9 Stratford Way — Neil H. Aronson trust to Demetri and Marie Pascale Sideras for $1,870,000 (July 31)- 270 Lincoln Rd. — Andre Coleman to Pierre-Guy Douyon and Celine Yang for $750,000 (July 30)
- 9 Birchwood Lane — Roger Stoddard to John and Catherine Crabtree for $630,000 (July 20)
- 243 Aspen Circle — Robert H. Curtiss Trust to Mitchell G. Eckel III Trust for $579,000 (July 19)
- 10 Sweet Bay Lane — Kristina Ryan to Michael Chang and Joanne Lyons for $1,900,000 (July 19)
- 8 Sweet Bay Lane — Kristina Ryan to Michael Chang and Joanne Lyons for $575,000 (July 19)
- 24 Old Sudbury Rd. — Lawrence Kroin Trust to Tristan Rooks for $1,000,000 (July 18)
- 233 Concord Rd. — Lynn B. Weigel Trust to 233 Concord Road LLC for $662,500 (July 17)
- 23 Brooks Rd. — Massimo Grasso to Anasuya Mitra for $928,000 (July 17)
- 1 Cedar Rd. — Timothy Callahan to Adela and Kimberly Palencia and Adam Doffini for $580,000 (July 16)
- 27 Tabor Hill Rd. and Old County Rd. — William C. Carey to Christopher and Asako Csendes for a total of $2,447,500 (July 16)
- 11 Stratford Way — Ian Blumenstein to Walter McCarty for $1,950,000 (July 16)
- 0 Weston Rd. and 75 Weston Rd. — George Hibben to Reuven and Orli Klier Avi-Yonah for $1,450,000 (July 11)
- 44 Greenridge Lane — Joan Platt Dolinsky to Timothy Brunelle for $455,000 (July 10)
- 17 Giles Rd. — Robert S. Orgel Trust to Diana Jong for $1,350,000 (July 10)
- 10 Linway Rd. — George A. Coleman Trust to Andrew and Sandra Coleman for $900,000 (July 9)
- 32 Greenrridge Lane — Johannes Perkins to Elizabeth Slater for $494,000 (July 2)
- 4 Morningside Lane — Anne Marie Rose Previte Trust to Heather Sheridan and Phyllis Wampler for $990,000 (July 2)
Letter to the editor: in search of storm drains
Stormwater Specialist Amanda Smith.
To the editor:
I’m sure many of you in Lincoln have seen me around town this summer, with my head in a storm drain or out in the woods near your home. That’s because I’m helping locate and map all of the stormwater infrastructure in town.
This is a federal requirement for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), but it will also help our Department of Public Works maintain these systems more efficiently. The NPDES permit requires towns to implement a more comprehensive water management plan, and that starts with town-owned roads and stormwater drainage systems.
If you see me searching for a discharge pipe on or near your property and you’re uncomfortable, please let me know. I would be happy to work with you to schedule a more appropriate time. If you know where the discharge pipe (also know as an outfall) is located, feel free to point me in the right direction so I can collect the data I need and continue to the next point. And feel free to come over and ask me questions if you’re interested in the work I am doing.
If you’re worried about me finding a violation, please know that my only responsibility is stormwater infrastructure. If you have a town-owned outfall on your property, you likely also have a drainage easement that allows the town limited access for the purpose of maintaining these stormwater structures. If the stormwater structure on your property is poorly maintained or impaired, you are not at fault. These are town-owned structures and you are not responsible for their maintenance.
This is an exploratory process by nature, and I have no way of knowing where a pipe will lead until I’m in the field. It’s also difficult because there are no clear boundaries on the ground, so I have no way of knowing where one property ends and another begins.
I begin my field survey by locating a storm drain. Then I record the GPS coordinates using an iPad which is linked to a GPS unit on my yellow backpack, assign the structure a unique ID, and lift the grate and check for pipe connections. Next I follow the direction of each pipe until I find the next stormwater structure. Sounds easy enough, right?
While it’s not a complex process, it is rather time consuming and it has its own set of challenges. For example, most outfalls are located in heavily overgrown and unmaintained areas. Because of this, there is often an abundance of poison ivy, multiflora rose (pricker bushes), mosquitoes, and numerous other hazards which greatly impede my search. That being said, I try my best to collect the information I need as quickly and efficiently as I can.
Once all of the stormwater systems are accurately located and mapped, the town will notify residents prior to maintenance and inspection activities on private properties. At this time, however, that’s not a viable option because we’re still in the process of actually locating the structures and investigating the pipe connections.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Conservation Department at 781-259-2612 or email Conservation Assistant Jennifer Curtin at curtinj@lincolntown.org. You can also email me personally at smitha@lincolntown.org, but I don’t usually check my email while I’m in the field.
Sincerely,
Amanda Smith
Town of Lincoln Stormwater Specialist
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.
Register by Aug. 15 for state primary; absentee ballots available
To be able to vote in the Massachusetts state primary on Tuesday, Sept. 4, residents must be registered to vote by Wednesday, Aug. 15. Click here to register online, or register in person at the Town Clerk’s Office during regular summer business hours (Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m.–5 p.m.)
