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

Changes afoot in several town employee positions

While Lincoln is transitioning to a new Council on Aging director, several other personnel moves are occurring as well.

Parks and Recreation Department Director Dan Pereira is expected to move into the assistant town administrator’s job once a new PRD director is in place. “I’m really excited about the possibility of a partnership and having Dan join the leadership of the town,” said Town Administrator Tim Higgins, who said he had met with Pereira several times. “To a person, [the PRD] are thrilled for the opportunity for Dan to progress and for us to keep him in the fold.”

Pereira replaces Mary Day, who left at the end of May. Her departure was sudden but was a “voluntary resignation,” said Higgins, adding that he could not comment further on personnel matters.

Day was appointed in 2013 after working for several years as the town treasurer/collector. The role involves supporting Higgins in day-to-day administration and oversight of town services as well as overseeing the town’s human resources, risk management, and purchasing functions. 

Paula Vaughn-Mackenzie, administrative assistant in the Planning Department, is the acting director of planning while Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney takes a leave of absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act. She’s expected to return on September 1, Higgins said.

Finally, Brian Young has been named deputy fire chief after serving in an acting capacity for about a year. “The last four months have really kind of sealed the deal for me, seeing him taking on responsibility after responsibility” since the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, Higgins said. “In short order, he has really grown into the role and embraced the role.”

Bottum retires as Council on Aging director

After a decade as director of Lincoln’s Council on Aging, Carolyn Bottum is retiring next week and will be succeeded by former assistant director Abigail Butt.

“I decided this would be a good time to retire about a year ago,” Bottom said. “I knew that Abby would be fantastic [as director], and we anticipate it will be a seamless transition.”

Butt, who was hired almost three years ago, has been instrumental in expanding the town’s human services network, including establishing the social worker position and mental health clinics, outreach campaigns such as the holiday gift bags, helping start the Rental Assistance Program and other housing initiatives. Bottum also credited her with computerizing the COA and creating a single intake form for residents of all ages who need services.

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, “we were able to immediately generate lists of at-risk residents and reach out to offer assistance via telehealth and housing assistance when needed. Without Abby, we would have had none of these,” Bottum said.

Amy Gagne

Taking Butt’s place will be newly hired assistant director Amy Gagne. She is already well known to the COA, having worked with Bottum, Butt, and public health nurse Tricia McGean to create the New Connections Cafe at The Commons for memory-impaired residents. From 2007 to 2019, Gagne was the community relations manager/care coordinator at Right At Home of Bedford. Since 2019, she was community outreach director for RiverCourt Residences Senior Living Community in Groton.

“I’ve been helping to serve the most vulnerable population for over 12 years, and it’s been an honor to be trusted by these local families. Programming is something I enjoy and look forward to brainstorming with the team to bring some new events to the community,” Gagne said. “Lincoln has such wonderful programming, and I’ll work hard to continue that and have my door open for any new ideas they may be interested in for the future.”

Bottum cited the significant growth of Lincoln’s human services system and working with residents on the community center project. “Having adequate, accessible, and attractive space is so essential to achieving the COA’s mission,” she said. “And Mary Ann Thompson’s design, if that’s what the town chooses, would be a beautiful, ecologically sustainable, and very functional home for the COA, Parks and Rec, and the other organizations that will use the building.”

The staff, volunteers and residents who use the COA’s programs and services will be very much missed, Bottum said. “Even before I started, I was told that Karen Santucci, who was director before me, had always said that being the COA director was the best job in town, and I have to agree wholeheartedly. The COA is where so many people with such a rich array of life experiences gather to share the best of themselves and expand their horizons together. I’ve always found Lincoln residents of all ages to be kind, thoughtful, and truly wanting to make a meaningful difference. Every day I would come to work knowing that, sometime during the day, people would come into my office and tell me a story about some fascinating life experience, or share a great idea, or just let me into some aspect of their lives.”

Police log for June 8–17, 2020

June 8

Wells Road (10:26 a.m.) — Fire alarm went off due to food cooking on the stove.

