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

Service on Nov. 19 for Bob Lenington, 93

Bob Lenington

Robert “Bob” Lenington of Lincoln passed away on November 8, 2023. He was 93 and in his own words “I’ve had a great life.”

The greatest legacy Bob leaves is his love for his family. He married his honey, Carolyn, on July 18, 1953. This past summer they celebrated their 70 anniversary along with family, friends, and much laughter. Nothing brought Bob more happiness than traveling through life with his bride, and what an adventure it was with Captain Bob at the helm. 

Bob grew up in Detroit with his mom, dad, and younger brother Sid. He held a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Wayne State University and had a varied and successful corporate career for 24 years. Taking a position with Raytheon is what prompted him and Carolyn to move to Massachusetts, where he made his home in Lincoln for 61 years. In 1977, Bob took a position at Bentley College in Waltham; he remained at Bentley for 16 years until he retired as vice president for business and finance and treasurer. Bob loved his time at Bentley — he enjoyed his peers and his team and was proud of his many accomplishments.

Bob loved his work, but he also loved to play. He was a member of the Lincoln Minute Men and was honored to be the captain during the bicentennial year’s celebration. He and Carolyn enjoyed their travels with the Minute Men, especially the bicentennial reenactment of the march of Benedict Arnold to the centenary celebration of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Swimming and tennis kept him active, as did home improvement projects, which he loved designing and then building himself. Bob also took great joy in riding the family’s horse Pandy, and on occasion, giving him a sip of his martini. Camping was a family vacation adventure that was enjoyed by all. Houseboat and RV trips kept the family vacations lively. In 1976, Bob and Carolyn bought a lake cabin, which became one of Bob’s favorite spots.

Carolyn and Bob had three girls, Kathy, Kristen, and Karen, whom he adored. He always referred to them as his three girls and delighted in pointing out to people that the women in his life were always telling him what to do. As much as he loved his girls, he was pleased that their married lives brought some sons into his world. He relished the boys’ weekends up at the lake. He delighted in being a Papa to his seven grandchildren and continued his teasing playful ways with them. He always wanted great-grandchildren and was glad he was able to welcome three great-grandsons into the family.

Travel brought immense pleasure to him. Luckily, he and Carolyn enjoyed seeing much of the world during their retirement years.

Bob was the beloved husband for 70 years of Carolyn (Barrett) Lenington. He was the dedicated father of Kristen Cavallaro and her husband Paul; Karen Martin and her husband Brad; and the late Kathy Silva and her surviving husband John. He was the cherished Papa of Josh, Courtney, Brendon, Jessica, Stephanie, Christopher, David and their partners, along with his newly minted great-grandsons Finn, Miles, and Luca.

Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate Bob’s life during visiting hours on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 3-5 p.m. at Dee Funeral Home (27 Bedford St., Concord). His funeral service will be held on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 1:30 p.m. in the Weston United Methodist Church (377 North Ave., Weston). Burial will follow with U.S. Army military honors at Lincoln Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Bob’s memory may be made to Care Dimensions in gratitude for the extraordinary hospice care Bob received (www.caredimensions.org). Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord, which provided this obituary. To share a fond memory of Bob or to offer a condolence in his online guestbook, click here.

Mass Audubon gets $25 million from MathWorks

Lincoln-based Mass Audubon has received a $25 million gift spanning seven years from mathematical computing software MathWorks to help protect and restore the Commonwealth’s valuable natural lands.

The gift of $7 million in year one and $3 million in each of the six subsequent years is the largest programmatic gift in Mass Audubon’s 127-year history and will be used to acquire, restore, and preserve properties to their natural state, particularly in coastal areas. One example of such work already going on is the “rewilding” of retired cranberry bogs at Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Plymouth.

“This extraordinary commitment to protecting the nature of Massachusetts is nothing short of transformative, and we are forever grateful for MathWorks’ overwhelming generosity,” said David O’Neill, president of Mass Audubon. “It’s so heartening to see a world-renowned company like MathWorks prioritize the natural world, and we are honored they are entrusting us to carry out such important work.”

Since the gift spans several years, “there’s not a lot of specifics right now” on how the funds might impact Drumlin Farm or other wildlife sanctuaries overseen by Mass Audubon, said Aaron Gouveia, the organization’s director of public relations.

