Needham welcomes home Olympic hero Raisman
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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
People from all across the Bay State gathered in Needham Center on Saturday morning as the town welcomed home Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman following her incredible success at the 2016 Rio Games.
Raisman was given a hero’s welcome by many of her close friends and family, not to mention...
Boosters announce sticker drive
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The Needham High School Boosters Club's annual Sticker Drive fundraiser begins the weekend of September 17-18. Needham High School student athletes will fan out all over Needham's neighborhoods, knocking on doors and asking residents for a contribution to help support the school's 75 athletic teams and 10 clubs. In return, they will receive...
Rosemary and time in Needham
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By Stephen Press
Hometown Weekly Staff
When Rosemary Lake closed in 1969 due to issues with water quality, Needham Park and Recreation determined that a temporary pool was the answer. And so it was that Rosemary Pool was born in 1972.
Almost half a century later, the "temporary" Rosemary Pool has finally reached the end of...
Bruins mascot Blades visits Needham Library
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By James Ensor
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Decked out in black and gold, Blades the Bear stood at the front of the large community room at the Needham Library in front of a crowd of adoring fans both young and old. Kids answered trivia questions, heard a story of how Blades gained his mascot fame, colored...
Needham Library extends Sunday hours
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The Needham Free Public Library will be extending its open hours on Sundays beginning September 11. The library will be open on Sundays from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. from September 11 through June 25, 2017. Previously, the library closed on Sundays at 5:00 p.m. The two additional hours are part of a...
A new beginning for Rosemary Pool
Young skaters shred in Needham
By James Ensor
Hometown Weekly Reporter
“Skateboard EDU” was a two week program offered by the Needham Parks and Rec department that taught young skaters the basics of safely carving it up. Kids aged 8 to 11 brought their own boards, helmets and pads to the tennis courts in back of Pollard Middle School during the...
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SteveSongs in Concert at Needham Library
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By James Ensor
For fifteen years, Steve Roslonek of SteveSongs has been performing award-wining educational music for kids and families across the globe. From Fenway Park to the Kennedy Center and the White House, his songs have been met with enthusiasm and applause. This Monday August 8, the Needham Library was one of...
Lights, camera…
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By James Ensor
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Needham kids with a flair for filmmaking were given the opportunity to learn all about basic cinematography from Incrediflix, a program at the Broadmeadow Elementary School. Actors, camera people, and the camera assistant (aka, the person with the slate) are all roles the kids can fill in order...
Expansion construction underway at High School
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By Cameron Small
Hometown Weekly Intern
Table for twelve? Not likely going to be a problem at Needham High School anymore with the new cafeteria expansion that is going in this summer. The 3,000 square-foot space should be able to handle the projected increase in the student body.
In the beginning of August, though, people...
Big Ryan’s tales thrill Needham kids
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By James Ensor
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Needham Park and Recreation presented Big Ryan, who told tall tales at the Children’s Theatre Program on Tuesday, August 2. The day featured original stories, puppets, some music, movement and lots of family fun.
A rainy Tuesday afternoon gave the event some extra appeal to parents looking to...
Jazz Social hosted by COA
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By James Ensor
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On a balmy Friday afternoon, The Center at the Heights for the Needham Council on Aging played host to Ross Petot and his jazz band. The event was held for the annual ‘Friends Report and Meeting’ that takes place every July. The Friends are the fundraising branch of...
Quidditch sweeps the globe
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By Cameron Small
Hometown Weekly Intern
“Rough game, quidditch.”
“Brutal. But no one’s died in years.”
The Weasley twins Fred and George say this to Harry just after he makes the Gryffindor Quidditch team in the movie adaptation of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” While not the best way to inspire confidence in an eleven-year-old, the...
On your mark, get set, read!
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By James Ensor
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Young new readers gathered at the Needham Free Public Library on Friday, July 29. Take a right at the entrance of the building and find the Community Room at the end of the hall. The room plays host to weekly films to encourage children to get in the...
Rockets Basketball Camp delights youths
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By Edward Sheehan
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
This week as well as last, the Needham Rockets Basketball Camp was in session. Over 150 young athletes, ranging from rising 4th graders to rising freshmen, turned up for a week of fun and training at the Rashi School in Dedham. Asked about the camp’s main focus, Paul Liner,...
Outdoor water use throttled in Needham
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By Stephen Press
Hometown Weekly Staff
"We're moderating the demand on our water supply," said Richard Merson, Needham's Director of Public Works. Merson, who (among his myriad other duties) oversees water usage in town, was commenting on the new water restrictions that had been put in place on July 24.
The restrictions are comprised of an...
Everybody into the pool
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By Stephen Press
Hometown Weekly Staff
"Car-ter! Car-ter! Car-ter!"
The squeaky choir of children, standing patiently in line beside a diving board, chanted in unison. At the end of the diving board, a toddler stood, weighing his options. To jump or not to jump? That is the question.
"Car-ter! Car-ter! Car-ter!"
Finally, succumbing to either the positive peer...
Needham native going to Pokémon championships
