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

Susan D. Keller, 1952–2026

Susan D. Keller

Susan Dee (“Shona”) Keller, of Lincoln passed away peacefully on February 9, 2026, at the age of 73.

Born on November 29, 1952, in Chicago, Shona lived a life rooted in compassion, gentleness, and love. She was a devoted practitioner of Reiki healing and a dedicated social worker, offering comfort, presence, and quiet strength to all who sought her care. Whether through her professional work or her healing practice, she served others with deep empathy and unwavering kindness. Her work was not simply what she did — it was an expression of who she was: intuitive, generous of spirit, and profoundly compassionate.

Shona held deep respect and admiration for her father, whom she regarded as an integrous man whose character and moral clarity shaped her own understanding of how to live. She carried his example with her throughout her life and, in turn, was an integrous woman — guided by honesty, principle, and a steadfast commitment to doing what was right.

Shona had a special and enduring love for animals, cherishing their companionship and the simple joy they brought to her life. She adored her beloved cat, Pimento, whose presence and memory continued to comfort her even after his passing, and she carried a tenderness for all living beings.

She was a familiar and cherished presence in her beloved Todd Pond Condo Community in Lincoln. Shona could often be found walking the neighborhood roads, greeting neighbors, and sharing warm conversations with friends. Her daily walks were not just exercise, but a ritual of connection — a way to stay close to the people and place she loved.

Shona’s life was a testament to quiet grace, integrity, and heartfelt generosity. She will be remembered for her gentle smile, her listening heart, her strong sense of principle, and the calm reassurance she brought into the lives of so many.

There will be no formal memorial service. A gathering of friends may be organized at a later date to celebrate Shona’s life and the love she shared so freely.

She leaves behind a community of friends and neighbors who will miss her deeply and carry forward the kindness and integrity she so consistently embodied.

Arrangements under the care of Concord Funeral Home, which provided this obituary. Click here to visit her online guest book.

News acorns

Info session on library HVAC issue

The Select Board will hold an information session during its meeting on Monday, March 9 at 7:00pm to discuss the Lincoln Public Library’s HVAC system, whose replacement is the subject of two articles at the upcoming Annual Town Meeting on March 28 (a draft list of warrant articles is now available). The agenda and Zoom link will be posted in advance of the meeting here.

Articles 7 and 8 ask whether the town should appropriate funds to replace the HVAC system with a ground source heat pump solution or pursue a more conventional system replacement. Residents are encouraged to attend to learn more about the proposal and the options considered, and to ask questions before Town Meeting. More information:

Evelyn Turner, 1945–2026

A graveside service was held on Feb. 17 for Evelyn Turner, who died on Feb. 6 at age 80. More information.

(Editor’s note: Full obituaries with photos are published in the Lincoln Squirrel for a fee paid by the funeral home. Please email lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com for details.)

Lincoln Democrats to caucus on Feb. 28

The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee is encouraging all registered Democrats in Lincoln to come to the annual town caucus to elect delegates for the state convention on May 29–30. Lincoln will choose five delegates and four alternates who will have the opportunity to vote on critical issues coming before the convention and ultimately the voters in November 2026.

The caucus is Saturday, Feb. 28. Doors open at 9:30am for registration and refreshments and the meeting starts at 10:00am (doors close at 10:15am). Democrats who will be 16 by February 4, 2026 may pre-register for the caucus and participate and run as a delegate or alternate to the convention. Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ people who are not elected as a delegate or alternate may apply to be an add-on delegate to the caucus or at www.massdems.org. Questions? Email Travis Roland, LDTC chair, at lincolnmadems@gmail.com. Follow them on Instagram: @lincolnmadems.

First Parish talent show

All are invited to the third annual First Parish in Lincoln Talent Show on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 7:00pm in the stone church. There will be standup, songs, group numbers, poetry, flute, clarinet, and more. Admission free but organizers welcome donations to benefit LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts.

