Globe West Community briefing

A new way to recycle in Arlington

August 23, 2009

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ARLINGTON

NEW WAY TO RECYCLE - As a way to encourage more people to recycle, the town’s trash-collection company, Waste Management Inc., has begun allowing residents to mingle all of their recyclable discards into a single container, instead of sorting the various categories into separate bins. Residents may now put newspapers, magazines, discarded mail, cardboard, glass, aluminum, and plastic into any container up to a 32-gallon barrel labeled “recycling’’ for collection by 7 a.m. on trash days. The Department of Public Works is no longer providing recycling bins, but will give out stickers that say “recycling’’ to affix to any container. The town hopes the ease of “no sort’’ recycling will increase the amount of material collected by up to 30 percent, which in turn would save the town money. For each ton of trash that’s able to be recycled, the town pockets $64. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, the town produced 4,100 tons of recycled materials, so with just a 10 percent increase in participation this year, the town projects it could save $26,000. - Christina Pazzanese

REGIONAL FLU CLINIC WINS AWARD - The town’s Health Department recently garnered some national recognition for a collaborative program with Cambridge and several surrounding communities to ensure large groups of people are vaccinated in a short period of time. At its annual conference last month, the National Association of County and City Health Officials bestowed its Model Practice Award on the flu-vaccination clinic that Arlington has run each year with Belmont, Brookline, Cambridge, Newton, and Watertown since 2005. In addition to treating thousands of people, the joint clinic provides local health officials an opportunity to evaluate emergency response efforts and to fine-tune communications, plan with other agencies, gather supplies and manage staff levels. The local initiative was one of 23 nationwide singled out by the association. “The award is evidence of our commitment to develop and practice innovative public health plans to address impending public health emergencies,’’ Arlington’s health director, Christine Connolly Sharkey, said in a statement. “As the nation prepares to vaccinate citizens against H1N1 flu in large public clinic settings, we feel that our years of practicing this work will pay off.’’ - Christina Pazzanese

MOVE WILL CLOSE COUNCIL OFFICE - T he town’s new senior center on Beech Street is planning to hold a grand opening celebration the weekend of Sept. 25. The Council on Aging office will be closed the week of Labor Day, Sept. 7-11, during the move to its new location. The center hopes to open for business Sept. 14. For more information about services while the office is closed, call 617-993-2970. - Jennifer Fenn Lefferts

Brookline

NEW HOME FOR CABLE ACCESS - It’s up, up, and away for Brookline Access Television, or so the local cable station hopes. It is moving this month into new studios on the top floor of the Unified Arts Building at the high school. The change “allows us to be more useful for the community,’’ said technical coordinator Joshua Fleetwood, with a heightened (but not sole) focus on teaching video editing and other skills to students. The studios will also be easier to find, after having been headquartered in what “appears to be an abandoned brick building on Route 9,’’ Fleetwood said. The nonprofit organization has been saving up to cover the $1.8 million cost, he said, with the funds drawn from subscriber fees collected by Comcast and RCN, not tax dollars. - Danielle Dreilinger

TAQUERIAS ON THE RISE - Local fans of Mexican food don’t have far to go anymore, with up to three taquerias opening in town this summer. Dorado has opened at JFK Crossing with a chef from Cafe D in Jamaica Plain who is known for his fish tacos. Olecito, known for its shrimp tacos, is expanding from its original Cambridge location to take over the former T-Rex Taco site. El Pelón - ousted from Boston’s Fenway section by a building fire and known for its fish tacos - hopes to open in Washington Square, though owner Jim Hoben wrote in an e-mail that lease negotiations are “in a bit of a stalemate.’’ If those plans proceed, he would keep the location even after reopening in the Fenway. But it’s not all positive news on the burrito and taco front: chain operation Qdoba Mexican Grill recently closed its Coolidge Corner location. -Danielle Dreilinger

Lexington

PREVIEW OF BURNS DOCUMENTARY - The public can get a taste of a new six-part documentary by Ken Burns on the national park system before it airs on Public Broadcasting Service stations starting on Sept. 27. Nearly a decade in the making, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea’’ features some of the most extensive images of the parks ever captured on film. The preview - which will feature behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, and commentary by Burns, but not the entire documentary - is sponsored by the Friends of Minute Man National Park, a member-based organization that supports the local park with education, advocacy, soliciting volunteers, and fund-raising. Free showings are planned for 6 p.m. Thursday and Sept. 10 at the Minute Man Visitor Center on Route 2A - Connie Paige

