Flying over Wellesley Country Club, Nehoiden Golf Club

While we're holding off on taking up golf until our bodies are no longer able to handle more rigorous sports, we do find these new web sites that provide flyover videos and views of golf courses, plus social networking tools (so you can hook up to play with other golfers) to be pretty cool. GolfFlyover.com offers up a Google Earth-powered view of Nehoiden Golf Club.  Stracka.com includes a flyover video (shown below) and map of Wellesley Country Club. 

Here's more on the golf course map Web site trend from Investor's Business Daily.

Metrowest Magazine this month: Looking back at a Wellesley College racial dispute; Wellesleyites lend voices to Green Web site for kids

Grab a copy of the latest issue of Metrowest Magazine at local outlets or from your mailbox to read a couple of Wellesley stories   (the March issue isn't online yet).

One is an interesting piece about Wellesley College Classical Studies Professor Emerita  Mary Lefkowitz, who is coming out with a book called History Lesson: A Race Odyssey. The article recounts the firestorm that erupted on campus in the 1990s in the wake of Lefkowitz reviewing a book called Black Athena, which argued that people of color were given short shift in Greek history. Lefkowitz disputed the book's findings as well as the teachings of one particular colleague.

The other story is about a couple of local kids who lend their voices and personalities to The Greens, a WGBH Web site for kids that's about the environment and that could be going on to bigger and better things.

More on Wellesley's brightening budget outlook

The Boston Globe recaps the latest news on Wellesley averting an override vote. From the article:

The dramatically improved budget picture is due to a number of factors, [Sheryl Strother, the town's financial director said]. The most significant are an upward revision in what the town thinks it will receive from the state in educational funding and a downward revision in what it expects to pay for health insurance for employees, Strother said.

Wellesley Police warn of suspicious activity

Officer Brian Spencer notified Wellesley elementary school principals of the following today:

I wanted to let you know about an incident that happened yesterday afternoon.  At approximately 12:50pm a ten year-old boy was walking home South on Weston Road.  When the boy was near Fisher Avenue, a white male driving a black car stopped and asked him if he wanted a ride.  The boy said no, ran home, and told his parent about what happened.

Spencer provided a description of the man (White male, late 20s-early 30s, short black hair, medium build, wearing a white T-shirt) and car (black, older model, four doors, possibly Nissan or Honda).

Extra patrols will be in the area of the schools.

Babson, Searle win Selectmen seats

Gig Babson (2,335 votes) and Barbara Searle (1,937) bested Thomas Ulfelder (1,173) for the two open Board of Selectmen seats. Each will serve a three-year term. Babson defended her open seat. About 20% of registered voters went to the polls. More results here.

Get ready for more commuter line delays

Work being done by CSX next week on the tracks used for the commuter rail line going from Worcester through Wellesley and into Boston will cause delays of 30-plus minutes for some trains. Work is slated to be finished by March 17. More here. 

Schlow rolls dice, opens version of Alta Strada at Foxwoods

The new MGM Grand at Foxwoods will have a familiar look for Wellesleyites when it opens in May. Chef Michael Schlow has set up a new version of his Alta Strada restaurant there.

Brookline school vice principal to take helm at Wellesley Middle School

Joshua Frank, vice principal at the K-8 Pierce School in Brookline, has accepted the job as WMS principal, according to superintendent Bella Wong.

For some insight into Frank's perspectives, here's an abstract of an article he wrote for an education journal. The article is called:  When White Educators Discipline Students of Color.