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

My Turn: Passing the torch at the Conservation Department

By Susan Hall Mygatt

After 21 years as the director of the Lincoln Conservation Department, Tom Gumbart will be leaving his position this December. Tom has guided the Lincoln Conservation Commission’s work to protect Lincoln’s wetlands and manage our conservation trails, forests, and farmland, with the important help of his land stewardship crew. Tom’s understanding and knowledge of the natural world and his hands on and technical skills combined to make him an invaluable resource to all Lincoln’s citizens. Tom has been an important leader in the conservation community, and his informed leadership has helped make our town’s land stewardship a model for other communities nationwide. He will be greatly missed.

The town is accepting applications for a new Conservation Department Director until Friday, Nov. 13. The job description is posted on the town website at www.lincolntown.org/jobs.

”My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Managers of Real restaurant depart; eatery’s future uncertain

Two of the three owner/managers of Lincoln’s Real restaurant have left the business, which has suspended service for the time being, although “there is no intention to close Real,” according to remaining manager Lindsay Parker.

When Real opened in South Lincoln in 2019, Tom Fosnot was the primary chef and Ruth-Anne Adams was in charge of the front-of-house staff and general operations while Parker handled the business side. Geoff McGean, executive director of the Rural Land Foundation, which owns the building, said this week that Parker “has not indicated  to us what the future of the restaurant might be.”

“I am going to spend some time to regroup and consider the right next chapter for the restaurant, especially in light of existing challenges presented by COVID,” Parker said in an email. “That being said, there is no intention to close Real. I have been deeply gratified by the support Real has received from the Lincoln community since we opened in March 2019, and especially since the world changed so dramatically earlier this year. I look forward to the prospect of returning that favor by having Real continue as an inviting gathering spot and community asset for years to come.”

“We truly loved being in Lincoln and the Rural Land Foundation has been an amazing source of support for Tom and I,” Adams said in an email. “In addition, we have tremendous gratitude toward the community that was brought together through the building of Real. We would like, however, to speak with our attorney before commenting further.”

Real is the latest of several restaurants that have come and gone at Lincoln Station. Lincoln Kitchen closed after just 15 months of operation. It was preceded by AKA Bistro, which operated for several years but was ultimately doomed by a pair of unfortunate events: the lengthy closure of nearby Donelan’s after its roof collapsed in a snowstorm in February 2011, significantly reducing business traffic for the entire mall, and the closure of AKA itself for several months starting in December 2013 after a burst ceiling pipe caused extensive interior water damage. 

News acorns

Two virtual events from the Walden Woods Project

The Walden Woods Project is sponsoring two upcoming events. “A Virtual Lyceum: Writing Toward Resilience” on Friday, Nov. 6 from 7–8:15 p.m. will bring writers, scholars, and teachers together to examine the way society and individuals like Henry David Thoreau and Toni Morrison have protested and resisted injustices through their writing. The panelists will also discuss ways in which we, as individuals and as a society, can remain progressive and resilient to current obstacles and social injustices through writing, nature, and art. Suggested readings include Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” and Morrison’s “No Place for Self-Pity, No Room for Fear.” Click here for more information and registration.

On Tuesday, Dec. 1 from 7–8:15 p.m., Nathaniel Popkin and Gail Straub will discuss Popkin’s newest book, To Reach The Spring: From Complicity to Consciousness in the Age of Eco-Crisis. In the shadow of an escalating eco-crisis — a looming catastrophe that will dwarf the fallout from COVID-19 — how can we explain our society’s failure to act? Popkin explores the moral, social, and psychological dimensions of the crisis, outlining a path to a future spring. Click here for more information and registration.

Help clean up Minute Man NHP

Minute Man National Historical Park invites everyone to Park Day 2020 on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 9–11:30 a.m. and 1–3:30 p.m. Sponsored by the American Battlefield Trust and Friends of Minute Man National Park, this annual event gives participants the opportunity to help preserve one of our nation’s most iconic and historic battlefields. Volunteers can sign up to provide assistance in leaf raking, invasive plant removal, and trail maintenance, while learning more about its history and ecology from park natural and cultural resource team leaders.

