This week’s Community Digest, a weekly compendium of announcements by organizations in Bedford, highlights tomorrow’s Community Table meal • Lane School’s Walk to School Fridays • three events that will take place on Sunday, September 23: the American Legion Auxiliary’s 4th annual POW/MIA ceremony, the season’s inaugural First Parish Lyceum and the grand opening of the newly-installed Gallery @ First Parish on the Common • the TED Talk sponsored by the Bedford Free Public Library • the First Parish Apple Festival on September 29 • the Bedford Farmers’ Market on September 30 • the AAUW meeting on October 3 • and the October 15 deadline for submitting grant proposals to the Bedford Cultural Council.
And in Sports News we have the result of the Swirrly Striker’s GU12 soccer season opener and a call for very young hockey players interested in a new opportunity at The Edge.
Bedford Community Dinner—this Thursday, September 20
Submitted by Bedford Community Table/Pantry
Please join us for the next Community Dinner, 5:00-6:00 this Thursday, September 20. The dinner will be held at Bedford Town Center, 12 Mudge Way, in the dining room downstairs. This week’s menu features Chicken Supreme, prepared and served by volunteers from the Lutheran Church of the Savior, with individual volunteers cleaning up. Community Dinners, which are held most Thursdays during the school year, are free and open to everyone. Please check our website, www.bedfordfoodpantry.org, or phone 781-275-7355 for more information. We hope to see you there!
Walk to Lane School on Fridays
Submitted by Rob Ackerman, Principal, Lt. Job Lane School
We are encouraging families to walk or bike to Lane School on Fridays.
This is a great way to get some fresh air and exercise. Image (c) www.walkbiketoschool.org.
A Trip to Haiti to Lend a Hand, the Bedford Lyceum on Sunday September 30 at 10 am
Submitted by First Parish on the Common
A major earthquake crippled Haiti in January 2010, and recovery has been excruciatingly slow. Megan Lynes and Ali Hon-Anderson traveled with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee to try to help. They will share their experiences through slides and stories. Megan Lynes is the Parish Minister at First Parish in Bedford. Ali Hon-Anderson is a Bedford resident. The Bedford Lyceum is a 50-minute program that is free and open to the public in Room 202, a fully accessible space on the second floor of the historic meeting house on Bedford Common. Please use the Elm Street entrance.
Grand Opening of the Gallery @ First Parish at 12:30 on September 23
Submitted by First Parish on the Common
The newly-renovated space in the second floor of Bedford’s historic meeting house on the common will soon be home to an art gallery featuring work by parishioners and local artists. The first reception features work by Greta Rothman, an accomplished painter, collage artist and jeweler. Greta’s artwork will be on display through November 8, but her jewelry will be available only during the gallery’s inaugural reception from 12:30 to 3 pm on Sunday, September 23. Please use the Elm Street Entrance and proceed to gallery on the second floor. There is no admission fee and the space is fully accessible. For more information Contact Maria Green [email protected] or Doris Smith [email protected] for additional information.
POW/MIA ceremony on Sunday, September 23 at 2 pm
Submitted by the American Legion Auxiliary
The American Legion Auxiliary presents Bedford’s 4th Annual POW/MIA ceremony at 2 pm on Sunday, September 23, in the American Legion Post 221, 375 The Great Road. The ceremony is free to all and there will be light refreshments after the ceremony.
Apple Festival returns to Bedford Common
Submitted by First Parish on the Common
On Saturday September 29th an old tradition is coming back to First Parish in Bedford. The Apple Festival will be returning to the Church on the Common on Saturday September 29 from 11 am to 3 pm. The Apple Festival will be open to all with fresh, hot apple crisp, an apple Bake Table, cider, cider doughnuts, apple-related products, games, music and more.
This is not the first time there has been an Apple Festival on the Common. Indeed, the First Parish Apple Festival has a history in Bedford. According to long-time Bedford resident, Lois Pulliam, “The congregation use to sell apples on the common donated from Damon Mills Cold Storage facility in West Concord”. she went on, “There was a trailer with a sign ”First Parish Apple Sale”, they would sell Apples until it got too cold to be outside”. “We even had a cider press to make our own cider.” Mrs. Pulliam noted, “It was more of an Apple Market than a festival, but it was a lot of fun even so.” That all ended in the mid sixties as Bedford moved away from an agricultural-based economy to more a commuter society. The orchards were replaced by supermarkets, and selling apples on the Common became a distant memory.
With the “eat local” movement gaining popularity, it seems like the timing is right to bring the Apple Festival back. The apples are all from a local orchard in Stow and the ice cream will come from Bedford Farms. But beyond selling local apples, the Apple Festival should be a lot of fun too. It should be great for all ages. You can find out more on our web site and see our local sponsors at www.AppleFestBedford.org
Shedding Light on the Food Industry on September 30 at 2 pm
Submitted by the Bedford Farmers’ Market
On Sunday, September 30 at 2 PM, the Bedford Farmers’ Market and Bedford Public Library will co-host Shedding Light on the Food Industry, a TED Talk video with Robyn O’Brien, a former Wall Street food industry analyst and the author of “The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It.”
