The Library was Stormed!
Yarn-stormed, that is: I noticed this addition to the bike-rack bench and this… …late last week. I’ve since been watching other sign posts for evidence of yarn, but been disappointed. Today, I finally called Ellen Meyers, the library’s...Newton Muni-Wonk: Aldermen Votes
Some often-debated issues come up for a vote at Monday’s (tonight’s) Board of Aldermen: The chartered Austin Street proposal The Capital Improvement Plan Tree Preservation Ordinance amendments Water and Sewer Rates All the documents are linked here. I...Newton Muni-Wonk: Back to Budgets
Now that the Marathon/Opening Day is behind us, the real fun begins with the Board of Aldermen: Budget Time. The budget officially opens Tuesday with the Mayor’s presentation to the BoA in full session. Then the Aldermen review sections in committee. In the...Hot Tip: Where to Get Hydrated Monday
The Marathon route will be littered with spots for runners to get oranges, cups of water and other hydration (and you’ll find the cups and rinds the next day…) But spectators don’t get those goodies. To quench the thirst of the cheering crowds, the...Newton Muni-Wonk: Heating & Lighting Schools
So which school building do you figure costs the most to heat? Well, to be fair, by square foot? The impatient can have a look in the Aldermen’s Friday Packet this week–just scroll down to documents, and then scroll to the bottom of the Fiscal Report....Newton Muni-Wonk: Brakes on Village Development
Why can’t we stop all this development? That seems to be the main question Aldermen will face Tuesday night as they vote on a proposal to down-load an oddly-shaped piece of Newton Centre and consider the proposal to halt the Austin Street development later on....Newton Muni Wonk: Planned Parking
Parking, Zoning, Development. Those three items are probably the most reliably hot-button issues at the municipal level (OK, dog parks). So forgive me if I think it’s great news that Newton is trying to manage one of them, parking, in a more comprehensive and...Newton Muni-Wonk: Capital Steps
Angier, Carr, Zervas and Cabot all come in for discussion this week, and there’s good reading on two fire stations also up for rebuilding. You can also learn about energy-efficiency improvements in the Senior Center and Police HQ’s HVAC systems, the Brown...Newton Muni-Wonk: Are we Urban?
A local attorney has asked the aldermen in Land Use to consider whether Newton should continue to urbanize with additional high-rise apartment/condo buildings. Peter Harrington’s memo touches on the perennial debate on whether Newton is a suburb or a city (in...
Newton Muni-Wonk: Ban the Bag
Brookline’s done it, Marblehead is on it, now Newton is considering banning the plastic bag. Until last week, Newton’s Public Facilities Committee thought about adding a fee on plastic bags, after being pushed by Green Decade and a vocal environmentalist...Newton Muni-Wonk: Land & $$s
This week’s agendas are full of how Newton uses its money, and how Newton residents want to use the land. There are heartening reports of the fitness of Newton’s balance sheets and financial procedures, although the emergency replacement of a boiler at...
Crazy Divers: Men be like...
drivers man be like