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

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.

Letter to the editor: Stand up for Option C if education is your top priority

To the editor:

I appreciate the many folks who have argued so well for choosing either options L3 or C on Saturday. I wholeheartedly agree. Although our kids are past the Lincoln School stage, we want to support the best educational outcomes for those who follow. A building with hubs and other flexible-use spaces (C and L3) best supports differentiated learning, cross-grade activities such as “reading buddies” and other educational best practices.

I believe our teachers will actually take advantage of such spaces: Hanscom experience demonstrates it can be done, and superintendent McFall supports the same for the Ballfield Road campus, so I trust additional teacher training will be provided as necessary. The building alone doesn’t guarantee best practices, but it enables them.

Net zero energy usage (L3 or C) is also important. Human-caused climate change is the biggest environmental, moral, and human rights issue of our time, and time is of the essence in trying to avoid its worst possible effects. So now is not the time to backtrack on the commitment the town made its energy bylaw.

How to choose what’s better between L3 and C3? Though many considerations have been mentioned, I would argue that the two main and potentially competing considerations are aesthetics versus education.

As to aesthetics, some apparently like the look of the familiar, sprawling “L” much more than that of a more compact, two-story building (C). They of course are entitled to their opinion. However, as a longtime user of the Ballfield Road campus who cares about visual design, I nevertheless feel no nostalgic attachment to the old buildings, and no aesthetic preference for their L-shaped arrangement. I think a new compact building, with more green space around it, could look great. Let’s recognize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

In terms of educational function, I think C beats L3. The more compact design allows shorter travel times, which makes certain kinds of beneficial interactions more feasible and more likely to happen. These include for example differentiated learning sessions in a hub mixing kids from different grades; “reading buddies” and similar mixed-grade activities; and collaboration by teachers across grade levels to continuously facilitate the above.

So I suggest you ask yourself what’s more important to you—maximizing educational outcomes or preserving the “L” look? For me, it’s educational outcomes.

The last major consideration—and it’s a crucial —is what can the town get passed when the final vote happens this fall? If I thought C would fail and L3 would pass, of course I’d support L3 for that reason. But we don’t actually know that is the case.

So let’s use the Town Meeting to get a better gauge on that. When we take the first vote Saturday morning, if you like C best, don’t stand up for L3 just because you think it might have a better chance of passing. Instead, stand up for C, and let’s find out how many people feel the same. I expect there would be time to coalesce around L3 in a later vote on Saturday, if that looks to be necessary.

Thanks very much to the volunteers and professionals who have put so much time into helping tee up these options for decision.

Sincerely,

Paul Shorb
99 South Great Rd., Lincoln

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

Letter to the editor: option L3 is the best choice

To the editor:

What follows is my personal perspective.

Lincoln has always been committed to a progressive education, and generations have spent untold hours and dollars to provide that education in this town. I want us to choose a school that the current parents of this town embrace for their children, so I canvassed many of them to understand their perspective. Two key elements are the school’s disrepair and the progressive educational infrastructure that hubs provide to kids. These hubs provide an innovative, collaborative, configurable environment for learning.

Many of today’s parents have kids who started school around the time Town Meeting voted down a new school in 2012. Those same parents will not see their kids in this new/renovated school, even if we vote for and bond a school option at the end of this year. I am impressed by the parents’ remarkable commitment and determination with no or limited benefit coming to their children from this school project. They are primarily thinking about the next wave of children to pass through the school.

I thought about option C, but it felt too similar to the design that Town Meeting did not support in 2012.

Through a number of friends with an eye to the architectural beauty and preservation of our structures, I also was influenced by the unique way our school campus nestles into the fields and forest surrounding the buildings. We barely notice that we are entering school grounds in a car or on foot from the trail system as the trees tower over the structure. Educators and kids look out from numerous vantage points at the natural setting which provides natural light.

So I thought about the L options that would maintain and upgrade this vision for our school.

I don’t know why it took so long to see the light, but earlier in May, the picture started to unfold. I listened as many in the town shared what they were looking for in their visions. The hubs and L design were the clear requirements for consensus between these two groups. L3 is the least expensive of the original three hubs options and the most expensive of the L options. It encompasses Lincoln’s commitment to progressive education and sustainability. New families are the lifeblood of a town and also a valuable demographic that I clearly support.

Please join me in voting for option L3 on Saturday morning in the ballot vote and again in the afternoon in the standing vote(s).

Sincerely,

Peter Watkinson
9 Wheeler Rd.

