My name is Brenda Noel and I am running for Ward 6 City Councilor.
Seven years ago, my husband, Dean Fairchild, and I made a very intentional decision to move to this vibrant city with our then-five-year-old twin girls, Martie and Ella. Why Newton? Easy. Our city is home to an incredible mix of people from all over the world, who somehow manage to come together to create a tight knit community. Families work hard to live in Newton. They are invested in all Newton has to offer, and they actively engage in the community. There is so much to be excited about in Newton right now. We have a lot to be proud of — and to sustain and grow — in this moment in time. I have eternal optimism that we can build consensus among us and creatively problem solve to maintain and enhance all that is great about Newton. As a first-generation college graduate with a Masters degree in Social Work and a passion for social justice and social change, I have experience in both the public and non-profit sectors. I have seen first-hand what hard work and commitment can achieve. I’ve witnessed it in different settings, and through different lenses—from my advocacy work for victims of crime and trauma, to my efforts to secure funding for programs serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, to the daily rewards and challenges of being a parent to two daughters. I am experienced enough to know that the solutions we seek for our city are complex and require a creative and thoughtful process that ensures all voices are heard. I assure you I am up for this challenge and energized by this opportunity. I would be honored to have your vote on November 7th. Please visit my webpage to learn more about me, or feel free to contact me to learn more about my campaign. I hope to see you soon in Ward 6! Best, 
Brenda
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It’s really exciting to see so many new people stepping up and running for office.
Brenda,
What is your vision of Newton 15 years from now?
– For it to look the same?
– increase the younger population?
etc etc?
@Bugek- so glad you asked. Newton has so much to offer, excellent schools, robust community life, strong values and compassion for our neighbors, it is an amazing place to live and work. As I said in my letter, folks work really hard to be here, often times extending themselves financially. They want to live here for all the aforementioned reasons. To continue to be the dynamic city that we are, we have to be mindful of the environment in which we live. My observations of our current city government is that folks are working really hard to adapt to the changing needs and hold on to all that makes Newton such an amazing place to be. As a City Councilor I will work to support policy that responds to the changing environment, while listening to my constituents and being mindful of our community values. So in 15 years- Newton will probably look a little bit different -but I am confident the values we share as a community and our commitment to each other will remain the same. I am thrilled to be joining this race and I welcome the chance to meet folks individually and learn about the different ideas that make us who we are.
best,
Brenda
Also, do we know which seat she is running for? Ward or at-large?
I’m especially happy to see so many energetic and talented women seeking office this year. Brenda, congrats on your decision to throw your hat in the ring.
@Rhanna- thanks for your kind words. @Chris Steele- the Ward 6 specific seat.
Further proof that this Chris Steele is not a spy. If he was, he’d already have a dossier on Brenda and would not need to ask.
@Brenda – Thanks, and also thank you for stepping up to run!
@Greg – Ha! I’ve been on the phone with MSNBC Media Relations already this am. Unrelated, also doing a lot of document shredding.
@ Brenda – Can you clarify and be more specific by what you mean by” Changing Environment ” And what specific policy’s will you be supporting to respond to this “changing Environment”?
And how do you see Newton Looking Different in 15 years.
@Joanne- I will be as specific as possible with the disclaimer that I don’t have a crystal ball into the future. ;0) This is a much larger conversation that I welcome in person but I will try to be brief.
What the data shows is the world we live in is becoming more diverse, in all the ways you can imagine- racially, culturally, economically, people are living longer and young adults are living at home longer. The economy is evolving impacting the make-up of the workforce. The way we teach our children is evolving and what our children need to know to be successful adults is changing. The way we commute and move around the city is changing.
Newton will have to adapt and be responsive to these changes to remain the vibrant city it is. That being said-the core values of our city will not change, this is what makes Newton such an amazing place to be.
Am I pro- development? I am definitely not anti-development. I have a social work background and I currently work at an organization that provides affordable housing in Newton for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental disabilities (nwwcommittee.org). Affordable housing is important to me. That being said- I would advocate for thoughtful development, (as far as I can tell that is the only kind of development Newton has to offer. ;0))
Do I care about the schools – absolutely- I have two 7th graders at Brown Middle School. I also recognize the pie is only so big and the city has many competing needs- so we need to be thoughtful and judicious with the city budget.
Infrastructure- yes- important- I hear many folks tell me about the current shape of the roads in Newton- see above- budget/pie issue- will look to my constituents to help me prioritize.
