Calendar 11/28

COMMUNITY EVENTS
HOLIDAY LIGHTING Waltham's annual Holiday Lighting is Friday, Nov. 28, 6 p.m., on Waltham Common. Refreshments, the Waltham High School show choirs will be on hand to get everyone in the holiday spirit with singing some holiday classics, and the opportunity for parents to take their child's photo on Santa's lap. Information: 781-314-3100.
MEET NEW DIRECTOR The Community Day Center is having an introductory evening to meet the new director, Eben Forbes, on Monday Dec. 1, 7 p.m., at the First Presbyterian Church, 34 Alder St., Waltham. Light refreshments will be served. Information: www.communitydaycenter.org; 781-893-3087.
CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS Decorative holly, trees, and cards are the mainstays of our Christmastime, but did you know the most celebrated holiday of all was once banned by the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony? Trace the traditional celebrations with noted local historian and author Anthony Sammarco in his, Christmas Traditions, on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m., at the Waltham Public Library, 735 Main St. RSVP/information: waltham.lib.ma.us, Events Calendar; 781-314-3425, Ext. 2.
THANKSGIVING DINNER Waltham Moose 1018, 17 Spruce St. in Waltham, presents the Annual Thanksgiving Day Dinner from noon to 2 p.m. The dinner is free to the community, and will include turkey with all the fixings and dessert. For information, call 781-893-9571.
RAW NEW ENGLAND Dr. Thom Bober & Dr. Julie Burke from Optimum Health Solution will be at the next Raw New England Community dinner on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 5 to 9:30 p.m., at UMass Waltham Center, 240 Beaver St. They will administer strategic health assessments for uncovering early cardiovascular degeneration and obtaining more information and a new perspective of moderate to advanced cardiovascular disease. Information/cost: 781-899-6664; 617-835-2913.
REP. KOUTOUJIAN Join State Rep. Peter Koutoujian at his annual Holiday Celebration on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 6 to 8 p.m., at Biagio Ristorante, 123 Moody St. Suggested donation is $500, $250, $100, $50 or $25. Information: www.peterkoutoujian.com.
WINED & DINED IN 1809 Gore Place, 52 Gore St., will offer a special evening tour, Not Another Bite! Wined & Dined in 1809, on Friday, Nov. 28, 7 p.m. If you think you had a big meal on Thanksgiving Day, just wait until you see how people entertained in the time of Christopher and Rebecca Gore. Admission is $12, $8 children 5-12. Tickets: 781-894-2798.
`YOU DON'T SAY' The Waltham Channel presents a new program, ``You Don't Say.'' Waltham residents are allowed 5 minutes of airtime to speak on topics that are important to them. Commercial content is not allowed. Information: 781-899-8834.

SALES/FAIRS/FUNDRAISERS
TEXAS HOLD 'EM There will be a Texas Hold 'Em Tournament, to benefit Waltham Pop Warner, on Saturday, Nov. 29, 11 a.m. (check-in at 10 a.m.), at the Waltham Moose Hall, 17 Spruce St. $100 buy in. Nighttime festivities, including DJ, raffles, and cash bar, is 7 p.m. to midnight. Pre-register: Walthampopwarner08@gmail.com.
RED CROSS Everyday Heroes: Celebrating the American Red Cross is Wednesday, Dec. 3, 6 to 9 p.m., at DoubleTree Guest Suites, 550 Winter St., Waltham. The holiday fundraiser will include an auction and music. Tickets are $25. Information/tickets: www.chenpr.com/index.htm; mmorris@chenpr.com; 781-672-3132.
TOYS FOR TOTS Atrium Mall and the Mall at Chestnut Hill invite shoppers to help Homes for Our Troops, an organization that remodels or builds homes for soldiers returning from Iraq that have sustained severe injuries. The Giving Tree is at both malls Nov. 28-Dec. 24. Information: DTravers@homesforourtroops.org; 508-823-3300.
FOOD COLLECTION The WHS Football team and Gridiron Club are collecting non-perishable items at the next football game, Thanksgiving against Brockton. Information: whsgridiron@gmail.com.
SUSTAINABLE DINNER The next monthly local and sustainable dinner series at Lumiere, 1293 Washington St., Newton, on Monday, Dec. 1, 6:30 p.m., is a meat lovers menu with dry aged, grass fed beef from American Grass Fed Beef & Raincrow Ranch. Dinner is $55. Reservations/information: 617-244-9199.
BASKET RAFFLE Leland Home Resident's Fund Basket Raffle features a variety of themed gift baskets on display at Leland Home, 21 Newton St., through Dec. 17. Chances are $1 or six for $5, with proceeds benefiting the Leland Resident's Fund. The drawing will be held Dec. 17 at Leland. Information: 781-893-2557.
BUDDY POPPIES Members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2152 and its Ladies Auxiliary will be distributing Buddy Poppies in Waltham through Nov. 30. Information: 781-894-9243.
CANTEEN FUND Help remember veterans at the Edith Nourse Rogers VA nursing home in Bedford by sending your tax-deductible donation to the Veterans Canteen Fund. The canteen fund is a program of the Ladies Auxiliary to John M. Sullivan VFW Post 10334. Donations: Veterans Canteen Fund, c/o Ladies Auxiliary, to John M. Sullivan Post 10334, 62 Lake St., Waltham, MA 02451. Information: 781-893-3658.
SUPPLIES FOR TROOPS Waltham VFW Post 2152 and Ladies Auxiliary will be collecting donations to send to our soldiers in Iraq - Master Sgt. Kathrine Ortaga, Sgt. Chris Physic, Spc. Jeremy Bray, Spc. Paul Briggs, Spc. Daniel Fernandez, Maater Sgt. Kathrine Ortaga and 2Lt. Ryan Galluzzo. Items: www.carepackageproject.com. Information: 781-894-9243.
OPERATION SOLDIER Operation American Soldier is collecting items or donations for shipping costs. Soldiers have requested the following items: candy, cookies (small packages), snacks, microwave popcorn, powdered drink singles, socks (crew), T-shirts, toiletries (unscented), feminine products, blank note cards, playing cards, DVDs & CDs. We need help packing boxes, paperwork and more. Information: 617-504-0532.
BOOKS TO SOLDIERS Got Books can send someone who is currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces overseas a care package full of books. To submit the name and address, visit www.GotBooks.com/troops. Got Books provides all books and also handles and pays for all labor and shipping costs. Information: www.GotBooks.com; 978-396-6026.
CLOTHING EXCHANGE The Waltham Clothing Exchange at the Unitarian Church, 50 Church St., is open for the season, Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information: 781-893-6240.

