Norwood 150 Celebrates Elders And Cultural Diversity With June Events

NORWOOD, MA - The Norwood 150 Committee announced a number of upcoming activities this month that will highlight elders, students and cultural diversity as part of its yearlong series of community events in honor of the town's incorporation 150 years ago.

On Friday, Norwood residents age 60 or older are invited to a banquet celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Norwood Council on Aging. It will be held at the Sheraton Four Points at 1125 Boston-Providence Turnpike from 4-8 p.m. and will include a full-course sit-down dinner and dancing to the music of Dave Valerio. Tickets costing $20 can be purchased at the Norwood Senior Center at 275 Prospect St., where Executive Director Kerri McCarthy can also answer any questions. Email her at kmccarthy@norwoodma.gov.

School events

The week of June 13-16 will feature seven events celebrating cultural diversity as reflected in music, dance and food at several of Norwood's schools.

• On Monday, June 13 from 5-7 p.m., Thomas Balch Elementary School will host a student presentation of poster boards on “My Norwood Story,” with family histories of why their families came to Norwood, based on interviews with their parents.
• At the Charles J. Prescott Elementary School on Monday, June 13 from 5-7 p.m., students and teachers will present a history of the school.
• The Frederick A. Cleveland Elementary School will host three local restaurants that will offer food and recipes on Wednesday, June 15 from 5-7 p.m. A quilt will be displayed.
• Fifth graders will conduct a campus tour at the John P. Oldham Elementary School on Wednesday, June 15 from 5-7 p.m. Local artists will perform. Family-friendly stations will include face painting.
• The Cornelius M. Callahan Elementary School on Thursday, June 16 from 5-7 p.m. will host a presentation on the history of the school and town through a “story walk.” Fifth graders will sing “Happy Birthday Norwood.” Visitors will be invited to play games including town trivia tests.
• On Thursday, June 16 from 5-7 p.m., the Philip O. Coakley Middle School will showcase memorabilia of the school and its predecessors will be displayed as part of a “Spring Celebration” of carnival fair activities. Poster boards and story boards will provide other information displays on the school'shistory and previous locations.
• At St. Catherine of Siena Elementary and Middle School, kindergarten teacher Joan Sullivan will describe working with the school’s founders at an event on Thursday, June 16, 6-8 p.m. Students and alumni will share memories of their school experiences. Tours of the campus will be available.

Norwood's first Juneteenth celebration will be held June 18

Norwood will conduct its first celebration of Juneteenth, the date in 1865 when Union troops arrived at Galveston Bay, Texas, and announced that the roughly 250,000 enslaved African-Americans in Texas were freed by executive decree. This was the last part of the United States to be formally emancipated.

The Juneteenth event is being organized by Geoffrey Baguma, a school resource officer with the Norwood Police Department.

Juneteenth is June 19, but Norwood has opted to avoid a conflict with Father’s Day by moving the celebration for this year to Saturday, June 18, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on the Town Common. For more information, contact NorwoodJuneteenth@gmail.com.

Antique car show on June 19

On June 19, an Antique Classic Car Show will be held from 1-4 p.m. at the Municipal Car Park between the Norwood Civic Center at 165 Nahatan St. and the Norwood Sports Center at65 Cottage St. East. For more information, call or text 781-690-6570.

Norwood Historical Society holds series of history walking tours

On the last two Tuesdays of the month, June 21 and June 28, the Norwood Historical Society will conduct its first two History Walking Tours of the year. On June 21 from 6-7:30 p.m., the tour of Upper South Norwood will begin at the Balch School at 1170 Washington St. On June 28, the tour of Lower South Norwood will begin at the Morse House, located at 1285 Washington St., at 6 p.m. and last until 7:30 p.m.

Tours of different neighborhoods will continue on Tuesdays through August 9. More information will be forthcoming.