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

News acorns

Youth talent show coming up on Wednesday

The Kids4Covid talent show will be live on Zoom on Wednesday, Dec. 23. Entrance starts at 5 p.m., and the show begins at 5:15. Everyone is welcome; donations from adults who watch are requested, but organizers understand that the pandemic has affected everyone differently. All donations will go straight to Save the Children. The goal is $1,000 and the effort has raised $665 so far. Donate here, and watch on Zoom here.

Mass Audubon offers free admission for foster families

Furthering its commitment to connect people of all ages and backgrounds to nature, Mass Audubon is now participating in the Wonderfund Access Card program, which serves thousands of children in foster care with the state Department of Children and Families (DCF). Foster families can now enjoy free access in 2021 for up to four individuals per visit to Mass Audubon’s network of wildlife sanctuaries, including Drumlin Farm. Wonderfund, which serves more than 5,000 DCF foster families statewide, joins other programs for which Mass Audubon is a participating partner year-round, including EBT Card to Culture, ConnectorCare Card to Culture, and Blue Star Families.

College magazine profiles alumna and MCC fundraiser Schmergel

Joanna Schmergel and her successful ongoing estate sale to benefit the Lincoln METCO Coordinating Committee is the focus of a story in the Norwich Bulletin, a publication of her alma mater, Norwich University. Quoting fellow Lincolnites Erica Gonella and Pilar Doughty, the article described how Schmergel, a former lieutenant in the army’s 82nd Airborne division, “jumped in feet-first, Airborne style” when she was first asked for a donation to the MCC.

My Turn: Thank-you to Jackie Lenth

By the Town Clerk office staff

The Town Clerk’s Office wishes to honor the work of Jackie Lenth, who donated protection sleeves for our election plexiglass screens. As Covid-19 rendered the use of the screens necessary, protection sleeves ensure that they will not be damaged in storage. Another Lincoln volunteer, Tricia Deck, donated the fleece for each of the sleeves. Her donation of the fabric is greatly appreciated, especially because of all the fun and bright patterns! Jackie hand-sewed 13 protection sleeves which otherwise would have been priced at $80 each.

Jackie Lenth with some of the screen sleeves she made for the Town Clerk’s office.

Using salamander, Boston Celtics, and other festive patterns, Jackie also worked to incorporate the Lincoln spirit into each of the sleeves. We appreciate Jackie’s craftsmanship and her dedication to the office and the town! Jackie also donated a great number of hours at the election, working alongside over 50 other terrific volunteers including her husband.

Thank you for your donation, Jackie!

”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.

My Turn: Lincoln phone book postponed due to pandemic

By David Levington

The Lincoln Public Library is a treasured resource that has been especially important to many town residents during these past ten months as we’ve all weathered the pandemic together. Our wonderful library staff has truly risen to the challenge to provide much-needed services and outreach activities to help us stay well, safe, and entertained: curbside book pickup for all… expanded book groups and Zoom discussions supplemented with related films… speakers and special programs for all ages via Zoom… and access, by appointment, to the Archives Room and personal browsing. We all thank them heartily for their creative ideas in helping us through this difficult time and appreciate their hard work behind the scenes to provide these opportunities.

The Friends of the Lincoln Library (FOLL) is a nonprofit group that raises funds to augment Library items and activities not included in the town budget. One important and visible project is the Lincoln Telephone Directory, which we publish every two years and distribute to every household. It’s a valuable resource to Town residents as well as for our many sponsors and has provided a major source of funds for the Library from fees paid by our advertisers. This year, the FOLL board has reluctantly decided to postpone the directory for now as we await safer, healthy, and economically more stable times before gathering data and soliciting advertisers. We ask our readers to hold onto their 2019 issues and continue to patronize our advertisers. The directory will remain a valuable resource, just not quite as up to date.

We thank everyone who supports our library — patrons, supporters, business sponsors, staff, and volunteers — and wish you all happy and healthy holidays and new year!

Levington is president of the Friends of the Lincoln Library.

”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.

Lincoln’s catalpa tree gets some preventive maintenance

By Cathy Moritz

Workers attach cabling to branches of Lincoln’s twisted catalpa tree to help protect them from breakage.

