All About Newton

South Seems to be Topping North

By Kimberly Reiss

NEWTON - Newton is known for their public schools. But there is a discrepancy between Newton North and Newton South high schools.  While both are considered top-notch public high schools, in the 2006-2007 academic year, 96 percent of South’s graduates planned to attend four-year colleges, as opposed to the 78 percent from Newton North.

“Newton South is an academically focused school with a rigorous curriculum,” said Brian Salzer, principal of Newton South High School.  “We start working with families from freshman helping to prepare the student’s profiles and getting them thinking about the kinds of schools they want to go to.”

Salzer said that Newton South also has a college career center, which includes counselors whose sole job is to build relationships with colleges and to guide students.  Newton South also uses software called Naviance, which uses a student’s grade point average, SAT scores, and extra-curricular activities to calculate whether a student will be able to get into a specific school.

Newton North has a different approach when it comes to the high school experience.  It stresses a more, well rounded balance of academics and extra-curricular activities. 

“At South you do your thing and your focus should only be on that, meaning either academics or sports,” said Allison Egdahl, a Boston University freshman who attended both Newton North and South high schools.  “But Newton North is the balance of academics and extra-curriculars.  Its focus is on being well-rounded.”

Egdahl said that Newton North is more recognized for its theater program, and sports.  “When you think of sports in Newton, you think of North, not South,” she said. 

The discrepancy in students attending four-year schools may be districting.

Five years ago, Newton North had 2500 students and Newton South only had 1,100.  North’s district lines included more, less affluent areas such as the part of town closest to Watertown.  But in the last few years the lines have been redrawn to even out the numbers at both schools. 

“Redrawing the district lines has evened out the populations in both Newton North and South,” Salzer said. “North used to have more students with disabilities, as well as immigrants whose first language is not English, but that has evened out considerably.” 

            

Salzer expects the number of students going to four year schools to drop a little due to the redistricting, and for Newton North’s numbers to rise.  “You will start to see the change in the next few years,” he said. 

Housing for the Masses

By Kimberly Reiss

 NEWTON - The housing pricing and taxes have jumped making it more difficult to live in this Boston suburb. Officials are trying to change this and include more affordable housing option for lower income families.

In the 2000 census, Newton had 7 percent of its housing considered affordable, according to the Newton Comprehensive Plan.  Massachusetts law requires communities to have at least 10 percent of its housing units affordable.

“The purpose of drawing up the comprehensive plan was to address problems like the one of affordable housing,” said Phil Herr author of the comprehensive plan and chairman of the Newton Housing Partnership.  The mission of the Newton Housing partnership is to help and support the development of housing for people of all incomes  “If we want a balanced community that includes teachers, firemen, store clerks, and non-wealthy seniors, then major efforts and strategies to combat the problem will be required.” 

There are several non-profit organizations in Newton that have been working for years to alleviate the problem of un-affordable housing including CAN-DO and the Newton Community Development Foundation.

“Communities need to accept greater density at certain locations and increase their funding,”  said Josephine McNeil, executive director of CAN-DO.  “Housing should be a human right.”

McNeil runs CAN-DO, which works to create housing for lower income families in Newton.  The organization develops rental and for-sale housing.  To date, they have created 38 units, 31 of which are deed-restricted to preserve their affordability. 

The organization recently completed two condominium projects, which are both in Newton Upper Falls. 
            

To get funding for their projects McNeil says the town of Newton has been very supportive. 

“Can-Do couldn’t have managed without Newton providing funds from the Community Preservation act,” McNeil said. “Newton doesn’t have land to donate, so CAN-DO must buy on the open market.” 

Like CAN-DO, the Newton Community Development Foundation tries to maintain Newton diversity by developing and managing affordable housing.  According to the foundation’s website http://www.ncdf.com, NCDF has developed six properties in Newton.  The organization provides homes for hundreds of moderate-income families, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. 

Even with organizations like Newton Community Development Foundation, and CAN-DO, affordable housing remains a problem.  Newton’s Comprehensive Plan outlines what is needed to tackle the issue head one which includes things like, strengthening financial resources, utilizing existing housing, as well as acting along side the city’s other goals and efforts. 

“Hopefully these ideas for housing will help us hit that 10 percent of affordable housing recommended by the state,” Herr said. 

McNeil adds the benefits of good affordable housing are important to the community’s children.

“If more families can live in safe places and send their children to good schools, the children are more likely to grow up economically independent and give back,” he said. 

The Newton Traffic Issue

By Kimberly Reiss

NEWTON –Rush hour in Newton can be a nightmare.  Now town officials are trying to relieve the stress.

 

“We have been discussing different measures to take for each street,” said Clint Shuckel, traffic engineer.  “We really want to try and calm the traffic for the citizens of Newton.”

They city officials plan to introduce curb extensions, sidewalks, signal improvements, and in some streets raised crosswalks. 

They also are considering adding traffic lights at certain problematic intersections. 

At the intersection of Lowell Avenue, Crafts Street, and Watertown Street there have been many crashes over the years.  City officials have been discussion what should be done.

“It is a problem,” said David Koss, transportation planner.  “What we need there is something with a little more long range.  It’s just a crazy street and a crazy intersection.”  

