Wayland had twenty cases of COVID reported at the last Board of Health meeting, and case reports in the schools have been coming at about one per day. Please continue to follow state guidelines.
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.
Waylandenews Executive Director Kim Reichelt is a member of the Wayland School Committee
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Wayland News
News in the past week
* Wayland foundation honors camp counselor. Grace Chen has been named the 2020 winner of the Grace Johnson Volunteer Appreciation Award by the Parmenter Foundation of Wayland for her commitment to childhood cancer patients and survivors.
For those who are in need of basic food resources, please call 508-358-7701.
COA Flashlight Drive. Give the gift of light (and safety)! The Council on Aging is conducting a flashlight drive during December so we can help older residents be prepared for the inevitable winter power outages. Please drop off new flashlights (and batteries, if you can) in our box just inside the front entrance to the Town Building. You can also order a flashlight online and have it sent to us at COA, 41 Cochituate Rd, Wayland, MA 01778. Thank you for your help supporting Wayland’s seniors!
Thrive Launches Holiday Toy Drive for 30 Families in Need.Thrive Support & Advocacy, a nonprofit empowering youth and adults with developmental disabilities, is sponsoring a Holiday Wish List Drive to support 30 families in the Thrive community who need additional assistance to ease the financial burden of the holidays. Individuals can make a monetary donation at www.icanthrive.org to help Thrive staff purchase gifts from each family’s wish list on Amazon. A $150 donation is enough to buy an entire family’s wish list and donations of a lesser amount will be used to purchase individual items. Thrive’s goal is to raise $5,000 to fulfill the wishes of all 30 families by Dec. 18. For more information, email Lorrie Marcoulier or call 508-485-4227, ext. 1113.
The W Holiday Auction. Please join the W Gallery’s Holiday Auction to support our online exhibits in the time of the pandemic and find some unique gifts for family and friends during this season. We strive to support our local artists through virtual galleries and events. Please help us to continue fulfill our mission of bringing art and creativity to the community. To participate:
* Register by creating a 32Auctions account
* Review the auction artwork
* Bid using your PayPal account or credit card – keep in mind item delivery varies artist by artist, make sure to check if the piece can be picked up or shipped.
Project Pajama seeks donations for holiday season. Kim Bruno and Giselle Shardlow are collecting brand-new, unwrapped girls and boys pajamas, sizes 6 to 16, November 23 – December 16. Please place donations of new pajamas in the holiday wrapped boxes outside of their homes. Donation locations are:
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.
Links to join the meetings via zoom are posted on each agenda. The call-in number for public comment during board and committee teleconference meetings is 508-358-6812.
Monday, December 7
* School Committee, 3pm. Agenda includes: planning for remainder of school year, including additional Kindergarten in-person days, all-in model, reallocated resources, financial implications
* Finance Committee, 5pm. Agenda includes FY22 capital budget presentation
* Board of Selectmen, 5pm. Agenda includes: 2021 Annual Town Meeting, COVID-19 update, FY22 budget review, FY21 school budget
Tuesday, December 8
* Board of Public Works, 5pm. Agenda includes: Transfer Station future financial structure, proposed CPC projects, Director’s operational report, short/long term goals
The latest from the Wayland Library (full newsletter online here)
Adult Programs:
* The Library is (sort of!) open again! Appointments available for browsing
* Evening Book Group (December 7)
* Author Talk: The Language of Liberty (December 10)
* New tutors in Library’s ESOL program
* Holiday closings (Dec 24 at 12pm-December 25, and Dec 31 at 3pm-January 1)
Why Are Things I Returned Still On My Card? Because we quarantine everything for three days before we check it in. And if you returned them over the weekend, that could add a day. But never fear—we’ll waive any late fees generated by the delayed check-in.
For Families:Holiday Gift Guides. Looking for the perfect gifts for the readers on your list? We can help! We have book gift recommendations for children, teens, and adults. Request a print copy for your curbside pickup bag or download copies for children, teens, andadults.