Hemlock Circle (12:35 p.m.) — Fire alarm went off due to contractors working in the residence.

Bedford Road (2:29 p.m.) — Caller reported someone filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in their name. Report taken.

Lincoln Cemetery, Lexington Road (3:45 pm.) — Caller reported losing a purse while in the cemetery. Caller later reported she found it in her residence.

Giles Road (6:03 p.m.) — Caller reported someone filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in their name. Report taken.

94 Liberty Lane, Hanscom Air Force Base (7:02 p.m.) — Hanscom Security Forces reported that a possible missing juvenile over age 12 from Florida is on the base. Officers assisted Hanscom with locating the juvenile and made contact with the parent in Florida. Investigation is ongoing.

June 9

Old Sudbury Road (12:06 a.m.) — Caller reported hearing people near her house and seeing them with flashlights. Officers located the party, who was looking at the rocking horses. They were sent on their way; caller updated.

Codman Community Farms (1:01 a.m.) — Officer came across a vehicle parked at the entrance of the farm. Party checked out OK.

94 Liberty Lane, Hanscom Air Force Base (9:43 p.m.) — Parent from Florida called regarding the missing juvenile, who never returned on a planned flight. The child is safe, and the parent was referred to Massachusetts State Police at Logan Airport, who are handling.

June 10

Lincoln Road (1:51 a.m.) — Report of a tree down on the sidewalk of Lincoln Rd near the Masonic Lodge.

Concord Road (1:04 p.m.) — Report of a small brush fire at the Concord town line on Pine Hill. Fire Department responded.

Kettle Hole Drive (1:30 p.m.) — Caller reported an aggressive dog that she encountered Animal Control will handle.

Lincoln Road (3:07 p.m.) — Caller complained about workers on the sidewalk along Lincoln Road. They were referred to speak with the DPW.

Old County Road (3:48 p.m.) — Report of a large stove that was left on the side of the roadway. DPW was notified to remove.

Tower Road — MBTA tower reports a brush fire along the tracks near Tower Road and Old Sudbury Road. Fire Department handled.

Willarch Road (5:38 p.m.) — Caller requested information in regard to a civil matter.

Bedford Road (10:38 p.m.) — Caller reported hearing a gunshot near his residence towards Juniper Ridge Road. Area checked; unable to locate.

June 11

Winter Street (12:18 p.m.) — Report of a fall alert from an Apple watch at the location. Officers checked and everything was fine.

June 12

Lincoln Police Department (2:08 a.m.) — State Police in Concord requested assistance looking for a party who left Emerson Hospital and may be walking back to a residence in Lincoln. They called back to say they had located the party.

Indian Hill Road (1:51 p.m.) — Officer working a detail in Lincoln dealing with a civil matter.

Sunnyside Lane (3:07 p.m.) — A party using MBTA’s “The Ride” vehicle complaining about something with the vehicle. Caller was advised to contact “The Ride” dispatch.

Farrar Road (5:01 p.m.) — Caller complained about bats outside the residence. They were advised to contact a pest control company.

Acorn Lane (5:20 p.m.) — Caller reported that someone filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in their name. Report taken.

Conant Road (7:44 p.m.) — Caller reported there was a tree limb on the wires and they’re arcing. Eversource notified.

Lexington Road (9:51 p.m.) — Caller reported two kids who were trespassing on their property have since left in two vehicle traveling towards Rte. 2 Officers were unable to locate.

June 13

Sandy Pond Road (10:29 a.m.) — Company accidentally damaged some shrubs on the property. A company representative spoke with the homeowner and agreed to pay for the damage.

Lincoln School — Caller reported some type of animal was stuck in a soccer net. Officer arrived but the animal was gone.

South Great Road (1:58 p.m.) — Bicyclist fell while riding near Tower Road. Minor injuries; transported to the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Granville Road (2:46 p.m.) — Caller reported a man walking in the wood who appeared to be sick and needed assistance in getting to his car. Officer arrived and drove man to his car on Sandy Pond Road.

