The Lincoln Squirrel

News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

letters to the editor

Letter to the editor: Chester seeks seat on Park & Rec

(Editor’s note: Chester is one of three candidates for an open seat on the Parks and Recreation Committee. The others are Adam Hogue and Rey Romero.)

To the editor:

I am running for the open seat on the Parks and Recreation Committee to offer an experienced, informed voice to help guide the Parks and Rec Department (PRD) as it faces considerable challenges over the next few years.
As a retired human factors analyst, I have decades of professional experience solving problems and managing multimillion-dollar programs. As an athlete, I have a lifetime of personal experience in many sports and am a spouse and parent of athletes (including being a tennis and a gymnastics team mom). In addition, I created and managed a collegiate water sports and lifeguard program. Currently, I am a member of the Community Center Preliminary Planning and Design Committee, co-leader of the PRD’s Open Studio (the adult art program), and director of the annual Lincoln Arts Show (co-sponsored by PRD and Council on Aging). All of these give me insight into the PRD’s youth and adult programs.

Some of the biggest issues that the Parks and Rec Committee will face in the coming years revolve around the upcoming votes by Lincoln for the school building and a new community center. If the school building is approved, then the PRD will have considerable logistical challenges in staging the Hartwell classroom spaces.

If the community center is approved, then the PRD will need to help finalize the design and to work around the construction. Once the center is built, the PRD will need to coordinate its programs closely with the COA as the new building becomes the vital core of town activity. If the community center is voted down, then the PRD will need to redouble its efforts to meet Lincoln’s needs with the resources available to it. Regardless of the outcome of the town votes, of course, the PRD will need to ensure the careful management of the Wang field as it comes on line in the next year.

As a committee member, in addition to supporting the PRD’s current offerings and infrastructure needs, I would encourage more programming along three lines. For adults who have other obligations on weekdays, I would like to expand arts and athletic opportunities into the evenings. For youth and adults, I would like to provide programs that encourage self-reliance and agency-that is, teach first aid and CPR so individuals can help others in distress; and teach map-reading and compass skills through activities such as geocaching and orienteering, so individuals can step away from a GPS and develop their own cognitive maps. Lincoln’s trails are the perfect place to help individuals develop a strong physical sense of space and place.

The fact that three of us are offering our services for a single seat on the Parks and Recreation Committee attests to the depth and sense of civic duty by Lincoln’s residents.

I ask for your vote on Monday, March 26.

Sincerely,

Sarah Chester
6 Stonehedge Rd., Lincoln

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.

Letter to the editor: consider green burial as a Lincoln option

To the editor:

Last month, Candace Currie from Green Burial Massachusetts gave an enlightening presentation at the library about the value and benefit of natural burials, in which everything going into the ground is biodegradable and will decompose naturally. Natural burials offer a reasonable alternative to the expense and environmental toxicity of traditional burial practices.

At that event, I met Carol DiGianni, a candidate for Cemetery Commissioner, who actively supports exploring the feasibility of natural burials in our Lexington Road cemetery. Although natural burials may not currently be the preferred choice for many townfolk, I can see no downside to accommodating that option in our town-owned cemetery for those who choose it.

I encourage my fellow Lincolnites to learn more about the green burial movement, and to vote for a candidate who supports a full range of appropriate, respectful interment choices for Lincoln residents.

Sincerely,

Virginia Rundell
76 Todd Pond Rd., Lincoln

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.

Letter to the editor: vote for Kasper and Joachim

To the editor:

I am writing in support of Ellen Joachim and Carole Kasper for LSRHS School Committee. Ellen is running as a write-in candidate and Carole will be on the ballot. When I think of the characteristics I believe make a successful School Committee member, I think of open communication, collaboration, and community building. Both Ellen and Carole have proven track records in all three Cs.

Ellen Joachim is a Sudbury resident who is also an L-S graduate who moved back to Sudbury with her husband to raise their three sons. As a lawyer who served on the Sudbury School Committee for six years, one year as chair and two as vice chair, Ellen has clearly demonstrated her ability to communicate with administration, parents, and staff. She worked collaboratively to help the Sudbury Public Schools grow and continue to be the excellent school system it is.

Finally, Ellen will work for the L-S community—the whole community. I know that she believes, as I do, that all L-S students are the responsibility and priority of the L-S School Committee, regardless of which of the many zip codes represented at L-S they come from. As the mother of two boys who have graduated from L-S and a third who is currently there, Ellen understands the social, emotional, developmental, and academic needs of the high school population. She has worked to build relationships with staff and administration to help her own children get the best possible education for each of them, and she will be able to build on those strong bridges to help all of our children. Ellen’s professional and volunteer experiences uniquely position her as a candidate who will help the entire L-S community come to the table so that we can work together to build an excellent future for our students, staff, and entire school.

