Washington Street redesign may get some changes

Not a fan of the Washington Street Redesign Pilot? You may be in luck.

Mayor Marc Laredo recently announced that controversial pilot, which cut vehicle travel lanes, added a second bike lane and reconfigured parking along Washington Street in West Newton, is getting a second look and possible changes.

Laredo wrote in his announcement that he likes the bike lanes but isn’t sure about the giant planters installed in the the street.

“We are currently working with our traffic engineers to develop updated concepts that we can afford and reflect the feedback we’re hearing,” Laredo wrote. “Once those concepts are developed, we’ll be back to get your views on them before moving forward to make anything permanent.”

Charles River Chamber to absorb closing Brookline Chamber

The bad news is that the Brookline Chamber of Commerce is closing. The good news is the Charles River Regional Chamber is growing as a result.

Sam Mintz of Brookline News reports that the Brookline Chamber and its businesses have been unable to recover from the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation that came from it.

Membership has declined, grants have dried up, and now the Brookline Chamber is saying goodbye. But with strength in numbers, regional chambers have thrived. So, the Brookline Chamber is moving its operations to the Charles River Regional Chamber, which currently serves Newton, Wellesley, Needham and Watertown.

Read the complete story here.

Lasell adds hybrid public high school

Lasell University is expanding and will soon be home to a hybrid/remote-learning high school.

The university has announced the addition of Felix Commonwealth Virtual School, a public high school with accredited faculty that combines remote and in-person learning, making it the first virtual public high school located on a Massachusetts college campus.

The school is recruiting students for the fall 2026  Here is a list of eligible communities.

Freedom exhibit at Cooper Center all spring

Now through May 30, there is a new exhibit at the Cooper Center, “Boston Freedom,” featuring photographs from award-winning architectural photographer Peter Vanderwarker of Newton.

Vanderwarker’s work is in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Addison Gallery of American Art and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

For his “Boston Freedom” exhibit, he picked photographs that tie in with the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Stop by the Cooper Center during business hours and check out the photographs for yourself.

Tax help is here

Many may not know that Can-Do Newton, a local nonprofit that helps low-income people find housing and other needs, also provides free tax preparation services.

The free service is available to anyone who makes less than $75,000 a year. Tax filing deadline is April 15. And there are several new developments involving child tax credits, overtime pay and more.

You can schedule an appointment online, call 617-906-7293 or email vita@newtoncan-do.org.

Sitting down with the mayor

The Newton Beacon and NewTV are teaming up for a special event on April 16 with Mayor Laredo to dissect, examine and talk about his administration so far in these unprecedented times.

Beacon Editor Bryan McGonigle and NewTV News Director Jenn Adams will be at the NewTV studio with the mayor, unpacking it all as the city settles into his first year in office.

More details are coming soon. The event will be videotaped and will air on NewTV.

If you would like to suggest a question, email your question to editor@newtonbeacon.org. Include “Laredo 100 Days” in your email subject line.

With time constraints, there’s no guarantee all submitted questions will be included.