The February 12 article headlined “Planning Board has the only contested seat in upcoming town election” misstated the length of term on the Water Commission for which Ruth Ann Hendrickson is running. She is on the ballot for a two-year term. The original article has been corrected.
Police log for week of Feb. 14, 2020
February 14
Bypass Road (8:38 a.m.) — Officer assisted a party who ran out of gas; gave them a ride to All Town Gas to get fuel.
Aspen Circle (1:37 p.m.) — Resident received a call from an unknown party looking for money that was allegedly owed to them. Resident has no further information.
Bedford Road (3:23 p.m.) — Caller reported an odor of gas on Bedford Road near Route 2. National Grid was on the scene working.
February 15
Wells Road (9:29 p.m.) — Caller reported another resident banging on the wall. Officer arrived and spoke to the party and advised them to stop their behavior.
February 16
Concord Road (10:05 a.m.) — Officer checking the property saw a person out in back of the shop. Officer spoke to him and learned he’s an employee of T&F Auto.
Winter Street (4:55 p.m.) — Caller reported a tree down on wires. Verizon notified.
Brooks Road (6:20 p.m.) — A walk-in to the station requested assistance with a civil matter. Officer spoke to the party about their legal options.
Lincoln Road (8:55 p.m.) — A party contacted the station to report losing a key somewhere in the Donelan’s parking lot.
Wells Road (4:35 a.m.) — Party reported that an unknown person was in her apartment. Officers responded and assured the caller that no one was present, and also spoke to another family member who was there.
February 17
Old Concord Road (9:47 a.m.) — Officer delivered legal documents to a resident.
Boyce Farm Road (9:51 a.m.) — Officers assisted a party in regard to a civil matter.
Cambridge Turnpike(1:59 a.m.) — An officer stopped a vehicle Route 2 eastbound at Gerard’s Farm Stand and subsequently arrested Robert Campbell, 43, of 20 Acton St. in Maynard for possession of a Class B substance and Possession of a Class E substance.
February 18
Smith Hill Road (11:34 a.m.) — Concord police reported finding a resident’s purse. An officer met with Concord police and returned the purse to its owner.
Aspen Circle (1:26 p.m.) — A walk-in to the station reported his license plate is missing or was stolen from his vehicle. Report taken.
Sandy Pond Road (4:07 p.m.) — Concord police requested a check of a residence looking for a juvenile who left the Walden Pond area and headed back home. Officers located the party and reunited them with a parent.
February 19
Hanscom Air Force Base, Vandenberg Gate (2:41 p.m.) — Officers arrested Christopher Towns, 41, of 7 State St. Apt 1 in Peabody on a warrant from Ipswich police for obscene material to a minor (six counts). He was booked and transferred to Ipswich Police Department.
February 20
Wells Road (8:16 a.m.) — Resident reports being a victim of identity theft. Investigation ongoing.
Harvest Circle (2:10 p.m.) — Officer reports being in a very minor motor vehicle crash in the lot of 2 Harvest Circle. Accident documented.
Lewis Street (5:34 p.m.) — Caller reported a possible water main break. Officers found water coming from a building in which a pipe burst and they’re pumping out the building.
South Great Road (5:40 p.m.) — Walk-in to the station reporting people ice-skating on Farrar Pond. Officers checked and were unable to locate anyone.
Tabor Hill Road (10:24 p.m.) — Caller reported a suspicious package in their mailbox. Officers found the package contained gardening seeds.
