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

L-S recognizes National Merit Scholar students

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School congratulates nine semifinalists and 23 commended students in the National Merit Scholarship Program. The semifinalists will continue in competition for approximately 7,500 scholarships that will be offered in the spring of 2020. Commended students are recognized for exceptional academic promise demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the 2020 qualifying test and are commended on their outstanding potential for academic success.

National Merit semifinalists are (left to right) Stephanie Lu, Laura Appleby,* Jonah Krasnow, Derek Nielsen, Justin Lewitus, Tea Baumgartner, Abigail Truex, and Ranen Leung.

 

National Merit Commended Scholars are (back row, left to right) Grant Bordner, Ethan Minkoff, Jason Huang, Keith Hylton,* Anny Fryling, Haydon Merrill, Jessie Li, and Caoilin Engstrom.* Front row, left to right: Arlene Leavitt, Abigail Ganz, Eric Feng, Aiden Pendergast, Allison Densel, Parker Simon, Benjamin Morris, Kelly Durning, and Julian Flack.

* Lincoln resident

Police log for week of Nov. 15, 2019

November 15

Lincoln Gas and Auto, 170 South Great Rd. (6:27 a.m.) — Motorist called reporting she couldn’t locate an attendant at the gas station to pump her gas. While speaking with dispatch an employee arrived to assist.

Donelan’s Supermarket, 145 Lincoln Rd. (10:12 p.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked behind Donelan’s. Spoke to the occupants and they were sent on their way.

November 16

226 Tower Rd. (8:29 a.m.) —Resident asked an officer to conduct a VIN verification so they could register a vehicle.

Lincoln Public Library (10:08 a.m.) — Officer spoke to a patron in regards to previously viewing content in violation of the library’s policy.

Meadowdam Road (2:51 p.m.) — Brush fire caused by wires in a tree. Fire Department extinguished the brush fire and contacted Eversource to respond.

November 17

Overflow parking lot, 24 South Great Rd. (1:12 a.m.) — William Woyda, 24, of 17 Woodlawn St., Northborough, was stopped and later arrested for OUI/liquor and speeding.

November 18

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound at Bedford Road (9:41 a.m. and again at 4:51 p.m.) — Traffic lights malfunctioning at the intersection. MassDOT and Mass. State Police notified.

Beaver Pond Road (3:20 p.m.) — Caller reports an outside odor of gas. Fire Department checked the area and was unable to locate any odor.

3 Pierce Hill Rd. (4:02 p.m.) — Neighbor reports suspicious activity at the residence. Officers spoke to a party on scene who was watching the pets.

223 Sandy Pond Rd. (5:03 p.m.) — Caller reports stove possibly left on by accident. Fire Department responded to assist.

5 Oakdale Lane (6:51 p.m.) — Medical call.

116 Lincoln Rd. (10:16 p.m.) — Caller reports hearing someone outside the residence. Officers checked the area and all appears fine.

November 19

231 Aspen Circle (7:45 a.m.) — Caller reports hearing an odd noise outside the residence. Officers checked the area and all appears fine; likely weather-related.

North Great Road (8:47 a.m.) — Three-car crash on Rte. 2A near the transfer station. No injuries.

15 Twin Pond Lane (10:07 a.m.) — Call for a fire alarm sounding. Fire Department checked; all is fine, detector needed battery replaced.

50 Wells Rd. (4:02 p.m.) — Resident came to the station to have a pellet gun destroyed.

64 Conant Rd. (11:44 p.m.) — Caller reports possibly being a victim of a computer scam.

November 21

2 Harvest Circle (9:28 p.m.) — Staff member reported that earlier in the day, there were five people driving around The Commons complex in a white van soliciting. Staff was advised of the bylaw and advised to call if they return.

November 22

Concord Road (12:54 a.m.) — Traffic sign was struck and knocked over. DPW notified.

News acorns

Two Lincoln organizations receive mini-grants

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation has announced that two Lincoln nonprofit organizations were awarded a total of $2,000 from the foundation’s Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grant program. The Massachusetts Audubon Society received $1,500 and The Food Project was awarded $500.

The program, which was created to commemorate Harvard Pilgrim members who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, allows each Harvard Pilgrim employee to award a $500 grant, completely funded by the foundation, to the local charity of his or her choice each calendar year. Since the program began in 2002, Harvard Pilgrim employees have directed more than $6.5 million to thousands of organizations throughout Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. 

Thanksgiving luncheon for seniors

The MLK Action Project at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School invites the senior citizens of both Lincoln and Sudbury to the annual Thanksgiving Senior Citizen Luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at noon in the high school cafeteria. Come enjoy the festivities, a wonderful meal accompanied by the L-S Jazz Band and other music groups.

