The Lincoln Squirrel – News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

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Magic Garden open house this weekend

The Magic Garden Infant & Toddler Center at 14 Bedford Rd. (the stone church) is holding an open house on Saturday, May 18 from 9–11 a.m. The event is geared towards answering parents’ questions, but children are welcome to attend and play in our classrooms, and activities for infants and toddlers will be provided. Call with questions and RSVPs to 781-259-8161 (walk-ins are also welcome). Magic Garden offers year-round care and education to children ages 2 months to 5 years old with flexible schedules.

Adjustments in library hours

The Lincoln Public Library will be closed on Monday, May 27 in observance of Memorial Day and will open late (1 p.m.) on Tuesday, June 4 due to staff training.

Movie group to show “Tabu”

The Lincoln Library Film Society will screen “Tabu” (2012, not rated) on Thursday, June 6 at 6 p.m. A restless retired woman teams up with her deceased neighbor’s maid to seek out a man who has a secret connection to her past life as a farm owner at the foothill of Mount Tabu in Africa.

Birding walk at Minute Man HNP

Look for nests of orioles, tanagers and others, and watch for adult birds feeding and raising their young on “Nesting Birds of Minute Man National Historical Park” on Saturday, June 8 from 8-10 a.m. Meet at Hartwell Tavern lot (106 North Great Rd., Lincoln). Recommended for ages 10 to adult. In case of inclement weather call the park at 617-620-2942 or Kathy Dia 617-480-5103 for walk status.

Garden Club hosts tree and sculpture tour, photo exhibit

The Lincoln Garden Club will hold its annual fundraiser — a tree and sculpture tour at deCordova Sculpture Park followed by a champagne reception at the Pierce House — on Sunday, June 9. The tour runs from 1–5 p.m. The reception from 5–7 p.m. will feature a photo exhibit where attendees can vote on their favorite photos submitted in the club’s photo contest. Entries must be submitted by May 21; click here for contest rules. There will also be an auction of items including stone wall repair services, a helicopter ride over Boston, customized invitations and more. Click here to buy tickets online.

A “watershed” moment for the deCordova

An installation similar to “Watershed”: “Culvert Carin” (2013) by Andy Goldsworthy (private collection, California). © Andy Goldsworthy, Courtesy Galerie Lelong & Co., New York & Haines Gallery, San Francisco. Click image to enlarge.

A new commissioned work, Watershed — a site-specific work designed to interact with the deCordova’s Sculpture Park’s unique natural environment will make deCordova the only public institution in New England with an outdoor work by internationally renowned British artist Andy Goldsworthy.

Throughout his career, Goldsworthy has explored the power of water. Its force, energy, and impact respond to the rhythm of weather, and have strong and powerful consequences on the landscape. Watershed is composed of an open-fronted, nine-by-fifteen-foot granite stone structure, partially-embedded in the slope of deCordova’s pond-side hill.

The work will be built in a vernacular style, echoing stone walls and structures found throughout New England, using local materials and the expert assistance of Goldsworthy’s team of British wallers. On the structure’s interior rear wall, stonework will radiate in concentric circles from a drain outlet centered in the wall—a powerful evocation of water’s energy and pattern. Goldsworthy hopes that local environmental organizations will engage with the work and its attention to rainwater.

In times of heavy rain, water that flows across deCordova’s paved upper lot will be collected and channeled underground to pour from the outlet in the work’s rear wall, giving form to the usually unremarked course of groundwater across hard surfaces and allowing people to see and hear the work come to life. In dry weather the wall will stand expectantly, waiting to be activated. The work will serve to illustrate both the impermanence and the lasting effects of water, through the growth of residues like mineral deposits, moss, and patina. With the invitation to enter the piece, the human presence in all of these periods activates the work and its lifetime.

“The permanent installation of Watershed will enhance deCordova’s offerings for visitors passionate about the connection between art and nature — and for those who simply wish for the unforgettable experience of encountering a Goldsworthy installation in the landscape,” said deCordova Executive Director John B. Ravenal.

Installation begins this spring and is expected to be complete by the end of 2019. Major funding for this project is provided by the Nancy Foss Heath & Richard B. Heath Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as numerous generous private supporters.