Absentee ballots for the September 4 primary are now available. A written request is required before receiving the ballot. The ballot may be voted at the Town Clerk’s Office, or the applicant may request that a ballot be mailed.
Massachusetts law does not permit persons to pick up ballots for another person, although it does permit certain family members to apply for an absentee ballot on behalf of another family member. The Town Clerk’s elections page has more information as well as specimen ballots and the Massachusetts ballot questions for the November election. You may also call the Town Clerk’s office at 781-259-2607.
A tale of two fields (Lincoln Through the Lens)
Two summery views of fields in Lincoln. Top: The Turtle Creek winery grape vines behind the field on Lexington Road (photo by Ken Hurd). Bottom: a deer’s eyes reflect the twilight in a field on Mary’s Way that is destined to be replaced by the Oriole Landing mixed-income housing development once town approvals are in place. “It’s going to be sad to see this field becoming 60 apartments,” said photographer Cathy O’Brien, who lives next door.
School Building Committee adds Aug. 15 session
The School Building Committee (SBC) has added a meeting to tis summer schedule on Wednesday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room. Topics for the next several meetings:
August 15
- Mechanical systems: update and discussion
- Energy model: presentation and discussion
- Photovoltaic plan: presentation and discussion
August 22
- Review site plan
- Review floor plans
- Review updated exterior elevations
- Phasing plans
- Preliminary interior spaces review
September 5
- Final site plan
- Final floor plans
- Final elevations review
- Final mechanical and electrical systems
September 26
- Review preliminary cost estimates
October 3
- Review reconciled cost estimates
- Review value engineering items
October 17
- Approve final cost
For more information and a full schedule, see the SBC website or watch videos of past meetings.
Obituaries
Vernon Welch
Vernon Welch, 90 (June 16) — active with the Lincoln Jazz Club.
Alan B. Smith
Alan B. Smith, 86 (August 3) — engineer and physicist. There will be a celebration of his life in Concord on August 26.
News acorns
Access Day at deCordova.
DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum events in August
Access Day
Wednesday, Aug. 15 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
All-inclusive programming for children and adults featuring a sampling of deCordova’s accessible programs, including hands-on art-making projects and specially-designed Touch Tours and Paved Access Route Tours, both featuring American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation. Click here to register.
Music in the Courtyard: Chavis Chance
Thursday, Aug. 1 from 6:30–8:30 p.m.
The redesigned Café Courtyard is the perfect venue for music and food on a summer night. Sip some wine or a brew, enjoy a snack, and enjoy a live performance by Chavis Chance, a singer-songwriter blending pop, soul, and folk. Food and beverages available for purchase starting at 6 p.m. Click here to register.
Family programs including Play in the Park, MAKEmobile, Yoga in the Park for Kids, ArtFULL Explorations and ArtFULL Play are also taking place in August and September; click here for details.
“Empty Nest” series this fall
Connect, learn and explore what’s next in your life with the “Empty Nest” series. All sessions are at the Pierce House from 1:15–3 p.m. Free, but online registration required at FullyEmbraceChange.com as space is limited.
September 12 — “Promoting Productive Communication with Your Adult Children”
When emerging young adults return home after being on their own for several months, communication between parent and child may change. Dr. Teresa Simonelli will share how to open yourself up to changes and manage difficult emotions while communicating with your adult children. A Welcome Tea will take place from 1–1:30 p.m. to celebrate the beginning of the Embrace Change fall program series, followed by the day’s program.
September 20 — “What’s Next? Finding Purpose”
Do you have new found time now that children have left home? Wondering what you might do next? Deb Elbaum M.D., career and life coach, will share methods that you can use to determine what is next for you and how to find your purpose and passion.
September 26 — “Navigating Transitions with Self-Care”
Often, we equate self-care as self-indulgent, yet research is increasingly demonstrating that taking time for effective self-care, a couple minutes throughout the day helps create stress resilience, a more effective strategy than stress avoidance. Charlotte Sahyoun is a yoga therapeutics specialist with a focus on the intersection of yoga, psychology and neuroscience. She’ll focus on when and how we feel stress and on two-minute tools in which to tune in to the body for creating emotional balance.
October 3 — “Charting Your Own Path: Designing Your Journey Embrace Change Team”
As our children begin to leave the home, we as parents may reassess our personal satisfaction with how we spend our time, prioritize new and older projects, and open ourselves up to various new and ongoing curiosities, relationships, career and/or learning opportunities. We’ll explore how to better balance this time of transition, set new goals as your role shifts, and create more opportunities for personal growth while charting a path for your future.
October 10 — “Expanding Your Horizons: Delving into New Activities and Careers Panel”
We’ll engage in personalized exploration of activities and careers and then hear from several guests who have changed careers and explored new interests after their children left home. We w’ll discuss what methods worked for them, the changes they made and how their lives were affected. Their stories will surprise and energize you. We’ll share resources and tools to help you explore the many opportunities that lie ahead in your personal journey.
