1-03-2023 1:24am

Westwood Minute's Roundup of Local News from 2022

Darlene Cancell Editor

Photo by Darlene Wong Cancell. In July 2022, Westwood resident Peter D'Elia (seated) shakes hands with a participant of the American Legion motorcycle ride, organized for Mr. D'elia's 100th birthday.

Did you know that Westwood Minute covered local news on a daily basis in 2022? It's a ton of work that requires dedication and a large time commitment, but someone has to do it! Just a small sample of the hundreds of articles that have published are below. Hope you enjoy the read.

But first, a shout-out to current Westwood Minute supporters -- thank you! Your encouragement and participation in building an informed community is greatly appreciated.

To others, thanks so much for checking out this website and spending some time here! A brief request - if you have enjoyed reading Westwood Minute or found it useful, please consider becoming a supporter, if you haven't already. Your support can help ensure that daily, instantly accessible, local news remains reliable and available in our community.

Now, without further ado, here's a look at some of the stories Westwood Minute has covered in the past year:

January

After winter break, Westwood schools see a dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases. See Dramatic Increase in COVID-19 Cases at High School, Hanlon School

Image of small pond at Hale in Westwood, by Alvin Kho from Flickr

Westwood's Hale Task Force strongly recommends that the town purchase a conservation restriction on 500+ acres of Hale’s undeveloped land in Westwood. See Westwood Follows Dover in Recommending Preservation of Open Space at Hale

Norfolk County Sheriff foils a drug smuggling attempt. See Norfolk County Sheriff Intercepts Inmate's Attempt to Smuggle $14K in Suboxone, an Opioid Replacement Med

A fire at Moderna in Norwood breaks out. See Norwood, Westwood FDs Respond to Fire at Moderna Facility; Walpole Provides Station Coverage

Westwood’s Select Board implements a mask mandate in all municipal buildings. It also approves a developer's application to rehabilitate and reuse the Obed Baker House. See Select Board Meeting: Open Seat on SB, Mask Mandate, Reuse of Obed Baker House

February

A serious electrical fire breaks out at Harvey’s Ace Hardware in Needham, and is extinguished. See Needham FD Knocks Down Serious Fire with Aid from Westwood and Surrounding Towns

Westwood’s School Committee follows the state Department of Education in rescinding its mask policy. See School Committee Received Over 400 Comments on Masking Policy Before Rescinding It and School Mask Requirement Ends February 28, 2022 (Updated)

The town’s Board of Health ends the mask requirement for municipal buildings. See Westwood Board of Health Allowing Mask Mandate to Expire in Town Buildings

Islington Branch Library finally reopens in a new location, after 2.5 years in a temporary space. See Islington Branch Library, Wentworth Hall Opening with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Select Board determines that it will dispute as excessive state guidance that a multi-family housing district be at least 50 acres in size in Westwood. See Select Board to Dispute State's Draft Guidance on Multi-Family Housing District

After a series of thefts from Life Time Fitness locker rooms, Westwood Police make arrests that appear to stymie future such activity. See Westwood Police Investigation Results in Arrest of Two Suspects in Life Time Fitness Locker Thefts and Westwood Police Provide Details on Second Suspect in Locker Room Thefts (Updated)

March

Following contact from a union asserting concerns of fire safety, Westwood’s School Building Committee votes to remove certain insulation from its approved proprietary list of construction materials. See School Building Committee Votes to Remove Kingspan K15 Insulation From Approved Proprietary List of Construction Materials (Updated)

Inclusive Westwood announces that in February, it reached exceeded one thousand signatures on its statement in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts (DEI) in Westwood. See Inclusive Westwood Exceeds Goal of One Thousand Signatures in Support of DEI Statement

Students and staff at Thurston Middle School on March 9th receive racist messages at school. See Middle School Students, Staff Receive Racist and Hateful AirDrop Messages at School

In March and into April, two community coalitions with opposing viewpoints enter an argument regarding how DEI should be discussed and implemented in Westwood. See OPINION: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Laudable Words, Until They are Politicized and OPINION: Inclusive Westwood Responds to One Westwood's Goals to End “Race Based Teaching” and “Sexual Talks” in Elementary School (Updated).

Students also got involved in the DEI discussion. See
In Response to One Westwood, Westwood Students Speak Out in Favor of DEI in Our Schools

Addressing DEI concerns, Westwood Minute provides information about its editorial policy. The goal is to create a space for respectful discussion welcoming different points of view on any topic that is of local interest. See Westwood Minute Editorial Policy Explained

Boston Magazine highlights Westwood as a Top Place to Live. See Pandemic Increases Home Buyer Interest in Westwood, a Boston Magazine “Top Place to Live”

April

Medfield deliberates on development of the Medfield State Hospital Campus. See Residents Consider Developer Proposal to Bring New Neighborhood to Medfield State Hospital Campus

The issue of DEI factors into voters' support of Westwood School Committee candidates. See LETTER TO THE EDITOR by WENDY THURMOND: Heather Morrison Supporter on Hypocrisy, Intolerance in School Committee Campaigning
and LETTER TO THE EDITOR by ELLEN LARKIN ROLLINGS: Supporting Parmelee for School Committee. See How Westwood's Five Precincts Voted - Unofficial Results of Town Election

Citing the pandemic, Select Board reduces the number for constituting a quorum from 175 registered voters to 45. See Select Board Reduces Number for a Quorum, Reiterates Support for DEI, Approves Two High-Speed Electric Car Charging Stations

