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

Lincoln goes for Kasich, Clinton in presidential primary

Here are the unofficial returns from the March 1 presidential primary in Lincoln.

Republican primary
Precinct 1 Precinct 2 Total votes Total %
Kasich 158 84 242 36%
Rubio 114 66 180 27%
Trump 93 81 174 26%
Cruz 20 19 39 6%
Carson 6 10 16 2%
Bush 7 1 8 1%
Christie 1 0 1 —
Fiorina 1 0 1 —
Gilmore 1 0 1 —
Santorum 1 0 1 —
No preference,
blank, write-in		 4 3 7 1%
Totals: 406 264 670
Democratic primary
Precinct 1 Precinct 2 Total votes Total %
Clinton 748 388 1,136 60%
Sanders 470 287 757 40%
O’Malley 2 1 3 —
No preference,
blank, write-in		 1 1 2 —
Totals: 1,221 677 1,898
Ballots cast by party:
Democrat 1,898 74%
Republican 670 26%
Lincoln's voting precincts (click to enlarge)

Lincoln’s voting precincts (click to enlarge)

Letter to the editor: Minuteman withdrawal ‘unfortunate’

letter

To the editor:

As a result of the recent vote at Special Town Meeting, it is unfortunate Lincoln is leaving the Minuteman High School district. A 260,000-square-foot total-replacement school facility will be built on Lincoln land, without Lincoln as a member town.

While I am disappointed for Lincoln, I am thankful that students in remaining district towns are guaranteed the opportunity to contribute to the success of Minuteman High School in the advancement of computer science, robotics and other program areas.

Sincerely,

Judson B. Reece
50 Wells 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 Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

News acorns

Three Lincoln School students to perform in district music festival
Jada Edwards, Simon Perry and xxx will represent the Lincoln School at the xxx.

Jada Edwards, Simon Perry and Maria Hamandi will represent the Lincoln School at the MMEA Eastern District Junior Festival.

Lincoln School eighth-graders Jada Edwards and Simon Perry and seventh-grader Maria Hamandi were selected through a vigorous audition process to participate in the MMEA Eastern District Junior Festival at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School on March 4 and 5.

The program is offered by the Massachusetts Music Educators Association as an enrichment opportunity that brings together the top school musicians. Over 900 outstanding music students in grades 7-9 from 30 school districts auditioned on January 30, and less than half were accepted. Simon and Maria will represent the Lincoln School in the Mixed Chorus and Jada in the Treble Chorus. This is her second acceptance to the festival.

Film looks at new approaches to education

Come to the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School auditorium on Wednesday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. for a screening of the documentary Most Likely to Succeed. The film examines the history of education in the United States, revealing the growing shortcomings of conventional education methods in today’s innovative world, and explores compelling new approaches that aim to revolutionize teaching as we know it. The screening will be followed by a discussion and Q&A session.

Most Likely to Succeed follows students into the classrooms of High Tech High, an innovative new school in San Diego. There, over the course of a school year, two groups of ninth-graders take on ambitious, project-based challenges that promote critical skills rather than rote memorization. the film points to a transformation in learning that may hold the key to success for millions of our youth—and our nation—as we grapple with the ramifications of rapid advances in technology, automation and growing levels of income inequality.
Lotus Blossom to hold benefit for L-S Jamaica Jammin’

On Tuesday, March 8 from 5-9 p.m., the Lotus Blossom restaurant (394 Boston Post Road in Sudbury) will donate 20 percent of the total cost of each dine-in or take-out order when customers mention Jamaica Jammin’. In its 23rd year, this graduation party is where seniors can celebrate together in a safe, substance-free environment. The all-night chaperoned tradition helps to keep the graduates safe and off the roads on graduation night. In years past, there has been more than 94 percent participation of graduating students. Customers can dine in or place take-out orders by calling 978-443-0200. Just remember to say “Jamaica Jammin’” to support a safe graduation night.

Minuteman school district down to 10 towns

mm1By Alice Waugh

Boxborough and Weston voted last week to withdraw from the Minuteman High School district, whittling the final number of member towns from 16 to 10. The other towns that voted to withdraw are Lincoln, which voted on February 23; Carlisle, Sudbury and Wayland.

