The Lincoln Squirrel – News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

conservation

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Visit local homes with solar installations

Lincoln residents are invited to get an up-close view of some of their neighbors’ solar photovoltaic (traditional solar) and solar hot water arrays on Sunday, Aug. 27 from 1–3 p.m. (rain or shine).

Sponsored by Solarize Mass, a program of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and a joint effort by the towns of Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland, the Solarize Tour of Lincoln includes four host residences featuring different styles of solar arrays. Residents of all three towns are encouraged to visit as many homes as they’d like, enjoy refreshments, gather resources, and chat with homeowners about their experiences with the installation process. The homes on the tour are:

  • Ron MacNeal, 247 Concord Road
  • Bob Schudy and Liz Watson, 131 Trapelo Rd.
  • Jim and Ann Hutchinson, 53 Stonehedge Rd.
  • Belinda and Paul Gingrich, 146 Bedford Rd.

More information on each house’s unique solar array can be found at www.lincolngreenenergy.org. There are also solar open house events in Wayland on Saturday, Aug. 19 from 1–4 p.m. and in Sudbury on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 2–4 p.m. More details about these events will be available on www.solarizeLSW.org. All Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland residents are welcome.

Sign up or verify your data in the L-S directory

The deadline to be included in the printed version of the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School directory is Monday, Aug. 21. Many Lincoln families of incoming freshman are still missing. To register, log in the the directory, select “Schools”, then select “Sign up now” at the bottom of the page, and follow the instructions to set up your family, households, and students.

If your email address has changed since last year, please log in to your account and verify that it is correct. If the directory does not have your correct email address, you will not receive communications including password reset requests and are at risk of being left out of the directory. Anyone with questions may click here or email LSRHSdirectory@gmail.com.

September movies announced

The Lincoln Library Film Society will screen movies at the Lincoln Public Library at 3 p.m. on three Mondays in September:

  • September 11—La Notte (1961) starring Jeanne Moreau and Marcello Mastroianni, directed by Michelango Antonioni.
  • September 18—The Lovers (1958) starring Jeanne Moreau, Jose Luis de Villalonga, and Alain Cuny, directed by Louis Malle.
  • September 25—Cet amour-la (2001) starring Jeanne Moreau and Aynmeric Demarigny, directed by Josee Dayan

Refreshments will be served.

Free course on 20th-century art

“Christina’s World” by Andrew Wyeth (1948)

A free five-week course on “Great Artworks of the 20th Century” will be offered in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room from 3–4:30 p.m. stating on Saturday, Sept. 23 and continuing on Oct. 7, 21, and 28, and Nov. 4. The genius behind various 20th-century artworks and artists from Picasso to Pollack and beyond will be revealed, and the group will discuss their own thoughts and reactions to each piece. This program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library and the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging. It is open to adults of all ages. Preference will be given to Lincoln residents. Class size is limited to 35. Sign up for one session or all five. For more information or to register, contact Lisa Rothenberg at 781-259-8465 or lrothenberg@minlib.net.

Pelland to perform at LOMA

Steven Pelland

Steven Pelland is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, Sept. 11. The event runs from 7-10 p.m., and Pelland will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. He’s been aired on live radio and performed at premiere East Coast folk venues including Passim and Bull Run. Pelland released his first major CD, These Days, last year. A video of the first cut, California, highlights his finger-picking style and strong lyric sensibility.

LOMA is a monthly event. Admission is free and refreshments are provided. Performers can sign up at the event or email Rich Eilbert at loma3re@gmail.com for a slot. There is a sound system with mikes and instrumental pickups suitable for individuals or small groups.

Fall series on “Embracing Change”

Embrace Change is offering a free fall series for parents embracing the transition period they encounter as children leave the nest. Parents will connect with others experiencing the same transition, explore what’s next, and have opportunities to design their personal path for this new stage of life. See the Embrace Change website for program details.

