Where the heck is Elm Bank Reservation anyway?

Got a letter from a Dover resident recently taking exception to our essential ownership of the swell park on Rte. 16 as part of Wellesley. He assured us that 100% of Elm Bank, across the river anyway, is in Dover.

This caught us by some surprise. After all, both Mass Hort and the Mass Department of Conservation and Recreation use Wellesley addresses.

But sure enough, DCR confirms that our Dover reader is right:

 

"Our GIS department has provided me with a map of Elm Bank and your reader is right..almost.  The only part of the reservation that is in Wellesley is the main access road which explains why the addresses of the reservation and Mass Hort are in Wellesley.  The town line between Wellesley and Dover runs through the middle of the Charles River on Elm Bank’s western, northern and eastern boundaries."

Mass Hort Executive Director Bob Feige concurs:

 

"As the DCR to suggested, the entrance is in Wellesley but once you cross the Cheney Bridge you are in Dover."

So here's the deal: We'll keep letting Dover use our bridge and avoid the wrath of Turtle Lane residents along the back entrance into Elm Bank if they let us walk their trails and play in their fields and visit their gardens. Glad we could work that out. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE: Wellesley in market for new Hardy Elementary School principal

Principal Gayle Vonasek is set to retire from her job after 12 years leading the Hardy school.

Here's an ad posted in the Superintendent's letter Friday: 

Wellesley Public Schools is seeking an elementary principal to lead [a] K-5 school in a community that strongly supports its public schools. Our core values are academic excellence,
cooperative and caring relationships, respect for human differences, and commitment to community. Candidates must have a Master’s degree and be certifiable as an elementary school principal. The work year is 214 days, effective July 1, 2008. Current salary range is $103,277 - $118,622. Please send a cover letter, resume, three letters of reference, transcripts, and certification by March 5, 2008 to Carol A. Gregory, Asst. Supt., 40 Kingsbury Street, Wellesley, MA 02481.

Hardy substitute art teacher accused of being too rough

Fox News reports that Hardy's principal sent a letter home to parents yesterday regarding a substitute art teacher who allegedly got too rough with 3 fifth graders. She was asked to leave and won't be invited back to teach anywhere in the school system, according to the report.

Hunnewell parents got an eerily similar note last school year regarding a substitute teacher. 

 

 

 

Wellesley schools cutting back on capital budget

The School Committee this week approved cutting planned expenses on lighting improvements and computer equipment as it looks to knock a $1.3 million budget request down closer to $1 million. The multimillion dollar operating budget proposed is also being scrutinized for possible cuts. More from the Globe here. 

 

 

 

 

Blue Ginger getting bigger

The restaurant has received a building permit for an expansion next door that will support dozens more seats. Blue Ginger initially met  resistance to its plan because of sewage concerns, but got approved for the build-out last fall. More here on the restaurant's roughly doubling in size.

 

Wellesley College: Goodbye loans, hello grants
From the school:

      Wellesley College announced today a new initiative in its financial aid policies, replacing loans with grants for students from families who have calculated annual incomes below $60,000 and reducing loans by one-third for those with incomes between $60,000 and $100,000.

       The new policy applies to all financial aid awards, including those for current students, beginning with the next academic year. In effect, grant aid will cover the cost of tuition for students from families with incomes calculated below $60,000, while capping the four-year debt total at $8,600 for students from families with incomes between $60,000 and $100,000.

 

Big house review guinea pig

The Globe reports on builder Dean Behrend, who it says is the first to have a proposed house fall under the extra scrutiny of the recently-approved anti-McMansion rules in Wellesley. Behrend tells the Globe he has no problem with the new rules and is "very prepared" for making his case for "his proposed 5,500-square-foot, shingle-style house at 30 Benvenue St. in his hometown."

 

 

A light at the end of the bridge?

Wellesley has published a timetable for completion of Rtes. 9/16 bridge work, with completion set for December. This month's highlights include demolition of bridge abutments and manhole work.

 

 

 

 

 

Conservation administrator sought

Wellesley is on the prowl for a new conservation administrator. Jane Sears Pierce, who had been the town's wetlands administrator, is no longer with the town. Kristen Phelps, who also works as the part-time administrator in Needham, is acting administrator for Wellesley. The ad for the job reads in part:

The Wellesley Natural Resources Commission (NRC) seeks a full-time Conservation Administrator to provide technical and advisory guidance and administrative support to the NRC’s Wetlands Protection Committee for the administration and enforcement of the Mass. Wetlands Act and the Wellesley Wetlands Bylaw.  Under the supervision of the NRC Director, the Administrator provides technical assistance and educational outreach to the Town on a wide range of natural resource protection, open space planning and environmental issues.  The Administrator assists the NRC Director with grant writing and project management on natural resource protection and conservation land projects and integrates the Wetlands Protection Program into the Town’s progressive and dynamic Natural Resources Protection Program. 

