With the passing of Helen Rittenberg on August 8, Newton lost a warm, welcoming, multidimensional friend who touched people in many ways. She will be remembered as an educator and educational psychologist, the former Principal of Williams Elementary, and a staunch advocate for many progressive causes. Along with her wife…
Fig City News
Since 2011, local nonprofit Newton at Home has been on a mission to help older Newton residents age in place with dignity and independence. The organization, which is built on a membership system and a neighbors-helping-neighbors style of community, connects “members” — older adults looking for support — with a network of…
The mission of the Newton-based Price Center is to “empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, to thrive in living, social, and work communities.” In her first year as CEO, Abigail Parrilla has been instrumental in creating new opportunities, developing existing programs, and setting a path for the…
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…
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…