More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
Wellesley woke up Wednesday morning to a wintry scene courtesy of a couple inches of pretty, fluffy snow that lightly blanketed the town on Tuesday night. This is my kind of snow — not too heavy to shovel, not enough to cancel school or derail appointments, and decorative as all get-out. Feeling very cozy and New England-y today. Later on, I may even make soup.
The Wellesley Square Station Oak. The massive 150+ year-old, 70-feet tall Black Oak tree is a located near the post office.
SPONSORED POST: Wears Woody, drivers of a funky Grand Wagoneer and makers of bold coastal style, returns to Wellesley Square at 35 Central St. in the former NRO space.
The upscale yet casual retailer has grown quite impressively over its seven-year journey, now proudly manufacturing most of its expanding collection just north of Boston in Everett. It also donates 10% of its net profits to help find a cure for diabetes since the company’s founder has lived with Type 1 since childhood.
The Wears Woody crew crafted a poem that perfectly describes the vibe and purpose the brand conveys to its fans and clientele across the country, especially here in Wellesley where so many support their effort:
Be sure to stop in! Great product and an even better cause. Open daily at 35 Central St. in Wellesley Square, 10am – 6pm until Christmas Eve.
Get into the holiday spirit with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 3pm at MassBay Community College, for its presentation of Holiday Pops.
The orchestra will play selections from The Nutcracker and other holiday favorites, and baritone John Castillo will join the orchestra for “The Trumpet Shall Sound” from Handel’s Messiah and popular Christmas songs.
Leslie Holmes will narrate “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, Santa Claus will stop by, and children in the audience can join him onstage to sing holiday favorites.
The winner of the Two Front Teeth contest, Hardy third grader Emma Bhangoo, will perform “All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth.”
The audience will join in a singalong, and Leslie Holmes will sing “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” as the program draws to a close.
Tickets for the concert are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and students, and free for children under 12 and may be purchased at Wellesley Books, Andrews Pharmacy, on-line, and at the door. Call 781-235-0515 or visit www.wellesleysymphony.org.
The Wellesley Fire Department is among 174 units to receive a chunk of $920,000 in state grants for gear and equipment designed to cut firefighters’ exposure to cancer-causing chemicals. Wellesley receives $4,400 for personal protective wear, otherwise known as turnout gear.
The grants for turnout gear will supply fire department members with better head and hand protection from smoke and toxic chemicals. Additional grants awarded to some communities will cover equipment for washing turnout gear.
The grant to Wellesley is fitting in light of the fire department recently orchestrating a shave-a-thon to raise funds and awareness for battling occupational cancers.
Wellesley Police log for the week of Dec. 2-7:On December 4, 2019 at 2:27 p.m. Officer Mankavech was conducting traffic enforcement on Worcester Street when he noticed a Honda sedan with a rejection sticker. He stopped the vehicle and spoke with the operator. He asked the driver for his license and registration. He stated his license was suspended. A query of his information confirmed that his license was suspended. He was taken into custody, transported to the station, booked in the usual manner, afforded all rights and later released on personal recognizance.
On December 4, 2019 at 5:55 p.m. Officer Griffin was on patrol on Worcester Street when he observed a Ford pickup and conducted a random query of the vehicle’s registration. The query showed that registered owner had active warrants. Officer Griffin stopped the vehicle and spoke with the operator and owner. Officer Griffin confirmed that there were three warrants for the operator’s arrest. The warrants were issued by the Woburn District Court for Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon, Motor Vehicle Offenses and Malden District Court for Motor Vehicle Offenses. He was taken into custody, transported to the station, booked in the usual manner, afforded all rights and later released on bail.
On December 5, 2019 at 11:49 a.m. Officer Cunningham was working with the warrant apprehension unit and responded to Westville Terrace in Boston to serve an arrest warrant. The suspect was taken into custody and transported directly to Dedham District Court. The warrants were issued by the Dedham District Court and Framingham District Court for Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol and other motor vehicle related offenses.
