The Swellesley Report

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

Wellesley garden visit: Ribbit the Exhibit at Elm Bank Reservation

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Things have really started hopping over at Massachusetts Horticultural Society with the installation of Ribbit the Exhibit, running through Sept. 7 at The Gardens at Elm Bank.  Nineteen whimsical 4 – 7 foot copper frog sculptures depicted by North Carolina artist J.A. Cobb have been placed throughout the 36-acre property. There’s Cora the Local Garden Enthusiast in the Bressingham Garden, gleaming metal watering can in hand; Emerson, A Morning Person, relaxing on a bench with a cup of coffee; Edward the Treefrog, perched in a tree, of course; and the rest of the engaging and amusing crew. Each frog comes with a backstory—just look for the nearby signs.

Elm Bank Reservation at Mass Hort
Emerson relaxes in the Bressigham Garden at Elm Bank Reservation.

Read more about Ribbit the Exhibit and the artist’s creative process.

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Write Ahead, Wellesley

Introduction to Day Hiking in the White Mountains

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Wellesley Free Library is offering a 3-hour day hiking workshop via zoom on Wednesday, July 21 at 6pm.

Course description: This course is designed to take a person off the street and prepare them to hike in the White Mountain National Forest, or anywhere for that matter. It takes more than setting out on an afternoon whim with 16 ounces of water, flip-flops, and a sweater to safely hike a mountain. This course will reveal what it takes. It’s broken down into three segments covering planning and preparation, packing and gear, then the art of hiking covering myriad aspects of being on trail from scrambling to etiquette.

The Swellesley family just returned from the White Mountains, which were challenging and spectacular. We hiked Mt. Eisenhower, which rises close to 4,800 feet. We also took the easy way up Mt. Washington this time, via the Cog Railway…

eisenhower
Descending the summit of Mt. Eisenhower in the White Mountains

cog railway

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Wellesley community news: Longtime trails volunteer honored; School Supplies Drive has begun; housing grant deadline approaches

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The latest Wellesley, Mass., community news:

Longtime trails volunteer honored

Miguel Lessing, who recently retired after 17 years of service to the Wellesley Trails Committee, has been honored by the group with a plaque on a bench along the Cochituate Aqueduct trail alongside Morses Pond (you can see the plaque in person on the trail near the Russell Road parking area).

Lessing chaired the committee for 8 years, and volunteer efforts ranged from leading guided walks to trail cleanups and design. He’s also contributed to the town through other volunteer efforts, including with the Council on Aging.

Trails Committee Vice Chair Denny Nackoney spoke during a brief ceremony at the bench, recounting some of the projects completed during Lessing’s tenure with the group. These included extending the Charles River Path along the river to Weston, permitting of the Sudbury Aqueduct for the Sudbury Path, and filling in the missing link on the Brook Path through the Hunnewell playing fields. Lessing also put great effort into helping the town identify trail crossings in need of safety markings.

Nackoney ended his words with this: “So Miguel, we just want to thank you for your leadership and dedication to Wellesley Trails. May you enjoy this bench and walking Wellesley Trails. And I know if you see any trail problems, you will report them immediately. Another big tree down over the aqueduct!”

As a member of the Trails Committee myself, I’ve enjoyed and appreciated Miguel’s approach of blending creativity, efficiency, and humor in getting things done. Ever an on-the-go guy, Miguel definitely deserves to take a break or two by resting on this bench with his plaque on it.

 

miguel trails bench

miguel trails bench
Miguel Lessing, pup Mapenzi, Susan Hurwitz

 

miguel trails bench
Photos courtesy of Wellesley Trails

 

School Supplies Drive has begun

kids backing kids logoKids Backing Kids, a nonprofit launched about a year ago by a Wellesley family, is already gearing up for the start of next school year by organizing a drive to provide more than 200 students with backpacks filled with supplies.

The cost of a new backpack and supplies can be daunting for families, but having the materials—from 3-ring binders to pencils and index cards—can get kids off on the right foot to have a strong school experience.

Kids Backing Kids is coordinating with Wellesley Public Schools and Wellesley Housing Authority on this year’s School Supplies Drive. Last year, more than 150 school backpacks were delivered, and the need is even greater this year, according to the organization.

You can help by sponsoring students in one of two ways:

Contact Kids Backing Kids for more info, including if you want to volunteer with the outfit.

Housing grant deadline approaches

Newton-Wellesley Hospital is inviting local nonprofit organizations to submit proposals seeking to address housing insecurity and housing inequities in the communities surrounding the hospital. Newton-Wellesley points to the well-documented relationship between safe, secure, and affordable housing and health.

Beginning in October, Newton-Wellesley Hospital will invest $1.9 million in programming designed to address housing insecurity at both an individual level and a policy or systems level, with more than $486,000 in funding available in the first year of the grant and $475,000 available annually for three additional years.

Newton-Wellesley is seeking to award a single grant to a community-based organization or collaborative of organizations focused on addressing housing insecurity within NWH’s primary service area. The target population is individuals or families facing issues of housing insecurity, with a focus on communities of color and immigrant communities. Grant applicants are expected to propose a multi-faceted approach to housing insecurity, including addressing immediate issues, reducing the impact on mental health, and increasing economic independence.

The deadline for proposals is 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021. Visit www.nwh.org/grants  to view the request for proposals. Submit any questions to [email protected] by Friday, July 16.

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Wellesley Business Buzz: live music in Wellesley Square; Curbs expands

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Live music in Wellesley Square

Come and enjoy the sounds of Umami-lite—Chris Everett, Liz Larsen, Mike Kim, Brad Neighbors, and Drew Spangler.

Bring your beach chairs!

DATE: Saturday, July 10
TIME: 12pm-2pm
LOCATION: Central Park (by the Wellesley  Square Post Office)

NOTE: JULY 10th EVENT CANCELED

linden square summer afternoon
The Linden Courtyard will be the site of free fitness classes.

Come meet the StretchLab Wellesley team of certified Flexologists for a free 15-minute demo stretch. Experience the benefits of a professional assisted stretching routine. Reserve your session: text/call 339-217-0217 or email [email protected]

LOCATION: Linden Courtyard
DATES: August 14 and September 11
TIME: 12pm-2pm
Try out a free, no pressure 50-minute Club Pilates Wellesley mat class. A certified instructor will guide you through a full-body session. Reserve your space: 339-217-0172 or email [email protected]

LOCATION: Linden Courtyard
DATES: July 10, August 14, and September 11
TIME: 10am

Curbs expands its presence in Wellesley

Curbs, Inc., a landscape design and construction management firm, earlier this year set up an outdoor living studio at 445 Washington St. in Wellesley, the space where Golden Needle did business for years.

Now the father-and-son team of Nilton and Lucas Machado has opened up an executive suite at 546 Washington Street, above CoMina Home Furnishings. Babson graduate Lucas Machado says, “We just needed more space. With the addition of our horticulture specialist, Garrett, to the team, it was time for more room.”

Some of the services the landscape services company offers: design services including 3D landscape architecture modeling; express conservation drawings; and designer planting packages.

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