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

My Turn

My Turn: CCBC authorizes a 75% program option for ICON cost estimation

By Lynne Smith

Community Center Building Committee Sarah Chester opened the CCBC’s May 31 meeting by reiterating the group’s commitment to two cost options for a community center: 50% and 75% of the 2018 project cost of $25 million, as required at the Special Town Meeting in November 2022.The committee is focused on a consolidated program in a single new building with Parks & Recreation (PRD) and Council on Aging & Human Services (COA & HS) grouped into shared and non-shared space.

After much discussion of the program spaces, the committee ended the meeting with a vote to accept an area of 9,320 net square feet for cost estimation by ICON Architects. The committee said this will become the 75% option for program space and reflects a reduction of 10,000 square feet from the 2018 proposal by eliminating such things as a teaching kitchen and lobby café. The reduction in space is impressive, but the architects and the committee must reduce it even further to achieve a 50% option with a price tag of $12.5 million.

At the upcoming June 13 public forum, the committee expects ICON to present both options, including cost estimates for site preparation, a new building, and parking lots. ICON’s Ned Collier promised at the first public meeting with CCBC that each option would be a “complete, viable alternative,”* and we are waiting to see how that assurance will be met.

At the May 31 meeting, several residents asked pointed questions and initiated discussions:

Magic Garden and Lincoln Preschool — Sara Mattes questioned why the private Magic Garden preschool housed in the 7,000-square-foot Hartwell Building couldn’t be moved elsewhere in town, perhaps to a space at St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields church recently vacated by another preschool, so the town-owned building could be used for public community center purposes. Lori Leo, the director of Magic Garden, explained that the St. Anne’s space was too small for the full school and would require significant modification to house the infant/toddler group, which has since moved to the Stone Church of First Parish. School staff and Magic Garden representatives highlighted the importance, for parents and school staff, of having the Magic Garden preschool on the Hartwell campus.

Mattes also asked about having the preschool housed at the K-8 school. Becky McFall, retiring School Superintendent, explained that the public preschool was for children aged 2-5 needing special education for developmental issues. While this discussion seemed to put to rest the idea of moving Magic Garden, the discussion illustrated the potential use of available church space for town-sponsored activities.

Attendance and benchmark data — David Cuetos reiterated his request for actual program attendance data, not just room capacity. Collier explained that the committee had this data and it would be made available on the CCBC website. Cuetos also asked for a benchmark analysis comparing spaces and costs with similar projects in other towns. Collier and Chester declined to do this, noting that no other town had a comparable project combining Parks and Recreation with a Council on Aging and Human Services in a single building. Information on both of these topics would help the community understand actual, not just possible, usage and how Lincoln compares to other towns. Such data has been promised at many meetings and its lack has made informed questions and comments for both the committee and the public difficult. I hope to see both attendance and benchmark data soon on the community center website.

Reduction in shared and non-shared spaces — Dennis Picker came prepared with a detailed table and rationale for significant reductions in room sizes from the prior programming matrix. The committee responded that some of these reductions had been made in the updated program shown at the meeting, but Picker pointed out that many other reductions were still possible and would be necessary if the town is to see a viable 50% cost option. Picker reflects the desire of many in town to see a modest proposal that they would be willing to accept.

Public concerns — Susan Taylor, School Committee liaison to CCBC, suggested that the above concerns raised by the public be addressed in writing, distributed to the town, and put on the CCBC website so that Lincoln residents could understand the rationale. Krystal Wood and the communications committee agreed to do so.

*    *    *

As an amender of the Special Town Meeting motion to authorize the architectural study of a community center, I am still interested in seeing if a 50% cost option is viable and attractive — and if not, that the vision of a single, new, consolidated space be revisited, and that the use of available spaces in town (some of which would require modification) be considered.

