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

Letter to the editor: be careful on Article 36

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To the editor:

Warrant Article 36 petitions Congress to enact “uniform national gun safety laws.” If such laws were enacted, it is likely that they would be significantly less restrictive than those of Massachusetts, and that Congress would invoke the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, thereby replacing Massachusetts gun laws with the weaker U.S. law. What a dream for the NRA; what a nightmare for Massachusetts.

Sincerely,

Michael R. Coppock
214 Aspen 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 Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.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: vote Gladstone for Planning Board

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(Editor’s note: there are three candidates for two seats on the Planning Board at the town election later this month. Links to their letters are at the end of this post.)

To the editor:

I would like to offer my strong support for Steve Gladstone, candidate for the Planning Board.

Steve served with me recently on the Community Center Study Committee, where his insight and thoughtful decision-making was critical to our weekly committee work, our findings and our 2015 written report to the town. He is highly intelligent, polite, a real pleasure to work with, and cares deeply about our town and its cultural and physical landscape.  We are all fortunate that Steve is willing to serve on this very important town board, and I hope that you will join with me in supporting him.

Penny Billings (former selectman, chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals, and chair of the Community Center Study Committee)
Lincoln 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 Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Correction

candle2The March 8 Obituaries article included an incorrect link and age in the obituary of Ray Tomlinson. The article has been updated to reflect this correction.

Town Meeting and election notes

Girl Scouts offer babysitting, food for Town Meeting attendees

The 7th-grade Girl Scouts are offering babysitting at the LEAP pod during Town Meeting on Saturday, March 19. Suggested donations are $25, as this is a fundraiser for the girls working towards a service trip. Please RSVP to mrkarty@yahoo.com or 954-471-1357 by Friday, March 18. All proceeds go to the troop. Also, stop by the 2nd-grade brownie table for freshly brewed coffee, snacks and baked goods beginning at 9 a.m., and grab a boxed lunch prepared by the 6th-grade junior Girl Scouts for only $10.

Learn about green energy

Looking for information on a home energy assessment, solar panels on your roof, or buying more of your electricity from renewable sources? Come to the Brooks auditorium lobby at Town Meeting and find members of Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee and Next Step Living on Saturday, March 19. Sign up any time for an energy assessment at LincolnEnergyChallenge.com or visit the Lincoln Green Energy Committee web page for more information.

Town election ballot

The town election will be on Monday, March 28 from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Smith gym (click on image to enlarge).

The 2016 town election ballot (click to enlarge).

The 2016 town election ballot (click to enlarge).

 

 

Letter to the editor: vote yes on Article 36

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To the editor:

We in Massachusetts are fortunate that our Commonwealth has one of the strongest set of gun safety regulations in the country, thanks to a law passed by our legislature in 2014. But one large loophole remains: it is impossible to prevent criminals and gun traffickers from buying or obtaining guns in other states with looser laws and bringing them over the state line to threaten our safety. That is why a group of concerned Lincoln residents have submitted Article 36 for your review at Town Meeting.

Article 36 does not include any specific gun or ammunition restrictions or other elements that might alarm responsible gun owners concerned about self-protection, hunting or sport. It simply asks our elected federal representatives to pass a federal law setting sensible gun safety standards for all states to prevent interstate gun trafficking and protect public health nationwide. Such a law would include elements from the Massachusetts law and/or similar laws passed recently in Connecticut and New York, which already have been judged constitutional by the courts.

I urge you to vote “yes” on Article 36 as one sensible step toward a safer and more civilized nation for us all.

Sincerely,

Joanna Hopkins
7 Linway 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.

Letter to the editor: Mattes seeks support as Bemis trustee

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To the editor:

I am writing to ask the citizens of Lincoln for your support of my candidacy for the Bemis Trust at the polls on Monday, March 28. (This year, the election follows our Annual Town Meeting by one week.) In the 1990s, I was honored to serve as a Bemis trustee.

The Bemis Trust is an example of the generosity of one of Lincoln’s luminaries: George Bemis. In 1892, Mr. Bemis provided money for “a new Town Hall in which shall be a room of sufficient capacity and proper construction for public lectures… and to provide an annual course of public lectures in said Hall of an instructive and elevating character,” resulting in the Bemis Free Lecture Series. In 1982, another generous Lincolnite, John Todd, left a bequest to complement the Bemis endowment and expand the charge to provide “entertainment and recreation.”

