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This month we’re covering:
– Volunteer opportunities on town boards/committees; Recreation, EDC
– Maynard Community Gardeners Plant Sale May 18
– Mark Your calendars for Annual Town Meeting May 20
– Help spread the word with our new QR code
Links to Newsletter content
- Did You Know?…
- Around Town :
- Advantage Testimonial: Ellen Duggan
- Featured upcoming events in Town:
- Maynard Public Library:
- Education in Maynard:
- Volunteer of the month … Natalie Robert
Did You Know?…
Maynard Advantage site now has a QR code for quick access to our Home page
Please share with your contacts:
On the Menu… – Smoothie King
It all started down in Tampa, which is where Mark Bishop spent 20 years before Kate dragged him north … Kate fell not just for Mark, but for the smoothies they both loved.
https://locations.smoothieking.com/ll/us/ma/maynard/15-digital-way-suite-20/
Smoothies with a Purpose. Smoothie King’s mission is to inspire people to live a healthy and active lifestyle and their vision is to be an integral part of every health and fitness journey. This mission, combined with an exceptionally tasty product, inspired Kate and Mark Bishop to open the first Smoothie King in Massachusetts. The Boston metro area has a lot of options for food, but very few Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) can help people meet their health and fitness goals or dietary restrictions, especially on the go. There seemed to be a big hole in the local market in New England where smoothies and smoothie bowls would naturally fit.
It all started down in Tampa, which is where Mark spent 20 years before Kate dragged him north.. Kate fell not just for Mark, but for the smoothies they both loved. Kate is both gluten free and dairy free for health reasons, and it was always a struggle to find food that she enjoyed – especially food made with dairy-free protein and whole foods. Enter Smoothie King: all smoothies are gluten free and many start dairy free – almost all smoothies can be made dairy free without issue; all smoothie bowls are gluten free and vegan. Finally a QSR which could meet both their needs! Even better, their kids also loved the product. An option where even teenagers had no argument about.
Three years after moving from Tampa to Acton, Kate and Mark had felt deprived for too long from this amazing product and the wheels to start the franchise started to turn. Perhaps it was too much spousal prodding and jokes about how great a High Protein Banana (Mark’s favorite smoothie) or a Nutty Super Grain (Kate’s favorite smoothie) would taste, or larger perspective from the last four years which
taught everyone on Earth that nothing is guaranteed, so they might as well chase their dreams. Whatever the impetus, the Bishops decided to marshal all their resources to make the dream of bringing Smoothie King to their community a reality. Fast forward to December 6, 2023 – the first Smoothie King in Massachusetts opened in Maynard, MA in the Maynard Crossing shopping plaza.
Opening a new store with a product that most people in the community are not intimately familiar with is a challenge – there are still a few kinks being worked out to provide the quality product in a short amount of time – but, the Bishops have been really proud of the staff and honored to serve their customers. We are all at the dawn of 2024 and Smoothie King wants to support everyone in their health and wellness goals from the inside out! Let’s make this year the best one yet. Download the Smoothie King app from the app store, explore the menu, order online, or just pop in for a visit and have one of our Team Members help you find your next favorite meal on the go!
Source: Armand Diarbekirian
Business Spotlight – Maynard Golf Course
Please follow us on Facebook for unbelievable specials on golf, merchandise, passes and updates.
https://www.facebook.com/MaynardGolfCourse/
https://www.maynardgolf.com/https:
Can You Believe It – The 2024 Golf Season Is Here!
Maynard course opened on March 14. You will be able to book a tee time 10 days in advance on our website. Our full bar / restaurant & patio are open at our busy days and times during the season. Please call the pro shop concerning carts, they are totally weather dependent at this time.
If you have any questions, please call the PRO SHOP at 978-637-2268
Formerly the Maynard Country Club, which was a member-owned semi-private golf club, it was purchased by the town of Maynard and a management contract was awarded to Sterling Golf Management in March of 2012. The course opened for the first time doing business as Maynard Golf Course March 31st.
Nestled in the beautiful New England countryside, this par 35, 9-hole course was originally designed in 1921 by Wayne Stiles in the Donald Ross tradition. It is professionally maintained to provide an outstanding golf experience. The clubhouse offers a comfortable atmosphere with a full-service bar, function room with plenty of tables and chairs, pro shop and locker rooms. As with all Sterling Golf managed courses, we strive to provide the public with superior customer service and great golf in a relaxed friendly atmosphere.
