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

news

The year in review (part 2)

Site of the former Aka Bistro, soon to be Lincoln Kitchen.

December

November

October

September

August

July

2016: the year in review (part 1)

Kids enjoyed ice cream and other diversions at Lincoln’s “40 Years of Community” fair in April 2016.

June

May

April

March

February

January

News acorns

Seeking wellness practitioners for Winter Carnival

A winter wellness fair is in the works as part of Lincoln’s Winter Carnival at the end of January. Any practitioner in town whose practice can be categorized as holistic, wellness, complementary, integrative, or alternative is welcome to be present to showcase their practices and share wisdom. The proposed time slot is Sunday, Jan. 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. This would be for promotional purposes only and to offer wellness to the community. If you are a wellness practitioner, or know someone who is and would be interested in participating, please contact Jai Kaur Annamaria San Antonio at asanajai@verizon.net or 781-738-1920.

Spring wellness clinics for all ages

Lincoln residents of all ages are invited to meet with a nurse through a free Town service. Come to get your blood pressure 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 am to noon on Fridays January 8, February 5, and March 4. These clinics are funded by the Ogden Codman Trust and provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care. For info, please call the COA at (781) 259-8811.

Domestic Violence Services Network to hold Lincoln office hours; seeks toiletries

If you are experiencing violence or abuse by a family member, whether physical, emotional or sexual, or you’re concerned about someone who is, come to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 4 between 10 a.m. and noon to have a confidential discussion with an advocate from the Domestic Violence Services Network, Inc. (DVSN). Come find out more about domestic violence and how to cope with it, as well as learn about available resources in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. All conversations are completely confidential.

Women and children who are in shelters remaking their lives after experiencing domestic violence need toiletries like shampoo, soap, toothpaste, hand and body lotions, and more. If you have unopened toiletries from hotels or stores that you can’t use, please bring them to Bemis Hall by Friday, Feb. 6. A volunteer will take them to local domestic violence organizations for Valentine’s Day distribution.

 

Christmas tree removal offered

Tired of dragging your Christmas tree to the transfer station? As a benefit for the Class of 2020 and the girls’ basketball team, The students of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School will come to your home, pick up your Christmas tree and dispose of it.  (This is for residents of Sudbury and Lincoln only.). Pickup will be on Saturday, Jan. 7 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $20, or $10 for senior citizens. To sign up, please email LSxmastreepickup@gmail.com by Wednesday, Jan. 4.  Please include your name, address and phone number in your email. Once we receive your request, we will send you a confirmation within 48 hours. If you do not receive a confirmation, please call Kathleen Thompson (Class of 2020 Advisor and basketball coach) at 978-443-9961 x ext. 3410.

Free income tax help

Volunteers certified under the AARP TaxAide program will prepare your federal and Massachusetts personal income tax returns or answer your tax questions. This free service can answer most of the tax issues faced by low- and middle-income taxpayers, with special attention to those over age 60. Appointments begin in February. Call the COA office at 781-259-8811 to schedule a confidential appointment and get a list of documents to bring.

State says no to Lincoln school funding for the third time

The state agency overseeing school project funding informed Lincoln today that the town would not be invited into the funding pipeline for a school project in 2017. This third rejection means residents must once again decide whether to wait and reapply next year, or proceed with an entirely town-funded school project.

Lincoln submitted was among the 89 school districts that submitted statements of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) this year, according to a letter from School Committee chair Jennifer Glass and Selectman Peter Braun. It was unclear how many of those proposals made the first cut. In 2015, there were 97 applications to the MSBA’s core program (the segment dealing with substantial renovation or reconstruction of schools); 26 were chosen for further consideration and eight were invited into the funding pipeline.

