• 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
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Charities/Community
  • Arts
  • Camp
  • Kids
  • Events
  • About us
  • Subscribe
  • Natick Report
  • COVID-19
  • Letters to the Editor
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Boston Sports Institute, Wellesley

Columbus Day in Wellesley—what’s closed, and what’s the latest

October 12, 2020 by Deborah Brown 3 Comments

Wellesley Town HallHappy second Monday in October, Wellesley. On the holiday, which is officially recognized as Columbus Day here in town and by the United States government, federal offices will be closed.

As for what’s closed in Wellesley:

Wellesley Public Schools will be closed.

The Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility will be closed.

Wellesley town buildings and offices will not be conducting business.

The Wellesley Free Library will be closed.

Post Offices will be closed, and there will be no home delivery of mail. It is not an official holiday for UPS, so all packages as well as scheduled UPS Critical Express should arrive.

Regular Town of Wellesley schedules will resume on Tuesday, October 13. Please check the Town of Wellesley website for specific hours.

About what to call the October holiday…

World of Wellesley (WOW) and the Committee to Preserve Wellesley’s Italian American Heritage are two organizations in town that have strong feelings about Columbus Day.

WOW has been working at the grassroots level for Wellesley to honor Indigenous Peoples Day on the second Monday in October in place of Columbus Day. In a citizens petition signed by hundreds last year, the group stated, “Our Indigenous friends and neighbors consider changing Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day as an important first step toward acknowledging the genocide of millions of their ancestors and the theft of their homelands, that began with the arrival of Columbus, as well as a recognition of Columbus’ role in the kidnapping and enslavement of millions of African people. It is a meaningful symbolic gesture to begin addressing the pain caused to Native Peoples by the many years of celebrating Columbus as a hero.”

Per the vote at the 2020 Annual Town Meeting, held in June,  there will be a Ballot Question on the March 2, 2021 Annual Town Election.  The motion included the following ballot question language:

“Should the Board of Selectmen, with the understanding that since 1977 Indigenous people of our country have requested Indigenous Peoples Day as a recognition of their humanity, culture and history and further, that our country was built on Native lands, proclaim the second Monday of October henceforth be commemorated as Indigenous Peoples Day and cease to recognize Columbus Day in Wellesley in recognition of the position of Indigenous Peoples as native to these lands, and the suffering they faced during and after the European conquest. This question is not binding.”

World of Wellesley co-presidents Chris Horner and Nova Biro in an email said, “If Wellesley is truly striving to become an antiracist community, we must stand in solidarity with Indigenous People and discontinue the grotesque practice of glorifying genocide. It is unfathomable that a community that proclaims to value diversity, equity and inclusion would continue to celebrate a day that is a haunting reminder of human suffering. Columbus Day symbolizes the fact that we, as a community, have not truly come to terms with the insidious nature of racism. Who we celebrate and what we celebrate says a lot about us. Let’s get it right this time.”

Another group in town, the Committee to Preserve Wellesley’s Italian American Heritage, on its website says, “We seek to defeat the non-binding ballot question at the March 2021 annual town election proposing to abolish Columbus Day in Wellesley and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day. This question disrespects Wellesley’s Italian American community and is divisive to our town. It elevates one group at the expense of another.”

Committee members say they want to honor tradition and preserve the second Monday in October for Italian Americans to coincide with National Italian American Heritage Month in October. They suggest that Native Americans be honored on a day during National Native American Heritage Month in November.

Committee chair Donna Ticchi says, “Defeating the ballot question in March would affirm Wellesley’s commitment to multiculturalism and inclusivity by recognizing both groups.  Italians are people, too!”

Across the country, some states refer to the second Monday in October as Columbus Day (in New England that includes MA, RI, NH, and CT); some call it Indigenous Peoples Day (VT is the New England outlier in this); and others go with something different (Hawaii observes Discovery Day, while South Dakota celebrates Native Americans Day). Here’s how the rest of the states do it.


WOW events scheduled

WHAT: Stewards of the Earth event: gather safely with family, friends and neighbors and clean your neighborhood, local trails and ponds. (The brook near Whole Foods is in need of special attention.)

DATE: October 10 – October 12, anytime


WHAT: Virtual film presenting Lyla June, an Indigenous environmental scientist, educator, community organizer and musician.  Lyla June, who is of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) and European lineage is from Taos New Mexico. Her work includes multi-genre presentations on climate crisis, Indigenous rights, inter-cultural healing, and traditional land stewardship practices.

After the short film there will be a community discussion.

