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

Letter to the editor: C or L3 deliver opportunity for 21st-century education

To the editor:

As the “town educators” group (we spoke at the April 25 School Building Committee Meeting), we wanted to offer a few thoughts before the upcoming June 9 vote. We see the opportunity for our town’s children to benefit enormously from choosing either school option C or L3. Here is why:

As we survey the educational landscape, we see a world of learning that is becoming increasingly dynamic, interconnected, and flexible. If schools of the past have been labeled as egg crates—every classroom of equal size with teachers and students isolated from one another—schools of the future (and leading schools today) have rooms of varying sizes and purposes—rooms that are separate but also can be connected.

Leading school models today have small breakout rooms, large rooms that can accommodate projects, maker spaces and engineering labs, and, most of all, flexible spaces that can be converted to a variety of different uses. These schools also seek to create beautiful as well as functional spaces—many have an abundance of natural light and use warm touches (couches, bean bag chairs, rugs, lamps) to try to combat the institutional feel of most schools and to enable informal work spaces.

With those criteria in mind, from an educational vantage point we think that either C or L3 are viable options. Both provide hub spaces to carry out a forward-looking educational vision, and both include smaller breakout rooms as well as larger spaces for project-based work. C is potentially the most flexible option; with new construction and a compact design, there are lots of opportunities to design in forward-looking ways. At the same time, we also see advantages to L3: potentially more natural light and a more seamless connection of all parts of the building to the natural surroundings, Hallways can, if well-designed, be places for displaying high-quality student work and can include couches, nooks, and places for students to work and otherwise be part of a 21st-century design.

In contrast, R, L1, and L2 do not offer this flexibility, and thus do not meet the demands of 21st-century education.  

We also see the new building as an opportunity to rethink education in forward-looking ways. It is true, as many citizens have noted, that good learning can happen anywhere; one of us can remember teaching in a converted storage closet. However, educational expectations have changed and will continue to evolve in response to our changing world. As responsive citizens, we hope to provide the kind of learning that equips our students for a 21st-century world, whether that be through differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all learners or through activities that foster adaptability, hands-on learning, problem solving, innovation, initiative, teamwork, and self-awareness. The goal should be to create spaces that facilitate powerful and up-to-date learning and teaching, not inhibit it.

The opportunities these spaces provide should be paired with opportunities for teachers to learn how to take advantage of the new design. One approach, encouraged by some of our colleagues, would be to set aside 0.5 percent of the budget to support teachers to learn how to use the new spaces well. In our case, we already have a significant amount of professional development time that could be used for these purposes and a leadership team committed to a forward-looking educational vision. We are excited by the combination of the people, space, and time, and expect our town’s children will be the beneficiaries for decades to come.

As citizens, we recognize the enormous cost of the project and urge the town both to continue to find ways to mitigate or defer the costs of the project for those on fixed incomes or those unable to pay. This might include tax deferment options or the creation of a hardship fund. Our job as a community is to find a way to develop a school that prepares the next generation of learners and leaders and also works for all of our residents. At the same time, we do not think it is wise to put a huge sum of money into what is essentially yesterday’s school model.

We appreciate the opportunity to weigh in and look forward to the discussion on Saturday.

Sincerely,  

Jal Mehta, Jen Holleran, Liz City, Cathie Bitter, and Mia Chung-Yee

The school project: a look back since 2012

width=(Editor’s note: the links to articles and letters to the editor were updated on June 1, 2018.)

As a service to readers in advance of the Special Town Meeting on Saturday, June 9, here are links to past Lincoln Squirrel stories about the school project, as well as letters to the editor and some of the documents cited in those stories.

The articles go back to late 2012, shortly after the last town-wide school project vote took place—and also when the Lincoln Squirrel began publication. For earlier school project history, information on educational impacts, and all official documents, see the School Building Committee website.

