News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.
By Alice Waugh
Candidates for local office shared their views at a March 15 forum, starting things off with answers to a resident’s question about what selectman candidates and the town learned from the failure of the school building project vote and the Route 2 tree-cutting issue.
[Read more…] about Candidate forum draws questions on school, Route 2
The Lincoln Gearticks earned the top award at the state championship at Bridgewater State University on March 8. Front row, left to right: Evan Glenn, Caleb Sander, Irene Terpstra, Calvin Terpstra, Dante Muzila, Claire Telfer and Catherine Appleby. Back row, left to right: Thom Quirk, Andrew Lee, Amelia Brown, Jack Hutchinson, Austin Brown, Logan Engstrom Abby Payne. Photo by Victor Terpstra
By Caleb Sander, Claire Telfer, Abby Payne and Irene Terpstra
Lincoln Gearticks team members
The Lincoln Gearticks robotics team of 14 middle and high school students from Lincoln and Westwood took the top award at the Massachusetts FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics Championships on March 8 and will be heading to the Eastern Super-Regional in Pennsylvania next month along with five other teams from Massachusetts.
[Read more…] about Lincoln Gearticks earn top award at state competition
Henry David Thoreau (Wikimedia Commons photo)
The Lincoln Public Library and Healthy Communities invite you to “Thoreau’s Perspective” on Sunday, March 23 at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Jeff Cramer, curator of the Thoreau Institute, will offer Henry David Thoreau’s perspectives about self and community reliance and how they improve self and community resilience. He’ll also tell us what he thinks Thoreau would say today about improving our responses to human and natural disasters.
The evening badminton class at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School still has space available for adults of all ages and skill levels. Come find out why badminton is the most popular racquet sport in the world. The class meets Wednesday nights from 7-9 p.m. in L-S Gym 1. Bring your racket; birdies are provided. The class started on March 5 and runs for 10 weeks. The full fee was $120 but will be prorated for those who join now.
The Town of Lincoln Annual Town Meeting will take place Saturday, March 29 beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the Brooks School auditorium on Ballfield Road in Lincoln, Mass. As an open town meeting, all Lincoln citizens are encouraged to attend and participate. Lincoln residents should receive their Town Meeting packets, including the Town Report and the Financial Section and Warrant, on or about March 19. Lunch will be available for $10. For more information, visit the Town Meeting website.
The Lincoln Scholarship Committee is accepting applications for the Sumner Smith Community Service Award, Fannie Campbell Academic Award, need-based scholarships, the Ogden Codman Scholarship (four years) and the Codman Opportunity Scholarship (four years). The Committee is also accepting nominations for the Rosemary Fichera Kennedy Nadolski Award. High school seniors who are Lincoln residents are eligible to apply or to be nominated. Peers, teachers, neighbors and employers are all welcome to nominate students for the Nadolski Award. The Scholarship Committee is able to fund these awards thanks to the generosity of the residents of Lincoln and the Ogden Codman Trust.
Application information and instructions can be found on this page of the Town of Lincoln website. The deadline for applications is Thursday, April 17 at 3 p.m., either by mail to the address listed on the application forms or hand-delivered to the office of the Superintendent Principal at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. For more information, please contact Nancy Marshall at 781-259-9471 or nfmarshall23@gmail.com.
Lincoln residents of all ages are invited to meet with a nurse through a free town service. Come to get your blood pressure and/or Body Mass Index checked, ask questions, or learn about wellness resources. Clinics will be held at the Community Building at Lincoln Woods at 50 Wells Road from 10 a.m. to noon on three Fridays: April 11, May 2, and June 13. These clinics are funded by the Ogden Codman Trust and provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care. For more information, call the Lincoln Council on Aging at 781-259-8811.
To the editor:
I attended the February 19 and March 12 public hearings on Jet Aviation’s proposal to expand its Hanscom hanger facilities, which were sponsored by the Lincoln Conservation Commission. These were working business meetings of the commission to which the public were invited.
The commission is concerned with the issue of proposed Jet Aviation construction encroaching on a few acres of Lincoln wetlands. It appears that Jet Aviation will successfully conform to the commission’s requirements, and will therefore be permitted to proceed with their project. However, this is not the issue of importance to most citizens. We the people feel strongly that increasing Hanscom’s total hangar area, in order to house and service more of the dirtiest type of aircraft (as measured by amount of fuel burned and carbon emitted per passenger-mile), is totally irresponsible by any conceivable standard.
There is a striking dichotomy here between the will of the people and the presumed approval of this project, and I am deeply disappointed that the commission members all were excessively deferential and accommodating to the Jet Aviation representatives and their proposal, in spite of the totally obvious fact that the many citizens in attendance unanimously and angrily oppose the project—there was not one comment from the invited public in support of Jet Aviation.
