Vol. 1 No. 8
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Spelling Bee Is a Win For All BY DAVE HALPERIN
Wellesley resident starts fund for those in need
A potential spelling bee dynasty in the making took home the Wellesley Education Foundation-sponsored Wellesley Bee trophy in early November - their second win in two years - but it remains to be seen if the trio of spellers will shoot for the trifecta of triumphs next year.
BY RENEE REYNOLDS When long-time Wellesley resident Aliana Brodmann E. von Richthofen lost her job in 2001, she wasn’t sure where to turn. “I experienced a job loss, and it took both a psychological and financial toll,” Brodmann E. Von Richthofen said. “I took pride in my work and relied on the money.”
"We might have to retire on top," joked Stephanie Sheps of Team Butyraceous. "Maybe become spelling bee coaches."
This experience led her to the idea of establishing a fund for those who suffer a job loss and face crucial expenses they cannot afford to pay as a result of economic hardship.
Butyraceous, featuring Sheps, Stacy Braatz, and Sarah Deschenes, claimed first place at the event, but this year they needed all of their spelling moxie to capture the win during a marathon final round against second-place finishers the Spellbinders, composed of teammates Elaine Eliot, John Schuler, and John Dummer. After both teams successfully navigated through such doozies as "myrmecology" and "chaelcedonyx" while missing "olericulture" and "warison" during the final round, Butyraceous sealed their victory by properly spelling "irremeable," while for the Spellbinders it was "wait 'till next year." "We had actually done a lot of
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December 1, 2011
“Most organizations exist to serve those who are chronically disabled or poor,” she said. “There is little help for those who are used
RESIDENTS START FUND
Fans of the Hardy School PTO cheer on their team. Photo by Dave Halperin
practicing," said Schuler, noting the reason for his squad's near victory, "but maybe not enough." Spelling champions notwithstanding, the real winners of the Wellesley Bee are the town's public school students, as the friendly competition reaps sixfigure bounties that the Wellesley
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Education Foundation (WEF) uses to fund across the board programming for the high school, middle school, all seven elementary schools, and PAWS Preschool. WEF-funded programs and equipment and infrastructure upgrades include microbiology
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continued on page 3
equipment for biology education and iPod Nanos for curriculum support at the high school, Reading Rocks literacy support for sixth graders, Teachers as Scholars programming in elementary schools, and overhead projectors
SPELLING BEE continued on page 2
BUILD...
Also Inside Annual Rotary Club Thanksgiving Football Dinner Babson Park Post Office update Wellesley Youth Hockey ... And More!
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SPELLING BEE continued from page 1
at the elementary level. "Without the Wellesley Education Foundation we would not be able to offer the programming that we do," said Superintendent of Schools Bella Wong. "They take us from good to excellent." 2011 marked the 26th year of the event, which was held the evening of Thursday, November 3 in the Sprague Elementary School gym. Every year the event grows while maintaining a community feeling that draws organizations, businesses, and individuals to participate and sponsor, yielding six figures worth of funds for Wellesley schools on the strength of Matching Donors Babson College and Wellesley College. Additional sponsors in 2011 included Championship Round Sponsor Needham Bank; Round Sponsors The John Doran Family Foundation,
December 1. 2011
The Hitch Family, John and Janet Patillo, and Regis College; and 30 additional Sponsors and Friends. "I love the whole community feel of it," explained Bee Co-Chair Susan Clapham. "We've got high school kids, we've got seniors, we've got alumni - it's a total community event." The competition, emceed by WCVB-TV's Mike Dowling for the 22nd year in a row, featured seven rounds of preliminary competition, with each preliminary winner qualifying for the championship round. Those early rounds included two winners from the high school ranks teams of three from the WHS Student Congress and the WHS Girls' VolleyJohn Schuler, John Dummer, and Elaine Eliot of the Spellbinders took second place. ball squad - along with the Bates PTO, the Law Office of David Himmelberger, the Wellesley Hills Junior Women's Club, and the aforementioned Spellbinders and Butyraceous.
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And while Butyraceous withstood the competition, setting the stage for a shot at three wins in a row next year, after their preliminary round win Sheps did offer after did offer a little advice for would-be challengers. Pointing to her teammates, she said that winning takes "a little studying, some experience, and a lot of love." Members of the Natural Resources Commission. Photos by Dave Halperin.
Joellen Toussaint In 1966, Margaret McNamara and a group of teachers in Washington D.C. instituted the Reading is Fundamental program, an initiative for distributing books to underserved students across the city. Joellen Toussaint, Circulation Assistant at the Wellesley Free Library knew, however, long before Ms. McNamara’s project, the benefits of reading. Born at NewtonWellesley Hospital and growing-up in Bedford, very early on the Wellesley resident’s appetite for books was insatiable.
“I cannot remember learning how to read. I just always did,” Joellen said. “When I started school, I was already reading.” Time passed and her reading habits only grew. She recalls that by the time she was a young woman her mother became concerned. “I remember my mother saying once, ‘if you don’t get your nose out of a book, you’re never going to get married.’” Joellen chuckles and waves her hand in the air, dismissing the admonition. She knew her mother, a
woman of English/German descent and a trailblazer in her own right, was teasing. “My mother came to Boston University from West Virginia all by herself. She met my father, who was on scholarship at Harvard.” Reading was very much a part of her life. Joellen moved to Wellesley 45 years ago, in 1966. She worked at The Book Stall, a private bookstore that operated in Wellesley for 60 years, from 1981-1995.
BRIGHT LIGHTS continued on page 5
December 1. 2011
RESIDENTS START FUND continued from page 1
to having money, but are now facing unemployment. I felt there was no place to go for the middle class.” With the help of her husband and family, Brodmann E. Von Richthofen formed The Catastrophic Emergency Fund, a
Local Town Pages www.wellesleytownnews.com
financial reasons may have, and giving them the opportunity to come onboard as corporate sponsors or partners.” Individuals who are in need of financial assistance can make requests through various financial agencies throughout New England. The requests are then processed through a case worker,
To Whom It May Concern: The holiday season is fast approaching and with it many local organizations are “called to action” to meet the needs of families for whom this time of year is particularly difficult. For the third consecutive year, Needham Bank is conducting its Local Love Campaign – this year partnering with six regional agencies to bring comfort and joy to local children during the holidays. From mid-November through mid-December, the five branches of Needham Bank will be host sites for the Angel Tree Programs facilitated by the Dedham Youth Commission, Medfield Youth Outreach, New Falls Apartments, Riverside Community Care, The Walker School and Westwood Youth and Family Services.
501(c)(3) nonprofit run solely by volunteers. The idea of the program is not to provide continuous financial support, but rather to help those who have a sudden financial need, Brodmann E. Von Richthofen said. “Most of our requests are for medical bills, car repairs, or child/elder care,” she said. “It is our quest to help them realize they can move beyond the hurdle.” Anyone living in New England who is without a job and has been recently unemployed without benefits is eligible for assistance through the organization. Money comes from individual volunteers, who may submit payment through The Catastrophic Emergency Fund’s web site, as well as from corporations. “We really have created a winwin situation, combining two sets of needs,” Brodmann E. Von Richthofen said. “First, we are helping people who are unemployed move forward. Secondly, we are fulfilling a need corporations that have been isolated due to
who will submit the referral through The Catastrophic Emergency Fund’s Web site. “We have four annual meetings,” Brodmann E. Von Richthofen said. “It is then that we make the decisions of who we need to help; there are limitations. We rely on the evaluation of case workers and go from there.” According to Brodmann E. Von Richthofen, most requests submitted are for funds of up to $5,000. The money does not go to the individual, she said, but rather pays for the bills or goods needed. While the organization is currently serving those in New England, Brodmann E. Von Richthofen says it is her goal to spread the word and continue to help more people who are in need. “In the next three years, we hope to extend our organization to those who are in other states, and eventually spread to the entire country to help those in need,” she said. To learn more about The Catastrophic Emergency Fund, please visit their web site at www.catastrophicemergencyfund.org.
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The main lobbies of each Needham Bank location will hold a holiday tree, decorated with paper angels provided by organizations, bearing the requests of anonymous local children and teens who otherwise would not receive a gift for the holiday. The public will be invited to visit the Bank’s branches, select one or more “angels” and purchase the requested gifts; the participating organizations will
make certain that each gift is delivered to the child intended to receive it. Also, during the 4th quarter, customers and non-customers will be asked to donate 5% of their change total when using Needham Bank coin machines at all its branches. Needham Bank will match 100% of the donations raised over this period with all proceeds to augment the Angel Tree Program. Money raised from the coin fees will go toward the purchase of gifts for those angels that were not picked up; if all angels are taken, the extra revenue will support the organizations. The program plays a vital part in ensuring that underprivileged children in our communities share in the joy of the season. Over the past years, hundreds of local children and their families have benefited from this program. I believe a feature article on Needham Bank’s Local Love Campaign in conjunction with the Angel Tree program will be of great interest to readers throughout our region – not only would it draw attention to the needs of many within our communities, it could also highlight the participat-
ing organizations and the numerous services they provide to the people who live in Dedham, Medfield, Needham, Wellesley and Westwood. Additional information about the Angel Tree Program and its impact on our communities can be provided by Dawn Alcott at Medfield Youth Outreach at medfieldyouthoutreach@yahoo.com and Amy Perna at The Walker School aperna@walkerschool.org . Over the next couple weeks, the staff at Needham Bank will begin decorating the Angel Trees, providing an excellent photo opportunity. I hope you agree that this would make for a compelling holiday story, one that I believe your readers will remember during the holiday season and long after. Please don’t hesitate to contact me for additional information. Sincerely, Iris Tomlak Marketing Officer – Needham Bank Direct: 781-474-5488 / itomlak@needhambank.com
Wellesley Square's Holiday Stroll December 4 BY DAVE HALPERIN Holiday vibes are floating through Wellesley Square this winter in the form of music, Santa, shopping discounts, and holiday decorations. Those familiar with Wellesley Square's Holiday Stroll will recognize the annual event, scheduled for Sunday, December 4, but the addition of outdoor music is new this year and will last throughout the holiday season via wireless speakers placed around the square. "It's all about being festive and enjoying the holiday season," said Demian Wendrow of luggage retailer London Harness and the Wellesley Square Merchants Association , which, this year, is taking a central role in an event traditionally organized by the Wellesley Chamber of Commerce. The commerce remains heavily involved, Wendrow said.
