You can get your groceries in as little as one hour! Place your order today at wegmans.com or with the Wegmans app. Visit the Westwood Wegmans at 169 University Avenue.
By Tom Leyden
Photo By: Rick Bern Photography
Golden Hour approaches on a steamy summer Monday afternoon as Christopher Bean makes his way toward the freshly-staked tomato plants lining The Bean Family Farm's eastern edge. Almost twenty feet behind Chris, and certainly too soft for him to hear, his grandmother, Elena, says sweetly,
"His grandfather would be so, so proud."
Exactly 52 years since Charlie Bean took ownership of the historic farm on Clapboardtree Street, the day-to-day operations are now handled by his oldest grandson, a towering 6'5" 27-year-old who learned the ins and outs of owning and operating a farm at Cornell, where he majored in Agricultural Sciences, with a concentration in crop production and management. In truth, much of what Chris puts into practice each day comes from hands-on, tangible experience.
"For me, it all started when I was in middle school and my grandfather was slowing down and sick with prostate cancer," said Chris. "At that point my father and his three brothers were well established in their own independent careers, successful in what they were doing. There wasn't a lot happening on the farm. We had a couple younger kids from the Norfolk Aggie School growing some crops to keep the farm going while my grandfather was ill, and I took a really big interest in agriculture in general. I think being around my grandfather as a kid, spending time here with him on the farm, really sparked my interest to do something with it and keep it going."
Some history…
A tradition of grit and determination in the Bean family goes back 14 generations, when John MacBean came over from Scotland in 1652 (he dropped the Mac) and settled in Exeter, New Hampshire. He became a founding father of the town by building a sawmill on the river and farming the land. Much later, Chris’ great grandfather, Leon Arthur Bean, was first cousin to L.L. Bean (which stands for Leon Leonwood), a hunter and fisherman who founded the company in 1912 in Freeport, Maine. Leon and L.L. drank Scotch together in his office when he first opened.
Chris’ grandfather and Leon’s only child, Charlie Bean, started working the land on Clapboardtree in the 1950s, 300 years after John MacBean arrived in the United States. Charlie ultimately took ownership from the Russell family in 1971. Just as The Bean Family Farm opened, the Bean family tree grew its final branch of the next generation. Four boys - Chuck, Peter, Joe and Tom would play vital roles in the years ahead.
"To me, the farm meant family," said Joe, a residential real estate broker who lives in Reading with his wife, Kathy, and family. "That's probably the most important thing because we were always together. My brothers and I grew up around tractors and trucks our whole youth. We were always together, always with my dad and mom. You just don't see that today."
"I was the youngest of the four," said Tom, who runs a heavy equipment and excavation company and lives across the street from the farm on Clapboardtree with his wife, Jennifer, and family. "I was along for the ride. I had no say in anything - still don't to a degree. My father always asked us when we were kids, 'Do you feel strong today?' It was a loaded question, because even when we responded no, because we were weak and tired, we were still going outside to help Dad. We were picking corn and tomatoes before we hopped on the bus and we didn't catch on until we were teenagers that there was life outside the farm."
"Mom and Dad instilled a tremendous work ethic in each of us with strong family values that typically don’t exist today," said Chuck, Chris' father and the founder and chairman of Heritage Financial Services, a wealth management firm based in Westwood. Chuck and his wife, Kerri, live across the street from the farm where they raised their four children. "We worked from sun-up to sun-down, working our tails off in the fields. Our family was extremely tight and friends envied us. They loved the endless farm stories, but also saw how hard we worked. All four of us played football and Dad was successful in recruiting our friends to help out by saying “You feel strong today young man?” But, overall, this farm meant family, friends and a livelihood."
Peter, a commercial realtor, the second-oldest son of Charlie and Elena, lives with his wife, Suzanne, and his family not too far from the farm, on a property his dad purchased shortly after the Blizzard of '78 because he needed additional barn storage. Two of the original three barns still remain on Peter's property, a tangible reminder of the long, hard days he spent with his dad and brothers.
"We used to fight like crazy because there were some bad jobs you wanted to avoid," said Peter. "Picking corn in the fall before school... the leaves in the corn stalks were soaking wet. You got to the end of the row and you were drenched. That, and cutting, splitting and delivering firewood in the winter time. We'd argue all the time, but in the end it was a bonding experience."
As it turns out, Charlie had a grand master plan for his boys. They would work for him throughout their childhood without collecting a dollar, and in the end, he'd give them each two acres of land.
"My dad's wish came true," said Peter. "Three out of the four of us live in Westwood. He made good on his promise. There's a picture of me on the tractor when I was six-years-old. Us plowing the fields as kids was my father's version of babysitting."
The fact all four Bean brothers were born within five years has kept them tightly connected. On Father's Day, the entire family - matriarch Elena (aka Grammie), her four boys and their wives, and 13 grandchildren gathered together to take photos for this feature. You could sense immediately this is a group that finishes each other's sentences, gets in playful jabs whenever possible and truly cherishes any time they spend together.
"It tends to be pretty raucous," said Peter. "My mother always worried that we were making fun of each other, but it's in the most loving way."
Chris rolls up his sleeves and prepares to sweat through his clothes every day, managing the science of farming with the art of business and customer service, following in the footsteps of his forefathers as he grows corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, pumpkins and more, while tending to chickens and pigs along with managing a small staff and keeping an eye on the farm's profitability.
"There's so much detail and science-based evidence and chemistry involved in growing and tending to crops that a lot of people don't realize when they're taking a bite with their fork," said Chris. "There's so much I have to do on the back end that no one sees me doing out in the field to make sure everything out there is beautiful and fresh - a healthy product for everyone to take home and eat. Right now, the number of animals is small and we're gonna keep it that way. It's great for the kids to be able to come and see some livestock on the farm. I enjoy having the fresh eggs to sell to customers and I enjoy doing the broiler chickens that are pasture-raised and the pork. But, unfortunately, the animals do take up a lot of time and energy and I also have to devote a lot of time and energy to the field. So that's what's kept me from scaling up any livestock production."
Set to celebrate her 83rd birthday later this month, Elena still visits Charlie's grave regularly. It's been 13 years since her husband died, but every day Elena thinks of him and gives thanks that Chris is taking the reins of the family business and adding to the Bean legacy.
"I feel like I'm going through the farm a second time around, and I know that my husband is smiling from up above," said Elena. "He would be thrilled to know Christopher has continued the farm. The farm was in my husband's blood. They had a mink ranch and vegetable farm in Dover for years and years and years, where his father started farming on Haven Street in Dover. This is what we do."
"Chris is the younger version of my father," said Tom. "He has the same love of the farm that my father had, the same drive. I hope that he can make a living at it and be successful. Chris is just as social as my father was. Dad would love it when people would visit the farm and talk to him for a while. Chris is the miniature version of my father - although he's twice the size."
Farming in 2023 presents great challenges as costs continue to rise across the board and farmland is scarce. Chris is patiently scaling the business, understanding the obstacles he faces but with his sights set on modern-day expansion that can take the family business to the next level.
"I would say a top priority is to hopefully build and operate a retail farm store, a venue to sell all of our farm's products," said Chris as he motioned to the area behind the current farm stand. "An enclosed space that's heated and air-conditioned. We can really make it a beacon in town that keeps the family farm alive and keeps this land from becoming developed into housing lots."
"Through my wealth management business and the contacts I have in the industry, we're helping Chris with the finances of building up a small business, running the books, forecasting and budgeting," said Chuck. "Regardless of what you're selling, growing or what your industry is, you need to keep an eye on the bottom line. We're also looking forward to building a beautiful post-and-beam, barn-looking farm stand that will be a beacon in town and something the whole family and community will be very proud of."
Interesting how aligned father and son are in language and vision - a vision that's been dutifully and effectively been passed from one generation to the next, with love and pride.
By Tom Leyden
Photo By: Rick Bern Photography
"I think it helps make the world a better place."
With that statement, ten words that seem so simple on the surface, Peter Kane encapsulated what motivates him, and his wife Pam, to live the way they do, make the choices they make and influence people in a manner that's life-changing.
Specifically, Peter was referencing why he and Pam are dedicated to hosting exchange students on a regular basis. This year, Pranali Pendhari from Mumbai, India enrolled as a junior at Westwood High School while living with the Kanes in a house that can only be described as extraordinary.
Extraordinary not because of its size or curb appeal, but due to the fact the Kane's home, tucked among hundreds of others in The Maze, is one of the most energy efficient homes in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Read that again and let it sink in.
Peter and Pam have lived in a number of homes since moving to Westwood in 1980, each more efficient than the one before.
"It's my passion. I teach sustainability. I teach climate change. I teach natural resources," said Peter, who has taught at the Norfolk County Agricultural School for the last eight years, typically riding his bike back and forth to work each day. "I'm constantly thinking about it, and I don't think Pam quite shares that passion. But she goes along."
"It's not that bad," said Pam, a customer service representative at Haskell Insurance Agency.
"Occasionally I'm like, okay, we do enough. We don't have to worry about that. We can do this once in a while."
It's a playful banter as Pam and Peter sit around the kitchen table with Pranali and Lexi, the family dog, between them.
Peter worked as a mechanical engineer for 37 years before shifting his focus to education, earning a Master's Degree and starting a new journey in the classroom.
"I do think climate change is a huge issue that we've got to address," said Peter. "We're not exactly suffering in this house. It's a very comfortable house. We have an electric car, which we actually prefer, at least I do, over a gas car. It's not like we're sacrificing. I look around at houses that are being built and it's awful. They're so wasteful, and putting in fossil fuel-fired furnaces and hot water heaters. It's gotta stop. We have to stop burning fossil fuels."
Absorbing the passion in Peter's raspy voice, you understand why committing to "making the world a better place" is so ingrained in the Kane's DNA.
The house on Ellis Street, which they built in 2011, was constructed from the ground up to utilize the sun's energy, starting with the orientation. It faces south for optimum passive solar gain in winter and maximum output from the solar electric and solar hot water panels on the roof. Super insulation and triple glazed windows minimize heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. In the basement, there's a 320-gallon storage tank of water that ultimately provides radiant floor heat and hot water instead of a conventional oil or gas-fired space heating system and water heater.
It's not enough to say the Kane's home is net-zero. It's net-positive, including heat and hot water - a level not seen in many other homes across the United States. Not only do they never pay utility bills (gas, electric, heat, hot water), Eversource actually owes Peter and Pam $4000, a check they'll never receive, but a credit they could sell to other residents who utilize Eversource electricity.
"I think the best way to affect change is to educate kids," said Peter. "Hopefully, they'll influence their parents."
Both Pam and Peter are influenced by their children, and the many exchange students they've hosted over the years. Julia, their daughter, graduated from Westwood High School in 2009. She now lives in Oakland, CA working for Outward Bound and also as a freelance journalist. Julia was recently named one of the Top Ten Veterans in Journalism by the Military Veterans in Journalism organization.
Steven, who graduated from Westwood High in 2013, live in Los Angeles and is a Senior Motion Graphics Designer for Apple. The first few seconds of Rihanna's Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show featured Steven's motion graphic design.
Pranali is the sixth exchange student to live with the Kanes. A bright and engaging student, Pranali was identified by the Indian government as a "future leader of India" and hand-picked to spend a year in the United States as part of the AFS Intercultural Program. The cover shoot and interview for this story were two of the final things Pranali did in Westwood before returning to India in early June.
She had an action-packed 10 months.
"I was on the cheerleading team for fall and winter," said Pranali. "I joined school council and I joined a club called LTRE, 'Let's Talk About Race and Culture.' I was also in the chorus."
Pranali returned to Mumbai in June and will begin her pursuit of a career in hotel management this year.
"I enjoyed my time, and I definitely liked this house," said Pranali. "I'm so sad leaving. I don't want to go, really, but I have to. I have learned a lot about climate change from Dad, just sitting at the table talking about it. I've done a lot of projects for math class and physics class and he helped me with that."
You may have noticed how Pranali referred to Peter.
"She calls us 'Mom' and 'Dad,'" said Pam. "Most of our exchange students call us Pam and Pete, but she wanted to call us 'Mom' and "Dad.' That's what she was comfortable with. That's fine. Now we're used to it."
The Kane's willingness to open their home extends far beyond what they do with exchange students. Every year, Peter welcomes his students from Norfolk Aggie to the home to give them a tutorial on how he built such an energy efficient domain. They get an up-close look at all the features that contribute to the home's energy efficiency.
The biggest laugh we had while chatting around the table was when I asked Pete what his students thought of the tour.
"They like the dog and they like the chocolate chip cookies Pam cooks," he said as we all erupted in laughter. "A few kids... a couple kids will say, 'This is a cool house,' but I don't they truly appreciate the the energy aspects because they don't pay the electric bills."
Well... neither do the Kanes. They just go about their lives trying to make the world a better place, in more ways than one.
By Tom Leyden
Photo By: Brad Bahner for Rick Bern Photography
A pair of women in their 50s break the ice. Confident and filled with energy, they strut to the dance floor at Sanctuary, a hallowed concert hall in Maynard, on a late March evening. With the sound of U2's hit, "Vertigo" filling what used to be a Congregational church, the tone has been set. This night will be a party and Westwood Junction will provide the soundtrack. It's impossible to sit still.
Six lifelong musicians are spread around the stage, each with his or her own personality and skill set. An educator, an HVAC professional, an insurance executive, an engineer, a retired transportation planner and a dentist by day, this collection of unique individuals morphs into a cohesive band at night, covering classic rock hits from Journey to Bruce Springsteen to The Pretenders to The Doobie Brothers.
