Due to unforeseen circumstances, RECYCLED materials will not be collected today (Thursday, January 4th) as expected. They will be picked up tomorrow (Friday, January 5th). Trash will continue to be picked up today and should be completed by noon. If possible, please remove recycling carts from the curbside this morning.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your cooperation and understanding.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is rescinding the Obama-era policy that had paved the way for legalized marijuana to flourish in states across the country, two people with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.
Sessions will instead let federal prosecutors where pot is legal decide how aggressively to enforce federal marijuana law, the people said.
The people familiar with the plan spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it before an announcement expected Thursday.
The move by President Donald Trump’s attorney general likely will add to confusion about whether it’s OK to grow, buy or use marijuana in states where pot is legal, since long-standing federal law prohibits it.
“What we haven’t seen is direction from Washington mandating that each U.S. attorney start to enforce federal law,” Massachusetts spokesperson for the Marijuana Policy Project Jim Borghesani said. “If that comes, then that becomes an incredibly disruptive action to states that have legal recreational and medical marijuana.”
Massachusetts legalized recreational marijuana last November, and is still in the process of creating policies to back up the new law. The Cannabis Control Commission completed its first draft of those polices in December.
“As far as the mandate and the work of the Cannabis Control Commission is concerned, nothing has changed,” read part of a statement from the commission today, in response to the news. “We will continue to move forward with our process to establish and implement sensible regulations for this emerging industry in Massachusetts.”
The anticipated announcement will also come just days after pot shops opened in California, launching what is expected to become the world’s largest market for legal recreational marijuana and as polls show a solid majority of Americans believe the drug should be legal.
While Sessions has been carrying out a Justice Department agenda that follows Trump’s top priorities on such issues as immigration and opioids, the changes to pot policy reflect his own concerns. Trump’s personal views on marijuana remain largely unknown.
Sessions, who has assailed marijuana as comparable to heroin and has blamed it for spikes in violence, had been expected to ramp up enforcement. Pot advocates argue that legalizing the drug eliminates the need for a black market and would likely reduce violence, since criminals would no longer control the marijuana trade.
The Obama administration in 2013 announced it would not stand in the way of states that legalize marijuana, so long as officials acted to keep it from migrating to places where it remained outlawed and out of the hands of criminal gangs and children. Sessions is rescinding that memo, written by then-Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole, which had cleared up some of the uncertainty about how the federal government would respond as states began allowing sales for recreational and medical purposes.
The pot business has since become a sophisticated, multimillion-dollar industry that helps fund schools, educational programs and law enforcement. Eight states – including Massachusetts – and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use, and California’s sales alone are projected to bring in $1 billion annually in tax revenue within several years.
Sessions’ policy will let U.S. attorneys across the country decide what kinds of federal resources to devote to marijuana enforcement based on what they see as priorities in their districts, the people familiar with the decision said.
Sessions and some law enforcement officials in states such as Colorado blame legalization for a number of problems, including drug traffickers that have taken advantage of lax marijuana laws to hide in plain sight, illegally growing and shipping the drug across state lines, where it can sell for much more. The decision was a win for pot opponents who had been urging Sessions to take action.
“There is no more safe haven with regard to the federal government and marijuana, but it’s also the beginning of the story and not the end,” said Kevin Sabet, president and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, who was among several anti-marijuana advocates who met with Sessions last month. “This is a victory. It’s going to dry up a lot of the institutional investment that has gone toward marijuana in the last five years.”
Marijuana advocates quickly condemned Sessions’ move as a return to outdated drug-war policies that unduly affected minorities.
Sessions “wants to maintain a system that has led to tremendous injustice … and that has wasted federal resources on a huge scale,” said Maria McFarland Sanchez-Moreno, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. “If Sessions thinks that makes sense in terms of prosecutorial priorities, he is in a very bizarre ideological state, or a deeply problematic one.”
A task force Sessions convened to study pot policy made no recommendations for upending the legal industry but instead encouraged Justice Department officials to keep reviewing the Obama administration’s more hands-off approach to marijuana enforcement, something Sessions promised to do since he took office.
The change also reflects yet another way in which Sessions, who served as a federal prosecutor at the height of the drug war in Mobile, Alabama, has reversed Obama-era criminal justice policies that aimed to ease overcrowding in federal prisons and contributed to a rethinking of how drug criminals were prosecuted and sentenced. While his Democratic predecessor Eric Holder told federal prosecutors to avoid seeking long mandatory minimum sentences when charging certain lower level drug offenders, for example, Sessions issued an order demanding the opposite, telling them to pursue the most serious charges possible against most suspects.
It is snowing beautiful snowflakes outside and you are cozy and warm inside. You, like another Patch reader, might be wondering why no one is calling this snow cyclone a “Sno-Clone?” Ahem. Sometimes the beautiful weather inspires a walk around the neighborhood, perhaps to grab one extra thing from the store or to pop into a coffee shop for a moment.
But what is open? Here is what we know so far this morning:
Coolidge Corner/ JFK Crossing:
JP Licks: Closed (only their JP location will be open today).
Union Square Donuts: Open til noon.
4A coffee: Open.
Brookline Booksmith: Closed.
Michael’s Deli: Open at 9:00 a.m. but closed by afternoon.
Petes: “They may call us to shut down any minute, but we’ll be open at least another hour,” said the man on the phone at 9:00 a.m.
Clear Flour Bread: Open.
Los Amigos: Open.
Curry House: Open until 8:00 p.m.
Washington Square:
Cafe Fixe: Open until 4:00 p.m.
Starbucks: Closing at 10:00 a.m.
Dunks: Open til Noon.
Star Market: Open
Barcelona Wine Bar: Open from 4:00 p.m. until “late” with s’mores and other wintery specials.
The Abbey: Open regular hours (11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.)
Brookline Village:
Cutty’s: Closed.
Best Burger Bar: Open for lunch and dinner.
Blossom Bar (Where Sichuan Garden is across from Cutty’s): Opens at 5:00 p.m.
And Beyond:
Tatte’s on Beacon Street near St. Mary’s: Open 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Pavement: Open til noon
The Shops at Chestnut Hill – Chestnut Hill, MA (closed all day).
Brookline Public Schools are canceled for Thursday, Jan. 4, the School District announced Wednesday evening at 4:30 p.m. Cue the collective cheer for students with dreams of sledding (or sleeping in). There will also be a parking ban in effect in Brookline beginning Thursday morning at 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 a.m. Friday, according to Brookline’s Director of Public Works Andrew Pappastergion.
Brookline already prohibits parking overnight but when a parking ban is in effect it also means no parking on any public way around town to leave room for the snow plows, or you risk getting a ticket and towed.
Trash will be collected as scheduled on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. DPW is asking residents place all trash at curbside by 7:00 a.m.. Christmas tree pickup will begin again Monday next week.
“Due to the large amount of predicted snowfall, please be aware that DPW plows will be pushing back snow banks as much as possible to allow for safe passage of emergency vehicles,” reads an alert from Pappastergion.
All of Brookline’s library locations will be closed on Thursday, too, but they anticipate regular hours on Friday, January 5, 2018.
Why? There is a blizzard ahead.
