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

News acorns

Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Sen. Warren to hold town hall in Concord

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren will be hosting a town hall in Concord on Friday, Aug. 25 at 6:30 p.m. and all are invited. She will be making remarks and answering questions about what’s happening in the Senate and how she’s fighting for Massachusetts families. This is also a chance to talk with her staff about any questions or concerns you might have, or assistance you may need. Doors open for the event at 5:30 p.m.

West Bank/Gaza movie rescheduled for Aug. 27

The date for a second screening of The Law in These Parts sponsored by the GRALTA Foundation has been changed from August 20 to Sunday, Aug. 27 at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Click here for details.

Solar home tour reminder

Four homes in Lincoln will offer tours and Q&As about their solar installations on Sunday, Aug. 27 from 13 p.m. Additional details about the homes can be found here. Lincoln residents are also welcome to tour similar homes in Wayland on Saturday, Sept. 23 as part of the three-town Solarize Massachusetts PLUS program.

Art and Ales at the deCordova

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum will host Art and Ales with Aeronaut Brewing Company on Thursday, Sept. 7 from 5–8 p.m. The event features beer tastings matched with sculptures in the park, plus live music and a food truck. Tickets (buy online here or in person on the day of the event) are $20 for deCordova members and $30 for nonmembers, and free for children 12 and under.

Lincoln property sales in July

  • 140 Lincoln Rd. (a Ryan Estate unit) — Daniel Hertzel to Robert L. and Ruth Mozzi for $463,000 (July 31)
  • 29 Lincoln Rd. — Paul M. Blanchfield to Jane K. O’Rourke and Ursula A. Matulonis for $1,325,000 (July 27)
  • 3B South Commons — John C. Hessler to Abbey B. Salon for $360,000 (July 19)
  • 65 Winter St. — Darlene Mula Trust to David Johnston for $992,000 (July 17)
  • 140 Lincoln Rd. (a Ryan Estate unit) — Robert T. Ferguson Sr. to William N. and Haekyung K. Weir for $475,000 (July 13)
  • 263 Concord Rd. — Paul C.R. Edwards to Nicholas and Gretchen Covino for $920,000 (July 13)
  • 8 Boyce Farm Rd. — Ren Dahai to James C. Anson for $850,000 (July 12)
  • 20 Birchwood Lane — Myrna J. Beecher Trust to Sharla F. Levine for $599,000 (July 6)

News acorns

Visit local homes with solar installations

Lincoln residents are invited to get an up-close view of some of their neighbors’ solar photovoltaic (traditional solar) and solar hot water arrays on Sunday, Aug. 27 from 1–3 p.m. (rain or shine).

Sponsored by Solarize Mass, a program of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and a joint effort by the towns of Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland, the Solarize Tour of Lincoln includes four host residences featuring different styles of solar arrays. Residents of all three towns are encouraged to visit as many homes as they’d like, enjoy refreshments, gather resources, and chat with homeowners about their experiences with the installation process. The homes on the tour are:

  • Ron MacNeal, 247 Concord Road
  • Bob Schudy and Liz Watson, 131 Trapelo Rd.
  • Jim and Ann Hutchinson, 53 Stonehedge Rd.
  • Belinda and Paul Gingrich, 146 Bedford Rd.

More information on each house’s unique solar array can be found at www.lincolngreenenergy.org. There are also solar open house events in Wayland on Saturday, Aug. 19 from 1–4 p.m. and in Sudbury on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 2–4 p.m. More details about these events will be available on www.solarizeLSW.org. All Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland residents are welcome.

Sign up or verify your data in the L-S directory

The deadline to be included in the printed version of the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School directory is Monday, Aug. 21. Many Lincoln families of incoming freshman are still missing. To register, log in the the directory, select “Schools”, then select “Sign up now” at the bottom of the page, and follow the instructions to set up your family, households, and students.

If your email address has changed since last year, please log in to your account and verify that it is correct. If the directory does not have your correct email address, you will not receive communications including password reset requests and are at risk of being left out of the directory. Anyone with questions may click here or email LSRHSdirectory@gmail.com.

