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

Council on Aging activities in November

Musical jazz lunch
November 1 at noon
Celebrate fall by grabbing a table at Bemis while the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band serenades you with good old tunes. Bring a bag lunch and, if you like, food purchased already prepared at the store to share. The COA provides beverages and dessert.

Toni Lynn Washington and Sax Gordon Beadle sing and play the blues
November 3 at 2 p.m.
All ages are invited to a free concert by renowned Boston-area blues vocalist Toni Lynn Washington and acclaimed saxophonist Sax Gordon Beadle on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. at Bemis Hall. The performance is the third annual Ronna Cooper Memorial Concert and is sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln COA. It is a gift from Margo Cooper in celebration of her mother’s life. Washington has delighted and awed audiences in Boston and around the country and the globe for decades as both a singer and songwriter. She has received the Boston Blues Festival Lifetime Achievement Award, had seven Blues Music Award nominations, and released five CDs. Sax Gordon, known for his “hard-blowing, exciting, gutsy” signature style, has performed around the world, won numerous awards, and recorded six CDs. Marty Ballou on bass, Bryan Claunch on keyboard, Tom Avery on drums, and Cheryl Arena on vocals and harmonica will back up Toni Lynn and Sax Gordon for this fabulous afternoon of music. For more information about the concert, call Carolyn Bottum at the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811.

New group focusing on family issues
November 4 at 10 a.m.
For many people, relationships with family members are central. They may be a source of great support, satisfaction, and pleasure, but they also may be a source of conflict, disappointment, and dissatisfaction. All are invited to join a new group that will meet for five Mondays starting on Nov. 4th from 10–11 a.m. at Bemis Hall. This group will be an opportunity to share those feelings and to get ideas for ways of trying to improve relationships and to examine expectations and communications which may lead to greater satisfaction. For many the holiday season can bring these feelings into sharper focus and groups can offer support. The group will be led by Claire Gerstein, a social worker with many years of experience assisting people with family challenges. [Read more…] about Council on Aging activities in November

Property sales in September

39 Weston Rd. — Addison D. Parks to Maxwell L. Semler and Amelia G. Haney for $1,025,000 (September 18)

0 and 19 South Great Rd. — Robert C. Cantu Trust to Paul D. and Ann C. Kaplan for $2,000,000 (September 23)

31 Greenridge Lane — Shivakumar Vasanth to Michael J. and Lodna Kellett for $505,000 (September 30)

75 Winter St. — Meir Weinstein to Kevin M. Jung and Marie F. Osborn for $879,000 (September 6)

108 Tower Rd. — Christopher City to John and Linda De Valpine for $1,265,000 (September 17)

20 Farrar Rd. — Patrick R. Wardell to Daniel F. Eder and Hannah Flint for $1,240,000 (September 30)

9 Giles Rd. — Bryan Leibowitz to Kristen Ramirez for $982,000 (September 27)

8 Willarch Rd. — Robert J. Stoddard to Ma Yue and Niu Weiping for $1,230,000 (September 25)

267 Concord Rd. — John L. Braden Trust to Jeffrey R. Chabot and Randi D. Rotjan for $1,098,000 (September 25)

News acorns

Events rescheduled

  • The India Discovery Center has postponed its seminar on India and Britain from November 2 (when the State of the Town meeting will take place) to Saturday, Nov. 30.
  • The free screening of the documentary “The River and the Wall” originally scheduled for October 18 has been rescheduled for Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Filmmaker Ben Masters and colleagues traveled 1,200 miles along the U.S.-Mexico border via horse, mountain bike, and canoe. Sponsored by the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee.

House party for Democrats in Congress

Learn about Force Multiplier (a strategic, voluntary fundraising organization) and meet legislators at a house party in Lincoln on Sunday, Nov. 10 from 2–4 p.m. Hear Rep. Katherine Clark’s analysis of 2020 election challenges and opportunities and meet Abigail Spanberger (Va-7), a newly elected Democratic representative who hopes to hold on to her seat in a red district. Sponsored by the Arlington, Natick, Lincoln and Wayland  Democratic Town Committees. RSVP and donate (location of event available with reservation).