All six events run from 1:30–3 p.m. The first three will be held at the Lincoln Public Library:

  • September 13 — “Promoting Productive Communication with Adult Children” with Teresa Simonelli, PsyaD
  • September 20 — “What’s Next? Finding Purpose” with Deb Elbaum, MD, career and life coach
  • September 27 — “Navigating Transitions with Self-Care” with Charlotte Sahyoun, yoga therapeutics specialist

The second set of programs will take place at the Pierce House:

  • October 4 — “Expanding Your Horizons: Delving into New Activities and Careers”
  • October 11 — “Balancing College Students Needs with Your Own Personal Opportunities for Growth” with Michelle Silbert, career and life coach
  • October 18 — “Ready, Set, Go!” with the Embrace Change team

Police want to hear from credit card fraud victims

In the past three months, have you been notified by a credit card company or bank that a credit card had been fraudulently opened in your name? If so, the Lincoln Police Department would like to know about it. Police department in Lincoln and other towns are investigating a substantial credit card fraud ring where credit cards have been opened up in residents’ names and used locally. There are likely additional victims who did not report this to police because the credit card company or bank assumed the loss. If you’ve been notified of this type of fraud, please call the Lincoln Police Department at 781-259-8113.

Conservation land manager sought

The town of Lincoln seeks a full-time land manager to work under the direction of the Conservation Director and the Conservation Commission. This is primarily a field position with some office responsibilities. Duties include managing and monitoring conservation land and trails, public outreach and education, enforcing regulations, and oversight of town-licensed agricultural properties. For details on duties and qualifications and how to apply, click here or email or jobs@lincolntown.org by Friday, Sept. 8.

News acorns

Fill out survey for clean heating and cooling

The Lincoln Green Energy Committee is partnering with Concord and Carlisle to apply for HeatSmart Mass, a program sponsored by the Mass Clean Energy Center that will allow Lincolnites to install qualified clean heating and cooling systems at reduced prices. For Lincoln to qualify for the MassCEC’s application process, the committee needs your help. Whether you’re interested in air-source heat pumps, ground-source heat pumps, central biomass heating, or solar hot water, or aren’t sure what these solutions are all about, please fill out this Google survey by Saturday, Aug. 12 to help members design the program to meet Lincoln’s needs. Anyone with questions may contact Belinda Gingrich at belinda.gingrich@gmail.com.

St. Anne’s closed for nine days

Due to parking lot work, St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Church will be closed after church on Sunday, Aug. 13 and remain closed through Tuesday, Aug. 22. All regularly mid-week meetings will be cancelled, as well as the Sunday morning service of Holy Eucharist at 9 a.m. on August 20. The 9 a.m. service resumes on Sunday, Aug. 27, and the last summer Sunday service will be Labor Day Weekend (Sunday, Sept. 3). On September 10, the church returns to the normal schedule of three Sunday services at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., and 5 p.m.

Jazz concert on Aug. 13

There will be a free live jazz concert on Sunday, Aug. 13 from 2–5 p.m. in Bemis Hall featuring the Steve Taddeo Quartet and Vocals: Jeff Barnhart, stride piano; Paul Midiri, trombone and vibes; Joe Midiri, soprano sax and reeds; Steve Taddeo, drums; and Caroline Griep, vocals.

Arts and crafts festival at Codman Estate

The 35th annual Fine Arts and Crafts Festival at the Codman Estate will take place on Saturday, Sept. 9 (rain or shine) from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. There will be live music, over 100 juried artisans, museum tours and food vendors. Admission is $5 (free for Historic New England members and children under 12).

Sam Durant win’s deCordova’s Rappaport Prize

Sam Durant (photo by Sarah Waldorf/J. Paul Getty Museum)

The deCordova Scultpure Park and Museum has announced that Sam Durant is the 18th recipient of the prestigious Rappaport Prize, an annual award of $25,000 given to a contemporary artist with strong connections to New England. Durant works in a variety of media including painting, sculpture, drawing, and installations to address the varying relationships between culture and politics. He draws inspiration from American history and engages subjects as diverse as the civil rights movement, southern rock music, and modernism. His art makes connections between history and present ongoing sociocultural debates, often calling attention to forgotten events from the past.

“It is such a wonderful surprise and tremendous honor to be recognized in my home region with the Rappaport Prize,” Durant said. “I am a New Englander to the core—its remarkable history has profoundly shaped and inspired me. The deCordova Museum was a big part of my formation as an artist, and my teacher George Greenamyer’s work Mass Art Vehicle at deCordova was one of the first public sculptures I loved. My work often puts me in the cross hairs of contentious and difficult debates, as it has recently, so deCordova’s acknowledgement is particularly timely—a cool drink of water for a parched soul.”

