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

Town to spare dozens of trees from removal by Eversource

Tree Warden Ken Bassett will present the finalized list of roadside trees slated for removal and explain the basis for his final determinations at the Select Board meeting on Monday, June 8 at 6:45 p.m.

Earlier this spring, Eversource submitted a list of 264 trees it proposed to remove because they were dead or in decline and posed a potential hazard to power lines and the roadway. But residents at an April 22 hearing asked the town to spare 181 of those trees, so the town extended the comment period into May to allow for more feedback and consideration. 

After compiling the list of trees whose removal residents objected to, Bassett said he and a third-party arborist, Jonathan Bransfield, “looked at each and every tree, to assess whether its condition was dangerous… In many cases we made a decision that [a tree] did not pose an imminent danger. Some were hard decisions but sooner or later those decisions had to be made.” Regarding the genreal criteria used by Eversource, “I think [Bransfield] felt they were reasonable,” he added.

The resulting final list calls for removal of only 146 trees, with another 19 pruned and 97 left as is. Many of the trees to be spared, at least for now, are on the other side of the road from the utility wires, are leaning but not in imminent danger of falling, or have cavities or seams (cracks) in the trunk.

The tree warden has an annual budget of about $8,000 and works with DPW to decide how to allocate those funds between planting new trees and taking care of existing ones, but usually it’s about half and half, Bassett said. Eversource will pay for replacing some of the removed trees, though what new trees will be planted and where are still to be determined.

“The purpose of the June 8 presentation is to provide transparency regarding the review process,” Town Administrator Tim Higgins said in a statement. “The Tree Warden welcomes feedback and discussion regarding the review process and the town’s ongoing efforts to balance public safety, electric service reliability, and stewardship of Lincoln’s trees.”

News acorns

Short humorous plays on tap

WordsMove Theater, which features numerous Lincoln residents, returns with “Fixing the Unfixable,” another series of staged readings of short humorous plays:

  • Friday, June 12 at 12:30 p.m. — Bemis Hall 
  • Wednesday, June 17 at 6:30 p.m. — Lincoln Public Library 
  • Saturday, June 20 at 7:30pm — Congregation Beth El (105 Hudson Road, Sudbury)

Enjoy some laughs with plays by Nora Ephron, Paul Rudnick, Peter M. Floyd, and Robert Luxford, directed by Lincoln’s Mary Crowe and Ben Dubrovsky. Free and open to all.

Codman Campout coming up

Gather your tent, sleeping bags, friends, and family for a night on the farm featuring homemade chili, campfires, s’mores, and the traditional singalong at the annual Codman Community Farms Campout & Chili Night on Saturday, June 13 starting at 4:30pm. Dinner includes homemade beef chili and vegan chili with a toppings bar and tortilla chips. Camping is available for $40 per tent and includes s’mores around the campfire plus hot coffee, bagels, and orange juice the following morning. Or come just for dinner and enjoy a summer evening with friends and neighbors. Reserve your campsite and pre-order your chili here by Thursday, June 11.

Green Energy Committee seeks new member

The Select Board is seeking a volunteer to be appointed to the Green Energy Committee to fill a recently vacated spot (read this two-pager on the GEC and what its members do). Appointed members serve a one-year term, renewable annually. If interested, please submit a completed volunteer application and cover letter by Thursday, June 18 for a decision at the June 28 Select Board meeting.

Join the July 4 parade and events

Organizers of Lincoln’s annual Fourth of July parade invite community groups, families, businesses, organizations, clubs, and individuals to participating in the parade. Whether you have a decorated vehicle, a walking group, a themed float, or a creative community display, we encourage you to join us and showcase your Lincoln spirit. Please complete this float registration form by Monday, June 22. Those with questions or who need assistance should call the Parks and Recreation Department at 781-259-0784. Click here to view all Fourth of July events.

CFREE is also hosting their annual EV car show at Pierce Park on July 4. They’re seeking volunteers to show off their EVs and tell their story, especially those with a new model who can discuss the latest features, used EV owners who can explain about claiming the Massachusetts Used EV rebate, or anyone who can talk about their farthest trip and how to charge the car. To participate, contact Belinda Gingrich at belinda.gingrich@gmail.com.

