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

New school superintendent Parry Graham officially hired

The following is a statement from the Lincoln School Committee:

Dr. Frank “Parry” Graham

The Lincoln School Committee announced a three-year contract with Dr. Frank “Parry” Graham to serve as district superintendent beginning July 1, 2023. Graham, who is currently the acting superintendent of Wayland Public Schools, has served there as assistant superintendent since 2018.

Dr. Graham will succeed Dr. Becky McFall, who retires this summer after 11 years leading the district. The Lincoln Public School district serves students grades preK–8 on both the Lincoln and Hanscom Air Force Base campuses and is a long-time participant in the state’s METCO program promoting racially and ethnically diverse educational settings.

“We are confident that Dr. Graham will provide the high qualities of leadership, scholarship, and community engagement that Lincoln Public Schools have come to depend on,” said John MacLachlan, chair of the School Committee. “He is known as a thoughtful, collaborative leader able to make tough decisions.”

The School Committee voted unanimously on February 7 to enter contract negotiations with Dr. Graham after a four-month search and selection process that included feedback from hundreds of members of the district’s faculty, staff, families and community members.

“I am both excited and humbled by the opportunity to serve as Lincoln’s next superintendent,” said Dr. Graham. “The time I spent during the interview process convinced me that Lincoln is a unique place where exciting things are happening.

“In particular, I was struck by the emphasis on AIDE (equity) work and the recent development of the Portrait of a Learner; they reflect the district’s willingness to engage in deep, complex, and challenging initiatives that will benefit all students.”

Dr. Graham comes to Lincoln with administrative experience at the district, high school, middle school and elementary school levels. Prior to serving in Wayland, Dr. Graham was principal of Nashoba Regional High School in Bolton, and he served as a middle school principal and elementary school assistant principal in Wake County, N.C. He also taught German at North Andover High School. He earned a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master of arts in teaching from Tufts University, and a bachelor of arts from Williams College. He lives with his family in Concord and enjoys family travel, a competitive game of tennis, and exploring local spots for fly fishing.

Town election candidates: School Committee

The Lincoln Squirrel will be introducing readers to candidates on the March 27 town election ballot, starting with the two contested races, and the PTO is hosting a candidate forum as well. Today we focus on the School Committee, which has four candidates competing for two seats. Following are their lightly edited responses to questions posed via email in alphabetical order by last name:

Peter Buchthal

Peter Buchthal

What made you decide to run for a seat on the School Committee at this time?

I grew up in Scarsdale, N.Y., which has a great public school. During the pandemic from September 2020 onward, I have been very grateful that our Lincoln School has been great and open for business with in-person schooling. My wife and I are parents to three wonderful children who are in kindergarten, second, and third grades.

Now that my children have gotten older and are all in the Lincoln School, I have become increasingly concerned with certain aspects of their education. I understand that all children learn at different speeds. We are lucky in that all three of our children enjoy math. However, the math curriculum appears to be focused on meeting and not exceeding the Common Core standards. If a student is ahead of the rest of the class, math can become really boring for that student as the class spends time on math skills that they may have already mastered. I am also not really sure what the math curriculum is, as none of my children have math textbooks or a published curriculum. Why are we not buying a textbook when it is so much cheaper than to do custom course development? Do we really think our curriculum will be better than vetted and tested than a curriculum from professional publishers?

Last spring’s student survey showed a high degree of lack of engagement and belonging that increased as the students progressed up through the higher grades. The administration hasn’t come up with causal reasons for these sentiments. Without identifying the reasons, no solution will likely be successful. On our most recent i-Ready testing, 38% of our children are one grade or more behind in their studies. So, whatever we are doing for all of our students isn’t working that well. I listened to the School Committee’s March 9 meeting where they went over the recent i-Ready scores. At no time did the administration present a defined action plan on what they were going to do to improve the scores of our students.

I believe the School Committee needs fresh eyes to help the school administration chart a better path forward as too many students are behind where they should be and not satisfied with their educational experience. I have befriended one of the parent coaches of our IMLEM [Intermediate Math League of Eastern Massachusetts] after-school math team for grades 4-8. He told me that Lincoln is unique compared with all of the other school districts they compete against. Our team is 100% coached by dedicated parents and all other competing math teams have coaches who are professional math teachers in their respective schools. I learned that early in the fall, he asked our superintendent to assign a math teacher to help the students. She queried our community of Lincoln and Hanscom teachers and reported back that no teacher wrote back who wished to coach (for money) the math team. Forty years ago in Scarsdale, I remember new teachers were expected to work extra jobs after school to help students outside the classroom and supervised activities like the yearbook, bridge club, chess club and math teams. I was dismayed that our school and school administration had a culture that didn’t encourage extra work from the staff to help the stronger kids.

I have talked to many parents of kids in grades 1–5 and it seems that a high percentage of them send their children to extra outside academic courses like Russian Math, Beast Academy, and Kumon. Since we spend more than 25% more per student than our neighboring towns, why shouldn’t we ask the school to provide a more challenging curriculum either during or after school, so that all families don’t have to waste their after-school time and gas driving to these programs? Shouldn’t the School Committee be focused on meeting the needs of all of the Lincoln students including the academically motivated ones?

Additionally, I have been troubled that the current school administration and School Committee seems intent on hiring a new middle school principal without giving our new superintendent Parry Graham time (he won’t be on the payroll until July 1, 2023) to figure out what skills are most needed in the position. Our new superintendent just wrote to Wayland parents last week: “Because we have a number of different positions open, and because I know I will not be in Wayland after June 30, I am very reluctant to make long-term leadership decisions for several of our central office positions. For that reason, several of these positions will be hired as interim, one-year positions.”

Our new middle school principal is exactly the kind of long-term hire that Graham should be allowed to take his time selecting. Graham is currently exceedingly busy in Wayland and we are asking him to make at best a rushed decision. The current principal search was also flawed as the initial search committee included only a Boston-based Lincoln parent and not a single non-affiliated Lincoln taxpayer parent. Lincoln taxpayer parents deserve a seat at the table and if I were elected to the School Committee, I would demand it.

Last year, I was made aware of one second-grade class that had a student who misbehaved and got violent from time to time. All of the students were taught the safe word “milkshake” so that when the teacher yelled “milkshake,” they all exited the classroom to go to a safe area. Students who misbehave and distract the learning of others should not be allowed in the classroom. Teachers spend a large amount of time on discipline/behavior issues instead of teaching. I understand that there have been at least four full school days of professional development specifically about classroom management and behavior issues. During those days, substitute teachers were left to try and teach the classrooms, which is most often not effective. As a School Committee member, I would ask for a public committee to publicize and enforce consistent behavior standards across the student body so that teachers get more time to teach and less time dealing with behavior issues. This public committee should publish metrics to show the effectiveness of the new enforced policies. We all should want students who want to learn in the classroom.

