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

conservation

Wetlands boardwalk opening set for April 2

The new wetlands boardwalk (click to enlarge).

Town officials will open a new wetlands boardwalk on Sunday, April 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the result of six years of planning and fundraising.

Several years ago, Lincoln School science teacher Terry Green and others envisioned a new boardwalk behind the school as a great learning experience for students. (An old boardwalk had fallen into disrepair and was pulled out.) The boardwalk is reached from a trail from behind the Smith playground running north to the town muster field at the intersection of Sandy Pond and Baker Bridge Roads. It includes an outdoor “classroom space” where groups can gather to learn about the wetlands.

The project was funded by the Lincoln Public Schools, the Lincoln Community Preservation Committee, the Lincoln School Foundation and the Lincoln Cultural Council.

Attendees at the opening  may park in the Smith parking lot; the boardwalk path begins behind the green playground.

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Information evening on water bottles, plastic bags

In preparation for upcoming Town Meeting votes on banning some plastic bags and disposable water bottles in Lincoln and Sudbury, residents are invited to see Tapped, a film about bottled water, and learn about BYOBB—Bring Your Own Bags and Bottles—on Tuesday, March 14 at 7 p.m. in the high schools’ Kirshner Auditorium.

Lecture on gardening with native plants 

The Lincoln Garden Club is sponsoring a free lecture on native plants on Tuesday, March 14 at 7 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Claudia Thompson, founder and president of the nonprofit Grow Native Massachusetts, will explain the differences between native, naturalized and invasive plants, and explore the food web that links plants to insects, birds, wildlife and humans.

Fundraiser for Lincoln summer camp scholarships for METCO students

Last summer, the METCO Coordinating Committee (MCC) collaborated with the Lincoln Parks & Recreation Department, the Lincoln METCO Director and the Codman Trust to provide nearly full scholarships to 26 Boston-based children, enabling their full participation in the Lincoln Summer Day Camp. This pilot program was made possible through the Lincoln community’s generosity and the MCC would like to offer the opportunity again this year. Click here to learn more about the MCC’s $10,000 goal and how you can donate.

Panel with former L-S students who have fought addiction

Connections at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School presents “Fighting Addiction: Success Stories from Former L-S Students” on Wednesday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the L-S Lecture Hall. The high school has lost some former students to the disease of opioid addiction, and has had a number of students battle and/or continue to battle with addiction. This event features three former students who struggled with addiction while attending L-S but who are now winning their fights. There will be time for questions.

Sleep seminar on March 15

Searching for the elusive good night’s sleep? Join Lincoln resident, nurse practitioner and health educator Catherine Collins on Thursday, March 15 at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room for an evening of tips on  healthy, helpful ways to fall asleep and sleep the whole night through. Sponsored by The Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.

Volunteers sought for kindergarten reading program

The METCO Coordinating Committee will resume its fun and rewarding Kindergarten Reading Program on Thursday, March 30. The program provides both Boston and Lincoln-based students with additional opportunities to benefit from listening to adults read aloud. Reading aloud encourages language development, strengthens emerging literacy skills, lays a foundation for a life-long love of reading, and strengthens intergenerational relationships. Volunteers are needed to read to pairs of children on Thursday afternoons from 3-4 p.m. in the school library. Contact Pilar Doughty at pilar73@icloud.com or 617-320-9306 to volunteer and/or obtain more information.

Students sponsor three Town Meeting citizens’ petitions

L-S students Lucy Bergeron (left) and Anjuli Das with a single day’s worth of discarded water bottles at the high school.

This year, the eighth-graders’ group assisted by Town Clerk Susan Brooks and Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden is hoping to have Lincoln voters approve funds for two portable, 15-foot aluminum benches with backrests and shelves for use by sports teams who play on the fields next to Codman Pool. The benches would cost $800 to $1,200 apiece, according to Maria Hamandi, one of the students.

“A lot of times, [athletes’] personal belongings get in the dirt, including the mouth guards, which we find pretty unsanitary,” Hamandi said. The bench’s shelves will keep phones and other items off the ground, which will be especially helpful during rain (“they don’t only play when it’s beautiful weather outside,” she noted).

Other students involved in the 2017 citizens’ petition effort are Max Borden, Maya David, Achla Gandhi, Sophie Herant, Rhea Karty, Sarah Lammert and Dasha Trosteanetchi.

