The Lincoln PTO will host a forum featuring the candidates for the two contested races on the March 27 town election ballot on Tuesday, March 21 from 7–9 p.m. in the Lincoln School Learning Commons. The event will also be live-streamed on Zoom and posted afterwards on the town’s video webpage.
Four candidates — Peter Buchthal, incumbent Adam Hogue, Jacob Lehrhoff, and Matina Madrick — are vying for two seats on the School Committee. On the Planning Board, there are two openings and three candidates: incumbent Lynn DeLisi, Mark Levinson, and Craig Nicholson. (DeLisi has said she will not be able to attend the forum due to a family commitment.)
The event 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. At the forum, moderators will pose questions to candidates from cards submitted by audience members. Attendees will get question sheets and pencils when they arrive, and they’re asked to pose questions that apply to all candidates in a race and not individual candidates.
During the week of March 13, the Lincoln Squirrel will publish two sets of mini-profiles of the candidates. The full election slate is available here.
Are you a kid — or do you know a kid — who is learning about climate change? The Town of Lincoln is gathering input for a Climate Action Plan that will guide efforts to reduce carbon emissions and increase our community’s resilience to climate change impacts. We want to hear from you! Please join us for a Climate Action Plan discussion at the Lincoln Public Library on Wednesday, March 22 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Questions or comments? Email Jennifer Curtin at curtinj@lincolntown.org.
The First Parish in Lincoln will host a movie night on Wednesday, March 22 at 5 p.m. in the stone church with pizza and popcorn to watch “Luca.” There will be refreshments and cheese boards for adults plus gluten-free options. Please click here to RSVP so we have an accurate count for all our nibbles. All are welcome and encouraged to attend (we’ll have gluten free options as well). If you would like to make a suggested donation of $10 per family to help cover food costs, click the link at the bottom of the RSVP form, select Youth Programs, and enter “Movie Night 3/22” in the notes field. Donations of flashlights and batteries for Syria are also welcome.
Inspired by the true story of newsboys in turn-of-the-century New York City, Disney’s “Newsies Jr.” is the tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenage “newsies,” the young people who sold afternoon editions of newspapers directly to readers on city streets. It’s loosely based on the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899, when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newsies on a two-week-long action against Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, and other powerful New York newspaper publishers who had raised distribution prices at the newsies’ expense. More than one-third of all Lincoln School middle school students are involved in either the cast or crew. Tickets will be sold at the door ($10 for adults, $5 for students/seniors/LPS employees; cash or check only). All proceeds go towards the show budget.
All Lincoln residents regardless of political affiliation are invited to a conversation with State Rep. Alice Peisch (D–14th Norfolk) on Monday, April 3 from 6:45–8 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. Peisch represents Precinct 2 in Lincoln as well as Weston and Wellesley. Peisch was elected to the House of Representatives in 2002 and is currently the House Assistant Majority Leader. She served as House chair of the Joint Committee on Education from 2011-2023. This meeting offers an excellent opportunity not only to meet our new rep, but also to ask questions on matters of concern to Lincoln residents and hear her views on significant issues such as changes at Hanscom or the Housing Choice Act. Hosted by the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee.
Meet some real owls on Monday, April 17 at 1 p.m. when Farrington Nature Linc hosts naturalist Marcia Wilson from Eyes on Owls. She’ll introduce the audience to owls found in New England and other parts of the world and imitate the owls’ calls herself before bringing out six rehabilitated owls on at a time (each owl has a permanent disability which prevents them from surviving on their own in the wild). There’ll be plenty of time for close-up views, photos, and questions. Click here to register. you can also share a coupon code “SPRING” that will provide a 15% discount.
Are you thinking about what to do over school vacation with the grandkids? Bring them to this intergenerational book intro, meet Lincoln resident Ruth Mendelson (author of The Water Tree Way), and enjoy ice cream sundae cups on Friday, April 21 at Bemis Hall. There will also be a short video of Jane Goodall, who volunteered to write the preface for the book. RSVP to reserve a free signed copy of the book by calling 781-259-8811 (limited to the first 20 callers; limit one book per household). Sponsored by the Council on Aging & Human Services and the Friends of the Lincoln Library.
The Lincoln Public Library invites children in grades 4-6 to a natural treasure hunt with author and educator Clare Walker Leslie on Thursday, April 27 at 4 p.m. Learn how to observe and preserve your thoughts about the natural world by creating a beautiful journal that integrates science, art, math, and writing. Clare’s nature journaling method inspires students to draw conclusions and make observations that instill a respect for the natural world around us and promote conservation into the future. This program will include classroom instruction and a low intensity outdoor walk, weather permitting. Leslie’s books will be available to purchase at the event. Space is limited; please email sfeather@minlib.net to register. The program is funded thanks to a partnership between the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and the Friends of the Lincoln Library.
All are invited to celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander cultures on Friday, May 19 from 4:30–6:30 p.m. in the Lincoln School Learning Commons. Enjoy food, performances, art, karaoke, and fashion. Food ($14) must be ordered in advance; click here to order and pay using Venmo. Sponsored by the Lincoln PTO, the METCO Coordinating Committee, and the Lincoln METCO Parent Board.
On Thursday, May 31, the Lincoln GearTicks will host a STEM Open House from 7-8 p.m. at Hartwell Pod A where you can see some of the robots that students built this year and learn more about joining one of the many teams.