Source: Bob McCarthy and Maynard CC Websites
Around Town :
Business Awards Presentations
Pictured (clockwise): Award recipients, Members of the MBA, Brunch attendees, The Business of the Year Award Certificate and Armand Diarbekirian, EDC chair and main presenter
The Economic Development Committee (EDC) held its first Annual Business Awards and Recognition at the Sanctuary March 10
Five awards were presented to local businesses in this first annual event.
Rising Star Award presented by David Gavin to Harit Kongnakorn, owner of Smack Noodle
Smack Noodle was listed in Yelp’s Top 100 Places to eat in New England in 2022 and listed in the TOP 50 places to eat in Boston in 2023. Smack Noodle has various ramen noodle dishes along with Thai and sushi items. For anyone who has not yet tried Smack Noodle, you can sample their dishes at their Main Street location.
Distinguished Public Service Award presented by Julia Flannery to Deb Hledik.
Deb is not only a Maynard resident, but also the owner of Explore Pathways to Wellness on Nason Street, a garden club member, an organizer of the downtown flower bucket program, and a decorator of the triangle where Nason and Main meet among other things.
Nonprofit of the year presented by Suchitra Mumford to The Maynard Business Alliance and accepted by William Thornley
The MBA was formed in 2011 by a group of local Maynard businesses and town government officials to develop tactics and strategies to enhance downtown Maynard’s economic opportunities. Since that time, it has expanded to welcome all Maynard businesses and advocates for business needs and also sponsoring community events like the Holiday Stroll, Spring ArtWalk, and the Winter Celebration to drive economic growth and strengthen our local character
Most Philanthropic Award presented by Jack MacKeen to Middlesex Savings Bank and accepted by Paula Copley
The Most Philanthropic Award recognizes the individual or company that has been the most generous in donating time or money to the Maynard Community. This years Most Philanthropic Award goes to Middlesex Bank. Middlesex has been generous in contributing to many events in Maynard including the Taste in Motion, Maynard Holiday Stroll, Maynard Jazz Festival, Holiday Parade and Maynard Fest.
Business of the Year Award presented by Greg Johnson to Butler Lumber and accepted by John Walker on behalf of owner Mike Sawvelle
The Business of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding Maynard business for their innovation, growth, or positive impact in the community. This years Business of the Year Award goes to Butler Lumber. As many of you know Butler Lumber has not only been in business in Maynard for over 80 years, but also provides a positive impact with their community spirit in their decorations in their Parker Street location
Correction: Misspelled Smack Noodle owner’s last name on March 15 post
Sponsored by: Summer Street Properties, LLC.
Source: Armand Diarbekirian
Upcoming Annual Town Meeting (ATM) May 20
Don’t miss upcoming chances for your voices to be heard about our operating budget and other town warrant article votes!
This period, between February and Mid-April, offers the chance for citizen input and is the best time for collaborative discussion to review tough budget choices and better understand near and long term plans for sustaining our town’s financial health.
You can find current documents on boarddocs in the link below. In the top right corner change Select Board to Finance Committee (FinCom) and you can see all documents posted from past meetings. The March 11 Fincom meeting includes updated ATM article drafts that have been provided to FinCom as well as FY25 budget and Free Cash updates. See agenda items 2a and 3a.
https://go.boarddocs.com/ma/tom/Board.nsf/Public#
Maynard Budget Calendar for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 – Maynard Operating Budget Calendar for SB to propose balanced FY 2025 general fund budget to Annual Town Meeting (ATM) voters. FY25 begins July 1, 2024
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/Archive.aspx?AMID=48
- Third week of March, The Select Board (SB) to adopt a Capital Improvement Plan for the next fiscal year
- Third week of April, The Select Board to approve balanced FY25 operating budget proposal to Annual Town Meeting and authorize its publication in the warrant.
- On May 13 (tentative date) the FinCom, representing the Town Meeting voters, holds a public hearing to discuss both operating and capital budget proposals and share its recommendations on all warrant articles before the May 20 Annual Town Meeting.
Source: Bob McCarthy and Town Website
Make your voice heard about Aging in Maynard — fill out a survey!
Researchers from the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging at the Gerontology Institute of UMass Boston are conducting a study focusing on the needs and interests of Maynard’s current and future senior adult population. The study will inform the Town of Maynard and the Council on Aging’s planning for programs and services and the proposal for a new location for the Maynard Senior Center, currently housed in the clubhouse of the public golf course.
While the survey has been mailed to all Maynard residents age 50 and older, anyone with an opinion may take the survey on the town website at:
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=173
or you may pick up a copy at the Senior Center. The survey asks important questions about your experiences living in Maynard and what you would like to have available here to enhance your life. It offers an opportunity to reflect on your interest in Council on Aging programs and activities, current and future, as well as your preferred means of communication about these services. There are questions for caregivers as well, soliciting feedback about what the Council can offer to make this rewarding but hard work easier.
