Things to Know the Week of August 22: Eagles, Town Boards, Community Market

This week, residents can enjoy an Eagles tribute band and participate in meetings with all three elected Town boards. Then close out the second-to-last week of August with a knock-out community market — if the weather cooperates. 

The Tewksbury Public Library continues its outdoor concert series on Monday, Aug. 16 with the Eagles Experience — note an earlier-than-usual 6 p.m. start time. The show takes place on the library’s back lawn, and attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs. (Bug spray is also recommended.) Today’s forecast looks ideal for an outdoor concert, but in case of inclement weather, the event will be rescheduled. The concert series is cosponsored by the Friends of the Library and the Tewksbury Cultural Council, and the Friends will be on hand with snacks, raffle tickets and information.

Beyond the concert, the library has a full slate of events this week, from a writer’s workshop to a 50+ job seekers’ group on Zoom.  

Speaking of job seekers, the Massachusetts Virtual Job Fair will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily from August 16 – 20. Employers and applicants can video chat, receive and submit resumes, review job openings and exchange company information.

The Tewksbury Planning Board will call its meeting to order at 7 p.m. on Monday at Town Hall. The board will hear several Town Center Overlay and Groundwater Protection District special permit requests as well as a discussion of a citizen petition pertaining to term lengths.

One set of variances is sought by John D. Sullivan, who is requesting significant modifications to Sycamore Hall, a colonial-style building directly across from Town Hall, on the corner of Pleasant St. and Main St., that’s currently used as a multifamily dwelling. Sullivan is petitioning for waivers to transform the main dwelling to a mixed use building, with three residential units and one commercial office unit. If approved, the plan calls for the carriage house at the rear of the home to be demolished and replaced with a new, eight-unit apartment building. The back of the 35,000 sf lot will be paved to accommodate 20-plus parking spaces.

The board will also discuss a citizen petition to have an article included on the Oct. 5 Special Town Meeting warrant. The article seeks to make the Planning Board term three years, to align with the Selectmen and School Committee terms. Currently, Planning Board members serve five years. The measure would not affect sitting Planning Board members, who will serve out their full terms.

Residents can attend in person at Town Hall or watch the meeting on Tewksbury TV’s YouTube channel or Channel 99 (Comcast) or 33 (Verizon). Those wishing to call in with comments can find instructions and the full agenda here.

Learn more about two additional articles in the works for October Town Meeting.

The Board of Selectmen meets on Tuesday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. On the agenda are board and committee appointments as well as a presentation from the organizers of Berna’s Great Legs 5K, an annual, women-only road race. This year’s run will be held on Aug. 19, with proceeds donated to House of Hope in Lowell. 

The BoS will also hear from special counsel about the 40B process: what it is, what the town’s rights are and what is allowed by law. This is in relation to the  proposed “friendly 40B” project by Hanover Co., which previously addressed the selectmen on its plan to purchase the 300 Ames Pond property and build 324 apartment units.

Residents may attend in person at Town Hall or watch the meeting on Tewksbury TV’s YouTube channel or Channel 99 (Comcast) or 33 (Verizon). Those wishing to call in with comments can find instructions and the full agenda here.

The Tewksbury Council on Aging will also meet on Tuesday, Aug. 17, at 2 p.m. at the Senior Center. The COA will hear a report on finances and discuss its Sept. calendar of events. See the full agenda.

The Tewksbury School Committee meets on Wednesday, Aug. 18, at TMHS. The committee will enter executive session at 5:45 p.m. and reconvene in a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. Residents interested in speaking must attend in person. The committee expects to hear from parents concerned about masking when school starts up again on Sept. 1.

The Carnation’s complete back-to-school guide has everything parents need to know.

After regular business, including bill payments, the SC will hear reports on the new elementary school and other subcommittee matters. The full committee will also address a student designee to Tewksbury’s newly constituted Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee and several open meeting law complaints and hear about a new 1:1 device program at the high school.

The meeting is televised on Tewksbury TV’s YouTube channel or Channel 22 (Comcast) or 34 (Verizon). Find the full agenda here.

Both the Tewksbury Special Education Parent Advisory Council (TSEPAC) and the TSEPAC’s School Safety Subcommittee also gather this week, on Aug. 17 and Aug. 19, respectively. These groups meet remotely via Zoom, and residents who are interested need to log on in person as TSEPAC open meetings are neither televised nor recorded. The subcommittee is charged with reviewing School Committee policies as they relate to school safety. 

Learn more about the TSEPAC schedule and check out previous minutes on the committee’s page.

The Tewksbury Community Market is scheduled to feature Shiskaberry’s and Bird’s Nest Italian Street Food trucks as well as Drive-By Pies and other vendors — again, weather permitting.

Finally, on Friday residents looking to hear some live music and support local eateries can hear dance country/rock cover band MoneyKat at TJ Callahan’s Pub, while Glitter & Guitars plays Bobby & Jack’s Memphis Barbecue beginning at 6:30 p.m.