Robotics programs are organized through FIRST and the Lincoln Recreation Department. FLL Explore introduces kids in grades 1-3 to STEM through Lego building and programming activities and runs for six weeks starting in January. In FLL Challenge, students in grades 4-8 build and program Lego robots for specific tasks on a playing field for lasting 12 weeks starting in early September. FTC caters to those in grades 7-12 with a commitment of 9+ hours/week designing robots using 3D-printed and laser-cut materials and programming in Java. Questions? Email hello@gearticks.com.
The Democratic Town Committee will hold a caucus to elect delegates to the 2023 Massachusetts Democratic Party Convention (to be held on September 23 in person in Lowell) on Sunday, June 4 at 2 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Doors open at 1:30 and close at 2:15 sharp, as required by Massachusetts Democratic Committee rules. Five delegate and four alternates will be elected to represent Lincoln at the 2023 Massachusetts Democratic Party Convention. All registered Lincoln Democrats are eligible not only to vote and be a delegate. Democrats who will be 16 by May 23, 2023 may pre-register for the caucus and participate and run as a delegate or alternate to the convention, although they are not eligible to vote in general elections until they are 18. Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as a delegate or alternate are encouraged to apply to be an add-on delegate to the caucus at the caucus or by visiting or at www.massdems.org/massdems-convention.
Lincoln dietician and Happy Jars owner Jodi Gorman will offer a cooking class featuring summer parties and picnics for kids age 10+ on Friday, June 9 at 3:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library. Jodi will go over basic kitchen skills as well as how to create a versatile, tasty salad for all seasons. All materials will be provided. Email sfeather@minlib.net for registration and more information.
Codman Community Farms will mark its 50th birthday with a celebration for all ages on Saturday, June 10 from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. This will be a day of games, food, and music, with special T-shirts available for purchase. Among the activities:
- Live music by the Honey Steelers
- Farm themed games & entertainment for kids
- Strawberry pie-eating contest
- “American Gothic” photo contest
- Birthday cake and ice cream for all (cake-cutting at 1 p.m.)
- Food for purchase including Codman’s own smoked ribs or maple sausage, grilled cheese sandwiches, fresh veggie & hummus basket with pita chips, and beer/wine/nonalcoholic drinks
While the event is free for all and no tickets are required, please click here to “purchase” your free tickets as an RSVP. This will ensure enough fun for all.
The Housing Choice Act Working Group (HCAWG) has scheduled a virtual multi-board meeting and two public forums in June to discuss the town’s path towards compliance with the state housing law.
The goal of the Housing Choice Act is to create more transit-oriented zoning areas (meaning areas surrounding MBTA stops including Lincoln’s train station) where multifamily housing is allowed by right. Under the updated guidelines released last fall, Lincoln would be required to allow either 692 or 563 units in one or more multifamily zones, depending on whether or not the Hanscom housing units are counted. In March, HCAWG met with consultants from Utile Design to review how the state calculates developable land and to walk through an initial analysis of current zoning in Lincoln to begin identifying areas that might be logical places for rezoning.
The meeting co-hosted by the Select Board and the Planning Board will be on Tuesday, June 6 at 7 p.m. Click here for the Zoom link. The public forums will be:
- Friday, June 16 at 8 a.m. in person at the Town Hall
- Tuesday, June 20 at 7 p.m. via Zoom — click here to register.
Codman Community Farms will hold a Chili Cookout and Campout on Saturday, June 17 from 6–9:30 p.m. Vegetarian and pasture-raised beef chili as well as chili dogs made from Codman-grown ingredients will be on offer. Sides include CCF-made potato salad, cornbread, and cookies. Bring a favorite drink, gather around the campfire, stuff yourself with s’mores, and sing with friends. Optionally, pitch your tent, stay overnight, wake up to the sounds of the farm, and enjoy a simple breakfast on Sunday morning. Space is limited; click here to buy tickets in advance.
The Housing Choice Act Working Group (HCAWG) has scheduled a virtual multi-board meeting and two public forums in June to discuss the town’s path towards compliance with the state housing law.
The goal of the Housing Choice Act is to create more transit-oriented zoning areas (meaning areas surrounding MBTA stops including Lincoln’s train station) where multifamily housing is allowed by right. Under the updated guidelines released last fall, Lincoln would be required to allow either 692 or 563 units in one or more multifamily zones, depending on whether or not the Hanscom housing units are counted. In March, HCAWG met with consultants from Utile Design to review how the state calculates developable land and to walk through an initial analysis of current zoning in Lincoln to begin identifying areas that might be logical places for rezoning.
The meeting co-hosted by the Select Board and the Planning Board will be on Tuesday, June 6 at 7 p.m. Click here for the Zoom link. The public forums will be:
- Friday, June 16 at 8 a.m. in person at the Town Hall
- Tuesday, June 20 at 7 p.m. via Zoom — click here to register.
The Splash, Mash and Dash, Lincoln’s triathlon for kids ages 5-14 on Saturday, June 24 from 8–11:30 a.m. is the perfect race for a first-time triathlete. The swim/bike/run event takes place at the Codman Pool; the older you are, the farther you go! Information about the race can be found at www.kidstri.net. There are T-shirts, goody bags and medals for every participant plus awards and raffle prizes. Entry fees are $30 per person (maximum $90 per family) before race day and $40/$120 maximum on race day. For maximum family discount, please contact ldumont@lincnet.org. Packet pickup is Friday, June 23 from 12:30–6 p.m. in Hartwell B Pod. Click here to register.