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

News acorns

Accident closes Route 117 for hours

Photo: Lincoln Police Department Facebook page.

On Thursday, Sept. 18, a car crashed into a utility pole and flipped onto its side. Drivers on Route 117 westbound were detoured to Tower Road and traffic was clogged in some parts of town for hours. A police dispatcher said on Thursday night that the driver had been taken to the hospital, but there was no further word on their identity or condition.

Route 117 closure Friday to Saturday for track work

Route 117 will be closed for 24 hours at the railroad crossing near Old Sudbury Road from Friday, Sept. 19 starting at 3:00pm so Keolis can work on the tracks.

Town publishes immigrant rights info

Click here to find information on people’s rights regarding immigration enforcement in light of recent ICE arrests in the area. The page contains guidance from the Office of the Attorney General and a list of FAQs adapted for Lincoln and presented to the Select Board for approval by Witness Lincoln.

Shine a purple light for domestic violence awareness

Get your purple lightbulbs now to prepare for Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, when the Domestic Violence Roundtable encourages the community can stand in solidarity with survivors and their families by shining purple lights in their neighborhoods by adding purple lights to indoor lamps, porches or outside house lights. It’s an especially fraught time for clients given the cuts in federal and state funding for safety net programs, including those for domestic and sexual violence programs. If you are concerned you or someone in your life might be experiencing relationship abuse, visit the DVR website. Interested in volunteering? Email domesticviolenceroundtable@gmail.com

Legal notice: ZBA (49 Stonehedge)

LEGAL NOTICE — ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

The Zoning Board of the Appeals of the Town of Lincoln will hold a virtual online public hearing on Thursday, October 2, 2025, at 7:00pm to hear and to act on the following petitions under the Zoning Bylaws:

New:

Jessica and Timothy Donahue, 49 Stonehedge Rd., M/P 189-3-0 for transfer of a special permit for an accessory apartment.

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: ZBA (241 Old Concord)

LEGAL NOTICE — ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

The Zoning Board of the Appeals of the Town of Lincoln will hold a virtual online public hearing on Thursday, October 2, 2025, at 7:00pm to hear and to act on the following petitions under the Zoning Bylaws:

New:

Joanne Wise, 241 Old Concord Rd. for a Section 6, 40A finding.

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.

Police log for September 1–14, 2025

September 1

Donelan’s Supermarket (3:34pm) — An officer was called to the parking lot to check on a discarded backpack. While checking the area, an officer found and spoke to the owner of the backpack, who retrieved the item.

Ridge Road (9:21pm) — Officers responded to the area for the report of either gunshots or fireworks. After checking several locations, an officer discovered the originating residence. The homeowners were advised that fireworks were illegal to possess in Massachusetts.

September 2

Trapelo Road (7:26am) — Police and fire personnel responded to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection with Old County Road A vehicle traveling west struck a vehicle that had abruptly turned in front of their path. The occupants of the turning vehicle were transported to the hospital. The operator was cited for failing to yield to oncoming traffic.

Bedford Road (9:54am) — The DPW requested assistance with traffic while removing a tree.

Bedford Road (11:16am) — A detail officer requested assistance for a minor motor vehicle crash.

Weston Road (4:54pm) — Officers responded to the area of the five-way intersection after a report of possible road rage. Officers spoke to all parties and advised them to contact the police instead of attempting to take matters into their own hands.

Old Sudbury Road (5:27pm) — An officer assisted two motorists with a past motor vehicle crash.

September 3

Weston Road (7:14am) — A caller reported suspected vandalism. The damage was accidental and caused by a welder on scene.

Greenridge Lane (10:07am) — A caller reported a gas leaf blower bylaw violation in the area. An officer checked the area but was unable to locate anyone using a gas-powered leaf blower.

Greenridge Lane (3:36pm) — A caller reported a gas leaf blower bylaw violation in the area. An officer checked the area but was unable to locate anyone using a gas-powered leaf blower.

