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

My Turn

My Turn: Residents support Ryan and Morton for L-S School Committee

We write in full support of Charles Morton and Jack Ryan, both candidates in a contested race for two vacant at-large seats on the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee (LSSC). Please make an effort to get to know them both and meet Jack and Charles before Lincoln Town Meeting on Saturday, March 29, and to vote for both of them at the polls on Monday, March 31 in the Reed Gym.

How Lincoln turns out to vote on March 31 will critically impact the final outcome for our shared high school. In past elections, Lincoln has been the deciding block of votes in the election for LSSC members.

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School is one of three things for most Lincolnites: it’s a full-on enigma to families with children younger than eighth grade; it’s the most frequently taken seven-to-25-minute daily driving route for families with high school-aged children; or it’s a wistful glimpse in the rear-view mirror for those who have LSRHS graduates who are “grown and flown.” Much of this has to do with LSRHS not being right here in Lincoln, where daily life is focused on much that is more local. It also has to do with most teens being given more freedom to grow, flourish, and learn a great deal from personal success and occasional failure.

When election time rolls around, reminders are needed of (1) the critical and special value LSRHS has in preparing our high schoolers for life after graduation, and (2) the impact of our vote for School Committee members who will serve the LSRHS students and broader communities’ best interests.

We support Charles Morton (CharlesMorton.com) because:

  • He comes with a strong academic background and is an academic by profession, and he has a deep understanding of the wide array of learners and continued need for a wide array of programs at LSRHS to educate and support those learners.
  • He understands that LSRHS is not a cookie-cutter high school; it is incredibly innovative in its curriculum and encourages teachers to be their best selves in crafting and implementing curriculum.
  • Charles is in it for the long haul, with four children who will attend LSRHS between 2026 and 2036. He chose to live in Sudbury because of LSRHS.
  • He grasps the value and perspective of all communities who are part of LSRHS, Lincoln, Sudbury, and Boston.

We support Jack Ryan (RyanforLS.com) because:

  • Jack’s institutional memory of LSRHS from his prior tenure on the L-S School Committee will serve all of us well, particularly since all the remaining members on the LSSC have served for two years or less. He has remained connected and has two grandchildren preparing to attend LSRHS.
  • Jack has a 360-degree lens on so much of Sudbury, our vital partner at LSRHS. A retired lawyer, he has an ongoing list of almost four decades of volunteer service in Sudbury, serving on the Sudbury Finance Committee, on the LSSC for four terms, and as chair of the L-S Building Committee for the now 20-year-old LSRHS, as well as myriad other civic organizations.
  • Jack knows and respects Lincoln’s partnership in our shared high school. He will work collaboratively with both towns to solve problems, craft policy, and report out to constituents.
  • Jack is also committed to serving Lincoln, Sudbury, and Boston in his work on the LSSC.

Both Jack and Charles are committed to putting in the time and hard work of being a School Committee member. Their skill sets and perspectives are distinct from each other but complementary. Particularly in these days of uncertainty around funding for public education, these candidates both want to hold steady what is valued and critical for our high school children, in line with LSRHS’s four core values:

  • Fostering caring and cooperative relationships
  • Respecting human differences
  • Pursuing academic excellence
  • Cultivating community

Please remember to vote for Charles and Jack next Monday and reach out to friends and neighbors and encourage them to do the same. Thank you!

This letter reflects the personal views of those named below. Any below-named person who also holds elected or appointed office in Lincoln is expressing their personal view, not the view of the committee(s)/board(s) on which they participate.

