Wellesley Health Department welcomes new Environmental Health Specialist

June 12, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

Vivian Zeng, Wellesley Health Department — Vivian Zeng, REHS/RS
has joined the WHD
as an Environmental
Health Specialist

Wellesley Health Department (WHD) is pleased to announce that Vivian Zeng, REHS/RS has joined the WHD as an Environmental Health Specialist. Ms. Zeng brings four years of experience to the community, as well as her enthusiasm for environmental health and community based programming.

Ms. Zeng’s primary responsibilities will include: enforcing local and state regulations via inspection of restaurants and other food establishments, pools, tanning facilities, camps and housing. She will also conduct plan reviews for new developments or existing establishments undergoing renovations. Additionally, she will investigate complaints regarding foodborne illness, housing conditions and nuisance.

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Cliff Road improvement project continues to next step

June 10, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

This from the Town of Wellesley:

The drainage work on the Cliff Road Improvement Project is now complete. The contractor, Perkins, will begin the sidewalk work on Monday June 11. We have asked the contractor to begin work on the northerly side of the roadway, which will take approximately one month to complete. This work includes removing the existing asphalt and concrete sidewalks, extending the sidewalk to White Oak Road and paving with asphalt. The sidewalk will also include a strip of treelawn in front of the sidewalk, separating the sidewalk from the roadway.

It is our intent to minimize the disruption of your normal routines as best we can. If you have any questions, at any time during the duration of the project, feel free to call the DPW Engineering Division at 781-235-7600, extension 3315.
Thank you for your patience.

Cliff Road improvement project, the first step

Overnight rail work in Natick and Wellesley, June 9-10

June 8, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

This from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA):

Advisory: Overnight Rail Work in Natick and Wellesley June 9-10.

MassDOT and the MBTA are undertaking federally mandated Positive Train Control (PTC) infrastructure installation which will increase the safety of commuter rail customers and would like to advise the community of upcoming overnight welding and rail work within the right-of-way along the MBTA Worcester Commuter Rail Line in Natick and Wellesley.

Due to the equipment necessary to perform this work, higher noise levels can be expected. Starting Saturday June 9 at 5am and overnight into Sunday June 10, 2018 until 5 pm, the PTC Systems Integrator Ansaldo STS USA, Inc. is scheduled to perform welding activities along the rail. The work will take place along the Worcester Line at locations in the vicinity of Marion Street in Natick, at locations in the vicinity of Wellesley College, on the rail line behind Linden Street (between Crest Road and Weston Road) in Wellesley, and on the tracks north of Route 9 in Wellesley.

Please note this work is being done only along one track and crews will return at a later date to complete the second track. For further information regarding PTC please visit: mbta.com/ptc. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. We appreciate your patience as the MBTA takes this important step in making the railways safer for customers with the implementation of the PTC program. Should you have any questions please feel free to contact the PTC program at 617-721-7506 or [email protected].

Beyond Wellesley: a tornado tears through Hamden, CT — Mrs. Swellesley’s hometown

May 23, 2018 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

I grew up in Hamden, Connecticut known as “The Land of the Sleeping Giant” for its 738-feet tall popular hiking mountain that, from a distance, indeed looks like its namesake. The Sleeping Giant got a rude awakening last week when an EF1 tornado ripped through the northern section of town bringing with it eight minutes of maximum 110mph winds. It wreaked havoc 600 yards wide and 9.5 miles long, leaving a path of uprooted and snapped hardwood and pine trees. The National Weather Service confirmed that it was indeed a tornado, not just a macro or microburst.

There he is, Hamden’s Sleeping Giant Mountain. The State Park is a popular hiking destination. I spent my childhood rock scrambling and picnicking there. My kids have done the same on visits to grandma and grandpa.

Because I’ve got lots of Sandwich Generation stuff going on right now, I make the 4-hour round-trip to the New Haven suburb with increasing regularity these days. I was almost out the door and on my way there the evening of the event when I got a text from my mom’s neighbor. “House is OK but neighborhood is bad. Possible tornado.”

House is OK? I didn’t know it might not have been OK, such was my ignorance. I wasn’t worried about my mom. Her safety had been ensured a few months ago. Instead of cowering in the basement of her home all alone as a natural disaster swirled around her, mom was with caring people in an area that fortunately was not in the tornado’s path.

“Our street fared well,” the neighbor continued, but Quinnipiac University area got hammered. Know two people who had trees come into their house. Like BAD. Road is blocked off, so don’t even bother heading down. Landscape is changed forever.”

That landscape changed forever part sounded ominous. Now I was itching to get there and see for myself. What I saw a couple of days later was eye popping, and I’ve brought pictures back to share with you. I rolled in just as most of the roads were opening up and the town of 60,000, about a third who were directly affected by the storm, were firing up their chainsaws and clearing away the rubble. Quinnipiac University, which was in the direct path of the storm, carried on with its graduation ceremonies just a few days after May 15th event as if nothing had happened. That’s how you know those kids are going to be just fine out there in the world. Not even a tornado can stop them.

A family-friendly path winds up Sleeping Giant Mountain where at the top there is a 4-story stone castle. It was built between 1936 and 1939 by 60 workers through the Works Progress Administration as a Depression-era relief and recovery project. Here’s a view of the tornado from the top of the castle. Photo credit: Hailey Wilson, the girl is an absolute rock star. Look her up on Facebook for some riveting video she took of the tornado.

The severe weather moved fast, leaving a clearly delineated path of destruction. Hundreds of massive trees were uprooted by the 110-mph winds while hundreds others were sheared off leaving them jagged, splintered half-trees. Photo credit, Joseph Hawley. Drone

The tornado snapped trees like they were toothpicks.

I spent two hours touring the affected area with my Hamden BFFs and saw fallen trees down on dozens of houses. Every street in its 9.5-mile pathway had homes that suffered major damage to roofs, walls, and windows. Photo credit Hamden Historical Society

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Active shooter training at Wellesley High next week

May 16, 2018 by bbrown Leave a Comment

Wellesley High School on May 22 will conduct active shooter training in conjunction with the Wellesley Police Department.

Students, faculty and staff will watch a training film and Wellesley Police will be on hand to discuss principles for staying safe in the event of an active shooter situation via ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) guidelines. WHS will then practice these techniques through a mock scenario.

The plan, says Principal Jamie Chisum, is to train students annually.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to reach out to guidance counselors and house offices with any concerns. Parents/guardians are also invited to see the film, either May 17 at 3pm at WHS’s faculty dining room or May 21 at 9:30am in the auditorium.

MORE: Sandy Hook mom shares her powerful story in Wellesley