Acorn Lane (5:54pm) — A caller reported an apparent increase in solicitors but declined a police response.

Bedford Road (7:58pm) — A caller reported an encounter with a motorist who had pulled into their driveway.

Wells Road (9:30pm) — A caller reported a noise complaint but did not want police to respond.

September 4

Hanscom Drive (11:58am) — Hanscom Security Forces requested assistance for an individual with an active arrest warrant. An officer arrived and took custody of Anthony Foster, 64, of Boston, who was subsequently booked.

Stonehedge Road (6:26pm) — A caller reported a leaf blower bylaw violation. The landscape company was leaving as the caller was on the phone.

South Great Road (8:01pm) — A caller reported a discarded children’s bicycle on the side of the road. The bicycle appeared to be discarded trash. The DPW was notified.

September 5

North Commons (11:59am and 3:41pm) — A caller twice reported an ongoing incident with a neighbor.

Wells Road (7:15pm) — A caller reported a possible harassment incident.

Lincoln Woods (9:30pm) — A caller reported a suspicious person walking around the management office. An officer checked the area but found nothing out of the ordinary.

September 6

After a strong thunderstorm late in the day, downed wires and/or branches were reported on South Great Road, Tower Road, Concord Road, Trapelo Road, and Woodcock Lane.

Lewis Street (7:49am) — An officer provided bylaw information to a caller.

Deerhaven Road (10:32pm) — An officer responded to a residence for a noise complaint. The occupants were advised to turn down the music.

September 7

South Great Road (10:38am) — Officers responded to a minor motor vehicle crash at the intersection of Route 117 and Route 126. There were no injuries reported. The operator of the vehicle responsible for the crash was cited for failing to yield.

Trapelo Road (8:55pm) — Officers checked the area for the report of a pedestrian walking well into the brush but found nothing.

September 8

Tower Road (1:22pm) — A caller reported wires down across their driveway. Verizon was notified.

Lincoln Road (2:20pm) — A person spoke to an officer regarding a potential scam.

Wells Road (3:55pm) — A caller reported a possible theft from their vehicle.

September 9

Bedford Road (8:38am) — A caller who had pulled off of the roadway requested assistance with a passenger. Officers arrived on scene and shortly thereafter, all parties were on their way.

Vandenberg Drive, Hanscom AFB (3:37pm) — Officers assisted Hanscom Security Forces at their request.

Weston Road (5:00pm) — A tree was reported leaning on power lines. Eversource was notified.

September 10

Tower Road (6:50am) — A motorist reported striking a deer. There was minimal damage to the vehicle and the deer ran off into the woods.

Concord Road (9:10am) — Police and fire personnel responded to the intersection of Route 117 and Route 126 for a two-vehicle crash. There were no injuries reported. One operator was issued a citation for failing to yield.

Lincoln Woods (12:46pm) — Police and fire personnel responded to a single-vehicle crash in which a car struck a tree. The operator was transported to the hospital and the vehicle was towed.

Ridge Road (4:12pm) — A caller reported a landscape company using a gas-powered leaf blower. Upon arrival, the officer advised the landscape crew of the existing bylaw.

Tower Road (8:27pm) — Officers checked the area for multiple reports of gunshots. An officer remained in the area for a period of time but heard nothing.

September 11

South Great Road (8:27am) — A caller reported an injured deer on the side of the road. An officer checked the area but there was nothing found.

Ent Road, Hanscom AFB (3:44pm) — A caller spoke with an officer regarding an ongoing civil matter.

Baker Bridge Road (5:19pm) — A caller reported a possible electrical fire on a pole behind their residence. The Fire Department and Eversource responded.

Old Concord Road (5:50pm) — A caller reported a landscape company using a gas-powered leaf blower. An officer responded to the area but was unable to locate any violation.

September 12

South Great Road (11:38am) — A caller reported a possible malfunction with the railroad gates. An officer spoke with representatives from Keolis. A delivery was being made by train causing the temporary stoppage/gate closures.