Dr. Glenn Jackson, a Westwood resident for more than 30 years, is on the keys. Because the show is in Maynard, where his dental practice was located for many years, more than 160 of the fans in attendance are former patients. As Glenn surveys the crowd, he can't help but notice the smiles he helped create and maintain over the years, and think about the lasting relationships he was able to build through a successful career.
"My heart was melting," said Glenn. "I can look at someone's face, remember their mouth, not everybody, and even remember some of their phone numbers. I have that kind of memory. A lot of my patients became good friends over the years. They've come out to other gigs. Let's see, out of a 2,500-patient practice, maybe I made 300 friends and there were 160 at the gig that night."
The turnout is a direct result of a magnetism you sense when first meeting Glenn. Whether one-on-one or in a group setting, his friendly and confident demeanor draws you in. He's a pro, and he's attracted other pros to join him in Westwood Junction.
"We've been friends since college. Glenn was my roommate at Rutgers," said Robert Sievert, the bass player and one of three core members who started Westwood Junction in 2018. It was Glenn, Robert and Scott Lee, the lead singer, who decided to take the next step and start performing together.
"I played with Glenn for 16 years in a previous band called the JJ Swede Band," said Robert. "Then I played five years with Scott and Glenn's wife, Ruthie, in a Christian folk ministry band, a coffee house band. We were connected, but ultimately said, 'You know, we've never played together, the three of us. Let's see what we can do.'"
While Glenn handles the keyboard for Westwood Junction, his versatility is impressive. Thanks to technology, he's able to split the keyboard into sections and is often playing two or three instruments at a time. Dating back to when he was 13, he's played violin, drums, guitar and harmonica, along with piano.
"I could only go so far on guitar because I'm really a keyboardist," said Jackson. "So I bought a keyboard and that's where things settled."
Glenn, Scott and Robert needed to round out the group, and over the course of time, they added Mike Myers as drummer, Dave DiDonato as lead guitarist and brought in Terry Schwarz as their female vocalist.
Terry, an energetic educator from Franklin, recalled how it started for her.
"The guys reached out to me at different times," said Terry. "I finally said yes and auditioned for them. They had auditioned quite a few people beforehand, but I was the one that stuck, so I got really lucky."
With her signature hat and sunglasses, Terry works the stage and playfully interacts with her band members. Music is in her blood - and she's not alone.
"I'm gonna die with a guitar or something in my hands," she said. "Probably on stage, and that's fine with me."
Without that type of passion, it's nearly impossible for six busy people to strategize, practice, execute and perform at a high level.
"We're all so experienced, there's a great sense of safety when we're together," said Scott, who frequently impresses you with just how high he can sing. "Just knowing each other well enough to be scrupulously honest. 'Yes. That works.' 'No, that doesn't work.' It looks fun, and it is, but it's work. You gotta be honest with it. 'That doesn't work.' 'You're not singing that well.' 'You're not playing that right.'
Just knowing each other and trusting each other. We can say what we feel like we need to say."
Perfectionism is a consistent trait, and that trickles down from Glenn, whose home in Westwood serves as the headquarters for practices - the junction that unites a sextet with homes in Franklin, Dedham, Holliston, Wrentham and Ipswich.
"We started throwing possible names around and 'Westwood Station' came up a couple of times." said Robert. "I know both Scotty and I didn't like 'Station,' so we suggested 'Junction.' We're all from various towns and we join here, so it wasn't so much about a rail line, it was more about Westwood being the junction place for us as a band. it became Westwood Junction and it kind of felt right."
Their deep friendship, both old and newly-formed, is the glue that keeps the band together. Their love of music is forefront, but they genuinely enjoy the time they spend together.
"I've been told I'm like the Energizer bunny," said Glenn. "I have endless energy once I'm motivated to do something, which is most everything. I'm also very passionate and detail-oriented and we all work very hard to get things right."
Any group builds personality by showcasing characters. Dave DiDonato and Mike Myers both bring something special to the mix. DiDonato, the lead guitarist, mesmerizes an audience as he effortlessly works his way through complicated solos. He commands attention with every song and steals the spotlight on many occasions throughout each show.
"We do so many different genres, from Steely Dan to Blink 182 to Lynyrd Skynyrd," said Dave. "It's challenging and fun to do the whole spectrum of music. We just get along really well, and it's been that way since we first met. We succeed because everybody can say what they want to say without hurting anybody's feelings. It's simple - 'Shape up, let's hit this, let's hit this hot, let's do this right.'"
Myers keeps the band on time, literally. Behind his drum kit, barefoot, Myers showcases his talents with unique drum accents and the standout fills you've grown to love over years of listening to your favorite classic rock hits.
"I actually did take drum lessons in grammar school and that stuck for about three years," said Mike.
"I would get out of bed and sit barefoot at the drums. I find it's a lot easier. Bass pedal work is in the forefront right now. Double bass, double bass pedal. It's a big thing for drummers, where the bass drum gives a lot more accents than it used to. I found I could articulate my foot a little bit and get a double tap or a triplet out of it. I just couldn't find a solution that would allow me to do it with something on my feet, so it's my thing now."
As musicians age, their desires change. Think about how late a band gets home after playing at a bar. They have to break down the equipment, pack up their cars and usually don't get to bed until four in the morning if they're lucky. Yeah... when you get over 60, that kind of loses its appeal. These guys prefer day gigs when they can get 'em. Weddings, private parties and events. Those are the kind of gigs the band is looking to book.
Music has kept Glenn grounded, in touch with many people and able to connect on different levels - professionally and through performance
"I didn't know I wanted to be a dentist growing up, but I got lucky," he said. "I found something where I can use my hands. I'm a perfectionist, so that really lends itself to being a dentist and talking to people is a gas. The people in Maynard, where my practice was, were so kind and down to earth, so I could be an intelligent doctor, but also tell jokes and kid. I have that passion for doing things and being a regular guy at the same time. We're all just regular people who like to perform."
There's only one way to truly appreciate the power of Westwood Junction, and that's by taking in one of their shows live. You'll be glad you did, even more so if you follow the lead of those two women who broke the ice at The Sanctuary. Bring your dancing shoes and dive right in.
By Tom Leyden
Photos By: Rick Bern Photography
The year was 1989, and life as many knew it was in the process of changing forever. For nearly 70 years, the Soviet Union had grown in power as the world's strongest Communist state, yet civil unrest had begun to chip away at the power of the USSR's centralized government. In this period of global uncertainty and strife, tensions were at an all-time high.
In Latvia, the first Baltic state to challenge the sovereignty of the Soviet empire, a young girl named Diana Shwartzman fled her parents' home, hand in hand with her grandmother. The pair quietly and slyly headed for Moscow by train. In these challenging times with crime on the rise, any steps as dramatic as those being taken by the Shwartzman family had to be taken with the utmost care and precision.
"People stole children," said Diana. "If you had enough money to leave the country, then you had enough money to pay ransom. If families arrived together at the Moscow airport, it was a high-risk situation."
Diana's parents, both established and successful doctors, traveled to Moscow by a different route, eventually connecting with their young daughter just moments before a scheduled flight from Moscow to Vienna, Austria - the first haven in the Shwartzman's pursuit of freedom.
"We were on the run and lived for three weeks in the basement of a home in Austria with other immigrant families," said Diana. "We finally got some sort of documentation and took the next step, which led us to Italy. I went to first grade in Italy and I learned to speak Italian. When you're seven, you pick up languages so easily. It was a normal first-grade life."
Normal except for the fact the Shwartzmans were political refugees, living only on their talents and a bag of tchotchkes that held small value. Each week, Diana and her Mom, Evetta, would travel to a local market to sell some of what they brought from Latvia to make ends meet. There was no job, no money. Only instinct, and the ability to trade what you could do for what you needed or wanted. Failure wasn't an option.
"You don't quit. You keep at it until you get there," said Diana about the lessons she learned during this tumultuous, unpredictable time that shaped who she is and how she functions each day. "We left Italy and arrived in New York on April 1, 1990. We drove to Framingham because the Jewish Community Center in Framingham had a program for incoming Jewish immigrants. They provided housing for us, furniture, clothes, all of that."
Settling into the United States wasn't easy for the Shwartzmans. Her parents, Evetta and Boris, had to re-take their board exams and establish themselves once again as medical professionals. Dr. Evetta Shwartzman eventually opened her own dental practice in Canton, while Dr. Boris Shwartzman rebooted his career as an anesthesiologist. Once established, the trio settled in Sharon, a welcoming community for Jews.
"There was so much anti-semitism in Latvia and the Soviet Union in general," said Diana. "It was important for my parents to be able to be themselves.
Perhaps because she was the only child of successful parents, with intense life experience, Diana was entrusted to make big decisions from a young age. Her mind was sharpened well before those of her peers and the independence she was afforded from a young age allowed her to make important decisions and understand their implications. Inspired by the drive and dedication of her parents, Diana committed early to learning business and, like many of us, gleaned some motivation from television.
"I remember watching 'Who's The Boss?' with Judith Light and Tony Danza, back in the 90s," said Diana. "I wanted to be Angela Bower. I thought, that's going to be me. That was my vibe. My mom was always a big boss lady. She owned her own companies. Both parents were in the medical field. I grew up seeing that success and deep inside, always knew I would end up owning my own business - some sort of business. I thought it was going to be in marketing and advertising."
After graduating from Sharon High School, Diana headed to Bentley University, where she eventually met Chris Brouillard, who played soccer for the Falcons. During college, the pair didn't date, but frequently saw each other through mutual acquaintances. While Diana honed her business skills, Chris was impressed with what he was seeing. Shortly after graduation, they started dating and began a new life together.
"We spent some time in Cambridge and after we sold our condo we had a little bit of money," said Chris. "Diana told me she wanted to put that money toward starting a new business."
Dream Spa Medical was born in 2013, a med spa focused on offering state-of-the-art treatments addressing a wide range of beauty and aesthetic concerns.
"I'm a go-with-the-flow guy, so I said, 'Let's do it!' Her mom was involved," said Chris. "It was her passion. She was working long days, and when she'd get home, she'd work even more."
A ten-year success story isn't written in a day, a month or even a year. Through trials and tribulations, and an unlikely time of reinvention and refinement, Dream Spa Medical has blossomed, with locations in Canton and Brookline, and a third set to open in Patriot Place this August.
"You work until you get it done, right? You don't quit," said Diana. "Sometimes people asked me why I was staying with it? I was going to do it until it worked. You keep at it until you get there. If my parents can take themselves, and me, across the world into a new country, not knowing the language, re-take their medical exams, re-do school and make a life for themselves, then I believe anyone can do anything. It's really the American Dream."
It's rare to hear someone credit the COVID pandemic for a good part of their business success, but that time of isolation and chance to regroup came at just the right moment for the Dream Spa team.
"As we started the business, I was always plugging holes and putting fires out," said Diana. "We were doing ok and headed in the right direction, but during that three months of shutdown, I turned my attention online. There were a lot of companies putting a lot of free content out - financial planning, business planning specific to the aesthetic industry. So it really gave me a chance to not have to constantly fix everything on a daily basis and really take a step back and plan things out."
It also opened the door to some financial flexibility.
"The Small Business Association stepped it up, in my opinion, for small businesses," said Diana. "The EIDL loans, the PPP program, those gave us the financial backing we really needed to have a little more leeway with the finances. I think the SBA gave a lot of support and I know people who didn't take advantage of it, probably because they didn't understand how. I was lucky to have access to that online content which advised me how to take advantage of the financial assistance from the SBA. So I did it like that and that's how we re-opened. We made more in the first week than we had in most months."
It's important to note Diana is not a clinician. She runs the Dream Spa Medical business and relies on her colleagues and partners to provide the top-tier care clients have come to expect. Dr. Joseph Russo is a board-certified, Harvard-trained plastic surgeon. His medical expertise sets the standard for the practice. Leah Mofford has risen to the role of Chief Operations Officer, focusing on exceptional service and results.
Chris, who works in sales for IPG Photonics, didn't know much about the world of Med Spas when this journey began, but now has a true appreciation for what his wife's team delivers.
"Watching how this business developed and seeing the people they work with and the treatments they do, it's actually helping a lot of younger people, younger than me," said Chris. "They're actually improving their skin. You'll see someone who had really bad acne and what Dream Spa's been able to do for them. They have clear skin. You see real improvements and it's a big confidence builder for people. They are always looking to make people feel better about themselves."
So how did the Brouillards end up in Westwood?
The easy answer is found by looking at a map. Chris grew up in Andover. Diana grew up in Sharon. Westwood was a central point for their families and the appeal of our schools and the town's reputation was attractive. As parents of two young girls, Juliana (7) and Alana (4), there's a lot to benefit from when you live in Westwood.
"We moved here in 2017 and wanted to get settled in a town with great schools," said Diana. "It's been a wonderful experience so far."
As Juliana and Alana played with the Brouillard's dog, Brady, Diana continued to talk about the dream she continues to build - a vision of where she may be after the next ten years.
"Ten years from now, I think we're going to have multiple locations, six or more locations," she said. "We're going to have a solidly-built management system, which will make adding new locations seamless, similar to how you franchise, with standard operating procedures for every single thing that you do. It's going to be like that."
When you're building a dream, you keep forging ahead with big goals and confidence, committed to putting in whatever it takes until you get it done.
