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

Property transactions in April

14B North Commons — Kristin Swanson to Brianne Krupsaw for $435,000 (April 30)

314 Hemlock Circle — Thomas M. Healy Jr. Trust to Mary Ryan for $502,000 (April 26) 

3 Millstone Lane — Margo Selzter to Robert D. Valleau Trust and Pamela M. Valleau Trust for $1,800,000 (April 26)

54 Conant Rd. — Reihl Mahoney to Mary and Harrison Pope for $1,005,000 (April 26)

144 Lincoln Rd. — Tseng-Lin LLC to Lincoln Rd. Realty LLC for $700,000 (April 25)

82 Virginia Rd. #B410 — Mary Pilecki to Eileen Kern and Ellen McCullough for $423,000 (April 19)

11 Woodcock Lane — Hairen Zuo to Jayne Mundt for $1,150,000 (April 19)

51 Greenridge Lane — Ruth Sartori to David Cancian and Iris Hoxha for $475,000 (April 17)

225 Sandy Pond Rd. — Jonathan Prange to Caleb and Suzanne Baker for $810,000 (April 10)

26 Windingwood Lane — Matthew Garrigue to Idan and Yifat Rochell for $670,000 (April 8)

140 Lincoln Rd. #218 — William Weir to Mary and Harrison Pope for $485,000 (April 1)

 

Letter to the editor: Assange arrest is an assault on the 1st Amendment

To the editor:

We live in a privileged, isolated, elite bubble in Lincoln. Most are comfortable, secure and safe. Some are not comfortable and some do not feel secure or safe, even in Lincoln. I worry about this bubble and it has bothered me for a long time.

Lincoln does not have a newspaper (or even an active blog) staffed by much-needed professional journalists or even citizens capable of objectively covering the many town meetings, committee meetings, police/fire happenings, school/after school happenings, or other important local issues. Everyone should know what is happening, but not everyone can spend hours at the many, many meetings or doing the necessary legwork to find the real news. Sadly, too many have grown used to not knowing. And sadly, too many are not comfortable discussing too many issues or events.

In light of the recent use of the 1918 Espionage Act to indict publisher/journalist Julian Assange for publishing the truth about war crimes by the government of this country, and in light of the many other journalists and whistleblowers pursued under the Obama administration and the lack of outrage (even coverage) expressed by mainstream journalism or political leaders (with a few exceptions), it is important that we wake up to the fact that this is a direct assault on the First Amendment to the Constitution, and to our country in general, by an administration that is seeking to end press freedom in this country — an administration that has become very dangerous.

This must-watch 20-minute video cogently summarizes and analyses what is happening and has been happening for years.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.

— Martin Niemöller

Sincerely,

Jean Palmer
247 Tower Rd., Lincoln

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Council on Aging activities in June

Free wellness clinics for all ages
June 4 at 10 a.m.
Place: Lincoln Woods
Meet with a nurse at 50 Wells Road in Lincoln Woods on Tuesday, June 4 (note new day this month only) from 10 a.m.–noon or Bemis Hall on Tuesday, June 18 from 9–11 a.m. Blood pressure, nutrition and fitness, medication management, chronic disease management, resources, and more. Services provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care. The Bemis Hall clinic is supported by the Pierce House.

Noticing walk with John Calabria
June 4 at 1 p.m.
Place: TBA
Come for a gently paced walk through nature guided by John Calabria on June 4 from 1–2:30 p.m. at a location posted at lincolnconservation.org. Bring walking sticks or walking poles if you like. If the weather is bad, call 781-259-9251 after 10 a.m. the morning of the walk for an update. Co-sponsored by the COA and Lincoln Land Conservation Trust.

Improving communication between you and your parents as they get older
June 5 at 7 p.m.
As your parents age it can be hard to navigate the issues that arise. There can be tension between wanting to respect their autonomy in decision-making but also wanting to voice your concerns for their safety and well-being. Additionally, it can be difficult to know how to raise concerns and discuss sensitive planning issues. If you would like to learn some tips and strategies as well as have a chance to discuss your situation and concerns, come to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, June 5 at 7 p.m. when Claire Gerstein, LICSW, will present information and then lead a discussion. Claire has many years of experience helping caregivers and elders work together to create the best experience for each. Caregiving is a journey and good communication can only make it better.

