The Swellesley Report

Since 2005: More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

Labor Day weekend in Wellesley—what’s open and closed

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Wellesley Town Hall, summer
Wellesley Town Hall

Happy Labor Day weekend, Wellesley. Here’s what’s closed on and around this upcoming Monday, Sept. 7 federal holiday, which celebrates the achievements of American workers.

Public Schools—closed on Monday, Sept. 7

The Recycling and Disposal Facility is closed on Sunday, September 6 AND on Monday, September 7. Regular operations resume on Tuesday, September 8.

Libraries (main, Fells)—closed on Saturday, Sept. 5 – Monday, Sept. 7. Reopening regular hours on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Hills library is temporarily closed due to a renovation project.

Town Hall and 888 Worcester St. departments are closed on Monday, Sept. 7 for the Labor Day holiday. Regular business will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Please note that these offices have ended summer hours. Buildings are open Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm, but please check individual department webpages for specific service hours.

Post offices—closed Monday, Sept. 7

Banks—closed Monday, Sept. 7

MBTA—operating on a Sunday schedule. View all schedules here.

Bars, restaurants, retail—open, regular hours/owner’s discretion.

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MIT Museum, Cambridge

Friday is letters-to-the-editor day

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The Swellesley Report accepts letters to the editor. Letters must be of general local community interest and must be signed. Community shout-outs are also accepted and encouraged. For example, a non-profit may thank an organization for a donation received.

Letters to the editor

You can see these and previous letters to the editor here.

Please send your letter to the editor to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Letters to the editor guidelines here.

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Page Waterman, Natick
London Harness, Wellesley
Dedham Country Day School

Wellesley COA Photography Club zooms in on Wellesley Fire Department

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COA photography club at Wellesley Fire Department
Left to right: Susan Camuti, Joanne Kilsdonk, Sheila Green, Ryan Johnson,
Dom DeLeo, Jon Whalen, Bill Stanwood, Brennan Polimeno, and Dan Gee

 

Members of the Wellesley Council on Aging Photography Club were hosted by the Wellesley Fire Department for a tour of the main station on 457 Worcester St. on July 10. 

Participating in the event were Susan Camuti, Dom DeLeo, Dan Gee, Sheila Green, Joanne Kilsdonk, and Bill Stanwood from the photography club.  The group was hosted by Ryan Johnson, Brennan Polimeno, and Jon Whalen from the WFD. 

The firemen gave a tour of the equipment in the main bay and explained some of their operations and day-to-day activities.  During the visit, the group saw the firefighters in action, when an engine was dispatched in response to a emergency—an event which was somewhat expected due to the nature of their work in the community.

During the visit, the photography group had the opportunity to photograph the engines, equipment and made informal portraits of the firemen.

Jon Whalen posing for members of the Wellesley COA Photography Club (by W Stanwood)
Firefighter Jon Whalen posing for Wellesley COA Photography Club members
(Photo by Bill Stanwood)

 

The Wellesley COA Photography Club is a group of senior photography enthusiasts and meets at the Tolles Parsons Center, 500 Washington St. Meetings are open to seniors in the community and are free.   

Thank you to Dan Gee for sharing this summary of the photography shoot.

Detail of Fireman’s Helmet (by S Camuti)
Detail of Firefighter’s Helmet (Photo by Susan Camuti)

 
Wellesley Tower Engine 2
Wellesley Tower Engine 2 (Photo by Joanne Kilsdonk)

 
Pumper Detail (Photo by Bill Stanwood)
Pumper Detail (Photo by Bill Stanwood)

 

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Waffle lot of penance: Fantasy football losers sentenced to Wellesley cafe booth

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Fantasy feast at maugus
David, Saint & Sarah at Fantasy Feast

 
Three hours into their “punishment” for finishing in the cellar of last season’s Workout Nerds fantasy football league, the members of “Griddy, Griddy, Bang, Bang” were all putting a good face on very full stomachs.

Saint Aufranc, David Nahabedian, and Sarah Wilson on a late August Friday morning sat in a corner booth at Wellesley’s updated Maugus Cafe, where each had gorged on three sizable Belgian waffles. The pathologist, retired business owner, and retailer, respectively, were assigned to stay at the eatery from 7am until 2pm, though would get half an hour off for each waffle consumed.

So not exactly time off for good behavior, but rather for gluttonous behavior.

“We’ve had three waffles each so far,” Aufranc told me as I rolled in at 10am. “That doesn’t seem like that much, but it’s insane.”

“We turned out of the gates really hard,” said Wilson, who looked like she was already set to curl up under one of her company’s nice cozy Gray Heron blankets and take a nap.

