Newton has much to offer its residents and neighbors: parks, world class events, theaters, concerts, green spaces, shops, restaurants, and cafes, to name a few. We are asking various Newtonians to share with Fig City News some of what they enjoy most about Newton. First up: We asked our…
Posts published in “People”
On her second-to-last day in office, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller reflected on her eight years leading Newton through a global pandemic, political polarization across the country, and ongoing development in the city, ahead of Marc Laredo taking office Thursday. In an interview with Fig City News, when asked what advice she…
As I write this, it’s been eight weeks since the world lost Setti Warren at the appallingly unfair age of 55. To me, he was a friend, mentor, boss, and big brother. Right until the day he passed, I spoke with Setti just about every day for the 20 years…
“I’ve always been part of the community,” Newton Police Chief McMains told Fig City News two weeks before his scheduled retirement on January 8, 2026. His first community was Dunlap, Iowa, where he was born and raised on his family’s farm in a rural town where people helped one another. …
Jill Mercurio will leave her position as Director of the Newton Free Library to take on the same position at the Brookline Free Library. She started in the Newton Free Library in 2011 as Supervisor of Youth Services and became Assistant Director in 2014 and Director in 2019. As Director,…
Newton Fire Chief Greg Gentile announced that Chief Murphy, 86, died at Newton-Wellesley Hospital on December 9. Chief Murphy began his career in the Newton Fire Department in 1961, after serving in the Navy, and rose through department ranks, promoted to Captain, Deputy Chief, Acting Chief, and Chief of the…
At the final City Council meeting of the year and the term, six Newton City Councilors – Alan Lobovits, Bill Humphrey, Andreae Downs, Vicki Danberg, Rick Lipof, and Mayor-elect Marc Laredo – reflected on their time in office. Councilor Lenny Gentile, who was not in attendance, will also retire after…
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…
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…
John Rice will soon close out 20 years as executive director of the Hyde Community Center. In January, he will take on a new role in City Hall as Chief Community Services Officer in Mayor-elect Marc Laredo’s administration. For decades, he’s been known as the unofficial “Mayor of Newton Highlands,”…