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

Minuteman High School offers programs for kids and high school grads

Online registration is now open for a range of summer programs for preschoolers through adults starting on July 11 by Minuteman High School in Lincoln and Lexington. They include:

Minuteman Technical Institute (MTI), the adult evening division of the Minuteman school district, is also offering workforce development programs. Classes begin in August or September, depending on the program. The 10-month programs run the length of a traditional school year and require tuition. The 15-week programs are funded through grants from the Governor’s Workforce Skills Cabinet and are free for qualified applicants, which includes most recent high school graduates.

Classes are held weekday evenings and Saturday mornings depending on the program. MTI is open to any student over 18 with a high school diploma or GED (applicants do not need to be a resident of a town in the Minuteman school district).

Minuteman Technical Institute will offer ten-month programs for automotive technology, cosmetology, and electricity from August 2022 to June 2023. Tuition payment plans are available, and additional tuition support may be possible for students ages 18-24 or for anyone who is unemployed or underemployed. View MTI’s Applications and Admissions page for details.

Fifteen-week programs beginning in September 2022 are CNC machine operator, carpentry pre-apprentice, facilities management, robotic technician, and welding. Anyone interested in these courses must apply through a designated MassHire Career Center: MassHire Metro North in Cambridge, MassHire Metro South/West in Framingham, and MassHire North Central in Leominster.

ConCom proposes adjustments to new trail use guidelines

Maps showing the trails currently open to bikes, the proposed expansion, and the compromise presented on June 1 (the area outlined in yellow would not be open to bikes). Click to enlarge.

After getting pushback on a number of proposed changes to conservation trail use regulations, the Conservation Commission revised some of its recommendations and postponed a vote until at least June 22.

In recent weeks, dozens of residents submitted comments on the proposals and attended a May 18 public forum, while more than 70 people attended the June 1 ConCom meeting via Zoom. Many were against allowing some expansions in trail use as outlined in the panel’s April 25 draft regulations. The discussion focused on four aspects of the proposed revisions:

  • A leash requirement for more trails, particularly those around Flint’s Pond
  • Opening more of Mt. Misery’s trails to bicyclists
  • A requirement that dogs must be leashed when another trail user approaches 
  • A requirement that five or more bikers must get a group use permit in advance

ConCom chair Susan Hall Mygatt presented suggestions for adjusting the proposed rules in each case. She agreed it would be “more realistic” to require dogs to be at the owners side and under voice control rather than require the owners to put them on leashes every time they encounter another walker. 

Under the current rules, groups of 10 or more individuals are required to obtain a Group Use Permit ahead of time to use the trails. Section 9 of the proposed regulations makes that more specific, requiring a permit for 10 or more people (pedestrians), five or more bikers, and five or more horseback riders.  The amended suggestion includes a provision that rive or more “unrelated” bikers or horseback riders will need a permit, though some commenters at the June 1 meeting suggested tightening the biker group limit even further. ConCom members agreed that there should be some “wiggle room” for groups of children on a school outing.

There had also been disagreement about an earlier proposal to open up more trails to bikers. Mygatt and Conservation Director Michelle Grzenda presented a compromise whereby some of the trails on the northern side of the popular Mt. Misery area would remain closed to bikers.

“The erosion and wear and tear on Mt. Misery has increased significantly,” said resident Elizabeth Orgel.

However, resident Margaret Olson argued for more trail connectivity to help people get around town by bike as much as possible. “Reserving some areas for contemplative use makes sense but I’d like to work over time to open more of the trails to bikes,” she said. Another resident wondered whether the prohibition on motorized vehicles applied to e-bikes, which are growing in popularity.

Requiring dogs to be leashed around Flint’s Pond was proposed to protect the town water supply from contamination by dog feces, though there was some debate as to whether town water quality is currently suffering from the lack of such restraints. In recent years and especially since the Covid-19 endemic, more dogs and swimmers have been seen in the pond despite signs prohibiting anyone from getting closer than 20 feet from the water, as per state DEP regulations.

