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

Council on Aging activities in February

Domestic Violence Services Network office hours
February 1 at 10 a.m.
If you are experiencing violence or abuse by a family member, whether physical, emotional, or sexual, or you are concerned about someone who is, come to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 1 between 10 a.m. and noon to have a confidential discussion with an advocate from Domestic Violence Services Network, Inc. Come find out more about domestic violence, and how to cope with it, as well as learn about available resources in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. All conversations are completely confidential.

Meet with an aide to Congresswoman Katherine Clark
February 1 at 1 p.m.
Jimmy Santos, constituent services and military liaison for Congresswoman Katherine Clark, will hold office hours at Bemis Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 1 on federal benefits and other concerns. No need to sign up.

What you need to know about Annual Town Meeting bylaw proposals
February 3 at 9:30 a.m.
Important new bylaws and changes to existing bylaws that affect your everyday life will be voted on at Annual Town Meeting in March. Come find out more and have a chance to ask questions in an informal setting when Jennifer Burney, Director of Planning and Land Use, and members of committees proposing the bylaws will be at Bemis Hall on Friday, Feb. 3 at 9:30 a.m. One proposal would change the solar bylaw to reflect industry standards, eliminating the 12-inch setback requirement and adding in a waiver provision. Another would impose a possible moratorium on recreational marijuana. An Affordable Accessory Apartment Bylaw would create accessory apartments that qualify for the town’s affordable housing inventory. A proposed tax exemption would allow the portion of the property dedicated to an affordable accessory apartment to be tax exempt. A request to the Community Preservation Committee would create a fund for homeowners to access interest free loans for renovating or creating an affordable accessory apartment. Finally, a proposed amendment to a bylaw would allow the sale of farm products for conforming parcels between 80,000 square feet and 5 acres. Come find out more and bring your questions, concerns and ideas!

Trad jazz band
February 3 at 12:30 p.m.
Come join your neighbors who never miss a session. The Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band be at Bemis on Friday Feb. 3 from 12:30–1:30 to entertain you. There will be some good old tunes to sing along to, maybe Ain’t She Sweet or When You’re Smilin’ or All of Me or maybe something completely different this time. Maybe the music will put you in the mood to get up and dance like some of the audience do. Or maybe you’d prefer to just sit and tap your toes. See you there!

Lincoln Academy with Mark Hopkins—Walking the thornfeld: saving Africa’s most dangerous and beautiful creatures
February 6 at 12:30 p.m.
Join Earthwatch volunteer Mark Hopkins as he hikes 60 miles through scenic thornveld landscapes, accompanied by an armed Zulu ranger, counting wild rhino, giraffe, buffalo, elephant, and a dozen other large mammal species, then returning to the campsite for close-up photographic visits with lions, leopards, hippos and crocodiles. Bring a bag lunch. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion.

Coffee with watercolor artist Jack Foley
February 7 at 2:30 p.m.
Join Lincoln artist Jack Foley for a celebration of his exhibit of watercolors at Bemis Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 2:30 pm. Jack says, “I started painting watercolors in the early ’80s, usually just on vacations. I paint most of my watercolors on site and occasionally at my kitchen table. I sell paintings, donate them to charities, or just paint for fun. Lincoln’s a great place to paint.” His work has been shown at the Clark Gallery, Concord Art, the New England Watercolor Society, the Attleboro Arts Museum, and other venues. The exhibit will run through February.

Communicating across lines of difference
February 8 at 9:30 a.m.
Effective and respectful communication between people with differing characteristics and life experiences has never been more important yet can seem ever more difficult. How do we know if we have inadvertently offended someone and what do we do about it? How do we get started talking to each other about such topics as race, gender, economic status, and other such issues in a way that strengthens relationships as well as recognizes our many commonalities? Mandy Beal, Ministerial Intern at First Parish who has completed special training, will lead a discussion at Bemis Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 9:30 a.m. about communicating around lines of difference, focusing not on being “good” or “bad” but on effectiveness. The 90-minute session will include a short presentation on current thinking and research followed by a group discussion using reflection and questions and answers.