Musical jazz lunch
June 7 at 12:30 p.m.
Celebrate the end of the week by grabbing a table at Bemis while the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band serenades you with familiar good old tunes. Bring old friends and make new ones. Bring a bag lunch and, if you like, food purchased already prepared to share. The COA provides beverages and dessert. Friday June 7,  at noon for an hour or until everyone has had enough.

Piano performance with Abla Shocair and her grandchildren
June 7 at 3 p.m.
All ages are invited to a piano concert with Abla Shocair and her grandchildren, Nooreddeen and Zaineddeen Kawaf, at Bemis Hall on Friday, June 7 at 3 p.m. Abla will play works by Beethoven, Bartok, Chopin and the boys will play pieces by Mozart. All ages are welcome. This year’s concert is dedicated to the memory of Abla’s beloved companion and husband, Fawaz Kawaf, who passed away this year and who had attended all her concerts since they met. He was a very bright civil engineer and outstanding project manager with exceptional math skills and was always kind and honest in his relationships with everybody. Abla started her piano lessons at the age of four and is a civil/structural engineer. Born in Amman, she has given many concerts in different venues.

What are your rights as a tenant or landlord?
June 10 at 10 a.m.
Whether you are a tenant in rented housing or a landlord renting housing, knowing your rights and responsibilities can help make sure everything goes well. Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, June 10 at 10 a.m. when Tim Depin, program manager in the Office of Attorney General Maura Healey, will explain tenancy based on a lease versus tenancy at will, obligations of both landlord and tenant, what information must be in the rental agreement, payments at the start of the tenancy, security deposit laws, the sanitary code, the eviction process, housing discrimination, and what to do if you have a problem. Bring your questions and concerns.

Free elder law clinic
June 10 at 3 p.m.
Got a question about issues such as estate planning, MassHealth, protecting assets for a loved one with a serious disability, guardianship, conservatorship or probate? The COA is pleased to provide a monthly legal clinic with elder law attorney and Lincoln resident Sasha Golden on Monday, June 10, from 3–4 p.m. at Bemis Hall. There is no charge for the thirty-minute consultation, but please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

“Oklahoma!” trip
June 12 at 10:30 a.m.
Place: bus leaves from Mall parking lot 
On Wednesday, June 12, the COA is going to the North Shore Music Theatre for the matinee performance of Rodgers And Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” The legendary score including, “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” “The Surry With the Fringe on Top,” “I Cain’t Say No!” and the rousing title tune will put a smile on your face. The air-conditioned air-ride bus will be in the Donelan’s parking lot at 10:15 a.m., departure is 10:30 a.m. The trip will return at approximately 6 p.m. Before the show you will have lunch at the Danvers Yacht Club. You’ll have your choice of three entrees, salad and dessert. There are just 27 Inner Circle tickets, so don’t delay as this show will sell out. The final count must be given by May 12. The trip is rated easy for physical ability and entails only a moderate amount of walking. There are no steps. The price is $59 including lunch, and is non-refundable. To reserve a space, send a check made out to FLCOA/Trips to Virginia O’Brien, 4 Linway Rd., Lincoln, MA 01773. Be sure to include your phone number and email address. Your reservation is complete when your check is received. Questions? Contact Virginia at 781-259-1291 or vobrien39@yahoo.com.

Strawberry & ice cream social
June 13 at 12 p.m.
Celebrate this special time of year at the annual strawberry ice cream social which will be held at Bemis Hall on Thursday, June 13 at noon. The Social is sponsored by the COA and the Friends of the COA. Bring a bag lunch at noon or just come for dessert. Make your own ice cream sundae with luscious ice cream topped with strawberries, chocolate, and more. Then share conversation with friends old and new. Please RSVP to the COA by calling 781-259-8811. Tell them when you call if you’ll need a ride.

