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news

Lincolnites share news and advice during blackout

February 8, 2016

power-lines-2015082851By Alice Waugh

Hundreds of Lincoln residents shivered through extended power outages resulting from the February 5 snowstorm, but many of them shared updates, advice and even offers of hospitality online, even as another snowstorm approached.

[Read more…] about Lincolnites share news and advice during blackout

Category: government, news 2 Comments

Codman welcomes new farmers

February 8, 2016

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The Codman Community Farms board welcomed the new family running the farm: Jen Hashley (front row center), her husband Peter Lowy to her left, and their son Abraham. Also in attendance at the Pierce House welcome was Ellen Raja (front row left). Second row, left to right: David Alperovitz Erica Mason, and DJ Mitchell. Third row: Chandler Fritz and Julia Craig. Fourth row: Toni Gersh (with her son behind her) and Chris Fasciano.

 

Category: news Leave a Comment

Property transactions

February 7, 2016

House-1Here is a list of property sales in Lincoln in November and December 2015. The Lincoln Squirrel will publish this list approximately once a month going forward.

December 2015
  • 7L South Commons — Thomas Pascoe, trustee, to Gregory Rowe for $442,000 (December 30)
  • 2 Lewis St. — Sejfi Protopapa to 2 Lewis LLC for $850,000 (December 24)
  • 0 Winter St. — Charles Stankard Jr. to Ciy of Cambridge Water Board for $210,000 (December 21)
  • 11 Smith Hill — Zhipeng Lu to Eriel and Jacqueline Anchondo for $1,079,000 (December 18)
  • 9 Giles Rd. — Peter Miano to Bryan and Laura Leibowitz for $745,000 (December 14)
  • 24 Greenridge Lane, unit 7 — Melvin Bernstein, trustee, to Jiang Zhou for $450,000 (December 11)
  • 7 Twin Pond Lane — Pedro Huertas to Daniel White and Alexandra Kern for $1,185,000 (December 11)
  • 252 Lincoln Rd. — Joan Seville to John O’Sullivan and Kathryn Edwards for $805,000 (December 8)
  • 12 Airport Rd. — Town of Lincoln to Civil War Preservation Trust for $300,000 (December 8)
  • 344 Hemlock Circle — Jeanne MacMillan Morse to Jeffrey and Eloise Patterson for $530,000 (December 4)
  • 27L South Commons — Lori Solomon to Alan Basmajian for $480,000 (December 3)
November 2015
  • 30 Storey Drive — Adam Granskog to David and Alana Stubblebine for $2,325,000 (November 25)
  • 186 Bedford Rd. — Alana Stubblebine to Anne T. Warner for $85,000 (November 23)
  • 136 Chestnut Circle — Joseph Rosen to Nancy McDonald for $415,000 (November 23)
  • 32 Hillside Rd. — Beatrice Page to Kim Cronin, trustee, of Kenrick LLC for $725,000 (November 20)
  • 57 Lincoln Rd. — Christopher Ridick to Maria Corvez for $775,000 (November 16)
  • 207 Old Concord Rd. — Adam Omansky to Erica and Robert Mason for $2,912,500 (November 13)
  • 6 Wheeler Rd. — Marian Miller Cook, trustee, to Christopher Ridick and Edward Langer for $830,000 (November 5)
  • 115 Chestnut Circle — Charles Fayerweather, trustee, to Ann and Davis Ries for $541,000 on (November 4)

 

 

Category: news Leave a Comment

Share your power outage stories!

February 6, 2016

lightbulbDear Squirrel readers,

Clearly a lot of people in Lincoln (including yours truly, who is writing on her laptop at Panera) are still without power. Some Lincolnites have posted about this on LincolnTalk, but I’d like to hear from as many folks as possible so I can write a story.

If you still have no power —or if you lost power but got it back after a few hours—please email lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com and tell me your story. Be sure to include your street address and whether you’re aware of any downed power lines near hour house. Also tell us which utility you use (we have Eversource but I don’t know if every home in Lincoln does as well). For extra credit, tell us about your longest power outage before this.

Thanks, and stay warm!

Alice Waugh
Editor, The Lincoln Squirrel
www.lincolnsquirrel.com
781-259-0526 (h)  ~  617-710-5542 (m)
lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com

Category: news 6 Comments

Voc-tech group offers cost comparisons

February 5, 2016

By Alice Waugh

A cost-estimate comparison by the Vocational Education Options Working Group (VEOWG) shows that Lincoln would pay considerably more to send students to Minuteman High School than to any of three other area technical schools, even if Lincoln withdraws from the Minuteman school district.

