The next meeting of the Board of Selectmen will be held on Monday, March 1 in Town Building. After convening the meeting, selectmen will hear from residents of the Charena Farms neighborhood expressing concerns that construction at the high school will result in student parking on the streets adjoining the campus and trespassing through private [...]
The League of Women Voters is holding a forum on Town Meeting Procedures warrant articles on Wednesday, April 7 at Town Building. There will be light refreshments around 7pm and the program will start at 7:30pm. Each of the three petitioner articles will be presented followed by Q&A from the audience. Sema Faigen will serve [...]
Boston Globe 2/28/10: Runaway health costs are rocking municipal budgets. A six-month review by the Globe found that municipal health plans, which cover employees, retirees, and elected officials, provide benefit levels largely unheard of in the private sector. Copays are much lower. Some communities do not force retirees onto Medicare at age 65. Many citizens on elected boards – some after serving as few as six years – receive coverage for life, too. As medical costs across the board rose over the past decade, municipal health care expenses exploded, draining local budgets and forcing major cuts in services, higher property tax bills, and billions in new debt. The cost of municipal health care more than doubled from fiscal 2001 to 2008, adding more than $1 billion in all to city and town budgets, according to state Department of Revenue data. A Globe survey of 25 communities found that they now devote, on average, 14 percent of their budgets to health care, up from 8 percent a decade ago.
Boston Globe 2/28/10: Coach guides Wayland swimmers to win boys’ and girls’ championships, twice. It’s not that the father wished to put undue pressure on his son. It was just a subtle reminder. OK, maybe not so subtle. Last year, Mike Foley guided the Wayland High boys’ swim team to the Division 2 state title. He coaches the girls’ team too. The girls’ meet was the next day. In between meets, Foley said, “my father pointed out that nobody had ever won the boys’ and girls’ titles in the same year.’’ The girls matched the boys’ title, and Mike Foley stood alone. His dad knew a thing or two about championships. In 35 years as the swim coach at archrival Weston High, Pete Foley won 18 state titles. His son, now with seven, is chipping away. But Pete never won a state crown with the boys’ and girls’ teams in the same year. It gets better. Last weekend, at Harvard, both of his teams repeated as state champs. “I’m still in shock,’’ said Foley.
5th Annual Community Service Awards Do you know high school students who deserve to be honored for their volunteer service? We are accepting nominations and applications for high school students who live in Wayland and/or attend school in Wayland. This includes Wayland students who attend independent schools as well as Wayland METCO students. Information packets [...]
Caregiver Care is a free program designed to provide support and technical skills to individuals caring for a senior family member or friend at home without compensation. Wayland residents welcome. Caregiver Care is a six-session program, one day a month for six months, beginning on Thursday, April 1st, and will be held at the Kennedy [...]
INCOME TAX HELP. It’s that time of year again when our AARP Income Tax volunteers will be available to help low- to moderate-income seniors with the completion of their federal and state income tax returns. Appointments will be scheduled from early February through early April. You must call to make an appointment for your taxes. [...]
MEDICAL ADVANCES THROUGH WAR On March 4 at 7:30 p.m., Dr. Ronald Rosenthal will present our March “Great Presenters” program: From Imhotep to Iraq: Medical Advances Through War. Ron is a retired orthopedic surgeon. He served as an Army surgeon in Viet Nam and has held faculty appointments at Washington University, Vanderbilt University, and Albert Einstein College of [...]
Wayland Town Crier 2/26/10: Despite heavy rain, no roads flooded in Wayland. Despite the heavy rains, the Sudbury River has not flooded Pelham Island Road or any of the surrounding streets in Wayland. With less rain predicted in the forecast through this weekend, Police Chief Robert Irving is hopeful there will be no major flooding problems. "The river has risen a bit, but as of now, there are no roads closed," Irving said. "With Pelham Island, we’re always watching out for it, but so far there’s no problem. We will continue to watch it carefully."
