Arthur Koumantzelis
Janet Branch
The following Lincoln residents have passed away in recent weeks. Click on a name to go to their online obituary.
Lincoln’s unofficial election results are in, and as expected, Democrat Joe Biden trounced President Donald Trump by a margin of 81% to 19%. Statewide, Biden’s margin of victory was 66% to 33%.
Lincolnites also approved both ballot questions by comfortable margins. However, 55% of voters statewide said no to ranked-choice voting, according to The New York Times. The right-to-repair question passed in Massachusetts with 75% of voters saying yes.
In Lincoln, 4,152 voters cast ballots, or 83% of registered voters. A total of 3,467 (84%) of ballots were cast via absentee ballot, mail in, or early voting.
Click here to see a map outlining Lincoln’s two voting precincts.
| Precinct #1 | Precinct #2 | Total | % of ballots cast* |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. PRESIDENT | ||||
| Biden & Harris (D) | 2,071 | 1,303 | 3,374 | 81% |
| Trump & Pence (R) | 341 | 320 | 661 | 16% |
| Hawkins & Walker (Green/Rainbow) | 13 | 5 | 18 | <1% |
| Jorgensen & Cohen (Libertarian) | 32 | 19 | 51 | <1% |
| U.S. SENATE | ||||
| Edward Markey (D) | 2,026 | 1,268 | 3,294 | 79% |
| Kevin O'Connor (R) | 424 | 359 | 783 | 19% |
| U.S. REPRESENTATIVE | ||||
| Katherine Clark (D) | 2,007 | 1,246 | 3,253 | 78% |
| Caroline Colarusso (R) | 420 | 362 | 782 | 19% |
| COUNCILLOR | ||||
| Marilyn Devaney (D) | 1,879 | 1,204 | 3,083 | 74% |
| STATE SENATOR | ||||
| Michael Barrett | 1,981 | 1,255 | 3,326 | 78% |
| STATE REPRESENTATIVE | ||||
| Thomas Stanley (D) | 1,765 | 1,137 | 2,902 | 70% |
| George Darcy (I) | 414 | 299 | 713 | 17% |
| REGISTER OF PROBATE | ||||
| Tara deCristofaro (D) | 1,599 | 1,066 | 2,665 | 64% |
| QUESTION #1 (Right to repair) | ||||
| Yes | 1,915 | 1,265 | 3,180 | 77% |
| No | 471 | 338 | 809 | 19% |
| QUESTION #2 (Ranked-choice voting) | ||||
| Yes | 1,578 | 1,009 | 2,587 | 62% |
| No | 801 | 584 | 1,385 | 33% |
* Totals do not add up to 100% because write-in and blank ballots are not included.
Police received reports this week of unemployment claims that were fraudulently filed in the name of Lincoln residents on Lewis Street, Brooks Road, Cambridge Turnpike, Stonehedge Road, Hemlock Circle, Linway Road, Weston Road (two), and South Great Road.
Lewis St. (8:09 a.m.) — Caller reported that a contractor knocked down a power line between the pole and the building. Fire Department contacted the electrical inspector to respond and taped off the area.
Lincoln Road (11:48 a.m.) — Officer came across a very minor crash at Rte. 117 and assisted with paper exchange; no report taken.
Lincoln Road (12:24 p.m.) — A worker from Donelan’s called with concerns about an elderly customer who appeared to be confused and was walking on Lincoln Road. Officer located the party, who lives at the Commons in Lincoln. The officer drove the party back to his residence.
North Commons (10:54 a.m.) — Resident requested a well-being check on a party who left their residence and was upset. Officer located the party, who was waiting for family; everything was fine.
Baker Farm Road (12:44 p.m.) — Police received a report of a campsite in the woods on conservation land. Officers checked but no one around. Officers later tracked down the owner, who is going to remove the equipment.
Wheeler Road (8:17 p.m.) — Caller reported a party was on his property who suddenly left when confronted in a vehicle. Officers checked the area but were unable to locate the person.
Bedford Road (4:57 p.m.) — Power outage reported; Eversource responding.
