Stop Gun Sales In Newton

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Kate Ploussios

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Apr 16, 2021, 9:28:57 AM4/16/21
to West Newton Community
Most likely you are aware that there is a proposed gun retail store going in on Washington Street.  I beg you to please consider writing the mayor and city council to not allow this to happen.  Imagine one of your kids walking to Cabots or to lunch from NNHS and walking right past this. ??

You will find a sample letter that you can email to them below.  Also, please consider signing the petition to stop gun sales in Newton.  



Dear Mayor Fuller and Newton City Councilors,

 

I am writing to you as a citizen of Newton to express concern over plans for a gun store at 709 Washington Street, Newton. Research is clear that more guns in a community lead to more deaths through homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings.


As we emerge from a global pandemic with soaring rates of depression and anxiety, especially among youth, it is difficult to read this research outlining the correlation between gun shops and risk factors for suicide. Newton officials have very recently articulated the need to support our community’s mental health needs, having a gun shop in our community is in direct conflict with this commitment.

709 Washington St is within a block of a family ice cream restaurant, and within one mile of Newton North High School, FA Day Middle School, and Cabot, Lincoln Eliot, and Horace Mann Elementary Schools. Mass shootings—including school shootings—are an epidemic in this country. Newton is not immune.   

As community leaders, you need to do everything you can to protect our community against gun violence, which includes preventing this gun shop from opening in our community.


Thank you,

 

NAME

Street address



Michelle Ciurea

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Apr 16, 2021, 11:46:20 AM4/16/21
to West Newton Community, Newtonville
I find this horrifying.  First the pot shop, now a gun shop?!?!?!?   Is Washington St turning into sleaze alley?  (That big billboard for Garden Remedies marijuana shop on the Westbound turnpike just before the Newton exit, sure does not bolster my civic pride).

  Can anyone provide some background?

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Emily Honig

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Apr 16, 2021, 12:05:53 PM4/16/21
to michell...@gmail.com, West Newton Community, Newtonville
Michelle, if you join the FB group "Stop Gun Sales in Newton," there's a ton of info there. I would not at all equate a gun shop with a cannabis retailer and I would urge everyone to be very careful about that comparison. 



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Best,

Emily

Melissa Hafner

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Apr 16, 2021, 12:13:53 PM4/16/21
to michell...@gmail.com, West Newton Community, Newtonville
Agree. I can't believe this would even be considered for such a prominent location.

On Fri, Apr 16, 2021 at 11:46 AM Michelle Ciurea <michell...@gmail.com> wrote:

Danielle Klainberg

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Apr 16, 2021, 12:51:00 PM4/16/21
to meli...@gmail.com, Michelle Ciurea, West Newton Community, Newtonville
agree.  I am so grateful for Kate to bring this to our  attention.

Best, 
Danielle


Christopher Ludwig

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Apr 16, 2021, 1:18:13 PM4/16/21
to danielle...@gmail.com, meli...@gmail.com, Michelle Ciurea, West Newton Community, Newtonville
I’m all in to oppose any gun store in Newton, especially in proposed location - I mean, really! 

Please keep us posted of what we can all do to stop this from moving forward. 

We cannot let this happen !! 

On Apr 16, 2021, at 12:51 PM, Danielle Klainberg <danielle...@gmail.com> wrote:



Emily Norton

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Apr 16, 2021, 1:29:24 PM4/16/21
to cludw...@gmail.com, Michelle Ciurea, Newtonville, West Newton Community, danielle...@gmail.com, meli...@gmail.com
Our Law Dept is working on ordinance language as we speak — 

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Emily Norton
Newton Ward 2 Councilor
www.emilynorton.org
Office (617) 795-0362
Cell (508) 397-6839
She/her

Can Erbil

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Apr 16, 2021, 2:02:20 PM4/16/21
to cludw...@gmail.com, danielle...@gmail.com, meli...@gmail.com, Michelle Ciurea, West Newton Community, Newtonville
I also thank Kate for alerting us and I completely agree with Chris that we need to stop this. 

The social marginal cost of this significantly exceeds whatever the private marginal benefit is.

A gun store creates a sizable negative externality to its immediate neighborhood, as the petition clearly lays out. 

Best,

Can Erbil


cali...@gmail.com

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Apr 16, 2021, 7:46:55 PM4/16/21
to West Newton Community
I few threads earlier, there is a post titled "Help our Asian American neighbors feel seen and safe". Here comes a man with the resources and tools (toolie, glizzy, etc) to protect the 13%, the Asian American population of Newton and you want to stop it. Instead of making Asian Americans FEEL safe, how about we actually MAKE THEM SAFE? Give them the tools needed to protect themselves against dangerous criminals. Lawn signs don't do anything.

Over the past month or two, there were 11 home invasions. Those homeowners were lucky that the bad guy only wanted items and not to harm the homeowners.

Emily Norton

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Apr 16, 2021, 9:33:29 PM4/16/21
to Can Erbil, cludw...@gmail.com, Danielle’s Gmail, meli...@gmail.com, Michelle Ciurea, West Newton Community, Newtonville
Greetings all, I literally learned about this proposal yesterday and I'm beside myself. I said as much to Channel 7 tonight and the Newton Tab this morning. City Council President Susan Albright moved quickly to get a zoning change drafted and I co-docketed it, but I support a much stronger one and will advocate for that when the Zoning and Planning Committee hears it. 

This may be of interest - from Dedham:




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Emily Norton
Newton Ward 2 Councilor
www.emilynorton.org
Office (617) 795-0362
Cell (508) 397-6839
She/her

Emily Norton

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Apr 16, 2021, 9:34:45 PM4/16/21
to Newtonville Listserve, cludw...@gmail.com, Michelle Ciurea, West Newton Community, Danielle’s Gmail, meli...@gmail.com
I have zero details about this... I literally learned about it yesterday when residents started emailing the City Council. We were all completely blindsided. 


__
Emily Norton
Newton Ward 2 Councilor
www.emilynorton.org
Office (617) 795-0362
Cell (508) 397-6839
She/her


On Fri, Apr 16, 2021 at 1:50 PM Paul Rishell (paul.r...@yahoo.com) via Mailing List <newto...@lists.neighborhood.net> wrote:
Do you know the status of this proposal? Who is the applicant? Has it been discussed by committees already? Any petitions on record?
Annie

Sent from my iPad

On Apr 16, 2021, at 1:30 PM, Emily Norton <em...@emilynorton.org> wrote:


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didi_614

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Apr 19, 2021, 6:57:56 PM4/19/21
to Newtonville Listserve, cludw...@gmail.com, Michelle Ciurea, West Newton Community, Danielle’s Gmail, meli...@gmail.com
The Newton Tab Article states (see below) that The City of Newton knew about this for over a month.  Who in the City of Newton knew that a Gun shop was going in on Washington Street over a month ago ?  The Mayor?   City Councilors? Administration?  I think it is important to know who knew this and did not say anything about it.
Thanks Joanne 



“That is completely inequitable and unreasonable” to open a gun shop in that location, said Emily Norton, a councilor for Ward 2 where the store would be located. “I was very disappointed that the city knew about this over a month ago and that I didn’t find out about it … until I started getting constituent emails [on April 15].”

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