To ensure the safety of all volunteers, organizers will be limiting participation, requiring masks be worn at all times, and staggering work periods into morning and afternoon shifts. Volunteers can register to work individually or as a group (bubble) of five or less in different parts of the park where social distancing is feasible. Register by November 6 and receive a free Park Day 2020 T-shirt. Click here to register.

MBTA seeks feedback on service changes

The MBTA is seeking feedback on service changes that will be necessary in the face of drastically reduced ridership due to Covid-19 (for example, commuter rail is at roughly 12% of normal ridership). The T wants to hear from transit customers about the service people are using now, how often, and what their transit priorities are as part of Forging Ahead, the T’s plan to preserve transit access to shape the T’s upcoming decision about which transit-critical services to prioritize and protect, and which may need to be cut back until ridership and revenues return. 

On Monday, Nov. 9, the MBTA will announce its proposed service changes, after which public meetings and a public hearing will take place. These changes will generally not take effect until spring or summer of 2021. Customers are encouraged to provide online feedback here, and/or participate in a virtual public meeting, including an official public hearing. Click here to register for the meeting dedicated to the MetroWest region that includes Lincoln on Tuesday, Nov. 10 from 6–8 p.m. Details are available at mbta.com/ForgingAhead. 

Library, GearTicks offer STEMtastic Challenges

The Lincoln Public Library Children’s Room is teaming up with the Lincoln GearTicks to promote their new monthly STEMtastic Challenges designed to encourage learning about a variety of engineering and science subjects. Each challenge will have a central STEM theme and is open to anyone. November’s challenge is “Marshmallow Architecture.” Click here for more information on the challenge and see a suggested list of books and websites to get you started. Books on the lists below (and more) are available to place on hold, or you can make an appointment to come in to the library to check them out. Call 781-259-8465 ext. 4 or email dleopold@minlib.net with any questions.

Volunteers needed for three town groups

The Select Board seeks candidates for appointment to the town’s Housing Commission, the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), and the Pierce Property Committee.

The Housing Commission’s role is to develop and advocate for policies and programs that promote housing diversity in Lincoln. The group’s duties include policy formulation and advocacy, regulatory compliance, and management of town-owned housing units. Members work in close partnership with two other town housing organizations (i.e., the Affordable Housing Trust and the Lincoln Foundation) to ensure that the town remains in compliance with various state and federal housing regulations, while also developing strategies to help the town achieve its evolving housing needs.

Serving on the CPC affords an opportunity to learn about Lincoln’s historic preservation, affordable housing, open space preservation and recreational programs and initiatives, and to help determine how to most wisely invest limited Community Preservation Act funds. The Pierce Committee advises the Select Board on the use and maintenance of the Pierce House and Pierce Park and recommends annual budgets.

Letters of interest should be addressed to Select Board Chair James Craig and sent to Peggy Elder, administrative assistant in the Selectmen’s Office, at elderp@lincolntown.org. Click here for an application or call the Selectmen’s Office at 781-259-2601 for more information.

Volunteers helped count thousands of election ballots cast early

(Editor’s note: This story was written and intended to be posted on Sunday, Nov. 1, but a technical error prevented its timely publication.)

November 1, 2020 — Millions of ballots nationwide are already being tallied in advance of Election Day on Tuesday, and Lincoln is no different. On Sunday, Nov. 1, the Town Clerk staff and volunteers spent hours opening and recording votes submitted via absentee ballot and early in-person voting.

A total of 3,467 votes have been cast (2,111 in precinct 1 and 1,356 in precinct 2). With 5,015 registered voters among Lincoln’s 7,050 residents, that translates to a voter turnout of 69% even before the polls open on Tuesday. Nonetheless, the polls will undoubtedly be busy on Tuesday; voter turnout in the last presidential election in 2016 was almost 86%, according to Town Clerk Valerie Fox.

Sunday’s process involved two sets of volunteers in Town Hall opening ballots, checking them against lists of registered voters, and feeding them into a voting machine that will tabulate the votes but will not display results until the polls have closed at 8 p.m. on November 3.