Details on the June 9 meeting

Charts and slide decks

News articles

2018:

2017:

2016:

2015:

2014:

2013:

2012:

Recent letters to the editor

Letter from the moderator #4: voting procedures on Saturday

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of pieces by Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden about preparations and procedures for the Special Town Meeting on June 9. The other letters are here:

To the editor:

First, let me remind everyone that you must be a registered voter in Lincoln in order to vote at the June 9 meeting. 

As has been publicized, three votes are planned for the June 9 Special Town Meeting:

Vote #1: Ballot vote — Voters will indicate their first choice among the five school concepts.  These votes will be recorded on a ballot and counted by our tabulation machines.  The top three concepts will move forward to the second vote.

Before we take the second vote, I will provide a warning of approximately 15 minutes with a time certain for the vote so that voters can get into their seats for the count. At the announced time, the doors will be closed and no one else will be permitted into the gym or the auditorium. We must do this to ensure an accurate vote count.

Vote #2: Standing vote — Voters will be asked to stand up for the concept they support. The two concepts with the most votes will move on to the third vote.

Vote #3: Standing vote — Voters will be asked to stand up for the concept they support of the two remaining. The concept that gets the majority is the one that the SBC will develop and bring to a bond vote in December.

Questions have been raised about what will happen if one concept gets a majority of the vote after vote #1. This is a Town Meeting, and as moderator, I believe that it is important for the town to proceed to Vote #2, no matter the outcome of the first vote. The nature and importance of this meeting require that we obtain the town’s clear preference; with that in mind, we will move to the second vote.

I have also been asked what will happen if, after Vote #2, one concept has a slim majority. As has been publicized, the School Building Committee will move forward with whichever concept gets the majority, and if one concept receives 51 percent or more, we must respect that outcome. However, I will use moderator’s discretion in the event that one concept gets between 50 percent and 51 percent in Vote #2. If that is the scenario, I believe that in the long run it will better for the town if we proceed to Vote #3 between the two most popular concepts. 

These votes will be carefully recorded and the results announced. By the very nature of voting in a democracy, there will always be some who are disappointed. The importance of open and respectful questions and comments are therefore all the more important. From my perspective, I hope that we can leave the meeting feeling good about the way we conducted ourselves. 

Sincerely,

Sarah Cannon Holden, Town Moderator
Weston Rad

Letter to the editor: More details on Twisted Tree

To the editor:

We want to thank Alice for taking the time to speak with us and we were so happy to see the comments from the article along with the texts and emails we received.

We are still working through some of the last details but did want to clarify a small point. We will not be operating a British-style tavern—rather, we are hoping to create an environment where friends and neighbors can meet and spend time together. We hope the Twisted Tree will be a place for you stop in to get a great cup of coffee and leave with a sense of community, or perhaps a bit of news. In the future, we do intend to apply for a license to serve beer and wine with the intent of having mimosas, shandies, wines, and craft beers, but that will be down the line. 

The Twisted Tree Cafe will primarily be a breakfast and lunch spot. We will have mobile ordering for the commuters, tables and chairs for those want to relax, and a counter top for those that want to work. We’ll have hand-crafted espresso coffees for those that want to savor and big-brewed coffees for those that need the fuel. We’ll have an array of foods including fresh, healthy food, pastries, and vegan and gluten-free options. 

We look forward to serving you in the coming months and years.

Sincerely,

CJ and Christine Doherty
Reiling Pond Road, Lincoln

Letter from the moderator #3: rules for Saturday’s Special Town Meeting

Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of pieces by Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden about preparations and procedures for the Special Town Meeting on June 9. The other letters appear here and here.

To the editor:

By now you should have received your Special Town Meeting Warrant with the two aBy now you should have received your Special Town Meeting Warrant with the two articles to be considered on June 9th. There is very important background information. Please read it carefully so you can come as prepared as possible for the discussion and voting on Saturday. It contains the meeting’s agenda as well as overview of what we will need as we delve further into the issues, choices and considerations before us. Also included in the mailing is an explanation of the voting process. Read it carefully and bring it with you to the meeting. Please note that while there will be a presentation and update regarding the community center, there will not be a vote.

Now let’s get into the rules of the meeting.

