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

Letter to the editor: Strat’s playground coming down

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(Editor’s note: for background, see the Lincoln Squirrel, June 18, 2014.)

To the editor:

After careful review and consideration, the Parks and Recreation Department is sad announce the permanent closure and removal of the Strat’s Playground on Ballfield Road.

In April 2014, the department authorized a safety inspection of the Playground. The resulting report cited a number of ADA violations and hazards ranging from minor infractions to major safety concerns that may result in death or permanent injury.

In addition to the hazards cited in the inspection, other deficiencies exist.  Most notably, the playground is constructed of pressure treated lumber, which contains a pesticide that requires the entire playground be sealed every few years at significant cost. Additionally, Strat’s design is suitable for children ages 5-12, but since it is adjacent to two preschools it sees limited use and is no longer a good fit for its location. And lastly, with the changing nature of safety codes and the limited lifespan of wood products, this playground has become prohibitively expensive to maintain. Taking this all into account, it became apparent that there would be no way to address these deficiencies in a way that is fiscally or programmatically responsible.

These deficiencies do not reflect a lack of quality in the playground, but rather the inevitable effect of time. Strat’s was a state-of-the-art facility when it was installed in 1989 and has served as a well-loved community centerpiece and memorial to the late Michael Stratton.

The playground will be removed in the next few weeks and the Parks and Recreation Committee now plans to spend some time considering alternative uses for the space. We invite interested parties to join the process by contacting our office at 781-259-0784. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Daniel Pereira
Parks and Recreation Director

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 Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

News acorns

schoolSBAC interviews design firms

The School Building Advisory Committee interviewed four design-firm candidates on July 14 and 15. The committee expects to select one of the firms later this month to define renovation solutions for the Lincoln School and prepare cost estimates for a range of possible projects (see the Lincoln Squirrel, June 19 2014).

The four firms interviewed by the SBAC are Schwartz/Silver Architects of Boston, HMFH Architects of Cambridge, Design Partnership of Cambridge, and Dore & Whittier Architects of Newburyport and South Burlington, Vt.

Traveling tidepool visits library on July 16

Do you know what a sea star eats or how snails move? Come explore and interact with local tidepool animals while learning basic biology and anatomy when the New England Aquarium’s Traveling Tidepool comes to the Lincoln Public Library on Wednesday, July 16. Advance signup at one of the times below is required; call 781-259-8465.

  • PreK to grade 1 — 9:30-10:15 a.m.
  • PreK to grade 1 — 10:30-11:15 a.m.
  •  Grade 2 and up — 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library, Inc.

Antique Auto Show is this Sunday

The annual auto show at the Codman Estate on Sunday, July 20 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. draws more than 200 classic and antique autos, trucks and motorcycles from all over New England and includes entertainment by the New Liberty Jazz Band, museum tours, a raffle, and food concessions. Rain or shine.

Free to Historic New England members and children under 12, $5 for nonmembers, $10 registration fee for vehicles (passengers are free). Please call 617-994-5900, ext. 5514 for more information. Purchase tickets at www.historicnewengland.org

Bemis Hall to unveil improvements at grand opening

Everyone is invited to a grand opening of the front entrance, parking lot and crosswalk of Bemis Hall on Thursday, July 24 at 11:45 a.m. Recently, the front entrance has been improved to make it both more attractive and convenient, the parking lot has been reconstructed, and a new crosswalk with flashing pedestrian lights on Bedford Road has been installed for safety. Many town departments and committees, local organizations, and residents have worked together to implement these projects. A brief ribbon-cutting ceremony will be followed by refreshments inside Bemis Hall.

Second date for Concord River cruise added

What better way to spend a relaxing summer afternoon than winding down the Concord River on a luncheon cruise? The Council on Aging is hosting a cruise on Monday, August 18 in addition to the previously announced date of Monday, August 11.

The cruise lasts an hour and 15 minute and includes lunch, sunshine, and glorious memories. You’ll leave the Lincoln Mall at 10:30 a.m. and venture by Doherty’s bus to the South Bridge boathouse, where you’ll board a boat and begin your cruise. You will enjoy a lunch of chicken salad, tuna salad, sliced turkey, ham and cheese, or vegetarian salad sandwich,  fruit, dessert, and lemonade or iced tea while you cruise. The bus will arrive back at the Lincoln Mall at about 1 p.m.

The cost is $28 per person, payable by a check made out to FLCOA/Trips and sent to Donna Rizzo, 22 Blackburnian Road, Lincoln MA 01773. Please enclose your phone number and email address and indicate your choice of sandwich when you send your check. Sign up now, as there is a limit of 20. Reservations must be made by August 4 and are non-refundable. Questions? Call Donna at 781-257-5050.

Letter to the editor: Great 5th of July!

