Winter and spring are always busy seasons for Newton Public Schools (NPS), and the coming six months may be busier than most. The School Committee has posted its anticipated agenda items for remaining public meetings this year, and they include: The NPS annual budgeting process has recently been both contentious…
Fig City News
Angela Pitter, founder and CEO of LiveWire Collaborative, has been elected Chair of the Board of the Charles River Regional Chamber (CRRC). Listed twice among the CRRC’s Top 50 Most Influential Business Leaders of Color, she served on the Newton School Committee for six years and is a member of…
Highlights this week… City Council City Council will meet on Tuesday. The Council is expected to vote on the following (see Reports Docket): The New Docket includes the following requests: Programs and Services will meet on Wednesday to consider: Public Safety and Transportation will meet on Wednesday for: Public Facilities…
In response to the Massachusetts housing crisis, Newton for Everyone is a coalition of various activism groups that promote affordable and diverse housing opportunities in Newton. On the evening of January 13, the group hosted a hybrid discussion featuring Newton resident and housing developer Jason Korb speaking about challenges and…
Committee raised NPS activity fees, facility fees, and non-union pay rates. In the regular January 13 School Committee meeting, the agenda focused on primarily non-academic topics such as the district’s facilities BERDO compliance, facility fees, hourly rates for certain non-union employees, an update on long term facilities planning, and newly…
Late in the afternoon of January 11, about 60 residents made it through the snow for the first-ever Fig City News Open House, at the home of Lisa and Jack Prior. The event’s featured speaker was award-winning editor and reporter Laura Colarusso, editor of the Commonwealth Beacon — which State Representative…
George McMains, who has been serving as Newton’s Chief of Police since last May and was appointed Chief last November, was officially sworn in on Thursday, January 9. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller administered the oath of office in a colorful ceremony at the War Memorial in Newton City Hall. Mayor Fuller…
The Sons of the Legion from The American Legion Nonantum Post 440 hosted their 10th annual Police Appreciation Day to celebrate National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on Thursday January 9 from 5:30-8:30PM. The event followed the City of Newton’s Promotional Oath of Office Ceremony to honor the promotions of several…
Ahead of the January 21 City Council vote on whether to ban the sale of tobacco and e-cigarette products in Newton to those born after March 1, 2004, some officials and advocates for both smokers’ rights and for teens made impassioned pleas on both sides of the proposal. On January…
On January 8, the Newton Programs and Services Committee met to discuss Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s nomination of W. David Power for the upcoming vacant Republican seat on the Newton Election Commission (see Fig City News article). Members of the Committee include Councilor Josh Krintzman (Chair), Councilor Bill Humphrey (Vice Chair),…