Name: WHS Sweeney Todd auditions
Start: 2017-08-28T19:00:00+00:00
End: 2017-08-28T22:00:00+00:00
Location: Wellesley High School

Wellesley businesses warned of “misleading” high school football & cheer sponsorship program

August 9, 2017 by bbrown Leave a Comment

Supporters of the Wellesley High School football and cheerleading programs are warning local businesses about an email marketing promotion they claim is both pricey and “misleading.”

Texas-based Boost Sports reached out to the Wellesley High Cheer Team about providing promotional items to support the squad, then approached local businesses, urging quick action in its pitch: “Spaces are going fast and it’s first come, first serve for exclusivity.”

But WHS Cheer coach Odessa Sanchez told us that the company promised sponsors more than it would be able to deliver and charged more than they told her they would (thousands instead of hundreds of dollars, for example). Sanchez says she has severed ties with the outfit and asked that refunds be made to organizations who felt they were misled. Sanchez said she also has passed along her correspondences with the business to Wellesley High’s administration (the Cheer Team doesn’t receive funds through the school system, so relies on grants from organizations like the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club and other money-raising efforts).

One “distraught” local business person contacted the Gridiron Club that supports WHS football after determining that a $2,500 sponsorship agreed to was misleading in that the marketing organization wasn’t really affiliated with the school or its football program, and that advertising promises such as a banner on the field, customized cups sold at the concession stand and name recognition at halftime of games couldn’t be delivered. “This is the second, long-time sponsor of the Gridiron Club that has approached us with serious concerns about being ‘scammed’ by this email,” the non-profit Gridiron Club wrote in a letter to Sanchez, as its members tried to clarify the situation. The Gridiron Club, whose fundraising is used to support an off-site football camp, team dinners and more, says at least four local businesses have signed on for the promotion.

Boost Sports (formerly Touchdown Sports) has garnered plenty of negative attention for its business practices, with State Police in New York even issuing an alert this week. A Boost Sports rep quickly responded to our inquiry about the Wellesley marketing program and wrote: “We are in contact with the administration at this point because there was an agreement made between our company and the cheer coach. The administration notified us that the cheer coach was not able to sign anything and are in the process of getting things sorted… Our legal department is reaching out to see what can be done to rectify the situation.”

Both the Cheer Team and Gridiron Club are spreading the word about the nature of this marketing campaign to help prevent more potential sponsors from signing on, as they seek to remain attractive programs for local businesses to support. You can help to support the third-year Cheer program later this month, as members will be seeking donations outside of Roche Bros. in Linden Square Aug. 19/20.

Wellesley contact sharing firm moving into former Turnabout Shoppe building

August 9, 2017 by bbrown Leave a Comment

KeynectUp, a Wellesley company that provides colleges and other organizations with an easy way to share contact and other important information with members of their communities, plans to move into the space at 30 Grove St. where the Turnabout Shoppe resided for 25 years. And yes, the black horse in front is staying…

“It’ll be our mascot,” says Kevin McDonald, a Wellesley resident and co-founder of KeynectUp, a company we wrote about last year because its technology was being used by the Wellesley Police Department to support Boston Marathon safety.

KeynectUp, which plans to move from its current location at 568 Washington St. in September or October, has been growing fast, doubling its sales staff and expanding beyond just a handful of school customers — including Babson and Wellesley College — to more than 70 now. It also serves non-school clients.

The technology, which is not an app, allows organizations such as schools to deliver key contact information, such as campus police and suicide hotline numbers, onto mobile devices. Some schools use KeynectUp’s virtual contact card technology to help them and families stay in touch wth students studying abroad, including when threatening situations arise.

While the company doesn’t market its technology to consumers, you can test it on KeynectUp’s website. And McDonald says KeynectUp will provide signage in front of its new home that will invite passersby to give the technology a try, just so they have an idea of what the heck this business does.

McDonald figures 10 to 12 people could occupy its new office, which is being spiffed up. The inside is being painted, the front porch is being renovated and a new fence is being installed. “We hope this will revitalize that corner a bit,” he says.

Wellesley makes sense as a home for the business since McDonald and another of KeynectUp’s founders live here, and other employees find taking the commuter rail into Wellesley to be convenient. McDonald also says KeynectUp is a tester of Wellesley’s 1 gigabit Internet service, which is an attractive reason to do business here.

One new challenge for KeynectUp’s employees, who now work above Tutto Italiano and its tempting foods, is that they will be located across from Truly Yogurt, which McDonald says he already frequents.

