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

My Turn

My Turn: Bodnar is running for Select Board

By Kim Bodnar

It is with much enthusiasm that I announce my candidacy for the Select Board for a three-year term beginning in March.

Reflecting on the past five and a half years as vice chair of the School Building Committee (SBC), I cherish the time I’ve spent building relationships with my fellow committee members and residents in our community. The many conversations I’ve had in our community spaces or just walking the trails together have shaped my understanding of Lincoln’s history and culture, as well as concerns for its future and the challenges ahead. This process has made me a better listener, collaborator and communicator. And it’s the same dedication and commitment to inclusiveness, transparency and thoughtful leadership that have characterized my work on the SBC that I hope to bring to every aspect of my role on the Select Board.

My family moved to Lincoln over a decade ago. It’s when my daughters were enrolled at preschool at Lincoln Nursery School and kindergarten at the Lincoln School that we first walked the trails behind the deCordova and fell in love with Lincoln’s natural beauty. It’s also when I began to appreciate the town’s commitment to its long-held traditions and core values, and I recognized the need to contribute to that history of stewardship. I chose volunteer opportunities that blended my skills of thoughtful questioning, data analysis and unwavering effort with a strong sense of teamwork. Over the years, those roles have included Lincoln School’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) chair, board member for the Friends of the Lincoln Library, lead organizer of a community-wide kickball tournament, and contributor to the citizen’s petition that recently renamed the Board of Selectmen as the Select Board. 

As vice chair of the SBC, I have spent a great deal of time in front of our town’s many boards and committees. These meetings have given me a tremendous respect for the exceptional level of volunteerism as well as a first-hand view into how our town is run and managed by our talented town staff. And as an SBC Outreach subcommittee member, I did everything I could to ensure that residents felt engaged with the decision-making process and informed of progress every step of the way. Our 200+ blog and LincolnTalk posts, videos, the SBC website, multiple mailings and handouts are a testament to the level of transparency we tried to achieve. The skills and expertise gained through a business career in supply chain management, process engineering, and market development have, without a doubt, been an asset throughout my many volunteer roles.

Looking ahead, I am eager to share my experiences and knowledge as a crucial phase of the community center building project begins. It is a humbling process that requires tireless effort but also a tremendous opportunity to listen and learn from a great cross-section of our residents.

The town of Lincoln is also at an interesting crossroads with respect to the recent housing choice legislation for MBTA communities and the need for expanded housing options. It is a conversation that requires full community engagement as we reflect on what we value and decide on what zoning changes we will support. We are also at an inflection point when discussing next steps for the revitalization of Lincoln Station, transportation policy, and the work of the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, the Climate Action Plan, and diversity and equity initiatives, to name a few. Because these initiatives touch every part of our lives, they require broad based discussions from residents including those who serve on our many town boards and committees. I look forward to contributing to these efforts and building consensus for the long term benefit of Lincoln.

Also, in the coming weeks (just when it’s getting really cold again!), you will see me at the transfer station and in front of Donelan’s to meet and hear from you. In addition to those two locations, I’ll look for additional opportunities to meet in person and discuss what’s on your mind. More to come…

Finally, as I announce my candidacy, I would like to express my thanks to Jonathan Dwyer for his many years of service to the community, including his six years on the Select Board, and I respectfully ask for your support at the town election on Monday, March 27th.

Sincerely,

Kim Bodnar
11 Fox Run Road

“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: Dwyer won’t seek reelection to Select Board

By Jonathan Dwyer

I write to announce that I will not be seeking reelection to the Select Board before my term expires in March.

After serving on the board for the past six years, twice as chair, I am ready to step back and make space for others to participate in town leadership. The experience was wonderful, and my “J-Board” colleagues James Craig, Jennifer Glass, and Jim Hutchinson were a joy to work with and learn from.

Getting to know staff, the regulatory complexities and services they uphold, and their responsiveness to ever-changing town needs was a privilege. In particular, I enjoyed working on North Lincoln issues such as the Route 2A repaving project that kept me in regular contact with residents, MassDOT, Minute Man National Historical Park, Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School, and adjacent towns’ Select Board members through the Hanscom Area Towns Committee.

