Town Elections are tomorrow. Turnout is typically low in local elections, so make your vote count. If you haven’t already mailed in a ballot, the polls are open 7am-8pm. Details are online here.
If you would like to submit a post on our website, click here for information on how to add your post. You can also email us at info@waylandenews.com
-Kim Reichelt
The Eliza Juliet Norton Foundation aims to continue Eliza’s legacy by providing children with increased access to and enhanced experiences in athletics and beyond with a focus on teamwork, good sportsmanship, and community building.
CAPA’s Bottle & Can Drive. Saturday, April 29th, WHS Town Pool parking lot
Save your bottles and cans! The Creative Arts Parent Association is pleased to announce the Spring Bottle and Can Drive – a fundraiser for the Wayland High School visual and performing arts program.
Do’s: Soda, seltzer/sparkling water and beer cans, plastic bottles(including seltzer) (16 oz, 20 oz, 1L, 2L), glass beer bottles.
Don’ts: Unfortunately, our recycling center does not accept water, Gatorade, iced tea or juice cans or plastic or any non-beer glass bottles.
Seeking volunteers: Please help with the CAPA bottle and can drive and sorting. Students and/or parents who can give even 1 hour (hopefully 2!) will receive community service credit for their time.
Volunteer Brush Clearing at the Depot, May 6 and 7. The Wayland Historical Commission needs your help to clear brush and vines that threaten to obscure the preserved railroad tracks and other artifacts near the historic Wayland Depot. Join us on Saturday, May 6 between 9am and 4pm or Sunday, May 7 between 1pm and 4pm to help keep the weeds at bay so users of the Rail Trail can appreciate the historic remnants of the railroad era in Wayland. Bring a shovel and/or pruner, and your work gloves. Many hands make light work! For more information please contact Richard Conard at (508) 358-4597 or RRConard@earthlink.net.
New tutors trained in Wayland Library’s ESOL Program. Immigrants in our area who want to improve their competency in English now have greater opportunities. Ten generous and enthusiastic people completed a training course in March and are now certified to be tutors of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). These recent “graduates” include two from Wayland – June Valliere and Helene Walker; three from Sudbury – Gail Kessler-Walsh, Al Pincince and Andy Smith; one from Weston – Madelyn Klapholz; one from Hudson – Linda Ni Cearnaigh; one from Marlborough – Nicole Peterson; and one from Waltham – Sharon Roberts. These new tutors, like those who were trained last fall, and some who have been tutoring for years, work one-to-one with learners. Learners currently working with our tutors have come from many different countries, including Korea, Ukraine, Brazil, Bolivia, Mexico, Latvia and China.
Much tutoring is now done remotely, using whatever technology works for both tutor and learner, be it FaceTime, Skype, Zoom or simply phone and email. Some tutor/learner pairs work in person, often in a local library.
As usual, we can put all possible tutors to work with waiting learners. The next tutor-training course will be offered in the fall, starting in mid-October. Tutors do not need to know another language, nor do they need to know every detail of English grammar. For more information contact Ginny Steel at 508-358-7517 or at virginia@thesteels.com.
Sponsor the COA Summer Concert Series. In June the Wayland Council on Aging will launch its 12th Annual Summer Concert Series. This well-loved series of five concerts, held on Thursday evenings in the courtyard behind the Town Building, brings the generations together to enjoy great live music on a summer evening. Bands range from country to oldies to classic rock and roll. These feel-good summer concerts are made possible by generous businesses that underwrite the cost. If you are part of an organization that would like to support this favorite summer tradition, please contact the Wayland Council on Aging for details about the levels of support that make it possible. Contact Shawna Levine at 508-358-2990 or slevine@wayland.ma.us. Thank you!
