Author: Mia

Auburndale Cove skating Open today for first time! FREE Ice Skating!
My neighbor Maxine alerted me that Auburndale Cove skating is open today for first time!

She says, “No better winter activity than outdoor skating at the cove on natural ice! It has rarely been open in recent years, but this Polar Express freeze brings this benefit!”

Update for today, Jan 25th, from Maxine, “We are just back and ice surface is crunchy and can be dangerous for falls. (I took a nice dive!). They say they will plane ice surface Sunday morning and should be better.”

Auburndale Cove

West Pine Street

Auburndale, MA 02466

Map from Paddle Boston

Image from Endless Knots

Operational Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 3:00 – 9:00 PM
Tuesday 2:00 – 9:00 PM
Saturday, Sunday, Holidays & Vacations 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

The following standards are used in determining sufficient ice thickness for skating:

6” Black Ice – Black Ice is formed by the freezing of water without a snowcap on it; thus creating a non-porous ice that is strong in consistency.
9” Snow Ice – Snow Ice is formed when a snow covers, over a thin layer of black ice melts and re-freezes to form a white porous ice.

Skating Hotline: 617-796-1536

When is ice safe?
There really is no sure answer. You can’t judge the strength of ice just by its appearance, age, thickness, temperature, or whether or not the ice is covered with snow. Strength is based on all these factors — plus the depth of water under the ice, size of the water body, water chemistry and currents, the distribution of the load on the ice, and local climatic conditions.

There is no such thing as 100 percent safe ice.

Some cold facts about ice:
- New ice is usually stronger than old ice. Four inches of clear, newly formed ice may support one person on foot, while a foot or more of old, partially thawed ice may not.
- Ice seldom freezes uniformly. It may be a foot thick in one location and only an inch or two just a few feet away.
- Ice formed over flowing water and currents is often dangerous. This is especially true near streams, bridges and culverts. Also, the ice on outside river bends is usually weaker due to the undermining effects of the faster current.
- The insulating effect of snow slows down the freezing process. The extra weight also reduces how much weight the ice sheet can support. Also, ice near shore can be weaker than ice that is farther out.
- Booming and cracking ice isn’t necessarily dangerous. It only means that the ice is expanding and contracting as the temperature changes.
- Schools of fish or flocks of waterfowl can also adversely affect the relative safety of ice. The movement of fish can bring warm water up from the bottom of the lake. In the past, this has opened holes in the ice causing snowmobiles and cars to break through.
Note that there are no ice skate rentals.

Other free outdoor ice skating rinks in Newton:

Newton Centre: Check their Facebook page for when it opens.

Newton Highlands

Other places to ice skate:

Daly Rink in Brighton

Reilly Rink in Brookline Cleveland Circle

Veterans Memorial Rink Waltham

Larz Anderson Park in Brookline

Lessons at Fessenden School

Babson College Ice Skating Lessons

Cheryl Franks Creative Skating Academy at BB&N

The Skating Club of Boston
January 25, 2014
ReelAbilities Film Festival is coming to Boston

The ReelAbilities Film Festival is coming to Boston January 30-February 6, with three screenings in Newton! In fact, ReelAbilities Boston, and our host festival, the Boston Jewish Film Festival have our offices in Newton as well, as do some of our community partners (including Understanding Our Differences and Waypoint Adventure) and the founding partner of ReelAbilities Boston, the Ruderman Family Foundation.

ReelAbilities is the nation’s largest disabilities film festival: it promotes awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with disabilities. Yet the films might not be what you’d expect: a feature film at the West Newton Cinema on February 3, Come As You Are, is based on a true story of three young men with disabilities who go on a road trip from Belgium to Spain on a quest to lose their virginity. More family-friendly fare is offered on Closing Night, February 6, at West Newton Cinema, with our Shorts Program: Reel Encounters. We’re screening seven short films that will engage, challenge, and amuse audiences. Our host partner for the evening is Understanding Our Differences, who posted the following on their website:

“Join Understanding Our Differences for the closing night of Reelabilities: the 3rd Annual Boston Disabilities Film Festival. On Thurs. Feb. 6th we are co-hosting with the Festival a program of short films at West Newton Cinema at 7 pm. The film topics parallel many of the UOD units. Also screening is a new short film, and the director and actor (with an intellectual disability) will attend the reception after the film screenings. UOD will have information and activity tables at the reception as well. Save the date and plan to join us! Children ages 13 and above are welcome to attend.”

Tickets for Come As You Are and the Shorts Program: Reel Encounters are available online or at the West Newton Cinema box office.

Also, on February 5 at the Leventhal Sidman Jewish Community Center, the film Anita will be screening. It is free of charge; pre-registration is requested at bostonjcc.org/reelabilities

January 25, 2014
Newton Youth Summit III with Kevin Breel

Newton Youth Summit III Rescheduled

Youth Summit III is rescheduled for March 26th due to unforseen events with featured speaker Kevin Breel. We are sorry to have to reschedule, but are looking forward to featuring Kevin at the summit in March, which will be held from
6 to 9 p.m.

