Since 2005: More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
F-35 pilots warmed up ahead of their Patriots game flyover above Wellesley, prompting some residents to look up and others to sound the alarm on social media (followed by the usual arguments about it being a waste of money vs. pilots needing to train, etc.).
Meanwhile, the jets sent the birds flying…
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A sampling of Wellesley, Mass., meetings and agenda items for the week of Oct. 12, 2026:
Board of Health (Oct. 13, 9am, online)
Chair Report: Budget Discussion; Director Report: Opioid Abatement Fund and Restaurant Update; Nurse Supervisor Report
Select Board (Oct. 13, 6:30pm, online)
Discuss and Vote FY28 Budget Guideline Discussions; Special Town Meeting Preparation • Discuss and Vote Article 7, Town Bylaw Amendments to Article 2, 2A, and 3;
Executive Session (not open to public) • M.G.L. c. 30A, § 21(a)(3), to conduct strategy with respect to negotiation with the Wellesley Patrol Officers Association, Wellesley Superior Officers Association, Dispatch Union, IAFF Local 1795 (Firefighters), Wellesley Free Library Staff Association, and Wellesley Free Library Supervisors Association.
Board of Library Trustees (Oct. 13, 7:15pm, Wellesley Free Library main branch)
Overview of Staffing, Programs, Projects, Buildings and Issues; Grand Opening of Hills, Recap; All Board, Recap; FY28 Capital Request Draft; FY28 Budget Prep and Timeline; FY28 Annual Action Plan Draft; Annual Report to Town
Advisory Committee (Oct. 14, 6:30pm, Town Hall)
Special Town Meeting Article 15 – Citizen Petition • Accelerated School A/C project SUBJECT TO CHANGE; Discussion – Article 14 (all motions) and Article 15 (all motions); Discuss and Vote STM Warrant Motions* • Article 14, Motion 1 – School Air Conditioning Design Funding • Article 14, Motion 2 – School Air Conditioning Design Funding for acceleration at Bates and Fiske • Article 15, Motion 1 – Citizen Petition – Accelerate School Air Conditioning at Bates and Fiske – SUBJECT TO CHANGE • Article 15, Motion 2 – Citizen Petition – early procurement for Schofield– SUBJECT TO CHANGE • Article 15, Motion 3 – Report to 2027 ATM or to any Special Town Meeting before it regarding school air conditioning- SUBJECT TO CHANGE • Article 16 – Citizen Petition – Wight Pond – preparation for acquisition • Article 2, Motion 1 – Consent Agenda • Article 3, Motion 1 – Amend Salary Plan ○ (Discuss Article 8, as needed) • Article 7 – Amend Town Bylaws – Article 2, Article 2A and Article 3
Council on Aging Board (Oct. 15, 4pm, Tolles Parsons Center)
CHAIR’S REPORT Lunch at the COA Wellesley Civil Discourse Initiative Updates from the Board Retreat; Hybrid Meeting Compatibility Update – Tim Fulham; DIRECTOR’S REPORT Gift Acceptance (Vote); Budget / Finance • Monthly Budget update • Quarterly update on Personnel Services; Operations • Assistant Director vacancy update • Volunteer Driver Program research • Massachusetts Councils on Aging Conference; Programming & Community Partnerships • September/October Program Highlights • October 8 Citizens Leadership Academy COA session recap • Wellesley High School student and alumni photography and oral history project; Policy / Board Work • Art Policy Working Group Update • Seasonal Lights Display
Zoning Board of Appeals (Oct. 15, 7:30pm, online)
ZBA 2026-53 Dean Behrend 592 Washington Street (condo project)– continued from September 24, 2026
The Swellesley Report accepts letters to the editor. Letters must be of general local community interest and must be signed. Community shout-outs are also accepted and encouraged. For example, a non-profit may thank an organization for a donation received.
In a letter to the editor this week, Wellesley Neighbors takes it on the road yet again—they get around!
You can see this and previous letters to the editor here.
Please send your letter to the editor to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
The latest Wellesley, Mass. business news:
Spend two days exploring the shops, restaurants, people, stories, and experiences that make Wellesley such a distinctive destination.
Participating Wellesley businesses will bring Discover Wellesley to life in their own ways. New businesses such as My Gym (Parents’ Night Out on Oct. 2 from 5-8pm) and Clarendon Fine Art (Oct. 3, 5-7pm gallery show, talk on the greatest art heists, and some sparkling beverages) will introduce themselves. Longtime favorites like Isabel Harvey (15% off cards featuring fun facts about the retailer) and A.M. DePrisco (20 welcome gift bags, with one featuring fine jewelry inside) will be among the others getting in on the shopping fun.
Enjoy 2-hour free parking at bagged meters in Wellesley commercial areas on Oct. 2 and 3.
