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

charity/volunteer

Lincoln hospice house wins several awards

The Care Dimensions Hospice house in Lincoln.

The Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln has won four awards for excellence in architecture, interior design, and construction.

The 18-bed facility, which opened in April 2018, is located on Winter Street at the Waltham town line. The 27,600-square-foot inpatient hospice house offers hospital-level care for hospice patients requiring 24/7 medical care for acute pain and symptom management. An interdisciplinary team provided medical, emotional, and spiritual care to 460 patients and their families in the hospice house’s first year of operation.

At its 2019 Designer Awards, the International Furnishings & Design Association’s New England chapter honored Beverly-based SV Design in the Commercial Healthcare category for its work on the interior design of the hospice house. SV Design’s visions was a relaxed residence that could accommodate a range of needs, with a focus on the emotional and practical needs of its patients and their families, that echoed the natural surroundings that are integral to the facility’s environmental mood and aesthetic.

In its 27th annual Excellence in Construction Awards, the Massachusetts chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) recognized Windover Construction of Beverly, Mass., with its Merit Award, which recognizes overall excellence in project execution, craftsmanship, safety, innovative elements and challenges, and client satisfaction

In its 2019 Design for Aging Review, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) cited EGA, a Newburyport-based architectural design and planning firm, for successfully achieving a balance between a home-like environment and the highest quality of clinical elements in the facility’s design.

The hospice house solarium.

A patient’s room with an exit to a patio overlooking the Cambridge reservoir.

In its sixth annual Senior Housing News (SHN) Architecture & Design Awards, SHN, an Aging Media Network Publication, awarded second place to the Care Dimensions Hospice House in its 2019 Hospice category. More than 100 residential senior communities across the country and globe submitted new construction and renovation projects for commendation, vying for top honors across SHN’s nine individual award categories.

Eighth-grader named as Lincoln’s Project 351 Ambassador

Devon Das

Lincoln School eighth-grader Devon Das has been selected as Lincoln’s Project 351 Ambassador, joined other other eighth-graders from every Massachusetts city and town for a transformational year of service, leadership development, and civic engagement.

The annual Launch and Service Day convened Project 351’s tenth Class of Ambassadors for a day of service and leadership to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Gov. Charlie Baker, First Lady Lauren Baker, and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito joined the morning celebration at Faneuil Hall. The day included service in support of 18 nonprofit organizations including the Greater Boston Food Bank, the Pine Street Inn, Be Like Brit, and the Chelsea and Holyoke Soldiers Homes.

There is no application process; educators nominate and select their community’s ambassador based on criteria and a process provided by the organization. Devon was selected by the Lincoln School to represent Lincoln for demonstrating an ethic of service and the values of kindness, compassion, humility, and gratitude. “Devon has volunteered for everything I’ve offered this year and he will make the most of the opportunity,” said Steve Cullen, the eighth-grade social studies teacher.

Project 351 ambassadors develop the skills and confidence to mobilize schools and communities in statewide service campaigns. Their spring service will benefitting Cradles and Crayons and 9.11 Tribute Service with the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, while their fall service will addresses the challenge of hunger through support of hundreds of hometown food pantries. At the close of the Ambassador year, they can continue to hone skills and lead communities in service as members of the Alumni Leadership Council or alumni community.

Since its founding in 2011, 3,381 eighth graders have engaged as Project 351 Ambassadors, serving more than 720,000 neighbors through youth-led statewide service campaigns.

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Art sale, climate film at St. Anne’s

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church will host a Haiti Art Sale on Sunday, Jan. 26 after morning worship (8 a.m. spoken Eucharist, 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with choir). Items made by artisans from Haiti will be for sale, and all proceeds benefit the artists who are helping support their families. That evening at 5 p.m., St. Anne’s is hosting a four-parish Evensong — St. Anne’s choir will be joined by choirs from Church of the Good Shepherd in Acton, Trinity Episcopal Church in Concord, and St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church in Sudbury. A reception will follow. All are welcome.

On Tuesday, Jan. 28, St. Anne’s will host a free screening of the 2019 documentary “Necessity: Oil, Water and Climate Resistance” on There will be a light supper at 6:30 p.m. The film will start at 7 p.m. and there will be a discussion via video link with filmmaker Jan Haaken at 8:15 p.m. This is the fifth season of the church’s Climate Justice Film Series. For more information, contact Alex Chatfield at adchat@aol.com or 781-697-0140.

