No community is painted by the same brush. We come together in a celebration of race amity - where diverse backgrounds, countries, cultures, and life experiences can flourish in partnership to create a vibrant community. Together we are stronger, we are better, we are unique.  Lexington holds a wealth of diversity that we celebrate. You can join us by submitting artwork and pictures of amity throughout the year. 

This year the Human Rights Committee is celebrating by creating a slideshow of all the ways we as a racially diverse community have lifted each other up. Submit artwork or pictures that exemplify race amity. It could be a meeting, an event, a cultural gathering or celebration, or a gathering of friends or school groups. 

Art and pictures will be shared through a slideshow that will be available on the Town's website and other social media platforms on June 12.

Deadline is June 5

Submit your work through this online form

Please contact Stephanie Hsu with any questions.

Info Sessions on May 31 and June 3 for Upcoming Special Town Election; Request Absentee Ballots by May 31

On June 6, Lexington voters will be asked to weigh-in on a single ballot question with regards to funding for the design and construction of a new Police Station. Polling hours for this special election will be 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM in all precincts.

View the June 6 Special Election sample ballot

Public Info Sessions

Town Manager Jim Malloy, Police Chief Michael McLean, and Public Facilities Director Michael Cronin will be available at two upcoming public info sessions to present the need for the project and the financial impact to the community. Following the presentation, they will be taking questions from the public.

-Tuesday, May 31 at 6:30 PM via Zoom (Hosted by Town staff)

-Friday, June 3 at 9:30 AM via Zoom (Hosted by League of Women Voters of Lexington)

Absentee Ballots

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5:00 PM on May 31. Absentee ballot applications are available online, but any written request is acceptable if it has been signed. For absentee ballots, a member of your family may also make the request on your behalf. You may email your applications to the Town Clerk's Office.

To qualify for an absentee ballot, you must:

-Be away from your city/town on Election Day; or

-Have a disability that keeps you from voting at your polling place; or

-Have a religious belief that prevents you from voting at your polling place on Election Day

Contact the Town Clerk's Office by email, or call 781-698-4558 if you need additional assistance.

About the Project

The Town is seeking to replace the current Police Station with a building that meets the community's current-day public safety needs. The current building was designed to support a community that was about 70% of the size of the current population, and generated half as many calls in a year as it does now.

Visit LexingtonMA.gov/PoliceStation to learn more.

Trash Delay; Town Offices Closed May 30 for Memorial Day

In observance of Memorial Day, the following building closures and service delays will be in place on Monday, May 30:

-All non-emergency Town Offices will be closed and no public meetings will be held

-Curbside trash/recycling collection will be on a 1 day delay. If your normal collection day is Monday, it will be Tuesday, etc. If your normal day is Friday, it will be Saturday.

-Cary Library will be closed

-The Community Center will be closed

Mass. Ave. Roadway Closure in Place for Discovery Day; Check out the Lex250 Booth!

Discovery Day is set for Saturday, May 28 from 10 AM until 3 PM. There will be a roadway closure in place on Mass. Ave. from Meriam St. to Waltham Street between 6 AM and 5 PM. Please seek alternate routes if you're passing through. Detour signage will be in place.

In addition to a number of local businesses who will be there, the Lexington Semiquincentennial Commission (Lex250) will have a booth with limited-edition buttons and car magnets featuring their newly-revealed logo. Go check them out while supplies last!

High School / Center Rec Area Working Group Meeting May 31

Town Manager Jim Malloy and School Superintendent Dr. Julie Hackett are leading a working group focused on land use in the area of Lexington High School and the Center Recreation Complex. The working group is focused on determining land use options for schools and recreation in anticipation of the future construction of a new Lexington High School.

The Working Group meets on the last Tuesday of every month at 3:00 PM, typically via Zoom, unless otherwise noted. 

The May 31 meeting of the Working Group will be in-person at 3:00 PM. For those interested in joining, you can meet at the Town Pool parking lot on Worthen Road.

Visit the Working Group's web page for future meeting dates, Zoom information, and videos of past meeting.

Medical Waste Disposal Event June 1

The Office of Public Health will be hosting an upcoming medical waste disposal event for the public to safely dispose of certain medications and medical supplies.

Wednesday, June 1

5:00 until 7:00 PM

Location

Parking lot behind the Town Office Building, 1625 Massachusetts Ave.

Enter the parking lot by the Police Station and then drive behind Cary Memorial Building. Signs will be posted to help guide you on the day of the event.

Additional Information

For a list of items you can and cannot bring, visit our Medical Waste web page. You can also contact the Public Health Office by calling 781-698-4533.

If you can't make it to this event, there are bins behind the Town Office Building where you can safely dispose of sharps and certain medications at your convenience.

Planning Board to Review Draft Comprehensive Plan; Community is Encouraged to Comment

The Planning Board will begin a review of an updated draft of the Town's Comprehensive Plan. The review will continue throughout the summer with drafts available approximately 2 weeks prior to scheduled meeting on their webpage. 