“We’ve just gotten lucky that the DEP hasn’t forced us to put a fence around all of it already,” said Water Commissioner Michelle Barnes, who is also chair of the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust/Rural Land Foundation.

“I think a lot of us question their effectiveness,” Barnes said about the signs listing prohibited activities. “Also, I think historically we haven’t had strong enforcement from the Police Department.”

Some years ago, there was a ranger program funded jointly by the Conservation and Water Departments, and that as a result, the DEP did not impose stricter Flint’s Pond and watershed water protection measures on the town. At an August 2020 Water Commission meeting, Barnes said she had discussed stepped-up enforcement and possible installation of video cameras to tackle the problem, though it’s unclear if any new measures were subsequently put in place. She also acknowledged that it’s difficult for police to catch people or dogs while they’re in the water.

The Conservation Commission will resume its discussion of trail regulations on Wednesday, June 22 at 8 p.m.

Sophie Freud, 1924-2022

(Editor’s note: The obituary below was provided by the Concord Funeral Home. The New York Times also published this excellent piece on the day of Sophie Freud’s death. In 2007, the Springfield (Illinois) Journal-Register ran this profile on Freud on the publication of her book, Living in the Shadow of the Freud Family.)

Sophie Freud

Miriam Sophie Freud, 97, known as Sophie, died peacefully on Friday, June 3 at her home in Lincoln.

During the last months in which she fought pancreatic cancer, she often said that the act of living a long and successful life was her way to cheat Hitler, who had intended her to perish in Auschwitz along with her grandmother and contemporaries.

The last surviving grandchild of Sigmund Freud, she was born in 1924, the daughter of Esti Freud, an elocutionist and later speech therapist, and Martin Freud, the oldest of Sigmund Freud’s children. As a child, on her ceremonial weekly visit to her grandfather, she strove to be “the best little girl in Vienna.” Her ambition continued throughout a life in which she continued to be not only “the best,” but also beloved and outstanding in all her endeavors.

In 1938 when the Nazis invaded her home country of Austria, she fled to Paris. In 1941, with the German occupation of Paris, she and her mother escaped on a harrowing bicycle trip to Nice, where she passed the difficult “bachot” exam in French, her second language. Then, after a year in Casablanca, she made it to New York and then on to Massachusetts, where she attended Radcliffe College and graduated in 1945.

She married Paul Loewenstein before earning a B.A. in psychology and later a master’s in social work at Simmons College. While raising three children, she worked full-time in the fields of adoption and child and family services. She later found her real passion, teaching, when she was selected to teach a course at Tufts University. She earned her doctorate at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management and taught at Simmons School of Social Work, heading the Department of Human Behavior. She taught and lectured throughout the greater Boston area and internationally, including in Vienna, where she was given the keys to the city.

Along the way, she lost faith in patriarchal psychoanalysis, explored feminism, and wrote two books, My Three Mothers and Other Passions (1988) and Living in the Shadow of the Freud Family (2007.) After retirement from Simmons,  she continued her scholarship, teaching at Brandeis’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (BOLLI), in which she melded the studies of literature and psychology to address life issues.

She is survived by her three children, Andrea Freud Loewenstein, Dania Jekel, and George Loewenstein, as well as five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She is mourned and will be greatly missed by her many friends and family to whom she was an inspiration and a model. She was deeply troubled by the manmade catastrophes and rise of fascism in this harsh new world and sorrowful for her descendants and all those who must inherit it.

The memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Police log for May 19-29, 2022

May 19

Lincoln Road (1:06 p.m.) — Caller reported finding a deceased bird in their yard. Animal Control was contacted to handle.

Page Road (3:39 p.m.) — Resident called looking to speak with an officer regarding a civil matter that occurred in another town. An officer assisted the resident with the pertinent information.

Drumlin Farm (3:43 p.m.) — Caller wanted to speak to an officer regarding a civil matter. An officer spoke to the party

Lincoln Police Department (5:39 p.m.) — A party called the station regarding information about a Protection from Abuse Order. An officer spoke to the party and directed them to the court.