Wayland Student Press Network 2/24/10: Tutwiler: limited parking to be available next year. At a meeting with parents and students this Tuesday, Principal Patrick Tutwiler unveiled plans for limited parking next year: roughly 130 spots for an estimated 195 senior drivers. Earlier this year, Superintendant Gary Burton said there would be no student parking due to construction of the new high school building. However, High School Principal Patrick Tutwiler, working in tandem with Wayland’s public buildings director John Moynihan and dean of students Scott Parseghian, came up with a plan to have limited parking space on campus available to students. Parking is “an important part of the senior experience,” said Tutwiler at the meeting on Tuesday. Tutwiler emphasized that the on-campus parking effort would be “focused 100% on the seniors.”
Wayland Student Press Network 2/24/10: Local author shares story. In Wayland, many students pursue some form of higher education after they graduate, but many others students don’t know what they want to do after college. This often a source of frustration or anxiety. Local author Juliette Fay asks why not knowing is a bad thing. Local writer Juliette Fay came to Wayland High during Winter Week to talk about her experiences as a published author. Fay wrote Shelter Me, a novel about a recently widowed woman in a small town not unlike Wayland. As the main character, Janie LaMarche, struggles to cope with a personal loss, she finds support from unexpected sources of comfort. Shelter Me is Fay’s first published novel. A Boston College and Harvard University graduate, Fay originally entered human services and worked in the field for several years. “There was this thing at the back of my head egging me to do something different, and I didn’t really figure that out until about five years ago,” explained Fay, “It took me a while to get to the job that I was meant for.”
Wayland Town Crier 2/26/10: Extensive menu at new Thai restaurant. Aficionados of crispy rolls with sweet and sour sauce, chicken satay and beef masaman will be thrilled to hear that a new Thai restaurant, Spice & Pepper, has opened right in Wayland center, on the site of the old Benson’s coffee shop. Don’t let the fact that it’s a small place fool you. A quick count of the menu shows that, with 100 items available, it’s extensive. And this doesn’t even include the "creation corner," where you can make your own combinations from various meats, veggies and sauces. There is also roast duck, barbecued ribs with ginger garlic sauce, and soft-shelled crabs in season (May through July). With all this, during the lunch and dinner hours, cook and partner Tom Kaewsprasert is in virtual nonstop mode, preparing appetizers, soups, curries, stir fries, noodle dishes and more.
Wayland Town Crier 2/26/10: Olé for new Mexican restaurant!. Olé! Viva Mexican Grill and Tequileria has arrived in Wayland. And this is certainly not your grandmother’s burrito bar. The minute you enter the establishment, the second one opened by restaurateur Carlos Mendez (the first is the award-winning Jose’s on Sherman Street in Cambridge), you get the impression of sleek sophistication, warm and glowing colors, and excellent hospitality. After passing the bar area on the left, where bartender Gilad Avital (Mendez’ second cousin by marriage) whips up Viva’s signature margaritas and other cocktails, you will enter a large dining room. The menu is extensive, ranging from starters, salads, soups and casual fare, to traditional Mexican selections and specialties from the grill. And, yes, there are burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas and tacos. But there is also fresh fish, lamb, chicken breast, and slow-cooked pork loin. According to Mendez, his restaurant features authentic homemade central Mexican cuisine in the atmosphere of a Mexican country estate.
2/24/10: No override expected, but residents to vote on capital items. Wayland residents will not be asked to approve an override for fiscal 2011 due to a healthy reserve of free cash and ambulance receipts used to balance the town operating budget of $58.8 million recommended by the Finance Committee. This marks the second year in a row without an override request. A $610,000 deficit in the operating budget will be filled by taking $250,000 from free cash and $360,000 from ambulance receipts. However, voters will be asked to approve $2.35 million in capital items at the polls and at Town Meeting in May that will cause a temporary increase in the tax rate. Finance Committee Chairman Sam Peper presented the proposed FY11 budget at a public hearing on Monday.
FinCom's Budget Presentation from February 22 is available online here.
