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

Group makes recommendations for improving Town Meeting

Donaldson Auditorium, the site of Town Meetings for decades.

Presenting motions in a more balanced manner and improving voting access were among the recommendations for improving Town Meeting outlined by a study committee at the Feb. 9 Select Board meeting.

The Town Meeting Study Committee was formed in October 2024 after the Annual Town Meeting earlier that year, where an unexpected amendment to the hotly debated proposed Housing Choice Act was made on the floor. Controversy swirled about who was allowed to speak, when, and from where. Shortly before the TMSC was formed, residents offered initial feedback and ideas at a kickoff session in September 2024.

One of the group’s goals was to preserve and enhance Town Meeting traditions including resident questions, discussion and deliberation, as well as greater use of the consent calendar for noncontroversial items, and gathering data on meeting metrics and overall satisfaction with the process.

“The biggest issue is the length of Town Meeting,” TMSC Chair Kenny Mitchell said. Also, presentations on warrant articles are often seen as “very one-sided [in favor of]  the proponent and the town board or committee pushing it,” he added.

Respondents to a survey in fall 2025 showed that a large majority of residents wanted to see written “pro and con” summaries of warrant articles before voting. Among the recommendations to address these issues:

  • Have sponsors of “high-interest” measures hold public forums with two-way discussion and feedback before Town Meeting
  • Allow differing viewpoints to be presented via written pro-vs.con handouts and/or slide presentations as well as designating the two floor microphones for supporters and opponents.

The survey confirmed that the length and scheduling of Town Meeting are major barriers to participation, especially for those with young children. The TMSC therefore recommends:

  • Continuing to use clickers for voting
  • Enforcing the two-minute limit on speakers from the floor, and encourage article presenters to limit the number of speaking slots for other boards and commissioners who support a measure
  • Considering imposing a time limit on podium speakers
  • Considering scheduling high-interest items at the start of the meeting

Another idea that would require a town bylaw change is to schedule specific times for votes on specific warrant articles. The change that many people really want — the ability to participate and vote at Town Meeting remotely — would require state legislation as well as a local bylaw.

Since the pandemic, the state allowed towns to conduct other types of meetings remotely, an innovation that has been largely successful. The legislature has extended that allowance until March 2027 and there are discussions about making it permanent, but it doesn’t apply to Town Meetings.

To reduce overall confusion at Town Meeting, the TMSC recommends doing systematic educational outreach work, especially to new voters, and creating educational informational material in multiple modalities to reach a broad audience in town.

Mitchell said the next steps will be issuing a written report and scheduling public forums in person and via Zoom before the Annual Town Meeting on March 28 to review the recommendations and answer questions.

Legal notice: Conservation Commission (Civico)

LEGAL NOTICE — CONSERVATION COMMISSION

The Lincoln Conservation Commission (LCC) will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 7:05PM in accordance with the MA Wetlands Protection Act and the Town of Lincoln Wetlands Protection Bylaw. This is in response to the duly filed Notice of Intent by Civico Development LLC for work within the 100-foot Buffer Zone associated with the construction of residential homes and accessory structures at 109 Page Road and 279, 283, and 295 Cambridge Turnpike (Parcels 132-25, 132-26, 132-27, and 132-28). Information on how to log onto the virtual public meeting will be included in the LCC Agenda posted on the town’s website at least 48 hours prior to the hearing. More information can be reviewed here.

Note that legal notices often must be posted twice by law. For previous legal notices and details on how to submit a legal notice to the Lincoln Squirrel, click here.

Country Pizza owner told to vacate by Feb. 26

Country Pizza will be changing hands later this month after the business owner and landlord couldn’t agree on rental terms going forward.

Country Pizza is in the same building as Lincoln Petroleum on Lincoln Road. Cindy Murphy (granddaughter of Doherty’s founder Matthew Doherty) and her husband Dennis sold the property and the gas station/car repair business in 2023 to 161 Lincoln LLC headed by John Frangieh, who runs Lincoln Petroleum. According to Harry Kyros, owner of Country Pizza for 29 years, Frangieh recently told him that his rent was going up by $1,000 a month, but still on the previous month-to-month basis rather than a multi-year lease.