News acorns

PMC Kids Ride to fight cancer

The fifth annual Lincoln PMC Kids Ride to raise money to fight cancer will be held on Sunday, May 12 starting on the Lincoln School campus at 7:30 a.m. for kids age 2–12. The program engages youth in philanthropy, instills the value of working for the benefit of others, and promotes physical activity. There is a short loop in front of the Brooks gym for the youngest riders on tricycles, bicycles with training wheels, and balance bikes (a parent is required to remain at the loop to supervise and cheer on their rider) and a 2-mile loop around the school center green. The registration fee is $20 ($25 on the day of the event), and entrants must raise a minimum of $30. Over the past four years, Lincoln children have raised over $30,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Click here for more information and to register.

Chamber concert at library next week

There will be an L-S Chamber Concert at the Lincoln Public Library on Thursday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free. Performing groups under the direction of Kyung-Nam Oh include two string quartets, a cello trio, and a string octet, as well as a violin ensemble and flute choir directed by Thomas Grandprey. Works from Schubert, Telemann, Popper, Borodin, and Mendelssohn will be featured. This is a new concert in the L-S music calendar, and organizers hope it becomes a tradition in bringing the students into the communities to share an evening of music with Lincoln and Sudbury residents.

Phone directories are on their way

The new Lincoln phone directories are in the mail this week after being stuffed into envelopes by 17 volunteers. The free directories are compiled and mailed every other to each household in town by the Friends of the Lincoln Library.

Writers’ group looking for new members

If you’re interested in perfecting your writing technique, whether for your own personal enjoyment or as part of a writing project, the Write Stuff might be just the right place for you. Authors (and aspiring authors) of all literary styles are welcome. The group meets on the 2nd and fourth Wednesday evenings of each month at the Lincoln Public Library. Share your work and gain insight into improving your work through thoughtful and considerate criticism. Members are encouraged to share their work on a rotating basis every six to eight weeks. When not reading from your own work, you’ll be helping others with their writing. For more information, email lrothenberg@minlib.net or call the library at 781-259-8465 ext 202.

Council on Aging activities in May

Musical jazz lunch
May 3 at 12:30 p.m.
Celebrate the end of the week by grabbing a table at Bemis while the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band serenades you with familiar good old tunes. Bring a bag lunch and, if you like, food purchased already prepared to share. The COA provides beverages and dessert.

Watercolor class with Jane
May 6 and 20 at 9 a.m.
Rediscover your joyful soul through art and nature in Jane Cooper’s watercolor class. Two classes of four sessions each will be offered on Mondays and Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m. beginning Mondays, May 6 and 20. The cost is $30 for each class of four sessions, materials included. Call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up.

Lincoln Academy with Timothy Johnson, MD: The future of medicine
May 6 at 12:30 p.m.
Dr. Johnson will review current problems with American health care and propose possible solutions for each. He will also predict what will happen in the next ten years. Johnson was the chief medical correspondent for ABC News, giving medical information to millions of Americans in a way that was accurate yet accessible. The COA provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion. All ages welcome.

Noticing walks with John Calabria
May 7 at 1 p.m.
Location: TBD
Enjoy a gently paced walk through nature guided by John Calabria on May 7 from 1–2:30 p.m. at a location posted at lincolnconservation.org. Bring walking sticks or walking poles if you like. Another walk will be held June 4. If the weather is bad, call 781-259-9251 after 10 a.m. the morning of the walk for an update. Co-sponsored by the COA and Lincoln Land Conservation Trust. [Read more…] about Council on Aging activities in May

Lincoln Cultural Council awards grants

Ms. G, official groundhog of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, makes her annual prediction at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary as part of the Climate Action Day festivities sponsored by the Lincoln Cultural Council.

The Lincoln Cultural Council has announced ten grants totaling $4,700 to support cultural programs in Lincoln, Acton, Concord, and Sudbury.

The Lincoln Cultural Council (LCC) is part of a network of 329 local cultural councils serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth that will distribute more than $3.3 million in 2019. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community.

This year’s grant awardees are:

Decisions about which activities to support are made at the community level by a board of town-appointed volunteers. Lincoln Cultural Council members are Melinda Bruno-Smith, Catherine Coleman, Patrick Greene, Wendy Hubbard, Chris Loschen, Renata Pomponi, Diana Rich-Sheahan, and Meg Ramsey.