Codman Community Farms (4:59pm) — A caller reported that a pig had escaped its enclosure on Codman Road. An officer checked the area but was unable to locate any loose pigs. The farm staff was notified of a possible breach/weakness in the fencing structure.

September 13

North Great Road (7:00am) — Officers assisted in the closure of Route 2A due to electrical wires being down.

Wells Road (8:00am) — An officer spoke to an individual regarding an ongoing situation.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (11:20am) — Massachusetts State Police were alerted to a disabled vehicle that had pulled off the roadway.

Minuteman Technical High School (12:22pm) — A caller reported that a groundhog had been struck by a vehicle. The caller ultimately took the injured animal to a veterinary hospital.

Weston Road (4:07pm) — An officer spoke to an individual regarding a dog bite.

Oxbow Road (4:50pm) — A caller reported becoming separated from their spouse while on a walk. The two reunited shortly after making the call.

Lincoln Road (7:23pm) — An officer checked a residence at the request of an off-site caller. The property appeared to be secure.

Long Meadow Road (8:27pm) — A caller reported several motorized bikes in the area whose operators were ringing doorbells and running away. One operator was identified and advised.

September 14

South Great Road (7:17am) — A caller reported a dead deer on the side of the road. The DPW was notified.

Lincoln Road (4:14pm) — A caller reported that people were throwing items at passing vehicles. Officer responded to the area and located the individuals.

Offutt Road, Hanscom AFB (5:09pm) — An officer spoke with a party involving a civil matter.

Property sales in July 2025

7L South Commons — Gregory Rowe to Laura Crook Brisson and Brandon Straub for $673,500 (July 24)

36 Morningside Lane — Alan A. Asadorian to Leighanne Wang for $1,600,000 (July 24)

44 Greenridge Lane — Timothy Bruenelle to Vinay Eapen and Allison Matthews for $610,000 (July 21)

5 Grasshopper Lane — Peter A. Blackler to Jessica and Matthew Galica for $1,853,000 (July 11)

49 Tower Road — 49 Tower Road LLC to Leslie Hill for $1,200,000 (July 7)

12 Sunnyside Lane — Robert A. Peattie to Guohua Liang and Yanmei Lan for $960,000 (July 2)

 

New faces at the COA&HS

Lily Sonis

Lily Sonis

Role: Social Worker (part-time) serving all ages

Education: Dual master’s degree in social work and public health

Before coming to Lincoln: Lily worked at Jewish Vocational Services overseeing refugee and disability services 

Lily, who started just after Labor Day, spent her first days visiting clients and officials in Lincoln Woods, Codman Community Farm, and the police and fire departments, “seeing the different resources in the community and the way people work together. People really seem to know each other, look out for each other, and support one another. I’m very excited about doing that collaborative work and helping people in different ways.”

Katherine (Kat) Kmetz

Kat Kmetz

Role: Transportation Coordinator (part-time)

Education: Studying at Boston College for a master’s in social work with an emphasis on Spanish-speaking communities

Before coming to Lincoln: Kat was a mental health specialist at McLean Hospital, helping the nursing staff with patient interactions, running groups, etc. 

Kat coordinates with volunteer drivers to arrange rides to medical offices and businesses for seniors. She also helps set up and run events and shadows the social workers, helping set up clients with benefits. “I get a lot of face-to-face interactions with the seniors, which is awesome,” she said. “Not being from this town and being new, it’s kind of nerve-racking, but everyone has been so welcoming and so nice.”

Legal notice: Planning Board hearing (0 Mary’s Way)

PUBLIC HEARING — LINCOLN PLANNING BOARD

The Lincoln Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 7:01 PM on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 via hybrid meeting to review an application for a Renewal of a Special Permit for an existing wireless communication facility located at 0 Mary’s Way, Parcel 111-10-0, under Section 12.6 of the Zoning Bylaw. The applicant, T-Mobile LLC proposes to maintain the existing wireless communication facility by Special Permit for a new term. The application is 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.aspx 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.

