Election 2021

LETTER: Councilor At-Large Candidate Seeks to Serve His Hometown

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John Airasian declared his candidacy for Town Councilor At-Large. My name is John Airasian and I hope to secure your vote for the Councilor At Large Race on November 2, 2021. I have lived in Watertown my entire life and have seen first-hand the extraordinary changes this community has gone through. I am a graduate of Watertown Public Schools (’95) and co-owner of Eastern Clothing also located here in East Watertown. My wife, Jackie, and I met here, and we have three boys: Vincent (11), Michael (10) and Jack (9).

District A

LETTER: Candidate Announces Run for District A Councilor, Seeks to Represent East End

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Nicole Gardner is running for District A Councilor. Dear District A Neighbors,

I’m running to serve as Watertown’s next District A Town Councilor because I love this town and the East End. 

When my husband David and I moved here five years ago to be closer to our kids, we really had no idea that the East End would offer so much: a close-knit community, a vibrant mix of cultural institutions, businesses, and restaurants, as well as beautiful public spaces like the river walk, Filippello Park, and Mount Auburn Cemetery. What a dream! Watertown is now at a pivotal moment. As you know so well, the incredible pace of development is bringing significant challenges as well as benefits to our community.

Anthony Donato

LETTER: Town Councilor Donato Won’t Seek Re-election, Proud of Council’s Work & Thanks Residents for Support

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Anthony Donato

Editor,

It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve on the Town Council, representing the hometown that means so much to me, but I have decided not to run for reelection this year. The decision to not run was more difficult to make than the initial decision to run a few years ago. Serving on the Town Council represents a significant time commitment and I am not currently in a position to make that commitment for another term. I am incredibly proud of the work the Town Council has accomplished during my tenure and I am excited about the groundwork we have laid for Watertown’s future. I am extremely grateful for all of the help and support I have received from Watertown’s residents, my colleagues on the Town Council as well as the Town’s Administration and Staff.

Connie Henry

LETTER: Town Council Candidate Hosts Listening Session

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Town Council candidate Connie Henry, right, held her first listening session in District D.

The Committee to Elect Connie Henry held the first Listening Session for District D residents on July 19th. Connie Henry, a candidate for Town Councilor, District D, values the opportunity to learn and listen from as many residents as possible early in the campaign and to provide a space for dialogue between neighbors. The event used a ‘World Cafe’ model with each of four stations (backyard tables!) focused on important topics: Development and Traffic, Green Spaces and the Environment, Education and Public Safety, and Equity, Inclusion and Communication. As they visited each station, participants generated ideas, concerns, and hopes and discussed them with one another, writing and drawing on large poster boards. It was a productive -and fun- evening.

Around Town

LETTER: School Mental Health Professional, Mother of 2 Running for School Committee

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Jessica Middlebrook announced her run for School Committee. She is shown with her two daughters at Watertown Town Hall. My name is Jessica Middlebrook and I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for Watertown School Committee. In the wake of the most disruptive and painful school year in living memory, our community needs experienced, empathic leaders who will build connections, foster difficult but important conversations, and work toward creating equitable school cultures where all students feel valued and safe. With my experience as a parent and school mental health professional, my strong progressive values, and my abiding love for our community, I know that I can help our schools work better for all our kids and families.  

My husband, David, and I have been residents of Watertown for the past 12 years. We were drawn here to start our family because of its diversity and caring, engaged community.

Environment

LETTER: Invasive Plant Spreading in Watertown, Poisonous to to Some Animals

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The blooms of the black swallow-wort. The plant is poisonous to butterflies and other animals. By Nicole Gardner and Douglas Hood

Black swallow-wort is a non-native, highly invasive plant that is poisonous to butterfly populations and other animals, and which toxifies the soil to benefit itself and harm other plants. We need to act right now to stop its spread and protect the Monarchs, other animals, and other plants. Black swallow-wort can be found all around Watertown, sprouting up through and even strangling lush well-established perennials and shrubs, along chain-link fences, in empty patches of dirt, or coming up between pavement cracks.

Elections

LETTER: Watertown Mother, Educator Running for School Committee

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School Committee candidate Jennifer Nicholson, her husband Ryan Nicholson (Assistant Fire Chief on the Watertown Fire Department), and their children. My name is Jennifer (Holt) Nicholson and as a lifelong resident of Watertown, I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for the Watertown School Committee. It would be a tremendous honor for me to serve with pride and give back to the community that has given so much to my entire family. My children, incoming third and first graders at Cunniff, are fourth generation students of Watertown Public Schools. My husband, who is currently Assistant Fire Chief for the Watertown Fire Department, and I both graduated from Watertown High School in 2003.

Letters

OP-ED: The Lavender Bamboo Ceiling — LGBT+ x AAPI Perspectives on the Workplace

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Jason Ng

By Jason Ng (he/him)Director of PRIDE, NAAAP Boston & Civil Engineer, Sasaki Associates

I’ll admit, it sounds weirdly specific to say I lead a group dedicated to LGBT+ Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) professionals. But on the heels of AAPI Heritage Month, in the thick of the growing #stopasianhate movement, and marching through Pride Month, this is our moment and we have a unique story to share. 

I write this piece to show you what I’ve gathered as common themes that affect LGBT+ AAPI individuals in the workplace. These stem from conversations with various folks I’ve met through my life and career, from personal experiences, and from my own NAAAP PRIDE team and community. However, I should clarify that this list cannot possibly encompass the vast diversity of LGBT+ AAPI experiences. I speak mostly from my perspective as a cisgender, gay, mixed Chinese- and Vietnamese-American man in the built environment industry, and it would be irresponsible to ignore the specific privileges and limitations of my worldview. 

Let’s dig into how these three aspects of identity overlap.