October 17 — Ready, Set, Go!
Our final program of the series brings everything together. We’ll celebrate fall with seasonal delights, discuss how to move forward when things don’t go as planned, and set healthy boundaries. Council on Aging Director Carolyn Bottum will share tips on how to care for aging parents while taking care of yourself and family, and then, we’ll speak with Lisa Lewtan, author of the website Healthy, Happy, and Hip.
News acorns
Lovelane hoedown benefit on Sept. 15
Lovelane’s 2018 Hoedown, celebrating its 30th anniversary, will be held Saturday, Sept. 15 at Duck Puddle Farm in Wayland from 4–9:30 p.m. The jeans-and-boots outdoor tented event features 15 Boston-area celebrity chefs creating mouth-watering specialties just for this occasion. Returning favorite local band French Lick will kick off the evening followed by the headliner, multi-platinum Nashville recording artist Josh Turner. Billy Costa is also returning as emcee.
Tickets are $500 each, groups of 6+ tickets are $375 each, and a variety of sponsorship opportunities range from $5,000 to $100,000. For additional information about this event or Lovelane or to purchase tickets, click here or contact Eliza Wall at 781-259-1177 ext. 24 or eliza@lovelane.org.
Lovelane Special Needs Horseback Riding Program is a pediatric therapeutic horseback riding program that provides services to 130 children with special needs each week with the help of 197 volunteers. The benefits from therapeutic horseback riding derive from using the movement of the horse to work the muscles of the rider. Therapeutic horseback riding combines occupational, physical and/or speech therapy techniques with the fun of riding a horse, as well as promoting independence, confidence and joy.
“60 Years of Inflatable Arts”
In conjunction with the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum exhibition Sculpting with Air: Ian McMahon and Jong Oh, guest lecturers Mary Hale and Kate Balug will discuss how inflatable structures have been used in architecture, art, and engineering since the emergence of the hot air balloon in a talk titled “60 Years of Inflatable Arts” on Tuesday, Sept. 11 from 6:30–7:30 p.m. Free admission; registration required.
Lincoln picks its favorite novels
The Great Lincoln Reads results are in, and two books were tied for first place among those who voted: Outlander by Diana Gabladon and Beloved by Toni Morrison. The Lincoln Public Library’s reader survey earlier this summer was based on the PBS series “The Great American Read” about America’s 100 most-loved novels. Other books that received votes included Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. Click here for a complete list of titles or check out the list (and the books!) at the library.
Town poised to get more state funding for MBTA, roadway projects
Lincoln’s MBTA commuter train stop heading into Boston.
State lawmakers have authorized $500,000 for a study to design improvements to Lincoln’s MBTA station and commuter lot, as well as another $321,500 for roadway improvements in another grant.
The larger chunk of money is part of a capital bond bill signed into law in June. The town is in the process of requesting release of the funds through a letter to the Baker administration explaining the need for and benefits of the MBTA project and how the cost estimate was generated. An environmental bond bill, which would funnel $321,500 to Lincoln, was approved by the state Senate on July 30 and is now before the governor for approval. Lincoln’s allotment in both bills was proposed by State Sen. Michael Barrett.
The South Lincoln Implementation and Planning Committee‘s MBTA team has recommended a list of improvements around the MBTA stops including:
- Explore the feasibility of locating the eastbound and westbound access on the same side of Lincoln Road, preferably the Lincoln Station side (west)
- Redesign the walkway and ramp access to the train to make it ADA compliant
- Provide an elevated platform to accommodate people with disabilities, the elderly, riders with bicycles, families with strollers, riders with luggage, etc.
- Provide pedestrian shelters with seating
- Provide additional bike parking
- Improve signage at boarding and unloading points
- Move the MBTA maintenance shed on Lincoln Road due to its location at the gateway entrance to Lincoln’s village center, or make landscaping improvements to beautify the gateway.
To further enhance commuter services, the SLPIC MBTA team is also recommending that the town make the following improvements to its own adjacent parking facilities:
- Improve the parking pay method with a pay kiosk that accepts credit cards and/or a pay by phone system
- Provide electric vehicle parking and charge stations
- Improve wayfinding signage for parking
Complete Streets
The $321,500 in the environmental bond bill would provide Complete Streets program funding for:
- Roadside path repair ($115,000)
- Study and construction of intersection improvements ($111,000)
- New sidewalk construction ($13,000)
- Accessibility, informational, wayfinding, and safety improvements at Lincoln Station ($82,500)
This will be the second Complete Streets grant for Lincoln. In 2017, the town received $400,000 for a set of projects including roadside path repairs, safety improvements at the intersection of Route 117 and Lincoln Road, and sidewalk construction on Lincoln Road just west of the Ryan Estate condominiums. All of those projects are due to be competed by September 30.
Good-chuck charm? (Lincoln Through the Lens)
Woodchucks photographed by Harold McAleer survey the territory and munch, walrus-like, on some tasty blades of grass.
Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.