Parent surveys that were collected about 30 years ago were recently shared on LincolnTalk. The surveys showed Lincoln students were not well prepared for Lincoln-Sudbury high school. I believe we need to have an outside firm collect surveys to really understand what parents and taxpayers think on a variety of topics. Town meetings are not a great way to share sentiments, especially as voters can at times feel intimidated to not express themselves against the grain. Vocal groups can drown out other valued members of our community. Asking the School Committee or school administration to run a survey is like asking to the fox to guard the henhouse, so I would recommend using an outside firm or service to collect the survey data.

Why am I running for School Committee? Change happens from within, and I look forward to working with our new superintendent, other School Committee members and parents to identify our problems and come up with solutions to improve everyone’s satisfaction. I want a great public education for my children and I hope to help many others get one as well. I pledge to listen to everyone and am confident I will be successful.

What would you bring to the table in terms of specific professional and/or personal experiences?

As an engineer and entrepreneur, I feel qualified to dig in and ask hard questions to our administration to ensure all students excel in our school. I have experience in board meetings, finance, and solving complex hard problems. I have founded two successful software companies that involved creating solutions to meet specific customer needs. If elected, I feel I can help focus the administration on helping all of the students reach their potential.

Since this is a contested seat, why should Lincolnites vote for you in particular? What past history or personal/political positions make you better qualified than one or more of the other candidates?

I am good at researching complex items. Along with another parent, we have discovered that contrary to all written and oral communication from the school administration and town, we the Lincoln taxpayers subsidize the Hanscom school system at around $1,000,000 per year. Either through mismanagement or poor contract management, the Defense Department does not pay all of the expenses of the Hanscom school as advertised. We believe these extra expenses as are disguised as increased pension and benefit expenses for all Lincoln town employees. Hanscom teachers and support staff are actually all Lincoln town employees. For every personal dollar paid to a town employee, approximately 50 cents of that cost is paid by the town as additional pension and benefit expenses. Our peer towns (Weston, Wayland, Sudbury, Carlisle, Dover, Sherborn and Concord) have pension and benefits expenses of around 20 to 35 cents per dollar of salaries. No one in the school administration or town administration has answered the question of why are our pension and benefits so much more expensive than our peer towns, and I believe our benefits are no better than our peer towns to justify the increased costs. Unless I am elected to the School Committee, this costly issue will get buried as the administration denies our requests for detailed records and contracts required to understand our accounting treatment. I pledge to be open and transparent with this information.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing the School Committee over the next three years, and if elected, how do you plan to address it?

It is a toss-up between declining enrollment of Lincoln resident students and discipline/bullying problems. Unless we address our declining enrollment as parents choose to leave our school in greater numbers than our peer towns, our school may continue to shrink and become at a certain point unviable as an independent school. I would recommend that the School Committee survey parents to learn their areas of dissatisfaction so that we may address them.

As far as discipline/bullying problems, I would ask the School Committee to implement standards to ensure that discipline and misbehaving does not adversely impact the education of other students and publish metrics to show that our teachers are spending their time teaching and not being consumed with discipline problems.

Who are your three biggest heroes in American history and why?

Ed Koch — former mayor of New York City. He continually asked the public, “How am I doing?” He was always optimistic and frank. He served as mayor for 12 years. Imagine — in 1981 he was re-elected mayor of New York City under both the Democratic and Republican lines on the ballot. He had tremendous wit. One example was his no-parking sign that said, “Don’t even think of parking here.”

Steve Jobs — he was perhaps the best industrial designer of all time. The combined software and hardware products that he created are simply beautiful, elegant and easy to use by billions of people every day.

Chesley Sullenberger — pilot of Miracle on the Hudson aircraft ditching. When he lost both jet engines at a low altitude, his training and judgement allowed him to land his plane on the Hudson River. He never lost his cool and everyone survived.

Adam Hogue

Adam Hogue

What made you decide to run again for a seat on the School Committee at this time?

I am a candidate for reelection and I decided to run again to work with the new superintendent we just hired and continuing my work with the teacher contract negotiations. I also want to continue to fight for a focus on data-driven decisions to help close our achievement gaps.

What would you bring to the table in terms of specific professional and/or personal experiences?

I bring my experience of having served on the Lincoln School Committee for the last five years, successfully negotiating several contracts with our unions and preparing budgets, as well as learning how our town government works. I also previously served on the board of the Lowell Community Charter School for four years.

Since this is a contested seat, why should Lincolnites vote for you in particular? What past history or personal/political positions make you better qualified than one or more of the other candidates?

During the pandemic, I stood up for students and fought to keep the schools open, successfully convincing my fellow members to vote to open the schools. I have the experience to navigate tough budget decisions and have built relationships in town that will help the schools over the next three years.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing the School Committee over the next three years, and if elected, how do you plan to address it?

One of our biggest issues is going to be our budget. I plan to be creative and use my knowledge of the town budget to keep our schools well funded while avoiding an override.

Who are your three biggest heroes in American history and why?

Abraham Lincoln, because of the leadership he showed during one of the greatest crises this nation has ever faced. Gen. Dwight D Eisenhower, for his steadfast leadership during WWII and during his presidency. Fredrick Douglass, for being a leader in the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage and civil rights.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?

As an officer in the Army National Guard, public service is a priority for me, and it would be a great honor to serve another term on the Lincoln School Committee.

Jacob Lehrhoff

Jacob Lehrhoff

What made you decide to run for a seat on the School Committee at this time?

After a first career as an educator, I believed I had closed that chapter of my life and moved on. I maintained a passion for education but understood that it wasn’t the only career I wanted to pursue. When I taught, I had a palpable sense that I was giving back, that I was serving. Now working in tech, I love what I do, but I can’t claim to be serving or giving back in some tangible way. I came to realize that there are other ways to participate in and influence the schools, and that I can give back to my own community. Sitting with this realization, I considered running for School Committee last year, but my wife and I were expecting our second child and knew the coming months would be wild. Now that sleep is stable and life is functional, I’d like to step up and give back.

What would you bring to the table in terms of specific professional and/or personal experiences?

As a former educator, I’ve seen first-hand the transformative effect that a well-designed education can have on students and the coordinated effort required to ensure that education meets students’ needs. I taught English/language arts at the Gifford School in Weston for six years, three of them as department chair. That on-the-ground experience — designing curriculum, scaffolding lessons for students, hearing parents’ wishes and concerns — imbues me with empathy for every layer across the system. I know that Gifford is not a typical setting and many of the needs I supported are outside the expectations of a public school, but the learning remains: every student is unique, every family has their own perspective, and everyone deserves compassion and curiosity. Lincoln’s school budget may read as a series of line items, but there are stories behind those investments, and the decisions we make with our budget affects lives.

My career has changed dramatically since my years in education. I currently lead the data science and user research organization at Spotify, developing personalized listening experiences. In my seven years at Spotify, I’ve honed both my research and collaborative skills. I teach my team that the goal isn’t only to create knowledge, it’s to drive action. We simultaneously hone our craft — drafting research questions and methodology, executing research — and hone our storytelling, collaborative, and influencing skills. We form the narrative of our insights around our understanding of stakeholders’ interests and perspectives to influence decision-making. It’s these skills that will help me support thoughtful policy decisions.

Since this is a contested seat, why should Lincolnites vote for you in particular? What past history or personal/political positions make you better qualified than one or more of the other candidates?

