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

Police log for the week of October 25, 2019

October 25

81 Wells Rd. (12:50 p.m.) — Officer assisting a resident with a civil matter.Rte. 2 gas testing site, Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (3:38 p.m.) — Caller report an odor of natural gas at the Rte. 2 Tennessee pipeline station. Gas company notified.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (1:06 a.m.) — Deceased deer in the breakdown lane. MassDOT notified.

October 26

52 Stonehedge Rd. (2:03 p.m.) — Resident reported being scammed out of money during an online purchase.

53 Wells Rd. (4:04 p.m.) — Assisting an elderly resident.

October 27

Cranberry Terrace, Hanscom Air Force Base (11:35 a.m.) — Officer assisting a resident with a civil issue.

Lincoln Water Department, 77 Sandy Pond Rd. (3:20 p.m.) — Suspicious motor vehicle parked along Sandy Pond Road. Operator was fine and was moved along.

2 Beaver Pond Rd. (9:15 p.m.) — Resident reported that two vehicles pulled into their driveway and left after a couple of minutes. Officers checked the area; unable to locate.

October 28

21 Sunnyside Lane (2:17 p.m.) — Resident reported being harassed by a neighbor; officer took a report. No criminal actions; civil in nature.

Lincoln MBTA station (7:17 p.m.) — Assisting a party with explaining the rules of the resident commuter lot.

October 29

91 Tower Rd. (10:45 a.m.) — Complaint about a barking dog; incident referred to the animal control officer.U.S. Post Office, 145 Lincoln Rd. (5:06 p.m.) — Party was bitten by a dog on a leash. The injured party refused treatment; information was given to the animal control officer.

Lincoln Public Schools (6:04 p.m.) — Witness reported a minor hit-and-run two-car crash involving a parked car in the school lot. Officers contacted the registered owner, who returned to the station. The owner wasn’t the operator; report taken.

122 South Great Rd. (7:59 p.m.) — Party reports some is knocking on her door and she’s refusing to answer. Officers checked the area; unable to locate anyone.

29 Wells Rd. (9:23 p.m.) — Party reported received a strange/harassing call from a former co-worker. Report taken.

October 31

24 Cranberry Terrace, Hanscom Air Force Base (10:35 a.m.) — Resident reports suspicious activity around the residence. Report taken.

53 Wells Rd. (2:36 p.m.) Well-being check, officer checking on an elderly resident; all is fine.

Bedford Road (3:21 p.m.) — Minor two-car crash, no injuries. Report taken.

75 Tower Rd. (9:52 p.m.) — Speaking to a resident regarding an ongoing civil matter.

Public hearings coming up

Historical Commission
  • Public hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. to consider the application of Paul and Ann Kaplan to demolish the house and sheds at 19 South Great Rd.
Historic District Commission
  • Public hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. to review the application of Niels Bradshaw and Julia Kardon, 51 Stonehedge Rd., to replace the roof including addition of two inches of insulation, extend border of roof and replace glass in three skylights, insulate overhangs, and cover with cedar tongue and groove decking.
Conservation Commission
  • Public hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 7:15 p.m. in response to the notice of intent by David Johnston for the construction of a garage on existing driveway attached to existing home within the 100-foot buffer zone resource area at 65 Winter St.
  • Public hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 8:45 p.m. in response to the request for determination of applicability by Paul and Ann Kaplan, trustees of the South Great Road Realty Trust, for the removal of all existing structures, septic, driveway, fencing, and invasive plants to return the site to pre-construction conditions with work occurring in both the 50-foot and 100-foot buffer zone resource areas at 19 South Great Rd.

Zoning Board of Appeals

Public hearing on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. to hear and to act on the following petitions:

  • Kathleen Corkins, 18 Baker Bridge Rd., for renewal of a special permit for an accessory apartment.
  • Neal and Kimberly Rajdev, 18 Moccasin Hill Rd., for a special permit for an accessory structure and to convert garage to studio space with bathroom.

Planning Board

Public hearing at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 26 to review an application for site plan review. The applicant, the School Building Committee for the town of Lincoln, proposes to construct a new school at 1-8 Ballfield Rd.

Water Department in financial and staffing crisis

By Alice Waugh

At a Special Town Meeting on November 2, voters will be asked to approve a second large request for Water Department funding this year — and residents who use town water could see a rate hike approaching 50%.

This week’s move to borrow $967,000 and transfer another $340,000 from retained earnings comes eight months after $1.01 million in Water Department borrowing was approved at the Annual Town Meeting (ATM) last March. The resulting 25% rise in water rates came after several years with no increases, and the next rate hike (which won’t be known until after a public hearing has been scheduled) will be “significant,” Town Administrator Tim Higgins said.