Domestic Violence Roundtable collecting Valentine’s Day donations

Area residents are invited to donate items and help fill Valentine’s Day bags for those temporarily living in local domestic violence shelters and transitional housing programs on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 3 p.m. in the Wayland Public Safety Building.

Each February, the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable collects gift bag  items for women, children and men who are being assisted by REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, The Second Step, and Voices Against Violence. The bags were decorated by the children from the Sudbury Extended Day program. Small gestures like the gift bags let families know they are supported in their decision to leave an abusive situation and brighten their day.

Items needed for the bags include gift cards for CVS, Target, grocery stores, etc.; personal items such as full-size bath products, socks, cosmetics, nail polish, hair products, phone cards, journals, postage stamps etc.; and items for children such as crayons, coloring books, small stuffed animals, nonviolent toys, and stickers, as well as bath and hair products, books, diaries, movie passes, iTunes cards and candy for older kids.

Anyone interested in contributing to the collection may contact the Roundtable at info@dvrt.org. There will be a collection basket in the lobby of the Wayland Public Safety Building (38 Cochituate Rd.) from February 6-11. In past years the Roundtable has provided as many as 125 bags for families in shelter and transitional housing.

Minute Man NHP offers internship

Minute Man National Historical Park has a one-year full-time internship opening for a Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) starting in February. Applicants must be U.S. citizen between the ages of 18 and 30. See this CVA web page for more information or email Margie Coffin Brown at margie_coffin_brown@nps.gov.

Ceramics and photography classes, collage tour at deCordova

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum offers “Ceramic Sculpture Workshop: Expressive Vessels, Forms, and Environments” on Wednesdays, February 26 to April 1, and Thursdays, February 27 to April 2 (both from 10 a.m.–1 p.m.) This is a ceramic sculpture course for the unrealized or developing artist, homeowner, or design aficionado looking to enhance indoor or outdoor spaces with one’s own ceramic installations or art, or anyone striving for an ideal in sculptural expression through one-of-a-kind vessels and sculpture. Techniques for building with clay, and thematic analysis of decoration will be explored, drawing inspiration from deCordova’s concurrent exhibition All the Marvelous Surfaces. Click on one of the days above to register.

The deCordova is offering “The Art of Photographing Nature,” a hands-on digital photography class designed for photographers interested in exploring the natural world with their cameras. With the sculpture park’s picturesque grounds as our backdrop, we will explore techniques, tips, and sensibilities common to landscape photography. The 10-week class starts on Thursday, March 5 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. (no class on March 19 or March 26) and costs $300 for members or $375 for nonmembers. Click here for details and registration.

Join Koch Curatorial Fellow Sam Adams and Curatorial Assistant Elizabeth Upenieks for an in-depth tour of some of the museum’s most elaborate and dense collages on view on Thursday, March 12 from 6:30–7:30 p.m. Click here to register.

New reading circle, performance at Walden Woods Project

The Walden Woods Project (44 Baker Farm Rd.) invites you to join our new Reading Circle. We will read and explore works by Thoreau as well as authors whose work contributes to an even deeper examination of Thoreau’s ideas. At the first session on Wednesday, Feb. 26 from 7–8:30 p.m., we will begin discussing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau, Slavery in Massachusetts by Thoreau, and Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Click here to register.

The Aurea Ensemble will perform “Of Nature Composed,” which explores the intersection of nature, science, the arts and humanities, and the sanctity of our environment, on Thursday, March 5 from 7–9 p.m. at the Walden Woods Project (doors open at 6:30 p.m.; wine and cheese reception to follow). “Of Nature Composed” includes the words and music of 2014 Pulitzer Prize winner John Luther Adams; American composers, Charles Griffes, John Cage, Lou Harrison, and Charles Ives; and words of naturalist Henry David Thoreau, Pulitzer Prize winning poet Galway Kinnell, and Ted Kooser. Click here to register.

Lincoln getting ready for Winter Carnival

Lincoln’s annual Winter Carnival sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department kicks off on Thursday, Jan. 30. The weekend is designed to foster a sense of community throughout the Town of Lincoln. All events are sponsored by local organizations.

Ongoing

Build your snow sculpture when snow arrives, then snap a photo with you in it and send it to David Sequeira at Parks & Rec at dsequeira@lincnet.org. Submit as many sculptures as you like. Submissions accepted until 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb 2. Winners will be announced on Friday, Feb. 7.