United Way’s Corporate 5K on Thursday, May 18. Companies, organizations, and individuals across MetroWest are invited to participate in United Way’s Corporate 5K on Thursday, May 18 2023, at 6:30pm. The event promises to be a night filled with company camaraderie, exercise, community support, and fun! Participants will get in some exercise AND compete against other companies for bragging rights and to bring home the MetroWest Corporate 5K Cup! This after-work event begins at 6:30 pm outside the Marlborough Community Cupboard food pantry, 255 Main Street in Marlborough, and teams will race on the scenic Assabet River Rail Trail. Funds raised will support United Way hunger relief, early literacy, and suicide prevention programs across the MetroWest 495 corridor. Each runner can support the UWTC initiative they are most passionate about! Be a part of a memorable team building experience and register today! The registration fee is $35 per team member. Prices go up on May 1st. Online registration is open at https://www.uwotc.org/corp5k.
Donate now to support Late Night as the only After Prom Parties. For over 20 years, the Wayland community has come together to fund and support Late Night, a safe and substance-free chaperoned party after Prom. This year, we are funding and supporting two Late Nights, for the Juniors and Seniors, due to COVID-19 delays. Late Night is entirely funded by tax-deductible donations from families and local businesses. Please donate now, scrolling to select the specific class: http://www.waylandpto.org/high-school-pto/late-night/
The suggested donation to cover expenses is $85 per student covering the cost of entertainment, food and activities. Help make this year’s Late Night events the only after Prom parties in town!
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.
Note: Links to all remote and hybrid meetings are available via this page
Monday, April 24
* Board of Assessors, 5pm [Remote]. Agenda includes: Director’s Review and update of office activities, Executive Session
Tuesday, April 25
* Annual Town Election
Wednesday, April 26
* No meetings currently scheduled
Thursday, April 27
* No meetings currently scheduled
Friday, April 28
* No meetings currently scheduled
Announcements
New Listings
Celebrate the Wayland Library’s 175th Birthday! Our History. Your Stories.
Celebrate Wayland Free Public Library’s 175th Birthday.
Sunday, May 7, 3pm – 5pm (rain date May 21)
Ice cream, music, kids crafts and activities, history displays, and community fun.
Founded in 1848, The Wayland Library is one of the oldest public libraries in the United States. The Wayland Free Public Library has come to be not only a place where residents can borrow books, but a hub of programs for all ages, art exhibits, and community gathering, as well as a refuge in stressful times.
Come celebrate with your family, neighbors, and friends.
The Vokes Players announces its production of Casa Valentina. The Vokes Players of Wayland present Casa Valentina, by Harvey Fierstein, directed by Donnie Baillargeon (The Price, Fun Home). Performances will be held at Beatrice Herford’s Vokes Theatre, Route 20 in Wayland from May 5 through May 20. Every week of the run will have performances on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm and Saturday matinees at 2pm. There will be two Thursday evening performances, on May 11 and 18. For tickets and information call 508-358-4034, or order online via our website www.vokesplayers.org. Ticket prices are $20 for Thursday evenings and Saturday matinees; $24 for Friday and Saturday evenings.
During the summer of 1962, mainstream society had very little room for any behavior considered out of the norm. These were still the days when men were to behave “like men,” and nobody (except Jerry Lewis) was to be outrageous. If you were a man who dressed in women’s clothes, there were few opportunities for finding community, let alone understanding. It is in this arcane society that George and Rita have built a refuge in the Catskills, where men can express their true selves; where George can rule the roost as Valentina; and where music, laughter, conversation, and conviviality take center stage. The longtime bonds of this close-knit community are severely strained when a leader of a national “Sorority” movement comes to their oasis on a recruiting mission. Will the prospect of wider visibility end up costing them more than they are willing to pay — their privacy, their personal relationships, and perhaps, ultimately, a piece of themselves? In Casa Valentina, we find that there are no easy answers; no painless choices; no perfect havens; and that “the only way out, is through.”
For complete details, including the Vokes’ updated COVID policies, click here.
First Parish in Wayland Yard Sale, June 3. Please join First Parish in Wayland for a fun and kid-friendly yard sale on June 3, 9am-1pm. The church is located at 225 Boston Post Rd., at the intersections of Routes 20, 27, and 126. You’ll find antiques, books, costume jewelry, native plants, décor, kitchenware, and other useful or fascinating items. Please plan to pay with cash. Kindly bring your own bags.
