Over the last seven months, Newton Patch has featured a different perspective of life in the Garden City every Thursday at 1 p.m. The goal of the "Viewfinder" photo galleries is to not always feature a special event in the city, but to take a look at some of the interesting activities and perspectives you can find Newton on any given day. We went through the the photos and picked some of our favorites, flip through and tell us what you think. A Splash of Summer (July 7) Leaving the Car Keys behind on Bike Fridays (June 23) A Hair Affair (June 9) One City, Many Faiths (April 28) The Big Screen…

Mad Dog Wrestling Club is a new youth wrestling program started by several current and former wrestling coaches in the Newton area. The club offers a youth program for children in grades 4-8 as well as a high school program. According to coach and founder Kevin Randall, there are approximately 24 students in the high school program and 28 in the youth program. This is the wrestling club's first season.

On Monday and Wednesday evening of this week, the city of Newton held a rabies clinic at fire station #3 in Newton Centre for pet owners to come and bring their animals to be vaccinated. Jake Tedaldi, the veterinarian administering the vaccines says he's come across a lot of people who want to do the right thing for their animals but may not have a lot of money to spend on vet bills. These clinics give them the opportunity to take care of their pets at a lower cost, he says. The first time an animal is vaccinated, the vaccine is good for only one year, but if the animal received a second …

"It doesn't matter how I feel when I get here, this group is always fun," says Joan Caplan, director of the Silver Newtones, a "friendly group of singing seniors." The group rehearses weekly at the United Methodist Church of Newton but has no religious affiliation and performs a wide variety of music from Motown, to Broadway, to songs for the holidays. They are currently working on a selection of Halloween themed pieces for a series of upcoming concerts. The Silver Newtones performs in concerts throughout the year, many of which are at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. They are …

Newton Senior Center held its annual Health and Wellness Fair Wednesday afternoon featuring 50 different vendors as well as demonstrations in tai chi, zumba and other exercise activities. Program Coordinator Joanne Fisher estimates that the fair attracts between 200-300 visitors each year.

As part of the city of Newton's Park and Recreation "Over 55" programs, students can participate in a weekly tap dance class at Lasell College. Some students have been dancing since they were young while others attend the class as a way to keep physically and mentally fit.

The group The Blue Suede Boppers gave a concert at West Newton Playground this Wednesday evening. The event -- sponsored by Village Bank -- was part of Newton Community Pride's "Dancing in the Parks" series. Linda Plaut, Director of the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, says the series travels to different neighborhoods on different days. "We're here to promote the arts and make people feel connected," she says.

Unlike Asian martial arts, European martial arts, like medieval longsword fencing, have not been passed down through generations. Those who practice the martial art today learn what they can from books written as long ago as the 1300s. The Kunstbruder Fechtschule, which teaches classes at Gymnasium in West Newton follows the methods of the German master Lichtenauer, whose students wrote down much of his material. "Most of us have some other type of martial arts background," says assistant instructor William Frisbee. Frisbee practiced Japanese sword arts for 22 years before switching to …

The Newton Country Players, a non-profit community theater group, are are currently involved in rehearsals for the musical "Into the Woods," which will be performed at the Massachusetts Bay Community College in August. The show takes several well know fairy tales (Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, etc.) and weaves them together into a complex performance that deals with the underlying issues the different characters face as their stories converge in the woods. Get a behind the scenes look at one of the rehearsals as they prepare for their upcoming …

Ricordi d'Italia is an Italian folk group that has existed in Nonantum for more 30 years. The members of the group are almost all of Italian descent and they perform songs and dances from many different regions of Italy. Every dance has a meaning or story behind it. "What we do, we do with love and pride," says organizer and founder of the group Margherita Drake. "And if we were able to bring you a little bit of joy or a little remembrance of the past, then our mission in accomplished." Drake says it has been difficult to keep the group together for such a long time and that over the years …

With barely a cloud in the sky and temperatures of 88º F, it was time for a day at the pool. Newton residents as well as children from local summer camps gathered at Gath Memorial Pool on Wednesday to cool down from the heat and have some fun in the water.

The Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center runs a variety of sports camps over the summer, from soccer to baseball to swimming to basketball. The basketball camp is for grades K-5 and runs for one week. "It's not a hardcore instruction camp," says marketing director Larry Keller, explaining that the camp's main goal is to keep the children active with a focus on a primary sport.

An initiative of the city of Boston, Bike Fridays organize bike commuter convoys from all over the Boston area to converge on Government Center once a month throughout the summer in an effort to promote bike riding in Boston. Residents of Newton, Needham and nearby areas joined one of the convoys on June 19th, which left from Newton City Hall, traveled along the Charles River before finishing at City Hall Plaza Boston where riders were offered food, drink and bike maintenance from local businesses.

The Lego Club is held twice a month at the Newton Free Library and is open to 6-9 year olds. Each month has a different theme, this month's being "summertime." Jane Malmberg, assistant supervisor for the children's room at the library, says it's interesting to see the differences between what the boys make and what the girls make. She says boys often build things with robots and lasers.

Flip through photos and see the stylings of local barbers and hair dressers at Orlando's Salon, Hair Solutions by Helso, Centre Barbershop and Novo Salon.

The Nahanton Nature Center held its first annual Birds and Bugs Festival on Saturday at Nahanton Park. The event included a photo contest, bird walks and bug hunts, canoe and kayak tours, and various stations set up with exhibits and arts and crafts for kids. Holly Peterson, program director at the Nature Center, said the idea behind the event was to promote the Nature Center as well as to show people the beauty and diversity of species that they have in Nahanton Park.

Last weekend the Newton Community Farm held their spring seedling sale where 20,000 plants were available for purchase -- doubling the amount that was offered in 2010.  According to Peter Barrer, president of the board of directors, the seedling sale, one of the farm's key fundraisers, raised $12,000 in 2010 and this year they are hoping to top that by raising $14,000. Proceeds from the sale help support some of the education programs on the farm. The seedling sale "meets our mission of having people grow food at home," said Barrer. According to board member Dede Vittori the farm has recently…

From May through September the Newton Senior Center holds a monthly barbecue, usually outdoors, although this month's was held inside due to weather conditions. This month's barbecue was attended by town aldermen and featured music from the Newton Senior Center Swing Band. It was sponsored by Goddard House in Brookline.

The Newton Fire Department held its annual Firefighters' Ball last Friday, April 29, to celebrate and recognize the hard work done by the department over the last year. Various companies and individuals received citations for their work in the city and the Jessica Locke Firefighters Fund was recognized for its generous contributions. The ball was held at the American Legion Post 440 in Nonantum and sponsored by the Newton Firefighters' Association Local 863.

During the week of Passover and Easter, different religions celebrated in different ways. But while the traditions may be different, there are still many important ascpects which are shared. "You can have your seders, you can have your Passovers, " said Rev. Linda Moore, Minister of Education at the First Baptist Church in Newton. "Everyone has that commonality of loving one another and sharing that compassion, no matter what faith tradition you're in."