The addition of music comes as a result of the Holiday Stroll's growth. Last year 25 stores in the square participated; this year 43 had signed up as of WLTP press time, giving organizers the power to purchase the expensive wireless devices. At a recent meeting of the Wellesley Square Merchants Association, Wendrow announced the support of two property owners that chipped in money on behalf of their tenants, making the music a reality. Berson-Wolfe Realty, represented by Jessica Wolfe, funded the participation of seven businesses stretching from Wasiks Cheese Shop at 61 Central Street to Coldwell Banker at 71 Central Street. And Harold Sheldrick, property owner for tenant Carbonaro Photography, assisted with his tenant's involvement. As shoppers make their way
through the square that day, they'll enjoy not only the square-wide music, but pictures with Santa, author signings at Wellesley Books, and the additional festive music of a harpist at Lynn Evans Potpourri, as well as other special discounts and offerings at individual stores throughout the day. Another benefit of the increased level of Holiday Stroll involvement is that the raffle prize will be larger than anticipated. Visitors who have their Holiday Stroll card - readily available that day - stamped by at least 12 of the participating stores will be eligible to win at least $1,075 in gift certificates, in the form of $25 gift certificates from every store involved in the event. Shoppers will recognize those stores by the red snowflake in each of their windows.
Local Town Pages www.wellesleytownnews.com
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Residents Speak On Possible Post Office Closure BY RENEE REYNOLDS On Tuesday, November 15, representatives of the United States Postal Service held a meeting in the Olin Auditorium at Babson College to field questions and comments regarding the possible closing of the Babson Park Post Office. The Babson Park Post Office is one of 31 locations in the greater Boston area undergoing a review that will ultimately decide whether the branches should remain open. Post offices ended up on the list if they generated less than $600,000 in revenue, recorded less revenue in 2010 than in 2008 and 2009 combined and if there were five or more locations within a two mile radius. James Holland, Postmaster of Greater Boston, led the meeting. The crowd of approximately 30 was made up of Wellesley residents, employees and Babson faculty members – all of whom opposed the closing of the location.
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Paul Kilduff, president of American Postal Workers Union Local 100, was one of the loudest opponents of this proposition.
A plaque commemorating the symbolic tree.
“The USPS has been voted the most trusted government agency for the past eight years, and that’s going to change,” he said. "I would never close a place that makes a profit, for one. Secondly, we are going to have Babson students, who are the future leaders of our country, be forced to walk more than a mile to mail something? It’s wrong; I’m aggravated by this.” Kilduff’s disdain was echoed by everyone in the crowd. Still, while Holland recognized the postal service was making a profit, he reiterated that is did not meet the guidelines of making at least $600,000 in revenue. Part of the reason for this, Kilduff said, is a lot of people are doing business else-
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Wellesley Celebrations Committee's donation to Needham BY DAVE HALPERIN
that symbolize their ties.
With a legal border to one another, a high school football rivalry for the ages, and a shared history going back 300 years, Wellesley and Needham are now also the proud owners of matching trees
Two American elm trees, one planted in Needham and the other in Wellesley, were donated by the Wellesley Celebrations Committee as part of the Town of Needham's 300th anniversary celebration and were recently planted along with plaques to commemorate the plantings. "It's very emblematic of the strong historic ties the two towns have," said Needham's Richard Creem. Needham was incorporated in 1711 and included what is now known as the Town of Wellesley, which itself incorporated in 1880.
Holland stated that each resident should have received a questionnaire through the mail that could be submitted, and that eventually each questionnaire would be sent to Washington D.C. to make a final decision. However, many in the crowd stated they had received no questionnaire. “I find it astonishing that some people haven’t got the questionnaires,” said Wellesley resident Francie Hawkey. “How are you supposed to get everyone’s voice heard if some people haven’t even received them? Maybe we have all got to stand outside the post office and hand them out.”
Tory DeFazio of the Wellesley Celebrations Committee said the committee was excited to have a chance to commemorate Needham's milestone. The American elm tree planted at 15 Walnut Street.
The Babson Park Post Office has been open for more than 80 years.
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"The connection is the bond of friendship between the two towns. They were very pleased we took
Holland responded by saying the meeting was not the final deciding factor, and that the post office will be evaluated for 60 days before a final decision is made.
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However, the elderly population loudly voiced their concerns about USPS using this as a deciding factor, as many in the crowd voiced they are not technologically savvy and rely on the post office to purchase stamps.
The Trees that Bind
Elderly residents also said it is nearly impossible for them to travel to the alternate locations, such as the post offices on Grove Street and Washington Street, because of heavy traffic and a lack of handicap spaces.
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the time and effort to help them out, and they helped us out in our parade during Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend," he said, referring to Needham's 300th Anniversary float that took part in that parade. Wellesley's tree is located at 15 Walnut Street, a place of significance that belies its current role as a parking lot for an office building. Back in the early 1700s, residents of the area met at a tavern on the property - Benjamin Mills Inn - to discuss separating from Dedham to form Needham. Needham's tree can be found in front of the Needham Historical Society on Central Avenue. "It points out our commonalities," Creem added. "What makes us a special town really transcends that border, and the plaque really demonstrates that."
December 1. 2011
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BRIGHT LIGHTS
married and had two kids,” she said. “I went back to school at Boston University, majoring in history and government, with a minor in drama. After graduation from BU, I had two more kids,” she said. Joellen, who bears a striking resemblance to the movie great, Katharine Hepburn, added with a laugh, “I’m a frustrated actress. I did a play about 20 years ago.” Currently, Joellen delivers the news on the local Wellesley cable channel, weekdays at 7:00 p.m.
continued from page 2
“I like books and I like people,” she said with a smile. “You can interact with people when you’re selling books or at the library. You can help people by talking to them about what they like to read or don’t like to read. I enjoy telling customers what to read,” she said. When the bookstore closed in 1995, she went to work for the Wellesley Free Library (WFL), first at the Wellesley Hills branch, where residents became accustomed to her astute assistance. “I used to alternate between the branches, but now, with the branches being supported by private funds, we (employees) have all been moved to the main library,” she said. “New England is unique in that we have a library in every town.” Incidentally, the Boston Public Library (BPL), established in 1848 and currently with 25 branches, is one of the largest library systems in the United States. BPL was the first publically supported municipal library in the country. The Wellesley Free Library, with roughly 66 full- and part-time employees, is indeed a participant in this great tradition. As of August, 2011, over 470,382 people had visited WFL and checked-out over 454,088 books. “Libraries realize that to stay in business, they have to provide more customer service,” Joellen said. “Shortly, we (WFL) will be launching a Readers Advisory (which will translate into) more personal service. The Readers Advisory is still in the formative stage. Right now the reference department is very helpful with assisting people,” she said. According to the WFL’s website, the reference staff at the library has answered over 64,680 questions this year. Joellen believes that reading is important at any age, but she is especially keen on revealing the wonders of reading to children. “To young people I would say that if you don’t read books, you’re missing a lot. Books can take you anywhere. If you’re lonely, books can be a friend.” She gestures with her hand as if revealing a secret. “If parents say ‘my child won’t read,’ she continues, “I say to them that you just have to find the right book. If you find the right book for them, they’ll go on after that on their own.” Joellen says that there are many ways of engaging children in discovering the benefits of reading. Graphic novels are a place to
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begin. “A long time ago there were classic comic books, for example, Helen of Troy. These looked like comic books, but told literary stories. So, if you start a child with these books, they will move on. Even if children read the back of cereal boxes, it is a start to reading,” she said. The love of books and reading transcends Joellen’s life beyond work. For the past 10 years she has run the Wellesley Council on Aging's book club. The book club, made up equally of men and women, meets every other week. “I bring in both fiction and nonfiction books and members select what they want to read,” she said. “One of the wives is on the Newbery Committee (Book Award) and every December she comes and talks about nominated books. Yes, we also read young adult and mystery,” she added. Joellen Toussaint has “no plans for retirement.” She is active in community affairs and has been a Town Meeting Member since 1970. The Precinct D resident says, “I’m very interested in state and national politics. I worked on the World of Wellesley in the beginning, and now I go to their festivals. One of the things I’m happy about is that Wellesley is a diverse community. People from all over the world live in Wellesley, and it is great.” In addition to an active life of work and community involvements, Joellen still finds time to travel, and of course, read. “I go to Aruba once a year and pay extra to take books. Usually, the nominations for best mysteries come out around that time, so I take all the mysteries with me.” In the middle of her education at Skidmore College, Joellen “got
Photo by Dave Halperin.
Joellen Toussaint lives in Wellesley in her grandparents' home. “My father’s parents came to Wellesley from Ireland. My father became a vice president at Eastco, a distributor of RCA and Whirlpool. The Toussaint’s,” she explained, “my husband’s grandparents, are from Alcase-louraine, on the tip of France, next to Ger-
many.” Joellen and her husband, who passed away three years ago, had four children, two boys and two girls who all grew-up in the Wellesley school system. One of her children lives in Minnesota, “and the other three are in calling distance,” she said. “And there are six grandchildren.” Just the mention of grandchildren brings a huge smile to her face. Joellen Toussaint is a Bright Light in Wellesley. Visit her at the library for help with reading materials or just to say hello. To Joellen, reading has always been fundamental! Bright Lights: Wellesleyites You Should Know appears in each edition of Wellesley Local Town Pages. Please email Je'Lesia M. Jones at arie8@comcast.net with Bright Lights' suggestions.
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News Briefs BY DAVE HALPERIN Town Meeting Voices Approval Wellesley Town Meeting voted recently to approve several new measures. While restaurants in Wellesley have until now needed at least 100 seats in order to apply for alcohol licenses, Town Meeting decided to allow restaurants with 50 or more seats the chance to apply for licenses as well. Based on census figures, the town is allowed to
award 29 such licenses; 12 are currently in use. The Board of Selectmen is now responsible for creating the specific details of the new rules, which, in the form of a Home Rule Petition, will go the State Legislature for approval. At recent meetings, talks focused on restricting restaurants with 50100 seats to the sale of beer and wine only. Town Meeting also approved a measure that will give Wellesley Police the right to require finger-
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prints from certain license applicants, including hawkers and peddlers. The fingerprints of those applicants will be run through the FBI database. The measure is unrelated to the aforementioned alcohol regulations change, although applicants for licenses to serve alcohol would be subject to the fingerprinting. Salvation Army at Roche Bros. Once again, Roche Bros. has invited the Salvation Army Bell Ringers to solicit funds at their Wellesley store during the month of December. Town employees, members of Rotary and Kiwanis
In what could be called an information age update of a Wellesley tradition of helping those in need, the Wellesley Friendly Aid Association has joined forces with Massachusetts-based Neighbor Brigade, which matches people facing challenges due to illness, surgery, or other short term issues with volunteers in their community through the web site lotsahelpinghands.com. "Wellesley has a history of having a lot of people who are willing and able to volunteer their time to benefit the community in one form or another," notes Wellesley Friendly Aid's Richard Winters, "and this is just another way of channeling that volunteerism." Winters explains that launching the program comes from the knowledge that while we never know if or when tragedy is going to strike, we can be prepared. "Even though [the program] might not touch a whole bunch of
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Clubs, Key Club members, elected town officials and folks from all over town volunteer to ring the bell for one hour at a time every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting on Monday, November 28. If readers would like to participate in this worthwhile event, which last year raised over $22,000 from this single Salvation Army bucket, please call Dwin Army volunteers outside Roche Schuler at 781-235-5615 Salvation Bros. last holiday season. to sign up.
