Council on Aging activities in January

From drawing to pastel painting with Juliet
January 5 at 10 a.m.
Express your most vibrant self with the brilliant colors of pastels in a new class with Juliet Rago! She will begin with a short introduction to drawing for those who feel they need it. The class will meet from 10 a.m. to noon on January 5, 9, 12, 23 and 26. No experience is necessary. All materials will be furnished. Please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811. Limit of six people. The fee is $20.

Lincoln Academy with Deane Ellsworth: “The Magic of the Steam Train Whistle”
January 5 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Jan. 5 at 12:30 to hear Deane Ellsworth discuss “The Magic of the Steam Train Whistle.” Bring a bag lunch. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion.

Meet with an aide to Congresswoman Clark
January 7 at 1 p.m.
You are invited to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 1 p.m. to meet with Natalie Kaufman, Constituent Service Representative for Congresswoman Katherine Clark. She will be available to assist residents with Social Security, Medicare, and MassHealth/Medicaid. You are also welcome to discuss other matters with her that she may be able to help with.

Are we havin’ fun yet?
January 8 at 2:30 p.m.
Dot and Royce are—they haven’t missed one yet. Rob and Juliet are. They dance all over the hall. Come celebrate the joy of jazz oldies at Bemis Hall on Thursday Jan. 8 at 2:30 when the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Jammers will share with you their love of this sometimes hot sometimes cool music. The musicians are mostly retirees, spirited amateurs who give life to the music of the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. You too will be tapping your feet, maybe even dancing, as they gather around the magnificent Bemis Steinway Grand and with trumpet, clarinet, sax, trombone, bass and drums tuned up and ready to go, belt out those favorites we all know and love.

The justice course: where is the justice in the libertarian view of the role of government?
January 9 at 10 a.m.
Libertarians believe in a small government. They believe in no paternalistic legislation (e.g., no seat belt laws), no morals legislation (e.g., laws prohibiting sexual intimacy no matter one’s sexual preference) and no laws that tax people for the purpose of redistributing wealth. Is there justice in the libertarian view of the role of government? This issue will be considered and discussed in the third installment of the Justice course, which will be held at Bemis Hall on Friday, Jan. 9 at 10 a.m. Please come and join the conversation. Michael Sandel’s “Justice” course at Harvard is reputed to be its most popular course. Experience it when Steven Perlmutter, a Lincoln attorney, shows a video of a one-hour lecture from the course about the above issue and facilitates a discussion. The course is about what justice, or the right thing to do, is, drawing upon the great philosophers and contemporary issues. Perlmutter will encourage the exchange of a wide range of ideas about the “justice” issues raised in the lecture and will seek to ask thought-provoking questions that will spark a spirited discussion.

School Building Advisory Committee at Bemis
January 9 at 1 p.m.
The SBAC has been working with consultants from Dore & Whittier since last July. Dore & Whittier will be issuing a final report summarizing all the input gathered from the community and their analysis of the building. The final report will be presented at Public Forum #4 on January 13 at 7 p.m. in Reed Gym. Residents, especially those who are unable to come to the January 13 meeting, are also invited to a meeting on Friday, Jan. 9 at 1 p.m. at Bemis Hall. This meeting at the COA is an opportunity to get a preview of the final report and to continue the discussion about renovation pathways and the decisions the Town will need to make to move a project forward.

Lincoln Academy with Ron McAdow: “First Novel at Age 65?”
January 12 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Jan. 12 at 12:30 to hear Ron McAdow discuss “First Novel at Age 65? Knowing When You Know Enough About Life to Write About It.” Bring a bag lunch. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion.

