The April 26 post headlined “Lincolnites reflect on how the pandemic has affected their lives” gave the wrong pronoun for Tucker Smith, who is female. The original post has been corrected.
Lincolnites reflect on how the pandemic has affected their lives
Earlier this month, the Lincoln Squirrel asked readers to share their thoughts on what’s changed for them since the Covid-19 lockdown began. Here are some of their responses.
One of the dolls that Ellen Morgan kitted out for her granddaughter (click to enlarge).
From Ellen Morgan:
My granddaughter, Dorothy Grubler, lives in Hudson, N.Y. She is four and a half and worried — all her dolls are sick and in bed, and she is short on hospital beds. So I made them all masks and gowns. I sent them to her since I can’t visit.
From Sharon Antia:
I’ve been surprised at how quickly the titles I have on hold through Minuteman Library Network have become available, and then I made the connection. Everyone must be home catching up on their reading so we are all cycling through our reading lists quicker.
I miss my grandchildren.
My house gets dirty a lot quicker when I’m home all day.
I love being home.
It’s hard not to just run into Donelan’s for this or that. I’m not good at planning a week or two’s menu and shopping all at once, and though I happily live off rice and beans, I prefer to have fresh fruits and vegetables to go along with them.
I do not watch the news — well, except I try to catch Governor Cuomo — and I watch “The Tonight Show” the next day on Hulu (OK, this is not the news but it is as close I currently allow myself to news). Other than that I read the Globe and the Times. Watching the news leaves me with a feeling of hopelessness. I miss listening to public radio but refrain for the same reason as above.
Making and distributing masks to family, friends, and neighbors gives me the opportunity to feel like I’m at least doing something to help.
I’ve been taking advantage of yoga classes online, live music, Zoom, and talking to my siblings more than usual.
I subscribed to “In Ayr’s Kitchen” on YouTube. Our neighbor, Ayer Muir, owner of the Clover restaurants, has an almost daily show telling us how to use our pantry items. I either watch him live or the next day. Have made many of his recipes, all with much success.
Tucker Smith has been creating a “Good News” wall in her house along with a bingo card to remind herself and others to look for the good things happening around us in this uncertain time.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”133″ gal_title=”Covid-Tucker”]
From Jennifer Glass:
Something I’ve really enjoyed is spending time on Lincoln’s trails. We walked from our house to Walden Pond last weekend — something we never took the time to do before now. In addition, it’s been great to get to some of the organizational projects that always fall to the bottom of the to-do list. I also think the garden/yard will get much more attention this year.
Frozen fruit and flour have been harder to find at Donelan’s. We are grateful that Codman has really risen to the occasion and we will continue to be frequent shoppers there even when the restrictions lift.
This is definitely a challenging time for college students who miss being on campus. The work continues to be rigorous, but the experience is not the same. On the other hand, there’s been lots of positive sister time.
I work part-time at the Grasshopper Shop in Concord. I miss being there, interacting with customers and ordering crazy socks. And while it’s convenient to have town-related meetings from home, I do miss the in-person interaction.
Joanna Schmergel took these photos during long walks around Lincoln.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”134″ gal_title=”Covid-Joanna”]
“Life has changed in tremendous ways,” said David Levington, an independent-living resident at The Commons in Lincoln. No one can have visitors. Staff members take requests and leave meals and groceries outside residents’ doors, and his daughter drops off items for him outside his porch. He ventures out only to walk his dog and drop off bags of trash.
The only thing that compares to the Covid-19 pandemic, Levington said, is the Blizzard of ’78, which happened when he was the superintendent at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. The storm caught the region mostly unprepared, killing dozens, stranding hundreds inside their cars on roads and highways, and paralyzing the Northeast for a week.
“The whole town was shut down, but there was an old civil defense hospital area in the school basement back from the Sputnik days,” Levington recalled. “There were lots of cots; they were thinking of making L-S a refuge, but in the end they didn’t.”
