Laredo forms commission to study compensation for Newton’s elected officials
From City Council President Marc Laredo …
City Council President Marc Laredo has announced the appointment of a Blue Ribbon Commission to examine the compensation that Newton’s elected officials (the Mayor and members of the City Council and the School Committee) receive for their service and to make recommendations for possible future changes to their salaries and benefits.
The Commission will be chaired by
NPR: The surprising, hidden cost of losing local newspapers
NPR’s Shankar Vedantam had a fascinating report on his Hidden Brain podcast about how a surprising hidden cost that occurs when a community loses its local newspaper. (Hint: It has something to do with property taxes.)
Newton students miss classes so teachers can answer 16th APT record request
From today’s Boston Globe:
Thirteen history teachers in the Newton Public Schools are expected to miss some class time this week in order to gather documents for a public records request filed by an advocacy organization that has accused the district of anti-Israel bias in its high-school world history curriculum.
The Watertown nonprofit Americans for Peace and Tolerance has submitted 16 public records requests to the school system so far in 2018.
also from the article…
In December 2017, the Jewish Community Relations Council and Massachusetts Board of Rabbis issued a statement calling Jacobs and his organization “purveyors of hatred and division” after they
Where will you shop local this holiday season?
The TAB’s Julie Cohen offered her suggestions here. What are yours?Joe Kennedy’s Service Fair Saturday at Newton City Hall
TOMORROW, we’re holding our 3rd annual Service Fair at Newton City Hall from 1-3PM. Stop by to learn more about getting involved in your neighborhood! pic.twitter.com/2yf5Dt7RUK
— Rep. Joe Kennedy III (@RepJoeKennedy) December 7, 2018
Tom Mountain says he’s leaving Newton
Indisputably, the most important news from the Nov 27 school committee public hearing was the overwhelming public push back from teachers, students, alumni, community members, mayor, school committee and other elected leaders strongly refuting unproven claims of an anti-Semitic bias in Newton school curriculum.
But there was also a side drama from Newton Republican City Committee Chair Tom Mountain.
During his three minute testimony, Mountain never even raised the curriculum matter. Instead he seemed to be calling for the hiring of public school officials based on political party registration. And then Mountain then broke some news when
My name is Emily Prenner and I’m running for Ward 5 School Committee
My name is Emily Prenner and I am excited to announce my run for the open Ward 5 School Committee seat in November 2019. Voters city-wide can vote for School Committee members. For 15 years I have worked in many positions to support the Newton Public Schools (NPS)...
Fuller: I categorically reject the allegation that Newton Public Schools’ curriculum is anti-Semitic
Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller released this through her email newsletter today
Last Tuesday evening the School Committee held a public hearing as a result of a formal petition alleging anti-Semitism in the Newton Public School history curriculum.
It was a powerful meeting, and I’ve been reflecting on what I heard from students, teachers and members of our community.
Here are my thoughts
Newton finally has zoning rules for adult-use recreational marijuana stores
Just under 25 months after Newton and Massachusetts first voted to approve adult-use recreational marijuana, the Newton City Council finally approved, 19-3, the zoning regulations that will allow up to eight retail cannabis stores to open here Monday night. It will...Vape shop planned for Newton Highlands
Garden City Vape & Smoke would be located at 21 Lincoln Street in Newton Highlands, according to this application for a sign that is before the Urban Design Commission. It would be Newton’s second vape shop, Vape Daddy’s is in Nonantum. Vape shops sell...Overwhelming support for schools & teachers on view at public hearing
UPDATES: Boston Globe story here.
Students, alumni, teachers, parents, clergy, city councilors and many others testified in opposition to citizen’s petition promoted by Americans for Peace and Tolerance, a group that has long-complained of an anti-Israeli bias in the Newton Public Schools, at a packed public hearing at Newton South High School
