"Details create the big picture"

Welcome back!

This week Sudbury got a sense of what to expect heading into the Annual Town Election in March. Most of the races are uncontested. Sudbury is fortunate compared to some towns where they sometimes don’t field a candidate for an open seat. But we can’t help but think of an uncontested race as something akin to a buffet with just one option. You can have the chicken divan or the chicken divan. Any questions?

That said, the SPS School Committee race looks to be VERY contested, and it also looks like the Select Board race will be contested. More on that from the League of Women Voters of Sudbury below!

Sudbury Weekly will be offering Q&A’s to all candidates again this year, and we hope to have those for you soon. As has been our policy from the start, you will not be seeing any endorsements for candidates from Sudbury Weekly. Our opinion section does welcome letters to the editor from Sudbury residents supporting candidates. Submissions must abide by the opinion policies here.

And with all that said, here’s what we have for you this week:

1 — Select Board Firearm Business Bylaw Added to Warrant
2 — Town Election: SPS Race Contested, Select Board Likely to Be
3 — SudburyWeekly.com News Roundup
4 — Check It Out!
5 — Friends Group Donates Piano To Senior Center
6 — Former Sudbury Resident Honored At Celtics Game

Let’s get into it!

Select Board Firearm Business Bylaw Added to Warrant

By Kevin LaHaise

A gaggle of lawyers and local government officials gathered together for the Select Board meeting on Wednesday night to finish drafting the firearm business zoning bylaw that we’ve been covering at length in recent months. (Video here.)

Wednesday was also the deadline to put it on the warrant, and the discussion included significant decisions about the details of the bylaw. Broadly speaking, the final draft (though it could be altered further before Annual Town Meeting in May) is similar to bylaws passed in neighboring communities like Acton. While the general concept is similar to other communities, the majority relaxed some of the provisions when compared to the strictest bylaws in other towns in order to make enough parcels available for gun shops.

The general intent of the bylaw is to require firearms businesses to apply for a special permit in order to open a gun shop in Sudbury, specify where they can be located, and limit the number of gun shops to two. Currently, gun shops would be treated the same as any other retail establishment in Sudbury, though they would still have to comply with all State and Federal laws.

The bylaw, as drafted, would locate any potential gun shops along Boston Post Road, in the heart of the “Bougie Little Auto Mile” (BLAM!) on Sudbury’s eastern border with Wayland. Because of the limited commercial areas in Sudbury, and in order to identify enough parcels for gun shops, the majority opted to allow gun shops to locate 250 feet from bars and restaurants that serve alcohol. Another change included the addition of a provision that would allow future Select Boards to exempt a proposed gun shop from some of the location restrictions in the event the location of an existing gun shop eliminated any viable parcels for a second gun shop.

There was discussion about the bylaw increasing safety for Sudbury residents according to the three-member majority advancing the bylaw. That included Member Charlie Russo asking to change the name of the bylaw to say something about gun safety. However, the Select Board has not formally requested the input of the Police Chief, nor the Board of Health, nor the Health Department in a public meeting to gauge how the bylaw would impact public health and safety in Sudbury. Frequently-cited research indicates that more gun shops are correlated with more gun homicides, but a Sudbury-specific analysis has been absent from the Select Board conversations. The input provided in open meeting to-date included Town Counsel (KP Law) advising primarily on how to mitigate the perceived risk of the Town getting sued over the bylaw, and offline correspondence that Member Russo had with a representative from Gifford’s and similar groups. (Page 63)

As for the official title of the bylaw, the majority opted to keep it the same but voiced a desire to put a more favorable title on the Town Meeting Warrant. The name in the current draft is the “Firearms Business Uses Zoning Bylaw.” (Page 18)

Every member of the Select Board has voiced a desire to increase safety in Sudbury, but there’s disagreement among board members on if this bylaw really does that, and if there are other viable ways for the town to keep Sudbury safe. While much of the discussion on Wednesday focused on the finer points of the bylaw, the broader context loomed large.

