The beer and wine license has been approved for Whole Foods in Legacy Place. There was some opposition, principally due to the impact to nearby local merchants like Vineyard Wine and Plaza Liquors. Vineyard Wine is a really nice store with competitive wine prices, friendly staff, and occasional impromptu wine tastings. But Whole Foods will bring a whole new selection of foods to town--you can't buy Quinoa at the liquor store.

I'm looking forward to the Whole Foods...while I'd prefer a Trader Joe's, Whole Foods will fill a gap in specialty food and probably stimulate demand for a little more variety at Roche Bros. It, like Wegmans, is a "fun" store to visit, but not what I'd consider an affordable "staple" store. As for beer and wine, I really wish we'd get a Blanchards closer than West Roxbury since they are the only store nearby that sells Redhook.

Last Thursday's Hometown Weekly had an article on page 7 by Abby Davidson about biking to work that inspired me to share my experiences in the hope others may take up the challenge. Last year, I rode my bike about 1250 miles around 50 days of the year from my home in Westwood to my office near South Station. I wish I could do it more often; the only thing that gets in the way for me now is the heat of the summer and lack of a shower at my new office location. But there are many steps you can take to get started small and work up to more activity...  read more »

I've probably annoyed a few impatient drivers as I work hard to adhere to the speed limits on Gay Street, but as I drove home the other day I was reminded how the street itself is just too fast. No amount of signage and good intentions can overcome the fact that it is a wide country road that invites drivers to go 50mph or more in many sections.  read more »

I started a new poll about how much money people spend on TV--cable, verizon FiOS, or satelite. Personally, I am continually frustrated by how expensive and complicated cable TV has become. We went for several months with no cable, but our location makes reception difficult so the HD stations were constantly pixelated and unwatchable even though the signals were strong. (Note: if you don't have reception problems, you can receive digital high-definition TV for free with an ordinary antenna and an HD-tuner television--no need to pay for HDTV.)  read more »

When I came back from the 4th of July weekend, I was happy to see one of these yellow crosswalk signs on Gay Street, in the middle of this Pine Lane crosswalk. Not only did it give advance warning of the crosswalk from down the street, it forced me to slow down on the curve. However, by Monday evening, the sign had been moved "out of the way" of cars.

I became a little carried away with my camera this morning. I just thought it would be interesting to record the perspective of the crosswalk from car and pedestrian and a still photo does not really show it. This is probably far from the worst crosswalk in the world, but I think we really need something there to slow down the traffic, myself included...  read more »

While reading the Westwood Press this morning during breakfast, I noticed a very compelling letter to the editor, sent in by Jane Nash, a member of Westwood’s Board of Library Trustees and News Coordinator for the Westwood-Walpole chapter of the League of Women Voters.

Jane spoke of the 41 year anniversary of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which established our right as Americans to obtain government records and affirmed our right to know what our local town, state, or federal governments are doing. Nash also exclaimed that our rights to transparent government have been eroding, leaving people feeling helpless when it comes to attempting to obtain knowledge of government happenings.

Much like Jane, I suggest residents in Westwood become more aware of what their town government is doing on a week-to-week basis. We need to make sure our top town government officials are being asked questions, and held accountable for their actions. In addition, I ask that you attend meetings held by our local boards and committees, educate others on the important role town government plays in your life, and become aware of elections being held in our town, our Commonwealth, and our country.

Best Wishes,

Greg Agnew