My Turn

My Turn: Stop private jet expansion

August 31, 2023

By Kati Winchell

As the wettest summer in nearly a century draws to a close with two hurricanes spinning in the Atlantic, there is an increased sense of urgency to achieve the Commonwealth’s 2050 net zero goals of reducing emission from 70 to 14 million tons of CO_2.Yet, in the midst of this climate emergency, Massport is proposing to triple the number of hangars at Hanscom Civil Air Terminal for the exclusive use of private luxury jets — the most carbon-intensive form of travel per passenger. Just to be clear, this is not about military flights or any activities at the Air Force base, but rather about building nearly half a million square feet more hangar space for private jets.

If the proposed expansion goes forward, emissions from private jets at Hanscom are projected to grow by millions of tons, jeopardizing the state’s ability to attain its 2050 emission goals. For this reason, 39 local and statewide organizations have joined forces to educate the public about the threat that Massport’s expansion plans present to reducing our carbon footprint and to support the difficult decisions the governor will have to make to ensure that we meet our 2050 goals.

Sign the petition urging the governor to stop this private luxury jet expansion that so clearly runs contrary to Mass Climate Goals. For more information or to sign up for updates, see www.stopprivatejetexpansion.org.

Kati Winchell of Lincoln is projects director for Save Our Heritage.

“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 Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.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: Connecting rural India to Walden Pond through healthcare research and cultural development

August 13, 2023

By Sonali Das

In 2014, my grandmother flew halfway around the world to get from her home, a small Assamese silk village in northeast India known as Sualkuchi, to my home in Lincoln, a small town in Massachusetts. It was her first time stepping outside the world of temples and chador mekhelas she had known all her life. Yet, despite never traveling far, she had heard about our town many times over the years.

Lincoln, as most people know, is home to Walden Pond, which homed the renowned transcendentalist philosopher, Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau was inspired by Hinduism in his approach to live simply and with an open and inquiring mind, saying, “Whenever I have read any part of the Vedas, I have felt that some unearthly and unknown light illuminated me.” In turn, many Hindus, including Gandhi, were inspired by his determination to live life simply and with peaceful, strong conviction. My grandfather, Krishna Ram Das, was one of them and had always wanted to visit Thoreau’s sacred pond. He even composed a poem, “I am a Tree,” and recited it in a seminar held on Thoreau in 1965.

My grandfather died of lung cancer in 1994. Twenty years later, in 2014, my grandmother sprinkled pink petals into the waters of Walden Pond (see photo gallery below) to inaugurate the Thoreau Laboratory for Global Health, a research laboratory dedicated to fighting the medical cancer that killed him as well as the impending societal and environmental cancers that threaten us all.

My grandfather planted the initial seedlings of the Thoreau Laboratory for Global Health. A weaver, philosopher, poet, and the father of nine children, he lived in a humble home with earnings even more so. And yet, his dreams filled the walls of his small house, his ideas formed the lines of his complex poetry, and his hands fought to revive an organization called the Krishna Samaj, founded by his grandfather back in 1920 to protect local weavers from Britain’s textile aggression. Krishna Ram Das wanted to transform it into a cooperative movement among the weavers’ community.

My dad, Bikul Das, one of eight siblings, grew up in the same small village as his father. A budding philosopher, poet, silk businessman, and dreamer, he worked with his dad during his childhood in the family’s Muga silk business. Muga, known for its golden threads and extreme durability, is a culturally significant silk native to the state of Assam. Making grafts for his father and networking with traders in his village, my dad grew up wanting to be a politician. Instead, he went to medical school, became a doctor, traveled to Bhutan, and a couple stories later, wounded up as a stem cell/cancer scientist working with the University of Toronto, Stanford University, and the Harvard-affiliated Forsyth Institute.

Dr. Bikul Das discovered altruism on a microbiological level, and thus became a pioneer in the research field of stem cell altruism. Years later, he studied COVID-19’s relationship to stem cells and dormant TB reactivation. Interestingly, his core scientific findings stemmed from the philosophical ideas discussed in the Krishna Samaj. Thus, in 2010, he officially setup KaviKrishna Laboratory, now located at the Indian Institute of Technology at Guwahati, as a continuation of the Krishna Samaj. The Thoreau Laboratory for Global Health, set up in 2014, is its sister laboratory located at UMass-Lowell. Both the Thoreau Lab for Global Health and KaviKrishna Lab look to engage scientists and graduate students excited about cancer, stem cells altruism, and related research.

