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

agriculture and flora

Updates on multitude of issues planned for State of the Town

An agenda chock-full of information and discussion about issues affecting Lincoln’s future will greet residents at the State of the Town meeting on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in the Lincoln School auditorium. The event offers informational updates on important issues in town and (in some cases) a preview of measures that will come up for votes at the Annual Town Meeting in spring 2018.

The first 90 minutes will consist of presentations the two proposed campus building projects: the Lincoln School building project and the Community Center project. Recent Lincoln Squirrel articles on these topics include:

Other agenda items are below, and are also discussed in the latest Selectmen’s Newsletter. There will then be an open forum from 11:40 a.m.–noon and an opportunity to talk to representatives of the groups who presented during the meeting at information/discussion tables from 12:30–1 p.m.

Lincoln Station

The South Lincoln Implementation Planning Committee is studying improvements to the Lincoln Station area as well as possible rezoning, though a proposed zoning bylaw change is not likely by spring. There are five teams working on different topics for SLPIC, which reports to the Planning Board.

Plastic bags and bottles

The Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Environmental Club is revisiting its push to regulate the sale of disposable plastic grocery bags and single-use plastic water bottles in Lincoln. Warrant articles were tabled in Town Meeting in 2017 but passed in Sudbury. Town Meeting will feature either warrant articles or a general bylaw change proposal.

Recreational marijuana

The Board of Selectmen is forming a committee to help the town understand the 2016 statewide measure that legalized the cultivation, personal use and retail sale of recreational marijuana. The group will assess the law’s implications for Lincoln and make recommendations regarding potential policies, bylaws and regulations that may be desired and/or required to protect the town’s interests. Town Administrator Timothy Higgins said this week that a bylaw proposal may come up at a Special Town Meeting later in 2018 rather than the annual spring meeting.

To learn more about the committee, contact Higgins at 781-259-2604 or higginst@lincolntown.org. To apply, submit a letter of interest to Administrative Assistant Peggy Elder at elderp@lincolntown.org.

At Town Meeting in 2017, residents approved a moratorium on allowing use of land or structures for recreational marijuana establishments until November 30, 2018 pending new regulations from the Cannabis Control Commission and possible zoning amendments in Lincoln.

Historic District

The Historic District Commission and Friends of Modern Architecture are working with property owners interested in adding their Modern houses to the Lincoln Historic District. At Town Meeting, residents will vote on a proposal that would allow at least 17 owners of Modern homes to voluntarily join the Lincoln Historic District. The district currently consists of 73 properties in four different areas.

Sanctuary Town

A planned Town Meeting measure seeks to make Lincoln an official Sanctuary Town, which organizers hope will safeguard illegal immigrants in Lincoln from federal immigration enforcement and otherwise help immigrants feel protected

Mothers Out Front

This group has been working on local responses to climate change such as curbing greenhouse gas emissions by fixing gas leaks from underground pipes. Members are expected to propose a resolution at Town Meeting calling for the repair of utilities’ leaking gas pipes.

Food project workers grow food justice awareness along with crops

Ben S. of Winchester and Mariell A. of Roslindale pick carrots. (Photo by Alice Waugh)

They say you reap what you sow, but few people take it to heart more than the Food Project‘s Seed Crew.

The group of 26 youths aged 14-17 spent more than six weeks in July and August getting their hands dirty in Lincoln doing the hard work of farming. They were paid a stipend but also earned valuable knowledge about sustainable food systems, personal development, and serving at hunger relief organizations.

The Food Project hires teens from diverse cultural, racial, economic, and geographic backgrounds to work on Seed Crews at their farms in Lincoln, Boston, Beverly, Wenham, and Lynn. The crews work in the fields and take part in workshops on issues including sustainable agriculture, food access, and social justice. The teenagers also spend one day a week at a local hunger relief organization preparing and serving the produce they’re grown.

