In today’s article about the series of speakers about the drought, Daniela Caride was incorrectly quoted as saying “camellias” rather than “chameleon” are thirsty plants. The article has been updated to reflect this correction.
Upcoming public hearings in Lincoln
Planning Board
Public hearing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 27 to review an application for site plan review. The applicants, Lynette Jones and Ian Hunter, propose to construct an addition to their home at 6 Oakdale Lane.
Public hearing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11 to review an application for site plan review. The applicant, Dr. Benjamin Warf, 15 Old Sudbury Road, proposes a renovation and addition to an existing home.
Public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11 to review an application for site plan review. The applicant, Jon Drew, 135 Weston Road, proposes to construct a new home.
Historic District Commission
Public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4 to consider the application of Codman Community Farms to renovate and install a new food handling room in Barn D at 58 Codman Road.
Public hearing at 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4 to consider the application of Catherine Rogers to replace wood gutters with another material at 16 Weston Road.
Board of Selectmen
The Board of Selectmen will conduct a public hearing on Monday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in response to a petition by National Grid to install and maintain approximately 545 feet more or less of 2 inch gas main in Old Lexington Road. This new gas main will run from an existing two-inch main in Lexington Road, northerly approximately 545 feet where it will service 17 Old Lexington Road. Plans are available for review in the Selectmen’s Office.
Lincoln Historical Commission
The Lincoln Historical Commission will hold a public hearing at 7:50 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4 to consider the application of Theo Kindermans to demolish more than 25 percent of the roof structure at 5 Hawk Hill Road.
Zoning Board of Appeals
The Zoning Board of the Appeals will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. to hear and to act on the following petitions under the Zoning Bylaws:
- Sandy Bureau and Hannah and Jeff Sias, 109 Old Sudbury Road, for a special permit for an accessory apartment.
- Benjamin and Cindy Warf, 15 Old Sudbury Road, to transfer and renew an existing special permit for an accessory apartment.
- Jason and Jessica Packineau, 148 Lincoln Road, for a special permit to extend the existing front porch and create a screened in porch.
Drought playing havoc with plants and wildlife, speakers say
Lincoln resident Ron Rosenbaum photographed these turkeys helping themselves to some much-needed water.
The drought we’re experiencing is causing brown lawns and dry land where water used to be—but it’s no picnic for the area’s plants and animals either, as three local experts explained at a presentation titled “Brown is the New Green.”
Residents at the well-attended September 21 event in Bemis Hall learned that this isn’t the worst drought in recent history—yet. The worst droughts in Lincoln in the last few decades were in 1949-51 and 1964-67, said Greg Woods, Superintendent of the Lincoln Water Department.
“We’ve been at this level before,” said Woods, showing old photos of Flint’s Pond at low levels. However, the coming of winter snows doesn’t necessarily mean things will go back to normal right away. “We have to prepare for the worst and hope we have a very wet winter and spring,” he said.
Precipitation totals compared to the 50-year average since 2002 (click any image to enlarge).
Water levels in Flint’s Pond, with different colored lines for 2010-16 and two earlier droughts, 1949-1951 and 1964-1967.
Quarterly per-capita water usage in Lincoln, with a red line showing the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection standard.
Lincoln residents have used about 10 million more gallons of public water this summer than the average for previous summers, said Woods as he showed a series of charts on water consumption and precipitation. Usage has declined somewhat since the mandatory outdoor watering ban went into effect on August 21, but residents are still using far more than the state target of 65 gallons per person per day. The town meets the goal from October to March, but it goes up to about 130 gallons per person per day during growing season, Woods said.
The biggest culprits in outdoor watering are traditional sprinklers, which spread water in places where it isn’t needed and also result in water loss due to evaporation, Woods said. Soaker hoses minimize evaporation loss but still use about a gallon of water per minute, “so you’re still going to use hundreds or thousands of gallons,” he said. The gold standard today is a drip irrigation system, he added
Effects on flora and fauna
The current drought should be viewed in the context of a warming climate, according to Richard Primack, professor of biology at Boston University. “It’s very clear we’re in a warming trend associated with global warming and the urbanization of Boston,” he said, noting that last month was the warmest August on record here.