Applications and more information about the Local Cultural Council Program are available online at Applications for the next round of grants are due in October; go to www.mass-culture.org for details, or contact LCC Chair Meg Ramsey at meg.ramsey@verizon.net. The LCC strongly encourages anyone interested in supporting and promoting cultural events in Lincoln to volunteer to serve as a member of the LCC, and they welcome input and ideas.

Coming up at deCordova Sculpture Park and Musuem

Curator-led Tour
Wednesday, April 10 from 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Join Curator Sarah Montross and Koch Curatorial Fellow Sam Adams for an in-depth look into the works on display. Free; registration requested.

Art for April Vacation
Wednesday to Friday, April 17–19 from 1–3 p.m. (drop in)
Inspired by the Biennial and Arbor Day, create large-scale woven and architectural sculptures in the Park. Free with admission or membership; click here for more information.

Reflections on Tech & Human Experience
Thursday, May 2 from 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Join Subforum in a sequence of conversations and activities throughout the Biennial galleries. Free; registration requested.

Eli Brown’s Museum of Queer Ecologies
Saturday, May 4 from 1–3 p.m.
Join Biennial artist Eli Brown as he leads a talk and interactive workshop. Free with admission or membership; registration requested.

Self-Portrait Sculptures with Chanel Thervil
Sunday, May 5 from 1–3 p.m.
Work with Biennial artist Chanel Thervil to represent your superpower though vibrant color and bold, abstract shapes. Free with admission or membership; registration requested.

News acorns

Town seeks tax work-off program coordinator

The town of Lincoln seeks qualified applicants for a stipend position of Work-Off Programs Coordinator. Under the direction of the Council on Aging director, this position will oversee implementation of the town’s Senior and Veterans’ Tax Work-Off Programs. Duties include assisting participants with applications and other forms, matching applicants and positions, and preparing and submitting administrative forms to the town. Excellent administrative, organizational, and verbal and written communication skills required. Annual $1,500 stipend. The Work-Off Coordinator may not participate in either work-off program while serving in this role. Please submit a cover letter and resume to Mary Day, Town Office Building, 16 Lincoln Road, Lincoln MA 01773 or jobs@lincolntown.org by Friday, April 19. The position begins July 1, 2019.

Survivor to speak at Domestic Violence Roundtable

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Round Table will present  “A Survivor’s Story” on Tuesday, April 9 at at 3 p.m. in the Community Safety Building (38 Cochituate Rd., Wayland). The speaker will share her journey of survival, recovery, and the reclamation of her strength and power. For more information or to volunteer for Roundtable events, please visit www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org.

Household hazardous waste collection dates announced

Pre-registered Lincoln residents may bring materials to the Minuteman Household Hazardous Products Regional Facility at 60 Hartwell Ave. in Lexington on one of eight dates in April through November. Choose a date that’s convenient and contact the Board of Health to obtain a registration form, which you must bring with you to the facility. You may visit the Board of Health in the Town Office Building Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed on Fridays in the summer), or call Elaine Carroll at 781-259-2613. You will receive directions to the site and information about acceptable materials and how to dispose of unacceptable materials.

The site is open on the following days from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.:

  • April 20
  • May 18
  • June 15
  • July 20
  • August 17
  • September 15 (Sunday)
  • October 19
  • November 2

Wedding showcase at Pierce House

​The Pierce House and Boston Event Divas invite you to a wedding showcase on Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28 from noon–4 p.m. at the Pierce House. Vendors including wedding planners, caterers, florists, and photographers and more will be on hand. There will be door prizes, and during the April 28 event, the Lincoln Minutemen and His Majesty’s Troops of the Boston Garrison muster at the Pierce House. Tickets on both days are $10 for groups up to four people; click here to register.

Talk on Codman and Edith Wharton

Historic New England is hosting a brown bag lunch and slide talk on “Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman: A Creative Kinship Talk and Tour” on Wednesday, April 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall, followed by a special access tour of Codman House from 1:30–2:30 p.m. (a single exception to the closure for construction; see News Acorns, March 26). Ogden Codman, Jr. and Edith Wharton wrote the 1897 classic The Decoration of Houses. Using original letters from Historic New England’s Codman collection, this illustrated talk offers an inside peek into their artistic friendship, which spanned more than 40 years.