Property sales for January 2020
233 Concord Road — 233 Concord Road LLC to Kelly Bales and Anne Kingston for $2,145,000 (January 7)
11 Hiddenwood Path — Negarre H. Moore Trust to Fabio Elia and Veronica Carillo-Marquez for $680,650 (January 8)
0 Baker Farm — Douglas Adams to the Walden Woods Project for $480,000 (January 15)
315 Hemlock Circle — Robert N. Garner trust to Richard and Mary Mansfield for $546,000 (January 22)
17 Stratford Way — Duggal Rajender to Michael and Evelyn Yamauchi for $2,150,000 (January 31)
253 Old Concord Rd. — Kim Sungwoon to Sean Allen and Stephanie Lawkins for $1,169,000 (January 31)
News acorns
Restaurant benefit for L-S robotics
The Lotus Blossom restaurant at 394 Boston Post Rd. in Sudbury is holding a benefit night for Warrior Robotics, the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School robotics team, on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Part of the proceeds will help the team meet its goal of making it to the 2020 World Championships, including the costs of materials, competition fees, and more. For more information, email joshuaaltman1@gmail.com.
Documentary on voter suppression
“Suppressed: The Fight to Vote,” a 40-minute film documenting voter suppression in the 2018 midterm and gubernatorial elections in Georgia will be shown by the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee on Friday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall (light refreshments start at 6:30 p.m.). Lincoln resident Andrew Glass will facilitate a discussion afterwards. Free and open to all.
Talking to children about race
Parents and children are invited to “Courageous Conversations: Talking to Children about Race” on Wednesday, March 4 from 5:30–7 p.m. at the First Parish in Lincoln parish house. Conversations about race and racism can be uncomfortable. We might make mistakes and are unsure where to begin, but not talking about race with children can send many unintended messages. Explore ways to have conversations with children about race, racism, diversity and inclusion. Co-hosted by the METCO Coordinating Committee and the First Parish in Lincoln, this facilitated conversation will use the NPR Podcast “Talking Race with Young Children” as a backdrop for identifying strategies to start the conversation with kids about racial differences, race, racism and more.
Dinner for adults and children will be served from 5:30–6 p.m. and childcare will be available from 6–7 p.m. during the discussion. Suggested donation for dinner: $10 for adults, $5 for children. Click here to sign up for childcare. Registration is requested but not required – feel free to join even if you have not signed up. For more information, email Gina Halsted at ginahalsted@gmail.com.
Film: “Bitter Moon”
The Lincoln Library Film Society presents “Bitter Moon” (rated R, 1992) on Thursday, March 5 at 6 p.m. After hearing stories of her, a passenger on a cruise ship develops an irresistible infatuation with an eccentric paraplegic’s wife. Directed by Roman Polanski and starring Hugh Grant and Kristin Scott Thomas. Viewers are welcome to bring dinner or a snack.
Sap-to-Syrup breakfast at Drumlin Farm
Maple sugaring season has begun at Drumlin Farm, just in time for the annual Sap-to-Syrup Farmer’s Breakfast weekend on Saturday and Sunday, March 7–8. From 8:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. each day, hungry visitors of all ages can feast on hearty pancakes with real maple syrup, as well as Drumlin Farm sausage and roasted potatoes. Seatings take place every half hour, with 45-minute seatings taking place at 8:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for those needing a little extra time.
Other highlights include:
- Seeing how sap is collected from the wildlife sanctuary’s own sugar maples
- Exploring the natural history of trees as you learn about the distinctly “Northwoods” product of maple syrup
- Learning about Native American sap-to-syrup techniques
- Purchasing maple syrup made at Drumlin Farm to take home
- Family-friendly, hands-on activities
- Visiting the evaporator to smell and taste the sweet product made during the maple sugaring process
- Exploring the property trails and visiting livestock and resident wildlife animals
Tickets are $15 for Mass. Audubon members, $18 for nonmembers, and free for kids 2 and under. Register online or by phone at 781-259-2200.
Program on hearing loss
Hearing Loss Association of America member Carol Agate will speak on “Understanding and Coping with Hearing Loss” on Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library. The program is geared toward people with hearing loss, people who think they might have hearing loss, people whose friends tell them to get their hearing checked, or people who simply want to know what hearing loss is. The library will also be introducing its new hearing loop system.
Domestic Violence Roundtable presents “Boys Don’t Cry”
Over the past five years, the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable has participated in the White Ribbon Day Campaign by engaging our local communities in events designed to raise awareness and highlight the role of men and boys in ending gender-based violence. This year a group of male Roundtable members has worked together to promote discussions and create presentations to provide tools to help create more peaceful, healthy communities free of gender-based violence. The events began in February with a series of small group discussions on “What It Means to Be a Man” and how to raise boys to be healthy and respectful men.
