elections

My Turn: Postlethwait announces candidacy for Planning Board

February 19, 2024

By Sarah Postlethwait

I am announcing my candidacy for Planning Board, and hope that my focus on critical thinking, thoroughly researched planning and inclusive dialogue will bring value to Lincoln and win your vote.

I have a background in education, and I enjoy comprehensively analyzing information and breaking it down so it can be explained to a large audience. As the marketing director for the Boston and Canadian branches of a global company, I have practice in navigating a constantly shifting commerce terrain while working with a team to achieve our diverse business goals.

When I moved to Lincoln with my husband 14 years ago, I was attracted to the open space and farmland that reminded me of my childhood in Ohio. Since then, we have welcomed three children who enjoy all the benefits of growing up in this beautiful town surrounded by a community with similar values. We love walking to Drumlin and Codman farms, visiting the fantastic children’s department at the library, and we have thoroughly enjoyed participating in the wonderful offerings of LincFam and the Recreation Department.

Although I have been an active voice at Planning Board and other housing meetings for a decade, I am growing increasingly concerned about the town’s future. Current leadership is rushing towards a response to the new Housing Choice Act (HCA) that goes far beyond what is required for our small town. Instead of rezoning for the HCA requirement of 42 acres of land and 635 units, they are backing a plan that rezones 72 acres of land and allows for 801 housing units, all in one concentrated half-mile radius of the train station. It is a mistake to rush. The likelihood of unintended consequences is too great.

I understand that the town must evolve. Expanding our housing stock will help address the housing needs of our state. At the same time, we need to protect the retail businesses that currently exist in Lincoln, and ideally find ways to attract more. We need to be smart and not race headlong into a plan that may endanger the town’s financial stability and the rural character that we love.

The goal of the HCA is to create housing for families; however, the bylaw we have created for the HCA district is unlikely to interest them. Most families don’t want to live in overpriced tiny apartments without any green space, surrounded by pavement. We need to consider ways to adjust our zoning to ensure that the kind of housing that appeals to families will actually be built. Furthermore, we need to maintain our attention on creating affordable housing units for all types of families. There is a desperate need for homes that are affordable for moderate and lower income individuals in the Boston area.

I am running for a seat on the Planning Board because I feel Lincoln can do better. Lincoln has a long history of coming to consensus to build multifamily developments and to prioritize affordable housing. An enviable 40% of our current housing stock is multifamily. Nearly 13% of our housing is in the affordable housing inventory. We can continue on this admirable path by rezoning only for the HCA-required number of acres and units. Then, as a fully informed town, we (not the state, not developers) can plan for the reasoned and responsible fiscal, social, and environmental evolution of Lincoln.

These same principles of thorough research and planning, measured implementation, inclusive dialogue, and collaborative problem-solving should apply to all of the key issues facing our town: the HCA, revitalization of the mall, the community center, and more.

This is a future of Lincoln that I would like to be part of, and if you agree, then I ask for your support at the March town election.

Questions or concerns? I listen and I respond. Please contact me at sarah@bayhas.com.

Sincerely,

Sarah Postlethwait
Proud member of the Lincoln Residents for Housing Alternatives.

“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.

Town election challengers on ballot for Select Board, Planning Board

February 5, 2024

Two long-time town officials who are running for reelection on March 25 will face challengers.

Jennifer Glass is seeking a third full term on the Select Board. She defeated Allen Vander Meulen in 2017 to fill the unexpired term of Renel Fredriksen and was reelected unopposed in 2018 and 2021, but this year she is facing two opponents: Frank Clark and Aidan Rogers. On the Planning Board slate, Lincoln Residents for Housing Alternatives member Sarah Postlethwait is running against Gary Taylor, who is seeking a fourth term. Meanwhile, newcomer Yonca Heyse is running uncontested for the School Committee seat of retiring member John MacLachlan.

Candidate “My Turn” pieces in the Lincoln Squirrel thus far:

Gary Taylor, Planning Board (Jan. 28, 2024)
Frank Clark, Select Board (Jan. 29, 2024)
Jennifer Glass (Jan. 22, 2024)

Board/Committee	# of seats	Candidates
Board of Assessors	1	Edward Morgan*

Board of Health	1	Patricia Miller*

Cemetery Commission	1	Douglas Harding*

Housing Commission	1	Terry S. Perlmutter

LSRHS School Committee	2	Cathie Bitter*
		Maura Carty*

Parks and Recreation Committee	1	Brianna Doo*

Planning Board	1	Gerald Taylor*
		Sarah Postlethwait

School Committee	2	Susan H. Taylor*
		Yonca Heyse

Select Board	1	Jennifer Glass*
		Frank Clark
		Aidan Rogers

Trustees of Bemis Fund	1	Miriam Borden*

Water Commission	1	Patrick J. Lawler*

My Turn: Taylor seeks reelection to Planning Board

January 28, 2024

By Gary Taylor

Fellow Lincolnites,

I write to ask your support for reelection to the Planning Board for a three-year term. When I initially ran for the board six years ago, my objective was to reorient its attention from micromanaging what Lincoln residents hoped to do with their properties to more forward-looking thinking and planning. Implementation of that change and the addition of capable planning staff have significantly improved the experience of applicants before the board and allowed us to spend more time looking at what lies ahead for Lincoln.

I have considerable training and experience that are useful as a member of the board. I know how to analyze problems, communicate clearly, and manage teams. I hold degrees in law and management (finance and planning). I co-founded and served in the management of an economic consulting firm that grew from two people to 400 with 14 offices in the U.S., Europe, China and Australia. I was responsible for the design and construction of our offices in Cambridge, Boston, New York, and London.

