Author: Paige Albright

  • Director of Recreation and Community Services Rescinds Her Resignation

    Arlington Parks and Rec director Natasha Waden

    Arlington’s director of recreation and community services, Natasha Waden, announced last month that she was resigning after just over a year on the job. However, in a matter of days, she changed her mind and rescinded her resignation.


    “It’s been a year, a really long year,” Waden said at Tuesday’s Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. ”It was a really hard transition to the point I thought I was gonna leave, then I decided to stay.”


    Waden told YourArlington she had resigned to accept a job with the town of Andover but then had a change of heart. Arlington ended up giving her a raise of nearly 9 percent as part of the negotiations to get her to stay.


    “The reason for my resignation was an opportunity to work in a community that was a little bit closer to my hometown and in a position I had previously been in,” Waden said. “I had accepted the position, and then had reservations, because I was just so excited about the work that I’m doing here, and so passionate about the town of Arlington. My heart was really here with recreation and wanting to do more work here.”


    Waden became director of recreation and community services in September 2024. Her resignation,13 months later, was announced at the Oct. 14 meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission.


    “Ms. Waden has given her two weeks’ notice to the Town of Arlington,” state the official meeting minutes.


    Town Manager Jim Feeney said told Your Arlington he was first notified on Oct. 10 that Waden was considering a move. Waden had been recruited to be the director of Andover’s Department of Public Health, Feeney said.


    Waden has worked for Arlington for 20 years, primarily in Arlington’s Health and Human Services Department.


    Waden made the switch to the recreation department last year, initially as interim director. She said she decided to apply for the position after her brief tenure because she found her niche in the department.


    “It really opened up an opportunity for me to be able to see how my worlds kind of collide,” Waden told Your Arlington. “And I think the thought of me just going right back into public health and not having the recreation position sort of felt like it was going to be a little less.”
    Feeney said that when he appointed her to the role of director, he hoped she would spend the next portion of her career there.


    “It came as a bit of surprise,” Feeney said of her resignation. “To be honest, based on the meeting I had with her when she told me her plans, I didn’t feel like it was a final decision. I think it was pretty clear it needed to be an ongoing decision, and that we needed to do everything we could to encourage her to stay.”


    During the 12 days between Waden’s resignation and her reversal, the department was so focused on negotiations with her that it did not start searching for a replacement. Part of the negotiations included an 8.9 percent raise in Waden’s salary, bringing it to $145,720, Feeney said.


    “I was scared you were going to leave, but then you never really did,” Jen Rothenberg, a Parks and Recreation Commission member, said to Waden at Tuesday’s meeting.
    Feeney said the town has struggled with continuity in the position of recreation director. The town has had four people in that position over the past ten years.


    “The town is very pleased that Ms. Waden will continue her tenure as our director of recreation and community services,” Feeney said. “She has served Arlington incredibly well not only in her current role, but also in her former roles, and we are excited that she offers stability in the department.”

    This story, published Nov. 6, 2025, is part of a partnership between YourArlington and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

  • Arlington International Film Festival celebrated its 15th year

    Monsters of all kinds filled the Copley Society of Art.

    Two towering inflatable tentacles greeted guests recently at the Arlington International Film Festival’s kickoff party, which opened with a reading of Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are.” From there, attendees were invited to create masks or draw creatures of their own creation.

    The festival, which celebrated its 15th anniversary, opened with an interactive party that brought creative types and the community together. Over the four-day festival at Arlington’s Capitol Theatre, 127 films from 29 countries were screened.

    Paige Roehrig, executive director of the Copley Society of Art, said her organization offered its space in Boston for the event because it aligned with her goal of bringing people together to celebrate art.

    “Our thinking was to activate art by cultivating more play, that’s something that’s really lost in film festivals,” said Amber Krasinski, founder and CEO of IvyHill Strategies, which did promotion, content design and other work for the festival. “Spaces you can be creative for the fun of it, with filmmakers and creatives coming together.”

    Krasinski got involved with the festival a year ago after its executive director, Jaina Cipriano, approached her with a vision. Film had always been her dream career, she said, and this opportunity to bridge community and creativity felt like a way to emphasize that anyone can be a filmmaker.

