Category: All About Newton

News, events, children’s activities in Newton, MA.

JAZZ @ the Arsenal Series

Renowned Saxophonist Fred Lipsius Kicks Off

2015-2016 JAZZ @ the Arsenal Series

JAZZ @ The Arsenal returns this October for another fantastic season of live music at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown.

Fred Lipsius, original saxophonist, arranger and conductor with Blood, Sweat & Tears (1967-71), and his quartet will open this season’s series on Monday, October 12, at 7:30PM at the Arsenal Center’s Black Box Theater.Lipsius has performed with jazz greats Cannonball Adderley, Thelonious Monk, Zoot Sims, Eddie Gomez, Al Foster, George Mraz, Larry Willis, Randy Brecker, Rodney Jones, plus a number of prominent Berklee College of Music faculty. He has written music for and performed on over 30 CDs as both a leader and sideman. Fred is currently an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music, where he’s been teaching full-time since 1984.

The series continues on November 16 with the Kris Adams Quintet. Kris began singing on stage in a touring children’s theater as a young teenager and had her first professional gigs at the age of 19 in Connecticut, singing in a latin-jazz band that the late saxophonist Tom Chapin was a member of. Her recently released third album entitled “Longing” (Jazzbird Records) is in collaboration with trumpeter/arranger, Greg Hopkins. Kris currently teaches at Berklee and is author of the book “Sing Your Way Through Theory” (Hal Leonard).

The final date of 2015 will be a holiday themed concert of A Jazzy Christmas with The John Baboian Quintet. Jazz at the Arsenal’s Artistic Director, John Baboian, brings his quartet into the Arsenal for a concert of music inspired by the Season. Guitarist/ Composer, John Baboian, has been on the faculty at the Berklee College of Music in Boston for 35 years. He has been organizing the Jazz at the Arsenal series since its inception 8 years ago. This concert will feature unique compositions and arrangements of standard holiday fare.

Upcoming dates in the Jazz @ the Arsenal series:

October 12, 2015 – Fred Lipsius Quartet

November 16, 2015 – Kris Adams Quintet

December 21, 2015 – A Jazzy Christmas with The John Baboian Quartet

January 18, 2016 – Jeff Ramsey & George Russell Jr.: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

February 15, 2016 – The Patrice Williamson Group “Taking Love Easy”: Celebrating Ella Fitzgerald & Joe Pass

April 4, 2016 – Mark Shilansky and Fugue Mill

For more information about any of the 2015-2016 performers, visit arsenalarts.org/music.

Performances are held in the intimate Black Box Theater at the Arsenal Center for the Arts located at 321 Arsenal St. in Watertown. Free parking is available and the venue is handicapped accessible.

Tickets are $20; $18 for members; $15 for students, plus fees. For tickets or more information, call the box office at 617-923-8487 or visithttp://www.arsenalarts.org. Jazz @ The Arsenal is brought to you by Tufts Health Plan.

Located in Watertown, MA, the Arsenal Center for the Arts is a vibrant multi-disciplinary community arts venue that houses the 380-seat Charles Mosesian Theater, a 90-seat Black Box theater, Exhibition Gallery, Rehearsal Halls, Educational Classrooms, and Artist Studio spaces. ArsenalARTS offerings include gallery exhibits, visual and performing arts classes and workshops for all ages, literary/art discussions and world-class theatrical and musical performances. The Arsenal Center For The Arts is also home to the award-winning Watertown Children’s Theatre, offering year-round theatre education programs, including musical and non-musical productions, voice and acting lessons, and performing arts workshops for children K-12. New Repertory Theatre is the Professional Theatre Company in residence at the center. Arsenal Center for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

September 6, 2015
Judith’s Kitchen is OPEN!

Dear Neighbors,

Our long-standing and very good friend, Judith Kalish, just opened her new business, Judith’s Kitchen, yesterday. It is located at the corner of Washington and Elm in West Newton – where the Keltic Krust used to be.

Judith is offering gourmet prepared foods, artisanal baked goods, and fine wine & beer, among other items, both for takeout and dining in.

Having been the beneficiary of many wonderful meals over the years, we can tell you she is an amazing cook. If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by to check it out.

Many thanks,

Kate and Ellie

September 5, 2015
FREE The Presidential Speaker Series at Lasell College
The speaker series called The Presidential Speaker Series consists of presentations held throughout the academic year that bring highly regarded and compelling professionals from various fields to the Lasell College campus to help enrich our community.

These events are open to the entirety of the Lasell community including our Newton neighbors, alumni, friends, faculty and staff. The events are free of charge and are generally held on Wednesday nights. The evening includes pre-presentation refreshments and hors d’oeuvres as well as a Q&A session with the presenter.

