
AN OPEN LETTER TO MY FAMILY OF FRIENDS OF THE WELLESLEY COMMUNITY:

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
AN OPEN LETTER TO MY FAMILY OF FRIENDS OF THE WELLESLEY COMMUNITY:
The Wellesley Natural Resources Commission, down a commissioner following the recent move out of state by 1 elected member, is slated to interview 8 candidates and select a new member at its Thursday, Nov. 3 meeting. The meeting starts at 6:30pm and you can watch it live on TV at Comcast 8 or Verizon 40, or by streaming it.
The 5-member Commission’s stated mission is “to provide stewardship, education and advocacy of the Town of Wellesley park, conservation, and open space system.”
The appointed replacement will serve until the next town election in March.
The candidates:
Update 11/4/22: Rosalen dropped out before the NRC’s recommendation meeting.
Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
Wellesley Theatre Project this month presents PUFFS, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, on Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7pm and Sunday, Oct. 30 at 2pm.
All performances will take place at the Wellesley Theatre Project Studio Theater at 219 Washington St, Wellesley. Tickets cost $18 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, and may be purchased online in advance, or at the door for $20 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. All audience members are required to wear a mask.
PUFFS is the story of Wayne Hopkins: a regular boy who finds out he’s a Wizard and goes to school in England where he makes two best friends and has adventures.
PUFFS features a cast, composed of 11 students between the ages of eleven and seventeen. PUFFS is written by Matt Cox is produced through
special arrangements with Concord Theatricals.
Wellesley Theatre Project is an arts academy and nonprofit devoted to providing students (PreK – 12th Grade) with the opportunity to study and experience theatre and performing arts through year-round classes, staged productions, workshops and summer camps.
Upcoming performances include including Children of Eden Jr. (Dec. 2-4) and Dot and the Kangaroo Jr. (Dec. 16-18).
Wellesley Theatre Project this month presents PUFFS, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, on Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7pm and Sunday, Oct. 30 at 2pm.
All performances will take place at the Wellesley Theatre Project Studio Theater at 219 Washington St, Wellesley. Tickets cost $18 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, and may be purchased online in advance, or at the door for $20 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. All audience members are required to wear a mask.
PUFFS is the story of Wayne Hopkins: a regular boy who finds out he’s a Wizard and goes to school in England where he makes two best friends and has adventures.
PUFFS features a cast composed of 11 students between the ages of eleven and seventeen. PUFFS is written by Matt Cox is produced through special arrangements with Concord Theatricals.
Wellesley Theatre Project is an arts academy and nonprofit devoted to providing students (PreK – 12th Grade) with the opportunity to study and experience theatre and performing arts through year-round classes, staged productions, workshops and summer camps.
Wellesley Theatre Project this month presents PUFFS, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, on Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7pm and Sunday, Oct. 30 at 2pm.
All performances will take place at the Wellesley Theatre Project Studio Theater at 219 Washington St, Wellesley. Tickets cost $18 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, and may be purchased online in advance, or at the door for $20 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. All audience members are required to wear a mask.
PUFFS is the story of Wayne Hopkins: a regular boy who finds out he’s a Wizard and goes to school in England where he makes two best friends and has adventures.
PUFFS features a cast composed of 11 students between the ages of eleven and seventeen. PUFFS is written by Matt Cox is produced through special arrangements with Concord Theatricals.
Wellesley Theatre Project is an arts academy and nonprofit devoted to providing students (PreK – 12th Grade) with the opportunity to study and experience theatre and performing arts through year-round classes, staged productions, workshops and summer camps.
Wellesley Theatre Project this month presents PUFFS, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, on Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7pm and Sunday, Oct. 30 at 2pm.
All performances will take place at the Wellesley Theatre Project Studio Theater at 219 Washington St, Wellesley. Tickets cost $18 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, and may be purchased online in advance, or at the door for $20 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. All audience members are required to wear a mask.
PUFFS is the story of Wayne Hopkins: a regular boy who finds out he’s a Wizard and goes to school in England where he makes two best friends and has adventures.
PUFFS features a cast composed of 11 students between the ages of eleven and seventeen. PUFFS is written by Matt Cox is produced through special arrangements with Concord Theatricals.