The Neighbor Brigade Comes to Wellesley BY DAVE HALPERIN
people directly... anybody can have tragedy happen to them and we all need help once in a while in dealing with these tragedies," he said. "We hope [residents] don't need us, but if they do, we hope they'll know that we're here." The specific seed for Wellesley Friendly Aid's partnership with the Neighbor Brigade was a difficulty that Winters witnessed in his own family. 'My own brother's wife was sick... and he's down in New Jersey," Winters says. "He had the help of his church and other friends, but it was tough going for him, being a caregiver 24/7, and he needed help. It is very emotionally and physically taxing for someone who's a caregiver." The services provided by the Wellesley chapter of the Neighbor Brigade include helping an individual or a family with errands, transportation to medical appointments, providing weekly meals, dog walking, and light yard work.
Smith College Club Holiday Fundraising Pictured above are Mary Barbara Alexander, Pecan Chair for the Smith College Club West of Boston, and Sturty Waterman of the Page-Waterman Gallery, 126 Church Street in Wellesley, with delicious pecans being sold at the Gallery to benefit local students through the Smith College Scholarship Fund. Once again the Smith College
December 1. 2011
Club West of Boston is selling pecans to benefit the Smith College Scholarship fund. Through this longstanding tradition, the Club has raised funds to provide scholarships to local students who have attended Smith College over the years. These are high quality, fresh pecans that make great holiday, teacher or hostess gifts and are a
Neighbors and friends helping each other with these kinds of things is not a new experience; the difference with Neighbor Brigade is that the internet has the potential to ensure that more of those who are in need get help through the Lotsa Helping Hands website at lotsahelpinghands.com, which provides a way to coordinate schedules easily and efficiently. "We have a pool of 28 volunteers," Winters said, noting that they hope to grow that pool to about 50 community members, "and we communicate with them through [lotsahelpinghands.com] when we need help... and we can specify what the needs are, and volunteers can sign up based on their own schedules." Those interested in pitching in, or who are in need of assistance, should contact Karen Mondell at 781-235-3960 or wellesleyfriendlyaid@verizon.net. The organization's website is at www.wellesleyfriendlyaid.org. "We have a group of volunteers in place, so now it's a matter of getting the word out that we're available to families in need of temporary support," Winters says.
scrumptious way to support a worthy cause. The pecans come in one-pound bags of Mammoth Pecan Halves or in 12-ounce bags of delicious Chocolate Covered Pecans and are available after November 15 at Page-Waterman Gallery, 26 Church Street. They may be ordered for local delivery or UPS shipment for areas outside the local delivery area by phone or email from Mary Barbara Alexander at 508 647-1631 or mbas@ verizon.net.
Local Town Pages www.wellesleytownnews.com
December 1. 2011
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Resources For The Alzheimer’s Family By Dennis B. Sullivan, Esq., CPA, LLM The Estate Planning & Asset Protection Law Center of DENNIS SULLIVAN & ASSOCIATES With the number of families affected by Alzheimer’s disease growing daily, it is becoming vital information for almost everyone to learn how to manage this dread disease and its far-reaching ramifications. Latest studies indicate that the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s could double by 2020 (9 million people) and quadruple (to 16 million) by 2050. What To Do
The first step is to tap available resources and become informed about the disease. One excellent resource is to attend one of our free Trust, Alzheimer’s & Asset Protection Workshops. In addition to covering all the legal issues that confront the Alzheimer’s family, attendees will also receive access to The Alzheimer's Resource Kit (sold nationwide for $197). Among other things, this kit includes the latest breakthrough information for the patient, family, and caregiver. To register for one of these workshops, call 800-9644295 (24/7) or register online at www.DSullivan.com. Next, it’s important to build a support network that may include other families dealing with Alzheimer’s, relatives and friends. Individuals who are suffering from memory loss and their families should also address the health-re-
Youthening BY JUDITH A. SWACK, PH.D.
Sally is a lively 80-year old woman who enjoys learning and using mind-body techniques, gardening, and visiting her children, grandchildren, and other family members. Sally came to see me to keep herself young, physically and emotionally. From years of treating people with HBLU, we have found that many of the symptoms and diseases of aging are actually caused by accumulated trauma in the body. Sure enough, when we treated Sally for all the physical injury traumas she’d ever accumulated in her feet, ankles, knees, shoulders, and neck, she was able to walk beautifully with a bounce in her step. One day Sally appeared in my office with a swollen index finger. A week earlier she had lightly brushed the edge of her finger against her dining room table, and
lated issues with their doctors. While there is no cure yet for Alzheimer’s, there are a variety of treatment options and significant research continues. Another crucial step is estate and asset protection planning with a reputable elder law attorney. Establishing powers of attorney for both health care and financial matters is the only way a family member can legally make decisions for a loved one if he or she becomes mentally incapacitated. There are multiple other legal issues to discuss during the Alzheimer’s estate planning process, and each individual’s needs vary. How To Pay for Alzheimer's Care?
Medicare does not pay for longterm care if there is no possibility for improvement. Since diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's have no known cure today, rehabilitation is not possible, so Medicare will not pay. Unlike Medicare, Medicaid will pay for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, other dementia-related diseases, or a decline in functioning due to the aging process. You must, however, exhaust all your resources (including your spouse's) before you will be eligible, that is unless you take steps to protect your home, spouse and life-savings to avoid nursing home poverty. To learn more, call our office 781-237-2815. In addition, visit our website, www.DSullivan.com to download by afternoon it was burning, red, swollen to twice its size, and tender to the touch. Her primary care physician, seeing nothing on Xray but a little calcification in the last joint and maybe some slight arthritis, told her he couldn’t explain her symptoms and asked if she had gout (she didn’t). He sent her to hand specialist that week who said the same thing (including the question about gout.) The perplexed hand specialist prescribed an anti-inflammatory medication and suggested that she ice the finger. It has been my experience that calcification of bone signifies a previous break or crack that healed with excess bone because, due to trauma, the body couldn’t feel when the healing was complete. I surmised that the burning feeling was the body feeling angry with her for being the one to cause the accident. Muscle testing revealed that at the age of 13, i.e. 67 years earlier, she had slammed that finger so hard in a car door
our free elder guide The Massachusetts Elder Guide to Medicaid, Nursing Homes and Asset Protection or watch our educational video on How To Avoid Nursing Home Poverty."
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With longevity, comes expense. Life-care planning is an integrated planning approach that addresses the health care, legal, and financial issues of aging and disability. The goals of a quality life-care plan include, maintaining the health and well-being of your loved one; assessing long-term care options in the home and outside the home; identifying all sources of income available to pay for care; obtaining eligibility for public benefits programs like SSDI, VA, and Medicaid benefits; protecting assets. The life-care plan also provides the services of a Geriatric Care Manager (GCM) to assist with the development and implementation of the plan. It also provides assistance with living arrangements and placements, coordination of available community resources and working with the family to provide support, guidance, and advocacy. For more information or if you have questions, please call our office 781-237-2815. To learn more about how to protect yourself, your spouse, your home and life-savings from increasing medical and nursing home costs, register online that someone else had to open the door to release her. In fact, her body had developed a grudge against her for hurting it (she apologized). Within 15 minutes of clearing the physical injury trauma and the grudge, the swelling was down by half and the finger was no longer burning, red, or sensitive to touch. “Oh my, this is amazing,” she exclaimed while repeatedly poking the finger. I apologized to the finger for overlooking it while we were clearing larger traumas. The moral of the story: Trauma remains in the body till you release it with an appropriate technique. Don’t wait till you are 80 or have physical symptoms to clear trauma memories from your body. Healing trauma now will keep you young! HBLU, Inc., 56 Pickering St., Needham, MA 02492 781-444-6940 www.hblu.org • info@hblu.org Copyright 2010 Judith A. Swack, Ph.D.
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December 1. 2011
Arts In Wellesley A Show of Artistic Integrity Society of Artists Fall Show and Annual Awards at the Library
Fall Show Award Winners during the Annual Awards Reception.
BY DAVE HALPERIN Members and guests of the Wellesley Society of Artists (WSA) met November 18 at the Wellesley Free Library to see the Fall Show's 43 works of art and to officially recognize prize winners during the Annual Awards Reception, co-sponsored by the library. On display in the Wakelin Room and spilling into the library's foyer, the works represented current membership of a 78 year old organization that regularly displays at the Wellesley Community Center. This year's winners demonstrated the diversity within the group, with paintings ranging
from the traditional to the abstract and everything in between. Taking home First Prize was Deborah Drummond's acrylic piece "Advance and Shift", which she said was the result of her artistic process. "I never have a real plan," she noted. "It's movement and intuition... But it's a landscape." Of winning first place, Drummond said, "It's fabulous. It's nice to have some validation, and there's a lot of great art here, so maybe the judge just saw something in it." Before handing out the awards,
WSA president Yale Nicolls told the group that show judge Dianne Panarelli Miller commented several times on the quality of art. "She was incredibly impressed with the work," Nicolls said, adding, "She had an especially hard time with the honorable mentions because she just wanted to keep going." Other winners included Bruce Wood's second place piece "Tower Court, Wellesley College" (acrylic) and Deanna Cryan's third place winner "Bohemian Girl" (oil on linen). Geri Duffy, Michelle Lavallee, and Sarah Alexander received honorable mentions, while
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Shanti Kumar's "Very Berry Strawberries" (watercolor) took Third Place winner "Bohemian Girl" home the Margaret Fitzwilliam by artist Deanna Cryan. Photos by Dave Halperin. Award and Frederick Kubitz's "Ocean Point-E. Boothbay, ME" ing WSA's standing in the arts (oil on panel) won the Helen Sher- community and its practice of vetman Award. ting potential members. Wood's heavily textured "Tower Court, Wellesley College" brings the Wellesley College campus to life, as the air almost seems to dance. "It's my attempt at getting music in there," he explained. "I'm a trained filmmaker and I always liked the interaction between film and music." Wood is one of the group's newer members. "I recently moved back to the area from Chicago, and I'm trying to get restarted. This was a good place to get involved," he said, not-
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WSA's mission is the support of local artists and the promotion of the arts in general in Wellesley, the former of which is accomplished in part through regular meetings and demonstrations by visiting artists. True to form, on the night of the Fall Show's awards reception members spent little time congratulating one another and moved quickly to a demonstration in acrylics by artist Adia Arch. "It takes an organization like this to find the caliber of person you want to learn from," said Third Prize winner Cryan.
