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

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.

Police log for October 11–17, 2019

As a result of the strong nor’easter, Lincoln police handled numerous reports of power failures, downed wires and branches, and road closures in Lincoln on October 16–17 starting at 11:36 p.m. Locations included Concord Rd., 94 Conant Rd., Lincoln Road, South Great Road, Peirce Hill Road, Farrar Road, Tower Road, Old County Road, Trapelo Road, Winter Street, Bedford Road, 48 Mill St., 18 Baker Bridge Rd., and Hillside Road. Due to power disruptions, commercial alarms also went off at the Lincoln School, the Lincoln Public Library, the Pierce House, and Drumlin Farm.

A few of the log entries didn’t get recorded in the Police Department’s until the following day because of an internet outage. “Our records management system is cloud-based, so we had to go to the old pen and paper for a bit and then enter in the items after the fact,” said Lt. Sean Kennedy. 

October 11

125 Winter St. (9:40 a.m.)
A staff member at care Dimensions Hospice House called the station to report feeling threatened by someone during a meeting with a family member at Care Dimensions. The party was upset over a civil matter.

53 Wells Rd. (1:38 p.m.)
Call from Senior Services requested a well-being check on the resident. The resident was fine.

South Great Rd. (8:14 p.m.)
Report of a car driving without headlights on Rte 117. Area checked; nothing found.

October 12

South Great Road (4:47 p.m.)
Dog was running around in an intersection. Owner contacted and responded to get the dog.

October 13

169 Lincoln Rd. (11:34 a.m.)
Three parties who were having a verbal argument inside a vehicle pulled into the station. Officers spoke to the involved parties and it was decided that one party would head back to Boston on the train alone.

Pierce House, 17 Weston Rd. (8:55 p.m.)
A neighbor called reporting loud music at the Pierce House. Officer responded and spoke to the Pierce House staff.

October 14

34 Morningside Lane (1:41 p.m.)
A person was at the house to conduct a survey and the homeowner asked the person to leave. Officers followed up with the person and advised them not to come back to the residence.

Codman Road (2:00 p.m.)
Wallet found at Codman Community Farms.

Mt Misery parking lot, 60 South Great Rd. (1:46 p.m.)
Firearm magazine found in the woods.

155 Weston Rd. (5:52 p.m.)
Moped involved in a crash. No injuries; operator cited for motor vehicle offenses.

44 Page Rd. (9:57 p.m.)
Party knocked on door asking to use phone saying they had run out of gas. Officers responded to assist the party.

October 15

109 Page Rd. (5:08 a.m.)
Caller reports someone walking in the area, seemed out of the ordinary. Officers checked and it was a resident out for a walk.

67 Wells Rd. (7:33 a.m.)
Party called saying they noticed a student had missed the bus to Lincoln-Sudbury. Officer responded and assisted with a ride to the high school.

Hanscom Drive (4:16 p.m.)
Report of a man taking pictures of the Air Force base, which seemed suspicious. Officer checked the area; unable to locate the party.

October 16

Lincoln Road (1:02 a.m.)
Caller reported hearing a loud bang; could possibly be an electrical transformer.

Beaver Pond Road (3:12 a.m.)
Officer checked on a vehicle parked on the side of the road. Operator was checking his directions.

49 Wells Rd. (2:14 p.m.)
Party was having a civil dispute with her neighbor. Complainant was advised of her legal options.

51 Wells Rd. (5:05 p.m.)
Resident was having an ongoing civil dispute with a neighbor. Advised of their legal options.

October 17

220 Sandy Pond Rd. (1:13 a.m.)
Caller reported a burning smell at the residence. An electrical problem was the cause; Eversource was notified.

Lincoln Rental Assistance Program now accepting applications

Applications are now being accepted for the Lincoln Rental Assistance Program, a collaborative program of the Lincoln Housing Commission and the Lincoln Council on Aging (COA).

A sum of $30,000 has been allocated for the first year of the program, which was approved at Annual Town Meeting in 2019 and is funded by the Community Preservation Act. The town’s CPA account is in turn is funded by a surcharge on property taxes (partially matched by the state) and can be spent on historic, recreational, or affordable housing projects.

The program came about because more and more residents have been coming to the COA and town social worker with housing, financial, and food needs. “Other towns in the area are also seeing increasing needs, so it’s not just Lincoln,” COA director Carolyn Bottum said.

The Lincoln Rental Assistance Program (LRAP) provides monthly subsidies to households who are renting or wish to rent qualifying housing units in the town of Lincoln and need financial assistance to pay for rent and certain utilities. The goal of the program is to provide greater housing stability and housing opportunities to cost-burdened renters in Lincoln.

The town will provide rental assistance in an amount sufficient to ensure that each participating household does not pay more than 30% of the household’s income for rent and certain utilities. Households may be in the program for three years with an annual maximum subsidy of $5,000. 

