Natick January 2017

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Permit No. 92 

Vol. 2 No. 3 Free to Every Home and Business Every Month January 2017 

Local Organization Works to 

Build Kind, Inclusive Community 

By Renee Plant, 

Contributing Writer 

In 2010, local parents Michele 

Woolard and Christine 

Guthery embarked on their 

journey to combat bullying and 

cyberbullying within the school 

system. Their first meeting was 

modest, attended by just 30 people, 

however the organization 

has since grown exponentially. 

Currently, SPARK Kindness, 

Inc. has more than 3,000 followers 

in Natick and beyond. 

SPARK, which stands for 

Successful, Positive, Authentic, 

Resilient Kids, is an official 

501(c)(3) non-profit run by a 

board of directors that includes 

parents and community members. 

In addition to preventing 

bullying, SPARK also strives to 

promote kindness and resilience 

within the community. 

“We want to build strong, inclusive 

and empowered communities 

where no one feels isolated 

The Voice of Your Community 

or disconnected,” Founder and 

Executive Director Christine 

Guthery said. “We believe we 

are stronger together. We want 

children and families to feel supported 

in our community.” 

The organization educates 

community members to face 

challenges together through a 

number of program series, free 

resources on bullying prevention, 

and help from community 

leaders. The goal is that no child 

or family will feel alone, bullied 

or unsupported. 

“SPARK is focused on the 

principle that parents need support 

rather than judgment,” 

Guthery said. “Supporting 

parents by providing resources 

means, in turn, they are able to 

support the children.” 

MLK Celebration: 

Stand Up For Justice 

This month, SPARK will 

join the Interfaith Clergy Association 

of Natick, the Natick 

School Department and Natick 

Together for Youth in the 12th 

INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY 

continued on page 2 

New Director for 

Natick Historical 

Society Brings 

Fresh Perspectives 

By Via Perkins, 


For nearly a century and a 

half, the Natick Historical Society 

(NHS) has served as a community 

resource center for the 

town. Located at 58 Eliot St., the 

society contains thousands of 

documents, objects and other artifacts 

that shed light on Natick’s 

history and culture. In October 

2016, NHS welcomed Aaron 

Dougherty as its new executive 

director. He brings a wide range 

of experience to the society and 

offers an inclusive vision for its 

future. 

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After graduating with a master’s 

in history from Eastern 

Michigan University in 2010, 

Dougherty relocate to New England. 

Over the past six years, 

he has worked at a number of 

historical organizations in Massachusetts, 

including Plimoth 

Plantation and the Boston National 

Historical Park. His most 

recent position was executive 

HISTORICAL SOCIETY 

continued on page 3 

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Page 2 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com January 2017 

Friends of the Morse Institute Library’s 

Book and Music Sale! 

INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY 

continued from page 1 

annual community celebration 

of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

The event will be held at the 

Wilson Middle School on January 

16 at 10 a.m. and will focus 

on standing up for justice and 

truth instead of labeling people 

based on their ethnicity or beliefs. 

Community service projects 

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at The Morse Institute Library 

14 E. Central St., Natick 

January 21 & 22, 2017 

Saturday: 9:30 – 4:30 

Sunday: 12:00 – 3:00 

Thousands of books, lots of music, 

movies, puzzles and a bake sale too! 

Students can earn Community Service credit 

for working at our sale! 

Email morsebooksale@gmail.com for more details. 

All proceeds benefit the Friends of the Morse Institute Library 

and conversations will follow the 

celebration. 

“There [will be] a service opportunity 

for young people to 

make messages about peace and 

inclusion to be featured throughout 

town, and resource booths 

for community members to connect,” 

Guthery said. 

The keynote speaker at the 

event is Jim Kates who, as a 

19-year-old college student, 

worked with the Student Nonviolent 

Coordinating Committee 

(SNCC) to bring together both 

black and white volunteers. Also 

featured at the event will be music 

from the Johnson Elementary 

School Peacemakers chorus, and 

performance groups from the 

middle and high schools, along 

with readings by the prize winners 

of the MLK essay contest. 

According to Guthery, the 

spirit of the event embodies all 

that SPARK and its members are 

trying to convey with their message 

to the community. 

“It provides affirmation that 

Natick is a place where we will 

stand together and stand up 

against discriminatory acts of 

any kind,” she said. “We can all 

be different, but we can all take 

care of each other.” 

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Natick Residents Take 

Center Stage at TEDxNatick 

By Tod Dimmick, 


On January 21 the second 

TEDxNatick will take the stage 

at Natick High School. “TED” 

is an acronym for “Technology, 

Entertainment & Design,” and 

this year’s speakers bring expertise, 

innovation and passion to 

all facets of these themes. Over 

a year in development, this exciting 

event will feature 12 impressive 

speakers, including three 

from Natick: Jamele Adams, 

Maeve Sheehy and Kathleen 

Tullie. I asked our local speakers 

for their thoughts on TEDx- 

Natick, and how an event like 

this reflects on our community. 

Jamele Adams lives with his 

family in Natick. He is Dean of 

Students at Brandeis, where he 

brings passion and determination 

to building a unified, and 

simultaneously diverse, community. 

To Adams, Natick exemplifies 

some of the ideals he 

strives to spread. “Natick is a 

community filled with love and 

passion for bringing people together 

and evolving into the best 

versions of humanity that we’ve 

experienced thus far as a human 

family.” Adams said. “It’s ideal, 

appreciated and timely for 

TEDxNatick to take place at this 

location.” 

Maeve Sheehy lives with her 

family in Natick, where she’s a 

student at Natick High School. 

“I’m beyond grateful for this 

opportunity,” she said. “Only a 

handful of people my age have 

been given the honor of this 

platform, and to join them feels 

incredible and admittedly a bit 

intimidating!” Sheehy plans to 

share a deeply personal story 

that will inform and inspire. 

The potential of bringing her 

message to the TEDx stage, she 

says, “is something I’m very excited 

about.” 

Kathleen Tullie is a longtime 

Natick resident, where she 

lives with her family. A passionate 

advocate for the benefits 

of child fitness, she started a 

nonprofit that became BOKS 

(Build Our Kids’ Success) at 

Memorial School in 2009. In 

the few short years since then, 

her organization has grown to 

over 1,000 schools nationwide. 

To Tullie, Natick is a natural 

home for an innovative event 

like TEDxNatick. “I couldn’t 

think of a better place to host a 

TEDx event,” she said. “We are 

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what I would call an incubator 

community. Natick epitomizes 

collaboration. The community 

is full of dedicated, passionate, 

humble, caring individuals - and 

everyone works together.” 

While Tullie focuses on fitness, 

she points out that the benefits 

of being in a community 

like Natick affect all parts of life. 

“Our community is one of caring 

and compassion,” she notes. 

“If we need to create a healthier 

future for our kids I know that 

Natick can lead the movement. 

We are making a difference.” 

Sheehy sees TEDxNatick as an 

important opportunity for communication. 

“The implication 

of this from an awareness standpoint 

is huge and I’m very grateful.” 

As for the broader impact 

that an event like TEDxNatick 

might have, Adams’ hopes soar 

like a benediction: “May the 

crossroads of the world ascend 

upon us and find excitement, 

enjoyment, love and equality.” 

An all-volunteer, communitydriven 

initiative, TEDxNatick 

brings together 800 community 

members, civic leaders, business 

leaders, technologists, artists, educators, 

and other professionals 

for a full day of thought-provoking 

talks, inspiring music, conversations 

and networking. Tickets 

for the event are expected to sell 

out quickly. For ticket information, 

visit www.tedxnatick.org. 

Ron Saponaro 

Tel: 508-872-2266 

Fax: 508-872-2011 

Email: ronstire@rcn.com

January 2017 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com Page 3 

HISTORICAL SOCIETY 

continued from page 1 

director of the 1699 Winslow 

House in Marshfield. 

“What drew me to NHS was 

the opportunity to talk about the 

history of an entire town rather 

than just one family or one household, 

as we were often doing at 

my last job,” Dougherty said. “I 

am interested in identifying many 

groups of people who have made 

Natick what it has been and is 

today, and talk about the people 

who have moved here over the 

centuries.” 

Dougherty sees different perspectives 

as the key to better 

understanding history, whether 

researching one family or an entire 

town. “At the Winslow House, 

we talked mainly about the rich 

white gentlemen who had owned 

the house over the years. What we 

tried to do was move beyond that 

and talk about women, children, 

servants and slaves in the house, 

and try to give voice to as many 

different people as possible,” he 

explained. “That’s what I’d like 

to do at NHS as well.” 

