February 7 at 7:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
February 11 at 2 p.m., Lincoln Public Library
This film by Jewish-Israeli director Shimon Dotan traces the history of Israeli settlements in the West Bank (a clear violation of international law by an occupying power) that began in 1967 and continues to this day at an accelerating pace. The settlement population now tops 850,000 (including East Jerusalem) and has mythologized the touted “two-state solution.” Watch the trailer.
The LSPO invited the L-S high school community to a “coffee chat” with Superintendent/Principal Andrew Stephens on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 8:30 a.m. in Conference Room A. If you would like to submit questions for the superintendent before the meeting or if you aren’t sure you can attend the chat, please use this form and submit as many questions as you’d like.
February 21 at 7:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
February 25 at 2 p.m., Lincoln Public Library
In 2005, 170 Palestinian civil society organizations called for a non-violent boycott, divestment, and sanction (BDS) campaign to pressure Israel to comply with international law. Although the campaign has gained little traction with the American public, the pro-Israel lobby has aggressively pursued—and in 36 states, succeeded in—enacting legislation that penalizes the free-speech “right to boycott.” The film follows three cases: a newspaper publisher in Arkansas, an attorney in Arizona, and a speech therapist in Texas who were forced to choose between their jobs and their political beliefs. Watch the trailer.
State Rep. Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury) will hold virtual office hours on Friday, Feb. 23 from 10 a.m.–noon. 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.
The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee will hold a caucus on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. in the Bemis Hall map room to elect six delegates and four alternates to the 2024 State Democratic Convention in June. Registered and pre-registered Democrats in Lincoln who are 16 years old as of February 15, 2024 may vote and be elected as delegates or alternates. All are welcome but only registered Democrats may vote.
At the state convention at the DCU Center in Worcester on June 1, delegates will place a candidate name on the statewide primary ballot in December. Those interested in getting involved with the Lincoln Democratic Committee should contact Travis Roland at travisroland89@yahoo.com or Joan Kimball at selenejck@gmail.com. Young people (ages 16-35), those with disabilities, people of color, veterans, and members of the LGBTQ+ community not elected as delegates or alternates are encouraged to apply to be add-on delegates at the caucus or by visiting massdems.org/massdems-convention.
February 21 at 7:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
February 25 at 2 p.m., Lincoln Public Library
In 2005, 170 Palestinian civil society organizations called for a non-violent boycott, divestment, and sanction (BDS) campaign to pressure Israel to comply with international law. Although the campaign has gained little traction with the American public, the pro-Israel lobby has aggressively pursued—and in 36 states, succeeded in—enacting legislation that penalizes the free-speech “right to boycott.” The film follows three cases: a newspaper publisher in Arkansas, an attorney in Arizona, and a speech therapist in Texas who were forced to choose between their jobs and their political beliefs. Watch the trailer.
The Rural Land Foundation will hold its next public forum on the future of the mall on Thursday, Feb. 29 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Click here to join the meeting (passcode: 94034). Redevelopment of the mall will be guided by rezoning in South Lincoln mandated by the Housing Choice Act. At the first forum on January 18, the RLF unveiled two visual concepts for 40 units of housing and 5,000–10,000 square feet of first-floor and/or street-activating use space.
The First Parish in Lincoln continues its “Conversations on Tap” series at the Tack Room with Rev. Nate Klug in “Talking with Your Kids About Current Events” on Monday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. Open to all spiritual backgrounds and towns. This year especially, with war in Ukraine and the Middle East and a national election upcoming, we may feel overwhelmed in thinking about how to approach current events with our children.
There will be an informational meeting with representatives of the Housing Choice Act Working Group and the Rural Land Foundation (owner of the mall) on Thursday, March 7 at at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. This will be an in-person event only, and seating will be limited.
The unofficial meeting with town officials including Select Board member Jennifer Glass, Planning Board Chair Margaret Olson, and Director of Planning and Land Use Paula Vaughn-MacKenzie is organized and hosted by Pam and Ken Hurd. It is not a presentation or debate but will focus on questions people may have regarding the proposed zoning changes to the Lincoln Station District in response to HCA.
Geoff McGean and Michelle Barnes of the RLF will also answer questions on the constraints they face in transforming the current mall building into housing with ground floor commercial, perhaps using a schematic plan for illustrative purposes only.
Videos of the RLF’s public forums in January and February can be found on this RLF web page. Read about them in the Lincoln Squirrel articles published on Jan. 21, 2024 and March 3, 2024.
Explore the world of natural color with an introduction to dyeing fabric with plants. You’ll create your own set of four dyed cotton napkins using plants, including some foraged at Nature Linc over the summer. Different surface techniques will be explored, including creating resists on fabric with natural materials. Adults only. Pre-registration required.
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 “On Belonging in Outdoor Spaces” free speaker series continues via Zoom on Wednesday, March 13 at 7 p.m. with Erika Rumbley, co-founder and director of the New Garden Society and Director of Horticulture at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. She will speak about her work training incarcerated students in the art and science of plants. On Wednesday, March 27at 7 p.m., Doug Sutherland, a summer camp professional, will share his experiences as a Black person in rural New Hampshire, where “belonging” is an assumption for some and unattainable for others.
Click here to register for either talk. The series is hosted by Farrington Nature Linc, Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, the Walden Woods Project, Mass Audubon, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, and Codman Community Farms. Spring 2024 Sponsorship is generously provided by the Ogden Codman Trust and Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area.
The Youth Programs Committee at the First Parish in Lincoln is hosting an interfaith candlelight vigil on Wednesday, March 20 from 6–7 p.m. at the white church for all children lost in both the Palestinian and Israeli communities. Children can bring a bird they’ve made for a specific child (see Birds of Gaza for ideas) or for children more broadly. Craft kits with various art supplies to create birds are still available outside the side door of the Stone Church. Birds can be fashioned out of any medium you choose (clay, paper, your own materials, etc.). A short prayer will be offered at the vigil that is appropriate for all ages.
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.
The “On Belonging in Outdoor Spaces” free speaker series continues on Wednesday, March 27 at 7 p.m. via Zoom when Doug Sutherland, a summer camp professional, will share his experiences as a Black person in rural New Hampshire, where “belonging” is an assumption for some and unattainable for others. Click here to register.
The series is hosted by Farrington Nature Linc, Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, the Walden Woods Project, Mass Audubon, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, and Codman Community Farms. Spring 2024 Sponsorship is generously provided by the Ogden Codman Trust and Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area.
A memorial for the late Susan Sugar will take place on Sunday, April 6 at 2 p.m. in the First Parish Church across from the library, with a reception to follow. Sugar died on Nov. 7, 2023 at the age of 90 (click here for her obituary).