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

Five Corners flora (Lincoln Through the Lens, 7/1/15)

Axel and Maite Fay prepared the historic Five Corners flower pot for Fourth of July festivities. Photographer Rob Jevon writes, "There has been lots of thoughtful commentary on improving signage at Five Corners. But I think many would agree we are fortunate to have a centerpiece that is pretty close to perfection. Thanks to all the neighbors and generations who help maintain an endearing emblem of what makes Lincoln Lincoln."

Axel and Maite Fay prepared the historic Five Corners flower pot for Fourth of July festivities. Photographer Rob Jevon writes, “There has been lots of thoughtful commentary on improving signage at Five Corners. But I think many would agree we are fortunate to have a centerpiece that is pretty close to perfection. Thanks to all the neighbors and generations who help maintain an endearing emblem of what makes Lincoln Lincoln.”

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.

Tonight’s concert called off

cloud-stormThe Parks and Recreation Department concert with the Infractions scheduled for tonight (July 1) has been cancelled due to expected bad weather. Park and Rec hopes to reschedule and will announce a new date if and when it becomes available.

News acorns – 6/30/15

Teen volunteers needed to help with July 4 evening festivities

The Parks and Recreation Department is looking for some teenagers to help out at Lincoln’s fireworks celebration on Saturday, July 4. We need help from 4-11 p.m. at the Lincoln School campus. Duties include:

  • Event setup (setting up tables, tents, trash barrels, fencing, PA systems, etc.)
  • Money collection (with Lincoln police officers)
  • Trash removal
  • Event cleanup (packing up everything above)

This event has been clear with the MLK Project at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School and community service hours will be given. Contact Dan Pereira at dpereira@lincnet.org if you can help out.

Getting the scoop at the recent ice cream social (click on picture for slide show).

Getting the scoop at the recent ice cream social (click on picture for slide show).

They all scream for ice cream

Harold McAleer assembled photos of the June 25 strawberry ice cream social at Bemis Hall accompanied by music from the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Sextet. Click here to watch.

Getty Foundation awards grant to Gropius House

Historic New England has announced that the Gropius House in Lincoln has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Getty Foundation. The foundation recently announced grants for projects at 14 exemplary 20th-century buildings in eight countries as part of its Keeping It Modern initiative.

At the Gropius House, the Getty grant will support the development of a conservation management plan for the building and site to ensure the preservation of its characteristic features for the home’s continued use as a teaching tool to transmit the tenets of Bauhaus design and ensure that the public can enjoy this 1938 Bauhaus icon for generations to come.

Library activities and reading challenges for kids this summer

book cartHere are some children’s events hosted by the Lincoln Public Library.

  • Stories & Crafts — July 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 11 a.m. For ages 3 and up. Sign up in advance by calling 781-259-8465.
  • Rainforest Reptile Show — Wednesday, July 8 at 4 p.m. A hands-on introduction to exotic crawlers, unusual slitherers and fascinating creepers as herpetologists teach you all about rainforest reptiles.
  • Movies and Muffins — Friday, July 10 at 10:30 a.m. Preschoolers are invited to a screening of short films based on beloved children’s books. Recommended for ages  2 and up. Drop in.
  • Summer Storytime Picnics — Monday, July 13 and Monday, August 10 at 6:30 p.m. Join children’s librarian Jane Flanders on the library lawn and enjoy a picnic supper while listening to stories. Bring a picnic, a blanket and your favorite adult. Geared for children ages 2-5 but all are welcome. In case of rain, we will picnic in the library. The July 13 is a Reddy Bear Picnic, so being your favorite teddy bear. On August 6, we’ll read stories about dirt and diggers.

The library is also running its annual summer reading challenge for kids in three age groups. Pick up forms and a copy of your reading list at the library or find them by by clicking here.

  • Pre-readers through grade 3 — for all children, including children who are being read to, up to entering third grade. Kids who complete the challenge will receive a certificate and prize.
  • Entering grades 4-7 — those who complete the challenge will be invited to the Great Summer Sleepover at the library on Friday, August 21.
  • Entering grades 8-12 (new this summer) — all participants will win a small prize and be eligible to enter a raffle to win an Amazon Kindle Fire.

All programs sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library, Inc.

Correction

correction-smA story about Lincoln’s recent Bikes Not Bombs donation drive had incorrect information about where the donated bikes will be going and when they’ll be packed for shipping. The bikes will be going to Nairobi, Kenya and Bikes not Bombs welcomes volunteers to help pack its shipping container on Sunday, July 19 at its warehouse at 10 Harvard St. in Dorchester. See this web page for more information and to RSVP as a volunteers (breakfast and lunch will be served).

 

Letter to the editor: intersection “both a bane and a blessing”

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To the editor:

Recent letters in various press outlets are, once again, calling attention to concerns about safety at the Five Corners intersection in the Lincoln Historic District (the “flower pot intersection”). And, as town officials have recently reminded us, our roadways are a “tricky business” and what’s old is new again.

