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

News acorns

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.

Letter to the editor: a tribute to Joanna Hopkins

Joanna Hopkins

To the editor:

After 40 years as a resident of Lincoln, Joanna Hopkins is moving across the country to reside in San Francisco where her daughter and family are assuring not only a smooth transition to life in the West, but also occasional trips to the Lake Tahoe area for hiking or cross-country skiing.

It is almost impossible to imagine someone more engaged and civic minded than Joanna, and Lincoln’s loss will most certainly be San Francisco’s gain. Joanna and her husband Mike Tannert, who passed away in 2017, first came to Lincoln in 1978. Almost immediately upon arrival, they helped launch the Lincoln Adventurers, a group of about 20. which twice a year for many years headed to the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the fall for hiking and enjoying the foliage and in the winter for downhill or cross-country skiing. Moreover, during two decades in Lincoln, Joanna and Mike led more than 15 skiing and hiking trips to Switzerland, Germany, and Austria as volunteers for the Appalachian Mountain Club. Some Lincoln residents joined them on these trips.

In the early 2000s, Joanna became involved with the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee (LDTC) which she eventually co-chaired with Ilana Newell for several years. Joanna was an early supporter of Deval Patrick for governor and Barack Obama for president. She continues to serve to the present day on its executive committee, offering thoughtful perspectives on critical topics.

Lincoln resident Laura Berland describes moving to Lincoln in 2005, getting involved with the Lincoln Democrats, and finding Joanna’s encouragement, deep knowledge of the issues, and energy a tremendous inspiration as she (Laura) deepened her own involvement in progressive politics, and eventually herself became co-chair of the LDTC. 

And there’s more! An active member of the Council on Aging, Joanna served as chair of the COA Trip Committee and participated in the COA Memoirs Group. Her memoir is an ongoing project. She has served as treasurer for Codman Community Farm and as a member of the Peace and Justice Committee of the First Parish in Lincoln.  She was an enthusiastic participant in setting up a monthly discussion group of some 16-18 friends which has been active for over 20 years. And as if there isn’t enough going on in her life, three years ago with Peggy Schmertzler, she established a Lincoln Book Group comprised of 12 Lincoln residents.

In addition, Joanna is keenly concerned about women’s equality and well-being. As a graduate of Harvard’s MA Program in Soviet Regional Studies, she has recently served on the Committee for the Equality of Women at Harvard.  She also works in other ways on behalf of women and their interests from funding Emily’s List to collecting toiletries and other items for donation to women in local domestic violence shelters. 

Joanna has brought an amazing background to her various interests. Raised in Pittsburgh, she graduated from Smith College with a major in English and has a PhD from Columbia University in Russian language and literature. In 1959 she served as a Russian-speaking guide at the first American exhibition in Moscow. In the 1960s, she researched her dissertation in Leningrad on a Ford Foundation Fellowship, and, even today, readily retrieves the fine points of many a Russian novelist, poet, or political philosopher. She has enjoyed a varied career that included writing reports on the Soviet Union for the White House, teaching at Yale and Fordham Universities, as well as work in human resource and financial management in high tech companies in the Boston area, retiring from Digital Equipment Corp. in 1997. 

Greatly appreciated for her thoughtful analysis of public affairs, her excellent memory, and her capacity to articulate her ideas and positions, Joanna’s departure will leave a big gap among her Lincoln colleagues and friends. In fact, there’s no one who will be able to quote a New York Times editorial or a Paul Krugman op-ed piece with such precision and enthusiasm. No doubt her energies and perspectives will find a congenial spot in San Francisco. We wish her bon voyage and a happy landing in her new home.

Sincerely,

Barbara Slayter
7 Trapelo Rd., Lincoln

Property sales in April

  • 145 Chestnut Circle — Barbara B. Dunn to Daniel and Janet Boynton for $585,000 (April 2)
  • 14 Baker Bridge Rd. — Barbara A. Brannen Trust to Myra Ferguson for $1,300,000 (April 3)
  • 241 Old Concord Rd. —  Wallace P. Boquist to Joanne D. Wise for $950,000 (April 24)
  • 4 Todd Pond Rd. — Mary E. Field Trust to Nathanial Mendell Trust and Dana Kelly Trust for $1,335,000 (April 24)
  • 15 Conant Rd. — Mary Alice Williamson to William and Scarlett Carey for $1,535,000 (April 27)
  • 221 Aspen Circle — Richard Nenneman Trust to Steven and Patricia Gray for $620,000 (April 27)
  • 36 Todd Pond Rd. — Adam Hogue to Jennifer C. Ma for $538,000 (April 30)
  • 116 Chestnut Circle — Patricia Thompson to Stephen Hines and Constance Phillips for $510,000 (April 30)
  • 34 Goose Pond Rd. — Marion P. Crean to Clint and Terry Epperson for $1,009,500 (April 30)

