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

My Turn: Lincoln needs a Climate Action Plan

(Editor’s note: Climate Action Lincoln gave a presentation at the State of the Town meeting on Nov. 2, 2021).

To the editor:

The global climate crisis has us all wondering what we can do now and for the next generation. The great news is that, as a town, we are not powerless. Lincoln is going to develop a Climate Action Plan that will address climate change on many levels.

Massachusetts is legally committed to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 and a 50% reduction from 1990 levels by 2030. That means we in Massachusetts must cut our use of fossil fuels by about one-third in eight years — a drastic reduction in the use of natural gas, oil and propane to heat and cool houses, to run our cars, trucks, and buses, and to generate electricity.

For the last year, volunteers from Climate Action Lincoln, a subcommittee of the Green Energy Committee, have been learning about climate plans from our neighboring towns. Lexington, Concord, Carlisle, Weston, Arlington, Cambridge, and Acton have comprehensive plans, and most have Sustainability Managers. We have also met with 12 town boards and committees to hear about their efforts.

While Lincoln has done a lot to protect the environment, become more energy-efficient, and reduce GHG emissions, there is more we can do together as a community.

We are pleased to announce that Jennifer Curtin, Assistant Director of Planning and Land Use, will support our efforts. She is working to secure grant funding for a consultant to lead Lincoln through development of a Climate Action Plan, which will address the interconnected issues of the climate crisis:

  • Electrification with renewable energy to reduce GHG emissions
  • Mitigation and adaptation to climate impacts
  • Ensuring environmental justice and supporting vulnerable populations
  • Safeguarding public health
  • Creating sustainable and resilient infrastructure
  • Protecting and regenerating ecological systems, including back yards, forests, open space, farms, and wetlands

A Climate Action Plan will also coordinate and recommend municipal, commercial, and residential actions. It will address the built environment, transportation, energy production, waste, and land use in Lincoln.

Town-wide participation is critical to developing a Climate Action Plan that will achieve results, not just sit on a shelf or a website. In Lincoln, actions by residents will be crucial to the success of a plan as Lincoln has very small commercial and municipal sectors. The process of developing a plan will include:

  • Visioning — Engagement of all residents and stakeholders in town
  • Data — Energy use, GHG emissions, carbon storage
  • Analysis — Vulnerable populations, housing, infrastructure, transportation
  • Goals — Align with state and federal goals; interpret for residents
  • Implementation — Timelines, accountable parties, measurement
  • Financial implications for the town budget

As the town works to secure funding for the plan, Climate Action Lincoln would like to engage residents. To join our group, receive updates on our progress, or arrange a presentation for your organization, please email ClimateAction@lincolntown.org or reach out to one of our members listed below.

Sincerely,

Climate Action Lincoln
Sue Klem (chair), Roy Harvey, Emily Haslett, Staci Montori, and Lynne Smith

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Police log for February 7–22, 2022

ebruary 7

Carroll School, 3:39 p.m. — Two-car minor vehicle crash, no injuries.

Meadowdam Road, 8:12 p.m. — A family member requested a well-being check. Officers made contact with the party; all was well.

February 8

Hanscom Drive (1:08 p.m.) — Two-car motor vehicle crash, no injuries. Vehicle was towed from the scene.

February 9

Lexington Road (7:40 a.m.) — One-car crash, vehicle struck a sign. Minor damage.

February 10

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (2:47 a.m.) — Officer stopped a vehicle for motor vehicle violations. The operator, Janilson Teles Barbosa, 34, of Brighton was arrested for OUI–liquor, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and marked lane violation. He was later bailed to appear in Concord District Court.

South Great Road (3:49 p.m.) — Elderly resident reported they couldn’t find the keys to their car and believed someone took them. Officer went to the house and spoke to the party; it appears the keys were misplaced.

Lexington Road (10:59 p.m.) — Caller requested assistance with a civil family matter involving a juvenile.

February 11

Trapelo Road (11:11 a.m.) — Alarm company reported a fire alarm at the residence. Fire Department responded and found that the alarm was caused by food on the stove.

