To stay up to date on the latest in vaccination information from the Town, click here. The Town conducted a robo-call this weekend about vaccinations, and will be updating that page as they get new information.
Interested in running for town office?Click here for information on offices up for election. Nomination papers are due March 23. Last day to register to vote is April 21, and Town Elections will be held on May 11
Waylandenews Executive Director Kim Reichelt is a member of the Wayland School Committee
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Wayland News
News in the past week
* The Venmo Challenge surprises two lucky Wayland restaurants. Since the start of the pandemic, over 204 million videos have been made on TikTok with the hashtag “Venmo Challenge,” a challenge in which someone gifts a substantial tip to their server at a restaurant. When Jillian Kaplan first saw this challenge, she saw people doing it on a national level, but it didn’t seem very personal to her. With the help of Kiat Cormier, the founder of the Facebook group, “Chew on This,” she was able to bring this challenge to a local level.
* Wayland fifth-grader selling art to raise money for ADL. Wayland fifth-grader Olivia Gordon has launched Love Peace Care Hope, a creative effort to sell art images she created in order to raise money for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). If you have started to see care magnets around town, this is the story behind them.
* Construction on River’s Edge to start. The Board of Selectmen is pleased to announce that the town of Wayland and Alta at River’s Edge (Wood Partners) have closed on the property at 490 Boston Post Road, the site of the former Wayland-Sudbury Septage Facility. The culmination of eight years of work, the sale of this property accomplishes a number of financial, environmental and housing goals. This will also aesthetically enhance the entrance to Wayland from the west. Construction is slated to start immediately, with a phased opening of 218 rental units in 2022-23.
* Consultant may assist with Wayland police chief search. Town Administrator Louise Miller is interested in hiring Community Paradigm Associates of Plymouth to help with the search for Wayland’s next police chief. Sean Gibbons became Wayland’s interim police chief on Nov. 30 upon the retirement of Chief Patrick Swanick.
* Former Wayland students — one METCO, the other from town — examine race in a new podcast. Gloria Harrison’s father gave her 50 cents every morning to buy reduced-prices lunches at school. Instead, the then-third grader went straight to a bodega in Dorchester and bought all the candy she could: Boston baked beans, Laffy Taffy, squirrel nuts. She’d fill a paper brown bag with the “worst candy you can think of that would ruin your teeth” and store it in her backpack. Meanwhile, her friend Carrie Clifford brought yogurt or raisins to school. They’d often trade snacks during recess or lunchtime. It was 40 years ago. Podcast online here.
* Wayland’s Parlin Hospice Residence has closed. The Miriam Boyd Parlin Hospice Residence has closed. Beth Israel Lahey Health, which owned the 10-suite facility on Green Way, closed it at the end of January due to low patient count.
For those who are in need of basic food resources, please call 508-358-7701.
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, March 1
* Board of Health, 5:30pm. Agenda includes: COVID-19 case report, 105 Plain Rd Conservation Cluster Plan
* Finance Committee, 6:15pm. Agenda includes: Finance Director’s report, review of FinCom FY22 Draft Operating Budget, discussion and possible vote on FY21 Town Meeting articles
Tuesday, March 2
* Council on Aging, 1pm. Agenda includes: COA Community Center update, Director’s report, Baypath Elder Services update, Senior Tax Relief Committee update, Friends of the Wayland COA
* Planning Board, 6pm. Agenda includes: 412 Commonwealth Road Loker Field project, 105 Plain Rd Conservation Cluster development, updates on River’s Edge, Spencer Circle, Michael Rd, 104 Plain Rd
* Community Preservation Committee, 4pm. Agenda includes: discussion and potential vote on CPC Article for Restoration and Rehabilitation of 70-74 Main St
* Dungeons & Dragons Club: Session Zero (March 24)
* Gen Z Virtual Trivia Night (March 26)
Wayland Cultural Club Open Discussion: Arts and Culture in Our Town, March 9. The Wayland Cultural Council invites you to join us Tuesday, March 9 at 7 p.m. for a night of open discussion and community engagement. The Cultural Council will engage cultural organizations, individual creators and performers and Wayland residents interested in arts and culture in an open dialogue on the present state of the arts and culture in our town and the direction we hope to move in the future. We request the public’s guidance and vision for this important topic in the life of our community.