The beloved twisted tree in front of the Lincoln Public Library is estimated to be 110 to 120 years old — at least 50 years older than a typical Northern Catalpa. In a joint project, the Friends of the Lincoln Library (FOLL) and the Lincoln Garden Club (LGC) have funded a preservation project that could extend the life of the tree another 20 to 30 years.

With the expert advice of the Arnold Arboretum’s Sean Halloran and professional arborist Jonathan Bransfield, along with the approval of library trustees and town officials, the Lincoln Catalpa Committee planned an extensive preservation project. On December 11, a crew from Bransfield Tree Co. spent over four hours in two tall bucket trucks to perform the preservation work, which included cabling the upper limbs to help them withstand wind and snow, pruning unstable or dead wood from the canopy, and fertilizing and installing a protective mulch ring around the trunk. A videographer filmed the project and interviewed the crew, and Bransfield promised that a finished video will eventually be available to all.

A fresh layer of mulch covers the ground beneath the tree.

The Committee was organized last spring to promote the preservation of the tree and coordinate a project to propagate clones of it. Members hope that at least one of the clones will twist as dramatically as the parent tree so that the tradition of a twisted tree at the library can continue. The committee includes Cathy Moritz, FOLL and LGC board member; Peter Sugar, library trustee; Bobbie Myles, library director; LGC members Cynthia Ferris and Eileen McCrory, and past FOLL president and LGC board member Daniela Caride. Questions about the group’s work can be directed to coordinator Cathy Moritz at cathymoritz@gmail.com.

In a public presentation sponsored by the LGC, Halloran, head of woody plant propagation at the Arnold Arboretum, gave a talk on the twisted tree, the cloning project, twisting trees in general, and tree planting tips. Interested Lincolnites who missed the presentation on November 1 can view it here.

Clarification

The December 17 article headlined “Board tackles vacancies and staff positions, postpones Town Meeting incorrectly noted that it was unclear whether residents will be allowed to vote by absentee ballot in the town election in March 2021. In fact, absentee voting is always allowed for municipal elections in cases where voters will be absent from town during normal polling hours, have a physical disability preventing them from getting to the polls, or religious belief. This year, taking precautions around Covid-19 was included under the “disability” clause of absentee ballot conditions.

“No-excuse” early voting by mail become permissible as a result of the pandemic and was recently extended until March 31, 2021. Early voting in person is not allowed for municipal elections.

Board tackles vacancies and staff positions, postpones Town Meeting

The Board of Selectmen appointed several residents to fill vacancies on boards and in the Planning Department and also voted to postpone the Annual Town Meeting normally held in March.

Paula Vaughn-MacKenzie is the new Director of Planning and Land Use. She has been the acting director since the leave and then departure of Jennifer Burney. The vote came after the Planning Board “voted unanimously and enthusiastically to support Paula in this role,” Planning Board chair Margaret Olson said at the selectmen’s December 14 meeting.

Rachel Drew was confirmed to one of two appointed seats on the Housing Commission. Those seats have five-year terms, while the other three seats are elected on a three-year rotation. Drew succeeds Diana Chirita, who had served on the commission since 2014. The other appointed seat is currently held by Allen Vander Meulen.

Selectmen also spoke with Reanna Wu and Julian Huertas, two of the three candidates to fill a longtime vacancy on the Zoning Board of Appeals. A third candidate, John Carr, was not able to attend the meeting. A second opening is expected soon as a long-time member plans to retire, ZBA Chair David Henken said.

Other appointments made this week were:

  • Community Preservation Committee — John Ottenberg, replacing John Valpey
  • Battle Road Scenic Byway Committee — Robert Domnitz, replacing Paula Vaughn-MacKenzie, who is the new director of Planning and Land Use. Domnitz also served on the Planning Board.
  • Emergency Assistance Fund Committee — Mary Stechschulte, replacing Jane Thomas
  • Pierce House Committee — Peter Braun (replacing Lucia McMahon) and Barbara Peskin (replacing Jean Horne)
Staff positions

Selectmen also heard a proposal to fund two other town employee positions as part of the fiscal 2022 budget. If approved, a part-time position in the Town Clerk’s office will become full-time to help handle the added workload resulting from administering elections (largely due to the advent of early voting) as well as death certificates. That job has required more time since the Care Dimensions Hospice House opened in spring 2018.

The part-time town social worker position was created with grants in 2019, with the understanding that the town would eventually assume the expense once the grants’ funds were exhausted. Social worker Emily Morrison helps residents under age 60, complementing the Council on Aging’s social worker for seniors. The council itself plans to change its name to the Council on Aging and Human Services to reflect its expanding services.

Annual Town Meeting

The 2021 Annual Town Meeting has been postponed to an outdoor May 15 event because of the ongoing pandemic, although the town election will go ahead indoors as planned on March 29.

The change was approved this week by the Board of Selectmen, though there are details that need to be ironed out. Among them: where exactly on the school campus the meeting will take place, given the ongoing school construction project, and what will be on the agenda. in the interest of time efficiency amid the pandemic, last year’s ATM was stripped of some of the usual warrant articles, including votes on several citizens’ petitions.

Also to be determined is whether residents can vote in the town election by absentee ballot, and how to coordinate it with the school’s schedule when classes are in session.

Correction

A December 14 article headlined “Covid-19 cases in Lincoln see rapid increase” incorrectly stated that half of the V-shaped skilled nursing section of The Commons at Lincoln had been converted to a Covid-19 unit. According to Benchmark Senior Living, the skilled nursing neighborhood has isolated Covid-19-positive residents in seven of the area’s 32 rooms rooms with a staff dedicated solely to their care. Also, the staff in the skilled nursing area are tested every three days.

Police log for December 7–14, 2020

December 7

Old Concord Road (9:42 a.m.) — Officer responded to a minor two-car crash; no injuries.

December 8

Mackintosh Lane (9:50 a.m.) — Caller reported that a tree crew was blocking his driveway. Officer responded and spoke to the crew. If anyone needs to come in or out of the road, they’ll move.

Donelan’s Supermarket (12:25 p.m.) — Caller requested Fire Department assistance with opening her car with two dogs inside. Cancelled while end route; caller was able to get the door unlocked.

December 9

Davison Drive (3:43 p.m.) — Caller reported a man in a U-Haul van was going through their mail. Vehicle fled when confronted. Officers checked the area but were unable to locate. Investigation is ongoing.

December 10

Lincoln Road (8:56 a.m.) — A tree crew was taking down marked trees and the caller didn’t want a particular tree taken down. The tree was removed due to its condition and a notice of removal hearing had been on the tree.

December 11

Wells Road (3:52 p.m.) — Lincoln Woods management reported a that vehicle is parked next to the dumpster hasn’t moved for two months. Vehicle belongs to a resident.

December 12

Old Bedford Road (1:44 a.m.) — Officer reported an unoccupied vehicle parked by the loading dock of the building. No one was around and the building was secure.

Wells Road (3:59 p.m.) — Caller reported two kids with backpacks were knocking on doors in the area. Officers checked the area and spoke with two juveniles who denied their involvement. No contact with any other parties.

December 13

Virginia Road (1:18 p.m.) — A resident wanted the Fire Department to do a well-being check on their neighbor who is not feeling well. Neighbor was fine; units cleared.

Sandy Pond Road (3:17 p.m.) — Officer checked on two people at the pumping station. They were sent on their way.

Weston Road (7:57 p.m.) — Officer checked on vehicle pulled over to the side of the road. The party was making deliveries.

December 14

Hanscom Air Force Base Vandenberg Gate (7:25 a.m.) — Hanscom Security Forces reported a party is at the gate had a warrant. Officer found that the individual has a receipt for the fines paid; they were advised to call the court.

Conant Road (11:30 a.m.) — Caller believed a delivery driver opened their garage door and delivered a package to the wrong residence. The package was taken to the correct residence.

Lexington Road (10:24 p.m.) — Report of loud music playing in Flint’s Field. Officers checked the field and the cemetery but were unable to locate any noise.

Library helps connect far-flung families during pandemic

By Lucy Maulsby

Cathy Moritz reads over Zoom to her great-niece and great-nephew in California.

The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed all of us to imagine new ways of doing familiar things, including connecting with friends and family when being together in person is not possible. The Lincoln Public Library has been supporting the community in this effort in a number of novel ways that have stretched well beyond the boundaries of Lincoln to Alabama, California, and even Greece.

