The Pollening

May 22, 2026

Welcome back!

Sudbury had itself a Special Town Meeting this week, but that’s not all. There’s a lot happening in town this time of year, and the pollening has begun!

Lisa Simpson Sneezing GIF by The Simpsons

Here’s what we have for you this week:

May 22, 2026 Edition

Let’s get into it!

Conduct at Sudbury’s Special Town Meeting Raises Questions

NEWS
By Kevin LaHaise

Sudbury’s May 20 Special Town Meeting was unusual. The two main event articles set the stage for a contentious evening: the addition of a recall provision to the Town Charter and a vote of ‘no confidence’ in the Sudbury School Committee. But the way the meeting was run, the technical difficulties and the conduct of the participants have raised serious questions. 

Moderator Cate Blake implored the nearly 1,000 residents to treat each other with respect at the top of the meeting. That’s a typical instruction from the Moderator at Town Meetings. Those words were repeatedly disregarded by residents in the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School gymnasium. 

Special Town Meeting Results

NEWS
By Kevin LaHaise

Sudbury’s much-anticipated Special Town Meeting got called to order at 8:07 p.m., over an hour late, on Wednesday, May 20. As the room filled, Moderator Cate Blake informed attendees that she was delaying the start due to a long line of voters outside waiting to be checked in.

The meeting took place in the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School gymnasium, not the auditorium where Annual Town Meeting takes place. Microphones were set up for voters in favor, neutral and opposed to articles. That’s a new setup for Sudbury’s Town Meetings. The setup also provided for a center aisle, which eliminated a Sudbury Town Meeting tradition of grown adults and senior citizens crawling over rows of seats to get in and out of the room.

School Committee Highlights 2025-2026 Successes as Town Braces for ‘No Confidence’ Vote Tonight

NEWS
By Kevin LaHaise

Just hours before facing an unprecedented and non-binding vote of no confidence at tonight’s Special Town Meeting, the Sudbury Public Schools (SPS) School Committee released a 17-page 2025-2026 Year-End Goals Report. The report, formally completed on May 18, paints a picture of a governing body focused on transparent governance, robust community engagement, and proactive planning.

The report itself may be drowned out by the turbulent political discourse currently enveloping the Sudbury community.

Leadership Changes Spark New Hope for Afterschool Options Breakthrough

NEWS
By Kevin LaHaise

Afterschool care has been a difficult discussion in Sudbury for years. Sudbury Extended Day is a popular local nonprofit that has been serving the majority of students inside the Sudbury Public Schools (SPS) school buildings for decades. But a waiting list of students still remains, and there are limited alternative programs for parents to choose from.

Code Ninjas now operates a program at Loring Elementary School. It has proven to be a popular option, but also one of the only new options made available to students in recent years.

During the May 18 meeting of the Park and Recreation Commission, members discussed past, present and future efforts to partner with Sudbury Public Schools with newfound optimism, citing the upcoming change in leadership at SPS. Annette Doyle will take over as Interim Superintendent in just over a month.

Four Curtis Civics Projects Headed to State Showcase

NEWS
By Nancy Brumback

Four civics projects done by Curtis eighth-grade students will compete in the Massachusetts state civics showcase at the DCU Center in Worcester Monday, June 1.

The four were selected May 20 from projects presented in the Curtis Middle School civics showcase. The showcase is like a science fair, but for civics. The student projects were judged by volunteers from the community.

The projects that will be participating in the Worcester showcase are:

National Water Safety Month: A Q&A with the MetroWest YMCA

FEATURES
By Sudbury Weekly

May is National Water Safety Month and the MetroWest YMCA is going all out with events from Red Cross lifeguarding certification, to swim classes for all age groups and even some water safety-specific demonstrations. We caught up with the YMCA to learn more about their efforts this month and beyond, and they were kind enough to share some of their knowledge on water safety with Sudbury Weekly readers.

The “Phones Down, Eyes Up” campaign targets a very modern distraction. How has the ubiquity of smartphones changed the landscape of water safety, and why is a dedicated “Water Watcher” so essential even when multiple adults are present?

With smartphones being used for just about everything under the sun, from a weather check, text or email, or looking up the best BBQ recipes, it’s easy to get distracted when you’re around water. We have to remember that the stats are staggering, with 88% of drownings occurring with an adult present. That’s why we want adults to dedicate a water watcher, someone whose sole focus is watching the kids in the water. This adult must be free of distractions, such as cell phones and social conversations.  We recommend that Water Watchers should rotate every 20 minutes with another responsible adult, to allow for adults to have a break and time to socialize with others. 

Dretler to Chair Select Board for Third Time, Gargeya Voted Vice Chair

NEWS
By Kevin LaHaise

The Select Board conducted its annual reorganization during their May 19 meeting. The Board opted to appoint Vice Chair Janie Dretler as Chair for the year ahead. This will be her third time serving as Chair during her three terms on the Board. The vote was four in favor and one opposed. Member Dan Carty offered the lone ‘no’ vote.

Radha Gargeya, who is serving in the second year of his first term on the Select Board, was unanimously voted Vice Chair. The appointment follows a successful Sudbury 250 Day event last weekend. Gargeya played a central role planning the event over the last nearly two years. He is Chair of the Sudbury 250 Committee, and he is also serving as Vice Chair on the Liberty Ledge/Sewataro Advisory Committee.

The Select Board is expected to discuss subcommittee and liaison assignments at an upcoming meeting. It will also set goals for the year ahead at a later date.

Select Board Unanimously Supports Article 2 (Resolution on State Audit) at Special Town Meeting

NEWS
By Kevin LaHaise

On May 19, the Sudbury Select Board took a position on Article 2 at Sudbury’s Special Town Meeting. It was the last of four articles the board considered. The Select Board took positions on the other three articles earlier this month.

Doyle Accepts Interim Superintendent Position for Sudbury Public Schools

NEWS
By Kevin LaHaise

The Sudbury Public Schools (SPS) School Committee announced, on May 18, that Annette Doyle accepted the position of Interim Superintendent of Sudbury Public Schools for the upcoming 2026–2027 academic year.

SPS Committee Reorganizes

NEWS
By Kevin LaHaise

Following their usual process of reorganizing after Sudbury’s Annual Town Meeting, the Sudbury Public Schools (SPS) School Committee selected a new Chair and Vice Chair during their May 18 meeting.

Current Vice Chair Jessica McCready was unanimously voted to serve as Chair for the next year. Member Betsy Sues was unanimously voted to serve as Vice Chair for the next year. Member Karyn Jones nominated both. There were no other nominations.

Member Julie Durgin-Sicree had several questions for McCready and Sues during deliberation — asking how they would handle disagreements and feedback on their performance. There was good humor in their responses, including when McCready explained she was a scientist and a professor, and accustomed to experts criticizing work and students providing critical feedback.

The Committee continued the reorganization by assigning subcommittee and liaison roles.

Events!

Opinion

Onward!