FAMILIES/CHILDREN/TEENS
COLLEGE FINANCING Massachusetts Education Finance Authority's free comprehensive presentation on college financing at Waltham High School, 617 Lexington St., is Monday, Dec. 1, 7 p.m. Time will be allowed for questions and answers. Information: 781-314-5510; 617-224-4861.
PAINT WINTER SCENES Atrium Mall, 300 Boylston St., invites children to visit the mall on Friday, Nov. 28, 1 to 3 p.m., to paint their own winter scene canvas. Other fun activities for children will take place on Level 4. Information: 617-527-1400; www.simon.com.
ROBOTICS Join the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation, 154 Moody St., Waltham, and explore the amazing world of robotics, in collaboration with Mindsurfers. Offered Saturdays begining Nov. 22, is designed to engage all ages in an exploration of how robotics work. Participants navigate obstacles and accomplish missions with their robot, Dr. Heartbeat, by their side. Best suited for ages 9-14. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children; includes museum exhibits. Information: 781-893-5410; elln@crmi.org.
READING Children are invited to picture book readings Friday mornings at Waltham Public Library, 735 Main St., 10:30 a.m., with Bentley University. Information: 781-314-3425.
PARKS AND REC The Newton Parks and Recreation Department has sports leagues and clinics for fall and winter at Newton North, 360 Lowell Ave. Registration at www.activityreg.com.
TOYS FOR TOTS The Marine corps Toys for Tots Foundation and the Marine Corps League's Kelly-Sullivan Marine Detachment #594 of Waltham are accepting applications until Dec. 12 for Christmas for families in need. Applications are available at the mayor's office in City Hall, 610 Main St. Bring proper identification. Information: 781-314-3100.
GAME DAYS Newton History Museum, 527 Washington St., will have card games, board games - including Newtonopoly! - during Saturday Game Days at the Museum. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Free with admission. Information: 617-796-1450.
STORYTIMES Storytimes began Oct. 14 at the Waltham Public Library, 735 Main St., and last for six weeks. Visit the library to pick up a schedule. Free. Information: 781-314-3425.
KIDS NIGHT OUT West Suburban YMCA, 276 Church St., Newton, hosts Kids Night Out, a drop-in program Fridays, 6 to 10 p.m. Kids 7-13 years old are invited to participate in swimming, gym, arts and crafts, board games, pool, ping pong, air hockey, electronic basketball, Nintendo Wii. Students can showcase their musical talents with the YMCA's Band Nights on Fridays, 6 to 10 p.m. There will also be movies, special events and a pizza dinner. Cost is $20; $25 for non-members. Information: 617-244-6050, Ext 3006; gregge@westsuburbanymca.org; www.westsuburbanymca.org.

THEATER/FILM/PERFORMANCE
IT'S CHRISTMASTIME Reagle Players', ``It's ChristmasTime,'' where you can see The Living Nativity, Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, A Victorian Christmas on Boston Public Garden, Clara and The Nutcracker Dancing Bears, Santa's Workshop, Large Choir of Carolers, Brass Choirs, Seasonal Bell Ringers, Precision Dancers, Dozens of Tiny Tots, Raggedy Anns and Andies, City Sidewalks, Santa, and more, is Dec. 5-14, at Robinson Theatre, 617 Lexington St., Waltham. Tickets are $35-$49. Information/tickets: 781-891-5600; www.reagleplayers.com.
TURTLE LANE ``Into the Woods,'' a lively irreverent fantasy in the style of ``The Princess Bride'' becomes a moving lesson about community responsibility and the stories we tell our children. It plays Nov. 14-Dec. 14 and Dec. 27-30, at Turtle Lane Playhouse, 283 Melrose St. Among the cockeyed characters are an ambivalent Cinderella, a blood-thirsty Little Red Ridinghood, a Prince Charming with a roving eye and a Witch ... who raps. Information: www.turtlelane.org; turtlelanesoup@comcast.net; 617-244-0169.
BRIMMER PLAY Brimmer and May School Middle School production, ``There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom!,'' is Wednesday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m., and Thursday, Dec. 4, 5:30 p.m., in Corkin Theatre, Chase Building, 60 Middlesex Road, Newton. The comedy is about the trials and tribulations of adolescent life. Information: www.brimmerandmay.org; 617-566-7462.