“The opportunity for nature to play a role in fighting climate change is more vital than ever,” said Jeanne O’Keefe, SVP and CFO of MathWorks, said in a press release. “Between Mass Audubon’s 127-year history of conservation and MathWorks’ commitment to its local communities and green initiatives, we’re confident this kind of partnership will inspire even more corporate social responsibility and lead to the protection of outdoor spaces that benefit people and wildlife across the state.”

In fiscal 2022, Mass Audubon received $8.87 million in gifts, grants, and government contracts, according to its annual report for that year. Its operating budget in 2022 was $32.53 million. In 2019 (the most recent data readily available), MathWorks more than $9.7 million for educational programs, which included research grants, university fellowships, curriculum development, and museum partnerships with 15 organizations in four countries including Mass Audubon.

Locally, the Carroll School on Old Sudbury Road gave Mass Audubon 85 acres of land straddling the Lincoln/Wayland border (part of 103 acres from an anonymous donor) in 2020. That parcel is now part of the Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary.

News acorns

Charity open house at Masonic Lodge

The Joseph Warren-Soley Masonic Lodge (181 Lincoln Rd.) will host a dozen local charities on Tuesday, Nov. 14 from 4-5:30 p.m. when residents can stop by, enjoy some appetizers, and learn more about these valuable organizations. Questions and RSVPs can be sent to Alan Vogt at alanvogt@gmail.com.

Session on herbalism and social justice

How do we reconnect with our ancestral ways of engaging the Earth? What would it look like to be in right relationship with the plants that support us and our communities? How can plant medicine inform and support justice work? Find out in “Honoring the True Roots of Herbalism: A Dialogue about Plants, Decolonization, and Liberation” with Nathalie Rodriguez and Denise Goitia, two queer bi-racial Latinx folk herbalists and community healers, on Wednesday, Nov. 15 from 6-7:30 p.m. on Zoom. Co-hosted by Farrington Nature Linc, the Somerville Community Growing Center, and the City of Somerville. Registration required via this form.

Learn about the region’s black bears

The Walden Woods project invites residents to learn about “Bears of the East: Kilham Bear Center & Black Bear Behavior” in a virtual session on Thursday, Nov. 16 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Ben Kilham from Kilham Bear Center in New Hampshire will discuss his first-hand experiences raising cubs and observing black bears. The presentation is illustrated with in-the-field photos and there will be a Q&A. Click here to learn more and register.

Grown-ups Night Out at Codman

On Thursday, Nov. 16 from 8–10 p.m. in the Codman Community Farms kitchen, all are welcome to join LincFam for another Grown-ups’ Night Out with delicious apple pie from Codman chef Tillie as well as hot tea, hot chocolate and a splash of rum! We will also be collecting gently used board books for families in the emergency shelter in Concord through First Connections. Tickets are $10 payable at the event or Venmo to  @LincFam. Click here to RSVP.

deCordova hosts folk concert

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum will host Canadian folk musician Abigail Lapell performing on vocals, piano, harmonica and finger-style guitar on Friday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.) in the Dewey Family Hall on the third floor of the museum. Guests can pre-order dinner from Twisted Tree Cafe at deCordova. Click here for details and tickets.

Sister of slain woman to speak at Domestic Violence Roundtable

In March 2015, Needham resident Susan Altman learned that her sister Stacy had been found dead in a bathtub in her home in Denver. The cause and manner of her death were initially undetermined, but Susan and others strongly suspected there was more to the story. It took seven years to have Stacy’s husband brought to trial, convicted of first-degree murder, and sentenced to life in prison in a case featured on NBC’s Dateline. Susan will speak about her experiences in advocating for justice for Stacy and moving through the world as a trauma survivor with the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. in person at the Goodnow Library (21 Concord Rd., Sudbury) and on Zoom. For more information, email infordvrt@gmail.com. To register to attend either in-person or on Zoom, click here.

Lincoln Public Schools have openings

The Lincoln Public School District (Lincoln and Hanscom AFB) has several positions to be filled, especially substitute teachers and bus monitors. Other open positions include school psychologist, flute and piano teachers, food service workers, academic tutors, lunch and recess monitors, and a night custodian. Please explore the job listings on our website and share with anyone who may have interest. 

