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

My Turn: Hendrickson runs for another term on Water Commission

January 9, 2022

Editor’s note: Jim Hutchinson was elected to a three-year term on the Water Commission in 2021. He is stepping down early to run for the Select Board.

Dear Lincolnites,

I am writing today to announce my intention to run again for Water Commissioner and ask for your vote at the town election on Monday, March 28. I will run for the two years remaining on Jim Hutchinson’s seat rather than the three-year seat that will also be open.

Jim brought an impressive knowledge of municipal finances that greatly benefitted the commission. We are sad to see him go, but we are committed to using his ideas to improve Water Department operation and long term planning.

In 2020 I was elected to a two-year seat, and I did not expect to run again. I have been finding, however, that the knowledge I have gained during the last 11 years on the commission has been very useful to the new superintendent. Also, with Jim stepping down early, we will have a new commissioner to integrate into the board. I believe my presence will provide the continuity and institutional knowledge needed as we reshape the commission.

During these next two years I will focus on completing the water treatment facilities upgrade we launched four years ago, taking advantage of the ARPA funds available to update our aging water delivery systems, and developing a long-term funding structure that will be both fair and fiscally responsible. Above all, I am committed to ensuring the delivery of abundant, safe drinking water to all of our customers.

I truly enjoy working on the Water Commission and I am committed to help in preserving this important natural resource for the benefit of the town. I hope the voters will give me another opportunity to serve the town I love so well.

Sincerely,

Ruth Ann Hendrickson

“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 Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Police log for December 20–31, 2021

January 6, 2022

December 20

South Great Road (4:51 p.m.) — Caller reported striking a deer while driving. The deer was dispatched by the officer on scene. Minor damage to the vehicle. The DPW was notified regarding the deceased deer.

Page Road (8:32 p.m.) — Caller reported a car parked on the roadway near their residence for several hours. Officer checked and the vehicle belongs to a party visiting a neighbor.

Conant Road (9:23 p.m.) — Caller reported money in a foreign bank account was stolen. Caller was advised to contact the law enforcement agency in that country as well as the bank.

December 21

Lincoln North office building (2:46 a.m.) — Officer checked on a party walking around the building. The party was a hired security guard.

Concord Road (9:44 a.m.) — Caller reported someone using a leaf blower in the area. Officer checked and found a landscaper working on Giles Road. They said they would finish using rakes.

December 22

Wells Road (12:51 p.m.) — Caller report the catalytic converter was stolen off their car. Officer responded and took a report.

Donelan’s (5:50 p.m.) — Manager reported a party outside the store selling items. An officer responded and asked the party to stop selling the items. The party complied and left the area.

Lexington Road (9:25 p.m.) — Officer located a flatscreen TV discarded on the side of the roadway. It was too big to fit in the cruiser so a message was left for the DPW to handle.

December 23

North Great Road (1:23 a.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked in the Hartwell tavern lot. An Uber driver had pulled over to rest.

December 24

Wells Road (2:29 p.m.) — A party from out of state called asking to speak to an officer regarding unwanted social media messages they’ve been receiving from a Lincoln resident. An officer spoke to the party and advised them to file a report with their local police agency. The officer also made contact with the Lincoln resident and advised them to stop any further contact with the reporting party.

December 25

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (8:15 a.m.) — Officers and Fire Department responded to two separate one-car spinouts off the roadway. Both vehicles were towed, no injuries.

Concord Road (8:21 a.m.) — Officer responded to a one-car crash into a guardrail. One vehicle towed, no injuries.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (8:30 a.m.) — Officer responded to a one-car crash off the roadway. One vehicle towed, no injuries.

Todd Pond Road (1:45 p.m.) — Caller requested a well-being check on a resident as the party was overdue picking up their children. There was no one home at the residence.

Hanscom Drive (2:38 p.m.) — MassPort requested assistance with an incoming plane with an emergency. The call was cancelled while en route as the plane landed safely.

December 26

Lincoln MBTA station (1:21 a.m.) — Officer noted that the railroad gates were stuck. Keolis was asked to respond to fix it.

