Channel 781 News

05/12/2023

The Channel 781 News team is thrilled to share that our original Youtube channel, which was deactivated shortly before the September preliminary election, has been restored!

https://www.youtube.com/c/WalthamDATA781

We will continue to post new content on our new channel:

https://www.youtube.com/

We hope our old channel, which contains over 300 videos covering about two years of Waltham news, will be a valuable resource for anyone who wants to be engaged in the Waltham community and needs to catch up on what has happened recently with the issues that are important to them. Our debriefs, headlines, and special reports are timestamped to make it easier to find info on a specific subject. The channel also includes about 40 meetings recorded by our team, most of which would not have been recorded otherwise. Notably these include recordings of the public input sessions held by the City Council’s Master Plan Committee, which we hope will be useful as that committee continues its work.

The channel was shut down in response to copyright complaints submitted to Youtube by WCAC. Our use of clips from WCAC’s recordings was not copyright infringement because it qualifies as fair use under US copyright law. We are fortunate that one of our viewers helped us get in touch with the The Electronic Frontier Foundation, the leading nonprofit organization defending civil liberties in the digital world, who agree that our use of the clips was fair use.

Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, service providers such as Youtube can avoid liability by following a specific process when handling copyright complaints. This is intended, in part, to prevent bogus copyright claims from being used to undermine free speech. YouTube did not initially follow this process when we asked them to restore the videos and explained that they were fair uses. They refused to restore our channel until EFF sent them several messages.

This is a big win for transparency and public access to government in Waltham, and we are very grateful to EFF and to everyone who showed support for us in Waltham. We hope it will benefit not just Channel 781 but many future citizen journalists as we work together to make it possible for everyone in Waltham to understand and engage in our community.

16/11/2023

This week we were joined by Jill and Rachel of Waltham Mutual Aid as they go over their Thanksgiving Appeal and a history of the group as well as how to get involved.

"Dear Friends,
Thanksgiving is coming up soon and we would like to renew our Thanksgiving gift card drive.

This is how it works! You sign up as a giver and we will match you up with a receiver.
- You CONNECT with your receiver
- You COORDINATE the delivery of a $50 gift card to a grocery store.
- Then you CIRCLE back with me and let me know that the card has been received.

CONNECT, COORDINATE, and CIRCLE BACK

If we all work together we can make sure EVERYONE in WALTHAM has a warm and lovely gathering of friends and family this Thanksgiving!"

Website: https: //mutualaidwaltham.org/
Thanksgiving Appeal:

Looking to give back this holiday season? Let us help connect you with a local family in need! Can't swing it on your own? Gather together some friends or family and give together to one family. If we work together we can make sure everyone has a warm and happy Thanksgiving!

20/09/2023

https://youtu.be/4bkD1sXWf3c?si=1iSmtJ8AuLfc_-o_

The Waltham City Council is back in session from the summer break, so Channel 781 News Debriefs are back in session. In our first episode back we look at the preliminary election data, we have two guests on that participated in that election (Colleen Bradley-MacArthur and Barbara Ayala) to talk about their experiences, as well as going over the first City Council meeting of the fall season.

Here we ask Colleen why more people are running for office in Waltham than ever before, which is not following nationwide trends. Find the answer in our full debrief!

08/09/2023

Channel 781 YouTube Shut Down by WCAC - follow our new one!

29/06/2023

From our most recent Debrief episode, here we discuss the MBTA Communities Act, which will restructure the zoning laws near certain public transportation hubs. Whether that is good idea of not remains a heated conversation among residents.

Full debrief episode where we discuss who has pulled papers, private ways, the master plan committee and more: https://youtu.be/LcLZknwgoUk

29/06/2023

A clip from our most recent Debrief episode, here we discuss the coming municipal election, including who's pulled papers, the timeline for them and the changes to the landscape of the field now that George Darcy has decided to run At-Large instead of in Ward 3.

Full debrief episode where we discuss who has pulled papers, private ways, the master plan committee and more: https://youtu.be/LcLZknwgoUk

29/06/2023

From our most recent Debrief episode, here we discuss the citizen input session on the tenants rights ordinance that has caused contention between residents and councillors as we decide on if we should give renters a piece of paper.

Full debrief episode where we discuss who has pulled papers, private ways, the master plan committee and more: https://youtu.be/LcLZknwgoUk

12/06/2023

City Council meets tonight, which means there will be a new debrief episode uploaded later this week on our youtube page. Recently we met to talk in-depth about the lodging house license for a sober home in Ward 8 that has been a contentious issue the past month in the City Council, turning regular everyday residents of Waltham into experts on recovery and property values.

brings you a special report about a lodging license being considered in Ward 8 which would be used for a certified men's sober living home.

