Fool's Vacation?

Welcome back!

Under-planning a school vacation week is a bit like dressing “smart casual” for a wedding. It makes perfect sense ahead of time, and you immediately regret it when you get there. Why did I choose to dress like a nine-year-old on Easter for a wedding??? These people I love are committing to each other for the rest of their lives, and I look like the kid from Problem Child!

Fortunately, there were some distractions available this week once we realized that February vacation is really “fool’s vacation.” And we’re keeping it light today. Here’s what we have for you this week:

1. Community Center Demolition: Surprise and Delight?

2. Voter Registration Deadlines Loom

3. SudburyWeekly.com News Roundup

4. Q&A With Neighbor Brigade

Let’s get into it!

Community Center Demolition: Surprise and Delight?

By Kevin LaHaise

Sudbury’s new Fairbank Community Center has, in many ways, defied all the odds. It took roughly a decade of task forces and working groups to get to a proposal that voters supported. Then Covid hit.

But a global pandemic wasn’t all that the project had to overcome. Ensuing supply chain disruptions wreaked havoc on construction projects across the country, and the cost of materials went through the roof. Along the way there were surprises lurking underground on the site, in addition to the usual construction surprises.

With all of that in the rearview mirror, on Tuesday the Permanent Building Committee was provided perhaps the most shocking report since the beginning of this project: there were no big surprises during demolition of the old building. In fact, it was smoother than expected, as there was some concern that they might have unexpected remediation work to do once they open up the walls. But after all the curveballs and seemingly insurmountable obstacles along the way, the old community center went quietly into that good night.

There were no major unforeseen issues that came up during demolition. Demolition was described by the Owner’s Project Manager as very successful:

Here are the demolition pictures that were shared during the meeting:

Voter Registration Deadlines Loom

By the League of Women Voters of Sudbury

Saturday, Feb. 24—tomorrow—is the last day to register to vote in the March 5 Presidential primary election.

Saturday is also the first date you can vote in that election. Early in-person voting in the Presidential primary is Feb. 24 through March 1. For more information on the primary, click here.

The deadline to register to vote in the March 25 annual Town Election is Friday, March 15.

Register online at www.VoteinMA.com. You can use that same link to check your voter registration status. You can also register in person at the Town Clerk’s office in Town Hall.

In-person early voting for the Presidential primary will be offered at Town Hall, 322 Concord Rd., for all voters, regardless of precinct. Early voting hours are:

Voting in person on Election Day, Tuesday, March 5, will be available from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters in precincts 1, 2, 3 and 5 will vote at Fairbank Community Center. Voters in precincts 4 and 6 will vote at Town Hall. Click on www.VoteinMA.com to determine which precinct you are in and where you vote.

See the FAQs section of the League’s website or previous Sudbury Weekly articles on voting by mail and registering to vote for additional election information.

SudburyWeekly.com News Roundup

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

Hazardous Waste Collection: March 30
This is your opportunity to get rid of that gnarly stuff in your house!

The Sudbury Savoyards Present Princess Ida
This is community theater at its best. The group was founded in 1961 and is “One of the few theater companies in New England that performs the G&S canon as ‘Theater on a Grand Scale.’”

L-S Class of ’74 Opens Registration for 50-Year Reunion

Thoughts In Return?

A Q&A With Neighbor Brigade

Can you tell us a bit about Neighbor Brigade? How did it get started and what work does it do?

Our late founder, Pam Washek along with her dear friend Jean Seiden started the Wayland Angels back in 2003. At that point it was an informal group of neighbors, run off of a spreadsheet, helping people in crises by supporting them with daily tasks so they could focus on their healing. The two women were both facing their own crises of cancer and wanted to create that network of neighbors similar to those that helped drive their young children to activities, cooked dinners for them, and drove them to their treatments. They were well aware that there was a significant difference in how people healed, grieved or recovered from crises if they had that network of support and they also noticed that people wanted to help but often didn’t know how or who needed the help.

