Tom Leyden and Randy Hatch have an illuminating conversation.

Randy Hatch is a long-time Westwood resident who has been working as an electrician since he was 19-years-old. Not only does he serve many Westwood residents by lending his electrical expertise, he also warms the heart of hundreds who cruise by his house on Briar Lane during the holiday season.

Randy shares the details of his display, which features more than 75,000 lights and takes weeks to install. We also talk about his career as an electrician and his experience interacting with students during the Westwood Living Lessons From Leaders program.

Contact Randy by emailing [email protected]

Tom Leyden connects with Doug Pollard at Pollard's Test Kitchen in Westwood.

Doug and his wife, Stephanie, bought High Street Market from Liz Adams in 2023 and opened for business in November, 2023, just before Thanksgiving. In the year since, Doug has already left a footprint in Westwood, bringing his unique and delicious style and taste to Pollard's Test Kitchen, and also catering two of Westwood Living's quarterly events - The Spring Sunset Party at Hale Education and The Bean Farm Summer Bonanza.

Doug and his team will make the holidays easy for you. Let them do the work so you can enjoy the family. Visit http://www.pollardstestkitchen.com

Tom Leyden connects with Justin LaRose of JPL Media Works.

Justin LaRose, a graduate of Skidmore, formed JPL Media Works in 2020, as a byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic. He coupled his passion for storytelling with his training as a business consultant to build a unique company focused on serving the digital video needs of clients throughout the Boston area.

Justin shares the story of his inspiration, what he's learned about an ever-changing business and what sets him apart from others in the field who do the same type of work.

To learn more about Justin and his team, visit http://www.jplmediaworks.com

Tom Leyden chats with Nicole Mollica and Ryan Roach from the Admissions Office at Archbishop Williams High School.

Archbishop Williams is a premier, co-ed Catholic school in Braintree, welcoming prospective families to a pair of open houses on October 27 and November 3. Tom, Nicole and Ryan discuss what makes Archbishop Williams special and unique, how families and students benefit long term from the network and infrastructure of success that has been nurtured over generations, and the many different ways students can get their feet wet and learn more about the school:

Open Houses - Sunday, October 27 and Sunday, November 3

Shadow Programs - Visit the school and experience a day-in-the-life with a current student

Scheduled Visits - Contact the admissions office at 781-535-6051 or by emailing [email protected]

Learn more about Archbishop Williams by visiting http://www.awhs.org

Tom Leyden connects with Terris Jones, William Russell and Ava Blessing, three Westwood High School seniors to preview and discuss the upcoming production of Much Ado About Nothing.

Three shows are scheduled:

Friday, October 25 - 7:30pm

Saturday, October 26: 2:00pm

Saturday, October 26: 7:30pm

Purchase tickets at http://westwoodstage.com

Tom Leyden connects with Lindsey Gillooly and Allison Daly at the Easton office of Medical Aesthetics MA.

Medical Aesthetics MA, already with a footprint in Hingham, Milton and Easton, will be opening a Westwood location in November, 2024. Lindsey and Allison shared their thoughts on expansion, entering the plaza on High Street between the Post Office and The Toast Office, how their industry continues to change and what they're consistently doing to keep up with the changes.

Learn more at http://www.medicalaestheticsma.com

Tom Leyden and Kerry Aglugub connect at The Muffin House.

Kerry Aglugub is a Westwood native, graduate of Westwood High School and the founder of KMA Web Desigh, an award-winning company specializing in web design, SEO and Digital Marketing. Kerry was the 2022 Neponset River Regional Chamber of Commerce Businessperson Of The Year and has continually grown her business thanks to her experience, expertise and ability to communicate well with her partners.

Tom and Kerry chat about how she started in the business, the creation of the updated westwood-living.com and some other busineses she has worked with to take their website and digital marketing to the next level.

Learn more by visiting http://www.kmawebdesign.com

Tom Leyden connects with Justin Voigt and Jessica Banks from 18|8 Fine Men's Hair Salon in Westwood.

18|8 has a fascinating backstory, which Justin and Jessica share in the conversation, as well as what makes the experience in their salon different for men and how so much of what they do is educational to get their clientele to understand the value of taking care of themselves, their hair and their skin.

Learn more about 18|8 Fine Men's Hair Salon by visiting http://www.188westwood.com

Tom Leyden and Will C. from Hale Education connect to chat about the 2024 Steam Kettle Music Festival.

Will C. joined Hale Education three years ago after collaborating with the Hale team as the Director of the Perrone-Sizer Institute for Creative Leadership. Will is now also responsible for a number of initiatives at Hale as the Director of Creative Inclusion and Curriculum Design, as well as being a Lead Faculty Member.

The Steam Kettle Music Festival, an annual event at Hale, is scheduled for Saturday, September 28 and will feature a number of musical acts across various stages on Hale's grounds, plus a number of local artists, a kid's play area, food and drink.

You can download a playlist featuring the music from the artists who will be performing at http://bit.ly/steamkettlesampler24

Learn more about the event and get your tickets by visiting http://www.hale.education/events

Tom Leyden and Paula McLaughlin connect for a conversation at Comella's.

Paula McLaughlin, who has lived with her family in Westwood since 1993, is one of the founding members of the Westwood Community Chest. After many years on the Board of Directors, Paula stepped away for a number of years, but returned to the board in 2023, utilizing the skills and experience she's garnered from years in the non-profit and community-enrichment space.

In addition to her work with The Westwood Community Chest, Paula works for The House of Possibilities, an organization on the campus of Stonehill which helps people with disabilities find a pathway to independence. She also serves on the corporate board at Hale Education, the advisory council for St. Catherine of Siena and the board of The Boston Theater Company, and more.

Learn more about The Westwood Community Chest by visiting http://www.westwoodcommunitychest.org