The Environmental Club at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High school is proposing two warrant articles in both Lincoln and Sudbury (though Sudbury’s Annual Town Meeting is not until May 1). One measure seeks to ban single-use plastic check-out bags at supermarkets and other retail stores. Thin-film plastic bags without handles that are used for meat, produce, newspapers, dry cleaning, etc. would not be affected.

The other measure would ban the retail sale of plastic single-use water bottles in town. Specifically targeted are polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles of 1 liter (34 ounces) or less containing noncarbonated, unflavored drinking water. Bottles could still be given away, however. The ban, if approved, can also be lifted if there is ever an emergency affecting the availability and/or quality of drinking water to residents.

L-S junior Lucy Bergeron of Lincoln wrote the bottle article based on one that was passed in Concord in 2012. “We spoke to people there and they say it’s going pretty well,” she said.

Several other cities and towns including Cambridge have banned supermarket check-out bags. In that city, whose law went into effect a year ago, customers must bring their own reusable bags for their groceries or purchase paper bags for 10 cents apiece. The Lincoln proposal says stores may charge a fee to recoup the cost of providing paper bags (or selling reusable bags) but does not specify a price.

In time-honored Lincoln political tradition, Bergeron surveyed residents at the transfer station about how inconvenient it would be to stop using plastic water bottles and how important the environment was to them.

“I got pretty positive feedback,” she said. “Most people said [disposable] water bottles are not that important to them; they use them mostly if they’re traveling or don’t have a better alternative.”

Bergeron and Lincoln freshman Anjuli Das noted that fossil fuels are used to manufacture and transport plastic bottles. Also, “some people seem to think that bottled water is better, but often it’s just tap water,” Bergeron said.

Last year, the Environmental Club collected the plastic water bottles discarded in a single day at the high school and used them to build a tower showing how much plastic they used (the tower still stands in one of the school lobbies).

Those in favor of banning single-use plastic grocery bags note that they pose significant environmental hazards because they do not readily biodegrade and can harm animals and fish that ingest them. Discarded bags are also harder to recycle than other products (the Lincoln transfer station does not accept them, for example), and they can wind up as unsightly litter and clog storm drains.

Acting on last year’s eighth-grade citizens’ petition, residents approved the purchase of a hydration stations for the Lincoln School’s Reed Gym. Students can use them to refill their reusable plastic water bottles with filtered tap water as well as get a quick drink, as with traditional water fountains.

Town Meeting warrant article list published

The list of articles for the 2017 Annual Town Meeting on March 25 includes 42 articles that will ask residents for a “year” or “nay” on numerous issues that have been in the news in Lincoln over the past year or more.

Below are links to previous Lincoln Squirrel stories about some of the items. The Squirrel will also publish new stories about Town Meeting articles in the coming days and weeks as more details become available.

Wang property acquisition (article 11)

Accessory apartments (articles 12-14)

School project (articles 33 and 34)

Community center feasibility study (article 35)

Landfill solar initiative (article 36)

Agricultural bylaw amendment (article 38)

Letter to the editor: support updated open-space plan

letter

(Editor’s note: See this Lincoln Squirrel article from July 2016 for more background.)

To the editor:

Lincoln’s update to the Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) is nearly complete (the previous update was published in 2008). The OSRP Committee has worked diligently over the last eight months to get to this point. There were two community forums and an OSRP survey to obtain feedback from residents. Now it is ready to bring before the Selectmen for final approval. Please join us at their February 6 meeting and show your support for this guidance document.

An OSRP is a tool that helps a municipality maintain and improve the benefits of open space and recreation facilities that contribute to the character of the community and protect its “green infrastructure.” Planning for this “green infrastructure” of water, land, farms, wildlife habitat, parks, recreation areas, trails and greenways is as important to the economic future of a community as planning for schools, roads and public safety. With a current plan approved by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Lincoln will be eligible for state grants to help fund open space and recreation projects and programs. OSRP highlights include:

  • an inventory of Lincoln’s open spaces and recreation facilities
  • a 7-year action plan
  • descriptions of key scenic resources
  • background on our community’s natural resources and conservation history
  • an evaluation of how our OSRP facilities serve people with disabilities
  • accompanying maps

The Board of Selectmen will discuss the OSRP on Monday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Donaldson Room of the Town Office Building.

Sincerely,

Angela Kearney
Conservation Planner, Lincoln Conservation Dept.