The pandemic and the passions surrounding this year’s election have galvanized Lincoln voters who are generally quite enthusiastic and involved even in normal years. On the first day of early voting on October 17, “there was a constant line,” Fox said. 

In recent months, there was concern in many towns that there would not be enough help on and before Election Day, since polling volunteers tend to skew older and many senior citizens are wary of Covid-19. But this hasn’t been a problem, as younger residents have filled the gap, including college students who did not go back to campus in September because of the Covid-19 restrictions.

“One of the great things that’s come out of this election is the number of people who have volunteered,” Fox said. “Many seniors are not comfortable [working] on Election Day, but younger people have volunteered, and it’s their time to step in,” Fox said. 

The reliability of the U.S Postal Service amid reports of delivery slowdowns that could have depressed turnout has also been a concern nationwide, “but the Lincoln postal services have been beyond what I could have hoped for — they have been absolutely outstanding,” Fox said. As an example, town postal workers received 2,000 blank ballots on October 7 for distribution residents who requested them — and they were all delivered on the same day. Postal workers are also prioritizing ballots that are postmarked on or before November 3 that don’t arrive that day. If the Town Clerk’s office gets them by 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, they’ll still count.

Click the photos below for larger versions and captions:

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Lincoln goes for Biden in a blowout as national results still undetermined

Lincoln’s unofficial election results are in, and as expected, Democrat Joe Biden trounced President Donald Trump by a margin of 81% to 19%. Statewide, Biden’s margin of victory was 66% to 33%.

Lincolnites also approved both ballot questions by comfortable margins. However, 55% of voters statewide said no to ranked-choice voting, according to The New York Times. The right-to-repair question passed in Massachusetts with 75% of voters saying yes.

In Lincoln, 4,152 voters cast ballots, or 83% of registered voters. A total of 3,467 (84%) of ballots were cast via absentee ballot, mail in, or early voting.

Click here to see a map outlining Lincoln’s two voting precincts.

Precinct #1Precinct #2Total% of ballots
cast*
U.S. PRESIDENT
Biden & Harris (D)2,0711,3033,37481%
Trump & Pence (R)34132066116%
Hawkins & Walker (Green/Rainbow)13518<1%
Jorgensen & Cohen (Libertarian)321951<1%
U.S. SENATE
Edward Markey (D)2,0261,2683,29479%
Kevin O'Connor (R)42435978319%
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Katherine Clark (D)2,0071,2463,25378%
Caroline Colarusso (R)42036278219%
COUNCILLOR
Marilyn Devaney (D)1,8791,2043,08374%
STATE SENATOR
Michael Barrett1,9811,2553,32678%
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Thomas Stanley (D)1,7651,1372,90270%
George Darcy (I)41429971317%
REGISTER OF PROBATE
Tara deCristofaro (D)1,5991,0662,66564%
QUESTION #1
(Right to repair)
Yes1,9151,2653,18077%
No47133880919%
QUESTION #2
(Ranked-choice voting)
Yes1,5781,0092,58762%
No8015841,38533%

* Totals do not add up to 100% because write-in and blank ballots are not included.

Police log for October 15–28, 2020

Police received reports this week of unemployment claims that were fraudulently filed in the name of Lincoln residents on Lewis Street, Brooks Road, Cambridge Turnpike, Stonehedge Road, Hemlock Circle, Linway Road, Weston Road (two), and South Great Road.

October 15

Lewis St. (8:09 a.m.) — Caller reported that a contractor knocked down a power line between the pole and the building. Fire Department contacted the electrical inspector to respond and taped off the area.

Lincoln Road (11:48 a.m.) — Officer came across a very minor crash at Rte. 117 and assisted with paper exchange; no report taken.

Lincoln Road (12:24 p.m.) — A worker from Donelan’s called with concerns about an elderly customer who appeared to be confused and was walking on Lincoln Road. Officer located the party, who lives at the Commons in Lincoln. The officer drove the party back to his residence.

October 16

North Commons (10:54 a.m.) — Resident requested a well-being check on a party who left their residence and was upset. Officer located the party, who was waiting for family; everything was fine.