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December 1. 2011
Page 9
A Tribute to Vets, Dillon Among Them BY DAVE HALPERIN When Wellesley honored Veterans Day this year it honored not only those who have served the country, but one man who served veterans in the town for many years, former Veterans Affairs Supervisor Richard "Dick" Dillon. In honoring Dillon, current Veterans Affairs Supervisor Stanley Spears paid tribute to his predecessor, a man that he said showed him the ropes and that visitors to his office still ask for. "When I tell them he's retired, sometimes they talk to me and sometimes they walk away," Spears joked. To demonstrate Dillon's effect on people, Spears read a letter written by a fellow veteran. "Dick, you may be gone from Wellesley Town Hall, but you are certainly not forgotten. You are a man of great integrity, I am proud to call you a Fellow Veteran," the letter states. "You were always there for all the Vets that came to your office, patiently guiding them through the miles of red tape they
would have to go through to get to the right government office, with the right paperwork... You handled the calls to your office with compassion when the person on the other end was panic-stricken and didn't know where to turn next. You always knew the next turn, and exactly how to get them there." The event at Town Hall brought about 75 people to the Great Hall, including veterans, residents, and town officials and employees. The ceremony began with the tolling of the memorial bell, 11 times, in honor of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, also known as the Armistice of the Great War, World War I. The Tolling of the Memorial Bell was followed by several other traditions, including the Invocation, read by the Chaplain of the Veterans Council, John Tracey; notice of the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag draped over an empty chair; and the Salute to the Dead, read by John Saunders of the Veterans Council. The poem "In Flan-
ders Fields" was spoken by U.S. Army Veteran Lorelei Kettendorf King. Spears delivered a speech using parts of the essay "What is a Veteran?" by Marine Chaplain Fr. Denis Edward O’Brien. "Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye," Spears said. "Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul's ally forged in the refinery of adversity. Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by looking. What is a vet?"
Donald, for one, said that recognizing Veterans Day meant recognizing his fellow servicemen and women, with whom he served for 26 years during a military career that began in Vietnam. "I'm here to pay a little respect to my fellow shipmates who passed on, more out of respect for the ones who aren't here," he said.
While Spears asked the question of "What is a Vet?", showing that anyone a person sees on the street could be a veteran of military service, the purpose of Veterans Day itself was definitive. Those in attendance were there to honor all Americans who have served. Wellesley resident John Mac-
Photos by Dave Halperin
Who Says Tough Can’t Be Glamorous? Wellesley Trainer is "Wicked Fit" BY RENEE REYNOLDS Wellesley trainer Katie Boyd isn’t afraid a shattering stereotypes. The former pageant queen has transformed herself into a straight-talking, size 8 trainer. Her gym, the Miss Fit Club, is now being featured on the Style Network’s reality show, Wicked Fit, airing Sundays at 9 p.m. Here, Boyd discusses her pageant background and how her athletic upbringing and competitive spirit brought her to where she is today. When did you start competing in pageants? When I was 4-years-old. I don’t remember it a lot, but I was really into dressing up, and I was really girly. I liked that you won a trophy at the end. I didn’t understand the reality of it all. I remember one year I was one of the runners up, and I didn’t win anything, so my mother gave me a doll to shut me up from crying. So, it’s safe to say you were pretty competitive? Definitely. I have been competitive my whole entire life, whether it’s been with school or with
sports. These days I am competitive with my business. Now I am all about expanding my brand.
smile on their face. What is your diet/workout routine these days?
When did you realize you wanted to be a trainer? When I was 18. I had always been active; I always went to the gym. My dad was a professional baseball player, so I come from a very athletic family. One day, I was like, I can make something of this. I can work out and make money from it. So, right out of school I got certified, then I went to UMASS Amherst for Exercise Science.
through that, I can get through anything.
Why did you decide to open your own gym?
Why did you go with a glamorous sort of theme for your gym?
I was let go from the gym I was working in in 2009 because they were restructuring. I had some money saved up. The gym was bought out and was replacing all their current trainers with new ones. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. It gave me a lot of guts when it comes to business. Now, when it comes to making deals, I’m not afraid. If I could get
Let’s be honest, working out sucks. No one enjoys working out. It’s not that fun. What you get out of it is the big payoff, but that takes time. I wanted women to feel happy when they walked into my gym. I wanted them to feel glamorous and like they had a place of their own. I wanted the hot pink equipment; something girly, fun. I want people to walk in and have a
Right now, because we’ve been filming, the only real working out we do is on the show. I am trying to control my weight with my diet. I eat five times a day and everything I eat has protein. I don’t eat a ton of carbs when I’m not working out, because when you’re not working out, you should lower your carbs a little bit. I believe in everything in moderation. You can enjoy chocolate, but don’t eat the whole bar. How did the idea for the show come about? Someone came to me and pitched the idea when the gym opened up. I think it’s because my gym is so different and I am such an unorthodox trainer. What makes you so unorthodox? I am extremely tough, but I am also very loving. I am not afraid to tell it like it is. I tease my clients, but it’s to make them laugh. If they tell me they ate something they
shouldn’t, I will joke with them and say, seriously? But, next time they go to eat it, they won’t. It’s like psychology. What have you learned about yourself from watching ‘Wicked Fit’? I am obsessive-compulsive and want my schedule to run on time. Hollywood is like this whole other animal. You can’t control a lot of things and you’re at their mercy. It’s really made me change myself as a person. I was way too uptight and drove myself insane. [Being on the show] has helped me calm down. Is there pressure from being in the spotlight? I am not a zero by any means; I am more like a size 8. Now that I am on television, people see me as being big for a trainer. This is the problem with our country. People think being healthy is being thin. I try to teach all my women, you have to love the body God gave you. If 90 percent of your life is about starving yourself, or over-exercising, that’s a horrible way to live your life. I can smell an eating disorder a mile away. I won’t train people like that. I will have them seek a counselor. I want to be a billboard for health.
Local Town Pages www.wellesleytownnews.com
Page 10
December 1. 2011
Arts In Wellesley Art for a Cause and Massage with a Message BY DAVE HALPERIN
press ourselves.
The Philanthropic Touch Studio on Washington Street continues to find creative ways to use its space to benefit local charities and artists alike.
“One of the joys of reaching 60 is the deep recognition that I don’t need to impress anyone else… I just need to express myself in the ways that appeal to me,” she has written.
"I started [making art] a year ago," Kitaj said. "It's very exciting. I never thought I'd be doing this." Kitaj, better known as a life coach, psychotherapist, and author, believes that as we age we should continue to find new ways to ex-
The Philanthropic Touch Studio was started by owner Elizabeth Audley as a way to combine her interest in massage with a desire to support non-profit organizations. The name Philanthropic Touch applies both to Audley's interest in working with clients experiencing stress, anxiety and depression, but also to the charitable organizations Audley has an interest in. While a student at Wellesley College, Audley 's daughter was born and, finding services for mothers lacking at the college, she was in-
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The massage therapy studio recently hosted an art opening for collagist and encaustic media artist Karma Kitaj. In spite of taking place on a cold and rainy night, the event drew more than 50 visitors throughout the course of the evening.
organizations that support low-income women with children pursuing higher education and professional training opportunities. During the Kitaj gallery event, one-third of the artist's 28 pieces were sold, and a portion of the proceeds went to the aforementioned charities, as well as The Glamour Project and the Family Nurturing Center, the chosen charities of Marilyn Feldman, who provided free eyelash extensions for visitors to Philanthropic Touch that evening. From left to right, Karma Kitaj, Marilyn Feldman, and Elizabeth Audley. Photo by Beth Nast.
spired to found the Sisters' Keepers Fund, which lobbies the school to improve financial aid and enrollment policies for students with
children. The Philanthropic Touch Studio also partners with The One Family Scholars Program and Crittendon House, other charitable
Audley said she is open to any future events that assist the studio's mission of charitable support. "I'm hoping to keep doing future arts for charity events," Audley said.
Focus on Art in Retrospect 2011 BY PETER ZIEGELMAN a Z Fine arts This past year has been a really exciting one with some great exhibits in our area museums. Examples include the Dutch Masters exhibit at the Peabody, the Chihuli Glass exhibit at the MFA, the many fine sculptural exhibits at the Decordova, the great craft exhibits at the Fuller only to name a few. In addition to this there were a multitude of small artist exhibits at area libraries and galleries as well as
artist open studios. All of these allow the public to see some wonderful and creative art and craft done by artists and artisans who have made their art their life work. The art shown in the past year has enriched the viewer and hopefully allowed them to see an integral part of the artists’ life blood. Every time an artist puts their work on view they open themselves up to critique and the hope that people go away speaking positively about their work. Some artists have worked many years to hone their skills and to arrive at what you see today.
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This can be an arduous task at times and a lot of blood, sweat and tears can go into making a terrific artist. Supporting the artists and artisans of today can make a big difference in how successful they can become and allows them to continue to create in an atmosphere where they are compelled to be. At this time of year, it is especially important wherever possible to support these artists by giving gifts of fine art and handcrafted one-of-a-kind items. This allows the artists to continue to work without interruption. Most of these people have made their art their sole form of support so selling their work is extremely important. Buying locally done art and crafts is a win-win situation. First of all, the buyer is getting something very special and not mass produced and secondly, the artist is making a living so they can continue to grow and produce great things in the future. So while out and about and doing your holiday shopping, consider buying locally crafted items that will be embraced and remembered while supporting the arts of New England! Have a healthy, happy holiday season and as always, if you have any questions about fine art, crafts or custom framing, feel free to email me at info@azfineartgallery.com.
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Local Town Pages www.wellesleytownnews.com
December 1. 2011
Page 11
Great Holiday Gifts For Under $50! BY RENEE REYNOLDS ‘Tis the season to be jolly! Unfortunately, that can also mean it’s the season to be searching for the perfect gift, waiting in long lines and coming home empty-handed. Instead, relax and feast your eyes on some great local suggestions for the guys and gals in your life – all for under $50! The Gifted Hand This shop at 32 Church Street has several handmade selections, all made in the United States, for a very reasonable cost. For moms, try “Mom’s Little Vase,” an adorable, small vase that will hold flowers the little ones pick from outside when the weather warms up. For the business professionals in your life, these handmade business card holders will help keep them organized – and looking fashionable! Vase: $20; Holder: $40
Business
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Wellesley Booksmith Aside from books for readers, this store at 82 Central Street has a gift section in the back, full of unique gifts. For her, “Mom’s One Line a Day” is a great gift, with each page containing space for her to write something memorable from each day. Whether it be a quote or a memory, it will be a great tool for tracking all the things that warmed her heart over the years. For Sox fans, a travel-size game of Red Sox Yahtzee will score a home run on game night.
Wasiks Cheese Shop Looking for a unique gift for the foodie on your list? Look no further than Wasiks. This shop at 61 Central Street features is a familyowned business specializing in gourmet cheeses. On a budget? Try the Ploughman’s Lunch basket, featuring Wasiks Cheese Counter Crackers, a hunk of English Farmhouse Cheddar, and Carol’s own Yankee Chutney. Yum!
Wristlet: $38; Clutch: $48; Pillow: $42
Ploughmans Got a food lover to shop for? A Ploughman's Lunch basket for Wasiks will fill their hunger this holiday season.
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Ploughman’s Lunch: $44.95. Massage Envy Male or female, there’s one thing everyone on your list will want to do after the holidays: relax! Try giving the gift of massage. At Massage Envy, a 1-hour, introductory massage is just $39. The 1-hour essential, therapeutic relief includes either a full body massage or relief of tension areas. Send that special someone on your list down to 161 Linden Street and let their holiday stress melt away.