During the discussion, members of the majority repeatedly referenced the Dollar Tree opening soon at Sudbury Crossing, suggesting that without this bylaw, a gun shop could open in much the same way as the Dollar Tree. The comments seemed to imply that a dollar store was undesirable retail, but the comparison raised questions about the urgency behind the firearm business bylaw relative to more likely retail uses in Sudbury; particularly those that could have a negative impact.

Director of Planning and Community Development, Adam Burney, has previously informed the board that it’s unlikely that Sudbury would be a viable location for a gun shop. However, some communities are passing zoning restrictions to limit dollar store chains due to the negative impact many experts claim they have on communities and their local economies. Dollar stores have also been linked to increases in crime and gun violence.

None of that was discussed as it pertained to public safety or the gun bylaw on Wednesday night. The focus was getting the draft bylaw to a place that the majority felt was sufficient to add it to the warrant. However, a broader discussion could happen on the road to Annual Town Meeting. The board is planning to host a public forum, potentially in March, and the content of the forum will be discussed at a future Select Board meeting.

The Select Board eventually got to a vote, and the bylaw to regulate gun shops was added to the warrant for Annual Town Meeting in May. The final tally was, as expected, a 3-2 split vote. (2:01:30)

Town Election: SPS Race Contested, Select Board Likely to Be

By The League of Women Voters of Sudbury

There was a flurry of activity on Friday as the 5 p.m. deadline to return nomination papers neared, giving shape to the races for the March 25 Annual Town Election.

In the hotly contested Sudbury School Committee race, Richard Thalmann returned his nomination papers early Friday, making him the fifth person to do so, and Danielle Stackpole withdrew. There are now five people – Karyn Jones, Silvia Nerssessian, Jean Nam, Mary Stephens, and Richard Thalmann - vying for two open seats. The Clerk’s office certified the nomination papers of Nam and Thalmann Friday, making all five official candidates whose names will appear on the ballot.

Eric Poch returned his nomination papers Friday afternoon, making the Select Board race likely contested in the March 25 Annual Town Election. The status of the race remains up in the air until Monday, when the Clerk’s office will certify the signatures.

Christopher Marotta officially withdrew from the Planning Board race Friday, leaving that race uncontested. John Sugrue and Stephen Garvin, who turned in their nomination papers Thursday, became official candidates Friday after the signatures were certified by the Town Clerk’s office.

The Clerk’s office also certified the nomination papers of Catharine Blake for Moderator, Linda Huet-Clayton for Board of Health, and Robert Beagan for a 3-year seat on Park and Recreation, making them official candidates.

To become an official candidate and appear on the ballot, those running must file an intention to run with the Town Clerk or L-S District Clerk, gather signatures of registered voters on their nomination papers, return those papers to the Town Clerk or L-S District Clerk, and then those signatures must be certified by the Town Clerk’s office. The deadline to file an intention to run was Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 5 p.m. The deadline to return nomination papers was Friday, Feb. 2 at 5 p.m.

You can learn how to register to vote or update your voter registration here or at www.lwvsudbury.org.

According to the Lincoln Town Clerk’s office as of 6:47 pm. Jan. 30, and the Sudbury Town Clerk’s office, as of 2:59 p.m. Feb. 2, here’s a list of who is – and who is not yet – an official candidate:

Select Board
(2 seats, 3 years)
Janie Dretler (official candidate)
Daniel E. Carty(official candidate)
Eric D. Poch

Sudbury School Committee
(2 seats, 3 years)
Karyn Jones (official candidate)
Silvia M. Nerssessian (official candidate)
Jean O. Nam (official candidate)
Mary T. Stephens (official candidate)
Richard M. Thalmann (official candidate)
(Danielle Stackpole - withdrawn)
(Carla Curley - withdrawn)

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School District Committee
(2 seats, 3 years)
Catherine Bitter (Lincoln resident) (official candidate)
Maura Carty (Sudbury resident) (official candidate)

