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

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Camuti convicted of killing Rakes and dumping body in Lincoln

The approximate location where Stephen Rakes’ body was found in Lincoln on July 17, 2013 (click to enlarge).

William Camuti, 72, of Sudbury was convicted of first-degree murder today by a Middlesex Superior Court jury in connection with the 2013 death of Stephen Rakes, 59, of Quincy, whose body he dumped on Mill Street in Lincoln after poisoning him in 2013. The jury also found the defendant guilty of improper disposal of human remains and two counts of misleading a police officer. Judge Bruce Henry scheduled sentencing for Thursday, April 27.

The following account is from a press release from the office of Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. Scroll down for links to Lincoln Squirrel articles from 2013.

William Camuti, 72, of Sudbury, was convicted of first-degree murder today by a Middlesex Superior Court jury in connection with the 2013 death of Stephen Rakes, 59, of Quincy. The jury also found the defendant guilty of improper disposal of human remains and two counts of misleading a police officer. Judge Bruce Henry scheduled sentencing for Thursday, April 27 at 10 a.m.

“Deeply in debt to his long-time business partner Stephen Rakes, William Camuti offered to meet the victim to discuss financial matters over coffee,” said District Attorney Ryan. “Unbeknownst to the victim, the defendant had laced the victim’s coffee with potassium cyanide to avoid paying the $100,000 he owed the victim. The defendant then waited for his so-called friend to die before leaving the victim in the woods in Lincoln. When questioned by authorities, the defendant made a concerted and deliberate effort to mislead Massachusetts State Police and Lincoln Police. Thanks to the diligent work of these two law enforcement agencies and the prosecutors assigned to this case, today the jury found the defendant guilty of his crimes.”

Lincoln Chief of Police Kevin Kennedy added, “Thank you to my officers in the Lincoln Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police and the prosecutors who worked tirelessly to investigate and prosecute this case. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Stephen Rakes and we hope that today’s verdict will bring them closure.”

On Wednesday, July 17, 2013, at approximately 1:30 p.m., a jogger running past a wooded area on Mill Street in Lincoln discovered the body of Stephen Rakes. Lincoln Police and Massachusetts State Police responded and immediately began an investigation.

Surveillance video showed Rakes leaving the Joseph Moakley Federal Courthouse, where he had been regularly attending the trial of Whitey Bulger, on the afternoon of July 16, 2013. He was wearing the same clothing when his body was discovered; however, the victim did not have a phone, keys or identification on his person.

Authorities learned that Camuti arranged to meet the victim around 1:45 p.m. at McDonald’s in Waltham on July 16 under the guise of discussing a real estate deal in Wilmington. The defendant purchased two iced coffees, one of which he mixed with two teaspoons of potassium cyanide. He gave the laced drink to the victim, who drank it.

The defendant then drove around Waltham, Woburn, Burlington, and Lincoln for several hours with the victim in the vehicle. He later dumped the body of Rakes in the wooded area in Lincoln where it was found the next day.

In the course of the investigation, authorities discovered Internet searches on the defendant’s computer including ways to purchase cyanide and queries such as, “Will the taste of coffee change if it is mixed with sodium or potassium cyanide?” Authorities also learned that the defendant was deeply in debt to the victim at the time of the murder.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner would later determine the cause of death to be acute potassium cyanide poisoning. Camuti was arrested on August 2, 2013.

This case was investigated by Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Lincoln Police Department. 

Lincoln Squirrel stories from 2013:

Annual forum on school priorities on Thursday

The Lincoln School Committee and administration invite parents, faculty, and community members to provide input into developing the school district’s 2017-18 strategic priorities at the third annual Strategic Priorities Community Forum on Thursday, April 27 from 7–9 p.m. in the Hartwell Multipurpose Room.

The meeting will feature an overview of of the school district vision and strategic plan; faculty presentations of current classroom practices that represent the district’s priorities; and community conversation about hopes, expectations, and priorities for the district to consider for the coming year.

Developing the annual District Strategic Plan involves gathering of input from stakeholder groups, a review of the district’s progress toward achieving current goals, and discussion of appropriate next steps in order to move forward toward achieving the district’s vision for education in the Lincoln Public Schools. The district’s current strategic priorities are focused on the delivery of curriculum and instruction that engages students at high levels and supports the academic, creative, social, and emotional development of all students.

LSF bee celebrates 10 years of spelling acumen

Third-grade winners: The Word Wizards: Henry Hussey, Rahul Rani, and Alex Zipes. Adults, left to right: Principal Kristen St. James; and teachers Scot Dexter, Jen Mastrullo, and Debbie Carpenito. (More photos below; click to enlarge)

The Lincoln School Foundation (LSF) celebrated a decade of student spelling prowess and a new contest format at the annual town-wide spelling bee on April 2.