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To the editor:

Even though there could not be 4th of July road race or parade in Lincoln this year, the Celebrations crew, public safety, Parks & Recreation and DPW were all ready to go. The 5th of July band and fireworks were terrific as usual, and I wanted to acknowledge the effort that town staff and volunteers invested in making it safe and successful.

Thank you to our police and fire department personnel, DPW employees, Dan Pereira and the rest of the Parks & Rec staff, and Hanscom’s police for being creative, proactive and doing it right.

Thanks to volunteers Aaron “Smiles” Beck, Brent “Señor Sound” Clark, Maggie “Peggy Peg Peg” Dwyer, Michela “Call Me Maybe” Eckhouse (left out of phone tree), Jen “Next Year” Flanagan, “Shoutin’ Sam” Kupperstein, Riley “Tank Top” McCabe, Eileen “The Cape Flier” McCrory, Eve “CUL8R” Montie, Paul “Rooster Booster” Montie, Lyn “Staples” Spaeth (“yeah, I’ve got that”), and Nick Verkler (a.k.a. Nerk Vickler). We had fun. We got it done. It was a great day.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Dwyer
14 Beaver Pond Rd.
Lincoln Parks & Recreation Committee + Celebrations Subcommittee

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.

Rain doesn’t dampen enthusiasm for informal July 4 events

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Carol Lovell, Eliza Jevon, William Jevon and Megan Stride informally ran the July 4 Lincoln road race. Photo by Rob Jevon

Undaunted by the cancellation of most of the town’s July 4 events, some residents are staging their own celebrations in observance of Independence Day.

Among those who decided to complete the road race loop on their own this morning were Carol Lovell, Eliza Jevon and William Jevon, and Megan Stride. “There were just some spontaneous folks that decided to run the course,” said Rob Jevon, Eliza and William’s father.

Another group of parents with young children decided to do a children’s bike parade tomorrow morning (July 5) at 10:00 a.m. around the ballfield on the Lincoln School campus. “Bring your decorated bikes, scooters, strollers, etc. and spread the word,” Lincoln resident DJ Mitchell said in a note sent to the LincolnTalk email list.

The concert, barbecue and fireworks display scheduled for July 4 will take place on July 5. Food from the Firebox in Bedford will be served starting at 7 p.m. and music by Grove Syndicate will begin at 7:30. The pool will be open from 12:30-7 p.m.). Parking in available for $20 per car.

Although the parade was not rescheduled, anyone who created a float and would like to have it photographed for posterity may email Pam Gallup at pamgallup@aol.com.

Kids’ events at library next week

squashNight Owls Storytime — Monday, July 7 at 7 p.m.
Bring your favorite cuddly friend and your favorite adult—wear your PJs! Geared towards children ages 2-5 but the whole family is welcome. Drop-in.

Stories and Crafts — Tuesday, July 8 at 11 a.m.
For ages 3-5. Advance signup required; call 781-259-8465.

Puppet-making Workshop — Wednesday, July 9 at 11 a.m.
This workshop includes reading the story Don’t Squish the Sasquatch, singing songs, and learning how to build and perform your very own puppet. Recommended for ages 3-8. Advance signup required; call 781-259-8465.

Summer Lego Club — Wednesday, July 9 at 4 p.m.
We provide the Legos, you provide the creativity! Age 4  and up. Drop in.

Programs sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library, Inc.

July 4 daytime events cancelled; fireworks on July 5

flagDue to the anticipated tropical storm, the town of Lincoln is cancelling all Fourth of July 4th daytime activities. The road race, children’s bike parade, reading of the Declaration of Independence, main parade, Boy Scout cookout and tennis tournament are all cancelled. The Codman Pool will operate normal hours with standard weather protocols. The evening activities that were scheduled for July 4 starting at 7 p.m., including the concert, BBQ and fireworks display are being postponed to Saturday, July 5. The pool will be open from 12:30-7 p.m.

Because of this last-minute change in plans, the Parks and Recreation Department is in dire need of volunteer manpower to help with parking, money collection and event support on Saturday evening. Please contact Dan Pereira at dpereira@lincnet.org or 781-259-0784 if you can provide any assistance.

Lincoln Dems weigh in on candidates at convention

The Lincoln delegates at the Massachusetts Democratic Convention. Top row left to right: Peggy Schmertzler, Lorraine Fiore, Barbara Slayter and Peter Pease. Second row: Al Schmertzler, Marcie Black, Mari Haas and John Santa.

The Lincoln delegates at the Massachusetts Democratic Convention. Top row left to right: Peggy Schmertzler, Lorraine Fiore, Barbara Slayter and Peter Pease. Second row: Al Schmertzler, Marcie Black, Mari Haas and John Santa.

Six Lincoln residents attended the State Democratic Convention on June 14, and four of them—Barbara Slayter, Lorraine Fiore, Al Schmertzler and Peggy Schmertzler—wrote this first-hand account with their impressions of the candidates.

