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

Property sales in December 2024

140 Lincoln Rd. #117 — Cambridge Trust Co. Trust to Martin and Nancy Robb for $741,000 (December 27)

68 Conant Rd. — Patricia F. Horwitz Trust to Olivia Pennock and Bjorn Slate for $1,365,000 (December 27)

285 South Great Rd. — Charles Peters III to Matthew Zbawiony and Hathairat Sawaengsri for $950,000 (December 23)

0 South Great Rd. — Virginia Steele Wood Trust to Krisha Kandarpa for $550,000 (December 20)

22 Old Cambridge Turnpike — Nicholas Konstandakis to Nicholas and Monique Nikolaou for $1,800,000 (December 16)

22 Goose Pond Rd. — Beverly Tomasic Bowman Trust to Jon and Nicola Sillari for $1,830,210 (December 4)

181 South Great Rd. — Diana Abrashkin to William and Katelyn Maronn for $699,000 (December 4)

43 Greenridge Lane — Robert Wadsworth to Mary Toland for $580,000 (December 2)

My Turn: Learn about sustainable aviation fuels

By Ann Sobol

Next Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m., the Massachusetts Sierra Club is conducting a webinar on sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs, pronounced “safes”). The issue is whether replacing current jet fuel with SAFs can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions sufficiently and quickly enough to meet our climate goals.
 
All of us who would like to get on a plane and go someplace for some reason important to us would like to think there’s some fix to deal with the huge amount of greenhouse gas emitted by jet planes. But is there? The Healey administration and Massport seem to be pinning their hopes on SAFs. Maybe it’s fairer to say they’re looking into it.
 
Under state law, Massachusetts has set goals of a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050. Every sector of the economy is expected to make reductions in GHG emissions. The transportation sector, which includes aviation, produces the largest amount of GHG — about 40% of the state’s total.
 
In January 2023, on her first day in office, Gov. Healey appointed Melissa Hoffer as her climate chief. In October 2023, Hoffer set out recommendations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Regarding aviation, she recommended developing a plan to use alternative fuels and to replace short-hop flights where rail is an alternative.
 
In the March 2024 Massachusetts Priority Climate Action Plan, Hoffer and Monica Tibbets-Nutt (Healey’s secretary of transportation) set out specific goals for meeting statutory emissions reductions. The transportation section of the plan focuses on reducing emissions from cars and trucks. In 2035, Massachusetts will ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles and already supports the transition to electric vehicles through rebates, tax credits, and grants. But there is no element of the Priority Climate Action Plan pertaining to aviation.
 
In August 2024, the Massport Board appointed Rich Davey as its new chief executive officer. Consistent with the Healey administration’s focus on SAFs, the new CEO has stated he will examine the use of SAFs in reducing aviation emissions. In November, Gov. Healey signed into law an environmental bill which amended enabling legislation dating from the 1950s under which Massport has focused primarily on financial return with minimal regard to the GHG emissions of jet traffic out of the airports it administers (Logan, Hanscom, and Worcester). The legislative amendments require Massport to exercise its powers to promote commerce, economic prosperity, safety, security, environmental protection and resilience, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
 
The Sierra Club webinar features three speakers highly qualified to evaluate whether SAFs can solve the problem of aviation emissions. For more information, see the SPJE website (Stop Private Jet Expansion at Hanscom or Anywhere), which includes a link to register for the webinar.

 “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.

Property sales in November 2024

140 Lincoln Rd. #217 — Marian E. Anderson Trust to Elaine Garnache for $568,830 (November 25)
 
243 Aspen Circle — G. Mitchell Eckel III Trust to Kelley Seelagy Trust and KS Trust for $817,000 (November 15)
 
10D North Commons — Wendy Jamieson to Mark Zielinski and Julia Pirvu for $770,000 (November 13)
 
77 Weston Rd. — John Peck to Benjamin Steele and Jane Zimmerman for $2,755,000 (November 12)
 
15 Hillside Rd. — Jonathan Wyman to Leah Rogoff and Jacob Mingolla for $1,450,000 (November 4)

Committee to study town-wide tree preservation

A new Lincoln Tree Preservation Study Group has been formed to address tree protection and preservation, and they want survey input from residents.

