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

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Energy-efficient lighting projects completed

greenlights montageThe Lincoln Department of Public Works and the Town Administrator’s office recently completed two projects that incorporate effective LED lighting.

At the transfer station, the old fluorescent lighting at the swap table shed was replaced with new lighting that will provide residents with a better and safer environment to enjoy the swap areas. Also, the old incandescent street lights at the intersection of Routes 126 and 117 were recently replaced by more efficient LED traffic signal and pedestrian heads. These new signal heads will not only use less electricity, but will also serve to reduce service calls and bulb replacement calls.

Campus Master Plan Committee is up and running

The Community Center Study Committee's "preferred option." Click on the image for more options and interior design ideas.

The Community Center Study Committee’s “preferred option” for the location of the facility on the Hartwell campus.

The Campus Master Plan Committee (CMPC) has begun meeting and is moving quickly, with plans to interview consultant finalists on July 16.

The committee is charged with examining the implications of a Hartwell campus community center on Ballfield Road campus roadways, traffic, parking, public safety and accessibility, and recreational facilities, and to understand site issues such as wetlands, conservation land, septic fields and geotechnical conditions. One of the CMPC’s first tasks is hiring a firm with the skills needed to do this work. Residents authorized $75,000 for this purpose at Town Meeting in March.

Members of the committee are Renel Fredriksen from the Board of Selectmen, Jennifer Glass  and Tim Christenfeld from the School Committee; Bryce Wolf from the Planning Board; Ken Bassett from the Roadway & Traffic Committee; Dilla Tingley from the Council on Aging board; Patricia Donahue from the Parks and Recreation Committee; either Peter von Mertens or Jim Meadors from the Conservation Commission; and at-large members Carole Kasper, Vin Cannistraro and Paula Cobb. There are four nonvoting members as well: Town Administrator Tim Higgins, Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall, Council on Aging Director Carolyn Bottum, and Parks & Recreation Director Dan Pereira.

News acorns – 6/4/15

Sam Bayer

Sam Bayer

Sam Bayer featured at Monday’s open mic night

Sam Bayer will be the featured performer at this month’s LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mic Acoustic) on Monday, June 8 from 7-10 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. He’ll perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30 p.m. Bayer has performed at First Night, Passim’s, Sally O’Briens, the Nameless Coffeehouse and other venues and has four CDs to his credit.

[Read more…] about News acorns – 6/4/15

Guests honor Domnitz (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Current and former members of the Planning Board, the Board of Selectmen, and other guests gathered on Sunday, May 17 at the Todd Pond home of Rick and Virginia Rundell in honor of Bob Domnitz's 12 years of service on the Planning Board. Pictured from top: John "JR" Robinson, Virginia Rundell, Frank Clark, Lynn DeLisi, Bryce Wolf, Margaret Olson, Rich Rosenbaum, Renel Fredriksen, Bob Domnitz (the honoree), Carolyn McQueen, Peter Braun, Bob Wolf, and Rick Rundell. Also attending but not in the photo were James Craig, Pam Gallup, and Ken Hurd.

Current and former members of the Planning Board, the Board of Selectmen, and other guests gathered on May 17 at the Todd Pond home of Rick and Virginia Rundell in honor of Bob Domnitz’s 12 years of service on the Planning Board. Pictured from top: John “JR” Robinson, Frank Clark, Virginia Rundell, Bryce Wolf, Lynn DeLisi, Renel Fredriksen, Margaret Olsen, Rich Rosenbaum, Bob Domnitz (the honoree), Carolyn McQueen, Peter Braun, Rick Rundell and Bob Wolf (far right). Also attending but not in the photo were James Craig, Pam Gallup, and Ken Hurd.

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to news@lincolnsquirrrel.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.

Letter to the editor: Georgiou runs for Governor’s Council

letter

To the editor:

I am announcing my candidacy for Governor’s Council (a.k.a. Executive Council) for the Third District of Massachusetts, which includes much of Middlesex County and parts of Norfolk, Suffolk and Worcester counties. Lincoln is at the center of the Third District.

Many Massachusetts citizens are unaware of the important—indeed, vital—work the Governor’s Council is charged with by the Massachusetts Constitution. The Council plays a seminal role in our state’s justice system and consequently in the functioning of our society. The council is the last chance the people of Massachusetts have to make sure that the best candidate for the job is picked. The council provides the “checks and balances” for the governor’s appointments to our court system. If the elected councilor does his or her job correctly, political appointments (people that simply donate to the governor) are not shooed in as a political favor.

The most critical part of the Governor’s Council is to approve, by its constitutional power of “advise and consent,” the governor’s judicial appointments to all courts (Supreme Judicial Court, Court of Appeals, Superior Court, District Court, Probate Court) and all adjudicatory agencies, such as the Appellate Tax Board, the Department of Industrial Accidents, and other similar agencies of the Commonwealth. In addition to judicial appointments, the council approves clerk-magistrates, public administrators, members of the Parole Board, justices of the peace, notary publics and many other gubernatorial appointments. All critical to the function of our justice system.