The public is invited to attend the Rappaport Prize Lecture with Sam Durant on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the museum. Admission is free.

Flint’s Pond still too low for twice-weekly watering

Water levels in Flint’s Pond since 2010 (click to enlarge). The last two red X’s indicate levels in July 2016 and July 2017.

Despite the rainy spring and summer thus far, lawn watering via sprinklers is still permitted in Lincoln only once a week because Flint’s Pond has not yet rebounded to a level that would allow more water use.

Though watering is normally allowed two days a week in the summer, the Board of Water Commissioners banned all outdoor watering in August 2016 during the drought. The board relaxed it to once a week in May and maintained that restriction in June and July.

Precipitation for 2017 overall has been normal, with the first three months below normal and the second three months above. Although the Flint’s Pond’s water level has risen, it’s still markedly below where it usually is at this time of year, according to Water Department Superintendent Greg Woods.

“The water use by our customers has actually been below normal thanks to their compliance with the water restrictions. If the rainfall continues and our customers continue to conserve, we might be able to relax back to the two-day-a-week restriction next month,” he said.

The two-day-a-week schedule is the normal restriction for Lincoln from May 1 through September 30 as per the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) because Lincolnites use more than 65 gallons per person per day on average, “and we also draw more water annually from our water sources than allowed by our DEP permit,” Woods added.

Some have wondered why Flint’s Pond is still low when the nearby Cambridge Reservoir appears to be full. The reservoir filled up more quickly because it has a very large watershed to capture the precipitation and funnel it into the reservoir’s basin, Woods said. Flint’s Pond has a relatively small watershed and essentially sees a 1:1 ratio of precipitation and pond level increases, compared to about 2:1 for the Cambridge Reservoir. The Flint’s Pond dam is not overtopping or leaking and is experiencing the normal amount of seepage underneath, Woods said.

The water commissioners have open meetings on the second Wednesday of every month at 4:30 p.m. in the Water Department pump house to review the latest data and decide what (if any) water restrictions to impose. “We expect the water level to be lower in the end of the summer, so at the next meeting, we will compare the measured level to the normal level in August,” said Water Commissioner Ruth Ann Hendrickson.

See the Water Department web page for details on what types of watering ares allowed and when.

LLCT members join ribbon-cutting for new trail

Members of the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT)  took part in dedicating a new portion of the 230-mile Bay Circuit Trail on Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary land on July 15.

Left to right: Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary Director Renata Pomponi; Kristen Sykes, Bay Circuit Alliance Director of Operations and Appalachian Mountain Club Director of Conservation Strategies; Mass Audubon President Gary Clayton; LLCT board member Andy Falender; LLCT board chair Meghan Lytton; and LLCT president Buzz Constable. Photo courtesy Mass Audubon.

The July 15 ribbon-cutting featured officials from Mass Audubon, the LLCT, the Bay Circuit Alliance, and the Appalachian Mountain Club.

The Bay Circuit Trail project began in 1929 as a proposal for a protected greenbelt through the Boston metropolitan area based on concepts reflected in landscape visionary Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace in Boston.

Lincoln, two other towns choose installers for Solarize program

Volunteers from Lincoln, Wayland, and Sudbury have selected SolarFlair Energy, Inc. to offer solar photovoltaic and New England Solar Hot Water for solar thermal and solar hot water options.

The move comes as part of the three towns’ participation in the state’s Solarize Mass program whereby residents can get lower pricing from an approved vendor of residential rooftop solar installations. The program helps consumers by keeping costs lower, ensuring that installations are of high quality, and offering ongoing support and troubleshooting.

Residents are encouraged to join SolarFlair and New England Solar Hot Water for an information session on Saturday, July 29 at 4 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Participants will learn more about how to determine whether their homes are suitable for solar, how they might qualify for financing and incentives, and how to sign up for a visit with the installer, and how to get a no-cost solar and home energy assessment. There will also be two other information sessions:

  • Tuesday, July 25 at 7 p.m. at the Wayland High School Auditorium (264 Old Connecticut Path, Wayland)
  • Wednesday, July 26 at 7 p.m. at the Goodnow Library in Sudbury (21 Concord Rd., Sudbury)

More than 20 installers submitted proposals to Solarize 2017 in the three towns. Proposals were reviewed by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), representatives of the towns’ energy committees and volunteers, and municipal representatives. Selection criteria included installer experience, locality, product and systems quality, equipment and installation warranties and pricing.