The Capital Planning Committee, community center committees, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and Roadway and Traffic Committee (RTC) have all provided additional opportunities for me to work with talented staff and volunteers to plan, advise, fund, decide, and implement many town infrastructure projects. The collaboration among BPAC and RTC is exceptional, in my opinion. Whether we were discussing changes to an intersection, edge lanes for pedestrian and cyclist safety, curb materials and reveals, a new roadside path at Codman Farm, or the trail-path network and Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan, it would be difficult to tell who was on which committee without roll-call voting.

Moreover, our town’s resident-government partnership, built on trust and common values, is remarkable, and is a key element of Lincoln’s character. Today’s issues are multifaceted and lack easy answers, but the town continues to be in a good state to address them.

I thank all of you for voting me onto this board twice, and thank my wife and daughters for giving me time to serve you. If you haven’t had an opportunity to volunteer on a town board or committee, go for it. It’s important, and a terrific experience.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Dwyer
Beaver Pond Road

“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: Moving forward with plans for a community center

By June Matthews

Things have been strangely quiet on the community center front — perhaps everyone is exhausted after the November 30marathon town meeting and the preceding torrent of posts on Lincoln Talk. Now that the CCBC has the authority to spend $325,000 to study the previous two proposals for a gold-plated Community Center at Hartwell, along with a direction to explore lower-cost options, including placement of some services and facilities at other locations, I request that the Committee pay serious attention to the last point.

It is clear that the after-school programs of the P&RD should most sensibly be located at the schools, as that’s where the kids are. But I assert that it makes little if any sense to locate the activities of the COA&HS there. There has been much discussion of the virtues of a multigenerational community center. But I have my doubts as to the extent that intergenerational mixing would occur at such a center, given the present structure of the P&RD and COA&HS programs.

As others have pointed out, there are already opportunities in town for social contact among families and people of all ages — think First Day and Winter Carnival, for example, plus programs at our library and at Codman. I would like to request that the CCBC use some of their time and energy, and perhaps funds, to “think outside the box.” What do Lincoln seniors (I am one) really need, want, and value?

My vision is of a community center conveniently located at Lincoln Station — walking distance from the Ryan Estate as well as from other high-density residential areas which cater to mixed ages and mixed incomes: Lincoln Woods, the Ridge Court apartments, the Greenridge and Todd Pond condominiums. Not everyone will walk, of course, but those who are there with their cars will have convenient access to other essential services, e.g., Donelan’s and the post office, plus two restaurants, two dry cleaning establishments, a bank, Something Special, etc. Not to mention the train station, for those wishing to venture farther afield.

A new building on the site of the commuter lot has been proposed, as commuting has dwindled with many people still working remotely. One would have to ascertain whether adequate parking would remain. Others have proposed utilizing vacant space in existing buildings, on both sides of Lincoln Road. There has been much talk about “revitalizing” the town center, with zoning changes possibly attracting new businesses. Given the experience in other towns, this might or might not happen.

Alternatively, I can envisage a community center as a magnet to draw more people to the true center of our town. One objection has been that would essentially be a senior center rather than a true community center. I contend that it doesn’t have to be: P&RD activities which don’t involve the school’s athletic facilities could take place there. (And maybe a senior center is not such a bad idea after all?)

It was pointed out at the Special Town Meeting that attendees at the previous meeting overwhelmingly voted with their “dots” for the Hartwell site. However, there have been many changes since then in technology, the economy, work, shopping, socializing, and health. Let’s not bury our heads in the sands of the past.

June Matthews lives on Greenridge Lane.

“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: Community center is an investment in the town just like the school

By Lis Herbert

I am hoping that you already have plans to attend Town Meeting this Wednesday night at 7 p.m. to vote YES to advance a decade of work to build a Community Center for Lincoln. If you don’t, I hope I can convince you to come.

Four years ago, many of us poured a lot of energy into ensuring that a new school would finally be built in Lincoln. If you attended those forums and meetings, and read the discussions online, you will likely remember that a significant number of older Lincolnites agreed to support the school building project in exchange — in some cases quite explicitly — for future support for the community center when it became clear that both would not be approved and built at the same time.

They said, basically, we will invest in the future of education in Lincoln, in a building that we may never step foot in, apart from Town Meeting, if you promise to make a smaller investment in an intergenerational community center that you will surely, at some point in your lifetime, and hopefully with some frequency, enjoy.

Communities that invest in public infrastructure, especially people-focused infrastructure, are stronger, more resilient, happier places to live. And there is no better example of the power of collective investment, energy and ideas than what has taken shape on the school campus. If you haven’t been to see it, I would encourage you to at least walk the perimeter during a school day, and see how transformative it is, how happy the kids and their teachers are, and how proud we should all be that this is where the children of Lincoln get to learn, and that we have invested in this, together.