Baker Farm Road (12:44 p.m.) — Police received a report of a campsite in the woods on conservation land. Officers checked but no one around. Officers later tracked down the owner, who is going to remove the equipment.

Wheeler Road (8:17 p.m.) — Caller reported a party was on his property who suddenly left when confronted in a vehicle. Officers checked the area but were unable to locate the person.

Bedford Road (4:57 p.m.) — Power outage reported; Eversource responding.

South Great Road (4:58 a.m.) — Traffic lights out at the intersection of Rte. 117 and Rte. 126. Four-way stop signs were deployed at the intersection.

October 17

Bedford Road, Beaver Pond Road (8:39 and 8:54 a.m.) — Reports of large trees down, taking out the electrical service to the houses. Eversource notified.

Moccasin Hill (4:19 p.m.) — Caller was concerned about a vehicle parked on the roadway on Saturday and Sunday. Officer checked on the vehicle and everything was fine; the owner will park elsewhere.

October 18

Lincoln Road (8 a.m.) — Caller reported a teenager walking who appears to be under the influence. Officer located the party, who didn’t wish to talk to the him but showed no signs of intoxication.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (8:51 p.m.) — Caller reported losing her phone that was on the hood of her car. Officers were unable to locate.

Old Concord Road (10:16 p.m.) — Caller reported having an interaction with a party at about 8:30 p.m. who was driving a scooter and appeared confused, looking for a directions to a residence in Lincoln and Burlington. Caller wanted to make police aware of the interaction.

October 19

Trapelo Road (8:57 a.m.) — Report of a tree down. DPW notified.

Sandy Pond Road (1:05 p.m.) — Report of political signs stolen at the five-way intersection. Additional reports of stolen signs at the same spot on October 20 at 8:15 p.m., October 21 at 4:07 a.m. and 7:37 p.m., October 22 at 5 p.m., October 26 at 9:56 p.m., October 27 at 9:56 p.m., October 28 at 2:26 p.m.

October 20

Todd Pond Road (10:18 a.m.) — Caller reported being a victim of fraud. Investigation ongoing.

Pierce House (1:59 p.m.) — Caller reported an elderly party left the residence who doesn’t have a license. Officer checked the area and was unable to locate the party, but followed up with her at her residence and advised her not to drive.

October 21

Todd Pond Road (7:59 a.m.) — Report of a party throwing debris in the roadway. Officer was unable to locate the involved party.

Ridge Road (4:09 p.m.) — A walk-in to the station wanted to report ongoing suspicious activity around their apartment. Report taken.

South Great Road (7:01 p.m.) — Report of glass breaking, possibly at a neighbor’s house. Officers checked the area and neighbors; everything appears fine.

October 22

Lincoln Road (10:47 a.m.) — Caller reported that railroad gates came down on top of his vehicle. No damage.

Lincoln Road (7:54 p.m.) — Verbal warning given to party riding a bike with no lights.

Lincoln Police Department (9:20 p.m.) — Minor damage to a police cruiser door while deploying a traffic board.

October 23

Page Road (6:20 a.m.) — Caller reported that a lumber truck was looking to make a delivery at a house on the street that he’s unable to locate. Officer responded and assisted the party; there was a mix-up with the paperwork

Huckleberry Hill (4:59 p.m.) — Report of political signs stolen. Second report of stolen signs on October 27 at 6:10 p.m.

October 24

Virginia Road (1:12 a.m.) — Officer checked on a party pulled over at the town line. Everything was fine.

South Great Road (11:52 a.m.) — Weston police reported they had a vehicle stopped in Lincoln that had left a crash in Weston. Officer responded to assist.

Ballfield Road (1:35 p.m.) — Report of political signs stolen.

Tower Road (4:17 p.m.) — Caller complained about a work truck idling in front of their house. The driver was waiting for the homeowner to arrive home for a delivery.

Stratford Way (9:57 p.m.) — Report of kids ringing the door bell and running away. Officer checked the area but was unable to locate them.

Lincoln Cemetery (10:21 p.m.) — Two parties were talking inside a vehicle. Officer checked on them and they left the area.

