Category Archive for "Needham"

Behind the Scenes of Masterpiece

B y Audrey Anderson Hometown Weekly Reporter The Friends of Needham Public Library sponsored a talk by Susanne Simpson, the Executive Producer of GBH’s popular series, Masterpiece. Simpson shared some fascinating behind-the-scenes stories and news about shows being developed. The Community Room was filled with fans of the series, who listened intently to Simpson’s experiences and expressed their...

Artificial Intelligence: Uses and Detection

By Audrey Anderson Hometown Weekly Reporter Needham native and Boston University Journalism Senior Bella Gonzalez shared her research into the positive and negative effects of artificial intelligence (AI) and how to identify AI fakes, as she presented her evening program in the NFPL’s Community Room. Gonzalez started her presentation by sharing an example of a $25 million scam...

By Paul Vozzella Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter Very few athletes can say they have reached the mountain top, and even fewer can say they did it in the final game of their career. Needhamite Will Dorion is one of those athletes. The standout basketball player finished his collegiate career with a win in the Division III National...

By Audrey Anderson Hometown Weekly Reporter Judith Kalaora, Artistic Director of History at Play, presented “Rendezvous with Rachel,” an historical play about Rachel Revere at the Needham Free Public Library (NFPL). Kalaora portrayed Rachel as she prepared to leave Boston weeks after her husband, Paul Revere, left on his historic ride. Rachel had concerns, and she talked...

Schwartz and Pillar discuss The Legacy of Morrie

By Julia Beauregard Hometown Weekly Editor The Needham Free Public Library hosted photographer Heather Pillar and writer/producer Rob Schwartz to discuss The Legacy of Morrie. Who is Morrie Schwartz? For those unfamiliar, Morrie Schwartz is the titular figure from the world famous memoir, “Tuesdays with Morrie,” by Mitch Albom. Morrie was a professor of sociology at Brandeis University...

The Needham Speech and Debate Team closed out the regular season with a 3rd palace finish at the Speech/Congress Tournament in Walpole and 5th place finish in debate at Boston Latin March 28, 29 and April 5 2025. Senior Mia Maffeo won glitter in three different events, including the state championship in play reading. She and...

By Alana DiPlacido Hometown Weekly Reporter On March 30th, as Women’s History Month was nearing its end, the Women in World Jazz led the audience at Needham Free Public Library (NFPL) on a musical tour through the history of women’s contributions to jazz worldwide. The Women in World Jazz, a Newton-based jazz group, state that the goal...

By Julia Beauregard Hometown Weekly Editor The Needham Free Public Library (NFPL) hosted an evening discussion featuring a panel of local authors. These novelists discussed their experiences with writing and publishing their works. The panel featured two Needham High School alumnae, Janis Robinson Daly and Julia Corbett Davis, alongside Needham High School history teacher Jenn Bouchard. This...

Daley discusses mass murders in Massachusetts

By Audrey Anderson Hometown Weekly Reporter Christoper Daley returned to the NFPL Community Room with his True Crime series. For the second talk in the series, Daley focused on Mass Murderers: Massachusetts’ Most Infamous Murder Cases. Daley’s first story was about Jesse Pomeroy, who first stripped, beat, and tortured the boys in an outhouse at Powderhorn Hill in...

By Paul Vozzella Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter Winter was lingering on Sunday morning, but that did not stop citizens from rocketing around town. The 4th annual Needham Boosters Club Rocket Run was a success as close to 200 Needhamites made their way through the streets to participate in the 5 kilometer run and 1 mile walk. The Needham...

Sunita Williams returns to Earth after 9 months

By Julia Beauregard Hometown Weekly Editor After being stuck in space for the last nine months, NASA astronaut and Needham native Sunita Williams safely returned back to earth on Tuesday, March 18. Williams mission was originally only supposed to take eight to ten days. Williams set off for space on June 5, 2024 heading to the International Space...

