What are your priority issues?
What role can the creative community play in addressing these challenges?
Jeannette McCarthy
Mayoral Candidate
The Waltham Public SChool’s, arts, drama and music programs are excellent. We are one of few communities who offer fine and performing arts for grades K through 12. This is a necessary priority for a well-rounded education, including supporting innate and/or latent talents.
Another priority is for adult activities. On the adult level, it is less centralized. There are numerous opportunities in the arts area including dancing, painting, music and trips to the theatre at the Stanley Senior Center and Council on Aging. On a personal note my mother took quilting and painting lessons at the Senior Center and enjoyed them immensely. We have the Cultural Council, Library, Arts Council, Concerts on the Common, Reagle Theatre, and Hovey Players, local artists, museums, local bands, Steampunk Festival, Riverfest, the Waltham Philharmonic, the museums and historic estates. All of these people and organizations work together to contribute to the community’s culture. The difficult issue is always time and money.
Diane LeBlanc
Mayoral Candidate
My priorities include proactive planning, sustainability and open space preservation, affordable housing, infrastructure, traffic and transportation, educational equity and excellence, fiscal responsibility, and transparency.
The current administration’s complete lack of planning has had devastating consequences for residents, students and business owners, in terms of overdevelopment, traffic, infrastructure and more. We now find ourselves in crisis mode facing three major capital improvement projects—a high school, police headquarters and fire station—at the same time. Waltham needs a legitimate Master Plan designed through a process that asks for input from residents, business owners, and leaders in key areas like housing, transportation, education, the environment, culture, social services, and economic and community development. This is a process where the creative community—including those in design, architecture, public art and historic preservation—can make important contributions.
Colleen Bradley-MacArthur
At-Large Candidate
Waltham Cultural District and Infrastructure Investment- I would like to see the establishment of a “Cultural District” in Waltham. I believe this designation would highlight artists past and present. It would be a hub where the entire community could bond with working artists and celebrate the many cultures represented in this city. This district would fuel economic growth, attract tourists, drive innovation, and potentially expand our tax base. Cities such as Natick, have built a strong cultural district and restored a fire station into an enviable “Center for the Arts” featuring national performing acts, community arts performances, and hosting artists work and exhibits. We have buildings that the city owns that could be repurposed for the arts community to utilize and become an economic driver as well.
Public Art- We should continue to seek grants such as the “Storefront Improvement Program”, which then awards grants to eligible business or property owners for storefront improvements, therefore continuing to highlight the architectural aesthetics of our city. There could also be grants and investment from commercial business owners to create more public art. We’ve seen organizations such as Blueprint’s partnership with the For Freedoms 50 State Initiative and the Waltham Public Library where they have a series of lawn signs temporarily exhibited on the front lawn of the library. I would like to see more of these types of collaborations, as well as permanent installations by Waltham artists that would celebrate and unite our community. There's an opportunity to collaborate with all of the artists in Waltham and nationally through programs such as POW! WOW! Worcester, which for the last three years has brought in graffiti artists to decorate public spaces throughout the city.
The creative community can continue sharing their creative gifts, collaborating, and sharing their stories. We need to hear their stories and amplify their voices. Art and culture are critical in the times we’re living in.
Randy LeBlanc
At-Large Candidate
One of my priorities has been raising awareness about arts and culture in our community and another has been ensuring that organizations have an opportunity to celebrate and share what they do with the support of the city. That’s why I spearheaded the first parade in Waltham in a generation. The parade created a chance for so many different arts, cultural, and community organizations to find a creative way to showcase their work and then celebrate it together in the center of the city. I’ll continue to work to find ways to bring people together in this fashion around the amazing cultural resources we have. I have also been a big supporter of the creation of a new high school, and I think that arts will have a central place in the multi-disciplinary learning plan that will be implemented there. I have also been a supporter of proper reuse of the Fernald and support the idea proposed in the answer below (question 3).