ICON promised to identify needs vs. aspirations. Some of the programs currently put forth appear to be aspirational, such as having three congregate senior luncheons per week with 50 people at each. This is not a required activity and the projected participation numbers seem high, given anecdotal reports of the current once-a-week attendance of 15-30 seniors. The suggested five hours in the kitchen every day for Meals on Wheels still has not been explained. Finally, many of the non-shared spaces such as offices for part-time and summer staff, which were not discussed at the meeting, seem larger than needed and could easily be located in available spaces in town or at our K-8 school.

This complex project is gathering steam and requires everyone’s attention. But as summer approaches, I fear that we will all find better things to do than look at charts, tables and program spaces on the LincolnCommunityCenter.com website. I urge everyone to come to the June 13 public forum, which will likely give ICON the direction and authorization to proceed with plans for a September presentation. At that point, the train will really be pulling out of the station with or without all passengers on board!

* At the March 8 meeting, ICON architects “said they would identify ‘needs’ vs. ‘aspirations’ with each option [offering] a complete, viable alternative. They also emphasized their experience designing sustainable buildings with very low energy use and excellent air quality and said these qualities would be ‘baked into’ to all options” (from the Lincoln Squirrel, March 13, “My Turn: CCBC introduces architects and shares concerns”).

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Alert citizens can have a big impact

By Ruth Ann Hendrickson

Lincoln’s unaccounted-for water measurement showed a huge reduction this year, and the discovery of two large leaks by alert citizens probably played a large part in that reduction.

Both citizens noticed the sound of running water in storm drains during the drought last summer, identifying leaks that Water Department personnel quickly repaired. We urge everyone to watch for the appearance or the sound of water in unexpected places and report it immediately to the Water Department at 781-259-2669.

The Water Department has been working hard for over 12 years to reduce our unaccounted-for water, increasing water leak detection surveys to twice a year compared to the industry standard of once every two years. Leak detection is difficult. The contractor drives around Lincoln during the wee hours of the morning, using sensitive acoustical equipment to hear the sound of water running through the pipes. We uncover many leaks this way every year, but we also miss many. Some years ago there was a 60+ gallon-per-minute leak on Beaver Pond Road that was never detected until the water started to bubble to the surface in someone’s yard. The leak detection equipment failed to hear it.

Lincoln draws all our public water from the Charles River watershed; that watershed is always stressed by upstream people like us who use water before it can get to the river. Consequently, the Mass. DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) gives Lincoln a permit to withdraw 0.53 mgd (million gallons per day). As part of the permit, we are required to demonstrate a unaccounted-for water use of less than 10%. For over a decade our measured UAW has been in the vicinity of 25%, but this year it dropped to 5% — a number yet to be certified by the DEP, but certainly a huge improvement.

So be on the lookout for possible leaks and report them right away!

Ruth Ann Hendrickson is a former longtime member of the Lincoln Water Commission.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Site plan shows the downside of a consolidated community center

By Lynne Smith

(Editor’s note: the Lincoln Squirrel was out  of town on May 23 and unable to cover the forum.)

Before the May 23 Community Center Building Committee forum, I walked with several others around the campus to understand what the new site plans would mean for the existing property. It was a beautiful time of day with sunlight slanting through the gorgeous old trees that encircled the tiny old pods. Lush grass and kids’ trails through the woods from Lincoln Road made me yearn to be a child in Lincoln.

Proposed parking spaces, wetland conservation restrictions, and limited buildable land are squeezing the site plans for a community center building on the Hartwell campus. The large parking areas proposed for each of the five alternatives presented dwarf the renovated and new buildings in the schemes shown by Ned Collier of ICON Architecture, who described the five site plans that are posted on the CCBC website.

Collier described in detail the need for setbacks from the underground river that must be crossed to enter the campus. Conservation restrictions would require tearing up the existing parking lot and adding a swale to protect the river. Parking spaces would then be farther from the main road with a two-way entry to the campus instead of the one-way entry and one-way exit, which are now in place.

Each of the five schemes includes a new two-story building replacing pod A and different levels of renovation for LEAP and the pod B buildings. The schemes also show the green space, needed as playgrounds and fields for children in the LEAP program. In all the plans, a new parking lot dominates and doubles the existing 50 spaces.

