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

News acorns

Presentation on drugs and teens

Want to know what recovering young adults have to say about drugs and a night of partying gone horribly wrong? Come see “Back to Life,” a presentation by the Drug Story Theater, on Tuesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. in the L-S auditorium. This performance and talkback is geared toward parents and community members to explain the prevalence of deadly fentanyl and xylazine in recreational drugs available to their children, how trying drugs laced with these substances just one time can be fatal, to destigmatize Narcan, and to show that by providing it lives can be saved. Free and open to all. Brought to you by L-S Community Connections. Questions? Please email  community-connections@lsrhs.net.

School Committee listening session

Caregivers, students, and community members from our Lincoln and Hanscom schools will have the opportunity to raise items with Matina Madrick and Yonca Heyse of the Lincoln School Committee on Tuesday, May 21 from 6-7 p.m. on Zoom. This session is not a public meeting with an agenda, but rather a casual opportunity to meet with committee members. Click here for the Zoom link.

See films made by L-S students

There will be a screening of short films made by Lincoln-Sudbury students about the importance of community belonging on Wednesday, May 22 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the L-S auditorium (special reception at 6:15 p.m.) Three of the four films by teams of students from Lincoln, Sudbury and METCO explore the theme of belonging. The fourth film is a 25-minute meta documentary called Belong-In about the workshop experience itself (click here to see a trailer). The films were produced after L-S history teacher David Grace, Director of Education of the EMA Foundation, approached Lincoln resident Tom Flint about putting together a workshop through Flint’s Filmbuildfing organization. Questions? Call 617-930-1560.

Juneteenth event for kids

In an interactive family workshop at the Lincoln Public Library on Saturday, June 1 from 2–3 p.m., Boston-based social justice group Wee the People will explore the story of Juneteenth, the oldest commemoration of the outlawing of slavery in the United States. Through stories, craft-making, and a Jubilee teach-in, we’ll honor the joy and radical resistance of Black Americans then and now. Geared for ages 6 and older accompanied by an adult. Registration required. click here.

Virtual hikes through history

“Hikes Through History” with author and adventurer Alison O’Leary provides a sampling of fun and interesting hikes in eastern Massachusetts from her Appalachian Mountain Club guidebook Best Day Hikes Near Boston. The program on Thursday, June 6 from 7–8 p.m. talks about the history of the land we hike on, including the people and historic events that shaped our parks and open spaces. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Library. Registration required; click here.

Florenzo “Lolly” Evangelista, 1925–2024

Florenzo “Lolly” Evangelista

Florenzo T. “Lolly” Evangelista, of Lincoln, died on April 8, 2024 at Lahey Hospital in Burlington at the age of 98. Lolly was born in Berlin, N.H., on August 31, 1925, to Charles Evangelista and Annie (Bencivenga) Evangelista. Both Charles and Annie grew up in Calazzo, Italy, and moved to the United States after they were married. Lolly was the youngest of their 12 children.

Lolly left school at age 15 after the death of his father and went to work on DeVincent Brothers Farm in Waltham to help support his family. Five years later, on February 6, 1946, he enlisted in the Navy and engaged in active duty as a Fireman First Class on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Tarawa (CV-40), spending most of his service in the Far East. He was honorably discharged on December 16, 1947. He spent the remainder of his working career as a manager with ABC Building Supply Co. in Waltham.

On September 4, 1949, Lolly married Dorothy L. Hand of Waltham, to whom he was married for 60 years until her death in 2009. They moved to Lincoln in 1958 and raised their family there.

Lolly is survived by his three daughters, Karen McEneaney of Gardner, Mont., Janet Dickey of Littleton, Mass., and Paula Lewis of Lincoln; two grandchildren, Julia Dugan of Manchester, N.H., and retired 20-year veteran First Sgt. Jesse Dugan: and five great-grandchildren.

Everyone who knew him thought Lolly was remarkable for his health and longevity. In fact, he was a three-time cancer survivor and lived with one kidney for 14 years. He went for two walks a day on Mill Street in Lincoln right up until November 2023.

