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

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News acorns

LSB Players present “Beanstalk!”

LSB Players, the theater production company of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, present “Beanstalk!” by Ross Mihalko and Donna Swift on Friday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 18 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the Kirshner Auditorium. The 11 a.m. show will be a special sensory-friendly performance. Audiences of all ages will enjoy this fun adaptation of a classic fable. There will be lobby activities for young children. Ticket prices are $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens/students, and $5 for children age 5 and under. Tickets may be reserved at LSBtickets@gmail.com and will also be available at the door.

Town Meeting warrant now open for citizens’ petitions

Residents who are interested in sponsoring a citizens’ petition at the Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, March 28 must submit paperwork by the close of business Monday, Jan. 27. Petitions often take the form of resolutions urging local, state or national leaders to take certain action on legislative or public policy matters, or proposed town bylaw amendments. Petitioners are urged to consult with the Town Clerk or Town Administrator’s office to ensure that proper process is followed, and that any contemplated petitions are legally valid.

Massachusetts automatic voter registration now in effect

As of January 1, 2020, Massachusetts has implemented Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) to make registering to vote as streamlined as possible for eligible Massachusetts residents. AVR comes into play when visiting the state Registry of Motor Vehicles and state agencies within the MassHealth and Health Connector programs. Individuals who visit these agencies and are eligible to vote will be registered as Unenrolled voters will (no party) unless they decline the option of registering to vote completely. Only first time voters will be registered as unenrolled; anyone already registered will retain their current status. Lincolnites can still register to vote or change their voter registrations at the Town Clerk’s Office or online at www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/.

 If you are registered as Unenrolled and would like to join a party, come to the Town Clerk’s Office to fill out a Party Enrollment Card, or change your party online (see above). Also note that any name changes when filling out agency paperwork (for example, using a middle initial instead of your full middle name) prompts a notice of change to your voter registration, and you will receive an Acknowledgment Notice by mail from Lincoln’s Town Clerk. Anyone with questions may call Town Clerk Valerie Fox at 781-259-2607.

Architecture documentary, Holistic Wellness Fair during Winter Carnival

Friends of Modern Architecture will show Visual Acoustics on Thursday, Jan. 30 from 6:30–9 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library. The film explores the charming and productive life of Julius Shulman, widely regarded as the greatest architectural photographer of the twentieth century, who played a significant role in bringing to light the architectural Modernist movement. Refreshments and conversation after the film.

The fourth annual Lincoln Holistic Wellness Fair organized by the Lincoln Area Wellness Collaborative takes place on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 1–4 p.m. in the Pierce House. The event is part of the Parks & Recreation Department’s Winter Carnival. Visitors can learn about holistic health methods such as acupuncture, Ayurveda, BEMER therapy, higher brain living, Kundalini yoga, massage and bodywork, reflexology, sound and energy healing, therapeutic touch, zero balancing, and more. Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, and Debra’s Natural Gourmet will donate refreshments. Practitioners will offer free sample treatments, short classes, demos and presentations. For more information or to sign up in advance for demos, email Jai Kaur San Antonio at asanajai@verizon.net.

Click here to see the full list of Winter Carnival events taking place from January 30 to February 2.

Screening of “Un Cuento Chino”

The Lincoln Film Society will show Un Cuento Chino (Chinese Take-Out) on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. in the Tarbell Room. In Spanish with English subtitles. A well-ordered hardware store owner in Buenos Aires will see his life turn upside down when he helps a stranded Chinese man who doesn’t speak a word of Spanish find his uncle in the bustling city. But can this coexistence bear fruit? (IMDb.com)

Thoreau Animal Index Blitz

Join the Walden Woods Project to co-create an index of all of the animals mentioned in Thoreau’s journals during its Thoreau Animal Index Blitz on Thursday, Feb. 13 from 1–8 p.m. at its headquarters at 44 Baker Farm Rd. in Lincoln. Like Ray Angelo’s Botanical Index, this will become a valuable resource to Thoreau scholars for years to come. We only have three and a half volumes left to index and we fully expect to finish at this event, with a champagne toast when we’re done. Click here to register.

