acorns

Ash Wednesday at St. Anne’s

Join the St. Anne’s community for an Ash Wednesday evening service on Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 7–8 p.m. to mark the threshold to the season of Lent. We welcome everyone from all walks of life and faith. For more information, visit StAnnesLincoln.org.  

Event for new and expectant parents

Join LincFam for an upcoming coffee meetup at Twisted Tree on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 2-3 p.m. Little ones are welcome. LincFam is eager to update their New & Expecting Parents list of families with children under 2 or expecting a child. If you’d like to join the list for information on future events and meetups, please click here.

Session on home backup battery power

MetroWest Climate Solutions, of which First Parish in Lincoln is a founding member, is offering a webinar on “Backup Power: Battery Storage for Homes & Businesses” on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. Onsite battery storage systems are seeing a spike in interest to power homes during blackouts and/or to make the most of an existing solar system. These battery systems often provide backup for 10 to 20 hours and can be charged either by solar panels onsite or electricity from your utility. In this session, Matt Honkonen of East Coast Solar will provide an overview of issues to consider when installing battery storage systems in your home and/or business, including cost. The session will also discuss the often-overlooked human rights abuses associated with cobalt/lithium mines in Africa. Two local residents will also share their experiences in evaluating vendors and installing battery storage systems in their homes. Click here to register.

Climate Action Plan workshops

Climate Action 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. Developing the plan involves community outreach and engagement, the identification of needs and goals, and the development of actionable strategies to increase resilience and sustainability. There will be two community workshops for the public on Wednesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. and Friday, March 3 at 8:30 a.m., with the same information shared and input welcomed at both.

• Register for the March 1 event
• Register for the March 3 event
• Subscribe to our listserv for email updates
• Email questions or comments to Jennifer Curtin at curtinj@lincolntown.org

Spring concerts at deCordova

Old-style Irish dance and music
Saturday, March 4 from 6–8 p.m.
Enjoy an evening of traditional and old-style Irish dance and music with a performance by the quartet Eight Feet Tall and social céilí dancing for all with live music to top off the night. The dances are fun and simple group dances, no experience is needed, and all dances will be taught – everyone is welcome. The event is liked to New Formations exhibition at the deCordova. Click here for tickets.

Musical performance with Antje Duvekot
Thursday, March 9 at 7 p.m.
Antje Duvekot has won some of the top songwriting awards including the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, the prestigious Kerrville (Texas) Best New Folk Award, and the Boston Music Award for Outstanding Folk Act. Click here for tickets.

Editor’s note: the first three items briefly appeared in News Acorns earlier, but due to a computer glitch, they disappeared from the Squirrel website so we’re posting them again, along with their accompanying calendar entries, which had also disappeared.

IDEA Committee forum

The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Antiracism (IDEA) Committee will hold a public forum on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln School Learning Commons. Learn about the group’s work to date, plans for the coming year, and community engagement opportunities. This is a hybrid meeting, so you may join us in person or online over Zoom (passcode: 638410).

Film: “A Yak in the Classroom”

The Lincoln Library Film Society will show the Oscar-nominated “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. in the library’s Tarbell Room. An aspiring singer living with his grandmother in the capital of Bhutan dreams of getting a visa to move to Australia. Dzongkha and English with subtitles.

Event on making your home greener

“How to Improve the Envelope of your Home,” the first presentation in the Getting to Zero series, will be led by Rachel White CEO of Byggmeister Design/Build, on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Learn how to make the walls, floors, roof and windows of you house more energy efficient. Click here to register. Other presentations in the series:

• Upgrading Your Windows (February 28)
• Go with Solar (March)
• Getting to Zero: The Historical Home, presented by FoMA (March)
• Install Heat Pumps (April)

The Getting to Zero series is presented by CFREE, a working group of Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee, to help residents affordably achieve energy-efficient, electrified, comfortable and healthy homes.