In keeping with the LSF’s mission to bring innovative ideas into our schools, last year’s fifth-graders piloted a new style of spelling bee competition. Every team was given the same word to spell out on a whiteboard, and double elimination ensured that one extraordinarily hard word didn’t wipe out the whole group unfairly. Thanks to the overwhelmingly positive response, the pilot format was improved and fully implemented for all grades this year.

Similar to last year, the double elimination rule remained and all teams in a heat received the same words, but whiteboards were traded in for laptops, and teams’ final answers were projected on screens, making it easier for the audience to see. A judge then asked one team member to spell the word out loud for the audience to hear.

“The LSF folks who have run the bee over the years have been really responsive to the feedback they’ve received from the judges and pronouncers. It’s become a great community event,” said Brooks School Principal Sharon Hobbs.

“The students were well prepared and it was a terrific addition to have each team spell and display every word. We are so fortunate to have LSF as a partner, not only for this amazingly well-organized event, but in their ability to contribute so positively to the school community by funding grants to further teaching and learning,” said Smith School Principal Sarah Collmer.

Third-grade teams kicked off the day with four heats of competition, the winners of which went on to the championship round. The Word Wizards with teammates Henry Hussey, Rahul Rani, Alex Zipes won the championship round with the word diligently.

Three heats of fourth-grade teams competed to make it to the championship round. Under the team name Gold Troph-Bees, Polly Zimmerman, Bella Chen, Brooklynn Masso won the final round with the word avocado.

Bee Dazzled, the winning sixth-grade team. Left to right: Principal Erich Ledebuhr; Lincoln Public Library children’s librarian Debbie Leopold; teacher Becca Fasciano, and spellers Allie Schwartz, Lily Huang, and Francesca Liu.

Fifth-grade winners The Cocoa Crew. Left to right: Principal Erich Ledebuhr; Lincoln Public Library children’s librarian Debbie Leopold, Principal Sharon Hobbs, and spellers Mina Tanner, Mackenzie White and Rori Page.

The Gold Troph-Bees, who won the fourth-grade competition. Front row, left to right: Polly Zimmerman, Bella Chen, and Brooklynn Masso. Back row, left to right: Principal Sarah Collmer, Officer Ian Spencer, and Lincoln Parks and Recreation Director Dan Pereira.

Two heats of fifth grade teams competed with The Cocoa Crew, Mina Tanner, Mackenzie White and Rori Page Cramer winning by spelling the final word linguist.

For the sixth grade, it was Allie Schwartz, Lily Huang, and Francesca Liu as team Bee Dazzled, who ended the bee by correctly spelling the word doldrums. This was the team’s fourth consecutive bee.

The event saw the usual great support from school faculty and the community. Many thanks to the pronouncers: Superintendent Becky McFall, Assistant Superintendent Patricia Kinsella, Principals Kristen St. James, Collmer, Hobbs, and Erich Ledebuhr; and the judges: teachers Jennifer Mastrullo, Debbie Carpenito, Scot Dexter, and Becca Fasciano, Officer Ian Spencer from Lincoln Police Department, Lincoln Parks and Recreation Director Dan Pereira, Lincoln Public Library Children’s Librarian Debbie Leopold, and Director of the Lincoln Extended-day Acivities Program (LEAP) Katie Hawkins.

The LSF also thanks Lincoln School Director of Technology Rob Ford, James Suttie, and the LPS audio/visual staff for helping to implement the new format seamlessly.

L ocal businesses that sponsored the bee included Coppe and Sears Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics in Lexington, ARTSmart New England, MD+A, Budget Printing in Concord, Boston Sports Clubs, Doherty’s Garage, Donelan’s Supermarkets, Sky Salon, Exoprise, Hanscom Air Force Base Commissary, The Toy Shop of Concord, Party City, Beehive Art, and Something Special.

The LSF spelling bee is also an opportunity for Lincoln School and Hanscom Middle School (HMS) students to come together. “The thing I like the most about the spelling bee is that is brings students from both our campuses together at an event that is academically oriented and that helps to support our district,” said HMS Principal Erich Ledebuhr.

“The LSF Spelling Bee is a wonderful event that brings students and families from Lincoln, Boston, and Hanscom together for fun with a purpose, supporting the great work of the Lincoln School Foundation. LSF grants lead to innovative and engaging learning experiences for our students,” McFall said.

LSF is a nonprofit organization, and donations from the Lincoln community provide seed money that allow teachers to bring new and innovative tools and techniques to the classroom. Funded projects in 2016-17 included a station-based model for social studies instruction at HMS; support for the creation of curriculum and resources to help encourage the use of yoga, mindfulness, and relaxation by both the students and faculty in the Smith School; funding to host Urban Improv for both HMS and Brooks middle school students and teachers; and maker spaces at two schools.

