Doris Garabedian Carlson, 88 (November 13, 2015) — resident of The Commons
Steven Lo, 97 (December 6, 2015) — architect and MIT alumnus
Allanson Sturgis, 96 (December 12, 2015) — teacher and part-time Lincoln Police officer
Codman Farm has new farming family
Pete and Jen Hashley and their two-year-old son Abraham. (Photo courtesy Angela Klempner Photography)
Editor’s note: This is an edited version of an item that appeared in the most recent Codman Community Farms member newsletter.
The new year brings new faces and changes to Codman Community Farms (CCF) with the arrival of Peter Lowy and Jennifer Hashley as the farm management team at Codman.
For the past decade, Pete and Jen have operated Pete and Jen’s Backyard Birds in Concord and Sudbury, growing vegetables and raising pasture-based livestock. They’ve moved their mini-store to CCF, so visitors will notice a new look at the Codman Farm Store, including a selection of Backyard Birds products alongside Codman’s. Pete and Jen are committed to growing high-quality, tasty food for Lincoln and surrounding communities, so they’ll be expanding production, revamping the Farm Store, and supplying area restaurants and farm stands.
New Hanscom Middle School proceeding on schedule
This 2014 sketch of the planned new Hanscom Middle School will have “neighborhoods” of classrooms with shared central space.
Construction of the new Hanscom Middle School is on schedule and expected to be completed this spring.
“Education has changed a lot since the old schools were built 60 years ago. This new space will allow us to teach with 21st-century methods,” said Erich Ledebuhr, Hanscom Middle School principal. “The setup of the building is different as it is not the traditional classroom-by-classroom setting. There are a lot of common and open spaces—the design of the building was built around a common indoor space in the center of the school with classrooms surrounding that.”
In 2014, Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall offered examples of the school’s design features and a floor plan when making the case for educational enhancements to the Lincoln School.
The new school will feature indoor and outdoor learning areas, STEM-enabled classrooms (science, technology, engineering and math), and a building system with solar panels and rainwater harvesting for teaching. There are also two general-purpose rooms, a gymnasium, an information center, a computer lab, a science lab, a specialist room, music and art rooms, a classroom for learning-impaired students, and administrative offices.
Since breaking ground on the middle school project in June 2014, students have been educated in nearby temporary facilities. As the project nears completion, school officials are ramping up plans to move the primary school into the temporary facility over the summer so that work can begin on the new primary school, which is slated to open in September 2018. Once they’re both complete, the schools be connected and will share a cafeteria and kitchen.
Both schools were built in the late 1950s and have had several upgrades. The last major renovation/addition was in 1988 at the primary school.
All funding for the two projects—$34 million for the 85,000-square-foot, 310-student middle school and $36 million for the preK-3 elementary school designed for 450 students—is from the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity.
For Birches School, education is in their nature
By Alice Waugh
Lincoln’s Birches School, which opened four years ago with just five students, made the cover of the winter 2016 issue of Independent School magazine and is poised to add a sixth grade for 2016-17.
[Read more…] about For Birches School, education is in their nature
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Group forms to study vocational education possibilities
The newly formed Vocational Education Options Working Group will hold its second meeting on January 11 to explore options for Lincoln students in the event the town decides to withdraw from the Minuteman High School district.
At its first meeting on December 29, the group discussed its change and composition, with formal votes expected on Monday, Jan. 11 at 6 p.m. in the Selectman’s conference room. Members thus far are Selectman Peter Braun, Town Administrator Tim Higgins, Finance Committee member Laura Sander, Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall, and at-large member Patricia Mostue, a member of the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Committee.
The Board of Selectman decided to form the Vocational Education Options Working Group on December 21, the same night it scheduled a Special Town Meeting on February 23 at which Lincoln residents will vote on whether to withdraw from the Minuteman district and whether to ratify the new regional agreement. Students from Lincoln will still be able to enroll at Minuteman if the town withdraws, though they will not be guaranteed a spot.
Card still working on coffee shop/bookstore plan
Lincoln resident Richard Card is still looking for a location for his planned bookstore, coffee shop, and cocktail bar because the first site he had in mind fell through due to parking issues.