Ten percent of sale proceeds will be donated to World Central Kitchen, which provides meals in response to humanitarian crises. World Central Kitchen has earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating – four stars.
Parking: Except for handicap parking spots, parking is not available in the First Parish parking lot. Please park in the Trinitarian Congregation Church lot across the street.
Grief Retreat in Maine, June 9-11. Rett’s Roost, a nonprofit organization providing holistic retreats that create connection, nurture hope, and honor the power of grief, is offering an Open to Healing Retreat for MetroWest families affected by childhood cancer and loss. A free intimate weekend retreat in Ogunquit, ME to connect and support grieving families and to honor the children lost too soon. Space is limited so register today online here
City and Suburbs: Addressing Climate Change and Equity Together, May 2 On May 2 at 7 p.m., join MetroWest Climate Solutions and special guest the Rev. Mariama White-Hammond for a discussion on the intersection of climate change and questions of equity. As a lifelong resident, pastor, and activist in Boston, Rev. Mariama will explore the question of how residents of the suburbs can most effectively take action to promote greater climate equity.
The session will be offered at First Parish Church in Weston, 349 Boston Post Rd, Weston. If you prefer to join us online, register online here.
Rev. Mariama White-Hammond was appointed as Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space in April 2021. In this role, she oversees policy and programs on energy, climate change, sustainability, historic preservation, and open space. Over the course of her time with the City, she has supported the amendment of the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) to set carbon targets for existing large buildings and convened a city-led green jobs program.
Rev. Mariama uses an intersectional lens in her ecological work, challenging folks to see the connections between immigration and climate change or the relationship between energy policy and economic justice. She has received numerous awards, including the Barr Fellowship, the Celtics Heroes Among Us, The Roxbury Founders Day Award and the Boston NAACP Image award.
The latest from the Wayland Library (full newsletter online here).
Note: Many events require registration. Please visit the Wayland Library calendar for registration links.
Adult Services:
* Virtual Author Talk: Jason Gay (April 26)
* Virtual Author Talk: William Kent Kreuger (April 27)
* Evening Book Group featuring author Jane Healey (May 1)
* Virtual Author Talk: Britt Hawthorne (May 3)
* Library 175th Anniversary Celebration. (May 7)
Announcements:
* Goodbye, Overdrive; Hello, Libby. Attention, OverDrive app users! OverDrive is discontinuing the legacy OverDrive app on May 1, 2023 and transitioning users to Libby, OverDrive’s newer, easy-to-use app for browsing and enjoying digital content from our library. All your loans, holds, and wish list items will be waiting for you in Libby when you add your library card. Our digital collection will continue to be available through our home page on desktop and mobile devices. Learn more here.
* Portable Induction Cooktop. The newest member of our Library of Things is a lightweight, portable induction hotplate that’s perfect for kitchen, dorm, RV, or boat. Just plug it in and cook away! With an 83% energy efficiency, the induction burner is more efficient than traditional gas or electric stoves. It’s perfect for bringing water to a boil quickly and for all of your cooking needs. Be sure to use cookware with a bottom that a magnet will stick to.
* Library 175th Anniversary Exhibits. Our sparkling new vitrine now holds some fascinating artifacts from our history, including the original signatures of donors who contributed to the first library fund in 1848; some books from the first collection (including one from 1805 by Mercy Warren); and pictures of our founding fathers. On the Express Book counter, you’ll find images of early librarians, along with models of some of the library’s buildings.
Movie Matinee: Top Gun: Maverick. On Wednesday, April 26, at 1:30pm in the Council On Aging, join us for a showing of “Top Gun: Maverick.” After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission. He Encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s late friend. Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears. 2022, PG-13, 2hr. 11min. Popcorn and cold beverages on the house.
