Tag: Newton

  • Newton begins three solar projects as part of carbon neutral goal

    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.”

  • Amid federal cuts, legislators push for transition to clean energy

    State legislators and Newton officials are encouraging residents to participate in sustainability programs to reach the commonwealth’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, following recent federal funding cuts to clean energy projects.

    On Oct. 2, the Trump administration terminated federal funding for 223 energy projects nationwide, totaling $7.5 billion nationally and approximately $446 million in Massachusetts. In a press release, Gov. Maura Healey said that the cuts target private companies, universities and nonprofits working on research and product development, and undermine efforts to lower energy prices.

    “These misguided actions will make it significantly harder to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 in Massachusetts,” Sen. Cynthia Creem said in an interview. “We cannot completely fill the gaps from the lost federal funding, but we are not powerless.”

    The Newton Democrat advised that the best way forward is to continue pursuing climate policies and installing clean energy at the state and local level. She noted the state will continue to offer programs that fund clean energy investments, including Mass Save for energy efficiency and electrification, MOR-EV for electric vehicle incentives, and initiatives supporting solar and battery storage systems.

    Creem said she has personally filed bills to ensure that scarce climate resources are used as effectively as possible. These include establishing a process for low-cost transition from gas to clean heat, transforming Mass Save’s energy assessments into decarbonization assessments, and aligning transportation infrastructure with climate obligations.

    “Massachusetts law requires us to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and that hasn’t changed. If we’re going to comply with that law, then we don’t have time to despair. We have to get to work,” said Creem.

    Ann Berwick, co-director of the Newton Sustainability Department, said that Newton is moving ahead with programs that aren’t federally funded.

    One example is the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO), which targets reducing the carbon footprint of large buildings in Newton, which account for 27% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. Berwick also highlighted Newton Power Choice—which is funded by electricity customers and utility bills—as a resource for residents to increase their investment in clean energy.

    Green Newton, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving sustainability and educating residents on their resource use, hosted a Green Expo on Sunday to highlight environmentally friendly products, companies and information.

    “We are killing our planet with greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. We have to stop doing that,” said Craig Forman, a member of Green Newton’s board of directors.

    Forman said that while federal tax credits are being lost, there are still other easy ways for Newton residents to make a difference locally. Eating less beef and taking public transportation, walking or biking can help lessen greenhouse gas emissions.

    “These can have a very big effect, even though it’s not putting equipment in your house or any big change of lifestyle,” said Forman.

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    This story is part of a partnership between the Newton Beacon and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

  • Sangiolo, Schwartz weigh in on legislature audit fight

    As the political stalemate over implementation of a voter-approved ballot question to audit the Legislature continues, Massachusetts Auditor Diana DiZoglio is calling on Attorney General Andrea Campbell to go to court over alleged missing documents needed to implement the controversial law.

    DiZoglio argued that the attorney general’s office originally deemed the audit constitutional when it appeared on the ballot in the November 2024 election, but Campbell later retracted that position based on her relationships with “top lawmakers.”

    Campbell approved the question based on separate constitutional requirements related to initiative petitions. But in making that decision in 2023, Campbell issued a lengthy legal opinion that the auditor did not have the authority to audit another branch of government.

    “I’m happy, once again, to meet everybody in court and give them everything they need to be able to do their job,” said DiZoglio. “But the gaslighting and scapegoating by these people of the general public needs to stop.”

    The ballot measure, also known as Question 1, passed with 72% statewide approval and 65% support among Newton voters. It gave the auditor the authority to audit the Legislature. Campbell issued statements declaring that the auditor’s office has not provided enough documentation to move forward with implementation.

    “They’re going to drag this out into eternity in the hopes that you all forget that you voted for this, and they are grossly underestimating the people of Massachusetts,” said DiZoglio.

    Newton Democratic Reps. Amy Sangiolo and Greg Schwartz both said they support transparency but they also value a clear separation of powers.

    Schwartz said he supported the new joint committee rules that were approved in the spring for the House and Senate.

    “Newton voters are especially engaged in the political process, so I believe the improvements in committee transparency created in the new rules are going to help my constituents,” said Schwartz.

    Historically, the Legislature has been audited by an outside, independent firm, which can later be reviewed by the state auditor for accuracy, said Schwartz. He emphasized that “the separation of powers doctrine protects the independence of the three branches of government from encroachment by one another.”

    Sangiolo said she interpreted the 2024 results on Question 1 as a clear indication that Massachusetts residents want more transparency and accountability from the Legislature.

    “I believe the House has been responding appropriately to Question 1, revising its rules to open the legislative process and also giving the auditor the authority to hire an outside firm to conduct a financial audit of the House,” said Sangiolo.

    Sangiolo added that she would like to know what specific information Newton voters are looking for outside what is covered in the joint committee rules.

