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

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.

Solar farm at landfill finally becoming a reality

Solar supports begin to rise from the landfill.

Construction on the solar installation atop the capped landfill is finally underway. When complete, the facility should supply all of the electricity needs of town-owned buildings except the Lincoln School, which have its own solar collection system to make them net zero.

The electricity will go directly to the electrical grid via the Eversource poles and wires on Mill Street and the town will then receive income from a power purchase agreement (PPA).

Lincoln won’t have to pay anything and will actually see three revenue streams from the deal. In addition to income from the PPA in the form of electricity savings — estimated at $170,000 to $200,000 per year — HESP Solar will make lease payments for use of the land and PILOT (payments in lieu of taxes) for their personal property on the site.

A closer view of the panel footings.

The project was slowed by several factors including the pandemic and lengthy negotiations with Minute Man National Historical Park. The park owns the right of way on either side of Route 2A, so the town needed their approval to install power lines from the landfill out to the road.

The town will receive financial credits from Eversource for the energy produced, as well as annual property tax payments and payment in lieu of taxes.The facility is expected to generate about 1.4 million kWh in the first year, yielding about $150,000 a year for the town in total savings and revenue. 

In 2017, residents approved a “land swap” arrangement whereby some of the landfill property was taken out of conservation status in exchange for putting the same amount of land elsewhere into conservation. That land is part of the Wang property on Bedford Road that the town purchased, now the site of an athletic field as well as nine acres of conservation land.

Lincoln group forms in response to ICE arrests

A newly formed group called Lincoln Witness is asking the Select Board to quickly publicize a forthcoming set of FAQs about ICE and immigrants’ rights in the face of the federal crackdown, and to host an informational public event as it did shortly after the murder of George Floyd.

Several Lincolnites met in May after ICE detained people in Acton and “realized that it wasn’t a matter of ‘if’ ICE raids would affect those who live and work in Lincoln, but ‘when’,” the group’s website says. Kim Jalet, who co-founded Lincoln Witness with Kathy Madison, told the Select Board on September 8 that “things are going to ramp up pretty quickly [with the start of the Patriot 2.0 arrest surge in Massachusetts] and we think time is of the essence at this point” to educate Lincolnites about what to do if they see ICE activity in town and how they can support immigrants. Lincoln Witness members, who now number more than 30, believe President Trump “is testing the waters for denying rights to others groups. Protecting the rights of one group protects all of us,” she added. 

Lincoln Witness members have participated in weekly vigils outside the ICE office in Burlington as well as other area protests and standouts. They’re establishing a network of people in Lincoln ready to mobilize as witnesses and reporters should ICE activity be detected in town, and printing and distributing “know your rights” cards in Spanish and Portuguese.

Jalet said that official town support for the aims of Lincoln Witness is especially appropriate in light of the town’s vote to designate Lincoln as a “safe and welcoming community” in 2018 — though not without some disagreement and controversy on the floor of Town Meeting.

“My staff is trained to follow the values expressed in Town Meeting. Those resolutions matter,” Town Administrator Tim Higgins said. “We do not assist ICE in its activities. We cannot interfere but we do not assist.”

Local law enforcement can’t be compelled by the federal government to carry out civil immigration enforcement but may also not interfere or obstruct ICE operations. However, “we’re also guided by law” when it comes to protecting bystanders and property, acting Chief of Police Jon Wentworth said.

Water main project on budget but drainage pipe issues found

The water main replacement project is proceeding on schedule and on budget, though workers have encountered some blocked drainpipes that will have to be cleared or replaced.

Two of the three piping components of the water main project’s Phase 1 are complete: Bedford Road from the hilltop well down to the five-way intersection, and Lincoln Road from Tower Road to Ballfield Road, Water Superintendent Rick Nolli told the Select Board on September 8. Coming up:

  • Week of September 15 — valves will be installed at Weston and Trapelo Roads, which will remain open to traffic.
  • Mid- to late September — pipe installation for the section from the five-way intersection from Lincoln Road to Tower Road piping will take place.
  • October — workers will do sample and pressure tests and start making connections.
  • First week of November — temporary bypasses will be removed and water service through the new mains will start.

