Greg Jarboe

Java with John: Town manager lays out a balancing act

March 7, 2026

by Greg Jarboe

At the Acton Senior Center, Town Manager John S. Mangiaratti poured the coffee and got to the point on Friday morning, Feb. 27, 2026. His monthly “Java with John” session — one of his regular informal conversations with residents — covered a lot of ground: a tightly constrained…

Water District posts warrant for Mar. 18 Annual District Meeting

March 7, 2026

Kim KastensandGreg Jarboe

The Acton Water District (AWD, District) has posted the warrant for the upcoming Annual District Meeting, which was finalized by the AWD Commissioners (Commissioners) at their meeting on Feb. 23. Most warrant articles are similar to those that voters have seen at previous District annual meetings. Four new…

Boston Magazine names Acton one of Greater Boston’s “Most Affordable Top Towns”

March 7, 2026

by Greg Jarboe

If you’ve ever wondered whether Acton is still a smart place to put down roots, Boston Magazine’s latest research provides food for thought. In a February 2026 feature titled “The Most Affordable Top Towns in Greater Boston Right Now,” staff writer Brittany Jasnoff identified Acton as one of…

Water District Board of Commissioners approves budget despite Water District Finance Committee concerns over rate equity

February 14, 2026

Greg JarboeandKim Kastens

At a joint meeting of the Acton Water District (AWD) Board of Commissioners (the Board) and the AWD Finance Committee (the FinCom) on February 9, the FinCom declined to make a recommendation on the proposed FY27 AWD budget, citing concerns about its disproportionate impact of costs on low-volume…

Guess who or what crashed Super Bowl LX parties in Acton?

February 14, 2026

by Greg Jarboe

A year ago, The Acton Exchange published a story entitled, “Who won the food fight at Super Bowl parties in Acton?” So, I admit that I had some preconceived notions of what my neighbors’ gameday essentials would be again this year. But when I asked Danny O’Brien of…

Coffee, clocks, and community choices: What Acton learned at “Java with John”

January 24, 2026

by Greg Jarboe

On a cold January morning at the Acton Senior Center, the coffee was hot, the conversation was candid, and the stakes, while not revolutionary, were unmistakably civic. “Java with John,” now in its eighth year, has become one of those small but telling rituals of local democracy. Town…

Navigating the fiscal storm: What new MMA recommendations mean for Acton and Boxborough

January 10, 2026

by Greg Jarboe

Acton and Boxborough residents rely on essential services every day, from our top-tier schools and public safety teams to the Department of Public Works crews maintaining our roads. However, a new report from the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) titled, “Navigating the Storm: Charting a Course Toward Fiscal Stability”…

Java with John: Budgets, buildings, and the everyday work of running Acton

December 20, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

On a cold December morning at the Senior Center, Acton Town Manager John Mangiaratti did what he has been doing since 2018: shared coffee, invited questions, and offered residents a candid look at how their town is being run. The December 12 edition of Java with John featured…

Small Business Saturday: A day to celebrate Acton’s local economy

December 6, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

This past Saturday, November 29, 2025, marked the 16th anniversary of Small Business Saturday, a nationwide movement that encourages Americans to support their local businesses during the busiest shopping season of the year. For Acton residents, it was another opportunity to discover the unique character and quality that…

Acton’s story takes center stage in Ken Burns’ “The American Revolution”

November 22, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

When Ken Burns’ The American Revolution premiered on Nov. 16, 2025, millions of viewers across the country were introduced — or reintroduced — to the dramatic events that ignited America’s fight for independence. But for Acton residents, Episode 1, “In Order to Be Free (May 1754–May 1775),” offered…

A superpower hacked Littleton’s water supply

November 15, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

Littleton, Massachusetts, is a quiet “bedroom community” of about 10,000 residents. It is the kind of place that seems a world away from the high-stakes chess match of global geopolitics. With no major military base or obvious connection to national security, it is, by all accounts, an ordinary…

A place where healthy aging comes to life

November 8, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

In the heart of Acton, there’s the quiet hum of conversation, the clink of coffee cups, and the kind of laughter that signals connection. It comes from a place where aging isn’t about slowing down, it’s about living fully. That place is Cooperative Elder Services, Inc. (CESI), a…

Acton is still one of the best suburbs in Massachusetts to live in

November 8, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

In January, I reported that Acton is one of the best suburbs in Massachusetts to live in, according to Niche, a ranking and review site. Based on the latest update of information available from dozens of public data sources, including the U.S. Census, Department of Education, and FBI,…

Community updates and collaboration take center stage at October’s “Java with John”

November 1, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

At the October 17 Java with John gathering at the Acton Senior Center, Town Manager John Mangiaratti led a discussion that covered everything from infrastructure improvements and library programs to school initiatives and housing development. The monthly event, which is broadcast live on Acton TV, continues to serve…

600 People rally at Acton’s “No Kings” protest

October 25, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

Nearly seven million people participated in more than 2,700 “No Kings” protests across the United States and abroad on Saturday, October 18, 2025. One of those rallies took place in Acton, where local officials estimated about 600 residents gathered peacefully outside Town Hall. The turnout was more than…

Town officials react to MMA report warning of mounting fiscal pressures

October 18, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

The Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) issued a stark warning last week: Massachusetts cities and towns are caught in a perfect storm of rising costs, falling aid, and outdated limits on local revenue pushing many communities toward a fiscal breaking point. Several Acton officials attended the presentation of the…

Sunshine, speeches, and shared values at the 38th Annual Acton-Boxborough Democratic Picnic

October 11, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

The 38th Annual Acton-Boxborough Democratic Picnic took place on Sunday, September 28, 2025, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the NARA Park Picnic Pavilion in Acton. It was a beautiful late-September afternoon — warm and in the 80s — perfect picnic weather. Families from 10 or so towns…

Java with John: Town staff share updates, news, and community priorities at Senior Center

October 4, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

Acton’s Senior Center was buzzing again on September 26 as residents gathered for Java with John, the monthly coffee-and-conversation program with Town Manager John Mangiaratti and staff members. After a summer break, the forum returned with local updates, ranging from new development projects and public safety initiatives to…

Unboxing treasures: Jewelry sale returns to Acton Senior Center

September 27, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

The Acton Senior Center’s annual jewelry sale is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, October 22 and 23, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.. This popular event, which is organized by the Friends of the Acton Council on Aging (COA), offers several categories of jewelry for sale –…

The Silver Unicorn wins award for its independent spirit

August 30, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

The Silver Unicorn Bookstore, a neighborhood hub in Acton known for its welcoming shelves of adult and children’s titles as well as its lively calendar of author events, has just received the Independent Spirit Award from the New England Independent Booksellers Association. Chosen by the Book Publisher Representatives…