Dozens at forum urge a go-slower approach to HCA compliance

More than 200 people turned out (virtually) to ask questions, urge a go-slow approach and ask for more options at a public forum on the most recent proposals for complying with the Housing Choice Act.

A new group called the Lincoln Residents for Housing Alternatives (LRHA) formed to propose other options that would comply with the state law but concentrate fewer housing units in the mall/train station area. Their website asks for a “full spectrum of options, not just a small subset chosen by a few” and presents 18 alternatives that they say will satisfy the state’s complex requirements.

The group has also asked the Housing Choice Act Working Group to decouple the mall property from all of the proposals. Several attendees at the online forum also asked to have a “none of the above” option on the nonbinding ballot at the December 2 Special Town meeting where a ranked-choice “sense of the town” vote aims to settle on a single option that will be formally voted on at the Annual Town Meeting in March.

Among the LRHA’s 55 members are residents who have posted numerous emails to LincolnTalk to ask questions and voiced objections. On November 7, HCAWG posted a document with detailed answers to dozens of questions it’s received from residents. 

Town sentiment among those who’ve participated in public meetings has seesawed over time. Residents favored a plan that would concentrate allowed multifamily housing in South Lincoln, which is reflected in Option C that the town recently submitted to the state for a compliance check. In recent weeks, LRHA members have urged HCAWG to locate more of the required 635 housing units in North Lincoln and demanded that it offer some of the group’s alternative options on December 2.

A summary of the four options to be considered on December 2 (click image to enlarge).

Resisting pressure

But HCAWG has thus far stood firm in mandating a choice among just four options — Option C and three more (D1, D2, and D3) that were formulated after the second wave of public input and presented on October 24. “As a working group, we’ve decided to stick with the range of proposals that we have right now,” Select Board member Jennifer Glass at the November 8 forum (slide deck here). On November 21, “we will have a discussion as to what the final details are.”

The HCA issue is a discussion item but is not on the actual warrant on December 2 “under current planning,” Glass said. The Special Town Meeting is intended to focus on votes around the community center and expansion of The Commons at Lincoln. “We thought originally we would make a decision [on an HCA option] based on the State of the Town meeting, but we heard from the community that it was important to think about some additional options.”

Another objection to the current proposals is that, although they require at least 10% of the multifamily units to be affordable, they do not meet the town’s higher mandated proportion. The state required towns seeking to require more than 10% do a feasibility study to see if a higher percentage was economically feasible for developers. The study showed that it was not, mainly due to the high interest rates and escalating construction costs — a situation not unique to Lincoln.

“There are lots of projects in Boston already permitted but not being built due to the economic climate. That’s a major problem with getting these multifamily projects off the ground,” said Paula Vaughn-MacKenzie, Director of Planning and Land Use.

Seeking a longer process

“Let’s slow it down, go at our pace, comply [with the HCA] but move very cautiously and do it in a deliberative and thoughtful manner that engages more people,” Sara Mattes said. “We’re fast-tracking for something that’s not due until December 2024,” when commuter rail towns like Lincoln must have new multifamily zoning in place.

“How we act will have a significant impact, both positive and negative, on the quality of life in Lincoln,” said Susan Hall Mygatt, who echoed others in asking for a “none of the above” option on December 2. “We’re trying to meet an aggressive timetable that’s well in advance of the timetable demanded by the state… we have the time to figure this out.”

“Going slow is not code for ‘not in my back yard’,” said Katherine McVety.

Others said that having rezoning the mall, having the Rural Land Foundation partner with a developer such as Civico to redevelop it, and then eventually leasing or selling it ceded too much control. “The mall does warrant redevelopment, but the way it’s been bundled with the HCA is not the way we should go about it,” said William Broughton.

Michele Barnes, chair of the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust/RLF Board of Trustees, argued that the RLF was aiming to continue fulfilling its preservation mission and has been propping up the mall for some time. “We’ve taken on debt and put our own endowment into the mall to keep the mall as vibrant as we can. Everything we’ve done at the mall and seek to do is for the ends of the town because our mission is to serve the town and to preserve Lincoln’s rural character,” she said. 

