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

Addendum

The YouTube video of the May 5 “election integrity” event in Bemis Hall (see the May  11 Lincoln Squirrel story headlined “Bemis Hall speakers push claims of 2020 election fraud”) has been restored after it was taken down for several days for violating the platform’s community guidelines. The video is also available on Groton resident John Abrahamsen’s Facebook page, which contains links to other far-right conspiracy sites and commentators. The May 11 Squirrel story has been updated.

Among the categories of material prohibited by YouTube are misinformation about election integrity, specifically “content that advances false claims that widespread fraud, errors, or glitches changed the outcome of select past national elections, after final election results are officially certified.” By clicking on the three dots under the right-hand side of the video frame, users can report videos that violate YouTube standards.

Service for Lincoln’s Jerry Rappaport draws hundreds

Jerry Rappaport (undated family photo)

A memorial service was on May 11 for Lincoln resident Jerome “Jerry” Rappaport, one of the most storied figures in modern Boston history. Jerry was a famed developer, philanthropist, and civic leader who helped transform the Boston skyline and is sometimes known as the man who rebuilt Boston.

Rappaport, who passed away in December 2021 at age 94, was honored with a celebration of life held at Harvard University. Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government is home to the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston, which has helped educate many top government leaders in Boston and throughout the country and helped shape enduring public policy. Rappaport helped shape Boston’s current political scene by mentoring some of the best and brightest who are now top elected officials, including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins, both of whom are Rappaport Fellows and spoke at the service.

Rappaport first came to prominence after graduating from Harvard College and Harvard Law School when he helped John B. Hynes defeat Boston Mayor James Michael Curley in the historic 1949 mayoral election. He quickly moved on to reshape Boston’s neighborhoods and skyline as a developer, most famously for the West End renewal project, which brought many residents back to the city and led to a housing renaissance.

While Rappaport’s legacy is evident in our current landscape, he is also credited with shaping our politics and creating a generation of government leaders who take a thoughtful approach to policy and governance. He founded the Harvard Law School Forum and New Boston Committee, which promoted and supported Boston City Council and School Committee candidates in a very successful venture. He also founded the Rappaport Institute for Law and Public Policy, which is now at Boston College Law School. With his beloved wife Phyllis, Rappaport also contributed more than $30 million to public policy, health, and arts initiatives through the Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport Foundation. 

The celebration of Jerry’s life was attended by a veritable “who’s who” of top government and education leaders. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker told the crowd of hundreds that Rappaport “found ways to truly make a difference and the legacy of much of his work will live on long after many have joined him in the great beyond.”

“Someone like me, who never would have imagined any of this was possible — I am only here because Jerry believed it was possible,” Wu said. 

Harvard University President Lawrence Bacow said Rappaport “believed in us, he created spaces for us, he made us all better than we might have been, stronger than we might have been, wiser than we might have been without him.”

A long list of dignitaries spoke at the Memorial Hall service honoring Jerry’s life, including others whose lives and career have been enhanced through participation at the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston. Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, the Cornelius Vanderbilt Endowed Chair of Fine Arts at Vanderbilt University and Rappaport Art Prize Winner, gave an emotional tribute in honor of her mentor. 

Phyllis and Jerry Rappaport at Harvard Law School’s inaugural Rappaport Forum, launched in 2020 to promote discussions on current affairs. (Photo by Tom Fitzsimmons)

Others who spoke included Jerry Rappaport, Jr.; longtime former Rappaport Institute Director Ed Glaeser; former Massachusetts Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez; Dr. Jacob Hooker, professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School; and Chestnut Hill Realty CEO Edward Zuker. 

The service concluded with a beautiful tribute to Jerry by his wife and true love, Phyllis Rappaport, who said, “Jerry was a life force with a twinkle in his eye — sharp, warm, incisive, mischievous, determined, brilliant, loving and loved.”

The Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston strives to improve the governance of greater Boston by strengthening connections among the region’s scholars, students, and civic leaders. The institute pursues this mission by promoting emerging leaders, producing new ideas, and stimulating informed discussion. It was founded and funded by the Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport Charitable Foundation, which promotes emerging leaders in greater Boston.

In 2000, the foundation also funded the deCordova’s Sculpture Park and Museum’s annual $35,000 Rappaport Prize.

