I personally have enough money in my informal fund to buy breakfast for six or seven people. But if other donors contribute, we can feed more.  This is all based on trust; there's no need to bring an EBT card.

Back in late October, I started researching a story about the upcoming potential loss of SNAP benefits.  I postponed publishing that story because the situation kept changing too rapidly to create a cohesive report.  During my research, I began to wonder what alternatives there were besides people in need depending only on food pantries.  What if we could create a place for people to meet and brainstorm about other alternatives?  Perhaps people could come together to help each other directly, without an intermediary, such as the government or other organization.

My initial ideas seemed too complex. I wanted to try something simple right away.*  I decided to try an experiment.  On Saturday, November 8th, around 10 AM, I went to The Boston Bean House restaurant, here in Maynard, with a sign that said “Food Insecurity Network.”  I posted on Facebook that I would buy breakfast for the first five people who showed up with a SNAP EBT card.  At the suggestion of a friend, I changed the sign to read "Security" instead of "Insecurity."
(*See additional remarks at the end of the Commentary section, below)

While standing in line waiting to order my own breakfast, I explained what I planned to do to the next person in line after me.  He thought it was such a good idea that he gave me an additional $20, so that I could pay for another meal, beyond the five I had planned.  After I sat down, later on, one person came in who had been receiving SNAP benefits so I gave him a twenty to buy himself and a family member breakfast.  I told him to keep the change, and he thanked me graciously.  He did not sit with me, but took his items to go in order to share part of what he had purchased with a family member back home.

Part of the reason the turnout was so low was due to my having given such short notice. But I now understand that there might be another reason. A friend of mine who receives SNAP benefits told me that people in the program typically avoid entering restaurants because the cost of a single meal could deplete a significant portion of their monthly food budget.  This may have been a factor, even though I promised to pay for breakfast.

Since doing this twice, I realized that there may be a few reasons why this may prove to be more difficult than I had expected. For people in need, there is likely a “shame” factor, where they are afraid of judgement from others if they come forward.  Our culture has traditionally emphasized self reliance, individual initiative, and toughing it out.  I want to work to change this so that asking for help or expressing vulnerability become more of a symbol of strength and confidence rather than of some kind of failure or lack of effort.

On the side of donors, there may be another issue.  Recently, I read a story about a photographer who visited a town in Appalachia repeatedly over a number of years, to document aspects of the lives of the people living there, now that the coal industry has declined.  The story told of numerous tragedies that the local people had endured, often related to their loss of livelihood.  My emotional reaction was a feeling of sympathy for people in despair, trying to live without housing, going hungry, children who had lost their parents being cared for by other relatives, etc.
I think we all have a limited capacity to listen to troubling stories.  Some of us may have empathy because we ourselves may have experienced similar conditions in the past, and yet bringing back old memories might be painful.  We may also fear that we ourselves could experience similar troubles on short notice and would rather not think about it.

As a result, we may have a tendency to separate ourselves from people in need to avoid facing these memories or fears.  This could be one reason we often depend on intermediaries, such as government programs or food pantries to help others - we can pay our taxes, or write a check, drop off food items, or even volunteer to load bags of groceries into cars, all without directly encountering some of the painful experiences of those in need.

So here I am, trying to put people together anyway!  I'm hoping that we can get to know our neighbors better, despite these hesitations.  The more we learn to help each other directly, then the more likely we may be able to alleviate the conditions that cause such tragic circumstances in the first place.
At the same time, those of us in need may gain the confidence to ask for help without shame. I happen to think our long term survival actually depends on this - the stronger our local community is, and the more we work together, the more resilient we will be in the long run, as we go through these uncertain times.  This leads me to consider the bigger picture.

I strive to focus only on local affairs here on Town Wide Mall.  But this situation is so entangled with shifting national policy, I feel compelled to comment on the bigger picture.
I consider myself a dedicated independent when it comes to political leanings, so I don't blame any one individual or political party for the current situation. Rather, I see our problems due to long term trends much greater than any one person or group.
I also consider myself something of a Universalist in that I try never to hate, vilify, or blame any person. I have learned, long ago, that blame seldom does anyone any good anyway. However, I do have definite opinions about what people actually say or do (how they act), regardless of their apparent motivation. If what they're doing is constructive, then I'm typically all for it.  If what they're doing is harmful or destructive, then I'm opposed.  To me, violence is never a good solution for anything.
So, if you don't want to wade into the bigger issues, then feel free to stop reading here;  I won't be offended.

