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

Planning Board candidates have their say

The Lincoln Squirrel is gathering statements from the candidates in the town election that takes place March 30. First up: the three candidates who are running for two seats on the Planning Board, which is the only contested race this year: incumbent Lynn DeLisi, challenger and former board member Robert Domnitz, and incumbent Rick Rundell.

Lynn DeLisi

South Great Road

Lynn DeLisi

I am running for re-election to the Planning Board of our town and I would like to tell you why.

Like so many other people, we decided to purchase a home in Lincoln several years ago because we fell in love with the picturesque vistas of wide-open spaces with nighttime stars in the sky, fields of wildflowers, organic farms and wild-life of all kinds safely roaming conservation land. The zoning for one residential home per two acres appealed to us, along with the many mapped walking paths and scenic ponds. We were amazed that we could carry our canoe to the Sudbury River and see blue herons, and yet attend a concert at the BSO only a 30-minute drive from our house.

Not even a month after we moved into our new home, however, we received a letter by registered mail from a neighbor whose property we abutted on three sides. He included a diagram of a dozen dense structures on the acreage surrounding our lot with a letter informing us that a developer in Concord was interested in buying his land and placing several groups of condos in an L shape surrounding our new home. The letter further stated that “The Planning Board was very interested in having this done.” I cried a lot after receiving that letter and the stress of this crisis was tremendous. We had just purchased a house we loved with a beautiful view in a town we thought was unique for the reasons I mentioned, and now we were about to be surrounded by dense dwellings and more people, cars, and noise than we thought could be possible in this quiet, environmentally sensitive community.

Not long after receiving this letter, I saw there was a vacancy on the Planning Board, expressed my interest, and was appointed. Once on the board, I became aware that what my neighbor wanted would need to go through zoning changes and site plan reviews and be approved by Town Meeting. It still could have happened, but this neighbor’s plan never came to fruition simply because we managed to purchase that extra lot surrounding us to preserve our view, our favorite wildlife, and quiet.

I realize, however, that not everyone in town can stop the development around them as we did. If someone convinces the Planning Board and the town of the need to rezone a neighborhood for new housing or something else, what almost happened to us could be reality for others. They need someone on the Planning Board who will listen to them and look out for their interests.

Currently there is a controversy about whether or not significantly more dense housing units are needed in South Lincoln near the train station. Some people think we need to do our share as a town to alleviate the housing problem in Boston. Others do not agree and predict the changes to the town would be dramatic. Those most affected are those living there already and are the most vulnerable to the changes.

It’s difficult to know what the majority of people truly want for this district. I don’t think that gets answered by early-morning or late-weekday-evening public forums and meetings. Can all those who care attend these meetings and speak up to voice an opinion? Are these opinions being counted in some way? Do we need a scientifically and carefully constructed survey of the town to determine what the residents want? This may be the best way to hear all the views.

I know very well what the negative consequences of not carefully listening could be. I will always be questioning why, where, and what, and looking for ways to preserve neighborhoods and the interests of abutters while maintaining the uniqueness of Lincoln.

One of my past accomplishments on the Planning Board was my service on the Selectman’s fact-finding committee on the implications of the legalization of recreational marijuana businesses in the Lincoln. As a committee, we were very cognizant that we needed to put our personal views aside and recommend to the Selectmen a path to follow that the people of the town truly wanted.

In order to do that, I took the lead in conducting a survey of residents to hear their views on having marijuana grown, manufactured, and/or sold within our town. Based on that survey, a public forum, and extensive research on the facts, we brought to a Special Town Meeting a bylaw amendment to ban marijuana establishments in Lincoln, and this was passed by two-thirds vote and by subsequent ballot. I am proud to have contributed to this, knowing as I do (someone working with young adults addicted to marijuana) that we have taken a small step not to promote easy access to a harmful substance by the youth of our town. If, in the future, carefully controlled treatment trials show positive effects of cannabis products on an array of medical ailments, I will be happy to help reverse this town vote.