The group was created amid concern that the town’s current bylaws and regulations have fewer protections for trees than our neighboring towns, as outlined with information and links in this handout and information table at the recent State of the Town Meeting. “While trees in the public right of way and in wetlands and buffer zones have some protections, other trees in Lincoln have virtually none,” the handout notes — a shortcoming for a town that prides itself on its rural and agricultural character.

Members launched this survey to learn what issues relating to Lincoln’s trees are of interest and/or concern to residents, and they plan educational events starting in early 2025.

In recent weeks, several large trees along roadways close to power lines have been cut down by Eversource in a project that was announced last spring. Those trees were identified in a list from the Department of Public Works and highlighted with tape and explanatory tags. “We spent a lot of time in the public hearing process and then meeting with residents on specific trees they wanted to talk about,” said Tree Warden Ken Bassett, adding that “quite a few” were spared.

Among the trees that have already fallen to the chainsaw are aged Norway maples in Pierce Park close to Weston Road. In the past, “there have been pretty significant power outages from tress coming down into the road” in that area, and the Conservation Department has been planting new ones that are farther away from the road.

Bassett also noted that many of the town’s ash trees have been killed by the emerald ash borer and also need to come down if they endanger power lines.

Family to fund awards honoring Lincoln woman

The giving spirit is certainly in evidence at this time of year. A new town committee backed by a Lincoln family who wants to remain anonymous will award grants to charities every month to recognize women — and in an unrelated development, another family has donated a piece of property to the town for conservation purposes.

In its first year, the Women Positively Impacting Lincoln Lives program, known as WILL, will honor “women who have lived or worked in Lincoln and whose contributions have benefited the town of Lincoln, the local area, or society at large,” said Select Board Chair Kim Bodnar. The group will seek nominations of “women of today” and will award 12 monthly grants of $2,500 to the organization of the winning nominee’s choice. Once a year, it will also select women from history who have had an impact on Lincoln and award $2,500 in her name. 

The family initially offered to appoint and run the committee to spare the town the administrative work that accompanies an official committee. But the Select Board ultimately decided that such a group should be operated by the town under its usual procedures, even though it’s administering private funds, much as the Lincoln Scholarship Committee does.

The identity of the philanthropic family is still a mystery, but that may change at some point. “The donor family would like to remain anonymous but recognize that it might be challenging should they participate in the committee’s meetings, which are subject to the requirements of Open Meeting Law,” Bodnar said. 

The parcel abutting Trapelo Road and the Cambridge Water Dept. land that will be known as “Le Champ du Maroni.”

New town-owned parcel

The parcel of vacant land being donated to the town is on the south side of Trapelo Road abutting the Cambridge Water Department’s land abutting the reservoir (see map at right). It’s one of two adjoining parcels that were once owned by the parents of Kevin Maroni (the second lot abutting Huckleberry Hill includes a home and has been sold). The lot will be left in a natural state as a memorial to his parents and will eventually bear a sign marking it as “Le Champ du Maroni,” said Conservation Director Michele Grzenda. 

My Turn: Salon appointed to School Committee

By Susan Taylor on behalf of the Lincoln School Committee

The Lincoln School Committee is happy to announce that Abbey Salon will join the Committee as an interim member to fill the unexpired term of Yonca Heyse until the town election in March. Abbey was appointed by majority vote of a joint meeting on December 12th of the School Committee and the Select Board as required by state law.

Candidates were interviewed at an open meeting that was recorded. Select Board and School Committee members were all thrilled by the caliber of candidates who submitted statements of interest. While only one person could be selected for this interim position, we are hopeful that all candidates will continue to seek opportunities to be involved and to add their voices and perspectives as we progress along our journey to meet our strategic objectives.