As I see it, the reliability of big government programs is on the decline so it makes sense to me to start thinking about alternatives now, rather than wait for more potential trouble in the future.  I have studied government for decades by now, both as a participant (elected or appointed on the local level) and as an observer.  What I see is a long term trend of decreasing effectiveness in very large institutions in general, along with mounting debt.  I don't blame any specific person or group or political party for this because this has continued for many years, regardless of who was supposedly in charge.
Instead, I chalk it up to the difficulty in coming to any agreement as to what to do instead.  Finding agreement among 342 million people (the current US population) seems to be a challenge for which no one has come up with a solution.  In a way, people have given up, as the radical changes are likely necessary have seemed just too risky.  Now, radical change is upon us anyway.
Instead, I think decentralization is the way to go from now on.  We are already bringing decisions down to the level of the states, the cities, the towns, and the neighborhoods.  The smaller the group, the more agile it is likely to be, in order to adapt to changing times and conditions.  I urge people to shop locally, invest locally, and support local groups and efforts.  Connect with each other more in person, instead of mostly through social media.

Clearly, with approximately 1 out of every 8 people in the US receiving SNAP benefits (47 million people), that tells us there is a huge problem of economic need.  Although it may seem too difficult to solve all this on a national level, perhaps we can build resilience and generosity on an extremely local level, such as starting with a few people getting together over breakfast to come up with ideas.
Instead of “work requirements” imposed by government policy, perhaps there are ways that a very different kind of “sharing” or “generosity” economy can be developed on an extremely local level.  This might be where people with solid financial resources can collaborate with others of limited means to help each other based on the skills and capabilities that each can bring to the table.
Granted, some folks are not in a position to contribute as much as others, due to disabilities, illnesses, etc., but that’s part of what community means - we are here to look out for each other as best we can.  And fortunes can change. One person with specific needs now may recover to a more solid financial position later on and then be able to “pay it forward” to others.  Other people may find themselves in need unexpectedly, and hope to get help from others.
These kinds of face-to-face meetings to arrange sharing aren't perfect.  But they can go a long way to dispense with difficult and cumbersome bureaucratic requirements and get down to the business of helping each other more directly.
I almost never hear the word "Love" mentioned in government, in politics, or on the news.  Perhaps it's time that we think more about using Love as a principle in working to bring about a better world.

* Although this may seem a bit impulsive, it’s not that unusual for me.  I come from a long line of engineers, inventors, and artists on both sides of my family tree.  I remember one time when my uncle, after an extended family dinner (Thanksgiving, perhaps), went off to his desk in the corner of the living room, and began rapidly scribbling sketches and equations in a notebook. My grandmother said not to bother him, as he clearly just had an inspiration and felt the urge to get it all down on paper right away.  The rest of us sat around talking, as most people would do after a big meal, while he worked away for a while, oblivious to our conversations.  Th rest of the time, he seemed to be a relatively normal, energetic person.  This was in the mid 1960s; the term neurodiversity didn’t exist until the late 1990s.
With respect to heading to the Bean with a sign on such short notice, it's not so much the urgency to capture an idea, but more of my reaction to the rapid fire volley of changes coming at us in today's world.  My thought has been, if something can help people get through all this, then why wait?  If I have the means, then I might as well try something.

Town meetings in the fall are only scheduled if needed, but often there are at least a few issues to be voted on that can’t wait until next year.  For those who missed or didn’t receive the 29 page warrant booklet at home (see illustration here), extra copies will be available at the Town Building (195 Main Street) during normal hours on Monday from 8 AM until 4 PM.  Copies sent to homes were bundled with the Action Unlimited ad flyer a few weeks ago, delivered to most households, but adnittedly not all.  The text is also available to download on the web page set up for the meeting:
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/608/Special-Town-Meeting-October-27-2025

For anyone not familiar with the terms I’m using here, here are three of them:

• Town Meeting - a gathering of registered voters to make specific decisions that cannot be made by government officials alone. 
• Warrant - An agenda and guide for the meeting, listing the individual issues to be voted on.
• Article - An item on that agenda, with a description of the decision to be made, who put it on the agenda, along with some comments from town boards or committees.  There is also a recommended vote from at least one of these boards or committees. 

The first four pages of the warrant booklet provide some explanation of the details on how the meeting is run and definitions of some of the terminology used in the pages that follow.