By Tom Leyden
Photos By: Rick Bern Photography
It was widely regarded as the most dramatic moment of the 2021 scholastic sports year in Massachusetts. A lifetime memory unfolding in slow motion, two sunsets before Independence Day, in a season delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Westwood and Franklin, after battling through a steady rain, were knotted at five goals apiece. The evenly matched contest between the Wolverines and Panthers had been a back-and-forth battle, highlighted by incredible defense and nuanced skill. After more than 49 minutes of precipitation and perspiration, with a state championship and a place in history on the line, the time for decisive action was short.
Overtime was 15 seconds away.
Five feet behind the Franklin net, Ava Connaughton found herself in exactly the right spot. The sophomore attacker capitalized on an error, intercepted an errant pass and immediately darted toward the net. In less than a second, she had curled around the right side and was prone to the turf. With her stick fully outstretched, she flicked a wicked backhand through the goal mouth, past the feet of a stunned goalkeeper. As teammates swarmed Connaughton, 12.2 seconds showed on the clock. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, Westwood had clinched a ninth state title in breathtaking fashion and added another chapter to an illustrious book of achievement.
The 2022 season proved to be a dominant encore performance, as the Wolverines steamrolled through their schedule unscathed, once again finishing atop the pack with nary a loss to rue. Last June, Westwood defeated Wellesley 16-1 at Babson University, capping off a tenth title season in rousing fashion. The championship game victory was the 49th in a row for the green and white and put the exclamation point on a postseason in which they outscored opponents by a combined tally of 81-15.
Pure, unadulterated domination.
A culture of excellence was established by head coach Leslie Frank over the course of 18 seasons, eight of which ended with her team celebrating a championship. That tradition continued when Margot Spatola took over upon Frank's departure after spending six years on staff as an assistant. The case next to Bader Gymnasium showcases ten state title trophies, the most of any school in the Commonwealth, representing 20 years of dominance complemented by more than 500 wins - an average of more than 20 per season.
"I think the overall legacy of this program is such a big reason why we continue to see so much success," said Riley Harrington, a senior goalkeeper. "The teams that Leslie Frank built years ago, we're still building off of that success. It's crazy. I'll go to a tournament in a different state, and someone will ask me where I'm from and after I tell them, they say, 'Oh my God, you're from Westwood?' We're known for lacrosse and it's really because of past teams and past coaches."
True, but not 100% accurate. The Class of '23 has held its own and this year looks to put the finishing touches on a long list of already impressive achievements. Five players - Connaughton, Harrington, Olivia Williams, Lil Hancock and Kella McGrail - have committed to play Division I Lacrosse in college. Granted, the 2020 season was wiped out by COVID, but no one on this year's team has lost a game in high school.
"Coming into any season, our coach always says, honestly, 'Forget about last season,'" said Connaughton. "This is a new year, a new state title to play for. Just bring it all out there and don't worry about last year.
"It's also important to recognize that we're a new team this year and even though some things may have worked for us one year, different things might work the next year and we need to build off the strengths of our players now. How we can succeed this season might not necessarily be the same as the way we succeeded the past two."
But you can build on last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. Most of the girls on this year's roster recall their most impressionable days watching the champions who came before them at Westwood High.
"I used to go to the games and I'd get the roster and highlight my favorite players," said Williams. "I still have some of those papers and it's so crazy thinking that maybe I'm one of those players now. Seeing all the little girls on the sideline, it really is one of my main motivators. It makes me really excited and happy for the future of Westwood lacrosse and also makes me reminisce about what it used to be like."
"It's really cool being able to be in the shoes of the upperclassmen because we've watched them since we were little and we wanted to be just like them," said Hancock. "Getting to play for the high school and being one of the best teams in the state. It's just an honor to be those older kids now that we used to look up to."
Spatola took the baton passed by Frank and took off sprinting like the next runner in a 4x100 relay.
"I had to figure out what worked for me as a head coach," said Spatola. "What I took from Leslie along with what things I've come up with on my own and picked up from other coaching friends and mentors over the years. It was more so honoring what I had in front of me and really doing my best to give the girls on my team each year what they deserve, giving them as many opportunities as we could give them. That's how I went into it."
"I love Margot. Every day we go to practice and we look forward to it," said Harrington, "I've never dreaded a Westwood Lacrosse practice ever. She makes every practice and game so intense and also so much fun. She always says this and I think it's so true - we're 80% work and 20% fun. So she always makes sure we're having a good time, but we also need to recognize that we're there to play lacrosse and we're working to get better. I feel like her instilling that in us is such a big part of our success."
Another big part of the success? Having a short memory and a focus out the windshield, not in the rear-view mirror.
"I do feel confident we can take another step, just by doing the same things we do in practice as we always have," said Hancock. "It comes down to listening to Margot, working hard in practice and pushing each other. That's the most important thing. Our hard work in practice correlates to the games."
"Coming into this year, after the last two years, the girls obviously know what it takes to be the top team," said Spatola. "Last year, 2022, it wasn't easy, and in the first part of this season, we will have to find our new identity. We have a lot of holes to fill. Hopefully the girls learned that lesson last year. Our April 4th team is not going to be the same as our, hopefully, June 20th team."
No matter how the 2023 campaign evolves, it will be the last dance for a talented core of seniors who have already crafted a legacy overflowing with accomplishment.
"We try not to let emotions get too involved when we're playing, but it's definitely going to be different knowing it's our last year," said Hancock. "Thankfully, some of us are going to college to play lacrosse, so we'll be excited for that, but it's just different playing for your hometown with your best friends, at your hometown field, in front of family."
"It makes me sad. I'm very sad to leave," said Williams. "I've accomplished so much with my teammates and I feel proud of the legacy we are leaving on this town and this community. I'm excited for college and what that chapter might bring. I'll always be excited to come back and watch other kids play here at Westwood."
From one generation to the next, excellence bleeds through. Chances are high the girls wearing uniforms this year will return in street clothes to cheer on those who take their place in the seemingly annual high-pressure postseason games. That's just how it works with Westwood lacrosse.
By Tom Leyden
Photos By: Rick Bern Photography
Sitting quietly and proudly at the end of a beautiful granite island in his family's kitchen, Joey Mansour is the odd-man out in this group of five. He's the only one who's not an actor, but Joey plays his role perfectly as he beams with pride, very aware of how lucky he is. Lucky to be alive. Lucky to be surrounded by a loving, talented, caring family in the midst of an unforgettable year.
Joey's wife, Tara, is the tone-setter. The Mansour's deep love and appreciation of song, dance and theater came from Tara, herself an actress, schooled as a teenager at the Freehold Regional Performing Arts High School in New Jersey. Her passion for performance was embraced by Alex, Ella and Michael, each a part of Westwood High School's production of Twelfth Night - The Musical, set to run March 16, 17 and 18.
This year is particularly unique because it's the only year all three Mansour children will perform together in Westwood High productions and the last year they will all perform together. Ella, a junior, and Michael, a freshman, have more collaboration ahead, but 2022-23 will always hold a special place in Mansour lore because Alex is a senior headed to Tufts University next year.
"I don't think they appreciate it as much as we do," said Tara.
"We've been doing shows together since we were in elementary school," said Alex. "There was a fall play and we were a part of that, too."
"We're also in the a cappella group, Passing Notes." said Ella.
"Together in chorus," said Michael.
It's so normal for the Mansour trio to spend time together, so routine, that sentimentality hasn't truly registered yet for the busy teenagers. Their focus, instead, is on delivering a strong performance and top-notch production.
"Mamma Mia last year, Twelfth Night - The Musical this year. We're one of the first high schools to get the rights to do it," said Alex. "We can do bigger shows and we can do more complicated shows because we have more experienced people."
That drive to be the best comes from years of hard work, in and out of the school system. The Mansours have performed with community theater groups throughout the years and worked their way through the elementary and middle school systems, cultivating their skills and gaining confidence.
"It's not easy to grow up as a kid in the arts, especially here in Westwood where there's such a focus on athletics," said Tara. "When everybody's bonding in first and second grade over soccer and baseball and flag football, it's hard to establish those relationships. We were lucky to have Erica Yennior in our corner. Mrs. Yennior would give Alex opportunities to play the piano for his class. And kids would go home and tell their parents, 'Oh my gosh, you should see what Alex can do' That gave him great confidence."
Alex, Ella and Michael each performed in Sheehan's annual musicals and continued acting at Thurston. They didn't perform "in school" together until this year.
Rob Goldman and Jim Howard have developed incredible music and theater departments at Westwood High School that intersect at the highest level in the annual spring productions. Their commitment to excellence is evident in every aspect of a show, from set design, to costuming, to lighting, choreography and attention to detail.
Working with students who consistently support each other makes the job significantly easier for Goldman and Howard.
"A lot of teachers will say the theater kids are the nicest kids," said Ella, a gifted dancer sandwiched between two outgoing brothers. "The teachers who really believe that, I think I've become very close with them through doing the shows."
"Mr. Goldman was a such a draw to Westwood High School and turned out to be everything we hoped for and more," said Tara. "He's just a wonderful human being who truly cares about the kids."
"Because of Mr. Goldman, Alex didn't want to pursue any other high schools," said Joey. "Alex wanted to work with him, and he's given our family many opportunities to do things throughout the theater department."
---
Tara, an occupational therapist who has worked in the Westwood Public Schools for 11 years and is now an Assistant Professor at MGH Institute of Health Professions, has remained active, periodically performing with her kids. Years ago, Ella and she took the stage together in a production of Fiddler On The Roof. Tara, together with her husband as well as Tina and Chris McCusker, founded the Westwood Community Players, an organization unaffiliated with the school whose mission is to create opportunities for children and adults to develop talents in all aspects of theatre so they can educate and inspire young people and their communities. In the future, Tara has hopes of developing inclusive theater opportunites accessible to all members of the community.
"I've seen my own students perform within the context of Westwood, in the theatrical productions as well as in chorus and band, and I just love seeing them up on that stage," said Tara. "The confidence it gives them. Students with autism who may have difficulty finding the right words to have in a conversation, you give them a script and they light up on stage! So for me, as an OT and someone who has a passion for the performing arts and now different resources within my role at a University, I really hope that's the next step for the Westwood Community Players."
Joey has spent the bulk of his life in Westwood. When he was 12-years-old, he was involved in a terrible car accident on High Street, spending six months in intensive care and another six months in rehab. Most people who lived here in the eighties remember "the story of Joey Mansour" and his remarkable recovery. Despite the setbacks, he went on to pursue an engineering degree at Boston University and then a Masters at Tufts University, where he and Tara met. Today, he owns and operates Needham Shell on Highland Avenue, managing a well-reviewed auto repair shop with a loyal customer base.
When asked if he ever thought his family would be a "performance family," Joey didn't hesitate.
"Not before I met my wife!" he quickly shot back. "But knowing Tara, absolutely, yeah. She has theater exhuming out or her, so I'm not shocked or surprised at all that it rubbed off on the kids."
"We were always singing in our house," said Tara. "Alex was able to match pitch early, so he started piano lessons when he was young."
Michael is the youngest of the crew, unabashedly confident and kind, well-liked by those younger and older than he, and grateful he's been welcomed into the performance community.
"There's a foundation that's been built that you get a chance to benefit from," said Michael. "The teachers knew who I was because of my brother and sister and it's nice to have a starting point like that in high school. I was a part of their friend group before middle school and even more a part of it now. We're in chorus together and it's a very fun class during school. That foundation has been an amazing way to start high school."
Alex, the elder statesman with an eye on his next step at Tufts, has a commanding presence. Incredibly mature and engaging, he seizes control and consistently capitalizes on opportunity. A gifted pianist who can play five instruments, he has taken piano lessons throughout most of his life and more recently started teaching lessons and can easily entertain a party tickling the ivories.
"I'm going to audition for the a cappella groups at Tufts," said Alex. "I'm going to major in pre-med, but I'm not going to just drop music. That's an important part of my life."
Life these days centers on Twelfth Night - The Musical an upbeat interpretation of Shakespeare's romantic comedy written in the early 1600s.
"It's always fun to dance in these types of shows that have big dancing numbers,but also singing and acting," said Michael. "There's always big numbers that are great fun to be in."
"I have more of a dance side because I grew up doing dance lessons," said Ella. "After elementary school, I started being dance captain for a lot of the shows."
"Speaking of Elementary School, what Christy Harrison McKenney established at Sheehan was remarkable," said Tara. " Christy built that program in such a way that it wasn't just theater kids that were excited for the musical. It was everybody - sports kids, everybody, even if they weren't going to have it again."
A foundation for many that's been fertilized and cultivated, creating a culture of inclusion, support and creativity that sets Westwood apart, and featuring three siblings who may not yet fully appreciate the unique significance of this year.
Soak it in, kids. Soak it in.
By Tom Leyden
Photos By: Rick Bern Photography
A scent of freshly baked bread wafts through the air as music is fired up and doors open for business on a Monday morning at Neroli Mercato. Dressed in black, Mike DiSarro, sitting at the Mercato's lone table with his wife and mother, is focused on the next task. When you're a serial entrepreneur, there's always something to do or someone to call. The unpredictability of any day is what keeps Mike engaged. He rides the waves of volatility with a gaze glued to the finish line - the big vision.
The son of Pamela and Steven DiSarro, Mike is the youngest of five children reared a stone's throw from the epicenter of the family's latest venture. Neroli, a name made famous by an Italian princess who fell in love with the scent of a Neroli flower, now prevalent in a seductive, musk perfume, is already seducing Westwooders young and old. Neroli Mercato has been operational since September, and Neroli Ristorante will bloom in February, bringing to a crescendo the latest movement of a complex, magnetic symphony featuring ingenuity, pain, perseverance and loyalty.
