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

News acorns

LincFam New Years’ Dance party

LincFam (the Lincoln Family Association) will host a New Year’s dance party on Friday, Dec. 30 from 4–6 p.m. at the First Parish in Lincoln’s parish house (the stone church) with family-friendly dance music, crafts, and pizza. Free for LincFam members, $10 for others. Click here to RSVP or email info@lincfam.org.

Scholarship program now accepting applications

The Sudbury Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2023 Atkinson Scholarship Program. The Atkinson Scholarship is $5,000 and is renewable for three additional years of support. Students are selected based on a combination of financial need, academic performance, and merit. The program is open to high school seniors graduating in spring 2023 who are planning to attend a four or two-year college, or approved, post-secondary vocational school. Applicants must be:

  • Enrolled at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School (L-S), OR
  • A Sudbury resident or the dependent of a Sudbury resident, OR
  • The dependent of a Town of Sudbury or L-S full-time employee. 

The application deadline is Feb. 1, 2023. If you know a high school senior who might be interested, please let them know that they can find information about the scholarship program here, or call 978-443-0849.

Lincoln student at BC High makes honor roll

Patrick Blanc of Lincoln, a senior at Boston College High School, was named to the first-quarter honor roll with High Honors (Class of 2023). The recognition requires a quality grade point average of at least 3.80 and all grades C+ or higher.

Author conversation via Zoom

Join an evening with two of the country’s top young adult authors as Maureen Johnson (Nine Liars) is interviewed by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (The Final Gambit) in a webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 4 from 7–8 p.m. Sponsored by the Lincoln Public Library.  Click here to register.

Police log for Dec. 13-22, 2022

December 13

Tower Road (4:15 a.m.) — Caller reported hearing a dog barking in the area. An officer located the log, which was inside a house. The officer contacted the owner and advised them of the complaint.

December 14

South Commons (4:26 p.m.) — Caller reported a car driving around the complex and the operator stopped and said something to kids playing in a common area. Officers checked the area but were unable to located. Officers reviewed video footage in the area and it was apparently a delivery driver.

Mary’s Way (6:01 p.m.) — Resident called the station to speak with an officer regarding a civil matter. An officer provided their legal options.

South Great Road (7:38 p.m.) — Resident called regarding a scam phone call stating they had a warrant for their arrest.

December 15

Virginia Road (9:21 a.m.) — Caller reported protesters blocking traffic and not letting them get to Hanscom Air Force Base. State Police at Hanscom are handling the matter.

Hemlock Circle (10:00 a..) — Report of people skating on Farrar Pond. An officer checked and spoke to the parties and their parents.

Scott Circle (2:09 p.m.) — Caller wanted to file a report of personal items that went missing during a move from Tennessee to Hanscom. An officer took a report.

Donelan’s lot (5:22 p.m.) — Caller reported a minor motor vehicle crash and that one of the parties had left the scene. An officer spoke to the party who left the scene as well as the owner of the other car.

December 16

Sandy Pond Road (3:04 p.m.) — One-car crash; vehicle towed.

Twin Pond Lane (6:47 p.m.) — Resident came to the station to report their home phone was not working and they don’t have a cell phone. Dispatch contacted the phone company, who will respond in the morning to assist the resident

December 17

Meadowbrook Road (10:03 a.m.) — Caller reported someone hit their mailbox and drove off. An officer responded and took a report.

Lincoln Road (2:59 p.m.) — Officer helped get someone into their vehicle.

Tracey’s Gas Station (4:58 p.m.) — Caller reported they’re in the lot of Tracey’s with a flat tire and don’t know the address to provide AAA. Address given and an officer went by to check on the party.

Browning Lane (8:12 p.m.) — Caller reported being harassed by a person while at school in Boston. An officer spoke to the party and gave them their legal options, and advised them to contact the college police department to make they aware.

December 18

Orchard Lane (9:06 a.m.) — Westford police asked that a officer make contact with a Lincoln resident who was involved in a crash in their town. Several attempts were unsuccessful.

Wells Road (2:09 p.m.) — Resident reported someone known to them threw rocks through their car window. An officer when and took a report and will be filing for a court summons for malicious destruction of property.

North Great Road (6:13 p.m.) — Caller reported a cooler in the roadway. An officer responded to remove the item and dispose of it.

South Great Road (7:32 p.m.) — Officer checked on a party pulled to the side of the roadway. They were programming their GPS.

December 19

Old Concord Road (12:00 p.m.) — Caller reported that a package was taken from the bank of mailboxes.

Lincoln Road (2:29 p.m.) — Minor crash in the Donelan’s lot.

