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

Letter to the editor: Solomon for Bemis Trustee

letter

To the editor:

Stan Solomon, my friend and neighbor here at The Commons, is a candidate for Bemis Trustee. Stan has a long history of active public service during his many years as a Lexington resident. Please consider voting for Stan on March 28.

Sincerely,

Dave Levington
One Harvest Circle

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 Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.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: Gargeya seeks L-S School Committee vote

letter

To the editor:

I am running for re-election to the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee. My wife and I have been in Sudbury for nearly 19 years. I am forever grateful for the excellent education my children received in Sudbury and LSRHS.

In 2013, I advocated for fiscal stability for L-S; we witnessed budget and personnel losses as student enrollment was increasing. Working with my respected School Committee colleagues and various boards in both towns and with your considerate support, we were able to partially restore some of the teaching positions. Working with our teachers and staff, we have begun to put L-S on a sustainable fiscal footing. This year, we hope to make modest additions in curricular offerings for the first time in a decade.

L-S needed to upgrade its aging technology infrastructure. With your support, we did that to enhance our students’ learning.

As promised, we started a new tradition of joint meetings between the school committees of Lincoln-Sudbury, the Sudbury Public Schools and the Lincoln Public Schools to consider topics of common interest and increase curricular coordination as our students go through K-8 and graduate from L-S.

We brought the solar canopy project to a successful completion, reducing energy costs and redirecting the savings to the classroom.

Next term, we need to sustain and advocate for a financially secure L-S. I support active and creative collaboration amongst the school districts. We will have significant capital projects, including the replacement of turf fields at L-S. We will keep seeking ways to save money for the district.

All of this is in service to an institution that prepares our children to be independent and critical thinkers, provides needed support for all students and cares for the fullest development of each child. We want L-S to always improve; any day a school becomes complacent is not a good day for education. LSRHS moves forward because of the hard work of the staff and faculty; with your vote, I will steadfastly support them in every way that I can.

I remain a firm believer in public education. The word “public” refers to who can attend the school (all children), who pays (all of us, not just the parents), and who governs (you, through your elected representatives, the members of the School Committee). I pledge to honor your trust.

Please vote for me on Monday, March 28 (polls in Lincoln are open from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.) Please contact me at radhagargeya@yahoo.com, or like or comment on my Facebook page. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Radha Gargeya
120 Powder Mill Road, Sudbury

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.

New and improved Lincoln Squirrel on the way

news+squirrelDear readers,

This is a follow-up the March 15 announcement that the Lincoln Squirrel will be rolling out improvements and also charging $3.99 per month as of April 1. Thank you to everyone who sent thoughtful queries and comments. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions. As always, email me at lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com if you need more information about something.

Q: Why is the Squirrel going to become a paid-subscriber site?

A: One reason is that there are costs associated with running the Squirrel, such as paying for a higher grade of web hosting to avert future crashes (we took this step just today!), a web developer to do periodic “under-the-hood” repairs and upgrades, the MailChimp service that compiles each day’s posts and sends them out to subscribers, etc. The other reason is that I’m hoping that the extra income will allow me to devote more time to working on the Squirrel and eventually making it my primary focus.

Q. What’s going to change and when?

A: When you go to the Lincoln Squirrel website on April 1, you’ll see an updated design with the same news and links as before, but also a new “Subscription” link. For the first few days, the site will still be completely free, but you should click the subscription link to become a paid subscriber so you’ll keep getting the Squirrel links in your email once the site goes behind the paywall. I’ll let you know a day or two in advance, but I expect that will happen on or about April 6.

Q: I’m already a free email subscriber to the Squirrel. Will I keep getting the daily emails with links to Squirrel stories after April 1?

A: Everyone who is now an email subscriber will keep getting the daily emails. However, if you have not signed up as a paid subscriber after about April 6 and you click on one of the story links in your email, you’ll see just the first sentence or two of the story and two buttons saying “Login” and “Subscribe.” Those who access the Squirrel website directly from their browsers will see the same thing.

Q: If I don’t become a paid subscriber right away, can I read anything for free?

