address another core value on e-democracy: community building. As a list that
moved to e-democracy, we didn't go through a period of introducing ourselves as
we would have if we had been brand new. Although many people on this list know
one another from involvement, it is not universally true. I also have fielded
some concerns about not knowing certain people on the list, I thought this
might be a way to address these concerns, at least in part.
I invite you, especially those of you who are regular contributors, to take a
moment to introduce yourselves by reflecting on the following questions:
How long have you lived in Framingham?
What part of town do you live in (precinct, neighborhood)?
Why did you choose to live in Framingham?
Why do you stay?
What is your past and present involvement in the Framingham community?
I am happy to start.
I moved to Framingham from Northern Virginia after I got married in 1989. When
we first moved to Framingham, we rented a townhouse in Bishop Gardens, but have
since purchased a house in precinct 7 just outside of Pheasant Hill.
We moved to Framingham because of the relative affordability of housing,
proximity to the train and turnpike, and convenient access to shopping and
restaurants. We wanted to raise our kids in a strong school system that allowed
them to build connections with others from diverse cultural and economic
backgrounds.
We stay because it is still a convenient, affordable place for us to live.
Framingham is a great community filled with many awesome people. I have made
several close friends here, and many acquaintances for whom I have great
respect. As a runner, I enjoy the accessibility to the track, and Cushing Park,
and nearby trails in various parks. I also love the diversity of restaurants,
especially those that are not chain-type restaurants.
In terms of formal government involvement, I was on the Framingham Finance
Committee from 2006-2012, which really provided me with an in-depth look at
town government. Currently, I serve on the Board of the Christa McAuliffe
Charter School. Informally, I have been a community advocate on issues of
interest to me, mostly financial, educational and environmental ones. I joined
FramBors in 2004 and became the primary moderator in 2006. When we moved the
list to e-democracy and renamed it FramGov, I became Forum Manager.
This thread is for people to introduce themselves, not for people to judge,
comment or discuss them. If people want to chat or connect off-line about the
introductions, that would be awesome.
Thanks,