Student Civil War Project 

A new collaboration with 

Natick High School aims to put 

these values into practice. NHS 

will focus on the Civil War era 

with the students, providing documentation 

and resources from 

Natick’s history during this time 

period. 

“One of the documents we 

have is a list Natick African- 

American residents who lived 

during the Civil War, as well as a 

list of white Natick residents who 

served with African American 

units as officers,” Dougherty said. 

“I’m hoping that we can try to 

find some primary sources that 

talk about the way that these different 

groups interacted during 

this very traumatic time in our 

history,” he said. Shedding light 

on relationships between people 

of different races in the past may 

prove to be a valuable guide for 

today’s student relationships. 

More Ways to 

Experience History 

A new website for NHS is in 

the works, and the results of the 

Natick High School collaboration 

will be posted online for 

the public to access, along with 

additional materials that may 

be of interest to residents. Residents 

may also visit the Historical 

Soceity to attend programs 

and exhibitions, or to simply 

browse the collections. 

The society also features an 

off-site History Book Club, which 

is co-lead by NHS Curator Ben 

Federlin and Caleigh Ross, a Library 

Assistant at the Bacon Free 

Library. The club takes place on 

the third Tuesday of each month 

from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the 

Natick Community-Senior Center. 

February’s event will feature 

a discussion of The Underground 

Railroad by Colson Whitehead. 

“We generally alternate between 

non-fiction and historical 

fiction to appeal to a variety of 

tastes, and we vary the historical 

era and topic as well, always looking 

for thought-provoking topics 

and titles,” Ross said. “It has been 

wonderfully successful since its inception. 

Attendance is usually between 

11 and 15 people, and it is 

always a lively discussion!” 

For more information about 

the NHS, the History Book Club, 

and other upcoming events, visit 

www.natickhistoricalsociety.org. 

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Nomination Papers Available 

for Town Election 

Nomination papers are available for the annual 

town election on March 28, when Natick 

voters will elect the following officials: 

• Two members to the Board of Selectmen 

for 3-year terms 

• Two members to the School Committee 

for 3-year terms 

• One member to the Board of Assessors 

for a 3-year term 

• One member to the Planning Board for 

a 5-year term 

• One member to the Board of Health 

for a 3-year term 

• Two members to the Recreation and 

Parks Commission for 3-year terms 

• One constable for a 2-year term 

• 64 Town Meeting Members 

Coats For Kids 

Collection Drive Runs 

Through January 5 

The Town of Natick is partnering 

with Anton’s Cleaners in 

their annual “Coats for Kids” 

drive and invites community 

residents to make a difference 

in someone’s life by making a 

donation. Gently used, good 

quality, warm winter coats 

are needed in all sizes, including 

for babies, kids, teens and 

adults. Collection boxes are located 

in the Town Hall lobby, 

the Cole Recreation Center, the 

Community-Senior Center, the 

Morse Institute Library and the 

Bacon Free Library. Donations 

will be accepted until January 

5. Donated coats go directly to 

the local communities collecting 

the coats. If you would prefer 

to make a monetary donation, 

visit the Coats for Kids website, 

http://antons.com/cfk/. 

Town offices: Nomination papers for townwide 

offices must be returned no later than 5 

p.m. on Tuesday, January 10, with signatures 

from at least 25 registered voters. 

Town meeting members: Nomination papers 

for new Town Meeting members are due 

by Tuesday, February 7. 

For listings of available offices, check the 

town website, www.natickma.gov or the Town 

Bulletin Board in Town Hall. For more information, 

contact the Town Clerk by phone at 

508 647-6430 ext. 4, or stop by the Clerk’s 

office at Town Hall, 13 East Central Street. 

The Clerk’s office is open Monday through 

Wednesday, 8 am to 5 pm, Thursday 8 am to 7 

pm and Friday from 8 am to 12:30 pm. 

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Middle School Students Take the Stage 

with Natick Drama Workshop 



The magic of the Natick 

Drama Workshop (NDW) is as 

much in the organization’s innovative, 

spirited performances as it 

is in the connections it grows in 

the community. Clearly, NDW 

has an important role to play in 

Natick, as it has fostered a love of 

drama in generations of children 

for more than 50 years. 

Collaborative Theatre 

Natick middle school students 

(between fifth and eighth grade) 

can participate in NDW’s productions. 

Two musicals, a fall and 

a spring performance, are held in 

the Natick Middle Schools each 

year. Once students are cast, a 

group of 40 to 60 students is 

given instruction in acting, song 

and dance. 

NDW is backed by a devoted 

team, including board members, 

professional staff and the Friends 

of NDW, located at 179 Boden 

Lane. Parents also play important 

roles, collaborating to create sets 

and costumes and handling sales 

and promotion so their children 

can focus on acting. 

For David Levinson, Friends 

of NDW co-chair, the organization’s 

work has personal 

meaning. “NDW has been important 

to so many families in 

Natick, including mine,” he 

said. “It builds friendships and 

memories, teaches participants 

all aspects of stage production, 

and fosters connections with the 

community and kids from other 

middle schools.” 

Student and Community 

Development 

Through NDW, students of 

different ages and skill levels work 

together to create performances 

to be proud of. “NDW has provided 

an outlet for many middle 

school students interested in the 

arts,” Levinson said. “Our director 

skillfully makes NDW accessible 

for those that are comfortable 

on stage and for those that are 

trying to find their voice.” 

While developing each young 

actor in workshop-style rehearsals, 

families are involved in the 

behind-the-scenes work that 

fosters bonds throughout neighborhoods 

and school systems. 

“A close community and theater 

family is formed, creating a wonderful 

experience for many kids 

and their parents,” NDW Director 

Cindy Wright said. 

The organization also makes 

a priority of supporting the 

larger community by giving 

back. They participate in the 

annual Natick Service Council 

telethon, organize two food 

drives during the year, and student 

participants take part in 

multiple public events, including 

The cast of “The Lady Pirates of Captain Bree.” (Photo/Courtesy of NDW) 

NDW participants line up for the pirate parade. (Photo/Courtesy of NDW) 

Natick Days, Spooktacular and 

Maple Madness. 

Over the years, NDW has 

developed notable alumni who 

have gone on to enrich communities 

outside of Natick. They include 

Jacob Clerico, a dancer at 

the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis 

School of American Ballet Theatre; 

Jimmy Larkin, a performer 

for a “Beauty and the Beast” 

national tour; and Stephanie 

Ebeling, a wardrobe assistant for 

Barter Theatre in Virginia. 

From Pirates to 

a New Adventure 

The 2016 fall musical was 

the rousing comedy “The Lady 

Pirates of Captain Bree.” Every 

performance was well attended, 

and the last show sold out. The 

costumes were the highlight of 

the show, leading parents to create 

a special event for the students 

after the final performances. 

“Each show, the parent volunteers 

take the sets to a new level,” 

Levinson explained. “Last spring, 

for the show ‘Flapper!,’ we created 

a replica plane that the kids 

were able to sit in and take pictures. 

This year we put on a parade 

for the kids to show off their 

pirate costumes.” 

Registration for the spring 

semester is now closed, but interested 

middle school students 

should plan to register as early as 

possible for the 2017 fall semester. 

The spring show will be formally 

announced after auditions 

take place in January. Residents 

should look out for details about 

the next performances, which will 

be scheduled in late March and 

early April. 

For more information about 

NDW, visit http://ndw.squarespace.com. 

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Volunteers Needed for the 

Friends Book and Music Sale, 

January 21 & 22 

We’re looking volunteers to help set 

up, organize, run and pack up the book 

sale, and for bakers to provide goodies 

for the bake sale. If you can give us 

an hour (or more!) of your time, you can 

be part of our tradition of successful sales 

that support the Morse Institute Library. 

Book and Music Sale 

Bakers: 

Bring your treats to Study Room 1A in the 

Library on Friday, January 20 between 10 a.m. 

and 4 p.m. 

Volunteers: 

• We need muscle power on Thursday, January 

19, from 3 to 7 p.m. to help move the 

boxes of books out of storage and into 

the sale room. 

• We need organizers on Friday, 

January 20, from noon to 

4 p.m. to arrange books; put out 

puzzles, games, and videos; and 

generally neaten up the sale areas. 

• We need helpers during the sale itself. Sign 

up for however long you can help on Saturday, 

January 21, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and/or 

Sunday, January 22, noon to 3 p.m. 