South Great Road (3:37 a.m.) — Officers responded to a one-car crash near Mt. Misery. The operator, Kyleigh Augustin, 20, of Maynard was arrested for OUI–liquor and marked lane violation. He was later bailed to appear in Concord District Court.,

Hanscom Vandenberg Gate (6:58 p.m.) — Hanscom Security Forces called regarding a party with an arrest warrant out of California. The officer checked and California will not extradite.

December 27

Food Project field (9:26 p.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked in the lot. Everything was fine.

December 28

Lincoln Road (1:34 p.m.) — Caller reported their office may have been broken into in the past. Officer responded and took a report. There was no evidence of a break-in and no items appeared to be missing. Possible neglect.

Mill Street (7:00 p.m.) — Caller reported a one-car crash near Lexington Road North and said they saw a party fleeing from the scene. Officers responded and later located the operator, who is being summonsed to court for various motor vehicle offenses.

December 29

Lincoln Road (1:02 a.m.) — Officer checked on a party walking in the Donelan’s parking lot. Party was waiting for a friend

Reiling Pond Road (6:47 p.m.) — RMV paperwork was delivered to the resident.

December 30

Lincoln Road (11:48 a.m.) — A walk-in to the station reported that a vehicle struck their car while they were parked in the Donelan’s lot and left the scene. A witness was able to get a license plate of the vehicle. An officer is following up with both parties.

Adams Road, Hanscom AFB (1:17 p.m.) — Officer attempted to serve court paperwork on base. The party no longer lives on base.

South Great Road (5:47 p.m.) — Report of a two-car crash, one vehicle rolled over. Officers and Fire Department responded. Two parties transported to Emerson Hospital, both vehicles towed from the scene.

December 31

Lincoln Road (2:04 a.m.) — Officer checked on a party pulled to the side of the road; everything was fine.

Covid surge leads to temporary closures in Lincoln

January 6, 2022

(Editor’s note: this article was updated on January 9 to include school data from January 6).

Covid-19 continues to surge everywhere, resulting in a two-week suspension of in-person nonessential Lincoln programs and services as of Monday, Jan. 10, though schools are still in person as of January 6.

There were 49 new cases of positive Covid-19 results for Lincoln residents for the week ending January 6, compared to 29 the previous week and 15 the week before that. Prior to this surge, the town never recorded more than nine cases a week except for two weeks last January and one week in August.

Bemis Hall, Town Hall, the Lincoln Public Library, and the Parks & Recreation Department will be closed to the public for the next two weeks. However, staff will remain available via e-mail and phone to respond to requests for services and support.

The library will be resuming its curbside pickup program for requested materials. Details regarding picking up library materials will be sent in a separate email. Reference staff will be on hand to answer any questions via email or by phone at 781-259-8465. All programs will be moved to Zoom.

Library staff will be working in the building and can be reached during the following hours:

Monday 1–7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 9 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday 9 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 9 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday 1–5 p.m.

Essential town departments and services will remain open to the public. If in-person support and transactions are required from closed areas, please contact the relevant office to schedule an appointment using the town directory, where you can find links to office web pages and phone numbers as well as contact information for individual employees.

Schools

The Lincoln Public Schools received reports of 43 cases on January 3, 4, and 5, with 52 positive cases (18 employees and 34 students) over the December recess, according to a January 5 letter to the community posted on LincolnTalk by Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall. Another 25 new positive cases (19 of them in Lincoln School K-8 students) were reported on January 6, she said in another letter posted that day. The school system dashboard (last updated on the evening of January 6) notes that there have been 82 cases in January alone.

Even before the December recess, after-school activities were canceled for this week, and teachers and all other employees were told to wear state-issued KN95 masks at all times indoors.

“The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster ride,” McFall said in her January 5 letter, noting that there has been “changing guidance” from the CDC as well as state school and health offices.

Some Massachusetts schools reopened a day or two late this week because of the Covid-19 surge. On December 31, the Massachusetts teachers’ union called on Gov. Baker to allow a return to remote learning. However, Baker reiterated on January 3 that remote learning was not an option and schools would have to deliver the usual 180 days of in-person instruction, though they were free to use snow days as they saw fit.