As a high school graduate with a gap year ahead, I decided to explore this complex story further. My journey took me on an expedition to Sualkuchi, (Here is a beautiful video two of my Indian cousins made of my experience in Assam), where I spent five months working with graduate students to develop a Medical Humanities program centered around KaviKrishna’s rural medical oncology clinic.

As a high school graduate (Lincoln-Sudbury Class of 2022) with a gap year ahead, I decided to explore this complex story further. My journey took me on an expedition to Sualkuchi, where I spent five months working with graduate students to develop a Medical Humanities program centered around KaviKrishna’s rural medical oncology clinic. Here’s a video that two of my Indian cousins made of my experience in Assam, and another video of a talk I gave about the program itself.

Through the work, I was immersed in a dynamic experience awash with interactions of people from every level of society, festivals rich with song and color, visits to cancer patients, and broken Assamese conversations. I came to understand KaviKrishna’s ultimate purpose: to uplift the culture and society of the weavers and artisans living in Sualkuchi and greater Kamrup (also in northeast India) through grassroots project-based initiatives and hardcore academic research. Through its Medical Humanities program, the Thoreau Laboratory aims to bring these research efforts, inspired by the weaving community, to the globe.

Currently, as an intern at both the Thoreau Lab for Global Health and KaviKrishna Lab, I am editing my dad’s book on “Recovering the Spirit of Jiva Upakara Tantra” that will illuminate the intricacies of this evolving research story. My experience working in these two organizations has given me an incredible window into the power of interdisciplinary research and its relevance in a time riddled with individual, environmental, and societal cancers. I have already introduced two Lincoln residents (Prerna Karmacharya and Alexander Payne) to the organization in their week-long visit to Assam. As I begin my undergraduate journey at Bowdoin College, I hope to continue to help develop the Medical Humanities program and bring its ideas to the liberal arts community.

If you’re inspired by my story, the Thoreau Laboratory is currently looking for high school and college students interested in developing their own projects related to biology, philosophy, sociology, etc. with a focus on stem cell work, altruism, and Hindu philosophy/education as a part of the Medical Humanities program. It is also looking for volunteers interested in developing a digital public relation project for KaviKrishna/Thoreau Lab through its YouTube and social media accounts. All participants will get a certificate from the lab following a successful completion of an agreed-upon project. Interested students can also join our weekly philosophical meetings co-led by Simon Karty to discuss the philosophy of Thoreau, Gandhi, science, and healthcare.

KaviKrishna and Thoreau Lab would love to hear from you! Find us at www.kavikrishnalab.org or www.thoreaulab.org, or email sonalisdas14@gmail.com or bdas@thoreaulab.org.

Lincoln resident Sonali Das will start her studies at Bowdoin College next month.

My Turn: Food pantry needs help with non-food items

July 2, 2023

By Karen Boyce

Summer is here and our donations, both monetary and grocery, are down. We have had to take a hard look at what we offer our clients and cut back on some areas. We are limiting dish soap, paper towels, toilet paper and laundry detergent and are focusing solely on providing protein foods, dairy, and fresh vegetables to our many clients. Local farmers are donating produce and eggs to us through the Lincoln Agriculture Commission. We are so thankful!

Please, at this very tentative time of year, consider making a donation to us. You can send a check to us at St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lincoln and Weston, PO Box 324, Lincoln, MA. You might add on the check that it is for the food pantry.

Would you rather donate a product? Costco is having a sale on paper towels! We also need small laundry detergent and small bottles of dish soap — toilet paper, too. You can leave the donations on the porch of the St. Joseph house, right beside the food pantry at 142 Lincoln Road (rear) in the blue bins. Even one bottle of dish soap helps us out. And as always, salad dressings, mayonnaise, and cereals are things we just cannot keep on the shelves. They are on sale everywhere. Thank you for your generosity. Happy Fourth of July!

Karen Boyce is chair of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lincoln and Weston food pantry.

My Turn: In support of a community center

June 22, 2023

By Sally Kindleberger

Recently I attended a Community Center Building Committee meeting in an effort to learn more about the process and the objections to a new building. I believe that we need to work together in a cooperative way.

