Connect with Westwood
Staying on top of what’s going on in Westwood is easier than ever! The Town has several options on a variety of platforms for all residents to find out what is happening in Westwood.
ALERT Westwood
ALERT Westwood is what the Town uses for all emergency notifications. Once enrolled, residents have the option to receive phone calls, text messages, emails, or a combination of those three options. It is our hope that with a more advanced software, we will be able to communicate with residents quicker than before.
To enroll in ALERT Westwood, please click here.
Westwood Wire
The Westwood Wire is an e-newsletter that goes out monthly. It includes a combination of news provided by the Town as well as news provided by local groups and organizations within the community.
To subscribe to the Westwood Wire, please click here.
Community Newsletter
The Community Newsletter is a quarterly print publication that is created and distributed by the Town. It highlights events, happenings, and news within Westwood through both Town and Community submissions. The Community Newsletter is mailed to all residents of Westwood four times a year.
Social Media
Westwood has two social media accounts that are actively updated. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter.
Follow us on Facebook
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Website Notifications
Residents have the option to sign up for specific email updates of their choice. These email updates include everything as wide as general news or something as specific as a certain board or committee.
To see subscription options, please click here.
Town Meeting will occur May 3, 2021.
It will be held outdoors on Flahive Field at the Westwood High School. This year, the Finance Director pre-recorded the annual Financial Presentation so all have the option to watch at their convenience.
This pre-recorded presentation provides the annual overview of the Town's finances and a walk through of the 13 Financial Articles that Town Meeting will consider.
Please click here to watch the presentation.
Looking to volunteer?
The town has an open position on the Audit Committee, effective immediately, ending June 30, 2022.
The Audit Committee is responsible for the review of the annual financial statements of the town’s financial offices; and the review of the independent auditor’s management recommendations. Also, the Audit Committee provides advice and counsel to the Select Board, Town Administrator, and other financial staff. The Audit Committee consists of three members appointed by the Select Board for overlapping three-year terms.
How to Apply
Any person who would like to be considered for an appointment to the Audit Committee open position should submit a resume and application/statement of interest, to the Westwood Select Board at phealey@townhall.westwood.ma.us or via mail to 580 High Street, Westwood, MA 02090
For more information, click here.
Dog Licensing:
If you own a dog(s) the deadline to license your dog was March 31, 2021; it’s a state and local law that all dogs be licensed at 6 months and older.
- You may license your dog online, or by mail, provided you include a copy of a current rabies certificate.
- If you are licensing your dog for the first time, proof of spay or neutering is also required.
- Licenses will be valid from January 1, 2021 until December 31, 2021.
- You must license your dog on an annual basis.
- If you own more than 4 dogs this is considered a “Personal Kennel” per MGL c. 140 §136A.
- You must go through a special permit application process through the Zoning Board of Appeals to license a kennel. You must initially contact the building inspector at 781-320-1091.
- Failure to license your dog on or before March 31, 2021 may result in a fine of $25.00, per town bylaws §184-10, B. (1), however we are waiving the late fee through June 30, 2021 due to the temporary closure of Town offices.
- Please be sure to include the correct licensing fee. If you are unsure, Please contact the Town Clerk’s office at 781 326-3964 or townclerk@townhall.westwood.ma.us.
Licensing Fees are as follows:
- Online convenience fee: $2.00
- Postage fee: $1.00
- Dogs not Neutered or Spayed: $15.00
- Dogs Neutered or Spayed: $10.00
- Residents ages 70 or older, the fee is waived for one dog per household
- Kennel Fees-please contact the Town Clerk’s office
- special permit is required
Annual Town Election
In light of widespread practice of social distancing, the temporary changes to Mass Election laws due to COVID-19, Chapter 45 of the Acts of 2020 & Chapter 5 of the Acts of 2021 provides for three alternatives to voting in person:
Absentee voting is available to those who qualify(see below):
- You are away from Town on Election Day; or
- Have a disability that keeps you from voting at your polling place; or
- Have a religious belief that prevents you from voting at your polling place on Election Day
- For elections held through June 30, 2021, state law clarifies that any person taking precautions relating to COVID-19 qualifies for an absentee ballot by reason of physical disability.
- Applications or any other form of written correspondence requesting an absentee ballot must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m., Thursday, April 22, 2021 to the Town Clerk’s office.
