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 Considers Coronavirus Testing For Public School Students. Wayland may join the growing number of Massachusetts school districts testing students and teachers for coronavirus. The Wayland School Committee is considering two options for testing in school. Both methods use “pooled testing,” where small groups of students are tested, with followup testing for anyone who appears to be positive for the virus.
* Wayland Open Meeting Law Violations Lead To New Guidance. The state Attorney General’s Office has ruled that the Wayland Board of Selectmen violated the Open Meeting Law multiple times in 2018 and 2019 during negotiations with town unions. The Board of Selectmen is now issuing new guidance to town boards and commissions to avoid violations in the future.
For those who are in need of basic food resources, please call 508-358-7701.
Thrive Launches Thanksgiving Food Drive for Families in Need. Thrive Support & Advocacy, a nonprofit empowering youth and adults with developmental disabilities, is sponsoring a Thanksgiving Food Drive to support families in the Thrive community who need additional assistance during this particularly challenging holiday season. Individuals can contribute to Thanksgiving meal boxes filled with holiday staples by signing up online to donate food items or making a monetary donation at www.icanthrive.org. During the week of Nov. 16-19, donations can be dropped off at Thrive’s headquarters at 65 Boston Post Road West, Suite 220, Marlborough. For more information, contact Lorrie Marcoulier at lmarcoulier@icanthrive.org or 508-485-4227 x1113.
Buy turkey pops for Thanksgiving and support Parmenter food pantry. 8th year running. Turkey Pops! Amy’s Sweet Solutions will donate a dozen cupcakes to Parmenter food pantry for every dozen turkey cake pops ordered (only $36). Treat your friends and family with these yummy, fun cake pops while helping to feed our hungry neighbors. Everyone will be thankful! Order now and please share this offer with your friends. You can reach Amy’s Sweet Solutions at amybodonnell@hotmail.com, on Facebook or by phone at 617-530-0724.
Announcing a Special Opportunity to Help Survivors of Domestic Violence During Covid 19. Your past support of the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable’s Shower for Shelters (SfS) has been very important to its success, and we greatly appreciate all of your past contributions of household goods. Now that we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic, and it is not feasible to collect in-kind donations. Therefore, we are reaching out to our supporters in the hope that you are able to consider supporting SfS in a different way. The current circumstances created by the pandemic are particularly difficult for many families affected by domestic violence, and our agency partners who deliver direct services tell us that the demand for services is at historic levels. Stay at home orders, closed schools and camps, and job losses present unique challenges and dangers for families struggling with domestic violence or trying to get free from an abusive relationship. This increased demand for services is expected to continue for some time and will exceed normal operating costs for these agencies. Donations may be made online at www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org
or a check may be mailed to: The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable, P.O. Box 543, Sudbury, MA 01776
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.
The call-in number for public comment during board and committee teleconference meetings is 508-358-6812
Monday, November 16
* School Committee Finance Subcommittee, (11:30am on calendar, 12:15am on agenda). Agenda includes: update on town and school finances, review of Special Revenue Budgets, budget guidelines and calendar, FY22 capital budget and capital improvement requests, five-year capital plan. On zoom here
* Board of Selectmen, 5pm. Agenda includes: introduction of Assistant Town Administrator, Open Meeting Law determinations, FY22 budget review, Annual Town Meeting, COVID-19 update, interim police chief, River’s Edge update. Packet online here. On zoom here.
* Design Review Board, joint with Planning Board, 6pm. Administrative review of the final architectural, landscaping and signage plan for River’s Edge. On zoom here
* Wayland Housing Partnership, 4pm. Agenda includes: update on housing production plan, updates on 81 W. Plain St, Launcher Way, River’s Edge. On zoom here.
* Historic District Commission, 5pm. Agenda includes: public hearing for 30 Bow Rd (replace fence), budget guidelines. On zoom here
* Zoning Board of Appeals, 6pm. Agenda includes: 42 Fuller Rd, 81 W Plain St, 25 Charena Rd, 44 Hawthorne Rd, 26 Snake Book Rd, 41 Cochituate Rd. On zoom here
* Finance Committee, 6:30pm. Agenda includes: capital discussion, Q4 school report, revolving fund budget review format, update on COVID-19 advisory group. On zoom here.
The latest from the Wayland Library (full newsletter online here)
Adult Programs:
* The Library is (sort of!) open again! Appointments available for browsing
* Plant-Based Holiday Dishes (cooking along with Nancy Wind) (November 16)
* Adult Craft: Iris Folding (November 23)
* Using DNA in Genealogy (November 30)
* Author Talk: 7½ Lessons About the Brain (December 3)
* Extended Saturday Hours (curbside pickup 11-3 on Saturdays)
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.