October 25

Tally Ho Lane, Wayland (2:50 a.m.) — Wayland police requesting assistance with a report of a party with a gun. Officer responded and were cleared by Wayland officers; everything was fine.

Lincoln Road (3:37 an.) — Officer checked on a vehicle pulled over with hazards on. It was an Uber driver and everything was fine.

Lincoln Road (11:31 a.m.) — Report of political signs stolen.

October 26

Silver Hill Road (10:17 a.m.) — Caller reported a deceased fox on her property. Animal Control will contact the caller.

Old Concord Road (1:14 p.m.) — Caller reported hearing loud banging noises in the area of her residence. Officers checked but were unable to locate anything.

The Food Project, Concord Road (10:31 p.m.) — Officer checked on cars and a RV at the Food Project. Permission had been given to them.

October 27

National Park Visitors’ Center (12:58 a.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked in the lot for a couple of days with no one around it.

Codman Road (10:58 a.m.) — Caller reported a suspicious person who was seen near the alpacas in Codman Field. Report taken.

Wells Road (12:04 p.m.) — Officer delivered court paperwork to the residence.

October 28

Lincoln Road (12:31 p.m.) — Attempted to deliver court paperwork to the resident; no contact made. Paperwork successfully delivered at 4:03 p.m.

Anneke Feuilletau de Bruyn, 1923–2020

Anna (Anneke) Feuilletau de Bruyn

Anna (Anneke) Feuilletau de Bruyn passed away on October 30, 2020. Anneke spent her last years in Lincoln, Massachusetts, with her son Marc Herant and his family, ending there a life of international travels that only saw her return to Holland, her country of national origin, on a handful of occasions.

Anneke was born on October 15, 1923 in Bogor, a sleepy agricultural town in West Java in what was then the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. She was the youngest of three sisters. Her father, Willem, was a third-generation Dutch colonial army officer who had led a number of expeditions in unexplored areas of west Papua, while her mother, Henriette (née Mulder), was from a family of estate owners. Anneke grew up in Bogor in the twilight of the Dutch colonial years, acquiring a sense of place in society that would last a lifetime.

The family returned to Holland in the mid-1930s and settled in The Hague. The dark years of World War II would soon follow. Anneke’s father was interned by the German occupying force along with other Dutch notables, essentially as hostages to ensure the good behavior of the population. In 1944-45, now based in Amsterdam and working for the Ministry of Social Affairs, Anneke endured what the Dutch would call the Hunger Winter. She would often recall these times with tales of hardship and misery. From then on, Anneke staunchly refused to speak German, which she had mastered quite well. Trained as a secretary and typist, she went to London at the end of the war where she worked at the Dutch Royal Navy HQ as a Wren (Women’s Royal Navy Service).

Anneke then joined the Dutch diplomatic service as a clerical worker. This was the start of a travel spree over a decade long that saw her first posted in Kenya, where she found a world much akin to that of her childhood in now-independent Indonesia. Portugal followed, then Mao’s China, which at the time was completely closed to Westerners except diplomats, and finally the Shah’s Iran.

Anneke inherited from her parents a keen curiosity and a spirit of exploration that would lead her on many adventures in all of these countries, whether on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, on the grasslands of the Maasai Mara, along the Great Wall, on the Trans-Siberian Railway, or through the deserts of Iran. Anneke loved road trips and took her battered VW Beetle on solo journeys from Tehran throughout the Middle East and eventually back to Europe — highly adventurous endeavours at the time.

In the early 1960s, during a holiday cruise in Greece, Anneke met Gilbert Herant, a French marine surveyor. They would spend the next 40 years together and have two children, Marc and Gilles.

In 1974, the whole family moved from Paris to Greece, where Gilbert had founded a small shipyard that tended to the nascent yachting industry in Rhodes. Athens would become their residence for the next 25 years. They brought up the children there within the French expatriate environment to which Anneke would remain anchored until the aging couple’s return to Lorgues, a village in the south of France, in 2003.

