As October winds to a close, the beautiful changing leaves around Needham will continue to fall, littering local streets, yards and walkways with the natural debris of the season. So what's a homeowner to do with it all? Needham residents can bring bags of leaves to the Recycling and Transfer Station on Sundays throughout November between noon and 4 p.m. On those dates—Nov. 4, 11, 18 and 25—the RTS will accept only leaves, not recycling, trash or other yard waste such as grass or brush, according to the town website, needhamma.gov. "When disposing of leaves, residents should empty the leaves …

It’s hard to believe the month is half over, but here we are, and Halloween will be here before we know it (not to mention those other holidays). Signs of the season are all over town, from the changing leaves to the pumpkin spice lattes at your local coffee shop to spooky decorations going up on front porches around town. For this week’s “You Ask … Patch Answers,” we rounded up information about Halloween plans in Needham—when and where you can take your little ghouls Trick-or-Treating. Halloween will be on Wednesday, Oct. 31. While the town doesn’t sponsor a "beggars night" that evening, …

If you've ever spent time in downtown Needham, you're familiar with the crosswalks at busy intersections—and the loud bells that alert pedestrians when it is time to cross the street. But are they too loud? Hillside Avenue resident Mike D'Ambrosio recently reached out to Needham Patch with exactly that complaint, wondering why the bells are so loud and whether there is anything the town can do to turn them down. D'Ambrosio writes: Does Needham, MA have the loudest, most obnoxious crosswalk bells in the country? I thought it was my just by my house on Hillside Avenue, but it’s now every …

Recently, a Patch reader reached out to to ask about possible road work being done in his neighborhood after seeing Dig Safe lines painted on the pavement on Warren Road near Needham Junction. To find the answer, I turned first to the Department of Public Works, who had no record of a permit or work being done there but suggested I contact NSTAR. NSTAR spokesperson Mike Durand was quick to respond with this answer: We received a request last month from a nearby resident to run gas service to his house. That would require marking the road in advance of doing any work so it's likely that's what…

After closing its doors suddenly last October when the Friendly's Ice Cream Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the Needham Friendly's has sat empty, leaving many to wonder what will take its place. The restaurant had been a Needham staple for more than 25 years, serving up sundaes, ice cream cones and other fare to families as well as employees of local businesses such as Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, located directly across from Frendly's on Chestnut Street. For this week's "You Ask ... Patch Answers," I sought some news on the restaurant building, asking, "Is anything in…

We’re all a little curious. Driving through town one morning, you may wonder if that vacant building you pass will ever be occupied, why there’s no stoplight at a certain busy intersection, how long it takes to complete a road project or one of a million other questions about your town. That’s where Patch comes in. With our new feature, “You Ask ... Patch Answers,” we will strive to find the answer to all your questions—big, small and in-between—about the town we live and work in. Whether it’s something you’ve always wondered about, some information you just can’t put your hands on or a …