I will be supporting Stephen Passacantilli
Dear Editor,
In three weeks, East Boston has an important decision to make in the primary election for Boston City Council. After researching the candidates and learning more about their positions, I will be supporting Stephen Passacantilli.
Stephen has impressed me with his platform: focusing on education, public safety, seniors, and quality of life issues like traffic and development. Stephen has a clear plan and the experience to deliver for our community. I know that Stephen will be a bold voice for East Boston and always put the needs of residents first. I look forward to casting my vote for Stephen Passacantilli on September 26!
Renée Buonopane
Jeffries Point
I support Lydia Edwards
Dear Editor,
In the District City Council race, I support Lydia Edwards as our next City Councilor. I shall vote for Lydia because of her strong record of achievement in the areas of housing, worker rights, as well as her support of environmental justice with regard to airport impacts and climate change problems as they affect our community.
While working at Greater Boston Legal Services as a Public Interest lawyer, Lydia helped domestic and healthcare workers with employment and wage issues. She helped to pass legislation to protect against abuse of low wage workers.
On housing issues, Lydia helped design programs to provide workforce housing and prevent displacement of families from affordable neighborhood housing. Forcing working class families out of affordable housing in order to make room for higher end housing changes the fabric of a community. Throughout the history of East Boston, people from all backgrounds and all incomes have been able to raise and provide for their families.
Lydia believes that there must be strong community involvement in development issues. Residents should determine the kind and amount of new development that happens in the neighborhood. New development means more traffic and parking issues which affect the quality of life for everyone. Residents must be part of the discussion making process around development. Politicians must value resident voices and opinions before approving any additional development.
Lydia and her husband have invested in the community with their ownership of a three-decker in which they live and providing housing for two other families. In additional they own a small business providing employment to people. They face similar problems as the rest of us with traffic congestion, parking problems and the effects of pollution on our health. But, as with the rest of us, they enjoy their dynamic, vibrant and interesting life of living in East Boston.
Education is an important issue for Lydia. To insure strong schools in the community, Lydia believes that parental and community involvement in every school is necessary. With partnership among parents, school leaders, teachers and community residents, the educational structure and opportunities at each school will be better. Parental and community support for adequate funding of schools will create better educational opportunities at every level, from pre-school through high school.
Electing Lydia Edwards as our next District City Councilor will provide a strong, creative and responsive person to represent all of us at City Hall.
Sincerely,
Mary Ellen Welch
Retain Maverick Square’ s cultural history
Dear Editor,
I am writing to support my fellow East Boston residents in their articulate statements in the article “Landmarks Commission grants 90-day demolition for Maverick Street houses” in the East Boston Times-Free Press [Sept. 6]. The only thing I can add as a developer specializing in historic properties is that the spokesperson for the developer, Linear Retail Properties, used the customary non-valid script re costs, etc. This project would probably be financially viable even by Linear standards if they applied for federal and state historic tax credits or other historic adaptive reuse financing tools that significantly reduce a project’s costs. We need to retain Maverick Square’ s cultural history and its contribution to the present.
Susan Parker Brauner