Library hosts kids’ events for school vacation week

Dance Party with Denise
Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 10 a.m.
Families will groove to children’s songs, oldies, and a few pop favorites. Best for ages 6 and under, but all kids who like to dance are welcome. Drop in.

The Awesome Robb Magic Show
Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 11 a.m.
The Awesome Robb Show is more than just a magic show; it’s a show that entertains everyone and will have you laughing right from the start. No registration necessary. Best for ages 4 and up but all are welcome.

The Case of the Haunted Hotel: An Escape Room Mystery
Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m.
Join us for a fun Haunted Hotel Escape Room. For children ages 10-12. Please note: a caregiver (or older sibling) must attend. Registration required; email sfeather@minlib.net.

Buildwave: A Hands-on STEM Building Game
Thursday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m.
Buildwave is a high-energy creative building event using over a dozen different building materials. The workshop features animations and music that guide kids through different building waves. Intended for kids in grades 1+. Registration required; email dleopold@minlib.net.

“Fort” Night at the Library
Thursday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m.
Join us for a fun-filled night of making blanket forts in the library. Make sure to bring your own clean sheets and/or blankets. Pajamas encouraged. Bring a stuffed animal and a flashlight if you like. No registration necessary; All ages welcome.

Movies and Muffins
Friday, Feb. 24 at 10:30 a.m.
Join us to watch short film versions of classic picture books and enjoy muffins and juice. Intended for children ages 2+. No registration required.

For details, visit the Children’s Department web page.

Ash Wednesday at St. Anne’s

Please join the St. Anne’s community for an Ash Wednesday evening service on Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 7–8 p.m. on the threshold to the season of Lent. We welcome everyone from all walks of life and faith. For more information, visit stanneslincoln.org.

21-day challenge on inclusion, diversity, and equity

The Lincoln Public Schools have created a 21-day AIDE Challenge (Antiracism, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity) to deepen our community’s understanding of antiracism, inclusion, diversity and equity. While the challenge is meant for individual work, participation by groups and the whole community is ideal. AIDE recommends that groups meet several times during the 21-days challenge to consider, explore, and connect to what they are learning. WIDE Lincoln can help with general facilitation, targeted help connecting this work to your equity goals, answer questions, and provide guidance for navigating issues that arise within your organizational discussion during the 21 days. It can also help people who are not aligned with an organization for this purpose to join others in meeting. Please fill out this form to request assistance.

MMNHP talk on Concord’s role in the Revolution

The Friends of Minute Man National Park will host their winter lecture, “Minutemen Revisited: Rethinking Concord’s Role in the Revolution: A Conversation with Robert Gross and Friends,” on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. via Zoom. Gross will discuss his revised and expanded edition of The Minutemen and Their World in conversation with Joel Bohy, J.L. Bell, and Jim Hollister. Free; click here to register. The lecture is co-sponsored by the Friends of Minute Man and Minute Man National Historical Park and is also supported in part by a grant from the Concord Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Scholarship and grant applications now being accepted

The Lincoln Scholarship Committee application is now open. Both merit-based and need-based scholarships and awards are available. The application deadline is March 31. More information on the various scholarships and awards as well as an application can be found on the Lincoln Scholarship Committee website.

The Lincoln Garden Club is offering project grants and its annual Gabrielle Brenninkmeyer Award. Examples of special projects that have received grants in the past include:

• Hiring an intern to develop a native plant bed in Station Park
• Providing funds to the town tree warden to plant the next generation of trees along Baker Bridge Road
• A partnership with the Lincoln Public Library Board of Trustees to care for and propagate the iconic catalpa (“twisted tree”) growing in front of the library

The club has set aside up to $4,500 to fund grant proposals in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Grant applications must be sponsored by a Lincoln Garden Club member; collaboration on the proposal with other community groups is welcomed and encouraged. Click here to apply.

