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Braun beats Cannistraro in surprisingly close Selectman’s race

ballotIn unofficial results from the March 31 town election, incumbent Selectman Peter Braun defeated challenger Vincent Cannistraro by a vote of 487-382, or 56 to 46 percent. Braun’s margin of victory was about the same in both precincts. Precinct 1, which includes the southern and western portion of Lincoln, went to Braun by 56 to 44 percent, while Precinct 2 (the northeastern part of town) voted for Braun 55 to 45 percent.

Candidate Precinct 1 Precinct 2 Total votes
Peter Braun 320 167 487
Vincent Cannistraro 242 130 372
Blanks 7 9 16

In the only other contested race, Patricia Mostue of Lincoln and Elena Kleifges of Sudbury retained their seats on the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School District Committee by winning the highest totals tallied from the unofficial results from Lincoln and Sudbury:

Candidate Lincoln votes Sudbury votes Total votes
Patricia Mostue 796 1,415 2,211
Elena Kleifges 236 1,842 2,087
Sofya L. Gruman-Reznik 62 1,121 1,183
Blanks/write-ins 656 1,918 2,574

The two ballot questions in Lincoln were overwhelmingly approved. By a vote of 729 to 83, residents approved granting one-day alcohol licenses to nonprofits for special events, subject to Board of Selectmen approval in each case. By a vote of 731 to 86, voters OK’d a beer and wine license for the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. Although alcohol has been served at the deCordova in the past, the museum had been required to hire licensed outside vendors to do so.

Candidates comment

Vincent Cannistraro

Cannistraro said he was “absolutely thrilled” at the closeness of the vote. “I think a lot of people were really surprised. I don’t think anybody thought I would get more than 30 percent of the vote” with no endorsements from town officials. “I think it spoke a lot about how the town is trying to cope with this concept of change over time.”

“I’m pleased that voters reelected me and that I’ll have the opportunity to continue to serve the town for another three years in a volunteer capacity and give back to my community,” Braun said.

“I valued the many conversations I had with people across all segments of our community,” Braun continued. “I learned a lot, and I’m eager to continue to learn from as many people as I possibly can, including having the opportunity to speak to people who did not vote for me so I can continue to have as comprehensive understanding of residents’ issues as I can.”

Peter Braun

Asked if he was surprised at his relatively narrow margin of victory, Braun said he was. “It appears to have been the case that there was an organized effort by more than just the candidate to convince people to vote for my opponent,” he said.

Shortly before the election, Cannistraro wrote and dictated a “robocall” that was phoned to what he said was somewhere between 500 and 1,000 homes in Lincoln. In his call, which he supplied to the Lincoln Squirrel on Wednesday (read transcript here), he asked residents to vote in the election and outlined his experience in the construction industry. “I wanted people to always see or hear me directly and not take it from my friend or my acquaintance,” he said.

Using call-em-all.com, customers can record their message and have it robocalled to a list of phone numbers they upload for a about nine cents per number. Cannistraro said he aimed his robocall at phone numbers for residents who he guessed had lived in Lincoln for 10 to 20 years and/or were 45 to 60 years old. He did not include every Lincoln  number to keep the cost down, adding that he spent $70 or $80 of his own money. The tactic is comparable to the one by an unknown person who put pro-Braun flyers under the doors of residents at The Commons, he added.

To anyone who might have thought robocalling was not “proper politics,” Cannistraro said, “That really depends on your perspective. I don’t think it’s appropriate for people you appoint to come out and endorse you,” he added, referring to a letter to the editor of the Lincoln Squirrel in which Conservation Commission co-chair Peter Von Mertens (who was appointed by the Board of Selectmen) expressed support for Braun before the election.

“It was a campaign of contrasts, to a certain degree—older vs. younger, insider vs. outsider experienced vs. a new perspective,” Cannistraro said. “That’s what interested me about the campaign. It wasn’t a personal thing about Peter… I think he ran a great campaign and it’s obvious that he loves Lincoln, and I respect him for that completely.” Cannistraro thanked various people including Braun  in a letter posted on Lincoln Blogs the Future, a blog by resident Neil Feinberg, who was until recently a columnist for the Lincoln Journal.

