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

My Turn

FELS says thank-you for record pie donations

By Nancy Marshall and Tara Mitchell

FELS extends profound thanks to the communities of Lincoln and Sudbury for their incredible response to the Thanksgiving pie sale organized by FELS, the Foundation for Educators at LSRHS. By the numbers, Ruth-Anne Adams and Tom Fosnot of The Hyve produced close to 300 pies, of which:

  • 59 went  to food pantries in Lincoln and Sudbury — a wonderful amount, given the continuing crisis of food insecurity, and a donation record!
  • 20 went to our towns’ public safety personnel
  • 53 were gifted to teachers and staff at LSRHS by families and other teachers

Eight additional donated pies will be raffled off to teachers and staff by Superintendent/Principal Andrew Stevens. The remaining 140-ish pies were distributed to Lincoln and Sudbury families for their Thanksgiving tables.

FELS’ annual appeal continues through the end of December.

To a person, the mission of FELS is fully felt and appreciated by our grant recipients, the beneficiaries of donated/gifted pies, and by every member of our Board. The FELS Board’s work is fueled by a profound appreciation of our teachers’ talents and gifts which they bring to the challenges and the blessings of successfully educating the whole child in today’s world.  Your support empowers FELS to be able to provide opportunities for teachers and staff to feel seen and heard and valued for the critical work they do.

FELS is a nonprofit organization that awards enrichment grants to Lincoln-Sudbury High School faculty and staff to pursue their professional and personal interests and passions. Founded in 2000 to offer parents a way to show their appreciation to the L-S professional staff for their unflagging dedication, tireless effort, and genuine care, our guiding principle is “Inspired Teachers Inspire Students.”

Best wishes for a safe and joyful holiday season.

Marshall and Mitchell are co-presidents of FELS.

“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.

Thanks to all who donated to Thanksgiving gift card drive

By Robin Blesius and Ursula Nowak

Thank you to everyone who supported our Thanksgiving Drive. We were truly moved by the outpouring of generosity that allowed us to give each family a little extra care this year. Many households are facing added challenges due to recent disruptions in essential services, and your kindness brought comfort and hope at a time when it was especially appreciated. It is heartwarming to see how deeply our community cares for our neighbors.

Special thanks to the many generous organizations and donors who made this such a special event. Please visit our social media accounts below to see photos.

Blesius and Nowak are co-chairs of the Thanksgiving gift card drive run by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston.

www.svdplincolnweston.org • Facebook • Instagram

“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: supporting our neighbors this Thanksgiving

By Ursula Nowak for the SVdP Food Pantry

At our SVdP Food Pantry of Lincoln and Weston, we’ve seen how the delayed payments and recent cuts of SNAP benefits and the lingering effects of the government shutdown have affected our neighbors. Many of our pantry clients — families, seniors, and individuals who were already stretching every dollar — are now facing even tougher choices about how to put food on the table.

Reductions to SNAP funding and, in some cases job loss, have left many with smaller benefits and greater food insecurity. For families who already rely on every bit of support, that translates into skipped meals and less nutritious options. Even though our pantry faces higher demand and fewer resources, we are making every effort to meet the growing need.

That’s why our Thanksgiving gift card drive is more important than ever this year. Every November, we invite community members to purchase grocery gift cards that we distribute to local families. These cards give our clients the dignity of choosing their own Thanksgiving meal — fresh produce, a turkey, or a favorite family recipe ingredient — and help restore a sense of normalcy during difficult times.

Please help us make these holiday meals possible by donating a $35 Donelan’s gift card before Friday, Nov. 21. You may buy a gift card at Donelan’s in Lincoln and leave it at the register or donate here. To donate by check, please make it payable to ST. VINCENT DE PAUL and mail it to P.O. Box 324, Lincoln MA 01773. Remember to write “Thanksgiving Gift Cards” on the check.

This year, as SNAP benefits shrink and costs rise, that simple gesture means even more. We’re asking our community to come together once again to help make the season a little brighter for our neighbors. Together, we can ensure that everyone in our community has a reason to give thanks this year.

With gratitude,

The Society of St Vincent de Paul Food Pantry of Lincoln and Weston

“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: Thanksgiving pies and pantries

By Tara Mitchell

Right now, our local food pantries need assistance more than ever before.  With government aid slowing to a trickle, every little bit can help.  Please consider a donation to St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry or the Sudbury Food Pantry.