A safe space will be provided for a lively discussion on the topics of public art and fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of Wayland’s arts and cultural establishments and programs.
From global to local, large to modest venues, arts and culture have been a refuge from the dark days of COVID. Come share with us your ideas, experiences and visions as we slowly begin to plan our reengagement with our living communities.
Survey seeks stories of Lived Experiences in Wayland. The Wayland Lived Experiences Project, a grassroots story collecting initiative, launched a survey on International Human Rights Day, December 10 last year and it is open for participation to all who live, work, study, worship in or visit Wayland. It is a questionnaire that enables individuals to share personal accounts of mistreatment that they may have faced, on the basis of race , religion, sexual orientation, gender, nationality, or any other aspect of their identity. The Project gathers personal narratives through an anonymous survey so any individual can share their experience without fear.
This is a mid-collection snapshot and data continues to be gathered from various survey distributions around town. From the responses received so far – the top three categories of mistreatment are microaggressions, verbal, and non-verbal behaviors. We saw examples from such interactions across all aspects of town life, including but not limited to residents/neighbors, school authority figures and town officials/public figures. The majority of respondents characterize the mistreatment they experienced as motivated by a racial, cultural, or ethnic difference.
Sharing experiences is a way to influence systemic change locally. It is also a way to amplify the narratives and personalize them in a manner that allows them to become relatable, as we see through the eyes of people in the community whose voices may not yet have been heard. To that end, descriptive data from the survey findings will be published later this year with the goal of inspiring dialogue, raising awareness, breaking down barriers to seeking help, and promoting an inclusive, equitable and welcoming community.
The Lived Experiences survey is available online at WaylandLivedExperiences and online here. Thanks to First Parish of Wayland, paper copies of the survey are now available at selected locations around town, such as the Wayland public library, the Main offices at WHS and WMS. While the survey was initially available in English, it has now been translated into Spanish and Mandarin. For more information contact: WaylandLivedExperiences@gmail.com.
From the Council on Aging (Contact the COA at 508-358-2990 or coa@wayland.ma.us to sign up)
History of the Post Office through Stamps. Thursday, March 4, 1:30pm on Zoom. On Zoom. Presented by the Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History. View images of vintage US postage stamps and learn about the history of the US Post Office from the first letters carried on the Boston Post Road to the current postal challenges. Learn about the Pony Express, and the carrying of mail by railroads, buses, boats, trolleys, rockets, dog sleds, camels and mules.
Adventures in Lifelong Learning: Zoom with Whom. Wednesday, March 3, On Wed., March 3 at 1pm. Join with our former COA colleague and friend Maureen DeJong to hear about Adventures in Lifelong Learning, a partnership between Framingham State Univ. and the Framingham Public Library that offers courses free of charge (or for a voluntary donation) for adults sixty and over. Hear about the wide range of topics covered in the April courses (something for everyone) and opportunities to join together for Brown Bag lunches via Zoom. Bring your curiosity, your questions and your ideas for courses you’d like to take in the future.
ArtsWayland presents February Members Salon at the W Gallery. The W Gallery is proud to present our February Members Salon running from Feb 1 through Feb 28th both online and in house. The gallery is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm and we are following all precautions to keep our visitors safe. Come and warm up from the cold while taking in the beautiful work of our local member artists! If you would prefer to view the work online, it can be found online here
Listings from Prior Newsletters
Are you looking for something to stimulate your mind? Lifelong Learning, an Independent Collaborative (LLAIC) is a seven-year-old volunteer non-profit organization offering low-cost classes and enrichment programs to seniors interested in growing both intellectually and socially. LLAIC traditionally meets in Wayland; but, due to Covid-19, all classes and programs are currently on Zoom. This has allowed us to offer our programming to both local and out-of-town folks who are looking for learning, stimulation, and connections. This spring, we are offering over 25 courses as well as a variety of social and interest groups. Details are online here
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.
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!
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 30-something 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 90-minute “virtual rehearsals,” weekly on Tuesdays at 10am, and Fridays at 2pm. 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
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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