“From previous conversations with the MSBA, we know that there is a very high bar in evaluating applications, and that structural deficiencies, overcrowding and threatened loss of accreditation hold significant weight in the process. Lincoln does not qualify based on the second and third criteria, and interpreted literally, the structure of the building is not in danger of failure,” Glass and Braun said. “However, in the next couple of weeks, we will be in communication with the MSBA to try to learn whether the Lincoln School’s significant infrastructure and systems deficiencies might qualify us for invitation by the MSBA in the near future.”

Four years earlier, the MSBA offered to pay $21 million toward a new school costing $49 million if residents agreed by a two-thirds majority to fund their share. But the margin at a Special Town Meeting in November 2012 was 370-321 votes (54 percent to 45 percent), so the funding offer was withdrawn and the town had to begin the process all over again. The MSBA also declined to offer funding in 2013 and 2015. At Town Meeting in March 2016, residents overwhelmingly approved the latest application to the MSBA.

In 2014, consultants Dore and Whittier determined that the school needed immediate work costing $8.4 million including a new roof for the entire building, a new exterior wall for the Reed Gym, and a new boiler room and pumping equipment for the Smith building. However, even if residents approved funding for that work, the town would have to spend several million dollars more, because by state law, when school renovation costs exceed a certain percentage of the building’s assessed value, the building must also be brought up to current code for handicapped accessibility. For the Lincoln School, the trigger point in 2014 was about $6.5 million.

Meeting only the immediate and near-term facilities needs of the school with no educational improvements or cafeteria would cost more than $27 million, the consultants said, while a comprehensive project meeting all facilities and educational needs would cost almost $60 million.

The School Committee, Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee and Capital Planning Committee will hold a multi-board meeting on January 30 at 7 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room to discuss any additional information received from the MSBA and to chart a path forward. “This will be the first of several public outreach sessions before any potential school building-related warrants are voted on at Town Meeting, and we hope that all members of the community will lend their voices to the process,” Glass and Braun said.

 

News acorns

Christmas services

First Parish in Lincoln — The First Parish in Lincoln will hold Christmas Eve services on Saturday, Dec. 24 at 5 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the Parish House auditorium (14 Bedford Road). The service at 5 p.m. will be an Intergenerational Family Service led by Mandy Beal, and the services at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. will be led by Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti. All services will celebrate Christmas with story, reflection and caroling. All are welcome; come celebrate with your Lincoln neighbors. Out-of-town family members, guests and visitors are cordially invited to attend.

St. Anne’s — On Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24, St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Church will offer three worship services: Family Holy Eucharist with Pageant at 3 p.m., and Holy Eucharist with Choir at 5:30 and 10 p.m. On Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, St. Anne’s will celebrate a service of Holy Eucharist at 9 a.m.

Lisa Bastoni at next open mike event

Lisa Bastoni

The next open mike night at the Lincoln Public Library on Monday, Jan. 9 will feature Lisa Bastoni, a singer/songwriter with three CDs under her belt, including her latest, The Wishing Hour. Follow her on Twitter: @lisabastoni. Lincoln Open Mike Night (LOMA) runs from 7-10 p.m. and Bastoni will performa  half-hour set starting around 8:30. LOMA is a monthly event. Performers can sign up at the event or email Rich Eilbert at loma3re@gmail.com for a slot. There is a sound system with mikes and instrumental pickups suitable for individuals or small groups.

 

Fredriksen and husband moving to Cambridge

As Renel Fredriksen contemplates her impending departure from both the Board of Selectmen and the town of Lincoln, she is hopeful that the school project she once opposed will go forward, along with a community center.

Fredriksen, 68, is leaving the board in March after completing two years of her second three-year term as she and her husband (retired software engineer John Robinson, who is resigning from his post on the Board of Assessors) prepare to move to a condo they own in near Harvard Square in Cambridge. She retired from her job as controller of CarGurus in October.

“We decided the time has come; we decided we want to retire and not need to drive whenever we want to go anywhere,” she said, adding that they had been thinking about the idea of moving for “at least 10 years.” They have lived in Lincoln since 1986.

Fredriksen’s early departure coincides with the end of Selectman Peter Braun’s tenure on the board, leaving Selectman James Craig—who was elected in March 2016—as the board’s senior member. Meanwhile, Parks and Recreation chair Jonathan Dwyer has declared his candidacy for Braun’s seat, and Allen Vander Meulen and Jennifer Glass (chair of the School Committee chair) have announced their candidacy to fill the last year of Fredriksen’s term.

Asked if her early departure would pose difficulties for the town, she said, “No, I don’t think so. [Town Administrator] Tim Higgins runs everything on a daily basis.” While she acknowledged there is a “ramp-up period” for new selectmen, she expressed confidence on Dwyer. “He knows the ropes… I think we’re going to be fine. Jim [Craig] came with a strong background also; it certainly didn’t take him long to get up to speed.”

“The school project is definitely going to be the big thing town is dealing with for the new few years,” Fredriksen observed. When the Board of Selectmen voted in 2012 on whether to recommend approval of a school project, she cast the only “no” vote based on what she saw as insufficient information given out about the project.

“At the time, I think by not reaching out to the town as much as they could have, the town in general was not prepared for how much it would cost,” she said. Since then, however, “the School Committee and the various building committees have done a terrific job of reaching out to the town and getting information out and seeking information from townspeople.”

The other problem with the project was the partial elimination of the center ballfield. “This was not my reason, but if they had gone ahead with that, there would have been a lot of unhappiness. That ended up being a very big deal for a lot of people, and it would have been a sore spot for many years,” Fredriksen said.

The proposed community center is also “near and dear to my heart,” she said. “I hope they can work some out so the school gets that they need and the community gets what it needs.”

During an interview on December 15 when she announced her departure, Fredriksen said she planned to reach out to possible candidates to replace her. Just three days later, however, Glass and Vander Meulen announced they were running for her seat.

Fredriksen said she “absolutely” would not endorse any of the three candidates. “There may be more people who throw their hats into the ring,” she said. “If I were to [endorse], I would wait until the deadline had passed” for candidates to file paperwork with the town. Asked if any of the candidates were among those she had encouraged to run, she said, “No comment.”

News acorns

Lincoln shares in $50,000 grant

Lincoln and 11 other area towns have been awarded a $50,000 state grant to help devise a regional approach to complying with stormwater drainage rules. The funding is part of $1 million in Community Compact grants recently announced for efficiency and regionalization efforts in 72 municipalities and 10 school districts. Earlier this month, Lincoln formally joined the Community Compact program, which offers technical and grant assistance for water resource management, housing and economic development, and business continuity projects.

First Day at Pierce House on Jan. 1

Lats year’s First Day gathering at the Pierce House. Photo by Harold McAleer.

Come to the historic Pierce House (17 Weston Rd.) to celebrate the new year together at the town’s 18th annual First Day gathering on Sunday, Jan. 1 from 1-5 p.m. Complimentary admission for Lincoln residents, but donations are gratefully accepted for the upkeep of this town resource. Soup-serving volunteers are also needed for one-hour shifts; please contact Richard Silver with your preferred time slot at richard@piercehouse.com or 781-259-9757.

Letter to the editor: Vander Meulen throws hat in ring for selectman

letter

To the editor:

I am pleased to announce my candidacy for Lincoln’s Board of Selectmen to fill Renel Fredriksen’s seat, and respectfully ask for your support.

My wife Stephanie Smart and I have been residents of Lincoln since our marriage in 2008. Stephanie is a chiropractor and runs her practice out of our home. Our son AJ was born in 2009 and is now in first grade at a nearby private school.

I was appointed to Lincoln’s Housing Commission (HC) in 2014 and am now co-chair. The HC is responsible for setting policy and direction with respect to affordable housing here in Lincoln, as well as managing the affordable housing units owned by the town. I am also the HC’s liaison to Lincoln’s Housing Trust, which helps fund the further development of affordable housing.

