Waltham's 'Around Town' Sally Collura Makes Another Bid For Ward 5 Councilor

WALTHAM, MA — Sarafina "Sally" Collura is one of three Waltham residents running for the city counselor seat in Ward 5. She's up against Christina Montgomery and Joey LaCava.

The owner of The Tea Leaf tearoom, which she opened on Moody Street in 2005, is no stranger to city politics or the life of a city councilor.

"I hate to say it, but it's kind of in my blood," said Collura. "I've always wanted to serve the city."

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Collura, an Independent was born and raised in Waltham and grew up watching her parents, a Republican mother and a Democrat father discuss politics.

"Whatever was in the news at the time was always a part of the conversation," she says. She remembers vividly both helping in the 1950s on the mayoral campaign at the time from the house where she still lives.

She was a city councilor at large from 2004 to 2011, when she was ousted by then newcomer Joe Vizard. She threw her hat into the ring again for an at large seat in 2013 and 2015. But is hoping the third time is a charm and she'll be back at it, serving in her community.

To be sure, she says, she's been able to do that from the sidelines, so to speak, but she is passionate about helping she said.

"It's so much easier to accomplish things as a city counselor," she said giving the example of the the time she was able to nudge the buying of a parcel of land near the senior center for parking so seniors didn't have to hike far during the winter or avoid their yoga class on account of no parking. She said she thinks that might have taken a bit more time had she not had a seat.

Outside of civic life Collura might be known for running the Tea Leaf, she's been volunteering as the host of the cable access network's "Around Town," interviewing the best of Waltham since about 1991.

That was about the year she ran her first city council campaign. She's learned a lot since then, she says. Not least of which is how much work goes into working on city council.

"It's not a whim. It's work. It's dedication and It's work. It's not something you just take on. Your heart and soul has to be in it. You gotta be in it for all the right reasons. It can't just be about one issue or a chip on your shoulder," she said.

And she's excited to focus her attention this go round on just one ward and respond to concerns there.

As for the biggest issues facing Waltham right now? "I can always say the usual things, keeping taxes low, and that's important." But she points to her experience serving on the council when it renovated eight schools and two middle schools with what she calls minimal disruption. "I think we can do that with the high school no matter where it is. Education in Waltham and having a good place for it is really important," she said noting Fernald might be much farther down the road if she's elected and she'd be watching what happens with the police station renovations as well.

When she's not knocking on doors in her free time, Cullura said she loves walking along the riverwalk and anything happening on the Common. She hasn't been over to the new playground to try out the adult excersize equipment but that's on her list.

What she wants Ward 5 residents to know is that she believes in quick responses. "If anyone has any questions, I'm always available. They can call me any time."

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Who else is running? Check out the list here.

Joey LaCava is also running in Ward 5.

Meet the Business owner: Sally Collura

Before opening her own business, Collura worked for Research and Development Tech and security companies nearby and then did some administrative work for Engineered Tooling Corporation (ETCO) on Grant Street, for 12 years, but left in 2006 and focused on her own business and city council. After she left, however, her former employer took her to court, and a lawsuit ensued but in 2016 the US Appeals Court finally dismissed it.

Image via Patch Meet the Business