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

News acorns

Editor’s note: the first three items briefly appeared in News Acorns earlier, but due to a computer glitch, they disappeared from the Squirrel website so we’re posting them again, along with their accompanying calendar entries, which had also disappeared.

IDEA Committee forum

The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Antiracism (IDEA) Committee will hold a public forum on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln School Learning Commons. Learn about the group’s work to date, plans for the coming year, and community engagement opportunities. This is a hybrid meeting, so you may join us in person or online over Zoom (passcode: 638410).

Film: “A Yak in the Classroom”

The Lincoln Library Film Society will show the Oscar-nominated “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. in the library’s Tarbell Room. An aspiring singer living with his grandmother in the capital of Bhutan dreams of getting a visa to move to Australia. Dzongkha and English with subtitles.

Event on making your home greener

“How to Improve the Envelope of your Home,” the first presentation in the Getting to Zero series, will be led by Rachel White CEO of Byggmeister Design/Build, on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Learn how to make the walls, floors, roof and windows of you house more energy efficient. Click here to register. Other presentations in the series:

  • Upgrading Your Windows (February 28)
  • Go with Solar (March)
  • Getting to Zero: The Historical Home, presented by FoMA (March)
  • Install Heat Pumps (April)

The Getting to Zero series is presented by CFREE, a working group of Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee, to help residents affordably achieve energy-efficient, electrified, comfortable and healthy homes.

Library hosts kids’ events for school vacation week

Dance Party with Denise
Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 10 a.m.
Families will groove to children’s songs, oldies, and a few pop favorites. Best for ages 6 and under, but all kids who like to dance are welcome. Drop in.

The Awesome Robb Magic Show
Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 11 a.m.
The Awesome Robb Show is more than just a magic show; it’s a show that entertains everyone and will have you laughing right from the start. No registration necessary. Best for ages 4 and up but all are welcome.

The Case of the Haunted Hotel: An Escape Room Mystery
Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m.
Join us for a fun Haunted Hotel Escape Room. For children ages 10-12. Please note: a caregiver (or older sibling) must attend. Registration required; email sfeather@minlib.net.

Buildwave: A Hands-on STEM Building Game
Thursday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m.
Buildwave is a high-energy creative building event using over a dozen different building materials. The workshop features animations and music that guide kids through different building waves. Intended for kids in grades 1+. Registration required; email dleopold@minlib.net.

“Fort” Night at the Library
Thursday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m.
Join us for a fun-filled night of making blanket forts in the library. Make sure to bring your own clean sheets and/or blankets. Pajamas encouraged. Bring a stuffed animal and a flashlight if you like. No registration necessary; All ages welcome.

Movies and Muffins
Friday, Feb. 24 at 10:30 a.m.
Join us to watch short film versions of classic picture books and enjoy muffins and juice. Intended for children ages 2+. No registration required.

For details, visit the Children’s Department web page.

Ash Wednesday at St. Anne’s

Please join the St. Anne’s community for an Ash Wednesday evening service on Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 7–8 p.m. on the threshold to the season of Lent. We welcome everyone from all walks of life and faith. For more information, visit stanneslincoln.org.

21-day challenge on inclusion, diversity, and equity

The Lincoln Public Schools have created a 21-day AIDE Challenge (Antiracism, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity) to deepen our community’s understanding of antiracism, inclusion, diversity and equity. While the challenge is meant for individual work, participation by groups and the whole community is ideal. AIDE recommends that groups meet several times during the 21-days challenge to consider, explore, and connect to what they are learning. WIDE Lincoln can help with general facilitation, targeted help connecting this work to your equity goals, answer questions, and provide guidance for navigating issues that arise within your organizational discussion during the 21 days. It can also help people who are not aligned with an organization for this purpose to join others in meeting. Please fill out this form to request assistance.

