Maynard, MA - It's a 200 mile trip to see a Broadway show in New York City, but why bother traveling all that way when you can see a fully staged musical, complete with live orchestra, right here in Maynard?  And, compared to New York, ticket prices here are a real bargain!
This weekend Maynard High School is hosting the musical "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," a production the town has been waiting five years to see.  Back in the spring of 2020, the entire show was ready to go on, when it had to be postponed indefinitely, only 36 hours before curtain time.  The pandemic had suddenly hit and gathering an audience was just too risky.

Tickets can be purchased online at a dedicated web site for the show, here:
https://cur8.com/40268/project/129267 or at the door.  Those familiar with the production recommend reserving seats as soon as possible, as previous shows at MHS have tended to sell out. Maynard's town government web site has a page that displays the flyer for the show:  https://tinyurl.com/TWMLink09
(Parents should note that the production may not be suitable for young children.  The 1988 film on which the musical is based was rated PG-13.  Although there is no formal rating system for live musical shows, think of the upcoming performance as if it was also rated PG-13 as it contains some adult language and situations.)

For those wishing for more live stage entertainment, you won't have to wait long.  The Fowler Middle School's spring musical, "Mean Girls, Jr. - Let's Do This Thing!" is planned to go on stage two weeks later.  Shows are scheduled for Friday, March 21st, at 7 PM, and Saturday, March 22nd, at both 1 PM and 6 PM.  According to Michelle Travers, the faculty member who is overseeing the production, tickets will be available at the door: $5.00 for adults and $3.00 students and seniors. "We can accept cash or check made out to Fowler School," she told me.  The show will be presented in the Fowler School Auditorium, located at 3 Tiger Drive.

This resurgence in live performance is partly thanks to a newly formed non-profit group in town, The Maynard Theater Association.  The organization was founded in the Fall of 2024 by a group of residents who wanted to support and grow theater arts in Maynard, in both the high school and the middle school, as well as in the town at large. 
The group hopes to provide educational opportunities in theater arts, such as workshops on technique, vocal quality, and theater expression, as well as stagecraft skills such as scenery design and construction, managing props, lighting, and sound operations.
The basic costs of mounting a show are still borne by the school department, including theater upkeep, lighting and sound infrastructure, costumes and scenery, as well as licensing agreements for the scripts and music scores.

Years ago, there was a large theater program in the schools, according to Laurel Mauroy, one of the Founding Members of the new organization.  She remembers that Bonnie Wilson was a very active parent volunteer back then.  Bonnie's husband, Glen, was also involved, focusing on building stage scenery and fundraising.
Back in 2020, Ariane Mauroy (Laurel's daughter) was a senior at MHS and was cast as one of the lead actors in the show at that time.  She told me how sad everyone was to have to cancel the production that year.  After graduating from MHS, she spent some time away at college, but has now returned in a new role, that of director for the current show.  Kevin Murphy, who was originally music director for the show back in 2020, has also returned in his same role, for the current run.

The Maynard Theater Association was able to get started with a grant from the Maynard Cultural Council.  Now, the group is hoping to raise funds from donations from businesses, families, and others who wish to support the theater arts.  Anyone wishing to contribute can go to their donation web site, https://app.teamfi.works/donate/b22a38f282a5 or send a check made out to "Maynard Theater Association" c/o MHS, 1 Tiger Drive, Maynard, MA 01754. As the founders have registered the group as a 501 (c) (3) organization, contributions are tax deductible.
In addition, the Assabet Co-op Market has a option where customers can contribute by rounding up to the next dollar when paying at the register, with proceeds to benefit the organization.  That will run through until the end of March.

It's true that this news story is largely promotional, not just a report.  Chalk that up to my love of dramatic arts as well as my growing sense of connection to this town, even though I've only lived here since the Fall of 2019.
One of the things that makes Maynard a great place to live is the spirit of the people who live here.  See something that's needed?  Well, then people pitch in and get to work answering that need.  It doesn't always work out, of course, but I'm continually amazed by the amount of volunteer work that people put in to make Maynard the special place it is.
In today's world, we are flooded with entertainment from far away, be it from traditional media, such as magazines, radio, and TV, to today's online streaming and gaming options.  When big organizations create the entertainment that we "consume" then they reap the funds we pay for it.  The money leaves town and seldom returns.
So, how refreshing it is to see that we can get together to support and enjoy our own home grown entertainment, right here in town.

As a person who has been largely self taught throughout life, I'm always heartened to see opportunities for learning that extend beyond traditional classroom instruction.
When you think about it, putting on a musical involves learning a great variety of skills, gaining knowledge, and finding some wisdom in the enterprise as a whole.  People of all ages can participate in making group decisions, managing finances, along with learning set and costume design, construction, painting, makeup, props, lighting and sound technology, interacting with the public through publicity, ticket sales, ushering and seating, and public speaking, all along with the essential elements of the main event, including directing, acting, singing, and dancing.  There are even themes of literature and history related to most of the stories told through theater performances.  All of this is part of an integrated experience, rather than separated out into individual academic disciplines, and that is just the way I like it.
When the curtain closes after the last scene, and then opens again for everyone involved to take their bows, there is that special feeling one gets, standing there to receive the enthusiastic applause.

The budget includes both the costs of running the town for the next fiscal year, as well as an estimate of the taxes and other revenue that will be needed to pay for it all. 

I arrived just after 10 AM, right as the meeting paused for a short break.  From what I was told by those who had been there from the start, the general message was that state revenues were expected to be steady, but that expenses for the town were rising faster than income, the lion's share of which comes from property taxes.  The Town Administrator and the Superintendent of Schools had both presented their draft budgets.

