Should Our Candidates Team Up?
It’s no surprise that many Newton voters find our elections confusing. So many good people running for so many positions. How do you decide? You can study each candidate and their positions. Everyone “should” do this, but it takes time and the information can be...How does Amy win?
The primary was a week ago, and most all of the comments on V14 felt that Amy’s Sangiolo’s chances of defeating Ruthanne Fuller in November were very slim. I tend to agree with that. Fuller has money, is conducting polling, and has the advantages of incumbency. Yet...City Councilor Newsletters – Who Does it Best?
It wasn’t long ago that these newsletters were the exception and not the rule. I don’t know who was first, but I personally credit Jake Auchincloss for setting a high standard, and using his newsletters to inform and educate on any number of issues. His newsletters...A Bold Move for Our New Police Chief?
I had the chance to listen to parts of the City Council Hearing that confirmed our new Chief of Police, John Carmichael. I Zoomed in as Councilor Baker asked what the new Chief would do to enforce the Leaf Blower ordinance? While I found the question an odd choice for...Governor Baker and Summer School – Shame On Us
Yesterday the Governor called for a “robust summer school program for students to help combat learning loss from the pandemic.” He also said that “if Mass. doesn’t have a robust summer school this year, shame on us.” This was reported...Now that the election is past, what does it mean for Newton going forward?
I found the election results really interesting. My very unscientific analysis showed Barash and Ranalli winning the “sign war”, yet the actual results went the other way. But what does it all mean? Will there be any shift in the City Council and does...Neighborhood Planning, Traffic Management & Road Design – Do We Really Know What We’re Doing?
With all of the election posts, and with the school opening issues in a stagnant (but still unsatisfactory) place, I thought I’d post something a bit different as a change of pace. As most readers of V14 probably know, the City has used the past year to make many...Hyflex at the High Schools – How’s It Going?
I wanted to post something a bit different from my normal, really aimed at our High School parents, but probably of interest to many. We’ve now been in “Hyflex” for 2 weeks which means for those of us with kids having chosen this option there have...On This Year’s Election for Mayor
Now that we’re well into 2021, I’ve been surprised that so little has been written about this year’s election for Mayor. I’m not always as well connected as are many of the regulars here, but I’ve personally heard very little about whether or not anyone will challenge...Is Translucent Government Okay?
When the School Administration announced that our High Schools would return to in person learning with 2 cohorts (not more), no information was provided about how many families chose in person vs. remote learning. This information still hasn’t been provided. ...The COVID Learning Shortfall and How to Address It?
I recently listened to an episode of Innovation Hub on WGBH, “How COVID Could Permanently Change Public Education”. One of the interviews was with Paul Reville of Harvard, the former Commonwealth Education Secretary under Governor Patrick. Afterwards I also came...
Crazy Divers: Men be like...
drivers man be like