As is evident, this position requires a Governor’s Councilor to have expert and specific experience as well as knowledge of our justice system. More importantly, it requires the background and depth of experience of an attorney—one who has been in the trenches of the justice system for a respectable number of years. I believe that this experience is mandatory because it is the only way one is exposed to the traits and skills that constitute a good attorney who would make a good judge and will serve the people of Massachusetts competently, fairly and honestly.

What kind of a person should sit in judgment of others? That is the critical question a Governor’s Councilor must ask. After more than 25 years as a trial attorney, having practiced before almost every court and adjudicatory agency in Massachusetts and having taught law, I have the experience and background to make such judgment and advice the governor of good, fair or bad choices of proposed judicial and other appointments.

My experience stems from having dealt with dozens of judges and other various court functionaries and hundreds of attorneys and various other players in our justice system. I have represented plaintiffs and defendants and have a perspective from both sides of litigation. I know what constitutes a good attorney and a good judge. In my practice I have been before judges almost on a daily basis and I can without reservation say that no one can be a good judge with first being a good attorney.

I have the background and frontline experience acquired over the course of over 25 years of trial work to make decisions as to which candidate qualifies to by a judge and which candidate does not. I would be proud and humbled to serve the people of the Commonwealth.

It’s surprising the person who is currently representing Lincoln on the Governor’s Council is not an attorney and has held the position since 1998 primarily because people of the Third District are essentially unaware of the Council’s importance and the lack of the current councilor’s qualifications. I am hoping to change this and earn the people’s trust and vote in 2016.

Sincerely,

Peter Georgiou
126 Lexington Rd.

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrel.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, 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 – 05/11/15

Lincoln Democrats to elect reps to state convention

The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee (LDTC) will elect delegates to  the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s annual convention scheduled for September 19 on Saturday, May 16 from 9-11 a.m. at Bemis Hall. Light refreshments will be served. The public is always invited and encouraged to attend LDTC meetings and events, including these delegate caucus elections. Any Lincoln Democratic voter registered as of January 31, 2015 can nominate others, can be nominated, and can be elected as either a delegate or alternate to the state convention. You can even nominate yourself if you like. For questions, contact Gary Davis at garyddavis04@gmail.com.

Fundraiser party for Lincoln Police Association PMC team

For the third consecutive year, the Lincoln Police Association has a Pan Mass Challenge team, and residents are invited to support the team and fight cancer by attending a fundraiser on Friday, June 5 from 7-11 p.m, at the Pierce House. Team members are Dan Pereira of the Parks and Recreation Department, Lincoln Police Detective Ian Spencer and resident Kim Mooney. A donation of at least $50 lets you in to enjoy dance music from Honeytrain, an open bar, finger foods and more. Harpoon is sponsoring the beer but the team is footing the bill for the music, food and wine. For more information and to donate, see the team’s PMC profile page.

A bus full of donated supplies heading to Nepal earthquake victims.

A bus full of donated supplies heading to Nepal earthquake victims.

Lincoln’s Adrian Smith posts updates on Nepal relief efforts

Adrian Smith has succeeded in getting some supplies to an area of Nepal that was badly damaged by the recent earthquake, his mother Diana Smith reported (see her earlier letters to the editor here and here). “Less than two weeks ago we began with the idea of supporting a village of 50 families in the aftermath of the earthquake in Nepal. The outpouring of support we have received has allowed us to scale up our relief efforts to deliver over 14,000 kg. of food and other supplies (over 30,000 lbs.) to roughly 1,000 families who had not yet received any aid,” Adrian wrote on a Facebook page about his work. “We are overwhelmed with gratitude to all who have supported us and have made this possible.” For more updates and information about how to donate, go to the Nepal Earthquake Relief–Sindhupalchowk Facebook page or call Diana Smith at 781-259-9758.

Lincoln veterans invited to join new group

military-logosLincoln military veterans are invited to come together to form a new veterans’ group to have occasional meetings and perhaps a service project to advance a worthy veterans’ cause.

The group is open to all who have served in any of America’s five formal armed services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines), including Reserves and National Guard.

Organizers need veterans to respond to news articles such as this one because they can’t easily be contacted as a group directly. Although residents’ veteran status is part of the information collected in the U.S. census, the Town Clerk is not permitted to release a list of those names.

“We don’t even know who they are in Lincoln—that’s why we’re putting out this word,” said retired Navy Capt. Tom Risser of Lincoln, a former flight surgeon who served in Iraq and one of the effort’s organizers.

Risser said he hoped to find more riflemen for the town’s annual Memorial Day celebration as well as a contingent of veterans to march in the parade that day and in Independence Day.

“That parade is getting smaller and smaller,” said Priscilla Leach, the town’s Veterans’ Service Officer, who helps connect veterans with services and apply for federal, state and local benefits (including property tax abatements).

Participation in the group will be entirely optional, and organizers guarantee there will be no solicitation for donations or activities that each vet doesn’t choose to make time for. Anyone who’s interested should contact one of the people in Lincoln below.

