Senator Cindy Friedman

On April 24, Massachusetts Center for the Book welcomed 30 students, grades 4-12, to a State House awards ceremony held in the Reading Room of the State Library. An Arlington student was among those honored. In Level 1 (grades 4-6), Amrit Chadha received honors for his letter to Rupi Kaur about “The Sun and Her Flowers.” A sixth-grader at Ottoson Middle School, Chadha also received State House citations and personal congratulations from both Sen. Cindy Friedman and Rep. Sean Garballey.

Representing the top 1 percent of participants from across Massachusetts, the honorees wrote letters addressed to an author, poet or playwright whose work had impacted them personally. Joined by family, teachers and librarians, the students were commended individually by their program judges and legislators. The top honorees in each of three grade levels will proceed to the national level of the competition.

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LEXINGTON — Minuteman High School in Lexington received an award from the state for its students’ academic performance. Minuteman was recognized by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a “Massachusetts Commendation School” for progress and narrowing proficiency gaps.

Gov. Charles D. Baker presented Dr. Edward A. Bouquillon, Minuteman’s superintendent, with a plaque during ceremonies held April 5 at the Statehouse. Bouquillon also received an Official Citation from the Massachusetts Legislature.

A host of dignitaries attended the event. Joining Bouquillon at the celebration were members of the Minuteman legislative delegation, including State Sen. Cindy F. Friedman, D-Arlington, and State Rep. Jay R. Kaufman, D-Lexington.

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BURLINGTON — Students and adults did not agree when it came to the contested races in the town election on April 7. Town Clerk Amy Warfield said last week that the approximately 125 children participating in the annual Student Vote elected Joe Morandi and Nick Priest in the selectmen’s contest; the adults went with Morandi and Mike Runyan.

To that end, she would be interested in working with the schools to provide more civics education in the classroom. In fact, there is a bill before the state legislature to re-instate civics in the curriculum. Warfield said she hopes that Burlington’s State Rep. Ken Gordon and State Sen. Cindy Friedman would consider partnering with her to provide civics information in the schools.

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LEXINGTON, MA – The Minuteman High School building project reached a major milestone Thursday, as the final steel beam was put in place. The “topping off” ceremony saw the 24-foot beam, signed by students, teachers, elected officials and well-wishers, put into place over what will become the new high school’s main entrance. Jack McCarthy, executive director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority, celebrated the workers on the project and singled out Ironworkers Local 7 for special recognition.

Also in attendance were state Sen. Cindy Friedman, state Sen. Dean Tran, Rep. Jay Kaufman, Rep. Jennifer Benson, town managers, select board members, area school officials, members of the Minuteman School Committee, the Minuteman School Building Committee, the school’s Program Advisory Committees, the Minuteman Futures Foundation and the Campaign for Minuteman’s Future.

Friedman praised state and town officials for keeping the project moving forward over the past 10 years. “We did it for all those people back there – all those kids,” Friedman said. “We are so proud of Minuteman.”

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Town officials and state representatives celebrated National Community Development Week in Arlington on April 3. The event started at the Thompson School where attendees heard from CDBG Administrator Julie Wayman, Sen. Cindy Friedman, Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine, Selectman Joe Curro and Rep. Sean Garballey. All reflected on the importance of the program to the town and took pride in the community-based programs supported by the Community Development Block Grant program.

“The Community Development Block Grant program is a prime example of what government does really well,” said Friedman. “Through this program, we are able to improve the quality of life for Arlington residents and ensure that many individuals have an equal chance at success as well as the ability to live in an environment that meets their needs. I’m pleased to live in and represent a town that values the importance of community development and is committed to making a positive impact on our neighborhoods and residents.”

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BOSTON — Eight months after the number of women in the Massachusetts Senate tied an all-time high-water mark, their ranks are now on track to reach a low last recorded nearly two decades ago.

As the Senate has elected its second-ever female president amid leadership turmoil and coalesced behind a lawmaker who’s on track to become the third, three women have made plans to leave the chamber for other jobs and two others have announced they won’t seek reelection.

Arlington Sen. Cindy Friedman’s swearing-in in July 2017 brought the number of women in the 40-seat Senate up to 13, all Democrats.

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LEXINGTON — With early spring snow falling steadily on their dress uniforms, retired Lexington Fire Department Lts. Bob Walton and Mike Fulton laid a wreath of red roses and white daisies and Fuji mums at the base of the fire department’s flagpole to remember state Senator. Kenneth Donnelly on Monday, April 2, the one-year anniversary of his death.

The pair had exited the Lexington Fire Department headquarters garage out a fire truck-sized door. Inside, approximately 50 people, including state Sen. Cindy Friedman, state Rep. Jay Kaufman, Lexington’s Town Manager Carl Valente and the town’s five selectmen, were on hand for the ceremony.

“I miss him,” said Friedman. Friedman, elected to fill Donnelly’s seat representing the 4th Middlesex District last summer, was as the late senator’s chief of staff. “I think about Ken every day,” she said, “he’s ever-present.” Friedman added that Donnelly’s legacy guides her as she faces tough legislative decisions. She said that Donnelly had first shown courage as a firefighter.

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BOSTON — Senators faced some criticism from internet industry leaders at a hearing Wednesday, where a new Massachusetts Senate proposal on net neutrality was up for discussion.

Under the new bill, internet service providers would be banned from blocking content, charging fees for faster connectivity and intentionally slowing speed of certain websites. Opponents contend the measure oversteps the state’s authority to regulate an industry under federal oversight.

Sen. Cindy Friedman said the bill is critical to protecting the public from “failures” at the federal level. “This bill would impose critical safeguards to preserve equal access to content on the web, protect our consumers, encourage innovation and ensure that tech-start-ups stay in business,” the Arlington Democrat said. “When the federal government fails to protect the free flow of information on the internet, it is imperative for the state to step in.”

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