Local hero Normand Rousseau smelled smoke, so he went to the window — and saw an orange glow on the porch of the house across Prescott Street. That house, 75 Prescott, had been purchased by a developer and was about to have work done on it — two units added to…
Fig City News
This mid-summer update about Newton Public Schools (NPS) includes news about who is running for School Committee in November, the status of Federal funding for schools, two lawsuits of note, and approval of PTO’s donations to NPS. School Committee races Following the July 22 deadline for School Committee candidates to…
On July 1, waste collection workers at Republic Services, one of the largest waste management companies in the country, went on strike in Massachusetts, leaving communities across the state grappling with overflowing dumpsters. The strike is now in its fifth week. On July 10, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and Director of…
On Wednesday, July 23, City Councilor Stephen Farrell met with the Public Facilities committee to support the proposed renaming of the 19 roadways of Oak Hill Park in honor of fallen veterans. Currently these roadways are named for letters of the alphabet. Councilor Farrell highlighted the historical significance of renaming…
Vibrant berries, fresh sourdough bread, vegan sushi bowls, and much more can be purchased at the Newton farmers’ markets. For almost fifty years, the markets have been a cornerstone of the community, providing a wide array of produce, fish, and prepared foods. Regan MacPherson, who works at Pocket Watch Bakery’s…
Newton members of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (BPYO) returned from their tour across Mexico this spring with a glow of accomplishment. Their many successful performances across the country included extremely challenging repertoire, from Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 to Stravinsky’s famous Rite of Spring. Along with pride for their high…
Cora Bayes, 5, was delighted with the free picture book she recently picked up, especially since it came with complimentary popcorn. She found her treasure at The Book Ladies’ Book Swap – a monthly event held upstairs at the West Newton Cinema, where bibliophiles can trade or simply take books,…
Lasell Village, a senior retirement community adjacent to Lasell University, recently announced an expansion plan for housing new independent-living residents. The new building, McGuire Hall, will contain 42 new apartments, a new bistro, wellness and fitness centers, a multipurpose room, a library, and an elevated footbridge that will connect it…
State Rep. John Lawn – whose recent arrest and arraignment on charges of operating under the influence (OUI) have been centerstage across local media outlets since the July 16 crash – told Fig City News on July 22, “I’m going to run again.” Buoyed by support of his family, friends,…
Fig City News recently spoke with School Committee member Barry Greenstein, who announced in an Op-Ed last month that he is stepping down from the Committee due to his family moving out of Newton. Originally aimed to be an “exit interview” similar to that with Chris Brezski, touching on many…
At 5PM on Wednesday, July 16, it was hot and still sunny as the 90th start of the five-day St. Mary of Carmen festival — Festa — began in Pellegrini Park on Hawthorne Street. Members of the St. Mary of Carmen Society gathered in their assigned places after three weeks…
It began as a late-night surprise: street grinding and repainting of double-yellow lines on Adams Street on June 26, three weeks before the beginning of the 90th anniversary of the community’s major Italian annual celebration. Mayor Fuller defended the removal of long-standing Italian green-white-red stripes, saying that the double-yellow lines…