The discussions will continue on Tuesday, March 10 at 3 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room at the Wayland Public Safety Building (38 Cochituate Rd., Wayland) with a program featuring the screening of the White Ribbon Campaign video “Boys Don’t Cry.” Following the screening, there will be a discussion of the issues raised by the video led by Stephen Thompson and Jason Verhoosky, members of the Roundtable planning group. The program will also feature the raising of the White Ribbon Day Flag and a recitation of the pledge to end violence against women. The program will conclude by asking for commitments to action.
To continue this discussion, participants are also invited to the Roundtable’s first ever half-day summit entitled “Tough Guys and Gentle Men: Healthy Men in the Age of #MeToo” in Lincoln on Saturday, March 14 from 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m. at St. Anne’s-in-the Fields Church. Registration for the summit is required. Details can be found at www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org.
Send your creative seeds to the Chipmunk!
The Lincoln Squirrel is adding a new section — the Lincoln Chipmunk, a periodic compilation of feature articles, first-person essays, poetry, drawings, photos and other creative work by Lincolnites. It’s the digital successor to the Lincoln Review, which was published for more than 40 years by Betty Smith and friends.
The Chipmunk will be published as part of the Squirrel website every two or three months, depending on the volume of submissions. Our editor is former Lincoln Review staff member Jeanne Bracken, assisted by Lincoln resident Rhoda Taschioglou.
The deadline for our first issue is March 1, so send us your stuff! Here are some ideas:
- First-person essays on almost any topic — a compelling memory, a recent trip, a person or animal you’ve known, your predictions for the coming year, etc.
- Nonfiction feature pieces about Lincoln history, nature, farms, architecture, etc.
- Humor and satire
- Short fiction
- Poems
- Profiles of interesting Lincoln residents (current, former, or deceased)
- Book and movie reviews (especially by or about Lincoln authors/artists)
- Original drawings and photographs
If you have something else in mind that doesn’t fall into one of these categories, just let us know. You can address questions and send items via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com or call Squirrel editor Alice Waugh at 617-710-5542.
The fine print:
- Submissions must be original work by Lincoln residents, their immediate family members, employees, or others with a direct connection to the town, and they must include the submitter’s name and email address. Anonymous items will not be published.
- All submissions are subject to selection and editing by the Lincoln Chipmunk staff; publication is not guaranteed.
Company seeks permission for cell tower on Emerson Road
By Alice Waugh
The current and proposed sites of the cell towers under discussion are outlined in yellow.
A wireless technology company is seeking to rezone a piece of residential property on Emerson Road to allow construction of a new cell tower that would replace two existing towers on Mary’s Way. The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the proposal on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 7:15 p.m.
Crown Castle International Corp. currently operates two cell towers at 9 Mary’s Way adjacent to the Oriole Landing development and The Commons in Lincoln. The company in turn leases space on the tower to wireless communications companies including AT&T and Sprint. According to a January 21 letter to town officials, the lease on the Mary’s Way parcel is expiring and the company has been unable to negotiate an extension, so “it is necessary to install a relocation tower to address the continuation of wireless service on the networks of some of the leading providers in the town of Lincoln.”
Crown Castle is seeking to add the parcel at 6 Emerson Rd. owned by the Sandra Demirjian Trust and Daniel Cellucci to the town’s Wireless Communications Facility Overlay District, which currently includes 11 parcels on Route 2, Mill Street, Lincoln Road, Lewis Street, Bedford Road, and Sandy Pond Road. (The addresses of the parcels and accompanying overlay district provisions are listed starting on page 43 of the town’s Zoning By-Law.)
