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

New signs aim to improve bicyclist/driver safety

A sign for bicyclists and drivers on Route 117.

As part of a larger effort by several town committees to promote cyclist and driver safety in Lincoln, the Department of Public Works is placing nine signs saying “Cyclists May Use Full Lane” along several major roads in town.

The signs reflect a state law that allows cyclists to enter the center of the lane when necessary. Usually this is a temporary action and occurs when the shoulder narrows or is blocked by tree limbs, dirt/sand, or potholes and cyclists are unable to ride safely there. They are located on 117/South Great Road (two signs), Route 126 (two signs), Bedford Road (three signs), and Lincoln Road and Trapelo Road (one sign each).

Research has shown that “Cyclists May Use Full Lane” signs increase awareness and create safer roadway conditions for all users, noted the Lincoln Cycling Safety Advisory Committee (LCSAC), which recommended the sign placement to the Roadside and Traffic Committee as a public safety measure to remind drivers that vehicles and cyclists must share the road.

“We also hope that the signage will help to ease tensions between drivers and cyclists at pinch points on our busiest thoroughfares,” said committee member Megan Kate Nelson.

In addition to placing signs, the LCSAC has also completed “road audits” to assess the state of road shoulders and intersections, and is working with Lincoln Police to educate and enforce rules for cyclists who ride through town.    

The LCSAC was established in 2017 after two fatal accidents in Lincoln involving bicyclists and cars. The group will present a progress report at the State of the Town meeting on November 12 and expects to issue more recommendations, mostly around the condition and shoulder width of the town’s roads and making the most dangerous intersections safer for drivers and cyclists, Nelson said. The LCSAC has been consulting with Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney about integrating some of these improvements into Lincoln’s Complete Streets proposals, and with the Roadside and Traffic Committee regarding road/intersection conditions.

For more information about the signs or the laws they reflect, email the LCSAC at lincoln-cycling-safety-adv-comm@googlegroups.com.

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Yayoi Kusama, “Where the Lights in My Heart Go,” 2016. Collection of Lauren and Derek Goodman, courtesy Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/Singapore/Shanghai and Victoria Miro, London/Venice, © Yayoi Kusama.

New sculpture, artists talk at deCordova

On Wednesday, July 5, the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum opens “Where the Lights in My Heart Go” by acclaimed contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama. The sculpture (the first Infinity Mirror Room to be shown in the Boston area) will be installed outdoors on the Pollack Family Terrace and viewable through October 28. 

The sculpture is a 10-by-10-foot polished stainless steel chamber with a mirrored interior. Small holes in the walls and ceiling allow natural light to penetrate the darkened room. Multiplied by the reflective surfaces, these pinpricks of light create a magical, celestial experience when visitors step inside. Kusama refers to the work as a “subtle planetarium,” an intimate and enclosed space that also gives the illusion of a continuously expanding universe. Support for this special presentation is generously provided by Lauren and Derek Goodman, James and Sabra Alden, Nina and David Fialkow, Kumi and Bill Martin, Andrei Soran, and Marc and Charlotte Zawel.

On Wednesday, July 18 from noon–1 p.m., the deCordova will host an outdoor conversation about Nari Ward’s G.O.A.T. sculptures with Ruth Erickson, Mannion Family Curator at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art Erickson coordinated the ICA’s celebrated “Nari Ward: Sun Splashed,” the largest survey of the artist’s work to date.

Library hosts the Great Lincoln Read

If you’ve been watching the PBS series “The Great American Read” and America’s 100 most-loved novels, then you’ll know what inspired the Lincoln Library to come up with the Great Lincoln Read List. Vote on your three top favorite titles of all time at the ballot box in the library lobby. There are also books from the Great American Read on display. Vote by Friday, July 13. The library will tally the results and let everyone know what Lincoln’s best-loved books are.