Old Concord Road (2:55 p.m.) — Caller reported that two of their dogs ran off.

February 12

South Great Road (1:12 p.m.) — Caller reported being involved in a road rage incident. Officers responded; the incident occurred in Weston. Weston police will follow up.

February 13

Baker Bridge Road (9:05 a.m.) — Caller reported that, while walking their dog on a trail, it ran off to chase a coyote. Officers checked the area for the dog but were unable to locate.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (11:39 a.m.) — Caller reported a strange odor. Fire Department responded to the natural gas site but found no readings of natural gas.

South Great Road (5:49 p.m.) — One-car crash near Mt. Misery. Party was transported to Emerson Hospital and vehicle was towed.

Huckleberry Hill (6:57 p.m.) — A party was involved in a crash in their driveway. No injuries; vehicle was towed.

February 14

Minebrook Road (11:50 a.m.) — Request for a well-being check. Officer made contact and the party was fine.

South Great Road (6:08 p.m.) — Car-vs.-deer crash. No injuries, vehicle was towed.
February 15

Trapelo Road (11:08 a.m.) — Motor vehicle crash that turned out to be in Waltham, whose police handled.

February 16

Lincoln Road (10:46 a.m.) — Caller requested assistance with access to their house as they’re locked out. Fire Department assisted the party.

Old Sudbury Road (11:21 am.) — A walk-in to the station reported an attempted scam involving an advertisement they’d placed. No financial loss.

Trapelo Road (4:52 a.m.) — Officer checked on a party pulled off to the side of the road. They were lost and the officer assisted with giving directions.

Conant Road (5:11 p.m.) — Party reported finding a cat in the area and asked to speak to Animal Control, which followed up.

February 17

South Great Road (9:41 a.m.) — Report of two dogs running in the roadway causing a hazard. Several attempts were made to contact the owner with no results. Animal Control was contacted to pick up the dogs.

Conant Road (5:29 p.m.) — Weston police requested assistance locating a party who was possibly involved in a hit and run crash in their town. Officers made contact with the party and Weston police handled the matter.

Lincoln Road (8:21 p.m.) — Officer checked on a party pull over to the side of the roadway. The party was fine.

Bedford Lane (8:41 p.m.) — Caller reported that their dog was barking and they heard a noise, so they asked that an officer check the area. The area was checked but nothing was found.

Meadowbrook Road (10:11 p.m.) — Caller reported that a vehicle was parked in front of the house for over an hour. Officers checked and it was an EverSource worker.

February 18

Davison Drive (6:03 a.m.) — Officers stood by while federal authorities arrested Julien Toulotte, 23, of Boston on a warrant.

Conant Road (11:03 a.m.) — Officer delivered paperwork to the party from the RMV.

Birchwood Lane (5:00 p.m.) — A party called to report a possible online scam. There was no financial compromise to any of their accounts.

Bedford Road (7:52 p.m.) — AAA reported they’d received a call about a crash on Bedford Road involving a deer. The caller was requesting a tow. Officers checked the length of Bedford Road but found nothing.

Lincoln Road (8:09 a.m.) — Mass. Probation Department reported that a party at the residence had violated probation curfew and a warrant had been issued. The party was no longer living at the address. Waltham police were told of a possible address where he could be; they subsequently reported that the party was in custody.

Lincoln Road (11:04 p.m.) — AAA called saying they’d received a call from a member who was stranded in a parking lot. Officers checked the residence; the party reported that they were fine; the mechanical issue had been resolved and they drove home.

February 19

Nothing of note.

February 20

Lincoln Police Department (6:22 p.m.) — A party from out of state sought a well-being check at a Lincoln residence. The involved parties are not living at the residence.

February 21

Old Cambridge Turnpike (9:30 a.m.) — Caller reported being involved in a civil matter with their landlord. Officer spoke to the party and advised them of their legal options.

South Great Road (10:59 a.m.) — Two-car crash, no injuries.

February 22

South Great Road (11:35 a.m.) — Officer assisted with a funeral escort into town from Weston.

