The Swellesley Report

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

‘Screenagers Under the Influence’ documentary premiere to be shown at Wellesley High

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screenagersThe premiere of Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age will be shown at Wellelsey High School on Tuesday, May 9 at 7pm. The event is hosted by the Wellesley High PTSO and Wellesley Health Department.
Registration is required

The event is open to surrounding communities and is appropriate for all parents/guardians and students in 6th grade and above.

The 1-hour movie will be followed by a panel discussion featuring:

  • Filmmakers Delaney Ruston, M.D. and Lisa Tabb
  • Sharon Levy, MD, MPH, Director, Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program at Children’s Hospital
  • Alisha Moreland-Capuai, MD, Director of Trauma-Informed Treatment, Consultation, and Outreach, Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders at McLean Hospital

This third feature documentary in the Screenagers trilogy delves into how the tech revolution has reshaped adolescence and teen substance use. The film illustrates strategies parents and schools can use to encourage healthy decision-making, support teen mental health, set limits, and create healthy home environments; and highlights the many ways young people are using their wisdom and strength to help each other and themselves through this complicated terrain.

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Linden Square, Wellesley
Wonderful Wellesley, Lockheart
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Wellesley residents invited to complete MetroWest Community Health Assessment

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The MetroWest Health Foundation, in partnership with local health and human service organizations, is asking MetroWest residents to share feedback on health issues and services.

For the purposes of this survey, Wellesley is included in MetroWest.

The 10-minute, anonymous survey can be completed online in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. The survey will remain open until June 1.

The last assessment was conducted in 2019. Past assessments have informed community efforts related to issues such as access to care, behavioral health and healthy aging. The end product of the 2023 survey will be made available in the fall at mwhealth.org.

Wellesley Director of Community and Public Health Lenny Izzo says: “We value all data, particularly that survey, as it will provide both local and regional perspectives of needs and concerns.  This will help us, particularly our social work division and nursing in planning programming, outreach and new areas to focus our resources on. In addition it could help gauge where previous areas of concerns are post pandemic.”

Page Waterman, Wellesley
London Harness, Wellesley

Public discussion on Wellesley flood management, April 11

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On Tuesday, April 11, at 7pm, join Wellesley’s Natural Resources Commission for an online discussion about local flooding challenges and give your input on creative ways to manage possible flood impacts.

Wellesley storm, Feb. 2016
Flooding near the Hunnewell Tennis Courts on Washington St, 2016.

There were 16 FEMA flood-related declared disasters in Norfolk County between 1954 and 2017—the second most of any county in Massachusetts.  Models predict annual precipitation to increase 2-13% (1-6 inches/year by 2050:) and 3-16% increase (1.2-7.3 inches)/year) by 2100. According to riskfactor.com, there are 1,060 properties in Wellesley that have greater than a 26% chance of being severely affected by flooding over the next 30 years. This represents 16% of all properties in Wellesley.

Through local and regional solutions, Wellesley can adapt and implement proactive changes to build resiliency and protect the community. The last Phase I inspection for Longfellow Pond Dam was performed in August 2012. At that time, the dam was classified as a low-hazard structure, and thus follow up inspections are required every ten years in accordance with Massachusetts Dam Safety regulations. This is an ideal time to evaluate the dam, outlet structures and surrounding landscape for opportunities to enhance the pond, both as a stormwater management, ecological and recreational feature of the town.

Learn more about flooding in the Charles River watershed and provide input on some creative ways that the Charles River Watershed Association and the towns of Natick and Wellesley are exploring to manage local flood impacts.

This meeting will focus on potential flood solutions at Natick High School and Wellesley’s Longfellow Pond/Rosemary Brook

Sign up in advance using the Zoom registration link.

For more information:

Town of Wellesley Stormwater webpage
Town of Wellesley Pond Management webpage
Wellesley’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Plan.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Refined Renovations, Wellesley
Call and Haul, Wellesley

Cold waters of Morses Pond no deterrent to those who Plunge for Elodie

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The early-spring waters of Morse Pond were frigid, while the wind picked up and raised choppy little waves along the sparkling surface. No question, the pond looked cold. Oh well, that was just business as usual at the sixth annual Plunge for Elodie, and determined Wellesley community members gathered in force to jump right in, literally, to fight Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). The rare disorder affects people who are missing a critical protein that helps bind the layers of their skin together.

Plunge for Elodie, Wellesley
Elodie and her supporters get pumped up for the Plunge.

Elodie is the kindergartener who inspires her supporters to dash into the water and out every March, as the hope grows ever stronger that a cure will be found for the life-threatening genetic disease. The facts of EB are sobering. Those with EB have extremely fragile skin, which leads to severe pain and wounds. It’s up to family members to change bandages at least daily, and obsessively guard against infection. Currently there are neither treatments nor a cure, and children’s lives are cut devastatingly short due to infections, nutrition issues, and neoplastic complications.

