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

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)

Correction

The sales price of a parcel listed in the December 20 post titled “Property sales in November 2022” was listed incorrectly. The correct price or 319 South Great Road was $1,105,000. The original post has been updated.

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.

News acorns

Show teacher appreciation with HATS gift

Looking for a special way to thank an L-S teacher or staff member this holiday season? Recognize them with a personalized HATS (Honor a Teacher and Staff) gift. Follow the instructions on the Lincoln School Foundation web page and LSF members will deliver your HATS certificates to honorees before the winter break. HATS gifts help teachers and staff uncover new and innovative tools and techniques to bring to the classroom, and LSF grants provide seed money. The deadline to order is Tuesday, Dec. 20.

Christmas events at St. Anne’s

St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church offers its most-loved event of the season, Lessons & Carols, on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. in a joyful service that tells the Christmas story through scripture and music. Prophesies, carols, anthems, Gospel readings, and prayers combine to lead us from Advent anticipation to the manger. Reception to follow.

Christmas Eve services begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 24 with Daylight Eucharist with carols and pageant. We will continue worship with two additional Holy Eucharists at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. with the choir singing Advent hymns, leading carols and culminating in a candlelit singing of “Silent Night.” St. Anne’s welcomes everyone from all walks of life and faith. For more information, visit StAnnesLincoln.org or email parishoffice@stanneslincoln.org.

New Housing Commission member sought

The Town of Lincoln is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy on the Housing Commission. The person appointed will serve a partial-year term that will expire in March 2023, at which point the may stand for re-election to continue serving. The Housing Commission works with organizations and town boards to promote, guide, and support affordable housing needs in Lincoln; monitor the town’s affordable housing to ensure compliance with state 40B requirements and DHCD regulations; oversee the annual certification and lease renewal for residents residing in town-owned affordable housing units; and address ongoing maintenance needs for town-owned affordable housing units. Send letters of interest to housing@lincolntown.org. For more information, call the Select Board’s Office at 781-259-2601.

Talk on “Who’s Raising the Kids?”

Join us for a book talk on Who’s Raising the Kids? with author Susan Linn hosted by Lincoln Nursery School at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. in the museum’s Dewey Gallery. Linn, an expert on the impact of big tech and big business on children, provides a deep dive into the roots and consequences of the monumental shift toward a digitized, commercialized childhood, focusing on kids’ values, relationships, and learning. Linn is a psychologist, a research associate at Boston Children’s Hospital, and a lecturer at Harvard Medical School. Read the New York Times review of her book. Click here to register for the talk.

Booklet celebrates 10 years of the Lincoln Squirrel

The Lincoln Squirrel is celebrating 10 years of publication this month — a decade of covering Lincoln with 3,534 posts on the website as of December 9, 2022 (not to mention almost 4,000 individual calendar events). To celebrate, I’ve created “Lincoln Squirrel: The First Ten Years,” a 14-page PDF publication that gives a glimpse of goings-on over the past decade. And yes, it makes a great holiday gift!

The booklet features a collection of top headlines from each of the last 10 years. When you open the PDF on your computer, clicking on a headline or photo takes you to the story on the Lincoln Squirrel website. Some of those stories touch on familiar topics including the construction projects, businesses that have come and gone, debates over a community center and the future of South Lincoln, and new and departing faces around town. But there are also photos and features about your fellow Lincolnites, the occasion-al crime story, and maybe a few things you’ve forgotten about or never knew.

If you order a copy for yourself, I’ll email you the PDF right away. If it’s a gift for someone, I’ll send them a nice email gift card with my email address so they can contact me and have me send them their copy. Just tell me the recipient’s name and email address, and who should be listed as the sender. Each copy is just $20. To order, send an email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com with your name and how you’d like to pay. If it’s a gift, please also provide the recipient’s name and email address, and what day you would like them to receive the email gift card

You can pay in any of these ways:

  • PayPal: @lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com
  • Venmo: @Alice-Waugh
  • By check made out to “Watusi Words” and mailed to me at 178 Weston Rd. in Lincoln.

But wait, there’s more!

Speaking of gifts, how about giving a one-year gift subscription to the Lincoln Squirrel? Until December 31, 2022, the price is just $48 (new subscribers only, please). Just follow the directions above to order, or click the Subscriptions link at the top of any page on the website.

Last but not least, for that hard-to-shop-for person, give a fun and useful Lincoln Squirrel logo gift. We have T-shirts and sweatshirts as well as tote bags, drinkware, prints, and even aprons. Just click here to order, or use the “Merchandise” link at the top of the Lincoln Squirrel website. We also have items with the Lincoln Chipmunk logo, or both logos. The Chipmunk is a great way to see and share the creative work by the people in our town. 

Happy reading and happy holidays!

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