Newton Beacon
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Community-driven News for Newton, Massachusetts. The Newton Beacon is a new nonprofit digital news site committed to fair, nonpartisan, and professional reporting of breaking local news and issues. The focus is local - rooted in and devoted to covering news and issues in the City of Newton, Massachusetts.
Newton Beacon
1h ago
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller presented her Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal to the Newton City Council Tuesday night, calling the plan “sustainable, strong, and hefty” as she held up a 538-page binder at the podium.
Fuller is requesting a total of $525.4 million for next fiscal year, which is a 5.1 percent—$25.7 million—increase over FY2024.
“The investments of this budget are a clear expression of our values in Newton,” Fuller said.
Here are some highlights of the budget proposal.
Schools
Fuller’s FY2025 budget gives $282.6 million to the schools, which 5.2 percent ($14 million) increase over FY2024 ..read more
Newton Beacon
1h ago
You ran an article recently on massive and problematic retaining walls being built when older houses are torn down and replaced by new homes. While massive retaining walls may well be a problem, the massive homes being built to replace tear downs are also a massive problem.
While the city needs more housing, this is not the kind of housing that meets the need. These homes are unsightly and hugely disproportionate to the homes around them. Their size means that they are energy guzzlers and they are not affordable for anyone but the very wealthy.
If oversized retaining walls motivate push ..read more
Newton Beacon
1h ago
PHOTO: MBTA Proposes Redesign of Newton Commuter Rail Stations. Photo by Nicole Vagra / Heights Editor
The following story first appeared on The Heights, an independent, nonprofit newspaper run by Boston College students, with which the Newton Beacon has formed a partnership. Stories produced by The Heights have been written and edited by The Heights.
MBTA personnel proposed a project to redesign Newton’s three MBTA Commuter Rail platforms at its community meeting Wednesday night.
Named the MBTA’s “Newton Commuter Rail Accessibility Improvements” project, it will provide new fu ..read more
Newton Beacon
2d ago
The 128th Boston Marathon brought tears of joy and tears of pain. It brought new faces and seasoned veterans. And it brought thousands of runners through Newton.
The weather couldn’t have been better for a spring outing. Crowds of spectators lined the route cheering and exuding enough energy to carry the exhausted runners over Heartbreak Hill.
Below are photos and videos from Heartbreak Hill (in the area where Commonwealth Avenue meets Centre Street) near the 20-mile marker of the Boston Marathon.
Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia conquers Heartbreak Hill in Newton before winning the 2024 Boston Maratho ..read more
Newton Beacon
2d ago
The following first appeared on The Heights, an independent, nonprofit newspaper run by Boston College students, with which the Newton Beacon has formed a partnership. Stories produced by The Heights have been written and edited by The Heights.
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream hosted a special preview event last Thursday for the opening of its new store in Chestnut Hill, inviting local businesses and residents to enjoy a free sampling of its ice cream before their grand opening the following day, April 12.
“Of course, Boston is an ice cream city, people love ice cream here,” said Be ..read more
Newton Beacon
5d ago
Last April, videos surfaced from the Boston Marathon showing group of runners and spectators—predominantly Black—near Heartbreak Hill, with a line of police of police officers facing them and forming a blockade between the crowd and the runners.
Now, Lawyers for Civil Rights has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Newton Police Department as well as the City of Newton and the Boston Athletic Association on behalf of the running group TrailblazHers Run Co., whose members were among those in that crowd.
The lawsuit accuses the police of exhibiting racial bias and says that police approa ..read more
Newton Beacon
5d ago
Newton North’s boys’ volleyball team has burst into the season with a 5-0 start, ranking first in the state, after a tight 3-2 win against Needham, Thursday April 11.
Needham, the team that beat North in the state finals last year, had been undefeated for 77 games, until Thursday, which made North’s victory especially satisfying, said junior Simon Vardeh.
“We got close so many times,” he said. “We were the only team that stood a chance and now we finally beat them. Especially after the finals last year this is so much sweeter.”
Junior Paul Nelson, who recovered more quickly than ex ..read more
Newton Beacon
6d ago
On Monday, a spring tradition more than a century old will captivate the region as thousands of runners from all over the world hit the pavement for the 128th Boston Marathon.
And there will be crowds of supporters along the 26-mile route cheering the runners on.
A long stretch of the marathon runs through Newton. Roads will be closed, and with the weather forecast promising a beautiful day with temperatures approaching 70 degrees, it’s going to be exciting and maybe a little chaotic.
Here are five things to know if you’re planning to attend the marathon in Newton:
1. When and where
The Boston ..read more
Newton Beacon
6d ago
The long, eventful 2023-2024 school year will come to an end during the last week of June.
The School Committee approved Superintendent Anna Nolin’s end-of-year calendar proposal factoring in new school closing dates agreed upon when the strike ended in February.
“Luckily, there were no days of inclement weather this year,” Nolin said at Tuesday night’s School Committee meeting. “However, there were the 11 days of the strike period.”
Four of those 11 days were made up during what was supposed to be February vacation. The other seven days were added to the end of the school year, bringing the l ..read more
Newton Beacon
6d ago
There’s some rain in the weekend forecast, especially on Friday and Sunda, but at least it’s not another nor’easter. And there’s plenty to do in Newton to pass the time waiting for Marathon Monday and the warm, sunny day (high near 70 degrees!) it’s promising.
And since the kids missed February break, they may want to get a jump start on this April vacation. There’s lots of fun for them too.
Here are five things to do in Newton this weekend:
Friday, April 12
At 8 p.m., Newton Theatre Company will present “Kindertransport,” a play written by Diane Samuels, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 96 Ot ..read more