To the editor:

Does anyone else wonder why the Hunnewell tennis courts would be under construction for an entire summer?  Isn’t this when the courts are most likely to be in use? Since there are no other public tennis courts in Wellesley, the timing for this project seems very odd and an inconvenience for all who use them and don’t have membership to a private club.  I imagine when the new courts are finished (sometime in the fall?) they will be much improved, but perhaps the upgrade should have been planned for a different time of year!

Sincerely,
Barbara Gross
Wellesley resident

Dear neighbors,

Over the last two years, a dangerous mode of transportation has taken off in towns and cities nationwide. They are called “e-bikes”, more formally known as electric bikes. Many parents in Wellesley have purchased electric bikes for their boys and have sensibly educated them on safe riding, respect and the responsibility of owning a risky mode of transport. However, it is unfortunate that some of our local youths are not following safe riding practices such as racing and barreling through multiple areas of town. Some of these e-bikes are souped-up, high-speed electric dirt bikes exceeding well over 20 mph. While boys will be boys, they are riding at unsafe speeds, and where they just don’t belong—paths, trails, sidewalks, busy retail areas, traffic and even major highways. Pedestrian zones in particular, are meant to be comfortable and safe for people walking, running, and families out with kids and dogs. The bottom line is when e-bikes are ridden recklessly, they put all of us at serious risk.

The Wellesley Police have been working diligently on this issue—educating kids, enforcing the rules we already have, and trying to keep everyone safe. Their effort really matters, and I’m grateful. Still, I’m writing because I had a very close call myself.

Early one peaceful August morning I knelt down to give my dog some water when out of nowhere, I heard what sounded like a moped. A youth on a high-powered e-bike came flying by me slicing through the air like a bullet. He missed me by maybe an inch. I didn’t have time to react but, in an instant, I saw my life flash before my eyes. It was traumatizing. If he’d hit me, the outcome could have been very different, I’m confident I would not have survived. Doctors say crashes are more serious and lethal than with regular bikes. The message is clear, this is a serious problem, and parents need to do better. First and foremost, by understanding our state laws.

E-bike law in Massachusetts:

• Class 1 e-bikes: Pedal-assist only, up to 20 mph. When you start pedaling faster a motor kicks in to add power.
• Class 2 e-bikes: Throttle-assisted, up to 20 mph. Instant power with no pedaling needed similar to a moped or motorcycle.

Incredibly, both are considered bicycles under Massachusetts state law. Anything faster—or with a bigger motor—is actually a motorized bike, which requires a license, registration, and a minimum age of 16 1/2. But don’t be fooled, e-bikes ridden at 20 mph can still cause serious injury for the riders or unsuspecting pedestrians. E-bikes are significantly faster than the average person who pedals on a regular bike.

Furthermore, not all e-bikes come with high-quality brakes so due to the e-bike weight and speed, stopping becomes harder, and therefore more force is exerted during a crash.

So what can we do?

• Enforce the rules we already have—no e-bikes on walking trails or public paths which includes public school property.
• Make prohibitive signs bigger, bolder and clearer so there’s no confusion.
• Educate parents and kids: many don’t realize that some of these e-bikes are actually illegal, or that even legal e-bikes can’t be used everywhere.
• Take a harder look at busy sidewalks and retail areas, where e-bikes can be just as dangerous.
• If you see e-bike activity putting anyone at risk, contact local law enforcement immediately so that law enforcement can act swiftly.
• Be aware of your surroundings, proceed with caution when walking/traveling through areas with restricted line of sight.
• Request the town to install safety mirrors which provide a wide panoramic view of blind spots (this is overdue regardless).
• Concerned residents attend Select Board hours to keep this issue on their radar. Select Board hours are on the Wellesley.gov website.
• Lastly, it is our civic responsibility to file reports with the Police for e-bike incidents, records are key to accountability.

My near miss was a wake-up call, and I think it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt. If we act now—as a community—we can hopefully prevent a tragedy.

Francesca Olson
Wellesley resident

To the Wellesley community:

My name is Laurie Fucci, and I am the widow of Ed Fucci, who tragically lost his life in a car accident on Forest Street in Wellesley on August 1st.

