news

News acorns

May 29, 2016

Linda Hammett Ory named as deCordova board president

Linda Hammett Ory

Lincoln resident Linda Hammett Ory has been named as the new president of the board of trustees of the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum She assumes the position from Gerard Frank, who will remain on the board in an advisory capacity for one more year.

Hammett Ory is an elected member of the board and is chair of the Landscape Committee, as well as serving on the newly reformed Strategic Planning Committee. She was appointed as a trustee in 2011.

“Linda displays an obvious joy and enthusiasm for deCordova. She has already proven her great leadership ability: chairing the Landscape Committee, her and her family’s generous giving to the institution, and acting as a fine ambassador to the museum by promoting all that the institution has to offer to the greater Boston community. Additionally, Linda is a great consensus builder. She’s a great listener and will work well to be inclusive of all the museum’s constituents as the institution moves forward with its strategic plan,” Frank said.

Hammett Ory’s first career was as a choreographer working for stage, screen and music video. Later, she receiving a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education followed by a career producing children’s educational media and a decade of volunteering as a Girl Scout leader.

Meadow planting on June 4

Maps showing flower species for the two pollinator meadows (ciick to enlarge).

Maps showing flower species for the two pollinator meadows (click to enlarge).

People for Pollinators invites residents to help plant a native, perennial, chemical-free pollinating meadow on Saturday, June 4 (rain date June 5) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be two adjacent circular plots so students from the Birches School can compare plant growth and pollinator activity on mineralized vs. unmineralized soil.

Meet in the parking lot for the Smith school building on Ballfield Road. Members of the collaborative and students from Birches School will help and direct participants in planting plugs and seeding the meadow site.

Summer book groups getting underway

The Lincoln Public Library has two book groups this summer that meet in the Tarbell Room on alternate Mondays at 7 p.m., and residents may come to one or all sessions. The “Who Picked This Book?” Club continues on Monday, June 6 with Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, while Mystery Mondays will discuss The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton by Elizabeth Speller on Monday, June 27. The books are available in various formats at the library’s front desk. Click on the book club names to see lists of future books.

News acorns

May 25, 2016

Tour historic homes for free on June 4

Historic New England is having an open house with hourly guided tours on Saturday, June 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gropius House and the Codman Estate in Lincoln as well as the Browne House in Watertown. Most Historic New England properties are open for free on the first Saturday in June, when visitors can learn about the people who lived in stone-enders, urban mansions, rural estates and working farms. All tours are first-come, first-served.

Magic Garden hoedown on June 4

Join the Magic Garden community at its annual hoedown event on Saturday, June 4 from 6-10 p.m. in Codman Barn. Enjoy mechanical bull riding, dancing, barbecue by Firefly’s Restaurant, beer and wine, and a silent auction. All proceeds support educational programming and the Tuition Assistance Program at Magic Garden. Tickets are $50 each, or $40 if you purchase four or more. Please contact the Magic Garden Office at 781-259-8161or office@magic-garden.org to purchase.

Used book sale returns to Bemis

The Friends of the Lincoln Public Library book sale is back! Come to Bemis Hall on Saturday, June 11 from 9 a.m. to noon. Browse the large selection of good-quality used fiction, nonfiction and children’s books and support the library and its many programs while finding great reading material. Hardcovers are $1 and paperbacks are 50 cents, or fill a grocery bag full of books for only $8. CDs are also available for $1.

DeCordova’s Montross wins award for exhibit publication

Sarah Montross

The Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) has granted deCordova Scultpure Park and Museum Associate Curator Sarah Montross a first-place Award for a catalogue/publication for Past Futures: Science Fiction, Space Travel, and Postwar Art of the Americas. Published by MIT Press, this catalogue supported the eponymous exhibition she curated in 2015 while in her role as Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellow at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. Montross has been at deCordova since April 2015 and is co-curator with Chief Curator Jennifer Gross of the 2016 deCordova Biennial that will open on October 7, 2016. “We’re excited to have this caliber of curatorial excellence on deCordova’s team and look forward to sharing Sarah’s work as co-curator of the upcoming Biennial exhibition,” said deCordova Executive Director John Ravenal.

Amy Herrera headlines next open-mike night

Amy Herrera will perform starting around 8:30 p.m. at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) Night on Monday, June 13. The event takes place in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room from 7-10 p.m. Herrera has played venues including last year’s Providence Folk Festival and has three CDs to her credit, most recently Goodnight, Nobody featuring the song Stumble Into You. Perform (sign up at the event or emailRich Eilbert at loma3re@gmail.com) or just come listen to acoustic music and spoken word. Admission is free and refreshments are provided.

