Bouquillon retiring

UPDATED Jan. 18: The last of three finalists for superintendent-director is to meet with stakeholders, Ford Spalding, chair of the Superintendent Search Committee and Minuteman School Committee member from Dover, has announced.

Edward A. Bouquillon plans to retire at the end of June after a successful 15-year tenure leading the district.

A screening committee of faculty, staff, parents and School Committee members has recommended three finalists to the Minuteman School Committee. The finalists are scheduled to visit Minuteman on three consecutive Wednesdays – Jan. 5, 12 and 19 – to meet with and answer questions from students, parents, faculty and staff, and advisory committee members. See Zoom information below.

+UPDATED Jan. 13: Last year, we made more than 200 Valentine’s Day cards for local clients of Meals on Wheels, who are living alone. And we did it all remotely.

This year, the hope was for an in-person card-making event on Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m., but an increase in Covid has changed those plans.

All in-person programs and public seating in our libraries have been suspended for January. Attending virtually means that you will need to come to the Robbins Library and pick up your materials and then drop off your completed Valentines so I can deliver them to Meals on Wheels. I hope you will join us for virtual card-making. 

;UPDATED Jan. 14: The Arlington Health and Human Services Department plans to be the host for Moderna Covid-19 booster clinics on Thursday, Jan. 13, and 20, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Town Hall. Registration is required.

Patch: Schools' mask mandate through Feb. | New online vax tool | 26M rapid tests

BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen testing was held at Town Hall for those who are symptomatic or who have been exposed to Covid-19 on Monday, Jan. 10.

The Jan. 14 Arlington update shows 4,216 cases of Covid-19 in town, an increase of 977 since Dec. 30. Deaths rose one on Jan. 14, to 94, seven since May.

Rendering of proposed outlet at 251 Summer St. / Calyx Peak

UPDATED Jan. 15: The Select Board unanimously agreed to grant a host community agreement to Calyx Peak of MA Inc. to open an adult-use marijuana retail establishment at 251 Summer St., now a defunct auto-repair shop, at its Jan. 10 meeting. 

This decision was based on successful negotiations between Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine, Town Counsel Doug Heim, Select Board member Len Diggins, Arlington Police Sgt. Sean Kiernan, Public Health Director Natasha Waden, Health and Human Services Director Christine Bongiorno, Planning and Community Development Director Jennifer Raitt, Planning and Community Development Assistant Director Kelly Lynema and Calyx Peak.

“This is a great location, with adequate parking, and aligns with what the town manager envisions for Arlington’s three cannabis locations,” said Calyx Peak consultant Pete D’Agostino. 

However, the approval process has only begun. 

UPDATED Jan. 19: A 30-year-old Weymouth man faces multiple charges after allegedly breaking into a home on Mystic Lake Drive and was chased by police onto frigid Mystic River ice on a 5-degree afternoon.

Joseph Kahler was arrested Saturday, Jan. 15, after a homeowner reported arriving home with children to find their kitchen window open and saw a male walking through the yard to a U-Haul truck parked on the street.

A police report says six officers arrived about 1:15 p.m. and were notified that the U-Haul truck, a 2012 GM Savana, had left the area and was traveling on Newton Street. Officers quickly located it and began to follow the vehicle at a safe distance. The vehicle soon stopped on Coral Street, and the male driver, later identified as Kahler, and an adult female passenger exited the vehicle and fled on foot.

Police body-camera photo. / New York Times

UPDATED Jan. 19: Arlington police have received a state grant to help pay for body cameras, and the chief is eager to move ahead, but she is in waiting mode.

"Like many other departments in Massachusetts, I am waiting on policy from the committee, and I look forward to implementing the program in Arlington as soon as possible," Chief Juliann Flaherty wrote in an email Jan. 11, referring to the state committee charged with providing guidelines to local departments.

Flaherty wrote that her department applied for and was awarded $43,035 on Dec. 6, from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. The Mass. Police Reform Bill established a committee to study body-worn cameras and develop policy for the Massachusetts police departments and are behind schedule on issuing road maps for moving forward.