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

Committees offer guidelines in advance of June 9 school vote

The Finance and Capital Planning Committees made some recommendations about a school project at the last public forum before the June 9 Special Town Meeting vote, but neither one endorsed a specific design option.

The FinCom recommended that the town stay within its state-mandated 5% debt cap, which would limit new borrowing to about $97 million. This eliminates the most expensive school concept—Option FPC at $109 million.

More information:

[tcpaccordion id=”17948″]

At the May 15 forum, chair Jim Hutchinson repeated the other guidelines that members agreed on at their May 3 meeting. Members recommend that the town not wait until construction costs are more favorable, and judged that the estimates for square footage per student and construction cost per square foot re in line with those from other Massachusetts Schools.

Hutchinson also presented updated borrowing impact information and comparisons to neighboring towns (Bedford, Carlisle, Concord, Lexington, Sudbury, Wayland, and Weston), with ranges depending on which school option is chosen and whether the bond interest rate is 4% or 5%. Those figures include:

  • Tax increase — On a home valued at $997,500, taxes would go up by $1,329–$2,983 in the first year.
  • Average tax bill — At $15,185, Lincoln now has the second-highest average single-family fax bill after Weston at $19,380, and it would remain that position. The average bill would climb to $16,300–$18,014.
  • Tax rate — Lincoln currently has the second-lowest tax rate; it would go up to the fourth- or fifth-lowest.
Capital Planning Committee weighs in

Capital Planning Committee Audrey Kalmus presented her group’s recommendations:

  1. The town should consider designs that are easily scalable in case school enrollment rises faster than projected.
  2. To meet its “current basic needs,” the school should have a full kitchen as almost all other schools now do (this would eliminate the $49 million repair-only Option R).
  3. The building should be capable of achieving net-zero energy use (this eliminated Options R and L1).
  4. To “maximize the school’s value for teaching and learning,” it should include the educational enhancements as recommended by the School Committee and administration, such as “hubs” for each grade if possible.

The only options that meet all four of the CapComm criteria are L3 and C.

A group of Lincoln architects presented a proposal to the School Building Committee meeting on May 2 for a revised Option L2 that they said would meet most of the educational objectives of Option L3 (including hubs for grades 3–8) but at a lower cost. “L2 is really a substandard scheme, not well developed like the other schemes,” Ken Hurd, one of the architects, said at the forum.

“The SBC appreciates the efforts of our town design professionals,” SBC Vice Chair Kim Bodnar said this week. “In addition to their memos that have stimulated thinking in the SBC and within the design teams at SMMA and EwingCole, Ken Bassett, Peter Sugar and Doug Adams volunteered to be on our SBC Design Team Subcommittee last summer.  Their engagement has been extensive and appreciated.”

At the SBC’s request, SMMA Architects also presented on May 2 a compact option costing $85 million (about halfway between L2 and L3 in price). However, with that constraint, the plan would not include the auditorium, which best meets the legal requirement for a Town Meeting assembly site within the town’s borders.

The May 13 blog post by the SBC outlines the committee’s reaction to the idea, as well as some of the differences between options L2, L3, and C. Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall noted that the June 9 vote will establish only the building’s footprint and cost limit, so through SMMA’s work in the summer and fall on the chosen concept, “we can design more efficient spaces in the building” and rearrange things internally to some extent.

Town Meeting format

“We’re expecting near-record turnout” on June 9, so registered voters can check in starting at 8:15 a.m. and go into either the auditorium or the Reed Gym. More than 700 people packed into the auditorium and lecture hall for the 2012 school project, and a few had to be turned away at the door due to fire safety concerns. (The vote was 370-321 in favor of the project, or 54%–45%, which did not meet the required two-thirds majority).

The first vote via voting machine will ask which of the six school concepts they prefer, and a second standing vote will ask then to express a preference for one of the two top finishers in vote #1. The winning concept will then go into the schematic design phase in preparation for a bonding vote at a Special Town Meeting on December 1 (which requires a two-thirds majority) and a town election on December 3, which requires a simple majority.

After Selectman Jennifer Glass outlined the procedure for June 9, several resident had questions and suggestions. One wondered what would happen if the town approved a plan that did not meet the town’s 2030 bylaw on energy efficiency; another asked why residents would be voting on both building shape and price rather than just cost.