[Read more…] about Lincoln Dems weigh in on candidates at convention

First Parish donates $25,000 to Waltham day shelter

Left to right: Dan Boynton and Susan Taylor, members of the First Parish Church Outreach Committee; Marilyn Lee-Tom, executive director of the Community Day Center; and Annie Preston Knowles, eldest daughter of Jean Wood Preston.

Left to right: Dan Boynton and Susan Taylor, members of the First Parish Church Outreach Committee; Marilyn Lee-Tom, executive director of the Community Day Center; and Annie Preston Knowles, eldest daughter of Jean Wood Preston.

The Outreach Committee of the First Parish Church recently presented a check for $25,000 to the Community Day Center in Waltham to build a kitchen at their new site on Felton Street. This donation was made possible by a charitable fund established by Jean Wood Preston, a former member of the First Parish.

The Community Day Center of Waltham is the only day shelter in the MetroWest region. This drop-in center supports the homeless and those in need with legal, health, housing and job search assistance through counseling and case management. It also provides its guests with food, shelter and access to phones, computers and a mailing address.

First Parish Outreach contributed a total of $53,961 from the congregation this year to a variety of local and international charitable organizations. This is the result of the church’s commitment to donate 15 percent of its annual revenue to organizations that work to honor each person’s dignity and to cherish the living Earth.

 

School Committee grants annual license to LEAP

leap imageBy Alice Waugh

In early May 2013, the Lincoln After-school Activities Program’s 33-year tenure in Lincoln suddenly seemed in jeopardy when another company outbid LEAP when its lease came up for renewal. But as of July 1, LEAP has an exclusive annual license with the School Committee to use Pod C.

LEAP’s five-year lease for use of Hartwell Pod C was due to expire on June 30, 2013, so as required by state law, the School Committee sought bids from LEAP and others who might be interested in leasing the space for an after-school program.

To the shock and dismay of many residents, the proposal from Springboard Education in America outscored LEAP’s on a number of criteria, and a three-member selection committee recommended that the School Committee award the contract to Springboard—a possibility that brought dozens of parents, current and former LEAP teachers, and a even a few children to an emotionally charged School Committee meeting last spring to plead LEAP’s case (see the Lincoln Squirrel, May 7, 2013).

Faced with this sentiment, the School Committee voted at that meeting to extend LEAP’s lease for a year based on a technicality, because its request for proposals did not state that the Lincoln Recreation Department would occupy Pod C during the summer to run the Lincoln Summer Day Camp.

LEAP has since made leadership changes, replacing longtime director Sue Callum with LEAP faculty members Kathryn Hawkins as program director and Chris Burns as operations director. The program also made several programmatic improvements and successfully renewed its state license with Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

Among the improvements that LEAP listed in its license application to the School Committee in February 2014: balancing its budget, installing 15 new computers, a new collaboration with Einstein’s Workshop, closer relationships with METCO and the nearby Magic Garden preschool, Spanish tutoring for kindergarteners and first-graders, and a revamped website. Enrollment in 2014-15 is up by 15 percent over the previous year, LEAP officials said.

In its application, LEAP also included a letter from middle school principal Sharon Hobbs. “In the past year, the board and staff of LEAP have worked together to tighten up programs and procedures that needed attention and to implement interesting new programs,” she wrote. “As LEAP has adjusted to a new organizational structure, the level of program has also been changing. The staff is experimenting in good ways with finding ideal configurations for students to work and play.”

Under terms of the license, LEAP will pay the school district an annual fee of $28,800 (slightly more than the $28,000 it offered last year but less than the $31,000 a year offered by Springboard) for a license that will run from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015. The license confers non-exclusive use of Pod C and may be extended or revoked at any time by the district.

For the school, the change to granting an annual license rather than a multiyear lease for LEAP means “maintaining our ability to use our facilities and knowing we have a shared facility in the summer,” Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall. The previous arrangement with LEAP was atypical for a lease arrangement, which generally confers exclusive use of the property for the lessee during the term of the lease, even though Pod C was also used by the Recreation Department for summer camp.

Also, the change was made “with a little bit of an eye toward a school building project and the need to use the pods for swing space [during construction] and having a little more flexibility in terms of our needs,” McFall said. The School Building Advisory Committee is in the process of obtaining cost estimates for various school construction/renovation options (see the Lincoln Squirrel, June 19, 2014).

“The licensing agreement with the Lincoln Public Schools is a net positive for LEAP because it provides a new level of stability and predictability for the town’s after-school program,” said LEAP board member Laura Kempke. “In essence, if LEAP continues to uphold the quality standards set by the School Committee, then we no longer need to periodically engage in a fairly resource-intensive review process. This is a win for LEAP staff and families because our full attention is on continuing to improve the program, not on filling out paperwork.”

Full disclosure: Alice Waugh, editor of the Lincoln Squirrel, had children in LEAP until earlier this year and was compensated by LEAP for rebuilding its website.