BY JOHN LINDSAY
My wife, Linda Cartier, and I describe our recent visit to Sudbury, Massachusetts as surreal. The town shares its name with our city; however, that?s about all the two centres have in common.
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JOHN LINSDAY Citizens are proud of their town. |
It was a very interesting but somewhat disconcerting experience to be in an unfamiliar setting with a familiar name so much in evidence on public buildings and businesses.
As our municipality is often described as a city of lakes, Sudbury, Mass., can be best defined as a town of trees. It is situated in a dense New England
forest about 20 minutes outside of Boston.
Branches of large trees form a canopy over the old Sudbury Road (Route 17) as you drive into the centre of town along a two-lane highway after
leaving the busy Massachusetts (Interstate 90) turnpike.
Sudbury, Mass., was incorporated in 1639, almost 250 years before the first settlers arrived here. It was one of the first pioneer settlements in the new world and is rich in early American history.
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JOHN LINSDAY SUDBURY, Mass., is about 20 miles outside of Boston. Visit www.sudbury.org. |
A famous battle between the early settlers and the native population was a turning point in the Indian Wars. Sudbury militia and ?minute men? answered the call of Paul Revere and fought England in the battle of Independence in 1775. Some of its famous residents through the years included Henry Ford, Babe Ruth and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Many of the early historical buildings have been maintained or restored including the town hall and several churches and older residences.
In front of one of these pioneer homes, The Hosmer House, which dates back to 1793, we struck up a conversation with Clay Allen, 87, a longtime resident who was engaged in his capacity as the town sign enforcement bylaw agent. He told us Sudbury was changing due to population growth with new housing and new schools to accommodate the more than officially listed 16,000 residents.
The town is governed through a series of open annual ?town meetings.? Every citizen has a voice in setting the salaries of elected officials and can vote on the appropriation of money to run the municipality and on bylaws.
The name of the town is on practically every business and public place from the Sudbury Town Hall to the Sudbury Plaza to the Sudbury Wine and Spirits Shop. There is much pride in the name of the town.
Our visit to Sudbury USA was just a side trip following several days of business in Boston. Next time we?re in New England we will take more time to explore this unique community, and we invite you to do the same. More information can be obtained by visiting the Sudbury, Mass., website at www.sudbury.ma.us or www.sudbury.org.
John Lindsay is a retired civil servant, broadcaster and community leader.
