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

My Turn: School Committee thanks district staff and community

By the Lincoln School Committee

We would like to thank the Lincoln School district faculty, staff, and community members for making personal sacrifices, following safety protocols, and recognizing how each of our actions contributes to the overall health of our community and vitality of our schools.  

Remarkably, the Lincoln Public Schools have been open five days a week during this pandemic fall. We are among a handful of Massachusetts school districts — only 3% — who have been able to do so, and thus far (knock wood and fingers crossed) there is no evidence of in-school transmission of the highly contagious virus. 

Children are learning and playing together in person and remotely in small cohorts. Each child has a school-supplied computer tablet and Wi-Fi. Families have direct contacts for support and those needing special services are receiving them. Faculty are collaborating and creating innovative ways to stimulate learning, creativity, and joy during this time of worry, racial reckoning, and isolation — all with the backdrop of a major school building project.

We are grateful, and not just for good luck. Our children are learning together because of comprehensive and collaborative planning and administration, resilient teaching adaptations and innovations, amped-up technology support, and shared commitment to health and safety protocols including masks, distancing, and hand-washing as well as clean and ventilated buildings, outdoor spaces, and school buses.

As we come to the long weekend break and as infection rates rise across our region and the nation, let us all stay safe and take a moment to give thanks for everyone who has made this fall possible in our schools.

The Lincoln School Committee members are Tara Mitchell, Peter Borden, Trintje Gnazzo, Adam Hogue, and Susan Taylor.

”My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Third SOTT looks at electricity aggregation, road safety, South Lincoln

Residents heard updates on electricity aggregation, road safety measures, and planning for South Lincoln’s future at the third State of the Town meeting on November 19.

Electricity from renewable sources

Almost three years after voters authorized the Board of Selectmen to start developing the program, the Green Energy Committee is nearing the finish line for Lincoln Green Energy Choice, a program that will give residents the option of buying electricity from renewable sources. Eversource will continue to provide transmissions lines and billing, but the town will seek bids for renewable energy from the local grid. Committee chair C.J. Volpone explained that residents can opt in or out of the program at any time, though they will be automatically enrolled initially in a plan that will cost about the same as Eversource’s winter rates.

Eversource is currently required to draw 18% of its electricity from renewable sources. The new program will offer three options:

  • Budget, with 20% of the electricity from renewable sources
  • Basic Green, with 35-50% renewable (the default option that residents will be enrolled in unless they opt out)
  • Total Green, with 100% of the electricity from renewable sources. Volpone said this option would probably cost $20–$30 a month more than the current average bill, though the exact price won’t be known until buds are received and a contact is signed.

LGEC has posted a table showing preliminary estimates of additional costs depending on type and amount of electricity usage.

Benefits of the program include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, having a choice of electricity sources, and having long-term predictable rates for electricity, since LGEC contracts will be longer than the six-month contacts required of Eversource, Volpone said. Using electricity from renewable sources will become more important in the years to come as more and more people buy electric cars and use electric-power heat pumps for home heating, he added.

Homeowners will get a postcard in the mail informing them of the options and asking if they want to opt out before the program launches, which is expected to happen in March 2021, Volpone said. Resident Sara Mattes (one of 118 people who attended the online meeting) worried that there could be “blowback” because people will be automatically enrolled in the program, but Volpone said the impact on electric bills for the Basic Green option would be “minimal.”

Advisory shoulders

Bob Wolf and Ginger Reiner of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPEC) outlined a method that could be used to make Lincoln’s roads safer for bikes and walkers. Advisory shoulders are lanes marked with white dashed lines on either side of a road to indicate where bikes and pedestrians have the right of way. Vehicles can cross the lines to avoid traffic coming from the opposite direction but must yield to oncoming traffic if there are “vulnerable users” (bicyclists, pedestrians, or any other non-vehicle) ahead or alongside.

