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

Letter to the editor: Be sure to attend State of the Town on Saturday

letter

To the editor:

We are about to engage in an important community conversation: The annual State of the Town meeting on Saturday Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Your participation is key to helping shape our future.

In an effort to expand opportunities for citizens to hear the current thinking of town boards and to provide feedback and guidance as elected and appointed officials shape ideas and budgets, the Lincoln Board of Selectmen introduced the State of the Town (SoTT) in 2002. The concept won state awards for innovation and has become a tradition for our town. The success of State of the Town is dependent on engaged citizens, such as you and our town officials.

The recent chatter on LincolnTalk about the proposed new building for Minuteman High School is evidence that there is a very engaged citizenry. The State of the Town will be a critical forum to have all of us in one room sharing ideas and concerns about size, location and budget of the Minuteman proposal.

Also on the agenda is a discussion of zoning bylaw revisions. It is important to have many voices in this forum. At last year’s Town Meeting, a lot of time was spent trying to shape a highly technical bylaw through the amendment process. This wasn’t the best venue for that conversation. By introducing potential zoning bylaw additions and revisions at SoTT, all will have an opportunity to comment and guide drafting before we get to Town Meeting.

Perhaps the most critical issue to discuss will be the concepts that will be presented by the Campus Master Planning Committee (CMPC). At last year’s State of the Town, a packed auditorium discussed the concept of a community center, making it clear that such a center was highly desirable and that it belonged on the Lincoln School campus. The center, along with the schools, will tie together all generations and will create “the heart of Lincoln.”

The CMPC was endorsed at last Town Meeting in order to create a holistic approach to campus planning and further the evolution of community campus. While it was a near-unanimous endorsement to locate a community center on the campus, the exact locations of the center and all buildings to serve schools have yet to be determined.

Of great interest will be how to best configure the buildings on the campus to meet the needs of our community while also respecting the campus itself, its history, and its environment. Much has been explored at the various public forums hosted by the CMPC during October, and the SoTT will provide a larger audience with an opportunity to hear and respond to exciting potential approaches to the layout of the Ballfield Road campus in the future.

And last but not least, State of the Town offers an opportunity for citizens to comment and/or ask questions about any town-related matter. This is “one-stop shopping” for citizens who cannot make multiple board meetings and hearings. All issues will be available for discussion under one roof and in one morning.

Do not miss this opportunity to engage with your friends and neighbors in a unique community conversation. Come to State of the Town on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Brooks auditorium on the Lincoln School campus.

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 must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, 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.

Solar array considered for landfill site

solarBy Alice Waugh

They say you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, but you might be able to make cheap electricity from garbage—or at least from land on top of garbage.

One of the discussion topics at Saturday’s State of the Town meeting is the idea of putting solar panels on the closed landfill next to the transfer station. If a proposal from Boston-based BlueWave Capital comes to fruition, a solar installation on the site could produce more than 50 percent of Lincoln’s municipal electricity use, according to members of Lincoln’s Green Energy Technology Committee (GETC), which has been studying the idea.

BlueWave has been working with 17 area towns to identify potential sites for solar installations, and the best site they found in Lincoln is the landfill, GETC members explained at the October 19 Board of Selectmen meeting in preparation for the State of the Town. A solar array on the landfill site could generate anywhere from 650 kW to 980 kW, which today would amount to 56 percent of municipal electricity (i.e., power for public schools, town-owned buildings and streetlights).

The town would pay about 12.5 cents per kWh (kilowatt hour) for 20 years with no escalation, compared to the current price of 18-29 cents per kWh depending on the time of year.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity,” said GETC member Paul O’Neil.

A proposal for a 650 kW solar array on the town landfill.

A proposal for a 650 kW solar array on the town landfill.

But there are many regulatory and legal issues that would have to be resolved before any of this can happen. For example, when the landfill was closed in 1995, the state helped fund the closure in exchange for a promise by Lincoln to restrict future use of the land to open space and conservation, so the state legislature would have to approve an amendment to that restriction.

“Lincoln being who we are, we’ve tightened the screws as much as possible to make it challenging to shift anything,” said GETC member John Snell.

