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

News acorns

Blood drive to benefit Boston Children’s Hospital

On Tuesday, May 13 from 10:00am-5:00pm, the Doo family (which is grateful for the donations that were available during their daughter’s multiple brain surgeries) and their Brain Games fundraiser will host a blood drive for Boston Children’s Hospital. Registration takes place inside the First Parish stone church, with the bloodmobile parked outside on Bedford Road. The drive is open to anyone able to donate, not just the Lincoln community. As a bonus, Boston Children’s will give each donor a cooler bag with a few Brain Games goodies inside. Sign up here to donate.

SSEF postpones gala due to immigration concerns

South Sudanese Enrichment for Families (SSEF) has decided to postpone the May 17 celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Massachusetts arrival of the “lost” boys and girls from Sudan. The event was planned to share their tremendous accomplishments. In light of the controversies around immigration, there is heightened confusion and concern within the South Sudanese community. SSEF has made the decision to postpone the event, but the online auction will go forward — keep checking the SSEF website or call 781-322-0063 for more information.

From SSEF Executive Director Susan Winship and board co-chair Ababa Abiem: “We are committed to rescheduling this celebration for a later date. If tickets were already purchased, you will receive an email with more information. In the meantime, a Legal Assistance Fund has been created to help those in need of immigration legal advice. We truly appreciate your support and commitment to our community as we navigate this situation. We look forward to celebrating with you at a future date. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at Susanwinship@comcast.net or aabiem@gmail.com.”

Donate items for new playground

Magic Garden Children’s Center is creating a new playground and looking to fill it with gently used treasures. Specifically, they are looking for:

  • Bricks, old hardware parts (door knobs, latches, locks), small wheels from wagons, bikes, etc.
  • Metal baking pans, kitchen utensils, large spoons, measuring cups, whisks, ladles, bowls
  • PVC pipes and fittings, outdoor instruments, wind chimes
  • Outdoor paint brushes
  • Plexiglass or plastic panels

Email Camie Petri (camille.petri@gmail.com) for donation pickup.

Coming up from the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust

Volunteer work day at Twin Pond
Friday, May 9 from 1:00-3:00pm
Join other volunteers to help clear woody introduced plants from the forest understory. RSVP here.

LLCT pollinator plant sale
Sunday, May 18 from 11:00am-1:00pm, Lincoln Station
Native perennials and shrubs that support wild pollinators and promote gardens that bloom throughout the season and offer nectar and pollen resources to bumblebees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. More about the sale and plant list.

Family invasive plant walk
Saturday, May 17 from 1:00-3:00pm
Join LLCT and Danielle Proulx for a fun and educational kids’ program. Young nature detectives will play games, hear stories, and head out on a guided nature walk to track down non native plants. Geared towards elementary-aged children. Learn more and RSVP here.

LLCT and COAHS noticing walks
Space is still available on the May 21, June 3, and June 18 Noticing Walks. Join a group of nature-lovers exploring Lincoln’s trails. RSVP here.

Become a hospice volunteer

Care Dimensions, the region’s largest provider of hospice care, will hold online training classes for those interested in becoming volunteers for the nonprofit organization. You can make a difference in a patient’s life by:

  • Engaging in a shared interest or hobby
  • Helping with letter-writing or life review
  • Visiting with your approved dog
  • Reading to the patient
  • Listening and by providing a supportive, comforting presence

Volunteers visit patients in their homes, in facilities, and at our hospice houses. If patient visits are not the right fit, you can volunteer in other ways, such as providing administrative office support or making check-in phone calls to current patients or bereaved family members. Training will be held via Zoom on Mondays and Wednesdays, June 2-18, from 9:00-11:00am (register by Friday, May 23). For more information or to register, click here or email VolunteerInfo@CareDimensions.org.