Ingenuity starts with commitment and Mike DiSarro is overflowing in that category. He is committed to his wife, Chantal, his three surviving siblings, Nick, Colby and Kim and his mother. He is committed to the memory of both his brother, Steven, Jr., and his father. He is committed to his partners, most notably Mario and Dorothy Lepori, who embarked on this journey with Mike hand-in-hand from day one. He is committed to Westwood, his hometown. He is committed to providing something personal, chic and enduring as the anchor establishment in a massive development that has reinvented Islington and created a sorely needed buzz.
"I could've never dreamed of bringing something like this to the town I grew up in," said Mike. "My family has been here for generations, and all the way to my grandmother, we're just blown away that something like Neroli will be here, right? It's finally something that's ours. We haven't had anything like it in the longest time, on this scale. It's just OURS. Family-owned."
When he says, "Ours," it's clear Mike is referring to both the DiSarro family and the Westwood community. Creating a landmark destination where Westwood residents will dine, drink, relax and socialize was always his goal, and he's been focused on this end game since he was a young boy.
"The grand vision, really, was to make it look small-town from outside and create a grand city atmosphere when you come inside," said Mike. "We have tons of restaurant space up front, tons of bar space and a private function room. We want to get crooners in there, like Sinatra bands, and create a city vibe. It's definitely going to change what the suburbs look like, especially around here. Especially in this neighborhood."
Just 35-years-old, Mike grew up in the internet age, haunted each day by a cloud of drama, heartbreak and unsolved mystery surrounding the 1993 disappearance of his father and the subsequent 24 years it took to learn exactly what happened. That chapter of the DiSarro's story has been told, very publicly, and won't be used by this author as an enticing ploy to retain your engagement.
"I already dealt with that as a child," said Mike. "Getting closure on that just a couple of years ago was great. It's not something I really wanted to go through, but it felt good once it was done. Recently, the guy in jail for everything passed away, so it's all part of the past, right? And I've gotta spend time just keep going. That's my motto - Just Keep Going. I can't think about that stuff or let it hurt me or get bogged down by it. It made me who I am today, though, and I think I'm doing pretty good."
"He's been in Boston for years promoting businesses. It's the apple and the tree with the father," said his mom, Pamela, with a laugh. "The apple didn't fall far. His father, my husband, was an entrepreneur, real estate developer and a nightclub owner. Very personable. Very fun guy. Very well liked. And Mike is too. Everybody loves him... his staff. That's not an easy thing to do. They respect him."
There's a lot to respect when you consider how this project came to life.
"I was meeting with Walid Samaha at The Toast Office and we had a vision to create a restaurant in Westwood," said Mike. "We kept asking ourselves, 'Where can we do this?' And Walid asked if I had seen Islington Center? I hadn't, so we literally got up from the meeting and drove across town."
That chance decision landed Mike and Walid face-to-face with Giorgio Petruziello, the developer and owner of the Islington Center complex.
"I was blown away. The church was gone," said Mike. "I had seen my mother three months prior and the church was there. So when we pulled up, Giorgio was there. We got out of the car and introduced ourselves and asked what he was looking to put in here? He had his tough face on - like, 'You guys, get out of here.' We ended up talking. We ended up having a lot of mutual friends, so slowly the conversations progressed into putting a restaurant from the North End down here."
"I was hesitant at first because this is a huge project," said Mike's wife, Chantal. "I've never done anything like this, but Mike's worked in hospitality his entire life. I feel like anything that Mike's done has been successful. Anything he puts his mind to, he'll make it work. I mean, there was some point in life where he had never worked in a bar, or a club, or a restaurant or run his own production company. He never did those things before, either. He has that entrepreneur mindset where if he wants to do something, he's going to figure out how to do it."
Mike was so passionate and had such a personal commitment to get something to the finish line in Westwood, he took full ownership of the endeavor, as managing partner, with the support of investors.
"I grew up a block down the street," said Mike. "My mother still lives there.I still go there after work. No one had more interest in getting this done than I did."
A relatively small idea became much grander when Mike truly thought about how significantly he could impact his family's neighborhood.
"We started with wanting to do the deli and potentially a restaurant in what's now the Mercato," said Mike. "That progressed into taking all the space, knowing that there's never been a restaurant of that scale. When I was a kid, this was a dry town and there were never liquor licenses available in Westwood. It was just a crazy process to think that someone could actually do something of this scale in Westwood, let alone Islington Center."
As other retail establishments blossomed around Neroli, the massive construction and development project remained Mike's day-to-day priority.
"Looking back on it, honestly, I would not have been able to do it if I hadn't found a builder like Giorgio," said Mike. "He's been so amazing to me as a tenant in helping me build a location. He's helped me navigate through things that pop up when you're doing construction. I would've never been able to do this if he just leased me the space and said,'Good luck.' He and his family care. I love knowing that he has a lot of buildings. I mean, his father helped build my bar. Who does that? Why? Right? They just care."
---
Pamela DiSarro, striking in her tan blazer and black boots, makes an impression when she enters the room, matched by a warm, confident demeanor. A graduate of Westwood High School herself, she's watched the evolution of Neroli from close range, beaming with pride while offering support and expertise.
"It has been a dream come true, truly," said Pamela. "It is probably one of the high spots of my life. I am so, so proud of him. This is my baby of five. You have to understand. He and I spent last winter going to New York and selecting merchandise - the finest that we could, finding all of the unique things we could. Going to markets like this is a hobby of mine. I go to all markets, farmers markets all over the state. I love to cook and I always love to entertain. I make my homemade raviolis every Christmas. My grandmother taught me - no machines, just the hands, Obviously, a couple of my recipes are here and quite a few will be showcased in the restaurant."
Also showcased prominently on a column in Neroli Mercato is a photo of her husband, Steven, and her son, Steven, Jr., both lost far too soon, but both remembered every day.
"Mike said, 'Mom, I want a picture of Dad and Steve because I wanna say that the restaurant was built in their memory and dedicated to them.' That makes me so proud."
Neroli is family, from staff to customer, and loyalty to family is what makes the DiSarro's tick.
"You show up to Christmas and there's 40 people there," said Chantal. "They're just a big close-knit group."
I ask Chantal if she thinks Neroli will be an extension of that holiday scene at Pamela's house.
"Oh yeah, definitely," she said. "His family will be here all the time. They already are"
They won't be alone. Westwood has yearned for a spot like this and it's finally here thanks to the perseverance and drive of a native son. Save a seat at the bar for me.
By Tom Leyden
Photos By: Rick Bern Photography
Gathered around a table in a relatively busy Westwood High School library shortly after final dismissal, I chat with Westwood juniors Katie Tran, Divya Gummuluru and Christina Eldamaa. Each girl has a glow in her eye, proud of what they've collectively achieved in less than two years as members of the Cancer Kids First Westwood club. Directly across from Katie, to my right, sits Sophia Daly, a biology teacher and faculty club advisor.
Cancer Kids First, now an international organization, was founded in 2019 by then 14-year-old Olivia Zhang, a student at McLean High School in McLean, VA. Zhang's mission was simple - empower youth to work together in an effort to better the lives of kids with cancer. That simple goal has blossomed into a massive success story, with chapters of Cancer Kids First sprouting around the world, from the United States to India to Bangladesh to Mongolia to Pakistan and beyond.
Tran, a member of Westwood High's Student Council, was drawn to the cause and pursued the steps necessary to open a local chapter.
"I actually found out about the organization Cancer Kids First through a TikTok," said Tran. "I was scrolling on my feed and one of their promotional videos popped up, showcasing what they do and encouraging individuals to start chapters, whether it's a regional chapter or a school chapter like our chapter is."
At first, Katie figured she would volunteer from afar, but after some research, it became clear she could expand the organization's footprint to Westwood and share the responsibility with her fellow Wolverines. Katie filled out an application to start a chapter and completed a thorough process with the high school, including the necessary step of finding a faculty club advisor.
"Katie roped me into this duty," said Daly. "I was Katie's teacher for freshman bio. At the end of the year she asked if I would be interested in being a club advisor. I was also a first-year teacher, so I had no idea what being a club advisor even meant in terms of responsibility, but I said yes, because I adore Katie and the club sounded great."
In the nearly 20 months since, Cancer Kids First Westwood has made a significant impact, teaming with Mass General Hospital in Boston in an effort to brighten the lives of children fighting cancer in different ways, from designing cards to making care packages to fundraising.
"We made care packages for patients at Mass General for Halloween," said Tran. "We hope to continue making care packages and goodie bags as the year progresses. We're also thinking about doing a toy drive and other events to fundraise. Then we'll use those funds to benefit the pediatric cancer patients."
Tran is president of the Cancer Kids First Westwood club, with Gummuluru and Eldamaa joining her as officers this year.
"I was a part of the group last year, just as a member, and I had a lot of fun," said Gummuluru. "This year, I'm the treasurer and I did it because it’s a great way for me to improve my organizational skills and really, it's just nice. I like the idea of having that one-on-one connection when helping other people. That’s what this club aims to provide. It's really great."
"I think there's definitely been a lot of growth from when the club first started until now," said Eldamaa. "I started as a regular club member and now I have a leadership position as secretary. From the first meeting I attended last year until now, there's been huge growth in how much attendance we're having at meetings. There's also a growth in how well we're doing with our fundraising, as well as the events we're planning. I think we've done so many events, just this fall, compared to last year."
The club was thrown into high-gear immediately when the 2022-23 school year began. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, so urgency accompanied the back-to-school rush. Cancer Kids First Westwood was heavily involved in the volleyball program's Dig Yellow initiative, which raised approximately $800. Also in September, members of the club organized a tent for Westwood Day, raising another $1,000 as residents from around town stopped by and showed support.
Seeing the tangible results of their efforts has inspired all three officers to stay focused on the mission and brainstorm how they can do even more, not only with the club, which has close to 150 student members, but also with their own individual pursuits.
"Orthopedic surgery interests me," said Eldamaa. "I've always had an interest in medicine and I've always found myself reading up about different things involved in it. I do summer programs to learn more about this field of study. I'm specifically interested in orthopedic surgery because I'm a gymnast and I'm always injured and I'm constantly seeing my orthopedic doctor, so that specific area interests me a lot."
"I never really decided whether I wanted to pursue a STEM or humanities career, but this club helped me realize there are more options for careers in medicine than just simply being a doctor," said Gummuluru. “I think psychology is really interesting. I've had that interest for a while. Cancer Kids First has shown me that you have to think about how everyone's feeling, how the patients are feeling. It's not just the sickness. You also have to care for their mental and physical wellbeing in general."
"I've always had an interest in medicine, honestly, ever since I was a kid," said Tran. "Growing up, I've had family members who won their battle with cancer. Seeing their experiences in the hospital environment inspired me to pursue a career in medicine."
And that devotion to health care married perfectly with the enjoyment Katie experiences working with kids.
"I'm a swim instructor. I like teaching kids," she said. "I see kids as the future of our world, so I've always wanted to be a pediatric doctor. Then after starting Cancer Kids First Westwood, I narrowed my potential career prospects to pediatric oncology. Growing up is difficult, even more difficult when you’re a pediatric patient and you have to grow up in a hospital environment. That’s why I’m so dedicated to making an impact on the lives of pediatric cancer patients."
The success and popularity of the club has permeated the hallways and piqued the interest not only of students, but also other teachers.
"One of the world language teachers approached me to discuss the possibility of incorporating more service-learning into her curriculum," said Daly. "She was talking about perhaps card-writing in different languages, not only with members of Cancer Kids First, but with all the students. Together we came up with this idea of sending those cards in Spanish, French, Mandarin, you name it, to all of these different hospitals in different countries. That's something we're really excited about."
Not bad when you consider how this mission began. Next time you see your kids on Tik Tok, just remember they may be inspired to start a club that can change the world, and their lives, for the better. You just never know.
By Tom Leyden
Photos By: Rick Bern Photography
The Moehring home, naturally, is a welcoming spot. As we step through the front door, our Westwood Living production team is greeted by three generations and almost instantly, you can sense the role each person plays in the family dynamic.
Nalinee Dewaraja is a hands-on grandmother, heavily involved with day-to-day operations. In this moment, she has her arms protectively wrapped over the shoulders of her eight-year-old grandson, Lee, reminding him to say hello and shake hands. There is a pure connection and comfort between the two.
Marquis Moehring enters the foyer, calmly introducing himself with confidence. It's immediately evident by his controlled, confident nature Marquis is intelligent and that assumption is proven in short order as we learn he's a vice president at Liberty Mutual Insurance, and an actuary – an analyst of risk and uncertainty by trade.
Seconds later, six-year-old Lily prances down the front stairs, her hair styled beautifully with a pink barrette as she wears a floral dress - ready for the big photo shoot.
Questions. There are many questions. What are you holding? Can I see that camera? Can I look through the lens? Why are you taking our picture? Who's going to see this picture? Why do you print a magazine? Who sees the magazine? Will I see the magazine? When are we having our picture taken?
"Lee was diagnosed to be on the autism spectrum when we were living in Natick,” said Asanka Moehring, the driving force in this family unit, an energetic and engaging professional who earned her master’s and PhD degrees in Bioengineering from the University of Washington in Seattle.
"We settled in Natick because the Grants, the one family we knew in Massachusetts, lived there," said Asanka. "Sadly, it was a struggle to get Lee the services he needed at the Natick integrated preschool."
The move to Natick was short-lived once the Moehrings realized the Westwood school system would be a much better match for their needs.