Other legal and policy issues include the lease agreement for the land, possible payment in lieu of taxes for use of the site, the opinions of abutters including the National Park Service, and a “complex web” of federal and state tax credits and deadlines, said Town Administrator Tim Higgins. Lincoln voters will be asked to vote on one or more warrant articles at Town Meeting in spring 2016.

Several other area towns including Acton, Concord, Maynard, Sudbury and Weston have already completed or signed contracts for solar development of town-owned land, GETC member Jennifer Morris said. Capacities range from 1.2 mW in Maynard to 2.25 mW in Weston.

By their very nature, solar arrays need sizable chunks of open space, which Lincoln has in abundance relative to its population, O’Neil noted. In Lincoln, there are about 1.6 acres of protected open space per household, compared to 0.7 acres in Weston, for example.

“That’s what makes us distinct, and we appreciate that and want to protect it,” O’Neil said.

But a solar array obviously also changes the nature of the land it sits on, potentially putting the desire for open space and the desire for renewable energy at odds with each other.

“It’s appropriate to put this in front of the town to ask, do you want renewable energy and should we use some of what we all share” to make it happen, O’Neil said.

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acornLincoln Cultural Council wants your input

The Lincoln Cultural Council is hoping to get your feedback. Please click on this link to take a short survey that will give us valuable information about our programming and what you’d like to see us support.

One-time produce pickup offered at Lindentree Farm

Lindentree Farm CSA (one of the Lincoln farmers’ market vegetable producers) invites residents to a one-time pickup on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 12:30-6 p.m. Each share priced at $55 to $60 will include squashes, onions, carrots, garlic, purple-top turnips or celeriac, kohlrabi or fennel, radish or radicchio, kale, a choice of greens choice, spinach and cilantro. Everything is certified organic and biologically supported. For more information and registration, email lindentreecsa@gmail.com or call 781-259-1259.

Night hike at Farrington on Nov. 25

Come on a Full Moon Night Hike at Farrington Nature Linc on Wednesday, Nov. 25 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Start your Thanksgiving celebrations with activities to improve your night vision and a moon-lit night hike. Start your Thanksgiving celebrations with activities to improve your night vision and a moonlit night hike. Bring a flashlight, or borrow one of theirs. Suggested donation of $5 per person. Registration is required; call or email Farrington Program Director Brianne at Brianne@NatureLinc.org or 978-764-9186.

Teacher savors “Most Valuable Educator” award from Red Sox

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Teacher Joe Colombo, Kyle Atwood (wearing red and white face paint) and Wally the Green Monster are on the big screen in center field before a game at Fenway Park in August.

By Alice Waugh

The Lincoln School’s Joe Colombo finds teaching pretty rewarding, but he never thought he’d get a Most Valuable Educator award from the Boston Red Sox.

[Read more…] about Teacher savors “Most Valuable Educator” award from Red Sox

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solman

Paul Solman

PBS’s Paul Solman speaks on Nov. 22

The Bemis Lecture Series presents a conversation with Paul Solman, PBS NewsHour business and economics correspondent and author of the “Making Sense: Your Money and Your Life” blog, on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. in Brooks Auditorium. Free admission. For more information, email bemislectures@gmail.com.

“Wonderful Town” musical at L-S

The LSB Players of present Wonderful Town on November 18-21 at 7:30 p.m. in Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School’s Kirschner Auditorium. Wonderful Town is a 1930s musical written by the powerhouse combination of Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story, On the Town, Candide) and Betty Comden and Adolph Green (On the Town, Singin’ in the Rain, Bells Are Ringing, Will Rogers Follies). This family-friendly musical centers around Ruth and Eileen Sherwood, two sisters who have traveled from their tiny hometown in Ohio to New York City to seek their fame and fortune. The show is directed by Carly Evans, music directed by Michael Bunting and conducted by Tom Grandprey. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for senior citizens/students and may be reserved online.