For more details on the nature of town meetings here in New England, you may want to download and read my unofficial and slightly irreverent article “An Informal Guide to Town Government and Town Meetings in Massachusetts.” It’s listed as "town_government_introduction_1.6," the fifth one down on my “Perspectives” page, here on this web site.

The format and wording of the articles in the warrant booklet are laid out the way they are because they have to conform to various state requirements.  Here is my quick unofficial preview of each of the 12 articles, just to get you started.

1. Housekeeping - to correct an oversight in a list of duties for the Select board.
2. Update to agree with a state law - essentially allow one widow(er) of a retired town employee to receive increased benefits, now permitted by the state.
3. Update to agree with a state law - allow a beer & wine license holder to convert to an “all alcohol” license.  Just one business in Maynard is eligible at this time, according to the comments.
4. Wipe the slate clean of approvals for the town to borrow money that it no longer needs to borrow.
5. Allow some public and school property to be available to permit solar panels to be leased or licensed.
6. Update to agree with a state law - If article 5 passes, allow the town to actually lease or license such solar panels.
7. Take money from PFAS (known as “forever chemicals”) lawsuits already won against polluters and give it to the water department to upgrade treatment equipment.
8. Housekeeping - Zoning - add the Powdermill Overlay District to the existing list of districts. (for what this means, see my article, "Plans in Progress" published in November 2023)
9. Housekeeping - Zoning - delete a parking requirement in one part of the Zoning Bylaw and let parking be governed by a different part.  (The two different requirements conflicted with one another.)
10. Zoning (this one is definitely not housekeeping!) - Make extensive changes to the “Powdermill Overlay District (called “Section 9.7” in the Zoning Bylaw).  (This goes on for over 10 pages of details.  The Comments at the bottom of page 24 say why we’re doing this in three simple sentences.  Planning department officials will explain the reasoning for all this at the meeting).
11. Zoning - specify where large scale electrical battery installations can be located to keep from polluting our water supply in case of an accident.  The state requires us to provide at least one location for this kind of thing. Note:  There is some controversy about battery capacity limits in the wording, so expect some debate about this.
12.  Last one - Take the next step to ban "ANTICOAGULANT RODENTICIDES" (let's just call it rat poison for the moment) in town - In order to ban rat poison boxes town wide (not just on town owned property, as we already voted back in May), we have to ask the state for permission.  The town voters have to ask the Select Board to ask the State legislature (House and Senate) to vote and then turn around and give the town’s voters permission to vote on a Bylaw, down the road.  Got that?

I took the time to write all that stuff, above, because I know it's hard to go through the entire warrant booklet ahead of time, before going to the meeting.  Of course my quick descriptions are just that; brief somewhat irreverent synopses.  But the idea is to read the above before you get to the meeting, so you are ready to vote on the housekeeping ones and get to the more important ones, all before 11:00 PM.
Some of these issues are complicated, at first glance, of course.  But what's really at stake is finding a balance between reasonable government regulation and so-called "overreach."  We want our drinking water to be safe, our land used responsibly, and our rivers and wildlife to be protected, of course.  And yet, we want to allow technology and the needs of the public to move forward with as little trouble as possible.
Thankfully, none of the articles for this meeting involve budget or tax increases, as far as I can tell.  That should help keep the discourse low key and allow voting to proceed more easily. At the same time, that does not reduce the importance of voting on these issues now.
Supposedly, Town Meeting is a "pure" form of democracy because any adult resident who is registered to vote can participate, in theory.  Unfortunately, not everyone is able to attend an in-person evening meeting that can run close to midnight.  Conducting the meeting online, "virtually," is just not practical, nor is it legal, unfortunately.  We do our best, despite the impediments (see my opinion pieces, "no news," and "low voter turnout" on my Perspectives page.)
Given all that, I plan to attend, and I hope to see you there!

It's easy to forget the many hours of work put in by quite a number of people, many of whom are volunteers on boards and committees, who do not get paid anything for their time.  Even for those on staff, in paid positions, preparing for a town meeting is a lot of work.  The articles and motions must be drafted, the language worked out, the legal references checked, the considerations regarding the comments and recommended votes discussed and agreed upon, and lay it all out in individual pages, with charts and tables.  This is followed by the logistics of getting it proofread, printed, and distributed.  Still other folks work to keep the town's web site updated so that reference material and meeting records can be available to the public.
On the night of the meeting, personnel from the Clerk's office must be on hand, along with volunteers, to count and keep records of all the votes.  Students and staff from the schools often volunteer to provide audio and video support when needed.
Doing all this costs money, and must be done the way it is, as required by state law, no matter what a town's population or tax base might be.
So, here is a big "Thank You" to everyone who contributes to keep our local government working.  I appreciate it.

