In the January 23 article headlined “Rep. Gentile meets and greets Lincoln residents,” Carmine Gentile’s legislative aide Ravi Simon was incorrectly identified as a Lincoln resident. He is n fact a Sudbury resident and a candidate for the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee. The original article has been corrected.
Battle Road Farm owners face hefty assessment
Some of the Battle Road Farm condominiums near Hanscom Field.
The owners of the Battle Road Farm condos are facing a big financial hit to repair or replace its septic treatment plant this summer. The cost to replace the facility, which is more than 30 years old, and will be spread across the 120 units (48 of which are affordable), is estimated at $1.6–$2.1 million, according to Debra Daugherty of the development’s Board of Trustees.
The formula to determine each unit’s share of the cost is the same for all units based mostly on their “beneficial interest in the condo property,” which relates mainly to the size of the unit, according to Marcia Good, senior property manager at First Realty Management, which manages the development.
“Battle Road Farm’s on-site septic treatment facility is considered failing and the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection has ordered it repaired or replaced as soon as possible,” Good said. A bank loan for either $1 million or $1.1 million will cover the cost, and “the Board of Trustees will make a decision on the project scope soon,” Good said. “Battle Road Farm has maintained a significant reserve fund; however, it is not unusual for condo communities to make special assessments to cover major capital projects as properties age.”
All owners were first told that they would have to come up with an initial payment of $4,500 by March 1, but faced with the resulting outcry, the Board of Trustees approved a new plan offered by the management company. Owners may now choose to make a lump-sum interest-free payment of approximately $20,000 on that day, or pay in monthly installments (including interest) over 11 years starting on July 1. The specific loan payment amounts are not yet finalized, she said. Those who opt for the installment plan will receive a revised payment schedule in years nine, 10, and 11 because the last three years of loan are variable interest rates.
The project is creating a crisis for owners of affordable units. Many of them bought their homes decades ago and are now retired and living on fixed incomes, but property taxes and regular condo fees keep rising. And because those units have deed restrictions, any owner who wants to sell or mortgage their property must do so in cooperation with the state Department of Housing and Community Development, which determines the asking price.
“A lot of us can’t do that. I can’t do that,” said condo owner Leslie Kilgore, 75, a retired teacher in the Arlington schools who bought her unit in 1999. “I might have to go back to [substitute teaching]. I’m basically hanging on and hoping that something will come through.”
The Lincoln Foundation has already awarded grants to 17 owners of affordable units and is conducting a fundraising campaign (its first since 2009) to help others both this year and into the future. Battle Road Farm residents have also approached the Council on Aging and Human Development and the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lincoln and Weston for help.
The Lincoln Foundation is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity that was created in 1968 to help preserve a diverse stock of housing in town. It partnered with the Massachusetts Housing Finance Authority in 1973 to develop Lincoln Woods and with a private developer to create the homeownership program at Battle Road Farm starting in 1990. More recently, the foundation has facilitated the resale of affordable deed restricted homes, and it’s also made a handful of home improvement grants to affordable housing owners at Battle Road Farm and Minuteman Commons.
After a flyer was recently mailed to all Lincoln residents about the issue, several donations have already come in, “and that’s encouraging,” said Terri Morgan, the organization’s president. To learn more and donate to the “Bridge the Gap” campaign, click here.
First Realty Management, which has managed Battle Road Farm since 2004, “has worked diligently and collaboratively with the Board of Trustees on the project plans and financial options for the septic treatment system” Good said. “Our property management team is cognizant of the financial impact such projects have on condominium owners and has worked to minimize the impact wherever possible in our advisory role with the board.”
