The Lincoln Squirrel

News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

My Turn

My Turn: It takes a village

By Sara Mattes

On Saturday, Sept. 19, the Lincoln Historical Society was on the move with its “Book Brigade.” Over 60 cartons of books (1,700 lbs. at last calculation) were moved from the basement of Bemis Hall for temporary storage elsewhere while Bemis Hall is being cleaned and made rodent-free.

Young and not-so-young accomplished the move in matter of hours. Critical to the success were the young, strong backs and good spirits of Lukas Lenkutis and Peter Covino.

Sara Mattes
Lincoln Historical Society

”My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their 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 Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Left to right: Jim Cunningham, Craig Donaldson, Gus Brown, Don Hafner, Chris Taylor, and Lukas Kenkutis.

My Turn: Maintain the diversity that’s already here

By Dilla Tingley

We had an interesting discussion at the Antiracism/Diversity Roundtable on October 15, but I would like to emphasize something I do not think got sufficient attention. Before we spend so much energy on considering new housing options to promote diversity, let’s work to maintain the diversity we already have.

There is a diverse population of residents already in Lincoln who are struggling to be able to afford to stay. The Council on Aging recently initiated the Rental Assistance Program. after applying for and receiving $30,000 from CPA (Community Preservation Act) funds. We are now assisting eight families and have 12 on a three-year waiting list. This program is not limited to seniors.

These families that qualify will only pay 30% of their income, however small, on rent. This is real affordability. As we learned, the affordable units at Oriole Landing. because of a narrow range of income limits based on the “area median income” (which is high) go to individuals who are quite well-to-do. Only 11 of the 15 “affordable” units are spoken for. What does this tell us? This type of housing is not meeting our needs.

Let us add funds to our Rental Assistance Program so that the 12 families on the wait list will be able to stay. Funds should continue to be added as more needy families are identified. They represent a diversity that is already here. The Housing Trust has funds that might appropriately be used for this purpose.

Dilla Tingley is chair of the Lincoln Council on Aging.

”My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their 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: More kudos for Mostue

(Editor’s note: see also this appreciation of Mostue by Lincoln’s Nancy Marshall.)

By Radha Raman Gargeya

You all know Patty Mostue. Around here, service in cause of public education has another name: it is Patty Mostue. She was a Lincoln Public Schools School Committee member for six years. Now, she is completing 15 years as a Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee member. As a former L-S School Committee member, this is what I know of Patty.

At School Committee meetings, her comments and questions are incisive, offer information, and are effortlessly yet precisely crafted. Everyone leaves the discussion well-informed and full of thought. She has a deft sense of humor. When I grow up, I want to be Patty Mostue.

Patty led the committee at L-S as chair and vice chair over many years. She led us and taught us by the power of example. Most of the time, she let her work speak. She prepared the most thorough L-S performance report. It is unrivaled and still the only one of its kind at L-S. She studied, with the help of various administrators, the incoming students from Sudbury and Lincoln, how they performed at L-S, and how they were placed upon high school graduation.

She was on the Negotiations Subcommittee several times. She gathered the contracts of comparable school districts, researched them, analyzed them, and presented her findings to the rest of the subcommittee. Her work was invaluable. She served on the Policy Subcommittee, Evaluation Subcommittee, and Safety Review Subcommittee amongst many others.

No document ever written by any one for the school escaped Patty’s insistence on clarity of thought, expression, and, of course, grammar. Some of us have the scars to show. It made us better the next time we wrote or spoke.

Patty is a strong supporter of the METCO educational program for students from Boston. She is a great champion of students with special needs. She is respected in Sudbury, Boston, and of course, in Lincoln and at Lincoln-Sudbury High School.

These are but a few examples of many such efforts by Patty — the hallmarks being hard work, thorough preparation, and excellent presentation. Through her example, she trained many other School Committee members — not in a formal way, but by kindling the desire to be better at what one does.

So, the question to ask is why? Why does Patty work so hard and so effectively? The answer is simple: her love and care that our children learn at great public schools that are a bit better tomorrow than they are today.

For her gift of love for education, I am very thankful. I trust the communities of Boston, Sudbury, and Lincoln are grateful. Patty would say that the students need not thank her — just be good students, good people, and good citizens.

Radha Raman Gargeya of Sudbury was a member of the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee from 2007–2019.

”My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their views on any subject of interest to 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: Praise for Mostue’s years of school committee work

By Nancy Marshall

It is with joy mixed with a little sadness that I write to honor the accomplishments of one Patricia M. Mostue, PhD, on the conclusion of a long and worthy tenure as a member of both the Lincoln School Committee and, for the last 15 years, the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee. Her extended final term on the LSSC will conclude at the end of the Sudbury Annual Town Meeting, which begins on September 12.

Patty brought a significant combination of talents to her service. Her doctorate in math and statistics was a complement to the diverse array of talents on each school committee. Her willingness to dig deeply into the details, whether procedural, analytical, mathematical, or grammatical, was of great benefit to all of us. Her compassion for and commitment to children was always obvious and deep.

