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

Lincoln is #5 in the state for early voting

ballotIn the inaugural year of early voting in Massachusetts, Lincoln wound up with 40.7 percent of its residents casting ballots early—the fifth-highest percentage in the Commonwealth.

The highest percentage belonged to Eastham with 47.4 percent, followed by Carlisle, Mashpee and Concord. Overall turnout (the proportion of eligible voters who cast ballots) in Massachusetts was 68 percent in Massachusetts and about 58 percent nationally. The official number for Lincoln wasn’t in as of late last week, but Town Clerk Susan Brooks estimated it would be close to or slightly above the 2012 turnout of 78 percent.

Thirty-four states permitted early voting in some form for the election last month. “There are a lot of variations on the theme” in terms of when, where and by what method early voting may take place, Brooks said. As it was this year in-person early voting (in addition to absentee ballots) will be an option in even-numbered years in Massachusetts from now on.

“Lincoln is highly educated and highly opinionated,” Brooks said when asked why she thought Lincoln had such a large early turnout. Also, it’s possible that “people voted early to be done with paying attention” to the bitterly fought race, she added. “They just wanted to be able to check out.”

 

 

Correction

correction-smThe December 8 article headlined “Dwyer hopes to modernize town government’s outreach methods” incorrectly stated that Jonathan Dwyer met his wife Carolyn at the First Baptist Church in Newton. They actually met when both were students at Hamilton College. The article also gave the wrong year for when he started serving on the Parks and Recreation Committee. Dwyer joined in 2010 and is currently in the first year of his third three-year term.

Obituaries

Peter Pantazelos

Peter Pantazelos

Peter Pantazelos, 85 (November 26) — Executive nice president and CFO of Thermo Electron for 40 years.

Edward Gerrig, 87 (November 14) — husband of Bernice “Bunny” (Hoffman) Gerrig; resident at The Commons.

Mary T. Tori, 90 (November 17) — wife of the late John E. Torri, great-grandmother of five.

 

Dwyer hopes to modernize town government’s outreach methods

Jonathan Dwyer at home.

Jonathan Dwyer at home.

Jonathan Dwyer’s forte at work and as a volunteer is making incremental improvements, and he hopes to apply the same skill set to the job of selectman if he is elected in March to replace outgoing Selectman Peter Braun.

Dwyer, 48, currently works for a large insurance company doing internal consulting to improve software speed and quality after doing something similar for Fidelity for many years. The Mahopac, N.Y. native moved to Lincoln with his wife, Lincoln native Carolyn Caswell Dwyer, around 1999. He started his Lincoln public service as chair of the Celebrations Committee, succeeding Nancy Pimental in heading up planning for the town’s Fourth of July events as well as other holiday commemorations. In 2010, he joined the Parks and Recreation Committee, which he now chairs.

“I feel strongly that you give back,” Dwyer said. “Being engaged in the town’s civil and government life opens up a whole bunch of relationships with people who work for the town and the citizens, people who are enthusiastic about making a difference in other people’s lives. Understanding how the town works and being a part of that is personally satisfying to me.”

Dwyer already has a busy life as the father of three girls, the youngest of whom attends the Lincoln School. He knows that if he becomes a selectman, he’ll have to step back from some of his outside activities, including one that has taken much of his time for the past several years: being moderator of the First Baptist Church in Newton.

As Dwyer described it, a church moderator is sort of a president or CEO—”a person who organizes its governance, makes sure the minister has what e or she needs to be effective, making sure the budget is being actively managed so the church is financially sound and the congregation is engaged.” His contributions have included making the service more approachable for people who did not grow up in the Christian tradition and modernizing the church’s governance.

Modernizing things by degrees—whether with software, a church or town government— is Dwyer’s sweet spot. “A lot of these institutions were designed 150 yrs ago. There are ways of collaborating and relating to each other that are different from back then, and we have to keep on adjusting,” he said. For example, in many situations involving software development, “people have grown into silos of not working together over time. My job is to bring people together, make decisions earlier and turn out improvements more incrementally.”

