Wellesley Square clock is alive and ticking

January 12, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

If you’ve been missing the Wellesley Square street clock, which the town sent out for repairs late last year, it’s time to take a look at the newly reinstalled and restored beauty. An Electric Time Co. truck rolled into town early this morning with the two-dial street clock crated and secured in the back of Medfield business’ vehicle. Between David Cintolo, the venerable company’s go-to guy for installations all over the region, and the Wellesley Department of Public Works crew members, the 15-foot cast aluminum clock was put in place in just over an hour.

(Thanks to Wellesley DPW’s Kevin Collins for the swell video.)

The clock looks fabulous and refreshed after its several months at the spa (as would we all with the kind of pampering such time would allow.) For its spa treatments the clock was stripped down, sandblasted, painted, and had certain parts replaced and upgraded (sounds like heaven).

Wellesley Square clock — The over 15-foot clock has stood in Wellesley Square since 1998.

Fun facts about Roman numeral IIII

Back when I was in elementary school, Roman numerals were drilled into me as efficiently as the multiplication tables. One thing I thought I knew for sure was that 1 = I; 2 = II; 3= III; and, wait for it, 4= IV.

Behold, the Wellesley Square clock expresses 4 as IIII. Was this a case of a paint job gone awry?

Nope.

According to Electric Time Clock’s website, “There does not seem to be a definitive reason why the number four is represented by IIII rather than IV, but it is how the dials on tower clocks have been done for centuries.”

It goes on to say that possible reasons include IV was commonly used to notate the Roman god Jupiter (in Latin, Ivpiter), and the numeral IIII was used to differentiate between the lowly number and the exalted god; visually, IIII forms better symmetry with the VIII on the other side of the clock, as well as creating radial symmetry in that only I appears in the first four hours, V only appears in the second four hours, and X only appears in the last four hours; IV is oddly positioned and difficult to read from the normal angle where four appears; and/or Romans simply preferred IIII as they largely avoided subtraction.

Thank you Swellesley Report supporters & on to Year Sweet 16

Wellesley summer camp listings 2021 — find the experience of a lifetime

January 12, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The Swellesley Report’s Summer Camps page is now updated with over 75 camps in Wellesley and beyond. It’s time to sign your child up for the summer camp experience of a lifetime. Whether they’re into coding, arts and crafts, sports, drama, or nature, the perfect camp is out there for them.

Swellesley’s camps page is sponsored by LINX Camps. Over 40 Premier Camps. Perfect for your family.

Contact Deborah for more info on inclusion of your camp located in Wellesley or elsewhere, or for advertising on Swellesley. Camp parents and guardians: Please let camps know that you found them here, if you did…thanks.

Wellesley vaccinates first responders against COVID-19

January 11, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley’s Health Department, armed with doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, set up shop on Monday at Fire Department Headquarters on Route 9 to vaccinate first responders.

First up were firefighters Joanie Cullinan and Brian Hester, both of whom have faced serious health situations. Cullinan has recovered from Stage 3 Melanoma and become an effective advocate for occupational cancer awareness. Hester, a firefighter since 2002, became sick with COVID-19 in the spring and did a grand tour of local health facilities over 10 weeks fighting off the respiratory disease. Feeling lucky to be at the vaccine clinic, Hester said he is still dealing with after-effects from COVID-19 but hopes to return to work sooner than later.

ff vaccines wellesley — Firefighter Brian Hester keeps his eye on the needle

This was no private doctor’s office visit. The firefighters, in familiar surroundings at the firehouse, received their vaccinations with bemused expressions as camera crews from local TV news stations captured the whole thing for posterity.

Hester said getting the shot was no problem. “I didn’t feel a thing,” he quipped.

#Wellesley vaccinates first responders against #COVID19 https://t.co/AZ9HcGiz19 #vaccines @moderna_tx @WellesleyFire pic.twitter.com/y0ib8yEqA1

— swellesley (@swellesley) January 12, 2021

Cullinan is still going in for screenings in the aftermath of her cancer treatments, but is back to work and feeling strong. She refers to herself as “a professional patient at this point,” and says getting the vaccine made this a good day, allowing firefighters “to protect our families and keep everyone else safe.”

When asked for her message to other first responders about getting the vaccine, she said “everybody’s got to do what’s right for them,” but that it was the right choice for her, her family, and colleagues. Naturally, some of those colleagues headed out on a call when we were there, sirens blaring upon their departure.

Three other Wellesley firefighters and five Wellesley police officers were also vaccinated, with more set to receive shots later this week.

Health Department Director Lenny Izzo, who was on site, said “we’re prepared, we’re ready for this.” He and the rest of the staff have spent recent weeks working out the various challenges that the town faces in administering the vaccine, including the transport and cold storage of it, as well as scheduling injections. While much has been made of storage challenges, he says the town has had no issue handling that end of things.

Izzo told us during a recent interview that vaccines will be dispensed in a staggered process, to ensure that not too many first responders could potentially suffer bad reactions at once.

