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

Farm folk tap into the sweetness of spring

From the March 22, 2026 Codman Community Farms member newsletter, republished with permission.

For the past many weeks, it’s been maple sugaring season in New England. While Codman Farm doesn’t run a commercial sugaring operation, we do participate in this seasonal celebration with an incredible group of dedicated volunteers leading the effort. The maple sugaring season comes on quickly and usually ends just as swiftly — so our volunteers need to be at the ready to tap the trees and begin the labor intensive process of hauling all the maple sap back to the farm for boiling down to syrup.

Our guest contributor this week is Stephen Hoenig, longtime Lincoln resident, former Codman Farm board member, and yes, Sap Head in Chief. Steve has been leading our sapping effort for many, many years and we are eternally grateful for his hard work, passion for sugaring, and his absolutely infectious positivity and good cheer. Here is his tale:

Exactly one month ago this afternoon (as of a few days go), I gathered our loyal “Sap Heads.” Together, we marched to our maple tree haven at Baker Bridge Road with spiles, buckets, lids, drills, and hammers in hand—to tap our sacred trees. Our mission: collect sap from the Sugar Maple trees and begin the transformation into maple syrup.

We knew that the rhythm of frigid nights and warm days changes the inner workings of a tree’s plumbing. A simple 2-inch hole drilled into a tree can yield 1–3 gallons of sap per day. So, on February 18th, about 20 of us — mostly children, along with a few adults — got to work. One strong 13-year-old Lincolnite powered a drill with a 5/16-inch bit into a tree while a classmate set the spile and tapped it firmly into place. Her younger siblings hung the bucket, another added the lid, and then they moved on together repeating the process across 39 more trees. The sap began to drip immediately. Many children (and adults) eagerly caught drops of the faintly sweet liquid in their mouths, as if it were falling from the heavens.

Our work had begun.

Each day, our team returned to the grove to gather sap and haul it to larger barrels. Even as two major snowstorms dropped 3–4 feet of snow, we pressed on — snowshoeing, skiing, and trudging through drifts, rarely missing a day. The cold, the early darkness, and the wind did not slow us down. Three dedicated women transported up to 100 gallons of sap at a time in the red Codman Farm pickup truck, hauling heavy barrels with laughter and determination — never a complaint, always a smile.

In total, we boiled 410 gallons of sap. Volunteers had previously chopped and stacked hardwood along the walls of the sugar shack, ready to fuel the fire. Another team kept the fire going and fed sap into the evaporator, concentrating it as clouds of steam filled the air. A Solo Stove helped keep us warm — along with a little wine, whiskey, and barbecued Codman sausage!

Because education is at the heart of Codman Farm, we welcomed about 40 students — young and old — during the final weekend. They visited the grove and the sugar shack and enjoyed pancakes topped with Codman maple syrup and homegrown bacon. We then capped it all off with pizza in the pavilion.

The boiling is now complete. Our hard-earned sap has been transformed into gallons of Codman “Liquid Gold,” carefully filtered and poured into 2-, 8-, and 24-ounce bottles. Soon, they will be available in our store or shared with the many hands who made this possible. Some will even find their way into creations from the Codman kitchen.

Wherever these bottles go, they carry the spirit of our community with them.

Thank you to our Sap Heads, who drilled, hung, collected, hauled, boiled, and smiled their way through the past month. Our syrup is the finest of the fine — and may your pancakes never be without it.

 

News acorns

Car breaks-ins in Lincoln

Lincoln police are investigating several car breaks in the Lincoln Road/Route 117 corridor that occurred some time between 3:00am and 5:00am on March 30. Several unlocked cars were opened and items removed. Please remove all valuable items and lock your vehicles. Also, if you have surveillance systems that were activated in the early morning hours, please review the footage. If anything appears out of the ordinary, please call the Lincoln Police Department (781-259-8111).

