NEWTON, MASS. (WHDH) - After city crews removed the green, white, and red center lines along Adams Street in Newton, community members came together Wednesday night to take part in the first night of the city’s annual Italian-American Festival.
The four-day festival comes less than a month after road crews worked to wipe away a sign of community pride that was the green, white, and red lines that appeared on some Newton Streets.
The colors were meant to recognize the deep Italian roots in Nonatum, one of Newton’s 13 villages. And every year residents would come out to repaint them to make sure they were at their brightest for the festival.
Mayor RutheAnne Fuller said the city was just following state law and noted Adams Street is a main road. Regulations require yellow dividing lines.
Now, thanks to some rebellious city residents, the green, white, and red center lines are back in place, and Festival Chairman Chuck Proia says organizers are ready to put the controversy behind them and focus on the festivities.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re Italian, it doesn’t matter if you’re Catholic, it doesn’t matter if you’re from this neighborhood, when you come down here, you’re a part of our family,” he said.
Police say one person has been cited for painting the lines back along the roadway.
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