Public forum on school project this week
The School Building Advisory Committee will hold the first of four public forums on Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 7-9 p.m. in the Smith gym as part of the planning process for Lincoln School renovations and/or additions (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Sept. 8, 2014). The forums will be iterative in nature, beginning with a discussion of cost estimates of renovation components and moving through the development of a range of solutions.
In addition to the forums, renovation schemes will be presented and discussed at the State of the Town meeting on November 15. The SBAC hopes to have a strong sense of direction by late January and take the outcome of this process to Town Meeting in March 2015 for approval of next steps. Residents are urged to attend the forums and add their voices to the conversation. The Lincoln School is a large building, and any repairs and renovation will involve significant town resources, and the town can’t move forward without everyone’s participation and involvement.
Art-inspired poetry readings at deCordova
Join two renowned poets for a reading of their work and a conversation in response to deCordova exhibitions Ian Hamilton Finlay: Arcadian Revolution and Avant-Gardener and Lesley Dill. The first reading by National Poetry Series winner Cole Swenson is on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. and is free.
On Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m., Pulitzer Prize winner and former U.S. poet laureate Charles Simic will appear. Limited tickets are available for $15 (nonmembers), $10 (members) and $5 (students). Order online by October 2.
School Committee seeks interim member
After serving the Lincoln School Committee for more than seven years, Tom Sander will be stepping down as of September 23, and registered Lincoln voters are invited to submit their names for consideration as an interim member.
In accordance with state law and School Committee policy, the committee and Board of Selectmen are jointly responsible for appointing an interim member, who will serve until the next town election in March 2015. At that time, a resident will be elected to fill the remaining year of Sander’s term, which runs through through March 2016.
The School Committee is the governing body of the Lincoln Public Schools, grades preK-8, including the Lincoln and Hanscom campuses. It consists of five elected members plus representation from Boston and Hanscom families. The committee meets at 7 p.m. roughly every other Thursday evening throughout the school year. Its primary responsibilities are to set district policy, work with the administration to develop the annual budget, and evaluate the superintendent. Committee members may also be asked to serve on subcommittees such as contract bargaining teams or the School Building Advisory Committee, or to serve as liaisons to other town boards and committees.
Residents who wish to apply should provide a written statement of interest that indicates why they would like to be appointed to the School Committee and what qualifications they would bring to the process. Statements can be mailed or hand delivered to Jennifer Glass, Chair, Lincoln School Committee, c/o Superintendent’s Office, 6 Ballfield Road, Lincoln 01773. Statements of interest or questions about the position may be emailed to schoolcomm@lincnet.org. All statements of interest must be received by 5:p.m. on Friday, October 3. A joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and School Committee is tentatively scheduled for October 9.
Ann Moss
Vocal concert on Oct. 10
Singer and Lincoln native Ann Moss will present a concert in Bemis Hall on October 10 at 7:30 p.m. as part of the “Aghababian at Fifty” concert series. She will be appearing with Justin Ouellet on viola and Steven Bailey on piano. Tickets are $15, or $12 for seniors and students. Click here to order online.
Moss, who has worked with Boston-based composer Vartan Aghababian for over 13 year and has premiered many of his works, including Seven Songs, which appeared on her debut album Currents. Aghababian has written over 100 art songs as well as music for choir, chamber ensembles, orchestra and opera. Moss is cofounder and director of CMASH and is the daughter of longtime Lincoln School music teacher Pip Moss and tai chi teacher Jane Moss (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Jan. 16, 2014).
Self-defense classes for women
Two new sessions of self-defense classes for women will be offered starting in October. Each session will be two nights, for three hours each night. The first night will involve a discussion about general safety, followed by practicing physical self-defense moves including strikes, blocks, kicks, and knee strikes. At the escond session, a Lincoln Police Department officer will put on a padded suit, and participants will be “attacked” and use the moves they’ve learned to escape. This part of the course is intense but amazing and empowering.
There is no fee for the classes, but since space is limited, organizers ask that you let them know if you won’t be able to attend. Traditionally these courses are so popular that there have been wait lists for the classes, which debuted late last year (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Jan. 13, 2014). If you have questions or would like to register for one of these sessions, please contact Jena Salon at jenasalon@gmail.com or call 215-514-5963.
- Session A: October 28 and 30 from 6:30-9:30 p.m.
- Session B: November 17 and 19 from 6:30-9:30 p.m.
New issue of Lincoln Review is out
The fall issue of the Lincoln Review has just come off the press, so check out the newsstands in Donelan’s, Codman Farm and the Old Town Hall Exchange. Two Lincoln authors have new books coming out, and our favorite dog has some thoughts about certain “angry birds.” Cattle, harvest fairs, and what to do with excess veggies showcase Lincoln’s agricultural roots. And this is the only place to read the winning Merit Scholarship essay.