Are you wondering how to keep the lights on when the sun’s not shining? Jay Turner, an environmental studies professor at Wellesley College, will draw on his recent book Charged: A History of Batteries and Lessons for a Clean Energy Future and his experiences retrofitting his home in Natick to be net energy positive to discuss the big picture and fine details of electrification on Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m. Click here to register and receive a Zoom link. This series is hosted by CFREE, a working group of Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee.
Samaritans will provide information on suicide risk factors, warning signs, and questions to ask someone who may be at risk. This two-hour suicide prevention training focuses on older adults, but the information is relevant for all ages. Space is limited; call 781-259-811 to sign up. Sponsored by the Council on Aging & Human Services.
Click here for the Zoom link (passcode: 284293). For details, see “CapCom, CPC spending proposal to be aired on March 11.”
The Lincoln PTO will host a town election candidate forum on Tuesday, March 12 from 7–9 p.m. in the Lincoln School Learning Commons. It will also be accessible via this Zoom link.
Candidates will have three minutes to introduce themselves and present a substantive statement of their platform. Moderators Rob Stringer and Sarah Cannon Holden will then direct questions to candidates that were submitted on cards filled out by attendees shortly after they arrived, or that are posed via the chat function on Zoom. Candidates will have two minutes to respond. The LPTO can’t guarantee that there will be enough time to get to all the questions.
The forum is intended not as a debate but as an information session and meet-and-greet whereby voters can get acquainted with candidates and their views. Candidates have been asked to refrain from addressing or referring to fellow candidates and to refrain from campaign speeches or speechifying.
The candidates scheduled to participate in the forum are as follows (each seat is for a three-year term):
Select Board:
- Incumbent Jennifer Glass (jlrglass@mac.com)
- Frank Clark (clark@gmail.com)
Planning Board:
- Incumbent Gerald Taylor (gatlincoln@gmail.com)
- Sarah Postlethwait (sarah@bayhas.com)
Upon arrival, attendees should stop at the LPTO table to fill out a name tag before settling into the Learning Commons. Volunteers will also offer audience members question forms and pencils prior to entering the Learning Commons. Attendees will be invited to join in a collective round of applause for all the candidates at the beginning and end of the Introductions round and are asked to refrain from cheering for anyone candidate during that round.
The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust invites residents to help out on Stewardship Work Days starting on Friday, March 15 at 1 p.m. Join volunteers and staff from LLCT and LCD to pull non-native plants from conservation land. Tools and snacks will be provided. Click here to sign up.
The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust will host a movie night to welcome spring and continue our focus on both pollination systems and the importance of dark skies for wildlife by screening “Bat Man of Mexico,” a 50-minute PBS episode about the lesser long-nosed bat, a crucial pollinator of agave plants, on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m. in the LLCT office (145 Lincoln Rd, Suite 102A).
According to NASA, turf grass lawn covers more of the U.S. than any other irrigated crop. Lawns are resource-heavy, requiring mowing, irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticides to thrive in New England. Learn why you should “kill your lawn” and how to replace it with beautiful and environmentally friendly gardens. Transitioning your yard to incorporate native plants in the lawn or gardens helps to mitigate floods, heat waves, sea level rise, and the mass extinction of species.
This free session will be presented by Mark Richardson, Director of Horticulture for New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill. and is sponsored by MetroWest Climate Solutions (a growing partnership between First Parish in Wayland, First Parish Church in Weston, First Parish in Lincoln, the Congregational Church in Weston, Energize Wayland, Sustainable Weston Action Group, and other communities and individuals). To register, visit metrowestclimatesolutions.org.
Click here for a list of candidates. For Election Day information, click here.
State Rep. Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury) will hold virtual office hours on Tuesday, March 26 from 1–3 p.m. Any constituent who wishes to speak to Rep. Gentile can sign up for a 20-minute time slot by emailing his legislative aide, Ravi Simon, at ravi.simon@mahouse.gov. Please provide your full name, address, phone number, email, and discussion topic.