One of his biggest challenges in the immediate aftermath of the blizzard emergency was making sure the off-campus students were safe and could get home. L-S in those days encouraged internships, “alternate semesters,” and other study-away opportunities. “We had a student studying in Montreal who couldn’t get home, one kid interning with the mayor in Philadelphia, and one in a yurt in Colorado,” he said. “The French Club was in Montreal — the teacher had maxed out her credit card and didn’t know what to do.”
As illnesses and deaths mount and restrictions on people’s lives continue for months, the pandemic’s effects will be felt for far longer than a natural disaster. “A blizzard is discrete — it has a beginning and an end,” Levington noted. “This is really not comparable.”
Police log for week of April 13, 2020
April 13
Harvest Circle (4:55 a.m.) — Confused party stated he was at a hotel in Concord and needed assistance. Caller ID showed that it was coming from The Commons in Lincoln. Officer responded and spoke with staff, who checked on his well being — everything was fine.
Hilliard Road (3:07 p.m.) — Caller reported that a tree fell on wires and was on fire. Fire Department responded; while en route, caller reported that the limb fell and the fire is now out (click here for more information).
Oakdale Lane (3:33 p.m.) — Report of tree on wires causing a fire and power outage in the area. Fire Department responded and Eversource notified.
Calls about trees or branches down on Moccasin Hill, Codman Road, South Great Road, Bedford Road, Farrar Pond Village, Juniper Ridge Road, Boyce Farm Road, Goose Pond Road, Drumlin Farm, Lincoln Road and Mill Street. Power outage calls from Weston Road, Sandy Pond Road, Giles Road, and Tabor Hill Road, with power also interrupted at the police station, which went to its backup generator.
April 14
Sunnyside Lane (1:36 a.m.) — Caller reported a water leak in the kitchen; stated that she’ll call maintenance in the morning.
Wells Road (1:53 a.m.) — Confused party called the station looking for assistance. Officers responded and everything was fine.
April 15
Airport Road (9:15 a.m.) — Caller requested a check on their parents due to power loss. Officer checked and found smoke in the house due to a fire in the fireplace. Fire Department was contacted to assist.
Lexington Road (10:20 a.m.) — Council on Aging requested a check on the resident. Officer checked and everything was fine, though no phone service due to the storm
Meadowbrook Road (12:22 p.m.) — Officer attempted to serve legal paperwork; no answer at door. (Also on April 15 at 6:21 p.m. and April 16 at 1:07 p.m.)
Woods End Road (12:33 p.m.) — Officer delivered legal paperwork to a resident.
Concord Road (4:27 p.m.) — Caller reported a suspicious-looking party in dark clothing waling in the area. Officer checked and was unable to locate the party.
Hallett Hill Road, Weston — A Weston resident found a dog that was possibly from Lincoln. Dispatch found that it was in fact a dog from Lincoln. The dog’s owner will contact the Weston resident.
April 16
Meadowbrook Road (8:15 p.m.) — Officer delivered legal paperwork to a resident.
Wells Road (11:27 p.m.) — Resident believes someone is running in around in her apartment. Officer responded and everything was fine; contact was made with a family member.
April 17
Lincoln Police Department (9:39 a.m.) — Party found a credit card in the woods. Police attempted to return it to the owner.
April 18
Reports of power outages on Lincoln Road (3:03 a.m.), Old Sudbury Road at Wayland line (3:04 a.m.).
Reports of tree down on wires on Lincoln Road between Ballfield Road and Pierce Hill Road ( 3:56 a.m.)
Brooks Hill Road (9:29 p.m.) — Report of possible gunshots. A teenager from Morningside Lane was setting off fireworks. Officers spoke to parents of the teen.
Bemis Hall (1:47 a.m.) — Office investigated car that was pulled over; driver was using phone.
April 19
Old Lexington Road (3:43 p.m.) — DPW requested assistance closing the road in order to take down a damaged tree.
