🌱 Patch AM: How a Dedham megaproject could reshape traffic and riverside life in Needham

Morning Needham! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• How a Dedham megaproject could reshape traffic and riverside life in Needham
• How 14 years of MWRA tunnel work will reshape Needham streets
• See how Needham's Olin College topped a national professors ranking

Also on today's calendar: Peter Mulvey & Jenna Nicholls present Floyd Mercantile and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What is the difference between a jeweler and a jailer? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Thursday: Humid with periods of sun, with a high of 83 and low of 67 degrees.
• Friday: A shower and t-storm; humid, temps: high: 81, low: 58.
• Saturday: Partly sunny and less humid, with a high of 78 and low of 56 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Dedham megaproject has some in Needham on edge (needhamobserver.com) — A massive $500 million lab, housing, and R&D complex proposed just over the Dedham line could dramatically increase traffic and stormwater impacts in Needham, especially near the Charles River. Needham officials and neighbors are raising concerns through the state's environmental review, but the town has little formal control over the project's fate.
   

• MWRA preparing to dig in on Needham tunnel work (needhamobserver.com) — Needham residents face years of MWRA tunnel work centered at the I‑95/Highland Avenue interchange, bringing nighttime street construction, truck traffic, and sewer pipe replacement but no service interruptions. Early prep work ramps up this spring, with a dewatering drainage line under Brook, Arlington, and Charles streets scheduled for 2027–28, all to add backup water tunnels serving eastern Massachusetts.
   

• Massachusetts Colleges Make Princeton Review's 2027 Best List (patch.com) — Needham's own Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering earned a spot on Princeton Review's 2027 Best Colleges list and ranked No. 1 nationally for professors getting high marks. It's one of 25 Massachusetts schools highlighted, underscoring the state's strong higher-ed presence and giving local families another reason to look close to home for top-tier engineering education.
   

📸 Around Needham

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Needham

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Friday September 11
• Peter Mulvey & Jenna Nicholls present Floyd Mercantile →
  Zullo Gallery Center For the Arts, 456 Main St, Medfield
  6:30 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Thursday August 27
• Needham's International Overdose Awareness Day →
  92 Rosemary St, Needham
  9:00 am
• 5th Annual Overdose Awareness Day and Vigil →
  Needham Calendar, 92 Rosemary Street, Needham
  6:30 pm
• 5th Annual Overdose Awareness Day Vigil →
  92 Rosemary St, Needham
  6:30 pm
Friday August 28
• Student Self Guided Walk Through
  High Rock School Needham, MA 02492
  8:00 am
• Sensory Storytime
  Needham Free Public Library Children's Room , 1139 Highland
  10:00 am
Saturday August 29
• Open Work-in-Progress Session for a Local Movement Collective
  Needham Free Public Library Community Room , 1139 Highland Avenue\
  10:30 am
• Chinese Storytime
  Needham Free Public Library Children's Room , 1139 Highland
  11:00 am
Monday August 31
• Preschool Palooza
  Needham Free Public Library Library Community Room , 1139 Highland
  10:00 am
• Read to Rocket, the Police Dog! →
  Needham Free Public Library Children's Room , 1139 Highland
  4:00 pm
• Needham Historical Commission - Hybrid →
  Needham Calendar, Needham Town Hall 1471 Highland Avenue, Needham
  6:00 pm
Sunday September 13
• Indie Bookfest →
  TLC Studios & Media Lab, 390 Washington St, Dedham
  11:00 am

📣 Needham Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Needham PatchAM possible:

• 80onVernon | 8 Luxury Residences | New Construction — (617) 843-5685
• Borchers Cusano Trust Law — (508) 803-1900
• Saltbox — 978 - 610 - 6020
• Insurcomm Restoration — (866) 708-5357
• RARE Restoration — (617) 969-7273
• Southeast Railing Co Inc — 7818287088
• Boston Construct, LLC — (617) 697-1719
• Evan Walsh | The Walsh Team at William Raveis Real Estate — (508) 341-4904
• Feng Shui Restaurant & Bar — (781) 817-6256

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• StepStone Hospitality posted a job opening for Housekeeper (Room Attendant) in Needham. Apply here.
• CROSSMARK posted a job opening for Retail Reset Merchandiser in Needham. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Needham here.

🗞 Nearby News

Wellesley

• Register now for Wellesley Recreation Fall 2026 programs (theswellesleyreport.com)
• Incoming: Teams rooms set to arrive at Wellesley High track and field this week (theswellesleyreport.com)
• Wellesley School Committee weighs accelerated timeline for AC (theswellesleyreport.com)

Dover

• Who's running for Norfolk DA in aftermath of Karen Read controversy? (patriotledger.com)

Ok Needham! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A jeweler sells watches and a jailer watches cells. (Thank you Jean D. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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