Wayland Town Crier 2/24/10: Resident files new complaint over School Committee evaluations. A plethora of redactions and a missing 2006 evaluation have spurred further controversy from the recent release of individual comments created for Superintendent Gary Burton’s performance evaluations from 2004 to 2009 by School Committee members. A complaint, filed with the Middlesex district attorney on Friday, requests a review of the redactions made to the evaluation comments of committee members. If it is determined the comments were "improperly suppressed," the information originally redacted may be restored. In addition, the filer of the complaint, Alan Reiss, asked for the release of School Committee member Jeff Dieffenbach’s 2006 evaluation comments, which "were not prepared at a meeting convened under the Open Meeting Law," according to the complaint.
BU Today 2/23/10: Other Terriers on Ice. When the BU Curling Club got its start in 2006, “four or five of us would rent a car and come out here every Friday and just slide down the ice,” says club vice president Devina Dalmia (CAS’10). She stands outside Broomstones Curling Club, a cathedral-shaped arena hidden in the woods of Wayland, Mass., 20 minutes by bus from Boston, where the group holds weekly practices. “We would train for a couple of hours and we’d all come back happy. Now we have an entire bus.”
The Wayland Cultural (WCC) is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Massachusetts Cultural Council grants. Each year, every city and town in Massachusetts receives money to distribute through grants to individuals or groups who submit applications proposing cultural programs that will benefit the community. The applications for funding for the next calendar year are due [...]
Noted Management Consultant, Paul Hutchinson, to Address Concord Professionals Network On Tuesday, March 2nd at 9am, Paul Hutchinson, noted local consultant, will address the Concord Professionals Network on Sales Skills for Job Seekers. Mr. Hutchinson has been associated with several Fortune 500 firms and is an expert consultant for business owners and senior management teams [...]
Their Story About Underage Drinking Could Save Your Teen’s Life… Join Chris and Toren Volkmann, best-selling authors of From Binge to Blackout, as they share their riveting story of how they confronted the fear, pain, and denial that threatened to destroy their family. The Volkmanns will offer insight and information about the growing epidemic [...]
Join Chris and Toren Volkmann, best-selling authors of From Binge to Blackout, as they share their riveting story of how they confronted the fear, pain, and denial that threatened to destroy their family. The Volkmanns will offer insight and information about the growing epidemic of teen drinking and alcoholism and what parents can do to [...]
Connect and Serve Today! SOAR 55, Service Opportunities after Reaching 55, a program of Newton Community Service Center and with a satellite office location at the Framingham Public Library, connects adults 55 and over with meaningful and challenging community service opportunities in Framingham and the MetroWest area. SOAR 55 is seeking volunteers interested [...]
The Board of Selectmen voted to consolidate the Town election originally planned for Tuesday, May 4 with the special election that has been called to fill the vacancy in the state Senate seat formerly held by Scott Brown set for Tuesday, May 11. The special election has necessitated a delay in the previously announced start [...]
Wayland Town Crier 2/22/10: Make that five years in a row for girls swimming and diving. Last year the Wayland girls swimming and diving team graduated the first class to win four years in a row, a group of six seniors that many teams figured were the reason why the Warriors had so much success. Senior captain Emily Wright understood the pressure. "There was a little pressure going into this meet. We (graduated) a lot of seniors last year who scored a lot of points for us, but we knew this going into it. We trained long and hard for this and were ready for the challenge," Wright said. After graduating all of the first state champ team members from 2006, Wayland proved its ongoing strength and enthusiasm on Sunday when the Warriors won for the fifth year in a row, a feat that few can ever own.
We received the following from Moderator Peter Gossels regarding Town Meeting Rules and Regulations: Those of you who attended the November 18, 2009 session of our Special Town Meeting, or saw it on television, will recall that I made a controversial ruling in response to a request by more than seven voters that I recount [...]
Metrowest Daily News 2/22/10: Amnesty International chapter forming for Wayland-Lincoln-Sudbury and Stow. Amnesty International USA’s Northeast Regional Office headquartered in Somerville has announced that it is forming a new local chapter for residents of Wayland, Lincoln, Sudbury and Stow to complement existing local chapters in Lexington and Concord. Amnesty International is a Nobel Prize winning [...]
