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

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Accident victim returns home

The October 18 accident scene (click to enlarge). Photo courtesy Lincoln Police Facebook page.

Julie Payne Britton, who was seriously injured in an October 18 car accident on Route 117 in Lincoln, finally returned to her home in Greenfield, Mass., late last month after weeks of surgery and rehabilitation, according to this article in the Greenfield Recorder. Britton was on her way home from her employer’s headquarters in Waltham when her Subaru Forester was hit head-on by an alleged drunk driver at about 3 p.m. It took first responders 40 minutes to cut Britton out of her car using the Jaws of Life, Lincoln Police Lt. Sean Kennedy told the newspaper.

Program on peer violence prevention

The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable will kick off 2017 with a program entitled “Building Upstanders: What Violence Prevention Strategies are Working in Local High Schools” on Tuesday, Jan. 10. Led by a panel of student members of the Mentors in Violence Prevention programs at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School and Wayland High School, the students will share their experiences in teaching their peers ways of identifying warning signs of abuse, preventing their peers from participating in abusive relationships, and promoting respectful interventions in their schools.

The program will be held at 3 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room of the Wayland Public Safety Building. It’s free and open to the public and is appropriate for students and adults interested in preventing abusive relationships among teens and young adults.

Mentors in Violence Prevention is a program of Northeastern University Center for Sport in Society. At L-S, the program has eight trained staff and 40 trained student leaders in grades 10-12. The members plan assemblies and programs for students, including an annual Courage to Care healthy relationship day and White Ribbon Day programming.  Students also visit middle schools to talk about healthy relationships and being an upstander.

Talk on students and sleep

Dr. Judith Owens, MD, MPH, will give a talk on the importance of sleep for students on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Ephraim Curtis School auditorium (40 Fairbank Road, Sudbury). The event, co-sponsored by the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee, is the first community forum for Sudbury’s School Start Time Committee (SSTC). Owens is the Director of Sleep Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital and a faculty member in neurology at Harvard Medical School. She is an authority on the neurobehavioral and health consequences of sleep problems in children, sleep health education, and cultural and psychosocial issues impacting sleep.

The project is supported by a grant from the Sudbury Education Resource Fund (SERF), and the event is free and open to the public.For more information, visit the SSTC website or email sstc@sudbury.k12.ma.us.

Seal picture wins annual Mass Audubon photo contest

The winning photo from the 2016 Mass Audubon photo contest (click to enlarge).

Alex Shure of Melrose was named 2016 Grand Prize Winner for his photograph of a harbor seal pup placidly regarding him underwater during a dive in Rockport. His photo was chosen from more than 4,000 images were entered this year in Mass Audubon’s annual statewide photo contest, Picture This: Your Great Outdoors. Click here for a complete list of winners and honorable mentions along with their photographs.

Correction

In the January 4 article listing upcoming public hearings, the item about a January 10 Planning Board hearing about amending bylaws for solar installations was mistakenly followed by a link to an earlier Lincoln Squirrel story about a possible solar installation at the town landfill that was not related to this hearing. The link has been removed in the original article.

 

Service for Michael Lytton on Jan. 15

Michael Lytton

There will be a service on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 1:30 p.m. the First Parish in Lincoln for Michael Lytton, who died suddenly of an aortic dissection on December 5 at the age of 59. You can read his obituary here. There will be a short reception after the service at Bemis Hall.

 

 

 

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.