Brookline made the announcement at 3:00 p.m. and joins Waltham, which was one of the first cities in the Greater Boston area to declare a snow emergency, announcing it just before 11:00 a.m.
What about the schools?
Superintendent Andrew Bott made the announcement Wednesday afternoon just past 4:30 p.m.. Today at 2:27 p.m. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced that there would be no school for Boston students.
Also important to remember: Residents and businesses have 30 hours after the end of a storm to make sure there’s a safe, shoveled not slippery path for folks to walk in front of homes and businesses.
AlertBrookline: Being informed is extremely important! Anyone who lives, works, studies, plays, has relatives, owns property, etc can sign up to receive emergency notifications from the Town of Brookline. You choose how we contact you: phone, text, email (or any combination). Everyone in your home, office and dorm should sign up for AlertBrookline. Sign up for AlertBrookline.
Public Works Winter Guide: The Department of Public Works Winter Guide has useful information for property owners, businesses and residents regarding Snow Emergencies/Parking Bans, snow removal, trash and recycling pickup, and other winter-related topics.
Sidewalk Snow & Ice Removal By-Law: The Removal of Snow and Ice From Sidewalks By-law includes information for residents and business owners.
Hydrant Safety: Clear fire hydrants are a must when the snow comes! Use our online hydrant list and map to located hydrants near your home or office. Learn the proper way to clear your hydrant of snow and ice – every second counts in an emergency! (The Hydrant Map also includes catch basins – those should be clear, too!) Hydrant information can be found on the Brookline Fire Department FAQ webpage. To keep hydrants clear, please do the following:
Power Outages: Inclement weather often results in power outages. Please add Eversource as a contact in your mobile phone or address book. Their number is 800–592–2000. Never report outages via social media. Always call your utility provider to report outages. For downed power lines, always call 911.
From Media Girls: MEDIAGIRLS announced that it is hosting a panel discussion aimed to bring together fathers and male guardians to talk about how to stay connected with their daughters in the screen age. Half of all teens say they are addicted to their technology devices, and depression among teen girls is reportedly on the rise.
The event, presented by Showcase SuperLux in Chestnut Hill, MA, will take place on Sunday, January 28, 4:00 to 6:00 pm. The panel includes Phil Lipof, local NBC Emmy-winning anchor; Setti Warren, former two-time Mayor of Newton and gubernatorial candidate; Ramiro Torres, morning personality on radio HOT 96.9; Jon Badalament, Head of Programming for The Fatherhood Project; and Matt Cooney; Executive Director of The Brookline Teen Center. MEDIAGIRLS Executive Director Michelle Cove will moderate.
“We know it can be challenging for men to stay close with their daughters in the adolescent years,” said Executive Director Michelle Cove. “As girls spend increasingly more time on their devices, dads can feel pushed aside. We want to give them specific strategies for staying connected, especially given that social media can leave girls feeling anxious and lonely.”
The event is open to the public. Attendees can arrive at 3:30 p.m. for the opportunity to enter a raffle for father-daughter experiences donated by local shops and restaurants at The Street. MEDIAGIRLS will share film and TV clips of dads and teen girls, and the panel will talk candidly about their own experiences in raising girls. Specific tools will be provided to help attendees build stronger relationships with the teen girls in their lives.
Tickets are on sale here, and all proceeds go directly to bringing MEDIAGIRLS programming to girls at low-income schools in Boston.
Once again Brookline public safety officials dominated the list of the highest-paid town employees in 2017.
In 2016, the top two earners were Brookline Police officers Michael McCarthy and Robert Mayer. In 2017 Brookline Fire Deputy Chief Colin O’Connell was the highest-paid town employee with a gross take home of 4238,966.55. Michael McCarthy and Paul Cullinane of the Brookline Police were the next highest paid with $238,234.18 and $228,725.05 respectively.
Brookline officers can add tens of thousands of dollars to their base salaries through education bonuses, and by working details at construction sites during off hours.
In 2017, 487 town employees passed the $100,000 milestone, with 17 employees passing the $200,000 mark. Among the town employees to reach the $100,000 plus, club, many work in public safety and the schools. A few employees in DPW, town counsel, Planning and Community Development and other departments were also among the 487 to pass the milestone.
The salary data, based on town records, was gathered from a database of more than 4,000 employees who collected paychecks from the town in 2017.
The top 10
Education
Though public safety officials topped the list of highest-paid Brookline employees in 2017, several Brookline public schools employees also topped the list.
The altruism and innermost thoughts of today’s high school-and-under set are often validated through social media posts gone viral. So rarely do we get to vicariously experience life, according to them, through the form of choir and instrumental. On Jan. 9 and 10, 2018, a live audience will get to say it has.
Brookline’s sixth- to eighth-graders and the Brookline High School choral and orchestra members will perform “A Gift of Music” concert, the culmination of their collaboration with preeminent composer Jim Papoulis. The “gift” is also in reference to the reward earned by the Brookline Performing Arts Department by the Brookline Education Foundation (BEF).
The BEF received proposals for its 35th anniversary grant in spring 2017, and Kenny Kozol, the K-12 Performing Arts curriculum coordinator of the Public Schools of Brookline, got to thinking beyond the usual gadgets and tools for the classroom and students.
″[For us], this one idea struck me as very creative, and the essence of what we do in the performing arts. Let’s hire and work with a composer, meet with students and together, create a number of different songs, and even get the music teachers involved in the songwriting workshops, so they too have the experience,” Kozol said.
The composer Kozol had in mind was Papoulis, who is also a Brookline parent, with one teen currently at BHS and another that has since graduated. While Papoulis’ Rolodex of major music stars he has worked with include Aretha Franklin, Beyonce, Snoop Dogg, and the late Natalie Cole, he is passionate about writing choruses and working with young people. Kozol presented the idea of a composer creating one-on-one with students to the BEF in an “informational session” and they immediately valued the nascent project’s true creative tilt and “inclusive nature.”
Afterward, at their request, Kozol wrote a more standard proposal for such a remarkably grand and distinct idea. When Papoulis, whose choir and ensemble credits feature the New York Philharmonic, Portland Symphony, Moscow Philharmonic, and the Beijing Children’s Choir, was approached, he was thrilled about the invitation. It was his suggestion to broaden the notion of collaborating with just some students and instead, “Work with every student and really receive their input” Kozol said.
Once the Performing Arts Department was bestowed the reward, the first step for Papoulis was to become acquainted with what sixth- to eighth-graders – from all eight of Brookline’s elementary schools- wanted the emotional elements of the music and lyrics to be.
“I work with thousands, and thousands, of kids every year, alongside The Foundation for Small Voices, [leading songwriting workshops with choirs from Tanzania, Kenya, to Ireland and Greece] and in a lot of those songwriting workshops, I try to write music from the vantage point of the person singing it,” Papoulis said. “I don’t want to be this adult preaching to them. To me, I got so much out of talking to Brookline’s kids. There’s no better way to understand what’s in the mind of youth than to sit in a room and ask them questions.“
Kozol witnessed a majority of those thoughtful talks in which students were encouraged to speak freely on what it is like to grow up in Brookline, their hopes, and dreams, and what kind of music they listen to (Katy Perry, Pentatonix, Cream, jazz) and their responses for composing music “ranged from many ideas, specific lyrics, melodies, and harmonic.”
