Wellesley Bank robbed....again

For the 2nd time in 3 weeks, a robber targeted the Wellesley Bank at 40 Central St., according to the Townman. The suspect, a male in his 20s or 30s, escaped. That's 4 bank robberies in town over the past 6 months.  

Day-O! Harry Belafonte coming to Wellesley College

Singer, actor and social activist Harry Belafonte will be focusing on the activism part when he presents the lecture “Social Justice: Within and Beyond Our Borders” at 7 pm Tuesday, March 11, in Tishman Commons in the Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center at Wellesley College. The event, which is free and open to the public, has been organized by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Committee and the American Studies program.

How you can help Wellesley College aid ALS patients

by Helen Shin, Wellesley College

Like walking? Dancing? Swimming? Using your hands? Victims of ALS lose the ability to do all of these things. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes deterioration of neurons responsible for connecting the brain and spinal cord to the muscles. Often starting with weakness in a hand, foot, arm or leg, ALS leaves the victim progressively paralyzed. Most patients die of respiratory failure within 3 to 5 years from the onset of symptoms. Although ALS is one of the most common neuromuscular diseases worldwide and occurs at random, no effective cures or treatments are available.
          Extra Hands for ALS, Wellesley Chapter’s mission is to support ALS patients as they combat the sense of hopelessness they face after being diagnosed with ALS. We are currently working to: 1) provide company and care for homebound ALS patients in the Boston area, 2) collaborate with other chapters in the Boston area to organize ALS public awareness events, and 3) raise funds for ALS research in hope of finding the cure.
       To achieve these goals, the Extra Hands for ALS, Wellesley Chapter is presenting our first campus-wide ALS Awareness Symposium, “Garden Party for ALS Awareness,” scheduled for Sunday, March 2, from 3 to 5pm at the Wellesley College Tishman Commons at the LuLu Chow Wang Campus Center. This event is a collaborative project between the national organization and Wellesley College's new student-led group. Through this event, we hope to provide an invaluable opportunity for students and the community to interact with patients who will share their personal experiences, as well as leaders in this program for ALS support awareness. Food will be served and a raffle will be held, with items donated by the Wellesley College Bookstore, Cheese Shop, Ardan Salon & Day Spa and other local shops. We need your support, too. Anything from donations to volunteering can help make this program successful. In particular, we need volunteers and drivers to help patients who are not reachable by public transportation. Any help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Admission is free, but please RSVP here. Contact Dana Im at 310-988-9936 or Kristi LePenven with questions.

Close-knit community

Wellesley Booksmith is hosting a knit-a-thon on March 15 from 10am-5pm featuring celebrated knitters Betty Christiansen (Knitting for Peace), Andrea Price (Knitspeak), Wren Ross (Changing Patterns) and Kathleen Mitchell (owner of Snow Cabin Goods). The authors/knitters will do in-store demos and workshops. See the Booksmith site in the next week or so for a more detailed schedule. Events are free but will be ticketed (drop-ins welcome, but those with tickets will get priority).

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie author coming to town 

Author Laura Numeroff, who is promoting a new book called  The Jellybeans and the Big Dance,  visits Wellesley Free Library at 4pm for a reading, signing on Tuesday, March 11.

Morses Pond gets a checkup

Read the just released annual report on water quality and plant monitoring for Morses Pond. In general, the report is positive, noting that water clarity has been on an upswing in recent years, lessening the need for chemical treatments, and that harvesting of invasive plants is making a positive difference (though the amount of fanwort and milfoil plants continues to be worth monitoring).

A cruise ship in Wellesley?

That's what some people think the project at the old Grossman's site is going to look like if plans don't change. More here from the Globe.