Girls in STEM Camp at Minuteman

Minuteman High School will hold its fifth-annual Girls in STEM Camp for any interested female students in seventh and eighth grade during February school vacation, from Tuesday to Friday, Feb. 18–21 from 8 a.m.–2:30 p.m. The Girls in STEM Camp involves activities led by Minuteman High School students who are in the school’s Girls in STEM mentoring program, along with faculty advisors. The Minuteman students, who are mentored by young women currently attending college or working in a STEM field, get to share their knowledge with middle-school students during the Girls in STEM Camp experience. The camp runs twice a yea,: once during February school vacation and again in August.

Students who live in one of Minuteman’s district towns may attend for free; those from towns outside the district (including Lincoln) will be charged $149. Visit minuteman.org to register or contact Michelle Roche, Minuteman’s director of career technical education, at 781-861-6500 ext. 7236 or m.roche@minuteman.org.

Events coming up at deCordova

  • Join photographer Claire Beckett and Koch Curatorial Fellow Sam Adams on Thursday, Jan. 30 from 6:30–7:30 p.m. for a tour of Truthiness and the News, which includes Beckett’s work and that of other photographers, photojournalists, and conceptual artists who test the limits of believability. Click here to register.
  • Inspired by the plants in Blossfeldt’s photographs, experience a new way of arranging flowers and learn the history, styles, and concepts of ikebana arranging at an ikebana workshop led by Joanna Caccavale, president of the Ikebana International Boston Chapter, on Thursday, Feb. 13 from 6:30–8:30 p.m. Click here to register.
  • Enjoy an evening of ceramics activity for couples at Valentine’s Date Night with Clay. Work as a team on the wheel, decorating clay hearts or building your own signature romantic sculptures. Workshop includes firing, materials, and refreshments. Over 1.5 hours of instruction and assistance in building a unique gift. All levels welcome (21+). Valentine’s Day is sold out, but a few spots remain on February 12 and February 13 (click a date to register).
  • Artist Max Razdow will facilitate a Land Art workshop inspired by the Peter Hutchinson: Landscapes of My Life exhibition on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 10:30 a.m.–noon. The program will begin in the galleries, move outdoors to make Land Art, and then into deCordova’s studios. Participants will have a chance to creatively document their projects and bring home a record of their intervention. Click here to register.

Farmers protest sudden end to lower water rates

By Alice Waugh

The Water Department recently stopped allowing rate caps for agricultural users of town water, but after farmers were taken by surprise and objected, officials decided this week to study the matter further.

The issue of water rates is a sore subject for the town. To help pay for an array of capital projects and new equipment, residents voted to approve bonding totaling about $2 million at Town Meetings in March and November 2019, and the department has been in a financial and staffing crisis for some time.

Because of the expenditures, water bills went up by 25% last year, and another significant increase is expected when next year’s rates are set. The Water Commission plans to propose the new rates on January 21 and hold a public hearing on February 4.

Everyone who uses town-supplied water must pay according to how much water they use each quarter. There are three usage tiers: 0–20,000 gallons, 20,001–40,000 gallons, and 40,001 gallons or more. As an incentive to conserve water, the fee climbs steeply from one tier to the next: $5.08 per 1,000 gallons for users in tier 1, rising to $10.71 for tier 2 and $25.03 for tier 3. Local farms can use more than 100,000 gallons per quarter in the growing season.

In keeping with Lincoln’s agricultural character, former Water Department Superintendent Greg Woods (who left about two years ago) capped the rate at Tier 1 for some farming operations in Lincoln. The policy was on an informal case-by case basis; Lincoln does not have a written policy regarding rates for agricultural water use.