The $500 Brenninkmeyer award supports projects that further the club’s twofold mission of providing community service to the town of Lincoln and giving members the opportunity to enhance and share their knowledge of such garden-related topics as horticulture, design, conservation, and beautification. The award is open to any Lincoln resident or Lincoln Public Schools student. Click here to apply.

School superintendent to be selected next week

The School Committee will hold a special meeting to deliberate and vote on the appointment of the next Lincoln Public Schools superintendent on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. Click here to watch it live on Zoom. Final interviews are being conducted this week and recordings should be posted on the new town video website by Friday, Feb 3. Last week, the four finalists visited the schools and took part in forums with administrators, faculty, and community members.

Library opens late on Feb. 8

The Lincoln Public Library will open at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8 rather than 9 a.m. due to staff training.

Sip, talk and learn at story-telling event

Lincoln residents are invited to listen and tell their three-minute story on Sunday, Feb. 12 from 4–5:30 p.m. in the First Parish in Lincoln’s Stearns Room. The church began the series in 2019 and has heard stories of adventures, passions, hobbies, unknown siblings, and more. Telling a story in three minutes is a challenge but it makes for a fun event with about 12-15 speakers. We will have a fire going and if you’d like to bring a beverage to share, we will provide some pre-Super Bowl nibbles. Please email tuckerwsmith@gmail.com to sign up to tell your story or if you have questions.

Events on love songs and Black History Month

All are invited to a program about the history and significance of the most cherished and enduring love songs of the 20th century at “The Greatest Love Songs of All Time” on Friday, Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Hear more about classics including Cole Porter’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Some Enchanted Evening,” Tony Bennett’s “The Way You Look Tonight,” and Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable.” Presented by John Clark & the Great American Music Experience and hosted by the Council on Aging & Human Services.

The COA&HS will present “Black History Month in the Era of CRT Book Banning” on Friday, Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Lincoln resident Ray Anthony Shepard, author of several biographies for young readers, will discuss the current hot-button topic of what in American history should be taught to children and will share how he addresses race in his picture book, Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge. Questions? Call 781-259-8811.

Intergenerational events feature ice cream, maple tapping

All residents, especially parents and grandparents who are watching children during school vacation week, are invited to an intergenerational ice cream social on Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 1–2:30 p.m. and a session on tree tapping, sap collection, and maple syrup with Conservation Department Ranger Will Leona on Friday, Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. in Bemis Hall. On Tuesday, build your own sundae; on Friday, learn about how indigenous peoples in our area collected and boiled sap, sample some of Will and Abigail’s syrup, and then go outside to tap the sugar maples next to Bemis Hal with Nancy Bergen from Matlock Farm. Dress for outdoor weather.

Talk on heart disease in women

The Council on Aging & Human Services presents “The Truth About Women and Heart Disease” with moving testimony by Margaret Perras, spokesperson for the American Heart Association, on Friday, Feb. 3 at 1 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Heart disease strikes even the most fit — learn how to watch for the signs. Attendees are invited to wear red and help raise awareness for the #1 killer of women: cardiovascular disease. Questions? Call 781-259-8811 or visit WearRedDay.org.

Campaign kickoff event for Sudbury L-S School Committee candidate 

Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee (LSSC) candidate Ravi Simon of Sudbury (an L-S graduate and legislative aide for State Rep. Carmine Gentile) will host a campaign kick-off event at on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. at the First Parish of Sudbury (327 Concord Rd., Sudbury). The host committee includes Gentile, Sudbury LSSC members Cara Endyke-Doran and Candace Miller, former LSSC member Nancy Marshall of Lincoln, and former Sudbury LSSC members Jack Ryan, Tania Vitvitsky, Josh Troop, and Andrew Blair. RSVPs using this online form are appreciated but not required. For more information, email RaviforLincolnSudbury@gmail.com.

