Newton-Wellesley Hospital hosts purple flag ceremony to recall residents lost to opioids

September 29, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Newton-Wellesley Hospital earlier this month hosted a ceremony in front of 2,290 purple flags to remember Massachusetts residents lost to opioids.

The ceremony was part of a month-long effort focused on reflection, support, and education across the United States and locally.

Newton-Wellesley’s Substance Use Services program teamed with SOAR Natick to host the Purple Flag Project (See also: “Purple flags in Natick are an unsettling visualization of lives lost to opioids”).

Purple Flag Ceremony 2 — Robert Lewis Jr., President, Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston Alyssa Adreani, MA, BCC, Interfaith Chaplain, NWH Catharina Armstrong, MD, MPH, Associate Director, NWH Substance Use Services Antje Barreveld, MD, Director of Education and Outreach, NWH Substance Use Services Marian Ryan, Middlesex County District Attorney Errol R. Norwitz, MD, President and CEO, NWH Ted Wayman, Wellesley resident and WCVB-TV/Channel 5 Reporter

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Natick’s KOHR Golf on target with practice & training focus

September 29, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

This is a guest post from Wellesley resident Robert Dwyer, who will be writing for us occasionally about local golf options. He also blogs about wine at The Wellesley Wine Press.

Back in the day if you wanted to go hit some golf balls you’d head over to the Natick Golf Center, park in the lot behind Ziti’s restaurant, and drive a golf cart up to the range. The conditions left a bit to be desired, but kids enjoyed the ride in the golf cart and it was nearby.

I always wondered though: What if someone took the place over and spiffed it up?

Enter KOHR Golf.

When you visit now, the site will be familiar but it’s been enhanced to become not only a great driving range but one of the top practice facilities in the region.

We recently met with KOHR Golf Co-General Manager Nathan Boroyan who walked us through improvements made since they took over. Along with a heightened interest in golf related to COVID, business has been booming.

“I’d say, pre-pandemic, 150-200 buckets was a good day. Post-pandemic, we like to see 250-300 buckets during full operating hours (Summer, 9am-9pm). During great stretches the past couple of summers, we routinely sell over 300 per day. Our best day on record happened last June when we sold 505.” Boroyan said.

Driving Range

Typical driving ranges have a few yardage markers in a pasture-like field which tends to encourage hitting balls as far as possible.

At KOHR the setup encourages more target-oriented practice because you’re hitting into dozens of greens with bunkers and pins so you can really get a feel for how well your shots are holding.

The net effect is that practice at KOHR tends to translate to game improvement because you’re practicing the wide variety of shots required in a round of golf.

Trackman Range

New for 2022 is Trackman Range that allows golfers to track the distance, speed, and flight characteristics of their shots. It boasts similar technology to that used on the PGA Tour and in golf simulators–but rather than installing dedicated devices in each bay they’ve managed to figure out how to measure flight data through trackers at various locations on the range.

Ball flight data is relayed to your smartphone depending on which bay you’re hitting from which enables accurate measurement of carry and total distances of each club and more. Games like “Bullseye” make target-oriented practice fun for kids and adults alike.

Best of all Trackman Range is complimentary for all guests.

Membership

Customers who find themselves addicted to hitting buckets of balls might find a membership beneficial. Two levels are offered.

A Season Pass includes unlimited range balls and access to the putting green. The break-even point is around two or three buckets a week, but I’ve found I hit more buckets each time I’m there and go more often with a Season Pass.

The Club Membership adds access to a private short-game area with two manicured, bunkered greens designed to enable practicing a wide variety of shots. Driving range guests might not even realize this area exists, but check it out next time you’re there hitting balls.

Instruction

Depending on when you visit, you might not realize the extent of training that occurs at the facility.

Kids clinics and camps are offered, and for serious juniors a year-round KOHR Golf Academy is available.

Adults can improve their game through private lessons or small group clinics. Nine instructors are available.

Coming Soon

Golf has become a year-round endeavor in the Northeast thanks to indoor simulators.

They’re building out five indoor practice bays to enable instruction during colder months. Boroyan said “The goal is to open this winter,” with space initially reserved for Academy golfers and private lessons. Stay tuned for more on that front as winter approaches.

KOHR Golf

218 Speen St., Natick, Mass.

888-622-5647

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Wellesley Public Schools issues health warning about ‘One Chip Challenge’

September 28, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley Public School on Wednesday issued a warning to families and staff about a social media-fueled fad called the “One Chip Challenge” that has been making some kids sick across the country.

