acorns

Jazz concert this week

All are invited to a jazz concert with local musicians organized by Nick Ribush of Lincoln’s Traditional Jazz Band on Thursday, Sept. 21 from 1–3 p.m. in Bemis Hall.

Film: “The Day He Arrives”

The Lincoln Library Film Society presents “The Day He Arrives” on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. Longing and regret, artistic frustration and new hope, self-revelation and self-loathing arise from loopy coincidences, tough reunions, and urban street poetry in this delicate romantic comedy, from 2011, by South Korean director Hong Sang-soo (in Korean with English subtitles).

Join parent and little ones on a walk

LincFam welcomes new and expecting parents to a meetup for families with children under 2 or expecting a child (both parents and children are welcome) on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 3:30 p.m. Meet at the commuter parking lot next to Donelan’s to walk the Codman trails. No RSVP required. If you’d like to join the list for information on future events and meetups, click here.

Codman Feast and Fair

Codman Community Farms’ annual Harvest Feast returns with a classic pig roast, bluegrass music from The New Grownups, and fun on the farm on Saturday, Sept. 30 from 5–9 p.m. There will be pulled pork family meals and apple crisp hot out of the Codman kitchen, plates and cutlery, plus a tent over the front pasture, table seating and Solo stoves to keep warm. Bring a picnic blanket, other side dishes your family might like to eat (not potluck), and drinks. Family meals include Codman pasture-raised pork, cornbread and coleslaw, plus apple crisp and vanilla ice cream. Family meals start at $60; click here to order.

Join in the fun with old-fashioned family and children’s games at Codman’s Harvest Fair on Sunday, Oct. 1 from noon–4 p.m. Activities include bingo in the sugar shack, a pie-eating contest, rooster run, lots of games, (mostly) Codman-grown food, music, and more. Children’s admission bracelets are $20, which includes ice cream. Kids under 3 are free. Click here to skip the line and order in advance.

Apply to exhibit art at the library

The Lincoln Public Library is now accepting applications to display work in the art gallery during 2024. Applications are due by Saturday, Sept. 30. To apply, please fill out this online form While online submissions are strongly preferred, you may also download and print a hard copy linked on that web page.

Library offers Brazilian music and haunted history

The Lincoln Public Library presents a music performance for children and families by Sulinha’s Trio on Wednesday, Oct. 4 from 10:30–11:15 a.m. in the Tarbell Room. Originally from Brazil, Sulinha Boucher’s trio plays bossa nova, baiao, and other styles on Brazilian instruments like berimbau and bandolin as well as acoustic guitar and percussion. No registration necessary. For all ages.

In 1991, Spooky World opened in Berlin, Mass., as the first Halloween scream park. The attraction became so popular that it expanded well beyond its original haunted hayride and shaped a generation of New England Halloween lovers. Join David Bertolino, the man who started it all, and Jeff DePaoli, host of “That Halloween Podcast,” to hear how an idea became a Halloween institution in Massachusetts on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 1-2 p.m. via Zoom (click here to register).

Brain Games on Oct. 15

The fifth annual Brain Games cornhole tournament and family fun day on Sunday, Oct. 15 from noon–5 p.m. in Pierce Park. Live music, local beer, magician Ed Popielarczyk, raffle prizes, and the Clover food truck! There is no cost to attend the event. Food and beverages are available for purchase — everything else is simply whatever you would like to donate. Please spread the word, and invite your friends and family.

Brain Games is the Doo family’s annual fundraiser benefiting moyamoya research at Boston Children’s Hospital in honor of the care received by their daughter, who was diagnosed with the rare brain disease moyamoya in June 2019 and has had three surgeries since. Their goal this year is to raise $100,000 to continue funding her surgeon’s research, where 100% of the event’s proceeds go.

Life celebrations for Evelyn Harris, Toby Frost

Please join Glenn and David Harris as they celebrate the life of their mother Evelyn Harris on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall. A reception will follow. If you would like to speak at the service to share a memory of Evelyn, please email glennh.email@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Evelyn’s memory to Mass Audubon (288 South Great Rd., Lincoln MA 01773).

