Category: Newton News

News happening in Newton Massachusetts.

7 Valeo FC Boys Invited to US Soccer Training Centers

Valeo FC Boys Invited to US Soccer Training Centers

The United States Soccer Federation has invited 7 Valeo Futbol Club players to upcoming US Soccer Training Centers.

The U.S. Soccer Training Centers are a critical element in the U.S. Soccer development model. They are designed to improve talent identification, evaluation, player development and coaching development.

It provides players a unique opportunity to train under the direction of the US Soccer Youth National Team staff and give the coaches a chance to evaluate young talented players for future consideration for the national teams.

The Valeo players who have received invitations are:

● Matthew Goncalves
● Youmy Telmaque
● Max Johnston
● Zachary Sardi-Santos
● Patrick Leal
● Morris Matthews
● Liam Carpenter-Shulman

About Valeo FC

Valeo Futbol Club (VFC) is a registered 501(c) (3) non-profit soccer training organization focused on developing competitive athletes, outstanding citizens and strong leaders.Valeo provides a challenging and rewarding environment that teaches the virtues of Teamwork, Discipline, Hard Work, Commitment, Respect and Leadership.

April 12, 2016
MiniLuxe Opens at The Street

MiniLuxe has opened the doors to its newest location at The Street. The innovative provider of nail and waxing services, with a focus on hygiene, quality, and fashion-inspired styles, now has a total of 14 locations across the U.S. – 12 in Massachusetts, one in Rhode Island and two in Texas.

MiniLuxe at The Street spans two floors and totals nearly two thousand square feet. The new location debuts The Color Runway, from which guests can select seasonal polish hues in a variety of formulations, including wet polish, hybrid polish (a new, long-lasting gel alternative), and long-lasting gel. MiniLuxe’s own line of polishes are “five free,” meaning they do not contain the most notorious chemicals commonly used in nail polish: dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, and camphor.

Noteworthy décor highlights include rose gold lighting accents and specially commissioned prints by fashion-famous illustrator Anja Kroencke. The salon has ten stations for manicures and six stations for pedicures, as well as a Groom Room, offering facial and body waxing services. MiniLuxe’s hallmark Clean Lab presides over the lower level; a steady pace of activity is visible within its plum-colored glass picture window. At MiniLuxe, all tools are either gifted to the guests after use, or made of surgical steel and undergo a three-step sterilization process in the Clean Lab: hand-scrubbing, ultrasonic debris removal, and hospital-grade autoclaving.

MiniLuxe has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including the perennial “Best of Boston” award from Boston magazine. It has also been likened to “the Starbucks of the nail industry” and praised by NPR, Forbes and The New York Times for its innovation across hygiene, service quality, and labor standards.

MiniLuxe at The Street is located at 23 Boylston Street, Newton, MA. It is open seven days a week: Monday-Saturday: 8am-9pm and Sunday 9am-8pm. Appointments may be booked online at www.MiniLuxe.com or by phone at 617-379-0270. Follow along on social media via @miniluxe & #miniluxe

April 10, 2016
Student Assaulted While Walking To Bus

I write with some concerning news regarding an incident that took place this morning with one of our students.

At about 9:15 AM, while walking to a bus stop, a Day student was assaulted by an adult male and had his phone stolen. Police immediately responded and began an investigation that remains open at this time.

The student received medical attention and is okay. If you have any information, please notify the Newton Police Community Services Bureau at 617-796-2103. We will keep you informed if we receive any further information.

Brian Turner
Principal
F. A. Day Middle School
21 Minot Place
Newtonville, MA 02460

image from Newton Patch

More information on the Newton Patch:

According to police, around 9 a.m. the man stepped off an MBTA bus and approached the boy, displaying a knife. The man then pushed and shoved the boy and stole his cell phone.

Police say the boy sustained minor injuries and is recovering. Meanwhile, police have launched an investigation into the incident.