Rep. Gentile meets and greets Lincoln residents
Rep. Carmine Gentile
State Rep. Carmine (13th Middlesex) held a meet-and-green session for Lincoln residents on Saturday, Jan. 21 where be voiced support for free public higher education in Massachusetts, more psychiatric hospital beds for children, and a measure authorizing pharmacists to provide opioid use disorder treatment. Among the other 39 bills filed by Gentile at the start of the current legislative session last week were acts authorizing the town of Lincoln to establish a means-tested senior citizen property tax exemption program and to establish a fee for checkout bags. Lincoln voted to seek approval for the property tax program at Town Meeting in 2021.
Gentile will hold virtual office hours for constituents (which include residents of southwestern Lincoln in Precinct 1) on Friday, Jan. 27. Meetings will take place via Microsoft Teams video call from 10 a.m.–noon. Any constituent who wishes to speak to him may sign up for a 20-minute time slot by emailing his legislative aide, Ravi Simon (a Lincoln resident), at ravi.simon@mahouse.gov. Constituents signing up for a meeting must provide their full name, address, phone number, email, and their discussion topic.
News acorns
The Commons seeks to expand
The Planning Board and Select Board will hold a joint meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 24 to hear a proposal from The Commons in Lincoln to add 38 independent living units to its campus. Because the development is in a zoning overlay district, the proposal will require approval at the Annual Town Meeting next month. Also on the agenda are requests for vote of approval/endorsement by the two boards on the updated Complete Streets prioritization plan. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. and the discussion on The Commons is scheduled to begin at 7:45 p.m. Click here for the Zoom link (passcode: 125966) and click here for the full agenda.
Openings on town election ballot
There are still a few offices on the ballot for which no one has taken out nomination papers. There are two open seats on the Housing Commission, one for two years and one for three years, and one open three-year seat for the Trustees of Bemis. The deadline for taking out papers is Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. Papers with there requisite number of signatures must be returned to the Town Clerk’s office by Friday, Feb. 3 by 5 p.m.
Gospel choir plans concert
The Joyful Voices Gospel Choir featuring Lincoln resident RL Smith will give a concert on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. in Donaldson Auditorium. Featuring a repertoire of stirring gospel music interspersed with stories about its origins and history as a uniquely American art form, this free, all-ages concert is a highlight of the Winter Carnival experience at the start of Black History Month. Sponsored by the Bemis Free Lecture Series.
Public hearing on Route 126 bridge project
On Wednesday, Feb. 8, there will be a public hearing on a MassDOT proposal to rebuild the Route 162 bridge over the MBTA railroad tracks. Construction will take place in stages so a detour will not be required. Bicycles and pedestrians will be accommodated during construction by the installation of a Temporary Bike/Ped Bridge. Details on the project and hearing can be found here. A link to register for this virtual meeting will be posted here closer to the day of the hearing.
Domestic Violence Roundtable hosts event on teen dating
Everyone is invited to watch “What is Important to Us: A Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month Panel” with the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable on Monday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. In this program, teen panelists will highlight what’s important to them and what they want adults and peers to know about relationships, media consumption, trust, and boundaries. The panelists will share their own perspective on how adults can support the teens in their lives. Registration is required; click here to register and get the Zoom link. For more information, visit www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org or email infordvrt@gmail.com.
My Turn: Lehrhoff throws hat in ring for LPS School Committee
By Jake Lehrhoff
Dear Lincoln neighbors,
I am writing to announce my candidacy for one of the two positions on the Lincoln School Committee for K-8, and ask for your support.
My family moved to Lincoln in 2020, but the move was a return for my wife, Philana, who grew up in town. We were drawn back to Lincoln for its wonderful schools, its strong community, and its wooded tranquility. Our five-year-old son is excited to go to the “big kids school” in the fall, though our six-month-old has a ways to go before he can enjoy Lincoln’s excellent new school facilities.
My passion for schools stems from my experience as an educator. I spent six years as the middle school English/language arts teacher at the Gifford School in Weston, including three years as the English department chair. In my role, I observed first-hand the transformative effect a school can have on a child. While my career has taken me in new directions, I hold onto the learnings from this phase: that empathy and honest communication unlocks collaboration, that collaboration is the key to real progress, and in all things, be curious.