Rappaport is buried in Lincoln Cemetery. Donations in his memory may be made to the Rappaport Institute of Greater Boston.

Editor’s note: this is a lightly edited version of a piece provided to the Lincoln Squirrel by Regan Communications Group.

My Turn: Donate to high schoolers’ food drive

Dear Lincoln Squirrel readers,

My name is Andrew Craig and I am a junior at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. I have had the pleasure of volunteering with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, our amazing local food bank at St. Joseph’s Church, that serves the residents of Lincoln and Weston. SVdP does incredible work for our community, providing vital emergency food and monetary assistance for those in need. The recent (and ongoing) Covid pandemic and challenging economic times many are experiencing only highlights the continued need to support organizations like SVdP whenever possible.

I am organizing a spring food drive with several friends to benefit SVdP on Saturday, May 21. Please consider donating any extra nonperishable food items you may have. We will happily stop by your home that morning to pick up and collect as many bags as you are willing to donate and will deliver them to the food bank that day. Our goal is collect food items from at least 50 households if possible.

Please email me directly at andrewcraig1210@gmail.com if you are able to contribute in any way. In order to continue to follow proper social distancing/safety measures, please leave your items in a bag for us to collect in a visible location near your front door, driveway, or mailbox. We would ask that you place your items outside by 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 21.

Thanks for reading and I hope to hear from you!

Sincerely,
Andrew Craig
10 Farrar Rd.

“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.

Clarification

The headline for the May 15 News Acorns item “Bench honoring Beaver Pond land donor is dedicated” was misleading. The stone seat given by the Garden Club was to honor all people who have been active in conservation in Lincoln over the years, not just land donor Jean Preston. The original headline has been updated.

News acorns

Music benefit for St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln & Weston

Gather on the grass for a benefit for St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln & Weston (SVdP) featuring music by Brian Moll, Mara Bonde & Sandra Piques Eddy, and the Kemp Harris Band on Tuesday, May 24 at 6 p.m. in Pierce Park (rain date: May 25). Bring your own chair, drinks, and picnic. Suggested donation: $50 (or more). Buy raffle tickets for great prizes. Interested in becoming a sponsor? Email svdplincolnweston@gmail.com. The Ogden Codman Trust is challenging SVdP to raise $15,000, which it will match. Help support the SVdP’s work running the food pantry, providing emergency financial assistance and awarding scholarships.

Town-wide open house at deCordova

Melvin Edwards, “Ukpo. Edo,” 1993/1996. Courtesy Alexander Gray Associates, New York; Stephen Friedman Gallery, London © 2021 Melvin Edwards/ Artists Rights Society, New York. Presented by Public Art Fund at City Hall Park, New York City, May 4–Nov. 28, 2021. Photo: Nicholas Knight, Courtesy of Public Art Fund, NY.

Lincoln residents, students and employees are invited to a special open house at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum on Sunday, June 5 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Join deCordova in celebrating new additions to its Sculpture Park, including “Melvin Edwards: Brighter Days” and “Prowse” by Rosemary Laing. Throughout the afternoon, deCordova’s curatorial team will offer guided tours exploring “Brighter Days,” a focused look at Edwards’ accomplishments in large-scale sculpture and public art through six sculptures from 1970 to today. Complimentary treats from Twisted Tree Café at deCordova. No RSVP required.

Student LGBTQ+ group hosts community celebration

The Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA), a 30-member organization with students from grades 5-8 in the Lincoln School and Hanscom Middle School, is hosting a LGBTQ+ Pride community celebration on Wednesday, June 8 from 1:30–4 p.m. at the Pierce House. There will be guest speakers, food and drinks, games, music, a raffle, and giveaways. All are welcome. SAGA helps students build connections with each other, support all identities, hosts events, learn to be allies, increase understanding and improve visibility. Questions? Email Lincoln Public Schools Adjustment Counselor Alyssa Rosenfeld at arosenfeld@lincnet.org.

L-S Friends of Music annual meeting

Lincoln Sudbury Friends of Music (LSFOM) invites all parents of music students and community members to its annual meeting on Tuesday, June 7 at 7 p.m. at LSRHS in the Chorus Room (A211). Join us to get information, talk to board members, have questions answered, meet fellow music program supporters, and learn about opportunities to get involved. There will be committee reports, a review of open positions, nominations, and elections. Board members may be elected from among LSFOM members and the community at large. For more information, visit www.lsfom.org.

