Although Drew Willison took the helm as Newton’s new City Clerk at a critical time, just ahead of the November 4 election, he’s no stranger to shouldering important responsibilities. Willison “was in the swirl of all of it,” the 60-year-old recalled, when he served as the 39th Sergeant at Arms…
Fig City News
Newton’s School Resource Officers see themselves as guardians and mentors woven into the fabric of the City’s public schools. Overseen by Lieutenant Amanda Henrickson of the Newton Police Department’s Community Services Bureau, the four-officer team – two monitoring the high schools and two covering the middle schools, while assisting elementary…
Six-year-old Micah Williams and his three-year-old sister Ana played at Jackson Walnut Park School on Friday morning, performing violin and cello in the school’s String Ensemble for family and members of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, at the school’s Grandfriends’ Day Friday Mass and Concert in the gymnasium.…
Emily O’Neill is stepping down after almost seven years as Executive Director of The New Art Center. For the remainder of the fiscal year, the nonprofit will be co-led by Jan Tayloras Co-Director, Development, Marketing & Board Management and Holly Johnson as Co-Director, Operations & Programs. “Emily’s energy, dedication, and enthusiasm have…
Marc Laredo, Newton’s incoming Mayor, released the names of his new leadership team, some of whom have held similar positions in Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s office. Three new Laredo appointees have held other positions in the current administration, and two will hold newly created offices. At the top of Mr. Laredo’s…
In its customary post-election leadership caucus, the School Committee members-elect met on Monday, November 17, in a public but unrecorded session and unanimously elected Alicia Piedalue (Ward 7) the following year’s Committee Chair and Jason Bhardwaj (Ward 3) Vice Chair. Those voting were the members-elect, including Mayor-elect Marc Laredo, who…
On Sunday, November 16, the New Philharmonia Orchestra (NPO), under the direction of maestro Jorge Soto, performed Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 in a sold-out concert at Boston College. This was a massive undertaking led by NPO general manager Kara Stoughton and music director Jorge Soto. The orchestra was accompanied by a…
Hundreds of girls from middle and senior high schools across Middlesex County filled the Newton War Memorial Auditorium on Thursday morning, November 13, for the Empowering Girls Conference produced by Marian Ryan, Middlesex County District Attorney and Massachusetts’ sole woman district attorney, who has produced the conferences since 2015. This…
Richard Fletcher, a lifelong educator, coach, and devoted family man, passed away peacefully on November 14, 2025, at the age of 83. Born in Everett, Massachusetts, on November 21, 1941, to Lilian (née Blake) and John C. Fletcher, Richard embodied the values of hard work, community, and kindness that defined…
Tracy K. Smith, Pulitzer Prize winner and 22nd Poet Laureate of the U.S., moved to Newton with her family in 2021 when she joined the faculty at Harvard. In her recent TEDx New England talk and her new book, Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times, she has focused on the…
Friends, family, and City officials filled the hall of the American Legion Nonantum Post 440 on the morning of November 11 to honor Newton’s veterans during the city’s annual Veterans Day ceremony. The ceremony began with the Post’s Honor Guard marching into the hall. Seth Bai, Newton’s director of Veteran…
After a virtually even split in the electorate, resulting in the narrow defeat of the repeal of the Winter Overnight Parking Ban, the Yes and No campaigns have issued a joint statement saying they have joined forces to lobby the City Council for a comprehensive parking plan. In a near…