Trapelo Road (3:52 p.m.) — Caller reported people fishing in the reservoir. Officer responded and moved them along.
Town Meeting decision expected next week
Town officials will make a decision next week about whether to go ahead with a streamlined Annual Town Meeting on May 30 as currently planned.
At their April 20 meeting, the Board of Selectmen indicated they were waiting on word from Gov. Charlie Baker about whether Massachusetts schools would reopen May 4 when his closure order was originally set to expire. But the following day (April 21), he decreed that schools will stay shut for the rest of the academic year due to Covid-19 epidemic.
If an abbreviated Town Meeting is to take place on May 30, officials must commit by May 11 to meet public notice and printing requirements. The board’s next weekly meeting is April 27.
Along with other financial items that can’t be delayed, the Town Meeting will include a vote on whether to spend additional money for items that had to be cut by the School Building Committee (SBC) in February. Before the Covid-19 pandemic upended plans, the SBC identified three lists of items grouped by priority totaling $2.08 million that they hoped to see restored.
One possibility that’s been discussed is postponing a proposed $1.5 million public radio system and use the money for the school instead. Potential budget sources include free cash or the town’s stabilization fund, which currently stands at $2.2 million (this requires a two-thirds majority vote at Town Meeting). More borrowing would require a two-thirds majority at Town Meeting plus a simple majority at the ballot box.
Because of increased expenses and shortfalls in expected revenues, the town is facing a two-year estimated deficit of $600,000–$830,000 for the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years, even after some Covid-related expenses are reimbursed through state and federal grants, Finance Committee Chair Andy Payne told the SBC on April 15.
Guaranteed maximum price approved
The SBC voted last week to approve a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) of $78,324,908. That figure covers hard construction costs plus the construction manager’s contingency as well as insurance and bonds. It also incorporates cuts of $783,162 from items that were on the lists to bring to Town Meeting.
The SBC is awaiting word on the scheduling of Town Meeting before deciding whether to amend its lists of requests. They are scheduled to meet next on May 13. However, the project will proceed regardless of the outcome of the Town Meeting votes.
There was a delay in finalizing the GMP because the town and construction manager Consigli Construction had to negotiate how they would handle any extra expenses incurred as a result of the epidemic. They agreed that Consigli can tap its $1.7 million construction contingency, and if that is exhausted, they can ask for reimbursement of additional expenses totaling no more than $425,000 from the town. Any expenses Consigli identifies as being due to Covid-19 will be submitted for approval to Daedalus (the owner’s project manager) and/or the SBC.
In March, the SBC signed a power purchase agreement for a 1.4 MW solar photovoltaic system along with a 500 Kw battery backup and gas-fired backup generator that will make the campus net-zero in terms of energy use. SunPower Corp. will provide the solar PV system through a nonprofit solar program organized by PowerOptions, Inc.
One possible bright spot about schools closing for the rest of the year is that the project might be able to start earlier than planned. Work can’t begin until teachers and students leave after the last day of school, which normally isn’t until mid-June.
“The subcontractors are champing at the bit. If school were to be canceled [for the rest of the year], they’re ready and raring to go,” Consigli’s Christian Riordan told the SBC on April 15.
Rental assistance program is maxed out
The Lincoln Rental Assistance Program (LRAP) that started just a few months ago is asking for $16,000 for the fiscal year beginning in July, but applications indicate that the need is many times that figure.
Qualifying households are eligible for up to $5,000 in rental assistance per year for three years. The amount of subsidy each household actually receives is based on their income and rent. “Based on these limits, the total dollar amount if we were to fund every eligible household up to their eligible subsidy would be about $100,000 per year,” said Carolyn Bottum, director of the Council on Aging (COA), which receives applications for the program overseen by the Lincoln Housing Commission. (Although the COA is involved, LRAP eligibility is not limited to seniors.)