Obama, Romney take Wellesley primaries

Democrat Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton 3,466 to 2,971 votes in Wellesley despite Clinton having gone to college here, while Republican Mitt Romney topped John McCain 1,798 to 1,422, with Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul barely registering. Whoever voted for Fred Thompson, you're unique. He got just 1 vote in town. More details, precinct by precinct.

Clinton won overall in Massachusetts, as did Romney. More here.
 

Paying the price for Patriots loss

Yes, there were plenty of Wellesleyites who had to suffer the long flight back from Arizona thinking about what could have been at the Super Bowl and how much money and time they spent to watch their team fall. But some fans had it even worse. From the NY Daily News:

Matt Maley, a financial trader from Wellesley, Mass., lost a bet and had to walk about half a mile in high heels to buy lunch for his entire office.

"A lot of painful things have happened in the Boston-New York rivalry over the years," he said, limping over the city's quaint cobblestone streets in pumps. "This is the worst."

Wellesley and criminals

An odd little mention of Wellesley on the Boston Magazine blog today:

In these troubled economic times, it makes sense that crime is on the rise. Even drug dealers are having trouble making the payments on their adjustable-rate mortgages (unless they live in Wellesley). Some (alleged) criminals are taking extreme steps to keep themselves from getting captured.

One guy went so far as to mutilate his fingertips to obscure his fingerprints and keep police from identifying him.....

Greenhouse fun on Presidents' Day

Join the Friends of Horticulture at the Margaret C. Ferguson Greenhouses at Wellesley College for “Greenhouse Kids’ Time” Monday, Feb. 18, from 1-4 pm. The event will feature crafts, explorations and scavenger hunts designed especially for school-aged kids (ages 4+). All children must be accompanied by an adult. The event is free and open to the public, and features different activities than in years  past.

Robbery reported at Wellesley Bank
Wellesley police responded this morning to a robbery at the Wellesley Bank on Central St. A few more details here from the Townsman, which reports that the suspect fled on foot, according to police scanner reports. A couple of other Wellesley banks were robbed last year.




Most upcoming town races to be a yawn
Three candidates -- Gig Babson, Barbara Searle and Thomas Ulfelder -- will fight it out for 2 vacant seats on the Board of Selectmen. But candidates are either running unopposed or are essentially locks for the other townwide offices (two candidates running for two seats, etc.). Here's the list of candidates.
   The town meeting races are more wide open. Candidates here.
   The election is March 4. You can meet the candidates at Wellesley High's cafeteria on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 7-9pm. Contact the League of Women Voters of Wellesley for more info.




Attack of the giant chess pieces
They're coming to Wellesley Free Library on Feb. 21 7-9pm. Suitably large chess pieces will be used on the floor, which will serve as the chess board.  Kids will be divided into 2 teams for each game with 2-4 kids per team. Each team also needs an adult or teen helper. Refreshments will be served. Registration required. Call beginning February 7, 781-235-1610 ext. 1108.

Wishes for Wellesley in 2008

A reader, David from Wellesley, recently wrote to us with his wishes for the town this year:

As we kick off 2008 I challenge you and your readers to list their “Top Improvement Ideas for Wellesley in 2008”. I will start:

¨ Create a pedestrian/bicycle underpass connecting Wellesley town center with Linden Square. This would be a natural extension of Everett Street to the area between Town hall and the post office. This has been discussed here before and given the development on Linden Square the time is now to make it happen!

¨ Work with Wellesley College to obtain 20-25 feet of property at their “North 40” property along Weston Road to create a wider and safer landscaped sidewalk/bike trail with Weston road improvements. This could even connect with the Crosstown trail located just behind the “North 40” property that comes out at the Weston Rd/Linden St electrical substation.

¨ Use the electrical substation land at Linden St & Weston Rd. as a parking lot for Central St Business employees). This will free up parking spots for customers in the square. An access ramp can be configured to fit perfectly with the planned traffic signal for this intersection.

¨ Closely evaluate the options for the planned Wellesley Inn (Route 9) project to incorporate Morses Pond setting. This is a beautiful setting and any development should maximize the view/setting (i.e., a restaurant with huge outdoor deck/gazebo with views from interior). This area could also connect to the public access of the Crosstown Trail.

¨ Finish the Rt 16/Rt 9 interchange. Enough said.

¨ Get the old Wellesley Inn on The Square project started. Enough said.

¨ Finalize plans for the old Grossman’s site. Similar to the Wellesley Inn site criteria, the site has an ideal setting on the Charles River. Any development should maximize the ability to access and use this beautiful setting.

¨ Reopen the Wellesley Recycling center for a few hours on Sunday’s (especially in the spring) even if weekday hours need to be shortened.

¨ Incorporate tighter zoning restrictions into the remaining Linden Square leases (If there are any). In order to facilitate independently-owned business we could follow the lead of other communities (i.e., Nantucket that disallows business with “more than 10 retail locations”). This could create a unique, non-chain, center that pulls in customers.

As a resident that loves Wellesley, I hope that 2008 is a year of progress that benefits all of us!

If you have comments, let us know.