Water Department Superintendent MaryBeth Wiser drafted a proposal with suggested criteria for an agricultural rate last year, but in June 2019, the commission voted not to adopt it and to discontinue the water rate caps for farms. Water customers were notified in their July bills that farms would no longer receive special treatment and would be charged according to water usage the same as everyone else starting October 1, 2019. Since farms use a lot of water, the change could mean added costs amounting to tens of thousands of dollars a year. The only alternative is to pay for digging a private well, which can cost upwards of $20,000.

Although the notice went out in July, some farmers didn’t realize a change had been made until they got their water bills in November, as there was no outreach or publicity from the Water Department aside from the notice in the summer bill.

“Agricultural water rates are important to the viability of farms in Lincoln,” Agricultural Commission co-chair Ari Kurtz said at the Water Commission’s January 7 meeting. “Farmers use town water to wash vegetables, maintain community gardens, and water crops when wells are not available or treated water is required. Building wells is a significant expense that many small farmers cannot absorb and would discourage small startup agricultural operations… If water conservation or the need for increased revenue for the Water Department were significant drivers of the decision to rescind agricultural water rates, we would like to have the chance to examine alternatives that are less damaging to the farming community.”

Kurtz was reading from a letter that he and Agricultural Committee co-chair Louise Bergeron wrote to the commission.

“These will be crippling rates for many people,” said Steven Kanner, who owns Kanner Family Orchard on Bypass Road, which supplies fresh fruit to customers including the Lincoln schools and Codman Community Farms (CCF).

“For us, the situation is critical,” said Pete Lowy, manager of CCF. “We would have to double or triple rates for garden plots.” CCF leases more than 100 community gardening plots to residents.

The Water Commission approved an interim agricultural rate structure in 2017, though it’s unclear who now qualifies for that rate. After extending an exemption for Brian Turnbaugh of 153 Lexington Rd., the commission approved an interim fee structure whereby Tier 2 would encompass 20,001–100,000 gallons per quarter. This was proposed as an “interim measure” by commission member Packy Lawler, who advocated a rate structure for agricultural use that encourages water conservation, according to meeting minutes.

“We’ve had agricultural water rates on our agenda or list of things to do for about five years,” commission member Ruth Ann Hendrickson said at this week’s meeting.

Wiser’s June agricultural proposal wasn’t useful for Lincoln, Hendrickson said. “It was sort of a generic proposal that MaryBeth had picked up from various sources on the Internet. It was really more appropriate to a place like the Midwest,” with its massive amounts of livestock and farming acres. “It was more complicated than we needed.”

As the commission was discussing the issue this week, it was apparent that they did not have current data on the number of farms in town, how a farm is defined, how much water they use, and which have separate water meters for agricultural uses such as watering animals and irrigating crops as opposed to regular indoor use. This stems in part from difficulties some officials have had in using Munis, the town’s financial data system.

 “What we really need is some data,” Hendrickson said. “How much water are we talking about? It’s a balancing act between supporting the town in its desire to have farms vs. asking to what extent do our customers want to subsidize the farmers. That’s the question we’re going to have to wrestle with… Every year we already overdraw our [state DEP] permit. We’re between a rock and a hard place.”

The commission decided to appoint a subcommittee to study the issue of agricultural water rates, chaired by member Michelle Barnes and including Agricultural Commission members. But they’re under a tight deadline, with the public hearing on new rates set for February 4.

News acorns

Lincoln Democrats meet to strategize

Join Lincoln Democrats and friends for strategizing and putting into action the “roadmap for 2020” on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 9 a.m. in Bemis Hall. In November, Lincoln Democrats voted climate change as the #1 issue but also identified gun control, health care, and immigration as “very important.” What do you think? Ideas and energy welcome.

Lincoln doctor dons skates to benefit Jimmy Fund

John Ready, a Lincoln resident and chief of orthopedic oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, will be among the Dana-Farber doctors, researchers, and staff who will play a charity hockey game against Boston Bruins alumni to benefit the Jimmy Fund. The Dana-Farber Rink Rats’ game will be held Saturday, Feb. 1 from 2–4 p.m. at Warriors Ice Arena in Boston. Dr. Ready has committed to raise $1,200. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children, and are available online and at the door. To support Ready or other participant or to learn more, please visit www.jimmyfund.org/rinkrats.

