Dozens of residents braved a New England snowstorm February 7 to enjoy a Chestnut Hill dessert crawl benefitting the Newton Food Pantry. They walked a route spanning The Street shopping center, sheltering from the snow in sweetly-scented stores along the way.
Standing inside the crawl’s last stop, The Half Cookie, Mia Platt, a Jamaica Plain resident who came to Newton for the event, grabbed her last treat of the day.
“It felt like trick or treating,” Platt said.
The Sweets at The Street Dessert Crawl returned for a second installment after its debut last year, featuring seven participating businesses offering attendees samples of their signature treats. Hosted by The Street Chestnut Hill, the event aimed to bring locals together while supporting one of Newton’s three food pantries.
“This time of the year in New England it’s tough to get out of the house,” Arianna Billias, marketing manager at The Street Chestnut Hill, said. “We wanted to bring something fun that people could look forward to.”
The food-centered focus of the event made supporting Newton Food Pantry a natural tie-in for organizers, Billias said.
The Newton Food Pantry serves more than 2,500 Newton residents and delivered over 85,500 bags of groceries and personal care items in 2024. The pantry relies on donations from events like Sweets at The Street to continue serving the community.
“We’re just happy to be able to support in any way,” Billias said. “We’re always looking to partner with some of our great local community organizations and continue to try to give back in our neighborhood.”
Promoting some of the region’s small, locally owned businesses, like The Half Cookie and Bianca, was another priority for organizers, Billias said.
While every other business was sheltered from the snow by a storefront, The Sweetish Fish, a Cape Cod-based candy truck, held an outdoor pop up, handing out bags of sweets to attendees passing by. Even in the freezing cold, workers felt positive about the Newton community’s response to the event.
“It lets people hear our name,” Ayla Gedmintas, one of the pop-up’s employees said. “The people out here have been really nice.”
The Street Chestnut Hill hosts a variety of events throughout the year, all focused on bringing locals together, Billias said.
“We like to create a place that people love,” Billias said. “Even on a cold day, showing that we have something fun to do – another good reason to get out of the house, meet up with friends and family, and do a little strolling while supporting our local businesses.”
Luke Wise is a junior at Boston University majoring in Journalism and writing for Fig City News as part of his studies.
Applicant’s 3D model of the proposed Alta Newton development (photo and annotations: Fig City News)
Concerned about how a proposed 234-unit multi-family development in Nonantum would impact traffic, parking, and affordability in the city, dozens of people showed up to speak at the January 28 Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) meeting.
Adam Lunin, a Newton resident who lives near the proposed project, said he is not against development but has concerns about the proposed project’s size.
“There’s a right way to do this, and this is not the right way,” Lunin said. “It’s way too big, it doesn’t fit the neighborhood.”
If approved, the project would transform 2.66 acres at 38 Crafts Street into a six-story apartment building to be called Alta Newton. The proposal includes a six-story parking deck located in the center of the property and 59 affordable units priced at 80% of the local Area Median Income (AMI).
Plan of proposed Alta Newton residential development (source: Comprehensive Permit application)
Traffic conditions at the intersection of Crafts Street and Washington Street are expected to degrade to a service level of “F” with the introduction of the project, with surrounding streets expecting similar increases in traffic congestion, according to Jason Plourde, an engineer from BETA Group, the Boston-based engineering consultancy firm that is the transportation peer review group for the project.
The project’s applicant – WP East Acquisitions, LLC, affiliated with Wood Partners LLC, an Atlanta-based development group – said that while changes have not yet been implemented in response to peer reviews, the developer is considering modifications such as a “do-not-block box” at the site driveway near the intersection of Crafts Street and Washington Street. This information was conveyed at the meeting by Randy Hart, principal of VHB Transportation, the project’s transportation consultant.
Many community members who came to the meeting to speak about the proposal said they wanted additional opportunities to voice concerns and ask questions about the proposed development. Michael Rossi, chairperson of the ZBA, encouraged members of the public to submit written comments for the board to review.
Several ZBA members pushed for greater levels of affordability in the proposed plans and said they were concerned about the project’s potential impact on nearby residents.