Formal interviews are currently underway with local leaders and decision makers, to be followed in April by focus groups of citizens with a stake in Maynard’s future plans for better addressing the needs of seniors. Once all the surveys and the information from the interviews and focus groups have been processed, the UMass team will present its findings to the public this fall
The more people respond with their thoughts and ideas, the better the Council on Aging and the Town of Maynard can meet the needs and wants of our seniors (and those who will someday be seniors!).
Source: Maynard Council on Aging (COA)
Advantage Testimonial: Ellen Duggan
The Maynard Advantage – What it means to me
When asked recently to share my thoughts on The Maynard Advantage I began reading the words written on this website by others for the October-February editions. Some of these residents are new to Maynard and others have lived here for many years. Remarkably, many of their reasons for choosing Maynard are very similar.
I live here and have for my entire 80+ years. And my family has been here since 1892. We all seem to recognize in our little town special qualities that attract and appeal to us. Maynard does have the feel of a village that’s walkable, safe, friendly, welcoming, yet diverse and eclectic. It has a quality of life that appeals. It offers open space, great restaurants and interesting history.
It’s in our nature to want to belong and it’s easy to do that in Maynard. Choose your interest. There’s a way to get involved, to use your time and talent, to make a difference, to meet neighbors, develop friendships, join a faith community. As I age, Maynard continually offers me all this. It gives me a “sense of self” and security and stability in familiar surroundings with so many memories. I am drawn to our local traditions, culture and history and my family’s place in that history.
Here are some of these things I love about my hometown. I think you’ll recognize many….Our Farmers’ Market, The Outdoor Store,The Bean House, Alumni Field, The Clock Tower, The Coolidge and the Sledding Hill, The golf course, Thanksgiving Pond, The Old Fowler on Summer St., Our Rail Trail, The Mill, The Fine Arts Theater, Artspace, our diverse downtown restaurants, our interesting village character, architecture and neighborhoods, our diverse population, our fabulous library and wonderful schools, our athletic teams and WAVM, our Community Band, Sip N Stroll, The Tree and Menorah lighting,The annual Christmas Parade,The Memorial and Veterans’ Day parades, The Sanctuary, Crowe Park, our Historic National Registry property which is the Glenwood cemetery and historic St. Bridget’s cemetery and lastly our wonderful, indispensable volunteers.…..I think you get the idea. There’s a LOT to LOVE about Maynard. And I do.
Source: Armand Diarbekirian
Featured upcoming events in Town:
Commonwealth Ballet Company Spring Show: “Peter and the Wolf” and “Continuum: Repertoire Revisited and New”
Saturday March 23 at 1pm and 6pm and March 24 at 1pm at Maynard High School Theater
$30.00 Adults; $20.00 Students under 18yo and seniors over 62yo
For more on events, shopping, things to do, and dining, go to: http://discovermaynard.com
How Maynard Became Maynard – Local Historian David Mark
SATURDAY, APRIL 6 from 1:00-2:15 PM
Roosevelt Room Maynard Public Library 77 Nason St, Maynard
Maynard author and historian David Mark will speak about the 1871 proposal to create a new town and how the boundaries were set. Prior to Maynard becoming Maynard, land south of the Assabet River was part of Sudbury, north of the river, part of Stow. Growth of the woolen mill and other factories powered by the river resulted in a population explosion near the river and far from the churches and schools of the farmland towns. Petitions were submitted for (and against) creation of a new town. Compromises were made on size. The new town made compensation payments. Given that Amory Maynard owned much of the land and employed most of the people, the town naming vote was “unanimous.”
Source: Maynard Public Library Events Page
Maynard Community Gardeners Plant Sale…and programs
ww.maynardcommunitygardeners.org
In 1995, a group of interested neighbors petitioned the town for permission to plant a garden at the corner of Maple and Summer streets. Their success produced Maple Brook Park – and the Maynard Community Gardeners, who continue to nurture the park as just one of their many town beautification projects.
Through volunteers who take on various chair responsibilities, MCG maintains its long-standing commitment to service, education, and building community. To see some of its projects, just look around downtown. In addition to Maple Brook Park, there is the alleyway garden (between Art Signals and The Outdoor Store), the triangle garden (at the intersection of Nason and Main), the gateway planters at the town lines, and our famous sidewalk buckets that appear each Spring.