Thursday, January 30

FoMA Film: “Visual Acoustics”
6:30–9 p.m., Lincoln Public Library
Friends of Modern Architecture/Lincoln is pleased to present this documentary about the charming and productive life of Julius Shulman, widely regarded as the greatest architectural photographer of the 20th century who played a significant role in bringing to light the architectural Modernist movement. Beautifully crafted by director Eric Bricker (2009). Film begins at 7.

Friday, January 31

Intergenerational sing-along
3:45–5:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
The LEAP after-school program, the Council on Aging, and the Magic Garden Children’s Center invite residents of all ages to enjoy a multigenerational sing-along. Groups from each of the three organizations will sing favorite folk songs, children songs, and more.

LPTO Bingo Night
5:30–7:30 p.m., Brooks Gym
Come celebrate Family Bingo Night with even more chances to win. Prizes awarded for each winning bingo board, plus raffle prizes. Pizza sales start at 5:30 p.m., with additional snacks and drinks available for purchase. Free admission. Bingo cards $5 (15 game multipack); raffle tickets 1/$1; 6/$5; 15/$10 suggested donation.

Saturday, February 1

Girl Scout community pancake breakfast
8–11 a.m., First Parish Church
Start the Saturday slate of Winter Carnival activities with delicious pancakes and real maple syrup! Plain, blueberry, chocolate chip, and gluten-free pancakes along with coffee, tea, orange juice, and fruit. This event is great for everyone from the very young to the young at heart. Meet friends, catch up with neighbors, and enjoy crafts for kids. Girl Scout cookies will be on sale. Tickets: $5 for children under 12, $10 for those 12 and older ($30 family maximum)

Farrington Nature Linc family animal tracking
10 a.m.–noon, Farrington Nature Linc (291 Cambridge Turnpike)
Join us for a family-friendly morning of animal tracking activities on our trails and in our barn! We will head outdoors to look for signs of local wildlife–using snow, mud, dirt, trees, scat, and more–then return inside for tracking-themed craft-making and movement, plus hot chocolate. Free but registration required; click here.

Winter fun at Magic Garden
11 a.m.–1 p.m., Ballfield Road
Come visit with friends and neighbors at Magic Garden. Enjoy carnival games, arts and crafts, story time, and indoor “ice skating” in your socks. This event is best suited for children ages 5 months to 5 years. Free.

4th Annual Lincoln Holistic Wellness Fair
11 a.m.–4 p.m., Pierce House
Join local area Holistic Wellness professionals for the 4th Annual Holistic Wellness Fair as they bring their healing skills and talents to share with the community. The Fair is a rare opportunity for all to experience a varied representation of wellness services from A (acupuncture) to Z (zero Balancing), and many modalities in between. Meet the practitioners who help fill a gap in health care today and find effective solutions to chronic and acute health concerns. Hot beverages and delicious, healthy snacks round out the offerings ensuring a rejuvenating oasis for the senses. Free.

Community skating and bonfire
1–3 p.m., Cemetery Pond
Enjoy skating, hot chocolate, and toasted marshmallows by the campfire. Bring your own skates and stay tuned to www.LincolnRec.com for weather updates.

LFA energy blaster
3–5 p.m., Brooks Gym
Jump in a bounce house, run through an obstacle course, climb, and slide. The gym will be filled with fun ways to let out some energy! Free for 2020 LFA members (join or renew on the spot at www.lincfam.org for $50/year); $10 per child for non-members.

Acoustic Coffeehouse 2020
7–10:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
Our annual night to showcase local musicians and performers! We have a diverse roster of performers — some returning, some new — ready to play for you, and there’s a good chance you know some of them! Coffee/tea and desserts will be served. Doors open at 7pm. General Admission is $10. Table of 8 is $160. Online registration is recommended at www.LincolnRec.com. General admission seats also sold at the door on a space available basis.

Sunday, February 2

Make your own elf/fairy garden
10:30 a.m.–12 p.m., Lincoln Nursery School (deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum)
Create your own garden using natural materials such as moss, acorns, and pine cones. Feel free to bring along anything you would like to add to your garden. Hot chocolate will be served. Free.

Puppy Bowl
12–1:30 p.m., First Parish Church
Let the tailgating and tail wagging begin! Everyone is invited to join First Parish for lunch and the screening of Animal Planet’s 2019 Puppy Bowl. Bring your own lunch or enjoy hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, drink, and cookie $5 for lunch (admission is free). Meet and greet actual tail-waggers. Optional: please bring a pet supply to donate to Buddy Dog.