The latest urgent need for borrowing is a result of several factors: not enough spending on preventive maintenance and upgrades in recent years, a series of chemical accidents and other events in recent months, and staff turnover combined with a tight labor market that have left the Water Department chronically short-handed and required expensive part-timers to fill the gaps.

While many officials are resigned to the new expenses, others in town — including several former Water Commission members and Water Department employees — say that some of the looming expenditures aren’t truly necessary right away, and that the sudden need for cash is due to mismanagement by department Superintendent MaryBeth Wiser. 

The saga began with a routine inspection by the state Department of Environmental Protection in August 2018 that uncovered several problems. The report from the triennial inspection, which happened to occur a few months after Wiser was hired, took the Water Commission by surprise because it listed many more issues (27 deficiencies and 12 recommendations) than the previous inspection in 2015.

The two biggest items approved for bonding last March were required as a result of that 2018 inspection: $355,000 for safe chemical handling storage and ventilation upgrades, and $400,000 for chemical handling and ventilation compliance work at both the water treatment plant on Sandy Pond Road and the town well on Tower Road (see page 47 of the 2019 ATM warrant).

The November 2 bonding requests totaling $967,000 are:

  1. An additional $148,000 for the previously approved chemical handling and ventilation system, largely because the project scope has expended to include a chlorination system at the well
  2. A complete replacement of all 240 filtration modules in the treatment plant ($364,000)
  3. A new coagulation system at the treatment plant to combat a higher-then permitted level of disinfection byproducts in the treated water
  4. Another $125,000 on top of previous estimates for building a platform and catwalk to safely service the filter modules
Chemicals

As ordered by the DEP, engineers were already designing systems to provide more safety around the caustic chemicals used to treat the town’s water, but two unrelated chemical spills in the past year highlighted the deficiencies. In November 2018, rainwater seeped into a pipe connected to a barrel of hydrochloric acid used to wash the filters. The resulting chemical reaction produced an “off-gassing” of fumes that triggered a regional hazardous-materials response by firefighters and sent treatment plant operator Jeremy Bernard to the emergency room.

See photos by Jeremy Bernard of conditions at the water treatment plant
(click thumbnails for larger versions and captions)

WTP2
WTP1
WTP3
WTP5

That accident would not have happened if the barrels of chemicals were fitted with proper piping and airtight lids, Bernard said. In the past, much smaller off-gassing episodes that were undetectable by smell have resulted in repeated respiratory symptoms of water treatment plant staff, he added. 

In addition to the added request for a new well chlorination system, two tanks and some piping were also tacked on to the previously planned work. “MaryBeth came to us and asked us if we could include those three things” as well fixing a defect that allowed a leak of spilled sodium hydroxide to spread under a containment wall, said Ryan Neyland of Tata and Howard, the Water Department’s engineering firm, at an October 29 Water Commission meeting.

The company has provided a host of consultation and design services as well as a staff member to work at the plant one day a week at a cost of about $1,000 a day. The department has needed that outside help because two treatment plant positions have been vacant since at least last spring, largely due to a statewide shortage of licensed water treatment operators. One person was offered a job but turned it down, and the town has raised the starting salaries in an attempt to attract more interest, Water Commissioner Ruth Ann Hendrickson said.

Meanwhile, the two remaining treatment plant staff members have been working on a schedule of 12 days on and two days off since February, “and we are beyond exhausted,” Bernard said. Their work includes responding to after-hours problems caused by power failures, partial system shutdowns and other issues.

Saturday’s funding request also includes $100,000 to handle a spill of potassium hydroxide at the well. About 300 gallons of the highly alkaline fluid leaked due to an equipment failure and then seeped out of the building into the ground through a cracked seam. The well was taken offline as a precaution and won’t be allowed back into service until repeated testing satisfies the DEP that the chemical didn’t seep down and contaminate the water, but that should happen “very soon,” Hendrickson said.

Filters

At the heart of the water treatment process are the filters, which must be washed in two different ways according to a schedule. They are supposed to last at least five years but could last “seven or even ten years if they’re kept in good condition and not stressed with poor water quality,” Neyland said, adding that Flint’s Pond has excellent quality. The filters are all showing signs of degradation, and Wiser has said that they are about nine years old and have reached the end of their useful life.

The town needs to appropriate money right away because the process of ordering and getting new filters shipped takes several months, and they should be installed before warm weather increases the amount of organic materials in the water and puts more strain on the filters, Wiser said.

However, others say the filters are actually not very old, and that much cheaper measures could significantly extend their life. In addition to the regular sanitizing washes (which they’re getting more and more frequently), they’re supposed to be cleaned with a hydrochloric acid solution every three months — but that hasn’t happened on schedule since the off-gassing incident. After the vapor leak, a temporary ventilation system made of wood and plastic sheeting was installed around the chemicals, but Bernard said he has refused on safety grounds to open any new barrels of hydrochloric acid until primary containment is established with an airtight lid.