Blazes was hoping to work out a lease at 10 Lewis St. in part of the space owned by the Food Project, but the parking at that site wasn’t sufficient, he said. He declined to specify other possible sites. Card added that he has “investors who are very, very interested but haven’t signed anything yet,” but may do so once a site is secured for the business.
Letter to the editor: Wolf won’t run again for Planning Board
To the editor:
After serving two terms totaling 10 years on the Lincoln Planning Board, several times as chair or co-chair, my tenure is ending. As much as I have enjoyed these past years, I will not be seeking reelection in March. It is time for a newer, fresher resident to have a seat at the table.
[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: Wolf won’t run again for Planning Board
Letter to the editor: many Minuteman issues to mull
(Editor’s note: the most recent Lincoln Squirrel article about Minuteman can be found here.)
To the editor:
Minuteman High School has become an important topic of discussion here in Lincoln. On Tuesday, Feb. 23, we will have a Special Town Meeting at which we will be asked to decide if we want to remain in the Minuteman School District. There are many incredibly complex issues to be examined and an informed decision will require much thought, consideration, and understanding from all of us.
[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: many Minuteman issues to mull
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Matthew Swoveland
Swoveland speaks at domestic violence roundtable
The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable will host a discussion on “Reframing Masculinity: Vulnerability and Responsibility” on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room of the Goodnow Library (21 Concord Road, Sudbury). Featured speaker Matthew Swoveland will discuss ways to help boys and young men own both their strength and their vulnerability. Matthew is deputy director at The Second Step, where he leads programming to reach young survivors of domestic abuse, build their resiliency, and create bright futures. Previously, he was among the first men to take calls on the 24-hour hotline for the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center.
The session is a follow-on to the 2014 workshop entitled “What Should a Violence Prevention Program Look Like in Our Communities?” The program is free and open to the public. [Read more…] about News acorns
Letter to the editor: examine options, trade-offs for projects in 2016
To the editor,
As we approach the New Year, we have much to be thankful for and much to consider. Our form of governance—run by dedicated volunteers and an open town meeting where we all have an opportunity to shape our community life—is certainly something we should celebrate.
In early November, we had just such an opportunity at our annual State of the Town as we discussed moving forward with a much-needed school building and campus planning project. The State of the Town added important new information as the town advances planning our community campus for future generations. The information presented at the meeting was almost exclusively focused on traffic, parking, regulatory, and space (land) use choices, as this was the scope of the charge to the Campus Master Planning Committee (CMPC) and their consultant. Potential costs were briefly mentioned.
[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: examine options, trade-offs for projects in 2016
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Preschool event at library on Dec. 31
Preschoolers are invited to join us for “Movies and Muffins” with a screening of three short films based on beloved children’s books—The Snowy Day, Bear Snores On, and a mystery title—on Thursday, Dec. 31 at 10:30 a.m. Recommended for ages 2 and up; no advance signup necessary.
First Parish supports program for displaced Syrians
The First Parish in Lincoln’s (FPL) Outreach Committee is leading a drive to support the Karam Foundation, a Chicago-based nonprofit founded and largely directed by Syrian-Americans. Since 2011, Karam (Arabic for “generosity”) has been dedicated to delivering humanitarian and educational “smart aid” through donations and through its network of volunteers to displaced Syrian families within Syria and in neighboring countries. Karam’s programs have included provision of ambulances and supplies for teams rescuing victims of barrel bombs; support for an orphanage in Aleppo; provision of a safe and steady supply of infant formula and food baskets through a distribution center in northern Syria; provision of medical supplies to at-risk children and families; clothes drives for refugees in Syria, Jordan and Turkey; emergency aid for children and elderly in refugee camps at risk of malnutrition and disease; a small business initiative for displaced women artisans; a sponsorship program for individual Syrian refugee children; and support for a school in Turkey that includes leadership and Turkish language programs for teenagers.
If you’re interested in supporting this organization, please make a check payable to First Parish in Lincoln and mail to: First Parish in Lincoln, PO Box 6218, Lincoln, MA 01773-6218.
Free wellness clinics announced
Lincoln residents of all ages are invited to meet with a nurse to get your blood pressure checked, ask questions, or learn about wellness resources. These free clinics will be held at the Community Building at Lincoln Woods at 50 Wells Road from 10 a.m. to noon on January 8, February 5, and March 4. These clinics are funded by the Ogden Codman Trust and provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care. For more information, please call the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811.