The committee and its predecessor, the Cycling Safety Advisory Committee, came into being after two bicyclists were killed and a third was injured in three separate accidents on Lincoln roads in 2016. More than half of the residents who responded to a subsequent town-wide survey said they were not comfortable biking or walking on some of Lincoln’s roads.

As a road safety measure, advisory shoulders have the advantage that they are inexpensive and easy to create. “It doesn’t change how the road should be used, but it shows the clearance that vehicles should give vulnerable users,” Wolf said. In other towns such as Hanover, N.H., that have tried this approach, “drivers get used to this pretty quickly.”

The BPAC studied Baker Bridge Road as a possible first case where advisory shoulders could be installed. As one of several designated “minor connectors” in town, the road offers connections to schools and access to conservation trails. In a neighborhood Zoom meeting with the BPAC in October, there was “universal agreement” among Baker Bridge Road residents that the road is not safe for pedestrians and family cycling.

Wolf acknowledged that “it’s not one size fits all for all Lincoln roads” and invited residents of other neighborhoods to set up a Zoom meeting with the committee to discuss safety issues by emailing lincoln-bpac@googlegroups.com.

South Lincoln

The South Lincoln Planning and Advisory Committee (SLPAC) has “restarted the process to evolve our village center” to make it more vibrant for residents and businesses, Planning Board chair Margaret Olson said. Businesses in the area have been struggling for some time, and a “confusing and costly” permitting process on top of a “hodgepodge” of five different zoning districts has made it very difficult for any sort of new development to win approval.

Revamping the zoning rules in South Lincoln would offer more flexibility in building uses, a more diversified housing stock, and a clearer permitting process while still imposing design guidelines to ensure new development is in keeping with Lincoln’s “look” and character, Olson said. SLPAC and the Planning Board will “build consensus… around an open and transparent process” with broad public participation and input. As part of that goal, the committee is inviting public comment any time and posting letters from residents on its website.

As part of the larger goal to limit climate change, the town hopes to encourage use of the commuter rail stop as well as energy-efficient buildings and more usage by bikes and pedestrians. The state also wants to encourage more use of mass transit. For example, Massachusetts House Bill 3931 would require multifamily zoning within one mile of train subway and bus stops.

While that particular bill may not pass, “there is pressure mounting in the system for something along these lines,” Olson said. “When regional problems get too big, the dam breaks, and 40B [the affordable housing mandate] is an example of that. We need to indicate how we want the town to change and adapt to the political and environmental changes headed our way in the next few decades.”

SLPAC’s predecessor tried to bring zoning changes to a town-wide vote last year but met with stiff opposition from residents who, among other things, were worried that residents in midrange housing such as the Ridge Road condominiums would be displaced. “SLPAC has heard that loud and clear,” Olson said, adding that near-term rezoning efforts will focus only on the south side of Lincoln Road.

The need for action is not hypothetical. The privately owned sewage treatment system used by Lincoln Woods and the mall is past its useful life, and the town plans to commission a study of options for upgrading and expanding it or else finding some other solution to allow more development.

Another reason for rethinking the South Lincoln commercial area: the mall itself will not be economically viable for much longer. Michelle Barnes, chair of the Rural Land Foundation (which owns the mall) reiterated her statement from last spring that changes in shopping habits are making it increasingly difficult for stores to succeed.

“I’m trying not to say anything about our current collection of enterprises, but I think it’s fair to say that over time, year after year, we have seen a decline in business at the mall,” Barnes said at the SOTT meeting. “Thinking about what’s going on economically elsewhere with local malls, they just have not been surviving, and certainly not thriving. The longer-term trends don’t look that great and we feel we have to be proactive in making sure it stays a vibrant place.”

The RLF operates the mall as a nonprofit, Barnes noted. “As economic forces on the mall continue to go in one direction, the fact that we don’t have much margin makes that endpoint collide eventually. That’s not tomorrow, but the long-term sustainability of the mall in its current state is not tenable.”