In her various tenures, she has demonstrated an unwavering investment in excellent teaching, public education and in our children. Through her work in the Worcester Public Schools administration and her kind persistence and encouragement in tutoring and college counseling many local teens over the years, she put her talents to work and guided her students to successful outcomes.  

Patty was firm in her convictions. She was calm and direct as chair in both great and painful times for L-S. Her deft leadership on the two school committees, her many tireless hours (sometimes deep in data analysis to simply and compellingly reassure parents that their children could find success with an L-S education), her genuine smile and quick wit — these are but a few of many reasons to be grateful.

Patty honored good educators. She supported and ably defended the hard work of the administration and staff at L-S. Patty was also a great colleague. She shared a ride with my predecessor Eric Harris and then with me to my nine years of meetings at LSRHS, crossing Sherman’s Bridge in beautiful sunsets, snow, rain and almost always home in the dark. I learned so much and am grateful for her mentoring as I onboarded the LSSC for her support, companionship, frank opinions, and willingness to listen.

Patty and her husband Brooks can now map their plans and opportunities for easier mornings and uninterrupted weeknights, of time with their growing family, opera, meals, travel, and spontaneity. Thank you, Patty, for your time, your endurance, and personally, for your continued friendship. Our towns and schools are all the better because of you. And happy birthday!

”My Turn” is a forum for Lincoln residents to offer their 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 Historical Society reaches out

By the Lincoln Historical Society

Hello Lincoln!

The Lincoln Historical Society, like everyone else, has been figuring out this new world of Covid-19. We are regrouping and seeing this as an opportunity to find new ways to reach out to you and bring you things of historical interest both from our beginnings, but also more recent developments in our town.

In order to do this, we will be making more use of web and social media platforms. That will include regular pieces in LincolnTalk, The Lincoln Squirrel, The Lincoln Chipmunk, and The Lincoln/Concord Journal.

Many pieces will concern national events and Lincoln’s role and/or response. Recent articles were published about the ratification of the 19th Amendment and Lincoln’s response to suffrage, as seen at the voting booth, and the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.

A new regular entry is called “Did you know…” It will offer tidbits and snippets of Lincoln lore and legend… and, of course, facts. If there’s anything you have wondered about, let us know. And if you have anything to add to our “to do” list, please let us know. We look forward to hearing from you and we hope you look forward to hearing from us! 

Members of the Lincoln Historical Society are Gus Brown, Jim Cunningham, Craig Donaldson, Palmer Faran, Andrew Glass, Don Hafner, Sara Mattes (chair), Harold McAleer, BJ Scheff, Chris Taylor, and Rick Wiggin.

”My Turn” is a forum for Lincoln residents to offer their 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: An appreciation of Carolyn Bottum

By Susan Brooks

To Carolyn Bottum, recently retired director of the Lincoln Council on Aging:

I wish I’d had the opportunity to say goodbye to you in public. Because you were a bulwark to Lincoln citizens, Carolyn, an exemplar of the kind of quiet, behind-the-scenes caring that knits a community together. The most obvious of your contributions to civic life was the expanded array of senior services and activities you made available through the COA, the empowerment of its advisory council, and the creation and cultivation of a professional-caliber and regular online presence for the organization. 

But the magic for me was when fellow public servants lost touch with a senior citizen, we learned to share that information with you, knowing it would be held in utmost confidence, and might add a nuance, perhaps, to your understanding and approach. Thank you for always being there, Carolyn — a level-headed, discreet, and compassionate shepherd for Lincoln seniors (and juniors, too, for that matter). Thank you for your service. It was a privilege and a pleasure to work with you.

Sincerely yours,

Susan Brooks (retired Lincoln town clerk)

”My Turn” is a forum for Lincoln residents to offer their 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: Stop removing or damaging political signs

By Gary Davis

During the election campaign of 2013, a question was raised about whether town standards were too restrictive regarding political signs during election campaigns compared to other types of signs displayed at other times throughout the year.

The topic of political signs and issues current at that time (particularly regarding freedom of speech) focused on how, when and where citizens had the right to display them were discussed that year with the town administrator, other town staff, and with guidance from town counsel. At that time, town counsel provided recommendations that were consistent with state law governing regulations for political signs and consistent with Lincoln character.
Those town counsel recommendations were adopted at that time by the town in the form of a citizen agreement rather than a bylaw as follows:

  • Political signs can be held by right without a permit on town-owned land as long as they don’t impact safety or constitute a hazard either to motorists or pedestrians.
  • Unatttended political signs can be placed by right on town-owned land at the intersections defined in section 16.2(d) of the zoning bylaw as follows:
    • Sandy Pond Road and Lincoln Road
    • Ballfield Road and Lincoln Road
    • Lincoln Road and South Great Road
    • Bedford Road and Morningside Lane
    • Codman Road and Concord Road
  • One political sign can be placed by right on private land.
  • Political signs shall not exceed 8 square feet and are limited to display no more than 180 days prior to the related election.