Swaths of brown grass may be something of an eyesore to those who prefer a lush green lawn, but it’s a matter of life and death for insects that live in grass, and the birds that eat those insects. Streams that have gone way down or dried up completely are also bad news for many species, said Primack, who was quoted in an August 27 Boston Globe article about the drought’s effects on wildlife.
“They’re going to die—there’s no place for the fish and aquatic insects to live,” he said. “A lot of aquatic animals are in trouble.” Making things worse is that nutrients in the remaining water become more concentrated, leading to algal blooms and lack of oxygen in the water.
Plant life has changed as well, said Primack as he showed photos of the banks of Walden Pond where the water has receded. Alders that used to be on the water’s edge have died, while shrubs, grasses and wildflowers such as purple gerardia and golden hyssop have grown in the soil that was formerly underwater. They, too, will perish when the water level rises again, said Primack, who has studied the effects of warming climate on New England plants, birds and butterflies for the last 14 years and is the author of .”
Farmers are certainly feeling the effects of the drought. Corn, pumpkins and other crops will die if they aren’t irrigated, and the yield from fruit trees will also be down this fall. Plants and trees that didn’t flower mean trouble for bees and butterflies as well. But not all plants are suffering, Primack said; succulents (relatives of desert plants) such as purslane, knotweed, spurges and sedum are “really common and really huge,” he said. By the same token, Southern magnolias and even fig trees may thrive in a climate that was once too harsh for them.
The biggest losers may be birds, who are usually eating juicy wild berries and crabapples but have little to eat this year. “There are very few birds in forests and fields; they’ve left to find food somewhere else, and migratory birds have left early. It will take many years for bird populations to recover,” Primack said.
Also scarcer due to the dry weather are insects such as mosquitoes, ticks and deer flies, and amphibians such as salamanders that live in vernal pools that dried up earlier than usual. People may have noticed fewer of the nuisance insects and more butterflies and bees congregating in their flower gardens, which (assuming they’ve been watered over the summer) are a target for the hungry insects. One insect that has thrived, however, is the antlion, which build sand traps resembling inverse anthills in sandy areas around dried-up lakebeds.
The rain will return, but New England will see these conditions more and more often, primack said. With temperatures predicted to get 4–6 degrees F. warmer over the next century, “this will be a typical year 80 years from now,” while low-lying coastal areas of South Boston, Somerville and Everett will be underwater, he said
Gardening with less water
In conditions like this, what’s a gardener to do? Lincoln Garden Club member Daniela Caride had some suggestions focusing on “sustainable gardening.” To minimize water usage, she recommended investing in rain barrels, avoiding sprinklers, and watering only at night or early in the morning rather than in the heat of the day.
Options for lawns include simply having a smaller lawn, planting other types of ground cover, or turning your lawn into a wildflower meadow. Mulch (especially leaf mulch, which is cheaper and easier to handle than bark mulch) is good for keeping moisture in the soil and providing shade and shelter for small animals and insects, Caride added.
When planning your garden, “think before you plant,” Caride said. Avoid “thirsty” plants like chameleon, roses and astilbe, which can suck up water even from surrounding plants, and go for more native plants, which are adapted to our climate (thus needing less watering) and offer food and shelter for small animals and insects.
News acorns
Heather Goldstone
Radio journalist to give talk on climate change
Heather Goldstone, science editor for WCAI (the Cape and Islands NPR station) and host of Living Lab Radio, will give a talk titled “All Climate Is Local: Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change and the Paris Agreement” on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 4 p.m. in Brooks Auditorium.
Goldstone holds a Ph.D. in ocean science from MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and spent a decade as an active researcher before leaving the lab to become a writer. In her nine years with WCAI, she has reported on Woods Hole’s unique scientific community and key environmental issues on Cape Cod. Most recently, Goldstone hosted the blog Climatide, an exploration of how climate change is impacting coastal life in the region.
The talk is part of Lincoln’s Bemis Free Lecture Series. For more information, email bemislectures@gmail.com.
DeCordova Biennial opens on Oct. 7
One of the pieces to be featured at the deCordova New England Biennial 2016: The Impact of Spring on the Belly by Craig Stockwell, 2014, oil on canvas, 78″ x 64″. Courtesy of the artist. (Click image to enlarge)
Opening on Friday, Oct. 7, the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum presents the work of 16 New England-based artists in the deCordova New England Biennial 2016. The exhibition will occupy two floors of the museum and two locations in the Sculpture Park, and is supplemented by an extensive array of programming, including interactive events and workshops. For more information on the Biennial artists and events, see this deCordova web page.