Public safety cookout
June 14 at 11 a.m.
Place: Pierce House
Join Public Safety on Friday, June 14 at 11 a.m. for a cookout at the Pierce House. You’ll start off by finding out more about current trends in frauds and scams and how to avoid being a victim, home safety from both police and fire perspectives, and services offered by Public Safety. At noon, Public Safety will be cooking up hamburgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers with all the fixin’s. Because the event will be under the tent, the cookout will go on rain or shine. Please sign up by June 8 by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Fireside chat: what are the biggest changes you’ve seen in the past 5, 10 or 50 years?
June 15 at 10 a.m.
Place: Lincoln Woods
The world is much different from the one many of us grew up in, or is it? What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in the past decades, whether social, economic, political, cultural, spiritual, or other? Have they made life better or worse? Or are the basics of life – love of family, the need for community, human nature – still much the same? Come from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 15 in the Community Room at Lincoln Woods, 50 Wells Rd., for a friendly discussion facilitated by Sharon Antia. Remember to park in unmarked spaces.

All in the family: communication with your adult children
June 17 at 1 p.m.
Communicating with your adult children in later life brings unique challenges as it may feel at times like they want to take control of decision making and planning. It can be hard to bring up certain issues that are of concern for you, and also to listen to their worries for you. This will be an opportunity to think about the conflicts that may arise in even the most loving and well-intentioned relationships. Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, June 17 at 1 p.m. when Claire Gerstein, LICSW, gives tips and strategies for keeping the relationship positive and communication open and offers you an opportunity to share stories and ideas.

Taking care of your family treasures
June 19 at 1 p.m.
Join Kathleen Fahey for a presentation on how to care for your family treasures on Wednesday, June 19 at 1 p.m. at Bemis Hall. You will learn how to clean, polish, store, and display your treasured heirlooms including books, furniture, ceramics, paintings, silver, and textiles. Bring your questions and any items you want to learn more about (or a photo of larger items). Kathleen is the Executive Director of the Bedford Historical Society and has over 20 years of experience as a curator at local historical sites.

VA health system benefits overview
June 20 at 10:15 a.m.
Join Lincoln’s Veterans Services Officer Peter Harvell on Thursday, June 20 at 10:15 a.m. for an overview of the VA’s Health Benefits system. Get an overview of the system and how it works and what benefits it offers and find out if you or a family member might be eligible. Whether you are interested for yourself or a family member, come on down.

Improve your urinary health for overall wellness
June 20 at 2 p.m.
Problems with your urinary tract, such as a urinary tract infection or incontinence, can create major problems with your overall wellness and quality of life. You can take steps to prevent problems or manage those that you already have. Come find out more when Trish McGean comes to Bemis Hall on Thursday, June 20 at 2 p.m. She will let you know some of the basics of urinary health as well as updates on how you can make sure your urinary tract is as healthy as it can be.

Celebrate LGBT Pride Month
June 21 at 11 a.m.
June is LGBT Pride Month and you are invited to celebrate! Come to Bemis Hall on Friday, June 21 at 11 a.m. for delicious refreshments and great conversation! Come share your thoughts, ideas, life experiences. All are welcome.

Get your MBTA Senior CharlieCard
June 21 at 1 p.m.
If you are 65 or older and need to get a Senior CharlieCard for the first time, come to the COA’s Senior CharlieCard event on June 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Bemis Hall. You will need to bring your driver’s license or ID or your passport. They will take your photo, have you fill out an application, copy your license, ID, or passport, and you’re done. The MBTA will mail your Senior CharlieCard in 4 to 6 weeks. No need to sign up. If you need to replace your card, call the MBTA at 617-222-3200 as the COA cannot provide this service.

Memory Café
June 27 at 9:30 a.m.
The Commons in Lincoln, Right-at-Home In Home Care and Assistance, and the Lincoln Council on Aging invite those with dementia and their family, friends, and caregivers to the free Lincoln Memory Café on Thursday, June 27 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the main building of The Commons in Lincoln. This month, the Café presents guitarist and singer Rick Maida. Future Cafés will be held on the fourth Thursday of each month from 9:30–11 a.m. at The Commons. Contact a.m.y Gagne of Right at Home In Home Care and Assistance, 781-275-1400 or amy@rightathomecare.com or the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811 for more information.

Save the date:

Save the Isles of Shoals
Come sail away with the COA on July 25 aboard the Victorian style M/V Thomas Laighton to experience the fascinating legends of the legendary New Hampshire & Maine Seacoast. The Isles of Shoals, located 9 miles off of the coast, are an intriguing archipelago of nine islands steeped with history. You’ll stop for lunch at Warren’s Lobster House in Kittery, Maine. The bus will depart Donelan’s parking lot at 9:45 a.m. and return about 6:30 p.m. The cost of the trip is $59 and is non-refundable. Questions? Contact Donna at 781-257-5050. To reserve a space please make check payable to FLCOA/Trips and mail to: Donna Rizzo, 22 Blackburnian Rd., Lincoln, MA 01773. Deadline to reserve is July 5.