First Parish offers “Spiritual Autobiography” course

Join Rev. Jenny Rankin of the First Parish in Lincoln and a small group to reflect, consider your life through a “spiritual” lens and write about it in a “Spiritual Autobiography” course over five weekly sessions starting Tuesday, Jan. 14 from 7–8:30 p.m. in the parish house (14 Bedford Rd.). Through in-class exercises and short writing assignments, participants will consider the different chapters or stepping stones of their life’s journey up until now. Some things to consider: What have been the gifts and graces of your life? Where were the losses and hurts? How would you articulate your sense of the sacred, God, or whatever spiritual vocabulary do you use? What “language of reverence” do you speak? Email sarah@fplincoln.org to sign up.

Correction

The January 5 article headlined “Race for local elected office kicks off” contained incorrect deadlines. The last day to obtain nomination paper is Thursday, Feb. 6. The deadline for submitting papers with signatures for certification to the Registrars of Voters is Monday, Feb. 10. The original article has been updated.

Race for local elected office kicks off

Nomination papers are now available for the following local offices, which will appear on the March 30, 2020 town election ballot. Candidates must obtain the signatures of 35 registered Lincoln voters. The last day to obtain nomination papers is Thursday, Feb. 6. The deadline for submitting papers with signatures for certification to the Registrars of Voters is Monday, Feb. 10.

For additional information, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 781-259-2607 or email Valerie Fox at foxv@lincolntown.org.

Board or CommitteeOpenings/termsIncumbent(s)
Board of AssessorsOne for three yearsEllen Meadors
Board of Health
One for three yearsFrederick L. Mansfield
Board of SelectmenOne for three yearsJonathan Dwyer
Cemetery CommissionOne for three yearsManley Boyce
Commissioners of Trust FundsOne for three yearsD. Paul Fitzgerald
Housing CommissionOne for three yearsBijoy Misra
ModeratorOne for three yearsSarah Cannon Holden
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School CommitteeTwo for three yearsCandace Miller, Patricia Mostue
Parks and Recreation CommitteeOne for three yearsMargit Griffith
Planning BoardTwo for three yearsRichard Rundell, Lynn DeLisi
School CommitteeTwo for three yearsTara Lynn Mitchell, Adam Hogue
Trustees of BemisOne for three yearsJohn MacLachlan
Water CommissionOne for three years, one for two years, one for one yearRuth Ann Hendrickson (other two seats are open)

Barrett, Stanley address Lincoln issues at meeting

Lincoln’s representatives in the state legislature, Sen. Mike Barrett and Rep. Tom Stanley, updated residents and town officials about locally issues important including transportation, housing, and sustainability.

At their December 16 meeting, selectmen asked about $500,000 that was allocated in a state bond bill for designing improvements to Lincoln’s commuter rail station. Although the bill passed in 2018, the money has yet to be released. This has been a source of frustration for Lincoln officials, who hope to upgrade the station as part of a larger plan to rezone South Lincoln to allow more mixed-use development, making it more attractive for commuters, residents and businesses.

“Is it worth the time and effort to continue to push in this direction, or start to make some noise in another direction?” Selectman James Craig asked.

“I understand some things are really riding on this… that’s good for us to know about,” Barrett said. “It’s not a good idea to plan on the assumption that that money is going to be available in the next two years… [but] it’s worthwhile pushing hard and asking us to push hard.”

Both legislators were optimistic that the state will authorize spending to address the Boston-area traffic and transportation crisis, which could encompass public transportation improvements such as those sought in Lincoln. “I believe in the next 24 months, serious money will be made available for transportation projects. Certainly the demand is there. It’s approaching anger,” Barrett said.

