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

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.

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COA&HS events coming up

Photo gallery talk
Tuesday, May 7 at 3 p.m., Bemis Hall
Photographer and Lincoln resident John Rizzo will talk about the images on display in Bemis Hall’s Map Room. Each image made over the last 45 years has a great story. Interested in learning more about techniques? Sign up for Photography Workshop with John on May 9, 16, 23, and 30. Call 781-259-8811 to sign up. Sponsored by the Lincoln Council on Aging & Human Resources.

Concord Traveling Players variety show
Friday, May 24 at 12:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
All ages are invited to a free show where local senior local actors and musicians will engage the audience with good-spirited humor, staged readings, music and skits. Sponsored by the Lincoln Council on Aging & Human Resources.

“Eleanor Roosevelt: First Lady of the World”
Friday May 10 at 12:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
Sheryl Faye portrays Eleanor Roosevelt, who was the longest serving First Lady of the U.S. She was the first presidential spouse to hold press conferences, write a syndicated column, and speak at a national convention as well as advocating for women in the workplace, civil rights, Asian Americans, and World World II refugees. Cosponsored by Friends of Lincoln COA & Friends of Lincoln Library.

Kyudo Zen archery demonstration
Friday, May 17 at 12:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
Don Seckler demonstrates Kyudo (pronounced “cue-do”), an ancient Japanese moving meditation and noncombative martial art. The focus is on “cleaning the mind” rather than marksmanship. The target becomes a mirror reflecting the quality of one’s mind at the moment of the arrow’s release. The presentation demonstrates the form and discusses the practice as it relates to Zen.

Talk by Emerson Health CEO and president
Friday, May 31 at 12:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
Christine Schuster, RN, MBA, will share her journey in healthcare. 

Gift card drive, concert to benefit SVdP food pantry

The Town of Lincoln staff is sponsoring a grocery gift card drive from May 11–24 to benefit the food pantry run by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) of Lincoln and Weston. How you can help:

  • Donate grocery gift cards of any amount from stores like Donelan’s, Market Basket, Stop & Shop, Walmart, and Target
  • Make a cash donation and we’ll purchase the gift cards for you

Donations will directly support local individuals and families in need during the critical summer months. Please drop donations in the collection jars at the Select Board’s Office in Town Hall or in the Lincoln Public Library. Your can also donate any time online or by check (click here for details).

SVdP of Lincoln and Weston will also host a family-friendly spring concert on Tuesday, June 4 at 5:30 p.m. on the Weston town green. Enjoy popular melodies performed by Weston High School vocalists and the bluegrass band the Ruta Beggars. Bring your chair or blanket and a picnic. Suggested donation: $25.

Tomashi Jackson to deliver Rappaport Lecture at deCordova

Tomashi Jackson

Artist Tomashi Jackson, recipient of the 24th Rappaport Prize, will present her Rappaport Lecture on Thursday, May 16 at at 6 p.m. at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. The event is free and open to the public. Jackson’s multimedia practice combines painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, video, fiber art, and performance to illuminate social histories of justice, resistance, and aesthetic theory.

The $50,000 Rappaport Prize is presented to a contemporary artist with strong connections to New England and a proven record of achievement. In 2010, it was endowed in perpetuity by the Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport Foundation, assuring the ongoing support of contemporary art and artists in New England. Click here for more information, and click here to register for the lecture.

Gropius House musical soiree

Lincoln’s Gropius House will host a musical soiree on Sunday, May 19 and celebrate Walter Gropius’s birthday with a musical event with musician, actor, author, and activist Kemp Harris. The performance will take place from 5:30–6:45 p.m. with a 15-minute intermission. This fundraising event supports the ongoing preservation and education mission of Historic New England’s Modern movement architectural icon and museum: the 1938 Gropius family home in Lincoln. Space is limited and reservations are required. Click here to purchase tickets ($100 for HNE members, $125 for nonmembers).

Pride Week kickoff on May 29

Join the Lincoln community at an event to kick off Pride Month to support LGBTQIA+ members of the Lincoln Public Schools and community on Wednesday, May 29 (rain date: June 5) from 1–3:30 p.m. at the green in front of the Mall at Lincoln Station. There will be speakers, live music by David Onigman, a performance by the LPS School Step Team, face painting and other activities. The Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA), an organization of students from grades 5-8 in the Lincoln School and Hanscom Middle School), will lead a procession of students, caregivers, and others from the Lincoln School to the mall. Supported in part by the Parks and Recreation Department.

