westwood living - JULY, 2023

With a carbon positive house in The Maze, Peter and Pam Kane set the standard in Massachusetts for energy efficiency. They also open their doors to exchange students on a regular basis. Their story is our cover feature for the month of July. 

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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

Erica Resha is a 2005 graduate of Westwood High School and the owner of Fitish Activewear. She and I had the opportunity to catch up at The Muffin House. 

Tom:
Take me back to growing up here - What it was like going through the school system, what you remember about being a kid in Westwood?

Erica:
So, I just remember begging my parents to drop me off at Chili's and then going to the movies. That was my big memory - and now that is Legacy Place, so things have definitely changed. We grew up over by Bubbling Brook. Really, really fun. I have two siblings. We grew up there with my parents - then Thurston Middle School, Westwood High School. I was part of the group that went undefeated for a while for girls basketball. I played basketball, ran cross country. I graduated from Westwood and then went to BC, so stayed local most of my life.

Tom:
Take me, if you would, to the moment where you said, 'You know, I'm into fashion, and I'm into clothing and I'm into trying to make a living in that world.'

Erica:
So it's actually pretty crazy. I was pre-law at Boston College. I wanted to be a lawyer - loved to read. I have a dorky side for sure. Then the economy crashed and law school applications went up 250%. The Wall Street Journal released an article in 2009, the year I was leaving BC, reporting 90% of college grads were graduating unemployed. So everyone was going to school because they couldn't get a job. I had worked for my dad in his home decor, home linens, curtains, blankets, pillows, business all throughout college, so I got an interview with a company in fashion and I went there. Then, I started a food blog.

While I was spontaneously cooking, teaching, educating there I was working with a gym on a “Healthy meals that still taste good,” type of spin.

The more fit I got, the more people had something to say about what I ate. Like, “You don't eat the doughnut you post. You don’t eat that pasta dish.”  So, I said everything, in moderation, is very real for me. Balance is the point of the company that I started and that's how it started. Fitish was kind of born out of that.

Tom:

Fitish Activewear has really taken Instagram by storm. You hit it at just the right time. How has that basically defined the way you do business?

Erica:
Yeah, it's everything. It is the way to do it. I have an Etsy shop and I can see that 92% of my sales through Etsy are driven through Instagram -  they give you that fact. It is my end-all be-all. I do a lot of markets and Pop-Ups and of course that's amazing, but you're in front of people. The merchandise can sell itself, but I think Instagram is it for me and I'm the older end of that, right? So now it's TikTok.

Tom:

Are you finding that you are going to shift more to TikTok or is that just going to augment what you're already doing successfully on Instagram?

Erica:
Well, if anyone from Westwood wants to be a summer intern, they can come run my TikTok because it is hard to learn it.

Tom:
So I've watched the growth of Fitish since you basically started, I think. From my estimation - correct me if I'm wrong – you started with clothing, but there was a moment where you're like, “Wow, jewelry would work.” You took that turn into jewelry and how did that change your business model?

Erica:
It changed everything. You’re right, when I launched it was 100% clothing - activewear with cute quotes like, “We prefer Donuts Over Dumbbells or Pizza Over Pilates.” Things like that. Then I would go to the gym and see people’s necks would be green or I’d see tarnished jewelry, so I felt I could fit a need. We launched about a year and a half ago, waterproof jewelry – sweat-proof, tarnish free, hypoallergenic. It exploded. I mean, it really is what put us on the map. I would say now it’s 60/40 jewelry.

Tom:

Isn't it also hard to balance what is inherently a desire for you to have great customer service, and a personal touch? As you get more and more sales, how do you keep up with that?

Erica:

I always joke that I'm team no sleep. It's difficult.

Tom:

Yeah. You can't sleep, right?

Erica:
A perfect example - I landed from Los Angeles last night at 6pm and I had about 10 orders to pack as soon as I got home, so it's hard. It's definitely hard, but I think I'm willing to do hard for something that I love.