Lexington Road (7:05 p.m.) — An officer attempted to deliver court paperwork to a resident but was unable to make contact.

Page Road (7:22 p.m.) — Court paperwork was delivered to a resident by an officer.

May 20

Pine Ridge Road (9:34 p.m.) — Caller reported a dog had wandered into their yard. The owner picked up the dog.

Lexington Road (9:42 a.m.) — Officer attempted to deliver court paperwork but was unable to make contact.

Tower Road (9:12 p.m.) — Caller reported they had a bat in the home. An officer responded to assist. Animal Control recommended they call a wildlife management company that handles these matters.

May 21

Mount Misery parking lot (12:43 a.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked in the lot. No one was around.

Mount Misery parking lot (2:14 p.m.) — Caller reported that the catalytic converter was stolen off their vehicle some time the day before while parked in the Mt. Misery parking lot.

Lincoln Road (2:49 p.m.) — Car-vs.-bicycle crash near Lewis Street. A cyclist on the sidewalk was struck while by a vehicle pulling out of the driveway. One party was transported to Lahey Clinic.

Warbler Springs Road (10:00 p.m.) — Caller reported loud music in the area. Officers located a gathering at a residence. The family was having a graduation party and was asked to turn down the music.

May 22

316 Cambridge Turnpike westbound (1:26 p.m.) — Caller reported having an electrical issue at their residence. The Fire Department responded and assisted the party. Eversource was contacted.

Conant Road, Weston (1:40 p.m.) — Weston police requested a check of the Conant Road area in Lincoln for a child who walked away from their home. Officers checked the area, and while doing so, the child returned to their home in Weston.

Newbury Court, Concord (6:21 p.m.) — Concord Fire Department requested an ambulance for a medical emergency. Lincoln firefighters transported a party to Emerson Hospital.

Hartwell lot, North Great Road (6:28 p.m.) — A party reported being bitten by a dog on the national park trail. An officer and National Park Service rangers responded to assist. No medical treatment was rendered; Animal Control was contacted.

Independence Drive, Acton (6:51 p.m.) — Acton Fire Department requested an engine to respond to their town for a brush fire.

Goose Pond Road (6:58 p.m.) — Caller reported cars parked outside their home in a No Parking zone. An officer responded and issued parking citations.

Lexington Road (9:15 p.m.) — Report of a transformer explosion with a brush fire and wires down. Officer responded to assist and Eversource was contacted to respond.

Lexington Road (9:34 p.m.) — Report of smoke in the basement. Fire Department found an electrical problem due to the power surge.

May 23

Bedford Road (2:02 p.m.) — Officer attempted to deliver RMV paperwork to a resident.

Page Road (5:44 p.m.) — Caller reported a dog wandering in the area. A voicemail message was left with the owner.

Ridge Road (6:03 p.m.) — A walk-in to the station requested a well-being check on a resident. An officer checked and everything was fine.

Page Road (9:21 p.m.) — Caller reported someone soliciting door to door. An officer checked the area but was unable to locate. There were no active solicitation permits at that time.

May 24

Bedford Road (9:23 a.m.) — RMV paperwork was delivered to a resident.

Tower Road (9:47 p.m.) — Officer took a report of credit card fraud from a resident.

Bedford Road (12:04 p.m.) — Council on Aging & Human Services called to request a well-being check on the resident. An officer spoke to the resident, who declined assistance.

Lexington Road (1:41 p.m.) — Resident called reporting someone soliciting door to door. An officer spoke to the solicitor and advised them of the town’s Solicitors By-Law.

Bedford Road (4:45 p.m.) — Officer stopped a party for going through the red light on Bedford Road at Route 2 on a bicycle. The officer gave the party a verbal warning for the violation.

Minuteman Technical High School (5:36 p.m.) — Westford police called reporting that a teacher at the school had received a suspicious message and wanted Lincoln police to be aware of it. Westford police are looking into the matter.

Offutt Road (8:16 p.m.) — Hanscom Security Forces reported a missing juvenile. Lincoln officer assisted in locating the juvenile.