Over the summer, there were complaints about water quality in some homes served by a longer temporary above-ground pipe exposed to the heat, but flushing the pipe plus cooler weather mitigated the problem, Nolli said.

However, during the course of excavation on Bedford Road, workers discovered that the roadway/stormwater drains that connect the catch basins to the main drain line that runs down the center of the road were disintegrating. The contractor was told to replace those cross drains since they’re located above the new water main. This raised the question of whether the main drainage line and not just the smaller cross drains also need to be replaced, DPW Superintendent Steve Olson said.

The town has hired a consultant to do camera inspections on the main line, which thus far have shown two blockages. The hope is that cleaning and internally relining the affected pipe segments will solve the problem. Doing that work on the Bedford Road section will cost about $300,000, but if the pipes actually need to be replaced, the cost would be four to five times that amount, Town Administrator Tim Higgins said.

Unless the pipes are in imminent danger of collapse, the town will crate a capital planning request for the next budget cycle. “We are not currently anticipating some type of emergency procurement/change order to have the water main contractor do the stormwater drain repair/replacement,” Higgins wrote in a memo to other town officials.

If immediate repairs are in fact required, they could be funded by the town’s Chapter 90 funds, and/or a reserve fund transfer. “This scenario is certainly not ideal as the current plan is to use our Chapter 90 funds to keep the roads in reasonable condition until we can get bonds approved for the next major pavement project. Draining the Reserve Fund so early in the fiscal year is also problematic,” he wrote.

Phase 2 from Ballfield Road to Codman Road is still in the design phase and will go out to bid in February, Nolli said. Workers will try to maintain one lane open at all times. “We’re hoping we don’t have to redirect traffic because it’s along detour to get around that section of Lincoln Road,” Nolli said, adding that the part near the mall “is going to be a tight area” as well.

Voters approved $2.2 million in bonding for Phase 1 in 2023 and another $6.2 million in March 2025 for Phase 2. Water rates are expected to rise by 10% in each of the next four years to pay those debts.

Legal notice: Conservation Commission (DPW)

LEGAL NOTICE — CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Notice of Public Hearing

The Lincoln Conservation Commission (LCC) will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 7:05PM in accordance with the MA Wetlands Protection Act and the Town of Lincoln Wetlands Protection Bylaw. This is in response to the duly filed Notice of Intent by the Town of Lincoln Department of Public Works for stormwater management improvements within the 100-ft Buffer Zone on Trapelo Road (Parcels 144-22-0, 144-32-0, and roadway). Information on how to log onto the virtual public meeting will be included in the LCC Agenda posted on the town’s website at least 48 hours prior to the hearing. More information can be reviewed here.

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 August 22–31, 2025

August 22

Trapelo Road (7:42am) — Police and fire units were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash. There were no reported injuries.

Lincoln Road (4:27pm) — A caller reported seeing a motorcycle on the sidewalk near Lincoln Woods. An officer checked the area but was unable to locate the motorcycle.

Sandy Pond Road (4:48pm) — A caller reported a loose dog running toward the five-way intersection. An officer checked the area but was unable to locate the dog.

Sunnyside Lane (5:48pm) — An individual spoke with an officer regarding a possible scam.

Lincoln School (6:50pm) — A caller reported seeing a vehicle with the driver’s door left open. An officer made contact with the operator who had inadvertently left the door open.

Sandy Pond Road (7:04pm) — An officer advised a person that fishing in Sandy Pond was prohibited.

Weston Road (7:51pm) — A motorist reported seeing a golden retriever in the middle of the road. An officer checked the area but was unable to locate the dog.

Weston Road (8:04pm) — A person spoke to an officer regarding a civil matter.

August 23

Bedford Road (1:23am) — An officer encountered a motor vehicle pulled to the side of the road. The driver, Natalie Rodriguez, 40, of Chicopee, was arrested for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. She was bailed later in the morning and ordered to appear at Concord District Court on August 24.

Mount Misery parking lot (4:58pm) — An officer assisted a person who had locked their keys in their vehicle.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (5:06pm) — An officer assisted the Massachusetts State Police with a motor vehicle crash.