For 30 years I have provided expert testimony in high-stakes energy-related litigation. I also have been involved in many aspects of Lincoln. During my nine years on the Finance Committee, we computerized the town’s accounting and integrated budgeting for the town and schools. While on the Housing Commission and Lincoln’s Affordable Housing Trust, I helped add 50 affordable housing units. In three terms as a Selectman, I played key roles in the development of The Groves (now the Commons) and in the conservation of large, key parcels for open space. All of this has taught me what Lincoln values, how Lincoln works, how to listen, build consensus and get things done.

As you likely know, Lincoln is going through an extraordinary period of challenges that will significantly influence the town’s future. Through the Housing Choice Act, the state has upped the ante regarding rezoning to allow denser “by right” housing near our commuter rail station — a big change for Lincoln that could help or hurt our small commercial center depending upon how any rezoning would treat the mall itself.

We must address the design and funding of a new Community Center. A proposed expansion of private jet services at Hanscom Field by Massport poses not only significant local noise and pollution problems, but it would also thwart broader efforts to slow climate change. The 250th celebration is coming to Minuteman National Park with its associated crowds, and Rte. 2A is supposedly due to be repaved. These matters and more give us a lot to prepare for and to do, and the Planning Board will be playing a significant role.

Lincoln has in the past strived successfully to strike a balance between preserving our cherished values and responding as needed to changes affecting not only our town, but also the world around us. I hope that we can continue to thread that needle effectively. I ask not only for your vote, but as well for your participation in the continuing dialogue that will shape Lincoln’s future.

Newcomers win seats on School Committee, Planning Board

March 27, 2023

In the March 27 town election, Matina Madrick and Jacob Lehrhoff won the two open seats on the School Committee, beating out incumbent Adam Hogue and Peter Buchthal. In the other contested race, the two openings on the Planning Board went to incumbent Lynn DeLisi and Craig Nicholson.

Nicholson, who is currently a Planning Board alternate member, won the most votes (736) of the three candidates, followed by DeLisi at 602 and Mark Levinson at 417. Longtime member Bob Domnitz originally planned to run for reelection but subsequently dropped out and endorsed Levinson.

Lehrhoff and Madrick soundly defeated Buchthal and Hogue, a two-term incumbent who voted against the last school budget. Buchthal campaigned heavily on LincolnTalk and the PTO candidate forum on claims that Lincoln spends too much per student and that too many students are one or more grades behind in their studies. Lehrhoff received the second-highest vote total of the four even though he was not able to appear at the forum.

In an uncontested race at the top of the ticket, Kim Bodnar (currently School Building Committee vice chair) will take over for outgoing Select Board member Jonathan Dwyer.

Following are the unofficial results for the election. Scroll down for the uncontested Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee results, which resulted in victories for newcomers Lucy Maulsby of Lincoln and Ravi Simon of Sudbury.

School Committee candidate Q&A
Planning Board candidate Q&A
Uncontested candidate Q&A (partial)
PTO candidate forum
“My Turn” posts by and about the candidates

Offices & Candidates	Prec. 1	Prec. 2	Total
Select Board
Kimberly A. Bodnar	592	332	924
Write-ins	2	5	7
Blank	148	90	238
Total	742	427	1,169

Board of Assessors
Ellen B. Meadors	584	319	903
Write-ins	2	1	3
Blank	156	107	263
Total	742	427	1,169

Board of Health
Frederick Lawton Mansfield	575	314	889
Write-ins	1	2	3
Blank	166	111	277
Total	742	427	1,169

Cemetery Commissioner
Manley B. Boyce	592	319	911
Write-ins	3	2	5
Blank	147	106	253
Total	742	427	1,169

Commissioner of Trust Funds
Derek Paul Fitzgerald	562	301	863
Write-ins	1	1	2
Blank	179	125	304
Total	742	427	1,169

Housing Commission (3-year term)
Neil Michael Feinberg	518	299	817
Write-ins	4	4	8
Blank	220	124	344
Total	742	427	1,169

Housing Commission (2-year term)
Julie A. Brogan	563	306	869
Write-ins	1	1	2
Blank	178	120	298
Total	742	427	1,169

Moderator
Sarah Cannon Holden	579	318	897
Write-ins	13	10	23
Blank	150	99	249
Total	742	427	1,169

Parks and Recreation Committee
Robert Stringer	574	313	887
Write-ins	2	2	4
Blank	166	112	278
Total	742	427	1,169

Planning Board
Lynn E. Delisi	394	208	602
Mark Levinson	271	146	417
Craig M. Nicholson	458	278	736
Write-ins	5	0	5
Blank	356	222	578
Total	1,484	854	2,338

School Committee
Adam M. Hogue	235	144	379
Peter M. Buchthal	163	103	266
Jacob Lehrhoff	404	208	612
Matina Madrick	489	277	766
Write-ins	1	1	2
Blank	192	121	313
Total	1,484	854	2,338

Trustees of Bemis
Rachel Marie Schachter	562	300	862
Write-ins	2	0	2
Blank	178	127	305
Total	742	427	1,169

Water Commissioner (3-year term)
Matthew Bio	562	302	864
Write-ins	1	1	2
Blank	179	124	303
Total	742	427	1,169

Water Commissioner (2-year term)
Stephen Rees Gladstone	559	299	858
Write-ins	1	1	2
Blank	182	127	309
Total	742	427	1,169

Water Commissioner (1-year term)
Patrick J. Lawler	573	300	873
Write-ins	2	1	3
Blank	167	126	293
Total	742	427	1,169

Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee results

	Prec. 1	Prec. 2	Lincoln total	Sudbury total	Grand total
Lucy Mason Maulsby (Lincoln)	574	317	891	1,977	2,868
Ravi Simon (Sudbury)	418	216	634	1,996	2,630
Write-ins	3	2	5	17	22
Blank	489	319	808	2,662	3,470
Total	1,484	854	2,338	6,652	8,990

Candidates offer differing views on issues at forum

March 23, 2023

Five of the seven candidates in the contested School Committee and Planning Board races shared their views on issues including class size and the Housing Choice Act at a March 21 forum. A recording of the event is available here for viewing in advance of the election on Monday, March 27.