Another campaign of mine has been to help the residents of North Lincoln, who in my mind have suffered more than their share for the town. The Route 2 changes occurred before my time on the Planning Board and I have been dismayed with how they were handled and how residents of our town have suffered. I tried hard to minimize the effects of Minuteman Vocational High School on the residents of Mill Street. I believe it is a disgrace how the school officials handled this project, not collaborating with the neighborhood. They did not need the high tower for theater classes, or to clear out so many trees, or to build a highly lit stadium with a loud speaker system.

In addition, as a Harvard-affiliated psychiatrist who treats people with borderline personality disorder frequently, I knew that what McLean was doing to claim they were an educational facility was wrong. I spoke out against it orally and in writing. Unfortunately, this ultimately did not go in favor of the North Lincoln residents. Nevertheless, I will continue to speak out forcefully against anything that has a negative impact on the neighborhoods of North Lincoln and will of course rigorously support the positive.

In summary, I am for responsible planning, always in collaboration with the people in neighborhoods. I am for keeping the South Lincoln commercial district successful but not dense with new housing unless that is truly what the majority of residents want. I am for keeping North Lincoln residents free from any more adversity, which means keeping a DPW site out of North Lincoln.

I am for regulations that preserve Lincoln’s unique atmosphere, with nighttime stars and early morning wildlife grazing in open fields. I am for preserving the historical significance of some of Lincoln’s neighborhoods and the designated Historical Districts, the highest quality education available to our children in modernized facilities, a community center that serves our residents well, safe and supportive facilities for senior residents, keeping the availability of harmful substances away from our young generation, and most of all, keeping Lincoln safe.

If these are your interests and you want to be assured that you will have someone representing them, then vote in Lincoln’s election on March 30. I always have time to listen to people’s concerns and suggestions. You can email me at DeLisi76@aol.com or phone me at 781-257-5046.

Robert Domnitz

Mill Street

Robert Domnitz

(Editor’s note: Domnitz is a former member of the Planning Board who narrowly lost his bid for reelection in 2015.)

What is your previous experience in town government?

I served on the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission from 1985–1991. In Lexington, I was member/chair of the Lexington Planning Board from 1990–1995 and a Town Meeting Representative from 1986–1995. I was member/chair of the Lincoln Planning Board from 2003–2015

In the next few years, what do you think are the most important issue(s) facing the Planning Board, and how would you tackle them if elected?

The Planning Board has given top priority to promotion of increased business activity and housing in the Lincoln Station area. They are developing a complex revision to the town’s zoning bylaw which they believe will foster this development. A key feature of their proposal is that they — and they alone — will have authority to approve large-scale development proposals without review by Town Meeting. This is a dramatic departure from our traditional reliance on Town Meeting for major decisions.

I revere our Town Meeting form of government. As a member of the Planning Board, I will work to ensure that Town Meeting continues to play a central role in Lincoln’s decisions about land use. I believe that the Planning Board’s effort to foster revitalization of Lincoln Station without meaningful participation of Town Meeting will be divisive and will fail. Conversely, with Town Meeting’s participation, we have the opportunity to welcome projects that appeal to neighbors, business owners, and the town at large. Again and again, we have proven that our Town Meeting can take decisive action when it’s needed. I will do my best to make sure that Town Meeting gets the balanced information it needs to make those bold, prudent decisions.

Why did you decide to run for the Planning Board again?

In recent years, many residents have become increasingly concerned as our Annual Town Meeting has turned into a mostly routine exercise that “rubber stamps” the proposals that are presented. Our boards and committees almost invariably present unanimous, seamless recommendations. If there is another side to the issue, it is rarely presented for our consideration.

The Planning Board’s current zoning proposal accelerates this worrisome trend. It authorizes the board to approve major projects in Lincoln Station without Town Meeting’s participation in the decision-making process. These projects can have profound impacts on virtually every aspect of Lincoln: finances, services, school population, traffic, and Lincoln’s overall character. I feel we should not rely on five future Planning Board members to make these important decisions. As a member of the Planning Board, I would work to preserve the vitality and relevance of our Town Meeting.

Rick Rundell

Todd Pond Road

Rick Rundell

What background and experience do you offer?

I am a Massachusetts registered architect with over three decades experience in the building industry and a member of the American Institute of Architects. I hold credentials from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program of the U.S. Green Building Council. I presently work in the software industry, where I lead innovation programs focused on architecture, engineering, and construction. I hold a master’s degree in architecture from Harvard University and a B.A. in engineering science from Dartmouth College.

