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

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Zoom talk on Dallin’s Paul Revere monument

On Tuesday, April 20 at 11 a.m., learn about the origins of the Paul Revere Monument in Boston created by Cyrus Dallin, who also created “The Boy and His Dog” at the entrance to the Lincoln Cemetery. Nancy Blanton of the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum will outline how Dallin persevered on a commission that took 57 years, seven versions of the same statue, and countless twists and turns before it was erected in the North End’s Prado, where it stands today. RSVP by Friday, April 16 to GagneA@Lincolntown.org and you’ll be sent the Zoom link.

Talk by expert on old apple varieties

In honor of Earth Day, the First Parish will host a talk and Q&A with Concord native John Bunker, who has devoted much of his life to seeking out, identifying, and saving as many old apple varieties in Maine as possible. “Changed Forever by an Apple Tree” takes place on Sunday, April 25 at 10 a.m. Click here to join the Zoom meeting (passcode: 749004). Bunker has been farming and homesteading in Maine at the Maine Heritage Orchard for almost half a century and is author of Apples and the Art of Detection: Tracking Down, Identifying, and Preserving Rare Apples.

Annual plant sale benefits Garden Club and others

The Lincoln Garden Club will hold a virtual Mother’s Day plant sale from May 8–15. Visit the online garden shop starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 8 to purchase and schedule a contactless pickup time at 18 Cerulean Way in Lincoln (all purchases must be made in advance). Items on offer include plants, bushes, trees, seeds, Mother’s Day Otter feather wreaths, and a custom-made-in-Lincoln live-edge garden bench, and many statuary urns and clay pots donated by the former owner of a gardening store. Proceeds from the annual plant sale go towards the following:

  • Upkeep of Station Park, Morningside Park, and the library intersection
  • $1,000 contribution to Lincoln Public Schools tree project this year
  • Partnership with PTO for the K-1 enrichment education program (pre-Covid)
  • Council on Aging senior dining
  • “On Belonging in Outdoor Spaces” (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion lecture series)
  • The Baker Bridge roadside tree project 
  • Mission for Cheer
  • Library flowers
  • Council on Aging and control of invasive species

If you have plants to donate, please drop them off in the front circle of 18 Cerulean Way in the marked, designated space on Wednesday, May 5. If you need assistance, please contact Belinda Gingrich at 781-577-7004.

New Pierce House newsletter

The Pierce House has just published its inaugural newsletter including a profile of facility manager Victoria Otis. The Pierce House Committee expects to publish future editions about four times a year.

New app means happy trails for Lincoln woods walkers

By Maureen Belt

Few things are as embarrassing. You’re in the midst of a peaceful walk along one of the town’s 80-plus miles of trails and suddenly you find yourself turned around. Each tree and trail looks like the last, and the GPS on your phone (if you even get a signal) offers no guidance back to civilization.

You’re lost.

Eventually, you try your luck on different paths — any path — and it works. You see something up ahead. As you draw nearer, you discover it’s a stranger’s backyard. You could turn back, but you’ll probably end up walking in circles again. Plus it’s getting dark. So you saunter through the private property as if this was part of your original plan. If you’re lucky, no one will notice. If not, you’ll just have to apologetically explain what happened and rightfully assume you’re not their first trespasser. Either way, the solace you sought on your walk has eluded you. 

Good news — getting lost in the woods is becoming a plight of the past thanks to the folks at the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust. Earlier this year, the LLCT partnered with Outerspatial, a cloud-based platform that allows parks and recreation agencies and similar nonprofits to digitize their trails, maps, and other outdoor activities so users can access them from mobile devices.

The LLCT not only funded the map digitization of Lincoln’s trails, parklands and open spaces — its members did the heavy lifting. Stewardship Director Sara Lupkas pored over reams of data from the Assessor’s Office and tweezed out the details that were needed to populate the free, user-friendly app to help anyone navigate and enjoy Lincoln’s great outdoors. 

Besides directions, photographs, and a brief history of the town’s trails and open spaces, the app tells you which trails are best for dog walkers, strollers, and wheelchairs as well cyclists and off-roading. Anglers and hunters have not been forgotten. The app even includes directions to gas stations, crosswalks and where to get a pizza.

More importantly, you won’t get lost. “The app tells you exactly where you are on the trail,” Lupkas said.

