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

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Ribbon-cutting marks completion of Oriole Landing

Andrew Consigli (in colorful shirt), John Pugh (with scissors) and Taylor Bearden of Civico Development cut the ribbon to mark the official opening of Oriole Landing. See more photos below. (Photos by Allen Vander Meulen)

Lincoln leaders, neighbors, and potential tenants of Oriole Landing gathered on July 16 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Lincoln’s new mixed-income housing project.

Andrew Consigli, managing partner at Civico Development, thanked the town and Lincoln’s leadership and administrative staff for the support and guidance provided over the course of the two-and-a-half-year project, which won approval at Town Meeting in March 2018.

In 2018, though neighbors spoke out against another big construction project in North Lincoln, town officials urged approval so Lincoln could avoid having to accommodate a much larger 40B affordable housing project. Developers can circumvent town zoning restrictions for a project of that type if less than 10 percent of the town’s housing stock is affordable according to the 2020 census, and Lincoln was projected to be about nine units short at that time. Fifteen of the Oriole Landing’s 60 units are deed-restricted as affordable according to state guidelines.

Eight tenants have already moved in and leases have been signed for 30–40% of the available units, including 13 of the 15 affordable units, Consigli said. Management expects to lease all units within the next three months.

This is the sixth overlay-district development that the town has approved since 1986. The others are Lincoln Woods, Battle Road Farm, Lincoln North, the Minuteman Inn (which was never built), Minuteman Commons, and The Commons in Lincoln.

Click images to see larger versions with captions:

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Police log for July 2–8, 2020

July 2

Reports of wires and/or branches down starting at 8:39 p.m. on Hilliard Road, Bedford Road, Trapelo Road, Winter Street (two), Conant Road, Old County Road (two), and Silver Hill Road. After the storm, the DPW, Eversource, and tree crews responded, and DPW assisted with reopening roads.

Trapelo Road (8:11 a.m.) — Caller reported an orange pickup truck struck a sign on the property. No registration information; unable to locate.

Meadowbrook Road (1:26 a.m.) — Delivered court paperwork to a resident.

Lincoln Road (7:54 p.m.) — Caller reported an odor of gas outside Twisted Tree. Fire Department checked inside and outside but found no gas readings.

Wells Road (8:05 p.m.) — Resident complained that another resident sprayed water on her porch while they were watering plants. Event documented.

Codman Road (9:14 p.m.) — Caller requested assistance with directions after road closures due to storm.

Round Hill Road (9:34 p.m.) — Caller reported what sounded like a gunshot in the area. Officers spoke to people in the area who didn’t hear anything.

July 3

Lincoln MBTA station (12:24 am.) — MBTA reported a party was causing a disturbance on the train at Lincoln Station. Officers found the party who had gotten into an argument on the train outside on the platform. Party was waiting for a ride home

Conant Road (8:54 a.m.) — Caller reported a tree was down and partially blocking the road. Officer on scene requested DPW to assist.

Birchwood Lane (3:13 p.m.) — Caller reported that a neighbor yelled at them about landscapers taking up parking spots. Officer arrived and found no issue; landscapers has left the area.

Police station (4:21 p.m.) — Party asked to be fingerprinted for civilian employment. Jul

Wells Road (6:24 p.m.) — Caller reported fireworks going off. Officers checked and spoke with neighbors, who heard nothing.

July 4

Wells Road (8:41 a.m.) — Caller reported an unwanted party near her residence. Officers located the party, who was brought to the train station.

Weston Road (10:37 a.m.) — Caller reported a tree on wires. Eversource and tree crews were working in the area to handle it.

North Great Road (10:43 a.m.) — Minute Man National Park ranger wanted to speak to an officer in regard to illegal dumping in the parking lot. Officers will keep an eye out if it continues.

Wells Road (4:03 p.m.) — Caller reported damage to a vehicle sometime overnight. Investigation ongoing.

Conant Road (7:20 p.m.) — Caller complained about a neighbor’s bonfire. Fire Department checked and found no problem.

July 5

Lincoln Town Hall (12:50 a.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked in the lot. Parties were star gazing.

Page Road (10:18 am.) — Caller reported a tree was down and partially blocking the road. Eversource notified; tree was coned off.

Weston Road (3:16 p.m.) — Bicyclist was given a verbal warning for bike violation.

Wells Road (6:31 p.m.) — Resident reported a party illegally dumping trash. Officer followed up with the violator, who was advised to stop.

Goose Pond Road (6:50 p.m.) — Caller complained about cars parked for Walden Pond.

