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

News acorns

L-S Environmental Club offers webinars

The L-S Environmental Club has organized a summer environmental webinar series on Thursdays, July 16 to August 13 at 7:30 p.m. Click here for a bios of speakers (including Lincoln resident Alex Chatfield, the climate justice ministry coordinator at St. Anne’s in the Fields Church) and click here to register for any or all sessions.

Lincoln awarded five-year contract to continue operating Hanscom schools

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded the Lincoln Public Schools a contract to continue operating the schools at Hanscom Air Force Base (HAFB) for the next five years — one year with four option years. The contract provides critical financial support for the cost of the district’s central administration and student services shared with the town of Lincoln.

Lincoln Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall and Buckner Creel, administrator for business and finance, led Lincoln’s role in the extensive proposal and award process that required fixed-price budgets for the next five years. The School Committee approved the new Hanscom budget on June 23. The video of the full presentation can be viewed here.

The Lincoln Public Schools have operated the Hanscom schools for more than 50 years.

“Negotiating the Hanscom contract is a complex and arduous process, and the stakes are very high for the school district, the town, and students,” said School Committee member Susan Taylor. “It is never a forgone conclusion that the military will want to continue to contract with local schools, so the five-year commitment is a great honor and affirmation for our district.”

Obituaries

Jane K. Canfield

Jane K. Canfield

Jane K. Canfield died in June at the age of 83 She was a former bursar at Lesley College and a long-time member of All Saints Episcopal Church in Belmont. Click here for full obituary.

Henry Harrison Hadley IV

Henry Harrison Hadley IV

Henry Harrison Hadley IV died on June 24 at age 83. He was on several town committees including the Recreation Committee and its subcommittee that designed and built the Codman Pool. He was also the first president of the Codman Community Farms and was active at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church. Click here for full obituary.

My Turn: The Food Project needs your help

By Peter von Mertens

The Food Project, which farms 31 acres of Lincoln conservation land, is hard-pressed during this Covid crisis to carry out their mission. Normally teams of volunteers from corporations, law firms, banks, schools, and other nonprofits would be planting and weeding the carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and other crops. During the summer months, teams of high school youth would carry on that work as well as picking, washing, sorting, and helping distribute over 250,000 pounds of fresh, organic produce to inner-city hunger relief organizations and farmers’ markets. 

Not so this year. The 110 youth — some from cities and some from suburbs — cannot come together due to Covid, and the entire farm work has fallen on a core crew of eight farmers and some of the Food Project office staff. 

The Food Project is a powerful anti-racism program as it brings together youth from different racial and ethnic as well as socioeconomic backgrounds, and the youth and staff spend time discussing their biases, experiences and ways to understand and resolve conflicts. Of all the years to miss this kind of learning!

The Food Project has been hard hit financially this year. They were fortunate to have received a Payroll Protection Grant to help them keep key staff employed, but the future is very uncertain. Please consider making a donation at thefoodproject.org. It’s local. It provides high-quality produce to residents of Dorchester, Roxbury, and other areas in greater Boston. And it’s important to keep alive and well through this crisis.

”My Turn” is a forum for Lincoln residents to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: School district race, equity, and inclusion work

By Becky McFall

Dear Lincoln community,

Following George Floyd’s murder, you received messages from Lincoln METCO Director Marika Hamilton, me, and recently a statement from the School Committee expressing a commitment to focusing on race, inclusion, equity, and diversity in all aspects of our schools. The School Committee and administration have received messages from many of you expressing your strong commitment to this work as well, and a request for an action plan to move forward together as a district. Planning efforts are underway to ensure that we are prepared to engage in our own learning as well as work with and support students as they return to school in September.

One of our eight working groups to plan for the opening of school is the Race, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group. We also have a Social Emotional Learning Working Group. These two groups are focused on what we need to have in place for the beginning of the school year to support students and faculty. We know how important diversity and inclusion are to student success and we are eager to continue growing in this area together.