September movies announced

The Lincoln Library Film Society will screen movies at the Lincoln Public Library at 3 p.m. on three Mondays in September:

  • September 11—La Notte (1961) starring Jeanne Moreau and Marcello Mastroianni, directed by Michelango Antonioni.
  • September 18—The Lovers (1958) starring Jeanne Moreau, Jose Luis de Villalonga, and Alain Cuny, directed by Louis Malle.
  • September 25—Cet amour-la (2001) starring Jeanne Moreau and Aynmeric Demarigny, directed by Josee Dayan

Refreshments will be served.

Free course on 20th-century art

“Christina’s World” by Andrew Wyeth (1948)

A free five-week course on “Great Artworks of the 20th Century” will be offered in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room from 3–4:30 p.m. stating on Saturday, Sept. 23 and continuing on Oct. 7, 21, and 28, and Nov. 4. The genius behind various 20th-century artworks and artists from Picasso to Pollack and beyond will be revealed, and the group will discuss their own thoughts and reactions to each piece. This program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library and the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging. It is open to adults of all ages. Preference will be given to Lincoln residents. Class size is limited to 35. Sign up for one session or all five. For more information or to register, contact Lisa Rothenberg at 781-259-8465 or lrothenberg@minlib.net.

Pelland to perform at LOMA

Steven Pelland

Steven Pelland is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, Sept. 11. The event runs from 7-10 p.m., and Pelland will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. He’s been aired on live radio and performed at premiere East Coast folk venues including Passim and Bull Run. Pelland released his first major CD, These Days, last year. A video of the first cut, California, highlights his finger-picking style and strong lyric sensibility.

LOMA is a monthly event. Admission is free and refreshments are provided. Performers can sign up at the event or email Rich Eilbert at loma3re@gmail.com for a slot. There is a sound system with mikes and instrumental pickups suitable for individuals or small groups.

Fall series on “Embracing Change”

Embrace Change is offering a free fall series for parents embracing the transition period they encounter as children leave the nest. Parents will connect with others experiencing the same transition, explore what’s next, and have opportunities to design their personal path for this new stage of life. See the Embrace Change website for program details.

All six events run from 1:30–3 p.m. The first three will be held at the Lincoln Public Library:

  • September 13 — “Promoting Productive Communication with Adult Children” with Teresa Simonelli, PsyaD
  • September 20 — “What’s Next? Finding Purpose” with Deb Elbaum, MD, career and life coach
  • September 27 — “Navigating Transitions with Self-Care” with Charlotte Sahyoun, yoga therapeutics specialist

The second set of programs will take place at the Pierce House:

  • October 4 — “Expanding Your Horizons: Delving into New Activities and Careers”
  • October 11 — “Balancing College Students Needs with Your Own Personal Opportunities for Growth” with Michelle Silbert, career and life coach
  • October 18 — “Ready, Set, Go!” with the Embrace Change team

Police want to hear from credit card fraud victims

In the past three months, have you been notified by a credit card company or bank that a credit card had been fraudulently opened in your name? If so, the Lincoln Police Department would like to know about it. Police department in Lincoln and other towns are investigating a substantial credit card fraud ring where credit cards have been opened up in residents’ names and used locally. There are likely additional victims who did not report this to police because the credit card company or bank assumed the loss. If you’ve been notified of this type of fraud, please call the Lincoln Police Department at 781-259-8113.

Conservation land manager sought

The town of Lincoln seeks a full-time land manager to work under the direction of the Conservation Director and the Conservation Commission. This is primarily a field position with some office responsibilities. Duties include managing and monitoring conservation land and trails, public outreach and education, enforcing regulations, and oversight of town-licensed agricultural properties. For details on duties and qualifications and how to apply, click here or email or jobs@lincolntown.org by Friday, Sept. 8.

Residents wary of planned study on location of DPW

Several residents at a recent Board of Selectmen meeting protested the notion of moving the Department of Public Works to the transfer station area, but planning officials stressed that they intend to study a range of options for the DPW site.

The South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee (SLPIC) plans to ask the Board of Selectmen for about $9,000 to pay a consultant to study the DPW site on Lewis Street. SLPIC and others are interested in the possibility of using part or all of that property as part of a larger effort to revitalize the South Lincoln area centering on the train station and surrounding commercial area. Moving the DPW elsewhere would free up valuable land that could be put to commercial, residential, and/or municipal use.

The issue arose at a selectmen’s meeting in June and again on July 31, although SLPIC postponed a planned appearance at that meeting. Nevertheless, several residents spoke in opposition to the idea of moving the DPW to the transfer station.

