Just a few weeks into his new job, new Newton TAB editor Andy Levin is already showing us that he’s not worried about making friends. Consider, for example, his recent editorial about opposing a plastic bag ban and even more significantly his willingness this week to challenge the opposition to the Austin Street project.
…the intensity of opposition to the proposed redevelopment of the Austin Street parking lot seems a bit unjustified.
..some people seem opposed to change, no matter how well planned it may be, especially in their own neighborhood. Their anxiety is understandable, even if I don’t share it. But Newton has continually evolved as a city and change is inevitable.
I happen to agree with Levin on Austin Street. But even if I didn’t, I’d still be happy to see the TAB slowly edging back towards its fearless roots, a tradition that dates back to when one of my first mentors, Russell Pergament, began The TAB back in 1979.
Andy Levin’s tenure as the TAB’s Editor seems to have brought more editorial balance to the newspaper, which was sorely lacking when Greg Reibman, Gail Spector, Don Seiffert and Emily Costello ran it.
http://blogs.wickedlocal.com/newton/2012/03/01/gail-spector-to-leave-job-as-newton-tab-editor/#comment-83618
@Josh: I’m surprised to read that you’re old enough to remember Don Seiffert. Because Don, in his day, endorsed a large number of what you would call, anti-insider candidates. Or are you just taking Brian Camenker’s word for it?
And give it time for Andy. He will inevitably endorse a candidate or position that doesn’t fit your very narrow scope of what’s acceptable and then you will use that endorsement against him, well, forever.
Andy’s is an interesting approach: choosing a topic thread, and stating his position on it at the outset. That’s being bold, and presumably comfortable enough in his thinking to lead with it.
Yes! It doesn’t matter to me whether I agree with Andy or not, I’m just delighted that he’s both invested and brave enough to express his opinions.
I agree that having an editor invested enough in the community to voice strong, controversial opinions is a good thing. I also agree that some people have reacted publicly with intense negativity over any development of the Austin Street parking lot wanting it to be forever enshrined as such.
I have a problem with the manner in which those opinions are addressed in this editorial. Everyone has opinions but when those opinions are published by the editor of a newspaper, I think the subject matter needs to be researched extensively before putting “pen to paper.”
First Andy is writing about a subject that has been dormant in the news for a while and instead of broaching it with a new position, begins by poking the bear, painting “opponents” with the broad brush of being worrisome, anxious, and stuck in Newtonville’s sleepy suburb past (20 years ago?) Then he presents an 80 unit apartment building scenario, adding to the confusion some have that the selection of the developer is a selection of his proposal, which is not the case. In addition, he didn’t research enough to know that the lot has always been proposed as a sale/lease to be determined later or that there is no chance of this project becoming a “40B” because the city owns the land.
BTW, What happened to the “ongoing fall community meetings” promised this summer?
As a candidate, I had some problems with the transitional period from Emily to Josh (I think) to Andy.
Each Editor seems to have a different policy in letters to the editor. During Emily’s final weeks I wrote a letter about Marilyn and her possible forged letter letter about Charlie. Emily said it was too strong and she was going to hold off and the next week the Tab came out with a letter that I thought was as strong as my letter. Then there was a temp editor, I believe his name was Josh (or Jason) where I wrote a letter and he published it and then Andy came in and a new political issue came out which was that Marilyn refused to debate me and I did a letter regarding communicating with the constituents and Andy never published it. I never had a conversation about this with Andy, but I was a bit disappointed with the lack of a letter in the last week before the election. I was also disappointed in the lack of endorsements. I know I write a lot of letters, but I was running for office and was hoping for a little leeway. Other than that, he’s doing fine.
Tom, the temporary editor during the transition was the publisher Jesse Floyd.
As for letters, you are aware that the TAB’s policy limits individuals to one opinion piece per month, whether it is a letter or column?
In October, the TAB published your letter in which you proclaimed your support for abortion in the print edition, and published your communicating with the constituents letter electronically.
http://www.masspoliticalnews.com/article/20141101/OPINION/141109594/0/SEARCH
Greg, you really like to make me role my eyes with contempt, don’t you?
Considering that Don Seiffert is a fan of left-wing Democrats and organizations like Fauxcahontas Warren, Boston City Councilor Matt O’Malley, GLSEN, Somerville Mayor Joe Curtaphony and Kim Driscoll, I have a tough time believing you when you say he endorsed candidates not backed by the Newton PIG.
