The Swellesley Report

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

Wellesley Council on Aging, Temple Beth Elohim offer Juneteenth programs

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The Commonwealth this year for the first time recognizes June 19, or Juneteenth, as an official state holiday marking slavery’s end in the United States.

How will it be celebrated in Wellesley?

For one, the Wellesley Council on Aging hosts a program on Thursday, June 17th at 2pm titled “Juneteenth: Exploring and Celebrating.

The description for the event reads:

In July of 2020, Juneteenth was officially recognized as a holiday in Massachusetts to be celebrated each year on June 19th. Join Rev. Deborah Clark on Thursday, June 17th at 2:00 PM as she presents about the new role it is playing in our state and our nation today. Juneteenth has a long history, dating back to the day, in 1865, that the Union army rode into Galveston, Texas and told enslaved people about emancipation. It was two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. In this hour-long virtual conversation, we will delve into the history of Juneteenth, how it has been celebrated in different parts of the country. We will talk about what it means for us to celebrate this holiday in a way that honors a painful history and lifts up courage and hope.

Also offering a Juneteenth program is Temple Beth Elohim on June 18, from 7:30-8:45pm online.

The program, titled “Juneteenth and the Continuing March to Freedom with TBE Online,” will feature “speakers from the Partakers College-Behind-Bars program and the new Partakers Empowerment Program (PEP), a re-entry program for individuals recently released from prison. We will hear how TBE mentors are supporting individuals during their incarceration, and then post-release in rebuilding their lives. We will also learn about efforts to prevent youth-at-risk from getting swept into the cycle of violence and incarceration.”

Other Wellesley Juneteenth programs? [email protected]

Town office and department holiday schedules

Wellesley municipal offices and departments will follow a limited holiday schedule this year in observance of Juneteenth.

Closed on Friday, June 18:

  • Wellesley Town Hall
  • Wellesley Public Schools (No Students, Buildings will be open for teachers & staff)

Closed on Saturday, June 19:

  • Wellesley RDF (Closed all day)
  • Wellesley Free Library (All branches)
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Write Ahead, Wellesley
Watertite Roofing

Wellesley Public School students not the only ones going back to in-person learning

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This must be a sign of something good when it comes to pulling out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only are Wellesley Public School students on the verge of returning to full in-classroom learning, but the Wellesley Council on Aging is starting to invite its patrons to come on down for tech help.

The Wellesley Council on Aging has announced that starting on Tuesday, March 23, Lois, the organization’s long-time tech volunteer, will be in-house at the Tolles Parsons Center for one-on-one appointments. Lois can help with computer use questions, phone issues, and more.

Each appointment will be 45 minutes long and will be scheduled for: 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm.  Call  (781) 235-3961 to schedule an appointment.

If you’re not quite ready for an in-person meeting, you can arrange for an online meeting on Thursdays.

Wellesley senior center

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Page Waterman, Wellesley
London Harness, Wellesley

Wellesley announces elderly or disabled affordable housing wait list lottery for Glen Grove

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Glen Grove apartments at 50 Grove Street in Wellesley is reopening a wait list for rental applications.

This affordable housing opportunity is open to elderly individuals or individuals with disabilities. Eligible applicants will be placed on the wait list in random order via a lottery system.

This opportunity is for the Wait List ONLY. There are no rental units available now.

Applications are available beginning Monday, February 22.

To apply, you must meet the income qualifications under the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program. Qualified residents may not pay more than 30% of their adjusted income for rent.

To pick up an application:

  • Contact Glen Grove Apartments, 50 Grove Street, Wellesley, MA 02482 (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) at 781-237-7634
  • Email [email protected]
  • Visit the Wellesley Free Library, 530 Washington Street

All applications must be received by the end of the day on March 24, 2021.

There is no fee to apply and there is no fee to have names removed from the waiting list should applicants find another home.

