In response to the recent suicides that have impacted the Needham community, the Needham Coalition for Suicide Prevention and Needham Youth Services are offering QPR trainings, which stands for Question, Persuade, Refer.

The program helps participants examine the myths surrounding suicide, explore the signs of suicide, discover the differences between suicide and self injury, and learn how to help to a person in distress, according to a program announcement.

Needham Youth Services director Jon Mattleman said the program is one of the most popular and important that his department offers. He said he has heard feedback from community members that his program has potentially saved lives.

A flier for the program with registration details is available at www.needhamma.gov/youth/qpr.

By Marvin, Globe Correspondent

Babson College head men’s soccer coach Jon Anderson calls Jimmy Stento, his sophomore forward from neighboring Needham, “Mr. November’’ - and with good reason.

Stento netted nine of his 10 points in the last three games for the Beavers, which are heading into the NCAA Division 3 tournament. He had a goal and two assists in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference regular-season finale, a 4-2 victory over MIT; a goal and assist in the Beavers’ 2-1 NEWMAC semifinal win against WPI; and, on Sunday, the winner in the 77th minute in the conference final, a 2-1 victory against Wheaton at home in Wellesley.

“After an up-and-down start to his first season at Babson, Jimmy has come on in the last few weeks to not only score big goals, but set up goals down the stretch,’’ said Anderson, whose team was 8-0 in conference play, including the two tournament wins, and 15-5-1 overall going into Saturday’s NCAA regional semifinal against Western New England College, being played at Wesleyan in Connecticut.

“We’re a close group and we didn’t want our season to be over,’’ said Stento, whose father, James T. Stento, was Babson’s leading scorer as a junior and senior, and led the Beavers to back-to-back Division 3 national championships in 1979 and ’80.

“On the winning goal, Dan Fogarty worked the ball down the left side and crossed it to me, and I got the ball toward the center of the goal and hit the right corner of the net. It was definitely the biggest goal I’ve ever scored.’’

Stento was coached by his father - a member of the Babson Athletic Hall of Fame - in Needham’s youth soccer program, with the focus on always hustling and to keep trying. The advice has been heeded this fall.

“Early this season, I was playing behind some older players, then I came down with bronchitis that set me back, and then I got a contusion on my left leg and missed two more games,’’ said Stento. “But I started playing more, I got healthier, and I felt more like my old self just at the right time. Last year, I was recruited to play, but I told Coach I wanted to just focus on school work, and I hope to play four years here eventually.’’

At Needham High, Stento played freshman baseball, then focused on soccer. As a senior, he was a Bay State Conference all-star and an all-state selection who led the Rockets in scoring.

Marvin Pave can be reached at 508-820-4223 or marvin.pave@ rcn.com.

Mustard's Retreat (image provided by the band).

The band Mustard's Retreat will be playing a show at the Homegrown Coffeehouse on Nov. 21 at 8:00 p.m.

Supporters of a proposed rail trail from Newton to Medfield will make their case to Dover selectmen Thursday.

Emily Royer of Lexington (left) rehearses with Needham residents Rachel Burns and Nick Davis for Needham Community Theatre’s upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz. (Photo by Erin Stulb).

The Needham Community Theater is performing the classic play, "The Wizard of Oz" from Nov. 20-29.

The production features a cast of 50, including 31 Needham residents. The show will be similar to the film version, but the NCT has added their own flare, including a Jitterbug number which was cut from the original movie.

The theater group is launching a fundraising effort in conjunction with the show called the "Pave the Way" campaign. The campaign is to raise funds for rising operating expenses and upcoming technical improvements. Donors of $20 or more will receive a "yellow brick" with a personalized message to be displayed at all "Wizard of Oz" performances.

To make a donation or purchase tickets, visit www.needhamtheatre.org

The Needham Rotary Club and Community Council are working together to provide Needham residents with a free Thanksgiving dinner. They will be providing food and entertainment to create a festive holiday atmosphere on Thanksgiving Day starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Masonic Hall, 1101 Highland Avenue.

The Needham Rotary Club and Community Council have hosted this event for 25 years. All of the dinner food will be donated by Roche Bros., and the pies will be donated by Wingate. There will also be entertainment and free transportation available, according to an event announcement.

Anyone who wants to participate is asked to call the Needham Community Council at (781) 444-2415 to make reservations in advance.

By Jessic Rudis, Town Correspondent

As Needham voters prepare to decide on a renovation project at the Newman Elementary School that includes replacing the heating system, a steam heating pipe burst outside the school, ripping a small hole in the sidewalk near the gym. Nobody was hurt.

Newman Assistant Principal Mark McAneny said he is not sure when the pipe burst, but it was discovered yesterday at 3:30 in the afternoon. He described it as a small hole in the sidewalk and said the school is currently working to fix it. The hole itself is not a safety concern, he said, but there is a concern that other steam pipes could burst in the future, given the old heating and ventilation system in the school.

Mrs. Jack. (Image provided by the Needham Public Library.)

The Needham Public Library is hosting a one-act play, "Mrs. Jack at Fenway Court," on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2:00 p.m.

The show was written and directed by Laura Duggan, who also stars as Isabella Stewart Gardner. The show takes place in 1903, and Gardner is holding a party to celebrate the opening of her house, Fenway Court. The show focuses on how Gardner moved on from the loss of her son Jackie to establish herself as a social maverick, according to an event announcement.

The program is sponsored by the Library Foundation of Needham.

Procter & Gamble's Needham facility will close in 2012 under a consolidation plan by the consumer products giant.

The Needham facility's 105 employees will be transferred to other P&G facilities in locations such as South Boston; Bethel, Conn.; Ohio; and Germany, P&G said.

CNS hosts Newman Renovation Forum

Citizens for Needham Schools will host a Community Forum on the Newman Renovation Project. All are welcome to attend. The forum will be held on:

Monday, November 9
7:30 p.m.
Needham Historical Society
Presentations by School Committee, Board of Selectmen, and Together for Needham Representatives

The purpose of the forum is to provide an opportunity for residents to ask questions about the scope and budget of the Newman Renovation Project, understand why each item included is considered to be fiscally prudent, and learn how the vote on December 8 will impact the other capital improvement projects planned for Needham.