A sure sign of spring: On April 14, Mass Wildlife delivered about 400 rainbow trout to their new home in Crystal Lake. With only about a half-hour notice of the event, City Councilors Martha Bixby and Alan Lobovits were on hand to welcome the new residents. Newton Recreation Manager Carol…
Posts published in April 2025
Bringing to a head prior budget discussions, on April 2 the School Committee approved by a 6-3 vote the “Level Services Plus” version of the FY26 budget for Newton Public Schools (NPS), even though this budget exceeds the allocation from the City by $2-3 million. NPS leaders will present this…
Secret Mall Apartment is a marvelous documentary about a band of eight artists who made a secret home for years in a Providence, Rhode Island shopping mall. To mark the film’s opening, the West Newton Cinema (WNC) hosted a post-film discussion on Sunday, April 13, with director Jeremy Workman, subject…
In its continuing exploration of ways to update Newton’s Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance and build more “affordable” units, the Zoning and Planning Committee met on April 14 to hear recommendations by the consultant, RKG Associates. The meeting was in response to requests from several City Council members to consider adding an…
“I’ll be in and out – it’ll take less than five minutes.” “Who will notice?” “Why do they need so many spaces anyway?” To some drivers, a few moments blocking a curb cut or taking an accessible parking space to do a quick errand does not seem like a big…
The next span of Newton school history was marked by the growth of private schools; issues of governance, equity and curriculum; and the beginnings of teachers organizing. By 1763, Newton had two full-time school masters and four one-room, 14 ft x 16 ft schoolhouses for a population of 1,306. The…
The City’s Transportation Network Improvement Plan (TNI) was discussed at the April 2 Public Facilities Committee. The TNI, formerly known as the Accelerated Road Program, was designed by Mayor Setti Warren. Its goal was to improve the condition of Newton’s roads by increasing road repair spending $9 million a year…
Highlights this week… City Council City Council will not meet this week. Finance will meet on Monday to consider: Zoning and Planning will meet on Monday to consider: Land Use will meet on Tuesday to consider amending the previously approved special permit for the Northland project to eliminate five buildings,…
Finance will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, April 14 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following: Zoning and Planning will meet in person (Room 204) and virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, April 14 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following: Land Use will meet in person (Council Chamber) and…
School Committee will meet in Executive Session in person (Room 304, Education Center) on Monday, April 14 at 5:45PM. The agenda includes the following: School Committee will meet in person (Room 210, Education Center) and virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, April 14 at 6:30PM. The agenda includes the following: Negotiations…
Newton Free Library Board of Trustees – Development Committee will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, April 14 at 10AM. The agenda includes the following: Newton Commonwealth Foundation Greens Subcommittee will meet in person (Room 211) on Tuesday, April 15 at 10AM. The agenda includes the following: Design Review Committee/Franklin…
Development Review Team (DRT) will meet this week regarding the following potential projects/proposals (see DRT Snapshot):