A celebration of the life of October (Toby) Frost will be held on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 1 p.m. at the Pierce House followed by a reception. Those who knew Toby are welcome to join us.

Evening at Gropius

During this evening slide show and house tour on Friday, Sept. 15 from 7-9 p.m. at the Gropius House (68 Baker Bridge Rd.), see how Walter Gropius’s innovative lighting scheme comes to life at night. Gropius, founder of the German design school the Bauhaus, was one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century. His 1938 home highlights the clean lines of Modernist design. Light refreshments are individual “nibbles” picnic bags. Advance tickets required ($65 for Historic New England members, $75 for nonmembers). Please call 781-259-8098 for more information. Note: the Gropius House is not handicapped-accessible.

“How and Why to Talk to Young Kids About Race”

Join a free public workshop on Monday, Sept. 18 from 7-8:15 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library on “How & Why to Talk to Young Kids About Race” offered by Story Starters. Designed for caregivers and educators, this workshop will explain the research about how racial bias develops in children from a young age, and provide evidence-based strategies adults can use to disrupt that bias and develop children’s antiracist values. Click here to register.

“Leave the Leaves”

This fall, it couldn’t be easier to support pollinators, provide overwinter shelter for amphibians, nurture the soil, improve water retention, and drawdown carbon. Join us on the first day of fall for “Leave the Leaves: A Zoom Introduction & Conversation on Soil & Climate Benefits” by Lincoln soil microbial ecologist Dr. Rachel Neurath to learn about the benefits of leaving the leaves on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. And save the date for the Lincoln Garden Club’s public meeting on November 7. Kathy Connolly will give a presentation entitled “Leave the Leaves, Save the Stems.” Organized by Lincoln Common Ground and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust in collaboration with the Lincoln Garden Club and Codman Community Farms. Click here to register.

Kid/caregiver discussion groups about banned books

Celebrate the freedom to read with a conversation between young people and their caregivers at two discussion groups during Banned Books Week at the Lincoln Public Library. On Monday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m., children’s librarian Debbie Leopold will facilitate a talk for kids age 4+ about Answers in the Pages by David Levithan. Email dleopold@minlib.net to register. Lincoln author Ray Shepard (A Long Time Coming) will host a session with middle schoolers and caregivers on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. to talk about Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. Email sfeather@minlib.net to register.

Submit work to the Lincoln Arts Show

Calling all artists, photographers, potters, jewelers, wood workers, and crafters of all materials! Join us for the 2023 Lincoln Arts (and Crafts) Show on Friday to Sunday, Nov. 17-19 from noon–5 p.m. and an opening reception on Friday, Nov. 17 from 5–7 p.m. at the Pierce House. As always, this open show is for all ages, all creative arts, and all abilities — and student entries are free! We’ve seen 350 attendees at the show each of the past couple of years, so this year we’ll be opening up the second floor to additional displays. Click here for details and registration. Questions? Email Sarah Chester at schester636@gmail.com.

Lecture on Avis and Bernard DeVoto

Award-winning author Nate Schweber brings to life the story of two remarkable environmental warriors and former Lincoln residents Avis and Bernard DeVoto in the next Bemis Free Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall. The DeVotos’ decades-long battle to protect public lands and save our National Park system is chronicled in Schweber’s latest book, This America of Ours: Bernard and Avis DeVoto and the Forgotten Fight to Save the Wild. Lecture immediately followed by book sales and signing with the author. Hosted by the Bemis Free Lecture Series with Friends of Minute Man National Park, Lincoln Historical Society, Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, and Walden Woods Project.

Limited seating; click here for reservations. The event will also be available via livestream and will remain available on the Bemis Free Lecture Series website.

First Parish kicks off the fall with zoning forum, poetry walk

• Members of the Housing Choice Act Working Group (HCAWG) will present the three options for zoning bylaw proposals that are under consideration in Lincoln on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. in the First Parish Church’s Stearns Room (4 Bedford Rd.). In addition, Michelle Barnes, chair of the Trustees of the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and the Rural Land Foundation, will present and explain their separate request to change the current zoning for the Lincoln Station Mall area. The event will also be livestreamed here.Residents are encouraged to bring questions to the discussion in preparation for the State of the Town Meeting on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. The Select Board, Planning Board, and the HCAWG will use community feedback to help choose a final option at a multiboard meeting on October 10. The zoning bylaw proposal will be submitted to the state in December and to town residents for a vote at the March 2024 Annual Town Meeting.

