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

My Turn: The more green electricity, the better

By Sue Klem

Lincoln recently launched a new, greener electricity program, called LincolnGreenEnergyChoice.com. Residents were automatically enrolled in March unless they chose to opt out of the program or were using a third-party electricity supplier.

For about the same price as we were paying before, 45% of the electricity provided to Lincoln residents will be generated from clean renewable sources like wind and solar. This is a big improvement over the 18% renewables supplied by Eversource. Eversource will continue to deliver and bill for our electricity, but First Point Power is our new, greener electricity supplier. 

But we can do even better. You can  have all of your electricity come from renewable sources by choosing to “Opt Up to Lincoln 100% Green” for about $20 more per month for an average household compared to Lincoln Standard Green (the default option that customers were automatically assigned to), To do this, simply call 844-651-8919 or go to www.masspowerchoice.com/lincoln/enroll. 

There are many other electricity supply companies pushing hard to get our business. — but the only program that provides this much green electricity for this low a price is Lincoln Green Energy Choice. The town negotiated this deal for its residents. Do not sign up with another company thinking it is the Lincoln program. Unless the company has LINCOLN in its name, it is not the Lincoln program and does not provide as much green electricity.

Pricing for the three options in Lincoln Green Energy Choice (click to enlarge).

You can also “opt down” to save a little with Lincoln Basic, or you can opt out of the program entirely, although that would be more expensive and provide less green energy. For more information on these options, go to www.LincolnGreenEnergyChoice.com.

Lawn signs

Have you noticed the bright green and yellow lawn signs sprouting up around Lincoln? They indicate homeowners who have opted up to Lincoln 100% Green, meaning that 100% of their electricity comes from clean, renewable sources like New England wind and solar projects. The Lincoln Green Energy Committee is running a campaign with the goal of getting 25% of Lincoln residents to choose Lincoln 100% Green for their electricity supply. It only costs about $20 more per month for the average Lincoln household, and you’ll be doing something important to fight climate change.

To “Opt Up to Lincoln 100% Green,” just grab your Eversource electricity bill and go to www.masspowerchoice.com/lincoln/enroll and choose Lincoln 100% Green, or call 844-651-8919. Your “Opt Up to 100% Green Electricity” lawn sign will be delivered to you soon. Please display it to help spread the word!

  *     *     *

Klem is a member of Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee.

“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 April 3–9, 2021

April 3

Old Concord Road (8:08 a.m.) — Caller requested help from the Fire Department because a child accidentally locked themselves in a room and couldn’t open the door.

April 4

Old County Road (1:12 p.m.) — A group of juveniles were fishing in the reservoir. They were asked to move along.

Forester Road, Waltham (1:58p.m.) — Waltham police requested assistance with a medical emergency. Lincoln units assisted until Waltham units arrived.

April 5

Todd Pond Road (8:43 p.m.) — Minor motor vehicle crash (a street sweeper struck a parked car).

Lincoln Road (5:58 p.m.) — Caller reported they may have been the victim of a fraud. An officer went and spoke to the reporting party. It was determined that no fraud occurred.

Care Dimensions Hospice House (8:08 p.m.) — Staff reported an intoxicated person on the property who was trying to visit a family member and had been told to leave multiple times. Officers checked the area but the man was no longer on scene. Staff advised that they’ll call if he returns.

Bedford Road (8:56 p.m.) — A juvenile over age 12 walked out of the house and went for a walk and the parents were concerned. The  juvenile was located a short time later.

Bypass Road (11:40 p.m.) — Caller reported hearing what sounds like a scared domesticated dog in the woods. Officers checked the area and found nothing.

April 6

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (6:51 p.m.) — Caller reported a deceased animal on the side of the roadway. MassDOT was notified.

April 7

Lincoln Road (9:52 am.) — The DPW requested an officer to stand by while they hung a banner for Town Meeting.