In the years since, the Moehrings have set down roots within earshot of Sheehan Elementary's playground, engaging in meaningful community service and positively affecting the special needs programs within the school system and beyond. While Lee and Lily both benefit from a program that's been cultivated over time, they also benefit from the focused dedication of their mother, who wants nothing more than to make things better for Westwood's neurodiverse community.
Asanka was born in Sri Lanka and lived there until the Dewaraja family moved to Australia in 1996. Her father, Anura Dewaraja, who still spends a great deal of time in Sri Lanka, is a retired science teacher who continues to teach his grandkids both in-person and on Zoom.
“Lee and Lily love doing science with my dad," said Asanka. “This summer they made rock candy and grew butterflies. He even taught Lily how to read Sinhala, our native tongue. The summer before that I helped facilitate a series of zoom sessions where he taught them about force and motion using a combination of readings and hands-on activities."
Education has always been the top priority in the Dewaraja household.
The Dewaraja’s journey around the globe has been fascinating. After nearly three years in Melbourne, the family moved to Washington in 1999 and spent almost two decades in Seattle, where Asanka’s beloved uncle, Neil, has lived for nearly 30 years. Asanka met Marquis while attending Highland Community College, before she transferred to the University of Washington. Over the course of many years, Asanka earned her PhD and ultimately married Marquis.
In 2018, Marquis assumed a new responsibility at Liberty Mutual’s home office in the Boston area, necessitating another major move, this time with two young children in tow.
"We traveled east to scope out the best schools in Boston with Marquis' mom, Karin, and we spent about two weeks in an Airbnb in Brookline," said Asanka. "It was just really, really busy and Lee would just take off every time he saw a firetruck, a bus or a garbage truck. At this point, we didn’t know he was autistic, and I just didn't feel I could keep him safe - and Lily was only two at the time."
"We were working with Dr. Alexis Kovacs, a psychologist who diagnosed Lee with ADHD," said Asanka. "She hinted that Lee would be a great match for the STAR program at Sheehan. I wanted Lily to go to the same school and I didn't want to have to apply for it every year, so I wanted their 'home' school to be Sheehan. We sort of restricted ourselves to the Sheehan district, and it took us over nine months to find our forever home in Westwood."
Rearing two neurodiverse children has changed both Asanka and Marquis, for the better.
"It forces me to be more patient and thoughtful," said Marquis. "There are all these patterns I expected to be part of parenting and those are not available. I don't know a better way to describe it. It makes you more patient and It forces you to be more thoughtful. I mean, you could choose to not be, but it doesn't make anything any better."
Once the Moehrings were settled in Westwood, Asanka entrenched herself in SEPAC. The Special Education Parental Advisory Council works closely with school district administrators, consistently fine-tuning the offerings made available to students and enhancing daily life through education and inclusion. Asanka also volunteers with the Sheehan PTA and helped organize Sheehan’s inaugural Cultural festival.
Outside of the classroom, Asanka has been instrumental in fostering a partnership with the Westwood Recreation Department to offer inclusive community programs designed with the neurodiverse community in mind. This effort is both rewarding and time-consuming for everyone involved - a massive team effort.
Richard Adams, the Westwood Recreation Director, along with his entire staff, has taken great strides, hand-in-hand with Asanka, to offer new inclusive recreation programming. There are many challenges associated with the effort, most notably the challenge of training, managing and funding the extra staff necessary to effectively roll-out inclusive programs.
"At the beginning of 2021, Asanka approached the Recreation Department with the idea of developing recreational programming designed to be inclusive of neurodiverse children," said Richard. "Asanka explained that this type of programming does not currently exist in Westwood. As a result, she and other parents typically drive out to surrounding communities, often paying very high fees just so their neurodiverse children can attend recreational programs offered by private companies."
"I wanted to help create inclusive, affordable community programming in Westwood," said Asanka. "I took the concept to the Recreation Department and the entire team was immediately on board, with Rich telling me he had always wanted to offer inclusive programming. Lucky for us, Westwood has The Foundation for Westwood Education – such a great organization. We hoped they could help and I spent a lot of time brainstorming with my good friend, Megan Brenk, during our morning walks. At the same time, I spent many hours working with Principal Evans and Jessica Drohan, our Board Certified Behavioral Analyst, to develop the framework for a pilot study."
"Asanka Moehring embodies the true meaning of inclusivity," said Kristen Evans, the principal at Sheehan Elementary. "Her energy and positive approach to ensuring all families feel welcomed and a sense of belonging in our school community is above all."
"Asanka is the kind of person that creates connections everywhere she goes," said Drohan.
"Her passion to help bring families together in the Westwood community has been the driving force of the inclusive projects. It's exciting to see her vision come to life and create much-needed inclusive and accessible options for Westwood."
Sue Kagan, a dear friend of Asanka’s and a lifetime advocate for inclusive community programming, helped write the grant request to the Foundation for Westwood Education, a plea that successfully led to the funding of a pilot program and the team of behavioral experts that were hired to help run it.
"The two primary goals of developing this series of programs, which we dubbed iSTEAM, was for it to be local and more affordable for Westwood families than what’s already out there," said Adams.
"Naturally, we saw the benefits to offering such programming and I promptly began working with Asanka to learn more about neurodiversity, her ideas and identifying requirements and hurdles we had to overcome to make this programming possible. Asanka brought her expertise and vast number of contacts to the table. She also helped us obtain a grant from the Foundation for Westwood Education to fund our pilot program and the team of behavioral experts that we hired to help run it."
"In recreation programs, the main focus is 'play,' so we wanted something that was just 'play' and would get kids together, and have them play together," said Asanka.
In January 2022, the first program designed with inclusivity in mind was launched. The program was called "Friends Connect," and aimed to bring neurodiverse and neurotypical peers together to build LEGOs.
"We ran back-to-back playgroups for two age groups," said Asanka. "One was for kids six to eight-years-old, the other was for kids eight to ten-years-old and we received so much interest, we ended up running a lottery to select sixteen kids in total, four neurodiverse and four neurotypical kids for each group."
The STEM-based LEGO program was held across six Wednesday afternoons at Wentworth Hall in Islington. Primarily for health and safety reasons, parents did not accompany their children into the room, which initially presented some challenges for the staff as they got to know each individual.
"A lot of times, with neurodiverse kids, they need some freeing," said Asanka. "You have to tell them exactly what's going to happen because they have a lot of anxiety around things that are different - any kind of transition."
The children were teamed up, one neurodiverse and one neurotypical, with a friendship guide who completed the specialized training also included. The main focus of the exercise was self-advocacy and problem solving, with a belief that if children mastered those two skills, they could form relationships with each other more easily.
"The whole idea was they had to talk to each other," said Asanka. "One was the engineer and one was the builder. Before we began they completed a 'Buddy Sheet," that detailed what they liked and didn't like. 'If you come too close to me, that makes me feel uncomfortable,' - things like that. So each buddy knew a little bit about the other before they began the project. A large part of this is teaching neurotypical children how best to interact with and communicate with neurodiverse children. Inevitably, that enhances their problem solving and self-advocacy skills."
The Westwood Recreation department immediately integrated many of the success from the pilot program to enhance the 2022 summer camps, which hosted approximately 250 children every week, a combination of neurodiverse and neurotypical. Gillian Nolan, a dedicated employee of the Westwood school district who is pursuing her masters in Special Education at Lesley College, was added to the staff at Westwood recreation as a behavioral specialist and proved to be incredibly valuable. The process is evolutionary. Not every step is simple. Each bend in the road presents a new challenge, but these are positive steps forward.
With the successful completion of the pilot programs, lessons were learned and it was clear a focus on training and development is a key to long-term success. Staffing an inclusive program is much more challenging than staffing a typical recreation program. Hours of training and unique skill sets are involved, and more instructors are needed.
With that in mind, Asanka once again helped secure funding from The Foundation for Westwood Education to further develop the initiative.
"In Phase 2, we will be designing a comprehensive in-house training program to develop the specialized skills staff members need to work in inclusive programming," said Rich. "It is our goal to offer the first training program in the first half of 2023."
"Rich is interested in making sure this can be done sustainably year after year," said Asanka. "The Recreation Department regularly uses high schoolers as camp counselors all summer long. So we think if we come up with a volunteer program where we take in high schoolers and also college kids from around town, we can support them with our professional team already in place. We figure about 40 hours of training is plenty, with most of it being on-the-job training and the rest of it being workshops and informational sessions."
While Asanka juggles her professional responsibilities which includes coast-to-coast travel, as a Research and Development Engineer at Westwood Doppler, her passion for inclusivity and advocacy and her commitment to her family, she freely admits it's her mother, Nalinee, who keeps the Moehring crew connected and operating smoothly on a daily basis.
"She feeds us, and I don't mean peanut butter and jelly," said Asanka. "She prepares chef quality food, you know? She puts out healthy, three course meals every day for us - breakfast, lunch and dinner. She helps with the kids, pretty much everything. Laundry, getting the house cleared up. Marquis works full-time upstairs and I'm working, so having her here is such a blessing and we're fortunate."
"Oh, I'm happy to do those things for my grandchildren, helping all the time because Asanka's otherwise struggling and they don't get a proper meal," said Nalinee. "So I help her as she runs her life - doing the housework and all these things."
The most beautiful aspect of the dynamic is Nalinee's undying love for her family. She does not see her grandchildren as "different." They are from her blood, and they are a gift. It's clear she views her role in the day-to-day as a privilege.
“My parents unconditional support for my many pursuits is my ace in the hole. They have always encouraged me to do what's necessary and supported me every step of the way, sacrificing without complaint or regret. I strive to follow in their footsteps and do the same for my children” said Asanka.
What's next and how can you become involved? The first step is engagement. Like Lee and Lily, ask tons of questions. Contact Asanka and see how you might be a fit moving forward. It takes a village.
"Our professional staffers have all told me that when they were going through school, opportunities where they got to work with kids were rare but important to their personal and professional development," said Asanka. "So, we figure if we use our team of behavior specialists to develop and execute a training program, we can reach out to schools and say, 'Hey, would your students like to gain experience working in inclusive recreational programming? Would you advertise for us? A lot of time high schoolers and even undergraduates are reluctant to work as staff in inclusive programs because they don't know what to expect or how to work with neurodiverse individuals. But if there is professional staff willing and able to mentor them throughout the process, we eliminate that hesitation. This way the staff can have a positive experience and so can the children. We're on the right track, but we've really just begun."
With a leader like Asanka at the helm, the journey is worth the commitment.
You can contact Asanka Moehring at asanka.dewaraja@icloud.com or by calling (206) 979 5606. For more information on the Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC), visit westwoodsepac.org
By Tom Leyden
Photos By: Rick Bern Photography
“There’s a lot of songs about falling in love. There’s not a lot of songs about staying in love.”
Lounging in a worn, tan leather chair, back-lit by sunbeams shining through a sliding glass door to his living room, Chris Trapper effortlessly captures the essence of commitment in a sentence. The poetic observation rolls off the tongue as his wife, Hania, sits across the room nodding in agreement.
As we chat about life and love and the challenges related to both, Chris reflects back more than a decade, when a personal experience inspired him to write and record one of his most touching and powerful ballads. He was a husband caught off guard by what he encountered in a hospital room.
“Hania caught a very bad case of pneumonia and was hospitalized with it,” said Chris. “I went to see her. Here she is, this young woman, 36-37 at the time, and there were all these tubes attached to her. That’s where the song, ‘Skin’ came from.”
---
You and I know how to weather the weather, even though we have holes in our shoes.
But still we learned that you never say never, you were covered in tubes in a hospital bed
I said, “I will love you still.”
---
Skin is one of hundreds of songs written and recorded by Chris, a Westwood resident and accomplished solo artist whose music has been featured on movie soundtracks (The Devil Wears Prada and There’s Something About Mary) and television shows (Malcolm in the Middle and E.R.). It’s also been streamed by millions worldwide. While many of his tunes resonate, it’s Skin that uniquely hits home.
“I’ve played it at lots of weddings, as a surprise guest,” said Chris. “It’s been many couples’ first dance, people seem to relate to the theme.”
Connecting so personally with an audience begins with a characteristic, unique to Chris, that sometimes makes Hania cringe.
“He’ll ask questions most people wouldn’t ask somebody,” said Hania. “I’ll say, ‘You can’t ask that person that.’”
"Just did!" interjects Chris.
They both explode in laughter. Finishing each other's thoughts and playfully interacting comes with 20 years of marriage.
“But I love to hear people’s real stories," said Chris. "Not just what they do for work.”
“He’s always listening to people and learning about them and in many of his songs I can hear the different details he’s told me about people he’s met,” said Hania. “I think that has something to do with how the inspiration happens.”
When the inspiration sticks, typically a powerful piece of art is born, delivered acoustically on stage – guitar and voice. The poetic and magnetic songwriting inspires some of the world’s most talented musicians.
“I watched him go from nothing to being signed by Capital Records. I watched that whole progression,” said Hania. “He had to really build himself from scratch and that was hard, but he did it. And then all of these very successful artists started recognizing him as an amazing songwriter, like Rob Thomas and Colin Hay, and these people were like, ‘Come on tour with me and write with me.’”
Thomas, a solo artist who also fronted Matchbox Twenty, has won three Grammy awards. Hay, the lead singer for Men At Work, remains active as a performer and is known and admired for his storytelling in song and on stage.
Chris most recently spent the summer on separate tours, opening for Pat Benatar, Sammy Hagar and George Thorogood – a standard travel and performance schedule for the father of two boys, Sami and Faris, who both attend Westwood High.
The way Chris performed on stage always impressed Hania, but music wasn’t the top draw as she was getting to know her future husband.