Clarification

In an April 13 story about the formation of a new School Building Committee, the qualifications for potential board members was mischaracterized. The story should have said that the SBC is seeking four or five community members with experience in fields that are relevant to the committee’s work, such as architecture, planning or design, project management, or community engagement. The original story has been updated to reflect this clarification.

Wong’s contract extended at L-S

Bella Wong

The Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee unanimously approved an extension of Superintendent/Principal Bella Wong’s contract through June 30, 2020.

“The School Committee is grateful for Bella’s many contributions to Lincoln-Sudbury over the four years in which she has served as Superintendent/Principal,” Elena Kleifges, chair of the committee, said in a press release. “Her compelling vision for 21st-century education and the promotion of equity and excellence for all students have become part of the fabric of the high school, and the towns of Lincoln and Sudbury have been the beneficiaries of Bella’s strong financial and operational management during a challenging period. We look forward to her continued contributions over the next three years.”

Wong has served as superintendent/principal of the district since July 1, 2013 (and as acting superintendent/principal before that), and she also was a science teacher and department coordinator at L-S from 1991 to 1998.
Wong told the Lincoln Squirrel that managing our budget over the past few years to maximize benefit to students has been the biggest challenge during her current tenure. “We were able to manage fixed costs like healthcare and utilities in order to be able to sustain current staffing and add a few new programs and/or improvements,” she said. “Our staff is really great at staying abreast of opportunities to keep the curriculum fresh, relevant and challenging for themselves to teach and for students to learn. One of the best achievements is being able to support those endeavors through summer workshops and additional professional development we can offer. I feel we are more conscious of what we each are doing in the effort to coordinate our efforts and promote collaboration across all departments toward creating best options for all students.”
How to prepare students for “a rapidly changing world environment” will be a key issue going forward, she said. “How do we find the right balance of skill development and content knowledge across all disciplines in four years? More critically, how do we instill a positive growth mindset in all of our students—a ‘can do ‘ attitude that will help them overcome any challenge they will face in time to come?” she said.

Prior to her current position, she was assistant superintendent and later superintendent of the Wellesley Public Schools. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Harvard University, did graduate study in molecular biology at Stanford University, earned a law degree at the University of California—Davis, and has a master’s degree in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

News acorns

Trial begins for man accused of dumping body in Lincoln

The approximate location where Stephen Rakes’ body was found in Lincoln in July 2013 (click to enlarge).

The Boston Globe published this April 6 article on the prosecution’s account of the last day of  Stephen “Stippo” Rakes, whose body was discovered in Lincoln in 2013. April 5 was the opening day of the trial of William Camuti of Sudbury. Police say Camuti, former owner of the Loan Depot, poisoned Rakes with cyanide in his iced coffee in Waltham, then drove around the area for hours before dumping the body on Mill Street in Lincoln. He is charged with first-degree murder, improper disposal of a body, and two counts of lying to police.

Lincoln Squirrel stories from 2013:

Boy Scouts seek new members

The Lincoln Boy Scouts are looking for new members in grades 5 and up. Several camping trips are planned before the end of the school year, as well as many other activities and learning opportunities. The troop meets every Wednesday evening at the Mason Lodge in Lincoln. Fof more information, email Chris Bursaw at cbursaw@seguincapital.com.

Artist’s presentation on wild ponies of Assateague

The Lincoln Public Library presents “The Wild Ponies of Assateague Island” with artist Rob Franco on Thursday, April 20 at 7 p.m. in the Tarbell Room. Franco will present a DVD and share how the approximately 300 ponies that wander freely on the island have influenced his paintings. His paintings are on display in the library’s Main Art Gallery during April.

Lecture at deCordova by landscape photographer

Laura McPhee, Late Summer (Drifting Fireweed), 2007, C-print, 70″ x 90″ inches. Gift of the artist and Carroll and Sons, Boston. Photo by Rick Mansfield of Anchor Imagery.

Boston-based photographer Laura McPhee will give the 2017 Paul J. Cronin Memorial Lecture on Thursday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. McPhee, a professor at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, is known for her stunning large-scale photographs that chronicle how we value and use the landscape. Free and open to all; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. McPhee travels extensively with her large-format camera to document landscapes both strange and familiar in lush color and exquisite detail. Her past projects include photographing the forests of central Idaho, the domestic architecture of Kolkata, India, and the Gateway National Recreation Area in coastal New York and New Jersey.

Officials mingle at Pierce House dinner

Town officials gathered for the traditional post-Town Meeting dinner at the Pierce House on March 30. Soft lighting, spring flowers, music and good food greeted the group as they debriefed and socialized after the day-long Annual Town Meeting on March 27. This year’s dinner was the first for new Pierce House Event Manager Nancy Beach. (Click any photo below to enlarge.)