Awesome Robb magic show
2–3 p.m., Lincoln Public Library
Celebrate Winter Carnival with Awesome Robb and his interactive comedy/magic show. Best for ages 4 and up, but all are welcome.

Family life In Lincoln at the time of the Revolution
2–4 p.m., Bemis Hall
Experience life for parents and children in 18th-century Lincoln. Every man had to have a soldier’s equipment and skills. Every woman had to feed, clothe, and cure the illnesses of her family. Children learned school lessons with quill pens and still had time for games. We debated the important issues of the day and made our own music for entertainment. Come join the Minute Men to talk about life in 1775 Lincoln and try your hand at the tasks, skills, and amusements of the time. Hands- on activities for all. Patriots preferred; redcoats and loyalists welcome. Free.

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Lincoln Democrats meet to strategize

Join Lincoln Democrats and friends for strategizing and putting into action the “roadmap for 2020” on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 9 a.m. in Bemis Hall. In November, Lincoln Democrats voted climate change as the #1 issue but also identified gun control, health care, and immigration as “very important.” What do you think? Ideas and energy welcome.

Lincoln doctor dons skates to benefit Jimmy Fund

John Ready, a Lincoln resident and chief of orthopedic oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, will be among the Dana-Farber doctors, researchers, and staff who will play a charity hockey game against Boston Bruins alumni to benefit the Jimmy Fund. The Dana-Farber Rink Rats’ game will be held Saturday, Feb. 1 from 2–4 p.m. at Warriors Ice Arena in Boston. Dr. Ready has committed to raise $1,200. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children, and are available online and at the door. To support Ready or other participant or to learn more, please visit www.jimmyfund.org/rinkrats.

First Parish offers “Spiritual Autobiography” course

Join Rev. Jenny Rankin of the First Parish in Lincoln and a small group to reflect, consider your life through a “spiritual” lens and write about it in a “Spiritual Autobiography” course over five weekly sessions starting Tuesday, Jan. 14 from 7–8:30 p.m. in the parish house (14 Bedford Rd.). Through in-class exercises and short writing assignments, participants will consider the different chapters or stepping stones of their life’s journey up until now. Some things to consider: What have been the gifts and graces of your life? Where were the losses and hurts? How would you articulate your sense of the sacred, God, or whatever spiritual vocabulary do you use? What “language of reverence” do you speak? Email sarah@fplincoln.org to sign up.

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Birches School open house

The Birches School (100 Bedford Rd., Lincoln) will hold its winter admissions open house on Saturday, Jan. 11 from 1–3 p.m. Tour the new campus set on three acres of private woodlands and speak with faculty, parents, and current students about the school’s K-8 program centered on cultivating curiosity, creativity, empathy, and self-reliance. Children are welcome to attend. Click here to register.

Introduction to L-S for middle school parents

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School will host an information session and tour for parents of middle school students on Thursday, Jan. 16 (snow date: Tuesday, Jan. 21) from 6:30-8 p.m. in the high school library. Hosts will include L-S administrators Bella Wong and Virginia Blake as well as L-S veteran parents, who will talk about the school’s academic profile, enrollment projections, median class sizes, student clubs and activities, athletic teams, theater and music opportunities, college planning, the Global Scholars Program, and more. For further information, please contact L-S School Committee member Carole Kasper at carolemkasper@gmail.com or Virginia Blake at virginia_blake@lsrhs.net.

Free grief support group at hospice house

If you’ve recently lost your spouse or partner, join our experienced grief specialists for this support group at the Care Dimensions Hospice House (125 Winter St., Lincoln) on Wednesday evenings from February 19 to April 8 from 7–8:30 p.m. The group is free but registration is mandatory (the deadline is February 14). To register, visit www.CareDimensions.org/calendars (click on February 19), call 781-373-6530, or email grief@CareDimensions.org. Click here to see a list of other grief support groups.

Girl Scouts lend a hand with holiday projects

Council on Aging Assistant Directors Abigail Butt and Joan Ingersoll with items collected by Girl Scouts for gift bags for seniors.

For the second year in a row, Lincoln’s Girl Scouts is reaching across the generations with three projects to help seniors in town.

After handing out lists of needed items to fellow students and shoppers, Scouts put collection boxes in Donelan’s and the Lincoln School. The donated items — necessities such as toiletries, paper towels and toilet paper, kitchen sponges, toothbrushes and toothpaste, laundry soap, socks, coffee and tea, postage stamps and more — arrived in three overflowing vans at Bemis Hall, where Council on Aging (COA) staff made up over 30 holiday gift bags that were hand-delivered to seniors. The bags also included holiday craft items made by Scouts from the first-, fourth-, and sixth-grade troops.

