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Category Archives: Needham

Needham’s resilient Class of 2023

By Avonlea Cummings
Hometown Weekly Reporter 


Resilience, change, and fearlessness. These are words that are signified to the Class of 2023. Families, friends, and faculty came together on Monday, June 5th to celebrate Needham’s Class of 2023. After having to wait another day to receive their diplomas, the young graduates had...

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Bob Begin shares Amelia Earhart’s story

By Audrey Anderson

Hometown Weekly Reporter

Bob Begin loves studying history, and he is talented at researching and sharing what he has learned. He gives history talks at libraries throughout the area on various topics. Those topics have a common thread: they are those that people feel...

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Preschoolers enjoy Peasley performance

By Elizabeth Connolly
Hometown Weekly Reporter

You could tell by the parking lot that something was going on last week at the Needham Free Public Library (NFPL); though mid-day on a Wednesday seemed like an odd time for it. Until you saw the children, that is. Babies, toddlers and preschoolers alike...

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Seniors enjoy Newton Swing Band

By Madison Butkus

Hometown Weekly Reporter

Seniors at The Center at The Heights in Needham were treated to a captivating performance by the Newton Swing Band last Thursday. With decades of experience in the local music scene, this ten-piece band, accompanied by a variety of vocalists, aimed...

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Seniors craft with Officer Scolponeti

By Madison Butkus

Hometown Weekly Reporter

Officer Kelley Scolponeti returned to The Center at The Heights on Wednesday to host her renowned 'Crafts with Kelley the Cop' event. This monthly gathering, scheduled every second Wednesday, offers senior women the opportunity to create crafts with a thematic twist...

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Renée Tatum sings song of hope 

By Audrey Anderson

Hometown Weekly Reporter

In the last concert of the 2023 Needham Concert Series, mezzo-soprano Renée Tatum dazzled the audience with her commanding stage presence, rich tone, and nuanced performance of a group of well-chosen songs by Johannes Brahms, Samuel Barber, Florence Price, and Phillip...

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NCT’s ‘Ramona Quimby’ sparks colorful imagination

Community members took advantage of the vast culture Needham has to offer on Saturday as a crowd bustled, making their way into the Newman auditorium. The quality entertainment wasn’t far; Needham Community Theatre (NTC)x delivered their spring play, Ramona Quimby with flying colors. 

Ramona Quimby is a play based on...

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Needham presents Open Art Studios

By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor

This past weekend, Needhamites were welcomed to take a behind the scenes tour of the community award-winning artists. All around the town, in thirteen locations, the work of over fourty local artists were displayed for the view of the public. 

Seniors savor soothing piano tunes

By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter

Seniors were given a musical treat this past Wednesday as classical and jazz pianist, Mark West, came to perform at the Center at The Heights (CATH) in Needham. Professionally performing and also teaching for years, West played an array of songs during one of his...

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Needhamite speaks at WPL

by Elizabeth Connolly
Hometown Weekly Reporter

On the evening of April 13th, the Walpole Public Library (WPL) hosted its second Needhamite author in as many weeks when they welcomed Dr. Robert Brooks to speak.

Dr. Brooks, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology and has authored or co-authored...

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ICON celebrates Holi and Eid

By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter 

Colors were certainly flying high this past Sunday at the Holi and Eid Celebration event hosted by the Indian Community of Needham (ICON). While Holi is usually celebrated in March, members of ICON decided to combine these two holidays to make the celebration even bigger....

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Doris Kearns Goodwin discusses presidents

By Audrey Anderson
Hometown Weekly Correspondent

Needham pulled out all the stops to welcome Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times best-selling author Doris Kearns Goodwin to the Great Hall on Wednesday, April 26. In front of the sold-out crowd, Goodwin and GBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen discussed stories of...

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Harpist Ina Zdorovetchi performs in NCS program

By Audrey Anderson
Hometown Weekly Reporter

Harpist Ina Zdorovetchi performed in “Rhapsody, Dances, and Fantasy,” the Needham Concert Society’s (NCS) eagerly anticipated third concert of their 2022-2023 season. The Sunday, April 23rd concert was held before a large audience at the Carter Memorial United Methodist Church in Needham, after being postponed...

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Mural blossoms at Pansy festival

By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter

The town of Needham got a fresh new look this past weekend during the celebration of The Pansy Festival Blossoms. Run by the Needham Council for Arts & Culture, one of the elements within this wonderful celebration included the brand new mural painted by Ryan...

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CATH welcomes Red Sox alumni

By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor

On Wednesday, the Center at the Heights (CATH) welcomed Red Sox Hall of Famer, former catcher, and sports broadcaster Bob "Monty" Montgomery, along with WCVB sports reporter Mike Dowling. Dowling conducted an interview with Montgomery, retracing various aspects of his career before, during, and after...

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Planting peas at NFPL

By Elizabeth Connolly
Hometown Weekly Reporter

A group of children and their caregivers gathered at Needham Free Public Library (NFPL) last Wednesday, April 12th, to learn how to plant peas. Each participant was given a bag from the folks at Needham Community Farm (NCF). The contents included soil, a spoon, some...

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Needhamites celebrate 40th annual Pansy Day

By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor

Now spanning four decades, the Needham History Center and Museum celebrated their fortieth annual Pansy Day! Needhamites gathered at the grounds of the History Center to celebrate spring with pansies galore.

Needhamites strolled the grounds of the lawn in front of the...

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CATH brings Fenway to seniors

By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor

Seniors gathered in the game room at The Center at The Heights (CATH) last Thursday to watch the opening day game for the Boston Red Sox.

COA staff members passed out peanuts, popcorn, cracker jacks, and soda out to the seniors, with...

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UCC hosts sensory-friendly egg hunt

By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor

This past Saturday the Congregational Church of Needham, United Church of Christ (UCC) hosted their annual Just-4-Fun Egg Hunt. Children ranging from pre-k through grade 5 were invited to come hunt together for over one thousand candy-filled eggs. The event was anticipated to have over...

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UCC Donates 1,000 Menstrual Hygiene Kits

The Congregational Church of Needham UCC held a “Period Party” and donated 1,000 menstrual hygiene kits to Circle of Hope, a Needham-based nonprofit serving people experiencing homelessness. After running a church-wide collection drive for pads, tampons, wipes, and liners, 30 parishioners joined together on Sunday, March 19 to assemble...

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