NEEDHAM

HOUSEHOLDS TAKE ENERGY CHALLENGE - More than 450 local households have taken the 10 Percent Energy Challenge, according to this month’s newsletter from Green Needham Collaborative, which launched the initiative. The challenge provides an online form, at www.challenge.greenneedham.org, offering specific instructions on how households can reduce energy consumption. The form takes users through simple questions to help them figure out how to cut their carbon dioxide output by at least 10 percent. - Lisa Kocian

Newton

INDIGO WITHDRAWS APPLICATION - After community members expressed concerns over the noise levels from the poolside of Hotel Indigo in Newton Lower Falls, the Grove Street hotel decided last week to withdraw its application for a weekday outdoor entertainment license, stating there is still work to be done on the application and with neighborhood relations. Tarry Hrovatin, general manager of the boutique hotel, had presented the application to the city’s Licensing Commission during a public hearing Tuesday night. The application was seeking permission for playing recorded music and seven televisions in the pool area between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. - Caitlin Castello

WALTHAM

BENTLEY, CITY YEAR PARTNERSHIP - Bentley University has launched a partnership with City Year to encourage students to give a year of service as tutors or mentors to young children around the country. Three Bentley students were chosen this month to receive a $20,000 scholarship for their commitment to the program, according to an announcement by the university. City Year, which is based in Boston and has 19 locations in the United States and one in South Africa, is part of the federal AmeriCorps program; more information can be found online at www.cityyear.org. - Lisa Kocian

WATERTOWN

SEEKING FUNDS FOR FIREFIGHTERS - In an effort to shore up staffing and ease the budget crisis, Fire Chief Mario Orangio said, his department is seeking about $375,000 in grant money from the state. Earlier this month, Governor Deval Patrick announced that $20 million in federal stimulus funds would be made available to help fire departments across Massachusetts retain and rehire laid-off firefighters. A total of 112 firefighters in 12 local communities have been laid off, an Aug. 6 announcement from the governor’s office said. Communities had until the end of last week to apply for the money. Though Watertown was able to narrowly avoid laying off four active firefighters this summer when the union agreed to reduce shift coverage minimums in order to save on overtime costs, the town still eliminated funding for two firefighter positions left vacant due to retirements, Orangio said. With the Fire Department in the third straight year of staff cuts, Orangio said, he hopes to restore those jobs, raising the base staffing level from 16 to 17 firefighters per shift. Orangio said he expects to learn whether Watertown will get funds by early October. If successful, the money would be available to the town by Nov. 15 and good for one year, he said. - Christina Pazzanese

WESTON

MEMORIAL POOL STAYING OPEN - Unlike many state-run swimming pools that have already shut down for the summer because of staffing shortages, Memorial Pool will be staying open until after the Labor Day weekend. The outdoor pool had been scheduled to close today in anticipation that many of the college and high school students who work there would have to quit to return to class, said Sharon Locke, assistant director of the town’s Recreation Department. But the town was able to find staffers who agreed to stay on an extra week, she said, so the pool will remain open from noon to 6:30 p.m. daily through next Sunday. It will then close from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4, because not enough staffers can work, said Locke, but then reopen on Sept. 5 and operate for its normal hours through Sept. 7. - Christina Pazzanese

Around the region

BEDFORD

MIDDLESEX OFFERS GREEN COURSES - New this fall at Middlesex Community College are eight noncredit courses in green energy and energy efficiency. The courses, which include such topics as environmental management systems, energy audits, building design and construction preparations and solar thermal systems, provide a way for people working in building and design fields or those wishing to enter the emerging fields of energy and environmental efficiency to build up their credentials, according to an announcement by the school. For more details, go to www.middlesex.mass.edu or call 781-280-3669. - Nancy Shohet West

LINCOLN

VETERANS PICNIC - Hanscom Air Force Base is hosting a veterans picnic Saturday starting at 10 a.m. on the base’s softball fields. There will be food, drinks, athletic events, games, and entertainment. Transportation can be provided if there is enough need. Contact Priscilla Leach at 781-259-4472 to arrange a ride or to obtain more details. - John M. Guilfoil