03/05/2023

We are at the city clerks office all morning seeing who is pulling papers to run for office this election cycle! Today is the first day to do so and historically most of the folks pulling do so today. We will also be attempting to ask everyone who's pulled "What drove you to pull papers today?" Responces in the comments!

14/04/2023

New debrief episode! In it we chat about an affordable housing ordinance meeting obstacles in the city council, the future of the Fitch School and Healthy Waltham, also the Fernald plan and the cities reluctance to listen to the conservation committee.

After a month long hiatus we return to bring you more Waltham news! 1:15:00 WATCH CDC Affordable Housing Resolution 4:11:00 Setting the scene (admitting a m...

02/04/2023

Come rally to support the passage of the Tenant Rights Notification Ordinance! Tomorrow April 3rd, 7:30PM at City Hall. Currently, renters in Waltham are not informed of their available rights and resources, and many lose their homes despite untapped resources being available to them. Please support this ordinance so that no one is left behind or overlooked.

If you are unable to make this rally, please make your support known by emailing the chair of the Ordinances and Rules Committee Cathyanne Harris ([email protected]) and by signing the petition:

Waltham Tenant Rights Notification

17/03/2023

The rescheduled date for the Waltham Community Leadership Group Housing Summit is this coming Tuesday! The first of it's kind, organized by the unhoused community in our city, it will prove to be an invaluable lesson in understanding the crisis. Hope to see you there.

WCLG Housing Summit is one week away!

We appreciate your patience with the rescheduling of the WCLG Housing Summit. We look forward to you joining us for this novel event. If you (or a friend) have not RSVP'd yet, now is your chance! tinyurl.com/WCLGrsvp

You do not need to RSVP again if you have already done so for the original date. RSVP is not required to attend but helps us plan accordingly.

17/03/2023

The Ward 9 City Councilor Jonathan Paz announced that he will be running for Mayor this election cycle. We give our initial takes on the historic race as what is already an interesting electoral year takes shape.

Part three of this week's Channel 781 Debrief.0:00 Jonathan Paz running for mayor1:45 Can he win?9:40 What happens if he wins?14:32 Paz and McCarthy comments...

03/03/2023

Missed the Moody Street Town Hall yesterday? We were there to livestream it when no else in the city would! Find the full recording here.

26/02/2023

Learn more about the future of the Waltham Field Station, as well as the prospect of closing Moody Street this summer and more on our new Debrief episode! https://youtu.be/TWbXmTofpj4

1:26 Moody Street Shutdown (not happening?)
13:55 240 Beaver Street Input Hearing
18:55 George Darcy, release the tapes
19:33 240 Beaver Street RFP
26:00 Informal Survey Contributing to Policy
30:40 Sean Durkee Public Input
36:00 Mayor Seemingly Disqualifies Herself from RFP process
37:42 Paul Katz Not Invited to A Meeting
44:55 Cathyann Harris changing tune
47:40 MBTA Communities Act Plan Discussed
54:20 Single Family Zoning Enforcement
56:00 Brandeis is Waltham, Waltham is Brandeis (shoutout The Justice)

1:26 Moody Street Shutdown (not happening?)13:55 240 Beaver Street Input Hearing 18:55 George Darcy, release the tapes 19:33 240 Beaver Street RFP26:00 Infor...

11/02/2023

Waltham is special for many reasons - The Waltham Community Leadership Group (WCLG) being one of them. Formed in 2019, the WCLG is an organization comprised of the unhoused, the recently housed, and their allies, almost all Waltham residents. They gather weekly to discuss the issues facing folks that sleep outside in our city, as well as plan social outings and community clean ups. The group was instrumental in the fight for outdoor bathrooms in 2020-2021, as well as advocating for better conditions of the warming center that the city of Waltham put together, and the Bristol Lodge homeless shelter.

For the past 6 months the WCLG has been organizing a Housing Summit, which will bring together many different groups and individuals that have either lived experiences with being unhoused or advocate for those individuals. There will be a panel of local and state officials, and community activists, to address the issue. They hope that Waltham residents come to get a better understanding of what it is like for those that live without a home, as well as leave with a better idea of what it will take to alleviate the problems facing the community.

The WCLG cordially invites you on February 28th, 5-7:30PM at First Parish (50 Church Street) to join their Housing Summit. We sat down with members of the group to talk about the history of the project, their lived experiences, and why the summit is important.

Thank you for all that made this video possible, from the speakers to Chris Hammer, who shot and edited the video.