Enthusiastic plant-lovers needed to lead guided walks for either adult or children's groups through their 45-acre botanical garden. After training, lead one tour a week in the spring, and approximately one tour a month through the summer and fall. Training Dates: Adult Weekday Guide Training: Wednesdays, March 17, 24, 31, April 7, 9:30am-12pm Adult Weekend [...]
The Wayland Public Ceremonies Committee invites citizens to nominate candidates for the 2010 Lydia Maria Childs Award for Outstanding Public Service. Submissions should be sent to Richard P. Turner, PCC chairman, by email to <rickypt@verizon.net> or via USPS to his home at 7 Nob Hill Road, Wayland. Each submittal, identified as “LMC Award Nominee”, needs to include [...]
The Wayland Republican Town Committee will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, February 25th, 7:30PM at Traditions of Wayland, 10 Green Way. Please join us as we develop and refine our grassroots planning to elect more fiscally conservative Republicans in the upcoming elections. We will have a special guest, State Rep. Richard Ross (R-Wrentham) who [...]
WBZ TV 2/19/10: Wayland Club On The Strategy Behind Curling. Once every four years the spotlight shines on the Olympic sport of curling. We see teams sliding heavy stones down a lane of ice, furiously sweeping in front of the stone. Curling is a bit of a mystery to most, but at a club in Wayland, curling has been king for more than 40 years. It's called the Broomstones Curling Club. With their own indoor ice facility and a ton of enthusiasm, members play every day. "It's a game like chess on ice," says Gordon Swan, who has been playing for 50 years.
Metrowest Daily News 2/22/10: Division 2 Swimming: A perfect five for Wayland. It was a different group of girls, but the same result as the Wayland swimming team won its fifth consecutive Div. 2 state championship on Sunday evening at Harvard's Blodgett Pool. Last year's senior class was the one that started the championship run as freshmen in 2006, but the team did just fine without them as the Warriors scored 223 points to edge out Weston's 202 points on the night.
Boston Globe 2/22/10: Wayland girls Div. 2 swim champs. Wayland’s swimmers are drowning in championships. A day after the boys beat the field, the girls devastated the competition to take their fifth consecutive Division 2 state title yesterday at Harvard’s Blodgett Pool. “I’m real proud of these girls, they performed really well today,’’ coach Mike Foley said. “We hung on and held off Weston once again, and they just keep charging at us.’’ Wayland amassed 223 points, while Weston finished second with 202. Marblehead (115), Duxbury (112), and Northampton (95) rounded out the top five.
Metrowest Daily News 2/21/10: Schools roundup: Wayland boys swimming team takes Division 2 state title. Mike Ren knew his Wayland swimming team needed a big performance as he prepared to jump into the pool for the 100-yard breaststroke, the second-to-last event of the Division 2 boys state championships yesterday at Harvard.
Boston Globe 2/21/10: Wayland finds a way to keep its crown. The chants of “Foley! Foley! Foley!’’ were too much to ignore, so without hesitation, Wayland coach Mike Foley leaped into Blodgett Pool yesterday to join his team in celebration of its second straight Division 2 state boys’ swimming championship. Wayland (154 points) held off Dual County League rival Weston (141) and Bishop Feehan (131). Although Weston was close the entire meet, Wayland wins in the 200-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay helped it maintain the lead. Wayland placed first in two other events, the 100-yard freestyle and the 100-yard breaststroke. Weston defeated Wayland twice this season – once during a dual meet and again during a DCL meet.
Boston Globe 2/19/10: Slippery rocks: It was far from a sweeping success in her curling debut. My introduction to curling started at the Broomstones Curling Club in Wayland, a cozy facility that feels like a cross between a ski lodge and hockey rink. The Scottish plaid carpeting, a nod to the sport’s European origins, is [...]