In addition to finding a vendor for solar photovoltaic, the three towns were also selected to initiate a pilot project, Solarize Plus, for solar hot water. Unlike solar photovoltaic, which converts direct sunlight to electricity, solar hot water transfers heat from the atmosphere directly to a hot water tank in your home. This technology can be more forgiving of shadier rooftops and/or smaller roof footprints that may not be suitable to accommodate solar photovoltaic. Currently, 0% financing is available for solar hot water through MassSave.

A February survey of Lincoln residents indicated strong interest in exploring investments in residential solar options. More on those results can be found here. To learn more about Solarize for Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland, visit the Solarize Mass website.

Drumlin Farm trail to become part of Bay Circuit Trail

Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary will mark its new inclusion as part of the Bay Circuit Trail (BCT) with a ribbon-cutting celebration on Saturday, July 15 at 12:30 p.m. and a volunteer work day.

A section of an existing Drumlin Farm trail will become part of the 230-mile BCT greenway, which arcs through 37 communities in eastern Massachusetts along hiking, biking, and paddling routes linking Plum Island to the north and Kingston Bay to the south. Signage and distinctive trail markers will indicate where the trail passes through the wildlife sanctuary. Drumlin Farm now joins Mass Audubon’s Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharon and Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport as conserved greenspaces that are part of the BCT.

The Bay Circuit Trail’s origins date to 1929 with a proposal for a protected greenbelt through the expanding metropolitan area  based on concepts reflected in landscape visionary Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace in Boston. After some initial progress, the ambitious conservation initiative ground to a halt for lack of funds and in the face of explosive development.

The long-dormant project regained momentum in the 1980s, spurred by conservationists, trails advocates, and the state’s environmental agencies. By 1990, the Bay Circuit Alliance had been formed. That group now includes hundreds of volunteers and numerous local, statewide, and regional organizations, including Mass Audubon and the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), which serves as the BCT’s administrative and stewardship manager.

Local management of the Bay Circuit Trail is typically the responsibility of the communities it passes through. In Lincoln’s case, the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust oversees stewardship, although Mass Audubon will continue to care for the section of the trail passing through the sanctuary.

As part of the day’s events, the AMC, in collaboration with local BCT partners, will lead a day-long Bay Circuit volunteer work event starting at 9 a.m. to support the new trail section and local conservation lands. To sign up for the volunteer event, contact AMC/Bay Circuit Trail Volunteer Program Supervisor Beth Gula at bgula@outdoors.org or visit www.baycircuit.org/events for more information.

“With the Bay Circuit Trail now passing through Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, both sanctuary visitors and BCT ‘through-hikers’ will be able to enjoy enhanced outdoors experiences,” Mass Audubon President Gary Clayton said. “As a conservation organization committed to helping people connect with nature, we appreciate how the Bay Circuit supports that same important goal, and we are particularly happy to partner with the Bay Circuit Alliance and the Appalachian Mountain Club in this valuable work.”

“We are excited to celebrate this significant milestone for the Bay Circuit Trail in partnership with Mass Audubon and the Bay Circuit Alliance,” said John Judge, Appalachian Mountain Club President and CEO. “The sanctuary greatly enhances this section of the trail for the enjoyment of all who pass through by allowing it to be rerouted off-road to a protected conservation area in close proximity to numerous historic landmarks, including Drumlin Farm, the Codman Estate, and the Gropius House.”

AmeriCorps crew restores section of Farrar Pond trail

A crew of AmeriCorps volunteers recently restored several eroded sections of trail on the eastern and southern shores of Farrar Pond that had become difficult to walk on due to erosion.

Fred Winchell and other members of the Farrar Pond Conservation Trust identified 10 spots in three sections of trail that needed the most work. A retaining wall and fill were installed to cover exposed roots and provide a level walking surface in one area. The crew also installed check steps—timbers placed across the trail to act as both low dams to slow water flowing down a trail and as steps for trail users. Some trail parts were also widened or rerouted slightly.

Over a 10-day period in late May and June, the five AmeriCorps crew members refurbished on a total of almost 8,000 feet of trail, including 250 feet of new trail and the 35-foot-long retaining wall.

