WaylandeNews weekly newsletter

Domestic Violence Roundtable’s Purple Lights Campaign. Why are those buildings purple? Purple, it is said, is the color of courage, survival, honor, and hope. It is also the color recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which takes place each October. During this month, domestic violence service providers use the color purple to raise awareness about the prevalence of domestic violence and the 3 to 4 women and girls who are murdered each day in our country within intimate relationships. Some people in witness and protest wear purple clothing, attach a purple pin, or tie a purple ribbon around a tree. For the past two years, the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable, in collaboration with the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund, and First Parish Unitarian Universalist went beyond that. We lit several faith and public buildings in Sudbury, Wayland, and Lincoln in purple. Some of you may have seen them. It was a beautiful and dramatic display that both honored those lost to domestic violence and brought awareness to the community that domestic violence has no borders. We want to do that again this year, bigger, brighter, and more powerful than ever. There are three main ways to participate in the purple lights campaign. Those representing Public Buildings and Faith Communities may request to participate by emailing Sue Rushfirth at infodvrt@gmail.com or suerpt@gmail.com. We invite local businesses to join in by adding their own purple lights. Homeowners may also take part by installing purple bulbs in their door and porch lights and their lampposts. An effective 4.5 watt Feit purple LED Electric bulb is available inexpensively and locally at Ace Hardware in Wayland. Let’s light up our towns and stand with survivors of domestic violence and their families!

Dignity Matters Fundraiser. Drop Off Location – 7 Spencer Circle, Wayland. Now through October 17

Jenna Brandaleone, a senior at Wayland High School, is collecting items for a local charity called Dignity Matters. Dignity Matters collects, purchases and supplies feminine hygiene products, bras and underwear to women and girls experiencing homelessness or living in poverty in Massachusetts. Their mission is to help them stay healthy, regain confidence, and live with basic dignity. Donation will be collected at 7 Spencer Circle in Wayland now through October 17. To view a list of requested items, click here. To learn more about this organization, click here.

8th Annual Pam’s Run – We’re going virtual!

5K Run/Walk, 10K Run Community is not cancelled

We’re going virtual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic so that you can participate safely and responsibly. Use our course (maps available via this page) or chart your own – a sidewalk, trail or treadmill – anytime between October 18 and October 24. Registration: $40 ($35 if you register before September 1). Join a team and get $5 off (for teams of 9 or more). See details on the Get Involved page. Guaranteed free shirt or bandana for early-bird registrations (before September 1); while supplies last thereafter. A small shipping fee will be charged to cover the cost of mailing.

Self-timed results

The Wayland Public Schools Foundation is organizing a fundraiser at BOUNDLESS ADVENTURE on Monday, October 12 to benefit all five Wayland Public Schools.

Boundless Adventure (Berlin, MA) is an outdoor adventure aerial park featuring a combination of zip lines and high ropes courses. Nine courses accommodate climbers of all levels – participants need to be at least 7 years old to climb. You can select your own starting time and spectators are welcome to watch at no cost. Pre-register and check-in online prior to arrival. All climbers are required to wear gloves (either bring your own or purchase a new pair at the adventure park), plus a facial covering during the safety briefing and on platforms. Purchase tickets online here. For more information about the park, click here.

We can’t wait to see you in the trees! Join us and climb to benefit the Wayland Public Schools! Rain Date: Wednesday, November 11

Learn How to Support Survivors of Domestic Violence. The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable invites you to join their October meeting. This gathering will feature staff from REACH Beyond Domestic Violence leading a discussion entitled “What to Do, What to Say.” The meeting will take place via Zoom on Tuesday October 13. REACH’s “What to Do, What to Say” community training increases participants’ knowledge and skills. As friends and family, we all have the potential to play a unique role in supporting survivors of domestic violence. This 1-hour workshop will review warning signs and patterns of abusive relationships, identify available resources, and develop the skills of friends, family, and neighbors to support loved ones in their lives. Registration is required and can be completed by visiting the Roundtable’s website. Please note, the meeting will be recorded. Those who wish to not be viewed in the recording are encouraged to turn off their video. We will hide those with videos turned off from the recording. Folks are also welcome to change their name for the meeting. We will review how to hide video and change one’s name at the start of the meeting. Email with questions.

Be a Tutor of English – English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). Have you ever thought about tutoring someone in English (even during a pandemic)? The Friends of the Wayland Library support a program in which volunteers are trained to become tutors and are matched with learners for one-to-one tutoring. The tutor training has two main functions: to give the tutor practical skills and broadly applicable techniques, and to enhance the tutor’s understanding of the needs of adult learners. Prior to COVID, the tutor typically met with the learner once a week for an hour or so, at a mutually convenient location, often at the Wayland Library. The library has an excellent collection of resources for tutoring, from workbooks to easy-reading fiction and biography to role-playing and games. Currently, tutors and learners are working remotely, using Zoom, Skype, Facetime, or simple phone and email. Extra mentoring is offered, to help tutors find resources online. It is important to note that the tutor does not need knowledge of any language other than English and does not need prior teaching experience. Effective tutors come from a range of experiences, skills, and ages. Ginny Steel and Jane Albert, Co-Directors of Wayland’s ESOL program, conduct the training sessions, and are available for ongoing support during the tutoring relationship. The tutor training class this fall will be on Zoom, 6-9pm on five consecutive Wednesday evenings, October 7, 14, 21 and 28 and November 4. For more information or to enroll in this fall’s tutor-training course, you can email Ginny Steel or call her at 508-358-7517. Complete posting online here.