The app (which is free for Apple and Android phones) only works while you’re in Lincoln or one of the  other Outerspatial partners, so it won’t pinpoint your exact location if you wander into Wayland or Weston, though officials from Weston officials are currently in talks with the company. Other nearby organizations already in the network include The Nature Conservancy, Mass Audubon, The Trustees of Reservations, and several towns on Martha’s Vineyard.

“Our hope is that there is more connectivity,” said Lupkas. 

Scores of Lincolnites downloaded the app to post photos of themselves on social media during the scavenger hunt portion of February’s Winter Carnival. Lupkas said similar community events are in the pipeline. 

Meanwhile, the LLCT will upload articles, such as Gwyn Loud’s popular monthly wildlife column, and upcoming events. 

“There are a few kinks that need to be ironed out,” Lupkas said, adding the app allows for real-time edits, which are impossible for printed maps. “But it’s been very well received.”

Click on images for larger versions and captions:

trailmap1
trailmap2
trailmap3
trailmap5

Racist “Zoom-bombing” incident leaves attendees shocked and hurt

An unknown “Zoom bomber” spewed racist remarks after crashing a recent online meeting of the Council on Aging board of directors, leaving board members dumbstruck even as one of them — Hope White, who is Black — watched and listened in pain.

The incident occurred during the board’s February 9 meeting. Since it was a public meeting of a town board, the Zoom link was posted ahead of time. “I started seeing people in the [Zoom] waiting room whose names I didn’t recognize, and I was suspicious but I had to let them in because of the open meeting law,” COA Director Abby Butt told the Board of Selectmen at their April 5 meeting.

After the intruders renamed themselves in the Zoom with the same names as some of the board members (but without turning on their cameras), “there were lots of racial slurs directed at one board member, a great deal of sexually violent talk, slurs in the chat, blaring music — the goal was just to create total and utter chaos and be as offensive as possible.”

Butt at first tried unsuccessfully to mute the intruders and eventually managed to disengage them from the meeting. The board was “very jarred” as she explained to members what had apparently happened, and the meeting ended shortly thereafter.

About an hour later, she said she realized that she needed to reach out to White and the other board members to talk about the incident, and members called White to express their dismay and support. Town Administrator Tim Higgins also contacted Butt and White to express concern and asked to attend a later debriefing that was led by board member Jane O’Rourke, who is a social worker.

White told Butt and the COA and (and the Lincoln Squirrel in a later interview) that at the time, “no one acknowledged that this racial slur has been scrawled across the screen and obviously I’m the only Black person in the meeting… I just felt completely isolated.” Everyone was shocked, but she soon realized “no one’s gonna say ‘Hope, I’m sorry you had to see that, that must have been awful.’ There was not one word about it… I was more hurt than angry. People just left me out there.”

It’s unclear whether the board members experienced the same things seen and heard by Butt (the meeting host) and White, who was the co-host while Butt was giving her report, but it was enough to shock everyone into silence.

“Abby apologized [in the subsequent phone call] and said she didn’t know what to say in the moment. She said, ‘I’d never been in a situation like that and I should have said something but I said nothing at all.’ She was so apologetic. I explained to her that saying nothing is worse than saying ‘I don’t know what to say’,” White said.

“When you’re in the moment and all these awful things are flying at you and you’re trying to maintain your composure, it’s hard to know what to do,” Butt said. White was “incredibly gracious and kind and understanding” in the later debriefing, she added, but the incident left an emotional mark.

“I wasn’t bleeding [as from a physical assault], but the attack was the same and the pain might have been worse,” White said. “If you’re in the presence of someone being attacked, you don’t have to fight the perpetrator, but you can provide comfort for the victim in that situation.” She added that friends later asked her if she planned to quit the COA board as a result of the incident, “but I said I tried to make this a teachable moment.”

White noted that “this was not my first and won’t be my last encounter of racism,” saying she has been called the n-word to her face in Cambridge and other locations. “These people are ignorant, I’m totally aware of that, but it still hits to the core. It’s really hard to explain. That word just takes you out of your element for a minute — it’s like a blow.”

A Lincoln resident for 29 years, White said she has never experienced overt racism in town, though because there are so few Black people who live here, she is noticed. “Literally every time I go to the store or the bank or Twisted Tree, I get double-takes, like ‘what are you doing here?’ or ‘who are you?’ People are curious,” she said.

