Signs of summer

It’s a short week and we have a short weekly for you. Here’s the rundown:

1. SudburyWeekly.com News Roundup

2. L-S Committee Gets Input On Cell Phones

3. Transfer Station Put & Take Is Open for Business

4. Sudbury Farms Renovation Could Rearrange Store Layout

SudburyWeekly.com News Roundup

L-S Committee Gets Input on Cell Phones

By Kevin LaHaise

Cell phone policy is in the air in Sudbury. The Sudbury Public Schools School Committee (SPSSC) updated their policy on cell phone use during the school day in January 2025. Now, the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School School Committee (LSSC) is discussing recommendations on phone policy at the high school.

While the SPSSC policy outright banned phone use during the school day, the recommendation to the LSSC was to implement the use of phone caddies in each classroom. The idea is simple: all phones go into the caddy when students enter the classroom, with few exceptions. The recommendation was the result of a process that began in 2024 according to the presentation in the May 28 meeting of the committee.

As part of the process to develop a recommendation, Lincoln-Sudbury faculty were surveyed. The phone caddy solution was the top choice among faculty, while maintaining the current protocol was a distant second.

With that data in hand the recommendation to the committee was clear:

Notably, the Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell introduced legislation earlier this year that would ban cell phone use during the school day. The Lincoln-Sudbury faculty did not support going so far as a total ban during the full school day. Differences of opinion with the State aren’t hard to find in L-S history.

The draft language presented allowed for some exceptions during the school day:

“Use of personal electronic devices: Students may use their cell phones before school and after school as well as during lunch, free periods and passing time. However, upon entering classrooms, it is expected that cell phones will be turned off and stored in a dedicated container in the classroom for the entirety of the period, including any time in which students leave the classroom to go to the restroom. Phone use must not interfere with students arriving to class on time. Students should remove their earbuds/headphones upon entering the classroom. Teachers may request that students store away additional electronic devices. Cell phone may be use for academic purposes at the discretion of the teacher.”

The LSSC was broadly receptive to the recommendation, and members discussed whether or not the recommendation needed to be codified in committee policies, or if it was something best implemented inside the building by the administration and faculty. At the end of the discussion it appeared the district would go the administrative route for implementation, likely in the next school year, with some language and communications to be worked out in the weeks and months ahead.

The full presentation can be accessed from the LSSC agenda here.

Transfer Station Put and Take Open For Business

By Kevin LaHaise

In what some residents are calling the "most anticipated rummage renaissance since 2024," the Sudbury Transfer Station’s legendary Put & Take has officially reopened for the season. Residents across the town are already dusting off their old inflatable Halloween yard decorations, left-handed golf club sets, and unusually tall accent tables to participate in the high-stakes game of suburban treasure hunting.

The Put & Take, located at the Transfer Station on Boston Post Road, is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., giving local residents ample opportunity to pretend they’ve stumbled upon a priceless heirloom when they encounter a wicker basket.

The concept is deceptively simple: drop your unwanted (but working and reasonably clean) items at the Put and Take, and take someone else’s previously unwanted (but mysteriously appealing) stuff. Think of it as a Yankee swap for all the stuff people get at a prior Yankee swap.

Transfer Station staff have issued their annual reminders: no mattresses, no broken electronics, and no cursed dolls. But residents are welcome to bring usable household items, books, small wooden furniture. Basically - if you bought it at HomeGoods and it’s not upholstered or electronic, you can probably give it a go. Those “ladder” bookshelves that lean against the wall and are repeatedly knocked over by pets and kids are good candidates for the Put & Take. We learned the hard way, and now we can pay it forward.

So mark your calendars, bring your gently used knickknacks, and prepare to fall in love with someone else’s collection of inspirational throw pillows. The Put & Take is open, and anything is possible.

Sudbury Farms Renovation Could Rearrange Store Layout

By Kevin LaHaise

As reported by Sudbury Weekly on May 24, Sudbury Farms has filed renovation plans with the Town of Sudbury. Since the original story, Sudbury Weekly has obtained and reviewed copies of the plans. The renovation will impact large swaths of the existing store footprint, but the plans indicate that the store will remain open during the renovation.

Some of the most notable proposed changes have to do with the store layout. The plans indicate that the floral department will be moved to the front-right section of the store, while the can redemption machines will be moved to the exterior of the building, making room for cart storage and displays in an expanded entrance vestibule. The seafood section and meat service counter will be moved to the back-center of the store, and the self-checkout area will be rearranged.

The most dramatic changes appear to be on the western half of the building:

In the back of the store, the new layout co-locates the meat service counter with the seafood department:

Here’s a close-up view of the proposed meat, seafood and bakery section of the plans:

While the layout changes aren’t a radical departure from what shoppers have been familiar with for years, the “fixtures plan” indicates significant investment in new refrigeration, freezer, and display units throughout the store.

The plans also indicate proposed changes to the exterior elevations, including removal of the cupola atop the building.

The plans offer some hints as to the aesthetic changes within the store. It appears much of the shopping area will get new floor tile, for example. However, there are no artistic renderings of the interior renovations. Sudbury Weekly asked the owners of Sudbury Farms to provide additional detail and confirmation on the scope of the renovation, but they have not responded as of press time.

Parting Thoughts

Summer is inescapably on the mind this week. We’re closing out an unusually cold and rainy month of May for this region, but there’s still hope for warmer days ahead! Rain or shine, Sudbury’s spring and early summer traditions carry on anyway.

Sudbury’s teachers students are counting down the days to the last day of school. Parents are cramming into school auditoriums and gymnasiums across town for spring concerts, performances and moving up ceremonies. And the local garden clubs can be spotted beautifying islands around town. The signs of summer are all around us.

Sudbury has perhaps no greater summer tradition than the 4th of July Parade. The Sudbury Chamber of Commerce has been putting on the parade since the 1980’s, though their site emphasizes that the tradition dates as far back as 1939. The parade remains a true community event that is supported by local businesses, volunteers, marchers, and performers. This year’s theme “Independence Day - The Sudbury Way!” captures the history of Sudbury, the ongoing celebration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, and the grassroots nature of the parade itself.

With the 250th celebrations in full swing, it’s not your typical Independence Day this year. But is anything “typical” anymore? (And why do the kids call their parents “bruh" now????)

Some might argue that society has entered a period of accelerated change. Hindsight is 20/20 on that type of speculative analysis, but it sure does feel accurate some days, doesn’t it?

Meanwhile, Sudbury’s 4th of July parade marches forward. Though it is certainly not unchanged since 1939, it provides the reassurance of an enduring tradition. Residents turn out along our historic streets, community groups activate and organize, and the people of Sudbury have the opportunity to be together, with shared purpose, in the very places and spaces that make Sudbury feel like… home.

If you’re inclined to support the parade, there are many ways to do it. From donations, to sponsorships and volunteer opportunities — there’s something for everyone. You can get all the details here. Donations can be made online via this link.

Onward!