MMNHP talk on Concord’s role in the Revolution

The Friends of Minute Man National Park will host their winter lecture, “Minutemen Revisited: Rethinking Concord’s Role in the Revolution: A Conversation with Robert Gross and Friends,” on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. via Zoom. Gross will discuss his revised and expanded edition of The Minutemen and Their World in conversation with Joel Bohy, J.L. Bell, and Jim Hollister. Free; click here to register. The lecture is co-sponsored by the Friends of Minute Man and Minute Man National Historical Park and is also supported in part by a grant from the Concord Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Scholarship and grant applications now being accepted

The Lincoln Scholarship Committee application is now open. Both merit-based and need-based scholarships and awards are available. The application deadline is March 31. More information on the various scholarships and awards as well as an application can be found on the Lincoln Scholarship Committee website.

The Lincoln Garden Club is offering project grants and its annual Gabrielle Brenninkmeyer Award. Examples of special projects that have received grants in the past include:

  • Hiring an intern to develop a native plant bed in Station Park
  • Providing funds to the town tree warden to plant the next generation of trees along Baker Bridge Road
  • A partnership with the Lincoln Public Library Board of Trustees to care for and propagate the iconic catalpa (“twisted tree”) growing in front of the library

The club has set aside up to $4,500 to fund grant proposals in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Grant applications must be sponsored by a Lincoln Garden Club member; collaboration on the proposal with other community groups is welcomed and encouraged. Click here to apply.

The $500 Brenninkmeyer award supports projects that further the club’s twofold mission of providing community service to the town of Lincoln and giving members the opportunity to enhance and share their knowledge of such garden-related topics as horticulture, design, conservation, and beautification. The award is open to any Lincoln resident or Lincoln Public Schools student. Click here to apply.

Area residents and officials protest Hanscom expansion proposal

The Hanscom Field expansion area is outlined in red. Lincoln’s approximate town border is indicated by the green dashed line.

Local officials and organizations are quickly rallying to fight a proposal that would add about 408,000 square feet of new hangar space and reconfigure a taxiway to accommodate larger aircraft at Hanscom Field.

At a February 6 public forum, the possibility of a “fuel farm” was also mentioned, according to the Bedford Citizen. The online meeting, which drew dozens of residents from area towns hosted by the office of the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), took place just eight days before the public comment period closes.  

The Lincoln Select Board held a special meeting on February 10 to discuss a letter in opposition to the project. Mothers Out Front and the Hanscom Field Advisory Committee (HFAC) have also written letters against the idea, and other Lincoln groups such as the Green Energy Committee and the Planning Board are also expected to weigh in. 

State Sen. Mike Barrett, a key climate activist in the state legislature whose district includes the four Hanscom towns, also spoke out at the MEPA forum, the Bedford Citizen article said. “It is striking that in the middle of our attempt as a state to deal with an existential crisis, Massport is intent on building its private jet business,” he said.

“There is a climate change emergency and every effort must be made to phase out and not expand use of fossil fuels,” the HFAC noted in a letter to MEPA.

Mothers Out Front claimed that paving and construction will lead to more stormwater runoff, fewer carbon-storing plants, and stress to wildlife, wrote. “We believe [the proposal] represents an example of profits over people,” they wrote.

The project’s proponents say that additional hangar space will reduce the need for “ferry flights” to and from full Hanscom hangars to other storage areas, but the idea that “adding 90 football fields worth of space would reduce emissions from aircraft struck me as hard to believe,” said Select Board member Jim Hutchinson at Friday’s meeting.

The draft letter, which will go out early this week, listed 10 specific requests and areas of concern about the project. It asked for more information on current and projected traffic of both aircraft and ground vehicles at Hanscom Field, data on ferry flight frequency, destinations, and emissions; the flight paths, maximum size, and noise profiles of aircraft that an expanded airfield could accommodate; and details on the fuel farm, including the amount of fuel to be stored, the size and number of vehicles that would transport it, and how potential fuel spills will be handled.

The pandemic put a dent in many businesses, but jet operations at Hanscom are actually up by 19% since 2019, Massport noted at an October 20, 2022 meeting (total operations are down by 6% as recreational and pilot training operations continue to decline).