Details on which I based the above table are from last year's Joint Budget Review meeting which is available on the town's web site:  https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/250, and from the Town Meeting Warrant from the Spring of 2024, Article 6, starting on page 11: www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2921/Annual-Town-Meeting-Warrant

For those who really want to dig into the details of how the town works, I suggest you try the Annual Report.  State law requires every town to produce one, every year.  The latest one compiled here in Maynard is for calendar year 2023 (the 2024 report is being prepared now and will be available before Town Meeting in May).  The link to the 2023 Annual Report is here: https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/261

The latest issue of the Maynard Advantage Newsletter (published by the Maynard Marketing Task Force, an independent non-government group) contains more details about the meeting just held, along with breakdowns of the dollar amounts discussed, and links to the presentations made by the Town Administrator and the School Department.  The link to their latest newsletter is: https://maynardadvantage.com/the-maynard-advantage-february-2025-vol-19/

There was serious concern expressed by those at the meeting regarding the financial impact on residents of the town, not just because of rising property taxes, but also increases in water & sewer rates, trash stickers, and the prospect of adding a new storm water fee.  Payments on the debt, to be incurred for building the new Green Meadow Elementary School, have yet to have an impact property tax bills, but they will soon.
The Finance Committee often calculates the amount of tax increases on the average single family home in town, but that does not reflect the situation many home owners find themselves in, based on their income.  Some residents on a fixed income cannot afford to pay significantly more in taxes, even though their home may be worth significantly more than it was when they first bought it, perhaps decades ago.
One participant acknowledged that while the average income in Maynard has gone up, people at the lower end of the income scale, such as those on Social Security, are not seeing enough increases in their income to keep up.  He was concerned that some long term residents of the town would be "priced out" of living here and thus be forced to move.  At the same time, many of those same residents have waited for years for the town's senior center to be relocated to a more suitable facility.

There was some discussion about more completely separating income and expenses for both water and trash pickup, using a dedicated account for each, known as an "Enterprise Fund."  The idea is that residents have some control over how much water they use or trash they put out for collection, so they may be able to reduce their costs.
But even with such a change, there would still not likely be enough revenue to cover all the anticipated expenses.  One possibility would be an "operating override" - a voter approved tax increase, just to provide more funds for regular expenses.  This is different from the more common "capital override" where taxes are raised to borrow money in order to build or renovate buildings or other major physical infrastructure.

The questions on many people's minds are likely to be: Why does it cost so much to run the town?  And why were those at the meeting worried?
From what I sensed at the meeting, board members and public officials are very sensitive to the impact of increasing taxes and costs for residents. At the same time, trying to keep costs down has become more and more challenging over just the past few years.  Some of the factors that contribute are:

• Costs of equipment, materials, labor, and benefits are all going up, as they are for all of us.
• The limit on property tax increases (2 1/2 % per year), is set by state law.
• Opportunities to increase the tax base (new construction or property improvements) are very limited.
• New requirements by the state and federal governments for things such as water quality, wastewater treatment, police and fire procedures and training, school curricula and additional student services, etc. require that the town adapt, often increasing costs.
• Unpredictable policy changes at the federal level mean that funding sources may soon be unreliable.

The limit on new construction is not only due to a lack of available land, but also based on our limited water resources.  Maynard has its own water system; it is not part of the MWRA.  (Connecting up to the MWRA has been discussed in the past, but the cost would be significant and require a multi year construction effort).  Constructing and maintaining a water system is extremely expensive and requires extensive long term planning and financing.  And yet, water is one of the most important things the town provides.  Without water that meets current health standards, there would be no town.

Even though Maynard is not that big a town (under 11,000 residents, living in approximately 3 square miles), it must provide most of the functions and services that larger towns do, but on a much smaller income.
Some residents may be wondering why we don't work harder to keep salary increases to a minimum when negotiating union and employee contracts.  I can see three reasons why such an effort can come back to haunt us.  That's because Maynard doesn't exist in a vacuum; we must consider factors beyond our control.
First, there is a trade-off between paying lower salaries and employee turn-over.  Unless we keep our salaries somewhat commensurate with what other towns pay, we run the risk of employees jumping ship for a better pay package elsewhere.  When that happens, we actually lose out by having to spend time (and money) as we search for, hire, and integrate replacement staff.  Some positions in town require an understanding of long term plans and projects.  When experienced managers leave, that experience leaves with them.  A new hire will likely take significant time to properly grasp the complexity of many of these projects.
Second, our employees have to live somewhere. They are subject to the same increase in the cost of living, including the high cost of housing in this area.  If we don't pay a reasonable wage, then they will likely be squeezed between a modest salary and the increasing costs of living nearby and end up moving to too far away to continue working here.
Third, with Maynard as small as it is, employees and especially managers often have to wear multiple hats, and frequently work longer than 35 or 40 hours per week, just to get tasks completed.

So, our true challenge is to find a balance between these factors and our financial resources.  This is significant because much of the cost of running the town is in wages and salaries.  The town is essentially in the service business.

During the budget process, Maynard, like most towns in the area, typically has looked back at previous years and attempted to make minor increases or decreases, based on past budgets.  But recently, the job has become a lot harder.  I say that because we are now in a time of very rapid, profound, and unpredictable change.  It's much harder to plan for what we will face next year based only on our history over the past few years.  Think of it this way: Instead of driving gradually up hill on a highway, we're likely in for more of a real roller coaster ride.

Fortunately, there's an opportunity to find out why this is happening and what we can do about it, right here in Maynard.  Tomorrow evening (well, this evening, by the time you are likely to be reading this), you can step into the Maynard Public Library at 7:00 PM and see a free presentation to fill you in on the big picture. (I was going to say "to bring the whole issue to light," but I can just hear the groans now.)

Here are the links for the web pages described above, in case you need to enter them by hand:
https://maynardpubliclibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/dark-skies/
https://www.greenmaynard.org/post/dark-skies-initiative

Darkness is often used as a metaphor for trepidation, danger, or ignorance.  The wilderness at night has historically been experienced as a dangerous place.  Our human eyes are better suited for daylight.  So historically, we came to fear the dark, understandably.  We use the words "I see," a reference to our visual sense, to mean "I understand."  Metaphors like this, referring to darkness and light, have flooded our language.  The Star Wars movie franchise introduced the term "The Dark Side" into everyday language to mean evil intent.  Alas.