Lincoln’s Page wins Malice Domestic’s Lifetime Achievement Award

A poster showing all of Page’s books (click to enlarge).

Page’s award.

Mystery writer and Lincoln resident Katherine Hall Page received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Malice Domestic mystery writers’ conference. She is one of the only authors to have won an Agatha Award in all three categories: Best Novel, Best Short Story and Best First Novel. Page’s latest book, The Body in the Wardrobe, is the 23rd installment in the series starring part-time sleuth, minister’s wife and caterer Faith Fairchild along with Sophie Maxwell, last seen in The Body in the Birches and now a newlywed living in historic Savannah, Ga., where she crosses paths with murder. Established in 1989, Malice Domestic is an annual convention that celebrates the traditional mystery genre, best typified by the works of Agatha Christie.

News acorns

May 23, 2016

Lincoln Family Association seeks feedback and ideas

The Lincoln Family Association is celebrating 20 years as a community group for Lincoln families by providing social activities, fun and support for parents and their children. They’re interested in hearing from the entire community, both current members and non-members, to learn about their interests, generate new ideas, and welcome new volunteers. Please take a moment to fill out this brief survey to tell us what you think of the LFA’s current kid-centered and adult activities, and your thoughts about new services and community outreach.

New resource directory useful for all ages

Do you need assistance in finding services and other kinds of help to live your fullest life possible? The Council on Aging’s newly released 2016 edition of the Elder Services Resource Directory can help. While focused on elder services, the directory also includes information that will benefit residents of all ages and all ages are welcome to receive a copy. The directory includes information about local, state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations and businesses that offer services to Lincoln residents. Categories include:

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adult day programs
advocacy and consumer protection
Alzheimer’s information
concierge services
de-cluttering resources
disabilities assistance
driver safety
elder abuse and neglect
financial assistance
groceries online

[/one_third][one_third]

health care and coverage complaints
home care agencies
home equity conversion counseling
home modifications
continuing care retirement communities
rental/subsidized housing
medical equipment

[/one_third][one_third_last]

money management
pet care
respite care
Social Security
social and recreational programs
support groups
transportation
veterans’ services

[/one_third_last]

Appendices provide information on selecting a home health agency, kinds of home care assistance, and local housing authorities accepting Section 8 applications. The 32-page directory is free and available by visiting the COA, downloading it from the COA website, or calling (781) 259-8811 and asking to have it mailed to you.

Letter to the editor: diversity event a great success

May 18, 2016

(Editor’s note: This event, which can be viewed online here, was organized by the Lincoln Diversity Committee, which includes writer Sharon Antia.)

To the editor:

At the “Discovering Diversity in Lincoln” event on May 2, much of what our panelists had to say was new to those in the audience and in fact quite eye-opening. About 80 people heard the panelists — Police Chief Kevin Kennedy, School Superintendent Becky McFall, First Parish Senior Minister Manish Mishra-Marzetti, Domestic Violence Services Network Executive Director Jacquelin Apsler and Council on Aging Director Carolyn Bottom — provide an overview of the work they do and some of the needs they see in Lincoln.

Our beautiful town has a rich and varied membership that includes people from a wide variety of backgrounds, gifts and challenges. It was gratifying to learn that one of our many gifts is the wisdom and compassion to help those in our community when they are in need. As Carolyn said, “We are not giving charity, we are not giving to people. We are enabling people to stay in our community who we really need in our community… we are lucky to have them.”

The second half of the evening was given over to the audience, and while participation started a little slowly (I know, surprising for Lincoln), by the time the hour was over, I had to wrestle back control of the microphone to call it a night!

People in attendance were honestly interested in hearing what was said. There were moments when quite heartfelt comments and concerns were raised and it was an honor to be in a room where folks felt safe enough to speak their truth. People shared experiences as low-income residents of our town, Native American, gay, young and worried for the future and having young children and wishing for grandparents to help guide them. We were not there to “solve” anything, and we did not make the attempt. What we did was try our best to provide a venue for all of us to begin to know the people in our neighborhood, and we all agreed it was a good first step.

There was some concern that the majority of the audience was “of a certain age” and not as representative of the town as we may have liked. We struggle with how to reach out to the people that were not there. It was suggested that perhaps, as Rev. Manish pointed out, what works for the people in the audience may not work for the people at home, and one of our jobs is to find out how to engage them.

