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

News acorns

Make a ruckus on Friday for graduating seniors

The Lincoln-Sudbury Class of 2020 will be completing their K-12 school years on Friday, May 29 at exactly 2:39 p.m. The L-S Senior Celebrations Committee asks that families, friends, neighbors, and community members join together at 2:38 p.m. and stand outside our homes separately, yet together — clapping, cheering, banging on pots. and otherwise celebrating to honor students from various schools who are marking a high school or college graduation milestone in this challenging spring.

Get ready for kindergarten

For parents of children who will be starting kindergarten in September, watch this “Welcome to Kindergarten” video and come to a virtual kindergarten orientation on Monday, June 8 from 6:30–7:30 p.m. The Google Meet link will be distributed earlier that day. Meanwhile, please complete the forms linked to this information sheet.

COA’s June newsletter available online

The Council on Aging’s June newsletter is now online — read it by clicking here. (Note that the new support group for those who have lost a loved one during the pandemic will begin on Tuesday, June 2, not June 5).

Covid-19 growth is slowing in the area

While cases of Covid-19 are still increasing in Lincoln and surrounding towns, the curves are flattening and rates of increase are slowing. For comparison, here are the total number of cases and cases per 100,000 residents in some larger cities and towns. (Source: Mass.gov)

Year20092010201120122013201420152016201720182019
TTHMs (ppb)36.854.229.356.169.274.773.773.7837983

Click either chart to enlarge:
[lgc_column grid=”50″ tablet_grid=”50″ mobile_grid=”100″ last=”false”]

[/lgc_column]

Photographer and fellow Lincolnites click to help the needy

Corey Nimmer

If you want to help a worthy cause and get a nice photo of your family, you have about five minutes to say “cheese.”

As the pandemic worsened, Lincoln photographer Corey Nimmer, like many others, lost much of his business as the lockdown made it impossible for him to go to people’s homes and take portraits. He also felt helpless until he remembered that “in challenging times, the best thing is always to turn my attention to other people and see what I can do to help.” Thus was born Lincoln’s version of the Front Steps Project.

Like the project from which it sprang, the effort involves a quick five-minute visit to families who sign up. From about 20 feet away, Nimmer takes a family portrait outdoors on the front steps or somewhere else near the home. He then sends the family a digital photo. In return, they make a donation ($50 is suggested but any amount is accepted) to the St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVdP), which operates a food pantry for residents of Lincoln and Weston and also offers financial assistance.

Nimmer had seen the plea on LincolnTalk for food and monetary donations to the food pantry, which has experienced a sharp increase in the number of families who need help during the pandemic — it’s now serving 250 clients, up from 198 in February, even as supplies from the Greater Boston Food Bank have declined. He reached out to SVdP’s Ursula Nowak and Sarah Bishop, who were thrilled to have another source of help.

“Corey has been an absolute pleasure to work with, bringing so much joy to so many families and so much assistance to so many of our neighbors in need. It’s because of people like him that we at SVdP can do the work we do,” Nowak said.

He hopes to keep the project going until he’s photographed 100 families. As of May 26 (his single biggest day, bringing in $1,125 from just six households), his work has raised a total of $5,200.

Nimmer, who also goes by Corey Flint (he married into the venerable Flint family and lives on the Lexington Road homestead), grew up in Hyde Park and moved to Lincoln three years ago. “I’d never even had a garden before that, but I’ve really fallen in love with farming and growing food,” he said. His Front Steps web page has details on how to schedule a photo session and a gallery of project portraits as well as links to his photography business and other projects. “I’m not really thinking too much about any future business at this point,” he said. “On a personal level, this has been really helpful in terms of feeling useful, and it’s just been great to get out and meet a lot of people in the community I might not have otherwise.”

McFall signed to three-year contract extension

Superintendent of Schools Rebecca McFall

The Lincoln School Committee has announced a three-year contract extension with District Superintendent Rebecca McFall. She succeeded retiring Superintendent Michael “Mickey” Brandmeyer in 2012.

“The continuity of Dr. McFall’s strong leadership benefits our children, our faculty, and staff, and our Lincoln, Hanscom, and Boston communities as we work to enhance education while navigating the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic and the process of renovating the Lincoln school buildings,” the committee said in a statement.

“We are grateful for Dr. McFall’s resilience in guiding our schools’ rapid transition to remote learning while never losing sight of our district’s long-term educational goals. She and her leadership team also have reached out with compassion to those who depend on our schools for food, technology, and emotional support.”

Council on Aging activities in June

Support group for those who’ve lost loved ones during the pandemic
June 2 at 1 p.m.
The loss of a loved one is hard at any time. But for people who have suffered losses during the COVID pandemic, social distancing and stay at home advisories have made mourning even more difficult. Most religions build in practices to offer support to the mourner. And outside of formal religions, friends will gather round to support the person as well. Funerals, wakes, visitation hours allows friends and families to come together to help mourners in the aftermath of the death but with the COVID crisis these may be delayed or may not happen at all. So dealing with deaths now is especially difficult. The COA invites you to join a new support group for those who have lost a loved one during the pandemic. The group will be held via Zoom on Tuesday afternoons at 1 p.m. for four weeks beginning June 5. Claire Gerstein, LICSW, a social worker with many years experience helping people cope with loss, will lead the group. To sign up for the group, please contact bottumc@lincolntown.org.

