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

My Turn

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.

My Turn: Thanks for participating in Brain Games 2022

By Brianna and Bryan Doo

On behalf of our family, I want to thank all of you who joined us or donated remotely for our Brain Games 2022 fundraiser. We would also like to thank the generosity of the Flint family for donating half of their pumpkin and hayride sales on Sunday (join them this weekend for more pumpkin picking!). Lincoln Real Estate Team and Earth+Kin (both local Lincoln companies) sponsored the cornhole tournament and kids’ activities. We are grateful for the Pierce House for hosting the day, it could not have been a more beautiful location to gather together!

The gift of community and your support is invaluable to our family. When our daughter received the diagnosis of an incurable brain disease at age four, we felt helpless. Not being able to physically do something to help holds so many emotions. We took on fundraising so we could do something, and friends who wanted to help could join us.

As we mentioned at the event, 100% of our fundraisers have subsidized Dr. Ed Smith’s research. Our 2019 event went toward advancing a new surgical procedure, which she later needed, twice. Our 2021 event fully funded research which discovered only the second gene sequence the disease mutation can be found. Our children’s genetic testing will further benefit from the finding. You have each played a part in making this research happen, which in the end, has helped our daughter. Our family does not take any bit of this for granted.

Thank you for showing up, supporting, donating, sponsoring, spreading the word, inviting friends, and enjoying the day with us. We hope you had fun & were able to enjoy the community gathering as we did. Save the date for next year: October 15, 2023!

“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: Are you tending to our collective garden?

By Barbara Slayter

Lincoln is a beautiful town, green and fragrant at this time of year as New England tips from summer into autumn. Lincoln’s residents take good care of their gardens beginning with the daffodils and tulips of early spring, on through the rhododendrons, day lilies, and black-eyed Susans into fall. The trails are well cared for and enjoyed.

But how well do we tend to our larger social and political garden beyond the borders of our gracious community? We are a thoughtful, well-educated group of people tending carefully to the professional and business interests for which we are trained. Are we paying attention to the political context in which we are able to pursue these interests as fully as we do?

A few pages into a different sort of “gardening” manual, How Democracies Die by Daniel Ziblatt and Steve Levitsky, will reveal just how much our national political garden needs attention. The precarious balance between Democrats and Republicans in both the House and the Senate requires our focus.

Surely we are not so complacent that we might stand by as the House becomes populated by newly elected 2020 election deniers. Are we ready for expanding fallout from the reversal of Roe v. Wade, for increasing culture wars against the LGBTQ community, or for a rollback on climate interventions?

It is time for us to examine the political garden beyond Lincoln and even beyond Massachusetts. What elections around the country are the most important — the most strategic — for preserving our democracy? How can we deploy our personal, limited funds and time most effectively to assure that we sustain not only our democracy, but the momentum we have recently been gaining with the chips and science legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act, health care for veterans, and more?

What can you do — what can I do, and what can each of us do — to put our energies where the stakes are high — maybe Georgia, New Hampshire, Wisconsin or elsewhere? Let’s help shape these elections in order to keep the House and the Senate Blue. This election isn’t about gas prices or gun safety. It is about threats to our democracy. Our national political garden needs some work. Let’s get at it!

For ideas and strategies that can address our national political landscape, join the Lincoln Democrats and Tom Hallock and Ed Loechler, co-founders of Force Multiplier, a Boston-based volunteer Democratic fundraising organization, for an informational (not fundraising) meeting about how to support key Senatorial and Congressional candidates in the midterms. Click here to register and get the Zoom link.

“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: Thanks from a new Lincoln fan

To the editor:

My family spent a week in Lincoln in June, renting a home off Tower Road while our daughter worked at the community organic farm in Natick. To the good people of Lincoln: we had such a great time in your community and look forward to coming back.

The system of trails, paths along roads, and conservation areas made a deep impression on us. We walked out the door each morning and followed trails to the town center, Drumlin Farm and Codman Farm, and through the Umbrello/Fernald woods and other spots. We walked around Farrar Pond, and my wife and daughter swam in Walden Pond. We felt a great gratitude to everyone who has created and maintained your remarkable conservation system.

We drove around Lincoln a good bit as well, but all this walking was a really satisfying way to experience your community, from the ground level and at a slower pace. We did not meet a lot of folks on this first visit, but those we did meet were very welcoming. Now, we are southerners; we know that wintertime Lincoln is a whole different reality! But we might be up for that, too, if we can find someone around here to teach us a little cross-country skiing first.

