Tuesday, May 22, 2012
The group says it already has enough signatures to force a special election.
A group of Arlington residents told the Board of Selectmen Monday night that they have already collected enough signatures to force a special election regarding Town Meeting’s recent seasonal leaf-blower ban. The group, represented by longtime Town Meeting member George Laite and Black Diamond Landscapes’ Joseph Cusce Jr. at Monday’s meeting, plans to turn its petition in by Thursday’s deadline, the two men said. “It’s the American way, it’s the democratic way, to let the voters decide,” said Laite, of Precinct 4. Special-Election Process The group’s petition will need valid signatures from at least three percent of all registered voters in Arlington by Thursday’s deadline in order to force the special election, according to Town Counsel …
42.41631
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Arlington Town Hall
730 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA
/articles/group-working-to-repeal-controversial-leaf-blower-ban
230699
/locations/7070643
Monday, May 21, 2012
The river, which runs along East Arlington's border with West Medford, received a grade of a "D" in its annual report card.
Mother Earth and Father Sky aren't going to be too happy when they see the Mystic River's most recent report card. The Environmental Protection Agency released its annual report card for the river's water quality Sunday. The river received a grade of a D, with slight improvements over last year, but worse than 2008 and 2009, when it received a C-, according to an EPA press release. “Although our grade is not where we would like it to be, we are continuing to focus on problem areas and apply all our available tools to improving water quality in the Mystic River,” said region EPA administrator Curt Spalding in a written statement. “We need to redouble our efforts and stay the course over the next several years to ensure the water quality in …
Thursday, May 17, 2012
A recap of Arlington Town Meeting's eighth, and now final, session.
Arlington’s 2012 Town Meeting came to a close Wednesday night, as members got through the remaining 24 articles during the meeting’s eighth, and now final, session. Most of the articles were either routine appropriations (which all passed) or recommended votes of no action by the Board of Selectmen (which were all upheld). Of the appropriation articles, Article 52 got the most attention but, like the rest, passed easily. The article asked members to put $20,000 toward signage for Arlington’s four historic sites – The Cyrus E. Dallin Art Museum, the Jason Russell House, the Old Schwamb Mill and the Uncle Sam Memorial Statue – through the Arlington Committee on Tourism and Economic Development (A-TED). On Wednesday, these 15 articles …
42.41631
-71.15687
Arlington Town Hall
730 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA
/articles/town-meeting-ends
230699
/locations/7037931
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Arlington's legislative body approved the annual five-month ban Monday in a 95-85 vote.
Town Meeting voted Monday to ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers from May 15 to Oct. 15 on private property in Arlington. The town bylaw amendment was put forth by Town Meeting member Robert Radochia as a substitute motion under Article 25 at the beginning of Monday’s session. After 15 minutes of debate, it carried 95-85 in a standing vote, after it was originally declared defeated by Town Moderator John Leone in a voice vote. The vote to consider Radochia’s substitute motion under Article 25 passed by an even slimmer margin, 84-81. Radochia’s compromise Radochia, of Precinct 11, said he saw his substitute motion as a compromise between members who wanted to maintain the status quo and not prohibit the use of gas-powered leaf blowers …
42.41631
-71.15687
Arlington Town Hall
730 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA
/articles/town-meeting-passes-seasonal-leaf-blower-ban
230699
/locations/7011507
Monday, May 14, 2012
The Minuteman Bikeway, municipal bike-rack installation program and plans to improve bicycling safety on Mass Ave in East Arlington all helped Arlington's cause.
- GOVERNMENT
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Monday, May 14
The following is a press release from the town of Arlington. It has been lightly edited. The Town of Arlington has received national designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) at the bronze level by the League of American Bicyclists in Washington, D.C. The BFC program provides a detailed framework, professional assistance and award recognition for communities that actively support bicycling. Why recognized? Arlington was recognized for the popular Minuteman Bikeway as well as the municipal bike-rack installation program and current plans to improve bicycling safety on Mass Ave in East Arlington and at the bikeway crossing in Arlington Center. Thanks to the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee “We are honored to receive this national…
42.41631
-71.15687
Arlington Town Hall
730 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA
/articles/arlington-nationally-recognized-as-a-bicycle-friendly-community
230699
/locations/7006029
Thursday, May 10, 2012
A recap of Town Meeting's sixth session on Wednesday.