Concord Conservatory offers musical ear training
January 13 at 10 a.m.
The Concord Conservatory once again offers musical ear training. Listen to different music to learn about music history, forms, and how to better understand what we hear. Soon you’ll recognize musical elements, identify style, time, and even artists. Ehud Ettun teaches a beginner’s class at 9 a.m. and an intermediate class at 10 a.m. for 10 weeks on Tuesday mornings beginning on January 13 at a cost of $65 for each course. Sign up now by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Gentle yoga just right for you
January 14 at 9 a.m.
Yoga has been shown to help with flexibility, strength, relaxation, blood pressure, your immune system, and more. Would you like to try yoga but are concerned it may be too rigorous for you? Try our new Gentle Yoga class with experienced instructor Jai Kaur Annamaria San Antonio. The class will be held on ten Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m. beginning on January 14 at a cost of $100 for the course. You may do the class on the floor or in a chair and the instructor will help you adapt the poses to your special needs. You may try one class free! This class is appropriate whether you have taken previous yoga classes or not. This class is subsidized by the MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Learn to use Lincoln’s voting machines for voters with disabilities
January 16 at 10 a.m.
Come see a demonstration of Lincoln’s Automark balloting marking device on Friday, Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall. The AutoMARK machine is designed to enable voters with disabilities to cast their ballots independently. The machines are deployed in all 1700 Massachusetts polling places. The demonstration will feature two of Lincoln’s most dedicated voters, Kitty Stein and John Langell, and Nancy Pimental and Mike Russell. This program is co-sponsored by the Lincoln Commission on Disabilities and the Lincoln Town Clerk’s Office.

Senior dining: join us to meet new friends!
January 20 at 11:30 a.m. (St. Anne’s Church)
Lincolnites 60 and older are invited to enjoy a gourmet meal with new friends and old at 11:30 on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at St. Anne’s Church. They have new diners often — please come and brighten your winter by giving the luncheon a try! They need you! On the menu will be fresh garden salad with raspberry vinaigrette and thousand-island dressing, rolls and butter, grilled turkey cutlets with homemade cranberry chutney, mascarpone mashed potatoes, carrots Vichy and pumpkin pie.

They have new diners often — please come and brighten your winter by giving the luncheon a try! They need you!Please reserve by calling the COA at 781-259-8811 at least a week ahead even if you have previously attended. The cost of each meal is $5. Caregivers are welcome to come with those for whom they are caring. Let the COA know if you need transportation or a seating partner. The lunch is co-sponsored by the COA, the Friends of the COA, Minuteman Senior Services, and St. Anne’s. And the volunteer serving staff consists of your Lincoln friends and neighbors.

Have a question about your taxes?
January 23 at 10 a.m.
If you have a simple question about your taxes or preparation of your returns, come down to Bemis Hall on Friday, Jan. 23 from 10 a.m. to noon when Packy Lawler will hold “office hours.” Packy is one of Lincoln’s highly trained AARP/IRS tax aide counselors who provides free preparation of federal and state tax returns each year. Please call the COA at 781-259-8811 to make an appointment.

Therapeutic touch for physical and emotional well being
January 23 at 1 p.m.
Therapeutic Touch® is a holistic, evidence-based therapy that incorporates the intentional and compassionate use of universal energy to promote balance and well-being in all aspects of the individual: body, mind, and spirit. It was developed 40 years ago by Delores Krieger RN, PhD, and Dora Kunz, a natural healer and is now practiced in hospitals and elsewhere all over the world. Come learn more about Therapeutic Touch when Lincoln resident and certified practitioner Catherine Collins RN, MS, QTTP (Qualified Therapeutic Touch Practitioner) comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, Jan. 23 at 1 p.m. She will discuss Therapeutic Touch—its origins, how it works, and what to expect from a session—and then do short sessions. If you would like a 10-minute treatment between either 12 and 1 p.m. or 2 and 3 p.m., please call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up for an appointment.

Haute fun at top of the town!
January 24 at 5 to 8 p.m. (deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum)
Are you planning to go to the Top of the Town Winter Gala on January 24 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the deCordova Museum? If so, please send in the reservation form on the invitation mailed to you in December. The form must reach the FLCOA at PO Box 143 or Bemis Hall by January 15 to confirm your attendance. This is a catered party, and an accurate head count is important! Because there is a space limit of 200 persons, the FLCOA will start a wait list if replies reach that number. They request that you let them know promptly if you must cancel so they can notify the next person on the list. The Friends of the Lincoln COA are pleased to host this event with free admission for Lincoln residents. The Friends are grateful for donations to show your support for this event. The snow date is January 25.

Do you have something you need to have sewn or would you like to learn hand sewing?
January 26 at 10 a.m.
Do you have a small sewing job you need done? Barbara Straus will be at Bemis Hall on Monday, Jan. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help you with your sewing needs! She can do small quick jobs like a button or a seam repair, but not more involved work. She will also do a hand-sewing tutorial. No need to sign up!