Getting residents involved in big decisions

The town is at various stages of pursuing some major capital projects including a renovated or rebuilt Lincoln School, a community center, expanded recreational facilities and more affordable housing. Given the costs involved, “we’re going to be living with these decisions for a long time, and it would be good if more of the town was engaged. I’m not so sure our dialogue today includes everybody, and I’m wondering if can do better in getting folks to understand what decisions are coming up and why their opinion is important,” he said.

Asked about how he sees these projects falling into place, Dwyer said, “I’m coming in with an open mind. I’m in favor of all these building projects, but I don’t know about the priority yet. I hope we can do all of them, but I don’t know if we can. The town should have the opportunity to prioritize and decide.”

As part of that process, Dwyer (if he is elected) hopes to begin by making Town Meeting—the town’s primary decision-making apparatus—easier to follow and attend. Among his ideas, which he has shared with Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden, are making the informational slides shown in the auditorium larger and more legible, or perhaps videotaping presentations by town boards and committees and making them available online beforehand. Other possibilities: having a time limit and a timer that speakers and audience members could see to control the amount of time at the microphone, and allowing instant feedback or even voting via a smartphone app or another digital device.

Although streamlining processes and helping people work together more effectively is central for Dwyer, so is the independent and questioning spirit that is part of the “Lincoln way.” He was raised as a Catholic but later found a home at the First Baptist in Newton (which is American Baptist, a denomination from which Southern Baptists split off just before the Civil War). He liked the fact that congregants felt free to think about and interpret the Bible and sermons in their own way.

“I was looking for an open-minded place that didn’t tell you what to think,” Dwyer said.

Braun reflects on his two terms on Board of Selectman

Peter Braun (2014 photo)

Peter Braun (2014 photo)

Looking back on his six years as one of Lincoln’s selectmen, Peter Braun is proud of his accomplishments but is looking forward to a future oriented more around grandchildren than town government.

“I feel strongly that it’s important to encourage new people to come into the office and for selectmen to step aside and play some other role, if they are so inclined,” Braun said when asked why he decided not to run for a third two-year term. “It’s not about me, it’s about the long-term stability and governance of the institution we call the town of Lincoln.”

A second consideration for Braun is the pending arrival of a grandson, the child of his son and daughter-in-law in Jamaica Plain. “This is going to a big deal for us,” said Braun, adding that he and his wife “are very baby-oriented.” His daughter-in-law and her family are Chilean, so he also plans to learn Spanish. Meanwhile, his career as lawyer working for community hospitals is winding down, largely because many of his clients have been swallowed up by larger hospitals.

“I’m getting to a point where my life circumstances are changing,” said Braun, who is 67. “You reach a certain point in life where you real you need to think about the horizon.”

As Braun ran for his second term in 2014, the town was grappling with the fallout of the failed school funding vote in 2012. Challenger Vincent Cannistraro—who had been a critic of the projects’ cost estimates—ran a vigorous campaign against Braun but lost to the incumbent by a margin of 487-372.

Parks and Recreation Committee Chair Jonathan Dwyer, who has declared his candidacy for the vacant seat, “has my strong endorsement,” Braun said. Dwyer’s father-in-law John Caswell, himself a former selectman in the 1980s, was one of those who urged Braun to try for a seat on the board. “He was one of my inspirations to run for selectman,” said Braun, adding that Caswell unfortunately passed away shortly before his mentee was sworn in.

As a selectman, Braun played a major role in expanding the membership and overall role of the Capital Planning Committee. The panel, which at one time consisted of a single at-large member and four members from other boards and committees, added four at-large members.

The planning for Minuteman High School’s new building and the construction of the Route 2 flyover at Crosby’s Corner were two “challenging issues” that also reached major milestones during Braun’s tenure, though Braun noted that the Route 2 project had been in the works long before he became a selectman. “I was just a steward for the implementation phase” of the Route 2 project, though “it happened to be a pretty active tail end,” Braun said, referring to the controversy over tree-cutting when work commenced in 2013.