In one sign of the strength of the private jet business at Hanscom, Magellan Jets recently opened a dedicated passenger area in one of the airfield’s buildings. Business travel dropped during Covid-19 but private flights for leisure travel mostly made up for it; the pandemic “really opened everyone’s eyes to what’s available domestically” for private travel, said Anthony Tivnan, president of Magellan, whose fees start at $6,900 per hour for use of one of its eight-passenger planes.

“This is not about military flights that are defending our country, or commercial aviation — this is about private jets getting people to where they want to go,” Select Board member Jennifer Glass said.

“I feel like bigger things were planned that was being addressed at that listening session,” resident Miriam Stason said at the elect board meeting. Hutchinson agreed, saying, “Massport doesn’t usually make these plans without a bigger picture in mind.”

Another worry: larger and more frequent flights may involve planes taking off and landing at Hanscom at night. The fine for doing so is just $400, and it’s not legally possible to increase that amount.

Officials also noted that Hanscom expansion will most directly affect the environmental justice community in north Lincoln, which includes the Battle Road Farm development, where 48 of 120 units are designated as affordable housing.

Massport tried to expand Hanscom back in the mid-2000s, but cooperation among the four towns helped defeat that effort, said Sara Mattes, who was a Board of Selectmen member at the time. “We have to look at what worked and what didn’t work” from that time, she said. “This is just round one of a long trench warfare.”

October “Toby” Frost, 1933–2023

Toby Frost

October (Toby) Cullum Frost was born March 10, 1933 in New Bedford, Mass., to Eugene and Clementine Cullum and died on January 22, 2023 in Acton, Mass.

Toby was a bright and lively child. She met her future husband, Wesley Towne Frost, when she was 10 (he noticed her riding her pony) and they stayed in touch over the years. As a teen, she attended the Northfield School for Girls and then went to Radcliffe College (and was delighted after the “non-merger merger” of Radcliffe and Harvard to learn that she now had a degree from Harvard). She earned two master’s degrees — a master’s in education from Harvard and a master of arts in German from Middlebury College. Education was quite important to her. 

Toby and Wes married in 1955 and moved to the land that Wes owned as part of the Scott Nearing intentional community in Jamaica, Vt. They had two sons, Arlo and Rainer, and moved to Cambridge, Mass., and then Putney, Vt. Finally, in 1964, they settled in a small farmer’s cottage on land in what was then rural Lincoln, Mass. Wes and his sons built a home around the cottage that Toby truly loved and lived in until her final illness.

Toby loved words. As a German and Spanish teacher at Woburn High School, she imparted the appreciation of other languages to her students and led a student trip to Germany and other countries. Toby loved to play with words, spelling them in funny ways or making them up. She found fun and humor in that — humor was essential, she would say, to a healthy life. At the same time, she was a stickler for grammar. She’d correct you when you were speaking or would be unable to focus on the gist of an important letter if it was poorly crafted. So it was a natural step, after leaving teaching, to pursue a career as a technical writer, eventually retiring from Digital Equipment Corp. (now Hewlett-Packard). For several years after retiring, she contributed articles to the Lincoln Journal, sharing her views on current events.

Toby cared deeply about progressive issues. She was particularly focused on prison reform and believed deeply in the potential of restorative justice. She supported issues related to global peace, including nuclear disarmament, antiwar movements, and negotiation and communication across political divides. She also cared about the health of the planet and how we treat it. Her interests were wide ranging. She loved to read newspapers, especially the Boston Globe, and magazines from a variety of sources.

The oldest of four, Toby loved her sisters Holly, Mercy, and Merry and worked to help out their families over the years. Her nieces, in particular, note the positive influences she had in their lives.  Toby leaves behind her sons Arlo and his wife Stephanie, and Rainer and his wife Martha; her grandchildren Brendan, Riordan, Andrew, Annette, Kate and Henry; and her great-grandchildren, Imogen (Brendan), Arabella (Andrew), Oliver (Annette), and Theodosia (Kate).

