We have finally finished updating our website, so please if you haven’t visited lately, check back there now, and let us know if you have any suggestions to improve the site. Visit us at https://www.waylandenews.com
Town Meeting has been scheduled for September 12 (and 13 if needed). It will be held outdoors at Wayland High School. Check here for details.
Visit our Events Calendaronline here. Most events are, of course, online.
Mission: A question many of us have asked over the last five months of the pandemic is, “What can I do to help? I really want to do something!” Because of COVID-19 restrictions, finding ways to help that are safe for others as well as ourselves is challenging. Donating to the Town of Wayland’s COVID-19 Relief Fund is one safe and effective way to help others. Over the last 21 weeks, the Relief Fund has been used to purchase grocery items for as many as 20 households a week, a total of 354 deliveries.
Waylandenews Executive Director Kim Reichelt is a member of the Wayland School Committee
If you would like to submit a post on our website, click here for information on how to add your post.
Wayland News
News in the past few weeks
* WayCAM Remembers: Ken Isaacson. WayCAM’s staff and our Board of Directors sadly bring this sad news to our community that Ken Isaacson passed away on August 30, 2020. We remember how much Ken gave to our organization and the impact he had on the Community of Wayland.
* Blue-Green Algae in North Pond of Lake Cochituate. Visual observations provided by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) indicate the presence of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) cells in the North Pond of Lake Cochituate. Cyanobacteria was observed by DCR staff at various locations in North Pond, including near Saxonville Beach and Wayland Town Beach.
* Eversource recognizes Wayland student as a winner of its Annual Student Challenge. Eversource recently honored Claypit Hill Elementary School student Caroline Kiernan as a finalist in the 7th annual Eversource Student Challenge. The contest encourages Massachusetts K-12 students to develop projects, based on their grade-level, to highlight the importance of various energy-saving measures. Submissions range from designing billboards and writing news articles to creating superhero characters and showcasing persuasive images.
* Wayland resident excited about grants to Jeff’s Place. Jeff’s Place Children’s Bereavement Center, the Framingham-based not-for-profit that provides free grief support groups for families who have experienced a significant death loss, has received $95,662 in grants from several local and regional organizations.
* Boston Magazine ranks The Best Public High Schools in Greater Boston. Their list ranks Wayland at #8. Top 10 on their list are: Acton-Boxborough, Littleton, Lincoln-Sudbury, Lexington, Weston, Bromfield School, Concord-Carlisle, Wayland, Dover-Sherborn and Boston Latin.
* Teen bicyclist struck by car in Wayland, seriously injured, fire chief says. A teen bicyclist suffered “significant” injuries Tuesday after a crash involving a car, authorities said. The 13-year-old boy was taken to Boston Children’s Hospital by a medical rescue helicopter, Fire Chief Neil McPherson said.
For those who are in need of basic food resources, please call 508-358-7701.
Announcing a Special Opportunity to Help Survivors of Domestic Violence During Covid 19. Your past support of the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable’s Shower for Shelters (SfS) has been very important to its success, and we greatly appreciate all of your past contributions of household goods. Now that we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic, and it is not feasible to collect in-kind donations. Therefore, we are reaching out to our supporters in the hope that you are able to consider supporting SfS in a different way.
The current circumstances created by the pandemic are particularly difficult for many families affected by domestic violence, and our agency partners who deliver direct services tell us that the demand for services is at historic levels. Stay at home orders, closed schools and camps, and job losses present unique challenges and dangers for families struggling with domestic violence or trying to get free from an abusive relationship. This increased demand for services is expected to continue for some time and will exceed normal operating costs for these agencies.
The Roundtable has received a special donation from a generous donor which has enabled us to offer a challenge grant. We will match up to $2,500 in new contributions through Labor Day, September 7, 2020. All funds raised will be given to our agency partners to fund the most urgent needs of their clients during the pandemic. We respectfully ask that you consider a donation that will help save lives and provide for basic needs.
The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable
P.O. Box 543
Sudbury, MA 01776
We hope that everyone is staying healthy. We wish you the best and thank you for your consideration of our request.
Join the MRC! New Medical Reserve Corps Volunteers are always needed! We have a great group of volunteers, however, we would love to recruit new members. If you are interested in helping out your community and would like to volunteer please contact the Health Department at Health@wayland.ma.us.
Upcoming Meetings
Meeting Schedule for The Week: See the Town Website’s Calendar online here. Please check the online calendar for the latest updates, as meetings noted below could have been updated (change in date, time or location) since we captured them. Also, some meetings could have been added since we collected the calendar information.
Please check the Town Calendar to confirm meeting times, locations and agenda. There can be updates from when we capture the schedule below.
The call-in number for public comment during board and committee teleconference meetings is 508-358-6812
* Take & Make Kits for Teens (September 12, 14 or 15)
* 6th/7th Grade Book Group on Zoom (Wednesday, September 16)
* Teen Graphic Novel Group (September 17)
* Teen Fiction Book Group (September 29)
Wayland ESOL program has adapted. The ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program of the Wayland Public Library continues in a new form during the pandemic. Tutors are still tutoring and learners are still learning English. Tutoring has become remote as tutors “meet” with their learners by FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, or simply by telephone and email. Prior to COVID-19 a tutor training class was held at the library each spring and fall. Adapting, as we must, the training class this fall will be done via Zoom, with the details to be published soon. Help with English is available for anyone who can use any form of virtual connection, and we would welcome more learner applicants. If you know of a possible learner, please let them know that we have tutors who would be happy to work with them. Contact Ginny Steel (781-541-4919 or virginia@thesteels.com) or Jane Albert (617-872-2714 or jane-esol@cohen-family.org) for more
information.
Listings from Prior Newsletters
Transportation for Wayland Seniors. Under a new, grant-funded program, the Wayland Council on Aging (COA) can now arrange for free taxi rides for seniors who have no other way to get to non-emergency medical appointments or other essential errands such as grocery shopping, visits to food pantries, or to pharmacies to pick up prescriptions. The program is funded by a Metropolitan Area Planning Council/ MassDevelopment grant designed to offer short-term support to communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wayland residents age 60 and over who find themselves without transportation options may contact the COA to request a ride. COA staff will review requests for compliance with the grant’s guidelines. For those who qualify, staff will make arrangements with either Tommy’s Taxi and JFK Transportation, who are partnering with the COA under the terms of the grant. Ride requests must be made at least one full business day in advance. The program runs through December 31, 2020, or until the funds are depleted. If you have questions or would like to ask about a ride, call the COA at 508-358-2990 or email coa@wayland.ma.us
Wayland Garden Club. The Wayland Garden Club continues to maintain gardens and planters throughout Wayland. While social distancing, Wayland Garden Club members continue to tend gardens at the Wayland Settlement sign on Boston Post Road, the Wayland Free Public Library and a pollinator garden on the Rail Trail. The Club also maintains planters at the Town’s public and historic buildings, as well as several traffic islands in town. For more information about the Club and membership, you can visit waylandgardenclub.org.
Would you like to serve on a Town Board or Committee? Many appointment opportunities, ranging from A-Z (literally! from the Audit Committee to the Zoning Board of Appeals) are posted online here.
Share this Newsletter: please feel free to forward this email to friends and neighbors. If you have suggestions or information to add to the website or future newsletter, please email us.