Patterson Road, Hanscom AFB (1:40 p.m.) — A party came to the station requesting a VIN verification to register their vehicle. An officer assisted the party.

Smith Hill Road (2:20 p.m. and 6:20 p.m.) — Officer attempted to deliver paperwork from the RMV but no one was home.

News acorns

Two events with energy and utilities legislators

MetroWest Climate Solutions will offer a two-part series featuring the Senate and House chairs of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy (TUE) at the State House. The committee’s jurisdiction covers a range of issues including cell phones, alternative energy, public utility reform, and carbon pricing. These sessions offer a unique opportunity to hear from some of the state’s most influential legislators on climate legislation. There will be Q&A periods at the end of each program.

  • On Wednesday, March 2 at 7 p.m., State Sen. Mike Barrett and Professor Chris Knittel from the MIT Sloan School of Management will discuss proposed climate and energy legislation being considered during this legislative session. Click here to register.
  • On Tuesday, March 15 at 7 p.m., Rep. Jeffrey Roy, House chair of the TUE, and Rep. Alice Peisch will discuss several bills in process including Rep. Roy’s bill, H.4348: An Act Advancing Offshore Wind and Clean Energy. Click here to register.

Kids invited to write for “Tales from the Twisted Tree”

Teens and children age 8 and up are invited to submit a story for the Lincoln Public Library’s upcoming publication, “Tales from the Twisted Tree.” Interested writers should attend the Zoom information session on Saturday, March 5 at 10:30 a.m. to learn more about the library’s one-of-a-kind Catalpa tree and the publishing project (the meeting will be recorded if you can’t make it). Sign up by emailing dleopold@minlib.net and click here to learn more.

Sessions on racism’s costs and health inequities

See a screening of a TED Talk by Heather McGhee as well as an interview by Laura Flanders with McGhee discussing The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together on Thursday, March 3 at 7 p.m. on Zoom, sponsored by the First Parish in Lincoln’s Racial Justice Advocates. In her book, interview, and TED Talk, McGhee shows not only the cost of racism for everyone — not just people of color — but also offers us a road map for a better future for all. An expert in economic and social policy, McGhee has been applauded for her remarkable data-driven research and her thoughtful interviews with a variety of people and experts. Click here for the Zoom link (passcode: 034126).

Dr. Thea James

Dr. Thea James, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Boston Medical Center/BU School of Medicine, will discuss “Race & Health Equity in Boston: How We Can Achieve Healthy Communities for All” on Thursday, March 10 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Questions she’ll address include: How did health inequities in Boston arise, and how have they persisted? What are the links with challenges in housing, economic development, and other social issues? How can communities in Greater Boston create effective partnerships to build healthy communities? Hosted by the FPL Racial Justice Advocates and Outreach Committee; cosponsored by the Lincoln Public Library, Lincoln WIDE, and the Lincoln Council on Aging and Human Resources. Click here to register.

Reading for Racial and Social Justice book discussions

The Lincoln Public Library’s Reading for Racial Justice group is now Reading for Racial and Social Justice. All sessions will be conducted via Zoom. To receive a Zoom invitation or learn more, email rrapoport@minlib.net. Newcomers are always welcome. The spring schedule is as follows:

Lincolnites rally to the aid of Sudanese woman

A sign over a doorway in the apartment that Lincolnites helped a Sudanese woman rent and decorate.

By Maureen Belt

Everyone’s familiar with the saying “It takes a village to raise a child,” but a local organization is putting a new spin on it.

“It takes a village to resettle a family in Massachusetts,” said Susan Winship, LICSW, who co-founded the South Sudanese Enrichment for Families in 2004, a nonprofit that provides grants to house, educate, and enrich survivors of the “Lost Boys” diaspora and their families. 

The Lost Boys was a humanitarian crisis caused by the Sudanese civil war. More than 20,000 children, most of them boys around eight years old, were driven from their homes and half of them perished. The survivors traversed barefoot for more than 1,000 miles to the safety of Kenya and have since been resettled throughout the world.