Library offers online events

“The Challenges of Being a Debut Author” featuring Chelsea Banning will take place via Zoom on Monday, Feb. 6 from 7–8 p.m. Debut author (and librarian) was very excited to publish her first book, “Of Crown and Legends”. And then came the book signing where very few people showed up, and then the Twitter storm of support when Chelsea posted about the experience. Now, we speak with Chelsea in conversation with debut authors Laura Gao, Brian D. Kennedy, Jean Louise, and XiXi Tian to chat about the challenges and joys of getting your first book out in the world.

This event is hosted by the Ashland Public Library. Click here to register.

On Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m., join Emily Levine of Longfellow House–Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site for “Freedom’s Cause: Historical Black Communities and George Washington’s Cambridge Camp,” a discussion of how free and enslaved Black members of Washington’s war camp interacted with one another, members of the local community, and the general himself. For example, Washington corresponded with poet Phillis Wheatley; he segregated the Continental Army, then reversed the decision. The family of Tony and Cuba Vassall, formerly enslaved by the first owner of the Cambridge house (which Lincoln’s Pierce House was designed to emulate), lived in freedom next to people enslaved by the Washingtons.

This event is hosted by the Wellesley Free Library. Click here to register.

Panel marks Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Join the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable on Monday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. for “What is Important to Us: A Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month Panel,” an event marking February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. In this program, teen panelists will highlight what they want adults and peers to know about relationships, media consumption, trust, and boundaries, and how adults can support the teens in their lives.

Registration is required for this event and can be completed here. All participants will receive an email with the Zoom information after registering. For more information, visit www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org or email infordvrt@gmail.com.

The Commons seeks to expand

The Planning Board and Select Board will hold a joint meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 24 to hear a proposal from The Commons in Lincoln to add 38 independent living units to its campus. Because the development is in a zoning overlay district, the proposal will require approval at the Annual Town Meeting next month. Also on the agenda are requests for vote of approval/endorsement by the two boards on the updated Complete Streets prioritization plan. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. and the discussion on The Commons is scheduled to begin at 7:45 p.m. Click here for the Zoom link (passcode: 125966) and click here for the full agenda.

Openings on town election ballot

There are still a few offices on the ballot for which no one has taken out nomination papers. There are two open seats on the Housing Commission, one for two years and one for three years, and one open three-year seat for the Trustees of Bemis. The deadline for taking out papers is Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. Papers with there requisite number of signatures must be returned to the Town Clerk’s office by Friday, Feb. 3 by 5 p.m.

Gospel choir plans concert

The Joyful Voices Gospel Choir featuring Lincoln resident RL Smith will give a concert on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. in Donaldson Auditorium. Featuring a repertoire of stirring gospel music interspersed with stories about its origins and history as a uniquely American art form, this free, all-ages concert is a highlight of the Winter Carnival experience at the start of Black History Month. Sponsored by the Bemis Free Lecture Series.

Public hearing on Route 126 bridge project

On Wednesday, Feb. 8, there will be a public hearing on a MassDOT proposal to rebuild the Route 162 bridge over the MBTA railroad tracks. Construction will take place in stages so a detour will not be required. Bicycles and pedestrians will be accommodated during construction by the installation of a Temporary Bike/Ped Bridge. Details on the project and hearing can be found here. A link to register for this virtual meeting will be posted here closer to the day of the hearing.

Domestic Violence Roundtable hosts event on teen dating

Everyone is invited to watch “What is Important to Us: A Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month Panel” with the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable on Monday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. In this program, teen panelists will highlight what’s important to them and what they want adults and peers to know about relationships, media consumption, trust, and boundaries. The panelists will share their own perspective on how adults can support the teens in their lives. Registration is required; click here to register and get the Zoom link. For more information, visit www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org or email infordvrt@gmail.com.

Event looks at insect decline

Professor Dave Goulson will give a talk on “Silent Earth: Saving our Insects” on Saturday, Jan. 21 from 2–3:30 p.m., discussing why insects are in decline and what steps we can take to help. Click here to register for the Zoom link. Sponsored by the Mass. Pollinator Network, Lexington Living Landscapes, the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, and Mass Audubon. Click here to register for the Zoom link.

