Recent honors, appointments, and arrivals for people who live or work in Newton…
Fig City News
On February 20, in her annual State of the City address to the City Council (text and NewTV video), Mayor Ruthanne Fuller honored the late Audrey Cooper — “a person with a very big heart, a deep commitment to community, a readiness to collaborate, and a dedication to the joy…
On February 16th, Matthew Jefferson celebrated his century birthday — marking a lifetime of public service in opening doors to a more equitable, inclusive city. The Massachusetts Senate and House and the Newton City Council each honored Mr. Jefferson with resolutions and proclamations that documented his unparalleled contribution to the…
On Tuesday, February 20, the Newton City Council considered the Washington Street Pilot project presented to the Public Facilities Committee in January. Funded with $2.77 million in the City’s remaining federal ARPA funds, the proposed plan would convert Washington Street from four lanes to two lanes between Lowell Avenue to…
NTA Lawsuits Resolve and Evolve, Assistant Superintendent Departs. On Monday February 12, Mayor Fuller, School Committee Chair Brezski, and Newton Public Schools (NPS) Superintendent Nolin conducted a public meeting with the entire City Council. The meeting’s topics included discussion of the provisions of the recent contract agreement with the Newton…
Surrounded by shelves of fiction and nonfiction books arranged to look like a well-stocked home library, two well-known, highly acclaimed mystery writers – Hank Phillippi Ryan and Joseph Finder – engaged in an hour-long discussion about the way they create their gripping, widely read novels. About thirty people – some…
An alert Fig City News reader noticed that the utility box at the corner of Centre and Walnut Streets in Newton Highlands was recently wrapped with a “Nonantum” wrap. A City of Newton official contacted about the error on February 20 asked Fig City News to thank the reader for…
At the February 15 meeting of the Zoning and Planning Committee, members received an update from the Planning staff regarding the submission of Newton’s documents requesting certification of compliance with the MBTA Communities Law. According to the law, Newton was among 177 communities required to enact a zoning ordinance or…
Beginning March 1, a new ordinance will require that single-use restaurant accessory items – such as straws, utensils, and condiments – be available only upon request and that food establishments must use reusable, compostable, or recyclable containers and compostable coffee cups. Councilor Vicki Danberg, who sponsored the Sustainable Food &…
It started with an innocent question on our Newton Lower Falls neighborhood listserv by neighbor Lisa Ruckinski. Knowing that it was a controversial question, she asked where was the best place to buy bagels in Newton? The recommendations flew fast and furious, but alas, few were actually in Newton. Opinions got…
For two weeks, from January 19th to February 2nd, I was out of school. My educators were on strike, negotiating with the Newton School Committee in hopes of settling a contract. For the first three days, I felt promise. While little ground was made during negotiations, I felt proud of…
Following her announcement that she will retire from the state legislature at the end of this year, Rep. Ruth Balser spoke with Fig City News about her career. A member of House Speaker Ron Mariano’s leadership team, Rep. Balser is the first psychologist elected to the Massachusetts Legislature and has…