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

seniors

Fall wellness clinics scheduled

Lincoln residents of all ages are invited to meet with a nurse through a free town service. Come to get your blood pressure and/or BMI (body mass index) checked, ask questions, or learn about wellness resources.

Dates and locations of fall clinics are:

  • Friday, September 6 — 10 a.m.-noon, Community Building at Lincoln Woods (50 Wells Road)
  • Wednesday, September 25 — 11 a.m.-1 p.m., St. Joseph House behind St. Joseph Church (142 Lincoln Road)
  • Thursday, October 3 — 10 a.m.-noon, Community Building at Lincoln Woods (50 Wells Road)
  • Wednesday, October 30 — 11 a.m.-1 p.m., St. Joseph House behind St. Joseph Church (142 Lincoln Road)
  • Friday, November 1 — 10 a.m.-noon, Community Building at Lincoln Woods (50 Wells Road)
  • Wednesday, November 20  — 11 a.m.-1 p.m., St. Joseph House behind St. Joseph Church (142 Lincoln Road)

These clinics are funded by CHNA 15 and provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care. For info, please call the Lincoln Council on Aging at 781-259-8811.

Lincoln “grandmothers” go to work for Markey

"Grandmothers for Markey" recently addressed cards at the Groves. Left to right: xxx (Photo: Alice Waugh)

“Grandmothers for Markey” recently addressed cards at the Groves. Left to right: Joan Kimball, Sonja Johansson, Carolyn Birmingham, Sally Meyer, Peggy Schmertzler. (Photo: Alice Waugh)

Ed Markey has some Lincoln ladies to thank for his recent primary victory.

The group of senior women, spearheaded by Lincoln resident Peggy Schmertzler, got together several times at the Ryan Estates and The Groves in Lincoln to work on cards asking recipients to support U.S. Rep. Ed Markey is his bid to win the Senate seat vacated by John Kerry. The work involved sticking address labels on the preprinted cards but also adding a personal hand-written note to each. Combining modern political techniques with the old-school personal touch, the women got their preprinted address labels from the Markey campaign, which found and printed names and addresses of Democrats and unaffiliated senior women voters who live in Plymouth and Whitman where Markey’s Democratic primary opponent, Steven Lynch, had a strong following.

Markey’s campaign isn’t the first go-round for these women, however. Schmertzler and two others, Betsy Hatfield and Margot Lindsay, started the group in 2008 as Grandmothers for Obama. In 2012, the Massachusetts pilot group established a website, GrandmothersforObama.org, and expanded to include hundreds of women in about 25 states who hand-addressed canary yellow postcards declaring support for Obama. The group doesn’t send money to any political campaigns, though they pay the postage on their postcards themselves.

Since the presidential election, the group has sent postcards on behalf of Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren as well as Markey. In their campaigns, they also advocate progressive stances on issues including the environment, women’s reproductive rights, rights to equal pay and health care, increased taxes on the wealthiest 1 percent to reduce cuts in services, and gun safety.

“In our combined mailings, we reached approximately 10,000 voters,” Schmertzler said.

Markey beat Lynch in the April 30 primary, so the grandmothers will soon be back at work on his behalf in preparation for the statewide special election on June 25, when he will face off against Republican Gabriel Gomez. Democrats are hoping that race will not have the same outcome as the 2010 special election, when favored Democrat Martha Coakley lost to Republican Scott Brown.

Although addressing cards may seem like a mundane task, the women enjoy working together to try to make a difference. “It’s very bonding because we all care about the same issues,” Schmertzler said.

Obituaries

candle2Following are obituaries of current or former Lincoln residents as reported in the Boston Globe since February, listed in chronological order of their date of death. Click here to see previous obits in the Lincoln Squirrel.