School Committee

Candidates for the two seats: Peter Buchthal, Adam Hogue (two-term incumbent), Matina Madrick, and Jake Lehrhoff, who was not present.

Buchthal has been posting pieces on LincolnTalk about student attrition at the Lincoln School, what he termed an “achievement gap,” and funding, saying that Lincoln “spends substantially more per student than peer towns.”

“We need a new set of eyes, not a rubber stamp,” he said.

While Hogue touted his record of helping negotiate past teacher contracts and fighting to keep the Lincoln Public School open during the pandemic, Madrick said that “educators and administrators have also gone through a big mental health crisis” during that time, and the School Committee “could look at aligning the budget to provide services for our educators.”

The candidates had different takes on the issue of diversity work in the schools. “The AIDE [access, inclusion, diversity, and equity] work I think has been terrific,” particularly the recent 21-day AIDE Challenge, said Madrick, who also lauded the schools’ Portrait of a Learner initiative.

“I really support the AIDE stuff but these are really difficult conversations, Hogue said. When the issue was first being discussed in depth on the School Committee, “everyone was kind of singing ‘Kumbaya’ but not talking. When we had to start debating issues, it was tough — we butted heads. We disagreed but it was actually a good thing [because] we went through the issues.” He said some committee members initially wanted to focus on issues surrounding Black and Indigenous students, “but I said I disagree with this” because he wanted to include LGBTQ students and “Asian hate” in the conversation. “I got some nasty emails about that,” he said.

Buchthal said “really didn’t know the details” about the AIDE and Portrait of a Learner work. “We need to focus on what they’re behind in, and that’s reading, writing, and arithmetic,” he said. He claimed that a recent assessment showed that 38% of Lincoln School students are one or more grades behind where they should be, “and we should start looking at what we should do in terms of an action plan.”

Regarding the METCO program, Madrick advocated having more activities involving Lincoln students and parents in Boston. Buchthal again brought up the achievement gap during the METCO discussion, saying that “the program has enormous potential but we haven’t achieved it yet… I’m all for the social aspects but [METCO kids] spend two hours a day coming and going from here, and we have to make sure they get the best education possible. With this kind of gap we’re not doing what we need to do.”

All three School Committee candidates welcomed the hire of Superintendent of Schools Parry Graham and vowed to support him as much as possible. “I’d give him super carte blanche to put everything on the table — this is his regime,” Buchthal said. Also on deck is a new middle school principal. “They handle disciplinary issues [and] and we need clearer, more defined disciplinary rules,” he added. If there’s instances of bullying or “a kid says he doesn’t want to do his homework, what happens to them? I don’t know.”

The candidates diverged on the issue of class sizes. Research showing the benefits of smaller classes has been “debunked” by the Department of Education, Buchthal said. Some middle school classes have been as small as 15 students (largely due to students leaving the district, he said)., adding that larger classes offer “social benefits as well as little bit of competition.”

But Madrick disagreed, noting that her daughter was in a 32-student class in kindergarten in another town “and it was chaos — she spent the year doing worksheets.” Although “I’m sure in some cases we could add students” to a class, “this is kind of more complicated for a small district. It’s a big privilege to have that problem and I’m happy to have it and happy to have discussions about it, but I’m not sure it’s such a high priority for our district right now.”

Planning Board

Candidates: Craig Nicholson and Mark Levinson (incumbent Lynn DeLisi was not present).

The two biggest planning issues facing Lincoln at the moment are the proposed expansions of Hanscom Field and The Commons in Lincoln, and the Housing Choice Act (HCA), which requires “MBTA communities” including Lincoln to allow more multifamily housing by right. “The initial proposal sprung on the [Commons] residents didn’t seem to protect their interests very much,” Levinson said. As for the Hanscom proposal, “it’s a really bad idea for all sorts of reasons,” including increased air and road traffic and noise,” he added.

The idea has attracted protests from hundreds of area residents, and developers must now submit a detailed environmental impact report. Nevertheless, “Massport has made it clear they want to do something there. It would be foolish to think that pressure is going to go away,” Nicholson said. “The town doesn’t have direct control, but we have to do as much as we can as a town to apply political pressure on our state and federal legislators.”

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office recently ratcheted up the pressure on towns by making it clear that compliance with the HCA is not optional. Lincoln’s HCA Working Group is working to figure out how the rules apply specifically to Lincoln. A Town Meeting vote on zoning amendments is expected in March 2024.

“It has to start with a tremendous amount of outreach,” Nicholson said. As the working group looks at what areas of town could be subject to rezoning, “it may not necessarily all be negative impacts.”

The two candidates were also asked about how to make it easier for families and others (even if they are not technically low-income) to afford a home in Lincoln. Nicholson noted that this is a regional problem that is driven largely by supply and demand.

As Levinson noted, the town is again proposing to amend zoning rules in order to encourage more accessory apartments. If approved, Article 26 will allow accessory apartments by right within the principal dwelling unit and would streamline the permitting process for an unit in an accessory structure by deleting the requirement of a Planning Board recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals. This would hopefully create more housing that is “relatively affordable,” he said.

