government

Council on Aging activities in December

November 29, 2014

Lincoln 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

November 18, 2014

A 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 recent history of the school building project and definitions of terms
The packet of school building options and cost estimates presented by Dore and Whittier
The “sticky dot”/Post-It Note feedback activity directions and a compilation of that feedback

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

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

November 17, 2014

(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

November 13, 2014

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.

Letter to the editor: Don’t harm historic area with church addition

November 12, 2014

Editor’s note: The Historic District Commission is scheduled to discuss the First Parish Church at its meeting on Thursday, Nov. 13.

To the editor:

The First Parish Church in Lincoln, built in 1842, a beautifully made Asher Benjamin design on the Historic Register, is the center of our Historic District. The First Parish has proposed an addition, much larger than the church. The Historic District Commission is evaluating the appropriateness of that proposal. The first consideration of an addition might be to limit expansion to the least distraction from the historic church on a tiny lot.

Letter to the editor: First Parish design elements not appropriate

November 12, 2014

Editor’s note: Following is a copy of a letter sent to the Historic District Commission, which is scheduled to discuss the First Parish Church on Thursday, Nov. 13.

To the editor:

I believe that the First Parish Building Committee is working hard to try to show that the present proposed rebuilding of the Stearns Room fits in with the center of Lincoln and the historic district. I hope the Historic District Commission (HDC) will carefully consider the impact this proposed addition will have on the beauty and simplicity of the white church itself. There are alternatives to the present proposed plans that would perhaps fit better with the original building.

School needs at least $27.5m even without cafeterias, architects say

November 11, 2014

By Alice Waugh

The School Building Advisory Committee’s architectural consultants last week presented detailed lists of repair and renovation options and cost estimates for the Lincoln School that will be the topic of town-wide discussion at the State of the Town meeting this Saturday, Nov. 15 at 9 a.m. in the Brooks auditorium.

Letter to the editor: Town Clerk says thank you

November 8, 2014

(Editor’s note: you can see Lincoln’s results for the November 3 election in the Lincoln Squirrel and on the Town of Lincoln website.)

To the editor:

Last Tuesday’s State Election brought 2,786 voters to the polls during the course of a very busy but blessedly smooth day. We are, as always, indebted to the many people who made it smooth, including the 41 poll workers who greeted and processed all those voters; the police officers who maintained order; our Election Chef, Richard Silver, who kept us well nourished; the Smith School custodial staff, who helped us to maintain a clean and well-ordered polling place; and the DPW crew for getting all of our equipment in and out of the Smith School gym in a timely manner.

And thanks to every one of you who took the time and trouble to exercise that most fundamental of our civic rights and responsibilities. We hope to see a great many of you at the Annual Town Election in March.

Those of us who administer elections (as well, I’m afraid, as the rest of you) will all too shortly be turning our attention to the 2016 presidential election. If you’re interested in training for and serving as poll workers in future elections, please contact us.

Sincerely,

Susan F. Brooks
Town Clerk

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.

Jet Aviation approval confirmed by DEP, but residents fight on

November 6, 2014

(Editors note: This version incorporates corrections made on November 7 to the DEP conference date and Angela Kearney’s title.)

By Alice Waugh

The Jet Aviation expansion proposed for Hanscom Field was OK’d by the state earlier this month, but a group of residents immediately asked for a hearing in a further attempt to block the project.

Letter to the editor: get involved in community center discussion

November 4, 2014

To the editor:

Join the community center conversation! The town is evaluating options to address the facility needs of the Council on Aging, the Parks and Recreation Department and various community organizations that use town space. A variety of solutions are being considered—from adapting existing buildings to new construction and from multiple, discrete projects to one large multifaceted solution—and we’re interested in your opinion. There are a number of ways to get involved:

Visit the Community Center Study Committee website at https://lincolntown.org/index.aspx?nid=569 and take some time to learn about the issues being considered. Our webpage has everything you need to know, including a summary of the topic, a timeline of the public process up to this point, links to town reports and video presentations of our public meetings. It’s an easy way to catch up on the conversation.
Complete our survey! After you’ve caught up, provide some feedback in this brief three-question survey, which closes on Sunday, Nov. 9.
Attend our upcoming public meetings:

Friday, Nov. 7 at 8:15 a.m. during the Lincoln PTO meeting
Saturday, Nov. 15 at 9 a.m. at the State of the Town meeting

Both meetings will be held in the Brooks School auditorium in conjunction with the School Building Advisory Committee. We will both be providing an update of our work and soliciting feedback. (Babysitting is available for State of the Town meeting; contact Linda Hammet-Ory at lhamme@aol.com.)

We hope you’ll take the time to participate in our process. Your input is critical to our work!

Sincerely,

Dan Pereira
Community Center Study Committee
Director, Parks and Recreation Department