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

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News acorns – 12/22/14

Kids’ craft activities at library this week
On Tuesday, Dec. 23 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., a winter craft table will be set up for children of all ages at the Lincoln Public Library.
Conservation Commission back to full strength

In response to an appeal from the Board of Selectmen, a number of residents expressed interest in filling vacant slots on the seven-member Conservation Commission, and the vacacies have been filled by Jordan McCarron, Stephen Johnson and Richard Selden.

First Day at Pierce House a year ago. Photo by Harold McAleer.

First Day at Pierce House a year ago. Photo by Harold McAleer.

Come to Pierce House for “First Day”

Whether you’re new to Lincoln or have lived here forever, come to historic Pierce House (17 Weston Rd.) on January 1 to celebrate the new year together at the town’s 16th annual First Day gathering. Start the year right with legendary soups, lively music, and congenial company! Complimentary admission for Lincoln residents, but donations are gratefully accepted for the upkeep of this special town resource. For more information, call 781-259-9757.

Self-defense classes for women in the new year

The Lincoln Police will be running three women’s classes in 2015: one in January, one in February and one in November. The January and February classes are now open for enrollment.

  • Session A: January 15 and 20 from 6:30-9:30 p.m., Recreation Department
  • Session B: February 3 and 10 from 6:30-9:30 p.m., Recreation Department
Each session will be two nights for three hours apiece. On the first night, you’ll go over basic safety and then learn basic self-defense tactics and moves. On the second night, you’ll practice the tools you’ve learned and then an officer will suit up in full pads and we will go through common scenarios where you will be “attacked” and need to fight your way out. The class is free, but you must pre-register. Please contact Jena Salon to sign up, or contact her with any questions or concerns at  215-514-5963 or jenasalon@gmail.com.

Letter to the editor: Lincoln Dems endorse “We the People” Act

letter

To the editor:

State Representative Thomas Stanley recently met with Waltham and Lincoln voters to discuss the We The People Act. This proposed bipartisan Massachusetts bill calls on Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to affirm (1) that rights protected by the Constitution are the rights of human beings only, not corporations, and (2) that Congress and the states may place limits on political contributions and spending. The second principle would overturn recent Supreme Court rulings in Citizens United and McCutcheon, both of which unleashed a flood of money into the electoral process.

This act also proposes that if Congress does not pass the amendment, the Massachusetts legislature will call for an amendments convention. In Article V of the Constitution, the Founders provided two routes for proposing an amendment to the Constitution: by a two-thirds majority vote of both houses of Congress or by an amendments convention called for by two-thirds of the states. The second route could be taken when a dysfunctional Congress blocks reform advocated by the people. In this case, state legislatures could petition Congress to call a convention—not for overturning or changing the Constitution, but for proposing an idea for an amendment. The threat of such a convention can force Congress to act, as it did with the 17th Amendment.

At the meeting, Representative Stanley enthusiastically agreed to co-sponsor the proposed bill and actively support its passage. He joins lead sponsor Representative Cory Atkins in the House and will help recruit more legislators from around the Commonwealth as co-sponsors. A growing coalition of citizens groups across the country also supports this bill.

Massachusetts has always been a leader in the fight for democracy. In 2012, a unanimous General Court passed a bipartisan bill to restore the 1st Amendment and fair elections to the people. However, more must be done. We need to take back the Constitution from private, wealthy power and get big money out of elections through a constitutional amendment.

Sincerely,

Gary Davis (chair, Lincoln Democratic Town Committee)
20R Indian Camp Lane

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrrel.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.

Town expands limits on nicotine products

nosmokingBy Alice Waugh

The Board of Health has approved new rules restricting sales of electronic cigarettes in Lincoln and raising the age for buying tobacco products from 18 to 21.

The board amended the town’s existing tobacco regulations to include the phrase “nicotine delivery products,” which are defined as “any manufactured article or produce made wholly or in part of a tobacco substitute or containing nicotine that is expected or intended for human consumption,” including but not limited to e-cigarettes. The new rules go into effect on Jan, 1, 2015.

E-cigarettes heat a solution to deliver nicotine in a vapor-like aerosol that is inhaled, meaning the user and others nearby are not exposed to smoke.

The only retailer in Lincoln that sells tobacco products is Donelan’s, which told the Board of Health they were fine with whatever changes it made.

The move was prompted by a visit to the board several months ago by Westwood pediatrician Lester Hartman, one of two Massachusetts pediatricians who lobby local boards of health on behalf of the Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation to raise the minimum purchase age for nicotine products to 21. According to the foundation’s Tobacco21 website, 37 Massachusetts towns have done so, starting with Needham in 2005. Massachusetts currently has the second-highest cigarette tax in the nation at $3.51 per pack.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has regulatory power over cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco and smokeless tobacco, but the FDA has proposed a new rule whereby it could also require national restrictions on electronic cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, certain dissolvables that are not “smokeless tobacco,” gels, and waterpipe tobacco.