One avenue being pursued is the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), a regional effort to institute a carbon cap-and-trade system that would also raise gasoline prices. “The particulars are gnarly, but if this is put in place, it would generate a huge amount of money,” Barrett said.

Stanley has also introduced legislation that would study the potential for a mileage-based fee to replace motor fuel taxes. The two proposals work in different ways to achieve the same goal: increasing revenue from gasoline while also driving down greenhouse gas emissions.

“Legislators are in the habit of putting in play many more projects that can be actually launched and funded,” Barrett said, referring to the stalled Lincoln MBTA funding, “but with TCI fnds, the odds change and many more projects become financially viable.”

Housing

Another important regional issue is the housing crunch. To make it easier for housing developments to win local approval, the proposed Act to Promote Housing Choices would lower the requirement for town-wide approvals from a two-thirds supermajority to a single majority. This would affect projects that require Town Meeting approval such as Oriole Landing, a mixed-income project that Lincoln voters approved in 2018.

Significantly larger so-called 40B affordable developments are looming in several towns bordering Lincoln that aren’t meeting the state requirement that 10 percent of their housing be affordable. The housing choice legislation, if approved, could result in even more projects.

However, that proposal is now being targeted for amendments from two differections. Some say the bill takes away too much local control, while others want it to go even further in relaxing requirements for developments. Meanwhile, Springfield and Needham are asking that they and about 70 other towns (including Lincoln) that already meet the 10 percent affordable-housing requirement would be exempt from the law, if passed.

Because of all the proposed changes, “the central idea is in danger of sinking,” Barrett said. “Already the idea is being slow-walked, and no one is really eager for that discussion,” especially heading into an election year, he added.

Dover Amendment

Selectman James Dwyer asked the lawmakers if there was any possibility that the Dover Amendment requirements might be somehow “capped” for towns like Lincoln. That state law allows educational and religious institutions to bypass some local zoning rules and also have those parcels be exempt from local property taxes.

Lincoln’s tax revenue is limited by a combination of a small commercial tax base and a significant portion of state and federal land, such as Minuteman National Historic Park, Hanscom Air Force Base (where children of military retirees who live in tax-exempt base housing attend public school), and various nonprofit institutions. More land was lost to the tax rolls when McLean Hospital recently won a legal battle to create a tax-exempt residential treatment facility on Bypass Road.

“I like the Dover Amendment, but is there ever a limit as to how much a town could bear?” Dwyer asked.

Stanley said he was willing to work with the town on this issue, although changing the Dover Amendment is “very controversial,” he cautioned. Many other communities including Boston and Cambridge (with their universities and hospitals) and western Massachusetts with its many state parks and forests also lose out on some local tax revenue. “Lincoln has a case to make, but these other places would come forward with a surprising diversity of cases of their own,” he said.

Property taxes

Selectman Jennifer Glass noted that Lincoln is working on a proposal to limit the impact of rising property taxes on needy seniors with a local version of the state circuit-breaker program (a move that would need legislative approval even if Lincoln residents vote in favor). Lincoln hopes to expand the state criteria to include eligibility for renters as well as homeowners in town, she said.

“I think a home rule [petition] is the way to go, and I would be prepared to be very supportive,” Barrett said.

Letter to the editor: Abrams inspires support for voting rights organization

To the editor:

The right to vote is a nonpartisan issue. It represents the “voice” of the electorate and is a right of all citizens — except that, in reality, it is not. Stacey Abrams, however, is doing what she can to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to vote.

More than four hundred concerned and enthusiastic voters, including voters from Lincoln, attended a meeting sponsored by Force Multiplier in Wellesley on December 4 to meet Stacey Abrams, the founder of Fair Fight, the nonprofit organization established to fight voter suppression in Georgia and in the nation.

