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

Letter to the editor: candidate may favor Lincoln paying more for L-S

 To the editor:

I wrote a recent letter to the editor supporting the candidacy of Carol Kasper and Ellen Joachim. This brought me an interesting phone call from a Sudbury resident, who will remain nameless. He referred me to this 2010 column by Mike Hullinger, husband and endorser of Siobhan Hullinger, who is running as a write-in candidate for the Lincoln Sudbury regional school committee.

Since he has written to support Ms. Hullinger’s candidacy, it seemed fair game to provide the link to his column. I recommend reading it before going to the polls. It takes the long-held position by a number of Sudbury residents that Lincoln is not providing its fair share of financial support for the high school. This, as I understand it, is one of the main justifications for the proposed superintendent consolidation of the high school and Sudbury K-8 systems.  In fairness, I cannot confirm that Ms. Hullinger shares her husband’s position, although my source insists that this is the case.

Sincerely,

Eric Harris
138 Bedford Rd., Lincoln

CapComm, Community Preservation Act items up for votes

Click the image above to see the full draft list of Community Preservation Act items plus explanations for each.

Here are the lists of items to be voted on in Saturday’s Town Meeting warrant article 8 (Capital Planning Committee or CapComm) and article 10 (Community Preservation Act or CPA). The capital items total $687,070, and there will be a separate vote in warrant article 9 on a debt exclusion appropriation of $600,000 for a new fire engine. 

The draft list of 16 CPA items total $978,805. With the addition of another $92,235 for affordable housing (by state law, 10 percent of a town’s CPA revenues must be set aside for this purpose), the total request comes to $1,071,040. 

(Note: Capital Planning items are listed in descending order of dollar amount, not as they appear on the Town Meeting warrant)

ItemAmountSponsor
Replacement of the library air conditioning system$305,000Library Trustees
Purchase of a medium dump truck for the DPW$80,000Selectmen
Purchase and equipping of one replacement marked cruiser for the Police Department, and to authorize the disposal of, by sale or otherwise, any related excess vehicles or equipment$40,575Selectmen
Purchase of a district-wide safety/security radio system for the Lincoln Public Schools$39,104School Committee
Purchase and installation of instructional technology-display & audio for the Lincoln Public Schools$36,361School Committee
Purchase and equipping of one replacement unmarked cruiser for the Police Department, and to authorize the disposal of, by sale or otherwise, any related excess vehicles or equipment$34,600Selectmen
Migration of email to the cloud$26,000Selectmen
Replacement of existing guardrail$25,000Selectmen
Replacement of the IT firewall at town offices$16,000Selectmen
Replacement of a fire hose$15,200Selectmen
Engineering assessment of the culverts at the Pierce House$15,000Pierce House Committee
Services of a radio communications consultant to assess our current public safety radio system infrastructure for our Communications Department and its related equipment$14,000Selectmen
Replacement of five (5) portable radios for the Communications Department$13,785Selectmen
Replacement of the phone system at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School$11,224L-S School Committee
Purchase of additional CCTV security cameras at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School$7,717L-S School Committee
Replacement of a water heater at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School$7,504L-S School Committee

 

Letter to the editor: LSSC’s Marshall supports Kasper and Joachim

(Editor’s note: Marshall is currently on the LSSC but is not running for reelection.)

To the editor:

I write to fully endorse Carole Kasper’s and Ellen Joachim’s candidacies for the L-S School Committee. Lincoln voters should robustly support them at the polls on Monday, March 26. There are two open seats, as Gerald Quirk of Sudbury and I are both stepping down. Carole’s is the only candidate name printed on the ballot. Ellen is a write-in candidate from Sudbury. 

Carole and Ellen are both strong leaders. They have been collaborative, engaged, and thoughtful contributors to many community and educational initiatives at L-S and in Lincoln and Sudbury. There is hard, good work to be done, engaging committees in both towns, attending to the L-S School Committee’s regular business, crafting a fiscally responsible budget, and listening to constituents in Lincoln, Sudbury, and Boston. Carole and Ellen will put in the hours and foster relationships and will represent the integrity of our regional high school and our communities well.

Carole was active on the L-S School Start Time Subcommittee; she analyzed and collated the data that went into the final report. She fully understands and supports L-S’s efforts to find a way to allow a later start time for our students. Carole’s recent work chairing the Lincoln Campus Master Plan Committee was critical to the town’s next steps in our school and community center discussions. 

Ellen will be a strong advocate for our high school; she understands the nuanced Lincoln/Sudbury partnership. Ellen’s legal expertise and her six years on the Sudbury School Committee provide lenses that will support the L-S School Committee’s work and positive relationships with our K-8 districts.