Kyros said on Feb. 7 that he told Frangieh, “I’ll pay the thousand, but I want a lease.” But Frangieh declined to offer him a lease and told him needed to be out of the building by Feb. 26, leaving him with two options: moving his ovens and other equipment into storage while seeking another location, or selling the business, Kyros said. Frangieh has offered to buy it, but for “pennies on the dollar,” he added. “It’s going to cost me thousands of dollars just to get [the equipment] out of here. His intentions are to squeeze me out.”

Reached on Feb. 9, Lincoln Petroleum assistant manager Paul Traniello said that 161 Lincoln LLC was purchasing the business from Kyros and that the plan was to keep it open.

“The business is not busy and it’s not that profitable, and it’s not our fault,” Traniello said. “Expenses have gone up, so we have to go up on the rent.”

The business will stay open during a transition period while “a few changes” are made, such as the ability to accept credit cards and perhaps some menu tweaks, according to Traniello. “We’re going to make it more profitable… [but the changes] are not going to be drastic,” he said. Referring to the move away from Kyros as business owner, “that’s the only difference,” he added.

“I’d sell it to him if he gave me something close to the asking price, but he’s trying to steal it. He’s holding the cards because he owns the building,” said Kyros, adding that he is almost 60 but had planned to run Country Pizza for several more years. “I’m going to start [a new business] now… or get a job?” he said skeptically. “I feel like crying.”

Reactions on LincolnTalk over the weekend ranged form disappointment to outrage, with at least one resident advocating a boycott of Lincoln Petroleum and others suggesting a GoFundMe fundraising campaign.

“The Lincoln people are so nice… the support from them is unbelievable. People been coming in and calling me, coming in, wanting to know if it’s true,” Kyros said. As for the idea of raising money to somehow aid in negotiations or storage and moving expenses, “I’ll talk to him and see. Something’s better than nothing.”

If Country Pizza closes, it will be the third business in Lincoln that has recently made such an announcement. Bank of America said in November that it would be leaving the Mall at Lincoln Station as of March 2026, and Weston Nurseries said last month that it had closed its Route 117 location as well.

Town email addresses are changing as part of cybersecurity effort

Editor’s note: this story was updated on Feb. 10 with information about library, school, and Parks & Rec email addresses.

Lincoln is in the process of changing all town officials’ email addresses, though the old ones will still be auto-forwarded for the foreseeable future.

Official Lincoln email addresses now end in the “lincolnma.gov” domain rather than the old “lincolntown.org,” though the first part of the address identifying the recipient will stay the same. For example, Town Administrator Tim Higgins will change from higginst@lincolntown.org to higginst@lincolnma.gov.

The Lincoln Public Library uses the Minuteman Library Network domain (@minlib.net) and that won’t change. The Parks and Recreation Department and the Lincoln Public Schools both use the @lincnet.org domain and will continue to use @lincnet.org addresses for the time being, although they will eventually transition to lincolnma.gov once the new community center is up and running. 

“We’re making the change so our [email address] domain accurately reflects that we are a government institution. The new domain will also give us some flexibility in responding to cybersecurity incidents and hopefully some priority in restoring connectivity,” said Michael Dolan, director of information technology.

Lincoln has had two cybersecurity incidents since 2016, affecting individual computers in Facilities and Public Safety, Dolan said. In both cases, he cut off access to the server and restores the files that had been maliciously encrypted. The second ransomware attack was limited to a vendor’s local account on that workstation, “and we have since severed ties with that vendor, he said.

Neither attack involved any information being gleaned from the town information systems such as residents’ personally identifying information, Dolan said.

Since those attacks, “our current security posture is more robust,” he said. New measures include town employee training on cybersecurity awareness and an incident response exercise last year involving key finance, public safety, school, and town administration officials.