Moderator
(1 seat, 3 years)
Catharine V. Blake (official candidate)

Board of Assessors
(1 seat, 3 years)
Joshua Fox (official candidate)

Goodnow Library Trustee
(2 seats, 3 years)
Megan Kelley (official candidate)
Eriko Frank (official candidate)

Board of Health
(1 seat, 3 years)
Linda Huet-Clayton (official candidate)

Park and Recreation Commission
(2 seats, 3 years)
Laurie Eliason (official candidate)
Robert C. Beagan (official candidate)

Park and Recreation Commission
(1 seat, 1 year to fill a vacancy)
William Atkeson (official candidate)

Planning Board
(2 seats, 3 years)
John Sugrue (official candidate)
Stephen Garvin (official candidate)
(Christopher Marotta – withdrawn)

Commissioner of Housing Authority 
(1 seat, 5 years)
Sherrill P. Cline (official candidate)

SudburyWeekly.com News Roundup

Here’s what you’ll find on the site this week!

School Committee Race Gets Crowded Ahead of Consequential Year for SPS

“Wade in the Water: The Possibilities of Black Music in the Synagogue”

LS Athletics: Warriors Review and Weekly Events

What is Important to Us: A Teen Dating Violence Awareness Presentation

Check It Out!

Here’s what we are reading and some notes on how the story relates to Sudbury.

Planning Board OKs site plan for plaza at former Papa Razzi site
This has absolutely nothing to do with Sudbury, except that you might have some new restaurant options in Concord soon. But I did want to take a moment to lament the loss of Papa Razzi; one of the few restaurants in the area that regularly had a high-quality bottle of Lambrusco on the wine list.

Is tutoring the answer to pandemic learning loss?
This story dives into MCAS scores, learning loss, recovery speed, and possible solutions. Sudbury was not immune to pandemic learning loss, as we covered last fall.

AG tells Milton MBTA law compliance is a must
Sudbury is working on MBTA Communities Act compliance as we speak. In this story, the Attorney General told Milton that she’s not messing around about this stuff, even going so far as to say she will take legal action against the Town to compel compliance if necessary.

Strike Update: Progress at the table, pandemonium at the presser
The teacher strike in Newton is statewide news at this point. But tracking contract negotiations in neighboring communities might give residents a sense of what to expect in the near future, as the current SPS teacher contract term ends in 2025.

Friends Group Donates Steinway Piano To Senior Center

By Kevin LaHaise

The Friends of Sudbury Senior Citizens has donated a piano valued at $25,000 to the new Senior Center at the Fairbank Community Center. The Select Board voted on Wednesday to accept the donation.

According to a memo from the President of the Friends group in the packet: “It is a 1909 totally refurbished Steinway Model O piano with its own humidifier, bench, locking system and padded water resistant made to order cover. It also has Darnell double wheel casters which makes it easier to move around.”

You can read about the history of this Steinway model here and learn more about the current version here.

And now, for absolutely no reason, here’s a GIF of Bill Nye playing a piano:

Former Sudbury Resident Honored By Boston Celtics

By Kevin LaHaise

Former Sudbury resident Joyce Duvall, founder of Christopher’s Haven, was honored as a “Hero Among Us” at the January 29 Boston Celtics game as part of a Cancer Awareness Night initiative.

According to the announcement from the Boston Celtics:

The Heroes Among Us program has been in place since 1997. The program seeks to recognize “outstanding individuals who have made exceptional and lasting contributions to their communities,” and is presented at every Celtics home game.

Another noteworthy former Sudbury resident, Chris Evans, has been a longtime supporter of Christopher’s Haven as well.

Parting Thoughts

Keep an eye on the site next week. There are a ton of meetings on Monday and Tuesday so we’ll be covering those in real-time. And we’re happy to report that we’re going to be publishing the L-S athletics “Warriors Review” regularly moving forward. We also have some exciting interviews lined up right now, and hope to bring those to you in the weeks ahead.

Onward!