“That’s probably one of the most environmentally sensitive sites you could find in this town,” said Oakdale Lane resident Keith Hylton, noting that the DPW’s work involved diesel fuel and other chemicals and the transfer station lies within the Cambridge reservoir watershed. Some houses in the area also use well water, he added. In addition, there could be contamination in the soil at the Lewis Street site that could cost “millions” to remediate if the town planned to convert it to some otherl use, Hylton said.

If the Lewis Street study does show environmental issues that need to be addressed, “you can’t ignore it,” said former Planning Board member Robert Domnitz, a Mill Street resident. “If you start walking down this path, you may find yourself locked into a cleanup that not only costs a lot of money but impairs the forward-looking value of that parcel.”

“We understand that this is a sensitive issue,” Lynn DeLisi of SLPIC, who is also a member of the Planning Board, said on Sunday. Some years ago, a different study apparently recommended moving the DPW to the transfer station site, “but we don’t know details; that’s partly why were having another meeting” before going before selectmen with a budget request, she said.

There is no language in the draft charge for the yet-to-be hired consultant about the transfer station, and SLPIC will look at a variety of options for the DPW site, including moving some functions to a neighboring town or simply preserving the status quo, DeLisi said. Also, if the consultant makes a recommendation that SPLIC or a majority of residents are opposed to, “we don’t have to pay attention to it.”

However, if the new study does show potential hazards from environmental contamination on Lewis Street that must be rectified, “we have a right to know about it—it’s right in the center of town,” DeLisi said.

Also at the July 31 Board of Selectmen meeting (as summarized by former Selectman Peter Braun), the board:

  • Accepted a plaque presented by members of the Donaldson family to rededicate the Donaldson Room and to honor Robert Donaldson (1870-1964), who was a selectman for 28 years and builder of some 80 Lincoln houses and the original town office building.
  • Met with Mothers Out Front, an organization that includes Lincoln residents, that is focused on natural gas leaks and other environmental issues.
  • Approved a curb cut requested for 19 Granville Rd., following a recommendation by the Planning Board.
  • Discussed concerns raised by abutters with respect to a new Wayland soccer field to be located in a meadow close to the Lincoln town line in the Oxbow Road area.
  • Heard reports from Town Administrator Tim Higgins regarding:
    • Questions raised by several residents about compliance of the June 19 Board meeting with the Open Meeting Law.
    • Requests by wireless carriers for installation of repeaters on utility poles.
    • Initial activities of the Community Center committee.
  • Scheduled further discussion of Old Winter Street traffic questions for September 25.
  • Scheduled the State of the Town Meeting for November 4 and had an initial discussion about the agenda.
  • Discussed its continuing efforts to coordinate with the Housing Commission and other boards regarding the town’s affordable housing strategy.
  • Discussed proposed content for its next newsletter.
  • Heard liaison reports from:
    • Selectman Jennifer Glass on the School Building Committee’s activities, including its engagement of an Owner’s Project Manager and its process for considering an architectural firm.
    • Selectman James Craig on highlights of a report from a consultant by the Cycling Safety Committee on ideas for accommodating cycling on roadways.

Trapelo Rd. cobblestones removed for safety reasons

Dark areas of pavement are all that’s left of the cobblestone arrays that once graced the intersection of Trapelo and Old County Roads.

The gray granite cobblestones that were installed at the intersection of Trapelo and Old County Roads several years ago have been removed after they were deemed a safety risk.

The cobblestones were set into the pavement at the intersection as a traffic calming measure as part of a $5.5 million package of roadway improvements approved at Town Meeting in 2008. “As part of that project, the committee that helped us develop roadway design standards expressed a desire to create gateway treatments that would help drivers recognize that they are entering Lincoln and to help signal that our roads have their own character,” Town Administrator Tim Higgins said this week.

However, over time, the stones began popping out of place and perhaps slowed down cars a bit more than intended. “We had a few people get flat tires because of them—it was becoming a safety hazard,” said Chris Bibbo, superintendent of the Department of Public Works. After consultation with the Roadway and Traffic Committee and other officials, the DPW finally removed them last week and paved over the holes, returning the intersection to its original state.

Watering now allowed two days a week

The Lincoln Board of Water Commissioners voted on Wednesday to relax water restrictions to allow outdoor watering two days a week.