Ensuring our students feel safe socially, emotionally, and physically at L-S is a priority for both Carole and Ellen. Carole’s depth of experience in her consulting work will contribute to open, thoughtful conversations about school safety. Both of them will seek to balance L-S’s strengths in allowing students to be resilient and well-prepared for life after high school with the realities and pressures of our world today.

Carole and Ellen will work diligently with our Finance and Capital Committees, engage constituents and town officials openly and respectfully, and support LSRHS faculty and staff in their continued efforts to educate and prepare our students for the 21st century. They will be guided by the core values of L-S and approach their service mindful of what is best for all students.

Having two Lincoln seats at L-S is not guaranteed; supporting Carole with a very high turnout in Lincoln is critical to assuring our high school is served well by both towns. Carole’s name is printed on the ballot. Along with Ellen, there are two other write-in candidates from Sudbury. Carole and Ellen have complementary skills to partner productively and positively for LSRHS.

Absentee ballots for registered Lincoln residents who will be out of town are available from the Town Clerk through Friday, March 23.  Applications for absentee ballots can be obtained via the Town Clerk’s website.

Sincerely,

Nancy Marshall
23 Beaver Pond 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: former Sudbury School Committee member endorses Joachim

To the editor:

I enthusiastically support Ellen Joachim as a write-in candidate for the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee.

As members of the Sudbury School Committee, Ellen and I worked together for three years. I have never met somebody with such an amazing balance of intelligence, passion, work ethic, and patience as Ellen. Unless you worked directly with Ellen, you would never know all the great work she was doing because she never wanted to be recognized for it. Ellen just wanted what was best for others and, most importantly, Sudbury’s students. She never thought about what others would think or how the public would react; Ellen always did what she knew in her heart was the right decision for kids.

As some may know, Ellen has a law degree from Harvard and was an attorney before she left the profession to raise a family. Having known this, I would always joke with her that she really should have become a teacher because of her deep passion for education. After getting to really know Ellen over the years, there is no doubt in my mind that she felt the same way, which is why she committed her life to serving six years on the Sudbury School Committee and numerous years as a volunteer at Nixon Elementary, and why she is now seeking election to the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee.

As a parent whose oldest daughter is less than four years away from high school, I care deeply about those whom we elect to represent our high school. That being said, there is not one person in Sudbury I would rather see on the school committee than Ellen. Not only is she more than qualified but also has the previous experience to start getting things done on day one. In an ever-changing world, not just in respect to education but also safety, this immediate experience is invaluable. As Ellen outlined during the recent candidates’ night, we cannot afford to mull over student safety; we need to act now. I can tell you from three years of experience that this is how Ellen governs. To be frank, Ellen never kicks the can down the road; she deals with things head on and gets them done.

Please join me on Monday, March 26 by writing in Ellen Joachim for Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee.

Sincerely,

Scott Nassa
36 Clark Lane, Sudbury

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: former SSC members support Joachim

To the editor:

We are writing to wholeheartedly endorse Ellen Joachim for L-S School Committee. We had the honor of serving on the Sudbury School Committee with Ellen and hold her in the highest regard as a strong and compassionate leader. Ellen brings six years of experience on the SPS School Committee, including that of chair; many years as a volunteer in the schools (including Nixon PTO co-chair); her legal training and career in law; and personal experience as a graduate of L-S herself and as an L-S parent for the past seven and a half years.

We always appreciated her wisdom and balanced view of each situation. Ellen never compromised her values. She was gracious, supportive, and always a pleasure to work alongside. Ellen carefully navigated difficult situations, possessed firmness that was not abrasive, and spoke out when necessary but more often listened thoughtfully. Her presence on the School Committee and her commitment to the students of Sudbury were among her greatest assets. We are confident that Ellen will bring these traits to the L-S School Committee.

Ellen puts the well-being of students first! This was true when SPS increased building safety in the elementary and middle schools and as she guided discussions about necessary financial support for the schools. She made students her first concern as she worked tirelessly through contract negotiations. We cannot overstate the value that Ellen brought to every discussion, collaborating respectfully with those of differing viewpoints, and using good judgment in decision-making. These qualities ensured that she was effective in her commitment to all students.

We are confident that Ellen will prioritize school safety and increased collaboration between L-S, SPS, and LPS, and she will thoughtfully consider school start time issues. She will work side by side with her committee members to offer new ideas that support a high-quality education that helps our students develop emotionally, socially, and academically, and prepares them to take their next steps in life.

You can learn more about Ellen on her campaign Facebook page, “Ellen Joachim for L-S School Committee,” and from her participation in the League of Women Voters Candidates Night through this Sudbury TV link. Please join us in writing in Ellen Joachim for L-S School Committee on Monday, March 26.

