The Swellesley Report

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

Wellesley Police log: Alleged road rager asks ‘You trying to get shot?’; ‘Any Functioning Adult 2020’ sign swiped

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Wellesley police stationWellesley, Mass., police log for the week of Nov. 25-Dec. 1

 

Arrests

On November 25, 2019 at 4:40 p.m. Officer Pino was dispatched to Worcester Street for a report of an erratic operator. The reporting party stated the vehicle was swerving in and out of its lane of travel and that it struck a vehicle traveling in the left lane and continued on without stopping. Officer Shore located the Mercedes Benz SUV and stopped the vehicle on Arnold Road. Officer Pino spoke with the operator, and detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from her person, noticed that her speech was slurred and she appeared confused. She denied being involved in a motor vehicle crash and her eyes were bloodshot and glassy. When the operator exited the motor vehicle she was very unsteady on her feet and had to lean on her vehicle to avoid falling over. She was taken into custody, transported to the station, booked in the usual manner, afforded all rights and later released on personal recognizance.

On November 26, 2019 at 10:28 a.m. Officer Mankavech was conducting traffic enforcement on Worcester Street when he observed a Lexus sedan that did not have a front license plate. He conducted a query of the vehicle’s registration which showed there was an active warrant for shoplifting for the operator and and 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 bail. While conducting an inventory of the motor vehicle’s contents several bags of marijuana were located. They were packaged as if for sale, not personal use. Additionally, there were bags with pills in them, a bag with white rocks and powder and a small scale.

Incidents

On November 25, 2019 at 12:18 p.m. Officer Mankavech spoke with a female reporting party regarding missing items from her mother’s residence. The reporting party stated that her mother moved to Wellesley in 2015 and had all of her jewelry appraised at that time. She moved again in September 2019 and during the process of moving it was learned that two rings were lost sometime between 2015 and 2019. The value of the rings is approximately $11,000. The missing rings had been reported to their insurance company and they requested a police report.

Detective D’Innocenzo has been working with police officers and detectives from several other law enforcement agencies in relation to mail thefts. As a result, he became aware of several fraudulent checks that had been passed and the payee was a business located in Wellesley. Detective D’Innocenzo spoke with an employee of the business and after reviewing the checks he was unaware the transactions had occurred. The employee will review their bank statements. The incident is under investigation.

On November 25, 2019 at 7:50 p.m. Officer Wall was dispatched to a residence for damage to fence. Officer Wall observed that a section of the fence had sustained major damage. The damage occurred sometime between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. There are no suspects.

On November 26, 2019 at 12:08 p.m. Officer Kane spoke with a female reporting party who had applied for a job online and provided personal information and a copy of her passport as part of the application process. She was advised to come to the business for training on Wednesday, November 20th and when she did she was advised to come back on Monday, November 25th. She became concerned that her personal information had been compromised. She was advised to contact one of the credit reporting bureaus and request that her credit be monitored for any fraudulent activity.

On November 27, 2019 at 8:17 a.m. Officer Kane spoke with a male reporting party who stated that a political sign that was on his property was taken from his property sometime between November 26th at 6:00 p.m. and November 27th at 8:00 a.m. The sign said “Any Functioning Adult 2020”. There are no suspects.

On November 27, 2019 at 5:20 p.m. Officer Harvey spoke with a male reporting party regarding an object that was thrown at his vehicle and threats that were made by another male motorist who was operating a Mercedes. The reporting party stated that he noticed a vehicle driving in front of him that did not have its brake lights on so he flashed his lights in an attempt to notify the operator to turn on the lights. He stated the operator then applied his breaks hard which caused him to have to break suddenly. The vehicle then changed lanes and while both vehicles were stopped at a traffic signal

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Linden Square

Report: Light up Wellesley High sports field

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A Wellesley Playing Fields Task Force Subcommittee, after surveying the boom in local sports participation and taking into consideration environmental and neighborhood concerns, recommends lighting up the High School stadium and overhauling the lights at several nearby fields and courts.