Bedford Road (1:08pm) — Officers assisted with traffic for a funeral procession.

August 24

Partridge Lane (11:27am) — Officers assisted a person who had gotten lost on conservation trails.

August 25

Old Winter Street (2:06pm) — A caller reported seeing branches suspended on utility wires. The DPW confirmed that the branches were growing through the wires and not resting on them.

Trapelo Road (2:33pm) — A second call for branches resting on wires was received. These branches were also growing through the utility lines.

Lincoln Road (11:01am) — An officer spoke to a person regarding a civil matter.

Lincoln Town Hall (8:51am) — An officer responded for an issue with the elevator alarm. The elevator appeared to be in normal operation.

Commuter rail parking lot (4:10pm) — An officer spoke to a motorist regarding excessive idle time.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (10:21am) — An officer spoke to a person regarding a dispute with a landlord.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (10:44am) — A motorist called 911 asking for directions. Directions were provided as well as a brief instruction for the appropriate use of the 911 system.

August 26

Bedford Road (4:22pm) — A tree fell on a motor vehicle. The operator was able to self-extricate. and was transported to the hospital. The DPW was notified.

Kelly Lane, Hanscom AFB (6:59pm) — The Lincoln Fire Department responded to Hanscom Air Force Base for a reported garage fire.

Sandy Pond Road (3:25pm) — An officer responded to the area for the unauthorized use of a gas-powered leaf blower.

Todd Pond Road (1:05pm) — An officer responded for the unauthorized use of a gas-powered leaf blower. The landscape company was advised.

South Great Road (9:32am) — An officer responded to the railroad gates for the reported malfunction. Keolis was notified and responded a short time later.

August 27

Bedford Road (7:34am) — A motorist reported seeing several branches resting on wires. The report was unfounded.

Lexington Road (8:35am) — An officer responded to a two-vehicle crash on Lexington Road at Route 2 eastbound. There were no reported injuries. One of the operators was cited for failing to yield the right of way.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (2:27pm) — Lincoln police assisted the Massachusetts State Police with a two-vehicle crash.

Wells Road (3:25pm) — An officer spoke with a person regarding an ongoing situation.

Lincoln Road (7:00pm) — A caller reported that a traffic cone partially obstructing the travel lane. The cone was in place to identify a component of the water main replacement project.

August 28

South Great Road (8:05pm) — Lincoln officers assisted the Concord Police Department in locating and arresting April Grueter, 49, of West Brookfield, for an incident that occurred in the Concord. Click here for details.

Morningside Lane (7:44pm) — A caller reported a solicitor had been on their property without the appropriate credentials. An officer checked the area but was unable to locate anyone.

Bedford Lane (11:09am) — An officer checked the area for the report of an uncredentialed solicitor. The area was checked but nothing was found.

Lincoln Road (6:10pm) — A caller reported a tree resting on utility wires. The report was forwarded to Verizon.

August 29

Page Road (6:49pm) — An officer checked the area for the report of an uncredentialed solicitor. but found no one.

Weston Road (7:28pm) — An officer spoke with a person regarding a civil matter.

August 30

Lincoln Road (2:01pm) — An officer addressed a parking complaint on Lincoln Road.

South Great Road (2:11pm) — A two-vehicle crash near the Concord town line resulted in the. roadway being closed in both directions. Both vehicles were towed from the scene and one of the operators was transported to the hospital. The responsible party was cited for causing the crash.

August 31

Concord Road (2:27am) — Officers and utility crews addressed a downed tree that had also damaged utility and electrical wires. Units remained on scene until the road could be reopened.

Old County Road (4:38pm) — A large tree fell and blocked the roadway. The DPW and Eversource were called, and the road was opened a short time thereafter.

Page Road (7:43am) — A caller reported that a large limb was blocking the roadway. An officer was able to remove it.

Deerhaven Road (8:38am) — A caller reported seeing a suspicious vehicle in the area. An officer checked but was unable to locate anything out of place.

Twisted Tree Café (10:34am) — A caller was advised to contact the Rural Land Foundation to follow up regarding a parking complaint.