“I really was a political nobody, and I think the result made a statement,” said Cannistraro, who has never held public office in Lincoln but said he would be interested in serving on a town board or commission in the future. “I’d feel compelled to serve for the people who supported me if I have the time to do a good job. It’s definitely a possibility,” he said.Asked which area of town government would interest him, he said, “I think my strengths are probably in the finance/CapComm [Capital Planning Committee] area… I’m really tuned into the fact that the town has a lot of potentially big-ticket items out there that they’re grappling with.” He added that he might also be interested in serving on the new School Building Advisory Committee that will be formed to work with consultants on identifying specific school repair/renovation project items and costs, “but maybe they want a fresh face of their own,” said Cannistraro, who served on the first SBAC.

Care Dimensions postpones next ZBA appearance

Architect’s drawing of the proposed hospice building and parking (click to enlarge).

Architect’s drawing of the proposed hospice building and parking (click to enlarge).

Care Dimensions has for a postponement of the next Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on its Winter Street hospice proposal while it amends its submission. The company is now scheduled to appear before the ZBA on May 1.

The ZBA was scheduled to meet on April 3 to to continue the hearing that began on March 6. But in a March 27 letter to the board, Care Dimensions project consultant William Jackson said the architectural and engineering team “is in the process of making comprehensive improvements to the project plans” that will address the concerns of residents and board members. Those concerns centered on the scope of the project, including the size of the building footprint and potential traffic impacts. He asked that the hearing be continued to the ZBA’s May meeting and said revised plans would be sent to town officials before that.

Company representatives indicated at the March meeting that scaling down the project would not be economically viable for the company, but on Tuesday, Care Dimensions senior marketing director Jean Graham said they would definitely be back with something they hoped would be more acceptable to the ZBA and residents.

“We’re evaluating all our options to be responsive to the ZBA’s concerns and looking at how we can possibly modify the size,” Graham said.

Lincoln event updates

calendar4Jet Aviation meeting on Wednesday

The Conservation Commission expects to vote on the Jet Aviation expansion plans at Hanscom Civil Airport at its meeting on Wednesday, April 2 at 7:45 p.m. in the Donaldson Room at the Lincoln Town Offices. This is a continuation of the hearing and discussion on February 19 and March 12.

Clark, Barrett to participate in candidate forums

The statewide candidate forums have added participants since they were announced (Lincoln Squirrel, March 29). U.S. Congresswoman Katherine Clark will attend and offer opening remarks at the lieutenant governor candidate forum this Saturday, April 5 at 1:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. At the attorney general and state treasurer Forum on May 10, state Sen. Michael Barrett will attend and offer opening remarks.

Birches School benefit event

The  Birches School invites everyone to a party at Pierce House on Friday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m. to  benefit a newly established scholarship fund. The event will feature food, wine, music, entertainment, and both a live and silent auction. You can bid on over 50 items such as children’s summer camps, vacation homes on Cape Cod and in France, a whale watch, dinners out, and beautiful artwork. Tickets are $30 per person and can be purchased on the Birches website using PayPal.  The auction catalogue can also be viewed online.

Help wanted by town

The Town of Lincoln Recycling Committee is looking for a Transfer Station Volunteer Coordinator. This individual would be responsible for recruiting volunteers to work at the transfer station, maintain a volunteer schedule, send out weekly reminders and act as the point person for volunteers. The ideal candidate would have strong organizational, spreadsheet and customer service skills. This is a volunteer position. Anyone interested may contact Mary C. Day, assistant town administrator, at 781-259-2603 or daym@lincolntown.org.

The Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department is now hiring Codman Pool gate staff, who must be at least 14 years old by June 1 and graduating from eighth grade, and lifeguards, who must be at least 16 years old by June 1. Gate staff duties include checking patrons in at the door, running the snack/concession stand, and helping out around the pool. This is a paid position. Download an employment application or contact Stacey Mulroy at smulroy@lincnet.org.

Dems announce two more candidate forums for statewide offices

donkeyThe Lincoln Democratic Town Committee (DTC) will host a forum with candidates for lieutenant governor on April 5 in Bemis Hall and a forum for attorney general and state treasurer on May 10. All five lieutenant governor candidates have indicated they will attend: Stephen Kerrigan, Mike Lake, Jonathan Edwards, Leland Cheung, and James Arena-DeRosa.

