Tag: newton news

Newtonville Books Moving to Newton Centre in April!

After thirteen years at its present location, Newtonville Books is moving to Newton Centre in April. As you know, we host somewhere between 75 and 100 events, writing workshops, and bookclubs each year. We feel the role of the independent bookstore is to enliven its community with quality literary programming; but there is a wide swath of book lovers who can’t attend our events because we’re not off the subway system. For this reason, we decided to move to Newton Centre. We’ll be updating you on the move in our weekly newsletter, and on our Facebook page.

A couple of items of note relating to the move:

All gift certificates, rewards cards, memberships and store credits will be valid in the new location, too.

We will no longer be carrying used books; instead, we’ll be expanding the size of our children’s section in the new location.

I know the bookstore’s exit from Newtonville leaves a void in the village. I can only hope something terrific goes into the space we currently occupy, especially as my family and I live in Newtonville, just a block from Walnut Street. So you’ll continue to see me in and around the village. I hope to see YOU at our new location at Langley Place in Newton Centre, next to Jumbo Seafood, starting in April. (And I hope that you’ll keep shopping with us in Newtonville until then!) It’s our intention to keep growing the store and servicing the Newton community with a terrific selection of books and literary programming.

Mary Cotton

Owner
P.S. We’ll still be called Newtonville Books, to honor our heritage!

January 25, 2012
Newton Adult Book Clubs: Best Book Recommendations- UPDATED

Since becoming the administrator of an existing mom neighborhood book club, I’ve discovered that Newton moms like to read. Some moms are even in multiple book clubs! My husband is even in a “book club” — that is to say it’s actually a drinking club that takes an annual golf trip in the guise of a book club.

My Moms’ book club struggles to pick a book each month. I think it’s a combination of factors. Some moms are extremely well read, so it’s hard to find a new (or good) book for them. Some moms want newly published top selling books. And some, like me, don’t like to read books that are violent containing nightmare inducing imagery such as child abuse and/or rape.

My book club also likes to alternate between a serious read and a “beach” read. I’m listing the books that we’ve reviewed, but PLEASE make suggestions!!

Reader Suggestions

Roberta says, “a friend’s just-completed book: One Writer’s Garden, Eudora Welty’s Home Place, by Jane Roy Brown and Susan Haltom. It’s about Welty as an iconic writer, as well as her skill as a talented gardner. A gorgeous, big coffee table book with beautiful photos for just $35 in the stores….less on line!”

Sue suggests, “Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen, this book was so funny, have you read it?”

Best Serious Multi-Cultural Novel

The White Tiger: A Novel by Aravind Adiga
The winner of the 2008 Booker Prize, it’s a riveting story of an ambitious servant with deep insight into what life is like for the rank and file in modern day India.

Best Light Romance/Mystery Novel

Following Polly by Karen Bergreen
My college stand up comedienne turned author writes a delightful and sweet love story set in New York City with flashbacks to undergraduate life at Harvard that turns on a murder mystery plot of a college queen bee bully who is found dead by our endearing but not fully self actualized heroine.

Best Yummy Hybrid Cookbook Romance Memoir

Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser
A romantic memoir cookbook based on the real life happily ever after story of New Yorker writer and author Tad Friend and New York Times food critique turned social media entrepreneur Amanda Hesse. Their story is based in New York City but they also have collegiate roots near Newton. Tad went to Harvard as is detailed in his book Cheerful Money: Me, My Family, and the Last Days of Wasp Splendor . Amanda has blue blood roots as well; she got her marketing and business chops at Bentley College. Check out her home cook foodie website Food52. Her frenchie foodie memoir looks fun too, The Cook and the Gardener : A Year of Recipes and Writings for the French Countryside.

Most Popular Mom Book Club Book of 2011

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

If you looked at what women were reading around any pool or beach last year, you could always find someone reading this book.

Best Eclectic but Beautifully Written Book That Everyone is Talking About

Swamplandia by Karen Russell

This was our most recent selection though not too many people make it through it. Our issue is that our last book club meeting was spaced to closely together. Newtonville Books has a review here and they discount books by 20% if you buy in quantity for your book club!

