The Lincoln Squirrel

News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

My Turn: Did you get Trump’s strategy?

By Alexander Creighton

What a clever strategy Donald Trump’s MAGA advisors pulled off to overwhelm and beat down President Joe Biden last Thursday night! They knew Orange Man would not have an open mic to heckle and harass as he did four years ago. And Biden, most likely too overprepared at Camp David, was left to his own memory without prompter or notes to stand up to such a barrage. What a target!

The entire 45 minutes was nothing but a clear and direct assault on Biden’s ability to concentrate and make any meaningful points.

Countless times, a CNN moderator’s question to Trump was never addressed directly by him. Instead, his handlers coached Trump to take his four-minute exclusive time slot to harass, berate, and bombard Biden, repeatedly using the immigration issue on every subject he was given to address for that four minutes. He deflected, as is his style, blame on Biden every subject that was brought up from the get-go. It was a nonstop lambasting force of energy aimed directly at Biden’s mind — so much so, unbeknownst to Biden and to the disbelief of all watching, it completely befuddled him to the point where it was obvious that he was unable to recall any of the preparation days before at Camp David.

It was an excellent strategy and it worked, showing us a diminished man who has done so much for this country in the last four years despite Trump’s back-door control of his toadies in Congress and elsewhere. Yes, President Biden did come back, sort of, in a few places, but he never had time to really recover after 40 minutes of the constant barrage of negativity aimed in his direction.

The final result of this clever strategy showed itself as a success when Biden reacted to Trump’s golf scores trap. Then Trump was the one to say, “Let’s stop acting like children.”

But the final blow however was President Biden’s exhausted physical appearance, facial expression, and speaking style. It reduced his ability to utter even a coherent final statement, which was also sadly far below everyone’s expectations. Then came the talking heads’ immediate reactive panic and suggesting that he must step aside. Too late!

His showing the next day was proof positive to me that, despite Thursday night’s debacle, I have certain faith in Joe Biden and his team being quite capable of leading this great and diverse nation for another four years.

Creighton, a Lincoln resident, is in his words “an 84 year-old independent voter who’s been there too!”

“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.

My Turn: Town staff group voices “strong support” for LGBTQIA+ community

By the Lincoln Staff Diversity and Inclusion Committee

The Lincoln Staff Diversity and Inclusion Committee (SDIC) is made up of staff members from a variety of ages, religions, ethnicities, races, cultures, genders, and sexualities. We are proud to work for this town, with many of us having been on the staff for over a decade. SDIC’s mission is as follows:

  • Create an inclusive environment by engaging diverse talent and influencing recruitment, development, advancement, and retention.
  • Articulate our diversity and inclusion values through proactive communications.
  • Regulate and manage workplace equity and inclusivity by reviewing and improving our policies and practices.
  • Evaluate our progress by continually assessing our organizational culture.

While our efforts are mainly focused on diversity and inclusion within the workplace, we recognize that the culture of the town is just as critical to the wellbeing of its current and future employees as the culture within Town Offices.

We were shocked and saddened to read that some members of the community believe that the recognition of Pride Month is harmful. What hurts people is telling them to hide who they are. Many of us have seen first-hand the devastating impacts that homophobia and transphobia have on our children, family, friends, and even on ourselves. Pride is not just about acceptance — it is about celebrating who you are and who you love unapologetically. Pride is about support, love, and kindness.

In no way do we seek to silence those that we disagree with. As others have said, freedom of speech and equitable participation in the public process are the foundations of democracy. However, freedom of speech is not the same as freedom from criticism. Hate does not have a place in Lincoln’s community. We commend the Lincoln Squirrel’s decision to publish this article and shed light on this harmful rhetoric. It provides an opportunity for people to speak out and share their support for the LGBTQIA+ community.

With the politicization and attacks on LGBTQIA+ people in this country, they need our support now more than ever. In that vein, we are using our voices to speak out and share our strong support for the LGBTQIA+ community. We hope that others in Lincoln will do the same, and we are grateful to those who already have. It costs nothing to be supportive, loving, and kind.

Signed,
 
Victoria Benalfew, Administrative Assistant to the Building Department and Board of Health
Abigail Butt, our Director of Council on Aging and Human Services
Stacy Carter, Conservation Planner
Jennifer Curtin, Assistant Director of Planning and Land Use
Michael Dolan, IT Director
Valeria Fox, Town Clerk
Tim Higgins, Town Administrator
Dan Pereira, Assistant Town Administrator
Robin Rapoport, Reference Librarian
Ian Spencer, Sergeant, Police Department
Colleen Wilkins, Finance Director/Town Accountant

“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.

Obituaries: Jacquelyn James, Mark Scott

There will be a memorial gathering in July for Jacquelyn “Jacqui” James of Lincoln, who passed away on June 10, 2024 at the age of 86. The gathering will be held on Saturday, July 20 at 2 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton  (1326 Washington St., Newton). Click here to read her obituary.

Mark Scott of Lincoln, a graduate of Lincoln Public Schools and Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, passed away on November 15, 2023 at age 74. He was buried with military honors in the Lincoln Cemetery on December 7, 2023. Click here to read his obituary.

 

My Turn: Next steps on the Hanscom hangars

Editor’s note: The Mass. Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) issued a ruling on June 24 saying that the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Hanscom Field expansion project “does not adequately and properly comply” with Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office (MEPA) regulations. Five Massachusetts state representatives also sent a letter on June 14 criticizing “this profoundly flawed DEIR.” For more coverage of the latest development on this issue, see the June 24 articles in the Bedford Citizen and the Concord Bridge.

By Christopher Eliot

The June 21 MEPA determination that the North Airfield Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) is “not adequate” was very good news but is not the end of the story. Our next step is to write letters by August 13 to dispute the most recent Environmental Status and Planning Report and prevent the introduction of planning assumptions that can be used to justify the next version of the DEIR.

Some background: every five years, Massport publishes an Environmental Status and Planning Report (ESPR) that defines the planning assumptions for a five-year period. The ESPR is distinct from the DEIR, but the two are closely linked. The recently rejected DEIR was based on the 2017 ESPR, but the 2022 Hanscom ESPR has been written and is now open for review. (Writing an ESPR takes two years, so the publication date is two years after the reporting date.)

The 2022 Hanscom ESPR is closely linked with the proposed North Airfield hangar project and will be used in the next version of the DEIR to justify the project. We need to write letters disputing assertions in the ESPR that will be used to justify the future supplemental DEIR. Public comments can make a difference, and you are encouraged to write another letter to MEPA on this subject.

Much of the ESPR provides good factual data, but there are three major problems with the ESPR that need to be corrected:

1. Chapter 3 of the ESPR reports historical and projected airport activity levels through 2040 including a compound grown in business jet operations of 1.2%. This is incompatible with the climate crisis. It may be a valid projection of historical growth rates but we need to reverse the growth of private jet usage. Our local legislators understand this issue and are prepared to help. The ESPR needs to reflect the fact that sane public environmental policy will reverse the growth of private jets use, eliminating the need for new hangars.

Chapter 3 also fails to discuss likely scenarios for the introduction of eVOTL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft), eCTOL (electric conventional take-off and landing aircraft), and advanced air mobility aircraft (AAM). These new technologies might be an improvement or might have scary implications for residents near Hanscom airport; I don’t know because Massport has not said anything about their plans. This needs to be fixed. This technology is already being deployed in some parts of the world and should be discussed.

2. Chapter 7 reports on noise issues but fails to account for recent research showing that noise is a public health problem. It has been scientifically demonstrated that noise leads to systemic inflammation and causes increased mortality due to heart disease as well as learning problems and mental illness. The ESPR chapter incorrectly minimizes all of these problems and needs to be fixed.

3. Chapter 8 includes problematic descriptions of improved aviation fuels:

First, the ESPR incorrectly states that unleaded aviation fuel is not yet available. “As of writing, it is still unknown exactly when 100UL [fuel] will become a readily available resource at all airports” (page 8-37). This is not true: the fuel can be sourced from Vitol Corp. I called this company and verified that they are able and willing to deliver this unleaded aviation fuel to Hanscom Field as soon as they get a purchase order.

Second, in section 8.6.5 starting on page 8-38, there is a discussion of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at Hanscom Field. The discussion regurgitates industry propaganda about SAF that is easily refuted. The Government Accountability Office published a report last year that disputes many of these claims. More recently, Chuck Collins et al published a report titled “Greenwashing the Skies” that provided a detailed explanation of the problems with SAF as a solution to the climate problem of aviation. While industry wants us to believe this is a solution that just needs to be deployed, there are many fundamental issues in the way, and it is very unlikely that the promise of SAF will ever be fulfilled. In the meantime, industry uses the false promise of SAF as an excuse to avoid any meaningful response to their contribution to the climate crisis. There are a number of better proposals to mitigate aviation’s contribution to the climate crisis, so it is important not to allow the industry to pursue the distraction of SAF for the next 10 or 20 years.

The ESPR is extremely important in the debate over the North Airfield project because the ESPR is the planning document used to justify the North Airfield project. We should ask MEPA to require corrections to the ESPR while the comment period is open until August 13, 2024. Changing the ESPR to make more realistic assumptions about how community response can limit the growth of private jet travel will remove the primary justification for the North Airfield project. The developers are now required to write a supplemental DEIR based on the 2022 EPSR as a foundation.

As written, the 2022 ESPR provides a pillar of support for the project; your letters can help convert it into a pit of quicksand.

Comments on the 2022 ESPR should be sent to the same place as comments on the DEIR but should reference “Project 2022 L.G. Hanscom Field Environmental Status and Planning Report (2022 ESPR) (EEA #5484/8696)”:

Secretary Rebecca Tepper
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Attn: MEPA Office
Alex Strysky, EEA No. 5484/8696
100 Cambridge St., Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114

“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.

Eliot is chair and Lincoln’s representative to the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission.

My Turn: Check out famed cellist Helen Gillet on Friday

By Mimi Borden, Sara Mattes, and Rachel Marie Schachter

This Friday night, we have a unique opportunity to hear a gifted, boundary-breaking artist — cellist Helen Gillet — in a rare New England performance. She will take the stage at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 28 at Bemis Hall.

Helen has played notable venues around the world including Lincoln Center, NPR’s Tiny Desk, and TEDx stages. She performs most often in New Orleans, her current home, where her packed performances at the New Orleans Jazz Fest are consistently met with standing ovations.

Helen has a unique approach to music. She sings in English, French, and other languages while accompanying herself with multi-layered sounds that she records and loops as she performs. Her eclectic palette, technical prowess, extended techniques, and artistic daring combine to create an other-worldly experience. It’s one not to be missed. This is a sample of what you’ll hear.

Please join the Bemis Free Lecture Series to experience a most enchanting evening.

The authors are Bemis Trustees.

“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.

Juliet Rago-McNamara, 1927–2024

Juliet Rago-McNamara

American artist Juliet Rago-McNamara passed away peacefully of natural causes on June 17, 2024 at the age of 97 at Bridges Memory Care Assisted Living in Westford. She was born on March 21, 1927, in Chicago and is survived by her four children and six grandchildren.

Juliet was pre-deceased by her first husband, Henry Rago, a poet, editor of Poetry magazine, and professor in the University of Chicago’s School of Theology and Literature who passed away in 1969, and by her second husband Robert J. McNamara, former dean of Loyola University and subsequently professor and chair of its Department of Sociology, who passed away in 1985.

Beloved within her community and by family, friends, colleagues and students, Juliet was known for her even temper, kindness, and grace. She was a full professor of painting in Loyola’s Department of Fine Arts and was a prolific and respected artist, a calling to which she devoted her life.

Juliet earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in 1950 and her Master of Fine Arts at SAIC in 1973. Her career in higher education began in 1969, when she became a professor of fine arts at Loyola and taught painting until her retirement in 2002. Prior to this, she was an art instructor at Barat College of the Sacred Heart in Lake Forest, Ill., from 1970-1971. She spent many summers working independently at arts colonies throughout the country, notably Yado, Ragdale, Oxbow Summer School of Art, Vermont Studio Center, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.

A member of the College Art Association and the Women’s Caucus for Art, Juliet had a long career as an educator, lecturer, and artist. She received numerous awards, fellowships, and grants and is listed as a notable artist by Marquis Who’s Who. Juliet prolifically explored abstractions, landscapes, sky, sea, and figurative subjects in her work as an artist. She often depicted elements of nature and the ever-changing cloud formations over Lake Michigan and wherever she traveled. She was captivated by the human figure moving through water or space, especially in the form of angels, which graced most of the holiday cards she sent out yearly.

In addition to her work as an artist, Juliet loved music. She played guitar, dulcimer, and piano, and was a gifted singer, singing in local choirs wherever she lived. Her interest in art, music, and the humanities enabled her to create rich and varied friendships that mirrored what she cared most about.

Juliet continued through her over 70 years as an artist to create art works and exhibits in galleries and museums (in both solo and group shows) and leaves a rich and complex legacy as an artist and friend to many.

A celebration of life and memorial service will be announced at a later date at First Parish Church in Lincoln and at Rago Brothers’ Funeral Home in Chicago. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America or a charity or scholarship of your choice in Juliet’s name.

