news

Dance party at Bemis

Insight Boston, a not-for-profit organization that offers personal growth and development seminars for “teaching practical ways to live from your heart,” will host a rock ‘n roll dance party at Bemis Hall on Saturday, Jan. 28 from 6:30–10 p.m. Graduates of  Insight Seminars, their friends and loved ones, and Lincoln residents are invited. This adult-only (18+) event is free.

There will be light snacks and non-alcoholic drinks available, as well as information about Insight seminars. Please RSVP and address any questions to Stephanie Kramp (stephkramp@yahoo.com).

Kindergartener families invited to learn about Girl Scouts

The Lincoln Girl Scouts will host a Kindergarten Daisy Launch on Monday, Feb. 13 from 6:15–7:15 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library, Tarbell Room. At this free session, your kindergartener will have fun exploring the magic of space and creating a rubber-band-powered Daisy Cup Launcher while adults discuss when and where the troop will meet, parent involvement, and the goals for the year as well as fill out required paperwork. ​​​​​​​Click here to learn more and confirm your attendance.

Celebration of the life of Jane Tatlock on Feb. 18

The family of Jane French Tatlock will hold a celebration of her life featuring the Lincoln Bell Ringers on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. in the stone church (14 Bedford Rd.). In the spirit of Jane, attendees are invited to dress festively, and if you’d like to add a picture to a communal board, bring one along. Tatlock died on October 3, 2022 at the age of 81.

Boston Globe shines light on Sidetrack program

An interactive article on “The radical, forgotten experiment in educational integration that changed my life” by Lincoln native Peter Thomson recently published in the Globe looks back on a 1971 experiment in integration education.

“The kernel of the idea sprang in 1970 from an unlikely source — a fifth-grade teacher in Lincoln named Carol Kellogg, who’d grown disenchanted with the complacency of her wealthy, white, and largely liberal town. She felt that while she and others professed concern about racism, they were basically ‘sitting out here in our cozy little suburb not doing a darn thing,’ as she told Lincoln’s Fence Viewer newspaper at the time,” Thomson writes.

“Yes, there was Metco, a new initiative to bus a few Black kids from segregated and underfunded schools in Boston to better-funded ones in the suburbs, including Lincoln. But it carried an old-school air of condescension—whites were the benefactors, white culture was the norm, and the relationships between the communities involved were left largely unexplored and unchanged. Kellogg had heard about experimental schools that were directly engaging the social challenges of the time and hatched an idea for a radical alternative to Metco: a full-on collaboration in which equal numbers of white and Black junior high schoolers from Lincoln and Boston would spend equal amounts of time in each community, learning together and building relationships in and out of the classroom.

“She imagined that they’d shuttle back and forth in a train car on the commuter rail line and that the car would double as their school while it sat on a little-used track in Lincoln — a sidetrack. The train car idea proved a little too kooky even for free-thinking Lincoln. But the basic concept got traction. And the name stuck.”

To read the story on the Globe website, where you can mouse over teenagers’ photos to see their names, click here. Nonsubscribers can read a PDF here.

Bruno the serval thriving in Minnesota sanctuary

It’s the one-year anniversary of Bruno the serval’s relocation to the Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone, Minn., and the organization made this video about him. He’s in much better shape than when he was discovered hungry and injured in Lincoln in 2022, but he’s getting around fine on three legs. He’s also grown after getting plenty of food and has made friends with other servals.

Meet Lincoln’s new state reps

Come meet Lincoln’s new state Representatives,  Carmine Gentile (Precinct 1, west Lincoln) and Alice Peisch (Precinct 2, east Lincoln), on Saturday, Jan. 21 in Bemis Hall. For many years, Rep. Tom Stanley was Lincoln’s representative, but in the recent redistricting, Lincoln was split into two districts along its voting precinct line. Get acquainted with them personally, hear their perspectives on important issues and policies, and ask questions. The event starts at 2:30 p.m. with refreshments and conversation, and the meeting starts promptly at 3 p.m. Hosted by the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee but open to all, regardless of party affiliation.

Movie night: “Sing 2”

The First Parish in Lincoln is hosting a movie night with pizza and popcorn on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Settle in at the Stone Church starting at 4:30 p.m. and watch “Sing 2” starting at 5 p.m. There’ll be an intermission at 5:45 for pizza followed by the rest of the movie with popcorn. Refreshments and cheese board for adults, with vegan and gluten free options for all.  The event and food are free. Please RSVP here so we have an accurate count.

