These Ethiopian children are ready to take the field with their donated Lincoln Youth Soccer uniforms. —Photo courtesy Heather Broglio
By Alice Waugh
Two women including Lincoln resident Heather Broglio recently spent a week in Ethiopia giving children some much-needed medical treatment—and also some Lincoln Youth Soccer uniforms.
[Read more…] about Ethiopian kids happily don donated Lincoln soccer uniforms
Dear readers,
I invite everyone to check out several new features in the Squirrel, all of which are free:
These features were explained in more detail in “Some notes to readers (and writers)” on October 30.
Everything in the Squirrel is free and available to all. If you would like to support current and future improvements by our paid web professional, Amy Helfman—perhaps in lieu of a paid subscription to this or another local news source —please consider making a voluntary donation of whatever you think is fair. Just click on the orange “Donate” button on the right-hand side of every page to contribute online via credit card or PayPal, or go directly to the donation page from here. If you prefer paper, you can send a check made out to Watusi Words (this is the official name of the business entity that includes the Lincoln Squirrel) and mail it to:
Watusi Words
178 Weston Rd.
Lincoln MA 01773
(The Lincoln Squirrel is not yet registered as a nonprofit organization, so unfortunately donations are not tax-deductible.)
Thank you for reading!
Sincerely,
Alice Waugh
Editor, The Lincoln Squirrel
781-259-0526 (h) ~ 617-710-5542 (m)
news@lincolnsquirrrel.com
Discuss Hanscom Air Force Base and Massport tomorrowJoin other residents for an overview and further discussion of Hanscom Air Force Base and Massport at a “fireside chat” hosted by the Lincoln Council on Aging on Wednesday, Nov. 12 from 10-11:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall. On the second Wednesday of every month, the COA hosts a “fireside chat” for residents of all ages in a respectful discussion of a current news topic using questions and answers. Last month, Lincoln Selectman Peter Braun, who is also chair of the Hanscom Area Towns Committee (HATS), provided an overview of Hanscom Air Force Base and Massport. On Wednesday, we will be continuing the conversation. Also at the chat with Braun will be Lincoln Town Administrator Tim Higgins and Sara Mattes, former chair of the Board of Selectmen. The three of them have a wealth of knowledge to share, not only on Massport and Hanscom but also on their relationship with Lincoln.
“Fireside chats” are intended to be an opportunity to discuss topics of interest that are sometimes provocative or controversial. A wide variety of opinions are both welcomed and encouraged. However, this is not a venue to resolve any differences but merely to put them on the table for all to consider.
Help support the enrichment programs funded by the Foundation for Educators (FELS) at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School by purchasing home-baked apple, pumpkin, pecan and chocolate pies for Thanksgiving. To doubly support a good cause, you can also donate a pie to the Lincoln or Sudbury Fire and Police Department, the L-S Senior Citizen Thanksgiving Dinner, a food pantry or an L-S teacher. FELS will arrange delivery. Go to FELSgrant.org and indicate your choice on the form if you’re paying by check, or in special instructions to seller area if you’re using a charge card or Paypal. (If you don’t fill in under “instructions to vendor,” we will e-mail you to ask your preference.) Order by Friday, Nov. 14 and pick up your pies on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at one of four locations including Bemis Hall. With your support, FELS provides grants to L-S faculty and staff to pursue their intellectual passions and in turn inspire our children.
We’ve all asked at one point in our interactions with children, “What were you thinking?” On Monday, Dec. 1 from 7:8:30 p.m. in the Brooks auditorium, the Lincoln PTO is excited to welcome Dr. Abigail Baird, Associate Professor of Psychology at Vassar College, to speak about the adolescent brain and shed light on our children’s social and emotional development. Integrating science with real-life situations, Baird will help us better understand our children’s behavior and give advice on how we can best support, parent and teach them as they grow. This program is presented by the PTO’s Parent Education Committee and is supported by a generous grant from the Brooks and Joan Fortune Family Foundation.
By Alice Waugh
The School Building Advisory Committee’s architectural consultants last week presented detailed lists of repair and renovation options and cost estimates for the Lincoln School that will be the topic of town-wide discussion at the State of the Town meeting this Saturday, Nov. 15 at 9 a.m. in the Brooks auditorium.