Those learnings still serve me in my current role leading the data science and research organization that develops personalized listening experiences at Spotify. Every day, I work to drive decision-making by gathering data and generating insights, understanding the motivations of the company’s leaders and my peers, and influencing through clear communication to create a better product for listeners.
If elected, I will use these same skills to impartially represent the needs and interests of the students, staff, and town when making decisions. In making those decisions, I will create space for the voices and needs of those not in the room, ensuring our schools are not just inclusive and equitable, but a place where everyone belongs. I believe it is by listening and through empathy that we can make decisions that will benefit every child our schools serve.
Thank you for giving me the space to introduce myself. I look forward to meeting you and learning what is important to you about our schools, and I hope I can earn your support in the town election on March 27th, 2023.
Sincerely,
Jake Lehrhoff
11 Linway Road
“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.
L-S superintendent search process stirs controversy
There are two school superintendent searches involving Lincoln going on right now, but one is going more smoothly than the other.
The Lincoln School Committee held a Zoom meeting for the community on January 19 for the first of four finalist candidates, and there will be three more next week (see below). Meanwhile, things got a little testy at a January 10 meeting of the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee (LSSC), which is seeking a successor to Superintendent/Principal Bella Wong.
The LSSC meeting was covered in the Sudbury Weekly, a e-newsletter operated by Sudbury resident Kevin LaHaise, in a January 13 post titled “Big Decisions, Big Feelings.” LaHaise started the newsletter last spring after the Sudbury Town Crier suspended print publication. He writes articles recapping town government meetings based on the recorded videos, and the Sudbury League of Women Voters contributes election news.
At issue was whether the Superintendent Search Subcommittee should retain its power to appoint members of the Screening Committee. “We shouldn’t be hand-picking” those members… it doesn’t seem appropriate,” LSSC member Candace Miller said. “I would like more of an open process.” Member Cara Endyke-Doran agreed. “If you want community buy-in, you have to let the community buy in,” she said.
But other members argued that time was growing short and anything that might slow down the search process could cost L-S good candidates. At one point, Committee Chair Heather Cowap had to admonish Miller and Harold Engstrom not to “sling mud” after they charged each other with being “unprofessional.” The LSSC ultimately voted 4-2 in favor of keeping the process as is.
The 11-person screening committee roster was approved two days later at a Superintendent Search Subcommittee meeting, but not until after Miller upbraided committee chair Matthews at that meeting for not allowing public comment until after the discussion and vote. “What kind of discussion could we have right now?” she said.
“This process is atypical,” Miller added, referring to the recent search process for a new town manager. Matthews and Engstrom voted in favor of the screening committee roster while Miller noted no.
The screening committee consists of Matthews, Engstrom, and Miller from the LSSC, Brendan Wimberley and Susan Shields from the faculty, Martha Wahl and Damon Kelton from the administration, Lincoln School Committee liaison Tara Mitchell, Sudbury School Committee liaison Silvia Nerssessian, and community representatives Carole Kasper (Lincoln) and Maura Carty (Sudbury).
Carty has pulled candidacy papers for one of the two openings on the LSSC in the March 27 Sudbury town election. Ravi Simon of Sudbury has also pulled papers, though no one from Lincoln has done so yet (the deadline is February 1). The open seats are currently occupied by Miller of Sudbury and Engstrom of Lincoln.
Lincoln superintendent search
Three public forums for Lincoln Public Schools superintendent finalists will be held next week at 6 p.m. in the Lincoln School auditorium:
- Monday, Jan. 23 – Michael Caira, currently assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction, and assessment for the Ashland Public Schools (Zoom link)
- Tuesday, Jan. 24 – Annette Doyle, currently principal at the Peter Noyes Elementary School in Sudbury (Zoom link)
- Thursday, Jan. 26 – Jessica Rose, currently assistant superintendent for the Lincoln Public Schools (Zoom link)
Frank (Parry) Graham, currently assistant superintendent of Wayland Public Schools, was the focus of the January 19 forum. The forums are not interviews but rather an exchange of questions and ideas. To view the finalists’ resumes and learn more about the superintendent search process, click here.