Chat with Tricia McGean, Lincoln’s public health nurse
June 10 at 10 a.m.
Do you have questions about Covid-19, whether about its prevention, transmission, symptoms, or treatment? Are there other concerns you have about seasonal health issues such as ticks and Lyme disease or EEE? Do you have general health questions? Join Tricia on June 10 at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Tricia will answer your questions and provide you with accurate and science-based information To attend, email bottumc@lincolntown.org. Advance registration required.

Have a conversation with a Select(man)
June 12 at 2 p.m.
Residents of all ages are invited to a conversation with a Select(man) on June 12 at 2 p.m. via Zoom. Join Board of Selectmen Chairperson Jennifer Glass to get the latest updates, ask your questions, and give your ideas. For information on how to join in, please contact Jennifer at selectmen@lincolntown.org prior to the meeting.

Play Feel-Good Bingo online and learn more about depression
June 17 at 1 p.m.
Feel-Good Bingo is a game where you learn more about the signs, symptoms, and treatment options for depression — whether you’re feeling blue yourself, you have a friend or family member who might need some help, or you just enjoy bingo! Depression is similar to other disorders, such as diabetes or heart disease. They all can be influenced by lifestyle and the ups and downs of life. There is also a genetic factor to these illnesses, meaning you may be more susceptible to them if your parents, grandparents, brothers, or sisters have them. To play, just email Abby Butt at butta@lincolntown.org, and she will send you a special bingo card. Then, tune in with Zoom on June 17 at 1 p.m. and Abby will show you a picture that illustrates some aspect of depression and talk about it a bit. If you have the picture on your card, just cover it up and when you have a straight line, “raise your hand” and let Abby know you have bingo! The COA will award prizes. If you notice that you or someone you care about has experienced the symptoms described in the game for a significant period of time, tell your doctor, a social worker, a trusted friend, or a health care provider or call the COA at 781-259-8811 or email Abby at the email address above.

Free beginning meditation
June 19 at 2 p.m.
Come one and all to a free beginners’ meditation session held via Zoom on June 19 at 2 p.m. for a half-hour. Please attend if you’re wondering what others find in meditating. Meditation opens the channels of our natural states of peace, joy, health, and aids in decreasing the negative effects of aging. Experienced meditation teacher Lynne LaSpina will begin each session with a few minutes of stretching muscles to relax, and breathing exercises to help focus before meditating for about 10 minutes. You must sign up in advance by emailing bottumc@lincolntown.org.

Ongoing activities:

French conversation

Brush up on your French speaking skills the second and fourth Monday of each month at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom! For more information or to sign up, email bottumc@lincolntown.org.

Russian conversation group

Come brush up on your Russian by speaking it with others on the first and third Wednesdays from 11­–12:30 p.m. via Zoom. To join the group, please contact bottumc@lincolntown.org.

Lincoln men’s coffee
Via Zoom every second and fourth Thursday of the month from 8:30–10 a.m. Bagels, cream cheese, lox, doughnuts, coffee and camaraderie — a great chance to catch up with buddies and make new friends. To sign up, please email bottumc@lincolntown.org.

German conversation
Come enjoy speaking German virtually (Zoom or teleconference) on the first, third, and fifth Fridays at 10 a.m. If interested, contact bottumc@lincolntown.org.

Obituaries

Mary O’Brien

Mary O’Brien

Former nurse’s aide and principal’s assistant at the Lincoln School. Click here for full obituary.  

Paola Rossoni

Paola Rossoni

Former researcher in pathological anatomy and histology. Click here for full obituary.

 

 

Letter to the editor: new voting processes being mulled statewide

To the editor:

2020 stands to be the most important election year in our lifetimes. The news media, television, and Internet are full of policy and advocacy differences, occasionally extreme and inaccurate. Opinions and expectations of Lincoln voters also vary widely. Lincoln voters highly value having their ballots counted and believe that this civic duty is the foundation of our elective democracy.

But in this era of the coronavirus pandemic, voters and poll volunteers share concern for their personal safety on Election Day. Bad weather on that day used to be just an inconvenience, but now the potential to catch a deadly disease is totally new and threatening. Brave citizens around the country have waited for hours in long lines, sometimes in bad weather, to cast their vote in their designated polling places. In several cases, the number of poll places has been reduced and located out of reach for many voters. 

The Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives and the Secretary of State recognize the threat to voting in this environment and have drafted new processes and considered new statewide legislation to apply to the September 1, 2020 primary election and the November 3, 2020 general election. Some of those processes include expansion of absentee voting, addition of vote-by-mail, longer early voting periods, and secure outdoor dropboxes to deposit completed ballots. Lincoln now allows for early voting by mail and has expanded absentee voting eligibility; residents can apply for these provisions with the Town Clerk’s Office.

