Category Archives: Events

Linda Plaut Tribute

Artists and community members will celebrate Linda Plaut’s long time devotion to Newton arts and culture with performances and presentations at a special tribute. If your family ever participated in Time for Partners, Kids FEST, Heartbreak Hill Races, Newton Youth Players, Newton Spelling Bee, 4th of July Festivities, the Halloween Window Painting Contest, or the Mayor’s New Year’s Day Open House, then your lives were touched by Linda Plaut. These events are just a very small list of the hundreds of events she developed over 40 years of service to Newton.

Please come pay your respects to Linda’s enduring legacy of arts, culture, and most of all, community. Light refreshments will be served.  Any questions, please call Paula Gannon: 617-796-1540.

June 16th, 3:00 –  5:00 pm
The Newton Cultural Center in Memorial Auditorium at Newton City Hall

Help Reduce Risk of Gun Violence

With the recent spate of school shootings, many people are asking, “What can I do?” In Massachusetts, we are lucky to have some of the strongest gun laws in the country, corresponding to relatively low rates of gun ownership and gun violence.

Yet, even here in Newton, guns have a significant presence.  On June 15th, Newton is providing a concrete, practical way to help reduce the risk of gun violence right here in our community. The Newton Police Department, Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, and the Newton Interfaith Clergy Association will team up to hold the first gun buyback in Newton in over 10 years.

Gun buybacks provide a safe way for residents to anonymously remove firearms from their homes, no questions asked, in exchange for grocery store gift cards. People participate for many reasons, including wanting to protect their children, ridding their homes of inherited or unwanted guns, or simply in response to tragedies in the news.

We believe that if we can help facilitate the removal of even one gun from our community that might be used in a teen suicide, or stolen from someone’s home to be used in a crime, then we believe it is our obligation to do so.

You can be a part of this effort. Donations in the form of a $25.00 gift cards from Wegmans, Whole Foods, or Stop & Shop (or checks from individuals or businesses to purchase gift cards) can be mailed to The Second Church, 60 Highland St., Newton, MA 02465.

Thank you for making a difference!

LigerBots FLL Info Night

The Newton LigerBots are hosting a First Lego League (FLL) and Junior FLL Robotics programs Info Night. At FLL Info Night, parents can learn more about the FLL program and students can participate in fun activities.

FLL is the FIRST LEGO robotics competition for fourth through eighth graders. In addition to building and programming LEGO robots, each year’s themed FLL challenge includes a project for which team members brainstorm and present creative solutions to real life problems. This event is aimed at parents and students. Junior FLL is a project based program for grades K-3.

Current LigerBots students and coaches who have participated in FLL in the past will lead a presentation with general information on FLL as well as on how to start your own team. There will be demonstrations of EV3 robots, hands-on STEM activities for kids, demonstrations by the Newton Day Dragons FLL team, and people to answer any questions you may have. Email fll@ligerbots.com for more information, or visit  https://ligerbots.org/fll or FIRST at https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/fll.

June 17th, 7:00 – 9:00 pm at the Newton North High School, 457 Walnut Street
Film Lecture Hall (just off the front entrance at Tiger Drive)

Free Newton Summer Concert Series

The Mayor’s Office for Cultural Events and Newton Community Pride present FREE summer concerts! Bring a blanket/chair and enjoy live music under the night summer sky!

Sunday evening concerts on the Newton Centre Green (corner of Langley Rd and Centre St):

  • July 7th East Coast Soul
  • July 14th Classic Groove
  • July 21st The Love Dogs
  • July 28th Blue Suede Boppers

Wednesday evenings “Dancing in the Parks” concerts sponsored by The Village Bank:

  • July 10th McIntyre Orchestra in Coletti-Magni Park in Nonantum, 386 Watertown Street
  • July 17th Cross Street at the Auburndale Community Library, 375 Auburn Street
  • July 24th Big Chief at Capt. Ryan Park in West Newton, corner of Washington and Cherry Streets
  • July 31st Daybreakers at the Newtonville Senior Center, 345 Walnut Street

Tuesday evening “Children’s Entertainment” concerts:

  • July 23rd Bee Parks and the Hornets at the Newton Centre Green
  • August 6th Stacey Peasley Band as part of the Newton Police Department’s National Night Out at the Newton Police Headquarters and Capt. Ryan Park

All concerts 6:00 – 8:30 pm. Any questions, please call 617-796-1540.

Green Newton Schools Connections Meeting

The last School Connections meeting of the year is coming up this week. This group is committed and dedicated to making a difference in our schools. Thank you to committee members for all the support in recent months!

It’s not too late to meet and share your ideas for next school year. More information here.

May 23rd,  3:45 pm
Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street,  third floor arc

Come Hear What Newton Students are Doing for the Environment (and Who Won the 2019 Environmental Leadership Awards)

Please join Green Newton as students from Newton schools show how they are contributing to the sustainability of Newton and beyond. Highlighted will be:

  • Angier Elementary School’s Cafeteria Recycling & Composting
  • Oak Hill Middle School’s Global Goals Exhibition
  • Newton South High School’s Capstone Healthy Landscaping Project
  • Newton North High School’s Student Climate March
  • SGW’s community environmental outreach

Following these presentation and the Students for a Greener World (SGW) Wild Boar Awards, Green Newton will present the 2019 Green Newton Environmental Leadership awards to the following recipients:

  • Individual: Andy Gluck
  • Local Organization: The Newton Citizens Commission on Energy
  • City Department: Newton’s Public Buildings Department and Design Review Committee
  • Green Newton Special Appreciation Award: Ira Krepchin

May 20th, 7:00 pm
Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street

Ride for the Centre Street Food Pantry! Cyclists needed!

Want a fun way to motivate yourself to workout AND do something meaningful for your neighbors? Join this year’s Ride for Food on October 6th!

Register today to meet your team and begin recruiting sponsors.  To learn more visit  https://ride.threesquaresne.org/CentreStFoodPantry2019 or contact CSFP Team Captain Katherine Ballas at k.ballas@centrestfoodpantry.org. You can learn more about the Centre Street Food Pantry at https://www.centrestfoodpantry.org.

Run the Village Day 5K

Calling all runners, joggers and walkers! Join other Newton students and parents, friends and neighbors at the Newton Highlands Village Day 5K. It’s a low-key, family-friendly, all abilities run starting and ending at the Hyde Center in Newton Highlands. Many kids run their first 5K at this event which is such a great accomplishment. (It’s also fun to watch kids trying to out sprint their parents at the finish!)

Village Day in the Highlands follows at 11:00 am with all sorts of great activities — from bands to food to free inflatables and more. Registration is $30.oo per adult, $15.00 per child.

Register online here: villageday5k.racewire.com. Online registrations before May 26th are guaranteed a t-shirt in their size. Contact Maureen Oates at villageday5k@gmail.com if you have any questions! Happy running!

June 9th, 10:00 am

Navigating the College Application Process: a Panel Discussion for Parents

The college search and application process can be complicated and taxing for high school seniors and their parents.

Want to learn how to make the process less stressful? Come to a panel discussion with college counselor Maruta Vitols, psychologist Debbie Offner, writing coach Jane Hirschhorn and Newton parent Betsy Blagdon.

Admission is free. Please register for the event here. For more information, contact Jane Hirschhorn at jane@jbhtutoring.com.

June 6th, 7:30 – 8:30 pm
Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street