Articles from the Neighborhood Newsletter

by Karen Nichols (Gray Street)

Have you noticed the wonderful new garden at the corner of Endicott and Gray Streets? The town redesigned the intersection to slow traffic and make crossing safer. Instead of just planting grass, Susan Vik and Dan Sheehy (both of Gray Street) asked for and received the town’s permission to plant flowers and ornamental bushes. Dan dug out rocks and old roots, and Susan put her horticultural talents (and hands) to work. Now we can all enjoy colorful foliage and blossoms through the seasons. Another beautiful spot in our neighborhood provided by one couple’s initiative. Thank you, Susan and Dan!

Congratulations to young artist Gabriella Hakim, of Jason Street and the Ottoson school, who received a Gold Key prize in the Boston Globe Scholastic Arts Awards. The Globe sponsored the state-wide competition in cooperation with the Massachusetts Art Education Association, and the winners were displayed in the Transportation Building Gallery in Boston throughout February. Gold Key winners (the highest award) now go to New York City, for national competition and a late spring exhibit during the National Awards Celebration.

Do you know someone who deserves recognition? Anyone graduating, being promoted, or making praise-worthy progress? Let us know so we can congratulate them this spring.

by Steve Johnson (Jason Street)

People who don’t clean snow from the roof of their cars. Or those who don’t clean more than a peephole from one window. Come on, you can do it. Everybody’s in a hurry; think about safety and visibility! Legislation was introduced last year to require drivers to remove ice and snow from their vehicles before hitting the road, by State Rep. Cleon Turner of Dennis. A previous attempt by State Rep. Brian Knuuttila (Gardner) called for a fine of $500 and up to six months in jail for failure to clean. Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and several provinces of Canada have all proposed similar measures to make driving a snow fort a punishable offense. Right now, it is a penalty of insurance liability (you spray, you pay). Hopefully the oversight will extend to truckers who don’t cover their loads.

by Steve Johnson (Jason Street)

I read a statistic analogy recently that created a dramatic image:

Enough office waste paper is thrown away each year to build a 12-foot wall between Los Angeles and New York City. Naturally, I envisioned our little corner of the US map, and wondered how our neighborhood fit into that picture. While we wait for spring to turn the natural world green, what’s happening in our own community? Are we more or less “green” than our neighbors, and how do we compare to other cities and towns in the rest of the world? I wonder how efficient or wasteful we are as a society, and how much we give and take from the planet. I consider Arlington to be progressive, and we’re in good company. One recent poll rated Boston the third greenest city in America, largely because of the efforts to promote bicycle travel, and the restoration of green space over the Big Dig. Cambridge, far ahead in bike travel, was ranked number six, and San Francisco number one. But what about the rest of us who can’t seem to avoid using cars?

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By Virginia Gregory (Norfolk Road)

My husband and I moved to Norfolk Road in 1960 with two small children. Three more children were added in the next few years. Our turn-of-the-century Victorian house at 62 Norfolk Road was perfect for raising a large family, lots of nooks and crannies, places like “cubby-holes” in the attic eaves to hide and pretend. None of our neighbors had a pool for summer fun, but the lawn sprinkler provided endless hours of cool delight for the children. Later we joined the brand new Winchester Swim Club so that children would have swim lessons. Dot Stein and Pat Erickson often carpooled with me.

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