Drawing
February 8 at 10 a.m.
Drawing is a way to capture the world as you see it and the gateway to painting and other art forms. Learn to draw and you have created a new language for yourself! Get started when Bernadette Quirk, a local artist and experienced art teacher, teaches a four-session course on Wednesday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon beginning February 8 at Bemis Hall. This session will start with simple still life objects to develop skills in measuring and perspective. The cost is $20 for the course. No prior experience necessary or expected! We provide all supplies. Please call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up as space is limited.

Reframing as a technique for greater happiness
February 10 at 9:30 a.m.
Whether it is a traffic jam, loss of an opportunity, or a negative life story, reframing can change your perspective and outlook on life. Learn various ways to use this technique of being honest about your situation, but finding new ways to look at its opportunities, advantages, and challenges when Pam Mizrahi, the COA’s assistant director and a social worker, holds a discussion on Friday, Feb. 10 at 9:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall. The discussion will focus on actual examples you can use every day.

First look at Annual Town Meeting: town and public schools budgets and projects
February 10 at 12:30 p.m.
Selectmen Peter Braun and Renel Fredriksen, Town Administrator Tim Higgins, Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Becky McFall, and Lincoln School Committee Chair Jennifer Glass will present an overview of FY18 budget priorities on Friday, Feb. 10 at 12:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Find out what is on the Annual Town Meeting warrant for the town and school budgets. There will also be a discussion of the current status of a Lincoln school building project, and any related warrant articles that might be up for a vote at Town Meeting as well as town-related projects and initiatives. This is your opportunity to discuss the budget, the School building project, and other school and town-related topics in an informal, conversational setting. They welcome your questions, your ideas and concerns.

Valentine’s Day jazz brunch
February 12 at 10:15 a.m.
What could be more fun for Valentine’s Day than a delicious jazz brunch at Trail’s End in Concord? Join the Lincoln COA on Sunday, Feb. 12 when you’ll have a wonderful brunch while listening to some of the best local jazz around! The fun starts by boarding Doherty’s bus at the Mall at 10:15 to go to Concord. Once there, you can choose from menu items including eggs, an omelette, French toast or granola parfait, coffee, tea, juice, sides like bacon, fruit, etc. The venue does have some stairs inside. The cost is $10, with the cost of breakfast on your own. To reserve a space, send your check made out to FLCOA/Trips to Claire Mount, 123 Tower Road, Lincoln, MA 01773. Be sure to include your phone and email so she can send you a menu. Space is limited. Questions? Contact Claire at 781-259-8695.

Lincoln Academy with Tom Gumbart—Backyard butterflies, dragonflies and more
February 13 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Feb. 13, at 12:30 to hear Tom Gumbart discuss “Backyard Butterflies, Dragonflies and More.” Lincoln’s Conservation Director, Tom Gumbart, will give a photo show and talk on insects and other small critters found locally. Featured photos will be close-up images, especially of pollinator species on flowers. Tom spent a significant amount of time this past summer taking photos, mostly at his home in Stow, and will share his experiences with the audience. Bring a bag lunch. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion.

Free legal clinic
February 13 at 2 p.m.
Got a question about a legal issue? The Council on Aging is pleased to provide a monthly legal clinic with elder law attorney and Lincoln resident Sasha Golden on Monday, Feb. 13 from 2-4 pm. There is no charge for the 30-minute consultation, but advance registration is required. Walk-ins will be accommodated if space is available. Register in advance by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Free wellness clinic for all ages
February 14 at 10 a.m.
Meet with a nurse at Lincoln Woods on Tuesday, Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. to noon. Get blood pressure checks, nutrition and fitness information, medication management, chronic disease management, resources, and more. Funded by the Ogden Codman Trust and provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care.

