Bugs and Buckle Shoes

Welcome back!

School vacation week is coming to a close, and Sudbury will soon be engulfed in the endearingly archaic tradition of an Annual Town Meeting.

As a reminder, there is no dress code for Annual Town Meeting, but I’m told they count your votes twice on each article if you wear pilgrim-style buckle shoes, or if you just have really big shirt sleeves. You don’t even need the frilly stuff on the cuffs. And don’t forget to make an appointment with your milliner or hatter soon!

Of course, they don’t count your vote twice. And the new clicker system streamlines things quite a bit. If past is prologue, you should be prepared to spend ten total minutes voting with the clickers, and 20 minutes talking about the clickers over the course of Town Meeting.

As for this week, here’s what we have for you:

1. Town Meeting Accessibility Accommodations

2. Let’s Talk About Bugs

3. SudburyWeekly.com News Roundup

4. Proposed Acquisition of Historic Railroad Buildings Could Present Business Opportunities

Let’s get into it!

Town Meeting Accessibility Accommodations

By the League of Women Voters of Sudbury

All Sudbury registered voters are eligible to vote at Annual Town Meeting, which begins Monday, May 6, at 7:30 pm. in the auditorium of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. 

Information about routinely available accommodations, including assisted listening, live captioning, accessible seating, braille voting clickers, and accessible transportation can be found on the Town website here and here and pages i and ii of the Warrant.

The location of the accessible “HP” parking spaces and the availability of large print materials can be found on page i of the Warrant.

Voters who wish to request accommodations for the meeting or who have questions about accommodations should contact the Senior Center at 978-443-3055 or [email protected] by Tuesday, April 30, at 4 p.m.

Learn more about Town Meeting here and what to expect at Town Meeting here.

Let’s Talk About Bugs

By Kevin LaHaise

Get ready for a barrage of posts on social media asking why a helicopter is flying so low. The answer, of course, is that Sudbury is doing its routine mosquito spraying. The Health Department pre-announced the spraying on the Town website here.

The spraying will occur between April 16 and 24, and is targeted at a variety of areas with wetlands in Sudbury. They’re spraying a biological larvicide, and the Health Department notes that residents do not need to take any precautions. According to the Health Department:

On a related note, the Board of Health also announced a special seminar on April 30 that will provide information about mosquito-borne diseases and preventive measures. It’s a hybrid event, so you can attend at the Goodnow Library or via Zoom. More information here.

Moving on to the major pollinators that civilized society holds in higher regard…

The Energy and Sustainability Committee announced No Mow May. They’re encouraging residents not to mow their lawns in the month of May to protect pollinators:

To raise awareness of the initiative, they’re providing yard signs for residents. Those signs will be available tomorrow at the Earth Day event, or at the Facilities Department starting on Monday, April 22.

No, it doesn’t count as not mowing your lawn if you landscaper does the mowing. You know you’re doing it right if your lawn looks like the outfield at lower Feeley Field.

Proposed Acquisition of Historic Railroad Buildings Could Present Business Opportunities

By Kevin LaHaise

On Tuesday, April 16, the Sudbury Historical Commission discussed their warrant article which would authorize the Town to acquire the Section Tool House and the South Sudbury Train Station buildings from the MBTA. Both buildings are of significant preservation interest to the commission, and discussions to date have indicated the cost of the acquisitions could be nominal. The article doesn’t specify a cost or the terms, as conversations are ongoing. However, the Select Board would be given final say over the terms and conditions of a deal.

Historical Commission Chair, Chris Hagger, informed the commission that Town Counsel had a conversation with the MBTA this week, and did not anticipate any major complications. He did note that the process will take some time. (1:40:40)

The report on Article 17 is on page 30 of the warrant here. Regarding the Section Tool House it notes:

As for the South Sudbury Train Station, the report states:

In addition to the preservation interests in these historic assets, the Historical Commission briefly mentioned correspondence from a local business, Sudbury Bees, voicing interest in a potential future use of the buildings. The owners of Duck Soup have also voiced interest in a prior meeting. Commissioners noted it was premature to talk about future uses, but were pleased to hear there was support and interest from local businesses.

Article 17 heads to Annual Town Meeting with the support of the Select Board and the Finance Committee.

Parting Thoughts

And there you have it. The sun is shining, and the spring season for youth sports is about to go into full swing. Get ready for countless hours spent destroying vertebrae in those foldable sport chairs… a subtle form of torture numbed only by brief trips in a warm car as you scurry from one field to the next. And don’t you dare forget the popsicles!

Onward!