Betsy Shure Gross was a tireless environmental and social justice advocate—a “rebel with a cause,” as she said in a 2001 interview with the Jewish Women’s Archive. When Shure Gross moved to Brookline in 1971, she grew enchanted by the Emerald Necklace, one of the many Frederick Law Olmsted-designed parks where she felt “democracy was… Continue reading Family, colleagues remember Betsy Shure Gross, activist and Olmsted advocate who helped revitalize Brookline’s parks
Author: Celeste Alcalay
Are the bus lanes near Brookline Village working? Town, MBTA say they need six more months to find out
A key town board on Wednesday recommended extending a controversial bus-only lane pilot near Brookline Village for at least another six months to allow the town and MBTA to keep testing out the concept. The “Gateway East” project laid down a bus-only lane last July that runs in both directions of Washington Street between Station… Continue reading Are the bus lanes near Brookline Village working? Town, MBTA say they need six more months to find out
In ‘Buy Nothing’ Facebook groups, Brookline’s gift economy thrives
From doorknobs to limited edition hot dog-themed Red Sox hats, Brookline’s gift economy is thriving, helping residents furnish their apartments and even adopt aquatic pets. Buy Nothing—-a global movement started in 2013 by two friends, Rebecca Rockefeller and Liesel Clark, in Bainbridge Island, Washington, to reduce waste—-encourages 7.5 million participants internationally to offer and ask… Continue reading In ‘Buy Nothing’ Facebook groups, Brookline’s gift economy thrives
Two jewelry businesses try out a Harvard Street storefront as part of Project Pop-Up
FindingYoyo and AuraBead, two small businesses with unique takes on jewelry design, have moved into an incubator space in Coolidge Corner, as part of the fourth round of Project Pop-Up Brookline. The partnership between the company UpNext and the town enables budding entrepreneurs to try out a brick-and-mortar storefront for several months, subsidizing a portion… Continue reading Two jewelry businesses try out a Harvard Street storefront as part of Project Pop-Up
Trash piles up at some Brookline businesses and apartment buildings after two weeks of Republic Services strike
Dumpsters outside some of Brookline’s restaurants and apartment complexes are piling high with trash as contract talks between waste management company Republic Services and its workers drag on. Republic has 160 commercial customers in Brookline, Commissioner of Public Works Erin Chute told the Boston Globe. Roughly 30 of those customers are restaurants, and another 20 are… Continue reading Trash piles up at some Brookline businesses and apartment buildings after two weeks of Republic Services strike
Brookline retailers scramble to adapt to Trump’s tariffs
When the Trump administration ramped up its rollout of global tariffs in early spring, Eureka Puzzles and Games saw the wholesale price of one of its most popular items surge. Metal Earth 3D modeling kits, distributed and produced by the Seattle-based company Fascinations Inc., are manufactured in China, along with 76 percent of U.S. toys… Continue reading Brookline retailers scramble to adapt to Trump’s tariffs
Recreation Department set to take over BACE programming
The Recreation Department is finalizing a plan to take over public education programming for Brookline adults, children and seniors, previously offered through the nonprofit Brookline Adult and Community Education. Tim Davis, the town’s recreation director, gave the update at a Park and Recreation Commission meeting on Tuesday. Discussions between BACE, the School Committee and the… Continue reading Recreation Department set to take over BACE programming
Meet the 91-year-old Brookline philanthropist and scientist on a quest to develop artificial blood
André Danesh came to the U.S. in 1956 with $67, a Persian carpet and the words of a family friend in his ear: “Gold is everywhere. The people are rich. One day you’re washing windows and the next you’ll be driving a Cadillac.” When Danesh, an Iranian Jew and a transfer student from the University… Continue reading Meet the 91-year-old Brookline philanthropist and scientist on a quest to develop artificial blood
After developer’s $3m offer, town races to save affordable housing for people with disabilities
The town is up against a September deadline to find an affordable housing sponsor to purchase a lodging house that serves tenants with intellectual and developmental disabilities, after a private developer made a $3 million offer to buy the property at 16 Williams Street. The Barry L. Price Rehabilitation Center has operated the property for… Continue reading After developer’s $3m offer, town races to save affordable housing for people with disabilities
News in brief: Public health director departs, community fridge to reopen, a new tree manager