Rose M. McMurtry, 97 (April 7, 2013) – Lincoln resident from 1958-1972, sang in St. Joseph’s Church choir

Ruth R. Walkey, 85 (April 1, 2013) – Old Town Hall Exchange volunteer, 50-year member of Valley Pond

Shirley G. Beaton, 88 (March 28, 2013) – secretary in Lincoln Public Schools

Wayne D. Mount, 85 (March 25, 2013) – atmospheric physicist and pioneer in chaos theory

William R. Cummings, 82 (March 25, 2013) – father of William R. Cummings Jr. of Lunenburg and Thomas R. Cummings of London

Lorraine S. Torode, 92 (March 11, 2013) – longtime physical education teacher in Lincoln Public Schools

MassHealth: Learn more, even if you think you won’t need it

SHINElogoWhat do you know about MassHealth, and why should you care? Lincoln residents of all ages are invited to a special program at Bemis Hall on Monday, April 29 at 7 p.m. to learn more about MassHealth (Massachusetts’ Medicaid program). You might not think you need the information, but  that could change if you have an unforeseen financial crisis or need to be in a nursing home for an extended period.

The Lincoln Council in Aging program will feature Don Milan, Elizabeth Killeen and Arthur Budnik, all of Minuteman Senior Services’ SHINE health benefits counseling program, explaining what MassHealth currently covers, who’s eligible, how it coordinates with Medicare, and more. Carolyn Bottum, director of the COA, interviewed Milan, who is Lincoln’s SHINE counselor.

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Neighbors can help neighbors all year round

helpBy Fire Chief Steve Carter, Police Chief Kevin Mooney, and Council on Aging Director Carolyn Bottum

Lincoln is a community where neighbors take special care to look out for one another. This neighborly tradition is especially important during severe storms, power outages, or other unusual circumstances when frail elders, those with disabilities and others may have special difficulties letting people know if they’re in trouble, not getting enough food and supplies, or not staying safe. In fact, residents may need assistance at any time during the year due to a fall, medical crisis, or other emergency.

Why is help from neighbors so essential? Neighbors may be the only people who’ll notice if something seems amiss at someone’s house, if a resident hasn’t been seen for a day or two, or if mail or newspapers are piling up. If the power is out, a neighbor can check on a resident who can’t be reached by telephone. If someone needs a warm or cool place to stay, a neighbor may be able to provide that quickly and easily. While Public Safety and the the Council on Aging provide other ways to check on residents and offer assistance, the more options our community has for finding out and responding to potentially life-threatening emergencies, the better.

Some neighborhoods and developments have organized or may want to consider organizing to provide neighbor-to-neighbor help. Some activities and services that formal or informal neighborhood organizations can offer include:

  • Social events to help neighbors get to know each other
  • Gathering information about which residents may be in special need so they can be paired up with volunteers
  • Organized wellbeing checks during storms and other situations, or throughout the year

However, informal neighborliness can be just as essential. Many times people will not ask for help but will be grateful if it’s offered. Do you have a neighbor who might need special assistance? If so, you could offer to:

  • Check on during storms
  • Be an emergency contact should the Town or others have a concern about the neighbor’s wellbeing
  • Run an occasional errand or take them to the grocery store or pharmacy, especially in weather when they might not feel comfortable driving
  • Provide snow shoveling, especially so services like Meals on Wheels can get to the resident
  • Keep an extra key or garage door code so that public safety officials or a relative can enter the home in case of emergency
  • Call or visit just to provide an opportunity to talk

These seemingly small acts can make a big difference to someone who may be concerned about how he or she will get through a storm, power outage, or other emergency ,or who could just use some everyday cheering up.

Being neighborly has benefits that go beyond severe weather or other serious circumstances. Building a closer neighborhood makes for a greater sense of community and contributes to the quality of life here in Lincoln. And when neighbors make a point of introducing themselves to neighbors, they might find someone fascinating who becomes a friend for life!

For more information about forming an organized neighborhood effort or for general concerns, contact Public Safety at 781-259-8113. If you need help related to elder services, please call the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811.

The Groves wants to add skilled nursing, memory care

An aerial view of The Groves showing the current facility (blue outline) and the amended proposal for Phase II (red outline).

An aerial view of The Groves showing the current facility (red outline) and the amended proposal for Phase II (blue outline) — click to enlarge.

