The Lincoln Squirrel

News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

health and science

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Lincoln historian speaks on her latest book

Megan Kate Nelson

Civil War historian and Lincoln resident Megan Kate Nelson will give a talk about her new book, Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America (Scribner, 2022) at the Concord Museum on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Concord Museum. It tells the vivid story of how, 150 years ago, Yellowstone became the world’s first national park amid the nationwide turmoil and racial violence of the Reconstruction era. A narrative of adventure and exploration, the creation of Yellowstone is also a story of Indigenous resistance and the struggles of Black southerners during a turning point in the nation’s history. Nelson was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in 2020 for The Three-Cornered War: The Union, the Confederacy, and Native Peoples in the Fight for the West (read this Lincoln Squirrel profile of her). Click here to register.

Session on radon risks and testing

January is National Radon Action Month, Michael Feeney, director of the Indoor Air Quality Program at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, will give a presentation on radon health risks, testing, and mitigation on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. His talk will address residents’ health regarding exposure to radon that may accumulate in their homes and provide radon health and exposure reduction information to interested residents. Feeney has conducted over 1,800 indoor air quality investigations in schools, office buildings, libraries, courthouses, town halls, firehouses, police stations and homes throughout Massachusetts. Anyone may attend in person, but those who want to attend via Zoom must preregister; click here to register.

 Flu and Covid-19 vaccine clinic 

Lincoln residents ages 6 months and up may get free flu and Covid-19 vaccinations at a clinic on Friday, Jan. 27 from 4–7 p.m. in the Reed Gym. Advance registration required.

Road salt in Lincoln: How much is enough?

Road salt has been a hot topic of discussion on LincolnTalk recently. How is it used to treat Lincoln’s roads? How much salt is in town water? Is it harmful for the environment?

Lincoln’s Department of Public Works, like that in most other U.S. cities and towns where it snows, have been spreading salt crystals on roads for decades. Road salt (sodium chloride, the same chemical as table salt) lowers the freezing point of water, so ice and snow containing dissolved salt will melt at colder temperatures, resulting in roads that are wet rather than slippery and thus improving safety for vehicles.

About four or five years ago, Lincoln began applying a thin coating of salt water (brine) on roads before an anticipated storm, which appears as thin white stripes. This prevents ice and snow from immediately adhering to the roadway and “breaks that bond,” DPW Superintendent Chris Bibbo said. Pre-treating roads with brine means that less road salt is needed during and after the storm.

In recent weeks, several residents have shared photos on LincolnTalk of what appeared to be heavy coatings of rock salt on some town roads. Around the same time, The New York Times and The Washington Post published stories about a study in the scientific journal Frontiers in the Ecology and Environment titled “Road salts, human safety, and the rising salinity of our fresh waters.” Road salt can damage plant life when it drains or plows push it to the side of the road, and too much sodium in drinking water over a period of years can be harmful to human health.

In the 1980s, there was enough concern over road salt that the amounts used in Lincoln were reduced, and signs appeared at the town line on some roads noting that “minimum salt is used in Lincoln” as a warning to drivers that the road they were on might suddenly get more slippery. But problems arising from under-salted roads caused the pendulum to swing back the other way.

“Some roads were just rutted ice in a particularly bad winter,” Water Commissioner Ruth Ann Hendrickson said. There have been at least two deaths in recent years after car accidents involving icy roads. George Elder died after his car skidded on Sandy Pond Road, according to the Boston Globe article published on March 4, 1984. There was  another accident on icy Moccasin Hill where the driver was badly hurt, “and it really triggered people to say we need to have more” salt, she added.

How much salt does the DPW use? That depends on the weather and road conditions. “We try and use the least amount of material possible during winter storm events while doing our best to provide a safe transportation network,” Bibbo said. “Most winter storm events provide different sets of challenges and therefore require different treatment options. For example, a fast-moving snowstorm typically requires a different strategy than a rain-to-freeze event. Storms that produce mostly snow typically require more of a plowing technique than treatment. The weather conditions that we had in mid- and late December were challenging, with rain and mist repeatedly freezing on the roads.”

On Christmas Day, there was light snow and rain while the temperature hovered around freezing, and police reported several car accidents that morning. On January 5, while Lincoln didn’t see particularly hazardous conditions, a flash freeze caused numerous accidents in central and western Massachusetts despite road treatments. “I’ll tell you that I can speak for all our snow and ice managers that I’d rather get a foot of snow,” state Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver was quoted as saying.

