BrooklineCAN Blog

Ferris Hall will speak and present a slide show on the history of the Cottage Farm neighborhood and Hall’s Pond on Monday, June 3 at the Brookline Senior Center. The presentation will be part of the annual meeting of the Friends of Hall’s Pond. The event will begin at 6:00 pm with a reception that includes refreshments. The presentation will begin at 6:45 pm. The event is free and open to all.

Ferris Hall is a retired physician who was among the founders of The Friends of Hall’s Pond in 1976. He was a long-time Cottage Farm resident and Town Meeting member.

Rome, Italy’s capital is a sprawling, cosmopolitan city with nearly 3,000 years of globally influential art, architecture and culture on display. Abruzzo is an Italian region, east of Rome, with an Adriatic coastline and Apennine Mountains that encompass hilltop towns dating to the medieval and Renaissance periods. Join Brookline Adult & Community Education this fall (10/26/2019 – 11/4/2019) as it partners with Italian Exclusive Vacations on a unique tour arranged that will allow you to spend quality time in both the exciting heart of Italy and also one of its picturesque hidden gems.

A full itinerary is available online. Trip includes airfare to/from Boston/Rome, ground transportation, accommodations for eight nights, daily breakfast, several celebratory meals, professional tour guides, and daily excursions. Register by July 25, 2019 and the discounted price is $3,000; register by August 26, 2019 and the price is $3,250.  Limited to 30. For complete information contact BA&CE at 617-730-2700.

In recognition of the 50^th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, two events at the Senior Center are planned.  On Monday, June 17, at 1 pm Marvin Kabakoff (board member of the History Project) will provide a brief overview of LGBTQ history illustrating gains made and problems that still exist.  To register:  call 617-730-2770 or register online at bit.ly/Stonewall50Brookline.

On Tuesday, June 18, from 5 – 7 pm at the Senior Center, there will be a light dinner followed by resources and speakers on The Conversation Game for Living and Dying Well.  LGBTQ community members of all ages are invited.  To register:  call 617-730-2770 or online at https://tinyurl.com/HelloBrooklineJune18.

In June, Brookline Recreation has two walks recommended for older adults. The pickup and drop off locations for these walks are Brookline Senior Center 93 Winchester St and Soule Recreation Center 652 Hammond Street.
*  Larz Anderson Walk and Talk June 4, 12:00-2:00 pm. There will be a walk around Larz Anderson Park with a brief talk on the history of the Anderson Estate. Fee $5.
*  Freedom Trial, June 20, 1:00-4:30 pm. This is a walk into history tour. It will feature 11 of the Freedom Trail sites. Fee $10. For more information and to register call 617-730-2082 or 617-730-2069.

The controversial electric scooter trial that began in early April will continue through November 15. At that time an evaluation will be made to determine the future of electric scooter rentals in Brookline. Feedback from the public will be a major consideration in the evaluation. Pedestrians are particularly concerned about operation of the scooters on sidewalks and parking of scooters in places that interfere with pedestrian movement. Because of feedback from residents, some changes have already been made to requirements for rental companies and their customers. A number of options are available now for providing feedback:
1.   Send an email message to escooter@brooklinema.gov 
2. Report to BrookOnLine. There is no special category for electric scooter feedback, but a badly parked scooter can be reported as a “sidewalk obstruction.”
3. Participate in a public meeting at Town Hall (6^th floor) on June 12 at 6:30 pm. Select Board Member Heather Hamilton and Chris Dempsey, Chair of the Transportation Board will conduct the meeting.

Dr. Ruth Nemzoff, author and Resident Scholar at Brandeis Univ. Women’s Studies Center, will speak on “Family Ties Got You in Knots?” on Tuesday, June 11, at the Brookline Senior Center, 93 Winchester Street. Dr. Nemzoff asks, “How can we continue to create close relationships with adult children while respecting their independence? How can we facilitate discussions so that family members understand our needs and wants? How do we do this over long distances?“ She has given more than 350 lectures on family dynamics. Refreshments 5:30-6 pm. Talk and Q & A 6:00-7:30 pm. Free event, registration required. Call 617-730-2770 to register.

The mobile shredding truck will be parked at the Senior Center on Monday, June 3, from 1:00-4:00 pm, sponsored by Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey. You can bring your old documents and files and watch as they are shredded. Helpers will be there to assist with boxes, bags, and bundles. Also, you are invited to attend a program on identity theft, from 1:00-2:00 inside the Senior Center. Light refreshments. Please call 617-730-2770 to register for that event.

Annual Meeting of the Friends will feature a conversation with Dana Brigham of the Brookline Booksmith. The Booksmith has been a beloved institution in our community for 58 years and Dana lead the store for 37 years until her retirement last spring. In conversation between Dana and Lisa Gozashti, her successor at the Booksmith, we will learn Dana’s story of how she came to be involved in the operation of a bookstore.

The program will be in Hunneman Hall at the Village (Main) Library, Wednesday, June 5^th starting at 6:30 with a short business meeting and refreshments. Free program open to the public.

Ailene Gerhardt, Founder of Beacon Patient Advocates, will speak on “Navigating Your Healthcare: Tips and Tools for the Empowered Patient” on May 16 at the Brookline Senior Center, 93 Winchester Street.  Ailene says that “Being an empowered patient means knowing the ways to advocate for oneself and loved ones.  It means becoming/being comfortable asking questions and becoming knowledgeable about health information, medical conditions, and treatment options.”   Refreshment reception 6:00 to 6:30 pm; program with Q & A 6:30 to 7:30 pm.  Free of charge.  Call 617-730-2770 to register for this BrooklineCAN event.

Here is a chance to hear one of Boston’s Premier Chamber Music Ensembles. Composers in their twilight years form the core of Chameleon Arts Ensemble’s 2018-19 chamber music season finale: Brahms’ G Major string quintet, Ravel’s  Sonata for violin and piano, Faure’s Piano Trio, Elliott Carter’s Tempo e Tempi, and.  Arnold Bax’s Elegiac Trio for flute, viola, and harp.

Performances take place on Saturday, May 18 at 8 PM, or Sunday, May 19 at 4 PM at First Church in Boston. BrooklineCAN readers can receive a 30% discount on regularly priced tickets at $47, $36 or $25. Tickets can be purchased in advance by visiting http://www.chameleonarts.org/ (use discount code CAN2019) or by phone at 617-427-8200.