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July 23
I met my neighbor Ann at 6pm and together we drove around the Cambridge Highlands and discussed zoning in the quadrangle. We also chatted about local heroes and the type of candidates that are sought after in that neck of the woods. To my delight, I learned that the neighborhood reminded me of my small town values and I felt right at home.

July 18
The topic of CPSD and the acknowledgement of our schools' achievements continued throughout the week. In fact, I came to learn that a few rogue personalities were spreading negative exaggerations about the state of our schools. It's one thing to be critical and to ask difficult questions. It's another to be constantly negative in order to pander to an audience. I believe elected officials should ask more questions that seek to improve schools and as city councilor, that will be what I do.

July 15
A central theme to my campaign has been an openness and willingness to listen and learn from the perspectives of others. So, I spent the Sunday afternoon absorbing information about our Cambridge Public School District and the strides that it has made since the hiring of the not-so-new superintendent. It turns out that our schools have done an "about face" from the disaster of previous years. With continued, positive support from the city council they will only improve more.

July 12
The call came around midday and it was from the Cambridge elections commission. It was good news. I became the first candidate to qualify for the ballot after being certified with 82 signatures out of 100. “First one out of the box”, said a longtime Cambridge politico, who praised and congratulated me later on. “Very impressive - keep up the good work!”

July 11
I had the honor of being invited to the Cambridge Local First anniversary party and I spent my time discussing the importance of promoting the idea to shop locally first. I support this group and its efforts, for it plays a vital role in the growth of our community and it fosters greater awareness about local businesses. This is important to the economic growth of Cambridge and support of local businesses.

July 8
On this day, 88 brave soldiers from Cambridge said goodbye to their families as they were deployed to serve in Iraq. I want to say THANK YOU to Charlie Company for serving our country. Godspeed on a safe and healthy return home.

July 2
On this Monday, I woke up early to pull papers and after work, I started collecting signatures. By the end of the evening, I had my first 35. As I solicited my neighbors to nominate me for the ballot, I learned a lot about Cambridge voters. Each time I asked for a signature I was asked why I wanted to serve and what I wanted to do as a city councilor. After replying with my platform, I typically received a nod in agreement and satifaction. When I retired for the evening, I looked back on those conversations and thought to myself, people are ready for a candidate who will act and not coast through their term. I believed that people are ready for a change in the city council.

June 29
Usually on Fridays, the city experiences a mass exodus to the Cape, but not for this cat. I spent my time talking with my neighbor Frankie about her thoughts on the city council and Cambridge as a whole. We discussed a lot of issues including flight of the middle class, parking in harvard square, the need for affordable housing, and the retention of young people. There are a lot of issues that have been ongoing in the city and there needs to be action to address those issues. I learned a lot from meeting with Frankie and it was helpful to learn her perspective on what needs to be acted on.

June 26
On this hot and sticky Tuesday evening, I walked down the road to discuss my campaign with my neighbors Fritz and Elizabeth. The conversation started on Turkey and two hours later finished with "looking out for the future of Cambridge". We talked at length about some of their ideas as well as my own and one of the those ideas was the implementation of a public service volunteer program to assist our seniors who want to enjoy their retirement in their homes but need help in day to day activities like in their yard or kitchen. I am exploring this idea as I believe it's important to engage our youth in public service programs and also because it is important to look after our elderly who provide much to our community.

June 20
Recently, I attended the annual Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Association ice cream social held at Joan Lorentz Park. I love eating ice cream, but on this day I volunteered to scoop it for my neighbors. While filling one particular bowl, the cat got out of the bag that I was considering a run for CC. What followed was a wave of enthusiasm and support for my candidacy. You know, it’s a great feeling, knowing my neighbors are supporting me.