Look for KeynectUp to have a formal opening ceremony in the months to come.

MORE: Here’s what that huge SOLD sign on Wellesley Square’s Stuart Swan building is all about

Fastachi opening nuts shop in Wellesley this fall

August 7, 2017 by bbrown 1 Comment

Fastachi, which runs shops selling roasted and chocolate-covered nuts in Boston and Watertown, will be launching a store in Wellesley’s Church Square this fall. The opening should satisfy those in town begging for a break from storefront fillers — such as banks and real estate offices — that don’t smell quite as good. Who knows, maybe Fastachi could become for Church Square what Wasik’s Cheese Shop is for Wellesley Square in terms of its wafting-ness.

While we knew last week when we reported that “Wellesley could soon go nuts” that Fastachi was coming, we were unable to get confirmation then from those close to the operation about this virtual state secret.

But now a sign is up on the papered-over windows of 24 Church St., which previously housed NRO Kids, so it’s officially official. Fastachi’s Susan Etyemezian says “We have been wanting to open a store in Wellesley for a while now, and when the space became available we wanted to take advantage of the opportunity; timing is everything. We feel Wellesley is the right fit for Fastachi.”

Etyemezian pledges that “We will deliver the Fastachi Experience. A buying experience that captures all the senses – sight, smell, taste touch and sound.” Not to mention “concierge customer service.”

Fastachi, which one friend wth exquisite taste told us is “my favorite nut store”, is run by Susan and Souren Etyemezian. Souren got started in the business in 1990 in Belmont, then moved the shop to Watertown and opened another on Charles Street in Boston, specializing in roasted nuts from from almonds to cashews and hazelnuts to pecans. Fastachi says it brings out the flavor of its specially selected nuts through a hand-roasting process involving small batches and steel drums.

Fastachi, which does a booming online business as well, also sells raw nuts, dried fruits and assorted mixes and gift sets.

Sample prices are $14 for a pound of roasted almonds and $40 for a pound of assorted chocolates. So, we’re not talking peanuts here when it comes to these gourmet treats, but a few trips to Fastachi might not break the bank either. Though if it does, you know where to find another bank around here… just not on Church Street.

MORE: Wellesley shopping

Wellesley native opens Renee’s Kitchen just across Natick line

August 7, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

A Wellesley native who used to run a day care and food business in town, has now opened Renee’s Kitchen in Natick, with a focus on providing healthy take-home dinners for busy families. The Framingham Source has the story of Renee Faubert’s new operation and has allowed us to share it with you here:

Wellesley native Renee Faubert took her first cooking class at age 9. This week, the Cordon Bleu School trained chef opened Renee’s Kitchen in Natick on Route 135.

The goal of Renee’s Kitchen is to provide families with a home-cooked meal, with fresh ingredients, to help them enjoy dinner time with their family, without the stress of deciding “What’s for dinner?”

“I know how busy we all are and that, by the time you get home, you just want a healthy, delicious meal on the table. The meals you pick up from Renee’s Kitchen will be ready to heat and eat – quick and easy!,” said the Framingham mom.

In the morning, Renee’s Kitchen will be selling simple baked goods.

“I love to make muffins and scones,” said Faubert, who contracted with Speedwell Coffee Roasters to line up some “amazing coffees and teas.”

For lunch, customers can purchase soups, pasta salads, wraps, salads, and finger rolls. Faubert plans to post the lunch menu daily on the website. There will be two soups offered daily, and the soups will change daily, said Faubert.

“All the soups are made from scratch,” said Faubert. “The stocks are made in-house with fresh ingredients, and I love keeping the soups simple while offering great variety. Again, we try to keep them seasonal and use vegetables that are abundant and fresh.”

The main focus of the business will be take-home dinners.

(Please head over to Framingham Source for the rest of the story.)

Northwestern Mutual Wellesley out-planks and out-cornholes the competition

August 2, 2017 by bbrown Leave a Comment

Northwestern Mutual Wellesley corporate cup

Northwestern Mutual Wellesley last month took part in Boston Children’s Hospital 2nd annual Corporate Cup, a field day at Harvard’s athletic fields that attracted 74 Boston-area corporations and raised over $591K.

When the dust settled, Northwestern Mutual employees walked away with the official Kids Cup, for outdoing others in events such as tug-of-war, cornhole and planking.

Northwestern Mutual Wellesley corporate cup