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

State says no to Lincoln school funding for the third time

The state agency overseeing school project funding informed Lincoln today that the town would not be invited into the funding pipeline for a school project in 2017. This third rejection means residents must once again decide whether to wait and reapply next year, or proceed with an entirely town-funded school project.

Lincoln submitted was among the 89 school districts that submitted statements of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) this year, according to a letter from School Committee chair Jennifer Glass and Selectman Peter Braun. It was unclear how many of those proposals made the first cut. In 2015, there were 97 applications to the MSBA’s core program (the segment dealing with substantial renovation or reconstruction of schools); 26 were chosen for further consideration and eight were invited into the funding pipeline.

“From previous conversations with the MSBA, we know that there is a very high bar in evaluating applications, and that structural deficiencies, overcrowding and threatened loss of accreditation hold significant weight in the process. Lincoln does not qualify based on the second and third criteria, and interpreted literally, the structure of the building is not in danger of failure,” Glass and Braun said. “However, in the next couple of weeks, we will be in communication with the MSBA to try to learn whether the Lincoln School’s significant infrastructure and systems deficiencies might qualify us for invitation by the MSBA in the near future.”

Four years earlier, the MSBA offered to pay $21 million toward a new school costing $49 million if residents agreed by a two-thirds majority to fund their share. But the margin at a Special Town Meeting in November 2012 was 370-321 votes (54 percent to 45 percent), so the funding offer was withdrawn and the town had to begin the process all over again. The MSBA also declined to offer funding in 2013 and 2015. At Town Meeting in March 2016, residents overwhelmingly approved the latest application to the MSBA.

In 2014, consultants Dore and Whittier determined that the school needed immediate work costing $8.4 million including a new roof for the entire building, a new exterior wall for the Reed Gym, and a new boiler room and pumping equipment for the Smith building. However, even if residents approved funding for that work, the town would have to spend several million dollars more, because by state law, when school renovation costs exceed a certain percentage of the building’s assessed value, the building must also be brought up to current code for handicapped accessibility. For the Lincoln School, the trigger point in 2014 was about $6.5 million.

Meeting only the immediate and near-term facilities needs of the school with no educational improvements or cafeteria would cost more than $27 million, the consultants said, while a comprehensive project meeting all facilities and educational needs would cost almost $60 million.

The School Committee, Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee and Capital Planning Committee will hold a multi-board meeting on January 30 at 7 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room to discuss any additional information received from the MSBA and to chart a path forward. “This will be the first of several public outreach sessions before any potential school building-related warrants are voted on at Town Meeting, and we hope that all members of the community will lend their voices to the process,” Glass and Braun said.

 

Town mulling options for Complete Streets funding

New street markings and signs, safety improvements for bicyclists and even underground pedestrian tunnels were some of the ideas discussed at a public forum earlier this month.

The forum summarized  input from an earlier forum in October, an online survey, and comments about roadways and traffic at the State of the Town meeting last month. Town officials are gathering this information in preparation for applying for a grant of up to $400,000 under the state’s Complete Streets program, which targets local improvements to benefit drivers, bicyclists, public transit users and and pedestrians. These grants can help fund eligible projects after a municipality has developed a Complete Streets policy and a prioritization plan of desired improvements. Lincoln already received an initial $50,000 grant earlier this year to pay for the consulting work presented on December 7.

The town could apply for specific project funding after the new year, but the deadline for actually completing any 2017 projects is the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2017. Thus, any initial projects must already be “shovel-ready” and must not require any town funding above the $400,000 maximum grant, because the capital planning process is too far along. However, in future years, the town may seek grants for projects that would require funds (including design work) in excess of $400,000, with the balance paid by the town.

“In that first round, we’re not going to get to the issues that people are frankly excited about,” said Town Administrator Tim Higgins.

“Low-hanging fruit” that might be targeted for early 2017 includes roadside path improvements and links, signs, street markings and resurfacing, and crosswalks, said Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney.

The town could supplement future grants with capital planning or Community Preservation Act funds, other state funding programs or bonding. However, Higgins tempered expectations by noting that “historically, roadways and path improvements have not been high on the community’s priority list for funding” and that the town is already facing major expenditures for a school project and possible a community center.

Specific suggestions

Based on public input thus far, residents want to see improvements at various problematic intersections:

  • Lincoln Road and Codman Road
  • Route 2 and Bedford Road
  • Old Winter and Winter Streets
  • Lincoln Road and Route 117
  • Routes 126 and 117
  • Five Corners

Possible safety measures include better signal timing/phasing, flashing lights, stop signs, enhanced pavement markings, new guardrails, improved sight lines, relocated utility poles and/or speed humps.

