Gwen Baker announces candidacy for Wellesley Board of Selectmen

July 22, 2020 by Deborah Brown 3 Comments

Wellesley will hold a Special Election on Tuesday, Sept. 1, to fill a seat on the Board of Selectmen vacated by Jack Morgan, who resigned in May because he was moving out of town.

A new member will be elected in September for a term to expire at the next Annual Town Election on March 2, 2021.

In an email to The Swellesley Report, Gwen Baker has announced her candidacy for the seat. Baker says:

I am announcing my candidacy for the open Selectman seat on September 1 st .

I am a 27-year resident of Wellesley. I currently serve on Town Meeting and have served Town Meeting for Precinct A and served on the Celebrations Committee. I love and care about Wellesley.

I bring 25 years of business experience as an owner of an insurance and investment management company, a business based out of Wellesley since its founding 25 years ago that has grown into a national business. My two adult married sons are partners, running day-to- day operations. Prior to that I worked at Community Newspapers all over the western suburbs covering education and other town issues including The Townsman.

I feel like I have been part of the “silent majority” in Wellesley of people working, raising families and often too busy to participate in local government. I would like to engage more Wellesley citizens to share their concerns and thoughts about the town. Many people I spoke to had concerns that were not always reflected in Town Meeting or the in media.

As many others would agree, during the past four months of being “grounded” from COVID, home has become more important than ever. Like many Wellesley working professionals, I traveled all over the country prior to the shutdown. But in the end Wellesley is home and there is no place like home. Driving into Wellesley from Rte. 30 and Weston Road from the airport on many late nights I was always struck by the peace, quiet, tranquility, and beauty of our town with well-kept homes with beautiful lawns, trees and landscaping.

I have traveled extensively for business and I’ve seen how successful entrepreneurs and families have built their assets, spending time in some of the largest cities and visiting our clients in their homes and businesses all over the USA.

Managing a town, the size of Wellesley approximately 28,000 residents of all ages, and a budget of $181,579,453 (FY2021) requires business and life experience that I can bring.

I want to be able to maintain the town’s unique character, beauty and desirability, and sound property values. For most people their home is their most significant financial asset. They want to maintain their homes along with good schools through sound financial management and reasonable taxes.

As a Town Meeting member I observed several issues : the restructuring and renovation of the schools, decision of what to do with the North 40, and more affordable housing in Wellesley.

We have many Seniors in our town and many would like to age in place in Wellesley. We have many parents of school aged children.

Our struggling business district demands attention. Shops, restaurants, commercial office space and all the businesses in between serve both Wellesley and out of town residents. Businesses provide higher tax revenue.

Every constituency and their concerns must all be addressed.

The Wellesley High senior mural project that refused to go down to coronavirus

July 20, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Three recent Wellesley High School 2020 graduates finally got the chance over the weekend to take up their paintbrushes and start work on a long-planned project for their WHS Art Intensive course. It’s been a long time coming. First the public artwork, a 6′ x 27′ mural-style painting on the curved brick wall at the corner of Linden and Everett Streets, faced delays due to the coronavirus pandemic. Next, the artists were challenged by two days in a row of 90+ degree temperatures. No matter, they got out there and made a solid start on the artwork, which will reach completion by perhaps as early as Wednesday.

Linden Square, Wellesley, mural — Linden Square mural, roughed out. From left: Allie Wornell; Khansa Khan; Carson Dobos, Alexander Golob

The mural’s concept and visual aesthetic were produced through a guided dialogue between the students — Carson Dobos, Khansa Khan, and Allie Wornell — and the students’ senior project mentor Alexander Golob, the principal of Golob Art, and himself a WHS grad. Although all senior projects were cancelled due to the pandemic, none of the artists was willing to abandon the idea, which came about through a combination of their ideas along with feedback from over 60 community members, making the project a community endeavor.

The mural features a storybook-style animal illustration of life in Wellesley, an anthropomorphic imagining of frogs, birds, dogs, and birds. The creatures are depicted enjoying what many in the Wellesley human community have taken up during the pandemic such as listening to music, going for walks, and baking cookies. The scene is set at nearby Morses Pond at sunset.

