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

More big spending, rate hike on tap for Water Department

By Alice Waugh

The Water Department is asking for a significant increase in its operating budget for next year, as well as another substantial hike in water rates. And in a sign of ongoing concern about the department, no less than six residents have taken out nominating papers for the three seats on the Water Commission, which oversees the department.

At its December 10 meeting, the commission approved a budget request for fiscal 2021 of $1.835 million — a 38% increase over this year’s figure. It’s also seeking $250,000 in capital spending, though the department expects to ask for even more in fiscal 2022 to replace the aging Tower Road well and remodel the second floor of pump station. The total cost estimate for the well project is $575,000 to be split over two years, so another six-figure amount is in the cards for the fiscal 2023 capital budget.

The requested spending increases come on top of votes at two Town Meetings last year to approve borrowing for the Water Department totaling almost $2 million. Water rates last year went up by 25% as a result, and they’re expected to rise this year by as much as 30% (or even 34% if the board decides to increase its retained earnings by $150,000 to allow for unanticipated expenses). This would involve hiking the base meter rate, the water usage rates, or both. The average annual total bill this year is $667.

The Water Commission will settle on an approach for hiking rates at its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 9 a.m. and has scheduled a public hearing on the proposal on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 9 a.m.

The explosion in spending over the last two years is a result of several factors: deferred maintenance and insufficient spending on capital projects in previous years, repair costs in 2019 for two water line breaks as well as a chemical leak at the town well on Tower Road, and a rash of staff departures requiring expensive short-term help to keep the water treatment plant operating.

Staff vacancies

More than two-thirds of the proposed operating budget increase in fiscal 2021 is for staff (salaries and overtime) as well as contract labor to fill the gaps created by vacancies. Exacerbating the problem is an ongoing statewide shortage of licensed water operators, especially in the public sector, with dozens of jobs going unfilled for long periods. Lincoln’s openings have been advertised for months with few if any applications, and the town recently raised some starting salaries to attract more applicants.

When Superintendent MaryBeth Wiser was hired in March 2018, the department was at full strength, with a water treatment plant manager and three plant operators in addition to the supervisor and administrative assistant. By February 2019, operator Victor Vasselin and plant manager Heather Clary (a Lincoln resident) were gone. Then just weeks ago in December, around the time a new plant manager was finally hired, the remaining two operators, Jeremy Bernard and Will MacInnes, left. For at least a week, before plant manager Gary Tuck began work, all four of the plant staff positions were vacant.

The commission expects to vote on hiring another new operator at its February 4 meeting, but that will still leave the four-person plant staff at only half strength.

Bernard and several former Water Department employees told the Lincoln Squirrel that morale had been low since Wiser’s arrival, saying she was not qualified and was abusive to staff. By the summer of 2018, about four months after Wiser was hired, complaints about her had reached the point where “employees were lined up daily one and two deep at a time at the front counter of the selectmen’s office,” according to minutes of the commission’s August 8, 2018 meeting.

At that meeting, which devoted considerable time to a discussion of Wiser’s rocky transition, Higgins said he was “astounded that they had to counsel the staff on basic professionalism, basic courtesy and respect for each other and the superintendent” and alluded to “challenges faced by the previous superintendent with the Water Department employees.” He also said that the commission “needs to discuss whether they would like to keep Ms. Wiser [and] Ms. Wiser needs to think about whether she wants to stay.”

Bernard and MacInnes did not respond to requests for comment about the reasons for their departures.

In addition to the plant operator turnover, four administrative assistants have come and gone since late 2018. As a result, the department has had to pay an outside software consultant to help with billing and training the series of administrative assistants. As of July 2019, he had been retained for three quarterly billing cycles at a projected cost of about $38,000.

When asked this week if any of the past administrative assistants had voiced concerns about Wiser and why there had been such rapid turnover in that position, Water Commission Chair Ruth Ann Hendrickson said she could not comment on personnel issues.

Lincoln’s water treatment plant must be fully staffed to maintain its licensure from the state Department of Environmental Protection, and “they’re paying careful attention to that” and requiring “regular, sometimes daily updates,” Town Administrator Tim Higgins told the Board of Selectmen at its meeting on December 9.

MassDEP spokesman Joe Ferson said earlier this month that the agency is “continuing to monitor the situation” and that the town “believes they can manage this situation and is working on a longer-term strategy to come into full compliance with regulatory requirements.” Part of this strategy is budgeting for a new position of utility laborer, which would be filled by someone who would learn on the job in a journeyman capacity and eventually qualify for promotion and licensure.

