Helen Garity, a Newtonville resident with years of experience in the corporate world, has taken on the role of Executive Director at the nonprofit Hyde Community Center in Newton Highlands. Garity says she hopes to build on the Hyde’s strong foundation rather than to reinvent it. She succeeds John Rice,…
Posts published by “Charlie Johnson”
On March 2, the Newton City Council approved rezoning 148 California Street from Manufacturing to Business Use 2, a change that supporters said would ease leasing for businesses, while opponents warned it could undermine planning for the California Street corridor. The parcel contains about half of a shopping center that straddles…
Daniel Mola discovered Brazilian jiu jitsu at 12, and it never let go. He now owns and operates Atom Jiu Jitsu & Science at 118 Needham Street, where he teaches multiple classes a day – demonstrating positions, watching as students work through them, and stepping in with small corrections or…
At two recent community listening sessions, Mayor Marc Laredo fielded concerns ranging from federal actions affecting Newton to local issues such as schools and road maintenance. Across the exchanges, he repeatedly emphasized accountability while underscoring the limits of what falls within his control. The sessions took place on February 11…
The Price Center opened its new Kindness Cafe on the morning of February 13, launching an inclusive coffee shop designed to provide hands-on barista training for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The cafe is open in the Price Center headquarters three mornings a week, by invitation only. The service…
At a meeting on Monday, February 9, the City Council’s Zoning and Planning Committee reviewed the status of potential projects proposed under the Village Center Overlay District (VCOD) zoning ordinance, following a request by Ward 2 City Councilor Susan Albright for twice-yearly updates. Nora Masler Colello, the City’s chief of…
On Monday, February 2, Ward 2 City Councilor Susan Albright raised a charter objection to the Public Safety and Transportation Committee’s recommendation to shorten the Newton Centre Plaza pilot to May 31. This effectively delayed consideration of that recommendation until the next City Council meeting. (The City’s Charter allows any…
After the latest snowfall, Mayor Marc Laredo reminded residents by email of the deadline by which sidewalks must be cleared: Wednesday, January 28 by 8AM. After that, property owners may face fines for leaving sidewalks obstructed by snow or ice. Under City ordinance, residents and businesses are responsible for clearing…
Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT or Claude are everywhere, accessible to businesses of all sizes. In Newton, a growing number of entrepreneurs, consultants, and organizations are discovering that access is the easy part. The harder question is how to leverage AI in ways that actually change how people work,…
The City Council’s Public Safety and Transportation Committee voted Thursday, January 21 to shorten the trial of the Newton Centre Plaza pilot in the Langley Road parking lot, as officials weighed strong public support for the space against concerns about parking and accessibility. Several Councilors, including Ward 2 City Councilor…