My wife Virginia and I came to Lincoln in 2012 with our two children and small flock of chickens, drawn by its unique character, connection to nature, and the thoughtful planning of its beautiful neighborhoods. The children are now in college and the flock has flown—and meanwhile, Virginia and I have become deeply committed to the community, serving on several local volunteer boards and organizations.

I was recruited to the Planning Board shortly after arriving in Lincoln by then-member Bob Domnitz because he felt the board lacked a professional architect. I agreed, and since then I have brought the energetic perspective of an active, engaged professional to the board. I am a registered architect in the state of Massachusetts and the sole candidate for the board with an architectural background. I’ve served on the Planning Board since 2012, including as chair in 2015, and have been one of two Board members appointed to the Historic District Commission since 2013. I have also been president of the Todd Pond Residents Association since 2013.

Why are you excited about serving on the Planning Board?

We’ve seen tremendous changes in the Planning Board over the last few years. I am especially proud of the amendments to the Zoning By-Law passed by Town Meeting in 2018 as Article 27. This measure, by putting a five-year sunset on site plan review requirements, finally put limits on the creeping power of the Planning Board as property after property had become permanently encumbered under site plan review, with the obligation to bring even the most trivial improvements before the board. Changes that many residents could make as of right were closed off to property owners once they had fallen under site plan review. Though the article was opposed by a former board member at that Town Meeting, the measure passed resoundingly. That today’s board proposed a measure to so limit its own power made me proud to be a member, and proud of our Town Meeting process. It is also evidence of the change represented by today’s board that has benefited the citizens of Lincoln.

The challenges to Lincoln come largely from the world around us—changes to demographics, the economics of retail, the cost of public infrastructure, development in towns around us that impact our residents without benefiting them, and even the legalization of marijuana. With the newly professionalized board and Planning Department that is bringing hundreds of thousands of grant dollars to Lincoln for civic improvements, and with the level of civic engagement in the town, I see a tremendous opportunities to respond to these challenges in ways that continue to preserve and increase the health and character of the town.

The opportunities presented by having our own rail station, world-class cultural facilities, and spectacular rural landscapes in conservation allow Lincoln to punch well above its weight as a vibrant, diverse, and engaging community. My experience with Town Meeting since first attending on our arrival in 2012 leaves me with nothing but respect for direct democracy, and I have seen time and time again where authentic discourse has led to great results.

Mass Audubon gets 85 acres of land in Lincoln and Wayland

The 85 acres donated by the Carroll School to Mass Audubon is shown with a dotted outline (click to enlarge).

The Carroll School has donated 85 acres of recently acquired land to Mass Audubon that will become part of the Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary.

An anonymous donor gave the school a total of 103 acres in Wayland and Lincoln that lie south of Old Sudbury Road. (Land records show that the Lincoln portion of the donated land is owned by the Roy S. MacDowell Jr. Trust.) The school is keeping 18 acres in Wayland abutting its upper school, which opened in that location in 2017. Carroll also has a middle school campus on Baker Bridge Road in Lincoln and a lower school on Trapelo Road in Waltham just east of the Cambridge reservoir.

“We will continue to be good neighbors in the towns of Lincoln, Wayland, and Waltham. We look forward to the outdoor education opportunities that access to this property provides,” said Head of School Steve Wilkins.

This version of the map shows the Carroll School’s full 103-acre acquisition outlined in yellow. The school is keeping the darker brown portion in Wayland and has donated the rest to Mass Audubon, which also owns the parcels with red dots. The black dot indicates the Carroll Upper School property. (Map by Lincoln Squirrel using Lincoln and Wayland property maps; click to enlarge.)

The 85 Mass Audubon acres feature a meandering boardwalk passing through wetlands. The Bay Circuit Trail runs through the land, which was already protected by a permanent conservation restriction and is open to the public.

“We’re going to keep it a passive recreation area,” said Michael O’Connor, public relations manager at Mass Audubon. “Perhaps down the road we might think about some nature-related educational programs, but right now it’s just a beautiful place to take a walk.”