“I haven’t seen a proposal that has such a tight perimeter right up against all these neighbors,” Jennifer Pucci, board member of the Newton ZBA, said. “I’ve asked the applicant to think about that and do quite a bit of work to improve how this integrates into the neighborhood.”
This is the second proposal for a development on the 38 Crafts Street site, and it is separate from a development proposed by another developer for 78 Crafts Street nearby. The City of Newton had granted approval in November 2022 for the site to be turned into an elder housing facility, but that project has since halted. Applicants for the current proposal, Alta Newton, are applying for a Comprehensive Permit under Chapter 40B, which streamlines the local zoning approval process for projects that have at least 20-25% of units restricted only to households with incomes under 80% of AMI. The ZBA has discussed this new proposal at two of its meetings to date but has yet to vote on it.
City Councilor Susan Albright, a member of Newton’s Zoning and Planning Committee, said she preferred the previous plans of the now-discontinued senior living facility. However, she thinks the proposed development could play a key role in addressing the need for more housing in the region, if there were some changes to the architecture and site plan.
Albert “Al” Cecchinelli, a former Newton mayoral candidate and longtime resident of the neighborhood surrounding the proposed development, said he is concerned about the project’s current affordability goals and projected impact on traffic and infrastructure in his neighborhood.
“None of this housing is going to be low income,” Cecchinelli said. “80% of the median income in Newton is about $100,000 — and $100,000 isn’t low-income housing.”
ZBA member Brooke Lipsitt suggested the introduction of some units priced at 50% of the Area Median Income to align more closely with the ZBA’s goals for affordability.
Wood Partners LLC staff and leadership – including their Boston offices, managing directors Jim Lambert and Mark Theriault, and their attorney, Stephen Buchbinder – did not respond to requests for interviews.
Teresa “Terry” Sauro, chairperson of the Nonantum Neighborhood Association, told the ZBA she thinks the project could be “workable” if more lines of communication were opened for local residents to reach City officials and the project’s applicants.
Site of proposed Alta Newton residential development (source: Comprehensive Permit application)
At a January 8 site visit with dozens of residents in attendance, participants were denied the opportunity to speak or ask questions about the project, according to an email Sauro sent to officials and members of the Nonantum community on January 29.
According to the statement, members of the ZBA and planning department leadership refused requests to stay and listen when the project’s developer offered attending residents the opportunity to voice their concerns.
“At the site visit, it felt like we were children,” Sauro said. “Mr. Rossi said this is not for the neighborhood, even though 50 people were there.”
Sauro requested that the ZBA and Planning Department hold community meetings for residents to discuss the project, according to the email.
“They’re not hearing us, they’re developing what they want,” Sauro said. “Maybe that might be their vision, but that’s not our neighborhood vision.”
Luke Wise is a junior at Boston University majoring in Journalism, writing for Fig City News as part of his studies.
Newton will install solar panels on three additional City buildings, bringing its total solar projects to 27, as part of an effort to make the city carbon neutral by 2050.
The new rooftop installations at Peirce Elementary School, Lincoln-Eliot Elementary School, and the Cooper Center for Active Living will contribute to the $1 million-plus annual solar savings by the City and schools, according to an article in the City’s newsletter written by Sam Nighman, the City’s Co-director of Climate and Sustainability, and Climate Action Coordinator Caroline Weiss.
The solar projects at both schools are in early stages of construction, while the installation at the Cooper Center will begin after construction is finished in December, according to Nighman. The most recently completed solar project, on the roof of Wiliams Elementary School, began operation in May.
“For us, it’s been driven primarily by the environmental benefits,” Nighman said. “We have a commitment to, by 2050, having the whole city be carbon neutral.”
City officials say the solar expansion demonstrates Newton’s clean energy commitment to residents and businesses. Weiss said solar panels installed on City buildings “are a great way to lead by example and show residents what’s possible in terms of solar arrays. They see it all around the city. Maybe that can be an inspiration to install in their own homes or businesses, too.”