Another variable is the ratio of sand to salt used on a given day. The DPW has piles of both (though the salt is covered, as required by the DEP), and the department decides what mixture to use for each weather event, Bibbo said. A higher proportion of salt is needed for icy conditions, whereas snow calls for less salt but more sand to aid in traction.

Occasionally there’s an accidental release of a large amount of the salt/sand mixture in one spot, “but we obviously try to avoid that at all costs,” Bibbo said. The DPW is looking into purchasing calibration equipment to more precisely control the rate at which the material is released as trucks drive over roads. The rate is now manually controlled by DPW crews based on their experience and road conditions, he added.

Asked about the use of road salt in environmentally sensitive areas, Bibbo said, “We don’t do anything different on roads near wetlands.” Roads are treated differently only according to traffic volume and speed, so main roads like Route 117 and Route 136 will get more total sand and salt. “The more minor roads typically may not be treated at the same frequency as the major roads, but all roads typically get treated,” he said.

Sodium in town water

The Lincoln Water Department tests untreated water from Flint’s Pond and the well on Tower Road (which provides about 30% of town water) once a year. The most recent water quality report shows that sodium levels ranged from 14.1 to 54.5 milligrams per liter or parts per million (ppm) in 2020. Unlike with some other chemicals and bacteria, there are no regulatory limits on sodium in drinking water, but the state DEP’s Office of Research and Standards guideline (ORSG) is 20 ppm.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also has nonenforceable guidelines for secondary maximum contaminant levels (SMCLs) for various contaminants; exceeding those levels can cause cosmetic or aesthetic effects in drinking water. The SMCL for sodium is 250 ppm.

Interestingly, Lincoln’s higher 54.5 ppm sodium concentration is in water from the well, not Flint’s Pond, which abuts a portion of Sandy Pond Road, according to Darin LaFalam, Water Department superintendent. This could be due to mineral deposits in the Tower Road groundwater, he said.

“Detected levels of sodium are well within recommended limits. Nonetheless, people restricted to sodium intake of 500 mg/day due to health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or kidney failure should discuss with their doctors whether to drink Lincoln water,” the town’s 2020 report notes.

For healthy Americans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends consuming no more than 2,300 mg per day of sodium. In comparison, a liter of water from the Lincoln well contained a maximum of 54.5 mg in 2020. More than 70% of dietary sodium comes from processed and restaurant food, with 14% from naturally occurring sources and 11% from salt added during cooking or at the table.

Water from the well and pond water is not tested at different times of year, so it’s impossible to know whether sodium levels vary by season (for example, whether there’s more in the winter from road runoff into the pond). It was not immediately clear whether sodium levels in Lincoln’s drinking water have been steady, rising, or falling over the years.

“We will put this on the next Water Commission agenda to discuss whether there’s anything useful we can do. We need to take our time to understand the whole area of salt in groundwater,” Hendrickson said.

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Covid-19 vaccination clinic for kids

There are still spots available at the Covid-19 vaccination clinic for kids aged 5-11 on Saturday, Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the Reed gym. Click here to register for an appointment  (select “Nov. 20” only). The clinic will be well staffed to ensure the process goes smoothly and our young children feel safe and well cared for from start to finish. Additional clinics are being planned for first and second doses — information coming soon.

Register for adult classes at Minuteman Voc-Tech

Minuteman Technical Institute (MTI), part of Minuteman Regional Vocation Technical High School in Lincoln and Lexington,  is now accepting student applications for adult workforce development programs that begin in January for the programs in Metal Fabrication and Joining, CNC Machine Operation, Carpentry Pre-Apprentice, and Plumbing Code. In addition, MTI will accept applications beginning in January for 10-month programs that start in August 2022 for the 2022-23 school year. MTI will hold 10-month programs in Automotive Technology, Cosmetology, and Electricity. For more information, visit minutemanti.org. Classes are held on weekday evenings.

MTI’s January programs are tuition-free for qualified applicants as part of Gov. Charlie Baker’s Career Technical Initiative. Students who complete the programs will receive industry-recognized credentials and hours toward licensure in their respective fields. The programs are held in collaboration with Commonwealth Corp., MassHire Career Centers, and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. Prospective students must meet eligibility requirements to access these tuition-free opportunities.