Thank you to everyone who was planning to attend on Feb. 5th and we hope you will be able to reschedule and join us in March. Looking forward to making the event even bigger and better!

Mayor Setti Warren invites teens and adults to attend Youth Summit III focusing on Youth and Adult Communication, Difficult Conversations and Solutions from Youth Summits I and II. Since October 2012, Mayor Warren has hosted 2 annual Youth Summits bringing teens, family, and community together to mastermind challenges faced by Newton teens. Maintaining the momentum, the upcoming 3rd Summit promises to be a opportunity to further focus on solutions gathered in Youth Summit II.

Wednesday, February 5th from 6 to 9pm at Brown Middle School

125 Meadowbrook Rd, Newton, MA 02459

Teens and Adults Welcome!

Being a teen has never been easy. None the less, teens in 2014 face challenges that are prevalent, pervasive, and complex. The upcoming Newton Youth Summit III is sure to be a catalyst for change. Teens have been working with leadership to plan this event with featured speaker, Kevin Breel, who is most recently known for his TEDx talk, “Confessions of a Depressed Comic”.

As a teenager, Kevin Breel almost took his own life. His story, so powerfully told in his viral TEDxYouth Talk, gives voice to an often silent struggle and offers a message of hope.

As Jack Knox writes in the Times Colonist :

His story, abbreviated, is this: He grew up in Cadboro Bay, a popular kid, fun at parties, English and drama awards, always on the honour roll, captain of the Lambrick Park basketball team when it was ranked No. 1 in the province. Under it all was the other him, the kid who plunged into depression at age 13 when his best friend died in a car crash.

Breel now speaks out about his own depression, with a mission of helping kids his age realize they’re not alone.

“If someone in your life suffers from depression, you need to watch this video. If you don’t think anyone in your life suffers from depression, you need to watch this video — because you may not realize it if they do.”

To learn more about the featured guest speaker, Kevin Breel, visit www.kevinbreel.com

Need more information? Call 617-796-1436 or email youthsummit@newtonma.gov or visit www.newtonma.gov/youth

January 24, 2014
Upcoming teen programs at Newton Free Library

Mother-Daughter Book Club

Join us for a lively book discussion on Tuesday, January 28th from 7 to 8:30 pm! We’ll be discussing The Language Inside by Holly Thompson. The author will be visiting to discuss her book with the group! All are welcome to this special meeting!

Teen Crafternoons on Tuesday, February 4th. Get creative! We’ll be hanging out the teen area working on crafts! Drop by. Open to grades 6-12.

Get Hooked: Knitting and Crochet Group on Tuesday, February 6th from 7 to 8:15 pm.

Are you an expert with knitting or crochet needles, just learning, or want to learn? Then join us the first Thursdays of every month. We have crochet hooks and yarn and the know-how to teach the basics of crocheting. You are welcome to bring your own project, share ideas and conversation. Refreshments will be served. Open to ages 10 and up.

Finding Your Way: An Intro to the College Search and Application Process

Monday, February 10th from 7 to 8:30pm.

Please join us for a workshop aimed at students (especially Juniors) and parents, before school break and college visits begin. Students, Is there such a thing as a “perfect fit”? How do you start your exploration and what really matters as you launch the college search and application process? Parents, what role should you play on this journey? How can you provide support, knowing how important it is for your children to take charge and make the important choices for themselves? Cory Alperstein, founder and principal ofFuture Choice College Consulting, will explore these questions and discuss some specific strategies that may help your family survive the admissions process with positive outcomes for everyone involved! Ms. Alperstein will also cover stress reduction, including how making choices early about academic, extra-curriculars and social life is key to managing the stress when the application process really begins. Bring your sense of humor!

Location: Druker Auditorium

Questions? Please call Liz, the Teen Librarian, at 617-796-138 or email teens@newtonfreelibrary.net

January 23, 2014
Cooking Classes for Kids from Mindy’s Cooking

Mindy Sherbet, owner of Mindy’s Cooking, LLC. offers workshops, classes and private instruction in her home or in your home or venue. Mindy is a professional chef with many years experience teaching kids and adults in a variety of settings.

Currently she is offering programs to elementary school students in small groups in her home on Tuesdays from 1-3pm for a cost of $50 per week. Sign up for those is on a monthly basis. Custom classes are available so you can come with your own group of 4.

She also teaches on early release Thursdays, from 12:45-3:30.

The format of those classes is a 2 or 3-dish class where kids use a wide variety of kitchen equipment and tools and learn everything from hygiene and proper knife skills to more advanced techniques. They prepare and cook a delicious, nutritious meal where everyone is encouraged to taste everything.

Her goal is to get kids to try foods they wouldn’t normally be interested in so they increase their palate and contribute to a well-rounded diet. “Kids who prepare what they are asked to eat have a higher rate of adopting those foods into their repertoire”, says Mindy, a Newton mom of 3. “While not every child is going to ask for brussel sprouts for dinner, they may be willing to taste them when they see their friends doing it and having fun in the process”.