Antique and classic car show at Codman Estate

See more than 200 classic and antique autos, trucks, and motorcycles from all over New England on the picturesque grounds of the Codman Estate at Historic New England’s Antique and Classic Car Show on Sunday, July 15 from 8 a.m.–1 p.m. This annual festival includes entertainment, food, and tours of the Codman House Museum. Rain or shine. Admission is $5 (free for HNE members).

Summer services at First Parish

The First Parish in Lincoln will hold summer services on two Sundays, July 22 and August 12 at 10 a.m. Rev. Rosemary Lloyd will preach at the July 22 service and Rev. John Nichols will lead the August 12 service.

Residents split on preferred community center design

The two community center options. Click on image to enlarge or click here for a more detailed view.

Residents were almost evenly split as to which of two design concepts they preferred for a future community center. The choices were presented in a paper survey at the June 9 Special Town Meeting on the school project.  

A total of 158 residents completed the survey, or 25 percent of the 632 who cast votes on the school project ballot question, according to results released by the Community Center Preliminary Planning and Design Committee (CCPPDC). Seventy-five preferred Scheme 1 and 73 said they liked Scheme 2 better. 

Since the two design ideas are fairly similar, the goal of the exercise was not to eliminate one and move ahead with the other, but to gauge “the relative importance to the voters of the features of each design,” the CCPPDC noted. “In many cases, the features can easily be incorporated into a single, final design scheme.”

Creating a new Hartwell green with its large, playable area and allowing a more open campus feel was the most frequently mentioned reason for those who preferred Scheme 1. Other features people liked were the “pinwheel” external design, a more light-filled orientation, new construction, the interior design, and the fact that the building would be built into the hillside on the east end of the site.

Voters who preferred Scheme 2 cited reuse of the pods, consolidation of the buildings, more cost-effective construction, the courtyards, and the more centralized parking.

Schemes 1 and 2 are estimated to cost $16.2 million and $15.3 million, respectively. However, construction is not expected to start until the school project is near completion, probably in 2023. By that time, the cost will have probably increased to about $20 million, CCPPDC Vice Chair Margit Griffith said in May.

 

Letter to the editor: thanks to Lincoln, Bedford cultural groups

(Editor’s note: Jay Peledge is a teacher at Hanscom Middle School.)

To the editor:

Thanks to the ongoing generous support from the Bedford Cultural Council and Lincoln Cultural Council (local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency), Hanscom Middle School students were again able to visit two local cultural icons. These place-based experiences are incredibly valuable to the learning experiences of our students who often move from base to base every two to three years, sometimes sooner than that. As such, the school works to engage students in what our local cultural institutions offer while our students are with us.

The Bedford Cultural Council and Lincoln Cultural Council have consistently supported our students in these endeavors over the years, and this year was no exception. With their ongoing support, it is not likely we could offer both experiences to our students.

Back in December, seventh-graders had the opportunity to visit the Harvard Museum of Natural History as well as the Semitic Museum on Harvard University’s campus. The museum visit included time in the exhibit halls, but also an hour plus program on how archaeologists and others chronicle artifacts reflecting the evolution of hominins. This hands-on experience encouraged students to use their own skills and content knowledge from our prehistory unit to determine the effective species of each sample used.

More recently, the class traveled to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston that hosts an incredible ancient civilizations collection. Having now studied much of the classical civilizations of the ancient past, docents were able to further students’ understanding of the worlds of ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and more as they navigated the students through their impressive galleries. Staff and students alike raved about their time at the MFA.

We look forward to returning to both museums in the years to come and hope that we continue to receive the generous support from the Bedford and Lincoln Cultural Councils that have so selflessly benefited us to date.

Sincerely,

Jay Peledge
Reading, Mass.

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.

Lincoln gets $8,700 green energy grant

Lincoln recently received a grant of $8,700 from the National Grid 2017 Community Initiative program after nearly reaching its goal of 269 home energy assessments in 2017.

As a result of the free assessments, more than 15 energy-efficient furnaces and countless energy-saving LED light bulbs were installed, and many homes installed more insulation and sealed air leaks.