Our only fundraiser of the year is the Annual Plant Sale, held in May in the Elks Parking Lot at 34 Powdermill Road. This event funds all our programs and beautification projects. Towards the end of April, we begin acquiring perennial donations from the community. Do you have plants that need thinning? Maybe you planted something that you just don’t love or that won’t work in your space. All those plants can find a new home! If you need assistance getting plants out of the ground, we do that too! If you have plants in mind to donate, please contact our Digging Coordinator, Steve Smith at stevensmith@kw.com to coordinate digging or pick up of plants.
At the sale we have a variety of annuals including veggie starts, perennials, and houseplants. This year the plant sale will be held on Saturday, May 18th from 9am-12pm. Come check it out!
Membership dues for the club are $20 annually and provides access to a variety of offerings and events throughout the year, including free passes to New England Botanic Gardens at Tower Hill. Programs offered this past year included: multi seasonal member garden tours, a foraging class, a wreath making workshop, a “Sustainable Fall Cleanup” lecture, a class on winter sowing, and a seed starting workshop at Daisy Hill Farm. We will have our annual Member Appreciation Brunch again this March at the Sanctuary, where members can expect a delightful breakfast alongside some fun raffle items.
We encourage members to take an active role in the club, either by volunteering for a specific project or by becoming a chair. Gardening experience is not required, just a willingness to learn and a belief that we can make a difference in our community. There’s no minimum time commitment- be as involved as you want or as your schedule permits. Our meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at 7pm over Zoom.
To join the club or learn about membership and other ways the club works to beautify our town, check out the website at:
www.maynardcommunitygardeners.org
Sources: John Cramer and Andrea Patrikis
Maynard Public Library:
Free Tax Assistance and Preparation:
The Maynard Public Library is again hosting the AARP Tax-Aide program for the upcoming tax season. The Tax-Aide program provides tax preparation for anyone, free of charge, with a focus on taxpayers who are over 50 and have low to moderate income. IRS-certified volunteers can prepare and e-file your Federal and Massachusetts tax returns.
The service covers most personal tax returns, but not business returns or returns for those who own rental property. The service begins the first week of February. Appointments are required and can be made by calling (978) 760-9146 starting January 15.
The local group of volunteers covers six towns. Last year they did returns for 122 Maynard residents and the average refund, from both Federal and Massachusetts returns, was about $1,150.
Source: Jean Maguire and Maynard Public Library
Did you know… Brought to you by the Maynard Historical Commission
Did you know that you can see the original mill curfew bell in the Maynard Public Library?
The curfew bell was purchased by Amory Maynard’s son Lorenzo in 1856. The purpose of the bell was to remind workers in the mill to be at home and in bed by 9pm when the bell rang. If mill workers were found on the streets after this time they were warned by Amory and risked expulsion from his company.
To learn more, visit the bell on the second floor of the library and read more detail about the history of the curfew bell
Source: Maynard Historical Commission
Education in Maynard:
Did You Know?…
Career Exploration Journeys at Maynard High School (MHS)
At MHS, students are supported in their career exploration journeys starting in their freshman year with the Intro to Capstone course…
At Maynard High School, students are supported in their career exploration journeys starting in their freshman year with the Intro to their Capstone course, where they start thinking about their strengths and weaknesses, their personalities and skills, and what type of job they might have after they graduate from high school. They do more research and brainstorming throughout the sophomore and junior years, culminating their efforts in the Senior Project course which they take as 12th graders.
Senior Project is a graduation requirement where students have to choose an area of focus (criminal justice, journalism, health care, business, etc), write a college level 15 page research paper, complete a 25-hour job shadow, execute a physical project related to that area of focus, participate in a mock interview, and so much more! Our Senior Project coordinators have been asked to present to many officials and representatives of other schools, and are recognized as leaders in the state in this type of authentic learning. Internships take place at the Massachusetts State House, the Governor’s office, Maynard Town Hall, local business, hospitals, and more. There were even 15 paid student internships last year. Projects include a movie which premiered at the Maynard Fine Arts Theatre, three self-published books, the Creation of Accessible Icon parking spaces approved by the Town of Maynard, etc. Our Senior Projects have appeared in a variety of news outlets, including The New York Times.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has recognized the importance of authentic postsecondary planning, and launched the MyCAP initiative over the past few years. MyCAP stands for My Career and Academic Plan. It is defined as “a student-centered, holistic, multi-year planning tool designed to provide students with ongoing opportunities to plan for their academic, personal/social and career success in high school and beyond.” Recently, Maynard High School was recognized as an exemplar of this initiative in the state and was invited to present at the DESE MyCAP conference to model our efforts to other schools in the Commonwealth.