Best Comedic Memoir of a 30 Something NYC Society Mom

Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut: Essays and Observations by Jill Kargman

Abby in our Mom Book Club is good friends with Jill nee Kopelman, the daughter of Chanel CEO Ari Kopelman. She’s a riot if you can understand her NYC hip mommy slang. Lucky for us, there’s a dictionary included in the book.

Best Local Bad Boy Gone Good Memoir

Townie: A Memoir by Andre Dubus III

Andre Dubus has come to several Newton Free Library events including Book and Author and ladies in my book club have had the opportunity to meet him several times and they SWOON about him. Apparently, he’s not only a warm, funny and lovely person but extremely easy on the eyes (and happily married!). My husband read this book and was so blown away that he’s ordered more books by Dubus.

“Telling his story straight from the heart and relating for the fi rst time the role that violence played in his life, how it kept him alive until he was able to channel it into writing and how it served as a guide in his father’s absence, Andre Dubus’memoir Townie is a riveting, visceral and profound meditation on physical violence and the failures and triumphs of love. Join him for a compelling author talk on Tuesday, October 25 at 7:30 pm. The talk will be followed by a book signing with books provided by New England Mobile Book Fair.

After their parents divorced in the 1970s, Andre Dubus III and his three siblings grew up with their exhausted working mother in a depressed Massachusetts mill town saturated with drugs and crime. To protect himself and those he loved from street violence, Andre learned to use his fi sts so well that he was even scared of himself. He was on a fast track to getting killed, or killing someone else. Nearby, his father, an eminent author, taught on a college campus and took the kids out on Sundays. The clash of worlds couldn’t have been more stark, or more diffi cult for a son to communicate to a father. Only by becoming a writer himself could Andre begin to bridge the abyss and save himself.

Andre Dubus III is a National Book Award fi nalist and the author of the novels House of Sand and Fog andThe Garden of Last Days, a New York Timesbestseller. His writing has received many honors including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Magazine Award and a Pushcart Prize.” from Newton Free Library

If you now feel motivated to keep up with Newton Free Library events, here’s the February 2012 schedule.

Andre Dubus III

Best Insight into Growing Up Latino in America Book

The Maid’s Daughter: Living Inside and Outside the American Dream by Mary Romero

“In The Maid’s Daughter, Mary Romero explores this complex story about belonging, identity, and resistance, illustrating Olivia’s challenge to establish her sense of identity, and the patterns of inclusion and exclusion in her life. Romero points to the hidden costs of paid domestic labor that are transferred to the families of private household workers andnannies, and shows how everyday routines are important in maintaining and assuring that various forms of privilege are passed on from one generation to another. Through Olivia’s story, Romero shows how mythologies of meritocracy, the land of opportunity, and the American dream remain firmly in place while simultaneously erasing injustices and the struggles of the working poor.” from Newtonville Books

Thu, Feb 16, 6:30 PM – Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Bookclub meets to discuss this book at Newtonville Books.

What We Are Reading Next

The Chateau by William Maxwell

“It is 1948 and a young American couple arrive in France for a holiday, full of anticipation and enthusiasm. But the countryside and people are war-battered, and their reception at the Chateau Beaumesnil is not all the open-hearted Americans could wish for.” from Amazon

January 24, 2012
Shaws GIVEAWAY: Fuel for Young Athletes with Kid Friendly Main Dishes Brochure

I received a small stack of very helpful brochures from Shaws’ Dietician, Jennifer Shea. It includes tips of what and when to eat during intense training and competition to maximize performance.

image from Money Saving Maineac

I am posting part of the brochure here, but just leave me a comment with your mailing address if you want a copy. I have about a half dozen. She was also kind enough to include 4 coupons for Shaw’s Kid Club, good for a free healthy snack (small Red Delicious apple or a banana). I will include one coupon for the first four requests.

There are also two great healthy recipes for Breakfast Burrito and Savory Turkey Burgers. I’ve had Jennifer Shea’s food before; it’s delicious!

Please leave a comment with your address if you want the brochure and coupon! Which Shaws do you shop at? Mine is the Auburndale one.

January 23, 2012
HIRING: 5 Positions at litl, a Technology Start Up in Back Bay, Boston
We’re a small technology company with big ideas. Located in Back Bay Boston, we also have people in London, Brazil, the Greek Isles…you get the idea. Our 60 person team consists of software developers, hardware engineers, industrial designers, user experience experts, graphic designers, evangelists, logistics gurus, and top-notch customer support. An unlikely mix, perhaps, but what we have in common is passion for creating compelling user experiences.