David Hobson asked what would happen if the town missed the December 2024 deadline — “it might be worth taking that penalty if we retain control,” he said. But Vaughn-Mackenzie explained that the town would go to the back of the line or lose eligibility for MassWorks grants, which will be vital for rebuilding the water mains between Bedford Road and Route 117 — a project estimated to cost $2.75 million per mile.

“My preference is to have at least most of the housing potentially buildable,” as opposed to including The North Lincoln parcels in the multifamily district, said Ken Hurd. The Lincoln North property already contains a large office building. As for Battle Road Farm, even if rezoning allowed more multifamily housing there, nothing would actually be built because every condo owner would have to agree, as the common property is also owned by them. “That’s almost like saying we don’t want to supply housing,” he said. “I don’t think we need more choices if we’re going to stay somewhat in the spirit of the law.”

“The state intends this as a very long-range plan — they understand that some options may be more interesting to developers than others,” Glass said.

Police log for Oct. 29 – Nov. 7, 2023

October 29

Old Weston Road, Wayland (2:09 a.m.) — Officers from the Lincoln Police Department assisted the Wayland Police and Fire Departments with a search for a missing female. The party was located approximately three hours later in the town of Weston.

Old Sudbury Road (10:23 a.m.) — Police were called to locate a missing person. The party was located approximately 20 minutes later.

Lincoln Police Department (11:25 a.m.) — An individual who had lost their wallet inquired if one had been turned in to the Police Department. Nothing had been turned in yet.

Oriole Landing (12:22 p.m.) — A concerned individual called to request a well-being check. Police and fire units responded. The party was fine.

Lowell Road, Concord (4:25 p.m.) — An officer responded to the town of Concord for mutual aid to help locate a missing person. The request was cancelled shortly afterwards when the missing party was located.

Tower Road (4:19 p.m.) — Police conducted a well-being check. The party was fine.

October 30

Tower Road (2:48 p.m.) — An Amazon truck got stuck after attempting to make a turn. A tow was called to winch the vehicle out.

October 31

Ent Road, Hanscom AFB (1:11 p.m.) — Police went to Hanscom Air Force Base for a mutual aid response.

Davison Drive (1:21 p.m.) — A person called to report that a landscape company had parked on Davison Drive while working at a residence on Page Road. An officer spoke to the landscapers.

Old Sudbury Road (3:00 p.m.) — An individual called to report a young black and tan dog was near the roadway unattended. Animal Control was notified.

Old County Road (5:19 p.m.) — An officer responded to speak with a pedestrian regarding an encounter they had with an operator of a vehicle.

Sandy Pond Road (5:38 p.m.) — An individual called to report a person fishing in Flint’s Pond. When an officer arrived, they were unable to locate anyone fishing.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (7:35 p.m.) — A caller reported a strong odor of natural gas in the area. National Grid was notified and dispatching a representative to the area.

Paul Revere Lot, North Great Road (9:26 p.m.) — A deceased deer was reported in the middle of the road. National Park rangers were able to move the carcass. MassDOT was notified.

November 1

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (5:39 a.m.) — A motorist called to report striking road debris that disabled their vehicle. Massachusetts State Police were notified.

Ridge Road (1:03 p.m.) — An individual called requesting to speak to an officer regarding an ongoing issue.

North Great Road (5:53 p.m.) — A motorist reported an injured deer on the side of the road. An officer checked the area but was unable to locate the animal.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (10:30 p.m.) — An officer came upon a disabled motor vehicle. A motorist was in the process of finishing changing a tire and were on their way moments later.

Tower Road (11:07 p.m.) — A caller reported hearing screeching tires. An officer checked the area but was unable to locate the vehicle causing the noise.

November 2

Minuteman Technical High School (3:43 p.m.) — A 911 call was received for a vehicle that had driven off the roadway. The incident occurred in the town of Lexington.

Partridge Lane (6:39 p.m.) — An individual called to speak with an officer regarding an ongoing issue.

November 3

Minuteman Technical High School (10:23 a.m.) — Police were called to the school for an incident. An investigation is ongoing.

Garland Road (7:14 p.m.) — An individual called to report a missing person. The missing party was located a short time later.

