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…
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In a time of nationwide turmoil in the 1960s and 1970s, the Newton Public Schools (NPS) took a lot in stride: a homemade bomb exploding, major changes in school governance, and the beginning of significant cultural wars. On a Friday morning in November of 1968, a homemade bomb exploded in…
“Healthcare Not Warfare.” “Hate Won’t Make Us Great.” “Santa Hates ICE. These are just some of the many messages that members of the Highlanders Visibility Brigade spell out from a bridge over the segment of the Mass Pike (I-90) that passes through Newton. Since June 2025, the group, sponsored by…
Newton has been abuzz with Lunar New Year celebrations as the Chinese community held several events throughout the city to celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse. The years in the Chinese calendar cycle through 12 animals and five elements, so the Fire Horse occurs once every 60 years. According…
Ruthanne Fuller, former Mayor of Newton, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of 2Life Communities, a developer, owner, operator — and advocate for — senior residential communities. 2Life Communities notes that during her eight years on the City Council and eight years as Mayor, Fuller focused on initiatives relevant…
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…
Phil Schwartz turns 105 years old on Wednesday, February 11. A large crowd gathered with him the day before to celebrate at Coleman House — the 2Life Communities residential facility where he is very active and known as the “unofficial mayor.” There he received greetings in-person from State Senator Cynthia…
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…
Timothy Cohoon, the current Braintree Police chief, will meet with the entire City Council on February 17, as part of the approval process for him to become the next leader of the Newton Police Department. In preparation for that meeting, Cohoon met with the Council’s Public Safety and Transportation Committee…
When METCO (the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity) program began in 1966, organized opposition emerged in Brookline, Wellesley, Needham, and other neighboring suburbs, but not in Newton. METCO had “a smooth start here” without “incident or fanfare.” Instead of protesting METCO, Newton’s parents were protesting lunchtime. Between 1940 and 1970,…
At 3PM on Saturday, February 28, the halls of Grace Episcopal Church will echo with the sounds of Brahms, Britten, and Schubert as part of a joint program between the Newton-based New Philharmonia Orchestra and two emerging artists: 12-year-old Sofia Hernandez-Williams, cellist, and 10-year-old Valerie Bai, violinist. They come together…
A new zoning ordinance regulating the maximum frontage of a residential building is scheduled to take effect on March 1. It was passed by the City Council on October 20, 2025. The ordinance pertains to what is called the “Residential Facade Build Out Ratio,” which is the ratio of the…