The September 30 article headlined “Leaked harassment allegations against Higgins result in uproar” originally stated that the complaint by Jennifer Burney was sent to only two of the three Selectmen. However, the Lincoln Squirrel has learned that Selectman Jonathan Dwyer also received it, albeit in a separate email. The article has been updated to reflect this information. The story has also been edited to remove some details to protect the privacy of a minor.
Leaked harassment allegations against Higgins result in uproar
(Editor’s note: this story was updated on October 1.)
A copy of a formal discrimination complaint by one town employee about another was posted to the LincolnTalk email list on September 29, and police are now investigating because the email that included the post was “spoofed” — fraudulently signed in the name of an elderly resident who knew nothing about it.
The electronic trail began on September 16 when Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney wrote up a complaint against Town Administrator Tim Higgins and emailed it to members of the Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen. Thirteen days later, someone included that complaint in a post on the LincolnTalk email list, which has about 1,500 subscribers.
The post’s header said it was from “Debra French” with the subject line “Compliant [sic] Filed by Jennifer Burney + Mary Day re: FEMALE HARASSMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT INSULTS made by Tim Higgins.” The preamble said in part, “I received this message below and find myself in deep concern over the severe allegations made! No women should be going through this!” It was received and automatically posted to LincolnTalk at 11:32 p.m. on September 29.
There is, in fact, a Lincoln resident named Deborah French whose first name is spelled differently, but she was horrified to learn about the spoofing when police came to her door. It’s unclear who notified the police.
“I’m speechless. The police just came and told me about it,” French said on Wednesday. “That’s awful. I think anybody who knows me knows it was not from me, but I would love other people to know it too. I’m not tech-savvy at all — I was brought up with pencil and paper.” French’s late husband John French, who died in 2018, served on several town boards and committees and was also town moderator for 16 years.
Earlier on Tuesday evening, the Lincoln Squirrel received an almost identical email, but from a different return address (Thisis Anonymous <anonylincolnma@gmail.com>). The Squirrel has shared details of that email with Lincoln police. Chief of Police Kevin Kennedy would not comment on the matter.
Spoofing, according to the FBI, is when someone disguises an email address, sender name, phone number, or website URL to convince the recipient that they’re interacting with a trusted source. However, it’s unclear if spoofing is a crime if the sender is not aiming to defraud the recipient financially, install malware on their computer, or extract personal information.
Burney’s allegations
The LincolnTalk post included a copy of a September 16 email from Burney to the Planning Board and Board of Selectmen. It outlined complaints of discrimination, harassment, and intimidation alleging that Higgins targeted Burney and former Assistant Town Administrator Mary Day, who left her job unexpectedly in late May.
Burney wrote in the complaint that she requested leave last spring under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to care for a family member. In coordination with experts she consulted, Burney agreed to a plan that would require her full-time presence to provide that care, she wrote.
Higgins asked all town employees to return to work in person on June 1, but Burney was still caring for her daughter and needed to continue working from home. She wrote that on May 28, “Day informed me that she would have paperwork within a week for potential options to those with schedule conflicts. I was quite concerned by the shocking message sent on a Saturday morning from Mr. Higgins, May 30th, stating that Ms. Day had resigned from her position effective immediately.”
In the complaint, Burney said that “Ms. Day confided in me that she did not resign, and in fact had to hastily leave the office after experiencing extreme intimidation by Mr. Higgins,” after which Day allegedly sought medical attention “due to the stress he caused her both in this situation and past scenarios.” Day could not be reached for comment.
Higgins “continued to try to delay and deny my FMLA leave, asking me to reconsider, while delaying and refusing to file the paperwork needed,” according to Burney. He “reluctantly” allowed her to begin leave on June 9 but then “berated” her upon her return on September 2 when she requested a hybrid home-and-office work schedule to accommodate her family member’s schedule. “Mr. Higgins verbally attacked my job performance by suggesting I give nothing to the town and all I do is, ‘take take take’,” she wrote.
Board of Selectmen involvement
At the June 22 Board of Selectmen meeting, Higgins told the board he planned to promote Parks and Recreation Department Director Dan Pereira to the Assistant Town Administrator position, which Day had vacated just over three weeks previously. At the same meeting, he announced that Burney had taken an FMLA leave of absence and that Assistant Director of Planning and Land Use Paula Vaughn-McKenzie would be acting Planning Director.
On September 21, five days after Burney’s email complaint to town officials, the Board of Selectmen met in executive session before their regular open meeting (as allowed by state law) “to hear a complaint against a public officer, employee, staff member or individual,” according to the meeting agenda.