Extra pay for superintendent

The short staffing has meant many hours of extra work for Wiser, who has has been the only person on call to respond to mechanical problems at the treatment plant in recent weeks. A qualified operator must respond in person to equipment malfunction alarms, some of which are due to aging water filters that can’t be replaced until they arrive on a ship from Australia in late May at the earliest.

Although the superintendent is an exempt job category that’s not entitled to overtime pay, Wiser asked for a stipend to compensate her for the extra hours — a request that took the Water Commission by surprise at its January 7 meeting. “It would have been helpful if you had come to me ahead of time so I could give it some thought,” Hendrickson said.

At that meeting, the commission suggested Wiser take comp time, but the ongoing staff shortages make that impossible, she said. After some discussion, the commission on January 21 approved paying Wiser an additional $7,000 a month retroactive to December 2019 until the new staff members are familiar enough with the plant’s operations to take call after hours. The panel will revisit the matter at its March meeting.

Many Water Commission candidates

The Water Commission itself has undergone considerable turnover as well. Robert Antia and Heather Ring resigned from the three-member panel last year, with Ring citing lack of confidence with Wiser and a “hostile work environment [that] festers.” This required the town to make two emergency short-term appointments in October: Michelle Barnes and Selectman Jennifer Glass. Both terms expire this spring, and Hendrickson’s term is also up, meaning there would be a completely different board after the town election on March 30.

As of this week, six residents had taken out papers to gather the signatures needed to appear on the ballot. Hendrickson announced earlier this month that she would run for a two-year term, her last on the commission, and Steven Kanner has filed papers to run for the same seat. Jim Hutchinson, who is completing his service on the Finance Committee, and Housing Commission member Allen Vander Meulen, who ran for the Board of Selectman in 2017, are eyeing the one-year seat, and Barnes and Ephraim Flint have pulled papers for the three-year seat.

Letter to the editor: Town Moderator seeks reelection

To the editor:

Today I handed in my nomination papers for reelection to the position of Town Moderator. I feel honored to have served in that position for six years and look forward to serving for another term.

I have learned a great deal about running our Town Meeting, but I know that with each meeting, there is more to learn. I strive to ensure that our meetings are respectful at that same time that the issues are fully and robustly debated. The feedback from residents has been helpful and worthy of reflection and consideration.

As Moderator, I have also enjoyed working for six years with Lincoln eighth-graders in an effort to introduce them to direct democracy through the process of gathering signatures of registered voters and submitting a citizens’ petition to Town Meeting.

I ask for your support at the local election on Monday, March 30. And I look forward to seeing everyone at our annual Town Meeting on Saturday, March 28.

Sincerely,

Sarah Cannon Holden
Weston Road

Police log for the week of Jan. 17, 2020

January 17

Deerhaven Road (9:56 a.m.) — Officer observed a damaged van parked along the road near Old Cambridge Turnpike, but no one was around the vehicle.

Concord Road, Wayland (1:51 .m.) — Officers assisted Wayland police with a reported burglary in progress. Wayland police are investigating the incident.

January 18

North Great Road (1:54 p.m.) — Two-car crash on Rte. 2A at Bedford Rd. One person transported to a local hospital with a minor injury.

Cambridge Turnpike (3:40 p.m.) — Resident came to the station reporting receiving a call about owing the government money. Officers spoke to the resident and advised it was a scam call. No money was sent to anyone by the resident.

Mayflower Road, Hanscom Air Force Base (4:02 p.m.) — Hanscom security forces requested assistance in locating a missing child. Officers responded and found the child on the property hiding in a recycling bin.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (5:15 p.m.) — Business owner called regarding a past theft of approximately $1,000 of property. Officers investigated and summonsed two parties to court for larceny under $1,200. The property was recovered.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (5:19 p.m.) — Officers responded to a one-car crash near Bedford Road, no injuries. State police were on the scene.

Old Sudbury Road (10:19 p.m.) — Caller reported two people standing on Old Sudbury Road. Officers located the parties and assisted them with arranging to get back home to Wayland.

January 19

Bypass Road (12:23 p.m.) — Report of a suspicious car in the driveway. Officers spoke to the parties and they were sent on their way.

Wells Road (1:13 p.m.) — Caller requested assistance with a civil matter involving another party. Officers assisted and informed the resident of their legal options.

January 20

Wells Road (11:41 a.m.) — A resident of Watertown requested a wellbeing check on a Lincoln resident. Officers checked and all is fine.

