January Special Election: Vote Yes for Needham!
On Tuesday January 7th at 7:30 pm, come learn about the upcoming Needham ballot question: why the town is voting, what the results will mean, and why we are voting YES by or on January 14th. Our presenters will be Oscar Mertz and Paula Dickerman from the Needham Housing Coalition. Join the conversation on Zoom at uuneedham.info/NeedhamHousingLyceum2025.
Paula Dickerman is a 25-year resident of Needham. In her professional life she worked in commercial banking and corporate training. She is on the board of Metro West Collaborative Development. Oscar Mertz is a 31-year resident of Needham, with a 36-year career as an architect and planner. He is also adjunct faculty member at Wentworth Institute School of Architecture and local Needham volunteer on the 2022 Housing Plan Working Group and 2025 Large House Review Study Committee.
The Needham Housing Coalition is made up of Needham residents advocating for more housing choice. They envision a vibrant, diverse, sustainable, and inclusive Needham, where people at every stage of life and at all income levels can find a home and be part of a healthy and welcoming community. NHC intends to be a community-driven resource for education and conversation about housing issues affecting our town, including initiatives such as the Needham Housing Authority’s Preservation and Redevelopment Initiative and the Massachusetts MBTA Communities multifamily zoning law. YES for Needham is a resident-led campaign committee created to support the Housing Plan passed by Town Meeting. Learn more about these organizations at NeedhamHousingCoalition.org & YesForNeedham.org.
Lyceums date back to the early 19th century in New England, where they played an important role in hosting deep and provocative discussions about science, religion, philosophy, and the arts. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Abraham Lincoln all gave speeches at many local lyceums. Today, the Lane Lyceum carries on that tradition in Needham. Named in honor of the late Rev. Ed Lane, a beloved member of First Parish in Needham, the Lane Lyceum is a reflection of Ed’s lifelong passion for and commitment to civil rights, equal justice, and spiritual inquiry. In the words of Rev. Lane, “Life is a gift of grace, not something we have earned. We have a responsibility to use it with wisdom and to share it with love.”