Search Results for: From Wayne to Wellesley

Wellesley postal workers on the job despite COVID-19

March 30, 2020 by Deborah Brown 10 Comments

Wellesley Square postal workers are on the job, making sure that home delivery service throughout town remains in place despite COVID-19 concerns. I stopped into the 1 Grove Street office to check on the status of Swellesley’s P.O. box and was greeted with a number of safety measures. All interior doors are propped open so that customers and workers do not need to touch handles; blue tape on the floor marks out 6-foot distances between customers and front-desk employees; and the flower boxes out front maintained by the Wellesley Gardeners’ Guild remain empty for now so that volunteers do not have to perform watering and dead-heading duties.

Wellesley Square Post Office, Wayne — Wayne was working front desk duty when I stopped by. “I brought the flowers in and put up the sign,” he said, which says ‘Just my way to brighten your day and encourage you to stay positive! — Wayne.’

Wellesley Square Post Office — The camera angle is deceiving — from left, Wayne, Mark, and Charlie are keeping a 6-foot distance between them. Shout-out to Mark, who delivers to the Swellesley home.

Beyond Wellesley: Encore Boston Harbor casino fun on a freezing day

January 25, 2020 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

Mr. and Mrs. Swellesley aren’t the gambling types. But it seemed like a safe bet that a visit to the Encore Boston Harbor casino & resort, along with our of-age Swellesley Jr., might be a fun outing on a Saturday featuring temps in the teens.

Getting to and from Everett, where the casino sits among smokestacks and the Boston Harbor, took less than 45 minutes at 11:30am and 3:30pm in what turned out to be a 5-hour adventure overall. Self-parking is free and easy in a garage that connects to the resort and casino.

encore boston.

We decided to take a pre-lunch noonish stroll around the facility, skipping the outdoor harbor walk on this frigid day. The main casino floor sparkles with hundreds and hundreds of slot machines surrounded by table games like roulette and blackjack, all illuminated by red lantern chandeliers. A decent, largely middle-aged crowd filled slot machine seats and circled gaming tables, though many of both were inactive as well.

Mrs. Swellesley commented that the Encore seemed to be catering to our demographic. I wasn’t so sure, based on the easy listening music selection, from Christopher Cross to Sade to James Taylor, being piped into the casino.

The smoke-free gaming floor smells good. It’s bordered by some of Encore’s 15 restaurants, including the roughly $40-per-person Buffet, which looks as if its whimsical decor was ripped off a Tournament of Roses Parade float.

encore boston. — We tried to play by the “no photos on the casino floor” rules by taking 1 from the escalator

Exploring Encore

We ducked off the casino floor to explore the shops (window shopping only for us at the Wynn Collection), where winners might be tempted to splurge. We also took obligatory photos of the bejeweled and flower-covered carousel in the hotel lobby and seemingly random $28 million Jeff Koons sculpture of Popeye the sailor.

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Wellesley Senior men, do not miss this amazing veteran’s talk on Tuesday, Nov. 14

November 11, 2017 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Men’s Group, sponsored by the Wellesley Service League, will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, November 14, 2017 from 2pm – 3pm at the Friendly Aid Building, 219 Washington St. Speaker, Mark Lenci served 30 years in the United States military and then moved to the private sector and a career in information technology. All senior men are invited to attend the lecture and enjoy refreshments and conversation. Please email or call Helen Goins at goins@usa.net or 781-690-7867 if you have any questions.

A veteran’s veteran

Mark’s military career spanned 30 years – 4 years at the US Air Force Academy and 26 years as a Navy officer. He was the first US Air Force Academy graduate to be selected by Admiral Hyman Rickover to cross commission into the Navy nuclear submarine force. He commanded the nuclear fast attack submarine USS Houston (SSN 713). Under his leadership, Houston was recognized as the most improved submarine in the Navy in 1993. Other attack submarine assignments included the USS Los Angeles (SSN 688), Engineer Officer of USS Tullibee (SSN 597), Navigator of USS Trepang (SSN 674), and Executive Officer of the USS Richard B. Russell (SSN 687). Mark made nine six-month deployments to the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic Oceans; and the Mediterranean Sea.

Mark’s “Gold Dolphin” wardroom on deployment in the Western Pacific –
An extremely rare achievement where all officers have earned their gold dolphin submarine warfare pins.