Steve Lydon
At-Large Candidate
Unfortunately, the first thing on the chopping block when it comes to financial cuts is alway the Arts. As a City Councilor I will always advocate for these programs. We all need to show how important the Arts are to our community and society as a whole.
Kathleen B. McMenimen
At-Large Candidate
I value and support the variety of organizations and members of the “arts” community in our City.
The list of participants is tremendous. Without deliberately omitting any group, I have, and will continue to support the wonderful private/public partnerships that have spawned during the past several decades in the creative community of Waltham.
Patrick O’Brien
At-Large Candidate
I strongly support the Waltham arts community. In the past, I’ve voted to fund renovations at the Waltham High Robinson Auditorium. I think we can do more for the arts community using CPA funds.
Tom Stanley
At-Large Candidate
When Waltham embraces its arts, culture and diversity in a systemic way, residents will feel a new sense of community in our city. It means people of color and diverse ethnic backgrounds being a part of the decision-making process in Waltham, and as such, our city’s decisions will be more comprehensive and thoughtful about meeting the needs of all residents of Waltham. It means our streets, buildings and public spaces will be welcoming and adorned with all local art and expression. It means better enrichment in our schools and more creativity for our students. It means people of all ages and backgrounds coming together toward the common purpose of making our city beautiful and joyful. It means music and performance on our streets, tourists filling our shops and supporting our local businesses, and a revived spirit of excitement throughout our city. It’s important for residents to have the opportunities to contribute to the fabric of our community in their own unique way; Waltham will be better for it.
Lizzie Gelles
Ward 1 Candidate
The arts and creative community have been leaders in addressing major issues throughout history. Most recently, we have seen the creative community taking a lead on tackling the climate crisis. I believe it is through initiatives such as these that we can work collaboratively towards addressing many of the issues which I have made central to my campaign.
For example, one of my priority issues has been environmentally sustainable smart growth. This means taking steps like protecting our parks and community farm, developing a solar plan to decrease our energy bills, and reviewing and updating the masterplan for Prospect Hill Park. I aim to work collaboratively with our creative community to both raise awareness and support for addressing these important issues.
Art can also play a role in increasing civic engagement and transparency. The recent ‘For Freedoms’ teen-led lawn sign installation event at the Waltham Public Library spoke to the importance for people to be engaged and also the values we hold as a community. I believe we should be ensuring all people can be engaged. As city councilor, I have pledged to hold at least four town halls and to do a monthly newsletter so people are aware of and able to engage with local issues.
Caren Dunn
Ward 2 Candidate
One of my top priority issues is the maintenance of open space. I would love to see the Western Greenway trail make its final connection from Belmont to Prospect Hill through the Stigmatine property completed. This was initially voted on and approved by city council in 1994! Nothing says “vibrancy” and creativity more to me than being able to explore in and reflect on nature.
Bill Hanley
Ward 2 Candidate
In Ward 2, the coming years will bring disruption to our neighborhoods in the form of large-scale construction projects. Assisting my neighbors with that disruption will take a lot of my time if elected the next Ward 2 City Councillor on November 5th. My other top priorities are completing the Hardy Pond Conservation Area project, increasing recreation opportunities in Ward 2, increasing access and participation in athletics and arts for youth, building strong partnerships with neighborhood businesses, and working to implement a city-wide residential reporting system similar to 311.
The creative community can easily play a role in being a good distraction for people in Ward 2. While the new Waltham High is being built, people will need ways to relieve the stress that comes with a project like this. I make no secret that daily lives will be impacted by this construction. Regularly scheduled performances in addition to Reagle Players or opportunities to attend classes or even a local makerspace would be welcomed by our community and a great way to forget about traffic and noise.
George Darcy
Ward 3 Candidate
One priority is unlocking opportunities to bring visual arts and performing arts to the city-owned 196 acre Fernald site on Trapelo Road. I look forward to working with the artist communities in Waltham to bring this to fruition.
