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My Turn: An abutter in support of Nature Link project

By Joseph Kolchinsky

Hello neighbors. I live on Page Road and abut the Farrington land. Like some of you, I was skeptical of the Nature Link proposal at first. But after spending real time with the details, I now believe this is exactly the kind of thoughtful, balanced solution we need in Lincoln. It protects land, supports an important non-profit, adds needed housing, and most importantly it heads off far riskier alternatives. Below I’ve laid out the top concerns I’ve heard and why I believe this deal is the right move for our town. Happy to have thoughtful discourse and welcome open-minds to the conversation. As you read on, I ask that you think of a phrase often used in the nonprofit world: Things happen to you, for you, or because of you. 

As a community, if we want to move our missions forward and take advantage of this opportunity, we need to take proactive steps to pounce on this opportunity and make it happen because of us. No one is going to step in and do this work for us. And, if left to chance, alternative outcomes are likely to, happen to us, and they likely won’t be nearly as good as what I believe the Nature Link project achieves.

Top Reasons to Support the Nature Link Project
  • Conservation at scale — 77 acres of ecologically valuable land will be permanently protected from future development, preserving forests, wetlands, and trail systems for generations. This is the largest undeveloped, forested, and unprotected area in Lincoln.
  • Avoids Dover Amendment risk — By putting Farrington into conservation and giving Farrington financial stability, we substantially reduce the looming risk of institutional-scale development on that land under the Dover Amendment.
  • Adds starter homes — 20 modest homes (replacing 3 existing, 17 net) provide much-needed “missing middle” housing stock, helping young families and downsizing seniors stay in Lincoln.
  • Supports 40B compliance — Some units will be income-restricted, helping the town meet its Chapter 40B obligations.
  • Secures Farrington’s future — This deal stabilizes a non-profit with a mission to connect under-resourced youth with nature, allowing them to continue their work and stay in Lincoln.
  • New trails will be made permanently available to all Lincoln residents through the conservation land carved out by this deal.
  • What’s good enough for Cambridge is good for us — While “no septic system” is better than any septic system, the City of Cambridge has the most to lose here given they depend on the clean watershed to protect the reservoir as their water source – and they fully support this plan and are putting $800k in to back it up. If the people drinking the water support this to mitigate future risk, I think we should be aware of that future risk and support mitigating it, too.
  • Nominal traffic impact — Estimated traffic increase is ~5-10%, a nominal amount that doesn’t warrant the concern. See further below for my analysis on the numbers.
  • Transparent, enforceable plan — This is a tightly structured, multi-party agreement with baked-in protections, approvals, and community oversight – not an open-ended blank check to a developer. Farrington’s land is put into conservation through deeds and Conservation Restrictions (CRs), the developer is locked into approved plans, and Farrington’s use of the access road to Page Rd expires upon any transfer of ownership so it can’t be used in the future by other parties.

As a direct neighbor to this project, I don’t take change lightly. I will see and feel the impacts of 17 new homes more than most. It would be easy for me to oppose any development next door. But I choose to support Nature Link because I firmly believe it’s the best path forward for our community as a whole. It’s a rare instance where the community as a whole gets something positive: Farrington gets the funds to sustain its nature programs, Lincoln gets permanently protected land and walking trails, a thoughtful developer gets to build much-needed starter homes, and new families get a chance to make Lincoln their home. I’m willing to support the greater good and, based on recent discussions, believe most of my Page Rd neighbors do as well.

No plan is perfect, and it’s okay to have questions and doubts. I’ve tried to address the major concerns with facts and respectful reasoning further below. Our town’s discourse can certainly get heated — but at the end of the day, I think we all share the same love for Lincoln and want to see it thrive without losing what makes it special. Nature Link is a compromise that achieves that, by blending conservation and smart growth in a way that enhances our community.

I invite everyone to look at the official documents, ask hard questions, and satisfy themselves on the details. From what I’ve seen, the more you dig, the more this deal holds up as sensible and forward-looking. I’ll be voting Yes at the Special Town Meeting on June 25, and I encourage my fellow residents to consider doing the same. Let’s seize this opportunity to protect a beautiful piece of Lincoln while also shaping a future we can be proud of – one where our children and new neighbors can enjoy the same natural beauty and community spirit that drew us all here in the first place.