To be eligible for the Lincoln Rental Assistance Program:

  • Households must have an annual household gross income of less than 80% of the Area Median Income for the household size. For a household of one, this is $62,450; for a household of two, $71,400; for a household of three, $80,300; and more for larger households.
  • The household must spend more than 30% of its gross monthly income towards rental housing costs, which means the rent paid by the household to the landlord and the amount paid for heat, hot water, electricity, water and sewer.
  • No household member can own a home or have any other ownership interest in real property.
  • The household must occupy the rental housing unit assisted through the LRAP as its primary residence.
  • The household must agree to work with the Lincoln Council on Aging or town social worker to develop a strategy that supports a sustainable long-term housing situation through at least four meetings each year.
  • The landlord must agree to accept LRAP payments.

If more eligible households apply than can be accommodated, a lottery will be held in a public place to determine who may participate in the program.

Guidelines can be downloaded here. Potential applicants may pick up applications at Lincoln Town Hall, the Lincoln Public Library, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and Bemis Hall; download it from the town website; or contact the Lincoln Council on Aging. Applications are due to the COA by 4:30 p.m. on December 31, 2019. 

For more information, call Carolyn Bottum at the COA at 781-259-8811.

 

Special Town Meeting on Nov. 2; register to vote by Oct. 23

A Special Town Meeting will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 9 a.m. to vote on appropriating, transferring and/or bonding funds to purchase capital items for the Water Department and to supplement its 2020 operating budget.

The amount of money involved and the purpose(s) for which it’s being requested were unavailable as of Monday evening. The department is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 4 p.m, to prepare for the Special Town Meeting.

Voters approved bonding $1.01 million for the department at the 2019 Annual Meeting to pay for deferred maintenance and work required by the state Department of Environmental Protection. A hike in water rates also went into effect earlier this year.

The Water Department is run as an enterprise fund, meaning that revenues are expected to meet or exceed expenditures on a year-to-year basis, and expenses (including bond payments) are paid through user fees and retained revenue.

Wednesday, Oct. 23 is the last day to register in time for the Special Town Meeting. The Secretary of State’s website allows you to check your voter registration status and register online. Residents may also register in person at the Town Clerk’s Office during regular business hours from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., and there will be extended registration on Wednesday from 4:30–8 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Safety Building.

The State of the Town Meeting will follow immediately after the Special Town Meeting.

Letter to the editor: thanks from domestic violence group

To the editor:

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable wishes to thank all those individuals, faith communities, youth programs, organizations, and businesses who continue to give so generously of their time, talents, and resources. 

For survivors of Domestic Violence, the color purple is meant to be a symbol of courage, survival, honor, and dedication to ending violence. We are particularly grateful for those establishments who have illuminated their buildings with purple lighting during October.

We would also like to thank the over 160 businesses and offices who display our hotline cards on which are printed the names and phone numbers of local service providers to whom anyone experiencing abuse — physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological – can turn for help.

Last year we celebrated our 20th anniversary, and as we move into the next decade, we seek to adapt to the societal shifts that take place around us, to continue and strengthen our efforts to promote safe and healthy relationships  and develop new programs to alert and educate our communities and community leaders about relationship violence in all its forms.

The Roundtable warmly welcomes new members and volunteers and encourages interested people to visit our web site at www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org.

Sincerely,

Sue Rushfirth
President, Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable

Residential tax exemption idea draws criticism at forum

(Updated on 10/30/19 with link to the forum slide presentation)

By Alice Waugh

The idea of a residential property tax exemption that would shift the burden of taxes to owners of more expensive homes was met with opposition at an October 15 public forum.

The event was the second of two public forums hosted by the Property Tax Study Committee, which was formed in the wake of fears that some Lincoln residents would not be able to afford the tax increase resulting from the $93 million school project. At its first forum in June, the group presented two options it was studying: a means-tested “circuit-breaker” program and a residential tax exemption program.

Sudbury, Concord, and Wayland have enacted local versions of the state circuit breaker program for homeowners over 65. If they have lived in their town at least 10 years and meet certain income and asset thresholds, they pay no more than 10% of their income for property taxes. Renters who are paying more than 25% of their income on rent are also eligible under the state program, though the three neighboring towns don’t have this provision.

If Lincoln were to adopt a similar program, it would most likely follow the pattern of the three other towns by basing it on the existing state circuit-breaker program and funding it through a small hike in the local tax rate, capped at a certain amount such as 1%. Such a move would require Town Meeting approval preceded by special legislation, a multiyear process.

Alternatively, passage of a bill now in the state Senate would require only Town Meeting approval for a local plan, but “this would probably prevent us from customizing the law in any way,” and it would not benefit those under 65, said Selectman Jennifer Glass, the committee member who made the October 15 presentation.

