Councilor Lisi’s Campaign Kick-Off: Bringing the Holyoke Community Together

HOLYOKE- At-Large City Councilor Rebecca Lisi drew a large and diverse crowd of friends, neighbors and community stakeholders to celebrate her 2009 campaign kick-off at the Delaney House on Wednesday, May 27. At the event, Lisi shared her vision for a revitalized Holyoke that builds on a strong sense of community.

“The hard work before us is rebuilding a sense of community and an environment of trust that includes the entire city,” Lisi said.

In her platform, Lisi marked her commitment to Smart Growth principles and mixed use development downtown, claiming that these policies can increase job and business opportunities by attracting private sector investments and creating areas of clustered housing, workforce, and transportation options. She also stressed the importance of taking steps to ensure that our schools can provide quality education to our students, as well as developing collaborative relationships with non-profits and community organizations that can help leverage resources and cut costs throughout the city.

Lisi believes that the city is heading in the right direction as evidence by a renewed atmosphere of hope and political involvement. Lisi is excited by the number of young and new citizens who are actively attending public meetings, talking about downtown development, and running for political office. She credited these positive changes to the efforts of CRUSH (Citizens for the Revitalization and Urban Success of Holyoke) of which she is a founding member, as well as other community events that have been bringing residents from throughout the city together to talk about a shared vision for Holyoke’s future success.

Lisi said, “The plan for the future is clear. Residents from throughout the city continue to identify downtown development, preservation of historic buildings, attracting green business and industry to the city, and appreciating our community diversity as ways to improve our quality of life in Holyoke. To move forward on these initiatives the city will need support from dense and intricate networks of community member involvement”.

Lisi begins her door-to-door campaign on June 1. For more information, visit: www.votelisi.com.

Smart Growth District a welcome addition

Letter to Editor
from The Sun, June 20-26

Dear Editor,

Your recent article on the decision of the City Council to approve a zoning change that allows the creation of a Smart Growth Overlay District in downtown Holyoke is welcome news. I was particularly pleased to learn that the change earned the unanimous approval of the Council since, in my view, sustained focus on revitalizing downtown Holyoke has been lacking among that body. Also encouraging were the sentiments of the Councilors quoted in your article that suggest such a focus may indeed become a more central priority for them. Insofar as that is true, Holyokers would be remiss in failing to note the contribution that Rebecca Lisi has made in bringing the matter of Smart Growth to the attention of the residents and political leadership of Holyoke. Her efforts to educate voters about the principles of Smart Growth, and to advocate for their implementation since her 2005 campaign for City Council, mark the beginning of a long-overdue public discussion about the most daunting (and, potentially, most promising) challenge facing the city. While Lisi does not appear in your article, her work should not go unnoticed.

Sincerely yours,

David Swiderski
Holyoke

Vote Lisi signs sweep Holyoke

from The Sun, September 28, 2007

HOLYOKE- Residents and visitors alike cannot travel across the city for long without encountering one of the red, white, and blue signs advertizing Rebecca Lisi’s At-Large Campaign for City Council. Lisi, of 25 Reservation Rd., has been campaigning door-to-door since July of this year, making use of both the internet and personal contact with voters to deliver her campaign message. The lawn signs display her website (www.votelisi.com) so even a brief glimpse of the familiar colors can be enough of a lead for residents-on-the-go to learn more about her campaign goals.

“I understand that residents lead busy lives and cannot always make it to events or meetings where issues are being discussed. My campaign website allows people to ‘connect’ to local politics, despite time constraints, and provides access to ideas and information about improving our quality of life in Holyoke,” said Lisi.

Rebecca Lisi’s campaign focuses on three primary goals: strong schools that are supported by community members and organizations, downtown revitalization and zoning that directs development towards the city center, and creating more jobs in Holyoke by attracting new businesses to the city with creative incentives.