A: Similar to the New York Times and other news websites, you’ll be able to read few articles for free (in this case, five articles per month) before you have to subscribe. Everyone also has unlimited access to the calendar on the Squirrel website.

Q: How exactly do I subscribe?

A: On April 1 or any time after that, click on the “Subscribe” link at the bottom of any story (or at the top of the web page, click on “Subscriptions”) to create a Squirrel account with a password and authorize your automatic monthly payment of $3.99 (more on that below). The first time you read a Squirrel article, you’ll click on the a then log on with your password once. If you check the “Remember me” box, you won’t have to log on every time you want to read the Squirrel on that device unless there are changes—for example, if you get a new computer/smartphone/iPad, change web browsers, clear your computer’s cookies, etc.

Q: What if I don’t have a PayPal account?

A: When you click on the “Subscribe” link, you will be asked to either log in to an existing PayPal account or create one if you don’t have one already. This is as simple as entering your name, email address, and credit card or checking account information (if you’d rather have your monthly fee drawn directly from your bank account), and it has to be done only once.

Q: Is PayPal secure for storing my credit card information?

A: PayPal is well known for keeping data secure and encrypted. This Investopedia.com article advises that when given a choice, you should use PayPal rather than using just your credit card, and likewise not to link it to your bank account. This article talks about how PayPal encrypts data and points out that having your information on PayPal isn’t any less secure than using a personal check (which has your name, account number and routing number on it) or making a one-time purchase with a credit card online.

Also, it’s actually safer to link your PayPal account to your credit card rather than to your checking account, because if someone gets fraudulent access to your PayPal account and your bank information is there, they can drain your account and you only have PayPal’s fraud protections (which are very good anyway). If you use a credit card, you get fraud protections from both PayPal and your credit card company.

As with any website, the best way to protect yourself is to pick a password that’s hard to guess, and not to use the same password for multiple websites.

Q: Can I pay by check?

A: If you are strongly opposed to having automatic charges from your credit card or checking account via PayPal, you can pay by paper check for a full year’s subscription, which will cost $48.00. Please email lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com for details.

Q: Can other people in my household read the Squirrel?

A: The monthly fee technically applies to one subscriber email address, but as a practical matter, the subscriber could share his or her email address and Squirrel password with others in the same household so everyone in the family could read the Squirrel. I’m trusting people not to abuse it and share passwords with their neighbors and others.

Q: Can I still send occasional articles to friends and family who aren’t subscribers?

A: As mentioned above, everyone may read up to five articles per month for free, so you can send up to five links per month to non-subscribers and they will be able to read the articles.

Q: What happens if I lose my password?

A: The Lincoln Squirrel has no access to passwords, so you’ll have to log in and click “Forgot password” to have a temporary new password emailed to you (afterwards, you can change it to whatever you like).

Q: Can I read legal notices about upcoming public hearings, etc., in the Lincoln Squirrel?

A: Yes. The Squirrel has started publishing notices of upcoming land-use hearings (see examples here and here) and will continue to do so regularly.

Squirrel website is back on line

news+squirrelDear readers,

My apologies about the Lincoln Squirrel website outage this morning. This was due to a host server crash, but everything is back in working order now. The good news is that we have just upgraded the server a few days sooner than originally planned, so this shouldn’t happen again. And this higher level of service, among other things, will be funded by your subscriptions.

If you tried to click on Squirrel stories from your email this morning, here again are the links to yesterday’s posts:

Thanks for reading!

Alice Waugh
Editor, Lincoln Squirrel
lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com

Obituary: Marnie Smith Wengren

Marnie xxx

Marnie Smith Wengren

(Editor’s note: This obituary was submitted by Marnie Wengren’s daughter-in-law, Tucker Smith.)

Margaret “Marnie” Lanphier Smith Wengren, formerly of Lincoln, died peacefully at her home in Lexington on March 8, six weeks before her 100th birthday. Lincoln was her home from 1957 until 1989, when she moved to Brookhaven in Lexington.