The series has brought the town together to be entertained and to both listen to and discuss important topics of the day. I would hope, if honored with election this year, to work with fellow trustees to continue that tradition and to continue the tradition of collaboration with other town organizations, both public and private. In my past life as a trustee, we worked with the Lincoln Public Schools and the PTO to bring programs to the classroom and the lecture hall. Who can forget the wolves of “Mission: Wolf” walking around a circle of children seated on the floor of the Smith gym!

We also co-sponsored, with the Rural Land Foundation (RLF) and Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, a memorable evening with Warren Flint, Sr., who shared stories of Lincoln and how our innovative land conservation efforts came to be. Also, the Bemis Trust worked with the Planning Board and the RLF to bring a weekend of events, culminating in several hundred Lincolnites coming together in an all-day charrette to dream and reimagine the future for our commercial retail center—brought to reality as The Mall at Lincoln Station.

The Bemis Trust has brought us memorable events over the years, and the current trustees have some exciting event planned for this spring and fall. I would be honored and delighted to join them for future planning. I ask for your consideration and your vote on Monday, March 28.

Sincerely,

Sara Mattes
71 Conant 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.

News acorns

musicmanMiddle schoolers perform “Music Man Jr.”

Come see “Music Man Jr.,” based on  the classic Broadway show and 1962 movie, in the Donaldson auditorium on Wednesday, March 16 at 3 p.m., and Thursday and Friday, March 17 and 18 at 7 p.m. The story follows the escapades of of a fast-talking salesman who masquerades as a traveling band leader and his plans to swindle the naive parents of a small Iowa town. Instead, he falls for the town’s librarian and risks everything to be with her. This production features a cast and crew of close to 70 students and has been supported by dozens of parent volunteers. Drama teacher Kristen Hall is the show’s director and producer. Musical direction is by music teacher Blake Siskavich and choreography by fifth-grade teacher Maurisa Davis. Tickets will be sold at the door: adults $10, students and seniors $5. Suitable for all ages.

Library/Aka Bistro discount

The Lincoln Public Library and AKA Bistro are offering a 10 percent food discount (drinks not included) for Lincoln residents with Lincoln Public Library cards. For more information, see the AKA Bistro website.

Environmental film festival from river group

OARS (a nonprofit group that works to protect, preserve, and enhance the natural and recreational features of the Assabet, Sudbury, and Concord Rivers and their watersheds) is hosting an evening of films from the largest environmental film festival in the nation on Wednesday, March 30 from 7-10 p.m. at Maynard’s Fine Arts Theatre Place (19 Summer St.) With the theme “A Change of Course,” these engaging films bring theater-goers close to magnificent wilderness, as well as to the people who work to protect their communities’ environment. Sixteen films ranging from 2 to 18 minutes will be shown. including “Denali,” “The Fable of the Wolf” and “The Accidental Environmentalist.” Tickets are $13 and may be purchased online, or contact OARS at 978-369-3956 or office@oars3rivers.org.