Join the Reading for Racial and Social Justice group

The Lincoln Public Library’s Reading for Racial Justice program is now Reading for Racial and Social Justice. While continuing to read books focused on racism and racial justice, they will also be incorporating fiction and nonfiction titles related to other social justice issues. All sessions will be conducted via Zoom. To receive a Zoom invitation or to obtain more information, email rrapoport@minlib.net. Copies of the books in various formats are available. The upcoming schedule:

News acorns

George Floyd commemoration on Tuesday

Lincoln School fifth-grader Olin Teksten is organizing a “Layers of Love” commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd on Tuesday, May 25 from 4:30–5:30 p.m. in Pierce Park. Students, families and the community will form a big heart holding cards that will be handed out. The formation will be captured via aerial photo with the help of the Lincoln Fire and Police Departments. There will also be a brief vigil with speakers including children, and nine minutes and 30 seconds of silence to reflect. Anyone who would like to volunteer or has more ideas may email layersoflovelincoln@gmail.com.

Farmer’s market seeks vendors

The Lincoln farmer’s market operated for 30 years by Lindentree Farm will now take place on Saturdays from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at Lincoln Station (the grassy area in front of the restaurant) starting Saturday, June 5. Bill Huss and Tom Flint of the Lincoln Lands Farmer’s Market hope to open up the event to more people to get people outdoors after a challenging year and are recruiting vendors. They will help set up your stand at no charge and welcome vendors selling food but also antiques, arts and crafts, books, clothing, or anything creative. Earnings can be kept or given to a local charity, as many opt to do. For more information, email Huss at billhuss53@gmail.com or Flint at the_flint@hotmail.com.

Session on PFAS and drinking water

On Thursday, June 3 at 7 p.m., MetroWest Climate Solutions will host a discussion on PFAS, a class of toxic chemicals found in everyday products and drinking water. For more information and to register for the webinar, visit metrowestclimatesolutions.org.

Speakers will include Dr. Laurel Schaider, senior scientist at the Silent Spring Institute, and Laura Spark, senior policy advocate for Clean Water Action. The session will be moderated by Elizabeth Saunders, Massachusetts State Director at Clean Water. They will discuss the health problems that PFAS can cause, the products they are typically used in, how they get into drinking water, and how people in MetroWest can try to reduce their exposure. The session will also explore legislation pending in Massachusetts to eliminate PFAS from consumer products such as food packaging.

MetroWest Climate Solutions is a partnership between First Parish in Wayland, First Parish Church in Weston, First Parish in Lincoln, the Congregational Church of Weston, and other communities and individuals. Its mission is to share strategies for moving towards a low- and no-carbon-based society and economy and to suggest activities that enable individuals to help bring about solutions.

My Turn: All those eligible should get the Covid-19 vaccination

By Chris Eliot

While many Americans have now been vaccinated against Covid-19, it is critical to vaccinate everyone who is medically eligible. Most estimates indicate 60-70% of the population must be vaccinated to reach herd immunity. Historically, approximately 10-15% of the population cannot take a vaccine for medical reasons. There is no approved vaccine for children, which are about 20% of the population. Adding up these numbers leaves no room for anyone to choose not to get the vaccine.

I am in favor of making the vaccine mandatory, but there are many prior steps that can be taken. We should create a shared incentive to get vaccinated by connecting relaxation of social distancing restrictions directly to vaccination rates. Currently, there is a highly opaque political process for deciding when to open up theaters, restaurants, and other areas, and this strange system does little to really encourage public acceptance of vaccination.

Instead, there should be specific advertised policy changes tied numerically to local vaccination rates. For example, when 50% of the medically eligible population in a community is vaccinated, there should be no requirement to wear masks outside. When 60% of the medically eligible population in a community is vaccinated, more businesses should be open at higher levels. The restrictions should be lifted in increments as 70%, 80%, 90%, and 95% of the medically eligible population of a community are vaccinated. This process would directly connect everyone’s contribution to public health measures to a tangible set of rewards. People would have a chance to take specific actions to achieve the common goals, empowering the population.

I believe this kind of measure is necessary for us to reach full vaccination and end the Covid pandemic.

Eliot is a computer scientist with a background in medical teaching software and chair of the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their 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.

This may be a bad year for Lyme disease

By Rhea Karty

(Editor’s note: Karty, a Lincoln resident, is a senior at Lincoln-Sudbury who has always been interested in biology, particularly diseases and ecology. “After taking biology and AP biology, I wanted to continue to broaden my understanding and look into some practical applications,” she said. “Lyme disease was really meaningful to me because many of my friends and coaches from cross-country and school have had scary experiences with it. So I worked with my former biology teacher (Ms. Shopiro) to develop an independent study curriculum where I studied the ecology, immune response, treatments, and microbiology of Lyme, and I interviewed some doctors and community members. Now I’m doing some projects to spread awareness.”