All 16 towns approved Minuteman’s revised regional agreement, which will take effect on July 1, 2017. As of that date, Lincoln and the other towns that withdrew will no longer have a seat on the Minuteman School Committee, but they are also not liable for debt service on the new school building (except for per-student fees they may pay as out-of-district towns).

“I’m sad to see some towns leave because the access that students have to high-quality career and technical education will be different going forward,” Minuteman Superintendent-Director Ed Bouquillon said. “On the other hand, I’m proud and pleased that after six years of attempting to revise the regional agreement, it’s a new day,” pending final approval from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, he added.

Minuteman is seeing a one-year increase of 22 percent in applications for 2016-17 from the 16 original member towns, Bouquillon said on Monday. The school had projected an increase of 8-9 percent, “which no one at town meetings believed,” he said. Future enrollment projections will depend on how many students are accepted and enrolled as of October 1, 2016, he added.

Some Lincoln residents at the February 23 Special Town Meeting expressed concern that Minuteman could reach its capacity some time after the new building opens. If that happens, applicants from Lincoln and the other towns that recently opted out will no longer have preference in admission over applicants from in-district towns.

Other towns such as Watertown and Everett have expressed interest in joining the Minuteman district, Bouquillon noted at the Special Town Meeting. However, if they did so, it wouldn’t have an immediate impact on overall enrollment because those towns already send students to the school as out-of-district students, he said.

Minuteman also announced on Monday that it had received a $500,000 state grant to launch a new Advanced Manufacturing and Metal Fabrication program. The money will be used to purchase 10 industry-standard machines and 15 ancillary training simulators including five mini mills, four CNC (computer numerical controlled) tool room lathes and one CNC lathe with Y axis.

The school will be ordering and installing equipment and designing the new program over the next several months and hopes to have initial course offerings in the fall. Advanced Manufacturing will be part of the new school’s Engineering, Construction and Trades Academy.

 

Letter to the editor: Sanders is on the ‘right side’ of questions

letter

To the editor:

In the lively and much appreciated discussion in the Squirrel on the Democratic candidates, I have seen people I respect supporting Hillary Clinton. While it would be historic to elect a woman president, I am concerned more about the rest of the history that will some day be written about the next four or eight years.

As a country, we are approaching turning points in several critical areas. Will we continue policies that generate income inequality and financial instability? Will we keep on pouring resources into being the world’s top cop? Will we come to grips with how we treat “those people,” be they black Americans or brown immigrants? Will we throw people out of the lifeboat of our heath care and safety net systems in order to keep them financially afloat?

From my perspective, Mr. Sanders is on the right side on all of these questions. He would take on the banks and question corporate-oriented trade agreements. He would show restraint in sending our troops into the world’s hot spots. He has been dedicated to civil rights his entire adult life. He would pursue rational, tested policies to assure effective and efficient health care.

Ms. Clinton, not so much. She is cozy with Wall Street, which is indebted to her husband for helping repeal the Glass-Steagall Act. Mr. Clinton also brought us corporate-friendly free trade with NAFTA, and Ms. Clinton was for the pending TPP trade agreement until grassroots opposition caused her to pause. As a senator, Ms. Clinton voted to invade Iraq, and as Secretary of State convinced President Obama to intervene in Libya. Despite her apparent popularity with African-Americans, her record on civil rights is checkered. On health and welfare issues, she speaks Washington-speak and favors policies that are yielding a slow-motion train wreck.

Pragmatic folks say the hill facing Mr. Sanders is just too steep. Well, as they say, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Or, perhaps more apropos to our locale, every revolution starts with a single shot. We did that once.  I’m for doing it again.

Sincerely,

Gary Taylor
2 Beaver Pond 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.

Clarification

moneyThe first paragraph of the article headlined “Town Meeting warrant article includes modest budget increase” incorrectly implied that the town’s proposed FY17 general budget total of $35,126,576 includes the amounts requested by the Capital Planning Committee and the Community Preservation Committee. The paragraph has been updated to more accurately reflect the allocation of funds.

Letter to the editor: Minuteman withdrawal ‘outrageously short-sighted’

letter

(Editor’s note: Antia is Lincoln’s representative on the Minuteman School Committee.)

To the editor:

I want to thank the 200 or so people that took the time to come to the Special Town Meeting last Tuesday evening. This was a huge commitment and possibly an imposition, but know that is was appreciated.

That does not necessarily mean I am happy with the results (see “Lincoln withdraws from Minuteman school district,” Feb. 27, 2016). Those of us who were at the meeting know I am concerned the children of Lincoln will soon be shut out of vocational/technical education. With virtually all the newly built voc/tech schools over capacity and enrollment rising at the other local vocational schools, we are going to be hard-pressed to find a seat for our children.

Most of us have heard Barack Obama tout the benefits of vocational/technical education, and some of us heard that in addition to the $45 million that Minuteman will receive from the MSBA for their new school, Gov. Baker has committed a $500,000 grant to the school which will be used to help launch the new advanced manufacturing and metal fabrication program.

This school is going to be a high school showcase for Massachusetts, right here in Lincoln. And in an effort to save approximately $33,000 a year, we voted to withdraw from the school district. I understand $33,000 is a lot of money. I also understand it is 0.09% of Lincoln’s proposed FY17 $35,126,576 budget. I am not alone in finding this to be outrageously short-sighted.

Sincerely,

Sharon Antia
165 S. 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.

Letter to the editor: gender, résumé not central to candidate support

letter

To the editor,

With all due respect for those who share a passion for and commitment to electoral politics, I must express my disappointment with any who would assume my support for any candidate would be dictated by gender or even a lengthy résumé (see comment to the February 24 letter to the editor). My support and enthusiasm is reserved for those that I believe to hold true to a north star, both in word and deed, and a candidate of unimpeachable character, regardless of race, color, creed, sexual orientation or gender.

A number of years ago, many of us rallied behind a candidate with little or no political experience on the national stage. But that candidate’s life choices reflected core values of a person dedicated to social and economic justice. The fact that this candidate might be the first president who was a person of color was also exciting, but not the determining factor for my support. That candidate was inspirational and aspirational and offered a vision of transformation that won my heart. That candidate, lacking experience and a lengthy résumé, was Barack Obama.

Now, we need to elect a candidate with a similar vision, and the capacity to excite and engage a new generation of voters who will help us elect a more collaborative Congress.

I find unimpeachable character, wisdom to see the catastrophic folly of the Iraq War, and the inspirational vision of Barack Obama in Bernie Sanders.

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.

Corrections to budget article

correction-smThe February 23 Lincoln Squirrel article originally headlined “Town Meeting warrant includes 3.1% hike for general budget” cited an incorrect figure for the current fiscal year 2016 budget, which is $34,940,266 and not $33,530,580 (the latter is actually the FY 2015 figure). The proposed budget for FY 2017 is $35,126,576, which represents a one-year increase of 0.5 percent, not 3.1 percent. The February 23 article has been updated and retitled “Town Meeting warrant includes modest budget hike” to reflect this correction.

The financial section and warrant for the March 2016 Annual Town Meeting are available here.

Letter to the editor: vote for Hillary Clinton on Tuesday

letter

To the editor:

This has been a remarkable campaign season. Let us celebrate the energy that flows from frustration with our governance in Washington and demands change. Let us also unite behind the candidate who can best preserve the progress we have made on health care, employment, civil rights, climate change, education, protecting consumers, foreign policy, diplomacy, Social Security, Medicare, women’s rights, equal pay, immigration and reducing the deficit.

There is so much more to be done, and Hillary Clinton is the one to do it. She understands the details of government process and possibility better than any of the candidates. She knows how to achieve positive change in a very difficult environment, and has the skill, sensitivity and strength to get it done.

The stakes could not be higher. The consequences of fear, destructive anger and division are palpable and deeply disturbing, at home and abroad. We are so fortunate to have such an experienced and thoughtful leader ready to be our President in these difficult times.

Please join us in supporting Hillary Clinton next Tuesday, March 1.

Sincerely,

Peter Pease, 40 Huckleberry Hill
Gary Davis, 20R Indian Camp Lane
Peter Georgiou, 126 Lexington Rd.
Jennifer and Andrew Glass, 11 Stonehedge
Sarah and Larry Holden, Weston Rd.
Avram Kalisky, 140 Lincoln Rd.
Rosemary and Jack Kerrebrock, 29 Boyce Farm Rd.
Ilana Newell, 75 Todd Pond Rd.
Al Schmertzler, 142 Chestnut Circle
Brigid and Gerald Sheehan, Giles Rd.
Barbara Slayter, 7 Trapelo 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.