As for Andy, he has helped create a culture of editorial balance that was lacking under Emily, Gail, Don and yourself. I don’t have to agree with him 100% of the time in order to know that he’s done a much better job in 5 weeks than what Greg/Gail/Don/Emily did in 14 years. I don’t apply strict litmus tests to people, but rather a comprehensive body of work. Your body of work shows a consistent track record of supporting overrides and candidates backed by the Newton PIG.
I prefer participating on Newton neighborhood listservs (or Google Groups) these days better than this blog, because there is an underlying current that participants may not personally attack people and the discussion is limited to the topic not the people. This childish behavior will be the death of any blog.
Janet – I was skewered on one of those listservs for expressing an opinion that wasn’t in keeping with agenda of the usual participants. If you agree with the majority opinion, you’re fine but to say that they’re open to a wide spectrum of opinion is simply not accurate.
On this blog, I’m definitely in the minority perspective but I rarely feel attacked, perhaps because it addresses issues of interest to the entire community. As an example, Mike Striar and I disagree on 40B issues but are in complete agreement on the need for access to medical marijuana, and we feel passionately about both issues. Those are issues that affects the entire community. You’re less likely to find that type of agreement/disagreement on a listserv that’s focused on the issues of a smaller segment of the community.
Jane – a lot of that depends less on neighborhood vs. all-Newton and more on the people who moderate the listservs. I’m an email listowner (not Newton-related) and have very strict rules for civility. We can have active disagreements but personal attacks or blanket statements about groups of people are absolutely forbidden and will get people set to moderated status. Once a tone of civility has been set, it becomes somewhat self-sustaining and I seldom have to pull out my mallet.
To make a long and complex story short, the bulk of the blame for the errors Tom Sheff referred to above, is mine.
Count me among those who’ll probably never be influenced by Andy Levin, for the simple reason that I’m afraid to visit the Tab website.
In the past it was because of those annoying “up-to-the-minute” popups with useless entertainment news blocking out the article that you’re trying to read, as well as a general proliferation of advertising that seemed to far outweigh the content.
But tonight, holy camoley! No sooner had I typed in the URL than I was accosted by the most obnoxious ad ever, something served up by an advertising firm called “Undertone,” which took over the whole screen for 15 seconds and offered no way out. I didn’t even understand what it was advertising – frozen food or something – but it basically crashed my computer. No thanks!
@Jane (et al)
All I’m saying is that comment like:
only invites equally unproductive digs like this:
can simply make readers uncomfortable or unwelcome to participate. For what it’s worth, both parties chose to participate in personal attacks and do not provide useful statements of your perception of Andy Levin’s positions.
Janet-I like Andy and just posted a thumbs up to him on the Tab blog. Don’t know where you got the impression I had a negative impression of him or his positions.
I don’t know why this hasn’t yet been noted, but the comment from Andy hoping that Newton would not remaining “the sleepy suburb of 20 years ago” is way off the mark. I’ve been here on and off for almost 80 years. Never, in all that time, has Newton been a sleepy village. During the 1950’s Life Magazine ranked Newton High as the 2nd best High School in America, just behind one in Pennsylvania. In the 60’s and 70’s, we were national leaders in the nascent environmental and antiwar movements, years before these became mainstream causes. You may have issues with both of these causes, but they never would have taken root in a sleepy village. We also have one of the best public libraries in Massachusetts and several of my friends from other communities come here just to use these facilities. We have impressive cultural and arts institutions that date from 20 to 30 years ago including New Art and the New Philhamonic which has branched off from the Newton Symphony Orchestra. These are truly great cultural institutions where amateur performers reach levels very close to what our major regional and national musical and artistic groups achieve. Again, these didn’t evolve in a sleepy village.
Living in one of Newton’s villages means that (with the possible exception of Echo Bridge in Upper Falls), there is no mental picture of a single structure, building or home seen as representing the entire village. The villages of Newton each have their own rhythm and style and perhaps that is where Andy formed an image of “the sleepy village”. I firmly believe that much of what has made Newton is a combination of a great and “dynamic set of villages and involved talented citizenry and that the core of this has been generated within the City itself.
The point here is that it’s the people of Newton and not the physical structures here that has made this City so dynamic and so cutting edge over the years. I cringe when I hear the word “progress” used as casually as it was in this editorial. I don’t know anyone in or outside of Newton Government that doesn’t recognize that certain forms of change are both necessary and inevitable in the future as they have been in the past. There are too many instances in the past when leaders have separated the wheat from the chaff and then foolishly burned the wheat. And they did it all in the name of progress. This topic deserves more thought and vision
Bob, thank you for taking care of that! I think the main reason I didn’t bother to respond to that “sleepy” comment was that I assumed Andy Levin must not have actually been here 20 years ago, and assumed that anyone who has would assume the same. I not only grew up here, but have been here continuously for 26 years and have never been bored!
