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As this pandemic continues, we are making decisions month to month. The Westwood Senior Center will be closed through the Fall due to an abundance of caution to keep seniors and staff safe. Please know we are still here (in the office Monday through Friday 8-1pm – phone calls only – 781-329-8799) if you need us; the Center staff is working remotely as well as rotating coming into the office.
The good news is that a number of our classes (yoga, exercise, line dancing, and music) continue to run on cable and we now offer numerous zoom classes (Current Conversations, Pilates, Tai Chi, Cooking) with more to come this fall. If you are interested, please send us your email address, and what you are interested in joining, so we can send you information. And check out our Fall Newsletter for any updates. There are no costs to any of these programs.
And if you are feeling isolated or lonely during this pandemic, please let us know (leave a message with Lina or Karen). Our COA Board volunteers would love to give you a friendly call and chat with you on a weekly basis.
Or perhaps you would like to connect with a Westwood Student? If so, then check out our new partnership with Westwood Youth & Family Services! We will begin a pen pal relationship with a high school student and senior starting in October and would love to add you to our list, see below for details.
Westwood Writes: An Intergenerational Pen Pal Program
The Council on Aging and the Youth & Family Services Department are excited to announce a new program that will foster connection between senior residents and high school students. This intergenerational program matches these two groups in a one-to-one pen pal relationship. Seniors and high school students will exchange letters on a monthly basis from October thru May. Monthly topic and discussion ideas will be provided but each partnership can, of course, evolve on their own. If you are an interested senior resident please contact Lina Arena-DeRosa at the COA at larenaderosa@townhall.westwood.ma.us or (781-329-8799). Interested high school students should contact Youth & Family Services by emailing youth@townhall.westwood.ma.us or calling (781) 320-1006.
Here are a few cable programs you might enjoy. ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS CAN BE FOUND ON LOCAL CABLE Comcast 8 & 12, and Verizon 32 & 42 daily. More will be added this Fall:
Monday
9:00-9:45 - Cardio Strength & Stretch
10:00-10:45 - Line Dancing
11:00-12:00 - Music Matters
Tuesday
8:00-9:00 - Floor Yoga
9:30-10:30 - Chair Yoga
11:00-12:00 - Music Matters
Wednesday
9:00-9:45 - Sit and Get Fit
10:00-10:45 - Line Dancing
11:00-12:00 - Music Matters
Thursday
8:00-9:00 Floor Yoga
9:30-10:30 - Chair Yoga
11:00-12:00 - Music Matters
Friday
9:00-9:45 - Cardio Strength and Balance
10:00-10:45 - Line Dancing
11:00-12:00 - Music Matters
We will be adding special programming each week to keep you informed. Presently we are working on How to Avoid Scams with Dedham Savings, Update on COVID 19 with Big Y Pharmacy, Health Proxies with Metro West Legal Association, to name a few. More details will be available in our fall newsletter.
Fuel Assistance will begin in the fall and if you need information or help, call the Center to talk with or and leave a message for Karen …she is always willing to help you with resources that you may need.
Meals on Wheels continue to grow and are delivered daily; any Westwood resident 65 or older needing a meal please calls HESSCO at 781-784-4944. We are also available to grocery shop for homebound at risk elders, just give us a call at the Center and we can set this up for you.
Our van is now available on a very limited basis. We can take you grocery shopping on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Shaw’s and Roche Bros only), and medical appointments (in a very limited area) on Mondays. Please call us for details.
Remember staying connected will help you stay healthy … call your friends, family and neighbors regularly.
Stay safe!
Updates:
- High Street final paving to begin Thursday, August 20th. This final portion of the paving will require more detours and delays than the beginning part of the work. Please follow marked detours and seek alternate routes during this work.
- Trash & Recycle collections will be delayed 1 day due to Labor Day Holiday (Monday 9.7.20)
- Additional Barrels (Trash & Recycle) are temporarily suspended
- Sewer Mark-Outs and Inspections are on a limited basis due to skeleton crews
- The Town of Westwood was informed on June 22, 2020, that Simple Recycling, the company who serviced the pink bag textile collection, will not be resuming services in the Town of Westwood. Residents will NO LONGER be able to have textile items picked up curbside. Please stop placing any pink bags curbside for pickup as they WILL NOT BE COLLECTED. The COVID Pandemic has been cited for their immediate termination. The Town will research other companies to hopefully restart this service at some point. Textile items will be accepted at the Spring and Fall recycling events held at the DPW Facility. Please check website for information and dates for these recycling events.