My Turn: Congratulations to Rep. Katherine Clark

By Joan Kimball and Barbara Slayter 

The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee congratulates our Congresswoman, Katherine Clark, for her election to the role of assistant speaker, making her the fourth-ranking member in the chamber.

This position makes Katherine Clark the most powerful Congresswoman in state history as well as the second-highest ranking Democratic woman in the history of the House after Nancy Pelosi. Her presence will mark the first time there are two women in the top four positions of the party’s House leadership. Along with Rep. Richard Neal of Springfield, who is chair of the Ways and Means Committee, and Rep.Jim McGovern of Worcester, chair of the House Rules Committee, she will wield considerable power within the House of Representatives.

The Boston Globe quoted Clark saying that “Collective leadership is not about individual ambition, but collective good.”

We Lincoln Democrats appreciate not only the work that she does on our behalf and on behalf of our country, but also her key role in recruiting Democrats to win in the House during the 2018 election. We also appreciate her focus on the looming problems of health care, racial justice, and climate change.

In a letter to us, her constituents, Katherine Clark wrote:

“The challenges facing our country are great, but so are the possibilities. Democrats in Congress are resolute in our commitment to eliminating the virus, aiding families, and recharging our economy in the face of this pandemic. While vitally important, our work cannot end there.

“This is the moment for America to unite together and finally build a nation that fulfills our promise of justice for all. We cannot settle for normal, but must instead expand the parameters of prosperity to ensure everyone has the same opportunities for success.

“As Assistant Speaker, my work will be guided by everyday Americans who have stood up this year to protect and strengthen our nation—from the heroic frontline workers who bravely put the security and health of others before their own, to the record number of Americans who took to the streets this summer and took to the polls this November, who energized our democracy and brought a renewed urgency to our fight for racial, climate, and economic justice.

“The House Democratic majority, in partnership with President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris, will meet this moment of historic challenges and confront it with historic progress.

“With faith in our country and optimism for our future, I am eager to get to work.”

Three cheers for Katherine Clark! We wish her and our country well.

Kimball and Slayter are co-chairs of the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee.

”My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Residents discuss town diversity issues at second SOTT

A centralized town group would be helpful in fostering more diversity of all types in Lincoln, participants in the second 2020 State of the Town meeting agreed.

The November 18 session focusing on diversity, equality inclusion, and antiracism (DEIA) recapped the three roundtables on this topic that were held earlier this fall (click here for links to videos and other information from those sessions).

The first roundtable looked at policing in Lincoln and Middlesex County. The second focused on the role of town government and discussed housing issues such as affordability, multifamily housing and possible zoning changes. Participants also noted ways in which the town’s social services staff and programs are already engaged in promoting and preserving diversity. The final roundtable included panelists from churches and cultural institutions in town as well as the Food Project and Drumlin Farm.

Presenters at the second SOTT meeting offered data on Lincoln’s demographics:

  • Between 2010 and 2018, the number of residents aged 65 and over increased by 53% to 1,650, largely due to the expansion of The Commons. However, for reasons that are unclear, the number of residents aged 20–34 more than doubled from 357 to 820.
  • The percentages of Lincoln’s white, black, Asian, and Hispanic residents in 2017 were 79%, 3%, 9%, and 7% respectively. For the Lincoln School, which includes METCO students from other communities, 64% were white, 10% were black, 6% were Asian and 10% were Hispanic. If Hanscom schools are included, the percentages were 60%, 9%, 4%, and 16%.
  • Lincoln’s median household income in 2017 was about $150,000, and 38% of households earned more than $200,000 a year. The assessed value of single-family homes and condominiums clustered around $800,000 to $1,000,000.