Codman Campout and Chili Night

Gather up your tent, sleeping bags, friends, and family for a night on the farm on Saturday, June 15 starting at 4 p.m. All are welcome for dinner even if you aren’t camping for the night. Campsites and dinner reservations are required for planning purposes. We’ll be serving Codman’s own grass fed beef chili, vegan/GF chili and cornbread. There will be campfires and the traditional singalong and dessert from the Reasons to Be Cheerful Chill Wagon (ice cream sold separately). Please bring your own camping/folding chairs, and headlamps and/or flashlights. A campsite ticket for $40 per tent also includes s’mores and breakfast in the morning (hot coffee, bagels, and orange juice). Click here to reserve. 

Archivist Matthew Lincoln

Matthew Lincoln named as town’s archivist

The Town of Lincoln has a new town archivist: Matthew Lincoln, who also serves as the archivist for the Worcester Historical Museum. He will split his time between the two town archives, working on Mondays at Town Hall and on Tuesdays at the Lincoln Public Library. To make an appointment to access materials, email archives@lincolntown.org. He succeeds the late Virginia Rundell.

Events at the library

“Reimagining the American Songbook” with jazz guitarist Abe Ovadia
Saturday, May 25 from 2–3 p.m., Tarbell Room
Along with his modern take on jazz standards, Abe Ovadia engages with listeners, sharing stories and answering questions about his music and career.

Button making for pride
Wednesday, May 29 from 2–3 p.m., Tarbell Room
Prepare for Pride Month at the library by designing and decorating buttons that show off who you are. All materials will be provided; for ages 7+. Space is limited; click here to register.

“Chomsky and Me: A Memoir” author discussion
Wednesday, May 29 from 7– 8 p.m., Tarbell Room
Author Bev Stohl ran the office of renowned linguist and social critic Noam Chomsky for nearly two and a half decades. Chomsky and Me: A Memoir is her account of those years, working next to a man described by the New York Times as “arguably the most important intellectual alive today.” There will be time for Q&A.

Eversource arborist explains roadside tree removal

One of several trees on Sandy Pond Road that’s been marked for removal.

Residents may have noticed temporary signs attached to numerous roadside trees in town that are being targeted for removal by Eversource. The town is required to hold a public hearing to invite comments or objections to removal of specific trees; it will take place on Wednesday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at the DPW office (30 Lewis St.). Anyone who can’t attend may email or call DPW Superintendent Chris Bibbo at bibboc@lincolntown.org or 781-259-8999 (he will read aloud the emailed comments at the hearing).

The Lincoln Squirrel asked Eversource Arborist Matthew Mitchell some questions about this process; here are his answers.

Why has Eversource not done this in Lincoln in several years?

A few aspects to this question. Our tree program is two-pronged; we have a trimming program and a removal program. The trimming program maintains space around the primary wires at the top of the electric poles, usually as close to 10 feet to the sides and bottom and 15 feet above as we can while following safety regulations and proper pruning practices. This program prunes each circuit every four to five years. There are several circuits in Lincoln that get pruned in different years, with a large Lincoln circuit having been pruned just last year. So we are around town regularly, even if the trimming work isn’t as dramatic as outright tree removal.

Our removal program is not cyclical and is a little more subjective. Circuits with recently poor outage rates are targeted, but we also try to do removal work on circuits that aren’t getting outages yet but in my opinion have a strong potential to see a spike in the future. We want to be removing potentially hazardous trees before they cause outages or cause a danger to general public safety. If I do my job correctly, nobody will have known there was a possible issue at all.

It has been a while since we have removed public trees in Lincoln, but last year we were fairly active in town removing hazard trees on private property. The motivation for this project happening now is that I think the Lincoln forest is aging out of a young forest into a more middle-aged one, and part of that process involves trees accumulating injuries or poor structure that make overall failure more likely. Tree injury, mortality, or failure is a natural part of the forest life cycle, and it is all well and good when it happens in the middle of the woods, but when these trees are situated next to power lines, sidewalks, and homes then human action is needed to intervene and prevent them from interrupting the power we depend on or causing property or bodily injury.

