In Brief: Maps, paddles, trivia victory and more

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Officer Justin Lau introduces people to Officer Leo at the Shops at Chestnut Hill. Photo by Howard Sholkin

Cops come for coffee

Near Frank Pepe’s at the Shops at Chestnut Hill was recently crawling with cops, but it was for their “Coffee With the Cops” initiative.

“Coffee With the Cops” is a way for police officers to engage and connect with residents in a casual setting over coffee.

Just a few citizens showed at the mall. More officers and mall personnel.

Officers Lauren Keene, Justin Lau, Eddie Acuna and Isiah Jellinek hung out with residents and talked about all the traffic issues the snow was causing on the city’s narrow streets, and other issues facing Newton’s public safety these days.

And Officer Leo, the department’s community outreach dog, has been busy visiting schools almost every day.

Paddle up for Run of the Charles

Registration is now open for the 2026 Run of the Charles, set for April 26.

Hosted by the Charles River Watershed Association, the race will include a 14-minute relay, a 9-minute race and other options. There will also be a beer garden for the spectators.

Run of the Charles is New England’s largest flat-bottom boat race, with hundreds of participants each year.

Paddlers of all skill levels are invited to join, and paddlers can canoe, kayak or paddleboard.

For more information, call (508) 498-8020, email rotc@crwa.org, or visit https://www.crwa.org/rotc.

A new interactive map shows where Newton’s arts and culture assets are located. Screenshot of website.

Arts and Culture? There’s a map for that

The city’s new Arts and Culture Department has created an interactive map showing where all of the cultural entities are throughout the 13 villages, Mayor Laredo announced on Thursday.

The map features color-coded pins showing where various types of arts establishments are. Green pins show arts-related businesses, for example, while red ones show performance and exhibit venues.

You can play around with the map and see how everything is organized with drop-down menus and more.

The interactive map is part of a larger plan by Laredo and new Arts and Culture Director Meryl Kessler to elevate the arts and make arts and culture a more prominent part of community building and economic development.

And speaking of maps…

Newton Economic Development Director Lauren Berman has a map to share, too.

This map shows vacant storefront locations throughout the 13 villages, as the city examines ways to attract new businesses and keep the businesses already in Newton.

Currently, there are more than 40 empty commercial spots shown on the map. Each listing includes the contact information for the property owner. So if you’re looking for a place to set up your business in Newton, that map might be a big help.

The Newton Beacon team took first place at this year’s Newton Schools Foundation Trivia Night. Photo by Bryan McGonigle

Beacon team wins Trivia Night

The Newton Schools Foundation recently held its annual Trivia Night, and the Newton Beacon team, the Newton Beacon Local Newsies, won first place.

It was close for a while, with another team tying with the Newton Beacon for the last couple of rounds, after which a tie-breaker was needed.

The prize consisted of gift cards, souvenirs and bragging rights for the next year.

There is no word yet on how much money Trivia Night raised this year.

The Newton Schools Foundation is a nonprofit that helps Newton work toward equity in its schools with grants related to classroom approach innovation and professional development. Here are some ways you can support their effort.