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

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Inauguration Day meditation

The Lincoln Meditation Group will hold a special sitting on Friday, Jan. 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room for the well-being of all people, the environment and our country. We will sit in silence, read a poem or two, and offer metta (prayers) for peace for all beings. Everyone is invited.

Talk on civil disobedience by Standing Rock visitors

Lincoln residents Jason and Jessica Packineau will lead a discussion about their recent activities at the Standing Rock in North Dakota and give a talk titled “What Role Does Civil Disobedience Play in Modern-day America?” and Jeffrey S. Cramer, Curator of Collections at Walden Woods Project and Thoreau, will speak about civil disobedience and how it relates to us today.]on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library. This lecture is part of the Thoreau Bicentennial Statewide Read Program. In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Henry David Thoreau’s birth.

Film screening to benefit girls’ school in Afghanistan

Students Together Empowering Women, a club at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, will host a viewing of the documentary What Tomorrow Brings on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. in the L-S auditorium. The film tells the story of Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation in Afghanistan. The foundation and the school it supports embrace and promote education as the key to positive, peaceful change for current and future generations, empowering Afghan girls and young women to work toward bright futures in their own villages and beyond. Tickets are $8 for students and $15 for adults, and all proceeds will be donated to the Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation.

Adult ed and test prep classes at L-S

Registration is now open for adult and teen classes on test prep, interviewing and completing college applications as well as creative arts, fitness, home and garden, and financial matters. Click here for the catalog.

Climate change film at St. Anne’s

There will be a showing of the film Merchants of Doubt at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church on Tuesday, Jan. 31 as part of the church’s ongoing series of films on climate justice. This film examines the role of the fossil fuel industry in distorting and denying the science on climate change over several decades in order to prevent meaningful regulation of carbon emissions. It will help give a perspective on the choices the incoming administration is making for key cabinet posts like EPA and the Secretary of State.

A simple vegetarian soup supper will be served at 6:30 p.m. and the film will begin at 7 p.m. Donations will be accepted to help with the cost of screening rights.

Community discussion on book by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Come to a Lincoln/METCO community book discussion about Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates on Wednesday, Feb. 1 from 6-8:30 p.m. in the Brooks gym. The discussion will be facilitated by Lincoln School English teachers Hillary Skelton and Jenny Nam, as well as Jaime Moody, the school’s METCO academic advisor. The event will begin at 6 p.m. with dinner, but feel free to come anytime, as there will be various points at which late-comers can easily join the discussion. Please pre-register on the Lincoln METCO website.

ConsComm approves ‘land swap’ for solar installation

In this map, the blue outline represents the former Wang land proposed for conservation, the green outline would be for a new town athletic field, and the yellow outline is where the Birches School hopes to relocate. Click to enlarge.

A solar power installation atop the former town landfill moved one step closer to reality when the Conservation Commission voted last week to remove seven acres from conservation status and replace it with some of the purchased Wang property, contingent on voter approval.

After examining 25 possible sites in town, a consulting firm hired by Lincoln’s Solar PV Working Group concluded earlier this year that the best spot for a municipal solar array is the old landfill. However, there was a hitch. After it was capped years ago, the landfill site was designated as conservation land; by state law, it can’t be used for any other purpose unless the town substitutes another parcel equal in size and quality as part of its conservation inventory. Officials had hoped that part of the Hargreaves-Heald property purchased by the town earlier this year could be used for this purpose, but the state said this was not acceptable.

However, an alternative presented itself when the Rural Land Foundation and the Birches School purchased 16 acres of land off Bedford Road belonging to the late An and Lorraine Wang in November. If all goes as planned, residents will approve spending $850,000 to purchase 12 of those acres—roughly five acres for a future athletic field and seven acres to be set aside for conservation in place of the landfill piece. Those seven acres comprise three lots owned by the Wangs—one on the east side of Bedford Road abutting Route 2 to the north, and two on the west side of Oak Knoll Road.

The Conservation Commission noted that the Wang land meets the state’s conservation-substitution criteria because it offers “a significantly greater resource value” than the landfill acreage owing to its habitat, trail connections and vegetated buffer. In its unanimous vote, the commission also stipulated that it will review the solar-array construction documents prior to installation to ensure the continued protection of the landfill parcel’s resources, and that the land may be used only for a solar installation.

In a 2015 report, BlueWave Capital said a solar installation on the landfill site could produce more than 50 percent of Lincoln’s municipal electricity.