November 4

Blackburnian Road (11:37 a.m.) — An individual called to speak with an officer regarding a suspicious incident. A short time later, the incident was resolved.

November 5

Laurel Drive (2:05 p.m.) — A caller reported a deceased deer in a stream. An officer responded.

South Great Road (2:07 p.m.) — A caller reported their car window was shattered and an item had been removed. An investigation is ongoing.

November 6

Huckleberry Hill (9:13 a.m.) — A resident spoke with an officer regarding a parking complaint.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (11:34 a.m.) — Lincoln Police assisted Massachusetts State Police with an Uber driver who had requested assistance.

Canoe landing parking lot (12:29 p.m.) — An officer spoke to two individuals at the canoe landing before they were on their way.

Tower Road (1:25 p.m.) — An individual called to request assistance with an ongoing matter.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (5:02 p.m.) — Massachusetts State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection.

November 7

Cerulean Way (11:08 a.m.) — The Fire Department responded to a call about a smoking electrical box.

Trapelo Road (4:48 p.m.) — A motorist struck a deer, which ran off into the woods. The operator was uninjured and the vehicle was towed from the scene.

Veteran recalls military service and how it shaped his life

Editor’s note: This article was written and submitted by Montagne Powers, whose clients include The Commons in Lincoln.

Dan Chamberlin during his Navy career.

Dan Chamberlin and his wife — affectionately known as Salli — live at The Commons in Lincoln. Their path to their current home bucolic home, however, extends around the world.

Dan was 22 years old and had recently graduated from Denison University when he decided to enlist in the Navy. He entered Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., in June 1952. “After graduating, I had a little bit of leave time and I went home and saw my college sweetheart [Salli] and then got shipped over to Japan, where I was stationed happily with my best friend from Officer Candidate School,” he said. “We were stationed in a cryptography unit that served the commander of the Naval Forces of the Far East, so we were a very large radio station with a cryptography or code adjunct to it.”

As a cryptographer, Dan handled sensitive communications. “I was dealing with those Navy messages which were coded, and I was responsible for encoding anything the admiral wanted to send out, and for decoding anything that came in for his attention,” Dan recalled. One notable moment during Dan’s naval career happened when “I was on duty overnight on the 23rd of June in 1954, and that was the precise moment of the signing of the armistice in Panmunjom, which effectively ended the shooting in the Korean War. That message came in and I decoded it.”

Dan arrived in Japan as a bachelor but his fiancee joined him in August 1953 and they were married soon after her arrival. He had a house built for the two of them to live in a nearby Japanese town because he didn’t have the required priority points to secure married housing on the naval base. “I commuted to work on the train and she stayed home, and that lasted until October of 1954, at which point I received orders to a ship,” he recalled.

Salli returned home to the States, newly pregnant, as Dan boarded the flagship for the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. “She delivered our firstborn and I was meanwhile floating around the Mediterranean with the admiral on board and hitting all the best liberty ports,” he said.

Dan had been accepted to Harvard Business School but wasn’t able to delay enrollment until the end of his military service. However, he asked the Navy for early separation, which was granted. Once he landed, Dan and Salli met in Massachusetts at an apartment neither had seen, with a child he had not yet met. 

Dan and Salli Chamberlin today.

Salli and Dan have been married for 70 years and are enjoying life at their home at The Commons. Dan’s service has inspired patriotism and call to duty in his own family — his granddaughter is currently a captain in the Marines. 

Reflecting on the value that serving in the military added to his life, Dan said, “I was a small-town boy and Salli and I went to a small college and I think the lesson I learned was independence. We both had loving parents who gave us everything we wanted. That first night, I was trying to fall asleep in a barracks surrounded by a barbed wire fence with a Marine guard with a .45 automatic and for the first time in 21 years, I couldn’t go where I wanted to go when I wanted to go. I was just like ‘son of a gun, this is what it’s like being out on your own, and you can do this,’ and I was able to apply that in other severe changes of environment, like going to graduate school or going into a strange city for my first job or having a child. With any major change in life, I know I can do this.”

Correction

In the November 8 “News Acorns,” the headline for the upcoming Pernambuco Chamber Ensemble concert gave the wrong location. It will take place in St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church. Also, the LSB Players’ production of “Curtains”runs through Saturday, Nov. 18, not Sunday. The post and calendar listings have been updated.

