The School Committee recently posted that it will meet this Thursday evening to address several topics including enrollment, fiscal and operational updates, the Superintendent search, capital projects, and policies related to school choice, dress codes, student discipline, and home schooling. The meeting will be in person and virtual. For meeting…
Fig City News
In its October 24 meeting, the City Council’s Zoning and Planning Committee reviewed a presentation of the preliminary mapping of proposed zoning districts in Village Centers. The presentation was made by the City’s consultant for this project, Utile, under the direction of the Planning Department. These selected slides from the…
On October 26, the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will open the public hearing on the Northland Charlemont 40B proposal to construct a nine-story mixed-use building with 410 residential units, ground-floor retail (6,639 sq. ft.) and restaurant space (132 seats), a 471-stall parking garage, and 15 surface parking stalls. The…
Diwali, one of the largest, important Hindu festivals, is celebrated by about 1.2 billion Hindus worldwide during the month of October and November. The spiritual significance of Diwali is to “Give & forgive, Rise & shine, Unite & unify, Prosper & progress, Illuminate your inner self.” It is a ‘festival of…
Newton’s Auxiliary Police have been a familiar, integrated part of large community events since the 1950s, when they were organized to serve as Civil Defense officers. Under the leadership of Deputy Chief of Auxiliary Police Jeff Silton, this all-volunteer force has assisted Newton Police in traffic and crowd control, monitoring…
NOTE: Bob Burke has lived in Newton Highlands for most of his life. This is an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, as told to Highlands resident and professional memoirist, Andrew Szanton. I played a lot of sports as a teenager. Pickup games after school, often on the Aqueduct. I played…
The Planning Department is scheduled to unveil the first round of Village Center Zoning districts (Version 1.0) at the Zoning and Planning Committee meeting (in person: Council Chamber/Room 204; virtual: Zoom link) TONIGHT at 7PM (see agenda). The Planning Department has not yet released the maps to the Councilors or…
On October 21, the School Committee held a special session to discuss the status of the Superintendent Search and vote on two items. Jeff Melendez and Aresta Johnson of Hazard, Young & Attea (HYA), the firm selected by the City to consult on the search, began the meeting by giving…
The Newton Democratic City Committee’s Climate Crisis Subcommittee sponsored an online watch party for the Mass Citizens’ Climate Forum held on October 19 to inform citizens about how recent state and Federal legislation could accelerate climate action across Massachusetts. The forum was organized by Citizens’ Climate Lobby and streamed by…
Last week, the Conservation Commission received an informal presentation from the Parks, Recreation, and Culture Department and its consultant, CDM Smith, on the proposed renovation of Newton South’s artificial turf fields — Brandeis Road and Winkler Stadium fields and the proposed resurfacing of the track (replacement of rubberized surfacing). The…