Sincerely,

Rich Robison
Homestead Street, Sudbury
Member of Sudbury School Committee, 1996-2014

Lisa Gutch
Silver Hill Road, Sudbury
Member of Sudbury School Committee, 2010-2013

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: Chester seeks seat on Park & Rec

(Editor’s note: Chester is one of three candidates for an open seat on the Parks and Recreation Committee. The others are Adam Hogue and Rey Romero.)

To the editor:

I am running for the open seat on the Parks and Recreation Committee to offer an experienced, informed voice to help guide the Parks and Rec Department (PRD) as it faces considerable challenges over the next few years.
As a retired human factors analyst, I have decades of professional experience solving problems and managing multimillion-dollar programs. As an athlete, I have a lifetime of personal experience in many sports and am a spouse and parent of athletes (including being a tennis and a gymnastics team mom). In addition, I created and managed a collegiate water sports and lifeguard program. Currently, I am a member of the Community Center Preliminary Planning and Design Committee, co-leader of the PRD’s Open Studio (the adult art program), and director of the annual Lincoln Arts Show (co-sponsored by PRD and Council on Aging). All of these give me insight into the PRD’s youth and adult programs.

Some of the biggest issues that the Parks and Rec Committee will face in the coming years revolve around the upcoming votes by Lincoln for the school building and a new community center. If the school building is approved, then the PRD will have considerable logistical challenges in staging the Hartwell classroom spaces.

If the community center is approved, then the PRD will need to help finalize the design and to work around the construction. Once the center is built, the PRD will need to coordinate its programs closely with the COA as the new building becomes the vital core of town activity. If the community center is voted down, then the PRD will need to redouble its efforts to meet Lincoln’s needs with the resources available to it. Regardless of the outcome of the town votes, of course, the PRD will need to ensure the careful management of the Wang field as it comes on line in the next year.

As a committee member, in addition to supporting the PRD’s current offerings and infrastructure needs, I would encourage more programming along three lines. For adults who have other obligations on weekdays, I would like to expand arts and athletic opportunities into the evenings. For youth and adults, I would like to provide programs that encourage self-reliance and agency-that is, teach first aid and CPR so individuals can help others in distress; and teach map-reading and compass skills through activities such as geocaching and orienteering, so individuals can step away from a GPS and develop their own cognitive maps. Lincoln’s trails are the perfect place to help individuals develop a strong physical sense of space and place.

The fact that three of us are offering our services for a single seat on the Parks and Recreation Committee attests to the depth and sense of civic duty by Lincoln’s residents.

I ask for your vote on Monday, March 26.

Sincerely,

Sarah Chester
6 Stonehedge 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: consider green burial as a Lincoln option

To the editor:

Last month, Candace Currie from Green Burial Massachusetts gave an enlightening presentation at the library about the value and benefit of natural burials, in which everything going into the ground is biodegradable and will decompose naturally. Natural burials offer a reasonable alternative to the expense and environmental toxicity of traditional burial practices.

At that event, I met Carol DiGianni, a candidate for Cemetery Commissioner, who actively supports exploring the feasibility of natural burials in our Lexington Road cemetery. Although natural burials may not currently be the preferred choice for many townfolk, I can see no downside to accommodating that option in our town-owned cemetery for those who choose it.

I encourage my fellow Lincolnites to learn more about the green burial movement, and to vote for a candidate who supports a full range of appropriate, respectful interment choices for Lincoln residents.

Sincerely,

Virginia Rundell
76 Todd Pond 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: vote for Kasper and Joachim

To the editor:

I am writing in support of Ellen Joachim and Carole Kasper for LSRHS School Committee. Ellen is running as a write-in candidate and Carole will be on the ballot. When I think of the characteristics I believe make a successful School Committee member, I think of open communication, collaboration, and community building. Both Ellen and Carole have proven track records in all three Cs.

Ellen Joachim is a Sudbury resident who is also an L-S graduate who moved back to Sudbury with her husband to raise their three sons. As a lawyer who served on the Sudbury School Committee for six years, one year as chair and two as vice chair, Ellen has clearly demonstrated her ability to communicate with administration, parents, and staff. She worked collaboratively to help the Sudbury Public Schools grow and continue to be the excellent school system it is.

Finally, Ellen will work for the L-S community—the whole community. I know that she believes, as I do, that all L-S students are the responsibility and priority of the L-S School Committee, regardless of which of the many zip codes represented at L-S they come from. As the mother of two boys who have graduated from L-S and a third who is currently there, Ellen understands the social, emotional, developmental, and academic needs of the high school population. She has worked to build relationships with staff and administration to help her own children get the best possible education for each of them, and she will be able to build on those strong bridges to help all of our children. Ellen’s professional and volunteer experiences uniquely position her as a candidate who will help the entire L-S community come to the table so that we can work together to build an excellent future for our students, staff, and entire school.

