Green is the new red! While COVID infection rates have been growing throughout the state, and in Wayland, Massachusetts has revised its “color coding” pushing Wayland from last week’s yellow to this week’s green, even as our infections grew into the old red territory. Suffice it to say, red/green/yellow, whatever they call it, care is needed. Included in the new rules, new masking requirements have gone into effect, requiring a mask whenever you’re in public, whether or not you can maintain 6′ of distance from others.
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.
For those who are in need of basic food resources, please call 508-358-7701.
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
* Board of Health (with School Committee), 6:15pm. Agenda includes: COVID-19 updates, school metrics, COVID-19 testing, sports, Coach Grill update, FY22 operating budget
Tuesday, November 10
* Council on Aging, 1pm. Agenda includes: FY22 budget, grant application, Medicare open enrollment
* Wayland HS School Council, 3:30pm. Agenda includes: district goals and WHS School Improvement Plan
* Board of Public Works Tree Hearing, 4:30pm. Agenda includes: transfer station revenues, public hears on shade and scenic trees, Route 20 South Landfill Visioning Committee, crosswalk study
* Planning Board, 5pm. Agenda includes: Scenic Tree hearing with BoPW, River’s Edge, 266 Cochituate Rd proposed solar array project
The latest from the Wayland Library (full newsletter online here)
Adult Programs:
* The Library is (sort of!) open again! Appointments available for browsing
* Phebey’s Bill of Sale with Stacen Golding (Thursday, Nov 12)
* Plant-Based Holiday Dishes (cooking along with Nancy Wind) (November 16)
* Adult Craft: Iris Folding (November 23)
* Extended Saturday Hours (curbside pickup 11-3 on Saturdays)
* The Library is closed November 11 for Veterans Day
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)
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.
Opera del West presents La Davina, Friday, November 13. Introduction at 7pm, Show at 7:30pm, and talkback with the cast, crew, and composer, Thomas Pasatieri at 8pm. Opera del West received such great acclaim for our last virtual opera, Zoompresario, that we decided to offer you all another one! La Divina is a 30 minute comic one act opera by Thomas Pasatieri, one of our favorite living composers here at Opera del West We are lucky to have Mr. Pasatieri join us during our Zoom talkback after the production. Tickets online here.
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!
Wayland Buzz talks with Sarkis Sarkisian about housing. This week, the featured guest on the Wayland Weekly Buzz will be Town Planner Sarkis Sarkisian, who will talk about the status of affordable housing in town as well as our Housing Production Plan (HPP). Our current HPP expires next September and the town needs to strategize about how to reach the goal of 10 percent of affordable housing stock versus the total with the new census data that will come out next March. The purpose of a Housing Plan is to create a framework and road map with different options for the town to reach the 10 percent goal. The affordable housing plan will serve as a tool in helping to make public investments that result in affordable housing. The plan recommends alternative programs that can be used to address identified and unmet housing needs. State regulations provide special exceptions for municipalities with an approved Housing Production Plan. Towns that increase their subsidized housing inventory by specified “production thresholds” (0.5 percent in one year or 1 percent over two years) are certified compliant with their plan and are granted authority to deny comprehensive permits – which can curb unwanted and ugly developments for one or two years. The Town of Wayland is in safe harbor based on the River’s Edge Project. The Town also has two 40B projects in permitting and litigation. 24 School Street with 12 units and Cascade with 60. The Buzz airs on Sundays and Tuesdays, at 10am and 6pm on your Public cable channel (Comcast Channel 8; Verizon Channel 37), and online on-demand anytime at WayCAM.tv/buzz
Listings from Prior Newsletters
Shop Local and Safe. The Wayland Depot is Open. Wednesday through Saturday, 12pm – 4pm
One Cochituate Road (Rte. 27), 508-358-5386 thewaylanddepot.com Shop safely and locally at the all-volunteer run Wayland Depot. Find a beautiful wooden bowl or charming pottery piece to enhance your home or share with loved ones. Never a crowd. Always something unique. Celebrating 40 years of volunteer service to the community.
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.
* Jigsaw Puzzle Swap. The Council on Aging will host a jigsaw puzzle swap in November. On Monday, Nov. 2 and Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 8:30am – 6:30pm, drop off puzzle donations on carts behind the Town Building, near the sidewalk. (Only complete puzzles, please, and no children’s puzzles.) Puzzle pick-up will be held on Monday, Nov. 9, from 1-2pm on the sidewalk between the Town Building and soccer field. We will help customers stay socially distanced. Rain date for pickup: Thursday, Nov. 12, 11am – 12 noon.
* Two WWII Programs in November on Zoom. Thursday, Nov. 5 at 1pm via Zoom, the COA presents The Music of World War II. Host John Clark will showcase the political and romantic songs of WWII. Some celebrate heroism — Comin’ in on a Wing and a Prayer — and some reflect interrupted relationships — Lili Marlene, As Time Goes By, I’ll Be Seeing You. A Q&A will follow the presentation. On Thursday, Nov. 12 at 1:30pm, host Seema Kenney will present Letters To and From a Young Soldier that tell personal tales of the war experience both at home and in Italy. Contact the COA at 508-358-2990 or coa@wayland.ma.us to sign up. You can participate by computer or by phone.
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.
The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable Presents “Unmasking the Media”. Join the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable on Tuesday, November 10, 3-4:30 PM for a program featuring a discussion on “UnMasking Media” In this virtual conversation on Zoom, we challenge participants to examine the messages they receive about consent, relationships, power dynamics, and violent behavior from movies, TV shows, music and more. Harmful media is both widespread and highly impactful, especially on our youth. This workshop aims to identify harmful media while providing the skills to take action in practicing media literacy as a key piece of gender-based violence prevention. Participants will leave the discussion with the tools and the confidence to facilitate dialogues about harmful media consumption within their own social circles. The discussion will be facilitated by Rachel Matos, Outreach and Prevention Manager at Voices Against Violence. Registration is required and can be completed online here or through the Roundtable’s website. For questions, please email infodvrt@gmail.com.
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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