Harriet Todd
Harriet Todd, 75 (August 27) — Lincoln selectman from 1989–1994. Service at St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields on a date to be announced. Click here for obituary.
Robert Webb
Robert Webb, 83 (August 23)— physicist and inventor of diagnostic medical instrumentation. Click here for obituary.
Lincoln’s MBTA commuter train stop heading into Boston.
State lawmakers have authorized $500,000 for a study to design improvements to Lincoln’s MBTA station and commuter lot, as well as another $321,500 for roadway improvements in another grant.
The larger chunk of money is part of a capital bond bill signed into law in June. The town is in the process of requesting release of the funds through a letter to the Baker administration explaining the need for and benefits of the MBTA project and how the cost estimate was generated. An environmental bond bill, which would funnel $321,500 to Lincoln, was approved by the state Senate on July 30 and is now before the governor for approval. Lincoln’s allotment in both bills was proposed by State Sen. Michael Barrett.
The South Lincoln Implementation and Planning Committee‘s MBTA team has recommended a list of improvements around the MBTA stops including:
To further enhance commuter services, the SLPIC MBTA team is also recommending that the town make the following improvements to its own adjacent parking facilities:
The $321,500 in the environmental bond bill would provide Complete Streets program funding for:
This will be the second Complete Streets grant for Lincoln. In 2017, the town received $400,000 for a set of projects including roadside path repairs, safety improvements at the intersection of Route 117 and Lincoln Road, and sidewalk construction on Lincoln Road just west of the Ryan Estate condominiums. All of those projects are due to be competed by September 30.
The state of work last week on Route 117 at Lincoln Road looking toward the fire station.
Addressing long-standing safety concerns at the intersection of Route 117 and Lincoln Road, the town is working on new traffic islands and a pedestrian light that should be complete in a few weeks.
Residents have complained for years about the intersection’s dangers to both cars and pedestrians. “Everyone who lives near this intersection has had too many close calls to count, some of them involving children,” Lincoln Road resident Chris Ratiner wrote in a LincolnTalk discussion.
Not everyone was pleased with the project, however. Trapelo Road resident Brad Meyer noted that the new curbing restricts eastbound traffic to a single lane, leaving no room for cars waiting to turn left into Lincoln Road. “This means that the moment anyone wants to turn there during the morning rush hour, the whole line of eastbound traffic will grind to a halt waiting for that driver to complete the turn. If this impression is correct, there will be frequent lines of stopped traffic at that intersection, full of frayed tempers at the needless delay. We may have to wait until the summer slack time is over before this mistake (if that’s what it is) becomes obvious,” he wrote.
“Throughout the process, the local neighborhood supported the improvements and were involved, along with the Roadway and Traffic Committee, in determining a course of action,” said DPW Superintendent Chris Bibbo.
Once work is complete, the intersection will have safety islands in the middle of Route 117 for pedestrians who aren’t able to cross both lanes at once due to traffic volume. There will also be pedestrian-activated flashing yellow crossing lights and signs similar to those outside Bemis Hall on Trapelo Road.
The project (which will not include any road widening beyond what’s already been done) was designed by consulting engineer Hayner and Swanson with input from the Cycling Committee and vetting by the RTC, Bibbo said.
The work was made possible by a grant from a state program that encourages safety measures on roadways for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. The town held public forums to hear how residents thought the money should be spent, and the Route 117 intersection was identified as a safety priority.
The Roadway and Traffic Commission (CK) has looked at various safety-improvement ideas for the intersection over the years, including a roundabout. The Department of Public Works removed some vegetation and relocated a fence to improve sight lines, but this is the first time the roadway itself has been changed.
Several other projects funded by the same $400,000 grant, such as repairs to roadside paths, are also in progress or already complete. Everything is slated for completion by September, and the town plans to apply for another Complete Streets grant in 2019 for a second set of road and path improvements.
Work stopped temporarily while the contractor awaited delivery of granite cobblestones but is expected to resume this week, Bibbo said.
The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum presents “Music in the Courtyard” on five Thursdays this summer from 6:30–8:30 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.) in the Café Courtyard. Open for food, beer, and wine beginning at 6 p.m. There is a $5 admission fee for nonmembers. Seating in this intimate outside venue is limited to 50, so get your tickets early. Click here to register.
