The Sound of Silence

February 06, 2026

Welcome back!

The 2026 Annual Town Election has no contested races on the ballot for the first time since 2005. That’s probably not a good thing for democracy, but the campaign-free calm over the next couple months will almost certainly be good for everyone’s sanity, right?

Right???

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Here’s what we have for you this week:

Table of Contents

Let’s get into it!

Candidates Uncontested on Town Election Ballot

NEWS
By The League of Women Voters of Sudbury

For the first time since 2005, there will be no contested races on the Annual Town Election ballot. 

All 11 people who filed an intention to run for the 11 open positions in the March 30 election have returned their signatures and will appear on the ballot. 

No new names will be added to the town election ballot. The deadline to file an intention to run was 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5.

The Town Clerk’s office certified this week the nomination papers of four people: Charles G. Russo for Select Board, Ryan James Poteat for Park and Recreation Commissioner, Julie Zelermeyer Perlman for Planning Board, and Ellen Lederer-DeFrancesco for Sudbury School Committee.

The Clerk’s office previously certified the nomination papers of Liam J. Vesely for Board of Assessors, Ingrid J. Mayyasi and Elizabeth Mathews Iwasaki for Goodnow Library Trustee, Susan Ruth Sama for Board of Health, Julie Leigh Durgin for Sudbury School Committee, and Ravi Simon of Sudbury and Jason McLure of Lincoln for Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School Committee.

To appear on the ballot, prospective candidates had to file an intention to run by the Feb. 5 deadline, gather the signatures of at least 50 registered Sudbury voters on a set of nomination papers, return those signatures by the Feb. 9 deadline, and the Town Clerk’s office had to certify those signatures. 

Here are the articles about town election activity to date:  

Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Sculpture—Photos and Poem

FEATURES
By Len Simon

It’s a Real Winter

FEATURES
By John Palmieri 

It’s a real winter for Sudbury this year. The groundhog determined we will have 6 more weeks of winter. At the moment it surely looks that way. January was very cold and ended extremely cold other than our brief mid-month warm up, remember that? Every day dipped below freezing but one and 12 days dipped below 10 degrees with two days below zero.

And yes we had plenty of snow totaling 31.5 inches for the month and 38.5 inches for the season. More than any of the last 3 full winters!

Rainfall for the month was 2.78 inches which includes water equivalent from melted snow. We currently have about 15 inches of snow on the ground. Its going to take some effort from mother nature to get this all melted.

A Way Too Early Town Meeting Preview

NEWS
By Kevin LaHaise

The Select Board took a peek at all the warrant articles submitted for Annual Town Meeting this week, and it’s looking like a fairly typical Town Meeting for Sudbury… with a few notable articles and adjustments from prior years.

There are 48 articles listed in the Select Board packet, but there are many more than that on the warrant. The Town is considering bundling multiple articles underneath a single article. For example — Article 28 contains seven different articles under the banner of “Combined Facilities Town & School Consolidated Capital Articles.”
Select Board Dissolves Sewataro Subcommittee, Swim Program On Chopping Block

FinCom Pressure Tests SPS Budget

NEWS
By Kevin LaHaise

The Sudbury Finance Committee held their annual budget hearing with the Sudbury Public Schools (SPS) administration on Monday, February 2. The hearing followed the standard process the committee has been using for years, and featured deep dives on the district’s use of Circuit Breaker special education funds from the State, the management of revolving funds, and implications for future fiscal years.

The hearing was quite efficient, as the committee adjourned roughly two hours after the start of their meeting. Co-chairs Mike Joachim and Mike Ferrari led the committee and brought some well-researched questions to the discussion.
LS Athletics: Warriors Review

Select Board Dissolves Sewataro Subcommittee, Swim Program On Chopping Block

NEWS
By Kevin LaHaise

The Sudbury Select Board’s Liberty Ledge/Sewataro Subcommittee was dissolved during a February 3 meeting of the board.

Member Radha Gargeya waded into a tense discussion with a motion to accept the report of the subcommittee in its current form, and dissolve the committee immediately. Gargeya voiced his appreciation for the work of the committee and reiterated that if he had sought to gather the information himself, he wouldn’t have found anything close to the amount of information that subcommittee members Janie Dretler and Dan Carty had already amassed in the draft report.

The members of the subcommittee have the most history with the Sewataro property, as they are the only two members of the current board who were serving at the time of the land acquisition and license agreement with a camp operator in 2019.

Keeping Your Heart Healthy During Winter

FEATURES
By Dr. Randall McShine

Your Health With Dr. McShine

Heart health matters year-round, however New England winters can place extra stress on the heart. Cold temperatures cause blood vessels to tighten, which can raise blood pressure and make the heart work harder. Shorter days and colder weather may also lead to less activity and heavier eating.

A few simple habits can help protect your heart during these winter months.

Parmenter Foundation Awards $400K in Grants, Strengthening Region’s Grief Support Network

NEWS
By Kevin LaHaise

The Parmenter Foundation, a mainstay of the MetroWest nonprofit community, announced on Tuesday a significant expansion of its support network, awarding over $400,000 in grants to 23 programs dedicated to end-of-life care and bereavement services.

The 2026 grant cycle targets four critical areas: children’s bereavement, caregiver support, family loss, and hospice care. For Sudbury residents, the impact of these grants is felt through several locally based organizations and regional partners that serve as an area resource network for those navigating loss.

Events!

Opinion

Parting Thoughts

A week ago we reported on the proposed FY27 budget, and in that story we covered the new Department of Health & Community Services. Today the Town made an official announcement — and it’s a big moment for former health director, now Director of Health & Community Services, Vivian Zeng.

Zeng joined the Town in April of 2023 — navigating the not-quite post-Covid landscape, while taking charge of a department that has FAR more responsibilities than most people realize. The Health Department handles everything from septic inspections to pool inspections, business permitting to social work and emergency preparedness. Oh - and communicable disease prevention, too.

In short — it’s a HUGE, high-stakes job.

Zeng quickly because an in-demand community resource, not just because she had so much responsibility, but because she upheld high standards while building a high-performing team that punched far above its weight.

As a result, the Department of Health & Community Services doesn’t look like a consolidation effort. It looks like the Town is cranking up its ambition across multiple departments, and it’s all made possible by public servants like Zeng.

Onward!