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

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.

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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.

The last mile (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Fran Doyle (center) is thrilled with the completion of a new Lincoln Road sidewalk between the Ryan Estates, where she lives, and the Cambridge Trust Co. building, making it much safer for her and others to walk to the mall and other South Lincoln locations. The sidewalk is one of several planned roadway improvement projects in town. With her are (left to right) DPW Superintendent Chris Bibbo, traffic consultant John Vancor, and DPW Foreman Steve McDonald.

Correction

The May 9 article headlined “Community center group narrows focus to two concepts” incorrectly stated that the Community Center Planning and Preliminary Design Committee had formally voted not to request funding for a community center at the June 9 Special Town Meeting. The group’s charge was only for preliminary work to further the community center, inform the school process and keep the campus coordinated. The article has been updated to reflect this correction.

Community center group narrows focus to two concepts

The group planning a future community center has narrowed down its choices to two schemes that will be presented at the Special Town Meeting on June 9, probably followed by a non-binding “sense of the town” vote on which one residents prefer.

At its meeting last week, the Community Center Planning and Preliminary Design Committee decided to eliminate Scheme 2 (“L on main campus green”), but members were evenly split over which of the other two ideas they preferred. The two remaining concepts both locate the parking on the east side of the Hartwell site and leave some open space on the west side for a playground between the building and Ballfield Road.

Scheme 1 calls for removing two of the existing pods and replacing them with a community center that’s all new construction. The third pod would be renovated and used for LEAP, and a fourth small building would be used for school maintenance. Scheme 3 incorporates two of the existing pods and adds connecting space between them; as with Scheme 1, the remaining pod would be used for LEAP. Both call for at least part of the building to be two floors. In Scheme 3, the second-floor part would cover only a portion of the ground floor, which would havea  larger open area.

 

The CCPPDC’s work will conclude after the June Town Meeting, with a future group expected to supervise detailed design and final cost estimates. The June meeting will not include a community center funding vote because the campus can’t accommodate both construction projects at the same time. Even if it could, the CCPPDC determined that the town wouldn’t see any cost savings, primarily because the projects are of such different scope that contractors would not bid on both as a package, as well as the need for installing expensive temporary classrooms.

Nonetheless, it will cost more to build a community center later rather than sooner. “Just as the cost to build a new school has skyrocketed between the first school project in 2012 until now, building costs will likely increase between now and 2023, when we are likely to break ground on a community center,” CCPPDC Vice Chair Margit Griffith said. “In today’s terms, the designs have a price tag of about $13–15 million, which looks like it will go to $20 million if building costs increase at the same rate. There are a few models that suggest things are slowing a bit—time will out.”

On the other hand, by 2023, the town will have paid off some of its debt and property values will rise in the interim, meaning the town will have “headroom” under its borrowing limit. Debt payments will be smaller in early years of repayment than if the entire sum for a school and community center was borrowed at once. 

Some residents are worried that delaying the community center is politically risky because it could be seen as “pushing it off” and disappointing seniors and others who are more interested in using that facility than a renovated school. Asked why those people should first approve an expensive school project, Griffith said, “Because it’s the right thing to do. From a value-for-dollar perspective, we can pay a hell of a lot to put an Ace bandage and keep limping along on our bad knee (the current school), or foot the bill for the knee replacement that will last for a generation or more. From a ‘Lincoln way’ perspective, we value education and this town. Now is the time to put our money where our mouths are. From a personal interest perspective, property values in towns all around us are eclipsing ours—they have new schools, we don’t.”

The CCPPDC will incorporate feedback at the June 9 Town Meeting into its final report. That feedback may take the form of a standing “sense of the town” vote or with sticky notes as at earlier public forums. The committee has three more meetings scheduled before that.