The suspect was wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and is described as white and tanned with light facial hair.

March 22, 2016
ONE NEWTON T Shirts to Help Victims from Sweet Tomatoes Tragedy

Newton is made up 13 villages. But when tragedy strikes, we are ONE NEWTON. Support the victims of this terrible tragedy.

All dollars raised will go to the Miele and Morin families. We are awaiting word on the establishment of a fund(s) for the victims.

Buy t-shirts here.

March 15, 2016
Newton #46 Safest City in Massachusetts
To identify the 20 safest cities in Massachusetts, Safewise reviewed the most recent FBI Crime Report statistics from 2014, along with population data. We eliminated all cities with fewer than 8,000 residents as well as any cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI.

Newton #46

In our area:

22. Wellesley

23. Needham

24. Lexington

27. Belmont

37. Concord

53. Arlington

87. Waltham

90. Watertown

100. Natick

Top 10 Safest Cities in Massachusetts:

1. Wayland
1. Previous rank: 1
  Violent Crimes per 1,000: 0.44
  Property Crimes per 1,000: 0.96
  
  2. Norfolk
  
  Previous rank: 2
  
  Violent Crimes per 1,000: 0.17
  Property Crimes per 1,000: 1.86
  
  3. Boxford ↑
  
  Previous rank: 6
  
  Violent Crimes per 1,000: 0.00
  Property Crimes per 1,000: 2.19
  
  4. Hopkinton ↑
  
  Previous rank: 16
  
  Violent Crimes per 1,000: 0.06
  Property Crimes per 1,000: 2.65
  
  5. Sudbury ↑
  
  Previous rank: 8
  
  Violent Crimes per 1,000: 0.05
  Property Crimes per 1,000: 3.17
  
  6. Franklin ↑
  
  Previous rank: 9
  
  Violent Crimes per 1,000: 0.15
  Property Crimes per 1,000: 3.20
  
  7. Weston ↑
  
  Previous rank: 11
  
  Violent Crimes per 1,000: 0.25
  Property Crimes per 1,000: 3.50
  
  8. Clinton ↓
  
  Previous rank: 3
  
  Violent Crimes per 1,000: 0.44
  Property Crimes per 1,000: 3.64
  
  9. Sharon ↓
  
  Previous rank: 5
  
  Violent Crimes per 1,000: 0.00
  Property Crimes per 1,000: 4.46
  
  10. Medway ↑
  
  Previous rank: 28
  
  Violent Crimes per 1,000: 0.23
  Property Crimes per 1,000: 4.41
March 2, 2016
Newton 2016 State of the City Address

Dear Resident,

Tonight, I was honored to present my annual State of the City Address. In my remarks tonight, I highlighted several accomplishments and new initiatives. Below are a few highlights, as well as the full text of my remarks. I hope that you will take a few moments to read them. Thank you.

Our Strong Financial Position

We have been able to maintain our triple A bond rating with Moody’s Investor Services throughout the past 6 years; this year, for the first time, we also asked Standard and Poor’s to rate the City. As many of you know, we were pleased to announce a few weeks ago that Standard and Poor’s also assigned a triple A rating to the City, citing, and I quote “Strong management, with ‘good’ financial policies and practices under our Financial Management Assessment methodology and strong budgetary performance, with balanced operating results in the general fund.”

What this all comes down to, why this is so important, is that these components of our Long Term Financial Stability Strategy enable us to make the critical investments we need in the most fundamental areas, such as education, public safety and infrastructure, to make Newton a stronger, more livable, sustainable, 21st Century city.

DataStat Newton

Last year, we institutionalized our data-driven decision making by launching the “DataStat Newton” program. The program tracks everything from recycling rates and number of potholes filled, to auto-pedestrian accidents and changes in public safety response times, all on a monthly basis.

