Author: League of Women Voters of Wayland

The League of Women Voters is a political grassroots network and membership organization that believes the freedom to vote is a nonpartisan issue. For more than a century, we’ve worked to empower voters and defend democracy. As a women-led organization, we encourage everyone to take part in our democracy.

What’s the League doing about redistricting in Massachusetts?

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

(Info from LWVMA) LWVMA is a member of the Drawing Democracy Coalition.  This Coalition is advocating for a fair and transparent redistricting process and for equitable maps that allow communities, especially BIPOC, low income, and immigrant communities, that have been underrepresented to elect people who represent their views.  As part of this Coalition, LWVMA has participated in monthly meetings with the Co-Chairs of the Special Joint Committee for Redistricting.  The purpose of these meetings is for the Drawing Democracy Coalition to provide input into the process and to find ways we can help engage the public in the process.  Ten public hearings are being held (started in April and will be conducted through the summer) providing the opportunity for the public and local officials to provide testimony about their communities that should be considered in the redistricting process.  LWVMA testified at the April 14 hearing.  You can read our testimony here.  

The 2021 Redistricting process has been quite challenging caused by the delay of the Census data release and the COVID pandemic precluding in person hearings and meetings.   The Special Joint Committee on Redistricting has shown flexibility by doing much of its work on parallel paths and making sure the public has many opportunities for their voice to be heard.  

Learn more about redistricting in Massachusetts by reviewing the materials in the People Powered Fair Maps toolkit or by going to the Special Joint Committee on Redistricting website.

Participate in interviews for Wayland’s Housing Production Plan

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

From the Town of Wayland: You are invited to participate in virtual interview with the consultants who are working with the Town of Wayland to update the Wayland Housing Production Plan. These interviews will take place on July 6-7 and will include anywhere from one to seven people, depending on the number of sign-ups (the maximum is seven per time slot).

Please click on the link Wayland Housing Production Plan Interviews to fill out a form and select the interview date and time that will work best for you. You will receive a Zoom link within a few days of your scheduled interview time. 

“Discover our Universal Humanity” Virtual Event (LWVCC), June 27 from 7 to 9 pm

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

Our sister League for Concord-Carlisle will be holding “Discover Our Universal Humanity”, an evening with improv group Bright Invention on Sunday June 27, from 7 – 9 pm. The DEI Committee for LWVCC has been working with Bright Invention to develop scenarios that the improv actors will act out to highlight challenges to diversity that exist in our community. While the actors role-play, the audience will have the opportunity to suggest improvements for the actors to change their demeanor or their lines. Then Bright Invention actors will improvise on the spot, trying the scene again, incorporating our suggestions. What a powerful thing, to see and hear how we can reframe how we welcome people with diverse backgrounds. Click for registration (required).

LWV of Wayland Annual Meeting, June 21 at 7 pm

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

LWVW members are cordially invited to attend the League of Women Voters of Wayland Annual Meeting, which will take place via Zoom on Monday, June 21, at 7pm.  We are very pleased to have as our speakers Senator Rebecca Rausch and Town Clerk Anna Ludwig who will talk about once-a-decade changes they will oversee as a result of our population numbers revealed by the 2020 census.  Congressional districts have to be redrawn and the town may need to add an additional precinct.  How is this done?  Who oversees it?  When will it take affect?  Will there be public input?

Following the discussion, we will hold our required brief annual meeting.  For more information and for your Zoom invitation, please email info@lwvwayland.org!

Massachusetts Forests are Essential for Meeting Our Climate Goals: Are They up to the Task? on Monday, June 7, 7:30 pm

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

Monday, June 7, 2021 at 7:30 PM, Dr. William Moomaw, Professor Emeritus of International Policy at The Fletcher School, Tufts University and Distinguished Visiting Scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, will speak on “Massachusetts Forests are Essential for Meeting Our Climate Goals: Are They up to the Task?”. There will be time for questions after Dr. Moomaw’s presentation.

After addressing stratospheric ozone depletion as a staff scientist for the U.S. Senate, Dr. Moomaw began working on climate change in 1988 as the first director of the climate program at World Resources Institute in Washington DC. He has been a lead author of five Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Reports. The IPCC shared the Nobel Peace Prize for its climate work in 2007. He is currently identifying natural climate solutions that increase accumulation of carbon in forests, wetlands, and soils to more rapidly meet climate goals. Dr. Moomaw is a co-author of a recent paper declaring a Climate Emergency that has been endorsed by over 13,000 scientists.

This event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters Lexington, and is open to the public at no charge, however registration is required at http://www.lwvlexington.org.  Please note:  This event will follow the LWV Lexington Annual Meeting, which begins at 7PM.   After a brief meeting, then a short recess, Dr. Moomaw will speak at 7:30PM.  Further questions? contact the League convener Margaret Coppe at mecoppe@gmail.com.

The Transportation and Climate Initiative: Improving the Regional Economy and Health for All, May 20th at 4 pm

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

Join League members from CT, RI and MA, and advocates and experts on TCI for this special, tri-state League sponsored event to learn how we can all help reduce pollution that causes respiratory diseases such as asthma while investing equitably in modern, clean, regional transportation solutions. MA has been a leader in supporting TCI in the region. Rhode Island and Connecticut are at critical points in advancing the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) in their states.TCI is designed to benefit anyone who breathes air in the region, but especially children and those who live in environmental justice communities who are disproportionately impacted by air pollution. TCI is seen as a model for the country as a plan to address the deadly, heat-trapping emissions of air pollution from the transportation sector – one of the largest sources of emissions in the region and the country. We hope to see you there!