Holiday event at deCordova store/cafe

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum will host a Holiday Hygge at its store and café on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 3–6 p.m. where visitors can enjoy art making, local shopping, food, drink, merriment, and hygge—the Danish word for coziness, comfort, happiness, and kinship. Tickets ($20 for members, $15 for nonmembers, free for children 12 and under) include admission and also:

  • A family-friendly paper lantern-making activity
  • A winter-themed story hour
  • Hot mulled cider and seasonally inspired snacks 
  • An exclusive 10% off discount at the store (20% for Trustees members), including the 26th Annual Holiday Artists’ Market, during the event for ticket holders only
  • Free gift-wrapping on purchases made during the event
  • Artist demonstrations
  • Entry into a raffle for the chance to win a variety of prizes, including a Trustees membership, fun merchandise packages, a private tour of deCordova, and a gift certificate toward registration at its summer camp

Girl Scout projects help Lincoln seniors

The Lincoln Girl Scouts are working with the Council on Aging to help Lincoln residents enjoy the holiday season and be more aware, prepared, and safe during snowstorms through three important projects. The Scouts will once again be collecting items for holiday gift baskets to be given to elders in need of basic items. Others are collecting items for winter preparedness kits that will be distributed to elders in need to ensure they’re ready for storms in a project in collaboration with the Fire Department and Parks and Recreation. Keep an eye out for collection points around town for both these projects.

Additionally, if you would like a bucket of sand to help with slippery spots on your driveway or walkway, contact the COA by phone at 781-259-8811 or come on down to Bemis Hall to sign up and the Girl Scouts will arrange to deliver one to you.

Seniors can get well-being calls during emergencies

The COA and Public Safety are pleased to offer well-being telephone calls during storms and other emergencies. They will call you when storms cause extensive power outages, and in extended spells of extreme cold and other similar situations. If they can’t reach you by phone, Public Safety will do a well-being check at your home to make sure you are all right. To sign up for this service please call the COA at 781-259-8811 and give your name, address, and any phone numbers you would like them to call (a cell phone or family member, for example), as well as any other pertinent information you would like to share with us, such as special medical needs. You may ask to be taken off the list at any time.

 

 

Lincoln Dems say climate change is the #1 issue for 2020

By Joan Kimball and Barbara Slayter
Lincoln Democratic Town Committee

Over 40 enthusiastic Democrats attended the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee (LDTC) at a November 16 meeting that defined strategy and goals for the group in the 2020 elections.

Lincoln Democrats voted climate change as the overwhelming #1 issue. Identified as “very important” were gun control, health care, and immigration. As the group looked ahead and discussed goals for 2020, they also reviewed fall activities, including collecting signatures to get ranked-choice voting on the ballot.

Kate Kavanagh and Denise Gieseke, co-founders of Concord Indivisible, shared how individuals can work with their group to promote voter engagement, election integrity, and causes. Everyone is invited to write postcards, text, call and canvas voters around the country and participate in registration drives and rallies.

Barbara Slayter described the work of Force Multiplier (FM) a volunteer group that focuses on raising funds for outstanding Democratic House of Representative candidates in swing districts. A recent Metrowest FM event in Lincoln drew almost 150 people to hear Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who is seeking re-election in Virginia’s 7th district. The event raised over $17,000 for Spanberger. 

Joan Kimball, coordinator of the Grandmothers for a Brighter Future, described the postcard writing that Lincoln volunteers have done. In 2016, the Lincoln Grandmothers for a Brighter Future sent out 5,000 postcards for senate races in three states. Anyone over age 10 is invited to write postcard either separately or in groups. The goal for 2020 is 5,000–7,000 postcards. For more information, email Kimball at selenejck@gmail.com.

All interested Lincoln residents are invited to the next LDTC meeting on Saturday, Jan. 11 from 9–11 a.m. in Bemis Hall.

Property sales in October

0 South Great Rd. and 16 Old Sudbury Rd. — Martin D. Madaus to Solaire LLC NID for $6,000,000 (October 31)

9 Baker Farm Rd. — Jane G. Langton Trust to Cynthia G. Ferris for $880,000 (October 29)

90 Conant Rd. — Kathryn N. Doyle to Jessica W. and Christopher G. Tranchino for $1,360,000 (October 18)

82 Virginia Rd. #B412 — Linda W. Conrad to Robert Brenner and Bin Wang for $525,000 (October 15)

122 Chestnut Circle — Stephen H. Webster to Luiz de Oliveira for $675,000 (October 16)

19 Huckleberry Hill — Bor Yeu Tsaur to the Mark Zaitlin Trust and Linda Zaitlin Trust for $2,300,000 (October 11)

0 Baker Bridge Rd. — Carroll School to Robert and Debra Campbell for $750,000 (October 9)

129 Lexington Rd. — Larissa Kolontareva Trust to Lou Makrigiannis for $1,370,000 (October 3)

Letter to the editor: Susan Fargo will be much missed

To the editor:

Susan Fargo served the town and state so well, as a member and chair of our Selectboard and as our senator, both with such accomplishment and both for a long time.