Talk on wildfires and climate change

Join The Walden Woods Project and RESTORE: The North Woods for “Fire Suppression & Climate Change: A Conversation with George Wuerthner” on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Wuerthner, a professional photographer and the author of more than two dozen books on natural history and other environmental topics, including Wildfire: A Century of Failed Forest Policy, He will provide insights and an overview on the major factors driving large wildfires in the West and discuss the ecological impacts of these blazes as well as policies that could help to protect communities from such events in the age of climate change. Click here to learn more and register.

Film: “In the Mood for Love”

The Lincoln Library Film Society presents “In The Mood For Love (Fa Yeung Nin Wah)” (1962) on Thursday Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. in the Tarbell Room. Chow Mo-Wan (Tony Leung) and Su Li-Zhen (Maggie Cheung Man Yuk) move into neighboring apartments on the same day. Their encounters are formal and polite — until a discovery about their spouses creates an intimate bond between them. With its aching soundtrack and exquisitely abstract cinematography by Christopher Doyle and Mark Lee Ping Bing, this film has been a major stylistic influence on the past two decades of cinema and is a milestone in Wong’s redoubtable career. In Hong Kong Cantonese and Shanghainese with English subtitles.

Library-sponsored events on ransomware, British cooking

Pulitzer Prize finalist Renee Dudley and Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel Golden will discuss their latest book, The Ransomware Hunting Team — a real-life technological thriller that illuminates a dangerous new era of cybercrime — via Zoom on Wednesday, Jan. 25 from 7–8:30 p.m. Again and again, an unlikely band of misfits, mostly self-taught and often struggling to make ends meet, have outwitted the underworld of hackers who lock computer networks and demand huge payments in return for the keys. Click here to register.

Join British travel/relocation consultant Claire Evans for a delightful culinary tour of the U.K. (via Zoom) inspired by “The Great British Baking Show” TV series on Thursday, Jan. 26 from 2–3 p.m. She’ll talk about how to make a proper cup of tea and regional specialties, as well as translating the trickiest parts of British recipes for Americans so you can try them in your own kitchen. This program is hosted by the Cary Memorial Library in collaboration with several Massachusetts libraries. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library. Click here to register.

LincFam New Years’ Dance party

LincFam (the Lincoln Family Association) will host a New Year’s dance party on Friday, Dec. 30 from 4–6 p.m. at the First Parish in Lincoln’s parish house (the stone church) with family-friendly dance music, crafts, and pizza. Free for LincFam members, $10 for others. Click here to RSVP or email info@lincfam.org.

Scholarship program now accepting applications

The Sudbury Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2023 Atkinson Scholarship Program. The Atkinson Scholarship is $5,000 and is renewable for three additional years of support. Students are selected based on a combination of financial need, academic performance, and merit. The program is open to high school seniors graduating in spring 2023 who are planning to attend a four or two-year college, or approved, post-secondary vocational school. Applicants must be:

• Enrolled at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School (L-S), OR
• A Sudbury resident or the dependent of a Sudbury resident, OR
• The dependent of a Town of Sudbury or L-S full-time employee. 

The application deadline is Feb. 1, 2023. If you know a high school senior who might be interested, please let them know that they can find information about the scholarship program here, or call 978-443-0849.

Lincoln student at BC High makes honor roll

Patrick Blanc of Lincoln, a senior at Boston College High School, was named to the first-quarter honor roll with High Honors (Class of 2023). The recognition requires a quality grade point average of at least 3.80 and all grades C+ or higher.

Author conversation via Zoom

Join an evening with two of the country’s top young adult authors as Maureen Johnson (Nine Liars) is interviewed by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (The Final Gambit) in a webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 4 from 7–8 p.m. Sponsored by the Lincoln Public Library.  Click here to register.