For this first round, health officials received 100 vials of the Moderna vaccine and expect another allocation within a week to complete the first responder vaccinations. Ann Marie McCauley, the town’s public health nurse supervisor, said during Monday’s Board of Health meeting that the Health Department plans to use every drop of vaccine during six clinics over the course of this week, and still won’t have enough for all first responders.

First responders, along with healthcare workers and those in nursing homes and assisted living facilities are among those designated by the state to be vaccinated at the start.

Thank you Swellesley Report supporters & on to Year Sweet 16

Looks like Wellesley will get the movie treatment with “The Artist”

January 6, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

We’ve noticed a couple of huge tour buses parked in the lot at Weston Road and Washington Street, as have a few readers. What gives, we wondered.

Wellesley movie, The Artist — Thanks to sharp-eyed reader PL for this shot.

The buses seem to be connected to a casting call for an upcoming film titled The Artist, by FNB Productions, an independent film company based in Dedham. Locally based director L. Steven Stanley is seeking actors to portray a German sculptor; an art buyer; an art model; and a WWII-era nurse.

Initial interviews for the roles will be done via Skype, and actors must be able to transport themselves to Wellesley for shoots and weekly in-person rehearsals.

If you’re interested, email a headshot, resume, cover letter, and general availability as well as a time for a Skype interview to [email protected]

This wouldn’t be the first time FNB has filmed in this area. Last year the company was in Sudbury at Pride’s Crossing, and at Fatima Shrine in Holliston to work on scenes for The Train, a futurist Christian noir film set in the year 2041, with flashbacks to the present. In the film, Christians are facing persecution for their beliefs. The Train has not yet been released.

In a Wellesley Public Media interview last year, L. Steven Stanley gave an overview of The Train, talked about what it was like to film during a pandemic, and expounded on the novel coronavirus.

Movies filmed in Wellesley, Mass.

Martin Luther King Day 2021 activities scheduled in Wellesley, Massachusetts

January 5, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

World of Wellesley invites everyone to its Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day community events, which will this year take place virtually on Monday, Jan. 18.

MLK Day, Wellesley — Members from the WHS Cheer Team were on hand in 2020 to celebrate MLK Day with dance.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee will use the pandemic as an opportunity to bring the community together to not only talk about the phenomenal legacy of Dr. King, but to also engage in a series of virtual events focused on “Good Trouble: More Than Just a Day—A Call to Action.”

Schedule of Jan. 18, 2021 MLK Day events:

Good Trouble Virtual “Breakfast:” 8:30am – 10am

Good Trouble: Art Workshop, Grades K-7, 12:30 – 1:30pm
Student art will later be displayed at the Wellesley Public Library.

Good Trouble: Book Group, Grades 8-12 – 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Book groups will be facilitated by Wellesley Public School Students and focus on a short piece from Sterling Hayden’s Wanderer.

Family Story Time: Family event – all ages 2:30pm – 3:10pm
Children and families are invited to listen together to the story of Vitamin D and Me – How Humans Outsmarted the Sun, an amazing story of how and why human beings have different color skin tones.

RSVP here.

What a difference a year makes

This time last year the WOW-sponsored MLK Day Breakfast at Wellesley College received extensive media coverage. The breakfast at Alumnae Hall was the place to be to honor King, the late civil rights activist who in the 1950s and 1960 led non-violent protests to demand the rights of African Americans.

Approximately 200 Wellesley community members attended the 2020 event including Wellesley College President Paula Johnson; Massachusetts State Senator Becca Rausch; Massachusetts State Representative Alice Peisch; all five members of the Wellesley Board of Selectmen; the chiefs of both the Wellesley’s Fire and Police departments; and many others.

[Read more…]

Wellesley Animal Control Officer Sue Webb to retire after 45 years on the job

January 3, 2021 by Deborah Brown 15 Comments

Wellesley Animal Officer Sue Web is set to retire this month after 45 years on the job keeping the town safe for residents by making sure that animals are kept under control, licensed, and vaccinated, among other duties.

World of Wellesley event — Animal Control Officer Sue Webb, pictured with Officer Lamars Hughes, 2018.

In an email, Officer Webb says starting Stray Pets in Need (SPIN) is one of the projects she’s most proud of. The program, she says, makes sure “all unclaimed pets had a place to go for treatment and adoption so animals picked up by Animal Control are never euthanized due to lack of space or funding for medical treatment.”

She also cited promoting microchip clinics to implant tiny transponders in pets’ skin to aid in finding lost animals. Because of the program, she says the town has a very high rate of return to owners of both dogs and cats.

Officer Webb has also over the years stepped up coordination with volunteers and veterinarians to trap, spay/neuter, vaccinate and return feral cats to their feeders or colonies. The program experienced its intended gradual success, getting Wellesley to the point where the town no longer has colonies of feral cats.

One part of the job Officer Webb really enjoyed was the opportunity to tell young people about what she does. “When it was possible to go into the schools, I really enjoyed educating the kids and had developed different topic for each grade level so they learned something new each year I came to talk.”

