Five Things You Need to Know This Week: Feb. 4-10

1. Board of Aldermen meeting

The full Board of Aldermen will meet this Monday, Feb. 4 at 7:45 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chamber at City Hall. To view the items for tonight's meeting, check out the full reports docket in the .pdf section to the right.

2. Mayor's State of the City address.

Following the Board of Aldermen's meeting on Monday, Feb. 4, Mayor Setti Warren will give the annual State of the City address in the chamber at City Hall. 

3. Programs and Services Committee to discuss ban on polystyrene-based disposable food containers

The Board of Aldermen's Programs & Services Committee will discuss a city ban on polystyrene-based disposable food containers at its meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 6. According to the docket item, which was filed by six aldermen, the ban would apply to packaging that takes place at food establishments in Newton. 

The meeting will be held at 7:45 p.m. in room 222 at City Hall. The full agenda is located in the .pdf section to the right.

4. The 2013 Newton History Series: Oak Hill Park -- A "Local Utopia"

Built by a public-private partnership to provide inexpensive housing for veterans returning from World War II, Oak Hill Park is one of Newton's hidden gems. Join resident Paul Eldrenkamp for a discussion on the neighborhood, what has changed over the years and what makes the close-knit community special. The free event will be held at the Newton Free Library on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. Visit the Historic Newton website for more information.

5. JCC wellness expo

The Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center will host a family wellness expo on Sunday, Feb. 10 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include healthy food cooking demonstrations, MYCHIP child identification kits, composting tips, free chair massages and healthy snacks. Olympic gold medalist Lenny Krayzelburg, a swimmer, will also be at the event to sign autographs. The Red Sox mascot, Wally, will be on hand for photos. The event is free and open to the public.