Seed Crew members can progress after their first summer to the Dirt Crew, which designs and executes a self-directed project to address food access issues in a community during the academic year. Root Crew members have more responsibility running the Food Project’s farms and markets in a yearlong program where they also serve as peer leaders for the Seed Crew and teach others in the community about food justice and food systems. They play important roles in the organization’s mission to promote access to fresh and affordable produce by building raised-bed gardens for residents and organizations, offering garden-based educational programming, and providing opportunities for people to use SNAP/EBT benefits to purchase fresh food.

Ezekiel Mercer-McDowall (left), who is in his 10th year at the Food Project, harvests beets with second-year worker Brendan Murtha of Watertown. (Photo by Alice Waugh)

On a midweek day in August, workers in bright green Seed Crew T-shirts were harvesting bright orange carrots from the brown soil in one section of the Food Project’s 30-acre site near Route 126 and Baker Bridge Road. Nearby, a melon patch was protected by flash tape (twisted Mylar tape that flashes silver and red in the breeze to scare off birds).

Another weedy patch of land nearby was lying fallow. Last summer, it held a potato crop that was devastated by Colorado potato beetles. Because the Food Project uses only organic farming methods, pesticides are not an option, so Seed Crew workers are sometimes assigned to don gloves, pick the beetles off the plants and squash them, explained supervisor Angel Araiza. Crew members undoubtedly find digging up bright orange carrots of all shapes and sizes more satisfying.

“I like the outdoors and gardening and also social justice—both of those things brought me out here,” said Seed Drew member Ben S. of Winchester (the Food Project does not release the last names of teenage volunteers to protect their privacy).

The field work is not easy. Seed Crews weed, harvest and do other outdoor tasks even if it’s raining. Very hot days are tough on the crops as well as the workers because they have move fast to wash, transport and and store the fruits and vegetables in a walk-in cooler.

“On hot days, we have a lot of moving parts—we have to get the field heat out of the crops as fast as possible,” Araiza explained on an unusually cool August morning. “Any time we can get a day like this, it’s a blessing.”

Gardening quartet (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Four women took a short break from restoring the Codman Farm flower garden to allow Ken Hurd to capture the moment on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Left to right: Heidi Nichols, Robin Wilkerson, Hilary Walker, and Nancy Fleming. “Let me assure you, Rosie the Riveter’s got nothing on them!” Hurd says. (Click to enlarge)

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.

Council on Aging activities in June

Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band
June 2 at 12:30 p.m.
On Friday, June 2, the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band will be in the house once again from 12:30–1:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Once again they will lift your spirits with upbeat favorite tunes for you to tap your toes to or sing along with. What? You’ve never been to even one of the past 38 concerts? Come find out what the regulars are enjoying while you’ve been sitting at home.

Lincoln Academy with Ben Horne—”The Essence of Bhutan”
June 5 at 12:30 p.m.
Ben will discuss, with pictures, a trip he and Jean took last October to the tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, known for its peace, happiness, and dramatic beauty. While many trips to the Himalayas can be classified as “treks”, this trip was more a brief immersion in the kingdom’s magical, mystical culture and history. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion. All ages welcome.

Tour the New Hanscom Middle School
June 8 at 10 a.m.
The Lincoln Public Schools and the Council on Aging invite you to tour the new Hanscom Middle School. A bus will leave the Donelan’s parking lot at 10 a.m. on June 8 and return about 1 p.m. You must call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up by noon on June 2, giving your full legal name and date of birth in order to be granted access to Hanscom Air Force Base. The new Hanscom Middle School is an 85,000-square-foot serving 300 students in grades 4-8. The $34 million construction cost was funded entirely by the Department of Defense Education ActivityThe firm of Ewing Cole designed the school building to support 21st-century education with grade-level “neighborhoods” where individual classrooms are clustered around common areas and small break-out spaces. This creates a flexible environment that fosters collaboration, accommodates project work, and provides opportunities for small, class-sized, or grade-level groups. The music room, art room, library, full kitchen, and gymnasium all have direct access to a central commons that features a stage and serves multiple functions: cafeteria space during lunch, performance center for music and drama, and a place to practice presentation skills for individuals and groups of students.  The building includes many energy-efficient features. The tour will be led by Superintendent Becky McFall.

Public Safety cookout
June 9 at 11 a.m.
Join Public Safety on Friday, June 9 at 11 a.m. for a cookout at the Pierce House. You’ll start off by finding out more about current trends in frauds and scams and how to avoid being a victim; home safety from both police and fire perspectives; and services offered by Public Safety. At noon, Public Safety will be cooking up hamburgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers with all the fixin’s. Because the event will be under the tent, the cookout will go on rain or shine. Please sign up by June 2 by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Lincoln Academy with James Harrison—”The Food Project and food justice in Massachusetts”
June 12 at 12:30 p.m.
James Harrison, executive director of The Food Project, will provide an update on the organization as well as the current state of food justice in Massachusetts and the role of The Food Project in creating multi-generational communities that work together to build sustainable and equitable food systems. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion. All ages welcome.

Free wellness clinic for all ages
June 13 at 10 a.m.
Meet with a nurse at Lincoln Woods on Tuesday, June 13 from 10 a.m. to noon. Blood pressure, nutrition and fitness, medication management, chronic disease management, resources, and more. Funded by the Ogden Codman Trust and provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care.

Medicare 101: What to know, how to choose
June 13 at 7 p.m.
Come find out the basics of Medicare on Tuesday, June 13 at 7 p.m. at Bemis Hall with Minuteman Senior Services SHINE counselors Don Milan and Anne Meade. This introduction to Medicare is especially for those who will be signing up soon, but is also for those who just wish to learn more and understand their benefits better. Don and Anne will discuss traditional Medicare, Medigap plans, Advantage plans, and medication drug coverage (Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D), how to go about choosing the plan or plans that are best for you, avoiding penalties when you sign up late, and more. Bring your questions and concerns.

Gloucester and the Cape Ann Museum
June 14 at 9:30 a.m.
On Wednesday, June 14, the COA will head to the Cape Ann Art Museum in downtown Gloucester. There the group will have a docent-led tour of the collection of Fitz Henry Lane paintings, the luminist, marine painter (1804-1865) of this historic seaport, the museum’s collection of 18th-century portraits and contemporary art, and the fisheries, maritime and granite galleries. Lunch will be together at your own cost at a nearby restaurant. If the weather is good you will have time to wander Main Street filled with galleries, a wonderful artists’ cooperative, restaurants and shops. The bus will leave the Lincoln Mall at 9:30 a.m. sharp, returning to Lincoln around 4 p.m. The non-refundable cost of the trip is $22. This trip, supported by the Hurff Fund, is open to Lincoln residents 60+. Reservations must be made by June 8. Send checks payable to FLCOA/Trips to Donna Rizzo, 22 Blackburnian Road, Lincoln, MA 01773. Please include your phone number and email address. Please call Donna at 781-257-5050 with questions.

Next steps for affordable accessory apartments
June 14 at 10 a.m.
Come find out more about the Town’s new Affordable Accessory Apartments Program in a forum especially for homeowners and tenants. On Wednesday, June 14 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall, members of the Housing Commission will be here to give information and answer questions. What are the benefits for homeowners and tenants? How does the Housing Commission match up tenants with homeowners? What is the lottery? Why do I have to choose a tenant from your list? How long will I wait for an affordable apartment. Come join the Housing Commission and get answers.

Strawberry ice cream social
June 15 at noon
Celebrate this special time of year at the annual strawberry ice cream social at Bemis Hall on Thursday, June 15 at noon. The event is sponsored by the COA and the Friends of the COA. Bring a bag lunch at noon or just come for dessert. Make your own ice cream sundae with luscious ice cream topped with strawberries, chocolate, and more, then share conversation with friends old and new. Please RSVP to the COA by calling 781-259-8811 and tell them if you will need a ride.

Ethics and climate change
June 16 at 9:30 a.m.
Climate change has not only a scientific component, but an ethical one as well that relates to political, economic, and other actions on local, national, and international levels. Come hear a presentation and discussion led by John Terrell, Ph.D., on Friday, June 16 at 9:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall on the many facets of ethics and climate change. Terrell will highlight the most recent successful Annual Town Meeting warrant article and a critique of the Paris Agreement including the possibilities of various alternate energy options and the economic and political necessities to effectively combat climate change. Come with your questions, concerns, and ideas.

Facing our futures with hope and love
June 16 at 12:30 p.m.
Join Rev. Lilian Warner, spiritual director/chaplain of Newbury Court, on Friday, June 16 at 12:30 for informal coffee, pastries, and conversation while she shows a video and shares her thoughts on how we can be molded and mended into new beings—different from who we were and still valuable—and create a better future for ourselves and others with the “Triple L, Double C of Living,” or how we must “Listen, Learn, Love, Care and Connect.” Call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up.

Lincoln Academy with Tom Gumbart—backyard butterflies, dragonflies and more
June 19 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, June 19 at 12:30 to hear Tom Gumbart, Lincoln’s conservation director, discuss “Backyard Butterflies, Dragonflies, and More.” Tom will give a photo show and talk on insects and other small critters found locally. Featured photos will be close-up images, especially of pollinator species on flowers. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion.

Coffee with Lincoln artist Loretta Arthur
June 20 at 2:30 p.m.
Join Loretta Arthur for a reception celebrating her art exhibit that will be in the Bemis Artists Gallery through June on Tuesday, June 20 at 2:30 p.m. A Lincoln resident since 1994, Loretta has recently begun painting again after a 25-year hiatus while she raised three children and practiced with her husband in the firm D.W. Arthur Associates Architecture. She was a studio art major at Brandeis with a concentration in sculpture, and received a master’s in architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design. The paintings for this exhibit include still life and landscapes.

The COA Science and Technology Club—technical challenges of making measurements on human beings
June 22 at 10 a.m.
Both human beings and instrumentation can often be very fragile, especially in medical, transport, and hospital environments. Paul Svetz will lead a discussion on Thursday, June 22 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall on some of the interesting and unusual technical challenges of designing and building devices for making measurements of physiological functions. Everyday contact with physical, electrical, and chemical items that offer little risk in daily life can be quite hazardous in the medical area.

Managing arthritis with exercise
June 23 at 12:30 p.m.
Please join Ryan Stoddard, orthopedic clinical specialist of Emerson Hospital’s Center for Rehabilitative and Sports Therapies, on Friday, June 23 at 12:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. The notion of living a long healthy life appeals to all of us. The Center for Rehabilitation and Sports Therapies advocates for a life to be active and engaging. Exercise and activity promote a healthy life. Active longevity is about staying active and engaged as long as possible and improving your quality of life. You will learn some tips on how to manage osteoarthritis as well as some safe exercises to promote joint health and keep you staying active longer.

Fireside chat: the U.S. Constitution
June 28 at 10 a.m.
Do you have a favorite line from the Constitution? A favorite amendment? Something that confuses you or excites you? Have you ever read it? Come to Bemis Hall for a discussion of the U.S. Constitution. Join others in a lively but respectful discussion facilitated by Sharon Antia using questions and answers on Wednesday, June 28 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall. The purpose is not to convince others of your opinion, but to share ideas so as to create dialogue and understanding.

Save the date:

Canal & Mill Tour – Lowell National Historic Park

Save Tuesday, July 25 for a fascinating day at the Lowell National Historic Park. Find out about the famous “mill girls,” the technology that powered the mills, and how immigrants have contributed to the industrial city. First, the group will hop a trolley to the Swamp Locks. There you will board a canal boat and cruise the Pawtucket Canal, maybe even all the way to the Pawtucket Falls. Then you’ll have lunch at one of the many ethnic restaurants in the area. Finally you’ll visit the Boott Cotton Mill Museum and Mill Girls and Immigrants Exhibit. The air-conditioned bus will leave Donelan’s parking lot at 9:15 a.m., returning at approximately 4 p.m. This trip is rated moderate for physical ability, as there will be some walking and entering/ exiting the canal boat entails steep steps. Non-refundable cost including lunch is $32, and drinks are on your own. This trip is funded by the Hurff Fund and is therefore open to Lincoln seniors only. To reserve a space, send a check made out to FLOCA/Trips to Donna Rizzo, 22 Blackburnian Road, Lincoln, MA 01773. Be sure to include your phone number and email address. Your reservation is complete when your check is received. Questions? Contact Donna at 781-257-5050 or donna@ecacbed.com.

En plein air drawing with Bernadette Quirk at Lincoln Tree Tour sites

Enjoy the outdoors while learning to draw nature’s glory outside with the Council on Aging’s new class, En Plein Air Drawing with Bermadette Quirk. The class will take place on six Wednesdays at 9 a.m. beginning on July 12. Meet at Bemis Hall the first week. Then each class will take place at each of the five Lincoln Tree Tour locations. Bernadette will e-mail you the list of materials needed for this class. No previous experience necessary; beginners encouraged. The cost is $20 per session. Please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811 and leaving your contact information.

 

Hydration station opens in Station Park

Lincoln Garden Club members Sue Seeley and Agnes Wiggin, and Lincoln DPW foreman Steve McDonald.

The Lincoln Garden Club dedicated the new public hydration station at Station Park in South Lincoln on May 6. The water fountain will allow pedestrians and bicyclists to stop for individual drinks of water and fill water bottles.

In a brief ceremony, Garden Club members thanked some of the people who helped create the facility, including Chris Bibbo, superintendent of the Department of Public Works, and his foreman, Steve McDonald, who performed the installation; and the Board of Water Commissioners and Greg Woods, superintendent of the Water Department, who funded the water connection. The Garden Club provided funding from previous fundraisers, particularly the garden tour in 2015. Sue Seeley cut the ribbon to officially open the hydration station.

Station Park was created in 1970 and has been maintained by the Garden Club since 1972. In 2015, the club installed a native flower bed with over 300 plants.

After that everyone enjoyed a refreshing glass of Lincoln water. The photos courtesy of Bob Wadsworth is of Lincoln Garden Club members Sue Seeley and Agnes Wiggin and Steve McDonald, Lincoln DPW Foreman. The other is of Denise Bienfang, Club president

Denise Bienfang, president of the Lincoln Garden Club.

South Lincoln hydration station stages ribbon-cutting

The Lincoln Garden Club is having a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Station Park on Saturday, May 6 at 10 a.m. to celebrate the opening of its latest project: the installation of a granite water fountain for the town of Lincoln. The park is located across the Lincoln Mall at 145 Lincoln Road.

The native-plant flower bed at Station Park installed in 2015.

The Garden Club decided to have the water fountain built at the Park it has been maintaining since 1972, inspired by last year’s warrant article, sponsored by the Lincoln School eighth grade, to install a hydration station at the school gym. DPW Superintendent Chris Bibbo and his staff, as well as the Lincoln Water Department, were key in designing and installing the fountain, which can be used by bicyclists and walkers to fill water bottles and get a drink of water.

Station Park was created by the town in May 1970 and has been maintained by the Lincoln Garden Club since 1972. In the fall of 2015, the Garden Club installed a native plant bed, designed by the New England Wildflower Society. Like the water fountain project, the installation of the native bed was funded by the Lincoln Garden Club and encompasses approximately 300 native plants.

Roundup of further Town Meeting results

Editor’s note: see these previous Lincoln Squirrel articles for previous Town Meeting coverage:

Voters at Town Meeting approved measures aimed at increasing affordable accessory apartments, allowing the Board of Selectmen to change speed limits under certain conditions, temporarily banning marijuana establishments, and allowing commercial farming on smaller properties—but proposed regulations banning some sales of plastic water bottles and plastic grocery bags were tabled.

Affordable accessory apartments

Approved revisions to the accessory apartment bylaw will now allow affordable accessory apartments to be counted in the town’s Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI). A second vote (pending legislative approval) authorized a property tax exemption for the portion of a home being rented out as an affordable accessory apartment.

The changes bring the town’s bylaw into line with the state Department of Housing and Community Development’s requirements on pricing, tenant income eligibility, affirmative fair housing marketing and tenant selection plan, and maintenance. Other requirements for qualifying as an affordable accessory apartment include a temporary deed restriction and a prohibition on renting to family members.

Currently, 10.9 percent of Lincoln’s housing units qualify as affordable. If that proportion drops below 10 percent in the 2020 census, developers could be allowed to bypass zoning regulations to build a major housing development that contains affordable units.

A related warrant article to property owners to borrow from Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds to pay for creating or renovate affordable accessory apartments was passed over. Housing Commission Chair Allen Vander Meulen said Monday that the loan program will still be offered, but at least initially, it turned out to be procedurally easier to use money from the Housing Trust rather than the CPA.

At the State of the Town meeting in November, Lincoln Housing Coalition member Pamela Gallup explained that the program was intended as an incentive to property owners. The program would offer a loan of up to $25,000 that would secured by a lien on the property but would not contingent on the homeowner’s income, and it would have to be repaid in full when the house is sold.

There are about 70 permitted accessory apartments with permits in town already, plus an unknown number without permits. Officials hope the tax exemption and loan program will tempt more people to register their existing affordable units and thus boost the town’s inventory.

Speed limits

Residents voted to accept the provisions of a new state statute that would allow the Board of Selectmen to set a 25-mph speed limit on local roads in areas of town designated as“thickly settled or as a business district.

“There are very few if any areas in Lincoln that are currently eligible, but that could change in the future,” said Selectman Peter Braun. “We recommend adding this capacity to the selectmen’s toolbag for future use.”

The original motion asked that the town “accept the provisions of Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 90, Section 17C, in the interests of public safety and without further authority,” to establish the 25-mph speed limit as allowed by that statute. But after some debate about what specific powers the selectmen would have if the motion passed, officials amended the motion to delete everything after the statute citation, and it passed with a handful of nay votes.

Right to Farm bylaw

Owners of property measuring two to five acres may now keep farm animals (except pigs) for commercial agricultural purposes if annual sales are less than $5,000 per acre. Previously, commercial animal farming was permitted only on lots of five acres or more.

There was considerable debate about whether to remove language saying that the $5,000 monetary limit would not apply to off-site sales. Two voice votes on whether to approve the amendment itself were inconclusive, and a count of hands resulted in defeat of the amendment by a margin of 84 to 61. The original motion to change the bylaw passed by the required two-thirds majority with a scattering of nay votes.

Marijuana moratorium

Voters approved a moratorium on using land or structures for recreational marijuana establishments until November 30, 2018 pending new regulations from the Cannabis Control Commission and possible zoning amendments in Lincoln. Recreational marijuana establishments include marijuana cultivators, testing facilities, product manufacturers, or any other type of licensed marijuana-related business.

“This will give us time to work on it and figure out what we want to do,” Selectman Peter Braun said.

“This article is not well advised. Nobody can do it in Lincoln anyway” because of state licensing barriers and the high cost of land, said resident Jean Welsh, who said she takes medicinal marijuana pills to control pain from spinal stenosis. “It’s just not fact-based government. I’m very sensitive to governance based on emotion and not on fact.”

Plastic bottle and bag ban

In the wake of controversy over proposed bans on sales of individual-size plastic water bottles and retail use of disposable plastic grocery bags, officials before the meeting backed off from voting on the two measures. Instead, voters approved substitute motions that expressed support for the concerns raised by the Lincoln-Sudbury Environmental Club (which organized citizens’ petitions for the two measures) and urged the club to “continue to explore options, including the contemplated bylaws, in consultation with key Lincoln stakeholder groups.” Students will report at the State of the Town meeting in fall 2017 with possibility of presenting revised bylaws at the Annual Town Meeting in 2018.

“The route they’ve chosen to take today is exactly what the town clerk and town administrator suggested they consider,” said Selectman Peter Braun, citing ambiguities over how the bans would be enforced, as well as a lack of input from other groups including the Planning Board and the South Lincoln Planning Implementation Committee. “There’s a lot to talk about and think about… there’s room for a lot more of the Lincoln Way to occur.”

Owners of Donelan’s and Lincoln’s two new restaurants had voiced earlier opposition to the measures. “It’s a mistake to demonize bottled water,” which is clean and healthy, said Carol White, so-owner of Lincoln Kitchen and Trail’s End, adding that visitors would have difficulty finding places to refill reusable water bottles.

Residents debated the impact of a water bottle ban on business at Donelan’s. “If it’s make or break based on single-use plastic bottles, that store is in serious trouble,” said Sara Mattes. Others worried that a ban on water bottles will simply push customers to buy sugary drinks instead, with one person suggesting a ban on all plastic drink bottles.

Regarding plastic grocery bags, resident Andrew Young cited studies showing that the life cycle of paper bags actually results in more energy and well as its own form of environmental damage. “If you forget your reusable bags, plastic is actually the better choice,” he said.

Officials and several residents praised the students for their hard work and commitment, and their willingness to change course shortly before Town Meeting.

Drumlin Farm prepares to build new Environmental Learning Center

A map of Drumlin Farm showing the education building (circled in red) and the Farm Life Center (circled in green). Click to enlarge.

As part of an ongoing series of upgrades, Drumlin Farm recently got permission to demolish its education building in preparation for erecting a new one.

The new Environmental Learning Center will be the hub for all of Drumlin Farm’s environmental education programming, including the summer camp. The current education building—which was built as an open screened shelter in the 1960s and later expanded, enclosed, and heated—“is in desperate need of replacement to reflect the volume and quality of programs we offer,”said Drumlin Farm Sanctuary Director Renata Pomponi.

Drumlin employs about 15 year-round educators and conducts about 40,000 educational programs (some off-site). Upcoming programs at the farm include Woolapalooza on March 25 and April vacation week activities for kids.

At 3,700 square feet, the Environmental Learning Center, which is being funded as part of Drumlin’s capital campaign, will be almost three times the size of the existing structure. It will be in the same location but turned 90 degrees, and solar panels will supply all of its energy.

In approving the old education building’s demolition in February, the Historical Commission reviewed the plans for the replacement and deemed it “sympathetic to the site, low, and not intrusive,” according to meeting minutes.

Several years ago, Drumlin replaced its Farm Life Center, where most programs that involve cooking take place. That building was recently awarded LEED Gold certification for green design and energy efficiency. Heating, cooling and lighting are powered by a solar array on the nearby sheep and goat barn, and some of the lumber used in construction was milled from trees harvested at Drumlin.

The farm’s New England Wildlife Explorations exhibit opened in November, replacing the old Drumlin Underground exhibit. As before, the facility houses rabbits, insects and other small wild animals, including the popular fox (who has more space than before), and the entire facility is handicapped-accessible. Additionally, the “green barn” was recently renovated to add two classrooms and a root cellar for storing produce year-round to enable Drumlin to expand its winter CSA.

Drumlin Farm hopes to renovate its wildlife care facility and will also continue to enhance its physical and programmatic resources to give people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds an opportunity to connect meaningfully to nature.

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)

2016: the year in review (part 1)

Kids enjoyed ice cream and other diversions at Lincoln’s “40 Years of Community” fair in April 2016.

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