Donate items for families escaping abuse

Each year the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable (DVR) sponsors a Valentine’s Day Gift Drive to help make the day brighter for families who are not safe in their own homes. The families reside in shelters and transitional housing programs of three area domestic violence organizations: REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, The Second Step, and Voices Against Violence. The DVR gives each family member a bag of age-appropriate gifts to let families know they’re supported in their decision to leave an abusive situation.

Suggested donations include gift cards for CVS, Target, Market Basket, gas, etc. For older kids and adults, full-size bath products, socks, cosmetics, nail polish, hair products, journals, gloves/mittens, boxed candy, wash cloths, underwear and scarves are welcome. Examples of items for children include playing cards, educational materials, small toys, small stuffed animals, Matchbox cars, underwear, socks and candy (no books, crayons, pencils, or markers, please). Due to Covid 19 and the flu, we will not be inviting donors to join us in assembling the gift bags, but donations may be left in the collection basket at Sudbury Wine and Spirits (Rugged Bear Plaza Road, 410 Boston Post Rd., Sudbury) stating on January 20 until February 3. Questions? Email info@dvrt.org.

Lincoln native Cai Emmons passes away

Author Cai Emmons, a Lincoln native (L-S Class of 1969) who spoke at the library in 2018, passed away on January 2 at age 71 less than two years after being diagnosed with ALS. Read about her life in this Oregonian article and in her blog.

New information has been received since the January 8 publication of “Deadlines coming up to file for local election, citizen’s petitions.” All three seats on the Water Commission are open rather than two, as incumbent Steve Gladstone was appointed to fill a vacancy. Also, there are two seats open on the Housing Commission rather than one due to the recent resignation of Rakesh Karmacharya. The original post has been updated with the status of incumbents known as of January 9.

Soup-making class at the library

Happy Jars, will lead a cooking class for children aged 10 and up to teach basic cooking skills and simple, nutritious soup recipes at the Lincoln Public Library on Wednesday, Jan. 11. Sign up for one of two sessions: 2–3 p.m. or 3:30–4:30 p.m. Space is limited; register by emailing sfeather@minlib.net. Please indicate which session you’d like to attend and whether you have any dietary restrictions.

Participation in superintendent search invited

The Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee’s Superintendent Search Subcommittee will hold a virtual listening session for families and community members on Thursday, Jan. 12 from 6–7:30 p.m. with Glenn Koocher, the group’s  search consultant from the Massachusetts Association for School Committees. The subcommittee also invites residents to complete a brief survey asking that current or future issues that the new superintendent will need to address. The deadline to take the survey is Monday, Jan. 9. Click here for the January 12 Zoom link.

Recycle textiles to help PTO

The Lincoln School has partnered with Bay State Textiles in a program to turn unwanted textiles into revenue for the Lincoln PTO. Schools earn a rebate of $100 per ton. Drop-off bins are located in the Smith and Hartwell parking lots. Bay State Textile accepts all textiles (clothing, footwear, towels, household linens, stained clothing, stuffed animals, footwear and other fabric-based products). Click here for a complete list of acceptable items. As of January 1, it is illegal to throw textiles into the trash in Massachusetts.

FoMA film on Oyler house

The Friends of Modern Architecture/Lincoln Film Series presents “The Oyler House: Richard Neutra’s Desert Retreat,” a first-run feature film release directed by Michael Dorsey, on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library as part of the 2023 Lincoln Winter Carnival. There will be a reception after the screening.

The Oyler house was designed for Richard Oyler in 1959 by Neutra in Lone Pine, Calif. The design resonates with Lincoln’s Modern architecture, where careful attention to specific site qualities has enabled architects to celebrate and enrich the experience of living with the land in modest homes. The film highlights a place that remains a valuable example of how Modern principles and sensibilities continue to resonate and enrich our lives today.

Here are two great gift ideas for those on your last-minute list (or even yourself!):

1. “The Lincoln Squirrel: The First Ten Years,” a colorful 14-page PDF with headlines and photos from the first decade of Lincoln’s online newspaper — and each headline and photo is linked to its source on the Squirrel website. If you’re giving this as a gift to a non-subscriber, I can set them up with a one-month free subscription so they can read the stories. Only $20! Click here to see a sample page.
2. Discounts on a one-year subscription to the Lincoln Squirrel — only $48 vs. the usual $54. You can also get a discounted subscription for yourself if you’re a new subscriber.

If you’d like to give either one as a gift, I’ll send the recipient a digital gift card on Christmas Day or whenever you specify, along with instructions on how to log in. Just call or email me to tell me your name, the recipient’s name and email address, and when you’d like them to receive the gift card. You can pay using PayPal, Venmo or check (see below).

• Pay by check: Mail a check made out to “Watusi Words” (not Lincoln Squirrel) to 178 Weston Rd., Lincoln MA 01773
• Pay by PayPal: lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com
• Pay by Venmo: @Alice-Waugh

Alice Waugh
Editor, The Lincoln Squirrel and The Lincoln Chipmunk
lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com
617-710-5542 (mobile)

The sales price of a parcel listed in the December 20 post titled “Property sales in November 2022” was listed incorrectly. The correct price or 319 South Great Road was $1,105,000. The original post has been updated.

December 2

Lincoln North Office Building (2:10 a.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked and running in the lot of the office building. The car was occupied by a security officer.

December 3

South Great Road (2:15 p.m.) — Caller reported receiving an email which they thought is a scam.

December 4

Ballfield Road (10:01 a.m.) — A walk-in at the station reported having a verbal dispute with a dog walker on a trail near the schools. Report taken and forwarded to the Animal Control Officer.

Page Road (12:54 p.m.) — Resident called asking to speak with an officer regarding possibly suspicious activity. An officer spoke with the resident and documented their concern.

December 5

Hillside Road (8:53 a.m.) — Caller reported someone made a fraudulent purchase of $225 on their Amazon account. An officer took a report and advised the person to check their credit report and set up a credit alert.

Hawk Hill Road (2:30 p.m.) — A person reported being the victim of a scam involving cryptocurrency.

December 6

Lincoln Police Department (2:12 a.m.) — Concord police asked to use Lincoln’s breath test instrument for a subject that they had in custody.

December 7

South Great Road (12:56 a.m.) — An officer came across a person walking on South Great Road and gave them a ride to the Sudbury/Concord town line.

December 8

Winter Street (11:00 a.m.) — Caller reported someone overnight damaged their mailbox. An officer responded and was unable to see any damage to the mailbox.

South Great Road (3:25 p.m.) — Report of a civil dispute at Lincoln Gas and Auto. Officers responded and both parties came to an agreement.

Donelan’s Supermarket (4:39 p.m.) — Caller reported a person sleeping on a bench near Donelan’s requesting a well-being check. An officer checked on the person and they were OK, just waiting for their parents to pick them up.

December 9

Farrar Road (11:00 a.m.) — A person came to the station to inquire about a police charity donation request call to ask whether it was a legitimate charity.

Stow Street, Concord (1:06 p.m.) — Concord Fire Department requested an ambulance for a medical emergency. The Lincoln Fire Department responded and transported a person to Emerson Hospital.

December 10

South Great Road (5:40 p.m.) — Caller requested a well-being check on a resident. An officer responded and everything was fine.

December 11

Concord Road (4:06 p.m.) — A car hit a utility pole near Baker Farm Road. No injuries; the vehicle was towed and Verizon and Eversource were notified.

Concord Road (4:48 p.m.) — Minor car crash; an officer responded and helped the parties exchange paperwork.

Weston Road (5:04 p.m.) — A car hit a utility pole near Woodcock Lane. No injuries; vehicle was towed.

Lincoln Road (5:54 p.m.) — Caller reported sliding into the rear of a vehicle on Lincoln Road and the other vehicle involved left the scene. An officer responded and took a report.

South Great Road (6:24 p.m.) — A person came to the station reporting that they wanted to document that they nearly hit a plow truck that was driving east in the westbound lane. The person reported that they had to drive off the roadway and they’re unsure if any damage was done to the undercarriage of their vehicle.

South Great Road (7:54 p.m.) — Caller reported the Old Sudbury Road gates are stuck down. Keolis was contacted and sent out a crew.

December 12

Old Sudbury Road (12:00 p.m.) — Caller reported their dog was missing. Log entry was made and officers were informed.

Bedford Road (3:35 p.m.) — Caller reported having a civil dispute with the homeowner regarding work done at the home. An officer spoke to the person and they were given their legal options.

Brooksbie Road, Bedford (4:41 p.m.) — Bedford Fire Department asked an ambulance to respond to stand by at a fire in their town.

Lincoln Road (5:47 p.m.) — Two-car crash at the intersection with Codman Road. No injuries, two vehicles towed.

Oak Knoll Road (8:54 p.m.) — Report of a minor crash involving a postal service vehicle.