News acorns

Cello concert on Friday

Helen Gillet

See Helen Gillet, a “whirling dervish of the cello,” in concert on Friday, June 28 at 8 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Gillet is a cellist, singer, composer, and master improviser who grew up in Belgium, Singapore, Illinois and Wisconsin. Calling New Orleans home since 2002, she is a jazz festival favorite who regularly performs on stages all over the world. Her solo shows are an eclectic mix of styles including French chansons, Belgian folk sung in Walloon, contemporary jazz, North Indian blues and classical. She combines acoustic cello with voice, percussion and live looping and layering technology to explore and push the boundaries of sound and rhythm. See videos of her performing here. Free; sponsored by the Bemis Free Lecture Series.

Coming up at the library

Kids’ Comic Workshop with LJ Baptiste
Monday, July 8 from 7–8 p.m., Tarbell Room
ids ages 7+ are invited to join Boston cartoonist and comic artist LJ-Baptiste for a three-week workshop on Monday nights in July to learn how comics are made. You will also create your own comics and original characters using techniques from pros in comics and manga as well. All supplies will be provided by the library. Registration required; participants are encouraged to register for all three workshop sessions. Register here.

Ricardo Frota

Ecology of Sound: Ricardo Frota
Wednesday, July 10 from 11 a.m.–noon, Tarbell Room
Join us for a performance by Ricardo Frota that inspires children and parents to absorb the rhythms, sound and music from different global cultures and the natural world that surrounds them. Ricardo entertains and educates while playing multicultural songs and improvising with Earth elements. His interactive performances use traditional rhythm instruments, and instruments made of recycled materials and also objects found in nature. All ages welcome; no registration required.

Dungeons and Dragons: A Library Campaign
Thursday, July 11 from 4–5 p.m., Tarbell Room
Come play Dungeons and Dragons in the library with DM Nikolas Metcalf. Registration required; for ages 11+. Register here.

Donate art supplies to Lincoln hospice house

Lincoln resident Stacey Sawyer-Mackie, who volunteers with the Care Dimensions hospice house in Lincoln, is collecting adult coloring books, colored pencils, thin-tipped markers and similar items to have available for family members and visitors at the hospice house. If you can donate such items or easy word search, simple crossword puzzle books or other similar items, email her at slsweet830@aol.com.

Correction

The June 23 story headlined “Community center spaces to be named for Desais, Tingleys” mistakenly implied in the text and sketch that the main courtyard space in the new community center will be named for Dilla and Fred Tingley. It is the senior courtyard space, not the main courtyard, that will be name after the Tingleys. The article has been updated.

News acorns

A Lincoln alpaca

Learn about large farm animals in Lincoln

The spring issue of the Lincoln Agricultural Commission newsletter focusing on Lincoln’s large animals is now available — click here. Learn more about horses, pigs, cows, sheep, and alpacas that live (today and historically) on Lincoln farms.

Coming up at the library

Family bingo
Monday, June 24 from 6–7 p.m., Tarbell Room
Come one, come all for a fun night of family bingo with prizes for everyone All ages welcome; no registration necessary.

Chess for kids
Tuesday, June 25 and July 2 from 3:30–4:30 p.m., Tarbell Room
Chess players of all ages and abilities are encouraged to come check out the library’s new Chess Club. Members of the L-S Chess Club will be hosting, so come learn if you’re interested or play if you’re ready for a challenge. Bring your own board or play with one of ours. For ages 5+. Click here to register for June 25; click here to register for July 2.

Movie matinee: “The Sandlot”
Wednesday, June 26 from 3:30–5:30 p.m., Tarbell Room
All ages, no registration required.

Virtual Q&A with author of “The Library of Borrowed Hearts”
Wednesday, June 26 from 7–8 p.m., Zoom
The transformative power of books helps us connect with those around us. Author Lucy Gilmore discusses her book The Library of Borrowed Hearts, the follow-up to The Lonely Hearts Book Club. We’ll be chatting about these heartwarming novels about some of our favorite things: friendship, books, and how important it is to find the family you were always meant to have. Register here.

Summer karaoke night
Thursday, June 27 from 6–7:30 p.m., Tarbell Room
You choose the song, you sing along. Impress your friends, show off your favorite song, and dance to the songs of the summer. Light refreshments will be available. Ages 11+, no registration required.

Virtual deepfakes and AI media
Thursday, June 27, 7–8 p.m., Zoom
Join Bard College Film Professor Joshua Glick for a wide-ranging conversation about artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on contemporary media. We’ll talk about how these technologies are shaping the film and TV industry as well as the proliferation of “deepfakes” – AI-enabled videos that depict people doing or saying things they never did or said. Come with your hopes, questions, and concerns about this emerging media landscape. Register here.