Susan had so many wonderful qualities — her intelligence, her ability to see both the big picture and the details, her hard work always, her wit, her extraordinary writing skills — that benefited us as our reporter and editor for the Lincoln Journal, Selectwoman and Senator. Her causes were always justice for all.

When we moved to Hillside Road in 1974, we were fortunate that our across-the-street neighbors were Susan, Foster, and Mandy. We visited back and forth; we adults were friends, and Mandy and our daughter played together for years. We were so glad when we learned that Amanda and her son, Brady Foster Fargo, had moved back to Lincoln, and we know how very happy Foster and Susan were to have their precious family here.

We are grateful for the lives of Susan and Foster and we miss them, and yet they are here, firmly in our memories. They have left us an important legacy. And we, too, are so glad that Amanda and Brady are here. We send them our very very best and our condolences.

Sincerely,

Joan Kimball
10 Hillside Rd., Lincoln

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Service on Saturday for Susan Fargo, 1942–2019

Susan Fargo

A celebration of the life of State Senator Susan Fargo (née Cooley), who died on November 15 at the age of 77 following a period of declining health, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 3 p.m. at the First Parish Church (4 Bedford Rd., Lincoln). A private burial will be held at Lincoln Cemetery.

Susan was elected to eight consecutive terms in the Massachusetts State Senate, serving the 3rd Middlesex district (the 5th Middlesex district prior to 2003) from 1997–2012. She proudly wore out three pairs of shoes during her first campaign walking the nine towns in her district introducing herself to her constituents in order to win as a democrat in a traditionally Republican district.

As Senator, Susan served as chair of the Public Health Committee and co-chair of the Committee on Elderly Affairs. She was widely praised for her tireless work to ban smoking in the workplace, increase access to affordable housing, advance the circuit-breaker bill that provides tax credits to many elderly, and champion the health of women, including legislation that affirmed the rights of mothers to nurse their babies in public.

Whether an ally or opponent, Susan was a remarkable force, infusing all her interactions with a dry wit and keen observations. On Susan’s retirement in 2012, then Senate President Therese Murray called her a “powerful voice for the 3rd Middlesex District” and “a passionate and true leader on Beacon Hill who approaches every issue with the well-being of her constituents in mind.”

Prior to serving in the Senate, Susan served as a selectperson in the town of Lincoln, as editor in chief of the then-weekly Lincoln Journal, and, early in her career, as a middle school teacher in Newton.

Susan was born in Peoria, Ill., on August 27, 1942 to Dr. William Cooley, Jr. and Adelaide Nation Cooley. She attended Stephens College for two years, then graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Northwestern University (where she was also homecoming queen) in 1964 and received her Master of Arts in Teaching from the Harvard University School of Education in 1965. In 1994 she received a certificate in public leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

She and her future husband Foster M. Fargo Jr. met and lived in Cambridge while both were in graduate school. They married in 1966 and moved to Newton during Susan’s teaching years and then settled in Lincoln, where they lived for over 45 years (he died last April after they were married for 52 years). Susan had an exceptional appreciation of beauty which she cultivated around her, most notably in her remarkable clothing, her home and in her active support of the arts. She was a consummate gift giver, matching recipients with perfect selections often cherished over a lifetime. 

Susan leaves behind a devoted daughter, Amanda Reed Fargo and her grandson, Brady Foster Fargo of Lincoln; her sister Marcia Cooley Blevins of McMinnville, Ore.; her brother William Carl Cooley and his wife Seddon Reed Savage (Susan’s husband’s sister) of Concord, N.H.; and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to The Trustees of Reservations, Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts, the First Parish in Lincoln, CareGroup Parmenter Home Care & Hospice (1 Arsenal Market Place, Watertown MA 02472), or Deaconess Abundant Life Services (80 Deaconess Rd., Concord MA 01742).

Obituary courtesy of Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.

News acorns

Email Linda at LHamme@aol.com if this cuddly creature is yours.

Did you lose this toy?

A soft and cuddly toy was found along the edge of Pierce Pond. To reunite your baby with this one, please email Linda at LHamme@aol.com.

DeCordova artists’ market now open

The 26th Annual Holiday Artists’ Market in the deCordova Store featuring regional and national artists is now going on. Browse winter accessories, ceramics, glass, metal work, paper sculpture, home décor, housewares, and more to find the perfect gifts for everyone on your list. Open daily from 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day (see extended holiday hours here) through December 30.

