Author: Mia

Jamie Chaloff of Dreamfar HS Marathon to Speak

Jamie Chaloff of Dreamfar High School Marathon will speak at The Rotary Club of Newton Speaker Series on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 at the Braeburn Country Club. Join us for lunch at noon followed by Ms. Chaloff’s presentation. All are welcome to attend Rotary, however they do ask that you pre-register.

Dreamfar High School Marathon (DHSM) is New England’s first high school marathon training program. They are a Greater Boston-based program that teaches high school students that anything is possible, even completing a marathon. With hard work, perseverance and guidance from dedicated mentors, student runners realize their potential as they train for the Cox Providence Marathon. They teach students realistic goal-setting and the value of commitment and teamwork – skills that ensure success in the classroom, on the road, and beyond.

Victories, such as running their first mile, motivate and empower students to accomplish more; challenges, like training in the cold Boston winter, teach them the power of dedication. Over the past three years, significant improvements have been seen in student runners’ academic achievement, classroom attendance, physical & mental health, and life skills. Information about Dreamfar can be found here.

For information and/or reservations about attending Rotary, please contact Susan at RotaryNewtonMa@gmail.com.

October 11, 2014
GLAD Promotes the Creation of Middle School GSAs

GLAD Promotes the Creation of Middle School GSAs with New Video and Online Resources

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders today launched a campaign to encourage the creation of more gay-straight alliances (GSAs) in middle schools across Massachusetts and in New England.

“Young people are coming out at a younger and younger age,” said Vickie Henry, director of GLAD’s Youth Initiative. “It’s critical to have resources in place to support them and to educate their peers, so they can go through coming out safely and in a positive way.”

GSAs Can Make It Better is a one-minute video created to be shared online and shown in schools, at conferences, and as part of workshops. It outlines the documented benefits of GSAs, including the role they play in cutting down on transphobic and homophobic remarks; helping transgender and gender non-conforming students feel safer; and educating teachers, administrators and students about LGBTQ issues.

The video and resources, including a primer on the right to form GSAs, can be viewed here.

GLAD has partnered with Boston Alliance of LGBTQ Youth (BAGLY, Inc.), GLSEN Massachusetts, Greater Boston PFLAG, Hispanic Black Gay Coalition, the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth, and True Colors: Out Youth Theater and the Theater Offensive to create the campaign.

LGBT middle school students are significantly more likely than their high school peers to experience verbal and physical harassment and assault, with 35.5% of middle school students reporting regular physical harassment compared to 21.4% of high school students. Yet while 52.6% of LGBT high school youth have access to a GSA, only 6.3% of LGBT middle school youth do.

Throughout the school year, GLAD will be making available online content that educates and encourages the creation of middle school GSAs. GLAD will also provide assistance to any students who are having difficulty forming a GSA due to their school administration’s resistance or who believe their school is not treating an existing GSA the same as any other club.

Through strategic litigation, public policy advocacy, and education, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders works in New England and nationally to create a just society free of discrimination based on gender identity and expression, HIV status, and sexual orientation.

October 10, 2014
Newton Ranks 15 Best Places to Live 2014 Money Magazine

Newton Ranks #15 for Best Places to Live 2014 according to Money Magazine

Newton, MA

Population: 87,991

Census Region: Northeast

Median Home Income: $150,821

Median Home Price: $740,000

Average Property Tax: $8,580

Projected Job Growth: 4%

Pat Molnar

Newton is composed of 13 villages loaded with classic New England charm. Each village has a distinct character, but all have their own elementary schools, pedestrian-friendly shopping centers, parks and playgrounds. More than 25% of households have school-age children and many kids ride their bikes or walk to school, which are known as some of the best in the state.

While Newton is already has a solid base of employers — Boston College, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Trip Advisor and UPromise, to name a few — the city and neighboring Needham are developing a technology hub dubbed the N-Squared Innovation Corridor to attract even more tech companies. It’s also less than 45 minutes by commuter rail or express bus to downtown Boston.

Each year, the Boston Marathon runs through Newton. Heartbreak Hill, one of the most dastardly difficult legs of the elite 26.2-mile race, is located near City Hall. But the bigger heartbreak for most people is Newton’s lack of affordable housing. Home prices rose sharply the past year and even starter homes run from $500,000 on up, says local realtor Michael Spurr.

The Top 15 (a.k.a. Who Beat Us?)

1. McKinney, Texas

2. Maple Grove, Minnesota

3. Carmel, Indiana

4. Castle Rock, Colorado

5. Kirkland, Washington

6. Columbia and Endicott City, Maryland

7. Clarktown, New York

8. Ames, Iowa

9. Rochester Hills, Michigan

10. Reston, Virginia

11. Eagan, Minnesota

12. Woodbury, Minnesota

13. Centennial, Colorado

14. Irvine, California

15. Newton, Massachusetts

October 9, 2014
Asian Festival at City Hall

Asian Festival at Newton City Hall

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Noon to 5 pm

City Hall (inside and on back lawn), 1000 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton

This festival celebrates Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese cultures and more. Taste varieties of Asian foods. Enjoy performances from different Asian Cultures, activities and more. For more information visit here.