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Applications can be obtained online, by contacting the Town Clerks office and one will be mailed, or in the lobby of the Westwood Police Station.
- Absentee voting in person is available by appointment only through 12:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 27, 2021 provided you meet the above requirements.
Early Voting By Mail (available to all voters, no excuse required): Applications or any other form of written correspondence requesting a ballot will need to be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 22, 2021 to the Town Clerk’s office. Applications can be obtained online, by contacting the Town Clerks office and one will be mailed, or in the lobby of the Westwood Police Station.
Early Voting in Person:
Location:
Jaillet Meeting Room, Westwood Police Station, 588 High Street:
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Date
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Times
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Friday - April 23, 2021
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2:00 pm to 7:00 pm
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Saturday – April 24, 2021
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9:00 am to 2:00 pm
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Sunday – April 25, 2021
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11:00 am to 4:00 pm
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Annual Town Meeting Information
- The Annual Town Meeting will be held on Monday, May 3, 2021, outdoors, on Flahive Field, 200 Nahatan Street, Westwood.
- Check in: 4:00PM
- Resolutions:4:30PM
- Meeting:5:00PM
- You must be a registered voter in order to vote on Warrant articles that will be presented during the meeting.
Click here to view the posted warrant.
Click here to check you voter registration status
Have any questions? Please contact Town Clerk, Dottie Powers at:
townclerk@townhall.westwood.ma.us or 781-326-3964
Thank you for your patience and understanding during this pandemic. The health and safety of all of our citizens is our main priority at this time!
The Westwood Senior Center will be closed throughout the spring of 2021.
Please know staff is still available remotely (in the office Monday through Friday 8-2pm) if you need us; just call us and let us know how we can help you. Cable and Zoom classes continue to be available and they include yoga, exercise, line dancing, music, current conversations, cooking classes, Pilates, book group, drawing, bereavement, and tai chi.
Below is our cable schedule (and please call us if you are interested in any of the Zoom classes).
Cable Classes this spring:
Monday
9:00-9:45 - Cardio Strength & Stretch
Tuesday
8:00-9:00 - Floor Yoga
9:30-10:30 - Chair Yoga
Wednesday
9:00-9:45 - Sit and Get Fit
10:00-10:45 - Line Dancing
Thursday
8:00-9:00 Floor Yoga
9:30-10:30 - Chair Yoga
Friday
9:00-9:45 - Cardio Strength and balance
10:00-10:45 - Line Dancing
THESE PROGRAMS CAN BE FOUND ON LOCAL CABLE
Comcast 8 & 12, and Verizon 32 & 42
Meals on Wheels continue to grow; any Westwood resident 65 or older needing a daily 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. PLEASE NOTE: If you are feeling food insecure, please let us know, we can confidentially help you!
Transportation Update: We now grocery shop on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, offer medical rides on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and errands on Fridays. Our most current newsletter with all the details can be found on the Town’s website or call us and we will send you a copy. Our goal is to keep everyone safe (seniors and staff) during this pandemic.
Fuel Assistance: If you need help filling out your application or need more information, please call the Center and speak directly to Karen Segreve. If she is not in the office, you can leave her a voicemail or write her an email.
AARP TAX HELP for Low and Moderate Income Seniors
Due to COVID 19 restrictions, we have filled all appointments and will not be taking any more.
HERE ARE A FEW OF OUR SPECIAL PROGRAMS IN MARCH AND APRIL
CHECK OUT OUR MARCH/APRIL NEWSLETTER FOR DETAILS
Below are a few of our special programs in March & April. For more information, please check out our March/April Newsletter or call the COA.
COOKING WITH ROBERTA
May 4 at 1pm
Spring Brunch for Mother’s Day: Join us as we make a brunch that any mother would want on her special day—even if she has to make it herself! We begin with pillowy pecan sticky buns and then we’ll make a breakfast risotto topped with the perfect poached egg. A refreshing orange and avocado salad with a ginger sesame dressing will finish off our meal. Call us and we will send you the zoom link.
BOOK GROUP with Bev Via Zoom
Thursday May 13 at 1pm
This month we will be discussing is "The Nest" By Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney. Come join us as we have a good time discussing this wonderful story about the power of the Plumb family, the possibilities of friendship, and the ways we depend upon one another. The next meeting of the COA book club will be on Thursday, July 9th at 1pm. The name of the book is "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah -- one of our favorite authors. This is about best friends forever. Call us and we will send you the zoom link.