May

At Town Meeting, Westwood voters approve establishing a Mixed-Use & Multi-Family Residential Overlay District (MUMFROD). See Westwood Voters Approve Multi-Family Housing District, Agree with FinCom Recommendations in 2022 Town Meeting

Westwood welcomes new residents into a home built by their neighbors. See Habitat Home Dedicated, Westwood Welcomes New Family (Updated)

School officials notify Westwood Public Schools families of a racist video that is circulating, and offer reassurances. See Westwood Public Schools Notifies Parents of Racist Video Featuring Westwood High School Student

Thanks to Richard F. Gibbons, Westwood's only living Purple Heart veteran, Westwood can call itself a Purple Heart Community. See Westwood's Purple Heart Proclamation

Detective Kindia Roman becomes the first detective of color and second woman detective in the history of the Westwood Police Department. See Select Board Meeting: Town Makes History and SB Revives Issues of Conservation Restriction, Long-Term Financial Planning Committee

In the wake of Uvalde, Westwood Public Schools provides reassurances. Westwood Minute republishes the first of many articles from The Conversation, to help connect expert research to local news of concern. See Safety Measures at Westwood Public Schools and a Perspective on Tragedies like Uvalde, Texas

June

Sheehan School Hosts First Ever Cultural Festival

Medfield’s Board of Selectmen announces an investigation into officers accused of sleeping on the job. See Independent Investigation Ongoing Into Alleged “Serious Misconduct” by Medfield Police

Westwood Minute records two different perspectives on what the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobb’s decision means in our community. See Local Reaction to U.S. Supreme Court's Overturning Roe v. Wade

Westwood Girls Lacrosse Repeats as Division 1 State Champions!

July

LA Kings make a Westwood native the fifty-first pick in 2022 NHL Draft. See 2022 NHL Draft: Westwood Native Jack Hughes to Join Los Angeles Kings (Updated)

Westwood's Paul Lilla is Athletic Trainer of the Year

When President Biden visits nearby, he flies in with Congressman Jake Auchincloss of the Massachusetts Fourth District, who represents towns including Dover, Needham and Medfield. Rep. Auchincloss Accompanies President Biden on MA Trip to Somerset Today, Possible Pitch for Offshore Wind Development

A drop in water supply triggers a water ban. See In Drought, with Rain Nowhere in Sight, DWWD Imposes Total Ban on Outside Lawn Watering

Westwood veteran Peter D’Elia receives recognition in honor of his 100th birthday. American Legion Riders Gather in Honor of 100th Birthday and Service of World War II Veteran

August

Construction Phase Begins at Hanlon-Deerfield School Building Project Site (Updated 8/9/22)

Dog Abandoned in Dedham in Heat Wave Finds Forever Home

The state issues final guidelines on how communities can implement its multi-family housing mandate. See State Issues Final Guidelines for MBTA Communities Like Westwood for Creating Required Multi-Family Housing Districts

A Walpole resident donates hundreds of dollars every week. See What Tyler Can Give Will Amaze You

September

Contributor John Aram interviews Westwood resident, scholar and author Don Jansiewicz on solutions to political polarization. See Hope for Mitigating Political Divisiveness: Women and Neighbors Working Together

Winners of Westwood Day 5K are the defending title holder for Men, and a physicist turned stay-at-home mom for Women. See Matthew Masi-Phelps is Repeat Winner of Westwood Day 5K (Updated) and Fastest Woman at Westwood Day's 5K is Now Training for Chicago Marathon

October

Accidents involving bicyclists and cars prompt a safety discussion by Westwood’s Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Committee. See Bicyclist Injured in Hit-and-Run on Pond Street, Mother Seeks Help Identifying Culprit (Updated 10/11/22) and Police Log: Bad Day for Bicyclists, Multiple Arrests in Shoplifting in Progress, and More and After Hit-and-Run, Bicyclist Tracks Down the Vehicle That He Believes Hit Him (Updated 10/26/2022)

Xaverian Graduate Chris Bean is Reviving the Only Working Farm in Westwood

Three vehicle airbags are stolen in one week in Westwood. See Vehicle Airbags Being Stolen from Vehicles Parked at Westwood Private Residences

Pam Dukeman retires from 31 years of town service. See Assistant Town Administrator/Fin. Director Pam Dukeman Retiring, Leaves Westwood Finances "Structurally Sound"

All water restrictions are lifted for Westwood. See DWWD to Rescind All Water Restrictions for Customers Effective October 19, 2022

November

Town Clerk Dottie Powers and staff take on the overwhelming task of processing early votes following state law expanding mail-in voting. See Westwood Town Clerk and Resident Helpers Process Early Votes in State Election (Updated)

Westwood's Select Board Officially Reconstitutes Long Range Financial Planning Committee by Appointing New Members

The Town of Westwood creates the new positions of Westwood Poet Laureate and Teen Poet Laureate. See The Search Is On for Westwood's First Poet Laureate

High school will start almost an hour later for the 2023-24 school year after School Committee votes in step with sleep research findings. See Westwood School Committee Changes 2023-24 School Start Times, Gives Sleep Deprived High Schoolers Extra Time in Morning

In the statewide election, Westwood voters went for Democratic candidates in every one of the town's five precincts. See Unofficial State Election Results: How Westwood Voted