Crosswalks were also suggested for Lexington and Trapelo Roads, Page and Trapelo Roads, Baker Bridge and Concord Roads, and Codman and Lincoln Roads. Other ideas that surfaced included a safer Bedford Road crossing at Route 2 involving a bridge or tunnel, and seeing if the public could use an existing tunnel under Route 117 owned by Mass Audubon.

Other types of projects suggested for Lincoln that are eligible for Complete Streets grants include:

  • Lincoln Station improvements such as signage, seating and/or a shelter for the commuter train stop, and paving the residents’ commuter parking lot.
  • Connecting some conservation trails, improving signage and allowing more types of usage
  • Improvements for bicyclists such as bike lanes and shared-use paths, shoulder maintenance (fixing debris and cracks), widening shoulders to a consistent 18 inches, and widening roads back to the original pavement where dirt and weeds have crept in

Burney and other officials will present a list of recommended projects and a draft Complete Streets policy to the Board of Selectmen in January.

More information:

 

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Christmas services

First Parish in Lincoln — The First Parish in Lincoln will hold Christmas Eve services on Saturday, Dec. 24 at 5 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the Parish House auditorium (14 Bedford Road). The service at 5 p.m. will be an Intergenerational Family Service led by Mandy Beal, and the services at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. will be led by Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti. All services will celebrate Christmas with story, reflection and caroling. All are welcome; come celebrate with your Lincoln neighbors. Out-of-town family members, guests and visitors are cordially invited to attend.

St. Anne’s — On Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24, St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Church will offer three worship services: Family Holy Eucharist with Pageant at 3 p.m., and Holy Eucharist with Choir at 5:30 and 10 p.m. On Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, St. Anne’s will celebrate a service of Holy Eucharist at 9 a.m.

Lisa Bastoni at next open mike event

Lisa Bastoni

The next open mike night at the Lincoln Public Library on Monday, Jan. 9 will feature Lisa Bastoni, a singer/songwriter with three CDs under her belt, including her latest, The Wishing Hour. Follow her on Twitter: @lisabastoni. Lincoln Open Mike Night (LOMA) runs from 7-10 p.m. and Bastoni will performa  half-hour set starting around 8:30. LOMA is a monthly event. Performers can sign up at the event or email Rich Eilbert at loma3re@gmail.com for a slot. There is a sound system with mikes and instrumental pickups suitable for individuals or small groups.

 

Fredriksen and husband moving to Cambridge

As Renel Fredriksen contemplates her impending departure from both the Board of Selectmen and the town of Lincoln, she is hopeful that the school project she once opposed will go forward, along with a community center.

Fredriksen, 68, is leaving the board in March after completing two years of her second three-year term as she and her husband (retired software engineer John Robinson, who is resigning from his post on the Board of Assessors) prepare to move to a condo they own in near Harvard Square in Cambridge. She retired from her job as controller of CarGurus in October.

“We decided the time has come; we decided we want to retire and not need to drive whenever we want to go anywhere,” she said, adding that they had been thinking about the idea of moving for “at least 10 years.” They have lived in Lincoln since 1986.

Fredriksen’s early departure coincides with the end of Selectman Peter Braun’s tenure on the board, leaving Selectman James Craig—who was elected in March 2016—as the board’s senior member. Meanwhile, Parks and Recreation chair Jonathan Dwyer has declared his candidacy for Braun’s seat, and Allen Vander Meulen and Jennifer Glass (chair of the School Committee chair) have announced their candidacy to fill the last year of Fredriksen’s term.

Asked if her early departure would pose difficulties for the town, she said, “No, I don’t think so. [Town Administrator] Tim Higgins runs everything on a daily basis.” While she acknowledged there is a “ramp-up period” for new selectmen, she expressed confidence on Dwyer. “He knows the ropes… I think we’re going to be fine. Jim [Craig] came with a strong background also; it certainly didn’t take him long to get up to speed.”

“The school project is definitely going to be the big thing town is dealing with for the new few years,” Fredriksen observed. When the Board of Selectmen voted in 2012 on whether to recommend approval of a school project, she cast the only “no” vote based on what she saw as insufficient information given out about the project.

“At the time, I think by not reaching out to the town as much as they could have, the town in general was not prepared for how much it would cost,” she said. Since then, however, “the School Committee and the various building committees have done a terrific job of reaching out to the town and getting information out and seeking information from townspeople.”

The other problem with the project was the partial elimination of the center ballfield. “This was not my reason, but if they had gone ahead with that, there would have been a lot of unhappiness. That ended up being a very big deal for a lot of people, and it would have been a sore spot for many years,” Fredriksen said.