Science club: breeding and raising miniature sheep in Lincoln
February 16 at 10 a.m.
In 2008, Ray Tomlinson and Karen Seo began working on establishing Ouessant sheep in the United States, beginning in Oregon, later moving to Lincoln in 2010. This breed is the smallest in the world—25 to 45 lbs. and 16 to 20 inches at the shoulder—about one-quarter the size of an average sheep. Unfortunately, they exist only in Europe, from where it is illegal to import any kind of ruminant (cow, goat, sheep, etc.) into the U.S. So this has meant importing semen and upbreeding from a breed already present in the U.S., using artificial insemination to slowly, generation by generation, build a flock of increasingly purebred Ouessant sheep. Each succeeding generation of females is inseminated laparascopically with 100% Ouessant semen. So the filial generations are half Ouessant, then 3/4, then 7/8, and so on. Join Karen as she talks about her sheep, the statistics and process of upbreeding in a suburban environment, caring for and selling the sheep, and more on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 10 a.m.

Coffee with a cop
February 16 at 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Thursday, Feb. 16 from 1 to 2:30 pm to meet privately with a Lincoln police officer. Do you have a security concern regarding yourself, a family member, or neighbor? An idea for the Police should try? Would you like guidance about a situation? Come on down! No need to make an appointment; an officer will be at Bemis each third Thursday of the month.

Rapture of the senses retreat
February 17 at 11 a.m.
Nourish your body, soul, and heart through this special workshop celebrating loving ourselves. It will be held on Friday, Feb. 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Create bath bombs using dried flowers and essential oils, learn how to make a luxurious face cream; let your mind and nerves be soothed with love songs and poems; write a love poem to yourself: tantalize your taste buds with delicious, healthy treats to fall in love with! Please call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up as space is limited.

Senior dining
February 21 at 11:30 a.m.
Lincolnites 60 and older are invited to enjoy a delicious gourmet meal with new friends and old at 11:30 on Tuesday Feb. 21 at St. Anne’s Church. Please reserve by calling the COA at 781-259-8811 at least a week ahead even if you have previously attended. The cost of each meal is $5. Caregivers are welcome to come with those for whom they are caring. Let the COA know if you need transportation or a seating partner. The lunch is co-sponsored by the COA, the Friends of the COA, Minuteman Senior Services, Newbury Court, St. Anne’s, and the Lincoln Garden Club. A special dessert will be provided by the staff and children of the Magic Garden Children’s Center.

Fireside chat: civic engagement
February 22 at 10 a.m.
What does it mean to you to be a “good citizen,” whether of the town, the nation or the world? What can and should we do as responsible citizens? How can we engage with others in listening and talking about public life? What are some ways we can still be a good citizen when we are limited in our participation, either by physical or other disabilities, a lack of finances or other circumstances? Come join others in a lively but respectful discussion of this topic facilitated by Sharon Antia using questions and answers on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall. The purpose of the Fireside Chats is not to convince others of your opinion, but rather to share information and ideas so as to create dialogue and greater understanding.

Coloring as a meditation tool
February 24 at 9:30 a.m.
All over the country adults are finding that coloring designs like mandalas, peaceful scenes, and more is a way to center, to express creativity, and to aid in meditation. Plus, it’s easy and does not require supplies other than books of designs and some colored pencils or crayons. Come find out more about adult coloring and meditation and give it a try when Tracey Cornogg comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, Feb. 24 at 9:30 a.m. Please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811 so Tracey knows how many sets of materials to bring.

Mini-massage
February 24 at 11 a.m.
Jai Kaur (Annamaria San Antonio) will be offering seated mini back and neck massages as a gift or by donation February 24 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Massage reduces anxiety and stress, stiffness, fatigue and depression. Jai Kaur is a licensed and certified massage and bodywork therapist offering an integrative approach, yoga teacher and stress management instructor. Call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up for a 15-minute appointment.

Lincoln Academy with Ron McAdow and Betsy Stokey—A visit to Cuba with Mass Audubon
February 27 at 12:30 p.m.
A highlight of 2016 for Lincoln residents Ron McAdow and Betsy Stokey was their participation in a MassAudubon birding trip to Cuba. Ron and Betsy will show their pictures and describe their impressions of the island nation that has been so close and yet so far for most of our lives. The photos include birds—but plenty of other subjects were also photographed, making this a presentation of general interest rather than just for the “avi-centric.” Bring a bag lunch. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion.