Participants floated ideas and suggestions in Zoom “breakout rooms” and reported back to the full group, which numbered almost 100 participants. Summarized comments from the breakout group included:

  • Lincoln has some level of economic diversity but needs more ethnic and racial diversity. How can the town make itself more attractive or welcoming to minorities of all types?
  • Lincoln needs more connectivity among generations and involvement in town government by younger people. A community center would help.
  • Think regionally, teaming up with border towns but also more diverse communities such as Waltham and Watertown
  • A “big shout-out” to METCO and the Food Project, which employs youths from all over the Boston area
  • Try to engage more with Hanscom Air Force Base. Many of those who live and work there are unaware that they are even Lincoln residents.
  • “Educate, educate, educate” on a personal level, in the schools and community-wide

In light all of the discussions in Lincoln around DEIA, “I’m struck that there really is a need for one central clearinghouse for all of this activity,” Town Administrator Tim Higgins said.

A group focused on promoting DEIA could be either private or part of town government. A town-appointed committee might have more perceived legitimacy and could take advantage of town-sponsored outreach efforts, but the downside is that it would have to abide by open-meeting rules, “a layer of housekeeping you need to go through… that could make the committee less nimble,” Selectman Jennifer Glass said.

A private citizen-led group could operate in a more simplified way and independently of any possible “editorial control” by town officials. The other side of the coin is less connection to town government, including planning, policy and budgeting, and a lack of continuity over time, she said.

In an instant poll conducted during the SOTT meeting, 67% of participants favored a town-led DEIA committee while 25% were in favor of the citizen-led model.

After a recap of the issues surrounding the pending request by the Lincoln Police Department for body-worn and cruiser cameras, another poll showed that 75% of participants said they were in favor of the cameras. Three percent said they were not in favor while 22% said they needed more information or weren’t sure.

Whichever model is chosen, committee members should be given time to “self-reflect, team-build, and have their own conversations so they can learn and then be role models for the rest of the community,” Glass said.

Covid-19 colors reports at first State of the Town meeting

(Editor’s note: the slide decks from the November 17 and 18 State of the Town forums will be posted on the town website on November 19. The Lincoln Squirrel will publish an addendum to this article with the web address when it becomes available.)

In the first of three State of the Town meetings this week, officials updated residents on public health situation, the town’s 2021 Annual Town Meeting (ATM) and budget, and the school project.

Public health

Since the pandemic began last spring, Lincoln has seen 62 cases of Covid-19 to date, including seven deaths, all of them at The Commons (which, however, has not had a case since May). Contact tracing is “working like a well-oiled machine,” Public Health Nurse Trish McGean said at the November 17 session

One or more vaccines are on the horizon for early next year, but in the meantime, cases are rising in Massachusetts and the rest of the country, so she urged people to maintain their vigilance with masks and social distancing. Once a vaccine is widely available, Lincoln expects to have a drive-through vaccination clinic.

The pandemic will be felt especially keenly during the upcoming holidays. “Gathering together at the Thanksgiving table, even if you have the last names, may not be the smartest idea,” she said. Board of Health member Patricia Miller also reminded the more than 120 residents who attended the meeting on Zoom that anyone who travels to any state except Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Hawaii must fill out a state travel form before returning and get tested.

Annual Town Meeting

Last spring’s Annual Town Meeting was held outside under a tent, and though officials hope the 2021 version can be held in the usual way on March 27, “at this moment in time it seems unlikely,” said Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden. Aside from the endemic the Brooks auditorium is unavailable because of school construction, so it would have to be in Smith gym, or outdoors in a tent again once the weather is warm enough.

With no citizen’s petitions or acknowledgements of residents who died or retired from town service during the previous year — not to mention the inability to see neighbors and socialize — the stripped-down 2020 ATM “did not have the same flavor and feel of our usual annual gathering,” some of its innovations will be carried forward, Holden said. Among them:

  • Making presentations and background information available online in advance of the ATM, including a comprehensive budget presentation
  • Making greater use of the consent calendar for noncontroversial issues, a step that “was very well received in June,” Holden noted. As always, residents can ask to have individual items held out for separate discussion and voting.
  • Using runners with roving wireless microphones rather than having people lines up at stationary mics to ask questions or make comments.