Have someone sentimental on your list? Mom's One Line a Day will help her record all her favorite memories for the next five years. Yahtzee
Impress the fisherman in your life with one of these cozy, locally designed pillows. News Bag
Moms Little Vase
Why keep your favorite newspaper stories in a photo album when you can wear them as a bag? Thanks to Couture Planet, now you can. Help the sports fan on your list enjoy the Red Sox again with this Boston-based form of Yahtzee.
Mom’s One Line a Day: $16.95; Red Sox Yahtzee: $17.95 Wellesley Holiday Boutique This seasonal boutique, located at 67 Central Street, is full of unique, locally designed items that are perfect for the holidays. For her, try a Couture Planet clutch or wristlet. This Boston-based, women-led company customizes bags based on events in the newspaper. Did your little one score the game winning touchdown? Show them the article, and they can turn it into your new favorite accessory. For him, try a handmade pillow, like this one. Perfect for the fisherman in your family!
Keep your business partner happy and in style with these handmade business card holders.
Mom's Little Vase is a great place to store hand-picked gifts from the little ones. Business Cards
Photos by Renee Reynolds
Local Town Pages www.wellesleytownnews.com
Page 12
December 1. 2011
Arts In Wellesley Lose Yourself, Find Gifts at the Clever Hand Gallery By Dave Halperin Visitors to the Clever Hand Gallery on 52 Central Street should be forewarned: they may lose themselves in the beauty of an array of artworks. Courtesy of the gallery's narrow passageways and stairways that lead to additional rooms of artwork, they will be beckoned to explore; time may disappear in the presence of all that beauty. But visitors may also find much of their holiday shopping accomplished during those moments in the gallery, perhaps regaining that lost time. With 20 member artists and an additional 30 artists with work displayed on consignment, Clever Hand Gallery is the little artists' cooperative that could, fitting countless items in numerous mediums into a space that packs an artistic punch belying its size.
Clever Hand got its start in Sudbury in 1973 but moved to Wellesley 18 years ago. Specializing in traditional crafts, with a core body of work featuring jewelry, pottery and glass, the gallery also displays handmade clothing, leather goods, children's items and products in wood and paper. In addition, everything is locally made, with one exception - the gallery sells wooden boxes produced by Guatemala's Only a Child program, which provides shelter and other essentials to street children, as well as training in hand carving.
"This is a great place. I save buying all my gifts every year until I come here," said Carol Scharff, a recent visitor to the store who makes a point of stopping by every November when she travels with her husband from New York to Massachusetts. "And it's nice because you meet the artists."
Photos by Dave Halperin.
Scharff was seen purchasing several pieces of ceramics from potter Reme Gold, who was working a member-shift at the gallery.
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"I get to work in the store and talk to people about art," Gold said. "And I love to sell local artists' work... and we're all friends, so we support each other, and stay away from Walmart." The interplay between artists and shoppers and the communal spirit of members sets Clever Hand Gallery apart. Monthly meetings include critiques of each other's work (just because a member is a member does not mean their work will make it to the shelves; everything is juried) have helped members' improve artistically and the entire gallery stay fresh.
"This is a very supportive environment," says potter Ann Schunior. "Many of us have been here for years. We've grown up together professionally, and seen each other through good and bad." Wellesley silversmith and Clever Hand member Linda Lutfy Clayton echoes those sentiments.
"The gallery has become much more professional, the work, the way we do things. And that change came with coming to Wellesley," she says. "We could get by being a folksy gift shop in Sudbury, but you've got to live up to the standards of Wellesley."
"I've developed lifelong friendships here, really deep and abiding. When you need someone all 20 members come instantly to help," notes Clayton, who explained that joining the gallery following her husband's death several years ago was just the right move for someone who was "a single person again. It was a way to find me again."
Moreover, the specific location of the Wellesley address created a shift, says Schunior: "The gallery in Sudbury was located on the back side of a strip mall. We had plenty of parking, all the parking you could want, but no people walking by. Now we have no (dedicated) parking spaces but lots of people walking by."
One of the oldest cooperative artists' galleries in New England,
And those people, should they enter the Clever Hand's front door, may wind up staying awhile, taking in all the brightly colored art, and leaving with a few gifts for friends, or treats for themselves.
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"We want people to explore," Schunior says. "Every time someone comes in, they'll say that something is new, and I'll say, 'No it was here before,' but they haven't seen it before because there's just so much to take in."
December 1. 2011
Local Town Pages www.wellesleytownnews.com
Page 13
Chanukah and More A Sampling of Area Holiday Activities BY ZACKARY LAMOTHE Looking to take an excursion to enjoy the festivities of the December holiday season? Residents of Wellesley are lucky to have many options to choose from. From traditional and religious holiday displays and events to outrageous and funky alternatives, the greater Wellesley area has something to offer for all holiday activity seekers. Chanukah Festivities Wellesley’s Temple Beth Elohim is holding its annual Chanukah Carnival on Sunday, December 18 from 1:15 to 3:15 p.m. The event, geared towards families and children, in past years has featured games, prizes, face painting, a moon bounce, cookie decorating, food, and raffles. This event is open to all members of the public and is an exciting way to celebrate Chanukah with the whole family! Temple Beth Elohim is located at 10 Bethel Street in Wellesley. Next door in Natick the Hanukkah Hop will also be happening on December 18. This event is taking place from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. The events at the Hop are appropriate for children up to
second grade. Children will enjoy candle lighting, food, activities, games, and songs. This is happening at Temple Israel Natick, located at 145 Hartford Street in Natick. The event is free, but those who are interested in going need to register ahead of time on http://www.jewishboston.com/eve nts/10331-hanukkah-hop. Christmas Celebrations Beyond Wellesley Starting with a traditional Christmas offering, the Fatima Shrine in Holliston, just twenty minutes down the road from Wellesley, offers visitors beautiful Christmas lights draped around the grounds of the Catholic mission center. Soft Christmas music is played, as visitors walk among the statuary, creating a serene and introspective holiday stroll. The grounds are decorated with both secular and religious imagery including nativity scenes, angels, and snowmen. The Fatima Shrine is located at 101 Summer Street, in Holliston. The lights are shining brightly all throughout the month of December from 5 to 9 PM. It is free to walk the grounds and enjoy the holiday spirit.
A much more bombastic light display is located only ten minutes from Holliston in the town of Millis at the home of Kevin Meehan,
is more like a small road. On each side of the driveway are elaborate light displays including Santa, toy soldiers, and even a Christmas train! As the line of cars slowly snakes its way through the scene, popular Christmas music is played outside, and the displays are so vast that holiday decorations stretch as far as the eye can see. In the back portion of the Millis Wonderland is a series of moving holiday tableaux under glass. The
The Enchanted Village is a classic holiday tradition.
the owner of Imperial car dealerships. During the month of December, his home, located at 60 Causeway Street is transformed into Millis Wonderland. Visitors drive through his driveway, which
scenes depicted include popular characters like Donald Duck and his nephews, teddy bears, and Santa’s elves. For more information, log on to www.milliswonderland.com, and make sure to look at
the gallery of photos to get a preview of what the display is actually like. The display runs from December 2 to 25 from 6 to 10PM daily. The event is free and all donations go to the Salvation Army. Enchanted Village Another classic Boston area holiday tradition is the Enchanted Village. The Enchanted Village is a display of animatronic figures posed in holiday themed scenes. The Village was located in Jordan Marsh in Boston’s Downtown Crossing for years. Since then it moved to City Hall Plaza and then to the Hynes Convention Center. Today, Eliot Tatelman of Jordan’s Furniture stores bought the Village and has resurrected it in his Avon store. The Enchanted Village has been a treasured part of New England Christmastime for years, and now thanks to Jordan’s, will be for many more to come. Jordan’s Furniture in Avon is located at 100 Stockwell Drive. A trip through the village is free for all ages. Residents of Wellesley get to enjoy holiday cheer and celebrations of all shapes and sizes during the month of December. Do not let this magical time pass you by!
Santa Hayride Saturday December 3rd & Sunday December 4th 12 noon -3 p.m.
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508-655-0910
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December 1. 2011
Calendar of Events December 3 and 4 Santa's hayride - Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4, 12 noon - 3 p.m. at WindyLo Nursery, 309 Eliot St., Natick. Visit WindLo's for their Annual Santa Hayride! Enjoy a festive ride, hot chocolate and holiday treats. Visit the nursery for Christmas trees, garlands and uniquely decorated wreaths, and the country store for gifts, ornaments, Christmas decorations and penny candy! A one-stop fun afternoon for the entire family! www.windylo.com.
in gift certificates to participating businesses. December 5 Cluster Development Public Forum - The Planning Board will be holding a public forum to discuss Cluster Subdivision Development in Wellesley. The Public Forum is a chance to discuss existing and proposed development patterns in town, to see how planning techniques can be used to preserve open space and provide affordable housing in a thoughtful and design-driven manner. 8-9:30, Great Hall, Wellesley Town Hall. www.wellesleyma.gov, 781-4311019 ext. 2232.
December 4 holiday Stroll Visit Wellesley Square and enjoy special discounts, pictures with Santa, outdoor music, and the chance to win a raffle with a grand prize of more than $1,000
December 8 From offender to entrepreneur, a benefit for Venturing out, a New England based non-profit
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that teaches entrepreneurship to incarcerated men and women who want to create their own businesses after their release. The centerpiece of the event is the Boston premiere performance of The Castle, a play written by and originally performed off-Broadway by four ex-offenders. At Sorenson Center for the Arts, Babson College, December 8, 7pm. Tickets online at Brown Paper Tickets or through Venturing Out, or call 617-279-2421 x 704. Tickets range from $15 for students, to $150 for patron-level premium seating and a pre-show reception. December 9 and 16 and January 6 Comfort Food made easy, at the Warren Building. Cold weather makes us crave comfort food. Whether it’s a savory meat-
loaf, mac and cheese, or a bowl of soup, everyone has a special dish that evokes memories. We will cook together to make a healthy version of a comfort food, and then will gather around the table to enjoy our creation. Cost - $58 Space is limited. Friday, December 9, 2011 12:30 - 3:00 PM; Friday, December 16, 2011 12:30 3:00 PM; Friday, January 06, 2012 12:30 - 3:00 PM. Warren Recreation and Health Building, 90 Washington Street (Route 16). Call the Recreation Dept. at 781235-2370 or go to www.wellesleyma.gov/recreation. December 16 movie - "The Holiday" at the Senior Center. The Holiday (2006) Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black. Two women troubled with guy-problems swap homes in
each other's countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love. Rated PG-13, 138 mins. 12:45 p.m. December 19 Family music makers, 9:30 AM at LINX, 141 Linden Street. Fun for the entire family! This mixed-age family jam session explores many different ways to be musical with our original hits, traditional favorites and songs you can groove to. Children and grown-ups delight in the magic of this musical discovery room. familymusicmakers.com. December 29 Snowman Workshop, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Wakelin Room, Wellesley Free Library. Bring the family and make a giant snowman. We'll decorate the room with our frosty friends.