White works in public health education, connecting patients of color with health care resources. “Awareness and education — it makes a big difference,” both in her career and in tackling racism, she said. “I have no problem speaking up for myself or for someone else. When you have open communication, you’ll make a connection eventually.”

Butt gave a recording of the meeting to Lincoln police, but the chances of catching the Zoom bombers are slim, she acknowledged. Meanwhile, future meetings of the COA board will be in webinar format so attendees can write questions in the chat portion of the meeting but can’t be seen or heard if they’re not panelists.

Zoom-bombing public meetings may be more widespread than many realize. A few other online meetings in Lincoln involving the schools and town boards have been invaded, though none were formally reported to police, Chief of Police Kevin Kennedy said. However, Butt has spoken with other COA directors in the region, “and [the Lincoln COA board] is about the last in the area to have this happen… most of them had it much worse.”

My Turn: The more green electricity, the better

By Sue Klem

Lincoln recently launched a new, greener electricity program, called LincolnGreenEnergyChoice.com. Residents were automatically enrolled in March unless they chose to opt out of the program or were using a third-party electricity supplier.

For about the same price as we were paying before, 45% of the electricity provided to Lincoln residents will be generated from clean renewable sources like wind and solar. This is a big improvement over the 18% renewables supplied by Eversource. Eversource will continue to deliver and bill for our electricity, but First Point Power is our new, greener electricity supplier. 

But we can do even better. You can  have all of your electricity come from renewable sources by choosing to “Opt Up to Lincoln 100% Green” for about $20 more per month for an average household compared to Lincoln Standard Green (the default option that customers were automatically assigned to), To do this, simply call 844-651-8919 or go to www.masspowerchoice.com/lincoln/enroll. 

There are many other electricity supply companies pushing hard to get our business. — but the only program that provides this much green electricity for this low a price is Lincoln Green Energy Choice. The town negotiated this deal for its residents. Do not sign up with another company thinking it is the Lincoln program. Unless the company has LINCOLN in its name, it is not the Lincoln program and does not provide as much green electricity.

Pricing for the three options in Lincoln Green Energy Choice (click to enlarge).

You can also “opt down” to save a little with Lincoln Basic, or you can opt out of the program entirely, although that would be more expensive and provide less green energy. For more information on these options, go to www.LincolnGreenEnergyChoice.com.

Lawn signs

Have you noticed the bright green and yellow lawn signs sprouting up around Lincoln? They indicate homeowners who have opted up to Lincoln 100% Green, meaning that 100% of their electricity comes from clean, renewable sources like New England wind and solar projects. The Lincoln Green Energy Committee is running a campaign with the goal of getting 25% of Lincoln residents to choose Lincoln 100% Green for their electricity supply. It only costs about $20 more per month for the average Lincoln household, and you’ll be doing something important to fight climate change.

To “Opt Up to Lincoln 100% Green,” just grab your Eversource electricity bill and go to www.masspowerchoice.com/lincoln/enroll and choose Lincoln 100% Green, or call 844-651-8919. Your “Opt Up to 100% Green Electricity” lawn sign will be delivered to you soon. Please display it to help spread the word!

  *     *     *

Klem is a member of Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their 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.

Police log for April 3–9, 2021

April 3

Old Concord Road (8:08 a.m.) — Caller requested help from the Fire Department because a child accidentally locked themselves in a room and couldn’t open the door.

April 4

Old County Road (1:12 p.m.) — A group of juveniles were fishing in the reservoir. They were asked to move along.

Forester Road, Waltham (1:58p.m.) — Waltham police requested assistance with a medical emergency. Lincoln units assisted until Waltham units arrived.

April 5

Todd Pond Road (8:43 p.m.) — Minor motor vehicle crash (a street sweeper struck a parked car).

Lincoln Road (5:58 p.m.) — Caller reported they may have been the victim of a fraud. An officer went and spoke to the reporting party. It was determined that no fraud occurred.

Care Dimensions Hospice House (8:08 p.m.) — Staff reported an intoxicated person on the property who was trying to visit a family member and had been told to leave multiple times. Officers checked the area but the man was no longer on scene. Staff advised that they’ll call if he returns.

Bedford Road (8:56 p.m.) — A juvenile over age 12 walked out of the house and went for a walk and the parents were concerned. The  juvenile was located a short time later.

Bypass Road (11:40 p.m.) — Caller reported hearing what sounds like a scared domesticated dog in the woods. Officers checked the area and found nothing.