Also on October 7, the deCordova will unveil “Edward Steichen: Twentieth-Century Photographer.” The exhibition is drawn from deCordova’s permanent collection as well as important loans from private collectors and institutions. The majority of photographs included in the show were made from Steichen’s original negatives and printed after his death in the 1980s by photographer George Tice. The exhibition also features a select number of vintage prints printed by Steichen in the 1910s and 1920s that reveal the lush interpretations he made with experimental printing techniques. The exhibit will be on view until March 28, 2017.
Council on Aging activities in October
Watercolors with Jane
October 3 at 9 a.m.
Rediscover the joyful soul within you through art and nature in Jane Cooper’s watercolor class. Jane will offer fun dabbling in watercolor painting of scenes of nature, landscapes or some favorite sky. Four classes will be offered each Friday and Monday beginning October 3 and then another session of four classes will begin on October 21 from 9 to 11 am. The cost is $15. Call the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811 to sign up now as space is limited.
Coffee with photographers Harold McAleer and John Snelling
October 4 at 2:30 p.m.
Come down-Bemis Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 2:30 to join photographers Harold McAleer and John Snelling in celebrating an exhibit that will last through October. The exhibit will include photos of Lincoln scenes and elsewhere by Harold and of the Amish and Mennonite communities in Lancaster, Penn., by John. Harold and John both returned to photography after their retirements. Harold frequently publishes his photos of nature and wildlife in the Lincoln Journal and has many videos on YouTube. John focuses on patterns of nature and its creatures (including humans!).
Meet with an aide to Congresswoman Clark
October 5 at 1 p.m.
Wade Blackman, District Counsel for Congresswoman Katherine Clark, will hold Office Hours at Bemis Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 5 from 1-2 p.m. on federal benefits and other concerns. You must call Mr. Blackman at (617) 354-0292 to make an appointment before coming.
Prevent tick-borne disease
October 6 at 10 a.m.
Join School Nurse and Town Nurse Maureen Richichi, RN, in a question and answer conversation on ticks, how to prevent tick-borne diseases, and what to do if you have a tick bite at Bemis Hall on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 10 am. Among the topics she may discuss will be how the tick season is shaping up in Lincoln, tick-borne diseases and their symptoms, how tick-borne diseases are diagnosed and treated, and personal protection including how to do tick checks and safely repel and remove ticks, and personal advocacy with your doctors.
Jazz music
October 7 at 12:30 p.m.
Anyone old enough to remember fondly the old Al Jolson, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby tunes does not need proof of age unless you consider an impulse to burst into song at the hint of a singalong or getting up to dance around the room when the music gets hot to be evidence of underage passion. If that’s true you’d better come on down and join the fun when the irrepressible musicians of the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band get going for you for free on the sunny side of the street at Bemis at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7.
A piano recital with Spanish flair
October 7 at 2:15p.m.
You are invited to enjoy an afternoon of piano music with Spanish flair by Abla Shocair on Friday, Oct. 7 at 2:15 p.m. at Bemis Hall. She will play Beethoven’s Sonata No. 17 (Tempest), Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C Sharp Minor, two Impromptus from Chopin, selections from Isaac Albeniz’s Spanish-inspired compositions and finish with three songs from the Arabic-Andalusian heritage. Abla, originally from Jordan, started playing piano at age 4. She is a civil engineer and has given many piano concerts.
Winter and storm safety over lunch with the Fire Dept.
October 11 at noon
Come find out what you need to know to get through the winter safely when Ben Juhola of the Fire Department comes to Bemis Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 11 from noon-1 p.m. You’ll learn the latest information about heating and fireplace safety, preventing carbon monoxide poisoning, fall prevention, home emergency kits, and smoke and carbon monoxide poisoning alarms. Plus, the Fire Department will provide a free sandwich lunch! Please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811 so they know how many lunches to bring. Bring your questions and concerns!
Writing down family memories for future generations
October 13 at 10 a.m.