LEGAL CLINIC with Attorney Veranira Ochea - Metro West Legal Services
Wednesday June 23 from 1-3pm
Schedule a private 20-minute free legal PHONE consultation. Metro West Legal Services provides free legal aid to seniors on housing, public benefits and social security matters; durable power of attorney, health care proxy and simple probate matters; Medicaid, nursing home issues, limited domestic relations and bankruptcy. Sign up with the Center and Attorney Ochea will call you at your appointment time. Due to limited availability, this is for Westwood residents only.
Stay safe! Together we will make it through this health crisis!
The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers, 4.9 million people misused prescription stimulants, and 5.9 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives in 2019. The survey also showed that a majority of misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
The DEA and the Westwood Police Department have partnered to host a Drug Take Back Day as an opportunity for residents to help prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.
Drop Off Date/Time:
Saturday April 24, 2021 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
*If you cannot make this date, you can drop off unneeded medications in the Westwood Police lobby drop box at any time. We ask that you bring all medications in their original packaging if possible(no loose pills).
Drop Off Locations
Westwood Police Department
588 High Street
Westwood, MA 02090
Westwood Wegmans
169 University Avenue
Westwood, MA 02090
Please contact Detective Mark Hedberg with any questions; mhedberg@westwoodpd.org or 781-320-1000.
NO LONGER MISS ANY COLLECTIONS OR EVENTS!
Yard waste, recycling, trash, household/curbside bulk, Recycling Day and Hazardous Waste Day will never slip away again. Download the free Recycle Coach App for all calendar schedules, reminders, events, do’s & don’ts and what goes where at your finger tips:
Click here to sign up for Recycle Coach
Save the Dates:
- The next Yard Waste Collection week is May 3-7, 2021
- Westwood Recycle Day is May 8, 2021
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One Day delay for Trash & Recycle due to Memorial Day Holiday, May 31, 2021
Everything to be collected must be at curbside by 7am on your scheduled day. Any missed pick-ups (that were at curbside by 7am) need to be reported within 24 hours of your scheduled day to: dpw@townhall.westwood.ma.us or 781-251-2587.
Monthly Focus:
Recycling's Most Wanted List - Cardboard Boxes:
The cardboard box is the backbone of our nation’s packaging and delivery system to move goods to businesses, hospitals, grocery stores and more than ever, our homes. The nation’s box manufacturing industry has long depended on a steady supply of “recovered fiber” (aka old cardboard boxes and paper) to make new boxes. Under COVID 19, box makers are literally working overtime to make new packages from old. That’s why we need to work harder than ever to insure they get the raw materials they depend on, including our pizza boxes (remove all food & greased/wax paper), by recycling as much as possible and as smart as possible.
Didn't receive the 2021 Trash & Recycling Brochure in the mail?
Click here to view and print your own copy.
For more information and any updates, please visit:
https://www.townhall.westwood.ma.us/departments/public-works
April is National Fair Housing Month!
National Fair Housing Month celebrates the passage of the Fair Housing Act in April 1968. For the first time, this national law prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, and gender. The Fair Housing Act has since been expanded (including as recently as February 2021 to include protections for LGBTQ Americans!), and together with Massachusetts state laws, ensures protection against discrimination on the basis of:
Age, Ancestry, Color, Disability, Family status (families with children under 18), Genetic information, Marital status, National origin, Race, Gender Identity, Sexual orientation, Public assistance Recipient (e.g., Section or MRVP voucher holder), Children relating to a home with Lead Paint
If you believe you have been a victim of housing discrimination, you may contact the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General's Civil Rights Division at (617) 727-2200 to file a civil rights complaint. In addition, you may file with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination at (617) 994-6000.
Fair Housing: Let’s Get to Work!
When people are protected against housing discrimination, the entire community is stronger and more equitable for it. Here are some ways you can learn more about Fair Housing and get involved right here in Westwood:
READ: Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law describes the history of segregated communities in our country, and makes a compelling argument for intentional changes to be made today. In Gregory Squire’s The Fight for Fair Housing, readers take a careful look at the fair housing movement through the lens of American history, from the assassination of MLK to the modern era. Westwood’s littlest readers can check out All Are Welcome, a book celebrating inclusive spaces by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman.
