Do you know if you’ve requested an early voting ballot? Wondering where your ballot is, or if you’re even registered to vote? Check here for details on voting.
The Town is running community flu clinics in October, and registration will be available later this week. Click here for details.
The Health Department warns that there have been four recent cases of West Nile Virus in Massachusetts, three with exposure in Middlesex County. A mosquito collected last week in Wayland tested positive for West Nile. Details and recommended precautions are online here.
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.
Olive the Cat has been missing from her home on Davelin Rd. since Monday. She is a bit naughty and loves to go off for walks. She wears a collar and is micro chipped. Please let us know if you spot her. Cell no: 832-646-1866. $100 cash reward offered.
Any updates on Olive will be posted online here. More photos are available via that link.
Wayland News
News in the past few weeks
* Wayland School Committee votes to try to bring kindergartners to school on Oct. 5. The School Committee voted 3-1 last week to try to bring kindergartners back into school buildings on Oct. 5, earlier than the Oct. 19 date for bringing the rest of the students back in a hybrid model. [Note: subsequent to this meeting, Dr. Unobskey sent a 9/29 email to K families informing them that facilities work will not be completed in time to support a start to K in-person classes before the initial October 19 plan.]
* Study Buddies program connects WHS and elementary school students. With remote school starting up again, students are spending their days inside and staring at a computer for several hours. For elementary school and younger students, this is a difficult task because they need to get outside, be active and make new friends. However, sophomore Riley Leichliter has created a solution: Study Buddies.
* $150K Grant For Wayland Will Buy Hybrid Police Vehicle. Wayland recently received a state grant to make environmentally friendly upgrades around town — including the purchase of a hybrid electric vehicle for Wayland police.
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.
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.
or a check may be mailed to: The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable, P.O. Box 543, Sudbury, MA 01776
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
Monday, October 5
* Board of Selectmen, 5pm. Agenda includes: traffic commissioners, Potter Rd/Stonebridge Rd capital project update, Municipal Separate Storm Water Sewer System update, Financial Review, restaurant seating approvals, committee appointments, Route 20 South Landfill charge, COVID-19 update, Town Administrator update
* Board of Library Trustees, 9am. Agenda includes: CAGE materials, ESL trainer, Monthly Reports, COVID-19 response, Holiday Closings for 2020, including School Committee’s decision to drop Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous People’s Day
Shine a Light Community Vigil Against Domestic Violence. Please join us online or outdoors on Wednesday, October 14 at 7:00 p.m. to shine a light on the issue of Domestic Violence in our communities. Everyone is asked to register at https://tinyurl.com/purplelightvigil. We will be joined by civic and religious community leaders from Wayland, Lincoln, and Sudbury. The Vigil will also gather outdoors on the First Parish in Wayland Lawn –masks and social distancing required. Up-to-date information on this event, which recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month, can be found at https://www.uuwayland.org.
The Purple Lights Campaign, in which several local organizations participate, honors Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The campaign raises awareness about the prevalence of domestic violence and the three to four women and girls who are murdered each day in our country within intimate relationships.
This event is cosponsored by the Wayland Interfaith Leaders Association, the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable, and the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund.
Council on Aging Events:
* I Now Pronounce You Lucy Stone. On Zoom, Wed. Oct. 14, 1:30pm. In honor of the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, professional actress, educator and living historian Judith Kalaora portrays Lucy Stone in a passionate and educational theatrical production. As an ardent supporter of human rights, Lucy inspired thousands to join the suffrage movement, including Susan B. Anthony. Brought to you by History at Play TM LLC, and generously sponsored by The Village Bank. Call the Council on Aging at 508-358-2990 or email coa@wayland.ma.us to register.
* Be a Good Ancestor. On Zoom, Thursday, October 8, 1:30pm. If a future descendent wants to learn more about you, what information will they find? Genealogist Seema Kenney looks at ways to leave future researchers and genealogists something to find. Kenney is the owner of Ancestral Books, Legacy & Education, and a member of several genealogy societies. A Q&A period will follow her presentation. To register, call the Council on Aging at 508-358-2990 or email coa@wayland.ma.us.
The Wayland Cultural Council is a group of volunteers, appointed by Wayland’s Select Board, who work to support the artistic and cultural life of our town. Each year the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, through the Massachusetts Cultural Council, gives Wayland a grant of money to support the arts and interpretive sciences. The Wayland Cultural Council awards grants to local individuals and groups who have submitted grant applications for projects that promote access, education, diversity and excellence in these three areas.
Given the need for innovative responses to challenges brought by the coronavirus, this year the Wayland Cultural Council eagerly invites applications for grants. We hope to be able to support local arts presentations in this difficult time. Due to the pandemic, the grant application schedule has been delayed, but grant application forms will be available very soon. The following are important dates:
* Thursday, October 1, 2020: Applications are open and available at mass-culture.org.
* Monday, November 16: Final applications are due.
* Tuesday, December 1: Evaluation of applications by local cultural councils begins. Voting meetings will be held to decide on funding by January 2021. Decisions will be announced by early January 2021, and will be finalized by February 16, 2021.
Wayland Weekly Buzz Resumes With Committee Reports Only for Several Weeks. The Wayland Weekly Buzz will resume on Sunday, October 11 with Committee Reports only. We expect to resume our interviews in several weeks. Please stay tuned for updates. The Buzz airs on Sundays and Tuesdays, at 10am and 6pm on your Public cable channel (Comcast Channel 8; Verizon Channel 37). And online on-demand anytime at the Buzz website, WayCAM.tv/buzz
Listings from Prior Newsletters
Wayland Depot open for Fall Season. Wednesday through Saturday, 12pm – 4pm, One Cochituate Road (Rte. 27), Wayland, MA 01778
Select the perfect gift for any occasion or special event. Pick out a creative piece of new jewelry for yourself that will stand out in your virtual meetings. Locally crafted wooden boxes, pottery pieces, handmade scarves along with Massachusetts maple products, local honey, books by local authors, and an assortment of Wayland Booster apparel can all be found at The Wayland Depot. The Wayland Depot is celebrating 40 years of volunteer service to the town. We will be keeping volunteers and shoppers safe with social distancing COVID protocols.
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 approximately October 7 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:
* October 14 11am-5pm
* October 21 11am-5pm
* October 28 2pm – 7pm
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.
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.
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.
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