April 6

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (6:51 p.m.) — Caller reported a deceased animal on the side of the roadway. MassDOT was notified.

April 7

Lincoln Road (9:52 am.) — The DPW requested an officer to stand by while they hung a banner for Town Meeting.

Old Conant Road (1:42 p.m.) — Waltham police requested assistance in locating a missing 26-year-old male. Officers checked the area; Waltham police reported they located the party in their city.

April 8

Hanscom Drive (1:27 a.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle pulled over to the side of the roadway. Driver is OK.

Trapelo Road (2:00 a.m.) — An officer located a rekindled pile of brush burning in the field near Minebrook Road. Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire.

Tracey’s Corner (9:04 a.m.) — Caller requested assistance with a party who was looking to do work on the property for the owner. The tenant was unaware that the work was being done. Officers spoke to both parties and advised them this was a civil matter and assisted with a resolution.

Fenway Lane, Hanscom Air Force Base (12:49 p.m.) — Hanscom Security Forces request assistance with an incident on base. Officers responded; Hanscom personnel and the Fire Department handled the matter.

Old County Road (3:28 p.m.) — Caller reported cars parked along Old County Road and people fishing. Officer responded and moved them along.

Davison Drive (4:29 p.m.) — Caller reported a broken pipe was flooding their basement. Fire Department responded and assisted with shutting off water to the home.

Trapelo Road (5:01 p.m.) — Fire Department extinguished a burning brush pile.

April 9

Old Farm Road (2:18 p.m.) — Caller reported an odor of natural gas on the roadway near Lexington Road. Fire Department and National Grid responded to investigate.

North Great Road (5:15 p.m.) — Officer checked on the well-being of a juvenile who was out running. The juvenile asking for a ride home and officers assisted them back to their residence.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (7:54 p.m.) — An officer stopped a party driving an unregistered vehicle. The operator was found to have a traffic warrant out of Boston Municipal Court. Rosa Garcia, 51, of Dorchester was arrested on the warrant and also issued a summons for operating without a license. She was later bailed to appear in Boston Municipal Court.

Hartwell lot, North Great Road (9:31 p.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked in the lot. Everything was fine; the party was on their way home.

Lincoln police took part in a saturation patrol (7–11 p.m.) and sobriety checkpoint (11 p.m.–1:30 a.m.). During the saturation patrol, state police focused on the highways they cover in Concord while Lincoln and Concord town officers focused on roads within each town. The sobriety checkpoint was conducted on Route 2 westbound prior to the lights at Tracey’s. Final stats for the three agencies: five OUI arrests and one warrant arrest as well as four motor vehicle summonses, 28 speeding citations, 12 speeding warnings, and eight move-over violations.

South Great Road (11:36 p.m.) — Officers responded to a one-car crash near Bowles The operator, Ryan Babcock, 24, of Sudbury was arrested for OUI–liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and marked lane violation. The vehicle was towed from the scene. Babcock was later bailed to appear in Concord District Court on April 12 to answer to the charges.

News acorns

Explore communities and activities in April challenge

The Foundation for MetroWest is hosting a month-long interactive challenge in April to encourage families to stay active and safely explore the community. The event will inspire children and families to foster a deeper connection to where they live through various at-home activities and local MetroWest field trips that highlight the region. Among the arts and nature-related participating organizations are Drumlin Farm and the deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park.

Participants will use an interactive platform to complete various challenges throughout the month that focus on topics such as arts and culture, the environment, history, etc. Participants will collect points for each challenge completed and race to the top of the MetroWest Quest leaderboard. Sample family challenges include:

  • Visiting a local landmark in your town and learning about its significance to your community
  • Completing a walking history tour in MetroWest
  • Making a craft out of recycled materials
  • Competing against your family in nature bingo

Prizes will be distributed to the top families who complete the challenge. The foundation will provide participants with resources every step of the challenge. To participate, register here and a link to the interactive webpage will be shared with you.

Library activities during April vacation

“Pop-up on the Patio” outdoor library browsing
Tuesday–Thursday, April 20–22 from noon–3 p.m.
Kids of all ages are invited to browse for new books or old favorites. Staff will be outside on the patio with carts and tables of books (weather permitting). Each day will also feature an easy socially distanced craft activity

Blast off with Bottle Rockets
Tuesday, April 20 from 4–5 p.m.
Join the GearTicks robotics to learn about building bottle rockets. This virtual program is open to all ages, but parental supervision is recommended for kids younger than 7. They’ll lead you through the steps of creating your very own bottle rocket and even methods for launching your creation at home! Email dleopold@minlib.net to register for the Zoom link and receive instructions about materials. Participants are invited to submit their rockets to the April Blast Off with Bottle Rockets STEMtastic Challenge and be eligible for a prize.

