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

My Turn: supporting our neighbors this Thanksgiving

By Ursula Nowak for the SVdP Food Pantry

At our SVdP Food Pantry of Lincoln and Weston, we’ve seen how the delayed payments and recent cuts of SNAP benefits and the lingering effects of the government shutdown have affected our neighbors. Many of our pantry clients — families, seniors, and individuals who were already stretching every dollar — are now facing even tougher choices about how to put food on the table.

Reductions to SNAP funding and, in some cases job loss, have left many with smaller benefits and greater food insecurity. For families who already rely on every bit of support, that translates into skipped meals and less nutritious options. Even though our pantry faces higher demand and fewer resources, we are making every effort to meet the growing need.

That’s why our Thanksgiving gift card drive is more important than ever this year. Every November, we invite community members to purchase grocery gift cards that we distribute to local families. These cards give our clients the dignity of choosing their own Thanksgiving meal — fresh produce, a turkey, or a favorite family recipe ingredient — and help restore a sense of normalcy during difficult times.

Please help us make these holiday meals possible by donating a $35 Donelan’s gift card before Friday, Nov. 21. You may buy a gift card at Donelan’s in Lincoln and leave it at the register or donate here. To donate by check, please make it payable to ST. VINCENT DE PAUL and mail it to P.O. Box 324, Lincoln MA 01773. Remember to write “Thanksgiving Gift Cards” on the check.

This year, as SNAP benefits shrink and costs rise, that simple gesture means even more. We’re asking our community to come together once again to help make the season a little brighter for our neighbors. Together, we can ensure that everyone in our community has a reason to give thanks this year.

With gratitude,

The Society of St Vincent de Paul Food Pantry of Lincoln and Weston

“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.

Legal notice: Historic District Commission (79 Lincoln)

PUBLIC HEARING — HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION

The Historic District Commission will hold a virtual online public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, to consider the following application:

  • Winthrop Estates, LLC, 79 Lincoln Rd., M/P 153-15-0, to demolish the existing barn.

Anyone wishing to be heard on this matter should be present at the designated time and place.

Note that legal notices often must be posted twice by law. For previous legal notices and details on how to submit a legal notice to the Lincoln Squirrel, click here.

Legal notice: Historic District Commission (241 Old Concord)

PUBLIC HEARING — HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION

The Historic District Commission will hold a virtual online public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, to consider the following application:

  • Joanne Wise, 241 Old Concord Rd., M/P 156-7-0, to demolish the shed/lean-to.

Anyone wishing to be heard on this matter should be present at the designated time and place.

Note that legal notices often must be posted twice by law. For previous legal notices and details on how to submit a legal notice to the Lincoln Squirrel, click here.

News acorns

LincFam gift card drive, meetup

LincFam is organizing an urgent grocery gift card drive to help bridge the next few weeks for local families while SNAP benefits are disrupted by the government shutdown. Drop off new or partially used cards (please note remaining balance) at Erin Rist’s House (10 Hawk Hill Road, Lincoln), email e-gift cards to lincnhn@gmail.com, Venmo a donation to @erinrist (LincFam will purchase grocery cards), or give directly to the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry — drop gift cards in the locked box in garage at 10 Hawk Hill Road or email e-gift cards to lincnhn@gmail.com.

LincFam offers new and expecting parents a chance to meet for a walk on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 10:00am outside the deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park’s Twisted Tree  Cafe. Free beverage after the walk. Anyone with babies under age 2 are welcome. Questions? Contact Emily at 207-712-7363.

Craft & Chill: watercolor pumpkin cards

Give yourself a mental break and have some fun with other adults on Wednesday, Nov. 19 from 1:00–2:00pm in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. All supplies are provided by the library. For ages 16+. Register here.

Lincoln resident photo exhibition in R.I.

Lincoln resident Linda Hammett Ory’s is included in the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts upcoming exhibition, “Landscapes: Real or Imagined,” juried by photographer and gallery director Cara Weston (granddaughter of Edward). This show celebrates contemporary landscape photography, offering a wider lens to provide a more expansive presentation of landscape photography today. The exhibition runs from November 20 through December 12, and the opening reception is on Thursday, Nov. 20 from 5:00–8:00pm. More information can be found on RICPA’s website.

Talk by Lincoln’s Dobrow on her new book

Julie Dobrow will discuss her new book, Love and Loss After Wounded Knee: A Biography of an Extraordinary Interracial Marriage on Sunday, Nov. 30 at 3:00pm in Bemis Hall. See her Medium post on how she learned about her subjects.

“Nothing Solid” film screening and Q&A

“Nothing Solid,” a semi-autobiographical, medical dark comedy based on Sharisse Zeroonian’s real-life experience with cyclic vomiting syndrome (a rare neurological brain-gut disorder), will be screened on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 6:00pm at the Lincoln Public Library. Zeroonian will be on hand to answer questions. Open to ages 16+.

Coming up at the deCordova

Talismans:  Pysanky Gift Making
Saturday, Dec. 6, 10:00am–noon

Holiday Wreath Making with Derby Farms
Saturday, Dec.6, 2:30–4:00pm

My Turn: Thanksgiving pies and pantries

By Tara Mitchell

Right now, our local food pantries need assistance more than ever before.  With government aid slowing to a trickle, every little bit can help.  Please consider a donation to St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry or the Sudbury Food Pantry.

Additionally, FELS (the Foundation for Educators at Lincoln-Sudbury) is in the final week of its annual Thanksgiving pie sale. You can order a pie as a donation for a family to pick up from the food pantries in Lincoln or Sudbury, to gift to teachers and staff at LSRHS, or for your own Thanksgiving table. Orders must be in by Monday, Nov. 17. 

Either means of donation to our food pantries will allow local families to have a better opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Thanks to both our towns for your ongoing support of our food pantries and FELS, and best wishes for a safe and festive Thanksgiving!

Mitchell, a Sandy Pond Road resident, is co-president of FELS.

“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.

Doherty’s project to accommodate new electric school buses

A map showing where the electric school buses (light blue) will be parked. The red line is the trench for the charging stations. Click image to enlarge.

Workers have begun digging a trench at the east side of the Doherty’s Garage property to install charging stations for a new fleet of electric school buses.

As part of the project, the grassy area now occupied by cars awaiting repair will be paved, expanded, and moved 21 feet closer to the tree line, though only one tree will be taken down. The EV transformer will supply electricity on two different meters for Doherty’s and the public, which will have access to two new charging stations in the adjacent dirt commuter lot. 

The Lincoln Garden Club’s plants in the area were removed but will be replaced, and there will be new plantings on the Lincoln Road side of the property to partially screen the school buses from view. The Planning Board approved the addition on October 28.

 “It’s going to be a huge improvement. Right now it looks like a junkyard. The site needs to be cleaned up,” said Paula Vaughn-Mackenzie, director of planning and land use.

Board members asked why the buses need to be charged and parked full-time at that location rather than at the Lincoln School or the DPW on nearby Lewis Street where they’re now stored. Scott Rodman of the Green Energy Committee, who has been working with property owner Mike Callender and Highland Electric Fleets, replied that the school had neither access to enough power nor space to park the buses with sufficient turnaround room — “much to my chagrin, because I thought was perfect place for them, too,” Rodman said. “I tried everything humanly possible.”

The buses also can’t be parked behind the garage building because it’s too close to wetlands. As for the DPW, the town expects to rebuild the site at some point, and when that happens, there won’t be room for the buses there either. It wouldn’t make fiscal sense to install the EV chargers there and then later tear them out and reinstall them elsewhere, Rodman said. “These chargers are very expensive — you can’t do it as a sort of temporary thing.”

A 2019 town study said that the DPW would have to be replaced at what was then an estimated cost of $15 million. Consultants looked at several alternate sites in town and concluded that the current Lewis Street was the most suitable.

