Acton Names Douglas Sturniolo New Police Chief
ACTON — Douglas Sturniolo has been appointed chief of the Acton Police Department, the town announced, marking the most significant town hall development in the immediate aftermath of the Independence Day holiday.
TOWN HALL
Town Hall confirmed the appointment of Douglas Sturniolo as the new Acton Police Chief in a formal announcement posted to the town website. Details on his start date and priorities were not included in the release, though a Patch item published in recent days previewed questions about what the incoming chief might prioritize first.
Separately, town officials issued a corrected update on Independence Day weekend service hours: most town offices and non-emergency services were closed Friday, July 3, but Acton Memorial Library and the Transfer Station remained open that day, closing instead on Saturday. The town also circulated an extreme heat advisory with resource information for residents ahead of the holiday weekend, and touted the July 2 Independence Day Celebration at NARA Park, which drew residents for food vendors, inflatables, live music, and a laser light show.
COMMUNITY & ARTS
Acton Public Library's summer slate continues this week with several recurring programs. On Wednesday, July 8, the library hosted Acton Compassion-Knits from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Friends' Conference Room, where participants knit and crochet donated items for charity, and Books on Tap Book Club met off-site at Myrcene Ale Co. to discuss "A Guardian and a Thief" by Megha Majumdar, led by Head of Circulation Emily.
The library's Lunch Bunch summer food program, offering free lunches to children and teens ages 2 to 18, continued Tuesdays and Wednesdays through July 29. Thursday, July 9 programming includes Tech Time with a librarian for one-on-one device help, and the ongoing weekly Peace Crane Folding session, where participants fold origami cranes toward a goal of 1,000 to be donated to a charity chosen by the group.
Looking toward the weekend, NARA Park's Summer Concert Series continues Friday, July 10, with "Animals — The Maroon 5 Tribute," followed by a Kids Night concert featuring Ben Rudnick & Friends on Tuesday, July 14.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
"🌱 Patch AM: How an Acton factory ended up in a national Omnipod lawsuit" — Patch reports that a local manufacturing facility has become entangled in a national legal dispute involving Omnipod insulin devices, according to Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/acton).
"🌱 Patch AM: Acton's senator joins push to avert UMass Memorial nurses' strike" — A state senator representing Acton is reportedly involved in efforts to prevent a nurses' strike at UMass Memorial, per Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/acton).
"🌱 Patch AM: What changes will Acton's new police chief prioritize first?" — Patch previewed questions about the incoming police chief's priorities, a story town hall also touched on with its formal appointment announcement (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/acton).
COMING UP
Design Review Board meets Thursday, July 9, with a revised agenda, and the Water Resources Advisory Committee also convenes that day. The Open Space Committee and Economic Development Committee both meet Friday, July 10. NARA Park hosts its Summer Concert Series featuring a Maroon 5 tribute band on Friday, July 10, followed by a Kids Night concert on Tuesday, July 14. At the library, Tech Time with Rebecca G. and Peace Crane Folding run Thursday, July 9, from 1 to 4 p.m. and 1 to 2 p.m. respectively, and Sing & Stomp for young children takes place Friday, July 10, at 10:30 a.m.