“This new addition to the sanctuary will extend the Drumlin Farm conservation corridor through south Lincoln and into Wayland, providing continued protected habitat for wildlife as well as a wonderful mixed forest/wetland environment for visitors to explore on the boardwalk and lesser-known trails beyond,” Drumlin Farm Sanctuary Director Renata Pomponi said. “We’re excited to extend Drumlin Farm’s stewardship to include this important parcel and the opportunities it brings for environmental education and conservation.”

“Carroll School’s Board of Trustees believes that Mass Audubon is the best steward for the 85 acres,” said Amy Dempster, the Carroll School’s director of communications and marketing. As for the other 18 acres, “there are no near-term plans to build on the property, but that potential exists in the future. Our donor saw this as a long term opportunity.”

News acorns

Piano concert on Saturday

Lincoln pianist Trevor Berens presents “Long Piano Project 2.0” on Saturday, March 7 from 3–6 p.m. at Bemis Hall. This is a continuation of his “Long Piano Project” with two solo piano pieces, each 75 minutes long. The first half is the U.S. premiere of composer Ian Wilson’s multi-movement piece, “Stations.” The second half of the concert is Morton Feldman’s “For Bunita Marcus.” Tickets are $20 at the door (cash or check).

Talk by author of “The End of Ice”

Join The Walden Woods Project and RESTORE: The North Woods for a Stewardship Lecture with Dahr Jamail on Thursday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m. for a wine and cheese reception with the author) at the Walden Woods Project headquarters (44 Baker Farm Rd.)

Jamail will discuss his award-winning book The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption in which he journeys to locations experiencing the most dramatic impacts of climate disruption, climbing and diving alongside leading experts and front-line scientists. The End of Ice was named one of the Ten Best Science Books of 2019 by Smithsonian and is a finalist for the 2020 Pen/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award for exemplifying literary excellence. The book will be available for purchase at the event, with a book-signing by the author after the talk. This event is free, but registration is required.

L-S students go on Habitat for Humanity trip 

Among the group from L-S on the Habitat for Humanity trip to Balitmore were Lincoln students Anjuli Das (far right in gray sweatshirt), Gabriel Feinberg (back row, third from left), and Emily Griffith (back row, second from right). Other students were Keely Durning, Kares Mack, Gretchen Mills, Anna Cincotta, Jesus Tejeda, Emily Fisher,  Khadija Ceesay, Luca Nicastro,  Eric Wilson, Michael Cruz, Katherine Johnstone, and Anna Haberman, and L-S staff Susan Frommer, Steven Driscoll, and Regina Shopiro. Click image to enlarge.

Fifteen students from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, including three from Lincoln, took part in the L-S MLK Action Project’s annual Baltimore Habitat for Humanity trip over February break. For many years, Habitat of the Chesapeake (HHC) has selected entire neighborhoods in which to buy abandoned property and construct new homes. During their three days on site, HHC estimated that the L-S group completed $10,000 worth of work, which included picking up trash, shoveling and transporting dirt and debris, destroying and constructing fences, and smashing a concrete driveway to pieces as well as painting and some framing. Manual labor in place of down payments by HHC workers, volunteers, and future homeowners turn drug-infested, run-down neighborhoods with up to 95% home vacancies into safe communities. 

Wine and beer tasting to benefit Domestic Violence Roundtable

The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable invites the public to a free wine and beer tasting to support its annual Shower for Shelters at Sudbury Wine and Spirits (Rugged Bear Plaza, 410 Boston Post Rd., Sudbury) on Friday, March 27 at 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided by the Roundtable. A domestic violence survivor is also scheduled to speak.

Please bring a new, unwrapped housewarming gift to the event for families transitioning from shelters. Donations will benefit clients of Reach Beyond Domestic Violence, The Second Step, and Voices Against Violence as well as the transitional housing and shelter programs of these agencies. 

Requested items include twin size linens of all types, unscented cleaning products and laundry detergent, laundry baskets, kitchen utensils, flatware, dishes, drinking glasses, and small kitchen appliances. Gift cards are also welcome. If you’re unable to attend, there will be collection baskets at the Sudbury Police Department, the Wayland Public Safety Building, and the Lincoln Police Department from March 28 to April 13.

