Category: Newton News

News happening in Newton Massachusetts.

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
NNHS Nothing Unusual Found

I am writing to follow up on our earlier communication regarding an incident at Newton North High School this morning. As I reported earlier, at approximately 10:40 AM a threatening phone call was received in the main office.

The building was then placed in “Shelter in Place.” While in Shelter in Place, the exterior doors to the building are locked and students remain in their classrooms with their teachers. We are continuing to coordinate our response with the Newton Fire and Police department, as well as the State Police department.

The Fire Department has already searched the building using thermal imaging technology, and the State Police is currently completing a second search of the building using bomb-sniffing dogs. While these precautions are underway, our students and staff remain in Shelter-in-Place. There is no immediate danger to our students, and we are taking every precaution to ensure that there is no risk before returning to our school routines. We will update the Newton North community as soon as we have additional information.

—————

I am pleased to report that the State Police has concluded their search of the entire building and found nothing out of the ordinary. As a result, the Shelter-in-Place has concluded and we have returned to our normal school routines. This afternoon’s schedule will be adjusted and students will be in lunches and class until our regular Tuesday dismissal time (2:35.) I would like to thank the Newton Police and Fire departments and the State Police for their support. I am also thankful to the staff and students for their patience and understanding. I am sorry to report that schools across Eastern Massachusetts received similar threats today. As always, we take safety and security seriously, and work closely with public safety officials and continue to be vigilant. Thank you very much for your understanding and support,

Sincerely,

Mark Aronson

Interim Principal

—————-

Good Afternoon,

I am writing to you regarding today’s events. Again, I would like to acknowledge all of the fine work done today by the Newton Police Department, Newton Fire Department, The Mass State Police and our Newton North Staff. As you know we received a threat to our building that required us to “Shelter in Place” while the authorities did their jobs to ensure the safety of the building. I realize that these events create a multitude of feelings for all of us and raise questions as to the best response. Rest assured that we work closely with all of the above agencies and the superintendent’s office to make a well informed decision based on the facts at hand. Please know that we are consistently reflecting on our safety practices and appreciate your continued support as we work to maintain a safe, supportive learning environment for our students. Tomorrow we look forward to having a typical school routine. Counselors are always available to any student who may need some support regarding today’s events. If you are concerned about your child please feel free to contact their housemaster or counselor.

Have a nice evening, Mark

—————

Other schools receiving threats include Arlington High School, Groton Middle School, and the Florence Roche School. Fitzgerald Elementary School in Waltham was also evacuated Tuesday morning after a male called in a threat, police confirmed. A threat was phoned-in to Swampscott High School around 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, prompting the evacuation of students and dismissal from classes for the rest of the day, authorities confirm. The incident is still under investigation.

Police in Tewksbury say they’re investigating at Tewksbury High School. Newton police said firefighters are currently at Newton North High School investigating, but they do not believe the school was evacuated.

The Superintendents office of Ayer-Shirley Regional say the high school received a threat and that students were moved to a local elementary school. From NECN.com

Do you think this has anything to do with end of term tests?

January 19, 2016
Suicide Prevention training with Mayor Setti Warren

Dear Resident,

I am writing today to invite you to join me for a very important event next week. OnWednesday, January 13th I will be participating in a Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention training, and I hope you can be there too.

This evidence-based, simple technique offers everyone strategies to respond to someone experiencing distress and information about how to get the expert help required. Just like CPR training, this program can help you save a life.

The evening will begin at 5:00pm with a casual reception at Del Frisco’s Grille, located at “The Street” at 33 Boylston Street.

The training will follow from 6:00–8:00pmat a nearby conference room that is also part of “The Street.”

Register today by clicking here. If you have any questions, please contact our Health and Human Services Department at 617-796-1420.

Thank you, and I hope to see you on the 13th.

Sincerely,

Setti D. Warren

Mayor

City of Newton, MA

January 13, 2016
Knitwear Pop Up Store offers free knitting classes

The Street announces the next brand to debut at The Pop-Up, its new concept devoted to celebrating innovative and locally grown brands. Perfectly timed to the winter season and the desire to bundle up in the coziest of styles, The Third Piece, a luxury knitwear line owned by two trendsetting Boston women, will take over The Pop-Up from Thursday January 7, 2016 through Wednesday January 13, 2016. The Pop-Up at The Street is located at 7 Boylston Street Chestnut Hill, MA. www.the3rdpiece.com;www.thestreetchestnuthill.com

The Third Piece’s full retail collection, offered in 12 beautiful colors, will be available at The Pop-Up. Women’s accessories and outerwear options range from hand-knit sweaters to infinity scarves to snoods to mitts. The brand’s signature piece, The Newbury, a hand-knit hooded cowl, and newly debuted, chunky, custom-made sweaters are bound to be hits. A just launched line of children’s outerwear, The Mini Me collection, will also be available at The Pop-Up. All prices range from $30-$398.

