The Wayland Reads book this year is Ibram Kendi’s How to Be An Antiracist.Click here for a list of upcoming sessions. More information on Wayland Reads is available here.
The Wayland Depot is open for the season. Visit their website for their hours.
Last call for candidates for town office – click here for information on offices up for election, and a list of candidates who have taken out and/or returned papers. 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
If you would like to submit a post on our website, click here for information on how to add your post.
Wayland News
News in the past week
* Wayland High School, Middle School to be in-person 5 days a week starting April 27. Wayland High School will also return to all in person, five days a week learning starting on April 27th. The School Committee voted unanimously to approve Superintendent Arthur Unobskey’s suggestion for the high school to return on April 27th.
* Loss Leads To Hope In Wayland Woman’s Pandemic Year.Judy and Bill Currier’s 42-year marriage began with a chance encounter, as such things often do. In Boston in 1973, Bill, a Harvard Business School graduate, was in charge of the Thomas Groom & Co. office supply company. Judy wasn’t really looking for a job, but her roommate at the time convinced her there was a position at the company that would be a perfect fit.
* Wayland High School students report more stress this school year. All the Wayland High School teachers who responded to a survey reported they made cuts to their curriculum this school year due to the pandemic, according to Assistant Superintendent Parry Graham, with the most pronounced cuts in science, social studies, band and chorus.
* College readiness program gets $10K grant thanks to Wayland resident. The grant was sponsored by MDRT member Jeff Baron of Wayland, a Wildflower Board member and advocate for camp and Wildflower families. This year, theMDRT Foundationwill award over $1.5 million in MDRT member-endorsed grants to more than 250 charitable organizations worldwide. The grant from the MDRT Foundation will fund Wildflower’s Camp to College program. Teens will receive help selecting schools of interest, readying applications, increasing test readiness, and applying for financial aid and college scholarships identified through this program.
* Five WHS artists recognized in state-wide exhibit.WHS artists Bec Patsenker (Grade 12, Virginia M. Diani Adams Memorial Award), Sophie Simmons (Grade 11, award winner in Drawing Category), Meghan Flathers (Grade 12), Jasmin Wong (Grade 12) and Katherine Deane (Grade 12) all had pieces selected for the 2021 Massachusetts Amazing Emerging Artists High School Recognitions Exhibit. See the complete exhibitonline here.
* Wayland Cultural Council announces grant recipients. The Wayland Cultural Council is pleased to announce it has awarded $5,415 to fund 10 cultural and arts projects for the benefit of the local community. After reviewing 25 applications, awards were granted to ten organizations and projects.
* Man injured falling from tree in Wayland. A man in his 40s fell out of a tree and suffered serious injuries, Wayland fire officials said. Fire Chief Neil McPherson said the fall happened around 1:45 p.m., Saturday. He said the man was in the tree working at a house when he fell 15 feet and landed in an embankment.
The Wayland Public Schools Foundation is pleased to host the first Wayland Treasure Hunt, a fundraising event for the Foundation, welcoming community participants young and old! Registration is open, but closes on March 17, 2021. For questions regarding the Wayland Treasure Hunt, please email WPSFTreasureHunt@gmail.com. Details are online here and registration is online here.
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.
Monday, March 15
* Board of Selectmen, 5pm. Agenda includes: Executive Session, River’s Edge petition for Public Involvement Plan, FY22 budget update, Town Administrator update, Town Administrator’s Racial Justice Advisory Group, Annual Town Meeting articles
* Board of Health, 5:30pm. Agenda includes: COVID-19 case report, updates, 105 Plain Rd Conservation Cluster Plan, updates on PIP for River’s Edge, PFAS report, Public Health Regional Grant
* Senior Tax Relief Committee, 10am. Agenda includes: Warrant article on Senior Tax work off including proxy program for Spring ATM, Circuit Breaker tutorial, means tested senior exemptions and home rule petitions, update on AARP Tax Aide program and Tax Work-off FY22
* Public Ceremonies Committee, 7pm. Agenda includes: Freedom Prize discussion, LMC award update and nominations list, 2021 Memorial Day Planning and logistics
* River’s Edge Development Public Involvement Process Meeting, 7:30pm. A Public Meeting to discuss the MCP Public Involvement Plan for the River’s Edge Development will be held through Zoom by The Vertex Companies on March 18, 2021 at 7:30PM. Follow this Zoom link to register for the meeting. The meeting can also be accessed day of, without pre-registration online here, by calling into 646-558-8656 with Meeting ID 917 0937 2875, or watching the livestream on WayCam. Copies of the draft Public Involvement Plan will be made available at the meeting. If you would like a printed copy of the plan, please reach out to ksarson@vertexeng.com
Friday, March 19
* No meetings currently scheduled
Announcements
New Listings
The latest from the Wayland Library (full newsletter online here)
* Dungeons & Dragons Club: Session Zero (March 24)
* Gen Z Virtual Trivia Night (March 26)
For Families: Curated Collections for Kids. Would you like a handpicked selection of books just right for your children? Call the Children’s Room at 508-358-2308 and we’ll pull together a bundle for you to pick up at your convenience. We’d love to hear from you!