A look at town election candidates who are running uncontested

March 20, 2023

Following are responses from some of the Lincolnites who are running uncontested as first-time or incumbent candidates on the March 27 town election. The Lincoln Squirrel previously published articles looking at the contested races for Planning Board and School Committee.

Kim Bodnar (Select Board)
Manley Boyce (Cemetery Commission)
Neil Feinberg (Housing Commission)
Paul Fitzgerald (Commissioner of Trust Funds)
Fred Mansfield (Board of Health)
Lucy Maulsby (L-S School Committee)
Ravi Simon (L-S School Committee)
Rob Stringer (Parks and Recreation Committee)

Kim Bodnar

Running for: Select Board (first-time candidate)

Kim Bodnar

1. What made you decide to run for this board or committee?

From my family’s earliest days in Lincoln, I have valued my time first as a school volunteer and then as a town volunteer. As a member of the School Building Committee (SBC), I enjoyed my time collaborating with other boards, committees and town staff and have learned so much by listening to and engaging with other residents. Although challenging, I also appreciate the moments in the committee where we had to debate, question, and make hard decisions to come to a consensus and move the project forward. As it winds down, I realized that it is these connections and moments that I would miss most, and this is what brings me to my next chapter as a volunteer. I appreciate and value the input from residents and, as a Select Board member, look forward to expanding my scope of work and problem solving for the betterment of Lincoln.

2. What would you bring to the table for this position in terms of specific professional and/or personal experience?

I believe my professional experience in project management and communication will serve me well on the Select Board. Being able to juggle multiple projects, understand the details of an issue, ask probing questions, and listen to feedback from different stakeholders while working towards positive outcomes are skills that I’ve developed in my professional background and while volunteering in Lincoln. I also value a collaborative, thoughtful approach that focuses on building consensus.

3. What do you think is the biggest issue facing the board or committee you’re running for, and, if elected, how do you plan to address it?

As a Select Board member, I will work to ensure that residents have relevant information in a timely manner to make important town decisions. To support that goal, often times the Select Board will bring together representatives from other town boards and committees to flesh out a topic, seek the necessary information, ask the pertinent questions, gather residents to hear feedback, and respond with an inclusive and thoughtful multi-board strategy. One of the challenges facing Lincoln today is housing, especially in the middle market. I support and greatly appreciate the efforts of our Housing Choice Act Working Group that was formed by the Select Board in 2022 as a response to the state’s Housing Choice Initiative, which was created to encourage towns and cities to approve zoning bylaws that help the state meet the high demand for housing. This is one of the state’s effort to tackle our housing crisis. As a community whose polling suggests we value more diversified housing, we must be open to creative and thoughtful problem solving that best serves the needs of our community. I look forward to collaborating with the talented volunteers on the Housing Commission, Planning Board, our town’s professional staff, the Housing Choice Act Working Group, and the many others involved to learn more about these challenges and how we might affect responsible change.

Manley Boyce

Running for: Cemetery Commission (incumbent)

I am Manley Boyce and I have been on the Cemetery Commission for some time now. I am retired but had been the director of transportation for the Concord-Carlisle High School and the Concord Schools after changing careers from working with Mobil Oil Company.

Our biggest challenge is addressing the needs of the Lincoln community regarding cemetery space. We are actively looking into finding more space in the future. We also need to focus on keeping our cemeteries in pristine condition. This includes reminding visitors who bring their leashed dogs to the cemetery that they need to respect our grounds by diligently removing any debris.

Neil Feinberg

Running for: Housing Commission (first-time candidate)

Neil Feinberg

1. What made you decide to run for this board or committee?

I decided to run for the Lincoln Housing Commission because of its pivotal role in managing Lincoln’s existing affordable housing stock and in creating additional affordable housing. I’m particularly interested in creating more affordable housing for seniors on fixed incomes, town employees, and children of present and past residents, as stated in the commission’s charter.

2. What would you bring to the table for this position in terms of specific professional and/or personal experience?

I have been a corporate recruiter most of my adult life. This has given me the opportunity to evaluate a person’s impact on organizations. Locally, I served as a Bemis Trustee, as a member and chairman of the Lincoln Celebrations Committee for over a decade, and as town treasurer and collector of taxes (don’t hold that last part against me). Also, for 20 years I wrote a highly influential (not really) weekly column about politics and life in Lincoln that appeared in the Lincoln Journal.

3. What do you think is the biggest issue facing the board or committee you’re running for, and, if elected, how do you plan to address it?

Without a doubt, Lincoln’s ability to comply with the state-mandated MBTA communities zoning law represents the Commission’s most significant challenge in the coming years. That law requires communities with MBTA service to allow multifamily housing within a half-mile of transit stations. Lincoln is required to submit zoning changes to allow such development in 2024. This is problematic for Lincoln, given the dearth of available land for development. Any solution will require great creativity. I look forward to playing a role in that process and in the town’s relationship with the Commonwealth.

Paul Fitzgerald

Running for: Commissioner of Trust Funds (incumbent)

I have been on the Commissions of Trust board for six years. This will be my second re-election. I am a general practice CPA with the Boston-based CPA firm R.A. Hall & Co., LLC.

One of the interesting conversations the board had was considering how to approach the petition in the town to divest from fossil fuels. Ultimately the board decided that it would not have any direct investment in fossil fuel stocks but would continue to use mutual funds which might or might not include some energy components.

The board also had to consider what the impact of this kind of decision could have on the town’s portfolio, as the same criteria could be applied to any number of socially contentious issues. At what point would restricted investment mean the town not giving student scholarships or shutting down other programs? While the town is not in that position now, the eventual impact of restrictions could lead to that situation.

