Within the next 10 days, the Board of Selectmen will be posting versions of the enhanced financial reports and supplemental graphics to illustrate monthly changes in key revenue lines and department expenditures. A narrative will accompany the reports to explain variances between budgeted and actual experience and to help readers better understand the date being presented. Watch this space for details on these reports and how to access each on the website.

In addition, the Finance Committee has posted budet comparison documents that were used in evaluating the proposed FY2013 budget at the department and expenditure level, as well as the detailed sources of revenue. These reports can be accessed by visiting the Finance Committee page, and clicking the budget documents link for FY2013 budget reports.

Together, these reports provide historical trends, year-to-date spending and revenue collection data, and some narrative explanation for variances between budget and actual for the current year.

Fred Turkington
Town Administrator
for the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee

The Friends of the Rail Trail monthly meeting is intended to inform, and drive progress with the trail.   We will start with an update on Wayland's progress, then open for questions.  We will then discuss the action plan for both our short term objective (removing the tracks and creating a three mile soft surface path across Wayland), and our long term objective (a 26 mile hard surface trail).  

• Improving safety, and developing a trail maintenance plan for the existing trail
• Working with DCR to begin removal of tracks and ties
• Planning events on the Wayland trail and visiting other rail trails
• Working to improve the Friends website and overall communication

If you would like to help, but can't make this meeting, please email Larry Kiernan at larrykiernan04@gmail.com or call at 508-358-2568.  You can sign up for our newsletter at www.waylandrailtrail.org

All Wayland High School juniors are invited to this event, whether they attend the prom or not. The event is produced with no charge to students to make attendance as easy as possible for this memorable night of entertainment, refreshments, activities and prizes.

The Late Night committee is looking for volunteers – anyone interested should please contact Late Night 2012 Committee Chairs Deb Mead or Susan Longfritz. Tax-deductible donations are also welcome. Please send donations via check payable to Wayland PTO and send to JoAnn Leavitt, 9 Woodridge Road, Wayland MA 01778, or feel free to visit the Wayland PTO website to make an online donation.

SOAR 55 is a volunteer organization for people aged 55 and over who would like to share their professional and experience-based skills with local public and nonprofit organizations who need help. We offer a unique personalized and thoughtful approach to matching each individual with a rewarding and satisfying volunteer opportunity.  SOAR 55 has over 300 volunteers serving at 80 sites in assignments that range from tutoring children to leadership roles in organizations to management consulting.

Mission:  SOAR 55, is a program of Newton Community Service Center, and part of a national network of volunteer agencies that mobilizes adults 55 and over to contribute their skills and experience in meaningful service activities to help strengthen and expand the capacity of local community service organizations in Newton and MetroWest. SOAR 55’s Satellite Office is located at the Framingham Library to service the MetroWest community    

Luigi Boccia hails from Italy, where he studied Musicology at the University of Pavia before coming to the U.S. to begin his performing career with lead roles in Don Giovanni, Gianni Snicchi, The Merry Widow, The Barber of Seville, and others.  Among other awards, Boccia was winner in the 2008 and 2009 Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Competition and won First Prize in the 2008 Gerda Lissner Competition in New York.  In 2010, he debuted at Carnegie Hall as tenor soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass and in Catania (Sicily) as Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata.  He is currently a resident artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. 

Arthur McManus has collaborated with numerous singers in the New York metropolitan area for over 20 years, serving as pianist for master classes conducted by such illustrious singers as Licia Albanese, Robert Merrill, and Martina Arroyo.  He has been a collaborative pianist in the music department of Brandeis University, and currently is organist and music director at St. Joan of Arc Church in Orleans. 

All Little Theater concerts are free and open to all; this one is made possible in part by a grant from the Wayland Cultural Council. 

Many concert-goers will be visiting the new High School for the first time. The final configuration of parking and pedestrian access will not be in place until the end of this summer, when demolition and landscaping will have been completed. For the remainder of this season, concert-goers can park in the High School’s student lot, the first lot they will encounter after entering the High School property. They will walk toward the new buildings, keeping the construction fence on their right. The Main Stage is in the new North building, which will be on the right.   (Click on the HS image at the left for a larger view)

For more information, visit www.waylandconcerts.org or call 508-358-2667.