News acorns

Kids’ triathlon this weekend

Kids ages 5-14 are invited to join the 15th annual Lincoln Kids Triathlon on Saturday June 16 at 8:30 a.m. at Codman Pool. For details on the swim/run/bike lengths for different ages as well as registration information, go to the Lincoln Rec website, click the blue “Register Now” button, and then select the Lincoln Kids Triathlon and the appropriate age group. The $30 fee includes a T-shirt, a finisher’s medal, and lots of memories. Race-day registration is $40. The Parks and Recreation Department also needs volunteers on the morning of the race; if you can help out, call 781-259-0784.

Phone scammers out in force

The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) is warning residents of a new round of scam calls threatening citizens with arrest for failing to appear for jury and/or grand jury service. On these calls, scammers pose as members of the MSO or court staff. They falsely inform residents that they have missed jury duty and are subject to arrest unless they pay a fine. Frequently, the scammers will ask that residents pay this fine by purchasing a pre-paid debit or gift card and providing the scammer with the card’s code. One area resident who believed the scammers’ threats were real lost more than $1,500.

Anyone who receives calls of this type should contact local police and/or the MSO Digital Forensics Unit at 978-932-3292.  They may also file a complaint online with the Federal Communications Commission using their Consumer Complaint Center.

Nature backpacks available from library

Four new nature backpacks designed by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT), are now available to check out from the Children’s Department at the Lincoln Public Library. The backpacks (one each on birding, trackers, insects and trees) contain guides, books, maps and tools to assist with exploration and are perfect for family walks, hikes, and adventures in the backyard. Each backpack can be checked out for a two-week period. This special collection is co-sponsored by the LLCT, the Audubon Shop at Drumlin Farm, and the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library, Inc.

Summer music series at Drumlin

The Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary will host its second Summer Music Series featuring local bluegrass, folk and rock bands. This community event is co-sponsored by Whole Foods Market and invites people from across the state to celebrate local music, local food, and local action, in an effort to provide a hopeful future for the planet.

In addition to live music and farm-fresh food, the concerts will feature climate-related activities for kids and adults to learn how they can make a difference in their own communities. All ages are welcome and concert goers are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner for this outdoor music event. Farm-fresh snacks and beverages will be for sale (no alcohol allowed on the property).

All shows are from 6–8 p.m. (lawn opens at 5:30). Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors 65+ and children ages 2–12, and free for children under 2. Click here to purchase.

  • June 22 — Sweet Wednesday (rain date: June 24)
  • July 20 — Lula Wiles (rain date: July 21)
  • August 3 — Labor in Vain (rain date: August 5)
  • August 24 — Say Darling (no rain date)

Letter to the editor: thanks from the Town Moderator

To the editor:

It became very obvious that the following remarks were unnecessary at the close of the Town Meeting on Saturday. Jennifer Glass graciously closed the meeting for all of us. As a thank you to everyone at the meeting I wanted to share what I had planned to say.

When I sat down to write my closing remarks I thought of the “choose your own path” books popular in the ’80s and ’90s where the reader, as protagonist, could chose the plot’s outcome. I focused not on the outcome of the votes on preferences expressed here today, but on the quality and nature of the conversation at the table. I chose to imagine the story of a large family gathering where the topic concerned money and the design for a new or renovated house. While the family members had their chance to air their frustrations and share their ideas and concerns, others listened and learned to see things from another’s point of view. At some point they sat back and realized that in order to preserve the family they better find common ground. And they did. They debated and voted and accepted the outcome. 

Today we debated and voted. For some it may be too soon to accept the outcome as it was not their preference. When there is choice that is always the way. In a democracy, that is the way it is done. Now we all must continue the dialogue so we can learn and so we are able to come back to the table in December where the final chapter will be written.

I thank the boards and committees who have devoted uncountable hours to develop the concepts discussed today, the numerous staff providing support, the volunteers who have helped to run this meeting, and all of you. You came, you listened, you contributed, you voted. We did it. The long-awaited June 9 Special Town Meeting is now behind us. Let us take a few moments now together to show our appreciation for one another even as we know that some very hard work is ahead.

Sincerely,

Sarah Cannon Holden, Town Moderator
Weston 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.

School option L3 wins the day

School option L3 (click to enlarge)

After almost a year of meetings, community forums, architectural work, and spirited debate, Lincoln residents voted to move forward with school concept L3 at a Special Town Meeting on June 9.