Talk on art and the environment

A talk titled “Art and the Environment: A Local History” on Thursday, Nov. 21 from 6:30–8 p.m. by Associate Professor of Art History Kirsten Swenson will situate the exhibition “Peter Hutchinson: Landscapes of My Life” and the commission “Andy Goldsworthy: Watershed” within the history of land and environmental art, with particular focus on the significance of these artist’s practices within the New England landscape. Free admission; registration requested.

Enjoy art and nature on Black Friday

Instead of shopping, join Massachusetts artists at Drumlin Farm for the annual “Giving Thanks for Nature and Our Senses,” a family art experience on Friday, Nov. 29 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Engage your senses on a nature walk outdoors and help create a natural animal sculpture, enjoy an indoor art gallery, and make your own nature-inspired crafts to take home. Other highlights include music with the Grey Whisker Pickers; wildlife sketching; installations and gallery artwork by local sculptors, painters, and photographers; and storytelling with Ron McAdow. Local produce will also be on sale. Cohosted by Mass Audubon and the Umbrella’s Arts and Environment program, Musketaquid, and made possible through a generous grant by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Free for Mass Audubon members and Lincoln residents; event takes place ran or shine.

Shop and help a good cause

Join the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable (DVR) for a holiday “sip and shop” hosted by Selections Boutique (435 Boston Post Rd., Sudbury Crossing Shopping Center) on Thursday, Dec. 5 from 6–9 p.m. Enjoy wine and refreshments while you shop. Even if you can’t come, Selections owner Cathy Regensburger, has graciously agreed to donate a percentage of the proceeds from all sales on December 5 to the Roundtable.

The DVR is also collecting gift cards for families served by REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, The Second Step, and Voices Against Violence. Gift cards to Stop & Shop, Market Basket, Target, Marshalls, TJMaxx, Amazon, and Walgreens as well as Visa gift cards would be greatly appreciated.

Funeral Mass on Nov. 20 for Dorothy Manzelli

Dorothy Manzilli

Dorothy (Latronica) Manzelli, 96, of Lincoln, died on Friday, Nov. 15 in Wingate at Needham. She was the loving wife for 69 years of the late John Manzelli, who died in 2012.

She was born in Boston on Nov. 29, 1922, as the daughter of the late Felice and Angelina (DeLorenzo) LaTronica. During World War II, she worked in clothing manufacturing before marrying John and moving to Lincoln in 1951.

Mrs. Manzelli was a faithful parishioner for many years at St. Joseph Church. She volunteered for the Lincoln 4-H and enjoyed being active with the Lincoln Council on Aging. She also loved sewing and quilting.

She leaves behind three children, Jeanne Manzelli of Windsor, Conn., John Manzelli, Jr. and his wife Marjorie of Yarmouth, and Donna Berube and her husband Paul of Watertown; grandchildren, Jordan Roiz, David Polon, Elizabeth Phillips, Philip Manzelli, and Peter Manzelli; four great-grandchildren, Matt, Eleanor, Julianna and Chloe; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister, Phyllis Dunlap, and her brother, Joseph Latronica.

Family and friends will gather for a period of visitation on Wednesday, Nov. 20 beginning at 10 a.m. in St. Joseph Church, 142 Lincoln Rd., Lincoln. Her funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at Lincoln Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Lincoln Council on Aging, c/o Town Offices, 16 Lincoln Road, Lincoln MA 01773.

Obituary courtesy of Dee Funeral Home.

Letter to the editor: Gearticks urge better home insulation

The fifth-grade Purple Gearticks include (left to right) William Mendelson, Evie Packineau, Jasper Clark, Lucy Reiner, and Quinn Clark. (Photo courtesy Ginger Reiner)

To the editor:

We are the Purple Gearticks (a Lincoln First Lego League robotics team). We are working on a project to decrease energy wasted in houses and making energy greener. These days we’re all worried about climate change, and you can do your part by reading this letter and taking some of the advice at the bottom of the page.

One of the important things we learned is that two-thirds of the energy you use is heat loss: one-third goes through the walls despite insulation and one-third is leakage from windows and doors through cracks. Some ways to improve on this are window seals or door seals. You could also install more insulation or attic caps. Most people do not have enough insulation in their houses.

We hope you will contribute to this effort by sealing your windows and doors. You can consider getting a free energy audit with MassSave. They will come to your house and give you ideas on how to lose less energy.

Sincerely,

The Purple Gearticks, 5th grade: William Mendelson, Quinn Clark, Jasper Holleran Clark, Evie Packineau, and Lucy Reiner

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.