Fighting for fair elections — and fighting against voter suppression — is the key mandate of Fair Fight, and an issue on which we can all come together. Abrams asserted that many problems prevent fair elections — foreign intervention, lack of uniform federal voting standards, corruption, and disinformation — exist, but we can’t overcome all of them immediately. Fair Fight’s immediate aims are practical and on the ground: train poll watchers to oversee the elections, assure accessible polling stations, provide aid to voters, have lawyers on call, and give reliable information to voters ahead of time.

Following the 2018 race for governor of Georgia, Abrams, the Democratic candidate who lost by 55,000 votes, led efforts to study the role of voter suppression in the election. She and other analysts learned that 1.4 million people were removed from the list of registered voters, including 570,000 people who were purged in one day. They were removed because they had not voted in recent elections and were considered “not to exist.” Abrams asserted that the “sacrosanct” right to vote must not be sacrificed to assure the election of those who want to stay in power.

In Georgia, the contested race for governor was not “called” by the networks for 10 days because of irregularities. After the elections, 50,000 voters called the hot line to try to understand why they were told they did not “exist.” Abrams herself, when she went to vote, was informed that she had already voted. A Yale-trained lawyer, with cameras from CBS, NBC, Fox News and other networks observing the exchange, Abrams prevailed and cast her vote for governor.

Abrams, a charismatic speaker and passionate advocate for fair elections, received at least three standing ovations for her words and her work. She answered numerous questions from a well-informed and concerned audience. When asked about the Electoral College, she asserted that the Electoral College itself creates voter suppression and ought to be eliminated. “It’s not about giving Idaho an equal chance to elect the president,” she said.

In response to a question of how we in Massachusetts could help, Abrams suggested we go to the organization’s web pages at www.fairfight.com and fairfight.com/fair-fight-2020. The former fosters voter education and advocates electoral reform at all levels. The latter is focused on the upcoming election and will fund, staff, and train voter protection teams in 20 battleground states. These team members will be hired locally so they’ll know the vulnerable communities they’re trying to protect.

We are co-chairs of the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee. We strongly believe that the right to vote should be supported by all of us, whether Democrats, Republicans, independents, or otherwise. In her newly established organization, Stacey Abrams offers us an opportunity to make a commitment to this right of citizenship.

Sincerely,

Joan Kimball and Barbara Slayter
Co-chairs, Lincoln Democratic Town Committee

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

Public hearings coming up

Tree removal by DPW

On Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. at the Lincoln DPW Office (30 Lewis St.), a public hearing will be held by the Tree Warden, Deputy Tree Warden and/or their designees to consider the removal of the trees listed below that are in the public right of way. This meeting is consistent with the requirements of the Shade Tree Act (MGL,c.87) and Scenic Road Act.

The trees have been marked with a hearing notice and are being considered for removal because they are dead, in decline, or otherwise posing a safety or operational hazard. The trees are marked as to size and type along the following roads:

  • 10 Old Sudbury Rd., 20″ pine
  • 251 Lincoln Rd., 30″ oak right of drive
  • At Town Hall, 24″ hemlock
  • Baker Bridge Field South, between poles 49 and 50, 12″ maple
  • Baker Bridge Field South, between poles 48 and 49, 12″ maple
  • Baker Bridge Field South, between poles 47 and 48, 12″ maple
  • Baker Bridge Field South, between poles 46 and 47, 8″ maple
  • Baker Bridge Field South, between poles 45 and 46, two 12″ maples
  • Baker Bridge Field South, between poles 44 and 45, 12″ maple
  • Baker Bridge Field South, between poles 43 and 44, 8″ maple
  • 53 Lincoln Rd., 20″ ash
  • Lincoln Road across from Pierce Hill Road, 24″ ash
  • Across from 94 Lincoln Rd., 20″ ash
  • Ridge Road opposite pole 35/1, two 14″ maples
  • Ridge Road, between and opposite poles 35/1 and 35/2, two 14″ maples
  • Anyone with questions may call the DPW at 781-259-8999.

Zoning Board of Appeals

The Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall to hear and to act on the following petitions under the Zoning Bylaws:

  • 9-11 Lewis Street Realty LLC, 9 Lewis St., for extension of original special permit for continued uses of 9, 11 and 11A Lewis St.
  • Rosamond and Francois Delori, 44 Tower Rd., for a special permit for an accessory apartment in loft above an existing garage.
  • Christopher Kalisch and Lindsay Norris, 158 Bedford Rd., for a special permit to replace an existing garage with a new garage and office above.

Lincoln Dems say climate change is the #1 issue for 2020

By Joan Kimball and Barbara Slayter
Lincoln Democratic Town Committee

Over 40 enthusiastic Democrats attended the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee (LDTC) at a November 16 meeting that defined strategy and goals for the group in the 2020 elections.

Lincoln Democrats voted climate change as the overwhelming #1 issue. Identified as “very important” were gun control, health care, and immigration. As the group looked ahead and discussed goals for 2020, they also reviewed fall activities, including collecting signatures to get ranked-choice voting on the ballot.

Kate Kavanagh and Denise Gieseke, co-founders of Concord Indivisible, shared how individuals can work with their group to promote voter engagement, election integrity, and causes. Everyone is invited to write postcards, text, call and canvas voters around the country and participate in registration drives and rallies.

Barbara Slayter described the work of Force Multiplier (FM) a volunteer group that focuses on raising funds for outstanding Democratic House of Representative candidates in swing districts. A recent Metrowest FM event in Lincoln drew almost 150 people to hear Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who is seeking re-election in Virginia’s 7th district. The event raised over $17,000 for Spanberger. 

Joan Kimball, coordinator of the Grandmothers for a Brighter Future, described the postcard writing that Lincoln volunteers have done. In 2016, the Lincoln Grandmothers for a Brighter Future sent out 5,000 postcards for senate races in three states. Anyone over age 10 is invited to write postcard either separately or in groups. The goal for 2020 is 5,000–7,000 postcards. For more information, email Kimball at selenejck@gmail.com.

All interested Lincoln residents are invited to the next LDTC meeting on Saturday, Jan. 11 from 9–11 a.m. in Bemis Hall.

News acorns

Dems host strategy session for 2020 election

Join the Lincoln Democrats’ planning session on Saturday, Nov. 16 to “get fired up and ready to go” for 2020. Hear about the work of Concord Indivisible from co-founders Kate Kavanagh and Denise Gieseke. Share your thoughts on getting out the vote and communications. Explore the critical issues ahead and determine which Lincoln Democrats will prioritize for action. Coffee and pastries starting at 8:30 a.m.; meeting starts at 9.

Bluegrass gospel band at First Parish

On Sunday, Nov. 17 at 10 a.m., the First Parish in Lincoln welcomes Dover’s Pilgrim Bluegrass Gospel Band, who (together with choir director Ian Watson) will share their music as they perform a variety of traditional and contemporary songs to complement the order of service. Band members are Michele Sauter on mandolin and vocals, Geoff Sauter on five-string banjo and vocals, Bob Cocks on guitar and vocals, Francesca Wier on vocals, and Greg Algieri on upright string bass and vocals.

Old Town Hall Corp. meetings

The Annual Meeting of Members of the Lincoln Old Town Hall Corporation will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Town Office Building. The agenda will include the election of trustees for the ensuing year, as well as financial reports and a review of the past year’s activities. The Annual Meeting of Trustees will immediately follow, and will include the election of officers and the conduct of such other business as may be brought before the meeting. All members are urged to attend.

Jamming for L-S school in Cambodia

Former students and musicians from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School will get together to jam and support their sister school, Memorial School in Cambodia, on Friday, Nov. 29 from 7–11 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Likely performers will include Chris and James Nifong, Eve Elkort, Nick Smith, Madelyn Paquette, Nate Gerry, Sam Pace, John and Molly Roach, Nora Telford, Kerry Kittelsen, and Lauren Weintraub. Tickets are$10. Food will be sold at the event. Send RSVPs and any questions to danielle_weisse@lsrhs.net.