There’s still time if you’re 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
* Day Kolz of Wayland is Minuteman High School’s Nominee for Walter J. Markham Award. Day Kolz, an Early Education and Teaching senior from Wayland, has been chosen as Minuteman High School’s nominee for the 2021 Walter J. Markham Award, an annual statewide recognition of an outstanding student from a vocational-technical high school.
* Wayland Firefighters Respond To Fire In Garage. Wayland firefighters responded to a fire in the garage of a home in the north end of town early Tuesday morning, the department reported. The fire broke out around 2 a.m. Tuesday along Oxbow Road north of Sherman’s Bridge Road. Firefighters arrived to find the garage engulfed in flames.
For those who are in need of basic food resources, please call 508-358-7701.
The Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund is pleased to announce its 2021 mini-grant recipients. This marks the eighth year that the LDAMF has awarded funding for innovative, creative initiatives working in the three areas of its mission: Effective Teen Relationships & Violence Prevention, the Arts, and Community Service. Applicants this year had the unusual burden of planning around the significant challenges presented by COVID-19, but this still turned out to be our most competitive application season ever. After difficult choices, a total of 15 project proposals were funded this year, all of which carry Lauren Dunne Astley’s spirit and memory into their important work.
Wayland Community Fund serving Wayland residents temporarily in need of financial assistance. Please call us if you need help!
The Wayland Community Fund (WCF) provides short-term emergency financial assistance to Wayland residents who have lived in Wayland for at least one year. WCF provides funding for basic needs such as utilities, rent, food, medical bills, and other living expenses. Please call us if you need help with your bills, 508-358-3624 or go to the town website for an application.
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.
* Board of Selectmen, 5pm. Agenda includes: Executive Session, Town Administrator Update, River’s Edge, 2021 ATM, Resolution on Truth and Local Media
* Finance Committee, 6:15pm. Agenda includes: discussion of School Committee’s Q2 report and Headcount Report, FY22 final town and school operating budget, FY21 Town Meeting articles
* Zoning Board of Appeals, 6pm. Agenda includes: artificial turf field at 412 Commonwealth Rd
* Cultural Council, 7pm. Agenda includes: Public Forum – The Wayland Cultural Council invites Wayland residents, members of local arts organizations and individual creatives/contributors to join us for a night of open discussion and engagement about the present state of arts and culture in our town.
Wednesday, March 10
* Energy & Climate Committee, 9am. Agenda includes: Community Choice Aggregation warrant article, Loker Solar Panels, Public Buildings Director project updates (Middle School resiliency, Green Communities Grant projects), Buses
* Dungeons & Dragons Club: Session Zero (March 24)
* Gen Z Virtual Trivia Night (March 26)
State Subsidized COVID-19 Pooled Testing Program Extended Until April 16. Great news– the state has extended the COVID-19 pooled testing program through April 16. If you are not currently enrolled it’s not too late! Enroll online here
Deadline: Thursday, March 18
(If you have already enrolled in the COVID-19 testing program, no further action or fee is required)
* Simplified enrollment process – no scanning
* Quick turnaround – test results back within 24 hours, max 48 hour
* Minimal quarantine time – individual follow up testing occurs in the evening with results in 15 mins (at no additional cost to you)
* Simple, non invasive testing procedure (not scary for kids)
Testing helps improve the safety and well being of our children at school. Please enroll today!
Virtual Remembrance for Lauren Astley, April 1, 2021 at 7:30pm. Please save the date. A link will be available soon.
Wayland High School Theater Ensemble Winter One-Acts: Love Alone and The Tempest, March 18-20
* LOVE ALONE, by Deborah Salem Smith, Thursday and Friday, March 18 and 19 at 7:30pm, performed at the WHS auditiorium, Live Streamed online here. Contains adult language and situations.
* THE TEMPEST by William Shakespeare, Thursday, March 18 at 4pm, and Saturday, March 20 at 12noon. Performed outside in the field beyond the main Courtyard (the field facing the Art Room windows.) Patrons will be seated by families or singles – physically distanced by 6 feet. A QR-coded (and hard copy) GoogleForm will be available to have an accurate list if contact tracing was ever needed. Some seats will be provided, but families are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs.
The Wayland Historical Society in collaboration with the Wayland Free Public Library presents: Slavery in Sudbury, Sunday, March 21, 2:30pm, program via Zoom. Slavery in New England is often overlooked because the general thought is that it was confined to the South. Jane Sciacca will dispel this myth by examining slavery and enslaved people in colonial Sudbury (modern day Wayland and Sudbury). She will shed light on incidents and attitudes that typify slave experiences here as well as in the rest of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the wider area of New England. This is an opportunity to broaden our knowledge of an important subject that has had too little attention for too long. Please register, which is required, in advance at: https://tinyurl.com/SlaveryinSudbury
You will receive the Zoom link from the Wayland Library on Sunday March 21st in time for the program.
The W Gallery March Member Salon, This exhibit will be open for viewing in the gallery from 1-5 pm on Saturdays and Sundays from March 1st through April 3rd. We have safety protocols in place including social distancing and mask wearing requirements. Details online here
Musicians of the Old Post Road presents “Forgotten Voices”, Saturday, March 13, 7:30 pm. Live Streamed on www.oldpostroad.org. Tickets $10 students, $35 individual, $70 family For more information and tickets: visit www.oldpostroad.org or call 781-466-6694
On March 13 at 7:30 pm, Musicians of the Old Post Road will stream their online concert program entitled Forgotten Voices. The evening’s performances will shine a light on outstanding, often overlooked Classical-era composers in chamber works ranging from the duo to the quintet.
The Wayland Depot Opening for the Spring Season, March 10. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 12pm – 4pm, 1 Cochituate Rd (Rte 27).
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. Shop local and small.
EMASS Senior Softball League opens registration for 2021 season.Eastern Massachusetts Senior Softball (EMASS) is opening its annual registration campaign for slow-pitch softball players age 50 and over. With over 400 members, the league attracts players from towns across Eastern Massachusetts with games played on fields in Wayland, Medfield, Ashland and Framingham. The EMASS season opens in May with 18 weeks of regular season games scheduled through Labor Day and year-end playoffs completed in early October. Click here for full post
River’s Edge Public Involvement Plan Meeting. On December 28, 2020, The Town of Wayland received a petition from residents of Wayland requesting that the property located at 484-490 Boston Post Road in Wayland, (River’s Edge) be designated a Public Involvement Plan site. As a result, a public meeting will be held virtually on March 18, 2021 at 7:30pm to present the draft Public Involvement Plan, and to provide information about environmental conditions at the property as outlined by the Massachusetts Contingency Plan. Please register in advance for the meeting at the following link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUqd-CrqTkiHdGUjY0s-ZNx8yyxqqPBzBst . Following registration, you will receive an email with instruction on how to join the meeting. Copies of the draft Public Involvement Plan will be made available at the meeting.
Listings from Prior Newsletters
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.
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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