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

government

News acorns

Affordable housing forum

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 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.

Fatherhood Project event reminder

The Fatherhood Project presents “A Celebration of Fatherhood: Strengthening Family Connections” with guest speaker Andre Dubus III, author of Townie, The Garden of Last Days, and House of Sand and Fog on Friday, June 16 from 6:30–9 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Click here for more information.

Multi-town RiverFest this weekend

RiverFest, an annual celebration of the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Rivers, takes places on Saturday and Sunday, June 17–18 with more than 40 events for all ages—free walks, talks, hikes, paddles, concerts, and art—in nine communities from Lowell to Framingham.

Among the events close to Lincoln: a guided walk at the Walden Woods conservation area with naturalist Peter Alden as he looks for plants and birds along Fairhaven Bay; in Sudbury where participants can join a Mass Audubon naturalist on a visit with native wildlife, birds and reptiles that live along riverbanks; and the closing solstice event at the Old Manse in Concord. For a full listing of events and maps, visit riverfest.sudbury-assabet-concord.org or call 978-223-5049 with questions.

Library hours for exam week and summer

Lincoln Public Library will be open late for Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School students studying for final exams on Thursday, June 15 and Monday, June 19 until 10 p.m. Snacks will be provided and staff will be on hand to monitor students to provide a safe place, though no library services will be provided.

The library will be open on Saturdays this summer from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. on July 8, 15, 22 and 29.

St. Anne’s summer schedule

From Sunday, June 18 through early September, St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church will celebrate a single service of Holy Eucharist at 9 a.m.

Letter to the editor: Lincolnites fired up at Dem convention

letter

To the editor:

On Saturday, June 3, more than 3,000 Democratic Party delegates gathered at the DCU Convention Center in Worcester for the Massachusetts Democratic Party 2017 Platform Convention. Representing Lincoln were Sharon Antia, Graham Atkin, Gary Davis, Andrew Glass, Jennifer Glass, Sarah Cannon Holden, John MacLachlan, Peter Pease and me (Barbara Slayter). Andrew, Jennifer and John were newcomers to the process—motivated, as we all are, by the need to “move forward and fight back” in the context of an alarming array of harmful policies and disturbing decisions on the part of the Trump administration.

We departed from Lincoln at 7 a.m. to be in time for the pre-plenary breakfasts and an opportunity to hear key speakers, but the long breakfast lines and logistics were daunting. Instead, we roamed the corridors; chatted with the supporters of various candidates and causes; acquired signs, bumper stickers, and pins from our favorites; and encountered old friends some long-time political participants and others engaging with the process for the first time.

Lincolnites at the Democratic platform convention were (front row, left to right): Graham Atkin, Barbara Slayter, Peter Pease, and John MacLachlan, and (back row, left to right) Andrew Glass, Jennifer Glass, Sarah Cannon Holden and Sharon Antia. Not pictured in Gary Davis, who took the photo.

It turns out that this was the largest state Democratic convention ever. No surprise here, given grassroots activism among Democrats that has emerged since the 2016 election. Of the participants, approximately 1,500 were first-time delegates. Prominent among them were the 700 members (many of them Millennials) of “Our Revolution Massachusetts,” an organization that has its origins in the pro-Sanders movement. This group has been intent on pushing the platform into a more progressive stance. Indeed, the platform is one of the most progressive ever with planks that includes, among other things, free public higher education, sanctuary, an end to for-profit prisons, climate justice, student loan debt forgiveness, establishment of independent commissions to fix gerrymandering, and even an Election Day holiday.

Lincoln delegates were glad to have an opportunity to hear from the three still relatively unknown Democratic contenders for governor in 2018: Setti Warren, mayor of Newton; Jay Gonzales, former budget chief under Duval Patrick; and Robert Massie, entrepreneur and environmentalist. We agreed that they would have a tough road competing against Charlie Baker, a popular governor, but they did force us to think about a key question: “What kind of commonwealth do we want to be and how do we get there?”