According to an analysis for fiscal year 2020 by the VEOWG (see below), if Lincoln were to send five students to Minuteman in fiscal year 2020, the cost would be almost twice as much per student ($55,911 vs. $29,503) if Lincoln were a member of the Minuteman school district than if it were not. The cost for sending those five students to one of three other schools instead—Assabet Valley Regional Technical School in Marlborough, Nashoba Valley Technical High School in Westford, and Keefe Regional Technical School in Framingham—would range from about $21,000 to $24,000 per student.

The working group has also published a list of frequently asked questions summarizing the issues for Lincoln as well as a comparison of the academics and other features for Minuteman and the three other technical schools.

The VEOWG will host a public forum on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room to discuss the future of vocational, career, and technical high school options for Lincoln’s students. The forum is 12 days before the February 23 Special Town Meeting where residents will vote on a revised regional agreement for the Minuteman school district and also on whether to withdraw from the district.

All 16 towns in the district are voting at Special Town Meetings on the new regional agreement. Boxborough, Carlisle, Dover, Sudbury, Wayland, and Weston are also voting on whether to withdraw, potentially reducing the Minuteman district from 16 towns to 10.

Cost estimates for fiscal year 2020 compiled by the Vocational Education Options Working Group.

Cost estimates for fiscal year 2020 compiled by the Vocational Education Options Working Group that assumes five technical school students from Lincoln.

If Lincoln withdraws from the district, it would not have representati0n on the Minuteman School Committee, and it would also have to pay non-member tuition of about $19,000 per student plus an $8,000-per-student share of capital costs. The town also would not be able to vote on the debt for the new building—nor would it be liable for repaying that debt, aside from the $8,000-per-student fee for any Lincoln students who attend Minuteman.

As a member of the Minuteman district, Lincoln would have to pay $24,000 per student toward the building cost as well as more than $29,000 in member tuition for each student.

“If our [VEOWG] committee was asked to say what we recommend, it would be unanimous” to advocate withdrawal from the Minuteman district, Braun said. He added that he was speaking for himself and could not speak for other town officials including the Board of Selectmen, which will hear the working group’s analysis on Monday, Feb. 8.

VEOWG members have been visiting the other technical schools, “and what we’ve seen so far is very gratifying [in that] that we have really worthy alternatives” to Minuteman, Braun said.

A condensed version of the VEOWG data as it appears in the group's FAQ document.

A condensed version of the VEOWG data as it appears in the group’s FAQ document (click to enlarge).

 

Category: government, Minuteman HS project*, news, schools 1 Comment

Letter to the editor: Minuteman parent supports school

February 4, 2016

letter

To the editor:

I am the proud parent of two Minuteman Vocational High School graduates. Both of my children were and are extremely well prepared for the workforce and for admission to any competitive college.

I am a long-term Lincoln resident (I grew up there and attended Lincoln schools from the Lincoln Nursery School through Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School), raised my children in Lincoln, and just relocated to Arlington.

Minuteman is an extremely valuable and often overlooked and underutilized treasure. This school is an asset in many ways to the surrounding towns and fills an essential need in our educational system.

The students at Minuteman spend one week in their shop learning the trade and following strict work ethics and trade rules. The other week is spent in academics with a strong preparation for competitive college admissions and practical life skills. If you visit the school you will notice that the students at Minuteman have clear common purpose and exude confidence. There is structure to the day, no tolerance for bullying, no cliques like at the public school.

We will always need skilled welders, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, automobile mechanics, well prepared childcare providers, hairdressers, medical assistants, robotics and biotechnology experts, and so many more kinds of skilled workers that the technical-vocational high schools train. We need the alternative educational venue that Minuteman provides for those many many individuals who are hands-on learners. Many highly intelligent and talented students are not “typical learners” and do not thrive in the rigid, sedentary academic environments that the current traditional and regional high schools require.

At Minuteman, many a parent is grateful for their child’s happiness, productivity and bright future that Minuteman provides. My family well knows the positive difference this kind of education provides, as both of my children transferred to Minuteman as sophomores; my son spent his freshman year at a traditional private school and my daughter went to L-S her freshman year.

My son graduated in 2012 in electrical wiring. He has been working full time since graduation as an apprentice for a small electrical wiring company in Arlington. During the three years at Minuteman, my son played three seasons on the high-quality varsity sports teams. He was captain of the lacrosse, football and wrestling teams. He was able to develop his leadership skills and was a highly respected member and leader of the student body in addition to his achievements and leadership in the Lincoln Boy Scouts.

My daughter graduated in 2013 with not one but two welding certifications. She has been working since graduation as a welder through the Carpenters and Pipe Fitters Unions. At age 20 she makes $35 per hour, has full benefits and confidence. She can attend Wentworth Institute of Technology to become a mechanical engineer or building construction manager at half tuition. She was recently working on the MBTA Green Line extension in Cambridge and has worked on other high-profile job sites. During her three years at Minuteman, she played on the basketball and lacrosse teams and was a manager for the football team in addition to her outside involvement in dance troupes.

