Franny Osman

Franny Osman is an Acton News Initiative founding editor and author.

Acton’s Memorial Day Parade honors those who gave their lives

May 31, 2025

Sharon GruetandFranny Osman

Memorial Day in Acton kicked off with a march from Acton-Boxborough Regional High School (ABRHS) to the Isaac Davis monument. In this 250th celebratory year, where better to be than to be the site of the revolution’s first veteran – Isaac Davis. The Minutemen reenactors led the march…

Badge icon representing Elections and Town Meeting

Town Meeting Article 11: Home rule petition concerning Acton Memorial Library trustees

May 10, 2025

by Franny Osman

Article 11 asked the Town to petition the state legislature to increase the size of the Acton Memorial Library Board of Trustees from nine to 12. The added three trustees would be the Citizens’ Library Trustees, elected at Town Meeting as usual. In her presentation, Select Board Member…

Acton 250: Acton Minutemen and followers march to Concord

April 26, 2025

by Franny Osman

The annual reenactment of the Acton Minutemen’s march from the Isaac Davis home site at 39 Hayward Rd in Acton to the Old North Bridge in Concord, took place earlier than usual this year, on Friday, April 18. One longtime veteran of the walk commented that the mild…

Acton seeks creative development proposals for 3 and 13 School St.

April 12, 2025

by Franny Osman

A dozen or so participants, including local developers, neighbors, and a historian, attended a site walk on April 8 of two non-adjacent properties Acton is selling: 3 and 13 School St. Number 3 School St., built in 1927, has served as a fire station until 1961, civil defense…

Wednesdays at Bistro 30

March 22, 2025

by Franny Osman

I happened to be very hungry on Wednesday this week as I picked up some loaner medical equipment for a family member at the Acton Nursing Service at the Senior and Social Service Center, 30 Sudbury Road. It was pure serendipity that the weekly Bistro 30 was about…

A League of Women Voters Vote Tuesday sign in the grass.

Run for something!

March 1, 2025

by Franny Osman

It’s that time of year when we might look inward and ponder, “Is it my time to step up? Shall I run for local office?” According to Acton Town Clerk Leo Mercado, there are eight positions on the town election ballot this year: “Remember, there is no requirement…

Filming begins in Acton on Pointing Fingers, murder mystery and love story with autism theme

January 25, 2025

by Franny Osman

“Magical.” That is how Acton’s Michael Bergmann described the first week of filming Pointing Fingers, the movie his son Dan Bergmann wrote and stars in. Michael, an experienced film maker, is directing the movie, and his wife, sculptor Meredith Bergmann, is director of photography. The first shoot happened…

Suburban transportation forum hosted by Lexington

December 21, 2024

by Franny Osman

Two of Acton’s Select Board members – David Martin and Alissa Nicol – were among almost 100 participants in a “Beyond the Core” transportation forum on Monday, November 9, at the Lexington Community Center, organized by Lexington’s Transportation Director, Susan Barrett. Representative Michelle Ciccolo of the 15th Middlesex…

A collage of four pictures, each with two people. Clockwise from bottom: - Two men, one wearing an Acton FD fleece, the other wearing an 18th century red jacket, knickers, and a tri-corner hat. - A couple wearing street clothes. - Another couple wearing street clothes. - A pair of people wearing street clothes, but from the 18th Century. The man is wearing a red jacket with brass buttons, the woman wears a dress, apron, and straw bonnet.

Veterans honored on town common

November 17, 2024

by Franny Osman

Veteran Services Director James MacRae and Chair of the Acton Public Ceremonies and Celebrations Committee Gail Sawyer led the 2024 Veterans Day Ceremony on the Town Common. The program, taped by Acton TV, included speeches, the laying of wreaths, a three volley salute by the Acton Minutemen, and…

Plaque on a brick wall with a picture of Marion Stoddart over an image of kayakers on the Nashua River. The plaque also includes the following quote, "All you need to do to make a difference in the world is commit and you will find a way." A brief history of Stoddarts work and a note indicating that Marion Stoddart Building of the Groton Dunstable Regional Middle School was namedon May 22, 2024.