The wireless overlay district is one of several zoning districts consisting of noncontiguous parcels that were created to impose special provisions (for example, more restrictions or additional permitted uses) in addition to the existing zoning rules for those properties. The others are the Wetlands and Watershed Protection District, the Flood Plain District, the North Lincoln Overlay District, the South Lincoln Overlay District, and the Solar Photovoltaic Facilities Overlay District.
The property at 9 Mary’s Way is owned by the David Miller Trust and the John Yagjian Trust, c/o David Segal of 11 Mary’s Way. None of the owners listed for the two properties could be reached for comment.
If the cell towers on Mary’s Way were to be abandoned, the facility owners are required to remove their structures and restore the site to its former condition within one year of the cessation of use.
Police log for week of Feb. 7, 2020
February 7
Indian Camp Lane (5:33 pm.) — Council on Aging requests a check on a resident. Officer checked on the resident and everything was fine.
Hobbs Brook Road (6:19 p.m.) — Party calling 911 reports being scammed. Party resides in Waltham and was advised to contact Waltham police.
February 8
Wells Road (12:27 a.m.) — Resident called regarding someone slamming their door. Officers checked the area and all was quiet.
Old Concord Road (1:35 a.m.) — Resident called to complaint about the noise of road work being done overnight at the Rte. 126 railroad bridge. Resident was advised it is scheduled work and they can make a complaint to MassDOT.
Sandy Pond Road (3:38 p.m.) — New Hampshire State Police requested a check of the residence for a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run in New Hampshire. Officers checked and were unable to make contact with anyone at the residence.
Lincoln Police Department (4:21 p.m.) — Resident came into the station to complain about where the Fire Department vehicles were parked.
Garland Road (5:22 p.m.) — Resident called reporting their child over age 12 was missing. A short time later, they called to report the child was with the other parent at a neighbor’s house.
Deerhaven Road (5:22 p.m.) — Caller inquired why an ambulance turned around in their driveway and a fire truck drove by their house. Caller was advised the Fire Department had just cleared a medical call in their area.
February 9
South Great Road (6:23 p.m.) — Weston Police asked that an officer check Rte. 117 for a disabled vehicle after a car-vs.-deer crash in Weston involving a vehicle that continued west into Lincoln.
Linway Road (6:48 p.m.) — Caller reported smoke inside their house. Fire Department responded and found that the smoke was caused by a pellet stove.
February 12
Harvest Circle (5:21 p.m.) — Staff who were dealing with a personnel matter requested that an officer go by in case there was an issue. No problems; the officer cleared shortly thereafter.
Lincoln Road (6:16 p.m.) — Officers responded to a two-car crash near Tower Road. One person suffered a minor injury. A report taken and a citation was issued.
Old Concord Road (10:52 p.m.) — Elderly party reported an unknown party was in the house. Officers responded and found it was a healthcare worker.
Service on Feb. 20 for Nancy Ritchie
Nancy Ritchie
Nancy M. (Pratt) Ritchie died at Emerson Hospital in Concord on February 13 at age 76. She was the beloved wife of James Ritchie, with whom she shared 53 years of loving marriage.
Nancy was born in Somerville on August 8, 1943, the daughter of the late Harry and Beulah (Barry) Pratt. She enjoyed being raised in Burlington and graduated from the town’s high school in 1961. She was then employed at Lincoln Laboratory for 12 years.
Active in the Lincoln community, Nancy was faithful to her church. She served as secretary of St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church for 13 years, and later, as an administrative assistant and assistant town clerk for Lincoln.
She was dedicated to her family and friends, and will be remembered as a fabulous cook.
In addition to her husband, Jim, she will be forever missed by two daughters, Nicole Ann Freutel and her husband Trevor of Renton, Wash., and Melissa Noelle Ritchie of Lincoln; two grandchildren, Alek and Ethan Freutel; a brother, Harry D. Pratt and his wife Carole; and several nieces and nephews. She was also the sister of the late Pat Munoz.
Family and friends will gather for visiting hours on Thursday, Feb. 20 from 6–8 p.m. in the Dee Funeral Home, 27 Bedford St., Concord. Nancy’s funeral service will be celebrated on Friday, Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. in St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Lincoln, with burial at Lincoln Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, 147 Concord Road, Lincoln, MA 01773.
