[Danielle Balocca]: Hey listeners, this is Danielle. And Shelley. Shelley is a radical Dravidian and racial equity activist.
[Chelli Keshavan]: And Danielle is a community mobilizer and changemaker. And this is the Medford Bites podcast. Every two weeks, we chew on the issues facing Medford and deliver bites of information about the city by lifting the expertise of our guests.
[Danielle Balocca]: Join us in discussion about what you hope for the future of Medford. And as always, tell us where you like to eat. All right, Shelley and I are here today. Thanks for joining us and thank you for joining us. If you don't mind, just by starting out with introducing yourself, so saying your name, pronouns, and just a bit about who you are.
[Jacqueline Torres]: Yeah, so my name is Jacqueline Torres-Roth. I use she, they pronouns. My wife and I live in Wellington, and I am part of a couple of different committees here in Medford. I'm part of the Solid Waste Task Force, the Medford Arts Council, the Medford Pride Planning Committee. We have a bunch of cool stuff coming up. And I am running for city council.
[Danielle Balocca]: Great, thank you. So before we get into talking about the local politics angle, if you could just tell us your favorite place to eat in Medford and what you like to eat there.
[Jacqueline Torres]: Yeah, so I have two favorites. My favorite that's very close to me is called Annie's Pizzeria on Middlesex Ave. They make a delicious buffalo chicken mess pizza. I love to have friends over for a board game night and order a couple pizzas and they go so fast. And then the other one is Najia in Medford Square, which I know is a popular one. I love their all-you-can-eat sushi and friends and I always go there to celebrate birthdays or really any special occasion. So I love to frequent both of those.
[Chelli Keshavan]: Nice. Love it.
[Danielle Balocca]: Thank you. Yeah. So we had you on today to talk a little bit about your run for city council. So if you don't mind sharing kind of what was like, what led you to run for city council, if you could share kind of like your path to local politics.
[Jacqueline Torres]: Yeah, absolutely. So my path to local politics started at a young age. I remember my parents would take me to the polls for every election. And we would either go early in the morning before school or after school, they would pick me up. And I just really loved The whole process, checking in, getting your ballot, filling in the selections. And I remember thinking, I can't wait until I can vote. And I turn 18 and can go through this whole process. And we always had discussions around the dinner table, talking about politics, talking about current events. So I got to thinking about these things at a young age. And then once I could vote, that's when I really got invested in my community. So when I went to Brown, I was on the newspaper. I was constantly talking about current events with my fellow staff members. And I had an internship in Senator Markey's office my sophomore year of college. And that was a great opportunity to Talking to constituents, I got a lot of calls in and understood, you know, what were the big things that they were focused on and how could I help them and bring that to Senator Markey's attention. So that really spurred my interest in really getting involved in the community. And then once my wife and I moved to Medford, I really wanted to be a part of the community, meet a lot of different types of people, and environment and sustainability is a huge piece of that. So I joined the Solid Waste Task Force, had an amazing experience and a really interesting experience learning a lot about trash and recycling in Medford and just the importance of composting. And I also am part of the Arts Council and the Pride Planning Committee. So I've got to meet a wide section of people, hear a lot about the issues. enjoy watching the City Council meetings and keeping up to date on that. And I am part of our Revolution Medford as well and talk to people there. So I've become quite invested in the community and just love the different pieces that go into it and meeting people and through those conversations and relationships decided to run for office.
[Chelli Keshavan]: Thank you. I love that. When you sort of envision the work, what might you say are your change priorities from your current perspective?