Lolly loved to bowl. He was a member of a bowling league in Acton from the 1970s all the way until Covid hit in 2020. He enjoyed gambling and played cards three nights a week, and belonged to a private club in Maynard. He loved to draw and regularly took art classes at the COA in Lincoln. He could draw anything including cartoon characters, flowers, people, animals, and birds. He volunteered at the Lincoln COA front desk for several years and he enjoyed Senior Dining in Lincoln every Friday. Most of all, he loved singing to anybody and everybody who would listen to him, and he never stopped whistling and singing.

Over the past ten years, during the summer and fall, he helped his friend Frank Rotundo by manning the farm stand at Rotundo Farm in Concord while Frank worked in the field. He even made it onto “Chronicle” when they did a story called “Farmstands,” which aired September 2017. Of course he was singing!

Lolly was a friend to everyone he met. He was always smiling, always happy and would do anything to help anybody. People loved him and constantly commented on how amazing he was, and how happy. He never let anything get to him. He attended Club 600 in Bedford every week and he sang to everyone while he worked out. His daughter Paula, who worked at Bedford Charter school bus company, regularly brought him with her so he knew all the bus drivers. At the end of every summer when Paula had a BBQ/birthday party to celebrate his birthday, the bus drivers would come to celebrate his longevity, happiness and friendship. He loved having people over his house.

Lolly always ended the summer with his three closest friends, Ron, Lynne, and Priscilla, and his daughter, Paula, celebrating his Labor Day birthday with a cookout and an afternoon of playing cards on the back deck. Lolly will be dearly missed by everyone who knew him.

Black bear causes backyard havoc during Lincoln meanderings

A map showing the bear’s Lincoln whereabouts last week (click to enlarge).

There’s a bear in the woods — and it’s not a Reagan campaign ad, either. It’s in the Lincoln woods (not to be confused with Lincoln Woods, never fear).

Paula Robinson, who lives on Rockwood Lane, was the first to report seeing the young black bear on May 9 at 4:30 a.m. Her doorbell camera caught the bear in the act of vandalizing her bird feeders — apparently bears are fond of birdseed. About a week earlier, another resident spotted what appeared to be bear tracks on the trails between Bedford Road and deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum.

“The scary thing about the whole situation is that the bear was approximately 10 feet from my bedroom window and the windows are floor to ceiling, so it was a very surreal experience,” Robinson told the Squirrel. “The bear did take the feeder into the woods but not far and we found it intact this afternoon… We’ve all heard of sightings but I never expected to have such a close encounter due to the fact that we are so close to Route 2.”

A flurry of comments, photos and videos on LincolnTalk in the following days documented sightings all over town south of Route 2, and Lincoln police said they got calls about sightings at various times, primarily north of Trapelo Road near Lexington Road, Page Road, and Old County Road.

On May 10, the bear ransacked the trash can of Jai Kaur San Antonio, who lives near the Codman Estate. “I heard something banging around outside just as I got into bed around 11 p.m. I didn’t even consider it would be the bear. But when I woke up, I saw what a mess it had made — and there were muddy bear prints on some things,” she said.

That same day, Addie Bigelow on Grasshopper Lane shot this video of the bear tackling another bird feeder and successfully spilling the contents onto the ground to eat. 

Peter Speert’s photo of the bear outside his house on Fox Run Road on May 12. 

On May 12, the bear was in the Fox Run Road neighborhood. “I usually let my kids play outside unsupervised, but since a bear roamed into our yard, I have decided to supervise my kiddos more closely. Our neighbor’s dog chased the bear out of our yard and the bear scrambled up a tree,” Fox Run Lane resident Eri Buitrago, who posted this video.

By May 13, the animal had made its way to the home of Caroline Hayes, who lives on South Great Road close to the Wayland town line. She saw him just minutes after he was reportedly seen on Williams Road in Wayland, which is very close to her house.