Domestic violence workshop for faith communities

The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable is offering a workshop on “Our House Too: How Faith Communities Can Support Survivors of Domestic Abuse in Their Congregations.” This program is designed for clergy, members of social action/social justice committees, caring communities, and anyone who wants to make a difference in their congregations.

The first workshop will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 12 from 3–4:30 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room of the Wayland Public Safety Building (38 Cochituate Rd., Wayland). For those who prefer an evening workshop, the identical program will also be offered on Tuesday, Nov. 19 from 7–8:30 p.m. at First Parish in Wayland (225 Boston Post Rd., Wayland).

Roundtable board members from REACH Beyond Domestic Violence and Journey to Safety (the Jewish Family and Children’s Service response to domestic abuse), will lead the workshop and discussions. The workshop will highlight how important it is for people in faith communities to learn and talk about domestic abuse, clearly sending the message that abuse happens in “Our House Too.” Participants will leave with a better understanding of domestic abuse and action items they can carry out in their own congregations. For more information, email infodvrt@gmail.com.

Conservation Commission seeks new member

The Conservation Commission is looking for a new commissioner to fill a vacancy of a member who has moved out of town. The commission meets every third week on Wednesdays from 7–10:30pm. Its job is to approve or deny permits within our jurisdictional area under the guidelines of the state wetlands law and our own Town bylaw. In addition, the commission maintains 80 miles of trails in town and stewards 200 acres of agricultural land. Commissioners are also expected to participate on related town boards or committees as representatives from Con Com.

The best way to find out what the commission does is to attend one of our meetings.  Our next meeting is on Wednesday November 6 at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall. For more information please contact Tom Gumbart in the Conservation Department office (2612) or any commissioner. Anyone interested should download and fill out the volunteer form and send it to Peggy Elder in the office of the Board of Selectmen, which makes appointments to the commission.

FELS invites direct donations for pie-sale beneficiaries

Although the Foundation for Educators for Lincoln-Sudbury (FELS) won’t be selling pies this year, residents can donate directly to the organizations that benefit.

  • The senior citizens’ Thanksgiving luncheon is organized by the L-S MLK Action Project. To donate, send a check payable to LSRHS with “MLK Thanksgiving Luncheon” on the memo line and mail it to Susan Frommer, LSRHS, 90 Lincoln Rd., Sudbury, MA  01776.
  • To donate to the Lincoln food pantry, make a check payable to St. Vincent de Paul and mail it to St. Vincent de Paul, P.O. Box 324, Lincoln, MA. 01773

Police log for October 18–24

October 18

Old Concord Road (10:47 a.m.) — Real estate agent reported a sign stolen from Old Concord Road. Officer took a report.

2 Horses Crossing (4:10 p.m.) — Former owner of the property called about two saddles that he had prior to the sale of the property. Officer assisted.

Minuteman Technical High School, 758 Marrett Rd, Lexington (11:24 p.m. — Security company reports kids walking on school property. Officer checked the area; no contact with the parties was made.

October 20

23 Old Farm Road (3:10 p.m.) — Resident was the victim of identity fraud.

October 21

49 Wells Rd. (5:34 p.m.) — Officer spoke to complainant regarding ongoing neighbor dispute.

October 23

Re. 2A near Bedford Road (8:22 a.m.) — Two-car crash; no injuries.

112 South Great Rd. (9:55 a.m.) — Neighbor called reporting that several hours ago, they saw a light go off and on inside the home and requested an officer to check the house. Officer found no problem at the residence.

Hanscom Drive (10:03 a.m.) — Report of a white van dumping trash on the side of the road. Officers unable to locate the van.

264 Lincoln Rd. (three entries) — Court paperwork dropped off at the residence.

October 24

14 Wheeler Rd. (11:57 a.m.) — Assisting a resident with a civil matter.

Codman Road (9:30 p.m.) — Report of an erratic operator by the Fire Department. Officers caught up to the vehicle; operator was fine (no impairment).

Letter to the editor: thanks to everyone for moyamoya fundraiser

To the editor:

Contestants line up at the cornhole fundraiser at Codman Community Farms.