Born in Springfield, Ill., on April 21, 1916, Marnie remained proud of her Midwestern roots to her last days. Springfield was the home of Abraham Lincoln and in his second inaugural address, he said: “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on…” Marnie was proud to live by these words. When asked about the secret to her longevity, she eagerly responded, “curiosity and gratitude.”

As a member of the First Parish Church in Lincoln since 1957, she served on the Prudential Committee (now the Parish Committee), the Deacons and many other committees. For the past 27 years while living in Lexington, Marnie attended Sunday services despite rain, sleet or snow. Her prayers were legendary among the church community.

Marnie graduated from the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. in 1934 and from Vassar College in 1938. She married DeWitt Smith in 1938 and lived a nomadic life as the wife of a mining engineer while raising her four children.

In 1966, after her marriage ended and with an empty nest, she began a career in the Education Department of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  She began as a volunteer, graduating to gallery instructor. Over 13 years she studied to teach on the Egyptian, Greek and Roman collections, as well as the American collection. She also spent two years working in the Asiatic collection, which introduced her to Hindu and Buddhist art, a field she was particularly fond of through her later years.

Among Marnie’s many passions, one in particular was her commitment to Lincoln’s deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, where she served as a trustee (1979-97), board president (1981-84) and overseer (1977-79 and 1997-2012). She also served as deCordova’s interim executive director from 1980-81 and was one of the museum’s longest-serving guides. She was inducted into the docent program in 1967 and remained active for over 30 years. In 1989, the museum dedicated the Marnie Wengren Education Room, and family and friends gathered at the deCordova to celebrate Marnie’s life at a reception following her memorial service at the First Parish on March 15.

In 1968, she married Richard “Dick” Wengren, who died in 1999. Marnie was not only a wise and thoughtful matriarch; she inspired many as role model and mentor. She will live on in the many lives she touched.

She is survived by her four Smith children, Henry DeWitt Smith II and his wife Kimie of New York, N.Y.; Susie Smith White and her husband Lindsay (Peter) of Cambridge, Mass.; Ellen Smith Harde and her husband Mike of Westford, Mass.; and R.L. Smith and his wife Tucker of Lincoln, as well as Dick Wengren’s three children, Martha Tattersall and her husband Robin of Tortola, British Virgin Islands; Ted Wengren and his wife Mary Eliza of South Freeport, Maine; Carla Ricci and her husband Russell of Providence, R.I., 14 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Services were held at the First Parish in Lincoln on March 15. Memorial gifts can be made to the First Parish in Lincoln, Box 6218, Lincoln, MA 01773.

Gun safety, fossil fuel measures passed

rifle-pollution montageBy Alice Waugh

Citizens’ petitions on national gun safety and fossil fuel divestment both passed at Town Meeting on March 19.

Article 36 asked voters to endorse “A Petition to the U.S. Congress to Adopt a Uniform National Gun Safety Law” and for town officials to convey this sentiment to federal officials. “We want to tell elected officials that we’re tired of the lack of progress in curbing the epidemic of gun violence,” said Gary Davis of the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee, which sponsored the Town Meeting measure.

The United States has the highest rate of firearm deaths among industrialized nations, and more than two-thirds of guns used in crimes in New Jersey and New York were brought there from other states with more lenient gun laws, Davis said.

“Overall, the background check system does not work,” he said, adding that in many parts of the country there are no laws barring felons, suspected terrorists and the mentally ill from buying guns at pawn shops, swap meets or online.

“We should not be quick to cede power to the federal government. Once you let it go, it’s very difficult to get back,” resident Barbara Darling said in opposition to the measure. “I would urge careful consideration of assumptions put forth in this article. It’s very easy to go out on the Internet and find all kinds of data supporting both sides of the argument.”

Saying she had no problem with owning guns for self-defense, hunting and sport, Joanna Hopkins argued that 33,000 annual gun-related deaths in the U.S. “are both heart-breaking and unacceptable.

“If enough cities and towns stand up and make our voices heard, eventually Congress will enact a nationwide gun safety set of standards. This is a sensible step for a safer and more civilized society for us all,” she said.