Some residents at the forum wondered if the ATM could be held remotely. “My opinion is that this format we’re doing right now is not bad,” Water Commission Chair Jim Hutchinson said. Selectman Jennifer Glass pointed out that state law still requires ATMs to occur in person, though dividing it up over several days is permitted.

“My feeling is you lose something about community when you do it that way — it’s just not the same,” Holden said.

School project

Phase I of the two-year, two-phase school project is about halfway done, and the pandemic has not affected the cost or schedule for the work, School Building Committee Chair Chris Fasciano said.

Although several items had to be cut from the project earlier this year when bids came in over budget, some of them are on track to be restored through previously announced donations from the estate of Harriet Todd, Robert and Jacquelin Apsler, and a fund seeded by the eighth-grade Class of 2020. A grant from the Ogden Codman Trust will fund two bike/walking paths.

The Class of 2020 Tree Fund, which aims to restore new trees and plantings originally budgeted at $56,084, now stands at $35,500 (the fund’s goal is $60,000), Fasciano reported. The SBC has also applied for $161,200 in funds from the town’s Community Preservation Act funding in fiscal 2021 to cover the cost of upgrading the former green playground.

New auditorium rigging will not be included in the final project because the construction deadline for funding that work has passed. Also still needed is funding for furniture, fixtures, equipment, and technology that was cut. A total of $956,000 was originally budgeted; voters restored $200,000 as part of a $829,000 school package at the ATM in June.

A request for the remaining $756,000 “is likely to come up at some point,” though exactly when is unclear, Fasciano said. “It is a necessary part of the project.”

Town budget

Another unknown about the ongoing pandemic is how it will affect the budget for the next fiscal year. In the current budget that began on July 1, the Finance Committee trimmed employee retirement contributions, deferred some capital expenditures, and expanded the town’s reserve fund by 50% to $753,000.

The town has also been tracking its expenses relating to Covid-19 and has thus far been reimbursed for all of them — but the CARES Act expires at the end of December and the prospects for another federal stimulus package are uncertain, FinCom chair Andy Payne said. As expected, the biggest Covid-related spending categories for the town have been personal protective equipment, IT hardware and support, and cleaning supplies and services, Payne said.

The FinCom has told departments who are now formulating their fiscal 2021 budget requests that they can ask for the usual maximum increase of 2.5%. The group is willing to consider additional requests, especially if cuts in services would be required, “but it’s gotta be super-compelling,” Payne said.

On the bright side, the town affirmed its AAA bond rating when it recently bonded $2,2 million for the Water Department at an interest rate below 1%, and the stabilization fund is now at about $2.47 million, “so we feel that we remain in pretty good financial shape at this point,” he said.

My Turn: Thanks for “Turkey Tin” donations

By Tomasina Lucchese and the SVdP team

On behalf of the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry of Lincoln and Weston, we would like to thank all who participated in our Turkey Tin project last week. Together we distributed 120 food baskets filled with all the fixings for a thanksgiving meal, including a grocery store gift card for a turkey.

The only thing more heartwarming than seeing those bountiful baskets lined up was witnessing the varied groups, parishes, clubs, troops, friends, and families who came together to pass the blessings on to our neighbors in need. We are very fortunate to be part of such a generous and thoughtful community.

May you all have a peace-filled and happy Thanksgiving.

SVdP team members Larry Buell, Gretchen Covino, and Karen Salvucci distributing the Turkey Tins.

The SVdP of Lincoln and Weston works with people in need who live, work or go to school in Lincoln or Weston.  We are currently serving people twice a month at the SVdP Food Pantry located behind St Joseph’s Church in Lincoln.  SVdP also offers emergency financial assistance to help with bills, rent, etc. For more information or to make an online donation to support this ministry, please click here.