Volunteer training offered by DVSN

Domestic Violence Services Network, Inc. (DVSN) is offering a free volunteer advocate training program for interested community members. DVSN advocates provide emotional support, risk assessment, and safety planning for victims of domestic violence in its 13 partner communities. The 40-hour training is designed to familiarize volunteers with the many aspects of domestic violence and give them the skills necessary to provide confidential and appropriate services to DVSN’s clients. Once trained, volunteer advocates provide direct service over the phone, at Concord District Court, and at Emerson Hospital to people affected by domestic violence.

The training will be held at the Lexington Police Department on Mondays and Wednesdays, March 2–20 from 4:00–7:15pm, and Fridays from 9:15am–3:30pm. For those who decide to activate as volunteer advocates, there is an additional 10–12 hours of supervised field training. For more information or to request an application, call 978-318-3421 or send an e-mail to training@dvsn.org. Applications are due by Wednesday, Feb. 18.

Apply for scholarships from LSC

The Lincoln Scholarship Committee (LSC) is now accepting applications for scholarships and awards through Tuesday, March 31. Click here for details on the available scholarships and awards, and apply here. Questions? Email lincolnscholarship@lincolntown.org. 

Volunteer needed for Housing Commission 

The Select Board is seeking an interested volunteer to serve a three-year term as an appointed member on the Lincoln Housing Commission to fill an immediate vacancy. 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 are encouraged to apply. Commission members meet once a month.

Letters of interest should be addressed to Select Board Chair Jennifer Glass and sent to Peggy Elder, administrative assistant in the Select Board’s Office (elderp@lincolntown.org) along with a completed volunteer application by Wednesday, April 15. Applicants are also encouraged to attend a Housing Commission meeting, held on the first Thursday of the month. The Select Board will interview and appoint candidates at its April 27 meeting. For more information, call the Select Board’s Office at 781-259-2601.

 

Service in April for Barbara Davis, 1922–2026

Barbara Greene Davis

Barbara Greene Davis of Lincoln died peacefully in the comfort of her home on February 6, 2026, at the age of 103. She was surrounded by family in the final days of her long and fulfilling life.

She was born in Kansas City, Mo., on February 24, 1922 as the daughter of the late John and Mabel (Osmond) Greene. She graduated from Texas Christian University in Forth Worth before completing her education at St. Paul School of Nursing in Dallas. During World War II, Barbara served the country in the Army Nurses Corps in England, France, and Nuremberg, Germany from 1943 to 1945.

A 70-year Lincoln resident, Barbara cherished her family home overlooking Walden Pond. The prime location with beautiful views inspired her to found Thoreau’s Walden Bed and Breakfast, which she operated out of her residence for 25 years. Her commitment to healthcare continued for many years as a registered nurse for Emerson Hospital and the former Waltham Hospital.

Barbara was a beloved and faithful parishioner at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Lincoln, where she served on numerous committees in support of the Church. Additionally, she was a longtime member of the Lincoln Council on Aging, where she delivered Meals on Wheels well into her 90s.

Barbara was the wife of the late Ronald C. Davis. She is survived by five children: Kirk Davis and his late wife Donna of North Carolina, Brian Davis of Wayland, Cindy Roberts of Lincoln, Kelley Elderkin and her late husband Don of Rhode Island, and Andrew Davis and his wife Elisa of Sudbury. She also leaves behind six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. She was the sister of the late Page Greene.

Relatives and friends are invited to gather for Barbara’s memorial service in St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, 147 Concord Road, Lincoln on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 11:00am.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her honor may be made to American Red Cross or the Greater Boston Food Bank.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord, which provided this obituary. To share a remembrance or to offer a condolence on Barbara’s tribute page, click here.

Citizens’ petition seeks to ban certain rodenticides

A group called Save Lincoln Wildlife is seeking to ban the use of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) in Lincoln, saying the chemicals are harming raptors and other animals that eat rodents who have ARs in their systems.