Barbara Slayter and Gary Davis in front of the Third Middlesex sign at the convention.

All of us responded enthusiastically to the trio of keynote speakers: Moira Healey, Ed Markey, and Elizabeth Warren. Their stirring exhortations were part of the “firing up” process. And indeed it worked! Healey: “We don’t give in to bullies.” Markey: “We don’t back down in this fight against the Trump administration. He is creating a divided country 140 characters at a time, heading the nation into an epic battle, and sliding toward a constitutional crisis.” Warren: “Trump may be dividing the country but he is uniting the Democratic Party as never before.”

From Stan Rosenberg, President of the Massachusetts State Senate, came the stirring challenge: “You are the revolution, you are the change. We need change and we need it now.” No doubt most delegates left the DCU ready to enter a “resistance summer” and to resist, organize and mobilize. If somewhat weary after five hours of speeches (and a sixth dealing with amendments), Lincoln’s delegates were among them. In fact, you may soon see Elizabeth Warren’s “Nevertheless, She Persisted” bumper stickers around town. They were acquired by some members of the Lincoln delegation and will be a visible reminder of the tenacity needed for addressing the challenges ahead.

Sincerely,

Barbara Slayter
7 Trapelo Rd.

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.

News acorns

Forum on how to discuss neighborhood noise

The Leaf Blower Study Committee (LBSC) and the Conservation Commission will sponsor a town-wide forum on how to communicate with neighbors about an issue that has increasingly become a source of friction within our community—neighborhood noise—on Wednesday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Donaldson Room at the Lincoln Town Hall.

During “Civil Discourse in a Noisy World: How to Talk with Neighbors about Difficult Issues,” mediator and attorney Jeanne Kempthorne will lead a workshop aimed at finding common ground on the use of noisy leaf blowers, an issue that has become contentious in communities in Massachusetts and around the country.

The LBSC believes that all residents in Lincoln, regardless of their opinion on this issue, would benefit from the establishment of some ground rules on when and how these machines are used, for reasons of health, the environment, and common courtesy. The group is seeking to initiate a conversation and a process that may lead to mutually beneficial resolutions amongst neighbors. Kempthorne is co-chair of the Legal Advisory Committee of Quiet Communities and The Quiet Coalition, and has been active in educational and outreach activities to support their mission.

Codman Farm BBQ and campout June 10-11

Parents and kids are invited to camp out under the stars after a hayride, barbecue, s’mores and an old-fashioned sing-a-long around the campfire at Codman Community Farms (CCF) starting on Saturday, June 10 at 4 p.m. There will be breakfast on Sunday with coffee, orange juice and bagels. Visitors are also welcome to enjoy the activities without camping overnight. Cost is $35 per tent site (includes breakfast for all campers in the tent). A CCF family membership required to sleep over. Tickets for the dinner (click to buy online) catered by Blue Ribbon Barbecue are $30 for adults and $15 for children under 12. Click here for stories and photos about the campout in 2012.

Talks at American Revolution meeting next week

Two members of the American Revolution Round Table will speak at the group’s next meeting on Monday, June 5 at 7 p.m. at the the Minute Man National Historical Park Visitor Center. Jim Hogan will speak about religion as a catalyst of the American Revolution, focusing on the ministers of the towns of Concord, Lexington, Lincoln and Bedford. Nancy Lynch will talk about the political clash between Jefferson and Hamilton, what it meant to the workings of democracy, and the ebb and flow of their ideas during the course of the American political experience, based on the book, Jefferson and Hamilton: The Rivalry that Forged a Nation. Please RSVP to reserve a seat by emailing mbern9@gmail.com.

Yoga in the park on four Saturdays

Melinda Bruno-Smith, certified hatha yoga instructor and Lincoln Garden Club member, will lead four yoga sessions in Station Park Garden (160 Lincoln Rd., across from the train station) on four Saturdays: June 3, 10, 17, and 24, from 9–10 a.m. A $5 donation is suggested; please bring a yoga mat, towel, or blanket to practice on and wear loose-fitting clothing.