Newton’s new Comprehensive City Plan explains Newton’s traffic problems.

According to the comprehensive plan, auto registration in the past five years in Newton has grown about 14 percent, while population grew only 1.5 percent.  By 2000, three-quarters of our households already had two or more cars available to them, and only 7 percent had none.”

At the February 28th traffic council meeting, neighbors argued about whether the traffic light should be removed at Wolcott and Lexington streets.  Neighbors like Ken Goldberg think the traffic light should be removed.  Others, like Judy O’Neil are opposed to that plan, she worried that removing the light will make it difficult to get out of her driveway.

“The traffic light was originally supposed to be placed a block away at the Auburndale Avenue. Intersection,” Alderman Jay Harney said.  “But at the last minute the light was moved to Wolcott St.  I think the light would serve citizens better at Auburndale.” 

Moving a traffic light will cost the city an estimated $50,000.  A completely new signal will cost $150,000.  

“We want to try and bring this problem under control,” Schuckel said, “and most of all make Newton a better and more efficient place for its citizens.”

Not the Safest Town in America Anymore

By Kimberly Reiss

NEWTON – Newton is no longer the safest town in America.  According to the annual safest-city rankings, issued by the Morgan Quinto press, Brick, N.J. claimed the top spot while Newton has dropped to fourth behind Amherst, NY., and Mission Viejo, Calif.  Newton had held the title for the past two years, and for three out of the last six years.  “It’s not really that our crime numbers have gotten any higher, it’s that the other top cities have lowered theirs,” said Lt. Bruce Apotheker of the Newton Police Department. 

Newton’s crime remains low for a city of more than 80,000 people. In Newton’s 2006 crime statistics their overall crime index included only 1,198 reported crimes, which is well below the national average of 4,479 for a city.  Out of Newton’s 1,198 crimes only 143 of those were violent crimes.  Most were property crimes such as burglary, larceny/theft, arson, and motor vehicle thefts. 

Crime in Newton has made international headlines. In 1996 Louise Woodward, a nanny from England, was suspected of involvement in the death of the infant in her care.  She was charged with murder and the case became a big deal across the country and across the ocean.  She was eventually acquitted of the charges.

Apotheker said the Internet has become a new source of crimes.  These include bullying and online predators.

There are also a small amount of juvenile crimes.  Most include malicious damage including breaking of windows, and graffiti. 

“Most of the crimes I see at the high schools are ones of opportunity,” Officer John Panica said. “ You know kids will steal each other’s IPods, or purses, or clothes, but there is usually nothing too serious.” 

There are not too many drug crimes seen in Newton either. 

“We don’t see a great number of drugs. It’s no different than it was 20 years ago,” Panica said

The drugs he sees are mainly marijuana and alcohol.  There is some use of cocaine, ecstasy, and heroin, but not a lot.

“I have always felt safe in Newton,” said Elise Kohen a 21-year-old Newton resident.  “When I was growing up we were always allowed to ride our bikes around town, or go to the park without having our parents worry about us.”

Crime from the city of Boston rarely extends into Newton, and even Apotheker is not sure why. 

“I have no idea why we are safe,” Apotheker said. “Boston borders us on three areas, and we have a major highway coming through.  People are traveling all the time, and why we don’t have crime’s committed here is beyond me.” 

To Override or not to Override

By Kimberly Reiss

NEWTON - A $24 million override has become a dark cloud over the city. Since Newton is running $10 million behind, and an additional $5 million is needed for the designs for the new elementary school, the mayor has proposed an override of $24 million.

 The override raises taxes in Newton.  The city cannot raise taxes without citizens voting by more than 2.5 percent because of a document called Proposition 2 ½.  The document was issued in 1982 and has been effective ever since.  In 2002 the city issued a $11.5 million override which only passed by 700 votes.  

“My personal fear is that since ’02 we just haven’t done enough throughout the city government to prove to people why we need this money.”  Alderman Scott Lennon said.   

“What we did here in Newton two years ago was to beginning to try and forecast what operating revenues would be for a five year period,” said Dave Wilkinson, city comptroller

Wilkinson said a committee of residents who had expertise in municipal finance analyzed assumptions in the forecast.

“The mayor figured that by proposing $24 million dollars it takes care of the fiscal stability of Newton for the next two years,” Lennon said. 

A yearly tax increase of $24 million could mean as much as $1,000 added to a household’s taxes.

Citizens blame the new Newton North High School building project as being the source of the city’s financial shortcomings.  The behemoth of a high school has become a more than $150 million project.

“The lack of money is intertwined with the new school,” Lennon said.

Lennon is not optimistic about passing the override in May.  He said that this could mean less police, firemen, and other city officials on the streets.  Newton residents have not seen enough actions taken to try and consolidate departments to save money. 

“To me the override should be a last resort and we haven’t taken into consideration to mitigate that.” Lennon said.   

But officials still say the override is necessary, for the financial needs of the city. 

“No question that the city needs the money,” Alderman Anthony Salvucci said. “Everyone thinks it’s just for the school, but it’s cause our costs are rising greater than the income, and this is what we have to do.”