WATCH: HBO’s miniseries “Show Me A Hero” is based on the true story of a desegregation order in Yonkers, NY. Starring Oscar Issac, this six-part miniseries explores the devastating impact of civil rights violations across an entire community. Did you know that the Fair Housing Act protects against discrimination based on disability? Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, Netflix’s documentary “Crip Camp” takes a compelling look at the birth of the Disability Rights Movement in the 1970s, not long after the Fair Housing Act’s groundbreaking protections against discrimination. Pressed for time? In just over 6 minutes, Adam Ruins Everything’s “The Disturbing History of the Suburbs” (found on YouTube) gives you the hot take on the American history of redlining, zoning, and institutional discrimination.
FOLLOW: The Department of Housing and Urban Development will be posting content throughout the month of April on social media. Find Fair Housing Month content using these tags: #FHM2021 #FHmorethanjustwords #FH53 #FHnow #HUDracialequity
CALL: The Massachusetts legislature is currently reviewing several bills relating to Fair Housing, including HD.1990 and SD.220, an Act to prevent discrimination against affordable housing; HD.3733 and SD.1990, an Act to affirmatively further fair housing; and HD.3669 and SD.1765, which address disparate impact and discriminatory effects of community development action. To learn more about these bills, and advocate for any measures that you feel protect the ability of Westwood’s residents to live free from housing discrimination, research proposed legislation at https://malegislature.gov/ website and call your elected officials on Beacon Hill with questions or comments.
MOSQUITOES
Mosquitoes can carry disease and remain active until the first hard frost.
EEE (Eastern equine encephalitis) is a rare disease with serious life threatening symptoms. Symptoms are high fever, stiff neck, headache and lack of energy followed by inflammation and swelling of the brain (encephalitis). There is no treatment, few people fully recover from the illness and 50% do not survive. WNV (West Nile Virus) usually causes mild or no illness in humans. In rare cases, it can cause encephalitis (swelling of the brain) or meningitis (swelling of the lining of the brain and spinal cord). Less than 1% of people infected with WNV develop serious illness. At the present time there is no preventable vaccine. To avoid mosquitoes please consider the following:
- Limit your time outdoors during peak periods of mosquito activity (dusk and dawn) or if you must remain outdoors, wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and socks.
- Use a mosquito repellent that contains DEET (the chemical N-N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) and follow the directions on the label.
- Take special care to cover up the arms and legs of children playing outdoors. When you bring a baby outdoors, cover the baby’s carriage or playpen with mosquito netting.
- Fix holes in your screens and make sure they are tight-fitting on all doors and windows.
- Remove standing water around your home. Make sure water does not collect and stagnate in ceramic pots, trash cans, recycling containers, old tires, wading pools, birds baths, etc. Remove leaves and debris that may prevent drainage of roof gutters.
For more information, please visit the District’s website at www.norfolkcountymosquito.org or call (781) 762-3681. If you have general questions about mosquito control efforts please visit the Board of Health website at www.townhall.westwood.ma.us.
TICKS
Did you know that the two most common ticks in Massachusetts are Deer Ticks and Dog Ticks? The Westwood Health Department would like to inform residents that deer ticks can carry Lyme Disease. Ticks feed on the blood of their host-humans, birds, reptiles, wild and domestic animals. One of the earliest symptoms of Lyme Disease is a rash that is circular with a clear center resulting in a “bull’s eye” appearance, which can occur 3 to 30 days after exposure. Call your doctor if you or your child gets a rash or fever after getting bitten by a tick. The proper way to remove a tick is with a tweezer:
- Grab the tick near its head or mouth (the part closest to your skin).
- Gently pull the whole tick straight out. Be careful not to crush or twist the tick.
- Wash your hands and the bite with soap and water.
- Put rubbing alcohol on the bite.
- Don’t use a hot match to kill and remove a tick
Make it a habit to check everyone in your house, including pets for ticks after spending time outdoors. For more information visit www.mass.gov/service-details/mosquitoes-and-ticks-theyre-out-in-mass.
 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
Click above flyer to participate in the survey
 For more info on Hale, please click here
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