The program, which began accepting applications last fall, is funded through the Community Preservation Fund, which in turn is funded by a small surcharge on property taxes plus state grants. Its goal is to provide greater housing stability and housing opportunities to cost-burdened households who are renting or wish to rent qualifying housing units in Lincoln. Each participant receives enough funds to ensure they don’t pay more than 30% of their household income for rent and certain utilities.
In its first year, the pilot program’s budget was $30,000. Some of that amount went for startup expenses, including work by town counsel to make sure the program met legal requirements and hiring an independent housing agency to verify eligibility, hold the lottery, and then disburse the checks. As a result, actual disbursements didn’t begin until later than expected, and there are funds left over from this year that can be used in fiscal 2021.
Twenty-nine households submitted applications by the December 31 deadline, and two more have requested information and/or applications since mid-March. The process of verifying applications is ongoing, but of the eight applications they have verified, only one has not been eligible, Bottum said.
The Covid-19 pandemic will almost certainly increase demand for the program. “Since we are still in the beginning of the emergency and the resulting economic impacts, I do believe we will have more applications come in,” Bottum said.
The local program follows federal income and affordability guidelines. Income limits to qualify for the LRAP are $77,000 for a two-person household and $96,250 for a four-person household. The 2020 median income in this area for a four-person household is $119,000.
Anyone interested may download program guidelines and an application, or call the COA at 781-259-8811 or email bottumc@lincolntown.org to receive materials by mail.
Letter to the editor: there are no ventilators for our planet
To the editor:
Today (April 22) is the 50th year celebration of Earth Day, a day to celebrate Mother Earth and bring attention to the impact of human activity on climate change. Let Covid-19 serve as a global wake-up call. If nations are not prepared for a pandemic — whether it be a virus or rising seas — the threat will not wait.
After Donald Trump was elected president, a group of advisors from the Obama Administration met with a group of Trump advisers to bring them up to speed on protocols that were in place to meet three powerful threats — cyberattack, natural disasters, and pandemics. Each group was represented by about 30 advisers. The need for preparation and vigilance was emphasized. By the time the Covid-19 came to national attention, only about six of the original 30 advisors were still working in the Trump administration. And the U.S. Pandemic Response Team had been disbanded in 2018. No one was watching the store.
When Covid-19 exploded into Trump’s consciousness at the end of February, he called it another “hoax” propagated by the Democrats. “It’ll be over by April when it gets warm,” he promised. “It’s not going to be that bad. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.” Well, it’s April.
This Virus Denier became a Virus Blamer, as if that would change the course of Covid-19. The virus paid no attention, nor will climate change.
The President promised to have a vaccine in a few months. Scientists say that is not possible. He said free tests are available everywhere and that protective coverings for hospital staff are widely available. The hospitals say it is not so. On March 11, the president spoke from the Oval Office, ostensibly to reassure the country. Never has a leader in this country spoken on so serious an issue with so little information, so little conviction, and so little empathy as Trump did that evening. The next day, the stock market suffered its biggest meltdown since the 1987 crash. And that got his attention.
As the coronavirus moves silently around the world, it leaves a screaming trail of destruction. The impact is immediate. When we emerge from its grip, however, the biggest pan-threat of all time still awaits our urgent attention: climate change. Let us pause to reflect on what the coronavirus has taught us. Imagine the threat. Listen to the experts. Be proactive.
To wait and watch (or ignore) is irresponsible. Every president since JFK has warned about climate change. Decades ago, Jimmy Carter and Al Gore spoke to us with conviction and empathy, warning of devastating climate changes, and the need to act to reverse the trends. Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act in 1970. Reagan focused on ozone depletion. Bush 41 created the National Climate Assessment and focused on acid rain. Clinton created the Climate Initiative. Bush 43 took a detour and pulled out of the Kyoto Accords. Obama negotiated and signed the Paris Climate Agreement in 2016.
The alarms went off but the batteries are dying as Trump undermines 60 years of achievements. There will come a point where the planet can no longer support us any more than our hospitals can support those infected by Covid-19. There are no ventilators for our planet. The only masks are the ones that cover our eyes.
