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Candidate Profile: Marwa El-Sabbahy for Board of Health
Bringing a new perspective
Newcomer Marwa El-Sabbahy is running for one of two Board of Health seats in this April’s town election.
Marwa works as a nephrologist (a kidney doctor), where she sees chronically ill patients and counsels them in diabetes control, hypertension, and other common concerns. She also sees how overwhelmed primary care physicians are and realizes the importance of preventive medicine. She believes she can bring a different perspective to the Board of Health, complementing the expertise already represented on the Board.
Marwa grew up in Cairo, Egypt, where she studied medicine. She moved to the Boston area with her family in 2009 to take the next step in her career and never left. She worked as a researcher before completing her residency (at Lahey) and her fellowship and working in a private practice for four years. Now she practices at Lahey Hospital.
It’s important to Marwa to be involved in the town where she lives—she considers it part of being a well-rounded person—and now that her kids are older and she has slightly more time to contribute, the Board of Health seemed like an obvious choice.
Outside of her professional interests, Marwa loves art and even held a print-making show when she was in medical school in Egypt.
Marwa asks for your vote in the town election this April 6! Learn more about Marwa on her LinkedIn profile.
Daily Buzz | What Are the Responsibilities of the School Committee?
Plus, learn how to attract butterflies to your yard
Good Morning, Burlington!
Of course, a day after launching the new newsletter platform, something crazy comes up and we have to shift back here for a day. No worries, you should be receiving email from the new spot from tomorrow moving forward, but we didn’t want to keep you waiting while we spent the time troubleshooting.
If you didn’t get yesterday’s Weekly Buzz, you can check out the content here. But, more importantly, if you didn’t get it, please (a) check your spam/junk folder and, if it’s there, mark the message as “NOT SPAM,” and (b) add hello@burlington.buzz to your list of approved senders/whitelist.
Learn How to Attract Butterflies to Your Yard this Wednesday
The Burlington Garden Club this Wednesday will be teaching anyone who is interested how to attract butterflies to their yard. Butterflies have begun migrating northward again, and you can make your home a welcoming place for butterflies, starting now.
From the Garden Club:
Butterflies are very important as pollinators as well as a food source to birds, insects, and reptiles. Unfortunately their numbers have decreasing rapidly, mainly due to the effects of climate change, loss of habitat, and the use of pesticides.
Alana Archangelo from the Butterfly Place in Westford will talk about the butterfly life cycle and feeding habitats, why some such as the Monarchs are endangered, and how we can help with the loss of habitat by creating sanctuaries for them using a variety of annual and perennial plants and not using pesticides in our yards. She'll supply a list of major food plants so that we can build our own pollinator or butterfly gardens.
Join the Garden Club this Wednesday at 7:00 PM in the Murray Kelly Wing at 61 Center Street (where the Civic Expo was held!). The presentation is free to all, and light refreshements will be served. For more information contact email the Garden Club or visit their website.
What Are the Responsibilities of the School Committee?
The School Committee is often held as the ultimate authority when it comes to issues in the schools. While the School Committee does have responsibility and control over creating and executing the long-term vision of Burlington Public Schools in conjunction with the Superintendent of Schools, the reality is that this Committee doesn’t get involved in the day-to-day operations of the School Department.
The main responsibilities of the School Committee are threefold: Hire and evaluate the superintendent, set policy, and set the budget. They also sit in on union contract negotiations, and they’re responsible for implementing Child Find to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with disabilities.
They don’t get into the day-to-day implementation of curriculum, discipline, or any of the other things schools are known to deal with. Of course, if they judge that a superintendent is not fulfilling their job responsibilities, they can respond by demanding improvement or by hiring a new superintendent who they feel would align with their priorities and vision for the school department.
Read more about the responsibilities of the School Committee, and learn about your candidates for the contested School Committee race this year.
Today in Burlington
Municipal Meetings and Community Events
6:00 PM - Recreation Commission will talk about the Land & Water Conservation Grant they’ve been working on, as well as a bathroom project at Park Playhouse and more. (Burlington High School)
6:00 PM - Select Board will see presentations about the MBTA Communities Law and capital project funding; they’ll also approve a donation to the Police Department, review and approve a Flag Policy, and more. (Town Hall and Virtual)
7:00 PM - Teen Event: Escape Room - Kids in grades 6-12 will collaborate to solve puzzles and win a sweet treat! (Burlington Public Library; Register)
7:00 PM - Virtual Trivia Night - Zoom - Gather some friends and/or family members, and compete against your neighbors in a good-natured game of trivia. (Burlington Public Library-zoom; Register)
Sports and Activities
The high school’s DevilBotz robotics team competed in their second and final qualifying meet this past weekend, and according to their Game Strategy Mentor, Rick O’Donnell, they’re well-positioned for an invitation to the District Championships.
