Mapping Out Maynard, and an Ask

by Glenn C. Koenig, webmaster at Town Wide Mall
=== Note:  This story includes a fundraising appeal. ===

Maynard, MA - Back in 2015, some local folks got together and published a little flyer called the “A Field Guide to Maynard; Great things to do and see around Maynard, Massachusetts.”  It was funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, based on an application through the Maynard Local Cultural Council, our local branch.  The brochure was in full color, a single sheet in a trifold format (see illustrations at right).  I've included a link to the PDF version of it, here below:

fieldguidetomaynard_interactive.pdf
File Size:	425 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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When it was published, it turned out to be a big hit!  But by now, after eight years, all the copies have been handed out.  Also, although you can download a PDF version of it today, it’s badly in need of updating.  At the time it was printed, the Assabet River Rail Trail was still an abandoned railroad track.  What is now Sanctuary (at 82 Main St.) was still The Union Congregational Church, not yet put up for sale.  There have been numerous other changes as well.

So, with that in mind, I met over breakfast with the artist (Priscilla Alpaugh Cotter) and the designer and researcher (Carolyn Wirth) to discuss revising and reprinting the whole thing for today’s Maynard.  We decided to go ahead and create a new version with all updated information.  We created a budget, including art, design, proofreading, and printing (shown at right).

I agreed to do the fundraising and coordination without any financial compensation for myself.  But applying for a grant means submitting an application and waiting for approval before going ahead. There's also a real risk that not all the money requested is granted, so we'd have to seek other funds to make up the difference.  In addition, if we apply, that means less money may be available for grants to other individual artists, struggling to make ends meet.
The MCC has allocated $8,300 for Maynard, for this coming year.  I don't know the allocation for last year but there were requests for $11,266 from applications submitted by others.  I suspect that the total amount of applications will exceed the allocation again this year.  The details are available on the MCC web site for Maynard:
https://massculturalcouncil.org/local-council/maynard/
So, instead of applying for a grant, here's my proposal: Let's see if we can raise the necessary funds right here in Maynard!  That way, we don’t risk a partial grant approval, we leave more grant funds available for other projects, and we can get started right away.  So here is my ask:

The Appeal

Please donate whatever you can.  Even small amounts will help.  Use the Donate button on the About Page here on this web site (or use the button at the bottom of this or other news story in this news feed), but please be sure to put the words “FIELD GUIDE” in the comments on the PayPal screen before you submit your donation!  That way, I can keep the funds for this project separate from general donations for Town Wide Mall.
Also, please make sure to indicate if you would like your NAME PUBLISHED as a donor for this effort. If I don't have your explicit permission, I will consider you to be an anonymous donor.
Anyone can donate, even a business, but as I am not a non-profit organization, donations are not tax deductible.  If, for any reason, we raise more than is needed, I will hold the extra for printing more copies in case we run out.  If that is not needed, I’ll donate the remainder to the Maynard Food Pantry.
I plan to post updates on how many donations have been received, the total amount received, and how we’re doing toward getting this printed and available, in subsequent posts, here on this news feed.

Comment & Notes

From what I’m told, when the Guide was first published (before I moved to Maynard), it was popular with real estate agents who took handfuls of copies and handed them out to prospective home buyers looking to move to Maynard.  This time around, my plan was to visit as many of them as I could, in person, to ask for a donation.  However, as I’ve been struggling to throw off what seems like the “forever summer head cold” these past few months, I have not gone forward with those personal visits, partly out of concern that I not spread this thing around (although a doctor told me that I’m probably not contagious).

So, my message to everyone in real estate in Maynard is this: If you could see fit to make a reasonable donation to this effort, I would very much appreciate it and I’m sure the residents of Maynard will thank you for helping out.

Oh, and one more thing.  Why would we go to the trouble of printing something when almost everyone travels with a cell phone in their pocket these days?  Here's one reason:  Perhaps walking the natural areas in Maynard might be nice without having to look at a screen!  Just a piece of paper in your pocket with a map that’s good enough to guide you, and a page bigger than any cell phone screen when you unfold it.  And for people considering Maynard as a nice place to live, it’s something to review while relaxing at home, instead of having to call it up on a computer or tablet.

Thank you all, in advance, for helping with this project.

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