We all carry a treasure trove of family history in us, but often we don’t write any of it down for future generations at least in part because the task seems overwhelming. How can you organize the stories of your own life and those of other family members? How do you write your family’s stories even if you don’t think of yourself as a writer? Come to a special free workshop on preserving family memories with Memoirs leader Connie Lewis on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. to get suggestions and strategies!
Positive psychology for a meaningful life
October 14 and 21 at 9:30 a.m.
Come to Bemis Hall Fridays, Oct. 14 and 21 at 9:30 to learn to be happier, realize dreams, bring about personal change, use mindfulness, exercise, sleep and nutrition to enhance quality of life, and improve relationships. The course is taught by Alyson Lee, who is a social worker and life coach and certified to teach Positive Psychology. It is funded by the Ogden Codman Trust. You do not need to have come to previous sessions to attend.
How to decide what to do with retirement’s freedom
October 17 at 10 a.m.
What do you want to do with retirement’s freedom? Join Lincolnite Jean Risley in a free course of practical strategies to uncover your own values, plan retirement’s stages, identify goals, create helpful habits, balance your days and weeks, celebrate accomplishments and build in flexibility. It will be held on nine Mondays at 10 starting with an overview on Oct. 17. Jean is a retired “techie,” businessperson, and minister sharing her experiences for making retirement purposeful and grounded in our own choices. Sign up by calling the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811.
Lincoln Academy with Walter and Mariel Bossert: The plot to replace George Washington, the Conway Cabal, with music
October 17 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Oct. 17, at 12:30 to hear Walter Bossert discuss “The Plot to Replace George Washington, the Conway Cabal, with Music” including music of the period performed by Mariel Bossert. Bring a bag lunch.
Free legal clinic
October 17 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, Oct. 17 from 2-4 p.m. There is no charge for the thirty-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.
Enjoy a gourmet luncheon with friends
October 18 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, Oct. 18 at St. Anne’s Church. The COA welcomes new diners often — give them a try! 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. And the volunteer serving staff consists of friends and neighbors.
“Coffee with a Cop”: share concerns and ideas with the Lincoln Police
October 20 from 1-3 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Thursday, Oct. 20 from 1 to 3 p.m. to meet privately with a 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 from 1 to 3.
Lincoln Academy with Mike O’Brien: The most important event in Sigmund Freud’s life and theory
October 24 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Oct. 24 at 12:30 to hear Mike O’Brien discuss “The Most Important event in Sigmund Freud’s Life and Theory.” According to Mr. O’Brien, “What was it? What was “it” with Freud? He didn’t like thinking about it. He tried valiantly not to. Yet he couldn’t forget it. He felt constantly compelled to misrerember it and repeat it. It became a dynamic part of his personality. And his theory. Come and gain insight into what “it” was. Your understanding of Freud and his theory will be radically and forever changed.” Bring a bag lunch.
Tea on Tuesdays
October 25 at 2:15 p.m.
When was the last time you spent a relaxing hour or so over a cup of tea with friends? You are cordially invited to “Take Time for Tea on Tuesday,” when you may enjoy a cup of tea (or coffee) and snacks in an elegant atmosphere with friends, old and new on Tuesday, Oct. 25 from 2:15 to 4 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Just come as you are, have a seat at a table, get yourself some tea and cookies and enjoy the company of your friends and neighbors. All are welcome. No need to sign up.
Longfellow House in Cambridge
October 26 at 9:30 a.m.
Please join the COA for a visit to the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow House in Cambridge on Wednesday, Oct. 26. Walk through the rooms where Henry Longfellow crafted American masterpieces and George Washington commanded the Continental Army during the siege of Boston. The trip will leave the Lincoln Mall at 9:30 a.m. on a Doherty school bus, returning between 2 and 2:30 P.M. There will be a 50-minute guided walking tour of the house, and time to view the garden and visit the book shop. After the tour you will have lunch at a local restaurant at your own cost. This trip is rated moderate for physical difficulty. The price of the trip is $10 per person. Payment is non-refundable and space is limited. To reserve a space, send checks, payable to FLCOA/Trips, to Donna Rizzo, 22 Blackburnian Road, Lincoln 01773. Please enclose your phone number and email address with your check. If you have questions please contact Donna at 781-257-5050, donna@ecacbed.com.