Last year, we institutionalized our data-driven decision making by launching the “DataStat Newton” program. The program tracks everything from recycling rates and number of potholes filled, to auto-pedestrian accidents and changes in public safety response times, all on a monthly basis.

More than 50 miles of roadway have been resurfaced since my administration began. Since the passage of the tax override in 2013, 50% more roadway is paved each year than in 2010. During the 2015 construction season, we paved 13.5 miles of roadway, the most in a single year since 2010. And, on our roads, the traffic signalization strategy in our Capital Improvement Plan will enable us to address our city’s 17 most congested and unsafe intersections by upgrading our traffic signal and intersection technology. That includes updated signals at previously dangerous intersections of Craft and Linwood, Beacon and Grant, and Winchester and Nahanton, all of which have been completed.

Cleanliness in our villages and parks is a critical part of the great quality of life in Newton as well as the local economy and we are using a data driven approach to make improvements in this area. The data tracking the frequency of trash barrel overflow led us to the conclusion that we needed a 21^st Century solution.

I’m pleased to announce we have reached an agreement with BigBelly to add 172 of their solar-compacting trash and recycling barrels throughout village centers and parks this spring. These solar powered barrels, which include waste and recycling processing, will have a positive impact on the environment, on our bottom line, and help enhance the quality of life throughout the City.

Economic Growth For All

I have written and developed a research based data driven municipal policy to increase economic mobility from birth to adulthood and retirement age. The policy also promotes the innovation economy that is so important to the future of our region. It is based on work from the Brookings Institution and the Boston College Center on retirement research. I’ve entitled the policy framework “Economic Growth for All.”

Below are a few initiatives that fall within this framework.

Pilot Self-Sufficiency Program for Children and Families

Last year, under my direction and with funding from the state, we launched a pilot program with Crittenton Women’s Union, an organization that has been nationally recognized for its work helping families become self-sustaining. The plan includes mentoring for 10 women living in Newton public housing, who will receive wraparound services, such as training in financial literacy, career counseling, assistance with planning for daycare, transportation support, and parenting skills counseling. We will learn from our pilot so that we can scale up this innovative approach beyond Newton Public Housing for more children and families in years to come.

MassChallenge and Newton Innovation Center

Last fall, we announced our partnership with MassChallenge to create a new innovation center in the former Newton Corner Library building. With this, we have the potential to revitalize a neighborhood, as well as open up access to the innovation economy for residents of all backgrounds. To do this, we are working on programming with MassChallenge, along with the Newton Free Library, that includes hosting interns from the Mayor’s summer high school internship program; holding sessions for students, entrepreneurs and all residents on business practices; and more.

Housing and Transportation Strategy

We are also using the policy to guide both our transportation and housing strategies and the development of our innovation districts. Housing, transportation, appropriate comprehensive social services, and jobs including those in the growth sector of the innovation economy are all critically interlinked in order to promote a pathway to the middle class and beyond for all of our residents.

To view the Economic Growth for All” policy framework, click here.

Expanding Solar Opportunities for Residents

We want to level the playing field and make solar power more widely available to Newton residents. Under our community solar share plan, anyone in the City who qualifies for fuel assistance would also qualify to receive solar power from our municipal projects. Other residents, including homeowners and renters, would also be eligible to participate. We are currently in the process of working out the details of this exciting, innovative program-one that we believe is the first of its kind in the Nation. I look forward to sharing more information as we make progress in the coming months.

To view the full text of my remarks, pleaseclick here

Sincerely,

Setti D. Warren

Mayor

City of Newton, MA

February 13, 2016
Boston 6th Best Metro Area for STEM Professionals
With STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — jobs expected to grow 1.7 times faster than non-STEM professions in the coming years, the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2016’s Best & Worst Metro Areas for STEM Professionals.

On the heels of our earlier report on the Best & Worst Cities to Find a Job, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 100 most populated metropolitan statistical areas across 16 key metrics to help STEM professionals find the best markets for their valuable occupations. Our data set ranges from per-capita job openings for STEM graduates to annual median wage growth for STEM workers.