Arts and Farmers Market this weekend

The Lincoln Arts and Farmers Market Spring Market will take place on Saturday, April 4 from 10:00am–2:00pm at the Pierce House with vendors selling flowers, jewelry, ceramics, puzzles, and more. The vendor highlight is Lincoln’s Stewart Coffin, considered to be one of the best designers of polyhedral interlocking puzzles in the world, or “AP-ART, the sculptural art that comes apart,” as he calls it (see his Wikipedia page and read this Lincoln Squirrel profile of him). Other vendors at the market:

Hydrant flushing to begin

The Lincoln Water Department will begin its annual hydrant flushing program starting on Monday, April 6 with flushing each day daily from noon to 2:00am in various locations around town. This routine maintenance is necessary to improve water quality, remove sediment and tuberculation from water mains, and verify proper operation of hydrants and water main valves.

What to expect:

  • Temporary discoloration (this is normal and not harmful)
  • Slight drop in water pressure

What to do:

  • If you notice discolored water, run the cold water from a faucet until it clears before using it for drinking, cooking, or laundry.
  • Avoid washing light colors while flushing is taking place in your area. Check the Lincoln Water Department’s Facebook page for daily updates on flushing locations.

Questions or concerns? Call the Water Department at 781-259-2669.

Parent Prom on April 11

The Lincoln PTO is hosting their second annual Parent Prom on Saturday, April 11 from 8:00–11:00pm in Bemis Hall. At this adults-only event (open to all adults, not just LPS parents/caregivers), dress up and dance to your favorite ’90s music with your friends. Feel free to go old school prom attire, super fancy, or a laid-back cocktail attire. $75 per person, which includes one drink ticket. Purchase tickets here. Ticket sales generate funds that teachers may spend on bringing in programming that supplements the existing in-class curriculum.

Volunteers needed for Affordable Housing Trust

The Select Board is seeking a volunteer to serve on the Affordable Housing Trust until April 2027. The purpose of the trust is creation and preservation of affordable housing for the benefit of low- and moderate-income households, and to use the trust fund accordingly. For example, the trust contributed $1 million to the Oriole Landing project to secure a higher percentage of income-restricted units. The group seeks Lincoln residents who have demonstrated interest or engagement in issues concerning housing, affordable housing, property development, local policy, land use, or related topics. They generally meet in the morning on a quarterly basis as part of the Housing Coalition.

Letters of interest should be addressed to the Select Board and sent to Peggy Elder, administrative assistant in the Select Board’s Office (elderp@lincolnma.gov) along with a completed volunteer application by 5:00pm on Monday, April 20. The board will interview candidates at its April 27meeting. For more information, email Select Board member Jennifer Glass at jglassselect@lincolnma.gov or call the Select Board’s Office at 781-259-2601.

Earth Day at deCordova

Celebrate Earth Day at deCordova with a hands-on maker space inspired by the natural world on Wednesday, April 22 from 10:00am–noon. Explore themes of sustainability, renewal, and our connection to the environment as you experiment with creative and unexpected materials. More information and tickets.

Gentile to hold virtual office hours

State Rep. Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury) will hold virtual office hours on Wednesday, April 22 from 11:00am–1:00pm. Sign up for a 20-minute time slot by emailing Gentile’s legislative aide, Jack Brox McCarthy, at jackbrox.mccarthy@mahouse.gov. Constituents must provide their full name, address, phone number, email, and topic(s) of discussion.

Legal notice: ZBA (61 Oxbow)

LEGAL NOTICE — ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

The Zoning Board of the Appeals of the Town of Lincoln will hold a virtual online public hearing Thursday, April 2, 2026, at 7:00 P.M. to hear and to act on the following petitions under the Zoning Bylaws:

New:

  • Floriain Allroggen/Amanda Millis, 61 Oxbow Rd., M/P 174-11-0 for a variance to build a garage with studio above.

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.

Legal notice: Order of Notice (BSL/BN Commons Licensee Inc.)

Editor’s note: This is one of three repeated legal notices required by law. BSL/BN is the prior holder of the on-premises liquor license at The Commons in Lincoln. The dissolution will have no impact on the current liquor license holder at The Commons, nor any impact on The Commons.

