Author: Mia

25th Gala for NewTV

On May 11th, NewTV celebrates its 25th anniversary by bringing NewTV alumni and members, TV/film/video industry professionals and the Newton business and political community together. This gala celebration and Red Carpet Awards ceremony occurs every five years and was developed to honor the work of the community producers. Proceeds from the event will benefit the community media center’s renowned internship and scholarship programs, which enable qualified students to pursue successful careers in television production, film, and broadcast journalism.

The event will be held at Brae Burn Country Club, 326 Fuller Street in Newton, Mass. on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 from 6-9:30 p.m., and will feature dinner, award presentations, and an inspirational keynote address by WCVB-TV co-anchor Phil Lipof.

The NewTV 25th Anniversary Gala and Red Carpet Awards is an opportunity to meet award-winning journalists, producers and filmmakers and to learn more about NewTV’s growth since the organization’s humble beginnings. The evening will showcase video award winners from the NewTV community.

According to NewTV Executive Director Bob Kelly, “I’m incredibly proud of this organization and of my top-notch team. There is a NewTV legacy to protect and preserve, and this gala showcases our talent and growth from a basement studio to a state-of-the-art 8,000 square foot facility cable casting on HD channels with local, regional and national penetration. It is a pleasure and a privilege for NewTV to serve the community through news, training, live event coverage and nationally recognized, Emmy® Award-winning original programming.”

The gala also marks the positive impact of NewTV on individuals and the community at large. According to B.J. Krintzman, a long-time NewTV member, “I cherish my involvement with NewTV. Over the years, I’ve hosted informative programs, met movers and shakers, and mentored volunteers and interns.” Michael Busilovsky, a member since 1996, credits his participation in major film and video festivals to his training at NewTV.

To purchase tickets, visit newtv.org/25 or email bobk@newtv.org for sponsorship or program advertising opportunities. Tickets are $65 each, $475 for a table of eight.

April 25, 2016
Valeo FC Elite Residential OVERNIGHT Camp

Valeo FC Elite Residential OVERNIGHT Camp

April 24, 2016
Arsenal Project – Etsy Artists of Boston

Arsenal Project – Etsy Artists of Boston

April 23, 2016
WatertownMA: Free Earth Day event for kids tomorrow at Arsenal Center for the Arts

WatertownMA: Free Earth Day event for kids tomorrow at Arsenal Center for the Arts 1-3pm.

April 22, 2016
Junior League of Boston Newton Show House

Junior League of Boston 2016 Show House in Newton

This premier design event features the talents of Boston’s finest designers, transforming over 20 rooms in the 1854 Nathaniel Allen House, located at 35 Webster Street in West Newton, Massachusetts. Improving the Nathaniel Allen House through the Decorators’ Show House will facilitate enhanced program space for arts and culture, with a special focus on programming for children.

May 7 – June 5, 2016

The Show House launches with a Preview Party on Thursday May 5 and opens to the public on Mother’s Day Weekend. Hours are Wednesday 10:00am-4:00pm, Thursday and Friday 10:00am – 8:00pm, Saturday & Sunday 10:00am – 5:00pm. Closed Mondays. Tuesdays, the Show House may be rented for special events and groups. Every Wednesday the designers will be on hand to answer questions and interact with visitors. Garden Day at Show House is May 17^th.

Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door, and are available online at BostonShowHouse.org.

For further information, group rates and more call 617-536-9640.

Photo Caption: The 1854 Nathaniel Allen House in West Newton will be The Junior League of Boston 2016 Show House.

Nathaniel Allen House, 35 Webster St, Newton, MA 02465

Runs May 7 – June 5

April 22, 2016
Newton Forum On Prejudice Reveals Prejudice

The Newton Patch reports that Newton Forum on Prejudice Turns Ugly. A community meeting to discuss how to address incidents of racism and anti-Semitism was disrupted by activists Thursday night. The Boston Globe reported that some in the audience had other ideas, wanting only to talk about anti-Semitism.

According to the Globe, Jewish activists harassed an African-American woman who said her son was called a racist slur at school, while unidentified members of the crowd chimed in to say they were disappointed that people spoke about the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act and marriage equality.

Fleishman spoke at the meeting and received boos from the crowd before being walked to his car by police, according to the Globe.