What I want voters to know is that the most critical tool I would bring to and employ on the School Committee isn’t any particular facility with data: it’s empathy. Progress requires collaboration; collaboration depends on relationships, and relationships take time and curiosity to build. When facing challenges, different perspectives are valid, problems have multiple sides, and solutions aren’t singular. Through listening, I hope to influence positive decisions.

I hear many topics of interest: bullying, student engagement, challenging high achievers. I hope to match that interest from the town with an understanding of what decisions the administration and School Committee have made to date, why, what’s next in the plan, and what we aren’t focusing on if we further prioritize these topics.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing the School Committee over the next three years, and if elected, how do you plan to address it?

The Lincoln Public Schools are embarking on a lot of change. We are about to have a new superintendent and a new principal. While not something that will take three years, the most important issue is building relationships with the changing administration, ensuring the administration is building relationships within the schools to diagnose opportunities and drive positive change, and ensuring Lincoln is connected to all of it. Yes there are many topics that deserve attention — continuing our investment in antiracism, inclusion, diversity, and equity; further realizing the “portrait of a learner” in our schools; ensuring student engagement is high; identifying opportunities to minimize bullying, etc. — but no progress will be made on any of these topics without investment in those new relationships. One opportunity to create those connections would be to bring back regularly scheduled coffee events with School Committee members to ensure that people feel heard and connections can be made.

Who are your three biggest heroes in American history and why?

After sitting with this question for some time, I’ve found that my most authentic answer is to celebrate groups that deserve attention rather than elevate specific individuals. I thought about the working poor, fighting to provide for their families in a system that isn’t necessarily designed for their success. I thought about union organizers, so quickly demonized by organizations with deep pockets. I thought about people who manage to speak out against wrongs committed upon them by people of power and the many more who have no platform or agency to speak out. And then I realized I am most moved by the perseverance against inequity and the will to cause change for the good.

I feel fortunate to have received a good public school education just two towns away in Natick, to have had many opportunities in front of me throughout my life — to have never felt that I wouldn’t be given a fair shot. And I deeply admire those who see that many don’t have those same luxuries and choose to fight for equity.

Matina Madrick

Matina Madrick

What made you decide to run for a seat on the School Committee at this time?

We moved to Lincoln in the summer of 2020 with our three children, who attended the Lincoln Public and Lincoln-Sudbury at that time. We have been very happy in Lincoln and I am excited to be able to serve the community.

I have had a longstanding interest in education policy as I earned my master’s degree in public policy and economics from Princeton University. I have professional experience in education finance and education consulting. I have also been a volunteer in many different schools and extracurricular activities. I strongly believe in the mission of public schools and I have a vested interest in maintaining and improving education in Lincoln. My children are at ages where I am able to make a more substantial commitment to volunteer work outside of the home and I would be thrilled with the opportunity to serve the community on the School Committee.

What would you bring to the table in terms of specific professional and/or personal experiences?

Before having a family, I earned a master’s degree in policy and economics from Princeton University. After graduating, I worked at the New York Independent Budget Office analyzing the New York City education budget. This experience provided me with an introduction to education finance and introduced me to the importance of municipal budgets in the implementation of policy. I also worked on other education issues such as class size, graduation rates, and outcomes. Once I started a family, I had a number of opportunities to work part-time in education consulting, grant writing, analyzing compensation plans, and helping to build recruiting plans for education administrators.

Personally, my children have attended schools in three different public school districts and I have volunteered in all of these districts. I have seen many different programs and services that work both better and worse than in Lincoln and I am eager to share that perspective.

Since this is a contested seat, why should Lincolnites vote for you in particular? What past history or personal/political positions make you better qualified than one or more of the other candidates?

My professional experience in education finance and policy as well as my experience as a parent in several different school districts have provided me with some excellent and different perspectives on the Lincoln Public Schools. Additionally, two of my children are now high schoolers and I can speak to the experience of their preparedness for high school and what worked and did not work in their elementary and middle school experiences.

My commitment to my kids’ education through volunteering in the schools and extracurricular activities for my kids is also a strong factor in my candidacy. I have been an active volunteer for the schools as a class parent, classroom assistant, and volunteer for special programs, and here in Lincoln I am a member of SEPAC [Special Education Parent Advisory Council] and the PTO enrichment rep for my youngest son’s grade. I have also been a board member for the parent organization of my daughter’s gymnastics team for five years (a position I resigned from as of this coming June).

What do you think is the biggest issue facing the School Committee over the next three years, and if elected, how do you plan to address it?

As the pandemic slows, there are increased pressures on teachers due to social/emotional issues and increased learning gaps, and many educators are leaving the profession due to burnout. Teachers are the most important factor driving student learning and success, and we need to address teacher retention and morale. We also must ensure we are attracting talented teachers and focus on ways to recruit and retain diversity in our workforce that mirrors our student body. There is no simple fix to these issues, but the School Committee can ensure that teacher salaries are in line with inflation while remaining aware of our budget constraints. Additionally, the School Committee can support the schools’ ability to provide professional development for all educators.

Who are your three biggest heroes in American history and why?

Recently, because of his declining health, Jimmy Carter has been in the news a lot, and it has reminded me how much I admire his work ethic and devotion to peace, housing, and other issues post his presidency. While he could have participated in more self-aggrandizing pursuits, he chose service and was extremely effective in those causes.

I grew up dancing in New York City and some of my biggest personal heroes reflect this background. In my early teenage years, I began to attend my first Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey performances and take classes at these companies. Both are two lions of the modern dance world and I admired the genius in creating immortal, beautiful choreography and techniques outside of the accepted and institutionalized forms of dance. Furthermore, Martha Graham, at a time when women were not accepted as leaders in dance, broke boundaries by founding her own dance company and choreographing outside the mainstream. Similarly, Alvin Ailey as a gay Black man broke boundaries by not only establishing a dance company but establishing a school of dance that welcomed urban, mostly Black children to learn classical and other dance techniques while other dance schools remained both traditional and segregated.

As I am running for School Committee, I feel compelled to mention an educator I admire, Diane Ravitch. Ravitch is a prolific author and tireless supporter of public schools. I was first introduced to her when I read her book The Great School Wars: A History of the New York City Public Schools while working in education finance for the City of New York. Her dedication to her cause and interests and overwhelming wealth of knowledge and energy are more than admirable.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?

When I started my family, I made the decision to make my children my priority, but I have always tried to maintain professional presence outside the home either through work or volunteering. Professionally, I have taken part-time jobs working for several education consulting firms, and I also worked part-time at Harvard Business School as a researcher. I also worked part-time in finance for a biotech startup which my husband founded.

Currently, I teach fitness in Waltham at Btone Fitness two mornings a week. I have volunteered in my children’s schools in many different roles in different districts since my oldest entered kindergarten. One of my most rewarding volunteer experiences has been as a board member for the parent organization attached to my daughter’s gymnastics team. This position in particular has taken many hours. I have learned a lot about gymnastics competition, made a lot of friends and it has been extremely rewarding.