Letter to the editor: environmental strategies for a Trump presidency

letter

To the editor:

As we’re deep into the presidential transition, it’s time for many to let go of denial and anger and accept the reality of a Donald Trump White House come January 20. For the environmental community, there’s three things we’re going to do.

First, with conservation partners across the country, we’re going to fight to hold on to what we have. For almost half a century and until most recently, we’ve had environmental success coming from Congress. Starting in 1969, GOP President Richard Nixon cooperated with bipartisan lawmakers to pass the National Environmental Protection Act, followed by the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. These laws protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we live, work and play on. Millions of American lives have improved as a result of their implementation.

Congress later enacted legislation to conserve the nation’s forests and parks, historic sites, wildlife and wetlands, coasts and oceans. These laws benefit people, nature and the economy and are a sacrosanct part of America’s natural heritage.

Encouraged by the White House, the upcoming 115th Congress, with 239 Republicans and 193 Democrats in the House of Representatives, may try to weaken or do away with some of these provisions. To prevent a rollback of progress, we’ll work in the House but focus on the Senate. Although Republicans outnumber Democrats 52-48 in the upper chamber, we’ll call on Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey to initiate and lead a stop-the-repeal campaign. If needed, we will ask them to use the filibuster, which will require a 60 vote supermajority to erase America’s environmental legacy.

In addition, we’ll watch what goes on behind the scenes in the Oval Office. So often, bureaucratic actions fly under the public’s radar screen. The executive branch is mandated by the constitution, courts and Congress to implement, enforce and execute the nation’s laws. This is done largely through administrative rule-making. However, the President can unilaterally weaken or repeal regulations. He can also cut funds for existing programs, fail to enforce the law, make hostile political appointments, reduce the workforce, and simply drag his feet. As a preventive measure, we’ll go to court to require that the law be enforced.

Second, we’re going to support state and local governments in stepping up protection of our health and environment. A few examples:

  • Mr. Trump believes climate change is a hoax. But 95 percent of utility and electricity oversight is done by the states, not the feds. So it will be in states like ours and California where we will continue to reduce heat-trapping air pollution and require industry to produce and use more green energy.
  • The Massachusetts Endangered Species Act protects 432 native Massachusetts plants and animals on the edge of extinction. With that in place, we will continue to defend endangered species even if protections are relaxed or removed at the federal level.
  • And there are a host of additional state laws providing public health and environmental benefits for Bay Staters that we will work to ensure are adequately funded and fully implemented on Beacon Hill.

On November 8, there was a huge success for Massachusetts at the ballot—the Community Preservation Act passed in 11 municipalities. This brought the state adoption to 172 cities and towns, or 49 percent of the Commonwealth. Since the Massachusetts legislature passed the enabling statute in 2000, almost $2 billion has been raised for community preservation projects providing for the creation of 10,000 affordable housing units; 26,300 acres of open space; 4,400 historic preservation initiatives; and 1,700 outdoor recreation projects—all without any federal involvement.

It’s in the city and town halls across the Commonwealth where mayors and selectmen, city councils and town meetings, school committees, planning boards, boards of health, conservation commissions, and public safety officials make some of the most important day-to-day decisions that directly affect our children and families. We will increase our efforts at the local level to support and enhance their work.

Finally, we remain committed to our aspirations, goals, and vision and for a clean, healthy and vibrant environment. Irrespective of who controls the levers of government, we will continue to advocate for a progressive environmental agenda in our nation’s capital—an agenda that provides for the health, safety, and natural security of all Americans while protecting the nature of this great land for this and future generations.

Sincerely,

Jack Clarke
Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, Mass Audubon

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Benefits and hurdles for solar array at landfill discussed

solarA report by the Solar PV Working Group concluded that the best site for a municipal solar photovoltaic array is the capped town landfill, with the roof of the public safety building coming in second.

Solar Design Associates, a consulting firm hired by the solar working group, looked at 25 potential sites in town. A solar array at the transfer station could have a capacity of 1.4 MW, while a roof-mounted array on the public safety building could generate 58.6 kW. Selectman Renel Fredriksen summarized the report at the November 12 State of the Town meeting and said the group hoped to have a proposal to vote on at Town Meeting in March.

If and when a site is selected, the town would sign an agreement with a private firm to purchase, install and maintain the solar PV equipment, and in return,  the town would receive lease payments and/or reduced electricity costs. In a 2015 report, BlueWave Capital said a solar installation on the landfill site could produce more than 50 percent of Lincoln’s municipal electricity.