Some took refuge in the United States and organizations such as the SSEF sprouted up to provide for their basic needs. Besides helping the children acclimate to the United States, the organization assists with everything from employment and technical skills, summer camp and emergency funding. The program, Winship said, was chugging along beautifully, assisting scores of refugees to comfortably reside in the U.S. — until the housing hit.

Rents in Massachusetts skyrocketed last year. Prospective tenants for a once-affordable bare-minimum two-bedroom unit in Massachusetts were asked to shell out nearly twice the national average, according to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. Lofty salaries offered by local technology and biomedical companies fueled the surge and the ability of landlords to discard applications with even the hint of a blemish. Add a prospective tenant with multiple children and a not-so-great credit score, “and you can just hang it up,” said Winship. 

Winship was referring to Mary, a single mother of three school-aged children who became SSEF’s latest success story after clearing the housing hurdle. Mary, whose last name is being withheld because she left a situation where she felt unsafe, is a Sudanese refugee who dreamed of becoming a doctor. She arrived poor in Illinois in the mid-aughts and married another refugee. The marriage was tumultuous and ended. Last year, Mary and the children took further refuge with relatives in Boston. That shelter was short-lived, as one of the relatives expected Mary and the children to live in an unheated attic.

Once on SSEF’s radar, Winship immediately sought safe housing for Mary. Having done this work multiple times, she knew there would be correspondence with landlords, appointments for apartment showings, and detailed applications to fill out, but she presumed Mary and her family would be nicely settled in a month or so. But the housing crisis nearly upended Winship’s plans. Eventually, the situation prompted the SSEF to develop a program focused solely on navigating the housing issue. The plan had three parts:

  • A housing consultant (hired in late 2021)
  • A program encouraging volunteers to co-sign leases for prospective low-income tenants, especially those with weak credit scores
  • A fundraising project where housing recipients embroider dinner napkins at home that are sold through SSEF — an effort that will being an estimated $5,000 a year in additional funds for each family. 

“We are responding to a need, and this is a very big need,” said Winship.

The consultant’s research revealed what Winship had suspected: “Lots and lots of people were housing insecure.” And lots and lots of people would be needed to get through it, hence the “village” reference.

True to Lincoln’s reputation for helping others, more than a dozen residents came to Mary’s aid. Within a few months, the volunteers helped her secure a home and ensured her children would not have to change schools again. They also found suitable furnishings and embellishments such as curtains, posters, shelves and even a refrigerator stocked with fresh food, converting the housing unit into a home. 

But it wasn’t easy.

“It’s not just a bad credit score,” said “Sydney,” a Lincoln resident who volunteered to cosign Mary’s lease and also requested anonymity. “No one really wants to rent to a family that large. Landlords are not allowed to discriminate on the basis of children, but they do, and there’s no way to hold them accountable. The number of kids Mary has seems to be unappealing to most landlords, not to mention she’s a single mom and a Black mom.”

There were other obstructions, she said. Most housing applications are done online, and Mary has few technical skills and very limited reading skills. This is not uncommon among Sudanese refugees, as traditionally the culture relies on oral rather than written communication. Sydney assisted with much of the online work and the women soon found themselves consumed with applications waiting to be filled out. Each unit sought for Mary required a separate application and references. “We applied to so many, and there is no common app,” Sydney said. 

Mary’s income created another obstacle. Employed by an online retailer, she earns $37,000 a year and receives another $10,000 in government assistance. Support from her former spouse disappeared when he quit his job. 

“No one would rent to her,” said Winship. “Landlords want your gross income to be three times your rent.”

Mary could not clear that requirement on her own. Instead, she began falling through bureaucratic cracks. She made too much money to qualify for affordable housing, but she wasn’t poor enough for emergency housing. Then there was her unfortunate credit score, her need for child care while she worked, and other fluctuating expenses such as food and utilities. The uphill task became ever more daunting.

Still, much like the Lost Boys themselves, the Lincoln volunteers soldiered on, and perseverance paid off. A real estate agent in Arlington with a personal connection to the Lost Boys took kindly to Mary. “She said, ‘I’ll help you find a place.’ And, she did,” Sydney recalled. 