The grant will be used to make Lincoln a greener, more energy-efficient community. The Green Energy Committee (GEC) has discussed how to spend the money but will postpone a decision until the fall, pending the result of net-zero discussions surround the school building project.

No-cost energy assessments are still available—contact HomeWorks Energy at 781-305-3319 or click here. Massachusetts has excellent programs that help residents decrease energy use in their homes, saving money and directly addressing climate change. For more information, please contact GEC member Sue Klem at Susan.M.Klem@gmail.com.

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Softball league getting underway

The Lincoln Co-Ed Softball League’s third season starts on June 24 and ends on August 9, and more players are always welcome. Click here for more information and registration, and save the date for a June 23 kickoff party.

Summer fitness for adults

The Parks and Recreation Department’s summer classes include Gentle Yoga in the Park and Pickleball, a popular racquet sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. Players use paddles and a plastic ball with holes similar to a whiffle ball. All equipment will be provided. Classes July 8 to August 12 are held on the Sport Court next to the Brooks parking lot. Click here for registration information.

Lincoln resident Melinda Bruno-Smith, a certified hatha yoga instructor, will lead Saturday yoga sessions in Station Park Garden. Classes ($10 each) are 9–10 a.m. and run through July 21. Register online for as many sessions as you wish, or bring a check made out to the Town of Lincoln (no cash, please). If it’s raining, class will be canceled. Please bring a yoga mat or towel to practice on and wear loose-fitting clothing.

Saturday hours at the library

The Lincoln Public Library will be open on Saturdays from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. from July 7–28. It will be closed on Saturdays during August. Regular Saturday hours (10 a.m.–5 p.m.) will resume on September 8. 

LLCT creates family-friendly guide to local species

Cadence Mitchell consults “Wild About Lincoln” on a recent outing.

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust is hosting a family-friendly, live animal program in conjunction with the publication of its new pocket naturalist guide, Wild About Lincoln: An Introduction to Familiar Species.

A naturalist from Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday, June 23 from 3–4 p.m. in Hartwell pod B will appear with three common Lincoln animals—a mammal, a reptile, and a raptor—and help kids and parents learn about their adaptations, habitats, and interrelationships with each other, humans, and the environment.

Each participant will get a copy of Wild About Lincoln, a learning tool that identifies species found commonly in Lincoln in a format that’s easy for both children and adults to use. The guide has 15-20 familiar species in each of the following categories: birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, insects and invertebrates, butterflies and moths, trees and shrubs, wildflowers, and lichens and fungi. Each species is represented with a color image and a brief description. There’s a simplified map of protected areas in Lincoln on the back panel for easy reference.

The LLCT will distribute the guide during its 2019 membership drive season and is giving sets to all public and private Lincoln-based schools this spring and into next fall. Several Lincoln-based community organizations including the Conservation Commission and Council on Aging, are receiving sets, and LLCT program participants throughout 2018-19 will receive complimentary copies. Copies are also available for loan from the Lincoln Public Library in the Nature Backpacks designed by LLCT and co-funded by the Friends of the Lincoln Library.

Wild About Lincoln was produced by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust with funds raised during the 2017-18 Bob Davoli and Eileen McDonagh matching campaign and at the 2018 benefit concert, and grants from the Ogden Codman Trust and the Lincoln School Foundation. The June 23 program is also supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Letter to the editor: thanks to all the Town Meeting volunteers

To the editor:

I would like to thank our wonderful volunteers for making the June 9 Special Town Meeting run smoothly and efficiently.

It was the first time we tried a number of new ideas, and I am delighted with how we incorporated them into the meeting. It was the first time we used two venues (Donaldson Auditorium and Reed Gymnasium) for a Town Meeting, the first time we used electronic Poll Pads to speed up the check-in process, and the first time we used election tabulators and multiple-choice standing counts. Furthermore, everything went perfectly according to plan, thanks to you.