July 6

Concord Road (2:44 a.m.) — Officer checked on a car parked on the shoulder of the road. Party was sleeping inside; they had pulled over due to being tired. Officer suggested he pull into the Food Project to be safe.

Orchard Lane (11:38 a.m.) — Caller reported a fraudulent unemployment claim was filed in their name.

Hanscom Drive (3:40 p.m.) — Two-car crash with no injuries. Vehicles towed from the scene, report taken.

Winter Street (4:16 p.m.) — Caller reported an ongoing civil dispute with a neighbor. Report taken to document issue.

Tower Road (4:29 p.m.) — Caller reported his email may have been hacked. Information was given to secure account.
Trapelo Road (6:34 p.m.) — Caller reported a dog off leash. Caller was advised of Lincoln leash law.

Lincoln Police Department (7:50 p.m.) — Walk-in looking for information on public records.

Lincoln Police Department (8:35 p.m.) — Caller requested information on a civil matter. He was given his legal options.

Concord Road (8:35 p.m.) — Officer checked on the well-being of a vehicle pulled off to the side of the road. Operator is all set.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (9:36 p.m.) — Concord police called looking for a vehicle after getting report of two people arguing in the breakdown lane. Officers located the vehicle, which was unoccupied. State Police will handle the incident.

July 7

Huckleberry Hill (4:53 p.m.) — Caller reported that a tree fell in the yard of a neighbor who wasn’t home. Police made contact made with the homeowner, who was aware of the tree and is handling it.

Codman House (10:23 p.m.) — Officer checking the property found six unoccupied vehicles. All appears fine

July 8

Wells Road (10:08 p.m.) — Worker reported someone sleeping in a tent behind a dumpster. Officers spoke to the party.

Codman Road (2:01 p.m.) — Deceased deer found near the property. DPW removed the deer.

Laurel Drive (6:25 p.m.) — Caller reported smoke outside. Fire Department checked and found it was coming from a fire pit on Weston Road.

My Turn: The Food Project needs your help

By Peter von Mertens

The Food Project, which farms 31 acres of Lincoln conservation land, is hard-pressed during this Covid crisis to carry out their mission. Normally teams of volunteers from corporations, law firms, banks, schools, and other nonprofits would be planting and weeding the carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and other crops. During the summer months, teams of high school youth would carry on that work as well as picking, washing, sorting, and helping distribute over 250,000 pounds of fresh, organic produce to inner-city hunger relief organizations and farmers’ markets. 

Not so this year. The 110 youth — some from cities and some from suburbs — cannot come together due to Covid, and the entire farm work has fallen on a core crew of eight farmers and some of the Food Project office staff. 

The Food Project is a powerful anti-racism program as it brings together youth from different racial and ethnic as well as socioeconomic backgrounds, and the youth and staff spend time discussing their biases, experiences and ways to understand and resolve conflicts. Of all the years to miss this kind of learning!

The Food Project has been hard hit financially this year. They were fortunate to have received a Payroll Protection Grant to help them keep key staff employed, but the future is very uncertain. Please consider making a donation at thefoodproject.org. It’s local. It provides high-quality produce to residents of Dorchester, Roxbury, and other areas in greater Boston. And it’s important to keep alive and well through this crisis.

”My Turn” is a forum for Lincoln residents 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 June 25 – July 1, 2020

June 25

Old Conant Road (1:47 p.m.) — Family member who is living out of the country requested a well-being check on the resident. Officers checked the residence and no one is home. Checked again at 3:38 p.m.; will check back later.

Goose Pond Road (3:19 p.m.) — Walk-in to the station reported a tree limb is resting on wires and is smoking. Eversource notified.

Tower Road (4:37 p.m.) — Weston police reported that the railroad crossing sign at Tower Road was struck and is partially in the roadway. Officer temporarily moved the sign out of the roadway; DPW notified to fix the sign.

Wells Road (8:25 p.m.) — Resident called to speak to an officer in regards to a civil matter.

Red Rail Farm (8:37 p.m.) — Caller reported his beagle is missing. Last seen near Walden Pond. Phone number left if someone finds the lost dog.

June 26

Lincoln Road (11:49 a.m.) — Railroad gates keep going up and down. MBTA notified to respond.

Morningside Lane (12:27 p.m.) — Court paperwork delivered to the resident.

Trapelo Road (12:29 p.m.) — Officer came across a minor motor vehicle crash; assisted parties with exchanging paperwork

Tower Road (1:13 p.m.) — Council on Aging requested a well-being check on a resident. Officer responded and the party is fine; they’re contacting the COA.