Tai chi in the park, and sign up for next fall’s tai chi classes

Sign up now for tai chi in the park, which will meet Tuesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. with tai chi form practice at 10:30 a.m. at Pierce Park from July 9 to August 6 at a cost of $5 per day. Bring a water bottle, lawn chair and a hat. In bad weather, we will meet under the tent. We may use the Pierce House restroom. The class is for continuing students only.

 

New students may also sign up for fall beginning classes, to be held for 13 weeks starting September 16:

  • Mondays, 2:15– 3:15 p.m.
  • Wednesdays, 1– 2 p.m.
  • Thursdays, 9:15–10:15

$60 for one class per week, $80 for two classes per week, and $100 for three classes per week. For info, contact Jane Moss at 781-259-9822 or mindbodyjm@comcast.net.

Spencer wields pencil and pad for police work

Lincoln Police Detective Ian Spencer.

By Alice Waugh

Detective Ian Spencer is the Lincoln Police Department’s Juvenile Officer, but sometimes he draws a different kind of duty: creating forensic sketches of crime suspects.

Spencer is a trained police artist who interviews crime victims about what a suspect looked like. The sketch emerges after conversation and continual revisions of his drawing as he goes along to make sure he captured the victim’s visual memory as accurately as possible. His work recently paid off when one of his sketches resulted in the arrest of a suspect in a stabbing in Everett.

After graduating from the fine arts program at Burncoat High School, a magnet school in Worcester, he studied sculpture at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, a path that wasn’t too surprising given his family background — his sister is a music teacher and his brothers are an artist and a dancer who went to the Juilliard School.

“My dream job was a position in movie special effects, but that clearly did not happen,” Spencer says with a chuckle. When he didn’t get into a computer animation program he was aiming for, he finished his degree at UMass-Lowell and went to Plan B: a career in law enforcement. “Police work was something I always wanted to do — I just didn’t realize it was something I could have done earlier on,” he says.

Shortly after Spencer was hired in Lincoln in 2005, he encountered Concord Police Department inspector Jack Skinner, also a forensic artist, and with then-Police Chief Kevin Mooney’s blessing, he began looking into further training in the field. He eventually graduated from the FBI’s intensive three-week Forensic Facial Imaging Course in Quantico, Va., and is now one of the only FBI-trained forensic artists in New England.

As part of a small network of forensic artists nationwide, Spencer has applied his skills all over the country and trained with artists  from as far away as Australia. His work has included creating sketches for the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, using his training an anatomy and age progression to try to visualize what a missing child might look like today.

“If a kid has been missing for years, you can look at photos of the mom and dad at the same age [as the child] and use that to estimate how getting older has changed the missing persons face,” he says. He’s also used some of the same techniques to recreate what an unidentified corpse might have looked like in life.

“Artistic ability is fine, but it’s really the ability to connect with someone who’s gone through a trauma and how quickly we can get on the same page,” said Spencer, noting that many of the people he’s worked with were victims of sexual assault.

Spencer’s sketch that resulted in an arrest in Everett.

The process requires Spencer and the victim to establish a rapport, “letting that person know they’re 100% in control and I’m a resource to them,” he says. “To sit down with someone and ask that person to go back in their mind and think of the worst possible day of their life, sitting in close proximity to another male they’ve never met—that gets really difficult, but sometimes those are the most effective images, “ he says. “In a way you’re revictimizing them, but their memory for this event can be the catalyst for capture, and there’s an empowering component to that.”

Over the years, Spencer has done about 100 police sketches, and perhaps a quarter of them have resulted in identification of a suspect and/or an arrest (though visual identification is not enough in itself), he says.

The sketch work has also broadened Spencer’s reach as a detective. “I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to bring that art component into police work. It’s paid such amazing dividends,” he says. ”That’s 100 cases I never would have gotten a chance to investigate otherwise. It sharpens your ability to talk to people. A pencil and paper can sometimes be as effective than whole team of investigators.”