Old Bedford Road (11:40 p.m.) — Hospital faxed a report of a cat bite. Animal Control notified.

June 14

Forester Road (2:39 p.m.) — Caller reported that someone put fireworks on top of the community mailboxes the previous night and set them off.

June 15

Ballfield Road (12:26 p.m.) — Officer assisted a party at the school to their residence.

Minuteman Technical High School, Marrett Road, Lexington (1:41 p.m.) — A group was seen on video surveillance at the high school. One individual later identified as Brandon Raymond, 19, from Everett spray-painted the rear of the school. He will be summonsed into court at a later date to answer to the charge of malicious destruction of property.

Chestnut Circle (7:11 p.m.) — Resident called the station looking for the local election results.

Page Road (10:28 p.m.) — Officer located a party at the Lincoln School who looking for his brother (juvenile over age 12) who hadn’t returned home. Officers assisting in located the boy, who was later found to be in Waltham, and the parents picked him up.

June 16

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (4:43 a.m.) — Caller reported striking an animal on Rte. 2. A deceased opossum was found off to the side of the road. Mass DOT was notified to pick up the animal.

Deer Run Road (10:12 p.m.) — Caller reported someone filed a fraudulent unemployment claim. Report taken.

Walden Pond boat ramp (12:22 p.m.) — Caller requested assistance as he locked his keys in his car. Dispatch contacted a Waltham Auto tow truck to assist him.

Woods End Road (2:36 p.m.) — Caller asked to speak with an officer regarding people coming onto his property. Officer responded and spoke to the party.

Lincoln Police Department (4:07 p.m.) — Social worker called to the station looking to arrange a non-emergency transport for a patient. They were advised to contact a private ambulance company.

Canoe landing lot, South Great Road (5:34 p.m.) — Concord police requested a check of the parking lots along Rte. 117 for an overdue party. Lincoln police checked but were unable to locate the party. Concord police later called back and the party returned home.

Minuteman Technical High School (7:45 p.m.) — A party ran out of gas near the high school. An officer assisted them to the gas station to get gas and then and back to the vehicle.

June 17

Lexington Road (11:09 a.m.) — Caller reported a cow in the roadway. Flint’s farm contacted and they’ll take care of getting the cow back into the fenced field.

Stonehedge Road (3:39 p.m.) — Resident called looking for assistance with information for legal options for a family member in regard to a civil matter.

Gerard’s Farm Stand, Middlesex Turnpike eastbound — Caller reported that a truck took down some wires in the parking lot. Verizon notified.

Huntley Lane (6:28 p.m.) — Resident called regarding an issue with their fire alarm panel. Fire Department will assist them.

Jet Aviation, Hanscom Field (8:15 p.m.) — Caller reported losing his iPad, which GPS indicates is at Jet Aviation. Caller was given contact information for state police at Hanscom to assist him.

Property sales in March and April 2020

10 Stratford Way — Zovag Guldalian to Hong Tan and Shuihuang Hua for $2,550,000 (April 17)

242 Aspen Circle — Jean P. Gosselin to Laura Sher for $535,000 (April 17)

9 Oakdale Lane — Scott Lovering to Adam Jaskievic and Andrew Morton for $1,340,000 (April 10)

72 Winter St. — Edward Babrich to Harrison R. and Emma S. Shulman for $1,455,000 (April 2)

78 Codman Rd. — James Fleming to Amy B. Finkelstein and John Nolan for $1,320,000 (March 31)

144 Trapelo Rd. — Leonard Darling to Amy B. Naughton Trust for $1,949,000 (March 25)

136 Weston Rd. — Robert H. Mason to Jude T. and Francine McColgan for $1,925,000 (March 25)

38 Old Winter St. — David L. Forbes to Justin and Kristin Hopson for $1,638,000 (March 5)

19 Bedford Rd. — Laura Pontin to Eric and Joseph Webster for $1,787,500 (March 3)

News acorns

Curbside pickup for library materials starts Thursday

The Lincoln Public Library will begin offering contactless curbside pickup for items on hold starting Thursday, June 25 at 3 p.m. and will take place thereafter on Mondays and Thursdays from 3–7 p.m. Only staff will be allowed inside the building during this phase. Hours are subject to change due to weather; any changes will be posted on the library’s website at www.lincolnpl.org.