The following volunteers cheerfully checked you in: Daniela Caride, Elaine Carroll, Elena Christenfeld, Margaret Flint, Emily Lovering, Preeya Patel, and Maddie Zuckerman. We have had the pleasure of having Preeya and Maddie as interns this past year at the Town Clerk’s office, and this summer we will welcome Elena as an intern.

Thank you to Lindsay Clemens and Sharon Hobbs for graciously greeting voters, and Bryce Wolf, Steve Gladstone, and Alaric Naiman for being door checkers and reminding non-voters to sit in the designated areas.

We had a fabulous team who collected ballots from both venues, fed them into the tabulators, and performed the standing counts: Sharon and Bob Antia, Susan Capestro, Daniela Caride, Roger Creel, Margaret Flint, Denis Fox, Pam Gallup, Betty Green, Chris Hamilton, Ruth Ann Hendrickson, Crickett Kerrebrock, Sue and Chris Klem, Nancy Marshall, Karen Moss, Elinor Nichols, Kathleen Nichols, Dan Pereira, Maggie Pietropaolo, Barbara Sampson, and Bryce Wolf.

Thanks also to the many others who volunteered and made themselves available: Mary Brody, Jack MacLean, Mark Masterson, Ellen Meadors, Claire Mount, Al Schmertzler, Dilla Tingley, Dana Weigent, Jean Welsh, and Robin Wilkerson.

Special thanks go to Andy Beard for being the deputy moderator in a busy Reed Gym and coordinating events beautifully. Finally, thank you to Susan Brooks and Susan Francis for all their help and support along the way.

Sincerely,

Valerie Fox, Deputy Town Clerk
250 South Great Rd.

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.

Drumlin Farm opens new Environmental Learning Center

Mass Audubon staff and friends at the grand opening of the Environmental Learning Center at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary. Left to right: Jennifer Feller, Bob Delano (Chapman Construction/Design), Laura Krich, Brandt Wild (Chapman Construction/Design), Renata Pomponi (Drumlin Farm sanctuary director), Gary Clayton (president, Mass Audubon), Marian Thornton, Nick d’Arbeloff (Mass Audubon board of directors), Christy Foote-Smith (former Drumlin Farm sanctuary director), Tia Pinney, Susan Madaus, Dick Thornton, Bill Maclay (Maclay Architects), and Robin Stuart. Photo by Heidi Thoren.

Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary celebrated the grand opening of its new Environmental Learning Center on June 9, almost two years after construction began.

The gathering at the popular Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary and working farm in Lincoln commenced with a ribbon-cutting followed by building tours, opportunities to meet raptors and Drumlin Farm’s resident fox, hands-on science activities, and educational program highlights.

The 3,700-square-foot Environmental Learning Center (ELC), and its neighboring outdoor classroom structure, the Bluebird Pavilion, are situated between the wildlife sanctuary’s nature center and the site of the former education building. The ELC is about three times the size of the building it replaced at Drumlin, which as of 2017 employed about 15 year-round educators and conducts about 40,000 educational programs (some off-site).

The ELC and the pavilion will serve as the hub from which all of Drumlin Farm’s environmental education programming will flow. They will provide the home base for the programs through which Drumlin Farm teacher/naturalists and other educators support Mass Audubon’s mission to connect people and nature. Featuring a 42.8-kilowatt system of rooftop solar panels and many other energy-conserving construction methods and materials, the building will be net-positive, annually generating more energy than it will consume.

The ELC opening represents another phase in a long-term update plan for Drumlin Farm funded by a capital campaign that aimed to raise $4.7 million. Several years ago, the farm replaced its Farm Life Center, where most programs that involve cooking take place. In late 2016, the New England Wildlife Explorations exhibit opened, replacing the old Drumlin Underground exhibit.

Drumlin Farm Director Renata Pomponi described the grand opening of the new facility as a “watershed moment” for the wildlife sanctuary.

“Mass Audubon’s enduring commitment to nature-based education has never been stronger, and Drumlin Farm is excited about the pivotal role the Environmental Learning Center will play as we build on that legacy, developing environmental and climate science programs that further conservation in the 21st century,” she said.