Homeowners who make clean-energy improvements, including solar, are eligible for a 30% federal tax credit, which expires December 31. Another incentive is the newest version of the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target program, which provides payments to homeowners for every kWh of energy produced by their solar system. The state also deducts 15% from income taxes, up to a maximum of $1,000, for the cost of renewable energy installations.
Weiss said that although the City isn’t able to provide additional incentives in place of the expiring federal credit, officials are working to educate residents on existing incentives to encourage solar installations. However, some state lawmakers seem open to the idea. In a Senate hearing on climate change and global warming last week, Elizabeth Mahony, the commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources, said policy makers should consider additional environment-friendly incentives.
“We have to consider how it impacts the state budget,” she said, “but again, I’ll keep saying it, these are projects that help all of us.”
Mahony also said that additional incentives could come through changes to the SMART structure in 2026.
“I have always tended to assume that tax credits can be difficult,” she said, “so we’re trying to address it through what we have at our control, which is these incentive levels.”
Another speaker during the hearing, Hannah Birnbaum, the chief of advocacy for Permit Power — an organization that aspires to lower solar prices by streamlining the process — suggested ways to reduce the soft costs of solar (expenses other than materials and labor).
Birnbaum said smart permitting, which issues instant permits for solar panels on homes, could shave $5,500 off the cost of a typical installation. Matthew McAllister, CEO of SolarAPP+, which also aims to lower the soft costs of solar installations, advocated for remote inspections of solar panel installations in homes, which would trim the cost of solar panels for homeowners.
He said the average residential solar and battery system costs $35,000 in the United States, while the same system would cost $12,000 in the UK, Australia, or Germany. A large reason for the difference is the soft costs, which McAllister said could be mitigated through modern processes.
Bob Persons is an energy coach in Newton, someone who can answer homeowner questions about climate and energy. He said the City can do more to promote the use of solar and inspire interest in renewable energy. Fewer than half of the questions he receives are about solar.
Persons said the work of Green Newton, an organization focused on improving the environment and the way resources are used in Newton, deserves more attention.
“Newton’s a pretty rich community, and one way to start making things happen is for people who can afford it to get it started,” Persons said. “And, of course, the Trump administration is cancelling all the incentives and everything that people would like to use, but there are still people interested in doing their part to help save the planet.”
A community-based science team is heading to Paris this weekend to compete at the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition, a global event promoting innovation in synthetic biology. One of the team leaders is Aneesha Aryan, a Newton North High School student who helps guide community outreach for the project.
Out of over 400 teams competing worldwide, this team is one of only 10 high school groups from the United States.
Working out of BosLab’s nonprofit community lab in Somerville, the team designed a low-cost, rapid biosensor to detect harmful algae blooms, which have increasingly affected waterways across New England, including the Charles River. Their project uses CRISPR-based technology to identify toxin-producing bacteria in just a few hours, compared with the traditional testing methods that can take weeks.
“It’s been incredible to work on something that blends biology, engineering and real-world impact,” Aryan said. “Seeing how our research could help protect local ecosystems makes all the long hours of work worth it.”
The project reflects BosLab’s mission to make biotechnology accessible to everyone, not just professionals or academics. By working in a collaborative environment, team members hope to show how community-driven research can address environmental issues close to home and inspire others to explore science in creative, hands-on ways.
“Harmful algae blooms are a growing problem right in our own backyard,” Aryan said. “We want to work on something that connects synthetic biology with a real local environmental challenge.”
FriendshipWorks, a nonprofit organization aiming to connect people with older adults to combat loneliness, is looking to recruit volunteers in the Newton area.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity, meeting people to learn about life and yourself,” said Sami Ernst, a 29-year-old who has volunteered with the organization for a year and a half. “There’s a lot of people who are really lonely, and I think it’s really important that we build community and support each other.”
Social connection is as essential to human health as food, water, and shelter, according to a 2023 statement by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. He said loneliness is associated with a greater risk in diseases such as depression, dementia, and stroke, and can have the same mortality impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Of the five programs offered by FriendshipWorks, three are offered in Newton (Friendly Visiting, Medical Escorts, and Friendly Helping), and PetPals and MusicWorks are offered in other areas. The non-profit group is currently focused on finding volunteers for its Friendly Visiting program, in which volunteers each visit an older adult once a week to build a lasting friendship.