The library can offer only materials that are already on the shelves in Lincoln (books, DVDs, etc. — no Library of Things). The delivery service used by the Minuteman Library Network is working its way through the backlog of undelivered materials, so there’s no estimated date yet for when the interlibrary loan service will resume.

To request an item, place a hold using the Minuteman Library Network’s website, but choose only items that are listed as being available at the Lincoln location. Requests for materials from libraries other than Lincoln will be saved in the system and will be filled once the delivery system is up and running. You can also call the Reference Department at 781-259-8465 ext. 204 and the staff will place your hold for you. The deadline for requesting items will be Friday at 3 p.m. for Monday pickup, and Wednesdays at 3 p.m. for Thursday pickup. Items will not be available on the same day the request is made.

Once your item has been pulled, you will be notified either by email or by telephone depending on your MLN account preferences. We will ask you to select a Monday or a Thursday to pick up your items (you will have a choice among three dates). Due to a lack of storage space and the limited number of materials available for patrons, items must be picked up on the scheduled date; if not, they will be returned to the stacks, though you may re-request items.

Pickup
  • Each borrower will be limited to five items per pickup.
  • Items can be picked up only between the hours of 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on the Monday or Thursday that you selected.
  • All items will be checked out to you and placed in a bag with the due date slip inside and your name or MLN alias on the outside. Items will be placed on tables under our new tent in the handicapped parking spaces on Library Lane (the handicapped spaces have been moved across the lane.
  • Items cannot be switched out from bags. To request a different title, please follow the procedures listed above.
  • If you’re unsure of what items you’d like, you can fill out an adult or children’s book match forms and we will “match” you with your perfect book.
Returns
  • All library materials can be returned using the library’s outdoor book drop.
  • Items will still appear on your card after you return them, but the library has extended its grace period for fines from one day to four days to allow for items to be quarantined before staff checks them in.
Safety precautions
  • All library materials will be quarantined for at least 72 hours before they are pulled by staff. Proper sanitization will be done before and after the process of pulling books. Although not required by the Lincoln Board of Health for an extra measure of caution, you may wish to leave these library items untouched in your home for three days before enjoying them.
  • Patrons must adhere to social distancing guidelines and wear face masks. We will be marking the walkway on Library Lane to assist people.
  • Patrons are asked to not linger in front of the library after picking up their materials. Questions? Please email lincoln@minlib.net or call the library at 781-259- 8465.Staff will learn as they go and make changes as needed.

Virtual bingo night at the library

The whole family can participate in the Lincoln Public Library’s bingo night as caller extraordinaire Sally Kindleberger reads off the numbers on Wednesday, June 24 at 6 p.m. Registrants will receive a printable bingo card. For children of all ages. Limited to 20 families; email dleopold@minlib.net to register and receive a Zoom invitation ink.

Transfer station closed on Saturday

The Transfer Station will be closed on Saturday, July 4 due to the Fourth of July holiday.

COA posts July and August events

The Council on Aging’s newsletter and calendar of events for July and August are now available online.

 

 

School project gets donations for trees, walkways, benches

Last week marked the official start of the school project, and the SBC Outreach Team organized a socially distanced groundbreaking photo on the ballfield immediately after the Town Meeting. The picture (a drone photo taken by Lincoln resident Tyler Ory) photo will become part of a virtual groundbreaking ceremony that will try to capture the community’s involvement in the project. One of the people in the photo is SBC member Peter Sugar, who sported the shovel and hard hat he wore at the last Lincoln School project groundbreaking almost exactly 26 years ago. (Click image to enlarge.)

