Jamaree Pope is this year’s Newton recipient of a Charles River Regional Chamber scholarship. Pope graduated this year from Newton South High School, where he was a star athlete and noted by his school counselor as “an enjoyable, easygoing, thoughtful kid …respected by everyone at school.” Pope has been mentoring…
Fig City News
On April 21, Emily Craven (NNHS ‘22) ran the 129th Boston Marathon to raise money for the third annual Fig City News summer internship program. Before the day of the Marathon, she had raised a total of $7530, exceeding her goal of $7500. This included proceeds from the five-kilometer “Shamrock”…
On July 28, Newton high school student and pianist Matthew Ding, accompanied by four friends, stepped out onto the largest stage at 2Life Communities’ Brighton campus, a local senior living center. To much acclaim, they performed Pachelbel’s Canon for the audience in the 255-seat auditorium. This concert, while Ding’s largest…
Alumni of the Newton Public School system may have hazy memories of Newton’s education regarding Native American history — a unit here, a presentation there. Quickly forgotten in the whirlwind of school. Newton native and author Joseph Lee has stepped forward to fill some gaps in common understanding of Massachusetts’…
When President Trump signed into law his “Big Beautiful Bill” on July 4, it brought cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other federal food assistance, and Newton’s food pantries braced for the impact. To combat a potential statewide increase in food insecurity, Governor Maura Healey created an…
Jerry Reilly works magic not only in his Newton Upper Falls neighborhood, but across Newton, always planning fun and engaging events that bring people together. Reilly has been an Upper Falls resident since moving from West Roxbury 17 years ago. His contributions to the community take many forms – everything…
In 1904, Newton hired a progressive superintendent, Frank Spaulding who believed public schools should “provide educational opportunities adapted to the individual needs of every boy and girl from four to eighteen years of age.” He sought class sizes of no more than 25 pupils so teachers could do individual work…
Standing patiently in a line running the length of the Hyde Community Center park on August 9, a hungry crowd eagerly waited for Sridhar Periyasamy to hand-make savory dosas (thin pancakes). Pouring out a light batter on a sizzling griddle, the cook from Watertown’s Chennai Eats masterfully created giant, crispy…
Two incumbent City Councilors – Alan Lobovits (Ward 6) and Rick Lipof (Ward 8) – withdrew from their races for reelection just before the deadline, narrowing the field to three in Ward 6 and leaving the two remaining Ward 8 candidates unopposed. Alan Lobovits (Ward 6) In a surprise announcement,…
The ballot for Newton’s November 4 municipal election has been finalized, after recent decisions by candidates. Councilors Rick Lipof (Ward 8) and Alan Lobovits (Ward 6) withdrew from their races on August 7, the last day to do so. Earlier, in Ward 4, Cyrus Dahmubed decided to run for Councilor-at-Large,…
Honking as he passed by, Savvas Fotiadis and his young passenger carefully drove a mini fire engine around the crowd at the Newton Police’s National Night Out event on Aug. 5, in West Newton. Donning a red fez, Fotiadis and other members of the Worcester County Shriners Club gave rides…
Jack Winnay’s summer started as a college student, member of the Wake Forest University baseball team. He’s now a professional baseball player, Boston Red Sox Organization, and off to a fantastic start. The 22-year-old Newton native made his professional debut with the Salem Red Sox, collecting five hits in seven…