South Great Road (4:58 a.m.) — Traffic lights out at the intersection of Rte. 117 and Rte. 126. Four-way stop signs were deployed at the intersection.
Bedford Road, Beaver Pond Road (8:39 and 8:54 a.m.) — Reports of large trees down, taking out the electrical service to the houses. Eversource notified.
Moccasin Hill (4:19 p.m.) — Caller was concerned about a vehicle parked on the roadway on Saturday and Sunday. Officer checked on the vehicle and everything was fine; the owner will park elsewhere.
Lincoln Road (8 a.m.) — Caller reported a teenager walking who appears to be under the influence. Officer located the party, who didn’t wish to talk to the him but showed no signs of intoxication.
Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (8:51 p.m.) — Caller reported losing her phone that was on the hood of her car. Officers were unable to locate.
Old Concord Road (10:16 p.m.) — Caller reported having an interaction with a party at about 8:30 p.m. who was driving a scooter and appeared confused, looking for a directions to a residence in Lincoln and Burlington. Caller wanted to make police aware of the interaction.
Trapelo Road (8:57 a.m.) — Report of a tree down. DPW notified.
Sandy Pond Road (1:05 p.m.) — Report of political signs stolen at the five-way intersection. Additional reports of stolen signs at the same spot on October 20 at 8:15 p.m., October 21 at 4:07 a.m. and 7:37 p.m., October 22 at 5 p.m., October 26 at 9:56 p.m., October 27 at 9:56 p.m., October 28 at 2:26 p.m.
Todd Pond Road (10:18 a.m.) — Caller reported being a victim of fraud. Investigation ongoing.
Pierce House (1:59 p.m.) — Caller reported an elderly party left the residence who doesn’t have a license. Officer checked the area and was unable to locate the party, but followed up with her at her residence and advised her not to drive.
Todd Pond Road (7:59 a.m.) — Report of a party throwing debris in the roadway. Officer was unable to locate the involved party.
Ridge Road (4:09 p.m.) — A walk-in to the station wanted to report ongoing suspicious activity around their apartment. Report taken.
South Great Road (7:01 p.m.) — Report of glass breaking, possibly at a neighbor’s house. Officers checked the area and neighbors; everything appears fine.
Lincoln Road (10:47 a.m.) — Caller reported that railroad gates came down on top of his vehicle. No damage.
Lincoln Road (7:54 p.m.) — Verbal warning given to party riding a bike with no lights.
Lincoln Police Department (9:20 p.m.) — Minor damage to a police cruiser door while deploying a traffic board.
Page Road (6:20 a.m.) — Caller reported that a lumber truck was looking to make a delivery at a house on the street that he’s unable to locate. Officer responded and assisted the party; there was a mix-up with the paperwork
Huckleberry Hill (4:59 p.m.) — Report of political signs stolen. Second report of stolen signs on October 27 at 6:10 p.m.
Virginia Road (1:12 a.m.) — Officer checked on a party pulled over at the town line. Everything was fine.
South Great Road (11:52 a.m.) — Weston police reported they had a vehicle stopped in Lincoln that had left a crash in Weston. Officer responded to assist.
Ballfield Road (1:35 p.m.) — Report of political signs stolen.
Tower Road (4:17 p.m.) — Caller complained about a work truck idling in front of their house. The driver was waiting for the homeowner to arrive home for a delivery.
Stratford Way (9:57 p.m.) — Report of kids ringing the door bell and running away. Officer checked the area but was unable to locate them.
Lincoln Cemetery (10:21 p.m.) — Two parties were talking inside a vehicle. Officer checked on them and they left the area.
Tally Ho Lane, Wayland (2:50 a.m.) — Wayland police requesting assistance with a report of a party with a gun. Officer responded and were cleared by Wayland officers; everything was fine.
Lincoln Road (3:37 an.) — Officer checked on a vehicle pulled over with hazards on. It was an Uber driver and everything was fine.
Lincoln Road (11:31 a.m.) — Report of political signs stolen.