Save The Date:
- Westwood Household Hazardous Waste Day is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2020. For more details, please visit our website.
- Yard Waste Collection will resume the week of September 14, 2020 and then
- October 5 – 9
- November 2 – 6
- November 9 – 13
- November 16 – 20
- November 23 – 28
- November 30 – December 4
For more details, please visit our website.
- Westwood Bulk Collection Event is scheduled for the week of October 12, 2020 on your regular scheduled trash day. For more details, please visit our website.
Monthly Focus:
Pool Chemicals or Chemicals of any sort cannot be put into the trash or recycle barrels. On July 22, 2020 pool chemicals started a fire in one of the Waste Management trucks. The load was on fire in the back of the vehicle and the entire load had to be emptied onto the Council On Age parking lot. The fire department was deployed to put out the fire, an open topped dumpster was then needed for clean up and much damaged was caused to the newly paved parking lot. Please contact the DPW or visit the town website or the recycle coach app concerning any materials you may be unsure of for disposal.
The Town of Westwood encourages all residents to follow state guidelines as much as possible (https://recyclesmartma.org/results-materials/#). Thank you or doing your part and helping to stop recycling contamination in our town!
All administrative staff will be working remotely until further notice. Any questions or concerns can be emailed directly to:
lfiske@townhall.westwood.ma.us - Administrative Assistant
khiggins@townhall.westwood.ma.us - Interim Administrative Assistant
cbarenth@townhall.westwood.ma.us - Office Manager
jmccarthy@townhall.westwood.ma.us - Facilities Manager
bryan@townhall.westwood.ma.us - Assistant Director of Public Works
tkorchin@townhall.westwood.ma.us - Director of Public Works
For more information, please visit:
https://www.townhall.westwood.ma.us/departments/public-works
*If you are dropping off your ballot, it MUST be placed in the ballot box in front of the Police Station. It is clearly labeled for ballots*
Important Election Information from the Town Clerk
Changes to State Election Laws: Chapter 115 of the Acts of 2020
Due to the passage of House Bill 4820 voters will have more options when voting in the State September 1, 2020 Primary
Voter Registration
- The voter registration deadline for any election held on or before December 31, 2020 shall be 10 days before the election under (HB:4820,Ch 115 acts of 2020)
- The deadline to register to vote for the September 1st primary will be on Saturday, August 22, 2020.
- Voter Registration FAQ’S
- Click here to check your voter registration status
- Register to vote online
- Register to vote my Mail
- If you are not able to register online or download an application please contact Town Clerks office by telephone:781-326-3964 or via email: townclerk@townhall.westwood.ma.us and one will be mailed to you.
- In-person registration will be offered from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the last day to register or change party enrollment, Saturday, August 22,2020 at Westwood Town Hall, 580 High Street, practicing all social distancing guidelines.
Early Vote by Mail
-
FAQ’S
- In July, a new law was passed to allow all registered voters in Massachusetts to (Early) vote by mail in any 2020 election, with no excuse needed.
As required by the new law, an (Early) Vote by Mail application was mailed by the Secretary of State to every person who was registered to vote on or before July 1, 2020 and who had not already requested an Absentee ballot for the State Primary or for all elections this year. A second mailing will be sent out in September to all voters who have not already applied for a (Early) Vote by Mail ballot for the November election. The applications are pre-addressed to your local election official (Westwood Town Clerk) and no postage is necessary.
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(Early)Vote by Mail applications must be delivered to your local election office (Westwood Town Clerk) no later than 4 business days before the election. For the State Primary ballot, your application must reach The Westwood Town Clerks office no later than August 26, 2020.
- If you wish to (Early)Vote by Mail, you are strongly encouraged to return your application as early as possible, to make sure that you will receive your ballot in time to return it and have it be counted
- If you do not receive an (Early)Vote by Mail application please click here to download one or contact the Westwood Town Clerk by Telephone: 781-326-3964 or email: votebymail@townhall.westwood.ma.us and one will be sent to you.
- Applications for mail-in ballots are acceptable if they are submitted by US Postal Mail, Email: votebymail@townhall.westwood.ma.us or Fax: 781-948-4573 provided the signature is visible and it is signed in substantially the same manner as a handwritten signature. This includes applications signed with a mouse, stylus, or finger. Applications with typed signatures are not acceptable.
Early Voting in Person- August 20-28, 2020.
- Will be conducted in the Jaillet Meeting Room at the Westwood Police Station, 588 High Street.
