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Representing the 4th: A Conversation with Barney Frank, Joe Kennedy III, and Jake Auchincloss

Map of the Massachusetts Fourth Congressional Distrrict

A virtual event presented by the League of Women Voters of Newton

Representing the Fourth:

A Conversation with Barney Frank, Joe Kennedy III, and Jake Auchincloss

March 9, 2021

7:00-8:30 pm via Zoom

Register now

For almost 50 years, our Congressional representative from the MA 4th District has been a Newton resident. Join us to hear from the three most recent, whose collective time in Congress dates back to 1981. Learn about their experiences in Congress, how the district has changed, the challenges of representing such a diverse group of cities and towns, how being from Newton influences their representation in Congress, and more.

This conversation will be moderated by long-time journalist and Newton resident, Gail Spector. Questions for the three Representatives can be submitted in advance to the LWVN.

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Video of Roundtable Discussion on the Preservation and Use of Crystal Lake

Crystal LakeOn February 22, 2021, LWVN hosted for a Roundtable Discussion on the Preservation and Use of Crystal Lake to explore how to balance the competing interests regarding Crystal Lake – the preservation and sustainability of the Lake, and the use and enjoyment of the Lake by the general public.

The discussion began with a presentation by the Crystal Lake Conservancy on the environmental sustainability of the Lake, and went on to explore questions such as:

  • How the rules and regulations regarding the use of the Lake for swimming, boating and fishing compliment the environmental concerns regarding the use of the Lake?
  • How do they compete with those environmental concerns?
  • Do the current rules and regulations concerning the use of the Lake best meet the desires of the general public to use the Lake as a resource for recreation?

 

Newton Special Election – Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Recently, two seats on Newton City’s Council became vacant due to the untimely death of City Councilor Allan “Jay” Ciccone, Jr. and the election of City Councilor Jake Auchincloss as U.S. Representative to Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District.  A special election will be held to fill these seats:

  • City Council – Ward 1 At-Large
  • City Council – Ward 2 At-Large

Date of Special Election

The election will take place on Tuesday, March 16, 2021.   Read more below for information about the candidates, to date, who have announced their decision to run and on how to plan your vote.

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Saying Thank You and Good-bye – A conversation with outgoing City Clerk David Olson

In the last few days before his retirement, I had the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with David.  Twenty years ago, he came to Newton from the House of Seven Gables to lead Historic Newton, which was housed in the Jackson Homestead.  In 2005, at the time of Ed English’s retirement, David applied for the position of City Clerk and Clerk of the Board of Aldermen (now City Council) and became the eighth City Clerk in Newton’s history.

Let’s now learn about David and how he approached this new and intriguing opportunity to work with the Newton community and others in City Hall.  He brought leadership, innovation, and a focus on talent development to the Clerk’s office that it had not seen before, especially to the Elections Office.  The City Council and the Executive Department will miss David, and so will I!

Thank you, David for all that you have done for Newton!  You are leaving big shoes to be filled.

Marcia Johnson

 

The League Presents: VOTE16 Newton

January’s The League Presents features a discussion with Newton North High School junior Olivia Pozen and Newton North High School senior Coral Lin, co-chairs of Vote16 Newton, a non-partisan, student run campaign dedicated to lowering the voting age in Newton to 16 years.

Olivia and Coral, as one of their advocacy projects,* are working alongside several other students to pass Vote 16 through a home rule petition in Newton. Together with City Councilor Bill Humphrey, Olivia approached the LWVN about having a show on the Vote16 initiative. LWVN has not yet taken a position on the proposed home rule petition.

Read more →