Bob Burke, very well said. Like Julia Malakie, I did not bother to respond to his “sleepy” comment and also his “change is inevitable” comment. I just put Andy in that group of people, who move here, and then want to make it more like Brookline or Cambridge for selfish reasons.
I have lived in Newton for 50+ years. I grew up here. I raised a family here. I had the choice to move elsewhere if Newton was not the type of place where I wanted to live. Newton has continued to evolve over the last half century to meet the current needs of the residents. I have minimal favorable thoughts about people, who move here and then want to change it to be something else.
I do not consider Andy a positive addition to the TAB.
Patrick, FWIW, Andy Levin grew up here and seems to be the third generation of his family to live in Newton and raise their family here.
http://newton.wickedlocal.com/article/20141021/NEWS/141029231/?Start=2
Although I have a different opinion than Andy regarding Austin Street, I recognize that Andy has brought editorial balance to the TAB and I don’t necessarily have to agree with everything he says, thinks or writes.
The only reason why I have expressed concerns about the Greg/Gail/Don/Emily era of the TAB is because they had a consistent track record of supporting more taxes, more government spending, more government power and a consistent track record of endorsing candidates whose ideology aligns with these policies.
Joshua, you are entitled to be excited about the addition of Andy Levin to the Tab; we each can have our own opinion. He brings balance only if you include historical editorial content. I do not see his individual position as balanced based on his few editorials. Has he shared his views on “supporting more taxes, more government spending, more government power and … endorsing candidates whose ideology aligns with these policies”?
Andy may be a 3rd generation Newtonian, yet based on his own telling of his life’s story, he has lived about 60% of his life (mid teenage years to 2010) outside of Newton (about 33 years).
His initial editorial indicated he was glad to be back living in Newton. He stated that “the city retains its essential character of being the best place in Metro Boston to raise a family”. He also stated “Together, I hope we can make the TAB an even better publication and Newton an even better place to live”. I took him at his word that he wanted to continue emphasizing those characteristics of Newton that makes it the best place in Metro Boston to raise a family. Based on his views and comments in his editorials so far, we have different definitions of what makes Newton the best place. JMO.
Patrick, so far, Andy has articulated his opposition to the grocery bag ban in an editorial.
Although he is no fan of leafblowers, he does not support the proposed leaf blower ban.
I checked out his editorials at the Chelmsford paper and they confirmed my thesis in Andy’s editorially balanced approach.
Thanks Bob for agreeing with my post. Lost in my words, I called him on the sleepy suburb 20 years ago comment along with calling everyone opposed to the 81 apartment no longer existant proposal worrisome, anxious and stuck.
@Marti. Mea culpa. I see you did question “sleepy village” before my comments, but it perhaps deserved repeating.
BTW. Everyone was asking about you at last night’s blogger’s get together. I’m also sorry that more people from the right hand side of the political spectrum didn’t show up.
No problem, Bob. I was actually thanking you for bringing it up again. (I know, on this board, sometimes it impossible to tell) I can get verbose and my points are many times lost in the verbiage. So I’m glad you pointed it out.
I was planning to come to the party but alas I ended up with no one to come with and wasn’t brave enough to attend alone. Another time I’m sure. You could have put a space between me and the “right side of the political spectrum. Although I doubt anyone whose read my comments would get confused.
Surely the jury is still out on Andy Levin. He knows he has a very competent, though stretched out reporter in Jim Morrison. Let’s see whether Andy can get the powers-that-fund to direct enough dollars to cover Newton with an adequate number of reporters. Let’s see whether those reporters are advised/directed to cover meaningful political events fully. Let’s see whether Andy explores and expands on citizen input and how quickly identified he might become with one political party, persuasion or philosophy. Will he depend on distant “experts” to shape his opinions or will he dig for the answers to change and its effects right here in our Villages, listening to and reporting the visions that at least two of our Villages have begun to articulate for themselves with the City’s blessing (Newton Highlands and Waban)? Will Andy see the value of communication and participation in City government through Neighborhood Area Councils as equally vital as through the Board of Aldermen’s Committees? And most important of all, will Andy be savvy enough to read Village 14?