The Board's schedule is broken into sections related to the Plan's goals. The first of these meetings will be:

Wednesday, June 1

6:00 pm on Zoom

-Public Facilities & Services - Draft Available Here

-Recreation & Community Gathering – Draft Available Here

-Transportation & Circulation – Draft Available Here

Future meeting times, locations, Zoom information, and agendas will be posted on the Public Meeting Calendar.

Public comments will be taken at each Planning Board meeting. Written comments may be submitted to Planning Director Abby McCabe. 

What is a Comprehensive Plan?

A Comprehensive Plan is:

-a basis for decision making for future development

-a process leading to a plan of action based on a town’s shared values and goals

-a set of priorities for addressing the full range of issues facing a town

Upcoming Conservation Events

Goat Open House at Chiesa Farm

Saturday May 28: 12-2 PM. Rain date Sunday May 29: 12-2 PM

Come and join the local Lexington goats for their daily pasture walk through the fields and woodlands at Chiesa Farm. Each season the land provides them with diverse plant life. The goats are very specific as to what they need to eat depending on many factors. We will have 2 Lexington herds, totaling twelve female dairy goats. Learn how the goats in town are working to keep invasive plants in check. All adults and children are welcome. No dogs please. Park at Diamond Middle School using the Hathaway/Sedge Road entrance. Follow the signed trail entrance and meet us in the pasture. Note rain date.

Leaders: Laurene Beaudette ~ [email protected]

Halé Schatz, [email protected]

ACROSS Lexington Route G Walk

Sunday June 5: 2-4 PM

Explore one of Lexington’s less frequented Conservation properties, Shaker Glen, along with a portion of the Lower Vine Brook Conservation property on this not quite 3 mile walk along ACROSS Lexington’s Route G. The walk will include easy unpaved trails with occasional short ups and downs, in addition to sidewalks. Appropriate footwear recommended. Heavy rain cancels. Meet in the rear parking lot of the Christ Revolution Church, 451 Lowell Street.

Leader: Bobak Moshiri – [email protected], ph. 508-414-6598

Veterans' Services Director Wins Award for Service to Fellow Women Veterans

Lexington Veterans' Services Director Gina Rada has been named the 2022 recipient of the Department of Veterans’ Services’ Deborah Sampson Award. This award is granted to a woman veteran in Massachusetts who has gone above and beyond to serve her fellow women veterans throughout the year

Here is an excerpt from her nomination: During her years as a Veterans Services Officer (VSO) and Director, Gina has served as a safe and supportive advocate for female veterans, even those out of her district. In many sensitive situations, she has been called upon to advocate for female veterans’ rights and entitlements. Without Gina, there may have been some female veterans who would not have filed disability claims as they were too embarrassed to share these situations with the male VSOs assigned in their home jurisdictions.

The Deborah Sampson Award also looked at a veteran’s overall service, awards, and personal sacrifices made during service.

Please join us in congratulating Gina on this well-deserved accomplishment!

Summer Camp for Kids; Neighborhood Camp Begins June 27

Are you looking for a fun new Summer Camp for your kids? Sign up for “The Neighborhood Camp” located at the Lexington Community Center.

June 27 through August 15, Monday through Friday, 9 AM until 3 PM.

During the day there will be arts & crafts, team building games, playground times, water activates, and a new special guest each week that can range from a magician to a reptile show. All staff are CPR and First Aid certified and have had successful CORI and SORI background checks. 

Learn more and sign up!

Select Board Signs Proclamations Recognizing National Gun Violence Awareness Day and MA Emancipation Day

At their May 23 meeting, the Select Board signed two proclamations recognizing:

-National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 3

-Massachusetts Emancipation Day aka Quock Walker Day on July 8

You can view all proclamations signed by the Select Board by visiting our website.

COVID-19 Data; Notice from Board of Health on Protecting Yourself from COVID-19

COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have increased in the past few weeks. Levels of virus in wastewater collected by Mass. Water Resources Authority, while starting to decline, is still elevated.

To address these issues and as summer and holidays approach, the Lexington Board of Health strongly recommends the following:

-Wear masks in public indoor spaces;

-Stay home when you are not feeling well;

-Stay up to date with COVID 19 vaccine;

-Get tested to prevent spread of COVID 19 virus to others;

-Follow Isolation and Quarantine guidelines as appropriate;

-Increase ventilation – open windows and use fans;

-Conduct activities outdoors, when possible;

-Open windows in vehicles and on buses.

Learn more on our website

COVID-19 Data

The Lexington Office of Public Health will update weekly COVID-19 case numbers each Friday. The data represented on the dashboard DOES NOT include at-home test results. The data only represents results of PCR and antigen tests verified through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

View Lexington’s case numbers

View the State’s COVID-19 dashboard