Consolidating two populations in one community center is driving the CCBC effort, overruling the expressed desire of the town to “supplement or not with existing available town spaces.” With the COA staff and many seniors coming and going, the already crowded Hartwell campus will become even busier. The need for holding many activities in other sites is clearer than ever.

I want to raise the issue of parking space to a high level of concern. We are now doing everything we can to reduce emissions in town. Replacing the old parking lot with new paving and adding up to 50 additional spaces for cars to accommodate seniors, who do not occupy the building all day, does not seem necessary. Activities are scheduled throughout the day so people come and go on staggered schedules. Moreover, holding COA activities at Bemis Hall, Pierce House, the school, and other town sites will minimize the need for parking at the Hartwell campus.

I urge everyone to get involved and take a close look at the CCBC website to understand the site plans, especially the substantial proposed increase of parking spaces. And, if you have nothing better to do, go take a walk in the late afternoon behind the pods to understand what will be lost and would need to change with each of the proposed plans. The next CCBC meeting is Wednesday, May 31 and will feature more detail on programming, especially attendance numbers, and the site plans.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Please welcome our new library director, Melissa Roderick

By Jacquelin Apsler

The Lincoln Public Library Trustees are pleased to announce our choice of Melissa Roderick as the new Lincoln Public Library Director.

Melissa has served the Lincoln Library as our assistant director for 11 months prior to being selected as the library’s director. In her short time in that role, Melissa made a very positive impact with enhanced social media engagement, a new and more efficient online staff scheduling process, and her service as the project manager for designing the new website that is under development.

Before coming to Lincoln as the assistant library director in July 2022, Melissa worked at the Winchester Public Library for over 10 years, first as their reference and young adult librarian for a year before being promoted to head of circulation. In that role, she managed operational responsibilities such as hiring, onboarding, training, supervision, scheduling 24 staff members, and overseeing adult fiction purchases and programming. Prior to working in Winchester, Melissa spent four years as a circulation assistant in the Woburn Public Library. References from her previous employment consistently described Melissa as warm, responsive, competent, direct, and honest with a high level of energy and positivity and a “can do” attitude.

In her short tenure as the assistant library director in Lincoln, Melissa earned high regard and appreciation from the staff. The following paragraph sums up the many positive comments from the staff that were shared with the hiring committee: “Melissa is approachable, listens well, has a sense of humor, makes firm decisions, and most importantly, clearly communicates those decisions. Her leadership skills are held in high regard, and, as a staff, we have been grateful for the channels of communication Melissa has instituted.”

In addition to building strong internal relationships, Melissa has already become the new “face” of the library in town. She participates in numerous town-wide committees and activities; is eager to learn all she can about the library and Lincoln through a myriad of trainings, and workshops; and has developed warm relationships with most of the other town employees with whom she will be working and collaborating. Several town employees offered the hiring committee examples of the many positive ways in which they and Melissa have interacted during her short time in Lincoln.

Melissa earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in legal studies from UMass–Lowell and a Master of Library Science and Information Science from Simmons University in Boston.

I want to thank the hiring committee that worked hard to thoughtfully review all the materials for the candidates that helped the trustees make the final decision – six staff members, the president of the Friends of the Lincoln Library, a patron, the assistant town administrator, and all six trustees. We are all eager to move forward with Melissa at the helm.

When you have a moment, please stop by to welcome Melissa in her new role as the Lincoln Library director. We plan to have a formal welcoming reception in the near future as well.