By Alice Waugh

The Groves in Lincoln has asked the town for permission to build assisted living, memory care and skilled-nursing units in an effort to attract more residents to its age 62+ independent living facility just south of Route 2.

In 2007, the Planning Board and Town Meeting approved a plan for construction in two phases. The completed Phase 1 includes 100 congregate units, 30 rental units and 38 cottages. Originally, The Groves planned to build 28 more cottages after the first set was fully occupied.

However, nearly three years after opening, only 57 percent of those units are occupied, and “the community is struggling financially,” according to a February 5 letter to the Lincoln Planning Board. That letter was sent by John E. Dragat, senior vice president of development for Benchmark Senior Living, which was commissioned to “assess the project’s shortcomings,” and Toby B. Shea, chief financial officer of Masonic Health System of Massachusetts, co-owner of The Groves along with New England Deaconess Association–Abundant Life Communities, Inc., of Concord. The Wellesley-based Benchmark is the largest operator and developer of senior housing in Massachusetts.

A market study “confirmed [the] belief that the primary impediment to the success of the community is its lack of continuum of care,” the letter says. The 90 new units, if approved, would remedy this shortfall by providing assistance with activities of daily living, meals and social activities, as well as long-term and rehab care.

“The overall campus will operate as one integrated community, with many of the residents in Phase II emanating from the existing independent units, allowing the existing Groves residents the ability to age in place in a single continuing-care retirement community,” the letter says.

Residents will be asked to approve them amended plan by voting on Article 34 (page 73 of the warrant) at Town Meeting on March 23.

Lincoln obituaries since September 2012

candle2The Lincoln Squirrel will publish links to the obituaries of recently deceased Lincoln residents as we become aware of them. Please feel free to send other notices, links and reminiscences to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Here are links to obituaries compiled since September 2012, listed in chronological order by date of death.

Shirley Hubel (February 17, 2013) – Teacher of pottery and remedial reading

Elizabeth Peavey (January 10, 2013) – Past president of the Lincoln Garden Club

Michael Fusillo, M.D. (January 8, 2013) – Former member of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Alfred Seville (December 9, 2012) – Engineer, small business consultant and avid skier

Nadia Gilman (November 1, 2012) – Former Lexington resident

Henry Flint (October 15, 2012) – Ran family farm in Lincoln

Winthrop Harrington Jr., M.D. (October 8, 2012) – Lincoln dentist for more than 45 years

Marcia Bebring (September 20, 2012) – Former administrative assistant to Lincoln school superintendent

Paul DeBaryshe, Ph.D. (September 15, 2012) – Environmental activist, academic researcher, technologist and entrepreneur

Edith Hinds (Oct. 30, 2012) – Middleboro resident, formerly of Lincoln

Norman Jacobs (December 26, 2012) – Had career in marketing and advertising

Margaret Koehler, R.N. (October 1, 2012) – Mother of seven and long-time communicant of St. Joseph’s Church

Max Mason (December 20, 2012) – Architect and artist

Patricia Page (December 10, 2012) – Former director of the Department of Occupational Therapy at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Robert Pickett (October 13, 2012) – Worked in finance and investment

Storm-chaser to share experiences in Feb. 25 talk

Tornadoes as seen from a storm-chasing van. (Photo courtesy Chris Curtis)

Tornadoes as seen by storm-chasers. (Photos courtesy Chris Curtis)

By Brett Wittenberg

The van barreled down I-44, its occupants’ excitement reaching a fever pitch. The chase that had started that morning in Oklahoma had traveled a serpentine route across much of Kansas, and by the time they crossed the Missouri border, the chasers had almost caught up with their prey—a giant tornado.

One of the “storm chasers” in the van was Concord resident Chris Curtis, who will give a talk about his experiences on Monday, February 25 at 12:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall.

On that day in May 2011, Curtis and his team could tell by radar that their prize was only a few blocks to their north, but in the limited visibility of the accompanying rainstorm, they had yet to actually see the Class EF5 multiple-vortex tornado. But the radar clearly showed a huge tornado with a cloud of swirling debris, and it looked like it had stopped on top of Joplin, Missouri.

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