Valentine’s Day ice cream social delights
‘Christmas Carol’ reading blesses everyone
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By James Kinneen
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Most people know the story of “A Christmas Carol” from the Muppets’ adaptation, the Bill Murray movie “Scrooged,” or a school play from years past. But, it’s highly unlikely that even the biggest Christmas lover has ever heard the story directly from the source material.
On Thursday morning at...
Wellesley learns mahjong
By James Kinneen
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On Thursday afternoon, the Tolles-Parsons Center held a teaching event dedicated to learning the American version of the game mahjong, before the beginner crowd was replaced by a more serious, veteran group of players.
Mahjong is a difficult game to learn, though some card players have noted its similarity to gin...
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Frank King gives novelty song lesson
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By James Kinneen
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On Thursday afternoon, Frank King, who holds a Masters in Broadcasting from Boston University and a BA from Princeton, gave the Tolles Parsons Center a musical presentation of novelty songs, specifically the novelty hits of the 1950s.
But while novelty songs get a bit of a bad...
Pianist Adrian Liao performs for seniors
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By James Kinneen
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On Wednesday afternoon, the New England Conservatory and Needham Council on Aging presented the piano stylings of junior student Adrian Liao to the seniors of the Tolles Parsons Center. Playing three pieces from Joseph Haydn, Franz Liszt and Robert Schumann, Liao wowed the audience before fielding question about...
New county sheriff visits Wellesley seniors
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By James Kinneen
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Appointed by Governor Charlie Baker and running for the position in November 2020 as a Republican, Norfolk County Sheriff Jerome P. McDermott made a visit to the Tolles Parsons Center to speak to seniors about the inmate population and scams that target people in their age group.
McDermott lives...
Hardy School kids sing for seniors
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By James Kinneen
Hometown Weekly Reporter
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Music teacher Thomas Corcoran accompanies the students on the piano[/caption]
You go to a Journey concert for “Don’t Stop Believing,” you go to a Bon Jovi concert for “Livin...
Tolles Parsons Center welcomes curious seniors
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By Robby McKittrick
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On Monday, Nov. 19, the Tolles Parsons Center (TPC) held a welcome breakfast for seniors in the community.
Director of Senior Services Gayle Thieme explained that the event was intended for residents of the community who had never had a tour of the center.
“The target audience was people who hadn’t...
TPC celebrates one-year anniversary
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By Robby McKittrick
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On Monday, October 1, the Tolles Parsons Center (TPC) celebrated its one-year anniversary by hosting a two-hour get together for its senior citizens.
Director of Senior Services at the TPC, Gayle Thieme, ran the event. The celebration included drinks, food, a cake, balloons, a slideshow, and even a pianist....
WMS students present to seniors
Students from Wellesley Middle School recently shared some of their work with a group of seniors at the Tolles Parsons Center.
The students presented videos they had created for a 6th grade social studies project on comparative world religions. Four student groups explained the guiding questions they formulated, the research they conducted, and the logistics...
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Wellesley seniors are painted with talent
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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
This summer, dozens of the town’s seniors will have their art showcased at the Wellesley Free Library’s gallery for the annual senior art show. Some of the featured art will be paintings from the Tolles Parsons Center’s acrylic painting class.
The participants meet weekly for eight sessions. During the two-hour...
Wellesley students take art awards
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By Rama K. Ramaswamy
The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers have honored 7th-12th grade students with the annual Scholastic Art and Writing Awards since 1923. National and international students submitted more than 330,000 works in 29 categories of art and writing.
In mid-March, a series of ceremonies for Gold and Silver Key recipients...
COA hosts weekly photography club
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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
A picture speaks a thousand words. But at the Wellesley Council on Aging, members of the photography club speak a thousand words about each picture.
The group, led by experienced photographer Mark Maiden, meets weekly from March 1 to April 26 at the Tolles Parsons Center to enjoy lunch together,...
Seniors’ bear hands comfort children
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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
In the craft room of the Tolles Parsons Center, the home of the Wellesley Council on Aging, the rhythmic whirring of Rosetta Solari’s sewing machine drowns out the sound of chattering voices. Hard at work, four seniors cut, stitch, and stuff the fabric of the community service teddy bears.
The...
TPC introduces classical Indian dance
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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On February 2, the Wellesley Council on Aging welcomed Jeyanthi Ghatraju to the Tolles Parsons Center to educate the seniors on classical Indian dance and give a demonstration.
Jeyanthi has made it her mission to perform for charity and the underprivileged. She practices Bharatanatyam, a genre of classical dance, around...
TPC welcomes senior pool hustlers
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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Since the new Council on Aging (COA) building opened its doors in October, Wellesley’s seniors have had no issues moving in to their new home away from home. The multipurpose room is regularly used for luncheons and guest speakers, and seniors frequent the Mary Bowers café for a cup...
COA transforms into laugh factory
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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
“When you see somebody laughing, you want to laugh, too,” said Certified Laughter Leader, Trevor Smith, explaining that laughter is like a social glue. “It’s contagious.”
Wellesley’s Tolles Parsons Center was certainly filled with laughter at Trevor’s program, which taught seniors about the health benefits of laughter and had them...
COA continues intermediate German course
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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
Perhaps you might not speak German, but there is a group at Wellesley’s Council on Aging that does. The dedicated Germanophiles meet each week at the Tolles Parsons Center to speak, read, write, and translate German under the instruction of German native and COA volunteer Gerda...
Schulers, Bowers to be honored at TPC
