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

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.

Property sales in February 2020

31 Old Farm Rd. — Thomas Lee to Hugo and Emily Beekman for $1,550,000 (February 7).

334 Hemlock Circle — Martha Lundgren to Jennifer and Richard Saffran for $511,000 (February 14).

0 Old Sudbury Rd. — Roy S. MacDowell Jr. Trust to the Carroll School for $400,000 (February 27) — property then donated to Mass Audubon.

Tell us about how you’re managing during the Covid-19 pandemic

There’s been lots of news about how Lincoln’s government, health officials, schools, library, etc., are reacting to the rapid changes we’ve all had to make since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Social distancing, online learning, takeout-only restaurant food, digital books instead of paper, indoor recreation, meetings via Zoom… the list goes on. Lincolnite Andy Payne did a quick survey on March 22-23 via LincolnTalk about how people in town were living and working — click here for the results. 

Since there are no public events these days, the usual sources of news for the Lincoln Squirrel have changed as well. The story now is you, the readers — and how this is affecting you. Tell us a brief story about what’s different about your life that illustrates the strange and historic time we’re going through. How are you and your family adapting to all the changes? What new things are you doing with your time? What have you discovered about yourselves? Feel free to be humorous, serious, or both.

Here’s an example from my family. We’d been thinking for a while about getting a second cat, but shelters nowadays are open only by appointment and there are few cats available, since (fortunately) people have been adopting and fostering more. But as luck would have it, an acquaintance was looking for a home for her kitten because her other cats were not being nice to this one. We got her yesterday, and today our vet came to give her shots and take blood samples (did you know cats can spread a feline type of coronavirus? I didn’t). In normal times we would have gone the shelter route, but as luck and the pandemic would have it, this is how things turned out, and we’re very happy to have a furry new diversion in our house. Meanwhile, I keep wondering if this is the day I’ll finally straighten out the Tupperware cabinet 🙂

Please email your stories and photos to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com (and please include your name and phone number in case we have questions). Next week we’ll publish a selection of the responses. And keep your ideas for fiction and other creative work flowing as well. The Lincoln Chipmunk has been a bit delayed by events, but it is still very much on the front burner.  Thanks to everyone who has sent submissions — and if you haven’t done so yet, you’re not too late for the first issue, which Lincoln Squirrel readers will be able to access at no extra charge. We’ll let you know when it’s ready. Meanwhile, stay well, and let’s hope for warmer weather!

Alice Waugh
Editor, The Lincoln Squirrel
lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com

Obituaries

Joseph Hingston

Joseph Hingston, 94

Joseph A. Hingston of Lincoln died on March 6, 2020. He was born in Boston on Nov. 29, 1925. and served in the U.S. Marine Corps during WWII. He worked for the Boston Public Schools Department of Planning & Engineering until his retirement and then worked with his son Wayne building New England School Services, which is now run by his grandson Brian. Survivors include his wife Gloria of Lincoln. Donations in his memory may be made to Care Dimensions Hospice House, 125 Winter St., Lincoln, MA 01773. Click here for full obituary (courtesy of Douglass Funeral Home).

Phyllis Wasserman, 89

Phyllis Wasserman

Phyllis Wasserman of Lincoln passed away peacefully on the morning of March 22, 2020. She grew up in Chisholm, Minn. With her husband Herbert Wasserman, she raised her two children in Lexington and was Director of Volunteers at the former Deaconess Hospital. Donations in her memory may be made to the Concord Orchestra, 51 Walden St., Concord, MA 01742. Click here for full obituary (courtesy of Levine Chapels).

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Town offers links for help during pandemic

Council in Aging Director Carolyn Bottum has compiled this list of resources for residents of all ages who need general assistance during the Covid-19 emergency as well as help with food, medication delivery, donating or receiving financial assistance, and managing stress and anxiety. Resources are being added as time goes on; send any changes or corrections to bottumc@lincolntown.org.  

Food pantry needs shopping bags

With an increased client load, the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry in Lincoln is running low on shopping bags and seeks donations of sturdy paper shopping bags with handles and strong plastic bags (not the flimsy single-use ones). Please drop them off on a dry day at the side entrance to St. Joseph Church on the left side of the church where the ramp is).

Trails open but usage monitored

Although some towns in the area are closing their conservation trails due to the pubic health emergency, Lincoln is keeping its trails open but “keeping a close eye on usage,” Town Administrator Tim Higgins said on March 30. Walkers are urged to maintain social distancing, and dogs must also be kept on leash at all time. The town’s parks and playgrounds are closed.

Zoom practice meetings now offered twice a week

Resident Andy Payne is hosting “Zoom for beginners” practice video meetings every Monday and Wednesday at 1 p.m. Go to https://zoom.us/j/577144331 or, if you already have the free Zoom app installed, launch Zoom and type in meeting ID 577 144 331 at the appropriate time. All are welcome (participants needn’t be Lincoln residents). The meetings offer basic lessons on using Zoom and and give a chance for those who aren’t familiar with video conferencing to learn, explore, and fiddle with the settings and features in a low-stakes environment. For help in installing Zoom, email Payne at andy@payne.org or click on one of the websites below.

Library book group to meet on Zoom

On Friday, April 10 at 9:30 a.m., the Lincoln Pubic Library’s Friday Morning Book Group will meet via Zoom to discuss The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald. Anyone interested in joining the discussion online may email lincoln@minlib.net for an invitation and instructions. Copies of the books are available for download in e-book or audio book formats via Hoopla.