Donations from eighth-graders, a Lincoln couple, and the estate of Harriet Todd will allow the School Building Committee to add back some of the items that were cut earlier this spring but not restored by the recent Town Meeting vote.

Robert and Jacquelin Apsler have donated $32,328 to pay for concrete walkways behind the refurbished school’s learning commons as well as interior benches in the Reed/Brooks connector and the dining commons. Those features didn’t make the list of items that voters restored with an $828,945 appropriation on June 13. However, they were part of an earlier list for which that the SBC was planning to request $2.02 million back in March (itself a subset of the $3.5 million in cuts that the committee made in February after bids came in over budget).

“I want to publicly thank the Apslers for their incredible generosity, SBC chair Chris Fasciano said at the June 17 SBC meeting. “It was a very pleasant surprise when we heard that news and it’s very much appreciated.”

As its class gift to the Lincoln School, the graduating eighth-grade class of 2020 created a school project tree fund and started it off with a $500 donation. That amount got a boost of $20,000 from the estate of Harriet Todd, a former Selectman who died in 2018 and left the town $500,000 in her will. Her family agreed that $275,000 of that bequest could be spent on auditorium seating, carpeting, and stage paneling (the rest will endow a scholarship for Lincoln students). However, the auditorium work will cost only about $255,000, so the Todds agreed that the $20,000 balance could go into the tree fund.

An amount of $56,084 was originally budgeted for 52 new trees but was one of the items cut in February. After the School Committee votes to establish the gift fund, residents will be able to make additional donations for trees.

“It’s just lovely on their part, and it obviously gives a big boost,” Fasciano said of the Todds.

Planning Board candidates reflect on election result

The candidates in the hard-fought Planning Board race had gracious words for each other and said the election was a good experience for the town, even though it became contentious at times.

“I’d like to congratulate Lynn [DeLisi] and Rick [Rundell] for a good campaign that stuck to the issues,” said Bob Domnitz, who will serve his second stint on the board after winning more votes than Rundell in the three-way race for two seats. “I know some of our supporters were overly enthusiastic, but the candidates took the high road and that’s the way it should be. I’m proud of the entire town for coming out and voting in the numbers they did in this pandemic.”

“I’m impressed that over 800 people felt the issues were important enough to take the trouble to vote under complicated circumstances,” Rundell echoed in a letter posted in LincolnTalk. “I do think an enthusiastically contested election benefits the town by surfacing issues we should be talking about.”

DeLisi, who got the most votes of the three, said she was surprised to finish in first place. “Actually, I thought I would lose,” she said, since much of the campaign discussion focused on Domnitz vs. Rundell rather than DeLisi alone.

DeLisi was co-chair of the South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee, a large group with several subcommittees, one of which was the Village Planning and Zoning team. That team’s proposal for rezoning part of South Lincoln and changing the project approval process to give the board more latitude provoked much criticism. But the full SLPIC group rarely met, and DeLisi said she was not even aware of what the zoning team was suggesting until the process was well along.

“I thought the zoning subcommittee was working on ways to make it easier for businesses to open in town… and not focusing on regulations to help developers build dense condos as well,” DeLisi said. “I’ve never chaired a committee where I didn’t know what was going on, and I clearly did not know what was going on,” she said.

Her SLIPC co-chair was Gary Taylor, who was the board’s representative on the zoning subcommittee (and ironically, the person who beat out Domnitz in another close election in 2015).

Domnitz and DeLisi want to see any future zoning change proposals come from the full Planning Board, not SLPAC (the successor to SLPIC) or a subcommittee.

One thing all three candidates agreed on: the discussion about South Lincoln isn’t over.

“My position was that the town should have the conversation — not just a matter of one group shouting it down before everybody had the chance to engage in it,” Rundell said.

“We’re going to have to talk about South Lincoln and how to sustain what we have there. Maybe we do have to change the zoning, but not in the way it was proposed,” DeLisi said. “I think we need to be speaking to the people who live around there and involve them in the conversation.”