When the schools were rebuilt, it was a huge cost to taxpayers. My taxes went up significantly, but I was willing to pay them because I believed that it is important to pay it forward to support the generation that is coming behind us. I have no kids, but I know education is one of the most important things we can do for our children, our future, and our country.

During the time that the schools were being built, folks that use the Recreation Department and the Council on Aging and Human Services were told to be patient — “once the schools are built, a community center will follow.” But low and behold, there has been a huge pushback. There are a number of people who want to reduce the building size significantly! This will make it difficult for the current programming to happen.

We have been told that activities could be housed elsewhere. That would put huge stress on the employees of all three departments, who would have to drive all over. We were told that people are being forced out of town because they can’t afford the taxes. I have talked to others who dispute this assertion. There are those who are demanding that the Parks and Rec Department and the COA&HS provide data proving the value of the project. This puts tremendous strain on the four full-time employees at the COA&HS. How can they do their real jobs if there is continuous demand that they prove their value? Perhaps those asking for and needing additional data could come and gather it themselves.

I attend many events at the COA&HS and before the pandemic, I was at the Rec Department taking classes twice every week.

I think it would really help those who question the value of this new building to take the time to attend classes and activities at both the COA&HS and the Rec Department. By attending programs/activities over time and talking to participants, you will see the real value of what is provided as well as some of the concerns about the current spaces. This can’t be done on a drop-in basis; one needs to spend time in order to fully experience the programs that are provided.

And there is so much more programing that could be provided. Off the top of my head I can think of five or six new classes that would be great — story telling, improvisation, sign language, Granny and Grandpa reading programs with little kids, support groups for struggling kids, tech support provide by the middle schoolers, self-defense, and much more. But we need a building with enough space to accommodate programming and to meet the needs of the hordes of baby boomers who are knocking at the door.

I do understand the concerns of people about costs, but if a building continues to be put on hold, or a new building can’t meet programming needs, what is the point? Costs will only go up and up. I don’t see them ever going down. Now is the time to seize the day and build something that everyone can be truly proud of. Lincoln is a town filled with creative and thoughtful minds. We need to work closely and collaboratively together to find a good solution to meet the needs of all!

Kindleberger is a Lincoln resident in North Commons.

My Turn: SVdP gives thanks, but more donations are always needed

June 4, 2023

Dear Lincoln community,

The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lincoln and Weston just enjoyed our beautiful spring fundraiser concert (more on that below), but there’s no time to rest, as the need in our community is ongoing. The food pantry will be open next Wednesday and Thursday, June 7 and 8, and we need your help to restock our shelves! Now at the beginning of the summer, the most needed items are ketchup, olive oil, salad dressings, mayonnaise, relish, cereal, pasta sauce and crackers.

Small and regular sizes are best so that some people do not get the giant ones and others get the tiny ones. We have limited space and want to be able to give the items to as many people as possible. No need to sign up, but we have put together a SignUp Genius page so we can make sure we get a good number of each of the items needed.

Food donations can be dropped off at any time on the back porch of the white house behind St. Joseph Church at 142 Lincoln Rd. Enter the driveway to the left of the church, drive past the white house behind the church, and leave your donations on the back porch. If you buy food at Donelan’s, you can drop it off in the collection barrel behind the registers. No perishable or expired food please.

SVdP’s “Grazing in the Grass” concert was a successful and enjoyable event where many people came together to enjoy the beautiful music with each other. With gratitude, SVdP acknowledges the local businesses of Lincoln and Weston for their sponsorship: Donelan’s, Twisted Tree, Something Special, Tack Room, Gretchen Covino’s Pilates, Lana’s Fitness, Weston Provisions, Roche Brothers, and Florentine Framers.

To all the SVdP volunteers: thank you for your selfless time and dedication! And to our supporters: SVdP could not continue our service without you!

Karen Salvucci, SVdP of Lincoln and Weston President
Chris Stirling, Vice President — and SVdP Board of Directors

My Turn: CCBC authorizes a 75% program option for ICON cost estimation

June 4, 2023

By Lynne Smith

Community Center Building Committee Sarah Chester opened the CCBC’s May 31 meeting by reiterating the group’s commitment to two cost options for a community center: 50% and 75% of the 2018 project cost of $25 million, as required at the Special Town Meeting in November 2022.The committee is focused on a consolidated program in a single new building with Parks & Recreation (PRD) and Council on Aging & Human Services (COA & HS) grouped into shared and non-shared space.