Mayor Setti Warren responds:

Dear Resident,

I am proud of what we accomplished last night at a difficult, but essential, community meeting. As I said at the outset of the meeting, it will take work on the part of all of us to maintain Newton’s tradition as a welcoming, inclusive community. It is not enough to acknowledge the ground breaking work that came before us. Each community and each generation must keep up these efforts. I was proud that we could have a meeting last night and that we did not shy away from a difficult conversation. I also believe that we need to build on opportunities to listen to one another and to understand other people’s perspectives without looking to change what someone else thinks. I do want to highlight how impressed I was with our young people who spoke out last night, emphasizing that building alliances among all groups is the most effective way to combat prejudice. They displayed remarkable maturity and stayed to engage in further conversation with others after the meeting ended. They represent hope for the future.

So how are we planning to build on this first meeting? I am outlining four next steps:

1) I have hired Civil Rights attorney, Richard Cole, to work with our school system and our students. He will be conducting trainings with administrators and faculty to strengthen protocols for reporting incidents and practices for how to address these issues of prejudice and discrimination when they arise and how to discuss these issues with students. He will also be working with students to make sure our youth voices are leading important conversations and are represented in these processes.

2) The City’s Director of Youth Services will also be following up with students and faculty, and I expect the Youth Commission to engage around these issues as well.

3) I am committing my administration to continue this work with the community in collaboration with other groups in our City such as the Human Rights Commission and the Interfaith Clergy Association. We will be working on ways to engage in community building. We will also look for ways to engage and communicate with parents and families.

4) We will track progress we are making as a community and report results, beginning with posting responses we received prior to the meeting. The youth survey and the April 7 email address will remain live, and we urge people to continue to send comments, reflections, and questions.

If you were unable to attend the meeting but would like to view it, the tape of the live stream is available by clicking here. Whether or not you were there last night, I urge everyone to become and stay involved to ensure that Newton remains a welcoming community we all can be proud of.

Thank you, and I look forward to continuing our work together to make Newton the most welcoming, inclusive community that it can be.

Sincerely,

Setti D. Warren
Mayor
City of Newton, MA

April 21, 2016
Newton Serves at Day Middle School

Newton Serves At Day: Sunday, May 1st, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Please come and help with the NewtonServes project at Day. Projects will include landscaping, interior painting, window washing, and cleaning and exterior clean-up. You can help for the entire time or for just an hour or two. Rain or shine, we will be working.

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER (http://www.n ewtonco mmunitypride.org/NewtonSERVES-volunteer.php )

(or just show up on 5/1 and register then–although we can’t guarantee you’ll get a free t-shirt if you don’t sign up ahead of time)

If you have questions about the event or have ideas for projects we should try to tackle, please contact: Bill Hoch or Jessica Avery.

If you can, bring: a rake, shovels, wheelbarrows, gloves, tarps, paint brushes, and drop cloths. If you can’t help out that day, send in doughnuts, water, coffee, fruit, or cookies to fuel the volunteers!

April 20, 2016
U.S. Soccer’s Girls Development Academy in 2017
U.S. Soccer is starting a Girls Development Academy that is shaking up the girls’ soccer world. ECNL is in turmoil since losing its commissioner and is struggling to define itself. Will top players leave ECNL now that it’s downgraded a level to NPL? Will the top female soccer players turn, instead to the U.S. Soccer’s Girls Development Academy?

U.S. Soccer started its Development Academy Program for boys in 2007 and the program, which currently consists of 152 clubs across five age groups, serves as the elite player development model for the country and has significantly improved the everyday environment for players, coaches and clubs. The Girls’ DA will be structured with many of the same principles and will begin play in the fall of 2017. The application process for clubs interested in being part of the new program will open in May of 2016.

The guidelines for members will feature increased training requirements with fewer, but higher quality games. U.S. Soccer’s technical standards have been designed to benefit players and coaches, and allows clubs to work directly and collaboratively with U.S. Soccer technical staff and Youth National Teams. The overall focus of the program is to assist in developing world class players, coaches and referees by prioritizing training and player development within the team concept.