“My birdhouse has a camera in it, and it did a weird thing at 5:35 a.m., so I believe that’s the same bear they saw in Wayland this morning,” Hayes said. “This morning, we woke up to find both of our bluebird houses on the ground, wood broken open with force, one with metal pole bent (and broken!) down to the ground. One had another species’ eggs in it, smashed, and luckily the other had four live baby bluebirds. We were able to repair their house a bit and parents are nearby. I can’t imagine any other creature but a bear could do this and bend the metal like that. I can see how they look like bird feeders since they are on poles and about the same height.”

Black bears are expanding their range eastward from western and central Massachusetts, according to the Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), which has received reports of a bear in Lincoln and Concord.

“Black bears spend more time in residential areas when they find food such as bird seed, trash, unprotected backyard chickens and goats, and outdoor pet food,” Nicole McSweeney, Assistant Director for Outreach and Education at MassWildlife, told the Lincoln Squirrel. Bears that are fed directly or indirectly by people can become habituated and lose their fear of people, potentially resulting in more property damage or even a threat to public safety.

Resident Linda McMillan, quoting another MassWildlife official she spoke to, said the bear was moved from Worcester where he was wandering into a very developed area not because he was aggressive or violent. “He’s about two years old and has moved about 35 miles in the last week. They have no intention of moving him out of Lincoln. He said we should get used to having bears in our town. The likelihood is that we will see more,” she reported.

“If a bear is seen in town, leave the animal alone and keep pets leashed,” McSweeney said. “A gathering of people not only stresses the animal but adds the risk of having a bear chased out into traffic or into a group of bystanders. In most situations, if left alone, bears will return to forested areas on their own.”

Most bear sightings do not need to be reported to MassWildlife or law enforcement, she added. If a bear is seen in a densely populated area, contact the Environmental Police Radio Room at 800-632-8075 or the nearest MassWildlife District Office to report the sighting and get advice.  

And of course there’s always plenty of advice to be found on LincolnTalk as well. Resident Margaret Olson posted this old adage: “If the bear is black, fight back; if the bear is brown, hit the ground; if the bear is white, say good night.” To which another resident added, tongue in cheek, “If the bear is pink, put down that drink.”

If there’s one thing that captures the attention of Lincolnites, it’s wild animals (remember Bruno the serval in 2022?), so news media including the Lincoln Squirrel faithfully report on these incidents — as do local TV news stations (OK, not really; that’s a parody video from The Onion with a few naughty words, so be warned).

Service on May 25 for Maurice Torti, 1931–2024

Maurice Torti

Maurice “Moe” Leo Torti Jr., 92, of Lincoln, passed away on May 13, 2024, at his residence. He was born in 1931 in Memphis, Tenn., to Maurice Leo Torti and Leah Glidewell Torti. 

He earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering and materials sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Engineering. At MIT, he lettered in crew and played rugby. Upon completing his studies, he worked at the National Research Corp. in Cambridge, where he developed several patents, processes, and equipment for the purification of tantalum metal. His work contributed to developing tantalum powder for electronic uses and solid tantalum forms for industrial applications. He ultimately held the title of Senior Scientist at the Norton Abrasive Co., now Saint-Gobain Abrasives. Upon retirement, he continued as a consultant for the same company. 

In 1969, he married Nancy Hunnewell Morse of Cambridge. After some years of living on the Boston waterfront, they moved to Lincoln. Dr. Torti was an avid skier, sailor, gardener, and tennis player. He was a member of the Longwood Cricket Club, where he served on the board of directors for several years. Upon retirement, he pursued a lifelong interest in sciences and humanities through the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement, where he attended and led classes for twenty years. 

He leaves his wife, Nancy Hunnewell Torti of Lincoln; a niece, Dr. Leah Neel Zartarian (Gary Zartarian), of Bath, Maine; and several great nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by two sisters, Alice Torti Neel of San Antonio, Texas, and Polly Jean Torti Lucas of Huntsville, Ala. 