Like many school districts in eastern Massachusetts, Lincoln announced that there would be no school on January 7 due to the forecast of snow.

Here is a summary of school cases from December 24 – January 5 provided by McFall:

	Students	Staff
Lincoln K-4	24	6
Lincoln 5-8	18	6
Lincoln PreK	2	1
Hanscom PreK	1	1
Hanscom Primary	9	11
Hanscom Middle	13	3
TOTALS	67	28

Addendum

January 6, 2022

In the January 5 story headlined “Exotic cat captured in Lincoln is the talk of the town,” we’ve added a link to the story about the serval on boston.com that includes Vic Saleme’s video.

Exotic cat captured in Lincoln is the talk of the town

January 5, 2022

The serval first spotted by Martin Pierce and Mary Jo Haggerty outside their door (note the domestic cat in the foreground who is not feeling welcoming). See more photos below.

(Editor’s note: see an update on Bruno here.)

Lincoln has some interesting animals on its farms and in its woods, but none so exotic as the serval cat that was captured with the help of the MSPCA and several Lincoln residents.

The saga began on December 28 when Partridge Lane resident Martin Pierce posted a photo on LincolnTalk of an unusual-looking stray cat that he and his wife Mary Jo Haggerty saw outside their front door, “looking all over the place like he wanted to come in,” Haggerty told CBSN-Boston. They called the MSPCA, which advised them to feed the car or leave food at the same time every day and call when he returned.

In the ensuring days, there was much speculation by more than a dozen residents on LincolnTalk as to the species of the animal; bobcat was ruled out early and Pierce’s neighbor Vic Saleme speculated tongue in cheek that “perhaps someone threw the ocelot out.” Eventually there was agreement that the animal was a serval — a wild animal native to sub-Saharan Africa. In North America, they can be seen only in zoos and wildlife rescue facilities (Animal Adventures in Bolton, Mass., has had one in the past, though it’s not clear whether the serval is still living there).

Nothing more was heard for a few days until January 3, when Saleme wrote the cat was back and he left some food for it (“he loves Tyson chicken nuggets,”) he wrote. More than a dozen residents pitched in on LincolnTalk with referrals and suggestions for how to trap the animal.

The next day, he was spotted again by Saleme and Deerhaven Road resident Khinlei Myint-U, and two MSPCA staff members with a humane trap rushed out to Lincoln. Earlier that day, Saleme captured a video of the animal that’s now on the MSPCA-Angell’s Memorial Hospital’s Facebook page (the organization also posted the story of his capture on Instagram).

“I drove up and he was just sitting in the driveway. I couldn’t believe how lucky we got,” Alyssa Krieger, Community Outreach Manager at MSPCA Boston, told NBC 10 Boston. She and a helper were able to catch the serval after attracting him with a little bowl of Meow Mix (which she held in a hand gloved in a bite-proof gauntlet). He bolted into Pierce’s garage and she was able to grab him using a thick blanket before putting him into a cage and loading him into their van.

“I think he was just, like, ‘I’m so cold! I’m from Africa!’” Krieger told NBC 10. The cat, which has been nicknamed Bruno, was quite the media star — he was also the subject of a piece on WCVB-TV , WJAR-NBC 10 in Providence, R.I., and articles in the MetroWest Daily News and its associated papers as well as Boston.com, which also has Saleme’s video.

After Bruno was taken to Angell Memorial in Boston, veterinarians found he was about a year old and was quite thin, weighing only 19 pounds (healthy adult servals weigh 20-40 pounds. One of his back legs had been broken in two places some time ago, possibly from being hit by a car. Staff will evaluate his quality of life and pain level to to see if he can continue to manage as is, or if he would be more comfortable if the leg were amputated.

Krieger speculated that Bruno was an escapee from a home where someone was keeping him illegally as a pet to breed Savannah cats. It’s therefore highly unlikely that the owner will be identified.

