RIP Newton bear
From the Boston Globe… The bear had injuries that veterinarians suspected could have been caused by being hit by a car and had to be euthanized, officials said.We will miss Mount Ida, but UMass’ plan is great news for Newton
I’ve had several requests to post my column published in the Newton TAB about the closing of Mount Ida College and the plans to acquire the campus by UMass Amherst.
We should all be grateful for all Mount Ida has meant to Newton and concerned for its current students, faculty and staff. But Mount Ida is not coming back. And it’s important for us as a community to be concerned for not just
NPR: Is GateHouse ‘saving small town journalism or eviscerating it’?
NPR ran this story today about GateHouse Media, the company which owns the TAB and hundreds of newspapers across the nation.
‘We are telling all our friends “This is why we buy local!”‘
Here’s a nice little story about a Newton landmark.‘The notion that Washington St. should be narrowed from 2 lanes in each direction down to one lane is ludicrous.’
That quote in the headline comes from this comment on a prior thread. But the “notion” that narrowing a street can improve traffic flow was also a hot topic last night at the very well-attended opening Washington Street Corridor vision event at the Second Church.
This “notion” comes from the video (below) made by by Jeff Speck, a renowned expert on this topic (with transit experts Nelson/Nygaard) who has documented where similar techniques have been successfully employed to improve traffic elsewhere.
I understand why this idea of putting a road on “a diet” sounds “ludicrous.” But before you rush to dismiss it, please take the time to watch this video. And then share your thoughts.
The Washington Street Corridor Proposal from Elkus Manfredi on Vimeo.
What is going on with housing prices?
This originally appeared in City Councilor Jake Auchincloss’ email newsletter. Debates about housing dynamics are often vague, anectdotal, and ad hominem. So, here’s an attempt to explain housing prices concretely, empirically, and systemically: Housing prices...Garden Remedies moves closer to selling recreational marijuana
Mayor Fuller sent the following to the city council…. Dear Honorable City Councilors, As you will recall, the City Council recently voted to exclude Garden Remedies Inc. from the current moratorium on adult-use marijuana establishments. Garden Remedies is moving...What’s your vision for the Washington Street Corridor?
The kick off community meeting for the Washington Street Corridor vision plan is happening Tuesday, May 1 at 7 p.m. at Second Church on Highland Street. To learn more go here. And of course you can share your vision here in the comments section as well.Someone wants to ban recreational pot here (but they don’t say who they are)
An alert reader recently received this invitation from a group that’s apparently organizing a ballot initiative to opt our of allowing recreational marijuana in Newton. There’s no contact info, no names, etc., which strikes me as kind of an odd way to...
Mayor proposes exploring sale of Newton Police station to finance new HQ
Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller sent this letter to the City Council proposing a unique way to fund building a new headquarters for the Newton Police Department (bold added for emphasis) Dear Councilors, I recently toured our police facilities (the main building, the...This Thursday: A discussion about affordable housing needs in Newton
The UCHAN’s (United Citizens for Housing Affordability in Newton) ongoing educational forum on housing in Newton continues this Thursday April 19 with a overview of housing needs taken from Newton’s Housing Strategy and will include stories from people whose stories...