• We need packers and haulers to pack up the 

sale on Sunday, January 22, from 3 to 5 p.m. 

Please join us! If you can help at any time, contact 

Maria Tumang, morsebooksale@gmail.com.


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The MassPike Becomes Cheesy Street 

Cheesy Street Grill Offers 

Gourmet Comfort Food 

at a Comfortable Price 

By Jane Lebak, 


Massachusetts travelers are 

in for a treat. At two I-90 rest 

areas, Eastbound in Natick and 

Westbound in Westborough, 

standing out from all the millions-served 

national chains, is 

the Cheesy Street Grill. 

Picture a family trip, everyone 

impatient to get back to 

their own beds and tired of franchise 

food. At the service plaza 

in Natick, they find a new offering, 

a place where thick slabs of 

country white bread and gourmet 

cheeses are grilled up to 

order. 

It feels like home. It tastes far 

better. 

The kids know exactly what 

they’ll order: one opts for a taco 

grilled cheese sandwich, while 

the other is thrilled to find numerous 

vegetarian offerings 

and gets a classic grilled cheese 

with guacamole. Dad just wants 

something familiar, so he goes 

with a signature grilled cheese 

and tomato bisque, but Mom 

has her eye on the chipotle mac 

and cheese, customizable with 

eight different toppings and definitely 

not like the boxed stuff 

her mom used to make. 

In fact, none of this is like 

your mother made it – unless 

your mother was a gourmet 

chef. (And even then, she probably 

didn’t customize everyone’s 

lunch on the spot.) 

Cheesy Street Grill is the creation 

of Lisa Dowd, Cameron 

Canzellarini, Geoffrey Howe 

and Ann Howe. 

“It started as a food truck in 

Connecticut,” Dowd said. “I always 

loved grilled cheese, and I 

wanted to dress it up. A friend 

who lives in L.A. told me about 

L.A.’s grilled cheese food trucks. 

Those are wildly popular there, 

and we asked ourselves, Why not 

here?” 

The food truck became a 

wild success. “Our menu appeals 

to everyone, from little 

children just starting to eat, 

gumming their grilled cheese, 

all the way to senior citizens.” 

Dowd laughed. “This is my 

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Cheesy Street Grill Mozzarella, Prosciutto, Roasted Red Peppers 

with Tarragon Aioli Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Photos/Todd Fairchild 

Photography of West Hartford, CT) 

Grilled cheese has never 

been so gourmet. Although you 

can go plain “comfort food” 

when you want, the more daring 

diner can select the All Star, 

a grilled combo of goat cheese, 

fig jam and red wine caramelized 

onions. There’s a caprese 

grilled cheese with fresh tomatoes, 

mozzarella and pesto or 

balsamic reduction. 

You can customize the bread: 

do you want it gluten-free? 

Cheesy Street has it, and wheat 

bread is on the way soon. 

The grilled cheese can be 

paired with a smooth tomato 

bisque or a creamy cheddar 

broccoli soup. Or maybe you 

love mac and cheese . . . but 

have you ever had it right in the 

sandwich? 

When Cheesy Street moved 

operations into the two service 

areas, at first it was an uphill 

climb. “Everyone in America 

knows D’Angelos and McDonalds,” 

Dowd said, “so Cheesy 

Street was the underdog.” But 

soon Cheesy Street developed 

regulars, from commuters to 

families dropping off college 

students in Boston to vacationers 

returning from the Cape. 

Because you can access the 

rest area without entering the 

highway, many Natick residents 

are also taking the secret 

back road from Route 27 into 

the rest area just to enjoy the 

homemade mac and cheese 

or a hand-chopped taco salad. 

Cheesy Street Grill can also take 

that road out to you and cater 

events at local businesses. If it’s 

just yourself, you can call your 

order ahead and have it waiting. 

“Our customers are very supportive, 

and I have a solid crew,” 

Dowd said. “We can customize 

everything we make, and people 

appreciate that. For example, 

our signature grilled cheese is 

a blend of asiago, cheddar, and 

goat cheese. But some people 

want it all cheddar. Some will 

ask for it to be ‘goatless.’ Of 

course we can do that for them!” 

Cheesy Street also makes an 

effort to reach out to another 

underserved community: vegetarians. 

“I love to tinker with gourmet 

cooking,” Dowd said. “Everything 

is ours. The mac and 

cheese is homemade. We prepare 

the red wine caramelized onions 

ourselves, 50 pounds at a time.” 

Cheesy Street Grill Chipotle 

Macaroni & Cheese 

Cheesy Street Grill Caprese 

Grilled Cheese Sandwich 

That flexibility and care for 

every serving is why they’ve 

come up with such lavish combinations 

and are adding more 

to the menu all the time. “We’re 

about to roll out a grilled cheese 

with mozzarella, prosciutto, and 

roasted red pepper with tarragon 

aioli. We’re also planning 

a spicy buffalo chicken blue 

cheese, and of course a ham and 

Swiss!” 

Cheesy Street has plans to expand 

into breakfasts and signature 

cold-weather foods like chili. 

Afterwards, you’ll be able to finish 

off your meal with cookies or 

maybe even cheesecake. 

Lisa Dowd said, “Someday, 

we’d love to have a storefront location 

right in Natick, a bar and 

grill where you can sit down, 

have a drink and enjoy your favorites.” 

Cheesy Street Grill is open 

seven days a week at the Natick 

Service Plaza (I-90 Eastbound) 

and Westborough Service Plaza 

(I-90 Westbound). You can enjoy 

photos of the grilled cheese creations 

at their Facebook page, 

https://www.facebook.com/ 

cheesystgrill. Natick’s hungry 

cheese-lovers may check out the 

menu at http://www.cheesystreetgrill.com 

and then call in 

orders for pickup at (617) 401- 

9660. For a catering order ($100 

minimum), Cheesy Street will 

even deliver to the surrounding 

area. 

“I love feeding people,” Lisa 

Dowd said. “I’m not happy until 

people are fed.”


FIDO of Natick Works Towards Dog Park and More 



Many dog-owners in Natick 

have likely heard about or are 

involved in Fun Informed Dog 

Owners (FIDO), a Natick group 

with a mission to create a dog 

park in town. Though FIDO’s 

year-in-review does not include 

the ribbon-cutting ceremony 

the group has been longing for, 

members have worked continuously 

to raise awareness and 

serve the community while 

achieving their goals. 

FIDO members campaigning alongside their dogs. (Photo/Courtesy of FIDO) 

found that each trip to the same 

location yielded fewer and fewer 

culprits,” Cusson recalled. “We 

also give single-roll dispensers out 

free at most of FIDO’s events.” 

FIDO also held their first “Canine 

Costume Contest” this Halloween, 

inviting online users to 

submit photos of their most creative 

dog costumes. The winner 

received a custom collar complete 

with a ribbon bearing FIDO’s 

logo from Cody’s Creations, a 

Natick pet accessories store. 

Besides FIDO’s own events, 

the group makes a priority of 

participating in town-wide gatherings. 

“FIDO remained committed 

to community involvement 

and outreach again this year by 

participating in the 4th of July 

Parade, Natick Days, the Farmers 

Market and by joining Keep 

Natick Beautiful cleanup days,” 

Miele Trade-In 

Cusson said. 

Trade-in your old 

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Now, FIDO wants to add 

teaching to their roster. The 

group has promoted educational 

events through other organizations, 

including FramBARK in 

Framingham and The Dog Mall 

in Carver, and is aiming to host 

their own in 2017. “It is our goal 

to develop a series of recurring 

training and veterinary panels to 

engage and educate the community,” 

Cusson said. 

To learn more about FIDO 

or to donate online, visit 

ww.fidoofnatick.com. For updates 

on FIDO’s activities during the 

new year and to get involved, join 

the Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/fidoofnatick 

where updates, event notifications 

and group activities are posted. 

Choral Groups Seek 

New Members 

The A Cappella Singers cially baritones, tenors and 

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Members of the Poop Patrol at the Natick Days event. (Photo/Courtesy 

of FIDO) 

Park Awaiting Approval 

In 2014, the Natick Board of 

Selectmen approved an area at 

one end of Middlesex Path for 

use as a dog park. The goal was 

to enable a total of 37,000 square 

feet of space for dogs to exercise 

off-leash, as well as a parking lot, 

to be built between Route 135 

and the railroad tracks that travel 

along the south edge of Lake 

Cochituate. Town officials later 

discovered that the Conservation 

Commission owns the land 

and must make the final decision 

about plans before any construction 

takes place. 