It was a group of about a half-dozen students that came up with the song title, “Let Us Rise as a People,” and the themes of kindness and openness carried on as the collective dream among Brookline’s middle school student body. As Papoulis visited each school, ideas were added like building blocks, and he ended up with a notebook of 30 pages filled with notes, later to be fine-tuned as a demo and then finalized.
“Their voices are really important to have in the world, especially today with so much bizarre-ness going on. What do they make out of it? It was just so nice to hear these thoughtful messages. They were worried about the right things. The name of the song speaks to how the only way we can move forward is to unite,” Papoulis said.
Brookline High students warmly suggested adding “a D minor chord, and as we keep ‘rising’, have a major chord towards the end of the chorus,” so as to leave the audience in an aura of aspiration.
After the January concerts, in which 480 students are expected to perform together, Papoulis will collaborate with kindergarten (a new frontier for him) to fifth grade, and the creative process will be similar, with song books written from the results of what these much younger mindsets like to sing about versus what they think of the world around them.
“A Gift of Music” will be a declaration of good-natured ideals to be matched by action in 2018 and beyond. “They’ve seen all this division,” said Papoulis, “and the Brookline student dream is to be a better society.”
Students will perform “Let Us Rise as a People” on Jan. 9 and 10 at the BHS auditorium at 7 p.m. Papoulis will conduct.
The much-anticipated Blossom Bar (295 Washington Street, Brookline) will open to friends and family this evening in Brookline with a public opening tomorrow, January 3. Ran Duan — a former Eater Boston Bartender of the Year, who led the transition of his parents’ Brookline restaurant from old-school neighborhood Sichuan joint to hip cocktail bar — told Eater the space will be open from 4 p.m. until 12 a.m. to start, but that it will eventually have a 2 a.m. liquor license.
Duan, who has previously appeared in GQ’s “Men of the Year” edition, has been running the show at Baldwin Bar — the acclaimed cocktail bar inside his parents’ other restaurant, Sichuan Garden II, in Woburn — since 2009, adding The Baldwin & Sons Trading Co. in an upstairs lounge in 2015.
Duan told Eater that Blossom Bar will offer a menu of about 40 dishes, including favorites from the old Sichuan Garden such as dan dan noodles, pork dumplings with chili vinaigrette, house special eggplant, and Chongqinq dry hot chicken.
Blossom Bar has not shared its full cocktail menu yet, but the team has been posting teasers on its Instagram page. Head over to Brookline Village this weekend, drink a cocktail inspired by a notorious smuggler, and eat as many noodles and dumplings as possible.
A major water main break at the Boston-Brookline line has been cleared, Brookline police said. All roads are now open. The break, just past the Riverway Overpass, was freezing everything in the area for hours Monday night. Water service was shut off, and crews worked to break the ice that formed all around the geyser.
The break shut down Boylston Street in the area and restricted access to Huntington Avenue. The water quickly turned into ice as temperatures straddled zero degrees.
The water main broke around 7:49 p.m. on Washington Street, Brookline Police said, and service was turned off around 10:40 p.m. The break was “directly in the middle of the outbound side” leading to Route 9, the Boston Fire Department said. Both sides of Washington Street were shut down between Huntington Avenue in Boston and Pond Avenue in Brookline due to ice covering the road.
The Boston Water and Sewer Commission said around 10:15 p.m. that some area residents may lose service.
Boston, Brookline, and State Police responded to the scene. Public works employees attempted to keep ice from forming everywhere, but if you have been outside you know that is no easy task.
Meanwhile, it was not far off from where fire is spewing from the ground.
Water main break at Boston/Brookline line of route 9 @universalhub pic.twitter.com/ElwuGEF61A
— Jessica Feldish (@jessfeldish) 2 януари 2018 г.
Ivy Street School
200 Ivy Street
Brookline, MA 02446
Tel.: 617-620-7779
Tel.: 617-738-5110
Fax.: 617-738-1247
E–mail: thayes@ivystreetschool.org
URL: Ivy Street School
Since 1993, the Ivy Street School has been helping teens and young adults gain the skills they need to successfully transition to adult life. We support students overcoming the challenges of:
Our goal is to help students develop self-management and executive functioning skills so that they can lead full lives as adults. The clinical team adheres to the principals of Trauma Informed Care. Clinicians use modified versions of therapeutic techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to deliver individual and group therapy. Clinicians are also trained in Social Thinking and have areas of interest and expertise such as Transition Planning, Relaxation Techniques and Mindfulness, and Psychological Testing.
Located in a beautiful residential neighborhood in Brookline situated next to a nature reserve, we have all the resources and attractions of Boston in our back yard. Indeed, the city is the school’s second classroom. Much of our learning and therapeutic interventions takes place in the community. Our small size makes it possible for us to incorporate innovative, hands-on experiences into all aspects of day and residential school life.
Schedule a tour of the Ivy Street School to learn more about how we help students thrive. Contact Tunzel Hayes, Admissions Director, at the contact details provided above.
A two-alarm fire forced the evacuation of an apartment complex at 55 Village Way late Saturday night.
Residents, many dressed in pajamas and wrapped in blankets, stood in the frigid cold as firefighters attacked the blaze from the roof.
The smoke appeared to be coming from a top-floor unit, where a generator in a utility unit appeared to spark, residents said.
Heavy smoke filled the the building, residents said.
One resident, who identified herself only as Cheydie O., described smoke pouring from vents in her unit. She quickly fled with her two young sons, she said.
Resident Wendy MacMillan said she heard a fire alarm and grew concerned when she saw smoke filling a corridor.
As she stood outside, holding her tiny white dog, she worried if her apartment would have heat when she was allowed to go back in.
As crews were clearing the scene, Fire Chief Keith Flaherty said that he did not know if the heat would be working in the building.
Residents were allowed to return inside just before 1 a.m., however there was no heat or hot water, said Jake MacMillan, a relative of Wendy MacMillan.
Some residents coughed as they headed back into the still-smoky building.
Dive Into Watercolors Gallery 93 at the Brookline Senior Center presents “Group Meditation,” an exhibit by watercolor artist Shirley Selhub running Jan. 3 through Feb. 28. A reception for the artist will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 9, from 4 to 6 p.m. Born in Cleveland, Selhub lived in Jerusalem and Chicago before moving to Brookline in 1987. After retiring from a career as an administrator, she earned a certificate in gerontology at UMass Boston. She helped establish Discovering What’s Next, an all-volunteer program based in the Newton Free Library, to help seniors get the most from retirement. Gallery 93, located at 93 Winchester Street, Brookline, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, call 617-730-2760.
Learn About Pastel As part of the 33rd annual Almost Miniatures show, Francesca Anderson Fine Art is offering a pastel demonstration by artist Dave Kaphammer on Saturday, Jan. 6, from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission is $15 per person (cash) at the door. Please reserve a space at the demonstration by calling 781-862-0660. Francesca Adams Fine Art is located at 56 Adams Street, Lexington. For regular hours or more information, go to FAFineArt.com
Musical Tastes The Philippe Crettien Quartet performs original music from its recent CD, “November Dusk,” at Amazing Things Arts Center on Friday, Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. The group features Philippe Crettien on tenor saxophone, Patrick Mottaz on guitar, Sean Farias on bass, and Mike Connors on drums. Crettien is past artistic director of the Toulon International Jazz Festival; currently he works as jazz band director at The Rivers School in Weston. Admission is $20 general; $19 seniors 65 and over; $17 members; $10 students and children. Amazing Things Arts Center is located at 160 Hollis Street, Framingham. For tickets or more information, call 508-405-2787 or go to amazingthings.org
Circle of Friends Coffeehouse presents Danielle Miraglia singing the blues with special guests Open Book on Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. Miraglia performs an infectious stomp-box rhythm and harmonica with tunes ranging from heart-felt to socially conscious, with traces of inspiration from the Rolling Stones, Prince, and Janis Joplin. The Circle of Friends Coffeehouse is located at the First Universalist Society, 262 Chestnut St., Franklin. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. For tickets or more information, call 508-528-2541 or go to circlefolk.org.
New Year’s Fun Friends of the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge offers a New Year’s Day walk on Monday, Jan. 1, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. The walk begins at the Oxbow parking lot at Still River Depot Road in Harvard. For more information call 978-897-7567.
Verrill Farm welcomes the New Year with a Post-holiday Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, Jan. 6, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. The ticket price of $8.50 for adults, $4.50 for kids under 10 includes a hearty breakfast of pancakes, Massachusetts maple syrup, bacon or sausage, juice and milk or coffee as well as entry into a raffle for a Verrill Farm BBQ Dinner for four. No reservations necessary. Verrill Farm is located at 11 Wheeler Rd., Concord. For more information, call 978-369-4494 or go to verrillfarm.com.
The Wayland Winter Farmers’ Market begins its ninth season on Saturday, Jan. 6. More than 100 vendors will participate during the 10-week season. Special events days include Farm Fiber Days on Jan. 27 and Feb. 24; Massachusetts Farm Wineries Day on Feb. 10; and New England Cheese Day on March 3. Workshops, cooking demonstrations, and author appearances are scheduled throughout the 10 weeks. Enjoy breakfast or lunch while you browse. The market takes place every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through March 10 at Russell’s Garden Center, 397 Boston Post Road, Wayland.
Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lessened its holdings in Brookline Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:BRKL) by 7.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 106,154 shares of the bank’s stock after selling 8,000 shares during the quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can owned approximately 0.14% of Brookline Bancorp, Inc. worth $1,629,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky increased its position in shares of Brookline Bancorp, Inc. by 8.4% during the third quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 105,252 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,632,000 after purchasing an additional 8,131 shares during the period. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management, Inc. grew its position in Brookline Bancorp, Inc. by 63.7% in the third quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management, Inc. now owns 3,813,898 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $59,115,000 after acquiring an additional 1,483,727 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private, Ltd. grew its position in Brookline Bancorp by 134.0% in the third quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private, Ltd. now owns 57,481 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $891,000 after acquiring an additional 32,912 shares during the period. Cipher Capital, LP grew its position in Brookline Bancorp by 114.2% in the third quarter. Cipher Capital, LP now owns 63,292 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $981,000 after acquiring an additional 33,749 shares during the period. Finally, Municipal Employees Retirement System of Michigan grew its position in Brookline Bancorp, Inc. by 58.8% in the third quarter. Municipal Employees Retirement System of Michigan now owns 28,710 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $445,000 after acquiring an additional 10,630 shares during the period. 77.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Brookline Bancorp, Inc. (BRKL) opened at $15.85 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1,207.28, a P/E ratio of 20.32 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 1.16. Brookline Bancorp, Inc. has a one year low of $13.60 and a one year high of $17.45.
Brookline Bancorp Company Profile
Brookline Bancorp, Inc. operates as a multi-bank holding company for Brookline Bank and its subsidiaries; Bank Rhode Island (BankRI) and its subsidiaries; First Ipswich Bank (First Ipswich) and its subsidiaries, and Brookline Securities Corp. As a commercially focused financial institution with 50 full-service banking offices throughout greater Boston, the north shore of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the Company, through Brookline Bank, BankRI and First Ipswich (individually and collectively the Banks), offered a range of commercial, business and retail banking services, including cash management products, online banking services, consumer and residential loans and investment services throughout central New England, as of December 31, 2016.
The Chinese restaurant, located at 1651 Beacon Street
Brookline, MA 02445, is recently piling up a whole lot of negative reviews.
“The service was horrible. The waiter said they were getting lots of takeout orders keeping the kitchen busy. There were five of us. One entree was served and we waited at least 20-30 minutes for the second entree. That dish was cold. When the third entree didn’t arrive after another 20-30 minutes we took it to go. I won’t go back to this restaurant again.”, says a recent visitor.
Another one adds “Not going back again. It used to be a great restaurant. For the past 1-2 years, the service has been consistently bad, the food is never hot when it is brought to the table, and it’s not worth the price.”
And finally: “A special family dinner with very, very good food ruined by miserable service. After a round of drinks, our party of 4 ordered 2 appetizers and 5 dishes that we intended to share. They literally brought one dish out at a time, with about 5 minutes between each dish arrival and the next — and forgot two of our dishes. After all of the appetizers were done, then comes the fried rice, but no other dishes. Do we (a) eat it by itself, or (b) let it get cold while we wait for everything else? Well, we initially chose (b), until we realized this was how they they were serving. It wasn’t just us; the party across the aisle had what looked like a plate of lo mein show up after they were done eating everything else, and the server struggled to understand they’re request to send it back and remove it from the bill. Then, of the 4 drinks (all non-alcoholic) that we ordered during our prolonged one-dish-at-a-time meal, we only received two, but of course were charged for all 4. Not the type of service you’d expect at an upper scale and expensive restaurant.”
It is not happening. This September Lady Grace’s flagship store announced it was closing up shop after decades in Coolidge Corner. Their lease was up and the landlord had found a way to make more money it turned out. Sweetgreen the farm-to-table salad restaurant known for known for its salads and grain bowls was eyeing the location. But this November, the landlord told town officials that sweetgreen was not going to scoot into the space, after all.
Instead: Look for another bank to pop into the space, said David Leshinsky the Coolidge Corner Merchant Association president. Kara Brewton of the Brookline Planning Department said the department did not have anything official on that, though.
Cue the collective groan: Residents have been taking to social media to bemoan the large number of banks in the Coolidge Corner area. A quick google search lands: Century, Santander, Capital One Cafe, Bank of America, Brookline Bank all on Beacon Street within a couple blocks of one another.
In October, the Select Board voted to approve the application for sweetgreen to move into the space formerly occupied by Lady Grace. Plans were in the works for a new facade. But later came back in November and said they were not moving forward.
The Washington based chain, has 10 locations in the state including Chestnut Hill, is slated to open six new locations in the area, including; 60 State Street, The Seaport, and Brookline’s own Coolidge Corner.
Founded in 2007, the restaurant was created with an eye toward healthy eating, and supporting local, sustainable, and transparent growers and producers.
Baby, it’s cold outside. Actually, it’s freezing.
Record-breaking snowfalls and frigid temperatures will continue to impact the Plains, Great Lakes and Northeast, leaving a safety as well as an economic impact on these areas.
With many retailers looking forward to post-holiday sales, hopes of finishing the season on a high note may be dampened by extreme weather conditions that are likely to prevent bargain hunters from hitting the stores.
On Christmas day, Erie, PA, beat its biggest single snow day on record — 20 inches on Nov. 11, 1956 — by over a foot, according to The Weather Channel. The city’s Millcreek Mall was closed on Dec. 26 and Dec. 27, according to a shoe retailer located in the mall, who noted that business resumed today as the city continues to clean up.
At Shoe Fly, an 11-unit family shoe store in Erie, customers were back shopping today, according to department manager Jeff Theiss. Some came in looking to exchange holiday gifts. Still, Theiss said it will be tough to recoup key business lost during the storm.
Koltin Hammer, a sales associate at Achilles Running Shop, also in Erie, said he expected to see customers return to stores today. He noted that the weather did not have a huge impact on sales, however, since post-Christmas is typically a time for exchanges and gift card purchases.
Mar-Lou Shoes in Lyndhurst, Ohio, experienced snow yesterday, but since the sun returned today, it was business as usual, according to co-manager Mary Hollifield.
Like Hammer, she said many shoppers were coming in with exchanges and gift cards — typical post-Christmas activity. The store also was offering a $50 discount on Pajar boots to select customers via an email blast, with similar discounts on other brands being promoted to the general public to kick off the store’s annual year-end sale beginning on Jan. 9.
Minneapolis-based comfort retailer Shoesters, which operates a sister location in St. Paul, MN, found that today’s frigid temperatures did not deter shoppers from stopping into the store. According to sales associate Meg Ruddy, customers were exchanging gifts. A strong seller for holiday was Birkenstock sandals, despite the fact that they are not a cold weather item.
The Comfort One Shoes chain, which has a location in Washington, DC, saw today’s cold temperatures impacting foot traffic. Sales associate Masresha Zemenfes said strong winds likely had shoppers staying home. “No one wants to be outside,” she said.
In Brookline, MA, Andy Nastasi, owner of Downtown Shooz, said he is still on the fence about the effect the cold weather will have on year-end sales. While some shoppers might shy away from walking around town, the store may still see some traffic from those who walk to Brookline as a destination. “We felt [the weather] was going to kill business, but we’re not experiencing that [yet],” he said.
Based on media reports about the impacts of the new federal tax law changes that will take place for Calendar Year 2018, the Town has been inundated by taxpayers who wish to pre-pay their property taxes in Calendar Year 2017. The Town will allow pre-payment for the current fiscal year only, which includes quarterly payments due on February 1, 2018 and May 1, 2018.
The amount of the final two payments for the fiscal year is NOT the same as the first two payments, since they were estimated prior to the certification of the official tax rate. The final tax bills are now available on-line at the payment portal within the Town’s web site at brooklinema.gov/payments. The final two payments may be paid on-line, via the mail (the Town will record payments in 2017 if they are postmarked by December 31) or in person at the Office of the Tax Collector. The Tax Collector’s office is located on the main floor of Town Hall at 333 Washington Street. Their hours for the remainder of this week are Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
While accepting pre-payment of property taxes in this manner, the Town is not providing any formal advice on how these payments will affect one’s federal tax liability in 2018.
You do not a weatherman to tell you it is cold outside as it is the first thing most of us are thinking when we step outside this week. The National Weather Service has confirmed that yes, in addition to it being cold out, it’s not going away any time soon. Town officials are asking folks to remember to dress warmly and check in on elderly neighbors or those with functional needs to make sure they are safe.
An arctic air mass will bring potentially life-threatening wind chills and near record cold temperatures and even colder wind chills, which can cause frostbite in as little as 30 minutes to exposed skin. Expect wind chills to range from 15 above zero to 15 below zero over the next several days.
The Brookline Emergency Management Team is urging residents to take precautions if you must go outside, including dressing in layers and make sure your car is equipped with a cold weather gear and an emergency kit to avoid serious health issues that can come with prolonged exposure to such cold.
If you need a warming center, head to the public library (though those close at night and will not be open on New Year’s Day. Or the Public Safety Building (Aka the police station on Washington Street.)
Some handy tips:
2017 has been a packed year both nationally and locally. There was never a dull week in Brookline this year with a new story around every turn – from the ever-developing ninth school search and the closings and openings of Brookline businesses, to most recently, the retirements of Brookline Police Chief Daniel O’Leary and state Representative Frank Smizik.
Before we step forward into 2018, we look back over 2017 and identified the most read stories of 2017.
1. Decomposed body found in upscale Brookline home – January
A woman in her 70s was discovered to have been living with the partly decomposed body of her 67-year-old sister.
The sisters had been living together for years in their Clinton Road home.
A cousin visiting the 70-year-old woman discovered the body underneath a kitchen table inside the home, which officials described as in severe disrepair in an unofficial police report.
The incident put a spotlight on cases of hoarding, the mental health issues that tend to accompany them, and the fact that Brookline is not immune to them.
2. Pier 1, Lady Grace set to depart Coolidge Corner; Panera suddenly vacates – August
Coolidge Corner underwent a sea of changes as businesses including Pier 1 Imports and Lady Grace vacated their long-held storefronts this summer. Their closings followed the sudden closing of Panera Bread on Harvard Street in June, which came as an unwelcome surprise for many Brookliners including high school students, families and seniors.
Pier 1 Imports closed in August, after about 35 years occupying its Beacon Street storefront. Lady Grace, another Coolidge Corner institution followed suit, leaving its spot at the corner of Beacon Street and Centre Street due to high rent, taxes and inadequate parking, according to the store manager.
Last fall, the vacancy rate in Coolidge Corner was 5.9 percent, which is lower than the regional rate of 9.2 percent, according to Brewton. Though the vacancy rate is lower than the region, it has fluctuated widely from 1.9 percent in 2012 to 7 percent in 2009.
3. Baja Betty’s in Brookline Village to close after 20 years – March
After 20 years in Brookline Village, local institution Baja Betty’s closed up shop.
The popular eatery opened in the winter of 1997.
It was a tearful goodbye for owner Brett Albert, who said that the New England Institute of Art’s closing hit Baja Betty’s pretty hard. The students had made up a big portion of the shop’s customer base. According to Abert, Baja Betty’s time had also come.
4. Police top list of highest paid Brookline town employees – February
In 2016, the top two earners were Brookline Police officers Michael McCarthy and Robert Mayer, who took home $239,045.50 and $231,361.50 respectively.
The salary data, based on town records, was included in a database of more than 4,040 employees who collected paychecks from the town in 2016.
Brookline officers can add tens of thousands of dollars to their base salaries through education bonuses, and by working details at construction sites during off hours. Outside contractors generally pay for the details but the dollars do not count toward officers’ pensions.
As of February, 2017 more than 335 town and school employees had passed the $100,000 milestone with about a dozen employees having passed the $200,000 mark, and a couple approaching $250,000.
5. Brookline family accuses Park School of violating ADA law – January
When the Park School denied admission to Harper Oates, her family grew increasingly concerned that the school did not want her because she had disabilities; a birth injury left her a quadriplegic. They turned to the office of Acting U.S. Attorney William D. Weinreb.
Park School denied Harper admission, stating that the school did not have special education teachers, occupational therapists and other resources.
The family offered to pay for the extra services she might need, but the school still denied Harper explaining that she required additional accommodations that would fundamentally alter its educational mode.
On Sept. 15, the U.S. Attorney’s office settled with the Park School over allegations that the school violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, it was the Park School’s evaluation process, not the decision to deny Harper that violated Title III of the ADA.
Other notable stories from 2017
Though they were not among the top five most read stories, the firing of Brookline Police Officers Prentice Pilot and Estifanos Zerai-Misgun, and the town’s announcement that it would consider Pine Manor College land as a ninth school site, were both widely followed stories in Brookline this year.
1. Brookline selectmen vote to fire two police officers amidst protest – April
Despite loud protests from Brookline residents, the Select Board voted unanimously toterminate Brookline Police Officers Prentice Pilot and Estifanos Zerai-Misgun on April 14.
The decision came after both officers ignored a direct order to return to work. They had been on leave since 2015, after coming forward with allegations of racial harassment from other members of the department.
In response, the town and police department placed them on paid leave, followed by unpaid leave, while they conducted investigations and personnel training.
In February, the police chief ordered Pilot and Zerai-Misgun to return to work – an order that both officers ignored because they felt the town had not done enough to make them feel safe at work.
The hearing officer reviewing the case concluded that termination was appropriate as Pilot and Zerai-Misgun’s failure to return to work was impacting the functionality of the department.
2. Pine Manor College land on table for ninth school – September
On Sept. 26 the Select Board announced that both the board and the School Committee had voted to consider Pine Manor College land as a potential site for the ninth elementary school. The decision to consider Pine Manor College land followed obstacles facing the Baldwin site– the preferred site – related to land use restrictions.
The Board’s announcement launched heated an already contentious debate over the ninth school location, as Pine Manor College came out strongly opposed and objected to the threatened use of eminent domain.
The ninth school conversation has since continued with Town Meeting voting on Nov. 14 to appropriate funding for feasibility and design of a two-site option instead of funding design of a school at a new site only. This introduced options at other sites like Pierce and Baker.
The new federal tax law changes that will take place for Calendar Year 2018 have caused a bit of a stir at Brookline’s Town Hall, according to the Town Administrator.
Town Hall has been inundated by taxpayers looking to pre-pay their property taxes in Calendar Year 2017. The answer? You may pay the first two bills from 2018 in 2017 (which coincide with the Town’s fiscal year).
Read the statement from Brookline Town Hall:
The Town will allow pre-payment for the current fiscal year only, which includes quarterly payments due on February 1, 2018 and May 1, 2018.
The amount of the final two payments for the fiscal year is NOT the same as the first two payments, since they were estimated prior to the certification of the official tax rate. The final tax bills are now available on-line at the payment portal within the Town’s web site at brooklinema.gov.
The final two payments may be paid on-line, via the mail (the Town will record payments in 2017 if they are postmarked by December 31) or in person at the Office of the Tax Collector. The Tax Collector’s office is located on the main floor of Town Hall at 333 Washington Street. Their hours for the remainder of this week are Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
While accepting pre-payment of property taxes in this manner, the Town is not providing any formal advice on how these payments will affect one’s federal tax liability in 2018.
If you have ever wondered if you are smarter than a librarian now’s your chance. Best Burger Bar has partnered with the Brookline Public Library to host a monthly “Beat Your Librarian Trivia Night.”
Starting Tuesday, Jan. 9, the two will host trivia night on the second Tuesday of the month at the new burger joint in the village. The Burger Bar seems to be attempting to attract folks to the neighborhood weekday evenings.
Back to trivia night at the Burger Bar: Bring a team of three to six of your best (and smartest) friends to show off your trivia skills and win prizes. The event is first come, first serve so the folks at the Best Burger Bar advise you there early to claim a spot.
The owner plans to have the event run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. No word yet on what kind of prizes we’re talking about.
Best Burger Bar, situated where the old Middle Gray Cafe once was at 195 Washington Street, opened earlier this summer featuring dry-aged, casual burger bar concept featuring all natural, Certified Angus Beef burgers to Brookline Village. The burger joint also boasts a mean portabella burger, fries, diverse craft beer selection, boozy milkshakes and signature cocktails conceptualized by legendary bartender, Brother Cleve.
Matt Murphy’s also once hosted at the pub a few years back during the week days. Currently they offer free oysters Monday evening to customers between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and Magnolia does not offer a quiz night but they do offer live music starting at 8:00 p.m. every night.
Asbestos (from Greek σβεστος meaning “unquenchable” or “inextinguishable”) is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals exploited commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their asbestiform habit, long, (1:20) thin fibrous crystals.
The inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause serious illnesses, including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma (a formerly rare cancer strongly associated with exposure to asbestos), and asbestosis (a type of pneumoconiosis). Since January 1, 2005, the European Union has banned all use of asbestos and extraction, manufacture and processing of asbestos products.
For environmental samples, one must normally resort to electron microscopy for positive identification. Today, gravimetric and PCM/PLM techniques are employed. However, the latter techniques cannot readily identify the smallest, most hazardous, fibers, because they are limited to PM10 particulate size evaluation, which completely ignores ultrafine particles (UFPs).
Asbestos became increasingly popular among manufacturers and builders in the late 19th century because of its sound absorption, average tensile strength, and its resistance to heat, electrical and chemical damage. When asbestos is used for its resistance to fire or heat, the fibres are often mixed with cement or woven in fabric or mats. Asbestos was used in some products for its heat resistance, and in the past was used on electric oven and hotplate wiring for its electrical insulation at elevated temperature, and in buildings for its flame-retardant and insulating properties, tensile strength, flexibility, and resistance to chemicals.
Health Problems
The first known U.S. workers’ compensation claim for asbestos disease was in 1927. In 1930, the first reported autopsy of an asbestosis sufferer was conducted in the United States and later presented by a doctor at the Mayo Clinic, although in this case the exposure involved mining activities somewhere in South America.
In 1989 the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule which was subsequently overturned in the case of Corrosion Proof Fittings v. EPA, 947 F.2d 1201 (5th Cir. 1991). This ruling leaves many consumer products that can still legally contain trace amounts of asbestos. For a clarification of products which legally contain asbestos, read the EPA’s clarification statement.
The EPA has proposed a concentration limit of seven million fibers per liter of drinking water for long fibers (lengths greater than or equal to 5 µm). The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has set limits of 100,000 fibers with lengths greater than or equal to 5 µm per cubic meter of workplace air for eight-hour shifts and 40-hour work weeks.
Asbestos and 9/11
Over 1000 tons of asbestos is thought to have been released into the air during the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York on 9/11. Inhalation of a mixture of asbestos and other toxicants is thought to be linked to the unusually high death rate of emergency service workers from cancer since the disaster. Many thousands more are now thought to be at risk of developing cancer due to this exposure with those who have died so far being only the ‘tip of the iceberg’. Some commentators have criticised authorities for using asbestos in the Towers’ construction.
Litigation
Asbestos litigation is the longest, most expensive mass tort in U.S. history, involving more than 8,400 defendants and 730,000 claimants as of 2002 according to the RAND Corporation, and at least one defendant reported claim counts in excess of 800,000 in 2006.
Current trends indicate that the worldwide rate at which people are diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases will likely increase through the next decade.[89] Analysts have estimated that the total costs of asbestos litigation in the USA alone is over $250 billion.
The federal legal system in the United States has been faced with numerous counts of asbestos related suits, which often included multiple plaintiffs with similar symptoms. The concern with these court cases are the staggering numbers, which in 1999 recorded 200,000 cases pending in the federal court system of the United States.Further, it is estimated that within the next 40 years, the number of cases may increase to 700,000. These numbers help explain how there are thousands of current pending cases.
Recycling and disposal
In most developed countries, asbestos is typically disposed of as hazardous waste in landfill sites.
Asbestos can also be recycled by transforming it into harmless silicate glass. A process of thermal decomposition at 1,000–1,250 °C produces a mixture of non-hazardous silicate phases, and at temperatures above 1,250 °C it produces silicate glass. Microwave thermal treatment can be used in an industrial manufacturing process to transform asbestos and asbestos-containing waste into porcelain stoneware tiles, porous single-fired wall tiles, and ceramic bricks.
When State Rep Frank Smizik announced he would be stepping down after some two decades representing Brookline in the 15th Norfolk District, the question remained: Who would fill his seat?
So far, one man has officially put his hat in the ring for that job: On December 26, 2017, Brookline Town Meeting Member and Constable Tommy Vitolo formally announced his candidacy for the Massachusetts State House of Representatives.
“Now more than ever, Brookline needs a tireless advocate on Beacon Hill,” Vitolo said in his press release. “Our next State Representative will have big shoes to fill.”
Smizik announced last week he would not run for re-election in 2018. Smizik ran largely unopposed each term until 2014. But it looks like Vitolo may have some company when he runs. Someone close to Town Meeting Member Michael Burnstein’s campaign said he hadn’t ruled out a run, and some close to former Selectwoman Jesse Mermell indicated she might be considering a run, too.
Vitolo said that he wanted to build on Smizik’s legacy noting he was uniquely positioned to do so, after working closely with the representative for years as his treasurer.
“For me, that means expanding opportunity for our families and championing progressive values, from promoting social and economic justice, to supporting our educators and students, and protecting our environment,” he said in a statement.
Vitolo lives near Brookline Village with his wife Jennifer and their two children.
He has served as a Town Meeting Member since 2007 and Town Constable since 2010. He is a senior associate at Synapse Energy Economics, a research and consulting firm specializing in energy, economic, and environmental topics for public interest and governmental clients. Vitolo is a PAX board member, a member of Town Meeting’s Green Caucus and Recorded Vote Coalition, an elected Democratic Town Committee member, active in the Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts’ Brookline chapter, and served as Representative Frank Smizik’s treasurer.
The Massachusetts State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts State Legislature. The House has 160 members, who each represent one district. Primary responsibilities of a house representative include, developing budget packages, making taxation decisions, passing legislation, allocating spending, and redistricting in collaboration with other house members and the state senate, according to a description for the job online. The house has the exclusive authority to impeach state officials, who will then be tried by the senate. A house member serves a two-year term, with no limit on the number of terms served. The salary of the position is approximately $60,000 per year in addition to per diem for every day in session.
The window to file papers with the state for the position opens February 13, 2018 and those interested in running have until May 1. The election is not until November 2018. Vitolo will need 150 signatures to run for State Representative. Vitolo’s campaign treasurer is Town Meeting Member and Advisory Committee member Neil Gordon.
Once again, it is that time of the year when you get ready for Santa and some Christmas surprises. Get the Christmas tree ready, sing some carols and get ready for some feasting with your family and friends.
December 25, which is celebrated as Christmas across the globe, marks the birth of Jesus Christ who was born to Mother Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, Israel, around 2000 years ago.
On this occasion, may your hearts be filled with peace and faith in God. May your days of doubt be replaced with days of hope and cheer. May you and your family get nurtured with lots of love!
Merry Christmas to you and to your loved ones!
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name;
Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done
in earth, as it is in heaven:
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive them that trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.
The Public Schools of Brookline
Principal of the K-8 Pierce School
District Profile
The Public Schools of Brookline, with a staff of approximately 1600, supported by $109M budget, provide an extraordinary education for every child. Eight K-8 schools feed into one comprehensive high school. Brookline’s Pre K-8 system provides distinct advantages for children. Each child’s unique path to achievement is supported in academically exciting and programmatically rich environments. A dynamic, diverse community of teaching professionals works collaboratively, innovating and inspiring each other and their students. Staff gets to know students intellectually, developmentally and culturally.
The Pierce School is a K-8 public elementary and middle school located in the heart of Brookline Village. Housed in four different and truly unique buildings, the Pierce School educates over 800 students who collectively speak more than forty languages. Pierce values the diverse backgrounds from which all of our students hail and prides ourselves on the fact that, “Everyone is welcome at the Pierce School”. Pierce is a caring teaching and learning community. Our teaching and learning is grounded in equity, differentiation, collaboration, and inquiry-based activities that promote academic achievement and social-emotional well-being for all. Most importantly, Pierce lives our motto that “we are learning and growing everyday together”. The Pierce Performing Arts program presents two musicals each year, one for grades 3-6 and another for grades 7 and 8. Pierce’s active parent community and PTO sponsor a range of school-wide activities, such as the annual Pierce Picnic, the annual Book Fair, and Skate Night at Larz Anderson.
The Public Schools of Brookline is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Members of underrepresented groups and all persons committed to diversity and inclusive excellence are strongly encouraged to apply.
Job Description
The Public Schools of Brookline seek an outstanding administrator to serve as Principal of the K-8 Pierce School responsible for Educational Leadership, School Management, Professional Development, Equity and Relationships with Community.
Educational Leadership
Equity
School Management
Professional Development
Relationships with the Community
Required Qualifications:
Job Requirements: Citizenship, residency OR WORK VISA IN United States required
Salary: Highly competitive compensation packet
Application packets must include:
The posting will close on January 26, 2018
Equal Opportunity Employer
Brookline Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation, genetic information or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws. Additionally, we prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose such discrimination and harassment or who participate in an equal opportunity investigation.
The Public Schools of Brookline provide education to PreK through Grade 12 students in eight elementary schools , one comprehensive high school, and three Early Childhood Education sites with vision that guides education in all our schools. Brookline provides an extraordinary education for every child. Each child’s unique path to achievement is supported in academically exciting and programmatically rich environments. A dynamic, diverse community of teaching professionals works collaboratively, innovating and inspiring each other and their students. Staff gets to know students intellectually, developmentally and culturally. Students are encouraged to question and challenge ideas and participate as active citizens. Schools use a variety of assessments to get the fullest picture of student learning and growth over time. These data are shared regularly with the community, and they form the basis of how we understand and improve student, teacher and administrator performance. Parents are partners with the schools in supporting their children’s education, and schools communicate effectively so that parents are confident of the response to their child’s circumstances and needs. The community, well informed and involved in the schools, supports these efforts that continue a tradition of challenging ourselves to do better, efforts that ensure the enduring value of a Brookline education.
