Please see “Leaf blower issue comes before voters again” for details.
Learn how ranked-choice voting could improve the fairness and effectiveness of elections when Jim Henderson, a board member of Voter Choice Massachusetts, leads a session on Sunday, March 10 at 3 p.m. in Bemis Hall (coffee and tea will be served starting at 2:45). (Coffee/tea at 2:45.) Henderson will present the case for ranked-choice voting and lead the audience in a voting exercise to find out how the process works.
There will be a public forum on the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum/The Trustees of Reservations integration plan on Wednesday, March 13 from 7–9 p.m. in the Town Office Building. Representatives of the town, deCordova and the Trustees will offer a status report, including a preview of the bylaw amendments that will be voted on at the Annual Town Meeting on March 23.
A recent FCC ruling on fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology has cut local government control and reduced revenue options to towns from wireless carriers. Come learn about local options and what communities are doing in response at a meeting of the (Hanscom Area Town Selectmen from Bedford, Concord, Lexington, and Lincoln) on Thursday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Town Office Building.
Cecelia (Cece) Doucette, technology safety educator and founder of Wireless Education, will speak. Topics will include:
- How will the 5G build-out work?
- How does the recent FCC ruling on 5G limit local government control?
- What are the revenue implications for towns?
- Have any towns generated model Small Cell Policies, and what do they include?
- What are the health and safety concerns associated with 5G?
- How will the 5G infrastructure interact with 3G and 4G?
- What are 5G’s implications for privacy, energy conservation, and legal liability?
The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee will hold its caucus on Saturday, May 18 from 9–11 a.m. in Bemis Hall. All Democrats registered in Lincoln are invited to elect delegates and alternates to the 2019 Massachusetts Democratic State Convention on September 14 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Democrats from across the state will come together to discuss party business and focus on policies for the Democrats to support leading into the 2020 election.
Pre-registered Democrats who will be 16 by May 11 may participate and run as a delegate or alternate. Lincoln can elect five delegates and four alternates to the convention. Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as a delegate or alternate may apply to be add-on delegates to the caucus or at www.massdems.org. Questions? Contact DTC co-chairs Barbara Slayter (bslayter@comcast.net) or Peter Pease (ppease72@gmail..com).
Panel on Palestinian issues this Saturday
The GRALTA Foundation will host a meeting of the New England Network for Justice in Palestine on Saturday, Sept. 28 in Bemis Hall at 2 p.m. Speakers will include:
- Anat Biletzki, professor of philosophy at Quinnipiac University and a founder of the Israeli human rights NGO B’Tselem, will discuss, interpret, and forecast the ultimate outcome from Israel’s Sept. 17 election.
- Nidal Al Azraq, executive director of org, will talk on “Hope and Struggle Under Military Occupation,” covering changes he recently encountered among Palestinian civil society in the West Bank.
- Ayman Nijim, Solidarity Program Officer for the Middle East at Grassroots International, will discuss grassroots organizing and lobbying initiatives in the U.S.
- Fidaa Ataya, a Palestinian actress, filmmaker, and traditional storyteller, will screen her 10-minute film “The Shepherdess” and tell a traditional Palestinian story.
There will be time for audience Q&A.
The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee will meet to launch plans for the 2020 election on Sunday, Sept. 29 from 4–5:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Residents are invited to contribute their thoughts on the issues and recommendations for action at the Massachusetts Democratic Convention (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Sept. 18, 2019). Facilitating discussion on the following topics will be:
- Jerry Gechter and Jennie Morris — Green New Deal, climate change, sustainability
- Ginny Welles and Joan Kimball — Building bridges, not walls; the real facts on immigration
- Alisar Cohen and Travis Roland — Unpacking race in politics
- Sasha Golden and Barbara Slayter — Addressing the racial wealth divide
- Alex Chatfield and Chris Loschen — Spotlighting the work of coalitions and allies
The Property Tax Study Committee will hold its second public forum on Tuesday, Oct. 15 from 7–8:30 p.m. in Town Hall. The group was formed in reaction to concerns about the large tax increase required for the $93 million school project. At its first forum in June, the group presented two possible measures: a means-tested circuit breaker program and a residential exemption for certain properties.
There will be a house party on Sunday, Oct. 20 from 3–5 p.m. to learn about ranked-choice voting (RCV) and have some fun testing it out. RCV allows voters to rank candidates on a ballot in order of preference. The system is already in place in Maine and in Cambridge (for city elections), and Voter Choice MA is gathering signatures to put it on the statewide ballot. Please RSVP to Selectman Jennifer Glass at jlrglass@mac.com.
Learn about Force Multiplier (a strategic, voluntary fundraising organization) and meet legislators at a house party in Lincoln on Sunday, Nov. 10 from 2–4 p.m. Hear Rep. Katherine Clark’s analysis of 2020 election challenges and opportunities and meet Abigail Spanberger (VA-7), a newly elected Democratic representative who hopes to hold on to her seat in a red district. Sponsored by the Arlington, Natick, Lincoln and Wayland Democratic Town Committees. RSVP and donate (location of event available with reservation).