    Cipriano bought the festival two years ago from the founders and longtime directors April Ranck and Alberto Guzman. Conceived with the mission of bringing the international to Arlington, the festival has evolved to activate local art and artists.

    “Honestly, my biggest goal is to make Boston a little weirder,” Cipriano said. “I get a lot of feedback that Boston is very puritanical and people aren’t interested. I don’t think that is true. There are so many of us who want things that are strange or surprising.”

    It is important to have spaces where artists can gather, Cipriano said, because it often takes a community to produce a film.

    “Afters,” a 14-minute film showcased in the festival, was co-directed by cousins Hannah Doyon and Liam Donovan. Doyon, an Arlington native, said having her film shown in the Capitol was like a homecoming, as the theater was the first place she ever saw a movie on the big screen.

    Doyon and Donovan have a second film coming out soon. After visiting film festivals across the country, they said festivals like the Arlington International Film Festival are what any artist would hope for in an event.

    “Festivals that stand out are the ones that give opportunities to emphasize the artists,” Doyon said. “It is impossible to make a movie on your own. Being able to connect and invite people into your process is what makes you improve.”

    Cipriano’s wants to keep expanding the festival by incorporating more events, like the kick-off party, and providing a space to foster collaboration and creativity. Cipriano said, “Arlington is kind of a secret little hotspot,” she said. “People always forget it.”

    “A very lofty goal I really hope for is a small movement of transformation,” Cipriano said. “Seeing stories can really change our lives. Even just a small moment that changes someone’s perspective can open up their lives.”

    This article was originally published on November 3.

  • New project aimed at alleviating Arlington’s housing affordability problem

    New project aimed at alleviating Arlington’s housing affordability problem

    By Paige Albright

    A new project could help address Arlington’s housing affordability struggle.

    The nonprofit Housing Corporation of Arlington bought three buildings along Massachusetts Avenue and Newman Way last month to create more affordable housing units. The $23 million purchase is funded in part by more than $5 million in subsidies and grants from the town of Arlington.

    “Arlington sorely needs affordable housing,” said Erica Schwarz, the housing group’s executive director. “This crisis of affordability just keeps getting worse.” The average home price in Arlington has hit $885,000, a 5 percent increase over the past year. That is a price that half of Arlington’s households, which have a median annual income of $141,4400, cannot afford.

    The properties at 840-846 Mass. Ave. and 17 Newman Way are located across Mass. Ave. from Arlington High School and the CVS pharmacy. The three buildings house 59 apartments, and the HCA plans to build more than 35 additional units on the site, Schwarz said. While the project is in its early stages, the HCA expects the first phase – renovating and updating existing units – to start next month. Tenants will not be displaced during this phase, she said. Crews could be seen working in the main lobby of 846 Mass. Ave. late last week.

    The Housing Corporation of Arlington has acquired three properties on Mass. Ave. and Newman Way that will be income-restricted rather than market rate. PHOTO/Carol Beggy

    Many units will be income-restricted. The HCA has not determined rents for the building.

    The apartment buildings had been involved in a five-year battle over rent between tenants and owner Torrington Properties, which bought the buildings in 2019.

    After rent negotiations between the tenants association and Torrington failed, rents started to rapidly increase, said Laura Frost, a longtime tenant who was a leader of the tenants union. When tenants refused to pay the higher rents, Torrington issued several eviction notices, she said. The battle ended in housing court last year with Torrington dropping all eviction charges.

    Torrington did not respond to repeated calls and messages from YourArlington.

    Frost said tenants heard last year that Torrington wanted to sell the buildings. The tenant association had previously reached out to the HCA, asking it to buy their building; it now seemed like a real possibility.

    “We lived on pins and needles for a year, because it took a full year for HCA to knit together a package that was acceptable to Torrington,” Frost said. “It really sank in for me when the deal closed and the Torrington signs came out of the lobby.”

    A certain amount of luck came into play in getting the project started. The HCA, with funds from the town and subsidized loans, came up with the millions to buy the property, Schwarz said. The property lies within a boundary that qualifies it for the MTBA Communities Catalyst Fund, which provides funding to communities that have adopted zoning for multifamily housing.