Announcements from Prior Newsletters
Upcoming from Arts Wayland:
April Exhibit – The splendors of Spring. Splendors of Spring is an eclectic display of 40+ art works hanging in the Goodnow Library that highlight the colors, patterns, and images of spring created by the talented artist members of Arts Wayland. Members were asked to create works that express or reflect what each artist finds glorious, intriguing, uplighting or joyous about this time of year. Please come and enjoy this exhibit any time.…it will certainly brighten your day! Also, meet the artists and enjoy light refreshments at our reception on Saturday, April 15, 3-5pm in the Community Room of The Goodnow Library.
Mosaic Jewelry Workshop – May 5. Enjoy a night out making your own jewelry. Amy will supply the silver-plated pendant bases and earring blanks and all the glass, china, beads, jewels and bling that you will need to make a unique gift for yourself or for others. With Mother’s Day right around the corner, this is a great way to have fun creating something one of a kind for her! The best part–no previous jewelry or mosaic experience is needed. To make your evening more festive, BYOB and snacks to share. The course fee includes all supplies to make two pieces of jewelry (pendant or pair of earrings). Pendants include a chain. Extra pendant and earring bases are available for an additional fee of $20/base.
Honor the Man in Your Life with a Gratitude or Commemorative Mosaic. Father’s day is around the corner. Now’s the time to honor your father or any other man in your life whether it’s your grandfather, brother, lover, husband, cousin, etc. Celebrate a life event like a graduation or marriage. Make a mosaic statement that includes objects they love. You can include photos, tools, pictures, a golf ball, a poem. Whatever is meaningful to them. Let them know how you feel about them through art. You’ll make a cool mosaic using materials you bring as well as glass, recycled jewelry, polymer clay tiles that the instructor will supply.
Arts Wayland Expo 2023 The stage will rise again in the Town Green for a free, all-day festival celebrating the best of local arts.
Music for a Sunday Afternoon with “The Aryaloka String Quartet”. The music of the Aryaloka String Quartet will feature music by Black composers Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence Price, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, and Jessie Montgomery. Immerse yourself in this diverse and beautiful music, which will include jazz, spirituals, and European styles. Thank you to the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund and the First Parish in Wayland for generously co-sponsoring this event. Sunday, April 30 at 3pm
Infinity Scarf Workshop with Dahlia Popovits Weave an Infinity Scarf Workshop on a pre-warped rigid heddle loom. The workshop is designed for beginners who may only want a one time experience, or experienced hand weavers who are interested in learning to use a very portable rigid heddle loom for self expression. No previous experience is required, and you’ll go home with a wearable finished infinity scarf at the end of the session. The finest luxury designer yarns in natural fibers will be provided in varying materials and thicknesses for a variety of colors and textures.
Celebrate Spring at the Wayland Depot. Celebrate Spring! The Wayland Depot has fabulous gifts for spring celebrations. Find intriguing items for babies, brides, graduates, mothers, fathers and yourself. Cloth books, reusable metal straws, fine jewelry, clever wooden boxes, beautiful scarves, pretty pottery, scented candles, local honey and maple syrup, along with Wayland Booster apparel, are all available at the gift shop located in the old Wayland train station along the Mass Central Rail Trail.
Wayland-Weston Youth Football and Cheerleading Registration Open For All Programs April 1st. 2023 Summer/Fall program registration will soon open for youth football and cheerleading participants. Programs offered include:
* Flag Football: Grades K-4
* Tackle Football: Grades 5-7
* Cheerleading: Grades 1-8
Information and registration is available here. Questions, please contact us here
Wayland Fire Department to Host Citizens Fire Academy. The Wayland Citizens Fire Academy (WCFA) will be held during two consecutive weeks, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 6:30 – 9 p.m. at the public safety building, 38 Cochituate Road. There will be a total of four sessions beginning on Tuesday, May 9. The academy will give participants an inside look at a career in firefighting as well as important fire education and prevention lessons. Training will be presented as though participants are new recruits to the department and will include hands-on training on a variety of skills, including extinguishing “live fires” and extricating victims from a vehicle using hydraulic tools. The program is designed for adults. Young adults ages 16-17 may enroll if accompanied by a guardian. Preference will be given to Wayland residents and those who work in town, but if space remains available, enrollment will be extended. There is no fee to register. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 21. Those who are interested in applying or would like more information should email Todd Winner with “WCFA” in the subject line.