Free income tax preparation help
Volunteers certified under the AARP TaxAide program will prepare your federal and Massachusetts personal income tax returns or answer your tax questions. This free service can answer most of the tax issues faced by low- and middle-income taxpayers, with special attention to those over age 60. Appointments begin in February. Call the COA office at 781-259-8811 to schedule a confidential appointment and get a list of documents to bring.

Lincoln musician hopes to benefit causes with house concerts

Trevor Berens.

Millions of Americans concerned by the election of President Donald Trump marched on January 20, but for many, the question remains of what to do next. Lincoln musician Trevor Berens has a novel idea: offering house concerts for charity.

Berens, a pianist and composer specializing in contemporary/avant-garde classical music, will come to the home of anyone with a well-tuned piano and enough space for at least 15 guests. Rather than pay him a fee, the host would make a donation to a charity that focuses on the environment and climate change, minorities and/or women. The host could collect donations from guests or simply make a single larger donation himself or herself.

Though he’d had the idea for charity house concerts before the election, recent events brought it more into focus. “Like many people, I’ve been trying to figure out things I can actively do to help our situation, and one of the things I felt would be useful for me and probably others was to offer a space in which I could give music,” Berens said.

Berens is particularly interested in helping the National Resources Defense Council, Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union, but is open to playing for the benefit of other nonprofit organizations that have similar agendas. The dollar amount to be raised at house concerts is flexible, but he hopes that each concert would reap at least $300.

Berens and his wife, singer and voice teacher Jessica Tunick, moved from their native Los Angeles to the Boston area so he could earn a graduate degree in music therapy from Lesley University (they’ve lived in Lincoln for seven years). He’s now a music therapist and private piano teacher who usually teaches in students’ homes. Both are also active performers; they are members of the Sonic Liberation Players, which is giving its next concert on February 3 at 8 p.m. at the Third Life Studio in Somerville. Musicians from that group may be available to play with Berens at house concerts if the host wants.

Though classically trained, Berens’s repertoire consists of recent music. Some of his favorite modern composers are John Cage, Frederic Rzewski, Morton Feldman and Giacinto Scelsi. “I think modern music engenders more conversation and has the ability to better reflect current times. The classics were written in a time when things were different. It’s important to look at the artists of now and the recent past to better understand where we are,” he said. “I hope the way I present this kind of music isn’t like dropping a foreigner in a new country and leaving them there—I’m hopefully taking them by the hand and leading them there.”

Those interested can see more on Berens’s website or listen to samples of his compositions and other performance pieces on SoundCloud. He and Tunick also have a separate website for their teaching.

News acorns

Winter Carnival skating replaced with new event

Due to mushy and unsafe ice conditions, the community ice skating that was to be held on Saturday, Jan. 28 on the cemetery pond from noon-3 p.m. has been cancelled. Instead, there will be ab all-ages game of Capture the Flag in Pierce Park from 12:30-2:30 p.m. that day. Rules will be explained when players arrive. There will be two teams; those with last names beginning with the letters A-K will be on the blue team and should wear blue clothing. Those with last names beginning with L-Z will be on the red team and should wear red clothing. There will be extra uniforms for those in need. No sign up—just show up.

Teacher’s book sale on Feb. 8

There will be a Teacher’s Valentine’s Day Book Sale on Wednesday, Feb. 8 from 4-7 p.m. in the Bemis Hall basement, offering gently used books including children’s series, chapter books, early readers, nonfiction, professional books and more. Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Lincoln Library.

 

Lincoln on the march

For the Women’s March on January 21, the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee organized a bus to Boston Common for 50 participants under the group title of “Lincoln Marchers,” while many other residents made the trek to the nation’s capital. Marches in Washington and other U. S cities drew at least 1 million people in total, and thousands more participated in similar events around the world.

“The Washington Women’s March for America was amazing from start to finish,” said Barbara Slayter, one of the Lincoln DTC riders. “The crowd included people of all ages and races—men as well as women, Muslims, and even, I observed, a gentleman wearing a Sikh turban. There were children in strollers and baby carriages as well as on foot, and there were disabled or elderly people in wheelchairs. The mood was upbeat and even jubilant.