On behalf of our whole family, I want to thank the community for their outpouring of support and generosity at our fundraiser last weekend. We hosted our first (hopefully annual) Brain Games Corn Hole tournament benefiting moyamoya disease research at Boston Children’s Hospital. There were numerous sponsors and donors that made the event possible.

This past May, our 4-year-old was diagnosed with moyamoya disease, a rare brain disorder, and in June, she had bilateral brain surgery. Thankfully, the best surgeon in the world who also helped pioneer the surgical procedure, Dr. Ed Smith, is located here at Boston Children’s Hospital. Kalea’s cousin was diagnosed 12 years ago with the same disease, and his family’s fund-raising inspired our event. Without their fund raising, genetic testing advances would not have been made (that our children are undergoing now), as well as several lives saved from procedures perfected from his funding. 

In the wake of our Lincoln fundraiser, we thank the police department for cooking all of the food, Dan Pereira with Parks and Recreation for transporting tents and setup/organization, Twisted Tree Café for numerous gift cards for raffle prizes, Boon Ice for donating all the ice to keep drinks cold, and last but not least Codman Community Farms and Pete Lowy, who made the location and atmosphere perfect! Most importantly, we thank the countless volunteers (adults as well as eighth-grade students) who went out of their way to show up early, carry tables and set up, serve food, and assist in the kids arts and crafts tables and bouncy houses. 

There have been so many times since moving here five years ago that we have appreciated this community. However, the past five months have truly made us grateful to be part of this town. The saying “it takes a village” has never felt more true. Community is defined as a unified body of individuals. That could not be seen anymore clearly as it was shown yesterday.

The event alone raised just over $12,000. Our online fundraising page at www.doofamilyfun.com is currently at about $27,500, and has been climbing over the course of today. For those of you unaware, every penny of the event is going directly into the surgeon’s trust to further research. He is one of the surgeons who pioneered the surgery that has saved our daughter’s life.

The Doo family.

Additionally, I have an entire carload of toys, puzzles, and books that we are donating on Monday, Oct. 28 to the ninth-floor hospital play rooms. Kalea is beyond excited to share these items with a place that made her hospital stay more enjoyable. The generosity of friends, family, and people we have not met before has just overwhelmed us.

We hope that everyone enjoyed the day. Our thanks seems so trivial and insignificant for the kindness that everyone has shown, from the bottom of our hearts we do truly thank you for everything! Hope to see y’all again next year!

Sincerely,
The Doo family: Bryan and Brianna, Mikayla, Kailani, Alana, Kalea, Maddox, and Atticus
7 Reiling Pond Rd., Lincoln

More borrowing, water rate hikes on the horizon

At the upcoming Special Town Meeting, the Water Department will ask voters for the second bond issue this year to pay for repairs and deferred maintenance in Lincoln’s water system — a bond that will result in another rate hike for those on town water.

The bond vote will take place at a Special Town Meeting on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 9 a.m., right before the State of the Town meeting. The Water Commission is still in the process of determining exactly how much money will be sought, but the figures should be available at the conclusion of the group’s special meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 10 a.m.

The requested allocation comes only seven months after residents approved a $1 million bond for the Water Department at the 2019 Annual Town Meeting (see page 46 of the 2019 town meeting warrant for details). Some of the new borrowing will go to finish paying for some of the unfinished projects from that list that turned out to be costlier than expected.

At a meeting earlier this week, commissioners discussed some of the items from the latest list compiled earlier by Water Department Superintendent MaryBeth Wiser. They were joined by Town Administrator Tim Higgins and Finance Board member Jim Hutchinson, who have been trying to get a handle on the department’s budgeting process and needs. Higgins was scheduled to meet late this week with representatives of Tata and Howard, the department’s engineering consulting firm, to learn more about costs.

Two of the three Water Commissioners were sworn in only last week as interim members: Jennifer Glass and Michelle Barnes. Glass is already a member of the Board of Selectmen, “but we were sort of in emergency mode and she graciously agreed to wear another hat,” Higgins said. The vacancies resulted from the resignations in recent weeks of commission members Bob Antia and Heather Ring.

