Town Clerk – Elizabeth Turner Greendale, Incumbent

Board of Health: Peter Liffiton

My wife Evelyn and I are new to Holliston having moved here in October 2020.  However, I am not new to supporting my community in elected positions.  I served on various boards and committees while living in Sherborn for over 40 years.  Most significantly I served on the Board of Health for more than 25 years making decisions on the same kinds of issues I expect the Holliston Board of Health routinely faces.  In addition to my civic experience, I am a registered Professional Engineer (retired and inactive).

My experience on the Sherborn Board of Health, in the order of time spent on each issue, includes septic systems, wells, beach water testing, flu clinics, emergency preparedness, and housing violations.

Covid has clearly become a major focus of the work of all Boards of Health.  The problems of Covid came along after I left the Board of Health in Sherborn, so I have no experience making decisions on any Covid issue.  I also have no preconceived ideas about the decisions that the Board will have to continue to make regarding that and other public health issues.  I will keep an open mind and listen to the available expert advice as well as to the concerns of the citizens of Holliston.

Thank you for this opportunity to introduce myself to our new hometown.

Peter Liffiton; 11 Liberty Lane

Library Trustee, 1-year Term: Gwenyth Swain

I’ve been a member of the board since November, having been appointed to fill out a vacated term. I’m running now to continue as a board member. Along with being a regular library user, I have worked part-time in public libraries in Sudbury (8 years) and Sherborn (3 years).

Prior to moving to the Metrowest in 2012, I also ran the library at Twin Cities Academy, a public charter middle school and high school in St. Paul, MN. My perspective is different from that of other members of the board because of this direct work experience in libraries large and small.

As a reader/library user, I really appreciate the not-too-small, not-too-big atmosphere of the Holliston Public Library. The staff do a great job of providing personal service and deserve recognition for staying open for more hours during the worst of the pandemic than many larger libraries in the area did. They really take to heart their mission of “connecting people to the world of ideas, information, and imagination…”

Public libraries like ours are essential to creating a thriving and thoughtful community.  I hope to continue to be a part of the library board of trustees of Holliston.

Gwenyth Swain; 44 Baker Street

Park Commissioner: Stephen A. Bigelow

(One of two candidates running for two open seats on the Parks Commission)

Hello Holliston! My name is Steve Bigelow and I am seeking re-election as a town Parks Commissioner in the coming election and I humbly ask for your vote at the polls on May 24th. I live at 122 Briarcliff Lane with my wife Amanda and two kids, Sadie (12) and Louisa (9). I coach Louisa’s town soccer team and Sadie’s town softball team. I also serve on the town’s Envisioning Future Holliston Committee as a representative for the Parks Commission. I’m an English teacher at Millis High School and I’ve lived in Holliston for 7 years.

I originally ran for Parks Commission because of my love for the outdoors and felt I could offer unique insights into how many families in town feel toward our parks. Like many citizens of town, I feel our parks have great potential but have been neglected for too long. It’s my belief that the recent town reorganization is the first step our town needs to make our parks shine. With more town employees dedicated to the parks, we can expect cleaner parks, better groomed fields, and less litter in our public places.

I’m also proud to say that the Parks Commission has worked very hard this past year to put together a long-term plan to beautify and upgrade our parks. This includes completion of a full engineering plan for upgrades at Goodwill Park, including: public bathrooms, an upgraded pavilion, pickleball courts, a 2nd basketball court, a 5th tennis court that would allow the HS team to hold all their matches at once, and upgrades to the little league field. We will take these plans to the town for funding this year in hopes to begin this project within the next 6-12 months. We have also begun the process of upgrading Stoddard Park as well. At Stoddard, we hope to add a full-sized baseball diamond as well as more covered spaces that would allow us to bolster our camp offerings/registrations in the summer.

Down the line, we’ve targeted Pleasure Point and Mission Springs as other parks for improvement as well as identifying new park locations with new possibilities (dog park and pump track, for example). Though nobody wants to think about winter now as the weather turns warmer, I’m also excited for next winter as the Parks Department will be opening a seasonal outdoor ice-skating rink at our town location at 1750 Washington Street. 

I honestly feel we’re at the precipice of big changes for our town parks and I’m honored to have been a part of the planning and hope to continue to see these projects become reality in the coming years. I know many in town are frustrated with our current parks and their condition but I want everyone to know there is now a plan in place (both short-term and long) to make our parks shine once again. I hope the town shares my passion for these projects and supports their funding.

Thanks for your consideration on May 24th-vote Steve Bigelow for Parks Commissioner!

Steve Bigelow; 122 Briarcliff Lane