“These exuberant good spirits were accompanied by a huge array of largely homemade signs ranging from humorous to mocking to lighthearted, angry, compelling or uplifting [see the end of this gallery]. As we marched—very slowly—we frequently sang or chanted or contributed to great shouts rolling like waves through the crowd. Chants included ‘We want a leader, not a creepy tweeter,’ ‘Education, not deportation,’ ‘Women’s rights are human rights,’ and ‘Hands too small! Can’t build the wall!’

“Sometimes we sang songs such as This Land is Your Land or old union songs. One group knew songs from the musical Hamilton and entertained us for a bit along the way, as did several different drummers. And one cluster of some 30 or 40 marchers even sang a rousing Happy Birthday—to me—tipped off by my daughter, much to my surprise.”

The crowd were so large that Slayter’s group never got close enough to the podium  hear the speakers address the crowd, or even to the official march route. Instead, they made their way alongside the mall down Madison Avenue along with throngs of other marchers. “From 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. we were ‘on the move’ and it proved to be a thrilling day. Now we are trying to reflect on how we can build on the momentum the march has given us,” she said.

Here are pictures and words from other Lincoln marchers.

Janet Boynton, Larry Buell, Dilla Tingley, Marie Roberts, Lucretia Giese, Kim Buell, Elizabeth Cherniack, Julie Hibben and Al Schmertzler on Boston Common.

Rosamond DeLori marches in Boston.

Dilla Tingley and her friend Marie Roberts of Lexington. “The march restored my sense of humor and some hopefulness—there was lot of camaraderie and solidarity. We will need it,” Tingley said.

Jessica Tunick and her husband Trevor Berens went to the Washington event. “The feeling of the march was one of diversity, solidarity, love and determination,” Berens said.

Three generations march in Boston: Lincoln residents Natalie McNerney (front right) and her daughter Mary McNerney (front center) with her son Tim McNerney (back left) and 14-year-old granddaughter Sofia McNerney of Shutesbury.

Gwyn Loud and Rosamond DeLori on Boston Common.

Carolyn Montie and her daughter Eve in Boston.

Barbara Slayter (left) just happened to bump into Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall at the march in Washington. “Can you imagine a chance encounter of two Lincolnites in a sea of 500,000+ people and an extraordinary number of pink hats? It was an astonishing moment!” she said.

Jennifer Morris (right), her niece Norah Deluhery (left) and her sister Andrea Morris. Jannie and Andrea stayed in Washington with Norah, who was an Obama administration appointee in the Department of Agriculture for eight years.

Virginia Rundell (right) and her daughter Elisabeth, a senior at Drexel University. “As a mom, you never know if the values you try to instill in your children will stick—but this demonstration, and the conversations it prompted, proved to me that she’s been listening with her heart all along!”

Al Schmertzler, Julie Hibben and Lucretia Giese in Boston. “The crowds and their enthusiasm were tremendous. The trick will be to use that enthusiasm to effect change in the House and Senate,” Schmertzler said. “The attendees must make their goals painfully clear so that particularly Republicans know that if they do not change their positions, they will be voted out of office immediately just as the Democrats were in this recent election. 2018 will be the first test.”

Current and former Lincoln residents Houwa Ibrahim, Suzanne Karl, Rayna Caplan, Susan Taylor and Paula Waterman. “We packed into the Red Line car at Alewife—so tightly packed I couldn’t turn around,” Taylor said. “In the middle of the car, held up only by the press of other passengers, was a young mother with purple dyed braids and a still-toothless baby in a front pack dressed as SuperGirl. The ride was slow and the car began to get hot and stuffy. SuperGirl began to cry. Two young women who were squeezed up against the mother began to sing to SuperGirl: ‘Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…’ Concentric ripples of passengers began to join in the song until, when everyone reached the verse ‘I simply remember my favorite things,’ the entire car of at least 100 people shouted out ‘And then I don’t feel so bad!’ little SuperGirl had stopped crying, and everyone in the car was laughing. Solidarity, sisterhood, femininity at its best, and joy of common purpose.”

Sharon Antia and her granddaughter Armani Sims on the bus in Boston. Antia borrowed Armani’s pink Hello Kitty hat for her pussy hat.