In selecting Abbey Salon, we considered that her deep experience in education could help her acclimate quickly for this short window until the next election. Additionally, the School Committee’s goals for this year include developing standardized reporting around school performance using qualitative and quantitative metrics while maintaining alignment with our AIDE Guide principals. Abbey’s experience with data-driven education goals, her commitment to AIDE work, and the skills she learned earning her master’s in administration will be an asset to the committee and will help propel this work forward.

We are looking forward to having her join our committee. Below is her Statement of Interest if you would like to learn more about her background.

To the Lincoln School Committee:

I am writing to express my interest in the interim vacancy on the Lincoln School Committee.
Besides being the parent of a student of color who will be attending school beginning in the year 2026-27, I care deeply about education for all students. As an elementary and secondary educator for the last 21 years I have a long-standing commitment to education. I currently teach ELA in the Sudbury Public Schools where I have worked for the past 11 years in a variety of teaching roles. I have also worked on numerous committees (such as homework, curriculum, professional development, book groups and grading for equity) both within the district and within the schools in order to help ensure that we were working towards providing the best education possible for our students.

I feel that my work as an educator has afforded me the opportunities to learn many skills that are helpful in aiding the School Committee in their first goal. As a teacher we write and complete SMART goals which are data-driven and guided by qualitative and quantitative metrics. I have also spent a lot of time evaluating curriculum, instruction and grading practices through an AIDE lens within my own department and for my own teaching practice. While I know I will not be directly engaged in these activities as a School Committee member, I know what it takes to execute them well at a staff level.

I believe my organization skills, the skills gained while earning my master’s in administration, as well as my time spent working with various stakeholders would also help me to support the School Committee in the final goals of securing a new DoDEA contract, updating meeting procedures, the policy manual, and community outreach. I welcome the opportunity to talk with you about the possibility of joining the School Committee for the remainder of this year and answering questions that you may have.

Thank you,
Abbey Salon

“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.

Residents hear about finances, zoning, Lincoln250, and more

Six organizations offered updates and a look ahead at the State of the Town meeting on December 7. There are links to each group’s presentation on the SOTT web page. Some highlights discussed on Saturday:

Finance Committee

“Lincoln’s financials remain incredibly strong,” said FinCom chair Paul Blanchfield. His presentation included a summary of revenue and expenses in the current fiscal year, a budget process timetable for fiscal 2026, tax comparisons to other area towns, and some possible future capital projects. The closest in expected timeframe is roadway improvements, which will be needed in the next 3–5 years for approximately $15 million, he said. 

Community center

The detailed design for the building is now being produced and the $24.02 million project is expected to break ground in July 2025, with completion by late fall 2026, said Community Center Building Committee co-chair Sarah Chester. The town has already made a $6.7 million “down payment” from free cash, the stabilization fund, and donations; the remaining $15.8 million will be bonded next fall. The borrowing amount may be slightly less than originally expected because “interest rates are moving in our favor — we’re in a much better position than we expected to be,” Blanchfield said.

Initial plans were based on a 4.5% projected interest rate, but the current rate is about 3.8%, so officials are now factoring a rate of 4.25% into the borrowing estimate. As a result, the FinCom hopes to offset the previously expected tax increase associated with the project for the next fiscal year. The town has $40 million of debt capacity and will have $23 million remaining after the bonding, Blanchfield said.

Ned Collier of ICON Architects showed the latest renderings of what the inside and outside of the building will look. 

Planning Board

In March 2025, residents will be asked to vote on two zoning updates, both of which are required in order to have the town bylaw reflect associated changes in state or federal law. One of those changes was an update to FEMA’s flood plain maps, which means Lincoln has to update wording in the flood plain overlay district section of the zoning bylaw in order to have residents qualify for flood insurance.

At the state level, the legislature recently made changes to its accessory dwelling unit rules. These changes apply to ADUs of up to 900 square feet, so for units up to that size, the town may not require more than one parking spot, may not require any parking if the unit is within half a mile of the train station, and ma not require owner occupancy of the overall structure.