MUSIC/DANCE
ROCK 'N ROLL The French American Victory Club, 193 Elm St., Waltham, is holding an evening of classic rock 'n roll, featuring the Smiling Jones Band, on Friday, Nov. 28, 8 p.m. Tickets are $10. Information: 781-899-8195; www.favclub.org.

EXHIBITS
ICONS + ALTARS The New Art Center's 15th annual Icons + Altars exhibition, a unique benefit event featuring the work of 109 local and regional artists, runs Nov. 14-Dec. 14. All works are for sale through a ticketed drawing process. Tickets are $250. Information: www.newartcenter.org; 617-964-3424.
ROSE ART Invisible Rays: The Surrealism Legacy, Project for a New American Century, and Drawing on Film, are all on display at Brandeis University's Rose Art Museum, 415 South St. Sept. 26-Dec. 14. Information: www.brandeis.edu/rose.
BURNS Sixty Years of the Cuala Press: A Collaboration of the Yeats Family and Mollie Gill, an exclusive exhibition of rare artistic printed materials produced by the Cuala Press at Boston College Burns Library, 140 Commonwealth Ave., through March 2009. The Press was established in Ireland in 1908 by Irish Nobel Laureate William Butler Yeats and his sisters, Elizabeth and Susan. Information: 617-552-3282; www.bc.edu/burns.
ON EQUAL TERMS On Equal Terms addresses the cost of gender barriers in any occupation - and what it means to treat all individuals alike. Susan Eisenberg, an artist, poet, activist, Brandeis University Women's Studies Research Center scholar and master electrician, interviewed more than 30 women in the trades about their inspiration, frustration and experiences. Runs through Jan. 9, Information/related events: www.brandeis.edu/centers/wsrc/.
BOSTON COLLEGE The McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College will host an exclusive exhibition, ``Mystic Masque: Semblance and Reality in Georges Rouault,'' on view through Dec. 7. The exhibition will comprise approximately 240 of Rouault's finest paintings, works on paper and stained glass - many never before displayed in North America. Information: www.bc.edu/artmuseum; 617-552-8100.
MOUNT IDA The following gallery exhibit is scheduled at Mount Ida College, 777 Dedham St., Newton: Oct. 21-Dec. 7, Ryan Walker, The Recycler. A look at sculptures made with recycled materials to create assemblage, structures in space and installation. Information: 617-928-4500; www.mountida.edu.

MEETINGS/LECTURES
FAMILY HISTORY The National Archives and Records Administration Northeast Region, 380 Trapelo Road, Waltham, will feature a lecture on, Family History: Exploring Footnote and other Online Resources, on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2 p.m. The presentation is intended for novice family historians. Tours at 1:30 p.m. Registration: 866-406-2379; 781-663-0121; waltham.archives@nara.gov .
NARRATIVE FICTION A discussion about narrative fiction and cognitive science with renowned scientist Steven Pinker and acclaimed novelist Yael Goldstein Love is Tuesday, Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m., at Back Pages Books, 289 Moody St., Waltham. Tickets are $5. Information: 781-788-9988; alex@backpagesbooks.com.
HUMAN RESOURCES Northeast Human Resources Association is hosting a half-day workshop broken into two parts, Metrics Based Decision Making in Managing Health Care Expense for the Long Term, and, Help Your Employees Lead Healthier Lives While Reducing Your Healthcare Costs! A Step-by-Step Guide to Worksite Wellness,, on Thursday, Dec. 4, 7:30 to 11 a.m., at the Westin Hotel, 70 Third Ave., Waltham. Cost is $100, $150 for non-members. Information: www.nehra.com/events; 781-239-8711; vantonetti@nehra.com.

HEALTH
SHAKEN BABY Newton-Wellesley Hospital has joined an initiativespearheaded by the Middlesex District Attorney's Office to educate parents ofnewborns on strategies to prevent instances of Shaken Baby Syndrome. Theeducation program aims to have all new parents undergo individual trainingsessions by hospital nurses on the dangers of SBS and strategies to proactively and safely cope with a crying newborn. Information: 617-243-6000.
FITNESS The West Suburban YMCA will host a new fitness series of45-minute, three week classes designed for specific areas of the body. Theseclasses will focus on the chest, back, arms, legs, and core which are allessential elements to strengthen during a workout. The cost for each series ofthree week classes is $30 for YMCA Members and $45 for non-members.Information: 617-224-6050, Ext. 3007; janec@westsuburbanymca.org.