May 25

Lincoln School and Minuteman Technical High School (7:30 a.m.) — Officers checked in with school staff in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting.

Wells Road (10:20 a.m.) — Caller reported an injured raccoon in the area. An officer checked and located the animal, which was well into the woods away from human contact.

Wells Road (11:06 a.m.) — Caller reported their social media account had been hacked. An officer assisted the party.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (7:28 p.m.) — Caller reported a dead deer on the side of the road. MassDOT was notified.

May 26

Hemlock Circle (8:30 a.m.) — Party called the station looking for assistance in locating their spouse. An officer responded and spoke to the party. A short time later, their spouse arrived home.

Concord Road (2:31 p.m.) — One-car crash involving a tree. No injuries; the vehicle was towed from the scene.

May 27

Lincoln School and Minuteman Technical High School (7:30 a.m.) — Officers checked in with school staff in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting.

Todd Pond Road (5:50 p.m.) — A party called reporting an excess of water building up in the roadway. An officer checked and notified the Water Department of a possible water main break.

Hanscom Air Force Base (7:27 p.m.) — Hanscom Security Forces called for assistance with a possible assault on base. Officer responded and assisted the base police.

May 28

Donelan’s Supermarket (9:1 a.m.) — A person fell in the Donelan’s parking lot. They were transported to the Emerson Hospital.

North Great Road (3:49 p.m.) — Police received a report that a resident made threats against a town employee at the transfer station. The matter is being investigated.

Old Sudbury Road (8:53 p.m.) — Caller reported hearing loud noises 30 seconds apart. An officer checked but was unable to locate the source of the noise.

May 29

Concord Road (11:21 a.m.) — Caller reported a party walking in the roadway who appeared to be in need of assistance. Police found the person, who was planning on walking to Dedham. Officers took them to the station to make arrangements for a ride home.

Birchwood Lane (7:06 p.m.) — A party from Hawaii called looking to locate a missing juvenile who may have been at a Lincoln residence. The juvenile was not there, but officers assisted MBTA police in locating the missing juvenile, who was at South Station in Boston.

Lexington Road (9:44 p.m.) — One-car crash vs. deer. No injuries; the driver was able to drive the car from the scene. DPW was notified to handle the deceased deer.

News acorns

Session on residential energy efficiency

Join a discussion on “Energy Efficiency 101: Save Energy, Save Money, and Save the Planet” on Friday, June 3 at 1 p.m. in Bemis Hall. HomeWorks Energy, a MassSave partner, will host this presentation encompassing the importance of weatherizing homes and installing high-efficiency heating and cooling systems. The conversation will include information about how to identify health and safety issues in the home, key areas to insulate, various high efficiency heating and cooling options, and the rebates and financing available to make these upgrades. The event will start with a presentation and move to a Q&A session.

Lincoln students to give benefit concert

Lincoln Cantabile members (left to right) Luca Lee, Nooreddeen Kawaf, Finn Larsen, Victor Han, and Henry Hussey.

Enjoy an evening of music ranging from classical to modern to jazz performed by five Lincoln eighth- and tenth-graders in the first public performance of their ensemble Cantabile on Thursday, June 9 from 7–9 p.m. in Bemis Hall. The students (Henry Hussey on violin, Nooreddeen Kawaf on piano, Finn Larsen on violin and piano, Luca Lee on cello, and Victor Han on piano), who have been working hard over the past months supported by professional musicians and music director Rebecca Lee, will be joined by other Lincoln Public Schools students and Thomas Cooper, a Lincoln resident and accomplished professional violinist. Light refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP to lincoln.cantabile@gmail.com to help with event planning. The event is free but with a suggested donation of at least $5 for children and $15 for adults. Buy tickets online here. All proceeds will benefit Doctors without Borders, Make-a-Wish, and No Kid Hungry.