[Jacqueline Torres]: Yeah, so the big focus in my campaign is a thriving environment for all. And so that's a lot of different pieces. That's City Hall, that's the environment, that's public transportation, that's affordable housing. So when you look at City Hall, I think looking at our charter reform, looking at the governance that we have, making sure that it is equitable between the mayor and city council, and also making sure that we have representation from all facets of our community. I think having those diverse voices and having more of those populations that aren't necessarily as represented. We have a majority white population, about 71%. We don't have as much of, you know, more black and brown voices. So I think having more people in leadership on committees and commissions that can bring their voices to the table to have these conversations and really make change. So I think having that in City Hall is first and foremost. I think environment and sustainability We have so much green space. The Middlesex Fells Reservation is a huge part of it. We have a ton of parks. I think having more tree canopy, that helps with cleaner air and that also helps with the heat. It helps with cooler temperatures in the summer and having cooling stations around Medford is a huge thing that we need, especially in those hotter months, that having that tree canopy is super important. And composting as well. On the Solid Waste Task Force, I learned a lot about how composting, just at a minimum, reduces the amount of waste that you're putting in your trash bin. And you can really eliminate and reduce your footprint just by something small like that. And I know it's more of an education and awareness piece, but that's something that I think can really make a huge difference. And then when it comes to public transportation, I am a commuter. I take the Orange Line many days a week into the office. And so I was someone who was impacted by the slower rails, by the issues with the maintenance and repair. So I think making sure that we invest in our Orange Line, in our commuter rail, and having more access across the city. We have the commuter rail in West Medford. We have the Orange Line in Wellington. It's really hard if you're somewhere in the middle to access that transportation and to have more bus access as well. We have infrequent routes. It's really hard for people who need accessibility to be able to navigate the bus system. So expanding that and making it easier and more accessible for people to get around the city is really important. And for the affordable housing piece, you know, we, it's a big focus. I think there's a lot of different areas within Medford that we can focus on affordable housing, like in Medford Square and Haines Square. And I think having mixed use development is super important, but this starts with zoning reform and making sure that our zoning is equitable. For all populations, and it's not just to prioritize those white residents, but really everyone has an equal opportunity and an equitable chance to get housing. And I think we have about 7.2% of affordable housing in Medford. The Massachusetts municipal requirement is 10%. Making sure that we get there and are on par with what the state is advocating for is really important. And then the last piece is just that piece of belonging. I think, you know, my wife and I are really grateful to live in Medford and we were welcomed into the community. really haven't had any issues with the fact that we are out in a queer couple, but that's not always the case for everyone. So making sure that everyone, no matter how they identify, feels like they are a part of the community, feels welcomed, and feels like this is a place where they can really thrive and build that community with others.
[Chelli Keshavan]: Yeah, I love, I adore how you're discussing the way that intersectionality touches on so many of these important pieces, be it housing, education, climate stuff. Do you have thoughts or strategies around what building opportunities for equity would look like, raising the voices of, like you said, black and brown people, youth, sort of queer agendas? Any thoughts on any of those pieces?
[Jacqueline Torres]: Yeah, I think having a office of housing development is a big priority and having a cross-section of people who make up Medford, having those youth voices, having those queer voices, having those black and brown voices, truly make up what's important to them and what's going on there. And I think having that Mixed use development is a great way to get even some, you know, minority owned businesses more into our city because, you know, we have some but I don't think we have nearly enough and I'd like to see more of that. So I think bringing all these people into the conversation and bringing these voices into our zoning reform as well, having them, you know, give their perspective and share a little bit about what their experience is like. I think having those conversations and engaging in that healthy debate and conversation and different viewpoints is really what's going to move the needle forward with these policies.
[Danielle Balocca]: Yeah. You talked about a couple of like boards, commissions that you're on. And, um, and I just kind of wonder, like, so having gone through the process of being assigned or elected to those boards, um, could you say anything about your experience? Like how that, cause I think you named like being able to make those boards and commissions more diverse and are more inclusive and represent more representative of our community, um, from your experience, could you say how maybe that could, that process could look differently to, to do that?