Arrangements are under the care of Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord. To share a remembrance or to send a condolence in her online guestbook, please visit www.DeeFuneralHome.com.
News acorns
Volunteers sought for Pierce House Committee, CapCom
The Board of Selectmen is seeking interested volunteers for the Capital Planning Committee and the Pierce House Committee. The Capital Planning Committee (CapCom) is charged with evaluating capital requests as well as maintenance funding requests. Members are tasked with evaluating each proposal for need, viability, and the effect on operating budgets. The mission of the Pierce House Committee is to “be stewards of the historic property so that residents of Lincoln, neighbors and guests may continue to use the Pierce House as a venue to gather and celebrate in keeping with the spirit of John H. Pierce’s gift to the Town of Lincoln.”
Letters of interest for either position should be sent to Peggy Elder, Administrative Assistant in the Selectmen’s Office, elderp@lincolntown.org. Click here for a volunteer application form or call the Selectmen’s Office at 781-259-2601 for more information.
Library activities for school vacation week
School vacation week at the Lincoln Public Library will feature the following events for kids:
Origami Workshop
Tuesday, Feb. 18 from 2–3 p.m. for grades 1–3, and 3:30–4:30 p.m. for grades 4–6
Learn how to fold 3D origami snowflakes with Lisa Corfman from Rocky Arts Unfolded. Registration is required. Call 781-259-8465 x4 or email dleopold@minlib.net.
Singalong with Matt Heaton
Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 11 a.m.
Musician Matt Heaton will be bringing his unique mix of rockabilly, surf, American roots and Irish traditional music to the library. All ages welcome; no registration necessary.
Family Bingo Night
Thursday, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m.
Come one, come all for a fun night of bingo! All ages welcome, no registration required. Prizes for everyone.
Girl Scouts pancake breakfast on Feb. 29
The Lincoln Girl Scouts will host Pancake Breakfast, Take 2 (postponed from Winter Carnival week) on Saturday, Feb. 29 from 8–11 a.m. at the First Parish Church (14 Bedford Rd., Lincoln.) There will be plain, blueberry, chocolate chip, and gluten-free pancakes with pure maple syrup along with coffee, tea, orange juice, and fruit, and face painting and crafts for kids. Girl Scout cookies will also be on sale. Tickets are $5 for children under 12 and $10 for everyone else ($30 family maximum).
Three-part series on opera singers
The Lincoln Public Library will host a three-part series on “Opera For Everyone: A Salute to Three Great Opera Singers” with Erika Reitshamer on Sundays, March 1, 8 and 22 at 2 p.m. in the Tarbell Room. Each session will look at a different artist: Jessye Norman on March 1, Fritz Wunderlich on March 8, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky on March 22. Click here for more information. Reitshamer was active in the formation of the Boston Lyric Opera Company, has led opera tours to Europe, and served as vice president of the Boston Wagner Society for many years.
Poetry workshop for kids
The Lincoln Public Library will host a poetry workshop for kids in grades 4-6 on Mondays, March 2–30 from 4–5 p.m. with a PoetryFest performance on evening of April 6. Kids will read, write and perform poetry and create an accordion book to fill with favorite poems and artwork. the final session will be filled with lights, snacks, and poetry performances for friends and families. It’s important to attend all five sessions. Registration required; call 781-259-8465 x4 or email dleopold@minlib.net.
Lincoln Dems schedule caucus for state convention
The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee (LDTC) will hold its annual caucus on Sunday, March 8 from 1:30–3:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Attendees will elect five delegates and four alternates to the Massachusetts Democratic Party 2020 Convention in Lowell on Saturday, May 30.
Registered Democrats may vote and are also eligible to be delegates. Enrollment cards provided by the Town Clerk’s office will be available for those who wish to register to become a Democrat at the caucus just before it opens. Democrats who will be 16 by February 2020 may pre-register at the caucus and participate and run as a delegate or alternate to the convention, although they are not eligible to vote in general elections until they are 18. Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as delegates or alternates may apply to be add-on delegates to the caucus at www.massdems.org.