This has been tried in other nearby towns and has been shown to work effectively in most places.  Drivers no longer have to fuss with coins, credit cards, smartphone apps, and so forth. 

Back in July of 2023, I published a story about the dilemma facing drivers in town, called “Money for the Meter?”  The town has an official committee, known as the Parking Authority (See: https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/285/Parking-Authority ), but most of the documentation there dates back to 2018. The most recent minutes are from 2023, back around the time I published my story.  At that time, the position of parking officer was vacant, as the previous employee had left.  Without anyone to attend to the meters, they soon filled up with coins and stopped working.

So, what took so long?  Part of the reason has to do priorities facing town government officials.  Old obsolete parking meters had to take a back seat to other more pressing matters, such as road repaving, water system troubles, and trying to balance general town expenses against limited revenue.  Since some meters were labeled “2 hour limit," that had to do in the meantime.
Finally, at the Select Board meeting on Tuesday, August 5th, money was finally appropriated for the change over from meters to signs, as shown in the meeting's minutes (Item 7, section C, on page 4),
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_08052025-1742
On August 15th, The Maynard Voice ran a story about future plans for the Naylor Court area.  At the very end of the story, they mention the pending removal of the parking meters,
https://maynardvoice.com/naylor-court-commons-action-plan-2/

It's amazing how contentious parking issues can be in cities and towns in New England.  Much of the problem stems from the fact that the roads were laid out many years before automobiles became common.  There were some horse drawn carriages and coaches, but the vast majority of people either walked or, starting around 1820, were able to ride on a "street railway," the horse drawn precursor to the trolley car.  Electrically powered trolley cars began to take over from horses in the 1880s, before automobiles became practical.  In that same era, the bicycle also became popular.  Thus, there was no need for vast amounts of parking space.
But as with anything else, the advent of automobile transportation came with both pros and cons. According to a chart online, published by the Federal Highway Administration, in 1900, there were only about 8,000 motor vehicles in the US, but by 1913, there were over 1 million!  By 1950, when I was born, there were over 40 million.  With a population of 150 million people, that amounted to just about 1 car per family.
By the mid 1990s, there were over 128 million motor vehicles.  As the population was over 250 million by then, that meant there was 1 vehicle for every 2 people, or about one car per adult, instead of per family.  With many of the same roads still in place in the older cities and towns, no wonder there is a parking problem!
Although Maynard is classified as a "MBTA Community" by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (state government), that's only because we're next door to the South Action commuter rail station. Otherwise, we have no public transportation in town, or connecting us with neighboring towns.  The only thing even close is the van service operated by the Council on Aging.
However, implementing a public transit system (perhaps a local bus that runs a regular route) would take a significant effort, based on the need for funding in today's tight public economy.
We have become so used to the advantages of owning and driving a car, that it may be difficult to stop for a moment to consider walking or using a bicycle. If the weather is cold or rainy, or we're buying groceries, using a car is likely to seem even more attractive.  But, in spite of these challenges, the more we find ways to leave the car at home and set out into the open air, the better we will alleviate parking congestion, and perhaps benefit from the exercise as well.

Maynard, MA - Residents and visitors to town enjoyed blue skies and warm temperatures for two days of festivals this past weekend.
On Saturday, October 4th, Maynard's annual October street fair, Maynard Fest, was well attended, with booths and tables ranging from community organizations, state and local agencies, political parties, medical professionals, and banks, to food vendors, play areas for children, crafts, and other vendors of a variety of kinds.  This year it was very well attended, with Nason and Main Streets, as well as Memorial Park crowded with people exploring the options and enjoying conversations.
Maynard Fest is organized every year by the Assabet Valley Chamber of Commerce, which is based in Hudson.  Their web site is  https://www.assabetvalleychamber.org  It takes place the first Saturday in October every year.  Members of the Maynard Police Department were on hand to direct traffic around the streets that were closed to vehicles and provide safe passage for pedestrians at the various crosswalks.

