Special Town Meeting: A Dedication, Then On with the Money Business

A special Town Meeting convening tonight will take up articles seeking additional funding for the Estabrook School building project and access improvements, along with a tax increment financing request from Vistaprint.

It'll start with a dedication, and then they get down to the money business. At 7 p.m. tonight at Cary Memorial Hall, prior to the start of a special Town Meeting, a ceremony will be held for the dedication of the building’s auditorium, to be renamed as Margery Milne Battin Hall. Over the summer, the Board of Selectmen approved the naming of the auditorium after Battin, a former longtime town moderator and role model for women who died less than two weeks after that decision. “I can’t think of anybody in this whole community who has made more of a contribution to the community,” Norm Cohen, a selectman, said at the time. The dedication came after a request from Bill Dailey, another respected resident, who suggested naming the auditorium …

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Lexington Citizens' Acadmey Seeking Fourth Class of Locals

The fourth annual Citizens' Academy starts in mid-September, but you can sign up now to learn about the inner workings of town departments and town government.

The following announcement was provided by the Town Manager's Office. The fourth annual Lexington Citizens’ Academy will begin in mid-September.  The ten-session Academy is specifically designed to familiarize citizens with the departments and services of Town government. Sessions will be held mainly on Tuesday evenings from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Participants will attend interactive workshops led by Town and School staff at their respective facilities. Through presentations, discussions, and visits to Town departments, residents will gain a deeper understanding of how Lexington's Town government operates. In addition, the Academy will promote two-way dialogue between Town staff and residents, and communicate opportunities for public involvement…

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Housing Forum This Thursday

Share your thoughts on all things housing this Thursday evening at Cary Library.

This Thursday, June 21, the Planning Department and Lexington Housing Partnership are teaming up to host a housing forum for community members to come, learn and share their thoughts on all things housing.  The forum will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at Cary Memorial Library. The following is a narrative provided by Aaron Henry, senior planner for the Town of Lexington: In the fall of 2011, at the request of the Housing Partnership, the selectmen provided the authorization to seek grant funding to produce a Housing Production Plan for the town, consistent with the Selectmen’s fiscal 2012 goal to “remain compliant with the 10 percent affordable housing target.” A Housing Production Plan (HPP) includes a comprehensive housing needs assessment, …

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What Would You Want In a Community Center?

The Community Center Task Force is seeking your input in an online survey that closes June 30.

It’s not exactly true that “there’s nothing to do in Lexington,” but that snippet of suburban hyperbole is uttered often enough that an organized conversation around the mythical community center is kicking into high gear.  The Community Center Task Force was charged with determining the town’s appetite for a community center, someplace that would satisfy the social, intellectual and recreational needs of Lexingtonians of all ages. Earlier this month, a survey went live on the town website that seeks input from locals about what they would want in a community center and whether respondents think such a place would bring value to the community. “This is nothing new,” said Laura Hussong, chairwoman of the Community Center Task Force. “…

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Town Meeting Wraps Up -- Until May 9

Monday night had Town Meeting rolling along. Below is a rundown of articles and actions from the seventh night of Lexington's annual Town Meeting.

  Annual Town Meeting worked through most of its remaining business on Monday, April 23,  before adjourning until Wednesday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m. when high interest articles dealing with Wright Farm and the Dana Home hit the floor.  Here's a look at Monday night's action at Cary Hall: Article 4 - Appropriate FY2013 Operating Budget (amendment) Motion: Line item 2210 (payment on funded debt) reconsidered that $4,367,186 be changed to $4,767,186. Vote: Passed unanimously. What it means: $400,000 more will be appropriated into the FY2013 operating budget for payment on funded debt to “ease the taxpayer's debt burden” according to the selectmen. Article 5: Appropriate FY2013 Enterprise Fund Budgets Motion: To approve both the Water and Sewer …

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: April 17

Story times, high school sports and more today in Lexington.

1. It's April Vacation and the Elephant Trunk's Ready: The Elephant's Trunk bookstore in Lexington Center has planned a week's worth of special mid-morning storytimes and fun fairytale crafts during the school vacation week. The first is featuring the Gingerbread Man at 10:30 a.m., today, Tuesday April 17. Tomorrow through Friday will be "The Little Red Hen," "Little Red Riding Hood" and the "Three Little Pigs." 2. Today in High School Sports: School's on vacation, but high school sports aren't. The Lexington High School girls varisty lacrosse squad is in action at 10 a.m. at Arlington High School, followed by girls junior varsity at 11:30 a.m. Boys varsity lacrosse hosts Arlington High at 1 p.m. with junior varisity to follow.  3. Today …

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: April 5

Toastmasters, public meetings, sports and more today in Lexington.

1. Lexington Toastmasters Weekly Meeting: Lexington Toastmasters holds its weekly meeting at 12 p.m. today at Cambridge Savings Bank. The Toastmasters educational program builds communication and leadership skills in a supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Visit the club as often as you'd like until you decide to join. 2. Today in Public Meetings: According to the town website, public meetings posted for today include: The Ad hoc School Transportation & Safety Committee at 9 a.m. at the Town Office Building; the Town Seal Committee at 3 p.m. at the Town Office Building; the Water Sewer Abatement Board at 4:30 p.m. at the DPW Building; the Recreation Committee's Lincoln Park Subcommittee at 4:30 p.m. at the Town Office Building; the …

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VIDEO: Fife and Drums Open Annual Town Meeting

As per the usual, the Lexington Minute Men and the William Diamond Jr. Fife and Drum Corps opened Lexington’s 2012 annual Town Meeting with “Yankee Doodle” and the “Star Spangled Banner.”

Living in Lexington, it's easy to take some things for granted. And among them are the stellar, situationally appropriate musical stylings of the William Diamond Junior Fife and Drum Corps. On Monday, March 26, the Lexington Minute Men led the fife and drum corps into Cary Hall and then the young musicians launched into the "Star Spangled Banner," a prerequisite for one of this country's most basic institutions of democracy: Town Meeting. 

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