Abigail Adams
Murat Arslan
Alex Benik
Becky Bermont
Hans Bitter
Rebecca Blanchfield
John Bordiuk
Brian Burns
Ted Chan
Nancy Donaldson
Michelle Doyle
Joe Doyle
Carolyn Dwyer
Jonathan Dwyer
Kristen Ferris
John Ferris
Nancy Finke
Jim Fleming
Nancy Fleming
Trintje Gnazzo
Andy Gnazzo
Laura Cuozzo Guarnotta
Brian Jalet
Kim Jalet
Joan Kimball
John Kimball
Jonathan Light
Sara Lupkas
Feyza Marouf
Nancy Marshall
Peyton Marshall
Sally Maulsby
Libby Maynard
Nick Maynard
John Mendelson
DJ Mitchell
Kenny Mitchell
Matt Mitchell
Tara Mitchell
Staci Montori
Brooks Mostue
Tris Oakley
Patty Mostue
Joe O’Connor
Tony O’Connor
Kara Prince
Ginger Reiner
Kurt Reiner
Cathy Rogers
Aldis Russell
Barbara Slayter
Vicky Slingerland
Anne Sobol
Jonathan Soo
Kara Soo
Rob Stringer
Chris Taylor
Gary Taylor
Laura Taylor
Susan Taylor
Peter Van Winkle
Prudy Van Winkle
Krystal Wood
Jen Zeis
Louis Zipes
Tanya Zipes

“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: Kanner touts experience on Board of Health

By Dr. Steven Kanner

Although I run unopposed for the Lincoln Board of Health this year, some policy and personal information may still be of interest to voters.

I have been privileged to serve on our Board of Health since 2013. My work, along with that of my colleagues Dr. Fred Mansfield and Trish Miller, is to keep Lincoln residents safe as possible from infectious diseases, environmental dangers, and other health hazards, as well as to provide informed, science-based counsel around any health issues of community relevance.

Originally, I was asked to join the board after engaging in public discussion about the public health importance and safety of using low levels of water fluoridation in the runup to the resounding vote of support at Town Meeting for community water fluoridation that year.

During the early Covid-19 pandemic, just five years ago this month, we faced a rapidly spreading severe disease for which we had no tests, no treatment, and no prevention, while the initial Massachusetts death rates from Covid were an astonishing 5%. This was a scary and very fraught time.

More recently:

  • I worked with other board members to simplify septic approvals, saving time and money for homeowners.
  • I took the lead to arrange for radon meters to be available free for home testing (with the major aid of another Lincoln resident) and wrote educational materials about our significant radon risk in Lincoln.
  • I wrote science-based informational materials on disease and vaccination relative risks for the Board of Health website (“Influenza and Covid-19 Vaccine Risk and Benefit in 2024 – On Health and Health Care” in left-hand column).

Going forward, I plan to work with my other board members to widen our public health information initiatives to include home sanitation topics such as kitchen cleanliness and proper maintenance of septic systems, while maintaining our primary focus on community infectious diseases and environmental risks.

My qualifications for this public health role include education at Harvard College (A.B.) and Harvard Medical School (M.D.), an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, several years work in the U.S. Public Health Service and in Massachusetts state government improving mental health medical systems, and 50 years of primary care medical practice. I have happily lived in Lincoln with my wife, Linda, since 1996, where we developed the Kanner Family Orchard to grow apples and peaches. We provide these to the Lincoln food pantry and Codman farm among other nearby nonprofit food organizations.

“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: Speakers in Lincoln give updates on latest political developments

By Barbara Slayter

More than 50 Lincoln residents gathered at Bemis Hall on Saturday, March 22 at a Lincoln Democratic Town Committee (LDTC) meeting to hear from State Rep. Carmine Gentile and Lincoln resident and environmental activist Paul Shorb on topics including what the Massachusetts legislature is doing to protect its citizens from adverse actions by the federal government.