“Policies that help re-connect residents to opportunities downtown will help create investments that will ultimately serve and sustain the entire city,” said Lisi.
Lisi has gone door-to-door in Wards 3, 5, 6 and 7. She plans to continue canvassing until the election and anticipates covering most of the city. While knocking on doors, Lisi is communicating her campaign message while allowing residents the opportunity to share with her, their experiences and concerns. Rebecca Lisi is interested in an open and responsive city government. The blog component on her website is set up to collect feedback, comments, and questions that contribute to the dialogue as well.

Lisi remarks, “Going door-to door is very humbling. You realize that there is value in each person’s perspective or understanding of a situation, although they may be different. I intend on being a councilor who will utilize these distinctions and remain attentive to the diverse needs of all of Holyoke’s residents”.

Rebecca Lisi Submits Nomination Papers for Open At-Large Seat

from The Sun; August 31, 2007:

HOLYOKE- Rebecca Lisi of 25 Reservation Rd. submitted her nomination papers for At-Large City Councilor to the City Clerk with over 300 signatures from residents throughout the city- only 50 are required. Lisi is running an aggressive door-to-door campaign and started by talking with neighbors in several wards.

“Holyoke is changing and so is the way its residents interact with the city. It is important for a politician to listen to peoples’ experiences and bring those voices to the table, in order to get an accurate understanding of how we can work to enhance the quality of life here”.

Bill and Sandra Rigali of 42 Knollwood Cir. agree, “Going door-to-door demonstrates Rebecca’s willingness to meet people face-to-face and get their input about how to improve our wonderful city”.

Lisi is very familiar with door-to-door organizing. She directed Clean Water Action’s Canvass Operation for nearly 4 years, helping to mobilize constituents for clean air, clean water, and public health legislation. Rebecca also has experience coordinating grassroots election campaigns, including several aspects of Deval Patrick’s gubernatorial race in Western Massachusetts.

A strong proponent of Smart Growth, Rebecca Lisi will focus her campaign on downtown re-vitalization as a way to make Holyoke attractive to residents and investors alike. Smart Growth encourages mixed-use development in the city’s urban core to protect historic resources, preserve green spaces, and promote cultural diversity. These principles can increase job and business opportunities by attracting private sector investments to areas near clusters of housing, workforce, and transportation options.

Lisi remarks, “Holyoke has so many young people in the city who are yearning to live the American Dream. With increased job opportunities and affordable housing, young people will re-invest in the city, become productive tax paying citizens, increase the city’s ability to generate revenue, and support a community invested in success”.

Lisi’s Campaign Kick-Off; A Future Rooted in History

press release; June 19, 2007

HOLYOKE- Wednesday, June 13, At-Large Candidate Rebecca Lisi of 25 Reservation Road celebrated her campaign kick-off at the Delaney House with friends, neighbors and community stakeholders. At the event, Lisi shared her vision for a re-vitalized Holyoke that makes use of the city’s historic past.

“We need to move forward with an appreciation and admiration for the work and the structures established thus far… Smart Growth Principles build upon the existing infrastructure of our industrially planned city,” Lisi said.

Smart Growth encourages compact development in a city’s urban core that protects historic resources, preserves green spaces, and promotes mixed industrial, commercial, and residential uses. These principles can increase job and business opportunities by attracting private sector investments to areas near clusters of housing, workforce, and transportation options.

Lisi said, “Directing development downtown makes economic avenues clear and predictable and develops a tax base that can help relieve the city of its massive subsidies. When we invest in… downtown, we create a Holyoke that is safe, attractive, and affordable for young people, families, and seniors to live”.

Lisi also mentioned the need for increased resident participation in city government and organizations. She stated that supportive partnerships and shared responsibility between the city, its residents, businesses and the numerous non-profits located in Holyoke can make our community more effective as a group.

“The people in Holyoke are this city’s greatest resource. We need to make use of their interest and commitment to this community. I am going door-to-door to connect with residents face-to-face so we can work on overcoming challenges together”.