Lincoln Academy with Sharon Antia: “Stories from the Campaign Trail”
January 26 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Jan. 26 at 12:30 p.m. to hear Sharon Antia discuss “Stories from the Campaign Trail.” Bring a bag lunch. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion.

Medicare 101: basics for those about to sign up and others
January 26 at 7 p.m.
Come find out the basics of Medicare on Monday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. at Bemis Hall with Minuteman Senior Services SHINE counselors Don Milan and Anne Meade. This introduction to Medicare is especially for those who will be signing up soon, but is also for those who just wish to learn more and understand their benefits better. Don and Anne will discuss traditional Medicare, medigap plans, Advantage plans, and medication drug coverage (Medicare, Parts A, B, C, and D), how to go about choosing the plan or plans that are best for you, avoiding penalties when you sign up late, and more. Bring your questions and concerns!

Coffee with artist Ed Koehler
January 27 at 2:30 p.m.
Join Lincoln illustrator and muralist Ed Koehler on Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 2:30 p.m. for “Coffee with the Artist” to celebrate his exhibit, which will be in January and February in the Bemis Hall Artists Gallery. Koehler has been drawing since he was eight years old. His commissions include architectural and artistic projects such as murals, portraits, historic scenes and varied drawings. He was an architect in Boston and Cambridge for 55 years while maintaining partnerships and independent commissions. A veteran of the Korean War, he is presently working on murals at the VA Hospital in Bedford.

Getting the facts with the Better Business Bureau before you buy
January 30 at 10 a.m.
Find out how you can check the complaint history and other essential information of retailers or home improvement or other services before you buy when Amy Schram of the Better Business Bureau comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, Jan. 30 at 10 a.m. . Just by going to the BBB site, you can create a list of who provides what you are looking for in our area, learn about complaints against them, find out how long they have been in business and how many employees they have, and read customer reviews, all for free!

A really big show for Winter Carnival!
January 30 at 1 p.m.
All are welcome to come see your friends and neighbors at the COA’s free “Really Big Show,” a variety show and part of the Winter Carnival at Bemis Hall on Friday, Jan. 30 at 1 p.m. The show will feature classical, jazz, and folk music, a dramatic performance, a comedy video, and demonstrations from the COA’s fitness, line dancing, tai chi, and yoga classes. The show will be fun, entertaining, thought-provoking and enlightening!

Get free income tax preparation help
Volunteers certified under the AARP TaxAide program will prepare your federal and Massachusetts personal income tax returns or answer your tax questions. This free service can answer most of the tax issues faced by low- and middle-income taxpayers, with special attention to those over age 60. Appointments begin in February. Call the COA office at 781-259-8811 to schedule a confidential appointment and get a list of documents you will need to bring.

Rediscover the Harvard art museums
Admire art treasures from ancient sculptures to contemporary paintings at the newly renovated Harvard Art Museums on Thursday, Feb. 12. Renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano has designed a stunning five-story light-filled glass expansion rising up from the Renaissance courtyard of the old Fogg building This now showcases the combined collections of the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Arthur M. Sackler Museums. The current special exhibition displays Mark Rothko paintings. A comfortable minibus will be at the Donelan’s Mall at 9:15 a.m., departing promptly at 9:30 a.m. for the museums, which open at 10. You’ll be exploring on your own, or by using themed digital guides that are available there for use on your own smartphone or tablet. Lunch, at your own cost, will be available at the museum’s self-serve café with seating in the rotunda. The bus will return to Lincoln by 3 p.m. This trip is handicapped accessible, but you must be able to climb onto the bus, manage short flights of stairs and walk short distances. Some wheelchairs are available at the Museums for visitors’ use. The group will be limited to 30. Payment is non-refundable, unless you find a replacement. This trip will be partially subsidized by the Hurff Fund. To register, send a check for $15 per person by February 5 made out to FLCOA Trips to Ginny O’Brien, 4 Linway Rd. Please include your email address and phone number in the envelope with your check. Questions: call Ginny at 781-259-1291 or email her at vobrien39@yahoo.com.