There is also an increasing need for volunteers as Medical Escorts, who accompany older adults to medical appointments, and Friendly Helpers, who provide short-term assistance with specific tasks for older adults, according to Karen Poggi, the Newton FriendshipWorks coordinator.
Currently there are more than 20 older adults in Newton waiting for a Friendly Visiting match with a volunteer, according to the coordinator.
Volunteers have said they get as much out of the relationship as they give.
Emma Ardiff, a 58-year-old who has been volunteering for FriendshipWorks since 2018, said she cherishes the opportunity to befriend someone she otherwise might not have met. It’s important, she said, for communities to have cross-generational engagement, and for people to be involved in community service.
“Everybody needs connection and community,” Ardiff said, “and I think that FriendshipWorks has brought me [closer] with the community in Newton.”
Robbie Berg, a 68-year-old who has been volunteering for FriendshipWorks for two years, shared a similar experience. As a former physics teacher at Wellesley College, he was able to relate to 83-year-old Larry Speiser, who has a background in electrical engineering.
Berg said that despite Speiser’s age and health problems, “he’s still very sharp in certain areas.”
“His memories about technical stuff, again, it’s a little spotty, but some stuff he remembers really well,” Berg said, “so we could have these sort of technical conversations.” They also bonded over a surprise connection: Speiser and Berg’s parents grew up in the same neighborhood and went to the same high school.
FriendshipWorks invites potential volunteers to attend an event it will hold on Tuesday, September 30, at Newton Free Library’s Druker Auditorium (330 Homer Street), from 5:30 – 7:30PM. The free event, called Making Music, Making Connections, will feature live music, dancing, music, bingo, prizes, and food. It will highlight the MusicWorks program, through which performers play music or sing for seniors in residential buildings. Register here.
“When part of the population is not well, then the whole community is affected by that and can be not well,” said Laura Willis, the marketing and communications strategist at FriendshipWorks. “We believe that when we’re helping that segment of the population, we are helping the community overall and those neighborhoods that we serve.”
The meeting included presentations from Mark Development, the Planning and Development Board, and independent peer reviews ordered by the City Council. The peer reviews found the site within the grade of “reasonable” but requested elaboration on the urban design, traffic control, and parking spaces.
No formal vote on the development was held. Instead the Council unanimously decided to hold the Riverside Development vote to a future meeting. The next Land Use Committee meeting for the Riverside development will be held October 7.
In 2024, Mark Development had announced its proposed revision and last July filed a rezoning request to convert three parcels on Grove Street from business to mixed-use zoning. The revised plan calls for six residential buildings, ground-floor retail, and 1,119 parking spaces – a major revision of the developer’s original proposal.
Four years ago, after multiple revisions to the project, Mark Development won approval to develop nearly 370,000 square feet of office and lab space on the parking lot near the Riverside MBTA station. But COVID-19, rising interest rates, and soaring construction costs soon forced the company to retool its plan, according to Robert Korff, CEO of Mark Development.
And now the proposed revision to the project is facing a December 31 deadline – the conclusion of the current City Council’s term. “If we don’t get a vote by year end, then we would have to start all over again with a new council next year,” Korff said.
Mark Development’s revised plan envisions buildings of four to seven stories with ground-floor retail and enough space to house 1,200 to 1,600 people. About half of the units would be two- or three-bedroom residences. Korff said the housing-focused approach would cut traffic by more than half, compared to the earlier office plan.
But not all neighboring residents are sold on the project. At a September 4 community meeting, neighbors voiced concerns about the project’s size, traffic impact, and strain on local schools.
“Overall, the project, to me, looks dense and more urban than typical Newton neighborhoods,” said Richard Alfred, who has lived on Grove Street for 37 years and chairs the Auburndale Historic District Commission. “Grove Street is a street where many, many children walk to school.”
Other residents questioned whether a single entrance and exit could handle the traffic, and worried about adding an estimated 70 new students to Williams Elementary School. Janet Brennan described the development’s proposed play area as being “smaller than my house lot,” despite about 45% of the available bed space planned for family-sized units.
