Top of the Town postponed
Due to the snowstorm predicted for tomorrow, the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging’s Top of the Town Winter Gala has been rescheduled for Sunday, Jan. 25 from 5-8 p.m. at the deCordova Museum.
news
News acorns – 1/23/15
Hear about Lincoln’s aluminum house, and the town during World War II
Did you know that Lincoln is home to one of the rare Alcoa aluminum houses that were built in 1957 to showcase aluminum building materials? On Thursday, Jan. 29 from 7-9 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library, Katherine Mierzwa of Friends of Modern Architecture/Lincoln will give a fast-paced, illustrated photo tour of this significant house, the history of aluminum in 20th-century architecture, and an update on how this house has recently been renovated.
What was life like on the World War II home front? How fast did Lincoln mobilize? How did it respond to all the major war challenges such as rationing, training for evacuation, and sustaining morale? Come to a session sponsored by the Lincoln Historical Society on Sunday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall for an afternoon of reminiscences about “Lincoln During World War II.” Hear reminiscences of wartime Lincoln elementary school students, share your own personal recollections whether or not you grew up in Lincoln, and capture the spirit of the times. “Victory Cake” and other popular foods from the period will be served. All ages welcome.
Both events are part of the Lincoln Winter Carnival.
New book club kicks off
The Lincoln Library is pleased to offer a new book group called the “Who Picked This Book?” club. The first meeting is Monday, Feb. 2 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the library, when we will talk about One Day by David Nicholls. The club will meet on the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. to read fairly current fiction (maybe even nonfiction) that’s entertaining and well written. Copies in various formats will be available two weeks prior to each meeting. Refreshments will be served. Bring a list of possible books that you’ve always wanted to read to the first meeting maybe we can all pick the next one together. For more information, please contact Lisa Rothenberg at lrothenberg@minlib.net.
“Voices from the Back Stairs: Domestic Servants in 19th- and 20th-century New England”
Although domestic servants made everyday life in grand houses possible, their identities and roles within the household have long been ignored. On Sunday, Feb. 8 from 2-4 p.m., Dr. Jennifer Pustz of Historic New England will shed light on the role of servants and their relationship to their employers. This illustrated lecture will focus on three Historic New England properties, including Lincoln’s own Codman Estate.
Winter Carnival kicks off next Thursday
The Lincoln Winter Carnival, an annual event sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Committee, starts on January 29 and features a pancake breakfast, a snow sculpture contest, poetry, bingo, and lots of other events for both adults and kids.
The carnival is designed to foster a sense of community throughout the town of Lincoln, and all events are sponsored by Lincoln-based organizations. Please check individual event details for age limits, admission fees, pre-registration information, etc.
Weeklong events
News acorns – 1/20/15
Route 128 to be topic of HATS forum
The Hanscom Area Towns Committee (HATS) will have a roundtable meeting about concerns relating to Route 128 on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Town Office Building.
Among those invited are Alyssa Sandoval, Bedford’s economic development coordinator; Stephanie Cronin, executive director of the Middlesex 3 Transportation Management Association; a Middlesex 3 Shuttle Service representative; Melisa Tintocalis, Lexington’s economic development director; area legislators including Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy and State Reps. Tom Stanley and Ken Gordon; commuter program leaders from Hanscom Air Force Base; and representatives from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the 128 Business Council.
Although HATS (which is chaired by Lincoln Selectman Peter Braun) focuses primarily on the Hanscom Air Force Base and MassPort-operated Hanscom Air Field, it also focuses sometimes on other regional concerns such as 128 traffic and development that impacts the area. HATS. Recent articles on the subject can be found here, here and here.
Founder of “Frontline” to speak at Bemis
David Fanning, creator of the acclaimed PBS series Frontline, will speak at Bemis Hall on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 4 p.m. His talk, entitled “The Making of Frontline,” will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the series—how it came to be, the battles fought, the controversies stirred, high points and low, and prospects for the future in a rapidly changing media landscape.
Fanning launched Frontline at host station WGBH in 1983 and has been its executive producer and guiding hand ever since. Under his care, Frontline has become the most enduring and honored investigative documentary series on American television, and Fanning himself was recently honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The event is part of the Bemis Free Lecture Series. For more information, email bemislectures@gmail.
Multi-sport court proposed for school campus
The proposed sports court would go in the blue area next to the tot playground behind the Codman Pool parking lot (click to enlarge).
By Alice Waugh
Lincoln will have a new outdoor court with lighting for basketball, tennis, street hockey and other sports by late summer if officials and voters give a funding thumbs-up.
The proposal by the Parks and Recreation Committee (PRC) calls for a $146,000 multi-sport moveable court to be installed next to the playground at the rear of the Codman Pool parking lot. The court surface, which would be made of perforated plastic and surrounded by netting, could be taken up and relocated if staging space is required during a school building project.
Although Lincoln has recreational facilities for children and town tennis courts, “what we really have is a big gap in the sixth-to-eighth-grade, high school and college-age folks,” said PRC chair Jonathan Dwyer in a January 8 presentation to the School Committee, which oversees use of school property.
The court could serve as an outdoor drop-in sports facility for teenagers and others in the afternoon, early evening and weekends all year round, since it could also work as an ice-skating rink, Dwyer said. “This brings them back to the [Lincoln School] campus and connects them more to the town as they [remember] hanging out at the playground, at the pool and on the fields,” he said.
The location also has the advantage of easy access and parking next to the existing lot and its streetlights, “so we’re not creating a new lit area located in the middle of nowhere—we’re just augmenting what’s already there,” said Dan Pereira, director of the Parks and Recreation Department.
The court would also expand the town’s after-school tennis program, which usually can’t start until after April school vacation because the clay courts need more time to recover from the winter snow and ice.
The PRC estimates that the facility would cost $146,000, including lighting and a water line extension. A traditional court with a poured concrete base would cost about $20,000 less, but it would not have the advantage of being movable and water-permeable, Pereira noted. The Community Preservation Committee has determined that the project qualifies for Community Preservation Act funding and is considering the proposal for recommendation as part of its funding request at Town Meeting in March, Dwyer said in his written proposal to the School Committee.
If funding is approved at Town Meeting, installation could begin in early August and would take about a week, making it ready for use by August 30.
“This sounds like a fun thing to bring forward and could be a real benefit to students,” said Jennifer Glass, chair of the School Committee, which voted unanimously to support the PRC’s request.
Lincoln’s Sajer honored for oncology care at Emerson
Dr. Susan Sajer (center), an oncologist at Mass General Cancer Center at Emerson Hospital–Bethke, is honored for her 20 years of service to patients during the Emerson Hospital physician recognition dinner held recently at the Nashawtuc Country Club. With her are (left) Dr. James Street, president of the medical staff at Emerson Hospital, and Christine Schuster, president and CEO of Emerson Hospital.
Lincoln resident Susan Sajer, M.D., was honored for her 20 years of service to patients at Emerson Hospital at its annual Physician Recognition Dinner. An oncologist at Mass General Cancer Center at Emerson Hospital–Bethke, Sajer has cared for thousands of patients facing a cancer diagnosis.
In addition to her work with patients, Sajer is the principal investigator for cancer clinical trials at the cancer center.
“Twenty years ago was the start of the human genome project, which was followed by the cancer genome project that is still ongoing. The outgrowth of work from these projects has enormously changed what I can do for patients and their families. I am now able to treat patients with early-stage disease with exceptional cure rates,” Sajer said. “I tailor care by understanding who the person is, their support systems and their preferences for medical care. I have the privilege of being part of new advances in cancer care and look forward to bringing these treatments to patients in the community.”
Sajer is featured in this video of Emerson physicians discussing the biggest changes in health care during their tenure (her portion starts at the 1:08 time mark).
“Susan is an amazing physician whose dedication to her patients and to the field of oncology is unparalleled,” said Christine Schuster, president and CEO of Emerson Hospital. “We are very proud to have her on our team treating patients who live in the community.”
Sajer received her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College and completed a residency at the Medical College of Virginia and a fellowship in hematology/oncology at New England Medical Center. She is board-certified in hematology, internal medicine and medical oncology.
Lincoln phone book getting updated
The Lincoln Telephone Directory (sort of a paper-based search engine for the town) is in the process of being updated by the Friends of the Library (FOLL). Every other year, the FOLL compiles the telephone numbers of residents, local businesses, town offices and the Healthy Communities Pink pages, which list resources for mental, physical, and spiritual health. Look for a yellow card in the mail with instructions on adding or updating your information, or a brochure about advertising opportunities for businesses.
“Lincolnites love the small-town feel of the book,” says Julie Brogan, vice president of the FOLL.
Businesses can profit from the local nature of the directory as well, a listing in the Lincoln Telephone Directory is a sure sign that vendors have patrons from Lincoln. A growing trend started by Library Trustee Jacquelin Apsler is to purchase an advertisement on behalf of a favorite business. Non-profits also benefit from advertising space. In our previous directory, Phinney’s Friends, which helps families in need take care of their pets, advertised for volunteers, and t\The Domestic Violence Services Network used advertising space to increase its visibility.
The Lincoln Telephone Directory is mailed free to every household in Lincoln. For residents, it’s an easy way to contact neighbors, and advertisers know that every Lincoln home has a copy. Extra copies are sold throughout the year at the library and the Old Town Hall Exchange, so new residents or those wanting a copy for their car or the office can purchase one. “It’s a popular item which we regularly need to restock,” says Stacy Osur, manager of the Exchange.
Businesses interested in advertising or anyone who would like to volunteer with the project may email LincolnPhoneBook@gmail.com.
News acorns – 1/12/15
Final School Building Advisory Committee forum on Jan. 13
At a School Building Advisory Committee public forum on Tuesday, Jan. 13 from 7-9 p.m. in Reed Gym, Dore & Whittier Architects will present a summary of the work carried out this fall related to the development of renovation options to address the facility and educational needs of the Lincoln School. Also at the meeting, information will be shared and solicited regarding the Town Meeting presentation and possible warrant articles. The last public forum was held in December (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Dec. 9, 2014).
Chimney scam alert
The Lincoln Police Department would like Lincoln residents to be aware of a scam that has victimized a number of residents recently. The scammers call saying they will clean your chimney for half price and use high-pressure selling tactics. When they arrive, they tell you that you need several hundred dollars of work that you really don’t need. If you receive a call or if they come to your home, please call the police at 781-259-8113.
Kindergarten registration beginning soon
The Lincoln School is beginning kindergarten registration for the 2015-2016 school year. Children who are residents of Lincoln and 5 years old before October 1, 2015 are eligible. Letters and registration forms will be mailed to families starting February 1. Please call the school if you do not receive a letter and your child is kindergarten-eligible. Registration requires your child’s birth certificate and proof of residence in Lincoln. Please call the Smith office at 781-259-9404 if you have any questions about these requirements. A Parent Orientation night will be held on April 15 from 6:45-8:30 p.m. Families will learn about the kindergarten curriculum, program setup, placement process and have an opportunity to ask questions.
Letter to the editor: Taylor running for Planning Board
(Editor’s note: Taylor is challenging incumbent Bob Domnitz for a seat on the Planning Board. Domnitz’s letter to the editor announcing his candidacy can be found here.)
To the editor:
With election season approaching, I would like to let people know that I shall be running for a position on the Planning Board. For those of you who do not know me, I have been involved in various aspects of town governance for many years, serving on the Finance Committee, the Capital Planning Committee, the Housing Commission, the Board of Selectmen and the School Building Committee. I was one of the principal developers and authors of Lincoln’s first Housing Production Plan and the At Risk Properties Report, planning documents that helped the town move forward successfully in affordable housing and in shaping development of key parcels of land.
I feel strongly that it is time for a change in orientation for the Planning Board. Much of the success in maintaining Lincoln’s small-town rural character is attributable to leaders in the past who kept their eyes on the future and prepared for what they saw coming. We need that same foresight now. Unfortunately, the focus of the Planning Board seems to have drifted towards minutia in site plan reviews, while important matters like building consensus around a plan for the South Lincoln Mall area receive insufficient attention.
From observing the board in action, I also believe that it could be much more efficient and user-friendly. Although there are on occasion proposals that are well out of bounds, most applicants before the Board are land owners seeking to improve properties in reasonable ways. The board’s approach should be to help them achieve their goals while honoring bylaw requirements, and this should not require numerous appearances before the board, as is often the case now. Problems with applications should largely be worked out with the Planning Board’s staff in advance of any hearing to save everyone time and spare applicants the expense of yet another round with an architect. Spending less time reviewing applications would leave more for actual planning.
There are several other areas for improvement such as better coordination with the Zoning Board of Appeals and more attention to implementation of the town’s Comprehensive Plan, and I look forward to discussing all these issues with Lincoln voters in seeking their support.
Sincerely,
Gary Taylor
2 Beaver Pond Road
Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrrel.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.
Board of Health: residential areas don’t need leaf blower regulations
By Alice Waugh
The Board of Health, which is on record as saying airborne particles and noise from gas-powered leaf blowers are a health hazard, has issued a statement distancing itself from a crackdown on use of the machines by homeowners, saying that in Lincoln, leaf blowers cause the most problems on paved surfaces, especially in the business district.
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