Every week, staff members at Good Shepherd Community Care competed for the privilege of driving Theresa Nicolazzo home. The elderly woman lived with physical challenges and ongoing health needs. For her to volunteer at the Newton-based hospice’s offices, someone had to pick her up at her house, work carefully with…
Posts published in “History”
On December 9, the Community Preservation Commission voted unanimously to recommend a $600,000 grant to the Suzuki School of Music toward building an accessible rear addition at 1615 Beacon Street. Approval depends on votes by the Zoning and Planning and Finance Committees and the full City Council in 2026. “When…
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…
Following a 75-year-old tradition, the Nonantum Children’s Christmas Party Association hosted its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Sunday evening, December 7th. As they waited in the brisk air for the human Santa and the tree lighting, at least 300 people – and a number of dogs — joined the…
Following World War II, Newton was known as “one of the best school systems in the country.” James Conant, president of Harvard, called Newton a lighthouse that pointed the way to excellence in public education. Community organizations worked closely with NPS. Leaders of the PTA and the Newton Teachers Federation…
One woman escaped Nazi rule at the age of eight and made it to America where she built a career teaching music and climbed many mountains. Another woman protested dictatorship in Argentina as a child and became a renowned linguistic theorist and teacher. A third escaped Communist rule in Hungary…
Friends, family, and City officials filled the hall of the American Legion Nonantum Post 440 on the morning of November 11 to honor Newton’s veterans during the city’s annual Veterans Day ceremony. The ceremony began with the Post’s Honor Guard marching into the hall. Seth Bai, Newton’s director of Veteran…
On November 9, over 30 residents of Newton Lower Falls gathered by the Hamilton Community Center for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the installation of two information signs that celebrate the history of Newton’s westernmost village. The Lower Falls Improvement Association (LFIA) and Historic Newton began collaborating in 2022 to…
On Sunday, November 23 from 2PM – 3:30PM, the Newton Free Library (330 Homer St, Newton) will host Reclaiming Folk: Celebrating People of Color in Folk Music, featuring Naomi Westwater, Louie Lou Louis, and Prateek. From Reclaiming Folk: This is an event series that celebrates and honors people of color (POC) in…
Two Kenneth Newcomb Oral History Grants of $500 each are available to high school students living in Newton Upper Falls. A grant recipient must reside in Newton Upper Falls and be a freshman, sophomore, or junior in high school (9th to 11th grade). Public and private school students are eligible.…
After changing venues due to rain from Albemarle Field to indoors at Newton North, the city celebrated its fifth Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 13. There were approximately 1,100 attendees, along with 68 Indigenous vendors and 9 food vendors. Chief Dean Stanton, Chief of the Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island,…
In the early 20th century, Newton was known throughout the state and nation for its innovative public school system, with high educational standards and cooperative officials. In 1930, Boston University’s School of Education contracted with Newton Public Schools (NPS) for their students “to see progressive principles of education at work…