Tabor Hill Road (6:47 p.m.) — Officer responded to a burglar alarm and discovered a burglary. Several police agencies helped search the area but were unable to locate any suspects. An investigation is ongoing.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (9:31 p.m.) — Crash near Bedford Road. State police on the scene requested an ambulance but the patient refused transport to the hospital.

Wells Road (11:47 p.m.) — Caller reported that someone they didn’t know was walking around the property. An officer checked but was unable to locate anyone.

December 20

Deerhaven Road
AID TO PUBLIC Dec 20, 2022 – Tuesday at 08:15 22-12-20-010031- Party came to the station regarding a civil matter. An officer spoke to the party and provided them their legal options.
Location: 53

Russett Court (3:44 p.m.) — Minor two-car crash; no injuries.

Longmeadow Road (9:39 p.m.) — Caller reported that a package was stolen from their doorstep.

Silver Birch Lane (9:43 p.m.) — Caller reported their neighbor’s dog was barking. An officer responded and no barking was heard.

Tower Road (11:43 p.m.) — Caller wanted to speak to an officer regarding a civil matter. An officer responded and spoke to the resident and advised them that the information would be documented.

December 21

Weston Road (7:52 a.m.) — Caller reported two loose dogs.

Round Hill Road (10:21 a.m.) — Caller reported a suspicious vehicle had been parked on the roadway the previous night. The car was no longer there when an officer checked.

Transfer station (12:41 p.m.) — Fire Department assisted a person who was locked out of their vehicle.

Wells Road (12:54 p.m.) — Caller asked to speak to an officer regarding a neighbor dispute. An officer responded; the matter is civil in nature.

December 22

Paul Revere lot, North Great Road (3:26 a.m.) — Officer checkied on a vehicle parked in the lot. Everything was fine and the parties went on their way.

Wells Road (3:55 p.m.) — A person came to the station saying they were threatened on social media and wanted police to document the incident.

South Great Road (5:12 p.m.) — Two-car crash; no injuries.

It’s not too late – give the gift of a Squirrel!

Here are two great gift ideas for those on your last-minute list (or even yourself!):

  1. “The Lincoln Squirrel: The First Ten Years,” a colorful 14-page PDF with headlines and photos from the first decade of Lincoln’s online newspaper — and each headline and photo is linked to its source on the Squirrel website. If you’re giving this as a gift to a non-subscriber, I can set them up with a one-month free subscription so they can read the stories. Only $20! Click here to see a sample page.
  2. Discounts on a one-year subscription to the Lincoln Squirrel — only $48 vs. the usual $54. You can also get a discounted subscription for yourself if you’re a new subscriber.

If you’d like to give either one as a gift, I’ll send the recipient a digital gift card on Christmas Day or whenever you specify, along with instructions on how to log in. Just call or email me to tell me your name, the recipient’s name and email address, and when you’d like them to receive the gift card. You can pay using PayPal, Venmo or check (see below).

  • Pay by check: Mail a check made out to “Watusi Words” (not Lincoln Squirrel) to 178 Weston Rd., Lincoln MA 01773
  • Pay by PayPal: lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com
  • Pay by Venmo: @Alice-Waugh

Alice Waugh
Editor, The Lincoln Squirrel and The Lincoln Chipmunk
lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com
617-710-5542 (mobile)

Property sales in November 2022

241 Aspen Circle — Maureen Harmonay to Vitaly Huruev for $795,000 (November 30)

68 Winter St. — Mary Lou P. Gauvin Trust to Yi Luo and Qing Gao for $1,220,000 (November 28)

8 Linway Rd. — Christopher Fasciano to Corey and Nicole Ciullo for $1,475,000 (November 18)

319 South Great Rd. — Jeanne Benton to William and Audrey O’Shaughnessy for $1,415,000 (November 8)

 

News acorns

Old Town Hall Exchange open this week

Need extra china place settings or glassware for your holiday meals, or some last-minute gift ideas? Check out the Old Town Hall Exchange, which has an array of gifts as well as affordable antiques. It will be open this week on the following schedule:

  • Tuesday, Dec. 20 — 10.a.m to 4 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Dec. 21 — 10.a.m to 2 p.m.
  • Thursday, Dec. 22 — 10.a.m to 3 p.m.
  • Friday, Dec. 23 — 10.a.m to 2 p.m.

Tucker Smith recognized for 25 years of helping families

Tucker Smith of Lincoln was profiled by Bay Cove Human Services for her 25 years of work to send holiday presents, grocery gift cards and other items needed to make the holidays bright for early-intervention (EI) families. The effort began in 1998 when Smith and her husband learned that there were unanswered letters to Santa at the postal annex, “so we decided to go get a couple of them and fulfill the requests,” she says in the Bay Cove blog post. “Not long after that, we were attending church at First Parish, and [fellow parishioner] Dan Boynton got up and began speaking about the agency he had founded—Bay Cove Human Services—and its EI program. I couldn’t wait for him to finish, so that I could run up to him and ask him whether we could supply Christmas for the people in the program!”