This year’s event will also include raffles of gift baskets and donations from members of the Sudbury Art Association. Winners do not need to be present at the drawing to win. Proceeds from the raffle will be used to purchase additional gift cards as part of the Shower for Shelters.

Used electronics fundraiser

The L-S girls’ softball team and Friends of Lincoln-Sudbury Softball (FOLSS) is sponsoring an electronics recycling fundraiser on Saturday, March 28 from 9 a.m.–noon at Feeley Field (200 Raymond Rd., Sudbury). Dispose of unwanted office and computer equipment as well as small appliances. Monetary donations will also be collected to safely dispose of electronics. Large appliances and items containing chemicals/hazardous waste materials cannot be accepted. Tax receipts will be provided. Click here for more information or email FriendsofLSSoftball@gmail.com.

2020 Presidential primary results for Lincoln

As he did statewide, former Vice President Joe Biden won the Democratic presidential primary in Lincoln. However, Lincoln’s second-place finisher was Elizabeth Warren rather than the statewide #2, Bernie Sanders. He and Michael Bloomberg were tied for third place in Lincoln with 16% each.

In Lincoln’s Republican primary, former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld garnered 22% of the vote (far better than his statewide tally of 9%) but was still decisively defeated by President Donald Trump, who got 71% of Lincoln’s Republican votes.

Overall, those voting in the town’s Democratic primary far outnumbered those voting Republican, 2,459 to 176 (93% to 7%). Twenty-five percent of those who voted in both primaries cast their ballots early. 

More resources:

DEMOCRATPrecinct #1Precinct #2Total votesPercentage
Joseph R. Biden52530382833%
Elizabeth Warren48622571129%
Bernie Sanders22516939416%
Michael R. Bloomberg25113638716%
Pete Buttigieg5036863%
Amy Klobuchar4013532%
Andrew Yang5380%
Tom Steyer3360%
Deval Patrick4150%
Tulsi Gabbard2240%
Michael Bennet2130%
John K. Delaney0110%
John Delaney0010%
Corey Booker0000%
Marianne Williamson0000%
Total ballots cast1,5938932,494100%
REPUBLICANPrecinct #1Precinct #2TotalPercentage
Donald J. Trump885214071%
William F. Weld28164422%
Joe Walsh3142%
Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente1010%
Total ballots cast1267019696%
GREEN-RAINBOWPrecinct #1Precinct #2Total votes
Dario Hunter101
S.K.C. Moyowasifza-Curry011
Total ballots cast112
LIBERTARIANPrecinct #1Precinct #2Total votes
Jacob Hornberger022
Total ballots cast113

NOTE: Totals include early voting but do not include write-ins or blank ballots.

Democratic Town Committee:

Sharon Antia, Graham Atkin, Laura Berland, Alexander Chatfield, Gary Dean Davis, Sheila Dennis, Marjorie Debowy, Theordore Debowy, Lorraine Fiore, Jerry Gechter, Andrew Glass, Jennifer Glass, Alexandra Golden, Jennifer Gundy, Roy Harvey, Sarah Cannon Holden, Joan Kimball, Geraldine Lattimore, Christopher Loschen, Rosemary Kerrebrock, E. Rachel Mason, Margaret McLaughlin, Carolyn Montie, Paul Montie, Jessica Packineau, Travis Roland, Jacqueline Sasso, Betty-Jane Scheff, Alvin Schmertzler, Paul Shorb, Barbara Slayter, William Stason, Tricia Thornton-Wells, Jean Welsh.

Republican Town Committee:

Stephen Binder, Sandra Damirjian, Joseph Dwyer Jr., Richard Fraiman, Adam Hogue, Mark Soukup, David Stubblebine, Richard Theriault.

Police log for week of February 21, 2020

 

February 21

Codman Community Farms (4:35 p.m.) — Walk-in to the police station was concerned about a tree truck parked at Codman Farm due to the soft ground. Person was advised to speak with farm staff.