The challenge for the board going forward is to see that the town’s portfolio performs reasonably and safely so that resources can be available to the town for the various programs to which people have contributed funds over its history can be maintained. I expect there will be various turbulence in the markets over the coming years. Our job is to screen out the noise and make sure that the town portfolio stays on a reasoned and secure footing.

Fred Mansfield

Running for: Board of Health (incumbent)

I have served on the Board of Health since 1996 and am an orthopedic spine surgeon (recently retired). Routine issues for the board include septic system inspection, permitting, and variances; inspection and permitting of food establishments — Donelan’s, Twisted Tree, Tack room, coffee shop at DeCordova, church kitchens, etc.; vaccination clinics; discussion of Covid prevention measures for schools, churches, Pierce House events, Bemis Hall, summer camps, and trails; and radon testing.

Our biggest challenge in the next three years (as always in the past) is to deal with each issue before us on the basis of scientific evidence (FDA, CDC, medical professional societies, public health societies), and then to convince Lincoln’s citizens of the reasonableness of our suggestions, since we have very limited enforcement power.

Lucy Maulsby

Running for: Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee (first-time candidate)

Lucy Maulsby

1. What made you decide to run for this board or committee?

With my eldest child joining LSRHS as a ninth-grader next year and another headed there in a few short years, I am especially looking forward to helping shape the future of L-S as the school transitions to new leadership at a critical time in the institution’s history.

2. What would you bring to the table for this position in terms of specific professional and/or personal experiences?

I am an Associate Professor at Northeastern University where, in addition to teaching courses in architectural history, I manage undergraduate programs and have served as chair of the School of Architecture. In these roles I am engaged in curriculum and program development, faculty assessment, budget preparation, staff reviews, hiring of faculty and staff, and student engagement and support.

I have also supported the Lincoln Public Schools as the School Committee appointee to the Library Board of Trustees (2019–present) and as a member at large and grant chair for the Lincoln School Foundation (2014–18). This work has instilled in me a deep appreciation for student-centered learning and the transformative potential of education.

Each candidate brings a unique set of skills and perspectives. As a Lincoln resident, I am excited to forge meaningful links between L-S and Lincoln, especially the Lincoln schools. As a parent, I look forward to supporting the continued growth of L-S as a vital and dynamic institution. As an educator, I am deeply committed to the transformative power of education and alert to the critical role high school plays in preparing students for the future.

3. What do you think is the biggest issue facing the board or committee you’re running for, and, if elected, how do you plan to address it?

I look forward to supporting the school during the transition to new leadership as the school welcomes a new principal/superintendent and several key administrators in the coming year. To facilitate this process, I will aim to forge connections between leadership within L-S and the communities of which the school is a part; and foster an environment of thoughtful, respectful, and transparent participation and debate within the School Committee.

Ravi Simon

Running for: Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee (first-time candidate)

Ravi Simon

1. What made you decide to run for this board or committee?

My experience in the public schools, especially Lincoln-Sudbury, profoundly shaped the person I have become, including my career in public service. I am excited to be running for School Committee because, as a member of the Class of 2015, I still see myself in the student body and I feel a strong sense of responsibility for our high school. First as a student, then as a legislative staffer, I have seen firsthand the kind of impact that policy and budgetary decisions can have on L-S. I am seeking this seat to help the next generation of students unlock their passions.

2. What would you bring to the table for this position in terms of specific professional and/or personal experiences?

Currently, I work as the sole staffer for State Representative Carmine Gentile, who represents Sudbury and Precinct 1 in Lincoln. In my position, I have gained valuable experience learning about education funding, advocating for policies that benefit our students, and working to secure money for our communities. My experience on the state level would be an asset for the committee.

If elected, I will bring a fresh, first-hand perspective to the table as a former student. I would be the only member of the L-S school committee to have recently graduated high school, a valuable perspective on topics such as student mental health.

3. What do you think is the biggest issue facing the board or committee you’re running for, and if elected, how do you plan to address it?

In the near term, the greatest issue for the School Committee is managing a major transition to a new superintendent/principal. Not only is Bella Wong leaving, but several top positions in the L-S administration are turning over to new folks. We need to make sure that the L-S School Committee works collaboratively with the new superintendent and administration to support their work and limit disruption to teachers and students. I also have a full platform you can read at ravisimon.com.

Rob Stringer

Running for: Parks and Recreation Committee (incumbent)

Rob Stringer (for other examples of his art, click here.)

I am Rob Stringer (he/him pronouns) and I am running for re-election to the Parks and Recreation Committee. This will be my second term on the committee, and I look forward to another three years of helping to build community in Lincoln through the programs and events run by the wonderful staff at the Parks and Recreation Department and community volunteers.

The past three years were quite challenging for the department. There was Covid that halted most of our regularly scheduled programs. Then we had to adapt to the new social distancing restrictions to get the pool open, have camp-like activities running, and bringing back other much-loved programs to keep Lincolnites and our other members engaged and active while safe. The great news is that more school-aged residents seem to be taking advantage of what the department is offering than before Covid. However, one of the major challenges we’ll have in the next three years is to re-engage our adult population, whose numbers have not rebounded in the way we’d like.

One of the pieces of feedback we’ve heard as to why adults are not coming back is they don’t feel comfortable going to in-person events in our current available space. I hope that a new/renovated building can provide spaces for re-engagement of our adult community in a way our current infrastructure cannot. Prior to any construction, we’ll be focused on continuing to provide the best in-person and hybrid programming while building on the success of our new annual events like Fall Fest and the Candy Cane hunt.