Silver Hill Road (10:17 a.m.) — Caller reported a deceased fox on her property. Animal Control will contact the caller.
Old Concord Road (1:14 p.m.) — Caller reported hearing loud banging noises in the area of her residence. Officers checked but were unable to locate anything.
The Food Project, Concord Road (10:31 p.m.) — Officer checked on cars and a RV at the Food Project. Permission had been given to them.
National Park Visitors’ Center (12:58 a.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked in the lot for a couple of days with no one around it.
Codman Road (10:58 a.m.) — Caller reported a suspicious person who was seen near the alpacas in Codman Field. Report taken.
Wells Road (12:04 p.m.) — Officer delivered court paperwork to the residence.
Lincoln Road (12:31 p.m.) — Attempted to deliver court paperwork to the resident; no contact made. Paperwork successfully delivered at 4:03 p.m.
Anna (Anneke) Feuilletau de Bruyn
Anna (Anneke) Feuilletau de Bruyn passed away on October 30, 2020. Anneke spent her last years in Lincoln, Massachusetts, with her son Marc Herant and his family, ending there a life of international travels that only saw her return to Holland, her country of national origin, on a handful of occasions.
Anneke was born on October 15, 1923 in Bogor, a sleepy agricultural town in West Java in what was then the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. She was the youngest of three sisters. Her father, Willem, was a third-generation Dutch colonial army officer who had led a number of expeditions in unexplored areas of west Papua, while her mother, Henriette (née Mulder), was from a family of estate owners. Anneke grew up in Bogor in the twilight of the Dutch colonial years, acquiring a sense of place in society that would last a lifetime.
The family returned to Holland in the mid-1930s and settled in The Hague. The dark years of World War II would soon follow. Anneke’s father was interned by the German occupying force along with other Dutch notables, essentially as hostages to ensure the good behavior of the population. In 1944-45, now based in Amsterdam and working for the Ministry of Social Affairs, Anneke endured what the Dutch would call the Hunger Winter. She would often recall these times with tales of hardship and misery. From then on, Anneke staunchly refused to speak German, which she had mastered quite well. Trained as a secretary and typist, she went to London at the end of the war where she worked at the Dutch Royal Navy HQ as a Wren (Women’s Royal Navy Service).
Anneke then joined the Dutch diplomatic service as a clerical worker. This was the start of a travel spree over a decade long that saw her first posted in Kenya, where she found a world much akin to that of her childhood in now-independent Indonesia. Portugal followed, then Mao’s China, which at the time was completely closed to Westerners except diplomats, and finally the Shah’s Iran.
Anneke inherited from her parents a keen curiosity and a spirit of exploration that would lead her on many adventures in all of these countries, whether on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, on the grasslands of the Maasai Mara, along the Great Wall, on the Trans-Siberian Railway, or through the deserts of Iran. Anneke loved road trips and took her battered VW Beetle on solo journeys from Tehran throughout the Middle East and eventually back to Europe — highly adventurous endeavours at the time.
In the early 1960s, during a holiday cruise in Greece, Anneke met Gilbert Herant, a French marine surveyor. They would spend the next 40 years together and have two children, Marc and Gilles.
In 1974, the whole family moved from Paris to Greece, where Gilbert had founded a small shipyard that tended to the nascent yachting industry in Rhodes. Athens would become their residence for the next 25 years. They brought up the children there within the French expatriate environment to which Anneke would remain anchored until the aging couple’s return to Lorgues, a village in the south of France, in 2003.
After all these years abroad as a staunch expatriate and outsider, Anneke found home and kinship in Lorgues and, probably for the first time in her life, fully embraced the community she lived in. She was socially active, volunteered in a large number of local charities, and finally found where she belonged. Her declining health prompted her final move to Lincoln, where her eldest son Marc sheltered her for the remainder of her days.
Anneke leaves two sons (Marc and Gilles) and five grandchildren (Joshua, Servanne, Sophie, Margaux, and Camille). Perhaps her biggest legacy to these subsequent generations is a sense of independence, in which belonging remains secondary to being one’s true self, and a huge love for mountains and the outdoors.