Correction

The Mach 13 article headlined “My Turn: CCBC introduces architects and airs concerns” contained misnumbered paragraphs. It also should have included a link to the next meeting of the Community Center Building Committee, which is Wednesday, March 15 at 2:30 p.m. (Zoom link here.) For future meetings and other information, see the CCBC web page. The original article has been updated.

Police log for March 1–9, 2023

March 1

Baker Bridge Road (6:36 a.m.) — A cyclist fell in the area of 55 Baker Bridge Rd. Police and fire units responded.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (7:02 a.m.) — Two-vehicle crash. The Fire Department responded and assisted the motorists. Lincoln police remained on scene to assist the Massachusetts State Police, who were handling the crash.

Windingwood Lane (9:49 a.m.) — A caller reported a suspicious scheme involving an injured relative requiring an immediate transfer of money. The caller identified the call as attempted fraud and reported it to the police.

Hanscom Drive (11:03 a.m.) — Lincoln police assisted faculty of the Guild for Human Services with an individual located near the Sartain gate of Hanscom Air Force Base.

Conant Road (8:12 p.m.) — A caller reported hearing a dog barking. Police checked the area but were unable to hear or locate the dog.

North Great Road I12:22 p.m.) — A motorist reported that a deer struck their vehicle and continued into the woods. Police were unable to locate the deer.

March 2

Juniper Ridge Road (6:28 a.m.) — The Fire Department responded to a report of an odor of smoke inside the residence. They determined that the odor was possibly from smoke not venting properly through the chimney.

Tower Road (1:00 p.m.) — A resident brought an item to the station for destruction.

Lexington Road (7:00 p.m.) — Police were called to a residence to assist with an attempted vehicle repossession.

March 3

Country Pizza (4:13 a.m.) — Police checked on a vehicle that was parked and occupied. The operator cleared from the area a short time thereafter.

Concord Road (11:42 a.m.) — An individual walked into the police station to report that he and his wife were separated on the trails near Walden Pond. Units from the Lincoln Police, Lincoln Fire, Concord Police, Concord Fire, Massachusetts DCR, and the Massachusetts State Police assisted in the search. The parties were ultimately reunited approximately two hours later.

Wells Road (3:51 p.m.) — An officer responded to speak to a resident regarding a lost/stolen item.

Concord Road (5:16 p.m.) — Police responded to the area of 110 Concord Road for a jackknifed dump truck and trailer. A detour was established for Concord Road south-bound traffic. A tow truck was requested to remove the vehicles.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (6:46 p.m.) — The Concord Fire Department requested a mutual-aid ambulance from Lincoln for a two-vehicle crash on Route 2 in Concord.

March 4

Wells Road (3:30 a.m.) — A caller reported hearing what they believed to be gunshots in the area. Officers responded and believed the noise was the result of a plow truck blade striking a raised utility hole.

Harvest Circle (5:20 a.m.) — During snow removal operations, a small vehicle used to clear sidewalks tipped over and caught fire. The Lincoln Fire Department arrived, addressed the fire, and righted the vehicle.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (9:35 a.m.) —Concord police requested assistance locating a vehicle traveling east in the westbound lane of Route 2. A check of the area was conducted but no wrong-way vehicles were located.

Lincoln Road (10:40 a.m.) — Two-vehicle crash. Driver #1 was traveling north on Lincoln Road and Driver #2 was traveling west on Codman Road. Driver #2 failed to stop at the stop sign and struck the first vehicle. Both parties were uninjured. Driver #2 was issued a criminal complaint for operating a motor vehicle without a license and failing to stop at a stop sign.

Goose Pond Road (2:34 p.m.) — A resident reported their mailbox was damaged, possible due to snow-plowing efforts.

Donelan’s Supermarket (4:04 p.m.) — Two individuals were reported to be impeding a walkway by Donelan’s Supermarket. Police spoke to the individuals, who subsequently went on their way.

Concord Road (9:54 p.m.) — A caller reported a vehicle crashed into a utility pole in front of their residence. While on the phone with the 911 operator, the vehicle fled the scene, heading toward Wayland. Wayland Police were alerted and subsequently located the vehicle at 111 Glezen Lane. Lincoln police went to that address. The operator of the vehicle was identified and advised that a criminal complaint would be issued for leaving the scene of a property damage crash and a marked lanes violation.

Bedford Lane (10:51 p.m.) — A caller reported that their vehicle had been struck by an individual driving past their location that was firing either a BB gun or paintball gun. An officer responded, spoke to the reporting party, and checked the area. Nothing was found.

March 5

Doherty’s Garage (12:49 a.m.) — An occupied vehicle was located in the area of Doherty’s Garage. The vehicle cleared from the area a short time later.

Indian Camp Lane (1:25 p.m.) — Minor motor vehicle crash.

Pierce House (2:04 p.m.) — A caller asked an officer provide a shovel to free their vehicle stuck in the snow. An officer responded and was able to free the vehicle.

St. Joseph Church (6:22 p.m.) — A caller reported leaving an item behind in the church. An officer was able to assist the individual and retrieve the item.

March 6

Lincoln Road (8:12 a.m.) — Animal Control was notified about a sick raccoon in a resident’s driveway.

56 Offutt Road (11:35 a.m.) — An officer spoke to a resident about a possible past fraud incident.

Laurel Drive (1:20 p.m.) — A Bank of America employee notified the police to report a customer was attempting to withdraw a large sum of money and felt as though the customer was being scammed. Police responded and did, in fact, alert the customer that they were being scammed.

Lincoln Road (4:14 p.m.) — Animal Control was notified about a sick raccoon in a resident’s driveway.

Conant Road (4:50 p.m.) — An officer spoke to two residents regarding a dog encounter.

North Commons (5:16 p.m.) — An officer spoke to a resident who had reported identifying a scam prior to being victimized. Safeguards were discussed to insulate the resident from possible future attempts.

Bedford Road (6:24 p.m.) — A caller that reported an individual was walking on Bedford Road with no shoes. Officers made contact with the individual and arranged transport back to their residence.

March 7

Conant Road (10:26 a.m.) — An officer responded to speak with a resident reporting possible missing items from their home.

Lincoln Road (12:47 p.m.) — An officer assisted the DPW with traffic while they hung the Town Meeting banner.

Wells Road (3:24 p.m.) —Framingham police called to request assistance with contacting a resident about a missing item. The resident was not home.

Conant Road (5:19 p.m.) — An officer spoke to two residents regarding a dog encounter.

March 8

Birchwood Lane (3:51 p.m.) — An individual reported an ongoing situation that required police intervention.

Wells Road (5:14 p.m.) — Court paperwork was served in hand.

March 9

Weston Road (11:19 a.m.) — An individual spoke to an officer about an earlier encounter with a motorist.

Laurel Drive (2:06 p.m.) — A caller reported a possible scam.

Town election candidates: Planning Board

The Lincoln Squirrel will be introducing readers to candidates on the March 27 town election ballot, starting with the two contested races, and the PTO is hosting a candidate forum as well. First up: the Planning Board, which has three candidates competing or two seats. Following are their lightly edited responses to questions posed via email in alphabetical order by last name:

Lynn DeLisi

Lynn DeLisi

What made you decide to run for re-election to the Planning Board at this time?

