BrooklineCAN Blog

Groupmuse is an online social network that connects young classical musicians to local audiences through concert house parties.  Share the great masterpieces of music with old and new friends in neighborhood living rooms.  To learn more about Groupmuse visit the website https://www.groupmuse.com. Click the ATTEND tab and put in your zip code. A list of concerts in the Boston area including Brookline will be displayed.  Choose a concert and be prepared to enjoy an intimate evening of superb classical music.

There is a $3 fee/person to register for the concert.  Also you are asked to support each of the musicians with a $10 donation the night of the concert.

 The fall catalog from Brookline Adult & Community Education (BA&CE) is full of interesting and mind- expanding courses, many of which will take place at the Senior Center.  Here are a few examples of courses that may interest you. Some do not begin until late October or November but it is better to sign up early.

Telling Your Story is a popular class that encourages us to review our lives with a more reflective frame of mind.  It meets on Wednesday mornings from 10:15 to 11:45 am beginning Sept. 27^th.  ($74 for 8 sessions)

Word-Hoard Workshop is for the poet and would be poet. The term word-hoard was invented by poet Seamus Heaney. It refers to the rich store of words poets draw on to create their poems.  Class meets Mondays from 1:00 to 3:00 pm starting Nov. 13^th. ($106 for 5 sessions)

History of the U.S.S.R. During World War II will review the history of Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s U.S.S.R. from 1939 and how these two countries came to blows. It will also examine the U.S.S.R. contribution to victory in WW II.  Class runs Wednesdays from 1:00 to 3:00 pm starting Oct 4^th. ($118 for 6 sessions)

To register for any Brookline Adult Ed class call 617-730-2700 or register online at http://www.brooklineadulted.org/.

After a period of inactivity, we are proud to announce that this BrooklineCAN service is once again active and improved.

Changes: We no longer require an application by vendors. Instead we list anyone that our members recommend. We gather information from public sources, post the listings, and give vendors an opportunity to make changes. This allows us to list many more vendors and a wider range of services. The trade-off is that we may not always get all the information that we asked vendors to provide on the application.

Click here for “The list” available for BrooklineCAN members.

Come to hear Andrew E. Budson, M.D. address memory concerns:  what’s normal, what’s not, and what to do about it.  What memory loss can be expected as one gets older, and what should trigger a visit to the doctor?  BrooklineCAN presents this program on Thursday, September 7 at the Senior Center.  Refreshments will be served at 6:00 pm and the program with discussion runs from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.  Dr. Budson is professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and Associate Director for Research at the BU Alzheimer’s Disease Center.  The program is free of charge; call 617-730-2770 to register.

Wednesday, September 13 will mark the return of TRIPPS’s smartphone drop‐in sessions at the Senior Center.  Join us to learn how smartphones can make your life easier and give you more freedom and independence. We can help you find ways to use your smartphone for travel, entertainment, shopping, and connecting with family, friends, and your community. Be sure to bring your smartphone (iPhone or Android) along with your questions. Meets weekly on Wednesdays starting September 13, 3:00—4:30 pm.

Town Meeting passed all proposals supported by BrooklineCAN.
1. An article has been added to the Town’s By-laws that specifies the responsibilities of the Commission on Disability. The addition to the By-laws reinforces recent efforts to strengthen its contributions.
2. Lower speed limits on Brookline streets. The Transportation Board was authorized to reduce general speed limits on Brookline streets to 25 miles per hour and 20 miles in various “safety zones.”
3. Brookline joined a growing number of municipalities that have committed themselves to supporting and adhering to the Paris Climate Change Agreement of 2015. Some BrooklineCAN members are deeply involved in Brookline’s climate action efforts.
4    Resolution to support  state legislation that would permit municipalities to adopt new local taxes to finance pedestrian, bicycle, and mass transportation infrastructure improvements.  Additional revenue would enable Brookline to do a better job of maintaining its sidewalks.

The Walking Club, sponsored by Goddard House Assisted Living and the Brookline Council on Aging, is offering attractive programs for people with dementia and their care partners on two Fridays this summer.  On July 21 they will visit Hall’s Pond Reservation in Brookline and on August 18, the Gardner Museum Gardens in Boston.  A complimentary lunch follows.  Call 617-730-2770 to arrange for 9:30 am pick up from the Senior Center or call 617-730-8500 for pick up at Goddard House at 10:00 am or to arrange to meet at the site.

Have you ever felt that you were the last to know about what is going on in Brookline Town Government?  Well, you can stay up-to-date by using a service offered through the Town’s website – Notify Me. Through the “Notify Me” service, you can be notified by email or text message about all of the Town boards or committees that interest you.
Here is how to use the service. From the Town of Brookline website, click on Notify Me. On this page, you will be asked to sign in with your email address.  Once signed in, you can choose the committees, boards, or town services that interest you.  Each item has two icons, one for e-mail and the other for text messages to your cell phone.  You can request both.  For text messaging, you will need to include your cell phone number.  Once you select an item, a green arrow will appear.  If you find that you are receiving too many notices, you can return to Notify Me and de-select the items that are no longer of interest.  The website address is http://www.brooklinema.gov/list.aspx#agendaCenter

Camp Memory Connections, a pilot day camp experience for people living with memory changes and their care partners, will be held on Wednesday, August 23, 11:00 am-2:00 pm at Larz Anderson Park picnic shelter in Brookline. Sponsored by Brookline Senior Center, Goddard House Assisted Living, and Brookline Recreation, this free outdoor (rain or shine) event will include conversations with peers over camp-themed lunch and snacks, music, art, exercise, and haiku.  A care partner must accompany those who require any care assistance. To RSVP or book available transportation (parking will be available in small lot off Goddard Ave):  Jamie at 617-730-2753 or jdonchin@brooklinema.gov. This program, which is in place of the monthly Memory Connections Cafe for August, is supported by a grant from the Brookline Community Foundation.