In the Massachusetts House session on Monday, December 16, State Representative Kay Khan and State Representative Ruth Balser bade farewell to their colleagues. They have been among the longest-serving members of the Massachusetts House and have represented almost all of Newton. They joined fourteen of their retiring colleagues in delivering…
Posts published in “People”
Sharon Stout was one of the eleven electors of Massachusetts who convened at the State House on Tuesday, December 17, to cast ballots for President and Vice President of the U.S. in the 2024 election. That day, she was elected president of Electoral College and presided over the event, in…
Last week, Fig City News presented interviews with the four Ward Councilors newly elected a year ago, to learn about their first years on the Council. This week, Fig City News is checking in with two more first-year City Councilors, the two new Councilors-at-Large: Rena Getz in Ward 5 and Alan…
In November, 2023, Newton elected four new Ward Councilors: Now as they near the end of their first year in office, Fig City News checked in with all four to find what they learned, what surprised them, and who helped with their transitions in their first year in office. David…
It’s easy to see why Kasey Kaufman describes many of her paintings as “dreamscapes,” since they’re filled with flowing waves, graceful clouds, and abstract buildings, among other elements. If her name rings a bell, it’s because Kaufman was well known on Boston TV as an award-winning reporter at WBZ. A…
Sheila Gabay, a Grand Life Master bridge player, has risen to the top of the American Contract Bridge League Lifetime Masterpoint list for women players. She surpassed the previous record in September after winning the Championship Knockout Teams at the Ocean State Regional. As of November 7, she had over…
It could have been awkward. Thirty-eight years ago, Fran Clancy was a born-and-raised Catholic, a parishioner at Our Lady’s, and the mother of two young daughters, and she needed a new job. When she applied for the advertised position of Secretary at the First Unitarian Society in Newton (FUUSN), she…
Following the unanimous recommendation by Newton’s nine-member Police Selection Committee, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller announced that George McMains, the Acting Chief of the Newton Police Department (NPD), will succeed John Carmichael as the department’s new chief. Former Chief Carmichael resigned at the end of August, after a three-month personal leave. Acting…
The Newton Fire Department received a Group Citation for Meritorious Conduct at the 35th annual Massachusett Firefighter of the Year Awards ceremony. The award cited Captain Karl “Gus” Svartstrom, Lieutenant Joseph DeLuca, and Firefighters Richard Busa, Ryan Doherty, Michael Pohlman, Lawrence Quinn, Andrew Sbordone, and Joseph Yerardi for their service in an…
Standing proudly in the heart of Newton Highlands, Highland Opticians has been selling eyewear to the Greater Boston community for over forty-five years. The business, founded by Jefferey Mann in 1976, has since been passed down to his daughters, Emilie Brassil and Julie Mann. “[We make] sure that people get…