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

News acorns

Alert town to fallen limbs on trails

The recent storm and high winds brought down a number of trees onto trails in Lincoln. If it’s just a small branch, walkers can help by moving it off to the side, but for larger branches or trees, contact the Conservation Commission with the precise location and the shortest access point to the site. Emails Thomas Gumbart at gumbartt@lincolntown.org Peter von Mertens at petervonmertens@gmail.com or Geoff McGean at mcgean.rlf@lincolnconservation.org.

Library book group to meet; online course offered

The Lincoln Public Library’s Friday Morning Book Group will meet via Zoom on Friday, April 24 at 9:30 a.m. to discuss The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. The book centers around a reluctant centenarian much like Forrest Gump (if Gump were an explosives expert with a fondness for vodka) decides it’s not too late to start over.

The group always welcomes new members and drop-in participants. Anyone who’d like to attend the session should email lincoln@minlib.net to be invited you to the meeting. Copies of the book will be available for download in e-book or audiobook formats.

Via the online service Kanopy, the library is also offering free and unlimited access to the Infectious Diseases collection from The Great Courses until May 31. Throughout these 24 free video lectures, Dr. Barry Fox delivers clear and up-to-date information on dozens of infectious diseases—from where they originate, to how they spread, to how we can overcome their devastating effects. Kanopy has also extended the credit-free movie viewing window through May 31 and continuing to offer free films from the Kanopy Kids collection. Anyone with questions may email lincoln@minlib.net.

Garlic mustard pulling time is here

It’s garlic mustard pulling time season now through May 31. Because of the Covid-19 situation, paper leaf bags will not be distributed to residents at the transfer station or at the Town Conservation Office, and the Conservation Department won’t be able to handle pickups or dropoffs of full garlic mustard bags this season. They invite residents who are pulling weeds on their own property to make a “tarp sandwich” — spread the garlic mustard across a tarp and cover it with a second tarp or piece of plastic (use rocks around the edges to hold the pieces together). This will allow the weeds to “cook” in the sun for the season. Once the invasives have decomposed, move them to an inconspicuous place or burn them.

A second option is spreading our piles over pavement until the plants dry out or to have a designated “invasive plant only” pile (with garlic mustard or otherwise) where you can dispose of all invasives. The overall goal is to ensure the plants don’t go to seed and continue to spread after they’ve been pulled. Composting garlic mustard with garden or home waste is not recommended. Click here for a garlic mustard fact sheet. Anyone with questions may contact Land Steward Emma Coates at coatese@lincolntown.org or 78e1-259-2612.

Composting pickup now offered

Black Earth Compost has introduced curbside compost pickup in Lincoln every Wednesday morning at a cost of $3.80 per week. Go to blackearthcompost.com and click on “Residential.” Residents and others will soon be able to buy Black Earth Compost in bulk (plastic free) at Codman Community Farms.

The town-wide composting effort, which began when a dropoff site opened at the transfer station last fall, has resulted in a measurable reduction in tonnage sent to the incinerator. Questions? Contact Emily Haslett of Mothers Out Front Lincoln at emhaslett@gmail.com or 781-308-3888.

Mass Audubon names new president

David O’Neill

The Lincoln-based Mass Audubon has named David O’Neill as the 11th president of the state’s largest nature conservation organization. He succeeds Gary Clayton, who will retire in May after more than 30 years with Mass Audubon (the last five as president).

O’Neill has dedicated his professional career to conservation. For the last five years, he has served as the chief conservation officer and senior advisor to the CEO of National Audubon Society (NAS). During his tenure, he led the development of its conservation strategies; helped unify the state offices around a single vision; oversaw the organization’s policy, advocacy, and science agendas; and launched programs to help fight the impacts of climate change. He previously served as vice president at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and director of Land Use Policy and Outreach for the Urban Land Institute.

O’Neill explored his family’s small farm and learned about coastal ecology while growing up on Chesapeake Bay. “That early environmental education program turned out to shape my future,” he recalled. “To lead a storied institution that provides so many with those life-altering, nature-based experiences is an exceptional honor.”

O’Neill is particularly inspired by Mass Audubon’s commitment to thread climate change strategies through all its work; to embrace equity, diversity, and inclusion opportunities, including its reach to new audiences; and to widen its lens to improve the health and resilience of Massachusetts, New England, and beyond.

Mass Audubon was founded as the Massachusetts Audubon Society in 1896 by two Boston women determined to stop the slaughter of birds for their feathers. New Audubon chapters rose up across the country to enlist in the campaign, and in 1905 NAS was founded. The Massachusetts organization (now Mass Audubon) chose to remain independent, but shares a mission of promoting birds, other wildlife, and natural ecosystems. Lincoln’s Drumlin Farm is one of its 60 wildlife sanctuaries.

Storm brings down branches and power lines

High winds littered roadways with small branches and brought down larger ones around town during today’s storm. As of 5:15 p.m. on Monday, 121 of 2,609 EverSource customers in various parts of Lincoln were without power. The town got off fairly easy, though. Towns that were hardest-hit by percentage of households without power were Medfield (51%), Carver (39%), and Duxbury (34%). 

Bedford Road residents called the Fire Department after a broken tree fell on wires over a private driveway and started smoking. Before firefighters could arrive, the weight of the tree pulled the fuse off the top of another utility pole, resulting in sparks and a loud bang. “I ran like the devil,” said Steve MacLellan of 52 Bedford Road, who was standing close to the second pole with neighbors when it happened.

Click images for larger versions and captions:

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Shots fired along Route 2; two suspects arrested

(Editor’s note: This article has been corrected.)

After gunshots rang out along Route 2 near Bedford Road early on Easter morning, Lincoln police responded quickly and arrested two people for firearms violations, drug charges, and resisting arrest.

Three calls came in to police on April 12 just after 2 a.m. reporting the sound of shots being fired. Rockwood Road resident Paula Robinson was just falling asleep when she heard “six shots in quick succession, very loud.” Her brother is a police officer, as was her late father, “so I knew exactly what it sounds like. I knew it wasn’t a shotgun, like someone shooting at a coyote. I got up and checked to make sure all the doors were locked,” she said.

Within two minutes, Lincoln police were in the area, and officers encountered the suspect vehicle in the Lexington Road area of Route 2, Police Chief Kevin Kennedy said. After a motor vehicle stop and investigation, officers arrested Khiry Murray, 29, of Lawrence and Carisa Brown 27, of Marblehead. Police seized two handguns, cocaine in quantities indicating intent to distribute, prescription pills, and nearly $47,000 in cash. Both suspects made bail and are scheduled to appear in Concord Court in May for arraignment, according to the account on the Lincoln Police Department Facebook page.

“They did a phenomenal job,” Robinson said of the quick and efficient police response.

Who fired the gunshots and why are under investigation, Kennedy said, adding that no one was injured.

This is not the first time a disturbing incident has occurred in her area, said Robinson. She now has motion detectors in her yard because drivers in potentially criminal trouble on Route 2 have jumped out of their stopped cars on the highway and fled south through the woods.

In this case, fortunately, the suspects didn’t flee, though they were charged with resisting arrest for “uncooperativeness — let’s leave it at that,” Kennedy said.

It was just one more worrisome element on a morning when high winds were starting to cause other problems. “I have branches coming down on my house, Covid-19, the president… it’s like, “Calgon, take me away!” Robinson joked.

Click images for larger views:

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Schools to skip April vacation as online learning continues

An example of what Lincoln teachers are planning and doing to educate kids during the Covid-19 lockdown. Click image to enlarge, and click here to see more.

The Lincoln Public Schools will not have April vacation this year — instead students and teachers will continue with their online “Learning at Home Together” efforts during that time.

The School Committee’s decision was based on results of a survey and the recommendation of Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall. Seventy-four percent of families and 80% of faculty favored canceling spring vacation and ending the school year on June 12. If there were vacation as usual, school would not end until June 18. Patriots Day (April 20) will still be observed as a school holiday.

Sixty percent of parents and 67% of faculty said their first priority was that “our students have continuity and consistency of routines, learning and connection to school.” However, a few faculty members who submitted comments advocated keeping the vacation because of teacher fatigue due to additional workload as well as juggling work and young families.

At the School Committee’s online meeting on April 9, Assistant Superintendent Jess Rose gave a presentation highlighting student and family needs/desires, outlined the support structures the district has put in place, and explained what type of Learning at Home Together enhancements could be expected in the coming weeks (see the video of the meeting from 00:57 to 1:48).

Mary Emmons, administrator for student services, gave an update on how students are being supported, even though some of the typical services they normally receive can’t be replicated virtually.  She explained the process regarding students who are on IEPs (individualized education programs for special education students) and 504 plans (for students with identified disabilities) and how students will physically return to school.

More than a third of students in the district now have school-issued computer devices, and Rob Ford, director of technology, described outreach efforts to families who don’t have internet access at home, as well as the work that he and school technology specialists have been doing to train and support faculty as they move to a virtual teaching model.

Police log for the week of March 30, 2020

March 30

11 Offutt Road, Hanscom AFB (8:06 a.m.) — Officer delivered court paperwork to a resident.

Sandy Pond Road (1:59 p.m.) — Party trespassing on Water Department property; was advised to leave.