[Jacqueline Torres]: Yeah. So I think one of the biggest things is the time commitment and the accessibility in finding these. I wanted to be on a board and commission, so spent a lot of time, talked to a lot of people trying to figure out where do I apply? How do I apply? What's the timeline look like? And I don't think that is super easy for some Medford residents. I think it's really difficult if you don't necessarily have access to the internet, if you don't have a laptop at home, if you're not Part of these certain groups and on these social media channels that you're able to see this I think it's really hard to get to so I think if we have more opportunities to share this at City Hall in meetings and really across town so that we can get different people who can share their voices because I think that the biggest barrier is just is seeing it and being able to know the process. So I think being transparent about we're looking for people, we want different voices is really impactful and we can get more people and kind of lessen the barriers to entry there in terms of getting them on boards and commissions.
[Danielle Balocca]: My understanding is like right now, boards and commissions, the assignments for those are basically made by the mayor, and that it sounds like maybe you're suggesting that some of that power be sort of shifted to other bodies in the city so that it's not all just a decision in the hands of the mayor.
[Jacqueline Torres]: Yeah, I think that's really important. I think having more voices and kind of getting more opportunities for more diverse populations to speak and, you know, having city council share these boards and commissions. Because these do make an impact, they have a lot of say, especially the Solid Waste Task Force and making sure that we have the right trash and recycling in our city. And I think, you know, emphasizing the importance of stepping into these roles and being able to have a lot of leadership sharing these ideas and talking about the value would really get more people engaged and excited about joining the work.
[Danielle Balocca]: You just wrapped up working on the, remind me what it was called.
[Chelli Keshavan]: Yeah, so I have two entire HRC meetings left.
[Danielle Balocca]: Oh yeah, and then there's the sex ed curriculum. That's right. You forgot already, yeah. Sorry, I forgot already. And I'm on the charter review commission. I think you make some great points about just even those meetings being accessible, right? My observation is most of the people in that meeting maybe don't have young kids, or they have a more flexible schedule, so they can do meetings at lots of different times. I mean, I think it eliminates a lot of people that maybe have a work schedule that they can't work around, or can't maybe commit to an extended time of working on one of these commissions, but their perspectives are valuable, right? Yeah, absolutely.
[Chelli Keshavan]: I think you also nailed it when you said belonging and folks want to know that what they're saying means something. I get the impression a lot of times that folks are like, yeah, sure, I can show up and I can share what I'm thinking, but does it have any weight? Will my energy and effort be worth it? you know, six months down the road. And then, of course, a lot of these positions are unpaid, if not most of them or all of them are unpaid. And so to give this, to feel like you're giving and giving and giving, combined with a potential lack of weight or belonging. And I can imagine when people are like, I'm not sure why this makes sense for me.
[Jacqueline Torres]: Yeah, absolutely. And even like watching city council meetings, anyone who goes up there and speaks, It's intimidating. It's a lot. You're in front of a huge crowd, and I think eliminating that barrier that your voice does matter, even if it's just to agree or disagree with something, but just saying something is really huge and just making sure that, you know, in those meetings, people feel comfortable and know that they are valued and supported and what they believe in. Thank you.
[Danielle Balocca]: Yeah, I think, and in that sort of I wonder if you could share kind of something that you like most appreciate about this community in Medford.
[Jacqueline Torres]: So many things. I think being part of the Arts Council has been a really cool opportunity to try a lot of different things. I'm someone who loves to go outside my comfort zone and be Really bad at something just for the sake of having a story and getting a little bit better So I have brought my wife along to a bunch of different things in the city. There is dance classes actually here at the library We learned the tango the rumba the salsa and we were terrible, but it was so much fun We got to meet people in the community so I think having those opportunities where you can go outside your comfort zone and Again, it is an accessibility thing where you have to know where to look and, you know, you have to have the time as well. But having those events, we have PorchFest coming up, our first PorchFest in June, so that's going to be huge. There's a lot of cool opportunities to connect with people either outside or just kind of detached from a screen, which I think is super important now more than ever to be able to have those face-to-face interactions. So I've really enjoyed being able to try new things and just meet different people with different interests.