Tom:
So, advice that you might give to kids who are following your footsteps?  Kids who live in Westwood now who are in high school, who feel the pressure? This town is lovely, but there is a lot of pressure associated with it. You know, the whole “Perfect Westwood,” everyone goes to college - that's not necessarily the case. What sort of advice do you give to kids based on what you've learned?

Erica:
Well, I think one of the things I don't share often, which people who hear this say, “You definitely should.” I started Fitish with $500.

Tom:
Whoa.

Erica:
My parents, one year for Christmas gave us $500- go buy what you want, right? I said, “I'm going to start a company. I'm going to see what I can do with $500.”

I started with a mug and it said the word Fitish. It said the definition was “Likes to work out, but prefers donuts over dumbbells.” I sold a couple, some of them shattered when I shipped them. You learn fast, right? I sold them and then I bought a few shirts with the same definitions. And then I bought a few things that didn't say cute things. I bought true activewear that I want to wear when I work out - so think Lululemon quality, but affordable prices. It just kept going and then it funded itself.

So the thing I would say is, “You have enough!” Whatever you have is enough to start. And if you have an idea, keep it close to your chest. When I launched jewelry, I told no one. You have an idea and there's a reason you have it. Don't get me wrong - you have to do your research. I've done a ton of research. I've made a ton of mistakes. You have enough doubt for 10 people, so as soon as you start telling people and they poke holes, it becomes bigger. Your doubt becomes bigger than your idea.

Tom:
So when are we going to see a Pop-Up here?

Erica:
I know – a hometown Pop-Up. Actually, someone asked me to collaborate with them for Westwood Day, so we might be here in the near future.

Tom:
Nice.

For more, listen to my conversation with Erica on the Westwood Living Podcast Network, available on SoundCloud, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon and YouTube.  

By Tom Leyden 

Not every topic we discuss, or task we tackle in life is fun and entertaining. Some of the most vital decisions we make require focus, serious attention, and strategic thought. When we travel out of our comfort zone, it's vital to feel safe by surrounding ourselves with a team of experts who know the answers, are trained to teach, and are dedicated to serving you with care. Tiffany O'Connell and her team at the O'Connell Law certainly qualify in each of those categories. 

Planning your estate should be at the top of your list, but if you haven't done so yet, you're not alone.  In her book, "Do You Have A Plan? How to Avoid Leaving a Mess," Tiffany details her top observation from more than three decades of working in this complex field. 

"I've observed that people fear having the necessary conversations that deal with illness, incapacity or death, delaying or never dealing with them," she writes. "I've seen it happen too often that because a person did not meet with me in time, a mess was left for their loved ones to deal with. I genuinely feel that the person would not have wanted to leave such chaos, yet a nightmare was left to deal with because of their inaction." 

After graduating from Boston College, Tiffany pursued her J.D. from the New England School of Law, graduating in 1994. She is considered to be among the top Elder Law and Estate Planning attorneys in New England and frequently lectures on the topic of Alzheimer's and dementia as well as Trusts and Estates. Her attention to detail sets her apart, and so does her sense of humor. 

The O'Connell Law's marketing campaign humanizes the topic of estate planning, connecting sentiment with emotion and reason, painting a picture of what "could be" based on the decisions you make (or don't make) today.  The tongue-in-cheek approach is intentional because breaking that barrier of fear is critical as she and her team open the eyes of potential clients. 

"It's not just a Will and or a Trust," said Tiffany. "It's also having a Power of Attorney in place so that if someone needs to handle financial stuff in your name, someone can do it when it's needed. And what about health decisions? So many people think, 'Oh, an estate plan is just for when I've died.' No, an estate plan is also for when you're living, for when you just can't take care of things, whether it's the financial, Power of Attorney or Trust, or health decisions, which in Massachusetts, we call a healthcare proxy. So those documents are crucial, not just for you, but for your loved ones."