Carole Kasper is a familiar face in Lincoln because she has been a tireless volunteer and voice for our schools and our community. Her professional background as an organizational consultant make her an incredibly well qualified candidate. She has proven time and again that she can help build community, collaborate, and bring parties to the table, and that she prioritizes open communication and thoughtful listening. Her professional background paired with these skills make her an ideal candidate to help L-S navigate the rapidly changing world and help keep open the conversations about what the future of L-S should look like.

Carole currently has a son at L-S and will have another there next year. Like Ellen, she has worked to build relationships at the high school that will serve her well as a School Committee member.

Please join me in voting for both Ellen Joachim and Carole Kasper on Monday, March 26.

Sincerely,

Becca Fasciano
8 Linway Road

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: Hullinger supports wife for LSSC

To the editor:

I am proud to support Siobhan Hullinger as a write in candidate for the Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School Committee. I can personally attest to Siobhan’s deep knowledge about LSRHS and her strong appreciation for the important role LSRHS has in our communities. Siobhan has previously served on the LSRHS School Council and the Housemaster Search Committee. She currently serves on the board of the L-S Scholarship Fund and has actively supported various athletic teams as a “captain’s parent” and fan for our three children who have graduated from or are currently attending L-S.

For years, Siobhan has watched virtually all of the LSRHS, Sudbury School Committee, [Sudbury] Board of Selectmen and [Sudbury ]FinCom meetings, providing her with an extensive knowledge about the matters facing LSRHS. She also understands the essential need for more effective cooperation and collaboration with SPS, the BOS, and the town of Lincoln to ensure LSRHS continues to provide an education nationally recognized by colleges and universities and a broad offering of extracurricular activities for its students, and serves as an effective steward of our taxpayer’s money.

In addition to her LSRHS experiences, Siobhan possesses two qualities that are essential to be an effective member of the School Committee. First, Siobhan is someone who researches the issues to offer informed opinions about matters facing L-S and our member towns. Second and most importantly, Siobhan is committed to the practice of civil discourse to have the kinds of discussions and collaboration that are necessary in order to arrive at informed decisions in the best interests of students, faculty, and the taxpayers of our towns.

I will be enthusiastically writing in the name “Siobhan Hullinger” for the LSRHS School Committee on Monday, March 26, and urge you to do the same.

Sincerely,

Mike Hullinger
55 Washington Drive, Sudbury

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: vote yes on gas leaks resolution

To the editor:

Mothers Out Front Lincoln encourages everyone to vote “yes” to support our gas leaks resolution at Town Meeting on March 24. This is our chance to be part of the solution as we work to create a livable climate for our children, grandchildren, and future generations.

The vision of Mothers Out Front is a swift, just, and complete transition to clean, renewable energy. Our resolution targets leaked natural gas whose methane is a key contributor to climate change. We are seeking to change the narrative about natural gas. It is not clean nor is it a bridge fuel from fossil fuels to renewables. It is a potent greenhouse gas that threatens all that we care about.

Lincoln currently has 64 unrepaired gas leaks. Mothers Out Front members knit colorful scarves to mark these leaks around town. Natural gas is 95 percent methane, which traps 86 times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

Gas leaks are also toxic to human health. Most gas in Massachusetts comes from fracked gas from Pennsylvania. Extraction of fracked gas requires more than 1,000 chemicals, some of which are toxic. These toxins are linked to a variety of health issues including asthma, immune dysfunction, cancer, and other devastating conditions.

Leaking methane not only poses a risk for deadly explosions; it is also killing our trees when we need them more than ever. The pooling gas blocks oxygen from reaching the trees’ roots.

What is shocking is that we consumers are paying for this unchecked methane emitted from unrepaired pipes! Presently, gas distribution companies are allowed to pass on to consumers the costs associated with lost and unaccounted-for gas. A 2013 study from the office of Senator Ed Markey estimates these costs to be up to $135 million per year in Massachusetts.

If Lincoln voters support our resolution, “Protecting Consumers of Gas and Electricity from Paying for Leaked and Unaccounted-for Gas,” we will join other towns that have passed similar resolutions to pressure the utilities to fix the largest leaks (super-emitters). If the utilities fix 7 percent of the biggest leaks, emissions will be reduced by 50 percent.

At least 12 states have passed comparable resolutions placing a cap on how much utilities can charge customers for leaking gas. These states include New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and California.

Your “yes” vote on the gas leaks resolution sends a powerful message to our state legislators that we want them to act on behalf of future generations and Mother Earth. Please vote YES at Town Meeting!

Sincerely,

Emily Haslett
26 Baker Bridge 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.