Legal notice: Select Board public hearing (Goose Pond)

Verizon New England Inc. and
NSTAR Electric Company d/b/a Eversource Energy Hearing

The Select Board of the Town of Lincoln will conduct a grant of location hearing on Monday evening, May 19, 2025 at 7:00 pm, in response to a petition for joint or identical pole locations. VERIZON NEW ENGLAND INC. and NSTAR ELECTRIC COMPANY d/b/a EVERSOURCE ENERGY request permission to locate poles, wires, cables and fixtures including the necessary anchors, guys and other such sustaining and protecting fixtures to be owned and used in common by your petitioners, along and across the following public way or ways:

Goose Pond Road:

Place one (1) JO pole, P.14-1X approximately 35’ southeasterly from existing pole, P.14 located on the westerly side of Goose Pond Road.  The petition is necessary to accommodate services 34 Goose Pond Road.

Pursuant to the extension of the remote meeting authorization of the Open Meeting Law through June 30, 2027, under Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2025, this meeting of the Select Board will be conducted as a hybrid meeting, providing the public the opportunity to participate in-person or remotely.

Plans are available for review in the Select Board’s Office.

Specific information and the general guidelines for remote participation by members of the public and/or parties with a right and/or requirement to attend this meeting can be found on the Town of Lincoln website, at www.lincolntown.org.

Note that legal notices often must be posted twice by law. For previous legal notices and details on how to submit a legal notice to the Lincoln Squirrel, click here.

Property sales in March and April 2025

3 Goose Pond Rd. — Robert McGarr to Juliana Sagor and Peter Lee for $1,775,000 (April 28)

21 Birchwood Lane — Anthony Dubon to David B. Martin Trust and Laurel K. Martin Trust for $875,000 (April 25)

30 Old Sudbury Rd. — Paul Chapman to John and Margaret Doyle for $2,000,000 (April 4)

61 Oxbow Rd. — Marijke E. Holtrop Trust to Amanda Millis and Florian Allroggen for $1,400,000 (April 2)

19 Sunnyside Lane — Donna Bryne to Wei Zhu and Coty Sheme for $1,010,000 (March 18)

49 Birchwood Lane — Laura Stookey Johnson Trust to John and Samara Fangman for $975,000 (March 17)

 

Public forums, walks scheduled around Panetta/Farrington proposal

A map showing the land that will be developed and conserved under the proposal. Click image to enlarge, and see the April 27 and April 20 Lincoln Squirrel articles for more information.

The Rural Land Foundation has scheduled a number of public forums (in person and via Zoom) and site walks to acquaint residents with the proposal to purchase and rezone land to allow 20 construction of 20 single-family houses plus new town-owned conservation land. 

To go forward, the project — the result of a multi-year collaboration between RLF, Farrington Memorial Nature Linc, and the Panetta family — must win a two-thirds majority on a rezoning vote at a Special Town Meeting on June 25, as well as approval to allocate $950,000 from the town’s Community Preservation Act fund.
 
RLF Executive Director Geoff McGean and Wendy Matusovich of Farrington Nature Linc will present at these events so the community can learn more about the project and ask questions. 

Thursday, May 8
12:00-1:00pm, Lincoln Public Library Tarbell Room

Monday, May 12
7:00-8:00pm, Zoom

Tuesday, May 13
9:30-11:30am, site walk at Farrington Nature Nature Linc (RSVP here)

Wednesday, May 21
9:00-10:00am, site walk at Farrington Nature Nature Linc (RSVP here)

Thursday May 22
7:00-8:00pm, Zoom

Tuesday, June 3
7:00-8:00pm, Zoom

Wednesday, June 4
12:00-1:00pm, Lincoln Library Tarbell Room

Legal notice: Planning Board public hearing (Andrade)

The Lincoln Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 7:01pm on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 via Zoom and in person at the Donaldson Room at Town Offices at 16 Lincoln Road to review an application for Multi-Family Residential Site Plan Review under Section 17 of the Zoning Bylaw. The applicant, Fabio Andrade, proposes to remove an existing building and construct a 4-unit multifamily townhouse at 150 Lincoln Road, Parcel 162-30-0.

