Embracing Change, a Lincoln nonprofit, is offering a four-session program focused on helping parents transition into or through the empty-nest period with ease and fun. They give parents the opportunity to connect, design, and redefine this new stage of life. Sessions are on four consecutive Wednesdays from 1–3 p.m. at the Pierce House. The program is free but the material fee is $40. Limit of 16 people due to the pandemic. Click here to register.
Wednesday, Sept. 8: “Navigating Transitions through Productive Communication with Adult Children”
Dr. Teresa Simonelli will discuss how we can positively address concerns, emotions and transitions by using productive communication skills with young adults. A “welcome tea” will precede the session from 1–1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 15: “What’s Next: Finding Your Purpose, Designing Your Journey”
As parents adapt and adjust to life without children at home, they may reassess their personal satisfaction with how they spend their time and contemplate what might be next. You’ll leave with goals and a map to chart your own path and personal journey.
Wednesday, Sept. 22: “Expanding Your Horizons: Delving into New Activities and Careers”
Attendees will explore activities and careers and then hear from several guests who have changed careers and explored new interests after their children left home.
Wednesday, Sept. 29: “Ready, Set, Go and It’s All About Relationships”
Attendees will share tips on how to care for aging parents while taking care of themselves and their families, and will leave prepared for that sometimes awkward question, “So what are you doing now?” as career and leadership coach Patty Levy jump-starts each participant’s own distinctive elevator pitch.
Celebrate the Lincoln-based Food Project in an online event on Thursday, Sept. 9 from 7–8 p.m. Each year, the Big Shindig welcomes supporters, parents, neighbors and young workers to celebrate the food grown, the communities supported, and the youth empowered as the organization worked together through a pandemic that provided a stark reminder of the importance of its work towards food justice and equality. Click here to register for the free event. Additionally, bidding is now open for the Food Project’s silent auction.
The Racial Justice Advocates (RJA) of the First Parish Church invites everyone to two James Baldwin Summer events: a Zoom screening of “I Am Not Your Negro” on Thursday, Sept. 9 from 7–9 p.m. and a discussion of Baldwin’s first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, on Thursday, Sept. 16 from 7–9 p.m. The Oscar-nominated film, based on Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript Remember This House, explores the history of racism in the United States through Baldwin’s recollections of civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as his personal observations of American history. The novel, based on Baldwin’s experiences as a teenaged preacher in a small revivalist church, describes two days and a long night in the life of the Grimes family.
The Zoom link can be found on the First Parish in Lincoln’s RJA web page.
Actor Kevin Radaker will play Winston Churchill on Friday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The History at Play series event encounters Churchill on March 15, 1946. His thoughts turn to the dark days early in the war, when England was embattled against Hitler’s Nazi forces. Churchill recalls the unconquerable will of the British people as well as his friendship with President Roosevelt. Radaker is a former professor of English at Anderson University who has offered his portrayals of Churchill and Henry David Thoreau all over the country. The program is free but registration is required and is limited to 40. Sponsored by The Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.
By Ursula Nowak and Karen Salvucci
The Society of St Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston is devoted to assisting individuals and families in our communities who live in dire need due to unemployment, health issues, hunger, and the inability to meet even basic expenses. Over the past two years, more neighbors than ever before have reached out for our help, and the number of food pantry clients has almost doubled. Past support for our mission has enabled us to respond to these requests, but we now need your help to continue this vital work.
On Saturday, Sept. 25 at 9 a.m., SVdP is hosting an Every Mile Counts Walk to kick off our fundraising effort. This is an opportunity to walk together to show our commitment to our community and help us reach our goal of $40,000. Please join us by walking and/or donating to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston. We are neighbors helping neighbors.
To register for the Every Mile Counts Walk (followed by an ice cream social), click here. There is a suggested donation of $10 per person or $25 per family. To donate directly to SVdP of Lincoln and Weston, click here or mail your check (payable to St. Vincent de Paul) to SVdP, PO Box 324, Lincoln, MA 01773. Thank you!
Nowak is president and Salvucci is president-elect of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston.
“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. 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.
The Racial Justice Advocates (RJA) of the First Parish Church invites everyone to two James Baldwin Summer events: a Zoom screening of “I Am Not Your Negro” on Thursday, Sept. 9 from 7–9 p.m. and a discussion of Baldwin’s first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, on Thursday, Sept. 16 from 7–9 p.m. The Oscar-nominated film, based on Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript Remember This House, explores the history of racism in the United States through Baldwin’s recollections of civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as his personal observations of American history. The novel, based on Baldwin’s experiences as a teenaged preacher in a small revivalist church, describes two days and a long night in the life of the Grimes family.