The Five Corners intersection, like many of other area of Lincoln roadways, is both a bane and a blessing for those who travel on them and those who manage them. They are an integral part of Lincoln’s character—and a real challenge for the town officials who are responsible for providing for the public safety while protecting community character.

These quirky roadways are a product of topography and history. The paths of the 1700s—the paths of least resistance—are, for the most part, the same paths we travel today. The land dictated the layout of farms and fields, the first settlement being made in the 1600s. Increased settlement led to the creation of pathways beginning in the early 1700s, and these paths logically skirted the edges of the arable land and navigated wetlands. Needless to say, these paths twisted and turned to preserve land and also to provide viable passage for carts. Stone walls are evidence of famers moving rocks out of fields and creating the edges of fields and passageways.

The original path network, which radiated from the five corners, did not connect to the North and South Great Road throughways until the mid-1750s. It is this winding system of paths, edged with stone walls and shaded by ancient trees that create the beauty and serenity of our scenic roadways. That is the blessing of our history and the bane of modern day traffic demands. It is those paths that went from dirt to gravel to blacktop that our town must manage.

As reported by town officials, over the past 15 year, the town has had traffic engineers do analysis of each and every intersection, sometimes repeating that exercise when new concerns and ideas were presented. In addition, two volunteer Ad Hoc Traffic and Roadway Committees have done extensive study involving much citizen input and offered many thoughtful recommendations. When the town began a roadway restoration project of the major roadways in 2009 and 2010, it went neighborhood by neighborhood to review all concerns, revisit professional and committee recommendations, and engage further traffic and roadway engineers. In addition consulting with Public Safety as of critical importance as navigating these roadways by our ambulances and fire trucks is, indeed, “tricky business!” All this work guided location of signage and crosswalks, intersection configuration, and public safety protocols to conduct regular review of safety issues.

In 2012, the selectmen reviewed all studies and recommendations and put in place a set of guidance policies based on these documents to ensure all future roadway work would follow a professional rational. A standing committee, the Roadway and Traffic Committee (RTC), was established to guide future work on our roadways and roadsides. Town officials have invited all to the meetings of both the RTC and the selectmen to discuss ideas. As they have wisely cautioned, many have been down this path before.

Interesting suggestions have been made to fine-tune the historic Five Corners intersection and are worthy of further review. A review of accident reports would offer a reality check against the perception of danger, as was done in 2008. But in the end, while we tweak, fine-tune and refine, the history and topography of Lincoln has dictated our scenic pathways and which will continue to be a bane… and a blessing.

Sincerely,

Sara Mattes
71 Conant Rd.

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.

Bikes Not Bombs drive a success

Thom Quirk and Elizabeth Cherniack look over a donation at the Bikes Not Bombs drive.

Thom Quirk and Elizabeth Cherniack look over a donation at the Bikes Not Bombs drive.

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Lincoln Recycling Committee helper Darragh O’Doherty.

At Lincoln’s 4th annual Bikes Not Bombs drive on June 13, the Lincoln Recycling Committee collected 65 adult and children’s bicycles and $340 in cash donations, as well as a variety of bicycle parts such as tubes, tires, wheels, and forks. This is a 22 percent jump from the 53 bikes collected last year.

Many of this year’s donations will be heading to Ghana on July 21 when Bikes Not Bombs will host a “Stuff a Cargo Event” in its Dorchester warehouse. Please refer to the Bikes Not Bombs website for more information and other volunteer opportunities. Although many Lincolnites participated, there were also donations from residents of Acton, Bedford, Burlington, Carlisle, Lexington, Maynard, and Sudbury.

The Lincoln Recycling Committee (Laura Berland, Elizabeth Cherniack, Bernadette Quirk, and Susan Stason) thanks everyone who donated and also extends a grateful thank-you to the following individuals who donated their time to help flatten bikes and accept donations on a beautiful Saturday:  Thom Quirk, Darragh O’Doherty and Cecelia Nunez-O’Doherty.

Letter to the editor: Five Corners roundabout?

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To the editor:

I share concern #3 in Jonathan Rapaport’s letter to the editor. A big pickup truck towing a horse trailer southbound on Bedford Road turned left in front of the flower pot onto Trapelo and almost nailed my car while I waited by the stop sign. How about a rotary/roundabout, with the flower pot in the middle? I’ve seen some compact roundabouts in villages in England.

Sincerely,

Roy Harvey
Stonehedge Road

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: suggested fixes for Five Corners

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(Editor’s note: This letter was originally addressed to Ken Bassett and Noah Eckhouse in response to their June 23  letter to the editor.)

To the editor:

While I agree that rerouting Weston Road or installing traffic lights may be farfetched fixes for Five Corners, there have been some constructive suggestions posted in the Lincoln Squirrel. And while signage and traffic management may be surprisingly complex, we could certainly move a stop sign ten feet without having to commission a speed study.