Even we humans need the night for sleep, which research has well established as being necessary for good health.  Researchers in astronomy need the dark of night to better scan the heavens with their telescopes and instruments without the sun’s energy interfering.

In the years since, by deploying electric light sources both indoors and outside we have had a great impact on the darkness of night.  The effect has been dramatic, disrupting the many aspects of night mentioned above.  For just one example, many people have lost sleep because of light shining into their windows from a neighbor’s house or a nearby parking lot that stays lit all night long.

Despite all this, it’s possible, indeed practical, to alleviate all this “light pollution” simply by considering how to properly control light when planning to install or replace light fixtures.  We don’t have to give up safety or other benefits of artificial light if we stop to consider light pollution ahead of time.  There are plenty of light fixtures and equipment to direct all light toward the ground (where we need it) and limit how much is radiated out into the sky and surroundings, where we don’t need it.  We stand to save significant amounts of energy, as we don’t need the power to produce all that wasted light.

I have often heard the term "America's Energy Needs" and how they are ever expanding, so we have to continue to exploit nature for the resources to generate ever more power.  But here we have a chance to work in harmony with nature, through conservation, without the need for more exploitation.  Any sacrifice we might have to make is small in comparison.  In general, it's a win-win.

However, installing loops is costly and they often fail to work reliably.  The wire in the coil can be broken by construction in the street or by "drift" of the asphalt when it softens and deforms under heavy traffic in the hot summer months.  In the past few years, some loops have been redesigned to detect bicycles, but with mixed results.  A bicycle with a carbon fiber frame, for example, cannot be detected by the "metal detector" technology used.

Back in mid September, when all the sidewalks, paving, and other ground work was completed, the Select Board voted to close the one-way section of Acton Street and enlarge Haynes Park to cover the area.  The contractor got to work right away, as their equipment and personnel were still on site and available at that time.  Unfortunately, this meant that a convenient bypass for drivers to avoid the dreaded intersection was closed off, long before the new signals could be installed, making driving in the area even more difficult than before.

There are two questions to answer here:  Where did the money come from to do the work, and why close that section of Acton Street, in the first place?

The amount of money available wasn't known until work was finished on the main intersection project.  Since the contractor was able to finish all the paving, underground conduits, equipment foundations, etc., without significant weather delays or cost overruns, there was enough funding left over to implement this additional work, known in the world of engineering projects as a "change order."

The problems with Acton Street stem from where Haynes Street forks off to the right, just north of the Cumberland Farms store, and also from where the end of Maple Court merges with it, near Concord Street (indicated by the thin red arrow in the map shown below).
Well over 150 years ago, when Haynes, Brown, and Acton Streets were laid out, traffic consisted of a few horse drawn vehicles, so it was far easier to avoid collisions!  Now, traffic volume is many times greater, speeds are much higher, vehicles are much heavier, and yet human reaction times have not changed all  that much.  The danger all this presents has become quite serious. (For details, please see my previous story "Collision Course")

I stopped at the stop sign, only to have a driver come flying around the corner from Concord Street to head down Acton Street, right in front of me.  If I had proceeded a moment later, we might have had a head-on collision!

Many drivers just rolled right through the first stop sign, then stopped at the second one. There, they had to turn their heads almost all the way around backwards to the left, to look for gaps in traffic coming down Haynes street, before being able to go.  I once saw a mail truck turn almost perpendicular to the roadway, just so the driver could look back up Haynes Street.

Here are three images based on what users of the rail trail encountered, one from before Acton Street was removed, one from the same direction after that, and a third showing what they would see, coming the other way, headed south.

Clearly, I have again gone into some detail on this story.  I do that for two reasons.  First, because I consider myself partly an "non-institutionalized" teacher.  Although I went all the way through public school and later graduated from college, I am actually largely self-taught, and I like to provide learning resources for everyone, regardless of age,  socioeconomic status, or how much they are taking charge of their own learning process throughout life.  The internet has its drawbacks, but as a resource for learning, it's an amazing development, in my opinion, way beyond the World Book Encyclopedia I grew up with.  I'm glad to be able to contribute, as well as benefit from all this.

The second reason has to do with my appreciation of the level of detail that our local town government officials and employees, along with the various contractors and suppliers they deal with, have to live with every day.  Most of us have little idea of what it really takes to run a town, and that's understandable - today's world has a lot more going on to demand our attention!  We go to work, raise families, and maintain our homes as best we can.  Sometimes, there is little time for much else.

I have often heard people mention the high property tax rate we have here in Maynard.  I knew about the tax rate back while I was still considering whether or not to move here (in 2019).  I decided to move here anyway.  I knew this was a true town, with a real town feeling, plenty of volunteer work going on, and so forth.

I realize that Maynard is small, both in population (under 11,000), and land area (about 5 square miles, although it's more like 3 square miles when you subtract the area occupied by the Wildlife Refuge).  And yet, town government must provide many of the services that most larger cities and towns have to provide.  Much of what town government does is mandated by both federal and state laws, including maintaining the roads, providing water, treating the wastewater, collecting the trash, maintaining a library, police department, fire and emergency departments, and keep zoning laws up to date to respond to changing conditions.

This story is about one intersection in town, and yet it has only scratched the surface into what had to be done to complete the resulting project.

I'm not saying that every single penny is always efficiently spent; every organization could use some improvement.  But what I am saying is that, from what I can tell, the people who work for the town are dedicated folks, doing their best to keep our town running as efficiently as possible.  The tax rate we live with comes with the territory - a small town with limited property tax revenue has to work hard to balance its budget.  Yes, there may be disagreements at times, but overall, I hope that we can all work together to forge the compromises needed to go forward.