There are certainly more issues I can clarify my position on. I would welcome the chance to talk to folks further in person- don’t want to get too far ahead of myself and sometimes in person is much more effective-
Thanks for the opportunity to speak to this.
best,
Brenda
Brenda,
Thank you for the clarifications. I understand politicians have to parse their words very carefully. They often provide high-level statement which can be interpreted differently depending on the person listening.
Diversity: This certainly the future, but there are 2 days to embrace it. Allow it to occur naturally or to ‘force’ it to happen.
To allow natural: remove clear policies of discrimination (gender, political leaning, race, income)
To force it: Increase Metco, allow more poor students into Newton schools. Advocate low-income housing over middle income housing
Housing development:
You either let the market decide. Do you give equal priority to both low-income housing and middle class housing?
Thank you – I guess my confusion in your original post was with the word Environment which could be construed to mean The current Political Environment or Environmental issues. I just did not understand what your focus was.
I heard from Brenda yesterday and was impressed by our initial conversation. She has a kickoff this Saturday, I’m looking forward to meeting her. I imagine some others from V14 would be interested as well, I found the details on her website.
I will give Brenda strong consideration based on two things:
A statement: “Families work hard to live in Newton” –
I don’t think in all my years of living in Newton and following local politics(and running once) that i have ever heard a candidate say this. A short, eloquent statement that captured what few residents appreciate about a segment of our population.
A background fact: A first generation college graduate. My contacts almost fell out when i read this. Yes, there are first generation college graduates among us, myself included.
I have never heard a candidate say this either, that i can remember.
Some words of advice:
Stick to generalities, not specifics. Obama did it, Hillary did it and Trump did it. Thats a fact.
My work required i sit through an ungodly amount of political speeches by these 3, and other than awful catchphrases, slogans, soaring rhetoric, robotic rhetoric and blowhard rhetoric, there were few if ever any details or specifics.
Most likely the platforms of the candidates you run against, including any incumbents, will be detail free. Boilerplate platitudes are the best way to get elected, you wont offend or alienate anyone and you’ll stay below the radar. Don’t box yourself in and be careful with whom you share your ideas with. If you present a good idea, you will be co-opted, and if you share an unpopular idea, you will be crucified. If you give your opponents a
stick, they will beat you over the head with it. Don’t play the gotcha game with the Village 14 folks. Greg, Gail and the rest of the former TAB employees and blogger-journalists and sock puppets that have never, and will never run for office as you are will attempt to screw with you in order to bring eyeballs to this site. Don’t bite. Minimize your posting. Your opponents wont do it, and neither should you. Make all of your substantive campaign information and positions available to people that will come to see you IN PERSON, at forums campaign appearances etc.
Let people see and hear you so they can make their own judgements themselves and not filtered
through politically oriented websites like Village14.
Good luck. Keep your head up and watch your back. Newton politics aint beanbag, its bloodsport
Paul Green,
I’m not even sure if you are being sarcastic 🙂
In summary, be as vague as possible. Never concretely provide a written position, when giving your position face-to-face, if a camera or microphone is present then again be vague otherwise go into details.
Is this what politics has become?
@Paul: I think it’s easy to forget how many of us, even in Newton, come from so little. My grandfather wanted to be a lawyer, he was first in his class in high school but had to go right to work to support his mother and siblings. Familiar story, I’m sure.
So many of us, especially in a place like Newton, are living proof that the American dream was real for our families. For me, it’s a driving force to help make this more of a reality for the next generation. It really is falling out of reach for a lot of working families.
Brenda,
You moved to Newton because, Newton “is home to an incredible mix of people from all over the world, who somehow manage to come together to create a tight knit community.”
Where did you live before Newton? To what extent are the differences in the mixes of people in Newton versus where you lived before attributable (or not) to local government? To what extent should local government should get involved or not get involved in these issues?
@bugek-
When you prove that you have read and understood my post and have a question to ask that accurately addresses what i wrote, i will be happy to answer your question(s). Try again…..
Hope to see candidates come forward to run for School Committee. We need change on the Committee.
Paul – I’m of a generation before Bryan and his comment resonated with me. I’m a first generation college graduate. My father graduated from high school in 1929. Going to college wasn’t a choice for anyone other than the very wealthy at that point in history. But I remember being told as a preschooler that I was “going to college” and all my sisters and cousins did just that and more.