This is a crucial time for Lincoln, as we are facing new state regulations that have been designed to combat the affordable housing shortage throughout the Boston area and elsewhere. The Planning Board has been actively discussing the possibilities for change to the Zoning Bylaw that governs our town for some time. Within the next year, the board, in collaboration with a representative committee created by the Selects, will be considering whether to make specific changes that will comply with the new Housing Choice Act (HCA) and would allow for more affordable housing that meets town goals without irreversibly changing the natural beauty and open space that we all treasure.

The proposals on the table will require a carefully conducted, data-driven, thoughtful, and responsible planning process that will take place in open collaboration with residents. Zoning changes that allow for new development may be irreversible and have an impact on the quality of local life for town residents in decades to come. Since I have been intensely involved in these discussions as a member of the Planning Board for quite a while now, I feel it is my responsibility to the residents of Lincoln to stay on the Board and apply my knowledge and expertise to the decisions to be made as the town progresses into key next stages.

What would you bring to the table in terms of specific professional and/or personal experiences?

I have been a member of the Planning Board for nine years, and at first there was a steep learning curve for me to climb. I was quietly listening my first year, taking it all in and understanding what town planning and development were all about. I studied the Town Bylaw as my textbook. In fact, my Planning Board “education” involved more years than my formal training to become an MD and psychiatrist (seven years)! Regardless, I believe it is less about your professional background or experience that makes a good board member. Rather, it is more about a commitment to a process of well-researched planning and town engagement that ensures you are defining and pursuing town goals that represent the priorities of those who have elected you.

Since this is a contested seat, why should Lincolnites vote for you in particular? What past history or personal/political positions make you better qualified than one or more of the other candidates?

There are two characteristics that I have displayed in my career that are very relevant to this position.

(1) I have always sought ways to bring people together to collaborate. I co-founded two international professional societies, very successful today, and developed international multi-site research projects, all of which brought together diverse sets of individuals to work together and collaborate. This is what we need to do as members of the Planning Board.

(2) I have always gravitated toward finding ways to aid people more vulnerable than myself and have consistently shown empathy toward their needs. As a Planning Board member, I spoke out against rezoning the South Lincoln station area without consideration of the people who live there, the establishment of a residential treatment home for borderline personality disorder that was being “sold” to us erroneously as an educational institution, and the Minuteman HS with its high tower I thought unnecessary and then its athletic field with lighting I thought excessive for the neighborhood. I also worked hard on the marijuana study committee to keep it out of Lincoln and away from our children, knowing the psychiatric consequences. Thus, I have a record of representing the residents of each neighborhood in any controversy that interferes with their well-being. Going forward, I will fight against expansion of Hanscom Field, changes in zoning that put any current Lincoln residents at risk of losing their homes and any other issue that arises.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing the Planning Board over the next three years, and if elected, how do you plan to address it?

My experience on the Planning Board so far is that you cannot predict what the next important issue will be. As of today, I believe that whether we can or want to comply with the State’s Housing Choice Act (HCA) is one of the biggest challenges the Planning Board will need to address. To comply would require changing the zoning of South Lincoln within ½ mile of the commuter rail station to permit multifamily housing development at a density of 15 units per acre for at least eight acres. This would only be 20% of what full compliance with the HCA would require in total.

It will be essential to quantify and address the potential impacts of HCA compliance in advance, making sure that the town fully understands its benefits and costs and what happens if we do not comply. I need to see carefully constructed plans for how this might look, and how it would impact town finances, public utilities, traffic, and commercial activity both positively and negatively. I want to keep in mind that open spaces, trails, and wildlife in Lincoln are irreplaceable treasures.

I believe strongly that the residents who are most vulnerable to zoning changes must not be placed in jeopardy of losing their homes. How could that happen? Once zoning allows for significantly higher density, then there is an increased incentive for owners of some of our town’s key, lower-density, affordably priced rental units to sell to developers who would make money by replacing them with higher-density condos (85% of which would be market rate). Ironically, the net result would be the displacement of our most economically diverse residents and a decrease in our affordable housing options.

Who are your three biggest heroes in American history and why?

Eleanor Roosevelt, Elizabeth Blackwell, and Dorothy Dix are the first three who come to mind —all strong women who spoke up loudly for what they believed in and became a voice for equal opportunities for women, minorities and the most vulnerable members of our society. They are my role models and heroes.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?

I was born in New York City and grew up in a small New Jersey town. I spent my childhood summers in overnight camp in rural Pennsylvania gaining an appreciation for the natural environment, open space and wildlife that would stay with me to the present. I graduated college with a major in zoology from the University of Wisconsin and medical school from The Medical College of Pennsylvania. Shortly afterwards, I spent time providing medical care to migrant chili farm workers in rural northern New Mexico and then became a psychiatrist by working at the only federally funded public psychiatric hospital in D.C., particularly because its mission was to serve the disadvantaged.

I was always challenging my mentors, wanting the evidence that didn’t exist at that time for the accepted practice of psychiatry. I became a fierce advocate for truth by gathering scientific data as a full-time researcher for several years at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda. While doing that I raised two wonderful children, now well into adulthood and both strong advocates for social justice and environmental protection. Throughout my life I spoke out loudly for issues I believed in and diverted my efforts when there was need, such as by helping survivors of an earthquake in El Salvador, the 9/11 disaster in New York, and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

My current day job is focused on working with mostly immigrant and disadvantaged communities in Cambridge/Somerville and individuals who need care for serious mental illness. My research is focused now on interventions that can reduce disparities that exist in the delivery of high-quality mental healthcare. Academically I mentor new generations who come after me.

I write all this above about me because it has relevance to how I serve on the Planning Board. I seek out the evidence from data supporting or refuting the issues as a scientist would. I focus on bringing people together in collaborative efforts and I have empathy for others in crises. Moreover, I have a deep desire to preserve land that is natural, with wide-open spaces, clear nighttime stars, fields of wildflowers, organic farms, and wildlife of all kinds roaming conservation land.

Hopefully this gives you some idea of who I am. I welcome your contacting me with issues that concern you and your neighborhood. If re-elected to the Planning Board, I will do my best to represent you. I can best be reached by email at lynn_delisi@hms.harvard.edu or delisi76@aol.com.

Mark Levinson

Mark Levinson

What made you decide to run for a seat on the Planning Board at this time?

Lincoln is facing a number of challenges that have the potential to greatly affect the future character of the town. The recently passed Massachusetts Housing Choice Act attempts to mandate much higher-density multifamily housing in Lincoln. For various reasons, this would apply not only to the Lincoln Station neighborhood but to other areas around town as well. I believe actions by the Planning Board can be a key factor in helping the town to navigate these challenges, while also promoting other goals, such as support for local businesses, diversity, affordable housing, and the environment.

What would you bring to the table in terms of specific professional and/or personal experiences?

I have lived near Lincoln Station for almost 25 years and have been active in issues affecting our neighborhood and the town. I have served as one of two neighborhood liaisons to the Planning Board and its South Lincoln Planning Advisory Committee (SLPAC). I have also been committed to environmental issues and volunteered for many years for the Sudbury Valley Trustees, a very active and successful land conservation organization.