Those who plunge for Elodie and her peers get it. It’s all about empathy. It’s all about community.

“I’m here because it’s a really important cause, and basically we’re jumping in the water and it’s such an insignificant amount of pain that we’re going through compared to what Elodie’s going through,” said Wellesley High School football team member Declan Ahern.

“It’s such a good cause and it’s good to be united as a team and do something that’s this important. It feels great to be here with the whole community,” said WHS track member Anna Turner.

Plunge for Elodie, Wellesley
Emily Kubik (left) and her daughter Elodie at Morses Pond.

The Wellesley connection is strong for this event, which hosts satellite Plunges in almost a dozen other locations in the U.S. and internationally. Elodie’s mom, Emily Kubik, is a WHS Class of 1999 graduate. She’s backed up by her crew of WHS besties, whose friendship and deep connection have thrived over the years. Emily has always felt supported throughout her daughter’s diagnosis at birth, and during the subsequent challenges the family has faced. “People don’t believe me when I say I have ten best friends from high school. I think they think it’s a little weird. But I think it’s amazing, and I couldn’t imagine it any other way,” she shared with the crowd of a couple hundred during pre-Plunge remarks.

This group of lifelong friends has been a part of a larger team whose dedication has been instrumental in raising millions of dollars to fund EB research. They expect to raise over $2 million this year, making it one of the most successful rare disease fundraisers in the world. Thanks to their tireless efforts, there are currently 39 clinical trials devoted to EB, up from just two trials in 2010.

Plunge for Elodie, Wellesley
When you find your people in high school, you hang onto them. WHS class of 1999 members, including Elodie’s mom, Emily (third from left), pose for a pic before they dash into the water.

As groups dashed into Morses Pond in waves, shouting with pumped-up bravado on the way into the water, shrieking with shock on the way out, it was clear something important was happening. On the sidelines Elodie’s purple and pink butterfly wings flapped as she jumped up and down with excitement. Elodie may not yet fully grasp how many people have her back. With hope, and a cure, someday she will.

 

Rumble Boxing, Natick Mall

Wellesley Police teaming with Red Cross to offer CPR & water safety classes

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The Wellesley Police Department is hosting CPR & Water Safety classes this spring, in partnership with the American Red Cross.

Register for classes on Tuesday, April 25 or Thursday, April 27. Participants must be at least 16 years old.

This program is designed to teach participants how best to respond in an emergency, using Red Cross emergency care techniques. The 3-hour course will review adult, child & infant CPR and choking emergencies along with with water safety/drowning prevention tips. All necessary materials will be provided during the class.

The cost for the class is $25/participant (waivable due to financial hardship). Participants successfully completing the course will receive an American Red Cross certification valid for 2 years.

Contact the Wellesley Police Department at 781-235-0062 with questions or to request a waiver.

Wellesley community news: Blood drive at Sprague; Zumba to support Boston Marathon runner; COA teddy bears

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Upcoming community events in Wellesley:

Blood drive at Sprague Elementary School

The Wellesley Public Schools Fitness and Health Department, as well as the Wellesley Educators Association, is sponsoring the Wednesday, March 15 (12-5pm) blood drive at the Sprague Elementary School gym.

red cross logo wellesley

Christina Tai’s Boston Marathon Charity Fundraiser for Friends of Wellesley METCO, Inc.

Zumba with Coach D: March 24, 5:30-7pm

Join us for a Zumba class with Coach D along with some refreshments and a basket raffle. Our amazing baskets contain gift cards and items from a range of retailers in Wellesley, you won’t want to miss out! Register on the Wellesley Recreation site, activity #: 144077-01.

(More on Wellesley’s Boston Marathon charity runners)

Teddy bear line-up

The Wellesley Council on Aging continues to sew little teddy bears to give away to needy organizations. Thanks to Priscilla Messing for sharing the photo and info.

coa teddy bears
Photo courtesy of Priscilla Messing

Delicious gluten-free Italian classics a reality in cookbook co-authored by Wellesley resident

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You’ve probably heard the old saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” The premise is simple—take a sour situation and make the best of it.

But what about when life gives you a gluten intolerance and many of your ancestral Italian favorites are suddenly off limits? Even nonna’s lasagna? For longtime friends and Wellesley resident Cynthia Delia Coddington, and Jo Provenzano Hoppe of Bridgton, Maine, the answer was anything but simple. But it came in time, in the shape of a cookbook co-authored by the pair.

Their book, Senza Glutine: Timeless Italian Dishes for the Gluten Free Palate, released in late December, is currently available for sale at Wellesley Books and other selected local bookstores, and on Amazon. With the completion of Senza Glutine, a health crisis that started out lemons led Cynthia and Jo on a path to la dolce vita.