Fossil fuel divestment

Article 37 sought support for a bill (H.2269) that would require divestment of state retirement funds from holdings in fossil fuel companies. Resident Al Schmertzler said the issue was one of “acute moral, financial and long-term survival.” The warrant article focused on statewide pension investments because Lincoln has limited control over how its local pension funds are invested, he added.

Resident Len Darling argued against the measure, saying that many pension liabilities are already underfunded. “We need either better investment performance or higher contributions” to the funds, he said. “This is not our money. It’s really state employees who are depending on it for their retirement. Why do we want to tell investment professionals how to manage this money? We should not be micromanaging other people’s money.”

Fossil fuels in general are not the evil portrayed by some, Darling added, noting that natural gas is cheaper and produces less carbon dioxide than other fossil fuels, and the industry “has raised standard of living for billions of people.”

Both articles passed with a handful of “nay” votes.

News acorns

lightbulbLincoln Energy Challenge partner closes

The Lincoln Energy Challenge was surprised and disappointed to learn that its partner Next Step Living has closed its doors, so Lincoln residents will no longer be able to sign up for a home energy assessment through LincolnEnergyChallenge.com. However, you can still get a free home energy assessment from MassSave.com and sign up for 100 percent renewable electricity for your home by visiting www.MassEnergy.org. To explore rooftop solar, try www.EnergySage.com and www.solarreviews.com.

Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee needs volunteers to help shape and implement the Lincoln Energy Challenge. For questions or to help in whatever way you can, please contact Sue Klem at Susan.M.Klem@gmail.com or 781-259-9304.

Scholarship application deadline coming up

The Lincoln Scholarship Committee reminds Lincoln-resident high school seniors and their families that the deadline for submitting applications for need-based college scholarships, the Sumner Smith and Fannie Campbell awards, and two Ogden Codman scholarships is Monday, April 4. Applications may be submitted to the Superintendent-Principal’s office at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School by April 4 at 3 p.m., emailed or postmarked in U.S. mail by April 4. Further information and instructions can be found on the Lincoln Scholarship Committee’s web page.  Email LincolnScholarship@lincolntown.org with any questions.

Stay calm and improv on at library
Improv Jones.

Improv Jones Boston (click to enlarge).

Come to the the Lincoln Public Library on Saturday, April 2 from 3-4:30 p.m. for two improv groups and dessert. At 3 p.m., the improv group Truck Stop Diner will take the stage in the Tarbell Room. Formed in 2014, the group includes Zach Reisch, Kim Lapan, Nick Whalen, Jess Salpietro, Dan Whalen, Caroline McCallum and Mark Stoughton. At 3:30 p.m., Improv Jones Boston, one of the longest-running improv groups in the Boston area, will perform. The performances will be followed by dessert for all.

Learn about “shared custody” bill

Please join the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable for an program about the pending “shared custody” on Tuesday, April 12 at 3 p.m. in the community room of the Wayland Public Safety (38 Cochituate Rd., Wayland.) Featured speakers will be Isabelle Thacker, staff attorney at The Second Step, and Jenna Birkett, community advocate at REACH Beyond Domestic Violence.

SB 834/HB 1207 (An Act Relative to Child-Centered Custody), currently in the legislature’s Joint Committee, would impose changes on how child custody and visitation is decided in the event if divorce  laws (see this Boston Globe article). Advocates for survivors of domestic violence are among those who have voiced their opposition to this bill. Additionally, the Boston Bar Association and the Women’s Bar Association have redlined the bill, and the Massachusetts Bar Association has voiced its opposition to the bill in its entirety. Join legal experts and domestic violence advocates for a discussion of the proposed legislation and the potential impact on families struggling with domestic violence. This program is free and open to the public.

Apple orchard pruning at Gropius House

Volunteer to help revitalize the Baldwin apple trees at the Gropius House (68 Baker Bridge Rd.,) Lincoln by helping with spring pruning in the orchard on Thursday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to noon. Training by landscape manager Ezra Friedman, work gloves and tools will be provided. Required gear for working in the orchard’s meadow include tall shoes or boots, long pants, and a sun hat or rain gear depending on weather conditions. Light refreshments and tour to follow from noon-1 p.m. To register, call Shannon Ryan at 617-994-5952.

