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

My Turn

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.

My Turn: Smith and Chester trade perspectives on community center

By Lynne Smith

(Editor’s note: See the response to Smith’s piece by CCNC Chair Sarah Chester below.)

At the April 4 Community Center Building Committee (CCBC) community forum, I realized that ICON Architecture has no plans to review alternate spaces for community center activities. ICON’s charge is to develop three options for a building on the Hartwell campus: 50%, 75%, and something approaching 100% of the original $25 million cost. As a result, I propose a study group be created to consider “existing available town space” as intended by the vote taken at the 2022 Special Town Meeting.*

The community forum allowed many of the 100 attendees to air their comments. A few were in favor of a new building on the Hartwell campus. Some wanted an open space for informal gathering. Others liked the proximity for after-school programs for students. Several cited the inadequacy of Bemis Hall and pointed to the 2019 town meeting charrette that favored the Hartwell campus as a location.

But many were opposed to a large new building on the Hartwell campus hosting all programs. Here is my summary of this opposition.

Cost to taxpayers — Jonathan Sheffi, who identified himself as a new resident with a young family, described his inability to persuade friends his age to move to Lincoln because of our housing costs and high taxes. Kate Wolf, a long-time resident of Lincoln, pointed out that her taxes have increased significantly in the last four years and she expressed concerns about adding on more capital projects while Lincoln is still paying off bonds for the new school. Both Wolf and Sheffi recognize that Lincoln has no commercial base to mitigate tax bills but think the town should work to minimize taxes whenever possible. Dennis Picker said that he thought the amendment to the November 2022 motion had actually omitted a 100% option for the project, thus ensuring a lower-cost building. His surprise that ICON will study three options led to a moving conversation with Jonathan Dwyer — a very “Lincoln” moment that grounded all of us as a community.

Need for a viable town center — Three architects (Ken Hurd, Brooks Mostue, and David O’Neil) all argued for siting a community center in the “center of the community” as recommended in the long-term plan developed by the Planning Board several years ago. Others including Joe Robbat also made clear their wish for more development at Lincoln Station where there are many vacant spaces along with important amenities.

Use of existing spaces — Many attendees voiced a desire to explore use of existing spaces before committing to a large new building. In fact, the CCBC passed out a spreadsheet labeled Decentralized Programming Matrix which identified the many programs currently being held in spaces other than Bemis Hall or the Hartwell pods. The spreadsheet made clear which activities could continue in those spaces. I was glad to see this listing of programs for the Council on Aging & Human Services (COA&HS) and Parks and Recreation Department (PRD) held in various places around town: the school gyms, the library, the Pierce House and Pierce Park, local churches, our outdoor trails, and off-site activities. As I said at the meeting and in earlier Lincoln Squirrel articles, I support some investment in these spaces to make them suitable for use in the 21st century.

A study group of community spaces — As a result of the community discussion, I hope that Lincoln and/or the CCBC will form a study group to create a current inventory of existing spaces, match them with identified activities, and recommend modifications that would make these spaces even more useful to town activities. This analysis would ensure that alternative spaces get a full and fair review, as was set forth in the Special Town Meeting vote of 2022. Given the number of residents who attended the April 4 CCBC community forum, I am confident that there are eager volunteers to lead and participate in this important effort.

* Here is the motion that was ultimately approved at the Special Town Meeting on November 30, 2022, with amendments to the original motion indicated in boldface:

“That the town vote to transfer the sum of $325,000 from the town’s Stabilization Fund for the purpose of hiring relevant consultant support services, to potentially include project management, design, engineering and other technical reviews to assist the Community Center Building Committee in developing a range of community center design choices and budgets including options not to exceed 75% and 50% of the current project estimated cost of $25 million for the Hartwell complex, supplemented or not with existing available town space, with the intention of presenting said choices at a fall 2023 Special Town Meeting for a vote on a preferred option; and provided further, that it is anticipated that the preferred option selected by the town will be presented for a funding vote in March of 2025.”

Response from SBCC Chair Sarah Chester:

Thank you, Lynne, for your continued thoughts and suggestions for the community center process.

I am puzzled, however, that you think that CCBC and ICON are not concerned with the locations that the COA&HS and the PRD use around town. As shown in the amended motion from the November 2022 Special Town Meeting, and as architect Ned Collier and I reiterated in the “open mic” meeting on April 4, CCBC is obligated to explore the use of other facilities around town to try to meet our program needs. We gave ICON a tour of the outlying spaces in town the day after ICON signed their contract. We shared with them immediately a document highlighting COA&HS and PRD program locations around town, and this program matrix was mentioned in public meetings multiple times. As COA&HS director Abigail Butt pointed out on April 4, ICON has conducted a deep evaluation of Bemis Hall. Facilities Director Brandon Kelly is working with them to understand the Hartwell campus spaces, and ICON will proceed to the Pierce House shortly. Additional locations will be reviewed after that. ICON needs to understand all of these opportunities if they are to develop three viable program options. A separate study committee would duplicate their work and slow the process.

