In 1781, Elizabeth Freeman, known as “Mum Bett,” successfully sued for her freedom from the bonds of slavery in a pivotal case argued before the Massachusetts courts. That same year, Quock Walker also sued for his freedom and won. The winning argument in both cases was that slavery was unconstitutional under the Massachusetts Constitution. Lincoln resident Ron Chester, a professor at the New England School of Law, will discuss these cases and their importance on Friday, March 4 at 1 p.m. Email gagnea@lincolntown.org to sign up for this Zoom session.
The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee will hold a caucus on Monday, March 7 from 7–8:30 p.m. (Zoom room opens at 6:30) to elect five delegates and four alternates to the 2022 Massachusetts Democratic Party Convention in Worcester on June 4. All Democrats registered in Lincoln are eligible not only to vote but also to be a delegate. Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as a delegate or alternate may apply to be an add-on delegate to the caucus or at www.massdems.org. See the Lincoln Dems website for more information and click here to register for the caucus (after registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting).
The Lincoln PTO will hold a debate featuring candidates running in the March 28 town election on Wednesday, March 16 from 7–9 p.m. The event will take place in the newly renovated Brooks Auditorium and will also be live-streamed and recorded.
Moderating the event will be PTO co-chair Rob Stringer and former PTO president Carol Kasper. All of the candidates for the four contested races (Select Board, Lincoln School Committee, L-S School Committee, and Planning Board) have said they will participate, as have most of those who are running uncontested. “We really want everyone to get to know all the candidates,” Stringer said.
Each candidate will have two minutes to introduce themselves and will then face questions from the moderators. There will also be Q&A opportunities for the audience, probably with questions written down and sent to the moderators as with recent Town Meetings.
National issues have trickled down into local politics in many cities and towns, “but we want to make sure it stays civil and nobody feels attacked from the right or the left. We are still neighbors,” Stringer said.
Details and online links will be announced closer to the event.
March with the Lincoln Minute Men along Battle Road at 2:45 p.m. or meet at the capture site at 3 p.m. where Paul Revere’s ride ended in Lincoln. See Revere, Samuel Prescott, William Dawes, Mary Hartwell, Catharine Louisa Smith, and Major Mitchell tell the true story, despite poetic efforts by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to tell a different tale. Music and musket fire. For all ages.
- Evacuation scenario at the home of William and Catharine Louisa Smith, 9:30 a.m. – noon.
- Battle reenactment at Parker’s Revenge, MMNHP, noon–1 p.m.
- Battle of Tower Park, 1200 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington, 4 p.m.
Families prepare to evacuate their homes on April 19, 1775. Later, hundreds of British and Provincial soldiers recreate the running battle along the deadly stretch of road through Lincoln, from Elm Brook Hill to the Lexington border. Then both sides regroup to battle again at Tower Park in Lexington.
A Lincoln resident during the Revolutionary War reminisces about the fateful early hours of April 19, 1775. Capt. William Smith arrives on horseback to alarm the citizens of Lincoln. Bells ring, drums roll, and families say anxious goodbyes, as the Lincoln Minute Men assemble for musket drill and firing, and receive their orders to march.
The Lincoln Minute Men salute the Patriots buried in the Old Meeting House Burying Ground as they emerge from the mists for roll call. Fifers play a lament and the muskets fire a volley. Then join the Minute Men on their walk to Concord along Sandy Pond Road (three miles) amid colonial music and musket fire for the parade in Concord starting at 9 a.m. All ages welcome.
The Lincoln Minute Men host fife and drum groups from far and wide in a musical performance for your enjoyment. Bring your picnic basket and lawn chairs for rousing entertainment. In case of rain, see the Parks and Rec website.
March with the Lincoln Minute Men and British Regulars from Pierce House to the Old Burying Ground on Lexington Road to honor the Patriot dead and the five British soldiers killed in Lincoln along the Battle Road. Mary Hartwell and Catharine Louisa Smith tell their stories of burying British soldiers, an enslaved soldier tells how he gained his freedom, and a British mother laments the loss of her son. Ceremonies include music and musket salutes.
Learn to eat nutritiously, reduce food waste, and stretch your shopping budget when cooking for one. Senior Living residence chefs will show us how to prepare several tasty Mediterranean-style meals from a short list of cost-effective, brain-healthy ingredients. Please RSVP by calling 781-259-8811 by May 11.
This presentation will review what we know about driver safety for seniors, how to keep driving safely, and the warning signs that may signal it is time to retire from driving. Beth Dugan, an Associate Professor of Gerontology at UMASS Boston, is actively investigating healthy aging She serves on the Governor’s Council to Address Aging Issues in Mass., has been a guest on WGBH, and is author of The Driving Dilemma: The Complete Resources Guide for Older Drivers and Their Loved Ones.
Elder law attorney Sasha Golden will share important news regarding probate avoidance and beneficiary designations. There have been many changes in the laws recently concerning naming beneficiaries of retirement plans. Sasha is a Lincoln resident and donates her expertise for monthly legal clinics & programs.
On Thursday, June 16 at 7 p.m. via Zoom, Dr. Kellie Carter Jackson, Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Wellesley College, will offer an overview of the history of the holiday and an exploration of the various ways Black communities have created traditions and cultivated the joy of emancipation and freedom. The program is free and open to all but advance registration is required. Sponsored by Belmont Public Library, Belmont Against Racism, Belmont Council on Aging, and the public libraries of Chelmsford, Lexington, Lincoln, Maynard, Newton, Sherborn, and Wayland. The Lincoln Public Library’s portion of the program is sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.