Next Wednesday, November 27, Newton Public Schools (NPS) will host its inaugural Alumni Breakfast at 9AM-11AM at the Education Center (100 Walnut Street). All alumni of the Newton Public Schools are welcome. This event is intended to be a relaxed gathering between old high school friends to catch up, learn…
Fig City News
On November 18, the City Council approved Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s nominations of former City Councilor Deb Crossley and Charles Eisenberg for one-year terms as associate members on Newton’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). The vote on Crossley’s nomination was inverted, in that Yes vote signified denial of the nomination and…
On November 18, the Newton City Council voted to shift more of Newton’s 2025 tax levy to the commercial/industrial/personal property owners to pay for the Mayor’s FY2025 budget approved last Spring. Since the amount of increase to last year’s budget allowed by law is 2.5%, the dollar amount is $10,521,712…
As the inaugural Newton Children’s Book Festival approaches, it’s a fitting coincidence that participating author Elly Swartz’s upcoming novel, Same Page, focuses on “the freedom to read and the power of kids to change the world.” Swartz is one of more than 60 Newton-area authors and illustrators who will be…
The Newton Fire Department received a Group Citation for Meritorious Conduct at the 35th annual Massachusett Firefighter of the Year Awards ceremony. The award cited Captain Karl “Gus” Svartstrom, Lieutenant Joseph DeLuca, and Firefighters Richard Busa, Ryan Doherty, Michael Pohlman, Lawrence Quinn, Andrew Sbordone, and Joseph Yerardi for their service in an…
Across the Commonwealth and the nation, election turnout was lower in 2024 than in 2020. Notwithstanding the many options for voting available, nearly 3,000 fewer voters cast ballots in Newton this year compared with 2020. According to John Doyle, Newton’s Election Supervisor, 47,344 voted on in the November 2024 election,…
Standing proudly in the heart of Newton Highlands, Highland Opticians has been selling eyewear to the Greater Boston community for over forty-five years. The business, founded by Jefferey Mann in 1976, has since been passed down to his daughters, Emilie Brassil and Julie Mann. “[We make] sure that people get…
More than 300 Newton political leaders, veterans, their families and friends came to American Legion Nonantum Post 440 on Veterans Day for the City’s annual ceremony to honor veterans. The federal holiday was originally known as Armistice Day, marking the anniversary of the end of World War I, until Congress…
In March 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, four Newton residents – Martha Bixby, Ranjani Paradise, Shalini Tendulkar, and Shreeda Vyas – saw an opportunity to help locals in need. They started the Newton Neighbors Helping Neighbors mutual aid network, which, in 2021, became incorporated as the non-profit…
In anticipation of the scheduled court date in the case of Scott Hayes, charged with assault with a deadly weapon during a Newton pro-Israel demonstration in September, a group of protesters gathered in front of the Newton District Court on November 7. They were members of the Newton-based, pro-Palestinian organization,…
Grasping two large chunks of charcoal, Marilyn Kalish quickly began to draw black lines bursting with movement on a white surface. Soon, the beginnings of figures emerged, hinting at the subject of the final piece. The longtime working artist recently opened West Newton Gallery at 1286 Washington Street, West Newton…
After two years of working toward the goal, the Newton Police Department (NPD) received full accreditation by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC) on October 30. NPD Acting Chief George McMains accepted the award at a ceremony that day. In celebrating this achievement, the department acknowledged the efforts of its accreditation managers…