Our four-year pursuit has been continually fueled by enthusiasm and excitement about our diverse set of projects. The results are always simple, useful and delightful.

Many of these positions offer flexible hours and geographic flexibility. To apply for any of these positions, please email mia (at) litl (dot) com.

Senior Dev Ops Engineer, Product Manager, Project Manager, iPhone Developer, Senior iPhone Developer.
Details below.

——————-

Senior Dev Ops Engineer
The Woven team is looking for a Senior DevOps Engineer to join our Copley Square-based development team. We are the company that brought you the litl webbook, a computer that lets you enjoy the web without worrying about anything else and winner of numerous national and international awards. We’re now looking to bring multiple consumer photography applications to market.

Skills & Requirements
- Experience with linux system administration and automation tools such as puppet, chef or cfengine
- Experience developing, tuning and administering NoSQL databases such as MongoDB or Redis
- Excellent system-level design ability
- Experience building highly-available and scalable systems
- Ideally you have built systems-level tools and back-end infrastructure services
- Experience with monitoring and alerting software such as nagios, zabbix, munin, cacti, etc.
- Production level experience using Rackspace Cloud and/or Amazon EC2 is desirable
- Strong understanding of load testing strategies and best practices
- Familiarity with Python and git is desirable
Responsibilities
- Ensure our server platform is highly-available and scalable
- Develop infrastructure services to support common application needs when necessary
- Perform and provide guidance on capacity planning, performance tuning, scaling issues, etc.
- Conduct research and prototypes to drive system architecture decision
- Develop automated configuration management recipes and tests to ensure our server platform can meet the needs of our application and users
———————-
Product Manager

We are looking for a product manager to join our Copley Square-based team. As our new Product Manager you have experience defining products and creating product roadmaps for consumer apps, mobile websites and web.

You’re the point person for looking into the future and defining the product roadmap and overall business strategy around telling stories through images and creating the viral aspects of our platform. Do you live, eat, and breathe photos? Have the hunger to make photo management fun, even a game? Do you use data to drive product awareness and usage, applying rigorous tracking and analysis to determine a product’s degree of virality, while leading and motivating cross-functional project teams?

Skills & Requirements

Five years experience in Product Management and/or Product Design developing Internet technologies

BA/BS in Computer Science, Interaction Design, or a related field (technical experience is required; while you won’t be writing code, you should understand the technical implications of the product decisions you make)

Experience defining or designing simple and intuitive web / mobile user interfaces; ability to create examples through sketches, wireframes and mock ups.

Demonstrated experience planning and shipping consumer web / app solutions.

Comfortable and confident in using both sides of your brain.

Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills (verbal & written). Strong presentation skills a plus. MBA/strong business sensibilities preferred.

Responsibilities

Understand and analyze user needs through user feedback, primary and secondary market research, and data analysis

Use common sense models to analyze the ecosystem, competitors, partners, trends, etc.

Define product vision and figure out how to get there; build consensus across multiple teams, including executive stakeholders, engineering, design, marketing, and business development

Work with our UX and design team to create wireframes/product mock-ups

Launch fast and iterate often with a team of the world-class engineers and designers

————————-

Project Manager

We are looking for a project manager to join our Copley Square-based team. As our new project manager, you’ll jump right into organizing and producing our roadmap, bringing your common sense, experience and sense of fun to our fast-growing team of designers and software creators.

You don’t need a PhD in software design but you do know how mobile apps are designed, coded and released into the world. You’re constantly making trade-offs, balancing the needs of your designer, tech team, product manager and a sudden change in the market with a sense of humor. We’re trying to nudge the world but we keep it in perspective.

Skills & Requirements

Timeline creation and holding the project team to it. You know the critical path.

Working with tools such as bug tracking, project management software and the usual spreadsheets, Google docs and of course, mobile apps.

Focused meeting management: We have meetings. We like them short.

Scoping of new projects and sub-projects with limited information.

Five years of work experience in a cross-functional, project management role.

