Wayland HRDEI Committee adopts rapid-response protocol, backs multilingual welcome banners

WAYLAND -- January 17, 2023, Wayland's HRDEI Committee gives its chair and vice chair authority to respond rapidly to hate incidents. Vice Chair Karen Blumenfeld, chairing for an absent Yamini, led a 6-0 vote authorizing the chair and vice chair to "rapidly respond to an incident, bring the issue to the committee and call a special meeting as needed", a direct response to delays after racist graffiti at the town pool in December. Acting Police Chief Ed Berman told the committee interviews in the graffiti investigation are ongoing, with state and federal partners consulted. The committee also voted 6-0 to co-sponsor four Cultural Council banners reading "Welcome to Wayland. You belong here." in about 10 languages plus ASL, presented by Nora Rothschild Noteman, and unanimously approved a "Reproductive Healthcare as a Human Right" statement drafted by Janelle Mendler de Suarez. A multicultural festival at the high school, expected to draw roughly 400 people, remains in planning.