On December 6, 2019 at 4:19 p.m. Officer DiCenso was dispatched to the area of Worcester Street near Upwey Road for a vehicle into an embankment. Upon arrival she observed a Subaru station wagon in a snow bank on the sidewalk and a light pole that had been struck and was in the roadway. She spoke with the operator and noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy and there was an odor of alcohol emanating from his person. When asked the driver stated he had
First, the big breaking news. Linden Square has changed its Courtyard Christmas tree decor scheme from the red and gold they’ve gone with for years to to a purple and silver palette, just to freshen things up for the 2019 holiday season. Federal Realty representatives led the crowd in a dramatic countdown as the 15-foot high balsam fir from Canada was set aglow with white lights.
Carols were sung, and in the background, Red Kettle bell volunteers rang a siren song to shoppers entering Roche Bros. I’ve got too many quarters rattling around in my purse ever since the Town of Wellesley earlier this month got into the holiday spirit and hooded most of the parking meters. Plunk goes my change into the Red Kettle as I run into the store to pick up a few things. I’m lucky that way, with my ability to just sashay in and buy what I want. The Kiwanis Club knows that not everyone is so fortunate, and counts on shoppers’ generosity to help the Wellesley kettle bubble over with over $25k in donations. If you want to help the all-volunteer organization get to that goal, stop by and donate. You can also sign up and tend the kettle for a one-hour shift.
Sign up here for shifts through Dec. 20.
Sign up here for Dec. 21 – Dec. 24 shifts.
If you have any questions or would prefer to discuss your sign-up time, call Dwin Schuler at 781-235-5615 for assistance.
You will receive an email reminder the day before your scheduled time slot.
We’re not entirely sure what to make of this photo, sent by a Swellesley reader, of a truck parked along a Wellesley street after the recent story. Looks like somebody either didn’t like this vehicle being parked where it was or was playing a prank…
We’re not talking Southie space saving here, but it wouldn’t be the first case of vigilante street patrol in Wellesley.
A ceremony at which a plaque will be revealed to memorialize St. James the Great Church in Wellesley will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 5pm at 900 Worcester St.
That’s the site of the former house of worship and the current site of the Boston Sports Institute, Wellesley’s new skating and swimming facility.
The church was torn down in 2015 after the town bought the property in the wake of the Catholic church scandal. As part of the agreement, the town vowed to erect a memorial or plaque to commemorate the parish.
St. James the Great parishioners held vigils for 7-plus years before ending the stay in 2012.
The Board of Selectmen (BOS) on Monday, Dec. 9 convened a Special Town Meeting (STM) at the Wellesley Middle School Auditorium. The 199 STM members in attendance voted on whether the Town should allocation $5 million for design development funds for the Hunnewell Elementary School construction project.
162 members voted Yes to allocate the design funds. 35 voted No. There were 2 abstentions. Therefore, the two-thirds vote needed for the article to pass was achieved, and the design process for a new Hunnewell School will go forward. (Wellesley Public Media recording of meeting embedded below.)
Town Meeting is made up of 240 elected voting members in eight precincts.
For the first time, electronic voting devices were used to tabulate votes. Town Meeting members took a test run with the devices by doing some practice voting ahead of time. One of the practice questions was whether the Patriots would be one of the two teams in the Super Bowl. That question passed by a yes majority, but not by as wide a margin as the Hunnewell Design Funds vote.
Superintendent David Lussier in a tweet said, “Thank you to Wellesley Town Meeting for your overwhelming vote of support tonight to move forward with the detailed design of a new Hunnewell School. One more important step in bringing much-needed, new elementary schools online in Wellesley.”
“To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds, or borrow a sum of money, to be expended under the direction of the Permanent Building Committee, for architectural and engineering designs, plans, and other specifications, bid documents, permitting, and any associated costs related to the reconstruction or replacement of the Hunnewell School located a t 28 Cameron Street, and for any other services in connection therewith and, for the purpose of meeting such appropriation, to authorize the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, to borrow said sum in accordance with Chapter 44, Section 7(7) of the Massachusetts General Laws, or any other enabling authority and to issue bonds or note of the Town therefor, and that any premium received by the Town upon the sale of any bonds or notes approved by this vote, less any such premium applied to the payment of the costs of the issuance of such bonds or notes, may be applied to payment of costs approved by this vote in accordance with Chapter 44, Section 20, of the Massachusetts General Laws, thereby reducing the amount to be borrowed to pay such costs by a like amount; or to take any other action in relation thereto.”
Special Town Meeting to answer $5 million Hunnewell question