The town also has a managed detection and response system that’s monitored 24/7 by a third party that goes beyond checking for malware on individual computers by looking for unusual network behavior. Finally, the town’s backup system is a non-Windows platform that is electronically disconnected from the main network, and backup is only accessible using two factor authentication limited to two accounts, Dolan said.

A $5,200 Municipal Local Cybersecurity Grant in 2024 helped pay for the domain change as well as other services.

Dolan has discussed cybersecurity with Lincoln’s insurance carrier and other cities and towns, “and the biggest issue amongst the communities was the cost of these services,” he said. “While it may cost more in the long run to not have the proper security measures in place, it is difficult to squeeze these infrastructure upgrades into our capital budget requests as our systems need to respond to a threat landscape that changes constantly. I usually seek a grant to absorb some of these costs but the ongoing financial impact after the systems are implemented put a significant strain our operational budgets.

“Finally, as many services and applications are now cloud-based or centrally managed, we rely heavily on the security practices of third-party entities,” Dolan continued. “Over the years, we have seen many successful attacks on larger organizations that spend far more on their security posture than our town. I think all the municipal IT managers are of mindset that it is not a question of if, only when.”

Animal control officer handles all creatures great and small

Animal Control Officer Jennifer Condon with two of her dogs at home. (Courtesy photo)

By Alice Waugh

Almost every day is dog day afternoon for Jennifer Condon, the animal control officer for eight towns including Lincoln.

When someone calls their local police to report a stray pet, a dog bite, a sick or injured raccoon, or even a DUI arrest when there’s a dog in the car, the police in turn call Condon, who drives over from Maynard to deal with the issue. “If anything pertains to an animal, I’m on scene, domestic or wild,” said Condon, who is also the animal control officer for Concord, Hudson, Maynard, Northborough, Southborough, and Wayland.

Condon owns Boardman’s Animal Control, which has one full-time and one part-time employee in addition to her. She inherited the business from her father, who was also a multi-town animal control officer. As a senior state animal inspector, her job also includes inspecting barns and livestock to make sure the animals are healthy and well cared for. 

Her day starts at 6:00am when she does “roadkill run” in some of her towns. She’s able to remove a dead deer from the road with a winch system on her truck, and sadly, she sometimes has to humanely put down animals who were hit by cars and are still alive but badly injured (she’s licensed to carry a handgun for this purpose).

One of the more common calls Condon gets is for stray dogs and cats. “Dogs love me — they just come running up to me,” she said. Cats are harder to corner and she usually doesn’t try unless they’re sick or injured, in which case she transports them to veterinary emergency care. She checks each pet for an owner’s microchip, but if it doesn’t have one, it goes into her kennel for seven days, after which it goes to a shelter. 

Therein lies the rub. “You can’t be an animal control officer and not love animals,” she noted — and on more than one occasion, that’s meant she’s adopted an animal who wasn’t claimed. At the moment she has five dogs, including a Bernese mountain dog and a golden retriever who was found covered in paint by its previous owner, who had mental health issues. But that’s not all — her household also includes 13 rabbits, 36 chickens, two goats, two cats, birds and a ferret

“When you have to hold onto an animal for seven days, sometimes you fall in love,” she said. “You can’t be an animal control officer and not love animals.”

Condon does most of her field work when residents make animal-related calls to police and they in turn call her. Some callers ask for help with wildlife they’ve spotted near their home — most often coyotes and raccoons but also the occasional bear, bobcat, or turkey that may be sick or injured. She advises them to leave the animal alone (especially if it’s breeding season) unless it shows specific signs of illness.

Many calls involve dogs who are on the loose (though Lincoln does not have leash law), acting aggressively, barking excessively, or have bitten someone. When a dog bites a person, it must be put in 10-day quarantine even if it’s up to date on its shots. A pet bitten by a wild animal must be quarantined for 45 days.

When it comes to misbehaving dogs, Condon stressed the importance of proper training. She often refers people to professional dog trainers and approved dog day care centers — they can call her office at 978-897-5596 office or email admin@borardmansanimalcontrol.com.