After much discussion of the program spaces, the committee ended the meeting with a vote to accept an area of 9,320 net square feet for cost estimation by ICON Architects. The committee said this will become the 75% option for program space and reflects a reduction of 10,000 square feet from the 2018 proposal by eliminating such things as a teaching kitchen and lobby café. The reduction in space is impressive, but the architects and the committee must reduce it even further to achieve a 50% option with a price tag of $12.5 million.

At the upcoming June 13 public forum, the committee expects ICON to present both options, including cost estimates for site preparation, a new building, and parking lots. ICON’s Ned Collier promised at the first public meeting with CCBC that each option would be a “complete, viable alternative,”* and we are waiting to see how that assurance will be met.

At the May 31 meeting, several residents asked pointed questions and initiated discussions:

Magic Garden and Lincoln Preschool — Sara Mattes questioned why the private Magic Garden preschool housed in the 7,000-square-foot Hartwell Building couldn’t be moved elsewhere in town, perhaps to a space at St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields church recently vacated by another preschool, so the town-owned building could be used for public community center purposes. Lori Leo, the director of Magic Garden, explained that the St. Anne’s space was too small for the full school and would require significant modification to house the infant/toddler group, which has since moved to the Stone Church of First Parish. School staff and Magic Garden representatives highlighted the importance, for parents and school staff, of having the Magic Garden preschool on the Hartwell campus.

Mattes also asked about having the preschool housed at the K-8 school. Becky McFall, retiring School Superintendent, explained that the public preschool was for children aged 2-5 needing special education for developmental issues. While this discussion seemed to put to rest the idea of moving Magic Garden, the discussion illustrated the potential use of available church space for town-sponsored activities.

Attendance and benchmark data — David Cuetos reiterated his request for actual program attendance data, not just room capacity. Collier explained that the committee had this data and it would be made available on the CCBC website. Cuetos also asked for a benchmark analysis comparing spaces and costs with similar projects in other towns. Collier and Chester declined to do this, noting that no other town had a comparable project combining Parks and Recreation with a Council on Aging and Human Services in a single building. Information on both of these topics would help the community understand actual, not just possible, usage and how Lincoln compares to other towns. Such data has been promised at many meetings and its lack has made informed questions and comments for both the committee and the public difficult. I hope to see both attendance and benchmark data soon on the community center website.

Reduction in shared and non-shared spaces — Dennis Picker came prepared with a detailed table and rationale for significant reductions in room sizes from the prior programming matrix. The committee responded that some of these reductions had been made in the updated program shown at the meeting, but Picker pointed out that many other reductions were still possible and would be necessary if the town is to see a viable 50% cost option. Picker reflects the desire of many in town to see a modest proposal that they would be willing to accept.

Public concerns — Susan Taylor, School Committee liaison to CCBC, suggested that the above concerns raised by the public be addressed in writing, distributed to the town, and put on the CCBC website so that Lincoln residents could understand the rationale. Krystal Wood and the communications committee agreed to do so.

* * *

As an amender of the Special Town Meeting motion to authorize the architectural study of a community center, I am still interested in seeing if a 50% cost option is viable and attractive — and if not, that the vision of a single, new, consolidated space be revisited, and that the use of available spaces in town (some of which would require modification) be considered.

ICON promised to identify needs vs. aspirations. Some of the programs currently put forth appear to be aspirational, such as having three congregate senior luncheons per week with 50 people at each. This is not a required activity and the projected participation numbers seem high, given anecdotal reports of the current once-a-week attendance of 15-30 seniors. The suggested five hours in the kitchen every day for Meals on Wheels still has not been explained. Finally, many of the non-shared spaces such as offices for part-time and summer staff, which were not discussed at the meeting, seem larger than needed and could easily be located in available spaces in town or at our K-8 school.

This complex project is gathering steam and requires everyone’s attention. But as summer approaches, I fear that we will all find better things to do than look at charts, tables and program spaces on the LincolnCommunityCenter.com website. I urge everyone to come to the June 13 public forum, which will likely give ICON the direction and authorization to proceed with plans for a September presentation. At that point, the train will really be pulling out of the station with or without all passengers on board!