Carole Kasper is a familiar face in Lincoln because she has been a tireless volunteer and voice for our schools and our community. Her professional background as an organizational consultant make her an incredibly well qualified candidate. She has proven time and again that she can help build community, collaborate, and bring parties to the table, and that she prioritizes open communication and thoughtful listening. Her professional background paired with these skills make her an ideal candidate to help L-S navigate the rapidly changing world and help keep open the conversations about what the future of L-S should look like.

Carole currently has a son at L-S and will have another there next year. Like Ellen, she has worked to build relationships at the high school that will serve her well as a School Committee member.

Please join me in voting for both Ellen Joachim and Carole Kasper on Monday, March 26.

Sincerely,

Becca Fasciano
8 Linway Road

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.

Letter to the editor: Hullinger supports wife for LSSC

To the editor:

I am proud to support Siobhan Hullinger as a write in candidate for the Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School Committee. I can personally attest to Siobhan’s deep knowledge about LSRHS and her strong appreciation for the important role LSRHS has in our communities. Siobhan has previously served on the LSRHS School Council and the Housemaster Search Committee. She currently serves on the board of the L-S Scholarship Fund and has actively supported various athletic teams as a “captain’s parent” and fan for our three children who have graduated from or are currently attending L-S.

For years, Siobhan has watched virtually all of the LSRHS, Sudbury School Committee, [Sudbury] Board of Selectmen and [Sudbury ]FinCom meetings, providing her with an extensive knowledge about the matters facing LSRHS. She also understands the essential need for more effective cooperation and collaboration with SPS, the BOS, and the town of Lincoln to ensure LSRHS continues to provide an education nationally recognized by colleges and universities and a broad offering of extracurricular activities for its students, and serves as an effective steward of our taxpayer’s money.

In addition to her LSRHS experiences, Siobhan possesses two qualities that are essential to be an effective member of the School Committee. First, Siobhan is someone who researches the issues to offer informed opinions about matters facing L-S and our member towns. Second and most importantly, Siobhan is committed to the practice of civil discourse to have the kinds of discussions and collaboration that are necessary in order to arrive at informed decisions in the best interests of students, faculty, and the taxpayers of our towns.

I will be enthusiastically writing in the name “Siobhan Hullinger” for the LSRHS School Committee on Monday, March 26, and urge you to do the same.

Sincerely,

Mike Hullinger
55 Washington Drive, Sudbury

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.

Letter to the editor: SSC member urges votes for Joachim

(Editor’s note: St. George is a member of the Sudbury School Committee.)

To the editor:

I am encouraging all voters to write-in “Ellen Joachim” for the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee. She is a known supporter of our students who has tirelessly served and advocated with integrity for our Sudbury schools, staff and students for over 15 years.

I have had the privilege and pleasure of working with and alongside Ellen for many years, starting at Nixon School as fellow PTO members and, more recently, for five years on the SPS School Committee. As a colleague she is collegial, fair, respectful, and able to take on and follow through with whatever needs to be done. She is a well-respected leader—a PTO chair at Nixon, and most recently School Committee vice chair, chair, then my vice chair.

As a trusted leader, Ellen has worked tirelessly for the academic and social/emotional wellbeing of all our students. Ellen is a good listener, respectful of all stakeholders and able to ask tough questions and make tough decisions. She has performed many duties including active liaison positions on multiple town boards. She has worked closely with Chief Nix and SPS administration to ensure comprehensive and strategic safety measures were put in place across the schools.

Ellen has been active in attending multi-town School Committee roundtable discussions and supported tri-district collaboration between LPS, L-S, and SPS. A former lawyer, she is well organized and process-oriented, and she has a solid understanding of budget drivers across Sudbury, negotiation experience, and an eye for efficiencies whenever possible.

I have no doubt that Ellen will bring fresh eyes, ears and thoughtfulness to the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee. She has true commitment and history as she is a former LSRHS graduate, and has been a parent at L-S for several years, with her third son a rising senior in the fall of 2018.

Please write in your vote for “Ellen Joachim” for Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee on Monday, March 26. Your vote matters!

Sincerely,

Lucie St. George
Concord Rd., Sudbury

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.

Letter to the editor: Hullinger can see “the big picture”

To the editor:

I am writing this letter in support of L-S School Committee candidate Siobhan Hullinger.