“As soon as we can do an acid cleaning, we’ll see a dramatic improvement” in the performance of the filters, Bernard said. “I believe people who have been listening to MaryBeth will be surprised by how well things may operate once our cleaning system is made functional. To replace [the filters] now is like putting the cart before the horse. You wouldn’t put new tires on a car with two broken axles… I don’t want to see those filters going into the treatment plant until we see what the long-term plan is going to be.”

Bernard and former employees also said that most of the 240 filters are only about three years old. In 2016, the manufacturer gave the town more than 180 discontinued filters for free, and they’ve been installed a few at a time since then. Wiser told the board at its October 3 meeting that the department only received 100 free filters, and that any new filters installed alongside older ones would have to do double duty and would wear our faster as a result.

But Hendrickson disputed this view. “The best practice in this case is to really have them replaced all at the same time,” Hendrickson said. “By the time we can get new filters due to the long lead time, the upgraded chemical handling systems will be in place and all
the associated valves will have been replaced, so we are not ‘putting the cart before the horse’.”

Coagulation

Coagulation pretreatment involves adding a chemical such as alum to the water to make tiny particles  clump together so they’re big enough to be caught by the filters (a step that also extends the life of the filters themselves). Residents received a notice on October 8 that Lincoln’s water had exceeded the maximum allowed proportion of trihalomethanes (TTHM) at one of two sampling locations. TTHM forms when chlorine-containing disinfectants that are added to the water to kill germs react with naturally occurring organic matter from decaying plant and animal products.

Officials aren’t sure why some TTHM levels were high in both 2018 and 2019, though warmer pond water due to climate change is probably a factor. Also, when the level rises, it inundates more leaves and animal products on the formerly dry shoreline, meaning the water needs more filtering and disinfection.

Water levels rise when the pond is replenished with rainfall, or when the dam that holds back the water is deliberately heightened, though this is very rarely done. Sometime in the past several months, Wiser told staff to temporarily raise the dam by adding boards to the top, causing the water to rise so much that it crept close to the pump house and also began seeping under the dam, which was upgraded in 2017.

No one is sure why the boards were added. Wiser referred requests for comment to Hendrickson, who said, “I haven’t been able to get a straight story.”

Management

Former Water Commissioners Bob Antia and Heather Ring echoed the sentiment that Wiser is not always forthcoming with clear explanations of why certain steps were taken or expenditures are necessary.

“When MaryBeth doesn’t want to answer a question, it takes a really long time to not answer the question, and by then you’re tired,” said Antia. He resigned partway through his second term on the commission because a change in his work hours made it impossible to attend the group’s daytime meetings.

Ring resigned earlier this month after only seven months in the commission because she was so disenchanted with Wiser. In a statement to the Lincoln Squirrel in Thursday, she wrote:

“Lincoln Water Superintendent MaryBeth Wiser started her job with a fully staffed department and level-funded budget. Preventative maintenance measures were not in place, and maintenance was reactive when equipment broke. It was soon evident water rates needed to increase to perform further reactive maintenance. Superintendent Wiser, while managing to perform reactive maintenance, continually fails to prioritize needs and create a long-term plan for maintaining Lincoln’s aging system. In addition, staff morale continued to degrade like our water system, and a hostile work environment festers. The department needs a leader who can lead them out of crisis mode and into the modern world.”

“She doesn’t have the knowledge she represents herself as having” about how the plant operates, Bernard said. “She uses the vocabulary well, and she comes off as being educated on the subject… but she gets her information from the engineers. They keep taking money and giving her suggestions.”

Bernard has complained repeatedly to Higgins and Assistant Town Administrator Mary Day about allegedly abusive conduct by Wiser and safety issues at the plant, “and their collective reactions have been ‘Do your job,’” he said. He acknowledged he has been cited several times by Wiser for insubordination and was accused by former Superintendent Greg Woods of harassment “because I wouldn’t drop the subject when he told me to” after Bernard raised concerns about operational or safety issues.

“They tell me I’m overreacting… but I have fought and fought to get the right things to happen up there,” he said.

But Bernard has not been the only employee to clash with Wiser. Since she was hired 19 months ago, a water treatment staff member and three administrative assistants have resigned. “I have not investigated this personally, but my experience in the private sector is that when you have a bunch of people leave like that, there’s probably an underlying cause,” Antia said.

Several of these former employees, who spoke to the Lincoln Squirrel on condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation, agreed with Bernard’s views on Wiser.

“I really don’t think she knows how to run the treatment plant,” said one.

“The environment was extremely toxic and she was verbally abusive. I had no choice but to leave to save my health and my sanity,” said another.