Their citizen’s petition for the March 28 Annual Town Meeting asks voters to approve a home rule petition that would authorize the Select Board to ask the legislature to allow the town to ban the use of ARs. The town can’t do so without this step since pesticides are regulated by the state.

When rodents eat trap bait containing ARs, they usually don’t die right away, and the chemical — which prevents blood from clotting, leading to uncontrolled bleeding and death — builds up in the systems of predators including coyotes, hawks, and other birds that eat those rodents and can eventually cause their deaths as well, Trish O’Hagen of Save Lincoln Wildlife told the Select Board on Feb. 9.

“I can’t help but think back to the 1960s when there were only 500 bald eagles left in the country” due to widespread use of the insecticide DDT, which severely weakened eagle eggshells, leading them to break under the weight of parents during incubation.

Mice, rats and other pests are attracted to food in compost piles and garbage cans, and raptors are the best way to control them naturally — “and it’s sort of ironic,” O’Hagen said, since raptors are the ones being harmed by ARs in their prey.

According to Mass Audubon, the federal government banned the retail sale of second-generation ARs in 2015 due to the dangers posed to children, pets, and wildlife, but they remain legal and widely used by licensed pest control professionals in Massachusetts, so “homeowners really need to know the specific questions to ask” of exterminators, O’Hagen said. 

A number of other towns have banned the use of ARs on town-owned property (Lincoln doesn’t use the chemicals but has no formal ban). Cities and towns including Arlington, Billerica, Brookline, Concord, Lexington and Newton are also seeking legislative approval to ban the use of ARs on private property.

Donelan’s and Lincoln Woods have both switched from ARs to other types of rodenticide, said O’Hagen. The best methods to pest control are rodent-proof containers, blocking entry holes, and using snap traps or contraceptive rodent treatments, she added.

Legal notice: Lincoln Road Water Main Replacement – Phase 2

LEGAL NOTICE — LINCOLN ROAD WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT — PHASE 2

Town of Lincoln, MA (Owner) invites sealed Bids for Lincoln Road Water Main Replacement – Phase 2 for replacement of approximately 5,450 linear feet of 12-inch water main to replace the existing 10-inch and 12-inch mains. Substantial Completion: August 27, 2027. Final Completion: May 26, 2028.

Bidding is per MGL Chapter 30 s39M. Prevailing wage rates per MGL c149 s26 to 27D inclusive issued by Dept. of Labor Standards.

Request electronic Bidding Documents (no cost): 10:00 a.m. February 11, 2026 by email to MunicipalBids@woodardcurran.com with complete contact information & subject line Lincoln MA – Lincoln Road Main Water Replacement – Phase 2. Official Bidding Documents will be available once registered. Documents from third parties are not considered official Bidding Documents.

MANDATORY pre-Bid conference: 10:00 a.m. local time on February 24, 2026 at Lincoln Town Hall, 16 Lincoln Road, Lincoln, MA 01773.

Receipt of Bids: 10:00 a.m. on March 5, 2026.

Submit to: Lincoln Water Department Office, 77 Sandy Pond Road, Lincoln, MA 01773, Attention: Richard Nolli, Water Superintendent with Bid security at 5% of total Bid.

Also published on www.commbuys.com.

Note that legal notices often must be posted twice by law. For previous legal notices and details on how to submit a legal notice to the Lincoln Squirrel, click here.

My Turn: Sing peacefully in protest

By Margit Griffith

Perhaps you have seen the videos of the good people of Minneapolis singing peacefully in protest against the surge of violence in their city. Across the United States and in countries around the world, people are joining in song. If this is news to you, please see this Anderson Cooper story. 

Recently, the Minneapolis organizers have been helping people organize in community groups. There is no cost, no ask. They seek to help those interested in engaging to protest in song.

If you look at singingresistance on Instagram you can see their toolkit, which is an important start. They recommend groups get together to sing and build community before going out to sing in protest.

