An early before-and-after rendition of the “scissor walk” and landscaping planned for this summer, though the stone wall will remain (see galley below for more images of recommended improvements).

Work will begin this summer on a new set of sidewalk steps and paved pathway to improve handicapped access to the Lincoln Public Library, as well as replacement trees on Library Lane and landscaping on the building’s north side.

A “scissor walk” will be installed near the Library Line entrance to reduce the steepness of the sidewalk leading down to the entrance, along with new steps alongside.

The project was originally slated for 2016 after Town Meeting approved spending $53,904  for the work, but all of the subsequent contractor bids were too high, so the library went back to Town Meeting in March and received another $20,000, said Library Director Barbara Myles.

The improvements are one of several landscaping projects recommended in a 2014 report by library consultant Michelle Crowley Landscape Architecture of Boston. Also on their improvements list:

• Parallel parking spots on the Trapelo Road side
• A paved path looping counter-clockwise around the building from Five Corners to the Library Lane entrance, along with new plantings around the war memorial
• A stone wall, expanded patio and new landscaping on the Trapelo Road side
• More new trees farther down Library Lane

The total cost for everything recommended by the consultant was estimated at $250,000 in 2014. The library has applied for town funds under the Community Preservation Act but was turned down because the work did not qualify as creating “passive recreation,” Myles said. The 2016 and 2017 appropriations came from Capital Planning Committee funds.

The library eventually hopes to do everything in the consultant’s plan, but money, as always, is the issue. Next year the library plans to ask for money to pay for new central air conditioning units, because the current units are 28 years old and use freon, which will soon become unavailable for environmental reasons. School and community center projects are also in the planning stages for the town.

The Lincoln Garden Club is donating plants for the upcoming landscaping on the north side of the building. The new yellowwood trees on Library Lane will replace the crabapples that were cut down last year amid concerns that they were dropping petals and fruit on the sidewalk that created slippery conditions.

Click on an image below to see a larger version; click on the i to see captions.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”53″ gal_title=”Library landscaping”]

New Lincoln Police officers Matthew Armata (center) and Joe Pellegrini with Town Clerk Susan brooks after the swearing-in ceremony.

Joe Pellegrini and Matthew Armata became Lincoln’s two newest police officers after being sworn in by Town Clerk Susan Brooks on June 30.

The new arrivals succeed Officer Robert Gallo, who retired last year after serving in Lincoln for 32 years, and Officer Robert Surette, a 14-year Lincoln veteran who took a new position with the Harvard University Police in October 2016. Armata and Pellegrini are the first officers hired in Lincoln since Matthew Forance, who joined the force in 2014, according to Police Chief Kevin Kennedy.

Pellegrini, 25, is not new to the Lincoln force—he was promoted after being hired as a 911 dispatcher in early 2016. He has a master’s degree in criminal justice studies from UMass–Dartmouth and was a dispatcher at Framingham State University before coming to Lincoln.

Armata is 26 and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice studies from Fitchburg State University. He previously worked for an investment management company and the Boston Red Sox security staff, but “he always wanted to be a police officer,” Kennedy said. Both men beat out a lot of competition for their posts—there were more than 100 candidates for the two positions, he added.

Pellegrini and Armata are now doing a 10-week in-house training with more senior Lincoln police officers, “learning the town and procedures,” Kennedy said.

Ex-con Clarence Bevins speaks to the crowd in the Bemis Hall basement.

By Laura Berland

Clarence Blevins gave face and voice to the prison population, sharing his experience of spending almost 25 years in Massachusetts’ prisons (including significant time in solitary confinement) at a presentation and film on criminal justice attended by about 70 people in Bemis Hall.

After being incarcerated at a young age, Blevins described prison as a place where no one cares, rehabilitation efforts are virtually nonexistent, and waiting lists for counseling and work programs can be up to three years. But while in prison, he began to read and study and ”help himself because there is no other help offered,” he said at the June 11 event. Today he is a motivational speaker who addresses students, at-risk youth, community-based organizations, and others about his experiences and criminal justice reform and is passionate about helping young people avoid bad decisions that result in incarceration.

The documentary 13th (the title refers to the 13th amendment which forbade involuntary servitude—thus ending slavery—except as a punishment for crimes) was also shown. Through interviews, photos, music and video clips, director Ava DuVernay’s film looked at the effects of convict leasing, lynching, Jim Crow laws, and the war on drugs on minority communities which, by the late 20th century, resulted in a disproportionate incarceration of people of color.

Afterwards, State Senator Mike Barrett opened the floor to responses and questions from the audience. One participant sharing feelings of “shame;” others talked of the need to do something and asked Barrett and Blevins for suggestions.

Barrett discussed the bill he’s sponsoring that aims to restrict “fine-time” sentences—numerous fees that burden low-income defendants and may result in incarceration for failure to pay. He also advocated ending mandatory minimum sentences for all but murder, along with other legislative proposals regarding bail reform and solitary confinement.

Blevins spoke about the Massachusetts Bail Fund which assists those who can’t afford to post bail by paying up to $500, and a number of organizations including Span, Inc., which assists former prisoners to achieve healthy, productive and meaningful lives.

A follow-up session is planned for the fall.