About The Swellesley Report (Wellesley, Mass.)

This page was updated Sept., 2024.

We strive to provide a central source of news (through original reporting and links to other news reports) and information about Wellesley, Mass., for residents, those who work here and visitors. While our focus is on Wellesley, we also venture beyond town borders to cover restaurants that might be of interest to you, as well as cultural events such as the In Between Days music festival, plays in Boston, and nearby vacation getaways.

We welcome your story ideas, photos and pitches, though keep in mind that just because something is in the form of a press release doesn’t make it news…

We accept comments on posts, but we moderate them, usually within 24 hours of receipt. We reject those that are rude, redundant, obviously from professional commenters, etc. We may disallow comments on certain posts from the outset or turn off comments for certain posts if things are getting too heated.

We launched Swellesley in December 2005 mainly out of a sense of civic duty and in the spirit of exploring the possibilities of online community journalism. We did begin selling ads in 2011 because people came to us, begging & pleading. So Swellesley is now a small business. Also, because we had so much free time on our hands, we launched Natick Report in 2020.

Why The Swellesley Report?

We’ve been asked this question more than a few times since starting this site. Not that people don’t get the name; it’s more that they wonder if we might be rubbing some people the wrong way by using the term “Swellesley”. We probably are, though we haven’t had any direct complaints.

Nevertheless, we went with the name for a few reasons, the most obvious of which is that it’s pretty easy to remember, which is so important in this day of online searching.

For those who are offended, consider that it could be a lot worse. At least we didn’t stoop to Welle-sleaze.

Also, think about other towns in Massachusetts and the nicknames their towns are stuck with: Braindead (Braintree); Trashland (Ashland); Slummerville (Somerville); or even Snoot-on (Newton). I’m not even going to touch Athol and Nantucket. Then there’s my personal favorite: No Reading (North Reading).

A web site operator in another town told me a few months back that he was showing our site to a longtime member of the media who said: “It’s funny the first time.”

Well, at least we know we got one laugh.

Behind The Swellesley Report

Wellesley residents Deborah and Bob Brown.

Deborah Brown has a background in editing and teaching, and is active in town via a gardening club, through arts projects, and serves on the Advisory Board for the Wellesley Conservation Land Trust.

Bob Brown has been a professional reporter and editor since the mid-1980s,  serving as news editor of a high tech business magazine/Web site called Network World from 1989-2017. He left his rather time-consuming part-time gig in mid-2023 as a managing editor and content strategist working on the state’s Mass.gov website. So now Bob is all Reports, all the time.

He’s active in town, having coached baseball and basketball, and has served on the town’s Trails Committee and Wellesley Historical Society boards.

The content on our site is also contributed by other guest authors and photographers, and as far as we’re concerned, the more of that the better.

Contact info:

Bob Brown (co-editor): theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Deborah  Brown (co-editor, including restaurant/play reviews): deborahcb100@gmail.com

Website design/tech support:  Tech Tamer

“The most important things in life are the connections you make with others.” Tom Ford Welcome to my 2018 Instagram and Facebook challenge…. Wellesley Wednesdays! In this series of weekly posts I will be featuring people I encounter in my hometown of Wellesley, Massachusetts. The common thread will be their photo in the context with which I know them, along with their answer to a specific question. I hope that you will enjoy seeing and reading about some of the beautiful people who make our town special to me. My “first” post of the series are the brilliant and clever Deborah and Bob Brown. Humble, savvy, curious and kind, these two are the faces behind the always helpful and pertinent news blog, “The Swellesley Report.” They met with me a week ago and when asked, “What makes Wellesley swell to you?”, they answered: “It’s Swell that there’s always something going on in Wellesley. The news is there, just waiting to be covered. Thanks Wellesley!” And when I inquired further, “What brings you joy in doing it?” their answer was: “Our joy is in getting out there and discovering every corner of the town and meeting the people who make it run.” So there you have it….their joy is in connection, and I have to say, so is mine. Happy New Year Wellesley! Here’s to more connections in the year to come! #wellesleywednesdays #bethsheddphotography #swellesleyreport #connection #joy #week1

A post shared by Beth Shedd (@beth_shedd) on Jan 2, 2018 at 9:11pm PST

News sources that have been discontinued

Quincy Patriot Ledger
Founded: January 7, 1837
Last date of publication, paper: January 19, 2024
Current format: Online only.
Audience: Quincy and other South Shore towns.
Last date of publication, paper: January 19, 2024
Owner: The Quincy Patriot Ledger online news site is part of the USA TODAY Network and is owned and operated by Gannett Co., Inc.
From Gannet press release: “We’re embracing our flexible workplace model by investing more in our people and technology—rather than real estate.”

Carriage Towne News
Year founded: 1983
Format: Free weekly newspaper. Also online.
Audience: southern New Hampshire
Last date of publication, paper and online: Feb. 1, 2024
Staff: Elisha Blaisdell, editor; Kristina Krueger, advertising
From the editors: “Despite the difficult decision to cease publication, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to the dedicated team, contributors, advertisers, and, most importantly, our loyal readers who have made the Carriage Towne News a community staple.”