Gorse Mill Studios opening doors
LWV encouraging women to speak out
On Sunday, November 13, the League of Women Voters welcomed 20 Needham women to participate in the workshop “Public Speaking for Women Activists.” Tina Packer, a professional Shakespearean actress and director, led the workshop. Ms. Packer is the founding artistic director of “Shakespeare and Company” in the Berkshires, where she served in that capacity for...
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Human Rights Forum continues in December
The next forum in the Needham Human Rights Series, “Stopping the Rising Tide of Hate,” will be held on Saturday, December 2, from 4-6 p.m. at the Congregational Church of Needham, 1154 Great Plain Avenue.
The keynote speaker will be Lecia Brooks, who leads the Southern Poverty Law Center’s outreach efforts on key initiatives and social...
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Garden Club hosting wreath/arrangement sale
The Needham Garden Club will be holding its annual sale of holiday wreaths and table arrangements at the Needham Congregational Church, 1180 Great Plain Ave., from 9:00-1:00 on Saturday, Dec 2.
The community is welcomed to see all the hand crafted wreaths and a wide variety of creative and unique arrangements for the holidays. The...
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Needham High takes back the night
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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On November 16, an outstanding group of over sixty Needham High School students hosted the eleventh annual Take Back the Night event in the school’s cafeteria. Although it’s a painful and uncomfortable subject to broach, the evening spreads awareness for sexual assault and domestic abuse.
With REACH Beyond Domestic Violence...
J is for Jerry Pallotta
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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
A for apple, B for ball, C for cat… isn’t that how most alphabet books go?
Not anymore, thanks to children’s author Jerry Pallotta, who has written over 75 books, many of which are alphabet books. Pallotta is the author of refreshing and intricate alphabet books like “The Icky Bug...
Honors Chorus sings for those who served
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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Every week, a group of fourth and fifth graders from each of the five Needham elementary schools meet up to rehearse a collection of songs. These students are dedicated singers and successfully landed a spot in the Needham Elementary Honors Chorus after auditioning at the beginning of the school...
Women in World Jazz coming to library
The Friends of the Needham Public Library will present Women in World Jazz, on Sunday, November 19, at 2:00 p.m., in the Library’s Community Room.
Women in World Jazz brings together women of different nationalities with extensive experience in performance and education. The music is easy to relate to, diverse, and danceable. All members of the...
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NCT presenting ‘Oliver!’ in November
Needham Community Theatre (NCT) will open its 2017-2018 season with the production of "Oliver!", a musical based on Charles Dickens’ highly acclaimed masterpiece about a young orphan boy caught up in the troubles and turbulence of 19th century city streets. The production is directed by Marianne Lonati and musical direction by Alan Rodi.
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Circle of Hope brings families together
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Needham-based nonprofit Circle of Hope hosted its second annual family event, Full Circle, Saturday morning on Needham Town Common.
Each child received a “Passport of Giving” and collected stamps as they moved through different stations created by Circle of Hope Board Vice Chair Clair Windsor and her leadership team, Claire Steigner, Christine Holland, and...
Needham’s Cuddy spearheading Shoebox Project
Julia Cuddy is a 16-year-old junior at Needham High School. This past fall, she was chosen to hold the role of Boston Local Coordinator for The Shoebox Project for Shelters. The Shoebox Project for Shelters is a public charity that collects and distributes gifts in the form of shoeboxes to women who are homeless or...
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Students Paint the School Pink
Monsignor Haddad Middle School in Needham held a Paint the School Pink Day in support of the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer initiative. For a small donation, students were invited to dress out of uniform as long as they wore pink attire in the spirit of the day. Prizes were awarded for...
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Temple Aliyah opens solar array
Needham’s Temple Aliyah has installed an 81 kilowatt (kW) solar energy system on the synagogue’s roof. The solar array consists of 265 photovoltaic (PV) panels and is expected to produce 85,170 kilowatt hours (kwH) of energy annually. The power generated will cover 92 percent of the synagogue’s energy needs. It is projected that Temple Aliyah...
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Pre-School Palooza delivers pre-Halloween treats
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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The preschoolers could hardly contain their excitement. Their costumes were ready and the promise of buckets and bags full of candy was just a day away. Halloween was on its way, but the children couldn’t wait.
The Needham Free Public Library’s librarians knew just how to help.
To give the...
Chamber concert impresses music community
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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
After hours and hours of instruction and rehearsal, Needham High School singers and instrumentalists performed for family and friends at their chamber concert. With a theme of “Music of the Spheres,” concertgoers were treated with a selection of songs and numbers performed by the chamber strings and chorus groups.
“All...
A Grimm fairytale, an opera twist
By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
“Hansel and Gretel” is one of the most beloved and frightening tales from the Brothers Grimm. While many have heard the tale before, certainly not has many have seen the opera adaptation by German composer Engelbert Humperdinck.
That’s where Needham’s Longwood Opera comes in.
Since 1986, the Longwood Opera has been providing Needham...
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Community Farm honors youth volunteers
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On Tuesday, October 24, the Needham Community Farm honored six Needham residents with Outstanding Youth Volunteer awards. Honorees were Needham High School students Chloe Misiak, Jack Saunders, and Charlotte Terry, as well as Cambridge School of Weston student Lila Blaustein, Colby College student Liam Butchart, and Villanova student Jeremy Wong. Wong is a...
Temple Aliyah to open solar array
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A large new solar array at Temple Aliyah is expected to generate 90% of the synagogue’s power in the years to come, significantly reducing its carbon footprint and resulting in savings of roughly $250,000 over the next two decades.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new system will be held at Temple Aliyah at 1664...
October is Rett Syndrome Awareness Month
On Saturday, October 21, two Needham women along with their families participated in the 7th Annual Blue Sky Day sponsored by the Rett Syndrome Association of Massachusetts. Jessica Goldman and Erika Gladstone, both 38 years old, were diagnosed with Rett syndrome as children. Rett syndrome is a lifelong neurological disorder caused by random mutations on...
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Longwood Opera performing ‘Hansel and Gretel’