Old Conant Road (1:42 p.m.) — Waltham police requested assistance in locating a missing 26-year-old male. Officers checked the area; Waltham police reported they located the party in their city.

April 8

Hanscom Drive (1:27 a.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle pulled over to the side of the roadway. Driver is OK.

Trapelo Road (2:00 a.m.) — An officer located a rekindled pile of brush burning in the field near Minebrook Road. Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire.

Tracey’s Corner (9:04 a.m.) — Caller requested assistance with a party who was looking to do work on the property for the owner. The tenant was unaware that the work was being done. Officers spoke to both parties and advised them this was a civil matter and assisted with a resolution.

Fenway Lane, Hanscom Air Force Base (12:49 p.m.) — Hanscom Security Forces request assistance with an incident on base. Officers responded; Hanscom personnel and the Fire Department handled the matter.

Old County Road (3:28 p.m.) — Caller reported cars parked along Old County Road and people fishing. Officer responded and moved them along.

Davison Drive (4:29 p.m.) — Caller reported a broken pipe was flooding their basement. Fire Department responded and assisted with shutting off water to the home.

Trapelo Road (5:01 p.m.) — Fire Department extinguished a burning brush pile.

April 9

Old Farm Road (2:18 p.m.) — Caller reported an odor of natural gas on the roadway near Lexington Road. Fire Department and National Grid responded to investigate.

North Great Road (5:15 p.m.) — Officer checked on the well-being of a juvenile who was out running. The juvenile asking for a ride home and officers assisted them back to their residence.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (7:54 p.m.) — An officer stopped a party driving an unregistered vehicle. The operator was found to have a traffic warrant out of Boston Municipal Court. Rosa Garcia, 51, of Dorchester was arrested on the warrant and also issued a summons for operating without a license. She was later bailed to appear in Boston Municipal Court.

Hartwell lot, North Great Road (9:31 p.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked in the lot. Everything was fine; the party was on their way home.

Lincoln police took part in a saturation patrol (7–11 p.m.) and sobriety checkpoint (11 p.m.–1:30 a.m.). During the saturation patrol, state police focused on the highways they cover in Concord while Lincoln and Concord town officers focused on roads within each town. The sobriety checkpoint was conducted on Route 2 westbound prior to the lights at Tracey’s. Final stats for the three agencies: five OUI arrests and one warrant arrest as well as four motor vehicle summonses, 28 speeding citations, 12 speeding warnings, and eight move-over violations.

South Great Road (11:36 p.m.) — Officers responded to a one-car crash near Bowles The operator, Ryan Babcock, 24, of Sudbury was arrested for OUI–liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and marked lane violation. The vehicle was towed from the scene. Babcock was later bailed to appear in Concord District Court on April 12 to answer to the charges.

News acorns

It’s garlic mustard season again

Garlic mustard weed (click to enlarge).

This year, the Conservation Department will bring back some of Lincoln’s garlic mustard weed-pulling traditions, but they ask participants to still be mindful of pandemic health and safety guidelines during the ongoing pandemic. Neighborhood pull season is now through May 31.

  • Get free paper leaf bags on Wednesday, April 14 from 9 a.m.–noon at the transfer station and ongoing at Conservation and LLCT offices, courtesy of the Lincoln Garden Club.
  • Drop off filled bags Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m. behind the DPW on Lewis Street near the cell tower. To schedule a pickup at your house through May 31, contact the Conservation Department at 781-259-2612×8129 or coatese@lincolntown.org. Click here to learn about at-home disposal options for garlic mustard weed.
  • New this year: sign up to pull at one of the town’s conservation areas — you choose the date and time when you sign up for one of the locations. Please note that you are responsible for bringing filled bags to the DPW.
  • Learn more about garlic mustard with this Conservation Commission fact sheet, and register your sightings and pullings in the Nature Groupie Garlic Mustard Challenge.