I have worked with Siobhan on the HOPEsudbury board for a few years now, and she is genuine in her endeavors to be of service to others. Siobhan leads the Community Outreach Committee and has educated herself further about nonprofits, training with the Metrowest Nonprofit Network. Siobhan is not only ready to serve, but also willing to educate herself to be the best possible board member, whether for HOPEsudbury or the L-S School Committee.

What better qualification for the L-S School Committee than to have a board member who actually is in touch with the school, its administration, teachers, parent organization, and beyond? Not only is Siobhan an active parent volunteer, organizer, and spectator with many L-S Committees and activities, but she also serves on the board of the Lincoln-Sudbury Scholarship Fund Dollars for Scholars. Serving on this board (unaffiliated with LSRHS) provides an opportunity for discussions not limited to just scholarships for students. Because members are both from Sudbury and Lincoln, it also provides an opportunity for conversations about a common goal, transcending town lines. As an LSSC member, Siobhan will bring to the table thoughts and ideas based on real observations and experiences.

Sudbury and Lincoln residents can be confident that any decisions put in front of a school committee on which Siobhan serves will have the full rigor of vetting and discussion required to make an educated plan, providing what is best for students, faculty, administrators, and taxpayers alike. Sio knows how to remain objective and make decisions based on what is best for all parties. To me, she models how to stand back and look at the “big picture.”

Siobhan’s decision to run for public office was not one taken lightly by her or her family, but they know how passionate she is. As LSRHS begins to write its next chapter, taxpayers from Lincoln and Sudbury alike need to know their LSSC members will remain vigilant to the need of all stakeholders.

Please join me and write in “Siobhan Hullinger (55 Washington Dr.”) for L-S School Committee on Monday. A vote for Siobhan is a vote for both Sudbury and Lincoln.

Beth Farrell
55 Peakham Road, Sudbury

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.

Letter to the editor: Matthews supports Kasper, Hullinger

To the editor:

The Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee is losing two long-serving colleagues and this election on March 26 will be crucial in finding strong, thoughtful, and hardworking successors to Nancy Marshall and Gerald Quirk. I am writing this as an individual and not in my capacity as a member of the committee and its current chair, but my experience definitely informs my views. The towns of Lincoln and Sudbury are losing two key committee members, both have been serving on our current contract negotiations committee, so it is clear how critical this election will be to the future of L-S. Our towns need to send the best two candidates to serve for the next three years.

Carole Kasper is from Lincoln and has served her community and Sudbury well. She is a collaborative, dedicated, thoughtful leader and is a candidate at a time when there is much hard work to be done. She has already worked with the LSSC with her service on the L-S School Start Time Subcommittee and was a major force on that committee determining L-S’s need to balance start time and end time with our student’s health needs. Carole has proved her leadership qualities with her work with middle school parents from Lincoln and aiding in the transition of students from Lincoln Middle School to L-S.

Siobhan Hullinger from Sudbury,is well known from the community service she has already done. She serves on three boards in Sudbury: HOPEsudbury, the LSPO, and the L-S Scholarship Fund. She was also elected to and served on L-S School Council and has had three children go through L-S with her last child as a sophomore. She is hard-working, thoughtful, collaborative and best of all, very familiar with the unique culture of L-S. The towns of Lincoln and Sudbury need Siobhan on the L-S School Committee to do the hard work and make the difficult decisions that preserve the excellence in the academic experience for all students and preserve the unique culture that the two towns have fostered in L-S.

Please join me in voting for Carole Kasper and Siobhan Hullinger (a write-in candidate) on March 26. Help keep the L-S School Committee the high-performing team it currently is.

Sincerely,

Kevin J. Matthews
Haynes Rd., Sudbury

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.

Letter to the editor: Sudbury selectman endorses Hullinger

(Editor’s note: Brown is a member of the Sudbury Board of Selectmen).

To the editor:

I am writing to support Siobhan Hullinger for a seat on the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School School Committee in this year’s election.

Siobhan has a long record of volunteering for community service and a notable record of service at the high school. This not only demonstrates her commitment to the school and the L-S community, but also provides her with an understanding of the specific strengths, weaknesses, and unique culture at L-S. She understands the need for collaboration among L-S, Sudbury, Lincoln and METCO to create a seamless academic experience for our students, to address school start time recommendations, and to create an effective administrative structure for our schools.

Further, Siobhan is thorough and meticulous in her research and in deriving her conclusions and recommendations. This requires time, effort and analysis upon her part, and she undertakes this work with an open mind. I have learned to consider her statements carefully, even when we might disagree. Her willingness to argue passionately on the issues while maintaining a courteous and civil manner to her colleagues is one of her great strengths.

I urge you to write in Siobhan Hullinger for L-S School Committee on March 26.

Sincerely,

Pat (Patricia) Brown
34 Whispering Pine Rd., Sudbury

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.

Letter to the editor: Hylton endorses Kasper for LSSC

To the editor:

I write to encourage my fellow Lincoln voters to get to the polls on Monday, March 26 and to cast their votes for Carole Kasper of Lincoln and Ellen Joachim of Sudbury for the two open seats on the L-S School Committee.

Carole is well known to many in town, having served in a variety of volunteer capacities. As everyone who has worked with her will attest, she is smart, hardworking, a natural leader, and an excellent listener. She is the only candidate whose name will actually appear on the ballot this year, so casting a vote for her will be a straightforward civic exercise!

As most know, Lincoln is not guaranteed any seats at all on the L-S School Committee. In order to make sure our voice is heard, it is imperative that a candidate like Carole, who is a strong and effective advocate for high-quality public education, joins the committee with a powerful signal of support from the community.

OK, you might ask, then who is Ellen Joachim and why should I support her for a seat as well?  To all who generally believe (as I typically do) that political races in Lincoln are dull, predictable affairs, this year is a clear exception. L-S School Committee incumbent Gerald Quirk unexpectedly withdrew from the race a few weeks ago. Ellen came forward and, after several weeks of campaigning, has demonstrated that she is by far the best choice for Lincoln voters and Sudbury voters who are committed to the high academic standards and all-around excellence L-S is known for.

Ellen served for many years on the Sudbury K-8 School Committee and is very familiar with the political landscape in Sudbury. She values the terrific faculty and rich programming L-S is rightly proud of, and she is eager to include Lincoln in any and all conversations about how to improve the experience for the wide range of students at L-S.

Like Carole, Ellen is serious about collaboration and process and is committed to the joint project that Lincoln and Sudbury began in 1954 of running a first-tier regional high school. As with any relationship, there are from time to time important issues that arise which potentially divide the two towns. These include, for example: finances, governance, and potential curriculum changes.

With Carole and Ellen on the School Committee, we increase the likelihood of intelligent and practical solutions to these questions. What do you get for your vote? That’s simple: more in the way of sensible solutions and less divisive rhetoric—a good bargain for voters under any circumstances.

On March 26, vote for Carole Kasper and write in Ellen Joachim’s name on the ballot!

Sincerely,

Maria O’Brien Hylton
5 Oakdale Lane, Lincoln

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.

Letter to the editor: former LSSC member supports Kasper

To the editor:

I am writing to strongly urge all of you to vote in the election on Monday, March 26. I am enthusiastically in support of Carole Kasper, whose extraordinary qualifications and competence to serve I will leave others to describe. The issue I would like to emphasize is the importance to Lincoln and to Lincoln-Sudbury of retaining two Lincoln seats on the Lincoln Sudbury school committee. With no major issues on the ballot, I worry that residents might be tempted to avoid coming to the polls. 

I served for seven years on the committee. During that time, Lincoln had two representatives. However, the year before I was appointed, Renel Fredriksen was the only Lincoln representative and if she were still a town resident, she would make clear how difficult that was. There is too much information and work involved in governance for one person to master and having only one member makes it very difficult to adequately debate important issues where the interests of the two towns may be in conflict. There are structural differences between the towns that make for complicated political and fiscal dynamics.

One such controversial issue is currently on the agenda. A number of Sudbury leaders have proposed that there be a combined superintendency for the Sudbury K-8 system and Lincoln-Sudbury. In my opinion, this is not a good idea. It would reduce the independence of the L-S School Committee and would dilute and diminish Lincoln’s influence in the governance of the school.

There are a group of Sudbury residents who have strong negative feelings about Lincoln. This group, of indeterminate size, has called for voters to not vote for Carole and to write in two Sudbury candidates on a listserve that is only available to Sudbury residents. A group of them shamelessly harassed Carole when she presented at a Sudbury forum.

Carole is working in cooperation with Ellen Joachim from Sudbury and suggests that if you are motivated to write in a candidate, you should write in her name. Doing this will insure a more student centric governance structure and continued dialogue with and inclusion of Lincoln.

But the most important message is get yourself to the polls on Monday, March 26 and support our representation at our high school.

Sincerely,

Eric Harris
138 Bedford Rd., Lincoln

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.