Yoga in the Park on Sundays
July 15, August 12, and September 9
Sessions for kids (10:30–11 a.m.) and adults (11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.). Afterwards, stay for a picnic, tour, or MAKEmobile. Click here to register.
Art and Ales
Tuesday, July 17 from 5–8 p.m.
Seasonal craft beers from Somerville’s Aeronaut Brewing Co. are accompanied by live music by Big Spender Trio, Compliments Food Truck, and a view of the sunset from the Sculpture Terrace. Click here to register.
All are free with admission or membership (children 12 and under are always free!).
Play in the Park
Wednesday, July 11 from 10:30 a.m.–12:30 pm (drop-in), rain or shine
Inspired by Richard Rosenblum’s Venusvine and Nari Ward’s G.O.A.T. sculptures, we will use a variety of materials to create giant creatures in the park. For families with children of all ages.
MAKEmobile
Sunday, July 15, 1–3 p.m. (drop-in), rain or shine
Take your imagination for a spin with activities that explore artistic and material processes through amusing prompts and challenges. The MAKEmobile is fueled with surprising supplies and exciting ideas each time it cruises into the park.
A sign for bicyclists and drivers on Route 117.
As part of a larger effort by several town committees to promote cyclist and driver safety in Lincoln, the Department of Public Works is placing nine signs saying “Cyclists May Use Full Lane” along several major roads in town.
The signs reflect a state law that allows cyclists to enter the center of the lane when necessary. Usually this is a temporary action and occurs when the shoulder narrows or is blocked by tree limbs, dirt/sand, or potholes and cyclists are unable to ride safely there. They are located on 117/South Great Road (two signs), Route 126 (two signs), Bedford Road (three signs), and Lincoln Road and Trapelo Road (one sign each).
Research has shown that “Cyclists May Use Full Lane” signs increase awareness and create safer roadway conditions for all users, noted the Lincoln Cycling Safety Advisory Committee (LCSAC), which recommended the sign placement to the Roadside and Traffic Committee as a public safety measure to remind drivers that vehicles and cyclists must share the road.
“We also hope that the signage will help to ease tensions between drivers and cyclists at pinch points on our busiest thoroughfares,” said committee member Megan Kate Nelson.
In addition to placing signs, the LCSAC has also completed “road audits” to assess the state of road shoulders and intersections, and is working with Lincoln Police to educate and enforce rules for cyclists who ride through town.
The LCSAC was established in 2017 after two fatal accidents in Lincoln involving bicyclists and cars. The group will present a progress report at the State of the Town meeting on November 12 and expects to issue more recommendations, mostly around the condition and shoulder width of the town’s roads and making the most dangerous intersections safer for drivers and cyclists, Nelson said. The LCSAC has been consulting with Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney about integrating some of these improvements into Lincoln’s Complete Streets proposals, and with the Roadside and Traffic Committee regarding road/intersection conditions.
For more information about the signs or the laws they reflect, email the LCSAC at lincoln-cycling-safety-adv-comm@googlegroups.com.
Softball league getting underwayThe Lincoln Co-Ed Softball League’s third season starts on June 24 and ends on August 9, and more players are always welcome. Click here for more information and registration, and save the date for a June 23 kickoff party.
The Parks and Recreation Department’s summer classes include Gentle Yoga in the Park and Pickleball, a popular racquet sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. Players use paddles and a plastic ball with holes similar to a whiffle ball. All equipment will be provided. Classes July 8 to August 12 are held on the Sport Court next to the Brooks parking lot. Click here for registration information.
Lincoln resident Melinda Bruno-Smith, a certified hatha yoga instructor, will lead Saturday yoga sessions in Station Park Garden. Classes ($10 each) are 9–10 a.m. and run through July 21. Register online for as many sessions as you wish, or bring a check made out to the Town of Lincoln (no cash, please). If it’s raining, class will be canceled. Please bring a yoga mat or towel to practice on and wear loose-fitting clothing.
The Lincoln Public Library will be open on Saturdays from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. from July 7–28. It will be closed on Saturdays during August. Regular Saturday hours (10 a.m.–5 p.m.) will resume on September 8.