    Sanjay Newton, of Equitable Arlington, a nonprofit that advocates for affordable housing, chaired the MBTA Communities Working Group, which proposed the zoning changes that made this project possible.

    “Sometimes we get caught up in the big policy discussions, and you can forget about the individual people who are impacted when our housing policy actually plays out,” Newton said. “In this case, the individual residents are getting some certainty about their housing situation, and that’s awesome.”

    This project alone will not solve the region-wide housing crisis, Newton said. Both short- and long-term changes need to be made, like building more housing and finding ways to keep Arlington affordable for current residents.

    “Housing is so foundational, not just because of the pressure it puts on your finances, but it is so tied to the amount of stress you have in your life,” Schwarz said. The numbers are important, but the impact housing can have on one person can be profound.”

    This story, originally published on Oct. 26, 2025, is part of a partnership between YourArlington and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

  • Why does Arlington love Luna the goldendoodle?

    By Paige Albright

    There are oodles of doodles and loads of Lunas in Arlington.


    The most common dog breeds nationwide are the French bulldog and labrador retrievers, according to the American Kennel Club. Not so in Arlington. Here, goldendoodles are the runaway winner. In fact, one in every ten dogs in town is of the doodle variety, according to town data on local dog licenses.


    When it comes to the most common dog names, though, Arlington matches up with the national list. In Arlington, where 3,430 dogs are licensed, it is twice as likely to meet a dog named Luna than any other. Rosie, Charlie, Lucy and Bella also appear on the national list of basic – oops, popular – dog names.


    Joseph Prever, owner of a chain-wearing mutt, Davy Jones, suggested that the name Luna, which means “moon” in Latin, may be popular because of how it poetically fits both a white and a black dog.


    Top 5 Dog Breeds in Arlington:

    • Goldendoodle
    • Labrador retriever
    • Golden retriever
    • Labradoodle
    • Havanese and Bernedoodle

    Austin Nantkes, owner of a pure white male samoyed named Comet, laughed when asked about the name Luna.


    “A lot of people suggested Luna before they learned the gender of my dog,” said Nantkes, who studied astrophysics in college.


    Top Five Dog Breeds Nationally:

    • French bulldog
    • Labrador retriever
    • Golden retriever
    • German shepherd
    • Poodle

    Bob Angell, owner of a rescue dog Maxwell, found his dog’s name by chance. “He was gonna be Jackson,” Angell said. “But as I was filling out the paperwork for him, ‘‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ by the Beatles came on. His official name is actually Maxwell Edison.”


    Top 10 Dog Names in Arlington (not separated by gender):

    • Luna
    • Rosie
    • Bella
    • Lucy
    • Daisy
    • Sadie
    • Coco
    • Bailey
    • Charlie
    • Milo

    Angell described Maxwell’s genetics as “as mutt as mutt gets,” but he explained he was actually looking for a doodle breed when he stumbled upon Maxwell at the pound.


    Melissa Marini, owner of a Bernedoodle, said she appreciates doodles for their temperament, brains and appearance. Marini found a unique trait in hers. He sports two different colored eyes, so she named him Bowie, after David Bowie.


    Arlo, the Australian shepherd, and his owner, Chelsea Blanda, are new to the Arlington area. Blanda said she enjoys how dog-friendly the town is, with many parks and green spaces.


    “We moved to Arlington knowing we had a dog and needed these amenities,” Blanda said. “The town is just so conducive for pups.”


    Top 10 Dog Name Nationally (divided by gender):

    • Luna & Milo
    • Bella & Max
    • Daisy & Teddy
    • Lucy & Charlie
    • Willow & Cooper
    • Stella & Bear
    • Maggie & Toby
    • Sadie & Finn
    • Lola & Tucker

    Dog parks are not just great places for canines to enjoy. These spaces bring together owners in sometimes unpredictable ways.


    Gina Marottio, owner of three dogs, Loki, Lily and P. Stachio, met her husband at a dog park. She had brought her husky, Loki, to the dog park and saw a tall man with a small dog in the big-dog section of the park.


    She recalls thinking, “What idiot brings this tiny dog in here?” She ran over to apologize for Loki bothering his small dog, P. Stachio. This interaction led to those two dogs becoming brothers.

    This article was originally published on October 8, 2025.