Thursday, May 2, 2013
A recent column in the Boston Herald has less than positive things to say about the New England Town Meeting form of government, but do you agree for Wayland?
As Wayland winds down from another Annual Town Meeting and other towns throughout the region are holding theirs, one writer at the Boston Herald is taking issue with the colonial form of government. Calling Town Meeting an "inefficient relic of our Puritan past" that "has a discriminatory impact on working voters and voters with young children," Jennifer C. Braceras advocates for its end throughout New England. Braceras' strong language continues as she describes town meeting as an "anti-democratic" institution that leaves major town decisions to the "tyranny of the minority," which, she says, is usually comprised of the "single, childless, or elderly, who have time to spend long hours debating items that could be easily resolved in …
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Nearby Weston and Sudbury allowed limited bow hunting on conservation lands in 2012 (and for years prior in Sudbury). Would you support such a program in Wayland?
The Deer Management Program in Weston launched in the 2012 hunting season with the goal of controlling what the Conservation Commission in that town has argued is an overpopulation of deer. The program has, to say the least, been contentious. When Weston voters head to their Annual Town Meeting in May, one of the articles on which they will vote would forbid bow hunting on town-owned land even though the Conservation Commission supports in continuation. In Sudbury, a similar program has existed since 1999. To the best of my knowledge, this isn't currently on the table in Wayland, but the fact that it has been implemented in abutting towns (perhaps not for long in Weston) does raise the question of whether it could have a place in Wayland. …
Thursday, April 18, 2013
We've heard a lot of bad news this week. That means your words of encouragement and hope mean all that much more.
As we've all been glued to various media outlets this week, watching the horror of the Boston Marathon bombings unfold, we've been covered with one appalling, heartbreaking story after another. In the midst of all the bad news, good news and kind words of hope and encouragement shine all that much more brightly. We've heard of heroes who risked their own lives to come to the aid of those injured in the blasts. We've learned of communities rallying around their hurt or even the families of those who were killed to show support and love. We've seen runners, such as Wayland's Alexis Avila, talk about the compassion and generosity of strangers who came to the aid of confused runners. Even as we all attempt to come to terms with this tragedy, …
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Four sessions later, Wayland's 2013 Annual Town Meeting drew to a close. But how did it go?
Wayland voters trudged to the Wayland High School Field House four times throughout the past week for four separate sessions of the 2013 Annual Town Meeting. When all was said and done, 24 articles had been addressed -- one of them twice -- and multiple motions voted. Whether you were there or just following along on the Patch Live Blogs and article vote recap, the time has come to reflect on what took place. Are you pleased with the decisions that were made? What surprised you about the meeting? Are you happy with the functionality and process of electronic voting? Which vote do you wish had gone another way? If you have thoughts about the 2013 Annual Town Meeting, this is the place to talk about them. Share your opinions in the comments …
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Wayland's 2013 Annual Town Meeting starts tonight, so let's make some predictions on the numbers.
Wayland's Annual Town Meeting always brings surprises no matter how well you think you've anticipated the event. There's the "gimme" article that would seem to be a quick, no-debate vote and ends up leading to a 20-minute discourse (see, Article 21: Choosing Town Officers article); there are phrases that unexpectedly crop up once and then come up again and again throughout the meeting's sessions (see, "sexy" from 2012), and there's the article for which you settle in for the debate only for it to come to a vote within minutes. As you gear up for the first session of Wayland's Annual Town Meeting, we're just curious what your predictions are on the following: - How many sessions will Town Meeting take? - Which article (besides the budget) …
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Everyone attends Annual Town Meeting for a different reason ... we want to hear yours. Furthermore, a large segment of the town doesn't attend at all, and we want to know why not.
With the start of Wayland's 2013 Annual Town Meeting just a week away, we thought it was time to ask what it is that will bring you to the Wayland High School field house April 4 (and whatever days we need after that), or what keeps you away. Once, maybe twice, a year, Wayland residents have the opportunity to come together and make some critical choices for their town. Will you be in the seats next week? If so, what is compels you to attend Town Meeting ... or perhaps, what compels you to attend this particular Town Meeting (if you aren't a regular)? Is there a particular issue in this Warrant that will bring you out to vote? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Perhaps you can even convince some of your fellow voters to turn …
Thursday, March 21, 2013
There's been lots of talk about a new Department of Public Works facility in Wayland. It's time to gauge some current public opinion.
Discussions about a new Wayland Department of Public Works facility have been going on for years. Recently, they've taken on more immediacy with plans being drawn up, sites proposed and even some Town Meeting votes taken. We asked before what you think about the proposed location of the new facility on River Road, but we're going in a more general direction this week. What do you think about the proposed DPW facility?
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Thursday, March 14, 2013
We've had some changes to Wayland's business landscape lately, so we wanted to know what is STILL missing.
We keep having brushes with spring, when warmer days drive us to leave our coats at home (or at least in the car) and not despise the far away parking spot quite so much. With warmer days, comes a greater desire to spend time walking Wayland's streets and sidewalks, browsing the stores and shops that are there and dreaming of ... ... well, of what? Wayland has seen a lot of change in the past year, in particular, with Wayland Town Center coming online. And we know we've asked this question before, but with town center taking shape, it seemed a good time to ask it again. If you could move any business or type of business to Wayland, what would it be? Don't feel constrained by bylaws or zoning or even possibility. Dream big. What business …
Thursday, March 7, 2013
With another snowy storm on the horizon, we're just a bit curious if Wayland is getting stir crazy.
New England might be famous for its autumns, but let's be honest: Spring looks pretty good when it finally arrives after a long, dark winter. There are signs that it could be getting close -- a few rain storms instead of snowstorms, shrinking piles of "snirt," lingering evening daylight -- and then ... BAM! ... another snow storm in the forecast. The tease of spring has us dreaming of a frolic at Heard Farm (a frolic, as opposed to a slog through the snow drifts), blooming flowers in front yards across town, and just the basic chance to take an evening walk without a flashlight. But what about you? What spring activity are you dreaming of right now? What will you do with your first spring day in Wayland?
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Let's call this week's question unofficial market research
It's no secret that social media is playing a significant role these days in the way that people get their news. Even journalists check Twitter and Facebook for news updates and headlines. And Wayland Patch also takes advantage of Twitter and Facebook to communicate news to our readers in a way that reaches beyond our homepage and email newsletters. This Weekly Question is partly selfish on our part, but it's also designed to help us get you the news in the way you want it. We want to know: Does Wayland look to Twitter or Facebook for news updates? This is a simple question to answer, so we hope to have numerous responses. It's OK if you like both options (or neither), but we hope you'll take a moment to tell us so in the comments.
Jeff Baron
5:11 pm on Saturday, May 4, 2013
I think it is a decent question, Bruce. I think people are expecting too much, though. Apathy rules the day as it relates to our democracy. Yes, at times, certain issues or elections draw a larger number out, but I'd say very few people actually want to the work. They do like to complain about the results, though... more ›