Waltham is special for many reasons - The Waltham Community Leadership Group (WCLG) being one of them. Formed in 2019, the WCLG is an organization comprised ...

28/01/2023

Going over an interesting selection of committee chairs (including one councilor blocking themselves from becoming chair), a recreational ma*****na special permit tries again on the council floor with a new Waltham law office opinion, as well as the new Fernald plan in front of the Conservation Committee, our new debrief show is out!

Fernald campaign when2meet: https://www.when2meet.com/?18477282-9Qu9K0:55 Committee Chairs (listed)2:21 Losers of the assignments 4:30 Paul Katz blocks Paul ...

17/01/2023

Our first ever live event “Civic Engagement: Beyond Voting” is TOMORROW! Be sure to sign up in advance: https://forms.gle/m6LZmY2uKABBFaKLA We are excited to kick off the election year with an ask to Waltham residents: can you do more than vote this election cycle? Do you have the time (1-2 hours) to volunteer for a campaign? Do you have the desire to represent your community as a candidate?

Check out just some of our speakers! All Waltham activists that have been put in the time to make the city a more equitable place. Hear about their experiences tomorrow. See you there.

13/01/2023

In our most recent debrief episode we go over the first city council meeting of the year, including thoughts on who was voted President of the council, a resolution looking at the MBTA Communities plan, and thoughts on the Fitch, Fernald, and Farm!

0:50 Re-election of City Council President McMenimen & VP McLaughlin1:40 Committee assignments3:37 MBTA Communities Resolution / Getting back the $300K8:45 M...

13/01/2023

Channel 781 News was honored to sit down with Myriam Michel, Executive Director of Healthy Waltham to talk about Waltham's largest food pantry, how it got started, the difficulties they're currently experiencing, and how you can help.

Channel 781 Debrief week of 1-9-2023 1/3: Interview with Myriam Michel, Executive Director, Healthy Waltham0:42 How Healthy Waltham started2:43 Increased dem...

13/01/2023

We were honored to have, Zoe Rodriguez, WHS Junior and winner of the recent New York Times 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest, read her story "Grandpas Drawing" and talk with us about the story behind the drawing.

Channel 781 Debrief week of 1-9-23 2/3: Zoe Rodriguez, WHS Junior and winner of the New York Times 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest, reads her story "Gran...

06/01/2023

https://youtu.be/3CzYZktO1q8

We just released our City Council session wrap up! We talk about the highs and lows of the last 6 months of municipal politics and make predictions for the new session as we enter into an election year. Also be sure to sign up for our event "Civic Engagement: Beyond Voting." If you want to see real change in your community, voting is not enough! We hope 2023 is a year of civic engagement for you and everyone. Solidarity forever.

03/01/2023

We just released our debrief episode that largely focuses on the Waltham Field Station and it's future as the City just voted to restrict access to the site as it plans remediation of a parcel of land. We go over why we felt the cities decision making process was confusing, unnecessarily hasty, and how many of the City Councilors words and votes were disappointing.

1:19 Emily recaps the recent City Council Meeting
5:30 What is Walthams plan for all its farms?
6:35 Issues with Information flow
15:45 City Councillors (Sean Durkee) should care about secondary and tertiary effects
18:00 Councilors upset at number of calls (their job)
21:19 What does “I support the farm” mean?
23:17 City advertising new garden plots on social media
27:20 Resentment of emails from constituents is anti democratic
29:00 Community Preservation Act money =/= preservation of the farm
32:00 Most Egregious Lies pt. 1 (Sean Durkee)
37:57 Most Egregious Lies pt. 2 (Cathyann Harris)
41:17 It’s not about the remediation
41: 45 Why the sense of urgency?
43: 42 Surprising votes (Dunn and Lacava)
45:00 Lexington Solar Farm

In the show we mention the CSA shares being potentially disrupted, but because of the line drawn these things are also delayed: the children’s Learning Garde...

20/12/2022

We had the honor of sitting down with unionizing baristas at the local Market Basket Drive Starbucks in their first public interview as they tell us about their efforts and how the community can support them. Solidarity forever with the baristas around the country demanding better representation in their workplaces.

We had the honor to sit down with 3 Waltham Starbucks workers (you may recognize one if you are a fan of our show!) to tell us in their first public intervie...

