Greg Jarboe

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…

Habitat for All workshop at Acton Senior Center

September 14, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

The Town of Acton has launched a community engagement effort called Habitat for All, which aims to re-envision how new residential housing development occurs. As part of that initiative, Kaila Sauer, the Senior Planner for the Town, held a workshop and gave a presentation on the project at…

US Senator Elizabeth Warren speaks at West Acton Villageworks

September 7, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

On Saturday, Aug. 31, The Gallery at Villageworks in West Acton was brimming with Democrats, Independents, and even a few Republicans. The small army of “joyful warriors” was spending the first morning of their Labor Day weekend listening to U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, State Senator Jamie Eldridge, State…

The Silver Unicorn to hold eight author events in September

August 30, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

September will be a busy month at The Silver Unicorn Bookstore. They have eight author events on their calendar. Several of these are book launches for local authors in their store at 12 Spruce Street, Acton, and one special event is being held at the Maynard Fine Arts…

A handwritten poster announcing Doris Kearns Goodwin as a speaker at Bull Run Restaurant on June 9, and a picture of the cover of Goodwin's newest book, An Unfinished Love Story.

Silver Unicorn bookstore holds epic four days of events

June 14, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

How does a local business compete with Amazon? Well, the Silver Unicorn Bookstore in West Acton just held an epic four days of events that gave readers the rare opportunity to meet the authors of a variety of new books. The series kicked off Friday evening, June 7.…

A man wearing a button-down shirt with rolled=up sleeves stands in front of the Acton Senior Center Bistro 30 sign. He is speaking to an audience of older citizens.

“Java with John” lets you see over walls and around corners

May 24, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

When I was a kid, I had a toy periscope that enabled me to “see over walls and around corners.” Well, on Friday, May 17, 2024, I had a feeling of déjà vu as I sat in the back of the dining room at the Acton Senior Center…

Five people stand in front of a shop located in an industrial complex. Two people hold a red ribbon and the new owners of Marzae Winery start to cut the ribbon with a very large pair of scissors.You can see large metal tanks and other wine-making parephernelia in the background.

Acton celebrates grand opening of Marzae Wines

May 24, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

If you have seen the movie Bottle Shock, then you will know that no one took Napa Valley wine seriously in 1976. Well, flash forward 48 years and I suspect that it would be hard to find someone who takes Massachusetts wine seriously in 2024. But that’s about…

A decorated room with several tables full of people. At the front table, a woman raises her hand.

Acton Senior Center hosts 90s birthday luncheon

May 16, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

On Tuesday, May 14, 2024, the Acton Senior Center hosted a luncheon in honor of Acton seniors who are 90 years old or older. According to the Town census, there are over two hundred fifty residents who are in their 90s and about 50 attended. May is Older…

The auditorium filled with people, viewed from the stage.

Acton sets a new record for Town Meeting participation

May 7, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

On Monday, May 6, 2024, a total of 2,579 residents participated in Acton’s Annual Town Meeting. This set a new record for Town Meeting participation. On a percentage basis,16.7% of registered voters – roughly one out of six eligible voters – struggled to find parking and a seat…

a video screen witn a man, trees in the background, and "Expedition Bigfoot" and "Paranormal Caught on Camera" text boxes

Bigfoot hasn’t been sighted in Acton, but Leominster is another story

April 30, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

On April 2, 2024, from about 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., I saw Ronny LeBlanc’s presentation at the Acton Senior Center. And I was not alone. About three dozen other people also saw his presentation, “What is Bigfoot?” So, there are a lot of eyewitnesses. The BBC describes Bigfoot,…

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