• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

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

  • Advertise
  • Contribute
  • Eat
  • Wellesley Square
  • School
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Charities/Community
  • Arts
  • Camp
  • Kids
  • Environment/Sustainability
  • Events
  • About us
  • Subscribe
  • Natick Report
  • COVID-19
  • Letters to the Editor
  • 2021 Town Election
  • Bulletin Board
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Boston Sports Institute, Wellesley

Holiday and summer schedules for Wellesley RDF, Town Hall, Libraries, and more

July 2, 2020 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

wellesley town hall war memorials

Most Town of Wellesley departments will be closed on Friday, July 3 in observance of the Independence Day holiday.

The exception is the Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF), which will be open Fri., July 3, 7am – 3:45pm. The RDF will be closed Sat., July 4.

While Town buildings remain closed to the public, staff is available during business hours to help customers online, by phone or by email.

Summer hours for Town departments – Mon., July 6 – Tues., Sept. 8, 2020

Beginning July 6 through Labor Day many departments will follow a summer schedule. Those hours are:

Monday – Thursday, 8am – 4:30pm
Friday, 8am – noon
Extended Tuesday hours WILL NOT be in place this summer.

Town Hall will close at noon on the following Fridays:

July 10, July 17, July 24, July 31
August 7, August 14, August 21, August 28, September 4

Library services

The Wellesley Free Library’s main building, and the Fells and Hills branches currently are closed.

Drop boxes are open to accept returns at the main branch only, 530 Washington St.

Contactless curbside pickup of library materials is available at the main branch only.
Call 781-235-1610 for reference and library information.

Recycling and Disposal Facility

The Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF) will be open on Friday, July 3 but will be closed on Saturday, July 4.

Sunday hours for the RDF will resume on Sunday, July 12, 10am – 3pm

RDF hours:

Monday – Wednesday, 7am – noon
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 7am – 3:45pm
Sunday (starting July 12th), 10am – 3pm

Please check the Town website for specific hours for the Department of Public Works and the Municipal Light Plant.

Share

Filed Under: Dump, Government, Holidays

Linden Square, Wellesley
Write Ahead
Ann-Mara Lanza, Wellesley

Dumpster fire at Wellesley RDF briefly closes facility

May 12, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Th term “dumpster fire” gets thrown around a lot these days to refer to the various plights of those coping with COVID-19.

But now a Swellesley Report reader has shared this video of a dumpster fire at the Wellesley Recycling  & Disposal Facility that closed the dump for 10-15 minutes. At least a couple of fire engines can be seen in the video.

RDF Director James Manzolini said as of 10am there were no details on what caused the fire. The main gate was closed briefly while the Wellesley Fire Department contained the situation.

Subscribe to Swellesley’s daily email

You Need Us, We Need You: Please consider contributing to Swellesley to sustain our independent journalism venture

Share

Filed Under: Dump, Fire

Page Waterman, Wellesley
London Harness, Wellesley

Wellesley Spring 2020 refuses to stay cooped up

March 27, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

At a time when Wellesley residents are tightly cocooned in their homes in an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19, Mother Nature has taken a different approach. She’s chosen to ignore the circumstances of the human world and go forward with all the pomp that is Spring. Her kids are hard at work, blooming, breeding, beautifying. Some things never go on lockdown.

Wellesley, corona virus, forsythia

The forsythia is in full bloom on Great Plain Avenue.

Wellesley, corona virus, Nehoiden Golf Course

Pink blooms, Nehoiden Golf Course.

Wellesley, corona virus, Hunnewell mansion

Chores are in full swing at Hunnewell Farm, Washington Street, on the front lawn of the Hunnewell mansion.

 

Wellesley, corona virus, RDF

We miss the book drop section at the Wellesley RDF. The RDF is operating under regular hours right now, but some drop-off restrictions are in place. Most on RDF current guidelines here.

Beyond Wellesley, corona virus, South Natick dam

Beyond Wellesley at the South Natick dam. This log perched atop the spillway seems a fine metaphor for the idea of waiting for the other shoe to drop as the coronavirus continues to spread. According to the Town of Wellesley’s most recent update, Norfolk County has a total of 292 cases of the virus; Wellesley has 8 active cases and 6 recovered cases for a total of 14 cases.

 

More:

Subscribe to Swellesley’s daily email

 

Share

Filed Under: COVID-19, Dump, Health

Stretch Lab, Wellesley
IDP Wellesley
Wellesley Youth Lacrosse

How to dispose of your Christmas tree in Wellesley, Massachusetts

January 8, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Here’s an epiphany for you: there’s absolutely no disposing of Christmas trees and other holiday greenery in parks and conservation areas in Wellesley. It might seem like tossing nature into nature, but it’s actually illegal and bad for the environment. It’s also aesthetically displeasing. You know it’s going to take that tree about ten years to break down into the soil, right?