    “I support a financial and professional audit, not a political one,” she said. After the ballot measure passed in November 2024, House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka rejected DiZoglio’s audit, calling it “unconstitutional” and “unnecessary.”

    If the audit is implemented, Lawrence Friedman, a professor at New England School of Law, said in an interview that he worries it will “run the risk of interfering with and potentially undermining the Legislature’s proper functioning under the state Constitution.”

    Friedman said John Adams and other framers of the Massachusetts Constitution separated the three branches of government “to ensure that each department respects the constitutional responsibilities of the others.”

    Act on Mass, a nonprofit organization dedicated to transparency, accountability and citizen empowerment in the Legislature, supports DiZoglio’s efforts to implement the audit.

    “We have an uncommonly nontransparent Legislature that has been really effective at consolidating power and shredding some of the checks and balances that were in place,” Scotia Hille, executive director of Act on Mass, said in an interview.

    On whether the audit is constitutional, Hille said the only body that can rule is the Supreme Judicial Court.

    “I think if they [Mariano and Spilka] are so confident that it is unconstitutional, I would love to see the question go to court, and the auditor has been trying to get court access,” Hille said.

    With the support of organizations like Act on Mass, DiZoglio has continued her push for increased transparency.

    “The people of Massachusetts are fighting back,” DiZoglio said.

    *****

    This story is part of a partnership between the Newton Beacon and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

  • Bruce Hedison wants to be an advocate for teachers on the School Committee

    Bruce Hedison, who retired to Newton in 2024 after 33 years of teaching in Hudson, seeks to bring his decades of experience to the Ward 7 seat of the School Committee.

    “I just bring a different perspective to the table,” Hedison said. “I have 33 years of teaching under my belt in the same district.”

    Hedison, 59, who grew up in Chelmsford, is the fourth generation in his family to pursue a career in education. He earned a technology education degree at Fitchburg State University, got his first job in Hudson in 1990 as a drafting and architecture teacher, and developed Hudson High School’s first physics and robotics class with grants from the National Science Foundation.

    He is up against incumbent Alicia Piedalue for the Ward 7 seat. Before Piedalue ran for Ward 7, she served on the governing board for The Eliot Innovation School, a K-8 school that, because of school choice, has become disproportionately white. White students, who make up only 15 percent of the population in Boston public schools, account for 63 percent of Eliot’s enrollment.

    Hedison said Piedalue and several other Boston families tried to take over Charlestown High School in Boston to make it just as exclusionary. He compared the Eliot school to a charter school. He said that making Charlestown an innovation school would make it difficult for students in low-income areas to attend the school.

    “When [The Eliot] turned into this innovation charter school, which is still under Boston Public Schools, children in those schools had like a single percent of getting in versus living in the affluent areas of Boston,” Hedison said, “I just believe that public education is for all, no matter what.”

    Piedalue counters that criticism by pointing out that both Eliot and Charlestown are open-enrollment public schools. The Eliot School cannot choose its students based on exam scores or other metrics. Students attend Eliot through zoning and a lottery system, she said, and Charlestown High would be no different if it had earned innovation school status.

    “With respect to the Charlestown High innovation plan, it is accurate that there were a group of families who attempted to get Charlestown High ‘innovation school status.’ which is the status the Eliot school has,” Piedalue said. “They are still absolutely open-enrollment schools. You do not choose who goes there, and, in fact, Charlestown High draws from areas that have plenty of low-income students.”

    Over the course of his career, Hedison said he grew the school’s technology department and taught everything from computer design to photo editing.

    “It went from me at my school as the only technology teacher to currently now there’s seven,” Hedison said.

    Hedison, who does not have children, said he decided to run after hearing about the two-week teachers’ strike in 2024, in which the teachers demanded higher wages.

    “I always wondered why there weren’t many people on school committees with a background in education that had been in the trenches,” Hedison said.

    He said it is important to have a voice on the school board that can empathize with school employees and advocate for the teachers.

    “To hear about the disconnect between the teachers and the school committee and the city council and the mayor and the previous superintendent, it was really disheartening,” he said.

    Hedison experienced budget cuts as a teacher in Hudson and was moved around to various positions as a result. He later chaired a council that advises the government on Hudson’s insurance needs and became president of the Hudson Teachers Association.

    “We went into interest-based bargaining where everybody goes into the same room as equals,” he said, “and you have honest conversations and you are fully transparent with, you know, budgeting, what the needs are on both sides.”

    His experience has also helped shape his opinions on such topics as multi-level learning and school choice.

    Multi-level classrooms, which have been controversial in Newton, can be effective in some cases, he said, but the committee should prioritize teachers’ feedback before implementation. Multi-level learning involves placing students of different levels in the same classroom to learn a subject at different paces.