2023 Hazardous Waste Collection for Wayland residents. First $50 of Hazardous Waste is Free. Residents will pay overages
In the past the Wayland Health Department has held an annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day (HHWD) for Wayland residents through Clean Harbors. We understand how important it is to properly dispose of household hazardous waste and have held these events at least twice a year for many years. Despite a lot of outreach to Clean Harbors and research into other vendors we have not been able to secure a date for this event in over a year. According to the state, many municipalities are having the same problems with obtaining a vendor to host a HHW event. This is due to a shift to regional HHW collection depot models which at this time there is no ability for Wayland to join one but there may be an opportunity in the future.
We have been able to identify an interim solution and we have made arrangements with NEDT New England Disposal Technologies. Beginning on April 1 and through June 30, 2023, Wayland residents may drop off hazardous waste to their facility and Wayland will cover the cost up to $50 per household.
We urge residents to contact the facility of your choice prior to traveling to confirm posted dates, times of operation, and types of waste accepted. Payment by resident can be made to NEDT in the form of cash or credit card.
SVT announces Spring Programs. Area residents are invited to attend one of the many nature-themed programs hosted by Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT). The nonprofit conservation group recently posted its Spring 2023 Program Calendar on its website, along with complete details and registration information.
Highlights include a Senior Walks in Acton, Wayland, and Sudbury (various dates in April and May); Unlock Your Inner Food Gardener (May 6); Spring Wildflower Walks in Berlin and Sudbury (May 13); a Plant Identification and Natural History Walk in Harvard (May 14); and a Full Moon Walk in Wayland (June 2). Space is limited and registration is required.
In honor of Earth Day, SVT will lead a History Hike Up Tippling Rock in Sudbury on Saturday, April 22, at 9:00. Plus, a special webinar on April 20 will explore how backyard gardens can contribute to climate change resilience.
SVT also offers volunteer opportunities for those interested in caring for local conservation lands. Upcoming projects include building a boardwalk across wetlands in Sudbury, creating a new hiking trail in Berlin, and pulling non-native invasive plants from conservation areas in several towns. New volunteers are also invited to attend the Spring Volunteer Orientation Session over Zoom on April 26 at 7:00 p.m.
Complete information about SVT programs and volunteer projects is available at www.svtweb.org/calendar.
Image: Safiyat Hamiss of Tasty Harvest Kitchen Gardens will lead SVT’s “Unlock Your Inner Food Gardener” program scheduled for May 6 in Sudbury, where participants will create a planter of tasty herbs. All materials are included in the registration fee. Safiyat will present plant profiles, care tips, and recipe ideas so participants will leave ready to cook with the herbs they plant. Photo courtesy of Safiyat Hamiss.
Golden Tones Chorus is Together and Live. It’s a music-making opportunity for MetroWest people of retirement age with NO AUDITIONS and a come-when-you-can attendance policy. Join us in-person (observing protocols to minimize covid risk) or via zoom, Tuesdays, 11am-12:30pm. Choir experience and music-reading are NOT required to have fun singing, dancing, playing, and creating live concerts for the MetroWest community! Visit goldentones.org, email office@goldentones.org, or call us at 508-318-6318.
Emergency alert notifications may include missing children or missing persons, criminal activity, fires, drinking water contamination, utility outages, various threats to people or the environment and other incidents as deemed necessary by Town public safety officials. Those enrolled also may receive timely non-emergency alerts, including road closures, snow plow schedules and more. The alerts are sent to residents via phone call, text message, email and social media.
All community members are invited to register for the CodeRED notification system to receive important alerts and updates. To sign up for these informative, lifesaving alerts, please click here. Registration is customizable, allowing users to choose which alerts they’d like to receive, as well as preferred ways like text, email, cellphone, landline and more.
Community members are encouraged to download the CodeRED Mobile Alert app available in the App Store or Google Play after they sign up to receive alerts.
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