[Read more…] about School needs at least $27.5m even without cafeterias, architects say
You are invited to a family potluck supper this Sunday, Nov. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the Parish House of the First Parish Church. All are welcome. We will have pizza and cartoons for the kids. Bring a dish to share (no need to cook—purchased food is fine) and wine or beer if you would like. We provide the soft drinks. Come and spend some relaxing time with great First Parish folk. [Read more…] about News acorns – 11/8/14
(Editor’s note: you can see Lincoln’s results for the November 3 election in the Lincoln Squirrel and on the Town of Lincoln website.)
To the editor:
Last Tuesday’s State Election brought 2,786 voters to the polls during the course of a very busy but blessedly smooth day. We are, as always, indebted to the many people who made it smooth, including the 41 poll workers who greeted and processed all those voters; the police officers who maintained order; our Election Chef, Richard Silver, who kept us well nourished; the Smith School custodial staff, who helped us to maintain a clean and well-ordered polling place; and the DPW crew for getting all of our equipment in and out of the Smith School gym in a timely manner.
And thanks to every one of you who took the time and trouble to exercise that most fundamental of our civic rights and responsibilities. We hope to see a great many of you at the Annual Town Election in March.
Those of us who administer elections (as well, I’m afraid, as the rest of you) will all too shortly be turning our attention to the 2016 presidential election. If you’re interested in training for and serving as poll workers in future elections, please contact us.
Sincerely,
Susan F. Brooks
Town Clerk
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:
The fiscal year 2016 (FY16) preliminary budget for the Lincoln Public Schools has been developed and will be presented to the School Committee on November 6, 2014. The process of developing the school budget began in August when the administrative team and I began an examination of each budget line item within the context of the District Strategic Plan. The process will continue through January 22, when the School Committee will vote on the budget that will be presented for a vote at the March 28, 2015 Town Meeting. I encourage parents and faculty to attend the School Committee meetings throughout the budget process and to provide input during the public comment portion of the meeting.
There are several key considerations in developing the budget:
The FY16 level service budget we will present on November 6 exceeds the 2.5 percent budget guideline established by the Lincoln Finance Committee. I will present the preliminary budget and explain the resulting “gap” between the budget guideline and the costs of providing a level service budget. At the School Committee meetings on November 20 and December 4, we will present options for reducing the budget in order to meet the FinCom guideline. This will require creating a list of gap-closing measures and providing information about those reductions and the impact they will have on the educational program.
At this time, I want to make you aware that our enrollment projections for the Lincoln School indicate that our current four sections of Grade 3 can be accommodated in three sections of Grade 4 in 2015-2016 and still meet the requirements of the class size policy. The total number of class sections in the Lincoln School would remain the same as the current year.
As the process unfolds and budget decisions are made with the School Committee, I will do my best to provide information to the community.
Sincerely,
Rebecca McFall, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Lincoln Public Schools
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.
(Editors note: This version incorporates corrections made on November 7 to the DEP conference date and Angela Kearney’s title.)
By Alice Waugh
The Jet Aviation expansion proposed for Hanscom Field was OK’d by the state earlier this month, but a group of residents immediately asked for a hearing in a further attempt to block the project.
[Read more…] about Jet Aviation approval confirmed by DEP, but residents fight on
Lincoln residents voted for Martha Coakley for governor by a healthy margin and Sharon Antia for state rep by a much smaller majority, though neither woman prevailed overall in her race.
[Read more…] about Lincoln goes for Coakley, Antia in election
Crawley Cooper
A memorial service will be held on December 6 at 11 a.m. at the First Parish Church in Lincoln for Crawley Cooper, who died on October 25 at the age of 81. A retired architect, he served on several First Parish and Town of Lincoln committees, including as chair of the Planning Board.
Cooper’s full obituary from Dee Funeral Home includes links to share memories and send flowers. Contributions in his memory may be sent to the First Parish Church in Lincoln or to the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging, 16 Bedford Road, Lincoln, MA 01773.