DATE: Monday, October 12
TIME: 3:00-4:15pm

RSVP for ZOOM Link

print

Share

Filed Under: History, Holidays

Comments

  1. Donna Maria Ticchi says

    October 12, 2020 at 7:49 pm

    Wellesley voters should also be aware that President Barack Obama signed legislation in 2009 that permanently designated the Friday after Thanksgiving as national Native American Heritage Day, a civil holiday, to coincide with national Native American Heritage Month in November. The Committee to Preserve Wellesley’s Italian American Heritage suggests that Indigenous Peoples Day supporters work to have the Friday after Thanksgiving made into a federal holiday. There are enough holidays to go around for both groups. Italian Americans should not have to give up their holiday. when there is already a holiday for Indigenous People.

    Reply
    • Vita Melignano says

      December 3, 2020 at 4:57 pm

      This is more than fair. Inclusion is far better than exclusion so I vote having both an October and November holiday.

      Reply
      • Mary Nuzzi Bowers says

        December 4, 2020 at 8:29 am

        I agree and am saddened to see the signs DISAPPEARING! Leave our day alone!

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Linden Square, Wellesley
Write Ahead

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to [email protected]
Wellesley Square ad
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Fay School, Southborough
Wellesley Theatre Project
Admit Fit, Wellesley
image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  • 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.

Click here to read our Natick Report

Natick Report

Events Calendar

« January 2021 » loading...
S M T W T F S
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
Tue 26

Rum tasting and history talk

January 26 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Wed 27

Online history lecture: Petticoat Whalers

January 27 @ 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Thu 28

Banking on Our Value panel discussion

January 28 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Most Read Posts

  • "I Care a Lot" movie that filmed in Wellesley making Netflix debut
  • Wellesley Police log: Rocky relationship between neighbors; laptop goes missing from home; money gone from locker
  • Pinnacle Residential Properties: the concept of home & roots
  • Wellesley Business Buzz: Local restaurants get state grants; get or renew your Business Certificate
  • Wellesley summer camp listings 2021 — find the experience of a lifetime

Pages

  • Wellesley coronavirus (COVID-19) updates
  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads
  • Wellesley, Mass., fishing spots
  • Please support our advertisers—they support us
  • Embracing diversity in Wellesley
  • Wellesley, MA Police logs
  • Wellesley Choral Society
  • Wellesley College Notable Alumnae
  • Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass.
  • Wellesley outdoor art gallery
  • Wellesley restaurants offering take-out and delivery
  • Wellesley, Massachusetts restaurant — Amarin of Thailand

Recent Comments

  • devin on Wellesley Police log: Rocky relationship between neighbors; laptop goes missing from home; money gone from locker
  • Bob Brown on “I Care a Lot” movie that filmed in Wellesley making Netflix debut
  • Juli on “I Care a Lot” movie that filmed in Wellesley making Netflix debut
  • Bob Brown on “I Care a Lot” movie that filmed in Wellesley making Netflix debut
  • Russ Barbour on “I Care a Lot” movie that filmed in Wellesley making Netflix debut

Links we like

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

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (4)
  • Animals (377)
  • Antiques (48)
  • Art (534)
  • Beyond Wellesley (28)
  • Books (343)
  • Business (1,358)
  • Camp (1)
  • Careers/jobs (44)
  • Churches (72)
  • Clubs (207)
  • Construction (280)
  • Dump (113)
  • Education (2,880)
    • Babson College (239)
    • Bates Elementary School (14)
    • Dana Hall School (29)
    • Fiske Elementary School (6)
    • Hardy Elementary School (33)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (34)
    • MassBay (47)
    • Schofield Elementary School (20)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (1)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (9)
    • Upham Elementary School (30)
    • Wellesley College (598)
    • Wellesley High School (884)
    • Wellesley Middle School (195)
  • Embracing diversity (38)
  • Entertainment (722)
  • Environment (667)
  • Fashion (133)
  • Finance (13)
  • Fire (141)
  • Food (327)
  • Fundraising (559)
  • Gardens (136)
  • Government (386)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
  • Health (737)
    • COVID-19 (134)
  • History (358)
  • Holidays (365)
  • Houses (118)
  • Humor (45)
  • Kids (814)
  • Law (3)
  • Letters to the Editor (6)
  • Media (63)
  • METCO (5)
  • Military (3)
  • Morses Pond (96)
  • Music (543)
  • Natick Report (27)
  • Neighbors (243)
  • Obituaries (58)
  • Outdoors (582)
  • Parenting (60)
  • Police (688)
    • Crime (345)
  • Politics (534)
  • Real estate (286)
  • Religion (127)
  • Restaurants (302)
  • Safety (142)
  • Scouts (1)
  • Senior citizens (107)
  • Shopping (121)
  • Sports (897)
  • STEM (104)
  • Technology (154)
  • Theatre (383)
  • Town Meeting (22)
  • Transportation (209)
  • Travel (11)
  • Uncategorized (1,205)
  • Volunteering (317)
  • Weather (161)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (258)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (5)
RSS Feed Icon Subscribe to RSS Feed

© 2021 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login