The memo reads in part:

The challenge involves a person eating one extremely spicy tortilla chip made from some of the hottest peppers in the world such as the Carolina Reaper, Scorpion and/or Ghost peppers (ingredients also found in pepper spray)…

Serious side effects include gasping, severe coughing, asthma, serious burning in the eyes, nose, and throat, sweating, mouth pain, general discomfort, nausea, and vomiting. The chip also causes the tongue to turn blue.

The memo, signed by Supt. Dr. David Lussier and Director of Nursing Ashley Hulme, encourages parents and staff to discourage kids from taking part in the challenge and discourages adults from buying the product.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a local school system issue a warning related to a social media trend. Natick Public Schools last year was among school systems to warn families about a viral message on social media late last year that indicated violence would happen across districts.

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Wellesley Historical Society focus of Bentley research project

September 28, 2022 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

A Bentley University class this fall will conduct market research intended to help the non-profit Wellesley Historical Society better understand the interests of members and the wider community, and to identify new opportunities.

The Society recognizes that it needs to change with the times, and become a more engaging resource while honoring local history (See also: “Wellesley Historical Society’s 4th annual craft beer experience.”). The Society was founded in 1925.

The Society was recruited by Bentley’s Office of Civic Engagement, which focuses on helping and working with local non-profits.

Students from the Waltham-based school will conduct research on trends in local, state, and national historical societies, and zero in on the interests of Wellesley Historical Society members and others about their interests in local history (If you’re interested in participating, reach out to Historical Society Executive Director Taylor Kalloch at director@wellesleyhistoricalsociety.org or 781-235-6690.)

Fred Wright, a Wellesley Historical Society board member, says the Bentley class will be making its final report in December. He plans to invite Wellesley Historical Commission (its focus is the “preservation and protection of the tangible evidence of the architectural, aesthetic, cultural, economic, political and social history of Wellesley”) and Wellesley Historical Society to the presentation of that report, figuring the two town outfits have opportunities to work and share in the future.

The Historical Society, which operates out of the Dadnum-McNamara House at 229 Washington St., has launched at $2.5M capital campaign to support its acquisition of the Stanwood House at 323 Washington St., for the purpose of making that building its headquarters (read our update on Stanwood House from June).

323_Summer-2021 rev — Wellesley Historical Society’s Stanwood House (photo courtesy of WHS)

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Wellesley Symphony Orchestra season opener is Sunday, October 2

September 28, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Join the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, October 2, at 3pm at MassBay Community College, for its season opening concert, Story and Myth in Music.

The MassBay Community College orchestra-in-residence will play the following program:

Mozart: Overture to Don Giovanni
MacDowell: Opus 22, Suite 2, Ophelia
Auerbach: Icarus for Orchestra
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, op. 14

Tickets are $25 online, $30 at the door.

All WSO concerts take place at the concert hall at MassBay Community College, 50 Oakland St., Wellesley, MA.

Changes at the WSO

mark latham wellesley symphony — Mark Latham, new director of the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra

The 2022-23 season marks an exciting transition for the WSO. After a lengthy search process, the orchestra in June appointed Mark Latham as the new director of the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra. Latham stepped into the top job after Max Hobart retired in 2021 after 27 years of leadership.

Latham, of Somerville, also teaches music at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and serves as music director of the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra. Born in Tanzania, Latham holds degrees in violin performance from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts, and Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music, and a DMA in orchestral conducting from the University of Michigan.

Attention music lovers: get these WSO dates on your calendar

Madeleine and Karl Weiss Memorial Concert
Sunday, November 6, 2022
3:00 pm

Holiday Pops (Featuring new twists on favorite holiday music!)
Sunday, December 4, 2022
3:00 pm

Dance!
Sunday, February 12, 2023
3:00 pm

Family Concert
Sunday, March 26, 2023
3:00 pm
Featuring the WSO Percussion section and Concerto movement performed by the winner of the Michael H. Welles Young Soloist Competition

Cathedrals of Light
Sunday, May 7, 2023
3:00 pm

More music in Wellesley

Don’t miss outdoor music in Wellesley Square on Saturday, October 1, 1-pm-4pm. Bands will play at Central Park (by the Wellesley Square post office) and at the Parklet by Arden Spa.

The concerts are part of the Wonderful Wellesley initiative. Come see what’s new in Wellesley.

Electric vehicle test drive & showcase returning to Wellesley

September 27, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

A wide variety of electric and hybrid vehicles will be available to test drive and ogle at Wellesley’s free EV event on Sunday, Oct. 16 (2:30-5:30pm) at MassBay Community College on Oakland Street. (Rain date is Oct. 23, same hours.)