The Lincoln police dispatcher arrested on October 13 for possession of child pornography resigned before a town termination hearing was to be held, Chief of Police Kevin Kennedy announced in a statement on November 3. He had been on administrative leave without pay since his arrest.
“The facts surrounding the alleged crime are extremely concerning and shocked all members of the department,” the statement said. “As a result of the Dispatcher Hughes’ arrest, the Lincoln Police Department conducted its own internal investigation. With the assistance of the Town’s IT Director and an independent computer consultant, a forensic examination was conducted on all of the Dispatch computers as well as on Dispatcher Hughes’ computer profile. The internal investigation revealed no evidence of inappropriate or criminal behavior via the use of the town’s computers.
“While the town was in the process of moving forward with a termination hearing, Dispatcher Hughes resigned his position on October 30, 2020.
“It is important for the Lincoln community to know that prior to hiring Dispatcher Hughes a thorough background investigation was conducted to include the submission of fingerprints into the national database. There were no indications of conduct or behaviors that would have cast any doubt on Dispatcher Hughes’ ability to carry out his duties as a public safety dispatcher.”
Susan Harding
Susan Shelby (Patterson) Harding, age 78, died peacefully at home from metastatic brain cancer on October 27, 2o20. She was born July 13, 1942 in Louisville, Ky., the daughter of George C. and Kitty Park Patterson. She graduated from the Louisville Collegiate School in 1960 and from Radcliffe College in 1964 as a Phi Beta Kappa art history major.
She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Douglas Burnham Harding, and her two children, Susan Allen and her husband Woody of Knoxville, Tenn., and Douglas Harding, Jr. and his wife Kathleen of Great Falls, Va. She was proud of her three grandsons Alexander, William, and Parker. Prior to raising her family, Susan worked as a system programmer at the New England Telephone Company.
Many words are needed to describe the full “sum and substance” of Susan. Loving, committed, curious, elegant, inclusive, and a doer, to name a few. Her interests were many, including music, art, dance, theater, reading, and travel.
Active in town affairs, Susan served as president of the local league of Women Voters for many years and various town committees and boards including the Recreation Committee, Town Archives, and the Cemetery Commission.
Susan remained active in alumnae affairs after graduation through the Radcliffe College Alumnae Association. She chaired alumnae councils, and various committees. She was active in class activities and co-chaired her 50th reunion. She was a member of the Happy Committee, which helps maintain discipline and decorum for the celebration of Harvard Commencement each year, and also served as president of the Harvard Club in Concord for many years.
Susan was an avid gardener and horticulturist. She was an active member of many groups including the Native Plant Trust and the Lincoln Garden Club, and served as president of the Massachusetts chapter of the Rhododendron Society.
She enjoyed history and genealogy as an active member of the Order of the First Families of Virginia and the National Society of Colonial Dames in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She also served as director of Stratford Hall in Virginia and president of the Margaret Coffin Prayer Book Society in Boston.
Susan’s interests in history and education intersected nicely with her love of travel. She and her husband enjoyed many trips to Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, often connecting with former Harvard students they had hosted for over 30 years through the Harvard International Student Office.
Susan will be remembered and missed by her family and many friends and organizations. Her burial will be private as she wished. Memorial contributions in her name may be made to the National Society of Colonial Dames in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 55 Beacon St., Boston MA 02108 or the Native Plant Trust, 180 Hemenway Rd., Framingham MA 01701. Condolences may be left on her obituary page on the Concord Funeral Home website.
The agenda for the November 2 Board of Selectmen meeting includes an unusual three possible executive sessions where board members may discuss matters in private.
Two of them — one near the start of the meeting and the other at the end — are to discuss complaints or charges brought against a town employee. The third executive session is to “discuss strategy with respect to litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of the public body and the chair so declares.”
Board Chair James Craig said he was not at liberty to say whether the two similar sessions are about the same employee or complaint or are two different issues — or the nature of the litigation to be discussed in the third session.