* At the March 8 meeting, ICON architects “said they would identify ‘needs’ vs. ‘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 into’ to all options” (from the Lincoln Squirrel, March 13, “My Turn: CCBC introduces architects and shares concerns”).

My Turn: Alert citizens can have a big impact

May 29, 2023

By Ruth Ann Hendrickson

Lincoln’s unaccounted-for water measurement showed a huge reduction this year, and the discovery of two large leaks by alert citizens probably played a large part in that reduction.

Both citizens noticed the sound of running water in storm drains during the drought last summer, identifying leaks that Water Department personnel quickly repaired. We urge everyone to watch for the appearance or the sound of water in unexpected places and report it immediately to the Water Department at 781-259-2669.

The Water Department has been working hard for over 12 years to reduce our unaccounted-for water, increasing water leak detection surveys to twice a year compared to the industry standard of once every two years. Leak detection is difficult. The contractor drives around Lincoln during the wee hours of the morning, using sensitive acoustical equipment to hear the sound of water running through the pipes. We uncover many leaks this way every year, but we also miss many. Some years ago there was a 60+ gallon-per-minute leak on Beaver Pond Road that was never detected until the water started to bubble to the surface in someone’s yard. The leak detection equipment failed to hear it.

Lincoln draws all our public water from the Charles River watershed; that watershed is always stressed by upstream people like us who use water before it can get to the river. Consequently, the Mass. DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) gives Lincoln a permit to withdraw 0.53 mgd (million gallons per day). As part of the permit, we are required to demonstrate a unaccounted-for water use of less than 10%. For over a decade our measured UAW has been in the vicinity of 25%, but this year it dropped to 5% — a number yet to be certified by the DEP, but certainly a huge improvement.

So be on the lookout for possible leaks and report them right away!

Ruth Ann Hendrickson is a former longtime member of the Lincoln Water Commission.

My Turn: Site plan shows the downside of a consolidated community center

May 25, 2023

By Lynne Smith

(Editor’s note: the Lincoln Squirrel was out of town on May 23 and unable to cover the forum.)

Before the May 23 Community Center Building Committee forum, I walked with several others around the campus to understand what the new site plans would mean for the existing property. It was a beautiful time of day with sunlight slanting through the gorgeous old trees that encircled the tiny old pods. Lush grass and kids’ trails through the woods from Lincoln Road made me yearn to be a child in Lincoln.

Proposed parking spaces, wetland conservation restrictions, and limited buildable land are squeezing the site plans for a community center building on the Hartwell campus. The large parking areas proposed for each of the five alternatives presented dwarf the renovated and new buildings in the schemes shown by Ned Collier of ICON Architecture, who described the five site plans that are posted on the CCBC website.

Collier described in detail the need for setbacks from the underground river that must be crossed to enter the campus. Conservation restrictions would require tearing up the existing parking lot and adding a swale to protect the river. Parking spaces would then be farther from the main road with a two-way entry to the campus instead of the one-way entry and one-way exit, which are now in place.

Each of the five schemes includes a new two-story building replacing pod A and different levels of renovation for LEAP and the pod B buildings. The schemes also show the green space, needed as playgrounds and fields for children in the LEAP program. In all the plans, a new parking lot dominates and doubles the existing 50 spaces.

Consolidating two populations in one community center is driving the CCBC effort, overruling the expressed desire of the town to “supplement or not with existing available town spaces.” With the COA staff and many seniors coming and going, the already crowded Hartwell campus will become even busier. The need for holding many activities in other sites is clearer than ever.

I want to raise the issue of parking space to a high level of concern. We are now doing everything we can to reduce emissions in town. Replacing the old parking lot with new paving and adding up to 50 additional spaces for cars to accommodate seniors, who do not occupy the building all day, does not seem necessary. Activities are scheduled throughout the day so people come and go on staggered schedules. Moreover, holding COA activities at Bemis Hall, Pierce House, the school, and other town sites will minimize the need for parking at the Hartwell campus.

I urge everyone to get involved and take a close look at the CCBC website to understand the site plans, especially the substantial proposed increase of parking spaces. And, if you have nothing better to do, go take a walk in the late afternoon behind the pods to understand what will be lost and would need to change with each of the proposed plans. The next CCBC meeting is Wednesday, May 31 and will feature more detail on programming, especially attendance numbers, and the site plans.