Permission sought to blast ledge on Old Winter Street land

An architect’s sketch of the planned Plaut house and surrounding land.

The Planning Board will decide at its next meeting on September 23 whether to approve a detailed blasting plan that owners of an Old Winter Street property submitted after neighbors complained about the noise from rock hammering.

Workers on the wooded property were drilling and hammering ledge to dig an underground water and utility line to the planned future home of Timothy and Madeleine Plaut. The board gave approval in May for some clear-cutting plus replanting as well as the house, but workers paused the hammering after a neighborhood outcry. The Planning Board asked them last month to submit a plan for blasting, which the owners’ representatives say will be much less noisy and take less time, and to look at alternatives to the planned trench.

“We heard loud and clear about the disturbances that were being caused… but we’ve concluded there’s no viable alternative to eliminate the need for trenching” and town water, Jen Stephens of Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design said at the board’s September 9 meeting, adding that soil characteristics on the property make a well unfeasible. Twice-daily blasting plus minimal hammering will take five to seven days, but if approval for that is not forthcoming, it will take two to four more months of hammering, she said.

The blasting company is required to notify property owners within 250 feet of each blast and offer an inspection before and after the blasts to verify any damage from vibration. The Plauts extended that to 11 homes within 500 feet on Old Winter Steer, Winter Street, and Silver Hill Road.

A view of the middle segment of the proposed Plaut house.

“As long as we stay within the [required] limitations, it’s highly unlikely that cosmetic damage would occur to the weakest construction material” such as horsehair plaster, said Matt Shaughnessy of Maine Drilling & Blasting, adding that the firm carries a $10 million liability policy.

But some were still worried. “People have clearly had very bad experiences” with Maine Drilling & Blasting, said Old Winter Street resident Chris Murphy, citing internet research he had done. “My main concern is that if something does come up, I will have no recourse.”

Anecdotes about potential damage “make people nervous… you don’t know what to believe,” Planning Board co-chair Lynn DeLisi said.

At the September 9 meeting, the Plauts (in absentia) also requested changes to the approved site plan to allow a larger driveway turnaround for fire trucks and a relocated septic field that’s necessary because of poor soil conditions in the original location. Architect Colin Flavin showed renderings of a three-part house that’s “designed to be harmonious with the natural environment in which it sits.” The house is designed in the Midcentury Modern style. Flavin’s firm has also designed renovations to Modern houses on Moccasin Hill and Tabor Hill Road as well as a new house on Weston Road.

News acorns

Lincoln Road detour Friday and Monday

Due to water main work, Lincoln Road will be closed at Peirce Hill Road and Tower Road on Friday Sept. 12 and Monday, Sept. 15 from 7:00am–3:00pm.

Greater need for food donations

The St. Vincent dePaul food pantry for Lincoln and Weston is experiencing an increase in its client base due to economic strain and cutbacks, and its food grant has been held up due to federal funding uncertainties. The most expensive and desperately needed foods are those that are gluten free that many of its clients require every day. Donors can leave unopened and unexpired items in the blue boxes on the porch of the St. Joseph House next to the food pantry across from the Bank of America marked “Food Pantry Donations.” Regular staples such as peanut butter, jellies and jams, Near East Rice, Annie’s Mac ‘n Cheese, tuna fish, mayonnaise, salad dressings, olive oil, taco boxes, etc., are always needed as well.

Film:  “Echo in the Canyon”

The Lincoln Library Film Society will screen “Echo in the Canyon” (2018, PG-13) on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 6:00pm in the library’s Tarbell Room. The documentary celebrates the explosion of popular music that came out of L.A.’s Laurel Canyon in the mid-1960s as folk went electric. 

LLCT/RLF activities

Family-friendly programming coming up from the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and Rural Land Foundation:

Build a bug
Saturday, Sept. 20 from 1:00–3:00pm, Lincoln Station
Learn about bug parts, enjoy a short nature walk, a story, and build your own bug with natural and craft materials. Please RVSP here.