The charger, installed recently, offers both CCS and CHAdeMO connectors, and is the first one in town to provide these options.  It was installed by agreement between the town and ChargePoint.  Drivers can use it with either an app on their smartphone (downloaded from ChargePoint) or with a credit card.

I used this charger for the first time on Saturday.  I was glad to see it installed because the Nissan Leaf I drive uses a CHAdeMO connector for fast DC charging, but this type of connector is somewhat more rare than the more common CCS and Tesla (NACS) chargers currently available around the country (see "Background" section of this story, below).

Normally, I charge at home, using the Level 1 setup shown in the photo below, (in the "Background" section).  Since I typically drive short distances, that is usually all I need.  As we have solar panels on our roof, I can often avoid using fossil fuels. This is possible when the sun is shining and we are producing more electricity than we otherwise need in the house.
Occasionally, my car's battery is depleted, perhaps due to taking unexpected trips. When that happens, I want to charge up much more quickly than I can at home.  Up until now, I had to drive two or three towns away to find a Level 3 charger that is compatible with my car.

Level 2 means charging a vehicle a from a dedicated 240 Volt outlet or charger unit, wired directly into the electric service panel in your house (not shown here).  This type of circuit is similar to one that might serve an electric dryer or stove at home.  Not only is the voltage twice as high, such circuits are often wired to provide three or more times the current (amps) compared to Level 1, so you can charge a vehicle in less than half the time.

There is a Wikipedia article describing the NACS standard here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Charging_System

Level 3 is a different story.  There are three different standards: CHAdeMO, Tesla (NACS), and CCS.  Why?  The main reason is that when something is very new, it's hard to develop standards because the technology keeps changing so fast.  The three standards evolved at different times as electric vehicles were being developed.
In 2008, Tesla introduced its first car, the "Roadster" and created its own proprietary network of chargers, so that owners of their cars could drive long distances and have a network of charging stations to use along the way.  The company didn't introduce its lower priced Model S until 2012.
In 2010, The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) in Japan formed a consortium of auto manufacturers (Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Subaru) to standardize the CHAdeMO standard.  Nissan began producing the Leaf in 2010 and it became the largest selling electric car in the world soon after.
Meanwhile, other US and European automakers were not as aggressively developing electric vehicles. In the US, the "big 3" Detroit automakers were pursuing mid and full sized pickup trucks and truck based SUVs.  There were many reasons for this, including existing industrial infrastructure, market demand, a strong fossil fuel industry, and a traditional reliance on personal vehicles for transportation when compared to other countries.

Battery electric vehicles have a slightly shorter range in the colder months because the battery chemistry is not as efficient as when it's warm.  Gasoline or diesel powered vehicles also experience lower fuel efficiency in the cold months, perhaps anywhere from 4 to 8 miles per gallon less.  Most drivers don't pay much attention; they just have to fill up a bit more often when it's cold out.
Running the heat in a battery electric car also reduces the range somewhat.  Internal combustion engines give off a lot of waste heat, so running the heater is "free" because it uses some of that waste heat that would otherwise be dissipated by the car's radiator.  However, they must use extra fuel to "warm up" after starting in the cold.  On the other hand, electric vehicle drivers can get going without any warm up.

nTo me, the Nissan Leaf is the best car I have ever owned.  I will never go back to driving an internal combustion car on a regular basis.  The car is quieter, the ride is smoother, there is almost no vibration (except for road imperfections), and there is plenty of power, such as when needed to accelerate from a ramp onto the highway. There are none of the odors or fumes that non electric cars produce, which is better for my health as well as the health of the planet.  The car needs almost no maintenance, as it has many fewer parts. There are no oil changes, spark plugs, fuel filters, or muffler pipes to rust out.
Yes, I have to pay attention to when and how to charge the battery, but for me, it's well worth it.  I enjoy the experience of driving a small car, and seldom need the capacity of a larger vehicle.  I also seldom need to drive long distances, so I'm happy with the range I have (240 miles).
If I want to travel farther, then I have some choices: I can use the apps on my phone to find suitable chargers and perhaps stop for a meal during a charging session.  Or I can rent a hybrid vehicle for the trip and leave my Leaf at home.
One of the reasons I chose to live in Maynard was the downtown area and how "walkable" it is.  This allows me to save even more energy by leaving my car at home when I go to the Post Office, Town Hall, or local shops and restaurants.

I know the sales of electric vehicles have outpaced the roll out of "charging infrastructure," but I'm willing to be patient because I know things will eventually catch up. I know many people cannot afford a new electric car, so I consider myself lucky to have been able to.  However, I expect that the market for used electric cars will improve soon, bringing the cost down for more people.
I am confident that we will continue to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.  My goal is to learn to live more and more in harmony with nature on this planet, largely through conservation and gradual lifestyle changes.  I know I have a lot to learn but I'm dedicated to pursuing that goal throughout the rest of my life.

Maynard, MA - Shoppers in town have gained a new bookstore to browse in, but are losing a grocery store, just over the border in nearby Acton.  The bookstore, Felixology, opened their new store in downtown Maynard just last week.  Meanwhile Stop & Shop is closing it's current location at 100 Powder Mill Road at the end of business on Thursday, December 12th.  The company is opening a new store, just up Route 27 at Kelly's corner, the following day (see further details, below).

The store is named for Elizabeth's son, Felix, who passed away from cancer in 2018, at age 29.  There are some details on the store's web site, http://felixology.com  (Note: the site does not yet seem to have an SSL certificate, so some web browsers may issue a warning to users when attempting to load it on their devices.)

The new store is located at Kelly's Corner, also in Acton, replacing the K-Mart that closed there a few years ago. Kelly's Corner is the junction of Main Street (Route 27) and Massachusetts Avenue (Route 111), where construction on the intersection is ongoing, in order to provide new lanes of traffic flow.  The location is just down the road from the Roche Bros. store. The new store is significantly larger than the existing location and is set to carry a wider variety of products.
The Acton Exchange, Acton's on-line news feed, published a story about the new store back in November:
https://www.actonexchange.org/news-brief-stop-and-shop-opening-nears/
Although technically not within Maynard's borders, the existing Stop & Shop location has been a convenient stop for many Maynard residents traveling along Powder Mill Road, as they drove to and from Route 2 in Concord.  There are only two full service grocery stores within Maynard's town limits, Market Basket, at Maynard Crossing, and the Assabet Co-op Market, at 84 Powder Mill Road.

