It’s “Welcome Back To Reality Week” for Abington parents.
April vacation is over. Trips are now memories. Evenings will now be consumed with spring sports. Lawn mowers are receiving fresh oil and gas. Summer vacation arrives in nine weeks.
In between it all, candidates for town offices are still trying to make connections and rally any additional support they can between now and Election Day, WHICH IS SATURDAY.
Polls will be open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., at the Beaver Brook Elementary School.
The School Committee, Planning Board, and Board of Health each has a contested race. There are plenty of ways to learn more about the candidates.
ABINGTON NEWS WEEKLY QUESTIONS
Abington News has been posing weekly questions for the candidates.
The latest questions, and links to previous ones, can be found here:
ACAM COMMUNITY CHAT INTERVIEWS
In addition, Abington Community Access & Media Executive Director Kevin Tocci has been conducting candidate interviews.
Here are the links:
School Committee
Nicole Emery, Danielle Grafton
Planning Board
Michelle Kearney, Rick Shepherd, John Warner
Board of Health
Aaron Christian, Jaimi Pinola, Katie Vannest
ARTC CANDIDATES’ FORUM
Finally, the Republican Town Committee hosted a candidates’ forum last week. The video can be found here.
That’s a lot of opportunities to learn more about who’s running for office in Abington. If anybody says they don’t know anything about the candidates – well, frankly, they just haven’t looked.
A reminder of what we reported last week: just 350 people in Abington voted in each of the last 3 municipal elections. That’s a little more than 3% of the town’s roughly 10,000 registered and eligible voters.
Yes, we’re all busy. But voting is really important. Again, the polls will be open all day Saturday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the Beaver Brook Elementary School. Go vote!
WAYNE SMITH TO RECEIVE ABINGTON’S BEST AWARD
In case you missed it last week (and judging by page traffic, most of you did) the Abington Board of Selectmen will be honoring outgoing Planning Board Chairman Wayne Smith at their meeting Monday night. Smith did not seek reelection to the board this spring after 49 years. Aside from the Planning Board, Smith is a 53-year member of the Abington Lions Club, including past terms as regional governor, and is involved with the Colonial Road Runners Club and Old Colony YMCA, among other organizations. The Abington’s Best Award is given by the Board of Selectmen to people, groups, and organizations that help make Abington a great town. Past recipients include Fred Villa, the Cox Family, Kevin Tocci, Doug Ulwick, the Rev. Kristy Coburn, Billy Vegnani, the Abington Lions Club, Arky Vaughan, Jane Phillips, and Tom Lind.
ZBA TO DISCUSS 40B PROJECTS
The Zoning Board of Appeals will discuss a pair of 40B projects at its meeting this week. The developers behind a 144-unit, age-restricted affordable housing project off Plymouth Street, want to amend their project to combine the approved two buildings into one and increase the total number of bedrooms from 176 to 216 (the number of units wouldn’t change). Also, the developers proposing a 236-unit affordable housing development next to the MBTA commuter rail station, now want to construct two buildings instead of three (the two buildings originally proposed on the west side of the property would instead be one extra big building). The ZBA meeting starts at 7 p.m. The Summer Street 40B is also scheduled to appear before the Conservation Commission Tuesday.
AMES NOWELL CLEANUP SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY
Fans of Ames Nowell State Park can help spruce it up as part of a scheduled cleanup day on April 30 between 10 a.m. and noon. Cleanup tasks will include beautifying the main entrance and ranger building; removing branches from trails; cutting back brush along the pond shoreline; cleaning out the dam spillway; and trimming overgrowth along waking trails. Volunteers should gather near the park’s main entrance off Linwood Street to receive tasks. Because the state park has many environmentally sensitive areas, volunteers are asked to only perform work in designated areas. All ages are welcome. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own gloves, rakes, and hand shears. No gas-powered equipment is allowed. Anyone with questions can email friendsofamesnowell@gmail.com
MEETINGS
MONDAY
Board of Health, 6 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes announcements from the Health Department, a message from the board chairman, and a review of body art and noise regulations.
Affordable Housing Trust, 6 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes a discussion about the Center School reuse project, CPA funding, collaborating with the Housing Authority, and the proposed 40B projects.
Board of Selectmen, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes the Abington’s Best Award; license transfers involving 259 Brockton Avenue, 930 Bedford Street, and 810 Brockton Avenue; and discussions about the new fire department brush truck, MBTA multi-family zoning regulations, extending outdoor dining regulations, and a request to use Island Grove for a private event.
TUESDAY
Conservation Commission, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes the new Beaver Brook Playground, 75 Dale Street, 44-54 Linwood Street, 154 Brockton Avenue, 0 Summer Street.
School Committee, 7 p.m., M/HS Library. Agenda includes the presentation of an excellence award, and reports from department officials.
WEDNESDAY
Affordable Housing Committee, 7 p.m., via Zoom. Agenda only includes a discussion about the Center School property
THURSDAY
Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes discussions about 40B proposals on Plymouth Street and Summer Street.
SATURDAY
Ames Nowell Master Plan Committee, 10 a.m., Ames Nowell State Park. The group is being to lead a small cleanup of the state park.