The Weston Owl delivered news with wit and wisdom

Before there was the Weston Observer, there was the Weston Owl.

A blog authored by resident Kristin Barbieri, the Weston Owl was created to offer a tongue-in-cheek look at happenings around town. From diaper drives to Town Meeting votes, from rainy day walks to election results, from blood drives to school plays, the Owl was there, providing updates and information with a little signature snark for news-hungry residents.

At its peak, the Owl drew around 1,000 subscribers, but, feeling the blog had run its course, Barbieri opted to retire the Owl earlier this summer, in anticipation of the arrival of the Weston Observer.

Barbieri was raised in New York and Connecticut. She studied economics at Wellesley College and attended business school in Chicago. She and her husband Vladimir lived in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for several years before relocating to Weston in 2014 to raise their children.

“We wanted the kids to have a public school experience, which is not possible in Brazil,” she said.

Within a few years, Barbieri started volunteering for the town. She noticed the Town Crier newspaper was running fewer local news stories and that people were becoming less informed about important issues.

“I’d hear people at Town Meeting and other places saying they didn’t know about something important, or, ‘that’s news to me,’ about something going on in town,” she said.

She became an administrator of the Weston Community Group on Facebook, where a lot of news about police activity or fires was being discussed.

It’s an understatement to report that social media can be a challenging arena to work in.

“Facebook is a cruel mistress,” Barbieri said. “People behave badly on there. At some point I said to one of the Select Board members at the time, ‘I should just start my own blog,’ and he said, ‘What’s keeping you from doing it?’”

Encouraged by the editors of local news blogs Swellesley Report and the Lincoln Squirrel, Barbieri launched the Weston Owl, a “not-quite-the-news-site” in 2021, covering Weston news, Town Meeting, school events and local issues. It was named in honor of the Lincoln Squirrel, and not, as at least one reader believed, because owls have a reputation for wisdom. The Owl kept a light touch when discussing the Select Board agenda and school news and events, and introduced “just-for-fun” pieces, like “The Pick Up Issue: Things You Can Fit in a Weston Truck,” and a regular feature, “Sunday Gratitude,” celebrating all that is inspiring and good in Weston.

Pam Fox, president of the Weston Historical Society, called the Owl a “great source for town, school and community news, interspersed with Kristin Barbieri’s unique commentary, community spirit and humor.” Fox recalled the April Fool’s Day posts, in which Barbieri announced the Owl would be absorbed into a new publication called “Weston Tribune and Folio.”

“And how can we forget Resident Shredding Day, since renamed the much less evocative “Shredding Documents Day?,” she said.

Library director Jennifer Warner called the Owl a gift to the community.

“Her humor and observations were so unique, true to life, written with kindness, and celebrating the community she so clearly loves,” she said.

Residents began to rely on the Owl

“I started the Owl while the Crier was still alive, with just what struck my fancy,” Barbieri said. “Then the Crier went away, and it [the Owl] became not what I planned, but it was still a lot of fun. My first stories were about Weston Forest and Trail stuff and things that I was involved in, but then people would send me stuff.”

She enjoyed writing about school activities and quirky stories, including one about what to do about dog poop on the town trails.

“It could be any problem, but funny. Lifestyle stories that people respond to because everyone has had that experience,” she said.

Barbieri began to feel a sense of responsibility for her reporting. She attended Select Board meetings she wasn’t particularly interested in, because she felt she needed to go.

“The minutes come out late from those meetings and people don’t really know what’s going on until it has already been done, and then there’s a problem,” she said.

Select Board member Tom Palmer said, “Kristin stepped up to volunteer her time and talent to raise awareness of town issues at a time when there was little to no alternative other than social media. I enjoyed reading her personal commentary, even though I didn’t always agree, as she was articulate and candid with her thoughts and complemented them with a dose of witticism.”

Critics and threats

Keeping a regular news site is time-consuming and demanding, and Barbieri received occasional blowback from a handful of residents who were not amused by some of her writing. She received some anonymous criticism and even some threats.

“Something got lost along the way,” she said. “My husband said let it roll off, don’t pay attention, but it was taking away my fun.”

Palmer said, “She showed courage in speaking up and calling individuals to account. In doing so, she exposed herself to a fair amount of negative feedback and criticism, with nothing to gain other than the satisfaction of leaving Weston a little better than when she moved here.”

Decision to end the Owl

The decision to end the Owl came after her children graduated from Weston High School. Barbieri knew she would lose access to school stories once she was no longer a school parent.

“I felt it had run its course,” she said.

Town Manager Leon Gaumond said the Owl was a valuable resource for Weston residents.

“I was saddened to hear that the Weston Owl was closing its doors but I am extraordinarily grateful for the service that Kristin provided this community. What I appreciated most was her desire to share the Town’s ‘news’ with a smirk,” Gaumond said. “All too often in today’s world we find ourselves navigating a vitriolic social discourse. Kristin tried to give her readers the updates without taking herself too seriously. Her commentary on ‘All Things Weston’ will surely be missed.”

While it has been a bit of a relief to hand over the news reporting reins, Barbieri said she knows she will miss the Owl, especially with the start of the new school year.

“That will be the time I miss it the most,” she said. “It’s such a fun time, events happening everywhere, back-to-school excitement, Special Town Meeting, that’s when I will miss it.”