By Julia Beauregard Hometown Weekly Editor 2025 is the 16th year of Needham’s Art in Bloom. This exhibit was molded after the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston’s annual spring Art in Bloom presentation. Inspired by garden club members Sue Kaplan and Allison Shapiro, the Beth Shalom Garden Club aimed to create a community event that brought together...

Dr. Landsmark’s role in race relations in Boston

By Audrey Anderson Hometown Weekly Reporter A large crowd assembled as Dr. Theordore Landsmark visited the Needham Free Public Library to talk about his lifetime of experience in public policy and urban affairs in Boston working to uplift the lives of minorities. Dr. Landsmark’s visit was intended to take place earlier in Black History Month, but, because...

By Lenny Strauss Hometown Weekly Reporter The Eephus is one of the rarest pitches thrown in baseball, known for its exceptionally low speed and ability to catch a hitter off guard. Former Pittsburg Pirate Maurice Van Robays, who coined the name, stated that the "Eephus ain't nothing, and that's a nothing pitch." In Hebrew, the word "efes"...

By Alana DiPlacido Hometown Weekly Reporter A group of interested audience members gathered in Needham Free Public Library’s (NFPL) Community Room to hear author Paul Fisher speak. Fisher, a Wellesley College professor of American Studies and an author of multiple books, had come to speak about the James’ family and their relationship with the popular movement of...

High Rock teacher arrested on child pornography charges

By Julia Beauregard Hometown Weekly Editor Needham Public Schools Superintendent Daniel E. Gutekanst informed families on Friday, March 7 that Michael Ciccolella, a 46 year old teacher at High Rock Middle School, has been charged with possession and distribution of child pornography. Ciccolella has been employed by Needham Public Schools since 2008, but has been immediately placed on...

Needham’s First Poet Laureate previews new book

By Audrey Anderson Hometown Weekly Reporter Needham’s first Poet Laureate, Anne E. G. Nydam, discussed the goals of her town position and previewed her new book, “Bitter-Sweetness and Light: A Collection of Stories, Poems, and Art,” at the Needham Free Public Library. Nydam was appointed in December 2024 as Poet Laureate of the Town of Needham, after submitting...

by Audrey Anderson Hometown Weekly Reporter The Needham Free Public Library and the Needham Public School Library hosted the 3rd Annual K-12 Needham Community Writing Contest reception and awards ceremony on Thursday, February 27, at NFPL. Student writers, their parents, and their siblings packed into the Community Room to celebrate the winners and recognize everyone who had...

By Audrey Anderson Hometown Weekly Reporter Since the movie “Bonnie and Clyde” was released in 1967 with Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty in the lead roles, the public has been fascinated by the story of the two young outlaws and their exploits. The movie painted a glamorized and simplified version of their story; however, their real lives...

By Audrey Anderson Hometown Weekly Reporter The first public reading of the play “If the Walls Could Talk” was presented in in an exciting joint venture of the Needham Community Theatre and the Needham Diversity Initiative to present a program combining local significance, the arts, and social justice. “If These Walls Could Talk,” written by Dawn Carroll and...

Category Archives: Needham

Behind the Scenes of Masterpiece

Artificial Intelligence: Uses and Detection

From Needham to NCAA glory

Rachel Revere’s side of the story

Schwartz and Pillar discuss The Legacy of Morrie

Needham Speech and Debate Shines

NFPL hosts Women in World Jazz

Needham authors discuss Publishing 101

Daley discusses mass murders in Massachusetts

Rocket Run blasts past $14K goal

Sunita Williams returns to Earth after 9 months

16th annual Needham Art in Bloom

Dr. Landsmark’s role in race relations in Boston

Needham native stars in “Eephus”

Discussions on spirituality at NFPL

High Rock teacher arrested on child pornography charges

Needham’s First Poet Laureate previews new book

Celebrating writers at NFPL

The Real Bonnie and Clyde

Social justice reading at Powers Hall

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