Newton schools face $2.75M budget deficit next year
Newton Public Schools is projecting a $2.75 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2018. The TAB’s Laura Lovett has the details.
Original Washington Place proposal not dead yet
Apologies for not doing something about this earlier but the Land Use Committee met on Tuesday to discuss the Washington Place Project and the rezoning of the Orr Block. Land Use did not vote on a request by developer Robert Korff to withdraw his proposal, which...Remembering the Sweet Tomatoes tragedy
Newton City Councilor Ted Hess-Mahan posted this on his list serve today…
“I neglected to send out an email reminder yesterday that it was a year ago March 1 that the awful car crash occurred at Sweet Tomatoes in West Newton. We were able to get the city to install crash resistant bollard at the intersection of Chestnut and Washington, but the store has been board up for a year now. Today, as I walked past the store, I saw that someone has placed flowers and a sign that says
For the record: Newton Charter Commissioner and British Spy are not the same dude
Here’s something to fan the flames of those conspiracy theorists who’ve accused Newton’s Charter Commissioners of acting under marching orders of the League of Women voters or other nefarious intentions.
Last night MSNBC misidentified Newton Charter Commissioner Chris Steele with former British Intelligence Agent who had been investigating Donald Trump’s alleged ties to Russia. Watch the video here.
Newton South vs. Newton North: Which side are you on?
The Newton North and Newton South boys basketballs are on a “collision course” early in this year’s state tournament, Wicked Local Newton reports. The boys teams will meet Wednesday night at 6:30 at North when the sixth-seeded Tigers (16-6) host the...The City Council’s zoning redesign project needs your help
The city released this today… Starting next week you will start to see signs around Newton asking you questions about the city. The campaign is part of the City Council’s Zoning Redesign project, which kicked off in October last year. To participate, just pick...
Newtonville: Home to the planet’s only Sandy Koufax statue
I really enjoyed this Stan Grossfeld story in today’s Boston Globe.
[Robert] Gaynor, 77, is an unusual artist. He was a lawyer who didn’t start sculpting until he retired eight years ago. He says he never took an art class in his life.
It took him two years to lovingly create the 1,500-pound statue of his boyhood hero.
Blogger: Proposed Auburndale station redesign would destroy train schedule
David Perry writes on his Framingham-Wor ceter MTBA Communter Rail Blog…
The new design of a proposed change to the Auburndale Commuter Rail station moves the platform from track 2 to track 1. This doesn’t sound like a big deal – trains can just switch tracks, right? It’s not that simple, and this proposed design will either result in
Globe: Washington Place ‘doesn’t appear’ to have the votes
Globe business reporter Jon Chesto writes about the likelihood that even though the Washington Place project is favored by a majority of City Councilors it “doesn’t appear [developer Robert Korff] has the votes.“
Despite [Mayor Setti] Warren’s advocacy, city records show that fewer than 20 affordable units have opened so far in Newton since
Newton to immigrants: You are welcome here
The Newton City Council approved the “Welcoming City” ordinance last night by a 16-1 vote to protect all residents regardless of their legal status. The Globe’s story is here.
And with that, #NewtonMA affirms its status as a #welcomingcity. #SanctuaryCity pic.twitter.com/KDZ7JFAxjE
— Chris Steele (@CSteele02468) February 22, 2017
Draft version of the Newton’s revised charter is approved
After more than a year of research, public comment, debate, straw votes and then more debate, Newton’s Charter Commission unanimously approved a draft of a proposed charter revision. The TAB’s Laura Lovett’s story is here.
Among other things, the draft reduces the size of Newton’s city council from 24 to 12. Eight councilors will have ward residency requirements but be elected at-large, the remaining four will be
Colleagues: Marilyn Devaney has made Governor’s Council a ‘laughing stock’
Democrat Marilyn Devaney, who represents Newton and other communities as our representative on the Governor’s Council was called out by her colleagues this week, the State House News Service reports. Here’s a few excerpts: “It is time that we stood...