I know at least a few people who did not know that Porchfest was taking place this past weekend.  “How does anyone find out about these things?” they asked me.  Even the organizer of Porchfest remarked that it's hard to get the word out.  I've heard the same from others at different times.
The traditional weekly newspaper in Maynard, The Beacon Villager, ceased publication in May of 2022, so that's no longer an option.
Here at Town Wide Mall, I only publish stories occasionally, so I can’t possibly keep up with the many  events and activities that take place every week in town.  The Maynard Voice has just started publishing online every few weeks, so that is another possible source.
Otherwise, how do people planning an event - and people who want to find events - get connected? 
One of the best guides is the Discover Maynard Calendar of Events web page, https://discovermaynard.com/calendar/  The Discover Maynard site is hosted by the Maynard Cultural District and was originally created to help people from outside of Maynard, "discover" our town and all it has to offer.  But by now, with no printed newspaper in town, it has become a central place to connect Maynard residents with events going on.
For those organizing an event, go to that page and click on the words, "SUBMIT EVENT," just below the banner photo.  That gets you to a page with the guidelines and policies, which you should read before proceeding.  Then click on the large blue button, "Fill out the Submission Form" at the left and enter the specifics for the event, then click the "Submit" button at the bottom.

For those who just want to find out what's going on, ignore the "submit event" button and just start scrolling down the list for events taking place on the date shown above.

It may not seem likely, but flyers posted on these boards actually get a lot of attention.  It turns out that many people stop by to look at them because they pass by one of these boards while walking or jogging, etc. as part of their daily routine.

There are two venues that have so many events that you may want to check their web sites directly.  One is the Maynard Fine Arts Theatre, at https://www.maynardfineartstheatre.com which has details on films, show times, ticket prices, etc.  The other is Sanctuary, with their web site, https://www.sanctuarymaynard.com

In addition to those, Maynard Town Government has some events listed on its home page:  https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov  If you scroll down just a little, below the banner photo and icon strip, the center of the page has a column entitled "Latest News" which has a list of some events.  To the right of that is a calendar grid that has days marked off for meetings and other events.  There is a huge amount of information on this site as a whole, carefully curated by town officials and staff, so it can take awhile to learn where various things are among the many web pages, but there are many good resources.

Maynard Fest has been around for many years, but Maynard Porchfest is a more recent event.  It all sprang from an idea by Elizabeth Barren, who moved to Maynard back in 2017.  At first, she was not aware of Maynard Fest.  However, in October of 2019, she happened to end up on Nason Street around 5 PM, the first Saturday in October.  She observed Sarah, from the Assabet Valley Chamber of Commerce, doing the last bit of cleanup after Maynard Fest had just ended.
When they talked, Elizabeth learned about what Maynard Fest was, and, being a part time musician herself, she realized that Maynard could have a Porchfest, similar to those that take place in other cities and towns nearby.  In more densely populated cities, there are few driveways or lawns to stage performances, so front porches are typically the only outdoor space for performers to use.  Anyway, Sarah supplied her with a number of contacts and information to help her get going.
The following year, she began to plan Maynard's first Porchfest to take place in the spring, around the time of the Artwalk.  She had signs made up and had a schedule of bands and musicians finalized when the pandemic hit.  So it all had to be scrapped.
It wasn't until 2022 that she was able to try again.  Various other people chipped in, helping to print up maps, make lawn signs, review submissions by musicians and bands and determine the schedule.  The result?  The whole thing turned out to be a big success!
Everything is done by volunteers.  Musicians are allowed to put out a "tip jar" to collect a bit of cash, but that's it.  Otherwise everything is free and open to the public.
To learn more, yes, of course there is a website for Maynard Porchfest.  You can do a search for "Maynard Porchfest" to get there, or use the link here:  https://maynardporchfest.wixsite.com/website

I am continually amazed and heartened by how many people volunteer to help make Maynard the great place to live that it is.  In today's world, when there is so much focus on financial affairs, taxes, prices, inflation, and so forth, it's easy to forget how big a role simple generosity plays in everyday life.  There is an amazingly robust "economy" of volunteer labor that makes the world work.  The benefits are enormous, both for those who directly partake of the results of that generosity, as well as those volunteering, who get not only the satisfaction in knowing they're making a difference in the world, but who also often benefit from the social interaction and connections that most volunteer labor entails.
When I see headlines with stories about war or political bickering, it helps me to reflect on how basic decency and willingness to lend a helping hand are truly quite common.
As I wrote in my first essay on Substack, back in July, if there's a flood and rescuers in a boat approach  someone who is stranded to take them to safety, they never ask what political party they belong to or for whom they voted in the last election.  They just say, "We're here to rescue you, climb in."  This is a fundamental part of human nature that, as far as I know, will always be with us:  The willingness to help each other, whether in times of crisis, or just to create a community that is warm and welcoming. 