Dogs, Dogs, Dogs: Storytime with Sally & Lexie
Wednesday, April 21 at 10 a.m.
Join storyteller, dog owner and actress Sally Kindleberger for a fun morning of dog stories, poetry and songs. Perfect for children 4–8 but older kids are welcomed as well. Meet Lexie (Sally’s rescue dog) the well-known Lincoln Public Library therapy dog who loves to hear kids read. Lexie also listens very hard to stories, often with her eyes closed so that she can hear every word. If you have a favorite dog (real or stuffed animal) who likes to listen to stories bring him or her along. Email dleopold@minlib.net for the Zoom link. 

Star Wars Trivia Night
Wednesday, April 21 at 6 p.m.
Do you remember Darth Vader’s real name? How about the name of the planet that’s home to the Wookiees? Prove your Star Wars knowledge and earn your spot as a Jedi in Star Wars Trivia. Play solo or in teams with your family and friends as you compete for bragging rights as the #1 Star Wars fan in Lincoln. For tweens, teens, and families with children. Email dleopold@minlib.net for a Zoom invite.

Schools get grant for programmable robots

The Lincoln Public Schools have been awarded a state grant to support computer science instruction in grades K-8 with programmable robots. The competitive grant will fund the purchase of Hummingbird and Finch robotics kits that will be used to help students learn computer science and computational thinking concepts by programming robots that interact with the physical world through sensors, lights, and motors. LPS was happy to be awarded $7,432 of the total $72,000 in funds that were available state-wide.

Lincoln schools teach both digital literacy and computer science to every K-8 student with a mix of digital and screen-free approaches, and this grant will enrich those efforts. Instructional technology specialists, Monica Albuixech, Cindy Matthes, Mark McDonough, and Nicole Putnam will work this summer to develop new curriculum using these robotics kits and look forward to introducing them to students in September.

Garden Club member in MFA’s Art in Bloom

Lincoln Garden Club member Angela Kadlec will have her work featured in the 45th annual Art in Bloom, a Museum of Fine Arts festival that pairs art with floral interpretations created by 27 New England-area garden clubs, from April 30–May 3. This year’s festival is themed around artworks that tell the stories of women across the museum’s collection, from images of mothers and motherhood.

The event includes recorded guided tours, live-streamed private interactive tours, free instructional videos, and a slideshow presenting favorite arrangements from past Art in Bloom events chosen by and featuring reflections from New England-area garden club members and MFA Associates. Click here for more information and tickets.

Town boards and committees seek volunteers

The Town of Lincoln depends on its citizen volunteers to work with one another on town-wide issues and to help shape community character. The Board of Selectmen is seeking interested volunteers for the following Selectmen-appointed committees: Affordable Housing Trust, Agriculture Commission, Capital Planning Committee, Lincoln Cultural Commission, Pierce Property Committee, IDEA (Inclusion, Equity, Diversity, and Anti-Racism) Initiative, and the Roadside and Traffic Committee. For information or an application, please click here or contact Peggy Elder at elderp@lincolntown.org or 781-259-2601.

Police log for March 27–April 2, 2021

March 27

Scott Circle, Hanscom Air Force Base (2:00 p.m.) — Police received a 911 call from a person reporting that a neighbor was harassing her. Hanscom Security Forces and a Lincoln officer responded. Officers spoke to the party and explained her legal options for a harassment order application.

March 28

Lincoln Road (5:07 p.m.) — Two-car motor vehicle crash; three people transported to Emerson Hospital. Click here for details.

March 29

Hartwell lot, North Great Road (1:02 a.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked in the lot with no one around. Officer made contact with the operator, who had gone for a walk on the trails.

March 30

Virginia Road, Concord (9:16 p.m.) — Concord police requested assistance locating a party who was involved in a dispute in their town.

Liberty Lane, Hanscom Air Force Base (2:23 p.m.) — Court paperwork delivered to the resident

Scott Circle (two addresses), 2:40 p.m. and 3:01 p.m. — Court paperwork was delivered to residents.