Hoopla Bonus Borrows Are Back. Starting November 1 and continuing through the month, patrons can borrow from special Bonus Borrows content and not use up any of their monthly allotment. Hoopla is putting together some new and exciting collections for patrons, with over 1,000 titles to choose from in audiobooks, eBooks, comics, and film.Why are things I returned still on my card?
Donations Welcome Again. The Friends of the Wayland Free Public Library are excited to accept your book donations again! Like surrounding libraries, they’ve partnered with Bay State Books and can now accept books/DVDs/CDs/puzzles. Look for the large white donation bins in the far corner of the parking lot (not the regular book return bin). Stay tuned for details about when, where, and how they’ll resume sales. Please, no household goods; just books and media in clean condition.
* Teen Advisory Board Meeting on Zoom (November 19)
Wayland Interfaith Thanksgiving Service and Events.Connect with your neighbors through the Wayland Interfaith Leaders Association’s annual interfaith Thanksgiving service. Leaders from Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, and Baha’i faith communities invite the wider Wayland community to gather online for an Interfaith Service on Sunday, Nov. 22, at 3:00 p.m. In word and song, representatives from the local religious communities will share spiritual resources to provide nourishment to all who gather to share gratitude for the spiritual abundance in our community. Due to the Covid-19 limitations on gathering in person, the interfaith community this year is also offering multiple Gratitude Walks on different days and times to connect outdoors with your neighbors in small groups. Included are a moonlight walk on Wednesday evening and a sunrise walk on Thursday, both in Wayland, as well as two later morning walks, one in Wayland and one in Sudbury. Registration is required for all events. For more information, contact a local house of worship. Online information and registration is available for all events at https://bit.ly/34B1ARE.
Wayland Weekly Buzz to Feature Library, CoA, and Recreation Programming During – and In Spite of — the COVID-19 Crisis. The Wayland Weekly Buzz during the week of November 15, will feature Library Director Sandy Raymond, CoA Director Julie Secord, and Recreation Director Katherine Brenna, who will talk about the challenges they face in their programming during – and in spite of – the COVID-19 crisis. The Buzz airs on Sundays and Tuesdays, at 10 am and 6 pm on your Public cable channel (Comcast Ch. 8; Verizon Ch. 37), and online on-demand anytime at the Buzz website WayCAM.tv/buzz
Listings from Prior Newsletters
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!
Thanksgiving “Jive-By” Lunch Pick-Up. What’s a “jive-by?” It’s a drive-by lunch but more fun! In lieu of our usual Thanksgiving luncheon, on Wed. Nov. 18 the Council on Aging offers a pick-up Thanksgiving-themed lunch you can get without even leaving your car. (Sorry youngsters, you must be 60 or older to participate.) Drive through our pick-up line at the Town Building, and enjoy live music from Jumpin’ Juba while you do. Reservations are required. Boxed lunches are $7; please pay by check (made out to Town of Wayland) or exact cash; we cannot make change. Call us at 508-358-2990 or email coa@wayland.ma.us to reserve your choice of lunch:
* Turkey pot pie;
* Thanksgiving sandwich (turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce); or
* Butternut squash soup and bread
All choices come with a green salad with cranberries, and apple pie. Join us! We look forward to seeing you “jive by!”
Wayland Honors All Who Served with 2020 Outdoor Veterans Day Ceremony. The Wayland Veterans Day Ceremony – hosted by the Wayland Public Ceremonies Committee – will be held outside (rain or shine) at 11am on Wednesday, November 11 at the Wayland Veterans Memorial (Wayland Town Building, 41 Cochituate Road). The program will begin with welcoming remarks by Richard P. Turner, USN RET, Chair of the Public Ceremonies Committee, followed by an invocation. The keynote address will be given by Wayland resident and LT Col USAF RET, Michael Patterson, a pilot who flew 313 combat missions over Laos and North Vietnam. The National Anthem will be performed by Wayland’s own Tori Gitten and the posting of colors will be made by American Legion Post 133. The names of those that appear on the Memorial – who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the Town of Wayland and their country – will be recognized, followed by a gun salute and wreath-laying ceremony. We welcome all who can attend and thank participants for complying with COVID-19 Executive Orders and CDC guidance for health and safety, including social distancing and face coverings. We also invite those who are unable to attend to view the recorded ceremony on WayCAM.
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.
Applications Open For Small Business Grants In Wayland. Applications Open For Small Business Grants In Wayland. Another round of grants aimed at supporting small businesses has become available in Massachusetts. The grants are funded through the CARES Act and the Commonwealth’s Supplemental Budget for fiscal year 2021. All told, Massachusetts has $50.8 million to distribute to small businesses throughout the commonwealth. Businesses with five employees or fewer are eligible to receive grants up to $25,000. Businesses with 50 employees or fewer can get up to $75,000 in funding.
Wayland Depot open for Fall Season. Wednesday through Saturday, 12pm – 4pm, One Cochituate Road (Rte. 27), Wayland, MA 01778
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.
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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