Plans are being developed for professional development for all employees for the coming school year. There are several conversations taking place that include faculty members and administrators. As plans solidify, our goal is to communicate with you as soon as possible. Our first priority is to be prepared for the opening of school and our next priority is to develop plans for our areas of focus for the school year that will absolutely focus on race, equity, and inclusion. Please know that it will be a multi-faceted and multi-year endeavor. I look forward to sharing more details with you in the coming weeks.

McFall is Superintendent of Schools in Lincoln.

”My Turn” is a forum for Lincoln residents 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.

Police log for June 25 – July 1, 2020

June 25

Old Conant Road (1:47 p.m.) — Family member who is living out of the country requested a well-being check on the resident. Officers checked the residence and no one is home. Checked again at 3:38 p.m.; will check back later.

Goose Pond Road (3:19 p.m.) — Walk-in to the station reported a tree limb is resting on wires and is smoking. Eversource notified.

Tower Road (4:37 p.m.) — Weston police reported that the railroad crossing sign at Tower Road was struck and is partially in the roadway. Officer temporarily moved the sign out of the roadway; DPW notified to fix the sign.

Wells Road (8:25 p.m.) — Resident called to speak to an officer in regards to a civil matter.

Red Rail Farm (8:37 p.m.) — Caller reported his beagle is missing. Last seen near Walden Pond. Phone number left if someone finds the lost dog.

June 26

Lincoln Road (11:49 a.m.) — Railroad gates keep going up and down. MBTA notified to respond.

Morningside Lane (12:27 p.m.) — Court paperwork delivered to the resident.

Trapelo Road (12:29 p.m.) — Officer came across a minor motor vehicle crash; assisted parties with exchanging paperwork

Tower Road (1:13 p.m.) — Council on Aging requested a well-being check on a resident. Officer responded and the party is fine; they’re contacting the COA.

South Great Road (4:37 p.m.) — Caller reported a burning odor in his garage. Fire Department responded; prior to their arrival, the owner extinguished a small fire in his water heater. Power and gas to the unit was turned off.

June 27

Lincoln Road — Caller reported an odor of gas outside Twisted Tree Café. Fire Department checked and found no evidence of gas via their meter

Hanscom Air Force Base (3:14 p.m.) — Hanscom security reported they have someone at Gate 1 with a warrant who was attempting to enter the base. Jose Nieves, 28, of Brockton was arrested for an outstanding warrant for assault and battery, and indecent assault and battery out of the Brockton District Court. He was later bailed from the station.

Tower Road (8:07 p.m.) — Framingham police asked Lincoln police to check the residence for a missing juvenile. Officers did so and located the juvenile. Contact made with Framingham PD

June 28

Lincoln Police Station (12:47 p.m.) — Walk-in reported their car was disabled in the St. Anne’s parking lot. Officer assisted the party and gave them a ride to their residence.

Old Conant Road (2:10 p.m.) — Officer followed up on June 25 well-being checks visits to make contact with the homeowner. Party still not home. Checked again at 7:11 p.m. Police later reported that they finally got in touch with the woman and everything was fine — she had been in Maine. The initial caller was found to be an estranged family member calling from overseas looking for money.

Trapelo Road (9:04 p.m.) — Caller reported that a large tree limb was down in the road near Stratford Way. Officer located the branch and was able to move it off to the side of the roadway. DPW notified

June 29

Old Concord Road (5:29 a.m.) — Caller reported a large fallen tree blocking the road. Officer responded and confirmed the road was impassable. DPW notified to respond.

Lincoln Road (9:44 a.m.) — Caller reported a tree on wires. Officer responded and confirmed; Eversource notified and responded.

Old Sudbury Road (4:32 p.m.) — Farm tractor was towing a small structure that fell off the trailer into the roadway. Debris moved off to the side of the road; officer following the tractor back to Codman Community Farms.

Lincoln Road (6:26 p.m.) — Caller reported railroad gates were down with no train in the area. Moments later, train passed; no problem with the gates.