In addition to its retail collection, The Third Piece Pop-Up will introduce a Knit Bar and a variety of daily workshops. At The Knit Bar, knitters will receive on the spot guidance from expert piece-makers about any range of knitting dilemmas, while the workshops will varyfrom Knitting 101 to How to Make Your Own Designer Knitwear. Workshops come with yarn, needles, and a tote gift bag. Prices range from $48-75.

Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday: 12-1pm
Thursday & Tuesday: 3:30-5pm
Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday: 6:30-8pm
Saturday: 12-1, 3-4pm and 6-7pm
Sunday: 12-1pm and 3-4pm

January 7, 2016
Newton Teen Suicides Noted in New York Times article

New Jersey School District Eases Pressure on Students, Baring an Ethnic Divide

A packed Board of Education meeting this month at Grover Middle School in West Windsor, N.J., where a districtwide debate that often splits along racial lines is underway about the pressure put on students there to succeed.

The issue of the stresses felt by students in elite school districts has gained attention in recent years as schools in places like Newton, Mass., and Palo Alto have reported clusters of suicides. West Windsor-Plainsboro has not had a teenage suicide in recent years, but Dr. Aderhold, who has worked in the district for seven years and been superintendent for the last two and a half, said he had seen troubling signs.

The full New York Times article is here.

January 6, 2016
Valeo F.C. Selected as Academy Team

Valeo F.C. Selected to Join U.S. Soccer Development Academy

January 5, 2016
Newton Police: You’ve Got the Right to File a Complaint on a Cop

Once a year, Newton Police Department, in compliance with national accreditation standards, reminds citizens of their right to file citizen complaints.

Complaints against police officers may be made verbally or in writing. Confidentiality will be insured.

Complaints in writing may be hand delivered to a superior officer at the Newton Police Department, or mailed to Chief MacDonald at 1321 Washington Street Newton, Ma. 02465.

Citizens are also encouraged to commend police personnel verbally, in writing or in person. Compliments and commendations are copied to the personnel files of individual officers. All members of the Newton community are encouraged to call Newton Police Headquarters at (617) 796-2100.

January 3, 2016
Newton Snow and Ice Control Plan

Dear Resident,

As we enter the winter months, I am writing today to share some useful information about our plan to address snowfall this year, and most importantly to get your feedback.

Last winter’s unprecedented snow challenged us all.

For the first time in our city’s history, we have developed a comprehensive Snow and Ice Control Plan, outlining all aspects of our plan to address snow fall.

By clicking here, you can view the complete plan, including updated maps of city sidewalk routes that our Department of Public Works is responsible for clearing.

We would also like to remind all residents of the expectation that sidewalks abutting residential property will be cleared within 30 hours of the end of a snow storm. Please do your part to help make our sidewalks safe and passable.

Lastly, if we are going to be successful in addressing snowfall this winter, we need your feedback. One of the most critical components of our operation is our 311 reporting system. Throughout the winter and beyond, we want to hear from you when there are issues that need to be addressed, and the 311 system is the best way for you to report issues to the city. To ensure that the system is working well for our residents, I ask you to fill out a brief survey on our 311 system by clicking here. Your input will be essential in helping us be prepared for the winter.

Thank you, and I wish everyone a Happy Holiday season.

Sincerely,

Setti D. Warren

Mayor

City of Newton, MA

December 25, 2015
Newton #315 for College Experience (#12 worst)
With college-application deadlines approaching and campus tours in the offing, WalletHub ranked 326 U.S. cities and towns that promise the best combination of academic, social and economic opportunities for students.

Here’s what Wallethub ranked the college experience in Newton, with 1 being the best, and 163 average:

315th – Adjusted Cost of Living for Young People
96th – Quality of Higher Education
217th – Cost of Higher Education
297th – Number of Nightlife Options per Capita
133rd – Percentage of Part-Time Jobs
198th – Brain Drain
42nd – City Accessibility
158th – Student Gender Balance
83rd – Number of Students per Capita

Newton ranked #315 out of #326

Top 10 Best College Cities & Towns in America:

10. Columbia, MO

9. Cambridge, MA

8. Austin, TX

7. Atlanta, GA

6. Pittsburgh, PA

5. Gainesville, FL

4. Provo, UT

3. Iowa City, IA

2. College Station, TX
1. Ann Arbor, MI
December 22, 2015