Wellesley Theatre Project is an arts academy and nonprofit devoted to providing students (PreK – 12th Grade) with the opportunity to study and experience theatre and performing arts through year-round classes, staged productions, workshops and summer camps.
It’s not as if the public has had any shortage of outlets, this publication included, in which to share its thoughts on the School Committee’s proposal to install lights at the Hunnewell Track & Field to accommodate night games and practices. But a public hearing held on Thursday, Feb. 17 by the Natural Resources Commission, the elected group with oversight of the land, provided another welcome forum for those with thoughts about the issue to have their voices heard. The hearing begins about 4 minutes into the Wellesley Media recording, and lasts for a couple of hours, with the public comments mainly taking up the first hour’s worth.
Before the public comments began, NRC Chair Raina McManus proposed that the committee vote on the issue at its March 3 meeting, though following later discussion that was pushed until March 17. That March 3 meeting comes two days after the town election, an event referenced by speakers, not without meaning. McManus seeks to defend her seat on the Commission in that election vs. Lisa Collins.
The hearing, which has followed a series of NRC meetings in recent months covering the issue, attracted many familiar proponents and opponents. Comments began with those from a string of neighbors or others against the proposal for a variety of reasons, including concerns about noise, environmental impact, traffic, and noise. They appealed to the NRC to stick to its policies when making a decision.
“We are trying to wind down at night,” said field neighbor Jeanne Mayell, kicking off the comments. “We need sleep to be healthy. We need quiet. People with kids need to get their kids to bed. Everyone else who comes to these games, they can go home at night, they can go home when they want to. But not the neighbors around Hunnewell Field if you pass this proposal…”
Judith Barr poked holes in a lights impact study used by the schools in part to back its proposal, and said she made a public records request to obtain and share full results of a neighbors survey with schools and the NRC that she said showed more significant neighborhood concerns that had been highlighted in public meetings. “Yes, there is a playing field problem, but it’s not going to be solved by this proposal,” she said, urging the NRC to vote against it.
Field neighbor Wayne Everett, advocating against the proposal, boiled down the plan for permanent lights as “a desire to play Friday night football” and questioned the need more field opportunities for the high school. Pointing to a need cited in a Playing Fields Task Force report for more fields for town youth sports and referring to underuse of current Hunnewell playing fields, Everett said he was encouraged that a field utilization study is being pursued. “As in the past, Hunnewell field upgrades are again being handled piecemeal. Here again we have the cart before the horse. There is a study on how to optimize fields, while at the same time proposing to add lights. Do it the correct way: Have a completely established plan for total field utilization before moving ahead on anything.”
In all, about 20 residents had their voices heard, about three-quarters of them against the proposal. This despite encouragement from school officials and School Committee members for those in favor of the proposal to speak up at the meeting.
The School Committee earlier in the week discussed the status of the lights proposal (about 2 hours into the Wellesley Media proposal), and expressed frustration about the process. Some NRC members and neighbors have proposed trying out rental lights on a limited basis, but School Committee Member Linda Chow said temporary lights aren’t a viable option, and she planned to share documentation of that to the NRC. Chair Catherine Mirick at one point said during the School Committee meeting: “At their last meeting it was said that ‘It is not up to us to say what we think is appropriate, our job is to judge what comes before us.’ I’m sorry, if their job is not to say what’s appropriate on NRC land… I don’t know what their job should be…”
Among those who spoke in favor of the proposal at the NRC hearing was longtime high school neighbor Chris Spagnuola. “We live with a 3,000-ton commuter train that plows through our town over 40 times a day, we live with new construction that has destroyed wildlife and insect life. Will four light posts harm the public any more than those past examples?” he asked. The resident said he believes public comments on this topic go back as far as 2007, and stated that four independent task forces since then have been in favor of lights. “The NRC continues to delay, and ignore its role as representatives and thoughtful collaborators,” he said.
A couple of other speakers recalled the fun had at night games of the past, and argued in favor of making this a more regular option in town. Molly Bruni, a resident and WHS grad, recalls enjoying a night game when she was a high school senior in the 1990s. “I remember my friends piling into the family station wagon excited to cheer on the Raiders under the lights in Framingham. I also remember thinking how fun this would be if it was in Wellesley…” Bruni said. “I paint this picture for you tonight in the name of progress. We need to move forward. This field light request is not new. It is not a pet project…,” she continued, emphasizing the important role lights could play as a community resource.