Town Meeting members began to discuss a proposed ban on gas-powered leaf blowers Wednesday. They also passed Minuteman High School’s budget and a town bylaw amendment that requires residents to bring in their uncollected trash by 9 p.m. the next day. In addition, members decided not to reconsider an earlier vote of no action on Article 32, which would have been a report and recommendation from the town manager on the implementation of a consolidated town-school finance department. Leaf-Blower Debate Town Meeting member Carol Band submitted a substitute motion for Article 25 after the Board of Selectmen’s recommended vote of no action on her original article. Band’s motion would amend the town bylaws to prohibit the use of gas-powered leaf …
42.41631
-71.15687
Arlington Town Hall
730 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA
/articles/leaf-blower-debate-now-underway-at-town-meeting
230699
/locations/6980612
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
A recap of Town Meeting's fifth session on Monday.
Town Meeting members voted Monday to put $200,000 toward energy conservation measures and efficiency improvements. However, directly after that vote, they defeated an article that would have set aside the “energy rebate monies” from these steps to create an “Energy Conservation Fund,” which would have been used to support future energy-saving projects. Town Meeting’s votes on these articles, Articles 8 and 9, respectively, on the Special Town Meeting Warrant, mimicked earlier votes by the town’s Finance Committee. The committee had voted 15-1 in favor of Article 8 (the one-time appropriation) and 15-1 against Article 9 (the permanent fund). Town Meeting passed Article 8 in a voice vote and defeated Article 9 in a standing vote, 67-86. …
42.41631
-71.15687
Arlington Town Hall
730 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA
/articles/town-meeting-approves-200-000-for-energy-saving-projects
230699
/locations/6956113
Friday, May 4, 2012
Former School Committee member Paul Schlichtman will fill former committee member Joseph Curro's seat until the Town Elections next April.
Paul Schlichtman was named to the Arlington School Committee Thursday night. After a 90-minute group interview session, Schlichtman, a former School Committee member, received the necessary four votes from the committee in the first round of the roll-call voting to rise above the field of five applicants. Schlichtman got the nod from members Cindy Starks, Jeff Thielman and Leba Heigham and chairwoman Kirsi Allison-Ampe. Member William Hayner voted for James Flanagan, who recently finished third behind Thielman and Starks in the Town Elections, and member Judson Pierce voted for Len Kardon, who is active in the advocacy groups FYArlington and the Arlington Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC). Schlichtman will hold the seat, …
42.417131
-71.162537
Arlington High School
869 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA
/articles/school-committee-picks-schlichtman
230408
/locations/6934821
Thursday, May 3, 2012
It’s been an interesting week in the U.S. Senate Race between incumbent Republican Scott Brown and Democrat Elizabeth Warren.
First it was revealed that Harvard University once touted Warren’s marginal Native American heritage as proof of their faculty’s diversity. That story was followed up with another revealing one that Warren had listed herself as a minority professor between 1986 and 1995 in the Association of American Law Schools desk book, a major reference for legal professors. On Tuesday it was revealed that Brown, who ran for office vowing to kill President Obama’s health care law (and who has since voted three times to repeal it) took advantage of a key provision in it: the provision that allows him to keep his elder daughter on his congressional health insurance plan. Meanwhile, both candidates downplayed their wealth this week as they revealed their …
A recap of Town Meeting's fourth session on Wednesday.
At its fourth session Wednesday night, Town Meeting passed the halfway mark, in terms of the number of articles addressed. The town’s legislative body, which has now taken up 42 of the 72 articles on the Town Meeting Warrant, voted in the affirmative on all 12 articles that were discussed, accepted the Board of Selectmen’s recommendation of no action on four more articles (Articles 31, 33, 35 and 53) and received a report from Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine (Article 32). Most of the articles approved Wednesday were pretty standard articles that are approved every year in unanimous or near unanimous votes, such as the articles that appropriate funds to the town’s committees and commissions, celebrations and other areas (Articles 42, 43, 48, …
42.41631
-71.15687
Arlington Town Hall
730 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA
/articles/town-officials-to-look-into-parking
230699
/locations/6927143
Susan
5:18 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Wogga, well, It doesn't make sense for the Landscapers that use the gas leaf blowers EVERYDAY (may-Oct) to do their job properly and efficiently. Their customers want all the grass clippers cleaned away. Let's remember this is just another silly ban infringing on the rights of people. What's next ? lawn mowers? chain saws? motor cycles? more ›