There will be presentations be several boards and committees. Discussion, questions and answers, votes and more votes will follow. The procedural rules and voting procedures will, hopefully, be the containers to hold it all together. Many will want to speak, so everyone must limit their time at the microphones to two minutes. Twenty-five people at two minutes each takes close to one hour, despite what the mathematical calculation tells you. I suspect that more than 25 people will want to speak.

General meeting rules

Motion to Amend—If you wish to amend something, you must first fill out the Amendment Form found on the table at the center of the auditorium and present it to town counsel, who will be seated on the stage with the moderator.

  • Once the wording has been settled upon, you may go to the line for the microphone, state you name and address, and make your amendment.
  • The motion requires a second.
  • We will then have discussion of the amendment and vote on it. I will ask for a voice vote. It requires a simple majority to pass.
  • If it passes, then we will discuss the main motion as amended; if it does not pass, we will go back to the main motion.

Move the question—If you wish to ask the meeting to go directly to a vote on the main motion, you must go to a microphone, state your name, and move the question.

  • The motion requires a second.
  • You may not speak or ask a question before you make the motion.
  • Such a motion is not debatable.
  • I will ask for a voice vote. It requires a two-thirds vote to pass.
  • Results of votes in both the gym and the auditorium will be calculated. If it passes we will go directly to a vote on the main motion.

The moderator has the discretion to deny the motion to move the question if she feels that there has not been sufficient discussion. For example, if someone were to rise after 10 minutes of discussion, the moderator is likely to find that this is too soon for such a motion.

Point of order—If you wish to challenge some perceived procedural error, you may rise without being recognized by the moderator and announce a “point of order.”

  • Give your name and street address.
  • State your point.
  • The moderator will consider your point and rule on it.

On Wednesday, I will send out the voting guidelines for the votes we will be taking on June 9.

Reminder: You may check in starting at 8:15 a.m. We will start the meeting promptly at 9:30.

Sincerely,

Sarah Cannon Holden, town moderator
Weston Road.

Letter to the editor: support conservation and option L3

To the editor:

The recent flurry of activity has flooded my inbox with schools-related information and commentary. Committees, individual residents, and town leaders have made notable and at times insightful observations on what is a path forward that will best serve the educational needs of future generations.

All of that is fine. But in the pursuit of a schools plan to carry to the next level of development, we seem to have become mired down in a discussion of “guiding principles” related to “educational programs” and “community.” I would have thought that an underlying value long held by the town—conservation of man-made and natural resources—would have found its way into the dialogue. Instead we dwell on vague notions of “optimizing connections” and “campus feel.”

Conservation has taken many forms in Lincoln. We have protected expanses of beautiful and sensitive landscapes from development. Colonial-era homes and their grounds have been protected and given new purpose; mid-century Modernist homes are being preserved and increasingly purchased by young families; and public buildings like Center School and Bemis Hall have been transformed, not through replacement but rather through carefully crafted renovations.

The Lincoln School campus should not be an exception. Rather than hauling half the existing school to landfills, we should instead be focused on the plans that transform existing valuable structures to meet educational goals. Years of deferred improvements have taken their toll and that has been unfortunate. When we walk though the Smith/Brooks building, we should stop pointing out all the problems—we’ve been doing that for a long time. Instead we should be focused on how an investment of possibly $90+ million can yield a revitalized and humanely scaled school that embraces a central campus green unlike any other public school system in Massachusetts.

I support SBC plan L3. The plan fulfills our town’s need for a quality educational environment while conserving the remarkable campus setting that has served us well for generations.

Sincerely,

Ken Bassett
37 Page Rd., Lincoln

Twisted Tree Cafe coming to site of the former Whistle Stop, Trail’s End

From whistle to trail to tree… C.J. and Christine Doherty in front of the future Twisted Tree Cafe.

The Mall at Lincoln Station will have a new breakfast and lunch spot this fall when the Twisted Tree Cafe debuts in the former Trail’s End Cafe space.

