J. Walter Brain, 79 (April 19) – Landscape architect and writer
James G. Birmingham, 84 (April 18) – former broker with Proctor Cook and Co.
Annette Griggs, 85 (March 14) – former LPN and ceramicist
Anthony Pickman, 98 (February 20) – former president and trustee of Longy School of Music
Previously reported in the Lincoln Squirrel:
Lenore Travis, 67 (April 26)
Christopher Dwyer, 13 (April 26)
To the editor:
As a town resident living near Minuteman High School, I have always considered the high school a very good neighbor. Minuteman runs a fine program, which serves four to six Lincoln students each year. The superintendent’s house is on Mill Street in Lincoln, so he has every reason to join with Lincoln neighbors in protecting the tranquility and scenery of an area dominated by the landscape of Minuteman National Historical Park.
[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: costs and benefits of Minuteman proposal
Lincoln’s population may be small, but it’s near the top of the list in the its concentration of millionaires among its residents in 2012, according to this recent Boston Globe article.
The Globe article includes a map showing each town’s number of millionaires per 1,000 residents. The state’s largest city, Boston, has the largest overall number of millionaire taxpayers (1,698), followed by Newton (1,136), Wellesley (767), Weston (529), Brookline (442), and Lexington (379). Gosnold, which comprises the Elizabeth Islands, is an outlier in millionaire concentration, with only 75 residents but 19 millionaires. About two-thirds of Gosnold residents live on Cuttyhunk Island and almost all the rest on Naushon Island, which is privately owned by the Forbes family.
| Town | Number of millionaires per 1,000 residents |
| Gosnold | 253 |
| Weston | 47 |
| Dover | 36 |
| Wellesley | 27 |
| Lincoln | 22 |
| Sherborn | 21 |
| Manchester | 19 |
| Concord | 17 |
| Cohasset | 17 |
| Wayland | 15 |
| Lexington | 12 |
Source: Boston Globe, April 22, 2015
An earlier Globe article noted that Lincoln has the third-highest average property tax bill in the state (see the Lincoln Squirrel, April 15, 2015).
Adrian Smith, son of Lincoln’s Colin and Diana Smith, is in Nepal helping with earthquake relief (see Diana Smith’s letter to the editor on April 30). He sent the following update on May 6: [Read more…] about Lincoln native sends update on Nepal situation
To the editor:
Spring has arrived! The mini dunes of sand on the bike paths and roads seem to have magically disappeared overnight. Certainly we are safer as we walk, bike and drive Lincoln’s sidewalks and byways. But the real magic for me is that winter has (almost) been swept from memory. I’m feeling warmer and cheerier just looking at the newly de-sanded landscape. Thanks to the DPW for ushering in the new season (and again, for getting us through the last)!
Sincerely,
Rob Jevon
9 Trapelo Road
Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrel.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.
The Planning Board has approved a plan to enlarge the First Parish Church’s Stearns Room, capping years of discussion, hearings and objections from some residents—including members of the Flint family, which originally donated a parcel of land to the church for the project.
[Read more…] about First Parish project gets Planning Board approval
Water mains to get annual flushingAs part of its water quality and distribution maintenance program, the Lincoln Water Department is now conducting its annual flushing program of town water mains. Flushing will take place between 8:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. on weekdays and will continue until early June. Residents may experience discoloration of the water as the system is flushed and should avoid using washing machines and dishwashers during daytime hours. If the water in your home becomes discolored, please run an outside tap to remove any accumulated sediment from the service. For more information on the flushing program, please call the Water Department at 781-259-8997 or 781-259-1329. The Water Department appreciates the cooperation and patience of Lincoln residents.
Join friends of Codman Community Farms (CCF) and Farmer Eric for a a volunteer work day this Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come for the whole day or just an hour. The farm is looking for some strong and skilled people to help redo the chicken coop fencing, but other tasks will also be available, and all are welcome. Pizza lunch and snacks provided. Bring work boots and gloves.
CCF’s annual Club Codman, where attendees can enjoy great dance hits of the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and beyond while supporting Codman Farm, is Saturday, May 16 from 7-10:30 p.m. in the Codman barn. Costumes are encouraged but not required. This is an adults-only event. Get your tickets online ($40 apiece) or call 781-259-0456—no door sales.
“Black and White in the Park,” the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum’s annual benefit gala, will take place on Saturday, May 30 at 6:30 p.m. This year’s event honors Boston art gallery owner Barbara Krakow, who played a central role in bringing Antony Gormley’s Reflection II to deCordova as the museum’s first major outdoor acquisition. Her gallery also represented two recipients of the deCordova’s Rappaport Prize, a yearly gift of $25,000 to a contemporary artist: Suara Welitoff (2012) and Ursula von Rydingsvard (2008). Tickets start at $500 and tables at $5,000. To make a purchase or contribution, see this deCordova web page or contact development coordinator Lizbie Harbison at lharbison@decordova.org or 781-259-3621.
The First Parish Church in Lincoln presents its Spring Choral Concert on Sunday, May 31 at 3 p.m. in the Parish House auditorium (14 Bedford Road). The program will feature the First Parish choir performing music from the Renaissance to spirituals. Ian Watson, music director at the First Parish and resident conductor of the Handel and Haydn Society, is conductor and accompanist. A $20 donation is suggested.
The Lincoln Garden Club is having a Garden Tour on Sunday, June 7 from 1-5 p.m. to finance a horticultural intern at the New England Wildflower Society who will design and install a native plant garden at Lincoln’s Station Park. The five Lincoln gardens are a self-guiding tour with a variety of landscapes, ranging from huge plant collections (one garden has over 300 rhododendrons of all colors) to natural landscapes like wetlands. Those who purchase a Garden Tour ticket will also get access to a champagne reception, which will feature live music, food prepared by devoted Lincoln Garden Club members, a silent auction and a nature photo exhibit. Tickets are $45 per person ahead of time ($50 on June 7). A pair of tickets is $80 and four tickets are $150. For more information, visit the Lincoln Garden Club website.
A Nepalese child in the earthquake rubble. (Photo from OLE Nepal’s Indiegogo fundraising page)
Editor’s note: An April 30 letter to the editor from Diana Smith noted that her son Adrian is in Nepal and is collecting PayPal donations for supplies that will be transported to rural villages. On May 3 she noted that readers can also donate via check if they prefer not to use PayPal. Direct contributions to Adrian are not tax-deductible, but 100 percent of the gift goes to help the villagers; there are no administrative fees. Adrian and his friends will be carrying the supplies through the mountains to the villages because the roads are blocked. You can make out a check to Adrian Smith and mail it c/o Diana Smith, P.O. Box 6294, Lincoln, MA 01773. The memo can say “Earthquake Relief.”
By Alice C. Waugh
Only a few months after Rakesh Karmacharya and his family began calling Lincoln home, much of their homeland lies in rubble after the devastating earthquake in Nepal.
[Read more…] about Quake hits home for Lincoln family from Nepal
Lenore Travis
Oxbow Road resident Lenore Travis, who died unexpectedly late last month, was remembered for her agriculture-focused volunteer work and as a longtime member of the Shady Hill School community.
[Read more…] about Lincoln resident dies in tractor accident
Library closes early on SaturdayOn Saturday, May 9, the Lincoln Public Library will close at 4 p.m. in preparation for The Friends of the Lincoln Public Library’s Fine Arts Gala. See this Lincoln Squirrel story for more information.
On Monday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m., Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan will give a presentation with a Q&A session on the civil and criminal liabilities of parents hosting social events at home or otherwise, where alcohol is served and teens and children are present. The issues of responsible drinking and safe driving will also be discussed.
The event will take place in the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School lecture hall and is free and open event to all parents of teenagers who attend schools in Lincoln or Sudbury. Please register in advance by emailing lscommunityconnections@gmail.
When you dine in or take out from the Lotus Blossom restaurant in Sudbury on Tuesday, May 12 from 5-9 p.m. and you mention L-S Girls Lacrosse, 20 percent of the sale will go to Lincoln-Sudbury girls’ lacrosse as we continue to create great memories for Lincoln and Sudbury girls.
L-S girls’ head lacrosse coach and Assistant U.S. National Team Coach Bowen Holden of Lincoln will also be running a four-day clinic on July 7-10 from 3:30-6:30 p.m. in Lincoln. This is an opportunity for children entering grades 3-9 of all levels of experience to learn the game, improve skills, and have a great time. Holden will be assisted by many L-S players and alumnae. Those attending Lincoln Summer Day Camp can extend their day with this clinic, and coverage will be provided between camps. To register, please go to the Lincoln Recreation Department website and register online. The cost is $250 and includes a clinic T-shirt.
Bird-a-thon, Mass Audubon’s friendly competition to financially support conservation across the Commonwealth,will engage hundreds of enthusiasts in an all-night/all-day bird identification marathon on May 15-16. The statewide contest challenges teams of birders of all abilities to identify the most species in 24 hours—this year from 6 p.m. on Friday, May 15 to 5:59 p.m. on Saturday, May 16.
Bird-a-thon has grown to become Mass Audubon’s single largest annual fundraising event, attracting thousands of supporters and raising more than $2 million since the competition began in 1983. In 2014, 800-plus people comprised 29 teams that traversed the state, and 270 species were identified either by sight or ear.
People who can’t compete in the field may still participate in various ways, including as “Bird-a-thon Boosters” to support teams or individuals by fundraising. To learn more, visit www.massaudubon.org/birdathon.
A screening of “Bidder 70,” the award-winning documentary about 32-year-old climate justice activist Tim DeChristopher will be held on Tuesday, May 19 at 7 p.m. at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church. The film will be followed by an audience Q&A with DeChristopher, now a student at Harvard Divinity School, who was sentenced to two years in federal prison for an act of peaceful civil disobedience protesting fossil-fuel extraction on public lands in Utah. The evening will be hosted by journalist, activist and St. Anne’s parishioner Wen Stephenson of Wayland, a contributing writer for The Nation and author of a forthcoming book featuring Tim’s story. Hosted by the Climate Justice Ministry at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields, together with 350Mass MetroWest, part of the statewide grassroots climate-action network 350 Massachusetts for a Better Future.
The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable is having its annual Shower for Shelters that benefits families transitioning from shelters to new homes. Until Monday, May 11, people can bring donated items to the Lincoln Public Library. New items being sought include twin size sheets, pillowcases, and blankets; bath towels and face cloths; laundry detergent without scent or other allergens; cleaning products; flatware; water glasses and coffee mugs; diapers (all sizes); and gift cards to places like CVS and grocery stores.