Wake up, America. This is a test. Let the lack of preparation and the delayed response to the coronavirus be a warning. It is abundantly clear that the nations of the world are interdependent. If we are to save our one planet, we will have to change our ways. The United States cannot step away from global engagement. Climate change is neither a hoax nor a political issue. It is a fact of life that knows nothing of political affiliation. It is a “virus” created by humans which humans must cure. We the people of the world have to step up to ensure that we take the necessary preventative measures in time to save our one precious Planet that sustains all life. We have only one chance.
Sincerely,
Sarah Cannon Holden
Weston Road
News acorns
Kids’ programs this week from Farrington NatureLinc
Farrington NatureLinc is going virtual with partners sites to offer with live streaming outdoor adventures and nature crafts for kids twice every day this week. Topics will be:
- Tuesday, April 21 — Cairns and Rocks (11 a.m.), Flowing Water (2 p.m.)
- Wednesday, April 22 — Earth Day (11 a.m.), Nature Journals (2 p.m.)
- Thursday, April 23 — Nature Weaving (11 a.m.), Bird Feeders (2 p.m.)
- Friday, April 24 — The Story of the Land ( 11 a.m.), Backyard Wildflowers (2 p.m.)
Those who like FNL’s Facebook page in advance will get notified when each event is about to go live, or the programs can be viewed on its YouTube page a day or so after each Facebook Live event.
FNL will also host Goat Yoga online on Saturday, May 9 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m.; click here to register. Get a sneak peak at the baby goats in this Chip In Farm video.
Walden Woods Project offers virtual events
The Walden Woods Project has three more “Thursdays with Thoreau” scheduled. Each event takes place from 10–11 a.m. and from 4–5 p.m. Registration for each session opens the Thursday before at 5 p.m. Click here to register for the April 23 session.
- April 23: Society — What do these times suggest about us as a society and how can Thoreau’s words help us reflect on where we currently stand as a society?
- April 30: Spring — “Shall a man not have his spring as well as the plants?” (Journal, June 1850). How have you been able to experience and observe the transformations of spring this year? Has social distancing allowed you more or less opportunity to notice these seasonal changes? What metaphorical lessons, many noted by Thoreau, does spring have to offer us?
- May 7: Living Without Regrets — May 6 marks the anniversary of Thoreau’s passing. On his deathbed, Thoreau stated that he had no regrets about his life. What would it take to come to the end of one’s life and have no regrets? In what ways did Thoreau’s life and outlook put him in that position? Are you inspired in this way by Thoreau’s life?
Do you have a question about Thoreau, his work, life, family, or friends? Ask Thoreau scholar and author Jeffrey S. Cramer, WWP Curator of Collections, on Thursday, April 27 from 1–2 p.m. Participants may submit questions prior to the virtual event, or during the chat. Click here to register (participants will receive Zoom access information after registering).
In honor of its 30th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, please click here to donate to the Walden Woods Project and help fund its free virtual events.
L-S seniors will get plants instead of balloons
Because of the Covid-19 epidemic, the L-S Class of 2022 Steering Committee will modify its traditional fundraiser. Instead of selling and attaching balloons to the mailboxes of graduating seniors, they’ll distribute potted red blooms donated by Cavicchio Greenhouses located close to the high school in Sudbury.
Social distancing requirements mean that gathering dozens of volunteers to inflate and tie up the balloons won’t be possible. In addition, helium is in short supply because it’s used for a type of respiratory therapy as well as for cooling the superconducting magnets used in MRI scanners.
Any balloon orders already received can be converted to these red potted blooms. Pennant orders will be honored unless we hear otherwise in the coming weeks from the manufacturer. Pickup and delivery will be coordinated with the school in keeping with health guidelines with details to come. Recipients can get creative with their displays by adding, bows, flags, signs, and items to the planters in a display that honors graduates and the contributions they’ve made as an LS students.
