The day after an important budget meeting, Newton Public Schools (NPS) offered a detailed presentation about what is at stake for the curriculum if the schools budget cannot be augmented or significantly reworked. The meeting was initiated by members of the School Committee who had requested a Brown Bag Lunch…
Fig City News
Martina Jackson is one of two plaintiffs (with Ann Roosevelt of Cambridge) filing a lawsuit with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to have a proposed ballot question declared invalid. As reported by the Commonwealth Beacon, the ballot question seeks to replace partisan primary elections in Massachusetts with non-partisan primaries (similar…
While children happily created crafts, munched on cookies and listened to musicians at the Newton Free Library on March 8, during an event marking Nowruz, the Persian New Year, many families with relatives in Iran also expressed worry and hope, due to the outbreak of war. The conflict began after…
This year, the City’s Arts & Culture Department will again launch Newton’s well-regarded Artful Pianos program with five or seven decorated pianos. Why five or seven? So far this year, all but two of the pianos have teams of volunteer Piano Pals ready to care for their pianos, rain or…
Helen Garity, a Newtonville resident with years of experience in the corporate world, has taken on the role of Executive Director at the nonprofit Hyde Community Center in Newton Highlands. Garity says she hopes to build on the Hyde’s strong foundation rather than to reinvent it. She succeeds John Rice,…
On March 4, during his swearing-in ceremony at City Hall, Newton’s new Police Chief Timothy V. Cohoon observed with a wry tone that “after 30 years in this profession, I’m the new guy again.” Before the event began, his daughter Isabella (Bella) said, “I’m very proud of my dad and…
On March 2, the Newton City Council approved rezoning 148 California Street from Manufacturing to Business Use 2, a change that supporters said would ease leasing for businesses, while opponents warned it could undermine planning for the California Street corridor. The parcel contains about half of a shopping center that straddles…
A humble piece of luggage, timeworn travel chests, and a slightly crumpled cardboard box on display at the Jackson Homestead and Museum are poignant reminders of immigrants’ journeys to the United States, some of which led to settling in Newton. “Suitcase Stories” highlights the artifacts and stories of five families…
Emily Craven — Newton North HS ’22, now studying at University of Vermont — was the primary fundraiser for last year’s Fig City News summer internship program, and she’s back with a higher goal. On April 20, Emily will once again run the Boston Marathon to raise $8,500 for the Fig…
On March 2, the School Committee, including Mayor Marc Laredo, met with Superintendent Anna Nolin and NPS Chief Financial and Administrative Officer Liam Hurley in a public but unrecorded budget meeting at the Education Center. The meeting was also attended by Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education Ayesha Farag and observed…