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Coffee with Congressman Auchincloss on August 16th

August 15, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Have coffee and chat with Congressman Jake Auchincloss in Wellesley on Tuesday, August 16, 10am-11am.

Auchincloss represents Wellesley in the Fourth Congressional District. He and his staff are holding series of local gatherings with residents to share information and answer questions.

The coffee hour is free and open to all. Advance sign up is required using this form. The Congressman’s office will send a confirmation email to all attendees with the name and address of the event location, just before the event.

For questions, please contact Congressman Auchincloss’s office at 617-332-3333.

Auchincloss most recently visited Wellesley earlier this month, when he attended a short walking tour of Wellesley Square to learn about the changing landscape and challenges of the “downtown” shopping district.

Congressman Jake Auchincloss, Wellesley
London Harness was one of the stops along a recent walking tour of Wellesley Square. From left, Charles River Charles River Regional Chamber president Greg Reibman; Congressman Jake Auchincloss; and Demian Wendrow, owner of London Harness and president of the Wellesley Square Merchants’ Association.
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Filed Under: Business, Government, Politics

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Wellesley voters have options for Sept. 6 State Primary Election

August 9, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Vote by Mail

Vote by Mail ballots are still available, but you must return your application no later than Monday Aug. 29, 2022 at 5pm (you may have already received an application by mail).  Applications may be returned via email at Elections@WellesleyMA.gov, via the Town Hall Drop Box or via US Mail to 525 Washington St., Wellesley, MA 02482. 

Vote Early In-Person

In-Person Early Voting will be at Town Hall, Saturday Aug. 27, 2022 through Friday Sept. 2, 2022.

  • Saturday Aug. 27 – 9am-5pm
  • Sunday Aug. 28 – 10am-2pm
  • Monday Aug. 29 through Friday, Sept. 2 – 8am-5pm
  • Extended hours – Thursday, Sept. 1 – 5p-8pm

Election Day – Vote at the Polls!

  • Polls will be open 7am-8pm on Tuesday, Sept. 6

To learn who is on the ballot, go to the State Elections website.

For more information, go to the Wellesley Website or email Elections@WellesleyMA.gov.


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Upcoming political debates & forums

August 7, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

The League of Women Voters of Wellesley has shared the following information about upcoming political debates & forums, the last two of which on the list it is co-sponsoring.

 

Democratic Primary Secretary of State Debate
Date: August 8, 2022
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Location: WBUR Studio 2, 890 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA
Moderator: Tiziana Dearing, WBUR
Candidates: William Galvin, Tanisha Sullivan

Democratic Primary Attorney General Debate
Date: August 10, 2022
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Location: WBUR CitySpace, 890 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA
Moderators: Tiziana Dearing, WBUR and Sharman Sacchetti, WCVB
Candidates: Andrea Campbell, Shannon Liss-Riordan, Quentin Palfrey
General Public Event Registration

Republican Primary Lieutenant Governor Debate
Date: August 15, 2022
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Location: WBUR CitySpace, 890 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA
Moderators: Steve Brown, Darryl C. Murphy, WBUR and Sharman Sacchetti, WCVB
Candidates: Leah Cole Allen, Kate Campanale
General Public Event Registration

Democratic Primary Lieutenant Governor Debate
Date: August 16, 2022
Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Location: WBUR CitySpace, 890 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA
Moderators: Steve Brown, WBUR; Sharman Sacchetti, WCVB; and Taylor Dolven, The Boston Globe
Candidates: Kim Driscoll, Tami Gouveia, Eric Lesser
General Public Event Registration

Norfolk Co Commissioner Democratic Primary candidate forum (livestreamed on the Needham Channel)
Date: Aug. 24
Time: 4pm
Candidates: Peter Collins, Paul Yorkis.

Governor’s Council District 3 Democratic Primary Candidate Forum.  Recorded by NewTV.org for later viewing/sharing with WMedia
Date: Aug. 25
Time: 6PM
Candidates: Marilyn Petitto Devaney, Mara Dolan
To view: Check wellesleymedia.org and LWVWellesley.org for a link to NewTV’s vimeo recording

Sometime in September or October, the League of Women Voters of Wellesley will cosponsor two more forums:

  • County Commissioner candidate forum between the winner of the Dem primary and Independent, Matt Sheehan. There is no Republican candidate.
  • US House of Representatives Congressional District 5 (Wellesley precincts A,B,C,D,G,and H) candidate forum, Katherine Clark and Caroline Colarusso

  • Subscribe to Swellesley’s daily email
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Filed Under: Government

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Touring Wellesley Square with Congressman Auchincloss

August 3, 2022 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss stopped into town yesterday for a short walking tour of Wellesley Square to learn about the changing landscape and challenges of the “downtown” shopping district. Organized by the Charles River Regional Chamber, the tour group included the Congressman; Greg Reibman and Tracey Aldrich Antaya of the Chamber; Town of Wellesley Assistant Executive Director Amy Frigulietti; and myself.