 

Letter to the editor: Abraham seeks Water Commission successor

letterTo the editor:

I am writing to announce an upcoming vacancy on the Lincoln Water Commission in the Spring of 2015. Established in 1872, Lincoln’s Water Department provides clean, safe drinking water to its customers and fire flow protection throughout the town. Governed by three elected commissioners serving three year terms, the department is funded totally by user fees.

My service on the commission has been a great experience. I have been enormously impressed by the dedication, attention to detail, and depth of knowledge of the superintendent and my fellow commissioners, both past and present. I was asked to serve on the commission due to my chemistry and legal background. I found my legal training fairly useful in resolving the various issues that frequently arise, while my knowledge of chemistry has been less relevant. To paraphrase a favorite property law professor’s dictum, water law is not about regulating water; it is about regulating people’s relationship with water, a finite resource.

I have decided not to seek reelection when my term expires next year because my job circumstances have changed so that I cannot commit to another three-year term. While I love living in Lincoln and would very much prefer not to move, my commute is now substantially longer, and I wish to have the option to relocate if necessary.

Therefore, I encourage interested Lincoln citizens to attend some upcoming Water Commission meetings to get a sense of the day-to-day work of the commission. The meetings are generally held at 7:30 a.m. on the second Tuesday morning of every month at the pumping station at 77 Sandy Pond Road, with some quarterly Saturday morning meetings as needed. The times and frequency of meetings can readily be changed by consent of the group. Please contact Superintendent Greg Woods at 781-259-8997 for any questions.

Sincerely,

Ion C. Abraham
Farrar Road

Residents start to narrow down school options

schoolBy Alice Waugh

In a follow-up to the State of the Town meeting where attendees expressed preferences for school and community center ideas with sticky dots, those dots were out in force again last Wednesday as residents focused on which direction to go for a school building project.

The December 2 meeting was the third in a series of open forums hosted by the School Building Advisory Committee to update residents on renovation/construction options and cost estimates for meeting the school building’s basic facilities needs as well as educational upgrades.

At the State of the Town meeting on November 15 (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Nov. 17, 2014), architects from Dore and Whittier presented project possibilities are grouped into three broad categories (all estimates include construction costs, professional fees, phasing and escalation due to the passage of time):

  • Option 1: facilities work only ($12.2 million to $29 million)
  • Option 2: facilities plus some “a la carte” educational enhancements ($29.5 million to $47.6 million)
  • Option 3: a comprehensive package of facilities and educational upgrades ($54.7 million to $58.8 million)

Architect Jason Boone of Dore and Whittier reported last week that 76 percent of residents expressed a preference for Option 3, while 20 percent preferred Option 2 and just 4 percent preferred Option 1. In comment sticky notes at State of the Town, residents said they wanted the school project to be tied as closely as possible to a community center project, asked that the new school spaces be energy-efficient, and supported the educational vision outlined by Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall.

Key variables that residents will have to weigh when deciding which route to pursue are cost, which educational enhancements to choose, the importance of energy efficiency in light of the the town bylaw seeking to eliminate fossil fuel consumption in town buildings by 2030, the extent to which people want to preserve the existing school, project timing, and the level of joint school/community use for space in a renovated school.

The cost of a school project will depend on whether the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is willing to pay for some of it. Boone noted that in the previous go-round, the MSBA would have paid about 40 percent of the $49 million cost for a new school if residents had approved the project by a two-thirds margin at Town Meeting.

If the town decides to seek MSBA funding again, the project must address all of the school’s facilities and educational needs to be eligible, meaning “you would have to do a high Option 2 or one of the Option 3s,” Boone said.

There are some conditions that would come with seeking MSBA funding. The town would have to resubmit a statement of interest and do another feasibility study; there would be a delay of at least 18 months in starting construction (vs. doing a project with town money only); and the timing and amount of funding is uncertain.

Using Option 3A as an example, a 40 percent grant from the MSBA would mean the town would get about $24.3 million, though that would be partially offset by an extra $3.3 million cost caused by the time delay while going through the MSBA process, Boone said. If all went well, the renovated building under Option 3A would be ready for occupancy in April 2019 without MSBA funding and June 2020 with the funding, he said.

Involving the MSBA would also mean less opportunity for overlap between new school space and a community center. “They do have restrictions and requirements, and the relationship of a community center to a school project would be problematic. Trying to combine projects could be a potential red flag to the MSBA,” Boone said.

Residents discussed various community center sites at the State of the Town and indicated that having it located on the site of the Hartwell pods was the best option. “We have not explored any options that embed any community center programming in any of our options,” but none of the Dore and Whittier proposal would prevent such a facility from going on the Hartwell site, Boone said.