But for those of you who haven't done either of those things, but would still like to participate, here are some details.
First, the page for this event on the town's web site is:
www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=385
Next, if you don't know where Crowe Park is (and I didn't, at first), it's located on Great Road (Route 117) near Tiger Drive (the road that leads to the town's schools).  If your GPS or map doesn't show the location of the park, search for 138 Great Road in Maynard instead, the approximate location of the park.  (Note:  This is not Carbone Park, which is a smaller area off Florida Road.)
As for the weather, Select Board member Mike Stevens told me, "We will make the final call on Saturday at midday. At the moment, the rain looks like [it will be] tapering off at about 1:00 PM. If it looks worse, we will postpone to our rain date 2 weeks later."  As it says at the lower right corner of the flyer shown above, that would be September 21st.
Although I will be busy Saturday, if I get the word that it's postponed, I will provide an update here.
––––––––––––––
UPDATE:  Select Board member Mike Stevens issued a statement yesterday afternoon, "We have decided to delay the start time of the event from 2:00 until 3:00 to reduce the chance of being impacted by rain."  (This story updated here as of Sunday morning 9/7/2025 at 8:00 AM.  I will post further updates as more information becomes available.)

Living in Maynard, it’s easy to miss how many people volunteer their time, labor, or expertise to make this town what it is.  Of course, we pay taxes to pave and plow the streets, pick up the recycling and refuse, run the schools, provide a library a senior center, and so forth .  But so many other things that give the town its quality are done by folks who aren’t on any official payroll.  They are people who have seen a need or have joined a group, or even worked to get elected or appointed to an official board or committee, but do it all without being paid a dime.

So, now the Select Board has created an event to express thanks to all the people who contribute generously to make this town a great place to live, work, and enjoy ourselves in the off hours.

The Council on Aging helped to coordinate the event and provided transportation to those who needed it, in order to attend.  Others arrived in their own cars or car pooled. C.O.A. Director Amy Loveless was also present to help with the proceedings.  Emerson Health (formerly Emerson Hospital) granted funds to offset the costs of the food and venue.

The room was filled with the sound of lively conversation, indicating that those attending appreciated the chance to get together.

The idea for the event stemmed from the results of a survey of seniors in Maynard, conducted last year.  Those who responded listed isolation and lack of social connections as being of high importance.  Ms. Carter, who had launched the survey and interpreted the results, was instrumental in putting together the program for this morning.

Isolation and loneliness have been identified as serious issues in today's world dominated by online shopping and social media.  Seniors, especially, are vulnerable as many no longer have the connections they may have once had, either through work, through connections with parents of other school age children, or simply getting out into the community in general, due to mobility limitations.  Many grew up well before today's digital devices and networks went mainstream, in the early 2000s, so participating is often more challenging than it is for younger folks.
So, it was heartening to see an event like this brought to life by various town officials, staff, and volunteers to at least take a step to alleviating the problem!
While there myself, enjoying the free meal, (as I am also over 60!), and taking photos for this story, I decided to make a "Free Hugs" sign and offer free hugs to add to the spirit of the occasion.  I was only approached for a hug by five people, but I consider that a success.  I hope to offer free hugs at other events and I encourage others to do so as well.

Based on the latest town census, Maynard had a population of 10,585 residents as of this January. Of those, 3,282 are age 60 or older.  That's 31%, just short of a third.  A few hundred live in housing facilities devoted to this population, the rest live in apartments or private homes.  Many have outlived their spouses, siblings, or other family members, and in today's mobile society, even relatives or old friends may live far away.

If you’re feeling especially isolated, here in Maynard, what can you do?   Unless you have some kind of emergency, there is no 911 or 988 to call just for loneliness.  If you want something that’s not as much of an emergency service, but more long lasting and consistent, what are the options?

Some of us over 60 have plenty of social connections, but even then, it’s easy to feel isolated sometimes.  Many Maynard residents of all ages are aware of this situation and are interested in developing ways to help.  Enter Maynard’s emergency services, the fire and police departments, who are stepping out of their emergency roles for just this purpose.  Of course, this is just a one time event, but hopefully, it can lead to better connections that continue in the weeks and months to follow.