Bay Cove Human Services is a Boston-based nonprofit that provides services for individuals dealing with the challenges of mental illness, intellectual disabilities, substance use disorder, and/or homelessness in greater Boston and southeastern Massachusetts.

Shortsleeve named to Mt. Auburn board

Michael Shortsleeve

Lincoln resident Michael Shortsleeve, M.D., is one of four new board members and board chair announced by the Mount Auburn Hospital Board of Trustees. Shortsleeve served as chair of the Department of Radiology for 21 years and program director for the Radiology Residency Program for 18 years. He has served as an officer on the Board of Trustees and chair of the Trustee Philanthropy Committee, and he founded the Physician’s Leadership Circle.

Officials will take lessons from community center town meeting

In the wake of a sometimes chaotic four-hour Special Town Meeting (STM) about the community center, the Select Board will aim to get a better handle on voter sentiment and make future town meetings run more efficiently.

The November 30 STM started about half an hour late due to the long line of residents waiting to check in. There were also delays as standing votes were counted, and several residents also wanted to submit amendments to the motion to approve spending $325,000 on architects and other consultants to create design options for a community center. The measure that ultimately won approval called for a range of designs and budgets, “including options not to exceed 75% and 50% of the current project estimated cost of $25 million, for the Hartwell Complex, supplemented or not with existing available town space.” 

Going forward, the Select Board on December 12 advocated:

  • Having future Special Town Meetings during the day on a Saturday rather than on a weekday night
  • Expediting the check-in process
  • Having shorter presentations
  • Always having town counsel present

Another problem on November 30 was confusion among some attendees about what exactly they would be voting on. Initially, the plan was to develop prices and designs for two options suggested by Mary Ann Thompson Architects in 2018, but many residents got cold feet in the weeks before the STM when they learned that estimates for both were now about $25 million. 

The board and Community Center Building Committee tried to emphasize before the STM that the $325,000 would be used to develop lower-cost options as well, but this wasn’t clear to many voters on November 30. Those worries about cost were underestimated by town officials. 

“We were not sensing the temperature of the room,” Select Board member Jonathan Dwyer said. “It was fall when the temperature was really rising.” 

To get a sense of public sentiment before voting, the town has tried in-person polls using sticky dots or notes, as well as online surveys, but each method has detractors who say they unfairly exclude some residents, such as those who can’t attend a meeting in person or seniors who aren’t comfortable with digital technology. But board member Jim Hutchinson advocated for email or web-based surveys or polls anyway. 

“Isn’t it better to get the data and acknowledge its biases and limitations than not to look at it at all? We need more data on what people are thinking sooner in the process,” he said.

When the detailed community center choices come up for a “preferred option” STM vote a year from now, the first round of voting (assuming there are three or more choices) should be anonymous, as it was for the final school project vote in 2018, board member Jennifer Glass said, adding that “none of the above” could also be an option for voters.

Hutchinson also suggested trying out instant phone-based polling during a future non-voting meeting, though only to quickly and informally gauge opinion on a specific point of discussion. Allowing hundreds of people to express an opinion at the same time rather than waiting a turn to speak at the microphone would save time. “Think of it simply as a feedback mechanism for getting a sense or pulse rather than a legally binding voting process,” he said.

Another idea suggested by Town Administrator Tim Higgins was to have a “scribe” with a laptop assigned to type up proposed amendments to be displayed on large screens in real time for everyone to see. At the November 30 event, six different people asked to offer amendments; reading and voting on each would have taken hours, but Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden convinced them to get together and agree on wording for a single amendment.

Hutchinson noted that he got positive feedback as well as complaints about how the STM was conducted. People told him they realized that debate on the floor can change minds and that democracy is inherently messy. “It was democracy in action. It might not have been the cleanest thing but it got there,” he said.

Police log for Dec. 2-12, 2022

December 2

Lincoln North Office Building (2:10 a.m.) — Officer checked on a vehicle parked and running in the lot of the office building. The car was occupied by a security officer.

December 3

South Great Road (2:15 p.m.) — Caller reported receiving an email which they thought is a scam.

December 4

Ballfield Road (10:01 a.m.) — A walk-in at the station reported having a verbal dispute with a dog walker on a trail near the schools. Report taken and forwarded to the Animal Control Officer.

