Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/tag/letters/page/13/)
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map 1884 of Watertown, Courtesy of the Library of Congress. By Linda ScottWatertown Resident
Well, I guess it’s time to do my version of that famous Joni Mitchell song. “Big Yellow Taxi.” You really don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. You can thank a Watertown News reader for this article.
To the Editor:
My nightmare came to pass Friday evening. A fire truck, lights flashing, was unable to pass down Hall Avenue because of parked cars. In the event, there appeared to be no active fire emergency, but what if there had been? I have lived on Fairview Avenue for 26 years, and every summer, I decry the slalom course that our neighborhood becomes, as people park their oversized vehicles (poorly sometimes) on both sides of narrow streets. I have long said that a fire truck would not be able to reach a burning building, and evidently I was right. I implore the City to initiate one-side-of-the-street-only parking, as is the case in some parts of Waltham. Surely all these cars, which manage to find places to park during the winter full ban, can find places in the summer as well. And we will not have to worry that emergency vehicles cannot reach us when we need them. Ilana HardestyFairview Avenue
Letters to the Editor can be sent to watertownmanews@gmail.com
Lisa Capoccia
Dear friends and members of the Watertown Community,
My name is Lisa Capoccia and I’m excited to share this announcement of my candidacy for the Watertown Public Schools (WPS) School Committee. My decision to pursue this seat is based on a strong desire to advance WPS efforts to be responsive to the changing and increasingly complex needs of its student population. This decision follows ten years (starting when my daughter began the Lowell pre-K) of collaborating and advocating on behalf of students, families, and staff in the district. I thoroughly enjoy this work which is rooted in my strong commitment to equity and belief in the impact public education has on our collective future. It compliments my current position as a school social worker/adjustment counselor in Newton Schools and past work in public health.
Hi Guys,
We’ve got to stop meeting like this! With every Watertown development meeting, every Affordable Housing Trust meeting, and on and on, there we sit. We’re quite a bit smaller in number at actual meetings, but we’ve proven that we have at least 600 Watertown residents that share our point of view. I know for a fact, from conversations with residents who didn’t get a chance to sign the petitions, that there are many more of us! As Watertown residents band together to say, “Save Our Community!” we’ve seen comments that imply that we’re old fashioned, elitist, anti-change or all of the above, trying to portray our concerns as insignificant.
The Watertown Community Fridge is an outdoor refrigerator and small food pantry located at the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church, 80 Mt. Auburn St., near Watertown Square. It is maintained solely by volunteers. Operating on the principle: Take what you need, give what you can, the Fridge provides free food to anyone in need, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no questions asked. In this time of high inflation, many people in our community are experiencing food insecurity, and are not able to afford basic necessities, like food and personal hygiene products.
Greetings:
Today, we say farewell to a friend and colleague, Michael J. Driscoll. In happiness and sorrow; Michael offered his favorite traditional Irish blessing, from an ancient Celtic prayer. “May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”
Dear, Editor
As I recently read a letter about the advantages of Medicare Advantage, I feel compelled to respond as to why it’s actually harmful to its participants. Medicare Advantage was brought about in 1997 under the neoliberal Clinton administration to basically privatize this public good under the misguided belief that the free market would actually be cheaper and more efficient. As most people know and history has proven, this is a poor way to run a healthcare program. One just has to look at the state of the American healthcare industry to realize how capricious, inefficient, and inane it all is. On average people who are enrolled on Medicare Advantage spend 3 percent more on healthcare while receiving far less care while the insurance companies shirk their responsibilities wherever they can to help fatten their profit margins.
Dear Editor,
As I recently read in a news article, happiness spikes in our 70s. Seniors are staying healthier and living longer than ever before, and they enjoy their retirement years with lots of free time to spend with friends and family. However, there are health complications that come with age, and that is why it is important for seniors to have quality health insurance. For me and over 30 million other seniors and people with disabilities, Medicare Advantage delivers affordable access to care. My Medicare Advantage plan prioritizes preventative care, so that my older years are spent less frequently in hospitals.