News acorns

Film on the “Holy Land problem”

The Lincoln-based GRALTA Foundation will host two showings of “The Law and the Prophets,” a documentary with commentary by an A-list of diverse and respected authorities on Holy Land history and conditions as they existed until just a few weeks ago. Boston College sociology professor Eve Spangler will lead a post-film discussion. Screenings will take place on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 1:30 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Depending on audience size, it will either be in the first-floor map room or in the second-floor meeting hall. Please let us know if you plan to attend and on which day. Click here for more information.

LSB players present “Curtains”

Tickets are now on sale for the LSB Players’ production of “Curtains,” an energetic and irreverent play within a play set backstage at Boston’s Colonial Theatre, where the leading lady of the current musical suddenly falls dead. You can count on uproarious laughs, spectacular dance numbers, and unexpected twists and turns. Performed in the Kirshner Auditorium at L-S on Wednesday to Saturday, Nov. 15-18 at 7:30 p.m. Directed and choreographed by Carly Evans, music directed by Michael Bunting, and conducted by Tom Grandprey. Click here to purchase tickets (you will receive an email from ShowTix4U.com confirming your online purchase).

Chamber music concert at St. Anne’s

The Lexington-based Pernambuco Chamber Ensemble will perform “Falling into Place” on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church. The program includes Gabriel Fauré’s Piano Quartet #1 in C minor, Mozart’s Sonata #26 in B-flat major (K378) for violin and piano, and a premiere performance of Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G major arranged by the ensemble’s cellist for viola and cello duo. Performers are Shirie Leng (violin) of Newton and Lexington musicians Jessica Baum (viola), Judith Glixon (cello), and Daniel Goodman (piano). Admission is free but a suggested contribution of $20 at the door is requested, a portion of which will be donated to IPCI-USA (International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative-USA) through the International Alliance of Violin and Bow Makers for Endangered Species.

Thanksgiving drive for food pantry

The St. Vincent de Paul food pantry in Lincoln is sponsoring a drive to help those for whom a Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings is not possible. Organizers have already secured a turkey, vegetables, and a pie for each one of our families. A $25 gift card to Donelan’s will allow clients to buy something that will make their celebration special. You can buy your gift cards directly at Donelan’s and leave them at the customer service desk, donate here (write “gift cards” in the notes section), or mail a check to SVdP, PO Box 324, Lincoln MA 01773 (write “gift cards” on the memo line). The drive ends on Wednesday, Nov. 15.

Gentile to hold office hours on Nov. 20

State Rep. Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury), whose district includes part of Lincoln, will hold virtual office hours for constituents on Monday, Nov. 20 in virtual meetings via from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Any constituent who wishes to speak with him can sign up for a 20-minute time slot by emailing his legislative aide Ravi Simon at ravi.simon@mahouse.gov. Constituents signing up for a meeting must provide their full name, address, phone number, email, and their discussion topic so Rep. Gentile can prepare.

TEDx Walden Pond is the talk of the town

TEDx WaldenPond speakers were (back row, left to right) Trish Kendall, Wendy Murphy, Rick Chavez, Rebecca Heiss, Eric McNulty, Jared Cox, Graham Lutz, Corinne Hancock Scott. Front row: Charley Blandy, Lauren Chaby, Seth Ettenberg, Tim Washer. Nick Morgan is lying on the rug. (Missing: Raj Sharma, Martin Moore, Gerami Groover-Flores)

A Lincoln couple recently hosted the town’s first TedX event, TedX Walden Pond, which showcased 15 speakers as well as two artistic performances.

Co-organizer Nick Morgan said he’s been a longtime fan of TED Talks, where “ideas are front and center, new voices can be heard, and the opportunity to debate interesting topics was there.” TEDx (the “x” indicates independently organized) is an offshoot program that enables local communities to host TED-like events. They’re usually named after the host town, but “TEDx Lincoln” was already taken by Lincoln, Neb.