Consulting architects SMMA will now produce a schematic design with detailed specifications and an updated cost estimate. The current estimate for Option L3 is $93.9 million, including solar panels and other “net zero” energy use features. A two-thirds majority is required at a Special Town Meeting on December 1 to approve bonding for the project. There will also be a December 3 town-wide ballot that must win a simple majority for the project to advance.

On the first vote, which was conducted using paper ballots and voting machines (a first for a Town Meeting), 632 voters in the Brooks Auditorium and nearby gym weeded down the initial five options to three, with Option L3 gaining a majority already:

Number of votesPercentage
Option R274.3%
Option L1101.6%
Option L28513.4%
Option L335456.0%
Option C15625.7%

Option L3 won a substantial majority in the second round of voting:

  • Option L3 – 74%
  • Option C – 17%
  • Option L2 – 9%

Before turning to the school issue, the Community Center Preliminary Planning and Design Committee presented two possible design ideas for a community center on the Hartwell side of campus and asked residents to complete survey forms on which they preferred. That feedback will be part of the group’s final report to the Board of Selectmen in coming weeks.

The meeting opened with presentations about the five school options and their costs, the tax impacts of borrowing varying amounts, the conditions and repair work needed at the school, and a history of school project planning and construction since 1994, as well as recommendations from the Board of Selectmen, Capital Planning Committee, and Finance Committee (see links below).

Background:

  • A roundup of past Lincoln Squirrel stories and letters to the editor on the school project (updated June 10, 2018)

Town Meeting presentations:

The two community center options (click to enlarge)

Over the past year, the School Building Committee looked at 39 different school options before settling on five to present for the June 9 vote. A sixth option was rejected earlier as being beyond the town’s normal borrowing limit.

Much of the discussion before the votes centered on the educational benefits of hub spaces that would allow teachers to work with student of different sizes and more easily collaborate on teaching within a grade, vs. whether such spaces were worth the added cost.

Dozens of residents stood in line at microphones to ask questions and make a case for their choices before the votes. A sampling of those remarks:

  • “I’m a huge proponent of Options L3 and C… but L3 is probably a compromise,” said Jen Holleran, member of a Lincoln educators group.
  • Option L3 would put Lincoln “in the middle of the pack for residential tax rate,” said Ginger Reiner. “What we are experiencing as a giant leap in taxes is just recalibrating to bring us more in line with our neighbors. We’ve enjoyed lower than average taxes by essentially borrowing against our future selves; we’ve artificially suppressed our taxes and it’s time to pay that debt… Option L3 is the perfect intersection of the town’s values.”
  • “Our kids are doing all right,” said Carolyn Montie, noting the top-tier colleges that many Lincoln School graduates have attended. “All options are viable… but putting those resources to direct services to students would result in a better outcome.”
  • “Every dollar put into the school made real estate prices rise by $1.50” compared to similar towns that didn’t do a major school project, said Ben Shiller, assistant professor of economics at Brandeis University, citing academic research. “The selfish decision is actually to choose one of the more expensive options.”
  • Lincoln’s master plan doesn’t mention an upgraded school but does call for continued investment in affordable housing, open space and conservation, and economic development, said Sharon Antia. “Where will we find the dollars for our stated priorities?”
  • Children today “have information at their fingertips—they don’t need to cram it all into their heads” in a traditional classroom setting, said D.J. Mitchell. “We need to [develop] collaborators, tinkerers, and problem solvers. Sometimes this requires larger spaces, multi-age groupings, teachers working across disciplines, quiet reflection and loud collaboration… we need to transform educational spaces for the 21st
    century.”
  • “We have a responsibility to honor the historical legacy of the Smith School, which was groundbreaking in its day,” said Christopher Boit. Option L2 “honors our commitment to net zero as well as a full kitchen and [the option of] collaboration at mealtimes… the difference in my education was not the buildings, it was the teachers.”
  • The hub spaces in Options L3 and C mean that children taken aside for individual or small-group instruction for any reason “are not stigmatized by being pulled into hallways,” said Cathy Bitter.
  • “We’re going to end up taking people out of this community because this is going to impact their taxes a lot,” said Daniela Caride. “In Lincoln, you go anywhere and you see three generations of people living here. [Other area towns] are generally bedroom communities. Do we want to be this kind of community? I’m still looking for an option here. We should be mindful of our neighbors who may get into trouble with all this cost.”
  • The tax increase from L2 to either L3 or C “sounds like a pretty good bargain,” said Cheryl Gray.
  • The increase between the higher-end options which is in the vicinity of $200-300 annually “is just one less trip to Donelan’s,” said Chris Gill.
  • “Some people are concerned that the price is still not optimal for what we’re getting, so I hope do some serious value engineering” between now and December,” said Steve Massaquoi.
  • “Given the total dollar amounts we’re talking about, I’m not that concerned” about the relative difference in tax hikes between the top two or three options, said Allen Vander Meulen. “But which of the plans do the teachers prefer?”
  • At the most basic level, consistent classroom temperature and lighting are the top priorities for teachers, Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall said in answer to Vander Meulen’s question. But since the new Hanscom Middle School opened, “they’re seeing the collaboration possibilities… the flexible grouping of students and targeted instruction… for either more intervention or more challenges.”
  • The presence of hubs in a school “affects our ability to attract good teachers big-time,” said Bob Shudy. Without hubs, many of the best young teachers “wouldn’t even consider” applying to work at the Lincoln School.
  • Option L2 “contains the reasonable minimum for facilities and teachers. I find the notion of adding hubs or flex spaces to be speculative,” said Adam Greenberg. “Education is changing much more rapidly than any snapshot you choose to pick today.”
  • Saying she hoped to persuade fans of both Option L2 and C to agree on L3, Lis Herbert said that L2’s concept of having only single flex spaces for Smith and Brooks is “deficient and doesn’t rise to the occasion” but that Option C reflects “a uniquely American desire for shiny, efficient new things. We often forget about what we have and what we can adapt to suit our needs… we literally pull up stakes and go west.”
  • “A difference of $10 million between L2 and L3 is significant,” said Diana Abrashkin. “There’s so much that could be done with $10 million in terms of teacher salaries, or more amenities in the actual buildings. The difference is the teachers, not the shape of the classrooms.”
  • Option L3 has a better distribution of hub spaces, while Option C has “a perfectly good gym moved from present location,” said Graham Atkinson.