What draws someone to a career in Estate Planning and Elder Law? Tiffany's path to this complex field was paved during her time in the U.S. Army, serving as a Reserve in the JAG Corps. 

"I always tell people I was mightier with the pen than the sword, but it was really, truly my honor," said Tiffany of her time in the military. "I never served overseas, but I did serve a two-year period of active duty in Washington DC. My role was to represent disabled soldiers as they were going through the disability process at the Walter Reed Hospital. It was such an honorable position, at times a very sad position, but it was just so wonderful trying to help these soldiers. It was through that experience that I found out I loved estate planning because talking with the soldiers and realizing, oh my gosh, this is about people, this is about values, this is about helping people, that I realized estate planning was for me." 

The sense of order gleaned from Tiffany's time in D.C. has translated into the way O'Connell Law functions each day. The staff's efficiency is apparent in every communication, along with attention to detail. 

Cathy, a client who has worked with the O'Connell Law team, said, "The entire staff --support, legal assistants, attorneys-- is personable, supportive, and efficient. They were welcoming, caring, knowledgeable, and professional, providing excellent guidance and expertise.  The process and fees were explained to me in advance, so I knew what to expect. Calls and meetings were scheduled in a timely manner with a quick turnaround on replying to emails and answering questions. I couldn't be happier being their client and look forward to a long relationship with them!"

Listen to my full conversation with Tiffany by visiting the Westwood Living Podcast Network, available on SoundCloud, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon, and YouTube. Learn more at oconnelllawgroup.com

By Tom Leyden 

Sitting across from PJ Vande Rydt and Bill Crabtree, I immediately felt an energy and excitement for what they do each day. Both men are born coaches, dedicated to improving the skills and improving the lives of the student-athletes they work with every day. The fact two Westwood guys have built a football program that's churning out successful college players on a regular basis is remarkable.  The resume speaks for itself. 

Just last season, four players who went through the Mass Elite program played in the College Football Playoff. Zak Zinter and Greg Crippen were two anchors on the Michigan offensive line, while Kalel Mullings made a series of big plays in the Wolverines win over Ohio State in November. Meanwhile, Xavier Truss has continued to enjoy success at Georgia and played a significant role in the Bulldogs back to back national championships. 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We had that part planned," said Crabtree through a big smile and laugh. "PJ and I knew that was gonna happen, we planned that up. Remember that PJ?" 

Getting serious for a moment, Vande Rydt recalled, "That clinic when we saw Zac for the first time, we looked at each other and saw his footwork and was like, 'Oh my God, I've never seen anyone with footwork at that level before,' you know? He ended up going to BB&N, received numerous offers, and there he is today at Michigan. a potential first round draft pick. Billy's been the catalyst behind that lineman clinic, and it's grown every single year." 

Crabtree coached at Westwood High School from 1983-89, while Vande Rydt was head coach of the Westwood middle school program from from 2008-2015 before taking over as head coach of Xaverian's middle school program seven years ago. 

With Mass Elite's success has come growth. When young players and their parents see an established track record, it's no surprise the Mass Elite clinics fill up fast. Not only do you learn, but you're seen by the most influential eyeballs in high school and college football. 

"When we first started we had one camp, and this year, we'll have 11 camps," said Vande Rydt. "Our big one is in June - it's a three day camp. That's our oldest one. We do have public high school coaches with us coaching, but it's mostly private school coaches. It's definitely unique because we have more than 30 high school head coaches, so it's not only a great technique and fundamental camp, it's also a recruiting clinic for some of these kids.

"And I know some of the public school coaches probably won't like me saying that, but these kids are going to find their way regardless, right? We just give them a tool. We've had great success with that over the years." 

"When we started this, we didn't plan it to be what it has turned into," said Crabtree. "We're about technique and fundamentals, but we have become a bit of a pathway to the private schools such as BB&N and St. Sebastian's, Milton Academy, Xaverian, Dexter. Although we don't push it, if players want our help and advice or to do recommendations or connect them with a coach, we do that. We do a lot more than bring kids in for a three-hour clinic. We're still in touch with all of our kids, so it's a lot more than just the football." 

