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

My Turn: A thank-you to Lincoln Cultural Council

By Robin Stuart

This is a letter to express appreciation to the Lincoln Cultural Council (LCC) for funding two Mass Audubon programs at the Lincoln Public Library this past fall. The LCC’s strong support of community events, as well as individual artists’ endeavors, helps build a stronger and more welcoming Lincoln.

Both library events focused on native birds, with one being specifically for families and the other intended for adults. We’re pleased to share that each event was followed by a bird walk in nature. Participants were able to test their observation skills with live birds, study bird adaptations, and discuss why birds look and act the way they do.

Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm is proud to be part of Lincoln and the wider community. We welcome residents to visit our farm, walk our fields and trails, see how a sustainable farm operates, and visit with our many animals. Our commitment to environmental and nature-based education would not be possible without the support of local foundations and organizations, and we are proud to consider the LCC both a partner and collaborator.

With great appreciation,

Robin Stuart
Senior Regional Education Manager, Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm

“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 Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.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: New group focuses on soil as part of climate emergency response

By Robin Breen Dobrusin

I’m happy to introduce Lincoln Common Ground, a subgroup of Mothers Out Front Lincoln. We seek to educate, connect, promote and advocate for realistic solutions to create a livable future for people. We focus on returning the excess carbon above our heads to its original home in the ground beneath our feet through natural processes as a tool to mitigate the worst effects of global heating, also known as climate change. Visit lincolncommonground.com to learn more.

Like many of us, the looming climate disaster is on my mind, and I think about the world we and our future generations will experience. I admit I have spent too much of my time doom scrolling through the onslaught of information about the dangers we are currently facing, and the expanded ones we will face. Doom-scrolling is not productive for the cause or my mental health, and that’s why I am happy to say I’m inspired by the ambitious work Lincoln Common Ground is doing to build an inclusive, intersectional platform to invite us all to make positive change

Why soil?

Why does Lincoln Common Ground focus on soil as a solution to the climate emergency? The emissions humans create through burning fossil fuels and other processes generally take carbon from where it previously was safely locked in the ground and pumps it into the atmosphere. The additional carbon in the atmosphere traps heat from the sun and contributes to the greenhouse effect that heats the Earth’s surface. This effect is further exacerbated by deforestation and the general move to replace the native plants and trees in many areas with invasive plants or no plants at all.

We must stop emitting carbon, and we must deal with the legacy load of excess carbon in our atmosphere that is contributing to the greenhouse effect we are all experiencing. Lush native forests and meadows can help to draw down the carbon in our atmosphere and return it to the ground we stand on. 

Personally, I’ve drawn great inspiration to “kill” my traditional lawn that requires so much water and maintenance and turn it into a beautiful and edible landscape for both me and the creatures we depend on. The native plants I am using to replace my imported grass will help to sequester carbon in their vast root systems in the soil. I’m proud to focus my attention and energy with this fabulous group of scientists, farmers, gardeners, and parents on real and accessible solutions for all to take part in to create a more livable future.

Join us

We are proud to have over 20 members so far! If you are curious about topics like composting, drought resistant yards, eco gardening, supporting pollinators, and learning actions you can take toward keeping Earth habitable, then we invite you to review and subscribe to the free resources on our website and join us in our mission. Email Emily Haslett at emhaslett@gmail.com or visit lincolncommonground.com/contact for more information.

“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: L-S School Committee member response on superintendent search

(Editor’s note: This piece was originally submitted to the Lincoln Squirrel as a comment under the January 19 story headlined “L-S superintendent search process stirs controversy” and is being reprinted here for greater visibility. Lincoln resident Harold Engstrom is a member of the L-S  School Committee.)

By Harold Engstrom

Thank you for sharing this view of the L-S screening committee selection process. 

Firstly, the most important thing we are working toward is finding the best possible person to lead Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School as superintendent. That should be obvious, but it can’t hurt to put this out front.

Secondly, the characterization of the makeup of and selection process for the screening committee as “unusual” is not accurate: in open and televised meeting, we asked the head of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, who is also the consultant unanimously chosen by the LSRHS school committee to advise and execute our process, if there was a standard make up and selection process for a screening committee. The answer was no — each committee chooses to do it differently.

LSRHS is under pressure to move quickly to find candidates and screen them. Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) began their process months prior to LSRHS — the decision to definitively begin our process started on Oct. 11, 2022. We decided, in open meeting to have our screening committee be 11 people: one delegate from SPS, one from LPS, two faculty members chosen by the faculty, the L-S special education and METCO administrators, the three subcommittee members, and two committed members with experience from the community. This was transparently discussed. [L-S School Committee members] Ms. Miller and Ms. Endyke-Doren wanted to select alternates in executive session, away from public view, as is their right to suggest. This was voted down by the overall committee.

Secondly, it should be noted that the screening committee is comprised of examples of the best in Lincoln and Sudbury: people who have served their school systems and are fully invested in improving them for the sake of their neighbors, families, and all the students and staff who make up the L-S community. 

I am proud of the transparency and professionalism that MASC, our subcommittee chairperson Kevin Matthews, and the LSRHS school committee in general have exhibited in this process to date. We should all support LSRHS and its elected school committee as we work to land the school’s next leader.

“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: The importance of public feedback

By Krystal Wood

At the Special Town Meeting (STM) on November 30, 2022, the residents of Lincoln approved the following motion:

“That the town vote to transfer the sum of $325,000 from the town’s Stabilization Fund for the purpose of hiring relevant consultant support services, to potentially include project management, design, engineering and other technical reviews to assist the Community Center Building Committee 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; and provided further, that it is anticipated that the preferred option selected by the Town will be presented for a funding vote in March 2025.”

The specific wording of the motion is the result of an impressive collaborative effort at the Special Town Meeting — specifically the language directing the Community Center Building Committee (CCBC) to prepare and present designs at different price points, and the language directing the CCBC to prioritize the use of existing facilities, where possible.

The goal of the CCBC is to enhance the life of the community with a plan that can gain the approval of a large majority of town residents. The greater the engagement of town residents, the better we can do our work. The committee is therefore immensely grateful for the time and effort that so many town residents have already invested in the early stages of our work, and grateful for the substantive and constructive feedback that has already shaped the committee’s mission and
program.

The CCBC will continue to strive to provide as many opportunities as possible for meaningful input from town residents.

Krystal Wood is a member of the Community Center Building 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.

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.