Author Jacqueline Greene will talk about how historical research fuels her books. Ms. Greene is the author of the new “American Girl” series about a young Jewish immigrant named Rebecca Rubin. The six-book series is set in 1914 New York City when immigrants flooded into America. Ms. Greene has written more than 30 fiction and [...]
Wayland Town Crier 2/16/10: Girls swim to sectional crown. The Wayland girls swimming and diving team had a solid start with the medley relay at last weekend's North Sectional Meet at MIT en route to the team title.
Wayland Town Crier 2/19/10: ‘Wayland A-Z’: ‘S’ is for ‘Simpson Estate/Mansion Inn’. Could Michael H. Simpson have known the mansion he was building in 1880 on the corner of West Plain Street and Old Connecticut Path was on the site of an ancient cremation cemetery? Probably not.
Wayland Town Crier 2/19/10: Community welcomes TD Bank branch. Judging from the buzz on a recent weekday morning at TD Bank’s new location at the intersection of routes 27 and 30 in Wayland, "America’s Most Convenient Bank" has arrived. The 3,000-square-foot "store," as TD likes to call its branches, opened last month, and customers are already streaming in to make deposits and withdrawals or to speak with staff about loans, safe deposit boxes, investments or insurance. Or staying in their cars to use the handy drive-through facility.
Wayland Town Crier 2/18/10: Wayland and Sudbury continue to pursue ideas for sharing services . In an effort to come up with new cost saving solutions, the towns of Sudbury and Wayland are considering sharing a variety of services from library programming to advanced life support services. Through consolidation, "there are some opportunities to be able to improve services," said Wayland Town Administrator Fred Turkington. If consolidation saves money and improves the quality of services, "It’s all right for everybody." One consolidation effort – a shared recreation director – is already working in favor of both towns.
Wayland Town Crier 2/18/10: Challenges of consolidating transfer stations in Wayland and Sudbury. Not everyone is pleased with the idea of consolidating transfer stations in Sudbury and Wayland. Among those with concerns is Peter Harvell, a member of the Solid Waste Management Option Committee, which had been considering solid waste disposal options for Sudbury. "We never heard the town mention the transfer consolidation when we studied options for solid waste disposal," said Harvell. "All of sudden there comes this regionalization thing that was never brought to the attention of the committee." Harvell questions if money can be saved with consolidation. Last week, Sudbury selectmen announced they are examining the feasibility of consolidating the Sudbury station with Wayland. One idea is to have the two stations share services. The stations are currently open in both towns on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The new schedule may have Sudbury open on Tuesday and Wayland open on Thursday, with the stations in both towns opened Saturday, said Board of Selectmen Chairman Bill Keller.
Wayland Town Crier 2/18/10: Town receives perfect credit rating from Moody's Investors Service. Despite the crippled economy, the town of Wayland received a perfect credit rating from Moody’s Investor Service late last month. Moody’s Investors Service conducts research and analysis of commercial and government finances, and assesses the credit worthiness of borrowers. The rating indicates "the continuing confidence of independent evaluators of the town’s fiscal condition, management and long-term financial planning," said Town Administrator Fred Turkington. He said the purpose of the rating process is to give investors a comfort level when they are purchasing bonds. According to the Moody’s report, the town’s rating is based on a number of factors including "substantial wealth levels that greatly exceed commonwealth medians," and a healthy financial position. The town has also "demonstrated strong voter support for operating overrides and has a modest debt burden that is expected to remain very manageable." "Wayland’s financial strength has improved significantly due to management’s conservative approach to budgeting revenues and managing expenditures," the report said.
Wayland Town Crier 2/18/10: Caraway's says goodbye to Wayland center. Caraway’s, located near the center of town, has been a part of the Wayland scene for 25 years. Ownership of the café changed 10 years ago, when Michael and Joan Franklin bought it, with the small local diner becoming established as a community watering hole. Its imminent departure will certainly leave a void in the town’s social scene. The closing is currently scheduled for Monday, Feb. 22, to make space for the relocation of CVS Pharmacy. Most of the Caraway’s staff, in turn, is moving with the Franklins to the couple’s Franklin Caterers at the Pinefield Plaza, 1 Nicholas Road, Framingham, a short drive from Wayland.