Linden Square, art, mural — Linden Square mural, work in progress. Thanks to Federal Realty, which has underwritten all production costs for the students and Alexander.

Keep your Wellesley dog cool as temps soar over the weekend

July 16, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

With a heat wave forecasted to hit Wellesley (and other places) starting this weekend, Animal Control Officer Sue Webb reminds pet owners to take extra precautions with their animals to keep them safe. “Watch your dogs in this heat,” she says. “Walk them early or late, not in the high heat of the day. One dog had to go to the emergency vet when he collapsed on a walk in the woods. Also if you can’t walk on the pavement in your bare feet, don’t expect your dog to want to walk on it either.”

wellesley dogs — Duke, a cockapoo (left) and Whistler, a Whoodle, are two Wellesley dogs who really know how to keep their cool during the summer.

Fortunately, Webb reports that the dog who needed emergency attention has recovered fully, but she says people should take it seriously when they notice their dogs panting more, getting tired, and wanting shorter walks. The loyal nature of dogs can be their biggest downfall. Webb says that when dogs are out on walks , “They try to keep going with their owner. If the owner has a way to go back to the car, they may end up having to carry the dog, which isn’t easy when it is a medium-to-large dog like a Labrador.” (There are 392 Labs registered in Wellesley, making them the most popular dog breed in town.)

What can drive problems

The summer months are not the time to bring your best bud along to ride shotgun during errands. Don’t leave your pet in a car on hot days, ever. Not even for a quick minute, or if you leave the windows open, or even if the car is running and the air conditioner is cranked up. Car temperatures can easily rise to over 100 degrees within ten minutes. After that, they can get up to 120 degrees or higher, fast. Dogs don’t have a chance against that kind of heat. Also, it is illegal in Massachusetts to leave animals in vehicles where they are subject to danger from extreme weather conditions.

A little time at the spa

Let your pet laze around and enjoy this time that’s named just for him — the dog days of summer. During the intense mid-day heat, keep walks to a bare minimum. Better yet, limit walks to early in the morning or after the sun goes down.

If your dog really needs some outside time, park your pooch under a shade tree for a little while, with his water bowl close at hand. Add ice to his water every now and then. If you have one of those elevated pet cots, now’s the time to break it out. They increase air flow on alls sides of your pet, which helps keep him cool. A baby pool filled with cool, refreshing water would complete the spa environment.

Just know that shade doesn’t provide all that much protection, so keep his time outside limited. The best place for your dog during extreme heat is inside.

Danger signs:

If your pet is suffering he won’t be subtle about letting you know. Look out for these signs of trouble, which could indicate heatstroke or dehydration:

heavy panting
glazed eyes
rapid heartbeat
difficulty breathing
excessive thirst
lethargy
lack of coordination
profuse drooling
vomiting
body temperature of over 104 degrees (normal is 101 – 102.5)
a deep red or purple tongue
seizure, collapse, or unconsciousness

If these signs present, seek immediate medical attention for your dog.

Let’s all keep Wellesley’s 2,800 registered dogs nice and safe all summer. Heaven knows, they’re worth the extra effort. Who’s a good human friend? You are, that’s who.

Time for Wellesley to dig out those reusable bags

July 15, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Reusable bags are back, baby.

Bags, Wellesley — The bags situation is a little out of hand at our house, so it’s welcome news that reusable bags are back.

We’ve amassed quite a collection of single-use paper and plastic bags in our home since March 25, when the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) temporarily suspended the use of reusable bags due to COVID-19 concerns. One day the well-trained shoppers of Wellesley could be seen with an armload of canvas totes, or well-worn paper bags on perhaps the last grocery run of their lives before making that final trip to the RDF for recycling. The next day, those bags were banished to the back of the trunk for the foreseeable future.

Health officials have since determined there is a low risk of contracting COVID-19 from resuable bags, so we can all pull those sacks out of obscurity and once again go about the business of saving the planet.

Coming back from COVID—a Wellesley business owner’s fight

July 14, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Soosie Lazenby, owner of StretchLab and Club Pilates in Wellesley’s Linden Square, is used to being the picture of health. So when the wellness proponent contracted COVID-19 this spring, it was an adjustment to say the least. Her lung capacity was so reduced that activities she once took for granted turned into a struggle.