Letter to the editor: a look at the issues, and why I’m voting for L3

To the editor:

This Saturday we face a tough day of decision-making. I believe that there is only one proposal up for consideration that has the potential to satisfy the range of expressed aspirations and that checks enough boxes to get us to “yes” in December. That is L3.

Over the course of the development of these proposals, it seems to me that there are a number of points at issue, not necessarily competing, that are driving choices:

1. Educational vision

  • Flexible spaces and classrooms organized around rooms/hubs that facilitate collaboration and smaller spaces to allow for individualized instruction
  • Dining area (and kitchens) that are multi-use and close enough to classrooms to reduce time spent getting to and from lunch
  • Common space for larger gatherings

2. Environmental concerns

  • Achieving net zero
  • Appropriate sizing and location of solar panels
  • Minimizing demolition
  • Intelligent reuse/recycling/repurposing where possible

3. Aesthetics of the campus

  • Preservation of the unique landscape of buildings surrounding the center ballfield
  • Respect for the value of Lincoln’s architectural heritage
  • Concern regarding radical change in campus appearance

4. Shared space/community use

  • Preservation of easily accessible spaces for voting and hosting Town Meeting—Smith Gym and Donaldson Auditorium, a.k.a. Brooks auditorium
  • Creation of common area(s) and kitchen(s) for community use after school hours

5. Community/rec center

  • Concern that most expensive project will dim prospects for a community/rec center

6. Budget

  • Concern with increase in taxes
  • Perception of unnecessary “frill” expenditures
  • Spending close to bonding limit—“maxing out the credit card”

For some, budget is a serious issue that will drive decision-making. Town boards and committees talk about what is affordable for the town, and what are responsible and prudent investments. But what is deemed affordable, prudent, and responsible for the town may not seem so for individual homeowners/taxpayers.

Budget-driven decisions are legitimate and should not be dismissed or deemed irresponsible.
All of the choices are expensive, running from $49 million for R/Repair to $94.3 million for C/Compact. Tax impacts will be appreciable. While some seniors thankfully can use the array of senior tax relief programs offered by the town, the majority do not. Some will be digging deep.

Suggesting that we do not have to pick any of the options offered, including the R/Repair option, ignores reality. Our buildings have not had substantial repairs and/or upgrades since our last building project in 1994. We have made repairs, we have done the basics. Systems are old and need replacements. Undertaking the major repair projects triggers state code requirements and adds expense. That is why the comprehensive R/Repair option is on the table. We simply cannot do piecemeal repairs spread out over years. Building codes do not allow us to take this path. Doing nothing is irresponsible. Doing nothing is NOT an option.

The R/Repair option will proved a completely rehabilitated facility with an anticipated life expectancy of 30+ years, but it offers little else. It offers no programmatic/educational enhancements. It offers no ability to achieve net zero.

Getting to “yes” in December will require a coalition and compromise. Only L3 meets the most substantive concerns that will translate into community support so that we can reach a “yes” vote on December. It may not be the ideal solution for everyone, and certainly not for those driven by budget concerns alone, but it is not the most expensive option, and local experts in design construction and energy applications say there may be ways to bring the cost down in this option while maintaining hubs, educational enhancements, and programs, potentially allowing savings to be shifted to a community/rec center. L3 is more flexible and “forgiving” than C, and will allow the town to come together to get to “yes.”

The passion we have been reading on Lincoln talk is good—it means we care. Let’s sustain the passion and ensure we continue respectful debate with open minds. At the end of Town Meeting, we as a town must feel whole. We should see that our debate and decisions reflect sensitivity to our entire community. We must be mindful that decisions made today are an investment that will benefit Lincoln for generations to come.

See you on Saturday… and please consider L3 as a wise choice for now and for our future.

Sincerely,

Sara Mattes
Conant Rd.

New check-in procedure for Town Meeting

Election officers greeting residents arriving for the Special Town Meeting on June 9 will be using electronic Poll Pads to check in voters as they did for early voters in the 2016 election. Voters will not have to join a line according to the first letter of their last name but instead may go to any election officer at the check-in table.

The Poll Pad tablets will allow inspectors to check in a voter by manually entering the voter’s name, or by scanning the bar code on the back of his or her driver’s license. The Poll Pad matches the name and date of birth of the person on the voter list with the same information encoded on the license, but does not capture or store that information.

Once you’re verified as a registered voter, the checker will stamp your hand with a V and then give you a ballot and a Sharpie pen. 

Check in begins at 8:15 a.m. Check in early, then go for a walk or get a cup of coffee, but come back for a prompt 9:30 start.