Selectmen discuss building committees, ConsComm candidates

(Editor’s note: Following are highlights of the May 22 meeting of the Board of Selectmen. This is the first in a series of summaries of these meetings by former Selectman Peter Braun based on his review of the meeting videos, which are available at lincolntv.viebit.com or via the Town of Lincoln website under “Meeting Videos.”) 

The board met with Conservation Commission Chair Peter von Mertens and Larry Buell, a candidate for an open seat on the Conservation Commission. Two other candidates were interviewed at a prior board meeting. Buell described his experience as a professor, academic administrator, and researcher in history and environmental matters. Selectmen thanked him for his willingness to volunteer for the town, acknowledged the dilemma of having to choose one of three well-qualified candidates, and expressed the hope that the two candidates not chosen will be willing to serve in another capacity. The board deferred its decision until its next meeting.

Town Administrator Tim Higgins updated the board on several ongoing matters:

  • Wang property—review of purchase of town portion, bond financing, and management of development, including developing an irrigation plan and coordinating construction schedules.
  • Solar installation—the project’s planning committee focused on potential business arrangements with developers and is working with state Rep. Stanley on “home rule” legislation to provide relief from conservation restriction and thus permit solar array use on the former landfill.
  • Affordable accessory apartments—bylaw revisions have been approved by attorney general; the town is working with Rep. Stanley on legislation to authorize the tax exemption.
  • Financial management policies—Higgins is working with the Finance Committee to review and update.

The board also:

  • Updated its procedures for drafting and approving minutes.
  • Discussed the status of seeking at-large members of the Community Center Planning and Preliminary Design Committee, as well as continuing dialogue with the School Building Committee regarding who might serve as these committees’ respective liaisons to each other.
  • Continued development of its policy regarding whether, where, and to what extent the board and/or town staff would respond to matters raised in LincolnTalk or social media, as well as the status of redesign of the town web site.
  • Discussed its ongoing liaison with the Green Energy Committee regarding updating the town’s energy-usage targets.
  • Heard brief liaison reports regarding HATS, the School Building Committee, the L-S Environmental Club, the Housing Trust, the Bicycle Safety Advisory Committee, and the South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee.
  • Noted correspondence received from a resident of Old Winter Street requesting reconsideration of traffic restrictions.
  • Discussed its process for continuing to publish the Selectmen’s Newsletter.

School Building Committee to discuss public forum, timeline

At its meeting on Wednesday, May 31 at 7 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room, the School Building Committee (SBC) will discuss plans for a June 14 public forum, communications with other town boards and committees, and the committee’s timeline. The full agenda can be found here.

In its two previous meetings, SBC members introduced themselves to each other and elected Chris Fasciano as chair and Kim Bodnar as vice chair. The panel also named an Outreach Subcommittee (Kim Bodnar, Selectman Jennifer Glass and Gina Halsted), and SBC members Buck Creel, Craig Nicholson and Peter Sugar volunteered to begin drafting a request for services (RFS) for the owner’s project manager (OPM).

Residents are welcome to come to part or all of the SBC’s meetings. Anyone who has questions or comments for the SBC to address at a future meeting is welcome to send an email to sbc@lincnet.org (back-and-forth email discussions about SBC business are prohibited by the state Open Meeting Law).

Community center, school group both seeking more residents

The School Building Committee (SBC) is seeking volunteers for an Outreach sub-committee. The Outreach Team’s focus is to communicate SBC updates and key community forum details, but also to warmly welcome community input in all our outreach messages and encourage engagement from our residents. The time commitment of our committee members will vary and depend on the role the volunteer chooses, for there are many. Please volunteer if you…

  • Are interested in acting as a neighborhood “captain” to ensure SBC communications reach your neighborhood
  • Would like to be involved in hosting coffees or small group community sessions
  • Have an expertise in updating and managing website content
  • Have an expertise in photography or videography
  • Would like to be involved in communicating community forum details and listening sessions to encourage greater community engagement.