A specific issue in the Lincoln forest is that in the last few years, Lincoln has lost the majority of its ashes to emerald ash borer (EAB). This bug is an invasive species from eastern Asia and because our native ashes did not evolve alongside it, they do not have the evolutionary adaptations of Asian ashes. The beetle causes a near 100% fatality rate in native ash in any locality it has been introduced, and it is why when you go camping you will often see signage asking campers to not bring off-site wood for campfires as this is the beetle’s main avenue of spreading. Other than expensive pesticide treatments on individual large and significant trees, the only cure for EAB is preventing it from arriving. Ashes with EAB make up the single most common species on our Lincoln removal list.

What are the criteria for selecting trees to remove?

Circuits are profiled by our certified arborists to assess trees along the power lines for removal and then reviewed and edited by myself. Obviously, dead standing trees are immediately added. When the tree is still alive, it is visually assessed from root to shoot for signs of stress, poor stem structure that makes failure more likely, open or hidden rot cavities that could be a breakage point, the presence of tree pests that pose significant risk to the tree’s survival such as EAB (but there are others that affect more than just ashes), and overall form and vigor. The majority of non-undergrowth, larger diameter trees on the list are on there because I believe they are likely to fail in the short to mid term future and I would like to get them removed before they do.

I specified size in that last point because a lot of the trees on this list are small undergrowth trees. They are healthy in and of themselves, but they have been selected for removal because they are of a species that have characteristics that make them unsuitable to be located under the wires. Cherries and elms are the two most common. These species grow faster than average, sprout aggressively when they are pruned, and usually do not take to being pruned to grow out and around the wires but stubbornly keep trying to grow straight upwards. These trees are difficult for our pruning program to control and even when pruned to arboriculturally correct and healthy standards are frankly an eyesore. It is more effective to have them removed outright as well as improving the aesthetic of the roadway.

There is a small handful of healthy, moderately sized trees on the list that do not have significant biological or structural defects. They are on there because they are actively touching our primary lines which carry thousands of volts. If/when friction wears away the wire coating, these trees will cause an outage by catching fire themselves and potentially (although very unlikely) acting as an electrical conductor for anyone who happens to be touching the tree.

What’s the timeframe for removal?

It depends on the contractor’s workload from other areas Eversource services, but I expect work to begin a few weeks after the tree hearing

What happens to all the wood?

The logs will usually linger for a week or two as the log crew is a separate crew to the removal crew. Because the trees we are targeting are often unhealthy to begin with, there is not much value in their lumber. Usually they are given to facilities that process them into chips for resale or industrial use, sometimes the town wants the wood themselves for whatever reason. It depends on each of our contractor’s individual system and geographical location, and it is not a part of the process I am much involved in.

If any abutters to trees being removed would like to keep the logs themselves or if they want chips for organic mulch, that is also an option if they let us know. Chips are measured by the truckload or so, if anyone wants them they usually need to have a full-sized garden or several yard trees.

Minute Man park cited as endangered by historic preservation group

Minute Man National Historical Park and nearby landmarks have been designated as one of America’s 11 most endangered historic places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Trust chose MMHNP due to threat of private jet hangar expansion at nearby Hanscom Field, which would significantly increase the number of private jet flights along with noise and greenhouse gas emissions. The jets would use the runway that directly overflies Minute Man Park, Walden, Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, and historic homes in Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, and Bedford. Hanscom is the only airport in the country that abuts a national historic park and a national wildlife refuge.

The park and surrounding area designated by the Trust includes the site of the first battle of the American Revolution on April 19, 1775; the homesteads of the authors Thoreau, Emerson, Hawthorne, and Alcott; Walden Pond and Walden Woods, and properties connected with the Underground Railroad and Brister Freeman and Caesar Robbins, two enslaved men who were emancipated after their service in the Revolutionary War.

“Against the dire backdrop of our warming climate and the climate disasters that result, causing so much suffering for millions, it is utterly appalling to consider a massive development for luxury private jets in the midst of the landscape that inspired the founding of our democracy and the American environmental movement,” actor and activist Ashley Judd said at the May 1 announcement ceremony in Concord. “We must take responsibility for protecting both our historic sites and our planet by firmly opposing this completely senseless development.”

