• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

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

  • Advertise
  • Contribute
  • Eat
  • Wellesley Square
  • School news
  • Private schools, sponsored by Riverbend
  • Camp
  • Kids
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Business news
  • Embracing diversity
  • Seniors
  • Letters to the editor
  • Guidelines for letters to the editor
  • Fire & police scanner
  • Worship
  • Deland, Gibson Insurance Athlete of the Week
  • Raiders sports schedules & results
  • Live gov’t meetings
  • 2023 Town Election
  • Events
  • About us
  • Natick Report
 
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Most memorable Wellesley stories of 2012

December 26, 2012 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

2012 in Wellesley has been a year of beginnings, excitement and sadness. Here’s a recap of the year’s most memorable moments, not in any particular order:

new Wellesley High courtyard february, 2012*Fresh start for Wellesley Public Schools. While some longtime Wellesley residents were sorry to see the historic old Wellesley High School razed, there have been few complaints about the new building from those using it that we’ve heard anyway.  The new school opened last winter, giving the Class of 2012 a taste of it before the Classes of 2013-2016 got to start this current school year in it. Separately, David Lussier took over for Bella Wong as superintendent, following a messy year or so of WPS administrative issues, and has boosting Wellesley’s math/science curriculum on his priority list along with making schools more secure. The school system also reorganized its business office and booted Chartwells as its food service. And yes,  several schools welcomed new principals, while WHS principal Andrew Keough is looking for a superintendent’s job elsewhere.

David McCullough, Jr.*You’re Not Special speech:  Wellesley High English teacher David McCullough’s 2012 commencement speech, in which he urged students to get over themselves and contribute to society, resonated not only locally, but internationally. Our initial publishing of the transcript knocked out our website when the story went wild on the Internet, though Wellesley Media Corp.’s video of the talk picked up the slack and went viral around the Web, too. McCullough, following in his famous historian dad’s footsteps, got a book deal out of the talk.

Wellesley 1 miler start 2012*Untimely deaths. Wellesley and beyond were saddened during the year by the deaths of a number of current or former Wellesley residents, including: Wellesley High Student Hannah Randolph, who was killed in a skiing accident;  father/husband/cyclist Alex Motsenigos in an accident on Weston Road over the summer (eerily, we wrote about the dangerous intersection where the Motsenigos accident took place just months before);  and Wellesley High alum and  nurse Lisa Ann Gallup, at age 26, who succumbed to cancer. Randolph’s spirit was celebrated during a mini-marathon at Wellesley Middle School and at a 1-mile race in town. The tragic news of a former Wellesley couple’s death also had a profound impact on many in town.

Wellesley also lost one of its most accomplished citizens over the past century: Dr. Joseph Murray, a Nobel Prize winner for his work on organ transplants and a life-changer for many who benefited from his plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Meadmore sculpture Wellesley College*Arts alive: The arts thrived in town, which welcomed a new theatre at the new Wellesley High and a new non-profit program called Wellesley Theatre Project. The Wellesley Community Art Project kept otherwise vacant downtown storefronts colorful with artwork from various local parties. Students earned regional and national recognition for their writing and art. A new sculpture made a dramatic landing at Wellesley College (shown here).

 

Wellesley Little League South*Sports success: The Wellesley Little League South team took the area for a fun summer ride as it nearly made its way to the Little League World Series in Williamsport. Other highlights included a surprising Wellesley High win over powerhouse Natick in football, William Fahey getting his chance to get into a WHS football game despite having cerebral palsy, and the drafting of ex-Wellesley player Nate Freiman by the Houston Astros. Wellesley’s inaugural turkey trot on Thanksgiving Day proved to be a huge success, attracting around 1,600 runners.

WMS students at RDF Service Day May 2012*Hidden money: A Wellesley employee struck it big by stumbling across a hollowed out book with at least $20K inside. He did the gracious thing by alerting the public to his find, in hopes of finding the rightful owner, but as far as we know, no one stepped forward to claim it.

 

*Near misses: A wild car accident caught on video thrust Wellesley and a Newton-Wellesley ER doctor into the news after she allegedly made her car fly out of the Whole Foods parking lot into traffic while under the influence of alcohol. Luckily, no one was killed in the November accident. Over the summer, a driver accidentally plowed into the front of Quebrada and again, no one was seriously hurt.

*Sun Spa: Wellesley’s annual prostitution story got local media in a frenzy. Authorities arrested owners of massage parlors in Wellesley on Rte. 9 and in Revere that allegedly were being used for more than back rubs.

Linden Street tree down Monday Hurricane Sandy*Hurricane Sandy: Wellesley was hit hard, with trees and property damaged, though most of us escaped anything like what our neighbors in New York, New Jersey and other areas felt. Many in Wellesley rose to the moment by spearheading or participating in drives to provide those left homeless or bereft by the storm with needed clothing and food and money. An October earthquake also gave Wellesley a jolt this year.

 

Democrat signs Wellesley 2012*Presidential election: Wellesley residents got into the spirit of the election season, with a Mitt Romney fundraiser taking place on the sly at one schmancy home, and a debate between U.S. House of Representative candidates Joseph Kennedy III  and Sean Bielat at Wellesley College, plus the usual lawn sign wars.