An insert to the Board of Selectmen newsletter being mailed to residents offers some background. Since the town’s water treatment plant in Sandy Pond Road was complete in 2002, “water treatment technology has changed, software technology has changed, our water profile has changed, and as of 2019, municipalities are subject to federal regulations,” the insert says. Since Wiser’s hiring in March 2018, “she has examined each aspect of the plant’s operations. It has become apparent that the modest level of capital spending has now resulted in a consequential amount of deferred maintenance.”

Among the urgently needed new items that can’t wait until the Annual Town Meeting in March 2020 are replacements for filters that are well beyond their life expectancy. Funds are needed right away because the parts take several months to be assembled and shipped from the manufacturer in Australia, and they need to be installed in the spring before the summer when water demand is high. Wiser told the commission in October 2018 that the total cost for the 240 filter modules was about $192,000. This week she said the cost would be about $325,000.

Also on the list of new expenditures:

  • Installation of a catwalk required to safely replace the filter banks
  • Remediation of a chemical release at the Tower Road well
  • Costs related to maintaining the filter banks until the replacement filters are installed
  • A part-time contractor to assist with plant operation. Two positions (plant operator and plant manager) have been vacant for several months

The items will be funded by a combination of retained earnings and additional borrowing. The Water Department currently has about $1 million in retained earnings and has a policy of keeping at least $500,000 in the fund at all times, Higgins said.

Though the figures will not be final until next week, he said on Thursday that the latest borrowing amount would be “similar in size” to the earlier $1.01 million. The March 2019 allocation has actually not yet been bonded (expenses have been paid through short-term borrowing), so the upcoming bond will include both sets of expenses, Higgins said.

“The Water Commission has to decide on long-term objectives, but in order to address these issues, there’s going to need to be a pretty significant rate increase to support it,” he said. Back in January, the commission approved a 25% rate hike as well as a $5 increase in the quarterly base charge per water meter.

At this week’s meeting, Wiser said her fiscal year 2021 budget proposal would probably include either further upgrades to the treatment plant to meet expensive new DEP regulations for handling organic matter in the water, or possible even a new plant. “Sometimes retrofitting larger plants with these types of fittings is more expensive than starting from scratch,” she said.

“It strikes me as highly unlikely that it would be cheaper for us to build a separate new plant. We may decide that the MWRA is the right choice,” Hutchinson said. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority supplies drinking water from the Quabbin Reservoir to several nearby towns including Weston and Lexington.

Aside from the treatment plant issues, aging water mains are another expensive problem in Lincoln and for water systems all over the country. The town had water main breaks on Bedford Road near the library in 2018 and under Route 2A in February 2019. Given the costs involved, some local and state officials are hoping that federal grants will materialize to help pay for proactive upgrades.

Letter to the editor: no FELS pies this year

To the editor:

FELS, the Foundation for Educators for Lincoln-Sudbury, regrets that we will not offer a Thanksgiving pie sale this year. Our supplier is unable to support our 2019 sale because of health issues.

We understand the inconvenience this creates and the significant void for our food pantries, the LSRHS Annual Senior Citizen Thanksgiving Luncheon, and our towns’ public safety officials. We plan to offer the sale again next year. In the meantime, we hope you will consider supporting the local food pantries and the L-S MLK Action Project, host of the senior citizen luncheon, with direct donations this year.

FELS is in the midst of its 2019 annual appeal, donations can be made via our website. We will host alternative fundraisers in addition to our annual FELStalk in 2020. Thank you for your understanding and ongoing generosity in allowing us to support the teachers and staff at LSRHS.

Sincerely,

Nancy Marshall (president, FELS)
23 Beaver Pond Rd., Lincoln

“Tensions” cited as factor in swap table dismissals

By Alice Waugh

A day after the town’s swap table volunteers were suddenly let go via letter, resulting in a flurry of dismay and speculation on LincolnTalk, Town Administrator Tim Higgins said that “tensions” at the transfer station facility played a role in the change, and that the town would welcome more volunteers there at some point in the future.

“We’ve encountered some tension between volunteers and residents of the town, so we’re in transition with the volunteer program,” Higgins said Thursday afternoon. “We’re expanding the swap table with the new shed and parking, and we’re hoping to reenergize and rejuvenate the volunteer program.”