“Ian is a tremendous resource not only to the Lincoln Police, but other police departments as well. It’s invaluable as an investigator to have that tool available,” said Lincoln Police Chief Kevin Kennedy.

Spencer is currently working toward a master’s degree in criminal justice and hopes to be able to teach forensic sketching in the future. In the meantime, he talks to high school students all over the state about topics such as vaping, drugs and online behavior, but he also tells them about his unusual hybrid career. If a student is interested in more than one field, “I tell them to look at it, examine it, and see if the two or three can be tied in together.”

News acorns

Film on detention of Palestinians

The GRALTA Foundation presents a screening discussion of “Imprisoning a Generation,” a documentary by Zelda Edmunds that follows four young Palestinians who were detained and imprisoned under the Israeli military and political systems, on Saturday, May 25 at 10 a.m. in the Lincoln Public Library. The discussion will be led by Jerusalem-based Farah Bayadsi and Lincoln native Shaina Low, international advocacy officer for Defense for Children International – Palestine, who will offer details on the Promoting Human Rights for Palestinian Children Living Under Military Occupation Act (HR 2407). For more information, contact Steve Low at 781-259-1300 or steve.low@gordianconcepts.com.

Climate Justice Ministry film, summer services at St. Anne’s

On Tuesday, May 28, the Climate Justice Ministry at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church continues its film series with “Redefining Prosperity.” The film examines Nevada City, home to harmful environmental practices until it was discovered by the “back to the land movement,” experiencing a second gold rush but with a different idea of gold based on nature, community, and a sense of place. A light vegetarian supper is served at 6:30 p.m. and the film screening begins at 7 p.m. Discussion follows as time allows. Free and open to the public.

For the months of June, July, and August, the worship schedule at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields changes to one service of Holy Eucharist on Sundays at 9 a.m. The regular worship schedule of two morning services resumes in September. For more information, visit www.stanneslincoln.org.

DeMille at next LOMA

Ted DeMille

Ted DeMille is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, June 10 in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. The event runs from 7–10 p.m., and DeMille will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. Ted fronts Old Eleven, which plays many of his original songs at concert venues, and he’s also a member of the singer-songwriter group Magic Eight Ball. Click her to see him perform his original song “Indian Summer.”

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.

Visiting hours this week for Amalie Kass, 1928–2019

Amalie Kass

Amalie Moses Hecht Kass of Belmont, formerly of Lincoln, died May 19. She was born in Baltimore on January 9, 1928 to Leslie and Helene Moses. She grew up in Baltimore with her brother Alfred Moses and sister Claire Moses Lovett and attended Wellesley College.

In 1949, she married Malcolm (Mac) Hecht Jr., with whom she had five children: Anne, Robert, Thomas, Jonathan, and Peter. Following Mac’s death, she married Dr. Edward Kass in 1975 and became stepmother to his children Robert, James, and Nancy Kass.

Amalie obtained her M.Ed. from Boston University and taught high school history in the Newton public schools. She later devoted herself to medical history, authoring two books (one with her husband) and many scholarly articles, with a particular focus on obstetrics, women’s health, and the intersection between medicine and social justice.

Amalie was a passionate supporter of and generous benefactor to her alma mater Wellesley College (where she was a trustee), the Massachusetts Historical Society (where she was the first woman to serve as board chair), the Greenway Conservancy, Planned Parenthood, and many other organizations. She was also an avid outdoorswoman, skiing, hiking, and gardening into her 80s.

Her greatest joy was her large family, which in addition to her eight children includes their spouses Loreta Matheo Kass, Robert Harrold, Jocelyne Albert, Susan Korrick, Lora Sabin, Sean Tunis, Kristina Jones, and Shan Soe-lin; her grandchildren Katie, Julia, Mark, Benjamin, Rebecca, Amelie, Evan, Nico, Alison, Hannah, Cody, Rachel, Mac, Gabe, Molly, Zoe, Alexis, Noah, Sophia, and Charlotte; and her great-granddaughter Emma.

Friends are invited to join the family for visiting hours at Amalie’s home at 20 Howells Rd. in Belmont from 5–9 p.m. on May 22 and 23. A shiva minyan will take place both evenings at 7 p.m. A memorial service will be held at a later date at Wellesley College. Share a memory of her on this Levine Chapels obituary page.