ORDER OF NOTICE

WHEREAS a civil action has been commenced by BSL/BN Commons Licensee Inc. (“BSL/BN”), seeking a petition for dissolution, pursuant to G.L. c. 180, §11. Any person who has a claim against BSL/BN may present themselves to the Middlesex Superior Court, 200 Tradecenter Dr. Woburn, MA on April 21, 2026 in Courtroom 720 at 2:00 p.m. and address the Court.

We COMMAND YOU if you intend to make any defense, that on April 21or within such further time as the law allows you, to cause your written pleading to be filed in the office of the Clerk of Court named above, in said Commonwealth, and further that you defend against said action according to law if you intend any defense, and that you do and receive what the Court shall order and adjudge herein. If you do not, said action may be adjudged and orders entered in your absence.

It is ORDERED that notice of this action be given by publishing, once a week for three successive weeks, the last publication to be at least 20 days before said return date, in the Lincoln Squirrel.

For previous legal notices and details on how to submit a legal notice to the Lincoln Squirrel, click here.

News acorns

Coming up at the COA

Here are some of the April 2026 activities hosted by the Lincoln Council on Aging and Human Services. Most events are open to Lincoln residents of all ages. For a full list — including clinics, exercise classes, regular meetings of interest groups, and online chats with town officials — see the COAHS’s newsletter page. Call 781-259-8811 or email gagnea@lincolntown.org for Zoom links and other information.

Back & Neck Pain: What Helps & What Doesn’t?
Friday, April 3 at 12:30pm, Bemis Hall
With Lincoln’s Antje Barreveld, M.D., Chief of Pain Medicine at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Rachel Carson: A Nature Love Story for Our Time
Friday, April 10 at 12:30pm, Bemis Hall
With Diane Edgecomb, actress and storyteller. A 60-minute show, 15-minute break, and post-show sharing of nature experiences. Sponsored by grant from Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council.

Doo Wop Spring Fling
Friday, April 17 at 12:30pm, Bemis Hall

Jazz Concert with 2Slick
Thursday, April 30 at 3:00pm, Bemis Hall
2Slick is a jazz quintet with a two-trombone frontline. For more information, visit www.2slick.net. Sponsored by a grant from the Music Performance Trust Fund, the Lincoln Council on Aging & Human Services, and the Friends of the Lincoln COA.

Column: “Signs of Spring Emerge”

Learn about the signs of spring (and many photos of plants and animals doing their spring thing (including beavers, spring peepers, spotted salamanders and skunk cabbage) in the March wildlife column by Gwyn Loud on the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust/Rural Land Foundation website.

Lincoln resident in Acme Theater play

Acme Theater at the Weston United Methodist Church (377 North Ave. in Weston) presents “Unnecessary Farce” by Paul Slade Smith (directed by Kevin Nessman) featuring cast member Stephanie Kramp of Lincoln. In a run-down motel, a high-stakes sting operation is about to go hilariously off the rails. The result is a breathless whirlwind of mistaken identities and plummeting pants. Performances are April 3–18 (Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 3:00pm). Ticket information here ($25 for adults, $23 for seniors and students)

New award for library staff and volunteers

The Friends of the Lincoln Library are pleased to announce the creation of a new annual recognition program made possible through the generous donations given in memory of Virginia Rundell, who died in January 2024. In celebration of her legacy, this program will recognize individuals who, like Virginia, go above and beyond to support the mission of the Lincoln Public Library and strengthen our community. Organizers are seeking nominees of Lincoln Library staff or volunteers who embody the core values of the Lincoln Public Library and reflect the spirit of service that defined Virginia’s life. Submissions are open through Friday, April 17 — email friendslincolnlibrary@gmail.com. 

At the library in April

Craft & Chill: Watercolor Cherry Trees
Monday, April 6 from 4:00–5:00pm, Tarbell Room
Give yourself a mental break and do some relaxing art in a low-key setting. All supplies are provided by the library. For ages 16+. Register here.

10 Steps to Researching the History of Your House in Lincoln
Thursday, April 9 from 6:30–8:00pm, Tarbell Room
You can research the history of your house, whether it’s 20 years old or 200 years old. Northeast House Historian Marian Pierre-Louis will explain where to find the deeds to your house, how to chain a deed, and how to locate other sources of information such as U.S. Federal Census records, maps, and tax records. Suitable for both beginners and those with research experience. Details here.