Plans are available for review by e-mailing Jennifer Curtin at curtinj@lincolntown.org. The agenda with the Zoom information and meeting location will be posted to the town website at lincolntown.org/calendar at least 48 hours prior to the hearing. Anyone wishing to be heard may be present at the designated time and place; written comments will also be accepted.

Note that legal notices often must be posted twice by law. For previous legal notices and details on how to submit a legal notice to the Lincoln Squirrel, click here.

News acorns

Council on Aging & Human Services events in May

Coming up on Fridays in May 12:30pm in Bemis Hall (see the May COA&HS newsletter for details):

  • May 9 — A Visit with Isabella Stewart Gardner
  • May 16 — Unusual Plants of Lincoln and Beyond
  • May 23 — Film: “American Sniper”
  • May 30 — Should I Stay or Should I Go? Exploring the Options (part 3)

Also at the COA&HS: a jazz concert with Jim Mazzy on Thursday, May 22 at 2:00pm in Bemis Hall.

Food Project seedling sale

The Food Project will have a seedling sale on Saturday, May 17 from 11:00am–2:00pm at its Baker Bridge Road field (90 Concord Rd, Lincoln).

Coming up at Codman Community Farms

Click on an event title for details.

Pair of Gropius House special events

Join the 2025 birthday celebration in honor of the Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius on Saturday, May 17 from 6:30-9:00pm at the Gropius House. This 60’s themed party that continues a tradition of Bauhaus design-inspired revelry will honor both the birthday of Gropius and 40 years of the Gropius House as a public museum. Hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and live music. 1960s attire or adornment is optional. Advance ticket purchase encouraged ($80 for Historic New England members, $100 for nonmembers, $35 for students with ID). Call 617-994-6651 for more information. Thank you to the event’s key sponsor and Historic New England member Mark Allen.

The Children’s Creativity Festival, a collaboration with LincFam and Historic New England, takes place on Sunday, May 18 at the Gropius House from 3:00-5:00pm. Come to an open house and a hands-on celebration featuring art, music and dance in the sprit of the Bauhaus principles of experiential learning and creativity. The event is free and open to all. Contributions to support our organizations are appreciated.

Roadway & Traffic Committee vacancy

The Select Board invites applications from residents who would like to be considered for appointment to a one-year term to the Roadway & Traffic Committee (RTC), which acts in an advisory capacity to the Select Board and Superintendent of the Department of Public Works. It works in close collaboration with the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee, which performs a separate but related role with a more concentrated focus on improving and expanding pedestrian and cyclist safety and connectivity throughout Lincoln.

Although not required, a background in planning, design and construction, project management, transportation planning, or traffic safety would be beneficial. The RTC meets about once a month in the mornings. Send a volunteer application and brief letter of interest to Peggy Elder, Select Board Administrative Assistant, at elderp@lincolntown.org by Monday, May 12.

Property tax exemption available

Seniors and low-income residents who live in Lincoln may be eligible for a Community Preservation Act tax exemption. The CPA tax is a surcharge of 3% of the property tax levied after the first $100,000 of the taxable residential assessed value of your home. Guidelines with adjusted household income limits:

  • Seniors aged 60+ — $112,630 for a single person, $128,720 for two persons; add $16,090 for each additional person.
  • Others under age 60 — $90,104 for a single person, $102,976 for two persons; add $12,872 for each additional person. For more information or to apply, please call Carlee at 781-259-8811.

Planning Board votes 4-1 to approve Plaut proposal

The three lots owned by the Plauts are outlined in blue (click to enlarge).

The Planning Board voted 4-1 last week to approve a proposal to clear-cut and replant several acres of undeveloped land between Old Winter Street and Trapelo Road.

Representatives of Timothy and Madeleine Plaut, who own three lots totaling 8.5 acres, presented a proposal in March to clear about one-third of the land, regrade part of it for a driveway, plant new native trees and shrubs, and create a meadow in preparation for building a single-family house. The board specified that “to the extent possible,” construction and delivery vehicles must enter and leave the property from the Trapelo Road side of Old Winter Street and that the applicants build a temporary turnaround for that purpose. They had originally hoped to gain temporary access from Silver Hill Road, but the Conservation Commission denied that request since the route would traverse wetlands.