Contributions in Amalie’s memory may be made to the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts or the Pine Street Inn.

Six L-S staff win FELS grants

FELS grant recipients Erica Wilsen, Shea Justice, Kelly Gaudreau, Rebecca Carr, and David Cole. 

Six faculty and staff members at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School have received grants from the Foundation for Educators at Lincoln-Sudbury (FELS) to pursue their professional and personal interests and passions.

FELS was founded in 2000 to offer parents a tangible way to show their appreciation to the L-S professional staff for the unflagging dedication, tireless effort, and genuine caring they routinely offer our children. The 2019 grant recipients shared over $10,500 in funding, and FELS has distributed well over $100,000 in grants since its founding.  Funds are raised through a direct appeal to L-S families as well as the annual FELS Thanksgiving Pie Sale and Spring FELS Talk.

John Flynn of the L-S Counseling Department.

The 2019 recipients are:

  • Certified Auto Detailer — David Cole, campus aide
  • All Things British — Rebecca Carr, English Department
  • African American History Journey — Shea Justice, Fine and Applied Technical Arts Department
  • Tanzania: Reconnecting and Expanding — Erica Wilsen, Math Department
  • Twin City Tour — John Flynn, Counseling Department
  • Just Breathe:  My Dream to Become a Yoga Instructor — Kelly Gaudreau, English Department

Temporary classrooms coming to kick off school project

An illustration of where the modular classrooms and temporary parking will be located.

The first visible sign of the start of the $93.9 million school project will appear in the center ballfield shortly after the Fourth of July, when the six-month task of installing temporary classrooms will begin.

The modulars will be home for the K–4 students during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years. The total cost for the classrooms and associated work is about $4.53 million, according to School Building Committee Vice Chair Kim Bodnar. This includes units themselves and also delivery and setup of the modular classrooms and their removal at the end of the project, as well as utility connections and a temporary parking lot for 45 cars.

The center playing fields will be closed on July 5 and the site work for the modulars will be contained inside a temporary construction fence. Installation is due to be completed by the end of 2019. The Smith playing fields and the Codman field will remain open, as will the smaller playing field to the south of the modulars.

A view inside one of the modular classrooms at Hanscom Primary School.

The Brooks auditorium and Reed Gym will be closed for renovations in 2020-21, and the Smith fields will go out of commission in 2021-22. Codman Pool and the adjacent field will remain open for the entire school project which is expected to finish  in time for the start of the 2022-23 school year.

The projected cost for the modulars was initially much higher than budgeted — $1.68 million in June 2018 vs. $4.62 million in the fall. The total estimate for the project had also increased to about $9 million over the budget approved by voters last June. As part of its cost-cutting value-engineering process, the SBC trimmed several items and expected to make up the shortfall on the modulars by negotiating less expensive units.

Last week, the SBC approved a contract for the modulars after at least one of the three bids came in under budget. Construction manager Consigli Construction will oversee the installation of the modular classrooms by vendor/subcontractor J&J Construction.

This chart shows where grade will be located at various stages of the school project (click to enlarge).

As part of the permitting process for the project, the Conservation Commission will hold a second hearing and vote on the plans for the temporary classrooms on Wednesday, May 22. That same night, the SBC will see the latest updates to the exterior elevations, floor plans, and site plans. Both groups will meet in the Town Office Building due to the student art show at Hartwell.

News acorns

Magic Garden open house this weekend

The Magic Garden Infant & Toddler Center at 14 Bedford Rd. (the stone church) is holding an open house on Saturday, May 18 from 9–11 a.m. The event is geared towards answering parents’ questions, but children are welcome to attend and play in our classrooms, and activities for infants and toddlers will be provided. Call with questions and RSVPs to 781-259-8161 (walk-ins are also welcome). Magic Garden offers year-round care and education to children ages 2 months to 5 years old with flexible schedules.

Adjustments in library hours

The Lincoln Public Library will be closed on Monday, May 27 in observance of Memorial Day and will open late (1 p.m.) on Tuesday, June 4 due to staff training.

