Civics and Sacrifice

Welcome back!

It’s a holiday weekend and the weather has been nearly perfect all week, at least for everyone who doesn’t have severe reactions when a metric ton of pollen is blasted at them from all directions.

Here’s what we have for you this week:

1. Middle School Civic Action Projects Impress With Research-Based Approach

2. New Chase Bank Building Proposed for Shaw’s Plaza

3. SudburyWeekly.com News Roundup

4. Water District Election Results

Middle School Civic Action Projects Impress With Research-Based Approach

By Kevin LaHaise

Students at Ephraim Curtis Middle School are in the midst of their annual Civic Action Projects. The program was implemented three years ago. Gary Grassey is a Civics and History teacher at the school, and oversees this program. He told Sudbury Weekly that he was quite impressed this year:

Indeed, this year’s batch of projects span a number of issues, with noticeable clustering around inclusion and belonging, food insecurity, and sustainability and the environment. Grassey noted: “Student initiatives included projects that seek funding for composting in the Sudbury Public Schools (SPS), legislation to support American Sign Language classes across the Commonwealth (including LSRHS), improved teen mental health supports in the SPS, a new crosswalk at the Goodnow Library, participatory budgeting, affordable healthcare for seniors, and funding for food insecurity on college and university campuses in Massachusetts.”

Sudbury Weekly covered one of the projects already — a proposal calling for Sudbury Public Schools to implement composting programs district-wide. Sudbury’s Energy and Sustainability Committee already voted to pre-fund such a program for up to $30,000 over two years. The project team’s petition on Change.org wove research on food waste together with recent sustainability initiatives and Town Meeting votes in Sudbury.

On the environmental front, another project team is researching the use of pesticides on lawns in Sudbury, complete with a survey that looks into proximity to sensitive areas like bodies of water, wetlands and conservation land.

There are two proposals taking aim at food insecurity. One calls for funding and support for community refrigerators in Massachusetts food banks. The project team argues for support of a bill, and calls on the Governor to fund it: “Community refrigerators provide a simple way to bring fresh meat, fruit, vegetables, and other perishable items to people in need. However, there are many problems regarding the maintenance and cleanliness of the fridges. If the Massachusetts Senate were to pass Bill S.2760, sponsored by Senator Adam Gomez, the state will begin the process of adopting new rules to ensure safety and cleanliness for community refrigerators as well as guidelines for installing and managing new refrigerators.”

The second calls for support for food-insecure college students. The project team argues that “one-third of all Massachusetts college students experience hunger, and they worry about where their next meal may come from.” With that in mind, they found an initiative that could address the problem within the FY25 State budget: “Based on our research, which includes interviews with public policy experts at Boston University, the Greater Boston Food Bank, and the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, as well as staff members for Massachusetts legislators, we conclude that the best way to begin ending food insecurity for Massachusetts college students is to support approval of the Hunger Free Campus Initiative in the FY25 Massachusetts state budget. The Hunger Free Campus Initiative will provide $2,000,000 to individual colleges that apply for these benefits. By approving this Initiative, the program will secure permanent funding on a bi-annual basis to support the critical needs of Massachusetts’ next generation of educated citizens and workers.”

Another project team seeks to start a Best Buddies Club: “Best Buddies provides One-to-One Friendship, Leadership Development, and other programs for people with and without disabilities.” The project team is conducting a survey to gather relevant local data. Yet another project that looked to capture some local data was for a proposal to add temporary lighting at Cutting Field.

Each of the projects demonstrated the students’ ability to research issues, gather data, and even track down bills that are working their way through the State legislature. Grassey highlighted the research that goes into the projects: “In addition, a number of student groups used research techniques that went beyond just internet searches for news articles and reports from interest groups. To test their theories with the general public and their peers, students used social media such as Facebook (One Sudbury user group) and Instagram to circulate petitions and surveys that were well-crafted. Students also attempted to meet local residents face-to-face, employing `retail politics' through door-to-door leafletting and face to face signature gathering at public places.”

One such project team sought to grow support for legislation that would require high schools to award foreign language credits for successful completion of American Sign Language curriculum. The team stated: “Our Civics Action Project promotes the inclusion of ASL in Massachusetts public high schools. Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School currently does not offer ASL as a language or elective. If the Massachusetts Legislature were to pass Senate bill S.2589 and House bill H.4428, these measures will require public high schools to credit the successful completion of an ASL curriculum toward satisfaction of foreign language requirements for graduation. In addition to passing this Legislation, we ask that the Massachusetts Legislature and Governor Maura Healey also enacts a law to provide funding for ASL curricula that supports resources, including the hiring of ASL certified teachers.”

The results of the projects, accordingly to Grassey, will be shared with local boards and committees, as well as Governor Maura Healey, Representative Carmine Gentile, Senator Jaime Eldridge, among others.

Grassey summed up what the students take away from the projects:

Interested readers can follow the civics projects on a dedicated Facebook page here.

New Chase Bank Building Proposed for Shaw’s Plaza

By Kevin LaHaise

On Wednesday representatives for Chase Bank presented plans for the construction of a new bank building with a drive-through ATM in Sudbury Plaza, which is home to retailers including Shaw’s grocery store, CVS, Starbucks and Aubuchon Hardware, among others. (2:00:00)

The Chase Bank building would be situation roughly in the same spot as the old Bank of America ATM building, but at larger scale. The proposed building would be 3,100 square feet, while the total project would impact approximately 38,000 square feet and reduce the impervious surface on the parcel by an estimated 7,680 square feet.

Members of the Planning Board lauded the applicant for the positioning of the building on the parcel and relative to the road, and appreciated the added landscaping around the building. The applicant noted that they attempted to coordinate with the design cues of buildings across the street in the Meadow Walk development and the construction work underway in the plaza, while also staying within the style preferences of the bank. Some members asked to see the drive-up ATM design reevaluated to minimize its footprint and possibly improve traffic flow through the parking lot. The applicant stressed that it is not a drive-through with any type of window for human interaction.

This was an initial hearing with the Planning Board to provide the first round of feedback on the application, so no approvals were given. That’s consistent with the process the board uses. The hearing was continued to a later date, at which point the applicant will be able to provide additional information or present modifications based on items discussed with the Planning Board on Wednesday.

SudburyWeekly.com News Roundup

Sudbury Water District Election: Results

By Kevin LaHaise

The Sudbury Water District held its 88th Annual Meeting on Tuesday, as well as their annual election. The warrants and specimen ballots are available to review here.

All races in the election were uncontested. Craig Blake, who serves on Sudbury’s Permanent Building Committee, ran unopposed for Moderator. Susan O’Connor ran unopposed for Clerk. Tom Travers, who also serves on Sudbury’s Capital Improvement Advisory Committee, ran unopposed for Treasurer. Robert Boyd, Jr. ran unopposed for a three year seat on the Board of Water Commissioners. All the candidates on the ballot were incumbents and won re-election.

Parting Thoughts

One more reminder about Sudbury’s observance of Memorial Day on Monday… You can get all the details here. There will be a parade followed by ceremonies, prayer and music. The Hosmer House will also be open. This Sudbury tradition is organized by the Memorial Day Committee each year. They have some vacancies to fill on that committee, in the event any readers are looking for an impactful volunteer opportunity.

Logistics of the event aside, on Monday Sudbury will continue the tradition and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Here’s to a meaningful Memorial Day Weekend for all.

Onward!