For a comprehensive Q&A on this topic, please see this document. I will continue to keep it updated as I learn more. Thank you for reading, and I’m happy to discuss further with an open mind and mutual respect.

Joseph and Jennifer Kolchinsky live at 83 Page Rd.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Welcome back, Lincoln Review!

By May Ann Hales

Editor’s note: You can see the last two issues of the new Lincoln Review here. Learn how to submit your work for the next issue here (the deadline is April 4).

One morning I read in the Lincoln Squirrel that the creative arts section called the Lincoln Chipmunk would be renamed the Lincoln Review, in honor of the print predecessor by the same name. The Review was part of our little town from 1977 to 2019. For all those years, various people contributed written pieces, art, and illustrations on a myriad of things from and about Lincoln.

I had participated in a small way and was so sad when it ceased publication. Our town had lost something small but wonderful. Now my heart rejoiced to know that it would be rejuvenated. I was also surprised to discover that back issues from 1977–1980 can now be browsed and searched online here thanks to our library staff, and every single print issue (plus an index) can be perused at the Lincoln Public Library. Not only is modern technology grand, but so are the efforts of numerous people who made this possible for us.

The Review was an important outlet for Lincolnites who wanted to express their creative or civic thoughts in print. You could purchase a copy at the grocery store or subscribe and receive your issues in the mail. Town Meeting editions were distributed free to all attendees. It was an important part of our creative lives.

It was surprising how ideas germinated and took root from the pages of the Review. For example, in 1982, Suze Craig wrote a piece titled “The Garden as Day Care” about how children and adults explored her garden. That article became the inspiration for the name of our still-flourishing Magic Garden. Imagine that.

I look forward to new inspiration from the online pages of the creative section of the Squirrel now appearing as the Lincoln Review. The late Betty and Harold Smith, the major publishers of the old Review, will be looking from the Great Beyond with the pleasure of succession. I am excited to see what blooms anew in our cultural life through the pages of the Lincoln Review redux.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Doo-Wop Team hits it out of the park

The Doo-Wop Team from the Lincoln Council on Aging & Human Services sang on the field at Polar Park in Worcester before the WooSox minor-league game on August 16. Group member Peter Stewart plays the organ at Polar Park twice a month and encouraged the group to come and sing. Members also took a moment to sing “Happy Birthday” to member Harold McAleer, who turned 94 the next day. The Doo-Wop team has performed several gigs and donated the proceeds to the Lincoln food pantry over the past year. Left to right: Priscilla Leach, R.L. Smith, McAleer, Mark Faulkner, Stewart, Candace Foster, and Jessica Bethoney. Not visible in photo: Carol DiGianni and Lynne LaSpina.

Welcome to the Lincoln Review (version 2)!

As subscribers probably know, the Lincoln Squirrel has published the Lincoln Chipmunk, an online arts periodical, for the last several years as a successor to the print-only Lincoln Review (1977–2019). This summer, I’m welcoming Barbara Rhines as the new editor of the publication, which is relaunching with a new design but the old name. It will still be published for subscribers on the Lincoln Squirrel website. Here’s the newest issue:

lincolnsquirrel.com/the-lincoln-review

An important new section for crafts is now part of the Lincoln Review. In future issues, we would also like to include a section showcasing the creative endeavors of Lincoln high-school students. And to further honor the storied history of this town and prior contributors, we hope to feature vintage submissions selected from the past issues of the Lincoln Review/Lincoln Chipmunk. 

Check out the Lincoln Review’s submission guidelines. Be creative and send in your work! The next deadline is October 11, 2024. Please tell your friends about this vital new journal of literature, art, and craft. (And by the way, you can still see back issues of the Lincoln Chipmunk here.)

Alice Waugh
Editor, The Lincoln Squirrel
Publisher, The Lincoln Review
lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com
617-710-5542 (mobile)

My Turn: Check out famed cellist Helen Gillet on Friday

By Mimi Borden, Sara Mattes, and Rachel Marie Schachter

This Friday night, we have a unique opportunity to hear a gifted, boundary-breaking artist — cellist Helen Gillet — in a rare New England performance. She will take the stage at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 28 at Bemis Hall.

