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To the editor:

I am writing in support of Robert Domnitz for reelection to the Planning Board.

Bob brings a wealth of experience to the table from his many volunteer years serving the residents of Lincoln in several important planning capacities and, even prior to that, as a member of the Lexington Planning Board. He has a proven track record of both caring for residents and for carefully measuring the impact and precedence of Planning Board decisions on the long-term health and landscape of our town. His duel training as an engineer and an attorney—an unusual and useful combination—are critical components of his skill set.

Moreover, Bob is modest and extremely hardworking. His unaffected personality and sense of humor contribute to the positive dynamic among and with his fellow Planning Board members, which is an important factor in our volunteer system of town government.

Bob deserves our vote, and I hope that you will join with me in supporting him.

Sincerely,

Penny Billings
Lincoln Road

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Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrel.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 Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Editor’s note: The salutation in this letter was originally “Dear Lincoln residents, neighbors and friends.” 

To the editor:

We are supporting Gary Taylor for the Planning Board because he has proven over two decades as a town leader that he can help the board provide a permitting process that is efficient and helpful to residents while focusing attention on its central and vital mission as the town’s primary planning organization.

[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: group of residents supports Gary Taylor

To the editor:

I’m writing to offer my full and total support for Bob Domnitz’s reelection to the Planning Board. I hope that all Lincolnites will rally behind someone who cares about Lincoln’s neighborhoods and who has the track record to prove it.

Those of us who remember a Planning Board that was routinely dragged into court to defend itself against cell tower companies, nonprofits and aggrieved property owners—and then frequently lost—acknowledge that Bob’s attention to detail and his unique legal and engineering background are two of the main reasons this board has been lawsuit-free in recent years.

Bob is both an engineer and a lawyer. Bob’s technical background and knowledge of the inner workings of the cell tower industry and how it goes about siting its towers have kept cell towers from popping up all over town. Cell tower developers have been stymied by Bob’s unique approach (he should patent it) to flummoxing their requests. In addition, his warrant article advocating for an extension of the zoning setbacks to 75 feet for nonresidential uses in residential neighborhoods is protecting every Lincoln neighborhood.

Bob serves as the Planning Board’s representative to the Rt. 2 Oversight Committee. Believe me when I tell you that he’s the only independent voice really working to protect the town’s interests on that hideous construction project. The contractor would like to use cheaper materials and MassDOT would like to cut costs on the project, but Bob continues to be a thorn in their sides, holding them to the terms of the contract. Without his continued work, the Lincoln section of that highway could end up looking a lot uglier. Now is not the time to change horses midstream, while this project is still going strong.

In fact, Bob is the voice of skepticism whenever Massport, Minute Man National Park, or any other state agencies, private developers or nonprofit organizations try to sell the town a bill of development goods. Bob can see through the smoke and mirrors and can be counted on to come down on the neighborhood’s side.

But perhaps most important to me, unlike most other (by that I mean all) town officials, Bob has a sense of humor. His large-minded perspective, his camaraderie with other board members and his sense of irony have lightened the mood at many a Planning Board meeting, and given a choice, I’ll always vote for the candidate with a good sense of humor.

Reelect Bob Domnitz so the he may continue to protect Lincoln.

Neil Feinberg
Concord Road

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Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrel.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.

To the editor:

When it comes to the Lincoln schools, I have many beliefs.

I had three very different learners go through the schools all within the past decade, which provided me with the opportunity for a broad perspective. However, I regret that I had been let down in several key areas, and this bothered me immensely. Consequently, one of the reasons that I voted against the [Lincoln School] building “preferred option” was that I believed that the school system hadn’t earned my support.

However, dwelling on the past is seldom fruitful, and changed circumstances can often bring changed beliefs. For instance:

I believe that Becky McFall, our current superintendent is an educator, and a credible one at that. I believe that she is focused on “raising the bar” for every aspect of the school system, and to me, this is an issue of paramount importance to Lincoln. In my opinion, the school system is heading in the right direction, and doing so under a thoughtful and community-centric leader.  She holds open office hours regularly to encourage parental input, and I encourage you to stop by and share your thoughts accordingly.

I also believe that the entire process for the building project has improved. The School Building Advisory Committee made sincere efforts to engage the community in meaningful ways, they tried their best to give a range of options with credible pricing scenarios, and they acknowledged that a school building was secondary to a school system—even though certain building features can have a positive impact on the educational experience. They completed their assignment under budget as well.

I also believe that our school buildings have needs that should not be ignored. They also have shortcomings and lack certain features common in many other schools.

Lastly, I believe that this issue is very important to our community and that the upcoming vote will be key in setting a strategic direction to follow. As such, I urge you to plan on attending Town Meeting. Please take some time to review the latest report available online. Similarly, the warrant articles and ballot questions should be read in advance.

Please attend Town Meeting on March 28. Simply put, your participation is crucial.

Sincerely,

Vincent Cannistraro
15 Deer Run Road

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Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrel.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.

By Abby Payne, Evan Lee and Jack Hutchinson

The Lincoln Gearticks robotics team, a group of 12 middle and high schoolers from Lincoln and surrounding towns, claimed the Inspire Award at the Massachusetts FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) State Championship on February 28. This award is the highest award a team can earn and is presented to the team that did exceptionally across all aspects of the robotics challenge.

[Read more…] about Lincoln Gearticks stand out at state championship