October 8, 2014
What’s New in Boston for Kids

Chronicle explores “What’s New” in Boston. Join Shayna Seymour as she goes behind the scenes in the new production of the classic musical, The Lion King, now playing at the Boston Opera House.

In addition to grabbing a behind-the-scenes look, Shayna also joins the cast onstage as the role of a ‘Bird Lady’ for one of last week’s stellar performances. See the pictures below of Shayna getting ready for the show as it returns to Boston.

Also, tune in to see a new 4-D theater at Boston’s Museum of Science that doesn’t just treat the eyes, but ramps up the cinematic experience with smells and sensations. Museum visitors can surf the coast with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and glide alongside a cast of balletic sea lions in Planet Earth: Shallow Seas 4-D Experience; join Dora, Diego, and Boots as they try to catch a Robot Butterfly in Dora & Diego’s 4-D Adventure; or journey to the icy Antarctic world to meet Mumble in Happy Feet 4-D Experience.

Plus, we found an East Boston dock that’s about to get its own tattoo, and a local salvage company that allows customers to dine in then take home the dining table.

October 7, 2014
What You Need to Know About 2014 Flu Shot
The Facts About Enterovirus D68 Vaccine

As you may know, there have been sporadic cases of Enterovirus D68 reported in states across the US and it appears to have now reached New England.

The Enteroviruses are a common class of viral infections which cause a variety of illness such as “hand, foot and mouth”. This particular strain is different in that it causes cold like symptoms, but can also cause wheezing and respiratory distress. Most children who get the illness will have symptoms closer to those of a cold. The severe respiratory distress is still quite rare. Children at higher risk of lung problems with this infection are those children with asthma, lung diseases, and former premature infants. There are no antibiotics or anti-viral medicines that work for this illness, but supportive care and asthma medicines can help a great deal.

What You Can Do to Prevent Transmission:
- WASH HANDS: Hand washing is more effective than hand sanitizer against these viruses. We recommend a 20 second hand wash with soap and water. You can use hand sanitizer additionally- it still works quite well against other germs.
- Teach children to sneeze and cough into the elbow or shoulder but not the hand
- Avoid contact with other children who have upper respiratory infections
- Clean toys and shared objects
- Avoid sharing cups and utensils.
What You Can Do to Prevent Serious Illness:
- If your child usually uses an inhaled steroid medicine like Qvar or Flovent in the fall and winter, we recommend starting that now at his or her usual preventative dose.
What to Watch For:

If you see any of the symptoms below, please call us immediately (whether in Enterovirus season or not)
- Non-stop coughing
- Wheeze you can hear without a stethoscope
- Working hard to breathe:
  
  You can see the child’s nostrils flaring in and out
  
  You can see the skin between the ribs or the belly sucking in and out as your child breathes
  
  Your child is working hard enough to breathe that they refuse to drink/eat or cannot speak in a full sentence
- Blueness around the lips and mouth
Here are some links to additional resources from the CDC & AAP.

Reports of a Severe Resperatory Virus on the Rise

CDC: Enterovirus D68

Graphic on What To Do To Prevent Enterovirus D68
October 6, 2014
Hiring Recruiter with Passion for Creative World!
Job description

Scouring LinkedIn. Phone constantly at your ear. Talking to a dozen new people every day.

Vitamin T has an immediate opening for someone ready to jump into a recruiting role at our out-of-the-box agency where we have a cow – really, her name is Vera – and think it’s fun to post videos of our super-talented, always quirky agents.

We want to find the right person for this role immediately. This person will have:

– Experience working for a staffing agency or ad agency

– Great creative, digital and interactive knowledge

– Experience in new business development

– The ability to hit the ground running from Day One

Our recruiters spend their time searching for creative talent and placing them in temporary (sometimes very temporary) roles at mid-sized businesses and ad agencies. Because the roles we fill are short, our recruiters are always on their toes, ready to fill the next order.

But don’t get us wrong – it isn’t all work and no play here.

Vitamin T thrives on creative energy, innovative thinking and having FUN.

Ready for the best job you’ll ever have? Check out the job requirements below and apply now – we’re ready for you.
Desired Skills and Experience
Here’s what you’ll be doing to connect great creatives to great jobs!

●      Recruiting a strong network of “A-List” creative talent (candidates) through social media and face-to-face networking with the Design and Interactive community to match your clients’ needs – Our talent and our clients are what make us great

●      Work with a team of Business Development Directors and Talent Agents to strategically grow the Boston Market through managing top accounts and building a talent pool for those clients

●      Champion those talent by actively marketing them to clients and internal sales teams-We don’t wait for the jobs to come to us we actively seek out the jobs for our talent

●      Deliver exceptional customer service through account management and consistent quality checks with Clients and Talent

●      Actively participate in continual learning seminars with professionals within the design community to stay on top of industry trends and share your knowledge with others

●      Respond with remarkable speed (24 hours) and quality to incoming client requests while proactively finding work for talent on an ongoing basis

●      Be solutions oriented and an incredible team player who has a fiery entrepreneurial spirit

The stuff you’re made of:

● 2-3+ years of professional experience working as part of a team, interacting directly with internal or external clients (account management experience)

●      A solid online network (if you have fewer than 200 LinkedIn connections, then this role might not be right for you…)

●      Any staffing and/or recruiting experience would be ideal

●      Interactive design and/or technology experience would be fabulous

●      Knowledge of advertising, interactive, and design fields OR staffing agency experience to be considered

More Cool Stuff About Vitamin T:

Work/life balance. We say it, we mean it.