The MSPCA will work with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to find Bruno a permanent home in a zoo or sanctuary once he’s ready. in the meantime, since the organization is nonprofit, they set up an online fund for people to donate toward his medical care. Anything raised beyond the cost of his care will be used to treat homeless animals or to support financial aid for those who need it at Angell Memorial.

News acorns

January 4, 2022

New restaurant opening is several weeks off

The Tack Room, the latest iteration of the restaurant in South Lincoln, is “still about 4-6 weeks away from opening,” according to owner Michael Culpo, who originally hoped to open by Christmas. “We are very excited to open and to serve the Lincoln area and beyond!” he added.

Town notary service suspended temporarily

Effective Thursday, Jan. 6, notary services at Town Hall and Bemis Hall will be temporarily suspended in response to changing public health conditions and efforts to protect employees and their families. Notary services will resume when public health conditions allow. The town referred residents to these other public notaries:

Middlesex Mobile Notary (781-929-8129)
UPS Store, Lexington (781-861-7770)
Ellen Adams (781-801-7820, lincolnnotary@outlook.com)

Click here for more information about notary locations and services.

Library offerings

Several upcoming events are being offered via Zoom by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.

Lily Geismer

“The Road to Segregation: Lincoln, Route 128, Suburban Liberals & the Long Roots of Inequality”
Thursday, Jan. 13 from 7–9 p.m.
How did Boston’s western suburbs become the largely white and affluent communities they are today? Lily Geismer, Associate Professor of History at Claremont McKenna College, examines the results of post-war federal policies and local suburbanization and their impacts on race and class in residential patterns in Lincoln and surrounding towns. Geismer is author of Don’t Blame Us: Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party and Left Behind: The Democrats’ Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality. Elise Lemire, author of Black Walden, writes in the introduction to Don’t Blame Us: “This is local history at its finest, both particular in its questions and far reaching with its answers. I will never see my hometown of Lincoln, Massachusetts, in quite the same way again.”

Co-sponsored by First Parish Lincoln’s Racial Justice Advocates, Lincoln WIDE (Welcome, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity), an organization of Lincoln residents, and the Lincoln Historical Society. Click here for the Zoom link (meeting ID: 943 6533 7243, passcode: 392036)

“Opera for Everyone”
Saturday, Jan. 15 at 2 p.m.
Travel to Salzburg, the city of Mozart and “The Sound of Music” without leaving your home with “Opera for Everyone” with Erika Reitshamer. The Zoom link will be posted closer to lecture date at www.lincolnpl.org.

“Artists’ Gardens in New England”
Thursday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.
Some of our most beloved painters, sculptors and authors were inspired by the gardens they created. Visit the private havens of Edith Wharton, Julian Alden Weir, Childe Hassam, Daniel Chester French, Emily Dickinson, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Celia Thaxter, and others. Jana Milbocker, principal of Enchanted Gardens, combines horticulture, design, and travel tips to educate, inspire and delight both new and seasoned gardeners. To receive Zoom link, please register at Lincoln Public Library events calendar.

Baby Sign Language Class
Four workshops starting on Friday, Feb. 11
Caregivers and their babies (two months or older and pre-verbal) are invited to this four-week workshop with Sheryl White. Sheryl will show you how to teach your baby sign language as well as explore benefits and research for caregivers. Each week participants will “bring” props to class to help bring the virtual program to life with signing directly to the babies. Participants are encouraged to sign up for all four sessions, which will take place over Zoom on Fridays from 10:30- 11:15 (other dates are February 18, February 25, and March 11). Email dleopold@minlib.net to register and receive a Zoom invite.

Meet members of the White Ribbon Group

In 2019, a group of men joined together in hopes of engaging men and boys to be a part of the solution in ending gender-based violence. Since its creation, this group has met monthly, led local discussions, and hosted events large and small to engage our community in moving towards a world free of abuse in all its forms. Join the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable as they share more about their work, why they chose to get involved, and how you can join in this important work. The discussion will take place via Zoom on Friday, Jan. 11 at 3 p.m. The event is free, but registration is required and can be completed here or at www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org. Click here to make a donation to support this work.