Event: The Transportation and Climate Initiative: Improving The Regional Economy and Health For All

When: Thursday, May 20th, 2021 from 4:00-5:00pm 

RSVP at: tinyURL.com/lwv2021tci

Cosponsors: League of Women Voters of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, Transportation Team of LWV US Climate Interest Group, The Acadia Center, Ceres, Green Energy Consumer Alliance, and Transportation for Massachusetts

Learn more about TCI ahead of time: Georgetown Climate Center

Wayland Town Meeting this weekend!

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

Wayland Town Meeting will be held on Saturday, May 15 at 12:30 pm and on Sunday, May 16 at 12:30 pm on the Wayland High School Field, 264 Old Connecticut Path in Wayland. ‘Doors’ open at 10:30 am.

To view the Town Warrant with all the articles, click here:  Wayland Town Warrant 2021

To view the Town Meeting Issues Forum, click here:  Wayland Town Meeting Issues Forum

Additional info from the Town of Wayland:

BE PREPARED:

  • SUBSCRIBE TO URGENT ALERTS TO BE NOTIFIED REGARDING WEATHER AND PARKING UPDATES
  • PLAN TO ARRIVE EARLY
  • BRING YOUR TOWN WARRANT (YELLOW BOOK)
  • BRING AN UMBRELLA 
  • DRESS FOR THE WEATHER
  • BRING WATER
  • BRING A MASK 
  • REMEMBER TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE

Be sure to vote on Tuesday, May 11th!

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

Wayland Town Elections are being held this Tuesday, May 11th, from 7 am to 8 pm.

Where do I vote? To figure out where to go, you first need to know which precinct you are in. There are 4 precincts in Wayland. You can check this list for your street, https://www.wayland.ma.us/sites/g/files/vyhlif4016/f/uploads/wayland_voting_precincts.pdf, or call the Town Clerk’s office at (508) 358-3630 if your street is not listed.

Once you know your precinct, here is where to go to vote: Precincts 1 and 4 vote at the Wayland Town Building Gymnasium, 41 Cochituate Road, Wayland.  Precincts 2 and 3 vote at the Wayland Middle School Gymnasium, 201 Main Street, Wayland.

Which positions are being elected and who are the candidates? Watch the LWV of Wayland Candidates’ Night here to meet many of the candidates: LWVW and WayCam’s Candidates Night. The Town of Wayland City Clerks lists the candidates below for this election, with *(i) meaning that the person is an incumbent:

Contested Elections

School Committee – vote for 2
      Ellen M. Grieco (i)*
      Kathleen R. Steinberg (i)
      Jessica Patrice Polizzotti

Board of Public Works- vote for 2
     Clifford W. Lewis (i)
     Abner Bruno, Jr.
     Duane E. Galbi
     Sherre Mira Greenbaum

Uncontested Elections:

Board of Selectmen- vote for 2
      Adam Garrett Gutbezahl
      Carol B. Martin

Board of Assessors – vote for 2
       Zachariah L. Ventress (i)
       Sharon Lee Burke

Trustees of the Public Library – vote for 2
      Judy Lynn Dion
      George Winfield Treese

Board of Health – vote for 2
      John G. Schuler (i)
      Robert DeFrancesco (i)

Planning Board – vote for 1
      Larry R. Kiernan

Recreation Commission – vote for 2
      David B. Pearlman (i)

Commissioner of Trust Funds – vote for 1
      Barry S. Rothschild

Housing Authority – vote for 1 (to fill a vacancy)
     Marie Florence Isenburg

For more information on the upcoming election in Wayland, please visit the Town’s Elections page: https://www.wayland.ma.us/town-clerk/pages/elections.

Town Meeting Issues Forum on Thursday, May 6 at 7 pm

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

Join the League of Women Voters of Wayland and town residents to discuss 11 articles (including the three articles related to the environment) that will be voted on at Town Meeting. Each article will be presented to viewers with time for questions. The forum will be held via Zoom (see link below) and broadcasted on WayCAM. Iryna Priester will serve as moderator.

UPDTED: Link to watch the Town Meeting Issues Forum, as recorded on May 6: Wayland Town Meeting Issues Forum

And don’t forget the important dates coming up:

  • Tuesday, May 11, Town Elections: For more information, click Voting FAQs
  • Saturday and Sunday, May 15 and 16, 12:30 pm (both days) Wayland Town Meeting at Wayland High School Field: To view the Town Warrant, click Wayland Town Warrant 2021

Candidates’ Night is tonight at 7 pm!

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

Join us for our 71st Annual Candidates’ Night! All candidates running for elected office in Wayland have been invited to attend (electronically, of course!) There are contested elections for the Wayland School Committee and the Wayland Board of Public Works. The Candidate’s Night will be held via Zoom (link is below) and broadcasted on WayCAM.

Thank you to Karen Kavet for organizing Candidates’ Night and to Nancy Brumback from the Sudbury League for moderating!

To access the meeting, click on the following link: https://zoom.us/j/95692662892?pwd=UDhqeE9RVGVoeS9mWXM2eVdCelFHQT09

Save the date for LWVW’s Town Meeting Issues Forum on Thursday, May 6 at 7 pm!

Join the League of Women Voters of Wayland and town residents on May 6th to discuss 11 articles (including the three articles related to the environment) that will be voted on at Town Meeting. Each article will be presented to viewers with time for questions. The forum will be held via Zoom (see link below) and broadcasted on WayCAM. Iryna Priester will serve as moderator.