Column: Rethinking ‘peace through strength’ in the afterglow of Memorial Day
Monday marked Memorial Day, with its backyard barbecues, sports and games. It was a bit wet and overcast this year for the important occasion we [...]
Guest Essay: We can get consensus on gun safety laws
I believe the majority of our population agrees on many important points regarding our gun laws. A survey from Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence [...]
City Council looks at energy reporting for residential rentals
The City Council is looking at ways to collect energy use data from residents, including those with single-family homes. On Wednesday, the Public Facilities Committee [...]
Summer starts with a stack of community events in Newton
It’s finally warming up in Newton, and that means it’s time to get out of the house. There are a ton of great events in [...]
Newton adds Setti Warren to Memorial Day honorees
Monday brought rain, remembrance and reflection to Newton, with the first Memorial Day ceremonies since the death of former Mayor Setti Warren. Typically, the city’s [...]
Column: Twenty years down on the farm, and many more to come
Before the ground thaws at Newton Community Farm, the growing season begins in a heated greenhouse. There the staff sprinkles seeds into dirt-lined slot trays [...]
Newton South principal announces exit
Newton South High School Principal Tamara Stras is leaving her position for an assistant superintendent role in Cambridge, she announced to the NPS community last [...]
Guest Essay: Honoring Our Fallen on Memorial Day
By Tom Mountain Nobody would have blamed Dominic Marrocco if he had decided to sit this war out. If anyone deserved a life of peace [...]
Journalist Madhri Yehiya joins the Newton Beacon staff
The Newton Beacon has a new reporter, Madhri Yehiya. Yehiya's coverage will vary, but her biggest focus will be on schools and education. Newton's public [...]
After years on the sidelines, South ultimate is enjoying its moment
The disc floats in the air, a slight breeze keeping it aloft, just long enough for Newton South junior Ben Michalman to run under it [...]
Family ACCESS to shut down operations next month
Family ACCESS, a child and family services nonprofit located in West Newton, announced it will close on June 25 after more than 120 years of [...]
Friends, colleagues remember sharp-tongued congressional icon Barney Frank
Barney Frank did what very few politicians have ever done: He operated in the public arena without a filter. His colleagues have described him as [...]
Five things to do in Newton this weekend
Spring is in the air after a taste of summer, with temperatures set to stay down in the 60s all weekend. Memorial Day is Monday, [...]
Barney Frank, congressional icon and longtime Newtonian, dead at 86
Barney Frank, 16-term congressman, the nation’s first openly gay congressman, and longtime Newton resident, died on Tuesday at the age of 86 after a long [...]
Column: Some tough questions on the value of screens in Newton schools
Earlier this spring, Newton teachers received a message from the city’s schools superintendent. We may, wrote Dr. Anna Nolin, “want to think about experiences that [...]
Not Adding Up: School Committee rejects School Choice… again
On Monday night, the Newton School Committee joined school committees of yesteryear in rejecting School Choice. "We're going to be faced, in these chairs, with [...]
Letter to the Editor: May is National Foster Care Month
To the Editor: May is National Foster Care Month. For Boston CASA and for the Newton community, it is also a call to action. Only [...]
Former Jake’s Falafel owner sues insurance company over claim denial
Jake Shahrooz—owner of Jake’s Falafel, a former Newton restaurant—is suing the insurance firm Travelers over a denial of coverage following carbon monoxide infiltration at the [...]
School Committee approves new math curriculum
The School Committee unanimously voted to approve new math curricula for elementary and middle schools and a pathway toward the creation of a specialized high [...]
Snapshots: A carnival and a parade to cap off spring 2026
The city held its SpringFest outside City Hall on Saturday, complete with carnival rides, games, an art display, food vendors and more. If you were [...]