The team “placed 13th of 38 teams in a very deep field,” says O’Donnell. “They were chosen by the 7th seed alliance captains and competed in the playoffs, falling to the 2nd seed. The DevilBotz also won the Excellence in Engineering award for the event!”
Congrats to the team on this payoff for all their hard work this season. The New England District Championships will be held April 3-6, and teams will know whether or not they’ve qualified by early next week.
That’s all for today. Have a great one, and we’ll see you tomorrow—hopefully on our new, permanent channel!
Nicci
Hello, Burlington!
If things look different today, it's because our newsletter platform has officially changed over, a little earlier than expected! Expect a few hiccups as we get used to how the new system works, and as always please let us know if anything is weird. The website officially goes live on Monday, but it will take a day or two for the internet to get the message, so we'll let you know when you can go over there and poke around.
This evening starting at 6:00, there will be a Holi celebration at Tanjore Bar & Restaurant in Cambridge. If you're looking to celebrate the festival of colors a day early, grab your ticket now. And if you'd like to share with the Buzz community how your family and community celebrate Holi, send us your story and be featured in the Buzz's Community Celebrations feature.
Another semi-local event that might interest you is Message in a Bottle, a dance-theater event choreographed by "five-time Olivier Award nominee, Kate Prince, inspired by and set to the iconic hits of 17-time Grammy Award-winning artist Sting." According to the event website, "With a mix of exhilarating dance styles, high-energy footwork and breath-taking athleticism, Message In A Bottle tells a unifying and uplifting story of humanity and hope." There will be shows every evening from March 26-30, with matinees on the weekend. Check it out at the Emerson Colonial Theatre.
Be Featured in the Buzz Spring & Summer Guide
The Buzz Winter Guide was a great way for residents to learn about all the different activities, resources, services, and businesses that could enhance their lives throughout the winter. Our new guide, the Spring & Summer Guide to Burlington, will be coming out on April 8, and we want to feature your stories!
Do you have a favorite refreshing summer dish you'd like to share?
What is an outdoor activity you like to do alone or with your family?
Is there a particularly fun staycation you can remember?
Share your stories, and be featured in the Spring and Summer Guide, which will be sent to everyone in the Buzz community and advertised via a direct mail postcard to all households in Burlington.
Your spring/summer business can take part of this awesome opportunity, as well. For a few more days, we're accepting business partnerships for the Spring/Summer Guide. We take care of nearly everything, and our readers get to learn more about your business and take advantage of your offers. Join Presenting Sponsor Kadilak Realty Group, along with Perfectly Clean & Organized, School of Rock, Burlington Landscape, Shuttle Up Transportation, and many more businesses who are joining the Buzz to enrich the lives of Burlington residents of all ages this season. Just email hello@burlington.buzz and schedule a quick conversation!
The Buzz connects you with the resources you need to live your best life in Burlington. Support this work by upgrading to a paid Hive membership, sharing our work with people you care about in Burlington, or giving us a one-time tip.