Degree or equivalent experience in technology so you can…

Comfortably hold your own in debates about internet and web-based technology.

Responsibilities

Cross-pollinating ideas and information between project teams

Getting the information you need from the market, executives (we only have a few) and other team members

Knowing when problems and roadblocks will come up before they happen

Quick and effective visual explanation of complex data and information.

Distilling a lot of noise into just the key problems.

——————————

iPhone Developer

The Woven team is looking for an iPhone developer to join our Copley Square-based development team. We are the company that brought you the litl webbook, a computer that lets you enjoy the web without worrying about anything else and winner of numerous national and international awards. We’re now looking to bring multiple consumer photography applications to market.

Skills & Requirements

Experience with Objective-C and iPhone development

Development experience as part of a larger mobile phone app team

Practiced time estimation skills (experience with Scrum a plus)

Exposure to the consumer photography industry desirable

Ability to work from the Boston office a strong preference

Responsibilities

Develop fun, easy to use interfaces for iOS devices

Implement new features, and maintain existing iPhone and iPad applications

Build prototypes to answer questions about technical capabilities, look and feel, or to validate an idea

—————————-

Senior iPhone Developer

The Woven team is looking for an iPhone developer to join our Copley Square-based development team. We are the company that brought you the litl webbook, a computer that lets you enjoy the web without worrying about anything else and winner of numerous national and international awards. We’re now looking to bring multiple consumer photography applications to market.

Skills & Requirements

Expert understanding of Objective-C and iPhone development

Published one or more apps in the App Store

In-depth experience using Core Graphics and Core Animation to build unique, fluid interfaces

Practiced time estimation and management skills (experience with Scrum a plus)

Exposure to the consumer photography industry desirable

Ability to work from the Boston office a strong preference

Responsibilities

Develop fun, easy to use interfaces for iOS devices

Use your experience to develop best practices to be used by the iOS development teams

Perform work breakdowns with estimates from design specifications

Build prototypes to answer questions about technical capabilities, look and feel, or to validate an idea
January 21, 2012
Newton North High School: A Walk Down Mural Lane

Getting nostalgic and want to have a keepsake of these memories? You are in luck! Click here to purchase.

This gorgeous coffee table book that depicts the old Newton North High School is $85 and was lovingly photographed by Newton photographer, Sharon Schindler.

She also has more images available. Here’s a sampling:

Old Newton North High School Posters

Old Newton North High School 9 Piece Canvas

Old Newton North High School Demolition

Old Newton North High School Mosaic Tiles

January 20, 2012
3 Newton Food Pantries: Want to Help or Need Help?

Now that the holidays have passed, our local Newton food pantries need donations more than ever! Did you know that there are 3 food pantries in Newton? I didn’t! Please consider making a donation or getting the word out that anyone who needs help can utilize all three food pantries.

The Newton Food Pantry is open on Wednesdays from 1:30-3:30 p.m., except on the third Wednesday of the month. Instead, the food pantry is open that following Saturday from 11 a.m.-noon. To get a referral, call Anna Gonzalez at 617-796-1282.

The food pantry is open to accept donations 9:30-10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays, except for the third Wednesday of the month. Donations can be made the following Saturday from 10-11 a.m. Food donations can also be left at Hammond Real Estate, 1631 Beacon St., from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Monetary donations can be mailed to Newton Food Pantry, 1608 Beacon St, Waban, MA 02468. from Wicked Local Newton

The Hellenic Gospel Church Food Pantry/Clothes Closet is a non-profit organization run by volunteers from the church, community, Boy Scouts troops, YMCA, and Eliot House. The Pantry is located at 187 Church Street, Newton, MA 02458.

Food and clothing is distributed the second and fourth Friday of each month from 11:00 am to 1:00 om. The pantry provides a three day supply of food, one time per month for eligible Newton residents.

If you would like to make a donation of non-perishable food or cash donation, please contact Lia Deligiannides. She can be reached at (617) 821-6765.

The Centre Street Food Pantry is located on the lower level of Trinity Church in Newton Centre at 11 Homer Street. The #52 MBTA bus stops nearby and we are a few blocks from the Newton Centre T stop.

The pantry is open every Tuesday from 4-7pm and the first Saturday of each month from 11-2. Eligible people are welcome to shop once per month . Referral forms are available on the pantry website (www.centrestfoodpantry.org) or for Newton residents from the Community Social Worker: 617-796-1282.