Sincerely,

Rob Shapard
Chapel Hill, N.C.

“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: Protect yourselves during mosquito season

Dear Lincoln neighbor,

Mosquito season is upon us! Below you’ll find some great tips for deterring mosquitoes and their bites while still enjoying the outdoors. These preferred prevention measures do not include the spraying of chemicals designed to kill mosquitoes or their larvae. Instead, the emphasis is on preventing bites through personal protection and repelling the mosquitoes. This approach has the additional benefit of preventing unintended harmful consequences of chemical spraying to humans, pets, livestock, crops, insects, birds, and the entire food chain.

There are many companies who sell mosquito and tick prevention services to residents, most of which include chemical management techniques. These companies often imply that the insecticides they spray on yards are safe for everything except mosquitoes and/or ticks. However, some of these companies are also very reluctant to reveal what chemicals they use.

Instead of hiring a company to spray chemicals on and around your yard, we hope you will focus on the prevention measures outlined in the enclosed brochure. Furthermore, no spraying may be performed within 100 feet of a wetland or 200 feet of a year-round flowing stream without it first being reviewed and approved by the Conservation Commission.

Mosquito monitoring

Lincoln is part of the East Middlesex Mosquito Control District (EMMCD) and the town pays for annual mosquito surveys and surveillance. This involves select trapping and testing of mosquitoes in Lincoln. The results of the testing are shared with the Lincoln Board of Health and if infected mosquitoes are discovered in Lincoln, residents will be notified. Please note that the town does not fund annual spraying of mosquito larvae or adults and therefore, EMMCD does not conduct any chemical management in Lincoln.

Mosquitoes are a deterrable pest. It’s important we all do our part to prevent mosquito bites because a very small number of mosquitoes may be infected with diseases such as West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). Fortunately, the risk of such diseases is extremely low in Lincoln. Historical surveillance data available at the Department of Public Health revealed that there have been zero instances of mosquitoes with EEE detected in Lincoln in over 60 years.

How to prevent mosquito bites
  1. Personal protection is key! Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks when weather permits.
  2. Many mosquitoes are most active from dusk to dawn. Take extra precautions during these times.
  3. Apply an EPA-approved personal repellent. Follow directions on the repellent label.
  4. Use mosquito netting where appropriate (for example over baby carriages or hats).
  5. Ensure screens are repaired and tightly attached to doors and windows to prevent mosquitoes from entering the home.
  6. Use a fan when sitting outside. Even a light breeze will deter a mosquito’s ability to zero in on an individual.
How to protect your animals

Mosquitoes can infect horses and other animals. West Nile virus and EEE do not spread from horses to humans in any way. Vaccines for horses are considered highly protective.

Reduce animal exposure to mosquitoes by changing water buckets at least twice weekly, installing screens, keeping animals indoors during peak mosquito activity hours, turning off lights at night (mosquitoes are attracted to light), and applying approved repellents to animals.

Reduce mosquito habitat in your yard

Remember: mosquitoes only need standing water for four days to successfully breed, so don’t let water collect. Standing water only the size of a bottle cap can still support some species of mosquitos.

  • Remove standing water from places like gutters and wheelbarrows.
  • Replace water frequently in bird baths and wading pools.
  • Ensure rain barrels are covered with a screen.
Wildlife to the rescue

Support conservation land and plant gardens that attract natural mosquito predators. Dragonflies, damselflies, turtles, frogs, bats, and many species of birds such as hummingbirds and wrens are voracious mosquito eaters. Although wildlife won’t eat every single mosquito, healthy ecosystems will help maintain a balance between predator and prey, keeping mosquito populations in check.

We hope you find the information referenced in this article helpful and that it provides you with the tools you need to confidently enjoy the outdoors without worrying about mosquitoes and their bites. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We look forward to seeing you on Lincoln’s trails!

Sincerely,

The Lincoln Conservation Commission
The Lincoln Board of Health
The Lincoln Agricultural Commission
The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust

“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: SVdP concert fundraiser was a success

To the editor:

The “Gather on the Grass for Music” al fresco SVdP spring concert fundraiser was a huge success! It is with much gratitude that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul thanks our local sponsors for providing the raffle gifts and supporting the communities of Lincoln and Weston. We thank all who supported this fundraising event either with a contribution or with your warm applause from the audience. SVdP could not continue this important work with you!

Sincerely,

Karen Salvucci
President, Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston

“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.