Words

One reader’s trash, every reader’s treasure

August 1, 2026

Greg JarboeandMiriam Lezak

If you have ever wondered what happens to a book before it becomes a book, on Saturday, July 25, you could buy your way into that secret at the Silver Unicorn Bookstore. The occasion was the bookstore’s annual ARC Sale. This is one of the most anticipated traditions…

The messy, human story behind “When the Declaration of Independence Was News”

July 11, 2026

by Greg Jarboe

For most of us, the Declaration of Independence exists in two familiar images: the elegant, faded parchment behind glass at the National Archives and John Trumbull’s grand painting of the founders gathered in Independence Hall. Both, it turns out, are a little misleading. And on Thursday, June 25,…

Acton community gathers to celebrate Juneteenth through history, art, and joy

June 27, 2026

by Diane Randolph Jones

Community members gathered on Friday, June 19, for the Town of Acton’s Juneteenth Celebration, a joyful afternoon centered on history, freedom, cultural preservation, and the power of Black art. The celebration was hosted by the Town of Acton’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission (DEIC) in collaboration with Acton…

Acton marks 250th Anniversary with stirring reading of local history play and Declaration of Independence

June 27, 2026

by Stephen Trimble

Eighty residents gathered at the Acton Congregational Church on Sunday, June 14, at 2 p.m. for a dramatic reading commemorating the 250th anniversary of Acton’s pivotal Town Meeting vote for independence from Great Britain — a vote cast on that very date in 1776. The performance, titled “Declaring…

Black and white ink drawing shows of someone's feet, in black shoes, resting on a stuffed-cushion couch, with a crowded counter full of dirty dishes and pots in the rear, under two windows with brushes and little vases of flowers on the window sill.

Acton Exchange Team members kick their feet up

June 27, 2026

by Franny Osman

This coming week, the Acton Exchange Team is taking a break. That doesn’t mean you have to! As you and your family or friends partake in an Independence Day celebration, historic re-enactment, or even a local camp or summer school, please write about it and send a short…

Amity returns to Massachusetts

March 28, 2026

by Larry C. Kerpelman, Ph.D.

When British soldiers evacuated Boston in March 1776, hundreds of Massachusetts Loyalists fled to Nova Scotia or New Brunswick, Canada. With the 1783 Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War, Loyalists who had remained in the states, as well as those who had relocated, found themselves wishing to…

LWV introduces the Margaret Kennedy Social Justice Initiative with discussion of immigration policy

March 7, 2026

by Alissa Nicol

The League of Women Voters Acton Area (LWVAA) hosted a forum on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Acton Town Hall entitled, “Restoring the Promise: Immigration Policy and the Path Forward.” The event was the first one made possible by the Margaret Kennedy Social Justice Initiative Fund, established with a…

Margaret Kennedy Social Justice Initiative Fund inaugural event: “Restoring the Promise”

February 21, 2026

by The Acton Exchange Team

League of Women Voters – Acton Area (the League) has announced the establishment of the Margaret Kennedy Social Justice Initiative Fund in honor of Marge’s passionate commitment to social justice. The multi-year initiative, funded by a generous bequest at her death in December 2022, will continue her commitment…

The trees are speaking

October 4, 2025

by Jodi MacDonald

How much do forests matter? Author and reporter Lynda Mapes was in Acton on September 25 to address this question. Sixty-five attendees joined the author at Town Hall and another 25 listened online as Mapes described her research on the ecology of old-growth forests and all that she…

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…

Acton sixth-grader wins first prize in Letters About Literature competition

June 7, 2025

by Kim Kastens

Sasha Kosmina, a sixth grader from Acton, was the first place winner in the Grade 4-6 category of the Letters About Literature competition. Sasha and the other winners were honored in a ceremony at the Massachusetts State House on May 20. The annual Letters About Literature competition is…

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…

The Spies of 1775: Fascinating Tales of Mystery, Intrigue, and Marital Infidelity

April 12, 2025

by Ron Parenti

The outcome of any military engagement is difficult to predict, and accurate information about the opposition’s manpower, armaments, and troop movements often plays a critical role in achieving victory. The impending battle between the Colonists and the occupying British army in 1775 would be an asymmetric conflict between…

Treasure hunt book includes clues in Acton

January 17, 2025

by Kim Kastens

In the 1980’s, readers became obsessed with a picture book, Masquerade, in which the text and illustrations concealed clues to the location of a golden treasure that the author had hidden somewhere in Great Britain. Masquerade spawned a whole genre of book-based treasure hunts, with clues based in…

Short stories by Joan Leegant featured at Congregation Beth Elohim book discussion

December 7, 2024

by Matthew Liebman

Two unprepared teenagers trapped in a small restaurant in the old city of Jerusalem. A skeptical and unlikely grandfather invited to a Hanukkah party by his daughter. These are the kinds of situations in which Joan Leegant’s sometimes disaffected characters find themselves, in her recently published collection of…

Children’s book illustration exhibit opens at Acton Memorial Library

September 14, 2024

by Kim Kastens

A new exhibit, featuring the work of four local picture book illustrators has opened in the Meeting Room of the Acton Memorial Library. The work, by Priscilla Alpaugh, Chris Beatrice, Sarah Brannen and Ioana Hobai, will be on view throughout September and October. According to the exhibition description…

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…

Boozy book fair brings out a crowd

August 9, 2024

by Miriam Lezak

A hot summer night, beer, themed cocktails, and piles of brand new books… what could be finer? An annual collaboration between True West Brewery and Silver Unicorn Bookstore, both in West Acton, brings a large selection of books and an outdoor bar to the patio in front of…

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 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,…