Additionally, FELS (the Foundation for Educators at Lincoln-Sudbury) is in the final week of its annual Thanksgiving pie sale. You can order a pie as a donation for a family to pick up from the food pantries in Lincoln or Sudbury, to gift to teachers and staff at LSRHS, or for your own Thanksgiving table. Orders must be in by Monday, Nov. 17. 

Either means of donation to our food pantries will allow local families to have a better opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Thanks to both our towns for your ongoing support of our food pantries and FELS, and best wishes for a safe and festive Thanksgiving!

Mitchell, a Sandy Pond Road resident, is co-president of FELS.

“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: Lincoln in the ICE age

By Kathy Madison

Lincoln has long felt like a kind of refuge — blessed by acres of conserved land, home to miles of wild trails and ponds. Our backyards visited by wildlife from opossums and wild turkeys to coyotes and bears. Homes nestled along quiet roads, with gardens and working farms… a quiet, friendly place where one can feel safe.

But we are not safe.

For me, it began last March. A Maryland father, Kilmer Abrego Garcia, was arrested and deported without trial to a notorious prison in El Salvador. The judge’s orders to return him, along with others, were ignored by this administration. Then in April, a Tufts student was grabbed suddenly by masked men on a Somerville street and flown to Louisiana. In May, ICE agents shattered car windows in Acton and Waltham to grab residents, and one morning in Lincoln, a woman didn’t show up for work. Weeks later we learned that ICE had taken her, her family desperate to find her.    

In May, I cofounded Lincoln Witness with Kim Jalet. We formed in response to a clearly out-of-control immigration enforcement machine. Twenty Lincolnites showed up for our first meeting; today there are forty of us. You may have seen us at the July Fourth parade with our Lady Liberties costumes, or at the Farmer’s Market, handing out Know Your Rights cards and raising emergency funds for immigrant families. Our goal is to serve as witnesses to injustice, to prepare ourselves and others in these dark days, to share information, resources and reach out to our neighboring communities.   

In early September, we asked the Town of Lincoln to spread the word, to offer guidance to residents regarding town-wide policies, to inform and educate, because in this town some people still say, “I have nothing to worry about from ICE since I’m not illegal.” The fact is that since January, more than 170 U.S. citizens have been detained, abused and held for days because ICE considers due process optional.

Recently, an American citizen and veteran experienced the fury of ICE and, when contradicted by his captors, refused to keep silent. He wrote about it here.

Remember when we were told that only the “worst of the worst” would be targeted for deportation? In fact, today there are more than 62,000 people in immigration custody – more than half of whom have no criminal record. The crackdown accelerates. During September more than 1,400 Massachusetts residents have been detained by ICE. Families are ripped apart. Law-abiding, tax-paying workers, children, those suffering serious medical conditions — all have been grabbed by an enforcement agency acting with impunity, with faces masked, with no oversight, and permitted now by the Supreme Court to conduct racial profiling.

Nearly one hundred years ago, another regime in another country first mercilessly stigmatized Jews and then rounded up them up. I’ve often wondered how many of their former neighbors missed them as they disappeared, first slowly, then all at once. Did anyone stay up nights wondering where they’d gone? If they were OK?

Today, in 2025, undocumented immigrants are called “illegals,” a pejorative that strips their humanity, practically equates them with the “worst of the worst,” and decrees that they be detained and deported — even to countries foreign to their original homelands. No consideration is given to those immigrants and refugees who are simply showing up for a regular, scheduled visit to an immigration office on their path to citizenship. For ICE, there’s a quota to fill. And their budget is monstrously huge, bumped up by $75 billion in July.

Here’s the thing. Immigrants are the first targets. But increasingly, any individual or organization that dares to criticize the administration has become a potential enemy. I think about what that fact means for me and countless others who are showing up to confront injustice. Increasingly, we must assess what level of risk we are willing to assume. What words we are willing to publish. What we can say in public. 

It may come down to a simple equation: “the land of the free” = “the home of the brave.”

Editor’s note: Madison, who lives on Concord Road, invites readers to join a vigil, march, and rally starting at Waltham District Court (38 Linden St.) on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 11:00am. Click here to see related events in the area.

“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: A tribute to Jane Goodall

(Editor’s note: the piece below is a tribute posted on the Facebook page of Lincoln author Ruth Mendelson plus a postscript and is republished here with her permission. Goodall died on October 1, 2025 at age 91.)