If you would like to volunteer or make a donation of non-perishable food, household, or hygiene items please contact the pantry at centrestfoodpantry@gmail.com If you would like to make a cash donation you may mail it to:

Centre Street Food Pantry
11 Homer Street
Newton Centre MA 02459

January 12, 2012
Yoga at L’Aroma Cafe Monday Mornings with Bea Abascal
Please join us for Slow Flow Vinyasa in the upstairs secret room at L’Aroma Cafe in West Newton (behind the movie theater).
When: Mondays, 9:30-10:45

Session 1: January 9-March 26 (no class 1/16 and 2/20)

Session 2: April 2-June 11 (no class 4/16 and 5/28)

Cost: $150 for the session, $48 for 3 Pass

Bea Abascal, CYT, RYT provides a warm and playful environment for your practice. Alignment, breath and core work are the primary focus, along with a soothing energy to refuel you for the day. You will be nurtured and challenged. And then stay for tea … or espresso.

Beginners welcome … this is a small class setting so you can get extra attention if you want it.

For more info on Bea, please visit her website or her blog.
January 11, 2012
Dew Tour of Freeskiing and Snowboarding at Killington Resort, Jan 19th-22nd

Well, it looks like we might get some snow this winter! If you are looking for some excitement and want to see the top athletes in the world compete in freeskiiing and snowboarding, you might want to catch the DEW TOUR Thursday, January 19^th, 2012 – Sunday, January 22^nd, 2012. Killington Resort is hosting the only East Coast stop of the Dew Tour’s fourth season. The four-day event will feature a 22-foot superpipe and showcase the top winter athletes from around the world competing in freeskiing and snowboarding (slopestyle and superpipe). And be sure to check out their special deals and other discount packages.

January 10, 2012
New Funnel Playground Toy at Peirce Elementary: Temple and Dartmouth Street

This new Funnel Ball makes shooting baskets much easier. You just aim for the big funnel at the top. This was the Class Gift from Peirce’s Class of 2011 5th Graders and was recently installed.

The next time you drive by the 4-square courts along Temple Street take a look … it’s the tall blue pole with a red bucket sitting on top. Balls are tossed into the large hole on top and then they exit through 1 of 3 different holes. It should offer added fun to the playground for many years to come. Bring your 4 square ball!

Peirce Elementary School is located at 170 Temple Street in West Newton.

Thank you again to Peirce’s Graduating Class of 2011!

January 8, 2012
Featured Store: Kiki D. Design & Consign

Beth Kurson has been a jewelry designer for a number of years and just this past year she decided to combine her love of designing jewelry and high end designer clothes and opened Kiki D. Design & Consign on 214 Sumner Street in Newton Centre. This lovely shop has designer clothes beautifully displayed and in fantastic condition. Recent finds: Chanel jacket, Malo cashmere sweater, Louis Vuitton and Coach bags in perfect condition. Beth is meticulous and also has a great eye. Have a designer item in your closet that is getting no wear? Bring it by and have Beth look it over. You will most likely leave with a new addition to your wardrobe! Ask her to put together a new look for you – she can work with existing pieces and really pull an outfit together.

From the website:

At Kiki D. Design & Consign, owner Beth Kurson has filled her store with a fantastic array of consigned high end designer clothing, handbags and accessories for women. Bottega Veneta – Prada – Girbaud – Marni – Jimmy Choo – Louis Vuitton and so much more is waiting for you when you walk in the door!

The shop also houses Beth’s own line of jewelry, Kiki D. Design. The line includes an eclectic mix of vintage and new elements, creating at once, classic and contemporary designs for today’s fashionable woman. You will find her layering one-of-a-kind pieces that mix rough cut pave diamond beads or pendants with vintage watch chains and findings, pearls mixed with antiqued sterling silver chain and even a stingray cuff with a vintage rhinestone shoe buckle.

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am-5pm

All major credit cards, debit cards, checks and cash accepted.

Kiki D. Design & Consign is conveniently located in Newton Centre at 214 Sumner St. right next to Lee’s Burgers and across the street from Home on Sumner and the old post office.

January 7, 2012