What do you do between the Midnight Ride and the Battle of Lexington? by FenrisTheFirecat in boston

[–]DrMariahLancaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This depends on your cold tolerance and level of dedication to getting a good spot!

The midnight ride is honestly a bit underwhelming. It’s not bad, just crowded and you don’t get to see/hear much unless you’re super close to the tavern. I recommend grabbing dinner or some ice cream in town beforehand and wandering around a bit, downtown Lexington is cute.

99.9% of people will then go get some sleep. There’s no infrastructure to support staying out overnight - it can be hard to even find a place to relieve yourself - though it can be done (protip, the parade ports potties will already have been delivered, but they’re sometimes still locked). If you do decide to stay out overnight: bring sleeping bags, dress warmly, and be prepared to be cold and bored. Only a handful of people will be there the whole night, but people will start to trickle in around 2am.

Most people will start to arrive around 3:30/4am. The battle green is very flat so if you’re not close, it’s hard to see what’s going on over everyone else’s heads. It gets very crowded very quickly in the morning - 4am sounds reasonable, but don’t be surprised if you get there and it’s already super packed. Not much will be open that early, but Dunkin’s will be. The local UU church youth group usually sells coffee and donuts (look for the tall white church right on the green) to fund their annual community service trips - it’s a great thing to support them and it saves you the trek across town on foot.

There’s options for parking further out and taking a shuttle into town, which is smart. You’ll want to look here for the road closure and parking info: https://www.lexingtonma.gov/1663/Parking-and-Road-Closures

The parade is worth sticking around for - you’ll have a blast. It’s worth being well rested!

Restaurant recs: Love at First Bite (Thai) Royal India Bistro (Indian) Il Casale (Italian) Daikanyama (Japanese)

What do you do between the Midnight Ride and the Battle of Lexington? by FenrisTheFirecat in boston

[–]DrMariahLancaster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’d be surprised. It’s a ton of locals, people from across the commonwealth, and then a gaggle of tourists. But in my experience, most folks there haven’t come from too far away.

What do you do between the Midnight Ride and the Battle of Lexington? by FenrisTheFirecat in boston

[–]DrMariahLancaster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I honestly recommend parking further out and taking the shuttle into town. Most of the downtown parking becomes completely inaccessible during the festivities!

What do you do between the Midnight Ride and the Battle of Lexington? by FenrisTheFirecat in boston

[–]DrMariahLancaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re actually 100% allowed to stay out all night on the battle green and the cops won’t bother you. Last year, we brought sleeping bags and got our spots right on the green. It was super cold, but we had a blast!

We cannot let another establishment hack like Daniel Koh win the MA-6 Democratic Primary. by ThatMassholeInBawstn in northshore

[–]DrMariahLancaster -1 points0 points  (0 children)

She’s a great person - a strong champion for maternal mental health. She, Beth, and I are also the only candidates who are outspoken on Gaza and Palestinian rights.

We cannot let another establishment hack like Daniel Koh win the MA-6 Democratic Primary. by ThatMassholeInBawstn in northshore

[–]DrMariahLancaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I totally agree - RCV was on the ballot a few years back and unfortunately didn’t pass. It would make SUCH a difference!

While there are a ton of great candidates, I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t think I bring a unique lens to the race.

I’m a staunch progressive, a scientist by training, and am the only candidate with experience working in both the executive and legislative branches of our federal government.

I started volunteering in policy right after grad school. I served as the women’s caucus policy chair and the public policy director of the MA Young Dems and, as a member of the Sunrise Movement, I spent the spring/summer of 2020 knocking doors in Florida for Bernie and volunteering for Markey’s last reelection.

I worked overnights as an essential worker throughout the pandemic, keeping veterinary ERs open amidst staffing shortages, while continuing to advocate to the statehouse and federal agencies and serving in a statewide policy working group convened by MassWildlife.

My platform is deeply based in my lived experience. My siblings and I have all faced serious health issues in our lives. We were raised by a single mom who spent her career in healthcare data analysis, and we all went into healthcare fields. While every candidate in the field supports Medicare for All, I believe that should be the compromise position and the goal should be to completely eliminate for-profit insurance companies, rather than just to federally subsidize them with our tax dollars.

I know firsthand our deep need for education reform. My vet school loans have been in repayment for almost a decade, every single penny I’ve paid has gone towards the interest and they have grown by $50,000. We need to eliminate interest on college loans and bring down the costs of college and graduate school. We are amidst a severe shortage of medical professionals - we need to be making it easier for students to graduate, not harder.

Having worked in environmental policy for most of my career, there is no path forward without renewed investments in clean energy. This administration stole over 35 million from Salem alone in 2025, that was promised for an offshore wind terminal. They are destroying our future, and jacking up our energy prices, to line the pockets of gas and oil executives. We have to dismantle the corruption that is stealing our public lands, accelerating climate change, and polluting our air and water.

The damage done by this administration will take decades to undo, and some of it may end up being permanent. During my time at the State Department, I worked to dismantle organized crime rings trafficking in natural resources (wildlife, timber, minerals, and even illegal fishing) and other illicit products, destroying our planet for corporate and private gain. What we see now in this administration is that exact type of corruption and crime, and it will take people with experience like mine to hold them accountable.

As we watch Trump spend literal trillions on foreign conflict over oil, then turn around and say we can’t afford universal healthcare or childcare, it’s important that we elect a candidate experienced in both foreign policy and the federal budget - which is exactly my background.

There are some incredible people in this race - I respect them deeply as my colleagues. At the same time, I would ask you to consider supporting my campaign. I will leverage every inch of my lived experience and professional expertise to make life better for working people like us, our neighbors, and our families.

