Natick Report

More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

Teens sought for public reading in Natick of noted Frederick Douglass speech

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The Natick Historical Society invites local teens to take part in a public reading of Frederick Douglass’s 1852 speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”

The reading will take place on Sunday, June 27 at 6:00pm on the front steps of the Morse Institute Library in Natick. Each teen will then have the opportunity to read 1-3 paragraphs from the speech, which is about thirty minutes in total. The event will be recorded.

Interested teens should send email to reserve their spot: director@natickhistoricalsociety.org.

This free event is inspired by the Mass Humanities Reading Frederick Douglass program.

Check out our post and video from 2020’s reading.

Frederick Douglass speech

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Natick student art showcased at Page Waterman’s Virtual Gallery juried exhibit

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Natick High School artists shine this year at Page Waterman Gallery’s 5th annual juried exhibition,  NEXT UP!, taking place online through May 28th. It’s been nice to see that Natick entrants have increased their presence in the prestigious show—four painters, drawers, printmakers, and photographers have entered their talents this year, up from one last year.

The NHS artists are: Rabkwan Chaimattayompol; Shanna Deng; Tia Perkins; and Rebecca Riley.

Natick HS, Page Waterman

138 art submissions have been entered. First-, second-, and third-place winners will be chosen, plus honorable mentions and people’s choice awards, in the following categories:

  • Painting, drawing and printmaking
  • Photography
  • Sculpture

NEXT UP! jurors are Keris Salmon, a former network long-form news producer now working as a photographer, filmmaker and textile designer, as well as a media consultant on independent television and film projects; and Allison Tolman, owner at The Tolman Collection of New York who has worked as a private dealer of contemporary Japanese works on paper for 25 years.

Winners will be announced May 16.

Here’s how to support your favorite artists by casting a People’s Choice vote.

Natick HS, Page Waterman
Natick HS, Page Waterman
Natick HS, Page Waterman

About Page Waterman, Gallery & Framing

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Natick Class of 2021 to create their final high school memories on Memorial Field

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Although the desire for area high school seniors to hold Prom has intensified with students returning to full in-person learning, the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) has not changed its guidance on proms. DESE earlier this month strongly discouraged schools from hosting them, citing the continued risk by students and staff of exposure to COVID.

Natick High School Memorial Football Field and Track

Specifically, the DESE guidelines say, “Prom is an inherently high-risk activity, as it is a social gathering that involves dancing and singing (both of which are activities with increased respiration), and also presents concerning opportunities for students to break health and safety protocols in a relaxed environment.”

Keeping DESE concerns in mind, Natick High’s 400+ seniors instead of a traditional prom will enjoy a semi-formal senior dinner, which will take place on June 1 at 7pm on Memorial Field. The outdoor fun will include dinner catered by local restaurants, DJ music, a hypnotist, laser tag, a PTSO sponsored raffle and more. The event will mark the first time the Class of 2021 will celebrate together over a year.

Masks and safety protocols will be enforced at the outdoor events. Although Natick’s COVID vaccination rate continues to climb, with over 67% of its population having had least 1 dose, up from 62% a week ago, only 9% of Natick residents aged 0-19 are partially vaxxed. Anyone aged 16 and older who lives, works, or studies in Massachusetts is eligible to get vaccinated.

Two days after Prom, the Class of 2021 will hold its graduation rehearsal and senior picnic, also on Memorial Field. Food trucks and COVID-safe games will be part of the year-end events.

And then, finally, graduation will take place on Fri., June 4th, 7pm, at Memorial Field, with a Sun., June 6th, 7pm rain date. Grads can have five guests, and only immediate households may sit together. Family pods will sit six feet apart from other pods per DESE graduation safety standards.

Last year’s senior were feted in a car parade that streamed through town in May, and a late-summer graduation ceremony took place at Memorial Field.

Natick Service Council program to aid women reentering the workforce

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The Natick Service Council’s Brack Career Development Center is kicking off a four-part online workshop series starting in May for women who are reentering the workforce. Those interested can sign on at no cost for the whole series or only those workshops that are a fit.

Overcoming Obstacles to Reentry, Part 1

  • May 18th, 11:30am

You’ll hear from women who have successfully rejoined the workforce and hiring experts with tips on how to move through the interview process to a job offer. You’ll also network with other women who are working towards a similar goal. Studies show that up to 80% of people find employment through networking so you won’t want to miss out on this unique opportunity.

Register here.