“We often hear ‘How can you design something without a budget?’ but it’s hard to name an amount of money if you don’t know what you get for it,” School Committee Chair Tim Christenfeld said.

Between the June 9 vote and the Special Town Meeting in December, there will be more forums and surveys as the SBC continues to meet and the architects present details on the building’s design and cost. “The conversation is going to continue,” he added.

News acorns

Talk on school anxiety Thursday

School refusal, including school phobia and school anxiety, is an increasingly prevalent yet often misunderstood condition among pre-teens and teens. Join Dr. Ryan Conway for “Understanding School Anxiety and School Refusal” on Thursday, May 17 from 7–9 p.m. in Conference Room A at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional high School to learn about the warning signs of school refusal and what you can do to help teenagers who demonstrate these behaviors. 

Conway is a licensed clinical psychologist who utilizes cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and behavioral interventions for youth who struggle with anxiety and mood disorders. She recently founded NESCA’s Back to School program, an intensive treatment for school-refusing students. RSVP is suggested for materials preparation to lssepac.chair@gmail.com.

Donate old wheels in Bikes Not Bombs drive

Donate bikes, parts, accessories and tools to benefit Bikes Not Bombs in Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m.–1 p.m.in the Hartwell parking lot. Bikes not Bombs will ship your old bike to international partners in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean or use them to teach local youth. They request a $10 per bike donation to defray storage, processing and shipping costs. 

Book talk and signing with Lincoln writer Burckett-Picker

Join Lincoln resident Jenifer Burckett-Picker as she speaks on her new book, Dad and Dunk in the Great War, on Thursday, June 7 at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. The book tells the very personal story of two young World War I soldier-engineers who met in training camp in Maryland, shipped over to France together, and worked behind the front lines in the Verdun area. It tells the story of a friendship forged in the horrors of war and continuing today through the fourth generation of the men’s families. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

Brinkley to speak on Thoreau

The Walden Woods Project and RESTORE: The North Woods will host Douglas Brinkley speaking on “Henry David Thoreau and the History of America’s Public Lands” on Tuesday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Walden Woods Project (44 Baker Farm Rd., Lincoln). Tickets are $30 for the VIP wine and cheese reception starting at 6:30 p.m. or $15 for general admission starting at 7 p.m. Click here to buy tickets.

Brinkley is CNN’s Presidential historian, a professor of history at Rice University, and author of numerous award-winning books on Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. His 2016 publication, Rightful Heritage, chronicles Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency and analyzes the tension between business and nature with respect to our natural resources. He won the National Outdoor Book Award for The Quiet World: Saving Alaska’s Wilderness Kingdom. Questions? E-mail wwproject@walden.org or call 781-259-4700.

Tree removal hearing on May 21

A public hearing will be held by the tree warden, deputy tree warden and/or their designees will hold a public hearing on Monday, May 21 at 7 p.m. at the DPW office (30 Lewis St.) to consider the removal of the below trees in the public right of way. The cutting and removal of the following trees has been made at the request of Eversource Energy. The trees have been marked with hearing notices and are being considered for removal because they are dead, in decline, or otherwise pose a safety or operational hazard to the safe and reliable operation of the Eversource Energy electrical system. The trees are marked as to size and type along the following roads:

  • Mill Street, 30″ oak, between poles 17/13 to 17/14
  • Mill Street, 30″ oak, between poles 17/13 to 17/14
  • Mill Street, 30″ oak, 40′ East of pole 17/14
  • 130 Lexinton Rd., 26″ hickory
  • 126 Lexington Rd., 33″ oak
  • 116 Lexington Rd., 18″ oak
  • 90 Lexington Rd., 20″ pine
  • 84 Lexington Rd., 33″ oak
  • Lexington Road, at pole 22/55, 22″ maple
  • Lexington Road, between poles 22/63 and 22/64, 35″ oak
  • 83 Page Rd., 33″ oak
  • Page Road, between poles 13/30 and 13/31, 20″ oak and 33″ oak
  • Page Road, between poles 13/31 and 13/32, 20″ oak
  • Page Road, at pole 13/35, 16″ oak
  • 44 Page Rd., 28″ oak
  • 40 Page Rd., 28″ oak
  • 83 Page Rd.across from 29, 15″ pine and two 26″ pines
  • 29 Page Rd., two 26″ pines
  • Page Road, at pole 13/49, 34″ locust
  • 49 Lincoln Roa Rd., 33″ maple
  • 100 Lincoln Rd., 33″ oak
  • Lincoln Road, between poles 24/45 and 24/46, two 20″ oaks
  • 233 Lincoln Rd., 33″ oak
  • Lincoln Road, across From 237, 20″ oak leader
  • 237 Lincoln Rd., 33″ oak
  • 244 Lincoln Rd., 36+” oak
  • 260 Lincoln R Rd.oad, 28″ oak