Each of the four finalists will spend a day visiting Lincoln schools and meeting with staff, students, and parents/community members. This “day in the district” is partially to help the finalists learn more about the district and our communities to inform their decision making but is also an opportunity to learn more about each finalist.
Becky McFall announced in October that she will retire at the end of June after 11 years as Lincoln’s school superintendent.
The School Committee will conduct final public interviews with each finalist on January 30 and 31, and February 1 and 2 at 6 p.m. in the school district offices’ multipurpose room. The interviews also will be streamed live via Zoom. While the interviews are public, only School Committee members will be allowed to engage with each finalist.
Addenda
The January 26 talk on radon risks and testing will be broadcast via Zoom in addition to taking place live at the Lincoln Public Library at 6:30 p.m. Those who want to attend via Zoom must click here to register (registration is not required for in-person attendance).- State Rep. Alice Peisch will not be able to attend the January 21 meet-and-greet session in Lincoln for the town’s two new state representatives. Rep. Carmine Gentile (Precinct 1, west Lincoln) will still attend. Peisch will reschedule a session in Lincoln for another tim
My Turn: Matina Madrick running for School Committee
By Matina Madrick
My name is Matina Madrick and I am excited to announce my candidacy for one of the two open seats on the Lincoln School Committee (K-8).
My family and I moved to Lincoln in 2020 with our three children. At the height of the pandemic, in the fall of 2020, our daughter entered L-S and our two sons entered the Lincoln School – one in middle school and the younger in elementary. We felt incredibly lucky to be in a community where our elementary and middle school children were able to attend school every day during the 2020-21 school year.
We were attracted to Lincoln because of its beauty and small-town feel while still being so close to my husband’s job and all that Boston has to offer. Now that we have settled in Lincoln, we feel fortunate to be in a community that places such a high value on public education.
In each school that our children have attended, I have sought ways to be involved. I have served as a room parent and a classroom assistant, and I have volunteered for special events. Here in Lincoln, I am currently serving as the PTO Enrichment Rep for the third grade. Last school year, I also had the opportunity to volunteer on the eighth-grade graduation committee, which was a lot of fun.
The education of our children is one of our highest priorities as parents, but I also have a deep interest and love for education policy that began before starting a family. I hold a master’s degree in public policy and economics, and following completion of my degree, I became the sole education analyst in the Independent Budget Office of New York City. In this role, I was exposed to all levels of school finance issues as well as other policy issues such as class size. While raising my family, I have worked part-time for several education consulting firms working with schools and districts across the country.
I would love the opportunity to serve the Lincoln community by becoming a School Committee member. The work of the School Committee is both fascinating and important and I can think of no better way for me to contribute to the local community. I welcome any opportunity to connect with Lincolnites before the election and I hope you will consider voting for me on March 27.
Matina Madrick
67 Conant Rd.
mmadrick@gmail.com
“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
Dance party at Bemis
Insight Boston, a not-for-profit organization that offers personal growth and development seminars for “teaching practical ways to live from your heart,” will host a rock ‘n roll dance party at Bemis Hall on Saturday, Jan. 28 from 6:30–10 p.m. Graduates of Insight Seminars, their friends and loved ones, and Lincoln residents are invited. This adult-only (18+) event is free.
There will be light snacks and non-alcoholic drinks available, as well as information about Insight seminars. Please RSVP and address any questions to Stephanie Kramp (stephkramp@yahoo.com).