Lincoln Road (6:15 p.m.) — Caller was concerned about a male party who is at the train station dancing. Officer spoke to the party; he was cold waiting for the train trying to stay warm.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (6:53 p.m.) — Caller’s vehicle was towed from Rte. 2 by State Police and would like to know where it is. Party was given the State Police Concord phone number to follow up with them.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (3:38 a.m.) — Vehicle was stopped on Rte. 2 westbound at Bedford Road and Benedict Amuta, 20, of 20 Massmills Dr. in Lowell was arrested on a traffic warrant out of Clinton District Court. He was later released to appear in court.

February 22

Codman Community Farms (7:02 p.m.) — Caller reported that at about 5 p.m., there was a person who couldn’t control their dog who was at the farm. No identifying information regarding the dog or the owner.

February 24

Wells Road (1:00 p.m.) — Walk in came to the station to report an incident that previously occurred in Watertown. An officer spoke to the party and provided the information to Watertown PD.

Lincoln Road (3:05 p.m.) — A party came into the station to report striking a deer on Lincoln Road near Ballfield Road.

Lexington Road (5:50 p.m. and 8:28 p.m.) — Officer attempted to give paperwork to a resident.

February 25

Lexington Road (11:40 a.m.) — Officer attempted to give paperwork to a resident.

Lincoln Road (1:52 p.m.) — Officer attempted to give paperwork to a resident.

South Great Road (2:13 p.m.) — Report of an erratic operator on Rte. 117 coming from Weston. Driver was located and arrested on Willarch Road. Leslie Hallowell, 57, of 5 Willarch Rd. in Lincoln was arrested for OUI/liquor. She was later bailed to appear in Concord Court.

South Great Road (3:04 p.m.) — Caller reported an aggressive dog in the area. An officer located the dog and following up with the owner.

Entrance road, Hanscom Air Force Base (8:26 p.m.) — A party came into the station to report receiving harassing messages over social media. Report taken.

Lincoln Town Hall (8:36 p.m.) — A party reported a person who was possibly intoxicated in the area of Town Hall. An officer located the party walking and brought them to their residence.

Lexington Road (8:28 p.m.) — Officer attempted to give paperwork to a resident.

February 26

South Great Road (12:30 a.m.) — Officer stopped a vehicle on Rte. 117 near Mt. Misery. Scott Mahon, 28, of 256 Great Rd. in Stow was arrested for OUI. He was later brought to Concord Court.

February 27

Maynard Fire Department — Lincoln Fire Department responded to Maynard to cover the town as Maynard firefighters are at a fire elsewhere.

Weston Road (11:23 p.m.) — Caller reports a fallen tree blocking the road. Officer on scene asked the DPW to remove.

Lincoln Road (11:59 a.m.) — Officer assisted a party in regard to a civil matter

North Commons (12:31 p.m.) — Resident reported that she’s missing a door that she put away in storage a while ago. Report taken by an officer.

Baker Bridge Road (1:49 p.m.) — Callers reported a large tree blocking the road. Officer responded and asked EverSource to respond.

North Great Road (8:01 pm.) — Caller reported a party walking on Rte. 2A wearing dark clothing. Officer checked the area and was unable to locate the party.

South Great Road (9:13 p.m.) — Officer found a party near the Concord town line who was looking for a lost friend. The lost person was found in Concord and reunited with the reporting party.

Obituaries

John Bartsch, 55

Bartsch died on February 23 at age 55. He was an alumnus of Brandeis university and UC-Santa Cruz and worked at the Virgin Islands’ first internet provider, Cobex, Inc. in St. Thomas, where he was head software engineer. Later, Bartsch was director of information services at Fisher College in Boston for 19 years. Read full obituary.

Liz King, 82

Liz King

King died in Hanover, N.H. on February 25 at the age of 82. She worked at the Boston Lying-In Hospital with Dr. T. Berry Brazelton and also at Massachusetts General Hospital. She and her late husband William A. King lived in Lincoln for 38 years. She co-founded the Lincoln Youth Soccer Program and later was assistant director of the Lincoln Council on Aging for 17 years. She was also a member of the First Parish in Lincoln. Read full obituary.

 

Correction and clarification

The February 27 article headlined “$3.5m cut from school project, but alternate funding is a possibility” erroneously implied that money in the town’s free cash account and the money that was recommended for spending on the public safety radio system were two different things. In fact, the radio-system sum was budgeted by the Finance Committee to come out of free cash. The article also did not clearly present FinCom member Tom Sander’s views. The original article has been amended.