Tom Risser
thomas_risser@hms.harvard.edu
781-789-6253

Adam Hogue
Commanding Officer, 1166th Transportation Company, Massachusetts Army National Guard
adam.m.hogue@gmail.com
978-828-6184

Priscilla Leach
Lincoln Veterans’ Services Officer
lincolnvetservices@gmail.com
781-259-4472

Candidates sought for Campus Master Plan Committee

The Lincoln School campus.

The Lincoln School campus.

In response to community interest in locating a community center on the Lincoln School’s Ballfield Road campus, the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee are jointly creating the Campus Master Plan Committee (CMPC). The purpose of the CMPC will be to consider infrastructure and safety issues related to the possible co-location of Council on Aging, the Parks and Recreation Department, and school functions on Ballfield Road. The CMPC’s charge will be to examine the implications on roadways, traffic, parking, public safety and accessibility, and recreational facilities, and to understand site issues such as wetlands, conservation land, septic fields and geotechnical conditions.

The CMPC will be responsible for hiring, subject to approval by the Selectmen and the School Committee, a firm with the skills needed to do the work. At the 2015 Town Meeting, Article 33 authorized $75,000 for this purpose. The CMPC will determine its own meeting schedule, but it is expected that it will meet frequently between June and December, with the delivery of a final report by the end of the calendar year. The committee will gather input from the public and relevant boards, and an interim report and public feedback will be one of the items for discussion at the fall State of the Town meeting.

Interested candidates should have experience and skills that will further the work of the committee. The at-large members will join representatives from relevant town boards. Letters of interest should be submitted to both the Board of Selectmen at selectmen@lincolntown.org and the School Committee at schoolcomm@lincnet.org by Friday, May 15. The Selectmen and School Committee will hold a joint meeting to finalize the CMPC’s charge and to appoint the at-large members on Monday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m in the Donaldson Room in the Town Office Building.

News acorns – 04/27/15

(Editor’s note: This incorporates a correction to the second item made on April 29.)

Talk this Sunday on Flint homestead

The Lincoln Historical Society and the Lincoln Historical Commission present “The Flint House: Past, Present Future” on Sunday, May 3 at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Come hear a talk by local historian Jack Maclean and see historic images of the Flint house, which was built on a mid-17th-century grant of 750 acres to the Flint family. The program also describes a planned tour of the house on October 4. This event also includes a brief annual meeting of the Lincoln Historical Society.

The Flint family homestead, across Lexington Road from the large white barn commonly referred to as Flint’s barn, dates back to the early 1700s and is filled with mementos of the town and the Flints. The house is protected by a Preservation Restriction Easement, the first agreement of its kind in Lincoln, which will be explained by the Lincoln Historic Commission.

Wednesday walks, other activities offered

springTrail walks led by Conservation Department staff are taking place until June 3, rain or shine, on Wednesdays from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Click here for a list of dates and locations. Sponsored by the Lincoln Conservation Commission and the Lincoln Council on Aging.

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT) is organizing three other events. For more information, see this LLCT web page.
  • “Bogs and Baas,” a two-part walk led by Ellen Meadors and Betty Levin on Thursday, May 21 at 10 a.m.
  • The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT) annual meeting featuring naturalist and photographer Cherrie Corey apeaking on “Our Sense of Place” on Tuesday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall.
  • “Caterpillars LIVE,” a family-friendly program on caterpillars with naturalist photographer Sam Jaffee on  Sunday, June 14 at 3 p.m. at Hartwell Pod A. Jaffee and his helpers will bring along live specimens for a show-and-tell presentation. Then he’ll lead small groups of participants on a short walk around the area to find specimens in their natural habitat, showing how easy it is to get into nature and make your own discoveries. Requested donation of $5 per person or $15 for families of three or more.
Maple syrup fundraiser brings in over $1,000

Lincoln School third-graders and Matlock Farm raised $1,000.50 for UNICEF during this year’s second annual maple syrup fundraiser. They would like to thank all those who bought their syrup and made this possible.

Garlic mustard pull is gearing up
Garlic mustard weed.

Garlic mustard weed (click to enlarge).

Lincoln’s annual garlic mustard weed pull is about to get underway. Free paper bags for the weeds will be distributed to residents at the transfer station on Wednesday, April 29 and Saturday, May 2 from 9 a.m. to noon, courtesy of the Lincoln Garden Club. The Department of Public Works will have a designated area at its Lewis Street facility for residents to drop off their bags of garlic mustard. Additionally, the Conservation Department will pick up full bags of garlic mustard in neighborhoods through May 31 if you contact them beforehand at 781-259-2612 or mckinnond@lincolntown.org. The DPW and the Conservation Department ask that you not put any wall lettuce in your bags.

Residents are also invited to pull garlic mustard as a group at the deCordova Sculpture Park and adjacent conservation land on Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to noon (park at the far end of the deCordova parking lot). To volunteer, contact Conservation Department ranger Jane Layton at 781-259-2612 or laytonj@lincolntown.org.