Soosie Lazenby, Wellesley business owner — Lazenby just finished an appointment at the Mayo Clinic and is headed back to Wellesley to check on her businesses. “I’m praying my studios come through like I did — as survivors.”

“I’m fine now,” she says, “But as I was getting better, it took a long time. The first time I played tennis I lasted 7 minutes. Now I can go for a match.”

Her fight with the respiratory illness started after she flew to Belleair, Fla., from Wellesley on March 14. Within three days she was in the emergency room complaining of discomfort. “I felt like someone was sitting on my chest,” she said, “It wasn’t like asthma. This was different.” Doctors tested her for the flu, prescribed a chest x-ray, and swabbed her nasal passages. When Lazenby got the call later that day that the swab test came back positive for COVID, she and her husband and business partner George Spowart settled in at home for what they both hoped would be a mild case of the virus.

Within ten days Lazenby was admitted to the hospital. “I was having difficulty breathing. I wasn’t intubated, but I still worried that I’d take a turn for the worse. I slept a lot. I didn’t have much energy. My friends FaceTimed me to keep my spirits up.”

Her experience with COVID didn’t end once she was released from the hospital. Lazenby says she’s had a range of encounters with people from those who scoff at the virus to those who are afraid of her, even though she’s been negative for months. “At times I felt like I had a scarlet ‘C’ on my chest,” she says. “Some people are frightened to the extreme, some people don’t even believe it exists.”

The wary she can tolerate. “Some people just don’t realize that COVID doesn’t discriminate. It’s not just a nursing home problem.”

It’s the COVID deniers that frustrate her. “It’s annoying. There are some ignorant people out there.”

Soosie Lazenby, StretchLab, Wellesley — Soosie Lazenby’s patient board. The listed plan for the day: “To kick COVID-19’s ass!”

Even Lazenby’s hospital didn’t want to see her for a physician-ordered CT angiogram to take a good look at her lungs. “It was really embarrassing because they freaked out. It’s not like I have leprosy. You’d think they’d know what to do with me, but they didn’t.”

Now she carries papers with her that prove she’s COVID-free. “I got an antibody test. I carry those results with me that I was positive for antibodies. I’m immune now, from the mutation I had, anyway.”

With this health scare behind her, Lazenby has returned her focus to her businesses — StretchLab, which helps clients increase their range of motion and flexibility and decrease pain and muscle tension through regular, targeted stretching, and Club Pilates. Both spots have reopened with new safety measures such as reduced class sizes, regular equipment sanitizing, and social distancing to ensure the health of their clients.

Lazenby says vigilance is the watchword at her studios. “Members really were missing the community of their workouts. But I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through.”

Through it all, Lazenby considers herself lucky. She gets asked all the time how she contracted COVID, but has no answer. “The plane? Walking around? There’s no blame. It’s a virus. People need to be tolerant of those who have had it.”

As for her husband, he’s been tested too, and came back negative. “My doctor wants his immune system,” Lazenby laughs.

It’s been a long haul for Lazenby, but the woman who has the dubious distinction of being medically known as Patient Zero in Bellaire, Fla., is back in action.

Beyond Wellesley: sneak peek at Riverbend School’s newest buildings in S. Natick

July 9, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Riverbend School the construction zone has made its final leap to becoming Riverbend School, the campus. Located at 33 Eliot St., the K – 8, 200-student Montessori-method institution has finished the Upper School building and the gymnasium, the last of three major building projects that kicked off in 2014. Let’s just say it’s been a busy six years at Riverbend, which has had a presence in South Natick since 1986.

Designed by Piatt Associates Architecture, the Upper School contains three purpose-built lower elementary classrooms, as well as dedicated design and art studios. A stand-alone, full-size gymnasium provides plenty of space for indoor recreation, and will also generate revenue through rentals of the space. Both new buildings are located on the field adjacent to the Middle School, which is part of the historic Peletiah Morse Tavern, on Rte. 16.

“All of the buildings for the campus were intended, as designed, to be respectful of the character of the John Eliot Historic District and I hope the new buildings will be seen that way as well,” says architect Jim Piatt.