What’s new in ocean cruises?
October 27 at 2:30 p.m.
The leaves may still be falling, but time to plan your winter vacation is running out. What better get-away than a relaxing, educational, enlightening ocean cruise to someplace warm? Join Peggy Dawson, advisor/accredited cruise counselor, on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 2:30 at Bemis Hall when she will let you know what is new and exciting in award-winning Viking ocean cruises as well as more unusual ocean cruises — expedition style cruises, small ships, and yachts. Come and bring your questions and thoughts!
Medicare open enrollment insurance update
October 28 at 10 a.m.
Find out what changes could affect your Medicare coverage and how much you will pay in 2017 when Don Milan and Anne Meade, Lincoln’s counselors from the Minuteman Senior Services SHINE Program-health benefits counseling for Medicare enrollees, come to Bemis Hall on Friday, Oct. 28 at 10 am. This is an important time to understand the changes for 2017 and to be sure you are satisfied with your current health insurance benefits. Medicare open enrollment period—October 15 to December 7, 2016—is your opportunity to make any changes to your Medicare coverage, effective Jan. 1st. Representatives from most major supplemental health insurance plans (Harvard Pilgrim, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Tufts, Fallon, and AARP/United Health Care) will have 2017 information for Medigap, Advantage and Part D plans. Also present will be Priscilla Leach (Veterans Service Officer). Note: This program is designed to go over 2017 changes in basic Medicare, Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans. On Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m., SHINE will present an in-depth “Medicare 101” to go over the basics of Medicare and the different types of insurance plans (Medigap and Advantage) available to supplement coverage.
Living in a small space and loving it
October 28 at 12:30 p.m.
You’re thinking of downsizing or you’ve already done it and now you realize that you’ll need to learn to live in a smaller space. Fear not! Living in a smaller space does not have to mean living smaller. With the right attitude and know-how you can make your smaller space one that is more attractive, more energetic, and even more convenient than the space you needed decades ago. Come hear Lyn Spaeth of Transformations, which specializes in home staging, new home set-up and interior redesign, on Friday, Oct. 28 at 12:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. She’ll talk about how to design your smaller space so that it fits who you are now, making your life easier by focusing on the essence of what is most important to you while getting what you no longer need and desire out of your way. Bring your questions and concerns!
Lincoln Academy with Rakesh Karmachaya: Human stem cells in the study of psychiatric neurobiology
October 31 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Oct. 31 at 12:30 to hear Rakesh Karmachaya discuss “Human Stem Cells in the Study of Psychiatric Neurobiology.” According to Dr. Karmachaya, “Scientific research of brain disorders is hindered by technical and ethical issues involved in growing and studying live neurons (brain cells). Recent advances in stem cell research enable the generation of human stem cells from any individual, which can then be used to generate patient-specific neurons in the laboratory. We will explore how patient stem cells can aid in understanding the neurobiology of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and provide approaches to develop novel treatments.” Bring a bag lunch.
News acorns
Rev. Kate Malin (kneeling) with Pam Bartter and Jane Bartter (right) at last year’s Blessing of the Animals service.
Blessing of the Animals at St. Anne’s on Oct. 2
On Sunday, Oct. 2, St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church will honor St. Francis, patron saint of animals, with Blessing of the Animals at both morning services( Holy Eucharist at 8 a.m. and Holy Eucharist with Choir at 10 a.m.). Animals on leashes or in carriers are welcome; photos and stuffed animals are welcome, too. The “Still Your Soul” service will take place at 5 p.m. with a service of Holy Eucharist for Healing and Wholeness with laying-on of hands.
Build a scarecrow at Stonegate Gardens
Stonegate Gardens’ annual Build-a-Scarecrow event will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 5 from 1-4 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its retail location (339 South Great Road, Lincoln). All proceeds will benefit the Lincoln Parent Teacher Organization, which provides enrichment programming at the Lincoln School. For $15 per scarecrow, Stonegate Gardens provides hay, twine, stakes, craft supplies for decorating and embellishments, and step-by-step instructions. Bring a pillowcase for their scarecrow’s head, old clothing (pants with belt loops and long-sleeve shirts; teenage or adult sizes are best), and any personal accessories such as hats, masks, light-sabers, etc. Everyone will have the opportunity to further personalize their scarecrows by giving them a name. Lincoln PTO volunteers will be there to lend a hand, but parental supervision is required (this is not a drop-off event). Students and community members may opt to take their scarecrows home or display them along Ballfield Road.