The Village Bank, which earlier this month opened its first Wellesley branch at 579 Washington St., will make things formal with a ribbon cutting and open house on Oct. 7 from 9-11am (RSVP to Amy Werner by Oct. 5, 617-467-6101 or awerner@village-bank.com if you’d like to check out that action).
We stopped by ahead of the Sept. 16 opening to get a preview of the 4,300 sq. ft. space, which includes a 24-hour ATM, with bank leadership and staff.
The fact that The Village Bank is occupying the site that served as retailer E.A. Davis’s home for 120 years isn’t lost on the bank officials. Their nods to that history include displays of the former E.A. Davis sign and a cash register in the storefront, plus historical photos on the walls.
We also had a chance to meet Yvonne Piper, whose Piper&Cloth children’s clothing retailer was selected to be the first pop-up shop within the bank’s Village Shop through the holiday season. The bank is working with an outfit called UpNext to match small businesses with the space here (they’ll each stay four-to-six months, rent-free) and in future Village Shops within Village Bank branches in Needham and Newtonville. More than 45 applications have been submitted, and UpNext’s Allison Yee said concepts have ranged from nonprofits to apothecary products to home goods to candy.
Yee is excited about the Village Bank partnership on behalf of small businesses like Piper&Cloth. “There’s a lot that goes into launching a retail shop, and if you have to make long-term commitments and major dollar investments up front before you really get proof of concept, it’s not the best way to go about it. That’s where pop-ups come in,” she said.
Piper said she didn’t even know what a pop-up was when first hearing about this opportunity to set up shop with her natural and sustainable clothing in Wellesley. She has been operating online since 2022, so having a physical shop in Church Square is a brand new opportunity.
“I have a lot of ideas,” Piper said, when asked how she might go about displaying the many offerings she makes available online. “My style is a bit season-less. So even if I have something like a pinafore that is sleeveless, there’s a lot of layering that can happen with it. ”
Piper never attended fashion school and taught herself to sew. Before long she was sewing for herself, family, and friends, and was attracted to the idea of creating children’s clothing that was soft and comfortable. Piper’s still got some of her original designs in her inventory, and intends to include a section of archives in her pop-up.
“It’s like your own vintage shop, it’s coming back,” I said, encouragingly.
“It’s never gone away,” Piper exclaimed.
As we reported over the summer, a new fitness studio called Pvolve is headed to 251 Washington St. in Wellesley Hills this winter. As we also noted, they tout their relationship with actress Jennifer Aniston, and the former Friends star is now plastered all over the windows. Will Aniston be there for you in person at some point? We’ll see…
A tree that fell overnight on Lowell Road blocked the Wellesley street and fell onto what one reader said was a practically new SUV.
The tree did not hit any power lines and Wellesley Park and Tree responded and removed it. The road was closed for about 1 and a half hours while they removed the tree, per Wellesley Police.
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Nine Wellesley High School seniors have been named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists, making them eligible to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $24 million that will be offered next spring. WHS Principal Jamie Chisum and Director of School Counseling Meg Walenden congratulated the students Thursday morning during their Advisory block.
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. About 95% of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
This transportation update is from the MBTA:
This fall, the MBTA is piloting several programs to make riding the T cheaper and a little easier.
Massachusetts residents age 75 and older who no longer have a driver’s license will be eligible to ride all MBTA services—bus, subway, Commuter Rail, and ferry services—for FREE! This pilot is in partnership with the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) and aims to give our older generation more dignity, autonomy, and travel options. The Car-Free Senior Program will be available to the public in fall 2026. Riders will be able to apply for the program online using their Massachusetts ID. Free rides from Wellesley to the T are available Catch Connect.
The MBTA is also starting a new “unlimited” two-hour transfer window.
Starting Sept. 1, riders can make practically unlimited bus, subway and ferry transfers within two hours while paying only once. That means you could stop for coffee, pick up lunch, run an errand and then get back on the T while paying only one fare. (Just remember to use the same payment method). The change should make transferring between buses and the subway more attractive and could ease commuting costs for workers who rely on multiple modes to get to work.
Also, beginning Sept. 1, the T is eliminating its higher express bus fare, dropping the price from $4.25 to the regular $1.70. That includes two routes that use the Pike to get into Boston: the 504 from Watertown through Newton Corner and the 505 from Waltham through West Newton.
Remember, we are not IN TRAFFIC, we ARE TRAFFIC, so try public transit again!
Wellesley College made headlines last year for being the first higher education institution in the country with an all-in $100,000k sticker price. But this week it’s making headlines for offering a tuition-free education for middle-income families.
The school’s “Wellesley Tuition Promise,” starting in fall of 2027, offers free tuition to U.S. students with family incomes of up to $200k and typical assets. The current policy offers a tuition-free education for students with family incomes of up to $150,000.
The college’s 2026-2027 cost of attendance page shows tuition at $72.6k, along with meals, housing and other costs that do get it between $90k-$100k.