Acorns and mice and ticks — oh my!

With the onset of spring comes the bane of New England: Lyme disease. Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, other diseases may have slipped off our radar, but Mother Nature is not so quick to give us a break. In fact, there may be a significant uptick in Lyme disease cases this year due to a bumper crop of acorns.

Oak trees operate in cycles: they naturally have years where they produce blankets of acorns and others where they have very few. As you may have noticed, 2019 was a particularly plentiful year for acorns in suburban New England, called a mast crop These blankets of acorns are great for wildlife and rodents, but also provide a building block for Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria and is transmitted to humans through the bite of black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis), sometimes known as deer ticks. The ticks pick it up from mice and other small rodents that are already infected with the bacteria.

Ticks feed three times in their life. In their larval stage just after they hatch from eggs, they bite and drink the blood of mice and small rodents. This is when they potentially become infected with Lyme disease. (Surprisingly, even though they are called deer ticks, they don’t actually get Lyme disease from deer.) Once a tick picks up Lyme disease, it will carry it for the rest of its life and is able to transmit it to humans.

In the next two years of a tick’s life, it will bite once or twice more. This is when humans can get the disease.

Our ecosystem operates in harmony, where changes in one section cascade to other areas. The plethora of acorns from the mast year provides plenty of food for the rodent population, which will then cause a higher population of infected ticks for the next one to two years, so, the acorn mast year in 2019 will be felt this year with increased ticks.

An illustration of how Lyme disease is transmitted between species (click to enlarge). Image courtesy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

With indoor restrictions on gatherings still in place, we’re all hoping for an active outdoor spring. However, as kids go outside to play and families begin to start biking and walking in the woods, we should be aware that Lyme disease will be particularly bad this year and must keep an eye out for the symptoms. Here are a few things you can do to stay protected:

Dress — wear light-colored clothes, long pants, high socks, and bug spray, especially when venturing off trail.

Environment — Consider spraying for ticks or other remedies like tick tubes, essential oils, chickens, keeping deer out of your yard, maintaining a well-kept yard, and staying away from the edge of the woods.

Awareness — check for ticks after going outside. If a tick is pulled out within a short period of time, Lyme disease may be avoided. Make sure you have all the parts of the tick, including the eight legs and head.

If Lyme disease is caught and treated early, the worst effects can be prevented with antibiotics, so keep an eye out and be prepared. For more information about Lyme disease and symptoms, visit www.cdc.gov/lyme or www.mass.gov/service-details/lyme-disease.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their 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

Emerson Hospital launches community needs survey

Emerson Hospital is conducting a community health needs survey to get input from residents, health care providers, and social service workers in the cities and towns served by Emerson. Anyone who lives or works in the region can participate. Click here for more information and a link to the survey.

Event spotlights male survivors of sexual assault

While all survivors of sexual assault face barriers, male survivors experience a unique set of challenges when choosing to come forward and seek support. Amplifying the voices of male survivors helps end the stigma and raise awareness surrounding male survivors of sexual assault. In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, please join the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable on Tuesday, April 13 at 3 p.m. for their next Spotlight Series event: Amplifying the Voices of Male Survivors of Sexual Assault. This event will feature male survivors from the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center’s (BARCC) Survivor Speakers Bureau, who will share their stories and what they want the community to know. The conversation will be moderated by a staff member from BARCC and allow time for participants to submit questions via chat. Registration is required, and can be completed through the Roundtable’s website at www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org. For questions, email infodvrt@gmail.com. Recording or taking pictures of this event is prohibited.  

Pastel workshop offered

The Lincoln Public Library is offering “Dandelions: A Pastel Workshop with Greg Maichack” on Wednesday, April 21 from 6–8 p.m. via Zoom. In this highly researched two-hour event, participants have fun producing their own original pastel painting of Millet’s “Dandelions,” creating smaller versions from parts of his painting. Registration opens on Friday, April 2 at 9 a.m. The workshop is limited to 24 participants who are age 18+. All art materials will be supplied prior to the workshop. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.

South Sudanese Fund events celebrates 21 years

South Sudanese Enrichment for Families invites everyone to “Resilience 2021: A Celebration of the South Sudanese 21 Years in America” on Thursday, April 22 from 7–8 p.m. Help celebrate and contribute to the ongoing work to build and support the next generation — the children of the “lost boys and girls of Sudan.”