(Full Disclosure:  I am a member of the Assabet Co-op Market, and the bookstore has agreed to carry copies of both my books for sale there.)

I don't often cover news of local shops comings and goings as they happen surprisingly frequently, and the time I have to devote to publishing news is limited.  I am a strong adherent of the "shop locally" movement, but we live in a world of trade-offs. That means that it may take some effort to change our ways.
Where people shop has had a significant impact on local communities over the last few decades.  As people shifted their buying habits to favor larger stores and online merchants, many downtown areas have been left with more empty storefronts, with some types of merchandise no longer available locally.
As with many things in life, there are pros and cons to everything.  Shopping online provides an extremely wide choice of products, as local storefronts just don't have the room to stock every brand, model, color, or style of product the way huge warehouse based supply chains can.  Online sales also have the advantage of economies of scale and lower overhead compared to small shops, so they can sometimes offer lower prices, although assuming that their prices are always lower can be a mistake.
However, the loss of local ad revenue generated by local shops along with the loss of classified advertising has bankrupted many local newspapers.  It has also shifted the tax burden in local communities, and reduced face to face interactions between residents who used to frequent downtown shops and areas.
This reduction in personal interaction has lead to increased isolation and loneliness in general.  In addition, ordering online has become more risky as products now more often lack the quality we expect from web page descriptions.  Without being able to try on clothes, shoes, etc. or try the features of some device with our own hands, we are often left having to return items that don't fit us or can't meet our needs.  Sadly, much of what we return can't be sold again online, and thus ends up in landfills.
Admonishing people to "shop locally" may help revitalize downtown areas and improve the quality of life, but doing so will take a concerted effort to accept slightly higher prices, somewhat fewer options, and involve slightly more patience and inconvenience.  Next day delivery and free shipping are very tempting, but these "features" risk making shut-ins of us all.
I chose to move to Maynard, partly because it has a significant downtown area.  I never buy books online, but rather order from local bookstores and then go to pick up my order in person.  Usually I have to wait three days for a book to arrive, but I'm never in such a hurry that I need a book more quickly than that.  I'm glad to know that, as far as books are concerned, I can now actually walk to a bookstore to shop there.
(Note: I don't often check books out of the library because I'm a slow reader and typically write in the margins as I read.  I depend on the Library as more of a community resource, offering meeting space to gather, and events to attend.)

When I first thought of this headline, my intention was a play on the words "Stop & Shop."  Why not "Stop & Go" instead?  The idea was that we have to stop shopping at the grocery store at 100 Powder Mill Road (now that it's closing there), but we can now "go" shopping at the new bookstore.  But now, reading it again, I realize that it could also be read more as a command to "Stop, and then go shopping."  Alas, I didn't intend to encourage anyone to simply do more shopping!  I didn't include a comma after the word "Stop" but that left it ambiguous, none the less.  Language is a funny thing, that way.

Maynard, MA - This weekend, Maynard residents will have two opportunities to celebrate the coming winter season, although the weather is likely to leave us feeling as if winter is here already!
These events are held every year around this time and are familiar to long time residents; however newcomers to town may not know much about them, so please help spread the word.

The event starts at 5:45 PM, in Memorial park (across Summer Street from the Fine Arts Theater), with carolers singing and the lighting of the tree and menorah. 

The Holiday Parade is organized by a separate organization, the Maynard Holiday Parade Committee, headed up by Director Jennifer Picorelli.  Numerous sponsors and volunteers collaborate to put the parade together each year.  Details are at their "Light Up the Holidays" web site:
https://www.lightuptheholidaysmaynard.com/

I thought of doing this story recently, when I saw predictions of unseasonably cold weather for this weekend.  I know that many volunteers have put in hours of work to make these events successful, and I thought it would a shame if attendance was low because of the cold.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am a member of ArtSpace, one of the non-profit organizations that will be open during the stroll.  I am likely to be standing outdoors to welcome strollers to the studios at 9 Nason Street, later on in the evening, so believe me, I will be sure to dress warmly for the weather!
My suggestion for everyone is to show old man winter that you've got what it takes, and don't let that deter you from having a good time this weekend!  I recommend you dress in plenty of layers during the stroll, as you may be indoors much of the time, enjoying what the participating organizations have to offer.
Viewing the parade on Sunday will involve being outdoors for longer periods, so layers may not be as important (as there will be no need to remove some while indoors).  Perhaps just good basic winter wear (coats, hats, scarves and boots) will be best.

Another thing that occurred to me is that many events in Maynard are promoted on Facebook.  I don't see a problem with this, however, there are people who do not wish to have a Facebook account, and others who, perhaps new to town, don't know where to look for information on community events.  I have provided a guide on the Opinion page, here on the Town Wide Mall web site, called "What's going on in town." It's in the form of a PDF document that can be downloaded, simply by clicking on the title on that page.  In it, I list a number of other sources of information about whats going on in Maynard.
So, I invite you to please let folks know about this story and the PDF document, especially if they are new to town.
Either way, I hope to see you downtown this weekend!

Frequent followers of this web site may have noticed that I have not published a story since late October, about six weeks ago.  Back then, I could see that interest in the election was growing more and more intense, fueled by a flood of stories about the campaigns, carried by national and regional news media.
It seemed disingenuous to me to carry on with local news, as if none of that was going on.  How could I ignore all the high emotions people were experiencing about the election?  I decided to wait until after a sort of "cooling down" period to elapse before I started again.