North Great Road (8:31 a.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked at Minuteman High School. Party was an Eversource employee working.

March 31

Bedford Road (2:39 p.m.) — Police officer and dog officer located an injured dog with Wayland tags. Dog reunited with a friend of the owner to care for it.

Woods End Road (6:15 p.m.) — Caller said people possibly trespassing. Officers checked and all is fine.

April 1

Minuteman Commons, Virginia Road (10:29 a.m.) — A party backed into a landscaping truck and left the area. No damage to the truck, very minor damage to the vehicle. Officer later spoke to the driver who left. Report taken.

Concord Road (11:22 a.m.) — Public health problem (cannot disclose due to HIPAA).

Woods End Road (3:56 p.m.) — Follow-up to previous trespassing call with the resident.

April 2

Huckleberry Hill (12)00 p.m.) — Party reported being a victim of identify fraud. Investigation is ongoing.

April 3

Woods End Road — Officer followed up with the resident in regards to trespassers on his property. Officer spoke to the party and found it’s not their property.

Trapelo Road at Old County Road (6:27 p.m.) — Officers blocked road for Waltham police as there are wires down in the roadway near the town line.

April 4

North Great Road (9:31 a.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked on the side of the road. Driver is outside picking up trash along the roadside.

Mill Street (11:30 p.m.) — Caller requested a check of a suspicious vehicle parked in a neighbor’s driveway that they don’t recognize. Vehicle is registered to the homeowner.

April 5

Ballfield Road (4:22 a.m.) — Officer found the sandwich-board signs removed from the school island and placed in the roadway. Officer put them back in their proper spot.

Trapelo Road (9:23 p.m.— Delivery company worker reported an overdue party whose last GPS location was Trapelo Road near Old County Road. Officers checked the area; unable to locate. Party was later located in New Hampshire.

Clarification

As originally published, the April 7 article headlined “Town Meeting now eyed for May 30; further postponements possible” may have given the mistaken impression that the school project vote plays a role in deciding when the Annual Town Meeting will be held. That meeting will include a vote on adding back items that were removed from the project, and officials had hoped to have that vote take place some weeks before construction is due to start in June. However, the Board of Selectmen clarified on April 9 that public health concerns, not school project deadlines, will be the determining factor in deciding whether the meeting needs to be postponed beyond May 30. The original article has been updated.

 

Town Meeting now eyed for May 30; further postponements possible

(Editor’s note: this article was updated on April 9.)

Lincoln officials plan to postpone the Annual Town Meeting (ATM) until at least May 30 as Lincoln’s Covid-19 caseload has risen to nine residents, including two at The Commons.

Public Health Nurse Tricia McGean reported on April 6 that there were eight “lab-confirmed” cases reported so far (the ninth was reported in a town communique on April 7). This does not include cases “where the doctor says ‘It sounds like Covid’” but the patient has not been tested, she said. McGean added that she would not be informed of cases among town employees who don’t live in Lincoln; however, the public health nurse in their towns of residence would do contact tracing for those patients, which would include co-workers but not customers who hadn’t been in close contact with the person.

  • Click here to see previous Lincoln Squirrel articles about Covid-19 in Lincoln

Five of the eight cases reported as of April 6 have recovered; one is in the hospital and the other two are in isolation, McGean said. Lincoln emergency response personnel who were in contact with individuals who subsequently tested positive have subsequently tested negative.

McGean noted that, at the recommendation of the state Department of Public health, some towns have stopped publicly posting their case numbers because the figures underrepresent the true number of cases in the community and may lead to a false sense of security. However, Lincoln officials will continue to report the figures.

“We don’t believe there would be any complacency,” Town Administrator Tim Higgins said at the April 6 Board of Selectmen meeting.

“As much information as we can provide to the community is critical. I don’t see a downside to doing it,” said board chair Jennifer Glass.

Continuing to report cases “provides some measure of the spread rate of the virus and one additional data point for residents to consult when making personal health decisions,” McGean said in the April 7 update.

The Commons has taken extra protective measures for residents in their memory care unit as outlined in a March 31 letter to families. This builds on measures outlined in an earlier letter, when there was one case reported at the facility. These include:

  • assigning dedicated staff to care for memory care residents
  • utilizing a separate entrance into the community, where possible, and having them avoid visiting other communal areas
  • implementing enhanced employee and resident engagement activities to maintain safety, structure, dignity, and connection for memory care residents
Town meeting

Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden this week postponed the Annual Town Meeting to May 23 with the ultimate goal (for now) of postponing to May 30. The change has to happen in two steps because state law allows postponements of no longer than 30 days at a time. Towns are required to hold their ATMs no more than 30 days after the lifting of the governor’s state of emergency, which currently extends to May 4. 

