It’s Sunday morning, the sun is shining and the woods are calling. There’s gratitude for all of that, but also for the local folks who inspire, make us laugh, and do their best to encourage others who come along on snowshoes behind them. If you don’t already know and support some of our “localest” media, here’s some folks you might want to follow:

1. The sWellesley Report. This is an online news site about the town of Wellesley that was started 16 years ago by a husband and wife team. I’ve been following them for a while (I started reading it during the North 40 dust-up between my college and the town of Wellesley) and I enjoy their mix of humor and actual news. It really makes me wish we had a police log in town because there’s a lot of fun stuff that happens there. Personally, I thank Bob Brown, editor, for his encouragement of the Owl, his ideas and edits, and for talking me into doing this. If I were you, I’d follow both the sWellesley Report and the Natick Report, which is their newer project.
2. The Lincoln Squirrel. It is no secret that I have an obsession with our town to the north because of its amazing conservation ethic and beautiful trails, but also I find the community of Lincoln so cohesive and well, community-like. The Squirrel is a part-time job for Alice Waugh, who is a great writer and mentor. She also spent time with me to think through starting up the Owl. The Squirrel is where I get a lot of my information about local events, and what the Minute Men are doing. It’s important.
3. The Weston Town Crier. Let’s all realize that many towns are losing their local newspapers because they can’t make a go of it any more. Mike Wyner, publisher of the Crier, accepts local writers and their stories, and creates one of our town’s best opportunities to be heard. Also, there is a purse report every year, and local events and always some kind of budget letter that warrants discussion and rebuttal. The main edition continues to be print, but you can find some of the articles online here.

If you are as entertained by local news as I am, there are other local outlets such as the Carlisle Mosquito and the Bedford Citizen. Each of these are different-sized-and-operated entities. There are non-profits with boards, and then there are people with just something to say (and a whole lot of liability insurance). There isn’t enough time to read them all, but it’s certainly worth a look from time to time. Be grateful for the local media who don’t have to sell it with the headlines.

Next week, I will be unable to resist giving love to our very own Weston Media Center, conflict of interest or no (I am the producer of one of their shows, but unpaid so maybe that’s okay?)

Happy Sunday, Weston! Now the woods are calling and I must go.