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Annie F. Warren Recreation and Health Building
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90 Washington Street (Route 16) Wellesley, MA 02481 Medicare accepted. Some insurance plans for those 19 and older are accepted. Donations appreciated. For more information, visit: www.wellesleyma.gov/health or call 781 235 0135.
just what makes up a story? Is it as simple as a clear beginning, middle, and end?
What’s the Story? Every time we speak, we tell a story or offer bits and pieces from our continuously running life stories. Whether it’s during a quick transaction in the bank, an introduction of a colleague before a presentation, or the bedtime story you and your kids look forward to each night, you are always telling stories. And every story that has ever been told has the potential to educate, persuade and ignite the audience to react and respond; to create credibility and authenticity; and to potentially convey deep emotional impact. Who tells the story, what it is about, and when, where, why, and to whom it is told is what makes the story unique, relevant and, at times, timeless. But what are the rules of the game when it comes to
We can make an educated guess as to how important delivery is in engaging an audience. Not just what you say but how you’re saying it sends out nonverbal signals that have the ability to change the meaning of your story completely. Let’s go back over two thousand years to the days of the Greek philosopher, scientist, and father of rhetoric, Aristotle. He set up a simple system for gaining acknowledgement, validation, and “buy-in" of ideas and experiences. As communicators we all think, organize, and ultimately deliver stories in only three possible ways - pathos, logos, and ethos. We call it the power PLE: *Pathos is an appeal based on emotion. Advertisements tend to be pathos-driven. Pathos refers to both the emotional and the imaginative impact of the message on an audience, the power with which
the speaker’s message moves the audience to decision or action. *Logos is an appeal based on logic or reason and supported by documents, data, facts, statistics, case studies, and scholarly documents. Giving reasons is the heart of argumentation, persuasion and storytelling. *Ethos is an ethical appeal based on the “character” and reputation of the speaker. We tend to believe people whom we respect. One of the central problems of storytelling is to project an impression to your audience that you are someone worth listening to, an authority on the subject at hand, and someone who is likable and worthy of respect. So now that you understand the foundations of a story, you can experiment by mixing and matching pathos, logos, and ethos. You can relay scenarios and situations wrapped in a PLE and discover what really makes people sit up and listen, then be moved to action.
December 1. 2011
Local Town Pages www.wellesleytownnews.com
Page 15
The Sweetest of Care Packages Wellesley Dental Group collects Halloween Candy for U.S. troops BY DAVE HALPERIN Understanding that Americans serving in the military overseas are sure to crave America's holiday traditions, Wellesley Dental Group has once again eased their pain of homesickness. With the help of candy donations from elementary schools and organizations in Wellesley and beyond, the staff has sent more than 2,500 pounds of Halloween sweetness to members of the U.S. military via the non-profit group CarePacks.
dual benefit of saving area youth from overindulgence in candy as they share the wealth with others. "Our goal is to get rid of the candy from our children, to save
on Aging, the Mother's Forum, the Newcomers Club, The Wellesley Food Pantry, the Town of Wellesley Health Department, and Ten Acre Country Day School, among others
The donation dropoff event took place on Thursday, November 10 at the group's offices on Seaward Avenue. "During the holidays, it's good to Students from the Bates School, along with their Principal David Ieong (second from have a treat from right) and Dr. Femina Ali after making their Halloween donations to the troops. home," said Dr. FemMany area residents also stopped ina Ali, standing near a literal calories and cavities," Ali said. by, including Wellesley resident candy mountain as area schoolIn addition to the Sprague, Fiske, Kerrie Grover of the Wellesley children dumped bags of HalUpham, and Bates elementary Hills Junior Women's Club, who loween leftovers onto a pile that schools - and elementary schools brought her young ones' extra Halwas slowly taking over the office. in Westwood and Dover - candy loween treats. This fourth annual event has the was also received from the Council "The kids don't eat it, so if we can give it away to the troops overseas, great," said Grover, who noted that
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Drs. Ejaz Ali and Femina Ali hold up a sign made by Halloween candy donators The Upham School.
her brother is overseas so she knows from experience that "they love anything from home." Furthermore, saving the troops from the dangers of their own candy-related tooth decay, Wellesley Dental Group sends oral hygiene products along with the candy; and proving that no matter
how large the delivery of candy, it's the thought that counts, elementary school children also wrote cards to their new pen pals overseas. "Thank you for fighting the bad guys," reads one letter written by a local five-year-old. "Enjoy the Candy! Happy Halloween."
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December 1. 2011
Thanksgiving: A Football Feast Mouthfuls of School Spirit!
A Storied Rivalry
Pep Rally Features 2nd Annual Pie Eating Contest
Wellesley, Needham Tangle for 124th Time
The pre-Thanksgiving game pep rally at the high school featured the second annual Pie Eating Contest, brain child of the Student Unification Program.
Drama Specialist Stephen Wrobelski took home top prize, followed by 2nd place winner, senior Chandler Hartnett and 3rd place winner, sophomore Sean Matthews.
Junior Erin Morton (left) and history teacher Lauren Berenson.
Photo Left: Drama Specialist Stephen Wrobelski comes up for air on his way to victory. Photo Right: Had enough? Sophomore Sean Matthews took third place. Photos by Caroline Fahey
The Wellesley and Needham high school football teams squared off once again on Thanksgiving morning in the longest-running rivalry of its kind, with each hoping for bragging rights and Needham hoping for a playoff berth. The Raiders got off to a strong start when quarterback Matt Pini found Dan Elfman for a short pass, which Elfman promptly took 65 yards for a touchdown that gave the Raiders the early 6-0 lead.
Dine, then Duel Wellesley, Needham Football Teams Supper Together BY MIKE STOLLER Two days before the 124th rendition of the Wellesley-Needham football rivalry game, the teams were already celebrating the age-old tradition at the annual Rotary Club Pre-Thanksgiving Football Dinner, held Nov. 22 at the Wellesley Community Center. Each year, the home team hosts the event, which honors the seniors from both squads. This year the keynote speaker was longtime Boston sports media guy and former New England Patriots general manager Upton Bell. “Not since 1776 has there been a gathering like this,” Bell opened his talk to the some 120 guests on hand, including current and past players and coaches, and administrative staff, from both schools. “We have both sides here.” Bell, who was general manager of the Patriots in the early '70s and later gained fame as local sports talk show host, reminisced about his
own life in sports and recalled the inspiration he got from his legendary father, Bert, a former NFL commissioner and an original co-owner of the Philadelphia Eagles. He humbly recounted his last game as a high school basketball player, when he missed the gamewinning shot against his team’s nemesis rival, but reminded the Wellesley and Needham seniors that it’s about the camaraderie and the special memories – which his father preached about so heavily – that matter more than the wins and losses. “[My father] never missed one of my games [and] he wasn’t the kind of dad that said, ‘Why didn’t you make that tackle?” Bell said. “He said, ‘Forget the game. It’s okay to make a mistake.’ He was a listener, not a talker.” Bell, who said he still keeps in
Wellesley's Matt Pini, quarterback; Dan Elfman, running back; Cole Bouley, defensive end; and Callen Raveret, linebacker.
touch with a few of his former teammates, spoke of the need to work together, and that regardless of the game’s outcome, the message is, “You want to come back and say that was the greatest moment of your life.” And so it will hopefully be just that as Wellesley and Needham reveled in one last hurrah off the field, the annual get-together for these two towns that have so much enriched history between them. “It’s a celebration of youth and high school athletics, and the competitive spirit,” said Michael Price, interim president of the Wellesley
But Needham came right back on a 15yard touchdown run and extra point, and they never looked back, eventually winning 42-18.
Rotary Club, which sponsors good works programs, such as the local food pantry, the housing project, and Wellesley Little League. “It’s a celebration of the two strong and historic communities that goes back many years; two communities that stood by each other and the continuation of it with this [annual] dinner.” As for the game, Wellesley entered last Thursday’s tilt with a 5955-9 edge over Needham, which was on course to clinch a playoff berth with a win on the holiday. The stakes weren’t as high for the 2-8 Raiders, but the anticipation of the game between these two rivals never hinged on records. “It means a lot to both teams,” Needham head coach Dave Duffy said. “We have a chance to make the playoffs, and if they beat us it makes their season. Both teams have a great bunch of seniors.” “We’re excited to play,” longtime Wellesley coach Bill Tracey said.
Photos by Connie Main
“It’s a good way to cap off the season, and it’s always a playoff atmosphere full of emotion. It’s everything you want. It’s the last chance for the seniors to come together.” The seniors honored at last week’s event included, from Wellesley: Matt Pini, Capt.; Andrew Vasconcelles; Alex Perconas; Callen Raveret, Capt.; Dan Elfman, Capt; Dan Wilkins; Cole Bouley, Capt.; Jack Dario, Stephen Richards; and Mason Griffin; and from Needham: Nick Santaniello; Ben Fuller; Drew Burnett, Capt.; Ian Riley; Phil Comma; Dan Cavanaugh; Jackson Gillenwaters; Mike Vespa, Capt.; Dan Pierce; Graham Finley; Conor Elcock; Zack Nussbaum; James Arnao; Patrick Curran; Stephen Farlo; Tyler Cox; Rory O’Connor; Zach Van Dyke; Peter Madsen, Capt.; Dan Hecker; Mark Riley, Capt.; and Chris Roper. Also included among the dinner attendees were Wellesley High principal Dr. Andrew Keough, Needham High principal Jonathan Pizzi, Wellesley athletic director John Brown, and Needham athletic director Micah Hauben.
December 1. 2011
Local Town Pages www.wellesleytownnews.com
Page 17
It's Cotillion Time The Uniquely Wellesley Dance Arrives December 3rd BY DAVE HALPERIN What started in the 1940s as a tradition for the few and lucky continues today as an event for the people and by the people. The annual Wellesley Cotillion will be held on Saturday evening, Decem-
"It's all done as a gift to the kids to get them ready to graduate and move on to more adult formal events... That day volunteers are working from dusk until well after midnight," Levy said, explaining that volunteers take on the set-up, clean-up, and planning responsibilities that make the event happen.
girls would have been dressed in white and boys in all black tie," said Cotillion Publicity Chair Maryliz Levy. "Today it is dressy... but it's not long dresses, and [the girls'] shoes come off the moment they hit the dance floor."
It's those volunteers, with an assist from the continued financial support of parents (there are too many to name here) and local businesses like Roche Bros., the Linden Store, and others, who "literally transform this empty space into this sparkly white winter wonderland," Levy added.
ber 3 in the Dorothy Quincy Suite at Boston’s Back Bay Event Center. Back in those early Cotillion days, the dance was an exclusive evening set aside for members of a specific dance class. Thanks to progress, all Wellesley High School juniors and seniors, and high school juniors and seniors who live in Wellesley but attend other schools, are now invited to the event each year, and are allowed to invite freshmen, sophomores, and out-of-town upperclassmen. Everyone attends for free, thanks to the support of businesses and individuals.
