The Lincoln Squirrel – News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

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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.

Correction

correction-smThe headline for a letter to the editor from Gary Davis misidentified the author of the letter. The original post has been corrected.