“The Conservation Commission 

will be presented with a formal 

design plan and will be part 

of the design iterations,” Melissa 

Cusson, co-founder and vice 

president of FIDO, explained. 

“If and when the design meets 

the commission’s requirements, 

a build and operational timeline 

will be developed.” The current 

estimation for the park’s opening 

is sometime in 2017. 

Since FIDO’s creation in 

2013, its founding members have 

aimed to be active throughout the 

community in many ways beyond 

building the park. The waiting 

period for the commission’s response 

has not slowed FIDO’s 

momentum, and group members 

have stayed busy through 

fundraising, service activities and 

other efforts. 

A Busy 2015 

A prominent effort has been 

a team of volunteers called the 

Poop Patrol. They met on many 

weekend mornings last year, 

scouring common spaces and 

throwing away any improperly 

disposed dog waste. The team 

noticed that their actions yielded 

a lasting improvement. 

“During the spring and summer 

months, Poop Patrol organized 

public cleanups, and quickly 

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New Year, Clear Skin 

By Lisa Massimiano. 

Licensed Esthetician and 

Certified Acne Specialist 

Owner of Skin Smart Salon 

If you have been diagnosed 

with acne and haven’t been 

satisfied with drug store products 

or the suggested treatment 

from your doctor, consider seeing 

an Acne Specialist. 

What is an 

Acne Specialist? 

An Acne Specialist is a licensed 

skin care professional 

who is specially trained to treat 

acne using a combination of 

clinical treatments, home care 

protocols and regular followup 

during the process of clearing 

acne prone skin. 

Most physicians don’t have 

time to spend educating patients 

on the root cause of 

their acne. They often prescribe 

oral antibiotics and 

strong topical retinoids that 

can leave skin dry, red and irritated. 

Patients get frustrated 

with these side effects and stop 

using the products. 

Achieve Clear Skin 

Before 

How an Acne Specialist 

Can Help You 

An Acne Specialist will assess 

your individual skin type 

and the type of acne you have 

to develop a plan of action 

specifically for you. They will 

take the time to teach you 

about the root cause of acne 

and provide information on 

lifestyle, diet, medications and 

ingredients in makeup and 

skin care products that exacerbate 

acne. They help you to 

get your skin clear and teach 

you how to keep your acne 

under control. 

For people struggling with 

acne, it can be frustrating to 

try and communicate with 

their doctor on a timely basis. 

My clients tell me that the 

best part of working with an 

Acne Specialist is that we are 

there for them to answer their 

questions and provide support 

while they go through the process 

of getting their skin clear. 

Questions about acne? Call me 

at (508) 881-1180 or email me 

at skinsmartsalon@aol.com. Visit 

my website skinsmartsalon.com for 

information about the acne program 

and other services. 

after 

ACNE CLINIC - for all ages 

Take control and manage your acne with a customized treatment program 

designed to clear your unique skin. 

Education. Coaching. Support 

I went to Skin Smart a little over a year ago as my last ditch effort to 

treat my acne. I had tried almost every acne treatment out there and 

was still struggling. When I went to Skin Smart my acne was at the 

worst it had ever been. I was a little reluctant that anything was going 

to help but within a few months I started seeing improvements. 

A year later and my skin has neverlooked so good! I am so grateful 

for Skin Smart and their products! – Jennifer 

Lisa Massimiano - Licensed Aesthetician, Acne Specialist 

508-881-1180 

Art in Natick 

Natick Community- 

Senior Center: Exploring 

What We Value, 

Through February 

The work presented in this 

collection spans a wide time 

frame of Liza Curtis’s acrylic on 

canvas work. The animals and 

vegetables of the gold series are 

dripping in gold because for centuries 

gold has been a symbol of 

wealth, royalty, wisdom and holiness. 

Gold is a color we associate 

with value and importance, begging 

the viewer to consider what 

is of value to them. As a community 

do we value ourselves or our 

stuff? If it is true that we are what 

we eat, how do we value what we 

eat? Curtis would like the viewer 

of this work to consider the idea 

that what is most precious and essential 

is not what we wear on the 

outside, but what we wear on the 

inside. How do you value what 

you put on the inside? The vegetables 

and animals are wearing 

gold with the intention of placing 

the foods we eat in a position of 

the highest value for our survival 

and wellbeing. 

Tiny House 

Curtis received her B.S. degree 

from Skidmore College in 

Art Education. She is a co-owner 

and founding partner of the popular 

paint and wine destination 

Palettes located in Natick Center. 

For more information, visit www. 

lizacurtis.com. 

Watercolors on Display 

at the Natick Community 

Organic Farm, 

Through February 27 

Ginger McEachern loves 

painting all things related to nature: 

flowers, fruits and vegetables 

and the seashore. She uses rich, 

deep, vibrant colors to bring her 

artwork to life. McEachern describes 

being completely in the 

moment when painting; all outside 

thoughts and worries disappear. 

Painting is therapeutic, 

relaxing and freeing. 

In addition to painting, 

McEachern has illustrated children’s 

books with Kelly Darling, 

an author and friend. Their first 

book, A Fishy Tale, was printed in 

2013; their second collaboration 

produced Rock Star!, completed in 

April 2015. She has also been an 

artist and owner at Five Crows 

Gallery & Handcrafted Gifts in 

Natick Center since 2002. 

Neighbors of the tiny house at 

Natick Community Organic Farm 

enjoy an al fresco breakfast. 

(Photo/Trish Wesley Umbrell for Natick 

Community Organic Farm) 

44 Front Street, 2nd Floor • Ashland 

www.skinsmartsalon.com


Historical Society Launches 

Book on Natick History 

The Natick Historical Society 

recently launched its 

new book, The Stories We Tell: 

Natick Explored. It is written 

by residents, exploring the 

history the town from several 

points, including John Eliot 

and the Praying Indians, 

the development of Route 

9 and downtown, and more. 

It’s available for $20 a copy 

at the museum, 58 Eliot St., 

South Natick. 

Natick Community 

Organic Farm Offers CSA 

Natick Community 

Organic Farm 

(NCOF), 117 Eliot 

St., runs a Community 

Supported 

Agriculture (CSA) 

program from May 

29 through October 

11, 2017. Participating 

in NCOF’s CSA 

is a wonderful way 

to eat locally, improve your diet 

and culinary skills, support the 

farm, and get to know the people 

who grow your food. Weekly 

e-newsletters provide helpful information 

on what crops to expect 

in your share, tips on how 

to store your share, tasty recipes, 

and news on what’s happening 

at the farm. A weekly share 

feeds 3-4 people. 

The deadline to participate 

in the CSA is April 1. CSA 

shareholders are required to 

become NCOF members at 

the level that is appropriate 

for their 

family size. For full 

details, such as pick 

up day and pricing 

options, visit www. 

natickfarm.org/ 

Pages/CSAs.html, 

call 508-655-2204 

or email casey@ 

natickfarm.org. 

A vase arrangement of organic 

flowers is also available. 

New varieties are available, 

such as dahlias, asters and zinnias, 

every week. The flowers 

are picked and delivered before 

3 pm on Mondays (Thursdays 

for restaurants and places of 

worship). 

NCOF at 117 Eliot St. is a 

nonprofit educational farm providing 

productive open space, 

farm products, and hands-on 

education for people of all ages 

year-round. 

508-429-2535 

Propane Open Sat & Sun 

Gas Grill Tanks Filled 

Neil Lazzaro 

ASE Technician 

1292 Washington Street, 

Holliston 

Tires & Alignment 

Suspension & Steering 

Exhaust & Brake 

Air Conditioning 

Factory Scheduled Maintenance 

Mass. State Inspection Station 

Joe Campanelli to Join 

Needham Bank as CEO 

We offer custom grow 

room installation and 

seed-to-harvest service 

plans to keep your 

plants alive and healthy 

Law Offices of Scott G. Gowen 

Civil & Criminal Litigation 

Scott G. Gowen, Esq. 

Attorney and Counselor at Law 

Have you or a loved one 

been a resident of a traditional assisted 

living community or a memory care assisted living 

community within the last 6 years? 

If so, this office can assist you in determining and assessing 

your legal rights regardless of the length of the stay or 

if the resident is still living in any assisted living 

community or if the family member 

has passed on. 

Contact this office for a free consultation. 