New bin for donating used books

The Friends of the Lincoln Library (FOLL) has installed a third donation bin at Lincoln Gas and Auto Service at 170 South Great Rd., joining the existing bins at the Lincoln Mall and Tracey’s Service Station. Revenue from online sales of used books by the Bay State Book Co. supports the Lincoln Public Library. While the town pays for the library building and grounds, staff, and books, donations to FOLL pay for the programs offered for children and adults, special equipment, museum passes, and other services and activities.  

Session on wind power in New England

Join MetroWest Climate Solutions for a discussion about the future of offshore wind for New England on Wednesday, April 28 at 7 p.m. Amber Hewett, the National Wildlife Federation’s campaign director for offshore wind energy and co-chair of the Mass. Offshore Wind Committee, will talk about:

  • Legislative developments for offshore wind in Massachusetts and surrounding states
  • New hope for Vineyard Wind in Nantucket Sound
  • Offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine
  • Why New Englanders should support offshore wind as one of the main ways to decarbonize our region and economy.

The Zoom-based presentation will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Rev. Jeff Barz-Snell of First Parish Church in Weston. Register here.

MetroWest Climate Solutions is a growing partnership between First Parish in Wayland, First Parish Church in Weston, First Parish in Lincoln, the Congregational Church of Weston, and other communities and individuals. Their mission is to share strategies for moving towards a low- and no-carbon-based society and economy and to suggest activities that enable individuals to help bring about solutions.

News acorns

Explore communities and activities in April challenge

The Foundation for MetroWest is hosting a month-long interactive challenge in April to encourage families to stay active and safely explore the community. The event will inspire children and families to foster a deeper connection to where they live through various at-home activities and local MetroWest field trips that highlight the region. Among the arts and nature-related participating organizations are Drumlin Farm and the deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park.

Participants will use an interactive platform to complete various challenges throughout the month that focus on topics such as arts and culture, the environment, history, etc. Participants will collect points for each challenge completed and race to the top of the MetroWest Quest leaderboard. Sample family challenges include:

  • Visiting a local landmark in your town and learning about its significance to your community
  • Completing a walking history tour in MetroWest
  • Making a craft out of recycled materials
  • Competing against your family in nature bingo

Prizes will be distributed to the top families who complete the challenge. The foundation will provide participants with resources every step of the challenge. To participate, register here and a link to the interactive webpage will be shared with you.

Library activities during April vacation

“Pop-up on the Patio” outdoor library browsing
Tuesday–Thursday, April 20–22 from noon–3 p.m.
Kids of all ages are invited to browse for new books or old favorites. Staff will be outside on the patio with carts and tables of books (weather permitting). Each day will also feature an easy socially distanced craft activity

Blast off with Bottle Rockets
Tuesday, April 20 from 4–5 p.m.
Join the GearTicks robotics to learn about building bottle rockets. This virtual program is open to all ages, but parental supervision is recommended for kids younger than 7. They’ll lead you through the steps of creating your very own bottle rocket and even methods for launching your creation at home! Email dleopold@minlib.net to register for the Zoom link and receive instructions about materials. Participants are invited to submit their rockets to the April Blast Off with Bottle Rockets STEMtastic Challenge and be eligible for a prize.

Dogs, Dogs, Dogs: Storytime with Sally & Lexie
Wednesday, April 21 at 10 a.m.
Join storyteller, dog owner and actress Sally Kindleberger for a fun morning of dog stories, poetry and songs. Perfect for children 4–8 but older kids are welcomed as well. Meet Lexie (Sally’s rescue dog) the well-known Lincoln Public Library therapy dog who loves to hear kids read. Lexie also listens very hard to stories, often with her eyes closed so that she can hear every word. If you have a favorite dog (real or stuffed animal) who likes to listen to stories bring him or her along. Email dleopold@minlib.net for the Zoom link. 

Star Wars Trivia Night
Wednesday, April 21 at 6 p.m.
Do you remember Darth Vader’s real name? How about the name of the planet that’s home to the Wookiees? Prove your Star Wars knowledge and earn your spot as a Jedi in Star Wars Trivia. Play solo or in teams with your family and friends as you compete for bragging rights as the #1 Star Wars fan in Lincoln. For tweens, teens, and families with children. Email dleopold@minlib.net for a Zoom invite.

Schools get grant for programmable robots

The Lincoln Public Schools have been awarded a state grant to support computer science instruction in grades K-8 with programmable robots. The competitive grant will fund the purchase of Hummingbird and Finch robotics kits that will be used to help students learn computer science and computational thinking concepts by programming robots that interact with the physical world through sensors, lights, and motors. LPS was happy to be awarded $7,432 of the total $72,000 in funds that were available state-wide.

Lincoln schools teach both digital literacy and computer science to every K-8 student with a mix of digital and screen-free approaches, and this grant will enrich those efforts. Instructional technology specialists, Monica Albuixech, Cindy Matthes, Mark McDonough, and Nicole Putnam will work this summer to develop new curriculum using these robotics kits and look forward to introducing them to students in September.

Garden Club member in MFA’s Art in Bloom

Lincoln Garden Club member Angela Kadlec will have her work featured in the 45th annual Art in Bloom, a Museum of Fine Arts festival that pairs art with floral interpretations created by 27 New England-area garden clubs, from April 30–May 3. This year’s festival is themed around artworks that tell the stories of women across the museum’s collection, from images of mothers and motherhood.

The event includes recorded guided tours, live-streamed private interactive tours, free instructional videos, and a slideshow presenting favorite arrangements from past Art in Bloom events chosen by and featuring reflections from New England-area garden club members and MFA Associates. Click here for more information and tickets.

Town boards and committees seek volunteers

The Town of Lincoln depends on its citizen volunteers to work with one another on town-wide issues and to help shape community character. The Board of Selectmen is seeking interested volunteers for the following Selectmen-appointed committees: Affordable Housing Trust, Agriculture Commission, Capital Planning Committee, Lincoln Cultural Commission, Pierce Property Committee, IDEA (Inclusion, Equity, Diversity, and Anti-Racism) Initiative, and the Roadside and Traffic Committee. For information or an application, please click here or contact Peggy Elder at elderp@lincolntown.org or 781-259-2601.

Jessica May is the new artistic director at the deCordova

Jessica May

Jessica May has been named to a newly created role as the new managing director of art and exhibitions and artistic director of deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. She succeeds John Ravenal, who had been executive director since 2015.

The announcement was made last month by The Trustees of Reservations, which forged a partnership with the deCordova in 2019 after years of financial difficulties at the institution.

In her new role starting April 12, May will provide the direction and vision for art and exhibitions overall at The Trustees, including serving as chief curator for the deCordova. Additionally, she will manage curatorial work at Fruitlands Museum and oversee the “Art and the Landscape” program, the Trustees’ site-specific commission of new art inspired by their landscapes.

Ravenal was responsible for managing everything at the deCordova, including maintenance to fundraising. “No one can replace John Ravenal — he was amazing,” May said. “I’ll have a really strong partner to be responsible for the operational aspects, and The Trustees has an extraordinary fundraising team. In many ways I’ll be free to be super-focused on the artistic program across the board. I’m hoping we’ll be able to build on the amazing legacy at the deCordova also add some of the strengths that The Trustees offers.”

In 2019, Kord Jablonski was named business director, overseeing the day-to-day operations and management of deCordova including the visitor experience, stewardship and resource care, enterprise, engagement, education, and public programming.

“This is like a dream come true for me,” said May, who has a background in art history and curation and did her doctoral dissertation on Walker Evans. She was previously the deputy director and chief curator at the Portland Museum of Art for eight years.

“One of things I’ve been very touched by in the past few weeks is how deeply the affection for the deCordova is felt all over the place,” May said. “They’ve done such incredible work of telling stories about art both indoors and outdoors. It has such a special place in the history of art in New England. It plays a really important role in the modern museum community as well as in Lincoln, greater Boston and Massachusetts.”

“While we have long been an organization caring for and protecting important cultural sites, only in our recent history have we leveraged the power of contemporary art to engage and excite our audiences and to activate our places,” said Jocelyn Forbush, acting CEO and president of The Trustees. “With the addition of deCordova and Fruitlands, our work has been expanded, and Jessica will ensure that this work will be of the highest curatorial standard.”

Police log for March 27–April 2, 2021

March 27

Scott Circle, Hanscom Air Force Base (2:00 p.m.) — Police received a 911 call from a person reporting that a neighbor was harassing her. Hanscom Security Forces and a Lincoln officer responded. Officers spoke to the party and explained her legal options for a harassment order application.

March 28

Lincoln Road (5:07 p.m.) — Two-car motor vehicle crash; three people transported to Emerson Hospital. Click here for details.

March 29

Hartwell lot, North Great Road (1:02 a.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked in the lot with no one around. Officer made contact with the operator, who had gone for a walk on the trails.

March 30

Virginia Road, Concord (9:16 p.m.) — Concord police requested assistance locating a party who was involved in a dispute in their town.

Liberty Lane, Hanscom Air Force Base (2:23 p.m.) — Court paperwork delivered to the resident

Scott Circle (two addresses), 2:40 p.m. and 3:01 p.m. — Court paperwork was delivered to residents.

Indian Camp Lane (4:10 p.m.) — Concord police requested a well-being check on a resident who was supposed to pick up a party in Concord an hour earlier. Officers responded to the house but no one was home. Concord police called back and reported the person arrived at 4:37 p.m. to pick up the party.

Old Concord Road (6:13 p.m.) — A resident called to report receiving multiple scam phone calls.

Minuteman Technical High School (10:16a.m.) — Simple assault. Details were not released as the incident involved a juvenile.

April 1

Twisted Tree Café (2:40 p.m.) — A walk-in to the station reported that a resident got into a verbal disagreement with staff regarding the placement of the tables at the restaurant. An officer spoke to both parties involved.

April 2

Birchwood Lane (8:31 p.m.) — Court paperwork was delivered to the resident.

Overflow parking lot, South Great Road (9:31 p.m.) — An officer checked on a car parked in the lot. Everything was fine.

My Turn: Thanks for election participation and help

By Valerie Fox, Town Clerk

We would like, as always, to thank the many individuals who participated in last Monday’s annual town election, starting first with the 13 individuals who put themselves forward as candidates for public office and the 457 of their fellow citizens who voted.

Voting by mail is certainly successful, as 320 ballots were cast that way. It was a very slow day at the polls, with 137 people voting in person throughout the 12.5-hour day.

We extend our appreciation also to the Department of Public Works, the police officers assigned to the polling place, the Smith School custodial staff and administration, and the following inspectors who checked in, sanitized, and assisted at the polls: Sarah Bishop, Julie Brogan, Gus Browne, Elaine Carroll, Sarah Chester, Tim Christenfeld, Roger Creel, Myra Ferguson, Denis Fox, Chris Hamilton, Jessica Leigh Hester, Kirsten Hopson, Leslie Hunter, Steve Johnson, Rosemary Kerrebrock, Jackie Lenth, Connie Lewis, Eileen McCrory, Andrew Pang, Jonathan Rapaport, Barbara Sampson, Kathleen Sullivan, and Robin Wilkerson. A very special thank-you to Jennie Christenfeld, who assisted at 6:15 a.m. prior to heading into school, returned to cover the office at 11 a.m. after school, and assisted with closing down the election at the end of the day. We are very lucky to have such a phenomenal crew.

”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.

Cat power (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Craig Nicholson grabbed this photo of a bobcat on his property last week.

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.