• On Friday, Sept. 22 from 1–3 p.m., meet at the famous “twisted tree” in front of Lincoln Public Library for a special Quiet Walks and Poetry for Seekers collaboration. We’ll walk for a mile or two in the neighborhood, stopping four or five times beneath particular trees. Beneath the shade of each tree, we will hear a poem that in some way honors or features that tree species. In between each poem, we will walk in silence. At the end, we will gather in a circle and reflect on what we saw and heard. If the weather looks questionable, email Rev. Nate Klug (nate@fplincoln.org) for the latest updates.

• The service at the First Parish in Lincoln on “Rally Sunday” on Sunday, Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. will include a blessing of the backpacks for our children and joyful music from the choir. With a bit of history during the service, and cake afterwards on the lawn, we’ll also be celebrating the 275th anniversary of the church.

Talk on architect Eleanor Raymond

Historic New England presents “Right Space, Right Time: Eleanor Raymond’s Architecture” on Thursday, Sept. 21 from 7-9 p.m. in the Codman Estate carriage barn and via Zoom. The presenter is Justin Kedl, an artist and scholar with an interest in 20th-century modernism — particularly Surrealism, the Bauhaus school, and Abstract Expressionism who works for Lincoln’s Gropius House and a local pottery studio. Advance tickets required; click here for more information. This program is funded in part by the Lincoln Cultural Council a local agency funded by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Codman Community Farms offers array of activities

Here are activities and classes in the coming weeks at Codman Community Farms. Click here for information on all of the farm’s events.

Seed-Saving Workshop
Friday, Sept. 15 from 11 a.m. to noon
With CCF education, outreach and volunteer coordinator Jess Myles (held at Concord Library Fowler branch, 1322 Main St., Concord). Click here to register.

Farm to Table Brunch Tours
Saturday, Sept. 16 and Oct. 14, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Come to the farm to collect your own eggs and veggies and then cook it in our kitchen. This is a combination walking tour of the farm, vegetable harvest, cooking session, and finally brunch. Cost: $55 for adults, $35 for kids. Click here to register.

Flowers in the Field Happy Hour
Saturday, Sept. 16 from 4–5:30 p.m.
What could be better than watching the sunset from our flower patch, with delicious farm snacks and friends? This is a perfect chance to get outside for a night off and enjoy the beauty of the farm, with your own bouquet to bring home. Cost: $40. Click here to register.

Flower Crowns for Kids
Sunday, Sept. 17 from 2-4 p.m.
This class is all about celebrating fall colors and having fun crafting with natural materials. In this class, each kid will learn how to make a traditional flower crown with a combination of fresh and dried flowers to wear and keep. Cost: $40. Click here to register.

Sugar Shack story time
Wednesdays, Sept. 20 to Oct. 25 from 4:15–5 p.m.
Our own Sarah Bishop will be back with her bag of books! Wonderful, funny, and artful stories for kids ages 3-5. Free, but registration is required to drop off tour child; click here.

Cooking at the Farm: Canning Basics with Historic New England
Saturday, Sept. 23 from 2–4 p.m.
We’ll start with a brief tour of the kitchens and grounds at the Codman Estate (including the old greenhouse!) and learn about Dorothy Codman’s family canning recipes and traditions. Then we’ll head to the newly renovated CCF commercial kitchen for a class on the basics of canning with our own farm-grown vegetables. Class fee: $65. Click here to register.

Annual Harvest Feast and Fair 
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 30–Oct. 1
Details TBA; click here for more information.

Medicinal Herb Farm Walk
Thursday, Oct. 5 from 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Join us for a guided walk around the farm with Lincoln’s Lucia Longnecker. We’ll learn how to identify common weeds as well as farm-grown herbs and flowers in their different stages of growth, learn ways to preserve their medicinal qualities, and discuss their traditional medicinal uses. Each participant will get to harvest materials to create their own herbal tea blend. Couse fee: $25. Click here to register.

