community

A knock at the door last night...but no one there...just a bag of treats and a note. We've been BOOed! This Halloween custom involves secretly leaving a bag of treats with a note asking the person to pass on the favor to two more neighbors. Join the fun and BOO or be BOOed today!

from the Town web site...

Interested in serving in local government?

If you would like to serve the Town of Westwood on one of the following committees: Communications & Technology, Conservation, Council on Aging, Cultural, Health, Historical, Recreation, Youth & Family Services, as well as the recently established Roy London Award Committee, which will choose a worthy recipient who has served the community, please contact the Board of Selectmen’s office at 781-326-4172 by July 3, 2009.

Henry Gale, a long standing member of the Planning Board, has indicated that he is moving to another community and will be stepping down from his membership on the Planning Board. If you are interested in being considered to fill the expected vacancy on the Planning Board, please contact the Board of Selectmen’s Office at 781-326-4172 by July 3, 2009.

A couple of people have asked me about leading some kind of group in Westwood for people who are looking for work. I think that might be a good idea for many reasons. I meet with the Salty Legs Career Club in Cambridge every two weeks, and our group is a mix of unemployed and self-employed which makes for a very positive dynamic. It's not so much about discussing the job search as talking about what people are doing--and how they are looking for "work" where work is not necessarily a job.

There are many challenges in the unemployment experience--and one of the biggest is just to keep a postive outlook which can be defeated by too much time thinking about things on your own. If people have interest in having an informal meeting in Westwood...suggest a time and place and let's see...

Here's a question for readers of this blog who are more familiar with Westwood than I am...are there civic/business groups in town that already exist to help improve the town centers? How did the work in Islington center happen--obviously it has recently been improved with the municipal parking lot, clock, and sidewalk work around the center? Is there a group of business owners? How about along 109?

Would you believe Bubbling Brook's Facebook fan page has 5,688 fans? Given that the population of Westwood is only 15,648 that's pretty impressive, although I'm sure many fans are from neighboring towns. I set up a fan page for WestwoodBlog, but we've only got 2 fans so far and they both live at the same address! Hale Reservation is also on Facebook with 21 fans. Feel free to comment here to publicize any other local fan pages. And if you know me, feel free to friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter...I'll post again with some more details about how Twitter can be relevant locally...

Seasons' Greetings from the Atkins' family! We hope everyone has a great holiday and New Year!

The chore program of the Council on Aging assists seniors with small tasks that they may be unable to do themselves. These tasks may include common repairs and minor maintenance jobs that are likely to be completed in one visit, and do not require the skill of licensed trades people, such as electricians and plumbers. Some examples of tasks with which the chore program may help are the replacement of small parts, such as faucet washers and toilet mechanisms, trimming shrubs and raking leaves, replacement of broken electrical switches and outlets, repair of door locks and passage sets, and difficulties with using a computer, including help with applications and access to the internet. Only volunteer labor is provided. Expenses, such as parts, are the responsibility of recipients. The program is seeking volunteers who may have skills that they would be willing to share with seniors in need of their help. Individuals with an interest in volunteering should contact:

Pat Carty-Larkin
Director, Westwood Council on Aging
(781) 329-8799
plarkin@townhall.westwood.ma.us

It's a great opportunity to serve the community of Westwood by offering your know-how to people who may need your help.

Thursday, November 13th, the Westwood Land Trust (WLT) is sponsoring the second annual Capturing Nature in Westwood Art Exhibit to raise awareness and appreciation for Westwood’s beautiful natural environment. "Artists help us to see what’s around us, and the exhibit is a wonderful way for Westwood residents to view nature through artists' eyes," explains Westwood Land Trust President Nancy Dempze. The public is invited to attend a reception to view the exhibit at the Westwood High School theater lobby from 6:30 to 9:00 pm.

Westwood Public Schools art students from a wide variety of grade levels have diligently worked on event submissions as part of their fall art curriculum. Sheehan third graders studied the artist Marc Chagall who believed that "Great art picks up where nature ends." These students combined poetry and artwork based on Chagall's work. At the high school, studio art students "looked closely" at aspects of nature that aren't normally considered beautiful, insects for example, and portrayed their beauty through brilliant pastels. In ceramics, students learned how to make coil pots and produced various vessels decorated with leaves.

Submissions from Westwood residents will also be displayed; over 40 entries were exhibited last year. This year, the work of guest artist Crystal Woodward will also be on display. Ms. Woodward is a professional artist, teacher and land conservationist. She was raised in Belmont, MA, and now lives in France. She is currently in the Boston area teaching the course "Landscape, Art and Visual Language" at The Landscape Institute of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. Ms. Woodward will be at the exhibit to meet with viewers and answer questions about her artwork and conservation activities.

Founded in 1999, the Westwood Land Trust is a charitable organization dedicated to preserving open space, forests, and habitat in Westwood. WLT works cooperatively with landowners who wish to retain their property in its undeveloped state by raising funds to buy development rights from landowners and by receiving and enforcing conservation restrictions on Westwood properties. WLT currently holds conservation restrictions that protect 158 acres of land in Westwood.

The Westwood Newcomers Club was founded in 1994 to provide an opportunity for new residents of Westwood to get to know each other through informal social events sponsored by the club. We are now in our fourteenth year of existence and although our mission is still to help new residents of Westwood connect, we have become so much more! Many of the club’s members have been residents of Westwood for many years and still enjoy participating in our events and meeting new people. We have become a diverse group with a tremendous amount of information and knowledge to share.

The club plans and runs as many as four events each month. These events include family outings such as the fall hayride and pumpkin picking, hiking, holiday parties, spring egg hunts, ice skating and barn baby animals. There are also women’s events such as cooking classes, pottery painting, yoga, and centerpiece arranging. Couples’ events consist of monthly informal socials and our popular wine tasting event. We also organize ongoing book clubs and playgroups. Events are typically hosted by members, however, occasionally we do hold events at other venues.

Membership is open to all residents of Westwood. The club runs from September through June. Annual dues are $35 per family and are applied to the costs of the events we hold. Members receive a bi-annual newsletter and email updates.

The Newcomers Club is run by member volunteers and we are always looking for anyone interested in joining the team. The team meets about 1-2 times a year for planning purposes.

Please visit our website at http://www.westwoodnewcomersclub.com

On Wednesday mornings, around 830am or so, the neighborhood streets around the Downey and Hanlon Elementary Schools are filled with children and parents walking to school. Both schools are working with MassRIDES Safe Routes to School Program:

The Massachusetts Safe Routes to School program offers schools technical assistance designing, implementing, marketing, and evaluating initiatives tailored to each school's needs and priorities. Participating schools receive free promotional materials to implement Safe Routes to School, plus no-cost educational materials targeted to students, parents, and community leaders. Training prepares school stakeholders to identify school access challenges and design solutions. School partners qualify for infrastructure improvements to enhance safety along school routes. 

Safe Routes to Schools is part of a growing movement to increase the physical activity of our children, help them achieve greater independence, and help them to arrive at school alert and ready to learn. The comprehensive Tool Kit Manual developed by MassRIDES and WalkBoston describes the program in detail and presents a cookbook for establishing such a program at a school.