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Moe for his memorial service at St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, 147 Concord Road, Lincoln, on Saturday, May 25 at 10 a.m. followed by a reception in Flint Hall. All are welcome. 

Arrangements under the care of Concord Funeral Home, which provided this obituary. To share a remembrance or to offer a condolence in Moe’s online guestbook,  please click here.

My Turn: Sign the National Trust petition to fight Hanscom expansion

By Anne Sobol

On May 1, the National Trust for Historic Preservation designated Minute Man National Park, Walden Pond, and nearby landmarks as one of “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places” due to plans to expand infrastructure for luxury private jets at Hanscom Field.

National Trust designations of this sort have been remarkably successful over the years in protecting designated landmarks. The Trust urges people to sign their petition to Governor Maura Healey and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg requesting that they do whatever they can to stop the expansion. The Federal Aviation Administration under Secretary Buttigieg could play an important part in how this turns out.

The developers seek to double hangar space at the field, adding over 500,000 square feet of infrastructure and trucking in between 10,000 and 20,000 gallons of jet fuel every day. Developers acknowledge neither the climate impact of the greenhouse gas emissions from the jets burning massive amounts of jet fuel nor the noise disruption of some of the nation’s most historic sites. Depending on their size, private jets burn between 330 and 550 gallons of jet fuel per hour.

Estimates of the number of jets that will be hangared in the 18 hangars range from 50 to 79. The most recent annual data from Massport states that there were 38,400 jet “operations” (landings and takeoffs) at Hanscom. This figure would only go up because of the private jets in the new hangars. An annual figure of 38,400 translates to more than 100 takeoffs or landings per day. Developers have said without explanation that the daily number will increase by 12 flights or using their figure by around 10 per cent. It could well be more.

The National Trust emphasizes the noise disruption to visitors to the national park and to Walden Pond. Private jets cruising in for a landing or straining to take off will destroy the peace and quiet of visitors walking to the Old North Bridge, walking on the trails in the fields and woods along Route 2A, or enjoying Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.

Please take the time to sign the National Trust petition on their website at savingplaces.org. Click here for the direct link to the petition.

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

News acorns

What happens after we die?

How do different religions understand the possibility of life after death? St. Anne’s invites the wider community to a lecture series on this crucially important topic by three local religious leaders from Jewish, Muslim, and Christian backgrounds. Informed by their respective faith traditions, each leader will speak on how their faith understands the afterlife, including the texts, traditions, and experiences which shape their understanding. 

All events will take place from 7–8:30 p.m. in Flint Hall at St. Anne’s-in-the Fields Episcopal Church (147 Concord Road, Lincoln). For more information, please email Rev. Joe Kimmel (joe@stanneslincoln.org).

LLCT pollinator plant sale

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust will hold its annual pollinator plant sale on Saturday, May 18 in the commuter parking lot at Lincoln Station. Available on a first-come, first-served basis here will be more than 15 species of native perennials that bloom from early to late summer and provide important nectar to wild pollinating insects. Cash, credit card, check, and Venmo are accepted.

From 10–11 a.m., LLCT members are invited to the early-bird hour. The public is welcome from 11 a.m.–1 p.m., and all are welcome to join or renew their membership online before the sale begins. As an additional membership perk, while supplies last, LLCT members can choose a complimentary groundcover plant to add to their order. 

This year, as part of Lincoln Common Ground’s “No Mow May” effort, LLCT has included a selection of early-blooming ground-cover plants that make great lawn replacement or garden understory plants. LCG volunteers will be at the sale to answer questions and provide planting recommendations. Click here to learn more and see the offered plants.

Donate used children’s clothing

Cradles to Crayons is collecting gently used children’s clothing though Friday, May 31. Their greatest need is for summer clothing, but they gratefully accept clothing for any season. Donors may leave bagged items the garage door of Sarah Liepert at 108 Trapelo Road. Click here if you’d like to contribute items via the organization’s Amazon wishlist.