Shorb, along with Lara Sullivan, project manager for Stop Private Jet Expansion at Hanscom and Anywhere (SPJE), addressed three key points:

  • The climate bill signed by Gov. Healey last November requires Massport to promote environmental protection, resilience, and justice in its undertakings, not just commerce and economic growth. A Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for expanding Hanscom Air Field was rejected last April by the Massachusetts Environmental Protetion Agency (MEPA). A supplemental one was requested and should be available in a few months. The SPJE regards this as an important step forward in the process.
  • Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is the idea that synthetic jet fuel can be made from renewable sources. This has been a key argument in support of expanding private jet use at the airport, but few regard it as a viable solution since renewable resources for this purpose cannot be developed at the scale required.
  • It is critical for the SPJE campaign (now composed of over 100 organizations including the LDTC) to keep a strategic focus on the issues, targeting the governor, legislature and the public with accurate information. Organizations are invited to become part of the coalition and residents are invited to sign the petition.

Gentile recognized Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s strong leadership in joining with Democratic AGs across the country to bring legal challenges to the federal government when it is violating state and individual constitutional rights. He also noted:

  • The large cash reserves (which have increased in recent years) in the Massachusetts treasury along with its high bond rating, as buffers against loss of federal funding.
  • The legislature’s awareness of both the challenges of the current federal government and need to move appropriate legislation through quickly. New rules should result in a speedier process. 
  • Bills co-sponsored by Gentile and currently pending in the Massachusetts legislature for raising the minimum wage, eliminating substandard care in for-profit hospitals and nursing homes, and underwriting various components of the educational system.

Lincoln residents expressed a variety of issues and concerns ranging from national politics to local land use, including:

  • Broadening the base of the Democratic party
  • Potential misuse of personal data of Massachusetts residents by DOGE
  • Protecting our laws, especially those that could be weaponized
  • Ways in which the loss of federal funds will affect Massachusetts
  • Appreciation for MassHealth but alarm over its shortcomings
  • Preventing concerns about antisemitism from becoming an infringement on free speech
  • Increasing progress on the Massachusetts housing shortage and need to improve public transportation
  • Options for land use of the area around the West Concord roundabout now that the prison has been closed

Questions demonstrated that residents who are proud of Massachusetts and pleased to live in this state are increasingly anxious and angry about the direction in which our federal government is moving.

LDTC Chair Travis Roland also announced upcoming events, including the Hands Off! protest on Saturday, April 5 at the Boston Common.

“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: Welcome back, Lincoln Review!

By May Ann Hales

Editor’s note: You can see the last two issues of the new Lincoln Review here. Learn how to submit your work for the next issue here (the deadline is April 4).

One morning I read in the Lincoln Squirrel that the creative arts section called the Lincoln Chipmunk would be renamed the Lincoln Review, in honor of the print predecessor by the same name. The Review was part of our little town from 1977 to 2019. For all those years, various people contributed written pieces, art, and illustrations on a myriad of things from and about Lincoln.

I had participated in a small way and was so sad when it ceased publication. Our town had lost something small but wonderful. Now my heart rejoiced to know that it would be rejuvenated. I was also surprised to discover that back issues from 1977–1980 can now be browsed and searched online here thanks to our library staff, and every single print issue (plus an index) can be perused at the Lincoln Public Library. Not only is modern technology grand, but so are the efforts of numerous people who made this possible for us.

The Review was an important outlet for Lincolnites who wanted to express their creative or civic thoughts in print. You could purchase a copy at the grocery store or subscribe and receive your issues in the mail. Town Meeting editions were distributed free to all attendees. It was an important part of our creative lives.

It was surprising how ideas germinated and took root from the pages of the Review. For example, in 1982, Suze Craig wrote a piece titled “The Garden as Day Care” about how children and adults explored her garden. That article became the inspiration for the name of our still-flourishing Magic Garden. Imagine that.

I look forward to new inspiration from the online pages of the creative section of the Squirrel now appearing as the Lincoln Review. The late Betty and Harold Smith, the major publishers of the old Review, will be looking from the Great Beyond with the pleasure of succession. I am excited to see what blooms anew in our cultural life through the pages of the Lincoln Review redux.