Page Road (12:54 p.m.) — Resident called asking to speak with an officer regarding possibly suspicious activity. An officer spoke with the resident and documented their concern.

December 5

Hillside Road (8:53 a.m.) — Caller reported someone made a fraudulent purchase of $225 on their Amazon account. An officer took a report and advised the person to check their credit report and set up a credit alert.

Hawk Hill Road (2:30 p.m.) — A person reported being the victim of a scam involving cryptocurrency.

December 6

Lincoln Police Department (2:12 a.m.) — Concord police asked to use Lincoln’s breath test instrument for a subject that they had in custody.

December 7

South Great Road (12:56 a.m.) — An officer came across a person walking on South Great Road and gave them a ride to the Sudbury/Concord town line.

December 8

Winter Street (11:00 a.m.) — Caller reported someone overnight damaged their mailbox. An officer responded and was unable to see any damage to the mailbox.

South Great Road (3:25 p.m.) — Report of a civil dispute at Lincoln Gas and Auto. Officers responded and both parties came to an agreement.

Donelan’s Supermarket (4:39 p.m.) — Caller reported a person sleeping on a bench near Donelan’s requesting a well-being check. An officer checked on the person and they were OK, just waiting for their parents to pick them up.

December 9

Farrar Road (11:00 a.m.) — A person came to the station to inquire about a police charity donation request call to ask whether it was a legitimate charity.

Stow Street, Concord (1:06 p.m.) — Concord Fire Department requested an ambulance for a medical emergency. The Lincoln Fire Department responded and transported a person to Emerson Hospital.

December 10

South Great Road (5:40 p.m.) — Caller requested a well-being check on a resident. An officer responded and everything was fine.

December 11

Concord Road (4:06 p.m.) — A car hit a utility pole near Baker Farm Road. No injuries; the vehicle was towed and Verizon and Eversource were notified.

Concord Road (4:48 p.m.) — Minor car crash; an officer responded and helped the parties exchange paperwork.

Weston Road (5:04 p.m.) — A car hit a utility pole near Woodcock Lane. No injuries; vehicle was towed.

Lincoln Road (5:54 p.m.) — Caller reported sliding into the rear of a vehicle on Lincoln Road and the other vehicle involved left the scene. An officer responded and took a report.

South Great Road (6:24 p.m.) — A person came to the station reporting that they wanted to document that they nearly hit a plow truck that was driving east in the westbound lane. The person reported that they had to drive off the roadway and they’re unsure if any damage was done to the undercarriage of their vehicle.

South Great Road (7:54 p.m.) — Caller reported the Old Sudbury Road gates are stuck down. Keolis was contacted and sent out a crew.

December 12

Old Sudbury Road (12:00 p.m.) — Caller reported their dog was missing. Log entry was made and officers were informed.

Bedford Road (3:35 p.m.) — Caller reported having a civil dispute with the homeowner regarding work done at the home. An officer spoke to the person and they were given their legal options.

Brooksbie Road, Bedford (4:41 p.m.) — Bedford Fire Department asked an ambulance to respond to stand by at a fire in their town.

Lincoln Road (5:47 p.m.) — Two-car crash at the intersection with Codman Road. No injuries, two vehicles towed.

Oak Knoll Road (8:54 p.m.) — Report of a minor crash involving a postal service vehicle.

News acorns

Cloth napkin sale to benefit SSEF

Come to 10 Meadowdam Rd. in Lincoln on Friday, Dec. 16 from 10 a.m.–noon to purchase beautiful cloth napkins and meet Omnia and William, South Sudanese Americans who are part of the South  Sudanese Enrichment for Families‘ sewing project. All proceeds go to SSEF’s Women’s Program.

L-S Cabaret Concert

The annual L-S Cabaret Concert on Friday, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m. will feature a capella groups, vocal soloists, symphonic and concert jazz ensembles and jazz combos. Admission is $5. L-S Friends of Music will have tasty snacks and beverages available for sale, including cheese plates and dessert. Join us in the L-S Café. To learn more about the LSRHS Music Program, visit L-S Friends of Music at www.lsfom.org.

Drag show in Bemis Hall

Everyone is invited to Wreck the Halls, an all-ages holiday drag show hosted by local teen drag queen Velvet Vision on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Also appearing are drag queens, kings, and in-betweens that will knock your stockings off: Bozo, Andi With An I, Stabitha Christie, Zalad, Ben A. Flick, and and Zeizar. Tickets are $7 at the door, free for those under 11 (tipping encouraged), or buy in advance here.

Correction

In the News Acorns post on December 12, the link to register for the “Who’s Raising Our Kids?” talk was broken. The correct link is here, and it’s been fixed in the original post.