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

Residents invited to get greener with free home energy assessment

solarThe Green Energy Committee (GEC) and the town of Lincoln are sponsoring the Lincoln Energy Challenge, a new residential initiative to help reduce overall energy use and save money on energy costs. The ultimate goal is to decrease Lincoln’s residential energy use 10 percent by 2020.

Thanks to government incentives and advances in technology, many new energy-saving options have become available. Volunteers from the Green Energy Committee have examined these options, many in their own homes, and want to share this knowledge with other residents to:

  • Reduce home energy consumption
  • Increase use of “greener” sources of electricity, particularly solar and wind
  • Consider rooftop solar panels or community solar options

As a first step, the GEC and the Town of Lincoln have selected Next Step Living (NSL), the largest provider of home energy assessments in New England, to coordinate outreach to our residents and offer free assessments. The committee conducted a competitive bidding process to select NSL to implement the program. The goal is for 300 Lincoln residents to complete a no-cost home energy assessment by April 2017 and to implement home improvement projects like air sealing, insulation, and furnace, boiler or appliance upgrades with the help of state-incentivized rebates. While many homes may have had energy assessments, residents are encouraged to get a revised assessment if more than two years have passed.

A home energy assessment takes just a few hours and includes on-the-spot improvements such as no-cost energy-efficient LED light bulbs and water-saving devices for faucets and shower heads. Each measure identified in an assessment reduces the amount of energy used in a home. If Lincoln residents implement the recommended measures, NSL estimates that the total savings will exceed $28,000 per year.

To schedule a free Home Energy Assessment, call 800-769-2864 or visit www.LincolnEnergyChallenge.com. For questions email Lincoln Green Energy Committee member Sue Klem at susan.m.klem@gmail.com.

Volunteer/work opportunities in Lincoln

gardeningWork in gardens at Codman Estate

Volunteer alongside Historic New England’s staff experts and members to care for and learn about historic gardens and landscapes at the Codman Estate. Work includes seasonally appropriate tasks such as weeding the gardens and paths, dividing plants, planting new materials, removing invasive species and other cleanup activities. You may choose ongoing participation or just try it out for a day. Garden volunteers get a $10 discount on a family membership to Historic New England. A special appreciation gathering will be hosted in September followed by a tour of the Codman Historic House Museum.

Volunteer days are on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon on April 20, May 18, June 15, July 20, August 17, September 21 and October 1 (meet at the Italian Garden). Sign up online in advance or call the Codman Estate at 617-994-6690.

COA needs volunteer drivers

The Council on Aging needs LINC drivers to transport older residents to medical appointments, essential shopping, and to the COA for services and activities, as well as Meals on Wheels drivers to deliver meals to homebound residents. LINC drivers drive one day per month, transporting to destinations in Lincoln and surrounding towns or drivers may be substitutes, driving only occasionally.  Meals on Wheels drivers drive one or more days per month, picking up meals in Concord and then delivering them to several residents. If you are interested in learning more about any of these opportunities, please call the COA at 781-259-8811 and speak with Pamela Mizrahi or Carolyn Bottum.

Volunteer at Minute Man National Historic Park

At Minute Man National Historical Park, there are many different volunteer opportunities from which to choose: visitor center guide, North Bridge interpreter, education program assistant, Battle Road trail guide, witness house guide, living history interpreter, interpretation intern, and trail cleanup crew, to name a few. For more information and how to apply, see the MMNHP volunteer web page.

Gropius House seeks paid guides

Historic New England seeks a seasonal part-time guide to work at the Gropius House. Guides will conduct tours and assist with daily museum operations including tour admissions, museum shop, and opening and closing the museum. Training is provided. Applicants should enjoy working with the public, have an interest in history, and have basic computer skills. Must be available weekends and have a flexible schedule. Please send résumé and cover letter to GropiusHouse@HistoricNewEngland.org. Note: If you are applying for a guide position at more than one Historic New England property, please indicate this in your cover letter. People of color are encouraged to apply. Historic New England is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.

Planning Board candidate #3: Jennifer Morris Gundy

ballotEditor’s note: This is the third of three articles on candidates for the Lincoln Planning Board, which has three candidates running for two seats. We featured Steve Gladstone on Thursday and Margaret Olson on Friday. Olson’s piece initially omitted her address and cell phone number, which have since been added.