Fermented Vegetables
Saturday, Oct. 14 from 2–4 p.m.
In this hands-on class, we’ll discuss a little about the traditions and nutrition of fermented foods, and then we’ll make our own sauerkraut and taste a variety of other naturally fermented vegetable condiments. Click here for more information.

Online training for hospice volunteers

Care Dimensions will hold online training classes for those interested in becoming volunteers for the nonprofit organization. Volunteers can help patients by engaging in a shared interest or hobby, helping with letter-writing or life review, reading aloud, listening and providing a supportive, comforting presence, and visiting with your approved dog. Volunteers visit patients in their homes, in facilities, and at our hospice houses in Lincoln and Danvers. If patient visits are not the right fit, you can volunteer in other ways such as providing administrative office support or making check-in phone calls to current patients or bereaved family members. Training will be held via Zoom on Mondays and Wednesdays, Oct. 16 to Nov. 8 from 9-11 a.m. (register by October 2). For more information or to register, click here or email volunteerinfo@caredimensions.org.

Swap shed needs volunteer help

The swap shed at the transfer station is seeking volunteers to help continue reducing waste by reusing and recycling. Volunteers are needed to help residents place their items in the appropriate area, make sure items are acceptable, and help keep the swap shed organized and safe for all to enjoy. Shifts are available Wednesdays and Saturdays for two to four hours. You can commit to once a week, twice a week, once a month, or whatever works with your schedule. If you’d like to volunteer or have any questions, please contact Susan Donaldson at the DPW (donaldsons@lincolntown.org).

Calling all cyclists for the Tour de Codman

The Tour de Codman will start at Codman Farm on Sunday, Sept. 10 and will take cyclists on a nearly 12-mile loop through Lincoln along roads and paths, featuring stops at three remote pastures where farm staff and volunteers will give a short talk on the farm’s sustainable, pasture-based agriculture before returning to the farm for coffee, cider and donuts. We welcome all ages but cyclists must be comfortable maintaining a 10-12 mph pace along Lincoln’s roads. The route will spend as much time as possible on bike paths and quiet roads. Any bike in good working order should suffice. Bring your own water and snacks for the route, and don’t forget your helmet (required). The ride leader will have basic tools but riders should plan to be self-sufficient. The total time for the ride, with stops, should be under two hours. Click here for more information and registration.

Two series of trails walks offered

John Calabria will return to lead “Noticing Walks” on Tuesdays from 1–2:30 p.m. Please fill out the online registration form to receive email reminders for the walks or call the Council on Aging and Human Services at 781-259-8811 to receive phone call reminders. Although gently paced, the walks cover rough terrain and have elevation change. Sturdy footwear is encouraged and walking poles are welcome. 

• September 26 — Twin Pond Conservation Land. Meet at the Twin Pond parking lot.
• November 7 — Farrar Pond Trails. Meet at the Lincoln canoe landing parking lot (24 South Great Rd.)
• December 5 — Farm Meadow Trails. Meet at the Lincoln Station parking lot.

Another series of trail walks takes place on Tuesdays from 9:30–11:30 a.m. on September 19 and October 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31. Click here to register (use the tabs at the bottom of that page to switch between days).

Fall events at the deCordova

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is offering several fall activities. Click on a program title for more information and ticket purchase.  

• Peter Mulvey’s Trustees Bike Tour (Sunday, Sept. 10) — Massachusetts musician Peter Mulvey will bring his Trustees Bike Tour to deCordova for a live performance.
• Spotlight Tour: Stechet’s “Tall Feather” (Friday, Sept. 15) — Join Associate Curator of Native American Art Tess Lukey for a deep dive on this sculpture. This will be part of an ongoing series designed to give an insider’s take on a favorite sculpture.  
• New England Performance Series with Vance Gilbert (Wednesday, Sept. 20) — This Grammy-nominated artist will deliver an evening of unforgettable music and storytelling on. 
• Sculptural Flowers: Autumnal Flower Arranging (Saturday, Sept. 23) — Come to a workshop on floral arranging taught by an experienced designer with Derby Farm, a woman-owned farm in Arlington. 
• Arts and Ales: Ciderfest (Sunday, Sept. 24) — A tasting of Massachusetts seasonal hard ciders and enjoy some live American Songbook music by Lincoln resident Jim White. 

