Environment

History of an historic park at 53 River Street

March 28, 2026
The historic park at 53 River Street, along Fort Pond Brook, will open this year. The decade-long story of its creation involves a number of monkey wrenches. At a special town meeting in October 2016, the Town of Acton acquired the 7-acre site at 53 River Street. To figure out the best use for the site, the Town held input sessions, where residents could hear about alternatives from housing to recreation, and express their preferences. The Select Board created the 53 River Street Master Plan Special Committee (Committee) to review the feedback. In the fall of 2018, with recommendations from…

Voters narrowly reject Water District budget, twice

March 21, 2026
Voters packed the meeting room at the Public Safety Facility on March 18 for the Annual District Meeting for the Water Supply District of Acton (AWD, “District”). After praise for long-serving AWD official Ron Parenti and the recent completion of PFAS treatment facilities, the meeting took up an…
A yellow lab dog is lying down with his face between his paws.

Acton’s poop problem

March 21, 2026
On a recent walk around NARA park, the paved path around the pond was fouled with at least 15 piles of dog poop. Since this is a common walking path, many had been squished by the shoe of an innocent walker. The problem is not limited to this…

March 2026 Horticulture Hints

March 14, 2026
As the daylight increases, days become warmer, and the snow and ice melt, we look for the coming of spring. There are some things that can be done this month, weather permitting. Bring color indoors To bring color indoors at this time of year, force branches of any…

Energize Acton open house

March 7, 2026
By the time the afternoon open house began, the morning’s light snow had melted off the roof of David Martin’s home on High St. Now the black tiles that covered the entire roof of the garrison colonial were visible. Each tile was a mini solar panel. Connected together,…

Acton gets a foot, lends a hand

February 28, 2026
Mother nature has assisted in the digging out from Monday’s blizzard, by raising the temperature a bit. But for a while there, the winds were whipping up and so were the communications about closures from Town government and local entities such as Acton TV, trash pick-up services, and…
Two people stand on an old bridge. The culvert is the archway through the bridge.

Restoring natural flow to Nashoba Brook

February 7, 2026
The first public outreach workshop for removing the Bellows Farm Mill Dam and replacing the Carlisle Road bridge culvert was held virtually on Thursday, January 15, 2026, and attracted 34 participants. Nashoba Brook flows under Carlisle Road in North Acton, where the water is then impounded by the…

Acton now in Level 2: Significant Drought status

January 18, 2026
On January 12, Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper declared that the Northeast Drought Management Region, which includes Acton, has worsened to a Level 2 – Significant Drought. “Continued snow and rainfall are needed to alleviate the drought that many regions in our state are…

Coexisting with beavers

January 10, 2026
If you walked the Guggins Brook conservation area in 2025, prior to October, you probably did not get far before being turned back by flooded trails. Boardwalks and bridges that used to keep your feet above the wettest and muddiest sections of trail had been submerged by rising…

Russ Cohen, plant forager, speaks in Acton

December 20, 2025
Russ Cohen, noted author and wild food expert, came to Acton Town Hall to share his knowledge and recipes at the Middlesex Conservation District (MCD) Annual Meeting on Monday, December 8. Nearly 50 guests came out for the brief business meeting and the talk, entitled “Nibbling on the…

Acton wins $1 million grant to “decarbonize” Town Hall

November 15, 2025
On November 13, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) announced Decarbonization Accelerator Grants to four towns, including Acton. Acton will receive “$1 million to support the full decarbonization of its historic town hall, including a heat pump project and advanced heating and ventilation controls.” “Decarbonization” in this…
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