David Bramante ran the West Newton Cinema for 46 years, turning it into one of Boston’s premier movie theaters for arthouse, international, and independent film. His achievement was celebrated at the theater on March 15 in a surprise party hosted for him by the West Newton Cinema Foundation (WNCF) and…
Fig City News
Although the Land Use Committee had voted unanimously to accept the withdrawal of applications for a zoning change and a special permit to allow for a four-story, 13-unit project at 386-390 Watertown Street, the topic was discussed again in the March 17 City Council meeting. The docket included both items…
On March 15, Newton once again celebrated Holi, the Indian festival of Colors, at City Hall. After organizers and officials spoke, everyone celebrated by throwing colors in the air and creating a vibrant canvas with family and friends. Fig City News photos recorded the scene.
Seeing a British grenadier armed with a “Brown Bess” musket roaming around Newton 250 years ago would have alarmed many residents. However, Richard Tucker’s red coat and the rest of his uniform brought only curiosity – not fear, hatred, or loyalty – when he wore it outside the Durant-Kenrick House…
On Monday, March 10, former Newton State Representative Kay Khan hosted a luncheon to honor the work of two Suffolk University faculty who have spent much of their academic careers researching the range of challenges for incarcerated women. Among her last acts as state representative, Rep. Khan issued proclamations for…
While some jewelry is inspired by nature, every glittering accessory at Carla Shaw Sustainable Fashion in Newton Centre literally has a piece of nature at its core. If you could peer inside the Union Street shop’s earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings, you’d find an individual leaf, flower, or even coffee…
Margaret Morganroth Gullette has published six books on age and ageism, most recently American Eldercide. How It Happened, How to Prevent It, by the University of Chicago Press. The book has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award. See her interview in Nonprofit Quarterly. Jameson White…
The Newton Food Pantry announced plans for the construction of Newton’s first standalone food pantry, to be completed by Spring 2026, according to a March 3 press release. The single-story building, to be built on an empty lot at 131 Rumford Avenue in Auburndale, will be an upgrade from the…
Two long-time, well known Newton residents have recently written and published book-length memoirs. The two memoirs are not at all alike. But in deep conversations with both John Stewart and Bob Burke, I have seen that the experience of writing a memoir had changed each of them. John Stewart: My…
After much discussion and debate in the March 11 Land Use Committee meeting, the owner of 386-390 Watertown Street withdrew his request for a zoning change and a special permit. At the March 4 City Council Land Use Committee meeting, members had learned that the ongoing zoning change and special…
Key issues included confusion over Stabilization Fund Cash and support for restoring Kindergarten aides. Following a non-recorded budget workshop on February 26, during which the School Committee heard publicly for the first time about a large NPS budget deficit forecast for next year, the agenda for the March 10 School…
When Emily Craven, a 20-year-old student at the University of Vermont, isn’t training for the 129th Boston Marathon, she takes on another challenging endeavor, organizing the Fig City News Shamrock 5k. The five-kilometer run will be held on Sunday, March 16, at 9AM and goes twice around Jamaica Pond plus…