If you’d like to volunteer or just learn more about this subcommittee, please email SBC@lincnet.org.

Community center panel

Selectmen are still seeking candidates to serve on the CCPPDC who have experience in fields that are relevant to the committee’s work, such as architecture, planning or design, project management, or community engagement. There will be four at-large community members on the committee. More information on the committee’s duties can be found here.

Those interested should send letters of interest (mentioning relevant experience) to the Board of Selectmen via email to at ElderP@lincolntown.org by Friday, June 2. The board will appoint members of the CCPPDC at its meeting on June 12. The committee will hold its first meeting the following week and will present public updates (including at the fall 2018 State of the Town meting). If possible, there will be a final report and/or town vote at the spring 2018 Town Meeting.

Dozens of Lincolnites attend district Democratic event

U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark

More than 40 Lincoln residents attended the 3rd Middlesex Area Democrats’ annual spring breakfast in Waltham on May 13, when Gary Davis, co-chair of the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee, was re-elected co-chair of the Middlesex Area Democrats (MAD).

Also in attendance were about 175 Democrats from Bedford, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Sudbury, Waltham, and Weston, though Lincoln had the highest number of residents at the event. It was the best-attended 3rd MAD breakfast in recent memory.

In talks on the theme of “Moving Forward and Fighting Back in the Trump Era,” U.S. Reps. Seth Moulton and Katherine Clark stressed the critical importance of capturing Democratic seats in the House and Senate in 2018 and the central role of local grassroots organizations in doing so. Moulton identified ways in which he is trying to work across the aisle, particularly on veterans’ affairs, and Clark noted her efforts to search for shared values and sensible bipartisan solutions to problems. Their legislative work is being undertaken within the context of a vigorous pushback against the Trump policies damaging to education, health care, the environment, and institutional integrity.

Guests also heard from Lincoln’s state senator, Michael Barrett, who emphasized legislation he has developed to ensure transparency on the part of all Massachusetts candidates for elective office, as well as legislation focusing on prison reform. Gubernatorial candidates Jay Gonzalez, Bob Massie and Setti Warren, as well as state Sen. Jamie Eldridge and state Reps. Cory Atkins and Jay Kaufman, also made brief remarks.

State Rep. Michael Barrett

“Clearly, local Democrats are responding with energy and alarm to the policy proposals, executive orders, confusion and misrepresentations of the current White House,” said Lincoln attendee Barbara Slayter. “This atmosphere has generated commitments by Democratic activists to intensive advocacy for preservation of the environment, strengthening opportunities for affordable health care, building our educational programs and assuring the integrity of our institutions.”

Lincoln delegates will also be attending the Massachusetts Democratic Party 2017 Convention on June 3 at which a new Massachusetts Democratic platform will be approved.

Town seeks members for new community center planning group

The Board of Selectmen is seeking volunteers for the new Community Center Planning and Preliminary Design Committee (CCPPDC) to fill the roster by June 12 after approving the charge to the committee on May 8.

Residents approved $150,000 at Town Meeting in March to commission a feasibility study and draft design for a community center to be located on the Hartwell side of the school campus. The facility will meet the needs of the Parks and Recreation Department, and the Council on Aging as well as other town groups. The CCPPDC will work closely with the newest School Building Committee (SBC), which held its first meeting on May 3.

Selectmen are seeking four community members to serve on the CCPPDC who have experience in fields that are relevant to the committee’s work, such as architecture, planning or design, project management, or community engagement. Those interested should send letters of interest, mentioning relevant experience, to the Board of Selectmen via email to at ElderP@lincolntown.org by Friday, June 2.

The board will appoint members of the CCPPDC at its meeting on June 12. The committee will hold its first meeting the following week and will present public updates (including at the fall 2018 State of the Town meting). If possible, there will be a final report and/or town vote at the spring 2018 Town Meeting.

