Rotary Club of Needham Newsletter for Tuesday October 20th, 2020
Upcoming Events in our Local Community:
- Register for our Virtual Carnival: November 7th
In these COVID days, what are the kids to do for fun? How about a Virtual Carnival??? Here’s the link for the November 7th Virtual Carnival: http://virtualcarnival.eventbrite.com
That page has all the info on the event including the schedule. Registration is free. We are hoping to get kids from all over the world to join the fun. Please feel free to share this link widely among family members you have across the USA as well as around the world. The more the merrier.
If people want to make donations, we are suggesting https://www.shelterboxusa.org/donate/. ShelterBox does amazing work helping families that have lost their homes.
- Thanksgiving Dinner
Sandy Robinson, Executive Director of Needham Community Council and our own Dan Tibma are determined that home delivery of Thanksgiving Dinner should go on despite the pandemic. They are focused on safely accomplishing this mission. Be alert for communication on how you can help.
In our Global Community:
- Bujjuko and Ssumbwe Relief Project
Sylvia Kiggundu, is fundraising to distribute food and supplies to families whose income has been disrupted by the COVID-19 lockdown in Uganda. Home-hound elderly, widows, disabled persons and single mothers in the villages of Bujjuko and Ssumbwe were identified as candidates to receive support from the project. The first-round goal of $5000 was achieved and distributed to families, providing an estimated 6 weeks of food and sanitary supplies. Fundraising and support are on-going. If you would like to donate, go to: https://gf.me/u/ynbi9m.
This week's Speaker: Economic Development Manager, Town of Needham: Amy Haelsen
Amy Haelsen has been on the job as Needham's Economic Development Manager for just over a month. She has been walking around town introducing herself to business owners to see how they're doing during the pandemic. She was previously the Executive Director of Dedham Square Circle Downtown Revitalization Group for 13 years. There, she worked with business, community groups, elected officials to help revitalize Dedham Square. Their strategy involved the creation of many community events and promotions to attract visitors to the newly-streetscaped Dedham Square.
In Needham, Haelsen will help and support Needham's business community though targeted marketing efforts while coordinating the town's overall economic development strategy. The Economic Development Manager (EDM) serves as liaison between businesses and town departments in order to speed up their interactions with the Town. The EDM also serves as staff to the Council of Economic Advisors, a 15 member group of Needham business and government leaders charged with creating and implementing the economic development strategy of the Town.
Amy gave us a sense of the range of development activities that she is assisting:
- a potential, new Orthopedic Center for Boston Children's Hospital on First Avenue in the New England Business Center;
- a potential new hotel;
- rezoning Carter's Mill so that Avery Crossing can re-open 72 independent living, residential units, 65 assisted living units and 28 memory care units;
- widening Highland Avenue on the west side of the new overpass over Route 95.
Next Week's Speaker (October 27th): Gloria Greis, Executive Director, Needham Historical Center and Museum: "Patriots & Pirates, N.C.Wyeth in Needham"