    “I believe that leveling should be happening at the high school level,” Hedison said. “Now, when we talk about humanities, that’s a whole different subject. We have to listen to the educators in the classroom, and they are saying that in math or science, it is needed.”

    Hedison witnessed the outcomes of school choice in his previous district and didn’t think the program was beneficial.

    “I don’t agree with school choice for Newton,” Hedison said. “The reason behind it is that we need to have our resources right now for our kids in Newton and to fund our schools and to take care of our own right now.”

    Discrimination and Islamophobia have been on the rise in Newton Schools amid the war in Gaza, and Hedison said there’s no room for that in the school system.

    “My feeling is that schools have to deal with any type of discrimination needs to be dealt with,” Hedison said. “And schools need to be a neutral zone when it comes to politics. You can have discussions, but it all has to be with a level of respect.”

  • Candidate Jenna Miara seeks to strengthen School Committee’s relationship with community

    Jenna Miara said she decided to run for the School Committee in reaction to the distrust between the school system and Newton community.

    “It became clear to me that we needed to change the way that we approached some of the challenges and the language that we use to describe what’s happening in the schools,” Miara said. “Based on my professional experiences and my personal perspectives, I think I bring a lot of really critical tools to help move those important changes forward.”

    Miara, 47, will face fellow Newton native Ben Schlesinger Nov. 4 in the race for the Ward 5 seat. Emily Prenner, the vice chair and current Ward 5 seat holder, is not seeking reelection.

    Miara grew up in Newton and attended Newton South High School until she was 16, then left when her parents accepted professorships at Columbia University in New York. She studied American History at Columbia for her undergraduate education before continuing to Stanford Law School.

    She and her husband returned to Newton in 2021 to be closer to their families and enrolled their two children in Angier Elementary and Brown Middle School, the schools she had attended as a child.

    “I noticed that both schools are much more inclusive of all kinds of different learning styles and of students with disabilities and other challenges,” Miara said. “I think that’s really great to see. I’ve been really happy with my kids’ experiences.”

    A big issue that drew Miara to run for school committee, she said, was the sense of distrust among community members after Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s unsuccessful 2023 campaign to override Proposition 2½. The proposal would have added $9.2 million to the 2024 budget and increased the annual tax bill of a $2.1 million house – the median value in Newton – by $290. After the override failed, Newton was forced to make budget cuts. 

    “If we want to have the ability to come back to the voters and ask for an override to pay for things that the school district needs, we need to start working now to rebuild a sense of trust in partnership with the larger community,” Miara said, “to be clear communicators about what the schools need and what the financial realities of the city budget are.”

    As the executive director of the Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts Committee, a Massachusetts-based organization that funds legal aid programs, Miara said she has learned communications and social media strategies that she intends to implement as a committee member.

    “Something I’d like to do as a member of the school committee and maybe have the entire school committee as a group come up with more of a communications plan so that everyone in the city feels more informed,” Miara said.

    She also said she believes she can streamline communications with unionized workers at Newton’s schools, especially with her experience as a member of a legal service workers union.

    “I’ve been very involved in collective bargaining from both sides of the table,” Miara said. “I’ve worked in unionized environments, supervised unionized staff and implemented collective bargaining agreements for many years.”

    School choice, a program that enables schools to accept students from other districts, is a divisive topic among Newton parents. Superintendent Anna Nolin has supported school choice, but Miara and community members are skeptical of the program.

    “I would say I’m not convinced on that yet,” Miara said. “I’m open to hearing what she has to say. I want to see some more data from other districts about how the finances have worked out. I want to listen to all the stakeholders in Newton that would be impacted.”

    Amid the war between Israel and Palestine, antisemitism has become an issue in Newton schools. Miara said she has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to discrimination. 

    “It’s an incredibly important issue to me on a personal level,” Miara said. “I’m Jewish. I’m raising two Jewish children. The palpable rise in the number and intensity of antisemitic hate incidents in this country is deeply upsetting, and I think the schools have an important role to play in combating that.”

    Miara has spent a lot of her career fighting discrimination through litigation and policy as an attorney for firms in Los Angeles and Chicago. 

    “The schools need to be constantly thinking of proactive strategies and responsive strategies,” Miara said. She said she wants members of the School Committee to ask themselves, “What kinds of education and programming are we doing in the schools to counter bias and prejudice, and what kinds of policies do we have in place to deal with incidents when they do happen?”

    She said her years of serving the communities she has lived in have equipped her to handle Newton’s schools.

    “My entire career has been committed to public service as a legal aid lawyer and an anti-poverty advocate and now a nonprofit leader,” Miara said. “It’s core to my sensibilities that we work every day to ensure everybody has access to the support and the opportunities they need to succeed.”

