On November 18, members of the Newton Public Schools (NPS) METCO team attended the METCO Showcase in Roxbury to meet prospective METCO families. Attending the event from NPS were Newton METCO Director Lisa Gilbert-Smith, METCO Counselor Melissa Wong, and Executive Assistant Stacie Gladden. At the annual Showcase, urban and suburban…
Posts published in “News”
Detailed findings shed light on major NPS deficiencies accumulated over prior years At the November 20th School Committee meeting, new Superintendent Anna Nolin presented a lengthy report of insights she had gained by canvassing the Newton community since March of this year. The Entry Plan Analysis document contains information that…
The City Council began its comprehensive debate of the proposed Village Center Overlay District (VCOD) zoning on November 15. President Albright called for straw votes to get a sense of where Councilors were in supporting the proposal. Straw votes indicated that: For a brief time, a controversial vote to not…
In caucus on November 20, the members-elect of the School Committee elected Chris Brezski (Ward 2) as the School Committee’s next chair and re-elected Emily Prenner (Ward 5) as its vice-chair.
On November 15 the City Council received two letters — and the Mayor received another letter — from federal and state legislators and officials explaining the benefits of Newton’s Village Center Overlay District (VCOD) zoning proposal and specifically mentioning Auburndale. In this letter to the City Council president, Representative Jake…
On November 17, the Newton Affordable Housing Trust voted to fund two projects, seeking to advance its mandate of increasing Newton’s supply of affordable housing. These actions represent the very first housing fundings by the Trust since its inception in December 2021. The Trust awarded $500,000 to Family Aid, which…
On November 18, Newton’s dual-high-school robotics team, the LigerBots, hosted a FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Newton Qualifier tournament — in which teams of elementary and middle schoolers passionate about robotics compete using LEGO robots that they have designed and built. The LigerBots have hosted FLL tournaments since 2008. This event had…
A memorable scene in the 2021 film C’mon C’mon features Joaquin Phoenix’s character reading to his 9-year-old nephew from Star Child, a book by highly regarded Newton Highlands children’s book author and illustrator Claire A. Nivola. About a flame of vapor that travels to earth to experience human life as…
On a sunny, sparkling November 15th, about 100 residents joined city officials along the Lake Avenue shore of Crystal Lake for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the long-awaited completion of the Levingston Cove Improvements project. According to the Parks, Recreation and Culture Department, Levingston Cove’s redesign will make the park…
Patrick and Jacki Rohan have been honoring the lives of transgender people even before their own loved one came out. The couple, who are members of the First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton (FUUSN), on November 19 attended the group’s Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil. The ceremony included music and…
At only 200 square feet, Newton Centre shop Dear Duchess gives new meaning to the saying, “Good things come in small packages.” “It can get tight with five people shopping … [but] it’s kind of fun,” said owner Rachel Sciaba. The Union Street clothing and accessories store recently opened at…
Bake your cake (and win an award?) …and eat it, too! Registration is open now until November 26 for Newton Cultural Development’s first Gingerbread House Exhibit and Contest. Inspired by the Portsmouth (NH) Historical Society’s well known, annual Gingerbread House contest, Newton Cultural Development Program Manager Lisa Rucinski decided to bring…