Taking their advice and guidance, I have started singingresistancelincolnma on Instagram and invite you to join me at a first Lincoln community gathering to talk about this movement and sing some songs. All are welcome — all ages, those who sing on pitch and those who find their own notes. Please RSVP (I plan to provide some pizza and salad since it’s dinner time):

Monday, Feb. 23, 6:00–7:30pm
St. Anne-in-the-Fields is happy to host us in the Flint Room (147 Concord Road, Lincoln)

If there is interest and enthusiasm, we can meet every other week, and plan actions on other dates. It’s entirely possible we will be joined by other pods of singers from other communities. Hope to see you and sing with you.

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

Police log for Feb. 1–11, 2026

February 1

Marconi’s Auto, Route 126 (5:15pm) — An officer assisted a motorist with transportation back to their residence.

February 2

Winchelsea Lane (11:06am) — A caller spoke with an officer regarding identity theft.

Lincoln Road (5:55pm) — An officer spoke with a person about an ongoing incident.

February 3

Lincoln Police Department (6:20pm) — An officer spoke with a person about an ongoing incident.

Trapelo Road (6:34pm) — An officer spoke with a motorist regarding a past motor vehicle crash.

February 4

Pheasant Lane (7:35am) — A caller reported seeing a suspicious vehicle in their neighborhood. An officer checked the area but the vehicle was gone on arrival.

Trapelo Road (6:34pm) — An officer spoke with a person about a vehicle hitting a deer.

February 5

Codman Road (3:36pm) — Police and fire units responded to the area for an accident that occurred when a vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree. The operator was transported to the hospital and the vehicle was towed from the scene.

Hemlock Circle (4:57pm) — An officer performed a well-being check on a person. The person was OK.

Hemlock Circle (6:47pm) — An officer was involved in a minor motor vehicle crash as they were attempting to leave a residential area. There were no reported injuries.

Indian Camp Lane (5:35pm) — Officers assisted the Fire Department with a residential lockout.

Bedford Road (5:55pm) — An officer helped two drivers after a minor crash. Both vehicles were able to be driven from the scene. There were no reported injuries.

February 6

Lincoln Road (10:27am) — A caller reported the railroad gates appeared to be stuck in the down position. Keolis reported that they were in the process of removing snow from the crossings and that intermittent delays should be expected.

Sunnyside Lane (11:39am) — An officer performed a well-being check on a resident.

South Great Road (12:06pm) — A caller reported malfunctioning railroad gates at the Rte. 117 crossing. Keolis was notified and sent out a technician.

North Great Road (4:40pm) — A caller spoke with an officer regarding an incident occurring in another jurisdiction.

Acorn Lane (11:09pm) — An officer performed a site check of a residence.

February 7

Bedford Road (1:27am) — A possibly stolen item recovered at the Birches School was dropped off at the Police Department.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (9:49am) — Lincoln police assisted Massachusetts State Police with a motor vehicle crash.

Concord Road (12:58pm) — Officers responded to a three-vehicle crash that happened when one vehicle lost control while attempting to stop on snow-covered roads and started a chain reaction occurred involving two other vehicles. There were no reported injuries and all vehicles were able to be driven from the scene.

Bedford Road (4:39pm) — Officers responded to a residence for a damaged mailbox.

February 8

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (8:03am) — Officers assisted Concord Police and Massachusetts State Police with a motor vehicle crash.

Hanscom Drive (9:35am) — Officers responded to Hanscom AFB for a person with an active arrest warrant. Irvin Guillen, 37, of Lawrence, was taken into custody. After the booking process, he was bailed and ordered to appear at court later.

Morningside Lane (7:51pm) — The fire department responded to a residence for a possible burst pipe.

Mill Street (11:55pm) — Officers responded after a motor vehicle deer strike. There were no reported injuries to the driver. The vehicle was towed from the scene and the DPW was notified.