There are, to be sure, organizations in town that bring people together at different times of the year for specific events — and yet these are, if we are being honest, few and far between. They’re not casual, easy things to pull off, they aren’t spontaneous, you can’t always simply stop by, on a whim.

This is an important vote, for a comparatively small amount of money, that will allow the work of the committee to move forward. This is not a vote to borrow $25 million, or a vote to approve a tax increase. This is a vote to advance the process, for $325,000.

Years of inaction on the school taught us that if we vote to kick the can down the road, even for a couple of years, we should take that $325,000, and probably a lot more, and just light it on fire. I don’t think there is anything we can be more sure of, with respect to the numbers. Voting no also means waiting a long time before we have something concrete to vote on again, and a decade of work and community outreach will evaporate. The Council on Aging will be stuck at Bemis Hall, the Hartwell pods will continue to deteriorate, and we will be back at square one.

I have faith in the committee: they are taxpayers who have paid for and invested in the school themselves, and who want the best for the town. They know, as well as you and I do, that if their proposal is unpalatable it will be voted down. Please let’s give them a chance.

“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: Lincoln Station or nothing at all

By John Carr

The proposed community center at Hartwell is an attempt to move even more school expenses outside of the school budget. The so-called “community center” is largely a Parks and Recreation facility with the stated goal of serving schools. It mixes facilities explicitly meant for the school with facilities that, underused, can be annexed by the school. The voters put a cap on school costs in 2018 and the town should respect us by respecting it.

If we’re talking about a “community” center, why are we putting it where there is no community around it? If the (former) Council on Aging wants space for the aging, why put it where no aging people live? We might as well rent some office space just over the town line in Waltham. Once you have to get in the car anyway it’s not much more effort to go to another town.

One site considered by the 2015 community center report is not in the middle of nowhere: the commuter rail parking lot. The report tried to steer voters away from this location by bundling an underground parking garage to make it more expensive.

Everything changed in 2020. Commuter rail as a transport mode died of Covid. The town-owned parking lot is nearly empty. We can put a building on half of it and nobody will be inconvenienced. We don’t need to replace any lost parking spaces, much less build an expensive underground facility.

As well as now being the cheapest of the six options studied, the Lincoln Station site also has the advantage of being

  • Near shops, so people can combine shopping or dining with community center activities
  • Near Codman farm
  • Near aging people that the Council on Aging is meant to serve

As a more ambitious project we could include affordable apartments to help meet our housing goals. This part could be paid for by CPA funds.

If the town votes for further study, it should limit the options to Lincoln Station and put a hard cap on the cost estimate. And if the cheerleaders for a school annex argue that Lincoln Station is not an option because Saturn is retrograde or some such, then the town should just say “no” to the whole white elephant.

“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: Looking for a community center

By Sally Kindleberger

It has been ten years since the idea for a Lincoln community center was launched. Over this decade, many committees have met, large community meetings have discussed ideas and town meetings were presented with potential plans. Folks at the COA and the Lincoln Select Board have patiently promoted this idea. When it became evident that the Lincoln School needed to be rebuilt, the community center was put on hold.

As a single woman, I took a deep breath and decided to support the school’s efforts, even if it meant delaying the community center. Growing up, I was taught the importance of paying it forward — to always support the younger generation that follows. With the school project, my taxes went up along with other homeowners in town, and though I have never had kids, I was more than willing to support the schools.

The schools are completed and finally, it is time to make the dream of a Lincoln community center come through. I have listened to and read about the concerns and questions of folks in town. Some of them are as follows…

Why do we need a new building?

One only has to enter Bemis Hall to recognize how it no longer serves the needs of a growing and aging population. There aren’t enough private spaces to provide adequate room for counseling or socializing. The air quality in the basement is poor, therefore making large meetings unhealthy. Parking is very limited and it is perilous to cross or back out onto Bedford Road.

What does the Council on Aging and Human Services do? Why is it important?

The role of the COA&HS has always been a great boon to the town, but before I retired, I had no idea what it did. Next time the COA&HS newsletter shows up in your mailbox, take a moment to read it before you toss it into the recycling bin. I think you will be surprised by the plethora of activities that occur. Classes, groups, lectures, plays, films, and trips provide education and entertainment. Outreach across the community is extended to those in need. Among these services are individual therapy, groups which problem-solve, fuel assistance, housing needs, help with water bills and transportation… and the list is always growing.