The water level in Flint’s Pond has been holding steady at one foot below normal, “but that is very close to the level that we consider acceptable in mid-August,” Water Commission member Ruth Ann Hendrickson wrote in a LincolnTalk post.

Watering may now be done on one weekend day in addition to a weekday, so the allowed days now are Wednesday/Thursday and Saturday/Sunday.

“If we have a very dry August, as is possible, we may have to revisit this decision in September,” Hendrickson wrote. “Given that the pond is still 1 foot below normal, we encourage our customers to water sparingly.”

News acorns

Film on West Bank/Gaza occupation

The GRALTA Foundation presents two screenings of Ra’anan Alexandrowicz’s documentary The Law in These Parts (Israel, 2014, 90 minutes) on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 27 at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall (basement screening room). Free; light refreshments will be served.

After conquering the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 1967, the Israeli army imposed thousands of orders, laws, and sentences while moving over 500,000 Jewish settlers into the territories in violation of international law. With archival footage and first-ever interviews with the prosecutors, legal advisors, and the judges who created the framework, The Law in These Parts unravels the intricate system of control that accompanies one of the most enduring and damaging conflicts of our time and sustains it. Can a nation that occupies another people act with principles that adhere to the rule of law? Winner: Best Documentary, Jerusalem Film Festival, 2011 and World Cinema Grand Jury Prize in Documentary, Sundance, 2012. Click here to watch the trailer. For more information, contact Steve Low at 781-259-1300 or steve.low@gordianconcepts.com.

Volunteers needed to serve at Senior Dining

Senior Dining is the Council on Aging’s very popular program that provides an elegant meal once a month at St. Anne’s Church. In order for the program to continue, the COA needs volunteers who can help set tables, serve the meals, and clean up a few times a year on the third Tuesday of each month between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. For further information or to volunteer, please contact Kim Buell at kim_buell@hotmail.com or 781-259-1278.

Mass Audubon photo contest seeks entries

Picture This: Your Great Outdoors, Mass Audubon’s annual statewide photo contest now underway and running through September 30. The contest attracts hundreds of photographers representing all abilities, ages and backgrounds, encouraging them to record the natural beauty and biodiversity of the Bay State. There are two entrant age categories: 18 and older, and under 18. Subject areas include: People in Nature, Birds, Mammals, Other Animals, Landscapes, and Plants and Fungi. Each entrant may submit up to 10 photographs, which must be taken in Massachusetts or at Mass Audubon’s Wildwood Camp in Rindge, N.H. Images may have been taken at any time prior to or during the contest.

One grand prize winner will be awarded a $250 gift card (to be redeemed at a Mass Audubon shop or a wildlife sanctuary), in addition to being featured in Explore, Mass Audubon’s member newsletter. Eleven winners will win $100 gift cards and at least six honorable mentions will win $50 gift cards. Additional honorable mentions may be awarded at the discretion of the judges. All submissions, regardless of original format, must be submitted online. Please visit massaudubon.org/picturethis for complete contest rules, submitting images online, and other details.

Lincoln Literary Society meets

The Lincoln Literary Society will meet on Friday, Aug. 11 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. in the home of founder Daniela Caride. People may arrive or leave any time during the four-hour window to enjoy wine, food, and lots of books from the transfer station swap table as well as poems, stories and articles. It’s not a regular book club with required readings or deadlines—members talk about books they’ve read (recently or not), recite poems, read a passage or whatever inspires them to start a conversation. Explore www.LiteraryLincoln.org for the latest book recommendations, poems and upcoming events, and send submissions to Caride for publication on the site. For more information, email her at danielacaride@gmail.com. The group meets on the second Friday of each month.

Property sales in June

  • 35 Huckleberry Hill — James R. Tobin to Emanuel G. Lewin for $800,000 (June 28)
  • 108 Concord Rd. — Daniel M. Merfeld to Maureen Masterson and Roberto Santamaria for $750,000 (June 27)
  • 141 Weston Rd. — Keith M. Gilbert to Donna A. Jeffers for $2,000,000 (June 22)
  • 8 Todd Pond Rd. — Samuel P. Perkins to Miriam Zoll and Michael Shashoua for $1,367,000 (June 15)
  • 173 Tower Rd. — Mark Meltz to Edward D. and Carolyn C. Huber for $1,200,000 (June 8)