June 30

Lincoln Road (12:19 a.m.) — Caller from Wells Road reported a party sitting on the benches near Donelan’s. Officer in the area checked but no one was in the area.

Doherty’s Garage (1:53 p.m.) — Caller asked to speak with an officer regarding a civil matter. Officer responded and assisted the party.

Trapelo Road (4:39 p.m.) — Juvenile called to report an older man taking pictures in the area of the reservoir, talking to the juveniles and asking odd questions while they’re fishing. Officers located the caller and the subject. Officers spoke to the subject regarding his behavior and he was sent on his way; no criminal activity. Officers followed up with the juvenile and his father who arrived on scene.

Wells Road (9:33 a.m.) — Caller reported fireworks going off in the Lincoln Woods complex. Officers checked the area but was unable to locate.

South Great Road (9:36 p.m.) — Caller reported “a big green thing” in the roadway near the railroad tracks. Officer checked Rte. 117 and was unable to locate any debris.

Donelan’s Supermarket (9:48 p.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked at Donelan’s. Party all set; was listening to music.

July 1

Hillside Road (11:31 a.m.) — Council on Aging called to request a well-being check on a resident. Officers checked and all is fine. The resident is calling the COA.

South Great Road (3:43 p.m.) — FedEx driver reports a party lying down on the sidewalk; unsure if they’re in need of assistance. Officers responded and the party is fine, just resting.

Old Concord Road (3:55 p.m.) — Caller complained of leaf blowers being used in the area.

Stony Brook Road, Weston (5:40 p.m.) — Weston police reported that they’re receiving complaints of solicitors in the area of Stony Brook Road in their town who may be heading into Lincoln.

Lincoln Road (10:05 p.m.) — Caller reported two vehicles pulled over near Ballfield Road; not sure if there was a problem. Officer checked the area and found that the occupants were helping an animal into the woods.

GearTicks pivot from making robots to PPE

Olivia Crisafi delivers masks made by the Lincoln GearTicks to the Newburyport Salvation Army.

By Olivia Crisafi and Victor Han

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the GearTicks, Lincoln’s FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team, has been making and delivering face shields for nearby health facilities, fire departments, and nursing homes.

After winning Inspire, the top award at the Massachusetts state championship, the GearTicks shifted focus away from competing, since the FIRST Championship event in Detroit was cancelled, and looked at ways to use their unique skills, tools, and materials to help the community. They recognized the demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) from health care workers and first responders and decided to put their mechanical design skills to work.

The GearTicks designed two versions of the face shield, both of which used easily available transparent report covers to shield the user. They used CAD (computer-aided design) software to design simple, lightweight finished products. One design uses 3D printing technology, while the other uses laser-cutting technology. Due to the shortage of rubber bands, the team utilized rubber tubing to secure the 3D printed headpiece.

One of the laser-cut face shields.

To date, they GearTicks have delivered 275 face shields to nine facilities. Email hello@gearticks.com if you have need of their face shields. 

Property sales in May 2020

40 Huckleberry Hill Rd. — Susan E. Conway to Alexandra Chomut and Christopher E. Brook for $1,800,000 (May 29)

41 Greenridge Lane — Patrick Greene to Christopher McCarty and Nataly Dvash for $550,000 (May 27)

59 Winter St. — Richard Wiggin to Marcus and Nicole Ruopp for $1,420,000 (May 18)

3 Smith Hill Road — Piyush Srinivastava to Brendon and Rachel Reiff for $1,150,000 (May 8)

21 Birchwood Lane — Alan J. Shapiro to Anthony M. Dubon and Kary K. Lee-Dubon for $598,320 (May 8)

54 Conant Rd. — Mary Q. Pope to Meghan K. Lytton for $1,090,000 (May 6)

Sandy Pond Rd. — Joseph Kasputys to [name withheld at editor’s discretion] for $1,078,000 (May 2)

L-S Mutual Aid Network aims to help and connect communities

After only three months in existence, the Lincoln-Sudbury Mutual Aid Network has redistributed over $3,500 in donations, and more than 150 community members have reached out to support the group with money or time.