The two previous building projects, both also designed by Piatt, were Children’s House, completed in 2014; and the Middle School, attached to the tavern, completed in 2017.

Head of School Whitney Slade took time out of his day to give me a tour of the campus, which he said is “geared toward our kids, Montessori kids, the way they’re taught and the way they learn. In the Montessori method, big open spaces are needed.” Here are a few pics of how that was achieved:

Riverbend School, Natick — Children’s House, completed in 2014, is what drivers-by would likely identify as the main building of Riverbend. The 13,000 square-foot building houses the approximately 100 students in the toddler-kindergarten program, as well as administration offices.

Riverbend School — Interior of the gym, which is air conditioned, as are all of the Riverbend buildings. “We’ll be renting out the gym to Natick Rec, Dover-Sherborn basketball, and others, so the gym is also a revenue opportunity for us,” Slade said.

All told, the school has put over $5 million into creating its new campus. The Natick-owned brick building the school worked out of for decades is now vacant. But with grades 4-6 located in Memorial Hall, Riverbend hasn’t completely crossed Eliot Street.

Slade is now focused on what September will look like for Riverbend. “We’re developing protocols to keep everyone separate,” he said. “We’re working with the Natick Board of Health with the goal of providing a safe learning environment for our students, their families, and our staff. We’ll miss out on field trips this year, unfortunately. Maybe we’ll go over to Elm Bank, since we can walk there.”

“And there’s always Forest Friday,” Slade said, pointing to the wooded conservation land the school abuts. “That’s very big here.”

Other sneak peeks:

Sneak peek: we get a look at the Babson College globe

Sneak peek: the renovated Hood Museum at Dartmouth College

Sneak peek: an early look behind Door No. 7 in Wellesley

Colette Aufranc announces candidacy for Wellesley Board of Selectmen

July 8, 2020 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

Wellesley will hold a Special Election on Tuesday, Sept. 1, to fill a seat on the Board of Selectmen vacated by Jack Morgan, who resigned in May because he was moving out of town.

A new member will be elected in September for a term to expire at the next Annual Town Election on March 2, 2021.

In an email to The Swellesley Report, Colette Aufranc has announced her candidacy for the seat. Aufranc says:

Colette Aufranc, Wellesley — Colette Aufranc (Photo credit: Maura Wayman Photography)

Wellesley faces unprecedented challenges as we navigate a period of continued uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, social change in response to racial discrimination, and ongoing climate disruption. In this difficult environment, Wellesley must manage its strategic initiatives, including building new elementary schools, developing new housing opportunities, and managing long term obligations in a fiscally, environmentally and socially responsible way. The skills I bring as an accountant, experienced town volunteer, involved resident, and a proven leader and collaborator leave me well suited to become an effective member of the Board.

I moved to Wellesley in 1998. My husband grew up here and we have two children, one at Wellesley High School and one a college freshman in the fall. I am a Chartered Accountant and worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers for twelve years in the UK and the US.

I currently serve as Chair of Wellesley’s Audit Committee and as a Town Meeting Member. Audit Committee has given me valuable experience with municipal financial reporting, the town’s financial position, capital plan, pension and other employee obligations. My Town Meeting experience is critical in understanding how our Town government works.

I have been very engaged in other civic activities. Since 2006 I have been a neighborhood representative in the redevelopment of Linden Square, working with town boards and executives, and the developers on lighting, traffic, noise, parking, pedestrian safety, and landscaping. I have supported our schools as treasurer of Sprague PTO (2010-2012), treasurer of Central Council of PTOs (2011-2015) and as Co-President of Wellesley High School PTSO (2018-2019). I also serve as the treasurer for Sustainable Wellesley, and have sat on interview committees for Wellesley Public Schools’ central office and guidance staff. I have a history of cooperative, constructive and respectful engagement with the people and organizations I have worked with.

As a Selectman I would always focus on the long-term benefit to the Town, and the interests of all community members. Visit www.electcoletteaufranc.com to learn more.

I respectfully ask for your vote on September 1st.

Colette Aufranc
Hill Top Road

More: Wellesley gets very fancy with Board of Selectmen special election ballot drawing

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