Unfortunately, a number of practice habits have evolved that disrespect the original agreement terms. Some citizens or non-citizen advocates have refused to accept rules for signs located on the approved town-owned lands, use of signs over the size limit, and vandalism and theft of compliant signs on both private or town-owned land. It should be noted that the majority of such signs have been purchased by town citizens, so loss or vandalism is no light matter.
Given the increasingly negative political atmosphere in the last few years, it is conceivable there will be even more violations. Signs have already been stolen this year. Let’s do our best to comply with the letter and spirit of these recommendations both as measures of Lincoln environmental and character and abiding mutual respect.

Gary Davis is a member and former chair of the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee.

”My Turn” is a forum for Lincoln residents to offer their 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: Clarification on increased contaminants in town water

(Editor’s note: This is a follow-up to an August 24 article headlined “Fix for town water problem expected by next summer” in which Water Commission member Ruth Ann Hendrickson speculated about the course of the increase in TTHM contaminants in Flint’s Pond, the source of drinking water for many Lincoln residents.)

By Ruth Ann Hendrickson

I want to clarify the situation with the TTHMs in the Lincoln drinking water. I have speculated in the past about what might have caused the increase in organics in the water, but I have never actually taken the time to look at the data. Today I gathered the data from the required annual Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs), which are available on the Water Department website.

Year20092010201120122013201420152016201720182019
TTHMs (ppb)36.854.229.356.169.274.773.773.7837983

The data shows a gradually increasing level of TTHMs over the last decade. The jump to 83.0 ppb actually occurred before the level of the dam was temporarily raised in 2018. It was my error to speculate without checking the data first. We don’t really know the cause, so any guesses on my part were ill-considered. It’s clear from the data that the increase of organics in the water has been a long term trend.

”My Turn” is a forum for Lincoln residents to offer their 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: On the centennial of the 19th Amendment

By Donald Hafner

In November 1915, the men of Massachusetts trekked to the polls to decide whether the word “male” should be removed from the state’s qualifications for voting. The Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association in mid-October had staged a pro-suffrage parade in downtown Boston, with 15,000 marchers and 30 bands, urging a “Yes” vote. A parade of 15,000. Yet according to the Massachusetts Anti-Suffrage Committee, what men should do was deliver “not merely a defeat for woman suffrage, but a defeat so overwhelming that the question will not rise again at least in this generation.”

The men of the town of Lincoln in 1915 took the advice and voted against suffrage for women, 143 to 66 — an even larger rejection than the overall vote in Massachusetts. The Anti-Suffrage Committee asserted that most women did not, in fact, want the right to vote. Given the opportunity, women seemingly ignored it.

In 1879, when women in Massachusetts had been granted the vote for members of their local school committees, fewer than 5% of eligible Massachusetts women registered to vote, and only 2% ever voted. In Lincoln, three women promptly registered to vote, but only one went to the polls.

Women argued that the right to vote for male school board members (only men could hold public office) was too trivial for the bother. Yet in 1895, when Massachusetts women were allowed to vote in a referendum granting women the vote for all local offices, only 7% of eligible women in the state registered to vote and only 4% went to the polls. The 1895 referendum was overwhelmingly defeated by men. In Lincoln, only five women were registered to vote in the referendum, and only three cast ballots — all “Yes” votes.

At the turn of the 20th century, more women in Lincoln registered to vote, perhaps from interest in the local school committee, perhaps just to make a point. Still, by 1919, there were 285 Lincoln women eligible to vote, yet only 40 had registered.

Then on August 28, 1920 — ten days after ratification of the 19th Amendment — 71 Lincoln women flocked to the town clerk’s office to register for their first Presidential election. Impressive, but still only 25% of those women eligible. The anti-suffrage message — that the woman’s place was in the home, not in politics — still had a powerful grip.

On the centennial of the 19th Amendment, one hundred years of slow progress — and more to come.

*    *    *

Donald Hafner is a member of the board of the Lincoln Historical Society and drum major for the Lincoln Minute Men. He is a retired professor of political science who loves exploring the rich history of the town of Lincoln.

”My Turn” is a forum for Lincoln residents to offer their 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: Watch the Democratic National Convention this week

By Joan Kimball and Barbara Slayter

It’s the week of the Democratic National Convention, and we Dems are very excited. On Monday night, we heard from Democratic leaders such as Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders, and Amy Klobuchar, as well as Republican leaders including John Kasich.

On Tuesday night, voters, delegates, activists and leaders in the Democratic Party will officially cast votes to nominate Joe Biden. Wednesday night will feature the historic nomination of Kamala Harris as Vice President of the United States. Speakers will include Nancy Pilosi, Elizabeth Warren, and Gabrielle Giffords.

On Thursday, Joe Biden will accept the Democratic nomination and will speak about his vision for uniting America. Other speakers will include Senators Corey Booker, Tammy Baldwin, and Tammy Duckworth. The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) will perform. 

For the complete schedule and news about the Lincoln Democratic Party, see our website at www.Lincolnmadems.org. The convention will be broadcast TV on several channels on computers, streaming video and on the website at demconvention/watch. 

Joan Kimball and Barbara Slayter
Co-chairs, Lincoln Democratic Town Committee

”My Turn” is a forum for Lincoln residents to offer their 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.