Movie group to show “Tabu”

The Lincoln Library Film Society will screen “Tabu” (2012, not rated) on Thursday, June 6 at 6 p.m. A restless retired woman teams up with her deceased neighbor’s maid to seek out a man who has a secret connection to her past life as a farm owner at the foothill of Mount Tabu in Africa.

Birding walk at Minute Man HNP

Look for nests of orioles, tanagers and others, and watch for adult birds feeding and raising their young on “Nesting Birds of Minute Man National Historical Park” on Saturday, June 8 from 8-10 a.m. Meet at Hartwell Tavern lot (106 North Great Rd., Lincoln). Recommended for ages 10 to adult. In case of inclement weather call the park at 617-620-2942 or Kathy Dia 617-480-5103 for walk status.

Garden Club hosts tree and sculpture tour, photo exhibit

The Lincoln Garden Club will hold its annual fundraiser — a tree and sculpture tour at deCordova Sculpture Park followed by a champagne reception at the Pierce House — on Sunday, June 9. The tour runs from 1–5 p.m. The reception from 5–7 p.m. will feature a photo exhibit where attendees can vote on their favorite photos submitted in the club’s photo contest. Entries must be submitted by May 21; click here for contest rules. There will also be an auction of items including stone wall repair services, a helicopter ride over Boston, customized invitations and more. Click here to buy tickets online.

Group unveils proposals to boost South Lincoln development

A map showing locations of the proposed South Lincoln Village District subareas (click to enlarge).

A town committee is proposing new zoning and a special permitting process to allow denser and more diverse commercial and residential development in South Lincoln. A set of proposed zoning bylaw amendments will be up for discussion at the State of the Town meeting in the fall and a Town Meeting vote in March 2020.

The Village Planning and Zoning group (a subcommittee of the South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee) presented its work at a public forum on May 7. The group is one of several SPLIC teams, along with Placemaking, Wayfinding, and MBTA. SPLIC also commissioned a recent study of Department of Public Works needs and potential alternate locations.

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

• This series of slides summarizes the work of the Village Planning and Zoning group

Most uses already allowed by current zoning would be allowed by right with a site plan review. Other uses — such as multifamily housing and artist live-work studios in the residential subarea or mixed-use development, restaurants, brew pubs and service stations in the business subarea — would require a special permit.

To get this permit in the residential subarea, up to 15% of the housing would have to be affordable to low-income, residents — and another 10% affordable to middle-income residents.

“That’s a subset that’s missing in Lincoln—people that are not low-income but still can’t afford to move here,” said Alexis Smith, a senior planner with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, which awarded the town a $15,000 grant and assistance with the zoning and design guideline work. (Lincoln also received a $25,000 Community Compact Grant.)

To receive a special permit from the Planning Board, projects must also conform to specific design guidelines that could accommodate both modern and traditional designs, so “it won’t all look like Ye Olde Town Center,” as one resident at the forum commented. Projects exceeding special permit uses and densities could seek Town Meeting approval through South Lincoln Overlay District process.

Some residents worried about helping the business spaces already in South Lincoln succeed in addition to encouraging new ventures. Smith assured them that denser and more affordable housing would “create the foot traffic that would support those businesses and bring down those vacancy levels.”

“We definitely want to give a stronger footing to the businesses we do have,” said SPLIC member Gary Taylor.

Another resident was wary. “This is like a Pandora’s box. Once you change the zoning law, you don’t know what you’re going to get. Lincoln has a certain character, and that’s the reason I moved here,” he said.

But resident Jon Lynch was supportive. “This is really where Lincoln Center should be,” with development around the MBTA mass transit hub, he said. “We don’t have a critical mass of people… if we had stuff there, people would get off the train and do something instead of just jumping in their car and driving away. We have to get cars to stop thinking of [South Lincoln] as a drive-through.”

Sara Mattes urged more work on increasing parking capacity and fixing the MBTA station, saying denser housing could create an undue strain on public services and septic capacity. Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney assured her that the town is in fact doing a parking study for the commuter and business lots. Lincoln has also applied for another $400,000 Complete Streets grant to enable walkability and parking improvements, she added.

“With the school [project] and taxes, increasing the tax base is really important, so there’s urgency from another perspective,” Peyton Marshall said.

Attracting more residents and commercial development is crucial for Lincoln’s future, Ken Hurd said. “This is a death knell for this town if we don’t address it and attract younger folks.”