Learning from the best at CAAL’s annual 5K

Pleased to have offered opening remarks this past weekend at the start of the annual 5K race sponsored by CAAL, the Chinese American Association of Lexington. Participation was high. Sustainability was the theme. I sounded the starting horn. Happy to have received advice on proper technique from former Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao and CAAL executive Hua Wang.

Senator Barrett speaks to Yvonne Hao and Hua Wang.

Highlighting students at WPY’s annual celebration

Shining moment at Waltham Partnership for Youth’s annual celebration: Executive Director Magali Garcia-Pletsch (left) congratulates student speaker Victoria Silveira for a speech eloquently delivered. 

Magali Garcia-Pletsch congratulates student speaker at WPY event.

Charting a hopeful course with Third MAD

Lawrence MacDonald, Lorena Betts, and Rebecca Gore, all from Chelmsford, lit up today’s listening session, co-hosted with 3rd Middlesex Area Democrats (3rd MAD), to chart an optimistic course for Democrats.

Lawrence MacDonald, Lorena Betts, and Rebecca Gore, all from Chelmsford, lit up today's listening session, co-hosted with 3rd Middlesex Area Democrats (3rd MAD), to chart an optimistic course for Democrats

Sen. Mike Barrett hosts an Open Town Hall for Democrats

A picture of a sign that reads. "In America, the Law is King! - Thomas Paine, 1776"

Sen. Mike Barrett here. An annual meeting of Democrats in my Senate district is set for next Saturday morning, May 3. People are deeply shaken by what’s happening in the country. So, this year, working with event chair Robert Logan, I’d like to try something new, a Town Hall open to all Democrats and Independents in the area interested in discussing what went wrong in 2024 — and what needs to go right in 2026.

Click here for more info.

826 Boston supports young writers

In Lexington, 826 Boston supporter Sonali Shah hosted NYT best-selling author Vaishnavi Patel for a fascinating conversation on the experiences of women in India and in Indian fiction. Good turnout. 826 Boston exists to nurture and highlight the writing talents of young writers in urban neighborhoods. Great organization. Shoutout to Read My Lips Boston for inviting my wife and me to the session.

Massport’s terrible two-fer

In entertaining a proposal to build new hangars for super-polluting private jets at Hanscom Airfield, Massport is on the verge of a terrible two-fer: aiding and abetting the warming of the planet and pandering to the concentration of private wealth. I joined advocates at the State House in thanking the Governor and asking her to prevail upon Massport to do the right thing. Nothing is guaranteed, and the odds remain very difficult, but they aren’t as long as they were two years ago! We have a real opportunity to stop this.

Senator Barrett speaks at a podium in the State House (wide shot)

Celebrating WIN at the Hero Awards

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods, founded by Tom Benavides, has been pushing to expand access to housing. I was pleased to present Tom with one of this year’s Hero Awards, organized by the Waltham Democratic City Committee, in recognition of the group’s impressive work.

Senator Barrett stands with Tom Benavides, Genoveva Tavera, and Mara Dolan

Boston is bustling with romance book clubs — where happy endings aren’t just possible, but required

The Boston Globe

And now for something different: Kudos to my amazing daughters, whose entrepreneurial embrace of happy endings makes me smile on my most challenging days.

A picture of an article appearing in the print edition of the Boston Globe.