Council on Aging activities for March 2020

Lincoln Academy with James J. Noble, PhD: Glacier National Park and Lewis & Clark
March 2 at 12:30 p.m.
Join Noble and 200 fellow riders as they embark on the American Lung Association Transamerica Bicycle Trek from to Atlantic City. You will experience the grandeur of the Glacier National Park in Montana as well as 660 miles of the Lewis and Clark Trail. This video and PowerPoint presentation will have two connected takeaways. The first regards the natural beauty of Glacier NP, the nearby Canadian Rockies, and a global geographical anomaly unique to Glacier. The second focuses on some intriguing political and historical questions regarding President Jefferson, Merriweather Lewis, the Louisiana Purchase, and the 49th parallel. The COA provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion. All ages welcome.

Relax on a noticing walk with John Calabria
March 3 at 1 p.m.
Place: TBD
Come for a gently paced walk through nature guided by John Calabria on March 3 from 1 to 2:30 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.

[Read more…] about Council on Aging activities for March 2020

News acorns

Civil disobedience training, climate film at St. Anne’s

St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church is offering nonviolent civil disobedience training on Saturday, Feb. 29 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. The fight to reduce carbon emissions is “heating up,” and some citizens have realized that conventional forms of advocacy and political activism to combat climate change are not bringing about the urgent responses they’d like to see from elected leaders. A time-honored alternative to conventional activism has been nonviolent civil disobedience (CD) in the tradition of Thoreau, Gandhi, and King. 

Trainer Cathy Hoffman will offer legal and practical information about CD as well as experiential practice about CD and supporting others to engage. There will also be background on the local efforts to stop the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure. Please register for the event by clicking here. After you register, you’ll receive a confirmation email with further explanation of what will happen at the training. Anyone with questions may call Alex Chatfield at 781-697-0140.

Also at St. Anne’s, there will be a free screening of the documentary film “Racing to Zero” on Sunday, March 1. A light vegetarian soup and bread supper will be served at 6:15 p.m. followed by the film at 7 p.m. and a discussion of waste reduction initiatives with Mothers Out Front at 8:15 p.m. “Racing To Zero” presents new solutions to the global problem of waste and the efforts of the city of San Francisco to achieve zero waste by 2020. The event is part of St. Anne’s Climate Justice Film Series. Everyone is also welcome to attend the 5 p.m. worship service prior to the event. For more information contact Alex Chatfield at adchat@aol.com or 781-697-0140.

LWV stages Civics Bee with teams from four towns

The League of Women Voters of Sudbury, Wayland, Weston and Concord-Carlisle will stage the 12th annual LMV Civics Bee featuring intergenerational town teams on Sunday, March 8 at 2 p.m. in the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School auditorium. Teams from the middle schools, high schools, and adults from the four towns will test their knowledge of government at the federal, state, and local levels. The event is free and open to the public. 

Friends of Lincoln Library seek volunteers

The Friends of the Lincoln Public Library (FOLL) are seeking volunteers to serve on their board of directors. FOLL provides funding for all of the library’s special programs, staff enrichment programs and training, and various other projects such as the soon-to-be-installed audiovisual system in the Tarbell Room (funding also provided by the Ogden Codman Trust). Volunteers are welcome to help organize fundraisers, organize the monthly book sales at Bemis Hall, deliver library materials to housebound residents and more.

The monthly FOLL book sale will take place on Saturday, March 14 from 9 a.m.–noon in the Bemis Hall basement. Purchase gently used (and some new) books, CDs and DVDs while supporting the library’s programs. There’s also an FOLL book sale cart in the library with new books added each week. All books are $2.00.

$3.5m cut from school project, but alternate funding is a possibility

By Alice Waugh

(Editor’s note: this story has been updated.)

Items including new trees, some of the playground equipment, and sunlight-controlling window devices totaling $3.5 million were chopped—at least temporarily—from the school project last week after construction bids came in at $3.5 million higher than budgeted.