Free to Lincoln residents, $10 for Historic New England members, $15 for nonmembers. Registration recommended; please call 617-994-6690 or buy tickets online. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Krzysztof Wodiczko

Lecture features artist Krzysztof Wodiczko

The 2019 Paul J. Cronin Memorial Lecture featuring acclaimed artist Krzysztof Wodiczko takes place on Friday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. Wodiczko is renowned for his large-scale slide and video projections on architectural facades and monuments that address themes of trauma, collective memory, and the power of mass media to disseminate and manipulate information. $5 for members and students; $10 for nonmembers; click here to register. Come early for a casual reception starting at 6 p.m. with wine, beer, and nonalcoholic beverages. Your lecture ticket includes one complementary drink ticket; additional alcoholic drink tickets will be available for $5 each.

Pastel painting workshop at library

Have you ever wanted to do a landscape, portrait, or special project in pastels? Bring a simple photo or just come to participate in an art workshop, lecture and demonstration with award-winning pastel painter Gregory John Maichack on Saturday, April 27 from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. Participants will receive an engaging hands-on experience of basic pastel painting as well as advanced techniques. Everyone will receive help tailored to their projects, whether landscape, still-life or portraiture.

Participants are encouraged to experiment with the artist’s professional-grade hard, soft and super soft pastels, professional pastel paper, etc. However, if you have your own pastels, please bring them. For adults and those over 14 if accompanied by an adult. Class is limited to 30 people and registration is required. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Funding for the workshop was also provided by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.

One-man play about Herman Melville

Stephen Colins as Herman Melville

Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Herman Melville’s birth by enjoying a free performance of “Sailing Towards My Father” by actor Stephen Collins on Sunday, April 28 at 2 p.m. at Bemis Hall. The play chronicles the life of Melville (best known for his whaling epic Moby-Dick) from youth to old age, concentrating on his evolution as a writer and his complex relations with God, his parents and siblings, his wife and children, and Nathanial Hawthorne. It was written and directed by Carl A. Rossi. For more information, call the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811.

News acorns

Celebration of the life of Lucretia Giese

Lucretia Giese

The family of Lucretia Hoover Giese will host a celebration of Lucretia’s life on Thursday, May 23 at 3 p.m. in the Pierce House (see obituary, October 15, 2018). Among her many accomplishments, Lucretia was professor of art history at the Rhode Island School of Design, an expert on the paintings of Winslow Homer, chair of the Lincoln Historical Commission, and co-founder of the Friend of Modern Architecture/Lincoln. Please RSVP by Monday, April 15 to Henry B. Hoover, Jr. (hbhoover@aol.com).

L-S Jazz Night on Thursday

The L-S Music Department presents Jazz Night on Thursday, April 4 at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School auditorium. The concert will feature students from L-S and Curtis Middle School; L-S groups include the Symphonic and Concert Jazz Ensembles as well as the Jazz Warriors and Select Jazz Combo. The groups led by Thomas Grandprey, Director of Instrumental Music, will perform jazz literature from the Great American Songbook as well as funk, and Latin genres. The concert is open to the public and admission is free.

Appointee to library board sought

The Lincoln School Committee invites and encourages any town resident with an interest in connecting the schools and the library to submit a short statement of interest as the committee’s appointee to the Lincoln Public Library Board of Directors. The School Committee thanks Martin Dermandy for serving in this capacity for the past six years, during which time he started the Local Heroes program and worked to connect the library and the schools, building on what the librarians had already developed.

The statement of interest for this three-year term should be sent to schoolcomm@lincnet.org by Friday, April 5. There will be interviews of all candidates in an open meeting of the School Committee on Thursday, April 11 at 7:15 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room on the Ballfield Road Campus. Please address questions to schoolcomm@lincnet.org or to Jacquelin Apsler, chair of the Library Board of Trustees, at jgu.lincoln@gmail.com.

