Manisha Bewtra's Melrose candidate endorsements

Melrose is in a period of transition - Tuesday, November 5 represents an opportunity to move our community forward! I am endorsing the following candidates for City Council, School Committee, and Mayor: Maya Jamaleddine, Leila Migliorelli, Kate Lipper-Garabedian, and Jack Eccles for Councilor-At-Large, Ryan Williams for Ward 7 Councilor, Jen Grigoraitis for Ward 6 Councilor, Jim Bennett for Ward 3 Councilor, Alanna Nelson for Ward 1 Councilor, Lizbeth DeSelm for School Committee, and Paul Brodeur for Mayor. All of these candidates will be responsible stewards of public resources and taxpayer dollars. They have demonstrated their capacity to make data-informed decisions and prioritize communications and accountability in their decision-making. They believe in active community engagement and will make responsiveness to constituents a priority. Together, they are committed to environmental sustainability, taking action on climate change, believe in smart growth and thoughtful redevelopment, will tackle housing affordability, and will promote economic development. They will actively work to advance our city as “One Community Open to All” by making equity and inclusion a core part of their actions as leaders. What I believe ties this slate of candidates together, in particular, is a sense of urgency. Melrose is a wonderful place to live, which can make it tempting to fall into rote decision-making and a sense of complacency. I believe we can and must do more as a city -- and these future city officials can lead the way towards our thriving future!

Yours,

Manisha Bewtra

Melrose City Councilor-At-Large (not up for re-election) and former Mayoral Candidate

Maya Jamaleddine for Councilor-At-Large: I got to know Maya through our work on the Human Rights Commission, and have been blown away by her ability to make things happen - such as the annual Ramadan Community Iftar Dinner, Diwali program, hosting a Know Your Rights Workshop, and regularly connecting neighbors to resources in local government, healthcare, and social services. She has been a vocal advocate for making our community more inclusive and equitable, truly looks out for everyone in the community, and holds local leaders accountable to our “One Community Open to All” motto. With Maya’s leadership, more community members will feel that they have a voice at City Hall, many for the first time. Vote for Maya! https://www.mayaformelrose.org

Leila Migliorelli for Councilor-At-Large: Leila is an approachable, thoughtful, and diligent leader who I got to know in my 2017 campaign and since then as a fellow Winthrop parent. Her experience in donor relations at Tufts, where she has to ensure that contributions are used as intended, will serve us well as we look to our leaders to communicate how new revenue is being allocated after our recent override. Her advocacy on the Melrose Human Rights Commission and Melrose Education Foundation demonstrates her commitment to improving our community. Additionally, she will bring the unique perspective of someone who spent part of her childhood in Melrose and who returned her with her own family as an adult. Vote for Leila! https://www.leilaformelrose.com

Kate Lipper-Garabedian for Councilor-At-Large: Kate always brings her A game to City Council meetings by researching precedents in other communities and asking thoughtful questions. She has been an excellent advocate for advancing our Complete Streets policy, including working with the Melrose Pedestrian and Bicyclist Advisory Committee and Winthrop PTO to create “Winthrop SchoolPools”, an effort to make school drop off a fun, social and healthy event by having groups of kids walk to school together with one adult -- getting more cars off the road and strengthening ties between neighbors. Kate actively tracks meeting agendas for city boards and commissions, and in many cases, is the first to make the broader public aware of agenda items with potentially large impacts. I support her advocacy around making sure we do more to advertise board and commission vacancies, as well as employ a more transparent process for vetting potential members of these groups. I will miss serving alongside her. Vote for Kate! http://kateformelrose.com/

Jack Eccles for Councilor-At-Large: Jack is an enthusiastic advocate for smart growth and advancing the city’s Melrose Forward comprehensive plan. When he was in high school, he served as a student representative on the School Committee as well as the Human Rights Commission, becoming well-versed in local policy issues before he could vote. He was actively engaged in policy and politics as a student at UMass Amherst, and continued to follow Melrose issues while away at school. This allowed him to jump right in as a candidate shortly after graduation, and he has been very visible in the community working hard to earn every vote. He’s knowledgeable, knows the community well, and is dedicated to moving us forward. Vote for Jack! https://jackformelrose.com

