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Category Archives: Needham

Gorse Mill hosts open studios 

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

Gorse Mill Studios, a Needham artist co-op — and one of town’s hidden gems — opened its doors over the weekend of December 17 and 18 for its holiday open studios event. The event brought dozens of artists together to share their work and inspire...

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NWC house tour dazzles, delights

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

There’s no place like home for the holidays, and Needham homes are dazzled with sparkling lights and inflatable lawn ornaments once again. 

To bring attention to the creativity of the community, 32 homes are currently featured in the Needham Women’s Club’s (NWC)...

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Betty Hood dances with Needham seniors

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

Betty Hood has been teaching ballroom dance for over twenty years. Working primarily from her studio at home, Hood makes time to teach local community groups the art of dance — namely, the Needham seniors at the Center at the Heights. 

She...

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NCT’s ‘Shrek’ wows on Needham stage

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

Directed and choreographed by Marianne Lonati with musical direction from Alan Rodi, Needham Community Theatre’s “Shrek the Musical” gifted audiences a professional-quality production that was enjoyed by all.

The story, based on the Dreamworks film, centers around Shrek, a lonely ogre who...

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The wonder of Walton’s watercolors

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

Local Needham artist Nancy Motley Walton periodically opens her doors to the public for her holiday exhibit and sale. She did so on Saturday and Sunday of November 20 and 21, transforming the first floor of her home into a spectacular one-woman gallery. On the...

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Rivers Symphony Orchestra wows Needham

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

The overcast Sunday skies of November 13 provided the backdrop as Needham locals to made their way to Powers Hall for a special performance of the Rivers Symphony Orchestra. The Town Hall has a rich historic significance of its own, and lent some of its...

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NAA juried show exhibits local ingenuity

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

Well-seasoned Needhamites know that the Needham Free Public Library (NFPL) has much to offer. With books and events aplenty, there is one more exceptional highlight to upgrade the cultural aspect of your next library trip: a new art exhibit has reached NFPL, and it features...

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Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Past and Present

By Tom Keating
Hometown Weekly Contributor

My Vietnam War was a mix of crushing heat and tremendous rain, long days working, and rocket and sapper attacks at our base. I worked as an administrative clerk for the 47th Military History Detachment, and later for the general staff at USARV HQ in...

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Author Kamali speaks at Needham Library

By Cameron Small
Hometown Weekly Correspondent

This past Sunday, the Needham Free Public Library, in partnership with the Friends of the Needham Library, hosted award-nominated author Marjan Kamali. Kamali spoke about her writing journey, provided writing tips, read a passage from her latest novel, and held a Q&A session prior to...

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NFPL celebrates Halloween with Peasley concert

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

Photos by Lauren Schiavone

Children's entertainer Stacey Peasley is no stranger to Needham Free Public Library -- she's visited multiple times over the years, and has built a following amongst the town's littlest residents.

It goes without saying, then,...

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NRN increasing belonging, countering hate

On the first Thursday of every month, leaders from a diverse set of stakeholder and identity groups in Needham come together to get to know each other as individuals, share and listen to each other’s perspectives, build trust, and acquire skills in communicating around differences.

The group calls itself the...

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Randa Khuri’s watercolors inspire at library

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

Artist Randa Khuri, former nurse and flutist, now sees the world through watercolor — and her vision is on display in the Needham Free Public Library. Khuri’s current exhibit is located on the second floor of the library, illuminating the west wall with gorgeous still-lifes,...

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Quinobequin Quilt show impresses community 

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

The Quinobequin Quilters Guild held its biennial 2022 Quilt Show over the weekend of October 21 and 22. Held in the Needham Masonic Hall, one hundred and forty nine quilts were displayed to inspire the community.

The Quinobequin Quilters have been working...

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Seniors share casserole at cooking class

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly

Photos by Lauren Schiavone

Needham seniors recently shared an afternoon cooking class at the Center for the Heights (CATH) on Tuesday, October 11. The afternoon provided the opportunity for those in attendance to learn a simple vegetarian meal that contains multiple servings —...

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Larsen Historical Society exhibit opens

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

Bob Larsen became well-known as an illustrator in Needham. A commercial artist with work in advertising and non-profit campaigns, his work spans over six decades — and as an individual involved in many local organizations including the VFW, town committees, and the Exchange Club, Larsen’s...

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Needhamites paint community mural

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

The MBTA tunnel connecting DeFazio Field and Pollard Middle School is typically a hotspot for graffiti, but the community has hopes of changing that — and to that end, Needham Youth & Family Services (NY&FS) recently invited Needhamites to contribute to a collaborative mural.

Needham catches the pickleball bug

By Cameron Small
Hometown Weekly Correspondent

Over the past five years, per NBC news, pickleball has grown in popularity. The COVID-19 pandemic has exponentially expanded global awareness of pickleball, a game first played in the 1960s in England, and it now seems to be to 2022 what “Pokemon Go” was to...

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‘Metamorphosis’ exhibit fascinates at Gorse Mill 

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and artist Adina Troen-Krasnow’s “Metamorphosis” is an experience to behold. Troen-Krasnow transformed color and texture, creating a space for reflection and connection in her latest exhibit at Gorse Mill Studios, which has been up since mid-August.

Kids join Hugh Hanley’s circle of friends

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

Young children accompanied by caregivers made a trip to Needham Free Public Library on a sunny Thursday morning, August 18. The 10 a.m. wake-up call was well worth it, as they welcomed special guest Hugh Hanley for a storytime and songs.

Hanley,...

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Needham kids read to Tucker

By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff

As the summer winds down, many Needhamites are spending their last sunny days in the throes of leisure time. Many are relaxing by the pool, perhaps catching up on summer reading or finishing a particularly gripping read. Some, in preparation for back-to-school time, are getting...

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