Some members said they love waffles, though Wilson volunteered that she’s gluten-free. None of them had fasted in advance.

Taped onto the wall behind them was a poster introducing the three to anyone who might come by: “This is David, Saint & Sarah. They work out. They also play fantasy football. They really stink at one of these things: Can you guess which one?”

I didn’t have to guess. The commissioner of the 12-team league, Mike Piispanen, had gleefully reached out to us earlier in the week to give a heads up on this unique photo op (or as we like to call it, Swellesley Gold).

“We chose the Maugus because it is one of the places where many of us catch up all year round,” said the commish, who noted that the league was formed 11 years ago by a group of mostly Wellesley and MetroWest workout nerds who met at a CrossFit gym. “We miss the old Maugus, but the updated version is going to be a special add to Wellesley.”

Past penalties for finishing last in the league included:

  • Booking a round trip bus ride to New York and immediately returning on the next trip. No devices. This was the “Fung Wah” punishment.
  • A Beer Mile: Run 400 meters, then drink a beer. Repeat four times. A hot dog per lap was added to the mix at some point just to make it a little more disgusting.

Piispanen said he would some day like to see a league loser have to take the SAT, ACT or GMAT and report back the score.

Waffle-mania proved a memorable one, however. Piispanen reassured me, when I told him I didn’t think I could make it by Maugus until 10am that day, that “there is almost zero chance they can finish enough waffles to leave before 11am.”

He was right. They each ate four, and were released at 12:10pm.

Finishing last was unfamiliar territory for this team, which has won in the past and claimed to have been bumped into last place this time around through a sort of fluke of the playoff system. The team also had the toughest schedule in the league and had the most points scored against it.

The league had its draft for this season a few days after the Maugus breakfast at CrossFit TILT in Waltham. Hopefully, Griddy, Griddy, Bang, Bang members were able to slip away for an extra workout and burn off some of those waffles.

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Wellesley recalls Gloria Steinem in wake of her death

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The news this week that author and activist Gloria Steinem had died at the age of 92 recalled a couple of visits she made to Wellesley as well as a special meeting she had with a Wellesley sixth grader in 2013.

The women’s movement leader unsurprisingly was a popular choice as commencement speaker at Wellesley College: She spoke both in 1988 and 1993.

In 1988, Steinem urged graduates to push for equality in all aspects of life. In 1993, she called attention to the diversity of the graduating class, and encouraged grads to become lifelong learners and support one another.

Separately, in 2013, a Hunnewell Elementary School 5th grader named Emily Willrich wrote a letter that appeared in The Wellesley Townsman (you may only be able to read part of it due to a paywall) about inequality between the town’s baseball and softball fields. Her advocacy eventually helped lead to big improvements in girls’ fields, but in the fall of 2013 it also scored the student an invite to meet with Steinem and other women leaders at a Simmons College (now University) event.

The Boston Globe reported on the event at the time, and quoted Willrich as saying about Steinem: “She asked me to give a copy of my Townsman letter to her. She also said that it’s good that I stuck up for myself, and said that no one else is the boss of me. I really liked that — I love that motto.”

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

 

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Single vehicle crash on Benvenue Street ‘in the usual spot’

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A driver on Thursday night, Aug. 27 crashed their car and the vehicle wound up sideways on Benvenue St. in Wellesley.

As a reader who shared a photo from the scene with us commented: “It was in the usual spot. Next to the fire hydrant.”

Benvenue crash
Photo submitted by Rohan Bhagat

 
According to the Wellesley police report, “it appears the driver hit a pot hole and damaged the passenger side front tire.  The vehicle must have veered off the roadway and struck a metal bean that protects the fire hydrant and then the damaged tire sheared off, the vehicle rotated clockwise with just the driver side tires having contact with the street and then it rolled onto the driver side.”

The driver refused medical treatment.

 
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Government

How Wellesley voted in the state primary on Sept. 1

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Roughly 27.1% of registered voters in Wellesley cast ballots for the State Primary on Sept. 1, and based on the *unofficial numbers released by the town, Wellesley results did differ in some key races from statewide results.

On the Democratic ballot, Seth Moulton was the choice in Wellesley over incumbent Ed Markety for state senator, but Markey won the primary. Margie Palladino scored the hometown vote in the Governor’s Council race for District 3, but Mara Dolan won the state vote.

The general election is set for Nov. 3.

*Unofficial results typically don’t include write-in, provisional, military, or overseas ballots.

 

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Wellesley Arts Roundup—September edition

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Wellesley is fortunate to have a lively arts scene, with various opportunities to engage with or make art at any given time. Check out a concert, theater performance, or art reception this month. Here are just a few events happening soon, here and beyond Wellesley.