Apsler is chair of the Lincoln Library Board of Trustees.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Come to an outdoor concert to benefit food pantry

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln & Weston (SVdP) is hosting its second annual outdoor concert “Grazing in the Grass” on Tuesday, May 30 at 5:30 p.m. at Pierce Park. Performers will be Brian Moll, Mara Bonde & Sandra Piques Eddy, Christian Rougeaux, and the Kemp Harris Band. Bring your own chair, beverages, and a picnic, renew old friendships, take a chance on great gift baskets from local businesses, and enjoy a fun evening.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul operates the food pantry in town, gives financial emergency assistance, and offers scholarships to adults seeking to improve their earning capability. Nearly 150 households (350 people) rely on the food pantry. The need has increased tremendously in the last couple of years, and our expenses are still rising. In the last five months we have spent on average $8,000 for the food pantry (up from an average of $6,000 in our last fiscal year) and an average of $12,500 on financial emergency assistance (up from $5,000 in the previous fiscal year!). In addition, grant applications have become far more competitive as more organizations try to raise more money for their outreach work. We need your help so we can continue to support our neighbors in need.

This is our biggest fundraiser of the year. We hope you can come to our concert, but if you can’t, we hope you will still support us. The suggested donation is $25 per person (or more!). You can sign up by donating here (put “spring concert” in the notes) or mail a check payable to “St. Vincent de Paul” to SVdP, PO Box 324, Lincoln, MA 01773. We hope to raise $25,000. Please help us reach this goal.

See you on the 30th!

Ursula Nowak, Karen Salvucci (president), and Chris Stirling (vice president)
Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston

Brian Moll, Mara Bonde & Sandra Piques Eddy, Christian Rougeaux, and the Kemp Harris Band on Tuesday, May 30 at 5:30 p.m. in Pierce Park. Bring your own chair, drinks, and picnic. Suggested donation: $25 (or more).

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: CCBC has reduced space but questions remain about cost

By Lynne Smith

At its May 17 meeting, CCBC and ICON Architecture claimed they reduced the space needed for a new building by 8,000 square feet compared to the space proposed in 2018 by Maryann Thompson Architects. ICON’s Ned Collier said the current program is “going in the direction of 75%” of the 2022 cost option of $25 million. They will “reduce programming for a 50% option” and also provide a 100% option at the June 13 meeting before the summer hiatus.   

In my opinion, and based on those expressed in the CCBC survey results, the upper amounts are unlikely to win approval at any Town Meeting and are surely a waste of time for the committee and the architects. A 50% option for a new building would cost $12.5 million and that may be more than most will want.

Also at the May 17 meeting, ICON presented a chart showing 6,700 square feet of space to be shared among COA/HS, PRD, LEAP (the after-school program), and Magic Garden (the pre-school program). While the chart showed many activities for an average week, there was a great deal of space that was not accounted for — shown as FT (Free Time) on the chart — and other blocks of time that were inexplicable, such as the five hours in the kitchen spent for Meals on Wheels. The chart also indicated the maximum number each room would hold, not the number who actually have attended. I was not convinced of the need for this much space, much less the additional unshared space required for administration, LEAP, support and maintenance, which totals around 11,000 square feet. I assume the shared-space chart and the description of unshared space will soon be available on the CCBC website.

Many participants suggested using existing town spaces for programming. Dan Pereira explained that CCBC was not considering using any buildings that were not town-owned. This surprised many of us who are aware that Lincoln and other towns happily use churches and schools for senior and youth programming, and some suggested that leasing privately owned buildings could work very well. As one of the amenders of the 2022 vote, I was surprised to learn that “only town-owned buildings” were being considered.

The April CCBC survey results, including free-form comments, are now available on the CCBC website. These comments reveal much about the mood of the town: questions about the need for a community center and the location, but primarily questions about cost. I asked that the CCBC respond to these comments at the upcoming public forums. If they do not, I fear many residents will simply tune out and vote against any expenditure.

On Tuesday, May 23, CCBC will hold another public forum at 7 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room and on Zoom. ICON will show visuals of the spaces required, not just charts. I urge everyone to attend to learn about this project in time to affect the outcome. We need to make our voices heard about the cost and value of a community center.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: CCBC previews space needs at April 25 forum

By Lynne Smith

The Community Center Building Committee (CCBC), with the help of ICON Architecture, is hitting its stride. I was glad to see a draft of space needs for a new building but disappointed by the size and number of rooms being considered.