Lincoln allows ADUs of up to 1,200 square feet with certain restrictions, but the state law applies only to ADUs of up to 900 square feet, so local rules for units of 900–1,200 square feet will not change, said Planning Board Chair Margaret Olson. Property owners also won’t require a special permit for ADUs that are part of an existing dwelling as opposed to a separate building (see page 4 of Olson’s presentation).

She also outlined the various updates to ADU rules in recent years and noted that since 2021, there have been an average of 2.75 ADUs built annually in town.

Dark Skies

A subcommittee of the Planning Board is working on updates to the rules around outdoor lighting. Currently, regulations are found only in the zoning bylaw, which applies only to new construction, so the group is planning to propose changes to the general bylaw as well, which would affect existing outdoor lighting. The goal is to have limits on the brightness, illumination direction and color temperature of outside lights to minimize disruption for animals and insects, and to encourage timers and motion activators on lights that stay on all night.

IDEA

The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Antiracism Committee has done an equity audit and a gap analysis of town policies as part of its mission to foster racial, age ethnic and economic diversity in Lincoln, said IDEA Committee Chair Rob Stringer. The resulting action plan calls for collaboration with boards and committees in applying DEI tools in recruiting, meeting management, and policy making.

Also on tap: A Newcomers/Get to Know Lincoln event on January 26, 2025 and more future occasions “to support our mission and to ensure residents see themselves in town events,” Stringer said.

Lincoln250

The 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord will be observed in an array of events in those towns as well as Lincoln and Arlington. Here in Lincoln, the kickoff starts on January 30 with a library-sponsored webinar on “Causes of the American Revolution.” February will see a dance party in the style of 1775 and a virtual talk by Lincoln historian Don Hafner on “Entangled Lives, Black and White, Enslaved and Free, in 18th-century Lincoln.”

 

The bulk of the action takes place in April; on Saturday, April 19, there could well be 150,000 people in Lexington, Lincoln and Concord, said Police Chief Sean Kennedy. As a result, Route 2A and Hanscom Drive will be closed to all vehicles that day (causing a feigned groan of dismay from the audience at the prospect of the planned transfer station closure) so Route 2A can be used as a transportation corridor for buses, event staff, and visiting dignitaries.

In addition, numerous other roads in the area of Minute Man National Historic Park will be closed to all but residents of those roads, who will be issued vehicle passes in advance — see the Lincoln250 presentation starting on page 6.

 

Most of the events within Lincoln will take place from April 12–27 but there will also be a townwide Lincoln250 Fair and Feast on June 14 in Pierce Park. For more information on the months-long observances see the Lincoln25 Planning Committee web page.

News acorns

Touch of Christmas Fair

The First Parish in Lincoln will host its annual Touch of Christmas Fair on Sunday, Dec. 8 from noon–3 p.m. in the stone church, with lunch at 11:30 a.m. The fair features homemade holiday crafts including sweater mittens, evergreen wreaths decorated with natural materials, handmade centerpieces from greens and berries, jewelry from every decade, antiques and collectibles, baked goods, a re-gifting table, and a children’s shopping room with gifts (wrapped on the spot) for the youngsters to purchase for their family members — and Santa will arrive at 1 p.m. Questions? Call Tucker Smith at 978-760-2321.

Coming up at the deCordova

  • The deCordova Performance Series continues with two events: Antje Duvekot and Goodnight Moonshine on Friday, Dec. 13from 7–8:30 p.m. $28 for Trustees members, $35 for nonmembers. Click here to register. On Saturday, Dec. 14 from 6:30–8 p.m., celebrate the holidays with the Conchords, a dynamic six-member a cappella group, for an evening of festive singing, delicious hot chocolate, and creative ornament making. Tickets are $10–$20; click here to register.
  • Watch the last rays of sunset disappear into the night sky as you explore the deCordova Sculpture Park and learn about the season’s celestial bodies with the Aldrich Astronomical Society on Saturday, Dec. 21and Sunday, Dec. 22 from 5–7 p.m. The deCordova Store and Twisted Tree Cafe will be open for holiday shopping, warm beverages and other treats. Tickets are $24–$30 per carload; click here to register.