How to say good-bye, fine firs

Take your Christmas tree to the Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF). At this time of year they have a seriously depressing-looking pile of former holiday glory, dried out and ready to be ground to bits like so many stale gingerbread men.

RDF hours: M – W, 7am – noon; Th – Sat, 7am – 3:45; closed Sundays

Bringing Christmas trees and greenery to the RDF is the right way to dispose of them. This pile at the dump will eventually be ground into wood chips. From there, it will be used around town at playgrounds and for landscaping.

If you can’t make it over to the RDF, hire industrious Wellesley High School student Jack Kenney to bring your tree there for you. Contact him at 617-777-4150 or by email at [email protected] Rates: $15 if the tree is waiting for him outdoors; $25 if you’d like him to come inside and get it.

The trees on the other side of the fence

We admit that we’re a little jealous of the Joneses. In the adjacent town of Natick, residents need only heave-ho their tree curbside, head off to work, and by the time they get back home the greenery will have disappeared. No, it’s not elfin magic. That’s just how Natick’s Department of Public Works rolls. No, we haven’t pulled a sneaky and left our tree in front of a Natick house.

Natick Christmas tree
We absolutely, positively did not toss our tree in front of this Natick house.

At our house we observe a highly personalized Christmas tree ceremony each year. First, we take the tree away from the only field it’s ever known, and we set it up in in our heated house. Next, we lavish the tree with ornate trappings. After a few weeks we declare that we “need our living room back.” We then take back all of our ornate trappings and evict the tree from our home. Months later, we set the Christmas tree on fire. A merry tradition, indeed.

Wellesley spring burn, 2017
The eagerly awaited Christmas tree pyre, Spring 2017. Duncan Brown and Luke Collins, WHS class of 2019, took care of business. This backyard burn was entirely on the up-and-up, done with the blessing of the Wellesley Fire Department.
Share

Filed Under: Dump, Environment, Fire, Holidays

Happy 15th birthday to us: The Year in Swellesley

January 2, 2020 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

Nothing ever happens in Wellesley. Except it does.

We’ve enjoyed another full year of sharing your stories, breaking news and watching it go viral, and weaving in our personal adventures.

Wellesley Town Hall
Wellesley Town Hall

 

With the Swellesley Jrs. aging out of the Wellesley Public School system, Mrs. Swellesley turned her attention to The Swellesley Report as her full-time job. Our goal for 2020, our 16th year publishing, is to have Mr. Swellesley do the same.

Thank you to everyone who sent news tips and financial contributions to Swellesley in what has by far been our top year for readership and reader support. And huge thanks to all of our advertisers, who help to make Swellesley possible from a financial standpoint.

Swellesley highlights this year included:

  • The silly but sensational tale of people swiping the Old Town Road signs in Wellesley, and the town deciding to stop replacing them until singer Lil Nas X fever dies down. Yes, this went viral, with everyone from CNN to the New York Times picking it up from here.
    Old Town Road
    Old Town Road sign (Google Maps)

     

  • Answering your questions about stinky streets, harder-to-use mailboxes, EEE mosquito spraying, measles, an abandoned $6.5M home, political signs, and Truly Yogurt’s change in ownership.
  • The opening of the Boston Sports Institute, which generated one of the year’s feel-good stories–the introduction of sled hockey to town. Plus lots of new or refurbished sports fields in town, big upgrades on the way for the softball fields, and a brand new boardwalk with a vernal pool view.
Wellesley boardwalk
Wellesley Ecocampers make use of the vernal pool overlook.

 

  • The ongoing school building plans, town hall renovations,  possible Wellesley Square re-imagining, possible changes at Morses Pond, and all those housing developments. Plus the comings and goings of Wellesley town officials, including Wellesley Public Schools’ hiring of its first diversity director. Not to mention, Wellesley now has a Unified Plan.
  • The Wellesley Veterans’ Parade, fireworks and other Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend activities.
  • Celebrating residents’ accomplishments in academics, the arts, business and sports. We tracked police and firefighter activity (including a fire at Hunnewell Elementary School). We helped to get the word out about community events and charitable endeavors. We mourned the loss of residents we loved or knew of and respected.
  • The ins and outs for local businesses, with White’s Bakery,  Loyal Companion and The Shade Store among newcomers, and Upper Crust, Village Market and Florijn among those leaving.
  • More automation coming to town, including at Roche Bros. in the form of self-checkout lanes, and at Wellesley Free Library in the form of an automated book handling system. Town Meeting members even voted electronically the last time around. Based on what we saw at the excellent, every-other-year STEM Expo, more automation is on the way.
  • Entertainment news, from a Wellesley resident being chosen to appear on “The Bachelor “TV show and to the release of “Knives Out,” a movie shot in part in Wellesley in 2108. And watch out Elton John.
lynne smith elton john
Lynne Smith: Wellesley’s Rocket Woman

 

  • Babson College scoring a $50M donation, and moving its giant renovated globe to a new park as part of the school’s centennial celebration. Anita Hill spoke at Wellesley College.
  • Bowing down to 2019 WHS seniors for pulling off a brilliant year-end prank designed to grab attention but not land anyone in jail or off a college’s acceptance list.
wellesley high senior tailgate
WHS surprise tailgate

 

  • We enjoyed the general weirdness and wonderfulness around here, from a reed pump organ being left at the Wellesley dump to the Thanksgiving Day football game skirmish that grabbed more attention than the Raiders’ strong season to a unique buck carving from a diseased tree on a residential lot.
organ wellesley
Estey organ left at Wellesley RDF (photo courtesy of Hilary Prus)

 

Wood carving, Overbrook Dr., Wellesley

 

On a more personal note:

  • Mr. and Mrs. Swellesley followed their true calling as supermodels for a Wellesley Free Library photo exhibit.
Wellesley Wednesdays, Beth Shedd
The Swellesleys made the cut for Beth Shedd’s Wellesley Wednesdays by Beth Shedd

 

  • Mr. Swellesley and one of the Swellesley Jrs. educated and entertained throngs of students with their yo-yo spectacular at Wellesley High Seminar Day.
  • Things got tense after Mr. Swellesley mistakenly brought library books to the dump.
  • Mrs. Swellesley spoke or held court at locations including the Council on Aging.
  • We were fortunate to have intern Lara Smith contributing throughout the summer.
  • Mr. Swellesley showed his artistic side with an exclusive Pollen Art Exhibit.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Swellesley melded minds with fellow independent online news publishers at a conference in Nashville, where the Grand Ole Opry gave us a shout-out.
  • Mr. Swellesley survived a flying shovel.
  • Mrs. Swellesley listened to her inner Marie Kondo, and our kitchen will never be the same (for a few months).
  • Beyond Wellesley, we took you to Boston Calling, the Woods Hole Film Festival, and more.

We finished the year by ringing the Salvation Army bells in Linden Square to help raise funds for local initiatives. We saw dozens of people we knew during our shift, and thanked many we didn’t know, but they all reminded us of the magical stuff we have here.

elsa in wellesley square

support swellesley

Share

Filed Under: Beyond Wellesley, Books, Dump, Education, Houses, Humor, Kids, Media, Outdoors, Sports, Technology, Town Meeting, Uncategorized

Town of Wellesley Holidays Schedule

December 21, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley Town Hall, Christmas tree
Wellesley Town Hall, Christmas tree

The Town of Wellesley will follow a holiday schedule on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Here’s the breakdown:

Tue., December 24:  All departments, Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF), Tolles Parsons Center and Town Hall will close at noon.

Wed., December 25: All departments, RDF, Tolles Parsons Center and Town Hall will be closed all day.

Tue., December 31: All departments, RDF, Tolles Parsons Center and Town Hall will close at noon

Wed., January 1, 2020: All departments, RDF, Tolles Parsons Center and Town Hall will be closed all day.

Wellesley Public Schools break

Wellesley Public Schools will be closed for winter break from Monday, December 23 through Wednesday, January 1, 2020.

Wellesley Free Library holiday hours

The main Wellesley Free Library, the Hills Branch, and the Fells branch  will close at 1pm on Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve) and will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 25 (Christmas Day). The libraries will close at 1pm on Tuesday, Dec. 31 (New Year’s Eve) and be closed on Wed., Jan. 1, 2020 (New Year’s Day).

MORE:

Wellesley’s sweet Parthenon on display at the WFL

Share

Filed Under: Dump, Government, Holidays

What’s open and closed in Wellesley at Thanksgiving-time, 2019

November 26, 2019 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

wellesley turkey trotHere’s everything you need to know about what’s open and closed on Thanksgiving weekend in Wellesley:

Wellesley Public Schools

Wednesday, November 27, early release
Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29, no school and buildings are closed
Monday, December 2, no school for students; Professional Day for faculty

Wellesley Libraries

Wednesday, November 27, closing at 5pm
Thursday, November 28, closed
Friday, November 29, regular hours resume

Wellesley RDF:

Thursday, November 28, closed all day for Thanksgiving
Friday, November 29, open regular hours (7am – 3:45)
Saturday, November 30, open regular hours (7am – 3:45)

Sunday RDF hours have been discontinued for the winter. Sunday hours will resume in the spring

Town Hall

Thursday, November 28, closed
Friday, November 29, regular hours resume

Grocery stores:

Fells Market: Thursday, November 28, open 9am – 1pm, but the meat counter and the deli are closed, and there are no alcohol sales
Roche Bros.: Thursday, November 28, closed
Whole Foods: Thursday, November 28, closed

Parking:

Parking meters are free on Thursday, November 28

Other:

Banks, Post Offices, and the UPS store are closed on Thanksgiving.

wasiks cheese shop line
The pre-Thanksgiving Day Cheese Shop line (on Monday, Nov. 25). Photo courtesy of Dennis McCormick. The shop’s open 10am-6pm Tuesday & Wednesday, closed on Thanksgiving Day
Share

Filed Under: Dump, Education, Holidays, Shopping

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to [email protected]
Wellesley Square ad
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Fay School, Southborough
Wellesley Theatre Project
Admit Fit, Wellesley
image of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click here to read our Natick Report

Natick Report

Events Calendar

« February 2021 » loading...
S M T W T F S
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
1
2
3
4
5
6

Most Read Posts

  • Wellesley summer camp listings 2021 — find the experience of a lifetime
  • Newton-Wellesley Orthopedic Walk-In—no appointment needed
  • Wellesley Police log: Another reason to wear your seat belt; new animal control officer gets action right off the bat; bumper sticker spat; unlocked cars stolen; tracking snow prints
  • Wellesley Business Buzz: Wellesley Office Park transformation underway; Digging Natick’s new Beach House volleyball center; 6 more small businesses get COVID-19 relief; Prepped and Polished adds Wellesley location; NatureWorks Landscape opening in Church Square; storefronts in for artsy makeover
  • Wellesley DPW eyes parks as Green Zones

Pages

  • Guidelines for letters to the editor
  • How to submit your flyer for the Community Bulletin Board page
  • Wellesley Community Bulletin Board
  • Wellesley coronavirus (COVID-19) updates
  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads
  • Wellesley, Mass., fishing spots
  • Wellesley Choral Society
  • Wellesley College Notable Alumnae
  • Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass.
  • Wellesley outdoor art gallery
  • Wellesley restaurants offering take-out and delivery
  • Wellesley, Massachusetts restaurant — Amarin of Thailand

Recent Comments

  • Jason on Letter to the editor: on celebrating two days
  • M. Miwakawa on Letter to the editor: concerns about denouncing Columbus
  • Donna Ticchi on Letter to the editor: in support of Columbus Day
  • Mary Bowers on Letter to the editor: concerns about denouncing Columbus
  • Donna Ticchi on Letter to the editor: concerns about denouncing Columbus

Links we like

  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Taquitos.net
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (16)
  • Animals (381)
  • Antiques (48)
  • Art (539)
  • Beyond Wellesley (28)
  • Books (343)
  • Business (1,369)
  • Camp (1)
  • Careers/jobs (44)
  • Churches (72)
  • Clubs (209)
  • Construction (280)
  • Dump (113)
  • Education (2,893)
    • Babson College (240)
    • Bates Elementary School (14)
    • Dana Hall School (29)
    • Fiske Elementary School (6)
    • Hardy Elementary School (33)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (34)
    • MassBay (47)
    • Schofield Elementary School (20)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (1)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (9)
    • Upham Elementary School (30)
    • Wellesley College (598)
    • Wellesley High School (888)
    • Wellesley Middle School (195)
  • Embracing diversity (44)
  • Entertainment (724)
  • Environment (673)
  • Fashion (134)
  • Finance (13)
  • Fire (142)
  • Food (328)
  • Fundraising (561)
  • Gardens (137)
  • Government (407)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
  • Health (745)
    • COVID-19 (140)
  • History (359)
  • Holidays (365)
  • Houses (120)
  • Humor (45)
  • Kids (815)
  • Law (3)
  • Letters to the Editor (12)
  • Media (63)
  • METCO (5)
  • Military (3)
  • Morses Pond (97)
  • Music (544)
  • Natick Report (28)
  • Neighbors (248)
  • Obituaries (58)
  • Outdoors (585)
  • Parenting (60)
  • Police (695)
    • Crime (350)
  • Politics (544)
  • Real estate (290)
  • Religion (127)
  • Restaurants (303)
  • Safety (142)
  • Scouts (1)
  • Senior citizens (110)
  • Shopping (123)
  • Sports (900)
  • STEM (104)
  • Technology (154)
  • Theatre (383)
  • Town Meeting (22)
  • Transportation (210)
  • Travel (11)
  • Uncategorized (1,206)
  • Volunteering (319)
  • Weather (167)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (258)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (5)
RSS Feed Icon Subscribe to RSS Feed

© 2021 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login