Film screening: “L’Eclisse”

The Lincoln Library Film Society will show the movie “L’Eclisse” on Thursday, June 16 at 6 p.m. in the library’s Tarbell Room. A young woman meets a vital young man, but their love affair is doomed because of the man’s materialistic nature. Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, starring Monica Vitti, Alain Delon, and Francisco Rabal.

“Music in Modern Houses” on June 12

As part of the Friends of Modern Architecture–Lincoln’s “Music in Modern Houses” series, Yulia Musayelyan (flute) and Maxim Lubarsky (piano) will play Latin jazz and classical duets on Sunday, June 12 from 4–5 p.m. at the 1948 Schwann House in Lincoln. There will be a tour and reception for those who attend in person (by invitation only). Click here to register for Zoom attendance. Donations support FoMA’s mission for preservation, documentation, and education. Click here to make a donation.

Codman BBQ and campout scheduled

The annual Codman BBQ and campout will take place Saturday, June 18 from 6–9:30 p.m. (and overnight if you’re camping). Pasture-raised hot dogs, sausages, burgers and chicken drumsticks will be on the grill (plus veggie sandwiches too), the Chillwagon will be serving up sweet treats, and The Splinters, will be playing great tunes. Bring your favorite drinks, gather around the campfire, stuff yourself with ’smores, and sing with friends. Pitch a tent, stay overnight, and wake up to the sounds of the farm! A simple breakfast will be available in the kitchen for campers on Sunday morning. Click here to buy tickets ($20 for the barbecue, $40 for barbecue plus campout).

Get ready for July 4 parade, Firecracker Run

Residents are invited to create a float for the July 4 parade and participate in the Firecracker Run earlier that morning. To register your float, download and complete this form. The Firecracker Run is a 2.5-mile or 4-mile scenic run through Lincoln. Registration is $20 for all participants. The first 150 people to sign up online get a commemorative pair of sunglasses. Bib pickup is at Town Hall. Advance registration is required; click here to sign up.

Community Center Building Committee begins its work

The two community center options chosen in 2018 (click to enlarge).

Now that the school project is nearing completion, the town is turning its attention to another much-needed facility: a community center. A new Community Center Building Committee has been established and is getting right to work with its first meeting on June 1.

It’s not always easy to find volunteers for town government, but in this case, the Select Board had many enthusiastic applicants — 11 people for the four at-large slots. The board interviewed candidates at its May 23 meeting and voted to include Sarah Chester, Timothy Christenfeld, Alison Taunton-Rigby, and Krystal Wood. The other applicants for those slots were Owen Beenhouwer, Doug Crosby, Steve Gladstone, Dave Levington, Andrew Sheff, Andrew Singer, and Peter von Mertens.

Also on the committee are five representatives of town boards: Jonathan Dwyer (Select Board), Margit Griffith (Parks & Recreation Committee), Adam Hogue (School Committee), Ellen Meyer-Shorb (Finance Committee) and Dilla Tingley (Council on Aging and Human Services. Rounding out the roster are five nonvoting ex officio members: COA&HS Director Abigail Butt, Parks and Recreation Director Jessica Downing, Town Administrator, Timothy Higgins, Assistant Town Daniel Pereira, and Facilities Director Brandon Kelly.

Residents voted almost unanimously in March to move ahead with the community center, which is now estimated to cost $23 million to $25.4 million in 2025 dollars. Parks and Rec and the COAHS are in dire need of newer and better designed space. That would result in an annual property tax increase of about $600 on a home assessed at $1.13 million (the median in Lincoln) whose owner now pays $16,866 per year. Construction could start in June 2025 and finish 18 months later.

In 2018, the community center planning committee and its architect came up with two possible design directions (slides 5–10 in the 2021 State of the Town presentation). The new CCBC will review those two design concepts with an eye for “potential cost savings that may be achieved through re-evaluating the project scope or by other means,” according to the committee’s charge. The review will also consider how Covid-19 precautions might affect programs, interior space layout, outdoor amenities, and the role that the new and renovated school spaces might play.

The timeline proposed last fall calls for a Special Town Meeting in November 2022 to appropriate funds for architect and construction managers, and another Special Town Meeting a year later to vote on a preferred design option and budget.