Jane Goodall (left) and Ruth Mendelson in a Boston hotel room that they hastily adapted as a recording studio in 2016 (see this second Facebook post).

Dr. Jane has been far more than a friend and colleague over the past 23 years. What a blessing to love and be loved by a true human being. Each time Dr. Jane came into town, it meant joy and celebration. She always made a point to contact me ahead of time so we could hang out privately. We would sit on the floor wherever she was staying and talk deep into the night, not bothering to turn the lights on after sunset. Just whispering together throughout the night, sharing about life, vast expanses of inner and outer space, dreams, adventures, purpose and upcoming projects.

Dr. Jane’s life was not glamorous. She was ALWAYS working for the benefit of the planet. She was the first one to get up and the last one to go to bed. She was a living nomad who subsisted out of one small suitcase, traveling 300 days a year in service to our planet and the human condition. She lived incredibly simply, and would make her morning toast using an iron from her hotel room. The only interruption to her travel schedule was covid. And during that time, she was busier than ever — constantly in Zoom meetings and recording interviews, literally 14 hours a day. Her voice often threatened to go out during that time, but she’d continue with the rigorous routine regardless.

People know her for her wonderful work with chimps, but Dr. Jane worked tirelessly for ALL beings on our planet to eradicate poverty, homelessness, disease, plastics — the list goes on and on. She worked with refugees, was constantly meeting with world leaders to improve environmental and social policies, and always made time for children and those afflicted with illness.

Part of Dr. Jane’s rocket fuel came in the form of working with children and youth. Her global youth initiative, Roots & Shoots, was her pride and Joy. I encourage anyone reading this to please check this out for yourself and your local community. 

Amidst the seriousness of the conditions she worked tirelessly to address, Dr. Jane was also FUN! She was a living Dr. Doolittle. She really DID speak animal — I mean with ALL animals. Just extraordinary. I’d like to note here that Dr. Jane often told me that hyenas are completely misunderstood, misrepresented — that they are in fact very loving and affectionate (she spent a lot of time with them in her earlier years). I got her hyena socks one year for Christmas and she was OVER THE MOON!

Dr. Jane was mischievous, bold in her compassion, gentle yet direct, extraordinarily courageous, uniquely resilient, magical, unrelenting and wise. And she was true to the beauty of her purpose to the very end.

Thank you, Dr. Jane, for everything — including being a treasured role model for the whole wide world. Amidst the torrential grief I’m wading through right now, I know I’ll emerge from this with a cleansed and renewed commitment to our beautiful planet and all life upon her. Together we CAN, together we MUST, together we WILL.

Postscript: 

Many people have asked me how we met. Dr. Jane and I first crossed paths in 2002 at the United Nations in Geneva, where I was performing as a bassist with the One Human Family Gospel Choir (we were opening for an international peace summit). Actually, Dr. Jane noticed me first due to a series of hilariously awful events. Sometimes the wrong thing happens in the right way — revealing the very magic of the universe at work. Here’s what happened:

First, my bass was lost at the airport in London (we were playing at the UN the next day). Because of this, I stayed at the airport for hours filling out paperwork and caught a later shuttle to my hotel. My seatmate just happened to be Dr. Jane’s assistant. We had a lovely conversation about life and purpose.

My bass arrived the next day, but then the electricity went out during sound check at the UN. The power came back on right before we performed. There on stage without a sound check (every musician’s nightmare), I shut eyes and hoped for the best. While playing with my eyes closed, my amplifier somehow got turned around and rolled in front of me. So I tried to nonchalantly kick the amp back into position while continuing to play. Dr. Jane (in the audience) smiled as she watched the sideshow, and asked her assistant the name of the musician who was awkwardly dancing with her amplifier. 

Later that day, I saw Dr. Jane descending a flight of stairs and introduced myself. Dr. Jane smiled warmly, said her assistant had told her all about me, and asked me to carry her purse. And that was it — instant connection! We walked arm-in-arm to a workshop Dr. Jane was hosting and have been doing humanitarian and creative projects together ever since — especially projects serving children and youth. Over the years, I’ve had the honor of composing many soundtracks for Dr. Jane’s films and her wonderful podcast series Hopecast, and have served as producer and composer for her updated audiobook, “My Life With the Chimpanzees,” etc.