Ag Commission launches logo contest

The Lincoln Agricultural Commission is hosting a contest to design a logo for its site and publications. The winner of the logo design will receive a $100 award. A description of the commission is below. Please send all designs and questions to Sherry Haydock at gshaydock@gmail.com. The contest will close on June 15. The purpose of the Agricultural Commission is to preserve, protect, and promote agriculture in Lincoln: to provide leadership, technical guidance, vision, planning, and coordination to help support, define, promote, and enable new agricultural opportunities, stability, and enhancement of ongoing operations as well as foster strong community and regional support that will work to create a sustainable agricultural community in Lincoln.

FELS seeks new board members

The Foundation for Educators at Lincoln-Sudbury (FELS) is seeking new members for its board. They meet seven or eight times a year and welcome parents of middle schoolers, current L-S parents, and parents of L-S alumni. Serving on the FELS board offers an opportunity to know grant recipients more deeply than day-to-day encounters as a parent and allows one to really understand the positive value of what the grants provide, both to the applicant and more broadly to the student experience at Lincoln-Sudbury. Interested individuals may visit www.felsgrant.org and/or email admin@felsgrant.org.

FELS is a nonprofit founded in the early 2000s by Lincolnite and then-LSRHS parent Peter von Mertens to support teachers and staff in pursuing their personal passions and interests. Grants fully or partially fund a wide array of opportunities that include travel, education, refreshment and enrichment, locally and well beyond.

Bench recognizing conservation efforts around Beaver Pond  is dedicated

Top photo, left to right: Larry Buell and Kim Buell of the Lincoln Garden Club (LGC), Stacy Carter (Conservation), Sara Lupkas (LLCT), Katherine Preston, Geoff McGean (LLCT), Annie Knowlton, Nancy Henderson (LGC), Jane Layton (LLCT), and Jennifer Glass (LGC). Bottom photo: Preston and Knowlton.

Members of the Lincoln Garden Club, the Conservation Department, and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust recently gathered to dedicate a new granite bench on Beaver Pond. Katherine Preston and Annie Knowlton, whose mother Jean Preston donated the land where the bench is sited to the LLCT, were also in attendance. The bench was funded by the Garden Club and installed by the Conservation Department. Garden Club members Kim Buell and Nancy Henderson chose the granite pieces and designed the plaque. Click here for more photos and click here for a map showing where the bench is located.

 

News acorns

Election integrity article addendum

Some time after the story headlined “Bemis Hall speakers push claims of 2020 election fraud” was published in the Lincoln Squirrel on the evening of May 11, the linked video of the May 5 event in Lincoln posted by YouTuber “bluesmovers” was taken down by YouTube for violating the platform’s community guidelines. Those guidelines cover a number of categories, but the video was most likely removed for violating the elections misinformation standards, which include a prohibition on videos about election integrity with “content that advances false claims that widespread fraud, errors, or glitches changed the outcome of select past national elections, after final election results are officially certified.”

Masks now strongly recommended in Lincoln

Due to recent data showing an increase in positive Covid-19 cases in Lincoln and Massachusetts, the town Board of Health strongly recommends that people wear masks in public indoor spaces until the middle of June. Also, anyone who is eligible should get the second booster. The town has seen an average of 7.4 cases per week during March and April but 22 for the week ending May 5 (that does not include rapid antigen tests dine in a lab or at home). If you do test positive for Covid-19, call your doctor for a prescription of Paxlovid, which has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms and avoiding hospitalization.

Tack Room gets entertainment license

The Select Board voted on May 9 to grant a provisional entertainment license to the Tack Room. The restaurant will be allowed to have live outdoor entertainment on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from about 4:30–9:30 p.m. between the building and Lincoln Road. The board gave the OK on April 25 for the Tack Room to expand into part of that area during warm weather.

The entertainment license will also permit indoor acoustic performers and perhaps a trivia night if the owners decide it’s feasible given the limited space. Tack Rom co-owner Brandon Bunnewith said they hoped to have up to five outdoor events with amplified sound, though nothing had been booked yet. the license is valid through the end of the calendar year, can be withdrawn if there are complaints about excessive noise.

