🌱 Patch AM: How did Natick girls basketball surge to No. 1 so fast?

Hi there, Natick! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• How did Natick girls basketball surge to No. 1 so fast?
• Why Natick police say a scary child report was likely a mix-up
• Why are Natick condo prices rising while the state stays flat?

Also on today's calendar: 17th Annual Festival of Trees and 7 more events.

Today's riddle: Last night I had a dream. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Saturday: Clouds and sun; much colder, with a high of 38 and low of 32 degrees.
• Sunday: Winds gusting past 40 mph, temps: high: 45, low: 21.
• Monday: Colder with plenty of sun, with a high of 32 and low of 26 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Bay State Conference: Natick takes top spot in newest girls basketball rankings (masslive.com) — Natick High’s girls basketball team has grabbed the top spot in the Bay State Conference power rankings after opening the season with a 54–50 win over Newton North. Sophomore standout Kayla Dunlap already has three 20-point games, with strong support from teammate Denai Williams, as Natick sets the early pace for the 2025–26 season.
   

2. 'Did the right thing.' Why Natick MA Police question enticement report (metrowestdailynews.com) — Natick police say a reported child enticement near a local school Friday now appears to have been a misunderstanding involving an Uber pickup, and they see no ongoing threat. Officers credit the student for speaking up quickly and urge parents to use the incident as a chance to remind kids how to handle interactions with strangers.
   

3. MA Condo Prices Identical To 2024. What About In Natick? (patch.com) — Condo buyers in Natick are seeing slightly higher prices this year, with the average sale now about $712,000, up 3 percent from 2024. While statewide condo prices are mostly flat, Natick has fewer units selling but still shows a modestly stronger market than the Massachusetts average.
   

4. Natick's deer population slightly culled at Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary (natickreport.com) — Deer numbers at Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in South Natick are being trimmed through a tightly controlled archery hunt conducted away from public trails and hours. State wildlife officials say Natick’s zone has far more deer than the ecological goal, threatening young trees and native plants, so Mass Audubon is continuing targeted management to protect the forest’s long‑term health.
   

5. High winds lead to power outages, traffic problems in MetroWest MA (metrowestdailynews.com) — High winds on Friday knocked out power to 844 Eversource customers in Natick, part of widespread outages across MetroWest and Greater Milford. Nearby towns are also dealing with downed trees, dark traffic lights, and multiple road closures, so residents should expect travel delays and use caution around barriers and utility crews.
   

📸 Around Natick

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Natick

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Saturday December 20

• 17th Annual Festival of Trees
  Massachusetts Horticultural Society - Garden at Elm Bank, 900 Washington St, Wellesley
  10:00 am

Sunday December 21

• Pay It Forward Card Shows
  134 N Main St, Leominster
  9:00 am

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Sunday December 21

• Matt Heaton’s Holiday Hootenanny with Stacey Peasley & Vanessa Trien!
  The Center For Arts In Natick , 14 Summer St , Natick
  11:00 am
• Winter Wonderland All Ages Dance Party
  St. Paul's Episcopal Church , 39 E Central St , Natick
  2:00 pm
• 26th annual free Christmas Concert - 45+piece concert band
  St John the Evangelist Parish , 20 Church St , Hopkinton
  3:00 pm
• Sherborn Menorah Lighting with Jojo the Magician
  Sherborn Town Hall , 19 Washington St , Sherborn
  4:30 pm

Monday December 22

• All Together: Preschool Storytime
  Bacon Free Library , 58 Eliot Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States
  10:00 am

Tuesday December 23

• Meet with a Representative from Congresswoman Clark's office
  Natick, MA Calendar , Community Senior Center 117 East Central Street , Natick
  4:00 pm
• It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
  Natick Farmer's Market The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN), 14 Summer Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States
  7:30 pm

Sunday December 28

• Dar Williams
  The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN) , 14 Summer Street , Natick
  8:00 pm

📣 Natick Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Saturday December 20

• Powisset Pals – Winter Solstice Wonderland
  Powisset Farm , 39 Powisset St , Dover
  10:00 am
• Teen Painting with Ashwini: Winter Scene - Rescheduled
  Sherborn Library , 4 Sanger St. , Sherborn
  1:30 pm
• Irish Dance Class for Kids!
  Raytheon Room Wayland Free Public Library , 5 Concord Rd. , Wayland
  2:00 pm
• 3:00pm 'Caroling and Compassionate Cocoa with Cows' Visit for Mass Female Friends!
  Unity Farm Sanctuary , 17 Unity Ln , Sherborn
  3:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Natick PatchAM possible:

• Kumon Math and Reading, Natick — (508) 433-6655
  Stronger skills in Math and Reading, one step at a time!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• The Home Depot, Inc. posted a job opening for Customer Service/Sales in Natick. Apply here.
• Athleta, Inc. posted a job opening for Seasonal Retail Sales Associate - Natick Mall in Natick. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Natick here.

Ok Natick! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I dreamed I was swimming in a pool of orange soda, but it was just a Fanta-sea.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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