“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: Why I’m supporting Susan Hall Mygatt and Rob Ahlert for Planning Board

By Ephraim Flint

After much reflection, I have decided not to run for another term on the Planning Board and would like to take this opportunity to thank Lincoln residents for allowing me to serve on the Board for the past three years. For a great many generations, going back to the early 18th century, Lincoln’s volunteer government and town meeting have served the town well, guiding Lincoln through many changes and challenges, and making the town the special place that it is today. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that this tradition continues.

We will be electing two Planning Board members at the upcoming election on Monday, March 31. I am delighted to support Susan Hall Mygatt and Rob Ahlert for these positions. Susan has been active in town government for many years. She is currently co-chair of the Conservation Commission and she previously served on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Through her many contributions to the town, she has demonstrated thoughtful consideration of issues and respect for Lincoln’s traditions and unique character.

Rob Ahlert has been an active participant at many board and committee meetings over the last 5 years. He’s young (compared to me!), energetic, and eager to help move the town forward in a thoughtful way that preserves our town’s heritage. Much of the Planning Board’s work over the last 5 years has focused on the Lincoln Station area. Rob will be an important contributor to this ongoing effort because, in addition to his technical skills, he lives in the Lincoln Station area. With all the changes that are slated for this area, I believe it’s critical that the neighborhood has a voice on the Planning Board.

“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: Residents write in support of Olson for reelection

We, the undersigned, strongly support Margaret Olson for Planning Board. For the past ten years, Margaret has been both a dedicated leader and member of the board. highly hones management skills and her creative mind, Margaret has helped make decisions that serve to protect Lincoln’s character — open space and our landscapes — while promoting necessary policies for our present and future needs.

Effective participation as a member of the planning board requires a person who understands the complexities of zoning and is at home with site plans, as well as understanding Lincoln’s values, its past decisions, and its uniqueness. Members of the planning board must have the ability to create solutions to accommodate both our present and future needs. Members need to be committed to and comfortable with the public process.

Margaret has all those characteristics. She has worked on the Planning Board to:

  • Institute Lincoln’s first Dark Sky lighting regulations
  • Streamline the Site plan review process. This has resulted in benefits for both residents and the planning board, saving time for all
  • Increase multi-generational housing by incrementally loosening the Accessory Apartment zoning requirements
  • Engage cooperatively with a variety of boards and stakeholders to pass the Housing Choice Act that allows the town to qualify for specific grants—resulting in Lincoln already receiving $430,000 for water main replacement
  • Improve safety for all forms of transportation by serving on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, the Roadside and Traffic Committee and the Transportation Coalition.

Margaret believes in an open and collaborative approach to solving problems. She knows from observation that over-regulation costs the town money and increases a homeowner’s individual costs to get through permitting with no benefit to either the town or their neighborhood. Planning Board reviews should focus on the critical issues in a manner that is thorough, fair, consistent and predictable. 

Margaret’s ten years on the Planning Board coupled with her tenure on Lincoln’s Board of Appeals, her years on planning boards in other towns as well as her professional background have and will serve Lincoln well.  

In addition, Margaret has honed skills central to the management of public processes that have benefited the planning board. She developed these skills when she co-founded two startups, Constant Contact (IPO) and Plum (purchased by Nokia), where she was responsible for all personally identifiable information for a worldwide service, and she has served as chief technology officer at several companies. Margaret’s public process management skills — important for Planning Board public processes — were developed as chair of several technology standards committees.

We believe that Lincoln needs Margaret on the Planning Board for her technical skill, her management style, her deep understanding of Lincoln and its unique qualities and her commitment to consistent, fair, and predictable public process. We hope that you will join us and vote for Margaret Olson for Planning Board. The election is March 31 with early voting beginning on March 22.