Walden Woods Project offers three events

“Bears of the West: Vital Ground Foundation & Douglas Chadwick”
Wednesday, Sept. 20 from 7–8:15 p.m. (virtual)
Veteran environmental writer Douglas Chadwick will present ideas from his most recent book Four Fifths A Grizzly: A New Perspective on Nature that Just Might Save Us All. He will present examples of successful recoveries of species and habitats, with the thought that “we really can save a whole lot in a hurry.” Doug will be introduced by Kim Davitt from the Vital Ground Foundation, a land trust working to protect and connect wildlife habitat in the West. Click here to register. Donations to the Vital Ground Foundation gladly accepted.

Reading Circle: “The Wellfleet Oysterman”
Wednesday, October 4 from 7–8:15 p.m. (virtual)
Reading Circle participants will read “The Wellfleet Oysterman” from Thoreau’s Cape Cod and come together for discussion with Walden Woods Project Curator of Collections and resident Thoreau Scholar Jeffrey S. Cramer. “The Wellfleet Oysterman” as well as discussion questions will be provided upon registration. “The Wellfleet Oysterman” (as well as the full Cape Cod text) is available to read on this Walden Woods web page.

The Reading Circle is an event in association with the Thoreau’s Cape Cod Readathon, a first-of-its-kind event sponsored by the Barnstable Land Trust, the Walden Woods Project, the town of Concord, and other partners in Concord and on Cape Cod. The Readathon will be held October 7 and 8 at Fuller Farm in Marstons Mills as well as live-streamed. Find out more here.

Lawrence Buell: “Henry David Thoreau: Thinking Disobediently”
Wednesday, Oct. 25 from 6:30–8 p.m. in person
Join us for a reading, presentation, and Q&A with Lincoln’s Lawrence Buell about his forthcoming book Henry David Thoreau: Thinking Disobediently, the first concise account of Thoreau’s life, thought, and impact in more than half a century. Buell is the Powell M. Cabot Professor of American Literature Emeritus at Harvard University and has written and lectured worldwide on Transcendentalism, American studies, and the environmental humanities. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a wine and cheese reception. The book will be available for purchase at the event (address provided upon registration).

Garden Club social for prospective members

The Lincoln Garden Club invites anyone interested in joining the club to come to a wine and cheese party on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. to meet members and socialize. Committee chairs will be there to answer questions about what the club does. Please email belinda.gingrich@gmail.com to RSVP and get the location. To learn more about the club’s activities, visit www.lincolngardenclub.org.

Celebration of the life of Homer Eckhardt

The family of Homer Eckhardt (1924-2023) invites community members to join family, friends, and neighbors to help celebrate his life on Sunday, Sept. 17 from 2–4 p.m. in Bemis Hall. A founding member of the historic Brown’s Woods neighborhood, Homer continued to be an active participant in the Lincoln community during the 67 years he lived in town, through activities as varied as helping to found the Codman Community Farms, volunteering in science classes in the Lincoln Public Schools, and enjoying fellowship at the Men’s Coffee Group.

Show about Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Join us for a show performed by Sheryl Faye that brings American justice icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg to life on Friday, Sept. 29 at 12:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. The show is the inspiring story of how RBG changed her life — and ours. Sponsored by Friends of Lincoln COA & Friends of the Lincoln Library.

Tour and presentation about Lincoln Woods

In connection with the town’s discussion of multi-family housing at the September 30 State of the Town meeting, Friends of Modern Architecture/Lincoln invites residents on a tour of Lincoln Woods on Sunday, Oct. 1 from 3–6 p.m. “Celebrating Lincoln Woods: Our History of Building Community” presents the design elements in architecture, landscape architecture, and town planning that have made Lincoln Woods an accessible, inclusive community, providing housing for a diverse range of ages and needs for 50 years. 

