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

Letter to the editor: Support Berwick for governor

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To the editor:

Don Berwick, Democratic candidate for Massachusetts governor, sets bold goals:

  • Single-payer health care
  • An education system that gives every student the opportunity to succeed
  • Bold renewable energy and environmental standards
  • Jobs and an economy that gives everyone the chance to thrive
  • An end to child poverty and chronic homelessness
  • No casinos
  • Grassroots supportive progressive movement

But every politician says he/she will accomplish miracles if elected to office—why do I believe Don can do it? First, Berwick is committed to meeting his goals. He boasts that he can accomplish all of them in 10 years—all of them. Second, as a pediatrician, executive and leader, Don has mastered the skills to deliver what he promises:

  • MD from Harvard Medical School
  • Pediatrician, Boston’s Children’s Hospital and Harvard Community Health Plan
  • Founder, nonprofit Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), 1991:
    • IHI’s current annual budget is $40 million, staff of 150
    • IHI projects have saved hundreds of thousands of lives nationally and internationally
    • knighted by Queen Elizabeth for making British health care more efficient, 2005
  • Administrator of U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2010:
    • $800 billion budget, staff of over 5,500
    • implemented important provisions of Affordable Care Act
  • Only candidate for governor to state that he opposes casinos

Third, Don Berwick sees Massachusetts as a beacon to lead our nation to the progressive ideals of justice, equality and compassion. The Commonwealth is the first state that committed to health care as a human right, that said you can marry whom you love, that built an enviable energy system, and that now has the most sane gun laws in the country.

Grassroots supportive progressive movement: Don needs us. He is calling for a grassroots movement to spread out across our state to educate Massachusetts voters about Don Berwick and his progressive agenda. Help our Lincoln grassroots team hand-address, note and stamp preprinted postcards to voters identified by the Berwick campaign office. Please contact Peggy Schmertzler at alpegs@verizon.net or 781-259-0465.

Sincerely,

Peggy Schmertzler
142 Chestnut Circle

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.

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.