South Great Road (4:37 p.m.) — Caller reported a burning odor in his garage. Fire Department responded; prior to their arrival, the owner extinguished a small fire in his water heater. Power and gas to the unit was turned off.

June 27

Lincoln Road — Caller reported an odor of gas outside Twisted Tree Café. Fire Department checked and found no evidence of gas via their meter

Hanscom Air Force Base (3:14 p.m.) — Hanscom security reported they have someone at Gate 1 with a warrant who was attempting to enter the base. Jose Nieves, 28, of Brockton was arrested for an outstanding warrant for assault and battery, and indecent assault and battery out of the Brockton District Court. He was later bailed from the station.

Tower Road (8:07 p.m.) — Framingham police asked Lincoln police to check the residence for a missing juvenile. Officers did so and located the juvenile. Contact made with Framingham PD

June 28

Lincoln Police Station (12:47 p.m.) — Walk-in reported their car was disabled in the St. Anne’s parking lot. Officer assisted the party and gave them a ride to their residence.

Old Conant Road (2:10 p.m.) — Officer followed up on June 25 well-being checks visits to make contact with the homeowner. Party still not home. Checked again at 7:11 p.m. Police later reported that they finally got in touch with the woman and everything was fine — she had been in Maine. The initial caller was found to be an estranged family member calling from overseas looking for money.

Trapelo Road (9:04 p.m.) — Caller reported that a large tree limb was down in the road near Stratford Way. Officer located the branch and was able to move it off to the side of the roadway. DPW notified

June 29

Old Concord Road (5:29 a.m.) — Caller reported a large fallen tree blocking the road. Officer responded and confirmed the road was impassable. DPW notified to respond.

Lincoln Road (9:44 a.m.) — Caller reported a tree on wires. Officer responded and confirmed; Eversource notified and responded.

Old Sudbury Road (4:32 p.m.) — Farm tractor was towing a small structure that fell off the trailer into the roadway. Debris moved off to the side of the road; officer following the tractor back to Codman Community Farms.

Lincoln Road (6:26 p.m.) — Caller reported railroad gates were down with no train in the area. Moments later, train passed; no problem with the gates.

June 30

Lincoln Road (12:19 a.m.) — Caller from Wells Road reported a party sitting on the benches near Donelan’s. Officer in the area checked but no one was in the area.

Doherty’s Garage (1:53 p.m.) — Caller asked to speak with an officer regarding a civil matter. Officer responded and assisted the party.

Trapelo Road (4:39 p.m.) — Juvenile called to report an older man taking pictures in the area of the reservoir, talking to the juveniles and asking odd questions while they’re fishing. Officers located the caller and the subject. Officers spoke to the subject regarding his behavior and he was sent on his way; no criminal activity. Officers followed up with the juvenile and his father who arrived on scene.

Wells Road (9:33 a.m.) — Caller reported fireworks going off in the Lincoln Woods complex. Officers checked the area but was unable to locate.

South Great Road (9:36 p.m.) — Caller reported “a big green thing” in the roadway near the railroad tracks. Officer checked Rte. 117 and was unable to locate any debris.

Donelan’s Supermarket (9:48 p.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked at Donelan’s. Party all set; was listening to music.

July 1

Hillside Road (11:31 a.m.) — Council on Aging called to request a well-being check on a resident. Officers checked and all is fine. The resident is calling the COA.

South Great Road (3:43 p.m.) — FedEx driver reports a party lying down on the sidewalk; unsure if they’re in need of assistance. Officers responded and the party is fine, just resting.

Old Concord Road (3:55 p.m.) — Caller complained of leaf blowers being used in the area.

Stony Brook Road, Weston (5:40 p.m.) — Weston police reported that they’re receiving complaints of solicitors in the area of Stony Brook Road in their town who may be heading into Lincoln.

Lincoln Road (10:05 p.m.) — Caller reported two vehicles pulled over near Ballfield Road; not sure if there was a problem. Officer checked the area and found that the occupants were helping an animal into the woods.