LOMA: Lindsay Straw and Andy Cambria

Lindsay Straw and Andy Cambria

Lindsay Straw and Andy Cambria will be the headliners at the next Lincoln Open Mic Acoustic (LOMA) on Monday, April 13 from 7–10 p.m. in Bemis Hall (doors open at 6:30pm, feature from 8:30-9:00pm). Get a taste of their music on their video of “Lakes of Pontchartrain,” a traditional American tune adopted by Irish bands abroad LOMA is a monthly open mike night event with mikes and instrumental pickups suitable for individuals or small groups playing acoustic-style. Come and perform (email loma3re@gmail.com to sign up) or just come listen to acoustic music and spoken word. Free admission.

Apply to speak at TEDx Walden Pond

TEDx Walden Pond is accepting speaker applications through Wednesday, April 22. This year’s theme is “The Courage to Pay Attention,” which can encompass anything from everyday attention to technology, and the quiet power of noticing what’s right in front of us. Learn more and apply at www.tedxwaldenpond.com. Organizers are also inviting community sponsors to support this year’s event. For the first time, they’re offering a single Presenting Sponsor role, an exclusive partnership with one organization whose values align with the spirit of TEDx Walden Pond, with recognition across TEDx Walden Pond’s videos and website. Email sponsorship@tedxwaldenpond.com for details.

Survey seeks info on agriculture in Lincoln

The Lincoln Agricultural Commission is conducting a town-wide survey to better understand the full range of agricultural activity taking place within Lincoln’s geographic boundaries. This includes everything from backyard gardens, chickens, and small livestock to horse properties, working farms, forestry, food production, and both for-profit and nonprofit agricultural organizations. The survey will help the Agricultural Commission:

  • Understand the scale and diversity of agricultural activity in town,
  • Identify needs, challenges, and opportunities, and
  • Inform future planning and coordination with other town committees.

Take the survey here (please submit one response for each agricultural activity or operation). Questions? Email agcom@lincolnma.gov.

Service on May 1 for William B. Stason, 1931–2026

William Boaz Stason

On March 24, 2026, William Boaz Stason of Lincoln, Mass., died peacefully at home at the age of 94.

Bill was a force of nature, guided by a strong moral compass and a lifelong commitment to community, service and medicine. In his seventies, he biked up Mount Washington; in his eighties, he traveled to Nepal on a medical mission; and in his nineties, he continued to work out regularly and tend his Codman community garden plot. Bill was active and held several leadership positions in the town of Lincoln including with the First Parish Church, Codman Community Farms, and the Lincoln Minute Men.

Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Mich., he was the son of Edwin Blythe Stason and Adeline Boaz Stason, and was predeceased by his brother, E. Blythe Stason, Jr. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan in 1953, served three years in the United States Navy, and earned his medical degree cum laude from Harvard Medical School in 1960. He completed his cardiology training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Columbia University and earned a degree in public health from Harvard’s School of Public Health.

Bill was a devoted husband and father who loved the outdoors and shared many adventures with his family. He is survived by Susan, his wife of 57 years; his children, William, Thomas, Amanda, and Suzannah, and their partners; and his grandchildren, Zalen, Liam, Josie, Journey, and Everly.

A memorial service will be held at the First Parish Church (FPL) in Lincoln on Friday, May 1, 2026 at 2:00pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made on his behalf to FPL, 14 Bedford Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 or Codman Community Farms, 58 Codman Road, Lincoln, MA 01773. Arrangements under the care of Concord Funeral Home, which provided this obituary. Click here to sign his online guest book.

Town Meeting features two different takes on ‘bright light’

Former Selectman Gary Taylor reads the Bright Light Award citation to Sarah Cannon Holden (right) as fellow former Selectman Sara Mattes (center) and current Select Board member Jennifer Glass (left) look on. (Click image to enlarge)

Lincoln residents gathered on March 28 for an Annual Town Meeting that included both a reflection on decades of civic service and a forward-looking debate on how to preserve the town’s character in a changing world. 