In their written decision, the board also required the applicant to mark every tree six inches or larger in diameter that they intend to cut down, and to have a site visit with Planning Department staff before tree removal begins.

At the board’s April 22 meeting, member Susan Hall Mygatt voted against the proposal, arguing that the clearing and replanting portions of the proposal do not conform to Section 17.7.4a of the town zoning bylaw that says that “the landscape shall be preserved in its natural state insofar as practicable by minimizing any grade changes and vegetation and soil removal.” The plan calls for cutting down 137 mature trees and planting 268 new trees of varying sizes as well as shrubs and ground cover. 

“It’s a question of what you consider the ‘natural state’,” board co-chair Gary Taylor said. “I would consider this to be preserving the natural environment of Lincoln.”

“I don’t think it meant it should be preserved as of the date that bylaw was enacted. I’m not an originalist; I think landscapes change,” Mygatt responded. “It’s going to be beautiful, but it’s just inconsistent with the bylaw.” Also, she added, “It’s such a huge project that while I believe [the Plauts] have the vision and financial capability to pull this off, if we’re wrong, it’s one heck of a mess on that property… I just think it’s an unnecessary risk to take.”

“If I’m an abutter, this is the next best thing to [having it be] conservation land. It’s better than three McMansions,” board member Rob Ahlert said — a sentiment that was echoed by two of those abutters.

Although the board approved the plan, they also agreed that the town needs more teeth in controlling what can be done to the landscape of private property. “I think we need to revise our bylaws and come up with something about taking down trees,” co-chair Lynn DeLisi said — something that the Tree Preservation Study Group is already working on.

But others at the meeting objected more strenuously. The intent of the zoning bylaw is to “preserve the current ecosystem,” said Barbara Peskin, who envisioned “children seeing wildlife running for their lives.

“I think this is an ecological disaster,” Vicky Diadiuk said. “Property rights are not as important as the welfare of the community. We’re talking about a common resource we’re about to devastate… it’s unworthy of the town of Lincoln. Stop studying and start passing laws that protect our environment. You’ll be gone by the time you finish talking about it.”

Nancy Hammond, 1937–2025

Nancy Campbell Hammond

Nancy Campbell Hammond of Lincoln died at her home on April 23, 2025 after two years of living with cancer. She was 87.

A native of Fremont, Neb., Nancy graduated from the University of Nebraska and moved to Pasadena, Calif. There, she embarked on a diverse career of work with children that ranged from researching childhood development, to teaching deaf children, to contributing to the nascent Head Start program to working as a children’s librarian.

She met and married John Hammond in California, and together they moved to the Boston area, purchasing a fixer-upper farmhouse in Lincoln that would be their home for the next half-century. While raising their two daughters, Sarah and Kate, Nancy completed a master’s degree in children’s literature at Simmons College. Later, Nancy reviewed children’s books for the Horn Book Magazine and worked as a children’s librarian at the Maynard and Cambridge Public Libraries, introducing countless kids to the joys of books.

Nancy’s curiosity about the birds at her backyard feeder developed into a lifelong interest in birding and the environment. She and John, often with Sarah and Kate and later their grandchildren, traveled the world to see birds, wildlife, and explore other cultures. Nancy worked tirelessly to remove exotic, invasive species from the family’s eight acre property. She was an avid supporter of Drumlin Farm, Mass Audubon, the Conservation Law Foundation, and the Boston Nature Center.

Nancy was a Boston and Nebraska sports fan, a reader, a naturalist, and a cultural explorer, always trying new restaurants, museums and music happenings in the Boston area with John and sharing her finds with friends. She was wonderfully dedicated to the causes she believed in, and to her family and friends. She was independent, stubborn, loyal, and warm-hearted.

Nancy was predeceased by her husband, John, and her brother, Kent Campbell. She is survived by her sister, Mary Pedersen, her daughters Sarah (Tim) and Kate (Geoff), and four grandchildren.