My Turn: Jim Hutchinson is running for Select Board

January 4, 2022

Dear Lincolnites,

I am writing today to declare my candidacy for the Select Board seat being vacated by James Craig, which will be for a three-year term. I thank James for his many years of service to the town, and I respectfully ask for your support at the town election on Monday, March 28, as I seek to continue my service to Lincoln in a new capacity.

If elected, it would be a bit too much for me to continue to serve in my current role as chair of the Board of Water Commissioners, so I am also announcing my resignation from the commission, effective at the end of our Annual Town Meeting in March. I encourage interested residents to run for this Water Commission seat. Don’t be shy — the new Water Superintendent is fantastic! I also note that if elected to the Select Board, I will offer to be the liaison to the Water Commission and do what I can to help continue our good progress on the work there to strengthen the Water Department and to successfully complete the needed updates to our water infrastructure.

My wife Anne and I have lived in Lincoln for 22 years, and I’ve had the pleasure getting to know many of you while serving on a number of town committees. I was treasurer of Codman Community Farms for three years, a member of the Finance Committee for seven years (as chair for two of those years). I’ve been on the Green Energy Committee for eight years and on the Water Commission for two. In addition, I have had various liaison duties such as helping with the Power Purchase Agreement Subcommittee in charge of getting solar PV panels installed next year on our newly renovated school. I enjoy keeping tabs on what’s going on in town by serving in these positions, and I am perennially refreshed by the humor, intelligence, and thoughtfulness of my fellow volunteers and town staff with whom I’ve worked.

Some of you who know me may believe that I am only interested in the finance aspects of issues and have found that the best way to communicate with me is via a well-constructed spreadsheet. My career was in finance as a portfolio manager and a small business owner, and I’ll admit to believing that there is an important cost/benefit analysis at the heart of many of the issues that we face. If elected, I will offer my assistance and leadership on any such analyses needed for the town.

I have worked extensively with Town Administrator Tim Higgins and Select Board members Jennifer Glass and Jonathan Dwyer in the past, and expect to need only occasional arm-wrestling matches with them to divvy up and collaborate on the work of the Select Board. More generally, I hope to help the Select Board ensure that residents have all of the information they need to make important decisions, such as whether to proceed with building a new community center, or what should happen next regarding South Lincoln redevelopment.

But it is not just about having the information ready for Town Meeting and counting your votes. If we learned anything from the school building project, it was that residents need to be more involved while we develop the proposed solutions to our issues. I’ve been happy to see town leadership encourage more inclusive processes in recent years, and I’d like to help continue that evolution to see what we can do to make resident participation more convenient, productive, and enjoyable for a broader group of people. I believe this has already been happening to some extent. Our pandemic-induced switch to Zoom meetings, for example, has made it easier for many folks to attend meetings. I’d like to continue to pursue new tools and approaches that will bring even more people to town and committee discussions. After all, what’s more important to the Select Board than trying to ensure that we identify and pursue the issues and solutions most favored and important to you, the residents?

Sincerely,

Jim Hutchinson

News acorns

January 3, 2022

New Covid testing program for residents

In an effort to provide Lincoln residents with ample access to Covid-19 testing after the holiday season, the town will provide free Covid-19 PCR drive-through testing at the Pierce House on the following dates:

Tuesday, Jan. 4 from 4–4:30 p.m. (residents 60+ only) and 4:30–6 p.m. (all ages)
Wednesday, Jan. 5 from 4–4:30 p.m. (residents 60+ only) and 4:30–6 p.m. (all ages)
Saturday, Jan. 8 from 10 a.m.–noon (all ages)

This program is for Lincoln residents, employees and school children who:

have symptoms of Covid-19
have been identified as a close contact of someone with Covid-19
may have been exposed to Covid-19
have traveled or gathered with groups over the holiday break

Advance registration is required. Residents over age 60 seeking appointment times between 4 and 4:30 p.m. on January 4 and 5 may contact the COA at 781-259-8811. All other registrations can be completed online by clicking here. At your scheduled time, please pull up to the main entrance to the Pierce House on the back circular driveway. Clinic volunteers will pass materials through your car window for you to self-swab and package your sample for collection. Results are normally available within 36 hours via email.

