Walnut Hill Names Craig Sellers Interim Head of School
NATICK — Walnut Hill School for the Arts, the Natick institution known nationally for its arts training, has named Craig Sellers as its interim head of school, according to a MetroWest Daily News report circulating Thursday. Meanwhile, town officials opened a new community survey on the future of the Natick Fire Department, and a citywide debate over kratom sales in local shops continued to draw attention.
TOWN HALL
Natick's Fire Department is asking residents to weigh in on a strategic planning survey that will help shape priorities for local emergency response and safety services in the years ahead. The roughly five-minute survey, posted through the town's News Flash system, asks residents to identify what matters most to them in fire and EMS service delivery going forward.
SCHOOLS
Walnut Hill School for the Arts, the private arts high school based in Natick, has tapped Craig Sellers as interim head of school, according to a MetroWest Daily News report published Thursday. The paper reported that Sellers will lead the renowned arts school for the next two years, though further details on his background were not immediately available from town sources (read it at https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/story/news/education/2026/07/23/craig-sellers-named-interim-head-of-school-at-walnut-hill-arts-school-natick-ma/91007405007/).
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
"Natick Board of Health considering prohibition of natural and synthetic kratom" — the town's Board of Health is weighing a ban on kratom sales in local convenience and vape shops, with state regulators currently holding jurisdiction over the substance's status, according to the Natick Report, relayed via an emailed Google Alert (read it at https://www.natickreport.com/2026/07/natick-board-of-health-considering-prohibition-of-natural-and-synthetic-kratom/).
"🌱 Patch AM: Will Natick outlaw kratom sales in local convenience and vape shops?" — Natick Patch's morning roundup flagged the same kratom debate as a top story for residents to watch, alongside routine calendar notes on area events, according to Natick Patch (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/natick).
"MONTHS OF FEAR: A man who sported a creepy mime costume is facing charges after ..." — a Boston 25 News Facebook post referenced an incident involving a man in a mime costume allegedly harassing DCR employees near Cochituate State Park, an incident Natick Patch also referenced in a recent morning briefing, according to a Facebook post shared via Google Alert (read it at https://www.facebook.com/Boston25News/videos/man-in-mime-costume-allegedly-harassed-female-dcr-employees-at-cochituate-state-/1589692132864093/).
"Level99 Expands Growth Equity Commitment From Act III Holdings To $100 Million" — the entertainment venue chain, which opened its first location in Natick in 2021, has secured a new $100 million growth equity investment as it expands operations nationally, according to 01net (read it at https://www.01net.it/level99-expands-growth-equity-commitment-from-act-iii-holdings-to-100-million/).
COMING UP
The Johnson Future Use interim survey and the Fire Department's strategic-planning survey both remain open for resident feedback in the days ahead, with no stated deadline yet announced by the town. Construction on the Pickerel Pond floating boardwalk connector remains slated to begin in late August, per prior News Flash updates.