West Newton residents Jason and Angela Falchuk hosted a houseful on April 25 at a Meet-the-Candidate mixer for Evan Falchuk, running as the United Independent Party (UIP) nominee for Governor of Massachusetts.
Just 25 percent of the registered voters in the city turned out for yesterday's special Senate primary.
Falling in line with the rest of Massachusetts, Newton voters supported U.S. Rep. Edward Markey (D-5th) and Former U.S. Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez in yesterday's special Senate primary election. Here in the Garden City, Markey handily defeated U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-8th), taking 85 percent of Newton votes in the Democratic primary, according to the Newton Election Commission's unofficial results. Meanwhile, Gomez took 54.5 percent of Newton votes in the Republican primary, defeating former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan and State Rep. Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk). Overall, the unofficial results show that 25 percent of Newton voters made it to the polls yesterday, or 13,731 voters of a total 55,409 registered in the city. Gomez and Markey …
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Considering public office? Helping someone run for office? Interested in how local campaigns work? The League of Women Voters of Newton and the Newton Election Commission will host a forum on running for office.
The House's transportation finance plan would mean new taxes — but not nearly as many new taxes as Gov. Patrick's $1.9 billion plan.
$500 million in new taxes. That's what the Massachusetts House of Representatives approved in a late-night vote Monday for its plan to make sorely needed improvements in Massachusetts roads, bridges and public transportation. As reported by the Associated Press, the House approved the bill 97-55 after more than 10 hours of debate. It includes a gas tax hike of 3 cents per gallon and increased tobacco taxes. But that House bill is scaled back significantly from Gov. Deval Patrick's plan to bring in $2 billion in new revenue to help fund transportation and education. Among other measures, Patrick's plan calls for a hike in the state income tax. So, how did the Newton legislators vote on the House bill? Both 11th Middlesex Rep. Kay Khan …
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5:16 am on Saturday, April 13, 2013
How did Newton Lawmakers vote ? None really believes that a liberal Democrat from Newton is going to vote against a tax hike. Representative Khan is priceless when she says "sometimes measures have to be dealt with "slowly and incrementally." Newton lawmakers should just leave a standing vote of YES to any bills that call for a new tax. Fiscal responsibility is heresy more ›
The Ward 1 race is wide open this year, as current Ward 1 member Geoff Epstein is not running for a third term.
Vernon Street resident Ellen Gibson announced Friday she will run for the open Ward 1 School Committee seat in this November's municipal election. In a press release issued yesterday, Gibson touted her work in the Newton Public Schools as well as her experience as a parent teacher organization member, attorney and human resources director. The Ward 1 School Committee seat will be a wide open race in the fall, as current Ward 1 member Geoff Epstein announced late last year he will not run for a third term on the committee. Gibson has worked in the past as a special education aide in kindergarten and first grade classes at Underwood and Franklin elementary schools, the press release said. She has also spent time on a number of parent teacher…
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The Newton Board of Aldermen officially approved Howard Mintz as the new Newton Police chief.
1. Changes to outdoor cafe furniture ordinance After voting "no action necessary" last month, the full board reconsidered changes to the outdoor cafe furniture ordinance Monday. After making a motion to reconsider, the full board approved the ordinance changes. The changes, which were proposed by Planning Department Director Candace Havens, Health Dept. Commissioner Dori Zaleznik and Inspectional Services Commissioner John Lojek, aim to streamline the permit process for cafe sidewalk furniture. The new ordinance requires the sidewalk furniture permit request to go through the Health Department, rather than the Public Works department. The item was previously approved by the Zoning and Planning, Programs and Services and Public Facilities…
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Newton resident Tom Sheff recently ran for Governor's Council in District 3.
The Massachusetts Independent Party recently announced that Newton resident Tom Sheff has been hired as the party's first public relations officer. Sheff recently ran for the District 3 Governor's Council seat in November, but was defeated by Democrat incumbent Marilyn Petitto Devaney. In a press release issued by Sheff last week, Party Chair John Valianti said he and the party are "glad to have [Sheff] aboard." "We watched Tom run for office and were impressed with his transparency and his ability to communicate his positions with news sources and supporters," Valianti said in the press release. In the past, Sheff has also run for Newton mayor and Ward 8 alderman-at-large. "I am really thrilled to be part of the Massachusetts Independent…
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Board of Aldermen President Scott Lennon currently holds the Ward 1 seat, but has announced he wil be running for Ward 1 alderman-at-large.
Chapel Street resident Alison Leary announced this week she is running for the Newton Ward 1 alderman seat currently held by Board President Scott Lennon. Lennon, who has served as Ward 1 alderman for 11 years, announced last month his plans to run for the Ward 1 alderman-at-large seat left open after the death of Alderman Carleton Merrill. In a press release issued Thursday, Leary highlighted her work as a member of the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club, as the co-chair for the Environmental Committee for the League of Women Voters Newton and as a member of the Newton Conservators Board of Directors. “My active involvement in Newton civic life has shown me that a committed group of individuals can have a tremendous positive impact on…
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12:28 pm on Saturday, March 23, 2013
Great credentials. She will fit right in, maybe she should run for governor or maybe president. more ›
Newton voters will head to the polls a total of five times in 2013.
After several debates on whether to actually hold the election, the Newton Board of Aldermen Monday night approved the date for a special election to fill the vacant Ward 1 alderman-at-large seat. The special election will be held Tuesday, June 25, 2013, and will piggyback on the special Senate election held the same day. Because it is an at-large seat, the special election will be held citywide. Ward 4 Alderman-at-Large Lenny Gentile, who has argued against holding the special election, urged his colleagues Monday night to reconsider the Election Commission's recommendation to skip the special election. "As the chairman of [the Finance Committee] and as a taxpayer, I do not think this is a wise way of spending taxpayer dollars," Gentile …
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Mayor Setti Warren, Superintendent David Fleishman, School Committee Chair Claire Sokoloff and other city officials held a post-override press conference Wednesday to thank voters for supporting the override and to talk about the upcoming projects.
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4:13 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
It was "historic" in the sense that by persauding 17% of the voters to raise taxes on the other 83%, they covered over the real reasons that caused the need for an override - salaries and benefits rising too quickly, ever rising pension costs @ 8% of the budget, longevity bonuses in excess of $1 million per year and $6 million per year for subsidized health insurance for 1,130 retirees. Until the… more ›
Choo Choo
11:14 pm on Wednesday, May 1, 2013
If the Repub city comm and its ward commitees are an indicator of hos other Repubs voted, then the Repubs have shot themselves in the foot, again. Tea-partiers and misogynists destroy any near-term gdowth fod tns GOP. more ›