I have read here a few fixes from knowledgable townspeople that would likely improve the safety and efficiency of Five Corners. They are inexpensive and can be implemented quickly, unless my understanding of such matters is totally naive (always a possibility). I’ll try to paraphrase to spare anyone having to search past posts. In order of urgency:

  1. Move the STOP sign on Trapelo all the way up to the crosswalk, so that cars pulling up may easily see the intersecting roads. Currently cars coming up Trapelo must stop awkwardly short of the intersection. Drivers may even be forgiven for believing that after stopping, they can blindly proceed without having to yield. In fact, I see Peter Braun do this all the time. (No, not really. Peter is by all accounts an impeccable driver.) Note that such a change would necessitate installing an additional STOP (or YIELD) sign for cars turning right onto Bedford Road.
  2. For traffic approaching Five Corners from Sandy Pond Road, reinforce the need for drivers to keep right before the island. I have seen otherwise competent drivers keep left because of the currently ineffectual signage. My vote is for two-way reflective yellow round ceramic pavement markers to be placed atop the single yellow lane divider.
  3. For some drivers coming down Bedford Road wanting to turn left onto Trapelo, there is confusion about whether they must turn before or after the flower pot/urn/horse trough(??). This could be solved with the same ceramic pavement markers mentioned above, or else with flexible traffic delineator posts. (A quick Google search will quickly identify these common road markers.)
  4. For the eleven drivers approaching the intersection from Weston Road, I can only counsel an abundance of hesitation and forbearance. This intersection will forever treat us unfairly.

Additional police presence would be welcome, too. But if you implement these few needed tweaks, the police would be left mostly (one hopes) to enforce civility. Too many drivers plow through the intersection without waiting their turn. If the police do want to put resources into Five Corners, they might consider directing traffic during rush hour. They could relieve bottlenecks by waving through many cars at once.

Thank you for inviting input at public meetings. But please also be receptive to solutions and ideas that reach you through other venues. Lincolnites trust you to make and implement sound decisions.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Rapaport
Winter Street

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 – 6/23/15

Library closing on July 3 and Saturdays; book sale on July 17

The Lincoln Public Library will be closed on Friday, July 3 in honor of Independence Day. The library will be open this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. but will then be closed on Saturdays until September 12 (the first Saturday after Labor Day). On Saturday, July 11, the Friends of the Lincoln Library will hold another half-price book sale in the basement of Bemis Hall  form 9 a.m. to noon. That part of Bemis Hall will close for construction later that month.

Summer self-defense class for girls and young women

The Lincoln Police are running their self-defense class for high school and college-age girls from Lincoln and Sudbury on August 11 and 13 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The class will take place at the Parks and Rec Department in Lincoln. This is the same class that takes place during the year at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. On the first day, we’ll talk about general safety and dating safety, and then we’ll begin practicing physical self-defense moves like strikes, blocks, and knee strikes. On the second day, we’ll have an officer in a padded suit “attacking” participants, who will use moves they’ve learned to escape. This part of the course is intense but amazing and empowering. The goal of the course is escape. These classes are extremely popular and space is limited, so please contact Jena Salon at jenasalon@gmail.com to sign up or ask questions.

Library book club meets

bookwormCome to the next “Who Picked This Book?” Club meeting at the Lincoln Public Library on Monday, July 6 at 7 p.m. when they will be discussing The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro. The book’s jumping-off point is the art heist at The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Filled with local scenes and flavor—what better why to start the summer off? Copies in various formats are available at the library’s circulation desk. The August 3 meeting will discuss The Children Act by Ian McEwan. For more information, please visit the club’s web page or call 781-259-8465 ext.202. Refreshments will be served.

Summer exhibition opening reception at deCordova

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Musuem is holding an opening reception on Wednesday, July 8 from 7-9 p.m. (rain date, July 15, 7-9 p.m.) for Architectural Allusions. One of deCordova’s first themed outdoor exhibitions, it explores the presence of architecture in contemporary sculpture as artists reinvent architectural traditions, from ancient ziggurats to modernist pavilions. This international group exhibition includes new commissions, long-term loans, and permanent collection works. Artists include Stephanie Cardon, Dan Graham, Esther Klas, Sol LeWitt, Monika Sosnowska, Kenneth Snelson and Oscar Tuazon. Free and open to the public. Please RSVP by emailing rsvp@decordova.org.

St. Julia’s Parish summer schedule

The summer schedule for the St. Julia Parish (including St. Joseph’s Church in Lincoln) is as follows:

  • Saturday at 4 p.m. – St. Julia
  • Sunday at 9 a.m. – St. Julia
  • Sunday at 10:30 a.m. – St. Joseph
  • Sunday at 5 p.m. – St. Julia