Gail Alden
Fran Aschheim
Dea Angiolillo
Michelle Barnes
Ken Bassett
Diana Beaudoin
Cindy Bencal
Alex Benik
Becky Bermont
Sarah Bishop
Paul Blanchfield
Rebecca Blanchfield
John Bordiuk
Janet Boynton
P. Kim Buell
Brian Burns
Karen Carlson
Thomas F. Casey
Ted Chan
Alex Chatfield
Paula Cobb
Buzz Constable
Trisha Deck
John Drew
Leah Drew
Rachel Drew
Nataly Dvash
Jeff Eaton
Andy Falender
Jon Ferris
Kristen Ferris
Jim Fleming
Nancy Fleming
Amy Funkenstein
Gina Halsted
Emily Haslett
Chris Hamilton
Tom Haslett
Jean Hardcastle
Alan Hein
Nancy S.Henderson
Ruth Ann Hendrickson
Lis Herbert
Shira Horowitz
Brian Jalet
Kim Jalet
Joan Kimball
John Kimball
Chris Klem
Sue Klem
Jackie Lenth
Mary Helen Lorenz
Gwyn Loud
Rebecca Lupkas
Sara B. Lupkas
Donna Macdonald
Lucy Makall
Joan Mansfield
Rachel Mason
Lucy Maulsby
Chris McCarthy
John Mendelson
Christopher Mollica
Nicholas Mollica
Christopher Mollica
Staci Montori
Buffer Morgan
Terri Morgan
Brooks Mostue
Chris Murphy
Patricia O’Hagan
Jane K. O’Rourke
David O’Neil
David Onigman
John Nolan
Katherine Hall Page
Laura Protzman
Ginger Reiner
Kurt Reiner
John Rizzo
Travis Roland
Rick Rosenbaum
Rick Rundell
Aldis Russell
Barbara Sampson
Ellen Meyer Shorb
Paul Shorb
Kathleen Shepard
Christine Size
Barbara Slayter
Victoria Slingerland
Joanna Schmergel
Greg Schmergel
Jonathan Soo
Kara Soo
Nancy Soulette
Bill Stason
Sue Stason
Dilla Tingley
Mary Jo Veling
Christina Van Vleck
Katy Walker
Tom Walker
Ben Wells
Bob Wolf
Bryce Wolf
Krystal Wood
Stephen Yankum
Jen Zeis
Louis Zipes
Tanya Zipes
 

“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: Understanding aviation’s “sustainable” aviation fuel

By Chris Eliot

The airline industry is desperate to show their environmental progress but jet fuel is critical to the industry. SAF, or so-called “sustainable” aviation fuel, is the idea that synthetic jet fuel can be made from renewable sources. Unfortunately, I think the industry has prematurely endorsed SAF without having a credible plan to implement this solution. Lara Sullivan wrote about this on March 3 (see “My Turn: Kudos for piece on sustainable aviation fuels“). The scale of the aviation industry is the fundamental problem.

There are many ways to create SAF but they all fall into three broad categories.

  1. It is technically possible to produce SAF from energy crops. According to a recent Department of Energy report, BETA-2023, this would require 76 million acres of land worth $76 billion to $760 billion. This amount of land is between the total size of Arizona and New Mexico. On the face of it, devoting this much land to the aviation industry seems excessive. It would result in higher food prices due to the amount of crops that would be used to fuel planes rather than feed people. In addition, it would inevitably lead to deforestation either in the United States or elsewhere, which will increase global warming. This means that producing this form of SAF would cause the very problem that the production of SAF aims to solve. Attempting to produce SAF from energy crops seems infeasible and may not actually address the climate change problem.
  1. It is technically possible to produce SAF from a wide variety of miscellaneous sources such as used cooking oil, wood chips, seaweed, municipal waste, etc. Unfortunately, all of these sources put together only address a small percentage of the quantities needed by the current and projected growth of the aviation industry. These miscellaneous sources do not solve the problem.
  1. Finally, SAF can be produced from component chemicals of hydrogen and carbon. This path is often called “e-fuel.” It may be described as a combination of carbon capture and hydrogen production by electrolysis. Jet fuel is chemically a hydrocarbon and there are industrial processes to combine gaseous hydrogen and carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons, although large amounts of energy are required. This process can be implemented with existing technology. However, it is impossible to scale up in the next half-century. The fundamental problem is that too much energy is needed to produce the required hydrogen.