My daughter believes some of her friends who were not allowed to attend Minuteman “would be confident young ladies now if they had gone to Minuteman.” I know several parents of recent high school graduates whom have openly expressed regret that they did not allow their kids to attend Minuteman.

I urge Lincoln and all towns to fully support the new Minuteman High School building project. The current building is outdated and is desperately in need of a complete renovation. Among many items, Minuteman needs a large multipurpose assembly hall large enough to hold school graduations. This would also benefit the communities and promote school pride. For my children’s graduations we had to drive all the way up to a venue in Lowell, as the current Minuteman building has no assembly hall!

We should all be proud of this resource and continue our investment in this critical educational system.

Sincerely,

Deborah Page
10 West St., Arlington


Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Category: Minuteman HS project*, news Leave a Comment

Burney dives into Lincoln planning and land use

January 31, 2016

burney2

Jennifer Burney

By Alice Waugh

Jennifer Burney’s opinion after a week in Lincoln? “I love it!”

Burney is starting her second week as Lincoln’s new director of planning and land use, was director of planning in Southborough for three years. Before that, she held the same post in Bolton for six years, and assistant town planner and director of community development in Sudbury from 2006-07. Burney succeeds Chris Reilly, who held the position for five years until becoming planning director in Billerica in late 2015.

[Read more…] about Burney dives into Lincoln planning and land use

Category: government, news 1 Comment

News acorns

January 31, 2016

ballotSpots still open on town ballot

There are still two offices on the Town Election ballot without any candidates: one for a three-year seat on the Planning Board and the other for a three-year seat as a Bemis Trustee. Please call the Town Clerk’s office at 781-259-2607 for further information.

Cardboard Ox at next LOMA

The next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) will be on Monday, Feb. 8 from 7-10 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library. Cardboard Ox (Tracie Potochnik and Steve Allain) will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30 p.m. Combining forces in 2014, Tracie and Steve have become well know for sweet harmonies and delicately crafted storytelling. They’ve opened for Cherl Wheeler and other well-known folk musicians. Their debut EP, a collection of six original songs was recently released just three months ago.

LOMA is a monthly event sponsored by Friends of the Lincoln Library. For more information, see the library’s open-mike web page. Upcoming performers: Dawn Kenney (March 14), Andrew McKnight (April  Mike Laureanno (May 9), Amy Herrera (June 13).

Donate Valentine’s Day gifts to domestic violence program

Each year the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable (DVR) sponsors a Valentine’s Day Gift Drive to help make the day brighter for families who are not safe in their own homes. The families reside in shelters and transitional housing programs of three area domestic violence organizations: REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, The Second Step, and Voices Against Violence. The DVR gives each family member a bag of age-appropriate gifts to remind recipients that people care about them and support their decision to end abuse in their lives. A list of recommended donations can be found on the this Roundtable web page. There will be a basket for donations at the Wayland Public Safety Building (38 Cochituate Road at the intersection of Routes 20 and 27) from February 1-9.

Volunteers are welcome to join Roundtable members as they assemble the gift bags on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room of the Wayland Public Safety Building. For further information, please email the DVR at infodvrt@gmail.com.

Category: news Leave a Comment

¿Como se llama? (Lincoln Through the Lens)

January 29, 2016

This llama, who is often seen by drivers on Old Sudbury Road, lives at Ellen Raja's sheep farm...

Henry the llama* is one of the collection of livestock at Ellen Raja’s farm on Old Sudbury Road. Henry has taken full charge of the flock, being as Raja describes him “large, smelly and protective.” He is often rude to humans and hates dogs (though he tolerates Raja and her sheepdogs). Fortunately, though he gets along with sheep, he is also full of rancor and aggression toward other members of the dog family, including foxes and coyotes. “Earn his keep? You bet he does,” Raja says. Photo: Harold McAleer

* “L-L-A-M-A,” as most people know, is one of only three ways to spell this word. A “one-L” lama is a teacher of Tibetan Buddhism; a “two-L” llama is the creature resembling an alpaca; and a “three-L” lllama is a wicked big fire in Summahville.


Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.

Category: Lincoln through the lens, news 5 Comments

For Minuteman, it’s one down, 15 to go

January 26, 2016

mm1In the sprint to get approvals for the revised Minuteman High School regional agreement, Arlington got the ball rolling with a Special Town Meeting (STM) vote in favor of the new deal on January 25.

[Read more…] about For Minuteman, it’s one down, 15 to go

Category: Minuteman HS project*, news Leave a Comment

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