Wellesley speaker event—”The State of the Charles River”
Brush fires contained in Wellesley
There’s a red flag warning across the state for fire danger, and indeed, Wellesley has not been immune to brush fires in recent days.
Wellesley Fire is working a brush fire along the eastbound side of Rt. 135 just prior to Bacon St. The fire is knocked down. Rt. 135 is closed between Pond Rd. and Weston Rd. while crews overhaul the area. pic.twitter.com/26BWbMLkMG
— Wellesley Police (@WellesleyPolice) November 3, 2024
WPD is assisting the Fire Department on Elm St with a truck and leaf fire. Fire is contained. pic.twitter.com/xGfc5e9t0g
— Wellesley Police (@WellesleyPolice) November 5, 2024
Wellesley Fire officials and local leaders are urging residents to use extra caution with open flames and other outdoor heat sources.
Postseason begins for Wellesley High sports
The Wellesley High School girls swim & dive team got the postseason off to a strong start with Bay State Conference and South Sectional victories, relying on team depth.
The boys golf team finished fourth in the state finals, with Aarav Lavu taking 9th in the individual competition.
The brackets have been set for a slew of other sports, with Wellesley teams competing in boys and girls soccer, field hockey, football, and volleyball.
The 9th-ranked field hockey team shut out Needham in its first game and faces Bishop Feehan in the round of 16 on Nov. 5.
Volleyball (9-9) got bounced by Quincy in the round of 32.
Both soccer teams had strong seasons. The boys (10-5-3) take on Lexington on Nov. 6 on the road, while the second-ranked girls (14-3-1) host Plymouth North on Nov. 5.
The football team, ranked #5 in Division 2, hosts Plymouth North on Nov. 8.
More on the brackets and results.
Wellesley School Committee to vote on 2025-26 school year calendar changes Nov. 19
The School Committee on Nov. 19 will take a vote on the Academic Calendar Task Force‘s recommendations regarding the observance of religious and cultural holidays within the Wellesley Public Schools Academic Calendar.
The School Committee will deliberate during public Zoom meetings on Nov. 12 and Nov. 19, and there will be opportunities for public comment. Feedback can also be communicated via email to school_committee@wellesleyps.org
The recommendations
The Academic Task Force recommends that starting with the 2025-26 school year, four static holidays should be included as days off. The envisioned breakdown is that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur should be retained as holidays, while Lunar New Year, and Eid al-Fitr (or Eid Al-Adha, depending on the year) should be added. The removal of Diwali and Good Friday is recommended.
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Good Friday have been included as days off since the 1990s, ending the previous policy of keeping schools open during religious and cultural holidays. Diwali made its first appearance on the school calendar for the 2024-25 school year. If the School Committee votes to accept the Task Force’s recommendations, Lunar New Year and Eid will be added for the first time, reflecting not only an increase in diversity in Wellesley, but the school community’s desire that all religious and cultural communities feel valued and represented.
Although Good Friday is celebrated by far more survey respondents than any other holiday listed, a memo from task force leaders and School Committee members asserted: “Survey results indicated less consensus around the need for a no-school holiday for Good Friday, especially among parents/caregivers and teachers/staff.”
The 25-member Academic Calendar Task Force, which has held about a dozen public meetings since April 2024, is headed up by School Committee chair Linda Chow and vice chair Niki Ofenlach. Rounding out the group are Wellesley Public Schools parents and caregivers, including former School Committee member Leda Eizenberg, who serves as the Task Force secretary; Wellesley public schools staff members and leaders, including Supt. David Lussier; and four WHS students.
Survey says…
Results from 6,700 surveys sent out to teachers/staff, parents/caregivers and students (8th – 12th grades) in mid-September reflected that high-importance holiday-related issues included maximizing summer break. Seems the emotional end to the school year is now officially June 19 (Juneteenth), a federal holiday since 2021, and thus a day off. The motivation to head back to school after that day in order to get in the requisite 180 days is pretty much nonexistent. Also, a lack of air conditioning in some school buildings has become a hot-button issue over the past few years. Minimizing child care needs during the school year, as well as ensuring all religious and cultural communities feel valued and represented on the academic calendar were also strong themes that emerged from the survey results.
Out of the 2,607 surveys that were filled out (a 39% response rate), Wellesley Middle School’s 8th graders deserve a shout-out for their high level of engagement—84% of them chimed in, representing 262 total responses. Since we brought this up, the rest of the survey participation results broke down as follows:
Teachers & Staff: 468 responses (42%)
Parents/Caregivers: 1,333 responses (approx. 33%)
WMS Students (8th grade only): 262 responses (84%)
WHS Students: 560 responses (44%)
Note: Teachers/staff members who are also parents are represented in both categories.
