Community - Page 3

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, Simon Rakov. His daughter, Maddy, is a Make-a-Wish recipient who contracted lymphoma as a high school freshman and endured six months of chemotherapy. She is now a junior, and a Wish Ambassador. Fascinated with space travel, Maddy’s wish was to see the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Los Angeles. The foundation sent her…

Student employee appreciated by Idylwilde Farm

February 7, 2026

by Nancy Knoblock Hunton

Sarah Keefe, a native of Acton and 2023 ABRHS graduate, is a familiar face to customers at Idylwilde Farm. She began working part-time at age 16 as a cashier at the upscale farm market. Getting a job there, her parents had suggested, would be good practice for 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…

It’s election season in Acton. What you need to know.

January 31, 2026

by Miriam Lezak

While the snow covers the ground, daffodils and democracy are both doing the work they need in order to bloom this spring. Acton voters elect several people every spring to help run the town, the schools, and the Water District. The following offices are open this year. As…

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The logic and contention behind elementary school reorganization

January 31, 2026

by Diane Baum

“We have exceptional schools and have been recognized for our education, but the reality, at least for the four years that I’ve been on this committee, is that we have yet to provide level services. We have made so many cuts and so many difficult choices. I just…

New podcast series: “Our Tax Dollars at Work”

January 31, 2026

by Sahana Purohit

This past weekend, Acton faced a massive nor’easter, dumping a foot or more of snow across streets and sidewalks. Residents dug out driveways, cleared roads, and watched as town crews worked to keep the town moving. The recent storm was a reminder that in an emergency, every minute…

Acton area clergy join faith leaders demanding Governor Healey protect immigrants

January 31, 2026

by Bob Van Meter

It is not often that the keynote speaker at Acton’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast delivers a message that connects for his audience and so immediately to the issues facing Massachusetts and the country. On Monday January 19th, William Dickerson II known as Brother Will, co-executive director…

The Bulletin Board: January 31, 2026

January 31, 2026

by The Acton Exchange Team

What’s happening today in Acton? Tomorrow? —––––––––> See the Calendar. <–––––––––– Reminder to readers: Our front page can’t hold all the news. To see all of this week’s new articles, go to the All News page. The Acton Exchange Bulletin Board is for volunteer opportunities and other announcements…

Umbrella Art Center showcases Marsha Wilcox’s astroimages in new and imaginative ways

January 31, 2026

by Kim Kastens

On the cold dark evening of January 28, a capacity crowd filled the main gallery of the Umbrella Arts Center (the Umbrella) in Concord for the opening of the Ancient Light exhibit, featuring the work of Acton astroimager Marsha Wilcox. As readers may recall from Wilcox’s exhibit at…

Obituary: Paul Alfred Turner

January 31, 2026

by Family

Paul Alfred Turner passed away unexpectedly on January 13, 2026 in Acton, Mass. He was 68 years old. Paul was born in Boston on May 1, 1957 to Donald Frank Turner and Joan Pearson Turner. He spent most of his early years in Lexington, graduating from Curry College…

Actonians protest Citizens Bank for funding ICE prisons

January 31, 2026

by Andy Platt

Nineteen Acton and area activists stood out in 8 degree weather in front of the Citizens Bank on Rte 2A on Jan. 24 to protest Citizens Bank funding for building and operation of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) prisons. The standout was part of a coordinated, simultaneous…

Looking for Acton snow day pictures

January 31, 2026

by The Acton Exchange Team

Acton, along with much of the rest of the country, was hit with an old-fashioned winter storm that left almost two feet of fluffy white stuff in its wake. Because of the bitter single-digit temperatures, not too many people were out. However, a few hardy souls braved the…

Obituary: Janis Ossmann

January 27, 2026

by Family

Janis Louise Bestul Ossmann of Acton, Massachusetts died peacefully on January 23, 2026 following a year-long battle with cancer. She was 71 years old. Janis Louise Bestul was born in Washington, D.C. on June 15, 1954 to Alden Bestul, a scientist at the National Bureau of standards (now…

William Harlan Dickerson II speaks at 24th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast in Acton

January 24, 2026

by Bob Van Meter

On Monday, January 19, more than one hundred thirty people gathered on a bright snowy morning at Congregation Beth Elohim (CBE) in Acton for the 24th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast to honor the memory of Dr. King. Twenty or thirty more audience members watched on…

School Committee votes to transition to a grade-banded model this fall, ending open enrollment

January 24, 2026

by The Acton Exchange Team

At an emotion-laden meeting of the Acton Boxborough Regional School Committee on January 22, a decision-making process that began in May 2025, known as AB Forward, reached its conclusion. Over many months, and utilizing a structured process which prioritized community input and engaged a 19-member Steering Committee to…

Miss Sherlock brings mystery with a twist to Acton

January 24, 2026

by Grace Blaufuss

Theater III’s dress rehearsal of Miss Holmes showed great promise for the upcoming production. Despite the expected level of technical issues being ironed out, the actors powered through and delivered without any interruptions. Their feat is all the more impressive considering the complexity of the show. Sherlock Holmes…

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…

The Bulletin Board: January 24, 2026

January 24, 2026

by The Acton Exchange Team

What’s happening today in Acton? Tomorrow? —––––––––> See the Calendar. <–––––––––– Reminder to readers: Our front page can’t hold all the news. To see all of this week’s new articles, go to the All News page. The Acton Exchange Bulletin Board is for volunteer opportunities and other announcements…

Acton’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission announces co-chairs

January 24, 2026

by The Acton Exchange Team

The Town of Acton Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission (DEIC, the Commission) is pleased to announce that Melissa Kaplan Morse and Suravi Bhatia will serve as co-chairs of the Commission. Both are dedicated volunteers who bring valuable and thoughtful experience, passion, and leadership to advancing diversity, equity, and…

Obituary: Marvin D. Pope

January 24, 2026

by Family

Marvin Delford Pope of Acton, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, January 9, 2026, at the age of 93. Marvin was born in 1932 in Hill City, Minnesota, during the Great Depression. The son of Kenneth Frances Pope and Azalba Merle Stengel Pope, he grew up…

Coffee, clocks, and community choices: What Acton learned at “Java with John”

January 24, 2026

by Greg Jarboe

On a cold January morning at the Acton Senior Center, the coffee was hot, the conversation was candid, and the stakes, while not revolutionary, were unmistakably civic. “Java with John,” now in its eighth year, has become one of those small but telling rituals of local democracy. Town…

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