Roundtable Spotlight Series: Amplifying the Voices of Male Survivors of Sexual Assault. Over the course of the year, the Roundtable has hosted a Spotlight Series focusing on segments of our communities that face additional barriers when considering if and how to seek help or support. In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, please join the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable on Tuesday, April 13 at 3pm for their next Spotlight Series event: Amplifying the Voices of Male Survivors of Sexual Assault. This event will feature male survivors from the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center’s (BARCC) Survivor Speakers Bureau, who will share their stories and what they want the community to know. The conversation will be moderated by a staff member from BARCC and allow time for participants to submit questions through the chat. We encourage everyone to join us on April 13th at 3:00 PM to hear and participate in this important conversation. Working together, we all have a role to play in recognizing the voices and stories of all survivors of sexual assault in our communities. Registration is required, and can be completed through the Roundtable’s website. For questions, please email infodvrt@gmail.com. For complete details, click here.
The Mediterranean Diet, Thursday, March 18, 1pm, on Zoom. The Mediterranean Diet is a healthy way of eating using the flavors and ingredients common to countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. With its focus on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, and olive oil, and moderate amounts of seafood, dairy, poultry, and eggs, this way of eating has become very popular. Learn why it’s ranked the Number One dietary pattern of the year (again) and what steps you can take to integrate its principles into your routines. Traci Robidoux is a licensed dietician/nutritionist at BayPath Elder Services, Inc. She has previously presented many popular, informative programs at the COA. To sign up, contact the COA at 508-358-2990 or coa@wayland.ma.us.
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.
Virtual Remembrance for Lauren Astley, April 1, 2021 at 7:30pm. at http://www.waycam.tv/live or on WayCAM Channel 8 (Comcast) or Channel 37 (Verizon)
Project Reboot, March 26 and 27. Attention high schoolers! You’re invited to Project Reboot, a free, 24-hour high school virtual hackathon bringing together high school students from across New England and the country. The goal of this event is to benefit students who are struggling with remote learning and empower those who are participating. This event will take place Friday night, March 26th, and Saturday March 27th. Because of our generous sponsors and contributors, we have a LOT to give away! For just signing up, you receive over $300 in free software and swag! For those competing, we are giving away over $2,500 in prizes, which include monitors, Bluetooth headphones, Raspberry Pi computers, an Oculus 2 VR headset, and much more! If you don’t know what a “hackathon” is, or don’t know a single thing about coding, don’t worry! We will have workshops and talks that will put you in the best position possible to start your computer science journey. See our FAQ on our website for more questions and answers, email us, or reach out to us on our many social media platforms, which you can find at the bottom of our website. There will be a pre-hack stream on March 20th, which will preview the hackathon and teach viewers how to use Git, an important tool for software collaboration. This will be on our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to sign up and join our Discord for further updates! See you all there! reboothacks.com
Last Chance: Sign up this week for the COVID-19 Pooled Testing Program. Enrollment deadline is Thursday, March 18, online here.
The state has extended the COVID-19 pooled testing program through April 16. If you are not currently enrolled it’s not too late!
Testing helps improve the safety and well being of our children at school. 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)
The Wayland Historical Society in collaboration with the Wayland Free Public Library presents: Slavery in Sudbury, Sunday, March 21, 2pm, program via Zoom. [Note: time is corrected from last week’s notice that had it at 2:30pm] 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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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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