  • ‘You don’t give up’: In new book, Brookline gym owner John Carter recounts injury, incarceration, recovery and redemption

    John Carter at the Hummingbird Book Store in Chestnut Hill on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2025. Photo by Muayad Al-Barwani

    John Carter was shot in the head, left in a coma for 99 days and told he’d never walk again.

    Yet on Wednesday night he stood tall – steady, smiling and surrounded by people who came to support him.

    “I had a choice – go back to the life I knew, or take the left and go to a halfway house,” said John Carter, author of “Triggered to Change: A Life Full of Turbulence” and owner of Titanium Health and Fitness in Brookline. “That left turn saved my life.”

    In a cozy corner of Hummingbird Books in Newton, Carter welcomed both familiar faces and newcomers for a free event Wednesday marking the release of his autobiography.

    The evening began with remarks from moderator Matthew Gregory, a client at Carter’s gym. It was followed by a conversation between Gregory and Carter, a question-and-answer session with audience members, and a book signing.

    In his autobiography, Carter, 57, recounts his early years surrounded by organized crime and addiction. He tried to follow in the footsteps of his father – a member of the mob – and quickly fell into dealing drugs, drinking and gambling.

    “My life spiraled out of control,” Carter said.

    He was shot in the back of the head, which he referred to as “the violent moment in 1992.” After surviving the injury, he found himself in a wheelchair, weighing 350 pounds, and still abusing and dealing substances. When police raided his home – 12 officers with guns drawn – Carter’s first thought was, “Thank God it’s over.” Authorities found drugs and cash. Carter spent 10 years in prison.

    But “Triggered to Change” isn’t about trauma – it’s about what comes after. The book focuses on resilience, recovery and choosing accountability over victimhood.

    “You don’t give up,” Carter said. “You get up. You keep going. Even if it’s slow, forward is forward.”

    John Carter signs copies of his book at the Hummingbird Book Store in Chestnut Hill on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2025. Photo by Muayad Al-Barwani

    After the Q&A, Carter’s son, Matthew Michael Carter, 20, reflected on the lessons his father passed down. In an interview, he said the most important was not to quit, even when giving up felt easier.

    “There were so many times I wanted to give up – especially during COVID,” Matthew said. “I was failing school and just wanted to drop out, but he wouldn’t let me.”

    Carter pushed him to finish high school and encouraged him to complete a year at Plymouth State University before making any decisions.

    “It’s OK to quit,” Matthew said, “but make sure you actually experience it all before you quit – because you might not know if you liked it or not.”

    Though he hasn’t finished reading “Triggered to Change,” Matthew said what he has read offered a deeper understanding.

    “I didn’t realize how deep it all went — how planned the shooting was, or that someone else was even in the house,” he said. “It’s crazy to think that if one thing had gone differently, I wouldn’t be here.”

    Shelley McHale, who served as Hummingbird Books’ original manager when it opened in 2022 and was present during Wednesday’s event, said Carter’s story clearly resonated with the audience.

    “We try to host meaningful events for local authors,” McHale said. “There was strong energy in the room. Everyone seemed genuinely invested in what John had to say.”

    McHale added that the store hosts around 50 events a year, balancing larger names with emerging local voices. “For authors just starting out, it’s tough to break in,” she said. “But when there’s a compelling story, we want to make space for it.”

    The audience at John Carter’s book signing event at the Hummingbird Book Store in Chestnut Hill on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Photo by Muayad Al-Barwani

    Ian Rossin, Carter’s publicist, helped promote the event and saw the turnout as a promising sign for Carter’s message.

    “This was John’s first public speaking event since his TED Talk in 2019,” Rossin said. “He’s done podcasts recently but nothing like this. It really meant something to see that crowd.”

    Rossin believes the book’s potential impact extends across audiences. “It’s a story about resilience, sure, but it’s also about fatherhood, addiction and second chances,” he said. “No matter who you are, there’s something in there that will stick with you.”

    Employees from the Service Dog Project, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that breeds and trains Great Danes for people with mobility impairments, also attended. Carter has had two service dogs from the organization: Jagger, who retired because of health issues, and Turbulence, who now accompanies him daily.

    Karen Mallory, an employee with the group, has followed Carter’s story for years. “He’s remarkable,” she said. “To see the disadvantages and challenges he’s faced— some of them self-inflicted— and where he is now? It’s a testament to the human spirit.”

    Jami Snow, another employee, added that Carter’s attitude mirrors the mission of their organization. “He never gives up. He just keeps going,” she said. “A lot of people could benefit from that.”

    Carter announced that a portion of the book’s proceeds will go toward supporting the Service Dog Project’s operations.

    For Carter, the goal wasn’t just to tell his story, but to show others change is possible. “You just have to make the choice,” he said. “Then do the work.”