I also noticed something else.  I have slowed down in publishing somewhat, compared to when I started doing this, back in April 2023.  As with many things, I had a lot of energy at first.  But after many late nights and hard work, I began to realize how much effort being a good journalist really takes - a lot!  Next year, I will celebrate my 75th birthday, so I don't quite have the energy I did when I was 20 or 30 years old.
I have made a few attempts to engage others in doing some local journalism on their own, with the hopes that we could network with each other, perhaps using a "I'll do this kind of story, you do some other kind," approach.  (So far, I have only had one other reporter do two (excellent) stories before stopping to attend to other matters.)  I have not carried high school sports, weddings, obituaries, or public safety logs, ... some of the standard fare in traditional publishing.  Perhaps someone else might want to publish those things?
Also, I have yearned to return to some other projects that I have put off, since starting Town Wide Mall.  One of my main interests is video, but I've left precious little time to work on any video projects in the past two years.

So, I am facing a bit of a dilemma.  I don't want to stop doing this, yet I want to change the pace a bit. One idea I had was to invite people to suggest story ideas.  Perhaps you are curious about about something, but don't have the time to research yourself.  If you tell me (via the Contact Us page) about your interest, that might give me a continued sense of the "heartbeat" of the community, and point me in the direction of stories of interest.
Another idea I had was to take that a step further, perhaps.  Let's say you had some time to gather a bit of information about a story, but you're not up to fleshing it out into a full fledged report, with a headline, proper journalistic story structure, proofreading, photographs, web page layout, and publicity. Then you could "hand off the baton," so to speak, so I could then take what you had so far, and carry it through.
If you have thoughts or ideas about any of this, I'd love to know them.  (It's better if you leave comments here, rather than on Facebook, as it's easier for me to refer back to them later.)
I have thought of recruiting students or interns, but with the overall decline in revenues in the news business over the last two decades or so, most young people rightly don't see a career in journalism as very promising.  Even if there are some who are interested, it's a two way street.  They might help me in producing stories, but I would then have to devote time to a teaching role. There are always trade-offs.

I do want to thank all the people who have donated funds so far to help me continue.  I have been remiss in not thanking each donor individually, but again, that is one of the "back room" functions of a news organization that I have neglected.  Another is creating an e-mail list, to notify people who are not on Facebook, when I publish a story.
After all, I started doing this for the stories, and for you, the readers, so I have typically focused on the next story to do, while letting other functions languish. Recently, I have been planning to get up to speed on some of them.

Thus far, I have put over 500 hours of work into Town Wide Mall, and have gathered just under $1000 in donations since I started, so that works out to slightly under $2.00 per hour.  Take out my expenses, and it's even less.  Clearly, I'm not in this for the money!  At least I've published 82 stories (including this one), so I'm certainly proud of that.  Although I could run advertising or apply for grants, both of those things take considerable effort to manage, taking time and energy away from the basic job of reporting.
One thing I can say is that the response I've gotten from everyone so far has been overwhelmingly supportive.  I am grateful for the feedback you have given me and it tells me that I'm doing something that people need and appreciate.

For those who haven't voted by mail or in person yet, the town web site has an image of a sample ballot, which shows the complete text of Question 6 at the bottom of the back page:
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3402/Presidential-Sample-Ballot
The question asks voters whether they wish to support a "... system of single payer universal health care ... ," here in the state of Massachusetts.
Unfortunately, that wording still leaves many unanswered questions.  After a search on the web came up with few results, I contacted our state representative, Kate Hogan, to inquire.  I did not talk with her in person, but Allison Kenney, the Communications Director in her office, sent me an official statement, issued by Representative Hogan.  From her statement, I learned:
• The "District" mentioned in the wording refers to the "Third Middlesex Legislative District" which includes Maynard, Stow, Hudson, and Bolton.  The question also appears on ballots in towns in some other districts but it is not on ballots in all cities and towns in Massachusetts.
• The question is non-binding.  That means that, unlike the other five questions, the vote on this question would not create a new law if passed.  Instead, a "Yes" vote would recommend that Rep. Hogan support legislation as described in the question.  A "No" vote on this question would not recommend that she take any action, either way.  However, the vote totals will provide her with a sense of the will of the voters, overall.  Note that, even with binding questions, as 1 through 5 are this year, for each one that passes, new legislation will be enacted, exactly as printed in the "Information for Voters" booklet, but the legislators can still modify the law later on if they see fit.
• The question is sponsored by a group, "Massachusetts Campaign for Single Payer Health Care."  They have a web site here:  https://masscare.org/ballot-question-2024/

In her statement, Representative Hogan says, "Ultimately, the solution will be a federal one and will require [a] big commitment to change, but as we know, states can lead the way."  She goes on to describe how Massachusetts has been a leader in reform in this area, and how she has taken the initiative to help improve various aspects of state law to benefit Massachusetts residents.

I spoke with Maynard's new Town Clerk, Melissa L. Pelletier. She has now been hired to replace our previous Town Clerk, Dianne Reardon, who retired in late September.  She told me that she has not received any questions from voters on Question 6 so far, and there has been little publicity about the question, so it's uncertain if it will get significant support.

28 October 2024 - After publishing this story, I was contacted by Kimberley Connors, Executive Director of Mass Care (aka the Massachusetts Campaign for Single Payer Health Care - see link above).
She told me that the organization was started 20 years ago, but that trying to spread the word about their work has recently become more difficult because of the collapse of many local newspapers.  Since I did not contact her before publishing this story originally, I agreed to interview her, and report on our conversation here.

"The ballot question is intended to give voters a chance to express their displeasure with the current medical system," she explained.  The organization's position is that the profit driven medical and insurance system now in place has created medical “deserts” throughout the Commonwealth (where there is a lack of reasonable medical care available in some local areas).
The bankruptcy of Steward Health Care and the closures of two of their hospitals is just the latest example, she told me.  (See this news report, one of many, on the situation that unfolded:
https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/steward-health-care-close-2-massachusetts-hospitals-judge-approval/723045/ )
"Nashoba Valley Medical Center was used by many residents of Maynard," she explained, "but because of this bankruptcy, the hospital closed when the state could not find any buyers to keep it open."