Sometimes the calls are from the police themselves. She’s had to take charge of animals when police find them neglected or abused in cases where police deal with car accidents, domestic violence or drug abuse, elderly owners who can no longer care for their pets, deaths, house fires, etc.

Some of her more memorable cases haven’t involved pets. Condon was once chased down by a bull in Northborough, and she used to try to catch bats and other wild animals that had gotten inside homes, though those calls (as well as calls about injured or apparently orphaned animals outdoors) are now referred to a pest control service or a wildlife rehabilitator.

There’s no such thing as a typical day, and the variety of calls keeps the job interesting (see A year in the life of Lincoln’s animal control officer” below). A week in summer might include calls about a dog attack, a suspected rabid raccoon, a loose animal, a lost cat, kittens dumped at the side of the road, and a “dangerous dog” hearing with town officials (dogs that are deemed dangerous must go into an immediate 10-day house quarantine). 

“My mind is so open that nothing surprises me,” Condon said.

Fortunately, she’s never had to deal with a rabid dog, though her father did. Condon is allowed to shoot an animal suspected of having rabies if it’s obviously preparing to attack, but she can’t shoot it in the head because the brain needs to be intact for post-mortem testing. Dead pets (cats and dogs) suspected of having rabies go to a vet for testing, but for a wild animal, she has to decapitate it and send the head by courier to a state lab in Boston.

Winter means things are quieter for Condon, since people and pets tend to stay inside. In contrast, during the pandemic, she had more calls than she and her two employees could handle. “Everyone went out and got puppies, but most of these dogs weren’t socialized,” she noted — and once they and their owners rejoined the outside world, the dogs behaved aggressively with other people and animals or were neglected when their owners went back to the office.

In cases of neglect or mistreatment, “I’m very honest and very direct,” Condon said. “I’ll work with people, but people need to work with me in terms of fixing a bad situation.” Sometimes, however, owners have threatened her when confronted. “People are very protective of their animals, even if they’re bad people,” she said.

In an animal emergency, Condon advised people to call the police, who will immediately contact Condon and respond as needed. The state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife explains what to do if you find a wild animal that might be sick or injured and also maintains a list of wildlife rehabilitators that people can call.

A year in the life of Lincoln’s animal control officer

Total calls in 2024:

  • Animal/wildlife calls 40
  • Miscellaneous calls: 37
  • Barn inspections: 30
  • Complaint calls: 15
  • Lost dog calls: 7
  • Lost cat calls: 5
  • Other cat-related calls: 4

Here are some of the more unusual calls in Lincoln that Condon handled in 2024:

  • RP [reporting party] reports that a housing unit has been left empty and a cat was left behind. They have a possible home for the cat. ACO [animal control officer] can do transport but cannot take the cat in.
  • RP reports that she had an incident with a dog walker with seven dogs. RP states the dogs were all over the place and the walker had no control.
  • RP found a deceased owl on the property, looking for guidance on disposal. ACO advised to bury or double bag and into the trash.
  • RP reports that she had an issue with dogs were being walked on leashes and one got away from the owner. The dog ran at her, and she felt as though the dog was going to attack her. ACO contacted [the owner] and advised him that the dogs should have muzzles on specifically because of the incident. ACO advised that dogs are unpredictable and need to be in full control, and that it’s in best interest of the dogs to be muzzled; otherwise, they are being set up to fail. Owner states that the dogs will be leashed and muzzled going forward.
  • RP advises that a mother duck was killed and the babies were collected and now in a box. RP found a rehabber to take them.
  • Police advise that a Great Dane is back wandering near the Weston line. ACO received text from Weston ACO who states she believes that the dog belongs to a construction person bringing the dog to work and letting it do whatever.
  • Angell Memorial Hospital reports that a stray puppy, black and tan in color, was brought in by a Lincoln resident who found the puppy abandoned and injured. Per vet, the dog came in dehydrated, coat was clean, mentally abnormal, lethargic, with eye swelling.
  • RP from Buddy and Friends Rescue is calling because [residents] have applied to adopt a dog and part of their screening process is to check in with the local ACO to determine if applicants are responsible dog owners. ACO confirmed with Town Clerk that both dogs currently owned by applicants are licensed and up to date with three vaccinations (rabies, distemper/hepatitis/parainfluenza/parvovirus, and leptospirosis).
  • RP reports a coyote that is unable to move and his back legs appear to be badly damaged. Police on scene asked ACO to relocate animal to be euthanized. ACO contained the animal and contacted police to return to have euthanized. Animal euthanized with no issues.
  • Blue heron located in back parking lot on the edge of the wood line. Injured bird noted to be standing on one leg; when we approached, the bird attempted to fly away but was unable to. Wrapped blue heron in a large towel and secured in an animal carrier. Called Tufts [Veterinary Emergency Treatment & Specialties] and given green light to bring in blue heron.
  • A dog missing out of Sudbury now in Lincoln seen running down South Great Road towards Tower Road.