Charity saw sharp increase in need for food and financial assistance in 2020

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston has been distributing more and more food and other assistance in recent years — especially in 2020 at the height of Covid-19 pandemic and its accompanying economic disruption, according to data and an annual report provided by the organization.

Fortunately, donations have increased as well, though a shortfall of $7,384 in 2020 was covered by funds in the organization’s treasury, said Ursula Nowak, president of the SVdP of Lincoln and Weston. There were also new sources of income in 2020: a fundraiser walk, the photo projects done by Lincoln resident Corey Nimmer, and donations made by customers of the Codman Community Farms store when they check out.

“I want to give a big shout-out to the Lincoln and Weston communities, Codman Farm, and especially Corey,” Nowak said.

The food pantry is the most visible of the local SVdP Society’s charitable services and receives the bulk of targeted donations, but about 70% of its expenses are for emergency financial assistance to help clients pay for rent, utilities, car repairs, etc.

“If people donate to SVdP without earmarking it for the food pantry, we can use it where it’s needed most (the food pantry or emergency assistance). But if it’s earmarked for the food pantry, we can only use it for that purpose,” Nowak noted.

October 2015October 2019October 2020
Households served at the food pantry196392
Clients served at the food pantry37141226
Bags of food given out62150300
Total expenses (food pantry plus
emergency financial help)		$22,714$50,925$84,484
Donations/grants received$18,498$61,157$77,099

Numbers reflect snapshots for the month of October in each year. October is the start of the fiscal year for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston.

My Turn: Next steps on Massachusetts’s new climate law

By State Sen. Mike Barrett

Bill signing for the Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy took place in the library of the State House, otherwise empty due to the pandemic.

“I have heard words used to describe this piece of legislation — words such as sweeping, landmark, far-reaching, ambitious, bold and nation-leading,” said Senate President Karen Spilka. “I believe it is all of these things.”
Well put. We’re the first state to keep attention riveted on climate by setting emissions limits every five years instead of every ten. The first state to mandate emissions sublimits on the most important sources of greenhouse gases — transportation, buildings, and electric power. The first state to overhaul the charter of its electric power and natural gas regulator to include, alongside price and system reliability, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

At the signing, the atmosphere was cordial. Still, peculiar. Why schedule this important ritual — putting the official touch on the most important climate legislation in Massachusetts in over a decade — on a Friday at 2:30? Why issue no invitations to the advocacy organizations, despite the pivotal roles they played? And why did Gov. Baker spend so much time saluting the valuable yet modest energy bills of years past, and so little time celebrating the law he had just signed?

I sense a problem, and I’m uneasy. I hope the governor is not toying with the idea of disregarding legislative intent by means of a pinched reading of the bill. That would not do. Most people could not give a hoot about keeping a scorecard on the legislature and the executive — who’s winning and who’s losing — but they do care about people in power following the law.

The administration needs to get with the program quickly. Next-Gen sets a number of deadlines:

  • On July 1, Gov. Baker will have three new vacancies to fill — green building experts, all — on a reconstituted Board of Building Regulation and Standards, a low-profile entity with enormous sway over energy use in new construction.
  • By July 15, 2021, the administration must set a first-ever greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal for Mass Save, the popular home energy efficiency program.
  • No later than July 1, 2022, the administration must adopt emissions limits and sublimits for the year 2025, together with a “comprehensive, clear and specific” plan for operating within them.
  • By 21 months from now, the administration must develop and promulgate a new “municipal opt-in specialized stretch energy code” that includes “net zero building performance standards” and a definition of “net zero building.”

This last one promises an ongoing battle. It’s no secret the governor vetoed an earlier version of the climate bill on the prodding of builders and developers. Taking note of the increasing urgency of global warming, we responded to the pushback by doubling down on “net zero” in the version of the bill that became law.

My constituents have been instrumental in seeing to it that Massachusetts passed the most ambitious climate bill in the country, which is cause for celebration. Now we need to make sure it gets implemented well.

“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.