The following marked trees, are also being considered for removal by the DPW because they are dead, in decline, are posing a safety operational hazard, or at the request of the abutting property owner. These trees are marked as to size and type along the following roads:

  • South Great Road, two 21″ maples, across from pole 7/77
  • 80 Tower Rd., 30″ pine
  • 80 Tower Rd., 36″ pine
  • 80 Tower Rd., 36″ pine
  • 80 Tower Rd., 12″ Tree
  • 82 Conant Rd., 30″ pine

Lincoln quilters show their wares at Codman Community Farms

The latest projects by the Lincoln Quilters—individual scenes about Codman Community Farms rendered in fabric—are now on display (and for sale) in the CCF farm store.

Click on a thumbnail below to see a larger image:

Drawn together by a shared interest in quilting and fiber arts, the nine Lincoln Quilters—Anne Crosby, Nancy Constable, Tricia Deck, Linda MacNeil, Margaret Olson, Lucy Sachs, Kate Sacknoff, Jane Solar, and Dilla Tingley—began meeting five years ago to inspire each other, share their creations, get suggestions from others on personal projects, and develop new pieces as a group. They generally have a project going that stimulates and challenges members and their creativity.

The nine framed fabric art pieces by the quilters are on display in the Codman Barn inside the farm store. Proceeds from sales will be donated to Codman Community Farms.

Town Clerk transition coming; Deputy Town Clerk sought

With the impending retirement of Town Clerk Susan Brooks on June 30, Deputy Town Clerk Valerie Fox will serve as interim Town Clerk until the position is up for election at Annual Town Meeting in 2019. The town is therefore inviting applicants for the open position of full-time Deputy Town Clerk starting on July 1.

The Deputy Town Clerk provides supervisory and administrative support to help the Town Clerk discharge the duties of the office including, but not limited to:

  • Maintenance of vital records
  • Licensing and permits
  • Records management
  • Cemetery and Town Archives support
  • Election administration

Thorough knowledge of Town Clerk operations and service functions preferred. Candidates for this 40-hour-a week position must demonstrate exceptional verbal communication and interpersonal skills, customer service skills, multitasking ability and management support skills. 

A bachelor’s degree is preferred, along with several years of office and customer service experience, preferably in a municipal setting. Candidates should have demonstrated organizational skills and the ability to prioritize workflow, accuracy and attention to detail, and proficiency with MS Office applications.

Regular hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., with a 40-hour, four-day work week during July and August. Some evening and occasional Saturday hours will be required for special events such as Town Meetings and early voting. Salary range (grade 11) is $26.16/h0ur to $33.12 hour.

To apply, submit a cover letter and resume to the Town Clerk’s office, 16 Lincoln Rd., Lincoln, MA 01773, or email as a Word document or PDF to brookss@lincolntown.org by June 1.

News acorns

L-S students raise money for kids at Emerson Hospital

Left to right: Vicky Hopley from Emerson’s Pediatric Intervention Team (PIT), Gabriella DeSantis and Julia Hultin of the L-S Pediatric Intervention Club, and Mallory Harrison from the PIT. Gabriella is a senior heading to Fairfield University in the fall as a nursing student. Julia is a junior and will become the president of the club in September.

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School’s Pediatric Intervention Club (PIC) recently raised more than $500 through bake sales at the school, which they donated to Emerson Hospital’s Pediatric Intervention Team to support the Coping Kit program. The kits contain developmentally appropriate comfort tools and activities for children receiving care at Emerson. More than 30,000 Coping Kits have been distributed to children at Emerson since 2006. In addition to raising funds for the hospital, the PIC updates photos in the hospital’s Emergency Department to provide an engaging distraction activity for families in the waiting area.