“Please be advised that the Board of Selectmen had previously received the complaint that was recently published on the LincolnTalk listserv,” board chair James Craig said in an email to the Lincoln Squirrel on Wednesday. “The board has initiated an investigation that is being conducted by an independent third-party investigator. To respect the privacy of all parties, the board will not comment further on this matter pending the outcome of the investigation.”
Burney’s complaint also alleged that Higgins engaged in “unethical behavior and unprofessional comments” when he allegedly referred to the Lincoln Fire Department as “a bunch of Neanderthals.” A former member of a Lincoln town board governing body who asked to remain anonymous said, “That stuff is not a surprise to me… I’ve heard that stuff out of his mouth many times.”
Also at the June 22 meeting, Higgins praised the performance of acting Fire Chief Brian Young and recommended his permanent appointment to the position.
Planning Board member Gary Taylor noted on Wednesday that the Board of Selectmen are handling the issue as a confidential personnel matter. As to who might have sent the emails to LincolnTalk and the Lincoln Squirrel, “even if I knew, I wouldn’t comment at this point — it would be speculation,” he said. “We all have to honor our obligations for confidentiality in everyone’s interests.”
Reactions from Higgins and Burney
“I need to defer to the Select Board for any comments regarding the Town’s response to the charges that have been made,” Higgins said in an email to the Squirrel. “I support the need for a thorough independent investigation and have committed my full and open cooperation to the process. I have faith and trust in the Town’s processes.” In a follow-up email, he added, “I do not want to compromise the integrity of the Board’s investigation in any manner. I have faith that people will discern the truth.”
“I can confirm that I sent emails to the Board of Selectmen and Planning Board with a complaint against Tim Higgins,” Burney told the Lincoln Squirrel in an email. “I DID NOT send any emails to you or to Lincoln Talk. I consider my letter confidential and was addressed to the Boards and not to the public. I have no idea who sent that as only Board of Selectmen and Planning Board members were in receipt of my email.” Asked for further comment, she wrote in a second email, “At this time I have no comment and I’d really like everyone to respect my privacy. Thank you for your understanding.”
LincolnTalk suspended temporarily
Early Wednesday morning, the three volunteer LincolnTalk moderators sent out an email saying that, as a result of the spoofing, all posts would be held for approval until further notice. As of 10 p.m. on Wednesday, nothing had been posted since the service was suspended that morning. Previously, anyone could sign up for a free LincolnTalk account by supplying an email address and then post messages directly to all other members.
“We are cooperating with the police investigation… and proceeding with extreme caution,”said Margit Griffith, one of the moderators. “We want to get things back up and running as soon as possible, but we need to investigate safeguards as much as we can with our listserv provider… seeing what we need to do to protect ourselves and LincolnTalk. We’re now a little gun shy and we’re saddened that people used LincolnTalk in this way.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Griffith said moderators hoped to have LincolnTalk back in service soon, “but when we restart, it’s unlikely there will be much [we will] let through that has anything to do with this. This is a Town of Lincoln human resources matter that’s being dealt with there, and it will not be adjudicated on LincolnTalk.”
At about 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the moderators announced they we would start approving posts related to offers of free or for-sale items, general recommendations for service people, miscellaneous requests for information, and local events. No opinion pieces will be posted for the time being. “We’ll let you know when we’re ready to start bringing that sort of thing back. And we look forward to the day when we can release everyone from moderation and support and information can flow freely,” they wrote.
Police log for September 18–24, 2020
September 18
Hillside Road (12:20 p.m.) — Caller reported someone filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in their name.
deCordova Museum (4:58 p.m.) — Caller reported individuals parking and unloading fishing gear. Officer located the parties and advised them to move along.
South Great Road (7:54 p.m.) — Jonathan Caso, 23, of 63 Florence Rd. in Waltham was arrested for OUI–liquor and speeding. He was later bailed to appear in Concord District Court for arraignment.
September 19
Weston Road (9:07 p.m.) — Street sign knocked over. DPW notified.
September 20
Mill Street (6:36 p.m.) — Caller reported that a forklift was parked in her driveway. Forklift was found to belong to a landscaping company doing work on the property.
Lincoln Woods (7:32 pm.) — Caller reported fireworks going off opposite Lincoln Woods. Officers checked the area but were unable to locate.