How much is your old water heater costing you? It accounts for about 18% of your home’s energy usage. Replacing an electric resistance water heater with a heat pump water heater can save you money. Join us on Tuesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. to learn from Larry Chretien, CEO of Green Energy Consumer’s Alliance, about super-efficient heat pump water heaters — how new models are much quieter and how 120V models can replace gas water heaters without expensive electric upgrades. Best of all – find out how really strong rebates reduce the cost enormously. Click here to register for the Zoom link.
The Lincoln Garden Club presents “Native Lawn Alternatives” on Tuesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall and on Zoom with Alexis Doshas, nursery manager at the Native Plant Trust’s Nasami Farm. Rethinking your lawn? Replace some or all with native ground covers to create a healthier ecosystem. Alexis will cover techniques for land transformations and refer to specific ground covers for various conditions. Co-hosted by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and Lincoln Common Ground.
In-person social time starts at 7 p.m. and the Zoom meeting begins at 7:15 p.m. To register for the Zoom link, click here.
The Lincoln Builder’s Club, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts Freemasons, and the Mass. Tree Wardens & Foresters Association are giving away small fir seedlings statewide. Visit their tent on Saturday, April 13 from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. at the Simon W. Robinson Masonic Lodge at 3 Bedford St. in Lexington while supplies last. Sponsored by the 14th Masonic District representing Ayer, Bedford, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, and Littleton.
Residents are invited to meet Massachusetts Auditor Diana DiZoglio on Sunday, April 21 at 3 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. DiZoglio, a former member of the Mass. House and Senate, is sponsoring a ballot question allowing the auditor to audit the state legislature and will explain the need for transparency on Beacon Hill. Come join us for an informative short presentation and time for questions. Hosted by the Democratic Town Committee.
Have you considered battery backup solutions for your home? On Monday, April 22 at 7 p.m., learn about Eversource’s Demand Response for Home Battery Storage program to hook your house battery up to the grid and their future plans to use EV batteries to help manage the grid during peak energy needs. Register for this Zoom event here. The event will be recorded and sent to all registrants. This program is hosted by CFREE, a working group of the Lincoln Green Energy Committee.
The Walden Woods Project is hosting “Thoreau and the Miracle of Poetry: An Earth Day, Birthday, and National Poetry Month Celebration” on Tuesday, April 23 at 6:15 p.m. Join us and three contemporary poets who will read from their work in the spirit of Thoreau. A wine and cheese reception with the poets will precede the reading. Click here to register. Sponsored by The Commons in Lincoln.
Real estate team Jeannine Taylor and Jessica Packineau invite residents to an opening event for their own office on Friday, April 26 from 4–7 p.m. at 152 Lincoln Rd. Explore the renovated space and get your burning real estate questions answered while enjoying music by Casey Murray (banjo, guitar, cello) and Molly Tucker (fiddle) and artwork by Lincoln’s Pauline Curtiss.
Do you need fresh air in winter without opening the window? Would you like air conditioning in the same unit that heats your home? Ants Hartman will share three heating and ventilation systems he has installed along with his emphasis on maintenance for longevity in “Three Unique Case Studies of Home Heating and Ventilation System Upgrades” on Monday, April 29 at 7 p.m. Click here to register for the Zoom link.
The Getting to Zero Series is hosted by CFREE, a working group of Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee.
The Battle Road BioBlitz at Minute Man National Historical Park from Saturday, May 11 to Friday, May 17 will engage scientists, naturalists, and the interested public to survey and document as many species as possible within a designated time period. The 10 free events at various times and locations — including Amphibians and Aquatic Organisms, Battle Road Botanizing, Biodiversity at Dusk, Pollinators and Plants, and Quest for Uncommon Species — take place at various locations and times at the park; sign up for one or several (space is limited). Click here to register or view the entire collection on Eventbrite.
Co-sponsored by MMNHP and Friends of MMNHP; the towns of Concord, Lexington, and Lincoln; the Concord and Lincoln Land Conservation Trusts; the Brookline Bird Club, and Zoo New England. Questions? Contact Margie Brown at margie_coffin_brown@nps.gov.
Lincoln’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, along with the Lincoln School, and MassDOT’s Safe Routes to School program, will host an e-bike demo in partnership with Wheelworks on Wednesday, May 15 at 6 p.m. in the Brooks Gym.