Anyone can host a TEDx event in their hometown as long as they get approved and licensed by TedX, so Morgan and his wife Jessica Cooper started the application process a year ago and got the green light in August for the November 1 event held at the First Parish stone church. Morgan is a public speaking coach with Public Words Inc. and Cooper is a voice teacher. 

He and Cooper put out the word to their networks for potential speakers. Since the TedX brand is quite prestigious, “you immediately get overwhelmed with people who want to give talks — selecting the most promising is tough,” Morgan said. His theme was “Ripples of Thought,” which was “deliberately ambiguous,” he said. 

“The audience particularly liked Gerami Groover-Flores’ talk about the origins of the Hamilton-Garrett Center for Music & Arts in the music of the Black church in America, Trish Kendall‘s deeply moving talk on success, and SNL veteran Tim Washer‘s funny closing talk, ‘Follow the Fear,’ on self-acceptance,” Morgan said. The other speakers were:

  • Charley Blandy, expert on negotiation and corporate social responsibility and a professional singer, on our response to climate change
  • Dr. Jared Cox on shame
  • Dr. Lauren Chaby, director of scientific strategies at ALZpath, on new developments in Alzheimer’s research
  • Rick Chavez, partner at Oliver Wyman, on lessons he learned from 25 years in the technology business
  • Dr. Seth Ettenberg, chief scientific officer at BlueRock Therapeutics, on regenerative medicine
  • Dr. Rebecca Heiss on how men struggle to find their roles in modern society
  • Graham Lutz on the importance of allowing ourselves to embrace mistakes
  • Eric McNulty on the importance of working together as a community on difficult issues such as climate change
  • Martin G. Moore, producer of the “No Bullsh!t Leadership” podcast, on handling conflict
  • Wendy Murphy, adjunct professor of sexual violence law at the New England School of Law, on how women are denied equal protection under the law
  • Storyteller and educator Graham Lutz on the importance of allowing ourselves to embrace mistakes
  • “Chaos coach” Corinne Hancock Scott
  • Raj Sharma, head of The Sharma Group and a director of the Boston Foundation, on choosing wealth management as a career

Urbanity Dance performers Zoe Carey, Clare Naughton, and Josephine Schneider. Photo by Deborah J. Karson (@DeborahJKarsonPhotography on Instagram)

A highlight of the evening was “Ripples: gathered,” a performance choreographed specially for “Ripples of Thought” by Urbanity Dance, whose mission it is to bring contemporary dance to the Boston landscape. Classical guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan also performed “moving still,” an original composition, resulting in “a potpourri of people and topics, which is what TEDx wants,” Cooper said.

TED Talks are limited to 18 minutes and TEDx to just 10 minutes — a departure from when Morgan started coaching public speakers when “a 90-minute lecture was not unusual,” he said. TED Talks were “a bellwether of the times” to encourage a variety of shorter speeches in one session. 

TedX Walden Pond should be available for viewing on YouTube by the end of the year once the event company has finished editing, Morgan said.

My Turn: Please donate to help fund a new L-S student group

By Vama Gandhi

My name is Vama Gandhi and I am a sophomore at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. A few months ago, my friend Farhan Khan and I came across an organization called Health Occupations Students of America, better known as HOSA. HOSA has an array of competitive events ranging from leadership to the health sciences which aim to equip future health professionals with the skills necessary for success.

We want to bring a chapter of HOSA to L-S to allow us an opportunity to delve into medicine and kindle a similar passion in our peers. The installation of this club would not only benefit current students but also generations to come. However, we need your help to make this happen.

HOSA charges each of its members two fees: a membership and conference fee, which are $30 and $45, respectively. However, some members cannot pay the collective $75 and require financial aid. The community’s contributions will help cover these costs and ensure that financial status is not a barrier to anyone from participating in the club.

To make this possible, we must raise roughly $1,500 in one month (the deadline is November 15). We are asking for the help of the Lincoln Community to achieve this goal. The members of our club are willing to provide services to any of the residents of our local community in order to earn the money needed. This could mean doing yard work, babysitting, or helping out in any other way. Our GoFundMe site is here: gofund.me/c6511e68.

Help us empower a generation of future healthcare leaders.

Vama Gandhi (vamagandhi25@gmail.com) is a Lincoln resident and Farhan Khan (khafa776@gmail.com) is from Sudbury.

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