This meeting was the first of what the newly forming Lincoln Diversity Committee hopes will be many ongoing conversations and activities designed to help all of us better support one another. We are not looking to change the makeup of our community and we certainly do we want to decide who should live here. We believe those of us living here are the people who should be here, and our charge is to ensure they, you, me and we all feel welcome and empowered to be our best selves.

As we wrapped up the evening’s events, many of the attendees stayed and talked for up to another 45 minutes. The sense that we are building community was palpable and people were excited to share their thoughts. We plan to have more of these conversations and hope even more people will be able to join us. Stay tuned and thank you to everyone that came.

Sincerely

Sharon Antia
165 South Great Rd.

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Tully running for 9th Middlesex seat

May 17, 2016

Stacey Gallagher Tully

Stacey Gallagher Tully of Waltham has announced her candidacy for State Representative for the 9th Middlesex District, which includes all of Lincoln and part of Waltham and has been held by Rep. Thomas Stanley since 2001.

Tully, a Waltham native, serves on Waltham’s Board of Recreation in the City of Waltham and as president of the Friends of Waltham Senior Citizens. She is a graduate of Boston College and a long-time dance and fitness instructor, She was also a director of Gulf Resources, an international corporation based in London, and worked for several years in the hotel industry in human resources, personnel and training.

“My campaign will focus on issues important to the 9th Middlesex constituents, including education, veterans, senior citizens, traffic/transportation infrastructure, and the opioid crisis,” Tully said in a statement. “I plan to work hard, and work together, with the people of Lincoln and Waltham.”

In 2014, Lincoln resident Sharon Antia ran unsuccessfully for the 9th District seat.

Squirrel is experiencing technical difficulties

May 16, 2016

Dear readers,

You may have noticed in the last day or two that when you click on a link in the Lincoln Squirrel website, you get an error message. Our web developer is working on the problem and will have it fixed as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience.

— Alice Waugh, Lincoln Squirrel editor

McLean Hospital to go before Planning Board on May 24

May 16, 2016

The house at 22 Bypass Rd. where McLean Hospital hopes to house clients age 15-21.

Representatives from McLean Hospital will hold a meeting for neighborhood residents this Wednesday and will appear at a Planning Board meeting later this month to explain and answer questions about their controversial plan to house patients in a large house on Bypass Road.

Questions and protests arose after it became known that McLean had purchased abutting properties at 16-22 Bypass Road for the purpose of opening a nine-bed “nine bed educational therapeutic residence” for patients aged 15-21, similar to a facility for adults at 5 Old Cambridge Turnpike. Officials from McLean had a meeting with Director of Land Use and Planning Jennifer Burney to determine what steps they would have to go through with the town. They mad the case at that meeting that the facility was exempt from zoning rules relating to use of the property because it falls under the Dover Amendment, a state law that exempts educational and religious organizations, nonprofits and other uses from local bylaws.

Burney consulted Town Counsel Joel Bard on that matter so she could determine the proper course of action for McLean, she said Monday. In a May 2 letter to her, Bard said the proposal did indeed qualify as an educational facility. As a result, the Planning Board will hold a Determination of Minor Change to an Approved Site Plan, which means they will decide if there will be exterior changes to the property are indicated, such as an addition to the building or construction of more parking space, but will not address how the property will be used.

“It’s not like this is a done deal. I’m sure the Planning Board still has a lot of questions,” Burney said.

McLean originally planned to hold a neighborhood meeting in June, “but we reached out to them and suggested they do it much earlier,” she said.

The neighborhood meeting will be on Wednesday, May 18 from 6-7 p.m. at 22 Bypass Road. McLean will appear before the Planning Board on Tuesday, May 24 at 7:45 p.m. in the Town Office Building.

Lincoln resident bilked out of more than $1.4 million

May 15, 2016

A Malden woman who was working as a bookkeeper for a client in Lincoln has been sentenced to three to four years in prison after she was convicted of stealing more than $1.4 million from her employer, a woman in her 80s, over an eight-year period.

Lincoln police declined to identify the victim, whom Lt. Sean Kennedy described as “a wealthy individual” who is “as sharp as you and I.” Several years ago while living in another town, the victim interviewed people for the job of keeping her accounts and paying her bills a few hours a week. Marie Medeiros, now 52, was hired after her background was checked, said Kennedy, who investigated the case along with Detective Ian Spencer and the Middlesex District Attorney’s office..