September 21
Lincoln Woods (10:57 a.m.) — Caller reported that employees from the mall were seen throwing trash in his dumpster. Officers spoke to the business owner, who will look into the issue and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Harvest Circle, 1:05 p.m. — Officer took a report of an attempted fraud via on online takeover of the party’s computer. Report taken. The party suffered no financial loss.
Carroll School, Baker Bridge Road (2:55 p.m.) — Caller reported leaf blowers were being used at the school. Officer responded and found no leaf blowers being used.
Lincoln Road (11:32 p.m.) — Resident called reporting that they were possibly scammed and personal information was acquired online. An officer took a report and advised the person to put a fraud alert on their personal information.
September 22
South Great Road (9:50 a.m.) — Caller reported that two males pulled up their driveway in a vehicle. One man got out and walked around the side of the house while the other went to the front door. The homeowner spoke to the man at the front door and asked them to leave the property. The two parties left. Officers checked the area and were unable to find them.
Wheeler Road, Concord — Officer assisted Concord police who are busy with other calls by responding to a crash and assisting the parties in exchanging paperwork. No injuries.
Donelan’s parking lot (5:51 p.m.) — Caller reported he believes his car was scraped while parked in the lot. He was advised to file a report with his insurance company.
September 23
Lincoln School (1:48 a.m.) — Officer checking on a vehicle parked in the school located several teen walking around the property. Contact made with their their parents; teens were advised to drive directly home.
Weston Road (7:21 a.m.) — Caller complained about noise from construction in the area with the sound of music being played. Officer spoke to the workers and asked if they’d turn down the music. The workers were cooperative.
Russett Court (7:22 p.m.) — Caller reported they were scammed while attempting to use their stimulus money. Report taken; the party will follow up with customer service in the morning.
September 24
Bowles Terrace (10:03 p.m.) — Caller reported that someone filed a fraudulent unemployment claim. Report taken; caller was also given the state’s website to file a report.
Lexington Road (1:24 p.m.) — Officer delivered legal paperwork to a resident.
Indian Camp Lane (3:15 p.m.) — Caller requested a well-being check on a resident. While an officer was en route, the caller said they were able to speak with the resident.
Ridge Road (3:29 p.m.) — Caller reported their cat has been missing for a couple of days. Police have no reported of a found cat.
Twin Pond Lane (4:44 p.m.) — Police received a 911 call reporting that a male had been stabbed in in a vehicle on Twin Pond Lane. As a result of an investigation, a juvenile was arrested and is facing delinquency charges of armed robbery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The juvenile was arraigned in Middlesex Juvenile Court on September 25. The victim sought treatment on their own at a local hospital. This was not a random act, but due to the age of the suspect, police could not provide further details.
Greenridge Lane (7:06 p.m.) — Caller reported hearing gunshots. A subsequent caller reported hearing fireworks in the area. Police were unable to locate.
Lincoln Police Department (2:39 a.m.) — A party walked into the station looking to make a phone call for a ride due to their mobile phone dying. Party made arrangements for a ride home.
Property sales in August 2020
8 Silver Hill Rd. — John Peters to Kathy and Andy Gabelman for $925,000 (August 31)
140 Lincoln Rd. — Leo W. Roache to James B. and Diane M. Callahan for $451,000 (August 31)
11 Hillside Rd. — William A. Nockles to Brooks and Patricia Mostue for $575,000 (August 28)
8 Ridge Rd. — Fredrick Pennachi to Amanda G, Papper for $45,000 (August 28)
203 Sandy Pond Rd. — Kevin Styles to Ma Fei and Shen Ping for $1,700,000 (August 25)
161 Tower Rd. — Dana L. Weigent to Robert Neidlinger and Emily Barry for $916,000 (August 21)
94 Mill St. — U.S. Bank and Trust (trustee) to Li Wei and Zhang Xiochun for 1,186,500 (August 14)
252 Lincoln Rd. — John J. O’Sullivan to Camille Petri and Michael Cameron for $1,052,000 (August 14)
67 Conant Rd. — Christopher White to Matthew Bio and Matina Madrick for $1,690,000 (August 14)
43 Birchwood Lane —Addison D. Cole to Barbara M. Pedulla for $547,500 (August 12)
263 Old C0ncord Rd. — Peter H. Guldberg to Fairhaven Bay Lincoln LLC for $3,125,000 (August 7)
131 Lincoln Rd. — Edward W. Schuller to Anna A. Crowe and Russell E. McConnell for $862,000 (August 6)
Diversity forum looks at policing in Lincoln and Middlesex County
In the first of three townwide roundtables on diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan and local officials outlined progress that’s being made in terms of policing and law enforcement — and what still needs to be done.