Student sticker design contest
Calling all students who live or go to school in Lincoln or go to school in Lincoln: design a sticker for LLCT! Submission deadline: Wednesday, Sept. 30. Winning designs will be printed and shared at LLCT events. Prizes for the winners. See contest guidelines and template.

Fall leaf craft
Saturday, Oct. 4 from 1:00–3:00pm, LLCT office at Lincoln Station (145 Lincoln Road)
We’ll take a short walk to collect some leaves, then finish up inside. Please bring your own clean glass jar. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please come prepared with leaves if the forecast looks like rain. Register here.

LLCT annual meeting and celebration of the Nature Link Project
Saturday, Sept. 27 from 4:00–6:00pm, Farrington Nature Linc (295 Cambridge Tpke.)
All are welcome at LLCT’s annual meeting and evening celebration. We’ll start with a short trail walk, then enjoy drinks and appetizers, music, and activities. LLCT will hold a brief business meeting (voting by LLCT members) and then Farrington staff will offer remarks. This is an outdoor event under a tent. Please RSVP by Friday, Sept. 19.

Scarecrow Classic 5K
Sunday, Oct. 19
Register today for LLCT’s Scarecrow Classic 5K. Proceeds from this fun fall race support LLCT’s annual operating budget that funds trail improvements, land stewardship, educational programs, and land acquisition. Register by Sunday, Oct. 5 to guarantee your shirt on race day.

Carroll School plans expansion in Wayland on Lincoln town line

Carroll School’s property in Wayland. The Lincoln/Wayland town line is shown in dark red (click to enlarge).

The Carroll School is proposing a major expansion of its campus on Waltham Street abutting the Lincoln town line on Old Sudbury Road to allow it to eventually accommodate five times the number of students it now serves.

The Carroll School, a private school for students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities, has an upper school (grades 8–9) in Wayland, a middle school (grades 6–8 with some eighth-graders) on Baker Bridge Road in Lincoln, and a lower school (grades 1–5) on Trapelo Road in Waltham just over the Cambridge Reservoir causeway from Lincoln.

The Wayland site now serves about 50 students but will be able to accommodate 250 when the expansion is complete, according to documents filed with the Wayland Planning Department. The school’s total enrollment is 454 students in nine grades.

The plan is not to operate the enlarged campus at its full 250-student capacity as soon as construction is completed. It will serve grades 7-9, with the added space giving flexibility for more enrollment or grade realignment as necessary, said said Chris Renyi, assistant head of school for operations and strategy in Wayland.

“This is an early stage in long-term planning to look 10 to 15 years down the road [to see] where and how we can serve as many students as possible,” Renyi said, while also acknowledging that for middle school students, “we are at physical capacity at our locations right now.”

The school proposes to replace two of its smaller Wayland buildings (1,777 square feet and 792 square feet) with a two-story academic building on a footprint of approximately 27,056 square feet and 47,506 square feet in total. Due to the increase in traffic, a school zone with a 20mph speed limit would be created along a stretch of the road.

Although all three Carroll campuses are located in residential zones, the municipalities must allow educational or religious uses of the properties as per the state Dover amendment. As required, the proposed expansion conforms to local zoning regulations on building bulk and height of structures, yard size, lot area, setbacks, open space, and parking and building coverage. The only zoning waiver they’re requesting is so they may provide three bicycle racks rather than the required 12.

The Carroll School was founded in Newton in the 1960s and moved in 1971 to Baker Bridge Road in Lincoln. That property was formerly owned by the Storrow family, which gifted it to Massachusetts General Hospital for use as an extended care facility for convalescing patients, according to an account of the school’s history on its website. The Wayland site was purchased and approved in 2016 to accommodate athletic fields and some of its students. Four properties in Lincoln are directly across the road from the Wayland campus.