Bright Light Award

The highlight of the morning was the presentation of the Bright Light Award to Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden, who was presiding over her final Town Meeting after 15 years in the role. Select Board member Jennifer Glass delivered an emotional tribute, noting Holden’s 36 years of elected and appointed service that included stints on the Finance Committee, School Committee, and Select Board. Before the award was presented, a slide show displayed some of Holden’s Lincoln history as well as short video tributes to “Rahrah” from her grandchildren and others.

Holden, who is an attorney and professional mediator, “mentored countless fellow volunteers and taught the next generation to find their voice and positively impact the community,” Glass said. Quoting Holden about a contentious meeting in the past, she added, “It was fun, it was inspiring, it was messy at times, it was democracy.”

In her 36-year career as a Lincoln volunteer, “I learned about different perspectives on issues and human resistance to change,” Holden said. “The greatest gift is the unique opportunity when serving as moderator and on other boards is to learn from people” of all types and from everywhere in town, she said. “It is what we celebrate this year [America’s 250th anniversary], it is what we must protect vigilantly… [our duty is] to be informed, to volunteer, to be at Town Meeting, and to vote.”

Holden’s two former Selectmen, Sara Mattes and Gary Taylor, helped present the award, with Mattes (who recently published an appreciation of Holden in the Lincoln Squirrel and on LincolnTalk) noting that the trio were known then as “Sara, Sarah, and Not-Sarah.”  Holden received a standing ovation and a citation from the President of the Massachusetts Senate for her service.

Article 32 cast a look farther back in Lincoln history in asking for a town vote on the same question that was put before voters in 1776: whether or not to support the forthcoming Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress. Two Lincoln historians, Rick Wiggin and Don Hafner, read speeches that were given in town on May 20, 1776 for and against declaring independence.

“Imagine the choice the colonists faced: king or no king,” Holden said before Wiggin presented the pro-independence argument with some lines that carried new relevance in 2026.

“America today is at a crossroad” in deciding whether “a king who is greatest enemy of this country shall continue to tell us, ‘there shall be no laws but such as I like’,” Wiggin said. Ironically, Lincoln was one of only two towns in Massachusetts that voted against the measure in 1776.

Modernizing Town Meeting

Kenny Mitchell, chair of the Town Meeting Study Committee, presented the group’s report with recommendations on how to improve the efficiency and accessibility of the centuries-old tradition. Kenny Mitchell noted that while the current process works well for typical meetings, “high-interest items” can double or triple attendance, straining the system.

The committee outlined five key themes for improvement:

  • Preserving traditions
  • Reducing meeting length
  • Ensuring fair and balanced motions
  • Improving access and voting technology
  • Reducing confusion and discomfort

Several of the recommendations have or will soon implemented, such as clickers for instant vote-counting, scheduling high-interest items first, and a two-minute time limits for comments from the floor with a countdown clock shown on screen. Other ideas that were popular among earlier survey respondents but would require town bylaw amendments are scheduling specific voting times for high-interest issues and remote voting, which would also require approval from the state legislature. Lincoln officials will monitor the progress of a home rule petition by Wayland that asks the legislature to allow this, “but I think this is a ways off,” Mitchell said.

The clickers, which officially debuted a year ago, were a hit. In a brief post-meeting poll (also done by clicker), 85% of participants rated the three-hour meeting length as “just right.”

Budget and capital projects

Finance Committee Chair Paul Blanchfield presented a $52.5 million budget for FY27 (pages 43-48 in the Financial Section & Warrant) representing a 1.3% decrease from this year. The budget includes the use of $2.3 million in excess reserves to provide tax relief, resulting in a flat tax bill for the median household. Lincoln’s average tax bill has grown by about 5% in recent years, which is higher than the inflation rate but somewhat lower than the increases in neighboring towns, he said.

Key capital approvals included:

  • $1.28 million for Community Preservation Act projects (pages 3-7 in the list of motions)
  • $822,916 in Capital Planning Committee projects plus $1.05 million for a new fire engine to replace a 1999 model (pages 8-12 in the list of motions)
  • $457,350 for the Water Department, including the third year of a smart meter rollout, a generator for the Tower Road well, and building repairs.