“The pandemic and the George Floyd murder have put a focus on policing and law enforcement in a way that has never happened before,” Ryan said at the September 22 event where more than 70 Lincolnites logged on. She noted that Middlesex County was one of the first to sign onto the “8 Can’t Wait” campaign, which outlines eight policing reforms that are being adopted by communities all over the country.
People who are arrested usually have to post bail to be released from jail until their court appearance, “but the consequences fall heavier on some communities than they do on others,” Ryan noted. “If you can’t come up with $100 for bail, it tells you a lot about other things going on in your life,” such as low wages, an unstable housing situation, or no family support, “and that has sent many people into a spiral that was very hard to recover from.”
In 2018, Middlesex County stopped requiring bail for people who were arrested for crimes that wouldn’t involve prison time even if they were to be convicted. In the first six months, the number of people who subsequently didn’t make their court appearances rose by 0.5% but then dropped back down again to the previous level, Ryan said.
Cutting down on the number of people arrested and held in custody became more critical with the advent of the pandemic. As a result, law enforcement has been moving toward issuing summonses rather than making arrests for nonviolent offenses. “In partnership with police chiefs and the sheriff, we’ve brought the number of people in custody to incredibly historic lows,” Ryan said.
Law enforcement is also using diversion programs to keep people out of the criminal justice system. Mental health and substance abuse professionals are working more closely with police during and after calls involving threatening behavior. Restorative justice programs are also being employed to avoid saddling low-level offenders with a criminal record, which severely limits future employment opportunities and thus encourages more crime, Ryan said.
“These measures give us the ability to intervene and address challenges while also holding them accountable for their behavior,” she said.
Lincoln policing
Policing in Lincoln is very service-oriented, as officers rely heavily on partnerships and referrals to mental health, domestic violence, substance abuse and other social services, Police Chief Kevin Kennedy said. Echoing Ryan, he added that the policy of Lincoln police is to issue summonses for violations whenever possible, unless violence or public safety are involved or the person has an arrest warrant for a previous offense. Most arrests in town occur when someone (often a delivery driver) goes through the security check when entering Hanscom Air Force Base and is found to have an outstanding warrant.
Kennedy presented demographic data on motor vehicle stops from January 2018 to June 2020 showing that Hispanics are greatly overrepresented when it comes to motor vehicles summons issued in Lincoln. The reason is that undocumented immigrants are allowed to register cars but are not allowed to have driver’s licenses, so they get a disproportionate number of citations for driving without a license. Massachusetts legislators tried unsuccessfully this summer to remove that restriction.
Lincoln police adhere to the guidelines outlined by President Obama’s Task Force on 21st-Century Policing, which was convened after the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo, and subsequent unrest, Kennedy said. Statewide police reform is on the horizon as well; the Massachusetts State House and Senate each passed reform bills in July, but the bills were not reconciled in committee before the end of the 2020 legislative session.
Kennedy also outlined a detailed list of policies and trainings required of officers, including training on crisis intervention and de-escalation, the use of force, domestic violence, racial profiling, fair and impartial policing, and more. When the state does enact a policing bill, “we certainly welcome whatever reform there is going to be, and we will change our policies, practices, and procedures to comply,” he said.
Lincoln police are looking into holding a multi-night “citizens’ police academy” where residents can learn about specific issues surrounding policing in Lincoln. Also on the table are body-worn and cruiser cameras. The police will make a spending proposal next year for such equipment, but questions about its use in various circumstances (inside private homes, when taking viciim statements, etc.) must first be resolved.
“There’s a whole host if issues that have to be discussed as a community,” Kennedy said.
Lincoln does not have any minorities on its force of 13 officers and five dispatchers. “We have to get more creative. Traditional approaches to [police] recruitment are not helping us to achieve the goals we want” in terms of diversity, Kennedy said. “We’re open to whatever way we can go about engaging and recruiting a diverse workforce.”
“We have a lot of work to do and we’re nowhere near where we want to be in terms of diversity,” agreed Town Administrator Tim Higgins.
The next two roundtables on diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism are:
- “What is the Role of Town Government?” — Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.
- “What is the Role of Community Groups?” — Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.
Click here for more information and registration links.
Lincoln Squirrel is a finalist for journalism award
The Lincoln Squirrel is proud to announce that it’s a finalist for an Investigative Report of the Year award from LION (Local Independent Online News Publishers) for a series of stories about the Lincoln Water Department. A huge and heartfelt thank-you to everyone who gave their time for interviews and other assistance in writing these stories.