As for Minuteman, “I know not everyone was happy with the result, but I think in the long term it will serve us well,” Braun said. Lincoln residents voted to withdraw from the Minuteman district in late 2015 after failing to win concessions from other towns for being the host community for the new school.

Still unresolved is the fate of the Lincoln School. After the 2012 defeat, the town reapplied several times for state funding and expects to hear by January about its 2016 application. Braun initially raised questions about the project but eventually became an “avid proponent,” he said. Now the town may be faced with paying for a major renovation of school replacement entirely with its own money.

“This is a truly essential part of our future. Whether we fix what there is in place or do some more expensive and transformative, it’s essential that we step up and do the right thing for our schools,” Braun said.

Braun was also instrumental in launching the Selectman’s Newsletter and serving as an active liaison to Lincoln’s state and U.S. legislative delegations, as well as with Hanscom Air Force Base and the Hanscom Area Towns Committee. Going forward, he hopes to stay involved with those efforts in an informal or ad hoc way, “but that would be up to the future Board of Selectmen,” he said.

News acorns

touch

Karin Levy (left) and Nancy Fleming, co-chairs of First Parish in Lincoln’s Touch of Christmas Fair, with the greenery that volunteers will use to make holiday wreaths and centerpieces. The fair will be on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Santa arrives to greet children and pose for pictures at 11 a.m.

Jackson Gillman at next LOMA night

Jackson Gillman will perform a half-hour hour set starting around 8:30 p.m. at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) on Monday, Dec. 12 from 7-10 pm. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell room. Admission is free and refreshments are provided. Jackson has been described as zany, intelligent, professional, whimsical and inspirational, or in his own words, a “stand-up chameleon” who incorporates comedy, drama, music, dance, mime, and sign language. Jackson featured at the National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee four times (watch this video of him telling his “Foodie” story at Club Passim) and has thrice been Teller in Residence at the International Storytelling Center

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.

“Finding Dory” movie matinee

Finding Dory will be shown at the Lincoln Public Library on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. In the animagted film, amnesiac fish Dory journeys to be reunited with her parents. Along the way, she is captured and taken to a California public aquarium, from which Marlin and Nemo attempt to rescue her. Rated PG. Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes. Free popcorn.

 

Town and state sign Community Compact

compact

Lt. Gov. Karen Polito, State Rep Thomas Stanley, Selectman Peter Braun and Town Administrator Tim Higgins at the signing of the Community Compact.

In a December 1 ceremony in Lincoln, Lt. Gov. Karen Polito and town officials signed a Community Compact by which Lincoln will pursue best practices in three areas: water resource management, housing and economic development, and business continuity. In return, the town can get technical assistance as well as extra points on grants and grant opportunities from the state.

Under terms of the two-year agreement, Lincoln will work to implement stormwater management measures and land use regulations that help promote infiltration, control flooding and reduce pollution. Lincoln is now eligible to join nine other area towns in applying for a $99,000 Efficiency and Regionalization Grant, a regional grant that would provide technical assistance for communities to comply with permitting requirements for municipal separate storm sewer systems.

In the area of business continuity, the town hopes to digitize paper records and implement a permit tracking software program as well as creating a more robust GIS/GPS program that integrates with the software. These measures should result in improved operational efficiencies, both interdepartmentally and with the public. The town is also eligible to apply next year for a Community Compact IT Grant of up to $200,000.

Lincoln will look into aligning land use regulations, capital investments and other municipal actions with housing and economic development, the master plan or other plans for future growth. The town will also promote development and reuse of previously developed sites and create opportunities for various stakeholders in economic development efforts, such as by helping identify priority development projects, improve local permitting processes, and proactively address obstacles to housing and job creation with a focus on the South Lincoln area.

“We really want  to make it a vibrant village center,” Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney said at the ceremony.

Polito praised Burney, Town Administrator Tim Higgins, Selectman Peter Bran and town Lincoln officials for their efforts. “You are our public workforce across our state that really binds us together,” she said.  “The state is not a place where we should be making decisions; it’s really at the local level, and you are the people closest to the grassroots. If we strengthen local government, we will truly knit together a stronger Massachusetts.”