Her website describes the story of O’Brien’s discoveries about the food industry: “This mother of four was shaken awake by the dangerous allergic reaction of one of her children to a ‘typical’ breakfast. Her mission to unearth the cause revealed more about the food industry than she could stomach, and impelled her to share her findings with others. Robyn brings insight, compassion and detailed analysis to her research into the impact that the global food system is having on the health of our children. She founded allergykidsfoundation.org and was named by Forbes as one of “20 Inspiring Women to Follow on Twitter.” The New York Times has passionately described her as ‘Food’s Erin Brockovich.’ “
A discussion will follow the screening of O’Brien’s TED Talk. The program takes place in the library’s meeting room and is free and open to all.
AAUW meeting on Wednesday October 3 at 7pm
Submitted by the Bedford Lexington American Association of University Women (AAUW)
The potential impact of the upcoming elections on reproductive choice will be the topic of guest speaker Megan Amundson. Amundson is the Executive Director of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, and will speak at the Bedford Lexington AAUW (American Association of University Women) October meeting on Wednesday October 3rd, at the Bedford Public Library at 7pm. The meeting is free and open to the public. AAUW is open to anyone who supports equal education and opportunity for women and girls, and is the largest non government provider of scholarships for women. AAUW is a key advocacy group for public policy issues that impact women. The local chapter has been serving the community for 52 years, and the national organization is more than 130 years old this year.
Bedford Cultural Council Funding Proposals Due October 15
Submitted by the Bedford Cultural Council
The Massachusetts Cultural Council has set an October 15 postmark deadline for organizations, schools and individuals to apply for grants that support cultural activities in Bedford. According to Council spokesperson Ken Gordon, these grants can support a variety of artistic projects and activities in Bedford — including exhibits, festivals, field trips, short-term artist residencies or performances in schools, workshops and lectures.
The Bedford Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The LCC Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences and humanities every year. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community.
This year, the Bedford Cultural Council will distribute about $3,800 in grants. Previously funded projects include: art supplies for the pre-schoolers with the Bedford Family Connection, material for a science project for the Bedford 4-H club, a one-man show for the Council on Aging, gardens at the Veterans Administration Hospital, a video project involving the effect of regional food influences of people from different countries who have moved to Bedford, and more.
For specific guidelines and complete information on the Bedford Cultural Council, contact Ken Gordon at (617) 909-0106 or at [email protected]. Application forms and more information about the Local Cultural Council Program are available online at www.mass-culture.org/lcc_public.asp. Application forms are also available at the Bedford Public Library.
Sports News
Bedford’s GU12 Swirrly Strikers Tie Season Opener in Newton
Submitted by Paolo Sepe
It was a beautiful sunny day in Newton where the GU12 Bedford Swirrly Strikers opened up their season. The first half was a rollicking affair with aggressive attacking and defending by both teams. Morgan Andersen and Cameron Rackey showed great determination in defending the Bedford goal. As the half wore on the heat became a factor. Late in the half Newton broke through the Bedford defense and scored. Bedford goalkeeper Isabella Panagiatou made a perfect dive, but the shot deflected off her fingertips into the net. Bedford showed great resolve in the second half and quickly began to dominate the game. Alyssa Gardner, Alexa Francesconi , and Caroline Towle controlled the midfield initiating numerous shots on the Newton Goal. Bedford finally broke through when Abby Monahan won the ball from Newton and passed the ball to Alyssa Gardner who fed a through ball to Alexa Francesconi on a breakaway. Alexa thundered the ball into the net pass the Newton keeper. Bedford continued to pressure with great pressure and ball winning by Emily Harrington, Morgan Andersen, and Isabella Panagiatou. Bedford had a great chance from a pass by Abby Monahan to Caroline Sepe who fed the ball to Lauren Young who made a great shot that beat the keeper, but was denied by the post. In the late stages of the game Caroline Towle made some fine saves to preserve the tie. Final Bedford 1 – Newton 1
Three more student sign-ups needed for new Ice Hockey program at The Edge
Forwarded by Suzanne Mellon
If you’re a parent of a pre-K thru 5th grade student (girls & boys), NOW is the time to sign up for a NEW ice hockey program at The Edge Sports Center created just for Bedford students. We need just 3 more sign-ups in order to reach our minimum, or else The Edge cannot offer the program. Read the original notice: Calling all Bruins fans and ICE HOCKEY enthusiasts! There is an opportunity for The EDGE Sports Center to create a second Youth Hockey Development Program open to students in preschool through Grade 5! The new 8-week program would be held on Wednesday afternoons from 2:45 – 3:45 PM (early dismissal day), BUT we need to show sufficient interest in offering a program specifically for that day & time. If there is, additional sessions for the 2012-13 season could be added. For more info on what the actual program entails, please go to https://www.theedgesportscenter.com/Page.asp?n=3322&snid=eOFGX0J0V&org=theedgesportscenter.com. Cost of the program will be approximately $135 for the 8-week session. If your child is interested in learning to play ice hockey, please contact Niki Curry at 781-687-9797 / or email [email protected] with the student’s name, age, and grade.
If your organization has news to share, send it to [email protected]. We request that you limit your press release to 300 words. The deadline for electronic copy is Tuesday noon for publication on Wednesday. High resolution photographs are welcome as attached jpgs; images embedded within e-mails cannot be accepted.
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