From the start, the program will feature three combined age groups in the Girls’ Development Academy: U-14/15, U-16/17 and U-18/19. Clubs will be expected to train a minimum of four times a week. The players in the Girls’ Development Academy clubs will play exclusively within the Academy program and will not play in any outside competition, such as ODP or high school. The use of combined age groups will require clubs to form teams with a balanced roster of players from two distinct birth years. The games will be scouted by U.S.Soccer and the program will serve as a pathway to U.S. Soccer’s Youth National Teams. from Soccer Wire

Part of the issue with ECNL was the uneven level of teams. Former ECNL coach and club executive in Connecticut, Anthony DiCicco, notes the challenges the ECNL Connecticut teams faced:

We didn’t win as many games as most of you.

Connecticut was tough – that’s another post for another time – but while the ECNL’s Northeast regional league benefited from two clubs who could serve as travel partners, it probably stretched the player pool too much. What’s going to happen now? Where are all these players going to come from to make up another top-tier league?

The bottom line is where will college coaches recruit from? With two leagues ECNL versus U.S. Soccer’s Girls Development Academy, can they cover twice as much territory? Anson Dorrance, college coach at University of North Carolina will follow the talent:

Assuming the new U.S. Soccer Girls Academy and the ECNL are dividing up the youth talent, we’re going to have to genuflect to both organizations if we want to effectively recruit.

We’re going to have to follow where the best players are wherever they happen to be. We’re going to have to make that adjustment as collegiate coaches, unquestionably.

While the FC Boston Scorpions are not going to pursue U.S. Soccer Girls Academy and stay with ECNL it seems, their ECNL teams are not ranked top 3 in Massachusetts (ranking from GotSoccer.com). And, Division 1 coaches don’t necessarily recruit by which league a player plays in; they recruit by going to certain tournaments.

What the top girls’ soccer teams in Massachusetts? The newest standings (September 2016) are here.

U13:
1. SOUTH SHORE SELECT U13 ELITE
2. GPS-MA NPL GIRLS 02/03
3. AZTEC SOCCER GIRLS 02 NPL
4. NEFC ELITE U13 GIRLS
5. FC BOSTON SCORPIONS GU13 ECNL
6. FC STARS OF MASS ECNL
7. NEFC PREMIER NORTH U13 GIRLS
8. FC STARS SOUTH UNITED 02/03
9. CSU U13G NPL ELITE
10. GPS MA METRO NORTH ELITE RED GIRLS 02/03
U14:
1. SOUTH SHORE SELECT U14 ELITE
2. NEFC ELITE U14 GIRLS
3. GPS-MA NPL GIRLS 01/02
4. FC BOSTON SCORPIONS GU14 ECNL
5. FC STARS OF MASS ECNL
6. NEFC PREMIER NORTH U14 GIRLS
7. FC STARS OF MASS WEST UNITED 01/02 GIRLS
8. FC BOSTON SCORPIONS NORTH U14 ELITE/NPL
9. GPS MA METRO NORTH ELITE GIRLS 01/02
10. FC BOSTON SCORPIONS GU14 NPL
U15:
1. NEFC ELITE U15 GIRLS
2. SOUTH SHORE SELECT U15 ELITE
3. AZTEC SOCCER GIRLS 00 NPL
4. FC STARS OF MASSACHUSETTS ECNL 00/01
5. GPS-MA NPL GIRLS 00/01
6. FC STARS OF MASS NORTH UNITED
7. FC BOSTON SCORPIONS GU15 ECNL
8. SPIRIT OF LIVERPOOL 2000 G REDS
9. NEFC PREMIER NORTH U15 GIRLS
10. CSU U15G NEP ELITE
U16:
1. NEFC ELITE U16 GIRLS
2. GPS-MA NPL GIRLS 99/00
3. NEFC PREMIER NORTH U16 GIRLS
4. FC STARS OF MASSACHUSETTS ECNL 99/00
5. AZTEC SOCCER GIRLS 99 NPL
6. NEW ENGLAND RUSH G99-00 RUSH
7. FC STARS OF MASSACHUSETTS NPL
8. FC BOSTON SCORPIONS GU16 NPL
9. GPS BAYERN NATIONAL
10. CSU U16G NEP ELITE
U17:
1. NEFC ELITE U17 GIRLS
2. FC STARS OF MASSACHUSETTS ECNL 98/99
3. AZTEC SOCCER GIRLS 98 NPL BLACK
4. NEW ENGLAND RUSH G98-99 RUSH
5. SOUTH SHORE SELECT 98/99 ELITE
6. NEFC PREMIER NORTH U17 GIRLS
7. NOVA PREMIER SPARKS
8. GPS-MA NPL GIRLS 98/99
9. FC STARS OF MASSACHUSETTS NPL 98/99
10. FC BOSTON SCORPIONS NORTH GU17E
U18:
1. GPS-MA NPL GIRLS 97/98
2. FC BLAZERS GIRLS 97/98
3. FC STARS OF MASSACHUSETTS NPL 97/98
4. AZTEC SOCCER GIRLS 97 NPL
5. FC BOSTON SCORPIONS NORTH GU18E
6. SOUTH SHORE SELECT 97/98 ELITE
7. FC STARS OF MASSACHUSETTS ECNL 97/98
8. NEW ENGLAND RUSH G97-98 RUSH
9. WESTERN UNITED PIONEERS FC RED 97/98
10. FC STARS OF MASSACHUSETTS CENTRAL UNITED
The question is what teams in Massachusetts will be invited to join the U.S. Soccer’s Girls Development Academy in 2017? My guess would be Breakers Academy’s new affiliation with NEFC indicates that NEFC would be chosen. If a second team is selected, it looks like South Shore Select would in contention as would GPS/NPL if they chose to switch leagues. But, who knows? Soccer is game of politics, after all!
April 19, 2016
Free Seminar: “Downsizing Made Easy”