Don’t see your arts event listed? Email us at theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Clarendon Fine Art to open mid-Sept.

Wellesley Square is preparing to welcome a fresh cultural destination to downtown. Clarendon Fine Art will officially launch its soft opening on Thursday, September 17, complete with a community ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its arrival at 25 Central Street (the former Laurel Grove location).

The brand comes with significant global experience. The company operates dozens of galleries across the United Kingdom, alongside a flagship U.S. location in Westport, Connecticut, which opened three years ago.

Clarendon specializes in international, contemporary, modern art. A company representative said via email that the gallery prides itself on being warm, welcoming, and accessible, whether the customer is a seasoned collector searching for a centerpiece acquisition or a local resident browsing during an afternoon stroll.

Clarendon Fine Arts joins several art-focused businesses in town and slightly beyond—Beth Urdang Gallery and The Gifted Hand in Wellesley Square; The Painting Place 4 Fun in Wellesley Hills; Framebridge in Linden Square; and Page Waterman Gallery in South Natick. You can also see (and sometimes buy) great local art at the Wellesley Free Library, where exhibits rotate monthly—currently Dan Gee’s photography exhibit, “Local Color In and Around Wellesley,” celebrates the area’s beauty.

Art Wellesley, 3rd annual Small Art, Big Party

Art Wellesley
Photo by Art Wellesley

The Small Art, Big Party event is a fundraiser for Art Wellesley that is free for participating artists, with all art sale proceeds supporting Art Wellesley programming. Art Wellesley welcomes donations of  8“ x 8“ artwork from professional and amateur artists to be sold at the third annual Small Art, Big Party.

The party is scheduled for October 2, 2026 from 6pm-8pm at the Lulu Wang Center at Wellesley College. In 2025 the group welcomed over 300 attendees and  hung over 150 works of art.

Art in the Park, Natick—fall edition

Art in the Park, Natick
EVENT: Art in the Park at Shaw Park
DATE/TIME: Sunday, September 13, 10am-3pm
LOCATION: Shaw Park, 53 Eliot St., (that nice green space across the street from the Bacon Free Library)

DESCRIPTION: The Natick Art Association hosts its twice annual art fair! Art in the Park is a collection of amazing artists with various wares for sale. Come enjoy live music and shop the wide variety of media Natick Art Association artists work in. Past years have included everything from pottery to painting, jewelry to books, and more! This is a family and pet friendly event and we hope to see you there.

Artist Talk with Ralph Robinson, wildlife photographer/printmaker

DATE/TIME: Thursday, Sept 17, 6:30pm-8pm
LOCATION: Wellesley Free Library, 530 Washington St.
SPONSOR: Art Wellesley, in partnership with WFL
DESCRIPTION: A wildlife photography expedition to the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Siberia became a turning point in Ralph Robinson’s life and evolving art practice. In this inspiring talk, he will show samples of his artwork, share how experiences in remote landscapes continue to inform his lens-based practice, and how art might deepen our sense of connection.

Needham Bank Great Hall Concert Series

DATE/TIME: Saturday, September 19, 7:30pm
LOCATION: Powers Hall in Needham Town Hall, 1471 Highland Ave, Needham, MA 02492
TICKET INFO here
DESCRIPTION: The Needham Bank Great Hall Concert Series 2026–2027 kicks off in Powers Hall in Needham Town Hall with a performance by Lauren Ambrose. Ambrose is a multiple Emmy, Tony, and Grammy-nominated actress and singer celebrated for her acclaimed work across Broadway, film, and television, including standout roles in My Fair Lady, Six Feet Under, Yellowjackets, and Servant.

Beth Urdang Gallery exhibit

Beth Urdang Gallery, WellesleySummer selections. painting, photographs, sculpture, on view through September 12, at 15 Central St. and 16 Grove St., Wellesley.

Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, season opener, “Musical Tales”

Wellesley Symphony Orchestra
Photo by Andres Levia

DATE/TIME: Sunday, Sept. 27, 2pm
LOCATION: MassBay Community College Auditorium, 50 Oakland St, Wellesley, MA
TICKET INFO here

DESCRIPTION: The concert begins with Elisabetta Brusa’s symphonic poem, Merlin, for orchestra, Op.20. Written in 2004, this describes one of history’s best loved legendary figures. Giovanni Bottesini’s Gran Duo Concertante, is dedicated to long-time WSO cellist and WSO board vice president Jan Schwaner, who passed away on July 22. Jan joined the WSO in 1994, and joined our board in 2006. A joyful presence in the orchestra, Jan was an important part of our outreach program as part of the WSO String quartet. You’ll find more about Jan here.

Not that we’re being dramatic, but we simply cannot survive without your help.

 

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