Before the clinics became such a success, PJ and Bill raised the bar by forming an All-Star team of middle schoolers to represent Massachusetts on the national stage. The first team, led by former Purdue quarterback Austin Burton, finished fourth in the country at the FBU National Championship in San Antonio. That success opened eyes around the US, with scouts and college coaches paying more attention to what's happening in Massachusetts. 

"Our former players, like Preston Zinter, who has enrolled early at Notre Dame to play football, always like to come back and be part of the camps," said Vande Rydt. "When he comes home, he talks to the kids So they love coming back. It's great for them. They want to give back what they had when they were younger." 

As the tree of success grows, the branches reach further and further, but the essence of Mass Elite's mission remains the same. Stick to the fundamentals. Network. Empower. Encourage. 

You can learn more about Mass Elite Football by listening to our conversation on the Westwood Living Podcast Network, available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon and YouTube. Visit www.masselitefootball.com for all the information you need to sign up for one of their clinics, including the three-day camp at Xaverian scheduled for June 23-25. 

By Tom Leyden

Dining at Casa Loca Cantina can best be described as a sensory experience. When you walk through the door, you see the smiles on the staff as you're greeted by a high-energy soundtrack. As you wait for a table or maybe for your drink at the bar, you soak in the scents of Mexican cuisine, a sizzling fajita goes by on its way to a table, the smell of enchiladas with rice and beans wafts through the air. 

If you're like me, you eagerly await a margarita, Raspberry in my case, and when you get it, the taste is perfect, and there's a reason for that.  

"Margaritas, of course, are the staple and we do it a little uniquely," said Brittany Tucker, the Regional General Manager for Wellesley Restaurant Group who runs the day-to-day operations at Casa Loca  

"Our standard margaritas that are on the menu are draft margaritas. We batch those daily, fresh, we make our sours mix from scratch. We then add the liquors to it, mix it, and it goes into our draft system so that every margarita is poured exactly the same in the exact same proportions every single time. The consistency and the quality are fantastic.  People who haven't experienced it before can be a little skeptical, and then they taste them and they say, 'Oh my gosh, this is fantastic.' I was here last week and I'll be here next week and it will taste exactly the same, which is the key to it."  

The key to Casa Loca's success has been a commitment to quality and freshness. 

"We don't have a microwave on the line. We don't do that," said Tucker.  

Instead, the focus is on fresh.  

"Our guacamole is sensational," said Tucker. "People rave about it. You can taste the freshness in a guacamole when it's made that way, right from the avocados. We're a fusion restaurant, right? We are Mexican-inspired and we definitely have some traditional dishes, but some of the items we do with our own flair. Street corn, in a lot of Mexican restaurants, is served on the cob. Ours is off the cob and it's made as a saute with cotija cheese. Insane. It's rich and flavorful and filling." 

A key to any restaurant's success is becoming involved with the community, and Casa Loca has done that since opening on University Avenue. Not only did Casa Loca host the first-ever Westwood Living Social in October, the team has also supported many local charities and fundraisers as a way of giving back to residents.  

"We're always happy to partner with anybody in the community because we want to be a part of the community and have a reputation of being involved and not just a restaurant that happens to be in Westwood," said Tucker. "We want to be a Westwood restaurant."  

Back to the sensory experience. We've covered what you see and what you hear, what you smell and what you taste, but only one thing completes the sensory cycle - that's the opportunity to feel your food, which is unique to Mexican cuisine like Tacos and Fajitas. 

Taco Tuesdays are a hit because you are able to order tacos a la carte - as many as you like.  

"It's a good time. The music is fun. The vibe is nice. It's a great after work spot, and especially on a Taco Tuesday," said Tucker.  

Hear more of my conversation with Brittany on the Westwood Living Podcast Network, available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon and YouTube.