OK, so I want us to get on board with this really cool thing called email…

Mark’s senior staff position was Assistant Chief of Staff for Command, Control, Communications and Computers for the US Seventh Fleet with responsibility for the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean area. Mark was a key leader in the US Navy’s efforts to rapidly insert commercial information technology to enable network centric warfare. He led the effort to put the first e-mail and productivity software on US Navy ships and to connect ships at sea via satellite to wide area networks. Mark was responsible for the development and implementation of “Collaboration at Sea”; a global, web-based, collaborative environment for mobile combat forces specifically for ships of US Navy carrier battle groups connected by intermittent, low bandwidth, satellite channels. This system is used by the US Navy and its allies today.

Mark’s work in the Navy with information technology led him to a second career in information technology, first with Lotus/IBM and, most recently, with Microsoft. The majority of his work at Microsoft was the development of hosted Microsoft software services such as email and real-time communications for businesses. These services are often referred to as “the cloud” or “cloud services” and are branded today as Microsoft Office 365. Cloud services have grown to one of Microsoft’s main businesses. Mark brought the first customer on board in 2005 and has subsequently specialized in the US federal, state, and local government segment of the business. Mark retired from Microsoft in 2013.

The family business

Mark is originally from Minnesota’s “Iron Range” – the iron ore mining area in northeastern Minnesota. His first job was in the family construction business, which was founded by his great-grandfather and grew to a regional enterprise under the direction of his grandfather. He attended the United States Air Force Academy and graduated with distinction in 1975. He took his commission in the Navy and attended Nuclear Power Training in Mare Island, California and Idaho Falls, Idaho. In 1980, Mark and his wife, Beverly, attended the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. He then studied business and international relations in the German language for two years at the University of Cologne, Germany, as an Olmstead Scholar. He has also earned a master’s degree in International Relations from Boston University.

Oh, just a few medals here and there

In 1991, Mark attended the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island and graduated with distinction. Mark’s military awards include the Legion of Merit with three gold stars, the Meritorious Service Medal with one gold star, and the Navy commendation with two gold stars. Ships that Mark has served on have earned four battle efficiency “E’s”; 3 Navy Unit Commendations; 2 Meritorious Unit Commendations; and multiple Navy Expeditionary Medals.

Come sail away

Mark is married to Beverly Dorfman Lenci of Wayne, Pennsylvania. He and Bev live in Natick, Massachusetts and have three children, Rebecca, Nicholas, and Amelia. Mark and Bev have a passion for sailing with friends and family in their 52-foot sailboat,
“Sunflower”. Mark holds a USCG 100 ton Masters License, a RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence, and various other maritime certifications that support their long range sailing plans. He is a member of the Cruising Club of America and the New York Yacht Club.

Wellesley Square postal clerk’s “Gus the Goose” book worth a gander

August 25, 2017 by Bob Brown 6 Comments

Gus the Goose, Wellesley post office — Gus the Goose, with his kid friends

Wayne Watson has learned a thing or two about being efficient during his nearly 30 years as a U.S. Postal Service employee, the past 4 in Wellesley Square as a window clerk. Perhaps that helps to explain how he was able to crank out his first book, called “Gus the Goose”, in about 2 days.

Though Watson actually credits his being a singer/songwriter for helping the words flow easily as he relived raising an orphaned Canada goose baby with his family back around 1999 until Gus heard the call of the wild. Watson also has supplied photos for the book, published by Adolph Caso of Wellesley’s Branden Books and available through Amazon and branden@brandenbooks.com.

“We were going to keep [the gosling] just until my sons came home from school so they could see him, but as soon as they saw him, they begged to keep and raise him. Being well versed in the local wildlife, I agreed and so we adopted and raised Gus,” says Watson, a lifelong Randolph, Mass. resident.

Watson currently has two dogs, and past pets have included a cat, turtles, boa constrictors, pythons, geckos and more. When he retires, Watson hopes to build a log cabin in the northern New England woods, to stay close to nature.

Watson hopes to have a reading of “Gus the Goose” soon in town. And if he needs any props, he won’t have to look far to find a Canada Goose, since they’re basically everywhere these days.

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MORE: Book review: When the English Fall, by David Williams

Bicycle Recycle Day in Wellesley Nov. 16

November 2, 2013 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Bicycles are being collected on Saturday, Nov. 16, 9am-noon at St. Andrews at 79 Denton Rd., in Wellesley for re-use.