Annual artists’ market at deCordova

“Northern Lights – Holiday Sights,” the 22nd annual Artists’ Market at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum Store, runs from November 14 to December 31 with extended evening shopping hours. The Artists’ Market nearly doubles the square footage of the store for the holiday season to offer gifts and artisan items including jewelry, scarves, ornaments, paper goods, housewares, and hand-blown glass crafted by artists from across the country. The sale kicks off with a holiday reception on Friday, Nov. 13 from 7-9 p.m. with drinks, hors d’oeuvres, holiday music, a wrapping table, and more. Members receive a 15 percent discount. The store offers expanded holiday shopping hours until 7:30 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays from December 7–23.

Thanksgiving contra dance and maybe more

turkey1Contra dance at First Parish

The First Parish in Lincoln will sponsor a Thanksgiving Night Contra Dance on Thursday, Nov. 26 from 7-10 p.m. at the Smith School. The program will feature musicians Larry Unger and Julie Metcalf, and caller Chris Ricciotti. All ages and abilities are welcome. Tickets are $6 for adults and students, or $4 for children 10 and under. For more information, contact Kati Winchell at 781-259-0692 or kwinchell@comcast.net.

Seniors invited to Wednesday dinner

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School invites the seniors of both Lincoln and Sudbury to a Thanksgiving dinner at the school (390 Lincoln Road in Sudbury) on Wednesday, Nov. 25 at noon. Diners will be entertained by both student musicians and an intergenerational dance troupe. Call the Lincoln Council on Aging at 781-259-8811 to sign up.

Who wants to wobble?

Jen Flanagan of Lincoln is asking if Lincolnites are interested in the Thanksgiving morning Gobble Wobble again this year. Participants run or walk either 3.5 miles or 2.5 miles after donating an “entry fee” of one bag of nonperishable groceries. The food goes to Open Table in Concord, which has come to depend on the contributions. Flanagan will organize the event again this year if there is enough interest; email her at jen@flanagans.us.

L-S alumni soccer, anyone?

Another holiday tradition is the L-S soccer alumni game on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Organizers need to know if there is enough interest to reserve a field at the high school. If interested, leave a note on the L-S Soccer Alumni Facebook page or email tim_mangini@wgbh.org.

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bikeBike found outside Clark Gallery

Is this bike yours? It was found unlocked outside the Clark Gallery in late October and sat outside for several days. If you think it’s yours, email Joshua Jade at mister_jade@hotmail.com or stop by the gallery in the Mall at Lincoln Station.

State Rep. Linsky to speak at LDTC meeting

State Rep. David Linsky, contributor to the new Massachusetts Gun Safety Law, will be the guest speaker at the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee meeting on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. in Bemis Hall. The meeting focusing on gun laws will discuss the status of Massachusetts legislation as a national model and the Brady Campaign’s Ask Campaign aimed at keeping children safe from guns in the home, as well as a court decision on recent New York and Connecticut gun safety laws. Also on the agenda: the possibility of submitting a citizens’ petition supporting development of national gun safety laws to the 2016 Town Meeting. The public is always welcome to LDTC meetings.

A capella concert at L-S on Nov. 13

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School’s student-run a capella group Accent and Tufts University’s Beelzebubs will appear on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the L-S Kirschner Auditorium. The Bubs are known for singing backup songs on the popular TV series Glee. In 2012, they won Best Collegiate a Cappella Album and Best All-Male Collegiate a Cappella Song. Tickets are $10 at the door.

Multimedia program on “Turandot”

Erika Reitshamer presents a multimedia program about Turandot, Puccini’s final opera, on Sunday, Nov. 15 from 2-3:30 p.m at the Lincoln Public Library. Reitshamer, born and educated in Germany, was instrumental in the founding of the Boston Lyric Opera and served as vice president of the Wagner Society of Boston for nine years. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.

Birches School open house on Nov. 15

The Birches School in Lincoln, an independent K-6 school offering vigorous interdisciplinary academics within a mindful, nurturing environment, will host an open house on Sunday, Nov. 15 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at 14 Bedford Rd. (the Stone Church). Birches affords close, daily contact with nature and conducts many of its thematic inquiry-based units outdoors.