Jennifer Morris Gundy

To the editor:

My husband, Walter Gundy, and I came to town 24 years ago, just before our third son was born. We loved living in Cambridge, but were outgrowing our condo. We knew Drumlin Farm, Walden and the trails of Lincoln and were delighted to find a home we could afford here. All our boys attended Lincoln Schools. Two went on to L-S and the other to an alternative school in Brookline.

When we arrived, we owned an entertainment lighting business in Somerville with three partners. I was involved in planning and delivering installations for many large theaters and hotels, and became familiar with construction permitting processes and documentation. Later, I left the company to pursue an opportunity in media design and marketing that made fewer travel demands. In 2005 I enrolled at Simmons School of Management to earn an MBA, concentrating on sustainability and entrepreneurship. After graduating, I continued to work as an independent consultant, which gave me more time to volunteer for school, Scouts and church activities, and to become involved with town affairs.

I joined the Lincoln Green Energy Committee in 2009, and was instrumental in developing public forums and achieving Green Communities designation for Lincoln. In 2011, I helped launch a SolarizeMass initiative, in collaboration with Wayland and Sudbury, and served as solar coach. I’m proud that we have been able to apply over $400,000 of grant funding to make Lincoln more energy efficient, and to help add over 300kW of solar power to our energy portfolio. We achieved a great deal, and I believe I can use the knowledge and experience I acquired to help the Planning Board become more effective as well.

Lincoln will be facing several significant decisions within the next three years. We already have plans in place including a Comprehensive Long-Term Plan, a Campus Master Plan, and a Lincoln Station Planning Study to help guide those. However, changing circumstances may force us to take a close look at priorities and see that specific actions are taken to fulfill those plans. In particular, the loss of commercial tenants such as Cambridge Trust Company is going to put pressure on our ability to achieve the vision for Lincoln Station. I believe we need to accelerate processes and motivate compatible developers to work with us in creating a unique and vibrant commercial center that can serve to maintain the diversity in our community and help us feel better connected.

We have a new Planning Director, Jennifer Burney, in place, which should enable the board to focus on policies and policy implementation that produce results for the community as a whole. I’ll be guided by a line from Bob Lemire, a past Conservation Commission chair, who wrote in his book Creative Land Development: Bridge to the Future: “In Lincoln, we build what needs to be built, and save what needs to be saved.”

Sincerely,

Jennifer Morris Gundy
8 Bowles Terrace
781-572-4423 (mobile)
www.jenniemorris.com

Seeing eye to eye (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Harold McAleer encountered this tufted titmouse giving him the eye.

Harold McAleer encountered this tufted titmouse giving him the eye (though despite his shape, this is not an Angry Bird).

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.

Planning Board candidate #2: Margaret Olson

ballotEditor’s note: This is the second of three articles on candidates for the Lincoln Planning Board, which has three candidates running for two seats. Yesterday, we featured Steve Gladstone, and on Saturday we will feature Jennifer Morris Gundy. Next week we will have an article about Board of Selectman candidate James Craig, who is running unopposed for the seat of Noah Eckhouse, who is stepping down. The town election is Monday, March 28.

Margaret Olson

To the editor:

I am writing to ask for your support in the upcoming election for Planning Board. I have lived in town since 1998, served on both the ZBA and for the past three years on the Planning Board. The work of the planning board is very important to the long-term health of the town in terms of both preserving and continuing the land stewardship values that make Lincoln so special and the health of our small commercial area at Lincoln Station.

Here is a brief overview of the major issues that the Planning Board will be facing over the next few years:

  • Regulation: Site plan review (SPR) has been the primary tool by which the town has sought to preserve the characteristics of our neighborhoods and road scape. As more and more houses have come under site plan review, we have been learning what its strengths and weaknesses are. As currently implemented, SPR takes up inordinate amounts of staff time and of course imposes a burden on homeowners seeking to make modifications to their properties. The board has worked over the past two years to streamline this process—to make it faster and more efficient while preserving the goals embodied in the regulation. We have more work to do here.
  • Commuter train: The commuter rail is an important amenity for residents working in Cambridge and Boston. As the commute by car into Boston and Cambridge continues to become longer and more difficult, the commuter rail will become even more essential. Currently, Lincoln is listed on the Metropolitan Area Planning Council site as an example of an “undeveloped station” (see page 31-32). As the MBTA pushes to reduce costs and compress schedules, Lincoln is vulnerable to reduced schedules. This will not only impact residents, but has already had a negative impact on the ability of the businesses in the Lincoln Station area to attract and retain employees. We need to find a way to keep or increase ridership in a manner that has a positive impact on the town and provides sufficient MBTA parking.
  • South Lincoln/Lincoln Station: For many residents, Donelan’s and the other Lincoln Station businesses are critical to the community; they are convenient and local. The economic changes of the last 20 years have not been kind to small local business areas. With a mix of attention to the train station and some creative planning we can keep Lincoln Station healthy and vibrant, but it will require considerable planning.
  • Complete streets: “Complete streets” is a term used to describe a street that is friendly to pedestrians, bicyclists and cars. On too many Lincoln roads, walking is not safe, and it’s particularly not safe at rush hour. We’ve gone to great lengths to preserve the rural feel of our roadsides, but too often we are enjoying that only from a car window. “Complete Streets” is a state initiative from which the Planning Board may be able to secure funding to help the town apply multiple strategies (not necessarily sidewalks or roadside paths).

Please continue make Lincoln a great and special place to live. I ask for your support and vote on March 28th.

Sincerely,

Margaret Olson
17 Boyce Farm Rd.
781-392-4403
margaret@margaretolson.com (mobile)

News acorns

Kids and staff enjoying Farrington Nature Linc.

Kids and staff enjoying Farrington Nature Linc.

Learn about Farrington Nature Linc

This year in Lincoln, nearly 2,000 city children experienced the peace and freedom of nature with the Nature Linc project at Farrington’s 75 acres just off Route 2 (see the Lincoln Squirrel, April 17, 2015). Nature Linc provides a connection to the natural world for children who otherwise might never have a chance to go sledding, run barefoot through the grass, or walk quietly where they can see nothing man-made. Come learn more about this venture in our own backyard on Monday, March 7 from 12:30–1:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall for the COA Lincoln Academy program about Farrington Nature Linc. Trustee Susan Taylor, Executive Director Wendy Matusovich, and Program Director Brianne Studer will share stories and slides of the past, present and future plans for Farrington, its vision, mission and strategies.

Revolutionary War reenactors at Muster Day March 19
Revolutionary War reenactors at a previous muster.

Revolutionary War reenactors at a previous muster.

On Muster Day—Saturday, March 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.—dozens of volunteer colonial and British reenactors from New England will fall in for inspection at Minute Man National Historical Park‘s visitor center (250 North Great Rd.). The National Park Service has invited reenactment groups to the park for an inspection of arms and accouterments to facilitate Patriots Weekend events in April. At Muster Day, guests can meet and talk with reenactors as well as take photos and record video. Commemorating the actions of the “embattled farmers” who risked their lives and livelihoods is what the Patriot’s Day celebration is all about.

Companies of colonial minutemen and British regiments, with many volunteers traveling a great distance, will participate. Last year, approximately 7,000 spectators attended the event. For the Battle Road event, dozens of British and colonial reenactors will stage a running battle demonstration along a half-mile of the original Battle Road that has been restored by the National Park Service. For more information, call 978-318-7833 or email phil_lupsiewicz@nps.gov.

Planning Board candidate #1: Steve Gladstone

ballotEditor’s note: This is the first of three articles on candidates for the Lincoln Planning Board, which has three candidates running for two seats. Tomorrow will feature incumbent Margaret Olson and Saturday will feature Jennifer Morris Gundy. Next week we will have an article about Board of Selectman candidate James Craig, who is running unopposed for the seat of Noah Eckhouse, who is stepping down. The town election is Monday, March 28.

Steve Gladstone

To the editor:

I would like to announce my candidacy for one of the vacant seats on Lincoln’s Planning Board.

Having joined the Lincoln community nine years ago, my wife Susan and I are still relative newcomers to a town whose founding families still enrich our community.  It has been a real pleasure to become ever more closely involved with townsfolk, governance, and of course the landscape.

Soon after our arrival, I was in a position to serve on the Facilities Coordinating Committee. Identifying usage patterns, availability, capabilities and limitations of our core meeting spaces led to deeper engagement in the town’s management and social processes. Most recently I was selected as one of the three at-large members of the Community Center Study Committee.

Professionally, I have applied two science master’s degrees as Director of Research Operations at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) for 22 years, where I was part of the management team responsible for an interdisciplinary academic/clinical research enterprise with a $325 million budget. As a director in BIDMC’s Office of Science and Technology, I was intimately involved in budgeting, strategic planning, space allocation, and implementation of diverse critical functions. I am now part of the management team at a pharmaceutical startup in Cambridge.

Lincoln enjoys a distinct rural character unique among towns so near Boston. It is a fundamental aspect of our special town spirit, one that deserves to be maintained, to “Keep Lincoln, Lincoln.” We must and will change as times change.  This mindfully managed evolution is one of my core values. The Planning Board and Town should and must be open to new ideas and concepts as they blend with this guiding principle.

Volunteers are the backbone of Lincoln’s community spirit. It is exciting to continue my involvement in Town affairs by offering my candidacy for the Planning Board.  It is my hope that this note gives the voters of Lincoln some familiarity with me personally, and with my professional background.  Please call or email me with your thoughts, questions, or concerns—or join me for coffee at the Whistle Stop.  And please DO vote, DO volunteer and DO get involved in this exceptional town!

Sincerely,

Steve Gladstone
67 Winter St.
steve.gladstone@gmail.com

News acorns

pancakesSap to Syrup Breakfast on March 12-13

Maple sugaring season started a few weeks early at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, giving us the perfect opportunity to reap the benefits of a warm winter at the annual Sap-to-Syrup Farmer’s Breakfast on March 12 and 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feast on hearty pancakes with local maple syrup, as well as Drumlin Farm sausage and home fries. Diners are welcome to stay at the farm for as little or as long as they’d like and enjoy special maple-themed activities:

  • Visit Drumlin Farm’s maple grove and see sugaring in progress
  • Learn about traditional sap-to-syrup techniques
  • Sample and take home Drumlin Farm’s very own maple syrup

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for children age 2+ (free for children under 2). Register online or by calling 781-259-2206.

“40 Years of Community in Lincoln” event gearing up

40 years fair logoThe Lincoln Council on Aging, Parks and Recreation Department, and the Lincoln Review are all turning 40 this year, and there will be a town-wide celebration with activities, food, performances, arts and crafts, and more on Saturday, April 30 from 1-4 p.m. in Pierce Park (rain date: May 1). Organizers have created this website to provide updates on planning and solicit individuals and town organizations who would like to offer an activity, serve food, or set up a display. Some of the activities already being planned include an obstacle course, an art and photo exhibit, a hayride and more.

Those who would like to participate should fill out this application, which is also available on the “40 Years of Community in Lincoln” website. Organizers also invite exhibits by artists who live in Lincoln or are affiliated with Lincoln-based art programs to fill out an artists’ application. Anyone with questions may call Carolyn Bottum (Council on Aging) at 781- 259-8811 or Dan Pereira (Parks and Rec) at 781-259-0784.

Honduras kids are latest recipients of Lincoln soccer gear

Two boys in xxx sport Lincoln Youth Soccer uniforms.

Two boys in Uganda sport Lincoln Youth Soccer uniforms. Photo: Sandy Storer

Lincoln Youth Soccer continues to (charitably) expand its brand among kids in other countries who are delighted to have used LYS uniforms and soccer equipment.

Honduras is the third country to receive donated LYS gear. Kids from Ethiopia and Uganda have previously gotten Lincoln Youth Soccer gear.

LYS treasurer Ted Charrette again spearheaded the latest drive, which tallied many types of equipment: 215 jerseys, 43 pairs of shorts, 65 pairs of socks, 18 pairs of shin pads, 30 pairs of cleats, 17 balls, and an assortment of goalie jerseys, shorts, gloves and miscellaneous supplies.

Roughly half the items were given to Suzanne Burgos, a Vermont resident who is active in ACTS Honduras and will ferry the items to a remote region in northeastern Honduras. The rest was given to Sandy Storer, the Lincoln resident who kicked off the long-term effort by distributing gear in Uganda. LYS gear will be used in a Uganda tournament run by Fund a Field, which has distributed almost 12,000 uniforms, socks, cleats, balls and more, according to its website.

Kasich winners clustered around Lincoln

donkey-and-elephantMany of the 16 Massachusetts towns that went for John Kasich in the March 1 Republican primary are mostly in the Lincoln area but also include Amherst, Brookline, Cambridge and Wenham as well as Egremont and Mount Washington on the state’s western border, according to a map published by the Boston Globe on March 2.

Donald Trump won the Massachusetts Republican primary with 49.3 percent of the vote, followed by Kasich (18 percent), Rubio (17.8 percent), Cruz (9.6 percent) and Carson (2.6 percent).

On the Democratic side, the Globe reported that Hillary Clinton captured a large swath of towns in the Boston suburbs as well as some on the south shore, western Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Statewide, she won 50.1 percent of the Democratic vote vs. 48.7 percent for Sanders.