By Alice Waugh
The Board of Health, which is on record as saying airborne particles and noise from gas-powered leaf blowers are a health hazard, has issued a statement distancing itself from a crackdown on use of the machines by homeowners, saying that in Lincoln, leaf blowers cause the most problems on paved surfaces, especially in the business district.
[Read more…] about Board of Health: residential areas don’t need leaf blower regulations
Sen. Mike Barrett meets with constitutents, Move To Amend and WolfPAC supporters about the We The People Act to be introduced at the State House this month. Clockwise from lower left: Elizabeth Cherniack and Jean Palmer of Lincoln, John Kelly and Carol Kelly of Bedford, Greg Laing and Joe Megerman of Waltham, Marie Roberts of Lexington, Dilla Tingley and Peter Pease of Lincoln, Sen. Barrett, Dan Melnechuk of Waltham, Bob Wallhagen of Carlisle and Gary Davis of Lincoln. The meeting took place at the Concord Public Library.
To the editor:
We the undersigned, along with residents from other towns in his district, recently met with our State Senator, Mike Barrett, to ask him to support the We the People Act being submitted to the Massachusetts legislature this month. We are concerned about the corrupting influence of massive amounts of money in elections and how human rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution to human beings are being used by non-human entities like corporations in harmful ways. Sen. Barrett enthusiastically agreed at the meeting to co-sponsor the proposed bill and actively support its passage.
We also met recently with Rep. Tom Stanley in Waltham to ask him to co-sponsor the We The People Act as well. He, too, enthusiastically agreed to support the act and will do everything he can to help it pass. Rep. Stanley said he views this issue as one of the most important at this time.
The We The People Act calls on Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to affirm (1) that rights protected by the U.S. Constitution are the rights of human beings only, not corporations, and (2) that Congress and the states may place limits on political contributions and spending.
This act also proposes that if Congress does not pass the amendment, the Massachusetts legislature will call for an amendment convention as Article V of the U.S. Constitution provides. If a recalcitrant or dysfunctional Congress blocks reform, two-thirds of the state legislatures can petition Congress to call a convention—not for overturning or changing the Constitution, but for proposing an amendment. California, Illinois and Vermont have already passed such legislation. The threat of such a convention can force Congress to act, as it did with the 17th amendment, to elect senators by popular vote instead of by state legislatures. The results of any such convention would still require three-quarters of the states’ approval.
A growing coalition of citizen groups across the country also supports this bill. For more information on this issue, check out Movetoamend.org or VoteYesforDemocracy.org.
Please contact Sen. Mike Barrett (617-722-1572 or Mike.Barrett@masenate.gov) and Rep. Tom Stanley (617-722-2230, Thomas.Stanley@mahouse.gov) to thank them for supporting the people on this issue. Also please call, email or talk to friends and family in Massachusetts as well as across the country to tell them how important this Move to Amend is to accomplishing anything in the future for the people about any issue of import to them, their children or their grandchildren. We need to put the power to legislate back in the hands of the people and out of the power of big money.
Sincerely,
Jean Palmer, Tower Road
Gary Davis, Indian Camp Lane
Dilla Tingley, Laurel Drive
Peter Pease, Huckleberry Hill
Elizabeth Cherniack, South Great Rd
Joanna Hopkins, Linway Road
Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrrel.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.
To the editor:
I, Alvin Schmertzler, am pleased to enter the election for School Committee.
I have been a member for eight years, during which time we have chosen a new superintendent, Ms. McFall, and worked diligently to develop plans for restoring the school facility and bringing it up to 21st-century standards. We are still hoping to develop a plan that will gain the support of two-thirds of the Town Meeting and hopefully one that we are in a position to submit to the MSBA for financial support. To inform the town’s citizens of the variety of options that have been developed and to obtain their questions and ideas, we have increased and expanded outreach to the citizens. We hope it has been and continues to be helpful.
Working with the administration team, new education goals have been developed that will guide the schools toward continued progress in educating all out students to the best of their abilities. We are continuing our efforts to develop ideas and plans to close the achievement gap for underperforming students and we continue to enroll METCO students from the inner city. Working with the Department of Defense, a new middle school is under construction at the Hanscom campus and a plan for a new lower school is awaiting final approval.