Stephanie Smart, Housing Commission Chair Allen Vander Meulen, Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden, Green Energy Committee Chair John Snell, and Town Videographer Jim Cunningham.

Outgoing Selectman Renel Fredriksen, outgoing Board of Assessors member John Robinson, and Library Board of Trustees member Peter Sugar.

Planning Board member Gary Taylor and Pierce House Event Manager Nancy Beach.

Capital Planning, Community Preservation spending approved

Voters approved a total of $441,760 in Capital Planning Committee (CapComm) expenditures and $740,936 for Community Preservation Committee (CPC) projects at the March 25 Town Meeting.

CapComm received 26 requests and recommended 14 of them for voter approval. along with three capital exclusions totaling $300,000 ($75,000 apiece for a bucket truck and dump truck and $150,000 for a community center feasibility study). Those three requests were approved at Town Meeting and Monday’s town election.

Among the requests not recommended by CapComm:

  • A new command vehicle for the fire chief ($47,000)
  • A school safety/security upgrade ($35,000 )
  • A library facility review ($13,750)
  • A speed display trailer for the Police Department ($1,500)
Capital projectCost
Instructional display and audio technology for schools$163,000
New marked police cruiser$45,185
New unmarked police cruiser$34,015
New operating
system for town IT servers		$30,000
New courier food
service van for schools		$29,000
Radio communications system for the DPW and Communications Department$25,055
Repair existing guardrail$25,000
Additional funds for a ramp and stairs at the end of
the Library Lane sidewalk		$20,000
Electronic vote tabulators$18,000
IT backup
system for town computer servers		$15,000
Replace library's public
access computers		$13,000
Design study for use of the library's first
floor		$10,000
Upgrade
Public Safety Building video recording system		$9,685
Two police cruiser radar units$4,820
Community Preservation requests

Four of the CPC projects totaling $40,000 are for work at the Pierce House (chimney repair, a new kitchen floor, renovated bathrooms, and exterior wood clapboard and trim).

The only item that provoked discussion was a $10,800 request by the library for historic preservation of an embroidered tapestry by Sophia Adams depicting her family register. Some residents questioned whether this was the best use of CapComm funds, but Planning Board Chair Margaret Olson said it was “a no-brainer when I saw it. It’s a very beautiful piece of town history.”

“It’s a rare opportunity for people of the town to see how important the history is of one of our families,” said library director Barbara Myles, noting that Adams made the tapestry as a Lincoln teenager in the early 1800s. Her family tree includes John Adams, the second president of the United States, and great-grandson Richard Adams Williams, whose widow, former Lincoln resident Cynthia Williams, donated the tapestry to the town.

“They really came back to us with a much sharper pencil,” said Chris Fasciano, chair of the CPC, in reference to the library’s original set of  historic preservation project requests. The slate of CPC requests was approved with only a couple of nay votes.

CPC funds come from a 3 percent property tax surcharge and a partial match from the state, and the fund replenishes annually by about $950,000. They may be used only for projects relating to historic preservation, conservation, recreation, or affordable housing.

Community preservation projectCost
Debt
service payment for town office building renovation project		$398,875
Debt service
payment on
Wang property acquisition		$135,500
Debt service payments on permanent
borrowing for previously voted CPA projects		$93,150
Housing reserve$55,257
Transfer to
Conservation Fund for open space		$40,000
Renovation of
two Pierce House interior bathrooms		$15,000
Preservation of
the Sophia Adams family register		$10,800
Replacement of Pierce House kitchen floor.$10,000
Replacement of Pierce House exterior wood clapboards and wood trim$10,000
Preservation of
the poll and estate tax assessments for 1861, 1863,
1864, and 1866 		$7,412
Preservation of
Lincoln School Records Box 7		$6,259
Preservation of Lincoln School Records Box 10$5,940
Restoration of Pierce House chimney$5,000
CPC administrative expenses$3,000

Recap of background stories for Town Meeting

In preparation for the March 25 Town Meeting, the Lincoln Squirrel is publishing an updated and expanded expanded recap of news stories and letters to the editor on some of the issues to be voted on. The full warrant list can be found here.

Wang property acquisition (article 11)

News stories:

Letters to the editor:

Accessory apartments (articles 12-14)

News stories:

Letters to the editor:

School project (articles 33 and 34)

News stories:

Letter to the editor:

Community center feasibility study (article 35)

News stories:

Letter to the editor:

Landfill solar initiative (article 36)

News stories:

Letter to the editor:

Agricultural bylaw amendment (article 38)

News story:

Water bottle/plastic bag ban (articles 41 and 42)

News stories:

Letters to the editor: