To the editor:

As a retired physics teacher at Wellesley High School and member of the Wellesley Educators Association, I would like to point out what initially attracted me to leave a position at nearby school system to work here in Wellesley. At my previous school, the teachers’ union and the School Committee were continually in dispute over contracts, meaning the teachers often worked for years without a contract. The result was a breakdown in trust between the School Committee and administrators, on one hand, and the teachers, on the other.  Trust, once weakened or lost, can be difficult to rebuild. When I came to Wellesley, the situation appeared to be quite different. The relations between administrators and teachers were much healthier, to the extent that the principal at the time was willing to admit to mistakes and promised to do better. One can ask for no more.

It, therefore, deeply saddens me to see the situation here begin to deteriorate in the same direction. The School Committee needs to take the lead in reversing this decline in trust by not just saying that they value the contributions of all educators, but by clearly showing they do by providing all educators a living wage, adequate support, due process, and time to take care of their own families.

I support the WEA’s “Fair Five.”

Brian Finn
Wellesley resident

To the editor:

The following is a tribute to Shepard Cohen that was delivered by Marcia Testa Simonson, vice chair of the Wellesley Board of Health, during the League of Women Voters, “Meet the Candidates Night” on February 16, upon Cohen’s retirement from the Board of Health:

For over 35 years, Shep Cohen has served as a leader in public health, not only for the Town of Wellesley, but well beyond its Town borders. Shep earned a master’s degree in health care administration and for more than five decades has been a senior health care administrator and consultant, mainly for federal, state and local public agencies. He served in the United States Air Force from 1963–67, achieving the rank of Captain, and prior to joining the Wellesley Board of Health in 1988, he served as Brookline’s director of public health for eight years.

As a strong local advocate for mental health, tobacco control, the environment and public health preparedness, Shep was a founder of the Local Public Health Institute of Massachusetts and a member of the executive committee of the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards, partnering with town and city public health workforce and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on long-term vision, assistance, and training to meet new and ongoing public health challenges.

At the national level, working with the National Association of Local Boards of Health and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), Shep was instrumental in setting guidelines for the accreditation of public health departments throughout the U.S. During his time on the Board, Wellesley became one of the first towns in the U.S. to gain recognition as “Public Health Ready,” a nationwide program developed by NACCHO, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Columbia University.

Shep was first elected 35 years ago. At that time, the Wellesley Health Department occupied only two rooms in the Sprague building and shared staff with other communities. Over the years, the Health Department moved to Warren Building, and while Shep served as Chair of the Wellesley Board of Health for nearly 25 years, the Health Department tripled its staff, adding environmental health specialists, public health nurses, a longstanding mental health collaboration with Human Relation Services, a community health coordinator, and licensed social workers.

Quoting the words of his colleagues:

“Shep is an ardent advocate.”

“Shep is a trusted source of knowledge with an extensive network of colleagues whom he taps for ideas and support.”

Shep is always willing to “push up his sleeves and get involved.”

“He is decisive, persuasive, tenacious and collaborative, with strong partnerships in town and beyond.”

Shep listens to others and is skilled at forming a consensus. He is described as visionary, creative, wise, and thinks “outside the box.”

“Shep is good at recognizing people’s strengths and giving them recognition.”

“He cares not only about the health and wellbeing of the residents of Wellesley but also the people that work so hard to make it run like clockwork.”

It should come as no surprise that Shep was honored with a Townsman 10 in 2010, nor should it be surprising that the entire Health Department, working round the clock through COVID, was nominated by all of the town boards for a Townsman 10 in 2020. They were ready, and Shep’s leadership was exemplary. While Shep is not running for the Wellesley Board of Health this year, we know he will continue to build his remarkable legacy of leadership, action and passion for promoting public health.

Shep, and his lovely wife Linda, on behalf of the Town, the League thanks you.

Dear editor,

We are a group of fifth grade students at Bates Elementary school. We have an important message for the Wellesley community. Dog poop is bad for the environment. We have been researching how dog poop can affect the ecosystem in Wellesley and how we, as a community, can help solve the problem.