Super story time: read, white, and blue
Tuesday, July 2 from 10-11 a.m., Tarbell Room,
Your favorite story time, but bigger! Recommended for ages 0-6. No registration necessary.

Saturday stories
Saturday, July 6 from 10:30–11:30 a.m., Tarbell Room
Families with young children are invited to listen to some stories and learn some songs. No registration required.

Girls’ summer basketball clinic

There will be a summer girls’ basketball clinic on July 15-18 for girl entering grades 2-9 in fall 2024. The program will run daily from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in Gym 1 at L-S. The program will be run by the coaching staff and members of the L-S basketball program. Cost is $250 per person; click here to register. For questions and/or financial hardship, please contact Howie Landau at howie_landau@lsrhs.net.

Girl Scout recognized at annual meeting

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) elected Alexandria Taylor of Lincoln to serve as a girl member of the organization’s Board of Directors during the council’s annual meeting, which was held on May 19. Alexandria is a high school sophomore and has been a Girl Scout since Daisy level. She and several other Girl Scouts earned their Bronze Award by worked together with the Lincoln Council on Aging and Human Services to create a sand-bucket program to prepare senior citizens for winter ice while being mindful of the environmental impacts of salt. She earned her Silver Award by working with her local library to develop a town wide virtual reading buddy program during the covid pandemic and she is currently in the planning stage of her Gold Award.

Alexandria was named to the 2024 U.S. Youth Olympic team and Youth/Junior World Championships Team for biathlon, and she also competes in cross-country skiing and mountain biking. She is a member of her school’s newspaper, biology club, and works as a lifeguard. She plans to pursue a career in both athletics and medicine.

TEDx Walden Pond event in October

The second annual TEDx Walden Pond event, TEDx Walden Pond 2024 “Two to Tell the Truth,” will take place on October 30 at a Lincoln location to be announced. The theme echoes Henry David Thoreau’s quote: “It takes two to speak the truth: one to talk, and one to listen,” so we will be focused on both speaking and listening in our search for compelling truths. There will be 10 speakers, with time in between speakers to discuss the impact of their messages. Refreshments will be served. Watch clips of last year’s event, and reserve tickets at www.tedxwaldenpond.com. Questions? Email info@tedxwaldenpond.com.

Do you have a TEDx talk in you, or do you know someone who does? If so, please nominate that person (whether yourself or someone else) on the website above and with no more than two sentences on what the talk would be about.

Community center spaces to be named for Desais, Tingleys

The future community center will have some familiar Lincoln names attached to it: Desai and Tingley.

After a fundraising campaign to help offset some of the construction cost, the Friends of the Council on Aging announced that a central meeting space in the new building will be named for the Desai family (Moha and her parents Samir and Milima), and the senior courtyard and terrace will be called the Tingley Terrace after Dilla Tingley and her late husband Fred. Dilla is a member of the Community Center Building Committee (CCBC) and chair of the Council on Aging & Human Services board.

“If there’s anyone who deserves [a naming honor], it’s Dilla for all her hard work on this over the years,” said Peter Von Mertens, a CCBC member who helped spearhead the fundraising drive.

“It isn’t meant to be an honor; it’s meant to be a footprint,” Tingley replied at the June 17 Select Board meeting, adding that it reflects her whole family who have lived in Lincoln for more than 60 years.

Von Mertens also lauded two others whose past donations to the FCOA are being used to help pay for the building. Thomas E. Pascoe’s estate gave a total of $535,611 in 2017 and Joseph L. Hurff and his wife Elizabeth gave approximately $300,000 in 1998. However, neither family has relatives in town, and Von Mertens welcomes any information from residents to help locate their families so they can be recognized.

Private donations to the community center raised a total of $351,000 from 103 donors. The FCOA contributed anoehr $1 million and the Ogden Codman Trust has pledged $500,000. The bulk of the $24 million cost will be funded by $15.77 million in bonding, which voters approved at Town Meeting and the ballot box in March.

The building will have a wall of recognition for everyone who has donated, as well as a “buy a brick” campaign in the fall, Von Mertens said. “And if we can work out plans with the landscape architects we would like to create a timeline with tiles or stones summarizing significant events in Lincoln’s history placed appropriately along the walkway.”

The CCBC had looked at including a weight/exercise space in the center, and architect ICON developed an design option for such a room but was not able to fit it into the approved project budget. “We’ll keep the option in mind if our budget capacity changes for some reason at a later time,” the CCBC said in May.

At their meeting, the Selects approved the choice of an owner’s project manager and design contract. A schematic design is now being developed, and construction documents will be prepared starting in December. Bidding is expected to take place in April and May 2025 with construction starting in June 2025.