News acorns

Pop-up testing sites for Covid-19

The state Department of Public Health is offering free Covid-19 testing at various locations on June 17 and 18 for people who have recently been in a large group setting such as a protest. Click here for more information and locations. The sites closest to Lincoln are in Cambridge and Somerville (call the listed number to check availability), as well as the CVS store at 800 Lexington St. in Waltham (click here to make an appointment online). Results come back in 2–4 days.

“Duathlon” for kids this weekend

In place of Lincoln’s traditional Splash-Mash-Dash kids’ triathlon, the Parks and Rec Department and triathlon organizers invite kids to do their own “duathlon” (run, bike, run) this weekend (June 20-210. Children age 5-14 can complete the suggested distance (see below) and submit their time and/or photos here — no need to sign up or register anywhere beforehand. This can be done around the school ballfield (only on the weekend when there is no construction traffic) or any other route where you can measure out one-third of a mile. Watch this video for tips on how to set up and execute your race.

  • Ages 5-6: 3 mile run, 1 mile bike ride, 0.3 mile run (on Ballfield Road this would be 1 lap, 3 laps, 1 lap)
  • Ages 7-10: 3 mile run, 2 mile bike ride, 0.6 mile run (1 lap, 6 laps, 2 laps)
  • Ages 11-14: 6 mile run, 3 mile bike ride, 1 mile run (2 laps, 9 laps, 3 laps)

Since the roads will not be closed to traffic as they are during the regular triathlon, make sure your kids ride and run safely by following the rules of the road, wearing helmets, watching carefully for hazards, and (when necessary) participating with them. If your child is able to complete the challenge, bring them to the Hartwell parking lot on Ballfield Road on Monday, June 22 between 4 and 6 p.m. to get a free Lincoln Kids Triathlon shirt (choose the color you like from a previous year’s race) plus a certificate to reward them for their efforts.

Library adapts and expands services during pandemic

The banner provided by the Friends of the Lincoln Library features the Mason Cooley quote, “Reading gives us somewhere to go when we have to stay where we are.”

By Lucy Maulsby

A brightly colored banner sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Library hangs across the porch of the original brick building to remind patrons of the many ways in which the library nourishes the community and serves as a vital resource, perhaps especially as current events demand new forms of engagement.

Since the building’s closure on March 14, librarians have focused on making more expansive use of the library website and expanding digital resources. The library has purchased additional digital content and has been regularly updating the list of available “at home” resources as new materials become available.

Regular Zoom meetings with staff at other libraries have reinforced institutional ties and allowed resources and strategies to be shared across the state. The library also began its first-ever staff book group. “It’s been great to connect for team building, morale boosting, reader advisory sharpening, and just plain fun,” children’s librarian Denise Shaver said.

To connect with local communities, the library has increased its use of social media, encouraged patrons to reach out with questions via phone and email, and run programs virtually. “We miss seeing our library visitors in person,” reference librarian Kate Tranquada said. “Fortunately, we’ve been able to serve patrons online and by phone. The use of digital resources has skyrocketed since the state of emergency began. We’ve also enjoyed helping digital book beginners, walking them through the process over the phone.”

“We’ve been holding our regular book groups (Friday Morning and Uplifting Reads) via Zoom. It’s been really nice to connect with our regular patrons, and to see people who couldn’t attend our book groups before because they were at work,” said assistant director Lisa Rothenberg. The children’s department has actively continued its Together Time Tales and Books and Bites book groups virtually. “Online book club was different, yet we were able to to talk about the same things we would usually talk about at the library,” said rising fourth-grader Russell Reiner.

The library’s new reader advisory Book Match Program has also been an extraordinarily successful way of connecting readers to books at a time when librarians and patrons can’t meet face to face. “To date we’ve matched over 50 children to just-right-for-them books,” children’s librarian Debbie Leopold said. Families have also enjoyed Lincoln resident Tara Rachel Jones’s virtual yoga for toddlers classes. 

