UPDATE 8/16/06

We still need to convince town officials to give us the long term lease that we (and our community) deserves! This summer, the children in the ArtSpan program took it upon themselves to start raising money to help the Save Munroe campaign! They are making hand-made jewelry and selling it to EVERYONE! The children's enthusiasm is spreading to their parents and bake sales are starting on Friday August 25th at Munroe's weekly Share performance. You can also participate in the Bake Sale at the Lexington Farmer's Market on Tuesday August 29 at Munroe's Tent!

If you want to help, there's a few things EVERYONE can do. Let every elected official know how important Munroe Center for the Arts is to our community. Ask them..."Do you support Munroe Center for the Arts and giving them a fair long term lease."

WE'RE ALSO ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR 2 NEW BOARD MEMBERS! Do you know anyone who is passionate about the arts culture, and education of our community. Contact us if you or someone you know is interested.

HERE'S A COPY OF THE FLYER WE JUST GAVE OUT TO ALL OUR ARTSPAN SUMMER CAMP FAMILIES...it's a brief history.

"So... Why is everyone talking about Save Munroe."

The town of Lexington has been looking for a new site to expand their current Senior Center. Our art center is a potential site because we occupy a town owned building and we are "tenants-at-will," without any formal occupancy agreement. The Lexington Selectmen have until the end of December to decide whether our art center stays or has to pack it in and look for a new home. There are many steps in this process and at least 2 years if they choose to turn the building into a senior center. However, the time to start telling the Selectmen that we want our art center to stay is NOW! Especially with local elections coming up soon!

Quick history...
Over the last 15 years, we have paid no rent, but have carried the burden of ALL building expenses, which has proven to be an unrealistic expectation for a 100 year old building and a small 501(C)(3) nonprofit like Munroe. However, we have put over $135k into the building over the years and the building still has big needs. We've been asking the town for the last 5 years to negotiate a fair LONG TERM lease with us that incorporates paying rent in exchange for the town helping out with maintaining the building. The February 2006 Senior Center Siting Report stated that Munroe was their #1 choice, and this derailed our long term lease aspirations and negotiations. Now, as we are trying to at least sort out short term (2-3 years) occupancy terms, the Selectmen still must decide whether we are worthy of staying at Munroe.

One of the first steps in our Save Munroe campaign is to raise awareness of how important we are to families in our community. We also need to convince all town officials and policy makers that Munroe is a legitimate organization and should be given the opportunity to negotiate a long term lease with fair long term goals for building maintenance. Some of the children this summer have initiated their own Save Munroe campaign to raise money by selling hand-made jewelry. This was THEIR OWN IDEA and my staff and I have been touched greatly by their positive attitudes and creative actions! All the money they have collected is being put in a big jar (started in a little cup) and will be put towards one of Munroe's great programs... perhaps scholarships, capital reserves, or something the kids would like!

So please remember to spread the word about SAVING MUNROE! Write letters to the local papers, local politicians, and buy the THE KID'S JEWELRY. We're also having a bake sale fundraiser at next week's share as well at our Farmer's Market Tent on the following Tuesday. Visit savemunroe.org for more details!

UPDATE 5/3

We were successful in having Article 36 delayed indefinitely! Thanks to the Selectmen, Town Meeting members
and out supporters for their patience and involvement!

We are looking forward to working towards negotiating a lease with the Town Manager and Selectmen in the next
few months and perhaps their may be a special town meeting in the Fall to solidify a long term lease and
solution to our building

Special thanks to Peter Kelly, Dawn McKenna, Elsa Sullivan, Joan Zahka, Trish McKneely, Munroe's board of directors
and all of our supporters for your encouragement, influence, spreading the word about Munroe, and your support over
the years!

We've got a lot of hard work ahead of us and Munroe will DEFINITELY be looking to expand our Board of Directors
as well as putting together a team of concerned citizens to help us with fundraising!

We'd also like to work with the Seniors of Lexington to help them reach their goals!

UPDATE 3/7

What does Saving Munroe actually mean and how does the recent election effect us?

1. We need to convince/educate the town that Munroe is not the place for the Senior Center. I've created the Munroe Usage study for a start, and will be meeting regularly with Town officials to discuss this report and other evidence to the GIGANTIC impact we have on our community.

2. Now that the Community Preservation Act has passed we need to We need to stay informed about Article 36 which is going to town meeting in April. Here's what it says...
" ARTICLE 36. APPROPRIATE FOR SENIOR CENTER DESIGN AND CONCEPTUAL STUDY.
FUNDS REQUESTED: $40,000
To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money for architectural and engineering services for planning a senior center, including site evaluation necessary in connection therewith; determine whether the money shall be provided by the tax levy, by transfer from available funds, by borrowing, or by any combination of these methods; or act in any other manner in relation thereto. (inserted by the Board of Selectmen)

Description: This article seeks the appropriations of additional funding for necessary conceptual design studies to provide additional and/or enhanced space for meeting the programmatic needs of the Council on Aging. The studies would include conceptual site, floor, and parking plan options; facilities audits; code compliance reviews; zoning requirements; and cost estimates."