Have you ever been out walking in your neighborhood and stepped in dog poop that somebody left behind on the sidewalk or grass? It’s disgusting. Dog poop can carry parasites and bacteria. For example, it can carry tapeworms which can spread to humans. Do you want to carry tapeworm eggs into your house? That is really gross! Leaving your dog’s poop in your yard can also have consequences. Bacteria, parasite eggs, and larvae can grow and live near your house. Dog poop also contains many chemicals like phosphorus and nitrogen. You’re responsible for picking up your dog’s poop so that these chemicals don’t get into our environment.

When dog poop enters our ecosystem, it can lead to a series of hazardous problems. Due to a dog’s diet, including commercial dog food and kibble, their poop contains extra nutrients. These nutrients don’t belong in our ecosystem. When they are present they can cause invasive plants like bittersweet and garlic mustard to grow out of control and kill plants native to our environment. Don’t blame it on your dog though, this is completely your fault, not your adorable innocent dog’s. When you don’t pick up your dog’s waste, it can also turn into road run-off, and all of the bacteria and chemicals end up in our wetlands and water sources.

You as a dog owner might be wondering, “How can I help?” Like us, you can spread the word to try to make people pick up their dog’s poop. You can also put many bags on your pet’s leash so they are available when needed. Pick up your pet’s poop with a bag, disposable gloves, or a scooper. Seal the poop in one or two plastic bags and place in trash.

People leave dog poop on the ground for different reasons. Sometimes they forget to bring dog bags, but if they do see a box that has dog poop bags in it, they should use them! People also leave their dog’s poop on the ground because they are lazy, or they make excuses saying, “Oh well, I didn’t see my dog,” or, “I was rushing so I couldn’t pick it up.” Other people might think dog poop is fertilizer, but they shouldn’t because it causes some plants to grow out of control and others like grass and clovers to die. This is why you should be responsible for your dog’s waste! It can cause lots of damage to Wellesley’s ecosystem.

We at Bates hope that our Wellesley community can help to solve the problem of dog poop in our environment.

Sincerely,

A group of concerned Bates fifth graders

To the editor:

Have you ever noticed the rise in cost of produce, or the shortage of fruit? This is partly because the issue of invasive insects is being ignored. People in the Wellesley community need to pay more attention to invasive insects in our area. They are causing many problems, yet there are solutions. You can stop these irksome insects with a bit more attention to the problem.

When people aren’t careful, it leads to problems. Invasive insects frequently arrive in our area when people import things, like fruit or firewood. Here are three insects that are causing harm in Wellesley: the emerald ash borer, the spongy moth (formerly known as the Gypsy moth) and the winter moth. The emerald ash borer is mostly harmful to the ash tree, a popular species in Wellesley. “First, the adults eat the outside bark, giving the larvae a way to chew the insides up,” according to the state of Massachusetts on the Current Forest Health Threats page on mass.gov. Once the ash trees die, they fall almost immediately. They can no longer absorb dangerous carbon dioxide from the air and provide oxygen for us to breathe. Loss of trees will impact the air quality in Wellesley, and nobody wants that. Then there is the winter moth, which will eat crops and worse, defoliate forests. Since the winter moth eats crops, food businesses could run out of money. Then people will run out of food. This is a disaster waiting to happen. The final invasive insect is the spongy moth. The spongy moth destroys over 300 types of American plants! After the spongy moth’s arrival, “The shrubs die as fast as a wildfire,” says Lisa Moore, Natural Resources Commission Outreach and Education Coordinator for the Town of Wellesley. The spongy moth can also give you a red rash if you come in contact with one.

It may seem hard, but we can stop these beasts. One way to find out if your ash tree has an emerald ash borer problem is to observe the ash tree. If you notice that it has many woodpeckers marks, it means that the tree may be infected because woodpeckers like to eat emerald ash borers. If you suspect emerald ash borers, make sure to call a pest control service. Another insect that needs to be stopped is the winter moth. Farmers and fruit growers can use horticultural oils to suffocate the larvae eggs. Lastly, we have to stop the spongy moth. One way you can do this is by getting rid of any dead sticks or stumps where spongy moths might breed. In addition, there are different steps you can take during different months of the year such as applying insecticides in May and wrapping a section of the trunk in burlap to catch the caterpillars in June.