In a statement emailed to the Lincoln Squirrel on Thursday, Bernard expanded on his comments:

“I make these statements in fear and expectation of retaliation. Due to the town administration’s repeated acknowledgment of how impressive it is that MaryBeth Wiser has received so much money from the Water Commission, I assume I will be fired for making these statements, but the people who pay for and drink the water should know…

“I have moral objections to the way money is being wasted in our department due to the lack of knowledge and understanding of our superintendent. I have always advocated for the needs of the department and the quality of the water in this town. And due to the over $0.5 million invested in me by the town of Lincoln over the past eight years, and the home I own and maintain with that funding, I feel obligated to try and address the real issues within our department. I have always stood up and addressed public and personnel safety issues and have been met with swift and irrational retaliation for it. I have no reason to expect differently now, but I have hope that the real problem will be addressed before MaryBeth Wiser is allowed to destroy another life and career of personnel under her control,” Bernard wrote.

As superintendent, former employees say Wiser has taken a markedly different approach from that of her predecessor. “Greg was a working superintendent; he got his hands in there and did whatever needed to be done,” said one. In contrast, Wiser has her staff do most of the operational work and relies much more heavily on outside engineering consultants, sources said.

When asked to describe Wiser’s management style, Hendrickson was diplomatic. “It’s not clear… who knows… it’s very hard to put your finger on that. I’m not there on a day-to-day basis,” she said.

Spending requests

The Water Commission has been taken aback by the recent spending requests. “It was a difficult situation. [Woods] never asked for more money by saying ‘I need this and that, or we need more maintenance.’ We wondered, how did this happen?” Hendrickson said. “Here we had Greg, who we all thought was wonderful, and then MaryBeth says “this is broken, this is broken and this is broken.’ It took a while for us to really believe that what she was saying was true.”

Reached by phone on Thursday, Woods declined comment on his or Wiser’s work as superintendent.

During the DEP inspection in 2018, several sources said, Wiser actually encouraged the inspector to find deficiencies. “I think she thought the sure-fire way to get money out of the Water Commission was having the DEP cite us and say we have to do something,” a former employee said. Water Department staff “were not trying to hide anything, but she was practically pointing stuff out. She’s addicted to spending money when it’s not hers, and she loves brand-new things.”

After the Lincoln Squirrel published a story on October 25 about the upcoming bonding request, an anonymous reader (later confirmed to be a former employee) commented underneath, “As long as the vampiric rapaciousness that has run rampant under her tenure is allowed to continue, more and more money will be requested, and Lincoln residents will be asked to pay up.”

The dollar amounts for some requests have also changed. Wiser told the commission in October 2018 that the total cost for the 240 filter modules would be about $192,000. At a meeting last week, she said the cost would be $325,000, while the motion at Saturday’s Town Meeting asks for $364,000.

According to the 2019 ATM warrant, the Water Department’s annual operating budget was $1.11 million in fiscal 2018 and $1.19 million in fiscal 2019. Figures from earlier this month show a budget of $1.37 million in fiscal 2020, while the initial request for fiscal 2021 (not yet voted on by the Water Commission) is $1.75 million, a 28% increase from the current year.

The future

Unfortunately, this year’s combined $2 million in bonding for the Water Department won’t mark the end of its financial needs. The Tower Road well is more than 40 years old, with reduced capacity and more frequent cleanings needed, and is slated to be replaced in the next couple of years. In fact, Wiser’s original request for capital spending in fiscal 2021 included $500,000 for a new well.

The water tank on Bedford Road is also showing signs of age, with a possible leak and a deteriorating concrete lid. The water treatment plant was “designed like a glove to fit around the equipment that’s there and was not designed with enhancements in mind,” Hendrickson said, and the pumping station next to Flint’s Pond is maxed out in terms of space as well. And then there are the miles of aging water mains all over town.

One bit of good news, however: in three years, the 20-year bond for construction of the treatment plant will be paid off, which will free up about $187,000 a year.

The Water Commissioners are frustrated at the slow pace of the the design, approval, and bidding process for getting work done, and they’re chagrined at having to repeatedly seek money for upgrades, Hendrickson said, but the alternatives — years of delay and millions of dollars for either an entirely new treatment plant or a possible alliance with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority — aren’t necessarily more palatable. “But we’re all unanimous that the money we’re asking for is really needed or we wouldn’t be asking for it.”

State of the Town meeting on Saturday

Updates on the school project, South Lincoln rezoning proposals, community electricity aggregation and property tax relief will make for a full agenda at Lincoln’s annual State of the Town meeting on Saturday, Nov. 2 at about 9:30 a.m., after the conclusion of a Special Town Meeting on Water Department funding. These links and Lincoln Squirrel stories offer some background on the issues.

School project
South Lincoln rezoning
Community electricity aggregation
Property Tax Study Committee

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.