“Today’s announcement reminds us of the enduring responsibilities we bear: to preserve our national treasurers like Walden Pond and Walden Woods through vigilant advocacy and devoted stewardship. Without both, we face the very real possibility that these national treasures could be lost for future generations. Critical choices lie ahead. We must choose wisely by prioritizing what is essential for the preservation of the special places that inspire us, embody our history, reflect our values and define us as Americans,” said Don Henley, musician and board chair of the Walden Woods Project.

The Trust encourages residents to sign their petition urging Gov. Healey and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg them to stop expansion of Hanscom Field. 

The project’s draft environmental impact report and other documents can be found here. The public comment portal is here (project 16654, login/registration required). The deadline for comments on the DEIR has been extended to June 14, 2024.

Police log for April 17–26, 2024

April 17

Lincoln Road (12:03 p.m.) — An officer responded to the commuter lot for an illegally parked motor vehicle.

Conant Road (12:37 p.m.) — Administrative paperwork was served in hand to a resident.

Lexington Road (12:42 p.m.) — A caller reported the gates to the cell tower appeared to be open. An officer checked the area; the open gates appeared to be the result of neglect.

Winter Street (5:24 p.m.) — Officers responded to a vehicle that was occupied, parked, and running. The operator was a food delivery driver who left the area a short time later.

North Great Road (6:30 p.m.) — Officers responded to a call reporting a suspicious incident. They spoke to all parties involved and confirmed the incident was a misunderstanding.

April 18

Lincoln Road (1:05 p.m.) — A parking ticket was issued to an illegally parked motor vehicle.

Lincoln Road (4:18 p.m.) — An officer conducting a radar assignment stopped a vehicle for speeding. The officer subsequently arrested the operator, identified as Diego Guadagnano, 35, of Marlborough, for an outstanding warrant for failure to appear for unlicensed operation and failing to stop. He was bailed and ordered to appear at Concord District Court on April 19.

April 19

Public Safety Building (8:49 a.m.) — A party turned in fireworks for destruction.

Bedford Road (12:53 p.m.) — A caller reported that several men were filming individuals by the library. Officers responded and spoke with the individuals.

Old Concord Road (5:36 p.m.) — An individual asked to speak with an officer regarding a possible scam.

Mount Misery parking lot (9:27 p.m.) — An officer spoke with occupants of a parked and occupied motor vehicle. The parties left the area a short time later.

April 20

Virginia Road (9:06 a.m.) — Officers responded to the civil air terminal to assist the Massachusetts State Police with a protest.

April 21

Boyce Farm Road (3:47 a.m.) — Officers assisted a caller with checking a property.

Lincoln Road (11:12 am.) — A caller reported unauthorized leaf blower usage. An officer checked the area and found no violations.

Lexington Road (5:31 p.m.) — A caller reported possible graffiti on their property. The area was checked; the markings appear to be from a contractor.

Food Project office, Lewis Street (6:22 p.m.) — An officer came upon a vehicle parked, occupied, and running. The operator had pulled off to take a quick power nap. They were on their way a short time later.

April 22

Old County Road (5:18 a.m.) — A caller reported seeing light from a flashlight in an area behind their residence. The area was checked but nothing appeared out of the ordinary.

April 23

Conant Road (8:10 a.m.) — A caller reported a possibly sick raccoon in their yard. Animal Control was notified. The raccoon made its way back into the woods.

Mount Misery parking lot (2:43 p.m.) — A caller reported that their dog was missing. They reported a short time later that their dog had been found.

Beaver Pond Road (10:38 p.m.) — A caller reported that a brush fire had grown too big and requested assistance. Police and fire units responded and regained control.

April 23

Old Sudbury Road (7:28 a.m.) — Police responded to the railroad crossing for a report of the gates stuck in the down position. Officers remained on scene for approximately 20 minutes until MBTA personnel arrived and resolved the issue.

April 24

Mount Misery parking lot (2:30 a.m.) — An officer checked on a tow driver who had stopped in the parking lot to check their GPS.

Lincoln Road (1:35 p.m.) — A two-vehicle crash occurred at the intersection of Codman and Lincoln Roads when a vehicle had failed to stop at the stop sign. Neither of the operators were injured. One of the vehicles became engulfed with flames that were extinguished a short time later.