Although the Town Clerk hasn't received any questions on Question 6 from voters so far, I decided to publish this story anyway, because I am always interested in a better understanding of the issues we face.
Democracy depends on an informed electorate.  It isn't much good if people just walk into the polling place and think they should mark everything on their ballot, even if they have little idea of what they're voting on.
"Get Out The Vote" campaigns seem to indicate that if you just go vote, you've exercised your right.  I disagree.  In fact, I think leaving a few things on a ballot blank is good practice if you haven't had time to gain a good background on what's at stake.
That said, I don't blame people if they haven't been able to satisfactorily understand every issue they are being asked to vote on.  As I've said before on this web site (and have posted articles on this topic on my Opinion page here), good government depends on a collaboration of the public, the officials they elect, and reliable sources of information.
However, the "Information for Voters" booklet has 40 pages of single spaced text, devoted to just 5 questions.  There are 16 pages on Question 4 alone!  So, we are faced with a dilemma - struggle through the reports and legal language, then listen to the debates on the radio or TV, or read analysis online, ... or risk ending up in the voting booth without a clear idea of what to do.
If the process seems daunting, I recommend at least reading the first two pages for each question, just to get an overview.  Then go to the section called "Majority Report" and see what the legislators on the review committee had to say.  What I found interesting was their summary of statements from various proponents, opponents, and members of the general public who showed up to give their opinions about the proposed law, for each question.  A lot of this is in easy-to-read language, based on the actual people who will be affected by the law, one way or another.
Just to be clear, I don't necessarily agree with the ultimate recommendations given in the Majority Report.  Also, although I have written this news story on Question 6, I didn't do so to recommend a vote either way; I leave it to you to make up your own mind.

The town's Elections web page has instructions for where and how to vote here:
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/170/Elections

In person voting on election day is at the Fowler School, Maynard's middle school, located at 3 Tiger Drive.  The polls will be open from 7 AM until 8 PM.  If you are not already registered to vote, the deadline is Saturday, the 26th of October (tomorrow as I write this) to register.  If you wish to vote by mail, and are already registered to vote, the deadline to submit an application for a mail-in ballot is this Tuesday, October 29th, before 5:00 PM, at the Town Building. The form to use to apply for voting by mail is on the Secretary of the Commonwealth's web site, here:
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/download/vote-by-mail-applications/vote-by-mail-paper-application-2023.pdf
Print out the form, fill it out, and take it to the Town Clerk's office in the Town Hall.
In order for mail-in ballots to be counted, they must be received at the Clerk's office by 8:00 P.M. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5.  If there is a chance that the mail will not get there in time, there is a ballot drop box to the left of the front door of the building.  Ballots returned returned by mail must be postmarked by 5 p.m. Nov. 5, but will be accepted for three extra days.

Maynard, MA - An annual Fall tradition in Maynard kicks off this month with the "Maynard Fall Ball."  The Ball is an event to raise funds for the Maynard Holiday Parade, scheduled for later on in December.  Residents are invited to both events, which promise to be just as much fun as they have been in the past.  Proceeds from ticket sales and activities at the Ball go to defer the costs of hosting the parade, which is free for anyone to attend.  The parade will include bands, costumed characters, and special guests, all of which must be paid for with funds raised in advance.

In addition to music and dancing, KBK Sports, an auction company, will be present with auction items, including Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots signed memorabilia and collectibles.  Although KBK will be compensated with a customary commission for setting up and running the auction, 75% of the funds spent on auction items by attendees will go directly to help fund the parade.  There will also be a raffle, the winner of which will be treated to a ride in the helicopter that carries Santa in the sky over the parade.

For questions or further details, please contact Jen Picorelli, Maynard Holiday Parade Director, at 978-290-6373 or by e-mail at [email protected]

As in years past, Santa himself will be flying over downtown via helicopter before the parade begins, waving to and welcoming parade goers to the parade route.
More details regarding the parade are available at the official parade web site:
https://www.lightuptheholidaysmaynard.com

Article 3 was the biggest ticket of the night, a plan to borrow 3.4 million dollars to fund replacement of the bleachers at Alumni Field with a new facility.  The proposal included seating for 750 people, with a press box mounted above (for WAVM students to record video of the games), along with a separate building to house a concession stand, and ADA compliant bathrooms with enough capacity for a full crowd.  Based on current building codes, bleachers cannot be constructed without enough bathroom facilities included.
If the measure were approved, the town would borrow the amount by issuing bonds to be paid off over the next 15 years at a 3.5% interest rate.  The total cost, with interest included would be just over $4.5 million.  Property taxes would increase approximately $70 per year for the average single family household, assessed at just over $500.000.

Proponents also explained that the cost has increased since the original concept was developed as building code requirements have been added in the mean time and construction costs have gone up as well.  A document detailing the plans was projected on the screen for voters to view.  A copy of the plan, along with other information, is available on the school department's web site page devoted to it:
https://www.maynard.k12.ma.us/page/alumni-field-bleacher-project
Discussion on the article went back and forth between pro and con arguments along with a variety of questions in between. 

Apparently, the field is not in good condition, but town officials could not give an estimate of the cost of field renovations because the process of determining that is still in very preliminary stages.   At least one voter recommended that the town come back with a more comprehensive plan to include the field and bleachers together as a single project.
Others questioned the town’s priorities in general, with more than one voter asking why we would be spending more on school related projects when a new senior center has still not been addressed.  Last year, the town voted to borrow over 50 million dollars to build a new elementary school to replace the existing one.   That vote passed overwhelmingly (see previous story "Historic Vote Brings Historic Attendance at Meeting").

When asked how many days per year the field is used, or how many high school students are currently enrolled, proponents did not offer any exact answers.