It is important for us to take the issue of invasive insects more seriously and consider how they have a big, harmful impact on our environment. It may not seem like too big of a problem at this moment, but that’s what people said about climate change and look where it got us. We know that on some days you are just too tired to go outside and help solve the problem. Keep in mind, these invasive insects can affect anything from your backyard to entire industries. To fix this problem you have to be willing to put in more time and effort. We hope you will help.

Sincerely,

The Invasive Insects Group
Bates School fifth grade

To the editor:

I am excited to announce that I am running a write-in campaign for the open seat on the Wellesley Recreation Commission (in addition to being on the ballot for re-election to Town Meeting in precinct H). I am an avid supporter of our local parks and recreation programs, and I believe I am well-suited to serve in this capacity and help to make a positive impact on our community.

I have always been passionate about physical fitness and outdoor activities, and I have seen firsthand the benefits that our local parks and recreation programs have on the well-being of our residents. I believe that it is important to provide our community with safe, accessible, and affordable recreational opportunities, and I am committed to working towards this goal.

In the almost three years since my family and I moved to town I’ve spent countless days at Morse’s Pond, sent my kids to a wide variety of Rec Center classes (soccer, karate, Make It/Bake It/Take, Lego building, game design, Christmas tree ornaments, improv, theater, and probably some more I can’t even think of) and summer camps. I’ve run through our fields and trails and played tennis on our town courts.

If elected to the town recreation commission, I would focus on a number of key priorities, including:

• Ensuring that our parks and recreational facilities are well-maintained and safe for all residents to use

• Expanding and improving our existing programs to provide more opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate in recreational activities

• Ensuring that the Recreation Department is working to lessen its impact on the environment wherever possible

I believe that I have the experience, knowledge, and passion needed to make a meaningful contribution to the town recreation commission, and I would be honored to serve in this capacity. I look forward to the opportunity to work with my fellow commissioners, town officials, and community members to make our local parks and recreation programs the best they can be.

Please reach out if you’d like to talk about your thoughts and concerns regarding our public recreation spaces and programs. I’d love to hear from you.

I humbly ask that you write me in for Recreation Commission on March 7th.

Ezra Englebardt
Wellesley resident

To the editor:

I am writing to express my strong support for Christina Horner for School Committee. As someone who has worked in education for more than 40 years as a curriculum coordinator, principal, trainer of principals, and district evaluator, I can say with authority that Christina is highly regarded in the educational community as a voice for progressive change and an agent of academic excellence for all students.

Christina’s work as a Director in the Great Schools Partnership is but one small example of her commitment to thoughtful systemic change and educational excellence. This outstanding non-profit organization helps educators inspire students to achieve personal goals through an emphasis on academic rigor, proficiency-based learning, positive relationships, and reflective goal setting.  As Director of Coaching, Christina has deep experience creating effective instructional programs and inclusive school cultures that support student agency and growth. Christina knows what outstanding schools look like and what they need at both the classroom and district-wide level to be effective for all students.

Having attended several presentations and workshops led by Christina and having worked with her directly on specific initiatives, I know that she is a joy to work with. She is a collaborator who listens carefully, appreciates the views of others, and believes in collective decision making.

While there have been significant steps taken by our school system in the last few years, the 2018 Wellesley Public Schools SCORE Analysis and Racial Climate Survey, the Panorama Survey, and troubling events at recent school activities demonstrate that there is still a huge amount of work to be done to improve school culture, increase faculty awareness of unconscious bias toward students of color, hire a more diverse staff, eliminate the opportunity/achievement gap, and create a climate that welcomes and nurtures all students. There is no doubt in my mind that Christina Horner is exactly the right person to advance these efforts.

Please join me on March 7 in voting for Christina Horner for School Committee!

Sincerely,

Gregory Hurray
Wellesley resident

To the editor:

In 2021, Parents Defending Education—a shadow-funded organization whose stated purpose is to ‘fight indoctrination in the classroom’—represented five anonymous town residents in a lawsuit against the Wellesley Public Schools. This lawsuit attracted unflattering national attention, was costly to taxpayers, and resulted in a settlement agreement with the Wellesley Public Schools.

The Parents Defending Education website gives a clear view of the agenda the group is advancing.

Wellesley voters deserve to know if any of the current candidates for School Committee were among these anonymous litigants. I call on the candidates to make this information known.

Regina LaRocque
Wellesley resident