Christmas church happenings in Lincoln

christmas-lightFirst Parish in Lincoln

The First Parish in Lincoln (FPL) will present Handel’s Messiah on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 3 p.m. in the Parish House Auditorium (14 Bedford Rd). Experience the magic of Handel’s holiday classic performed by world-class artists including Ian Watson (conductor/harpsichord), Guy Fishman, Aisslinn Nosky and more, plus the Lincoln Baroque Players and Chorus. Seating is limited and is first come, first seated; doors open at 2:30 p.m. Suggested donation is $30, but any amount is appreciated. For more information, contact Mary Briggs at maryhbriggs@gmail.com.

The FPL’s Handbell Choir will present its annual holiday concert on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Parish House Auditorium. The concert is free and all are welcome. During the holiday season, the Handbell Choir also takes to the road. They will present the following concerts at senior living residences:

  • Thursday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. — Benchmark Senior Living at Waltham Crossings, 125 Smith St., Waltham
  • Thursday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. — Newbury Court, 100 Newbury Court, Concord

The First Parish will celebrate a Winter Solstice service marking the longest night of the year on Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Parish House. This day has been celebrated in many cultures and religious traditions for centuries, and FPL’s service will incorporate elements from polytheistic and earth-based traditions and center on the themes of darkness and light.

St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church

From now through Christmas Eve, St. Anne’s will offer additional prayer services. Monday through Friday, Morning Prayer will be offered in the side chapel from 9:15-9:45 a.m. On Tuesdays, Contemplative Prayer will be offered in the Spiritual Room from 11:30 a.m. to noon. On Wednesdays, Silent Meditation will be held in the Spiritual Room from 5:30-6:30 p.m. On Sundays, St. Anne’s has three standard services: Holy Eucharist at 8 a.m., Holy Eucharist with Choir at 10 a.m. and Still Your Soul, a rotating series of contemporary services, at 5 p.m.

On Sunday, Dec. 18, at 5:00 p.m., St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church will offer Christmas Lessons and Carols. This is a festive, celebration modeled on the famous Anglican service of Nine Lessons and Carols held in King’s College, Cambridge, using traditional language, favorite congregational carols and glorious anthems sung by the choir. A festive reception will follow.

On Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24, St. Anne’s 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.

Correction

correction-smA December 5 Lincoln Squirrel article headlined “Donelan’s DRAFT,” describing Donelan’s assistance with a Lincoln food drive, was inadvertently published in unedited form. The article has been edited and updated to include a link to an earlier story about work by the St. Vincent de Paul, St. Joseph Conference in Lincoln and Weston. The corrected article is here:

Letter to the editor: Lincoln religious leaders support Islamic Center

letter

To the editor:

As religious leaders in Lincoln, we wish to jointly express our profound sadness in the wake of the Islamic Center of Boston in Wayland (ICBW) receiving a hate-filled letter last week, penned by a group referring to themselves as “Americans for a Better Way.”

That this letter calls for the Hitleresque genocide of Muslims in the name of American patriotism is nothing short of shocking and morally repugnant. We in Massachusetts pride ourselves on being a part of the history that gave birth to our American ideals of democracy and freedom; the letter that the ICBW received runs contrary to the civic and social values that we hold dear as a people. Equally so, we know how deeply the religious communities we both serve value spiritual diversity and interfaith collaboration.

While we cannot undo the harm or pain that has already been inflicted, we pledge to stand in solidarity with the ICBW as we teach, model and stand up for the right of different religious communities to freely practice their faith, as we seek to build connection and community across faiths, and as we strive to live ever more fully in the spirit of love.

This past Sunday, December 4, was the second Sunday of Advent in the Christian tradition, a Sunday devoted to the ideal of peace. As we and our communities reflect on this theme in the days ahead, we pray that we can all actively come together in working for peace right here in Metro West.

In the spirit of love and interfaith companionship,

The Reverend Manish Mishra-Marzetti
Senior Minister, The First Parish in Lincoln

The Reverend Kate Malin
Rector, St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields

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.