Mindy’s Cooking also teaches adults and is available for private parties as either a demonstration class or full-participation. Upcoming classes include a Valentine’s Day-themed edible treats class on Tuesday, February 11th, 1-3pm.

To sign up, either email Mindy at Mindyscooking@gmail.com or by cell 973-420-6190.

January 22, 2014
Garden City Soccer Camp at NNHS 2014!
Garden City Soccer Camp 2014:
- Youth soccer camp, now in its 15th year, to be held at the fields at Newton North High School
- Camp runs from 9 am to 3 pm during the weeks of July 7th-11th and July 14th-18th
- Designed for boys and girls ages 7-14
- Opportunity to learn from some of the top coaches in the city
- Directed by Brian Rooney – former Girls’ Varsity coach at Newton North and Boys’ Varsity coach at Newton North and Newton South; Assisted by Roy Dow – Head Boys’ Varsity Coach at Newton North
- Counseling staff includes current and former players from Newton North and Newton South boys’ and girls’ soccer programs
- Daily technical training (dribbling, passing, shooting, receiving, heading, etc.)
- Daily tactical training (1v1 offense and defense, 2v1 offense and defense, etc.)
- Individual and group skills competitions each day
- Competitive scrimmages or tournaments each day
- Prizes and awards given away daily
- Swimming at the Newton North Pool offered daily
- Cost per week is $280
For more information, contact Brian Rooney at brian_rooney@newton.k12.ma.us or 617-559-6238.

To register on-line, go to this website. It is a new registration site this year, so let us know if you have any difficulties.
January 19, 2014
Whole Foods Walnut: Exceptional Sale on Adora Chocolates!!!

Have you tried the Adora chocolates? My kids eat them for the premium chocolate but I actually buy them for myself as a calcium supplement. They are delicious but usually expensive so it’s nice that Whole Foods in Newton on Walnut street is having an exceptional sale!

3 bags of Adora chocolates for $10!!! At this price, I’ll stock and up and share with my kids!

January 18, 2014
BUILT TO RUN: A Free Interactive Running Clinic
- Are you experiencing a recurrent injury that is affecting your running?
- Do you understand your foot and know how to select the proper running shoe?
- Do you want to maximize your running performance?
Join us on: Tuesday, January 14, 2014 6:00 to 8:00 pm at our NEW location:

Newton-Wellesley Ambulatory Care Center, 159 Wells Avenue Newton, MA

Newton-Wellesley Hospital sponsors a series of FREE workshops, lectures and clinics geared to runners of all levels, held periodically throughout the year, to help athletes avoid injury and maximize performance.

Come dressed in comfortable clothing. Each participant will receive an individual assessment, which includes flexibility, gait analysis, dynamic strength and individualized solutions from a physical therapist. Our podiatrists will also provide shoe and foot consults. This free screening will take approximately 30 minutes. Newton-Wellesley Hospital is an official medical provider of the Boston Marathon.

To reserve your space for this free workshop, email us at carefinder@partners.org or call 617-243-6383.
January 17, 2014
Teen Book Event in Natick

On Saturday, February 1st at 7:00 pm at the Wilson Middle School in Natick, we have a very special event to celebrate the life of life of Esther Earl, the teenage girl who inspired legions of friends and fans, and to whom John Green’s award-winning novel, The Fault in Our Stars, is dedicated.

Wilson Middle School

22 Rutledge Rd, Natick, MA 01760

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

TIME Magazine’s #1 Fiction Book of 2012!

“The Fault in Our Stars is a love story, one of the most genuine and moving ones in recent American fiction, but it’s also an existential tragedy of tremendous intelligence and courage and sadness.” —Lev Grossman, TIME Magazine

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

With This Star Won’t Go Out : The Life and and Words of Esther Earl, her writings have been compiled along with photographs, essays, sketches, and an introduction by John Green. Hear from family, friends and Wizard Rock artists at this multimedia event. Get more information on our website.

This Star Won’t Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl by Esther Earl

A collection of the journals, fiction, letters, and sketches of the late Esther Grace Earl, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 16. Photographs and essays by family and friends will help to tell Esther’s story along with an introduction by award-winning author John Green who dedicated his #1 bestselling novel The Fault in Our Stars to her.

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January 16, 2014
Free Wellness Expo at the JCC

A wellness expo with interactive exhibits and demonstrations for children and adults will be held at the Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center (333 Nahanton Street) in Newton on Sunday, February 9 from 1-4pm.

Co-sponsored by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital – Needham, the expo will include MYCHIP child identification kits, nutritional counseling, body massages, balance testing, personal training tips, gait analysis, Beth Israel Hospital’s “Ask the doctor,” and make-your-own smoothies.

Activities for children include inflatable moonwalks, crafts, gluten-free toddler snacks and a visit from the Red Sox mascot, Wally the Green Monster. There will also be giveaways, food samples, raffles and wellness product discounts.

The event is free and open to the public. Call 617-558-6459 for details.

January 15, 2014