Arrest made in pellet gun shooting

A 24-year-old Natick man has been arrested and charged with assault/battery in connection with the pellet gun shooting of a Wellesley street cleaner earlier this week (the worker wasn't seriously hurt). A bit more here.

 

 

 

Climbing the walls

Dana Hall School offers climbing programs at its Shipley Center for children and adults in April/May, though warns class sizes are limited. The kids class is weekly and costs $200, the adult class is twice a week and costs $400. 

Bates principal in running for Weston assistant superintendent job

Weston's public school system Thursday held a forum to give parents and others in the community a chance to ask questions of assistant superintendent candidates. We hear finalists for the job include Amber Bock, principal of Wellesley's Bates Elementary School. Weston's current assistant superintendent, Cheryl Maloney, is stepping up to replace Weston schools superintendent Alan Oliff, who is retiring after 10 years on the job.

 

 

 

Wellesley rabbi attacked in New York

Police are looking for accomplices to an Arab man charged with a hate crime in New York's Park Slope area for allegedly assaulting Uria Ohana, described as an assistant Rabbi at Wellesley-Weston Chabad Center in Wellesley. The incident, according to the New York Sun, started when the suspect allegedly stole Ohana's yarmulke. Ohana gave chase and in a bit of street justice, the thief got hit by a car, breaking at least one bone in his leg. Ohana says 5 or 6 accomplices to the assailant began beating him before fleeing. 

 

 

From Wellesley to Westboro?

Here's what one real estate broker has to say regarding new luxury condos that have popped up in Westboro near a shopping complex:

“This is a relatively new concept to Worcester County,” Coldwell Banker's Daniel Robertson said. “It’s the first of its kind. They haven’t really tested the waters yet … It was a pretty gutsy move by the developer.”

He said he expects the real estate market to stabilize this year, and Parkview is likely to draw a new, well-to-do demographic to Westboro. People from towns such as Wellesley are finding they can trade in their big homes and move to a place with smaller tax bills, he said. 

More from Worcester Telegram & Gazette. 

 

This Wellesley marathoner didn't get cold feet

 

Don't let Wellesley's Paul Leslie-Smith hear you complaining if this year's Boston Marathon weather turns out to be on the chilly side. 

While he isn't running the race this April, earlier this month Leslie-Smith came in 15^th out of 128 Antarctica Marathon finishers, who braved 30 degree temperatures (though the wind chill made it feel much colder) and muddy terrain between Russian, Chilean, Argentinean and Chinese bases. Not to mention a mile or two on rocky beaches and a 600-foot climb up and down Collins Glacier. 

Leslie-Smith's trip to Antarctica wasn't all tough sledding though, as he did spend 5 days afterward cruising down the Antarctic Peninsula. While he traveled by himself, he was among many new friends: Of 200 passengers on 2 ships, 175 were runners.

The 44-year-old employee of a big South African pulp and paper company ran his first marathon (Boston) about 2 years ago and later ran the New York Marathon.  His goal now is to run a marathon on every continent, and he's well on his way. Last year he ran marathons in London, China (on the Great Wall), Chicago and Death Valley. Australia's Great Ocean Road marathon (May), Big Five in South Africa (June), Machu Picchu (possibly in August), Berlin (September) and Athens Classic (November) are on this year's agenda.

"So in 2-and-a-half years I will have run the 5 Marathon Majors and the 7 continents," says the apparently rubber-legged Wellesleyite, who has lived here for 4 years. In addition to supportive wife Shirley, his inspiration was simply to do something different and to travel.

Leslie-Smith recalls the Death Valley race as being among the more amazing, where he would pass signs indicating he was 200 or 100 feet below sea level. The marathon in China really tested his body as well, as he and friends figured out that the steamy event forced them to suck down something like 3 and a half gallons of water in 4 and a half hours.

The marathoner doesn't mess around when he runs either: He typically covers flatter courses in about 3 hours, 30 minutes, and takes about an hour longer on more exotic courses.

Before taking up marathons, Leslie-Smith got this thrills skydiving for South Africa at 3 world championships and taking part in off road adventure competitions on behalf of South Africa.

Meanwhile, Leslie-Smith does plan to bring his marathon act closer to home next year, when he will shoot to run the Boston Marathon in about 3 hours.

 

bb@theswellesleyreport.com

 

 

 

 

McCain advisor to speak at Wellesley College

 

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former chief economist for the George W. Bush administration and John McCain's current chief economic advisor, is scheduled to present this year's annual Goldman Lecture in Economics, "U.S. Policy Challenges," Monday, March 31, at 8 pm in Tishman Commons in the Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center at Wellesley College.

 

Wellesley street cleaner shot with pellet gun

Wellesley police are investigating the shooting of a street cleaner on Rock Ridge Rd. with a pellet gun on Tuesday a.m. The pellet pierced the plexiglass on the DPW vehicle and struck the driver on the back of his head, though he was not seriously hurt, according to this Boston Channel report. Here's a video report.

While pellet guns aren't considered firearms in the state, thought you might be interested in this rundown on firearm licensing in Wellesley.

Wellesley couple dies from carbon monoxide poisoning

The fire department says fumes from a car left running in the garage of a Maurice Rd. home seeped into the house and apparently killed an elderly couple. No carbon monoxide detectors were found in the house. The deaths remain under investigation. More from the Globe.

 

 

 

 

Publishing bigwig to deliver Wellesley College commencement address

Cathie Black, president of Hearst magazines (Cosmo, Esquire, etc.) and author of Basic Black: The Essential Guide to Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life), will address the 600 or so members of Wellesley College's Class of 2008 on May 30.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit openings at Davis Museum this week

Big prints (left) from the 16th century (Grand Scale: Monumental Prints in the Age of Durer and Titian) and photographs (below) from England (Jem Southam: Upton Pyne) are the focus of two exhibits opening this week at Wellesley College's Davis Museum and Cultural Center. An opening reception is set for March 19 from 6-8 and more activities are on tap as well. The exhibits run through June 8.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wellesley doctor fined

The Boston Globe reports that a local doctor who provides a " 'concierge' medical practice has been fined $5,000 by the state for providing false information regarding the status of his medical certification and for failing to maintain a patient's medical records." More here.

Gender benders

The New York Times talks to students at women's colleges who are transgendered or otherwise live their lives more as males than females in a story titled "When Girls Will Be Boys." Says one Wellesley College senior: “My identity is fluid; it may evolve and fluctuate. My preference is not to use gender pronouns. My work is not always grammatically correct because of the lack of pronouns.”

 

 

 

The beauty of 02481 and 02482

The Boston Globe Magazine writes about the best zip codes within I-495, and those two Wellesley zip codes both make the top 25 list, which is based on single-family home price value  retention; education of residents; and more.