More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
This giant snapping turtle was seen recently by a Swellesley reader making progress summiting Pond Road in Wellesley, no slouch in the steepness department. We’ll be really impressed if we find out the turtle scaled the stone wall in an effort to test the waters of Lake Waban.
More local critter pics sent by a reader. These were taken at Skating Pond near Hunnewell Field.
Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
Proposed housing developments in town have grabbed headlines of late, but a new high rise in Wellesley Square has flown under the radar.
Fortunately, Swellesley reader Stephen Forasté—thanks to his eagle-eyed daughter—caught this discreet new home on camera earlier this month (look closely inside the lantern in the video).
New #Wellesley Square high rise is for the birds https://t.co/9XQgHTQnZ0 pic.twitter.com/cag8Kdi7t8
— swellesley (@swellesley) May 29, 2023
Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
After depriving everyone in town for three years due to a little thing called “the pandemic,” The Rotary Club of Wellesley finally relented and fed over 300 guests at the triumphant return of their Taste of Wellesley fundraising event, held at Elm Bank Reservation on May 4.
We went for the sense of community. We went to support the Rotary Club’s mission to end food insecurity. We went because we were hungry. Taste of Wellesley did not disappoint. The food (and drinks), generously donated by 15 participating restaurants, was so good we felt like finally, after years of longing, we had really, truly dined. The event raised over $30k for the Rotarians to continue their work with the Wellesley Housing Authority, Mass Bay Community College and organizations serving homeless veterans.
Here are some pics:
Here’s the entire list of over 50 dining options in Wellesley.
And let’s throw in Natick restaurants, for good measure.
Don’t miss Pups in the Park during Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend. Last year the event raised $5,000 for International Fund for Animals to support animals in Ukraine, Turkey, ands Syria. Organizers are looking to do the same this year.
Enter your pup in the “Pups in the Park” event, where they can compete for cutest, best costume, best kisser, and more. Everybody comes away a winner. If 10 pups register, there will be 10 award categories. If 100 pups compete, there will be 100 awards, in which case the Rotarians are really going to have to get creative with the categories. Most soulful eyes?
$20 contribution for each dog. Register here using the QR code. Donations of up to $5,000 matched by the Rotary Club.
Special guest stars: author Pippi Babson the Black Lab will be there with his human friend, Gig Babson. Also, meet new friends from Buddy Dog and Shultz’s Guest House.
DATE: Saturday, May 20
TIME: 1pm-3pm
LOCATION: Hunnewell Field
SPONSORS: Rotary Club of Wellesley, Friends of Wellesley Veterans, Inc., and Wellesley Celebrations Committee
We recently received email from a reader pleading: Can you please put out a call to help the fish unable to scale the ladder in Fuller Brook near Grove Street? We’ve been watching them struggle for two weeks and it’s heartbreaking to witness them beat themselves up trying and trying and trying. Setback after setback after setback…
As the reader noted, residents have been known to help the fish scale the ladder, but the hope here was that a more permanent solution might be in the works. That perhaps local college engineering students might have an answer.
Natural Resources Commission Director Brandon Schmitt tells us that the NRC has an appropriation from the Community Preservation Committee to evaluate relief to the Fuller Brook fish.
“We have worked with a Fluvial Geomorphologist, and a marine fisheries biologist with the State Division of Fisheries to explore what options might be available to help the white suckers,” Schmitt writes. “The main barrier at this point is that due to the stream velocities at peak discharge, there is concern about putting anything in the stream that would impede the flow. We have looked at potential temporary solutions (large sandbags, etc.) but those would create a problem if they migrated downstream and created a blockage.”
Schmitt says he’s “hopeful that we can find a sustainable solution to aid the white sucker passage upstream that also satisfies concerns about upstream flooding.”
The town has looked at various methods, from supersacks to a metal ladder, he says. The reader pointed to an effort in Weymouth that included refinishing the existing ladder.
Here’s a rough conceptual plan provided by the biologist, as an example, to Wellesley.
The town has also looked into possible state funding, but Schmitt says “since the white suckers are not identified as priority species, funding has been limited.”
Come hear UMass-Dartmouth professor Robert Gegear discuss how ecological data collected through his Beecology Citizen Science Project is being used to gain insight into the causes of species loss from bee and butterfly pollination systems native to New England. He will also highlight the ‘eco-technology’ that has been developed to aid Beecologists.
The event takes place May 9 at 7pm at Wellesley Free Library’s main branch, 530 Washington St.
Dr. Gegear is consulting with Wellesley’s NRC in the rewilding of the field adjacent to the library.
Presented by Wellesley Conservation Land Trust with co-sponsors Wellesley Free Library and Wellesley Natural Resources Commission.
Wellesley wildlife is making itself seen this spring, and the latest to show off is this fox family.
Thanks to Jared Parker for sharing the photos. He’s hoping they might inspire people to get out on the town’s trails and protect them.
Separately, a fresh coyote sighting on Grove Street, courtesy of MH.
Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
A Swellesley reader has shared this photo of a coyote seemingly monitoring a parking meter on Washington Street near Wellesley Square.
This prompted us to ask the town’s parking clerk whether this is that department’s answer to Winnie, the Wellesley Police Department’s community resource service dog. We haven’t heard a yip back.
We’re guessing that “Parkie,” presumably the town’s new comfort coyote, might be 1 way the town is attempting to boost parking receipts, which took a hit during the pandemic. Parkie on 1 hand might encourage you to feed the meter, or give you a muzzle to scratch if you get a ticket.
