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

News acorns – 3/13/15

Deadline for letters on Town Meeting, election

The Lincoln Squirrel will accept letters to the editor concerning the March 28 Town Meeting and March 30 town election until Tuesday, March 24 at 5 p.m.

Planning Board reschedules meeting on zoning amendments

The Planning Board’s zoning amendment informational meeting on zoning amendments to be voted in at Town Meeting has been switched to Monday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall’s Donaldson Room so as not to conflict with the multi-board meeting about the school building project.

Middle school dance on March 27; chaperones needed

The Parks and Recreation Department will hold a dance for Lincoln middle school students on Friday, March 27 from  7:30-10 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Admission is $10 at the door. Parents are asked to chaperone one dance while their child is in middle school. Please contact the Parks & Recreation Department at 781-259-0784 or dpereira@lincnet.org to volunteer.

Gropius House volunteers wanted

Museum shop attendants and greeters are sought for the Gropius House in Lincoln. Duties include welcoming guests, selling merchandise and memberships, and collecting admission fees. For more information, see this Lincoln Squirrel bulletin board listing.

Hazardous waste collection dates set for 2015

The following is a list of the 2015 collection dates for household hazardous waste at the Minuteman Household Hazardous Products Regional Facility (MHHP) at 60 Hartwell Ave. in Lexington from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. All are on Saturdays except where noted.

  • April 18
  • May 16
  • June 21
  • July 18
  • August 15
  • September 13 (Sunday)
  • October 17
  • November 7

All Lincoln residents must preregister by calling Elaine Carroll at 781-259-2613 or by coming to the Board of Health office at 16 Lincoln Road, 2nd floor. Continuing the policy started in 2005, liquid latex paint will not be accepted at this facility; dried paint may be thrown out in the regular trash. See this MHHP page for details on what materials are acceptable and facility.

Letter to the editor: leaf blower controls aid “the commons”

letter

To the editor:

The Leaf Blower Study Committee has worked hard to gain support for regulating the use of leaf blowers in Lincoln. They have earned limited support from the Board of Health for regulation in South Lincoln, but no support for town-wide regulations either from the Board of Health or the Conservation Commission.

[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: leaf blower controls aid “the commons”

Letter to the editor: support We the People Act

letter

To the editor:

On March 28 during Town Meeting, citizens will hear about the We The People Act, a bill filed on Beacon Hill [HD1988] with 83 sponsors and co-sponsors in the Massachusetts legislature. Four states (Vermont, California, Illinois, and New Jersey) have passed legislation calling for an Article V Congressional Convention to amend the U.S. Constitution.

Americans are not happy with elections flooded with money. They would like limits to contributions for candidates who are running for elections. Do we vote for the candidate with the most money or the candidate with the best qualifications? They want to reject the Citizens United ruling made by the U.S. Supreme Court. To restore government of, by and for the people, we need a Constitutional amendment to establish that only natural people are protected by constitutional rights. Money is not the same as free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment.

On Saturday, March 21 from 9-11 a.m. at Bemis Hall, there will be a We the People Act HD1988 workshop when you may ask questions. Sponsors of HD1988 include Senators Jamie Eldridge of Acton and Mike Barrett of Lexington, and Representatives Cory Atkins of Concord and Thomas Stanley of Waltham.

Sincerely,

Jane Cooper

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrel.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.

Letter to the editor: ACLU opposes We the People Act

letter

Editor’s note: This letter is in response to a letter posted on March 9 about the upcoming Town Meeting vote on whether to support the We the People Act.

To the editor:

If this effort to amend the First Amendment is such a good idea, why is it opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union, which says, “Unfortunately, legitimate concern over the influence of ‘big money’ in politics has led some to propose a constitutional amendment to reverse the decision [Citizens United]. The ACLU will firmly oppose any constitutional amendment that would limit the free speech clause of the First Amendment.”

The idea of treating corporations as “persons” is neither new nor novel. The definitions sections of both the U.S. Code and the Massachusetts General Laws define “person” to include corporations. Corporations are merely associations of individuals who have banded together to pursue profit (e.g., General Motors) or social goals (e.g., Planned Parenthood).  The First Amendment rights that they exercise are the rights of their stockholders and supporters to advance their goals. That cannot be done without spending money. Limiting the ability of corporations to spend money to publicize their positions on political issues limits the rights of citizens to free association and to speak on political issues.