This fall we have 3 wonderful speakers programmed:
1. Wednesday, Oct. 21^st: Dr. Jay Bradner from Dana Farber/Harvard Medical School who will speak about his research in finding a cure for cancer and his thoughts about open source drug discovery
2. Wednesday, Nov. 4^th: Dr. Jerry Goldberg from The Conversation Project
3. Wednesday, Nov. 18^th: Dr. Warner Slack of Harvard Medical School who will address the pitfalls of standardized testing (SATs etc.) in accurately measuring student’s future success
September 4, 2015
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® LEGENDS

Behold the living legends! In an all-new show, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents LEGENDS unveils the unbelievable to Children Of All Ages™.

Experience epic family fun as legendary circus artists from around the globe perform awe-inspiring feats of daring, spectacles of strength and thrills of wonder.

The all-new show plays Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH (Oct.1-4), DCU Center in Worcester, MA (Oct. 8-12) and TD Garden in Boston, MA (Oct.14-18).

September 3, 2015
2015’s Best & Worst States for Underprivileged Children
With August being Child Support Awareness Month and the U.S. having the second highest rate of relative child poverty among economically developed nations, the leading personal finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2015’s Best & Worst States for Underprivileged Children.

In order to assess the living and economic conditions of young people across the nation, WalletHub compared the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia in terms of 15 key metrics, ranging from infant death rates to child food-insecurity rates to the percentage of maltreated children. By bringing such key issues to the forefront, WalletHub aims to engender change and galvanize groups to act on behalf of society’s future propellers of progress.

Welfare of Children in Massachusetts (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
- 10^th – % of Children in Households with Below-Poverty Income
- 4^th – Child Food-Insecurity Rate
- 1^st – % of Children without Health Insurance
- 2^nd – Infant-Death Rate per 1,000 Births
- 28^th – % of Children in Foster Care
- 18^th – % of Children in Single-Parent Families
- 19^th – Ratio of Children Living in Renter-Occupied Homes to Children Living in Owner-Occupied Homes
The full report is here.
September 2, 2015
Making Newton a More Sustainable Community

Dear Resident,

The City of Newton has a tradition of leadership on the environment. Last year we upgraded over 8000 street lights with high-efficiency LED bulbs, which will lower our lighting costs by 60%, save the city between $2 million and $3 million and reduce carbon pollution by hundreds of tons over the next 10 years. We can dramatically multiply these benefits by encouraging each other to make our homes more energy efficient.

Please read this informative first-person account of how home energy efficiency saves money and the environment from Andy Levin, the Editor in Chief of the Newton Tab.
I had a home energy assessment; Andy Levin will have one later this summer; and I urge you to take this important step soon – for your family and for our community. Newton homeowners who make the recommended energy improvements save, on average, between $700-$1,000 a year. Subsidies from MassSave reduce the out-of pocket cost to approximately $650.
You can sign up for your free energy assessmenthere. With your help we can reach our goal of reducing energy consumption in Newton 20% by 2020.
If you have any questions about this program, or about Newton’s efforts to become more sustainable, please contact Andrew Savitz, Newton’s Director of Sustainability atasavitz@newtonma.gov.
Sincerely,

Setti D. Warren

Mayor

City of Newton, MA

August 28, 2015
Blue on Highland Reopens

Opened in 2006, Blue on Highland is an American restaurant that is the brainchild of Rod & Catherine Walkey. “We always wanted to create the type of restaurant that we would want to go to. It had to have an eclectic menu so it wouldn’t get boring, amazing cocktails, live music and above all it had to be welcoming and a true neighborhood restaurant,” said the Walkeys.

On August 3rd, 2015 the restaurant re-opened with a brand new look and menu, with a brand new website and branding to soon follow.

The effort was a collaborative project by the restaurant’s marketing and PR agency, Image Unlimited Communications(IUC) and their design partner agency Amir Kripper Studios. “We’ve always looked at working with accounts in a holistic way inclusive of PR, design, marketing and digital, and now we’ve partnered with Amir Kripper who is one of the hottest new design talents in the city,” said Shannon Igoe, Director of Agency Accounts at IUC.

Blue on Highland’s new restaurant comes with dramatic changes as designer Amir Kripper explains.”The intent was to create an elevated neighborhood restaurant using rich elements and carrying out the Walkey’s vision. The location had amazing raw elements that we wanted to expose and we wanted to work in true balance with the food and beverage program and the branding. It was very clear that the Walkey’s main idea was to expose the vibrant activity at the bar and so we used it as the center point of the restaurant. In addition we put in six high-walled booths allowing for an intimate experience as well. The partitions between the booths as well as the back wall behind the banquettes are cladded in soft, natural hickory wooden planks. We removed the old sheetrock walls to expose the existing brick walls and steel bracing behind them. The new bar is made of stainless steel structural elements with recessed lights and was inspired by the modular storage units designed by Eames in the early 50’s. We also collaborated with Tracy Davis in the seating and finishes selection. The Emeco Broom chairs used in the dining area are made from 75% waste polypropylene and 15% reclaimed wood fiber that would normally be swept into the trash. And the stools at the bar are iconic pieces which were built initially in the 40’s to be used in submarines and were repurposed as stools,” said Kripper.