The proposed community center is also “near and dear to my heart,” she said. “I hope they can work some out so the school gets that they need and the community gets what it needs.”

During an interview on December 15 when she announced her departure, Fredriksen said she planned to reach out to possible candidates to replace her. Just three days later, however, Glass and Vander Meulen announced they were running for her seat.

Fredriksen said she “absolutely” would not endorse any of the three candidates. “There may be more people who throw their hats into the ring,” she said. “If I were to [endorse], I would wait until the deadline had passed” for candidates to file paperwork with the town. Asked if any of the candidates were among those she had encouraged to run, she said, “No comment.”

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Lincoln shares in $50,000 grant

Lincoln and 11 other area towns have been awarded a $50,000 state grant to help devise a regional approach to complying with stormwater drainage rules. The funding is part of $1 million in Community Compact grants recently announced for efficiency and regionalization efforts in 72 municipalities and 10 school districts. Earlier this month, Lincoln formally joined the Community Compact program, which offers technical and grant assistance for water resource management, housing and economic development, and business continuity projects.

First Day at Pierce House on Jan. 1

Lats year’s First Day gathering at the Pierce House. Photo by Harold McAleer.

Come to the historic Pierce House (17 Weston Rd.) to celebrate the new year together at the town’s 18th annual First Day gathering on Sunday, Jan. 1 from 1-5 p.m. Complimentary admission for Lincoln residents, but donations are gratefully accepted for the upkeep of this town resource. Soup-serving volunteers are also needed for one-hour shifts; please contact Richard Silver with your preferred time slot at richard@piercehouse.com or 781-259-9757.

ConsComm approves ‘land swap’ for solar installation

In this map, the blue outline represents the former Wang land proposed for conservation, the green outline would be for a new town athletic field, and the yellow outline is where the Birches School hopes to relocate. Click to enlarge.

A solar power installation atop the former town landfill moved one step closer to reality when the Conservation Commission voted last week to remove seven acres from conservation status and replace it with some of the purchased Wang property, contingent on voter approval.

After examining 25 possible sites in town, a consulting firm hired by Lincoln’s Solar PV Working Group concluded earlier this year that the best spot for a municipal solar array is the old landfill. However, there was a hitch. After it was capped years ago, the landfill site was designated as conservation land; by state law, it can’t be used for any other purpose unless the town substitutes another parcel equal in size and quality as part of its conservation inventory. Officials had hoped that part of the Hargreaves-Heald property purchased by the town earlier this year could be used for this purpose, but the state said this was not acceptable.

However, an alternative presented itself when the Rural Land Foundation and the Birches School purchased 16 acres of land off Bedford Road belonging to the late An and Lorraine Wang in November. If all goes as planned, residents will approve spending $850,000 to purchase 12 of those acres—roughly five acres for a future athletic field and seven acres to be set aside for conservation in place of the landfill piece. Those seven acres comprise three lots owned by the Wangs—one on the east side of Bedford Road abutting Route 2 to the north, and two on the west side of Oak Knoll Road.

The Conservation Commission noted that the Wang land meets the state’s conservation-substitution criteria because it offers “a significantly greater resource value” than the landfill acreage owing to its habitat, trail connections and vegetated buffer. In its unanimous vote, the commission also stipulated that it will review the solar-array construction documents prior to installation to ensure the continued protection of the landfill parcel’s resources, and that the land may be used only for a solar installation.

In a 2015 report, BlueWave Capital said a solar installation on the landfill site could produce more than 50 percent of Lincoln’s municipal electricity.

Letter to the editor: Mitchell running for School Committee

letter

To the editor:

I am writing to announce my candidacy for the open position on the Lincoln School Committee and ask for your support. My family has lived in Lincoln since 2004 and our two children are being nurtured and developed in the Lincoln schools. As they have moved through various schooling stages, my knowledge and interest in the education process has increased. I am excited to take my interests and abilities one step further as a member of the School Committee.

My years volunteering for the Lincoln School Foundation (LSF) have most directly led to my interest in running for School Committee. LSF is a nonprofit organization that promotes innovation in education by awarding grants to Lincoln Public Schools teachers that foster critical thinking, collaboration and authentic learning experiences for students. For the past three years, I have been the LSF co-chair and have had the pleasure of working with Superintendent Becky McFall and other LPS educators. I have been excited about the innovative practices that teachers have been implementing and look forward to providing the support needed to continue this progression.