As someone with both a scientific and business background, I know the value of thoroughly researching any proposed course of action to determine the likelihood of achieving its benefits as well as its potential downsides.

Since this is a contested seat, why should Lincolnites vote for you in particular? What past history or personal/political positions make you better qualified than one or more of the other candidates?

I believe I share the goals of many Lincolnites for our town: viability of local businesses, diversity, affordable housing, encouraging use of public transportation, and doing what we can to fight climate change while maintaining the rural character of the town. I also believe it’s very important to maintain a reasoned, fact-based approach to managing change where any new initiatives are evaluated for their likely real-world effects, both positive and negative.

If elected, I will represent the views and opinions of all Lincoln residents, not only those of my neighborhood. I will do my best to be open-minded, fiscally responsible, and always consider both sides of any issue.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing the Planning Board over the next three years, and if elected, how do you plan to address it?

The biggest issue is the Housing Choice Act and its potential to transform the character of the town through high-density housing. There are also major challenges from the proposed Hanscom Field expansion, and the proposed expansion at Lincoln Commons.

Who are your three biggest heroes in American history and why?

Abraham Lincoln — he was a modest, thoughtful man from humble origins who used his power as president for the benefit of the people, rather than himself and his associates. He doggedly persevered through the difficult and dispiriting trials of the Civil War, always keeping the end goal in mind.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg — she was a ground-breaking figure as the second woman justice of the Supreme Court. She used her prodigious intellect to further the causes of civil liberties and gender equality.

Rachel Carson — she was one of the founders of the modern environment movement. Her work spurred a transformation in public attitudes towards the environment, and led to the banning of many pesticides and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, among others.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?

I grew up in the New York City area and first came to Boston as a freshman at MIT. After leaving MIT with a PhD, I spent two years doing physics research in Switzerland and then five years in the New York City area before returning to Boston. I worked for several startup companies and got an MBA working nights at BU. I’ve lived in Lincoln since 1998. My two adult sons graduated from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School and live in the Boston area.

Craig Nicholson

Craig Nicholson

What made you decide to run for a seat on the Planning Board at this time?

I have been actively engaged in planning in Lincoln for a number of years. Although my role has varied over the years, I have continually been interested in the work that the board does and found ways to stay involved, including my current service as a non-voting associate member of the Planning Board, as well as my prior role on SLPIC [the South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee].

Although I have considered running in years past, I felt my commitment to the School Building Committee (SBC) and the time that entailed wouldn’t allow me to fully commit to the Planning Board. Now that our work on the SBC is winding down, and given my interest in the critical planning initiatives facing Lincoln both in the short term and long term, I made the decision to run. The timing is right, the challenges are there, and I see some really interesting opportunities ahead to put my skills in planning, collaboration, project management, and sustainability to work in a new and exciting way.  

What would you bring to the table in terms of specific professional and/or personal experiences?

On the personal side, I grew up in a small town on the South Shore. It was a town with a strong agricultural past, primarily based around cranberries, with a tremendous amount of open space — trails out the back door, very much like Lincoln. What drew me to Lincoln was being able to see that same experience that I had as a child available here for our children.

I spent the early part of my career as an environmental consultant, traveling all over the U.S. working on projects small and large. It was through these experiences where I started to really focus on how our built environment shapes our lived experience. This is what ultimately brought me to Tufts University, where I received my master’s degree in urban and environmental policy and planning.

My work with Washington Gateway Main Street (WGMS) in the South End also served as a catalyst in my life. I see my experience with the Main Streets organization as a potential template for future resident and business engagement and participation in Lincoln. It was through WGMS where I gained experience working with a vast array of stakeholders including residents (of which I was one myself), retailers, restaurant owners, artists, landlords and developers to shape and implement the long-term planning vision aimed at creating a sustainable mix of housing, commercial and office uses within the neighborhood. We engaged in “leakage” studies in order to understand where residents were spending their money outside the community so that we could work with building owners to try to recruit those types of businesses to our community in order to keep that spending local. We would host community events to bring neighbors together in order to strengthen their community ties.

Lincoln is not Boston, I certainly understand that, but there are pieces from my experience that do overlap with some of the challenges that we are encountering here. I currently spend my days managing renovations of hotel properties throughout the country. Much of this work includes a focus on sustainability and carbon emissions reductions. I am actively involved in benchmarking large properties in Boston to develop a roadmap for our clients towards net zero emissions, and I am often called upon to support our clients in fulfilling their ESG [environmental, social, and governance] goals.

Here in Lincoln, I point to my experience on SLPIC and the SBC as highly influential in my growth and understanding of how to engage our community and build consensus from the ground up. My experience serving on various committees and organizations in town has provided me with opportunities to engage with residents from all over Lincoln in deep and meaningful ways. I don’t take that for granted, and if elected to the Planning Board will relish the opportunity to engage more deeply with our community as we collectively plot our path forward.

Since this is a contested seat, why should Lincolnites vote for you in particular? What past history or personal/political positions make you better qualified than one or more of the other candidates?

The diversity of my professional experiences (noted above), coupled with my previous community engagement in Lincoln, differentiates me from other candidates in the race. I know each of us brings a passion to planning, but I hope that my desire to involve and truly listen to the breadth of voices in our community to build a comprehensive, inclusive planning agenda for the future will set me apart on Election Day.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing the Planning Board over the next three years, and if elected, how do you plan to address it?

I struggle with this question as —depending on who you are, where you live, what your past or current experiences are — your biggest issue may not even be on the radar screen of someone else in town, perhaps not even your immediate neighbor. For instance, members of our town are currently faced with the Housing Choice Act, the proposed Hanscom expansion, affordability, and transportation challenges. In my mind, the single biggest issue is how the Planning Board balances all of these various matters. Addressing this needed balance will involve a multi-faceted approach that requires extensive communication, education, and outreach. Many of these issues cannot be adequately addressed around a conference table at the Planning Department — it will require Planning Board members to get out there in the community working with residents where they are.

Who are your three biggest heroes in American history and why?

It’s very difficult for me to select three individuals as my biggest heroes in America, given some of my personal and professional experiences. When I read this question, my initial thought was of first responders — anyone who rushes into a dangerous situation putting themselves at risk to help others. This stems from my own experience working on environmental cleanup at Ground Zero in 2001 and crossing the finish line of the Boston Marathon just ten minutes before the bombs went off in 2013.

I considered other individuals, but kept returning to yet another profession: educators. When I reflect on my childhood, there are several teachers who stand out as truly shaping who I am today. Every one of us likely has those individuals in our personal histories. And when I consider the challenges our country faces today, one of the most significant is faced by educators… yet despite what they endured through the pandemic and what they continue to endure with violence, limited resources, and so many more obstacles, teachers keep showing up for their students (including my own children) and inspiring them.

My Turn: CCBC introduces architects and airs concerns

By Lynne Smith

(Editor’s note: Lynne Smith hopes to go to the Community Center Building Committee meetings through June and write a My Turn piece each time. To see details of upcoming meetings, see the CCBC web page.)