Editor’s note: previous Lincoln Squirrel stories on the community center can be found on the home page of the Squirrel website. Scroll down to the red “Categories” heading in the left-hand column and click on the “community center” dropdown.

June 4 gathering in memory of Gerry Lattimore, 1937–2022

Geraldine “Gerry” Lattimore, a lifelong resident of Massachusetts and Maine, died on April 22 at the age of 84.

She was a sculptor, sang for years in the Concord Chorus, and wrote poetry and stories in secret. She took many extension courses at Radcliffe and elsewhere, leading to lifelong friendships. She was also an inveterate storm-chaser. Deeply self-effacing, she never sought renown, but loved art and nature. She nurtured young people who shared her passions or simply needed shelter and affection. She was dear to her friends for her imagination, wit, and kindness. Although shy, she (a confirmed Democrat) never hesitated to speak out vehemently for women’s rights and against racial injustice and war.

Gerry grew up in Belmont, the daughter of Gerald Harrison, a radio pioneer, sports announcer, and sailor, and Janet Hoch Harrison, a radio pianist, organist, and station manager. Gerry went to Abbot Academy Andover and graduated from Beaver Country Day School. While at Colby College, she married Hugh Nazor in 1957. When he was at Wharton, they were house parents  for the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children and cared for homeless boys, which they remembered fondly.

From 1962–1972, Gerry lived in a 1738 farm house with 50 acres of fields and woods in Bolton. When Gerry sold the property, she introduced Bolton to the practice of land conservation. From 1973 onward, she lived in Lincoln, spending summers on a Maine island. From 1978 until the early 1980s, Gerry worked as a fundraiser for Physicians for Social Responsibility, assisting Helen Caldecott in her fight against “nuclear madness.” She also shared a sculpting studio in West Concord where they hired live models and introduced her grandchildren to the complexity of the human form.

Gerry’s life in Lincoln and Harpswell, Maine was shared with her two daughters, Karen Nazor and Leslie Nazor Riversmith, and with Andrew, Julia, and John Linnell, and Margaret Macy, the children of her second husband.

In 1992 she married her third husband, Professor David Lattimore of Brown University, adding to the extended clan his six children by a former marriage: Michael Lattimore, Maria Sheppard, Clare Lattimore, Anne Price, Evan Lattimore, and the late and much-loved Rosette Lattimore. Gerry also leaves a  brother, Stanley Harrison, and his children, Michael Harrison and Rebecca Harrison Moser. She leaves Ama Harrison, widow of her deceased brother Theodore Harrison, their two sons, Cobina and Anthony Kwame Harrison, and daughter Joan Nowak. In all, she leaves 15 grandchildren.

In celebration of Gerry’s life, an informal gathering will be held at her Lincoln home on Saturday, June 4 at noon. Click here to send flowers or make a donation in her memory.

Coughlin, Hammett-Ory, and Lincoln Girl Scouts win awards

Lincoln Girl Scout troop leaders Tara Mitchell (left) and Laura Taylor (right) with 2021 honoree Linda Hammett-Ory.

 

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) recognized Lincoln’s Heather Coughlin and the Lincoln service unit at its annual Volunteer Recognition Celebration on May 6.

Coughlin was awarded the Girl Scouts of the USA Appreciation Pin, which recognizes volunteers who have given outstanding service in support of the Girl Scout leadership experience. Since 2016, she has been the Lincoln service unit coordinator, providing direction and connections between the various town troop leaders.  She has encouraged sharing information and resources and offered opportunities to participate in multi-troop events. 

For more than six years, Coughlin shouldered the majority of the town-wide events, including organizing an annual all-troop camping trip, bridging ceremonies, cookie sales, and has coordinated with the town on participating in Memorial Day and Labor Day celebrations, Fourth of July parades and supporting other town events like Town Meeting. 

One Lincoln troop leader commented, “Her attention and dedication to providing role models to young girls is what I think is most impressive about Heather.  She is always thinking of the girls — how they can be the center of the decision or process, take on a leadership role, feel celebrated and have others to look up to, examples of what they could accomplish in the future.”