Lincoln residents C.J. and Christine Doherty (no relation to the founders of the longtime Lincoln service station) recently signed a lease for the cafe space, which has been vacant since Trail’s End closed in March. This is their first foray into the food service business, though “it’s an area we always wanted to get into,” said Christine. “It’s a passion project for us. We spent the last five or six years creating a vision, and we were really just waiting for the right opportunity to present itself.”

C.J. Doherty owns a water/sewer excavation business and Christine works in pharmaceutical sales, and the couple also owns a property development company, she said. The former Medford residents, who now have three young children, “fell in love with Lincoln as we drove in minivans to get kids to sleep while had a cup of coffee,” and bought their Reiling Farm Road house in 2015, C.J. said.  

In naming their new business, “we wanted to incorporate what we think it an iconic aspect of town” — the twisted catalpa tree in front of the library… hopefully the cafe that bears its name will be a landmark in its town right,” he said.

The new owners described a vision in which their cafe “can serve the role of what a British tavern does in a rural town—a place where people come together, share a drink and some food and the events of the day, and get to know each other—a gathering place for the community where everyone can feel at home,” C.J. said.

Day-to-day operations at the Twisted Tree will be handled by an experienced general manager and assistant manager, the Dohertys said. Assuming they apply for a beer and wine license, alcohol won’t be served until at least a year after the cafe opens while they await the required town and state approvals, they said.

The menu will span a variety of styles and tastes, aiming for both fresh, local ingredients as well as convenience. Customers will be able to order everything from an egg and cheese sandwich on an English muffin to “more trendy items like cheddar and arugula on a brioche bun, or chia pudding,” he said. “There might be a $2 sandwich or a $9 sandwich, with food diverse enough to meet the needs of everyone, whether it’s a CEO or an electrician on their way to work,” C.J. said.

In a departure from the business’ last change of hands when there was minimal renovation, the Twisted Tree will have a very different look inside. “it’ll be as though it’s a brand-new place,” C.J. said. The Dohertys are also installing a range, griddle and ovens, which the Whistle Stop and Trail’s End lacked.

If all goes well with contractors and town approvals, the Dohertys hope to have a soft opening at the end of August and be up and running when everyone gets back to the school year routine in September.

Committees recommend school options L3 and C; selectmen also include L2

The School Committee, School Building Committee and Board of Selectmen recommended that voters approve school project Option L3 or Option C at the June 9 Special Town Meeting, while selectmen also included Option L2.

Options R, L1 and L2 do not provide the hubs for grades 3–8 that educators have deemed crucial for effective and flexible teaching and learning today, although L2 offers two “flex spaces.” Cost estimates put the L-shaped Option L3 at $93.9 million and Option C, the compact design, at $97 million.

More information:

    • Drawings of the six school options along with costs and tax impacts for each
    • A chart comparing the features and costs of the options
    • The Finance Committee’s updated tax impact projections and comparisons to other area towns

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In a paper poll at its meeting on May 30, concepts L3 and C were recommended by all 16 SBC members and liaisons in attendance (plus member Peter Sugar, who submitted a written response due to his planned absence). Five of the 16 additionally voted for concept L2 as a third recommendation, and one member/liaison voted to recommend all five concepts.

There was little discussion of the reasons for members’ choices except to say that they reflected the guiding principles they adopted last fall after receiving input from the public, other town officials and educators. SBC members had the option of including written comments on their ballots, but those comments were not made public.

Selectmen reject two of the concepts

The Board of Selectmen recommended against Option R as not meeting the town’s needs. “The repair-only option does not seem to me to meet the core mission of what we need to accomplish as a town with this school project,” Selectman James Craig said at the board’s May 21 meeting. “I think we’re well beyond just a repair option, and this does not meet our educational values or our environmental values. I just can’t support the expenditure of $49 million to get us to a spot in time where we’re just treading water.”

Selectmen Jennifer Glass and James Dwyer agreed. “There is nil academic value [in the repair-only option]. I don’t think it’s a good use of money because it doesn’t give you the [return on investment] you want,” Dwyer said.