Hospice volunteer training

Care Dimensions will hold online training classes for those interested in becoming volunteers. Volunteers can make a difference in a patient’s life by engaging in a shared interest or hobby, helping with letter-writing or life review, visiting with your approved dog, reading aloud, or simply listening and by providing a supportive, comforting presence. Volunteers visit patients in their homes, in facilities, and at our hospice houses in Lincoln and Danvers. Alternatively, they can provide administrative office support or make check-in phone calls to current patients or bereaved family members.

Training will be held via Zoom on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9–11 a.m. from June 3–26 (register by May 24). For more information or to register, click here or email volunteerinfo@caredimensions.org.

Four L-S teachers receive FELS grants

FELS, the Foundation for Educators at Lincoln-Sudbury, awarded four grants at its awards ceremony on April 30. The 2024 grant recipients and their projects are:

  • Vicky Caburian, Wellness, “2024 Chronicle Adventures”
  • Kelly Gaudreau, English, “A Year of Wellness”
  • Tracie Lopez and Kendra Pavlik, Special Education, for “Gaining and Maintaining Equanimity”

FELS is a nonprofit organization that awards enrichment grants to L-S faculty and staff to pursue their professional and personal interests and passions. Proposals are often for course work or travel, all of which is undertaken during school vacation time and summer recess. Grants are funded from donations to the FELS annual appeal and proceeds from fundraisers including the annual FELS Thanksgiving Pie Sale and Prom Flower Sale.

Drumlin Farm receives grant

Drumlin Farm received a $2,500 grant in the Hunger Relief category from the Sudbury Foundation. It’s part of a total of $320,000 awarded in the first round for 2024.

Police log for April 27 – May 6, 2024

April 27

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (10:30 a.m.) — A caller reported a possible road rage incident on Route 2 west near the Concord town line. Massachusetts State Police and Concord Police were notified.

Tower Road (2:36 p.m.) — A caller reported the railroad gates at the Tower Road crossing were malfunctioning. An officer responded and monitored the gates. A representative from the MBTA/Keolis responded.

April 28

Lincoln Road (7:19 a.m.) — An officer assisted a caller in making contact with a family member.

Woods End Road (6:51 p.m.) — A caller reported hearing what sounded like a gunshot coming from a wooded area. Officers checked the area and spoke to several individuals but nothing was found.

April 29

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (3:00 a.m.) — Concord Police advised that they were pursuing a vehicle wanted out of the town of Acton. The pursuit came through Lincoln via Route 2. Lincoln officers did not join the pursuit.

Airport Road (7:48 a.m.) — Hanscom Air Force Base Security Forces requested assistance with an individual who had an active arrest warrant. Nicholas Desrochers, 27, from Methuen was taken into custody, booked, and transported to Concord District Court.

Tower Road (9:38 a.m.) — A Great Dane was seen walking down Tower Road. The Animal Control Officer was notified.

Old Farm Road (10:27 a.m.) — A raccoon was observed running across the road. The Animal Control Officer was notified.

Conant Road (3:10 p.m.) — Several items were turned in to the Police Department for destruction.

April 30

Lincoln Road (11:31 a.m.) — The MBTA reported a disabled train near the Lincoln Road crossing. A second train arrived a short time later and removed the disabled train. An officer stood by until the crossing was clear.

Canaan Drive (10:30 a.m.) — An individual spoke with an officer regarding a vehicle that had repeatedly parked on a private way.

Wells Road (1:16 p.m.) — A caller asked to speak to an officer regarding an ongoing situation.

Ridge Road (6:36 p.m.) — A caller reported the possible theft of two bicycles. The bicycles were not stolen; they were moved in order to perform routine cleaning of an area.

May 1

Old County Road (11:26 a.m.) — The Animal Control Officer asked a police officer to assist with a sick raccoon.

May 2

Lincoln Road (12:55 p.m.) — Several vehicles were ticketed for parking in the commuter lot without paying the parking fee.

Bedford Road (2:30 p.m.) — Two separate traffic signal lights were out at the Bedford Road and Route 2 crossing. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation was notified.