STEM Job Market in Boston-Cambridge-Newton (1=Best; 50=Avg.)
- 8^th – % of All Workers in STEM Positions
- 51^st – STEM-Employment Growth
- 1^st – Mathematics Performance
- 14^th – Quality of Engineering Universities
- 45^th – Annual Median Wage Growth for STEM Workers
- 24^th – Per-Capita Job Openings for STEM Graduates
- 2^nd – Projected Number of STEM Jobs Needed in 2020
For the full report, please visit here.
February 4, 2016
Newton in Motion Workshop

Dear Resident,

I am writing to invite you to join us for a very important event coming up next week. On Thursday, February 4th-Saturday, February 6th, our Planning and Development department is teaming up with the Department of Public Works to host “Newton in Motion” a workshop that will help lead us toward an equitable, economically and environmentally sustainable multi-modal transportation system.

We encourage interested residents to stop by 275 Needham Street (next to the CVS in Marshalls Plaza) on:

* Thursday, February 4^th from 10:00am-7:00pm

* Friday, February 5^th from 10:00am-7:00pm

* Saturday, February 6^th from 9:00am-12:00pm

There will also be a presentation from consultants Nelson/Nygaard at Noon on Thursday, 6:00pm on Friday, and 10:00amon Saturday. The Friday evening presentation will also include presenters from the Newton Housing Strategy, and MassDOT. All presentations will be made available online. Newton in Motion will have many kid-friendly activities, and we welcome families and children of all ages. Please stop by help set the vision and goals for how Newton’s transportation system is shaped in the future. For more information and to participate online, please click here.

Sincerely,

Setti D. Warren

Mayor

City of Newton, MA

February 3, 2016
New Pop Up Floral Company at The Street

NEW, LOCALLY OWNED, EXPERIENTIAL
FLORAL COMPANY,
ALICE’S TABLE,
DEBUTS at THE POP-UP

Today, January 20^th through February 16^th

As the perfect lead up to Valentine’s Day, The Street announces Alice’s Table, a new, experiential floral company, debuts at The Pop-Up. Alice’s Table is the latest locally owned, highly creative brand to take over the space, and this is the company’s first ever retail storefront. Alice’s Table will also host a variety of its celebrated events in collaboration with such trendsetting neighbors as Jonathan Adler, Shake Shack, and DAVIDsTEA, all found at The Street. Alice’s Table is starting Wednesday, January 20, 2016 through Tuesday, February 16, 2016. The Pop-Up at The Street is located at 3 Boylston Street Chestnut Hill, MA.

Founded in Boston in September 2015 by Alice Rossiter, Alice’s Table has quickly garnered a loyal local following for its creative floral arranging classes that offer a “girl’s night out with a twist,” as well as for its floral delivery subscriptions. A class with Alice’s Table typically starts with a cocktail, and is followed by 90 minutes of hands-on instruction, helping participants create their own arrangement to take home.

Visitors can expect to find flowers by the stem, small and large cut arrangements, a variety of exotic orchids, and, during the week of Valentine’s Day, roses by the dozen. Guests can place Valentine’s pre-orders in-store as of today. A selection of Vosges chocolates, Sugarfina candies, and gift certificates for Alice’s Table events are also for sale within The Pop-Up. All purchases of $25 or more come with a complimentary MiniLuxe manicure; MiniLuxe will open early February just two doors down from The Pop-Up at The Street.

As part of its unique stamp on floral services, Alice’s Table will host numerous creative collaborations with stores at The Street. Look for a Mother & Daughter workshop in partnership with DAVIDsTEA on Saturday, February 6, 2016 at 2pm at The Pop-Up, and a Flower Arranging Workshop for Men at Shake Shack on February 13, 2016 from 10am-11:30am. The Shake Shack workshop will uniquely allow men to create a DIY bouquet for their Valentine with step-by-step instruction from Alice’s Table and complimentary beer and snacks from Shake Shack; a portion of proceeds will be donated to a local charity. A variety of additional events with the likes of Jonathan Adler will be announced soon. Events start at $65 per person; interested guests can find current details and sign up online: www.alicestable.com.