Meeting held on train crossing incident

Lincoln officials met recently with MBTA and Keolis representatives to learn more about what caused the frightening near-miss at the Route 117 railroad crossing on April 11. Town Administrator Tim Higgins, Police Chief Kevin Kennedy, and Select Board member Jim Hutchison were told that “the investigation is still in progress,” Higgins reported. Since a maintenance crew was in the area at the time, it’s most likely that human error was responsible.

The MBTA and Keolis promised to come to Lincoln and share their findings once they were available, and to visit all four of Lincoln’s railroad crossings to look at possible additional safety measures. Kennedy suggested that signs be installed at crossings when rail work was happening nearby to warn drivers.

May 21 service for Betty Teabo, 93

Elizabeth Teabo

Elizabeth “Betty” Teabo, age 93, passed away peacefully at her home in Lincoln surrounded by the love of her dearest family members. She grew up in Jefferson, Maine with six siblings, resided in New York City, and eventually found her home in Lincoln, where she met and married her beloved husband of 64 years, Prince “Bud” Teabo, who preceded her in death.

Betty was a member of St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church. She served on their Altar Guild for over 50 years, taught Sunday school to children, and mentored many others. She worked with her dear friend Judy Gross at Country Weddings in Lincoln for several decades, where she exhibited her floral talents at innumerable weddings and celebrations. She was also a member of the Lincoln Garden Club. Her artistic eye and attention to detail yielded floral compositions of singular beauty that live on in photographs.

Betty loved animals and was known to take in a stray from time to time. This brought opportunity for joyful laughter from family members in response to their comedic antics.

Mom loved to cook, but rarely wrote down her recipes; they were committed to memory only. With some encouragement from the family, we persuaded her to memorialize our favorites to perpetuity and we enjoy them thoroughly still. She was host to many memorable holiday celebrations, and never let anyone go home hungry.

We remember picking raspberries, apples, walks to Drumlin Farm, and car rides to Crane’s Beach with friends.

Devoted to her family for so long, we became devoted to her care in her struggle with Alzheimer’s. Mom leaves us now and is survived by her four sons and their spouses, David and Nadine (Rando) of Hudson, Michael and Tammie (Corey) of Marlboro, Timothy and Pauravi (Dalal) of Carlisle, and Scott and Melanie (Borromeo) of Wilmington. She is also survived by 16 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Betty on Saturday, May 21 at 2 p.m. for a memorial service at St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Church in Lincoln. She will be interred after the service in the Peace Garden at St. Anne’s beside her beloved husband.

Arrangements under the care of Concord Funeral Home, 74 Belknap St., Concord, MA 01742 (978-369-3388).

Obituaries are provided by the funeral home to Lincoln Squirrel for a fee.

My Turn from the editor: Critical thinking about election integrity and political biases

By Alice Waugh

(This editorial was updated on May 12 and May 17 — scroll down for details.)

This is the first time I’ve written an editorial for the Lincoln Squirrel. I always try to be as even-handed as possible and put aside my own opinions when writing news stories, and I did the same for today’s article headlined “Bemis Hall speakers push claims of 2020 election fraud.” To be clear, I was not able to attend the May 5 event, but I watched the video and spoke with individuals afterwards while objectively reporting what took place. But I want to depart from objectivity for a moment and state unequivocally that I think the claims made at the event are completely spurious.

Seth Keshel and the other speakers are repeating the familiar extremist exercise of taking a desired result and working backwards by cherry-picking data and making incorrect cause-and-effect assumptions. His simplistic “analysis” completely fails to take into account complex factors such as voter turnout, demographics, and motivations, and he and others assume that any unwanted or unexpected outcome must be the result of deliberate trickery by political opponents.

When listening to a political argument, the most important quality for any voter (and reporter, for that matter) is the capacity for critical thinking, which includes being able to accurately evaluate the sources of information on which we base our opinions. As we all know, the media landscape has expanded and fractured to the point that legitimate-looking “news” sites can publish highly biased and even completely fabricated stories that only harden the beliefs of their readers. This applies to both political extremes — Alternet and Occupy Democrats as well as Infowars and Gateway Pundit. When consuming or reacting to news, I urge everyone to consult this chart that illustrates the factual reliability and partisan lean of dozens of print, TV and web news sources (as noted in the site’s methodology section, they go to great lengths to be unbiased in their rankings).