A written complaint against Town Administrator Tim Higgins and former Assistant Town Administrator Mary Day was leaked to LincolnTalk and the Lincoln Squirrel in September. Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney alleged that she was the victim of discrimination, harassment, and intimidation by Higgins and Day relating to her requests to work flexibly and from home under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
The allegations resulted in a temporary suspension of LincolnTalk by its moderators and an investigation by Lincoln police, because a copy of the complaint posted there was doctored to appear that it had come from a Lincoln resident who had nothing to do with the matter.
Police received reports this week of unemployment claims that were fraudulently filed in the name of Lincoln residents on South Great Road and Page Farm Road.
Conant Road (12:32 p.m.) — Caller reported wires were down on the ground and on fire. Fire Department responded; Eversource notified.
Lincoln Road (5:55 p.m.) — Caller reported smoke in the area of the Ryan Estates. Fire Department responded and found that Codman Farm was burning in their pit.
Indian Camp Lane (6:43 p.m.) — Caller reported someone came to the house saying they needed to inspect it. Upon following up, the officer found that it was a legitimate visit from a social service agency
Todd Pond Road (6:49 p.m.) — Caller reported that solicitors had come to their door two days earlier selling magazines. No permit had been issued.
Sandy Pond Road (4:48 p.m.) — Four people fishing were sent on their way and advised that they couldn’t fish in the reservoir.
Lexington Road (7:20 p.m.) — Officer conducted a well-being check on a resident, who reported they now have phone service.
North Commons (8:03 p.m.) — Caller reported a neighbor was banging on the walls and stomping around. Officer responded; unable to make contact.
Virginia Road (1:45 p.m.) — Emerson Hospital requested a well-being check on a party. Officer checked and they were fine.
Sandy Pond Road (9:32 p.m.) — Lawn sign stolen from the five-way traffic island.
Cambridge Turnpike westbound (2:30 a.m.) — Officer stopped a vehicle and arrested Amanda Bright, 30, of Marlborough on a warrant for Larceny. She was later bailed.
Hanscom Vandenberg Gate (12:30 p.m.) — A party trying to enter Hanscom Air Force Base was found to have an arrest warrant. Daniel Mugavero, 26, of Lawrence was arrested on a warrant for traffic violations.
Sandy Pond Road (2:10 p.m.) — Lawn sign stolen from the five-way traffic island.
Drumlin Farm (4:17 p.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked in the lot with its door open and no one around.
Winter Street (7:46 p.m.) — After receiving multiple calls of an erratic motor vehicle operator, an officer came across the vehicle on Winter Street. After an investigation, Michael Feeney, 27, of Taunton was arrested for OUI–drugs, possession of Class A drug, and possession of a Class E drug.
Doherty’s Garage (9:25 a.m.) — Officer took a report of someone possibly entering buses during the night. Doherty’s requested extra checks.
Mary’s Way (4:33 p.m.) — Caller reported being notified that his identity may have been compromised due to a data breach.
Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (9:21 p.m.) — State police requested assistance on Rte. 2 eastbound with multiple disabled vehicles due to flooding.
North Great Road (9:09 a.m.) — Report of an injured hawk in the roadway. An officer responded and located the hawk, which flew away.
Lincoln Road (2:53 p.m.) — Car vs. motorcycle crash at the intersection of Lincoln Road and Codman Road. One party was transported to the Lahey Clinic with minor injuries.
South Great Road (3:34 p.m.) — One-car crash (party struck a traffic sign). No injuries.
Lexington Road (5:18 p.m.) — Council on Aging requested a well-being check on a resident. Everything was fine.
All are welcome to St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 4 p.m., when the church choir will offer a drive-in Evensong service. Evensong is a service primarily led by the choir, with the priest chanting pieces and the congregation singing hymns. Choir members will sing into microphones in their cars, and the congregation, sitting in their own cars, will tune in to an unused FM radio station and hear the singing in real time.