Ryan Williams for Ward 7 Councilor: Ryan has been actively engaged in making our streets and sidewalks safer and is a strong advocate for a systems-oriented, responsive local government. When there was a recent power outage in Ward 7, he not only worked to help notify residents, he identified what led to the outage -- a dead tree with branches overhanging power lines -- and is actively following up with DPW to ensure the issue is addressed, while also seeking out additional information and feedback from residents on other issues that have arisen as a result of this incident. This type of problem-solving is not unique to his candidacy -- throughout my term as a Councilor, I have heard from Ryan as a member of the Pedestrian and Bicyclist Advisory Committee. He is not only vocal in identifying issues -- he works to find solutions. We will benefit from the perspective Ryan brings, with unique experience as a Merchant Marine Captain, journalist, and environmental sustainability advocate. He is dedicated to sustainability initiatives and helped to organize the Mayoral Forum on Sustainability. Furthermore, I support Ryan because I know he believes strongly in diversity and inclusion, and will work to build bridges in our community. Ryan will be a strong voice for more open governance and participatory budgeting. Vote for Ryan! https://www.ryanformelrose.com/

Jen Grigoraitis for Ward 6 Councilor: Jen has a great combination of experience in government along with local advocacy. She’s the Chief of Staff for the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, and has actively advocated for resources for our schools, through her leadership on the Melrose Education Foundation, on the Winthrop PTO, and involvement in the One Melrose override campaign. She will be a strong advocate for our infrastructure and public safety needs, an advocate for Downtown’s small businesses, and a responsive liaison for Ward 6 community members. Beyond her experience in budgeting and managing complex issues, I support Jen because she will advocate for sustainable, smart growth, as well as for a more welcoming and inclusive community. Vote for Jen! https://www.jenforward6.com/

Jim Bennett for Ward 3 Councilor: Jim is a vocal advocate for community stewardship as well as for inclusion and justice. He grew up in Ward 3 and serves as the chair of the Historical Commission as well as a representative on the Library Building Committee. I have always been impressed with how he is able to bring Melrose’s history to life while serving as an advocate for our preserving historic buildings and our Victorian Downtown. Jim’s advocacy for preservation is not code language for exclusion -- in fact, Jim is on record advocating for affordable housing, new development, and smart growth. Jim supported the effort to make Melrose a sanctuary city, is a graduate of White People Challenging Racism, and helped to organize a panel on the transgender experience in Melrose, demonstrating his commitment to making sure we’re really “One Community Open to All.” With regards to Ward 3, Jim is committed to being involved in discussions about the future of the Beebe School, holding listening sessions, and advocating for the best interests of Ward 3 residents. Vote for Jim! https://www.jimbennettformelrose.com

Alanna Nelson for Ward 1 Councilor: As a Co-Chair of the Melrose Energy Commission and one of the organizers of the Mayoral Forum on Sustainability, Alanna is deeply committed to climate action. Her expertise in clean technologies and communication on sustainability issues will be critical as we adopt a climate action plan and work towards our Net Zero goals. She’s been an active community member, having served on the Cultural Council and High School Site Council. I’ve been impressed with her efforts to engage Ward 1 residents as a candidates, and I believe that will translate to her being a responsive advocate for her district as the community contends with challenges related to transportation circulation, development, parks, and more. She is a fiber artist and the founder of the Common Cod Fiber Guild, which will add a valuable perspective to Council discussions as our city invests more in helping our arts and culture community thrive. Vote for Alanna! http://alanna-ward1.com/

Lizbeth DeSelm for School Committee: Lizbeth DeSelm is a dedicated advocate for equity and inclusion in our schools and in our community as a whole, as a School Committee member and former Human Rights Commissioner. As a Roosevelt parent several years ago, she helped to establish the World Cultures Fair. She spoke up and drafted statements ultimately passed by the School Committee this year when there was a racially insensitive question on the MCAS and a couple years ago in response to attempts by the Federal Government to erode protections for transgender students. Shortly after beginning her tenure as a School Committee member, she began a budget roadshow, delivering presentations and making herself available for Q&A to PTOs and other community groups. She provided data analysis during community discussions about the override, and advocated for more accountability and more informative budget documents after the override passed. Vote for Liz! http://www.lizbethdeselm.org

Paul Brodeur for Mayor: Paul is the candidate that best represents the values and policy issues that are top of mind for me and those who supported my candidacy before the Mayoral Preliminary: smart growth, infrastructure investment, regional partnerships, economic development, climate action, housing affordability, community engagement, and accountability in our budget and local decision-making. Vote for Paul! https://www.paulbrodeur.com