On January 1, 2025, Newton will send two former City Councilors, Amy Sangiolo and Greg Schwartz, to the State House as new State Representatives. This article is based on unofficial results for only Newton. In the 11th Middlesex district, Amy Sangiolo, the Democratic nominee, won an easy victory over first-time…
Fig City News
The November 4th regular School Committee meeting ran almost four hours across a meaningful agenda including a stark update about the state of Newton Community Education’s budget, a curriculum update, the 2025-2026 school calendar, and private school busing provided by Newton Public Schools (NPS). Prior to the published agenda, however,…
With the aroma of raw, perhaps overly ripe pumpkin in the air, the crowd cheered as a catapult hurled a lumpy, orange gourd overhead before it landed with a satisfying splat. Hundreds of the ubiquitous Halloween fruit met a similar fate during the City’s annual Great Pumpkin Smash held on…
Newton’s City Council Zoning and Planning Committee discussed a draft Building Energy Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) at its October 28 meeting. BERDO would require owners of buildings 20,000 square feet and larger to report greenhouse gas emissions (excluding electricity) and replace fossil fuel heating and cooling systems on a…
If the mood in the room at the Charles River Regional Chamber’s Annual Fall Business Breakfast is an indicator, the local economy in the four CRRC communities — Needham, Newton, Watertown, and Wellesley – is full of connection, achievement, optimism, and promise. (See NewTV video.) Four hundred representatives of CRRC…
Highlights this week… City Council City Council will meet on Monday and is expected to vote on the following (see Reports Docket): The New Docket includes the following: Programs and Services will meet on Wednesday to consider: Public Safety and Transportation will meet on Wednesday to consider appropriating: Public Facilities will meet on…
After months of sometimes contentious public hearings, on October 16, the Newton Zoning Board of Appeals approved a Comprehensive 40B project to be developed by Boylston Properties at 78 Crafts Street. The finalized decision provides for four buildings with 295 rental units, 59 of which will be rented to people…
Among the five ballot questions Massachusetts voters will face on Election Day next Tuesday, Ballot Question 2 – Elimination of MCAS As High School Graduation Requirement – has received significant attention within the Newton Public Schools community. MCAS Background The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) – a series of statewide…
In a first for the Newton Zoning Board of Appeals, the City Council filed an appeal to an Inspectional Services Department (ISD) ruling – in this case, a ruling stating that the current developer of the four-unit project at 16-22 Clinton Street was not in violation of the approved Council…
This week Newton celebrates Halloween Window Painting — an event created by Meryl Kessler and Barbara Litwin 25 years ago and now hosted by Newton Cultural Development. Businesses donate window space, and students in Grades 3-8 sign up to create spooky — and sometimes very clever — works of art…