Kathryn and Bryce Denney of Marlborough figured out the equipment and procedures needed for Driveway Choirs, and they took it on the road for the first time at St. Anne’s in August. For more information, contact Music Director Jay (jay@stanneslincoln.org) or Communications Director Kristina DeFrancisco (kristina@stanneslincoln.org).
The Town of Lincoln will offer a free drive-through flu shot clinic on Monday, Nov. 9 from noon–4 p.m. at the Lincoln North office park at 55 Old Bedford Rd. for Lincoln residents and school children ages 3 and up (the high-dose vaccine for seniors will not be offered at this clinic.) To participate:
The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry of Lincoln and Weston will be distributing all the trimmings for a turkey dinner, plus a grocery card to buy the turkey this year, to food pantry clients in Lincoln and Weston. Click below for more details and to sign up to participate. Click here to donate nonperishable Thanksgiving food and/or a grocery card.
Council on Aging activities in NovemberHere are some of the November activities hosted by the Lincoln Council on Aging. Most events are open to Lincoln residents of all ages. For more information and a full list, including regular meetings of groups and online chats with town officials, see the COA’s calendar page or newsletter.
Rachel Matos
Join the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable on Tuesday, Nov. 10 from 3-4:30 p.m. for a Zoom program on “Unmasking Media.” The conversation will challenge participants to examine the messages they receive about consent, relationships, power dynamics, and violent behavior from movies, TV shows, music, and more. The workshop aims to identify harmful media while providing the skills to take action in practicing media literacy as a key piece of gender-based violence prevention. Facilitated by Rachel Matos, the outreach and prevention manager at Voices Against Violence. Click here to register in advance (required). For more information, please email infodvrt@gmail.com.
Olivia Hoblitzelle
The First Parish in Lincoln will host “Aging With Wisdom,” a half-day online retreat on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 9 a.m.–noon. led by teacher, therapist and writer Olivia Hoblitzelle. Participants will explore the gifts, challenges, and emotions of aging through teachings, meditation, and small group sharing to discover the opportunities for growth and deepening wisdom in our elder years. Register by Monday, Nov. 9 at by emailing sarah@fplincoln.org. There is no charge, but donations are welcome to support the costs of this event. Click here for details.
For everyone who’s missing out on browsing the shelves, the Lincoln Public Library is now offering “surprise bags.” Discover a new author or genre, or try a totally different reading/watching experience. Each bag will contain a combination of fiction and nonfiction titles, a DVD, a music CD, and maybe a magazine. Topics include cooking, healthy lifestyles, history, armchair travel, guilty pleasures, and hodgepodge. Call the Reference Desk at 781-259-8465 x3 to a bag for contactless pickup.
Renata Pomponi
Mass Audubon announced that Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary Director Renata Pomponi has been named Director of Mass Audubon Metro West as part of the organization’s pledge to become a more effective, efficient, and responsive organization. In this role, she will continue to oversee the Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln as well as Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in Natick, Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary in Hopkinton, Habitat Education Center in Belmont, and Brewster’s Woods Wildlife Sanctuary in Concord (not yet open for visitation).
Pomponi, a Sudbury resident, has become a well-known figure in the area since she was elevated to the Drumlin Farm director position in 2015, after having served for eight years in education and visitor-engagement roles at the popular wildlife sanctuary and working farm. Prior to joining Mass Audubon in 2007, she spent 12 years as a management consultant, specializing in strategic planning and business development in Fortune 500 organizations. She holds a PhD in technology management from MIT.
On Saturday, Sept. 19, the Lincoln Historical Society was on the move with its “Book Brigade.” Over 60 cartons of books (1,700 lbs. at last calculation) were moved from the basement of Bemis Hall for temporary storage elsewhere while Bemis Hall is being cleaned and made rodent-free.
Young and not-so-young accomplished the move in matter of hours. Critical to the success were the young, strong backs and good spirits of Lukas Lenkutis and Peter Covino.
Sara Mattes
Lincoln Historical Society
”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.
Left to right: Jim Cunningham, Craig Donaldson, Gus Brown, Don Hafner, Chris Taylor, and Lukas Kenkutis.