“Mutual aid is an effective way for communities to take collective responsibility in supporting each other when governmental systems are failing us,” said group member Leah Kanzer of Lincoln. “This type of support historically has existed within marginalized communities, but because of the pandemic, there is a greater widespread need, and this kind of network has been formalized all around the country.”

In addition to redistributing funds, the group coordinates grocery deliveries and connects community members virtually for tutoring and companionship for residents of Lincoln, Sudbury, and surrounding communities. They also act as a clearinghouse for resources for housing, workers’ funds in the state, unemployment, childcare, mental health, and education.

The L-S Mutual Aid Network consists of about eight organizers who are white college-aged students from Lincoln and Sudbury, but they want to expand to “fully reflect the community we aim to support,” Kanzer said. The hope is that more permanent residents of Lincoln and Sudbury join the team and sustain it after the Covid-19 crisis and when the current organizers have moved away.

“Coming together to work as a team and sharing resources lets the community speak up for itself with change at the forefront of everyone’s mind,” said group member Catherine Garrett of Sudbury. By pooling resources, “we’re able to form relationships outside of government intervention and trust one another. Making this statement that we can work as a neighborhood without the government is powerful and uplifting. My hope is that this network is able to provide the people of Lincoln and Sudbury a place to form relationships and create practical change through projects and community connection.” 

“The L-S Mutual Aid Network has been a huge learning experience for me,” Kanzer added. “Working outside of the nonprofit model gives us the freedom to experiment with how mutual aid should work in our unique towns.”

More information:

News acorns

Food truck picnic at Pierce House

The Pierce House is hosting a Lincoln picnic on Saturday, July 18 from 4–8 p.m. with several vendors (Moyzilla food truck with Asian food, the Bacon Truck, and the Shuck Truck with fresh local seafood) offering dinner for sale. Bring your own blanket and beverages. Patrons are encouraged to wear wear face masks and maintain social distance of six feet while in line and on blankets, and they may enter the Pierce House to order and purchase food. All staff and food service is in compliance with CDC guidelines.

Library book pickup hours expand

Starting on Monday, July 6, the Lincoln Library will expand its curbside pickup hours for reserved books. The new hours will be Mondays and Thursdays from 1–7 p.m., and Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Hours are subject to weather; any changes will be posted on the library’s website, which also has more information on the reservation and pickup process.

Covid-19 bereavement workshops, fundraising walk

Care Dimensions, which operates the hospice house in Lincoln, is hosting single-session virtual support groups and an eight-week-long support group for people who have had a family member die from the Covid-19 virus. The sessions are Tuesday, July 21 from 4–6 p.m. (RSVP by July 17) and Thursday, Aug. 20 from 3–5 p.m. (RSVP by August 14).

Led by a bereavement counselor, the eight-week group (for those whose loved one died at least three months prior to the first meeting) will be a safe space to process grief, learn coping techniques, and make connections with others who are on a similar grief journey. This group requires commitment from participants to attend all sessions, which will be on Wednesdays from September 9 to October 28 from 3–4:30 p.m. (RSVP by September 4).

All sessions will be held via Zoom. Although there is no charge for most support groups, donations are appreciated. For more information or to register, click here, call 855-744-5100, or email  grief@caredimensions.org.

Care Dimensions is revamping the format of its 33rd Annual Walk for Hospice to ensure the safety of walkers and the community. This year, individuals and teams are encouraged to walk when and where they feel comfortable by Sunday, Sept. 27. To learn more, register a team or individual, or make a donation, go to www.caredimensions.org/walk.

Care Dimensions staff care for hospice patients where they live and at two inpatient houses (one in Lincoln). They also run HomeMD, which provides in-home primary care to patients over age 65 in select communities on the North Shore and greater Boston who have difficulty leaving home. The Care Dimensions Learning Institute educates more than 7,000 healthcare professionals and community members each year on advanced illness and end-of-life topics.