But Scott Nagel, who walks past the proposed development daily, called it a “fantastic project” that would make Grove Street safer for pedestrians. Mark Development outlined public space, paved surfaces, and safer road traffic in their zoning memo for the revised project.
“The current conditions walking from Lower Falls to Riverside are, I would say, minimally acceptable for a fit 42-year-old,” Nagel said. Referring to traffic mitigation measures in the revised plans, he said, “The roundabouts and the shared-use path, I really think are going to be a major improvement.”
Commuters offered mixed reactions. Jonathon Thomas, a power plant operator who frequently uses the Riverside station, worried about losing parking during construction but also saw potential benefits of different retail options. “I can imagine it would be a good thing to hop off at Riverside after a Sox game and go take your kids out to a bite of ice cream,” he said.
Samantha Fecteau, a 19-year-old student who commutes to school, voiced her concern about train delays, given the shuttle bus replacements for the Riverside branch in the last year. “If they get it done quick, great,” she said. “If not, I sure hope we don’t end up with the shuttle bus fiasco where it takes two hours both ways.”
“It’s unfortunate, given our economic times,” Korff told Fig City News. “But we are dealing in some very tough economic headwinds.”
Ward 4 City Councilor Joshua Krintzman, who has worked on various versions of the project since 2009, said he supports a mixed-use development but regrets losing the Hotel Indigo. He credited a liaison committee formed in 2009 with fostering collaboration between developers, neighbors, and City officials.
“Fifteen years in the future, I would like to see a development there that is viewed favorably by the residents and the surrounding neighborhoods of Auburndale and Lower Falls as a place where folks like to go, live, and build community,” he said.
Korff, a Newton resident since 1995, said the project helps to address the state’s housing shortage. “At a time in our history where we have a severe housing shortage, this is a picture-perfect opportunity … and there’s a tremendous need for it.”
The Land Use Committee will hold additional hearings as the project tracks toward potential construction by December 31. The next public meeting of the Land Use Committee will be held on October 7 at Newton City Hall and hybrid on Zoom. Mark Development said it will address parking issues and offer detailed plans for retail options at the next meeting.
Councilor Krintzman believes the year-end deadline can be met, saying the groundwork done over the past few years should enable the Council to complete the Special Permit process — and finally bring the long-delayed project into the station.
Andy and Ted Scafidi, owners of Scafidi Bros. Market & Deli (photo: Alexyss Lopez)
Bernard Scafidi stood in front of the sandwich menu, smiling. “That’s me,” he said, pointing to No. 12 — The Bernie. “I don’t know how they knew it, but I can see my brothers and sisters in some of these too.”
Bernard, who is 83 and lives two hours west of Newton, made the trip to Scafidi Bros. Market & Deli (1134 Beacon Street at Four Corners in Newton Highlands) to taste the sandwich named in his honor. What he found was more than lunch — he found a tribute to his family that spans generations, captured in meat, cheese, and memory.
Scafidi Bros. opened in April after a 17-month journey from concept to reality. Owners Ted and Andy Scafidi — brothers, longtime chefs, and lifelong family men — built the restaurant as a tribute to their roots.
The menu features 18 signature sandwiches, named for their father, Anthony, and his 17 siblings – Ted’s and Andy’s aunts and uncles. Several sandwiches memorialize aunts and uncles who died younger than 2 years old.
Bernard Scafidi with the sandwich named for him: #12 The Bernie (photo: Alexyss Lopez)
One sandwich represents the only relative still very much alive — and hungry: Bernie. He says the sandwich ingredients represent him and some of his siblings perfectly, although Ted and Andy admit that was a “happy accident.”
The brothers’ father, Tony (#11 The Anthony), and their uncle Bernie, grew up in Waltham, in a house where sharing a bed was the norm and joining the military at 18 was a requirement to make room for younger siblings. “Three in one bed, long lines for the bathroom,” Andy said.