Alice’s Table is open daily from today, Wednesday, January 20, 2016 through Tuesday, February 16, 2016. Its hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, 10:00am-7:00pm and Sunday 12:00pm-6:00pm. In honor of Valentine’s Day, it will offer extended hours on February 13th and 14th from 9am to 9pm.

Alice’s Table takes the place of luxury knitwear line, The Third Piece, which popped up at The Street in early January. To connect with Alice’s Table visit www.alicestable.com, call617-603-7439, and follow along on social media: Instagram: @alicestable; Facebook: Alice’s Table

January 28, 2016
Washington Street Safety Issue FIXED

Dear Mr. Mayor,

Thank you for yesterday’s sidewalk plowing and salting from Commonwealth Avenue to the Woodland Station, and beyond. I have never seen a better job in the 42 years that we have resided on Day Street. It was a pleasure to walk to the Woodland T station this morning and there were many joggers safely utilizing the walkway. I have already heard positive comments from my neighbors. Please forward my remarks and gratitude of your DPW staff as they too have been most helpful and responsive to ensure the safety of this neighborhood.

Sincerely,

Concerned Citizen

———-

This is in response to Concerned Citizen’s Safety Issue on Washington Street.

The even side of Washington Street from Commonwealth Avenue to the Woodland T Station is no longer part of the city maintained sidewalks for snowplowing. That said, the odd side of Washington Street from Commonwealth Avenue to the Woodland T will be plowed during future storms.

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today regarding the sidewalk situation in front of 1900 Washington Street. I did take a look at this location and now understand the situation the refuse containers location is causing for pedestrian issues. A letter will be sent to the property owner notifying them of the need to remove the containers from the right-of-way. As discussed, the even side of Washington Street from Commonwealth Avenue to the Woodland T Station is no longer part of the city maintained sidewalks for snowplowing. That said, the odd side of Washington Street from Commonwealth Avenue to the Woodland T will be plowed during future storms.

Lastly, if sidewalks on the even side are not plowed or shoveled by the property owners a request can be made through the City’s WebQA/311 website. This will trigger DPW staff to perform a site visit and hang a flyer notifying the property owner of the city ordinance which requires them to perform snow and ice removal on their sidewalk. Thanks again for your time.

Respectfully,

Shane L. Mark M.S.

Director of Operations

Department of Public Works

City of Newton

1000 Commonwealth Ave.

Newton Centre, MA 02459

Office: 617-796-1494

Cell: 617-992-1553

smark@newtonma.gov

——————–

Concerned citizens bring up this safety point regarding not plowing one side of the street (the side which has the Woodland T Stop):

“it is so much busier on our side rather than the Lasell side. Plus you have hundreds of marathon training runners who are using our side for their weekend runs – they will be forced to run in the road or continually cross back and forth which isn’t safe. I’m happy to make a call to City Hall also on this –– they need to do both sides at a minimum.”

————–

Dear Concerned Citizen,

After further inspection and thought on this matter the sidewalks on the south side (EVEN) will be plowed from Commonwealth to the Woodland T station. In fact, the DPW department will plow the sidewalks on the even side of the street from Grove Street in Lower falls to Commonwealth Avenue. We trust this will help the pedestrians who use the sidewalks as a means of travel. Thank you.

Respectfully,

Shane L. Mark M.S.

Director of Operations

Department of Public Works

City of Newton

1000 Commonwealth Ave.

Newton Centre, MA 02459

Office: 617-796-1494

Cell: 617-992-1553

smark@newtonma.gov

January 26, 2016