Additionally, once the central field at Ballfield Road is back and available (for parking), we can start planning for our annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration, most likely for summer of 2024. Finally, maintaining our current facilities will continue to be a challenge and investment. The clay tennis courts have reached a level of maturity that will involve the town having to do some major work on the irrigation system to keep them up and running; the slide at the pool will hopefully soon be replaced; the fields around the renovated Lincoln School have to be fixed and then established before they can be open for use for T-ball, baseball, and soccer; other fields in town have drainage issues that are in the process of being addressed; and the mowing and maintenance contracts for all town-owned fields and parks have to continually be managed. I look forward to continuing to work with Jessica, David, and Laurie as well as the rest of the committee to continue to put in the work to provide spaces and programs that build community here in Lincoln.

Town election candidates: School Committee

March 14, 2023

The Lincoln Squirrel will be introducing readers to candidates on the March 27 town election ballot, starting with the two contested races, and the PTO is hosting a candidate forum as well. Today we focus on the School Committee, which has four candidates competing for two seats. Following are their lightly edited responses to questions posed via email in alphabetical order by last name:

Peter Buchthal
Adam Hogue (incumbent)
Jacob Lehrhoff
Matina Madrick

Peter Buchthal

What made you decide to run for a seat on the School Committee at this time?

I grew up in Scarsdale, N.Y., which has a great public school. During the pandemic from September 2020 onward, I have been very grateful that our Lincoln School has been great and open for business with in-person schooling. My wife and I are parents to three wonderful children who are in kindergarten, second, and third grades.

Now that my children have gotten older and are all in the Lincoln School, I have become increasingly concerned with certain aspects of their education. I understand that all children learn at different speeds. We are lucky in that all three of our children enjoy math. However, the math curriculum appears to be focused on meeting and not exceeding the Common Core standards. If a student is ahead of the rest of the class, math can become really boring for that student as the class spends time on math skills that they may have already mastered. I am also not really sure what the math curriculum is, as none of my children have math textbooks or a published curriculum. Why are we not buying a textbook when it is so much cheaper than to do custom course development? Do we really think our curriculum will be better than vetted and tested than a curriculum from professional publishers?

Last spring’s student survey showed a high degree of lack of engagement and belonging that increased as the students progressed up through the higher grades. The administration hasn’t come up with causal reasons for these sentiments. Without identifying the reasons, no solution will likely be successful. On our most recent i-Ready testing, 38% of our children are one grade or more behind in their studies. So, whatever we are doing for all of our students isn’t working that well. I listened to the School Committee’s March 9 meeting where they went over the recent i-Ready scores. At no time did the administration present a defined action plan on what they were going to do to improve the scores of our students.

I believe the School Committee needs fresh eyes to help the school administration chart a better path forward as too many students are behind where they should be and not satisfied with their educational experience. I have befriended one of the parent coaches of our IMLEM [Intermediate Math League of Eastern Massachusetts] after-school math team for grades 4-8. He told me that Lincoln is unique compared with all of the other school districts they compete against. Our team is 100% coached by dedicated parents and all other competing math teams have coaches who are professional math teachers in their respective schools. I learned that early in the fall, he asked our superintendent to assign a math teacher to help the students. She queried our community of Lincoln and Hanscom teachers and reported back that no teacher wrote back who wished to coach (for money) the math team. Forty years ago in Scarsdale, I remember new teachers were expected to work extra jobs after school to help students outside the classroom and supervised activities like the yearbook, bridge club, chess club and math teams. I was dismayed that our school and school administration had a culture that didn’t encourage extra work from the staff to help the stronger kids.

I have talked to many parents of kids in grades 1–5 and it seems that a high percentage of them send their children to extra outside academic courses like Russian Math, Beast Academy, and Kumon. Since we spend more than 25% more per student than our neighboring towns, why shouldn’t we ask the school to provide a more challenging curriculum either during or after school, so that all families don’t have to waste their after-school time and gas driving to these programs? Shouldn’t the School Committee be focused on meeting the needs of all of the Lincoln students including the academically motivated ones?

Additionally, I have been troubled that the current school administration and School Committee seems intent on hiring a new middle school principal without giving our new superintendent Parry Graham time (he won’t be on the payroll until July 1, 2023) to figure out what skills are most needed in the position. Our new superintendent just wrote to Wayland parents last week: “Because we have a number of different positions open, and because I know I will not be in Wayland after June 30, I am very reluctant to make long-term leadership decisions for several of our central office positions. For that reason, several of these positions will be hired as interim, one-year positions.”

Our new middle school principal is exactly the kind of long-term hire that Graham should be allowed to take his time selecting. Graham is currently exceedingly busy in Wayland and we are asking him to make at best a rushed decision. The current principal search was also flawed as the initial search committee included only a Boston-based Lincoln parent and not a single non-affiliated Lincoln taxpayer parent. Lincoln taxpayer parents deserve a seat at the table and if I were elected to the School Committee, I would demand it.

Last year, I was made aware of one second-grade class that had a student who misbehaved and got violent from time to time. All of the students were taught the safe word “milkshake” so that when the teacher yelled “milkshake,” they all exited the classroom to go to a safe area. Students who misbehave and distract the learning of others should not be allowed in the classroom. Teachers spend a large amount of time on discipline/behavior issues instead of teaching. I understand that there have been at least four full school days of professional development specifically about classroom management and behavior issues. During those days, substitute teachers were left to try and teach the classrooms, which is most often not effective. As a School Committee member, I would ask for a public committee to publicize and enforce consistent behavior standards across the student body so that teachers get more time to teach and less time dealing with behavior issues. This public committee should publish metrics to show the effectiveness of the new enforced policies. We all should want students who want to learn in the classroom.

Parent surveys that were collected about 30 years ago were recently shared on LincolnTalk. The surveys showed Lincoln students were not well prepared for Lincoln-Sudbury high school. I believe we need to have an outside firm collect surveys to really understand what parents and taxpayers think on a variety of topics. Town meetings are not a great way to share sentiments, especially as voters can at times feel intimidated to not express themselves against the grain. Vocal groups can drown out other valued members of our community. Asking the School Committee or school administration to run a survey is like asking to the fox to guard the henhouse, so I would recommend using an outside firm or service to collect the survey data.

Why am I running for School Committee? Change happens from within, and I look forward to working with our new superintendent, other School Committee members and parents to identify our problems and come up with solutions to improve everyone’s satisfaction. I want a great public education for my children and I hope to help many others get one as well. I pledge to listen to everyone and am confident I will be successful.

What would you bring to the table in terms of specific professional and/or personal experiences?

As an engineer and entrepreneur, I feel qualified to dig in and ask hard questions to our administration to ensure all students excel in our school. I have experience in board meetings, finance, and solving complex hard problems. I have founded two successful software companies that involved creating solutions to meet specific customer needs. If elected, I feel I can help focus the administration on helping all of the students reach their potential.

Since this is a contested seat, why should Lincolnites vote for you in particular? What past history or personal/political positions make you better qualified than one or more of the other candidates?

I am good at researching complex items. Along with another parent, we have discovered that contrary to all written and oral communication from the school administration and town, we the Lincoln taxpayers subsidize the Hanscom school system at around $1,000,000 per year. Either through mismanagement or poor contract management, the Defense Department does not pay all of the expenses of the Hanscom school as advertised. We believe these extra expenses as are disguised as increased pension and benefit expenses for all Lincoln town employees. Hanscom teachers and support staff are actually all Lincoln town employees. For every personal dollar paid to a town employee, approximately 50 cents of that cost is paid by the town as additional pension and benefit expenses. Our peer towns (Weston, Wayland, Sudbury, Carlisle, Dover, Sherborn and Concord) have pension and benefits expenses of around 20 to 35 cents per dollar of salaries. No one in the school administration or town administration has answered the question of why are our pension and benefits so much more expensive than our peer towns, and I believe our benefits are no better than our peer towns to justify the increased costs. Unless I am elected to the School Committee, this costly issue will get buried as the administration denies our requests for detailed records and contracts required to understand our accounting treatment. I pledge to be open and transparent with this information.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing the School Committee over the next three years, and if elected, how do you plan to address it?

It is a toss-up between declining enrollment of Lincoln resident students and discipline/bullying problems. Unless we address our declining enrollment as parents choose to leave our school in greater numbers than our peer towns, our school may continue to shrink and become at a certain point unviable as an independent school. I would recommend that the School Committee survey parents to learn their areas of dissatisfaction so that we may address them.

As far as discipline/bullying problems, I would ask the School Committee to implement standards to ensure that discipline and misbehaving does not adversely impact the education of other students and publish metrics to show that our teachers are spending their time teaching and not being consumed with discipline problems.

Who are your three biggest heroes in American history and why?

Ed Koch — former mayor of New York City. He continually asked the public, “How am I doing?” He was always optimistic and frank. He served as mayor for 12 years. Imagine — in 1981 he was re-elected mayor of New York City under both the Democratic and Republican lines on the ballot. He had tremendous wit. One example was his no-parking sign that said, “Don’t even think of parking here.”

Steve Jobs — he was perhaps the best industrial designer of all time. The combined software and hardware products that he created are simply beautiful, elegant and easy to use by billions of people every day.

Chesley Sullenberger — pilot of Miracle on the Hudson aircraft ditching. When he lost both jet engines at a low altitude, his training and judgement allowed him to land his plane on the Hudson River. He never lost his cool and everyone survived.

Adam Hogue

What made you decide to run again for a seat on the School Committee at this time?

I am a candidate for reelection and I decided to run again to work with the new superintendent we just hired and continuing my work with the teacher contract negotiations. I also want to continue to fight for a focus on data-driven decisions to help close our achievement gaps.

What would you bring to the table in terms of specific professional and/or personal experiences?

I bring my experience of having served on the Lincoln School Committee for the last five years, successfully negotiating several contracts with our unions and preparing budgets, as well as learning how our town government works. I also previously served on the board of the Lowell Community Charter School for four years.

Since this is a contested seat, why should Lincolnites vote for you in particular? What past history or personal/political positions make you better qualified than one or more of the other candidates?

During the pandemic, I stood up for students and fought to keep the schools open, successfully convincing my fellow members to vote to open the schools. I have the experience to navigate tough budget decisions and have built relationships in town that will help the schools over the next three years.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing the School Committee over the next three years, and if elected, how do you plan to address it?

One of our biggest issues is going to be our budget. I plan to be creative and use my knowledge of the town budget to keep our schools well funded while avoiding an override.

Who are your three biggest heroes in American history and why?

Abraham Lincoln, because of the leadership he showed during one of the greatest crises this nation has ever faced. Gen. Dwight D Eisenhower, for his steadfast leadership during WWII and during his presidency. Fredrick Douglass, for being a leader in the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage and civil rights.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?

As an officer in the Army National Guard, public service is a priority for me, and it would be a great honor to serve another term on the Lincoln School Committee.

Jacob Lehrhoff

What made you decide to run for a seat on the School Committee at this time?

After a first career as an educator, I believed I had closed that chapter of my life and moved on. I maintained a passion for education but understood that it wasn’t the only career I wanted to pursue. When I taught, I had a palpable sense that I was giving back, that I was serving. Now working in tech, I love what I do, but I can’t claim to be serving or giving back in some tangible way. I came to realize that there are other ways to participate in and influence the schools, and that I can give back to my own community. Sitting with this realization, I considered running for School Committee last year, but my wife and I were expecting our second child and knew the coming months would be wild. Now that sleep is stable and life is functional, I’d like to step up and give back.

What would you bring to the table in terms of specific professional and/or personal experiences?

As a former educator, I’ve seen first-hand the transformative effect that a well-designed education can have on students and the coordinated effort required to ensure that education meets students’ needs. I taught English/language arts at the Gifford School in Weston for six years, three of them as department chair. That on-the-ground experience — designing curriculum, scaffolding lessons for students, hearing parents’ wishes and concerns — imbues me with empathy for every layer across the system. I know that Gifford is not a typical setting and many of the needs I supported are outside the expectations of a public school, but the learning remains: every student is unique, every family has their own perspective, and everyone deserves compassion and curiosity. Lincoln’s school budget may read as a series of line items, but there are stories behind those investments, and the decisions we make with our budget affects lives.

My career has changed dramatically since my years in education. I currently lead the data science and user research organization at Spotify, developing personalized listening experiences. In my seven years at Spotify, I’ve honed both my research and collaborative skills. I teach my team that the goal isn’t only to create knowledge, it’s to drive action. We simultaneously hone our craft — drafting research questions and methodology, executing research — and hone our storytelling, collaborative, and influencing skills. We form the narrative of our insights around our understanding of stakeholders’ interests and perspectives to influence decision-making. It’s these skills that will help me support thoughtful policy decisions.

Since this is a contested seat, why should Lincolnites vote for you in particular? What past history or personal/political positions make you better qualified than one or more of the other candidates?

What I want voters to know is that the most critical tool I would bring to and employ on the School Committee isn’t any particular facility with data: it’s empathy. Progress requires collaboration; collaboration depends on relationships, and relationships take time and curiosity to build. When facing challenges, different perspectives are valid, problems have multiple sides, and solutions aren’t singular. Through listening, I hope to influence positive decisions.

I hear many topics of interest: bullying, student engagement, challenging high achievers. I hope to match that interest from the town with an understanding of what decisions the administration and School Committee have made to date, why, what’s next in the plan, and what we aren’t focusing on if we further prioritize these topics.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing the School Committee over the next three years, and if elected, how do you plan to address it?

The Lincoln Public Schools are embarking on a lot of change. We are about to have a new superintendent and a new principal. While not something that will take three years, the most important issue is building relationships with the changing administration, ensuring the administration is building relationships within the schools to diagnose opportunities and drive positive change, and ensuring Lincoln is connected to all of it. Yes there are many topics that deserve attention — continuing our investment in antiracism, inclusion, diversity, and equity; further realizing the “portrait of a learner” in our schools; ensuring student engagement is high; identifying opportunities to minimize bullying, etc. — but no progress will be made on any of these topics without investment in those new relationships. One opportunity to create those connections would be to bring back regularly scheduled coffee events with School Committee members to ensure that people feel heard and connections can be made.

Who are your three biggest heroes in American history and why?

After sitting with this question for some time, I’ve found that my most authentic answer is to celebrate groups that deserve attention rather than elevate specific individuals. I thought about the working poor, fighting to provide for their families in a system that isn’t necessarily designed for their success. I thought about union organizers, so quickly demonized by organizations with deep pockets. I thought about people who manage to speak out against wrongs committed upon them by people of power and the many more who have no platform or agency to speak out. And then I realized I am most moved by the perseverance against inequity and the will to cause change for the good.

I feel fortunate to have received a good public school education just two towns away in Natick, to have had many opportunities in front of me throughout my life — to have never felt that I wouldn’t be given a fair shot. And I deeply admire those who see that many don’t have those same luxuries and choose to fight for equity.

Matina Madrick

What made you decide to run for a seat on the School Committee at this time?

We moved to Lincoln in the summer of 2020 with our three children, who attended the Lincoln Public and Lincoln-Sudbury at that time. We have been very happy in Lincoln and I am excited to be able to serve the community.

I have had a longstanding interest in education policy as I earned my master’s degree in public policy and economics from Princeton University. I have professional experience in education finance and education consulting. I have also been a volunteer in many different schools and extracurricular activities. I strongly believe in the mission of public schools and I have a vested interest in maintaining and improving education in Lincoln. My children are at ages where I am able to make a more substantial commitment to volunteer work outside of the home and I would be thrilled with the opportunity to serve the community on the School Committee.

What would you bring to the table in terms of specific professional and/or personal experiences?

Before having a family, I earned a master’s degree in policy and economics from Princeton University. After graduating, I worked at the New York Independent Budget Office analyzing the New York City education budget. This experience provided me with an introduction to education finance and introduced me to the importance of municipal budgets in the implementation of policy. I also worked on other education issues such as class size, graduation rates, and outcomes. Once I started a family, I had a number of opportunities to work part-time in education consulting, grant writing, analyzing compensation plans, and helping to build recruiting plans for education administrators.

Personally, my children have attended schools in three different public school districts and I have volunteered in all of these districts. I have seen many different programs and services that work both better and worse than in Lincoln and I am eager to share that perspective.

Since this is a contested seat, why should Lincolnites vote for you in particular? What past history or personal/political positions make you better qualified than one or more of the other candidates?

My professional experience in education finance and policy as well as my experience as a parent in several different school districts have provided me with some excellent and different perspectives on the Lincoln Public Schools. Additionally, two of my children are now high schoolers and I can speak to the experience of their preparedness for high school and what worked and did not work in their elementary and middle school experiences.

My commitment to my kids’ education through volunteering in the schools and extracurricular activities for my kids is also a strong factor in my candidacy. I have been an active volunteer for the schools as a class parent, classroom assistant, and volunteer for special programs,