Category: All About Newton

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

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
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
The Second Step for Trivia Night Fundraiser

Happy New Year! Are you interested in combining your love for charitable giving with your love for dominating pub trivia?

If so, please join The Second Step for Trivia Night on January 21^st from 7-9 pm at Temple Emanuel in Newton. It’s a great way to beat the winter blues, hang out with friends, and see how much arcane knowledge you have! Sign up here.

We already have over 100 people signed up for this awesome event. When you sign up, please indicate who you’d like to be placed on a team with (up to 6 people per team). Spouses welcome!

Trivia Night

Come join the fun while helping support The Second Step and survivors of domestic violence

Grab your friends, co-workers, family and neighbors (max 6 people/team) and see how much you really know!

When: Tuesday, January 21^st, 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Where: Temple Emanuel, 365 Ward Street, Newton

Why: It’s going to be fun! We promise.

How much: $45/person

Team Sponsorships: $500, $750, $1,000*

Food? Drinks? Yes, of course! There will be snacks and beer, wine and soft drinks.

Don’t have a team? Don’t worry – we’ll put our matchmaking skills to good use.

How do you sign up? Visit www.TheSecondStep.org – it’s that easy!

The Second Step partners with survivors of domestic violence to foster safety, stability, and well-being. Our comprehensive residential and community-based programs build on the individual strengths, needs and values of the families we serve. In ongoing collaboration with the community, we lay the foundation for a future free from abuse and full of possibility

*Sponsors will be listed by sponsorship level on our website and recognized at the event.

January 14, 2014
Just Think: Teens Making Smart Choices expo at NNHS
Not sure what to say to your teen about dating safety?

Want to encourage your teen’s positive self image?

Wondering what resources Newton offers for teens and families?

ALL parents/guardians and teens are invited to the

Just Think: Teens Making Smart Choices expo
Wednesday, January 22
5:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Newton North High School

To learn more go to here.
- Discover community resources promoting positive decision making for teens
- Enjoy refreshments and student performances as you browse the exhibits
- The first 50 teens who bring a parent will receive a treat bag
This expo coincides with Junior Parent Night; parents/guardians of juniors are asked to come early to explore the expo.

Walnut and Lowell Street lots and Hull Street will be available for parking. Please observe neighborhood signs and restrictions.
January 13, 2014
Parenting Our Daughters Through Adolescence
Parenting Our Daughters Through Adolescence

A discussion, support and activist group open to all Newton mothers of tween/teen daughters who are interested in figuring out how to best empower and support our girls.

January meetings:

Body Image Discussion Group

Tuesday, January 14 from 7:30-9:00 pm
- Open to all mothers of teen/tween girls in Newton – drop-ins are welcome!
- Get updated information on body image issues effecting teen girls
- Share your own experiences and concerns
- Learn how to help your daughter feel better about herself!
Drop-in Peer Support Groups

Thursdays, Jan. 16 and Jan. 30 from 7:30-9:00 pm
- Open to all mothers of tween/teen girls in Newton – drop-ins are welcome!
- Share any concerns related to raising your daughter with a group of other supportive moms
Both meetings at Samadhi, 796 Beacon St, Newton Center (near B Street restaurant).

For more information or to RSVP, please contact: Kim Gallaugher momofiggy@hotmail.com or 617-558-0092 or visit our website: ParentingOurTeens.org
January 11, 2014