As Ned described, ICON is working along two tracks: conducting an in-depth analysis of the Hartwell site (traffic, wetlands, etc.) and collecting as much program data as possible. This includes extensive interviews with all stakeholders and evaluating other locations around town. CCBC is conducting a third concurrent track: seeking input from town organizations about the project and from residents via a survey about their individual values. This will also inform ICON’s work.

ICON updates the committee and the community on this work at each of our public meetings. They also will be presenting their work and seeking further feedback at our next public forum on April 25. This process is all to help them formulate the variety of price options specified in our charge.  

This response is more detailed than your letter needed, but I want to assure you and other readers that the CCBC is closely following its instructions from the Special Town Meeting and, with the skilled assistance of ICON Architecture, is proceeding along the complex and tight schedule.

Sarah Chester
Chair, Community Center Building Committee

P.S. The next CCBC meeting will be held Wednesday, April 12 at 7 p.m. in the Donaldson Room, Town Hall, hybrid format (see agenda here).

“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: Oppose solar plan next to reservoir in Lexington

(Editor’s note: This op-ed was originally published in the Lexington Observer on March 30, 2023.)

By Ed Sullivan

Lexington [and Lincoln] residents need to be aware of the Tracer Lane Solar Project at 0 Cambridge St./Concord Turnpike that is currently under review by the Lexington Planning Board. The project is planned in a forestry area adjacent to Lexington conservation land, the Cambridge Reservoir, and residential property in Lincoln and Waltham. The scope of the project is to cut down approximately 800 trees over 9+ acres and build a 1 megawatt 4,000-panel solar installation. Imagine the tree loss and wildlife displacement. The solar panels will be located on a steep hill and jammed up against Waltham residential property. The panels will have a proposed 50-foot setback from the residential property lines, but much of the area between the property line and actual panel placement will be cleared. 

Because of the proximity to the reservoir, there will be no foam fire suppression installed or used, as foam could contaminate the reservoir. Should there be a fire (solar panels do catch fire more frequently than people think), the agreed strategy by the Lexington and Waltham Fire Departments is essentially: let it burn itself out. You cannot fight an electrical fire with water, so all the responding firefighters will do is wet the ground near the abutting homes in hopes the fire will not spread. This is the plan! Where else in Lexington is there a “let it burn” strategy?

If there were a fire, the plume of smoke would contain both lead and cadmium (both carcinogens) that would settle on the reservoir and potentially contaminate the water. The smoke could travel for 1.25 miles and the residue settle on homes in Lexington, Lincoln, and Waltham. The potential for risk to firefighters is high. They would be exposed to toxic smoke, working on an extremely slippery and steep incline. The sole entry and exit to this solar field will be a 20-foot-wide gravel path installed across a residential property in Waltham (owned by the developer) which backs up to the Lexington property the developer is planning for this solar field.

The Waltham residents are not against solar. Some have it on their own homes. This is not NIMBY opposition. It is just a bad project with multiple problems. For more information, please visit our website at WalthamNeighborsForSafeSolar.org.

Sullivan lives at 24 Sherbourne Place in Waltham. 

“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: Vigilance urged after theft at Codman farm

By Pete Lowy

(Editor’s note: This account was included in the latest Codman Community Farms member newsletter from farmer Pete Lowy. On Friday, March 31, Lincoln police said they are still investigating the incident and have some leads, and may have something to report by the end of next week.)

As many know, our awesome Farm Store is open 24/7 and is fully stocked with a highly curated selection of the best local foods that can be found in the region. Our dedication to remaining open at all times AND operating on the self-serve/honor system has been one of our pride and joys and certainly something that makes us very unique.

Unfortunately, this aspect of our store can be taken advantage of. We are very sad to report we had quite a large theft late one evening this past week. A large amount of chicken and other high-value items were stolen from our store. This is always deeply saddening to witness and makes all our hearts sink. We work so very hard to grow the best quality products we can and to then see folks take advantage of our honor store is very depressing.

The good news is that our robust video surveillance system which records all activity 24 hours a day captured the entire theft including the license plate of the suspects. The Lincoln Police Department has been notified and they are in the process of hopefully recouping the value of our loss. We are always grateful for the support of the Lincoln Police Department whenever these situations arise. In the future, if folks are shopping in the store at odd hours and see something suspicious or just “off” — say something, call the police if it’s after hours, or let our staff know as soon as possible.

We hope in the future we won’t have to up our game and solicit the help of AI Farm-Chick-Bots to begin patrolling the grounds, as seen in the photo below. We are beginning to work on prototypes with Lincoln Labs just in case…

“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: See author Bill McKibben at the First Parish or on livestream

By Barbara Slayter

If you live in Lincoln, chances are you are deeply concerned about the environment, distressed about the polarization afflicting our nation, alarmed about climate change, and disturbed about the rise of right-wing authoritarianism. Come hear Bill McKibben, who will discuss his childhood experiences and his reflection on transformations in our country as they are revealed in his latest book, The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks back at his Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened, on Sunday, April 2 at 3 p.m. (event details below).