From April 2007 until August 2015, Medeiros stole money on a regular basis from her employer. “She was frequently entrusted with blank checks intended to be used to pay routine expenses. Instead, Medeiros would insert her own name as the payee on certain checks and thereafter deposit them into her own bank account,” according to the District Attorney’s office.

Over a period of several years, Medeiros wrote more than 90 checks to herself in amounts ranging from $9,900 to $20,000, Kennedy said. The money was used to pay for travel to Europe and Las Vegas, cruises, a luxury car and other items. Medeiros also used some of the money to pay more than $80,000 to the University of Arizona for her daughter’s education. “She was bold,” he said.

Medeiros was finally tripped up when the victim got a call from her bank asking about a suspicious withdrawal. Medeiros pled guilty this week in Middlesex Superior Court to six counts of larceny over $250 from a person over 60. She will serve time in MCI-Framingham followed by 10 years’ probation. She was also ordered to pay restitution totaling over $1.4 million to reimburse her employer.

According to Kennedy, Medeiros had no criminal history. “All indications were that she was someone who could be trusted. She certainly had the qualifications and there were no red flags,” he said.

As for the victim, “she’s mortified,” Kennedy said. “She trusted this woman. The money’s the money, but the betrayal is awful.”

“This case is a reminder that, although there is always a concern about being a victim of a random scam, those close to us can also be financially exploiting us, and we must all remain vigilant and monitor our financial transactions. If something seems amiss, you should immediately alert authorities,” District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a statement..

News acorns

May 15, 2016

Residents invited to take accessory apartment survey

The Lincoln Housing Commission is looking into the feasibility of implementing an affordable accessory apartment program in Lincoln and invites residents of Lincoln and other towns to complete this brief anonymous online survey. They are particularly interested in hearing from those who already have accessory apartments, but everyone in Lincoln in invited ti respond and send the survey to people in other towns. The Housing Commission is also holding a forum on Monday, May 16 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall where they will provide details about a possible plan, answer questions and solicit input.

Annual school district art show

The public in invited to the Lincoln Public Schools District Art Show in the Hartwell multipurpose room until May 16-24 from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The opening reception will be Tuesday, May 17 from 4-6 p.m.

Talk on climate and river flooding

Join us for a presentation titled “Is it Really Changing? The Impacts of Climate Trends on River Flooding in New England” at OARS’s 30th Annual Meeting on Tuesday, May 24 from 7-9 p.m. at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (680 Hudson Road, Sudbury). David Vallee, hydrologist in charge of the National Weather Service’s Northeast River Forecast, will examine observed climate trends, increasing rainfall intensity of our weather systems, and the impacts on river flooding on the Assabet, Sudbury and Concord rivers. A short business meeting will precede the presentation. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public. Learn more at www.oars3rivers.org or call (978) 369-3956. RSVP appreciated but not required: office@oars3rivers.org.

Pick-you-own CSA at The Food Project

PYO (pick your own) is a new CSA (community-supported agriculture) option this year at The Food Project in Lincoln, which is offering the PYO at a special discount for the season running for 20 weeks starting June 7. A PYO share is regularly $325 but for a short time, you can purchase a share for only $250. Shareholders have the option of coming on Tuesdays or Thursdays from 1-6 p.m. The wide variety of produce includes strawberries, peas, tomatoes and more. Click here to purchase and enter the discount code PYO2016 when you check out. Other CSA options can be found on The Food Project website (click on “Purchase a CSA Share.”)

Free admission at Gropius House, Codman Estate

Historic New England’s Gropius House and Codman Estate will offer free admission on Saturday, June 4 with guided tours on the half-hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Gropius House will also host a tour and evening slide show on Friday, May 20 from 7-9 p.m. to show visitors how Walter Gropius’s innovative lighting scheme comes to life at night. Light refreshments provided. $30 for Historic New England members, $40 for nonmembers. Space is limited and preregistration is required; please call 781-259-8098 or buy online.

News acorns

May 13, 2016

Extra rain barrels available

At the rain barrel pickup on Saturday, May 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hartwell school, there will be extra rain barrels for sale for those who did not order them in advance. See the April 3 News Acorns for details.

Housing forum on May 16

The Lincoln Housing Commission is sponsoring a Housing Forum to discuss affordable accessory apartments on Monday, May 16 from 7-9 p.m.in the Donaldson Room at Town Hall. The Affordable Accessory Apartment Program is a public-private partnership between individual homeowners and the town of Lincoln to create accessory apartment units that can be counted on the affordable housing inventory. Anyone interested in creating affordable housing is encouraged to attend.