Youth in Philanthropy program kicks off in Lincoln
The Foundation for MetroWest is launching a Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program in Lincoln, with meetings starting on Thursday, Oct. 6 from 3-4 p.m. in the Lincoln School (Room B135). The program is open to all seventh- and eighth-grade students who live or go to school in Lincoln. The fall schedule can be found here.
YIP is a unique opportunity for students to take the lead on grant-making. During the program, they form their own board of trustees, run for leadership positions, do fund-raising, research and visit local nonprofit organizations, and distribute the Foundation for MetroWest youth development grants. Since 1997, 1,100 students have participated in YIP, giving more than $1 million to local, youth-serving nonprofits. Launched in 1997, it remains one of the largest youth philanthropy education programs in the country. For more information, see the YIP website or watch this video.
Learn how to start a conversation about abusive relationships
Have you ever been concerned about a friend or family member’s relationship but didn’t know what to say? Join the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. in the Raytheon Room at the Wayland Public Library to learn the warning signs of an abusive relationship and how to support a loved one in an unhealthy relationship. Featured speakers will be Jessica Teperow, Director of Prevention Programs for REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, and M.J. Wright, a Wayland librarian who has spoken on behalf of REACH Beyond Domestic Violence to share her personal experience as a survivor from domestic abuse. The event is free and open to the public.
Kirsten Maxwell at next LOMA event
Kirsten Maxwell
Kirsten Maxwell is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) on Monday, Oct. 17 from 7-10 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. Maxwell will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. She performs the title cut of her new album “Crimson” in this video.
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.
Bouquillon looking forward to new chapter for Minuteman
A grateful and relieved Edward Bouquillon, superintendent/director of Minuteman High School, looked ahead Wednesday morning to something he and others have been working toward for eight years: breaking ground on a new school building.
The final vote tally in Tuesday’s 16-town special election was 12,158–5,320 (69%–30%) in favor of funding the $145 million project. Four towns said no: Carlisle (46%–53%), Sudbury (45%–55%), Wayland (48%–52%) and Belmont (28%–72%). However, Belmont was the only one of those four that will still be a member of the Minuteman school district after the new school is finished, so it will be on the hook for a share of the construction costs. Boxborough, Carlisle, Lincoln, Sudbury, Wayland and Weston voted earlier this year to withdraw from the district as of July 2017. Belmont’s earlier “no” vote at Town Meeting last spring (which happened after the deadline for expedited withdrawal from the district had passed) was what led to this week’s 16-town vote.
“The fact that [Belmont is] such an outlier in this whole process should probably send some sort of signal to Belmont residents and perhaps their elected officials,” Bouquillon said. “Whether they’re just not getting it or choosing not to, I don’t know, but I’m more concerned with the kids.”
Bouquillon thanked Lincoln residents on Wednesday for their approval margin of 88%–12%. Last year, Lincoln officials lobbied other district towns for an intermunicipal agreement that would have provided some form of compensation for the fact that the new school building will be located within Lincoln, but the idea never gained traction during negotiations over the revised Minuteman regional agreement.
Workers should be able to start construction in spring 2017 on a 20-month building project resulting in occupancy in time for the start of the 2020-21 school year, Bouquillon said. That would complete a project that began almost exactly eight years ago, when he filled out a statement of interest for funding from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).
“It’s the longest-running feasibility study in the history of the MSBA,” he said, adding that the agency itself had been established only a year before Minuteman submitted its statement of interest.
The future of the current building site
Along with construction details, Bouquillon and others must also now turn their attention to the question of what to do with the old building it’s replacing and the Lexington acreage it sits on.
“I cannot think that all I’m doing here is building a new high school and moving on,” he said. “This campus is perfectly positioned to become an institution of learning for K-through-life that continues to support workforce development as well as the economic vitality of the region.”