The event begins at 3 p.m. with Lincoln architect Woodie Arthur speaking about the architecture and history of the community. A tour of the property and three dwellings will follow the presentation. The event is free to all. Share refreshments and community in our reception tent after the tour. Please visit the FoMA web page at www.fomalincoln.org/outreach to reserve your place.

Information session on private jet travel

Mothers Out Front invite everyone to participate in a statewide climate action call to learn about the high environmental cost and low societal benefit of expanding private jet travel on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at from 12-12:45 p.m. The issue is front and center because the state is considering a proposal to enlarge hangar space at Hanscom Field. Register here for this informational meeting. Sponsored by MOF chapters in Acton, Bedford, Concord, East Boston, Lincoln, and Winthrop — members of the Coalition to Stop Private Jet Expansion at Hanscom or Anywhere.

The Lincoln Cultural Council wants to hear from you

The Lincoln Cultural Council (LCC) manages grants supporting arts and culture in and around Lincoln. Members take the opinions and priorities of the residents of Lincoln into consideration when deciding on the grants to be awarded each year. To help inform priorities, they conduct a survey of town residents every three years. These priorities are then listed on the Lincoln section of the Mass Cultural Council’s website for prospective applicants to respond to. Please answer the questions in this very short survey by August 29 to help the Lincoln Cultural Council determine the arts and cultural priorities of Lincoln residents.

Library launches revamped website

The Lincoln Public Library’s redesigned website launched on August 4 offers a simplified navigation menu, dedicated pages for library’s Ongoing Events and Library of Things collection, and better website searching. The library worked with Compete Now to design the new website with a color palette to matches the library’s logo designed by staff member Tory Black.

Lincoln Open-Mic Night returns in September

Lincoln Open-Mic Night (LOMA) returns on Tuesday, Sept. 12 from 7–10 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. Perform or just come listen to acoustic music and spoken word. Admission is free and refreshments are provided. The featured performers that night are the Beantown Buckaroos Trio, a subset of the full band with Art Schatz on fiddle, Kevin Lynch on guitar, and Neil Helme on bass. They cook up classic western swing and country music with a dash of gumbo. Watch their cover of the Shelton Brothers’ classic, “Just Because.”

For a slot at this monthly event, performers should email Rich Eilbert at loma3re@gmail.com before noon of the open-mic day) or (space permitting) sign up at the event. Names of those who are signed up by 7 p.m. will be drawn at random. We have a sound system with mikes and instrumental pickups suitable for individuals or small groups playing acoustic-style. Later this fall at LOMA:

• October 10 — Rockwood Taylor
• November 14 — Wendy Sobel
• December 12 — Geoff Goodhue & Friends

New Lincoln police officers sworn in

Officers Nicholas Facciolo and Seth Gordon were recently sworn in as the newest members of the Lincoln Police Department after graduating from the Lynnfield Police Academy. Facciolo has worked for the department as a dispatcher and Gordon pursued a career in law enforcement after working in the nonprofit corporate world. They both have degrees in criminal justice (Facciolo from Merrimack College and Gordon from Rivier University). They succeed Officers Peter Roach and Joseph Pellegrini, who took positions in other towns.

Artist’s reception at library

An artist’s reception for the latest exhibit at the Lincoln Library, “The Art of the Automobile” photographic series by Steven Edson, will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 16 from 7­8:30 p.m. Please RSVP to steve@stevenedson.net.

Film: “Open Up to Me”

The Lincoln Library Film Society presents “Open Up to Me” (Finnish with English subtitles) on Thursday, Aug. 17 at 6 p.m. in the Tarbell Room. Maarit, a beautiful woman who used to be a man, becomes estranged from her daughter and family. When she meets Sami, a soccer coach and family man, she thinks her life will be complete.

