The Epoch Times 4/30/10: Lotus Restaurants: Family Business Blossoms in Greater Boston. The Chen family, with five brothers and two sisters, has at least doubled the profit for every restaurant they have owned since their arrival in America 30 years ago. Four restaurants are still open for business in Massachusetts today. Michael is the chef at Lotus Flower Restaurant in Framingham. Morris and John are the manager and chef, respectively, at Changsho Restaurant in Cambridge. Lily manages Lotus Blossom in Sudbury and Water Lily in Wayland. Sherry is in charge of accounting for all the restaurants. The Chens never dwell on their success but continue to explore new recipes, try trendy ideas, and provide better services.

Wayland Town Crier 3/23/10: PC Heating & Plumbing in Wayland teams up with company. PC Heating & Plumbing, a fixture in Wayland since 1980, has teamed up with Pann Home Services of Cambridge to offer its customers additional home services, including air conditioning and electrical. The move coincides with the semi-retirement of PC company founder Paul Castellucci.

Wayland Town Crier 3/23/10: Wayland High graduate starts landscaping business. It all began with community service, but now Wayland High School graduate Jon Poisson has begun a landscaping business in town while he juggles studying criminal justice with plans to become a police officer. Poisson started doing yard work in his freshman year at Wayland High for the elderly as part of community service. Having found something he was could do well, Poisson worked in landscaping for two summers, after junior year and senior year of High School.

Wayland Town Crier 2/26/10: Extensive menu at new Thai restaurant. Aficionados of crispy rolls with sweet and sour sauce, chicken satay and beef masaman will be thrilled to hear that a new Thai restaurant, Spice & Pepper, has opened right in Wayland center, on the site of the old Benson’s coffee shop. Don’t let the fact that it’s a small place fool you. A quick count of the menu shows that, with 100 items available, it’s extensive. And this doesn’t even include the "creation corner," where you can make your own combinations from various meats, veggies and sauces. There is also roast duck, barbecued ribs with ginger garlic sauce, and soft-shelled crabs in season (May through July). With all this, during the lunch and dinner hours, cook and partner Tom Kaewsprasert is in virtual nonstop mode, preparing appetizers, soups, curries, stir fries, noodle dishes and more.

Wayland Town Crier 2/26/10: Olé for new Mexican restaurant!. Olé! Viva Mexican Grill and Tequileria has arrived in Wayland. And this is certainly not your grandmother’s burrito bar. The minute you enter the establishment, the second one opened by restaurateur Carlos Mendez (the first is the award-winning Jose’s on Sherman Street in Cambridge), you get the impression of sleek sophistication, warm and glowing colors, and excellent hospitality. After passing the bar area on the left, where bartender Gilad Avital (Mendez’ second cousin by marriage) whips up Viva’s signature margaritas and other cocktails, you will enter a large dining room. The menu is extensive, ranging from starters, salads, soups and casual fare, to traditional Mexican selections and specialties from the grill. And, yes, there are burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas and tacos. But there is also fresh fish, lamb, chicken breast, and slow-cooked pork loin. According to Mendez, his restaurant features authentic homemade central Mexican cuisine in the atmosphere of a Mexican country estate.

Wayland Town Crier 2/19/10:  Community welcomes TD Bank branch. Judging from the buzz on a recent weekday morning at TD Bank’s new location at the intersection of routes 27 and 30 in Wayland, "America’s Most Convenient Bank" has arrived. The 3,000-square-foot "store," as TD likes to call its branches, opened last month, and customers are already streaming in to make deposits and withdrawals or to speak with staff about loans, safe deposit boxes, investments or insurance. Or staying in their cars to use the handy drive-through facility.

Wayland Town Crier 2/18/10: Caraway's says goodbye to Wayland center. Caraway’s, located near the center of town, has been a part of the Wayland scene for 25 years. Ownership of the café changed 10 years ago, when Michael and Joan Franklin bought it, with the small local diner becoming established as a community watering hole. Its imminent departure will certainly leave a void in the town’s social scene. The closing is currently scheduled for Monday, Feb. 22, to make space for the relocation of CVS Pharmacy. Most of the Caraway’s staff, in turn, is moving with the Franklins to the couple’s Franklin Caterers at the Pinefield Plaza, 1 Nicholas Road, Framingham, a short drive from Wayland.