At the end of two decades of rapid growth in enrollment after World War II, Newton Public Schools (NPS) was led by a pioneering Superintendent who oversaw major changes in curriculum that drew nationwide attention. Back then, the NPS had more power in determining its budget allocation, and the budget…
Posts published in December 2025
Three crashes involving electric bicycles and turning vehicles this year have prompted Newton Police to emphasize traffic safety as use of e-bikes surges in the city. “We’ve had three accidents this year specifically that involved e-bikes,” said Newton Police Lt. Amanda Henrickson. “And in all three of those crashes, it…
The MBTA gave an update on the Newtonville Commuter Rail Accessibility Project on December 11 at City Hall. The new station’s $50 million funding is fully committed, including $7 million from the Federal Government thanks to Congressman Auchincloss. The project is anticipated to be completed by early 2029. The project…
Hundreds of Newton seniors have joined protests and lobbied state legislators over the past 18 months, organizing in local nonprofits to oppose policies of the Trump administration as well as state and local issues. Meg Holland, 72, who has been a member of the First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton…
Moviegoers packed West Newton Cinema to watch Hamnet, a reimagining of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes as they confront the love and loss that inspired Hamlet. Shakespeare scholar Michelle Ephraim sat down with historian, writer, and Newton native Stephen Greenblatt to unpack the film and its place within modern…
We updated Councilor Gentile asks if Mayor-elect’s staff increase fits within current City budget to reflect the results of the December 8 Finance Committee meeting.
The recent approval of the Riverside project highlights an issue in how Newton approaches major developments. Rather than beginning with a clear, city-centric vision for what would best serve our long-term economic, social, and environmental goals, the process began — and largely stayed — with what developers proposed. Public debate…
Paula Hammond, an MIT Institute Professor and MIT’s executive vice provost, has been named dean of MIT’s School of Engineering, effective January 16. From 2015 to 2023, she was head of the Department of Chemical Engineering and has also served as MIT’s vice provost for faculty. She is a member…
As NPS approaches its December break, the district’s fulsome response to Year 2024’s Ballot Question 2, the statewide repeal of passing the MCAS tests as a requirement to graduate from a Massachusetts public high school, is coming into clearer focus. Changes to NPS’ graduation requirements must conform to statewide requirements…
On Friday, November 28, City Councilor Lenny Gentile (Ward 4) filed a late docket item asking Mayor-elect Marc Laredo to explain how his planned increase in Mayoral Office staff from 7 to 9 will fit within the current fiscal-year budget. The docket item also asked the Mayor-elect to submit a…