Anyone with questions may contact LDTC co-chairs Barbara Slayter (bslayter@comcast.net) or Joan Kimball (selenejck@gmail.com).
Talk on supporting healthy emotions in children
Erika Christakis, author of The Importance of Being Little: What Young Children Really Need From Grownups, presents “The Essential Connection: Supporting Healthy Emotions in Children” on Tuesday, March 17 at 7 p.m. at the Lincoln Nursery School at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. Technology and the demands of 21st-century life can make it especially hard to see how children really think and feel. Christakis will share highlights from the science of early learning and explain how to improve the emotional “cueing system” between adult and child, with special attention to children’s need for autonomy, competence, and connection. Attendees are invited to read articles in The Atlantic and the The Washington Post before the event.
Planning Board has the only contested seat in upcoming town election
By Alice Waugh
Signatures have been gathered and papers filed to decide who will be on the ballot for the town election on March 30 (see full list below). And despite an earlier flurry of interest by would-be candidates for Water Commission, the Planning Board will have the only contested race, where three residents — Lynn DeLisi, Richard Rundell, and Robert Domnitz — are running for two open seats.
Both openings on the Planning Board are for three-year terms, so the top two vote-getters will be seated. DeLisi and Rundell are incumbents running for reelection, while Domnitz is a former board member. He ran for reelection in 2015 but lost to challenge and current board member Gary Taylor, who ran unopposed for reelection in 2018.
A whopping seven residents took out papers in preparation for running for three openings on the Water Commission, which has been troubled by budget and personnel issues. However, only incumbent Ruth Ann Hendrickson, Michelle Barnes and James Hutchinson submitted papers and signatures to get on the ballot before the February 10 deadline. The others who initially took out papers were Ephraim Flint, Steven Kanner, Allen Vander Meulen, and Tobin Hack.
Those running for the Water Commission have to declare their candidacy for a specific term. Hendrickson (who has said this will be her last term) is running unopposed for reelection for a two-yer term. Barnes joined the board in the fall as one of two emergency appointments after two of the three commissioners resigned, and she is now running for a full three-year term. Hutchinson is currently serving a seven-year term on the Finance Committee that expires in March 2021 and is resigning to run unopposed for a one-year term on the Water Commission.
No one is running for openings on the Housing Commission and Trustees of the Bemis Fund, although two residents (Deb Wallace and Victoria Benaflew) took our nomination papers but never submitted them. Anyone can write in a candidate for those seats or any other. However, if no one is elected, the group in question and the Board of Selectmen may jointly make an appointment to fill the opening at a later date.
There are two candidates for two openings on the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee, and Lincoln resident Harold Engstrom is running for the seat being vacated by Patty Mostue, who is retiring after many years of service with that group. Candace Miller of Sudbury is running for reelection.
* Asterisks indicate incumbents
| Board or Committee | Openings/terms | Candidate(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Board of Assessors | One for three years | Ellen Meadors* |
| Board of Health | One for three years | Frederick L. Mansfield* |
| Board of Selectmen | One for three years | Jonathan Dwyer* |
| Cemetery Commission | One for three years | Manley Boyce* |
| Commissioners of Trust Funds | One for three years | D. Paul Fitzgerald* |
| Housing Commission | One for three years | — |
| Moderator | One for three years | Sarah Cannon Holden* |
| Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School Committee | Two for three years | Candace Miller,* Harold Engstrom |
| Parks and Recreation Committee | One for three years | Robert Stringer |
| Planning Board | Two for three years | Richard Rundell,* Lynn DeLisi,* Robert Domnitz |
| School Committee | Two for three years | Tara Lynn Mitchell,* Adam Hogue* |
| Trustees of Bemis | One for three years | — |
| Water Commission | One for three years, one for two years, one for one year | Ruth Ann Hendrickson,* Michelle Barnes, James Hutchinson |