Effort underway to designate section of city a Cultural District

by Newton News Editor | Jan 11, 2024 | Newton Beacon

More than a decade ago, Massachusetts lawmakers created a Cultural Districts program, in which cities and towns may designate sections of their communities as centers for local arts, entertainment, dining and other cultural staples. Now, some of Newton’s arts and...

Newton may join Inter-district School Choice: What does that mean?

by Newton News Editor | Jan 10, 2024 | Newton Beacon

Newton may soon join the state’s Interdistrict School Choice program, with the city searching for new school funding sources and the program offering thousands of dollars per student the city accepts into its schools. All districts must enroll in the School Choice...

Custodian passes away at West Newton’s Franklin Elementary School

by Newton News Editor | Jan 10, 2024 | Newton Beacon

Franklin Elementary School in West Newton was closed on Tuesday after a longtime school custodian suddenly passed away while at work. The school district posted a message on Facebook late Tuesday morning announcing the school would close for the rest of the day and...

Achievement Unlocked: Newton reaches Safe Harbor status

by Newton News Editor | Jan 9, 2024 | Newton Beacon

On Friday afternoon, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller announced that the city was on track to reach its Chapter 40B affordable housing threshold in 2024, possibly in January. On Tuesday, Fuller sent out another email announcing that the city actually reached that goal on Monday...

Mayor says Newton on track for Safe Harbor status in 2024

by Newton News Editor | Jan 8, 2024 | Newton Beacon

More than 50 years after Massachusetts set an affordable housing inventory threshold for cities and towns via Chapter 40B, Newton is almost at that goal and on its way to Safe Harbor status. Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller announced in an email to residents that the city...

Newton dad champions push to add social-emotional learning to athletics

by Newton News Editor | Jan 8, 2024 | Newton Beacon

Mental health and social-emotional learning are two of the most widely discussed topics in education right now. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and some heavily publicized bullying-related teen suicides, educators and parents have been working to improve the...

Newton dodges foot of snow, gets heavy wet mess instead

by Newton News Editor | Jan 7, 2024 | Newton Beacon

Newton didn’t end up with as much snowfall as expected from the weekend’s storm, but that storm left a big, slushy mess. The snow and wind arrived Saturday afternoon and battered the region along with some freezing rain before drifting away Sunday night. Plow crews...

Newton on track for first snowstorm of season

by Newton News Editor | Jan 5, 2024 | Newton Beacon

Winter has been here officially for two weeks. And now it looks like the weather just got the memo. Newton, along with the rest of New England, is bracing for a winter storm expected to arrive Saturday and deliver several inches of rain Saturday and Sunday, according...

What Newton’s newly enhanced tree ordinance means for homeowners

by Newton News Editor | Jan 4, 2024 | Newton Beacon

Ralph Waldo Emerson—author, nature enthusiast and one-time Newton resident—once wrote, “The wonder is that we can see these trees and wonder more.” Today, many in Newton are wondering where the trees went. Newton’s City Council passed a measure on Dec. 18 that expands...

Newton Free Library drops late fees

by Newton News Editor | Jan 4, 2024 | Newton Beacon

Library late fees are so 2023. In Newton, anyway. The Newton Free Library has announced that effective Jan. 2, they will no longer charge fines for late returns or renewals. The library joins a nationwide trend over the past several years to eliminate such fees. More...