Sigalle Reiss, Brookline’s public health director, will step down on July 1 after more than three years in the role. She will join the consulting firm BME Strategies as Director of Public Health to support local health departments across the state. Reiss told Brookline.News that the departure was “bittersweet.” “I joined Brookline during a challenging… Continue reading News in brief: Public health director departs, community fridge to reopen, a new tree manager
Brookline celebrates Juneteenth with annual block party
Brookliners, a few wearing glittery cowboy hats and neckerchiefs, waited their turns to ride a bucking mechanical bull outside the Ridley School at this year’s Texas-themed Juneteenth block party. Juneteenth, a federal holiday since 2021, commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, received the news they were free, two years after… Continue reading Brookline celebrates Juneteenth with annual block party
Coolidge Corner Theatre union gathers boycott support as contract talks continue
Over a year after it was formed and still without a contract, the union representing workers at the Coolidge Corner Theatre is collecting signatures for a pledge drive intended to gauge public support for a potential boycott of Brookline’s cinema. The Coolidge Corner Theatre Union (CCTU) has garnered over 400 signatures since it launched the… Continue reading Coolidge Corner Theatre union gathers boycott support as contract talks continue
MBTA Green Line C Branch construction to begin this fall, bringing ADA upgrades and major disruptions to Beacon Street
The MBTA is slated to start construction on the Green Line C Branch as early as September. The Green Line accessibility project will elevate and widen platforms to ensure that street-level stations comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Town officials are warning of disruption to traffic, limited sidewalk access along a large stretch… Continue reading MBTA Green Line C Branch construction to begin this fall, bringing ADA upgrades and major disruptions to Beacon Street
Food, art and community feature at Brookline’s second annual Eid Fair
On a rainy Saturday afternoon, the smell of kebabs and samosas wafted through the air outside town hall. At Brookline’s second annual Eid Fair, locals and out-of-town visitors celebrated Eid al-Adha—-the holiday marking the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca—with traditional food, music and Islamic art. Brookline Muslim Friends hosted the festival, officially sponsored… Continue reading Food, art and community feature at Brookline’s second annual Eid Fair
Five art exhibitions to check out around Brookline this summer
When Praise Shadows art gallery first opened its doors, Senior Manager Jayna Mikolaitis recalled that some visitors were surprised to see a gallery space in Coolidge Corner. “I think a lot of people in the neighborhood were used to going to museums and paying admission,” Mikolaitis said. “They would peek their heads and be like,… Continue reading Five art exhibitions to check out around Brookline this summer
The best books of 2024, according to Brookline’s librarians and booksellers
What was Brookline reading in 2024? To find out, we got data from the Brookline Public Library, and talked to some of its staff, along with getting recommendations from local booksellers. Top 10 Brookline Public Libraries borrowed titles, in print: The all-fiction list includes tales of forbidden love and an account of a New England… Continue reading The best books of 2024, according to Brookline’s librarians and booksellers
At Jamie’s Ice Cream Co., culinary curiosity and a love for sweet treats helped build a thriving business
When Jamie Siracusa’s café Brothers & Sisters Co. was reduced to a take-out window during the Covid-19 pandemic, the young entrepreneur, not one to sit with idle hands, began concocting ice cream recipes in her back kitchen. As an avid consumer, a “one-ice-cream-a-day kind of girl,” she had always been curious about the science behind… Continue reading At Jamie’s Ice Cream Co., culinary curiosity and a love for sweet treats helped build a thriving business
Taking ‘baby steps’ to net-zero: Local groups aim to educate residents on electrifying their homes
In June 2022, local climate group Mothers Out Front convened for a regularly scheduled brunch to tackle a problem. Brookline had set a goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. But residents who wanted to phase out home appliances powered by fossil fuels were unsure of where to begin. A year later on Brookline… Continue reading Taking ‘baby steps’ to net-zero: Local groups aim to educate residents on electrifying their homes
How the basement of Brookline’s Veteran’s Post turned into a hotspot for local jazz
A sandwich board that reads “The POSTunderground,” resting against the doorway of Brookline’s Veterans Post for most of the week, stands upright on Friday night as jazz thrums in the background. The basement of the building, home to the local American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), has no elevated stage, so musicians… Continue reading How the basement of Brookline’s Veteran’s Post turned into a hotspot for local jazz