Former Newton School Staffer Announces Run for Ward 1 School Committee

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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Newton Aldermen Approve Date for Ward 1 Special Election

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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Newton Board of Aldermen Delay Decision on Ward 1 Special Election Date

The board will take up the special election item at its next meeting on March 18.

The Newton Board of Aldermen Monday night agreed to postpone its vote on whether to hold a special election for the vacant Ward 1 alderman-at-large seat in conjunction with the June 25 special Senate election.  The aldermen will take up the item again at its next full board meeting on Monday, March 18.  After a lengthy debate last month on whether to hold the special election, the full board rejected the Election Commission's recommendation to skip a special election for the Ward 1 alderman-at-large seat, which was made vacant with the death of Alderman Carleton Merrill.  Following the Feb. 19 vote, the Programs and Services Committee docketed an item asking to hold the Ward 1 special election on June 25, piggybacking it with the special …

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Scott Lennon Announces Bid for Newton Ward 1 Alderman-at-Large

Lennon currently serves as the Ward Alderman for Ward 1.

Ward 1 Alderman and Board of Aldermen President Scott Lennon announced Sunday his bid for the Ward 1 alderman-at-large seat.  In a statement emailed to Newton Patch Sunday afternoon, Lennon declared his candidacy for the seat recently vacated by Ward 1 Alderman-at-Large Carleton Merrill, who passed away last month. Lennon has served as the ward alderman in Ward 1 for 11 years and has held the board president position for the last two terms. Ward aldermen are elected only by the voters in their home ward, whereas aldermen-at-large are elected by voters across the city.  "Although I have been a ward alderman for all this time, I have always considered myself to be accessible and responsive to the entire city, and have consistently weighed …

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Adam Maleson

11:40 am on Monday, February 11, 2013

No election in which only one name is on the ballot should be considered vaild. That's not democracy, it's soviet-style sham elections. NO SHOE-IN CANDIDATES! No politicians without incentive to care about voters when there was no alternative candidates to choose from.   more ›

Allan Ciccone Sr. Says He'll Run for Newton Ward 1 Alderman-at-Large Seat

Ciccone previously served on the Board of Aldermen from 1991-2003.

It looks as though Rick Lipof is not the only one who would like to rejoin the Newton Board of Aldermen.  Former Alderman Allan Ciccone Sr., father of current Ward 1 Alderman-at-Large Allan (Jay) Ciccone Jr., told Newton Patch today he plans to run for the vacant Ward 1 alderman-at-large seat.  Ciccone, 73, previously served on the board from 1991-2003. He was the former vice chair of the Finance Committee and chair of the Public Safety & Transportation Committee, the subcommittee his son heads up now.  Ciccone said he only thought of running for the seat after last month's passing of Ward 1 Alderman-at-Large Carleton Merrill. But with a family history in Newton that goes back more than 100 years, Ciccone said he has kept tabs on the Board…

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Adam Maleson

2:25 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013

All these political clans are returning to the scene of their ongoing crimes. At what point do the Newton taxpayers and voters stand up and say toss these lying bums out, for good and forever? At what point have their horrid decisions cost Newton too many millions of dollars for you to continue ignoring the fact and pretending there's nothing wrong? Vote the Lipofs out, and keep them out. Vote …   more ›

Newton Election Commission Recommendation: No Special Election for Alderman Merrill's Seat

The Board of Aldermen will have to send a petition to the state legislature requesting the city forego a special election for the seat.

The Newton Election Commission decided Friday afternoon not to move forward with a special election for the vacant Ward 1 alderman-at-large seat and instead, wait until the general municipal election in November to fill the spot on the Newton Board of Aldermen.  Interim Election Commission Executive Secretary Peter Koutoujian Sr. told Newton Patch that the election commissioners have docketed an item recommending the Board of Aldermen vote to forego the special election, which will require the board to petition the state legislature.  The Ward 1 at-large seat was vacated late last month after the death of Alderman Carleton Merrill, who passed away on Jan. 23 at the age of 88.  Last week, Koutoujian told Newton Patch the potential special …

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Adam Maleson

2:37 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013

@Karia: all the people in Newton's corrupt political syndicate disagree with my assessment of everything under the sun. I am not bothered by that. I would be bothered if these lying crooks actually started agreeing with me.   more ›

You Ask, Patch Answers

How Will Newton Fill Alderman Carleton Merrill's Seat?

Newton Ward 1 Alderman-at-Large Carleton Merrill passed away on Jan. 23, 2013.

It will be a difficult task to replace the kind of dedication and service Alderman Carleton Merrill showed for his consituents, but the city will soon be faced with finding someone to fill the Ward 1 alderman-at-large seat.  So, how does the process work? According to the city's charter [Sec. 2-5 (a)], a special election must be held to fill the Board of Aldermen seat if the vacancy occurs within the first 15 months of the term. The current term started in January 2012.  Since the seat in question is an alderman-at-large position, the special election will have to be held city wide. Newton's Interim Election Commission Executive Secretary Peter Koutoujian Sr. told Newton Patch this week that the Election Commission will be meeting tomorrow…

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Geoff Epstein Not Running for Fourth Term on Newton School Committee

Epstein announced his plans Monday to retire from elected office after he finishes his current term.

The Ward 1 School Committee seat will be a wide-open race next fall.  Current Ward 1 School Committee member Geoff Epstein announced Monday his decision not to run for a fourth and final term on the School Committee. He will serve out the rest of this term (13 more months) and then retire from public office. "I have been actively involved in trying to improve the Newton schools for more than a decade, with the last five years as an elected official. Those years have, in my view, been very productive but also a constant battle for change in an environment which was initially quite hostile to that notion," Epstein said in a Dec. 3 email to Newton Patch.  Newton School Committee members are allowed to serve a maximum of four, two-year terms. …

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Janet Sterman

3:51 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012

A true loss to the Newton School Community. Geoff is a man of principle, long with being both passionate and compassionate as a School Committeeman. We will be fortunate if we elect someone with half of hisinsight and communication skills to serve our community.   more ›