The project began as a creative outlet during COVID, Cynthia and Jo took a six-week online course on food writing and publishing. Their mission: to take the many recipes handed down to each of them from their Italian relatives and coalesce them into a beautiful cookbook that would keep family culinary traditions alive. Their challenge: to adapt every one of those ancestral recipes to suit a gluten-free lifestyle.

Italian cookbook, Wellesley
Wellesley resident Cynthia Delia Coddington, left, and Jo Provenzano Hoppe of Bridgton, Maine, collaborated on Senza Glutine: Timeless Italian Dishes for the Gluten Free Palate. Photo by Beth Shedd Photography.

Cynthia remembers well the day her doctor told her to cut out gluten, a protein commonly found in breads, pasta, pizza, and cereal. Her incredulous response was, “You don’t get it. I’m Italian. We eat wheat.”

Jo Provenzano Hoppe had a similar reaction when she learned she had celiac disease, also an autoimmune disorder.

Italian cookbook, Wellesley
Roasted eggplant lasagna. Cindy says that often people on gluten free diets replace whole foods with processed foods, and that’s not good. She and Jo wanted to give people go-to gluten free recipes that were well-researched and tested. “We wanted to make our recipes accessible to everyone.”

Since those individual diagnoses over ten years ago, the two became friends more recently when Jo and her husband made a retirement move to Bridgton, Maine, a bucolic area with lakes, a ski resort, and plenty of hiking trails. Cindy and her family had a vacation home nearby. The two soon met and discovered their shared Italian ancestry and love of cooking and eating, as well as their gluten intolerance. Thus began what Cynthia calls, “an unbelievable friendship and an incredible project.”

The book contains over 100 beautifully photographed recipes, illustrated techniques, and information on how to source the best gluten-free products. While all the recipes were developed for those with gluten sensitivities, the end product is really for everybody around your table. Cindy and Jo’s tagline is, “Liberate yourself from the bondage of gluten intolerance.” Take it literally. This book is for any home cook who has been making two meals—one for family members who can eat gluten, and one for family members who can’t. Liberate yourself from the cleaning bondage of cooking with two pots, two skillets, two lasagna pans. You may have six burners on that stove in your fancy Wellesley kitchen, but that doesn’t mean you want to use them all every night. Using the recipes in Senza Glutine, everyone can eat the same thing at mealtimes, with no compromising on taste or texture for anyone.

Italian cookbook, Wellesley
Baked clams oreganata

“The hardest thing to get right was pizza crust,” Cindy said. “Baked goods basically are the hardest because you have to replace the flour. We had to get familiar with what finely ground means, what coarsely ground means, and how the texture will affect the recipe. You never stop learning.”

Wellesley Italian cookbook
Alberobello, Puglia, Italy. Cindy and Jo took a trip last fall to southern Italy, land of their roots. All of the photographs in Senza Glutine (with the exception of the authors’ portrait) are an artistic result of their travels. “The Italians really get gluten-free,” Cindy said. “In restaurants there, it wasn’t a problem at all.”

The seven major chapters of Senza Glutine include The Gluten Free Pantry; Antipasti (appetizers); Primi (first courses); Secondi (main courses); Contorni (sides); Salse (sauces); and Dolci (desserts).

Recipes we’re hoping to try soon—arancini (rice balls); baked clams oreganata; chicken marsala; roasted eggplant lasagna; panna cotta; biscotti; pizza. This list should keep us busy in the kitchen for the rest of the winter.

COOKBOOK: Senza Glutine: Timeless Italian Dishes for the Gluten Free Palate
AUTHORS: Josephine Hoppe and Cynthia Coddington
PAGES: 244
PUBLICATION DATE: December 26, 2022
BUY: Available at Wellesley Books and other selected local bookstores, and on Amazon

Got a unique story to share? Let us know at theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Wellesley Heath Dept. kicking off programs to encourage family meals

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The Wellesley Health Department later this month is hosting an online program about the benefits of having family meals, and will follow that up with additional “Families Eat Together” programs.

Hear from Dr. Annel Fishel, a clinical psychologist at Mass General Hospital and co-founder of The Family Dinner Project,on Jan. 31 at 7pm by registering now. She’ll discuss the academic, mental health, and nutritional benefits associated with having family meals.

Maybe it even makes sense to plan a family meal around watching this online program.

Joyce Saret, the Wellesley Health Department’s senior community social worker, says the program can help families think about the obstacles to sitting down for meals together and better understand the benefits of eating together. Conversations sparked over meals can boost vocabulary, literacy skills, and overall self-esteem, she says.

Having meals together extends to the community’s elders, many of whom were isolated during the pandemic and have since experienced anxiety and depression.

The Health Department plans to hold more family meal-related programs, including workshops that might focus on how to talk to kids, meal prep that involves kids, and more.

While we know that busy schedules are common among families in town, the department currently doesn’t have data on how prevalent family meals are.

Deland, Gibson, Wellesley
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