Sincerely,

Michael Coppock
214 Aspen Circle

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrel.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.

News acorns – 3/11/15

acorn“DamNation” at LLCT movie night

On Thursday, March 19, the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT) presents DamNation, a powerful film odyssey across America that explores the sea change in our national attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of our rivers. Dam removal has moved beyond the fictional Monkey Wrench Gang to go mainstream. Where obsolete dams come down, rivers bound back to life, giving salmon and other wild fish the right of return to primeval spawning grounds, after decades without access. DamNation’s majestic cinematography and unexpected discoveries move through rivers and landscapes altered by dams, but also through a metamorphosis in values, from conquest of the natural world to knowing ourselves as part of nature.We will have a brief discussion afterwards about what Massachusetts is doing in the way of dam removal.

The movie will be shown at 7:30 p.m. in the LLCT offices above the post office at the Mall at Lincoln Station. Run time: 1 hr 27 min.
Free. Light refreshments will be provided.

Summer trail maintenance workers wanted

The Lincoln Conservation Department is hiring two seasonal employees to assist with trail maintenance and other land management activities. This position is for 10 weeks in June to August, Monday-Thursday 7:30-3:30 with an hourly rate of $12/hour. For more information, see this Lincoln Squirrel bulletin board listing.

Register for children’s book groups

Spring Storytime registration is now taking place for the following age groups. Register by emailing jflanders@minlib.net
or calling 781-259-8465. See the library website for other children’s and teen/tween programs and services.

  • Lapsit Storytime (for infants up to age 24 months) — Thursdays at 10 a.m., March 26 to May 7
  • Terrific Twos Storytime — Fridays at 10:30 a.m., March 27 to May 8

 

Lincoln Gearticks stand out at state championship

The Lincoln Gearticks team (click to enlarge).

The Lincoln Gearticks team (click to enlarge).

By Abby Payne, Evan Lee and Jack Hutchinson

The Lincoln Gearticks robotics team, a group of 12 middle and high schoolers from Lincoln and surrounding towns, claimed the Inspire Award at the Massachusetts FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) State Championship on February 28. This award is the highest award a team can earn and is presented to the team that did exceptionally across all aspects of the robotics challenge.

[Read more…] about Lincoln Gearticks stand out at state championship

Planning Board to hold info session on zoning amendments

townmeetingThe Planning Board will host an information session on Monday, March 16 on the zoning amendments that will be voted on at the Town Meeting. The session begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Donaldson Room in Town Hall.

The session will cover the lighting, parking and B-2 district zoning amendments the Planning Board is sponsoring. Details on the amendments can be found on this Town Meeting web page.

The proposals for regulating outdoor lighting are outlined in this letter to the editor from Margaret Olson of the Planning Board. Subsequent letters on the subject can be found here and here.

Three-year L-S teacher contract ratified

contractEditor’s note: The following is a press release from Radha R. Gargeya, chair of the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee.   

The Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee has announced the ratification of a new contract with the Lincoln-Sudbury Teachers’ Association that substantially reduces the district’s Other Post-Employment Benefit (OPEB) liability, successfully manages the growth of the district’s operating budget, and thoughtfully ensures the quality of instruction at the high school.

The key features of the new contract include: [Read more…] about Three-year L-S teacher contract ratified

News acorns – 3/10/15

acornTown election ballot online; absentee ballots now available

The Town of Lincoln has published this specimen ballot for the town election March 30 are available now in the Town Clerk’s Office. More information is available on this Town of Lincoln web page.

Dore & Whittier report at several locations in town

The School Building Advisory Committee (SBAC) and Dore & Whittier Architects have completed their study of the Lincoln School. The study focused on developing a wide range of options to address the facility and educational space needs of the Lincoln School. The final report contains a comprehensive accounting of the process and outcomes of their work. Copies of the study are available for public viewing at the following locations:

[Read more…] about News acorns – 3/10/15