Police log for January 21–31, 2026

January 21

Weston Road (8:10am) — A caller reported several tree-trimming trucks were in the roadway. An officer arrived and the trucks were moved.

South Great Road (4:59pm) — A caller reported solicitors in the area. An officer checked the area but did not locate anyone soliciting, but the dispatcher notified the reporting person that two solicitors were authorized to be in the area.

South Great Road (8:34am) — A caller reported a work truck apparently took down a utility wire. An officer checked the area and no wires were down. Traffic was congested due to a work crew in the area.

Granville Road (7:09pm) — An officer made contact with a person at the request of an outside agency.

Lincoln Police Department (3:52pm) — An individual came to the station to be fingerprinted.

January 22

Lincoln Road

Stonehedge Road (6:40pm) — A caller reported a person soliciting in the area without a permit. An officer located the individual and advised them of the solicitation regulations.

Todd Pond Road (3:22pm) — An officer spoke to a person regarding a possible fraud incident.

January 23

Todd Pond Road (9:43am) — An officer spoke to a resident regarding a civil matter.

Hanscom AFB Vandenberg Gate (1:54pm) — An officer responded to Hanscom Drive to speak with people who may have been in the roadway. There were no issues with their gathering.

South Great Road (8:00am) — A caller reported the South Great Road railroad gates appeared to be malfunctioning. An officer checked all crossings and located no issues. Keolis was notified and responded.

January 24

Wells Road (10:07pm) — The fire department responded to a residence for the odor of natural gas. Firefighters entered a unit and discovered that a burner had been left on. The burner was turned off and maintenance was notified.

Wells Road (11:45pm) — A parked vehicle was checked. The vehicle was unoccupied and cold to the touch.

Sandy Pond Road (8:22am) — A caller requested a well-being check on a person. An officer made contact with the person and relayed to the caller that they were OK.

Lincoln Road (9:48am) — Several callers reported that the Lincoln Road railroad gates appeared to be malfunctioning. An officer checked the area and observed no issues. Keolis was notified.

January 25

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (4:11pm) — Lincoln police assisted state police with a motor vehicle crash.

January 26

Nothing of note.

January 27

Willarch Road (5:08am) — An electrical line caused a fire on the roadway. The fire department extinguished the fire and Eversource was called to the scene.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (7:09am) — Lincoln police assisted state police with a motor vehicle crash.

Tower Road (4:45pm) — A motorist lost control of their vehicle and struck a utility pole, and then another vehicle struck the first one from behind. There were no reported injuries. One vehicle was towed from the scene.

Moccasin Hill (10:22am) — A person who had reported the loss of a form of identification was reissued with an ID.

Wells Road (1:34pm) — An officer performed a well-being check on a person but they were not home.

January 28

Concord Road (6:26am) — Concord police reported a vehicle had struck another in their town and left the scene heading into Lincoln. Officers checked the area but were unable to locate the person.