Two library events to be rescheduled

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Lincoln Public Library has had to cancel the May 16 Cabaret Night with Mary Crowe and Evelyn Harris (to be rescheduled in the fall) and the May 17 session on President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to be rescheduled later this spring.

Vets and seniors can work for town to pay property taxes

Residents 60 and older or veterans of any age who are the owners of record of the Lincoln home they live in can earn discounts of up to $1,500 (for seniors) and $1,000 (for veterans) on their property tax bills by working for the town. Participants are paid the minimum wage ($11 an hour), and a variety of jobs are available in many different town departments and in the schools. For more information, call the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811.

Farmers’ market seeks vendors

The Lincoln Farmers’ Market organizers are looking for additional vendors for the market that begins on Saturday, June 16 and will run into October at the Codman Community Farms from 9:30 a.m.–1 p.m. featuring live jazz music. Candidates include small, family-run vegetable farm vendors or producers of hand-made goods including baked items, coffees and teas, flowers, crafts, etc. Items must be produced or assembled in Lincoln or adjacent towns (no vendors with items for resale). Vendors must commit to at least half of the 20-week season, and there is a $10 fee per day. For details, email lindentreecsa@gmail.com.

Lincoln Democrats hear from state candidates in 3rd District

By Barbara Slayter

More than a dozen Lincoln Democrats attended the annual breakfast of the 3rd MAD (Middlesex Area Democrats) on May 12 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Waltham to hear from candidates for the upcoming September 4 primary and the midterm elections in November.

Participants gave an enthusiastic welcome to State Sen. Mike Barrett, who has been battling leukemia. “Democrats have a personal challenge and responsibility for addressing Trumpism,” Barrett declared. “Our work is cut out; it is not going to be easy; let’s get to it!”

The two Democratic candidates for governor, Jay Gonzales and Bob Massie, both emphasized their immigrant roots, strong support for a single-payer health care system and welcoming safe communities, and concerns about renewable energy, climate change, and a range of other progressive issues. Gonzales, who worked with former Gov. Deval Patrick, asserted that Gov. Charlie Baker is bad about standing up to hate and discrimination, while Massie proclaimed that if Democrats can win in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Alabama, surely they can win in Massachusetts.

Click on a photo to see a larger version:

 

Cambridge-born political humorist Jimmy Tingle and Quentin Palfrey, a lawyer and policy maker from Southborough and Weston, are vying to be the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor. Tingle spoke movingly about the opioid crisis and the faltering public transportation system in Massachusetts, which lacks a high-speed train between Boston and Springfield or a link between North Station and South Station. Palfrey emphasized his long-term commitment to the fight against poverty and inequality through his work in the Poverty Lab at MIT, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, and in President Obama’s White House and Commerce Department.

All four candidates stressed that Democrats in Massachusetts must take back not only the corner office in the State House but also the leadership of our country. Massachusetts has been a leader in progressive change, and under Baker, the state is failing in this role and needs to re-assume its progressive mantle for leadership and change, they said.

Candidates for Governor’s Council Marilyn Devaney (candidate from Waltham who has served on the council for nearly 20 years) and Nick Carter (a lawyer from Newton) addressed the guests, as did Donna Patalano, a candidate for Middlesex County District Attorney. Patalano, who is challenging incumbent Marian Ryan, is focusing her candidacy on the need for reforms within the criminal justice system, which she says is characterized by gross disparities along racial lines.

Other speakers at the breakfast included Democratic candidates for the 14th and 15th Massachusetts House districts in Middlesex County to replace Cory Atkins and Jay Kaufman, respectively, and Secretary of State Bill Galvin, who offered information on scheduling and procedures for voting in Massachusetts, including early online voting, automatic registration, and same-day voter registration. Guests also heard from Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim, who is running against Galvin for secretary of state.

News acorns

Reed Wentworth to speak at LLCT

The annual meeting of the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust with a keynote address by Rand Wentworth, author of Finding Hope: The Future of Land Conservation in America, takes place on Monday, May 14 from 7–9 p.m. at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields church. LLCT members and friends are invited. Come learn how communities around the country are accelerating environmental protection in spite of federal rollbacks. Wentworth is the Louis Bacon Senior Fellow in Environmental Leadership at Harvard University and president emeritus of the Land Trust Alliance in Washington, D.C.