165 Main Street, Suite 210 • Medway, MA 02053 

scottggowen@aol.com 

www.gowenlaw.com 

Jack McGeorge, Chairman 

of the Board of Directors of 

Needham Bank, announced 

today that Joseph P. Campanelli 

will be joining the Bank on January 

3, 2017 as Chief Executive 

Officer succeeding Mark Whalen 

who announced his retirement 

earlier this year. 

Campanelli brings a wealth of 

industry knowledge and industry 

experience to the Needham Bank 

Team. He began his banking career 

at Hartford National Bank 

and progressed to positions of 

increased responsibility through 

its successor banks until leaving 

Fleet Bank to join Sovereign Bank 

in 1997, progressing to become 

CEO and Director. He also served 

as Chairman, CEO, and Director 

of Flagstar Bank from 2009-2012. 

A Wellesley resident, he serves 

as Chairman and Trustee of Tufts 

Medical Center and as Trustee 

of the Boys and Girls Club of 

Boston. He is the former Chairman 

and a current Trustee of the 

Massachusetts Business Roundtable, 

Advisory Board Member 

of First Help Financial, former 

Trustee of Babson College and 

of Suffield Academy, and former 

Executive Committee Member of 

the Greater Boston Chamber of 

Commerce. Campanelli graduated 

from Babson College earning 

a BSBA with High Distinctions 

and from Suffolk University where 

he was awarded an Honorary 

Doctorate of Commerce. 

“When Mark Whalen announced 

his retirement, we undertook 

an exhaustive national 

executive search for his replacement 

and met many highly qualified 

individuals from all over the 

country. Joe distinguished himself 

based upon his impressive banking 

career, community involvement, 

in-market knowledge, and 

personality match with our culture. 

As we approach our 125 th 

anniversary, this is an even more 

significant leadership change. We 

welcome him to the Needham 

Bank family and look forward to 

him joining our team in January” 

commented McGeorge. “I also 

want to acknowledge the many 

contributions made by Mark 

Whalen during his distinguished 

career with us.” 

Mark Whalen, current Needham 

Bank CEO, will work with 

Campanelli on the transition and 

continue on Needham Bank’s 

Board of Directors. “As I reflect 

upon my 35 year banking career, I 

am most proud to have spent that 

time as a community banker. Serving 

the community is a noble undertaking 

and one in which I have 

had great pride each and every 

day. I’m looking forward to getting 

to know Joe even better and working 

with him as we transition our 

roles and responsibilities.” 

“I’ve seen first-hand how committed 

Needham Bank is to my 

town and all of the communities 

it serves. They have an excellent 

management team and their 

reputation is second to none. I’m 

delighted to have this opportunity 

and look forward to getting to 

work with them on January 3rd” 

offered Campanelli. 

Needham Bank is a $1.9 billion 

mutual bank with nine offices 

serving MetroWest. 

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NCOF Receives Grant for Farming Equipment 

Apprentices from NCOF’s Mentoring Teens through Agriculture 

program (lower left, using wash station) 

Natick Community Organic 

Farm (NCOF) recently announced 

it received a $16,500 

grant from the Middlesex Savings 

Charitable Foundation for 

the 2016 fiscal year. This support 

will allow NCOF to purchase efficient 

and time-saving farming 

equipment, including a handheld 

mechanical lettuce harvester, 

a dump attachment for the farm 

truck, and a new vegetable washing 

station. 

“We’ve already saved a lot of 

time by using the mechanical lettuce 

harvester,” Casey Townsend, 

NCOF’s Assistant Director, said. 

“We can pick five bags of mesclun 

[salad mix] with it in minutes, 

versus hours. And we can 

use the harvester in the fields and 

in the greenhouse.” 

Likewise, the dump attachment 

allows farmers to dump hundreds 

of pounds of materials in one 

fell swoop. “Farmers spend a lot 

of time moving around compost 

and soil amendments. They’re 

super heavy.” Townsend noted. 

“As we move towards no-till growing 

methods, which require more 

compost, it’ll be nice not to have 

to move so much of it around by 

hand with wheelbarrows.” 

The new vegetable washing 

station is a better height, making 

it easier for staff and volunteers to 

use to clean vegetables. It is also 

Good Agricultural Practices, or 

GAP-compliant, meaning that it 

meets federal guidelines governing 

facilities that process food. 

“Having better equipment 

helps to make the Farm more 

productive, which makes our entire 

operation more sustainable,” 

Executive Director Lynda Simkins 

said. “It’s also important for 

teaching purposes, since young 

people, like our apprentices in 

our Mentoring Teens through 

Agriculture program, who are 

training to become our future 

farmers, need to know how to use 

this equipment. We’re grateful to 

Middlesex Saving Banks for this 

sort of help.” 

What a Difference a Year Makes! 

Dump attachment 

Mechanical lettuce harvester 

For the Keenans, 2017 brings a lighter, healthier time! 

When you find something that 

works, what do you do? You tell 

your friends and family, of course! 

That is exactly what 46 year-old 

Paul Keenan did after his successful 

experience with New England 

Fat Loss (NEFL). Just a year ago, 

Keenan suffered a blood clot in 

his lung which he was told was 

caused by excess fat from his 

stomach. After blood thinner 

treatments, he knew he had to 

drastically shed weight from his 

341-pound frame. A friend told 

him about the NEFL program, 

and a year later, Keenan is happily 

100 pounds lighter, and consequently, 

healthier! 

“I had done other diet stuff, 

lost weight, and it came back,” 

Keenan said. “I knew I had to do 

something. I went in to see what 

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Keenan learned that NEFL 

loss is a very different program 

from traditional diets. It is catered 

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and results are delivered 

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“It’s really motivating when 

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Keenan said. “I really liked the 

science behind the system. It got 

to the core of the problem. I was 

skeptical, but lost 40 pounds in 

40 days!” 

The next step was sharing 

this exciting information with 

his family. A few months after 

joining the program, his father, 

mother, and two sisters enrolled 

in NEFL, and each saw positive 

results. By later in the year, the 

four Keenans happily sat down 

this past Thanksgiving table substantially 

lighter and healthier. 

“My Dad also had a blood 

clot and was on blood pressure 

medication and has lost 

37 pounds,” Keenan said. “My 

Mom lost 30 pounds initially and 

is still losing weight; she is killing 

it! She is under 200 pounds for 

the first time in 30 years, and I 

am wicked proud of her. My 

sister lost about 25 pounds, and 

my other sister ended up losing 

about 20 pounds.” 

Keenan is currently on the 

maintenance leg of the NEFL 

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with the knowledge to sustain 

that weight loss with his personal 

information on what foods will 

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next one could have been a heart 

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New England Fat Loss is located 

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Local Group Brings Moms Together, Virtually 

By Johanna Edelson, 


The Natick Mom’s Group is a 

Facebook group, formed in 2014, 

is comprised of just over 2,235 

Natick moms who seek and offer 

advice on anything from choosing 

childcare, kid-friendly restaurants, 

medical practitioners and house 

painters to job networking. New 

moms join the group each day. 

Natick resident Samantha 

Goldberg, a mom of a second 

grader at Brown and a college 

freshman, loves using the group. 

“The best part [of using the 

site] in my opinion is twofold,” 

Goldberg said. “First, there is a 

connection you feel with these 

other moms who may be going 

through some of the same things 

you are. We are able to give and 

take advice freely, most of the 

time without judgment. Second, 

there are connections for the best 

of everything, from electricians, 

to embroidery services, to pet 

sitters. There’s something comforting 

in knowing your fellow 

townies have made a referral.” 

More and more, community 

leaders and businesses are using 

the site to get important messages 

to local moms. For example, 

Anna Nolin, the Assistant Superintendent 

of Curriculum, Instruction, 

and Assessment for the 

Natick Public Schools, has posted 

several items on the site, and local 

businesses have capitalized on the 

specialized audience. 

While the site does offer great 

information, local referrals and 

general support, a Natick mom 

of two who wishes to remain 

anonymous pointed out another 

Natick mom of three, Rosemary Gaffney turns to the Natick Mom’s 

Group for advice about purchasing a new washing machine. (Photo/ 

Johanna Edelson) 

side. “I prefer to be an observer 

and not comment directly on 

most things because there is a lot 

of drama on the site, and some 

of the moms can be mean.” She 

referred to a set of postings on the 

site in July when group members 

were essentially telling on each 

other for breaking the rules of the 

town-wide water ban. 