Property sales in May 2020

40 Huckleberry Hill Rd. — Susan E. Conway to Alexandra Chomut and Christopher E. Brook for $1,800,000 (May 29)

41 Greenridge Lane — Patrick Greene to Christopher McCarty and Nataly Dvash for $550,000 (May 27)

59 Winter St. — Richard Wiggin to Marcus and Nicole Ruopp for $1,420,000 (May 18)

3 Smith Hill Road — Piyush Srinivastava to Brendon and Rachel Reiff for $1,150,000 (May 8)

21 Birchwood Lane — Alan J. Shapiro to Anthony M. Dubon and Kary K. Lee-Dubon for $598,320 (May 8)

54 Conant Rd. — Mary Q. Pope to Meghan K. Lytton for $1,090,000 (May 6)

Sandy Pond Rd. — Joseph Kasputys to [name withheld at editor’s discretion] for $1,078,000 (May 2)

News acorns

Food truck picnic at Pierce House

The Pierce House is hosting a Lincoln picnic on Saturday, July 18 from 4–8 p.m. with several vendors (Moyzilla food truck with Asian food, the Bacon Truck, and the Shuck Truck with fresh local seafood) offering dinner for sale. Bring your own blanket and beverages. Patrons are encouraged to wear wear face masks and maintain social distance of six feet while in line and on blankets, and they may enter the Pierce House to order and purchase food. All staff and food service is in compliance with CDC guidelines.

Library book pickup hours expand

Starting on Monday, July 6, the Lincoln Library will expand its curbside pickup hours for reserved books. The new hours will be Mondays and Thursdays from 1–7 p.m., and Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Hours are subject to weather; any changes will be posted on the library’s website, which also has more information on the reservation and pickup process.

Covid-19 bereavement workshops, fundraising walk

Care Dimensions, which operates the hospice house in Lincoln, is hosting single-session virtual support groups and an eight-week-long support group for people who have had a family member die from the Covid-19 virus. The sessions are Tuesday, July 21 from 4–6 p.m. (RSVP by July 17) and Thursday, Aug. 20 from 3–5 p.m. (RSVP by August 14).

Led by a bereavement counselor, the eight-week group (for those whose loved one died at least three months prior to the first meeting) will be a safe space to process grief, learn coping techniques, and make connections with others who are on a similar grief journey. This group requires commitment from participants to attend all sessions, which will be on Wednesdays from September 9 to October 28 from 3–4:30 p.m. (RSVP by September 4).

All sessions will be held via Zoom. Although there is no charge for most support groups, donations are appreciated. For more information or to register, click here, call 855-744-5100, or email  grief@caredimensions.org.

Care Dimensions is revamping the format of its 33rd Annual Walk for Hospice to ensure the safety of walkers and the community. This year, individuals and teams are encouraged to walk when and where they feel comfortable by Sunday, Sept. 27. To learn more, register a team or individual, or make a donation, go to www.caredimensions.org/walk.

Care Dimensions staff care for hospice patients where they live and at two inpatient houses (one in Lincoln). They also run HomeMD, which provides in-home primary care to patients over age 65 in select communities on the North Shore and greater Boston who have difficulty leaving home. The Care Dimensions Learning Institute educates more than 7,000 healthcare professionals and community members each year on advanced illness and end-of-life topics.

Pandemic effects for police: more traffic stops, fraud claims

Traffic stops in Lincoln since January 1 (click to enlarge).

Lincoln police have experienced the Covid-19 pandemic in various ways over the months — many fewer traffic stops at first, and now, a rash of reports of fraudulent unemployment claims.

Gov. Baker declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts on March 10, and starting a few days before that, the rate of routine traffic stops began falling dramatically (see graph), partly to safeguard officers and the public from infection but mostly because traffic volume plummeted as everyone sheltered in place. The rate has crept back up since late May, but nothing compared to the pre-pandemic days.

“Traffic was pretty much nonexistent” in those early weeks, Chief of Police Kevin Kennedy said. These days, officers wear masks when approaching and interacting with drivers, and collect as much information verbally as they can, as opposed to having the driver hand over his or her license and registration.

Another effect of the pandemic, of course, is that unemployment has shot up as businesses laid off staff. As a result, millions of people have filed for unemployment benefits — and police have been getting reports from residents who were notified by the state that unemployment claims had been filed in their names.

“It’s all over the country — there have been a ton of fraudulent unemployment claims” using compromised Social Security numbers, Kennedy said. He advised anyone who has had this happen to check their recent credit history to make sure other accounts weren’t hacked into, or false accounts created in their name. The federal government is investigating, he added.

Another recent development that’s required police attention is the surge of visitors to Walden Pond, more popular than ever since many other recreational venues in the area are closed due to Covid-19. Because the main parking lot closes when it reaches capacity, visitors park illegally on Baker Bridge Road and Old Concord Road. Kennedy said police plan to install electronic message boards warning people that parking in those areas may result in their cars getting towed.

Police log for June 18-24, 2020

June 18

Mary’s Way (6:51 q.m.) — Caller complaining about trucks working early at a construction site. Caller advised to contact the building department.

Todd Pond Road (6:59 p.m.) — Caller reported that her mother was solicited over the phone from someone purporting to be from a veteran’s agency.