The energy required would exceed the entire current capacity of the U.S. electrical grid. We already have to significantly increase our production of green electricity to support electric cars, houses, and industry. Doubling this effort in the available time frame would be almost impossible to do. However, aviation might drain our energy supply to satisfy their need for SAF and then disclaim responsibility for the problem.

The aviation industry denies all these problems and proposes that economy of scale is all that is required to cause a transition to SAF. I believe this is wishful thinking at best. The record of the fossil fuel industry as a source of truth about climate change speaks for itself.

The scale of the aviation industry is simply too large to fully transition to SAF, although some SAF will be produced and will contribute to a small percentage of the solution. There will always be a place for aviation, but it cannot massively grow and almost certainly must modestly shrink to fit within a limited supply of climate-friendly fuel. Alex Chatfield wrote on February 23 about the need to limit private jet usage (see “My Turn: Proposed private-jet Hanscom expansion is a climate bomb in sheep’s clothing“). The massive propaganda campaign currently attempting to portray SAF as a viable solution is greenwashing and ignores the fundamental limitations of this technology.

The new CEO of Massport suggested that we should “let them try” to create SAF to address aviation’s contribution to climate change. The problem with this is the same as false medical treatment: while aviation is pursuing the false hope that SAF will solve the problem, they are spending money and time going down a false path instead of investing that money and effort into addressing the real problem. Meanwhile, the Earth is rapidly approaching irreversible climate changes that will make life difficult for everyone, impacting food, water, livable space, and quality of life.

I oppose putting any public money into support for SAF unless and until there is a complete and viable production plan in place. We should not invest in promises that are vague and scientifically unsound. SAF at this time is a fantasy and distracts attention from the real problem. The aviation industry must be forced to develop a credible and executable plan to become climate friendly.

What can you do?

Be informed. Double-check my analysis and satisfy yourself that my research makes sense. Then, talk to your friends and explain the situation to them. This is a large and complex problem that won’t be solved quickly, but we need to convince people to push for a real solution and not to accept the false promise being pushed by the aviation and oil industry.

Chris Eliot of Lincoln is chair of the four-town Hanscom Field Advisory Commission.

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

My Turn: Vote Morton and Ryan for L-S School Committee

By Nancy Marshall

Please elect Charles Morton and Jack Ryan to the L-S School Committee I write to enthusiastically endorse Charles Morton and Jack Ryan in their campaign for the L-S School Committee. Charles and Jack are in a three-way race for two vacated seats on the committee. I encourage you to meet Jack and Charles, in the process learn more about LSRHS and its wide and incredible array of opportunities for our children, and to vote Monday, March 31 at the polls in Lincoln for Charles Morton and Jack Ryan.

Charles Morton (CharlesMorton.com) is the father of four elementary and middle school children, all of whom will attend LSRHS over the next ten years. He is active in the Sudbury community as a youth soccer and volleyball coach. In his professional life, he is an academic, teaching chemistry at Brown. Before that, Charles worked with a wide array of learners as a tutor in the metro Boston area, which helped inform him and his wife where they wanted to live, raise and educate their children. From these experiences, he has an astute sense of what it takes to educate the whole child, the need for ongoing, thoughtful educational program evaluation and responsive change, and a full and enthusiastic respect for the teaching and learning that occurs at Lincoln-Sudbury. In my encounters with Charles, I find a calm, reflective, well-prepared candidate ready to roll up his sleeves, impart his perspective, but most of all to listen, learn and contribute fully to the roles and responsibilities of the L-S School Committee.