Also, some moms said they 

are overwhelmed by the amount 

of notifications they receive 

when members post on the 

page. This issue can be easily 

solved, however, by “unfollowing” 

the groups’ posts. If you 

unfollow the group, you are still 

a member, but the posts don’t 

show up in your newsfeed. 

Site administrator Cara Caissie 

feels that overall the group 

has made significant positive 

contributions to the community. 

“I don’t see any disadvantages to 

the group, honestly,” Caissie reflected. 

“It’s such a warm, compassionate 

community loaded 

with resources and a wealth of 

information. Moms in the group 

have connected in the most unexpected 

ways. With any type 

of group dynamic, there are 

sometimes disagreements. The 

women have always been able 

to voice themselves respectfully 

and remain a supportive network. 

These women have sought 

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watching [the group] evolve.” 

Some local businesses have offered 

discounts when customers 

mentioned their association with 

the site, Caissie noted. 

Despite some differing opinions 

about the content of the site, 

the Natick Mom’s Group grows 

daily and is proving to be a useful 

source for local information. 

Whether members want to find 

out about a school policy, a new 

healthcare provider or recommendations 

for new appliances, 

there is always a mom on the site 

willing to offer helpful advice. 

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How to Join 

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To join the Natick Mom’s 

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(you need a Facebook account 

to join), type “Natick Mom’s 

Group” in the search field. The 

Natick Mom’s Group page will 

appear. Click the “Join Group” 

button, which will send a request 

to the administrator. As 

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Mondays 

3:30 to 4:30 pm: Craftafternoons 

at the Bacon Free Library. 

Are you working on a craft project 

and looking for a fun, social 

space to get it done? Bring your 

knitting, crocheting, sewing and 

scrapbooking. www.baconfreelibrary.org, 

508-653-6730 

Third Monday 

7 to 9 pm: Occupy Natick, 

free movie and discussion. 

Check the website, http://occupynatick.org. 

Tuesdays 

12:15 pm: Natick Rotary 

meets at the Dolphin Restaurant, 

Natick Center. Natickrotary.org 

Second Tuesday 

7 pm: Natick Education 

Foundation meets at Natick 

Town Hall. www.natickedfoundation.org 

Thursdays 

11 am to 12 pm: Adult Coloring 

Book Club at the Bacon 

Free Library. Adult coloring 

pages and coloring pencils or 

markers supplied or bring your 

own. www.baconfreelibrary.org, 

508-653-6730 

First Thursday 

6:30 pm: Relay For Life planning 

meetings for the May 2017 

event. Meet at the American 

Cancer Society, 30 Speen St. 

www.relayforlife.org/natickma 

Fridays 

4 to 5 pm: Cocoa & Cookies 

at the Bacon Free Library. Drop 

by winter afternoons for some 

treats and curl up with a good 

book! We’ll supply the cocoa, 

cookies and books, you provide 

the company. www.baconfreelibrary.org, 

508-653-6730 

Saturdays 

9 am to 1 pm: Natick Farmers’ 

Market at the Common 

Street Spirituality Center, intersection 

of Rt. 27 and 135. Free 

parking in lots on weekends. The 

Market will re-open on January 

7 (after being closed Dec. 24 and 

31) with a special “two winners” 

raffle, a craft table for the kids, 

two floors of vendors and music. 

The market will be inside until 

May, at which time it will move 

outside to the Natick Common. 

Find a list of vendors at natickcenter.org. 

First Saturday 

11 am: Morse Institute 

Library Stitchers meet for 

service-oriented knitting and 

crocheting at the Morse Institute 

Library. Drop in and join the fun! 

morseinstitute.org, 508-647-6520 

Through January 7 

The International Museum 

of World War II, 8 Mercer 

Road, Natick, commemorates 

the 75th anniversary of Pearl 

Harbor with a special exhibition, 

www.museumofworldwarii.org. 

Sunday, January 1 

1 to 4 pm: Super Bingo hosted 

by the Ashland Fire Dept. Association 

at the Natick Elks Lodge, 95 

Speen St., Natick. Doors Open at 

11:00 am. Nine Card minimum 

for $30. $10 for 3 cards after. 

Includes all games except the 

warm-up game. All seats must be 

reserved and prepaid. For reservations 

and other information, 

call Wayne, 508-410-8547. 

Wednesday, January 4 

6:30 pm: Natick Community 

Organic Farm Annual Meeting 

and Potluck in front of the 

Woodstove. Open to everyone. 

Please bring a main dish 

to share that will feed 4-6. Our 

guest speaker is Greg Maslowe, 

Director of Newton Community 

Farms, on the Value of Community 

Farming. www.natickfarm. 

org, 508-655-2204 

Thursday, January 5 

6 to 9 pm: College Info Panel 

Discussions at the Natick High 

School. 6 to 7 pm: Disability 

Services at the College Level; 7 

to 9 pm: Panel of NHS alumni, 

college freshmen and parents. 

Saturday, January 7 

5 to 7 pm: Natick Redhawk 

5 th annual food drive in loving 

memory of Justin Bailey, sponsored 

by the Natick High School 

Boys and Girls Hockey Teams, 

Bring a non-perishable food 

item to Natick’s William Chase 

Arena. Top items needed: peanut 

butter, tuna, canned fruit, 

hamburger helper, coffee and/or 

tea, bottled juice, cereal, shampoo, 

toilet paper and soap. 

Tuesday, January 10 

7:15 pm: Friends of the 

Bacon Free Library meet at the 

BFL. Come and help plan the 

year ahead. www.baconfreelibrary.org, 

508-653-6730 

Community Events 


6:30 pm: Gulp Fiction 20-30 

Something Book Club meet at 

Agostino’s Italian Restaurant in 

Natick. Join us to discuss #GirlBoss 

by Sophia Amoruso. As always, 

drinks are dutch. Sponsored by 

the Bacon Free Library, www.baconfreelibrary.org, 

508-653-6730. 

Thursday, January 12 

10 am to 1:30 pm: SCORE 

(Service Corps of Retired Executives) 

volunteers provide area 

small business owners with free, 

one-hour counseling and advice 

sessions. Registration is required. 

Morse Institute Library, http:// 


7 pm: Comic Book Group at 

Morse Institute Library. Join us 

for a discussion of Descender: Tin 

Stars by Jeff Lemire and Dustin 

Nguyen. Sponsored by the 

Bacon Free Library, www.baconfreelibrary.org, 

508-653-6730. 

Friday, January 13 

3 to 5 pm: Art for All – Make 

Your Own Clipboard at the 

Bacon Free Library. Drop by to 

make clipboards out of recycled 

books! All materials supplied 

and all ages welcome. Materials 

supplied by the Friends of the 

BFL. Free Library. www.baconfreelibrary.org, 

508-653-6730. 


Priority Registration opens for 

the Natick Community Organic 

Farm Summer Program for 

current Farm Members. www. 

natickfarm.org, 508-655-2204 


4 pm: Rookie Book Club at 

the Bacon Free Library. Kids in 

grades 1-3, join us for a discussion 

of Frannie K. Stein: Attack 

of the 50-Ft. Cupid. Copies available 

at the library. www.baconfreelibrary.org, 

508-653-6730. 

7 pm: Author Visit with Kathleen 

Rowe at the Bacon Free 

Library. Join local author and 

photographer Kathleen Rowe 

as she discusses her book Exploring 

the Charles River, which includes 

images of “our” waterfall! 

We’ll discuss scenic bridges and 

walkways with the many natural 

and historic sites the river offers. 

Books will be available for purchase 

and signing. www.baconfreelibrary.org, 

508-653-6730 


TEDxNatick at the Natick 

High School. Tickets available 

at www.tedxnatick.org. 

9:30 am to 4:30 pm: Morse 

Institute Book and Music Sale 

at the Morse Institute Library, 

http://morseinstitute.org, 508- 

647-6520 

1 to 3 pm: Bibliobrews at the 

Bacon Free Library. Join us for 

a craft beer and hard cider tasting! 

We’re converting our space 

into a tasting room for the afternoon, 

and we’ve invited some 

local brewers to share their beer 

and cider with us! Snacks will also 

be provided. We’re excited to welcome 

Barleycorn’s, Lookout Farm 

Hard Cider, and Colton Belisle of 

our Home Brewers Club for this 

adults-only event! www.baconfreelibrary.org, 

508-653-6730 


12 to 3 pm: Morse Institute 

Book and Music Sale at the 



7 pm: A Continuum of Racial 

Civil Rights at the Natick 

Congregational Church, 2 E 

Central St. 