Now, the family’s legacy spans from Waltham to Concord, Roslindale, Westwood, and southern New Hampshire — and they’ve all come to Newton to grab lunch. “When we announced we were opening, the family really came out to support,” Ted said. Some relatives they hadn’t seen in years showed up just to wish them luck. One of their cousins even comes in weekly for a sandwich.
“It’s a homage to our family,” said Ted. “We weren’t always close, since there’s so many of us— like 46 grandchildren — but our mom was the glue that kept these reunions going.”
(on left) Andy and Ted Scafidi, owners of Scafidi Bros. Market & Deli, with family members, including guest of honor Uncle Bernie (seated) and Aunt Pat (courtesy photo)
That glue still sticks, with over 400 relatives showing up to reunions. “If I’m worried because my cashier or cook doesn’t show, I just call up one of our siblings or a cousin, and they’re here in a heartbeat,” said Ted.
Even some new workers have turned out to be family. It was an odd coincidence when their young cashier, Christian Binder, found out after already working there that he also has a Scafidi connection. His childhood babysitter, who was like a mother figure to him, turned out to be part of the extended family. “She’s basically my mom,” he said. “So working here feels like coming around full circle.”
With so many relatives, Ted and Andy say it’s normal for someone to come in here saying one of the sandwiches is named after their great-grandfather. “We meet new family members all the time,” said Ted.
Despite their large family that could single-handedly keep them running, building the restaurant was far from easy – from small business loans and unreliable contractors to an “Opening Soon” sign dangling on the door since 2023. “People started wondering if we were running some kind of illegal operation in the back,” Andy joked.
Once the doors finally opened, Newton locals — many meeting the Scafidis for the first time — helped shape the business. “We’ve had great support from nearby Jewish communities,” Ted said. “People stop in, ask about ingredients, give feedback — so we listen.”
Ted Scafidi prepares a sandwich at Scafidi Bros. Market & Deli (photo: Alexyss Lopez)
While Ted is the seasoned chef — 35 years in the kitchen — Andy got dragged into the barbecue business by his brother over two decades ago. Together they’ve opened a business that reflects both tradition and adaptability.
The shop uses bread from local bakeries and Boar’s Head meat, and plans to source produce from the Newton Farmers’ Markets starting in June. “We call ourselves locally sourced, because as much as we can do locally, we do,” Ted said.
Affordability was a priority. “We didn’t want to come in and gouge people,” Ted said. “We’d rather make a few bucks per sandwich and keep people coming back.”
Still, rising costs loom. With new tariffs on imported goods, even the aluminum plates they use are getting more expensive. Their solution? Stock up now, and adjust without raising prices. Ted’s experience in catering helps: “Today’s fresh bread becomes croutons tomorrow, and that becomes chicken cutlet breading. You’ve got to think ahead so nothing goes in the trash.”
Scafidi Bros. Market & Deli is now open. (photo: Alexyss Lopez)
That openness has shaped the evolving menu. The Scafidis quickly swapped out underperforming items and added more vegetarian options — like the caprese-style Marie, made with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, and a new eggplant sandwich. They also serve rotating specials and old-school Italian dishes like spaghetti and meatballs, eggplant parm, and meat lasagna.
Even the branding is a family effort. Their sister-in-law, a former JCPenney designer, created the logo and slogan — “Love the taste. Taste the love.” When their cook bailed on day two, she jumped behind the register.
The shop is just the start. Downstairs is a basement the brothers plan to turn into a catering prep area — a return to their roots. They’re also working on delivery options through DoorDash and Uber Eats, and hope to serve beer and wine once their license is approved.
But for now, they’re keeping it simple: six days a week in the kitchen, one day off. “We don’t even text on Sundays,” Ted said. “I don’t want to know anything about him [Andy] on Sunday.”
As Uncle Bernie holds the sandwich bearing his name, surrounded by younger generations in a space filled with family photos, it’s clear that this shop isn’t just about food — it’s about preserving a family legacy one order at a time.
“It means the world to us,” Ted said, watching his uncle grin at the menu. “This is what it’s all about.”
Alexyss Lopez is a senior majoring in Journalism at Boston University and working with Fig City News via her department’s new initiative, the BU Newsroom program.