Through her networking, the agent connected with the sympathetic landlord of a three-bedroom apartment in Salem. But even after agreeing to lower the rent below market value, however, Mary still did not qualify on her own. Her options narrowed down to the family living out of her car or becoming homeless.

“I said, ‘Forget it, that’s not going to happen,’” Sydney said, and cosigned on the dotted line. 

Mary and her children moved into their new home on February 1. Her Lincoln helpers ensured every room was not only furnished but nicely decorated. The kitchen was stocked with cookware and dishes.

“She was so happy. This family had been in transition for nearly two years,” said an exuberant Winship. “Now they have beds and bedrooms. Before that, it wasn’t like that at all.”

Sydney admits to being nervous about cosigning, especially as they had only known Mary a short time. But they have no regrets. “I feel very happy that I did it,’ they said. “It’s especially important for the kids, for them to have a home. It’s very gratifying in that way.” 

Other organizations that helped SSEF fund Mary’s journey to safety include:

My Turn: Thanks to those who contributed to LincFam’s heart installment

Dear Lincoln,

Thank you from the bottom, top, and middle of our beating hearts for leaving such beautiful missives of kindness and gratitude in LincFam’s Winter Carnival wooden heart installment (see pictures below).

We received beautiful pictures from some of our youngest community members, as well as equally thoughtful and heartfelt notes from everyone else. Notes came pouring in thanking our great town workers and organizations, individuals who graced us with time and care this last year, teachers, our brave students who volunteered and championed countless challenges, and so much more. These notes will be delivered individually where possible, but the love our community has shown one another this last year is palpable in every picture and word.

Thank you for your big heart, Lincoln!

With love,

The Lincoln Family Association

heartpic
heart-collage
heart3
heart5
heart2
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“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.

News acorns

Learn about heat pumps for your home

The Green Energy Committee is hosting several heat pump information sessions. The first will be Sunday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. and will focus on condominiums in Lincoln. Click here to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

“On Belonging in Outdoor Spaces” talk

Scott Edwards

Harvard ornithologist Scott Edwards will discuss “Bicycling, Birding and #BLM Across America in a Summer of Chaos” on Wednesday, March 2 at 7 p.m. The talk is part of the “On Belonging in Outdoor Spaces” speaker series on access, inclusion, & connection in nature (spring 2022 funding provided by the Ogden Codman Trust). Discussing his 76-day, 3,800-mile bicycle trek across the U.S. with “Black Lives Matter” signs affixed to his bicycle, Scott will reflect on the people, landscapes, and birds he encountered and convey the challenges, generosity, and hope that inspired and surprised him throughout his journey. Click here to register and receive the meeting link.

Lincoln Dems to hold virtual caucus

The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee will hold a caucus on Monday, March 7 from 7–8:30 p.m. (Zoom room opens at 6:30) to elect five delegates and four alternates to the 2022 Massachusetts Democratic Party Convention in Worcester on June 4. All Democrats registered in Lincoln are eligible not only to vote but also to be a delegate. Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as a delegate or alternate may apply to be an add-on delegate to the caucus or at www.massdems.org. See the Lincoln Dems website for more information and click here to register for the caucus (after registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting).

Session on relationship power dynamics and abuse

The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable presents “Transforming the Culture of ‘Power Over’ — Compassionate Accountability” on Tuesday, March 8 at 7 p.m. The virtual event will help participants make key distinctions among safe relationship cycles and the dynamics that occur within relationships based on abusive values of dominance and superiority. It’s presented by the Roundtable’s White Ribbon Group and follows its successful 2021 event, “A Call to Families: Discussing Healthy Masculinity with Young People.” Speakers will be JAC Patrissi, Jason Patrissi, and Regi Wingo of Growing a New Heart, an organization that aims to facilitate respectful and ethical power relationships and communications in families, workplaces, and communities. Click here to register.

“Three Authors, Three Books & One Town: Lincoln”

Left to right: Elise Lemire, Judy Polumbaum, Katie Ives.