I am the minister for a small community church, although I will be resigning in early 2017. Previously I was a student minister in Sudbury and a volunteer chaplain at a homeless shelter in Waltham. As a minister, I lead worship services and also engage in pastoral care; help generate consensus on numerous issues; interface with the town, state and other churches; help plan for the future; and support numerous community outreaches. My passion is reaching out to those who have no voice, challenging injustice in its many forms, and working to help everyone have a “seat at the table” when faced with challenges or issues that affect their lives. It is important to me that everyone’s voice is heard, respected and consequential.

For 25 years I was an information technology leader, supporting organizations in health care,  telecommunications and the federal government as well as nonprofits including the Red Cross, Greenpeace and several Christian charities. I also owned a small IT services company for several years, so I understand all too well the challenges of running a small business.

My B.A. in history shows my respect for and interest in the past. I believe it is important to preserve and support the traditions and historical legacies that have been handed down to us. As I see it, history grounds our sense of who we are (and aren’t), and provides valuable lessons and guidance for our future. I also write for several blogs and am on the Board of Alumni for Andover Newton Theological School, where I received my MDiv in 2013.

If elected to the Board of Selectmen, I will actively work to recruit new people into our town’s various commissions, committees and boards, especially from groups or with interests that, in the past, have not been as well represented as we would wish. I will work with my fellow selectmen and the town administration to ensure that the people of Lincoln have better access to—and knowledge of—what is going on within the town government. I will also work to build or strengthen our working relationships with neighboring towns, and with representatives of our state and federal governments.

A particular focus of mine will be the new South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee (SLPIC), intended to help make the Lincoln Station area (and Lincoln in general) a more inviting place for residents and visitors. I will be a firm supporter of the redevelopment of our K-8 school campus, the development of a new community center, and improving bike and pedestrian accessibility and safety throughout our community.

I hope this letter gives you some insight into who I am and the ways I hope to serve our town as we move into the future.

Sincerely,

Allen Vander Meulen
30 Beaver Pond Rd.
PastorAllenV@gmail.com

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters 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.

Letter to the editor: Glass running for Fredriksen’s seat

letter

To the editor:

Lincoln has a long tradition of civic engagement and independent thinking. Since its beginnings, the town has engaged in constructive and vigorous debate over issues such as education, conservation, roadways and public safety, always honoring its past while thoughtfully planning its future. We are currently on the cusp of decisions that will shape our community for decades to come—decisions that begin with the question “What is our vision of Lincoln?” To create a collective answer, we will need to navigate many choices, requiring each of us to listen, ask challenging questions, and build consensus as we make decisions about capital projects, community development, conservation and the well-being of our citizens.

It is in this context that I am excited to announce my candidacy for the one-year Board of Selectmen term that will be created by Renel Fredriksen’s resignation in March. I thank Renel for her many years of service to the town, and I respectfully ask for your support as I seek to continue my service to the Lincoln community in a new capacity.

Since we moved to Lincoln a decade ago, my husband Andrew and I have immersed ourselves in the life of the town. During my nine years on the Lincoln School Committee, I have found serving in town government deeply engaging and rewarding because of the thoughtful and creative people with whom I have worked. I am grateful for what each committee member, administrator, faculty, staff and community member has taught me. Whether discussing educational policy or strategic planning, budgets or building projects, support for our faculty or how best to measure the efficacy of our work as a district, I have strived to follow their examples and to listen carefully, work openly and collaboratively, and act thoughtfully. Together we have focused on enhancing student outcomes and engagement, and on promoting a culture of educational innovation and risk-taking. I am proud to have played a role in fostering the changes happening in the Lincoln Public Schools.

And so, with positive momentum in the schools, and after three terms on the committee, I look forward to serving Lincoln as a selectman. If elected, I hope to bring the same positive momentum and focus on engagement, innovation and outcomes to issues facing the town.