Bedford Road (8:31 p.m.) — An individual found several items at a trailhead and turned them in to police.

Canoe landing parking lot (11:22 p.m.) — An officer found an individual sleeping in their vehicle. They were sent on their way a short time later.

April 25

Old Winter Street (12:37 p.m.) — A caller turned in several items to the police for destruction.

April 26

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (12:35 a.m.) — A small fire was reported. Police and fire units responded and knocked down the remnants of the flames.

The Commons in Lincoln (10:18 a.m.) — A caller misplaced several items initially reported stolen but located them a short time later.

Sandy Pond Road (2:06 p.m.) — Officers assisted Concord police with a single-vehicle crash.

Lincoln Road (3:22 p.m.) — An individual found a suspicious item on their property and turned it over to the police.

Lincoln Road (4:35 p.m.) — A minor two-vehicle crash occurred at the intersection of Lincoln Road and Route 117 when one vehicle rear-ended another. There were no injuries reported. A written warning was issued to the operator of the vehicle responsible for the crash.

Lincoln Road (6:39 p.m.) — A caller reported observing a white male in his mid-30s with brown/black hair, a mustache, and wearing khaki shorts who had exposed himself. The area was checked but no one matching the description was found. An investigation is ongoing.

LincolnTalk guidelines for town officials are clarified

An earlier prohibition on town officials participating in LincolnTalk for fear of open Meeting Law violations has been loosened and clarified by Town Counsel Joel Bard.

Planning Board members were advised at their April 16 meeting that they were no longer allowed to post emails to LincolnTalk or even subscribe to the listserv. Director of Planning and Land Use Paula Vaughn-MacKenzie said this was the advice of Town Counsel Joel Bard and accompanied a recent public records request by resident Barbara Peskin for emails and other communications relating to the March 23 Town Meeting.

“The one-sentence summary is that town officials may participate and post on social media, but they must avoid any discussions or ‘deliberations’ with fellow board members and should limit their posts to simple factual points,” Town Administrator Tim Higgins told the Select Board on April 29.

Board and committee members may post information about meeting schedules and other basic administrative matters on LincolnTalk as well as basic factual information, including offering corrections to misstatements, Higgins wrote in a memo to the Select Board, which makes reference to the Attorney General’s Office FAQs on the Open Meeting Law. However, they may not post a response to the posting of another member, “as doing so risks becoming a deliberation outside the confines of a properly convened public meeting,” and they also may not use LincolnTalk to “engage in debate with fellow board members or the public.”

“‘Deliberation’ is defined broadly,” Higgins said at the meeting. “If we start to respond to one another’s posts or even respond to a post by a resident other than to clarify basic factual information, it’s a slippery slope, and [Bard] has seen a number of clients slide down that slope.”

At the heart of the matter is that LincolnTalk should not be viewed by residents as a primary information source about town government. “Lincoln Talk has a limited place among the town’s communication and outreach strategies. It is not the primary vehicle through which the town communicates with its residents. Residents who post questions or concerns to LincolnTalk should not expect that a town official will be responding,” Higgins’s memo notes.

Instead, residents who have questions should contact the relevant department listed on the town website (hover your mouse over the Government link at the top of the page). Those who aren’t sure where to start may contact the Town Administrator’s Office.

“My takeaway is that there’s frustration on this side of the table that more folks don’t reach out directly to us,” Higgins said. “LincolnTalk is valuable in its own way but it’s not an official communications vehicle for the town.” There is no staff member whose job includes monitoring LincolnTalk, “and none of us is authorized to respond on behalf of the town in an official way” on that platform.

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Select Board continues fight against Hanscom proposal

The Select Board this week approved a detailed letter to the state that takes issue with the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) on a proposal to significantly expand hangar space and make other changes at Hanscom Field to accommodate private jets.

The DEIR is “deeply troubling for a number of reasons,” including what the letter says are:

  • incomplete treatment of GHG emissions,
  • unsubstantiated analysis of ferry flights (empty flights),
  • inaccurate representation of the role of sustainable aviation fuels, and
  • misleading characterization of commitments to solar installations.

“We are forced to conclude that the proponent’s DEIR is not a serious assessment of the environmental impacts of the proposed project, and that their claims are not backed by adequate analysis or fact. We therefore urge [Secretary Rebecca Tepper, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs] to instruct the proponent to revise their DEIR to produce a more comprehensive and accurate environmental impact report,” the letter says.

Officials and residents from area towns and all over the country have been protesting the plan. The public has until May 10 to submit comments on the DEIR.

Open Studio reception and exhibit at library

Lincoln Open Studio’s biennial exhibit in the Lincoln Public library is now on display through May 25. There will be an opening reception with the artists on Thursday, May 2 from 4–6 p.m.

Arts and Farmers Market begins this Saturday

Starting on Saturday, May 4, the Lincoln Arts and Farmers Market runs weekly from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. on the green outside the Tack Room (145 Lincoln Rd.). the market will take place each Saturday until the end of October. New vendors from the community are welcome to set up a table to sell garden produce, arts and crafts as well as vintage and collectible items. There is no table fee, but it’s nice to tip the band $5 or more as they attract many patrons. Please bring your own table, tent (optional), etc.; you’re welcome to join as many or few markets as you wish. For more vendor information, email Bill Huss at billhuss53@gmail.com.

Session on parent-child communication

Join Lincoln Nursery School and local child behavior specialist Emily Barker for a conversation and Q&A in Studio Purple on Monday, May 6 at 7 p.m. at LNS at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. Her parent-coaching business called Little Love Language uses a holistic approach as well as her signature tools to help parents communicate with and better understand their children.

Get ready for the Great Create

The Lincoln School Foundation invites K-5 students to complete creative challenges in the Great Create at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum on Sunday, May 19 from 1–3 p.m. (check-in starts at 12:30 p.m.). Working together in small groups, students will use unexpected materials and make connections between art and nature. Join us for a fun afternoon of community and friends while supporting the LSF’s mission to inspire and fund innovative teaching and authentic learning experiences in our schools. Register at www.lincolnschoolfoundation.org.

Battle Road BioBlitz

The Battle Road BioBlitz at Minute Man National Historical Park from Saturday, May 11 to Friday, May 17 will engage scientists, naturalists, and the interested public to survey and document as many species as possible within a designated time period. The 10 free events at various times and locations — including Amphibians and Aquatic Organisms, Battle Road Botanizing, Biodiversity at Dusk, Pollinators and Plants, and Quest for Uncommon Species — take place at various locations and times at the park; sign up for one or several (space is limited). Click here to register or view the entire collection on Eventbrite. 

Co-sponsored by MMNHP and Friends of MMNHP; the towns of Concord, Lexington, and Lincoln; the Concord and Lincoln Land Conservation Trusts; the Brookline Bird Club, and Zoo New England. Questions? Contact Margie Brown at margie_coffin_brown@nps.gov. 

Watering restrictions now in effect

Water use restrictions are automatically implemented from May 1 through September 30 each year, and higher restrictions may be imposed in response to state drought declarations. Lincoln is  now in Stage 2 (one stage higher than state guidelines, per the Lincoln Water Department’s Drought Management Plan), which allows use of sprinklers, drip irrigation and soaker hoses two days a week from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. by house number. See this chart for details on rules for all types of outdoor water use. Customers who are farmers as defined in the Lincoln Right to Farm Bylaw are exempt from these restrictions.

Water Department staff will be monitoring all sprinkler use in town and will stop to remind residents of the new restriction policy. A first offense will result in a $100 fine, and subsequent violations will result in a $200 fine. If any residents have questions, please contact Darin LaFalam, Water Superintendent, at email lafalamd@lincolntown.org or 781-259-2669. For further information on water conservation, visit the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ drought page.

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L-S School Committee listening session on Monday

The Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee will hold a listening session for students, families, and community members on Monday, April 29 from 7–8 p.m. on Google Meet. These sessions are not public meetings with an agenda, but rather a casual opportunity to meet with committee members (in this case, Lucy Maulsby and Mary Warzynski). Click here to join the meeting.

LSB show for young audiences

LSB Players presents “Aesop’s (Oh So Slightly Updated) Fables” at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School’s Kirshner Auditorium on Saturday, May 4 at 11 a.m. (special sensory-friendly performance) and 3 p.m. There will be lobby activities for young children before the show and during intermission. Concessions will also be sold at intermission (cash only). Ticket at the door or in advance online are $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens/students, $5 for ages 5 and under.