Absentee voting has been used frequently in Lincoln. States began absentee voting in the 1800s, and by 2018, 27 states have adopted “no-excuse” absentee ballot laws, something now proposed for Lincoln and Massachusetts. Nationally, vote-by-mail and absentee voting have occasionally been criticized as being open to fraud. However, a review of voter fraud studies done between 2009 and 2017 found such cases to be rare or nonexistent.

The current legislative bills focused on vote-by-mail include Senate Bill S2653 (An Act Relative To Voting by Mail and Early Voting) endorsed by Sen. Michael Barrett, Senate Bill S2654 (An Act Establishing Vote By Mail in 2020), and House Bill HD5026 (An Act Establishing Vote By Mail in 2020) as endorsed by Rep. Tom Stanley. The Election Laws Committee can amend any of these bills or return them to the appropriate Senate or House committee for consideration and possible further amendment. Timing is critical in order to finalize these bills in time for election implementation.

Sincerely,

Gary Davis
20R Indian Camp Lane, Lincoln

Town Meeting plans announced

It’s a go for Annual Town Meeting on June 13 — but (happily for some, perhaps) it will be a lot shorter than usual.

The meeting has been stripped down to 22 warrant articles, with 19 of them voted on as a bloc on the consent calendar.  Residents will be asked to vote on only three other items: a $828,945 supplemental funding request from the School Building Committee, capital items for the Water Department, and the allocation for free cash. Votes on the rest of the articles that were planned before the Covid-19 pandemic, including the citizens’ petitions, will be postponed to a Special Town Meeting in the fall.

The meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 13 in the Hartwell parking lot under a tent (allowing social distancing and handicapped accessibility), with outside seating also available. Other details:

  • Check-in will begin at 8:15 a.m.
  • Masks are mandatory for all workers and attendees; gloves are strongly encouraged. Social distancing guidelines will be enforced.
  • There will be a voting card system.
  • Presentations about warrant articles will be available ahead of time online on the town’s 2020 Annual Town Meeting web page.
  • In case of rain, the meeting may be convened and then quickly postponed until later in the day if the weather forecast is favorable. Any last-minute changes will be communicated through a reverse 911 call to Lincoln households.

The Finance Committee has revised the budget it approved earlier this year, when Town Meeting was scheduled for March 25. Among the changes:

  • Estimate revenue from a projected 3.4% increase to a decrease of about 16%, representing a projected decline of approximately $500,000.
  • The appropriation to the reserve fund has been increased by $200,000 to a new amount of $753,111.
  • The appropriation to the Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) liability fund for retirees was reduced by $200,000 to $350,000. This proposed change from the original recommendation remains within the committee’s OPEB policy given the latest revenue and expense projections.
  • After adjusting some of the component items, the total capital request from the Water Department is now $270,000, up from $250,000. This motion may be amended at Town Meeting but will involve either transfers or bonding, which would require a two-thirds majority vote.

The Finance Committee will hold a town budget question-and-answer meeting on Zoom about a week before the June 13 town meeting, with date/time and login details to be announced.

The following information is available on the 2020 Annual Town Meeting web page:

The town election will also be held outdoors at the same location on Monday, June 15 for the legally required minimum of four hours (noon–4 p.m.). Early voting and absentee voting are encouraged.

Lincoln physical therapist transferred to the front line

[lgc_column grid=”50″ tablet_grid=”50″ mobile_grid=”100″ last=”false”]

Heather Broglio (front right) and her Beth Israel colleagues with bags of snacks made for the staff by a Bedford woman.

Heather Broglio and her husband Mike (holding a cupcake on his birthday), who works in information technology for the hospital’s anesthesia department and has been rolling out a new software system to be used in the operating rooms.

[/lgc_column]Lincoln resident Heather Broglio, who’s a physical therapist in ordinary times, has been pinch-hitting in a new capacity during the Covid-19 crisis.

“I am usually a outpatient physical therapist that works at [Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital’s] Lexington and Chestnut Hill sites but, when the epidemic started and our caseloads were cut drastically, the hospital took its staff and redeployed them in the hospital to where they would be needed,” she said. “Some people ended up handing out masks or scrubs and some of us ended up being redeployed to respiratory therapy.

“Respiratory therapists are the complete unsung hero in this whole epidemic. They are in charge of the vents, adjusting parameters, keeping them running and managing the tubing going from the ventilators into the patient; taping the tubing and holding it secure if the patient is moved. A strategy that has worked well with Covid patients is called proning and is basically having someone placed on their stomach while on a ventilator. This allows better airflow into the lungs.

“When we were redeployed to respiratory, we were trained to tape the tubes to keep them from coming out of the patient when they are moved [to the face-down position], and then to hold the head and the tube as they move from front to back and the reverse. In regular times, at BI there may be 20-30 vents in use; currently [May 14] there are 72 in use — and this is down from the maximum that were used. There was no ‘prone team’ before the epidemic, so the hospital created the team to free up the respiratory therapists to do other vital functions. It’s really amazing the amount of people redeployed in the hospital and how well it all works.”