Services for Nancy will be private. Interment will be at Lincoln Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please do something for the environment. Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord, which provided this obituary. To share a remembrance or offer a condolence on Nancy’s tribute page, click here.

More details on Farrington/Panetta housing and conservation proposal

A sketch of what the starter homes might look like (click to enlarge). See the April 27 Lincoln Squirrel article for more project illustrations.

The Planning Board got more details this week on the Nature Link project proposed for Page Road/Route 2 land, including information on sizes and estimated prices of the homes.

The Rural Land Foundation is asking voters at a Special Town Meeting on June 25 to approve rezoning and funding measures that would allow the town to purchase 77 acres of land now owned by the Frank Panetta Jr. Trust and Farrington Memorial. Oriole Landing developer Civico, which is providing $3.3 million of the $6.4 million total land purchase cost, hopes to build 20 tightly clustered single-family condominium homes on some of the parcel, while most of the rest will become town-owned conservation land. Farrington Nature Linc would remain as is, though with a new access road from Page Road.

To make it happen, voters must approve a change to the existing North Lincoln Overlay District for the proposed housing and another to preserve the existing Gerard’s Farm Stand on Route 2, as well as a $950,000 appropriation from the town’s Community Preservation Act fund. Another $800,000 from the City of Cambridge and $1.35 million in private donations to the RLF will round out the total.

The three houses now on the Panetta land will be razed. In addition to 17 small starter homes ranging from 1,650 to 2,000 square feet, the development will include three 4,500-square-foot homes on the southeast corner of the site. Andrew Consigli of Civico estimated that the starter homes will sell for under $1 million while the three larger homes would fetch $1.5 million to $2 million. Three of the starter homes would be income-restricted.

Because it will be a condominium complex, owners will not be allowed to make substantial changes to their homes without consent of the entire condo homeowners’ association. The RLF will have right of first refusal if Farrington Memorial ever decides to sell their parcel, which will have deed restrictions so Farrington Nature Linc can continue to operate on part of the land and “make small additions to their footprint” in the future if desired, said Geoff McGean,  Executive Director of the RLF, which is distributing this brochure touting the project.

If all goes as planned, the deal will conserve the largest remaining parcel of undeveloped and unprotected land in Lincoln. “This is the result of many, many years of negotiation,” McGean told the Planning Board. “It’s a balance of benefits, and all parties involved have made some sacrifices. I can’t emphasize enough that this is a moment in time… it’s not going to be there next year.”

The decision to propose small starter homes rather than townhouses or multifamily housing was based on economics as well as the wishes of the Panettas, Consigli said. The development is modeled after the nascent 40Y state program, though the Lincoln proposal would allow houses larger than the $1,850-square-foot state maximum.

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on June 10. Before that will be public information sessions and site walks as well as presentations to the Conservation Commission, Community Preservation Committee, and Housing Coalition.

Each house will have a two-car garage and a small private yard, and residents will have access to a common green. “It’s going to have a very communal feel,” said Jeremy Lake of Union Studio Architecture & Community Design, which designed the Riverwalk housing in West Concord.

Planning Board member Susan Hall Mygatt was concerned that preserving the commercial farm stand alongside the housing might constitute spot zoning. Director of Planning and Land Use Paula Vaughn-Mackenzie said town counsel was reviewing the issue.

Many attendees at the April 29 meeting expressed support for the proposal. Andrew Glass, chair of the Historical Commission, noted that his group approves about half a dozen teardowns each year, and most of them are small houses. “This will help replenish a form of housing stock in Lincoln that we have seen a great decimation of in the last several decades,” he said.

Addendum

In an April 29 News Acorn item about the Lincoln Co-ed Softball League opening day, the time was omitted, as was a link to the website for more information. The full item is below, and the original post has been updated.

The Lincoln Co-ed Slow-pitch Softball League will hold an Opening Day event on Sunday, May 4 at 5:00pm at Codman Field with a casual pick-up game and a home run derby as well as contests for kids. All skill levels and awkward batting stances welcome. Equipment provided, including left-handed bats. To learn more and register for the league, click here.