I have known Jack Ryan (RyanforLS.com) for 20 years. A retired lawyer, Jack and I overlapped as colleagues on the L-S School Committee, early in my tenure and at the conclusion of his first four terms of service. Jack chaired the LSRHS building committee, completed in 2004, bringing the project in on time and below budget. Jack has a wide lens on Sudbury, Lincoln, and our shared high school. He has served in many other capacities in Sudbury (Finance Committee for seven years, Sudbury Council on Aging Board, and other organizations). His pull to run again is multifaceted — policy, governance, funding, and also family, as he has grandchildren who will be attending LSRHS in the near future. Jack is sharp, knowledgeable, candid, and committed. He shares with me a depth of perspective and appreciation for LSRHS that also fuels his call to serve again.

Charles and Jack, both Sudbury residents, will be thoughtful and inclusive in their service to LSRHS, to Lincoln, and to Sudbury.

In addition to their websites, the Sudbury League of Women Voters has a recorded candidates’ forum featuring all the candidates for the L-S School Committee which can be found here. Sudbury Weekly, Sudbury’s online news source, also has “Thoughts in Return,” a Q&A with all candidates.

There will be an opportunity to meet the candidates and ask questions at the candidates’ forum in the Learning Commons at the Lincoln School on Monday, March 24 at 7:00pm. Please remember to vote on Monday, March 31 at the Lincoln School and ink in the circles for Charles Morton and Jack Ryan.

Note: I am an appointed member of the Lincoln Finance Committee. I am writing this letter in my personal capacity as a private citizen. My views are my own.

“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: Dozens endorse Susan Hall Mygatt for Planning Board

It is with great enthusiasm that we, the undersigned, endorse Susan Hall Mygatt to be elected to a seat on the Lincoln Planning Board. We believe her combination of relevant town experience, commitment to balancing town character and growth, and genuine excitement for the role make her uniquely qualified to be an informed, engaged, and effective Planning Board member.

You’ve probably seen Susan around town. She has been an active volunteer in Lincoln for many years, serving in roles including seats on Lincoln’s Zoning Board of Appeal (eight years) and on Lincoln’s Conservation Commission (six years), of which she is currently co-chair. She regularly attends Planning Board meetings and is very familiar with Lincoln’s zoning bylaws, the Planning Board’s regulations, and the issues and requests that the board addresses. She will be a ready-to-go board asset on day one.

As a retired real estate attorney and board member of several nonprofit organizations, Susan brings both attention to detail and great respect for the role of collaboration for the common good. She is comfortable asking difficult questions — always with respect — and is committed to community engagement, timely and open sharing of information, and a clear, transparent public process. This will create a welcoming environment for productive exchanges among and with the Planning Board.

Susan sees an opportunity to value Lincoln’s rural character while respecting the state-wide need for more housing. She believes that the town can find a balance that protects the aspects of Lincoln which we value and at the same time carefully plan for inevitable change. She is a keen listener and believes that open collaboration is a key element to finding and implementing solutions that unite, not divide.

At a time of great change, when we are making decisions about processes and solutions that impact the future of our town, Susan Hall Mygatt is the ideal choice for a seat on the Lincoln Planning Board. Please join us in voting for Susan Hall Mygatt for one of the two seats on the Lincoln Planning Board.