After all these years abroad as a staunch expatriate and outsider, Anneke found home and kinship in Lorgues and, probably for the first time in her life, fully embraced the community she lived in. She was socially active, volunteered in a large number of local charities, and finally found where she belonged. Her declining health prompted her final move to Lincoln, where her eldest son Marc sheltered her for the remainder of her days.

Anneke leaves two sons (Marc and Gilles) and five grandchildren (Joshua, Servanne, Sophie, Margaux, and Camille). Perhaps her biggest legacy to these subsequent generations is a sense of independence, in which belonging remains secondary to being one’s true self, and a huge love for mountains and the outdoors.

Police dispatcher charged with child pornography resigns

The Lincoln police dispatcher arrested on October 13 for possession of child pornography resigned before a town termination hearing was to be held, Chief of Police Kevin Kennedy announced in a statement on November 3. He had been on administrative leave without pay since his arrest.

“The facts surrounding the alleged crime are extremely concerning and shocked all members of the department,” the statement said. “As a result of the Dispatcher Hughes’ arrest, the Lincoln Police Department conducted its own internal investigation. With the assistance of the Town’s IT Director and an independent computer consultant, a forensic examination was conducted on all of the Dispatch computers as well as on Dispatcher Hughes’ computer profile. The internal investigation revealed no evidence of inappropriate or criminal behavior via the use of the town’s computers.

“While the town was in the process of moving forward with a termination hearing, Dispatcher Hughes resigned his position on October 30, 2020.

“It is important for the Lincoln community to know that prior to hiring Dispatcher Hughes a thorough background investigation was conducted to include the submission of fingerprints into the national database. There were no indications of conduct or behaviors that would have cast any doubt on Dispatcher Hughes’ ability to carry out his duties as a public safety dispatcher.”

Susan Harding, 1942–2020

Susan Harding

Susan Shelby (Patterson) Harding, age 78, died peacefully at home from metastatic brain cancer on October 27, 2o20. She was born July 13, 1942 in Louisville, Ky., the daughter of George C. and Kitty Park Patterson. She graduated from the Louisville Collegiate School in 1960 and from Radcliffe College in 1964 as a Phi Beta Kappa art history major.

She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Douglas Burnham Harding, and her two children, Susan Allen and her husband Woody of Knoxville, Tenn., and Douglas Harding, Jr. and his wife Kathleen of Great Falls, Va. She was proud of her three grandsons Alexander, William, and Parker. Prior to raising her family, Susan worked as a system programmer at the New England Telephone Company.

Many words are needed to describe the full “sum and substance” of Susan. Loving, committed, curious, elegant, inclusive, and a doer, to name a few. Her interests were many, including music, art, dance, theater, reading, and travel.

Active in town affairs, Susan served as president of the local league of Women Voters for many years and various town committees and boards including the Recreation Committee, Town Archives, and the Cemetery Commission.

Susan remained active in alumnae affairs after graduation through the Radcliffe College Alumnae Association. She chaired alumnae councils, and various committees. She was active in class activities and co-chaired her 50th reunion. She was a member of the Happy Committee, which helps maintain discipline and decorum for the celebration of Harvard Commencement each year, and also served as president of the Harvard Club in Concord for many years.

Susan was an avid gardener and horticulturist. She was an active member of many groups including the Native Plant Trust and the Lincoln Garden Club, and served as president of the Massachusetts chapter of the Rhododendron Society.

She enjoyed history and genealogy as an active member of the Order of the First Families of Virginia and the National Society of Colonial Dames in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She also served as director of Stratford Hall in Virginia and president of the Margaret Coffin Prayer Book Society in Boston.

Susan’s interests in history and education intersected nicely with her love of travel. She and her husband enjoyed many trips to Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, often connecting with former Harvard students they had hosted for over 30 years through the Harvard International Student Office.

Susan will be remembered and missed by her family and many friends and organizations. Her burial will be private as she wished. Memorial contributions in her name may be made to the National Society of Colonial Dames in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 55 Beacon St., Boston MA 02108 or the Native Plant Trust, 180 Hemenway Rd., Framingham MA 01701. Condolences may be left on her obituary page on the Concord Funeral Home website.