Three Lincoln authors with shared interests in justice, history, and the environment discuss how their Lincoln experiences have shaped their numerous writing projects on Thursday, March 3 at 7 p.m. The Zoom link will be posted on the Lincoln Public Library website closer to the event. The speakers are:

Apply for aid from the Lincoln Scholarship Committee

An application for need-based and merit-based scholarships and awards offered by the Lincoln Scholarship Committee is now available here. Scholarships include the Lincoln Community Scholarship (one year only), two Ogden Codman Trust scholarships renewable for three years, and the Harriet Todd Scholarship renewable for one year. Awards include the Sumner Smith Community Service Award and the Fanny S. Campbell Academic Achievement Award.  The Harriet Todd Scholarship is the only one open to non-Lincoln residents. Completed applications are due by March 31. Interviews take place April 27 and 28 and awards and scholarships are announced in early June. Questions? Email lincolnscholarship@lincolntown.org.

Garden Club seeks “Large Labors of Love” creations

Do you love to make or build things in your workshop, backyard, or studio, but your significant other says there’s no more room for your creations? The Lincoln Garden Club is seeking creative donations of Large Labors of Love for its biennial fundraiser this June. Garden benches, raised flower beds, arbors, gazebos, whimsical artistic carvings, funky avant-garde garden furniture — anything goes. All donors of big creations will receive a 501(c)3 tax receipt and an invitation to the June 17 Roaring 2022 Prohibition Party at the Pierce House featuring naughty cocktails such as Hooker’s Lips highballs, great food, antique cars, and a live band with a live vocalist singing flapper songs. Proceeds from donated items will go directly to the Lincoln Garden Club’s many community service projects, especially several beautiful outdoor public spaces that have been such a blessing during the pandemic. Call Joanna Schmergel at 617-645-9059 for details.

Service on Feb. 26 for Claire Pearmain, 1929–2022

Claire Pearmain

Claire Anne Pearmain, 92, of Newbury Court in Concord and a former long-time Lincoln resident passed away on February 8. She was the wife of the late William Robert Pearmain.

Claire was born in Washington, D.C. on June 27, 1929. She grew up in Hingham, where she attended Derby and Milton Academies and maintained those early friendships for the rest of her life. She graduated from Wells College, earning a bachelor’s degree in English literature.

Claire and Robert married on June 14, 1952 and soon settled in Lincoln, where together they raised their children. After her children were grown, Claire went to Northeastern University and graduated with a master’s degree in social work with a focus in geriatrics. She then worked at Metropolitan State Hospital with its chronically mentally ill residents until it closed in 1991. She cared deeply for the patients and helped them to settle in the community.

Bob and Claire were members of the First Parish church in Lincoln for over 65 years. She was active on a number of committees but especially the Social Concerns Committee, where she volunteered for such causes as hunger and homelessness. She was also a trustee for Farrington Memorial for many years, serving young people with mental disorders.

She is survived by her three children, Elisa Pearmain-Hovestadt of Hudson, Victoria Pearmain-Tingey of Rossville, Ga., and William R. Pearmain of Marlborough; her granddaughter Joy Hovestadt of Vermont, and two step-grandchildren, Ashley, and Heather Tingey.

Claire loved to garden and walk with Bob in the peaceful woods and fields near her home. She was widely known and appreciated for her kind and loving spirit. Donations in her memory may be made to the Greater Boston Food Bank, 70 South Bay Ave., Boston, MA 02118.

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Claire for a memorial service on Saturday Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. in Duvall Chapel at Newbury Court (80 Deaconess Rd., Concord). There will be an internment ceremony in the Lincoln Cemetery later in the spring. Please RSVP to Elisa Pearmain at elisa@wisdomtales.com as space is limited due to COVID. There will be a Zoom option for those who are not able to attend in person.

Arrangements are under the care of Glenn D. Burlamachi, Concord Funeral Home.

My Turn: Ephraim Flint throws hat in ring for Planning Board

To the editor:

I am pleased to announce my candidacy for Planning Board in the March 2022 town election. 