The Washington march was “an amazing experience,” said Nancy Bergen. “There was a wonderful sense of unity and support for the democratic values that most of us want in our country. It was just incredible to look out at a sea of united people, many holding signs expressing why they were there. I wish there had been a place to put all the signs as they were so beautiful and creative. I experienced a great feeling of community, kindness and camaraderie among everyone there. Being at the march gave me hope that change can happen even in times like these, and that speaking up matters.”

Susan Pease brought a pair of signs to Boston.

Former Lincoln resident Isabel Peterson.

Various signs photographed by Barbara Slayter.

News acorns

LSSC hosts Lincoln presentation on High Tech High

L-S faculty and staff who traveled out to High Tech High in California to delve a bit more deeply into maker spaces, innovation hubs and social entrepreneurship (areas being explored for future classes and extracurricular at L-S) will give a presentation at the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee’s meeting in the Hartwell multipurpose room on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m.

PTO talk on anxiety in kids

The PTO welcomes Jessica Minahan for an evening presentation on “Reducing Anxiety in Kids” on Monday, Feb. 6 from 7- 9 p.m. in the Brooks auditorium. Minahan—a behavior analyst, author, special educator, and consultant to schools—will discuss the importance of understanding the role anxiety plays in children’s behavior and how to use preventive strategies and interventions to help reduce anxiety and increase self-regulation and self-monitoring.

Film, talk on Zionism hosted by GRALTA

The GRALTA Foundation (Grass Roots Awareness, Learning, Travel and Action) will screen the Academy Award-Nominated documentary Promises on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall. The film, which is included in the Lincoln Public Schools’ seventh-grade curriculum, introduces seven Palestinian and Israeli children living only 20 minutes apart in a Palestinian refugee camp, a West Bank Israeli settlement, and East and West Jerusalem neighborhoods. On Sunday, Feb. 5 at 1:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library, GRALTA hosts Mitchell Silver, professor of philosophy at UMass Boston, who will give a talk on “The Origins of Zionism: A History of Modern Jewish Nationalist Thought.”

Speakers sought for Lincoln Academy, sci/tech club

The Lincoln Council on Aging is looking for speakers of all ages for two of its lecture series, the Lincoln Academy and the COA Science and Technology Club.

The Lincoln Academy is a weekly lecture series held each Monday from 12:30-1:30 p.m. from September through June. Speakers generally are Lincoln residents or have a Lincoln connection of some kind. Topics range from history to travelogues to the arts and humanities to interesting projects making the world a better place to science and beyond. Speakers may talk about professional work they are doing, a fascinating trip they took, a historical, arts, or humanities subject they have studied, a moment in history they participated in, and more. The COA is happy to provide technical assistance in preparing the presentation and is particularly looking for speakers for the fall of 2017.

The COA Science and Technology Club offers presentations on a wide variety of science and technology topics in a new series on the third Thursday of each month at 10:15 a.m. Previous and scheduled subjects have included Internet security, ethics and climate change, the evolution of science, and breeding miniature sheep. Again, speakers may present on current work they are doing or a science/technology topic they have studied and would like to share. The COA, which is looking for speakers for both the spring and fall of 2017, can’t provide an honorarium for either series, but we do have enthusiastic and engaged audiences.

People of all ages are welcome to not only be presenters but also to attend presentations in either series. Information on speakers and topics for any given month is generally available on page 3 of “News from Bemis Hall” newsletter and is listed in the Lincoln Journal and the Lincoln Squirrel. If you’re interested in speaking, please call Carolyn of the COA at 781-259-8811 or bottumc@lincolntown.org.

Upcoming library events

  • Family movie: The Secret Life of Pets—Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m.
  • The Lincoln Library Film Society presents The Conformist directed by Bernard Bertolucci on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m. A weak-willed Italian man becomes a fascist flunky who goes abroad to arrange the assassination of his old teacher, now a political dissident. Rated R; in Italian with English subtitles. Movie style refreshments will be served.
  • Friends of the Lincoln Library book sale—Saturday, Feb. 11 from 9 a.m. to noon in the Bemis Hall basement.
  • Valentine’s Day Dance Party for ages 6 and under—Saturday, Feb. 11 from 11 a.m. to noon. Come shake it with your kids!  We’ll have a sweet time dancing to children’s songs, oldies and some pop favorites. Drop in.