February 9

South Great Road (4:43pm) — An officer responded to the railroad crossing after Keolis reported a possible malfunctioning gate. The officer reported the gates appeared to be working properly. Keolis responded to the scene a short time later.

February 10

Lexington Road (8:13am) — Officers responded to a minor two-vehicle crash. There were no reported injuries and both vehicles were able to be driven from the scene.

South Great Road (5:28pm) — Officers helped Concord Police look for a vehicle that fled an accident scene. The vehicle was not located in Lincoln.

Lexington Road (5:43pm) — Officers served court paperwork.

February 11

Lincoln Road (11:17am) — Multiple callers reported the railroad gates stuck in the down position. As an officer arrived, Keolis was already on scene addressing the issue.

Baker Bridge Road (12:00pm) — A caller reported missing packages from their mailbox.

Bedford Road (8:57pm) — An officer notified the DPW of a pothole that required attention.

Council on Aging locations next week

Given the continued closure of Bemis Hall due to a failed boiler, here are the locations for COA&HS activities next week.

Friday, Feb. 13

Tuesday, Feb. 17

  • 9:00-10:00am — Glucose screening: Town Hall by appointment only
  • 9:30-11:00am — Knitting group: Town Hall
  • 10:00-11:00am — Doo Wop Group: Pierce House music room

Wednesday, Feb. 18

  • 9:30am — Line Dance: Pierce House
  • 10:00am–noon — Memoirs Group: Zoom
  • 10:30am — Cardio Jazz: canceled due to Instructor medical leave
  • 1:00-4:00pm — SHINE Office Hours: TBD
  • 1:00pm — Tai Chi: Zoom only at this time

Thursday, Feb. 19

  • 9:00am-noon — Veterans Office Hours: Town Hall by appointment
  • 9:15am — Tai Chi 1: Zoom
  • 1:00pm — Mah Jongg: Town Hall

Friday, Feb. 20

  • 10:00am — SAIL/BALANCE: Zoom
  • 10:00am — German Conversation: Zoom
  • 11:30am — Senior Dining Lunar New Year lunch with dumplings: First Parish stone church (RSVP to 781-259-8811)
  • 12:30pm — Classical Piano Concert played by Abla Shocair: Pierce House

Indoor Walking, Stretch and Flex, Active Aging, and Open Art Studio are canceled next week. If you need to speak with staff, please leave a voicemail on 781-259-8811 and they will call you back.

More road work ahead for drainage fixes, water main

More road excavation is in Lincoln’s future, even for Bedford Road residents who already suffered through the water line replacement last year. There will be an information session to explain the work and answer questions on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 6:30pm in Town Hall and via Zoom.

Phase 2 of the water main project set to begin in May will extend further down Lincoln Road from Ballfield Road to either Codman Road or Route 117 (“we’ll see how our bids come in,” Director of Public Works Steve Olson in a Feb. 9 presentation to the Select Board).

This phase is budgeted at $5.83 million on top of the $3.0 million for Phase 1. The $8.83 million total is being funded by an $8.4 million bond plus an MBTA Community Catalyst grant of $430,000 made possible by the town’s passage of the Housing Choice Act in 2024.

Bedford Road

Meanwhile, Bedford Road from the top of the hill to Five Corners will be closed to traffic from March to May as workers replace stormwater drainage pipes that were found to be in poor condition when the water main work was happening. The main line, lateral lines, and catch basins are all in “pretty rough shape… it turned into a pretty good-sized project,” Olson said, though subsequent camera inspections have shown that the lines from Five Corners down to Codman Road are mostly OK.

The drainage project will cost about $630,000, which will come from state-funded Chapter 90 road work grants. The town receives $250,000–$300,000 in Chapter 90 funds each year and will budget $400,000 from the current balance of about $1 million, Town Administrator Tim Higgins said.

The town has set up a dedicated web page at LincolnBigDig.com to keep residents informed about both the drainage and water main work, including expected detours. One lane will remain open “except when conditions dictate a closing,” though the segment running under the railroad tracks at the mall will almost certainly require total closure for some period of time, Olson said. Reverse 911 calls will be made for “unforeseen, last-minute changes only.”