  • Register for this free Zoom event
  • Silent auction from April 9–26 — view and bid
  • Donate online by going to SSEFBoston.org or send a check to SSEF, P.O. Box 492, Lincoln, MA 01773.

Volunteer sought for Board of Assessors

The Board of Selectmen seeks candidates to serve a one-year term as an appointee to the Board of Assessors. The appointee would need to submit nomination papers and stand for election in March 2022 in order to continue on the board. Download and submit this application form to the Selectmen’s Office, c/o Peggy Elder (elderp@lincolntown.org), by April 30 at 5 p.m. Interviews will be conducted in June and the appointment will be effective immediately thereafter. Dorothy Blakely, administrator for the Board of Assessors, is available (blakelyd@lincolntown.org) to answer questions about the duties and role of the board.

Lincoln gets nod from Boston Magazine

Lincoln is one of four Boston suburbs spotlighted in the magazine’s “Top Places to Live 2021” issue. The magazine reports that the median price for a single-family home in town is $1,375,000 and has increased by 15% in the past year. Coldwell Banker’s Susan Law is quoted as saying about Lincoln: “It’s really amazing to me to see how many people are active and involved… to make things work for the town, not just for themselves.”

Second Covid-9 vaccine clinic March 4 for those on waiting list


(Editor’s note: This article was updated on February 25 to reflect corrected figures for the number of doses to be given at the March 4 clinic and the dose threshold required by the state for local clinics.)

The town will hold another Covid-19 vaccination clinic on March 4, but only for those on a waiting list — and this will almost certainly be the last clinic the town will offer.

Lincoln will receive a second allotment of 100 doses of vaccine for the clinic on Thursday, March 4 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at the Lincoln North office building. Participation will be limited to residents 75 and older who were placed on the waiting list after the first town clinic on February 11. Any additional slots will be made available to those identified as being at high-risk, consistent with the Commonwealth’s criteria, said Town Administrator Tim Higgins, one of the members of Lincoln’s public health team.

Residents who received their first dose of vaccine at the February 11 clinic will get their second booster shot on March 11, and those who are inoculated on March 4 will get their second dose on April 1. “Going forward, unless the state alters its distribution strategy, we do not anticipate being able to provide any additional first-dose local clinics,” he said.

The team is talking to other area towns to see if regional clinic could be organized under the new state capacity criteria (giving at least 750 doses a day, five days a week). “We appear to have several willing partners… but it’s very much a work in progress” and will obviously require state approval, Higgins said.

Failing that, Lincoln hopes to find ways to help residents get the vaccinations at one of the mega-sites at Fenway Park or Gillette Stadium, by offering rides and/or helping people navigate the state’s online booking system.

“Our public health team and those in other towns are really frustrated at a policy level at the state’s decision to ignore the capacity we created locally to efficiently administer the vaccine,” he said.

Lincoln’s first Covid-19 vaccination clinic goes swimmingly

By Maureen Belt

A premiere office suite in North Lincoln, empty for months because of Covid-19, was transformed last week into a clinic that distributed not only the Moderna vaccine, but doses of hope and freedom to dozens of Lincoln seniors — many of whom have had their social and personal lives halted because of the virus. 

Nearly 100 senior citizens, the oldest aged 98, and other high-risk residents were injected with the first round of the two-dose vaccine on February 11 at the Lincoln North office building at 55 Old Bedford Rd. Their follow-up shots are scheduled for March 11.

Rob Todd, a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, was the first Lincolnite to be vaccinated at the town clinic, which Council on Aging Director Abby Butt (right) and teammates helped organize.

The clinic, which ran with the precision of a Swiss watch, was the result of strategic planning by Lincoln’s public health team: Board of Health member Trish Miller, Public Health Nurse Tricia McGean, Council on Aging Director Abigail Butt, Assistant Town Administrator Dan Pereira, Town Administrator Tim Higgins, Fire Chief Brian Young, and Lt. Sean Kennedy and Det. Ian Spencer of the Lincoln Police Department.

The team handled all logistics — communicating with the DPH, finding a space for the clinic, organizing volunteers, and ensuring all recipients were safely transported from their homes to the clinic. Lincoln resident Larry Smith of Cranberry Hill Associates, Inc., which manages Lincoln North, donated use of the space.