Lincoln Mothers Out Front has been instrumental in creating the new composting program at the transfer station, “so we’re hoping they would view this as a logical offshoot of the work they’re doing” on promoting composting and other forms of recycling, he added.

Volunteers at the popular swap table and shed were shocked to receive dismissal notices signed by DPW Superintendent Chris Bibbo on Wednesday. Bibbo did not return calls on Wednesday or Thursday, but Higgins issued a written statement about the controversy early Thursday afternoon and later indicated to the Lincoln Squirrel that the statement spoke on Bibbo’s behalf.

“Swap tables are a wonderful form of sharing and recycling that can operate informally and without strict regulation when folks abide by rules of common courtesy, respect, and fair play,” Higgins wrote. “At the same time, swap programs frequently become a source of tension between heavy and occasional users, between folks vying for the same item, and philosophically between those who believe restrictions should be imposed on the resale of swapped items and those who support the swap table as its own form of cottage industry.”

At times, DPW staff “have been called on to de-escalate situations involving conflict between residents and volunteers when folks have felt that one or the other was monopolizing the program for personal gain or to benefit personal charities,” Higgins wrote. Other Massachusetts towns have encountered similar issues in running swap tables and have limited or closed them as a result.

“Going forward, we are responding to the tension by hitting the reset button,” Higgins wrote. The new swap shed “will allow the DPW to better organize the program, making it more efficient for users, staff, and volunteers… We are committed to developing a strong partnership between our professional staff and volunteers, and to establishing reasonable guidelines to ensure the viability, safety, and fairness of the program.”

News acorns

Rhapsody piano recital on Sunday

On Sunday, Oct. 27 at 3 p.m., the piano group Rhapsody will offer a piano recital in Bemis Hall. Featured on the program will be selections from Bach, Chopin, Guastavino, Handel, Liszt, and Mendelssohn. The performance is free and open to the public, and all are welcome to attend. Rhapsody was formed in 2003 by amateur pianists including Lincoln resident Ken Hurd who sought a venue in which to perform for each other, both to grow musically and to share their musical journey with others. Now an annual event, this will be their tenth public performance on the beautifully restored Steinway in Bemis Hall.

Climate change film looks at Anthropocene epoch

There will be a screening of the 2018 documentary film, “Anthropocene: the Human Epoch” on Tuesday, Oct. 29 starting at 7 p.m. (light supper served at 6:30) at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church. The film is the third in a trilogy that includes “Manufactured Landscapes” (2006) and “Watermark” (2013). It follows the research of an international body of scientists, the Anthropocene Working Group who are arguing that the Holocene epoch gave way to the Anthropocene epoch in the mid-twentieth century because of profound and lasting human changes to the Earth.

This is the fifth season of St. Anne’s  Climate Justice Film Series. For more information, contact Alex Chatfield at adchat@aol.com or 781-697-0140.

Seminar on India and Britain

The India Discovery Center will host a seminar on India’s British history on Saturday, Nov. 2 from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Lecture topics of lectures include a personal story about the partition of India and the birth of Pakistan. Presenters will include Lincoln resident Bijoy Misra on science and technology. Register here (the $25 registration fee is waived for Lincoln residents).

Ferrante plays at next LOMA

Marylou Ferrante

Marylou Ferrante is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, Nov. 18 in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. The event runs from 7–10 p.m., and Ferrante will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. She is at home on vocals, guitar, mandolin or banjo while performing blues, old time, country, and folk music. Between songs, she’ll recount stories, arrangements and the history behind the music, and often the difficult circumstances these struggling musicians endured. She covers Blind Boy Fuller’s “Walking My Blues Away” in this video.

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.

“Watershed” opens Nov. 9 at deCordova

Andy Goldsworthy, Watershed (detail), 2019. Granite, Corten steel, spruce pine wood, 156 x 223 x 144 inches, installation at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. © Andy Goldsworthy, Courtesy Galerie Lelong & Co.

The site-specific permanent installation “Watershed” opens on Saturday, Nov. 9 at the deCordova Sculpture Park. The 9×15-foot stone shelter is semi-embedded in the slope of deCordova’s pond-side hill. In times of heavy rain, water that flows across deCordova’s paved upper lot will be collected and channeled underground to pour from the outlet in the work’s rear wall, giving form to the usually unremarked course of groundwater across hard surfaces and allowing people to see and hear the work come to life. The work will serve to illustrate both the impermanence and the lasting effects of water through the growth of residues like mineral deposits, moss, and patina.

Thanksgiving contradance

Lincoln’s annual Thanksgiving Night Contradance will take place on Thursday, Nov. 28 from 7–10 p.m. at the Smith School featuring Caller Chris Ricciotti, Larry Unger on guitar, and Carol Bittenson on fiddle.  All ages and abilities are welcome. Tickets (sliding scale) are $6–10 for adults and students, $4–5 for children 10 and under. Sponsored by the First Parish in Lincoln. For more information, email kwinchell@comcast.net.

Swap table volunteers are suddenly fired

In this 2012 photo, volunteer Janice Phillipps arranges items that were dropped off at the swap table. (Photo by Alice Waugh)

By Alice Waugh

All of the volunteers who staff the town’s “swap table” were fired in a letter distributed to them by a DPW staff member at the transfer station on Wednesday morning.

The DPW is in the process of building a new swap shed “that will allow the Highway Department staff more of an opportunity to manage the swap area,” said the letter signed by DPW Superintendent Chris Bibbo. “In relation to the new swap shed, beginning Wednesday, November 6, 2019, we will no longer need the services of the volunteers.” The letter also thanked them for their service. Work on the new shed began last spring.

Bibbo’s letter was dated October 15 but was not handed to volunteers until October 23. The transfer station is open only on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The swap table volunteers manage the hundreds of items that Lincoln residents drop off for others to take or donate. Items include everything from children’s toys to exercise equipment, dishes, books, housewares — and once even a Prada handbag.

Their work includes unpacking boxes of items, sorting them, and placing them on shelves as well as removing broken, dirty or otherwise unacceptable items and putting them in the trash dumpster. They also redirect items that can be recycled such as clothing and textiles, and they keep the swap table and existing shed tidy.

Swap table volunteer Ellen Raja puts aside usable bedding, kitchenware and small pieces of furniture and delivers them to Household Goods in Acton every Thursday. The organization donates the items to people including the recently homeless, survivors of domestic violence, and those with low incomes, illness, or disability.

Raja said she and the other volunteers were “shocked” when they got the termination notices yesterday, but she noted that DPW employees in the past have disparaged the swap table, saying most of the items were worthless and should just go in the trash anyway.

(Raja is not technically a volunteer; in exchange for her time, she earns an abatement on her property taxes through the town’s Senior Work-Off Program.)

A second volunteer reached by phone Wednesday night declined to comment. Bibbo also did not respond to an email sent Wednesday afternoon. Other volunteers in the past have included Bernadette Quirk, Sue Stason, and Janice Phillipps.

“Strange timing. I plan to express my disappointment to Chris Bibbo and [DPW assistant] Susan Donaldson,” said Recycling Committee co-chair Laura Berland, who resigned “for a variety of reasons — one being the fact that I had been on [the committee] for many years and felt it was time to move on.”

In June, the Lincoln Squirrel published a letter to the editor from Berland thanking the swap table volunteers for their work. She noted that the committee and volunteers have also donated books dropped off at the swap table to the Lincoln Public Library’s monthly book sale as well as More Than Words in Waltham.

“The more items taken away, the more we keep out of the landfill and the less the town spends in tipping fees,” Berland wrote. “At the end of the day, many of the items left in the swap area are thrown out, as there is a need to make room for more that keeps on coming — the less left over, the better.

“Lincoln is lucky to have the swap area. As co-chair, I have been asked to speak to the recycling committees of other towns who would very much like to set one up but struggle to get the Department of Public Works to agree. We are appreciative of the support Chris Bibbo, director of DPW, gives to the swap effort here in Lincoln,” Berland wrote.

“How are they [the DPW] going to manage taking care of everything? In my opinion it’s going to be a colossal mess,” Raja said.