Donate to the COVID-19 Relief Fund at wayland.ma.us/donate

For more information about the fund, click here

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.

Donations may be made online at www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org

or a check may be mailed to: The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable, P.O. Box 543, Sudbury, MA 01776

The latest from the Wayland Library (full newsletter online here)

Eco-Landscaping Webinar with Energize Wayland and Sudbury Valley Trustees. September 30, 2020 07:30pm. Fall is here, time to think about fall eco friendly cleanups and it’s a great time to plant for next year. Consider a redesign with less mowing and lawn care, more pollinator plants that support birds, bees and butterflies, fewer invasive species and more native plants. It’s all possible! Sponsored by Sudbury Valley Trustees, the Jewish Climate Action Network, and Energize Wayland. Register online here.

Free Flu Clinics offered by the Wayland Health Department. Flu clinics will be held at the Town Building (outside) using a drive through model -please note, there may be an online pre-registration process. More information on the flu clinic will follow as well as online pre-registration if it becomes available as we get closer to the clinic dates. Information will also be posted on our website: https://www.wayland.ma.us/health-department

2020 Senior Flu Clinic Schedule. The Wayland Health Department will again be offering FREE Appointment-based Flu Vaccination Clinics for Seniors. This year we are very excited to announce that we are able to offer online registration! Please go to the Town of Wayland Health Department website to register for your appointment online starting October 1 at: https://www.wayland.ma.us/health-department. If you need assistance registering please call us at 508-358-6805. We will be using a drive through model (outside) at Town Building rear parking lot. When you arrive for your appointment please proceed to the rear parking lot where signage and assistance will be provided (please arrive for the scheduled appointment time).

Community Health Clinic Schedule. The Wayland Health Department along with our Wayland Resident Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Volunteers will be providing FREE Injectable Flu Vaccine Clinics for ALL interested individuals aged 6mos and up.

Flu clinics will be held on the following Wednesdays in October:

There is no out of pocket expense but please bring your insurance cards. Reimbursement is provided through your insurance provider, all reimbursement is used to offset this and other public health programs to Wayland Residents.

Limited doses of Pneumococcal, Prevnar and Tdap vaccine will be available at the Community Clinics for those individuals who meet the criteria set forth by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) AND have reserved a dose, information will be provided on reserving a dose closer to the clinic dates. We will not be providing “flu mist” this year.

Join Wayland Girl Scouts. Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts is the place where a G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader) can transform her ideas into action, turn her questions into adventure, and grow her confidence through practice. She can discover all she can be and do when she has the right tools and a safe space to shine. We are forming troops at all three elementary schools. If your daughter is interested in Scouting, we will be holding VIRTUAL Daisy Samplers on Tuesday, September 29, 4:00 – 4:30 pm and Thursday, October 1st, 4:00 – 4:30 pm. Both samplers are open to girls in Kindergarten and 1st grade from all three elementary schools. The theme is “Making New Friends” and the girls will get an idea of what being a Daisy Girl Scout is like. We will be holding Parent Information Sessions on Tuesday, September 29, 7:00 – 7:30 pm and Thursday, October 1st, 7:00 – 7:30 pm. All meetings online. Zoom details will be supplied via your RSVP. Please RSVP to Karen Montague if you are interested in signing your daughter up for the sampler or if you are planning on attending the Parent Information Session. If you have daughters interested in joining a troop at the Brownie and above level or can’t make the meetings above or any questions about Girl Scouts, please email Karen..

Online, interactive antiracism workshop, White People Challenging Racism: Moving From Talk to Action, to be offered in Wayland via Zoom starting October 1, 2020. Join fellow Wayland residents in learning and sharing the history of systemic racism and how it affects each of us individually and as a nation. You will develop a personalized, specific plan for challenging racism in the workplace, an organization, or in the community, while being encouraged to find other people in your life who can provide support and serve as an accountability partner in implementing your plan. Wherever you may be in your own journey, this workshop will broaden and deepen your experience. Class size is limited to the first 8 people to register. Click here to learn more.  Click here to register.

Music-making continues virtually. Wayland’s favorite senior singers continue to lift their voices together every week, and YOU can join the fun by (old-school) telephone or (new-school) computer, tablet or smartphone. After 32 years of music-making, we’re determined to stay connected and healthy with singing! Contact us at goldentones.org, or call 508-318-6318 to learn how to join our one-hour “virtual rehearsals,” weekly on Tuesdays at 10am, and Fridays at 2pm, beginning Sep. 15. There are no auditions and no attendance requirements, only a friendly group of music-lovers from all over MetroWest who enjoy singing, dancing and music-making to pop classics and show tunes.

Deluxe Thinkers Free Math Tutoring for Fall 2020. Deluxe Thinkers is offering a free, weekly tutoring session at a set time on Saturday. Your child will meet individually with a Deluxe Thinkers tutors in a Zoom breakout room. Your child can ask questions about the material they are learning or ask the tutor to help them move ahead with the curriculum. The Fall Program is open for all Elementary & Middle school students. The first session will be on Saturday, September 20, time to be determined. RSVP by emailing deluxethinkers@gmail.com

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.