Concord Road (6:30 p.m.) — Officers stopped a person who was found to have an arrest warrant out of Clinton District Court. Aricelma DeOliveira, 42, of 657 Main St. in Clinton was arrested and later bailed to appear in Clinton District Court.

January 21

Short Hill Road (3:12 p.m.) — Caller reported being locked out of her house. Fire Department assisted the party in gaining access.

January 22

Sandy Pond Road (6:33 a.m.) — Caller reported a truck idling on Sandy Pond Road. It was gone on police arrival.

Wells Road (6:46 p.m.) — Caller reported hearing a loud noise. Officers checked and found it was a mechanical issue; maintenance was contacted and will handle.

Minebrook Road (9:13 p.m.) — Caller reported hearing gunshots. Officers checked the area and all was quiet.

January 23

Bedford Road (2:28 a.m.) — Officer observed a vehicle parked in the driveway with its car door open. Officer secured the door; appears to be neglect.

Tower Road (10:44 a.m.) — MBTA reported an employee was on the tracks with a deer that had been struck by a train. MBTA work crew to handle.

Oakwood St., Dorchester (2:59 p.m.) — Investigators arrested Robert Barr, 50, of 30 Oakwood St., in Dorchester on a warrant stemming from a breaking and entering case from 2019.

DeCordova Museum (1:57 p.m.) — Caller reported a car on fire in the parking lot of the deCordova Museum. Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire.

Concord Road (9:18 p.m.) — Caller reported an outside odor of natural gas. Fire Department responded and investigated and found nothing.

Lincoln Road (10:26 p.m.) — Caller requested information on a relative who was last seen at the Real restaurant a few days ago. Officers found that his relative was in custody in the Norfolk House of Corrections.

Lincoln hospice house wins several awards

The Care Dimensions Hospice house in Lincoln.

The Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln has won four awards for excellence in architecture, interior design, and construction.

The 18-bed facility, which opened in April 2018, is located on Winter Street at the Waltham town line. The 27,600-square-foot inpatient hospice house offers hospital-level care for hospice patients requiring 24/7 medical care for acute pain and symptom management. An interdisciplinary team provided medical, emotional, and spiritual care to 460 patients and their families in the hospice house’s first year of operation.

At its 2019 Designer Awards, the International Furnishings & Design Association’s New England chapter honored Beverly-based SV Design in the Commercial Healthcare category for its work on the interior design of the hospice house. SV Design’s visions was a relaxed residence that could accommodate a range of needs, with a focus on the emotional and practical needs of its patients and their families, that echoed the natural surroundings that are integral to the facility’s environmental mood and aesthetic.

In its 27th annual Excellence in Construction Awards, the Massachusetts chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) recognized Windover Construction of Beverly, Mass., with its Merit Award, which recognizes overall excellence in project execution, craftsmanship, safety, innovative elements and challenges, and client satisfaction

In its 2019 Design for Aging Review, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) cited EGA, a Newburyport-based architectural design and planning firm, for successfully achieving a balance between a home-like environment and the highest quality of clinical elements in the facility’s design.

The hospice house solarium.

A patient’s room with an exit to a patio overlooking the Cambridge reservoir.

In its sixth annual Senior Housing News (SHN) Architecture & Design Awards, SHN, an Aging Media Network Publication, awarded second place to the Care Dimensions Hospice House in its 2019 Hospice category. More than 100 residential senior communities across the country and globe submitted new construction and renovation projects for commendation, vying for top honors across SHN’s nine individual award categories.

Winter at the farm (Lincoln Through the Lens)

The white barns of Codman Community Farms match their snowy surroundings earlier this winter. See this CCF blog post for a description of what goes on during the quieter winter months.

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.

COA, Selectmen seek to change their names

By Alice Waugh

Two town government organizations — the Board of Selectmen and the Council on Aging — are hoping to change their names to keep up with changing times.

The Council on Aging (COA) wants to change its name to the Council on Aging and Human Services to reflect how its mission has expanded to serve Lincoln residents of all ages. A group of residents is proposing an update from Board of Selectmen (BOS) to Select Board to promote gender inclusivity and equality, in the same spirit as other title changes such as chairman to chair, fireman to firefighter and mailman to postal carrier. Both changes require Town Meeting approval in March.

Residents including Ellen Meyer Shorb, Stuart Rose, Kim Bodnar, Emily Haslett, and current Selectman Jennifer Glass organized a citizen’s petition to change the name of the BOS. The board itself is also sponsoring a warrant article that, if approved, aims to ensure that all language in the town by-laws is gender-neutral. Selectmen will discuss the issue at their next meeting on January 27.