Classical Indian dance performance

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School junior Vama Gandhi and her sister Achla (L-S ’21) will perform in a charity showcase featuring Indian classical dance and food on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 3:30pm in Bemis Hall. Proceeds will benefit Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation to benefit neuro-oncology research (50%), the Lincoln Council on Aging & Human Services (25%), and the nonprofit Triveni School of Dance in Brookline. The evening also includes an Indian dinner. Click here for tickets, which start at $25.00. 

Film: “The Girl with a Hatbox”

The Lincoln Library Film Society presents “The Girl with a Hatbox” (1927), a silent Soviet romantic comedy, on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. in the Tarbell Room. Click here to join the group’s mailing list.

Talk and gift card appeal for survivors of domestic violence

  • Join the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtablefor “Someone you Know: Supporting People Who Have a Controlling or Abusive Partner” on Monday, Dec. 16 from 7–8 p.m. on Zoom. We will discuss how the holiday season may be difficult for people who have a controlling or abusive partner, and strategies and frameworks for supporting our loved ones in this situation this season. Presenters will be Gabriella Wells, director of prevention, intervention, and education at The Second Step, and Sydney Carter, Roundtable program chair and staff member at Reach Beyond Domestic Violence. Click here to register. Questions? Email info@dvrt.org.
  • The Roundtable is hosting a holiday gift drive to support families served by one of our local programs. This year the drive will benefit REACH Beyond Domestic Violence. For more information, email Maria Duffy at mduffy@reachma.org. Mail gift cards to P.O. Box 543, Sudbury MA 01776 or donate onlineand gift cards will be purchased on your behalf. Please indicate that your donation is for holiday gift cards.

Roundtable partners The Second Step, Voices Against Violence, and Domestic Violence Services Network are also collecting holiday donations. Gift cards requested by The Second Step include Visa, Target, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, gas cards or grocery cards. Email an electronic gift card to development@thesecondstep.org or mail a physical gift card to P.O. Box 600213, Newtonville MA 02460. The Domestic Violence Services Network also invites donations to its annual Angel of Hope drive. Visit DVSN.org/donate and choose “Angel of Hope” from the dropdown menu.

Former Lincolnite Barbara Buchan passes away

Barbara Christina Buchan

Barbara Buchan died peacefully on November 10, 2024 in her 91st year.

Buchan — who was born in Cambridge England shortly after the forced emigration of her family from Germany prior to World War II due to their Jewish heritage — moved to the United States with her husband and young family of three in the mid-1960s, spending the first year in Concord and settling in Lincoln. In 2014, at age 80, she decided to swap out snow for sun and transition into The Terraces of Los Gatos community near her two California-based children and their families.

Barbara’s nature was to support causes that were meaningful to her and advocate for underserved communities, particularly children and families. To support this endeavor, she educated herself, earning a bachelor’s degree in medical/social work at the University of Edinburgh and a master’s and doctoral degree in early childhood education at Tufts University and Nova University, respectively.

She began her career as an almoner in London in the early 1960s (watch “Call the Midwife” for an idea of her work). She continued to support children and families throughout her career. In each community in which she lived, she was driven to originate educational and care resources. In Woodford, England, she started a cooperative nursery school with her good friend Dorothy Runnicles. Upon transitioning to Lincoln, she collaborated with Sally Mlavsky and other community parents to repurpose an old barn on Winter Street and establish the Barn Cooperative Nursery School (since moved to Concord).