These days the event features a DJ and light show that casts sights and sounds across a wide dance floor.
"The kids are all dancing up and down like a flash mob," Levy said, recalling the 2010 Cotillion. The Cotillion's dance and fashion evolution, however, hasn't detracted from a core focus of the
event, Levy noted. The Cotillion, she said, is a chance for young people to practice formal event behavior that includes going through a receiving line of parent-chaperones.
In short, the Cotillion is a rare event, one held for high school students not by school administrators, but by an entire community of volunteers and supporters. "There really isn't anything that's quite like this on the high school level," Levy said. "It's quite different and extraordinary."
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The styles of music, dance, and dress have also changed over the years. "They probably had a string quartet when it first started, and
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December 1. 2011
School News
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Hairspray Completes High School's Stage Run Final Performance Included Matinee with Understudies BY DAVE HALPERIN In what was the last theatrical performance at the 1938 Wellesley High School, the performing arts department did something many schools might find hard to pull off: for its matinee performance of Hairpsray, the play's understudies took over the show's central roles. "We have such a ridiculous amount of talent here that we decided to have an understudy performance," Hairspray Director and WHS Drama Specialist Stephen Wrobelski told the Saturday matinee audience. "It is amazing to see the work the understudies do every year, and it's a tribute to the talent we have - not every school can do this." Wrobelski later said, "Before, the understudies would just sort of memorize their lines, but now they're getting a chance to synthesize the work they've done." Playing the role of Tracy Turnblad for the performance was Lydia Tuffy, while Piers Conway played Corny Collins; Brendan Milway appeared as Edna, Madeleine Beimford as Penny Pingleton, Julia Rufo as Velma Von Tussle and Olivia Sanabria as Amber Von Tussle; Andrew Maney played the role of Link Larken; Delaney McCormick took the stage as Seaweed J. Stubbs; and Jackie Wiley took on the role
WHS building was Other People's Husbands, directed by Louise Joyce. The old school has had a long and storied career, but performing arts students and faculty will find technical advantages in the new high school, which is scheduled to open for business in February 2012.
of Motormouth Maybelle. Other understudy performers included Weston Jacoby (Wilbur Turnblac), Torie Davids (Prudy Pingleton), Joy James (Dynamite #3), Jalen Eugene (Gilbert), Joy James (Cindy Watkins), Conor Chinitz (Brad), Harry Cramer (Sketch), Danile Gillooly (Mikey) and Anna Morrison (Darla).
"The new space will present better acoustics, improved rehearsal facilities, a new dance studio, and a recording booth," Wrobleski told readers of the Hairspray program guide. "The students will be the greatest beneficiaries of our new home. Not only will they reap the benefits of rehearsing and performing in the new space, but they will gain proficiency using modern technology, preparing them for their experiences in college and beyond."
Hairspray the musical features music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman, and is based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The musical first opened in 2002, ran for over 2,500 performances, and won eight Tony Awards. According to Wrobelski, Hairspray allows audiences to take a look at the cultural and political climate of the 1960s without "becoming preachy or didactic." "Instead it allows us to vicariously relive the changing attitudes of the younger generation as they experience the music, fashion, fads, and politics of the time," he wrote in his director's notes. Wrobelski further explained that the character of Tracy Turnblad demonstrates how a certain amount of thoughtful rebellion can help young people find themselves. "While Tracy is not reading banned books, but delighting in the prohibited dance moves of the day," Wrobelski wrote, "the fol-
Photos by Dave Halperin
lowing John Water's quote is one of my favorites: 'It wasn't until I started reading and found books they wouldn't let us read in school that I discovered you could be insane and happy and have a good life without being like everybody
else.'" "Here's hoping that we all find a way to be insane, happy, and have a good life without being like everybody else," Wrobelski added.
According to Wrobelski, the inaugural production at the new high school will feature 2012's one-act improvisational play. Each year students and faculty create an improvisational piece and perform it at the high school after February vacation, before taking it on the road to festivals. Last year the creative process - which Wrobelski said is the result of "a lot of improvisational work and sketch building" - yielded a play about an alien invasion in the 1950s.
The first production at the 1938
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December 1. 2011
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Page 19
Wellesley Sports
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Wellesley High School Swimmers Teaching the Basketball Teachers and Divers Make Waves BY DAVE HALPERIN After losing Catherine King, the Bay State Conference's fastest 50and 100-yard freestyler, and Tiffany Chow, school recordholder in the backstroke, to graduation, 2011 was supposed to be a rebuilding season for Raider swim-
"She has a very strong gymnastics background and is just super athletic," explained Diving Coach Kelly Tonole, "and she's extremely coachable." Also competing as divers were Bailey Siber, who came in with a 144.65, and Caroline Kelliher, who
recorded a season-best time of 201.48, good enough for sixth in the conference. Bay State swimming powerhouses Framingham and Walpole topped that event and many other events that day, but the beauty of swimming is that athletes and teams have the chance to compete not only against opponents, but against their own previous scores. "We're very excited about that time [in the Medley]," Dutton said. The performance demonstrated the team's improvement over the course of the season, which Captains Carolyn Gee, Cara Skelly and Maura Boyce said was the result of teamwork and strong coaching.
Wellesley Youth Basketball Welcomes Former Pro for Hoops Discussion BY PETER SHANLEY
sion.
Youth sports is all about winning. A child should select a certain sport by three or four years old, begin practicing 365 days a year immediately, and compete in cutthroat travel leagues by around six years old. Not so fast, says youth sports speaker and former professional basketball player Bob Bigelow. “Youth sports has nothing to do with developing better athletes. It has everything to do with developing better kids,” Bigelow told a crowd at the Wellesley Middle School (WMS) auditorium on Nov. 9 that included participants in and guests of Wellesley Youth Basketball. A basketball clinic run by Bigelow followed the discus-
The event preceded the start of WYB's season and helped set the tone for an organization dedicated to supporting its young athletes. The solution to the winner-takeall mentality in youth sports is long term athlete development or LATD, Bigelow said. The United States is the lone developed country that does not practice this philosophy. This entails allowing children and teenagers to mature as athletes and not cutting them from teams until, at the earliest, 16 or 17 years old. Bigelow told the oft-repeated anecdote of Michael Jordan being cut from his varsity basketball
BASKETBALL TEACHERS continued to page 20
"The unity," Boyce said when asked about what characterized this year's swim• Budget billing mers. "We've really Swim Team Captains Cara Skelly, Carolyn Ghee, and Maura Boyce during the Bay State come together over the • 24-hour in-house service department Conference meet. Photo by Dave Halperin. 2011/2012 FRIENDS course of the season." AND FAMILY REFERRAL PLAN! • Service contracts mers and divers. earned a 106.8. "And the us toyou and any friend/family member This heating season, we coaches will be push offering New Customer Special "People are coming up and mak"I've been very fortunate to have work hard, and really know what 100 FREE gallons of oil. Simply share this offer with your relative, friend or neighbor and to do in terms of the swimming," ing cuts for states and sectionals," a lot of talent," Tonole said. $25 Off Every Oil Delivery For A Year both of you will 25 Skelly FREE added gallons deliveries. *Or 104deliveries, whichever comes first saidreceive Gee, while thatof oil on your next Coach Jen Dutton said of her sophAfter an intermission following the team's coaches also have a omore-dominated squad during the diving competition, swimmers CALL TODAY AND MENTION knack for the psychological asthe regular season-ending Bay Please feel 781-894-2878. from Bay State Conference teamsfree to call the office if you have any questions THISatSPECIAL: 781-894-2878 pects of coaching. "They help us State Conference [meet] on Nosquared off in a series of races. 5 Clark St. Waltham understand what is in our control, vember 6 at Wellesley College. Wellesley got off to a strong start, and what isn't," she said. www.Flahertyoil.com Dutton credited the team's group as the "A" Medley Relay unit of seniors and, in particular, its trio of senior captains for helping and guiding the team's freshmen and “One Call Does It All” sophomores. "They've done a really good job this year being really accessible to everyone, and I think it shows in the [race results] this year," she said.
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December 1. 2011
Wellesley Sports BASKETBALL TEACHERS continued from page 19
team as an undersized sophomore. Jordan would then have a growth spurt, make the team the next year,
basketball abilities as a freshman, but someone had the good sense to wait,” said Bigelow. “No one in America waits anymore.” According to Bigelow, on April
better, better later, later, later,” said Bigelow. “That is a philosophy that drives youth sports into a wall. It is a crock and a myth. And that is what I fight every day of my life.” When asked why they play sports, children respond that the top reasons are having fun, developing skills, and exercising, with winning landing around number 12. If given a choice between playing on a losing team or sitting on a winning team, kids want to play, Bigelow said. But as one ages, winning becomes more important, so adults tend to rank it high among their
and become one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He also related his own story of being a 6-foot freshman who had never played organized basketball before. Bigelow was given the opportunity to develop and graduated Winchester High School as a 6foot-6 basketball star. “No one gave a crap about my
lists. That creates the problem of parents pushing winning while the kids are attempting to enjoy themselves.
The best solution is to adapt soccer's philosophy: the game is the best teacher.
Bigelow has a simple statement to those parents and coaches that are overbearing: “Shut up. They do not need your advice or guidance.”
Wellesley Youth Hockey
Youth sports, he says, is about exploration and making mistakes. And he strongly believes that cutting children from teams at an early age is wrong. “Trying to rank athletic ability at an early age is horrible,” said Bigelow.
“More, more, more, younger, younger, younger means better,
Julie Perry, current WYHA President, has continued the work of her predecessors, emphasizing the importance of safety, learning, and fun to as many as 500 young hockey enthusiasts.
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In recent years, tragedy in the news has influenced perceptions of youth hockey in New England, as overzealous parents have engaged in violence in community rinks. But in Wellesley, youth hockey couldn't be more different from the impression these reports might create. The program is an example of excellence and sportsmanship that serves as one of the most popular youth programs in the state while being a beacon of support and dedication for local youth.
1997 a great chasm was created between LATD and short-term thinking in the United States. That month was when Tiger Woods won the Masters golf tournament and the American public was inundated with images of Woods’ father drilling him in golf as a three or four year old.
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“As an organization safety is a number one concern for us,” said Perry of a program that has been providing youth hockey opportunities since 1961, and not just for Wellesley residents, but for those from surrounding areas where age-appropriate programs may not exist. “My son was at the learn-toplay stage, and in Weston they didn’t have a youth hockey program,” said local hockey parent and coach Ed Weiss. “We had overwhelmingly heard from people in Weston incredibly favorable things about the Wellesley program.” WYHA offers opportunities for children ages 4 ½ to 18 to strap on skates, and with so many players, the program requires more than 100 volunteers to field the 28 teams. Besides stressing safety, sportsmanship is also taught and emphasized by the coaches and volunteers, along with making sure the kids have fun first and foremost.