January 20th was the presentation date to the winner of the 32” Panasonic LCD TV that was awarded by the Wayland Business Association (WBA) in support of WayCAM’s “Get to Know WayCAM” promotion. The TV give-away was the grand prize from the survey WayCAM conducted at Special Town Meeting, and that ran until the end of November. Town meeting attendees and many other town residents were invited to complete a survey about WayCAM’s performance and ways that WayCAM could improve its services to the Wayland community. Over 375 people participated, and the lucky winner of the TV was Ann Knight, who many of you know is Director of the Wayland Free Public Library. Ann’s name was randomly drawn at the WBA’s annual Holiday Party in December.

Ann is pictured here with Ken Isaacson, president of WayCAM (left), and Michael Abend, president of the Wayland Business Association. The presentation was made at WayCAM’s new  studios, which are located, as of December 24th, on the new Wayland High School site, adjacent to the Field House. With the new site, WayCAM is much more than a TV station. WayCAM is transforming into a state-of-the-art Community Media Center, a resource for the whole town. A variety of courses in TV, video and studio production will be provided to the adult community, in addition to the classes presently provided by WayCAM to more than 100 Wayland students each year. WayCAM will be holding a community-wide Open House in Spring 2012, to introduce its new facilities and course offerings. Interested residents of all ages and backgrounds should contact Jim Mullane, Executive Director, at (508) 358-5006, email: jim@waycam.tv .

WaylandCares Facebook Page 1/30/12: The Wayland Board of Selectmen approved a resolution establishing a 5 person committee to report to the Town any action that should be taken with regard to the community’s substance abuse prevention efforts through WaylandCares, and what steps it recommends the Town take to assure that this community-wide coalition work continue.

The committee shall be comprised of FIVE (5) members appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Board of Selectmen for ten months, ending October 31, 2012 of with preference given to individuals with professional expertise in substance abuse prevention; social work; strategic planning; business and non-profit organization development and grant writing.

If you or someone you know would like a position on this committee we urge you to contact us for more information about the work of this committee, or apply to the Board of Selectmen.

With a new season just a few short months away, WayCo Amateur Sports Development, Inc., – whose cornerstone program is the WayCo Softball League – announces its recent charitable donations.  The non-profit organization donated a total of $2,250 in 2011 to eight different recipients.

A successful summer raffle and individual donations meant WayCo was able to top the previous three seasons in donations. Since its formation in 2008, WayCo has donated $6,275 to 12 different causes.  Donations are made in honor of Daniel G. Burgess, one of four co-founders of the successful softball league. He passed away at age 20 in 2008, and the league is carried on in his memory.

Recipients in 2011 were: Daniel G. Burgess Memorial Scholarship at Good Shepherd Parish, the Wayland High School Football Program, Parmenter Food Pantry, Wayland Pop Warner Football, the Lauren Astley Memorial Fund, and the Wayland METCO Program.  In addition, donations were also made to the Wayland High School Athletics Department and the James Griffin Family Fund.

Several of the donations were made with specific purposes identified.  For example, the donation to the food pantry is used to purchase gift cards to a local grocery story; these are given to families during the holiday season. The high school athletic department was given money to help individual students needing anything from basketball shoes to hockey skates or to help with fees for camps or clinics.  A donation to the METCO program was earmarked for families in need during the holidays. WayCo also chose to support the James Griffin Family Fund, which was established in support of late Wayland High School guidance counselor Jim Griffin, who was very special to so many of WayCo’s players.

WayCo’s Board of Directors is especially thankful to Olivia Hanlon, Wayland High School 2011, and Maeve Moynihan, a current senior, for volunteering their time to sell raffle tickets at several venues throughout the summer.

Bereavement Group:  Parmenter’s Hospice is offering an 8 week bereavement support group on Tuesdays from 7:00-8:30pm beginning February 28th. We recognize that everyone grieves in his or her own way, but no one needs to carry grief alone. This professionally facilitated group will provide an opportunity to learn about and share experiences of grieving in a relaxed and supportive environment. There is no fee to attend, but registration is required. Please mark your calendars: February 28, 2012 through April 17, 2012, 7:00-8:30pm For more information or to register for this support group, call Andrea Heinlein, LICSW at 508-358-3000.

HEARTplaysm:  These Workshops gather children ages 3-12 after a death. Through conversation, visual expression, music, writing, and storytelling the children share their feelings and experiences. This creative process invites new understanding about death and life. There are some special workshops for children who have lost a mother, father or sibling. Group size is limited and early pre-registration is encouraged. Status will be confirmed by phone the Monday before the workshop. Registration is required. For more information and to register, please call Deborah at 508-358-3000 ext.244. Pre-School and Kindergarten, 9-9:45 am Grades 1 – 6, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. 

All programs will be held at the Parmenter offices which are located in Wayland at 266 Cochituate Road, Rt. 27.