February vacation classes at Minuteman

Minuteman High School offers February vacation courses on Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 21-24 for kids in grades 1-9. Morning sessions are from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and afternoon sessions run from noon-3 p.m; you may register for one or both sessions. Programs include a mix of old favorites and new offerings: Alien Planet, Artrageous Art, Aspiring Chefs, Beginner Baking, Creative Writing, Digital Photography, Engineering and Electricity, Games Galore, Graphic Design, Kids’ Cool Chemistry, and Minuteman Sports. Register online, by phone at 781-861-7150, by fax at 781-861-7250, or in person.

Last call for Women’s March anecdotes and photos

On Tuesday evening, The Lincoln Squirrel will compile and publish a collection of photos and words from Lincolnites who attended a Women’s March in Washington,D.C., Boston or any other location. If you haven’t already done so, send your words and pictures to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24. Thanks!

Alice Waugh
Editor, The Lincoln Squirrel
www.lincolnsquirrel.com
617-710-5542 (m)  ~  781-259-0526 (h)
lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com

You otter be in pictures (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Fred Winchell spotted this otter slide on Farrar Pond a couple of weeks ago while out walking with his dog Fennec after a period when the icy was slushy. “They are very playful animals and will slide on their bellies over snow and ice,” says Conservation Director Tom Gumbart. “They can be fairly large, so when sliding, they leave a long swath of snow that’s pushed to the sides. Otters also can move a fair distance in the air when they leap, so that probably accounts for the lack of tracks at the bottom of the picture.” Photo by Fred Winchell

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.

 

Two commercial properties moving toward next chapter

By Alice Waugh

Two prominent commercial properties in South Lincoln will see some changes—and perhaps new tenants—in the coming months.

152 Lincoln Rd., formerly occupied by the Cambridge Trust Co. until the branch closed its doors last year, was purchased in November by Cambridge West Partners for $1,015,000. Meanwhile, the new owners of the mansard-roofed building at 2 Lewis St. are continuing renovations they began after they bought it from Sejfi Protopapa in November 2015 for $850,000.

152 Lincoln Rd.

The new owner at 152 Lincoln Rd. has hired KeyPoint Partners to find a replacement occupant for the 3,375-square-foot space in a building that is also home to Barrett Sotheby’s International Realty and other tenants. Decades ago, the Community Store, Lincoln’s grocery store before the mall across the street was built, occupied the entire building, which was faced with pink stucco.

Although the Cambridge Trust Co. is obviously set up as a bank, many kinds of businesses would work there, said KeyPoint’s Michael Branton. “Because it’s a fully built-out bank branch with teller stations and a drive-up window, a financial services tenant could move in easily. However, the property is suitable for a variety of uses, from retail to professional services to office,” he said.

The distinctive Lewis Street property, also known as the Wyman Cook House dating from 1870, currently has four commercial tenants, though one of them—a field office of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT)—will leave in the spring now that its work overseeing the Route 2 project is almost complete. The other three businesses (the Lincoln Barber Shop, Lincoln Town Cleaners and the Travel Station) are tenants at will, and “everyone can stay as long as they’d like to,” said Christina Van Vleck, who co-owns the building with her husband David Nydam Jr.

Back in South Lincoln’s commercial heyday, the building was home to a post office and general store. More recent tenants have included a ski and bike shop, a cafe, and educational software company Lexia Learning Systems.

2 Lewis St.

The top two floors have been vacant for years, and the Van Vlecks are renovating it with the goal of moving their family into the 2,800-square-foot space. They’re also planning some work on the exterior, including exterior paintwork to change the familiar mint green. “We will definitely paint it a new color, which will be a welcome change for everyone,” Van Vleck said with a laugh. Depending on budget, future plans may include replacing the vestibule that was “pasted in the front of the building” with a more traditional front porch, and replacing the aluminum siding with wood or fiber cement siding.