I am asking for your vote so I may continue to work on these and other tasks as they arise.
Respectfully,
Alvin Schmertzler
142 Chestnut Circle, Lincoln
als1reg@verizon.net
Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrrel.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.
See videos of First Day in LincolnIntrepid Lincoln photographer/videographer Harold McAleer has posted some videos of First Day in Lincoln on January 1. Have a look at some of the socializing and see Rob Loud belting out Auld Lang Syne. You can see other videos by Harold on his YouTube channel.
The School Building Advisory Committee will present a draft of architectural consultant Dore and Whittier’s final report with cost estimates for a Lincoln School project at its fourth and final public forum on Tuesday, Jan. 13 from 7-9 p.m. in Reed Gym. At the third public forum on December 2, 76 percent of residents expressed a preference for Option 3, which calls for a comprehensive package of facilities and educational upgrades costing $54.7 million to $58.8 million.
Residents, especially those who are unable to come to the January 13 meeting, are also invited to a meeting on Friday, Jan. 9 at 1 p.m. at Bemis Hall. This meeting at the COA is an opportunity to get a preview of the final report and to continue the discussion about renovation pathways and the decisions the Town will need to make to move a project forward.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. in the First Parish Church in Lincoln for Eleanor Locke Donaldson, who died on November 6 at the age of 100. She held numerous positions with the church and was active in the Lincoln Garden Club and the Lincoln Bell Ringers.
Maraget F. Chisholm also passed away on December 28 at the age of 94. She was a Lincoln native and worked for many years at a phone company in town.
The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is offering guided snowshoe tours of the sculpture park led by a trained instructor on five dates between January 17 and March 10, with alternate dates for each occasion in case of too little or too much snow. Click here to register and pay (tickets range from $10 to $20 and snowshoe rentals are $12).
Wildlife enjoy the wreath-shaped seed feeder as seen through the window at the McAleers’ house. —Photo by Harold McAleer
Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to news@lincolnsquirrrel.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.
To the editor:
My thanks to the editor of the Lincoln Squirrel for reminding all of us that it’s time to throw our proverbial hats in the ring and volunteer for town boards and committees. I’m pleased to announce that I will be running (again!) for reelection to the Planning Board. I have appreciated the town’s support of my candidacy for the past 12 years, and with your support I will continue working to preserve what we love about our town.
We benefit in Lincoln from the farsighted, altruistic actions of residents who placed large tracts of land in conservation and knowingly gave up opportunity for personal gain by adopting large-lot zoning and development controls. We are all stewards of this precious legacy.
There are major projects and initiatives before the town at this time: the K-8 school building project, the Community Center, the Route 2 project, modifications to The Commons (formerly “The Groves”) campus, construction of a new Minuteman Regional High School building within Lincoln, and the Planning Board’s upcoming proposal to unify zoning at Lincoln Station to provide an expanded range of options for revitalization. I’d like to continue working with my dedicated, creative colleagues on the Planning Board as we assist the town through these changes.
I’d be happy to discuss with you any ideas or concerns that you may have. Please feel free to call me at 781-259-1080.
Sincerely,
Bob Domnitz
21 Mill St., Lincoln
Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrrel.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.
The Leaf Blower Study Committee (LBSC) will host a public forum tonight (Tuesday, Jan. 6) to present a draft version of leaf blower regulations begin considered for adoption at Town Meeting in March. Tonight’s meeting will start at 7 p.m. in the Town Office Building.
Since it was created by Town Meeting vote in 2013, the LBSC has been studying the health effects of gas-powered leaf blowers on public and private property, potential alternatives to their use, and what other cities and towns have done to restrict their use. The group surveyed Lincoln residents last year on their experiences and opinions about leaf blowers.
Before presenting a finalized proposal for new town regulations to a vote at Town Meeting on March 28, the LBSC is seeking public feedback on its draft, which is summarized below. The goal of the regulations is to reduce noise and air pollution (emissions and dust) and contribute to better public health and quality of life and to the health of the environment while also being simple and clear, easily enforceable, and not unduly restrictive to homeowners or the town.