Option L1 “does not, in our judgment, provide sufficient long-term educational, environmental or financial value,” members said in a May 23 statement. “We believe that the remaining school building concepts (L2, L3 and C) are all reasonable and viable plans that will support, to differing degrees, the long-range needs of our school and community.”

Selectmen also strongly supported the Finance Committee’s recommendation to stay within the town’s statutory debt limit and worried about the substantial tax increase that residents will see.

“I worry about how this tax burden is going to change our community—who sticks around and who leaves,” Dwyer said. “Do we become a ‘graduate and evacuate’ like some of our other towns, where they move in for schools that are awesome and then they leave? The community deteriorates and people are not here for the right reasons. They’re not here for Lincoln values; they’re just here to cash in and cash out on the schools.”

The town’s debt stabilization fund may provide some cushioning, and there are some tax relief programs available to qualifying residents, “but we should look to see if there are any other ways to soften what’s going to be a dramatic tax impact, whatever options gets voted on,” Craig said.

“We want to assure the town that the board is mindful of the magnitude of the financial investment the town is considering,” selectmen said in their joint statement. “Each individual will need to consider and answer the questions of personal affordability and up-front cost vs. long-term value.”

Other committees weigh in

“Options R and L1 do not provide value for money,” the School Committee said in a short May 24 statement. “Options L3 and C are critical for providing 21st-century education, and the School Committee is most excited about the educational value from Option C.”

Earlier last month, the Capital Planning Committee also recommended either Option L3 or C, as did the Lincoln School Foundation this week. The Finance Committee stopped short of advocating any particular option, though members recommended against Option FPC (which is no longer on the table) because it would require borrowing more than the town is allowed to under state statute without a special exemption.

Letter to the editor: what is a net zero building?

Editor’s note: This piece by Sue Klem of Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee is a companion to “What Makes a Sustainable School Project?” which she wrote for the School Building Committee website.

To the editor:

Traditional buildings use about 40 percent of the total fossil fuel energy in the U.S. Lincoln has an opportunity to build a low-energy school building. Let’s do it as an important step in decreasing Lincoln’s energy footprint and addressing climate change. The School Building Committee is leading the way!

By definition, a net zero (or zero energy) building produces at least as much renewable energy as it uses in a year. This is accomplished by constructing a highly efficient building enclosure, using high-performance energy-efficient systems and offsetting energy used by the building with solar and other renewable energy sources.

There are already net zero buildings in Lincoln, at least two homes and the new Environmental Learning Center at Drumlin Farm. The recently built Walden Pond Visitor Center on the Lincoln-Concord line is also a net zero building.

“Mass Audubon’s commitment to net zero construction has driven design decisions throughout the project, resulting in a building that works with instead of in opposition to its surrounding environment,” says Renata Pomponi, director of Drumlin Farm. “Beginning with solar shading analysis to determine exactly which existing trees could remain on the site without impacting the PV production, through details like the interior daylighting and materials selection and the attention paid to insulation and weather-stripping installation, sustainability has been a guiding factor. Drumlin Farm staff are thrilled that the end result is a building that not only is cost-effective to operate on our nonprofit budget, but also reflects the very work that we do in educating people about climate science and how their choices help to protect the nature of Massachusetts.”

Green characteristics that the Environmental Learning Center features are:

  • Net positive energy
  • A southern exposure maximizing solar access
  • No fossil fuel use
  • Highly efficient electric heating and cooling
  • LED lighting throughout the building
  • Occupancy sensors and daylight sensors
  • Energy recovery ventilators
  • Visible stormwater management
  • Native plantings
  • Triple-glazed dual low-e windows
  • Daylighting windows
  • A super-insulated and super-airtight building envelope
  • Materials selected with sustainability in mind
  • Low/no VOC [volatile organic compound] products
  • No products with added formaldehyde
  • Low maintenance and durable finishes
  • Workstations located for access to views and operable windows

Drumlin Farm anticipates receiving a Living Building Challenge Net Zero Energy certification. The grand opening is Saturday, June 9 from 1–3 p.m. You are welcome to go over and take a look (after Town Meeting, of course). As always, Drumlin Farm is free to Lincoln residents.

