Julie M. Cohen
Newton Tab
Schools moved one step closer to pre-COVID normalcy as Jeffrey Riley, commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), announced that students in grades 6 to 8 must return to full-time, in-person classes by April 28.
The move essentially eliminates the hybrid model for children in elementary and middle school.
The Wellesley Board of Health issued a statement in support of the return that read in part: Our stance, as outlined above, considers the profound and growing negative impact on the mental health, emotional wellbeing, development, and education of our town’s youth. Now, nearly one year since schools were first closed due to the pandemic, we believe the growing risk of this negative impact far exceeds the threat from the virus.
A 44-year legacy of helping animals in Wellesley
By Diana Bravo Globe Correspondent,Updated January 14, 2021, 1:34 p.m.
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Sue Webb was Wellesley s animal control officer for 44 years.Courtesy
Over four decades as Wellesleyâs animal control officer, Sue Webb fielded countless calls from residents. But some of the most memorable came when people mistook rubber toys for dangerous creatures.
âSomebody wanted me to shoot a copperhead [snake] in somebodyâs garden ⦠but we donât have copperheads around Wellesley, and it turned out to be a rubber snake,â Webb said. âI was like âArenât you glad we didnât blast rubber all over the neighborhood?ââ
Staff report
Wellesley Townsman
A grant to the Wellesley Police Department is helping local officers with efforts to enforce the current Massachusetts mask/face covering mandate and set a positive example for the community, according to a Tuesday annoucement.
This week, the Community Fund for Wellesley’s COVID-19 Relief Fund awarded $1,470 to the Police Department to support the purchase of WPD branded masks and two-ply gaiters (face sleeves) for all uniformed officers and extra masks to distribute to residents
“Our officers are on the front lines every day protecting our community and enforcing the tightened restrictions necessary to keep Wellesley safe during the pandemic, said Wellesley Police Chief Jack Pilecki. These masks and face coverings are a heavier weight for the winter months and will standardize our uniforms, and will help us portray a positive, consistent public image as we work to educate, inform, and remind everyone about the importance of mask wearing.