When it comes to strengthening a sense of community, I'm all for it.  In today's world of constant change, finding connections with each other can help us in so many ways.  I applaud our local emergency services folks for putting this together.
Clearly, when it comes to building community, the more the better.  It's easy to get together with those with whom we typically connect with, but for some people, it may seem more challenging to feel as if they belong.
The boom in social media and online that started in the mid 2000s has had a significant impact on all of us.  We now order items online, communicate using social media, and read news from websites.  This has been quite a shock to the existing ways we have socialized or shopped in the past.  I mention shopping, because, although the main purpose is to buy something needed, shopping in person has also had its social benefit. Shoppers often talk with with shop owners or those staffing the store as well as others   who happen to be there for the same purpose.
Overall, we do more things on screens and less in person, compared to 20 years or so ago.  Now, we are struggling to find a way to restore our in-person connections and build local networks of people gathering together.  This includes everyone who could benefit for more community connections, not just older folks.  At least this event is one of a number of things we can do to help.

Maynard, MA - After almost 2 1/2 years since I created Town Wide Mall and started posting news stories here, it's time to celebrate!  OK, it's 2.334 years, but who needs to wait for a nice even number, right?  (You can see the date of my very first news story listed on the News Index page, if you scroll down far enough.)
In my life, I've often started something, and once it really got going, I handed it over to others while I  moved on to start something else.  That's why I'm happy to see The Maynard Voice get off the ground.  It doesn't mean I'm quitting altogether, but as a single individual covering all the roles: reporter, photographer, editor, layout, publisher, and circulation manager (such as it is for an online news feed), I welcome the efforts of others to supplement what I do here.

So, if you're reading this, you're invited to my party, which I'm calling "Charity Begins In Town."  As I am a strong supporter of local community, and have volunteered extensively throughout my life, I thought it fitting if I invited a few local charities to join us, both to let everyone know what they do as well as invite volunteers and solicit donations to help them in their work.
But don't worry, this won't be all speeches and Q & A.  Mostly, I've arranged to have music, dancing, a buffet and beverages, along with some birthday cake.

Rather than give all the details here, I ask that you to go to the "Upcoming Events" page on Message Rain, one of my "sister sites," for the details, the time, the location, and the schedule.  It's especially important for anyone wishing to come to RSVP, using the form on that web site, so we can order enough food to be prepared for the buffet.

The group is headed up by a seven member board of directors, many of whom were previously involved in The Maynard Advantage, a newsletter sent out by e-mail, with editions published at various times over the past few years.
Unlike the Maynard Advantage, which was organized to promote Maynard as a good place to live, work, or visit, The Maynard Voice represents a change from an advocacy organization to a journalist one.  The mission statement, available under the “About Us” heading on their home page states, in part, that it is, “to provide accessible, accurate, and non-partisan information to residents, business owners, and stakeholders.”

The Maynard Voice joins other local news non-profit organizations in nearby towns, including The Concord Bridge https://concordbridge.org and The Acton Exchange https://www.actonexchange.org/  Unlike The Concord Bridge which publishes on paper, The Maynard Voice and The Acton Exchange are “web site only” publications, at least for now.

Although it may seem that The Maynard Voice competes with Town Wide Mall for readers, that is not the case.  I welcome the advent of more news coverage in Maynard, after having published news stories here since April of 2023.  (See a list of stories I've published starting back then, on the News Index page.)
Starting now, both Town Wide Mall and The Maynard Voice will work to complement each other.  I tend to publish stories less frequently than most newspapers do, but I tend to go more in depth, more in the tradition of "news features," rather than just short bulletins. In contrast to that, The Maynard Voice, as I understand it, is dedicated to publishing more stories, more frequently, on a more timely basis.  We have discussed the possibility that I may, at times, submit commentary to The Maynard Voice, to include with stories in their publication.  The details haven't been worked out just yet, but we hope to develop this idea further.

Frequent readers of my stories may have noticed that I have been publishing a little less often, compared to when I started out.  If you scroll down on the News Index page, you can easily see this trend.  There are a few reasons for this, including typical events facing home owners, such as replacing a heating system, and other family events - things that often take more time than expected in life.

But another reason has to do with an evolution of my focus.  The world is changing rapidly and profoundly, and I seem to be changing along with it.  I have been keenly interested in national and world events, for decades by now.  I even included some essays describing trends I was seeing, in my book "a man wearing a dress," which I published back in 2017.  However, when I started the Town Wide Mall web site, I vowed to keep my stories and commentary as locally focused and non-partisan as possible.
But I have had more and more thoughts over time that relate to the bigger picture, outside the borders of our town.  Over the last year, approximately, I have increasingly felt the urge to publish commentary related to this bigger picture.  After all, I see a great need to provide a perspective that goes beyond the daily headlines and news stories that flood our inboxes, web browsers, TV screens, and radio reports daily.
Back last Fall, I began working on a new series of essays, that were outside the scope of what I was doing here on Town Wide Mall.  For months, I kept writing, but was disappointed with what I ended up with.  I wanted to provide an alternative to the sometimes disturbing or upsetting news of the day, but some of what I wrote seemed to just make things worse.  After nearly 100 unfinished essays, I finally began to feel that I had finally found the right voice, so to speak.
So, a few weeks ago, I established an account on the Substack online service.  I have posted three pieces there already and am working on more.  My Substack Account is available here:
https://glennckoenig.substack.com/
The other day, while walking in downtown Maynard, I met someone who had been reading my news stories, here on this web site.  I remarked at the time, that I had a story almost finished, but I hadn't written the commentary section just yet.  She replied, "Oh, the commentary is the best part!"  Of course, remarks like that warm my heart, but for her and others like her, I'm glad to say that my essays on Substack are designed to be pure commentary.
Living in times of rapid and profound change can easily be challenging and even upsetting.  My goal is to help others see our current situation from new perspectives.  I firmly believe that, although there may be plenty of reasons to feel upset or even despair these days, we will eventually get through all this and reach a better place in the long run.  I plan to "hang in there," so to speak, and I hope you are able to do the same.

One more thing.  Over the past two and a half years a number of people have graciously clicked the Donate button, below, and contributed funds to help me cover my expenses in doing this work.  I am deeply indebted to them all for their generosity.  Others have commented on my stories, here on this web site (as well as in social media).
As I work diligently in creating these news stories, I am as much a flawed human being as anyone else, so I have focused so much on writing and publishing, that I have neglected to directly acknowledge those individuals for their contributions, and I have also often let comments go unacknowledgeds (and questions unanswered) for months at a time, as I am often overwhelmed with the volume of mail in my e-mail inbox!
Please know that I am sincerely thankful for the support and feedback you all have provided!

With the dew point (a measure of relative humidity) also quite high, the heat index (sensation of heat for most people) was well over 100° here. As summer is just getting underway, we have already seen temperatures almost as high since then, with more predicted next week.  
Town officials in Maynard have already sent texts, telephoned residents with a recorded message, and posted a bulletin on the Town’s official web site, to provide advice for surviving the heat:
https://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=368
If you scroll down on that page, there is a link to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts web page, "Extreme Heat Safety Tips." 

Clearly, most people in town have found sufficient ways to stay cool, including air conditioning at home and in their vehicles.  Many establishments, such as food stores, restaurants, and the movie theater serve as unofficial cooling locations as well.

Council on Aging Director Amy Loveless had some good information for seniors, who live in town.  The Council's space in the building has a cooling system that's separate from the golf club facilities.  She pointed out that the housing authority locations, Concord Circle (off Concord Street as you head toward Acton), and the Powder Mill Circle (off Powder Mill Road, just east of the Assabet Co-op as you head toward Concord) both have cooling centers on site.

• I will have a table at the Maynard Farmer's Market this Saturday, 12 July 2025, for the first time since I started Town Wide Mall, back in April of 2023.  If you go to their web site, ...
https://maynardfarmersmarket.com
... and click on "Community Organizations" you will see Town Wide Mall listed for this date.
You may see that the "Maynard Advantage" is also listed and I'm happy to be at the market at the same time as their crew of volunteers.  They plan to start a new news service for Maynard to complement what I've been doing so far, and I welcome them in the effort to bring quality journalism to town.  Although they have been an advocacy organization to promote Maynard so far, they have been working diligently to create a more impartial news source to focus on more objective reporting.  Based on community input, the new name of their effort will be the "Maynard Voice."

• Save the date!  On Saturday, September 6th, I will be hosting a gathering to both celebrate my birthday and help support community non-profit organizations here in Maynard.  I'm calling the event, "Charity Begins in Town."  I'm asking guests to bring a pot-luck dish to share, but if your culinary skills are not your strong point, we will strive to have enough food for everyone.  The bar will be open and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided without cost.  The event is for people of all ages and will take place at the Elk's Club (34 Powder Mill Road).  We will have musicians to entertain us and dancing for those who wish to join in.  Some of the dancing in the earlier part of the evening will be "figure dances" with a caller, and children can participate.  It runs from 7 to 10 PM.