Here’s what the Squirrel submitted for the award, in chronological order of publication:
- Water Dept. needs to borrow more than $1 million — 2019/03/18
- More borrowing, water rate hikes on the horizon — 2019/10/25
- Water Department in financial and staffing crisis — 2019/10/31
- Amid grumbling, voters approve another loan for Water Department — 2019/11/03
- Farmers protest sudden end to lower water rates — 2020/01/09
- More big spending, rate hike on tap for Water Department — 2020/01/30
- Water Commission proposes 30% rate hike — 2020/02/06
- Water usage rates to go up by 28%, base charges by 43% — 2020/02/25
- Water Commission candidates discuss the issues — 2020/03/08
- Water Commission to hold forum on its spending requests — 2020/06/07
- Water Department still has plant operator vacancy — 2020/06/10
Here’s the list of all the nominees in LION’s “Investigative Report of the Year – Solo” category:
- The Austin Bulldog for its investigation of the Travis Central Appraisal District that exposed faulty management decisions that resulted in more than three times the number of formal Appraisal Review Board hearings, skyrocketing costs, doubled complaints, and more litigation over unresolved value disputes
- California Health Report for its investigation into how much federal money for mental health care California counties left on the table
- The Charlotte Ledger for its investigation of the complicated and troubling history of a man who was once one of Charlotte’s most influential economic development officials, who in recent years had a string of court cases involving stalking and harassment
- The Lincoln Squirrel for its investigation revealing that a major town department had almost no oversight by officials for years
The online awards ceremony will be on October 22 at 7 p.m.; click here for details and registration.
Lincoln teens pitch in to help those affected by Covid-19
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School made the national news this week after dozens of students attended a party a party on September 11, forcing the school to delay the start of in-person classes due to worries about the possible spread of Covid-19. But other students are getting involved in projects designed to help seniors and the homeless affected by the same disease.
Joanna Schwartz, co-founder of Connections.
Joanna Schwartz, an L-S senior from Lincoln, got the idea last spring to do something to try to counteract the loneliness many people, especially senior citizens, were feeling as the pandemic lockdown took hold last spring. She partnered with the Lincoln Council on Aging to launch Connections, a program where seniors can converse with a high school student via Zoom, phone, or letter. Students can get community service credit, and both young and older participants can forge new bonds by sharing their life experiences or just chatting about their week.
Seniors are invited to a Zoom open house on Monday, Oct. 5 from 4–5 p.m. to learn more about the program. Schwartz will email a survey link to gather information on interests and preferred means of communication to match students with seniors. To get the Zoom link for the open house, contact Amy Gagne at the COA at 781-259-8811 x102 or gagnea@lincolntown.org by Friday, Oct. 2.
“My mom is a general practitioner, and would often tell me how her older patients were expressing feelings of loneliness and isolation during this time,” said Schwartz, a Lincoln resident who got the idea for the program last spring during the initial Covid-19 lockdown. “Moreover, I was frequently talking with my own grandparents on the phone and heard that they too were feeling isolated because of the pandemic. They missed getting together with their friends and seeing their family. I soon learned that just a 10-minute phone call would brighten their day.”
For those opting for Zoom or phone, the program will initially comprise four 20-minute weekly sessions starting in mid-October at times arranged by the participants. “Pen pals” will mail about one letter per week to each other over the four-week period, with the students initiating.
“That said, I hope the program will continue on after the pandemic, as there’s always a need for bridging the generation gap in our communities. And what better way to connect the generations than through conversations?” Schwartz said.
Swapping services for donations
More than 30 L-S students have banded together as the Coupon Collective, offering personal services and products to people in the area in exchange for donations to the Pine Street Inn in Boston.
“We ask the providers of the product to tell us how much they think their product is worth, perhaps for a little markup for charity; then we put that on our website and we ask people to donate that amount,” Rhea Karty, a senior from Lincoln, told Boston 25 News. Instead of pocketing the cash for what they provide, the students donate 100% of what they would’ve earned to the COVID Relief Fund of the Pine Street Inn, Boston’s largest homeless shelter.
The services and products that the group is offering include yard work, babysitting, friendship bracelets, baked goods, custom artwork, web design, and instruction in coding, languages, piano, volleyball, and more. They’ve also “sold” gift cards from businesses who’ve donated, including Learning Express and several restaurants.
