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

Lincoln’s 2018 election results

(Editor’s note: This incorporates a correction on November 8 to fix an error in the Question 1 numbers.)

Lincoln voters voted to reelect Gov. Charlie Baker, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Katherine Clark, mirroring the rest of the state and Congressional district.

By large margins, Lincoln also voted to approve two ballot measures: one that advocates a Constitutional amendment regarding corporate personhood and political spending, and one that upholds a bill prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in public places. The town also voted by an even wider margin against a proposal to establish patient assignment limits for hospital nurses.

Lincoln’s voting precincts (click to enlarge)

Early voting continues to increase in popularity, with 40% of Lincoln ballots being cast before Election Day (1,395 out of 3,491 total ballots).

Below are Lincoln’s results for the major races and the three ballot questions (excluding blanks, third-party and write-in votes). The totals in this table were calculated by the Lincoln Squirrel from numbers in the full election results posted by the Town Clerk’s office, so any errors are the Squirrel’s. Click here for the full Massachusetts results.

Precinct 1Precinct 2TOTALS
GOVERNORBaker & Polito (R)1,6989872,685
Gonzalez & Palfrey (D)367286563
U.S. SENATORWarren (D)1,1527911,943
Diehl (R)9645181,482
U.S. REPRESENTATIVEClark (D)1,1581,7472,788
Hugo (R)198348614
QUESTION 1 (establish nurse/patient ratios?)Yes476331807
No1,5879692,556
QUESTION 2 (advocate Constitutional change re. corporate spending and personhood?)Yes1,7071,0482,755
No363257620
QUESTION 3 (uphold transgender rights?)Yes1,7771,0482,825
No321259580

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“Global Heart Medicine Show”

John Genyo Sprague will present “The Global Heart Medicine Show,” a one-man improvisational performance piece incorporating live music, movement, and spoken word, on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. at the home of Sara and Mitch Levine (21 Bedford Lane, Lincoln). Drawing on expressions of wisdom and culture from all over the world, the show addresses the division and conflict in the world and the compassionate wisdom, dance, and music of humanity —the “global heart”—that provides unity and solace. Sprague is musician, dancer, philosopher, authorized Zen teacher, and long-term yogi. For more information or to RSVP, email saraklevine@gmail.com or call Sprague at 413-548-5460.

“Nutcracker” for kids

The Lincoln Public Library will host a special reading of “The Nutcracker” geared to young children accompanied by dancers from the Commonwealth Ballet Company acting out some of the parts on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 10:30 a.m. For all ages; no registration necessary.

Kids invited to join community choir

The First Parish Church invites all children in grades 2–5 join a community children’s choir under the direction of Lincoln School music teacher Blake Siskavich. Rehearsals are every other Sunday evening from 5–6 p.m. in the Stone Church; the next will be November 18.

Chadbourne appears at next LOMA

Kate Chadbourne

Kate Chadbourne is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, Nov. 19 in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. The event runs from 7–10 p.m., and Chadbourne will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. She regularly performs at Harvard’s Revels Salon and at Boston College’s Gaelic Roots Concerts, and her music has been featured on the NPR shows Cartalk and All Songs Considered. Click here to see a video of her performing “What Did the Wind Say?”

LOMA is a monthly event. 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.

Free Thanksgiving lunch for seniors

The MLK Action Project at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School will host its annual senior citizen Thanksgiving luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at noon at L-S. The luncheon is free to seniors of Lincoln and Sudbury. Students will serve turkey donated by Sudbury Farms and Whole Foods along with all the fixings. The L-S Jazz Band will play and State Sen. Mike Barrett will visit. Please RSVP to the Lincoln Council on Aging (781-259-8811).

Thanksgiving Night contradance

Join the nearly 40-year-old Lincoln tradition of a Thanksgiving Night contradance for all ages and abilities on Thursday, Nov. 22 from 7–10 p.m. in the Smith gym. Featuring caller Rich Sbardella, and musicians Amy and Jonathan Larkin (former Lincoln residents). Tickets are on a sliding scale: $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.

Drumlin Farm hosts day-after-Thanksgiving event

Join the trend turning away from malls on Black Friday and join Massachusetts artists at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary for the annual “Giving Thanks for Nature and Our Senses,” a family outdoor art experience on Friday, Nov. 23 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Engage your senses on a nature walk outdoors with interactive artist demonstrations and art installations throughout the farmyard and make your own nature-inspired crafts to take home. Highlights include:

  • Music with the Grey Whisker Pickers
  • Wildlife sketching
  • Natural sculpture by William Turville and Linda Hoffman
  • Nature crafts workshop with Musketaquid artists
  • Installations and gallery artwork by local sculptors, painters, and photographers
  • Storytelling with Ron McAdow

The farm stand will also be open all day. Festival takes place rain or shine. Cohosted by Mass Audubon and the Umbrella’s Arts and Environment program, Musketaquid. Free for Lincoln residents and Mass. Audubon members, or free with admission with paid admission ($ for adults, $6 for children age 2–13).