Kindergartener families invited to learn about Girl Scouts
The Lincoln Girl Scouts will host a Kindergarten Daisy Launch on Monday, Feb. 13 from 6:15–7:15 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library, Tarbell Room. At this free session, your kindergartener will have fun exploring the magic of space and creating a rubber-band-powered Daisy Cup Launcher while adults discuss when and where the troop will meet, parent involvement, and the goals for the year as well as fill out required paperwork. Click here to learn more and confirm your attendance.
Jane French Tatlock
Celebration of the life of Jane Tatlock on Feb. 18
The family of Jane French Tatlock will hold a celebration of her life featuring the Lincoln Bell Ringers on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. in the stone church (14 Bedford Rd.). In the spirit of Jane, attendees are invited to dress festively, and if you’d like to add a picture to a communal board, bring one along. Tatlock died on October 3, 2022 at the age of 81.
Boston Globe shines light on Sidetrack program
An interactive article on “The radical, forgotten experiment in educational integration that changed my life” by Lincoln native Peter Thomson recently published in the Globe looks back on a 1971 experiment in integration education.
“The kernel of the idea sprang in 1970 from an unlikely source — a fifth-grade teacher in Lincoln named Carol Kellogg, who’d grown disenchanted with the complacency of her wealthy, white, and largely liberal town. She felt that while she and others professed concern about racism, they were basically ‘sitting out here in our cozy little suburb not doing a darn thing,’ as she told Lincoln’s Fence Viewer newspaper at the time,” Thomson writes.
“Yes, there was Metco, a new initiative to bus a few Black kids from segregated and underfunded schools in Boston to better-funded ones in the suburbs, including Lincoln. But it carried an old-school air of condescension—whites were the benefactors, white culture was the norm, and the relationships between the communities involved were left largely unexplored and unchanged. Kellogg had heard about experimental schools that were directly engaging the social challenges of the time and hatched an idea for a radical alternative to Metco: a full-on collaboration in which equal numbers of white and Black junior high schoolers from Lincoln and Boston would spend equal amounts of time in each community, learning together and building relationships in and out of the classroom.
“She imagined that they’d shuttle back and forth in a train car on the commuter rail line and that the car would double as their school while it sat on a little-used track in Lincoln — a sidetrack. The train car idea proved a little too kooky even for free-thinking Lincoln. But the basic concept got traction. And the name stuck.”
To read the story on the Globe website, where you can mouse over teenagers’ photos to see their names, click here. Nonsubscribers can read a PDF here.
Bruno the serval thriving in Minnesota sanctuary
It’s the one-year anniversary of Bruno the serval’s relocation to the Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone, Minn., and the organization made this video about him. He’s in much better shape than when he was discovered hungry and injured in Lincoln in 2022, but he’s getting around fine on three legs. He’s also grown after getting plenty of food and has made friends with other servals.
My Turn: Domnitz also running for re-election to Planning Board
By Robert Domnitz
This is an exciting time to be on the Planning Board. After years of study and debate — and seismic shifts in our economic and cultural landscape — the board and other major town boards and committees have made progress towards a common vision for the village center area in South Lincoln. The vision is reinforced by the results of a town-wide survey in 2021 in which 800 respondents expressed a strong preference for enhancing the commercial viability of the area while also preserving the rural character that makes Lincoln so unique.
Ideas on the table include: modest development of multifamily housing in the mall area, rezoning for mixed commercial/residential development on Lewis Street, and increasing opportunities for accessory apartments in existing homes. In response to strong neighborhood input, the Ridge Road area is slated to remain residential with no change to its zoning.
Lincoln has done an admirable job balancing and preserving its unique rural character with a modestly expanding population. Most residents would be surprised to learn that 30% of Lincoln’s housing stock is multifamily. That’s good planning!
I treasure the beauty of Lincoln’s lands and our progressive culture, and I look forward to continuing to serve on the Planning Board as our community evolves. There will be much more to discuss as we get closer to the election at the end of March.
Bob Domnitz
Mill Street, Lincoln
“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.