The school district owns the 66 acres of land and plans to explore educational and public-private partnerships with ideas that will be in keeping with the site’s educational mission. Bouquillon said he has already had informal conversations with organizations including post-secondary educational institutions, as well as public and private groups involved in education, recreation (the old building’s swimming pool might be replaced in some fashion, for example), engineering and life sciences. Such companies could offer on-campus work co-op programs for Minuteman students, he noted.
The Minuteman School Committee will eventually issue a request for letters of interest to potential partners with proposed new uses for the site and then develop an overall vision for the campus before inviting developers into the process, Bouquillon said.
Right now, Bouquillon is simply thankful that the long process is of getting the new building funded is over. “Now I can focus on my kids, teachers and building,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been freed to be an educator.”
Minuteman school measure passes in district-wide vote
The Minuteman High School funding measure passed by a wide margin in a special election in the 16-town vocational-technical school district, according to unofficial results gathered by Minuteman officials Tuesday night.
By a total of 12,146 in favor to 5,319 opposed (70 percent to 30 percent), voters in the district approved funding for a $145 million new school building in Lincoln. Lincoln’s unofficial total was 294–41 in favor (88 percent to 12 percent).
Unofficial results from the September 20 Minuteman High School funding vote (click to enlarge).
Lincoln is one of six towns that opted to withdraw from the Minuteman district earlier this year, but that withdrawal does not become effective until July 2017. However, the withdrawal also means that Lincoln will not be responsible for a share of the capital costs for the building as current members towns are. The other towns that withdrew are Boxborough, Carlisle, Sudbury, Wayland and Weston.
Voter turnout was low, with Lincoln at 5 percent (though Sudbury, Wayland and Weston were lowest with 2 percent each). The largest turnout was 19 percent in Belmont, which precipitated Tuesday’s election by being the only town in the district to vote against the funding at Town Meeting earlier this year.
Belmont High School was accepted last spring into the funding pipeline by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), so voters at that town’s May 4 Town Meeting on Minuteman were facing two possible school projects within a relatively short time span. However, this was also true for Arlington, which passed the Minuteman measure.
The unofficial results were gathered by Steve Sharek, Minuteman’s director of outreach and development, from reports by town clerks for 14 of the towns and on-site observers in the case of Arlington and Lexington. His voter turnout calculations used registered-voter totals from either the Secretary of State’s office or individual towns.
McLean Hospital proposal goes to the ZBA
The Zoning Board of Appeals will take up the issue of McLean Hospital’s proposed Bypass Road property use at a public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall.
A group of 10 families who live in the neighborhood of 16-22 Bypass Road filed an appeal challenging the determination by Building Inspector Daniel Walsh that McLean Hospital’s proposal for a 12-bed facility on Bypass Road constitutes an educational use of the property. Educational and religious organizations are exempt from certain residential zoning restrictions according to a state law known as the Dover Amendment.
In a July 8 letter, Walsh noted that McLean’s proposed use has “multiple objectives which include residential along with therapeutic and educational functions” and agreed with an earlier opinion by town counsel Joel Bard that the use qualifies for the zoning exemption.
The Planning Board voted 4-0 on September 13 to approve McLean’s site plan, which concerns only issues such as parking and visual screening on the property.
Neighbors have argued that there is a safety risk from the proposed facility, which will offer dialectical behavioral therapy as part of a psychoeducational program to young men aged 15-21 who will live there for periods of weeks to months. In an interview with the Lincoln Squirrel last month, the director of McLean’s Psychology Department refuted the notion that the young men posed any danger.
State legislators Barrett, Stanley to speak at Lincoln forum
State Sen. Michael Barrett and State Rep. Thomas Stanley will speak at a forum sponsored by the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee for Democratic candidates in Lincoln on Saturday, Sept. 24 at Bemis Hall. Both are running for re-election on November 8.
Because they represent different constituencies and districts, they will speak separately. Barrett will speak from 9-9:50 a.m. and Stanley will speak from 10:10-11 a.m. Refreshments will be served starting at 8:30 a.m. Each will speak about the work they have completed for their districts, their understanding of key issues and the goals they would hope to accomplish in their upcoming term if elected. They will also take questions from the audience.
Barrett represents the Third Middlesex District consisting of Bedford, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Sudbury and Weston. Representative Stanley represents the Ninth Middlesex District consisting of Lincoln and several wards in Precinct 1 of Waltham.