Orders for plants can be made until May 20 by clicking here. Anyone with questions may email celebrateourgraduates@gmail.com.
Letter to the editor: thanks from food pantry
Andrew Craig and Henry Darnall with the vanload of donations they collected.
To the editor:
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul would like to thank Andrew Craig for organizing a food drive for our Food Pantry in Lincoln. With the help of his mother Julia, his friend Henry Darnall, and Henry’s dad Greg, he collected food from 30 households. They delivered two carloads of food to the Food Pantry, sorted the food, and checked all the use-by dates. It was an incredibly successful food drive. Our thanks go also to the 30 households who took part by donating food so generously.
It is not too late to help. Please drop food donations off at the side entrance on the left side of St. Joseph Church, where the ramp is. If you buy food at Donelan’s you can drop it off in the collection barrel behind the registers.
Items most needed are pasta sauce, Progresso soup, cereal, pasta, brown rice, white tuna, cans of corn, cans of black beans, and Campbell’s chicken noodle soup, as well as toilet paper and paper towels.For monetary donations, please make checks payable to St. Vincent de Paul and mail them to St. Vincent de Paul, PO Box 324, Lincoln MA.
We are very impressed with how much food Andrew was able to collect. The need is growing fast, and we rely on donations more than ever before. We have never before given out so much food. It is heartening to see a young person like Andrew take initiative and so many Lincoln residents responding to his request for donations.
Sincerely,
Ursula Nowak
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Joseph Conference
Region seeks special designation for Battle Road Scenic Byway
There will be a virtual public meeting on Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m. on the efforts to nominate the Battle Road Scenic Byway, which includes Minuteman National Historical Park in Lincoln and other towns, as an All-American Road.
A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized as having one or more of six “intrinsic qualities” — archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, or scenic. The program was established by Congress in 1991 to preserve and protect the nation’s scenic but less traveled roads and promote tourism and economic development. All-American Roads must have two of the six intrinsic qualities. The designation means they have features that do not exist elsewhere in the United States and are unique and important enough to be tourist destinations unto themselves.
There are 150 National Scenic Byways in the United States; 41 of them are All-American Roads. The Battle Road Scenic Byway was established in 2006.
The Lincoln Board of Selectmen submitted a letter to the Federal Highway Administration in support of the nomination and outlining the road’s history earlier this month. An All-America Road designation “will enshrine the storied Byway that sparked revolutionary thought and action essential to the American narrative and will continue to promote its status as a national tourist attraction,” the letter says.
Speakers at the virtual meeting will be Clarissa Rowe, chair of the Battle Road Scenic Byway Committee (BRSBC); Richard Canale, committee vice-chair and B.J. Dunn, Minute Man National Historical Park superintendent. To participate in the meeting, click here. For questions, contact Ali Carter at acarter@town.arlington.ma.us.
Letter to the editor: please support the COA
Dear neighbors,
Like all of us, the Lincoln Council on Aging (COA) has been faced with many new challenges as a result of the coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic. While many of the COA’s regular programs and activities have been cancelled, others have adapted and moved online. The entire COA staff is working remotely and focused on protecting and serving the town’s most vulnerable residents of all ages by helping people find the resources — food, counseling, medical care, etc. — they need in these unprecedented times.
Especially now, the needs of those served by the COA have been increasing faster than the town’s ability to cover the cost of meeting those needs. Fortunately, the Friends of the Lincoln COA, a nonprofit organization formed to provide financial assistance to the COA, is able to supplement the COA budget. Last year, the Friends were able to contribute roughly $30,000 to COA programs and services.
Donations from individuals in Lincoln are the Friends’ principal source of income. We hope that you will support the COA and its work with your tax-deductible contribution. If you can, please contribute by sending your check to Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging, P.O. Box 143, Lincoln, MA 01773. We appreciate your support.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Swain
President, Friends of the Lincoln COA