Sean T. Durkee
Ward 6 Candidate
I attended the first Wayside Rail Trail (WRT) meeting at Government Center over 20 years ago and have made this a top priority if I am given the honor and privilege of representing Ward 6 on the City Council. The WRT will become a bicycle trail which will initially travel through eight communities. Residents will be able to safely commute to work via bicycle, use the path recreationally and promote a healthy lifestyle. It will draw people from surrounding communities and will be a great place to showcase Waltham’s creative side. In addition to cleaning up the current rail line, I envision the opportunity for creative and/or expressive artwork along our portion of the trail. Landscaping will be a key component to the WRT in addition to the required infrastructure changes (i.e. crossing lights, parking, road improvement, etc.).
One of the issues constituents talk about is the first impression visitors get entering our community. They also discuss a lack of art or expression that differentiates us from neighboring communities. Everyone loves the restaurants along Moody Street and the newly installed street lights along Main & Moody Streets. But I think we can do better as a community in building or restoring sculptures, fountains and other artwork to draw people into Waltham. Our city does not lack in artists or artistic interest. My belief is we can combine the arts with city beautification (i.e. installing more granite curbstones, create more sidewalks and walking paths, install more of the streetlights we have on Main & Moody, etc.). A successful example is how the city held a contest to paint the utility boxes located on our sidewalks.
Greg DeMeo
Ward 7 Candidate
Growing up in Waltham, I fondly recall my arts education experiences in elementary school, particularly the field trips organized by Paul Shea to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Harvard Museum of Natural History.
As a High School Administrator, and later as the principal of Waltham High School, I supported and attended many school theater and musical events and productions. At Waltham High School music programs continue to be strong, classes in dance are quite popular, and a wide range of classes for art and design students of all ranges of ability are offered. We have a now 50-year tradition of a graduation seniors production—“Senior Revue”. Many of our students have found a passion in the Arts and through it have developed a sense of confidence in themselves, whatever their ultimate path.
I am proud of the partnership the Waltham Public Schools have developed with community groups like The Reagle Players and appreciate what they have offered to Waltham High School and the Waltham community throughout the years.
I feel the Arts bring a great deal to Waltham.
Kristine Mackin
Ward 7 Candidate
Waltham is facing a whole host of policy challenges, and our policy solutions need to serve everyone, not just those who can most easily make their voices heard. Arts and culture can help shine a light on stories that aren’t in the mainstream, allow individuals to speak their own experiences, and bring people together to build community. This foundation gives us a strong place to start making decisions! The creative community is also an active part of generating new ideas and pushing us as policy makers outside our current ways of thinking.
Robert Logan
Ward 9 Candidate
One of my priority issues is Downtown Revitalization. I have been involved with Downtown Revitalization efforts my entire time on the City Council. Once a retail destination, we have reinvented our Downtown as a dining and entertainment center with many fine restaurants, museums, and a movie theater. It is well known that arts and cultural venues and programs increase economic development in communities by attracting businesses, creating new jobs, increasing tax revenues and promoting tourism. The arts and cultural community already have a strong and important presence in our Downtown, with the Waltham Mill Artists, Lincoln Studios, and others. We should take advantage of this by promoting and expanding the role of arts and culture in Waltham.
Jonathan Paz
Ward 9 Candidate
When I envision what I can bring to Waltham’s future, I see a city that supports entrepreneurs - including artists - while staying affordable. If our economy is going to thrive for the whole community, it must also support and include the voices of the creative community.
I imagine a city that fully supports the health of our young people - including unlocking opportunities for creative expression. Young people in Waltham deserve a state-of-the-art high school that brings arts education into a prominent role alongside core subjects because the arts help all students succeed, no matter their social or economic background.
I see a city that gets creative about green opportunities. There is a role for the creative community in updating our transportation infrastructure to not just be more accessible, but also beautiful.