The public is being invited to review the subcommittee’s Wellesley Playing Fields Lights Report and weigh in via [email protected] or in person at upcoming Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meetings, including one on Dec. 5 at the Warren building (the NRC owns the properties under discussion). The subcommittee shared its findings last month at an NRC meeting.

The subcommittee argues that more, and less glaring, lights will allow way more people to take part in sports, including kids who get squeezed out of high school sports that have limited rosters. The report also suggests that having facilities more available will prevent student-athletes from cutting out of classes early for practices on the road.

 Sports organizers could also save tens of thousands of dollars by using town properties instead of renting fields elsewhere, according to the report. The report focuses its light recommendations on turf fields, which are less affected by weather conditions than grass fields, which would often be out of commission due to rain even if they had lights.

Allowing lights at the WHS stadium could boost community morale by allowing for nighttime games, and allow WHS to host playoff games, according to the subcommittee. WHS is in the minority among nearby schools when it comes to a lack of lights. Nighttime lights at the stadium would also be a win for sports equality: Not only would the football team get to show its stuff at night, but girls’ field hockey, plus soccer and lacrosse would also have a chance to be showcased. Most of the nighttime activity would actually be for practices, according to the report, issued by a committee including reps from the schools, sport boosters, Department of Public Works, and more.

No word on whether the newfangled lights might zap those nasty EEE- and West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes that have been keeping athletes in at dusk. But they would have remote controls, allowing them to be turned off when not in use, and would be environmentally friendly by relying on clean energy from the Wellesley Municipal Light Plant.

rainy field, lights on, hunnewell field
Remote controls could put the kibosh on unused fields on rainy nights

 

The cost of lights at the stadium could exceed $400K, and it would be roughly about that much for replacing lights at the surrounding fields, according to estimates in the report. Funding would come from various of public and private sources.

The subcommittee reviewed the Sprague turf fields, and despite the fact that seemingly anything goes over there, lights were not recommended at that complex.

Abutters’ concerns over glare, noise associated with nighttime events, and traffic are all addressed in the report. Wellesley’s sporty police department says it’s got a handle on nighttime event traffic, based on past events.

Add permanent lights to WHS sports field?

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The next regular NRC meeting will take place on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Warren Building (90 Washington Street). 

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Stamp Samaritan: A Wellesley holiday heartwarmer

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This might not quite make the cut for a Lifetime holiday movie, but a Swellesley reader shared this feel-good seasonal story.

Our reader (who prefers to remain anonymous, though who gave me a heads up about her story in person) bought 3 books of holiday stamps at the Wellesley Square Post Office.  Michael, her favorite postal clerk, gave her the stamps in a glassine envelope, and she was off to a fast holiday start.

Only she wasn’t. Somewhere between the postal counter and her house, she lost 2 of the 3 stamp books.

“I searched everywhere, but no luck finding them,” our reader says “On a whim, I went back to see Michael at the post office a couple days later.  I relayed my story of the misplaced stamps.  I asked if, by any chance, someone had found them.”

The postal worker stepped away from the counter and returned with a small envelope. “What were the stamps?” he asked.

Our distressed reader replied: “The Christmas Wreaths and Winter Berries.”

Michael smiled and handed her an envelope with the 2 books of stamps. Someone had found them in the lobby.

stamps wellesley
“Found in the Lobby”

 

Our reader says “I hope the person who turned in those stamps is reading this story, and knows I am grateful for that small gesture of kindness.  It restored my faith in the holiday spirit.”

 

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More: What’s up with all those new Wellesley mailboxes?

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Giving Tuesday: Support The Swellesley Report

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Today, Dec. 3, is Giving Tuesday.

Does The Swellesley Report connect you to your community? Keep you informed? Make you laugh every so often? Then don’t hesitate, please give now if you value what we offer.

While not a non-profit, The Swellesley Report is a small business with costs that include website hosting, computer software and hardware, employee expenses, and more. We’d love to offer stipends to interns as well.