Any bicycle is a good bicycle reclamation/re-use, and a portion of proceeds from sale of the bicycles will go to the church.

Questions: contact Dennis Wood 508-277-7513 denwaynewood@yahoo.com

Wellesley Major League Baseball Player Nate Freiman

2005 Wellesley High Graduate, and before that Wellesley Little League player, Nate Freiman cracked the Major Leagues in March 2013 as a right-handed first baseman for the Oakland A’s. He made his debut on April 3, 2013, and had a hit in his first at-bat, going 2 for 3 in the game with a RBI and nice catch. According to this list of Oakland Athletics salaries, Freiman was making the paltry major league minimum: $490K a year.

The A’s released Freiman in late 2015, the Atlanta Braves picked him up. They then dealt him to the Washington Nationals, who released him in the spring of 2016. The Long Island Ducks, unaffiliated with Major League Baseball, signed him, and then the Boston Red Sox signed him to a minor league deal in May 2016.

We helped arrange for a crew of Wellesley Little League players and parents to interview Freiman upon his first time playing at Fenway, and here’s what they came up with.

It’s been a long, twisting road to the majors for the 6-foot 8-inch Freiman, who starred at Duke University as a first baseman after hurting his arm and switching from pitching, which he as known for in high school. The Texas Rangers drafted Freiman in 2008 when he was a junior at Duke, but he did not sign with the Rangers and stayed in school.

The San Diego Padres drafted him the next year and he did head into their system after graduating from Duke as the school’s all-time home run leader and top batting average hitter.

Freiman spent the next 4 years in the minor leagues with teams such as the Fort Wayne Tincaps and San Antonio Missions, especially grabbing attention during 2012 with a powerful season for the Double AA Missions and a 4-homer performance for Israel in the World Baseball Classic qualifiers.

Freiman’s story has also gained national interest because he married Amanda Blumenherst, a professional golfer he met while they attended Duke.

Yes, Nate Freiman is very, very tall:

Nate doing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in August, 2014:

2012 Nate Freiman baseball cards (Bowman)

MORE ON FREIMAN

Freiman named AL Rookie of the Month for May 2013

Wellesley’s Nate Freiman returns to Fenway (Boston Globe, April 2013)

Nate Freiman’s Fenway homecoming emotional

Freiman hits his first major league homer on April 15, 2013 — a bittersweet moment

Curious case of Nate Freiman (Yahoo! Sports)

Wikipedia entry

Freiman makes the A’s

Freiman’s first major league hit, April 3, 2013, vs. Mariners

Wellesley Media “You’re Not Special” video content finalists named

July 25, 2012 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley Media Corp., has narrowed down submissions from around the world to its “You’re Not Special” video contest — inspired by the now famous David McCullough, Jr., commencement speech — to 5 finalists.

Here are the finalists, and Wellesley Media is asking people to vote up those they like best on YouTube. The winner will be picked based on whichever gets the most votes by Aug. 1.

Shine Special – Lloyd Wayne Ambrose Jr.

I Am Special – Ernestas Jasilionis

Special – Heath Smith

Special Yoyo – Dennis Barahona

My Movie – Slavomir Djuric

Wellesley major league baseball prospect Nate Freiman slugging his way up

May 14, 2012 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Nate Freiman, Wellesley’s best bet for a major league baseball player in years, has moved up the ranks again in the San Diego Padres minor league system and is off to a blistering start this season.

Freiman, a star player in Wellesley Little League, Wellesley High School and Duke University, has progressed from the Padres’ Class A teams in Lake Elsinore, Fort Wayne and Eugene to the Double A San Antonio Missions, where the 6-foot-7-inch first baseman was hitting .324 with a Texas League leading 13 homers through the first 35 games. The Padres have 13 homers as a TEAM so far this season, so it looks like they could definitely use a slugger or two on the roster, and no one on their AAA team appears to be in the same class of slugger as the 25-year-old Freiman or his teammate Cody Decker, who also plays first base. (More here on Freiman, Decker).

Jack Sanford: The greatest Wellesley athlete you probably never heard of

Wellesley High students, alumni sparkle at Performing Arts Showcase

November 27, 2011 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

Wellesley High School students and alumni put on a great show Saturday night before a packed house at the soon-to-be shuttered school’s auditorium. While 1968 grad Billy Squier generated the most pre-show buzz — and delivered during the show (see video) — it was the wide variety of skills on display from students and alumni that made the show a success from start to finish. Show organizers did an excellent job of commemorating the old school and old friends without getting too sappy.