ICON project manager Mark McKivitz emphasized that the draft was preliminary and will be fleshed out in the next two weeks, but the 18,000 square feet for the Parks & Recreation Department and the Council on Aging & Human Services plus 5,000 square feet for the LEAP after-school program is a huge starting point — 23,000 square feet of new space! The architects said they think a two-story building will be required and much site development will be needed.

The volunteers and the architects are working hard and I appreciate this effort. However, they all seem convinced that a totally new building is the way to go. I am still not convinced. Given today’s high interest rates, inflation-affected construction costs, and the resulting impact on taxes, I still hope for a more creative solution involving renovation of current spaces and the use of the many acceptable spaces in town. At minimum, we must see a 50% option for a new building, not just a 75% option.

CCBC is truly committed to getting the community involved and has scheduled public forums on May 23 and June 13. Their communications have ramped up on LincolnTalk and those who are on the CCBC mailing list are receiving updates regularly.

The town must do something about the need for improved space for PRD and for COA&HS, and the CCBC wants the community to participate now rather than wait until the vote at the Special Town Meeting in November. I urge everyone in town to sign up on the CCBC mailing list and attend the upcoming forums [editor’s note: the next one is on Tuesday, May 23]. Information is on the CCBC website at LincolnCommunityCenter.com.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: How to determine if outside burning is safe

By Lincoln Fire Chief Brian J. Young

Unfortunately, due to lack of precipitation and high temperatures, we did not allow open burning last week. The state does not allow open burning after May 1 so we are nearing the deadline. We are optimistic that we will get some rain early this week and conditions will improve before the end of the burning season.

The district has already had a lot of brush fires recently, but we also want to do our best to allow residents to use the spring window to burn. To clarify the decision-making process, I wanted to share our criteria for good burning conditions.

There are two considerations we look at: fire weather and air quality. Fire weather is a combination of humidity, wind, and temperature. We have two different scales for this, the Haines index (1-6), and the state fire danger scale (1-5 Smokey the Bear sign) put out by DCR. When a high Haines index combines with high wind, we do not allow burning.

The second factor, air quality, is given to us by the Massachusetts DEP. Although the local towns can decide if burning is allowed during marginally poor fire weather, we cannot allow burning when the DEP issues a poor air quality alert.

One of the most dangerous conditions is high wind. Wind will not only increase the size of the fire but also push it to unburnt dry sources. Last week in Weston, windblown embers from a house fire sparked a brush fire that moved almost 200 feet downwind before fire crews could contain it. The wind is not always consistent throughout the day, so a day that predicts gusts of over 20 mph will be dangerous for outside burning.

Red flag warnings may be issued by the state, a red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. Any fires that start may spread rapidly and become difficult to extinguish.

I am optimistic we will have good conditions this week, but we often have poor fire weather in April due to dead vegetation and high winds. Please remember in the future that February and March are the safest months to burn.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Concerns at community center forum are deeply flawed

By Bob Apsler

I urge the Community Center Building Committee not to be swayed by the dominant concerns expressed at the April 4 open mic meeting. Those concerns are (1) a desire for a community center within walking distance of a revitalized commercial center, (2) a request for a distributed services model of programs utilizing spaces throughout Lincoln, and (3) a plea for minimizing costs of a community center.

Before dealing with each concern, I must highlight [Assistant Town Administrator] Dan Pereira’s response to the general issue of representativeness of views about the community center. Decisions in Lincoln are made by residents who choose to be informed and vote. There will always be disagreements, and there will always be vocal dissent, such as we heard during the meeting. The decision to build a community center and to locate it on the Ballfield Road campus evolved over many years through participation of hundreds of residents during numerous meetings. Those decisions were not arbitrary but followed extensive data gathering, data analysis, and discussion. Do not be misled by those insisting on disregarding those decisions.

Desire for a community center within walking distance of a revitalized commercial center

Two myths undergird this desire.