Hydrant flushing may affect tap water

The Lincoln Water Department will be flushing fire hydrants as part of its program to improve water quality starting Monday, May 14. Flushing will take place during the day from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. on weekdays. If tap water is used during flushing, it could be discolored and contain sediment. This discoloration only affects the appearance of the water; it does not affect the taste or water quality.

If you encounter discolored water, shut the water off and wait several minutes. After waiting, check the clarity by running cold water only for a few minutes, allowing new water to work its way into your pipes. In some cases, there may be slight discoloration for a few hours. The water may also have a milky appearance due to tiny air bubbles; they will dissipate over time and are not harmful.

Avoid washing laundry during scheduled flushing times. Wait until the water runs clear at the tap, then wash a load of dark clothes first. Flush your hot water tank by running the hot water tap for a few minutes after the cold water clears; hot water tanks can hold discolored water for some time after the cold water runs clear. Customers may also notice a more pronounced chlorine taste or odor in the water during springtime flushing. This will dissipate when water is left in an open container in the refrigerator. For additional information, call 781-259-8997.

Club Codman this weekend

Club Codman, the spring fundraising night for Codman Community Farms, kicks off on Saturday, May 19 at 8:30 p.m. in the Codman Barn with live music from DADDA. Sport the great fashions of the past and dance to music from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and beyond. No costumes necessary, but there will be much respect for the biggest hair and most polyester. Tickets are $45 for CCF members and $60 for non-members and are available online. This event sells out every year, so buy your tickets now. 

Film about borderlands trip at First Parish

The First Parish in Lincoln will show a short documentary film about a trip its members took to the Arizona borderlands on Tuesday, May 22 at 7 p.m. in the Stearns Room.  This film was produced by Lincoln resident Janet Boynton after the November 2016 trip. The film will be followed by a welcoming town and diversity discussion, co-facilitated by First Parish Ministerial Intern Terry Cumming and Peter Pease of the Lincoln Welcoming, Safe Town Committee of Lincoln.

Last community forum before school vote is May 15

There’s one more community workshop and two school tours before the milestone vote to decide which school project scheme the town should pursue.

The public forum on the six current concepts will be on Tuesday, May 15 from 7–9:30 p.m. in the Reed Gym. This session will focus mostly on audience Q&A with the School Building Committee (SBC) and other officials, and attendees will also be asked to informally rank the concepts in order of preference.

At the forum, SBC members will walk attendees through the process they used to generate and then narrow down the concepts from 12 at the start to the current six.

Last week, the committee considered two additional school design options. One of them had been in the mix before and one was a concept that the SBC requested from the consulting architects at a set price point of $85 million. However, “after discussion, it was determined that neither one of them brought anything incremental when compared to what we already had,” SBC Chair Chris Fasciano said.

The Board of Selectmen has yet to issue a recommendation on the options, though members are hoping to provide some guidance without being “overly directive,” Selectman Jennifer Glass said at the board’s May 7 meeting. The Finance Committee also debated the matter last week but decided not to recommend any of the options over the others, though they may yet recommend a dollar amount to keep in reserve when the town votes on bonding.

At its May 16 meeting, the SBC will finalize the concepts to be presented on June 9. Members will discuss on May 30 how they would rank the six options and why.

The June 9 Town Meeting will feature two votes: one using the voting machines and the second being a stand-and-count vote. In the first vote, registered voters will be asked to choose one of the six school options and possibly also what factors were most important in their decision. The votes will then be tabulated by machine, and the two options receiving the most votes will be presented for the final standing vote.

The SBC is hosting tours of the new Hanscom Middle School and the Lincoln School on Monday, May 21, where school officials will point out the educational benefits of various design attributes in both buildings. Anyone interested in the Hanscom tour must email Janice Gross at jgross@lincnet.org by noon on Monday, May 14, as all Hanscom Air Force Base visitors must provide in advance their full legal name as shown on their driver’s license and date of birth.

Visitors on May 21 must travel to the base with the group by bus, which will leave the Hartwell lot at 9:30 a.m. and return by noon, with lunch provided in the multipurpose room. A tour of the Lincoln School follows at 12:45 p.m. Anyone who just wants to tour the Lincoln School should email Gross and meet at the Smith office by 12:45 p.m.