Derek Yanoff, a Freshman at Westwood High School started the Culinary Arts Club in November to help his fellow students learn to cook.  Thursday brought Steve LaCount, the Executive Chef at Chiara, to Westwood High to help the club learn to make an Italian staple: gnocchi. 

More than 250 Westwood residents attended the 25th annual tree lighting outside Town Hall on Sunday. 

It's been a good run so far for the vendors of the Westwood Farmers Market. Since the market's opening on Tuesday, June 19, vendors said the response to their presence in town has been overwhelming. And for residents in town new to the market, Westwood Patch is going to give you a weekly inside look at each vendor's origin, what they're offering to customers and how business has been so far. This week we profile E. L. Silvia Farm of Dighton. Owner and vendor Ed Silvia explains how businesses has been thus far, what products are popular and what's to come on the stand in the next few months. A…

Children gathered to frolic in the foam at Sheehan Elementary School July 11 for this year's annual summer event - Fireman's Foam. The Westwood Fire Department flooded the athletic field with a pile of sudsy bubbles and also set up sprinklers in which the kids played and rinsed off. According to Mike Griffin of the Westwood Recreation Department, this was the 25th annual Fireman's Foam event in Westwood.

With the Fourth of July now behind, it's hard to believe the summer is nearly halfway through. That was most likely the last thing on Westwood residents' minds Monday night, as families flocked to enjoy the warm, jazzy tunes of the Westwood Swing Band for the kick-off portion of the 2012 Summer Concert Series. The group, which has been playing for more than 20 years, is a swing-era brass band with a female vocalist, all of whom brought a true feeling of summer to the Westwood Senior Center lawn by the gazebo.  Next Monday residents will have a chance to enjoy the music of Tequilla Amigos, a …

Vendors of the Westwood Farmers Market are now heading into their fourth week of business. Since the market's opening on Tuesday, June 19, vendors at the market said the response to their presence in Westwood has been overwhelming. And for residents in town new to the market, Westwood Patch is going to give you a weekly inside look at each vendor's origin, what they're offering to customers and how business has been so far. This week we profile Copicut Farms, a small family-based farm from North Dartmouth. Owner and vendor Elizabeth Frary explains how businesses has been for the farm, as she …

The time of year has arrived when campers from nearly 70 different Boston-area communities descend upon the grounds of Hale Reservation.  The West Roxbury YMCA camp was the first to make landfall last week, but come Monday, June 25, Hale welcomed back the groups of Hale Day Camp, the Waltham-Watertown Boys and Girls Club and the South Shore Stars. Soon to join the group will be Hale Outdoor Learning Adventures (HOLA) and Aspire, formerlly known as Youth Care.

For fans of locally-grown produce, it was a day to remember.  Set on the backdrop of the Westwood Senior Center lawn, the Westwood Farmers Market finally arrived on Tuesday, much to the delight of shoppers who have been waiting for a market they could call their own.  "I'm so delighted they've moved [here]," said Westwood resident Linda Milano, who used to frequent the Norwood Farmers Market. Five of the six vendors at the market all moved to Westwood's lot from the Norwood Farmers Market, save for a new addition: Copicut Farms, which offered eggs and chickens to customers on Tuesday.  Other …

Seniors from Westwood High School took the next step of their lives by graduating earlier this month, but on Wednesday, fifth graders at Deerfield Elementary soard to the next level in their own right.  Students were honored by teachers and parents at the school for their accomplishments as elementary students at Deerfield.  "We're here to acknowledge the hard work done over the past years by our fifth grade students," Principal Allan Cameron said. "Their journey is not done. But we want to celebrate past successes. We have high hopes and expectations for you. KNow that you are about to …

Summer-like weather and a vibrant crowd made for an ideal environment at Sunday's fifth annual PMC Kids ride at the Martha Jones Elementary School. "It's our fifth year and it's the best ever," said event organizer Denise Singleton. "The riders who came stepped up and did a lot of fundraising. Our volunteers are the best you can find anywhere." With a goal of raising $65,000 by October, the event was well on its way to accomplishing that milestone Sunday, having raised close to $40,000. Organizers noted a headcount of about 450 riders present on Sunday, with about 225 volunteers, in addition …