Submit nature pictures in Mass Audubon photo contest

Mass Audubon’s annual statewide photography contest is back, encouraging shutterbugs of all ages and backgrounds to take their best shots of the Bay State’s natural beauty. Now in its 14th year, the Picture This: Your Great Outdoors competition will run through Saturday, Sept. 30. Subject categories include People in Nature, Birds, Mammals, Other Animals, Landscapes, and Plants and Fungi. Photographs must have been shot in Massachusetts or at Mass Audubon’s Wildwood Camp in Rindge, N.H., but can have been taken any time prior to or during the 2023 contest period.

One grand prize winner will be awarded a $250 gift card and a chance to be featured in Mass Audubon’s member newsletter, Explore. Eleven category winners will receive $100 gift cards for a Mass Audubon shop, and at least six honorable mentions will win $50 gift cards. Additional honorable mentions may be awarded at the discretion of the judges. For contest information and submission guidelines, go to massaudubon.org/picturethis.

Drumlin Farm food program receives grant

Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary has received a $20,000 grant from Middlesex Savings Bank to support its food donation program. The sanctuary is also a longtime working farm, and since 2020, it has been providing fresh vegetables to groups and communities living with food insecurity. Last year it donated nearly 30,000 pounds of more than 60 types of fruit and vegetables to area organizations. Drumlin Farm’s crop fields also supply produce for its community-supported agriculture program, farmers markets, and restaurants.

The Natick-based Middlesex Savings Bank’s Charitable Foundation has made grants to hundreds of nonprofits that support programs throughout the greater Metro West region, with a focus on at-risk families and individuals and other critical community services. “To grow food, we must pay our farmers, buy seed, supplement the soil, maintain equipment, and do all other tasks, both large and small, related to keeping our farm running. Donor support allows us to redirect a portion of the harvest towards relieving food insecurity,” said Scott McCue, Mass Audubon Director for Metro West wildlife sanctuaries. To support the Food Donation Program, please click here.

Lincoln’s Montori returns with Circus Smirkus

Lincoln’s acrobatic teenager Athena Montori (the subject of a Lincoln Squirrel feature article in 2022) will be performing with Circus Smirkus on July 28-31 at Gore Place in Waltham. Click here for details.

Library features photos by Steven Edson

The Lincoln Public Library will display fine art photographs by Steven Edson in its main gallery starting on July 28. He attempts to describe moments in transition while observing the complexity and vastness of people, land, and objects within constantly changing conditions. For these brief moments, time stands still for eternity.

McCarthy does pre-veterinarian work in Thailand

Natalie McCarthy of Lincoln, a 2022 alumna at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, recently spent three months in Thailand helping animals and learning hands-on what it’s like to be a veterinarian. Traveling on the Thailand Veterinary Semester Abroad hosted by study-abroad organization Loop Abroad, Natalie was part of a small team that learned alongside veterinarians from around the globe while volunteering with elephants, sea turtles and other marine life, zoo animals, and shelter dogs. Some of her most interesting projects were volunteering at an elephant sanctuary and helping provide medical care for elephants, creating enrichment projects for zoo animals, and living on the island of Koh Tao for three weeks studying marine biology and helping to restore coral reefs and protect sea turtles. Natalie and her team also helped at a spay and neuter clinic for dogs in the rural mountain villages of northern Thailand.

Lincoln resident honored by Rep. Peisch for volunteer service

For 24 years, Lincoln resident Janna Hadley has volunteered with Minuteman Senior Services to support her older neighbors, and State Rep. Alice Peisch (D–14th Norfolk) recently awarded her a citation to honor her service. While nearly 90% of older adults want to remain in their homes as they age, the nation-wide home care workforce shortage makes meeting this wish a challenge, and Hadley is a longtime volunteer with the organization’s Ombudsman program.

Summer concerts at Codman Pool

The Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring summer concerts at the Codman Pool on five Wednesday evenings:

• July 19 — Kat Chapman Band (6–8 p.m.)
• July 26 — The Honey Steelers (6–8 p.m.)
• August 2 — Knock on Wood (6–8 p.m.)
• August 9 — The Nays (5:30–7:30 p.m.)

Film screening: “Cold War”

The Lincoln Library Film Society will screen “Cold War” (2018) on Thursday, July 20 at 6 p.m. Set against the background of the Cold War in the 1950s in Poland, Berlin, Yugoslavia and Paris, the film directed by Pawel Pawlikowski (88 minutes in Polish with English subtitles) depicts an impossible love story in impossible times.

Food pantry, Lovelane awarded grants

Two Lincoln organizations have received grants from the Sudbury Foundation in its second round of granting for 2023. The St. Vincent de Paul food pantry received $3,000 while the Lovelane Special Needs Horseback Riding Program was awarded $10,640 for a pilot program with the Klarman Eating Disorders Center at McLean Hospital. The foundation awarded a total of $887,829 to 42 organizations in this round. In 2022 it distributed $1.78 million in grants and scholarships to students and organizations in Sudbury, organizations in communities surrounding Sudbury focused on children, youth and families, and Massachusetts organizations engaged in farm and local food initiatives. 

The Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School Committee and the Select Boards of Lincoln and Sudbury announce a vacancy for the position of School Committee member. Anyone interested in applying should complete submit the attached LSSC application to Donna Cakert, District Clerk at donna_cakert@lsrhs.net or schoolcom@lsrhs.net. The application deadline is Friday, Aug. 4 at 4 p.m.

Virtual session on teen anxiety and mental health

The Great Meadows Public Health Collaborative (GMPHC) invites parents and caregivers to “Just Talk About It: Anxiety, Leaving High School, and Adolescent Mental Health,” a virtual program about youth mental health focusing on anxiety and young adults, on Wednesday, July 12 at 6:30 p.m. (click here for the Zoom link). Join clinician Sara Eldridge for a dynamic presentation providing a framework to understand and navigate your young adult’s emotional health, the signs and symptoms of the most prevalent mental health concerns, and how to be an effective support as they transition out of high school. A student will also share her experience with anxiety.

The GMPHC was established through two state grants and includes Bedford, Carlisle, Concord, Lincoln, Sudbury, Wayland, and Weston. Its goal is to pool resources, increase staff capacity and expertise, attract additional funding, and deliver better health protections, programs, and outcomes. For more information, contact Regional Public Health Nurse Katie Rines at krines@wayland.ma.us.

Rep. Gentile to hold office hours

State Representative Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury), whose district includes Lincoln’s Precinct 1, will hold in-person office hours on Friday, July 21 and virtual office hours on Thursday, July 27. In-person meetings will take place at the Sudbury Senior Center (40 Fairbank Road, Sudbury) from 10-11:00 a.m. Virtual meetings will take place via Microsoft Teams video call from 11 am.–12:30 p.m. RSVP is required to attend virtually, and is strongly encouraged to attend in person. Sign up for a 20-minute time slot by emailing Rep. Gentile’s legislative aide, Ravi Simon, at ravi.simon@mahouse.gov. 

Tanglewood trip for seniors

Lincoln residents age 60+ are invited to hear a concert at Tanglewood on Sunday, July 30. Before the show, there will be a brunch at Shortstop Bar & Grill in Westfield. The Boston Symphony Orchestra will play Ellen Reid’s When the World as You’ve Known It Doesn’t Exist, Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1 and Prokofiev’s Suite from Romeo and Juliet. The bus leaves the Donelan’s lot at 9 a.m. and returns at approximately 8 p.m. Sponsored by Friends of the LCOA. Tickets are $120; mail checks made out to “FLCOA Trips” to LCOA&HS Trips, c/o Town Offices, 16 Bedford Rd., Lincoln MA. For more information, call Amy Rettig at 781-259-8811 ext. 102.

Share your thoughts on Climate Action Plan

The Town of Lincoln has developed a 2023 Comprehensive Climate Action Plan and is now seeking feedback from residents through an online survey this summer.

The plan unveiled in late June serves as a framework to help guide the town and its community members towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions while also advancing community resilience in equitable and sustainable ways. An online dashboard provides a summary of the plan and will be used to track the town’s progress towards its climate goals and strategy. 

L-S School Committee chair resigns

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee Chair Heather Cowap has resigned from the committee, according to the July 7 issue of the Sudbury Weekly. The remaining committee members, along with the chairs of the Sudbury and Lincoln Select Boards, are expected to appoint a new member until the next election.