Ribbon Cutting for the Maynard Honeybee Meadow 6/24, 2pm

Let me start by saying that this post is a little self serving, because I'm on the project, but I don't even feel bad about it because it's such a cool and wonderful thing, and so many of you helped make it happen. 

On Saturday, June 24th at two o'clock, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Maynard Honeybee Meadow. So many local citizens pitched in to help make this project happen, and Melissa Ljosa and I so appreciate it. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out the link to the original campaign.


As we've been working, especially Melissa (she's the real powerhouse behind this project), we've been delighting when each flower opens, when we find Maynard Rocks hidden on the edges of the meadow, when people are enjoying the benches, or folks are just stopping to say hello.

The Maynard Honeybee Meadow before work began.

When we started this project more than a year ago, I feared that maybe it wouldn't live up to our dreams. Boy was I wrong. The various parts of the project that needed to be made were sourced locally from our own high school students, artists, woodworkers, and landscapers. Every person involved put in so much time and effort, and when I look at the meadow, I can't imagine it feeling complete with out each of their contributions.

But don't expect to see any bees yet, not unless they're coming from other areas. They can't go in until we've completed the work that we need to do. Also, if you visit the meadow you'll see a section of garden that is more established than the rest. That part was seeded in the fall and shows nicely how the meadow is developing.

We hope you will join us on Saturday. There is going to be some live music, and kids can work together to paint some toad houses that we'll be putting in the meadow. We're also going to have a ladybug release!

Where: 63 Summer St., behind ArtSpace Maynard. Limited parking is available at the back of the building, or you can park along Summer Street, but pay attention to all the no parking signs in the area.

If you're visiting the meadow, please don't pick the flowers., and please stay on the paths—there are many fragile seedlings that are trying to establish themselves. Keep dogs on the paths and out of the plantings, and clean up after them if they've left a mess. Thank you for helping us keep the meadow beautiful and safe.

Maynard: My Place, Your Place

I like using the word "place" when I talk about our town. The word can be used to refer to ones' home, as in, "Come on over to my place after work today." But "place" means more than that. My favorite of all the different and subtle meanings is the one that kind of means "where you belong"—your place. I have a place in Maynard.

If I handed you a map of our town, and asked you to circle your place, your home, you might find your street and guess as to where your house or apartment might be. But your place is bigger than that.

With our town's land area being about five square miles (including a golf course and conservation land), our ten-thousand citizens are packed in pretty tight. You know what that means, don't you? Sure it means that, if you're a home owner, you might be sharing your driveway with a few different houses, or that your house takes up at least fifty percent of your lot space. But it also means that you are part of a close community where running into other Maynardians (Maynardites?) is just what happens. Around here, if we aren't friends, then we do our best to like each other and get along. I wish the whole country could live like this.

With such limited space, every person who lives in Maynard should consider the downtown as part of their property, like a giant family room. It's the place where we can go and hang out with friends without having to make sure that all the dishes in the sink have been washed and all the clothes are picked up off the floor. It's where we get to see people without having had to make an appointment. In fact, I get to see people in town that I never get to see anywhere else. They've never been to my house, and I've never been to theirs, and yet I feel close to them. Heck, some even send us greeting cards.

So utilize all your property. Put yourself into the Maynard family room. Get connected to people here, because the more people you know, the more you'll realize that you're home, that this is your place.

We all have a place in Maynard.

Art's Specialties—two thumbs up!

I finally got to meet Art, the owner of Art's Specialties. I had hoped to get over there for the wine and smoked fish tasting that he had on Saturday, but I was traveling. I was so bummed. I heard it was nice.

I found myself in there with another Maynard friend on Sunday afternoon, looking for something I could make for dinner. I got some Italian sausage (really delicious, and not like any I've had before) and some spinach and asiago stuffed ravioli. Also delicious.

While I was there, I decided to buy a bottle of wine. It just so happens that the one I picked up happened to be one of the wines he had sampled on Saturday. He suggested a wine tasting, and like that he had three bottles of wine out for us to try. It was great. I loved my purchase and left with a few other things, too.

If you haven't been in yet, stop by. They are open late by Maynard standards, so though you can stop in during the day (yes, even on a Monday), you stop in after work if that works for you.