Thank You

To all our volunteers who helped out during the Harvest Fair, and those who participated in our public hearing on the Blueprint for Newton's Future on Tuesday, thank you!  Both activities were a great success and we appreciated all of you who were involved with our effort.

Over weekend we will be making more information available about the Blueprint here on Parker2009.org, so check back soon for updates and additional information.  As always, if you have any questions or thoughts you would like to share, please get in touch!

~Shawn

Newton Needs You - Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Please join us this Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. for an important hearing.

During the past year members of the over one hundred-person-strong Ken Parker for Newton Mayor 2009 Exploratory Committee have been hard at work outlining a plan for our City called the Blueprint for Newton's Future. During meetings in homes, offices and community organizations City-wide, and thanks to the many hours of individual research and writing efforts of concerned citizens, we have sought to tap into Newton residents' wealth of knowledge and experience and create a plan which will restore excellence to our City.

Now we need your input on the draft Blueprint.  This coming Tuesday Alderman Parker, the chairs of our Finance and Management, Environment and Sustainable Growth and Education Subcommittees will open their ideas for citizen input at a special public hearing. Please join us at this important event to contribute your thoughts and feedback on our work thus far.

Public Hearing on the draft Blueprint for Newton's Future
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
72 Columbus Street, Newton Highlands (Women's Workshop - map)

Working together, we have an exciting opportunity to bring change to City Hall and restore a commitment to excellence in Newton.

In short, we can bring Newton back!

~Shawn

The Blueprint for Newton's Future: Education

Members of the Ken Parker for Newton Mayor 2009 Exploratory Committee's Education Subcommittee are interested in hearing from you.  By clicking the link above (or here) you will be taken to a survey developed by the Subcommittee to inform and guide a plan for the future of public education in Newton.  The survey is open to all Newton residents and responses will be carefully analyzed both by members of the Education Subcommittee and Alderman Ken Parker.  If you have any questions at all, please get in touch!

This survey and outreach is part of an effort by members of the Ken Parker for Newton Mayor 2009 Exploratory Committee to design and publish a Blueprint for Newton's Future.  This document, currently being prepared by members of three Subcommittees - Finance and Management, Environment and Sustainable Growth and Education - will be an exciting, innovative and living document designed to be an operating manual for the City in 2010. 

Please mark your calendars - the draft of the Blueprint will be opened for public comment at a hearing on October 21st at 7:30 p.m. at the Women's Workshop on 72 Columbus Street (map) in Newton Highlands.  At this hearing the Subcommittee chairs will present their work and take questions and concerns from any and all interested Newton residents.  We'll have more news about this event in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, if you have questions or would like to learn more about the Blueprint, please get in touch!

~ Shawn

Solving Newton's Structural Deficit

In case you missed it, Alderman Parker had a great column in last week's TAB about solving Newton's pressing financial issues.

Sometimes when people talk about the structural deficit, they make it sound as though it is caused by factors beyond our control. People assume that with revenue going up at 3 percent and some costs increasing at 10 percent, that we cannot close the gap. Nothing could be further from the truth. We can solve the structural deficit if we step back and examine the problem with a little perspective.

To find out how it can be done, take a look here, and let us know what you think!

~Shawn