At the March 8 meeting of the Community Center Building Committee evening meeting, Sarah Chester, Chair of CCBC, introduced two representatives of ICON Architecture, the firm selected “to assist the CCBC in developing a range of Community Center design choices and budgets, including options not to exceed 75% and 50% of the current project estimated cost of $25 million for the Hartwell complex supplemented or not with existing available town space with the intention of presenting said choices at a fall, 2023 Special Town Meeting for a vote on a preferred option,” as mandated in the measure approved at a Special Town Meeting on November 30, 2022.

The architects described what they plan to accomplish by the fall 2023 Special Town Meeting with the $325,000 allocated for their services. They emphasized they would focus on a “base plan” with a cost basis that would be common across all three options: 50%, 75%, and 100% of the prior cost estimate of $25 million. They mentioned Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and said they would identify “needs” versus “aspirations” with each option [offering] a complete, viable alternative. They also emphasized their experience designing sustainable buildings with very low energy use and excellent air quality and said these qualities would be “baked in” to all options. They said all the right things!

Those attending on line and in the room raised two big concerns:

First: Existing available town spaces. Many residents, including me, want to see “existing available town space” used for COA&HS and Parks & Recreation programs. This was not mentioned until the CCBC opened the meeting to the public. Town Administrator Tim Higgins and Select Board member Jonathan Dwyer reassured some of us that the use of alternate spaces would be explored. Personally, I am hopeful that all our treasured buildings — Bemis Hall, the Pierce House, the Lincoln Library, Codman Barn, town offices — will be maintained and in active use. Few towns of our size have such a rich resource of beautiful historic buildings. However, if they are not actively used for municipal purposes, then I fear that deferred maintenance will lead to their collapse.

Second: Public outreach and programming needs. The architects have been given a June deadline for presenting a framework for three options. They would then spend the summer working on details and cost estimates in time for the fall meeting vote. It is crucial that the committee provide clear opportunities for public input to help shape those options as they are being developed this spring. It was not at all clear at last night’s meeting if and how this would happen.

A public outreach plan has not yet been created and all work defining the perceived needs has been conducted in private meetings between stakeholders.

Perceived needs from the last design seem like a starting point for current deliberation, but no concrete data has been made available. Instead, we have been given anecdotes. For example, senior dining (lunch on Fridays) and potential cooking classes are used to justify the need for a new kitchen when there are multiple kitchens and dining areas around town that could accommodate these programs. Nor is the uneven pavement and inclement weather under Pierce House tent a good reason to build a new exercise center when nearby towns offer luxurious new gyms which residents could access with vouchers. As for parking at Bemis, all spaces in front could be made handicapped-accessible during large events. If folks can’t walk across the street safely, perhaps they need more than municipal services can provide.

Although Sarah Chester announced that CCBC meetings would be held publicly every other Wednesday from now until June, it is not clear that these meetings will include public discussion. Public outreach should be more than marketing the plans that have been developed in private meetings.

I am 78 years old, have lived in Lincoln for 20 years, and have fallen in love with its scattered historic buildings, wooded trails, and minimal commercial spaces. I want to continue to explore all aspects of the town and run into various folks as I do so. I have no desire to always go to one brand-new building for everything! I hope that CCBC takes seriously the need to find out what town residents, not just the stakeholders (COA/HS and P&R) want for our future.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Climate Minute #2 – Tightening up windows

Editor’s note: This is an expanded version of a piece that was posted on LincolnTalk on March 10. You can read Climate Minute #1 here.)

By Michael Moodie

Single-glazed windows – a blight on your budget and the planet

Heating and cooling our homes is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Windows (especially single-glazed ones) are one of the worst causes of the energy use that creates those emissions.

Single-glazed windows are like thermal holes. They are the source of enormous heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. They have an impact similar to a hole in the wall of your house.

So, get rid of single-glazed windows. But don’t replace them with double-glazed windows — the future is all triple! Triple-glazed windows are no longer much costlier than double-glazed. A recent quote from Marvin Windows showed only a 10% difference.

Benefits of triple-glazed windows

Triple-glazed windows will:

  • Save you money — winter and summer — for as long as you’re in your home
  • Increase the resale value of your home
  • Be much more comfortable to sit by in the wintertime
  • Reduce energy use and related emissions
  • Help you be a good steward of precious Lincoln buildings that may last hundreds of years, benefitting both you and future residents

You get a lot for your investment!

MassSave provides seven-year, no-interest loans for approved triple-glazed windows replacing single-glazed, plus rebates of $75 per window. (Note: Neither incentive applies to double-glazed windows replacing single-glazed. The Commonwealth is clearly promoting triple glazing.) IRS tax credits of $600/year (resetting each year) are available for qualifying windows, so spreading work over several years can bring down the cost further.

What’s it likely to cost to replace single-glazed windows with triple-glazed ones? The “installed costs” below are based on a recent price check. Since prices change fast in the window market, please take these costs only as illustrations for comparison.

*U-value (reciprocal of R-value) is the rate of heat transfer through the window. Lower is better.
**Assumes installation of about 10 windows at the same time, which lowers the overall cost per window; includes $500/window for installation.
***Assumes (a) heating with good cold-climate heat pump and (b) electricity rates at Lincoln Standard Green level. Does not assume any incentives, which may shorten the payback period by a few years.

A single-glazed window replaced with a triple-glazed unit will yield the most energy-efficient result. Another option, for windows that are fixed (very common in Mid-century Modern homes) or never opened, is to leave the single-glazed window in place and install two interior panes.

Adding interior panes to single-glazed fixed windows

The WinSert Plus from Alpen Windows includes two panes, one of which has a low-E coating, effectively turning a single-glazed window into a triple-glazed one. Efficiency will be a bit less than for a true triple-glazed but at far lower cost because the existing window doesn’t have to be removed. This seems a promising approach, but we don’t yet have reviews on it. We welcome input from others with experience with this product or similar ones.

Improving double-glazed windows

Energy-efficiency experts generally don’t recommend replacement of double-glazed windows because of the high amount of carbon embodied in them. However, such windows should be replaced with triple-glazed units if the seals fail or if exterior walls are being upgraded as part of a renovation or energy retrofit.

Older double-glazed windows with narrow spacing between panes, no inert gas (e.g., argon) and/or no low-E panes are only slightly better than single-glazed windows. For such windows (and even for good double-glazed windows) consider inexpensive ways to improve their efficiency.

David Green’s book Zero Carbon Home discusses options for installing a second/third pane inside the house. WinSert Lite (single-pane) and WinSert Plus are other options he doesn’t cover.

Another option for improving the performance of double-glazed windows is to install double-cell honeycomb shades and leave them down at night in occupied rooms, and all winter in unoccupied rooms. Blinds with side tracks seal all sides of the blinds, thus insulating significantly better than those without. Blinds Chalet is one of a number of firms that sells honeycomb shades with side tracks. Any reasonably handy person can install such shades by themselves.