Local Town Pages www.wellesleytownnews.com
December 1. 2011
Page 21
Wellesley Sports “Really, the dedication by the parents and coaches is just to make sure the kids have fun," said Weiss. “That is the number one rule at every practice.” Also penetrating the news in hockey circles, as well as other contact sports, is the issue of concussions. WYHA and Perry have initiated a policy known as the Impact Test, which is a baseline test for athletes who have suffered a head injury. The test measures cognitive ability and has served as a standard for all town athletes to follow. “We have taken several steps to react to [the concussion issue], and one of those is a new policy within
started to meet the increasing demand and interest of local girls who want to strap on the skates, a change that has coincided with the increasing popularity and improved skill of girls' hockey on the high school level. Wellesley resident Peter Mullin, who coaches a girls' under-19 team in Wellesley, has noticed tremendous growth in the girls' game. “If you watched the girls' [high school state championship] six years ago, compared to today it’s not the same game,” said Mullin, a 16-year volunteer of WYHA. “The difference between the boys' and girls' game at the high school level is getting smaller.” ored at the Matt Brown Gala this past September and given the Matt Brown Unsung Hero Award. It's an award that Mullin humbly and modestly discussed. “It was kind of out of the blue," Mullin said. "I've always known Matt Brown’s story and I was at the Beanpot Game last year when he was in attendance. He is really
Photos by Tim Davis
our program,” said Perry. “We started educating coaches on how to handle concussions, as well as parents and players. We hope this is an overall contribution to the town, not just for those who play hockey, but other sports as well.” And Wellesley hockey does not only serve boys. WYHA has
On the under-19 team, girls are learning the fundamentals of how to move the puck and control the power play. “They work hard,” said Mullin. “We show them what good hockey looks like and to try to emulate that, as opposed to statistics, and we're trying to make them good scorers and passers.”
Mullin, whose 20 year old son went through the WHYA program, now has a 12-year old daughter who plays and who started several years ago in the learn-to-play program. Mullin is a former president of the league and has devoted countless hours serving as a coach and administrator. In recognition of all he has done for the program, Mullin was hon-
an amazing kid.” Mullin went on to reflect on Brown, a former Norwood High School hockey player. “Our hockey kids have to always remember to support a kid like that. You can’t forget something like that, and when you meet him he is such a nice kid.”
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December 1. 2011
Looking for a Few Good Town Meeting Members Elections For All 240 Seats To Be Held in March 2012 BY DAVE HALPERIN With the latest U.S. Census figures requiring the town to add a voting precinct, one of the outcomes is that all of Wellesley's 240 Town Meeting Member seats will be open for election. Moreover, at least one current seat was available
as of WLTP press time in mid-November, due to members leaving mid-term. Put another way, opportunities exist for residents to join the town's version of this uniquely participatory form of government. Town Meeting is a legislative body
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whose members serve staggered three-year terms. They vote on behalf of their precinct during the Annual Town meeting in March and any Special Town Meetings that may arise.
together, because even in Wellesley, people had quite a diverse range of economic circumstances. Just like today, people had lost jobs, and had to look to neighbors to keep themselves going.
As former Town Moderator and current Town Meeting Member Heather Sawitsky says, "You have the opportunity to shape the quality and type of our interactions as a community."
Town Clerk Kathy nagle: Town Meeting is the only place to have an active role where you have your opinion heard... It's old fashioned New England discourse, with the nuts and bolts of town government... The most influential area for Town Meeting is on zoning because it's a 2/3 vote.
Town Meeting, adds Town Clerk Kathy Nagle, "is the basic building block of how our town is governed. Town Meeting is who decides how much money is spent on our town services. All of our capital and infrastructure projects go through Town Meeting as the first gatekeeper for providing amenities and services for the town." With that in mind, WLTP asked several longstanding Town Meeting members and public officials to answer the question "Why run for Town Meeting?" and to speak freely about Town Meeting in general. Note: the following comments have been edited for length and continuity. John Schuler, Precinct D: As a person who has lived all of his life, not only in town but in the same house, I guess my upbringing lent itself to the ritual of giving back to the community in which you planted your roots.... It seemed to me that growing up during the Depression there was a lot of pulling
Children: 6-10
heather Sawitsky, Precinct F: People who haven't participated in a Town Meeting format, the concerns that I hear most frequently is that they don't understand Robert's Rules of Order or parliamentary procedure. But we don't use Robert's Rules, and some towns have different degrees of motions and we have none of that, so you can jump right into it as a citizen and have no problem with that. People also worry about getting to know all the issues... and we have the Advisory Committee to help with that. The Advisory Committee is made up of 15 people that the Moderator appoints... and they write up a book [before Town
Shortly before my Mom died, my five-year old son said to her suddenly during a big family dinner, “Nana, I’m going to miss you when you die.” You could have cut the tension in
the air with a knife, but my Mom didn’t miss a beat and said, “I’ll miss you too. I’ll miss you all.” She died a couple of months later after a long battle with cancer. Mom was never one to mince words, and most children aren’t either. I’m very thankful that we got
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Why be a Town Meeting Member? It's fun... And my observation over the years is that the things that are decided on the local level have an immediate and direct impact on the people in the town. Joseph grignaffini, Precinct a: I think that anyone who is going to be in this town should give back ... And the amount of time that you put in is not that great.... Some [members] just go to meetings, others put in a lot of work preparing for Town Meeting, and that's the kind of Town Meeting Member we like to have, not someone who just has one issue in mind, but who sees the big picture. Tory DeFazio, Precinct F: People are committed to being members for a number of reasons... But it's a system of government that works... There are issues that are brought up, discussed and resolved, and that's what makes it interesting. Beginning December 1, 2011 through January 20, nomination papers for Town Meeting candidacy are available from the Town Clerk at Town Hall. Prospective candidates must acquire 50 signatures from town residents from any precinct. For more information visit http://www.ci.wellesley.ma.u s/Pages/WellesleyMA_Clerk/runfor/ or call the Clerk's Office at 781-431-1019 ext. 2252.
Take Some Time and Tell Them You Love Them BY DOUG MASTERS
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The goal of [Town Meeting's membership] is to have a broad cross section of the town involved, to hear all of the viewpoints from longstanding residents of the town to newcomers to retired people to baby boomers to kids who have finished with school.
Meeting meets] that sets forth a summary of all the issues involved, how they voted, and why.
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to say goodbye to her, and that my children had the opportunity to get to know her. I also learned a lot about myself and about human nature over the last few years.
As the holidays are upon us again, it’s time to be thankful for all the wonderful people in our lives. It’s the perfect opportunity to stop, for just a minute, and acknowledge the love you feel in your heart for someone special. It’s probably been a long time since they heard it. For it seems that the everyday minutia saps more and more of our time and energy, and there’s rarely a moment to enjoy a good conversation with a great friend or loved one. Months or even years can go by and before you know it, people you truly care about have fallen out of touch and become long lost friends. Sure, there’s Facebook and other
December 1. 2011 “social media,” an occasional email, and that yearly “holiday card,” but that just doesn’t fill the void. We’re sorely lacking genuine human interaction these days, and it’s getting worse. Every day I see groups of teenagers texting each other from three feet away instead of simply talking to one another! As time passes, and my business has grown to a customer list of thousands and my Facebook “friends” list has grown to include hundreds of old and new acquaintances, I’m reminded of just how grateful I am to have a particularly small list of best friends and a close-knit family that I love dearly. Lately, I’ve been bombarded with constant reminders of how fleeting life can be. It seems not a month goes by without an old acquaintance or a customer of mine passing away. Sometimes they are people I knew very well, other times simply pleasant folks I met just a few times. I’ve actually started to read the local obituaries just so I can keep my customer list updated. A rather morbid activity I’ll grant you but one I feel is important because I care about my customers and their families. I read about people who “died suddenly” and others, like my Mom, who died after a long battle with an insidious disease and it all becomes so personal for me. Sometimes it’s sadly frustrating because I wish I had just that one last fleeting moment to tell that person how much I cared about them and how, in a small or grand way, they enriched my life. This holiday season, I hope we can all find the time to really connect with the people we love. Set aside some time to have lunch with an old friend, take your Mom or Dad, son or daughter or another relative out for coffee, and let them know how much you cherish your relationship with them and how much you love them. Sure, it seems like there’s always tomorrow, and boy that buzzing phone needs attention right now, but remember, not everyone gets the chance to tell someone they love them before time slips away or to say goodbye before it’s too late. Make someone’s day, invest more time in your relationships, and you will be giving yourself and him or her the best holiday gift ever. Note – this is a reprint of an article from last year, but since this is a new paper I’ve decided to share it with you this year. Happy Holidays doug@masterstouchweb.com
Local Town Pages www.wellesleytownnews.com
Page 23
Masters Touch importance to me. We want our customers to feel comfortable right from the beginning of their project because for most folks your home is your most prized possession.”
Doug Masters, owner of Masters Touch
Masters Touch in Medfield has been providing quality building and home improvement service in the Massachusetts area since 1997. Founded by Doug Masters and staffed with a talented group of architects, interior designers, project managers and expert craftsmen it is little wonder that the small enterprise started fourteen years ago has blossomed into one of the areas most respected and successful businesses. “We pride ourselves on not only the final result but the entire experience,” Doug says. “Creating an easy-going, approachable environment was always of paramount
Although competition in the building and home improvement industry is fierce, Masters Touch stands above the rest. Whether you are designing and building your dream home or completely refurbishing your existing home, Masters Touch is up to the task. They also have a home care division that specializes in roofing, painting, windows, and exterior repairs. The Showroom, located in the Masters Touch head quarters in Medfield center on Route 109 (only a fifteen minute drive from the Wellesley area) features everything you’ll need for your project. “We’re truly proud of our Showroom,” Doug maintains. “People come in and are immediately put at ease because everything you need is right at your fingertips. From cabinetry, counter tops, flooring, window treatments, carpeting, paint samples, you name it we have it in our showroom.” The showroom is also where you can meet the staff and discuss your plans over a cup of coffee and just relax. Let’s face it, undertaking a home design and improvement job of any size can be a daunting, stressful task and the people at
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Masters Touch want you to feel a sense of relief as you begin your project.
turn your existing home or your brand new home into one you’ve always dreamed of.
“We provide free consultations,” Doug continues, “so you can sit back with our team and we will show you just what can be done with no pressure tactics. We’re fully licensed and insured and have an extremely high customer return rate which we are very proud of.” Masters Touch is located at 5 Janes Avenue (Route 109) in Medfield Center. You can visit their website at masterstouchweb.com or call for more information, or to set up an appointment, at 508-3595900. The Masters Touch experience is one you will truly enjoy so when planning your next project stop by the Showroom and let their team
if there is anything else i can do just let me know!
Doug masters masters Touch PO Box 171 Medfield, MA 02052 508-359-5900 ext. 201 Fax 508-359-4042
We publish the 1st of every month. Advertisement and editorial deadline is the 15th of each month. editor@wellesleytownnews.com
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December 1. 2011
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