Ramelle Adams
Phil Ayoub
Suzanne Ayoub
Ken Bassett
Diana Beaudoin
Nancy E. Bergen
Penny Billings
Corinne Blickman-Sadoski
Nancy Boulton-LeGates
Sandra Bradlee
Libby Bradshaw
Peter Braun
Irene Briedes
Katherine Brobeck
Mary Brody
Susan F. Brooks
Gus Brown
Bruce Campbell
Irene Chu
Frank Clark
Nancy Constable
Buzz Constable
Jud Crawford
Sandy Creighton
Elizabeth Creighton
David Cuetos
Priscilla Damon
Betsy Danziger
Penny Denormandie
Tom Denormandie
Vicky Diaduk
Carol DiGianni
Robert Domnitz
Jona Donaldson
Moira Donnell
Jeff Eaton
Lisa Elder
Andy Falender
Margaret Flint
Ephriam Flint
Karla Gravis
Laurie Gray
Sandra Grindlay
Josh Grindlay
Tina Grotzer
Thomas Harding
Anna Hardman
Eric A. Harris
Lee Harrison
Sherry Haydock
Bob Hicks
Sally Hicks
Kerry Hoffman
Paul Hoffman
Susan Holland
Deborah Howe
Yanni Ioannides
Susan Abigail Janes
Sonja Johansson
Kim Johnson
Bayhas Kana
Priscilla Kern
Ed Kern
Susan Ketteringham
Ari Kurtz
Ed Lang
Isabel Lee
John LeGates
Barbara Leggat
Virginia Lemire
Mark Levinson
Sarah Liepert
Mary Helen Lorenz
Gwyn Loud
Jeffrey Lukowsky
Mark Masterson
Sara Mattes
June Matthews
Ron McAdow
Linda McMillan
Jim Meadors
Joseph Miller
Carolyn Montie
Paul Montie
Tom Moran
Anne Mostue
Brooks Mostue
Patricia Mostue
Connie Ohlsten
Richard Ohlsten
Timothy Oldfield
Elizabeth Orgel
Rob Orgel
John Ottenberg
Nat Park
Ann Park
Suzanne Parker
Andrea Patton
Ashton Peery
Barbara Peskin
Carol Peskin
Tia Picco
Sarah Postlethwait
Lisa Putukian
Barbara Rhines
Michael Rhines
David Ries
Jean Risley
Charles Rolando
Mary Rosenfeld
Tom Saidnawey
Denna Saidnawey
Susan Sewall
Steven Sewall
Ben Shiller
Collete Sizer
Elizabeth Slater
Jonathan Small
Diana Smith
Lynne Smith
Tucker Smith
Adam Sodowick
Nancy Soulette
Susanna Szeto
Joanne Wise
Katherine Wolf
Edward Young
Anne Young
 

“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: L-S School Committee candidate Morton seeks support

By Charles I. Morton, IV

I am a candidate for one of two open seats on the L-S School Committee. I am running to bring my experience as a teacher, coach, tutor, and mentor to an oversight body tasked with fielding questions and concerns from community members and collaborating with administrators and teachers to solve problems arising from budget uncertainty and shifting demands for academic, extracurricular, and support services.  

We are fortunate to live where we can be confident that a public high school education provides elite preparation for our children to pursue their future endeavors. In Fall 2026, my wife and I will begin a full decade as L-S parents as our four children progress through the ranks.  

I have been on the faculty of the Chemistry Department at Brown University since 2016, teaching general and organic chemistry classes to 150–600 students who are primarily pre-med and/or STEM concentrators. I have observed, particularly since Covid, that instructors have to be far more adaptable than ever before to best serve each cohort of students coming in with different high school experiences: what worked as recently as 2022 still requires significant updating in 2025. While the subject matter I teach barely changes from year to year, the opportunities for innovation and renewal help me thrive — a spirit that I admire in L-S’s community of educators as well.

After nearly two decades as an assistant coach for MIT volleyball, I took on much younger clientele by coaching 15 (and counting) seasons of Sudbury Youth Soccer and co-founding Sudbury Youth Volleyball. After grad school I was a master tutor and tutor coordinator for Signet Education, designing custom curricula for students needing enrichment or alternative programs and offering mentorship far beyond homework help or test prep.

With four kids ages 7–12 plus students and advisees ages 17–22, every day crystallizes the importance of the high school years as a crucial developmental stage. This in-between phase of ever-accelerating academic intensity and social pressure requires expert mentorship. Our faculty at L-S deliver an outstanding product year after year, but there are always new challenges that can be solved with the support of a collaborative and collegial committee when the membership is committed to and invested in the future of L-S for decades to come.  

I look forward to doing everything I can to bring our two communities even closer together. I ask for your support on March 31 and invite you to read more about me and check my calendar of events at charlesmorton.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.