Helen has played notable venues around the world including Lincoln Center, NPR’s Tiny Desk, and TEDx stages. She performs most often in New Orleans, her current home, where her packed performances at the New Orleans Jazz Fest are consistently met with standing ovations.

Helen has a unique approach to music. She sings in English, French, and other languages while accompanying herself with multi-layered sounds that she records and loops as she performs. Her eclectic palette, technical prowess, extended techniques, and artistic daring combine to create an other-worldly experience. It’s one not to be missed. This is a sample of what you’ll hear.

Please join the Bemis Free Lecture Series to experience a most enchanting evening.

The authors are Bemis Trustees.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

News acorns

Cello concert on Friday

Helen Gillet

See Helen Gillet, a “whirling dervish of the cello,” in concert on Friday, June 28 at 8 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Gillet is a cellist, singer, composer, and master improviser who grew up in Belgium, Singapore, Illinois and Wisconsin. Calling New Orleans home since 2002, she is a jazz festival favorite who regularly performs on stages all over the world. Her solo shows are an eclectic mix of styles including French chansons, Belgian folk sung in Walloon, contemporary jazz, North Indian blues and classical. She combines acoustic cello with voice, percussion and live looping and layering technology to explore and push the boundaries of sound and rhythm. See videos of her performing here. Free; sponsored by the Bemis Free Lecture Series.

Coming up at the library

Kids’ Comic Workshop with LJ Baptiste
Monday, July 8 from 7–8 p.m., Tarbell Room
ids ages 7+ are invited to join Boston cartoonist and comic artist LJ-Baptiste for a three-week workshop on Monday nights in July to learn how comics are made. You will also create your own comics and original characters using techniques from pros in comics and manga as well. All supplies will be provided by the library. Registration required; participants are encouraged to register for all three workshop sessions. Register here.

Ricardo Frota

Ecology of Sound: Ricardo Frota
Wednesday, July 10 from 11 a.m.–noon, Tarbell Room
Join us for a performance by Ricardo Frota that inspires children and parents to absorb the rhythms, sound and music from different global cultures and the natural world that surrounds them. Ricardo entertains and educates while playing multicultural songs and improvising with Earth elements. His interactive performances use traditional rhythm instruments, and instruments made of recycled materials and also objects found in nature. All ages welcome; no registration required.

Dungeons and Dragons: A Library Campaign
Thursday, July 11 from 4–5 p.m., Tarbell Room
Come play Dungeons and Dragons in the library with DM Nikolas Metcalf. Registration required; for ages 11+. Register here.

Donate art supplies to Lincoln hospice house

Lincoln resident Stacey Sawyer-Mackie, who volunteers with the Care Dimensions hospice house in Lincoln, is collecting adult coloring books, colored pencils, thin-tipped markers and similar items to have available for family members and visitors at the hospice house. If you can donate such items or easy word search, simple crossword puzzle books or other similar items, email her at slsweet830@aol.com.

Art sales pull in funds for Boston Bridges Initiative

The Schrader-Johnson family of Lincoln with their new painting. 

The Schrader-Johnson family of Lincoln are the proud new owners of an original painting titled “Changes” by James Leonard. They purchased the painting at a recent event hosted by Boston Bridges Initiative (BBI), a nonprofit that facilitates cultural exchange and meaningful social interaction between city and suburban families in the greater Boston area.

The art sale was a fundraiser through BBI’s Downsize for Diversity program, which accepts donations of artwork and sells it at greatly reduced prices — and whose earlier iteration resulted in this 2022 book. The sale focused on art donated by the global consulting firm McKinsey & Co.

Framed paintings and photographs from this collection are still available along with hundreds of additional pieces of art at a home gallery in Lincoln. If you’re interested in purchasing art at discount prices for a good cause, contact Joanna Schmergel at owenjoanna@yahoo.com or 617-645-9059.

Exhibit celebrating the life of Gerald Foster starting June 4

Gerry Foster

An exhibit celebrating the life and work the late Lincoln artist, architect, and author Gerald Lee Foster will be on displayed from June 4 through July 13, 2024 at The Gallery at Villageworks (525 Massachusetts Ave., West Acton).

Foster passed quietly in his sleep on June 25, 2023 in Lincoln at the age of 86. Contributions in his memory may be made to Mass Audubon, 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773. Burial arrangements were handled by the Dee Funeral Home. See his full obituary and online guestbook. 
 