Pre-registration is required, and based on the popularity of a similar event held in Wellesley in May, you might want to sign up sooner than later if interested.

Electrical Vehicle showcase, Wellesley — A scene from the EV showcase held in May at Wellesley

Wellesley is encouraging more residents to go green with their vehicles as part of the town’s efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions, as outlined in its Climate Action Plan. The town itself has taken such steps through various departments, including the police and Department of Public Works, thanks to grants.

If you’re interested in a test drive at the event, you’ll need a valid driver’s license. As of Sept. 27, the BMW i4 and iX, Chevy Bolt EUV, Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, and Tesla 3 and Y, and an Volkswagen SUV will be available for test drives.

Wellesley residents who own vehicles such as the Audi e-tron, BMW i3, and Mini Cooper Hybrid Countryman will be displaying their cars, answering questions, and boasting about their gas savings.

Various tax credits and rebates are available for buyers of electric and hybrid vehicles, which have started to fall in price but that can also be hard to get due to shortages of chips and other components. Automakers such as Ford have started to make moves to gain better control of supply chains in this promising market.

The Wellesley Municipal Light Plant offers a $96 annual electric bill credit for EV owners who charge their vehicles during off-peak hours. The MLP has joined with Sustainable Wellesley and the Climate Action Committee to host the event.

Photogenic fisher cat visits Wellesley yard

September 27, 2022 by Bob Brown 5 Comments

A fisher cat knew what it was doing by roaming around Wellesley resident and photographer Beth Shedd’s yard. Shedd can make anybody look their best on camera, as you can see in this 11 seconds of glory for “Freddy” that she posted on social media this week (and allowed us to share).

This video is right up there with 2018’s “Otter vs. Eel” seen in Wellesley.

Fisher cats, or more accurately “fishers,” are known for being “elusive”—that’s the word everyone seems to use when describing this member of the weasel family. The only one I’ve seen in the wild skittered across Pond Road in Wellesley at dawn a few years back while I was running. Pretty sure I picked up my pace when I saw it.

Shedd said “this was our first up close and personal, but we’ve seen them under shrubs in the perimeter of our garden years ago.”

Wellesley Animal Control Officer Jenny Smith says the only one she’s seen in town since starting her job in early 2021 was unfortunately hit by a car. “Other than that it has only been reported to me once, a resident hearing one in their neighborhood,” Smith said.

Fun facts from Smith about the animals are that “they remain active year round and do not hibernate. Their preferred habitat is mixed forest with heavy canopy cover, as they tend to avoid traveling in large open areas. They commonly use hollow logs, stonewalls, tree cavities, and brush piles to rest. Fishers are omnivorous. Their primary foods include small rodents, squirrels, rabbits, birds, eggs, fruit, porcupines, and carrion… Although they are proficient climbers, most of their hunting takes place on the ground.”

Lisa Moore, the environmental education, outreach, and compliance coordinator for Wellesley’s Natural Resources Commission, calls them “one of the most misunderstood animals around here.”

She’s learned about them while working for Mass Audubon for the last 10 years, plus has spotted them in her yard on occasion. One of her fun facts is that fishers can climb down a tree headfirst.

“Often called a Fisher Cat, which is a misnomer,” Moore says. “They belong to the weasel family, and are not a cat and don’t fish. This small mammal ranges in size from 4-16 lbs, with females being smaller than males. Males tend to be about three feet long and females about two feet long, in both sexes the tail makes up a third of the body length.”

While I’ve bought into the idea that screaming fishers are among the critters that keep me awake at night, Moore says fishers screaming is a misconception. “Fishers will hiss, growl, and make a chuckle sound, but they do not scream. The grey fox also can climb trees and the female call during mating sounds like a child or woman screaming,” she says.

Mass Audubon says fishers were reintroduced in New England in the 1950s to control porcupines.

Moore says “I do not know if they rebounded or were reintroduced to manage the porcupine population that exploded as the fisher declined. Porcupine can decimate the understory of a forest and kill trees by collaring them, eating the bark and under bark off a tree around the entire trunk killing the tree. Fishers are one of the few animals that will actively hunt and eat porcupine. Really shows the importance of a balanced food chain or food web.”

The state’s MassWildlife agency encourages you not to “let fishers intimidate you: Don’t hesitate to scare or threaten fishers with loud noises, bright lights, or water sprayed from a hose.”

We’re not sure if that latter approach is an allowed use under the town’s outside water restrictions…

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