My Turn: Eighth-graders raise awareness of teen mental health

By Klaudia Teksten and Veronika Sedlak

Our names are Klaudia Teksten and Veronika Sedlak and we are local eighth-graders from Lincoln Public Schools. We are working on our civics action project researching teen suicide prevention. Teen mental health is something that affects more people than we often realize, yet it is not always talked about openly. The suicide rate has increased by 30% in the past two decades and as of now is the third-leading cause of death among those ages 15-29 years old. As students working within this topic, our goal is to help raise awareness and make it easier for teens to get support before their struggles become more serious. 

The leading cause of teen suicide has proven to be depression and anxiety. Many young people experience overwhelming stress, pressure, loneliness, or feelings of hopelessness which can build up over time. These issues can occur from negative self-esteem, having been the victim or witness or violence, having a learning disability, as well as abusive use of alcohol, nicotine, and/or drugs. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, women experience depression and anxiety about twice as much as men due to factors like hormones and pregnancy. Helping teens feel heard and supported can make a meaningful difference in preventing a crisis.

One of the most important things we have learned is that many teens who are struggling do not always ask for help directly. Because of this, it is important for friends, families, teachers, and community members to recognize signs.

Some common signs that a teen may be struggling include noticeable changes in mood or behavior. This could look like becoming more withdrawn, losing interest in activities they once enjoyed, isolating themselves from families and friends, writing good-bye letters, and/or if an individual is talking about suicide. Other signs might include changes in sleep patterns or changes in eating habits. Increased irritability, difficulty focusing, or a sudden drop in school performance can also be warning signs. 

It is also important to pay attention to what people say. Even small comments about feeling hopeless or overwhelmed can be meaningful. While not every sign means something serious is happening, patterns or multiple changes at once are worth noticing. 

Through our project, we have been working to better understand how teens can access support. We spoke with our school counselor to learn about the resources available in our school and how students can get connected to additional help when needed. We also learned about the William James College INTERFACE Referral Service, which provides support outside of school and can be an important step for many students. 

These conversations helped us realize that support systems do exist, but not everyone knows about them or feels comfortable using them. That is why awareness is so important. If more people know what to look out for and how to respond, it becomes easier for teens to get help early on.

So what can you do if you think someone might be struggling?

First, check in with them. This does not have to be a big formal conversation. Simply asking “Are you okay?” can make a huge difference. Listening without judgement is one of the most important things you can do.

Second, encourage them to talk to a trusted adult. This could be a parent, teacher, school counselor, or another trusted adult they feel comfortable with. You do not need to get all the answers; helping them connect to someone who can support them is what matters.

Finally, take concerns seriously. If something feels off, it’s always better to speak up than to stay silent. Looking out for one another is an important part of building a supportive community. 

Our project is not just about learning; it is about making change. By sharing this information, we hope to help our school and Lincoln community become more aware, more supportive, and more prepared to help teens who may be struggling. Everyone has a role to play. Sometimes, noticing small changes and reaching out can make a bigger difference than we realize.

“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.

News acorns

Brenner Rosen (left) and Aaron Drew hold their “ticket” to the national quarterfinals in Utah. (Photo courtesy Rachel Drew) 

Lincoln soccer players make national quarterfinals

Two Lincoln teens who recently competed in the MLS Next Cup national championship. Aaron Drew and Brenner Rosen play for New England Surf, a regional youth soccer organization in MLS Next’s Academy Division, the second-highest youth soccer league in the country. The Surf qualified for the MLS Next Cup by coming in second at the regional qualifiers in New Jersey and went to Utah for the national quarterfinals. The Surf won their first two matches in the 32-team tournament, qualifying for the Elite 8, though they lost their next match and did not advance to the semifinals.

Brenner is the second-highest scorer on the team and Aaron is the starting goalie. In the Round of 32 against Tucson, Aaron (the Surf’s starting goalie) saved three goals in the culmination of a tie game that ended in penalty kicks (Instagram video here). The boys have been playing soccer together since first grade through Lincoln Youth Soccer and are on the varsity teams at their high schools (LSRHS and Belmont Hill).

Pride Yoga rescheduled 

Pride Yoga, a fundraiser in support of Glisten originally scheduled for June 20, has been postponed to Wednesday, June 24 at 6:30pm.  

