🌱 Patch AM: Could Westerly’s electric school buses be moved to protect drinking water?

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

In today's newsletter:

• Could Westerly’s electric school buses be moved to protect drinking water?
• Where can you spot all 100 Nutcrackers around Westerly?
• How Stonington edged Westerly in an overtime Piver Cup thriller

Also on today's calendar: Christmas in Song Concert and 8 more events.

Today's riddle: I once read a book about anti-gravity. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Friday: Cold; breezy in the morning, with a high of 34 and low of 19 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
• Saturday: Mostly cloudy, temps: high: 40, low: 27.
• Sunday: Cold with 1-3" of snow, with a high of 33 and low of 16 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Board: find another spot for electric buses (thewesterlysun.com) — Westerly officials are weighing whether to move the town’s electric school buses off the Springbrook Road depot because it sits over a key wellhead protection area for local drinking water. The Planning Board raised fire and contamination concerns, the Town Council has ordered an engineering study, and any decision could affect future bus storage, housing possibilities, and school facility spending.
   

2. See the 100 Stunning Nutcrackers Transforming Westerly This Christmas (wbsm.com) — Families in Westerly can explore more than 100 life-sized, artist-designed nutcrackers now on display around town as part of the new Nutcracker Trail, running through January 5, 2026. The Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce’s centennial celebration stretches the trail into nearby communities, with barcodes on each nutcracker offering chances to win prizes while you shop and stroll.
   

3. Girls soccer postseason: Wosencroft provided big offensive boost for Bears (thewesterlysun.com) — A standout season for Stonington girls soccer included a dramatic Piver Cup overtime win over Westerly, powered by two goals from sophomore Eva Terwilliger. Freshman Simone Wosencroft led the Bears’ offense all year, earning All-State honors and helping the team reach the ECC Division I final and Class M quarterfinals.
   

4. Taylor Swift Paying Bride to Use Venue Rumors Get an Update (mandatory.com) — Rumors that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will marry at Ocean House in Westerly are being shot down by multiple unnamed sources close to the singer. They insist she won’t bump another bride or risk her reputation over a date, and one source says the couple is not planning a Westerly ceremony despite her fondness for Rhode Island.
   

5. New England musician dies after hit by driver with 100 previous arrests (masslive.com) — A beloved New England bassist with Grammy-nominated band Roomful of Blues, which began in Westerly in 1967, has died after being struck while walking his dogs in Hopkinton. The 70-year-old musician, Roderick “Rory” Macleod, later died at Rhode Island Hospital, and police say the driver has a long arrest history as the investigation continues.
   

📸 Around Westerly

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Westerly

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Friday December 12

• Christmas in Song Concert
  Watch Hill Chapel , 5 Bluff Ave , Westerly
  5:30 pm
• Holiday Cinema Under the Stars at Weekapaug Inn
  Weekapaug Inn , 25 Spray Rock Road , Westerly
  6:00 pm
• Intro Stained Glass Event
  Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery , 37 High St , Westerly
  6:00 pm

Saturday December 13

• Santa visits Mystic Aquarium
  Mystic Aquarium
• Save The Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium
  Save The Bay's Hamilton Family Aquarium , 23 America's Cup Ave , Newport
  10:00 am
• Ribbon Cutting
  House Greens , 10 Canal St , Westerly
  10:30 am
• Ribbon Cutting at House Greens Plants + Florals
  House Greens Plants + Florals , 10 Canal Street , Westerly
  10:30 am
• Windie's Cookie Swap
  Windie's , 80 High Street , Westerly
  6:00 pm

Sunday December 14

• Santa visits Mystic Aquarium
  Mystic Aquarium
• Breakfast with Santa
  Ocean Community YMCA: Westerly-Pawcatuck Branch , 95 High Street , Westerly
  8:30 am
• Save The Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium
  Save The Bay's Hamilton Family Aquarium , 23 America's Cup Ave , Newport
  10:00 am

📣 Westerly Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Friday December 12

• Save The Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium
  Hamilton Family Aquarium , 23 America's Cup Ave , Newport
  10:00 am
• Holiday Open House @ Driscoll Design shop + studio
  Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce 158 Water Street Stonington Brough
  4:00 pm
• Luminaria: A Winter Walk in the Woods
  Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center 109 Pequotsepos Road Mystic, CT 06355
  4:30 pm
• Winter Nights at Pop
  Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce Pop Over Eatery, 24 E. Main Street, Mystic, CT 06355
  5:00 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 Westerly PatchAM possible:

• Deans Mill Farm — (860) 245-5487
  Rustic-chic private farm venue in scenic Stonington, CT

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

• Did you know you can order free HIV self-tests delivered to you?
  Packs of FREE HIV tests are available nationally (including Puerto Rico): tmhtest.me/tests. Learn about this and other HIV and STI testing,… (Nextdoor )
• I repair Nantucket baskets by any weaver.
  Jose Reyes baskets are the easiest, but I can fix almost anything else. (Nextdoor Wilcox East Westerly)

• PetSmart posted a job opening for Retail Sales Associate Part Time in Westerly. Apply here.
• Town Fair Tire posted a job opening for Tire Technician in Westerly. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Westerly here.

Ok Westerly! 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 couldn’t put it down.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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