“To be honest, it wasn’t, no,” said Hania. “Our groups of friends started hanging out often and we just kept getting drawn to each other within the group of friends. There was more of a connection between him and I. That kind of happened slowly, that friendship built and we ended up becoming close, slowly over time. I think we were dating for six months before we said, ‘Are we dating?’”
During that courtship, both Chris and Hania learned more about each other’s independent spirit, creativity and drive. Chris isn’t the only artist in this relationship.
Hania Khuri was reared in the 0-2-0-9-0, graduating from Westwood High School in 1989. Four years later, her studies at Syracuse complete, she began a career in graphic design.
“I worked at a design firm in the South End in Boston for 10 years,” said Hania. “I ultimately became a senior designer. It took a long time and it was a hard road for me, but when I became a senior designer, I decided I wanted to go on my own. Chris supported that shift from stability, like healthcare and benefits to the unknown.”
As the independent owner of Khuri Design, Hania enjoyed success, working with notable institutional and large non-profit clients including Harvard University and The Ireland Funds, to the hospitality industry including Chiara Bistro, Heritage of Sherborn, Sorellina, Mooo Restaurant and The Inn at Hastings Park. And she has even donated her design talents to brand Westwood organizations such as the Westwood Food Pantry, Westwood Environmental Action Committee, Westwood Council on Aging and Inclusive Westwood.
The design business continued to grow, and Hania felt an urge to pursue something equally fulfilling.
“I went to yoga teacher-training to deepen my practice and learn more. But, once you learn all these healing tools, you’re so motivated to share them. At first I started teaching in towns where nobody knew me. I figured I’d give it a year or two and see what happened.”
Chris chuckled recalling the moments of doubt, two independent spirits pursuing separate passions… together.
“I was at Hania’s first class she ever taught,” said Chris. “There were what, two people in class? Then, think about it, last year she was asked to be a lead presenter at Gillette Stadium for ‘Yoga Reaches Out,’ and there were how many people? Like 750-800.”
“It kind of gives you a little confidence that your decision was right,” said Hania.
That decision to ‘follow your heart,’ made by both Chris and Hania, was fueled by the assurance their soulmate’s heart was along for the ride.
“Chris would write for film and TV,” said Hania. “When Sami was born, I remember having a c-section and being in the hospital for five days. Chris walked in and told me he had an offer to be in a film in San Francisco, like… tomorrow! I just said, ‘Go. You have to do it, you know? I’m fine. I’m fine.’”
That film, August Rush, featured a soundtrack that was nominated for a Grammy in 2009, including Chris' song This Time.
---
I say I’ll wait for you to put your fake teeth in
You say you’ll wait for me to spray on my hair
You’ll still steal my heart when there’s no body to reach in
I’ll be kissing you when you take your last gasp of air
‘Cuz I will still be there. I will still be there.
If you break in two, or turn into a skeleton I’ll give you my skin.
---
Hania had watched Chris grow from obscurity to fame, supporting him every step of the way through an unpredictably thrilling course of ups and downs. His music became more popular, his calendar more crammed and as kids entered the picture, the Trappers considered where to set roots.
“I was petrified to move to the suburbs,” said Chris. “I thought… move to Westwood, start wearing khaki pants, start playing golf. I thought it would be drastic change and my career could never sustain being a suburban dad.”
It ended up working out fine, with Chris able to maintain his rock and roll wardrobe and atypical lifestyle while Hania reconnected with the town where she grew up.
“When I came back to Westwood I saw it through very different eyes,” said Hania. “I love what I see now. I love that it’s a little more diverse than when I was growing up, because I was probably one of the only ethnic people growing up here. Now I feel like it’s a little more diverse and the community’s very loving and supportive of each other.”
That doesn’t mean this unique couple doesn’t get some interesting questions.
“People always ask me, ‘How do you live?’” said Hania. “I just tell them he’s a touring singer / songwriter who writes songs not just for his own career, but for other artists, films and TV. We may be unique here in Westwood, but when we visit our friends in Los Angeles, we feel like boring suburban people.”
When the pandemic struck in 2020, Hania adapted and found new ways to reach her yoga audience, understanding peace-of-mind and tranquility were obscured by the anxiety and uncertainty quarantine and social distancing presented.
“I remember thinking, this is a time that people need yoga the most,” said Hania. “How can we not have yoga for people, because that’s why yoga’s there, for people when they need to heal, you know?”
Hania started recording virtual classes and making them available online. She also began sharing her weekly inspirational messages with her students by email. As time passed, the collection grew and there was enough for her to publish a book.
"Rest & Return – Weekly Reminders to Pause, Reflect and Just Be" was published in 2021, a 122-page collection of photos, reflections, poetry, and accessible techniques of yoga, breathing, meditations, and journaling. Edited by Sarada Peri, a Senior Speechwriter for President Barack Obama, Rest & Return reminds the reader, “We are all just walking each other home.”
“It became a healing tool for anyone going through struggles or anyone who just needed a reminder to find compassion for themselves and to seek moments of peace in their day.” said Hania. “People would reach out and ask me to sign books for multiple friends each going through different life challenges. It’s the ultimate happiness to feel like your work is helping others.”
The pendulum had swung. Hania’s focus was shifting primarily to mindfulness and wellness, rooted in the deep wisdom of yogic and Buddhist traditions. Since publishing Rest & Return, Hania has been asked to present and speak at multiple companies and conferences where accessible tools to manage stress and promote wellness are becoming more of a critical need in the workplace.
Meanwhile, Chris continues to build his network, working with artists he’s admired for decades.
“Opening for Pat Benatar this summer was amazing” said Chris “When she entered my musical consciousness, I was in high school when rock and roll meant everything, and she was one of the biggest stars in the world, so just meeting her for the first time was very surreal. I try and always have decorum though, and I’m invited to be there, so it’s not like a subordinate role, but it’s very surreal sometimes and I’ve had lots of those cool moments with all different kinds of performers, luckily.”
The harder you work, the luckier you get. If you’re committed to a passion, that commitment is typically rewarded, but it takes teamwork to truly make it work. The Trappers are a team, pursuing separate passions, together.
---
You know you have the most beautiful body
I hate to remind you, but someday you won’t
You’ll be 85 at changing time and I’ll still sneak a peek in
Can’t wait to see the face you make over the hill
‘Cuz I will love you still. I will love you still.
By Tom Leyden
Photos By: Rick Bern Photography
There’s a buzz of excitement in the air. The Westwood Living cover shoot team has just walked through the front door and the infusion of people and equipment overwhelms Chad Brodsky’s three-year-old daughter. Understandably, a collection of strangers with strange things, camera equipment and lights, has caught his adorable toddler, Ayla, off guard.
As we wait for Chad’s wife, Liana, to arrive, Chad seizes control of the situation, welcoming us to his Westwood home while comforting and rallying Ayla. Chad is clearly comfortable in his role as “Dad,” and you immediately get a sense for the strong connection between father and daughter.
After introducing ourselves and meeting Oliver, the Brodsky family dog, we immediately get to work, with Rick Bern coaching Chad and Ayla through a series of shots, an experience worth absorbing as many moving parts converge to create a lasting image.
Chad’s strong commitment to fatherhood and family is no accident. His personal experience with loss has assured a prioritization of relationships.
---
“I was a junior in high school. It was a couple of days before the PSATs,” said Chad. “My dad had Type 2 diabetes and he suffered a brain aneurysm. That was it. You see him one day and then he’s gone the next.”
The sudden loss of Chad’s father, Bert, rocked the Brodsky family. When the aneurysm struck, Chad’s mom, Adrienne, was already fighting ovarian cancer. Losing Dad was the last thing Chad and his older brother expected, and the pain wasn’t over.
While they mourned the loss, Adrienne’s cancer went into remission. Chad re-focused, graduated from high school and enrolled at the University of Vermont. Just as he was getting settled in Burlington in the fall of 2005, more bad news came from his home in Long Island, NY – Adrienne’s condition had worsened.
“I left UVM the next day and returned home to be with my mom,” said Chad. “I was with her for about a month before she succumbed to cancer’s viciousness.” said Chad.
Adrienne passed away, leaving two sons and a legacy of love. Chad and his brother were faced with the unthinkable – forging ahead without their parents. In Chad’s case, he was only an 18-year-old college freshman with a whole world of opportunity ahead of him. Of course, he was shaped by this misfortunate, but he refused to be defined by such significant loss.
“From what Chad’s told me, since this happened when he was a young adult, he blocked out a lot of the trauma,” said his wife, Liana. “If you ask Chad details of what happened in that time, he won’t remember. I think that was his coping mechanism.”
“But it made me see an obstacle and say, ‘I can overcome this,’” said Chad. “It’s just a ‘grow or die’ kind of thing. That’s such a part of my psyche. Mom always said, ‘It never hurts to ask a question,’ and those are the kind of words that have created this drive and mentality in my life.”
After his junior year, Chad decided to stay in Burlington, while most of his friends went home for the summer. In the midst of a recession, a finance internship was nowhere to be found.
“I had just come back from studying abroad in Vienna, doing Oktoberfest, and Burlington had a ton of breweries,” said Chad. “The craft beer scene was insane. I had taken beer-making as an elective at UVM, so I decided to start a business around beer. I bought a van from a minister in New Hampshire, I took my German Lederhosen and started hitting the streets of Burlington to spread the word about my new company, Burlington Brew Tours.”
The birth of Burlington Brew Tours provided great insight into how Chad reacts when faced with a challenge or obstacle.
“If I see a problem that I’m facing, whether it’s people drinking and driving, trying to meet new people in a new city, or something else,” said Chad. “I ask myself, how do I overcome that problem? It’s my first instinct to see if there is a need for a business to address the issue.”
Meanwhile, in Newton, Liana was progressing through her own journey, collecting both undergraduate and graduate degrees in early childhood education from Lesley University in Cambridge.
“I was very involved in the Jewish community,” said Liana. “I ended up working in the Jewish community, where I still work today in leadership training and development for rising Jewish executives and educators.”
By 2014, Chad’s business had expanded to Boston and he relocated to Massachusetts. With the expansion to a second city, Burlington Brew Tours became City Brew Tours.
As he got used to his new surroundings in East Boston, Chad searched Facebook trying to figure out where he could meet people. He found a social event listed – “Gin and Jews.” Since his Jewish heritage was so important to him, his interest was piqued.
“I helped my friends who had started this thing called ‘Gin and Jews,’ where once a month they’d get together – just a bunch of Jews in a bar,” said Liana. “About 200 people would come sometimes and just hang out. So I was there one night and Chad walked in. He’s about 6’2”, so I said, ‘This guy’s at the wrong event. He’s tall!’”
Both Chad and Liana laughed at recalling how fortuitous their meeting was and how quickly they bonded.
“We were immediately serious, by our second date,” said Liana
“I knew I wanted to raise my children Jewish,” said Chad. “This was really important to me. My parents would have loved anyone I loved, but I knew they would have been very happy for me to have a Jewish spouse and to pass our traditions on to my children.”
Not only was Liana a perfect match, she was sucked into Chad’s business, at least a little.
“She’s not a huge beer fan, but I knew she would become my sounding board.” said Chad.
“I love the organizational leadership piece– people management. I’m super interested in organizational psychology,” said Liana. “And I said, ‘Chad, you can’t do this by yourself,’ and that’s when he hired his first employee.”
“She did the interview,” said Chad.
“I don’t think she knew I was your girlfriend,” laughed Liana
“Liana probably had the best insight,” Chad admitted.
In 2017, Chad and Liana got married at Camp Kinder Ring, the camp in New York where Chad spent so many formulative teenage years. It was also his mom’s favorite place. They lived in Newton as the City Brew Tours business boomed, expanding as a franchise to many cities in the U.S. and Canada, spanning from Portland OR to Montreal to Charlotte.
When the pandemic struck, the tour business was shut down across the country, forcing Chad to “address the issue” yet again, which led to a series of virtual experiences that remain a part of his repertoire. Celebrating holidays was always a staple in the Brodsky house, so his first idea was to introduce a new brand called Brewvana, highlighted by his “Hoppy Hannukah” Advent-style beer box, not to be outdone by “The Twelve Beers of Christmas.”
He later created a third brand, “Unboxed Experiences,” which brings live team-building events to a virtual space.
As the world re-opened and brew tours returned, the Brodskys began a search for a new home and decided to focus on Westwood.
“Newton is huge,” said Liana. “We wanted a smaller community. My background is in teaching, so that’s a really big thing for me. The schools in Westwood are amazing. It’s not too far from my parents’ house in Newton. It was the ideal town, but we weren’t sure we’d find a house and then we got very, very lucky.”
“I love walking and supporting the local businesses,” said Chad. “At our Newton home, we couldn’t really walk anywhere. Now every Saturday we have a Daddy/Daughter breakfast at The Toast Office.”
“My daughter will get the chance to attend the new school that’s being built,” said Liana. “I’m really excited to have her in this awesome school and to meet families there. I’m very social. I want to meet everyone. That’s why I joined the Westwood Young Women’s Club. I want to meet other families, especially other moms – being able to connect with other young parents. That’s what I love.”
Perseverance. Family. Culture. Religion. Tradition. Community – words that define the Brodskys as they continue their own personal tour through life.
By Tom Leyden
Photos By: Rick Bern Photography
How did it all start?
Only five words, but a huge question surrounding the journey of Domenic Esposito, a sculptor and longtime Westwood resident who made national headlines in 2018 thanks to his powerful works of art – and the message behind them.
We'll get to the headlines, but first, the impetus.