Birth-a-Thon on May 10-11

Bird-a-thon, Mass Audubon’s annual statewide species identification competition, returns May 10-11 when birding enthusiasts of all abilities and backgrounds will engage in a friendly but focused competition to identify the most species from Friday at 6 p.m. to Saturday at 6 p.m.

The popular two-day marathon takes place during the height of the annual spring migration period, when millions of birds are returning to the Bay State to breed and raise young. The competition also serves as a major fundraiser (both in the field and online) for Mass Audubon. Last year, teams recorded 279 species overall — a record for the event now in its fourth decade. To participate in Bird-a-thon and to learn more, visit massaudubon.org/birdathon.

Take part in No Mow May

This May, do good by doing (almost) nothing to your lawn. There are no rules for No Mow May; you can mow less (maybe every other week) or never mow again. But even leaving a small patch of unmowed lawn can improve ecological resilience, support pollinators, create a diverse wildlife haven when butterflies and bees thrive, and help increase ecosystem resilience and store carbon in the soil. Click here to learn more and get your small No Mow May sign or email outsideinformation@gmail.com.

Film: “Green Days by the River”

The Lincoln Film Society presents “Green Days by the River” (2017) on Thursday, May 16 at 6 p.m. in the Tarbell Room. Set in 1952 in a remote coastal village in Trinidad, 15-year-old Shellie follows a kindhearted Indian planter to work on his plantation along the river as he pursues the affection of two girls in a lasting tale of young love and loss.

Food Project program for rising eighth-graders

The Food Project in Lincoln is offering “The Pollinators,” a new two-week summer program for rising eighth-graders centered around sustainable agriculture, healthy food systems, and social and food justice through engaging workshops and hands-on activities. Day campers will gain a deeper understanding of their own identity, acquired invaluable knowledge about agricultural and food production systems, and explored different culinary recipes. Sessions are July 1-12 (greater Boston) and August 5–12 (north shore). Click here for more information and to apply (applications due by May 3).

Volunteers sought for Housing Commission

The Select Board is seeking interested volunteers to serve a five-year term as an appointed member on the Lincoln Housing Commission starting in June 2024. They seek Lincoln residents who have demonstrated interest or engagement in issues concerning housing, affordable housing, property development and/or management, local policy, land use or related topics. All commission members also serve in a liaison and/or representative capacity on one or more other town boards/committees. The time commitment for non-chair members is around 5 hours a month.

Letters of interest should be addressed to Select Board Chair Kim Bodnar and sent to Peggy Elder, Administrative Assistant in the Select Board’s Office, along with a completed volunteer application. Applicants are also encouraged to attend a Housing Commission meeting, held on the first Thursday of the month. For more information, call the Select Board’s Office at 781- 259-2601.

FOLL seeks volunteers, children’s books

The Friends of the Lincoln Public Library (FOLL) seeks volunteers to join its Board of Directors. FOLL is a nonprofit organization that encourages community use of the library and raises money to pay for services not included in the Town budget: adult and children’s programs, museum passes, lectures, events, and special equipment and furnishings. Those interested may email cemlincolntalks@gmail.com.

FOLL is also planning a children’s book sale at the library’s Summer Kick-Off Party on Wednesday, June 12. Please donate children’s books in good condition by emailing cemlincolntalks@gmail.com for pickup. Funds raised by the FOLL pay for adult and children’s programming, lectures, special equipment, museum passes and other enhancements to library’s services that are not included in the town budget.

Schools have open staff positions

The Lincoln Public Schools have several open positions including volleyball coach, substitute teachers, and bus monitors. Click here to learn more.

Burglars who targeted Indians and South Asians in Lincoln and other towns are arrested

Some of the stolen items recovered by investigators.

Four Rhode Island men have been arrested in a wide-ranging string of burglaries that included one in Lincoln in July 2023. 