While my children are currently in third and fifth grades, I have always taken an active role in their education. Starting at Lincoln Nursery School, I enjoyed parent helping in the studios. As a co-operative nursery school, I served on the Steering Committee as VP of operations for three years, during which time I helped implement new teacher and parent feedback and school evaluation processes. When they entered the Lincoln Public Schools, I served on the PTO. I have been a room parent each year for both children and have served on the Welcoming Committee. With my professional background in business consulting specializing in change management, management development, and training, I now use my organizational and facilitation skills as a Girl Scout troop leader and third-grade soccer coach.

Our children are growing up in a different world than the one we grew up in. The accessibility of technology and the overwhelming amount of information that’s readily available means that our children need a different set of skills to succeed in the future. They need to be able to synthesize information, collaborate with others, and know that their actions and decisions make an impact on the broader world. If elected, I would look forward to helping carry forward the strategic priorities of the schools and ensure that the policies, procedures and budget are in alignment to support this direction.

Lastly, I would like to thank Jennifer Glass for her dedication to the School Committee over the past nine years. She has put in countless hours of time and effort. Her knowledge of the school system and her desire for making improvements necessary to achieve the best learning environment possible are to be commended.

Thank you for this opportunity to introduce myself, and I hope that you will support me in the town election in March.

Sincerely,

Tara Mitchell
67 Sandy 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.

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Standing Rock event Monday night

The movement at Standing Rock is still in need of critical support Lincoln residents Jessica and Jason Packineau, who recently returned from trips to North Dakota, will give a presentation and fundraiser for Standing Rock on Monday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Stone Church (14 Bedford Rd.) Come to hear their stories from the front line and learn why the current situation at Standing Rock deserves as much attention as ever.

Gift cards for Codman Community Farms store

Codman Community Farms is offering prepaid gift cards starting at $25. Recipients can use the cards at the Codman store’s iPad self-checkout terminal to buy eggs, meat and other items. The balances on the cards, which do not expire, can be monitored, and they can be reloaded with more funds as desired. Click here to order a card (mailed to purchaser within 24 hours).

Library events during the holidays

Decorate gingerbread people and hear stories on Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 4 p.m. For ages 3 and up; sign up by calling 781-259-8465

  • Winter movies and muffins on Friday, Dec. 23 from 10:30–11 a.m. Winter-themed short films based on beloved children’s books. Recommended for ages 2 and up; drop in.
  • Winter crafts on Tuesday, Dec. 27 all day ( 9 a.m. to 6 p.m). Winter crafts for children of all ages.
  • Make the night sparkle—celebrate the New Year by hearing stories, decorating a paper lantern and taking part in a twinkling light parade around the library on Thursday, Dec. 29 from 4-5:30 p.m. Advance signup required; call 781-259-8465 ext. 4 or email jflanders@minlib.net.

The library will be closed from Saturday to Monday, Dec. 24-26, reopening at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 27. It will close at 5 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 31 and reopen at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017.

Winter wellness clinics starting Jan. 5

Lincoln residents of all ages are invited to meet with a nurse through a free town service. Come to get your blood pressure checked, ask questions, or learn about wellness resources. Clinics will be held at the Community Building at Lincoln Woods from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Jan. 5 and Tuesday, Feb. 14. These clinics are funded by the Ogden Codman Trust. Additional clinics will be held at Bemis Hall on Tuesday Jan. 17 and Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 9-11 a.m. These are supported by the Pierce House. Services for all clinics are provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care. For more information, please call the COA at 781-259-8811.

Letter to the editor: Vander Meulen throws hat in ring for selectman

letter

To the editor:

I am pleased to announce my candidacy for Lincoln’s Board of Selectmen to fill Renel Fredriksen’s seat, and respectfully ask for your support.

My wife Stephanie Smart and I have been residents of Lincoln since our marriage in 2008. Stephanie is a chiropractor and runs her practice out of our home. Our son AJ was born in 2009 and is now in first grade at a nearby private school.

I was appointed to Lincoln’s Housing Commission (HC) in 2014 and am now co-chair. The HC is responsible for setting policy and direction with respect to affordable housing here in Lincoln, as well as managing the affordable housing units owned by the town. I am also the HC’s liaison to Lincoln’s Housing Trust, which helps fund the further development of affordable housing.

I am the minister for a small community church, although I will be resigning in early 2017. Previously I was a student minister in Sudbury and a volunteer chaplain at a homeless shelter in Waltham. As a minister, I lead worship services and also engage in pastoral care; help generate consensus on numerous issues; interface with the town, state and other churches; help plan for the future; and support numerous community outreaches. My passion is reaching out to those who have no voice, challenging injustice in its many forms, and working to help everyone have a “seat at the table” when faced with challenges or issues that affect their lives. It is important to me that everyone’s voice is heard, respected and consequential.