Why do I need a Council on Aging? I’m not old yet. 

The name Council on Aging can be a real turnoff — a vision of old people nodding off in wheelchairs comes to mind. But our COA&HS is hardly that. The attendees, volunteers, and staff that work at Bemis are energetic and enthusiastic participants. Merging the Recreation Department with the COA&HS into a community center will help to remove old negative connotations and stereotypes.

That is why we need a community center that spans all ages. With careful planning of space and programs, a community center can meet many needs. I would love to see new intergenerational programming evolve. Older adults could perhaps mentor middle schoolers. Perhaps “grand-friends” could forge relationships with little kids. Tutoring and/or game nights could happen and yoga classes with all ages would help to build relationships across the community. Building on the school grounds will make it easier for these connections to develop.

How can we afford a new building?

There are many wealthy folks in town who could perhaps afford to help fund it. Creative thinkers can gather and find ways to lower taxes through private donations. Let’s not throw out the baby with the bath water.

In closing, much work and planning have been devoted to this worthy vision. We aren’t starting from scratch. As a town, we are creative and thoughtful. Let’s figure out a way to make the community center happen. I have visited several community centers in the surrounding areas, and many are exciting vibrant places while some are small and drab. We need a community center which reflects the vibrant and creative nature of our town —  a place that is welcoming to all — a place where wonderful creativity happens.

“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: COA&HS board urges support for community center

By Dilla Tingley

The Board of Directors of the Council on Aging and Human Services is unanimously and adamantly in support of a community center for Lincoln and for the initial funding of approximately $325,000 for the owners project manager and architect for the proposed community center. The need was identified 10 years ago, and we are truly excited now that the school building project is completed and the community center project is moving forward.

The center will provide for the clearly documented needs of Parks & Recreation and the COA&HS but will also be for all residents of Lincoln. We envision a place where citizens of all ages gather for a variety of activities or just to meet and greet. We expect it to create a real sense of community in these isolating times.

The COA&HS has sponsored many successful cross-generational activities over the past few years and eagerly await having the space to expand these activities.

We are pleased to be participating in the Community Center Fundraising Committee whose goal is to aggressively seek donations that will minimize the impact of the project on the Lincoln tax rate.

Dilla Tingley is chair of the Council on Aging & Human Services Board of Directors.

“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: Let’s give the Community Center Building Committee a chance

By Rhonda Swain

In the last few weeks, Lincolnites have engaged in a lively discussion on LincolnTalk about the pros and cons of building a new community center. Some voices urge a “no” vote at the November 30 Special Town Meeting to stop the town from spending $325,000 to hire an owner’s representative and an architect to flesh out the existing community center schematic designs.

To me, the idea of halting the project at this point fails to honor many aspects of the kind of democracy on which Lincoln prides itself. 

  • First, it would simply discard the decade of hard work that resulted in the designs we have in hand today, effectively saying “Everything has changed, so the work of the past is invalid.” This seems short-sighted.  The benefits of a community center have been well-documented and long promised to the residents of Lincoln.  It seems unlikely that things have changed so much that we need a hard stop at this point.
  • Second, it doesn’t give the current Community Center Building Committee a chance to work with professionals to come up with complete proposals on which the town can vote. Approving the expenditure to hire professionals to develop more complete designs doesn’t commit the Town to any design. Property taxes will NOT increase because of this vote. There will be another chance to vote on the final project, with much better information on costs, trade-offs against other town priorities, and property tax impacts. 
  • Finally, shutting the project down now does not give private fundraising a chance to tap into the generosity of Lincoln’s residents who may well be willing to make a significant contribution to the cost of the community center project in order to reduce the town’s portion of the cost and the consequent burden on property taxpayers.

I strongly urge everyone to come out to the Special Town Meeting on November 30 and vote in favor of moving the community center project to the next phase. In this way, we can give residents a chance to get a fair look at what a community center will provide and what it will cost.

Call the Lincoln COA&HS at 781-259-8811 if you need a ride to the Town Meeting.

“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: Question 1 deserve a “yes” vote

By Barbara Slayter

This midterm election on November 8, Massachusetts has four questions on the ballot. I write in support of ballot question #1 which, in a time of growing inequities within this country (including Massachusetts), would provide a reliable source of funds for two critical public goods that have been deteriorating over past decades: transportation infrastructure and public education. The amendment has some identifiable shortcomings, but it is a step in the right direction. As with all policies, the test will be in its implementation.