Monday, January 23 

6 to 9 pm: Community 

Health Film Series at the 


morseinstitute.org, 508-647- 

6520. The screening will be followed 

by a panel discussion of 

mental health care. 


7 to 8:30 pm: Evening Book 

Group at the Morse Institute Library, 

http://morseinstitute.org, 

508-647-6520. The group will 

read and discuss The Winter Palace 

by Eva Stachniak. Refreshments 

provided. 


12 pm: Cookbook Club at 

the Bacon Free Library. Join us 

for International Potpourri! Pick 

a cookbook of food from your 

heritage or from any country in 

the world, then make and bring a 

recipe to share. Browse our cookbook 

collection, or ask a librarian 

for help finding and requesting 

other titles. www.baconfreelibrary.org, 

508-653-6730 


7 pm: Make Your Own Hand 

Salve for Adults at the Bacon 

Free Library. Liz Reed, librarian 

from Norwood, has been making 

her own green products for 

years, and she’s looking forward 

to showing us how to create our 

own products to get us through 

the harsh New England winters! 

All materials supplied by 

the Friends of the Bacon Free 

Library. Register on our website, 

www.baconfreelibrary.org, or 

call 508-653-6730. 

Email your event, with 

“CALENDAR” in the subject 

line, by the 15 th of 

every month to editor@ 

naticktownnews.com. 

Events will be included as 

space permits. 

Plan Ahead: Save These Dates! 

Wicked Pissed: New England’s 

Most Famous Feuds, 

for adults and school-age 

children, Tuesday, February 

7, 7 pm at the Morse Institute 

Library. Ted Reinstein 

of WCVB-TV Ch. 5 Chronicle 

brings history alive with fascinating 

stories from politics, 

food, engineering and more. 

www.morseinstitute.org 

2nd Annual Children’s Illustrators 

Auction, featuring 

many of today’s most beloved 

picture book illustrators, 

graphic novelists and chapter 

book illustrators. February 26 

to March 5. Bacon Free Library, 

baconfreelibrary.org/ 

events 

Maple Magic Day for all 

ages, Saturday, March 4, 9 to 

2 pm: Pancake breakfast and 

celebration, 8 to 11 am, at Memorial 

School. Native, colonial 

and modern sugaring tours on 

the half hour. Pricing and details 

at www.natickfarm.org. 

Mystery Festival: New 

England Crimes, Friday, April 

7 and Saturday, April 8, at the 

Ashland Library, 66 Front St. 

Free and open to the public. 

April 7, 7 pm: Mystery film; 

April 8: Mystery Writers Workshop, 

10 am-Noon and Mystery 

Authors’ Panel & Book Sale, 1 

to 4 pm. www.friendsoftheapl. 

com, www.artsashland.org


Sports 

Tourney Berth Prime Goal for Natick High’s Girls Sextet 

By Ken Hamwey, 

Staff Sports Writer 

The girls ice hockey team at 

Natick High took a giant step 

towards establishing some tradition 

after posting an 11-7-3 

record last year that enabled 

the Redhawks to qualify for the 

playoffs. Now, coach Bruce Ihloff’s 

squad is gearing up for another 

shot at the tourney. 

“We won only one game in 

my first year as head coach but 

bounced back last season to 

get to the tourney,’’ Ihloff said. 

“We’ve got nine returning veterans 

and lost only four seniors. 

The girls appear to have hit their 

stride and another playoff berth 

is realistic. We should be a plus- 

.500 team this year. We want to 

build off last year’s success and 

keep improving every day.’’ 

Although last year’s captains 

— defensemen Laura Sears and 

Rachel Kutok — have graduated, 

Ihloff is impressed with 

the Redhawks’ defensive style, 

team chemistry, experience, 

depth, quickness and skills. But, 

he’s acutely aware that there 

are areas that need shoring up. 

“We’ll be challenged on offense 

because I’ve moved some forwards 

to defense,’’ he said. “Our 

overall play can improve and 

our puck movement in the offensive 

zone needs work. We’re 

also inexperienced in goal.’’ 

One area Ihloff won’t have to 

worry about is leadership. He’s 

got three senior captains who 

know the drill. They’re defenseman 

Sophie Burr and Mikayla 

Natick coach Bruce Ihloff with two of his captains – Sophie Burr, left, and 

Mikayla Quigley, right. Missing from the photo is captain Anna Rausch. 

Quigley and forward Anna 

Rausch. 

“Sophie was a captain in 

field hockey, Anna is respected 

for her work ethic and Mikayla 

displayed good athleticism in 

soccer,’’ Ihloff noted. “Sophie 

has a high hockey IQ, is aggressive 

and passes well. She’s 

an offensive defenseman who 

can be used on the power play. 

Anna is strong, quick and tenacious. 

She’s a very coachable 

skater. Mikayla was one of our 

top forwards last year but now 

is on defense. She’s smart and 

she’s physical. She sees the ice 

well, is aggressive and can rush 

the puck.’’ 

Three juniors who’ll play key 

roles are goalie Ester Levitt and 

forwards Katie Lucenta and 

Megan Ihloff (coach’s daughter). 

“Ester is excited about the 

opportunity to play in goal,’’ 

said Ihloff, who owns JMH 

Automotive in Natick. “She attended 

lots of camps and clinics 

and played in a summer league. 

Able to handle the puck well, 

she’s athletic, instinctive and 

fearless. Katie is coachable and 

willing to compete hard. She’s 

strong, quick, gets position and 

passes effectively. Megan is an 

offensive-minded forward who 

has a knack for creating scoring 

chances. She’s physical and she 

shoots and passes well.’’ 

Two other juniors Ihloff will 

be counting on are forwards Nicole 

Segale and Alexis Reisner. 

Segale had 5 goals and 6 assists 

last year while Reisner had 5 

goals and 7 assists. “Nicole is 

aggressive, defensive-minded 

and forechecks well,’’ Ihloff 

said. “Alexis is skilled offensively. 

She’s got a good wrist shot, carries 

the puck effectively and gets 

into scoring position.’’ 

Two sophomores — forward 

Nicole Maxwell and center 

Molly Burnes — will provide 

Natick with offense. Maxwell 

had 4 goals and 2 assists on the 

third line last year and Burnes 

had 9 goals and 10 assists on the 

first line. 

“Nicole took advantage 

of her opportunities,’’ Ihloff 

said. “She’s a promising offensive 

player who has solid ability. 

Molly started last year and 

showed excellent all-around 

skills. She has a high hockey IQ 

and has a knack of being in the 

right place.’’ 

Two freshmen who’ll likely 

contribute include Jackie Poulack, 

who scored four goals in 

a pre-season jamboree, and 

Megan Gates. Poulack will play 

right wing and Gates is a defenseman 

with offensive ability. 

Last year’s tourney appearance 

began with a triumph over 

Cohasset and ended with a loss 

to Plymouth. Before the Redhawks 

look too far ahead, they 

know they’ll need to get their 

share of victories over teams in 

the Herget Division of the Bay 

State Conference. That means 

competing with the likes of 

Wellesley and Walpole. “They’re 

the teams to beat in our division,’’ 

Ihloff said. “They’ve got 

tradition, they’re deep and they 

have good youth programs.’’ 

Ihloff, who coached for 10 

seasons in Natick’s youth hockey 

program, is comfortable focusing 

on instilling a competitive 

drive in his skaters. His philosophy 

is a combination of competing 

to win, reaching one’s 

potential and having fun. 

“I teach the kids to strive for 

success,’’ he emphasized. “It’s 

not all about winning. There are 

life lessons to be learned that are 

important. Lessons like working 

as a team, being accountable, 

overcoming adversity, setting 

goals and becoming leaders. 

They’re all important.’’ 

Natick, which lost its opener, 

5-2, to Westwood, will field a junior-varsity 

team because of the 

number of girls who reported 

for tryouts. Ihloff’s staff includes 

varsity assistants Michael Heyde 

and Kirsten Stewart and jayvee 

coach Jennifer Yancey. 

The 2016-17 season could 

produce another playoff team. 

Natick will feature a deliberate 

passing attack, solid defense and 

an intense physical style. Those 

ingredients could provide a repeat 

of last year’s 11-7-3 record. 