Other students from Lincoln involved in the Coupon Collective are Samantha Broglio, Jennie Christenfeld, Bella Omar, Dasha Trosteanetchi, and Caleb Yee. The group has already raised about $2,000 for the Pine Street Inn.
“We’ve been able to have students at our school and others provide things they are very passionate about so they are able to keep doing what they love during a time they may be stuck at home and especially help people who may not have a home,” Sudbury senior Davin Martin told Boston 25 News.
The latest efforts add to the roster of public service projects recently undertaken by Lincoln youth.
Police log for week of Sept. 11, 2020
September 11
Marconi Auto, Concord Rd. (4:00 a.m.) — Officer checked on a party sitting in a vehicle; all was well.
Page Road (12:45 p.m.) — Caller asked to speak with an officer regarding a possible violation of a civil order. Officer spoke to the party and determined there was no violation.
Old Sudbury Road (3:02 p.m.) — Caller reported a low-hanging branch partially in the roadway. An officer coned off the roadway and contacted the DPW to respond.
News acorns
Fall weekend fun through October at Matlock Farm
Matlock Farm of Lincoln, continually run by the Flint Family since the 17th century, will host fall weekend events with pumpkin-picking and other family-friendly activities starting on Saturday, Sept. 26 from noon–4 p.m. Visitors can enjoy socially distanced hay rides, farm-themed photo ops, crafts for sale, and more in the farm’s field on Lexington Road. Events will take place on September 26 and 27 as well as October 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, and 24-25, weather permitting. For more information call 781-259-8402.
Speakers to address global climate crisis
On Saturday, Oct. 10 at 11 a.m., the Walden Woods Project will participate in the TEDx Countdown, a global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis, turning ideas into action. The goal is to build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the race to a zero-carbon world.
TEDxTheWaldenWoodsProject starts with a live virtual session via Zoom with author and journalist Bill McKibben, co-founder of the climate campaign group 350.org, on “Using One Crisis to Solve the Next: What Does Covid Teach Us About How to Think in Emergencies, And How Might It Set Us Up to Address the Overarching Climate Predicament?” After that, there will be streamed global presentations from several other leading climate activists and experts, including former Vice President Al Gore and HRH Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge. Registering for the program gives access to all sessions, which run until 3:45 p.m. Click here for details about the speakers and schedule, and a link to register.
Session on cutting your carbon footprint
Join physicist and businessman David Green on a Zoom webinar on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. as he discusses the financial benefits he experienced as he brought his home carbon footprint to zero. He’ll walk us through his analysis of the incentives and carbon reduction of different home systems from heating to windows. Geared to Lincoln residents and open to all. Free, but registration is required. Each attendee will receive an e-book copy of his book, Zero Carbon Home.
Caleb Yee
Lincoln’s Yee is a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School has five semifinalists including Caleb W. Yee of Lincoln in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Competition. The students will continue in competition for approximately 7,500 scholarships that will be offered in the spring of 2021. The others from L-S are Achla H. Gandhi, Josephine A. Halporn, Alexander W. Kornblum, and Riya Misra of Sudbury.
Drumlin Farm and other sanctuaries offer free admission to military
Mass Audubon is expanding to year-round an offer of free admission to its wildlife sanctuaries including Drumlin Farm for active-duty members of the military and their families. Since 2014, Mass Audubon has been a participant in the Blue Star Museums program, which offers free admission to active-duty military personnel, including National Guard and Reserve and their families each summer. The program typically begins in mid-May and runs through Labor Day in early September. Although it was officially suspended for 2020 because of the pandemic, Mass Audubon maintained the program, and will now honor it 12 months a year. Service members and/or families may simply present a valid military ID card to sanctuary staff. The offer applies to a maximum of five people per ID card.
Lincolnites honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Lincolnites formed a circle of light at the vigil for Ruth Bader Ginsburg (click to enlarge). Photo by Allen Vander Meulen.
A candlelight vigil for the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg drew about 100 people to Pierce Park on Sunday evening.
The event was organized by Joan Kimball, Barbara Slayter, and Mary Helen Lorenz. The bell at the nearby First Parish Church tolled solemnly at the start of the silent vigil. The silence was broken with the El Malei Rachamim prayer for the deceased, first in English and then sung and read in Hebrew by Andy Ory. FPL director of religious education Margit Griffith gave a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to close the event.
The Jewish tradition views anyone who dies at the start of the Jewish new year (Rosh Hashanah began at sundown on Friday) as a tzadik, or righteous person, especially when the death occurs on the Sabbath (Friday night to Saturday night).