Barbara continued to develop educational resources and curricula for elementary schools through the Educational Development Center. She then served as director of the Elm Park Early Education Center, located in Worcester, where amongst her many innovative accomplishments was the creation of a rooftop playground. She closed her career by supporting mothers recovering from addiction at The Institute for Health Recovery. While there she introduced an economical heating pad solution “Warm Socks” to ease the aches and pains of program participants. They were an imme

Barbara embraced many of the things that Lincoln and its environment offered — hosting horses, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and cats on her property, selling arts and crafts at the Old Town Hall Exchange, buying equipment at ski and skate sales, attending lectures at Bemis Hall and school productions at the Brooks School auditorium, ice skating by moonlight on Macone’s Pond and Pierce Pond, square dancing in the Smith School gym and Codman barn, swimming at the Codman pool and across Walden Pond into her 70s, and snowshoeing and tracking animals in the local woods.

Upon retirement in 2000, Barbara immersed herself in supporting environmental causes in Lincoln, including the Green Committee’s mission to lower energy consumption in homes and town, and the Lincoln Tick Task Force (read more here). She continued to support communities in need, including the Arghand Trust, for which she served as a board member supporting their founder Sarah Chayes. She also found immense satisfaction and joy participating in memoir-writing groups, first joining one in Lincoln and then, finding none in her new California community, starting one.

Barbara died peacefully on November 10, 2024 with a warm sock in her hand (see the description from one of her memoirs below). She is survived by her children Nick, Lindy and Lucy; their spouses Paola, Bob, and Steve; and five grandchildren (Cailin, Finian, Jason, Nicole and Isabella). Barbara was much loved by many, and will be greatly missed.

Using odd socks as covers for heating pads

By Barbara Buchan

The back story: Years ago, I worked with women in recovery from substance abuse who had lots of aches and pains but little money. It occurred to me that we needed to offer an alternative to the use of Motrin or other medications prescribed by their doctors. The women in our group happened to mention that there were lots of odd socks lying around at the laundromat where they washed their clothes.

Somewhere else, I had read about making warming pads using seeds as a filler. So how about filling odd socks (must contain at least 80% cotton) with flaxseed, knotting the tops, and then putting them in the microwave for 1–2 minutes before applying them to sore spots? As an alternative to using the microwave in class, I brought in a Crock-Pot along with a sack of flaxseed and a scoop, and the residents brought in assorted cotton socks. They were a big hit with the residents at work. From that day on, the Crock-Pot filled with sock pads was available at every meeting. Subsequently, flaxseed pads have become a household necessity in my family.

Recipe

Socks: Must be at least 80% cotton (to ensure fibers don’t melt in the microwave or burn).

Flaxseed or grains of rice: Quantity needed will vary with the size/number of socks to fill. Do not overfill to avoid bulkiness and/or uneven heat. You may wish to experiment. (Supposedly, the oil in flaxseed retains heat longer than non-oily grains. However, rice grains seem to work very well.)

Directions:

  1. (optional) Tie-dye socks.
  2. Fill the sock with flaxseed or rice.
  3. Tie a knot or stitch to close the end of the grain-filled sock.
  4. Microwave for 1–2 minutes.

My Turn: Many thanks from the SVdP food pantry

By Ursula Nowak

Happy Thanksgiving from St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston! We wish to send a big thank- you to all who helped make last week so special at the food pantry. We are grateful to those of you who bought gift cards at Donelan’s or donated towards this year’s Thanksgiving drive. Your thoughtful generosity means that your neighbors in need will be able to purchase food for a special holiday meal.

We are grateful to Donelan’s for the many ways they continue to support us, and to Donelan’s shoppers who purchased Best Yet bags filled with stuffing, canned vegetables, canned fruit and cereal for the food pantry. Thank you also to Drumlin Farm and Joanne Dolan of Gold Bell Wholesale for a huge load of vegetable, to FELS and the Goddard School for beautiful pies, to Tost for sparking white tea, to the Weston United Methodist Church for a timely food drive, to Peter Stewart and the Doo-Wop Singers for another fundraising concert — and to our many volunteers for their time and great efforts! We are all neighbors helping neighbors and we are thankful for your support!

Nowak is secretary of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston.

“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.