Concord Road (5:31 p.m.) — A detour sign on Route 117 was struck by a passing motorist. There was no damage to the vehicle or sign.

May 4

Minuteman Commons, Virginia Road (7:57 a.m.) — The Fire Department responded for an odor of gas in a common hallway. The area was metered and no readings were detected.

Conant Road (10:16 a.m.) — A caller reported a dog running in the roadway. An officer responded but could not locate the dog. The Animal Control Officer was notified.

Mary’s Way (3:28 p.m.) — An officer stood by a home at the request of a resident.

Lincoln Police Department (3:33 p.m.) — An individual reported an encounter with a party while in another jurisdiction. They were advised to contact the police from that jurisdiction.

Hanscom AFB Vandenberg Gate (5:16 p.m.) — An officer was called to Hanscom Air Force Base for an individual with an active arrest warrant. The warrant was relayed to the issuing agency and as a result, it was not extraditable. The individual was promptly released from Air Force custody.

May 5

DeCordova Museum (2:14 a.m.) — An officer came upon two parked, unoccupied vehicles while conducting a check of the museum.

May 6

Huckleberry Hill (2:41a.m.) — A caller reported hearing a knock at their door. The residence and area were checked by responding officers, who found nothing out of the ordinary.

Winchelsea Lane (8:25 a.m.) — A caller reported a vehicle had stopped in close proximity to their residence, exited the vehicle, then threw a bag containing empty beer bottles onto the property. An officer responded and checked the area but was unable to locate the vehicle.

Lincoln North office building (3:36 p.m.) — A caller requested assistance for an issue with a rental vehicle. The caller was advised to contact the rental company.

Town Meeting Study Committee to be formed in the fall

The Select Board outlined a plan for the Town Meeting Study Committee this week, starting with a September kickoff meeting.

The board expects to create a website over the summer with background material about local and state laws governing Town Meeting, information from the Massachusetts Moderators Association, and more. They will draft a charge and seek a broad range of potential members in the fall, though a number of people have already volunteered, according to Select Board member Jim Hutchinson. 

The study committee will do an initial study and gather feedback about the group’s initial ideas in December at the State of the Town Meeting, where voting clickers may be tried for the first time in one or more nonbinding votes on questions to be determined. Another presentation will take place at Annual Town Meeting in March 2025, with a final report and recommendations to the Select Board in November 2025.

Earlier, officials discussed having a spring forum headed by Town Moderator Sarah CannonHolden after the March 2024 Town Meeting where an unexpected amendment to the proposed Housing Choice Act was made on the floor. Controversy swirled during and after that day as residents argued over who was allowed to speak when and from where.

The timetable is longer than some had hoped, “but it would be a mistake for us to try to minimize this or pass it off as a forum or a single meeting kind of topic,” Hutchinson said at the board’s April 29 meeting. 

“I don’t want to have a meeting where we do all the talking,” Holden said. “From my perspective, what is it that the public wants? I want to hear from them.”

“I also have to insist that this committee does polling of as broad a spectrum of the population as possible,” perhaps including a townwide mail-in poll, Hutchinson said. “I don’t like the idea of the 20 or 50 or 100 people who show up at a forum to set the ideas that get pursued.”

Meanwhile, the Planning Board is also working on a set of policies and procedures for its meetings, particularly with regard to public comment. They expect to vote on their most recent draft at their meeting on May 14.

My Turn: Thanks from outgoing L-S School Committee member

Dear Lincoln-Sudbury community,

As my term on the L-S School Committee ends, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the opportunity to serve over the past three years. It has been a privilege to put forth my best effort in doing what I felt was best for the students of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School on your behalf and I am deeply grateful for this experience. The parents in this community are the single most important stakeholders when it comes to the success and well-being of our children. Whether it be supporting our schools, athletic programs, music and theater programs, or our local churches and Scout troops, the investment that the parents in this community make in the success of every child is awe-inspiring.