As written, Article doesn't link to Munroe Center because it was written in Fall of 2005 and it was left open-ended. However, with town meeting just around the corner we need to keep our eyes and ears open for details about Article 36.

Everyone in the building is working hard to continue to offer the highest quality of arts education in the upcoming year! That's why we're here!

Latest press in the Boston Globe click here for details

If you really want to be informed about Munroe Center, then download our usage study by clicking here!

UPDATE 3/2

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WE'RE STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS! AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE AN OUTSTANDING ARTSPAN SPRING AND SUMMER PROGRAM LINED UP! CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS!

Everyone in the building is working hard to continue to offer the highest quality of arts education in the upcoming year! That's why we're here!

Latest press in the Boston Globe click here for details

If you really want to be informed about Munroe Center, then download our usage study by clicking here!

UPDATE 2/23

On Wednesday, Feb 22, evening at the National Heritage Museum the Lexington Chamber of Commerce sponsored a Selectmen's candidate forum with Peter Kelley (incumbent) and his opponent George Burnell.

Both candidates were asked the following question: Do you support the Munroe Center for the Arts and do you feel it's necessary for a new expanded Senior center to move into the Munroe School and displace the arts organization.

PETER KELLEY ABSOLUTELY TOOK A STAND IN OUR FAVOR!  HIS RESPONSE WAS EXTREMELY ENCOURAGING! 

HE MENTIONED HOW IMPORTANT WE WERE TO THE COMMUNITY!

HE MENTIONED THAT THE SELECTMEN SHOULD FIND ANOTHER SITE!

MR. KELLEY FURTHER STATED THAT THE TOWN SHOULD FINALLY NEGOTIATE A LONG TERM LEASE WITH US! 

ESSENTIALLY HE WENT ON RECORD IN FULL SUPPORT OF MUNROE!

  Mr. Kelley has also personally contacted many of our school directors and board members to listen to our case and express his appreciation of the good work being done at Munroe.

George Burnell spoke in general terms of supporting the arts but didn't take a stand for us. However he did say that Munroe Center did fit the criteria for a a new Senior Center.

I hate getting political but in this crucial time of the survival of the organization we all love, but we need town officials to understand that our supporters will vote on this issue! 

UPDATE 2/20

Town manager Carl Valente responds to concerns about the unsafe condition of the parking lot. He sent down a DPW crew and patched the holes. Although this is a temporary fix at best, its should keep people from busting their tires... and ankles!

Selectman Hank Manz and Town Planning committee member Wendy Manz are visiting Munroe this week for a tour. Hopefully we'll be able to clarify misconceptions about our building's upkeep.

UPDATE 2/16

On Thursday 2/15, the League of Women's voters sponsored a wonderful candidates forum. Many Munroe supporters attended and we got one of our questions read to the Selectmen candidates. Peter Kelley, candidate for Selectmen, took an obvious stand in favor of Munroe Center for the Arts. He believes that there needs to be another option other than kicking out our art center and replacing it with a senior center.

His opponent George Burnell didn't remember the name of our organization and mentioned that the town needs to choose whether to have the art center or senior center. He also stated that IF we were kicked out, he thought it was the duty of the town to try to accommodate finding EACH organization a place in town. In other words, divide us up and toss us wherever the town sees fit. When I became Exec. Director of Munroe nearly 2 years ago, I've attempted to engage and educate Mr. Burnell about Munroe via phone and sending him a report on our attempts at Lease negotiations with the town. He's never seemed interested to learn anything about us... at least he's never expressed it to me.

As far as other candidates, I was most impressed with Mr. Segovia running for school committee. He brings his children to Munroe for classes throughout the year and he's extremely supportive and motivated! I spend some time with him on the phone on 2/16 and he wants to help us out in anyway, through his influence with town officials and through his network of concerned parents.

To find out when the LWV's Candidate's Forum will be rebroadcast go to www.lctv.tv/Schedule.html. Nothing has been posted yet, but it should be soon.

I've been doing tons of networking within many different influential circles in town and I've been getting mixed messages. Some people say that there's no chance in a million years that Munroe Center is in jeopardy. Other's say we're not doing enough to publicize our cause. I'm somewhere in the middle, but by NO MEANS DO I FEEL THAT WE ARE SAFE AND WE DON'T NEED TO ACT. There are just so many issues at play in the background that we need to keep our message real simple. "No way do we want a senior center to displace Munroe. Selectmen and the other committees in the mix need to go back to the drawing board and consider more options.

WE STILL NEED TO SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. WE STILL NEED TO WRITE LETTERS TO THE SELECTMEN. WE STILL NEED TO TELL EVERYONE WE KNOW TO GO TO WWW.SAVEMUNROE.ORG AND SIGN OUR PETITION.

I've nearly completed the comprehensive study of Munroe center and everyone in the building. I'm getting some help on the overall presentation and hopefully will have a few different versions of it for everyone to see in the next week.

In this upcoming election time, put the candidates to the test. Ask them how they feel about the Munroe Center issue. If they don't know anything about it, that should immediately send up a flag.