A memorial service will be held in the spring in Lincoln. In lieu of flowers, Toby requested that donations be made to the charity of your choosing in her memory. The family would like to thank the staff of Atrius/Harvard Vanguard Concord, Mass General Oncology, Emerson Hospital, Life Care Center of Acton, and New England Hospice for their excellent care and support of Toby during this final illness.

Arrangements under the care of Concord Funeral Home, which provided this obituary.

Property sales in December 2022

(Editor’s note: This was originally posted on February 6 but disappeared due a server hiccup.)

140 Lincoln Rd., Unit 11 — Catherine Dyl to Dilla Tingley for $485,000 (December 28)

2 Bedford Rd. — Geraldine H. Lattimore Trust to Ariane Liazos Revocable Trust for $955,000 (December 18)

11 Oak Meadow — Mark Hurrie to john and Mary Wakeman for $1,475,000 (December 15)

259 Old Concord Rd. — Sandra N. Bradlee Trust to Lakeside Trust for $3,000,000 (December 15)

133 Lincoln Rd. — Martin J. Powers Trust to Thomas Bray and Linda Micu for $700,000 (December 15)

29 Birchwood Lane — Karen M. Moss to Lloyd and Ann Rapoport for $855,000 (December 8)

167 Lexington Rd. — Constitution Properties LLC to Joseph and Meghan Sullivan for $1,200,000 (December 5)

124 Lexington Rd. — James F. Cunningham trust to Lachezar Ranchev and Maya Gotova for $900,000 (December 5)

0 Cambridge Turnpike and 3 Red Maple Lane — Brian P. Cassidy Trust to Vladimir Trostteanetchi and Liubov Nedzelscaia for a total of $495,000 (December 1)

My Turn: Nicholson seeks votes for Planning Board

By Craig Nicholson

My name is Craig Nicholson, and I am a candidate for one of the two open seats on the Lincoln Planning Board in the upcoming election on March 27.  As a resident of Lincoln since 2013 along with my wife and three daughters, I would consider it a privilege to serve the town in this capacity.  

In my professional career as director of operations for a real estate development consultancy, I spend my days working closely with building owners, architects, designers, planners, and contractors in carrying out our clients’ vision for their projects. I am accustomed to working with a variety of stakeholders including abutters and municipal agencies, and I feel that this experience would serve me well in assisting the Town of Lincoln’s Planning Board in carrying out its mission and critically evaluating those proposals that come before it.

Additionally, as a member of the Lincoln School Building Committee and former lead of Washington Gateway Main Street (an organization that worked closely with residents, landowners, developers and businesses along the Washington Street corridor in Boston’s South End neighborhood), I understand the importance of hearing a range of community voices to inform planning direction within a community. Lincoln, in particular, has highly active residents who want to be heard, and I believe my experience in participatory community planning makes me an ideal candidate to join the Planning Board. My practical experience in development furthers my ability to support Lincoln in this capacity. 

I am excited by the opportunities Lincoln is faced with in strategic planning for our future. I see tremendous opportunities for our community to collectively roll up our sleeves and continue to work together on our path forward on the Housing Choice Act, the impacts of climate change, the changing dynamics in retail, the proposed expansion of Hanscom Field, improvements to our transportation network, and a desire for long-term affordable living in Lincoln.

I hope that you will find me uniquely qualified to work with you and on your behalf as a member of the Planning Board for the next three years as we carefully move our way forward preserving the Lincoln we know while thoughtfully planning the Lincoln of the future.

I welcome hearing from you to listen to your opinions and answer any questions you have about where I’d like to see the town head. I hope through my experience, knowledge of Lincoln, and passion for impactful planning to earn your support on March 27.

