Join the 52nd Annual MLK Community Celebration. The program theme this year focuses on Knowing Your Neighbor.

•Featured performances will include Newton North’s Jubilee Singers, The Treble Singers, The Gospel Love Tones, and Newton’s first MLK Day Community Choir!

•Hear the voices of Newton Public Schools students as reflected in their Monologue Projects.

•Following the event, The Harmony Foundation and MLK Day Planning Committee will co-host a Community Reception (coffee and refreshments) and an Engagement and Activism Fair–Learn more about important local organizations and ways to become involved in Newton, and get to know your neighbors!

•Story Starters of Newton will host a story time and craft for younger kids (with their caregivers) starting at 10:30 am.

•The Rotary Club of Newton will also be collecting toiletry items to donate to Newton’s Food Pantries.

January 20th, 9:30 am – 12:00 noon
The First Baptist Church, 848 Beacon Street, Newton Centre

Cradles to Crayons annual MLK Day Clothing Drive is looking for donations of gently used or new clothing, shoes, and coats to be dropped off at participating Police Stations including the Newton Police Department and the PD Annex.

Donations are being accepted now and participation by those in our community who are able to would make a great difference to this initiative. Please help Cradles to Crayons and the children in low-income situations whom they serve with these essential items free of charge.

Check out the flyer here: MLK Day Clothing Drive

For questions, please contact  Chris Bavaro at cbavaro@cradlestocrayons.org

Congratulations to both the Newton South Jazz Ensemble and the Newton South Jazz Combo, who have won highly coveted places as finalists at the 12th Annual Charles Mingus Festival and High School Competition! Only 12 finalist ensembles are chosen from across the country, three in each category of Big Band, Combo, and Specialized School or Program Big Band and Combo. Newton South is the only non-performing-arts-specialized high school in the US to have won two places in this line up!

The competition takes place in NYC on February 16th, during February vacation, and is free and open to the public, if you would like to come and cheer on our students. Click here for more information.

Closer to home, you can enjoy their performances at the upcoming Winterfest II concert in the Newton South Seasholes Auditorium on January 23rd at 7:00 pm.

The Newton South Jazz Ensemble was also recently highlighted in a Boston Globe article about their Swingn’ Holidays concert in December, and the cause they were raising funds for – the Newton Music Ambassadors’ trip to Panama next week. Click here to read the article.

The Community Preservation Committee will consider converting to debt financing the portions of the CPA funding for 300 Hammond Pond Parkway (“Webster Woods”) previously recommended for direct funding. This revision would affect no other provision of the previous CPC recommendation or City Council orders for this project.

January 14th, 7:00 pm, Newton City Hall Room 204

The Newton Housing Authority’s proposal for accepting the affordable housing portfolio developed by CAN-DO is scheduled for a joint public hearing with the CPC (for a $1.5 million CPA request) and the Planning & Development Board (for a $426,744 CDBG request).  Your written comments must be received by January 24th for forwarding ahead of this meeting.

February 11th, 7:00 pm, Newton Senior Center, 345 Walnut Street, Newtonville

Both the January 14th meeting packet and the Housing Authority proposal are available from www.newtonma.gov/cpa. For assistance, contact Alice Ingerson at aingerson@newtonma.gov or 617-796-1144.