For 25 years I was an information technology leader, supporting organizations in health care,  telecommunications and the federal government as well as nonprofits including the Red Cross, Greenpeace and several Christian charities. I also owned a small IT services company for several years, so I understand all too well the challenges of running a small business.

My B.A. in history shows my respect for and interest in the past. I believe it is important to preserve and support the traditions and historical legacies that have been handed down to us. As I see it, history grounds our sense of who we are (and aren’t), and provides valuable lessons and guidance for our future. I also write for several blogs and am on the Board of Alumni for Andover Newton Theological School, where I received my MDiv in 2013.

If elected to the Board of Selectmen, I will actively work to recruit new people into our town’s various commissions, committees and boards, especially from groups or with interests that, in the past, have not been as well represented as we would wish. I will work with my fellow selectmen and the town administration to ensure that the people of Lincoln have better access to—and knowledge of—what is going on within the town government. I will also work to build or strengthen our working relationships with neighboring towns, and with representatives of our state and federal governments.

A particular focus of mine will be the new South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee (SLPIC), intended to help make the Lincoln Station area (and Lincoln in general) a more inviting place for residents and visitors. I will be a firm supporter of the redevelopment of our K-8 school campus, the development of a new community center, and improving bike and pedestrian accessibility and safety throughout our community.

I hope this letter gives you some insight into who I am and the ways I hope to serve our town as we move into the future.

Sincerely,

Allen Vander Meulen
30 Beaver Pond Rd.
PastorAllenV@gmail.com

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: Glass running for Fredriksen’s seat

letter

To the editor:

Lincoln has a long tradition of civic engagement and independent thinking. Since its beginnings, the town has engaged in constructive and vigorous debate over issues such as education, conservation, roadways and public safety, always honoring its past while thoughtfully planning its future. We are currently on the cusp of decisions that will shape our community for decades to come—decisions that begin with the question “What is our vision of Lincoln?” To create a collective answer, we will need to navigate many choices, requiring each of us to listen, ask challenging questions, and build consensus as we make decisions about capital projects, community development, conservation and the well-being of our citizens.

It is in this context that I am excited to announce my candidacy for the one-year Board of Selectmen term that will be created by Renel Fredriksen’s resignation in March. I thank Renel for her many years of service to the town, and I respectfully ask for your support as I seek to continue my service to the Lincoln community in a new capacity.

Since we moved to Lincoln a decade ago, my husband Andrew and I have immersed ourselves in the life of the town. During my nine years on the Lincoln School Committee, I have found serving in town government deeply engaging and rewarding because of the thoughtful and creative people with whom I have worked. I am grateful for what each committee member, administrator, faculty, staff and community member has taught me. Whether discussing educational policy or strategic planning, budgets or building projects, support for our faculty or how best to measure the efficacy of our work as a district, I have strived to follow their examples and to listen carefully, work openly and collaboratively, and act thoughtfully. Together we have focused on enhancing student outcomes and engagement, and on promoting a culture of educational innovation and risk-taking. I am proud to have played a role in fostering the changes happening in the Lincoln Public Schools.

And so, with positive momentum in the schools, and after three terms on the committee, I look forward to serving Lincoln as a selectman. If elected, I hope to bring the same positive momentum and focus on engagement, innovation and outcomes to issues facing the town.

Two capital projects have the potential to command much of Lincoln’s attention, energy and financial investment over the next several years: a Lincoln School renovation project, and a community center to house Parks & Recreation and the Council on Aging (COA). These institutions not only form the vital core of civic life but serve, together with public safety, as our community’s support network. While on the School Safety and Security Committee, I worked with our police and fire departments, and I have been deeply involved in the numerous conversations and committees guiding plans for a Lincoln School renovation project. The latter continues to require collaboration with many town boards and committees, parent groups, the COA, and individual citizens.

In addition, I have been part of the team reaching out to Hanscom Air Force Base leadership, state legislators, and our congressional delegation to talk about issues affecting our schools, our families and our town. Through my work on the School Committee and particularly in my seven years as chair, I have gained a great appreciation for the interconnectedness of our institutions and for the centrality of conversation to building community consensus. Achieving our goals is rarely a linear process, and I understand the perseverance needed to make shared decisions. I want to continue to build the connections that move Lincoln forward.

Our town strives to cherish its history and imagine a progressive future. It embraces both long tradition and innovation. These values provide the touchstone and spark of Lincoln and make it an energizing and engaging place to live. Your welcoming and sustained support has made me deeply committed to our community. I humbly ask for your vote as a candidate for selectman.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Glass
11 Stonehedge 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.