Once the Van Vlecks and their three-year-old move in, “we hope to participate more actively by being landlords and helping foster businesses,” said Van Vleck, a graphic designer who works out of her home.

The Van Vlecks are talking to potential tenants for the 1,900-square-foot space currently occupied by MassDOT and hope to have one in place by early summer. “We very much hope that the building provides space for business owners living in Lincoln or neighboring communities to work close to home and, ideally, provides a service that meets a need within the local community,” Van Vleck said.

Early voting will probably cost the town starting in 2018

Lincoln had a very successful early voting turnout in 2016—so successful that there will have to be some voting adjustments and probably expenditures made before the next biennial election in 2018.

At almost 41 percent, Lincoln had the fifth-highest early voting turnout in Massachusetts in 2016, the first year in which early voting became available here. Municipalities are required to offer early voting during elections in even-numbered years for at least two weeks before Election Day. The measure is intended to maximize overall voter turnout and minimize crowd at polling places on the day, but Lincoln experienced some unintended consequences in November, as Town Clerk Susan Brooks explained to the Board of Selectmen on January 9.

Early voting was conducted in a conference room in the Town Office Building that proved barely adequate to the task. Handicapped regulations require a clearance of at least 36 inches from the AutoMARK handicapped-accessible voting machine, “and we had an inch to spare,” Brooks said.

Then, on the last day of early voting, monitors from the General Accounting Office appeared, “and we had to squeeze sideways down the hall” to get past a line of voters—right around the time a busload of senior citizens from The Commons arrived to vote. “There was a lot of traffic,” Brooks said.

Ideally, the location for early voting would be a lockable room large enough to accommodate the voting equipment so it doesn’t have to be wheeled back into secure storage at the end of each day, and it should also be centrally located and handicapped-accessible. The obvious choice, Brooks said, is the Donaldson Room. Since town government meetings are often held there at night, those meetings would probably have to take place in the Hartwell multipurpose room during the early-voting period, she said.

Another problem that arose during the November election was the strain on the staff of the Town Clerk’s office, Brooks said. Early voting “really makes your election a 16- or 17-day event, and whether we can continue to do it with an all-volunteer workforce [at the polls on Election Day] is a hard choice we need to be looking at… There’s a lot of enthusiasm for being election workers, but there’s a difference between volunteers and people who are paid to understand and administer election law.”

On Election Day, volunteers check voters in and out while the Town Clerk’s staff is on hand to deal with more complicated issues such as researching inactive voters, providing provisional ballots and having affidavits signed. “We were averaging one voter interaction every three minutes for all 100 hours that office was open,” with the result that the office’s other work got backed up, Brooks said. 

Lincoln is unusual in having election workers who are unpaid, so beginning with the 2018 election, the town will probably have to hire trained poll for the early voting period “who can be held accountable more intensively than our volunteer staff,” Brooks said. How much this will cost is anyone’s guess at this point, but she said her office will begin researching the issue.

State funding almost certainly will not available to offset some of this expense. The legislation was “artfully crafted” to avoid having the extra costs of early voting appear in the town’s expenses, since the Town Clerk’s staff is salaried and thus not eligible for overtime pay, Brooks said.

A third issue with early voting is electioneering policy. Current law prohibits displaying political signs or “attempts at political persuasion” within 150 feet of a polling place, but the Town Office Building is not considered a polling place. Also, the building is tricker to police than the Smith gym because it is a multi-floor building with two entrances as well as stairwells, conference rooms and other locations.

Selectmen disagreed about electioneering rules for the Town Office Building. Brooks proposed a policy that would prohibit electioneering within 16 feet of the outside entrances as well as in various foyers and hallways but that did not explicitly cover the entire interior of the building. Selectman Peter Braun proposed simplifying the language to prohibit electioneering anywhere inside the building as well as within 16 feet of the entrances.

But Selectman Renel Fredriksen objected to the amendment. “My concern is it could limit a couple of employees on the second floor from having a [political] conversation,” she said. “I basically object to doing more than we need to.”

The amended policy passed by a 2-1 vote, with Fredriksen voting against it.