The Menu and Cocktail program at Blue on Highland has also received a reboot with many new dishes such as the Tuna Tartare with Kim Chee, Ginger Vinaigrette and Wasabi Cream ($15), the Blue Crab Cocktail with Boston Bibb lettuce, lemon, chive and house-made cocktail sauce ($23), The Highlander Burger an 8oz all beef burger, Vermont cheddar cheese, topped with slow braised short rib, crispy onion strings and a roasted garlic worcestershire demi-glace sauce ($16) and the Strawberry & Blueberry Salad with all white-meat Chicken salad, fresh mixed greens, romaine pecans, blue cheese and poppy seed dressing ($16).

In addition the restaurant will host a numerous pastas, hand cut steaks, flatbreads and amazing artisanal sandwiches. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner and serves brunch on Sundays.

About Blue on Highland:
Blue on Highland is an upscale suburban restaurant serving modern American cuisine in a contemporary, elegant setting, located in Needham, MA, just outside of Boston. Co-Owners Catherine and Rod Walkey strive to combine the sophistication of city-dining with the comforts of a neighborhood restaurant offering diners amazing service at reasonable prices. Blue on Highland is perfect for power lunching or socializing after work over dinner and drinks, celebrating special occasions, or simply enjoying fine wine and appetizers in their beautiful bar and lounge area. The restaurant is available for private bookings and events. Blue on Highland offers live jazz during Sunday brunch. Blue on Highland is located at 882 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02494. Hours of operation are: Mon-Thursday 11:30AM-10:00PM; Friday and Saturday: 11:30AM – 11:00PM and Sun: 11:00AM – 10:00PM. Reservations are recommended. For more information, please call 781-444-7001 or visit www.blueonhighland.com

August 27, 2015
FREE Yoga Video from Dawn Davis Yoga

Want to practice yoga but can’t fit it in? Try this 20 minute video from Dawn Davis Yoga.

If you can’t get to a class, or you’re on vacation in some remote place, or you simply want to supplement your home practice, just get on your mat and press PLAY.

After all, yoga is that beautiful blend of play and seriousness, all in the spirit of good health and good fun. A huge thank you to Val Beaver and Amy Hennessey for being my willing participants in making this quick and fun video for our students.

Yoga 20 min. June 15 from Tim Davis on Vimeo.

August 26, 2015
Children’s Books Boston Reception & Book Swap

Please join
Children’s Books Boston
for our annual reception and book swap at

Simmons College, Kotzen Room
300 The Fenway, Boston, MA
5:30 to 8:00 PM, Thursday, September 3, 2015

We welcome anyone with an interest in children’s books—whether through publishing, writing, illustrating, teaching, librarianship, or bookselling.

BOOK SWAP: Please bring a children’s or young adult book to swap.

RSVP by August 26 here.

August 23, 2015
Forgirlsake Women’s Doubles Tennis Open Charity Event

Today a Newton-based charity kicks off registration for the third annual Forgirlsake Women’s Doubles Tennis Open. The event takes place Sept. 19; rain date is Sept. 20. To accommodate busy schedules, registrants have a choice of two sessions: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Ambitious players can sign up for both.) The tournament offers fast, competitive play (3.0-4.0) in a supportive environment and no partner is necessary (one can be provided). The registration fee is a minimum $55 donation per player, per session. For an additional $10, participants can purchase a professional “coached warm up,” a service that is back by popular demand this year. Visitwww.forgirlsake.org/tennis to sign up. Spots are limited and registration is on a first come, first served basis. The event will take place at Newton North High School for the third consecutive year.

Held for the first time in 2013, the Women’s Doubles Tennis Open is the signature fundraising event for Forgirlsake (FGS). For nearly a decade, the organization has focused on sending girls to school in developing countries. By helping young women finish their education, FGS enables them to reach leadership positions and increase their earning power. Money raised helps pay for a range of items including books, computers, scholarships and building materials. This year, proceeds will benefit the Second Chance Scholarship Project. This new initiative is developed in partnership with the Pathways Development Initiative, a non-profit group dedicated to helping girls build sustainable livelihoods. FGS will be working with the Uganda-based organization for the next three years to put bright, motivated young women back in school who have dropped out, due to pregnancy or lack of funds. Made possible by Newton North High School, Newton Tennis and local business sponsors, the tournament is spearheaded by FGS co-founder, Stephanie Zelman, of Newtonville. Other organizers are area residents Sami O’Reilly, Deb Cronin, Noura Guermazi, Emilie Kendall and Lisa Rinkus.

FGS was founded in 2006 and brings women of all ages together to support girls’ education and have a measurable impact on their lives and communities around the world. As the group is staffed entirely by volunteers, 100 percent of all tournament proceeds support its mission to build thriving communities and a more equitable society. For more information, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit: http://www.forgirlsake.org/donate, call 617-630-5200 or email steph@forgirlsake.org.

August 22, 2015