New series invites residents to create their own ‘third age’

seniorsThis spring, the Lincoln Council on Aging invites residents to create their own “third age” (life after 60) their way with a new series of presentations and discussions that meets their individual needs physically, emotionally, spiritually and legally.

While everyone is encouraged to attend all the sessions since they interrelate, residents are also welcome to come to only those presentations they wish to. The programs will feature plentiful opportunities for small and large group discussion. There is no need to sign up, except for the introductory lunch on April 8, and all programs are free.

The series will kick off on Friday, April 8 at noon with a sandwich lunch provided by Newbury Court and continue through June 10 with seven programs on a wide variety of topics. Those who would like lunch on April 8 should call the COA at 781-259-8811 to reserve their place. All programs will be held at Bemis Hall. The full schedule is as follows:

Living your purpose—your reason for being
The Rev. Lilian J. Warner, Newbury Court chaplain
Friday, April 8 – lunch at 12 p.m., presentation at 12:30 p.m.

Teaching the mind and body to communicate
Arthur Gleiner, MD and Amanda McLain, MD
Friday, April 15 at 12:30 p.m.

Regular exercise is good medicine for mind and body
Terri Zaborowski, certified group fitness instructor
Thursday, April 21 at 2:15 p.m.

Readying your legal toolbox in case of the unexpected
Sasha Golden, elder law attorney
Friday, April 22 at 12:30 p.m.

Making and communicating about tough end-of-life decisions
Sally Pastorik, Brookhaven Hospice
Friday, May 13 at 12:30 p.m.

Creating independence at home with in-home services and technology
Hector Montesino, Deaconess Abundant Life Services
Friday, May 20 at 12:30 p.m.

Living in a small space and loving it
Lyn Spaeth, Transformations (home staging and interior redesign)
Friday, June 10 at 12:30 p.m.

“Life in the ‘third age’ has unique challenges, but also new opportunities for pursuing new skills and interests and being with family and friends,” said COA Director Carolyn Bottum. “Truly, your experience is largely determined by whether you look at life through a positive or negative lens, how you take care of your health, and how well prepared you are for the unexpected. This series is designed to give people the information they need to have the best ‘third age’ possible while also offering lots of time for discussion to share wisdom and life experiences with others.”

For more information, call the COA at 781-259-8811.

Residents vote to try for school funding again

schoolBy Alice Waugh

The town will apply for the fourth time for state funding for a comprehensive school building project after residents overwhelmingly voted to authorize it at Town Meeting on March 19.

A year ago, residents authorized the third application to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) and to set aside $750,000 for a feasibility study in the event that the Lincoln School was invited into the funding pipeline. However, the MSBA turned down Lincoln’s request in December 2015, and a 2013 application was also turned down. The MSBA gave conditional funding in 2012 but the project failed to win residents’ support.

Last summer, in a visit that state Sen. Michael Barrett helped to arrange, numerous officials from both the MSBA and the town toured the school to see the facilities issues first-hand. Although this year’s funding bid was ultimately unsuccessful, the MSBA “assured us that our statement of interest that was thorough and they understood the needs of our building,” said School Committee chair Jennifer Glass. “I believe we made a pretty compelling case that day that we had come together as a town.”

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 in December, though more are expected to be invited in later this year, Glass said.

MSBA officials told Glass and Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall that last year’s funding applicants included many schools that were faced with overcrowding or the possible loss of accreditation because of their physical condition, Glass said, adding that they encouraged Lincoln to apply again.

“Partnering with the MSBA is fiscally responsible and we believe it’s worth the wait,” she said.

A vote against Article 28 (pursuing MSBA funding again) and a “yes” vote on Article 29 would have authorized the town to spend last year’s $750,000 allocation on a feasibility study for a project funded solely by the town.

