I’m happy to announce that I’m running to be the next ward councilor for Ward 3. People from my ward and from other villages of Newton have been encouraging me to run this year – some urging me to represent my ward, others urging me to run at-large. Now that there is...
Before even getting to the substance of the content, my first comment on the second draft of the Washington Street “Vision” was on the difficulty of actually reading it. Maybe it works better on one of those huge double-wide computer screens (anyone got...
Because it was so much fun the first time, and because ‘No’ apparently doesn’t mean ‘No,’ we are going to have another debate on whether Library parking lots trees should be cut down to install solar carports. But that’s only part of the potential tree impact of...
Longtime readers may recall that back in 2012 and 2013 I was looking for colonies of friendly wasps that would find the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) when it turned up in this area. I did find some colonies, and in 2016, the best colony (best because they drop a lot of dead...
Nicely timed for just after tax day, and the announcement of Newton’s first $400M Budget, the Newton Taxpayers Association, is doing a presentation this Tuesday evening, April 24, at the Newton Free Library about our spending, debt and policies that affect our...
An article in today’s Boston Globe vividly describes an issue that I’ve not had to deal with personally, since I live in a single-family house, and for decades now, workplaces, airplanes and public buildings are thankfully smoke-free. Apparently —...
I’m not often home to catch “Greater Boston” on WGBH, so it was extra nice to hear a familiar voice Monday night, as city councilor Emily Norton was one of Jim Braude’s guests to talk about Boston’s second ‘once in a...
Do most tree trunks look alike to you? Do you have trouble identifying trees without their leaves, or even with their leaves? Would you like to be able to identify tree species in winter, when the buds that would give you a clue may be too high to see well? Or would...
For those who don’t know my background: I’m an almost lifelong resident of West Newton. I graduated from the “old” old Newton High School in 1973, went on to graduate from MIT with a bachelor’s in Economics, and earned an MBA at the University of Chicago. I spent most...
While walking the stretch of Beacon Street encompassing DPW’s requested 29 tree removals a couple of weeks ago, I had a closeup look at a stretch where sidewalk and curb reconstruction was already completed, at the former South Pacific plaza. (Where current food...
The DPW war on trees continues. Remember those 35 trees removed for sidewalk reconstruction on Adams Street? There is now a similar request to remove “approximately 33 trees” on a stretch of Beacon Street in Waban for sidewalk reconstruction. One example...
The proposed Newton Highlands Local Historic District, for which many people I know, including V14’s Bob Burke, have spent countless hours on research and outreach, has its public hearing tonight at Zoning & Planning. (Agenda here.) Having seen and written...
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