18/10/2022

We recently sat down with Pat Murphy, who for the past several years has been a dedicated advocate for our unhoused neighbors. Known locally for giving away donated clothes where she makes asks of the community via social media, her work is unique for two reasons. The first is that she actively seeks to ask folks exactly what they're looking for, size and type of clothes specifically. Often for people sleeping outside they are forced to accept whatever donations are donated to various resources centers leading to uncomfortable arrangements of wrong sizes. Pat gives people the dignity of asking for what they want. The second reason her work is novel is because she meets people where they are, whether it be on the charles river path, the gazebo, moody street or anywhere in Waltham. Because of various reasons, from substance use disorders, past altercations, or mental health issues some folks don't go to the places where resources are offered and are more or less fending for themselves. Pat actively seeks those people out as well. We admire her work!

She is beginning her winter clothing drive and is looking for:
Ski-jacket/Water-proof type jackets and coats
Shoes
Boots
Socks
Blankets
Gloves
Hats
You can reach her on facebook or through the Community Day Center (https://www.communitydaycenter.org/), an organization she works closely with. It's getting cold already and a means to warmth exists in your closet!

Thank you Pat!

Want to help out your unhoused neighbors as we head into winter? Community Activist Pat Murphy discusses the need for winter clothes and how she became the "...

30/09/2022

We had a great time chatting with Amand Kennedy, one of the organizers of the "Day Without Us" protest happening TONIGHT at 5pm on the Waltham Common. If you are interested in meeting other folks passionate about reproductive rights be sure to attend!

We also talk at length about the heated exchange that occurred at this week's city council in regards to a resolution looking to create separated bike lanes on Lexington Street. We go over how a resolution is submitted and introduced during the discussion.

Finally we touch on the recent Master Plan Committee Ward Meetings and here's a reminder that the 5/6 meeting is happening this coming Thursday at 6pm at Government Center!

0:50 Amanda Kennedy, Co-Organizer, 9/30 "Day Without Us" Protest12:05 Bike Lanes Resolution / Councilor Darcy ruled out of order23:45 Master Plan Public Inpu...

18/09/2022

We had a great time this past week chatting with special guest Brian Daly who has been spearheading the campaign for greater transparency in the proposed renovations of the skate park on the top of Moody Street (Brian's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walthamboardpark/ ). We go over with him the campaign, how the skating community is getting involved and learning about how politics works in the city. We are looking forward to keeping a close eye on the project!

Also this past week we talked in depth about the first Waltham City Council meeting since the summer recess. There were several publics hearings, an interesting resolution on accessible mail boxes, a proposed Labyrinth on the Waltham Field Station, and lots of mayor communications. Also, we make guesses on what we think the Elk’s Lodge will turn into if the city acquires it, which is looking likely. What do you think it will become? What do you wish it would become?

0:36 Brian Daly, Creator, Waltham Skatepark Instagram: Background and updates on Waltham Skatepark at Koutoujian Playground17:35 City council / Executive ses...

10/09/2022

New format! Check out our headlines of the week at: https://youtu.be/iIzOmtNaXew and our Debrief show below!

We were joined by new cohost Emily Saperia and former ward 7 City Councillor Kristine Mackin to talk about the mayor running again, her decision making process in relations to the Armory project and Healthy Waltham, as well as the primaries that just occurred and why you should get involved in your local political scene!

1:22 Background on the Armory housing project5:33 Kristine Mackin on what happened with the project11:36 Difficulties City Council faces in resolving legal q...

12/08/2022

We took the week off from our regular show, but wanted to release this video introducing a new segment and team member, Eric! He will be doing on the ground interviews with Walthamites, firstly was recently going up moody street chatting with folks about the city. We met Eric while he was standing on the corner of Main and Moody leading a one man protest of the overturning of Roe. v. Wade. Happy to have him on board!

03/08/2022

Our episode covering the special summer session meeting of the Waltham City Council! We go over the newly minted WCAC committee updating on the recording of committees, we go over the special joint meeting of the historical commission going over the revealed plan for the Fernald property, and we first have on friend Emily Saperia to go over the Rules and Ordinance Committee that talked about the ongoing saga of cannabis dispensaries in Waltham.

1:17 Community events
3:42 Rules & Ordinances / Cannabis Dispensaries
5:11 Emily Saperia: New state law re: cannabis dispensaries
8:39 Host Community Agreements
11:04 Council's motivation for moving this forward
15:41 Proposed Main St. dispensary
16:48 Thoughts on Waltham's cannabis process
19:25 New Committee / Recording & Captioning of Meetings / WCAC limitations
23:45 Justin Barrett and the disability community
27:11 Joint meeting w/city council & Historical Commission re: Fernald / Planned recreational improvements
37:19 City social media and communications

1:17 Community events3:42 Rules & Ordinances / Cannabis Dispensaries5:11 Emily Saperia: New state law re: cannabis dispensaries8:39 Host Community Agreements...