As its long name implies, the CCPPDC has limited scope, selectmen said. If and when the town chooses to move forward with a community center project, the committee’s preliminary design and cost estimate would be developed by a community center building committee.

The duties of the CCPPDC will include:

  • Gathering stakeholder input, and plan regular communication with and input from relevant town boards, committees, and the community.
  • Hiring a design firm to develop preliminary design plans and provide detailed cost estimates. Selectmen and the School Committee hold out the possibility that one firm could be hired to support both the school building project and the community center process.
  • Developing a detailed program of activities that would take place in a new community center and an assessment of space requirements and optimal adjacencies for the program
  • Evaluate several previously identified community center building locations within the Hartwell area, and any others that may be identified, and develop a preferred building location and supporting Hartwell campus site plan. This will require close coordination with the SBC, particularly with respect to things like future plans for the after-school program, the school’s shop area, any changes in use at the Hartwell main building, parking demands, any reorientation of the Ballfield Road roadway network or playing fields, the possible use of the pods as swing space during school construction, potential shared space opportunities, etc.

“Options for the community center must pair logically with options for the Lincoln School project to ensure all current and desired functions of the campus are included in the overarching plan for the campus,” according to the CCPDC charge.

As with the SBC, membership on the CCPPDC will entail many hours, hard work, and complicated conversations, but also offers a unique and exciting opportunity to participate in the creation of a central piece of the community and the future of the town, selectmen noted. Anyone with questions about the responsibilities and expectations of committee membership should send email before the deadline to the e-mail address above.

The PPDC will also include representatives from the Board of Selectmen, Council on Aging, Parks and Recreation Committee, Planning Board and Finance Committee. Selectmen are encouraging additional boards and committees such as the Conservation Commission, Green Energy Committee, Historical Commission, parent organizations and the Disabilities Commission to appoint liaisons to the CCPPDC.

School Building Committee holds first meeting

The new School Building Committee, appointed by the School Committee on April 11, held its first meeting on May 3. Members voted to appoint Chris Fasciano as chair, Kim Bodnar as vice chair, and Selectman Jennifer Glass as secretary.

As outlined in its charge, the SBC will create a feasibility study resulting in plans and cost estimates for a Lincoln School renovation project costing at least $30 million. In March, voters approved releasing $750,000 to fund work by consultants the group will hire. The group will work closely with a community center building committee, which will be producing its own feasibility study.

The SBC’s next meeting will be Wednesday, May 17 at 7 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose Room. The tentative agenda includes a review of a draft Request for Services (RFS), the first step in the hiring of an owner’s project manager. A subcommittee comprising Creel, Nicholson, and Sugar is preparing the draft for review by the full committee.

Members of the SBC are:

  • Becky McFall, Superintendent of Schools
  • Buckner Creel, Lincoln Public Schools Administrator for Business and Finance
  • Michael Haines, Town Facilities Manager
  • Sharon Hobbs, Brooks School Principal
  • Timothy Christenfeld, School Committee
  • Jennifer Glass, Board of Selectmen
  • Gina Halsted, Finance Committee
  • Kimberly Bodnar, community member
  • Chris Fasciano, community member
  • Craig Nicholson, community member
  • Steven Perlmutter, community member
  • Peter Sugar, community member

The following liaisons were also appointed by their respective organizations, with more expected:

  • Doug Adams, Liaison, Historic Commission
  • Ed Lang, Liaison, Green Energy Committee
  • John Ritz, Liaison, Lincoln Council on Disabilities
  • Ian Spencer, Liaison, Public Safety
  • Gary Taylor, Liaison, Planning Board

News acorns

Tufts a capella concert at Bemis

The COA will host a family-friendly a capella concert by the award-winning Tufts University group The Amalgamates on Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m. at Bemis Hall. The Amalgamates perform the latest pop hits to oldies rock to spirituals and more in venues from baseball stadiums to street corners to Barcelona. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultutral Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Bus ride to Boston People’s Climate March

The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee is organizing a Doherty’s bus to go to the Boston People’s Climate March on Saturday, April 29 at 11 a.m. (return time: 4 p.m.) for $15 round trip. Meet in the Smith School parking lot. Email Barbara Slayter at bslayter@comcast.net to reserve a seat, then send a check for $15 made out to the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee to Barbara Slayter, P.O. Box 6337, Lincoln, MA 01773.

