James Conboy

Betty’s Bounce Trio brings Django Rheinhardt jazz to Acton

August 15, 2026

by James Conboy

Aug. 6, Acton Memorial Library Meeting Room: On a hot August night, there were no complaints from eighteen Betty’s Bounce Trio fans when an outdoor plumbing issue changed the concert’s venue from the lawn to an air-conditioned space–and one with good acoustics, as well. The band comprises Audie…

New high school garden: Stress relief is just steps away

May 23, 2026

by James Conboy

Acton-Boxborough Regional High School: A new student-inspired garden might provide the perfect recipe for easing out of a stress-filled day and, at the same time, grow tasty produce and herbs. The Student Wellness Committee came up with the idea of a garden to help students de-stress after the…

AB softball: Revolution edges Concord-Carlisle 5-4, with late rally

May 23, 2026

by James Conboy

May 18, Acton-Boxborough Regional High School: You could tell it was going to be a pitchers’ duel when each team racked up six strikeouts in the first three innings, with AB ace Aislinn Ryan going toe-to-toe with Concord-Carlisle’s Alex T. In the second inning, Ryan whiffed three batters,…

Java with John, May 15, 2026: Town Meeting wrap-up, construction, and grants in the pipeline

May 23, 2026

by James Conboy

(Please note: For a much deeper dive into the following subjects, please see articles published in the May 9 and May 16 editions of the Acton Exchange.) May 15, Acton Senior Center: A small and inquisitive audience peppered Town Manager John Mangiaratti with questions at the monthly Java…

Player #14 slides into base.

Softball: Revs’ juggernaut rolls on, felling Wayland, 13-1

May 9, 2026

by James Conboy

April 30, Acton-Boxborough Regional High School: Despite notching just one more hit than their opponents (7-6),and whiffing eight times to Wayland’s seven, the AB Revolution overran the visitors by taking advantage of six miscues, five walks, and aggressive baserunning. Wayland had hitting on their mind from the outset,…

Food pantry benefit: Donors, diners deliver $100,000.00

April 25, 2026

by James Conboy

April 14, The Barn at Gibbet Hill, Groton. If there were any doubts that veteran Boston Comedian Jimmy Tingle “still has his fastball”, they were dispelled tonight, as the celebrity auctioneer had the audience of bidders cracking up as he cajoled them to bid higher and higher for…

AB softball: Revs pound out 16 hits, tame Lions, 12-1

April 25, 2026

by James Conboy

April 16, Acton-Boxborough Regional High School: Sixteen hits by the Revolution, including three triples and a home run, overpowered Dual County League opponent Newton South, which collected only three, landing the home team a 12-1 win, when the mercy rule was invoked in the sixth inning. The Lions…

Hope at Bat: Revs walk it off in 11-inning classic

April 18, 2026

by James Conboy

April 13, Acton-Boxborough Regional High School baseball field: After yielding four runs in the first inning, A-B’s defense held the Waltham Hawks to just one run in the next six, allowing the home team, trailing by two, to tie it at five-all in the seventh. Shortstop Healy led…

Community Supper: 65,000 hot meals and counting

April 11, 2026

by James Conboy

April 1, Fellowship Hall, Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, Acton: A hot Italian dinner of ziti and meatballs, soup, bread, salad, and dessert, welcomed about seventy-five diners at the Community Supper’s weekly dinner, complete with a cake to celebrate the event’s fourteenth anniversary. The all-volunteer program provides a hot,…

Java with John: Restaurants, revenue, road safety, and more

March 28, 2026

by James Conboy

March 30, Acton Senior Center: Acton Town Manager John Mangiaratti began his monthly Java with John talk at the Senior Center by thanking Veterans’ Service Officer James McCrae for preparing breakfast prior to the meeting. The multi-course meal is only $3.00. He then went into a list of…

Make-a-Wish ski-a-thon: Local students strap ’em on for charity

March 7, 2026

by James Conboy

Feb. 28, Leo J. Martin Ski Track, Weston: Twenty-two cross-country skiers and their coaches from the combined Acton-Boxborough/Nashoba Valley team and Brookline High School team gathered on a balmier-than-usual night to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island Foundation. The event was organized by Brookline’s coach,…

Complete streets plan: Parker St. area residents focus on biker, student safety

March 7, 2026

by James Conboy

Feb. 25, Francis Faulkner Meeting Room, Town Hall: Thirty-four residents from the Parker Street neighborhood in South Acton weighed in with their priorities on Acton’s plan to implement safety measures on the street from High Street to the railroad tracks. The town plans to complete Phase I this…

Emerson’s cardiac center: prevention, therapy, and group motivation

February 21, 2026

by James Conboy

Coinciding with National Cardiac Rehab Week and National Heart Month, the Acton Exchange sat for an interview last week with Ginny Dow, R.N., director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Department at Emerson Hospital, and Leah Lesser, senior manager, marketing communications, in the brand new facility that replaced the old…

Emerson’s White House: With snow cleared, demo day arrives

February 21, 2026

by James Conboy

February 6, Emerson Hospital, Concord: Bitter cold temperatures didn’t stop Green Leaf Construction’s crew as they started demolition of the hospital’s century-old White House building to make room for the new and larger Emergency Department. (See the January 24 Acton Exchange about a tour of the current Emergency…

Cain lecture: While soldiers fight, civilians endure hunger, terror, and disease under Brits

February 7, 2026

by James Conboy

Jan. 28, Francis Faulkner Meeting Room, Acton Town Hall: Historian Alexander Cain, JD, tonight brought to light the typically untold stories of Boston’s civilians caught in the crossfire at the dawn of the American Revolution. Mr. Cain’s presentation, “I Screamed with All My Might”-The Civilians Trapped Behind the…

Boxborough Winterfest: Blue skies and deep snow serve up a perfect day

February 7, 2026

by James Conboy

Jan. 31, Steele Farm, Boxborough: Nobody at Boxborough’s annual Winterfest complained about the latest snowstorm, as it provided perfect conditions for tubing and sledding on a sunny day, with temps in the low 20’s. The snow banks did prevent parking at the farm this year, but the town…

Emerson: Flu patients fill E.R., but a bigger one is in the works

January 24, 2026

by James Conboy

Jan. 14, Emerson Hospital Emergency Department: On a tour of the hospital’s Emergency Department, the Exchange found fifteen of the total sixteen critical care rooms filled, mostly due to the surge of the flu virus (see the Jan. 18 Acton Exchange article that shows the increase in flu…

Nearby winter fun: A smooth surface suits skaters

January 10, 2026

by James Conboy

Jan. 3, Barker’s Pond, South Acton: Some enthusiastic skaters braved, or more likely embraced, the cold weather ushering in the new year, to play some pickup hockey games with their friends today. The recent snowfall was no obstacle, as residents Matt McDonald and his son Ryan worked hard…

Acton Fire Department lands $50,000 state grant for turnout gear, radio upgrades

December 20, 2025

by James Conboy

Dec. 12, North Acton Fire Station: A “Big Check” ceremony attended by local and state officials celebrated the awarding of $50,000 to upgrade the fire department’s emergency radio system, and replace fire turnout gear with non-PFAS equipment. The radio equipment will speed up response times and enable better…

ICE arrests: Acton responds with rallies, rights, and resources

November 15, 2025

by James Conboy

In the past year, the federal Immigration and Custom Enforcement Service (ICE), has had a presence in Acton, arresting, among others, people working at Sorrento’s Pizza, Dunkin’ on Main St., and residents of apartment complexes on Davis Road and Great Road. In a recent interview, Acton Select Board…