The Lincoln service unit was given the President’s Award for its exemplary service. Lincoln is a small town, but the connections run deep, and those connections, paired with commitment, have allowed Lincoln Girl Scouts to persevere throughout the pandemic, GSEMA noted. Through connections in the community, Girl Scouts participate in several multi-troop service activities and events that allow girls to see other Girl Scouts from different grades, and allow older girls become role models to the younger girls.   

For over four years, a partnership with the Lincoln Council on Aging and Human Services has provided girls the opportunity to see what a positive impact a small gesture can have on individuals.  The Lincoln Girl Scouts have run collection drives for seniors gathering household products, personal care items, and postage stamps, as well as a handmade craft/card with winter wishes. A Girl Scout Bronze Award project from years ago has continued on with providing sand buckets in winter so seniors won’t slip on their walkways and driveways. These deliveries are always met with much gratitude, almost as much as when the girls deliver Girl Scout cookies to home-bound seniors as part of a gifting program sponsored by the COA&HS.

As a service unit, Lincoln has supported several Silver Award projects, including one that created connections through the local library to make virtual reading buddies, another to build and install colorful benches in the courtyard of Lincoln Mall, and a third that worked with a local synagogue to develop more gender-inclusive spaces and services.

The May 6 ceremony also recognized those who had received awards during prior years. Linda Hammett-Ory, a Lincoln Girl Scout troop leader for 13 years, received the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts’ Helen Storrow Heritage Award in June 2021. This award recognizes a registered Girl Scout who recognizes, understands, and practices the values of the Girl Scout mission and has contributed to the growth and strength of GSEMA through philanthropy and efforts to preserve Girl Scout history.

Coughlin will be stepping down as service unit coordinator this summer. Anyone interested in joining a troop, become a troop leader or help coordinate among troops may email lincolngirlscouts01773@gmail.com.

News acorns

L-S students offer tech help

Confounded by your smartphone? Having trouble updating your laptop? Can’t download an app to your tablet? Tech-savvy students from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School will be at Bemis Hall on Wednesday, June 1 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. to help with your digital gadget as they earn community service credit. Signup in advance for a time slot is required — call 781-259-8811. Please bring your device and charging cable with you.

Lincoln phone books on sale at library

Lincoln phone directories were recently mailed to all households in Lincoln (for those with small post office boxes, there is a box on one of the counters in the lobby). Additional copies are available for $10 at the Lincoln Public Library circulation desk.

June is Pride Month in Lincoln

At its May 23 meeting, the Select Board voted to issue a statement proclaiming June as Pride Month in Lincoln. The proclamation states that “during Pride and at all other times, we dedicate ourselves to using our voices and our resources to support all residents, students, employees, and visitors to participate fully in the life of our community” and that “we stand with the LGBTQIA+ community to protect their civil rights.” Click here for the full text of the proclamation.

My Turn: More affordable housing will not burden schools

The Lincoln School Committee wishes to make clear to the community that development of affordable family housing in Lincoln will not burden our schools. In fact, just the opposite is true. We welcome more students.

  • We have spaces open in our classrooms. Enrollment has been decreasing for more than a decade and is expected to continue to decrease in communities like ours, not due to increased attrition to private schools, but because of aging populations, declining birth rates, and the high cost of suburban housing.
  • Optimizing enrollment and increasing the diversity of students supports our best educational models. Grade-level middle school teams of subject-specialized teachers need an adequate cohort of students. Greater diversity in every classroom broadens all children’s educational experience.
  • Providing a greater variety of housing options will give the schools — and all town agencies — greater advantage in attracting faculty and staff who may want the opportunity to live in the community where they work.

Approved unanimously by the Lincoln School Committee, May 19, 2022.

John A. MacLachlan, chair
Tara Mitchell, vice chair
Adam Hogue
Kim Mack
Kim Rajdev
Susan Taylor
Laurel Wironen

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or 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.