The other option under consideration would make property taxes even more progressive than they already are by making a proportion of each property’s value exempt from taxes, with no consideration of the owner’s income or assets. Fourteen cities and towns in Massachusetts offer a program like this, but most have either a large commercial tax base, or many expensive vacation homes, meaning the benefit accrues to year-round residents.

In making their annual recommendation to the Board of Selectmen when setting the tax rate each year, the assessors “were quite adamant this was not meant for us,” said former Selectman Peter Braun.

The Board of Selectmen already has the power to create a residential exemption when it sets the tax rate every year, but has never done so. Ellen Meadors noted that she and other assessors felt such a move shouldn’t take place without input from the town as a whole.

Another possibility is creating a local circuit-breaker program that would also apply to younger homeowners, since special legislation would be required in any case. “We have thought of a few permutations) that we could try out with the state, but the state is very careful when comes to tax policy about setting precedent and not rocking the boat statewide,” Glass said.

“This brings us back to the big question: who are we trying to help, and what are we trying to achieve?” said Glass, adding that the town could choose to adopt either, both or neither of the two options.

Several forum attendees who packed the Donaldson Room in Town Hall objected to the idea of a residential tax exemption. “Every home above the [exemption] break point will have taxes go up, and the property value will go down,” one resident said “The bar will be reset and we’ll be right back where we are today.” The measure would not have the intended effect of promoting economic diversity and could very well benefit property owners who don’t need such tax relief, he added.

As a result of the school bonding, taxes went up this year by an average of 12.3%, Glass said. The tax rate for fiscal 2020 is $15.36 for every $1,000 of assessed home value; $1.95 of that $15.36 is paying for the school project.

“The town just took this vote on new school. Had we known there was another potential [tax hike] provision that gained more momentum… that vote night have turned out differently,” a resident said.

Glass assured the audience that there was “no way we would implement this unless the overwhelming majority of the town wanted it… message heard.”

Regardless of who pays how much, tax revenue has to rise to pay for the school. “It seems like we’re being taxed out of town, and it’s heartbreaking to me because I love this town,” said one resident to a chorus of “hear, hear!”

The property tax proposals will be discussed at the State of the Town meeting on November 2 at 9:30 a.m. Also on the agenda: zoning changes proposed by the South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee that would encourage denser housing and mixed-use development in South Lincoln. Such measures could broaden the commercial tax base and benefit middle-income homeowners, “addressing some of the very issues we’ve talked about tonight,” noted SPLIC co-chair Gary Taylor.

Arnold Arboretum begins project to reproduce Lincoln’s catalpa tree

By Cathy Moritz

Sean Halloran, head of woody plant propagation for Arnold Arboretum, takes a cutting of Lincoln’s catalpa tree.

Sean Halloran, head of woody plant propagation at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, has generously agreed to attempt to reproduce a twisting offspring of the town’s beloved Northern Catalpa tree in front of the Lincoln Public Library. Halloran’s work is at the joint request of the Lincoln Garden Club and the Friends of the Lincoln Library.

The catalpa has graced the grounds of the Lincoln Library and sparked conversations in Lincoln since the early 20th century, but it’s well beyond the typical catalpa lifespan of 60 years and won’t live forever. The hope is to grow a genetically identical twisting “daughter tree” to plant nearby on the library grounds so future generations can enjoy the same beautiful tree we have. 

Arboretum staff are using several reproduction techniques. On July 22, Halloran and an intern took many cuttings of new growth up in the upper branches, and 115 of them are now planted in an Arboretum greenhouse under the best conditions. This fall, they will gather seeds from the tree before they fall to the ground where they can pick up disease.

Halloran has not located another catalpa in the immediate area. He believes that the tree is self-pollinating, so that its seeds are probably genetically identical to the parent tree. Next winter, one or more small limbs will be taken and grafted onto catalpa stumps, employing the same technique used to grow apple cultivars. Root cuttings, which can be dangerous to the tree, are under consideration but will not be used without further discussion and permission from the library trustees.

This project will take several years, and it may not be immediately apparent that any of the tree’s offspring will have the twisting characteristic. Halloran explained that tree genetics are even more complicated than human genetics and their expression is affected by the environment just as human genes are, so that there is no guarantee that any offspring will twist. But he assures us that the Arboretum staff will take whatever time is needed to complete the project. They are using it as a learning experience for their interns. Meanwhile, they’re also advising us on how to preserve the existing tree.

Coordinating the effort is the Lincoln Garden Club, with assistance from the Friends of the Lincoln Library; Barbara Myles, the library’s director; and the library trustees. Myles reported that town residents are very concerned about the tree and contact her frequently in the spring, when the month of May often goes by with nary a leaf appearing. In early June, the catalpa’s bare branches leaf out very rapidly. Halloran noted with interest that for unknown reasons, Lincoln’s catalpa blooms three to four weeks after the catalpas at the arboretum and is, quite literally, a “late bloomer.”