The Zoom link can be found on the First Parish in Lincoln’s RJA web page.
Residents are invited to a watch party with Isabel Wilkerson, author of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, on Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. After the video presentation, there will be a live community conversation on diversity, equity and inclusion led by former State Rep. Byron Rushing and Salem State University professor Roopika Risam. All are invited to participate in the discussion (you need not have read the book in advance). Click here to register. Presented by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, the Massachusetts Center for the Book, and public libraries across the state in recognition of the National Book Festival.
The Scarecrow Classic 5K, an annual event that benefits the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, will hold an in-person run and a virtual option. The in-person race is Sunday, Oct. 17 at 9:30 a.m. Anyone wishing to run the race virtually can run a 5K anywhere and any time in the week leading up to race day. Register by Friday, Oct. 4 to have your Scarecrow Classic shirt waiting for you on race day. New this year, the LLCT will offer packet pickup for those who preregistered on October 16 from 2–4 p.m. at Lincoln Station. Registration closes on October 15 at midnight, and there will be limited same-day registration starting at 8 a.m. on race day. Learn more at scarecrowclassic5k.com and click here to register.
On Thursday, Sept. 23 from 7–9 p.m., the RJA presents a screening of Professor Jill Lepore’s video talk about King Philip’s War in Massachusetts. The Zoom link can be found on the First Parish in Lincoln’s Racial Justice Advocates web page
The Society of St Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston is devoted to assisting individuals and families in our communities who live in dire need due to unemployment, health issues, hunger, and the inability to meet even basic expenses. Over the past two years, more neighbors than ever before have reached out for our help, and the number of food pantry clients has almost doubled. Past support for our mission has enabled us to respond to these requests, but we now need your help to continue this vital work.
On Saturday, Sept. 25 at 9 a.m., SVdP is hosting an Every Mile Counts Walk to kick off our fundraising effort. This is an opportunity to walk together to show our commitment to our community and help us reach our goal of $40,000. Please join us by walking and/or donating to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston. We are neighbors helping neighbors.
To register for the Every Mile Counts Walk (followed by an ice cream social), click here. There is a suggested donation of $10 per person or $25 per family. To donate directly to SVdP of Lincoln and Weston, click here or mail your check (payable to St. Vincent de Paul) to SVdP, PO Box 324, Lincoln, MA 01773.
“Determined to Know Beans: A Historical and Biological Exploration of Thoreau’s Beanfield,” an interpretive walk to Thoreau’s beanfield with historian Richard Smith and biologist Dr. Amity Wilczek, will take place on Saturday, Sept. 25 from 11–12:30 p.m. at the Walden Pond State Reservation. The presentation will focus on how the beanfield looked during Thoreau’s time and how it has changed. Discussion will include the plants that Thoreau would and would not be familiar with, including invasives. Click here to register.
The First Parish Racial Justice Advocates will screen “Traces of the Trade: a Story from the Deep North” via Zoom on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. the film i about a Rhode Island family that follows the route of the triangle slave trade through Ghana, Cuba, and Rhode Island and see a family reacting to the past and the present. Click here for details and the Zoom link.
After a year off, Codman Community Farms’ Annual Harvest Fair returns on Saturday, Oct. 3 from noon–4 p.m. with games for kids and adults including the Barrel Train, the Rooster Run, face painting, pumpkin decorating, a pie-eating contest, and more. Codman-grown burgers, hot dogs and sausages as well as snacks and treats will be available. Click here to pre-purchase bracelets for kids ages 3 and up for lawn and family games and rides, the Rooster Run, and a ticket for donut-on-a-string.
Following the lead of the United Nations, earlier this year the Sudbury Select Board voted to proclaim March 2021 as “Shadow Pandemic Awareness Month.” Over the past 18 months, pandemic conditions have created significant additional concerns for survivors of abuse. While a number of media outlets have noted the increased risk of physical harm, abuse survivors’ experiences with emotional and financial abuse have received less attention.
Join the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable via Zoom on Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. to learn more about domestic abuse and ways we can offer help and support to people here in our community. Registration is required and can be completed at www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org.
Following a short video, program participants will talk more about the subtle and not-so-subtle signs of abuse and how we as a community might respond. In addition to highlighting things that individuals can do to raise awareness and support survivors, Roundtable members will talk about the different initiatives and opportunities – ranging from one-time efforts to ongoing projects – that community members can get involved with. Attendees are welcome to participate in the conversation or come to listen.