The School Building Committee (SBC) got the bad news when bids were opened on January 29 and voted on February 12 to approve cuts to close the gap. The newly deleted line items include:

  • $1.2 million for planting new trees, concrete walkways and bike paths, half the playground equipment, an auditorium divider and theatrical rigging, and sunlight-controlling window devices
  • $1.5 million (of the $2.1 million originally budgeted) for furniture, fittings, equipment, and technology
  • $254,000 for auditorium seating, carpeting, and stage paneling
  • $782,000 for using a different foundation pouring method and less expensive new caseworks, as well as not demolishing and removing the temporary classrooms.

In a bit of good news, the $254,000 for the auditorium refurbishment was restored after it recently became clear that the work could be funded from the estate of the late Harriet Todd, a former Selectman who died in 2018 and left $500,000 to the town in her will. Her family agreed that some of that bequest could be spent on the auditorium; the rest will endow a scholarship for Lincoln students.

Some of the other items that the SBC cut may not be gone for good. After a flurry of meetings this week, the Board of Selectmen approved a Special Town Meeting (STM) to vote on restoring some of them with money from a different source. The STM will take place at the start of the Annual Town Meeting on March 28.

The three buckets of items the SBC hopes to restore to the school project. Items in peach are the SBC’s top priority, those in blue are second priority, and green is third priority. Click image to enlarge.

On February 26, the SBC went over its previous list of cuts and parceled them into “buckets” that they hope to offer for STM votes (see illustration). The three buckets, which total $2.08 million, are in descending order of how critical the SBC feels the items are. If the first set (peach) is approved, there will then be a vote on group #2 (blue), and then another vote on the third set (green) if group #2 is also approved. But if any bucket is voted down, there will not be a vote on the next set.

Residents approved a budget of $93.9 million for the school in December 2018. Since the school project cannot increase its previously approved budget, money to restore any of the cuts would have to come from another source and would therefore require residents’ approval. Those sources, as identified by the Finance Committee on February 25, include:

  • Free cash. Officials have already targeted spending $1.5 million from free cash to upgrade the town’s public safety radio system. However, that item on the ATM warrant could be passed over if residents at the STM decide to spend some or all of that money on the school instead. The first two buckets of potentially restored cuts add up to $1.499 million.
  • Tapping the town’s stabilization fund, which currently stands at $2.2 million (this would require a two-thirds majority vote at Town Meeting). Town Finance Director Colleen Wilkins said this week that depleting the stabilization fund even to zero would not affect the town’s AAA bond rating.
  • Borrowing via a capital or debt exclusion. This would require a two-thirds majority at Town Meeting plus a simple majority at the ballot box.

At their meeting on Tuesday, the Finance Committee also expressed concern about how town officials and contractors misread the market and didn’t build in enough bidding contingency funds. “The cost escalation moved very quickly [from an expected 5-6% to 8%], and we may not have understood the preference for new construction” by contractors bidding on Lincoln’s complex renovation project, SBC chair Chris Fasciano told Selectmen on Monday.

Finance Committee members voted 5-2 to “roll back” and reopen its deliberations on the large budget requests (e.g., public safety radio) for fiscal 2021 in anticipation of the SBC’s budget request. They will then deliberate those requests  at one or more meetings before Town Meeting and make a recommendation, which might include supporting the SBC’s request, supporting only portions, not supporting it, or having some other recommendation(s).

FinCom members Tom Sander and Elisa Sartori voted against the motion. “I would like to have voters vote at Special Town Meeting decide on whether they want to put additional money into the school project to preserve these important items that SBC was forced to cut and which otherwise will never be part of the building,” Sander said later. “And I actually personally favor funding these. But I see our role on FinCom as being neutral fiscal trustees of the town. And I feared that undoing our vote to fully fund the police and fire radio project for this coming fiscal year would not as concretely and objectively pose to residents what we (FinCom) would have planned to do with this free cash if it wasn’t put into the school. As long as it is clear to voters at Town Meeting that this is not simply $1.5 million of free cash sitting idle with no other planned uses for it, I’m fine with the vote that FinCom approved.”

“It’s a hard ask,” Selectman Jennifer Glass acknowledged at the SBC meeting. “But in my opinion, this is the moment to say to the town that we have a set of choices. We have a great project as it is, but we have some decisions that, if we don’t make them now, we’ve lost things as part of this project.”