More to the point: to echo one of the speakers, “I have a lot of questions” — though mine center on the psychology of the people that espouse conspiracy theories and extreme views. Psychologists have plenty to say about cognitive biases including selective perception and the Dunning-Kruger effect, and there are many theories about what causes extreme right-wing political biases in some, and what fuels their underlying feelings of grievance and resentment. Is it attitudes inherited from parents or other authority figures? Is it a natural desire for authority figures that offer easy explanations about a sometimes incomprehensible and frightening world? Is it a simple fear of change, or general paranoia about “others” who they think are trying to take what’s theirs?

These are not questions I ever thought I would have to consider in my capacity as reporter and editor of the Lincoln Squirrel as I try to present both sides of sometimes controversial local issues. Irrational and dangerous political beliefs have landed in our own backyard, and we owe it to ourselves to be vigilant about extremism of all kinds even as we guarantee people’s right to make their arguments. What’s important is not simply condemning those arguments and all types of “fake news,” but trying to understand how one’s opinions are formed.

May 12 update:

Bravo for youTube. A video of the May 5 event was available for a few days, but YouTube took it down shortly after this article was originally published on the evening of May 10 for violating its community guidelines. Those guidelines cover a number of categories, but the video was most likely removed for violating the Elections Misinformation standards, which include a prohibition on videos about election integrity with “content that advances false claims that widespread fraud, errors, or glitches changed the outcome of select past national elections, after final election results are officially certified.”

May 17 update:

The YouTube video has been restored. It is also also available on Groton resident John Abrahamsen’s Facebook page, which contains links to other far-right conspiracy sites and commentators. I invite readers to click on the three dots under the right-hand side of the video frame, where users can report videos that violate YouTube standards.

“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.

Bemis Hall speakers push claims of 2020 election fraud

The digital flyer publicizing the May 5 event in Lincoln.

(Editor’s note: please see this accompanying editorial by Lincoln Squirrel editor Alice Waugh. Also, this story was updated on May 12 — scroll to the bottom for details.)

Questions swirled last week about how a group of right-wing “election integrity” skeptics came to speak to an enthusiastic crowd (most from out of town) in Bemis Hall on May 5. The controversy gave rise to dozens of passionate posts on LincolnTalk before the topic was banned by moderators, snared former Select Board candidate Adam Hogue, and spotlighted a grassroots movement to restrict voting and take over the management of elections at the local level.

Alarm bells rang for many in Lincoln when it became know that “Election Integrity Analysis & Discussion” would feature remarks by Seth Keshel, a U.S. Army veteran who’s been speaking around the country in support of his claims that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election only because of voter fraud.

It initially appeared that Hogue, who runs the Veterans of Lincoln, Mass. group (VOLMA), organized the May 5 event, but this turned out not to be the case. The actual organizers were Todd Pond Road residents Tom and Edie Risser. Tom Risser, a cardiologist with the Cambridge Health Alliance and Navy veteran, is a VOLMA member.

Renting Bemis Hall for a private event costs $300, though there is no fee if a town group sponsors it. “We reached out to Adam and he was happy to sponsor it from the perspective of saving us money,” Edie Risser said on May 10. They agreed that VOLMA would not be mentioned in publicity for the event, but after the resulting outcry, Hogue clarified with Bemis Hall that his group was not sponsoring it, and the Rissers agreed to pay the $300.

Hogue co-founded VOLMA (which he said has 30-40 members) about 10 years ago to work with the Lincoln Veterans’ Services Officer and plan activities for Memorial Day and other events. Asked by the Lincoln Squirrel this week whether he agreed with Keshel’s views about the election, he said, “Absolutely not.”

According to Edie Risser, Keshel offered to include Rhode Island election trends in his analysis, so a group of about 30 people from that state were bused up to Lincoln to attend. 

The event itself was orderly, with a tone that varied from light-hearted to indignant. Co-emcee Tom Risser opened the proceedings by leading the audience in a militarily correct pledge of allegiance and a prayer. Several other speakers preceded Keshel, including former Army Capt. James Tesauro, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Sheboygan, Wis., last year. He didn’t discuss any specifics regarding alleged election fraud but railed against what he saw as the left’s attempts to “brainwash” and control people.