This Week in Burlington
Municipal Meetings and Community Events
Monday, March 25
6:00 PM - Recreation Commission (Burlington High School)
6:00 PM - Select Board (Town Hall and Virtual)
7:00 PM - Teen Event: Escape Room (Burlington Public Library; Register)
7:00 PM - Virtual Trivia Night - Zoom (Burlington Public Library-zoom; Register)
Tuesday, March 26
9:00 AM - Ways & Means Town Hall II Subcommittee - BYFS (Burlington Youth and Family Services)
10:30 AM - Bluebird Creations Handmade Cards (Made in Burlington)
10:30 AM - Toddler Storytime (Burlington Public Library; Register)
1:00-3:00 PM - Candidates' Afternoon (Council on Aging)
4:00 PM - Teen Volunteer: Bookend Painting (Burlington Public Library; Register)
5:00 PM - Shawsheen Facilities/Capital Planning Subcommittee (Shawsheen Tech)
6:30 PM - Origami Club (Burlington Public Library)
6:30 PM - General Bylaw Review Committee (Virtual)
7:00 PM - School Committee (Burlington High School)
7:00 PM - Board of Health (Town Hall and Virtual)
7:00 PM - Shawsheen School Committee (Shawsheen Tech and YouTube)
7:30 PM - Message in a Bottle music and dance performance (Emerson Colonial Theater; Tickets)
Wednesday, March 27
10:00 AM -Ways & Means Town Hall II Subcommittee (Town Hall 2nd Floor)
10:30 AM - Toddler Storytime (Burlington Public Library)
11:30 AM - Preschool Storytime (Burlington Public Library)
12:00-6:00 PM - Cousins Maine Lobster (Wayside)
1:00 PM - Howie Newman Musical Baseball Show (Council on Aging)
1:30 PM - Book Bingo and Browse (Burlington Public Library)
5:30-7:00 PM - Free Community Dinner (Presbyterian Church in Burlington)
6:00 PM - Town Clerks Election Workers Training (Town Hall Annex)
7:00 PM - Garden Club presentation: Attracting Butterflies to your Yard (61 Center Street, Murray Kelly Wing)
7:00 PM - Ways and Means (Town Hall and Virtual)
7:00 PM - All-Town Band Concert
7:30 PM - Message in a Bottle music and dance performance (Emerson Colonial Theater; Tickets)
Thursday, March 28
9:00 AM - Town Clerks Election Machine Testing (Town Hall)
12:30-3:00 PM - Bridge Club (Human Services Building, 2nd floor)
4:00 PM - The World of Owls: Family Event (Burlington Public Library; Register)
5:30 PM - Parks & Recreation Egg Hunt (Simonds Park)
6:00 PM - Ocean Wave Glass & Resin Craft Class (Made in Burlington)
6:30 PM - The World of Owls: Book Club Evening Session (Burlington Public Library; Register)
6:30 PM - Conservation Commission (Town Hall and Virtual)
7:00 PM - All-Town String Concert
7:30 PM - Message in a Bottle music and dance performance (Emerson Colonial Theater; Tickets)
Friday, March 29
No School in BPS
4:00 PM - Pokemon Fuse Beads (Burlington Public Library; Register)
2:00 & 8:00 PM - Message in a Bottle music and dance performance (Emerson Colonial Theater; Tickets)
Saturday, March 30
1:00 PM - Charcuterie Class to benefit the Rotary Club (Register)
3:00 PM - Storytime with Bunnies (Burlington Public Library; Register)
2:00 & 8:00 PM - Message in a Bottle music and dance performance (Emerson Colonial Theater; Tickets)
Sunday, March 31
Sports and Activities
We've got some lacrosse and volleyball scrimmages early this week, and the regular season begins officially in the second half of the week. Best of luck to our spring sports athletes as they begin what will hopefully be a great season!
The DevilBotz robotics team is at it again this weekend, competing in their second and final regional qualifying match. More about that tomorrow!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, neighbors!
Nicci
Share this Buzz with that friend who always tells the best stories.
Holi is widely known as the Hindu festival of colors. The celebration is thought to date back nearly 2,000 years and represents the triumph of good over evil in the form of the arrival of spring after a long winter.
The night before the holiday, pyres are built and burnt, symbolizing the removal of evil spirits. Then, the day of the celebration, participants throw colored powder and water at each other in a joyous celebration of color. Each color has a meaning, from fertility to new beginnings to winning out over evil. The colored powders were traditionally made from natural sources like flowers and herbs, but now they’re largely synthetic.
Learn More About Holi
This list of resources will grow as community members contribute. Send recommendations to hello@burlington.buzz.
Recommended Watching and Reading
Globally Taught has a list of five books for young audiences to learn about this colorful holiday, along with some lesson plans and activities!
Bookshop.org has a wealth of books for all ages, from spring poetry collections to parables and more.
In-person and online resources
Hindu American Foundation has videos, 5 things to know, and even a Holi Toolkit.
Local Holi Happenings
Below are just a few events happening nearby to celebrate Holi in 2024. Let us know if you have one you’d like to add!
March 24, 6:00PM-1:00 AM - Colorful Boston - Boston's Indoor Holi Color Party (Tanjore Bar & Restaurant)
March 30, 2:00-6:00 PM - Holi Mela in Roslindale
How do you observe Holi? What resources would help your neighbors and their children and grandchildren learn more about this holiday? Share your stories with us by emailing hello@burlington.buzz, and your story could be added to this feature!
What are you celebrating or observing? Let us know at hello@burlington.buzz!
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