Indian Camp Lane (4:10 p.m.) — Concord police requested a well-being check on a resident who was supposed to pick up a party in Concord an hour earlier. Officers responded to the house but no one was home. Concord police called back and reported the person arrived at 4:37 p.m. to pick up the party.

Old Concord Road (6:13 p.m.) — A resident called to report receiving multiple scam phone calls.

Minuteman Technical High School (10:16a.m.) — Simple assault. Details were not released as the incident involved a juvenile.

April 1

Twisted Tree Café (2:40 p.m.) — A walk-in to the station reported that a resident got into a verbal disagreement with staff regarding the placement of the tables at the restaurant. An officer spoke to both parties involved.

April 2

Birchwood Lane (8:31 p.m.) — Court paperwork was delivered to the resident.

Overflow parking lot, South Great Road (9:31 p.m.) — An officer checked on a car parked in the lot. Everything was fine.

Charity saw sharp increase in need for food and financial assistance in 2020

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston has been distributing more and more food and other assistance in recent years — especially in 2020 at the height of Covid-19 pandemic and its accompanying economic disruption, according to data and an annual report provided by the organization.

Fortunately, donations have increased as well, though a shortfall of $7,384 in 2020 was covered by funds in the organization’s treasury, said Ursula Nowak, president of the SVdP of Lincoln and Weston. There were also new sources of income in 2020: a fundraiser walk, the photo projects done by Lincoln resident Corey Nimmer, and donations made by customers of the Codman Community Farms store when they check out.

“I want to give a big shout-out to the Lincoln and Weston communities, Codman Farm, and especially Corey,” Nowak said.

The food pantry is the most visible of the local SVdP Society’s charitable services and receives the bulk of targeted donations, but about 70% of its expenses are for emergency financial assistance to help clients pay for rent, utilities, car repairs, etc.

“If people donate to SVdP without earmarking it for the food pantry, we can use it where it’s needed most (the food pantry or emergency assistance). But if it’s earmarked for the food pantry, we can only use it for that purpose,” Nowak noted.

October 2015October 2019October 2020
Households served at the food pantry196392
Clients served at the food pantry37141226
Bags of food given out62150300
Total expenses (food pantry plus
emergency financial help)		$22,714$50,925$84,484
Donations/grants received$18,498$61,157$77,099

Numbers reflect snapshots for the month of October in each year. October is the start of the fiscal year for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston.

Despite recent accident, intersection isn’t among most dangerous in town

A recent car accident in front of the Public Safety Building got a lot of attention and speculation about how to make the intersection safer, but it’s not indicative of a growing number of accidents at that location, police say.

The number of accidents at various sites in town in 2016–2021, according to MassDOT data (click to enlarge).

The two-car crash on March 28 sent three people to the hospital after a driver traveling west on Codman Road ran the stop sign without slowing down and hit a car traveling north on Lincoln Road. The intersection has stop signs for drivers entering the intersection from Codman Road in either direction but not for those on Lincoln Road.

After a spate of accidents in 2017, warming flags and then solar-powered flashing lights were added to the stop signs to make them more visible. Police Chief Kevin Kennedy said he thinks that’s helped reduce the number of accidents there, and data from the state Department of Transportation shows that the intersection is actually the fourth-most dangerous in town in terms of the number of accidents in recent years.

“Any time there’s an accident like that [in a prominent location] and people are transported to the hospital, it’s significant,” Kennedy said. However, given the data, he said he would not advocate for more controls at the intersection at this point, such as four-way stop signs (which could back up rush-hour traffic to the railroad tracks) or a sign indicating that crossing traffic doesn’t stop.

Of the five most accident-prone intersections in town, the most dangerous one by far is Route 2 at Bedford Road, most likely because of the speeds and the fact that the highway is at the crest of a hill. Number two on the list is Lincoln Road at Rte. 117. Traffic islands were built there in summer 2018, and the number of accidents subsequently went down slightly from nine that year to seven in 2019. 

Accidents everywhere in town dropped significantly in 2020 due to fewer cars on the road during the pandemic.

Lincoln car accident data

Intersection20162017201820192020Total for
2016-2020		Total for
2011-2021
Bedford Rd. / Rte. 21142416661125
Lincoln Rd. / Rte. 117869723276
Rte. 117 / Rte. 126655732661
Codman Rd. / Lincoln Rd.573522250
Five Corners612311327

(Source: MassDOT)