As expected, votes to fund the library HVAC project were passed over after independent energy advisors found that previous tax credit assumptions were “overly optimistic” by roughly $500,000. An environmentally friendly ground-source heat pump system was expected to cost the town about $2.5 million after rebates and incentives, which will still be available alter this year, Blanchfield said. Meanwhile, the town is getting a second round of estimates for both heat pump and conventional boiler options

“It does not delay the need for replacement, but allows us to make a better-informed decision,” he said. A refined funding plan is expected for a Special Town Meeting in the fall.

Dark Skies

The most robust debate centered on Article 35, an amendment to the town’s “dark skies” zoning bylaw. Sherry Haydock of the Planing Board’s Dark Skies subcommittee argued that the changes are essential to minimize the effects of light pollution on birds, fireflies and other wildlife, particularly harms to circadian rhythms and bird migration, which mostly happens at night, she said. The Planning Board voted last week 3-1 to endorse the amendment.

The new regulations will only apply to properties with new construction, substantial renovations, or change of use, as well as any newly installed fixtures on existing buildings. They require:

  • Shielding to direct all light toward the ground
  • A maximum light color temperature of 2700K (down from the current 3000K)
  • Limits on brightness (900 lumens)
  • New rules on hours of operation for lighting not associated with active use

There is a waiver application process, Haydock said in response to a question from resident Karen Seo, who keeps sheep and uses nighttime lighting to keep away coyotes. Resident Andrew Pang also said the new rules were “overly burdensome” because fixtures that comply with Lincoln’s new rules (some of which are more stringent than guidelines from DarkSky) were difficult to find in the course of a recent renovation at his home.

“The amount of time and energy that we spent was extraordinary and onerous,” Pang said, adding that “the market right now does not support” easy identification of Lincoln-compliant fixtures. However, resident Don Halsted, who also did a recent renovation, urged people to use Google Gemini in the search. “Have patience, use AI, and get fixtures with screw-in lightbulbs,” he said.

Another thorny issue is Christmas lights. “There are people who like to celebrate holidays for an extended period of time,” resident Jennifer Morris remarked to knowing laughter from the audience.

“Would one of the committee members like to talk to my neighbor so as not to cause discord? I hope my neighbor isn’t here today,” quipped another resident.

The Planning Board sought legal advice about whether or how to limit holiday lights or specify the length of time they can be displayed, but these issues could be construed as limiting religious expression, “and town counsel said, ‘Don’t touch it, it’s a hot potato’,” board member Susan Hall Mygatt said.

Resident Diana Beaudoin urged passage of the “deeply important” amendment. “I think this bylaw, more than anything I’ve seen in my 35 years in Lincoln, expresses the real values of Lincoln and why so many people choose to move here,” she said. The article passed with a 195-48 vote, clearing the required two-thirds majority hurdle.

Voters also overwhelmingly supported a citizens’ petition to file a home rule petition to ban anticoagulant rodenticides. Residents and local veterinarians spoke passionately about the secondary poisoning of owls, hawks, and foxes that eat poisoned rodents.

Funeral and shiva on March 29 for B-J Scheff

B-J Scheff

There will be a funeral service on Sunday, March 29 at 1:00pm for Betty-Jane “B-J” (Weiss) Scheff of Lincoln, who passed away peacefully and unexpectedly in the early morning hours of March 27 at the age of 93.

B-J was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. April 23, 1932 to Nat Weiss and Mabel (Bernstein) Weiss. She attended Brooklyn Friends School, Oberlin College, Columbia University, and Boston University, earning a bachelor’s in psychology, a master’s in education, and a doctorate in sociology.

B-J married Benson H. Scheff (dec. January 23, 1995) on May 31, 1953. Although Ben and B-J grew up blocks from each other in Brooklyn, they didn’t meet until college. They shared a love for the mountains and nature which they instilled in their four children, who grew up hiking and camping obsessively in the White Mountains and all around New England. For many years they owned a condo in Lincoln, NH that they used as a base for hiking, relaxing and enjoying the mountains.  