One problem, though: the landfill is now designated as conservation land, and state law requires that if the town wants to open it to solar use, it must designate another parcel of the same size to offset the loss to the town’s inventory of conservation land. Officials had hoped that part of the Hargreaves-Heald property purchased by the town earlier this year could be used for this purpose, but the state has since said that this was not acceptable.

Removing land from conservation status requires unanimous approval by the Conservation Commission and two-thirds majority votes by Town Meeting and the state legislature.

The town and Minute Man National Historic Park would also have to renegotiate the easement given by the park to the town for access from Route 2A to the landfill. There is a “polite disagreement” with the park about what uses are permitted by that easement, “but once have a concrete proposal, we’ll resume that conversation,” Town Administrator Tim Higgins said.

Once a Lincoln School project is underway, the Ballfield Road campus is promising site for a future municipal solar PV array, as is the soon-to-be-rebuilt Minuteman High School, Fredriksen noted.

In the meantime, “there’s lots that we can do now to to change our electricity use, like getting a home energy assessments or buying more renewable energy,” said Green Energy Committee member Sue Klem, adding that residences account for 80 percent of electricity energy in town.

 

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How to talk to kids about the election

Licensed psychologist and Lincoln resident/parent Cris Ratiner will lead a conversation on “How to Talk with Your Children About the Election and Its Aftermath” on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room. Ratiner has worked with parents and families in ordinary times as well as extraordinary times (9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the Boxing Day tsunami). Anyone with questions may email her at crisratinerphd@gmail.com.

Second open space forum on Wednesday

The second community forum for the Open Space and Recreation Plan update takes place on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall Donaldson Room. The group is in the final phase of community outreach and goal setting (see the Lincoln Squirrel, July 20, 2016).

‘How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying’

LSB Players, the theater production company of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, presents How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying on November 16, 17, 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the high school’s Kirschner Auditorium. The musical traces the journey of J. Pierrepont Finch as he follows a guide that instructs him on how to rise to the top of the corporate world on charm and cunning alone. This hilarious satire is based on an actual book by Shepherd Mead, and is a clever, tongue-in-cheek send-up of corporate life featuring familiar songs by Frank Loesser like I Believe in You, The Brotherhood of Man and Been A Long Day. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for senior citizens/students. Click here to reserve tickets.

Sheila Katz

Sheila Katz

Talk on Israel/Palestine nonviolence

Sheila H. Katz, Professor of Middle East History at Berklee College, will present “Connecting with the Enemy: A Century of Palestinian-Israeli Joint Nonviolence” on Monday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library. The talk presents the first comprehensive history of grassroots nonviolent alternatives to the lethal collision of the two national movements despite condemnation by their own societies, repetitive diplomatic failures, harsh inequalities, and endemic cycles of violence. Presented by the GRALTA Foundation (Grass Roots Awareness, Learning, Travel and Action), which is also organizing an Israel-Palestine study tour from Jan. 4-14, 2017. For more information, call Steve and Barbara Low at 781-259-1300.

Lincoln seniors invited to dinner next Wednesday

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School warmly invites Lincoln senior citizens to a Thanksgiving dinner at the school on Wednesday, Nov. 23 at noon, complete with performances by the L-S Jazz Band and dancers. Please call the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811 to sign up.

‘Gratitude Trees and Campfire’ at Farrington Nature Linc

Start your Thanksgiving holiday with an evening focused on thankfulness and time spent in nature at Farrington Nature Linc on Wednesday, Nov. 23 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. During the “Gratitude Trees and Campfire” program, families can decorate preserved leaves to create a beautiful gratitude tree to take home, make leaf-inspired table art, listen to stories around the campfire and eat s’mores. Registration is required; call or email Program Director Brianne at brianne@naturelinc.org or 978-764-9186. Suggested donation: $10/person. Farrington Nature Linc is at 295 Cambridge Turnpike (Route 2 eastbound) directly after Gerard’s Farm Stand.

Thanksgiving night contra dance

Lincolnites are invited to a Thanksgiving Night contra dance on Thursday, Nov. 24 from 7-10 p.m. in the Smith School gym featuring musicians Larry Unger and Julie Metcalf, and caller Chris Ricciotti. All ages and abilities are welcome. Tickets are $6 for adults and students, $4 for children 10 and under. Sponsored by the First Parish Church. For more information, call 781-259-0692 or email kwinchell@comcast.net.