L-S presents theater for young audiences

LSB Players, the theater production company of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, presents The Ants and The Grasshoppers by Ross Mihalko and Donna Swift and The Tortoise and The Hare by Candice Cane on Friday, April 28 and Sunday, April 30 at 6 p.m., and Saturday, April 29 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the Kirshner Auditorium at L-S (the April 29 show at 2 p.m. is sensory-friendly). The plays are modern retellings of the classic fables that explore life lessons about persistence, dedication, and the importance of planning ahead and having fun. With exciting moments of audience participation, contemporary music and prizes for all, this is a show that will delight audiences of all ages. The production is directed by Carly Evans.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for seniors/students, and $5 for children 5 and under and may be reserved by emailing lsbtickets@gmail.com with your name, date and time of the show(s) along with the number of adult, student/senior and child tickets you’d like. You will receive a separate email confirmation once your order has been filled. All tickets will be held at the door at the will-call table.

Short films shown by climate action group

As part of the Mass Climate Action Network (MCAN) Young Voices for the Planet documentary film series, Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary will screen four short films on Wednesday, May 3 from 7-8:30 p.m. in its Great Room (208 South Great Road). Admission is free and open to the public but online registration is required.

The films include stories of youth in the U.S. and Germany implementing statewide bans on plastic bags, saving their school $53,000 in energy costs, and planting millions of trees, in addition to changing laws and minds in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. Following the screening, one of the young stars from the film Save Tomorrow will lead a discussion about her experience changing town bylaws in Lexington, which allowed for solar panels on public buildings.

3rd Middlesex Senatorial District holds breakfast

State senators and representatives from the district and potential 2018 gubernatorial candidates Setti Warren, Jay Gonzalez and Bob Massie will be at the 3rd Middlesex Senatorial Area Democrats annual spring breakfast on Saturday, May 13 from 8:30 a.m. to noon t the Hilton Garden Inn, 450 Totten Pond Road, Waltham. The featured speaker is Maurice Cunningham; U. S. Congressman Seth Mouton is special guest. Tickets are $40 per person or $350 for a table of 10. Send checks made out to 3rd Middlesex Area Democrats to Habib Rahman, 30 Westland Road, Weston MA, 02493. For more information, email garyddavis04@gmail.com or k.durkee.erwin@gmail.com.

Farrington Nature Linc holds Fairy Festival

Come spend a few hours doing fairy crafts and making fairy houses in on Nature Linc’s spruce forest and perhaps even get to meet the Fairy Queen at the Fairy Festival on Saturday, May 20. This fundraiser event is perfect for children ages 4-10 but younger and older are welcome. Elves and fairies should be accompanied by an adult; this is not a drop-off event. Each timed ticket gets you 2-3 hours of activity. Pre-registration is required. Farrington Nature Linc brings youth from low-income urban communities out to learn and play in nature; proceeds support its year-round programming.

Garden Club members in MFA show

MFA flower arrangers Ann Parke, Mary Elizabeth Field, and Melinda Bruno-Smith of the Lincoln Garden Club.

Three Lincoln residents will have their work featured at Art in Bloom, an annual celebration of art and floral design at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston from Saturday, April 29 to Monday, May 1. Different arrangements will be on display throughout the museum by 50 garden clubs from across New England; each garden club team has been assigned one art object which they will interpret with a floral arrangement to be displayed next to the art. Arrangers were introduced to their art objects (paintings, sculptures, pieces of furniture or musical instruments) in March.