Join the Lincoln Democrats’ planning session to “get fired up and ready to go” for 2020. Hear about the work of Concord Indivisible from co-founders Kate Kavanagh and Denise Gieseke. Share your thoughts on getting out the vote and communications. Explore the critical issues ahead and determine which Lincoln Democrats will prioritize for action. Coffee and pastries starting at 8:30 a.m.; meeting starts at 9.
Join Lincoln Democrats and friends for strategizing and putting into action the “roadmap for 2020” on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 9 a.m. in Bemis Hall. In November, Lincoln Democrats voted climate change as the #1 issue but also identified gun control, health care, and immigration as “very important.” What do you think? Ideas and energy welcome.
Join the First Parish in Lincoln and the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) for Climate Sunday on Sunday, Jan. 12 starting at 10 a.m. Climate Sunday is a gathering for those interested in learning more about how to take action on environmental justice, clean transportation, zero-waste initiatives, and more. Interactive workshops on issues such as environmental justice, transportation, and zero waste will focus on the current state of environmental advocacy in Massachusetts from experts working on the ground.
Participants are welcome to come for the entire day or just the lunch and afternoon workshops. Below is the schedule of events. Space is limited; please click here to RSVP.
- 10 a.m. — The First Parish in Lincoln morning service with sermon by Rev. Jenny Rankin and reflections by Peter Shelley, CLF’s senior counsel.
- 11:15 a.m. — Check-in opens at the Stone Church.
- 11:15 a.m.–12 p.m. — Environmental fair featuring booths and informal presentations by CLF, Green Energy Consumers Alliance, HomeWorks Energy, and others. Learn what you can do to combat climate change.
- 12 p.m. — “How to Stay Optimistic in a Warming World,” a lunchtime presentation by CLF President Brad Campbell.
- 1 p.m. — Workshop #1: Staci Rubin, CLF’s senior attorney, will discuss her work around environmental justice and clean transportation, as well as how you can get involved.
- 1:45 p.m. — Workshop #2: Kirstie Pecci, CLF’s Zero Waste Project director and senior fellow, will discuss her work on plastics and zero-waste initiatives and how you can take action.
Anyone with questions may contact Katie Ardrey at 617-850-1729 or kardrey@clf.org.
Revitalizing South Lincoln has been a major initiative for many years, and the South Lincoln Planning Implementation Committee (SLPIC) will be putting forth a number of proposals at next March’s Annual Town Meeting. Come to Bemis Hall on Friday, Jan. 24 at 1 p.m. when Jennifer Burney, Lincoln’s Director of Planning and Land Use, and Gary Taylor of the Planning Board and SLPIC will update you on the work of the committee and listen to your concerns and ideas. This is your chance to make your voice heard in an informal, conversational milieu.
Residents can hear the latest on the proposed rezoning of the Lincoln Station area at a public forum on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall.
Officials have been working with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to rezone on rezoning Lincoln’s village center to create equitable transit-oriented development that will allows for housing options and create a vibrant, active walkable, and sustainable village center. The South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee’s Planning and Zoning team.
Last May, the group presented its proposal for the new South Lincoln Village District would have two subareas: business, which emphasizes commercial or mixed use, and residential, which provides a variety of housing options close to transit and retail amenities. The residential subarea would allow buildings up to three and a half stories further back from Lincoln Road to accommodate greater density.
Annual Town Meeting is Saturday, March 28, but you can get a preview on Friday, Feb. 28 at 1 p.m. at Bemis Hall with Town Administrator Tim Higgins. You’ll hear about the budget and other issues that are on the agenda for the Annual Town Meeting such as the recommendations of the Property Tax Study Committee, new zoning regulations related to South Lincoln, and more, and you can ask questions and give ideas. This is your opportunity to become informed about and discuss issues of importance to the town in an informal setting.
The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee (LDTC) will hold its annual caucus on Sunday, March 8 from 1:30–3:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Attendees will elect five delegates and four alternates to the Massachusetts Democratic Party 2020 Convention in Lowell on Saturday, May 30.
Registered Democrats may vote and are also eligible to be delegates. Enrollment cards provided by the Town Clerk’s office will be available for those who wish to register to become a Democrat at the caucus just before it opens. Democrats who will be 16 by February 2020 may pre-register at the caucus and participate and run as a delegate or alternate to the convention, although they are not eligible to vote in general elections until they are 18. Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as delegates or alternates may apply to be add-on delegates to the caucus at www.massdems.org.
Anyone with questions may contact LDTC co-chairs Barbara Slayter (bslayter@comcast.net) or Joan Kimball (selenejck@gmail.com).