Government

Sen. Brownsberger, Rep. Lawn Hosting Forum on GMO Foods

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Legislators in the Second Suffolk and Middlesex district will hold a free public forum on the labeling of genetically modified food on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 7-9 p.m. at the Watertown Middle School Auditorium, 68 Waverley Ave., Watertown, State Sen. Will Brownsberger’s office announced. The forum features four academic panelists with various perspectives on GMOs. Attendees will hear substantive information on the science, economics, legal and regulatory frameworks, and health and environmental impacts of GMOs. Following presentations by each of the panelists, there will be time for audience questions and comments.

Around Town

Drivers Beware of New Traffic Patterns at Intersection on Common St.

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger warns drivers to be aware of changes to in the traffic lights at an intersection near the Watertown-Belmont line due to work on Trapelo Road. Brownsberger recently published this post on his website:

Change is hard and important change has happened at the intersection of Common Street and Trapelo Road. It used to be that traffic with a green light on Common Street could turn left.  Only one direction of Common Street had the green at a time. Now there are separate signals for left and straight. Both directions of Common Street go green for left turn at the same time now.

Letters

LETTER: Good Transportation News From Sen. Brownsberger, Rep. Hecht

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With the arrival of cooler weather, thoughts are turning to the coming winter and avoiding a repetition of last year’s transportation woes, especially on the MBTA. The Baker Administration and the legislature did a lot of work on that issue this spring and summer and overall the results were good – a strong MBTA budget (with substantial investments in storm readiness) and new authority and tools for the Governor to make good on his pledge to fix the T.

But as important as it is to fix what we already have, meeting the transportation needs of our area will require much more. Rapid development, changing demographics, and climate change mean we need to think creatively about improvements that will make our transportation system a truly positive factor for our economy and communities. Last week saw important progress in that direction for two of Watertown’s key transportation corridors. First, the state put out to bid a study for the Mount Auburn Street/Fresh Pond Parkway area.

Government

Homeless Advocates Call for More Affordable Housing in Area

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More affordable places to live in are will help relieve the growing problem of homelessness in and around Watertown, said participants in the forum called “The Many Faces of Homelessness.” The community forum, held at Belmont’s St. Joseph’s Parish, was organized by the TriCommunity Coalition to end Homelessness – a joint effort by groups in Watertown, Belmont and Waltham. Watertown has a good stock of affordable housing, with 745 affordable units under the Watertown Housing Coalition, said executive director Brian Costello. It can take several years to get into the housing, Costello said, and and getting worse.

Business

Rep. John Lawn Working to Make Pleasant Street Part of New District

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The west end of Watertown has undergone a building boom, but lacks some services, so State Rep. John Lawn is working to bring that part of Watertown together with nearby areas of Newton and Waltham to create the Charles River Mill District. 
Lawn spoke about the effort during the Watertown Belmont Chamber of Commerce’s State of the Towns Breakfast on April 2. His district includes precincts in all three communities, and Lawn has met with leaders in each one. Lawn has been in discussions with Watertown Town Council President Mark Sideris, Newton Mayor Setti Warren and Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy about the new district. The area would include the Pleasant Street Corridor in Watertown, the Chapel Street are of Newton and River Street to Moody Street in Waltham, Lawn said. “We want to promote the area for business and create a stronger voice for state assistance for maintenance and MBTA services,” Lawn said.

Government

See When You Can Meet With Sen. Brownsberger at the Watertown Library

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Senator Will Brownsberger will hold office hours in Watertown from 12:30-1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 4 in the café at the Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main Street. All are welcome to during this time to discuss issues, ask for help in dealing with state agencies, or talk about any other topic of concern. At all other times Senator Brownsberger can be reached at his State House office at 617-722-1280 or his cell phone at 617-771-8274. His email address is William.Brownsberger@masenate.gov. The senator’s website at willbrownsberger.com provides many details on his positions and is also a place for open dialogue and public feedback. Senator Brownsberger’s communications director, Jeanne Mooney, can be reached at the same office number.

Government

Residents Invited to Apply for Citizen’s Legislative Seminar

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger invites residents to apply to be part of the 74th Citizens’ Legislative Seminar (CLS). The seminar will be held this spring on Tuesday, April 28 and Wednesday, April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the State House. Each senator may nominate one constituent to participate. The CLS is a great opportunity for residents to get a firsthand look at how the legislative process works, and have a better understanding of state government. Sen. Brownsberger encourages constituents in the Second Suffolk and Middlesex District to apply to this two-day seminar.

Government

Sen. Brownsberger Seeking Summer State House Interns

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger announced this week that up to four part-time unpaid internships in his State House office will be available to students from his district for the summer of 2015. Legislative internships offer students a wide variety of experiences including issue research, constituent service, legislative work and budget tracking. Daily seminars on different aspects of state government are scheduled by the Senate. Internships are open to undergraduate college students and to high school students who will have completed their sophomore year. All applicants must have a permanent residence in the senator’s district which includes Watertown.