Meg Stafford

A tail-wagging good time at Acton’s new dog park

June 13, 2026

How doggone long have the pups of Acton been waiting for a place to run off leash with other dogs? On Friday, June 5, community members, Town officials, legislators, and supporters gathered at 348 Main Street, just off Route 2, to celebrate the official opening of the town’s…

Review: Benefit concert for Cuba by Sol y Canto

November 1, 2025

by Meg Stafford

Sol y Canto, a pan-Latin ensemble whose mission includes “connect[ing] us all to our hopes and visions of a better world,” performed in Boxborough on Saturday, October 25. Our reviewer reflects: The moment Sol y Canto comes onstage, one is greeted by the exuberance and uncontained joy that…

Review: Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Old Frog Pond Farm in Harvard, MA

September 13, 2025

by Meg Stafford

From reflective to exuberant, sacred to whimsical, the sculptures at the 19th annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Old Frog Pond in Harvard, MA cover a lot of ground, both figuratively and literally. Walking along the paths of “Around the Pond and Through the Woods,” one is treated to…

Storytelling at Old Frog Pond

August 23, 2025

by Meg Stafford

At the picturesque Old Frog Pond Farm & Studio in Harvard, MA, the land slopes gently down to the pond, creating a natural amphitheater beneath the Catalpa tree. Even in 90 degree weather, with the help of a little cloud cover, it is pleasant and restful. While waiting…

Music review: Diamond’s music sparkles

July 12, 2025

by Meg Stafford

Pianist Molly Flannery, long time performer at the Acton Jazz Cafe, hosted a house concert at her Littleton home for Harvey Diamond, her teacher, mentor, and jazz icon, along with New York-based double bassist Cameron Brown, and Cuban-born drummer Francisco Mela. On a sweltering Sunday at the end…

YV Museum concert: fascinating sounds from fantastical instruments

May 31, 2025

by Meg Stafford

It was impossible to know what to expect from the May 18 concert at the YV Museum. The photo alone does not conjure the possibilities of sound and motion that are created by this metal sculpture composed of some recognizable parts (Buddha head, horse shoes, hubcaps, parts of…

Anchor and Pastor Liz Walker writes book, speaks to Friends of the COA

May 10, 2025

by Meg Stafford

Liz Walker, author, pastor, and former Channel 4 TV news anchor, captivated an audience of 85 at the Acton Senior Center on Tuesday, May 6 as she explained her journey from News Anchor to author of No One Left Alone. Dressed in deep purple with a spring green…

Review: Nashoba Valley Chorale considers, “What is This Thing Called Love?”

February 8, 2025

by Meg Stafford

What is this thing called love? In a departure from their usual more classical programming, The Nashoba Valley Chorale (NVC) addressed this iconic question by performing modern madrigals composed by John Rutter in honor of jazz great George Shearing’s birthday, Songs of the Rose by Lauridsen, and a…

Music review: Nashoba Valley Chorale sings Vaughn Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem

November 22, 2024

by Meg Stafford

“Music and the arts are a reflection of our times. Life may seem hopeless and dark, but there is hope for the future. The cacophony of war gives way to the harmony of peace.” These words from Alex Rogers, the president of the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, opened the…

Acton resident helps bring stoves and solar to Maasai people

October 19, 2024

by Meg Stafford

Acton resident Debra Strick first learned about Bob Lange’s ambitious mission to bring new stoves to the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania 14 years ago. A friend had contacted Strick, a marketing, fundraising, and communications professional, to see if she could help Lange get the word out about…

Pond exhibit pairs arts and nature

September 21, 2024

by Meg Stafford

Pairing sculpture with the outdoors is as natural as pairing earth and water, fire and air, or the moon and the stars. And experiencing this delightful adventure at Linda Hoffman and Blase Provitola’s Old Frog Pond Farm in Harvard is a fine example. Now in its 18th year,…

Music feast with Audra McDonald at Groton Hill

September 14, 2024

by Meg Stafford

There are times when a performance is so captivating that the audience is bonded together, and with the performer, by an undeniable gravitational pull. Such was the case as Audra McDonald charmed us on Friday, September 6 at Groton Hill Music. A pro from start to finish, she…

A man with grey hair, beige pants, and a blue t-shirt rests his hand on the top of a large granite sculpture of a dog head, with other granite boulders behind.

Making boulders come to life at the YV Museum

August 30, 2024

by Meg Stafford

The reception for this year’s three-week artist residence sculpting at the enormous stone field at the YV Museum in Acton on August 25 was attended by an enthusiastic 35 people. In its 13th year of the residence where artists select a boulder to carve from the huge boulder…

Meg Stafford

A tail-wagging good time at Acton’s new dog park

Review: Benefit concert for Cuba by Sol y Canto

Review: Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Old Frog Pond Farm in Harvard, MA

Storytelling at Old Frog Pond

Music review: Diamond’s music sparkles

YV Museum concert: fascinating sounds from fantastical instruments

Anchor and Pastor Liz Walker writes book, speaks to Friends of the COA

Review: Nashoba Valley Chorale considers, “What is This Thing Called Love?”

Music review: Nashoba Valley Chorale sings Vaughn Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem

Acton resident helps bring stoves and solar to Maasai people

Pond exhibit pairs arts and nature

Music feast with Audra McDonald at Groton Hill

Making boulders come to life at the YV Museum

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