What is the Fair Share Amendment?

If passed, this Ballot Question would amend the state constitution to allow for an additional 4% income tax on the portion of a tax filer’s taxable income that is above $1 million. The money raised by this tax must be used to support public education and transportation. The Fair Share Amendment is also known as a “millionaire tax.” 

Why must we amend the Constitution

Massachusetts’ state constitution currently says that there can be only a single tax rate applied to personal income. Most other states — and the federal government — tax different levels of income at different rates. Adding an additional tax rate for high income earners requires an amendment to this part of the Constitution. The state Constitution has been amended many times.

Why vote yes?

  • This amendment would bring in approximately $2 billion in additional tax revenue each year. 
  • The Fair Share Amendment will require that tax revenue raised by the additional 4% tax on taxable income over $1 million be spent on public education and transportation. This restriction is included in the language that will be added to the state constitution.
  • Declining investment in state colleges and universities has caused tuition and fees to rise making higher education either unattainable or leaving students with high levels of debt. Increased investment in public education for children will help ensure that all students have the best chance to achieve their full potential.
  • Deteriorating infrastructure and traffic congestion are significant problems in Massachusetts. A long list of projects is stalled for lack of funds.

What a “yes” vote would not do

  • Tax a lot of one-time millionaire homeowners or business owners. Only a tiny percentage of Massachusetts households earn over $1 million in taxable income over the course of a single year, well under one percent of all households or fewer than 7 of every thousand. Even then, only that portion of their total taxable income that exceeds the $1 million threshold would be subject to the additional 4 percent tax. 
  • Force millionaires to move away. This is unlikely. High-income people tend to be older, married with children, and embedded in their communities and the local business networks that have created their wealth. An additional 4% tax on just a portion of their income represents a relatively small increase in their overall state, local and federal tax costs.

Sources of information on the Fair Share Amendment:

Barbara Slayter is co-chair of the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee.

“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: Vote “yes” on Question 4

By Joan Kimball

Many of us have been paying attention to candidates who will be on our ballot on November 8, more than to the ballot questions. I wanted to bring Ballot Question 4 to your attention. I am writing in favor of a “yes” vote on Question 4.

What: A “yes” vote on Question 4 would uphold the recently passed law known as the Work and Family Mobility Act, which:

  • Allows qualified Massachusetts residents, regardless of immigration status, to apply for a standard driver’s license
  • Requires residents wanting a license to provide proof of identity
  • Requires immigrants to show two documents proving their date of birth and identity, like an unexpired foreign passport, consular identification document or certified copy of a birth certificate (they would not be able to get a REAL ID)

A “yes” would uphold the current law to allow immigrants to obtain licenses, while a “no” vote would reject the new law.

Why: To ensure that all drivers are tested and licensed.

  • The law would ensure that all families and workers can drive safely and lawfully to work, school and health care appointments. Just like everyone else, immigrants have to go to the doctor, driver their children to school, travel to work, go to the grocery stores

What a yes vote does not do:

  • It does not change immigration status
  • It does not confer the right to vote

Secretary of State Bill Galvin has said that the RMV is already skilled at determining who should have a license to drive but not register to vote, from minors and green card holders to TPS visa holders. There are also severe penalties for illegal voting, including jail time and deportation. Other states (including our neighbors Connecticut and Vermont) that grant drivers’ licenses to immigrants have not had issues with illegal voting.  

Other states — Similar laws in other states such as Connecticut, Vermont and California and 17 other states and regions (the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) have resulted in fewer uninsured drivers and reduced hit and run crashes. Implementation of the laws have been straightforward.

Who supports Question 4 (partial list includes those who supported passing the Work and Family Mobility Act) — Maura Healey, Conservation Law Foundation, Boston Foundation, Concord Indivisible, Episcopal City Mission, Greater Boston Interfaith Services, ACLU, American Friends, Catholic Charities, Unitarian Universalists Mass. Action, Jewish Alliance for Law and Society

As the Boston Globe concluded in its October 16 editorial: If everyone on the road is tested and insured, doesn’t that benefit all of us?

Joan Kimball is co-chair of the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee, which has supported the Work and Family Mobility Law and Question 4.

“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.