Remembering Lauren. 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of Lauren Dunne Astley’s murder in Wayland. Due to COVID concerns, a virtual memorial will be held on April 1, 2021, what would have been Lauren’s 28th birthday. Those organizing the event are reaching out to families who knew Lauren and have photos or memories they’d be willing to share in a slideshow. Submissions may be made to Lauren’s mother, Mary, at msmarykathryn@gmail.com. The organizing committee thanks you in advance.
Letters to Santa Mailbox at Public Safety Building. Santas mail box was dropped off the other day at the public safety building 38 Cochituate Rd. If you have a letter for Santa, please stop by to drop it off. Santas ride revised schedule will be out soon.
Sounds of the Season. On Wednesday, December 16 at 1:30pm, join us on Zoom to warm up with some beloved holiday classics. Michael Goodwin, a professional entertainer who combines performance, lecture and video clips, will explore the origins of the Christmas carol and discover a little Hanukkah magic, too. Participate on Zoom or by telephone. Contact the Council on Aging to sign up: 508-358-2990 or coa@wayland.ma.us.
New tutors trained in Wayland’s ESOL Program. Immigrants in our area who want to improve their competency in English now have greater opportunities. Ten generous and enthusiastic people have recently completed a training course and are now certified to be tutors of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). These recent “graduates” include five from Wayland – Lois Galluzzo, Judy Goldberg, Britt Rjanikov, Maureen Tillett and Namrata Trehan; two from Sudbury – Cathy Pinto and Marie Taylor; two from Weston – Theresa Levinson and Ann Killeen; and one from Stow – Yvonne Yoneshige. These new tutors, like those who were trained last winter, and some who have been tutoring for years, work one-to-one with learners from various countries. Learners recently matched with our new tutors have come from Israel, Turkey, Syria, Guatemala, Venezuela and China. As all tutoring must be done remotely due to the pandemic, tutors are using whatever technology works for both tutor and learner, be it FaceTime, Skype, Zoom or simply phone and email. As usual, we can put all possible tutors to work with waiting learners. The next tutor-training course will be offered in the winter, probably starting in late February. Tutors do not need to know another language, nor do they need to know every detail of English grammar. For more information email Ginny Steel or call her at 781-541-4919.
Wayland Middle School 2020 December Chorus Concert presented online. The Wayland Middle School 2020 December Chorus Concert is available online here. We can’t perform together in the auditorium this year, but we are happy to have found a way to bring some music to our community. Hope you enjoy it!
Listings from Prior Newsletters
December “Drive-In Movie Series” at Claypit Hill School, sponsored by WHSTE
The Wayland High School Theater Ensemble is proud to present these two Family Movie Nights, as well as their original, “part-film, part-performance” Fall Play, SEUL, as part of this series. With over 30 WHS students involved in SEUL, WHSTE is thrilled to premiere this work with you in a live experience.
Families of Wayland: Please join us for Family Movie Night! In the Claypit Parking Lot, enjoy these two Pixar movies on a 40 foot movie screen, and from the comfort of your own car! Tickets are $25/car
* Thursday, December 17: Pixar’s INSIDE OUT at 6:30pm.
* Friday, December 18: Pixar’s WALL-E at 5:00pm.
WHSTE’s SEUL Performances
* Thursday, December 17 at 4:30pm
* Friday, December 18 at 8:00pm
Tickets are $25 a car.
Drive-In Movie technical support provided by Boston Light and Sound. For tickets, visit www.showtix4u, and search “Wayland High School Theater Ensemble”. Only 60 spots for each film! Online, pre-sale ONLY.
Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund Calls for Mini-Grant Applicants.Announcing Mini-grant Funding for Projects in Effective Teen Relationships & Violence Prevention, the Arts, and Community Service
Following the success of past years, The Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund is offering an exciting program to fund small projects in three areas: Effective Teen Relationships & Violence Prevention, the Arts, and Community Service. In Lauren’s spirit and memory, grants of up to $2,000 are now available for individuals and groups with dynamic project ideas in any of the above areas. This year the LDAMF will especially value initiatives that aim to work creatively to make a difference even in these socially-distant times. Keep on sparkling! Interested parties are invited to complete an online application by January 31, 2021. New applicants encouraged! The application form can be found online at https://laurendunneastleymemorialfund.org/
It’s Girl Scout Cookie Time! We can’t go door-to-door just yet, but you can get all your favorite girl scout cookies shipped directly to you! Send cookies to the people you miss, treat yourself, or donate to our Community Caring program. And be sure to try our new Toast-Yay! cookie. If you are not contacted by a local girl scout (via text, email, or social media), order online at bit.ly/wgsCookies and your order will support Wayland Girl Scout troops. Still $5/box (plus shipping). Thank you for supporting Wayland Girl Scouts!
Boy Scout Christmas tree underway! Wayland Boy Scouts just received our shipment of gorgeous, fragrant, fresh, balsam fir Christmas trees grown in Maine. Starting on Saturday 11/28 at the Community United Methodist Church, 80 Main St. (Route 27), Troop 1 will be selling trees and wreaths with bows in various diameters. Come early to get your favorite size and shape! Hours are Saturdays 8:30am-5:30pm and Sundays 12-5:30pm. The tree will be secured to the roof of your car. Thanks for supporting Troop 1 Cochituate/ Wayland. [Note: Due to Covid-19 supplies of Christmas trees are very limited in New England and our selection is smaller than usual. Migrant workers were not able to enter states to harvest trees. Additionally, 2008 recession caused farmers to plant fewer trees for a few years, the average tree takes 10 to 12 years to grow, which has now resulted in shortages.]
Holiday Hours Added; The Wayland Depot will be open Sundays, 12 – 4, starting November 29. Enhance your virtual holiday gatherings with a new serving piece, or send a lovely handcrafted gift if you can’t attend yourself. Have a new baby to be thankful for? Give thanks with a special gift from The Wayland Depot. We have adorable and practical baby bibs, popular cloth books, and beautiful hand-knit sweater sets. Help us celebrate 40 years of volunteer service to the town. We are keeping volunteers and shoppers safe with all COVID protocols. Shop small, local, and uncrowded at The Wayland Depot. Hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 12pm – 4pm. One Cochituate Road (Rte. 27), Wayland, MA 01778
Call for Art for the W Gallery Holiday Auction. Arts Wayland is offering an exciting holiday sales opportunity to all artists and artisans. We will be hosting The W Gallery Holiday Auction, from December 1 through December 6 on the 32auctions website. We are hoping to include a variety of fine crafts (jewelry, pottery, glassworks, woodworks, fiber arts) as well as original artwork. We feel confident that this will be a successful holiday shopping event given the stunning success of our Harvest Moon Auction in early October. This unique opportunity is available to both members and non-members. Please visit our website (online here) to learn more about the logistics of how the auction will work. To submit items for the auction, please complete our form online here. The deadline for submissions is November 24, 2020.
No Children’s Holiday Shoppe this year. With regret, the Council on Aging has determined that we cannot hold our annual Children’s Holiday Shoppe in December due to COVID restrictions. After 32 years, this beloved Wayland tradition will take a break. But stay tuned….we are tossing around some creative ideas for spring 2021!
Working on a COVID creation? In response to our arts community during this unprecedented time, Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) has extended the deadline for applications to December 14, 2020. Please enjoy this online toolkit or connect with Wayland Cultural Council members if you have any questions. https://www.mass-culture.org/lcc_public.aspx
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Pandemic or no pandemic—we need the arts. Maybe now more than ever!
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.
* Monday, December 14: Final application deadline extended
* 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.
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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