“Public health and safety will be the determining factor in deciding whether we need to postpone beyond May 30. The moderator and the selectmen will not bring people together before the state has lifted the state of emergency and large gatherings are allowed,” the board said on April 9.

The Special Town Meeting for voting on restoring items to the school building project and the ATM will now be combined into a single streamlined meeting, which may include an online budget presentation that residents can watch ahead of time. The meeting will almost certainly be limited to votes on financial items, with the rest of the agenda postponed to a Special Town Meeting in the fall.

The town had originally hoped to have the school vote before June 1. If construction begins as scheduled in June and the fate of the school items is still up in the air, it might be possible to start without those items but include them later by creating a change order. It wasn’t clear on Monday what additional cost, if any, that process would incur.

The local election is now tentatively planned for June 1. State election officials have said that towns can postpone local elections to an undetermined date as long as they occur by June 30. Local voting normally must be done in person only, but early voting by mail will now be allowed.

Covid news acorns

Council on Aging newsletter is online

The Lincoln Council on Aging has published its monthly newsletter online rather than in print, with information on taking fitness classes online from the COA and Parks and Recreation, instructions for attending virtual public meetings, a summary of COA resources for dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, etc. Click here to read the newsletter.

Schools need help funding free lunches

The state has required schools to stay closed until May 4, but the Lincoln Public Schools are still providing free lunch each weekday to 55 students in 32 families at home in Lincoln, Boston, and at Hanscom Air Force Base at a cost of $850 a week despite getting no reimbursements for this expense. The district has appealed again for donations in any amount to help cover costs. Go to this UniPay site, scroll down to select Lincoln Public Schools, and click the Meal Assistance bar on the left.

Retail news

  • Donelan’s now offers shopping for seniors only from 7–8 a.m. each day and is open until 7 p.m. daily.
  • Twisted Tree has closed until April 19. “We are hoping that we will be able to open after two weeks but we will be monitoring this ever-changing situation,” the café wrote on its Instagram page.
  • Something Special is taking phone orders (781-259-0544) and making free deliveries to Lincoln. They are posting pictures of merchandise on their Instagram page and will mail items as well.

Covid-19 scammers spread to social media

The Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic is creating new opportunities for scammers. In addition to being wary of emails and phone calls, also be cautious of messages on Facebook or other social media purporting to be from governmental agencies needing personal information in order to get you benefits or companies asking for money to help you obtain benefits. The government will not contact you by email, phone or social media, and you do not need an outside company to apply for any government benefit. Also, don’t fall for offers of vaccines, treatments, or hard-to-come-by household products from unsolicited phone calls, emails, or social media messages.

Tests for COVID-19 can only be ordered by a physician and obtained at a reputable site such as a hospital. Do not accept tests from anyone who comes to your door, approaches you in a store or other public place, or who calls or emails you or messages you on social media. Never give personal information including bank account, credit card, Social Security, or Medicare numbers to anyone you don’t know. If you think you’ve been the victim of a scam or you have a question about a communication you have received, call the Lincoln Police Department at 781-259-8113.

South Sudanese affected by Covid-19, seek donations

The Lincoln-based South Sudanese Enrichment Fund is appealing for help for members of its community who have been laid off or ineligible for unemployment. Many former refugees in the Boston area work in the gig economy, the hospitality sector, and convalescent homes affected by quarantines and closures of non-essential services. The SSEF offers grants of $500 from its Emergency Fund and loans of up to $1,500. The organization is also looking for volunteers to make masks for their community from provided African fabric, and to send care packages to each of the approximately 80 families in Massachusetts. Anyone who can help can get more information and donated online at www.ssefboston.org or email Executive Director Susan Winship at susanwinship@comcast.net.

Free access to Ancestry.com

Through the month of May, Ancestry Library has agreed to offer home access to their database for Lincoln Public Library users. You can access the database through the Lincoln Public Library website at www.lincolnpl.org or via the Minuteman Library Online Resources page at www.minlib.net.You will need a Lincoln Public Library card to log into Ancestry.com. The site offers access to census records, immigration records and other types of other vital information. Anyone with questions can email the library at lincoln@minlib.net.

Book talk to be held via Zoom

The Lincoln Public Library and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust present a Zoom discussion of Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard by Douglas Tallamy on Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m. Tallamy argues that collectively, we can save biodiversity by turning our yards into conservation corridors filled with native plants. Registration is required for this Zoom meeting to share ideas and plans; click here to register.