If you’re further interested in my experience, the following summarizes my background:

  • I hold a master’s in urban and environmental policy and planning (UEP) from Tufts University, which I obtained in 2008. The UEP program is a hybrid planning program which combines traditional planning with a focus on social justice and sustainability — a focus I believe aligns well with the pulse of Lincoln.
  • For over 15 years, I have worked in the development industry and currently manage the operations of Ajax Consulting Services, LLC, a real estate consultancy that oversees large renovation and construction projects across the country. As director of operations, I oversee project planning, scheduling, budgeting and implementation for the firm. Projects range in size from small tenant fit-out projects and mechanical projects with budgets starting in the $50K range to large renovation and ground up construction projects with budgets of $70M plus. Earlier in my career, I worked as an environmental consultant overseeing site assessments, soil testing and air quality investigations as well as longer term remediation projects.
  • I currently serve as an associate member of the Lincoln Planning Board, where I was initially appointed by the Planning Board and Board of Selectmen in 2018. As an associate member, the chair of the Planning Board may designate me to sit on the board for the purpose of acting on a special permit application in the case of absence, inability to act, or conflict of interest on the part of any member of the Planning Board or in the event of a vacancy on the board. I was reappointed to this position in 2021. I also served as a member of the South Lincoln Planning Implementation Committee from 2017 to 2020 as a member of both the Placemaking and Village Planning and Zoning teams.
  • I have served as a member of the Lincoln School Building Committee since 2017, demonstrating my deep commitment to serving the interests of our town, dedicating significant time and energy to ensure we were able to deliver on this complex multi-year effort. With the winding down of the School Building Committee in 2023, I am able to redirect this capacity to the Planning Board.
  • In addition to service in Lincoln, my past municipal experience includes volunteer service on the Town of Hanson Conservation Commission and president of the board for Washington Gateway Main Street, an organization that worked closely with residents, landowners, developers and businesses, along the Washington Street corridor in Boston’s South End neighborhood, to implement the long-term planning vision aimed at creating a sustainable mix of housing, commercial, and office uses in the district.

“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.

Upcoming town election has crowded ballot in two races

(Editor’s note: This list was updated on March 10, 2023.)

The nomination papers are in, and two of the races — School Committee and Planning Board — each have four candidates running for two seats.

On the School Committee slate, incumbent Tara Mitchell is stepping down and Adam Hogue is running for reelection, but newcomers Peter Buchthal, Jacob Lehrhoff, and Matina Madrick are also in the running. Lynn DeLisi and Robert Domnitz are hoping to retain their seats on the Planning Board, but Mark Levinson and Craig Nicholson will be on the ballot as well.

The annual town election takes place on Monday, March 27 from 7:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. in the Reed Gym. The last day to submit a vote-by-mail application or absentee ballot application is Monday, March 20. For more information, call the Town Clerk’s office at 781-259-2607.

Board or CommitteeOpenings/termsIncumbent(s)
Board of AssessorsOne (three years)Ellen Meadors*
Board of Health
One (three years)Frederick L. Mansfield*
Board of SelectmenOne (three years)Kim Bodnar
Cemetery CommissionOne (three years)Manley Boyce*
Commissioners of Trust FundsOne (three years)D. Paul Fitzgerald*
Housing CommissionTwo (three years and two years)Julie Brogan (2-year)
Neil Feinberg (3-year)
ModeratorOne (three years)Sarah Cannon Holden*
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School CommitteeTwo (three years each)Ravi Simon (Sudbury)
Lucy Maulsby (Lincoln)
Parks and Recreation CommitteeOne (three years)Robert Stringer*
Planning BoardTwo (three years each)Lynn DeLisi*
Mark Levinson
Craig Nicholson
School CommitteeTwo (three years each)Peter Buchthal
Adam Hogue*
Jacob Lehrhoff
Matina Madrick
Trustees of BemisOne (three years)Rachel Marie Schachter
Water CommissionThree (one for three years, one for two years, one for one year)• Patrick Lawler (1-year term)
• Matthew Bio (interim, running for 3-year term)
• Steve Gladstone (interim, running for 2-year term)

* incumbent running for reelection

Developers propose big expansion at Hanscom Field

The development proposal at Hanscom Field is outlined in red (see closer view below). Lincoln’s approximate town border is indicated by the green dotted line.