In addition to the water main, Phase 2 will also involve replacing lateral lines, fire hydrants, and main gates or shutoff valves found in numerous locations under Lincoln Road. Workers normally shut the valves on either side of a water main break to limit the number of homes whose water is shut off while repairs are ongoing, but many of the gates on Lincoln Road aren’t working. In 2022, workers tried to isolate the area around a break near Todd Pond Road but had to go all the way from Codman Road to Weston Road to find working gates that could be shut. 

In March 2024, the town approved bonding $2.2 million for Phase 1 when it was thought that the project could be done over the course of four consecutive summers, though it was later decided that this would be too disruptive and more costly in the long run.

Looking down the road, so to speak, the town is working with a consultant on a townwide assessment of pavement, since it’s been at least 16 years since town roads were last repaved, Higgins said.

Country Pizza owner still bitter; fundraising campaign started

Harry Kyros, the outgoing owner of Country Pizza, is bitter about having to leave, though his landlord says that Kyros “never came to talk to me about it” when issue of increased rent was raised.

Johnny Frangieh bought the gas station and car repair business along with the Doherty’s property for $1.6 million in 2023, and Country Pizza was thereafter on a month-to-month lease for its portion of the space. Kyros told the Lincoln Squirrel last week that Frangieh raised the rent by $1,000 two years ago and recently told him it would be going up by another $1,000, while at the same time refusing to give him a multi-year lease.

“I can’t charge $100 for a pizza, What does he think this is, a gold mine?” Kyros said on Feb. 11.

But Frangieh disputed the notion that he had forced Kyros out. “He wants to leave,” he said on Feb. 11. “I didn’t kick him out — he never came to talk to me about it [the latest rent increase]… There’s always two sides of a story. I’d like it if people came and asked me and not make a judgment.”

Asked about his plans for the restaurant, Frangieh said, “There’s still going to be a pizza place on his town.” It will probably close for a week or so for maintenance and repairs (“no major renovations”) but will reopen under the same name, at least for the time being, depending on who ends up running the business day to day, and Frangieh said he did not know who that would be.

Corporate records from the Secretary of State’s office show that Kyros established Country Pizza LLC in 1997. On Feb. 5, a new corporation with Frangieh as head called Lincoln Pizza LLC was established. Resident Mark Holzwarth said Kyros told him the on the evening of Friday, Feb. 6, so he posted the news on LincolnTalk early the next morning.

Kyros confirmed on Feb. 11 that Frangieh had bought the pizza ovens and other equipment from him. “I’m kind of stuck,” he said, since it would cost him money to remove and store the equipment while trying to find a buyer for the items, which was no sure thing. At least one potential buyer of the business offered about $90,000 if it came with at least a three-year lease, but that wasn’t forthcoming from Frangieh, said Kyros.

Though he wouldn’t say what Frangieh paid him for the equipment, it was “an insult… pennies on the dollar” compared to what he had paid or it or what it was now worth, Kyros added. “No one’s going to buy a business without a lease. So I leave with something or I leave with nothing. Not only am I out of a job, but I’m out of my investment… What he’s doing is perfectly legal but not good business. I don’t think he knows this town.”

An outpouring of sympathy for Kyros culminated in a GoFundMe campaign started by resident Greg Darnall.

“With both of their children currently in college and this business being Harry’s lifelong work, the loss of income is a heavy burden. Harry has always been there for us, and now it’s our turn to be there for him,” Darnall wrote in the GoFundMe pitch. “100% of the funds raised will go directly to Harry, his wife, and their kids to help them through this difficult transition. Your support will help cover living expenses and, depending on how much we raise, may even help Harry open a new restaurant or find a new path forward.”

As of Feb. 12, the campaign had raised almost $5,300 toward its $7,000 goal.