All Aboard: Local Seniors Sound Off on What Lexpress Means to Them

And, how riding the bus can be good for your health.

  The following was written by Paulette Slattery, an intern with Lexington's Human Services Department and student at Lesley University in Cambridge. Did you know that, according to recent scientific research, social isolation is linked to decreased mental and physical health? Research also indicates that people with accessible and spontaneous transportation are more likely to participate in social and leisure activities. By offering a reliable and accessible transportation system -- Lexpress -- Lexington is providing an invaluable health service as well as a practical necessity to its residents who do not drive. On a recent Friday morning in March, several senior citizens riding Lexpress voiced confirmation of how valuable this service is…

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Explaining Lexington’s Enhanced Senior Property Tax Deferrals

Town Meeting last week voted to increase the income limit for senior tax deferrals.

  By a unanimous vote, Lexington’s annual Town Meeting last Wednesday approved a motion to raise the limit of tax deferment for local seniors to to $65,000, up from the previous level of $60,000.  It was the fourth such increase since a 2008 home rule petition allowed Lexington to raise its local limit from the state’s established maximum. Town Meeting increased the limit from $40,000 to $50,000 in 2009, and to $51,000 and $60,000 before climbing to $65,000 this year. But what do the numbers mean? Basically, Lexington residents aged 65 and older with household incomes of $65,000 or less can defer paying all or part of their property tax or water/sewer bill—letting the value of their home pay the deferred charges at the time of its sale—and…

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Five Things: Transportation Options for Seniors, Meetings and More

A quick look at what you need to see, do and know on Jan. 14 in Lexington.

1. Transportation Options for Seniors in Lexington: At 2 p.m. today at Youville Place and the Human Services Department staff are hosting an informative presentation describing the various types of transportation services available in Lexington for older adults. The new Lex-Connect taxi voucher program will be discussed and any and all transportation-related questions are welcome. RSVP: lisayarin@youvillehouse.org or call 781-761-1335. 2. Today in Public Meetings: According to the town website, public meetings posted for today include the Board of Selectmen at 7 p.m. at the Town Office Building, the Lexington High School Council at 7 p.m. at the high school, the ad hoc Cary Memorial Building Program Committee at 7 p.m. at the Town Office …

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Notes from Youville: Health Benefits Through Volunteering

“Everybody can be great because everybody can serve." —Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Every Tuesday, Youville resident “Mary” volunteers at a local soup kitchen. She and her fellow volunteers spend three hours preparing meals for the homeless. This weekly routine is rich with personal history for Mary. She has made and maintained many close friendships through her volunteer work, some of whom she has worked with for 20 years. Now in her 80s, she still looks forward to seeing her friends at the soup kitchen and making a positive difference in the lives of so many. For Mary, community service is rooted in her church upbringing. She has never thought twice about serving others. In addition to her work in the soup kitchen, she participates regularly in volunteer activities at Youville and elsewhere in the community. She may …

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Town Manager Tuesdays

Town Manager Tuesdays: Tax Relief for Seniors

For this week's column, Town Manager Carl Valente focuses on just one topic – local tax relief for Lexington’s low income and elderly residents.

  A number of years ago the Board of Selectmen created the Tax Deferral and Exemption Study Committee to advise them on options for reducing the tax burden on income restricted residents. That committee and the selectmen have worked hard to expand the range of tax relief choices, in some cases working with our state legislators to obtain special legislation to offer programs not otherwise allowed under state law.The town’s fiscal 2013 recommended budget provides funding for the following tax relief programs: Senior Service Program – Qualified property owners over the age of 60 can work for the Town and receive up to $935 per individual or $1,190 per two-person household toward their property tax bills. Property Tax Deferral-Interest Rate …

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Notes from Youville

Notes from Youville: Food for Thought

Youville Place offers advice on eating your way to a healthier brain.

  Who doesn’t want a healthy brain? According to recent research, we can make our brains healthier by watching what we eat. Like other organs in our body, the brain requires specific nutrients and adequate blood flow, both of which are influenced by diet. By supplying our brains with the right foods, we can improve our mental sharpness and help keep our brains healthy. The battle of the fats A typical brain is made up of 60 percent fat. With this composition, it is one of the fattiest organs in our body. Most of the brain’s fat is comprised of the Omega 3 fatty acid DHA. Our bodies cannot produce DHA or other Omega 3s, so the only way to “feed our brains” is to get these healthy fats from food.    The best source of Omega 3s are freshwater…

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LPD Advice for Avoiding Elder Scams

Tips to protect yourself against becoming a victim.

In light of recent scams targeting elderly residents of Lexington and several surrounding communities, Det. Brian Savage of the Lexington Police Department has provided the following information to help residents avoid becoming victims. Lexington and many surrounding towns have recently been targeted by scam artists preying on the elderly. Recent cases of fraudulent activity in Lexington have cost some residents thousands of dollars. Senior citizens make attractive targets to scam artists for a variety of reasons: Some recent cases we have seen in Lexington include several different varieties of telephone scams, as well as scams involving perpetrators pretending to work for a local utility company (gas company, electric company, tree …

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: July 13

Early birds, ice cream, public meetings and more today in Lexington.

1. Looks like your town govermnent is going strong this summer, Lexington. The Energy Conservaiton Committee, Planning Board, Lexington 300th Anniversary Celebration Committee and Trash and Recycling Collection Task Force are all meeting today.  2. There's an ice cream social at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon at the Senior Center, and local Patch editors will be there to give (and get) the scoop. 3. Ride Studio Cafe tweeted Tuesday about an Worm Ride tomorrow morning. That's as in "the early bird get the worm," or so they say. Anyway, it's a 40ish-mile ride that starts at 6 a.m. and returns to Ride by 8. Here are the details. 4. Looking for something to do this evening? Check out the Picnic at the Movies at Cary Memorial Library, which is …

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Patch Picks

Five Things You Need to Know Today: June 30

Carnival kicks off, fix it shop under repairs and a bit of history.

1. Start your Fourth of July weekend early by stopping by the Lions Club's 55th annual Fourth of July carnival, which kicks off today at 6 p.m. and runs through Monday, July 4. The carnival is held at the Center Receration Complex on Worthen Road.  2. Before the carnival actually opens to the public, Club volunteers welcome students from the LABBB Collaborative, Perkins School for the Blind, Cotting School and the Carroll Center for the Blind. 3. Drop-off and pick-up for the Fix It Shop at the Senior Center is normally held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. today, but the shop's being rewired, so hold off until July 7. 4. On this day in history:  In 1865, eight alleged conspirators in the Lincoln assassination were found guilty; in 1953, the first …

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Week in Review, May 22 to 28

DPW Day, quilts and art on display and splendid discovery.

This week was a busy on in Lexington, beginning with Conservation Commission considerations about pasturing poultry at a neighborhood farm and culminating with a stellar street fair on Discovery Day. On Monday, we told you about Lexington resident Phil Shevrin's road from trauma to triumph as he ran to home base at Fenway Park last weekend. Also Monday, we ran a story on Meadow Mist Farm, a small operation that raises garss-fed beef and seasonal vegetables -- and is seeking authorization to pasture poultry.  And then on Tuesday, Patch attended a Conservation Commission hearing on the matter, which resulted in a continuation of the hearing until June 7.  We had that story on Wednesday. On Thursday, we told you about a fourth-grade class at …

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