We celebrate out of the box thinkers and believe in promoting from within!

Generous benefits package: medical, vision, and dental benefits, generous 401(k) plan, FSA, tuition reimbursement, paid sick/vacation time, and more.

Vacation when you need it. Unusually generous and flexible vacation offered; we believe in rewarding hard work as you achieve your goals!

Free use of company’s Hawaii and Florida beach houses.

Individualistic Approach. Aquent encourages adding a personal touch to your work. We don’t believe in a “one-size-fits-all” approach.

Industry Reputation. We’re the world’s largest Creative staffing firm.

If you’re interested in joining one of the coolest teams out there, then send us your resume and professional online/social media contact info by applying here. We’re hiring for our Back Bay Boston office!
October 5, 2014
Kathy Marchi to Speak at Rotary Club

KATHY MARCHI FROM THE NEWTON PARTNERSHIP

TO SPEAK AT THE ROTARY CLUB OF NEWTON

Kathy Marchi from The Newton Partnership will speak at The Rotary Club of Newton Speaker Series on Tuesday, October 7, 2014 at the Braeburn Country Club. Join us for lunch at noon followed by Ms. Marchi’s presentation.

The Newton Partnership was formed in 2006 under a federal grant as a collaboration of Newton organizations to offer wellness programs for Newton’s youth and their families, plus staff and parent education and much more.

While still grant funded for fitness programs to youth, including a mentoring program for middle and high school students, they have since formed a non-profit organization and absorbed the Newton Child Care Scholarship Fund at the request of the City.

Their largest public event is “Touch A Truck” which supports the Scholarship Fund, and was held on September 21st.

All are welcome to attend Rotary! For information and/or reservations, please contact Susan at RotaryNewtonMa@gmail.com.

October 4, 2014
Make Way for Ducklings Store Grand Opening
What: Make Way for Ducklings Store Grand Opening Celebration

Where: 8 North Market Building, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, MA

When: Sunday, October 5^th 2-4pm

Cost: FREE

Description: Families are invited to join in an afternoon of fun and celebration of Boston’s rich culture surrounding children’s literature, art and imagination. Make Way for Ducklings will be hosting free activities, entertainment and more throughout the afternoon.

Activities include:
- Ribbon cutting ceremony and “Make Way for Ducklings Day” proclamation by the City of Boston
- Kids entertainment: Storytime, balloon artists, face painting, and arts & crafts
- Ceremony honoring Robert McCloskey and his beloved works
- Book signing by local author/illustrator of Bats in the Band, Brian Lies featuring his “bat mobile”
- Free snacks and gifts for all ages
More Information here.
October 3, 2014
Newton Nomadic LIVE Theater Performances

Last weekend the brand new Newton Nomadic Theater launched it’s inaugural production “Faith Healer” by Brian Friel to full houses and fabulous reviews.

“Three luminous performances are at the heart of this elegant production. It was a pleasure to experience this powerful and strangely haunting play in an intimate setting right here in Newton. Theatre at its best is cleanly staged, excellently acted and touches themes that have you thinking and talking about the experience days later. NNT’s innaugural production hits all those marks. If the concepts of sophisticated theatre and Newton don’t naturally go together in your mind, then see this show and be moved by the talent and excellence that is right here in our community.” – Jennifer London

“Newton Nomadic Theater is brilliant” – Click here for full review

The Newton Nomadic Theater’s mission is to bring high quality, simply staged theater to interesting and unusual locations in and around Newton.

“Faith Healer” starring well know Boston area actors Billy Maleady, Linda Goetz and Dave Rich opened this past weekend ( Sept 26) in an intimate and little know recital hall at Carriage House Violins in Upper Falls

Oct 3, 4 it will move to Gregorian Rugs in Lower Falls. We’ll create a temporary theater within the beautiful Gregorian showroom.

Oct 10, 11 it will move to the chapel in the historic First Baptist Church’s chapel in Newton Centre. This is particularly apt since the play tells the story of an itinerant faith healer, his wife and manager as they move from church hall to church hall in rural Scotland Wales and Ireland.

The gorgeously written and mysterious “Faith Healer” is brought to life by first rate cast with powerful performances across the board.

Be sure to see this fantastic production from Newton’s new theater company. Find out what people are talking about and help launch a new theater company here in Newton. You won’t be disappointed!

To buy tickets in advance, go here.

October 2, 2014