Letter to the editor: support L-S music programs

To the editor:

Another year of music education has begun at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. Directors Tom Grandprey, Kyung-Nam Oh, and Michael Bunting are working diligently to create and carry out a rich curriculum with a wide array of performances opportunities.

Lincoln-Sudbury Friends of Music (LSFOM), a volunteer organization, seeks to raise funds that will benefit all students enrolled in band, orchestra, and chorus. The financial support you lend will allow us to honor specific requests from the Music Department that the school budget is unable to support. This may include enrichment through master classes, clinics and music festivals; the purchase of supplementary instruments and musical scores; and year-end awards and grants for music lessons, concert attire, and any other needs that families in our district may require to allow their children to succeed in this program.

Specifically, this year we aim to support coaches for orchestra sectionals, clinicians for chorus and band, and equipment requests for band, jazz, guitar, and multimedia music classes. Contributing (tax deductions and matching gifts available) helps us fund the efforts of the staff, directors, and performers. We are grateful and appreciative of those who support us financially and/or by attending our performances.

For more information about LSFOM, a list of upcoming events and to donate, please visit www.lsfom.org. Thank you.

Sincerely,

L-S Friends of Music:
Julie Alix, Laurence Baize, Theresa Kneeland, Carla Lievano, Glenn Merrill-Skoloff, Amy Rose, Rob Silsby, Dawn Solowey, and Maryann Tabola

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.

Vintage library door gets a facelift

The carved oak front door to the Lincoln Public Library has been restored to its 19th-century glory. Over the decades, the sun had stripped the finish from the wood, and a recently installed plexiglass storm door did not add to its visual appeal. “It was really in very poor shape,” said library trustee Peter Sugar.

A restoration painter stripped the wood, replaced some of the moldings and refinished everything, so now the door looks much as it did more than 125 years ago. The library, designed by noted Boston architect William G. Preston, was built using a $27,000 donation from Lincoln resident George Grosvenor Tarbell.

School project outreach sessions scheduled as December vote nears

The most recent floor plan for the revitalized Lincoln School (click to enlarge).

The School Building Committee is hosting a series of outreach sessions this week and next to explain and answer questions about the school project. Members are also seeking public input on the appearance of the roof over the central part of the renovated school.

The outreach sessions will be on the following dates:

  • Friday, Nov. 9 — 8:30–10:30 a.m. in the Lincoln Woods community room, and 1–2:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall
  • Saturday, Nov. 10 — 1–3 p.m., Lincoln Public Library
  • Tuesday, Nov. 13 — 8–10 a.m., Lincoln School
  • Wednesday, Nov. 14 — 9:15–10:15 a.m. the deCordova Cafe/Lincoln Nursery School
  • Thursday, Nov. 15 — 11 a.m.–noon, The Commons

There will also be a multiboard meeting and community workshop on Thursday, Nov. 15 from 7–9 p.m. in Hartwell Pod B.

At the November 1 community workshops, participants were asked to give their opinions about the look of the roof over the new central entrance and commons areas. As of late last week, 79 percent of those who offered feedback at the workshops or online have said they prefer the sloped roof design. Click here to comment on which you prefer. The SBC will discuss the two options at its next meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room.

The Green Energy Committee also gave a presentation November 1 about the sustainability aspects of the project—how the school will be “net zero,” what that means, and how it will be accomplished. Click here to see those slides, and click here for an FAQ document from the committee.

Residents will be asked to vote on bonding the $92.9 million project at a Special Town Meeting on Saturday, Dec. 1 (where a two-thirds majority is required for approval) and at the ballot box on Monday, Dec. 3.

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Election Day prayer services at St. Anne’s

St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Church is holding two simple prayer services on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 6) at 8 a.m. and noon. The services will include prayers for our nation, and all are welcome. 

