Regarding comments by NTA President Mike Zilles about Mayor Fuller’s designation of federal pandemic funds for Newton Public Schools (NPS), I’d like to clarify the information. Mayor Fuller invested over $28 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and CARES funds, approximately 40% of the City’s total, in the…
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Kudos and thanks to the members of the Newton School Committee! They have shown exceptional diligence, patience and flexibility, offering many substantive proposals and adjustments in their responses to the demands of the teachers union. At the same time, they have, as they are expected to do, defended the taxpayers…
Thank you to David Mickley for his 1/9/24 Letter to the Editor, criticizing Greg Vasil’s Boston Globe editorial (Massachusetts can make housing more affordable, 12/27/23). Vasil called the Newton zoning law “watered down” and claimed that suburban voters fear that “apartment buildings and dwellers will change their neighborhood’s character and…
A recent Boston Globe Op-Ed compares Newton’s and Brookline’s zoning updates to address the regional housing shortage. Brookline is framed as the housing hero that “adopted one of the most significant zoning reforms in town history” while Newton is described as passing “a watered-down housing plan.” As a current Newton City Councilor…
As part of a growing number of citizens concerned about climate change (including heat waves, floods, and fires), we want to advocate against the proposed plan by developers to expand private jet capacity at Hanscom Field in Bedford, MA. Hanscom is owned by Massport and is the largest private jet airport…
Minnesota just chose a new state flag in an open competition. The current (and longest-tenured) version of the U.S. flag was designed by a high school student. Why does Newton need to pay consultants $25,000 to design a new seal? Lucia DolanNewton Centre
I’m so disappointed to read that the City Council has approved artificial turf for one of the city’s fields. I was part of a team of Newton citizens who have studied the situation, who have learned about the dangers that artificial turf poses to children, and who called both City…
As a lifelong resident or homeowner in Newton, I learned the 13 villages of the City of Newton in 4th or 5th grade. I can assure you that Four Corners is not an official village. To list it as one is misleading. It is a neighborhood of Newton Center and…
A recent letter to the editor outlined why Newton should reject the installation of any new synthetic turf. The letter concludes with “They all say ‘The science is clear.’ Artificial turf is a bad choice for Newton.“ As a resident involved with Youth Athletics in Newton for over a decade…
At 2AM this December 1, Newton’s overnight parking ban returns. The City Council has made up its mind: the ban is worth all the trouble it causes, at least for another winter. For these next four long months, many Newton residents will find themselves once again walking to and from…