Brookline Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation, genetic information or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws. Additionally, we prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose such discrimination and harassment or who participate in an equal opportunity investigation.
There are no application questions required for this job posting.
Jill Kennedy, Administrative Assistant – Human Resources
c/o Brookline Town Hall, 5th Floor
333 Washington Street
Brookline, MA 02445
Phone: 617-730-2406
Join Monday, January 8, 2018 from 12:30 to 1:30 at the Coolidge Corner library Meeting Room.
Copies of the book to be discussed will be available at the front desk four weeks before the meeting.
To see this month’s title, please check our title list here.
If you have any questions, please contact the Coolidge Corner Circulation desk 617-730-2380.
Address:
Coolidge Corner – Meeting Room
31 Pleasant Street
Brookline, MA 02446
If you have got a hankering for frozen yogurt in Brookline you have one less option. 16 Handles has closed.
The self serve frozen yogurt shop with a name that had a nod to an iconic 80s movie showed up in Brookline in early 2013 during the frozen yogurt craze in Coolidge Corner area: The ice cream and frozen yogurt choices seemed endless with JP Licks, then 16 Handles, Berry Freeze, then Ice Berry and Yogurtland all offering FroYo. Now five years later, only JP Licks remains.
“It was the last of the frozen yogurt places,” said David Leshinsky who is president of the Coolidge Corner Merchants association. “It seems like some of these restaurants really come in waves.”
Earlier this month 16 Handles shuttered its doors. Although it’s still listed on the company website the link clicks through to a 404 message. There is no mention of the closure on Yelp or Google, there is paper is up in the window and earlier there was a rental sign in the window at 1309 Beacon. A phone call was met with a disconnected line. There was no announcement on the Brookline 16 Handles Facebook page.
The popular frozen yogurt joint was tucked between Trader Joe’s and Neena’s lighting.
Solomon Choi who grew up in the restaurant business started 16 Handles in 2008 in New York City (he was born in 1980, the movie that the shop’s name plays off of, “16 Candles,” came out in 1984).
In 2015 the chain started opening stores in the Middle East with plans to open 150 stores there in total over a decade. The franchise company had 40 locations on the east coast with an eye to expand as of two years ago.
The Brookline shop was a franchise owned by Kush Patel, whose LinkedIn profile still listed him as president but also as working in New York City with a different organization.
According to his LinkedIn profile Choi recently founded Local Leaf, which features lettuce wraps, hydrating drinks, and breakfast crepes, branded as gourmet fare in a fast casual environment.
Just last month Emack & Bolio’s ice cream closed up shop, too.
Please join us for Brookline’s celebration of the life and values of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at 3 p.m. Monday, January 15, 2018, at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. The theme for this year’s event is “The Radical King – The Fierce Urgency of Now.” Dr. Chad Williams, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of African and Afro-American Studies at Brandeis University, is our keynote speaker. Dr. King, as civil rights activist and moral leader, was much more radical in his time than he is now remembered. Dr. Williams will ask us to think about how Dr. King’s words and actions can be applied to today’s troubling times. The program will also feature the poet/performer Regie Gibson, Brookline Poet Laureate Zvi Sesling and, from Brookline High School, slam poet Carolyn Parker-Fairbain and the acapella group Testostatones.
This event is free but to guarantee a seat you must reserve a ticket beforehand. Reserved tickets are available on EventBrite here until Sunday, January 14. On the day of the event, Monday, January 15, any remaining tickets will be available only at the Coolidge Corner Theater box office when it opens.
Sign language interpretation will be provided. The Coolidge Corner Theater is accessible to persons with disabilities.
Download the event flyer.
Members of the Brookline community are encouraged to stay up-to-date on the 9th Elementary School Project.
Complete details can be found on the Public Schools of Brookline 9th Elementary School webpage here.
After representing Brookline for nearly 20 years, Frank Smizik announced this will be his last term in office. Several politically involved Brookline residents took to Twitter this afternoon to wish him well.
“He was the Representative who always made sure to represent us. He answered our calls. He came to our events. He advocated for our causes and filed bills on our behalf. And he opened his home to us alongside his incredible spouse, Julie Johnson. That’s the Frank I got to know as his constituent, and had the honor of serving as Campaign Treasurer for the past several years,” wrote Tommy Vitolo also a Town Meeting member, on his website.
Brookline Selectboard member Ben Franco said he would miss Smizik for his 18 years of dedicated public service.
“During his time in the Legislature, he has been a strong advocate for Brookline. Among his many accomplishments are passage of the Global Warming Solutions Act, the Mercury Management Act and the Green Communities Act – important legislation in the fight against climate change and increasing sustainability. I wish Representative Smizik a long healthy retirement, and hope he will remain a part of the climate change conversation for many years to come,” he said in a note to the media.
Smizik has represented the 15th Norfolk District in the State house of Representatives since he was elected in 2001 unopposed. Since he was first elected he ran unopposed until Curt Myers a young Republican, stepped up to challenge him in 2014. Smizik who sat on the School Committee member for nearly a decade and was a member of the Brookline Housing Authority before that for a decade, won by 80 percent of the vote.
Smizik serves as chairman of the new House Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change, and has been active in regard to sponsoring legislation that takes into consideration the environment and global climate change.
Smizik was born on September 4, 1944 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended Peabody High School in Pittsburgh and did his undergraduate work at the University of Pittsburgh, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in 1966. His law degree is from Duquesne University, graduating in 1971. He served for 25 years as a legal services lawyer addressing housing and other civil issues facing low income persons and was involved in landmark litigation creating rights for persons displaced by urban renewal and developed state and federal, as well as litigation strategies, to avoid homelessness.
Frank is married to Julie Johnson. They were married on January 1, 1981 and they have two children, Emma and Hallie.
A little more than a year ago the Society of Grownups, a two-year Mass Mutual experiment, abruptly shuttered its doors and took its financial literacy courses online.
The storefront space wedged between Golden Temple and Starbucks sat empty until this month when a sign went up in the window and “In Good Company” popped up, using the space, noting it, too, was a Mass Mutual endeavor.
In Good Place, according to the website is a place where people who want to improve their financial intelligence come together to get advice from experts who speak their language (the human one). It promises no jargon, no sales pitches, no three-piece suits.
The website describes it as a descendant of Society of Grownups, with a mission to continue advancing financial education in the community.
“We’re here for grownups, aspiring grownups, and even well-established grownups, because everyone wants to understand money better,” reads the website.
And right away for anyone following along at home; the big difference seems to be that unlike Society of Grownups, which was a MassMutual initiative but you had to go digging to find that in the FAQ, the space is advertised as a collaborative between MassMutual and Baystate Financial and is front and center on the website.
“You can still come to learn then leave – or learn, grab a beer, then leave – if that’s what works for you. But, if you’re ready to act on what you’ve learned, you can continue the conversation beyond the classroom with a Baystate Financial adviser,” it reads.
The first few classes listed on the calendar appear to be free and range from course on planning for the new year when it comes to finances, to financial tips when having a baby to learning the basics between stocks and bonds and mutual funds – through wine.
A free new years resolution course at 6:30 p.m. January 11. “In this class, we will help you refine your goal, give you tips and tricks on how to achieve it and develop a personalized game-plan for success.”