[Danielle Balocca]: Thank you. So to kind of add a little bit more of a personal element, so we're wondering if you could share something about you that might surprise us to learn.
[Jacqueline Torres]: So I guess two things. One is I have a tabby cat named Pekin, who is amazing. I wasn't originally a cat person, but my wife convinced me. And she's just so much fun. She loves to sunbathe in her tower. She's obsessed with breakfast. She gets me up at the crack of dawn every day to feed her. And she's just very playful and snuggly. So that's been amazing to have her join our family. And the other piece is just a fun one. I ripstick, which is kind of like a skateboard. but you and you kind of like do the same motion of like a surfboard so you just go on the street and I used to do it growing up in elementary school and I recently got back into it and it's really fun to just rip stick out there see the kids on their bikes and just have fun and be a kid again. That's great.
[Danielle Balocca]: Alright so our final question is just to sort of share any advice that you've received that you'd want to pass on.
[Jacqueline Torres]: Yeah, so I think as a big sports background, a lot of the advice I've received has kind of related to sports, but related to a lot of different things. So one phrase that I always keep with me is just the phrase, next one. And that's sort of helpful, whether you're thinking about sports, whether you're thinking about work, friendships, it's really just keep trying, keep going, things happen, things come up. It might not be the best interaction you had, it might not be the best phone call, or just the best experience, but just take it, run with it, learn something from it, and take that into the next opportunity you have to be better and keep growing.
[Chelli Keshavan]: Check us out.
[Danielle Balocca]: Ending on a note of resilience, I love that. Is there anything else that you want to share before we wrap up for today?
[Jacqueline Torres]: Yeah, I think the last thing I just want to share is as a city Councilor and just as a person what I'm really focused on is I'm, I'm a learner. I'm a connector and I'm a competitor and what I mean by that is I'm endlessly curious, I love to learn things I get really invested in the things I'm passionate about and. Making a change in our community. I'm invested in our community I spend a lot of time learning as much as I can and I will do that in the role of City Councilor and as a connector I love meeting people building relationships and building relationships with people with diverse perspectives. I don't shy away from healthy debate I think having those hard conversations is where we're able to move forward and create policies that make the most sense for the community and are the most inclusive and accessible. And in terms of the competitor piece, I want Medford to be the best city possible. I want us to compete with neighboring cities. One of the things I see is we have a walkability score of about 68 and Somerville is at 89 and I believe Cambridge is at 90. So I want to beat them. I want to be better. I want our city to be the best city in our area and I will fight hard for that.
[Danielle Balocca]: I like that. I also want Medford to be better than this. Awesome.
[Chelli Keshavan]: And the work begins.
[Danielle Balocca]: Are there any like events that you want to share? Anything that you want to kind of, any?
[Jacqueline Torres]: Yes. So June 1st is the flag raising ceremony. I'm going to be emceeing and giving some welcoming remarks. So if you want to see me there, I will be there. Also June 25th is our community day. We have a lot of cool stuff in store. We're going to have some drag performers, which will be a great experience to get people out and about, get people educated, aware of how amazing these drag queens are and drag kings. And also PorchFest on June 3rd. It's our first PorchFest. It's going to be awesome. And I'm really excited to bring it to Medford.
[Danielle Balocca]: Great. Awesome. Well, thank you so much.
[Jacqueline Torres]: Thank you.
[Danielle Balocca]: Good luck November. Thank you. Thanks so much for listening to today's episode. The Medford Bites podcast is produced and moderated by Danielle Balacca and Shelly Keshaman. Music is made by Hendrik Idanese. We'd love to hear what you think about the podcast. You can reach out to us by email at medfordpod at gmail.com, or you can rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Thanks so much for listening. Guys, what's the name of the podcast? Never Bites. Never Bites. Good job.