Seven veteran Newton City Councilors said good bye to their colleagues and constituents on Monday Dec. 19 in their final meeting before leaving the council. Several of these are extraordinary and recommended watching. Thanks to Jack Prior of Newton Watch for recording and sharing.
Jack has also posted photos here.
The Newton City Council will hold its final meeting of the 2015-17 term tonight which means it is also the final meeting for these seven councilors.
Each of the retiring members will be given five minutes to offer final remarks.
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
The Newton Republican City Committee and the Sons of the American Legion hosted the final mayoral debate between Ruthanne Fuller and Scott Lennon at the Post 440 on November 2, 2017.
The Boston Globe today had a great “dog bites man” headline. The story about last night’s final mayoral debate was titled “After testy week, Newton mayoral candidates agree they
Shirley Leung’s latest Boston Globe column begins….
As mayoral races go, this one was really boring. Until one candidate tried to stir up a little class antipathy, and instead started a gender war.
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Candidate Scott Lennon has just sent Village 14 this statement in response to an ad in today’s Newton TAB.
Many of you have seen the recent Newton TAB advertisement highlighting key differences between me and Ruthanne in this year’s mayoral contest. Some of that ad – specifically the point that I have been continuously employed for the past 20 years – has been taken out of context. I feel compelled to set the record straight.
I have the deepest respect for working families, and those whose primary job is to care for young children while balancing life in the workforce. I appreciate the sacrifices made each and every day by stay-at- home moms and dads, because I was raised by one
Candidate Ruthanne Fuller has just released this statement in response to an ad in today’s Newton TAB.
My opponent’s recent ad questioning my capacity to be both a mother and a leader shows a regrettable lack of understanding for those of us who work every day to balance family, career, and service to the community and for women who work – whether in paid or unpaid positions – and raise kids.
Last year, I declared my candidacy for Mayor of Newton because I am passionate about Newton’s future. I have a clear vision, a plan to make us an even better community, and the experience to deliver. My campaign has been and will continue to be
In a full page ad in today’s Newton TAB, candidate for mayor Scott Lennon takes a not-so-subtle jab at opponent Ruthanne Fuller’s less traditional history, saying:
I am the only candidate who has consistently held a full-time job for the last twenty years.