Contact us if you have any problems giving. Prefer paper? Send a check to:

The Swellesley Report

P.O. Box 812371

Wellesley MA 02482

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Wellesley public schools: Snow day on Tuesday

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Dear Wellesley Public Schools Community:

After reviewing the latest forecasts and consulting with our Department of Public Works, I have determined that we cannot open schools safely tomorrow, Tuesday, December 3, 2019. All WPS buildings will remain closed and staff should not report to their schools.  Please be safe everyone. 

David Lussier

Superintendent of Schools 

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More: Where to sled in Wellesley

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Frozen in Wellesley Square, in a good way

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frosty and rudolph wellesley square

The brilliantly planned Holiday Stroll in Wellesley Square invited people to enjoy a day of shopping and activities before the snow really hit on Sunday.

Horse-drawn carriage rides, visits with Rudolph, Frosty and Elsa, caroling and treats were among the attractions at the annual event.

But I’m just fumbling for words to describe the action. Upham Elementary School 4th grader Olivia Littlefield sums it up much better in this poem that she shared with us:

The carolers singing breaks through the air,
Christmas is coming to Wellesley Square.
Frothy white blankets of snow,
Kids are rushing to and fro.
A silent shiver from a towering pine,
I feel a tingling down my spine.
The sparkling crisps descending at the fair,
Christmas is coming to Wellesley Square.

 

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Wellesley Park development boasts of going fully electrified

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As the holiday season begins, it’s a time for feasting, friends and for siblings to review where they rank in terms of family favoritism. Mr. Swellesley has sewn up Golden Child status over his 3 siblings barring an epic meltdown by himself.

And so it appears that the Wellesley Park 40R project, the mixed-used proposal for Wellesley Office Park that would kick off with a 350-unit apartment complex, is the Golden Child of Wellesley housing developments.

Whereas the 40B project proposers that have descended upon the town in recent years have riled up neighbors and had Wellesley town officials squeamishly approving their plans, the Zoning Board of Appeals meetings with the John Hancock Real Estate/Hanover Wellesley reps have been mutual admiration societies. 40Rs generally allow communities more say over projects than 40Bs.

With this project located at an existing office park at the junction of Rte. 9 and Rte. 95, neighbors are not lining up at public meetings to air their concerns. Town Meeting members showed their support for the 40R proposal back in May, and both the Board of Selectmen and Planning Board like the sounds of it.

40R 40 William
Wellesley Park is planned for William Street, where you see the red marker.

 

The town, armed with its Housing Production Plan, is giddy that the 350 Wellesley Park apartments would bring Wellesley to the magical 10% affordable housing mark that will enable it to fend off unfriendly developments.

The Nov. 21 ZBA meeting was one of the feel good hits of the year, as developer Hanover Wellesley disclosed its plans to go fully electrified with its apartment complex in an effort to be super sustainable. No gas hookup. Electric heating and cooling, including electric stove tops. The works.

Hanover Company’s David Hall opened the Nov. 21 meeting by revealing the project team’s sustainability plans. “At the gentle prodding” of Wellesley Selectmen Tom Ulfelder and others in town, “it was suggested to us that we research electrification of the building,” he said. While Hall said he didn’t even realize this was a thing months ago, and he didn’t expect it to pan out, electrification is now the plan, subject to locking in sweet rates from the Wellesley Municipal Light Plant.

As Hall and his business partners humbly bragged more than a few times, this effort involves going “above and beyond the obligations of” their development agreement and doing so “voluntarily,” and should help on the way to earning LEED certification.

While the 40R project is moving along, and it’s possible the ZBA portion could wrap up in the next month or so, plenty of work remains by the developer, town and state. Among other things, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation will need to issue a permit, as the project will impact traffic. Because the project will be along wetlands and the Charles River, the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office will also likely get involved.

In some ways 40R projects are more streamlined than 40Bs, but there’s always potential for delays. If things go extremely well, a building permit could be filed as early as next summer. Still, the project will likely take a couple of years to complete.

A 40R update should be coming soon to a Board of Selectmen meeting.

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