The bottom line

There are many ways to improve poorly performing windows. They all have good long-term financial benefits, make your home more comfortable, and help you be a good steward of your home. For more details on improving your windows, see the recording of the February 28, 2023 CFREE Zoom presentation “Getting to Zero: Windows.”

Michael Moodie is writing on behalf of CFREE (Carbon-Free Residential, Everything Electric), a working group of the Lincoln Green Energy Committee.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

News acorns

Girl Scout cookies at transfer station on Saturday

Lincoln Girl Scouts will be at the transfer station this Saturday, March 11 from 10 a.m–noon selling all your favorite Girl Scout cookies. Come by and get your Thin Mints, Caramel Delights, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and more for $5 per box. Cash, check, or Venmo are welcome. Donations will also be collected for St. Vincent dePaul food pantry.

Weekend activities at deCordova

Mini Greenhouse Workshop with Derby FarmSaturday, March 11 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Terrariums are self-regulating miniature ecosystems housed in a glass container. You can personalize your own miniature landscape and walk away with something alive, thriving, and beautiful to breathe fresh life into your home. They’re a wonderful and simple way to reconnect with the natural world. All supplies included. Click here to register.

Curator Tour of “New Formations”
Saturday, March 11 from 1-2 p.m.
Join Chief Curator Sarah Montross for a unique opportunity to explore the New Formations exhibition. Visitors will look closely at the artwork on view, learn about the artists and their processes, and hear from the experts about the process of making an exhibition come to life. Click here to register.

School of Honk at deCordova Sculpture ParkSunday, March 12 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Celebrate music, dance, and spectacle with School of Honk at deCordova! Inside the galleries, visitors can explore the New Formations exhibition, which features human bodies in powerful athletic performance, ecstatic expressions of dance and collective procession. These artworks suggest our need for rituals, ways of gathering, and performing for ourselves and one another. Outside in the Sculpture Park, visitors can gather, sing, dance and enjoy the lively, spontaneous music of School of Honk. Join us for this unique and celebratory experience! Click here to pre-register. 

Presentation on going solar

“Adding Solar,” the third presentation in the “Getting to Zero” series, will be given by Roy Van Cleef, manager of sales for New England Clean Energy. Van Cleef will discuss recent technology in solar panels, how solar companies assess your solar panel needs, rebates and incentive programs, net metering, and more. Click here to register. Still to come: “Getting to Zero: The Historical Home presented by FoMA” and “Install Heat Pumps.” The Getting to Zero series is presented by CFREE (Carbon Free Residential, Everything Electric), a working group of Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee, helping resident’s affordably achieve energy-efficient, electrified, comfortable and healthy homes.

Take survey to help town’s Climate Action Plan

To reduce carbon emissions and increase the community’s resilience to climate change impacts, the town has embarked on creating a Climate Action Plan and is gathering input from residents. The plan aims to identify needs and goals and develop achievable strategies to increase resilience and sustainability while including equity and environmental justice throughout the process. Your feedback will directly inform the ​development of goals and strategies that guide the town’s future climate action work. ​The survey will close on March 27, 2023. Click here to take the survey.

There will be two additional workshops on Wednesday, April 12 at 7 p.m. and Friday, April 14 at 8:30 a.m. To register for either one or to join the mailing list to stay updated on the project, click here. Questions may be directed to Jennifer Curtin, Lincoln’s Assistant Director of Planning and Land Use, at curtinj@lincolntown.org.

“Newsies Jr.” musical by Lincoln School students

Inspired by the true story of newsboys in turn-of-the-century New York City, Disney’s “Newsies Jr.” is the tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenage “newsies,” the young people who sold afternoon editions of newspapers directly to readers on city streets. It’s loosely based on the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899, when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newsies on a two-week-long action against Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, and other powerful New York newspaper publishers who had raised distribution prices at the newsies’ expense. More than one-third of all Lincoln School middle school students are involved in either the cast or crew. Show dates in the Donaldson Auditorium:

  • Wednesday, March 29 at 3 p.m.
  • Thursday, March 30 at 7 p.m.
  • Friday, March 31 at 7 p.m.

Tickets will be sold at the door ($10 for adults, $5 for students/seniors/LPS employees; cash or check only). All proceeds go towards the show budget.

Rep. Gentile to hold office hours in Lincoln

State Rep. Carmen Gentile (13th Middlesex, which includes Precinct 1 in south and west Lincoln) will host in-person office hours for constituents at the Lincoln Town Hall on Friday, March 24 from 9–10 a.m. This is a great time to ask questions and share your thoughts about issues in our community and across the Commonwealth. An RSVP is requested by not required; contact his aide Ravi Simon at ravi.simon@mahouse.gov or 617-722-2810 ext. 8.

ZBA seeks alternate member

The Zoning Board of Appeals is seeking an alternate member. To learn more, visit the ZBA web page, and download, compete and return a volunteer application form.

Town candidate forum set for March 21

The Lincoln PTO will host a forum featuring the candidates for the two contested races on the March 27 town election ballot on Tuesday, March 21 from 7–9 p.m.  in the Lincoln School Learning Commons. The event will also be live-streamed on Zoom and posted afterwards on the town’s video webpage.

Four candidates — Peter Buchthal, incumbent Adam Hogue, Jacob Lehrhoff, and Matina Madrick — are vying for two seats on the School Committee. On the Planning Board, there are two openings and three candidates: incumbent Lynn DeLisi, Mark Levinson, and Craig Nicholson. (DeLisi has said she will not be able to attend the forum due to a family commitment.)

The event is intended not as a debate but as an information session and meet-and-greet whereby voters can get acquainted with candidates and their views. At the forum, moderators will pose questions to candidates from cards submitted by audience members. Attendees will get question sheets and pencils when they arrive, and they’re asked to pose questions that apply to all candidates in a race and not individual candidates. 

During the week of March 13, the Lincoln Squirrel will publish two sets of mini-profiles of the candidates. The full election slate is available here.

Design firm for community center is chosen

The Community Center Building Committee has announced that the Town of Lincoln has hired ICON Architecture for professional services to develop plans for a community center within the Hartwell segment of the Lincoln School campus on Ballfield Road.

“It was a very difficult decision,” and references were a major factor, said Select Board member Jonathan Dwyer (the board’s liaison to the CCBC). Town Administrator Tim Higgins noted that ICON Architecture demonstrated openness in their past work to repurposing older buildings and were committed to the town’s sustainability goals.

Six firms submitted proposals and four were invited for interviews. There were two finalists — the other was Maryann Thompson Architects, which came up with the two design concepts that gained the most positive feedback from residents at a 2018 Special Town Meeting.

The most recent cost estimates in November 2022 pegged the project at about $26 million, which caused considerable consternation among residents. Based on a Special Town Meeting vote in December 2022 when design funding was approved, the designer must develop a range of design choices and budgets, including options not to exceed 75% and 50% of the $25 million estimate, for the Hartwell complex (supplemented or not with existing available town space).

ICON Architecture — a women-owned Boston firm that specializes in institutional building types, building renewal, multi-family, and affordable housing — will develop schematic design options in preparation for a vote on a preferred design and budget at a Special Town Meeting in November 2023.