Bill McKibben is an eminent environmentalist, Professor of Environmental Studies at Middlebury College, and author of more than a dozen books, including the best sellers Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?, Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future, and The End of Nature, which was the first book to warn the general public about the climate crisis. Recipient of several prestigious prizes, he founded the global grassroots climate campaign 350.org, an international movement of ordinary people working to end the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all. His new project, organizing people over 60 for progressive change, is called Third Act.

McKibben grew up next door in Lexington, where he moved when he was ten years old. He rapidly became enmeshed in Lexington’s cherished heritage of colonial farmer-patriots who fought to secure the independence of this country. He was confident in the patterns and certainties of his family’s participation in the Hancock United Church of Christ, an institution central to the religious life of his family. He reveled in the opportunities made possible in an affluent suburb by the automobile, the mechanism for connecting home, work, schools, church, shopping, vacations, and various and sundry other destinations.

Now, 50 years later, he is asking a lot of questions about past policies that shaped contemporary life in America. He is looking around at vast inequalities in wealth, an extraordinary dependence on fossil fuels, sharp racial injustices, and a widespread collapse of trust in our long-treasured institutions. He asks, “What went so suddenly sour with American patriotism, American faith and American prosperity?”   

And we ask, how do McKibben’s questions, his experience, and his reflections relate to our small New England town? We may find that they do so in more ways than we could have imagined. Can we seize the opportunity to learn from this scholar/activist who is probing for ways that Americans – all of us — can build a sustainable and just future?

McKibben’s talk is on Sunday, April 2 at  3 p.m. Reservations are not required, so arrive early at the First Parish in Lincoln, go to St. Anne’s Episcopal Church to watch it simulcast live with others (enjoy light refreshments and informal discussion afterwards), or watch on livestream here. This event is sponsored by the First Parish in Lincoln and its committees: Racial Justice Advocates, Outreach, Green and Adult Education.

“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: Buchthal on why he should be elected to School Committee

By Peter Buchthal

My name is Peter Buchthal and I am running for the Lincoln School Committee.

I am a huge supporter of public education. I attended an excellent public school in Scarsdale and was excited for the opportunity to enroll my three young children in the Lincoln Public School system (LPS) when we moved to town in 2013 (even though none were born yet!). I was thrilled with LPS during the pandemic when classrooms opened early for the lower grades, since remote work is more challenging with younger kids. However, over the past year, I have become concerned about our educational standards as I have learned more about the programs for older kids.

The school administration recently released an iReady report that showed that 38% of Lincoln School students (close to 200 out of 515 students) are one or more grades behind in their studies. At first, I wondered if we were just suffering long-term academic effects from the pandemic. Our average 2022 MCAS result is 510.05 vs. 2019 MCAS of 510.79. The results are so close that we can’t ignore our poor results and blame them on the pandemic.

In 2012, LPS’s #1 goal was “striving for academic excellence.” Over the past ten years, the academic goals and expectations have continually weakened. Now in 2023, only one of the school’s “high-priority goals” (see page 27 of the Financial Section and Warrant for the 2023 Annual Town Meeting) that talks about academics and just states: “Improve student investment, academic outcomes…” If elected to the School Committee, I will work with my fellow School Committee members to refocus our academic goals and devote more time in the classroom to foundational skills in reading, writing, and math to make sure all students are meeting grade-level proficiency standards in these subjects. This may involve reevaluating our current curriculum, after school and investing in additional resources to support struggling students.

Additionally, we spend 20% to 30% more per student than most of our peer towns. Yet all our academic test scores are middle of the pack. If more students were at grade level, we might free up budget money to expand our academic and athletic offerings. We might even be able to save a little money and reduce the burden on the Lincoln taxpayer.

I propose that we add additional learning opportunities to the Lincoln campus after school. I understand that many families supplement their child’s reading and math with Russian Math, Kumon, Beast Academy, etc. From an equity view, it is unfair that many students in our school do not have sufficient resources to attend these helpful programs. As a member of the School Committee, I would work with the administration and teachers to explore creating various additional extra academic offerings on campus so all of our students can get the benefits of these courses without leaving Lincoln.

I proposed during a PTO meeting that we look into an intensive six-week summer school program to get all of our students back to grade level. With the support of participating staff, parents, and students, I look forward to trying to make this happen next year. We could also consider adding academic special weeks during some vacations to further support the academics of our students. We need to solve this problem and I will reach out to all groups (teachers, parents, administrators) to explore all the different and creative ways we can work together.

A student survey from this past spring showed that only 24 percent of our middle school students felt engaged in the classroom. It is not difficult to understand a student’s lack of engagement when 38% of the class is behind one or more grades. I believe If more students were at grade level, the pace and content of our classes would be more challenging, more engaging, and academ

As a member of the School Committee, I will work tirelessly to support the new superintendent’s effort in doing a top to bottom review of our school system. I look forward to learning how we can improve our school with new offerings, initiatives and maybe even some cost savings. Many of my concerns and supporting information have been previously shared on LincolnTalk. Please check the archives for more information or email me directly.

Please give me a chance to help improve our school for everyone and support our new superintendent. Vote Peter Buchthal for Lincoln School Committee on March 27.

Sincerely,

Peter Buchthal (pbuchthal@gmail.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.