If you or somebody you know is in need of food or emergency financial help, please reach out at 781-899-2611 x4 or svdplincolnweston@gmail.com. This is a challenging time for many and although it can be difficult to ask for help, we are here to support. Everything is kept completely confidential.

”My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Police log for November 6–12, 2020

Fraudulent unemployment claims were filed this week in the names of residents on Todd Pond Road, Birchwood Lane, Tower Road, Chestnut Circle, Sandy Pond Road, and Beaver Pond Road. because of the volume, the Lincoln Squirrel will no longer include these calls in the police log.

All of these claims are due to nationwide data breaches, and federal law enforcement agencies are investigating, according to Lincoln police. If you’re notified about a fraudulent claim of this type, go to www.mass.gov/info-details/report-unemployment-benefits-fraud to file a report online. The state will then send you a packet in the mail. If you receive a packet even if you didn’t file a claim, don’t ignore it. Police also recommend that you check your credit report to see if any new accounts are being opened in your name.

November 6

Public Safety Building (7:00 a.m.) — The building lost power and switched to generator power.

Bedford Road (12:42 p.m.) — Caller reported that a truck struck her side mirror while she was parked on Bedford Road and continued without stopping. Report taken; unable to locate the truck.

November 7

Hasting Road, Weston — Weston Fire Department requested a Lincoln ambulance for a medical call.

Donelan’s Supermarket (4:23 p.m.) — Caller reported that a child was left alone inside a vehicle. Officer responded but the vehicle was no longer parked. He took a report and followed up with the involved party.

Bypass Road (7:32 p.m.) — Caller reported seeing an outside fire on Bypass Road. Fire Department responded and located a small fire pit.

Donelan’s Supermarket (11:16 p.m.) — Caller reported an unattended bag outside Donelan’s. Officer responded and found that it was an empty bag.

November 8

Oak Knoll Road (3:00 p.m.) — Caller reported seeing a dog walking around the Oak Knoll area with no people around. No calls had been received for a missing dog.

Lincoln Cemetery (3:29 p.m.) — Caller reported finding a dog wandering around the cemetery. Animal Control was asked to contact the caller.

November 9

Short Hill Road (7:23 a.m.) — Caller reported a tree down on wires. Officer found the wires belong to Verizon, which was notified.

November 10

Virginia Road (7:44 a.m.) — Caller reported being locked inside their bathroom and unable to open the door. Fire and police responded but were canceled en route when caller was able to get the door open.

Tower Road (2:56 p.m.) — Officers responded to a one-car crash on Tower Road near the Weston line. No injuries; vehicle towed from the scene.

National Park, Hartwell lot (7:52 p.m.) — Officer checked on a camper vehicle parked in the lot. Everything was fine.

November 11

Mill Street (4:16 p.m.) — Caller report that someone was putting leaves from their lawn onto the traffic island on Mill Street near Lexington Road. The caller was unable to identify or describe the person.

November 12

No notable calls.

Commuter rail service cuts expected for Lincoln and other stops

In sharp contrast to the pre-pandemic era, when Lincoln commuters had to hustle to get a parking spot in the town lot each weekday morning, the lot was completely empty last Thursday except for a lone tractor. (Photo by Alice Waugh)

Lincoln and other towns with commuter rail stops will probably see an end to all weekend train service as well as the closure of some stations as the MBTA struggles to cope with a massive ridership dropoff due to the Covid-29 pandemic.

The proposed commuter rail service cuts released by the MBTA last week include:

  • No evening service after 9 p.m.
  • No weekend service (except for the Fairmount Line, which will be bused).
  • Decreased weekday peak service and some midday service, reducing from 505 trains (fall 2019) to 430 trains.
  • Eliminating the Silver Hill and Hastings stops in Weston plus four more of the 141 stations.