The Right Mindset, Confidence is Queen

  • June 3, 11:30am

Confidence is a key contributor to a successful job search and career. Hiring managers are attracted to people who demonstrate presence and are clear about the value they bring to an organization. Women can struggle with self confidence, advocating for themselves, and speaking up even when they feel strongly about what they have to say. Many women worry about how others will view them and how they will come across so they do not put their best selves out there for people to see and hear.

Please join Denise Rosenblum, President and Co-founder of Dynamic Development as she discusses why women lack confidence and presents strategies to be your strong authentic self.

Register here

If you’re Not on LinkedIn you don’t Exist

  • Jun 10,  11:30 AM

LinkedIn is the cornerstone of your job search. Employers review your profile to gain additional intelligence about you and your qualifications. Additionally, recruiters find you there, it’s a top job board and networking is ripe for the picking.

If you don’t have a robust LinkedIn profile you can’t fully leverage your network and it can be a turnoff to hiring managers. Getting started or freshening up your profile can seem daunting. In this session join Amy Canty, Manager of Learning & Development at Eliassen, to break down how to create and update your LinkedIn profile to ensure it’s working well for you.

Register here.

Stop Applying to Jobs Online

  • Jun 17, 11:30 AM

Online job applications are a big black hole. Often you never hear back from employers or you receive an automated rejection email from the applications system. In a saturated and competitive market it is increasingly difficult to stand out and that’s why up to 80% of people find their next job through networking. Join Amy Canty, Manager of Learning & Development at Eliassen, to hear more about proactive job search strategies and how you can increase your likelihood to find gainful employment through tactics other than online job boards.

Register here.

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It’s all about soldier readiness and safety at Natick Soldier Systems Center (aka Natick Army Labs)

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We’d always been curious about the Natick Soldier Systems Center, often referred to around town as the Natick Army Labs, so when the opportunity came up to attend a Zoom meeting to learn more about the only active Army installation in New England, we jumped at the chance. Hosted by the Natick Historical Society, NHS director Niki Lefebvre introduced Col. Frank Moore of DEVCOM Soldier Center, one of Natick Lab’s research and technology collaborators. Lefebvre welcomed Moore and asked the occasional clarifying question as he led over 70 participants through a fascinating Power Point presentation about the 174-acre site that includes 459k square feet of lab space and 75 family housing units for active military personnel.

Moore provided an overview of the 15 tenant organizations operating at the Systems Center, all of which are dedicated to one goal: working together to optimize soldier readiness and safety. About 1,500 people are employed at the facility including 1,188 civilians, 90 military personnel, and 220 contractors. The Systems Center takes great pride in the brainpower concentrated in that small corner of Natick—it’s a smart bunch that collectively holds over 1,231 college and university degrees.

A large part of what happens at the Systems Center involves clothing. Both the US Navy and the Coast Guard run research and development on clothing design and textiles. Some other partner organizations work on soldier protective equipment including combat equipment and weaponry systems.

natick army labs soldier systems center

The conversation focused on the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (DEVCOM), where Moore works. The stated mission of DEVCOM, the national and international leader in warfighter science and technology development, is to “provide the Army with innovative science and technology solutions to optimize the performance of our soldiers” by “ensuring dominance through superior scientific and engineering expertise.”

That group’s 903 employees, made up of a combination of military and civilians, work on parachute design and parachutist safety; military nutrition; fiber and textile science such as camouflage concealment and ballistic protection; optimizing and enhancing soldier performance; soldier protection through enhanced equipment design, environmental protection; chemical biological protection; and Army training tech that includes live training exercises.

Moore says DEVCOM is known as “the soldier’s research center”, meaning that everything done there focuses on keeping soldiers safe and optimizing their performance.

Durning the Q & A period, several residents fondly remembered back when the Army Labs opened up to the pubic for tours and asked if that would be repeated in the future. Moore said due to COVID that’s not possible for now, but hoped that is something that could happen in the future.

Moore did seem confident that a ribbon-cutting ceremony could take place in 2023, when an under-construction $50 million dollar 4-story facility is slated to be completed. This new building will house the Soldier and Squad Performance Research Institute, a research lab the Army says is,  “designed to inform and optimize soldier and squad lethality and combat readiness.”

Until then, Moore said the Systems Center is always looking for qualified candidates to fill a host of jobs. A quick google search showed they are in search of a textile technologist; a general engineer; an architect; a warehouse/inventory control specialist; and more.

Watch Col. Moore’s presentation on youtube at this link.

Next up on the Natick Historical Society’s calendar: a presentation by Boston University American Studies PhD candidate Mariah Gruner titled, Ten Thousand Digital Absurdities: the Power of the Needlework in 19th Century America.

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