Old Concord Road (9:14 a.m.) — Caller reported a landscaping crew is using a leaf blower. Officer checked the area and the crew was not using a leaf blower.

Hanscom Drive (6:54 p.m.) — Caller reported passing by a crash scene (car vs. MBTA bus). Officers checked the area and there were no signs of a crash. MBTA confirms no reports of a crash involving a bus

Sandy Pond Road (6:54 p.m.) — Caller reported possibly being followed by a moped from Concord into Lincoln. Officers checked the area but were unable to locate.

June 19

Lincoln Road (10:10 a.m.) — Caller reported a fraudulent unemployment claim was filed in his name. Report taken.

Morningside Lane (1:57 p.m.) — Court paperwork delivered to a resident.

Baker Bridge Road (4:00 p.m.) —  Caller complained about landscapers using leaf blowers.               

Baker Bridge Road (June 9 at 4:08 p.m. and 5:29 p.m., June 20 at 11:04 a.m., June 21 at 9:17 p.m., June 23 at 7:42 p.m.) — Caller complaining about cars parked along Baker Bridge Road. Officers checked the area; Walden Pond staff will make an announcement. Cars were ticketed in some cases.

Virginia Road (7:30 p.m.) — Caller reported that earlier in the day, mulch at the Minuteman Commons complex was smoking. Landscapers had been on scene and it no longer was smoldering. Caller advised to call back if she sees any smoke or fire.

South Great Road (10:37 p.m.) — Caller reported hearing an alarm going off in the area. Police were unable to locate the source of the alarm.

June 20

Conant Road (6:36 p.m.) — Caller reported that his house was egged sometime the previous night. Report taken.

Hastings Road, Weston (10:22 p.m.) — Weston police reported a missing child over age 12, possibly on Rte 117 or Rte 126. A Lincoln officer checking the area located the juvenile and notified the parents.

June 21

Birchwood Lane (8:18 p.m.) — Caller reported that a squirrel was in her house. Fire Department assisted the resident.

June 22

Old County Road (8:19 a.m.) — Large tree down across the roadway near Rte 2. DPW notified.

Concord Road (12:07 p.m.) — Caller reported a small brush fire near St. Anne’s Church. Fire Department will handle.

Twisted Tree Café (12:20 p.m.) — Report of an odor of gas. Fire and police evacuated the building and notified National Grid and Eversource. Gas and power were later restored to the building.

South Great Road (3:36 p.m.) — Resident reported that someone backed into his vehicle white it was parked in the Mt. Misery lot. Report taken.

June 23

Virginia Road, Concord (1:32 a.m.) — Concord police requested assistance with two parties on bikes who were acting suspicious and fled into the woods.

South Great Road (9:43 a.m.) — A passing motorist notified a detail officer of a brush fire along the railroad tracks near Rte. 117. Fire Department located and handled the fire while train service was stopped.

Stonehedge Road (2:02 p.m.) — Caller reported wires down across the road near Tower Road. Eversource notified and responded.

Premier Cleaners, Lincoln mall (3:52 p.m.) — Caller reported the store is open and no one is inside. Officers checked the area and everything looked OK. Officers were able to lock the door and the owner was notified.

June 24

MBTA station (1:44 a.m.) — Officer observed a party at the train platform and checked to see if they were OK. Party was out for a walk.

Changes afoot in several town employee positions

While Lincoln is transitioning to a new Council on Aging director, several other personnel moves are occurring as well.

Parks and Recreation Department Director Dan Pereira is expected to move into the assistant town administrator’s job once a new PRD director is in place. “I’m really excited about the possibility of a partnership and having Dan join the leadership of the town,” said Town Administrator Tim Higgins, who said he had met with Pereira several times. “To a person, [the PRD] are thrilled for the opportunity for Dan to progress and for us to keep him in the fold.”

Pereira replaces Mary Day, who left at the end of May. Her departure was sudden but was a “voluntary resignation,” said Higgins, adding that he could not comment further on personnel matters.

Day was appointed in 2013 after working for several years as the town treasurer/collector. The role involves supporting Higgins in day-to-day administration and oversight of town services as well as overseeing the town’s human resources, risk management, and purchasing functions. 

Paula Vaughn-Mackenzie, administrative assistant in the Planning Department, is the acting director of planning while Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney takes a leave of absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act. She’s expected to return on September 1, Higgins said.

Finally, Brian Young has been named deputy fire chief after serving in an acting capacity for about a year. “The last four months have really kind of sealed the deal for me, seeing him taking on responsibility after responsibility” since the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, Higgins said. “In short order, he has really grown into the role and embraced the role.”