As I grew up in Lincoln, I witnessed the town’s innovative and thoughtful decision-making as it navigated change while maintaining its unique rural character. I left Lincoln for school and work in 1975 and returned in 2000, happy to see that the town had continued its tradition of carefully managing growth and change.

I served on the Planning Board from 2003–2008 as we shepherded several significant projects towards successful completion: the redevelopment of the Mall at Lincoln Station, the creation of the South Lincoln Overlay District; The Commons senior living community, and Minuteman Commons. Other volunteer positions I have held include School Committee (in Garrison, N.Y.) and the board member of Codman Community Farms. 

Today, we are again in a period where we must creatively manage change so the hard work of those who came before us and the values that we all cherish are not lost.   

I live on our family farm on Lexington Road. With extended family, we grow hay, sweet corn, and pumpkins and in the spring, we make maple syrup. Professionally, I work at Draper Lab. I am a physicist by training and a farmer at heart.

Again, I would like to offer my service to the town at this exciting and challenging time.

Sincerely,

Ephraim Flint

“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.

The Tack Room opens on February 19

The interior of the soon-to-open Tack Room at Lincoln Station.

The restaurant is coming, the restaurant is coming!

The Tack Room will open for business at Lincoln Station on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 5 p.m. and will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m.–11 p.m. (kitchen closes at 9:30 p.m.) and will operate on a call-ahead/first-come first-served basis (no reservations).

The head chef is Jonathan Schick, who’s opened other restaurants in greater Boston including the Rail Stop in Allston, Saloon in Davis Square in Somerville, and the Somerset Club in Back Bay. Menu offerings include burgers and seafood as well as vegetarian options such as stuffed squash and wild mushroom risotto, as well as craft beers on tap, a “creative cocktail program” with drinks such as the Mare of Lincoln, Wobbly Barn, and the Triple Crown, as well as a “reasonably priced” wine menu, co-owner Michael Culpo said.

The online menu doesn’t include prices yet because of supply chain issues that’s causing costs for certain items to rise. However, Culpo said appetizers will range from – apps between $10–$14, sandwiches around $14–$16, and entrees from about $18–$24 There will be a small children’s menu as well. 

“With an eclectic, ever-changing comfort food menu and a craft draft beer list that changes monthly, the Tack Room strives to be a neighborhood institution,” says the restaurants’ mission statement. “We want to be the restaurant that allows our customers to escape from their busy life and to be spoiled by our ‘family’ of team members.” 

The interior has walls with soft tones, rustic light fixtures, and some tack room items such as a saddle, a wagon wheel, and Americana paintings and pictures. The owners have also added two hightops to the bar area and a second TV to offer a bar-like feel separate from the dining room, Culpo said.

“We wanted to create a place that’s welcoming to everyone in Lincoln, from the person coming off the commuter rail looking for a quick bite to families and couples and everyone else in between,” he said.

L-S team advances in High School Quiz Show

Students from L-S compete from home in High School Quiz Show.

A four-member team from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School overtook their competition in the last round of High School Quiz Show’s wild-card event on February 5 and will face Andover High School on February 19.

High School Quiz Show on WGBH is a Jeopardy-like competition for Massachusetts high school student teams. Seventeen teams made the initial cut from 72 that competed in Super Sunday, a 50-question quiz in November. Two teams (L-S and Buckingham Brown & Nichols) with the next-highest scores that hadn’t been previously featured on the show or hadn’t competed in five or more years faced off in the preliminary wild-card contest.

L-S first competed about 10 years ago, and in the show’s 12 previous seasons, more than 700 students from over 70 schools across the Commonwealth have participated.

The L-S team (Jack Grosberg, Henry Hurtt-Rensko, and Spencer Reith of Sudbury and Gray Birchby of Lincoln) trailed for the first three rounds. They entered the final “lightning round” down by a score of 615-575 but overtook BB&N to win 875–775. The victory advances them into the group of 16 vying for a chance to play in the 2022 state championship on May 21.

Click here to watch the video of the February 5 contest.