A proposal to add 27 hangars and make other changes at Hanscom Field is the subject of two events on Monday, Feb. 6: a site walk at 3 p.m. and a virtual “consultation session” at 6:30 p.m.

The proposal for the area between Hartwell Road and Taxiway R in Bedford follows a land swap and access agreement between Massport, which owns a 26-acre North Airfield parcel, and Runway Realty Ventures (RRV), owner of an adjoining 18-acre parcel formerly owned by the U.S. Navy. It calls for adding about 408,000 square feet of new hangar space for aircraft parking and storage and renovating the existing Navy hangar building. Details of the proposal are contained in the Environmental Notification Form filed by the developers with the state’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs as required by the Mass. Environmental Policy Act (MEPA).

Some aircraft now fly in and out empty to pick up and drop off operators who can’t secure aircraft storage space at Hanscom, the proposal says. “This practice results in extra flights (referred to as ‘ferry flights’) that would otherwise not be required with aircraft stored at Hanscom. By providing aircraft parking and storage on-airport, the project will relieve pressure from Logan in accordance with Massport’s long-term planning objective aimed at using regional airports to satisfy the current and future demand for general aviation services.”

A closer view of the development proposal.

The land swap agreement approved by Massport in October (starting on page 12 of the meeting minutes) will allow RRV to reconfigure taxiway R for larger and heavier aircraft, and to build a new taxiway and service road. RRV will be responsible for funding “upgrades and improvements to the Hanscom Field taxiway infrastructure to support design Group III aircraft above 100,000 pounds and/or design Group IV aircraft, as requested by RRV.”

Taxiway R can now accommodate Group III aircraft such as the Boeing 737-700, the Airbus A-320, and the Embraer ERJ 190-100, which have maximum capacities of 108 to 180 passengers and ranges of 2,000 to 3,700 miles, according to SKYbrary.aero. If the expansion proposal is approved, it will be able to accommodate Group IV planes including the Boeing 767 and the Airbus A-310, both of which can carry up to about 250 passengers and have ranges of 6,000 to 7,500 miles.

Save Our Heritage, which works to preserve historically important sites in Concord, Bedford, Lincoln, and Lexington and has fought Hanscom expansion for years, posted an alert to supporters summarizing the proposal. The Bedford Citizen also ran articles on February 1 and February 3.

Massport (the Massachusetts Port Authority) owns and operates Logan Airport, Hanscom Field, Worcester Regional Airport, and public terminals in the Port of Boston. Hanscom Field, New England’s second-busiest airport and the FAA’s designated general aviation reliever for Logan, is used for private corporate aviation, recreational flying, pilot training, and air charter, cargo, commuter service, and air ambulance flights. It has three fixed-base operators (FBOs) that provide fueling, maintenance, and cleaning services for airplanes. Linear Air and Magellan Jets regularly operate out of Hanscom.

The walk-through on Monday at 3 p.m. starts across from Edge Sports Center at 191 Hartwell Rd. in Bedford, and the virtual session at 6:30 p.m. can be accessed here. The public comment period deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 14. Comments may be submitted via the MEPA Public Comments Portal or via email to alexander.strysky@mass.gov.

The three towns that contain parts of Hanscom Field (Bedford, Lincoln and Concord) do not have any permitting authority in the matter, though the land swap must be approved by the FAA and Gov. Maura Healy, and the FAA must also sign off on the revised airport layout plan.

Police log for Jan. 23–Feb. 1, 2023

January 23

North Great Road (3:36 p.m.) — A motor vehicle slid off of the road due to the snowy conditions. A National Park Ranger assisted until a tow truck could remove the vehicle.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (3:46 p.m.) — A passing motorist reported a vehicle had slid off the road due to the snowy conditions. The Lincoln Fire Department and Massachusetts State Police responded.