Dr. Jane wrote the foreword for my novel, “The Water Tree Way.” She even offered to make a brief personal home video about the book because she believed in it so much. That’s how generous she was — even with her nonstop schedule, Dr. Jane was never too busy to express love and care. “The Water Tree Way” is a story about the triumph of the human spirit. The book invites all of us to delve into the most magnificent, mysterious, magical, and necessary of places: inside our very own selves. Dr. Jane’s foreword is precious. I am forever grateful for my beautiful soul friend.

My Turn: A three-time climate refugee weans off fossil fuels

By Anne Sobol

Last week, Net Zero installed my new heat pump water heater, the next to last step in my getting off natural gas (clothes dryer remains). A crew of young men cycled in and out of my house most of the day. In the middle of the afternoon, my doorbell rang and three men from National Grid stood outside my front door. They said they had heard from the crew replacing the gas main on Beaver Pond Road that I did not want to have the line from the main to my house replaced. I said yes, I did not. They began arguing with me and telling me that would cut me off from gas. The young men from Net Zero moved back and forth from the house to their trucks either getting tools they needed or wanting to hear what was going on.

The National Grid guys explained that if I did not have the line to my house replaced now and later wanted gas, I would have to pay for extending the line, whereas now it would be without charge. I explained that I understand all NG payers are paying in their monthly bills for National Grid’s repair work whether or not the repairs are occurring in their neighborhoods, and that in any case why would I want to change my mind? They said it’s expensive to pay for electricity. I said yes, but I’ve invested in solar panels and a battery — expensive upfront money but now my electric bills are way down.

They said, “What if you want to sell your house and potential buyers want natural gas? They’ll have to pay to have the line from the street changed and this fact will reduce what you can sell your house for.” I asked, “Why would they want natural gas?” They hemmed and hawed and finally one of them said they might want to put in a swimming pool and have a heater. I said I believe fossil fuels are driving climate change and what kind of earth do they want to leave their children and grandchildren? I thanked them for coming by and they left.

I grew up in Lincoln in the fifties (LPS 1-8). For many years, my husband and I lived on a bayou across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans until we were driven into the city by repeated storms and floods. Our house on the bayou wasn’t protected by levees. Later, our raised house in New Orleans was only damaged some in Hurricane Katrina, but the city suffered terribly. After Katrina there were repeated storms, power outages, and loss of water. My husband’s health declined and we moved to Sonoma County, California to be close to his daughter. People said, “What about the earthquakes?” but no one mentioned the fires. In California, we lived near areas that were burned to the ground and we were mandatorily evacuated one time. When my husband died, I tired of getting ready to evacuate and got the idea I’d move back to Lincoln. Climate refugee three times — from the bayou, from New Orleans, and from California. I feel I must do everything I can to reduce my contribution to climate change.

In my work to get my home off fossil fuels, I’ve gotten good advice from CFREE, a subcommittee of the town’s Green Energy Committee. CFREE provides coaching to Lincoln residents who want to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. To see if CFREE can help you, contact lincolngreencoach@gmail.com.

Anne Sobol lives on Beaver Pond 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.

Batter up! Watch or join the fun with Lincoln Co-Ed Softball

By Travis Roland

If you’re wondering where Lincoln’s elite athletes seeking unrealized dreams are on Sundays, you can find them at Codman Field playing slow-pitch softball. Join us each Sunday at Codman Field at 6:00pm (weather permitting) and cheer on your neighbors as they run, crawl, and sometimes limp around the diamond with the hope of getting their name on the Codman Cup championship trophy in July. Pull up a chair/blanket and have a picnic! Boomboxes, signs, and obnoxious noisemakers encouraged. Autograph sessions available after the game.

Season update

Despite either extreme rain or obnoxiously high temps, the season is underway and the annual neighborly and healthy competition has arrived. It’s anybody’s year as the league’s four teams carve out their own path to final victory. Thanks to a record 20 first-time players, the league has never been healthier, and the games are usually decided by one or two runs.

South Lincoln’s gritty Ottoman Umpires are off to a hot start thanks to a suffocating defense and solid hitting — not to mention getting an edge by sleeping in their uniforms the night before games. The currently first-place Os are anchored by their follically challenged captain, Travis R., who according to legend is so cool that when he was born, he named his parents instead of the other way around. The feisty Os are known to wear down opponents with bad Dad jokes and surgical hitting thanks to having Chris B. on the team, who really is a surgeon.

The OUs’ prize off-season acquisition, who goes by Whatsa, will enter her first game this week after a lengthy signing bonus dispute. They don’t know her first name, but supposedly, her last name is Matter. Makes sense.