To prepare for a phased reopening, the library has been actively collaborating with town and state authorities and librarians. Immediately following the closure, custodians Bob Bottino and Bob Lager did a comprehensive deep cleaning, and library director Barbara Myles has been visiting the building periodically during the shutdown. Since June 1, the librarians have been working within the building (while staying six feet apart) re-shelving books and preparing to engage with patrons in new ways. Some of the staff are also working part of their schedules from home following guidelines set by Gov. Baker and the town to stop the spread of Covid-19.

In the next phase of reopening, the library will start offering contactless pickup. To facilitate this effort, the Friends of the Lincoln Library have generously donated a tent to be placed outside of the main entrance where patrons will be able to pick up books. For dropoff, patrons should return books through the book drop.

The library is working to develop new guidelines to support the opening of the library building to patrons. This phase will include rearranging workstations and computers, installing Plexiglass sneeze guards, etc., as well as implementing new circulation patterns to ensure social distancing protocols can be maintained and facilitate the cleaning of high-contact surfaces. 

The Children’s Room has planned a Virtual Summer Reading Program. Please check this library web page for a list of virtual programs for all ages, as well as suggested booklists (titles can be accessed digitally). The Summer Reading Challenge, a summer highlight for many in Lincoln, will be launched on Wednesday, June 17.

More recently, the conversations about social justice, race and anti-racism, and protests that have ignited communities around the country have served as a potent reminder of the library’s critical role as a source of diverse perspectives, histories, ideas, and information. To help support parents, the children’s librarians have posted a list of books to facilitate conversations about race. For adults, the library has referenced a list of books, a number of which deal with related topics, prepared earlier in the year for the community by the Lincoln School Committee. 

The library looks forward to continuing to provide resources for the community that confront the history of race in America and anti-racism, actively expanding its collection to reflect a diversity of perspectives and points of view and drawing attention to those resources. “We believe black lives matter and will participate in the effort to make real change in our community,” Myles said.

Lucy Maulsby is the School Committee representative to the library’s Board of Trustees.

Rundell is out and Domnitz back on Planning Board

In a very close race for Planning Board, incumbent Lynn DeLisi and challenger Bob Domnitz won the two open seats, ousting Rick Rundell, who has been on the board since 2012. Domnitz previously served on the board from 2003–15 but himself was beaten by Gary Taylor in 2015 by a margin of 481-441 (click on ballot image). 

In the June 15 election, residents could vote for two of the three candidates. Domnitz, a Mill Street resident, beat Rundell in Precinct 2 (northern and eastern Lincoln), 459-412, but came in third in Precinct 1. DeLisi garnered the most votes of the three candidates, but Domnitz’s margin in his home precinct was enough to allow him to finish in second place overall, beating Rundell by 47 votes. A total of 806 ballots were cast in the election for a turnout of 17% of registered voters (the Planning Board was the only contested race).

The race was the focus of much townwide debate and campaigning. Over the last year, the board has been at the center of  controversial proposal (since shelved) by one of the South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee’s teams to relax some of the zoning rules for the Lincoln Station area and give the board more power to approve projects that might otherwise have had to go to Town Meeting. 

Unofficial town election results for June 2020 (click to see both pages).

In the June 11 candidate forum, DeLisi and Domnitz roundly criticized the proposal by SLPIC. But Rundell pushed back, noting that the board could not change its decision-making scope without approval at Town Meeting. The SLPIC proposal was originally on the docket when Town Meeting was scheduled for March but were withdrawn before the meeting was rescheduled due to the pandemic. SLPIC then planned to bring a revised proposal to a Special Town Meeting this fall but subsequently shelved the plan entirely. 

During the forum, Rundell characterized himself as a “forward-looking candidate” and said the board’s role should not be “fossilizing the town in a certain state.” 

Ironically, Rundell said in March that he was recruited to the Planning Board shortly after arriving in Lincoln by Domnitz because he felt the board lacked a professional architect. 

The Lincoln Squirrel will interview all three candidates about the results and hopes to publish a story on June 16.