Educational enhancement options

When it comes down to choosing among the educational enhancements under discussion, “we acknowledge that we will likely have to make some very difficult decisions,” McFall said as she discussed a sheet listing the educational value (high, moderate or modest) added by various upgrades, “but anything we do to the building will be an educational improvement—anything,” she said.

A cafeteria/commons space for teaching larger groups appeared as a high improvement in three of McFall’s lists of upgrade goals: flexible multi-use spaces, security (since it would involve building a link between the Brooks school and the Reed gym), and community use. “Adding that space really meets a lot of different needs,” she said. A package including a Brooks cafeteria would cost at least $36.6 million by Dore and Whittier’s estimates.

As for the energy efficiency of the various options, Boone said Dore and Whittier hasn’t come up with estimates for work that would meet the 2030 bylaw standards, but any building that did so would need advanced heating/ventilation/air conditioning technology incorporating alternative energy such as geothermal, wind and/or solar.

“It’s important to note that there would be a measurable and significant cost premium to truly achieve that goal,” he said. That priority is also affected by the preservation variable. The more of the existing building you try to save, the harder it becomes to achieve the 2030 goals,” Boone said. “We need to hear from you as to prioritization.”

Those at the meeting were then asked to indicate with one sticky dot which of the specific options they would support with MSBA funding and the another dot what they could support without money from the MSBA. The result: Option 3C got the most stickers overall and a clear majority of the “with MSBA funding” stickers, while several options—2D/E, 2F, 3B and 3C—garnered a good number of  “without MSBA funding” stickers. All of Dore and Whittier’s options are illustrated here.

Options 3B and 3C offer the same features and differ only on the proportion of renovation to new construction. Option 3B is essentially the idea proposed by the “Fireside Seven,” a group of Lincoln architects and designers including Douglas Adams and Ken Bassett that formed after the defeat of a new $49 million school at Town Meeting in November 2012 (see the Lincoln Squirrel, April 2, 2013). It would cost $55.8 million and calls for about two-third renovation and one-third new construction. Option 3C would cost $58.5 million and include 52 percent renovation vs. 48 percent new construction. The drawing for that option shows a new two-story segment connecting the Smith building and the 1994 link, although Boone said two floors weren’t a given and that residents should focus only on the percentage of renovation to new construction.

Council on Aging activities in December

bemisLincoln Academy with Jim Cunningham and Rick Detwiller: A Historical Architecture Journey and the Barrett Farm Restoration Project
December 1 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Dec. 1 at 12:30 to hear Jim Cunningham and Rick Detwiller discuss “A Historical Architecture Journey and the Barrett Farm Restoration Project.” Bring a bag lunch. 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. 

Meet with an aide to Congresswoman Clark
December 3 at 1 p.m.
You are invited to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. to meet with Natalie Kaufman, Constituent Service Representative for Congresswoman Katherine Clark. She will be available to assist residents with Social Security, Medicare, and MassHealth/Medicaid. You are also welcome to discuss other matters with her that she may be able to help with. [Read more…] about Council on Aging activities in December

State of the Town clarifications and additions

stateofthetown-croppedA November 17 article in the Lincoln Squirrel about the State of the Town meeting originally gave the wrong first name for Dore and Whittier architect Jason Boone and misstated the purpose of a December 2 public forum, at which residents will help the SBAC and Dore and Whittier narrow down the school project options in preparation for a final report in January.

Since the article was published, the Squirrel acquired some of the documents handed out at the meeting:

The original article has been updated to reflect these clarifications and additions.

Residents delve into community center, school project at State of the Town

stateofthetown-cropped(Editor’s note: this article was updated on November 18 to include clarifications and additional document links.)

By Alice Waugh

At the State of the Town meeting on November 15, hundreds of Lincoln residents asked questions and heard cost estimates for two projects that are on parallel discussion tracks heading for Town Meeting in the spring: a school building project and a community center.

The Lincoln School needs millions of dollars in basic repairs as well as improvements such as cafeterias and other upgrades to improve education, while the Council Aging, now in cramped quarters in Bemis Hall, also urgently needs better space, town officials said.

“In both cases, doing nothing is not an option,” Selectman Renel Fredriksen said at the start of the meeting.
[Read more…] about Residents delve into community center, school project at State of the Town

Letter to the editor: important discussions at State of the Town

letter

Editor’s note: See this Lincoln Squirrel article for information on the school project and this one for coverage of the community center charrette.

To the editor:

This coming Saturday, Nov. 15 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the State of the Town meeting (SOTT) in the Brooks auditorium, we will have an opportunity to weigh in on two important projects that are making their way through the town decision-making process: the community center project and a school building project. We will be discussing “pathways” for both projects, but all pathways have certain pitfalls and potholes that must be addressed before we can pave a route that the whole town might travel together.

[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: important discussions at State of the Town