A contest from inhabitat.com and dwell asks folks to imagine ways to transform suburban space. The contest is down to 20 finalists, from 400 entries. Some ideas are zany…some are pretty darned cool!
Category: discussion
Are textbooks going the way of the horse and buggy?
An interesting article in yesterday’s New York Times on changes coming to a classroom near you: digital textbooks. The article, by Tamar Lewin, talks about pilot projects in school districts in Arizona, Louisiana and California that are replacing traditional printed textbooks with online, digital equivalents, or even “open source” texts compiled from materials and lessons generated by teachers or from public (and reliable) sources of information online.
Opinion: One person’s ideas on Waverley Square
What change should be promoted to encourage a more pedestrian friendly environment in Waverley Square?
Vigil in support of diversity, tolerance in Watertown this Saturday
Vandals burned a Rainbow flag flying in front of the Unitarian Church in Watertown. Was it a hate crime? The Church is sponsoring a vigil this Saturday evening (July 25) in support of tolerance and diversity.
Recession meme: college is optional?
Given that the middle class dream of affording a college education for our kids is slipping out of reach, I suppose its natural (or at least comforting) to wonder whether it is really what’s best for our kids, anyway.
Town: officials didn’t violate Open Meeting (but will meet publicly anyway)
The Belmont Citizen Herald is reporting that Belmont’s legal counsel has issued a response to the Middlesex District Attorney that claims town officials who met behind closed doors to formulate plans to discuss the consolidation of School and Town services were not doing so in violation of the State’s Open Meeting Laws.
Cultural Council announces grant recipients, seeks input
The Belmont Cultural Council has sponsored an online poll to get your feedback on how it can better server the community. Take part! This year, the Council’s grants will support a variety of artistic projects and activities in Belmont, including exhibits, festivals, short-term artist residencies and performances in schools.
Closed government? Questions hang over new Town-School consolidation plan
Belmont’s latest consolidation plan is the product of an informal and closed door group of the Town’s senior elected officials that some have dubbed the “Officers’ Group.” Is Belmont closing the doors on Open Government?
A Story in the Boston Metro on the Former “A-Line” on the Green Line
The Metro published a piece on the former A-line that discontinued service to Watertown 40 years ago on Sunday. The story is at http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/06/22/02/3545-72/index.xml
NYT: Literary legend Ray Bradbury fights for local libraries
With all the debate in town about preserving our elementary school libraries, I couldn’t help but note this story on the front page of today’s New York Times about sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury’s crusade to preserve public libraries in his home, Ventura County, California.