Since the start of the pandemic, the librarians have been helping Lincoln residents who are reading virtually to younger family members over Zoom. During the summer months before books were circulating, they recommended books and provided support in setting up and using digital delivery services like Hoopla.

Ruth Ann Hendrickson, for example, is reading to her grandchildren, the youngest of which is 9, in Alabama nearly every day. Earlier in the school year, her grandchildren, no longer as busy with after-school activities and then summer, had time for reading sessions, but their enthusiasm for a good story quickly exhausted her supply of books. Their recent favorites have included R.A. Spratt’s Adventures of Nanny Piggins, Robert McCloskey’s Homer Price, and Ann McCaffery’s Dragon Song.

“I’m enjoying it even more than they are, and they’re loving it!” Hendrickson said.

Cathy Moritz likewise started reading to her great-niece Sylvia and great-nephew Homer, ages 7 and 4, in California last spring shortly after schools closed, when she realized that regular visits would not be possible and that their parents, one of whom works very long hours, needed support. Their appetite for picture books has meant very regular trips to collect books in recent months — sometimes as many as three bags at a time from the library. Children’s librarian Denise Shaver has been especially instrumental in selecting books, focusing on the stories and subjects that interest the children and using those as a bridge to new material.

Even though her young relatives are often busy drawing, sewing, or playing quietly as she reads, Moritz said she’s always “surprised by the intensity with which they listen.” The time she spends reading to Sylvia and Homer has created informal opportunities for conversation, bringing them closer together in a way that might not have been otherwise possible.

In a different vein, Lincoln resident and former library trustee Jenifer Burckett-Picker connected the daughter of a family friend, who was born in Boston and now lives in Greece, with the Lincoln library after their plans to travel Lincoln this summer were canceled as a result of Covid-19 travel restrictions. Erietta, nearly 7, participated in many of the library’s virtual summer programs, including story time, science programs, and virtual trivia. “She had a lot of fun while at the same time staying connected and enhancing her relations with the U.S.,” her mother Maria Kechri wrote. “The creativity and hard work of the people at the Lincoln Library helped to create an ‘open window’ to the world.”

“It’s been really special for us to help patrons during this isolating time in the small way we can — with books,” said Children’s Librarian Debbie Leopold. Indeed, although overall book circulation slowed dramatically after the closure of the library in March, the circulation of children’s books — driven in part by the new ways in which libraries are being used — is now about twice what it was a year ago, with over 4,500 books circulating per month.

As the holiday season approaches, the children’s librarians are putting together winter and holiday Book Bundles, which can be tailored to the interests of young readers, and encourage families to use books as a way to connect with loved ones near and far.

News acorns

McGean recognized by Boston Globe

Tricia McGean

The Boston Globe recently included Tricia McGean, the public health nurse for several towns including Lincoln, in its lineup of 2020 Everyday Heroes: “Tricia Emery McGean spends every day and night, including weekends, trying to keep local communities healthy… She handles contract tracing for local schools, sometimes working overnight to ensure the safety of the community.”

Annual First Day celebration canceled

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Pierce House Committee and manager Victoria Otis have reluctantly decided to cancel this year’s First Day celebration, an annal tradition where residents come together at the Pierce House on New Year’s Day for food, drink and entertainment.

Update from Drumlin Farm food effort

Renata Pomponi

Renata Pomponi, the Wildlife Sanctuary Director at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, provided this update to her article (“My Turn: Drumlin Farm pitches in with produce during pandemic”) on December 3 about the Drumlin Farm Food Donation Program:

Over the course of the 2020 growing season, Drumlin Farm has distributed over 17,000 pounds of veggies and 600 dozen eggs to people in need around eastern Massachusetts. We are grateful to the Lincoln Agricultural Commission for provided funding this summer to allow Drumlin Farm to begin making twice-a-month contributions of produce and eggs to the Lincoln food pantry. The Ogden Codman Trust then stepped forward with a generous grant to allow us to continue the program through the winter, with eggs from our chickens and greens coming soon from our hoop house.

Our hunger relief work in Lincoln has been a true community partnership, and we are honored to be part of making the connections from farm and farmer to those who truly need our food.

The December 3 article has been updated to include this information.