The MBTA is also proposing ending all ferry service and reducing bus and subway service.

No fare changes are included in the proposals and the service adjustments are not permanent, leaving open the possibility of some services being restored after the pandemic eases.

See the MBTA’s Forging Ahead website for details on the proposed cuts, a link to an online feedback form, and the schedule for meetings to gather public comment before the December 4 deadline. Residents may also email comments directly to publicengagement@mbta.com. The agency’s Fiscal and Management Control Board will vote on proposals on December 7.

MBTA ridership overall in October was only 26% of the volume for the same period in 2019. The commuter rail is experiencing approximately 13% of its pre-Covid-19 ridership and only about 8.5% of its normal ridership during morning peak periods.

Police outline benefits and FAQs on body-worn cameras

Following is a statement and FAQ about body-worn and cruiser cameras submitted to the public by the Lincoln Police Department, which is requesting funds for this equipment in next year’s budget.

The topic of body-worn cameras was raised during one of three Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism forums. Information stemming from all three forums will be the topic of the second State of the Town meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Click here for details on the three SOTT meetings this week.

As part of the Lincoln Police Department’s FY22 capital budget submission, the Department is requesting $61,400 for the purchase of 16 body-worn cameras for officers and five dash/prisoner cameras for police cruisers. The chosen vendor is GETAC.

In light of recent events across the country, there have been debates on a national, state and local level on police reform. Aside from changing police policy and procedure, many advocates are demanding all police officers wear body-worn cameras to accurately document police-citizen interactions, particularly in use of force situations. Furthermore, the use of such cameras are considered best practices as outlined in President Obama’s Task Force of 21st Century Policing which the department has embraced since 2015.

The perceived benefits of the cameras are that they:

  • increase transparency, legitimacy, and community trust
  • increase internal accountability
  • improve officer behavior
  • improve citizen behavior
  • expedite resolutions of complaints and lawsuits
  • document circumstances of how and when force is used
  • create opportunities for training
What is a body worn camera (BWC)?

It’s a camera worn on the exterior of the police officer’s body which is clearly visible on their chest, which captures and records audio and video of the police/citizen encounter.

Why are officers wearing cameras?

BWCs serve as a tool to document a police officer’s interaction with citizens. They are also valuable in maintaining community trust, transparency, and accountability. Given the great relationship we share with our community, the department continues to be proactive in strengthening our connection with its citizens.

When will police officers be recording with their body cameras?

Police officers will activate their BWC and cruiser cameras whenever they respond to calls for service or have citizen contacts where they anticipate taking law enforcement action.

What about my privacy during police encounters?

The Lincoln Police Department is aware of the legitimate privacy concerns associated with BWC. Our officers will record, per policy, when investigating criminal activity or a violation of law. Prior to the release of any recording, the department will ensure compliance with department policy, Rule 14 of the Massachusetts Rules of Criminal Procedure, and/or the Massachusetts Public Records Law, which may allow the redaction of certain elements of the recording including innocent parties and nonrelated identifiers such as registration numbers, addresses, etc. Our priority is to protect the right of privacy and ensure the safety of nonrelated parties.

Are there situations where officers cannot use their BWC?

Typically, officers will not record in places where there is an expectation of privacy, such as restrooms, locker rooms, and medical care facilities — unless there is reasonable suspicion a crime is being committed or the recording of the location is material to an investigation.

Before entering a private residence, without exigent circumstances, officers must obtain occupant consent before recording inside the residence. If the occupant declines to give consent, and absent exigent circumstances, the BWC shall be turned off while inside the residence. However, when responding to an exigent circumstance inside a private residence, the BWC will be activated throughout the exigency. Once the exigency is over, and when practical, officers must obtain consent from the occupant(s) in order to continue to record. Any request to turn the BWC off and the officer’s response shall be recorded.

Can I ask the officer to turn off the BWC?

