house museums - Jones Tavern and the 1707 Jones-Faulkner Homestead.

Jones Tavern, 128 Main Street, will be open from 1-3pm. The building exemplifies the architecture of several eras, including the original 1732 house, 1750 tavern taproom, and elegant 1818 addition, where our newest acquisition, a late 18th /early 19th-century Jones family “tall” clock, has just been installed in the parlor.

At the 1707 Jones-Faulkner Homestead, 5 High Street, 3-5pm, they have joined Freedom’s Way Heritage Association’s “Hidden Treasures” month by highlighting the Massachusetts Bay Tercentenary sign that has stood by the road since 1930. One of three signs in Acton commemorating the 300th anniversary of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, this one contains some curious errors. See if you can find them! And while at the house, say hello to members of the Nashoba Valley Weavers’ Guild, who will be demonstrating one of our former “Hidden Treasures”, the old “barn frame” loom. Parking is available on-site or nearby.

Resident & Family Member Feedback Earns Acton Senior Assisted Living Community 2022-2023 Best Assisted Living Excellence Award

ACTON: Benchmark Senior Living at Robbins Brook, an assisted living and Mind & Memory Care community, has ranked among the best assisted living with memory care communities in Massachusetts and the entire U.S. for the second straight year. In U.S. News & World Report’s second annual Best Senior Living ratings published today, the community was selected following a comprehensive resident and family member survey. Robbins Brook is the only senior living community in the greater Acton area to have earned this prestigious award.

Robbins Brook earned “Best” status by achieving the highest possible rating for assisted living. Respondents gave the community high marks in critical areas, such as overall value, management and staff, resident enrichment, dining and food, safety, transportation, maintenance, housekeeping and location.

Forty Benchmark communities throughout the Northeast received a total of 53 U.S. News awards for the second straight year.
“We are honored and humbled that our residents and their families, once again, recognized the hard work, compassion, and dedication of our 6,000-plus associates. It’s their shared purpose of transforming lives through human connection that earned Benchmark these U.S. News & World Report awards and continues to separate Benchmark communities from other senior living companies,” said Tom Grape, founder, chairman and CEO of Benchmark.

Robbins Brook’s care and experiences spans independent assisted living to specialized memory care assisted living for those who would benefit from a safer, engaging environment, chef-prepared meals, supportive living services, transportation and assistance with daily activities, such as getting dressed and medication management. Residents enjoy connecting over programs and amenities offered in many common spaces including a bistro, demonstration kitchen, recreation room, library, hair salon, private dining room and outdoor courtyards with seasonal dining and walking paths.

Robbins Brook’s award-winning Mind & Memory Care program offers carefully created living environments and unique opportunities for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia to find joy in each new day. Residents are supported by 24/7 care providers who have been hired for heart and educated in memory loss, communication and empathy. Neighborhoods provide the comforts of home and have unique features that help those with memory impairment stay connected to who and what matters most to them. Thoughtful touches, visual cues and purposeful amenities further promote familiarity and wellness.

“Our team is committed to keeping our residents connected to who and what matters most through outstanding care and experiences,” said Stephen Johnson, executive director of Robbins Brook. “Exceeding expectations every day is what we strive for so it’s incredibly exciting to have our dedication recognized by an industry leader like U.S. News.”

For more than 30 years, U.S. News has served the American public as an unbiased arbiter of quality across a variety of important choices. Whether picking a college, selecting a hospital or moving to a nursing home, consumers go to U.S. News to research and make consequential life decisions.

“For the second consecutive year, U.S. News is providing in-depth information to help potential residents and their loved ones find the best place to help meet their needs,” said Sumita Singh, senior vice president and general manager of Healthcare at U.S. News. “Communities that are highly rated excel in making residents feel safe, well cared for and highly satisfied by the services provided.”

For more information about Benchmark Senior Living at Robbins Brook, click here or go to its U.S. News profile at https://health.usnews.com/best-senior-living/benchmark-senior-living-at-robbins-brook-1542. 

MAYNARD: 6 Bridges Gallery, 77 Main Street is pleased to present “Close to Home” by Ernest Stonebraker, paintings inspired by motifs close to the artist’s home in Stow.  This exhibit will be on view May 17 - June 24, with a reception on May 20 from 5-7pm.

ACTON: YV Art Museum administered by Contemporary Arts International (CAI), a non profit organization, announces the exhibition of a father and daughter in the main hall. Art Across Generations – Alex and Genie Belozersky presents the sculptures by Alex Belozersky and paintings by Genie Belozersky. It runs May 21- September 17. 

In the Video Room, there will be documentary films by Chen Bohan, a talented filmmaker  from Taiwan. The film explores the inspiration Chen found during his seven visits to our art  ground and showcases his earlier work. Over the years, many people have been curious how Yin  obtained this land; in Bohan's film, for the first time, the story is fully told. 

Alex Belozersky came to art relatively late in life, after several careers first in Russia, then in the  U.S. “What happened to me in my 40s and 50s may be compared with what the Apostles felt  when ‘They were filled with the Holy Ghost and began speaking in tongues they did not speak  before,’ he says. “Almost overnight, I, a professional pianist, transitioned from music to the visual arts.”  Alex began his artistic exploration with clay—as tactile and responsive as piano keys. He spent  two years at the Radcliffe College Ceramics studio in Cambridge, building non-functional ceramic vessels, sculptures, and tiles. The latter, shown in the spring of 1991 at Boston Design  Center, generated considerable interest due to their Russian medieval and Renaissance designs.  He then moved on to sculpting roofing paper, tin, sheet metal, bronze, and wire, learning in the  process what each material allows and inspires. His choice of imagery was, to a degree, dictated  by the medium. But childhood memories, European history, theater, literature, and mythology 
also served as sparks for his imagination. Alex’s philosophical studies, especially the writings of Carl Jung, have stimulated him to address the role of myths and dreams in modern life. Ancient  and modern mythology is represented in the culture as an elaborate interplay of archetypes, symbols, and interpretations. Belozersky has created a stage where these symbols come to life and  comment on our existence. Humor is feature of many of his works: “I think humor gives us a  chance to step aside from reality to have a better view of it, and keeps us from drowning in the  tragedy of life.”  Alex Belozersky, musician, philosopher, sculptor, and poet, was born in Russia and graduated  from Moscow Conservatory. He taught music and wrote for art magazines before emigrating to  the U.S. in 1980. 

Genie Belozersky, born in Boston, has been surrounded by art since childhood, including her  father’s work. Her parents especially favored folk art, but Genie found drawing and painting her  most satisfying way to express ideas, feelings, and reflections on the world. An avid museum  goer, she has been inspired by a wide range of artists and styles, with Surrealism in particular  resonating with her for its combination of fantasy and folklore.  Genie’s distinctive use of small, detailed, precisely drawn imagery emerged in her college years.  She favors drawing with pens and markers: their smoothness and crispness, the polished look  they yield and the freedom of working anywhere, give her maximum opportunity to develop her  pieces. The process of meticulously building up pictures through the aggregation of finely penned components is a form of meditation for Genie; it allows her to both process her emotions  and free herself from the churning mind. They are also, as is the case with her father, a whimsical  outlet for life’s challenges. “I enjoy the cartoonish forms, the juxtapositions of shapes, the  process of weaving my way across the page,” Genie says. “But I also welcome my viewers to  project their own perceptions and ideas on my work and take away the meaning that speaks to  them.”Genie received her B.A. from New England School of Art and Design. She has shown her  work at a number of galleries in the Boston area. 
 
CAI is open to visitors every day from 10am-6pm (summer schedule). Visitors are encouraged to call/text (617) 699-6401 to make appointment. Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for 65+ or under 16.

ACTON: The Friends of the Acton Libraries will hold a live and in person used book sale on May 20 at the Acton Memorial Library from 9am-4pm. Members of the Friends are invited to a preview of the sale on May 19 from 7-9pm. Sunday will be half price day for all, from 2-3:30 pm.

The Friends have been collecting and sorting a lot of books since the last sale. Now is your chance to come to stock up on good books in good condition for your summer reading. While not required, face coverings while inside at the sale are encouraged. Weather permitting, there will also be tables outside of the library for browsing and shopping, too.

Be sure your membership is up to date before the big Friends Used Book Sale so you can have first crack at the great selection of used books at the sale preview. If you aren’t yet a member, you can join on Friday night. But why wait? Go to the Friends of the Acton Libraries page on the Acton Memorial Library main page, print out the membership form, and mail it in. Or, bring it with you on Preview Friday night.

The Friends of the Acton Libraries is a volunteer organization dedicated to funding the town's elementary, middle, and high school library budgets. They also provide support to the Acton Memorial Library and West Acton Citizens' Library for programming, museum passes and more. Additionally, The Friends present scholarships each year to deserving high school seniors. For more information, contact The Friends at friendsofactonlibraries@gmail.com, or find them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.