We especially encourage people connected with local civic, religious, business, political, education-related and social organizations to come and learn more about how your group might get involved with the Roundtable’s efforts to reach out to survivors and prevent abuse in our community.
Political candidates and Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School alumni Brian Worrell (L-S ’01) and Jared Nicholson (L-S ’04) are teaming up for a joint Lincoln-Sudbury community fundraiser, seeking the support of their classmates, teachers, administrators, and the Lincoln-Sudbury community at large. Worrell, a candidate for Boston City Council District 4, and Nicholson, a candidate for mayor of Lynn, had decisive wins in preliminary elections in September and will advance to runoff elections on November 2.
The virtual fundraiser on Friday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. will feature special guest speakers including retired L-S history teacher Bill Schechter and will offer a unique insight into the candidates, their respective campaigns, and their time at Lincoln-Sudbury. All donations will directly benefit the candidacies of Brian and Jared, and all are welcome to attend.
“I am forever grateful for the education that I got at L-S and have been thrilled to be part of the public education team in the Lynn Public Schools as a member of the School Committee. I’m hoping to build on that work as mayor and excited to partner with Brian on this great way to connect with the L-S family,” said Jared Nicholson.
“I owe my many successes to the foundational education I received from L-S through the METCO program, and I have been deeply impacted by the experience,” Worrell said. “The shared community at L-S and my positive experience at the school has prepared me for leadership and I intend to take with me the many values I learned at the school to city hall.”
Purchase tickets for the virtual fundraiser or donate by clicking here. For more information, email Monique_worrell@yahoo.com or krushfirth@gmail.com.
Enjoy a crisp evening by the fire as Doria Hughes tells stories about the fall, nature and animals on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Farrington Nature Linc. Tickets for “Tales & Treats: Slightly Scary Stories and S’mores” are $10 each or $30 for a family of four. Feel free to bring blankets and/or chairs to sit around the fire. We also recommend wearing or bringing layers as it will get colder once the sun goes down.
Every journey begins with a single step, or in Anders Morley’s case, the shush of cross-country skis. Morley will discuss his book, This Land of Snow: A Journey Across the North in Winter, on Monday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The book offers insightful glimpses into life at the edge of the great northern wilderness, the history of cold-weather exploration and Nordic skiing, the right-to-roam movement, winter ecology, and more. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library For Zoom invitation please, email lrothenberg@minlib.net.
The Lincoln Library Film Society will screen “Mike Wallace Is Here” on Thursday, Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. in the Tarbell Room. The documentary offers an unflinching look at the legendary reporter, who interrogated the 20th century’s biggest figures in over 50 years on air, and his aggressive reporting style and showmanship that redefined what America came to expect from broadcasters. Unearthing decades of never-before-seen footage from the 60 Minutes vault, the film explores what drove and plagued Wallace, whose storied career was entwined with the evolution of journalism itself.
Henry David Thoreau’s writing is filled with sense observations and perceptions of the natural world and philosophical perceptions of society. How can the natural world awaken our powers of observation? How can our social lives? Art forms? Why is close observation of all important? During this Lyceum, joined by scholars and artists in various mediums, we will discuss the connection between perception, the natural world, art, and society. Presented by the Walden Woods Society. Click here for more information and registration.
Ray Anthony Shepard — educator, writer and First Parish in Lincoln member — will speak via Zoom on “How Do We Talk About Race in a Time of Critical Race Theory Pushback?” on Thursday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. Following his talk, he’ll participate in a wide-ranging discussion of his work as historian and interpreter of African-American experiences in his award-winning 2017 Now or Never! 54th Massachusetts Infantry’s War to End Slavery and his 2021 poetic retelling for young readers of the story of a woman enslaved by the Washington family in Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge. “I write for readers who understand the universal need for fairness” and “to tell a fuller story of our country’s history,” Ray explains on his web page.
The session will also provide room for reflection on themes related to Ray’s work, as they appear in the film Harriet and in books included in our suggested-reading syllabus: Erica Armstrong Dunbar’s Never Caught: The Washington’s’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave Ona Judge; biographies of Harriet Tubman by Kate Clifford Larson and others; William Still’s The Underground Railroad Records; and fictional recreations of the experience of fugitives from bondage by Colson Whitehead and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
To get the link to this Zoom meeting, go to fplincoln.org/calendar and click on October 21 and Ray’s talk. Hosted by FPL’s Racial Justice Journey Steering Committee.