Esposito is a parishioner at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church. In 2017, he was approached by Fr. Stephen Linehan and asked to address the congregation about the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. Linehan frequently called on his parishioners to personalize the appeal and Esposito did some homework before making his fundraising pitch.
“I looked up all these services the Archdiocese offers,” said Esposito. “One was the recovery service Fr. Joe White offers in the west end in Boston. I'd heard about it.”
Domenic had heard about Fr. Joe’s program because he had tried to get his brother, Danny, admitted. Danny has battled substance use disorder for more than a decade and the fight is personal to the Esposito family. During his pitch, Domenic conveyed that personal connection to the congregation.
“After the speech, we had coffee and doughnuts in the church basement,” said Esposito. “I got to meet some of the parishioners and I was hearing things like, ‘You know, my son or daughter is dealing with the same thing,’ or ‘My grandson - he's been living in this sober home.’
“I didn’t realize it was such a widespread problem, even in a suburban town like Westwood,” said Esposito. “That got me thinking about how I can use my art to be a voice – to get help! I had people at the church telling me they had to pay for their grandson’s recovery and trust me, this is expensive. You can’t write a $200,000 check and say, ‘Go save my grandson’s life.’ It doesn’t work that way. It’s a very long process. So, that got me this anger.”
Through the anger came great inspiration. Domenic, who spent decades in finance, now dedicated his life to creating disruptive art. That dedication gave birth to The Opioid Spoon Project.
“As an artist, I think in a lot of what you do, 90% of it is the idea,” said Esposito. “10% is the execution, but 90% is the idea. So that was, to me, the big revelation. This is prevalent. I'm not the only one. Something needs to happen. I've always been intrigued with guerrilla art. We needed to get people’s attention.”
After months of research, labor and effort, Esposito ultimately made an enormous splash on June 22, 2018, placing a giant opioid spoon sculpture, 800 pounds in weight, outside the headquarters of Purdue Pharma in Stamford, CT. Among those on hand was a crew from The New York Times.
“They ran it like an art article,” said Esposito. “It was a great review with photos and everything but it was the Associated Press that really made it take off nationally.
“We had already dropped the spoon. The gallery owner was arrested,” said Esposito. “The police impounded the spoon, there were about 10 police cars and 20 police officers there. The whole street was closed down. It was crazy mayhem. And then my phone rings.
“It was someone from the Associated Press who wanted to ask me a few questions. I was like, ‘Uh, we’re kind of in the middle of a protest, but go ahead.’ The answers to those questions made it out, word-for-word, across the country – USA Today, The LA Times, everybody picked it up and we were the top news article on Google. I had an old boss in California call me and say, ‘You’re the top story on Google, what the hell are you doing?”
And that’s how it happens.
Since that wild day, Esposito has “dropped spoons” at many other locations – Rhodes Technologies in Coventry, Rhode Island, the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington D.C., the headquarters of Johnson and Johnson among others – each sculpture featuring a unique branding on the spoon’s base.
“Here I am, this spokesman for this stuff, and I used to say, ‘Am I really a spokesman?’ But you really do evolve into it, you know what I mean? You realize, ‘Wait, I know a lot about this. I’ve been dealing with this for 12 years with my brother.’ There’s a certain expertise that comes with knowledge. It’s the survival skills. That’s what I was bringing to the table - the survival skills from my brother and my family.”
THE ARTIST
Sitting in Domenic’s studio at his home in Westwood, surrounded by incredibly powerful sculptures and paintings capturing the essence of loneliness that accompanies addiction, we talk about his artistic background and the unique juxtaposition between his successful financial career and his pursuit of artwork as a full-time commitment.
“There was no serious game plan,” said Esposito. “I started taking a lot of welding classes. The guy who taught those classes happened to be a sculptor and so I just got involved. I loved it – the sense of the heat, welding things. This was eight years ago. Remember, I was still in finance, so I would rush out of work to do this stuff.”
His background in finance, as it turns out, opened some unexpected doors to the art world.
“When you’re in finance you spend time in some fancy hotels and I would pay attention to how the drapes look with the bed, how colors come together,” said Esposito. “I always loved design and that was like an art to me. I also took a lot of photography classes at Northeastern. There was never a game plan, but one thing led to another. I bought my own welding machine. I just kept taking more and more classes – Mass College of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, sketching, I did residencies. It became a part of who I am.”
While there may not have been a game plan, there was a firm list of goals Esposito looked to achieve over a five-year period once he made his choice – art over finance.
“I’m the type of person when I say I’m going to do something, I’m not going to do it 20%, 30%,” said Esposito. “It’s 100 or nothing. I dropped everything, even finance, and focused on art as my career.”
THE NEXT VISION
The Opioid Spoon Project has become a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to raising awareness about the nation’s rabid opioid epidemic. In 2021, more than 100,000 people died of an overdose and more than 80,000 of those deaths were due to opioids.
“I didn’t realize that the opioid issue was so big until I got involved in a Westwood High School organization,” said Helen Coates, a Westwood resident and member of the Board of Directors at The Opioid Spoon Project. “I’ve known Domenic for about twenty years. Our kids went to school together. He suggested I watch a documentary called ‘Dopesick,’ which I did and I was completely mortified. After watching that, I jumped on board and said if there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”
While the organization maintains its commitment to change the staggering figures that continue to rise, Esposito is also focused on his next major vision, The Memorial Door Project.
Imagine, if you can, an enduring landmark memorial honoring those who battled substance use disorder. Think back to the late 80s and early 90s, when the famous AIDS Quilt left an indelible mark on the country, recognizing those we lost to a dreadful disease. That’s what Esposito wants The Memorial Door Project to be.
The memorial will showcase eight narrative bronze panels set in a large public sculpture. Each panel will depict a memory of a loved one enjoying the normalcy of his or her life pre-addiction. Ideally, the memorial will be showcased in a major city, its attention to detail and vivid depictions easily accessible to thousands, recalling the style of Renaissance artists who told stories through bronze doors, like those found at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
“I meet so many people and they tell me their story about their son or daughter,” said Esposito. “He was an athlete. He pitched and he loved baseball. Or they post a photo on social media about their trip to Disney and how memorable that was, or the kid getting the driver's license. The point is that there is always a story of normalcy in their mind. They didn't tell you about picking him up off ‘Mass and Cass.’ That’s not the story they're gonna tell you. For me, it was the stories of normalcy. How do I tell these stories?”
Esposito has already completed the first panel, a painstaking effort that took months of vision, sketching, planning, casting, molding and sculpting. He depicts a band, including a drummer who was later lost to opioids. The band is practicing in the drummer’s basement, rattling his mother’s china in the kitchen above with each pulsating beat.
“What I wouldn’t give to hear that china rattle again,” was the quote Esposito recalls from his conversation with the drummer’s mom.
From start to finish, a single bronze panel can take up to eight months to complete and cost thousands of dollars. His vision is costly, but the impact would be everlasting, a tribute to those who fight and those who love them.
“The idea is to have this become a national monument to the opioid crisis,” said Esposito. “So we're working on the pitch book right now, and going around to different cities and towns telling them about the project. We've been raising money. We have $27,000 in the coffers. The project is relatively expensive, so our hope is that we cover half of it and the city or town covers the other half and donates some space.”
If Domenic has learned anything, it’s that no journey is taken alone and working together makes the obstacles seem less daunting.
By Tom Leyden
Photos By: Rick Bern Photography
Diana Bezdedeanu describes herself as "very involved in Westwood." You may find the 2020 Westwood High School graduate behind the cash register at High Street Market, or you might see her working with Town Clerk Dottie Powers as she organizes and executes town elections.
"There are people I see at the voting polls who I sold a lottery ticket to the night before," said Diana. "I also help with my mom's floral business, so I am a familiar face around town."
When you meet Diana, the 20-year-old daughter of Andrei and Paula, she's immediately memorable.
Her magnetic conversational skills stand out, but you also can't help but notice her distinctive glasses.
Diana was born with cataracts, a condition that morphed into glaucoma in her early days, limiting her vision. She also dealt with chronic earaches and it was recently discovered she has permanent nerve-damage hearing loss in her right ear, which necessitates the use of a hearing aid,
"At the start of every school year, we'd have a meeting with my teachers, letting them know what accommodations I needed," said Diana. "Things like large-print worksheets and if they were writing on the whiteboard, I needed them to write in blue or black ink - no lime green or orange. At first, I was very against it. I didn't want any accommodations. I did not want to be ‘different’, but then I came to a point where I learned to embrace my adaptations."
Embracing adaptations has made Diana who she is and set her on a path to help others who might also benefit from learning with accomodations. Specifically, she is certified in Equine-Facilitated Learning and plans to put her life lessons to work to help others who might need a little extra support.
Diana made this decision shortly before indefinitely deferring her acceptance to Colorado State University.
"I know the norm is to graduate and go to college and that's why you take the challenging classes, the AP classes. They were not easy A's. I worked very hard. So a lot of people may say, 'Well that went to waste.' But not really. I went through a certification program. I'm required to take continuing education hours every year. I still think education is very important, I just believe that education has many different forms. There’s not one model that works for everyone.”
"Diana took a time where people were feeling defeated, during the pandemic, and pulled herself together and persevered to follow her passion," said Diana's mom, Paula. "She recognized that therapy doesn’t come to a halt because of a pandemic. In fact, services were in greater demand. She continued to educate herself through online courses and seminars, various volunteer opportunities and planning for her future business."
Diana was drawn to horses at a young age and learned to ride, but ultimately stepped away to spend more time with the Westwood Pop Warner program as a cheerleader.
"I got back into horses during my sophomore year of high school because I missed it," said Diana. "At that point, I was talking to somebody and they asked if I had ever heard of therapeutic horseback riding." And so began her volunteering at the BINA Farm Center.
"I have my own issues with anxiety," said Diana. "Volunteering at the barn helped alleviate some of that. High school is very stressful. I think Westwood, especially. I don't want to say there's an expectation to be perfect, but I kind of felt that way. You have to be 100% involved. You have to take AP classes. You have to be involved in a ton of extra-curricular activities. And I did that. I was heavily involved with Student Council for all four years - fundraising, planning events. It eventually takes a toll on you."
The opportunity to spend time with horses provided Diana a necessary comfort. During her last year at Westwood, she volunteered with Reinbow Therapy, LLC for her Senior Independent Project and connected with a valued mentor, Monica Wu, an occupational therapist utilizing horses in her sessions.
"Throughout the year, I did everything from helping out with the kids and horses in the OT sessions to email marketing and research. I got to learn about different aspects of the industry through Monica. When I volunteered, I didn't think about what else I had to do. I just left it all at the door of the barn."
During the summer of 2021, Diana's eyes were further opened when she worked at Victory Junction, a camp for chronically ill children in North Carolina.
"I was interacting with kids who had serious medical diagnoses such as sickle-cell disease or cancer, and making all sorts of adaptations for them to be able to work with the horses," said Diana. "Everything was adaptable for whatever condition they were dealing with. The seemingly impossible suddenly became possible.”
Most noteworthy was the discovery that people don't need to ride horses to feel connected with them. And wouldn't you know, that's where the story takes an interesting turn.
Diana's horse, Coffee, is an energetic off-the-track Thoroughbred drawn to people. Only four-years-old, Coffee can no longer be ridden after an x-ray revealed a condition known as "Kissing Spine," where vertebrae in her back are overlapping.
"I knew I could eventually incorporate her into working with my clients," said Diana. "They don't have to ride her. They can do anything with her as long as she's not in a saddle.”
Diana's helping people who need a unique form of therapy inspired by a four-year-old horse who needs a little therapy of her own. A match made in heaven.
"I want to work with anyone who feels they can benefit from coming to the barn," said Diana. "As a four-year-old, Coffee needs a job. And I've been doing everything I need to do to make that a reality for her and me. That's building the business infrastructure, getting the proper insurance and ultimately accepting clients. Coffee is currently acting as a companion pony for a therapy horse, keeping her calm in the ring.”
Diana's business, H.O.P.E. in MA, short for "Horses Offering People Education," is in the early stages of development and there's no question she is uniquely qualified to assist any number of people who might benefit from her expertise.
"Yes, I have low vision. Yes, I have a hearing aid," said Diana. "I have extensive experience working with people in therapeutic riding. Based on all of this experience, I am willing to work with people in whatever adaptation they need and I can comfortably have those discussions."
"The best thing that happened to Diana was being able to adopt her own heart horse," said Paula. "Not only was she helping Coffee have a new start in life, but she was also indirectly providing her own therapy through walks and grooming sessions with her heart horse. It's a beautiful bond that is only understood by seeing them together."
To learn more about Diana's vision, visit her website at www.hopeinma.com.
By Tom Leyden & Alex Ponte
Photos By: Rick Bern Photography
Sitting on a gorgeous natural rock formation in her backyard, Lisa Ponte shines effervescently in a bright pink dress, smiling from ear to ear. Her hair and nails are done. Her makeup is on point. She is perfectly put together, but is that really the case with any of us?
Lisa's life journey has been filled with highs and lows, ebbs and flows that ultimately define who she is and how she impacts the world. She traveled to the deepest valley and not only persevered, but was empowered to change the conversation and extend herself, personally, to save lives.
When Lisa was a teen, she was severely bullied by a group of kids in her school - the "Six Pack." The badgering was persistent and painful, damaging her self-worth and psyche. Each day, she went to school feeling humiliated, scared and hopeless. Lisa decided she didn't want to live anymore.