Initially, said Young, Lincoln expected to receive 2,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine from the state Department of Public Health (DPH), so a weeklong clinic from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. was planned with the hopes of inoculating the same number of residents. Nearly 100 volunteers were on board, clinicians were hired, and several hundred empty square feet of office space with ample parking were secured. 

Then, just after 5 p.m. on February 5, Young learned that the DPH was reducing Lincoln’s number of shots to 100. “They switched courses,” he said. “That’s fine. We said we’ll take what we can get and we will start with the most at-risk residents.”

Miller said Lincoln was fortunate to receive even a reduced number, as many surrounding communities did not get any. The goal, she said, “was to get as many shots into as many arms as we could.”

Mission accomplished.

Longtime COA volunteer Harold McAleer gets his Covid-19 shot.

The atmosphere was convivial — more like a neighborhood block party than a medical clinic —with residents cheerfully greeting their masked, socially distanced friends and commenting on how nice it was to see each other after nearly a year of not being out and about.

“It’s been a terrific team effort, and it’s had its challenges with the laws and the regulations changing,” said Mr. Higgins. “I’m thrilled that the team was able to put the clinic on for the town.”

Having a local clinic, Mr. Higgins said, is especially crucial to Lincoln’s vulnerable residents who would have a hard time getting to and from clinics in “mega-sites” such as Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park — not just once, but twice. 

“Here, they’re familiar with the people in the clinic,” he said. “They have good relationships. It has a nice, small-town feel to it.”

The group unanimously decided residents 85 years old and over would get first dibs. A call center was organized so residents could book appointments without needing to use a computer.

“Abby was very helpful. She has great relationships with the older folks,” Miller said, adding Butt also identified the seniors who needed to be inoculated in their homes and rounded up volunteers to transport seniors to and from the clinic.

Holding clinics routinely is the goal, but this will depend on the weekly supply of vaccine from the state. A clinic was temporarily planned for Thursday, Feb. 18 for residents 75 and older, but Pereira said on February 13 that the town would not be getting its expected 100 doses for that clinic. The team will keep the town informed about future clinics and volunteer opportunities as well as any other changes.

Town sees 27 cases of Covid-19 in last half of December

Lincoln’s Covid-19 caseload continues to climb, with a total of 27 cases during the last two weeks in December — the same number as recorded over the preceding four months.

Forty-four Lincoln residents tested positive for Covid-during the four-week period starting the week of December 10. The largest two-week total before this was nine cases for the fortnight ending on April 25. As of December 31, Lincoln had 19 active cases — fewer than Carlisle but more than Concord, where fully 40% of the cases were in residents age 20 and younger.

Earlier in the pandemic, many Lincoln cases cropped up among elderly residents at The Commons and elsewhere in town. More recently, as in the rest of the country, the virus has affected a greater age range of Lincolnites and the method of spread has more often been within households.

“In the last few months, we have definitely seen an increase in the number of cases in the one-to-25-year-old age groups,” Public Health Nurse Tricia McGean said in an email to the Lincoln Squirrel. “College students socialize in groups and live in congregate group settings like dorms, and the virus is very happy to spread in these types of settings. We did not have the college-aged cases back in March and April, as most of them were sent home to learn remotely. The younger cases we’ve seen recently in the local elementary and middle schools are usually related to household spread. If there is a family of four or six, we can usually watch it spread to each person.

“The holidays have also been a factor in increased case numbers. Despite warnings from public health officials, many people chose to be with friends and family members outside of their households. I have seen a few Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings result in a full family sweep of new Covid-positive cases,” McGean said.

There have been a few hospitalizations among the recent Lincoln cases, though these have been older adults and usually due to a comorbidity like a chronic respiratory disease.

On the bright side, “we have not seen any confirmed spread within the school community, so that’s fantastic news. Everyone is doing their job by keeping masked, maintaining social distance, and performing good hand hygiene, and we hope to get everyone back to school [this] week as planned,” McGean said. There have been no deaths or new cases at The Commons since December 23, and the facility expects to start its Covid-19 vaccine clinic for its residents as soon as this week.

Statewide, Lincoln is now in the moderate risk category, where it moved from low risk during the period from November 22 to December 5 (click here to see how the state’s risk map has evolved for towns since October 18).

Although vaccines are on the way for everyone, the immediate threat is very real, especially since Covid-19 is sneakily contagious. “The most infectious period of the virus is 48 hours prior to symptom onset, so by the time you get the headache, cough, and achy feeling, you have already unknowingly spread the virus,” McGean said.