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Wellesley Youth Hockey

Wellesley Council on Aging seeks volunteers to help seniors register for COVID-19 vaccines

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The Wellesley Council on Aging continues to help seniors register for COVID-19 vaccines, and is welcoming more volunteers to assist in this effort. People aged 75+ are now eligible to register for vaccinations to be administered beginning on Feb. 1.

The Commonwealth has a map that shows where you can register for vaccinations, though demand for the vaccine is outstripping supply, so appointment openings can be hard to come by and you might need to try numerous times and locations. The town’s Health Department is hoping to offer clinics of its own, but first needs to get a fresh supply of vaccines.

For those needing assistance making registrations, the Council on Aging is offering help. Please keep in mind that it may be a several days before you hear from a volunteer, but if you would like to be added to the list for assistance, please send email to [email protected] or call us at (781) 235-3961.

The COA has more than a dozen volunteers working on this and could use more. If you are able to navigate the computer system and would like to help those who cannot or need assistance, please contact the COA office and its volunteer coordinator can get you signed up and trained.  Email the COA here.

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COVID-19 vaccine update for Wellesley seniors & veterans

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From the Wellesley Council on Aging:

We have important update for all Wellesley Seniors who are 75 and older. The State has opened up scheduling starting today for vaccinations beginning next week. There is a high volume of registrants expected and an unknown number of current appointments available. While everyone will get an appointment to be vaccinated, please be patient as it may take a few times to get an appointment scheduled. We are working closely with the Health Department to stay apprised. The Health Department is working on setting up an in town clinic in the upcoming weeks and we will disseminate more info as it becomes available. We are bringing volunteers up to speed on how to assist with scheduling of appointments. It is our understanding that the process could easily take upwards of 20 minutes or more per person. To sign-up, you must have your date of birth, insurance information (if you have it), and answer some health questions and agree to an attestation. Our volunteers will make as many calls as they can today and be calling people back from their home phones identifying themselves as a Wellesley COA volunteer. If you would like to have a volunteer return your call and register you online or help you with questions, please call us at (781) 235-3961, we will ask you a few questions and take down your contact information. If you are a veteran, please contact Nancy, the Veteran Service Agent, for vaccinations through the VA at (781) 489-7509.

We hope to be putting out more information, including screen shots and instructions on how to register at home on your own later today.

Thank you for your patience and assistance.

Heather M. Munroe, Director of Senior Services
(781) 235-3961

Photo credit: Tolles Parsons Center
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Register now for the Wellesley Turkey Trot

Wellesley Turkey Trot 2021

A new look for Wellesley Fire Department’s Thanksgiving dinner for seniors

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The Wellesley Fire Department‘s annual Thanksgiving dinner won’t be held in person this year, but will have as much of a personal touch as the pandemic allows.

All Wellesley residents over the age of 60 are eligible to have firefighters and other volunteers deliver prepared Thanksgiving dinners to their homes between 11am-noon on Nov. 21.

But you need to sign up in advance via the Council on Aging, and the event will be limited to 200 guests.  Call the COA at (781) 235-3961.

To make the event complete, a pre-recorded program will be made available featuring:

  • A welcome from Chief Rick DeLorie
  • Firefighter (Marine) Ben Hampton will lead the Pledge of Allegiance and present the meaning of the POW/MIA Table Setting
  • John Shuler will offer a meal blessing
  • A Wellesley High School Quartet will provide dinner entertainment
  • Lt. Delaney will offer a safety presentation
  • Chief DeLorie will wrap up the event.
wellesley fire thanksgiving dinner
A past Wellesley firefighter Thanksgiving dinner for seniors

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99 & still going strong in Wellesley

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While senior living facilities in town are largely under lockdown, operators are allowing some leeway when social distancing is practiced.

Wellesley’s Patrick Rafter shared this photo of what he describes as four generations of socially distanced celebrants (camera angles can be deceiving) who had gathered to honor the 99th birthday of a Waterstone resident in Lower Falls.

“Life and love still go on unabated in Swellesley amidst the pandemic!” he wrote.

waterstone 99th birthday
Photo courtesy of Patrick Rafter

 

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