 

Jennifer Egan at Wellesley College*Celebs: Former First Lady Laura Bush partied with the Hunnewells in honor of author Edith Wharton. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton returned to her alma mater, Wellesley College. Pro athletes Ray Allen and Carl Crawford left town when they departed the Celtics and Red Sox, respectively, though left pricey houses on the market here.  Sister Helen Prejean, Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra, singer Judy Collins, MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry, skater Kristi Yamaguchi, and Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Jennifer Egan (shown) and Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) were among big names in town during the year.

*Wellesley books. We were all reminded, 13 years later, of the notorious Greineder murder case with the publishing of a book called A Murder in Wellesley. On a much lighter note, Wellesley Wives got people talking.

St James The Great Church Wellesley 2012*St. James the Great vigil ends. After 7+ years, parishioners ended their vigil at the shuttered Catholic church on Rte. 9, and Wellesley started making plans to buy the property and turn it into a recreation area featuring a playing field, pool and ice rink. The space is being used for a less glamorous Morses Pond dredging project for now. Let’s just hope the archdiocese doesn’t pull any fast ones with the property now that the vigil is over.

 

Rockland St bridge Dec. 15, 2012, ped bridge removed*Rockland Street Bridge. This project to replace a central bridge in Wellesley got off to a slow start, with design/contractual issues, a wrong way driver on the temporary pedestrian bridge, then water and gas line accidents, but appears to be on track for an early 2013 opening.

 *Going Green. Wellesley was honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the state’s first Green Power Community for its efforts in renewable energy use. A farmer’s market opened in the Whole Foods plaza, making it easier for Wellesley residents to buy local. Meanwhile, efforts to refurbish Fuller Brook Park moved ahead.

*Town revamps liquor licensing rules. Town residents overwhelmingly approved a change to town rules that allow smaller restaurants serve liquor. Town officials credit the change to helping revitalize downtown business.

print

Filed Under: Art, Books, Dump, Education, Entertainment, Environment, Theatre, Weather

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisements:

Linden Square, Wellesley
EXPLO, Wellesley
Wellesley Hills Junior Women's Club

Tip us off…

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

Advertisements

Wellesley Square, Wellesley Merchants
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Beacon Hill Athletic Club, Wellesley
Fay School, Southborough
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Cheesy Street Grill
Mature Caregivers
Admit Fit, Wellesley
charles river chamber
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Most Read Posts

  • Sign up now for summer camp in Wellesley (and beyond)
  • Letters to the editor on The Swellesley Report
  • Voting rights expert to give talk at Wellesley College
  • Wellesley High parents pan standards-based grading, school leaders say improvements planned
  • Wellesley business buzz: La Toscana's, Express Gourmet to serve alcohol; Where the town banks (not SVB!)

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Upcoming Events

Mar 23
9:00 am - 10:30 pm

Select Board office hours

Mar 23
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Wellesley Neighbors information session

Mar 23
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Babson Arts presents “The Forgotten Kingdom”

Mar 25
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

The Lightning Thief, The Percy Jackson Musical

Mar 26
10:00 am - 10:30 am

6th annual “Plunge for Elodie”

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 2023 Boston Marathon charity runners
  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • Mike on Time is right for new owners of Wellesley’s Coconut Thai Cafe
  • Ken on Wellesley High parents pan standards-based grading, school leaders say improvements planned
  • J covino on Wellesley High parents pan standards-based grading, school leaders say improvements planned
  • LADY WELLESLEY on Wellesley High parents pan standards-based grading, school leaders say improvements planned
  • Michali Lerner on Wellesley High School hosting standards-based grading discussion

Links we like

  • Danny's Place
  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • 2023 Town Election (13)
  • Animals (429)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (596)
  • Beyond Wellesley (53)
  • Books (380)
  • Business (1,568)
  • Camp (12)
  • Careers/jobs (53)
  • Churches (82)
  • Clubs (241)
  • Construction (301)
  • Dump (131)
  • Education (3,219)
    • Babson College (252)
    • Bates Elementary School (18)
    • Dana Hall School (37)
    • Fiske Elementary School (11)
    • Hardy Elementary School (48)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (47)
    • MassBay (57)
    • Schofield Elementary School (26)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (35)
    • Wellesley College (615)
    • Wellesley High School (1,008)
    • Wellesley Middle School (208)
  • Embracing diversity (97)
  • Entertainment (823)
  • Environment (779)
  • Fashion (145)
  • Finance (15)
  • Fire (174)
  • Food (360)
  • Fundraising (650)
  • Gardens (165)
  • Government (625)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (15)
  • Health (870)
    • COVID-19 (203)
  • Hikes (6)
  • History (403)
  • Holidays (442)
  • Houses (164)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (869)
  • Law (8)
  • Legal notices (10)
  • Letters to the Editor (89)
  • Media (72)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (13)
  • Morses Pond (109)
  • Music (584)
  • Natick Report (30)
  • Neighbors (282)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (86)
  • Outdoors (658)
  • Parenting (63)
  • Police (786)
    • Crime (398)
  • Politics (560)
  • POPS Senior Profile (10)
  • RDF (7)
  • Real estate (348)
  • Religion (139)
  • Restaurants (345)
  • Safety (156)
  • Scouts (2)
  • Seniors (128)
  • Shopping (164)
  • Sponsored (6)
  • Sports (1,024)
    • Athlete of the Week (14)
  • STEM (109)
  • Technology (165)
  • Theatre (397)
  • Town Meeting (26)
  • Transportation (242)
  • Travel (17)
  • Uncategorized (1,245)
  • Volunteering (351)
  • Weather (180)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (282)
  • Wellesley Holiday Gift Guide (2)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (20)

© 2023 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login