One other speaker in favor of lights, Andrew Boyle, raised the issues of “obesity, mental health, and electronic addictions” and the need for kids to play. He also stressed what he called the “extremely limited” scope of the project. “We are not talking about a Fenway Park arrangement here. Yes, there will be a handful of night games for some of the varsity sports. But what we’re mostly trying to accomplish here is finishing day practices and games…,” he said.
Following public comments, NRC members discussed the topic, with a couple of them raising the issue of next steps. The NRC’s Jay McHale asked: “How do we anticipate as a board to move this to some conclusion?” When the NRC votes, he’d like to see each board member summarize how they see the change-of-use criteria being met or not by the proposal.
NRC Member Laura Robert, who has previously stated her opposition to the proposal, acknowledged that the pressure is on for the commission to vote, and that that might be the way to go. “If it passes, great. If it doesn’t, keep working…” she said. “I don’t know how you get out of the logjam if you don’t vote.”
In the end, the NRC decided it will reach out to the School Committee to let it know of plans to vote March 17, and to give the School Committee a deadline to make any changes to its proposal before that.
The 53rd Wellesley Veterans Parade became the grand finale for this fall’s Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend activities after the fireworks and picnic in the park were nixed due to weather concerns.
The parade provided a solid afternoon’s worth of entertainment, however, as the town cheered on a long list of honorees, chauffeured in a variety of fancy vehicles, and were treated to marching bands, school floats, and more.
We hunkered down initially in front of Wellesley Free Library, to get Town Hall in the background of our photos, then ventured down toward Wellesley Square near the review stand.
Below is our roundup of the sights and sounds from Sunday’s event. Next up: Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend returning in May.
Dr. Andra Johnson was one of the first students in the 1970s to attend Wellesley High School as part of the A Better Chance (ABC) program. Fast forward a few years, and now Dr. Johnson has joined the ABC Board of Directors. “I’m excited to focus on helping the Wellesley ABC program to build and maintain a strong post-graduate alumnae network,” she said. “And, I’m thrilled to have a chance to give back to this program and help these amazing young scholars.”
The Allegheny College graduate also holds a masters in social work from Case Western Reserve University, a Doctor of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California, and has served as a Captain in the Army.
“Dr. Johnson will bring important insights from her time as a Wellesley ABC student of color that will help us with the many decisions we make to constantly improve our program,” said Debora White, director of alumnae affairs. “Alumnae giving back to our program is so valuable, whether it’s joining our Board of Directors or giving advice about high school extracurriculars or career development.”
Dr. Johnson currently runs a private practice in Fort Wayne, IN, which offers social work consultation and clinical supervision services, including policy advocacy, in Black women’s cardiovascular disease care. She recently authored a chapter in The International Handbook of Black Community Mental Health.
The Foundation for MetroWest has organized a series of virtual activities, including a month-long MetroWest Qwest in April.
MetroWest Qwest designed to inspire children and families to foster a deeper connection to where they live through various at-home activities and local MetroWest field trips that highlight the region. Participants will use an interactive platform to complete various challenges throughout the month that focus on topics such as arts & culture, the environment, history, and much more. Along the way, participants will collect points for each challenge completed and race to the top of the MetroWest Quest leaderboard! Prizes will be distributed to the top families who complete the challenge.
Challenges include:
The Foundation will provide participants with resources every step of the challenge! To join in the fun, register here and a link to the interactive webpage will be shared with you by March 28. The event is free to all but a suggested donation is encouraged to support our work.
This event is a part of the 2021 Spring Inspiration Virtual Series taking place March through May of 2021. We are thankful for our generous supporters how helped make this series possible!
The Wellesley Free Library Board of Trustees is seeking interested candidates to fill a board vacancy.
A vacancy has come up because former Trustees member Ann-Mara Lanza was elected to the Select Board in the March 2nd town election.
The Trustees, together with the Select Board, will appoint an individual to a term beginning in April 2021 and continuing until the annual Town election in March 2022. All Wellesley residents are welcome to apply.
There are six trustees on the Board. These individuals work to provide opportunities for the WFL to fulfill its mission as a community gathering place, a cultural destination, and a gateway to ideas for Library patrons of all ages and interests.
