What’s New at the Senior Center: Trip to Foxwoods

Submitted by Sherry Jackson, Needham COA Associate Director

Please join the Friends of the Needham Elderly on their November trip to Foxwoods on Thursday, Nov. 8. This popular trip is only $23—including a $10 food coupon or free festival buffet and $15 Keno—so register early to avoid disappointment. Foxwoods Resort Casino and Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut offers a great day out—boasting casinos, restaurants, hotel, entertainment or spa, museum or shops. There is something for everyone. 

Our motor coach will depart from Linden and Chambers, Linden Street, at 7:45 a.m. or 8 a.m. from the Stephen Palmer Senior Center. Casino time will run from 10:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. The group will meet in the lobby at 4 p.m. for departure and will return at about 6:30-7 p.m.

Call the Senior Center Trip Desk at 781-455-7555 ext. 209 to make reservations. Full payment is due upon reservation.

Please make check payable to "F.O.N.E" and mail to Needham Senior Center, 83 Pickering St., Needham, MA 02492, Attn: Trips. (No refunds if cancellation is received within 10 days prior to departure, unless a replacement can be found.) Please note: This trip requires 30 passengers to operate, and Foxwoods reserves the right to change the program without notice.

This Week and Coming Up

These free programs are coming up soon and require registration. To sign up, call the Senior Center at 781-455-7555.

Walking Club—Walks are designed to offer variety and provide an opportunity to walk with other walking clubs. Walkers will also explore trails outside the local area, with transportation available. Upcoming walks: Friday, Oct. 12, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, Boston; Friday, Oct. 26, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain. 

Movies—Come watch a movie at the Senior Center. Coming up: “The Affair of the Diamond Necklace” (2001) on Friday, Oct. 12.

Hollywood Quiz Show—Friday, Oct. 19, 1:30 p.m. Join host Tad Travis as he replicates before your eyes an authentic, “as seen on TV” Hollywood Quiz Show that will engage, entertain and bring back fun memories that you haven’t thought about in years.

Assistive Hearing Devices—Thursday, Oct. 25, 1-3 p.m. Join us for a presentation by Jonathan O’Dell from the Communication Access Training and Technology Services Department of the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Mr. O’Dell will present information on the various options for assistive hearing devices. He will cover hearing aids, cochlear implants, smart phones and listening systems, among other topics. This is your opportunity to learn about this in an objective forum.

Free Legal Assistance—Friday, Oct. 26, 1 p.m. A law student with the Elder Law Project at Boston College will take confidential individual appointments at the Needham Senior Center.

National Polish-American Heritage Month Presentation and Ethnic Luncheon—Monday, Oct. 22, noon. October is National Polish-American Month. Join us as we celebrate Polish history, culture and pride. Since 1608, when the first Polish settlers arrived at Jamestown, VA, Polish people have been an important part of America’s history and culture. Frederic Chopin a composer and virtuoso pianist. Alan Greenspan served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States. Josef Hofmann invented windshield wipers, shock absorbers for vehicles and the oil burning furnace. Others include: Jack Benny, Peter Falk, Barbara Walters, Paul Newman, Larry King, Gloria Steinem, Neil Diamond, and Martha Stewart.

Special Film Event 

Come watch “Big Little Town: The Story of Needham,” a documentary created in celebration of the town’s tercentennial, on Monday, Oct. 15. Producers Kathryn Dietz and Marc Mandel will lead a film discussion following the movie.

The documentary tells the story of Needham, whose people arrived just 10 years after the Pilgrims, and who established their community more than a half century before there was even a United States. It is the story of how, over three centuries, the town transformed from a sleepy farming community to a thriving mill center, to an industrial showcase, to a highly desirable suburb of Boston. 

Narrated by former Needham resident and broadcaster Natalie Jacobson, the documentary is a professional quality film of 64 minutes. Producers Kathryn Dietz and Marc Mandel spent 16 months making this film and shot more than 100 hours of footage.

Meeting Regularly

To sign up or learn more about these free programs, call the Senior Center at 781-455-7555.

Low Vision Support Group—The group meets on the third Friday of every month. The group provides an opportunity for newly blind and visually impaired persons to come together to discuss issues relating to their vision loss. The group addresses topics about how to use specialized equipment in the home or on the job; how to maintain independence, aging and vision loss, or the effects of vision loss on family and friends.

Hoarding Support Group—Mondays, 2-4 p.m. Lorraine G., a hoarder herself, has formed this support group for people with hoarding behaviors. She participated in a new approach to this problem with the Boston University Cognitive Behavior therapy treatment program. The support group will be utilizing the book, “Buried in Treasures” by David F. Tolin, Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee and a workbook titled “Treatments That Work.” There is no fee for this program.

Table Tennis—Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 9-11:30 a.m. All are welcome at any playing level—old pros, intermediates and especially beginners. No fee or sign-up required.

Computer Lessons—Thursdays, 12-3 p.m. Learn about computers in a one-on-one session with an instructor. There is no fee for this class; call the Senior Center to schedule a 45-minute appointment.

Singers Needed for New Group—Tuesdays, 12:45-1:45 p.m. at the Senior Center. If you can read music or can carry a tune, please join us on Tuesday afternoons with Fred Shaw, who will lead us in song as we sing to our hearts’ content. No audition required.

Creative Writing Group—Second and fourth Tuesday of the month, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Write your memoirs or try your hand at creative writing. This writing group is for all levels. Free; no sign-up required.