Wednesday “Crafternoons” at the library

The Lincoln Public Library is starting a new children’s program called Crafternoons every Wednesday at 2 p.m. Participants will get creative with crafts that emphasize reusing and recycling household items. All materials will be supplied by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library. Intended for grades 1 and up. No registration required. Call the Children’s Room for more information at 781-259-8465 x4.

Lincoln seniors can work off $1,500 in property taxes

Lincoln residents 60 and over who own and occupy property on which they pay taxes and are listed on the title may apply now to be part of the town of Lincoln’s Senior Tax Work-Off Program. Through the program, seniors work for a town department for up to 125 hours at $12/hour and receive an abatement of up to $1,500 on their May property tax bill.

Jobs may include administrative, outdoor, computer, programming, or other work and can be completed in any town department or the schools. Seniors may work fewer than 125 hours if they choose. Their schedule is up to them and the department they work for. For more information or to apply, call the Lincoln Council on Aging at 781-259-8811 and ask for COA Director Carolyn Bottum.

Two-part series on French history

The Friends of the Lincoln Public Library and the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging are offering a two-part presentation on French history on Saturday, April 13 at 2 p.m. and Wednesday, May 15 at 7 p.m. in the library’s Tarbell Room. Retired teacher John Gardella will give an overview of the French Revolution at the first session and the age of Napoleon at the second. The series will serve as a stepping stone to the library’s trip to the Museum of Fine Arts on Saturday, June 8 for a private tour of Toulouse-Lautrec and the stars of Paris (details TBA) Come to one or both sessions; both are free and open to people of all ages and no registration is required.

Council on Aging activities in April

Lincoln Academy with Richard Pierson: Healthy aging — a new science, a new art
April 1 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, April 1 at 12:30 p.m. when Richard Pierson, M.D., retired professor of medicine at Columbia University discusses “Healthy Aging: A New Science, A New Art.” As more and more people live to their 90s and 100s, “healthy aging” has become both absolutely essential and more complex. Pierson will talk about how ideas of aging have changed over the millennia, how our body composition changes and affects our health as we age, and how this will affect society and our everyday lives. All ages welcome.

Noticing walks with John Calabria
April 2 at 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Mt. Misery parking lot on Rt. 117
Enjoy a gently paced walk through nature guided by John Calabria on April 2 from 1-2:30 p.m. at a location posted at lincolnconservation.org. Bring walking sticks or walking poles if you like. Other walks will be held May 7 and June 4. If the weather is bad, call 781-259-9251 after 10 a.m. the morning of the walk for an update. Co-sponsored by the COA and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust.

Lincoln Trad Jazz Band
April 5 at 12:30 p.m. [Read more…] about Council on Aging activities in April

News acorns

Gordon to speak on climate change action

On Saturday, April 6 at 10 a.m. in Bemis Hall, the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee will host Andrew Gordon, the legislative coordinator with grassroots climate movement 350 Mass, will give a talk on “Becoming an Effective Advocate on Climate Change and Environmental Justice.” Following a brief presentation, Gordon will lead a conversation about how we can make a difference. Coffee and pastry will be served starting at 9:45 a.m.

Donate used bikes to benefit Bikes Not Bombs

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School junior Ethan Webber is organizing a Bikes Not Bombs Bike Drive to collect used bikes to benefit Bikes Not Bombs on Sunday, April 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of Hartwell Pod A on the Lincoln School campus. Bikes Not Bombs is a nonprofit organization that collects used bikes and ships them to international programs in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, or uses bikes to teach local youth about bicycle mechanics. 

Ethan’s volunteer work at Bikes Not Bombs preparing bike shipments to Ghana and El Salvador inspired him to launch a bike drive in Lincoln and support the use of bikes for international social change. Suggested donation of $10/bike to defray storage, processing, and shipping costs.

Garden Club hosts talk on Thoreau and trees

The Lincoln Garden Club invites residents to a lecture on “Thoreau and the Language of Trees” by author Richard Higgins on Tuesday, April 9 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall, in anticipation of the group’s Lincoln Tree Tour event this coming June. The talk is free of charge and open to the public. Higgins (a photographer, former Boston Globe staff writer, and co-author and editor of several books) will explain how trees inspired Thoreau’s creativity as a writer, his work as a naturalist, his philosophical thought, and his spiritual life. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.