Holy Week services at Lincoln churches announced

easter1First Parish Church
  • Sunday, March 27 (Easter Sunday) – Ministerial intern Mandy Beal will lead an Easter sunrise service at 6:20 a.m. on Old Lexington Road at the top of the Flint fields. The Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti will preside over Easter Sunday services of reflection and worship at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the sanctuary at 4 Bedford Road. All are welcome.
St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields
  • Sunday, March 20 (Palm Sunday) – Holy Eucharist, 8 a.m.; Holy Eucharist with choir, 10 a.m.
  • Thursday, March 24 (Maundy Thursday) – Maundy Thursday service with foot-washing and stripping of the altar, 7 p.m.
  • Friday, March 25 (Good Friday) – Good Friday service, 12 p.m.; Good Friday family service, 4 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 26 (Holy Saturday) – The Great Vigil, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, March 27 (Easter Sunday) – Holy Eucharist with Choir at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
St. Joseph Church/St. Julia Church
  • Sunday, March 20 (Palm Sunday) – Masses at St. Joseph Church at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses at St. Julia Church at 9 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 5 p.m.
  • Thursday, March 24 (Holy Thursday) – Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:30 p.m. in St. Julia Church, followed by Eucharistic procession, prayer and adoration in the Parish Center until 9:30 p.m. No morning Masses.
  • Friday, March 25 (Good Friday) – Celebration of the Lord’s Passion (with Holy Communion)  at 7:30 p.m.  in St. Julia Church (no Mass on Good Friday). Stations of the Cross in St. Julia Church at 2 p.m. and St. Joseph Church at 3 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 26 (Holy Saturday) – Easter Vigil,  7:30 p.m.  in St. Julia Church (no morning Mass or 4 p.m. mass)
  • Sunday, March 27 (Easter Sunday) – Masses at St. Joseph Church at at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses at St. Julia Church at 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m., in church and hall at both times. No 5 p.m. Mass. Note: parishioners are urged encouraged to attend the 9 a.m. Mass at St. Joseph Church. It is being added for Easter Sunday only and is likely to be less crowded and lessen the overflow at the 10:30 a.m. Mass.

Letter to the editor: support gun law resolution at Town Meeting

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To the editor:

We have all been shocked at the horror of gun violence in America, shocked again at the refusal of Congress to enact responsible common sense gun safety regulations, and shocked a third time at the immoral resistance of the NRA leadership and the gun manufacturer’s lobby to any suggestion of more appropriate gun safety regulation even in the face of the horrific mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Warrant article 36 (see pg. 69 in the warrant) at the March 19 Town Meeting, which seeks support for “A Petition to the U S. Congress to Adopt a Uniform National Gun Safety Law Applying Equally to All States,” encourages our federal elected officials to pursue uniform national regulations to finally establish a more humane standard for gun safety applying equally to all states.

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Letter to the editor: Special-ed may not ‘make the cut’ at future Minuteman

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To the editor:

At the Special Town Meeting, Minuteman high School’s Dr. Ed Bouquillon presented a slide I initially thought was disingenuous and absurd. The slide showed Minuteman’s costs decreasing while costs at other voc/tec schools are rising. I later realized it may have been the most insightful slide presented that night.

We saw at the meeting that all three new vocational-technical (Chapter 74) schools in Massachusetts were undersubscribed before new construction and now have waiting lists. If the trend continues, and given this data on neighboring schools along with Gov. Baker’s commitment to vocational education, the new Minuteman school will soon be at capacity.

The new Minuteman High School is being built for 628 students, a significant decrease from the present number of 800. State regulation requires Chapter 74 schools to accept students based on a five-point evaluation process, with “in-district” students being given priority. Legally, schools cannot deny acceptance based on the student having an Individual Education Plan (IEP). However, given the smaller school size coupled with the increased demand, it is safe to say a large percentage of students with IEPs will be no longer make the cut. This is significant because as also noted at the meeting, Minuteman’s current student population includes 47 percent students with an IEP.

The decreasing percentage of students at Minuteman with IEPs will result in lower costs. This will start an interesting feedback loop: with a greater number of high-achieving students attending the school, more higher-achieving students will be attracted to the school, again reducing the number of students with special needs. Students with IEPs will either stay in their comprehensive high school or go to other Chapter 74 schools, increasing their costs while the top students are drawn to Minuteman.

It appears that the mid-2020s end game is Minuteman becoming an elite vocational-technical school focused on hands-on STEM education, attracting the top students while other voc-tech schools pick up the education and costs of students with a higher level of need—students who no longer make the cut at Minuteman. Lincoln students who have in the past benefited the most from attending Minuteman may no longer be eligible.

This brings us full circle to Dr. Bouquillon’s slide showing reduced costs at Minuteman and increasing costs at surrounding voc/tec schools. This is simple game theory (gentrification of vocational-technical education). How disappointing that no one, not even Minuteman, mentioned this likely outcome at the meeting. We in Lincoln will soon be left hosting an elite vocational-technical high school featuring hands-on STEM education and our children who traditionally had the most gain from attending Minuteman will not be able to participate.

Sincerely,

Bob Antia
165 South Great 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.