Editor’s note: The Lincoln Squirrel collected and had begun publishing statements by the candidates for town office before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. A roundup for Planning Board candidates ran on March 5 and Water Commission candidates on March 8. The Squirrel will publish statements we received from other candidates in the coming weeks. The town election is now scheduled for Monday, June 15. See the penultimate paragraph of DeLisi’s letter for details on early voting and absentee ballots (the accuracy of this information has been verified by Town Clerk Valerie Fox).
To the editor:
It was just two short months ago that I was enthusiastically printing off flyers with my picture, creating posters to display at intersections, and sitting in the Twisted Tree speaking to residents — all to campaign for reelection to my seat on the Lincoln Planning Board.
As I now look back on those days and how life was filled with such “usual” daily activity and joys, the competition that I was about to enter seems so long past. We all struggle to make sense of how quickly life changed. Since that day in mid-March when I obtained special permission from my hospital to work remotely by seeing patients on Google Meets daily and taking care of all kinds of medical emergencies from the safety of my home office, I have had no time until now to reflect on past priorities. I now helplessly watch friends of relatives, some colleagues, and my own 97-year-old mother’s companions at The Commons pass away suddenly of this new nightmarish illness called Covid-19, and I am trying to put it all in perspective.
Despite all that is happening around me, I still find happiness living in Lincoln. It is a beautiful, peaceful town with stars in night skies and wildlife, from birds to red foxes, roaming in open spaces. I have wonderful friends and neighbors here. We have great schools that we all care about, a historical center dating back further than the Revolutionary War, a national park, an art museum, well-marked nature trails, a nature center, several farms, and much more. Surely this viral epidemic will subside, although it will take time and leave behind many mental health sequelae for us all. Regardless, we will still have this unique town to live in and maintain.
This is all to say that I would truly like to remain on the Planning Board of Lincoln for another term in order to continue to contribute to the town in the best way I can. While I am not an architect by training nor a civil engineer, I do understand people and neighbors and neighborhoods. I believe the Planning Board needs people such as myself who will represent the interests of neighborhoods in whatever new developments are proposed and not simply be a proponent for his or her own preferences. I can promise you, if re-elected, I will support your interests above my own.
Please do vote in the upcoming Lincoln local election. You can vote early by mail using a two-step process. First, apply by downloading and completing this early voting application and send it to Town Clerk Valerie Fox at at 16 Lincoln Rd. or foxv@lincolntown.org. She will then mail you a ballot which you should complete and seal in the enclosed envelope provided, sign the affidavit on the envelope, and mail it back so that it’s received by the June 15 deadline. You can return it by U.S. mail, or put it in the mailbox outside the front door of Town Offices. You can also apply for an absentee ballot here and follow the same procedure for completing and returning it. Ballots will be counted on Election Day if they’re received by the time the polls close.
If you have questions about any of my views or would like to discuss your concerns, I am available at delisi76@aol.com or 516-528-5366. Stay safe and healthy during these difficult days ahead and remember that times will be better.
Sincerely,
Lynn DeLisi
125 South Great Rd., Lincoln