My Turn: Please welcome our new library director, Melissa Roderick

May 23, 2023

By Jacquelin Apsler

The Lincoln Public Library Trustees are pleased to announce our choice of Melissa Roderick as the new Lincoln Public Library Director.

Melissa has served the Lincoln Library as our assistant director for 11 months prior to being selected as the library’s director. In her short time in that role, Melissa made a very positive impact with enhanced social media engagement, a new and more efficient online staff scheduling process, and her service as the project manager for designing the new website that is under development.

Before coming to Lincoln as the assistant library director in July 2022, Melissa worked at the Winchester Public Library for over 10 years, first as their reference and young adult librarian for a year before being promoted to head of circulation. In that role, she managed operational responsibilities such as hiring, onboarding, training, supervision, scheduling 24 staff members, and overseeing adult fiction purchases and programming. Prior to working in Winchester, Melissa spent four years as a circulation assistant in the Woburn Public Library. References from her previous employment consistently described Melissa as warm, responsive, competent, direct, and honest with a high level of energy and positivity and a “can do” attitude.

In her short tenure as the assistant library director in Lincoln, Melissa earned high regard and appreciation from the staff. The following paragraph sums up the many positive comments from the staff that were shared with the hiring committee: “Melissa is approachable, listens well, has a sense of humor, makes firm decisions, and most importantly, clearly communicates those decisions. Her leadership skills are held in high regard, and, as a staff, we have been grateful for the channels of communication Melissa has instituted.”

In addition to building strong internal relationships, Melissa has already become the new “face” of the library in town. She participates in numerous town-wide committees and activities; is eager to learn all she can about the library and Lincoln through a myriad of trainings, and workshops; and has developed warm relationships with most of the other town employees with whom she will be working and collaborating. Several town employees offered the hiring committee examples of the many positive ways in which they and Melissa have interacted during her short time in Lincoln.

Melissa earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in legal studies from UMass–Lowell and a Master of Library Science and Information Science from Simmons University in Boston.

I want to thank the hiring committee that worked hard to thoughtfully review all the materials for the candidates that helped the trustees make the final decision – six staff members, the president of the Friends of the Lincoln Library, a patron, the assistant town administrator, and all six trustees. We are all eager to move forward with Melissa at the helm.

When you have a moment, please stop by to welcome Melissa in her new role as the Lincoln Library director. We plan to have a formal welcoming reception in the near future as well.

Apsler is chair of the Lincoln Library Board of Trustees.

My Turn: Come to an outdoor concert to benefit food pantry

May 22, 2023

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln & Weston (SVdP) is hosting its second annual outdoor concert “Grazing in the Grass” on Tuesday, May 30 at 5:30 p.m. at Pierce Park. Performers will be Brian Moll, Mara Bonde & Sandra Piques Eddy, Christian Rougeaux, and the Kemp Harris Band. Bring your own chair, beverages, and a picnic, renew old friendships, take a chance on great gift baskets from local businesses, and enjoy a fun evening.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul operates the food pantry in town, gives financial emergency assistance, and offers scholarships to adults seeking to improve their earning capability. Nearly 150 households (350 people) rely on the food pantry. The need has increased tremendously in the last couple of years, and our expenses are still rising. In the last five months we have spent on average $8,000 for the food pantry (up from an average of $6,000 in our last fiscal year) and an average of $12,500 on financial emergency assistance (up from $5,000 in the previous fiscal year!). In addition, grant applications have become far more competitive as more organizations try to raise more money for their outreach work. We need your help so we can continue to support our neighbors in need.

This is our biggest fundraiser of the year. We hope you can come to our concert, but if you can’t, we hope you will still support us. The suggested donation is $25 per person (or more!). You can sign up by donating here (put “spring concert” in the notes) or mail a check payable to “St. Vincent de Paul” to SVdP, PO Box 324, Lincoln, MA 01773. We hope to raise $25,000. Please help us reach this goal.

See you on the 30th!

Ursula Nowak, Karen Salvucci (president), and Chris Stirling (vice president)
Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston

Brian Moll, Mara Bonde & Sandra Piques Eddy, Christian Rougeaux, and the Kemp Harris Band on Tuesday, May 30 at 5:30 p.m. in Pierce Park. Bring your own chair, drinks, and picnic. Suggested donation: $25 (or more).