We are councilors who happen to be women- enough already!

We are councilors who happen to be women- enough already!

This is a guest blog post submitted by Ward 6 City Councilor Brenda Noel

After the city council vote on July 9th on #312-18 “Citizens Petition requesting ballot question on recreational marijuana establishments and its subsequent vote to not allow for it to be on the ballot”, I received several emails accusing me of voting “as a block” with the other female councilors. This offends me to my core- so let’s take a moment to

Greenberg:  “…get together was …about the appropriateness of the way women were being treated’

Greenberg:  “…get together was …about the appropriateness of the way women were being treated’

Jenna Fisher at Newton Patch has just posted a story about the anonymous open meeting law complaint against 11 female Newton City Councilors, including this explanation from Councilor Maria Greenberg

“The purpose of the get together was just to speak about the appropriateness of the way women were being treated [in the Chamber],” said Councilor Maria Scibelli Greenberg. “We didn’t know what the protocol was there. We wanted to get together with the experienced councilors and ask them how we could handle it in the future.”

She described the event as social gathering to vent and commiserate. “I guess

Did PS&T rush (and try to hush) new parking rules? Listen and decide

There’s been a lot of discussion on this thread here and this thread here about proposed changes to Newton’s overtime parking rules.

Here’s the minutes and the audio from the City Council’s March 23rd Public Safety and Transportation meeting* where this proposal was approved to be sent to the full city council for a vote. (Deliberation of the proposed parking rule changes came nearly two hours into the meeting)

After listening to it, I can’t help but get the impression that the discussion was rushed and the committee was tired and anxious to pass the proposal without a lot of debate. I’d be interested in hearing if others reach the same conclusion.

Particularly rushed is the deliberation over the proposal’s mos

We are councilors who happen to be women- enough already!

Noel to Mountain: This president does not have your back

Newton City Councilor Brenda Noel had a must-read column in this week’s TAB this week written in the form of a letter to Newton Republican City Committee Chair and frequent TAB columnist Tom Mountain.

As someone who I hope puts country before party, Tom my friend, this guy is not worth jumping on the sword for. He is destroying your party and taking the country with it. Take the heat for Mitt Romney, Bill Weld, Colin Powell, people that wouldn’t abandon you in a fox hole, but not this

VIDEOS: Stories from our candidates (and others)

Friday night something very special happened here in Newton.  Seventeen candidates for elected office walked up to a microphone and shared a five minute personal story to a crowd of 150 people at Gregorian Rugs.  The stories were funny, poignant, heartbreaking, emotional, scary and everything in between.

Thanks to Maureen Reilly-Meagher and Walter Frankel devoting their Saturday to the effort, we now have the video edited and those stories available for all of you.

Friday night’s Nomad Story Slam was a non-political event in the middle of the most heated part of a political season.  For most people, getting up and telling a personal story to a crowd of strangers is a daunting task.  For candidates for public office it is twice as daunting and we are thrilled that so many stepped to the microphone.

Friday night we asked the audience to refrain from any bit of negativity.  Enjoy the stories or not.  We encouraged them to cheer on the storytellers if they liked but absolutely no hissing, booing or heckling.  The audience was wonderfully compliant with that simple request.  I’m going to ask the same of all of you here on Village 14.

Just as I brandished a large hook on Friday night.  I’ll brandish a small Delete key tonight.

Enjoy the stories for what they are and continue all the campaign comments on the many other Village 14 threads … and never the twain shall meet.

Many many thanks to Gregorian Rugs, our video crew, the Newton Nomadic volunteers, the audience, but most of all to the storytellers.  Click on the names below.  Enjoy.

Ted Hess-Mahan – co-host and outgoing City Councilor
Anping Shen – candidate for School Committee
Deb Crossley – candidate for City Council
Andreae Downs – candidate for City Council
Eileen Sandberg – candidate for School Committee
Janet Sterman – candidate for City Council
Matt Miller – candidate for School Committee
Jake Auchincloss – candidate for City Council
Susan Albright – candidate for City Council
     — intermission —
Amy Sangiolo – co-host and outgoing City Councilor
Jim Cote– candidate for City Council
Jerry Reilly – Newton Nomadic Theater
Ruthanne Fuller – candidate for Mayor
Margaret Albright – candidate for School Committee
Scott Lennon – candidate for Mayor
Nicole Castillo – candidate for City Council
Brenda Noel – candidate for City Council
Brian Yates – candidate for City Council
Andrea Kelley – candidate for City Council
Vickie Danberg – City Councilor bonus story