"I decided to end my life and attempt suicide," said Lisa. "Moments later, I had regrets. I grasped onto my closest friend, Amy, who saved my life. I was taken to the nearest hospital, where I was greeted by my confused parents. I witnessed my father hunched over and sobbing for the first time. I remember the woman guard who stayed in my room, staring at me until I was released, telling me, 'You are OK, Lisa. There is nothing seriously mentally wrong with you. You just need to be loved."
In the days and months following her suicide attempt, Lisa's life started shifting slowly in a new direction.
"I feel like my parents jumped in and started noticing things a little bit differently," said Lisa. "College was a big thing. Getting out of that town and starting fresh, meeting all new people who were super nice. I just started completely over - just scratched it off and started trying to become the person I wanted to become."
Lisa and her husband, Steve, are the parents of two girls, Alex and Kya. She is a Senior Marketing Coordinator at Meketa Investment Group, a recently certified Yoga instructor and small business owner who is positively affecting lives far and wide. Through LP Vibes, her passion project born in 2020, Lisa creates affirmation cards that motivate and inspire people each day.
Lisa practices gratitude and reminds herself to "Rise and Reset Your Mind Each Day." Because she's seen the darkness, she understands what it means to see the light, which is why mornings are particularly precious to her. Each sunrise allows her to evolve from the day before and embrace the light and calmness while focusing on a new beginning.
Alex, Lisa's oldest daughter, recently wrote about her mom's journey during her first year at Cal-Polytechnic State University.
Mom’s positive attitude and bright smile is, to everyone’s surprise, the result of years of pain and suffering. Her teen years were spent crying in the bathroom after being bullied in the school cafeteria, inevitably leading to a loss of her self-love and confidence. Her eyes began to swell and her voice choked, as she whispered to me once, “I went through the darkest day of my life during this time and a parent's worst nightmare. I felt so lonely that I decided I didn’t want to live anymore. I was young and didn’t realize the value of the one precious life I was given”
For the next twenty years, she continued to struggle. She felt embarrassed and shameful of her depression, had no resources to lean on and nobody to turn to for help. It wasn’t until seven years ago, when her mother-in-law, Paulette, gifted her a set of affirmation cards that she was inspired.
Mom explained, “When I received them, I had no idea what they were. Little did I know they would forever change my life.”
This unexpected act of kindness from her mother-in-law was the jumpstart that Mom needed. From this point on, she made it her mission to rediscover the love and happiness for herself that she deserved. Affirmation cards became a key tool as she strove to achieve this goal.
Lisa's passion blossomed from her own experiences. More discussion could have made a difference when she was struggling. Lisa points out there were no anti-bullying laws, little communication in her household about emotions, few resources regarding mental health and a lack of support in her school.
The full court press on mental health awareness is a family affair. Lisa's husband, Steve, works as a Service Director at Bay Cove Human Services, facilitating the needs of those struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues.
"There's a stigma attached to mental health and people who have dealt with it," said Steve. "Just bringing more awareness to it is important, letting people know they're not alone. They can get help and there's no shame in that. Whether it's a physical problem with your body or a psychological or mental problem with your brain, it's always good to work on those things and improve them over time."
---
EMOTIONS COME AND GO - Similar to the ocean tides, emotions drift in and out. Focus your energy on what makes you happy
---
Kya, who just finished eighth grade at Thurston Middle School, is Lisa and Steve's youngest daughter. She is also engrossed in mental health and takes steps every day to stay positive and help others.
"Mom has this thing we do every morning," said Kya. "We do twenty-second hugs. I love it. I always check up on my friends. I'm definitely more aware of that since Mom and I talk about mental health sometimes. I'm more knowledgeable about it now thanks to Mom. I feel really comfortable talking to my friends about it, too."
"“I don’t know if it's expertise, but I’m definitely concerned about it and aware about it and feel there has been times when we had to talk about difficult things that have happened and their feelings," said Lisa. "In the last few years, I sat my daughters down and explained everything I went through. It was especially important in that middle school time, when things start getting tough with friendships. I hope I helped them out in that aspect.”
More from Alex's essay:
It's evident Mom's business is about something much bigger than herself. You can almost see her heart widen and eyes light up as she shares her biggest goal of them all– to eventually grow the business enough to be able to donate a large portion of her proceeds to a suicide prevention charity. Her main mission is to spread positivity and happiness. She wants to be a light in people’s lives and a support system to individuals going through the same difficult times that she did.
The anecdotal proof of her impact is powerful. One of my friends had to take off the winter quarter at Cal Poly to seek help for her eating disorder. The deck of cards she received in the mail was the spark of hope that got her through her hardest week of treatment.
Another one of Mom's customers went through a heartbreak like no other. Eight years ago, she lost her fourteen year-old-daughter to suicide. She shared that Mom's cards are not only comforting as she still continues to grieve her daughter, but will also be inspiring to other young women facing the same struggles that her daughter did.
These messages are pure proof that Mom is impacting the world in ways bigger than one might see from the surface level. Her words are the motivation some individuals have lost, the support others are striving to find, and the love everyone deserves.
----
YOU ARE HUMAN - Mistakes are okay. Emotions are okay. Regrets are okay. Be gentle to yourself. After all, you are human.
---
It takes great courage to share such a personal story. For Lisa, witnessing the world around her gives her the strength necessary to extend herself so fully.
“It’s always been her ability and willingness to put herself out there,” said Steve when asked what most impresses him about his wife. “Whether it’s fundraising or talking about her past. A lot of people will hold back out of fear or embarrassment, but she puts herself out there which is really admirable.”
"Over the past few years, I realized how many people were suffering," said Lisa. "Depression rates climbed and therapists were hard to come by. Parents were struggling and so were their children.
"In order to fully heal, I decided to share my story. I do it with courage, confidence and without shame. I believe my purpose in life is to help others create positive energy and self-love. I hope my story helps other teens realize you do not have to feel shame. We are all human."
To learn more about Lisa's affirmation cards and how you can support her mission, visit www.lpvibes.com Lisa is outfitted by Sassy, a unique boutique in Westwood.
By: Tom Leyden
Like a skier navigating a slalom course, Westwood senior Kendall Blomquist weaves across the ice through a maze of humanity, eyes focused forward, legs operating at a speed unmatched by anyone nearby. There's a target on her back, yet no opponent slows her pace long enough to get a good look.
Kendall narrows her scope and snaps a blistering shot over the right shoulder of a frozen goaltender. It's a move she's polished through years of competition and perfected during countless battles with her siblings on the family’s backyard rink. For the Blomquists, a legacy of excellence dates back decades.
This June, Kendall will graduate, destined one day to join her father, Scott, in the Westwood High School Athletics Hall of Fame, immortalized for the many wins she's stacked up wearing green and white. Winning is a tradition in the Blomquist family, a hard-earned reward for the hours of dedication and discipline that has consequently maximized the genetically unique talent passed from one generation to the next.
For a pair of champion parents - Scott and Sheila - and their quartet of gifted children - Brian, Hannah, Kendall and Sean - the expectations discussed around the dinner table are loftier than most mortals dare to reach.
This tale of transcendence began In the mid-eighties, with Scott Blomquist etching his own Westwood legacy by leading the Wolverines hockey team to four straight Tri-Valley League titles and an undefeated regular season in 1988. He graduated as the school's single-season record holder in points, a mark since broken. In his senior yearbook, Scott wrote, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression," and as captain he never failed to impress, once scoring three short-handed goals in a single game.
Twenty miles away, in Belmont, Sheila Lyons blazed her own trail of dominance. The daughter of legendary Belmont coach Paul Lyons, Sheila was a multi-sport athlete, a part of Belmont High School's state soccer championship in 1984. Before playing basketball at Providence College, Sheila's final high school game paired the Marauders against Westwood in the 1985 state semifinal, a matchup the Wolverines won.
Who would have known, more than 30 years later, Sheila's children would star at the same school that squashed her own dreams of winning a second state title?
Scott and Sheila met at work following college, became great friends and ultimately tied the knot. Despite the lingering bad taste from losing to the Wolverines in her high school finale, Sheila agreed raising their family in Scott's hometown was a sound decision.
"We picked this town primarily because Scott grew up here," said Sheila. "He loved it here. To see our kids succeed in the same high school that Scott played in is special. We've always taught them to work as hard as they can and leave it all out there every time, whether it's a practice or a game. Eventually, things will start happening as long as you're giving it your all."
Brian, 20, is a sophomore at Clemson University. He captained the golf team at Westwood and was on the hockey team that won a TVL title in 2019.
"My dad's a Hall of Famer at Westwood and my mom played hoops in college, so I had some big shoes to fill," said Brian. "Being the oldest, I've always been able to support my younger siblings. When I come home from college, I'm always going to their games. It's been great growing up in such a supportive family."
Hannah, 19, is a freshman at Bentley University, a member of the Falcons storied field hockey program. She captained both the field hockey and ice hockey teams at Westwood, winning seven league championships along the way while eclipsing the 100-point mark in ice hockey (52 goals, 50 assists) - a Hall of Fame resume, for sure. Sadly, she missed out on making a legitimate run to the state field hockey final in 2020 due to the pandemic.
"I think something I love most about being in Westwood is the great culture," said Hannah. "There are so many connections. It seems every person I meet knows someone I know. I had no choice but to play sports and I could not thank my parents any more for that. We've always been an athletic family and having pressure, in a good way, to want to perform and want to get better has brought us closer together."
Kendall, 18, is the most decorated of the Blomquist family. She captained the field hockey and ice hockey teams and took home two state crowns in 2021 - the latest lacrosse championship for Westwood and the first-ever field hockey title in school history. On the ice, she scored 35 goals while leading the Wolverines to four Tri-Valley League championships over the course of her career.
Kendall signed a letter-of-intent to play field hockey at Holy Cross and will join the Crusaders program this summer.
"Personally, I"m very self-motivated, which helps out," said Kendall. "My parents always told us some of the best memories you ever create will come from playing high school sports, even better than college sports sometimes, because you're surrounded by the kids you grew up playing with.
"I think athletic success comes from good leadership and having a positive mindset. My senior year, we had already lost so much because of COVID, so we all knew we just had to put everything out there. Winning two state championships is definitely something special to me and my family. Most people don't get an opportunity to do that. I'm very appreciative, and super excited for lacrosse."
The Blomquist caboose is Sean, a 15-year-old freshman who played golf, hockey and baseball this school year. He's well aware of the footsteps he's following.
"There's a lot of pressure because all of my siblings played," said Sean. "I think it has prepared me. When we used to skate on the backyard rink there would be a lot of fights and a lot of arguments because none of us like to lose. That made me a more competitive person growing up in this family."
Living in a familiar hometown, regularly playing in front of Scott's parents, Bonnie and Dave, while adding to the Blomquist legacy of success - it's been a perfect recipe.
"Growing up in Westwood was really enjoyable," said Scott. "I always knew this would be a great place to raise my family. The fact my parents are still here and we have their support, it made Westwood an easy decision for us. Sheila's parents are at just about every game, too. Having my kids wear Westwood colors has been really rewarding."
When you're born to win, life offers many rewards.
We're excited to remind you about the Westwood Community Chest's annual Gala of Giving, scheduled for Monday, March 25 at Neroli Ristorante in Westwood. Join us for an opportunity to connect with your neighbors for an evening of dining and entertainment while supporting a good cause.
Proceeds from ticket sales and the evening entertainment – a raffle, wine pull, and a silent auction that will be held in-person and online - will fund WCC grants to assist Westwood residents in need of temporary financial assistance.
“We have auction items that will be next level,” says event organizer Theresa Laham. She says the silent auction will offer “golf outings to top-notch, notable courses,” fitness packages, unique outdoor experiences, and an exclusive dining experience at Neroli, the host restaurant. She also hints at another offering, saying, “To a lot of folks, just saying the words, ‘dumplings’ will get your bidding paddle up!”
In addition to the silent auction, Gala supporters can also purchase a $10 raffle ticket for a chance to win items ranging in value from $300 to $3,000. Raffle items include an outdoor patio space heater, Bose Earphones and an outdoor movie experience - a package that bundles a movie projector, Bluetooth Bose speaker, and 20-foot inflatable movie screen.
Westwood Community Chest is a volunteer-run, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Westwood residents of all ages and incomes who need temporary financial assistance. Through a confidential application and award process, grants are directed to utility bills, school supplies, medical equipment/treatment, transportation, summer camp enrollment, and other areas where monetary assistance is needed.
Community members are invited to join Westwood Community Chest's mission of “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” by purchasing WCC’s 2024 Gala of Giving event tickets and raffle tickets, online, at https://westwoodcommunitychest.org. The Gala is open not just to Westwood residents but to all Westwood Community Chest supporters and members of the community.
By Aaron Buczek, Rotary Club of Westwood President
Westwood's Annual Pancake Breakfast, hosted by the Rotary Club of Westwood, will be held Sunday, April 7 and we'll be hosting the event at a new venue this year. We are excited to welcome you to Xaverian Brothers High School for this year's festivities, which continue a long-standing tradition that was started again in 2023 after a few years off.
Tickets will be available at the door - $8 for adults, $3 for children 3-12 and anyone two and under is welcome to join us for free. You should expect a fun time with entertainment for the kids and plenty of opportunities for photos.
As always, I encourage you to join us at one of our meetings and learn more about the Rotary Club of Westwood. Our mission is to serve the people of Westwood and create special opportunities for children and adults. We meet twice per month - once in person at Neroli Ristorante for an early dinner and once via zoom. If you enjoy meeting new neighbors and making a difference, please reach out and join us.
Copyright © 2024 Ten-17 Enterprises - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.