Newcomer
Brandel Unseats Samuelson
By Lesley Friday, staff writer
Newton TAB -- Nov. 6, 2007
Political newcomer Bill Brandel swept 14-year incumbent
Christine Snow Samuelson in the Ward 5 alderman election on Tuesday,
Nov. 6.
Brandel pulled in close to three times the number of votes as Samuelson,
with the final tally coming in at 1012 to 411.
At 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday night, with three of four precincts reporting,
Brandel already saw that the numbers fell in his favor.
Brandel repeated his team’s slogan from the beginning of the
campaign.
“If we worked really hard then we’d have a good chance,”
Brandel said. “I think it came down to all the hard work people
put into this.”
Before 9 p.m., Samuelson called Brandel to congratulate him on his
successful run.
“I am disappointed,” she said. “I had some great supporters.
I enjoyed serving the people of Newton."
Brandel congratulated Samuelson in turn for a hard-fought race. Although
they had their share of arguments, the reporter-turned-software industry
analyst said he appreciated her contribution to the community.
Young families could be seen wearing “Vote Bill” t-shirts
as they campaigned for Brandel.
For many people, including Brandel, this was the first time they got
involved in local politics.
Brandel called his campaign constructive and effective.<
“So many people responded to it,” he said. “It was
really very humbling.”
His strong showing in the polls proved people were saying they wanted
change. Tuesday night, they got it.
Still, Samuelson had no intention of leaving public life behind. “I
love this city, “ she said.
Asked if he planned to celebrate the victory, Brandel said: “Oh,
yeah!”
Next stop, Dunn Gaherins. |
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Brandel
for Ward 5 Alderman
Newton TAB editorial -- Oct. 24, 2007
In what is perhaps the most heated race in the city, we endorse
challenger Bill Brandel over incumbent Christine Samuelson. Brandel
is a newcomer who believes constituents in Ward 5 haven’t been
well served by Samuelson. We agree. While campaigning, Brandel has
done what Samuelson has neglected to do for years — he visited
the schools and the fire station in his ward and wore out a lot of
shoe leather connecting with neighbors. He would embrace his job with
a gusto that we’d like to witness.
Samuelson botched her relationship with constituents this winter when
the city was aiming to put parking meters in Waban Square. The TAB
was not at the meeting where many Waban residents (most of whom had
voted for Samuelson year after year) say they left feeling Samuelson
was preaching, instead of listening, and did not have their best interests
in mind.
We’re confident that Bill Brandel will listen.
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Help
wanted:
A Ward 5 alderman
By Bill Brandel, guest commentary
Newton TAB -- Oct 10, 2007
This election will determine whether Ward 5 will
have a strong advocate at City Hall in the decisive years to come.
We all know what lies ahead: Newton will soon decide whether we
will maintain or starve our schools and infrastructure; which schools
will get replaced or renovated; whether firehouses will be restored;
which playing fields will get fixed; how or whether we will honor
our obligations; and how we will pay for all of this.
As we face these issues, each ward will depend upon its ward alderman
to advocate for its issues and needs. The office of ward alderman
is unique in this way. Unlike the aldermen at-large, the ward aldermen
can be elected only by the residents of their ward. The purpose
of this arrangement is clear: The ward aldermen foremost serve
the people who elect them. Every ward deserves this level of
representation, and Ward 5 is no exception.
We now must ask: Who will advocate for us in Waban, Upper Falls
and Newton Highlands? I am stepping forward to run for Ward 5 alderman
to do precisely this.
What qualities should we expect from the ward aldermen? First, they
must listen to their constituents, whether they agree with them
or not. They must be accessible. With cell phones, e-mail, Web sites
and blogs, it has never been easier for public servants to communicate
with their constituents.
A ward alderman should be proactive to identify and solve problems,
not just react to them. The ward alderman is the advocate for the
ward. Like all public servants, the ward aldermen should demonstrate
respect for, and take direction from, the people who elect them.
My wife and I moved to Newton 15 years ago and have lived in the
Highlands since 1999. Our kids attend Zervas Elementary School and
participate in sports at various Newton facilities. We are intensely
invested in this community. My experience as a reporter, editor,
business and project manager, and market research analyst has shaped
me so that I ask tough questions, listen carefully, and weigh information
to determine the facts. Knowing the facts, I can then shape my views,
build consensus, and execute an endeavor to its completion. This
experience equips me to be a strong advocate for Ward 5 when we
need it most.