The Walden Pond Visitor Center is another example of a sustainable building. The Green Engineer provides this description: “The building structure is an all-electric, net zero energy consumption building and implements “passive house” principles. The building has no reliance on fossil fuels. In winter, high-performing triple-pane windows and super insulation keep the heat inside. In warmer weather, ample operable windows, ceiling fans and clerestories create natural ventilation and light, reducing the need for air conditioning and artificial lighting.

“A 105-kW photovoltaic solar canopy provides shade over the parking lot and services all the energy needs of the building and state reservation. An electric charging station allows visitors to charge vehicles. The walls and floors of the building are from locally-sourced heat-treated maple, ash and red oak to withstand the New England weather. Framing and sheathing materials are FSC certified. Water-efficient plumbing fixtures and low/no-VOC paints and finishes were used throughout.”

These local buildings can help us realize that buildings now being built (or renovated) could (and should) aim to be super-energy-efficient, eliminate fossil fuel use, and employ renewable energy. In other words, a net zero building! Let’s work with the School Building Committee to create a sustainable school.

Sincerely,

Sue Klem
168 Trapelo Rd.

Letter to the editor: LSF supports options L3 and C

To the editor:

The Lincoln School Foundation urges Lincoln residents to vote for L3 or C at the Special Town Meeting on June 9.

The LSF has a 30-year history of funding innovation at the Lincoln Schools. In that time, we have awarded more than 500 grants worth well over a million dollars. Each grant provided resources not available in the school budget to allow teachers and administrators to do more within our schools. The grants have been funded in large part by thousands of donations from the residents of Lincoln. A commitment to excellence in education and innovative practices is, as these individual donations demonstrate, a collective enterprise that is deeply embedded in the values of this community.

In this moment, on the cusp of a major school building project, Lincoln residents have the opportunity to demonstrate again that we value education. Education has evolved in the last half-century. The traditional model of self-contained classrooms, which was born from the single-room schoolhouses of a century ago and then adapted to provide a work force for factory labor, does not fully allow for the education that our students need for 21st-century life.

Educational research shows that children of today—the adults of tomorrow—need to be collaborators, critical thinkers, and problem solvers. The teachers and administrators at Lincoln School know this and practice this daily.

However, the teaching and learning at Lincoln School is constrained by the outdated structure. Best practices in education insist on flexibility and small groups—arranging and rearranging students throughout the day to allow for project-based learning, differentiation, and meeting each student’s individual needs. Isolated classrooms placed in a row hinder this work.

School building options L3 and C both offer a fundamental reimagining of the interior spaces within Lincoln School. “Hubs” offer extra flexible space to better allow for small groups, collaboration, and effective differentiation. Additionally, the major investment of L3 or C gives us the opportunity during the upcoming design phase to specify features that further educational best practices, such as visually permeable walls and inviting and configurable furniture.

Lincoln has been on the forefront of conservation and environmentalism. Lincoln has been on the forefront of progressive social values and thoughtful affordable housing. And Lincoln can be on the forefront of transformative 21st century education.

The LSF endorses L3 and C design concepts as those that best support the district’s vision for education by providing an environment in which students and teachers can more fully engage with collaborative, deep, and authentic learning practices. Space matters: it can catalyze, facilitate, and nurture innovation.

This is an opportunity for us to come together as a community around a shared value and a vision for the future of education. On June 9, we hope you will join us in selecting an educationally transformative school building project, L3 or C.

Sincerely,

Trustees of the Lincoln School Foundation: DJ Mitchell (chair), Ginger Reiner (treasurer), Gabrielle Berberian, Cathie Bitter, Juliana Delahunty, Lis Herbert, Jen Holleran, Audrey Kalmus, Tareef Kawaf, Lucy Maulsby, Aldis Russell, Tricia Thornton-Wells, and Nick Whitman