Community Health Film Series 

Presents Healing Voices 

The Morse Institute Library 

and the MetroWest Health Foundation 

will present the film Healing 

Voices, a feature-length documentary 

that explores the experiences 

commonly labeled as “psychosis” 

or “mental illness” through reallife 

stories. The film will be held 

on Monday, January23 at 6 p.m. 

in the Lebowitz Meeting Hall, 

Morse Institute Library, 14 East 

central St. The event is free and 

open to the public. The film will 

be followed by a panel discussion 

of metal health care, featuring 

local health care experts. 

By way of the harrowing and 

inspiring stories of three subjects 

–Oryx, Jen and Dan—Healing 

Voices challenges us to rethink our 

cultural understanding of “mental 

illness” by bringing a message 

of recovery and charting a 

course for effective alternative 

treatments that enable people to 

live productive and meaningful 

lives. For more information, visit 

moreseinstitute.org or call 508- 

647-6520. 

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Programmatic Differences in Natick’s Elementary Schools 

By Johanna Edelson, 


If you are new to Natick, are 

sending your child to one of the 

elementary schools for the first 

time, or are in need of a special 

program, like English Language 

Learners (ELL) instruction or Special 

Education, you will want to 

know what the Natick elementary 

schools have to offer. The five elementary 

schools in Natick include 

Bennett Hemenway Elementary 

(Ben-Hem), Brown Elementary, 

Johnson Elementary, Lilja Elementary 

and Memorial Elementary. 

“Each of the five elementary 

schools has a slightly different 

‘personality’ comprised of the 

values and demographics of its 

immediate neighborhoods and 

families,” Amy Mistrot, Chair of 

the Natick School Committee, 

said. “However, the education a 

student receives at each school 

should deliver the same baseline 

of educational standards and expectations.” 

Anna Nolin, Assistant Superintendent 

of Curriculum, Instruction, 

and Assessment, emphasized, “The 

elementary schools are all equipped 

to handle all needs that arise.” 

While all of the elementary 

schools offer special education 

services for students on Individualized 

Education Plans (IEPs), 

individualized plans for students 

receiving special education, some 

elementary schools have additional 

support staff to meet students’ 

needs. Some programs are 

only offered at specific schools due 

to neighborhood demographics. 

ELL Instruction 

Currently, all of the district’s 

elementary ELL attend Brown 

Elementary School, and next 

year, ELL instruction will expand 

to Memorial as well, a decision 

which Nolin said is based on the 

“feeder population.” Currently, 

the majority of students who 

need ELL instruction live in the 

Brown school district, and those 

who don’t must attend Brown in 

order to receive ELL Instruction. 

Special Education 

Services 

Even though the district’s elementary 

behavioral program is 

situated at Ben-Hem, Nolin explained 

that the need originally 

arose from students needing those 

services who lived in the Ben- 

Hem district: “We try to keep 

kids in neighborhood schools as 

much as possible . . . we try to 

forecast what we know about our 

special education population, and 

we shape and reshape programs 

as kids come through the ranks.” 

“For Special Education services, 

there are differing levels of 

services that the district can deliver 

when required by an IEP, Mistrot 

said. “Some services can be delivered 

in a general education classroom, 

some require services to be 

delivered in the Learning Center, 

some services require a sub-separate 

program largely delivered 

outside of the classroom . . . to 

deliver these sub-separate services 

in the most economically feasible 

manner and to keep students in 

school in Natick, the district has 

chosen to develop programs in 

our neighborhood schools. We 

have programs at Lilja, Brown and 

Ben-Hem that provide services for 

students in Natick so they are close 

to home, yet they also receive the 

specialized educational support 

that they require to make appropriate 

progress.” 

All Natick elementary schools 

have a Learning Center, though 

Ben-Hem has significantly more 

Learning Center staff than the 

other four elementary schools. Ben- 

Hem’s website lists seven Learning 

Center teachers, while Brown has 

four, Memorial and Lilja have three, 

and Johnson has two. 

Nolin said that when more elementary 

school children needed 

the resources created at Ben-Hem, 

it made sense to put them in a program 

that was already established, 

but she stressed, “Every school 

could be equipped to handle any 

scenario.” When making programmatic 

decisions, Nolin said, the 

school system considers questions 

like, “Where is the critical mass?” 

For example, Lila is the only 

elementary school that has an 

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) 

Classroom. Lilja’s website says, 

“The ASD Classroom provides 

highly individualized and modified 

curriculum to students with 

low incidence special needs who 

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need more support and academic 

modifications than the general 

education classroom can provide 

. . . students typically are unable 

to keep pace with the mainstream 

classroom and require a smaller 

setting to allow for improved development 

of foundation skills . . 

. this classroom is also supported 

by highly qualified Special Educators, 

highly skilled paraprofessionals, 

a Speech and Language 

therapist, school psychologist and 

a BCBA. (Board Certified Behavior 

Analyst).” 

Johnson is the only elementary 

school whose website lists a Title 

I teacher. Title I is part of the Elementary 

and Secondary Education 

Act of 1965, and it helps to 

close the achievement gap between 

low-income and other students. 

Transparency 

versus Privacy 

Rosanna Pasquale, the parent 

of a second grader at Ben-Hem, 

said she has talked to other parents 

about each school’s’ “specialty.” 

Pasquale noted, “I’ve 

heard that Ben-Hem is very 

good if you have an IEP, and 

Johnson is good if you want 

small class sizes.” 

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Mistrot explained out why 

programmatic differences aren’t 

clearer to the public. “In each 

budget process, the Special Education 

expenses are included in the 

budget documents in a manner 

that balances the need for clear 

transparency, yet also protects the 

privacy of the students for whom 

these services are provided.” 

Happy 

New 

Year 

Though parents sometimes 

desire more transparency, Nolin 

and Mistrot are adamant about 

providing quality education at 

all five elementary schools. In 

fact, Dr. Sanchioni, Superintendent 

of the Natick Public 

Schools, has made one of the 

strategic goals “to have a guaranteed 

and viable curriculum 

and experience at each elementary 

school.” 

Neither Nolin nor Mistrot 

want parents to doubt the high 

quality education that children 

receive at each of the elementary 

schools. Nolin said, “No 

school is defined by any special 

population in it.” 

Wishing you peace and 

happiness in the coming year 

A Natick Resident, A Natick Enthusiast & An Expert in 

Natick Real Estate. 20+ years of selling residential real 

estate in Metro West. 

Beth Byrne 

508.561.0521 

bsbyrne@comcast.net 

61 Eliot Street 

Natick, MA 01760 

508.655.4141 

PENDING 

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SOLD 

342 Village St 

Millis - $425K 

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10 Maple Avenue 

Millis - $369K 

SOLD 

30 Needham Street 

Norfolk - $309K 

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19 Evergreen 

Franklin - $550K 

SOLD 

33 Beverly Street 

Natick - $600K 

NEW LISTING 

3 Heidi Lane 

Natick $769,900 

SOLD 

5 Pearl Street, Millis - $660K 

New Contruction 

SOLD 

36 Stratford Street 


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6 Broad Street, Milford 260k 

443 Rumonoski Drive, Northbridge $265k 

23 Skyline Drive, Medway $440k 

19 5Th Avenue, Watertown $485k 

9 Community Way, Foxboro $240k 

4 Fieldstone Road, Medfield $590k 

1 Pearly Lane, Franklin $750k 

51 Plantation Road, Northbridge $189k 

26 Willis Avenue, Framingham $130k 

SOLD 

33 Fairway, Medway 


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New Construction 

SOLD 

117 West Central Street 

Lakeview Crossing 

Natick, MA 01760 

(508) 655-0680 

ColdwellBankerHomes.com/Natick 

© 2016 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing 

Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker’ and the Coldwell Banker logo are registered service marks owned 

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20 SpringValley, Natick - $799K 

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6 Cottage Street 

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Complimentary Comparative Market Analysis and Buyer Consultations 

SOLD 

SOLD 

SOLD 

SOLD * SOLD * SOLD * 

SOLD 

SOLD 

SOLD 

SOLD 

SOLD * SOLD 

SOLD 

SOLD * SOLD * 

SOLD * 


A SINCERE THANK YOU TO MY 

WONDERFUL CLIENTS OF 2016 


JESSICA ALLAIN 

Top 10 Premier Associate 

617.820.8114 

Jallainre@gmail.com 

# 

1 NATICK AGENT 

AT BENOIT MIZNER SIMON 

Benoit Mizner Simon & Co, LLC. An Equal Opportunity Employer. Equal Housing Opportunity. *Represented the buyer. 

544 BOSTON POST ROAD, WESTON, MA

Natick January 2017

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