The event opened with a jazz combo performance from WHS seniors Matt DiBiase and Harvey Xia, along with 2011 grad Tyler Lash. From there, trumpet virtuoso Stephen Burns took over, with one of several performances during the night that recalled former classmates who have died.

Adam Harrington (left, below; an actor who has appeared on “Scrubs,” etc) and Tim Dowling (movie/TV writer, actor, producer) then began their excellent emceeing of the event, which included special thanks to retired Wellesley High teacher Jeanie Goddard, the event’s visionary (below, red outfit). Among the emcees’ stunts: Dowling showed up in a cowardly lion costume, and joined Harrington in a medley of songs from plays they took part in while at the school during the late 1980s and 1990s. Dowling also recounted an ill-advised performance of Batman, which got complicated when he belatedly realized it took a long time for an actor to switch from a rubber Batman suit into a Bruce Wayne suit. They related one story about Harrington’s brother Jay, also an actor, who once accidently mooned the audience during a play on the WHS stage, and later flashed to a clip from one of his TV shows during which he dropped his drawers. They also drew laughs from the crowd for a re-enactment of the old “turf wars” between the gangs of Wellesley Hills and Wellesley (“preps vs the preps”) back before the 1938 Wellesley High School building united the separate parts of town vs. Needham.

The slew of talented performers during the first half of the show included: Olivia Buckley, who sang a song from “A Chorus Line”; poet Nazaleem Cecile Smith, who got the audience involved in reading one of her poems; wife and husband Susan and Rich Bailey who led the singing of a folk tune; and opera singer Eileen (McLoughlin) Christiansen. Current students also performed a number, and a video montage highlighted works of alumni in TV and movies, including from such shows as The Simpsons (the emcees stressed that Bart did not go to WHS).

billy squier wellesley high november 2011 — Olivia Buckley

poet Wellesley High School — Nazaleem Cecile Smith

Eileen Christiansen WHS opera — Eileen Christiansen

After intermission, contemporary singers Sarah Blacker and Kayla Ringelheim (and Yancil Cooper) performed separately, with Blacker dedicating her song to her old Wellesley home that got torn down and replaced by a McMansion. Violinist Kelsey Woerner and musical theatre alumni showed off their talents, and set the stage for Squier, who cranked up the noise level in belting out two old hits, “In the Dark” and “Everybody Wants You.”

Show producer/singer Beth Carrillo Thomas and the Rock Ensemble wrapped up the night, joining the crowd on a heartfelt version of John Lennon and Paul McCarthy’s “In My Life. The rest of the performers as well as Goddard also took the stage, holding aloft LED candles that were also distributed to the audience. Goddard commanded everyone to “Turn Out The Lights” at the end of the song, which created a fitting finale.

Although things weren’t quite finished… Friend of The Swellesley Report Artie Doran and the Rock Ensemble sent the crowd off with a set of school-themed songs, including “School’s Out For The Summer.”

All throughout the show, pianist Chad Weirick and a crew of student volunteers kept the night flowing smoothly. Even when a technical difficulty or two did surface, the performers and emcees handled the situations with ease and good humor. Dowling chimed in at one point, when an instrument wouldn’t power up, that it was times like these when you wish Wellesley wasn’t a dry town.

(For those of you who didn’t attend or want to see the performance again, keep an eye on Wellesley cable listings, as Wellesley Media was on the scene)

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Wellesley baseball star Nate Freiman moves up a notch in Padres’ system

May 16, 2011 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Nate Freiman, the Wellesley High and Duke University grad who is working his way through the San Diego Padres farm system, moved up a notch this spring to the Lake Elsinore Storm of the Class A-Advanced California League. Last year he played for the Single A Fort Wayne Tincaps of the Midwest League. Previously he was with the Eugene Emeralds.

Freiman is one of the team’s top power hitters, with 6 homers and 30 RBIs in 37 games. He recently hit 4 homers in four games. Who knows, maybe he could wind up being the next Adrian Gonzalez, the former Padres first baseman now playing for the Red Sox.

Fun fact: The towering Freiman, who is listed as being 6 feet 7 inches tall, actually has two pitchers on his team who are even taller.

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