If you have special needs or require assistance, please call Fire Chief Brian Young at 781-259-8465. More testing dates will added as needed.

Film: “The Long Shadow”

The First Parish Lincoln (FPL) Racial Justice Journey continues on Thursday, Jan. 6 at 7–9 p.m. with a Zoom screening of the PBS documentary “The Long Shadow,” which offers a summary of racism in America from its beginnings to recent times. Emmy Award- winning director Frances Causey traces her family’s legacy of plantation-owning in the South and continues into the 20th century. Click here to join the screening via Zoom (meeting ID: 987 9477 5010, passcode: 541766).

Talk on chestnut trees

The American Chestnut Foundation’s lead volunteer in Lincoln, Mark Meehl, will discuss the history of this tree and efforts to preserve its genetic diversity in town at a Conservation Department event on Thursday, Jan. 6 at 8 a.m. In this slide talk, he’ll share photos and videos of TACF’s current efforts and goals at the Flint Fields and Umbrello land. After the presentation you’ll hear updates from our Conservation Department and Lincoln Land Conservation Trust. Click here for the Zoom link (meeting ID: 913 6669 9916; passcode: 065122). Email conservation@lincolntown.org with any questions.

Phone directory deadline is Friday

The deadline for updating or adding your information for the 2022 Lincoln Directory white pages is Friday, Jan. 7. Listings that ran in the 2019 edition and require no editing will remain. If, however, you are new to town or want to correct or add to your entry, time is running out. There are three ways to provide updated information: email lincolnphonebook@gmail.com, fill out the yellow card you received and mail it back to the Friends of the Lincoln Library, or drop the card with your new information at the library, which also has extra copies of the cards. The library never sells the information gathered for the directory, nor do they put it on line. Many thanks to The Commons for their generous support in helping to fund the mailing.

Addendum

January 3, 2022

The January 2 story headlined “Lincoln mirrors national surge in Covid-19 cases” has been updated to include month-by-month data for Covid-19 cases in the Lincoln Public Schools, as well as the latest number of cases at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.

My Turn: Craig will not run for reelection

January 3, 2022

Dear fellow Lincolnites,

I am writing to announce that I will not be seeking re-election to the Select Board this March. Even after six busy years, untold number of meetings (in person and virtual), and continuously adapting to the ongoing global pandemic, this was not an easy decision.

I have been truly fortunate for the past five years to serve with two terrific colleagues in Jennifer Glass and Jonathan Dwyer, and I will dearly miss working alongside them to address the issues of our town. I also cannot say enough about, nor will I be able to fully thank our dedicated and professional town staff, including Tim Higgins, our Town Administrator, Dan Pereira, our Assistant Town Administrator, Peggy Elder, our Administrative Assistant, and many others with whom I have had the pleasure of working over these years.

During my two terms on the board, it has been a privilege to work on important town issues such as the school building project, addressing affordable housing needs with the Oriole Landing project, chairing the town’s Housing Trust, integrating the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum with the Trustees of Reservations, launching what is now called the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, developing our town’s policies related to the legalization of marijuana in Massachusetts, and currently participating as the Select Board’s representative to the Planning Board’s South Lincoln Planning and Advisory Committee, which is evaluating the feasibility and town’s desire for potential zoning changes in the Lincoln Station area.

I would also like to express special thanks to Peter Braun and Renel Fredriksen, with whom I served (and learned a great deal) during my first year on the board, as well as the wonderful advice and support I have received over the years from former Select Board members including Noah Eckhouse, Sarah Cannon Holden, Gary Taylor, and Sara Mattes.

Finally, to all of you who volunteer and serve the town on various boards and committees — thank you! It is this spirit of service which truly makes Lincoln such a special place.

Happy New Year to everyone and here’s hoping for a healthy, safe and (somewhat more) Covid-free 2022!

Sincerely,

James Craig