First Parish news: Monday meditation, choir, Advent workshop, book group

  • There will be an evening meditation session in the First Parish of Lincoln’s Stearns Room on the first Monday of each month starting Monday, Nov. 5 from 7–8:30 p.m. The evening includes two 15-minute sittings with a walking meditation in between. Following the sittings, we will introduce ourselves and read together a passage from a book by Thich Nhat Hanh and share our impressions. We usually have a metta practice, sending our prayers to those we are concerned about, and end with a silent minute of meditation. Everyone from Lincoln and neighboring towns is welcome. For more information, email Joan Kimball at selenejck@gmail.com. 
  • The church choir will soon begin rehearsing for its Christmas Eve services, to be held Monday, Dec. 24 at 5 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. and is seeking choir members. Anyone from Lincoln and surrounding communities is welcome to join the choir. Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings in the sanctuary (4 Bedford Rd.) from 7–8:30 p.m.
  • The First Parish’s annual Advent workshop is on on Sunday, Nov. 25 at 10 a.m. in the Parish House (14 Bedford Rd.). All children are welcome to join in creating holiday treasures. Crafts will include decorative centerpieces, ornaments, cards, cookies, Swedish hearts and more. For more information, contact Margit Griffith, director of religious education, at 781-259-8118.
  • The First Parish book group will meet on Tuesday, Nov. 27 from 6:30–8:30 p.m. in the Stearns Room (4 Bedford Rd.) All are welcome to attend. The book to be discussed is The Overstory: A Novel by Richard Powers and a New York Times Bestseller of 2018. The group will discuss the book in sections in two subsequent meetings.

Jazz concert on Nov. 14

Jimmy Mazzy and the Last Minute Men will present a Vern Welch tribute concert in memory of Welch’s contributions to the local jazz scene on Wednesday, Nov. 14 from 7–10 p.m. in Bemis Hall.

Holiday artists’ market at deCordova

On Friday, Nov. 16, the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum opens its 25th annual Holiday Artists’ Market with a variety of gift options, including handmade ceramics, creative home goods, jewelry and accessories, holiday ornaments, winter fashion, and more. There will be an opening reception on Thursday, Nov. 15 from 6–9 p.m. More than 25 local and international artists and artisans will participate n the artists’s market, which will be open daily through December 31, with extended shopping hours December 17–23.

Additionally, the deCordova store will participate with 700 other museum stores world-wide in celebration of Museum Store Sunday on November 25, when it will offer special one-day-only discounts and giveaways, and a raffle for a $100 store gift certificate. Hours: 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Photo day, replica dollhouse raffle at Pierce House

The Pierce House is hosting a photo day and a raffle for a hand-crafted replica dollhouse.

On Sunday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m.–4 p.m., photographer Alex Gordias will take portraits of individuals or groups (including pets) for use a holidays cards, engagement photos, professional head shots, etc., with a choice of backdrops including one of the Pierce House’s stately fireplaces (with roaring fire), the grand staircase and other locations.

A 20-minute portrait session with two high-resolution digital images is $85 (or $100 for groups of more than 10 people), with advance payment required. At the end of the session, you’ll be given a link to view your proofs after November 12. Additional prints or files may be ordered separately.

Reservations are required; please call the Pierce House at 781-259-9757 or email nancy@piercehouse.com to schedule your shoot.

Custom-made dollhouse

Tickets are on sale until December 1 for a custom-made dollhouse that comes with furnishings for every room. All proceeds will go toward renovations of the Pierce House per donor request. The dollhouse measures 34” high x 41” wide plus two side porches. Click on an image below for a larger version:

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Donor Barbara Frentz “Bobbie” Kurson was a custom interior designer and decorator who lived in Concord. She commissioned the Pierce House replica doll house and decorated it with beautiful doll house furniture. It was donated to the Pierce House by her daughters, one of whom (Robin Frentz Isaacs) lives in Lincoln. Overall, it’s in great shape but may require tender loving care and is raffled as is. The dollhouse will be on display at the Paws for the Holidays event at the Pierce House on Sunday, Nov. 11 and in the Lincoln Public Library from November 20–29.

Tickets ($10 each or three for $25) can be purchased at the Pierce House or online, or email nancy@piercehouse.com. The drawing will take place at the Pierce House on Saturday, Dec. 1 at  2 p.m. The purchaser need not be present to win but must pick up the dollhouse within 15 days (the Pierce House is not responsible for delivery or shipping).

School Committee, Magic Garden have openings

Al Schmertzler has retired from the Lincoln School Committee after 26 consecutive years of service to the town, 12 on this committee and a previous 14 on the Finance Committee, among many other contributions of time and intelligence.

To fill the vacancy created by this retirement, the Lincoln School Committee invites and encourages any town resident with an interest in serving on the School Committee to submit a statement of interest detailing qualifications and experience to schoolcomm@lincnet.org. The deadline is Friday, Nov. 9.

There will be interviews of all candidates in a joint, open meeting of the School Committee and the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the town office building. Each candidate will be asked to make a brief opening statement, respond to a set of questions from the committee and board members, and have an opportunity to ask questions. Members will vote at that meeting to select one of the candidates to serve as an interim member of the School Committee.