Glass acknowledged that there was no guarantee that the MSBA would invite Lincoln into the funding process next year, raising the question of when Lincoln should turn to its own resources.

“There’s not a clear answer as to that deadline—it’s a topic we struggle with,” she said. “But for right now, we can afford to be patient… the building certainly has its deficiencies, but it’s not going to fall on our heads, and we’re going to keep it safe.”

In the past couple of years, the school’s most urgent facilities needs have been funded by appropriations from the Capital Planning Committee. “We have had a few projects that really were dire,” McFall said, referring to a project last year that replaced electric switching gear, “so we’ve taken back the fear that the electrical system would go down and we would not be able to restart it again,” she said. “It backed us off the cliff a bit,”

SImilarly, there were fears that the smokestack outside the Brooks auditorium was in danger of falling gown, but money was allocated to inspect it and perform some repairs, “so we’re assured we’ll get through at least the next couple of years, and we’ll keep inspecting it,” McFall said.

The school roof is on ongoing concern. “Whenever we have a rainstorm, the buckets come out. It’s not going to fall in, but it leaks consistently,” McFall said.

Not everyone in agreement

But a few residents at the meeting were not in favor of applying for state funding yet again.

“I’m not particularly comfortable with that,” said Adam Greenberg. “The MSBA has its own view of things that may not include Lincoln in a year. I find this merry-go-round where we keep grabbing for the MSBA brass ring to be unsuccessful. I don’t see this as a way forward in a realistic sense.”

Greenberg suggested applying one more time but then planning to pursue a different course if the town is unsuccessful with the MSBA once again.

“To have the strongest case, we need to show that we recognize that [passing Article 28] is the way forward to achieving both facilities and educational needs,” Glass said. “I think it’s really important right now to show we understand how important help from the state is, and that’s what will make it a viable project.”

“The message from town needs to be overwhelming in favor of Article 28,” said Vincent Cannistraro, who urged a “resounding no” on Article 29 as well. “I don’t feel passing over 29 goes far enough,” he said. If it looked like residents were willing to go it alone without state funding, “what would you do if you were the MSBA? I think the message needs to be consistent,” he said.

Cannistraro’s position was an evolution from his stance in 2014, when he ran against incumbent Selectman Peter Braun. At the time, citing his construction background, he disputed the notion that a new school would cost $50 million and repairs would cost $30-$40 million.

It would be wrong to send the message that “we’re not even going to try without state help,” another resident said. “I can imagine then passing us over again. I don’t think we should be waiting to find out whether we can possible get help from the government. I would find it hard to believe that if we don’t get [a funding invitation] next year, we’re going to get it again” the following year, she said.

Last week, the Board of Selectmen as well as the Finance, Capital Planning and School Committees unanimously recommended passage of Article 28.

“We’ve got to show patience and tenacity here,” Selectman Noah Eckhouse said. “As a matter of history, we got invited [into the funding process] before we were really ready” in 2012.

Residents will get to vote on school configuration

One reason for 2012 school project’s failure to garner the necessary two-thirds majority is that many residents objected to the new layout of the school and campus in the “preferred option” approved by the MSBA. However, “the MSBA did not impose anything on us,” Glass said.

The town’s feasibility study identified 11 different options for the school, and for reasons of construction phasing and greater energy efficiency, “there was sort of a fork in the road” where the School Building Committee (SBC) opted to go with a different building configuration,” Glass said.

“A major mistake we made in 2012 was that when the SBC was trying to decide between different directions, there were outreach and information sessions, but no formal town vote saying ‘A or B, what do you like?’ and then we’d give it to MSBA,” Glass said. This time, “whatever process we’re in, we will not go forward with a preferred option until we have come to the town and said, ‘Here are some choices; let’s collectively agree on that concept before we get into final details of design’.”

“It’s not just about the money,” Cannistraro said. “If the town went on its own with the Lincoln Way, we’d finish three years later and that $30 million would turn into $60 million in a heartbeat and we wouldn’t get something as nice.” When it comes to building schools, “that’s [the MSBA’s] area of expertise and that’s the most important reason we need the.”