The OUs’ crosstown rivals, the Chiefs, are brilliantly led by Tricia M., who puts the X in GenX and are a force once again, despite some of their players missing games by actually choosing work/family over softball. Inconceivable.

Opposing teams need to bring their A-game to beat the Chiefs since hits are hard to come by, and they always seem to find a clutch at-bat when they need it. All-Star left fielder Brian D. made his season debut this week after recovering from lower-back tattoo removal, and picked up where he left off last year by blasting extra-base hits all over the outfield. Not to be outdone, the blazing speed down the basepath of Brian’s other half, Brianna D., usually results in panicked overthrows and more runs.

The revamped Trail Blazers are the league’s most improved team thanks to the leadership of their manager, Tricia T.W. Tricia is such an undeniable force that when she is late for work, everyone else gets in trouble for being early. Everyone needs to bring to play mistake-free softball to beat them, as they are known for capitalizing on errors. Veteran pitcher Marshall C. keeps batters on their toes with his confusing ‘gyroball’ style pitches, and does a great job of getting batters to ground out to the vacuum cleaner combo of rookies Devin and Anna, who suck up hitter’s dreams of getting to first base safely.

The Mighty Knights are like a powerboat going to sea — slow at first, but once it gets above water, it’s fast, agile and a force. Don’t let your guard down against them or they will mercy-rule you before you know it. Opponents are finding out the hard way that you can’t hit it to Gold Glove winner Clint “Daisy” E. at third base and expect to be safe. Apparently, they call him Daisy because some daisy plays injury free, and some daisy can’t. Nonetheless, any team would love to have him on their roster, which could actually happen since he is in the last year of his rookie contract.

Their inspiring captain, Terry K.E., is slowly building a powerhouse that once it gets all of the pieces in place, will be the team that nobody will want to play come playoff time.

Still time to join

Good news! There is still time to join! We are offering a steep mid-season discount of only $25 to join a team. All skill sets and awkward throwing motions accepted. Equipment provided, just have a pulse (and maybe Aflac).

Why play? One player said it best when describing a game, “It’s like a two-hour break from the real world with friends that I normally wouldn’t have met.” Register here.

Travis Roland, a Wells Road resident, is commissioner of Lincoln Co-Ed Softball.

“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: Vote “no” on community center funding measure

Lincoln is by far one of the most beautiful communities in New England. I have lived in the town long enough to appreciate the natural beauty, the open spaces, and our people. The Community Center Building Committee has worked diligently over many years to plan a community center that benefits our town. So why a “no” vote?

We all need to consider our taxes and the tax impact on our people. A “no” vote would significantly reduce the annual tax burden per household. There is a need for a community center, but not at the current price tag. The scope of the project has become just too big and too costly. This is not a criticism against town leadership or the CCBC. In many ways, this has become a public sector case study, highlighting how a town planning process that has gone on for so long now lacks a fiscally responsive approach.

I believe the planning process may have lost site of the Town’s constituents, our tax payers. We must vote “no” to move forward and create a better plan supporting our seniors and our community representing all residents. Please join me and vote “no” on the community center, supporting Lincoln.

Sincerely,

Jon Mello (179 Sandy Pond Rd.)

“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: Farrington board seeks Town Meeting support to benefit kids

Dear Lincoln neighbors,

For more than a century here in Lincoln, Farrington Nature Linc has quietly and passionately served children from under-resourced communities with opportunities to experience time in nature full of wonder, play, and healing. Our land in Lincoln is a vital part of that experience, we hope for decades to come.

We are in full support of the Nature Link project before Lincoln’s Special Town Meeting on Wednesday, June 25 at 6:30pm, and we ask you to vote “yes” on both Articles 3 and 4.

The Nature Link project ensures the property around us is conserved for the nature experience our children need while also providing for our organization’s future. Additionally, this zoning offers us a unique opportunity for a secondary access road that we have sought for decades.

This project, conceived over many years with input from all land owners, takes into consideration the needs of all parties, including aligning with the Town of Lincoln’s planning goals. It permanently protects 77 acres and expands free public trail access. It provides thoughtfully scaled housing. And it helps keep Farrington rooted in Lincoln.

Voting “yes” on Articles 3 and 4 supports the hundreds of children we serve and secures this important natural space for generations.

With gratitude,

The Trustees of Farrington (see Farrington Nature Linc team page)

“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.