A trustee typically spends several hours per week working on board assignments, attends monthly meetings that alternate between days and evenings, and attends meetings with other Town boards and officials.
This is a volunteer position. See the complete Board of Library Trustee position description.
Interested residents should contact Library Director Jamie Jurgensen at jjurgensen@minlib.net by Friday, March 26, 2021.
Welcome back to a post-Labor Day Wellesley that looks a lot different than those of years past. We can remember end-of-summer times when our family just barely skidded back into town ahead of the first day of school. Off we sent the kids, practically tracking beach sand into the classroom.
Times have changed. Given that the Wellesley Public Schools, in light of the coronavirus pandemic, has switched over to a hybrid model of learning that doesn’t start until mid-September, many families may have chosen to hunker down at their summer escape spots for a little while longer. And why not? Remote instruction for students starts September 16th. The transition to a hybrid model that includes in-person instruction will begin on October 1st. So those who have reluctantly left their happy places all too early year after year suddenly have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to extend the season.
Here are some other highlights from Wellesley that you might have missed over the summer:
Hundreds of people, many holding signs bearing the names of those killed in recent years while in police custody, lined Washington Street in Wellesley from Reidy Field past the tennis courts in a mostly silent vigil. SEE PICS.
The somber crowd, facing the road as honking vehicles drove by, urged justice for George Floyd and an end to police brutality. Floyd died in Minneapolis on May 25 after being pinned to the ground by a police officer who kneeled on his neck for over 8 minutes. READ MORE
We had missed the Wellesley Free Library terribly since it closed in March due to COVID-19 concerns, so you can bet we rushed right in to get a first look at the main branch the second it opened. No matter how many rules we had to follow (and there are a lot of rules) it didn’t matter. We just wanted to drift through one of our old haunts and remember better days. READ MORE.
About 200 Wellesley High School graduates took part in a scaled down but still rewarding ceremony to celebrate the Class of 2020’s launch to the future. The entire ceremony clocked in at a bit over an hour and a half. READ MORE. SEE THE VIDEO.
Three recent Wellesley High School 2020 graduates took up their paintbrushes and completed a long-planned project for their WHS Art Intensive course. It had been a long time coming. First the public artwork, a 6′ x 27′ mural-style painting on the curved brick wall at the corner of Linden and Everett Streets, faced delays due to the coronavirus pandemic. Next, the artists were challenged by 90+ degree temperatures. No matter, they got out there and made it happen. Project mentor Alexander Golob said, “The result is a joyous and playful mural that showcases various animals doing activities that community members told us they were doing during the pandemic, baking, listening to music, playing soccer, going for picnics.” READ MORE
Wellesley’s Felicity Bortolan used to remove her wedding ring before showering. But that routine is no more after a close call this summer during a dump run.
“I’m completely fanatical about where I put stuff and my ring, I always take off and put in the same place when I shower,” she says of the jewelry, which marks 21 years of marriage to her husband Paul. “However there were tissues and other things that were on the counter and these covered my ring. In the sheer hurriedness of getting to the dump I swept the trash off the counter and tied the bag. Paul took it to the dump.” READ MORE, SEE THE ROCKS
Colette Aufranc, who cited her financial experience and school volunteer efforts as prepping her for a seat on Wellesley’s Board of Selectmen, won a close Special Election race over two other candidates. Just over half of all registered voters cast ballots. Aufranc’s competition for the position were Gwen Baker and Odessa Sanchez. READ MORE
Don’t be alarmed if you notice the 2-dial Wellesley Square clock disappearing in coming weeks. It’s getting a facelift and more. This Wellesley landmark is being completely renovated and hopefully will be back before the holiday season, says the Department of Public Works’ Mike Quinn, who is superintendent of the Park & Highway Division. YOU’VE GOT TIME TO READ MORE
The Wellesley Police Department has welcomed Winnie, a 10-month old English Cream Golden Retriever, as its community resource service dog. SEE THE CUTE PUP
It’s not what you think. READ MORE
Wayne says, “For approximately the past 10+ years I have had the pleasure & honor of being your “Window #2 postal clerk” at the Wellesley Square Post Office. It has truly been a great & rewarding run! It is time for me, however, to venture on into life’s next adventure as I will be retiring from the United States Postal Service on June 30th after 32 & 1/2 years of employment.” READ MORE