According to the measure’s background document (which is based on similar measures enacted in 30 other Massachusetts towns including Bedford, Concord, Lexington, Sudbury, and Weston), the term “selectman” traces its history back to the early days of America. In the new open town meeting form of government, every citizen could voice opinions and vote on town matters — but “every citizen” referred to every land-owning male citizen. Soon, the notion of calling every man in town together to decide daily matters proved too cumbersome, and a group of men were selected to manage the details of town governance.

Lincoln elected Beth Ries as its first female Selectman in 1977; nine other women have since held that office.

“My personal thinking on ‘why do this and why now’ is that language matters and how we speak reflects who is included, and I’m glad that our town and towns around us are finally formalizing language that reflects this,” Shorb said.

Council on Aging

When the COA was first established, its mission was to serve seniors exclusively, but more recently, it’s been administering the Emergency Assistance Fund and the fuel assistance program, which are both open to all residents. In the past two years, the COA and other town officials have seen “a significant increase in the number of residents of all ages in various kinds of crisis,” and many of them were coming to the Council on Aging for help, COA Director Carolyn Bottum said.

in response, the town funded a community nursing position starting in 2018, and last year, with the help of grants, the COA began administering two more services for all ages: a town social worker and mental health clinics. Then in October, the Rental Assistance Program was launched in collaboration with the Housing Commission to provide help to residents of all ages who need assistance with rent. 

“The current name no longer reflects the fact that a considerable portion of our services are human services provided to residents of all ages. It also doesn’t reflect the fact that the town nurse, town social worker, AARP tax aide, SHINE [a program that helps Medicare recipients with health insurance], and veterans agent, all of whom serve residents of all ages, are all housed in the COA building and organized by the COA,” Bottum said.

“In addition, we do find that younger residents, especially, are confused and sometimes reluctant to work with us because they think we only serve older adults. Finally, we do think it may help when we go to apply for grants that are for services for younger people, since gran-tmakers might be confused as to why a Council on Aging is asking for funds for a program for younger people,” she added.

The name change must be approved at Town Meeting in March. In December, the Board of Selectmen were supportive of the plan.

“It’s a signal to people of where to turn if they don’t fall into that [senior] category but need some help, so it’s a benefit to the community in that way,” Selectman Jennifer Glass said.

“It’s more comprehensive and more transparent,” Selectman Jonathan Dwyer said.

Several other Massachusetts towns including Littleton, Taunton, Foxboro, Seekonk, Norton have also updated the name of their Council on Aging “simply because there is no other human services department in town,” Bottum said.

Regardless of the change, “it’s extremely essential to note that adding Human Services to our name does not denote that we are in any way no longer focused on seniors.  We are here to be the second home, voice, and advocate for Lincoln seniors just as much as we always were. Our focus is still on seniors; we have just added a service component for other ages and the name change reflects that. But we will always be a Council on Aging first,” Bottum said.

News acorns

Forum on South Lincoln rezoning proposal is Feb. 5

Residents can hear the latest on the proposed rezoning of the Lincoln Station area at a public forum on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall.

Officials have been working with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to rezone on rezoning Lincoln’s village center to create equitable transit-oriented development that will allows for housing options and create a vibrant, active walkable, and sustainable village center. The South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee’s Planning and Zoning team.

Last May, the group presented its proposal for the new South Lincoln Village District would have two subareas: business, which emphasizes commercial or mixed use, and residential, which provides a variety of housing options close to transit and retail amenities. The residential subarea would allow buildings up to three and a half stories further back from Lincoln Road to accommodate greater density.

Memorial event for Sylvia Kennedy (1934-2018)

St. Julia Parish, Weston/Lincoln invites you to join us on Saturday, Feb. 8 from 2–4 p.m. at Bemis Hall in Lincoln as we share our memories of a beloved parishioner, Sylvia Kennedy (1934-2018) and her contributions to our community. Please RSVP to Colm McGarry (cmcgarry@stjulia.org) if you plan to attend. All are welcome.  

Gustafson-Zook featured at next LOMA

Sadie Gustafson-Zook

Sadie Gustafson-Zook is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, Feb. 10 in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. The event runs from 7–10 p.m., and she’ll perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30.

Gustafson-Zook holds a master’s degree in jazz and contemporary music from the Longy School of Music. Since moving to Boston from Indiana in 2017, she’s collaborated with some cutting-edge acoustic musicians from New England including Julian Pinelli (violinist with Ben Sollee), Ethan Setiawan (national mandolin champion) and Dan Klingsberg (bassist of Ruthless Moon). 