South Asian literary events

South Asian Poets of New England will host the fourth regional New England Folk Literature and Oral Poetry Festival with a family-oriented “Storytelling Across the Generations” with American, Latin American, Persian, Arabic, Chinese, Afghan, and Indian stories, conclude with music on Saturday, June 13 from 2:00–5:00pm in Bemis Hall and “Poetry Across Culture” on Sunday, June 29 at 10:00am on Zoom. T register, email idcinboston@gmail.com. Supported by the Mass. Cultural Council.

FELS grants announced

The FELS 2026 grant recipients. In front (left to right) are Conor Hanover, Doreen McCarthy, Kayla DeWees, David Bloom, David Hosford, Brendan Sarles, Sage Engberg, Alison Eichmann, and Damian Attidore. Behind them is Andrew Stephens, LSRHS Superintendent/Principal.

FELS, the Foundation for Educators at Lincoln-Sudbury, has awarded nine grants to Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School faculty and staff. The grant proposals are often for personal refreshment, long-held aspirations, course work or travel, all of which is undertaken during school vacation time and summer recess. Grants are funded from donations to the FELS annual appeals and proceeds from fundraisers including the annual FELS Thanksgiving Pie Sale and prom flower sales.

The 2026 FELS grant recipients, their proposals and destinations are as follows:

  • Damian Attidore, English — FIFA World Cup (Boston)
  • David Bloom, English — Exploring the History of Racism in America (Georgia and Alabama)
  • Kayla DeWees, Excel Program — High Desert Watercolor (New Mexico)
  • Alison Eichmann, Student Services — Reconnecting with Nature, Horses, and Self (New Hampshire)
  • Sage Engberg, English — Traversing the Brooks Range (Alaska)
  • Conor Hanover, History — Emerald Origins (Ireland)
  • David Hosford, English — China: Then and Now (China)
  • Doreen McCarthy, South House — Rings, Rings and More Rings (western Massachusetts)
  • Brendan Sarles, Math — Learning Consistency through Ironman Triathlon Training (Texas)

FELS is celebrating its 26th year and in that time has awarded close to 160 grants totaling nearly $210,000.

Register for Youth Public Safety Academy

Registration closes on Monday, June 15 at noon for the 2026 Youth Public Safety Academy, YPSA), which is open to children ages 8-12 living in any of Middlesex County’s 54 cities and towns. Hosted at the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office Training Academy in Chelmsford, the program consists of five, one-week sessions where youngsters engage in hands-on activities alongside YPSA staff and area first responders. The academy includes focuses on public safety lessons, teamwork, and leadership. Register here.

Registration is $125 per child for each week and includes transportation to and from designated bus stops, breakfast, lunch, and snacks, as well as a graduation ceremony each Friday. YPSA bus stops will be in the following communities for the designated weeks. Participants are not required to reside in communities with a designated bus stop, but they will be picked up and dropped off at these locations.

  • July 6-10 — Chelmsford, Lowell, Tewksbury & Wilmington
  • July 13-17 — Lexington, Stoneham/Wakefield, Tyngsborough & Woburn
  • July 20-24 — Bedford, Belmont/Watertown, Billerica & Newton/Waltham
  • July 27- 31 — Acton/Boxborough/Maynard, Framingham/Natick, Hudson & Marlborough
  • August 3-7 — Arlington, Burlington, Malden & Medford

Legal notice: Conservation Commission public hearing (89 Lexington)

PUBLIC HEARING — CONSERVATION COMMISSION

TThe Lincoln Conservation Commission (LCC) will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, June 10, 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 Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation by Zoltan Juhasz for confirmation of wetland resource areas at 89 Lexington Road (Parcel 133-52-0). 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. 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.

Legal notice: Conservation Commisson public hearing (44 Old Winter)

PUBLIC HEARING — CONSERVATION COMMISSION

The Lincoln Conservation Commission (LCC) will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 7:20PM in accordance with the MA Wetlands Protection Act and the Town of Lincoln Wetlands Protection Bylaw. This is in response to the duly filed Request for Determination of Applicability by Timothy and Madeleine Plaut for removal of trees within Buffer Zone at 44 Old Winter Street (Parcel 150-58-0). 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.

Car will collect data on condition of Lincoln roads

You may see an odd-looking vehicle puttering about town as soon as this week. The town has hired Citylogix, which uses a specially outfitted car to assess the conditions of Lincoln’s roads.