The interim member will serve until the next annual election in spring 2019, at which time there will be an election for a two-year term on the School Committee. (The reason for this unusual arrangement is that Schmertzler’s term ends in 2021, so that is the date for the next election for a full term for this seat.)

Anyone with questions is invited to contact one of the School Committee members.

Magic Garden is hiring

Magic Garden Children’s Center is seeking to hire several staff members as it prepares to expand into a second location (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Oct. 3, 2018). Applications are being accepted for EEC-certified lead teachers for the preschool classroom (3-year-olds), pre-K (mixed ages), and the new Infant and Toddler Center, which is also seeking part-time assistant teachers (20–30 hours per week) and is set to open in early 2019. For more information, see the Magic Garden careers page, contact director Lori Leo at 781-259-8161 or lori.leo@staff.magic-garden.org.

 

GearTicks teach robotics at Girl Scout event

The GearTicks at WPI for the “Geek is Glam” event: Howie Tsang, Ben Morris, Prerna Karmacharya, Andreas Muzila, Erin Crisafi, Amelia Pillar, and Kevin Ji (click to enlarge).

By Prerna Karmacharya

The GearTicks, a local robotics team based in Lincoln, demonstrated their vacuum pump and helped the Girl Scouts build prosthetic hands and drive LEGO Segways at the Girl Scout “Geek is Glam” event on October 13 at WPI in Worcester.

At the event, the Lincoln GearTicks interacted with girls in grades 4–8, teaching them about how robotics is fun and getting them interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

Prerna Karmacharya shows a 3D-printed prosthetic hand to a Girl Scout.

The GearTicks also take part in a competition called FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) for middle and high school students, where they design, build, and program robots to compete in a challenge once a year. Teams all over the globe compete in this competition. FTC also encourages community outreach.

Last year for FTC, the GearTicks designed a vacuum pump as part of their design for their robot and built the pump from parts they made on their 3D printer. The team also spent lots of time perfecting the custom vacuum pump and enjoy sharing knowledge about it with others.

The GearTicks also 3D-printed prosthetic hands as part of the e-NABLE prosthetic hand project. Through building the hands, they are able to give back to the community using their knowledge, and share their skills with others.

The Girl Scouts came in four groups of about 100 kids in each group. Overall there were about 440 Girl Scouts there. Other exhibitors were iRobot and Bose, along with other groups including a few FRC teams.

Lincoln GearTicks team members Amelia Pillar, Erin Crisafi, Howie Tsang, and Andreas Muzila get ready for the Girl Scouts event. 

One of the Girl Scouts worked with GearTick members Prerna and Amelia to build the prosthetic hands. It turned out that this Girl Scout’s foster sister had a prosthetic hand that was also from e-NABLE.

“It overjoyed me to learn about someone who had benefited from these hands,” Prerna said.

The GearTicks hope that they can keep helping the community. They really enjoyed teaching the Girl Scouts about science and engineering, as well as getting them more interested in STEM. The team strives to use their STEM skills to help their local community.

Letter to the editor: removing political signs is illegal

To the editor:

Political election and campaign time is here again, with the attendant practice of candidate signage. Judging by experiences in the past few elections, there seems to be a lack of understanding or appreciation regarding an interpretation of the sign bylaw issued by the town of Lincoln in 2012.

In the words of the town officials, this compromise was developed to recognize the historical practice of town residents; in the apparent interest of restraint, fair play, and courtesy; and to be consistent with statewide legal precedent protecting free speech. The town published a notice at that time defining these interpretations, but apparently many residents did not see that notice since there is widespread misunderstanding. Following are the key points.    

  • Unattended political signs can be placed by right on town-owned land at the designated intersections in Section 16.2 (d) of the Zoning Bylaw. These five locations are at the intersections of:
    • Sandy Pond Road and Lincoln Road
    • Ballfield Road and Lincoln Road
    • Lincoln Road and South Great Road
    • Bedford Road and Morningside Lane
    • Codman Road and Concord Road
  • Political signs can be held by right (without a permit) on town-owned land as long as they don’t impact safety or constitute a hazard for either motorists or pedestrians.
  • One political sign can be placed by right on private land, not to exceed 8 square feet and for no more than 180 days prior to the election.

Enforcement of these provisions is the responsibility of the Building Commissioner. 

It should also be noted that such political signs are the private property of the relevant candidate’s campaign and as such, vandalism and/or unauthorized removal is illegal.

I hope this will clarify misunderstandings and become more widely appreciated by town residents and campaign supporters alike.

Sincerely,

Gary Davis
Indian Camp Lane, Lincoln
Co-Chair, Lincoln Democratic Town Committee

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.