Jovan Lemon, 29, of Providence, Paul Lemon, 30, of Warwick, Steven Berdugo, 28, of Providence, and Paul Miller, 46 of Woonsocket were charged with 95 counts of unarmed burglary and breaking and entering a dwelling house in the daytime with intent to commit a felony.  The 43 burglaries and break-ins occurred in Billerica, Boxborough, Carlisle, Easton, Hopkinton, Lincoln, Weston, Sudbury, Andover, Bellingham, Boxford, Franklin, Hudson, Littleton, Medway, Middleton, Millis, North Attleboro, Norwell, Pembroke, Seekonk, Sharon, Southborough, Wenham, and Westwood between July 21, 2018 and March 30, 2024.

According to the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office, most of the victims were of Indian or South Asian heritage. Investigators believe that they were targeted based on a belief that due to their ethnicity, their households were more likely to contain precious metals, jewelry, and other valuable heirlooms. The defendants are part of an organized burglary ring with ties to a violent Providence-based gang known to law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island.

Property reported stolen in the breaks included pieces of jewelry with individual values of up to approximately $75,000, as well as large quantities of cash. In several cases, the property had been secured in locked safes weighing up to 400 pounds, which the perpetrators removed from the residence. The aggregate reported value of the stolen property exceeds $4 million.

“The defendants in this case were very sophisticated. They targeted victims based on their ethnicity and then gathered information about their targets in order to strike when families were not at home. They were disciplined in concealing their identity, avoiding alarms and minimizing cell phone use before, during and after the breaks and using Wi-Fi jammers,” said District Attorney Marian Ryan. 

The men were taken into custody on the morning of April 25 after being arrested in their homes by members of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rhode Island State Police Task Force. The arrests are the result of a nine-month investigation by the Middlesex DA’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the DA’s Office, and the Massachusetts State Police Division of Homeland Security, including the MACrimeNet program operated by the MSP Fusion Center, which allows police from different departments capabilities to share intelligence about criminal acts and patterns, suspects, and other relevant information to help solve complex or cross-jurisdictional cases.

Peskin files public records requests on Article 3 Town Meeting process

Resident Barbara Peskin recently submitted three public records requests to the town in connection with the controversial March 23 Annual Town Meeting vote on Housing Choice Act rezoning.

Town administrator Tim Higgins received the requests under the Massachusetts Public Records Law on April 5. Peskin confirmed that she had made the requests but declined further comment. Her specific requests seek emails, files, and communications regarding the March 20 Moderator’s meeting (see “Groups will get time to present positions” subheading) and Article 3 at the March 23 Town Meeting that were shared among town officials including Planning Board and Select Board members, Town Meeting Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden, Director of Planning and Land Use Paula Vaughn-MacKenzie, Assistant Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Curtin, Higgins, Assistant Town Administrator Dan Pereira, IT Director Michael Dolan, and “staff who support them.”

Peskin and a number of other residents were unhappy about how the zoning bylaw in the Housing Choice Act warrant article was presented and amended at Town Meeting. Questions were raised about who said what to whom and when regarding the amendment in the preceding days.

The public records law requires the town to provide its initial response within 10 business days. “When the scope of the request is extensive, the town responds with an estimate of the time and expense involved in searching and preparing its response,” Higgins said on April 23. “Once the fee is paid, the town undertakes the search and compiles its response. In the process, the town does review the records to determine whether any of the materials may be withheld or redacted pursuant to the exceptions that are spelled out in the statute. The requester is free to appeal the town’s decisions to the Supervisor of Public Records under 950 CMR 32.08 (1)(d). We are required to advise all requesters of their appeal rights when we send our response.”

Asked if he knew how much time and expense that meeting the process would involve, Higgins said on April 25, “We are in the process of working with the requester. Out of respect to the requester and the process, I would prefer not to comment on the request until the process is concluded.”

Perhaps not coincidentally, Vaughn-MacKenzie told Planning Board members on April 16 that they had to use their town-issued email addresses to discuss town government matters in the future. She also said that Town Counsel Joel Bard had advised that officials unsubscribe from LincolnTalk. However, it isn’t clear whether (1) officials must unsubscribe entirely (i.e., not be able to read posts to the listserv), or if they can post emails about non-town-related issues, and (2) if the recommendation applies to elected officials appointed officials, paid town employees, or all three.

On April 24, Higgins said he had spoken with Bard in an attempt to clarify what is permissible for board and committee members regarding listservs and social media, and that he would report on the issue at the Select Board meeting on April 29.