Cadence Mitchell consults “Wild About Lincoln” on a recent outing.
The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust is hosting a family-friendly, live animal program in conjunction with the publication of its new pocket naturalist guide, Wild About Lincoln: An Introduction to Familiar Species.
A naturalist from Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday, June 23 from 3–4 p.m. in Hartwell pod B will appear with three common Lincoln animals—a mammal, a reptile, and a raptor—and help kids and parents learn about their adaptations, habitats, and interrelationships with each other, humans, and the environment.
Each participant will get a copy of Wild About Lincoln, a learning tool that identifies species found commonly in Lincoln in a format that’s easy for both children and adults to use. The guide has 15-20 familiar species in each of the following categories: birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, insects and invertebrates, butterflies and moths, trees and shrubs, wildflowers, and lichens and fungi. Each species is represented with a color image and a brief description. There’s a simplified map of protected areas in Lincoln on the back panel for easy reference.
The LLCT will distribute the guide during its 2019 membership drive season and is giving sets to all public and private Lincoln-based schools this spring and into next fall. Several Lincoln-based community organizations including the Conservation Commission and Council on Aging, are receiving sets, and LLCT program participants throughout 2018-19 will receive complimentary copies. Copies are also available for loan from the Lincoln Public Library in the Nature Backpacks designed by LLCT and co-funded by the Friends of the Lincoln Library.
Wild About Lincoln was produced by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust with funds raised during the 2017-18 Bob Davoli and Eileen McDonagh matching campaign and at the 2018 benefit concert, and grants from the Ogden Codman Trust and the Lincoln School Foundation. The June 23 program is also supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Mass Audubon staff and friends at the grand opening of the Environmental Learning Center at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary. Left to right: Jennifer Feller, Bob Delano (Chapman Construction/Design), Laura Krich, Brandt Wild (Chapman Construction/Design), Renata Pomponi (Drumlin Farm sanctuary director), Gary Clayton (president, Mass Audubon), Marian Thornton, Nick d’Arbeloff (Mass Audubon board of directors), Christy Foote-Smith (former Drumlin Farm sanctuary director), Tia Pinney, Susan Madaus, Dick Thornton, Bill Maclay (Maclay Architects), and Robin Stuart. Photo by Heidi Thoren.
Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary celebrated the grand opening of its new Environmental Learning Center on June 9, almost two years after construction began.
The gathering at the popular Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary and working farm in Lincoln commenced with a ribbon-cutting followed by building tours, opportunities to meet raptors and Drumlin Farm’s resident fox, hands-on science activities, and educational program highlights.
The 3,700-square-foot Environmental Learning Center (ELC), and its neighboring outdoor classroom structure, the Bluebird Pavilion, are situated between the wildlife sanctuary’s nature center and the site of the former education building. The ELC is about three times the size of the building it replaced at Drumlin, which as of 2017 employed about 15 year-round educators and conducts about 40,000 educational programs (some off-site).
The ELC and the pavilion will serve as the hub from which all of Drumlin Farm’s environmental education programming will flow. They will provide the home base for the programs through which Drumlin Farm teacher/naturalists and other educators support Mass Audubon’s mission to connect people and nature. Featuring a 42.8-kilowatt system of rooftop solar panels and many other energy-conserving construction methods and materials, the building will be net-positive, annually generating more energy than it will consume.
The ELC opening represents another phase in a long-term update plan for Drumlin Farm funded by a capital campaign that aimed to raise $4.7 million. Several years ago, the farm replaced its Farm Life Center, where most programs that involve cooking take place. In late 2016, the New England Wildlife Explorations exhibit opened, replacing the old Drumlin Underground exhibit.
Drumlin Farm Director Renata Pomponi described the grand opening of the new facility as a “watershed moment” for the wildlife sanctuary.
“Mass Audubon’s enduring commitment to nature-based education has never been stronger, and Drumlin Farm is excited about the pivotal role the Environmental Learning Center will play as we build on that legacy, developing environmental and climate science programs that further conservation in the 21st century,” she said.
