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…
Posts published by “Martina Jackson”
Less than a week after State Representative Ruth Balser sent an email to her constituents telling them that she is planning to retire from the Legislature at the end of the current session, Bill Humphrey, Ward 5 Ward Councilor, has announced that he is a candidate for that seat. Now…
About 80 people gathered at the American Legion Post 440 on January 31 for a second public meeting with Boylston Properties staff and consultants to discuss the proposed 307-unit residential project to be developed on 4.76 acres between Crafts Street and Court Street (see Fig City News article). The project,…
National Education Association President Becky Pringle echoed messages from Massachusetts Teachers Association leaders that the striking Newton teachers were fighting a larger fight for education. The NEA – the nation’s largest labor union – joined other unions, including The Teamsters and AFL-CIO — in endorsing the Newton Teachers Association (NTA)…
Approximately 500 women, men, children, and dogs stood on a line along Lincoln Street in Newton Highlands on January 27 to sample a wide variety of soup offered by local restaurants and served by Newton City Councilors. In its third year, the WinterFEST Soup Social is a highly successful collaboration…
On Wednesday, January 17, Josh Ostroff, outgoing Director of Newton’s Transportation Planning Department, presented a proposal before the Public Facilities Committee to allow reconfiguration of Washington Street from Lowell Avenue to Chestnut Street to make it “safer, more welcoming and enjoyable” for residents and businesses. The design phase and construction…
The Newton Teachers Association (NTA) voted to strike on Thursday, January 18. In response, hundreds of their members, Newton high school students, parents, and city residents responded to an NTA rally – in 30-degree weather – at 1PM on Friday, January 19 (see press release). Supporters flooded the Newton War…
Newton’s four Neighborhood Area Councils — Newton Highlands, Waban, Upper Falls, and Newtonville — are beginning their 2024 season by electing officers and setting goals for their two-year cycle. Much of their focus in recent years has been the redesign of their village centers as well as a number of…
The Zoning and Planning (ZAP) Committee held its first meeting of 2024 on Monday, January 8 with its new chair, veteran City Councilor Lisle Baker, presiding. In a memo to the Committee, Councilor Baker proposed that the members engage “in a preliminary discussion about where the Committee might spend its…
Monday, January 1, 2024, was a day of beginnings in Newton. At noon on the first — bright, sunny — day of the new year, the recently elected City Council and School Committee joined the Mayor in the City Council chamber to launch the opening meeting of the 2024-2025 session…