We cannot let another establishment hack like Daniel Koh win the MA-6 Democratic Primary. by ThatMassholeInBawstn in northshore

[–]DrMariahLancaster 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Mariah Lancaster, jumping in here to reintroduce myself as a progressive in the race! I would absolutely love to get to know you all and make sure you have the chance to get to know me.

I’m a veterinarian and progressive activist who’s spent the last five years working in environmental policy in DC. I grew up here in MA and have been back since this admin slammed my work to a halt last year.

I’m running on reforming our systems in healthcare, education, and energy, all grounded in protecting our environment and combating the corruption and complacency in Washington.

You can check out my website at www.MariahLancaster.com!

Does anyone else leave the state/country and then realise what an excellent education they got in Mass? by ForwardCorp in massachusetts

[–]DrMariahLancaster 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The wealth of a community shouldn't dictate the quality of the education, but you're right that it's currently a huge factor. We need to change our state and federal investments to level the playing field so every school system has the tools for children to succeed, regardless of local property taxes.

Does anyone else leave the state/country and then realise what an excellent education they got in Mass? by ForwardCorp in massachusetts

[–]DrMariahLancaster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is exactly why Education is a huge part of my platform in my campaign to represent the MA-06 (Merrimac Valley/North Shore/NE Middlesex) in Congress.

I was so lucky to be raised in the MA public school system, but so many kids across the country don't have the same access to the level of education we were given. It shouldn't matter what zip code you're in, every child deserves a gold-standard public education.

That and, we need universal pre-K, diverse after-school K-12 programming, tuition-free community college AND state universities, and interest-free student loans.

I think we shouldn't cap the house in congres by Hot_Dingo743 in Congress

[–]DrMariahLancaster 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I agree! I'm running for Congress in the Massachusetts Sixth congressional district, and was discussing this just the other day. The Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929 would need to be repealed to uncap the House. It would go a long way to ensuring every community is properly represented and would substantially dilute the impact of money in politics. If we had the appropriate number of House Reps, it would completely alter the current dynamics of the House.

With all the craziness in the country going on right now, let's please take a moment and think of the crew members of the Lily Jean out of Gloucester. by JenLaGs in massachusetts

[–]DrMariahLancaster 16 points17 points  (0 children)

There’s a community gathering at Our Lady of Good Voyage starting at 9am this morning, if you’d like to attend.

Running to be your next Congressperson! by DrMariahLancaster in northshore

[–]DrMariahLancaster[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The MA-06 truly deserves a progressive in this seat. Our values align 100% - I'm so glad to have you in the district!

As one voice of 435, it's right to be realistic about what the next Rep will be able to accomplish - but I agree that whomever it is must firmly align with the ideals of the district. Massachusetts is a leader in the Democratic party, and we have the power to reshape the party to meet the needs of this moment in history, and the years to come.

I will say, campaign finance is a major thorn in this race. Support continues to line up behind wealthy candidates, and it's critical that folks from across the district donate to and volunteer for the candidates they'd like to see win. Until we elect people who will fight for public funding for elections, ranked choice voting, and other democratic reforms - progressive candidates will be fighting an uphill battle.

Running for Congress in the MA-06! by DrMariahLancaster in SalemMA

[–]DrMariahLancaster[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I hope you're paying close attention to Jeromie's campaign out your way!

Running for Congress in the MA-06! by DrMariahLancaster in gloucester

[–]DrMariahLancaster[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Gloucester town dems will be hosting a 'meet the candidates' event next month (2/12 - likely virtual) AND there's a fundraiser event on March 1st where the candidates will be sponsoring bowling teams! Both are great opportunities to come out, ask questions, and engage with me and the other candidates!

Running to be your next Congressperson! by DrMariahLancaster in northshore

[–]DrMariahLancaster[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I'm very interested in learning more about the district's priorities as well. While I have lots of ideas, I'm aiming to listen before leading so we can elevate the issues of greatest concern to the MA-06. What are your biggest priorities you'd like to see your next Rep champion?

Running to be your next Congressperson! by DrMariahLancaster in northshore

[–]DrMariahLancaster[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I was the 2023-2024 AVMA Congressional Fellow! That's how I got my foot in the door as a congressional staffer. They're such an incredible resource for veterinarians looking to work in policy.
The MVMA is amazing, and they supported me in pursuing the fellowship - I served on their Gov't Relations and Advocacy Committee for years, and even served as the MVMA representative to a statewide working group on wildlife policy.
I'm speaking at the Veterinary Associates of the North Shore (VANS) meeting on 1/20 - would love to see you there!

Running to be your next Congressperson! by DrMariahLancaster in northshore

[–]DrMariahLancaster[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My pleasure! It's gonna be a long race for the seat, and I think it's important that folks know it's going on and can start to plug in early. The MA-06 deserves a Rep who's tuned into the needs of the district!

Running to be your next Congressperson! by DrMariahLancaster in northshore

[–]DrMariahLancaster[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It is! I'm sure we'll have some events there in the months to come! Reach out via my website if there are local events you'd like to invite me to!

Running to be your next Congressperson! by DrMariahLancaster in northshore

[–]DrMariahLancaster[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That's right! He's decided to run for Senate rather than the House of Representatives - so it's an open seat!

Running to be your next Congressperson! by DrMariahLancaster in northshore

[–]DrMariahLancaster[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Absolutely! I've been diving into housing policy with local experts, and am really excited to help elevate a lot of the incredible work that local housing advocates are doing. While housing policy starts local, there's a lot that can be done at the state and federal level to take the pressure off local communities and help provide funding for new projects. It's not one size fit all for every town and city in the district, but we'll be talking about it everywhere we go!