More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
SPONSORED CONTENT: Thanks to The Cottage Wellesley for their swell sponsorship our restaurants page, which lists over 50 dining options in Wellesley. The Cottage makes eating healthy, quality food a priority while creating a welcoming space to celebrate special occasions or simply time spent with loved ones. Connecting with friends and family is best done over a meal and best done in Wellesley at The Cottage, located in Linden Square.
After a July that brought thirteen days during which temperatures reached over 90 degrees, combined with a measly 0.62″ of rainfall in the Boston area according to the National Weather Service, brown lawns in Wellesley are having a moment, and maybe even a proud one at that. After all, how better to virtue signal, “in this house we believe climate change is real,” than by taking the sprinkler system offline and letting nature take its course? Seems more authentic to us than plunking down a sign with a long list of strident phrases.
Lately as we drove around the various neighborhoods of Wellesley, manicured green lawns certainly were in evidence, but seemed to be in the minority. One reason could be that the town hasn’t made it effortless for homeowners to keep the grass green on either side of the fence. Restrictions put in place last spring mandated an alternate-day outdoor watering schedule for homes and businesses, a ban on outdoor watering between 9am and 5 pm, and a request to reduce the amount of outdoor watering time by 20 percent.
Could the tide be turning against the perfect green lawn as the ultimate outdoor status symbol? It’s too early to call brown Wellesley lawns a trend, but the situation bears watching. It’s not too late to join in. Although the long-term forecast calls for more civilized temperatures in the 70s and 80s, and it looks like some rainclouds are on the horizon, summer is far from over. Your lawn can still transition to a beautiful brown expanse, a nonverbal embodiment of your feelings about water conservation.
But for those who simply must have their yard signs, can we suggest this one: “The lawn is dormant, but our commitment to the environment is wide awake.”
From the archives (2011): Who says Wellesley is a dry town?
Wellelsey appears to have introduced a new traffic calming system at the Wellesley Square post office. A line-up of Canada Geese put the brakes on drivers looking to visit or circle the mailboxes in front of the post office this week. Thanks to reader Priscilla Messing for sharing.
Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
When Maria Paz Lopez-Benitez entered the Wellesley High School auditorium on Thursday, she moved confidently on crutches through a tunnel of teachers and applauded by friends and family. More than two months after hundreds of classmates secured diplomas at the traditional graduation ceremony, she was on the way to pick up hers at a special event.
Lopez-Benitez was severely injured in a car crash on the morning of June 3, when she and her friends were driving to the graduation rehearsal. The senior sustained a broken leg, along with other injuries, and was hospitalized for a month.
The hospital wasn’t all bleak, however. Lopez-Benitez said her friends made sure there was someone at her side at all times. They even made a spreadsheet so they knew who should be there and when.
Many were also there on Thursday, at a special ceremony that included speeches from WHS Principal Dr. Jamie Chisum, teachers, and several friends.
The cross country team co-captain was described by friends as “the strongest person I know,” and “incredible,” and “loud,” which elicited quite a few laughs. While a briefer event minus the reading of hundreds of graduate names, the ceremony included many of the usual graduation proceedings. Lopez-Benitez was called to the stage by the class president, received her diploma (and a hug) from Dr. Chisum. She threw her cap in the air after moving the tassel to the left side.
Lopez-Benitez will be taking a gap year, to, as she put it, “learn how to walk again.” After that, she’ll head to Pomona College in California, where she plans to study biology, in the hopes of later joining the medical field.
The new grad’s recovery hasn’t been completely straightforward. She had to return to the hospital several times due to infections related to her injuries, and she has yet to get the green light for physical therapy. That being said, Lopez-Benitez seemed in good spirits, and like at the hospital, she was surrounded by friends as she left the ceremony.
SPONSORED CONTENT: Below are homes sold in Wellesley July 21-August 2, 2022, as listed in the MLS database. Note, these are homes that went under contract an average of 60 days before closing. Spring prices were exceptionally strong, peaking in April, as was overbidding and multiple offers. It is still a strong sellers’ market, however, as interest rates have continued to rise, agents have definitely seen fewer multiple offers, and wild overbidding has come back down to Earth.
Average list price: $1,815,996
Average sale price: $1,873,284
Our roundup of the latest Wellesley arts news:
Wellesley College’s Davis Museum, closed as usual for the summer, will return this fall with a handful of new exhibits open to the school community and the general public.
Among the exhibits, slated to be shown from Sept. 15 to Dec. 18:
Wellesley Free Library’s hallway exhibit features the colorful, abstract work of self-taught artist Clare Daniels, who lives in Framingham.
Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
Vote by Mail
Vote by Mail ballots are still available, but you must return your application no later than Monday Aug. 29, 2022 at 5pm (you may have already received an application by mail). Applications may be returned via email at Elections@WellesleyMA.gov, via the Town Hall Drop Box or via US Mail to 525 Washington St., Wellesley, MA 02482.
Vote Early In-Person
In-Person Early Voting will be at Town Hall, Saturday Aug. 27, 2022 through Friday Sept. 2, 2022.
Election Day – Vote at the Polls!
To learn who is on the ballot, go to the State Elections website.
For more information, go to the Wellesley Website or email Elections@WellesleyMA.gov.
Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