Admission is free and refreshments are provided. 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.

Climate science is focus of Groundhog Day at Drumlin Farm

Drumlin Farm’s resident groundhog, Ms. G.

The Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary is set to host its annual Groundhog Day event on Sunday, Feb. 2, with a focus on climate science and weather.

Climate Action Day will feature activities centered on what children and adults can do to learn about and respond to the effects of climate change. The event will again feature Ms. G, the official state groundhog of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as she emerges from her winter hibernation and determines whether or not spring will come early this year.

“The impact of climate change on people and wildlife in New England is already evident, but that doesn’t mean that there ‘s nothing that we can do about it,” said Drumlin Farm Sanctuary Director Renata Pomponi. “Climate Action Day is intended to be a way for families to engage with a serious issue in a positive way, focusing on the small but meaningful actions that they can take in their own lives to help meet this challenge. As the Commonwealth’s most prominent wildlife ambassador, Ms. G serves as a symbol of the animals and their habitat that we all can help to protect by working together in our communities.”

The traditional Groundhog Day ceremony and forecast start at 10 a.m. (encore at 11:15 a.m.), followed by winter activities such as meeting resident wildlife and exploring wilderness trails. There will be live music starting at 10:30 a.m., and hot cocoa and warm beverages will be provided throughout the day. Visitors can also purchase produce grown at Drumlin Farm.

The Groundhog Day/Climate Action Day events take place from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and is free with paid admission ($9 adults and teens, $6 children 2–12 and seniors), and free for Mass Audubon members. Drumlin Farm is open that day from 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Featured Programs:

  • Learn the forecast for spring’s arrival from our woodchuck weather expert (six more weeks of winter if she sees her shadow; an early spring if she doesn’t).
  • Visit with more of our resident wildlife and farm animals, learn about winter tracking, and explore the wildlife sanctuary’s trails
  • Listen to live music performed by the local band Sweet Wednesday starting at 10:30 am
  • Make winter crafts to take home
  • Investigate our local climate with Don McCasland of Blue Hill Observatory Science Center
  • Purchase produce grown at Drumlin Farm
  • Learn how climate change impacts hibernating species in New England

Ms. G was declared the Official State Groundhog by then-Governor Deval Patrick on July 31, 2014, when he signed the bill submitted by Wellesley’s Hunnewell Elementary School students. The measure also had its origins at Drumlin Farm (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Jan. 30, 2013).

Eighth-grader named as Lincoln’s Project 351 Ambassador

Devon Das

Lincoln School eighth-grader Devon Das has been selected as Lincoln’s Project 351 Ambassador, joined other other eighth-graders from every Massachusetts city and town for a transformational year of service, leadership development, and civic engagement.

The annual Launch and Service Day convened Project 351’s tenth Class of Ambassadors for a day of service and leadership to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Gov. Charlie Baker, First Lady Lauren Baker, and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito joined the morning celebration at Faneuil Hall. The day included service in support of 18 nonprofit organizations including the Greater Boston Food Bank, the Pine Street Inn, Be Like Brit, and the Chelsea and Holyoke Soldiers Homes.

There is no application process; educators nominate and select their community’s ambassador based on criteria and a process provided by the organization. Devon was selected by the Lincoln School to represent Lincoln for demonstrating an ethic of service and the values of kindness, compassion, humility, and gratitude. “Devon has volunteered for everything I’ve offered this year and he will make the most of the opportunity,” said Steve Cullen, the eighth-grade social studies teacher.

Project 351 ambassadors develop the skills and confidence to mobilize schools and communities in statewide service campaigns. Their spring service will benefitting Cradles and Crayons and 9.11 Tribute Service with the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, while their fall service will addresses the challenge of hunger through support of hundreds of hometown food pantries. At the close of the Ambassador year, they can continue to hone skills and lead communities in service as members of the Alumni Leadership Council or alumni community.

Since its founding in 2011, 3,381 eighth graders have engaged as Project 351 Ambassadors, serving more than 720,000 neighbors through youth-led statewide service campaigns.

Property sales in December 2019

27 Storey Drive — Iain Fraser and Jean Gray for $1,283,000 (December 20)

103 Page Rd. — Kathleen P. Gentile Trust to Klaus and Iwona Dobler for $645,000 (December 6)

41 Lincoln Rd. — Magda L. Fleckner Trust to Gregory and Melanie Haines for $1,047,000 (December 6)

361 Hemlock Circle — Robert G. Ruland Trust to Keith Gilbert and Stacey Osur for $505,000 (December 6)