Greg Jarboe

Representatives Cataldo and Sena share legislative priorities

February 15, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

Acton has two state reps. State Rep. Simon Cataldo (14th Middlesex) represents Precincts 1, 2, 6, and 7 of Acton, while State Rep. Danillo Sena (37th Middlesex) represents 3, 4, 5, and 6A of the town. So, some voters think our community’s political clout is split in half,…

ABRHS whiz kids on GBH’s High School Quiz Show

January 25, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

Acton-Boxborough Regional High School (ABRHS) has a team that will be competing in Season 16 of GBH’s High School Quiz Show, and a strategy for winning the academic tournament for Massachusetts high school students. I interviewed three of four members of the ABRHS team last week along with…

Town Manager updates residents at Java with John

January 25, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

Acton Town Manager John Mangiaratti gave town updates at his monthly Java with John meeting at the Acton Senior Center. Here are the key takeaways from the meeting: The second half of the meeting focused on specific town initiatives and resident concerns. Finally, the meeting concluded with a…

Acton apartments sold for $13M to Needham firm

January 25, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

RCMA Properties, a property management firm owned by a Needham family, has recently acquired six apartment buildings located in Acton, in a $13 million transaction. The acquisitions include the Assabet Garden Apartments and the Nagog Gardens Apartments. The Assabet Garden Apartments, a 30-unit complex situated on 3.9 acres,…

A graph showing age and gender distribution in Acton.

BACKGROUNDER: Acton’s changing population

January 17, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

Population and population growth impact many aspects of life in Acton, from school population, to traffic density, to drinking water demand, to viability of the Town Meeting form of governance. To provide a context for these and other issues, the Acton Exchange offers this backgrounder, digging into who…

Acton business owners briefed on concert series and economic development plan

January 10, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

The Acton Economic Development Committee (EDC) held a luncheon at Town Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, to brief local business owners on the 2025 summer concert series and special events as well as upcoming public workshops on the Town’s Strategic Economic Development Plan. 2025 proposed concert series…

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

January 10, 2025

by Greg Jarboe

According to Niche, a ranking and review site, Acton is one of the best suburbs to live in the Commonwealth. Using the most up-to-date data available from dozens of public data sources, including the Department of Education, U.S. Census, and FBI, Niche gives our community an overall grade…

Film-makers fall through thin ice at NARA Park; Acton Fire responds

December 21, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

Acton Fire Chief Anita Arnum reports that Acton Fire responded to and rescued five individuals who fell through thin, choppy ice Monday afternoon. On Monday, Dec. 16, around 2:50 p.m., Acton Fire and Acton Police were dispatched to NARA Park after receiving 911 calls that multiple people had…

A double shot of espresso at Java with John

December 21, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

The monthly Java with John event at the Acton Senior Center featured a double shot of espresso. Both John Mangiaratti, Acton’s Town Manager, and Peter Light, the Superintendent of the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District, shared updates and expressed gratitude to the community. Mangiaratti opened the meeting with thanks…

Local housing priorities addressed at regional meeting

December 21, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

No town (in Massachusetts) is an island (except Nantucket). Every town is a piece of the Commonwealth. And Acton is part of the 495/MetroWest region, which stretches along the interstate highway from Westford in the North to Foxborough in the South. So, it wasn’t unexpected for Acton’s Economic…

Have you taken Acton’s Housing Production Plan survey?

December 21, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

The Town’s Planning Division is inviting residents to share their perspectives on “housing solutions that contribute toward a healthy, equitable, and prosperous Acton” by taking a Housing Production Plan survey. What is a Housing Production Plan? A Housing Production Plan (HPP) is a proactive strategy aimed at planning…

West Acton Village Holiday Stroll draws festive crowds

December 13, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

On the first Saturday of December, the Acton community comes together to explore various organizations across West Acton. Local businesses and organizations invite everyone to visit their locations throughout the day, making holiday shopping convenient and enjoyable. This year’s West Acton Village Holiday Stroll featured a visit with…

Senior Center holds vintage holiday tea party

December 13, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

The Acton Council on Aging (COA) held a Holiday Tea Party at the Senior Center on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, and 70 seniors (aged 60 and over) celebrated the season in style. Acton’s Chief of Police Chief Jim Cogan, a 40-year veteran of the Acton force, also attended.…

Doug Tallamy speaks (virtually) at conservation meeting in Acton

December 13, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

The Middlesex Conservation District (MCD) held its annual meeting in the Faulkner Room of the Acton Town Hall on Dec. 9, 2024. The event featured a virtual presentation by Dr. Doug Tallamy, Professor of Agriculture at the University of Delaware, discussing his recent book, Nature’s Best Hope. Dr.…

Local businesses launch Pink Friday and Shop Small campaigns

November 27, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

Seven local businesses teamed up to encourage people to “shop local” in West Acton Village on Pink Friday, which was celebrated on Nov. 22, 2024. Launched in 2020, Pink Friday is a nationwide event created to celebrate and support small and local businesses. Pink Friday takes place every…

Environment Massachusetts launches campaign to save the bees

November 22, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

Native bee populations are facing a sharp decline due to climate change, habitat destruction, disease, and pesticide exposure. Neonicotinoids, a specific class of pesticides, are especially harmful to bees and contribute significantly to bee mortality. Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate neonic-coated seeds, further endangering bees.…

A group of people wearing work clothes and gloves stand with rakes and a large bag of debris. They are inside what was part of the mill structure. Stone walls taller than the volunteers are visible on three sides.

Two groups hold Community Service Day at historic Wheeler Mill

November 17, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

More than a dozen members of The Friends of Pine Hawk and the Acton Democratic Town Committee collaborated again on their annual fall community service day, continuing a tradition that began in 2017. This year’s event was held on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 10, 2024, and focused on raking…

A man wearing a suit and tie speaks into a microphone.

Did the Town Manager spill the beans during Java with John?

October 26, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

Acton Town Manager John Mangiaratti held his latest “Java with John” program at the Senior Center on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. In less than an hour, he shared his list of Acton’s top 10 accomplishments from Fiscal 2024, asked six key people who work for the Town to…

Acton Agricultural Commission seeking new members

October 26, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

Recently, I met Ian Bergemann, Acton’s Community Conservation Specialist, at the Acton-Boxborough Farmers Market. He was staffing a booth for Acton’s Agricultural Commission, and recruiting for new members. Although I’ve lived in Acton since 1978 and knew the town was historically a farming community, I wasn’t aware that…

Jewelry sale coming up at Senior Center on October 16

October 4, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

Are you looking for an unexpected place to find boutique, designer, and costume jewelry? The Friends of the Acton Council on Aging (COA) will be holding their second annual jewelry sale on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.at the Senior Center. Funds raised at…

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