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

Care Dimensions returns with downsized hospice proposal

The original (top) and revised plans for the Care Dimensions hospice facility on Winter Street.

The original (top) and revised plans for the Care Dimensions hospice facility on Winter Street.

By Alice Waugh

Care Dimensions has submitted a downsized plan for an inpatient hospice facility on Winter Street that calls for a building in the plan that’s 35 percent smaller than the first one reviewed by the Zoning Board of Appeals in March.

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News acorns

hayride

Dairy Day at Drumlin Farm

Celebrate National Dairy Month by visiting Drumlin Farm for our Dairy Day festival taking place Sunday, June 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Our barns will be open on this special day for up-close access to our favorite dairy animals and the tasty treats they help us produce. Festival highlights include: [Read more…] about News acorns

Memorial Day activities include unveiling of revised War Memorial Book

Captain xxx Gertz

Captain Dwight Gertz

Lincoln’s Memorial Day observances will include the unveiling of the revised War Memorial Book, a calligraphed leather-bound book commemorating Lincoln residents who served their country in the armed forces during times of war.

The Lincoln Girl Scouts, with the support of the Parks and Recreation Department, invite you to assemble at Bemis Hall on Monday, May 26 at 9:45 a.m. to march with Lincoln’s American Legion (Post 84) down Bedford Road to the Lincoln Library. Come honor and celebrate the lives of those lost in battle as well as our active and retired service men and women. Refreshments will be served. In case of inclement weather, festivities will take place inside Bemis Hall.

This year’s guest speaker will be Capt. Dwight Gertz, USNR (retired). Gertz has been a resident of Lincoln since 1986 and has served as chair of the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, director of the Rural Land Foundation, President of the Lincoln School Foundation and chair of the Parish Committee of the First Parish Church. Since 2008, he has been a member of the faculty at Babson College, where he is now a senior lecturer in management. Gertz served for 25 years as a regular and reserve officer in the U.S. Navy.  He retired in 1998 after completing a tour of duty as area commander for naval intelligence personnel in the six New England states.

Other highlights of the Memorial Day event:

  • A firearms salute
  • “Taps”
  • Laying of the memorial wreath
  • Invocation by Rev. Roger Paine of the First Parish Church
  • Singing of our national anthem by the Lincoln-based music group Out with the Cat
  • A performance by members of the Lincoln Girl Scouts
  • A patriotic singalong led by Dr. Thomas Risser.

The War Memorial Book was given to the town in 1960 by the Veterans Memorial Committee, which consisted of Leo J. Algeo, Cliford W. Bradley, Edward J. Chisholm, Andrew J. Dougherty, Harriet Rogers, William Whalen, and E. Donlan Rooney, chairman. The calligraphy was done by Al Sturgis. It contains the names of each Lincoln individual credited with service during our nation’s wars, starting with the American Revolution. Until recently, the book ended with the Korean War. The revisions were undertaken to include the names of those who served during the Vietnam War and to incorporate new research about Lincoln residents in the Revolutionary War from Embattled Farmers: Campaigns and Profiles of Revolutionary Soldiers from Lincoln, Massachusetts, 1775-1783 by Rick Wiggin of Lincoln (see the Lincoln Squirrel, April 14, 2013). The project to update the book with Vietnam service men and women was initiated by Veterans Affairs chair Priscilla Leach and former town historian Peg Martin and was carried out by the Lincoln Historical Society with generous support of the Ogden Codman Trust.

Lincoln student shines in civic orchestra

Helen Montie in rehearsal with the L-S Civic Orchestra. Photo by Dan Pettengill

Helen Montie in rehearsal with the L-S Civic Orchestra. Photo by Dan Pettengill

By Dave McLellan

When asked about her experience during her three years in the Lincoln-Sudbury Civic Orchestra (LSCO), L-S senior and principal cellist Helen Montie of Lincoln can only say “I LOVE CIVIC!!!!!” in all capital letters, as if she’s shouting it in an email (which she did, actually).

[Read more…] about Lincoln student shines in civic orchestra

Attorney general candidates share views at Lincoln forum

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At the Lincoln DTC’s attorney general candidate forum in Bemis Hall were (left to right) candidate Maura Healey, moderator Mara Dolan and candidate Warren Tolman.

By Gary Davis

Dozens of voters from Lincoln and several other towns in gathered in Bemis Hall on May 10 to hear two candidates for Massachusetts attorney general. It was the third of four candidate forums organized by the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee (DTC).

[Read more…] about Attorney general candidates share views at Lincoln forum

Letter to the editor: Mourning Dr. Keevil

Editor’s note: There will be a memorial service for Dr. Keevil on May 25 at 2 p.m. in the First Parish Church in Lincoln. You can also read his obituary and a story about a 2013 award he received from Emerson Hospital.

letter

To the editor:

With deep sadness, I read of the passing of Dr. Charles (“Chuck”) Keevil. He was a gem of a human being and part of the essential fabric of our community.

For many decades, he was the primary care physician for many hundreds of Lincoln residents. He cared for me for more than 35 years, until advancing age caused him to begin to downsize his practice and he encouraged me to transition to another physician.

He was not only a good physician but a compassionate person whose kindly smile and calm style provided reassurance along with medical advice, sometimes accompanied by practical tips that hearkened back to his military experience with a twinkle in his eye. He had a gentle way with words that was unique.

His medical career spanned an era of great change in the business of healthcare. He was still making house calls when I began seeing him, and I can still recall the comforting feeling of Chuck examining me in my own bed.

As my legal career specializing in healthcare organizations evolved, we enjoyed discussing the rapidly changing business of healthcare. It was no surprise to me that Chuck was one of the first community-based physicians to become corporately-affiliated with Partners Health Care’s physician organization in the late 1990s.

Chuck was also interested in classical music and took great interest in my wife Diane’s career as a pianist and my son Jacob’s development as a professional cellist. Chuck eagerly attended their Bemis Hall concert about 15 years ago.

His passing leaves a hole in our town’s soul, but the memories of a true gentleman-physician will endure. Thank you, Chuck, and heartfelt condolences to his family.

Sincerely,

Peter Braun
16 Trapelo Road

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published. Letters may be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor.

Help pull invasive plants at deCordova on Saturday

garlicmustardCome join a group effort to pull the invasive plants garlic mustard and wall lettuce on the deCordova Sculpture Park grounds and adjacent conservation land on Saturday, May 17 from 9 a.m. to noon. Meet at the far end of the DeCordova parking lot. This is a cooperative effort of the Conservation Department, the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, and the deCordova Sculpture Park.