The campaign to Repeal the Parking Ban aims to remove Newton’s winter-time ban on overnight street parking, except in the case of snow emergencies. (See Fig City News articles.) Proponents of repeal have been gathering signatures to place a ballot question in front of voters this November. The campaign recently…
Posts published in “News”
In response to rising needs of the community, the Newton Food Pantry (NFP) has expanded its hours of service to include Thursdays, 10AM-1PM, by appointment only. Like many other non-profits in the city, the NFP serves as a safety net for individuals and families whose needs are not otherwise met.…
The table above summarizes Newton’s municipal electoral races for this fall. This PDF copy of the table has links to the candidates’ campaign websites. Some observations: Fig City News will publish profiles of candidates, with priority on those in the contested elections. Early voting is available at City Hall, first floor lobby,…
After a long career in child welfare administration, Randy Block is running to be Ward Councilor for Ward 4. (That seat, which is elected by the voters of Ward 4, is currently held by Chris Markiewicz, who is not running for reelection.) While Mr. Block has lived in Newton for…
Doris Ann Sweet, a retired academic research librarian, is running to be Ward Councilor for Ward 4. (That seat, which is elected by the voters of Ward 4, is currently held by Chris Markiewicz, who is not running for reelection.) She has lived in Newton for forty-five years. Ten years ago,…
The City Council voted on October 2 to approve the proposed amendments that would allow craft breweries as an allowable use under the City’s zoning ordinance. The vote on the proposal had been delayed (chartered) by its lead sponsor and Vice President of the Council, Rick Lipof. Several Councilors at…
The September 27 School Committee meeting began with several public commenters, including current students and Newton Public Schools (NPS) employees, advocating passionately for higher compensation for educators. One commenter, Jo-Louise Allen, whose LinkedIn profile states her profession as a Newton-focused special education services advocate, called for higher spending on student…
Greg Reibman, President of the Charles River Regional Chamber, endorses the Newton’s proposed Village Center Zoning Redesign and its Village Center Overlay Districts (VCOD). He says the proposed changes in village center zoning allowing development “by right,” rather than by special permit, will gradually increase the supply of homes for…
Not so very long ago, playing music, exercising in gym class, and learning side-by-side with children from different racial backgrounds were revolutionary ideas in education. But at one trailblazing Newton school, those concepts were put into practice more than 160 years ago. “We do now take a lot of these…
The Charles River Regional Chamber has launched a 3-minute video — Get to Know Newton — highlighting many niche opportunities to shop in all parts of Newton. The video is featured in the Chamber’s Get to know Newton web page, which has a searchable directory of local shops, restaurants, and…