If you’re planning to vote in person, early voting started Saturday. All precincts vote at Wayland Town Building gymnasium. Hours are:
* Mondays: 8am – 7pm
* Tuesdays – Thursdays: 8am-4pm
* Fridays: 8am-12:30pm
* Saturday: 2pm -6pm
* Sunday: 8am -12pm
If instead you’re voting via mail or dropbox, are you wondering whether your ballot has been mailed, or whether your returned ballot has been accepted? Check online here. [Note: there are two dropboxes in Wayland, one just outside the doors to the Public Safety Building, and the other in the vestibule at Town Building.]
Because Wayland is split into two districts for the house representative race, there are two different ballots for Wayland residents (one for precincts 1-3 and a separate one for Precinct 4). Some residents received the incorrect ballot. Before mailing or dropping off your early voting ballot, check to see that it’s for the correct precinct. Details from the Town Clerk are online here.
The Town is running community flu clinics in October, and registration will be available later this week. Click here for details.
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
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Wayland News
News in the past few weeks
* Coach Grill Employee Tests Postive for Coronavirus. At least one employee at the Coach Grill restaurant in Wayland has tested positive for coronavirus, but health officials say no patrons were exposed.
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.
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 19
* Board of Selectmen, 5pm. Agenda includes: Hazard Mitigation Plan, COVID-19 update, River’s Edge, FY22 Budget, Town Administrator update
Superintendent Search Community Focus Group, Thursday, October 22, 7-8pm. The School Committee is in the process of searching for our next superintendent of schools as Dr. Unobskey will be leaving Wayland at the end of the school year. We would love your input! Please join us for a one hour community focus group designed to obtain input about the attributes, experience and knowledge that the new superintendent should possess. All of this information will greatly assist the School Committee and the Screening Committee as they interview candidates. Join via Zoom: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71355981225?pwd=T25OZDFTaGhna2t2My9ibVFBZ1huUT09
Meeting ID: 713 5598 1225
Passcode: Br8XHr
Spotlight on Committee Reports and Other Town News. As the Buzz works to get their sea legs under us again after the death of Executive Producer Ken Isaacson, this week their show will be devoted exclusively to Committee Reports and other town news. Please bear with them. They expect to re-launch the interview portion of our show within the month. Highlights this week include:
* School Committee releases metrics for openings and closings
* Housing Production Plan (HPP) under discussion
* Library adds more services
* River’s Edge on target for building permit
* Incorrect ballots possibly mailed to residents
* Buzz still seeking co-producer
In the meantime, remember that The Buzz airs on Sundays and Tuesdays, at 10am and 6pm on your public cable channel (Comcast Ch. 8; Verizon Ch. 37), and online on-demand anytime at WayCAM.tv/buzz
The latest from the Wayland Library (full newsletter online here)
Adult Programs:
* Everything to Gain and Nothing to Lose: African-American Women in Boston’s Women’s Suffrage Movement (October 19)
* Return of the Wayland Ukulele Club (Mondays)
* Evening Book Group (David Sedaris), November 2
* Noon Book Group (Enduring Love), November 13
* Pumpkin Decorating Contest (through October 26)
* Parenting for Social Justice through Co-Constructive, Race-Conscious Reading (October 21)
Pop-Up Library. It could happen anytime, just like that. Right in our parking lot, whenever the fancy strikes us. We set up a scanner and laptop, wheel out a couple of carts of great new books, DVDs, and children’s books, and bingo! A library for anyone who lives in the moment (which is everyone right now). Keep an eye out and your to-read list ready!
Donations Welcome Again. The Friends of the Wayland Free Public Library are excited to accept your book donations again! Like surrounding libraries, they’ve partnered with Bay State Books and can now accept books/DVDs/CDs/puzzles. Look for the large white donation bins in the far corner of the parking lot (not the regular book return bin). Stay tuned for details about when, where, and how they’ll resume sales. Please, no household goods; just books and media in clean condition.
For Families: Pumpkin Decorating Contest. Enter our 2nd annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest! Compete for best carved or best decorated pumpkin in your age group. We will have contests for kids ages 3-11, teens ages 12-18, and adults ages 19 and up. Submit photos of your pumpkin by October 26, then vote online. Winners will be announced on October 30! Questions? contact cmichael@minlib.net. Stop and Shop generously donated pumpkins for this event.
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.
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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