But at that point a loud murmur arose in the room, so the Moderator asked for a show of hands for how many voters wished to extend the time for debate, for this one person.  Seeing a significant number in favor, he invited the person to have his say.

Finally, a vote was taken.  The count was 97 "Yes," and 136 "No," so the article did not pass. It would have needed a 2/3 majority to pass, so this was a decisive loss.  (These are the vote totals I wrote down while attending the meeting.  However, for official results, check the Town Clerk's web page:  https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/535/Special-Town-Meeting-October-7-2024 )

An "Enterprise Fund" is a way to separate both income and expenses within the town for a particular purpose, rather than intermingle the money with the "general fund" that is used to pay the rest of town expenses overall.  For example, the water and sewer systems use an enterprise fund which puts all money collected from water and sewer bills paid by residents into a separate fund for just that purpose.

During the meeting, more than one voter wanted to know that if this went into effect, would the cost of trash stickers would go up and yet property taxes would not be reduced at the same time (and the property tax money now collected would instead just go to other purposes)?  However, town officials explained that the exact cost of stickers was far from being worked out and the tax burden was therefore still not determined.  They told the meeting that was just a first step to help manage the entire portion of costs to the town for these services.  The article was only intended to lay the groundwork for further discussions, proposals, votes, etc. in the future.
The article passed by a simple majority, by a show of hands, as a neither a secret ballot nor more than a simple majority was required.

By the end of the meeting, all articles passed by the required percentage, except for Article 3.  For anyone with questions regarding the terminology used at Town Meetings, such as "What's a Warrant?" please see my "Introduction to New England Town Government" (a PDF available for download via a link) on this web site's Opinion Page.

No, you don't have to squint at my illustration here, or go searching for your copy of the Warrant to see what caught my eye.  I'll give it to you right here (although you can see the full text of the Warrant on the town's web site here:
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3331/Special-Town-Meeting-Warrant-October-7-2024
Here is what they wrote, "The Finance Committee is concerned about the total debt service that Maynard is carrying and the burden to the Town’s taxpayers. The Finance Committee would like to recognize that there are many important potential projects yet to be funded in the upcoming years. This includes projects such as the Winter Street DPW Garage, Stormwater, Golf Course and Senior Center improvements. The Town Boards and Committees are holding regular meetings on these priorities and Townspeople are encouraged to attend and make their voices heard."
I have put the text I underlined in color here, to add emphasis not originally present in their statement.

My point is this:  The town of Maynard faces at least two significant challenges.
   1.  The projects mentioned, and at least a few others not mentioned, are large, expensive, and require a complex process to scope out, design, and budget.  The more complex this process is, the more meetings and documents are involved, and the more difficult it is for the "Townspeople" to keep up with what's going on and develop an informed opinion.  Who has time to sit through all those meetings and read documents that can run 50, 100, or even many hundreds of pages?  (The Green Meadow Elementary School project had one document that ran 1600 pages, if I recall correctly).
I, as your loyal "self-appointed volunteer reporter," even have a hard time keeping up; I end up missing many meetings and don't have time to read more than a few documents that are presented. This begs the question: What has our democracy come to, if the public cannot properly avail themselves of the issues involved?
   2.  The world outside has a dramatic influence on our options, as a town.  The state and federal government are constantly changing laws, regulations, and policies that impact what we can do, specifically when it comes to building projects.  We either get an increasingly expensive building, or no building at all.  Trying to find a middle ground to save money has become increasingly difficult.  And that's just for government.  The "private sector," and the economy in general, also have significant impacts.  Construction labor and material are all market based, and markets can fluctuate, sometimes wildly.
For example, I often hear people lament that we have a number of empty storefronts in town, "Why doesn't someone do something to revitalize our downtown business districts?"  Why, indeed?  Others speculate, "It's due to greedy landlords!"  But the problem was largely caused ... by us!  Yes, it is we who shifted our buying habits from local merchants to big box stores (starting in the 1970s) and then to shopping online for direct delivery to our doors (the 00s through to now).
When we stopped shopping at local stores we dried up the revenue they needed to stay in business.  They, in turn were no longer there to pay for ads in our local newspapers, which then dried up their income from ad revenue.  We stopped buying classified ads in our local newspapers to post items for sale or give-away, and shifted to posting those online instead, ether on CraigsList or now on social media.  That left local newspapers adrift and eventually bankrupt.
There is no evil person or conspiracy here.  These are the changes we've made without fully understanding our impact on the towns in which we live.  We have prioritized low prices and access to an array of products so vast that no one "brick and mortar" retailer can ever hope to keep in stock. It is natural to want these things, but there are significant impacts on the quality of life in our towns.  We have yet to develop an entirely new arrangement to support local community communication and commerce.
And, of course, Maynard is not alone in this.

We must be very careful in deciding which projects to pursue and how to pursue them.  If we vote in favor of too many costly infrastructure projects, we risk increasing the local property tax to such a level that it changes the very character of the town.  That is, people with modest means, such as the elderly, the artists, the self employed, the staff workers at our restaurants and schools, etc. will all increasingly leave town for other places to live where the costs are more within their means.  The ultimate end of that would mean that a "monoculture" replaces the diverse and vital town we now have.
There are towns not to far distant from us that are now dominated by families with high paying jobs, who want to have "good schools" for their children, smoothly paved streets, nice new buildings, and the like.  Everyone else has already left those towns because they can no longer afford the taxes or the price of real estate.  Increasing real estate prices benefit those who own a home and wish to sell it, but deter those who wish to buy.  We can't have it both ways.
I live here because I looked at a number of towns nearby and chose Maynard on purpose.  I didn't ask my real estate agent to just find me a house. I wanted to "buy into" a specific town because I wanted to live where there was a diversity of residents who were active in town affairs.
No, nothing can stay the same over time.  Changes must come.  It just pays to think through the impact of how we live and the assumptions we make, when it comes to what we value in the way of community. As for me, my slogan is "shop locally."  I can't always do that, but I keep it in mind and try to act accordingly, whenever possible.