After a short stay and the birth of their first son in Virginia, the couple moved to Watertown, Mass., in 1956. There, B-J created a children’s theater program, teaching creative drama and dance. While the family grew, B-J worked as a social service researcher at McLean Hospital while continuing to pursue her master’s degree. In 1971, the family moved to Lincoln. There, B-J worked as a clinical Psychologist at Eliot Mental Health in Concord, and then as executive director of Wareham Area Counseling Service until she retired in 1994.

After retirement, B-J volunteered with the Massachusetts Red Cross on the Disaster Mental Health Team and provided services and support for families impacted by the 1999 Egyptian Air 990 crash and supervising support services around the 2005 Worcester warehouse fire. She also provided support for Red Cross volunteers returning to the Boston area after 9/11.

B-J was committed to finding affordable housing solutions. When she closed her father’s family business in New Jersey, she worked to sell the property to a developer specializing in affordable housing. She chaired the Lincoln Affordable Housing Commission and served on the board of the Lincoln Housing Trust. She was actively involved in coordinating the development of senior housing, the Commons (formerly the Groves) in Lincoln, where she eventually lived from 2013 until her death.

B-J was active for many years in the League of Women Voters, Women of Reform Judaism, and Temple Israel of Boston. She was committed to the women’s movement, political empowerment and involvement, and strengthening democracy. She felt her strong commitment to social justice stemmed from her experience as a Jew and the example set by her maternal grandparents who left a comfortable middle class life in Brooklyn in 1927 to go to Poland, Berlin, Paris, and then Lisbon to facilitate the resettlement of over 20,000 Jews away from the Nazi threat in Europe, founding the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS). True to this spirit, in the early 2000s, she welcomed a family of young Sudanese refugees into her home.

She said of herself, “I tend to flow into empty spaces filling needs as I find them. I assume there is a way to solve the problem and so I learn new skills and develop new expertise. I trust people to deal fairly and I have never been disappointed.”

B-J was predeceased by her loving husband Benson H. Scheff, her dear daughter-in-law Faye Goldberg-Scheff, her cherished grandson Nick Scheff, and her adored older sister Diane “Dinny” (Miller) Ashe. She is survived by her children, Andrew Scheff of Lincoln, James (and Michelle) Bloom-Scheff of Wayland, Brian Scheff (and Joanne Hiromura) of West Newton, and Ann-Mara (and John) Lanza of Wellesley; and also by her grandchildren Danielle Scheff, Benjamin Scheff, Sarah Scheff (and Ted Pepe), Hannah Horan, Ben-Zion Bloom-Scheff, Mikaela Scheff (and Jake Harrington), Kyle Scheff, Rebecca Scheff, Nathan Lanza, and LK Lanza; and by her six great-grandchildren Nick Jr., Bella, Quentin, Keenan, Ashtin, and Maya. She is also survived by a large extended family, including her Sudanese “grandchildren” and many loving nieces and nephews.

The funeral service on Sunday, March 29, 2026 will be at Temple Israel, 477 Longwood Ave., Boston at 1:00pm (parking on the Riverway). Interment will be at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham St., Sharon. Shiva will be at the home of Andrew Scheff (137 Trapelo Road, Lincoln) on Sunday, March 29 from 4:00–6:00pm and 7:00pm–9:00pm, and continuing at the home of Ann-Mara Lanza of Wellesley on Monday, March 30 from 5:00–8:00pm.

Remembrances may be made to the Lincoln Housing Trust, 16 Lincoln Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 or HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), PO Box 97077, Washington, DC 20090-7077.

My Turn: A “thank you” and note of gratitude for a dedicated public servant

By Sara Mattes

Sarah Cannon Holden has served our community for the past 3+ decades — as Finance Committee member, as a Selectman, and most recently, as Town Moderator.

She also has been an active advocate for civic engagement and the electoral process, campaigning for issues and candidates that work for nuclear arms control, peace and social justice.

Sarah Cannon Holden has devoted her life to service to the causes she embraces and to the community she loves.  She has always been “a giver.” All should model such commitment to service to others.

Be a giver… be like Sarah.