Based in the Berkshires in northwestern Massachusetts, the Student Conservation Association’s (SCA) Massachusetts AmeriCorps program is a residential community of emerging leaders who devote five or 10 months to full-time educational and conservation service.

“Though our [Farrar Pond] projects were things we had little previous practice in and were hard work, we were motivated by visits from lots of furry and feathered friends. During one lunch break, Ryan played peek-a-boo with a weasel. Two swans made constant rounds with their four new babies in tow. And we were visited many times a day by our site contact, Fred [Winchell], and his friendly dog, Finnick,” AmeriCorps crew leader Caitlin Faulds wrote.

The project was funded by the Farrar Pond Associates via donations from pond abutters and other friends of Farrar Pond as well as a generous gift from Bob Davoli and Eileen McDonagh.

Photos courtesy SCA Massachusetts AmeriCorps and Fred Winchell; click here to see more.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”51″ gal_title=”Farrar Pond trail work”]

Public hearings coming up

Zoning Board of Appeals

Thursday, July 6 at 7:30 p.m. to hear and act on the following requests:

  • Gail Alden, 240 Concord Rd., for a special permit to build a two-story detached garage.
  • Lloyd Dahmen, 10 Grasshopper Lane, for a special permit to construct a garden shed.
  • Daniello Jeha, 170 South Great Rd., for a special permit to sell used cars.
  • Stephen Gladstone, 67 Winter St., for renewal of a special permit for an accessory apartment.
  • Deborah Race and James LaPlante, 41 South Great Rd., for a special permit for an addition and expansion with a two-car garage.

Planning Board

  • Tuesday, July 11 at 7 p.m. to review an application for Site Plan Review. The applicant, Robert Pace, proposes to construct a new home at 169 Lexington Rd.

Conservation Commission

  • Wednesday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. in response to the Notice of Intent by Edward and Ellen Julian for a replacement septic system in the Outer Buffer Zone Resource Area at 104 Todd Pond Rd.
  • Wednesday, July 12 at 8:15 p.m. in response to the Notice of Intent by F. Douglas Adams for construction of a new home and associated landscape elements in the Outer Buffer Zone Resource Area at Granville and Llanover Roads.

Panel maintains watering restrictions

The Board of Water Commissioners voted this to keep the current one-day-a-week limitation on outdoor lawn watering.

Houses with even-numbered street addresses may water lawns by means of automatic irrigation systems or manual sprinklers on Saturdays and those with odd-numbered addresses on Sundays. Details on allowable watering uses and penalties for violations can be found on the Water Department web page.

Although the water in the Flint’s Pond has been rising during the rainy spring, it is still two feet below normal which is exactly where it was at this time last year. If the area has another dry summer, officials will have to restrict outdoor watering even further.

The board reviews current data on pond levels at each monthly meeting and considers revising the restrictions as necessary.

Drumlin Farm debuts summer music series starting June 23

Katrin Roush

The Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary will host an outdoor summer music series starting with Katrin Roush on Friday, June 23. All three concerts run from 5:30–8 p.m.

This community event, co-presented by climate action group Mothers Out Front, invites people from across the state to celebrate local music, local food, and local action in an effort to provide a hopeful future for the planet.

“We’re excited to bring music to Drumlin Farm as a way to celebrate nature and the arts in an outdoor setting,” said Drumlin Farm Sanctuary Director Renata Pomponi. “Partnering with Mothers Out Front to incorporate a hopeful message of how our community can work together to fight climate change adds a great dimension to this concert series, turning it from a scary topic to one that can bring us together in new and positive ways.”

In addition to having live music and farm-fresh food, the concert series will feature climate-related activities for kids and adults to make pledges and learn how they can make a difference in their own communities.

“Together, we can mobilize to create a livable climate for our children and for generations to come,” said Emily Haslett, Mothers Out Front–Lincoln. “We invite families to join our grassroots movement of mothers, grandmothers, and caregivers who are working for the swift and just transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy.”

All ages are welcome and concert-goers are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner. Farm-fresh snacks and non-alcoholic beverages will be on sale. Please note: no alcohol allowed on the property. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors 65+ and children ages 5–12, and free for children under 2. Purchase tickets online here. Other concerts in the series: