The October 27 story headlined “My Turn: Community center and related projects are progressing” neglected to include an image of the detailed floor plan for the community center. The image has been added to the original story.
Police log for October 18–25, 2024
October 18
Birches School (8:33 a.m.) — A person spoke to an officer about two people who appeared to be acting suspiciously.
Beaver Pond Road (1:05 p.m.) — A caller reported a suspicious motorist taking photos. Officer responded to the area but were unable to locate the vehicle.
Minuteman Technical High School, Lexington (7:43 p.m.) — Lincoln and Lexington police were called to the football field for a fight. The fight was broken up prior to arrival by Minuteman staff.
October 19
Minuteman Technical High School, Lexington (1:36 p.m.) — Officers were called to the school for a missing juvenile. The child was ultimately located and was safe in another jurisdiction.
Wells Road (3:57 p.m.) — A caller reported seeing someone clearing some brush behind their residence. Police spoke with the person, who was making a small path.
Bedford Road (10:25 p.m.) — A vehicle was cited for parking on the sidewalk.
October 20
Mary’s Way (1:57 p.m.) — An officer attempted to contact a person at the request of an outside jurisdiction but was unable to do so.
Winter Street (5:16 p.m.) — An officer responded to the area for a report of an erratic driver and spoke to all parties involved.
Oriole Landing (9:42 p.m.) — A caller reported a suspicious-looking person claiming to be a delivery driver. An officer spoke to the individual who was, in fact, a delivery driver.
October 21
Overflow parking lot, South Great Road (11:46 p.m.) — An officer checked on a parked occupied vehicle. The operator was advised that the lot was closed and sent on their way.
October 22
Concord Road (5:23 a.m.) — Officers responded to the area for a water main break. Click here for more information.
Tower Road (9:46 a.m.) — The Fire Department assisted a motorist who had been locked out of their vehicle.
Concord Road (10:41 a.m.) — A caller reported that their political signs were stolen from their yard. An officer spoke to the homeowner.
Minuteman Technical High School (1:09 p.m.) — An officer spoke to a person who was the victim of an apparent fraud.
Stonehedge Road (5:07 p.m.) — A caller reported a large pile of sand had been deposited on their property. An officer spoke to all parties involved.
October 23
Old Concord Road (11:43 a.m.) — A person reported being the victim of a possible fraud related to their bank account.
Lewis Street (1:43 p.m.) — A caller reported a vehicle parked on the sidewalk. An officer spoke with the operator, who then moved the vehicle.
Lincoln Road (4:30 p.m.) — A person located a dog walking in traffic. The dog’s owner was contacted and a short time later, the dog was back at home.
Post Office (5:29 p.m.) — An individual spoke with an officer regarding a possible check fraud incident.
Sandy Pond Road (6:32 p.m.) — A caller reported seeing an occupied vehicle by a trail head for several hours. Officers checked the area and found that the reported vehicle was unoccupied. Approximately 30 minutes later, the vehicle was gone.
Lincoln Gas and Auto (11:45 p.m.) — A vehicle was parked with its lights on. The vehicle appeared to have been dropped off for repair.
October 24
Page Road (1:28 p.m.) — A person reported a past dog bite. The Animal Control Officer was notified.
South Great Road (12:59 p.m.) — A motorist reported that their windshield was damaged when the railroad crossing gate activated. There were no apparent injuries. Keolis, the MBTA, and Transit Police were notified.
Russett Court (6:21 p.m.) — The Fire Department responded to a residence for the odor of natural gas. The residence was metered and no measurable amount of gas was recorded.
Codman Community Farms (7:05 p.m.) — A lost wallet was turned in at the police station and eventually reunited with its owner.
North Commons (11:18 p.m. and October 25 at 2:38 a.m.) — An officer was called to a residence on two separate occasions for a noise complaint.
October 25
Twin Pond Lane (9:07 p.m.) — A caller asked to speak with an officer about suspicious phone calls.
Autumn Lane (3:26 p.m.) — Paperwork from Concord District Court was served in hand.
Blueberry Lane (4:50 p.m. and 9:44 p.m.) — An officer tried twice to make contact with an individual at the request of Concord police but was unsuccessful.
North Commons (5:58 p.m.) — Officers responded to the area for an ongoing disturbance.
Trapelo Road (7:18 p.m.) — Officers responded to a residence after an occupant reported a disturbance but there was no disturbance when they arrived.
News acorns
Candlelight vigil for domestic violence victims
The Domestic Violence Services Network is sponsoring a “Light in the Darkness” candlelight vigil with guest speaker Kishana Smith-Ose, executive director of the Massachusetts Women of Color Network, on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. at Bemis Hall. The event will honor all Massachusetts residents whose lives were lost to domestic violence. Click here for more information.
Staged readings of humorous short plays
WordsMove Theater presents several performances of “Surprising Encounters between Strangers, Friends and Lovers,” a staged reading of short humorous plays directed by Mary Crowe:
- Friday, Nov. 8 at 12:30 p.m. — Bemis Hall
- Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 7:00 p.m. — Lincoln Public Library
- Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. — Chelmsford Center for the Arts (1A North Rd, Chelmsford)
- Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m. — Congregation Beth El (105 Hudson Rd., Sudbury)
Crowe and several cast members (Corey Becker, Ben Dubrovsky, Sally Kindleberger, and Alice Waugh) are Lincoln residents.
Choral drama: “The Cask of Amontillado”
“The Cask of Amontillado,” a choral drama, will be performed as part of the First Parish in Lincoln’s “Live in Lincoln Center” series on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 8–9:30 p.m. in the church parish house (doors open at 7:30). The chilling retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s classic story narrated by Lincoln resident David Elliott is intertwined with the haunting music of Carlo Gesualdo and singing by the Boston-based Nightingale Vocal Ensemble.
Codman chickens get their 15 minutes of fame
Jason Mikell, a meteorologist from WBZ CBS Boston, recently visited Codman Community Farms to record a “Do Your Job” segment on what involved in caring for the farm’s pastured chickens. Watch the full video here.
Crowes Pasture coming to LOMA
Crowes Pasture will be the headliner at the next Lincoln Open Mic Night on Thursday, Nov. 14 from 7–10 p.m. in Bemis Hall. LOMA is a monthly open mike night event with mikes and instrumental pickups suitable for individuals or small groups playing acoustic-style. Performers should email Rich Eilbert at loma3re@gmail.com before noon of the open-mike day or (space permitting) sign up at the event.
My Turn: Community center and related projects are progressing
(Editor’s note: a more detailed floor plan image was added on October 29.)
By Alison Taunton-Rigby
The Community Center Building Committee (CCBC) has been very active in recent months with design development for the community center to meet the budget approved by voters at the March 2024 Town Meeting. We are excited with the progress and the improvements that have been incorporated into the design plans. The CCBC will provide a full update at the State of the Town meeting in December.
The community center design has evolved, based on decisions to improve the original concept design and still meet the $24.02 million budget approved at the March 2024 Annual Town Meeting. The current design is based on changes our architect, ICON Architecture, has proposed and is shown below. The building location has been moved slightly north to reduce the site work required and preserve the green open space. In addition, the southern end of the building, which houses the LEAP afterschool program, has been redesigned to reduce site work needed without losing any programming space.
The latest aerial renderings of the community center. See a slide show of interior images here.
The outdoor green space used by LEAP and Magic Garden has been improved with the location of play areas and a basketball court. Concurrently, the town administration is working to remove dead trees, assess the soil, and repair the fence in Strat’s Place in order to reopen this area for public use ASAP (costs were included in the CCBC budget). This will ensure campus stakeholders have ample play space during and after building construction. The parking areas have also been improved.
The CCBC is also preparing for the new school maintenance shop to be built in the Hartwell administration building (also included in the CCBC budget). Its current location is B Pod. The maintenance shop and the Strat’s project are both expected to be completed before other construction is started.
ICON is continuing to identify structural and cosmetic design changes that improve construction efficiency, reduce the amount of canopy space adjacent to the building, convert materials to cost-effective finishes, and develop a landscaping master plan that could be implemented in stages. None of the structural or cosmetic changes will impact the programs of the Council on Aging & Human Services, the Parks & Recreation Department or LEAP. The revisions include the following:
A detailed floor pan of the community center (click to enlarge).
- Reducing the overall height of the building by 24 inches, which reduces construction cost, as well as heating and air-conditioning operating expenses. This development will ensure that the interior will be energy-efficient and feel more intimate.
- Revising some of the exterior and interior finishes, including changing the metal roof to asphalt shingle, changing exterior slate cladding to terracotta tile, and changing porcelain tile flooring to linoleum.
- Redesigning the movable partitions within the program space.
Overall, the design progress is close to completion, with significant improvements. The design meets the budget approved by voters and the planned construction timeline.
The next CCBC meetings are tentatively scheduled for November 13 and December 11 in hybrid format. We welcome your comments, suggestions and questions. Please see the CCBC website for full information.
Taunton-Rigby is a member of the Community Center Building Committee.
“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: Joining The Atlantic in endorsing Harris
By Barbara Slayter
In less than two weeks, Lincoln voters will be selecting a candidate who will become President of the United States for the next four years. Although there are six pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates, most voters will choose between Harris and Trump. It is a momentous decision, and we would be wise to learn as much as we can about the candidates and to seek the wisdom of respected sources. That brings me to The Atlantic magazine to which my family has subscribed for much of my adult life.
The Atlantic, a widely read and respected American journal, was founded in 1857. It is a literary and cultural commentary magazine with a national reputation. The journal has published leading writers’ commentaries on abolition, education, and other major issues in contemporary political affairs, and it has won more National Magazine Awards than any other monthly magazine.
Only four times in the course of its existence has it endorsed a candidate for president. The first time was in 1860 when it endorsed Abraham Lincoln. The second time was 100 years later when it endorsed Lyndon B. Johnson; the third and fourth times involve support for Hilary Clinton and Joe Biden in the face of an unstable and incompetent candidate.
Now in 2024 with its fifth endorsement of a presidential candidate, The Atlantic concludes that Trump’s “insults, cruelties, abuse of power, corrupt dealings, and crimes, most particularly, his efforts on January 6 to overturn the election and prevent the peaceful transfer of power, have rendered him ineligible for the highest office in the land… Trump has made clear that he would use a second term to consolidate unprecedented power in his own hands, punishing adversaries and pushing a far-right agenda that most Americans don’t want….
“About the candidate we are endorsing,” the editors write, “we know a few things for sure: Having devoted her life to public service, Harris respects the law and the Constitution. She believes in the freedom, equality, and dignity of all Americans. She’s untainted by corruption, let alone a felony record or a history of sexual assault. She doesn’t embarrass her compatriots with language and behavior to pit them against one another. She doesn’t curry favor with dictators. She won’t abuse the power of the highest office in order to keep it. She believes in democracy. These, and not any specific policy positions, are the reason The Atlantic is endorsing her.”
Acknowledging the extraordinary character and values differences between these two Presidential candidates is not intended to suggest that I am not concerned about Trump’s policy positions. His policies arising from his isolationism, dismissal of climate change, misogyny, hostility to reproductive rights, embrace of tariffs, intimidation of those who speak against him, and his verbal assault on the military, among other things, could transform our country in profound ways.
Let’s do everything we can in the days remaining before the election to ensure that this transformation does not happen.
“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.
Town Meeting Study Committee members named
Seven Lincoln residents were appointed this week as at-large members of the new Town Meeting Study Committee from a field of 18 initial applicants.
The Select Board interviewed candidates at its October 21 meeting and made their selections on October 22. Committee members are Jennifer Gundy, Ariane Liazos, Kenny Mitchell, Taylor Ortiz, Andrew Pang, Ben Shiller, and Andy Wang. Others who applied were Robert Ahlert, Chris Burns, David Cuetos, Jude Frodyma, Kevin Guarnotta, John Greco, Sara Mattes, Barbara Peskin, Collette Sizer, Ned Young, and Michael Killick (though Burns and Sizer later withdrew their candidacies). Also on the committee are Twn Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden and a Select Board member.
The move stems from the March 2024 Town Meeting, where an unexpected amendment to the proposed Housing Choice Act was made on the floor. Controversy swirled that day and well afterwards about who was allowed to speak, when, and from where. Residents offered initial feedback and ideas at a kickoff session in September.
In the preceding months, Lincoln Residents for Housing Alternatives (now called Lincoln HCA Info) had formed to oppose the town’s rezoning proposal under the HCA. Only one of the newly named committee members (Ben Shiller) is listed as an Lincoln HCA Info supporter on the group’s website. Ahlert, Cuetos, and Peskin were also active in the group last spring but were not chosen for the TMSC.
The TMSC will be introduced at the State of the Town meeting on December 7, which will be “an opportunity to engage residents on one or two questions that would benefit from early feedback,” according to the committee’s charge. The TMSC will present its preliminary report at Annual Town Meeting on March 29, 2025. The final report and recommendations are due in October 2025 to the Select Board and Town Moderator, who will present it to residents at the 2025 State of the Town meting later that fall.
News acorns
Hartwell Tavern Halloween
On Saturday, Oct. 26 from 5:30–9 p.m., Minute Man National Historical Park invites all who dare to visit a candlelit Hartwell Tavern (112 North Great Rd., Lincoln), share ghostly folklore with park staff and volunteers and learn how the people of colonial New England protected themselves from evil spirits and witches. There will be spine-tingling stories and live music from as well as individually wrapped candy from the Friends of Minute Man, so don your costumes and enjoy some treats!
Click here for a detailed schedule. This program will be both outdoors and indoors. All visitors should bring a flashlight and use caution on dark paths. If you would like to contribute a decorative jack-o-lantern, you can drop it off at the Minute Man Visitor Center on Friday, Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. or Saturday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Accessible Halloween gathering
If your child would benefit from an accessible Halloween experience, come to Linway Road in Lincoln on Thursday, Oct. 31 from 4:30–6 p.m. In partnership with Lincoln Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC), Brooke Mitchell, a junior at Lincoln-Sudbury High School, has organized an inclusive Halloween environment for her Girl Scout Gold Award. Taking into consideration lighting, decorations, and other accessibility needs, the event will be set up with tables at the bottom of driveways, making it easy for kids to trick or treat. You do not need to RSVP, but if you would like to let volunteers know you’re attending and/or share information about your child, please complete this form. Parking is available at the Carroll School.
Buy decorative linens and benefit SSEF
The South Sudanese Enrichment for Families (SSEF) will hold an open house on Sunday, Nov. 3 from 4–7 p.m. at 10 Meadowdam Rd. where colorful napkins and pillow covers sewn with vibrant African fabric will be on sale. Threads, SSEF’s napkin project, was started to allow women who work outside the home full time, to supplement their income by sewing napkins at home while caring for their children. SSEF works with South Sudanese who live in Massachusetts by helping with tuition assistance for preschool, summer camp, and continuing education.
Doo-wop concert
Come to a vocal and piano concert featuring the LCOA&HS Doo Wop Team with Peter Stewart and friends on Thursday, Nov. 7 from 3–4:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Free entry, but donation welcome — all proceeds will go to the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry in Lincoln. Free root beer floats.
Police log for October 11–17, 2024
October 11
Wells Road (12:11 p.m.) — A maintenance company asked an officer stand by while a representative performed routine maintenance.
Goose Pond Road (1:44 p.m.) — A person reported being the victim of a fraud.
Lincoln Road (2:25 p.m.) — A caller reported a possible road rage incident with another motorist earlier during the morning rush.
Lincoln Road (2:05 p.m.) — An individual dropped off a wallet they found.
Wells Road (4:31 p.m.) — An officer spoke with an individual regarding an ongoing matter.
Concord Road at Baker Bridge Road (5:09 p.m.) — A caller reported a recumbent cyclist who appeared to be in distress. An officer checked the area but was unable to locate the cyclist.
Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (5:41 p.m.) —Lincoln Police assisted Concord Police and State Police with a motor vehicle crash.
North Great Road at Bedford Road (9:24 p.m.) — A caller reported seeing a cyclist lying next to their bicycle on the side of the road. The caller was unsure if the person was in distress or resting. Officers checked the area but were unable to locate the cyclist.
Concord Road (11:08 p.m.) — Officers responded to a single-vehicle crash. The driver, Jose Silva Carneiro, 37, of Hudson was placed under arrest for operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and a marked lanes violation. He was transported to the hospital but released a short time later. He was bailed and ordered to appear at Concord District Court.
October 12
South Great Road (6:39 a.m.) — A caller reported hearing gunshots in the area. An officer responded but heard nothing.
Bank of America (12:57 p.m.) — Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash. One of the drivers, Glenn Mason, 56, of Acton was arrested for operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and possession of an open container of alcohol. All parties refused medical attention at the scene.
MBTA station (3:17 p.m.) — An officer helped a commuter looking for wheelchair access to the commuter rail.
October 13
Wells Road (9:53 a.m.) — A vehicle was repossessed.
South Great Road (3:30 p.m.) — A caller reported hearing gunshots in the area. An officer responded but found nothing.
Doherty’s Garage (5:54 p.m.) — A caller reported that they had a flat tire and were without a spare. They were given the on-call tow company’s phone number.
Weston Road (9:57 p.m.) — Officer responded to a residence for a large group of people causing a disturbance.
October 14
Lincoln Road (12:21 p.m.) — An officer discovered an unoccupied vehicle. The driver was close by in search for gas.
October 15
Hanscom Drive (5:29 a.m.) — A two-vehicle crash occurred as the cars were merging onto Hanscom Drive. There were no injuries reported and the damage was minimal.
Concord Road (6:15 a.m.) — The traffic lights at South Great Road and Concord Road were malfunctioning. A technician was dispatched to the intersection.
October 16
Lincoln Road (1:52 p.m.) — A caller reported the odor of natural gas. The Fire Department checked the area but detected no hazards.
Lincoln Road (3:56 p.m.) — A crash occurred at the intersection with Codman when a vehicle failed to stop at the Codman Road stop sign and struck a vehicle traveling on Lincoln Road. The operator of the vehicle that failed to stop was cited for the same. Both operators were transported to the hospital.
Baker Bridge Road (6:19 p.m.) — A vehicle drove off the shoulder and struck a fence. The occupants were taken to the police station to make transportation arrangements.
October 17
Minute Man NHP Visitor Center parking lot (12:52 a.m.) — A caller reported striking a deer, causing minor damage to the vehicle, which was able to be driven from the scene, and the deer made its way back into the woods.
Mount Misery parking lot (2:55 a.m.) — An officer came upon a parked vehicle. The two occupants were identified and cleared from the area.
Water main break affects hundreds in Lincoln
Roads that were affected by the water line break are shown in red. The dotted red line is the Lincoln/Wayland town line (click image to enlarge).
Residents in dozens of homes in southwest Lincoln woke up to dry taps on Tuesday morning after a water line ruptured.
The Water Department received a call about water running down the side of Lincoln Road at about 5:30 a.m. on October 22, according to Water Department Superintendent Darin LaFalam. The town sent out text messages and calls to all Lincoln residents at about 7:15 a.m., and water service wasn’t restored until shortly before 4 p.m.
The break occurred along Concord Road south of Route 117 where one water main feeds that entire corner of town and affected about 200 water service connections. The water main itself — which is not near the top of the list for replacement in the coming years — was intact; it was a one-inch device connection that failed, LaFalam said.
He advised residents in the affected area whose water is rusty to flush until clear from an exterior faucet. If there is air in the plumbing, flush from only the cold water faucet located at the highest point of the home.
My Turn: U.S. is falling behind in the renewable energy race
By Emma Loren
By the year 2050, it is estimated that 90% of the world’s energy can and should be supplied by renewables. Countries like Iceland are above this curve, as almost 100% of their energy comes from geothermal energy, a renewable source. With countries like Iceland, China, and Norway in the lead, it’s hard not to notice that the United States continues to lag. While the U.S. has made noticeable strides in renewable energy, it is falling behind in the transition compared to other major global economies.
Currently, the United States gets only 20.3% of its energy from renewable sources, which is behind the global average of 30%, despite having the resources and potential to be a leader. Meanwhile, China firmly establishes itself as a dominant force in the renewable energy sector, particularly in solar panel manufacturing. In an impressive show of growth, China increased its renewable energy generation capacity by 301 gigawatts (GW) in 2023, which includes solar, wind, and hydro. This increase followed a addition of approximately 168 GW in 2022, a 79% increase from 2021. Notably, this accounted for about 59% of the total global additions to renewable capacity in 2023. In comparison, the United States added just 33.8 GW of new clean energy projects in 2023, allowing for a 12.5% increase from the previous year.
This map (click to enlarge), created with data from the World Bank, shows how countries around the globe are progressing in renewable energy consumption. As the urgency of climate change intensifies, this map serves as a reminder of where we stand and how far we still have to go.
The United States’ slow transition to clean energy sources can be blamed on policy inconsistencies, infrastructure, and historic dependence on fossil fuels. Unlike countries such as Germany and Denmark that have established long-term energy policies, the U.S. lacks a bipartisan unified approach, resulting in stagnant progress. Political shifts in leadership often lead to changes in energy dynamics, causing uncertainty for renewable energy implementation and gaining the interest of investors.
Infrastructure challenges further hamper progress. The U.S. power grid, much of which was built in the mid-20th century, is not designed to handle the variability of renewable sources like wind and solar. Unlike fossil fuel plants that produce a steady flow of electricity, renewables generate power intermittently; solar panels only work when the sun is shining, and wind turbines need a wind in order to spin. This inconsistency requires a more flexible, modernized grid that balances supply and demand in real time. However, the challenge of modernizing the grid is complex due to America’s historic support for the fossil fuel industry.
The continued support for the fossil fuel industry is one of the main reasons why the U.S. is lagging in the global clean energy transition. Many benefits given to fossil fuel companies were established over a century ago and continue to give them an unfair advantage today. Despite evidence of the urgency to shift to renewables, U.S. policies still lean to favor oil and coal through subsidies and loopholes that ultimately give then an advantage. For example, the Percentage Depletion Allowance lets oil and gas companies reduce their taxes by deducting a set percentage of their income — often more than what they spend. Other industries lost this tax break long ago, but fossil fuel companies continue to see benefits. Additionally, another benefit known as Intangible Drilling Costs, allows these companies to deduct most of their drilling expenses, thus gaining more profits. These oil, gas, and coal companies can even lease federal lands for extraction at bargain rates.
These incentives make it harder for renewables to compete on a level playing field. In 2020 alone, the U.S. provided $649 billion in fossil fuel subsidies, according to the International Monetary Fund. If we want to tackle climate change seriously, we need to stop these subsidies and give renewables a fair chance to grow. The U.S. has made progress in renewables, and wind energy alone has increased, contributing to nearly 10% of the nation’s electricity generation, which is projected to reach 20% by 2030. The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law highlighted some positive progress regarding climate investments. But with a change in administration, these two pieces of legislation can go away. Therefore, to catch up in the global clean energy race, we need lasting investments and a complete redesign of the outdated power grid.
Lincoln resident Emma Loren is earning a master’s degree at Georgetown University studying environment and international affairs, focusing on energy policy and science.
“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.