BrooklineCAN Blog

Take a look at BrooklineCAN’s web site http://www.brooklinecan.org/ .  You will be surprised to see all that’s there.  The top page includes links to our Twitter and Facebook feeds, news about BrooklineCAN’s activities and Town developments related to seniors, and links to current and past videos of Brookline community TV Age-Friendly Cities.  The Upcoming Events section will guide you to announcements of future BrooklineCAN programs and other events of interest in the community.  The Repairs section lists service providers.  Other sections include Transportation, Education, Culture, and our unique “Links” to articles, blogs and other websites with material on issues related to aging and independent living.

Our Age-Friendly Business team wants your opinion on what is most important in making a business more age friendly. We are asking businesses to identify the age-friendly features that they offer. Business owners are often willing to do more to be age friendly but they cannot do everything at once. Hearing from us about what we believe is most important might provide business owners with useful guidance. At Brookline Day we were very successful in persuading visitors to our table to share their opinions. We ask you to take a minute to click on this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YQBNVV3 and offer your opinions. We will report on the results next month.

November 6^th is Election Day.  Besides the candidates running for Governor, Senate, Congress, and many other state offices, there are 3 questions on the ballot.  The Secretary of State has published a very informative booklet “Information for Voters”.  You should have received it in the mail.  If not here is a link:  http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/IFV_2018.pdf to it. There is excellent information on the ballot questions.

Once again there will be Early Voting. It will be conducted in room 103, Brookline Town Hall starting October 22, 2018 during the following hours: Monday-Wednesday 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM, Thursday 8:00 AM until 8:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The last day for Early Voting is Friday, Nov.2^nd.

You can vote absentee at the Town Clerk’s office until noon on Monday Nov 5^th.  The office will have extended hours for absentee voting Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018 from 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM.

Come to the 34^th Annual Holiday Craft Fair at the Brookline Senior Center, 93 Winchester Street, Friday November 9, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and Saturday, November 10, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.  Proceeds benefit the programs and services of the Brookline Senior Center, with a special donation to Hearth, Inc., an organization dedicated to ending elder homelessness.  The Fair will feature crafts, holiday gifts, children’s items, baked goods, a white elephant sale and raffles.  Call 617-730-2770 for more information.

The Brookline Parks and Open Space Division and the Brookline Age-Friendly City program jointly published Brookline’s Age-Friendly Parks brochure.  For each of these parks, you will find information on location, main features such as environmental and historical significance, and supporting features such as benches, restrooms, and easy walking areas.  These brochures are available at the Brookline Senior Center and at the Brookline Main Library on Washington Street.  For more information on all of Brookline’s parks, see https://www.brooklinema.gov/parks

“New Ways of Thinking about Emotional Health, Loneliness, and Social Engagement in Older Adults.” Dr. Nancy J. Donovan, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will present findings from her research that compares loneliness and engagement in older adults to the quality of their emotional, social and cognitive functioning. Loneliness can be as dangerous to your health as obesity or smoking. This talk will take place at Goddard House Assisted Living, 164 Chestnut Street, Brookline, on November 14. Refreshments 6:00, presentation 6:30-7:30. This free event is co-sponsored by Friendship Works. Registration is required.  Call 617-731-8500.

The 18^th Age Friendly Cities TV show introduced the new Chief of the Brookline Fire Department, John F. Sullivan.

Chief Sullivan comes to Brookline from three decades at the Worcester (MA) Fire Department.  He was fascinating, emphasizing the training of firefighters and the Brookline community.  Subjects included Community Risk Reduction (CRR) and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD).  Discussion included the recent events in the Merrimack Valley.

Programs are aired on Channel 3 on Comcast and RCN immediately following The Grandstanders live sports analysis show and are available on the BrooklineCAN web site and the BrooklineCAN Twitter and Facebook a and are counts.

It is nearly 70 years since the outbreak of the Korean War and still no signed peace treaty. Brookline Adult & Community Education is offering an 8 week course at the Senior Center that will explore why this tragic war happened and why there continues to be two Koreas.  The sessions are Wednesdays from 1-3 pm beginning October 31, 2018. For a complete description of the course see  https://www.campusce.net/brookline/Course/Course.aspx?c=3315.  To register call 617-730-2700. The fee is $130.

Brookline Historical Society president Ken Liss will lead these free walking tours in October.
Sunday, October 7th, 10-11:30 am: Brookline Village Walking Tour.  This tour of the historic Brookline Village neighborhood centers on Washington and Harvard Streets north of Route 9. To register and for a description of see https://brooklinevillage-tour.eventbrite.com
Sunday, October 21st, 10-11 am: Beaconsfield Terraces Walking Tour. The Beaconsfield Terraces, on the south side of Beacon Street from Dean Road to just beyond Tappan Street, were one of the more unusual developments to follow the creation of the Beacon Street Boulevard in the 1880s. Built by Eugene Knapp, a wool merchant, in the early 1890s the terraces were a residential complex in which people owned their units but shared ownership of a 6-acre park, stables, a playhouse (known as the Casino), tennis courts, a playground, and a central heating plant.. To register and for a description of see https://brooklinevillage-tour.eventbrite.com.

The Senior Center gala fundraiser will be held on Wednesday, October 24, from 6-8:30 pm at the Senior Center. Get your tickets early and show your support! You’ll enjoy delicious food, great music, and mingling with old friends and new. The law firm of Wade, Horowitz & LaPointe LLC will be honored for their dedication to older adults and the community. Call 617-730-2770 for ticket information.