I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the Wellesley community, my co-workers, family, and friends for the incredible outpouring of love and support during this heartbreaking time. The generosity shown through the GoFundMe page (link added by editor), as well as the kind messages, prayers, and acts of kindness, have meant more to me and my family than words can express.

Thank you all for standing with us during this unimaginable loss. Your support has brought light into a very dark time, and I am truly humbled by the compassion you’ve shown.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Laurie Fucci

To the editor:

On behalf of Wellesley Neighbors, I would like to publicly thank Eastern Bank for its generous grant of $1,000 in support of our upcoming Annual Meeting and Luncheon this fall. This contribution helps make it possible for us to bring our members together to celebrate the year’s accomplishments, welcome new members, and strengthen the connections that are at the heart of our mission. We are especially grateful to Eastern Bank for recognizing the importance of community and for investing in organizations like ours that support older adults in aging well and living engaged, independent lives.

We deeply appreciate this partnership and the positive impact it has on our members and the broader Wellesley community.

Sincerely,

Joan Minklei
Executive Director, Wellesley Neighbors

To the editor:

On behalf of the Needham Community Council, I extend our heartfelt thanks to the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club (WHJWC) for generously awarding the Council a $2,500 grant.

The Needham Community Council is a private non-profit organization which supports people in Needham who have under-met health, educational or social needs and promotes volunteerism, community and a sense of shared responsibility.

The funding provided by WHJWC will be used to support our food pantry, which is currently serving nearly 400 households in Needham each month. Ours is a “fresh first” food pantry, which means each food distribution includes fresh produce as well as fresh dairy products, meat/poultry/fish. Many of these items need to be refrigerated, and one of our refrigerators needs replacement. This grant will be used to defray the cost of this purchase and will allow us to keep up with the increased demand on our food pantry due (in part) to reduced funding for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

We depend on private donations to fund our mission, and we are so grateful that the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club is part of our team of “neighbors helping neighbors”.

Sincerely,

Sandra Robinson
Executive Director
Needham Community Council

To the editor:

Although I no longer live in Wellesley, I have been following the situation at the Council on Aging from the beginning and feared it would end like this…with the resignation of director of senior services Deborah Greenwood. I personally loved how she worked for the seniors and her commitment to see to it that the Tolles Parsons Center would get the kitchen that it was supposed to get when the building was finished. Well, now the kitchen work has begun, and there’s no Deborah. To say that my heart is broken is an understatement. I wish the best for Deborah. That’s it.

Mary Bowers
Wellesley resident at heart

To the editor:

As we approach another season of GirlPower Flag, we are so grateful for the continued support of the Wellesley Hills Junior Womens Club. They have supported this important program for the community from the beginning.

For years the Metrowest Health Study has reported that stress and anxiety experienced by adolescent female students far outpaces male students. Participation in sports helps ameliorate these issues, but other studies show girls quitting sports far earlier than boys on average. While most communities offer girls soccer, basketball, hockey and other mainstream sports, few have Community Flag Football programs for girls to enjoy.  We consider this lack of programming a key “Developmental Opportunity” as it is far easier to create new programs the right way, than it is to change the structure and management of existing programs to improve quality. Due to recent challenges and trends, the vast majority of kids are not getting the vital physical, social and emotional development that quality community recreational experiences provide. Lack of resources, or in more affluent communities competition and profit driven programs exploit vulnerable parents and kids, primarily serving the interests of adult leaders.

We were inspired by our Wellesley High School Class of 2021 Women, who came to our organization after their treasured Annual PowderPuff Flag game vs. their Needham rivals was canceled by the pandemic, asking if we could help them play and preserve their tradition. While a game with Needham wasn’t possible, we organized and directed weekly pickup games culminating in a PowerPlay game, led by WHS Football student player coaches, refs, DJs and Announcers and played for our traditional Championship Bucket!  Helping over sixty senior girls rise above historic challenges and preserve a treasured tradition ROCKING The Power of Play is by far our organizations All Time Top Play! Inspired by the students and experience, we have since been on a MISSION to build and support a Best Practices Girls Flag Community Model, developing and supporting programs to serve girls from preschool through high school and beyond!

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