“I’m not sending my kid to public school when she’s old enough because she’s not going to be indoctrinated by state propaganda. End of story. I don’t care what the state tells me what to do. I don’t need Daddy Government to tell me how to live my life or teach my children how to grow up or what they should believe. That’s my job,” he said to applause.

“We have to learn how to fight and think… we have to be involved,” said Tesauro, who urged attendees to run for local school board and county government. “Or go to a [local government] meeting and show up to stuff like this,” he said. The left’s attitude toward people like him is “we’re going to delete you from the planet,” he added, saying it was a “badge of honor” that he had been banned from Twitter.

Keshel, decked out in Revolutionary War clothing and tricorn hat, titled his segment “Behind the Election Corruption Curtain.” His talk focused on how the 2020 election results in some states and counties bucked voting trends from several previous several elections. “I don’t believe Trump won Massachusetts, but Rhode Island has a very nasty trend chart,” he said.

Keshel gained attention last summer when he claimed to prove that there were 8.1 million fraudulent votes in the 2020 election and that Trump won seven states that he actually lost. His false claims were publicized by websites including the Gateway Pundit, which Wikipedia describes as “a far-right fake news website… known for publishing falsehoods, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories.” Centrist news organizations including the Associated Press and Reuters have debunked the election fraud claims made by Keshel and other military veterans.

Among Keshel’s other remarks:

  • He scorned polling by the “mainstream media,” which he said is done to “influence minds.”
  • Moderate Republicans often promote centrist candidates “to make sure the political system stays intact and is not taken over by populists who may put America first.”
  • The CDC is “tracking all kinds of people to see if they’re obeying [public health] mandates.”
  • The Department of Homeland Security “wants to call people organizing meetings like this a bunch of terrorists.”
  • He cited a quote often misattributed to Samuel Adams: “He did not believe you needed a majority to prevail… he believed it only takes an irate minority intent on setting brushfires of freedom in the hearts and minds of men.”

To achieve “election integrity,” Keshel advocated 10 steps including banning all electronic voting equipment, requiring a photo ID for all voters, banning early voting and mail-in voting by everyone except overseas military members and those who are certified as “disabled by a notary,” and banning so-called “ballot harvesting” where it’s legal in 36 states for someone chosen by the voter to return mail and absentee ballots on their behalf.

Interviewed by the Squirrel on May 10, Edie Risser said, “if I could do it again, I would. I was happy with the event — I think it reflected a lot of stuff going on out there. This has been going on for a while, the sense that the elections can’t be trusted. I think people also felt disenfranchised in 2016 and then there were four years of targeting that president [Trump].” She also echoed familiar claims about the media distorting and suppressing accounts about the Clinton campaign’s activities, Russian election interference, and Hunter Biden’s laptop. 

“People have to be nonemotional and just look at data,” she said. “I wanted that whole thing to be objectively looking at information, but I guess nothing can be nonpartisan these days.”

May 12 update:

A video of the May 5 event was available for a few days on YouTube, but the platform took it down shortly after this article was originally published on the evening of May 10 for violating its community guidelines. Those guidelines cover a number of categories, but the video was most likely removed for violating the Elections Misinformation standards, which include a prohibition on videos about election integrity with “content that advances false claims that widespread fraud, errors, or glitches changed the outcome of select past national elections, after final election results are officially certified.”

May 17 update:

The YouTube video has been restored. It is also also available on Groton resident John Abrahamsen’s Facebook page, which contains links to other far-right conspiracy sites and commentators. 

News acorns

Support 8th-grade grads at their sole fundraising event

The Lincoln School’s eighth-graders are getting ready to graduate. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to have dances or bake sales again this year, which are the usual sources of funds, so they need to do some serious fundraising to support the cost of the graduation celebration and the traditional class gift to the school. They will hold a car wash on Saturday, May 21 at the Town Hall from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (rain date: May 22). Click here to purchase a ticket ($20) and/or make a donation. This is their one opportunity to raise the needed funds, so please consider making a donation. This cohort has been particularly impacted by COVID, missing out on all the major middle school field trips, dances, and many enrichment activities, so we really hope to make this an extra-special graduation.