Hartwell lot, North Great Road (4:03 p.m.) — A motorist had parked to make arrangements to have their damaged vehicle removed from the lot. The motorist was involved in a crash on Route 95.

Red Barn Road, Wayland (7:23 p.m.) — Wayland Police requested assistance from the Lincoln Police for an additional officer at a residence in their town.

Lincoln Road (8:49 p.m.) — The MBTA called to notify police that the railroad gates at Lincoln Road were malfunctioning. An officer responded and awaited a Keolis representative. The gates were functioning normally approximately 15 minutes later.

Minuteman Commons (9:54 p.m. — A motorist called to state that it appeared a snow removal company was depositing snow in the roadway. An officer responded and found the roadway clear.

January 24

Partridge Lane (2:49 a.m.) — A private plow truck became stuck in a driveway while attempting to clear a driveway. A tow truck was called to assist.

January 25

Donelan’s Supermarket lot (12:23 p.m.) — An officer assisted with information exchange after a minor motor vehicle crash.

Tracey’s Corner (1:23 p.m.) — Well-being check; contact was made with the individual in question and relayed to the caller.

Lexington Road (10:26 p.m.) — Officers responded to the residence for the report of a housebreak. The investigation is ongoing.

Bypass Road (10:53 p.m.) — A resident called to report hearing a loud bang outside of the residence. Officers responded and checked the property. Nothing was found out of the ordinary and no noise occurred while they were on scene.

January 26

Tower Road (3:18 pm.) — A caller reported hearing what sounded like several gunshots and a vehicle accelerating. Officers checked the area; no vehicle or signs of discharge of a firearm were found.

Tracey’s Corner (5:00 p.m.) — Well-being check.

North Great Road (5:10 p.m.) — A motorist reported striking a deer, which ran off into the woods. There was no damage to the vehicle.

Bedford Road and Route 2 (10:25 p.m.) — A two-vehicle crash was reported at the intersection. A vehicle had stopped at the light awaiting the signal to change when they were struck by a vehicle that could not properly negotiate the turn from Route 2 onto Bedford Road. The operator of the turning vehicle was cited for a marked lanes violation. No injuries; both vehicles were towed from the scene.

January 27

Lincoln Road (6:50 p.m.) — A caller reported seeing an encounter between two others that was unnerving. Officers responded and spoke with the caller.

Lexington Road (11:25 p.m.) — A caller reported several vehicles honking their horns and travelling at high speed on Lexington Road. Officers checked the area and were unable to locate any vehicles.

January 28

Care Dimensions, Winter Street (7:40 a.m.) — A caller reported parking their vehicle overnight and discovering damage to the vehicle in the morning. An officer responded to assist.

Harvest Circle (1:35 p.m.) — An officer took a report regarding a dispute with a co-worker.

Chennault Street, Hanscom AFB (3:56 p.m.) — DigSafe reported a water main break. Hanscom Security Forces were notified.

January 29

Trapelo Road (9:06 a.m.) — Waltham police requested assistance with an individual seen walking on Trapelo Road. The call was cancelled a short time later; the individual was picked up by staff of a group home.

Mount Misery lot (5:39 p.m.) — A caller reported being lost at Mt. Misery and emerging from the trails in an unfamiliar area. An officer responded and transported them back to their vehicle.

January 30

Lexington Road (7:50 a.m.) — A caller reported seeing smoke in the area. The Fire Department checked; the smoke appeared to be a hotspot from a previous brush burn and the area was extinguished.

Lincoln Road (8:45 a.m.) — Well-being check.

Mount Misery lot (2:04 p.m.) — The Fire Department responded for a dog that was locked in a vehicle. Firefighters were able to unlock the vehicle.

Baker Bridge Road (9:32 p.m.) — A resident reported being the victim of identity fraud.

January 31

South Great Road (12:11 a.m.) — A caller reported hearing what they thought was someone inside their home. An officer responded; the noise was coming from an electronic device.

