Election correction

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller has announced that some vote-by-mail packets sent to voters in  wards 1, 2, 3 and 4 have incorrect deadline information.

The erroneous packets had March 5, 2024, as the deadline to return mail-in ballots. Clearly, that’s wrong, as that date has long passed.

The correct deadline to get ballots into City Hall is when the polls close at 8 p.m. on election day, Nov. 4.

New polling place name

Speaking of avoiding election confusion, the polling location for 191 Pearl St. is now named for the Horace Mann Elementary School. It used to be referred to as the Lincoln-Eliot Elementary School polling location, but the name has changed.

“There is no change in physical address or location of this polling place,” the mayor emphasized. “Voters assigned to the polling place at 191 Pearl Street should continue to go to that address to cast their ballot on Election Day if they are voting in person on Tuesday, November 4.”

SEPAC to host candidates’ forum

The Newton Special Education Parent Advisory Council (Newton SEPAC) will host two School Committee candidate forums on Zoom, geared toward voters who have children with special needs.

“The virtual forums will offer parents and guardians of students with disabilities the chance to learn about the candidates’ positions on issues affecting students with disabilities and special education services within Newton Public Schools,” Newton SEPAC Communication Officer Alena Reva wrote in announcing the events.

The first forum will be Wednesday, Oct. 22 from 8 to 9:30 p.m. and will include candidates Christine Fisher (Ward 2), Ben Schlesinger (Ward 5), Jenna Miara (Ward 5), Jonathan Greene (Ward 6) and Mali Brodt (Ward 6).

The second will be on Thursday, Oct. 23 from 8 to 9:30 p.m. and will include candidates Arrianna Proia (Ward 1), Linda Swain (Ward 2), Jason Bhardwaj (Ward 3), Victor Lee (Ward 8), Jim Murphy (Ward 8).

To register for or get more information about the candidate forums or to join the Newton SEPAC community, visit NewtonSEPAC.org or email info@newtonsepac.org.

Halloween coming to Coletti-Magni Park

The spooky season kicks into high gear this month, and on Oct. 25, Halloween in the Park returns to Nonantum.

From noon to 3 p.m., Colletti-Magni Park on Watertown Street will transform into a Halloween wonderland with pumpkin carving and painting. The event is organized by the St. Mary of Carmen Society, which will provide pumpkins, paint, carving supplies, face painters and treats. You can also bring your own supplies if you prefer.

There will be a Pumpkin Walk from 6 to 7:30 p.m., giving families the chance to walk through the park to admire the pumpkin creations and grab more treats.

That toxic blue-green algae in the Charles is going away

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has rescinded its advisory for a cyanobacteria bloom in the Charles River upstream of the MIT boathouse, after the bloom showed signs of shrinking.

DPH had warned the public a couple of months ago that a large bloom of cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae) was posing a threat to the public. The bloom got bigger last month, but last week DPH officials collected samples at four locations in the river, and results showed cyanobacteria concentration below the guideline limit of 70,000 cells per milliliter.

You can monitor water quality updates with the CRWA’s flagging webpage.