As for the future, Officer Webb will continue her volunteer work with SPIN to coordinate volunteers to help with transportation of senior’s pets to veterinary appointments. She also coordinates foster for pets from domestic violence programs through Safe People Safe Pets.

“There are so many other issues I want to devote more time promote through legislation and networking with others,” Officer Webb says, as well as taking “some time to travel in my camper and visit friends and interesting sites around the country.”

As of her retirement date, Tuesday, January 5, 2021, that time will be hers.

We wish Sue well.

Think you can fill Officer Webb’s shoes? Here’s what it takes:

The Town of Wellesley is currently seeking an Animal Control Officer. The incumbent in this role will be responsible for enforcing Wellesley’s Animal Control By-law including Chapter 140, Section 136-175 of the General Laws of the State.

Under the general supervision of the Police Chief, this position provides a safe environment for its citizens and protects them against disease and uncontrollable dogs or other animals and determines if dogs or pets are a nuisance, miscreant of duly licensed within the meaning of the Animal Control By-law. The incumbent investigates and reports all animal bites to the Board of Health and is responsible for proper quarantine of the animals reported to have bitten a person for the mandatory 10 day isolation period and reporting to the condition of the animal at the end of the 10 day isolation period. Additionally, this position takes animal specimens to the State Diagnostic Laboratory in Jamaica Plain for evaluation that have been involved in biting situations of humans, assists at annual dog rabies clinics and makes annual inspections of all premises in Wellesley that keep domestic livestock. Additional duties include patrolling school playgrounds and other recreational areas in a specially equipped van to seek out and capture uncontrolled, stray, unlicensed and other dogs in violation of the By-law and transporting to kennel for impoundment or place in custody of a veterinarian for hospitalization, investigating complaints and taking appropriate action as warranted, including snaring animals with rope, net or other approved devices and place animal in caged vehicle or will issue citation notice or restraining order to owner in accordance with the Animal Control By-law and will follow up to assure owner is in compliance.

More here.

Mrs. Swellesley gets crafty with holiday cards

January 2, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Holiday cards are a big thing in our house. We love to get them, especially the picture card variety that allows us to lay eyes on our friends and family from Wellesley and far beyond. Every year the kids seem ever more hearty and hale and another foot taller, as if fortified daily by six healthy meals, plus protein-rich snacks. Everyone’s smiling, the family pets are on their best sit-and-stay behavior, and parents look like they haven’t aged a day. The backgrounds never disappoint. Beautiful beach settings. Mountaintops, so very high. Somehow, nobody’s hair is ever blown about. We love holiday cards.

Wellesley holiday cards — Repurposed holiday cards. All that’s required for this project is a stack of holiday cards, a pair of scissors, a one-hole punch, and some thin ribbon.

We used to get almost exclusively picture cards, but as our cards cohort has gotten older, the pictures have done a slow fade. At some point, families either can’t get everyone in one place for a decent shot, or young adults rebel and refuse to be included. So far we’ve been able to capture on film our entire family cheesing it up at some point during the year. We plan to splash such an image on a holiday card for as long as our kids let us get away with it.

I’m the envy of my friends because my holiday card duties are nonexistent. Mr. Swellesley does it all, from organizing the picture to ordering the cards to mailing out the seasons greetings. He has an impressive assembly line system, and I have no idea how it works. Cards for me are all play and no work. I consider freedom from the sausage-making part of card magic one of my Christmas gifts from Mr. Swellesley.

I do have one yearly responsibility, entirely self-imposed, and a lot of fun. After the family has had a good amount of time to admire the cards, they get crafted into next year’s gift tags. All that’s required for this project, copied one year from some Pinterest prodigy, is a stack of holiday cards, a pair of scissors, a one-hole punch, and some thin ribbon.

Not all the holiday cards will make the jump from this year’s greetings to next year’s gift cards. There’s an audition process. To pass, the gift card must on one side bear a pretty picture or lovely words (canned, Hallmark-like sentiments only, please). The other side must be be blank, so that I may write my own, highly original holiday sentiments. No human body parts are permitted to survive from from holiday card over to repurposed gift tag. No kitty paws or happy dog tails will sneak in, either. As you can see, the audition process is rigorous. The easiest way for a card to achieve gift-tag glory is, of course, for it to arrive as one of those lovely cards from a box of 20.

Once the audition process is complete, I take a one-hole punch to the top left-hand corner of the cut-out tag. From there, I add a thin ribbon. Done.

Making gift tags gives me a triple shot of holiday smug:

I feel pleased as punch with myself when I make the tags—I’ve reused! Just as Sustainable Wellesley always says I should.
When the holidays roll around the next year I’m delighted that my gift tags are ready to roll. That’s one more thing crossed off the list, an organization technique lifted straight from Santa.
It’s fun to revisit last year’s cards. Believe it or not, even after a whole year I remember which tag came from which family’s card.

As the holiday season winds down, my wreath may still be on the door; we’re all still stepping on rogue pine needles; and I have a few returns to take care of. But by gum, my 2021 gift tags are done.