In 2010, when she stepped down from her role on the Board of Selectmen, her colleagues (Gary Taylor and me) crafted a slide show and script to honor her and send her off with good humor and affection.  What we created then is applicable today. (Apologies for missing slides)

Top Ten Reasons Why Sarah Cannon Holden is One of Lincoln’s Irreplaceable Assets


10. Her awesome communication skills… no one else can sit down and free hand a poster quite like Sarah!

9. Her ready smile, calm and good cheer… in spite of what mayhem some colleagues might foment.

8. Her no-nonsense Yankee thriftiness applied to all endeavors… no fancy landscaping companies for a Cannon!

7. Her willingness to look at all the facts… even if it leads to an inconvenient truth.

6. Her constancy in devotion to Lincoln traditions… especially the Fourth of July!

5. Her willingness to take the wheel and drive the agenda… again and again and again.

4. Her pride in her town and her enthusiastic embrace of the role as cheerleader.

3. Her ability to be the reliable “Decider” …yes, she will dispassionately collect the facts, make an impartial assessment, and then act for the good of the whole.

2. Her desire to encourage newcomers to lead.

And the #1 reason why Sarah Cannon Hold is one of Lincoln’s irreplaceable assets…

1. Her demonstrated abiding and selfless love of and commitment to the next generation.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnians. 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.

Two with Lincoln connections featured in new Thoreau film

“Henry David Thoreau,” a new three-part, three-hour film with two Lincoln-connected scholars among those involved, will air on Monday and Tuesday, March 30 (episodes 1 and 2) and March 31 at 9:00pm on PBS.

The film, directed by Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers and executive produced by Ken Burns and Don Henley, examines Thoreau’s life and work in the context of antebellum New England and the larger United States, as well as through the universal themes he focused on in his writings: an individual’s relationship to the state, how to live an authentic life, our connection to nature, and the impact of race on American life. Set against the political and social tensions of the mid-19th century, the film traces Thoreau’s journey from his early days in Concord, Massachusetts to his deep engagement with the moral crises of his time, including industrialization, slavery, war, and environmental degradation. Click here to see the trailer.

Larry Buell

Larry Buell of Lincoln, author of Henry David Thoreau: Thinking Disobediently, has been on the documentary’s advisory board from the start. “I was interviewed for possible footage in 2023 (most of which will end on the cutting room floor, I think), and also impaneled to critique the interim/rough version a year or so ago,” he told the Lincoln Squirrel. “I have very much enjoyed my modest but eye-opening role in contributing to the film’s evolution. I’ve participated in other documentaries in the past, but none so ambitious as this.”

Buell is the Powell M. Cabot Professor of American Literature Emeritus at Harvard University and has written and lectured worldwide on transcendentalism, American studies, and the environmental humanities.

Elise Lemire

Also featured in “Henry David Thoreau” is Elise Lemire, who grew up in Lincoln and whose mother still lives here. She was asked by the filmmakers to shoot an interview in Orchard House (Louisa May Alcott’s Concord home) as an expert on Thoreau’s writings about Concord’s slavery and post-slavery history.

Lemire is a professor of literature at SUNYs Purchase College. Her books include Black Walden: Slavery and Its Aftermath in Concord, Massachusetts. Last year, the Thoreau Society awarded her its Walter Harding Distinguished Achievement Award for her work on Thoreau.  

Other scholars, writers, and environmentalists featured in the film are Pico Ayer, Douglas Brinkley, Lois Brown, Kristen Case, Laura Dassow Walls, Clay Jenkinson, Robin Kimmerer, J. Drew Lanham, Bill McKibben, Michael Pollan, Rebecca Solnit, and more. The film is narrated by George Clooney and voices are provided by Ted Danson (Ralph Waldo Emerson), Tate Donovan (William Ellery Channing), Jeff Goldblum (Henry David Thoreau), and Meryl Streep (Lidian Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Mary Merrick Brooks, and Maria Thoreau).

The Thoreau Society in Concord is hosting several free public events with leading Thoreau scholars featured in the new documentary. The experts who helped shape the film will reflect on the themes introduced in each episode, discuss the historical context surrounding Henry David Thoreau, and share additional insights from the making of the documentary.