NECN 2/18/10: Bernard Lee, poker spokesman for Foxwoods. Bernard Lee of Wayland, Massachusetts is a nationally known poker player. He's won $1.3 million playing cards, was the top New England finisher in the 2005 World Series of Poker. Lee writes for the Boston Herald and co-hosts a weekly poker show on ESPN.com. He has just been hired as the poker spokesman for the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. Before playing poker professionally, Lee had a job in marketing, and explains how his career has come full circle.
Saturday evening February 27th, 2010 from 7:30 – 9:30 PM the Holy Grounds Coffee House will host an all a cappella evening at theTrinitarian Congregational Church in Wayland at 53 Cochituate Road. Come enjoy a cozy music experience with friends, hot drinks and the best dessert in town. Groups performing include Harvard's "Under Construction", Wellesley [...]
Saturday evening February 27th, 2010 from 7:30 – 9:30 PM the Holy Grounds Coffee House will host an all a cappella evening at theTrinitarian Congregational Church in Wayland at 53 Cochituate Road. Come enjoy a cozy music experience with friends, hot drinks and the best dessert in town. Groups performing include Harvard's "Under Construction", Wellesley College's "Awaken [...]
MY LIFE, MY HEALTH, Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, Starts Monday, March 1, 2010, 10am-12:30pm, Free. This six-week series of Monday workshops are for people with chronic health problems and those who care for people with chronic conditions. Find ways to deal with pain and fatigue, discover better nutrition and exercise choices, understand new treatment choices and [...]
Boston Globe 2/18/10: Franklin wins Division 1 wrestling title. The Division 3 championship went down to the wire, as Wayland (25-4-1) nipped Pembroke, 28-27, in a match that was decided by the heavyweights. Abe Freedberg held off Nick Morey, 7-5, at 285 pounds, giving his team the three points needed for the title. “We came close the last two years, so to wrap it up my senior year is unbelievable,’’ said Freedberg. “I beat him before, so I knew a little bit about him. He gets tired fast, so I knew that if I got to the third period with him I could win it.’’ Wayland received an early 12-0 boost when Carter Shearer and Ryan Malloy pinned their opponents in the opening matches.
Wayland Town Crier 2/16/10: Seventh- and eighth-grade students at Junior District Festival. The Wayland Fine Arts Department proudly announces that 29 of its musicians will be participating in the 2010 Eastern District Junior District Festival on March 5 and 6 at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. Seventh- and eighth-grade members will include, David Dines (mixed chorus), Andrea Vogt (orchestra), Yun-Jae Lee (orchestra), Emma Conroy (mixed chorus), Tori Gitten (mixed chorus), Gene Barton (mixed chorus) and Eli Bucher (mixed chorus), Andrew Chen (orchestra), Katherine Wang (orchestra), Darby Douros (mixed chorus), Lizzy Wells (treble chorus), Jennie Paik (orchestra) and Allen Horine (orchestra); Jonathan Qu (orchestra), Brendan Murphy (mixed chorus), Jesse Hoopes (orchestra), Nick Hebert (mixed chorus), Theo Hieronymus (mixed chorus), Isaac Greenawalt (band), Rachel Hawley (orchestra) and Isabel Pongratz (orchestra).
Metrowest Daily News 2/18/10: Wayland 28, Pembroke 27: Perfect finish. Last night, the Wayland wrestling team captured the Division 3 state championship with a storybook 28-27 triumph over Pembroke. With his team trailing 27-25, Wayland coach Sean Chase bumped up senior 215-pounder Abe Freedberg to heavyweight for the final match of the night. On the line for the Warriors was their first state championship since 2006, after losses in the championship match the last two years.
Federico Suarez, a senior in Mrs. Norton’s Environmental Science class at Wayland High School is collecting data on the recycling habits of Wayland residents. The study will provide valuable data to compare the recycling habits of our community with the “best practices” seen in other towns. The study will produce a summary report and suggestions that will [...]
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