Open Studio artwork to be shown

Artworks by participants in Lincoln Parks and Recreation’s Open Studio will soon be on display in the Lincoln Public Library gallery, with an opening reception for the exhibit on Thursday, May 19 from 4-6 p.m. Open Studio meets weekly in a large, light-filled room during the school year on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Hartwell Pod A. For more information, call 781-259-0784 or contact Sarah Chester at schester636@gmail.com.

COA&HS topics include cooking, driving, probate 

Here are some of the May activities hosted by the Lincoln Council on Aging and Human Services. Most events are open to Lincoln residents of all ages. For a full list — including clinics, exercise classes, regular meetings of interest groups, and online chats with town officials — see the COAHS’s calendar page or May newsletter. Call 781-259-8811 or email gagnea@lincolntown.org for Zoom links and other information.

Brain-Healthy Cooking For One
Friday, May 13 at 1 p.m.
Learn to eat nutritiously, reduce food waste, and stretch your shopping budget when cooking for one. Senior Living residence chefs will show us how to prepare several tasty Mediterranean-style meals from a short list of cost-effective, brain-healthy ingredients. Please RSVP by calling 781-259-8811 by May 11.

The Driving Dilemma
Friday, May 20 at 1 p.m.
This presentation will review what we know about driver safety for seniors, how to keep driving safely, and the warning signs that may signal it is time to retire from driving. Beth Dugan, an Associate Professor of Gerontology at UMASS Boston, is actively investigating healthy aging She serves on the Governor’s Council to Address Aging Issues in Mass., has been a guest on WGBH, and is author of The Driving Dilemma: The Complete Resources Guide for Older Drivers and Their Loved Ones.

Probate Avoidance & Beneficiary Designations
Friday, May 27 at 1 p.m.
Elder law attorney Sasha Golden will share important news regarding probate avoidance and beneficiary designations. There have been many changes in the laws recently concerning naming beneficiaries of retirement plans. Sasha is a Lincoln resident and donates her expertise for monthly legal clinics & programs.

Summer farmer’s market kicks off on June 4

The first Lincoln Arts and Farmers Market for the 2022 season will be Saturday, June 4 from  9 a.m.–1 p.m. on the lawn in front of the Tack Room at 145 Lincoln Rd. The market will run weekly June-October. This year there will be more vendors, more produce, and more coffee along with music, food, arts and crafts. Stay updated on planning and vendor availability each week via this Facebook page.

Dramatic Shakespeare compilation on tap

The Lincoln Public Library will host “Shake-scene” on Friday, June 10 at 1 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Join Shakespearian performers Stephen Collins and Poornima Kirby for a rollicking ride through some of the bard’s finest poetry and most compelling characters in this original compilation of scenes, monologues and sonnets woven together with facts and lively banter. A Q&A period will follow the hour-long presentation. This program is cosponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Library and the Friends of the COA.

Musical duo in Pierce House tent

“Elizabeth & Ben Anderson: Scottish Fiddle and Cello Duo” will take place under the tent at the Pierce House on Wednesday, June 15 at 7 p.m. Blending Scottish tunes with lively rhythms and innovative harmonies, the pair create a sound rooted in tradition, inspired by the contemporary but completely original. This program is supported by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Garden club hosts Roaring ’20s fundraiser

The Lincoln Garden Club’s Roaring 2022 Prohibition Party fundraiser extravaganza takes place on Friday, June 17 from 6-9 p.m. in the Pierce House tent. Fine hors d’ oeuvres and wine, along with two signature cocktails (“hooker’s lips” highballs and chocolate mint mojitos) will be served. Lincoln resident Nicholas Ribush will be performing with his 1920s brass band along with Amy Kucharik, who will sing naughty flapper songs. The Minuteman Model A Club of Sudbury will also be on hand with eight of their 1920s cars to provide ambience and beautiful photo backdrops as guests arrive.

This is not a costume party but the dress code is “cocktail glam,” so bring out the shimmer, sparkle and shine! No password required at the door at this speakeasy, but you must show your vaccine card with three or four shots. Tickets are $55 and must be purchased in advance. All proceeds will go towards maintaining Lincoln’s Station Park as well as towards many other community service projects stewarded by the Garden Club. Questions? Call Joanna Schmergel at 617-645-9059.