Congressman Jake Auchincloss, Wellesley
Congressman Jake Auchincloss, Town of Wellesley Assistant Executive Director Amy Frigulietti, and Charles River Charles River Regional Chamber president Greg Reibman walk through Wellesley Square. During the tour, Frigulietti discussed the ongoing Wellesley Square planning process and what residents would like to see in the area. She said initial brainstorming ideas from residents have included wider sidewalks, more parking, less parking, improved lighting, and planters. “We call it our Amenities Package. We’re looking to reinvest in the whole Square and kind of do a facelift of the Square.”

 

The small size of the group allowed the conversation to flow naturally as Auchincloss took the opportunity to speak with the owners of several businesses in the Square. Topics included:

  • Challenges of holding on during COVID
  • Parking—Demian Wendrow, Wellesley Square Merchants Association president and owner of London Harness and Tumi, said customers always want more parking. Auchincloss, a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, countered with, “Constituents are always going to say they want more parking, but what they really mean is they want to make it easy to find a space, and those are two different things.” He suggested working toward finding cheaper long-term parking away from the downtown core.
  • Town efforts—Frigulietti talked about the $50K grant the town has used in part so far for the town-wide Wonderful Wellesley initiative, and the $100K grant that was used to put together the parklet in Wellesley Square at the intersection of Central and Cross Streets, in between where the Gap was and Ardan Medspa + Salon operates.
Congressman Jake Auchincloss, Wellesley
Rock the Spectrum owners Sherley Brice (left) and Melissa Defay hosted the start of the tour in the air conditioned lobby of the sensory-based gym that provides a welcoming, inclusive environment for kids and families. Brice emphasized their gym is not only for children on the spectrum. “Our philosophy is that we will be patient,” she said.

 

 

Congressman Jake Auchincloss, Wellesley
Gino Capabianco of Dellaria Salon regaled the group with tales of a lifetime of taking public transportation.

 

 

Congressman Jake Auchincloss, Wellesley
On the challenges of increased costs associated with the restaurant business, Laughing Monk co-owner Dome Nakapakorn (second from left) said that the special ingredients he and his team source can be found, “but we are paying a lot more for them now.”

Touring Wellesley Square has its charms, but when it’s time to cut loose it’s hard to beat a good round of dodgeball at Bates School with the Community Investors program, a local 501(c)(3). Student participants in the program’s PlayRox Youth Wellness Initiative didn’t go easy on the Congressman.

Congressman Jake Auchincloss, Wellesley


 

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Filed Under: Business, Government, Shopping

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Wellesley Select Board online office hours

August 2, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

The Select Board is holding office hours via Zoom on Aug. 8.  Ask questions and give input on Town issues and other topics.

Select Board Member Beth Sullivan Woods will be available on Monday, Aug. 8 from 9-10:30am online. Email Beth directly at  bsullivanwoods@wellesleyma.gov to schedule your 15-minute appointment.

You will receive a confirmation with the Zoom link for your appointment.


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Wellesley sustainability roundup: MLP urges customers to cut back during peak times; $olid gold wa$te; Track water use online

July 19, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The town of Wellesley has sustainability efforts underway this summer on a number of fronts:

MLP urges customers to cut back during peak times

With the heat wave upon us, the Wellesley Municpal Light Plant is encouraging customers to cut back energy use during the peak hours of 3-7pm. That means charging vehicles, running the dryer, etc., during off hours if possible, and turning up the thermostat on your AC a few degrees. While there’s no shortage of electricity, conserving during peak demand periods can cut costs and reduce reliance on dirtier fuel sources.

“As demand grows, price skyrockets. At last summer’s price peak on June 30, wholesale electric prices per MWh were over ten times the average for the year,” according to the MLP.

You can sign up for alerts to be notified by the MLP when it makes the most sense to reduce energy use (send an email to
shavethepeak@wellesleyma.gov with the subject and body blank).

shave peak
Wellesley is bracing for higher peaks during the heatwave

 

$olid gold wa$te

Wellesley Department of Public Works is going to be stepping up efforts to encourage those who use the Recycling & Disposal Facility to work harder at reducing the amount of solid waste they toss into the bins by reusing and recycling materials instead.

That’s because the price of transporting and disposing of that waste is skyrocketing, in part due to supply chain issues and fuel price costs faced by DPW’s partners.

