Your link to Lexington news, information, events, and more!

Share your thoughts on the issues and opportunities you see for the Bedford St./Hartwell Ave. corridor as Town staff and consultants develop the 25% design plans to improve transportation in that area.

Take the survey, if you haven’t already.

The survey has been open since late October, but will be closing soon. There will be future surveys that will focus on different components of the project.

About the Project

Town staff and consultant VHB Inc. are working toward 25% design plans for these transportation improvements. The design will enhance mobility, connectivity, and safety for all transportation modes, as well as traffic safety and calming on Wood and Eldred Streets. 

The 25% design plans are an important component that will shape the future of the project. Key design elements are developed in the 25% design plans that are then carried through to final design and construction drawings.

A community meeting was held in October to discuss the project. The video of the meeting is available online.

Information on this project is available on our website at LexingtonMA.gov/BedfordHartwell.

You can also e-mail questions or comments to Sheila Page in the Planning Division.

Following newly updated recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Massachusetts Department of Public Health recently announced that all adolescents ages 16 and 17 are able get their Pfizer COVID booster if they are at least 6 months post their initial Pfizer vaccination series.

Adolescents ages 16 and 17 are able to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 booster from more than 500 locations in Massachusetts including at retail pharmacies, primary care practices, regional collaboratives, local boards of health, community health centers, hospital systems, state-supported vaccination sites and mobile clinics.

Options for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment:

• Parents who prefer to have their adolescent vaccinated by their primary care provider should call their provider’s office directly.

• Visit the VaxFinder website at vaxfinder.mass.gov for a list of available locations. Residents are able to narrow results to search for locations that are offering the Pfizer COVID booster.

• For individuals unable to use VaxFinder, or who have difficulty accessing the internet, the COVID-19 Vaccine Resource Line (Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM to 6 PM, Saturday and Sunday 9 AM to 2 PM) is available by calling 2-1-1. The COVID-19 Vaccine Resource Line is available in English and Spanish and has translators available in approximately 100 additional languages.

Visit www.mass.gov/covid19booster for more information or visit the CDC website here. 

Registration for Dismantling Racism in Our Town is now open!  Dismantling Racism In Our Town is a seven-week learning journey offered by and for those who live, work, study and/or worship in Lexington or nearby towns.

The program is designed to strengthen our personal and collective awareness of anti-Black racism and its consequences; and to commit together to undo and repair the legacies of racism and white supremacy in ourselves and our communities. Please join us!

The winter session will be meeting via Zoom on Friday mornings from 10 AM - 12 noon beginning January 7 through February 18.

Learn more and register here for this popular, free learning & action series! Contact Lisa Goodman with any questions.

This program is co-sponsored by the Town's Human Rights Committee.

The MBTA recently announced updated bus service schedules, including for Routes 62 and 76 serving Lexington, that will go into effect on December 19.

Routes 76 (Hanscom Air Force Base) and 62 (Bedford VA Hospital) are back separately for part of the day, with the combined Route 62/76 service for the remainder of the time. These routes go inbound to Alewife Station in Cambridge.

Next year's Annual Town Meeting will begin on March 28, 2022. 

• Citizens' petitions must be delivered in person to the Select Board Office in the Town Office Building by December 29 at 4:00 PM. Find out more about citizens' petitions.

• Find out more about Town Meeting.



• See the results from past Town Meetings.

Lexington is receiving a Silver designation from the national SolSmart program for making it faster, easier, and more affordable for homes and businesses to go solar. 

This designation recognizes Lexington for taking bold steps to encourage solar energy growth and remove obstacles to solar development. For companies looking to expand, a SolSmart Silver designation is a signal that Lexington is “open for solar business.” 

“We’re proud to have earned the SolSmart Silver designation, as it shows Lexington’s commitment to making solar more accessible to both our residents and businesses,” said Town Manager Jim Malloy.

To receive designation, cities and counties make changes to their local processes to reduce the time and money it takes to install a solar energy system. This includes evaluating local permitting processes, as well as planning and zoning procedures. SolSmart designees also develop innovations in areas such as market development and finance.

Achieving the SolSmart Silver designation required both an update to the Town’s solar energy systems bylaw, as well as training for Town staff that are involved with permitting and inspecting solar/storage systems.

Read the full press release

Our Office of Public Health compiles COVID-19 data for our community and it is available on our website at LexingtonMA.gov/COVID19data

EQUITY OFFICER UPDATE

Diversity, equity, and inclusion information and resources from the Town's Chief Equity Officer

Happy December!

One of my responsibilities as the Chief Equity Officer it to work with the Lexington Human Rights Committee (LHRC) and the Commission on Disability (COD). The LHRC meets the second Tuesday of every month at 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM and the COD meets the third Tuesday of each month from 5:45 PM – 7:00 PM. Check the Town Events tab on our website for meeting information!

Did you know? The LHRC and COD have formed a joint working group to gather stories and experiences of the impact of COVID on persons with disabilities in Lexington.  

The outreach will include individuals or their caregivers, group homes, and service providers. For example, Kate DeAngelis, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist for the Recreation Department, spoke to the joint working group about her experiences developing and implementing accessible recreational programing for persons with disabilities across the lifespan.

The outreach will include a short qualitative survey, a series of focus groups, providing “office hours” so people can schedule private meetings to share their experiences, and encouraging people to use our LexDEI Inbox (coming soon). The LexDEI Inbox will be a way for the community to submit their stories, thoughts, perspectives, or concerns on any topic. These submission can be anonymous or provide contact information for follow-up from the LHRC.

One of the anticipated outcomes is the creation of a centralized resource list that highlights available local services that can be found on a variety of our town webpages (i.e. Human Services, LHRC, COD, Recreation).

Thank you, and be well.

-Martha Duffield, Chief Equity Officer

JOBS

• Crossing Guard
• Police Cadet
• Custodian
• Human Services Nurse (Temp) 
• Dispatcher
• Deputy Library Director
• Health Outreach Clinician (20 hrs)
• Director of Planning
• Administrative Assistant NEW

Visit LexingtonMA.gov/jobs for more information.

CALENDARS

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