Concord Road (7:23pm) — Officers were dispatched to a hit-and-run motor vehicle crash on Concord Road by Cedar Road. While speaking with the victim of the crash, state police informed Lincoln police that they had stopped the vehicle that fled the scene. After a brief investigation, the operator of the vehicle that fled, Yenshu Wang, 48, of Acton, was arrested for operating under the influence of alcohol, child endangerment while OUI, marked lanes, leaving the scene of a property damage crash, failure to keep right for oncoming traffic, and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.

January 29

North Great Road (1:02am) — The fire department responded to the area of Hanscom Drive and North Great Road for the odor of natural gas in the area. The area was metered and Tennessee Gas Pipeline was notified.

North Commons (5:45pm) — An officer responded to a residence for an ongoing matter.

Mary’s Way (2:39pm) — Officers responded to the area for the report of two solicitors going door to door.

Huckleberry Hill (1:42pm) — An officer responded after a vehicle turned in front of another and a collision occurred. Both vehicles were able to be driven from the scene.

January 30

Hanscom Drive (2:19pm) — Hanscom AFB Security Forces called for assistance with a person they had in custody for an outstanding warrant. An officer arrived on scene and took custody of Theodore Copparini, 42, of Everett. He was booked and transported to Concord District Court.

Deerhaven Road (10:45am) — An officer spoke to a person regarding a possible fraud.

Donelan’s Supermarket (2:30pm) — A caller reported a lost dog in the area. The Animal Control Officer was notified.

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound (6:30pm) — An officer responded for a dispute between tenants.

Deerhaven Road (5:16pm) — The fire department performed a well-being check on several people. All were fine.

January 31

Lincoln Road (12:34pm) — A lost item was turned in to the department. The owner was notified to retrieve it.

Lincoln Road (9:28pm) — Officers checked the area for a potential water main break.

My Turn: Save Lincoln Wildlife submits citizens’ petition

By Save Lincoln Wildlife

Save Lincoln Wildlife, a town group focused on raising awareness about anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) and encouraging safer alternatives, has submitted a citizens’ petition to ban ARs in Lincoln. If successful at Town Meeting on March 28, the Select Board will send a home rule petition to the state legislature, since the state rather than individual towns regulate pesticides.

Highly toxic ARs poison rodents as well as children and non-target animals, such as birds of prey, wild mammals, and pets. These poisons enter ecosystems when poisoned rodents or contaminated carcasses are eaten by predators, or by accidental ingestion. Although Lincoln’s municipal properties do not use ARs, businesses and private property owners in Lincoln might be using them without realizing it. 

Here is the wording for the Town Meeting warrant article:

Citizens’ Petition to Ban Anticoagulant Rodenticides in Lincoln, MA

To determine whether the town will authorize the Select Board to petition the General Court for special legislation substantially in the form below:

That notwithstanding Chapter 132B of the general laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the Town of Lincoln may by ordinance prohibit the application of anticoagulant rodenticides within the Town of Lincoln, including application of such pesticides by licensed commercial applicators as defined in C.M.R. 333 10.00 except as allowed by the Board of Health to remediate a public health condition; this act shall take effect upon its passage.

Since 2024, Save Lincoln Wildlife has advanced safer alternatives to ARs through several initiatives:

  • Meeting with Lincoln businesses to discuss rodent control alternatives to ARs.
  • Partnering with Lincoln’s Board of Health to inform town residents about safer alternatives to ARs.
  • Co-hosting a MetroWest Rescue Raptor event with attendees from multiple towns.
  • Engaging with legislators at the July 2025 Protect Animals from Rodenticides lobbying day.
  • Tabling at local venues including Town Meeting, State of the Town, and the transfer station.
  • Surveying bait box locations on various properties townwide.

Stay tuned for upcoming outreach events to learn more about this petition and how you can switch to safe and effective rodent control methods.

You can learn more at:

This article was written by Pam Boardman, Deanna Johnson, Staci Montori, Trish O’Hagan, and Carrie Stamos.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnians. 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.

My Turn: Help with winter electricity bills (CFREE Tip #10)

By the Lincoln Green Energy Committee

1. Eversource heat pump rate

CFREE wants to let residents know about the lower electric rates for heat pump owners. Most recent heat-pump converts may already be signed up but if you have an older system you should make sure you are on this electric rate. Please check your bills to make sure you are!