Celebrating Marion Stoddart and the Nashua River cleanup

November 2, 2024

by Franny Osman

Two hundred movers, shakers, and river-lovers gathered in the auditorium of the newly renamed Marion Stoddart Building at the Groton-Dunstable Middle School on Friday, October 25, to celebrate Stoddart’s legacy, watch Susan Edwards’ film about her, “Marion Stoddart: The Work of 1000,” and hear from Stoddart herself. A…

Best ’fest ever

October 4, 2024

by Franny Osman

West Acton business owners have celebrated Oktoberfest for a couple of decades* and this year’s event was as large and lively as ever. Participants of all ages found activities to draw them in. “I think it was the best attendance we’ve had so far,” said organizer Annette Lochrie,…

Four kayaks (and six kayakers) on a sunny pond.

Live it up at Disability Pride event at Dunn Pond State Park

July 12, 2024

by Franny Osman

Every summer, longtime independent living and transportation advocate Lisa Franklin encourages fellow Acton residents to join the annual Disability Pride event, or ADA Day, hosted by the Mass. State Independent Living Council at Dunn Pond State Park in Gardner. Franklin, a thirty-plus year stroke survivor, recalls a member…

A line drawing with a sailboat pulled up on the shore, the setting sun in the background, and two peope walking towards the sailboat.

Acton Exchange takes a vacation

June 21, 2024

by Franny Osman

The Acton Exchange editorial team is taking a week off. Today’s issue will be the last one in June. The next issue will be published around July 5. We hope you had and have good celebrations on Juneteenth and July 4. Send us your pictures and stories! This…

Two women pose proudly. The mom is smiling broadly and the daughter has her arm over her mother's shoulders. She's wearing the Minuteman blue and gold cap and gown.

High School Graduations, 2024

June 14, 2024

Diane BaumandFranny Osman

AB High School Class of 2024 graduation goes off without a hitch Students, families and friends gathered on Leary Field on June 7 to celebrate the 407 member Acton-Boxborough Regional High School graduating class of 2024. Principal Joanie Dean recognized graduating students for their resiliency, compassion and positivity,…

Help for the helpers: mental health support following a murder-suicide

June 7, 2024

by Franny Osman

As the town reels from such sad news as the murder-suicide that occurred in Acton on May 30, people ask questions to try to put order and predictability and, most of all, a sense of safety, back into place. They wish they could turn back time. They wonder…

A police detective and a woman stand near a large stack of sealed boxes. The officer is opening one box that has been moved to a desk.

Hand Recount Confirms Override Passage

May 24, 2024

by Franny Osman

On Tuesday morning, May 21, in Room 204 of Town Hall, Acton Town staff and volunteers gathered to recount the votes of the April 30 Town Election, specifically for question 1 about the tax levy override, as the results of the original balloting were close (3191 yeses (49.94%),…

Graphic with headshots of multcultural presenters at the Ask Me Fair with text: Meet us at the Ask Me Fair. Presented by Sargent Memorial Library, Open Door Theater, Think Outside The Vox and Acton Boxborough United Way. What would you ask us? Friday May 31 Session for Families 4-5:30 pm and Session for Adults 6-7:30 at Sargent Memorial Library 427 Mass Ave. Boxborough Register at boxlib.org

Ask Me Fair encourages curiosity

May 24, 2024

by Franny Osman

Open Door Theater President Sam Gould conceived of an event called the “Ask Me Fair” in 2019, to combat some of the personal antisemitism, ableism and racism that her family and friends experienced in our community. “There is so much othering that occurs in our community and, frankly,…

A printed booklet from the Secretary of State that contains the rules for election recounts.

UPDATED: May 21 recount of override vote

May 16, 2024

by Franny Osman

UPDATE May 21, 2024: The recount of the override vote occurred as scheduled on May 21. The final tally following the hand count was Yes: 3205 and No: 3161 and Blank: 41, for a total of 6407 ballots. Following a very close ballot vote on April 30 on…

A multi-colored sky shows behind houses and trees.

Eyes on the (solar) storm

May 16, 2024

Franny OsmanandKim Kastens

In the May 11 issue of the Acton Exchange, we asked for your photos and stories about from last weekend’s rare local view of the aurora borealis. Lauren Rosenzweig caught the lights on camera on Marshall Path in north Acton, though her experience was the same as many.…

The sky with the northern lights in full bloom. The sky is purple and green with a few stars showing.

Did you see the northern lights this weekend?

May 7, 2024

by Franny Osman

Acton night owls are enjoying a rare view of the aurora borealis, or northern lights, this weekend thanks to a geomagnetic storm resulting from an unusually large sunspot . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wrote on their website, “For many people, the aurora is a beautiful…