Kids ages 5-14 are invited to join the 15th annual Lincoln Kids Triathlon on Saturday June 16 at 8:30 a.m. at Codman Pool. For details on the swim/run/bike lengths for different ages as well as registration information, go to the Lincoln Rec website, click the blue “Register Now” button, and then select the Lincoln Kids Triathlon and the appropriate age group. The $30 fee includes a T-shirt, a finisher’s medal, and lots of memories. Race-day registration is $40. The Parks and Recreation Department also needs volunteers on the morning of the race; if you can help out, call 781-259-0784.
The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) is warning residents of a new round of scam calls threatening citizens with arrest for failing to appear for jury and/or grand jury service. On these calls, scammers pose as members of the MSO or court staff. They falsely inform residents that they have missed jury duty and are subject to arrest unless they pay a fine. Frequently, the scammers will ask that residents pay this fine by purchasing a pre-paid debit or gift card and providing the scammer with the card’s code. One area resident who believed the scammers’ threats were real lost more than $1,500.
Anyone who receives calls of this type should contact local police and/or the MSO Digital Forensics Unit at 978-932-3292. They may also file a complaint online with the Federal Communications Commission using their Consumer Complaint Center.
Four new nature backpacks designed by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT), are now available to check out from the Children’s Department at the Lincoln Public Library. The backpacks (one each on birding, trackers, insects and trees) contain guides, books, maps and tools to assist with exploration and are perfect for family walks, hikes, and adventures in the backyard. Each backpack can be checked out for a two-week period. This special collection is co-sponsored by the LLCT, the Audubon Shop at Drumlin Farm, and the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library, Inc.
The Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary will host its second Summer Music Series featuring local bluegrass, folk and rock bands. This community event is co-sponsored by Whole Foods Market and invites people from across the state to celebrate local music, local food, and local action, in an effort to provide a hopeful future for the planet.
In addition to live music and farm-fresh food, the concerts will feature climate-related activities for kids and adults to learn how they can make a difference in their own communities. All ages are welcome and concert goers are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner for this outdoor music event. Farm-fresh snacks and beverages will be for sale (no alcohol allowed on the property).
All shows are from 6–8 p.m. (lawn opens at 5:30). Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors 65+ and children ages 2–12, and free for children under 2. Click here to purchase.
School option L3 (click to enlarge)
After almost a year of meetings, community forums, architectural work, and spirited debate, Lincoln residents voted to move forward with school concept L3 at a Special Town Meeting on June 9.
Consulting architects SMMA will now produce a schematic design with detailed specifications and an updated cost estimate. The current estimate for Option L3 is $93.9 million, including solar panels and other “net zero” energy use features. A two-thirds majority is required at a Special Town Meeting on December 1 to approve bonding for the project. There will also be a December 3 town-wide ballot that must win a simple majority for the project to advance.
On the first vote, which was conducted using paper ballots and voting machines (a first for a Town Meeting), 632 voters in the Brooks Auditorium and nearby gym weeded down the initial five options to three, with Option L3 gaining a majority already:
| Number of votes | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| Option R | 27 | 4.3% |
| Option L1 | 10 | 1.6% |
| Option L2 | 85 | 13.4% |
| Option L3 | 354 | 56.0% |
| Option C | 156 | 25.7% |
Option L3 won a substantial majority in the second round of voting:
Before turning to the school issue, the Community Center Preliminary Planning and Design Committee presented two possible design ideas for a community center on the Hartwell side of campus and asked residents to complete survey forms on which they preferred. That feedback will be part of the group’s final report to the Board of Selectmen in coming weeks.
The meeting opened with presentations about the five school options and their costs, the tax impacts of borrowing varying amounts, the conditions and repair work needed at the school, and a history of school project planning and construction since 1994, as well as recommendations from the Board of Selectmen, Capital Planning Committee, and Finance Committee (see links below).
Background:
Town Meeting presentations:
The two community center options (click to enlarge)
Over the past year, the School Building Committee looked at 39 different school options before settling on five to present for the June 9 vote. A sixth option was rejected earlier as being beyond the town’s normal borrowing limit.
Much of the discussion before the votes centered on the educational benefits of hub spaces that would allow teachers to work with student of different sizes and more easily collaborate on teaching within a grade, vs. whether such spaces were worth the added cost.
Dozens of residents stood in line at microphones to ask questions and make a case for their choices before the votes. A sampling of those remarks: