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In the May 16 article headlined “2021 Town Meeting roundup,” the section on the property tax circuit breaker program has been updated to reflect clarifications and  corrections, including the length of time residents must live in Lincoln to be eligible and the number of households that would initially qualify. 

Covid-19 vaccination clinic for kids age 12-18

The Lincoln Public Schools and the Town of Lincoln are offering a Covid-19 vaccination clinic for teens in the Hartwell multipurpose room on the Lincoln School campus on Friday, May 21 from 2–5 p.m. Students must be registered for an appointment in advance and must provide a signed consent form on the day of the clinic. Children age 12-18 who attend the Lincoln Public Schools in person or remotely, their teenage siblings, Lincoln residents attending private school, and children of town and school employees are eligible.

Click here to register for an appointment. This requires you to choose a time, upload health insurance information, and complete and print a consent form that includes screening questions to be answered on Friday morning. Students must bring the signed consent form or they cannot be vaccinated. Boston students who attend the Lincoln School and ride the bus will be scheduled for vaccination prior to school dismissal from 1–1:45 p.m. A signed consent form must be received before Friday. On the day of the clinic, parents will be called by school personnel to answer medical screening questions in order to clear children for vaccination that afternoon. Click here for more information about Covid-19 vaccines for children under 18.

Lovelane wins $100,000 grant

The Lincoln-based Lovelane Special Needs Horseback Riding Program will receive a grant of $25,000 a year for four years through Cummings Foundation’s $25 Million Grant Program. Lovelane is one of 140 Metro West nonprofits chosen from a total of 590 applicants. The grant will allow Lovelane to continue to provide high-quality, safe, mounted and unmounted programs for children with a wide variety of special needs with over 4,500 personalized sessions per year, as well as maintain and train a diverse herd of 12 horses.

L-S music group sets annual meeting in June

The Lincoln-Sudbury Friends of Music will hold its virtual annual meeting on Tuesday, June 15 at 7 p.m. All community members, especially parents of music students, are invited. Meet fellow music program supporters, get questions answered, and learn about opportunities to get involved. To attend the meeting email receive the Zoom link and password, email lsfriendsofmusic@gmail.com.

The article headlined “Accessory apartment issue results in razor-thin votes” incorrectly stated that the first amendment to the accessory apartment motion was made jointly by Sara Mattes and John Carr. The amendment was in fact submitted by Mattes alone. The article has been updated to reflect this correction.

The May 16 article headlined “Accessory apartment issue results in razor-thin votes” incorrectly stated that the proposed accessory apartment bylaw changes included a requirement that “renters under the AAA program [must] occupy either the primary dwelling or the accessory apartment for at least 30 days.” The change under discussion at Town Meeting concerned accessory apartments in general and was not about the town’s Affordable Accessory Apartment program. Also, the word “proposition” in the third-to-last paragraph should have been “proportion.” The original article has been corrected.

By Don Hafner

Before 1933, Lincoln’s road names appeared and vanished by local custom and official whim.

Consider the experience of these Lincoln residents. In 1910, according to Lincoln’s official census taker, Edward and Mary Farrar lived on the Concord and Framingham Road (today’s Route 126). In the 1920 census, they lived on Walden Street. In 1930, they resided on Farrar Road. In 1910, the town census taker listed Ellen Ehlert on Oxbow Road. In 1920, she was on Ehlert Road. In 1930, she had joined the Farrars on Farrar Road. In 1910, Euphena Hunter was Ellen Ehlert’s neighbor on Oxbow Road. In 1920, she was Ellen’s neighbor on Ehlert Road. By 1930, she was back on Oxbow Road.

The point is, none of these residents had ever moved during these 20 years. Only the names that the town’s census takers tacked onto their roads had come and gone. The 1910 census listed 24 road names in Lincoln. In the 1930 census, half of those names had vanished, replaced by a two dozen new names. Residents and the town’s census takers got into the spirit and simply invented road names.

The town knew it had a problem. In 1906, a committee was directed to report back at the next annual meeting with a recommendation on “naming the different roads of the town.” It never did. Then in 1912, the town tried again and instructed the same committee members to report back at the next annual meeting. Again, they never did. In 1915, town meeting was asked again “if the Town will take any action in reference to naming its roads.” The meeting “voted to pass over the article.” And there the matter stood for the next 17 years.

In 1932, the town tried one more time. Another committee was appointed, it returned its report later that year, and in March 1933, the town meeting accepted the committee’s recommendations for 32 names of Lincoln’s roads.

Well, almost. One last street. Renaming Station Road as Lincoln Road proved contentious. Some wanted Lincoln Road, others Lincoln Centre Road, others wanted no change at all. (No change at all? Maybe they should have called it The Lincoln Way?) So a new committee of Station Road residents was appointed to consider the matter. It only took them a year to decide that the name should be Lincoln Road. And by town vote on February 24, 1934, Lincoln finally had official road names.

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“Lincoln’s History” is an occasional column by members of the Lincoln Historical Society.

Conservation Coffees resume

Conservation Coffees are starting again via Zoom. The first one on Thursday, May 6 from 8–9 a.m. This summer we’ll chat about birds in your backyard, Conservation Department staffing changes, Chapman Pasture restoration, beavers at Mt. Misery, Twin Pond land protection, the annual garlic mustard pull, and a Lincoln Station update. All are invited; please register here to receive the Zoom link. Click here to join the Conservation Coffee listserv and receive monthly invites.

Exercise with other seniors in Pierce House tent

Outdoor exercise for senior is back. Join Derry Tanner, retired nurse and certified personal trainer, for Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL), a 45-minute fitness class for adults 65+. Strength, balance, and flexibility exercises will make you stronger, feel better and improve your balance minimizing the risk of falls. The eight-week series runs from Friday, May 7 through June 25 from 12–12:45 p.m. in the Pierce House tent. To register, call Amy at the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811 or email gagnea@lincolntown.org.

Hanscom students excel in National History Day contest

Hanscom Middle School eighth-graders Morgan Gibson and Sophie Hrad took first place for the junior group documentary category in a National History Day (NHD) virtual statewide contest. NHD guides students in grades 6–12 through a year of historical research and inquiry, interpretation, and creative expression. Harnessing the effectiveness of student-centered, project-based learning, NHD asks students to research a historical topic and present their work as a documentary film, website, performance, paper, or exhibit. Students can enter their projects in local, regional, state, and national contests.

This is Morgan’s second year in a row advancing to the national competition. Both students also earned special recognition at the state contest for their exemplary documentary, “Ida B. Wells: Princess of the Press.” Their project will be shown at the Massachusetts Historical Society’s Juneteenth Showcase.

Bird-a-Thon is next weekend

Bird-a-thon, Mass Audubon’s biggest annual fundraiser, takes place Friday and Saturday, May 14-15 (6 p.m. to 6 p.m.) during peak spring migration period when participants of all ages and abilities will compete to identify the most bird species and complete nature activities in 24 hours.

Thirteen teams representing different wildlife sanctuaries will compete in the field, seeking birds and participating in nature activities (with masking and social distancing protocols). Also, in honor of the organization’s 125th anniversary, participants can choose to take on the challenge of completing a 125-item nature scavenger hunt.

Everyone is welcome to join a team virtually or in person, even if they’re a nature newcomer. To participate, donate, and learn more about Bird-a-thon, please visit www.massaudubon.org/birdathon.

“Native Plants, Climate Change, and Your Backyard”

Entomologist Doug Tallamy will present a MetroWest Climate Solutions (MCS) webinar on restoring biodiversity one yard at a time on Wednesday, May 19 at 7 p.m. Register here.

Native plants are a powerful tool to in the fight against climate change. For example, native grasses have deep roots that make them drought resistant, reduce soil erosion and flooding, filter pollutants from ground water and increase rainwater infiltration. These plants remove tons of carbon from the atmosphere and pump it into the soil.

Tallamy is a professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. He is the author of several books, including Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens.

MetroWest Climate Solutions is a partnership among churches and individuals including the First Parish in Lincoln. 

Bemis Hall (virtual) concert

Music Street has uploaded this video of “Awakening to Spring,” a concert recorded on April 4 in an otherwise empty Bemis Hall featuring artistic director and Lincoln resident Diana Katzenberg Braun on piano, along with Eunghee Cho on cello and Genea Lewis on violin.

Conservation director wins statewide award

Michele Grzenda, Lincoln’s new Conservation Director, was awarded the Outstanding Public Service Award by the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC).

As the former Conservation Administrator in Weston, she wrote a Climate Change Adaption Plan for open space, helped complete a new handicapped-accessible trail network, led a successful land protection effort for Wellington Farm, and conducted a study on the ecological needs of Weston’s 30+ conservation fields. In 2020, she coordinated weekly Zoom meetings to help conservation professionals navigate the rapidly changing regulatory landscape during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Roundtable hosts session on LGBTQ+ partner abuse

Join the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable on Tuesday, May 11 from 3–4:30 p.m. on Zoom for a program and community discussion about partner abuse in LGBTQ+ communities. Registration is required for this program, which will include information on culturally specific resources and how to better support survivors. The discussion will be facilitated by staff from The Network/La Red. This is the third program in the Roundtable’s Spotlight Series featuring information for segments of our communities that face additional barriers when considering if and how to seek help or support.

Tune up your irrigation system and consider moisture sensors

Leaks in water irrigation systems are a common cause for shockingly high water bills. The Water Department has posted this document with tips for irrigation system tune-ups. Improperly adjusted or damaged systems or systems are not only bad for your wallet; they’re bad for your landscaping, since they can overwater or underwater sections of your plantings.

The department offers a rebate to defray the cost of upgrading with moisture sensors and compatible irrigation controllers. Fill out this application form, but you must also call ahead to reserve as the rebate fund is limited. Call 781-259-2669 or email bolanda@lincolntown.org.

Watch video on Americans and British buried in Lincoln

Each year, the Lincoln Minute Men commemorate the five British soldiers and eleven colonists buried in the town’s oldest burying ground—including one enslaved patriot who risked his life to secure liberty for all. The ceremony includes the stories and voices of those whose lives were changed by the events of April 19, 1775.

Because of Covid restrictions, the ceremony was canceled this year and last, but you can watch this 2020 video that tells their stories and serves as the Lincoln Minute Men’s commemoration again this year.