The idea spread and soon after we had the Sudbury Angels, the Bedford Angels, the Natick Angles and many more. Jean Seiden sadly passed in 2006 but Pam was determined to continue on with their idea. The Angels concept was formalized by Pam into an official nonprofit organization, Neighbor Brigade, in 2010 and since its inception has assisted over 30,000 clients in need. Sadly Pam Washek lost her battle with cancer in December of 2012 at which point her family along with the organization initiated Pam’s Run in her honor. Pam’s Run has become one of the Wayland areas largest outdoor events and we are now in our 12th year of hosting the 5k walk and run and 10k run to remember Pam and support the nonprofit she founded. Neighbor Brigade is currently in 24 Massachusetts towns.

2 -- There's a Sudbury Chapter of Neighbor Brigade. Can you tell us a bit about their work in and around Sudbury?

Neighbor Brigade currently supports anyone in a temporary crisis. Our pool of volunteers do grocery shopping, pharmacy runs, deliver food from local food pantries and school districts that are distributing food to the community, we provide gift cards for essential items not covered by the food pantries and SNAP, we cook homemade meals that can also cater to people with strict allergies or on specific medical diets, volunteer to shovel driveways, rake leaves, take out the trash, walk dogs and help with indoor and outdoor housework and we provide transportation to critical medical appointments.

We have a wonderful, committed group of volunteers in Sudbury who are actively engaged with the community.

Our services are free and open to anyone facing a temporary crisis.

We handled over 75 activities last year, that ranged from homemade food deliveries, to food pantry pick-up, to rides into a Boston hospital. We are grateful for the support within the community.

Our biggest need right now throughout our chapters is transportation.

3 -- Given the work you do, we can only imagine you've been in overdrive since the Covid-19 pandemic. But what are you seeing now, in 2024, as recurring needs and challenges that are showing up in the area?

Rides to critical medical appointments is our biggest need.

4 -- A lot of your work depends on volunteers. What is it like to volunteer for Neighbor Brigade? What's involved and how would someone get started?

You can pick and choose how much you want to do. New activities are posted by the chapter leader in each town and a volunteer self selects to join. Read more here: https://www.neighborbrigade.org/volunteer

5 -- Do you have any upcoming initiatives, events or projects that the community should know about?

We need a new chapter leader in Sudbury. We had a wonderful volunteer for many years who was well connected to the needs of the community. She left to go back to work and we have a big gap! Reach out to [email protected] if interested.

We also recently formed a Teen Advisory Council! The Teen Advisory Council provides teenagers an opportunity to learn about our mission to assist those experiencing a temporary crisis that is not financially based (illness, cancer, death in the family, mental health event, fire). Members of our TAC engage in direct and indirect service to those in need which allows them to develop leadership skills and gain a behind-the-scenes understanding of non-profit work. The goal is that participation in the program will foster a sense of compassion for our neighbors in-need as the students learn ways to positively influence their communities.

Reach out to the above email to learn more!

6 -- If someone wanted to support Neighbor Brigade and the work you do locally, what are some of the best ways for them to do so?

There are many ways to help!

• Be a chapter volunteer: https://www.neighborbrigade.org/volunteer

• Join us as a chapter leader: https://www.neighborbrigade.org/volunteer

• Give now: https://neighborbrigade.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/neighborbrigade/donation.jsp

• Share our mission: tell your family, friends and neighbors about us and the vital work we are doing.

• Volunteer to be a board member: [email protected]

Parting Thoughts

Yard signs are popping up all around Sudbury this week as election season heats up. Local elections can get personal rather quickly. Decisions about the oversight of Town government have an immediate and direct impact on people’s lives. Decisions about the oversight of schools are often times emotionally charged for parents. Meanwhile, it’s a presidential election year, which means the whole country is going to be on its best behavior, right?

So, as you decide what yard signs you want to host, if any, you might consider including a sign that helps lower the temperature. Here are Sudbury Weekly’s favorites:

Onward!