Hours will be as follows:
- Saturday, August 22-9:00AM-1:00PM
- Sunday, August 23-9:00AM-1:00PM
- Monday, August 24-9:00AM-4:00PM
- Tuesday, August 25-9:00AM-7:00PM
- Wednesday, August 26-9:00AM-4:00PM
- Thursday, August 27-9:00AM-4:00PM
- Friday, August 28-9:00AM-1:00PM
Mailing Ballots
- Early & Absentee Ballots have been mailed to registered voters who have submitted an (Early) vote by mail application or an Absentee Ballot application to the Westwood Town Clerk’s Office.
- This is a Primary therefore those voters registered in a party will only receive those party ballots for which they are registered and those voters who are unenrolled (formerly referred to as independent) have to specify what party ballot they wish to receive on their application, otherwise a ballot will not be sent.
- If you wish to change your political party the deadline to do so is Saturday, August 22, 2020.
- The mailing will include a ballot, instructions, AV7 or EV7 envelope to place your cast ballot in, sealed and signed by the voter, and a postage pre-paid, pre addressed envelope(AV8) to return your ballot in.
- Your ballot can be mailed, or dropped off in a secure ballot drop box which is located in front of the Westwood Police Station, 588 High Street.
- Ballots need to be returned by 8 p.m. (the close of polls) on September 1,2020 in order to be counted.
- Any voter who has returned an early or absentee ballot that has been accepted cannot vote in person on Election Day.
Please contact Town Clerk Dottie Powers for clarification or questions you may have.
dpowers@townhall.westwood.ma.us
781-326-3964-Office
774-263-8233-Cell
Westwood Board of Health Private Well Regulations
Please be advised that this regulation requires that a water quality test be conducted and a copy of the results forwarded to the Board of Health office prior to a change in ownership of the property on which the private well is located. This applies to both drinking water and irrigation wells. Please refer to our website for the Private Well Regulations for more information on the required tests.
https://www.townhall.westwood.ma.us/home/showdocument?id=5854
If you have any questions please call the Jared Orsini, Health Director (781) 320-1026.
Minutes Matter… Get Out & Stay Out!
October is Fire Prevention Month so we would like to educate everyone about the small but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe. In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Escape planning and practice can help you make the most of the time you have, giving everyone enough time to get out. Make sure everyone in your home knows at least 2 ways out of every room, practices your escape plan and knows where your designated meeting spot is located.
If you do have a fire in your home it’s important to get everyone out as quickly as possible. Wait until you are safely outside and then call 9-1-1. Never go back inside.
Fall Safety Checklist:
- Check that all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly.
- Change you smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries on 11/3/19 when you turn your clocks back.
- Schedule inspection and maintenance of your heating system.
- Have your chimney inspected and cleaned.
- Keep a 3 ft. radius around portable space heaters clear of all flammable materials.
- If you are remodeling or building a new home consider adding fire sprinklers.
- Always sleep with bedroom doors closed!
Westwood Writes: An Intergenerational Pen Pal Program
The Council on Aging and the Youth & Family Services Department are excited to announce a new program that will foster connection between senior residents and high school students. This intergenerational program matches these two groups in a one-to-one pen pal relationship. Seniors and high school students will exchange letters on a monthly basis from October thru May. Monthly topic and discussion ideas will be provided but each partnership can, of course, evolve on their own. If you are an interested senior resident please contact Lina Arena-DeRosa at the COA at larenaderosa@townhall.westwood.ma.us or (781-329-8799). Interested high school students should contact Youth & Family Services by emailing youth@townhall.westwood.ma.us or calling (781) 320-1006.
Get Connected to a Therapist Over the Phone with the INTERFACE Referral
The William James College INTERFACE Referral Service is free for Westwood residents of any age at any time, but during this COVID-19 public health crisis they are able to connect residents with therapists who can conduct sessions over phone or video to address anxiety, depression, grief and loss or any other mental health concerns.
When you call the INTERFACE Referral Service, a representative will ask you about your specific needs and insurance. After the initial phone call you will receive a follow-up call from INTERFACE with contact information for a mental health professional who meets all your needs and is available to begin meeting with via phone or video while social distancing is in place.
It is also important to note that at this time the Commonwealth has mandated insurance companies to waive copays for mental health phone and video sessions that are related to COVID-19.
To use the INTERFACE Referral Service, simply call 1-888-244-6843 between 9:00AM-5:00PM, Monday through Friday, or go online to http://interface.williamjames.edu/.
 The following sections are submissions provided by organizations within the community. If you have questions or would like to learn how to submit to the Westwood Wire, please email westwoodwire@townhall.westwood.ma.us
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