The vehicle-mounted sensing technology collects LiDAR/imagery data and 360° imaging technology to measure road defects, such as cracking, bumps, and potholes that will help the town identify and prioritize road repair needs. This initial step is expected to take about a week, but it may be delayed if it rains, said Department of Public Works Superintendent Stephen Olson.

The cost of the survey is $48,580, which includes comprehensive pavement condition data collection for all public roadways and three years of access to the Citylogix asset management software platform. “This platform will provide cost estimates for different paving scenarios, enabling us to analyze various strategies for rehabilitating the roadway network,” he said.

The goal is to use the data to determine the scope of a projected town-wide roadway infrastructure project as well as for short-term goals. The Finance and Capital Planning Committees estimated in March that a town-wide road project would cost about $12 million in FY 2029.

The part of Bedford Road that has gone though two different excavations for new water mains and drainage pipes is scheduled for repaving in spring 2027, Olson said. The soil and temporary patching over a trench in a road needs some time to settle from traffic, often over a winter.

Second phase of water main project is about to begin

Work is slated to begin this week on phase 2 of the water main replacement project on Lincoln Road from Ballfield Road to the railroad tracks and eventually South Great Road.

The first three weeks of construction activity will include installation of a temporary water bypass system starting near Ballfield Road, according to the Department of Public Works. Work will usually take place between 8:30am and 4:30pm Monday through Friday, though after the school year ends on June 18, it may begin as early as 7:00am. Weekend and holiday work is not expected.

Once work begins, there may be temporary lane shifts. Access to homes and businesses will be maintained, but some properties may be contacted directly to coordinate temporary water service connections. After the temporary bypass is in place, there will likely be single-lane traffic operations through the active work zone during construction hours. Drivers should plan for slower travel through Lincoln Road, especially during morning and afternoon commute periods. Local access will be maintained, but through-traffic may wish to allow extra time or consider alternate routes when work is active.

The town may use message boards and website updates to provide more specific weekly information as the contractor submits two-week look-ahead schedules. Subscribe to the email list for official town notices here.

Legal notice: Tax collector

 

NOTICE OF TAX TAKING

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Town of Lincoln
Krystal Elder, Collector of Taxes
Office of the Collector of Taxes

To the owners of the hereinafter described land and to all others concerned:

You are hereby notified that on Monday the 15th day of June 2026, at 10:00 AM at the Tax Collectors’ Office, 16 Lincoln Road, Lincoln, MA pursuant to the provisions of General Laws, Chapter 60, Section 53, and by virtue of the authority vested in me as Collector of Taxes, it is my intention to take for the Town of Lincoln the following parcels of land for non-payment of taxes due thereon, with interest and all incidental expenses and costs to the date of taking, unless the same shall have been paid before that date.

SZEKELY, ELIZABETH JOY
Parcel: 162-26-0-1-111, BUILDING located at 140 LINCOLN RD in LINCOLN, BUILDING shown on Assessor’s Map 162-26-0-1-111, recorded at MIDDLESEX REGISTRY OF DEEDS – Book/Page 81477-259. For FY-2024 Tax Due $5,969.04.

WALLER, KARLA
Parcel: 103-13-0-24-24R, BUILDING located at 24 R INDIAN CAMP LN in LINCOLN, BUILDING shown on Assessor’s Map 103-13-0-24-24R, recorded at MIDDLESEX REGISTRY OF DEEDS – Book/Page 70482-267. For FY-2024 Tax Due $3,116.62.

WOODS, ZACHARY & WOODS DEBRA
Parcel: 180-15-0, LAND & BUILDING located at 18 TWIN POND LN in LINCOLN, LAND & BUILDING containing 5.760 ACRES shown on Assessor’s Map 180-15-0, recorded at MIDDLESEX REGISTRY OF DEEDS – Book/Page 59669-524. For FY-2024 Tax Due $16,007.55.

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.

Legal notice: Historic District Commission (53 Bedford, 109 Trapelo)

LEGAL NOTICE — HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION

The Historic District Commission will hold a virtual online public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, to consider these applications:

  • S/A Boylston, 109 Trapelo Rd., M/P 150-27-0 for determination of a structure in connection with an application for demolition.
  • Seth Rosen, 53 Bedford Rd., M/P 134-17-0 for construction of a carriage house style detached garage. 

Time: June 2, 2026 7:30 PM

Join Zoom Meeting   (Meeting ID: 983 9661 4379, Password: 167620)

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.