For now, Doherty’s will keep some of its diesel buses as backups and for use on  field trips and longer athletic trips; eventually they will be phased out, Callender said. He asked the board to approve the plan right away to qualify for grant funding. The project needs to be up and running by January 1, 2026; “otherwise, several million dollars in federal and state funds may go elsewhere, and given the political climate, may not return,” he added.

Doherty’s and the school agreed earlier this year to amend their contract to allow introduction of the new buses, and the change will not cost the schools or town any additional money.

Though everyone agreed that electric school buses are a good idea though not without some grumbling about the fact that the application was submitted as a “minor change” to the property’s site plan.This meant that a public hearing was not required and some board members found out about the proposal rather late in the game, though Reid McIntire, project manager at Highland Electric Fleets, said they’d been working on the plan since April.

“I’m shocked that we just found out about this — you’re putting a gun to our head,” said board member Rob Ahlert. “I feel like it came out of nowhere, though maybe it’s all good.”

“On principle, I believe this is a major modification, but I also believe that this project needs to move forward,” said board member Susan Hall Mygatt, who urged the board to have a future discussion of what exactly constitutes “major” and “minor” changes to site plans. Ultimately, though, members unanimously approved the “minor change” designation and the project itself.

“This is a real chance to do something that would be unusual for a town as small as Lincoln,” board member Gary Taylor said.

Doherty’s Garage, a three-generation business in Lincoln since 1905, was sold in 2023 to 161 Lincoln Rd. LLC. The property and business activities were split up; Cindy Murphy (granddaughter of founder Matthew Doherty) and her husband Dennis still manage the school bus transportation and rubbish collection services, while Johnny Frangieh of Lincoln Petroleum runs the gas station and auto repair shop. 

Addendum

The November 9 story headlined “Bank of America to close Lincoln branch” should have included statements by RLF Executive Director Geoff McGean that “we are actively in discussions with other potential banks to replace [Bank of America]” and that “Civico or other developers have not made additional progress on drawing up proposals for redeveloping the mall.” Also, only the Cambridge Trust’s Lincoln branch closed in  2016, not the entire company. The article has been updated.
 
 

Bank of America to close Lincoln branch

The Bank of America branch at the Mall at Lincoln Station.

Editor’s note: this story was updated on November 10, 2025.

Lincoln’s Bank of America customers received emails on Friday that the town’s branch would close in March 2026.

The email didn’t say why the move was being made but said those who have a safe deposit box at this location will receive a separate letter with instructions about how to close the box and collect your personal belongings. Jennings Rainey, Vice President/Consumer Banking Market Leader for the Middlesex Market, referred questions to the bank’s corporate media office, which did not return an email from the Lincoln Squirrel on Friday.

Geoff McGean, executive director of the Rural land Foundation, the mall’s owner, said Bank of America had an option to renew their lease starting in April 2026 and notified the RLF that they would decline it.

“BoA has been a valued tenant at Lincoln Station for 25 years,” McGean said. “The decision to leave was made exclusively by BoA and was a surprise to RLF. The employees at the bank have cited a lack of activity as being the reason for the closure but that is all we have been told at this time.” The RLF is actively in discussions with other potential banks to replace [Bank of America],” he added.

“I think we as a community need to look broadly at the state of retail/banks in particular and ask ourselves to really lean in and support this town in all ways possible,” said Andrew Stevenson, RLF’s board chair. “It is more important than ever that we show all local companies support and shop at them to make sure they see a viable future in Lincoln, whether they be stores at Lincoln Station or any local vendor.”

Voters approved zoning changes in December 2023 that, among other things, would allow the mall to be redeveloped as a two-story building with housing on the second floor, a project that will inconvenience the current commercial tenants in the short term. The RLF has been in discussions for some time with Civico about ideas whereby the company would redevelop the mall while adding a second and third floor for multifamily housing as stipulated in the Housing Choice Act. However, neither Civico nor any other developer have made “additional progress on drawing up proposals for redeveloping the mall,” McGean said.

A branch of the Cambridge Trust Co., which was located across Lincoln Road from the Bank of America, closed its doors in 2016.

Police log for October 22—November 3, 2025

October 22

Old Concord Road (2:53pm) — An officer spoke to two youths who were fishing in a private area and suggested alternate locations.

Pierce House (4:22pm) — A large tree was partially blocking the roadway. The DPW was notified.

Beaver Pond Road (5:07pm) — An officer responded to Beaver Pond Road after a report of increased volume and speed of vehicles.

October 23

Battle Road Farm (12:30am) — Officers responded for an ongoing neighbor dispute.

Harvest Circle (9:19am) — A person reported a missing or stolen item. An officer responded.

Oriole Landing (11:15am) — A person reported recovering several articles of mail in a wooded area adjacent to the roadway. An officer took possession of the items.

October 24

Bypass Road (9:02am) — A resident reported that their car was stolen from their driveway some time during the night. Lincoln police, Massachusetts State Police, and neighboring agencies are investigating.

Smith Hill Road (9:33am) — An officer spoke to a person regarding an out-of-state civil issue with a rental company.

Lincoln North office building (1:40pm) — Officers were made aware of a protest occurring on Hanscom Drive. The protest was a peaceful demonstration requiring no police response.

Ballfield Road (8:58am) — An officer checked on a motorist at the side of the road. They had pulled over to make a phone call and were on their way shortly thereafter.

October 25

St. Anne’s Church (9:55am) — An officer spoke with a person reporting damage to several trees.

Lincoln Road (4:48pm) — Police and fire personnel responded to a residence after a person reported a missing child. Several area resources were started to the area. The child was located unharmed a short time later on the property.

Conant Road (6:12pm) — A caller reported that a vehicle had made several passes in a brief period of time. Officers checked the area but were unable to locate anything out of the ordinary.

Red Maple Lane (10:02pm) — Officers responded to a residence and assisted the occupants.

October 26

North Commons (9:42am) — Officers helped a person transport a family member.

Lincoln Road (1:57pm) — A caller reported seeing a suspicious person behind the Town Hall. Officer checked the area but were unable to locate anyone matching the description.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (8:58pm) — Lincoln officers assisted the Massachusetts State Police with a two-vehicle crash.

October 27

South Great Road (5:12pm) — An officer assisted a caller with an incident involving a neighbor.

October 28

Robbins Road, Bedford (8:43am) — An officer responded to Hanscom Air Force Base to assist Hanscom Security Forces with a person who had an active arrest warrant. Patrick Prendiville, 64, of Southbridge was taken into custody for an outstanding warrant from New Hampshire. He was charged as a fugitive from justice and transported to Concord District Court.

Storey Drive (10:04am) — An officer helped a person contact another person who was not answering the door or their phone. Contact was made and the two communicated.

Bypass Road (2:50pm) — Police and fire units responded to the area for a two-vehicle crash involving a bus. There were no injuries reported. The operator of the vehicle that had caused the crash was cited for failing to yield. The vehicle was towed from the scene and the students were transferred to a second bus.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (3:33pm) — A resident was burning leaves without a permit and outside the allotted season. The Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire.

Tower Field Lane (5:09pm) — A caller reported seeing a possible hunter in the field next to their residence. Officers checked the area but were unable to locate anyone hunting in the area.

Old County Road (9:46pm) — A caller reported a possibly abandoned vehicle parked on the side of the road. An officer located the vehicle and, a short time later, the two occupants. The parties were told that they were trespassing and moved from the area.

October 29

Juniper Ridge Road (10:34am) — A caller reported a possible vehicle fire. An officer checked the area and located the vehicle; there was no fire, just a mechanical issue. A tow truck was summoned.

Sandy Pond Road (12:57pm) — Police and fire units responded to the area for a two-vehicle crash when a vehicle and school bus struck one another while backing at a slow speed. There was minor damage and no injuries reported. Both vehicles were able to be driven from the scene.

North Great Road (6:21pm) — A caller reported seeing a person pushing a shopping cart and wearing a headlamp in the area. An officer located several runners wearing headlamps but no shopping carts.

October 30

South Great Road (12:00pm) — A caller reported a possible malfunction with the railroad crossing gates. An officer responded and monitored the area; the gates appeared to be functioning without issue, but Keolis was notified.

Bypass Road (11:29pm) — A caller reported discovering a snake in their dining room. An officer responded and was able to swiftly and safely relocate the snake to a more suitable habitat.

October 31

Police received reports of trees and branches down throughout the day and evening at the Twisted Tree Cafe and on Granville Road, Farrar Road, Lincoln Road, South Great Road, Mill Street, Deerhaven Road, Old Concord Road, and Greenridge Lane.

Tower Road (1:14am) — Due to strong winds and tree damage, electrical wires were severed, resulting in an electrical fire. The area was secured until the power could be deactivated. Later that morning, an officer returned to several closed sections of the road to redeploy barriers to prevent motorists from accessing areas that were unsafe.

North Great Road (9:41am) — A disabled vehicle was being repaired in the MMNHP visitors lot and was moved when repairs were complete.

Mill Street (11:43am) — A caller reported a large turtle in the roadway. Officers checked the length of the road but were unable to locate it.

Fridolin Hill (2:08pm) — An officer performed a vehicle check for a resident.

Beaver Pond Road (3:30pm) — An officer spoke to a resident regarding a possible scam.

Concord (8:49pm) — An officer assisted Concord police with a mutual-aid deployment of a drone for a missing-person search. The response was terminated shortly thereafter when the person was found safe.

November 1

Wheeler Road (12:02am) — Officers checked the area for a suspicious motor vehicle. The vehicle left the area prior to police arrival.

Weston Road (9:09pm) — Police were notified of a downed power line. The area was cordoned off until Eversource arrived.

Old County Road (10:49am) — A motorist reported striking a deer. The vehicle sustained no damage and was able to be driven from the scene. Due to its injuries, the deer had to be put down.

Harvest Circle (11:34am) — An officer served paperwork.

South Great Road (4:48pm) — A motorist reported a wire down in the area. The wire was a utility wire and not electrical. It was moved to the side of the road and Verizon was notified.

Page Road (3:40pm) — A resident reported a power outage. Eversource was notified.

Old Concord Road (9:03pm) — An officer responded to a house party that had grown to an unmanageable level.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (9:24pm) — A dead deer was reported in the roadway. Massachusetts State Police were notified.

November 2

Lexington Road (10:10am) — A caller reported that a vehicle had struck a rock wall and then fled the area. Officers checked the area but were unable to locate the vehicle.

South Great Road (11:40am) — Officers helped a person reunite with family members after they had become separated.

November 3

Weston Road (3:02pm) — A caller reported that a vehicle was parked on their grass. The owner was located a short time later and the vehicle was moved.

Select Board highlights from Nov. 3 meeting

Solar array at landfill nears completion

The focus is now on wiring the system, according to Town administrator Tim Higgins. The contractor was able to use the existing conduit to Mill Street, eliminating the need for additional clearing and excavation through the woods. The equipment pad on Mill Street has been poured and the pedestrian path has been paved. The system should be mechanically complete this month and operational before the year’s end, assuming Eversource does what is needed to connect to the grid.

New building commissioner

Jon Metivier will start work as Lincoln’s new building inspector and zoning enforcement officer on December 1. He succeeds Mark Robidoux, who took another position in Southborough. The job responsibilities are not changing, said Assistant Town Administrator Dan Pereira.

L-S needs a new roof

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School will request funds from both towns for fiscal 2027 to replace the high school roof. Preliminary estimates range from $3.3 million to $7.5 million, and Lincoln’s share of enrollment is 12.7%, meaning it will be liable for roughly $419,000 to $953,000. Town officials will ask the Finance Committee for its preference for a funding mechanism. The L-S School Committee will vote to authorize the project and debt, which will become effective unless one or both towns vote at Town Meeting to reject that vote.