Yes. After receiving notice of being recorded, the citizen may ask the officer to turn off the recording. However, the request to turn off the recording and the officer’s response will be recorded for documentation purposes.

Are officers required to tell citizens that they are being recorded?

Under Massachusetts law, officers are required to give notice to citizens that they are being audio recorded. Officers are not required to inform citizens that they are being video recorded while in a public place. However, per policy, officers are required to provide citizens with notice that they are being both audio and video recorded.

Can the officer tamper with the audio and video recording?

No — the GETAC system is specifically designed to prevent the user from altering or deleting any recordings.

How are the videos stored?

All videos are stored in secure cloud servers in compliance with the FBI Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) standards.

What is the process for obtaining a copy of a video recording?

The release of any recording must be approved in advance by the chief of police or department designee. Recordings shall be released in accordance with department policy, Rule 14 of the Massachusetts Rules of Criminal Procedure, and/or the Massachusetts Public Records Law. The chief of police may authorize the release of any recording deemed to be in the best interest of the community and public safety.

What happens to a video once it is recorded?

At the end of each shift, officers will upload the data to a cloud-based service to store the files. Depending on the type of video captured, data will be saved in accordance with department policy, Rule 14 of the Massachusetts Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the Massachusetts Public Records Retention and Disposition Schedule.

Why is it necessary for in-cruiser camera system when officers have BWC’s?

The in-cruiser camera system will have two cameras, one facing forward (dash camera) documenting the perspective of the officer’s view. The dash camera is able to capture a wider perspective when officers respond to calls for service, conduct traffic stops, and have interactions which occur in front of the police cruiser. The second camera will be in the rear passenger compartment (prisoner camera) where a prisoner is seated while inside the cruiser.

Who can I speak with should I have questions?

You can contact Chief Kevin Kennedy at 781-259-8113 or kkennedy@lincolntown.org.

Both sides in Real dispute plan to keep on cooking

The Real restaurant expects to reopen even as two of its former owner/managers have filed suit against the remaining owner.

Residents learned last week that Tom Fosnot and Ruth-Anne Adams had left the restaurant they co-founded with Linsday Parker in 2019. On November 6, Fosnot and Adams sent a group email to previous customers revealing that Parker had sued the pair.

“It has become increasingly hard for Tom and I over the past few months. The only thing that was not working in the restaurant was our partnership with Lindsey. After she filed a lawsuit against us, we decided it was time to choose happiness for our family. So Tom and I are now cooking somewhere else. We remain in a partnership with Lindsey, but what will resolve with the restaurant we are not sure,” the email said.

“Of course, we loved being in Lincoln and it was a heartbreaking decision for Tom and I. Meeting all the kind people who supported us over this past year and half, who gave us an opportunity to do what we loved, was a dream come true. We will continue to cook from our hearts, inspired by the land around us. We will not be cooking in Lincoln, but we have found another kitchen to create inspired dishes. We will be delivering weekly to your doorstep. Our menu will grow as we get more comfortable in our venture,” Fosnot and Adams added in their email.

“It is unfortunate that my partners chose to make a private dispute public. I will not comment on that further,” Parker wrote in an email to the Lincoln Squirrel on November 10. “More importantly, I can confirm that Real is sticking around. I have already had a number of exciting conversations with some chefs, and while Covid presently remains a factor for the community and the hospitality business, it is fun to think about what might be next.”

Adams and Fosnot also would not comment on the lawsuit but offered some details on their plans in a November 11 email to the Squirrel:

“We are very excited about this new venture. We will be offering from-scratch delivery options three days a week. The food will have a mix of simple fare as well as more complex dishes, but all will feature high-quality ingredients, as well as local when possible. We hope to have some fun with the menus. We are offering Thanksgiving for delivery and we will be offering holiday menus in December. Our website will be up soon, but right now we are sending emails with our offerings. If people want to be on the email list they can email us at tomandraa@gmail.com.”