Codman Community Farms is starting its next six-month session of its meat CSA (community-supported agriculture). Each $600 share includes six monthly pickups of Codman Farm-raised organic, grass-fed beef and pork with various cuts and ground meats totaling 5 lbs. of pork and 5 lbs. of beef (members also have the option of a no-beef, all-pork share. Pickups are on the first Thursday evening of each month (January to June) from 5-7 p.m. in the Codman barn at 58 Codman Rd. Due to the New Year holiday, the first pickup is Thursday, Jan. 8.
Call 781-259-0456 or email info@codmanfarm.org if you have questions or would like to sign up, or click on this registration and payment link. You can also use the link to make a one-time purchase of 10 lbs. of beef and pork for $120 with pickup by arrangement.
There are still spaces available in two free self-defense sessions for women run by the Lincoln Police Department in January and February. Each session will be two nights for three hours each night. On the first night, participants will talk about general safety and then begin practicing physical self-defense moves like strikes, blocks, kicks, and knee strikes. On the second night, an officer suit up in a padded suit will “attack” participants, who will use moves to escape. This part of the course is intense but empowering.
If you have any questions or want to sign up, please contact Jena Salon at 215-514-5963 or jenasalon@gmail.com. The classes are free and are funded by Domestic Violence Services Network and the Codman Trust.
On Friday, Jan. 16, Town Clerk Susan Brooks will demonstrate the town’s AutoMark voting machines, which are ballot marking devices designed to enable voters with disabilities to cast their ballots independently. The machines are deployed in all 1,700 Massachusetts polling places. The Friday demonstration at 10 a.m. at the Council on Aging in Bemis Hall will feature two of Lincoln’s most dedicated voters, Kitty Stein and Nancy Pimental.
The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee will hold its next meeting, which includes a new-member open house, on Saturday, Jan. 17 from 12:30–3 p.m. in the Pierce House. All Lincoln Democrats who are interested in progressive policy and advocacy, conversations with candidates and office holders, interesting discussion, and community service are invited and welcome to attend any of the group’s meetings.
By Alice Waugh
The Lincoln Public Library has reopened after a New Year’s Day leak caused water damage, but the reference section will remain closed until inspections and repairs can take place.
The problem was apparently caused by a faulty sprinkler head in the turret room next to the main entrance, said Barbara Myles, the library’s director. There was no water above the ceiling, indicating that the pipe itself did not break.
The library’s new fire suppression system contacts the Lincoln Fire Department whenever a sprinkler or smoke alarm goes off, and firefighters responded quickly and turned off the water, but not before it flooded the holiday materials in the turret room and the floor in the adjacent reference section. The ground-floor reference books and computers were not damaged, “but it looks like we may lose that carpet,” Myles said. The power to that area has also been shut off because water leaked through floor outlets and into the staff lunch room below the turret room through lighting fixtures. Some of the books and movies in the basement, though undamaged, are inaccessible to the public because they are in an area that’s been closed off, though staff can retrieve titles if asked, she said.
Library staff were doing an inventory on Monday to determine the exact extent of damage and working with a flood service firm and the town’s insurance carrier to “dry things out, salavage what we can and replace what we need to replace,” Myles said.
“We were lucky,” she added. “If the leak had been in the children’s room ceiling, we would have lost a lot more.”
Visit the library’s website for periodic updates.
Carpet dryers were the sole occupants on Saturday in the library’s turret room after a broken pipe caused water damage.
The Lincoln Public Library had an unpleasant start to the new year when a broken ceiling pipe or sprinkler head drenched the first-floor “turret room” next to the main entrance.
The water damage was limited to some reference books and Christmas materials on the ground floor, said Lisa Rothenberg, the library’s assistant director. Once it dries, the carpeting on the lower level and ground floor will be disinfected to prevent mold growth, and the walls and insulation will be inspected for moisture and electrical issues. If everything is dry, the library will reopen at 1 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 5, although the reference section, adult computers and nonfiction will still be off limits, she said.
“Barbara [Myles, the library’s director] has done an incredible job managing the situation, and our custodians Bob Bottino and Bob Lager have also worked really hard to limit the damage and to assist in cleanup,” said Rothenberg.
It was unclear whether the broken pipe was part of the new fire suppression system that was installed over the summer.
The library closure was reminiscent of a similar situation faced by Aka Bistro a year ago, when a broken ceiling pipe caused extensive water damage and forced the restaurant to close for several months.