Elementary students from Wellesley Public Schools took an end-of-the-school-year trip to Hale Reservation in Westwood this month. Thep program, which has been held in previous years, alllowed for fifth-grade students to get to know one another in a more entertaining way before heading to middle school in the fall.  For one part of the program, students took part in a "shipwrecked" activity, in which they acted as though they were deserted on an island and had to find ways to survive, using sticks and wires for fishing equipment and creating shelters with logs and a tarp.  Meanwhile, other …

Riders registered for Sunday's fifth annual PMC Kids ride checked-in for the event a bit early on Thursday, as organizers held the traditional early check-in event preceding the ride.  About 200 families checked in prior to 6 p.m. Thursday, according to organizers. The PMC Kids Ride has a fundraising goal of $65,000 this year, and donors are encouraged to help out up through October. As of this week, the group had already raised $25,000.  Organizers expect close to 1,000 attendees at Sunday's event, which kicks off at 9 a.m. at Martha Jones Elementary. Of that number, about 400 to 500 are …

Editor's Note: Information for this article was submitted to Westwood Patch from Sheehan Elementary parent Rebecca Sullivan, a member of the school's Outdoor Learning Center Committee. Another hard-working aspring Eagle Scout is at it again in Westwood.  Westwood High School student Max Hasenauer recently created art with recycling in the area surrounded by a fence at the Sheehan Elementary's Outdoor Learning Center, which serves as an outdoor classroom and teaching garden for students at the school.  Hasenauer's project is currently in-progress, and will include the installation of fence …

In a battle against Thursday afternoon, the Westwood Wolverines' tennis team fell to the Norton Lancers with a final score of 3-2. Westwood's Matt Gee defeated Mike Adler 6-0, 7-6 (8-6). P.J. Levesque of Norton defeated Ryan McNulty 6-1, 6-4. Justin Baird of Norton defeated Bobby Persons 7-6 (9-7), 0-6, 6-4. In the doubles match, the Lancer team of Kolin Campbell and Chris Ricca defeated Westwood's Chris Lui and Chris Frangieh 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. Ben Gantert and Noah Ouellette of Westwood defeated Taylor Marcon and Brandon Jenkins 6-4, 6-0. The Wolverines take on Hopkinton Monday at 3:45 p.m., …

In the spirit of the holiday weekend, the Easter Bunny made a special visit to the corner of Washington and East Streets on Thursday afternoon.  Donned in a green Patch tee-shirt, Mr. Bunny greeted passersby with chocolates and special 

Seniors at Westwood High School treated themselves to a red-carpet style evening on Friday, March 23 for the annual Senior Prom Fashion Show. The event has served as a significant source of funding for the All Night Graduation Party for the last decade. That party allows seniors to safely celebrate during the night after their graduation. This featured photo album was contributed to Westwood Patch.

Traffic on High Street/Rte. 109 was held up a bit Tuesday afternoon, after a 2009 Honda Accord crashed into a fence at a residence on the road.  Westwood police and fire officials responded to the corner of High Street and Mill Street, where the driver a 2009 Honda Accord accidentally accelerated while pulling onto High Street, driving through a fence on the road.  "He came straight across through the fence, over the tree, around the poll, back through the fence again and across the street," said Westwood Police Sgt. Paul Sicard.  The driver was not injuried in the accident, though the …

Student artists at Westwood High School added a digital twist to an annual exhibit this week.  The Encounter with the Arts event, held Wednesday night at the high school, featured a wide variety of art, from drawings to paintings to graphic design projects and sculptures.  But what was vastly different this year was the way in which viewers could tour the exhibit.  Through a grant from the Westwood Educational Foundation, WHS Principal Sean Bevan was able to purchase small, inexpensive mp3 players, which served as a veritable audio tour guide to those viewing the gallery.  Students who …

To help embolden art in the community during the month of March (which is recognized as Youth Art Month in Westwood), the Westwood Public Library currently has on display a wide variety of paintings and drawings created by a group of local elementary students.  Residents are encouraged to visit the main branch of the library and see how the original artwork by students of the Westwood Public Elementary Schools brightens up the building.

Following a week of summer-filled weather, residents in Westwood were able to get a further look into the summer months on Saturday, when the Westwood Recreation Department held its annual "March Into Summer" event.  At the event, residents could preview demonstrations of upcoming summer programs, from karate to tennis to synchronized swimming, as well as enjoy food from b.good, the food sponsor of Saturday's event as well as the upcoming Westwood Day.  "It seems bigger to me," said Diane Thornton, who is assisting one of the subcommittees tasked with organizing Westwood Day. The Recreation …