Week in Review: Prepping for Sandy, 'No' to 40B and Countdown to the Election

Life gets busy, and Patch certainly understands that. So with that in mind, here are a few stories you might have missed on Needham Patch this week:

1. Selectmen Shoot Down New 40B Plan—Needham selectmen on Tuesday unanimously rejected an early proposal for a new 300-unit 40B development on Greendale Avenue, saying the plan was “outrageous” and that a project of this size would “redefine the neighborhood.”
2. Needham Voters To See 'Citizens United' Questions—Needham residents will join more than 150 communities across Massachusetts in voting Nov. 6 on a nonbinding question that, if approved, would direct legislators to overturn the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision through an amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
3. Board Mulls Alcohol Sale Regulations—Though voters haven't yet decided whether Needham should allow , selectmen have begun considering a list of regulations for if the special election question passes on Nov. 6.
4. Needham Gets Ready For Hurricane Sandy—Whether Sandy is still a hurricane when it blows through Massachusetts early next week remains to be seen. But whatever happens, agencies, utility companies and emergency responders across the region are getting ready and making sure residents know where to turn if problems arise.
5. Tickets Selling Fast for Aly Raisman's Boston Visit—Those hoping to see Needham gymnast Aly Raisman perform at TD Garden next month have limited opportunity to secure seats. The Boston performance—one of 40 in this year’s Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions—is already the highest grossing stop on the tour, the Boston Herald reported over the weekend.
6. Patch Answers: What To Do With Leaves in Needham?­—In this week’s installment of “You Ask … Patch Answers,” we look at the town’s leaf collection rules.
7. Needham Animal Control Officer Receives New Microchip Scanner—In an effort to help bring lost pets home, Hopkinton Drug and the Massachusetts Animal Coalition have donated a microchip scanner to Needham Animal Control Officer Danielle Landry. 

PATCH POLITICS

Election season is in full swing, and Patch wants to help readers be as informed as possible on the issues and candidates before heading to the polls. Here’s some of our coverage this week:

1. Romney or Obama: Who Won The Final Presidential Debate?—Massachusetts Republicans and Democrats both expressed confidence in their candidates after the final presidential debate: that's the major finding of the Red and Blue Commonwealth flash polls sent out to local politicos immediately after the debate ended on Monday night.
2. —Democrat Elizabeth Warren is up by five points over incumbent Republican Sen. Scott Brown in the latest WBUR/MassINC poll of the U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts. That's a near-total reversal of the last WBUR poll, which on Oct. 9 (right after the first presidential debate) had Brown up by four points.
3. —Although they had just a few minutes to make their case, Fourth Congressional District candidates Joe Kennedy III and Sean Bielat touted their experience and ideas in a Fox25 debate Wednesday morning. 

SOUND OFF

Needham Patch is all about you—the news and issues that matter to Needham readers. That’s why we occasionally ask readers to respond to polls, talk about local or state issues and submit their own photos and videos as part of our online community.

• Who Won the Final Presidential Debate?
• Is Massachusetts Losing Its Religion?
• Do You Limit Your Kids' Cell Phone Use?
• Hurricane Prep Information: Helpful or Drives You Nuts?
• Does Charlie Brown's 'Great Pumpkin' Condone Bullying?

 Did we miss something? Send news tips, comments and suggestions to Becca.Manning@patch.com.