During the June 30 Board of Public Works meeting, DPW Director Dave Cohen told the board that the department only got one proposal for its new five-year solid waste transport and disposal contract, even though about a dozen parties initially expressed interest.

The town will stick with current vendor Waste Management, but will get charged $112 per ton to start vs. the current $87.25.

“Just a dramatic increase that we’re going to have to find a way to make work,” Cohen said. “One of the ways we’re going to try to find to make it work is to really emphasize to people that we need to reduce waste…this is expensive, it’s going to cost people more.”

The vendor’s costs are rising due to supply chain issues and rising costs associated with the equipment it needs for hauling and disposal—plus high fuel prices.

Board member Jeff Wechsler raised the point of such services going up because of fewer out-of-state options for disposal of Massachusetts trash. Fortunately for Wellesley, its waste goes to Fitchburg, Mass., via Waste Management and the company has that deal locked in through 2030, a bit beyond Wellesley’s contract.

“Escalators and dee-scalators” in the contract could give the town relief if diesel fuel prices go down.

Track your water use with new online tool

Wellesley’s Department of Public Works Water Division has rolled out a Water Customer Portal designed to help customers keep track of their water usage and use that data to make changes to their behavior. Activate your account and view historical water use data, track current usage, and maybe event sniff out leaks via emailed updates.

Water conservation is among the ways Wellesley is looking to reduce its carbon footprint given that pumping, heating, and treating water burns energy.

DPW Director Cohen walked through how the portal works at the July 12 Board of Public Works meeting (about 1-hour mark of Wellesley Media recording).

water portal

 


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Wellesley PFAS update: It’s a waiting game on possible new rules & sources of these chemicals in town’s drinking water supply

July 17, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley Department of Public Works Director David Cohen is set to give the Select Board an update on the town’s PFAS situation on Tuesday night, though recently shared updates with the Board of Public Works that will likely preview much of the July 19 briefing. The big news is that the temporary system put in place to filter out PFAS6 forever chemicals from the town’s drinking water has been up and running since mid-June, reducing evidence of such materials to a non-detect level.

The plant had been shut down since May of 2021 after elevated levels of these  chemicals was detected in the town’s drinking water from four groundwater wells.

Town Meeting approved $1.5M to install the mitigation system, and the town was able to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to cover the cost of the system, expected to run for about 16 months. While taxpayers got off easy there, the purchase of Per- and PolyFluoroAlkyl Substances (PFAS)-free but pricier water from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) has led to a steep hike in water bills. But with the Morses Pond plant back online and pumping at decent capacity, the town is in good shape to use less of that pricey water this year, and that could bode well for lower bills next year.

 

water treatment morses pfas temp
PFAS filtering gear at Morses Pond treatment facility

 

While Wellesley’s PFAS solution is working for now and puts the town in good standing with the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), there’s a good chance stricter water standards will emerge, possibly requiring communities to test for more than just the current six PFAS compounds. During the July 12 Board of Public Works meeting, Cohen said “All signs point to the fact that the [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency] will be looking to advance regulations by this time next year… so we’ll follow along.”

The EPA issued a series of drinking water health advisories in June related to PFAS, so there’s no doubt the issue is on its radar. While the advisories involve no regulations at this point, the EPA is talking parts per quadrillion vs. parts per trillion in detecting PFAS, and that foreshadows likely tougher testing down the road. Wellesley awaits DEP’s take on the EPA advisories, Cohen said.

The release of the advisories “just sort of amplifies the message that’s been out there, that PFAS can be a concern. There are potential health risks with PFAS, so it’s good to treat for it, to get it out of the water, and I think we’ve taken some good first steps there,” Cohen said at the Board of Public Works’ June 30 meeting.

Meanwhile, the town continues to stay in sync with the MWRA on both its maintenance plans and the possibility of it adding a second connection that could give Wellesley the option to draw more water from that source, if needed. Public Works board member Jeffrey Wechsler encouraged the DPW to discuss with the MWRA its PFAS testing plans, especially in light of possibly broader and more stringent requirements down the road.

The DPW also met recently with engineering consultant Wright-Pierce, which is working with the town to explore the possible source or sources of PFAS in the water. More surface and ground water sampling needs to be done around Morses Pond, but so far nothing conclusive has emerged, Cohen said. He cited a couple of monitoring wells in the North 40 that are near each other, and one had some PFAS detection while the other had none. Wellesley also plans to reach out to Natick, which is among many other local communities addressing PFAS and searching for its source.

Known sources of PFAS include food packaging, non-stick cookware, weatherproof clothing, and more, but it’s unclear what has specifically contributed to PFAS6 in Wellesley’s water.

It’s possible that the DPW could come looking for money at a future Town Meeting to expand its PFAS exploration or other PFAS-related efforts.


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