More: Overnight parking in Wellesley: Just because there’s no snow, don’t let your guard down
The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:
Back in the day, before Wellesley loosened its alcohol serving rules to allow drinking without eating, we used to refer to Punch’s Alley on the Wellesley College campus as 1 of the only bar options in town. We used to pop by after attending plays at the college at the Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre, which we’re glad to see is now getting back in action.
Now Punch’s Alley has reopened from its forced closure during the pandemic, and the red-themed venue has emerged as a juice bar, with mocktails—and perhaps even punch—on the menu. Punch’s Alley got approval for its common victualler’s license in March from the Wellesley Select Board.
The bar’s overall social media presence hasn’t quite caught up with its latest posts about its new status, so we’re still not sure what we’ll find if we stop by.
This news made us fretful. Could the expensive juice (er, mocktails) trend have trickled down the Mass Pike and seeped into a basement bar we spent some time in during our misspent youth? Not a chance, as we confirmed after attending a recent event held by Boston University’s Daily Free Press for current students and alums like ourselves. The Dugout pub next door to the Freep on Commonwealth Avenue has definitely not become a juice bar. (What’s more, to our pleasant surprise, the main panel at the Next Edition event we attended was deftly moderated by none other than Wellesley High graduate Sam Kizner, a BU student.)
Oath Pizza is opening soon in Linden Square, and those healthy, handcrafted pies aren’t going to serve themselves. Oath is looking for people who want to join a creative, hardworking team without giving up fun!
Apply today—email your employment history and goals to chrislumichael@gmail.com or williamebben@gmail.com, or call or text 508-231-6498.
Or you can attend an employment Meet and Greet session at the Linden Square location on the following dates:
While currently pet-less (aside from a few sacs of praying mantis eggs on the kitchen window), I swung by Boston Veterinary Clinic‘s recent open house in Wellesley Hills to check out the facility.
They emphasize fear-free service, with separate dog and cat waiting rooms, a subtle floor scale that animals don’t even realize they’re on, and frosted windows on exam rooms so dogs can’t stare each other down. Chinchillas, rats, and other critters have also visited the new vet clinic, according to the staff member who welcomed me to the office. Hopefully we won’t need to take the praying mantises there—the plan is to send them off into the world…
We don’t yet have details on the business, but Saadat Beauty House is readying to take over the space previously occupied by Weston Kitchens at 868 Worcester St., next to Domino’s Pizza on Rte. 9 east.
A Swellesley Report reader recently shared photos with us of a coyote seen at night in their neighborhood across Rte. 9 from Morses Pond.
“We have spotted coyotes along the trail near our circle last year and the trail along Morse Pond last year… I’ve never seen the coyotes this close to the houses. Would the town do something about the coyotes?” the reader asked.
While coyote sightings in Wellesley are common (I’ll never forget the big 1 I saw at Town Hall a few years back mid-day), I figured it would be a good idea to check in with Animal Control Officer Jenny Smith to get the latest on coyotes in town.
“This time of year is very common for other police departments, animal control officers, and the environmental police to get an increase of calls on coyotes sightings. Late January through March is the mating season for coyotes and they become more active during this time. The female coyote’s gestation period is only 63 days,” Smith says.
Smith’s advice to residents when they see coyotes is to “haze” them—a term used by the Massachusetts Environmental Police. “While coyotes and other wild animals are naturally afraid of people, this fear can disappear over time when animals spend a lot of time around people or when they are frequently fed by people. Whenever you see a coyote in your yard, you should aggressively haze it by physically chasing it out of the yard, spraying it with a hose, making loud noises by banging pots and pans or blowing an air horn, and throwing small objects like a tennis ball with the intent to frighten not injure. Repeated hazing helps teach coyotes they are not welcome in your yard, similar to how coyotes naturally chase other coyotes out of their own territories. The more people in a community that haze coyotes, the more effective it will be in making them avoid people.”
Negative encounters, including coyote attacks on people, are rare, she says.
Coyotes are “opportunistic feeders,” Smith says. They’ll eat small animals, insects, fruits, garbage, pet food, compost, and more. Bird feeders and suet can attract coyotes, which will go for both the bird food and the rodents that such food can attract.
“Coyotes that become dependent on these supplemental foods can become habituated, act tame, and exhibit bold behavior toward people,” Smith says.
The animal control officer recommends that dogs always be supervised on a leash, especially during the coyote breeding season. “Coyotes are territorial animals that live in family groups known as packs. During the breeding season, they become very active in marking and defending their territories to protect their pack from other coyotes and ensure they can successfully raise pups in the spring. Unfortunately, coyotes can’t distinguish your pet from an intruding coyote, and will treat the presence of dogs in their territories as a threat. During the breeding season, coyotes can become more aggressive toward large-breed dogs. Smaller dogs and cats are viewed as prey items by coyotes at any time of the year.”
More resources from the state’s Mass.gov website:
We always appreciate readers sharing animal photos from Wellesley with us at theswellesleyreport@gmail.com. Just don’t be doing the old Yellowstone bison photo thing…
Wellesley is reminding residents that dog licenses must be obtained or renewed by April 1 to avoid a $50 fine. All dogs over six months old must be licensed.
The town encourages pet owners to handle licenses online, though paper renewal applications can be mailed or dropped off in person at the clerk’s office. At this point though, you’re probably not going to beat the April 1 deadline using these methods. (The clerk’s office is moving and will be closed beginning Wednesday, April 5 through Friday, April 7. The office will resume service at 888 Worcester Street, Suite 140 on Monday April 10 at 8 a.m. )
Wellesley Annual Town Meeting just approved an increase in fees to from $20 to $25 and $12 to $15 effective in 2024.
Questions or comments, please email DogLicensing@WellesleyMA.gov or see the town’s dog license page on its website.
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