The exhibit is organized by Foster’s children Mark Foster, Ryan Foster, and Shelby O’Neill. Contact Shelby (shelbymfoster@gmail.com) for further information.
 

TEDx Walden Pond is the talk of the town

TEDx WaldenPond speakers were (back row, left to right) Trish Kendall, Wendy Murphy, Rick Chavez, Rebecca Heiss, Eric McNulty, Jared Cox, Graham Lutz, Corinne Hancock Scott. Front row: Charley Blandy, Lauren Chaby, Seth Ettenberg, Tim Washer. Nick Morgan is lying on the rug. (Missing: Raj Sharma, Martin Moore, Gerami Groover-Flores)

A Lincoln couple recently hosted the town’s first TedX event, TedX Walden Pond, which showcased 15 speakers as well as two artistic performances.

Co-organizer Nick Morgan said he’s been a longtime fan of TED Talks, where “ideas are front and center, new voices can be heard, and the opportunity to debate interesting topics was there.” TEDx (the “x” indicates independently organized) is an offshoot program that enables local communities to host TED-like events. They’re usually named after the host town, but “TEDx Lincoln” was already taken by Lincoln, Neb.

Anyone can host a TEDx event in their hometown as long as they get approved and licensed by TedX, so Morgan and his wife Jessica Cooper started the application process a year ago and got the green light in August for the November 1 event held at the First Parish stone church. Morgan is a public speaking coach with Public Words Inc. and Cooper is a voice teacher. 

He and Cooper put out the word to their networks for potential speakers. Since the TedX brand is quite prestigious, “you immediately get overwhelmed with people who want to give talks — selecting the most promising is tough,” Morgan said. His theme was “Ripples of Thought,” which was “deliberately ambiguous,” he said. 

“The audience particularly liked Gerami Groover-Flores’ talk about the origins of the Hamilton-Garrett Center for Music & Arts in the music of the Black church in America, Trish Kendall‘s deeply moving talk on success, and SNL veteran Tim Washer‘s funny closing talk, ‘Follow the Fear,’ on self-acceptance,” Morgan said. The other speakers were:

  • Charley Blandy, expert on negotiation and corporate social responsibility and a professional singer, on our response to climate change
  • Dr. Jared Cox on shame
  • Dr. Lauren Chaby, director of scientific strategies at ALZpath, on new developments in Alzheimer’s research
  • Rick Chavez, partner at Oliver Wyman, on lessons he learned from 25 years in the technology business
  • Dr. Seth Ettenberg, chief scientific officer at BlueRock Therapeutics, on regenerative medicine
  • Dr. Rebecca Heiss on how men struggle to find their roles in modern society
  • Graham Lutz on the importance of allowing ourselves to embrace mistakes
  • Eric McNulty on the importance of working together as a community on difficult issues such as climate change
  • Martin G. Moore, producer of the “No Bullsh!t Leadership” podcast, on handling conflict
  • Wendy Murphy, adjunct professor of sexual violence law at the New England School of Law, on how women are denied equal protection under the law
  • Storyteller and educator Graham Lutz on the importance of allowing ourselves to embrace mistakes
  • “Chaos coach” Corinne Hancock Scott
  • Raj Sharma, head of The Sharma Group and a director of the Boston Foundation, on choosing wealth management as a career

Urbanity Dance performers Zoe Carey, Clare Naughton, and Josephine Schneider. Photo by Deborah J. Karson (@DeborahJKarsonPhotography on Instagram)

A highlight of the evening was “Ripples: gathered,” a performance choreographed specially for “Ripples of Thought” by Urbanity Dance, whose mission it is to bring contemporary dance to the Boston landscape. Classical guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan also performed “moving still,” an original composition, resulting in “a potpourri of people and topics, which is what TEDx wants,” Cooper said.

TED Talks are limited to 18 minutes and TEDx to just 10 minutes — a departure from when Morgan started coaching public speakers when “a 90-minute lecture was not unusual,” he said. TED Talks were “a bellwether of the times” to encourage a variety of shorter speeches in one session. 

TedX Walden Pond should be available for viewing on YouTube by the end of the year once the event company has finished editing, Morgan said.