WNTN in Auburndale

[Eli Polonsky]

I grew up mostly in Newton (Newtonville), and in addition to
my sporadic and part-time radio work, I've driven a taxicab
in Newton for over 30 years, so I know the area quite well.

West Newton is certainly a village, with it's own P.O. 02465

The small neighborhood of Thompsonville has become somewhat 
archaic. Old timers in the area say they're in Thompsonville, 
but younger residents consider it as part of Newton Centre.

Newton Corner didn't appear on maps until recent decades.
Residents always called the area Newton Corner, but street 
directories still simply call the area just "Newton", and 
the Newton Corner intersection (the rotary bridges over the 
Pike by the Sheraton) was labeled "Nonantum Square" on maps
until a few decades ago, though it's over a mile from the
heart of the village Nonantum along Watertown St. (Rte. 16).
(I guess the Pike actually took away the old "Nonantum Sq.")

And, many residents (including older ones) call the area in
between Newton Corner and Newton Centre simply "Newton".

"Four Corners" isn't officially a village, though some may
claim to live there. It's the area immediately around the 
intersection of Beacon and Walnut streets, which once had a 
gas station on all "four corners", though in the past few 
decades that has dwindled to only one station remaining. I
think the area is actually part of the village of Newton 
Highlands, though it also borders Newton Centre and Waban.

I remember WNTN's early days on the air in 1968 as a full-
service suburban MOR music daytimer. I was upset that, on
my cheap Radio Shack transistor radio, WNTN bled all over 
WMEX, which was weak in Newton. I don't remember WNTN ever 
ID'ing as Auburndale, though. 

It seems strange to me if they had ever claimed their 
address was Auburndale, because street guides list their
street Rumford Ave. as being in West Newton, although
Lexington St. immediately south of it is in Auburndale.
Rumford, and Lexington St. north to the Waltham line, is 
considered to be in West Newton rather than Auburndale. 

EP


> From:	"David Tomm" <nostaticatall@charter.net>
> CC:	boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org
> To:	"John Mullaney" <john@minutemancomm.com>
> Date:	Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:51:31 -0500
> Subject:	Re: WNTN in Auburndale
>
> I didn't make them up.  I took the list off the town website.
>
> http://www.mass.info/newton.ma/description.htm
>
> I just assumed they would have had the list correct.  I thought it 
> looked strange that West Newton wasn't listed, but wasn't sure if it 
> was considered an official village or not.

On Jan 30, 2008, at 3:40 PM, John Mullaney wrote:

>  You made up a couple.... I like Thomasville
>
> It is...
>
> 1. Nonantum
> 2. Newton Corner
> 3. West Newton
> 4. Newtonville
> 5. Newton Upper Falls
> 6. Newton Lower Falls
> 7. Auburndale
> 8. Waban
> 9. Newton Centre
> 10. Oak Hill
> 11. Thompsonville
> 12. Chestnut Hill
> 13. Newton Highlands
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Tomm
> Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 2:19 PM
> To: ssmyth@psualum.com
> Cc: boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org
> Subject: Re: WNTN in Auburndale
>
> There are thirteen villages in Newton:  Auburndale, Chestnut Hill, Four
> Corners, Newton Centre, Newton Corner, Newton Highlands, Newton Lower 
> Falls, Newton Upper Falls, Newtonville, Nonantum, Oak Hill, Thomsonville 
> and Waban.
>
> -Dave Tomm
> "Mike Thomas"