Letter to the editor: L3 is the best—not a compromise

To the editor:

I don’t think of L3 as a compromise, or second best. I understand it to be the best choice for Lincoln, and for our children. This is based on personal value judgements, but they are value judgements that I think many of us share and make without realizing it. 

Much of the potential in L3 has to do with the L itself.  Not only is preserving and reusing the existing building a sustainable choice, it is a sensible one: it acknowledges the connection of the school to the land, to the roots of modernism in Lincoln, and to the values of the town and the reason many people choose to live here. The L is Lincoln.

A lot has been said about the way the L sits on the land, how it is viewed from the outside, how it is nestled into the landscape and tucked into the trees. Very little has been said about the view from the inside to the outside, and I am not sure people have focused on how much this matters with respect to how we feel inside a building. 

The L, and all of those hallways—which, with some creativity, can be lively, dynamic spaces in their own right—are the reason there is something to see from both sides of the building. The L offers a long, uninterrupted view of the fields and conservation land beyond. And there are mature trees that dot the campus, many of which will be lost if we condemn the L. The central spot on the L, which would become the central gathering space in a new school, also happens to have the best view. A new commons facing out to the conservation land would be a very special thing, drawing you outside, again, from the moment you step through the door. The L preserves the beautiful, underappreciated courtyard on the Brooks side of the building. The Smith art studio is thoughtfully positioned to face north and out. The Smith gym, with soaring wooden beams, would be preserved and smartly surrounded by classrooms to take advantage of the view.

By contrast, the X of the compressed shape of C dictates that in both wings the exterior views, on one side, are to the other side of the building. The other views from C are to parking lots, and the new Smith gym—windowless and monolithic—can’t be surrounded by classrooms to take advantage of any views because of the new parking lot. In C the art and science rooms for both elementary and middle school face a driveway. 

The interior spaces can shift, but we are voting on the perimeter, and the perimeter dictates the views. Drawing a visual distinction between L3 and C means giving points for unobstructed views, and if you were to hold one against the other, you would discover that L3 offers about twice as much visual connection to the land. 

Some people will brush this off as silly, frivolous stuff and say that aesthetic concerns shouldn’t play a role in our thinking. And yet, aesthetic choices are fundamentally what make us happy to be somewhere, especially for long stretches of time (11,000 or so hours for a child who starts in pre-K and is there through eighth grade). There is tremendous value—educationally, environmentally, emotionally—in feeling like you’re actually part of the surrounding environment. This is a value judgement, and one that hinges on the subconscious, but there is a reason we prefer the apartment with a view over the trees to the one with a view of an air shaft. We would rather look at a field than a parking lot. We would rather sit in a garden than sit in a warehouse.

So much flows from simply feeling good about where we spend our time, and I truly believe that L3 can and will be spectacular. Look at any thoughtfully renovated modernist building to understand what is possible. None of that magic is possible in a compressed school that looks inward, rather than outward. 

Sincerely,

Lis Herbert
28 Lincoln 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.