I started my term as a School Committee member in 2021 toward the end of the pandemic, with students in masks and taking a Covid test at the first sign of a sniffle. Fast forward to spring 2024 and “normal” life has returned to L-S. The energy that emanates from our campus this time of year is palpable and something I still cannot bring myself to take for granted.

Not only is there a new energy around the campus, there is also new leadership in place within the building. Last year the L-S School Committee conducted a successful superintendent/principal search and due to the hard work and dedication of so many, Dr. Andrew Stephens was hired in June of 2023. Dr. Stephens brings with him an exciting new energy which has been recognized by students, faculty, and the broader community alike. It has been my pleasure to welcome him and I look forward to seeing how his enthusiasm and fresh ideas move public high school education forward at L-S.

Along with acknowledging all that is exciting and new in the past three years, I would be remiss if I did not also recognize what has always been great about L-S. By this, I mean the teachers and faculty who are the bedrock of our school. Their dedication and commitment to the success and well-being of every student is second to none and I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn far more deeply how they are continually collaborating in innovative ways to ensure that every L-S graduate reaches their full potential. Thank you, L-S teachers.

Lastly, I’d like to give special thanks to two of my colleagues on the School Committee. The first is former School Committee member Harold Engstrom and the second is current and veteran School Committee member Kevin Matthews. Both of you share an unwavering commitment to ethical decision-making and a steadfast determination to always stayed focused on what is best for L-S. Change is often challenging, but working with colleagues of such high moral and academic standards was truly an inspiration. With you and because of you, I feel secure in the fact that I am leaving the L-S School Committee with L-S in an incredibly hopeful place, where all students can continue to find success.

In closing I’d like to welcome Maura (Mo) Carty onto the School Committee as she is sworn into the seat I have vacated. Mo has an unparalleled history of public service in our community. She has served as a voice for parents, students, and staff in her roles on both the LSPO and the L-S School Council. In addition, she brings a solid understanding of both L-S and town-wide budget issues thanks to her work on the Sudbury Finance Committee. Most importantly, Maura holds a fundamental belief in our system of open government where concepts like integrity, transparency, and accountability are not optional, they are essential. This approach to public service has earned her the trust and respect of our community and I’m confident that the good work of the L-S School Committee will continue with Maura seated at that table. Even greater things are yet to come!

With sincere gratitude,

Mary Warzynski (Sudbury)

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

Lorian Brown, 1941–2024

Lorian Brown

Lorian Rounsevell Brown of Lincoln died after a long illness due to a degenerative brain disease. She was the oldest child of Robert Vance Brown and Majorie Waldron Brown. Born on March 29, 1941, she is survived by her brother Richard Brown (Susan McClellan) and sister Dory Rice (Kate Olgiotti). She was predeceased by her husband Joseph Urner in 2011.

Lorian grew up in Washington, D.C., and Wellesley, graduated from Radcliffe College magna cum laude, and received her M.A. from Wheelock College. She had many careers, beginning as an editor at Houghton Mifflin, then a preschool teacher and social worker in Quincy, an instructor at Wheelock College, and finally a poet.

She also leaves behind her nieces Elizabeth Lindenberg (David), Susannah Scanlon (Jon), Laurel Rice, Shanti Rice, two great-nephews Zachary and Tate, her step-daughter Katharine Urner-Jones (Larry), and her dear friend and helper Margaret Harding. Her beloved dog Josie predeceased her.

Lorian and Joe lived in Lincoln and loved working in their garden and going to the theater in Boston and concerts at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood. They also greatly enjoyed spending time at their second home in Gilmanton, N.H., where they hiked the nearby White Mountains.

Lorian was a wordsmith and played a fierce game of Scrabble. She was an inveterate reader; when she could no longer focus on a book, she would read all of the book titles, memos, and name tags around her. Funny, stubborn, prickly, and smart, she was introspective and observant, with astonishing insight into the world around her.

There will be a private burial and gathering for friends and family in Lincoln. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Doctors Without Borders.

Arrangements are under the care of Concord Funeral Home, Concord. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please click here.