Households with one or more heat pumps are eligible for a heat pump rate from Eversource, who estimates that it can save you close to 20% on your electricity bill. (Heat pump water heaters by themselves do not qualify.) We announced this back in November, but if you missed that and haven’t signed up (or been signed up automatically) it’s very easy to do so. Just click here. 

If you’re not sure if you’re getting this rate, look at the section of your Eversource bill where the delivery costs are shown. Look for “R1HP-Residential Heat Pump” shown on the attached excerpt from a sample bill. If you have a heat pump but your current rate is R1 or R3, you should ask to be changed to the R1HP-Residential Heat Pump rate, which is lower than either. Click here for illustrations. 

2. Bill relief for winter electric use

And in case you missed the January 23 email from Eversource, there’s a two-month rate reduction ahead, regardless of whether or not you have heat pumps. Note that the relief described will not cover bills for our very cold January. Here’s what they wrote:

We understand that managing higher electric bills alongside other rising expenses has been challenging. As part of ongoing efforts to reduce energy costs, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is providing $180 million in funding to help reduce your electric bills this winter. For your electricity use from Feb. 1, 2026, to March 31, 2026, the rate you pay will be reduced by 25%. Working collaboratively with our regulator and other utilities in Massachusetts, we have adjusted rates down in recognition of the sustained cold weather that has caused electric bills to be higher than this time last year, putting strain on household budgets.

Your total bill savings will be dependent on your energy use. If approved, this 25% reduction will be applied automatically, and you do not need to take any action. This 25% reduction will be reflected under the “current charges for electricity” section of your bill. Although the 25% is not its own line item, we reduced certain rate components to achieve this reduction.

CFREE (Carbon Free Residential — Everything Electric) is a subcommittee of the Lincoln Green Energy Committee. For previous CFREE Tips, click here. CFREE provides guidance on how households can reduce use of fossil fuels and decrease greenhouse gas emissions to help Massachusetts meet statewide emissions limits set for 2030, 2040, and 2050. It also provides information about state and federal incentives that help reduce the cost of such changes. For guidance on such projects at your home, email lincolngreencoach@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.lincolngreenenergy.org.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnians. 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.

Addendum: even more snow photos

The hardy Codman Field cattle aren’t bothered by the snow (photo by James Lennon). Click here and here to see more photos taken during and after the snowstorm on Jan. 25-27, 2026.

After publishing the first two collections of photos submitted by Lincolnians of the big snowstorm, we received a few more, and they’ve been added to the second gallery published on February 1. The storm (Lincoln’s biggest snowstorm in four years) dumped at least 18 inches of snow in town on Jan. 25-27, 2026. 

That’s it for snow photos until the next major storm — but feel free to send other interesting Lincoln photos any time to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com.

News acorns

Obituaries

  • A memorial service for Ralph “Randy” Earle III, who died on December 26, 2025, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 11:00am at the Weston Art & Innovation Center (356 Boston Post Road, Weston). More information.
  • Dorothy Goodman passed away peacefully surrounded by her daughters on Jan. 26 at the age of 95. More information.

(Editor’s note: Full obituaries with photos are published in the Lincoln Squirrel for a fee paid by the funeral home. Please email lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com for details.)

Lincoln Arts and Farmers Valentine’s Market

Click here for details on vendors selling Valentine’s gifts on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 9:00am–1:00pm at the Pierce House.

Celebrate Lunar New Year

First Parish in Lincoln welcomes back the Nüwa Athletic Club to celebrate the Lunar New Year and welcome the Year of the Horse on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 10:00am-noon at the Parish House (14 Bedford Road). They will perform a traditional lion dance and provide a fun workshop for kids of all ages afterward. All ages and abilities are welcome.

Benefit concert for emergency immigrant support 

A concert featuring the Honey Steelers on Sunday, Feb. 8 from 2:30–4:30pm at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church. Tickets available at the door; suggested donation of $20 (free for children). Refreshments and raffle ticket included. Co-sponsored by Lincoln Witness and St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields’ Social Justice Commission, with support from the First Parish Lincoln Racial Justice Committee and other generous contributors. All donations support immigrants through the Waltham-based Fuerza Emergency Interfaith Fund. For details and how to donate for those unable to attend, click here. 

“Baby & Me” meetup

LincFam is hosting its next “Baby & Me” walk for new and expecting parents on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 1:00pm in the Town Hall’s Donaldson Room to help families with young children meet other parents in the community. Registration requested but not required at Lincfam.org. Updates will be posted on the website and in LincFam’s New & Expecting Parents WhatsApp chat. Questions? Call Emily at 207-712-7363.

Two speed-dating events

The Councils on Aging of Belmont, Concord, Lexington, and Lincoln are teaming up to offer Valentine’s Senior Speed Dating for seniors age 65+ on Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 10:45am at the Belmont Council on Aging (266 Beech St., Belmont). You’ll meet up to 11 other local, single seniors through a series of six-minute “pre-dates.” After the event, organizers will contact you to let you know if you’ve made a match (more than two-thirds of speed daters match at least one person). Space is limited; call 781-259-8811 to sign up. 

Friend Speed Dating is a low-key social event designed to help adults age 20–45 make new friends on Thursday, Feb. 12 from 6:30-7:30pm in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. During this event, you’ll spend three minutes talking to each of the other attendees, followed by time for light refreshments and the opportunity to continue chatting over crafts and a puzzle. Registration recommended but not required.

Library activities for kids

All activities are in the Tarbell Room. Click on an event title for more information. No registration required unless otherwise indicated.

Songs with Seth
Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 10:30am

February Fiddle Fun
Saturday, Feb. 7 from 2:00–2:45pm

Science Challenge Fun
Monday, Feb. 9 at 4:00pm (registration required)

Valentine’s Dance Party
Saturday, Feb. 14 from 10:30–11:15am

Vacation week activities:

Puppet Playtime & Storytime with Nicola the Puppeteer
Tuesday, Feb. 17 from 10:30–11:15am

Hip Hop Xpression Dance Class
Wednesday, Feb. 18 from 11:00–11:45am

Big Ryan’s Mystery Rooms presents Alien Escape
Wednesday, Feb. 18 from 4:00–5:00pm (registration required) 

GearTicks Robotics Demonstration
Thursday, Feb. 19 from 4:00–5:00pm

Lego Club
Friday, Feb. 20 from 1:00–3:00pm

Coming up at the library for adults

Click on an event title for more information. No registration required unless otherwise indicated.

1890s: Gilded Age Fashion
Friday, Feb. 13 from 12:30–2:00pm, Bemis Hall
While dressing in vintage and reproduced undergarments, clothing, and accessories, Kandie Carle adds humor, history and intriguing anecdotes about fashion, home life and etiquette of men and women during the Gilded Age.

A First-hand Look at Second-hand Books
Wednesday, Feb. 18 from 6:00–7:30pm, Tarbell Room
Ken Gloss of the Brattle Book Shop will talk about some of his favorite finds and the joys of the hunt. He will also give free verbal appraisals of books that attendees have brought in.

Film: “Growing through Covid-19”
Saturday, Feb. 21 from 6:00–7:30pm, Tarbell Room
A documentary telling the dramatic story of the 144-year-old family-run Russell’s Garden Center during the pandemic.

Burglary at the Louvre: How Can Writers Top This?
Wednesday, Feb. 25 from 7:00-8:00pm (Zoom)
This program is in partnership with the Tewksbury Public Library. Click here to register.

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Concert: “A Glittering Embrace”

On Sunday, Feb. 22 at 7:30pm in Bemis Hall, Lincoln pianist Diane Katzenberg Braun accompanies award-winning Music Street musicians in a unique instrumental and vocal concert including Georgian folk tunes, Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, romantic Amy Beach and Rachmaninoff, jazzy Bolcom, and more.