Our students graduate with a better plan for their future, but they also have the option to graduate with a variety of career-specific skills through our pathways. Currently, there are three established pathways at MHS – Chapter 74, Computer Science, and the Global Scholars Program. Chapter 74 Radio and Television Broadcasting Certification prepares students for jobs that are needed now, such as content creation, video production, and digital photo and video editing. Our Computer Science Innovation Pathway provides students with classroom and on-the-job training in software development and web design. These jobs have been identified as high need in the Massachusetts workforce. Students who graduate from MHS with a certificate in Computer Science will have skills that allow them to go directly to high paying jobs, or to support themselves while they continue their education in a college or university program. MHS Global Scholar Program (GSP) encourages students to attain a level of competency, knowledge, and empathy in the global context. Students are invited to build a program tailored to their own interests. The pedagogical emphasis is for each student to develop the capacity to be a productive influence in the world while approaching fluency in a language other than English. GSP prepares students for jobs related to global issues, cultures, languages, etc. Maynard High school is #15 in the state with the highest percentage of students earning the seal of biliteracy! Our students’ futures will be in the ever-connected global society, and the skills that the Seal of Biliteracy and/or GSP offers them will be invaluable in any career path they choose for themselves.
Finally, we are currently in the process of developing a new pathway! The new Business pathway, inspired by our DECA club, will help students to establish a strong foundation in management, marketing, accounting, and entrepreneurship. If students are going to college or another certificate program after graduation, completion of the Business pathway would put them way ahead of their peers. If they are entering the workforce, they will have real-life gainful employment skills which will help set them up for a successful future.
Source: Olga Doktorov, MHS Assistant Principal and other school staff
Info on Green Meadow School Building plans:
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=172
https://www.maynard.k12.ma.us/o/green-meadow-school/page/gm-building-project-information
The estimated construction start is December 2024. The current plan is to have the new building constructed while the existing building is occupied. Once the new building is deemed occupiable by the local officials, which is tentatively scheduled to be winter break of the 2026/2027 school year, students and staff will move into the new building, and the abatement and demolition of the existing building will occur along with the final sitework. This will bring construction completion to be around Spring / Summer of 2027 and project closeout going through mid-2028.
Related Capital Planning Context:
Maynard Advantage will publish Capital Project Plans as they are finalized in the coming months.
Approach
- Prioritize Projects based on scores, discussion, available funding, and Department Heads priorities
- Add highest prioritized projects to recommended list. For current spend, we use approximately $1M as the cut off per year to plan and adjust when we get numbers from Town Administrator.
- Then we build the 5 year plan
- Defer non-recommended projects in order of priority to future years targeting approximately $1M/Year
- Review Town asset list to add in projected replacement of obsolete equipment (in progress)
- Review debt service levels projected 5 years out and identify timing opportunities of debt funded projects
Source: Bob McCarthy and Jon Larkin
Volunteer of the month … Natalie Robert
This month, we sat down with a few questions for local volunteer, Natalie Robert.
What are some of the ways in which you have in the past or are currently volunteering your time in Maynard? What are some of the activities involved with what you do?
I am a member of the Maynard Planning Board. I am not a municipal or planning professional, but I have gained tremendous knowledge about our town over the three years I’ve been on the board. Additionally, I am a member of the Community Gardeners who (amongst other things) plant and maintain the planters spread throughout downtown Maynard.
What compelled you to start volunteer work?
My occupation is as a private gardener, which led me to the garden club in town.
I joined the planning board after attending many meetings regarding a project next door to my house – I felt that the meeting and hearing process led to a good outcome, and wanted to be a part of creating outcomes like that on other projects.
How did end up living/working in Maynard?
I lived and worked in Waltham as a property manager before coming to Maynard. My husband owned a house here, and when we married and had kids, I realized what a great place it is for anyone who wants to live in a town that has a real sense of community.
Can you talk about one or two of your best/most rewarding experiences as a volunteer?
I’ve found volunteering very fulfilling. The planters from the garden club in town are a great thing for people to see when they’re shopping and walking in the spring and summer. The club gets lots of compliments. On the planning board, I’ve taken part in approving projects such as the new solar panels at the high school and updates to the development on Parker Street. I take these decisions very seriously and take all opportunities to further my learning.
More Volunteer Opportunities:
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/
Scroll down on Home Page to ‘Latest News’ for current openings on the Economic Development Committee(EDC) and Recreation Commission
To read future newsletter issues, simply bookmark:
and then click on most recent newsletter posts at the top of the home page.
Some links for more town information:
Email: MaynardAdvantage@townofmaynard.net
Website: maynardadvantage.org
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/27/Government
https://go.boarddocs.com/ma/tom/Board.nsf/Public#
https://www.maynardpubliclibrary.org/
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