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Category Archives: Needham

Sunita Williams returns for school dedication

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By Amelia Tarallo  Hometown Weekly Staff It’s not every day that a town gets to dedicate a school like the new Sunita L. Williams Elementary. With its numerous media centers, its state-of-the-art classrooms, and its creative playground, the school represents a perfect educational haven for both staff and students. But it’s also not every day...
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‘We Did It for You!’ coming soon

The musical "We Did It for You!" is more than just something to entertain people. “It offers a multi-century parade of feminine genius and courage, and does it with humor and fun,” says Paul Williams, the Oscar-winning songwriter. Written by Thea Iberall, "We Did It for You!" is a charming musical that tells of the...
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Space comes to the Needham Library

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By Amelia Tarallo Hometown Staff On Thursday, September 19, kids had all their questions about space answered during the Needham Library’s Space Adventure program. Niki Apostolicas, a junior from Needham High School, began the program by having the kids introduce themselves with a few icebreakers. Each kid named their favorite planet, their favorite fruit,...
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Keating, Topham address State House

Needham veterans Tom Keating and Bill Topham, both veterans of Vietnam, were recently invited by Representative Denise Garlick and Senator Mike Rush to provide support and comments to the Veterans and Federal Affairs Committee at the Massachusetts State House on H.3206 – An Act relative to providing veteran survivor benefits. This bill was sponsored by Representative...
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Stacey Peasley teaches yoga class

By Amelia Tarallo Hometown Weekly Staff On Friday, September 13, on one of the last warm days of fall, Stacey Peasley prepared for a special class at the Needham Public Library. Many frequent visitors of the library know Peasley for the catchy tunes and fun games she often presents to Needham’s youngest citizens. On this day,...
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NHS Boosters Club readies sticker drive

The Needham High School Boosters Club’s annual sticker drive fundraiser begins the weekend of September 21. NHS student athletes will fan out all over Needham’s neighborhoods, knocking on doors, asking residents for a contribution to help support the school’s 75 athletic teams and 10 clubs. With any donation, they will receive a Rockets sticker as...
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APWA recognizes Elliot Street Bridge restoration

By Amelia Tarallo Hometown Weekly Staff When people drive over bridges, they tend to avoid thinking about their structural safety. But every engineer knows that every bridge needs a tune-up here and there to ensure its safety. The Elliot Street has been driven over by thousands over the last 162 years since its creation, which has made...
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New York Voices playing Great Hall

Needham's Great Hall Concert Series will welcome the New York Voices on September 14 at 8:00 p.m. The New York Voices (NYV) are Kim Nazarian, Peter Eldridge, Lauren Kinhan, and Darmon Meader. 2019 marks the New York Voices' 31st anniversary, and they show no signs of slowing down. This internationally-acclaimed vocal group has refined its musical...
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What’s in a name – Needham’s schools

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By Shelly Santaniello Hometown Weekly Correspondent The Sunita L. Williams Elementary School has opened. This is a significant event for the town. Needhamites probably can’t help but be impressed with the big, beautiful structure as they drive by. They may wonder what it looks like inside, how many lucky students will attend, and how it...
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Seven Eagle Scouts recognized in Needham

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On Thursday, August 15, Troop 10 celebrated an Eagle Scout Court of Honor for seven of their recent Eagle Scouts at Powers Hall in the Town Hall. Those Eagle Scouts included Cyrus Kurd, Justin Rocco Ochalla, Andrew McCaffrey Atallah, Kevin Patrick Grady, Andrew Patsios, Daniel Stephen Habermas and Nicholas Peter Savage. Scoutmaster John Reichard...
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COA hosts delectable cooking demonstration

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By Amelia Tarallo Hometown Weekly Staff They say that there is no better way to get to know someone than by sharing a meal with them. On Wednesday, August 28, participants who signed up got to chat and follow along with Needham’s Council on Aging Director of Aging Services LaTanya Steele as she made...
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Launching Scholars gives kids leg up

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By James Kinneen Hometown Weekly Reporter Doing math in the summer and staying past the bell to do even more math during the school year, all in hopes of eventually learning calculus, is such a nightmare to most students that when a group of kids from an impoverished LA high school did it, they...
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Needham learns about Real ID

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By James Kinneen Hometown Weekly Reporter Starting in October of 2020, you will no longer be able to fly domestically (or get into federal buildings) using your Massachusetts license. Instead, you will need to either renew your license (or Mass ID) to become a federal Real ID-compliant one, or get a replacement license that...
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Needhamites return from STC Lebanon trip

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Recently, Save the Children’s Boston Leadership Council members and Needham residents Joe Ramrath and Zoher Ghogawala travelled to Lebanon, along with Sejal Srinivasan, Mahsa Khanbabai and Paige Hornor, to witness firsthand the challenges faced by Syrian refugees. These dedicated and passionate advocates traveled across the world learn about the help being provided by...
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Droid-making workshop electrifies library

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By Amelia Tarallo Hometown Weekly Staff Any person who has ever seen “Star Wars” knows the feeling of wanting to have a droid of one’s own. Whether it’s the worrisome C3-PO, the talkative but helpful R2-D2, the small and sassy BB-8, or one of the hundreds of others from the “Star Wars” universe, there...
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New Legacy Swing gets crowd dancing

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By James Kinneen Hometown Weekly Reporter While it wasn’t a swing dancing concert, on Thursday night at the Memorial Park gazebo, New Legacy Swing had at least one couple dancing - and pretty much everyone in the crowd bobbing their heads along to American favorites like “Blue Skies” and “Fly Me to the Moon.” Based...
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Kalmia Garden Club awards scholarships

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The Kalmia Garden Club awarded scholarships to Noah Ramos of Needham High School and William Humberstone of Norfolk Agricultural High School in Walpole. Both students are Needham residents interested in horticulture and related fields. Noah Ramos will be attending UMass Amherst in the fall, majoring in the Animal Science program. He will be working at...
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Circle of Hope receives generous grant

Circle of Hope has announced it has received a $12,000 grant from the MAXIMUS Foundation. The grant will support Circle of Hope’s mission to promote health and dignity for homeless individuals and families in Boston and MetroWest by providing clothing, toiletries, linens, shoes, and coats. Circle of Hope is based in Needham and makes eight to...
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Puppets’ intergalactic journey out of this world

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By Amelia Tarallo Hometown Weekly Staff Puppeteer Sparky Davis was ready to entertain her audience on Wednesday, July 24. The Needham Library’s Community Room was filled with excited children and parents, waiting to see three short puppet plays. This show focused on stories featuring outer space elements: “A Trip to the Moon,” “The Wind and...
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