Lexington's Battite Elected Fellow of Park and Recreation Academy
Lexington's Melissa Battite, director of recreation and community programs, has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, one of the field's highest professional honors, the town announced this week.
TOWN HALL
Battite's election to AAPRA Fellow status recognizes her standing in the parks and recreation field, according to the town's announcement. The distinction is described by the town as among the highest professional honors a parks and recreation administrator can receive.
Separately, the town is asking residents interested in serving on a local board or committee to submit applications by Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, in order to be considered for current and upcoming openings.
Residents looking to lower their electric bills can now book a free 20-minute session with Yahan Hua, Lexington's new Energy Advocate. The town also rolled out LexSortSmart, a new tool meant to answer residents' waste collection and disposal questions, as officials continue preparing for a modernized collection program set to launch in summer 2027. That overhaul comes as fees for special collection waste items not accepted as regular trash, a change previously announced by the town, take effect Sept. 1 under MassDEP waste disposal bans.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
"Codman Estate Fine Arts and Crafts Festival | Lexington, MA Patch": Lexington Patch's community calendar lists a Codman Estate Fine Arts and Crafts Festival for Sept. 12, 2026, though the listing did not include details on hours, vendors or ticketing, per Lexington Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/lexington/calendar/event/20260912/3c3c8109-b935-4789-b2d1-c6aefdcf2bb7/codman-estate-fine-arts-and-crafts-festival).
COMING UP
Tuesday, Aug. 25: the Select Board holds its annual retreat, the School Committee meets in hybrid format, the Housing Partnership Board's SRD Task Group meets remotely, and the Council on Aging's Age Friendly Subcommittee meets remotely.
Wednesday, Aug. 26: the town holds a Waste Collection Community Meeting to gather resident input on the 2027 program redesign, and LexFarm's Walking Wednesdays continues.
Thursday, Aug. 27: the School Building Committee and the Retirement Board both meet, and the Board of Appeals holds remote public hearings on properties at 25 Maple St. and 124 Grant St.
Monday, Aug. 31: the Select Board holds a public hearing on Verizon's cable television license renewal, and applications close for open town board and committee seats.
Compiled from official town feeds, community organizations, and local press. Outside reporting is attributed inline.