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

Lincoln Dems to caucus for state convention

democrat_donkey_logoThe Lincoln Democratic Town Committee (LDTC) caucus for election of delegates and alternates to the June 4 Massachusetts Democratic State Convention will take place on Saturday, Feb. 20 starting at 9:30 a.m. in Bemis Hall. All Lincoln registered Democrats can attend, vote, and be elected; membership in the LDTC is not a prerequisite.

The Lincoln Presidential Candidate Forum scheduled for the same day has been cancelled, but Lincoln residents are welcome to attend a forum in Weston on February 20 starting at 2 p.m. in the Weston Community Center (20 Alphabet Lane). Guest speakers will be State Senator Michael Barrett; former attorney general and gubernatorial candidate Martha Coakley, speaking for Hillary Clinton; and State Senator Jamie Eldridge, speaking for Brnie Sanders.

For more information about either event, please contact Gary Davis at 781-259-0318 or garyddavis04@gmail.com.

Cambridge Trust Co. closings its doors

CTClogoBy Alice Waugh

Starting in May, there will be one fewer bank in Lincoln—Cambridge Trust Co. will be closing its Lincoln branch as of April 29.

The company made “a difficult decision” to close the branch, said Rob Siegrist, senior vice president and marketing director for Cambridge Trust Co. “But we recognize that transaction patterns have changed in branches with the increasing use of online and mobile. Opening and closing branches is pretty much a natural part of what institutions do.”

Employees at the Lincoln branch have all been offered jobs at other branches, Siegrist said. Also, even after it closes its doors in town, Cambridge Trust will continue its its charitable activities in Lincoln, including its community service day at the Food Project.

Cambridge Trust has upgraded the checking accounts of Lincoln customers have been upgraded for a year to allow them to use any bank’s ATM without a fee. “We’re trying to ease that transition a little bit for them,” Siegrist said, noting that the bank also has branches in Concord, Weston and Lexington.

The building, which also houses Barrett Sotheby’s International Realty, is owned by 152 Lincoln Road LLC of Dover, Mass., and managed by William Barrett (no relation). “I have no clue” what will replace Cambridge Trust, whose 15-year lease ends October, as he had only recently learned of the development.

Ideally, another bank would occupy the 3,500-square-foot space, which was built specifically for Cambridge Trust in 2001 with a drive-up window, safe deposit boxes and a vault, according to Barrett, who bought the building from the developer in 2002.

Balancing act (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Lincoln resident and Birches School fourth- grader Atticus Borggaard balances on a fallen tree in the conservation land behind the Birches School during a nature play afternoon. (Photo submitted by Cecily Wardell)

Lincoln resident and Birches School fourth-grader Atticus Borggaard balances on a fallen tree in the conservation land behind the Birches School during a nature play afternoon. (Photo submitted by Cecily Wardell)

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.

News acorns

acornLincoln Lab to be modernized

The Department of Defense plans to begin a multi-year modernization of MIT’s Lincoln Labs that will amount to an investment at least $265 million investment in the facilities, the Worcester Telegram reported.

“Through its robust work and partnership with Hanscom Air Force Base, Lincoln Lab is advancing breakthrough technologies, keeping our armed forces safe, and powering our innovation economy with hundreds of high-tech jobs. I’m grateful that the Air Force is committed to strengthening the work of Lincoln Labs with these new investments,” State Rep. Katherine Clark said in a statement.

Polito to appears at next HATS meeting

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito will make remarks at the next meeting of the Hanscom Area Towns Committee (HATS) on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Town Office Building. SHe is expected to discuss Hanscom Air Force Base and the Military Assets Task Force as well as the Municipal Modernization Act, among other topics. The meeting will also feature updates on the two state highway projects on Route 2.

Letter to the editor: Minuteman offers an ‘invaluable experience’

letter

To the editor:

I’m writing in support of Lincoln’s membership and involvement in Minuteman High School, including their plans for a new facility.

My oldest daughter attended Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School for her freshman and sophomore years. During the end of that second year, we determined that L-S wasn’t an appropriate placement for her. It was such a relief to have Minuteman right next door, which she attended for her junior and senior years. We were thrilled when she graduated as a National Merit Scholar and a certified preschool teacher in June 2011. Since her graduation, she’s been employed either part-time or full-time as a preschool teacher while she’s attended four year colleges either full or part-time, respectively.

The bottom line is that Minuteman was an invaluable experience for her, providing her with confidence and a career. I encourage Lincolnites to embrace the school and its varied offerings.

Sincerely,

Carol Kochmann
9 Brooks Hill 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: CapComm recommends Minuteman withdrawal

letter

To the editor:

Tonight, the Vocational Education Options Working Group will be holding a public forum to discuss their findings and offer the opportunity to ask questions about Lincoln’s vocational education options in advance of the upcoming Special Town Meeting. I encourage you to attend the meeting and learn about the various options and their implications.

[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: CapComm recommends Minuteman withdrawal

Letter to the editor: Barrett’s bill is a ‘first step’ toward climate accord

letter

To the editor,

In early December, a letter was published in the Lincoln Squirrel highly critical of Sen. Michael Barrett’s legislative bill S1747–An Act Combating Climate Change. The goal of this bill is to reduce the use of fossil fuels understood by the vast majority of citizens and scientists around the world to be a primary cause of climate change.

By coincidence, a week after this critical letter was published, 195 countries from around the world met at the Paris Climate Change Conference and unanimously adopted an agreement that documents the role of fossil fuel emissions from human use as the primary cause of climate change. With the bill as proposed by Sen. Barrett, Massachusetts will join a few other states and countries in a leadership role promoting real steps to reduce the use of fossil fuels, the guiding principle of the Paris Accord.

For the first time, enlightened representatives from around the entire world have agreed, and have committed to specific steps and goals to lower greenhouse gas emissions as the primary means of reducing the dramatic effects of climate change. The world has already witnessed rising sea levels, increasing global temperatures, loss of polar and glacier ice, severe droughts, flooding, more destructive storms, as well as food and water shortages.

A world committed to reduced and ultimately eliminated use of fossil fuels will also find a more sustainable economic future in development of renewable energy sources and innovative production means. Legislation like Sen. Barrett’s bill is a first step that must be taken if the goals of the Paris Accord are to be achieved.

Sincerely,

Gary Davis
20R Indian Camp Lane

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.