Susanne McInerney of the Mass Estate Team at RE/MAX Leading Edge and Newton Senior Center, Present Free Seminar, “Downsizing Made Easy” 5 Step System Helps Senior Citizens & Families Navigate Complexities of Moving.

As the population ages, more and more senior citizens and their caregiver families are faced with the challenges of “downsizing”: usually a move for the elder from the traditional family home into a smaller apartment or an assisted living community.

To help Newton and area seniors and their families accomplish this life transition with the most ease, local real estate agent Susanne McInerney of the Mass Estate Team at RE/MAX Leading Edge, has teamed with The Cabot Park Village Community to provide the free seminar “Downsizing Made Easy” which will be held at Cabot Park Village.

This casual – yet educational forum – will take place on April, 23, 2016 from 12:00PM-1:30PM.

Cabot Park Village

280 Newtonville Ave

Newtonville, MA 02460

Refreshments will be provided as well as a tour of the Cabot Park Village Community.

The seminar will include presentation and discussion of The 5 Steps to Downsizing Made Easy along with topics including: questions to consider before making a move, senior living options in the Newton & surrounding area, questions for touring senior living communities, tips for hiring various professionals related to the moving process, guidance on estate sales and estate auctions, and many other pertinent topics.

April 18, 2016
Open Arts Day 2016 at Arsenal Center for the Arts

Arsenal Center for the Arts Hosts

Open Arts Day 2016

The Arsenal Center for the Arts hosts its annual Open Arts Day, a Watertown favorite, this year as part of ArtWeek Boston!

This family-friendly, free event takes place on Saturday, May 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA. The drop-in open house features visual and performing arts workshops taught by the skilled arsenalARTS & Watertown Children’s Theatre staff.

Participants can experiment with Clay (handbuilding and pottery wheel), Printmaking, Mixed-media and other art activities for the whole family. This year’s event will again feature a very special outdoor Steamroller Printing Project where artists will carve printmaking plates, ink them up, and then roll over them with an industrial steamroller to create Relief print masterpieces!

Watertown Children’s Theatre will present workshops and performances highlighting music, movement and more. Watertown Children’s Theatre and resident Theatre Company New Repertory Theatre will also reveal their 2016-2017 seasons.

The day will also feature a special check presentation from Whole Foods Market for the funds raised on the Arsenal Center’s 5% Community Giving Day (happening May 4, 2016 at the Newton and Newtonville Whole Foods Market locations.

For more information, visit www.arsenalarts.org or call 617-923-0100. Open Arts Day is made possible in part by the Belmont Savings Bank, the Belmont Cultural Council, and the Waltham Cultural Council – supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Spring ArtWeek Boston (April 29 – May 8) is a tri-annual 10-day collection of events throughout the city that features unexpected and creative experiences that are interactive or offer behind-the-scenes access to artists or the creative process. ArtWeek Boston’s mission is to be a champion for nonprofit innovation in Boston and provide arts and entertainment to the greater community.

April 17, 2016