Council on Aging Corner

Lectures on Ballet and Photographers in a Dark Time

Lectures and trips at the Beech Street Center.

In the Eye of the Storm: Six Photographers in the Nazi Era. Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m. This one hour presentation looks at the lives, works, and choices of six photographers who lived and photographed in Germany during the Nazi Era.  Utilizing the photographs of each artist, the presentation introduces the audience to the works of the following photographers: August Saunder, Leni Riefenstahl, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Erwin Blumenfeld, Erick Salomon, and Roman Vishniac.  Within the historical context of Nazi Germany in the 1930’s and 40’s, the presentation focuses on the artistic / moral choices of these photographers: what they chose to photograph – what they saw (in the Eye in the Storm) – as well as their artistic and ethical choices.  The …

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Council on Aging Corner

Blood Drive at the Beech Street Center Today

Events and classes being held at the Belmont Council on Aging's Beech Street Center.

Red Cross Blood Drive. The Beech Street Center will host a blood drive on Friday, Dec. 30, in the fitness room. Art Exhibit. An exhibit of Katha Seidman's portraits and still lifes can be seen in the Lounge and Game Room through Jan 4. Please visit the Center and enjoy the paintings done by this talented local artist.  We are also accepting requests to exhibit at this time. If you have a collection of paintings or photographs to display please call 617-993-2970 to add your name to our art exhibit list. Appreciating Chinese Culture Through Shen Yun Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 1 p.m. Shen Yun is a world-class Chinese culture show dedicated to promoting the traditional Chinese culture through the performing arts.  It is produced by Shen Yun Performing…

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Belmont Music Festival Orchestra Plays Beethoven Dec. 30

Music Director Nathaniel Meyer talks about Beethoven's 'Eroica' Symphony today at 4 p.m. at Beech Street Center.

Nathaniel Meyer is back in town and that can only mean one thing: the 20-year-old Yale student is bringing his musician friends together for a concert. For the second December in a row, Meyer will lead The Belmont Music Festival Orchestra in a musical offering to the town. This year, Meyer – the BMF's musical director – and the orchestra will perform Beethoven's Third Symphony in E flat major, Op. 55, the 'Eroica' (or Heroic), on Friday, Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.  The orchestra, featuring 13 alumni from the Belmont Public Schools music program and friends from youth and college ensembles, marks their fourth visit to Belmont's Senior Center for concerts that filled the hall with music enthusiasts.  The …

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Beech Street Center in the LEED To Sustainability

Center staff and town will celebrate receiving "green" certification on Thursday.

When people who use the Beech Street Center walk through the door, along with those who work there, they immediately notice something is different about the building. Perhaps it’s the abundance of light that so many detect or what they don’t sense such as the absence of any odor from cleaning products. “People say they feel something in this building that they don’t anywhere else,” said Nava Niv-Vogel, director of the Council on Aging and Senior Center. “Even if they don’t know precisely why, users say they feel good inside here.” What they’re experiencing is the comfort of being in a certified “green” building – the first public building in Belmont to be so designated – for which the Center recently received the Leader in Energy and …

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New Exercise Classes Ready to Start at Beech Street

Events and classes happening at the Belmont COA's Beech Street Center.

Art Exhibit An exhibit of Katha Seidman's oil paintings will be seen in the Lounge and Game Room starting today, Nov. 16, and running to Dec. 28. Visit the Center and enjoy the portraits and still lifes painted by this talented local artist. Digital Camera Use Mondays and Wednesdays, by appointment. Meet one-on-one with instructor David Ching. Get the most out of your digital camera. Learn how to use the menu button and its surrounding arrows, set-up resolution, date and time, camera speed for still and sport photos, download pictures to a computer, save memorable photos, and other functionalities. Donations to the Belmont Council on Aging will be accepted for exceptional service. The recommended donation is $10 per one-hour session.    …

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Council on Aging Corner

Free Osteoporosis Screening at Beech Street Center

Events, classes and trips by the Belmont Council on Aging and the Beech Street Center

Osteoporosis Screening Winchester Hospital’s Community Health Institute Osteoporosis Community Benefit Program is offering a free osteoporosis screening at the Belmont Senior Center on Wednesday, Nov. 9, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. People who want to participate will be required to sign up in advance. Those who want to be screened must come prepared to take off shoes and stockings. (Also, come to a future screening if you have an open or infected wound on your foot.) Beginner Piano Starts Thursday, Nov. 10, at 9 a.m. If you have always wanted to play the piano, this is the course for you. The instructor is experienced teaching adults of all ages in a collaborative and supportive environment You will learn tunes, chords, scales and basic reading…

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Making Phone Calls Easier for Seniors with Hearing Problems

Activities and classes occurring at the Beech Street Center and the Council on Aging.

Making Telephone Communication Possible for Individuals with Hearing Loss and Speech Difficulties Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 1 p.m. The Outreach Project Manager for MassRelay will share information about free telephone relay services available through MassRelay that allow communication between individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking and standard telephone users.  Many people think relay services only benefit people who are deaf, but actually many people benefit from relay every day. For example, Captioned Telephone is a service that is especially helpful to people who wear hearing aids or are hard of hearing and having difficulty hearing over the phone due to their hearing loss. The MassRelay Outreach …

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5 Things You Need to Know Today: Oct. 12

Lone Tree Hill opening announced, meditation at the Benton, early release Wednesday.

Five Things You Need to Know Today is a Patch feature that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. Have an idea for  an upcoming "Five Things?" Let us know in the comments section. 1. Put this on your calendar: the celebratory opening ceremony for 'Lone Tree Hill, Belmont Conservation Land' – formerly the McLean Open Space – will be held on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the new parking lot at the site at 251 Mill St. Being that it is a small parking lot, please think about walking or taking a bike to the site near the entry to Rock Meadow Conservation Land. 2. Sing-along with Julie, a music program for the wee children not yet in school, will be held today from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Children's …

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Self Managing Diabetes Presented at the Council on Aging

Classes and events at the Beech Street Center.

Belmont Open Sings preview (With the Bel Aires) Thursday, Oct. 6, 1 p.m. Join Mary Beekman, artistic director of Powers Music School’s Belmont Open Sings program, in an informative and entertaining lunchtime talk on the work that will be read-through at the Belmont Open Sings event on Sunday, Oct. 16: Beethoven's Mass in C Major. Beekman's pre-concert talk, which will use audio excerpts and vocal scores, will acquaint you with this powerful and celebratory work by one of the greatest classical composers of all time. The full Belmont Open Sings event will take place on Sunday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 pm at Payson Park Church, 365 Belmont St. in Belmont. Participants will experience the thrill of singing Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, accompanied by a…

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Council on Aging Corner

Caring, Singing and Swimming by the COA

Belmont Open Sings preview, the swimmers are meeting and caring for those in hospice care.

Fitness Assessment Friday, Sept. 30, at 1 p.m. Participants will enjoy a brief presentation on health and wellness.  Topics include fitness facts & myths, proper workout intensity, general nutrition guidelines, and exercise benefits. This presentation will be followed by free fitness evaluations, which will include body circumference measurements, body fat measurements, and flexibility testing. This is presented by Fitness Together. Please call to sign up. Caring and Conversation Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. Come listen, learn and share as we talk about Care Alternatives and your loved one’s hospice benefits as covered under Medicare. Speaker Andrea Cooperstein, M. Ed. (Care Alternatives Hospice) will talk about additional services available…

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