Celebrants and observers
The survey results reflect the number of respondents that celebrate/observe holidays listed in the survey break down as follows:
- Rosh Hashanah 307
- Yom Kippur: 298
- Good Friday: 803
- Diwali: 78
- Lunar New Year: 293
- Eid al-Fitr: 97
- None of these: 1,114
Write-in holidays with 15+ responses, a category that could indicate where future discussions on holidays could go, included:
- Eastern Orthodox Easter (21)
- Eastern Orthodox Good Friday (23)
- Eid al-Adha (65)
- Mid-Autumn Festival (21)
- Eastern Orthodox Christmas (15)
- Passover (18)
Attend the next meetings
Nov. 12—School Committee meeting (Zoom link to be provided soon)
Nov. 19—School Committee meeting (Zoom link to be provided soon)
Vote will be taken on Academic Task Force’s recommendations for the 2025-26 school calendar
Wellesley guide to Tuesday’s Presidential/State Election Day
The Presidential/State Election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Out of Wellesley’s 18,160 active registered voters, about 50% of them have already voted, either by mail or during the early voting period, according to the Wellesley Town Clerk’s office.
Among those voting early was Isabelle, a first year student from Texas atteding Wellesley College.
If you haven’t voted yet, you can do so either in-person at the polls, or drop off your Vote by Mail ballot at Town Hall, or at the police station drop box. Here are the details:
Vote in-person, at the polls
Polls will be open 7am-8pm on Tuesday, Nov. 5
Wellesley Precinct locations (Some of the polling locations have changed. See Map.)
- NEW LOCATION: Precincts A and C: Upham Elementary School, 35 Wynnewood Rd.
- Precinct B: Sprague Elementary School, 401 School St.
- Precincts D and E: Warren Building, 90 Washington St.
- Precincts F and G: Shipley Center, Dana Hall School, 142 Grove St.
- Precinct H: Tolles Parsons Center, Council on Aging, 500 Washington St.
Don’t know what precinct you’re in? Find out here.
Drop off your Vote by Mail ballot
If you requested a Vote by Mail ballot, it must be POSTMARKED or hand delivered no later than 8pm on Tuesday Nov. 5, 2024 to Temporary Town Hall at 888 Worcester Street, Suite 140 (ballots must be brought inside to Suite 140–there is not a drop box at Temporary Town Hall). Ballots may also be brought to the secure drop box at the Police Station at 485 Washington Street.
At this point, do not try to send your Vote by Mail ballot via the United States Postal Service, as it will likely not be postmarked or delivered by the deadline.
Vote by Mail ballots may NOT be dropped off at polling locations.
Voters who have received a Vote by Mail ballot may change their mind and vote in-person only if they have not returned their ballot. Only the first ballot submitted will be counted.
Offices on Ballot
- Electors of President and Vice President
- U.S. Senator in Congress
- U.S. Representative in Congress
- Governor’s Councillor
- State Senator in General Court
- State Representative in General Court
- Clerk of Courts
- Register of Deeds
- County Commissioner (certain counties only)
- Additional local offices (certain cities and towns)
Here are the sample ballots
Sample ballot for Wellesley precincts A, B, C, D, G, H
Sample ballot for Wellesley precincts E, F
The ballot questions
Massachusetts voters are asked to weigh in on five ballot questions ranging from the MCAS test to the legalization of some psychedelic substances. The State sent an information packet on the ballot questions by USPS to all residences (not just those of registered voters). Last saw yours around a couple of weeks ago but aren’t sure where it ended up? No problem, the entire packet can be located online here.
Race is on for Wellesley’s Boston Marathon invitational bibs
As one of the communities along the Boston Marathon route, the town of Wellesley this year gets 25 invitational entries for the April 21, 2025 race to dole out to local nonprofits, those interested in participating on behalf of the town’s War Memorial Scholarship Fund, and fire and police employees.
Nonprofits seeking a number to use for fundraising can fill out an application by 4pm on Nov. 22. Runners interested in taking part in the marathon as a fundraiser for the War Memorial Scholarship Fund can fill out a separate application by the same deadline; individuals are also welcome to connect with nonprofits that are recruiting marathon participants.
All runners receiving an invitational entry are expected to raise a minimum of $5,000.
The Wellesley Select Board will designate the organizations and War Memorial Scholarship Fund runners who will receive invitational entries for the 2025 race at its Tuesday, Dec. 3 meeting.
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Wellesley business buzz: New life for Church Square bike shop; Ownership change at Roche Bros.
The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:
New life for Church Square bike shop?
Papa Wheelies in October closed its shop at Church Square, but the word is that an employee from the shop is working with the property owner to reopen a bike shop at the same location soon.
Papa Wheelies opened in Wellesley in spring of 2022 after relocating from Rte. 9 in Natick. It provided area cyclists with a full line of hybrid, mountain, electric and road bikes as well as accessories.
“We believe that it is a viable business and that with a local owner/operator the store will continue to be well supported by the local community,” the property owner says.
Ownership change at Roche Bros.
Universal Hub reports that members of the family owning Roche Bros. are selling a controlling interest in the supermarket company to a Connecticut food supplier and longtime partner.
From Universal Hub:
Family members who are retiring from the grocery business are selling 51% of RBSBW, Inc., the Mansfield company that owns the supermarkets, to Michael Bozzuto, owner of Bozzuto’s in Cheshire, CT, Roche Bros. attorney Andrew Upton told the Boston Licensing Board yesterday at a hearing to request approval of a change in corporate ownership at the West Roxbury and Downtown Crossing Roche Bros. stores.
Aside from the composition of the company’s ownership, “there are no changes to any aspect of operation, hours, management, floor plans,” Upton said. “No aspect of any location here or anywhere in Massachusetts is changing.”
Know of businesses coming or going? Don’t keep it to yourself: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com