Lincoln North office building (3:38 a.m.) — An officer checked on an occupied vehicle in the parking lot. The occupant was an employee of the building.

The car accident near Bowles Terrace on the morning of January 31 with the shattered utility pole at right (click for larger version). Photo by Joanna Schmergel

South Great Road (8:04 a.m.) — Several 911 calls were made for a one-car crash near Bowles Terrace. Upon arrival, officers observed a vehicle that was upside down, a severed utility pole, and electrical wires on the roadway. The operator of the vehicle refused medical attention on scene and was issued a motor vehicle citation for negligent operation of a motor vehicle, operating after suspended license, marked lanes violation, and speed greater than reasonable. 

Minuteman Technical High School (10:48 a.m.) — Minor motor vehicle crash in the parking lot of the high school.

Lincoln Road (5:15 p.m.) — A lost wallet was reunited with its owner.

Silver Birch Lane (7:33 p.m.) — A resident called the police regarding a neighbor’s dog barking. An officer checked the area and heard nothing.

February 1

Storey Drive (2:04 a.m.) — An officer responded to the area for a parking complaint.

Aspen Circle (2:53 a.m.) — An officer assisted a resident with a well-being check.

Beaver Pond Road (8:04 a.m.) — A caller reported a strong odor of natural gas in the area. The Fire Department deployed a meter to check the area but did not find a measurable amount of natural gas.

Mayflower Road (10:06 a.m.) — Hanscom AFB requested a mutual-aid engine for a possible house fire.

Lincoln Road (10:14 a.m.) — A caller reported a minor motor vehicle crash. An officer responded and assisted.

Hanscom Drive (11:08 a.m.) — The Fire Department was alerted to a plane having difficulty. The plane landed safely.

Wells Road (11:37 a.m.) — Well-being check.

Ms. H meets Ms. G at Groundhog Day in Lincoln

Gov. Maura Healey tries to determine if Ms. G. has seen her shadow.

Gov. Maura Healey (Ms. H to her friends, perhaps) elicited cheers from an enthusiastic all-ages crowd in Lincoln on February 2 by predicting an early spring after consulting with Drumlin Farm’s famous Ms. G.

Healey headlined a delegation including State Sen. Michael Barrett and Reps. Carmine Gentile and Alice Peisch for the first Groundhog Day celebration in Lincoln since before the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Lincoln’s Ms. G became the official groundhog of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2014 thanks to a bill shepherded through the legislature by Peisch.

The theme of the day was education about weather and climate change. A number of children including the Chickadee class from the Drumlin Farm Community Preschool got front-row seats, eager to watch Ms. G emerge from hibernation and explore her special outdoor enclosure where she would make her annual prognostication. Barrett — who co-wrote the state’s major climate bill that was signed into law last summer — lauded “young people getting together and saying we can effect change and raise awareness” around those issue while also praising Healey’s commitment to climate action.

In her remarks, Healey noted she had grown up on a farm and that caring for farm animals helped forge her own early connections with nature. She credited Mass Audubon as among those “doing all they can to help young people know and learn and carry on stewardship of land and the environment.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of Mass Audubon, a huge fan of Drumlin Farm, and a huge fan of all those working to preserve our natural habitat and to address the real issues around climate, and those who are looking out for and looking after creatures great and small across this great state,” she said.

Then came the moment of truth — “one of my most important duties as governor,” Healey said. After crouching down to get acquainted with Ms. G, she intoned, “As the governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on February 2 in the year 2023, we observed the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Official Groundhog, Ms. G. And I declare Ms. G does not appear to have observed her shadow, and therefore, Commonwealth, spring is on its way!”

The cheering attendees were also invited enjoy other related programs, such as making groundhog crafts and meeting live animal ambassadors and learning how they adapt to winter as the climate changes.

Click on images below to see larger versions, and scroll down for a short video of Healey at Drumlin Farm.

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