[Read more…] about Dems announce two more candidate forums for statewide offices

Letter to the editor: Support Minuteman agreement

letterTo the editor:

This Saturday at Town Meeting, there will be some discussion about a Revised Regional Agreement for the Minuteman Regional High School. Minuteman really needs a new school, but before this can happen, they need the Revised Regional Agreement to be passed by all communities in the district involved.

I can assure you that Dr. Edward Bouquillon, superintendent of Minuteman, has spent an incredible amount of time (his own time) and an incredible amount of meetings to come up with the best outcome for this school and the best agreement possible. I trust his work 100 percent. This school provides incredible education and is extremely valuable for our communities. Please do not let down the other communities and the school’s opportunity to be improved.

Even though this should be supported through state and federal funds, it is not going to happen tomorrow, and maybe it is never going to happen. We can’t take this as an excuse to turn our heads away. I strongly feel that it is our responsibility and our commitment to help this school at a time they need it most, meaning now. Lincoln is an “in-district” town for Minuteman High school; it can’t just take advantage of it when needed and then not help when the school needs financial support. Lincoln is one of the richest towns in the district, and I would feel very ashamed as a Lincolnite if this Revised Regional Agreement did not pass because of Lincoln.

The Lincoln Public Schools and Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School each had their turns to rebuild and improve; now it is Minuteman Regional High School’s overdue turn. Let’s give them our support. It is a good and honorable use of your tax money.

Sincerely,

Tania Dessain
62 Conant 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.

Letter to the editor on Minuteman revised agreement

letter

To the editor:

Minuteman High School, which provides career and technical education to Lincoln students, has proposed a revised regional agreement as a warrant article for the March 29 town meeting at the Brooks Auditorium. For this new regional agreement to come into effect, it must be approved by a majority at the town meetings of every member town. It is important that stakeholders such as yourselves be aware and informed about the new Agreement so that you and your community can make informed decisions about it. To that end, informational material about the new agreement can be found here along with a seven-minute video explaining the agreement.

Minuteman is a vital resource to the community. Providing a rigorous and relevant curriculum that prepares students for both college and careers is only the first part of our role in Lincoln. We provide education for post-graduate students who seek additional training in order to achieve career readiness. We offer community education programs that enrich the lives of the young and old with new learning opportunities. Our students are involved in community projects across our district. Our restaurant and other service-oriented shops welcome visitors for excellent and affordable service.

In order to continue offering this excellent education and these other services, Minuteman must adapt. One way that we are attempting to achieve this change is by amending the current regional agreement, which will allow the district to move on from a regional agreement that no longer serves the best interests of our students. In brief, the revised agreement makes the following changes:

  • Annual assessments based on a four-year rolling average.
  • Capital cost allocation formula incorporates ability to pay along with a four-year rolling average of enrollment.
  • Minuteman School Committee voting will be weighted, with 50 percent of a member’s vote based on a four-year rolling average.
  • Minuteman School Committee can negotiate a transition period with potential new member communities.
  • Members may withdraw unless disapproved by a majority of remaining member town meetings.
  • Contributions to capital costs by non-members are applied to reduce capital assessments to members.
  • Authorization for new debt must first be pursued through the unanimous approval of member town meetings before proceeding to a district-wide election.
  • Amendments to the regional agreement may be initiated by a 3/4 vote of the School Committee.

These changes are the result of years of work by the administration of Minuteman High School, the Minuteman School Committee, subcommittees and task forces made up of local stakeholders, and local government representatives. The revised agreement reflects the input of every member community and represents a hard-earned compromise between these communities.

The article will be heard at Lincoln Town Meeting, which begins at 9:30 a.m. on March 29 at the Brooks Auditorium. Please take some time to review the linked materials or watch the video and express your opinion at town meeting this Saturday.

Sincerely,

Edward Bouquillon, Minuteman High School Superintendent-Director
10 Mill St., Lincoln

Brendan Dutch, Minuteman High School Communications Coordinator
Plymouth, Mass.

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.