10 Things You Might Not Know About Weston

Are you familiar with US Weekly Magazine's "25 Things You Don't Know about Me," which features celebrities getting personal and sharing some lesser known facts about themselves? As I was reading last week's segment on Madeleine Stowe, I thought it would be such a great idea to bring this same concept to Weston....  I'm starting with just 10, and then I'll continue with more fascinating fun facts over time....

So without further ado, here are 10 Things You Might Not Know About Weston, Mass.:

1. Weston is celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2013.  According to Wikipedia, "The Town of Weston was originally established as the West Precinct of Watertown in 1698, and the town was separately incorporated as the town of Weston in 1713." Planning for the big celebration is just getting underway, and if you're interested, you can request to be part of the Weston 300 Group on Facebook or email the group at Weston300@groups.facebook.com.

2. Weston has more than 2,000 acres of conservation land. The Weston Forest & Trail Association owns 186 acres, and there are approximately 100 miles of trails. Known for its rural feel, open space, trails, meadows and woods, Weston is conveniently located a mere 12 miles from Boston - it's the best of both worlds.

3. Weston has two reservoirs: First, the Weston Reservoir, located off of Ash Street, is part of the greater Boston's water supply and maintained by the MWRA (Massachusetts Water Resources Authority). This is a popular spot for residents and visitors to walk their dogs, enjoy for exercise and simply just appreciate the beauty of it. Second, the Norumbega Reservoir, located off of Glen Road and Oak Street, is a 125 million gallon water storage tank now used to hold water. This reservoir was opened to the public a few years ago for recreational use.

4. Weston has a government comprised of the following - an Open Town Meeting, Board of Selectmen and Town Manager. As delineated on the town's website, "The Town Meeting is the legislative body and must approve all spending, changes in the Town By-laws and Zoning By-laws. It is conducted by the elected Town Moderator. Any citizen of Weston who is a registered voter may participate in Town Meeting."

5. Weston just approved an override for a new Field School, the elementary school housing grades 4 and 5. The new school is scheduled to open in September 2014. Weston is also in the midst of constructing a new science wing for its high school, which is expected to open for the 2012-2013 school year.

6. Weston was Ranked #1 Best Public High School by Boston Magazine in 2010 and 2009.

7. Weston has a Recreation Department, which provides wonderful programs, classes and activities for all ages. Here is the Spring/Summer 2012 Brochure so you can get a glimpse of what Weston Recreation is all about. In addition to the approximately 500 programs offered over the course of the year to more than 7,500 participants, the Recreation Department also manages Memorial Pool and coordinates the Concerts on the Town Green during the summer on Wednesday evenings. The concerts are a great way for the entire family to have fun together, enjoy the music, dance, picnic and more.

8. Weston is and has been the home to many well-known figures, including David Ortiz, Jerry Remy, Bobby Orr, Jim Pallotta and Steve Pagliuca.

9. Weston is a somewhat dry town. From 1838 to 2008, Weston was a dry town, but in 2008, the town voted that Omni Foods could sell wine in its supermarket. The sale of beer and hard liquor are still prohibited, however.

10. Weston was briefly considered, in 1967, as a site for a stadium for the professional football team then known as the Boston Patriots. As most of us know, the stadium was ultimately built in Foxborough, and today it is known as Gillette Stadium.

These are just some of the fun facts about Weston. There are many more to come...so stay tuned. But in the meantime, do you have any special Weston facts that you'd like to share? I can't wait to hear....

* This mileage distance is per the town's website found under the "About Weston" section. I have also seen other sources saying the distance between Weston and Boston is 15 miles.