At what level of environmental pollution (both chemical and acoustic) do we draw the line? The line should be drawn right now—Jet Aviation should not be permitted to expand their Hanscom facilities to accommodate more jets, and we, the people, expect the (our?) Lincoln Conservation Commission to recognize and support this position. This project, and indeed the entire Hanscom expansion juggernaut, should be axed as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Henry Francis
Sunnyside Lane
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. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published. Letters may be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor.
To the editor:
I am writing in support of the re-election of Peter Braun for Selectman. When choosing a town officer, politically based relationships and bonds of friendship are certainly the starting point from which a voter determines which candidate to support. These are followed by knowledge of a candidate’s character, experience and accomplishments, along with his ability to work effectively with others.
The tree cutting issue associated with the Route 2 project is being misconstrued in this election in an attempt to diminish the importance of the letters of support which Selectman Braun has received from friends, neighbors and committee members who endorse his re-election.
An accurate account of the Route 2 project has been clearly presented by Dan Boynton in his letter of support for Peter. This project has spanned many decades, providing excellent opportunities for abutters to present their concerns to the town and to be heard. Peter Braun and Town Administrator Tim Higgins continue to work together with the abutters and the MassDOT, ensuring the best possible outcome for residents and commuters alike.
There are reasons why Peter Braun’s friends and committee members applaud his work and support his re-election. His dedication, attention to detail and capable leadership have been proven effective on the Route 2 project, as well as many other complex issues.
Peter Braun is a vital member of our team of town volunteers. He works diligently to provide us with the best representation possible while maintaining a steady, calm demeanor and ready wit. Please join me in supporting his re-election on March 31.
Sincerely,
Gay Anderson
42 Todd Pond Rd.
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. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published. Letters may be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor.
To the editor:
I have worked with Peter on the Capital Planning Committee for the past three years and on the Route 2 Oversight Committee this past year. I have found he is very committed to this work, with solid knowledge and experience of Town policies and process. His ability to understand and clearly articulate the big picture context and subtler side issues, is extremely valuable in enhancing our discussions and getting committee work done.
His focus is on making good decisions based on the best information and evaluation of alternatives, to determine the best course of action. He brings a robust capacity to engage people and their diverse agendas, clarify issues, hear concerns of others, promote new ideas, then works to develop and implement the best solution. I find him collegial, passionate about fairness, working to lead a governance process that gets results.
Peter has been an articulate spokesman for the town in HATS [Hanscom Area Town Selectmen] and HFAC [Hanscom Field Advisory Committee] where he acts as the primary link to our state and federal legislative delegation on Hanscom-related matters for preserving the Air Force base’s continuing role in our local economy. These efforts focus on a critical area of concern for Lincoln’s future where continuing incremental development and changes in use at these facilities could be a major factor in forever shaping Lincoln’s future.
These issues, as well as a heavy list of pending Lincoln town projects, including the Lincoln School campus, study of Community Center needs, development activities on Winter Street, a new Minuteman High School building and a South Lincoln Planning study, require a thoughtful approach and an experienced hand. This is why we need to re-elect Peter Braun as Selectman on Monday, March 31 to help us successfully work through these challenges.
Sincerely,
Jim Henderson
Giles Road
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. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published. Letters may be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor.
Received March 16
To the editor:
We are writing this letter to urge all Lincoln citizens to vote in the upcoming town elections and to support Peter Braun for re-election as Lincoln selectman. These are difficult times politically which call for experienced hands to guide us through. Over the next several years, there will be need for large capital expenditures for the Lincoln schools, for a community center to serve the needs of Lincoln’s older citizens, and for anticipated conservation purchases. With reduced national military expenditures, the specter of Hanscom’s closing is again on the political horizon.
[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: Five residents write in support Braun
Received March 15
(Editor’s note: This letter was sent to the editor but is addressed to the Lincoln community.)
To the editor:
My name is Vin Cannistraro, and I am running for Selectman. Here is a quick summary of what I see as areas of concern for the town:
[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: Cannistraro on the issues
Received March 15
To the Editor:
When I heard that Selectman Peter Braun had published a decidedly negative response in the Squirrel to one of my recent columns, I was sure he was responding to the one I wrote endorsing his opponent, Vin Cannistraro for Selectman in the upcoming election. Everyone can read that one on my blog (Lincoln Blogs the Future) at www.lincoln-ma.com.
[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: Feinberg on Route 2 project
(Received March 14)
To the Editor:
As a former Selectman, I appreciate the challenges in managing Lincoln’s affairs as a volunteer. It is with this perspective that I endorse Peter Braun for reelection. Somewhat ironically, Mr. Braun’s qualifications to be a Selectman are illustrated in two situations for which he has been criticized: the clearing of trees for the Route 2 reconstruction project, and the failed school renovation proposal.
[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: Taylor supports Braun