Two capital projects have the potential to command much of Lincoln’s attention, energy and financial investment over the next several years: a Lincoln School renovation project, and a community center to house Parks & Recreation and the Council on Aging (COA). These institutions not only form the vital core of civic life but serve, together with public safety, as our community’s support network. While on the School Safety and Security Committee, I worked with our police and fire departments, and I have been deeply involved in the numerous conversations and committees guiding plans for a Lincoln School renovation project. The latter continues to require collaboration with many town boards and committees, parent groups, the COA, and individual citizens.

In addition, I have been part of the team reaching out to Hanscom Air Force Base leadership, state legislators, and our congressional delegation to talk about issues affecting our schools, our families and our town. Through my work on the School Committee and particularly in my seven years as chair, I have gained a great appreciation for the interconnectedness of our institutions and for the centrality of conversation to building community consensus. Achieving our goals is rarely a linear process, and I understand the perseverance needed to make shared decisions. I want to continue to build the connections that move Lincoln forward.

Our town strives to cherish its history and imagine a progressive future. It embraces both long tradition and innovation. These values provide the touchstone and spark of Lincoln and make it an energizing and engaging place to live. Your welcoming and sustained support has made me deeply committed to our community. I humbly ask for your vote as a candidate for selectman.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Glass
11 Stonehedge 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 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.

New publication covers issues along Route 2 corridor

North Lincoln has another local news source just for its part of town: the Northside News.

The publication, which is posted online and sent as a PDF for free to email subscribers, joins the Lincoln Journal, the Lincoln Squirrel and the Lincoln Review as print and/or web-based publications offering news and views about the town.

The publication got started to focus more attention on the neighborhoods to the immediate north and south of Route 2, including The Commons. “There was some sentiment from some people that we’re a little forgotten about,” said editorial board member Steve Durante, a Brooks Road resident. Other board members are Bob Domnitz, Maria Hylton and Jane Herlacher. Publication won’t be on a regular schedule but will be “issue-driven,” Domnitz said.

In recent years, several projects have directly impacted the north side of town—the Route 2 construction (which began inauspiciously when the clear-cutting of numerous trees angered nearby residents), the Minuteman High School building proposal, and Hanscom Field and Hanscom Air Force Base, where noise from airplanes has been a sore spot for years. Two years ago, residents also protested a proposal by Jet Aviation, which services and stores business jets at Hanscom, to expand its facilities there.

However, Northside News is not intended to be a complaint platform; “it’s all about communications and reflecting,” Domnitz said. “To the extent that it voices any opinion, it’s just as a conduit for the community.”

The first issue of Northside News in October included articles about the most recent developments in the McLean Hospital proposal for Bypass Road, the Minuteman High School project, and Hanscom runway repaving plans at Hanscom that could result in temporarily increased noise over Lincoln.

In recapping the September 20 district-wide financing vote for the school, the Minuteman article cast doubt on the sincerity of school officials who had promised there would be no driveway access from Mill Street, because “they have recently backed away from other commitments so residents are uncertain about the future.” Those included a pledge to abide by Lincoln zoning rules (though schools are exempt from many of them) and an expressed interest in a public-private partnership for developing the land under the existing building even though officials eaid earlier that they leaned toward recreational use of the land.

Issue #2 on November 19 reported a successful effort by area residents to relocate a potentially dangerous Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School bus stop. L-S moved the Brooks Road bus stop from the corner of Smith Hill Road and Brooks Road to Route 2A and Brooks Road at the beginning of this school year, but moved it back after protests from residents and a letter from Lincoln Police Chief Kevin Kennedy.

In the future, Northside News will keep an eye on other ongoing issues, including the Battle Road Scenic Byway, a state-designated section of Route 2A with a Corridor Management Plan that will “assist the four towns and the Minute Man National Historical Park in reaching agreement about how best to preserve the area’s intrinsic resources while expanding economic opportunities, developing a balanced tourism industry, and accommodating future development,” according to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s website.

“There’s a lot going on in the area,” Durante said. “Hopefully other people will get involved, and we can share more information and be better informed.”