First, the Lincoln Mall, like malls across the country, struggles and exists despite dire financial prospects. Vacancies abound at malls as they search for repurposing as housing, warehouses, etc. Fortunately, Donelan’s, Something Special, the Tack Room, and Twisted Tree remain, but even their future is uncertain. What evidence suggests that a revitalized commercial district in Lincoln will buck the national trend? Even if so, how many more years will it take to realize that dream?

Second, how far will Lincoln seniors walk to access a community center? I suggest you attend various Council on Aging functions at Bemis Hall, such as the Lincoln Academy. Observe how many attendees rely on the elevator. Watch them ascend and descend the stairs. Watch them enter and exit spaces. Then estimate how far most will walk to reach a community center. Use that estimate to draw a circle on a map of Lincoln centered in the Lincoln Mall showing the number of residents living within walking distance. What percentage does this number of walking-distance residents constitute of all Lincoln residents? Conclusion: the vast majority of Lincoln residents reside beyond walking distance and will rely on transportation for reaching the community center. This conclusion holds for all other potential locations. In short, “walking distance” should not be considered in locating the community center.

Request for a distributed services model of programs utilizing spaces throughout Lincoln

Even though this option has been discussed extensively and rejected decisively, assume that a financial analysis shows an advantage of distributing COA services around Lincoln versus a centralized community center. Imagine COA&HS programs taking place at many locations, thereby reducing interactions among participants in different programs. Lincoln residents want a center for their community. They have repeatedly voiced their desire for a gathering place where they can meet others. A distributed services model also creates a nightmare for staff with the need to juggle schedules according to availability of space in several locations and requires substantial effort in moving equipment and supplies in and out of shared spaces.

Plea for minimizing costs of a community center

Lincoln attributes that contribute to high real estate taxes include two-acre zoning, large expanses of conservation land, and a minimal commercial presence. Several options exist for lowering our taxes, including eliminating lot size and building height restrictions, and rezoning large tracts of conservation land to allow light industry. These options would change Lincoln’s character and will not be endorsed by residents. Therefore, we are stuck with high taxes in order to retain the desirable Lincoln characteristics.

The issue becomes one of finding ways to assist those who want to remain in Lincoln but cannot afford the tax payments. Downsizing helps only a few due to scarce availability of smaller, less expensive homes. While subsidies have been mentioned often, using one’s housing equity might also be an option. Reverse mortgages and home equity loans would allow cash-poor residents to pay their share of taxes and remain in Lincoln.

Lincoln residents want and are willing to pay for improving their community. Residents recently approved $94,000,000 for renovating the school and even added further allocations. They will support a community center.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: No transfer station access without stickers after April 28

By Chris Bibbo

Thank you for your participation in the various waste reduction and recycling programs available at the transfer station. We have enjoyed a terrific partnership with Mothers Out Front and a strong group of volunteers who have helped us reinvigorate the swap shed program. In addition, the compost and mattress recycling programs have really taken hold and are well-utilized. Together, we are all doing our part to help the town achieve its zero waste and climate action goals.

We have also appreciated the cooperation of the vast majority of our residents who have obtained transfer station stickers, which help us ensure that the facility is being used exclusively by Lincoln residents. If you have not obtained a yellow sticker, please do so as soon as possible but no later than Friday, April 28 when the sticker program will be strictly enforced. Anyone without a sticker will not be allowed access to the facility.

We have worked to make the process for obtaining stickers as convenient as possible. Stickers may be obtained online at epay.cityhallsystems.com, or in person at the DPW building (30 Lewis St.) Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.–2 p.m. As an additional accommodation, our staff will be present at the transfer station on Saturday, April 22, and Wednesday, April 26 to issue stickers to those who have not taken advantage of other opportunities. Proof of residence and vehicle registration is required. Contact Susan Donaldson at the DPW (781 259-8999) if you have questions. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Chris Bibbo is the superintendent of the Lincoln Department of Public Works.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.