I believe that a ward alderman's performance is measured in one
word: Results. Our expectations for elected officials are framed
by the office for which they were elected to serve. Their performance
affects the condition of the facilities and the quality of the services
that residents have invested in, and upon which they depend. These
measurements include:
- The physical condition of the school buildings
in the ward, which the ward alderman must support through budgets
and other means;
- How and for whom the ward alderman works when
called upon to navigate parking and traffic issues that affect
the safety and congestion around village centers and the schools'
Blue Zones;
- How and whether they assist the principals, PTO
leaders, parents, and School Committee to help address overcrowding
and capacity in the ward's schools;
- Whether they fight for maintenance budgets that
fully meet the needs of the buildings, playing fields, and infrastructure
in the ward;
- Whether they demonstrate respect for the uniqueness
of each of the wards' community squares and neighborhoods; Whether
they use their vision and power of consensus-building to push
for development plans that are good for the community and enhance
our way of life;
- Whether they use all resources at their disposal
to ensure that the Ward's safety is secured by supporting and
properly equipping our public safety workers;
- Whether they demonstrate the necessary humility
to truly listen to all constituents, to respond, and to take action
to improve their own performance in office.
Public service is just that. This Nov. 6, we have
an election, a moment of accountability. We will choose whether
to continue the course we are on, or to look to a new voice, a fresh
perspective, innovative ideas, and a willingness to listen and learn.
This is why I am running for Ward 5 alderman. I ask for your support
and your vote.
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Newton
can regain its swagger
by taking action, responsibility
By Bill Brandel, guest commentary
Newton TAB -- Aug 22, 2007
Like many municipalities today, Newton has its challenges.
It's easy to respond to those challenges with cynicism or even paralyzing
indecision, but neither option is acceptable. Our success depends
on being proactive, which implies rejecting complacency and embracing
continuous improvement.
The term "proactive" was coined 60 years ago by Viktor Frankl, a
Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist who used the phrase in his classic
book, "Man's Search for Meaning." Proactive people, Frankl said,
are those who take responsibility for their lives, rather than looking
to others to solve their problems.
There are ways - all within our reach - that Newton could benefit
considerably by taking Frankl's message to heart:
Planning and Development. Not much good happens by accident
or without a plan. Take a look at Needham Street, which represents
25 percent of the city's commercial tax base. It could be much more.
Imagine an environment where you could stroll about, shop, have
dinner or see a movie. Waltham achieved this on Moody Street. Westwood
Station is proceeding nicely. We could do it here. Intelligently
planned commercial and mixed-use development could provide an effective
commercial district and community base. Many plans have been unveiled
for this area, and just as many excuses have been made for not doing
them. It is time to rally around a plan and lay the groundwork to
see it through.
Infrastructure Maintenance. Replacing school buildings, fire
stations, playing fields and parks is very expensive, but maintenance
costs just pennies on the dollar. We will feel the pinch from our
lack of action this fall when the Newton North fields come off-line.
The same amount of kids and sports activities will now stress fewer
fields that already suffer from inadequate upkeep. More soccer games
will be cancelled because of field conditions, while football players
will be ankle deep in mud by October. Meanwhile, in Somerville and
Chelsea, their games will be played on pristine facilities. These
aren't huge capital items or painful decisions. It just requires
valuing our infrastructure enough to do what it takes to keep it
up to date and working well.
Capacity Management. We have been told we need to build four
new schools, while the state says to pick one to fix. Here's an
idea: Ask our school principals what they think would make a difference
in the schools they run. Those improvements might not cost as much
as we think. For example, merely leveling the aged auditorium floor
at Countryside could provide desperately needed space and a multipurpose
facility. At the same time, it would greatly enhance the educational
and community experience. Another idea: Instead of trying to rebuild
every school, select and expand the capacity of a few centrally
located schools to relieve pressure on all of them. We must start
taking action to address our capacity constraint before - not after
- it happens.
Motivate Personnel. Nothing says more about a city's values
than how it treats it employees. Take the initiative and tour the
Eliot Street fire station or visit the teachers' lunch room at Angier
or Zervas. Are these the best-equipped workers in the state? Would
you take a job to work in these conditions? Anyone who has managed
people knows that boosting employee morale is not just the right
thing to do; it also improves the performance yield.
Vote. Finally, we can all be more proactive as citizens.
Give voice to your opinion. In Ward 5 alone, the alderman gets the
support of only one-fifth of the registered voters. We don't have
majority rule, because the majority does not vote. Voting is the
last - not first - line of proactive government involvement, and
the loudest megaphone to get city government's attention. With so
many big decisions in front of us, help city government make decisions
by making your priorities and concerns known to it.
As Frankl noted, being proactive means taking responsibility. In
our case, this means investing effort, time and money before things
fall apart. Newton will be defined by whether we initiate our fate
or merely react to it.
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