Dear Neighbors,
Usually my newsletters are just about one topic, but last week was so eventful I thought I'd share some photos and stories.
ELECTION DAY
I'm grateful to the people of Cambridge, Medford, Somerville, and Winchester for electing me to another term in the Senate. I love my work, and I love meeting and representing such wonderful people. I appreciate all the people who answered their doorbells during the campaign, and talked to me about their concerns and their own work in our communities.
I'm also extremely grateful to all the volunteers who canvassed and phoned and donated to ensure the election of Democratic women to five of the six Constitutional offices in Massachusetts as well as the passage of Questions 1 and 4!
On Election Day, Governor-Elect Maura Healey joined Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, Representatives Christine Barber and Mike Connolly, Councilor Kristen Strezo, Marianne Walles and a crowd of well-wishers, including Brown School students who were having a bake sale.
Nationally, it's been a relief that the red wave didn't overwhelm the Senate! So many people in our state as well as others worked hard and donated to campaigns that kept the Senate blue.
BETTER BUS PROJECT
It has been amazing to see the incredible public interest in the Better Bus Project, both in favor of increased service and in opposition to proposed reductions. Over 300 people signed up for the first recent public meeting on Zoom, and no more could be admitted. The T scheduled another opportunity for comment; unfortunately I'm writing this too late to announce it. Clearly, frequent, reliable buses are a priority for our constituents.
Medford and Somerville contributed by far the most comments of any communities, and I was very happy to see the new plan addressed some of the most common complaints, restoring the 96, 87 and 89 routes.
The BBP team said they considered the problem of riders having to go up steep inclines to get to or from buses, and I hope they'll reconsider the lack of service via the 710 to the Heights in Medford, which has very steep slopes.
Learn more here: https://www.mbta.com/projects/better-bus-project
DROWSY DRIVING WEEK
Thanks to the advocacy of Somerville's Marian Berkowitz, and the support of AAA, we were able to get Gov. Baker to sign a proclamation of November 6-13 as Drowsy Driving Awareness Week.
Marian has worked hard to raise awareness of the dangers of drowsy driving. She says, "I lost my brother after he fell asleep at the wheel on a six hour journey alone from D.C. to his school in North Carolina.... The risk of fatigue related vehicle crashes may increase during the days following the clock change." That's why Drowsy Driving Week follows the clock change. Drivers who have slept for less than 5 hours can have a crash risk comparable to someone driving drunk. Even missing one or two hours of sleep can nearly double the risk of a crash. On the right, Marian and I hold the proclamation.
The Department of Transportation used its highway message boards during the week to remind people to take breaks, drink coffee, get a good night's sleep before a long trip.
More information from the CDC; the Drowsy Driving Prevention Project; or the National Sleep Foundation. I was particularly shaken by reading about microsleep.
LATINO EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Rep. Christine Barber and I were happy to congratulate Somerville City Councilors Beatriz Gomez Mouakad and Judy Pineda Neufeld on their recognition by the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus at their Latino Excellence Awards event. Last year, they became the first two Latinas elected in Somerville.
SOMERVILLE AND MEDFORD VETERANS DAY EVENT WITH VIETNAM MOVING WALL
I was so glad that Somerville and Medford held a joint Veterans Day ceremony indoors and outdoors at MGH Brigham in Assembly Row. A large and appreciative crowd from both cities watched Dilboy Post's long-time commander, Bob Hardy (photo on right) receive recognition.
When Somerville Veterans Service Director Ted Louis-Jacques asked veterans of particular conflicts to stand, former mayor Gene Brune rose as the only World War II veteran present. The photo on the left shows him with Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo Koehn, Rep. Mike Connolly and me.
Somerville was honored to host the 1/2 scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall for the weekend. Just seeing the 58,000 names is so moving, especially for those whose loved ones' names are there. Council President Matt McLaughlin described the initial controversy about the Wall, and why the wall is so meaningful. Other weekend ceremonies honored Gold Star families and Vietnam veterans.
"FIREMAN TONY" MCDAID SQUARE
Just a block from my house, the city dedicated the intersection of Dane and Village Streets as Pvt. Anthony McDaid Square. I met Tony, a Somerville firefighter, at his home on Beacon Street, shortly after he was disabled by inhaling toxic chemicals while responding to the horrific chemical spill in 1980. His experience always reminds me of the serious danger often faced by firefighters in the course of their duties.
Tony's daughter Katie McDaid, a Somerville police officer, talked about his dedication to service in the Marines and as a firefighter, and told stories about how he continued to serve our community by helping out neighbors.
FREE CLOTHING STORE BY MAMAS AND PADRES LATINOS
On Sunday, MAMAS (Mutual Aid Medford and Somerville) and Padres Latinos organized a free clothing store at the East Somerville Community School. Over a hundred families waited patiently, some for hours, for a turn to find clothes and shoes. The level of need in our communities is really sobering. MAMAS and Padres Latinos did a fantastic job of collecting and organizing the clothes, and then notifying families, largely through texts. I was so glad Councilor Gomez Mouakad invited Rep. Barber, Councilor Strezo and me to help!
"SMASHING THE PATRIARCHY"
A group of local activists organized this very fun fundraiser on Sunday for Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund at Aeronaut. You could buy possibly imperfect pots discarded by local pottery studios and smash them.
"THE WOMEN GATHER" AT THE STRAND THEATER
Finally, we were lucky to be able to see family members' art last week. Our daughter Wendy's ANIKAYA dance troupe performed The Women Gather at the Strand Theater in Dorchester. The dancers/singers speak different languages, come from different cultures and five continents, and vary in age, abilities, and experiences. Anikaya performs around the world; I was so happy this performance was local.
"ORLANDO" AT UMASS AMHERST
Our granddaughter Anika Nayak stage-managed the performance of Orlando, a play based on Virginia Woolf's novel. The acting, the set, the costumes, and of course the play were amazing. UMass Amherst has an outstanding technical theater department, which really prepares students for work in professional theater.
So that was the week that was.
Stay safe, stay well, and stay in touch,