The sixth-grade troop also consulted with the Fire Department and Parks and Recreation Department to get a list of items that seniors need during winter storms. They then held a successful drive to collect things including flashlights, manual can openers, gloves, and folding shovels that were gathered into kits by Parks and Rec, placed in bags donated by the Lincoln Police Department, and distributed by the COA to seniors who would not have been able to afford them otherwise. 

In an ongoing project, the sixth-grade troop is delivering buckets of sand and salt to make walkways and driveways safer to walk on after snow and ice storms to any Lincoln senior who requests it to. This important project will help prevent falls among seniors, help home health services get safely into homes to provide care, and ensure that seniors can get Meals on Wheels. Seniors may call the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811 to sign up to receive a bucket.

The Council on Aging has received many expressions of gratitude such as “I can’t believe the town does this for us!” and “this is such a nice gesture!” from seniors who’ve received these donations. After the success of this year’s efforts and those in 2018, the Girl Scouts and many others in town look forward to continuing this helpful new holiday collaboration in 2020.

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Event looks at adult children and aging parents

Share dinner and discussion during “A Conversation Between Adult Children and Aging Parents” on Wednesday, Jan. 8 from 5:30–7 p.m. in the First Parish in Lincoln’s parish house auditorium. This exploration of how parents and adult children address the challenges of aging while respecting independence and privacy is part of the church’s “Food for Thought” monthly community dinner and conversation. Led by Lincoln therapist Jane O’Rourke, a panel of elders and mid-life children will start off the discussion. Over dessert and coffee, there will be time for you to exchange your thoughts and ideas with your table companions. All are welcome. The First Parish provides child care and supper (including gluten-free and child-friendly options). Suggested donation: $10 for adults, $5 for children.

Ceramics class, snowshoe tours at deCordova

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is offering “Expressive Vessels, Forms and Environments,” a ceramics workshop on five Thursdays starting January 9 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Techniques for building with clay and thematic analysis of decoration will be explored, drawing inspiration from deCordova’s current exhibition, All the Marvelous Surfaces. No experience necessary. All materials provided, and optional studio time is included. Click here for more information and registration.

Looking for a fun new way to explore the sculpture park this winter? Make a day out of a trip to the park with snowshoe tours, lunch in the cafe, and a visit to the museum. Offered every Saturday from January 11 to March 7. Tickets include a guided tour with a deCordova guide and a trained EMS instructor. Rentals are available if needed. For ages 8+. Click here for more information and registration.

Climate Sunday offers workshops on environmental topics

Join the First Parish in Lincoln and the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) for Climate Sunday on Sunday, Jan. 12 starting at 10 a.m. Climate Sunday is a gathering for those interested in learning more about how to take action on environmental justice, clean transportation, zero-waste initiatives, and more. Interactive workshops on issues such as environmental justice, transportation, and zero waste will focus on the current state of environmental advocacy in Massachusetts from experts working on the ground.

Participants are welcome to come for the entire day or just the lunch and afternoon workshops. Below is the schedule of events. Space is limited; please click here to RSVP.

  • 10 a.m. — The First Parish in Lincoln morning service with sermon by Rev. Jenny Rankin and reflections by Peter Shelley, CLF’s senior counsel.
  • 11:15 a.m. — Check-in opens at the Stone Church.
  • 11:15 a.m.–12 p.m. — Environmental fair featuring booths and informal presentations by CLF, Green Energy Consumers Alliance, HomeWorks Energy, and others. Learn what you can do to combat climate change.
  • 12 p.m. — “How to Stay Optimistic in a Warming World,” a lunchtime presentation by CLF President Brad Campbell.
  • 1 p.m. — Workshop #1: Staci Rubin, CLF’s senior attorney, will discuss her work around environmental justice and clean transportation, as well as how you can get involved.
  • 1:45 p.m. — Workshop #2: Kirstie Pecci, CLF’s Zero Waste Project director and senior fellow, will discuss her work on plastics and zero-waste initiatives and how you can take action.

Anyone with questions may contact Katie Ardrey at 617-850-1729 or kardrey@clf.org.

Schools ask residents to create “portrait of a learner”

The Lincoln Public Schools are asking themselves what skills, traits, and knowledge will our students need in order to thrive in and transform the 21st century. Can we create a “portrait of a learner” to ground the curriculum and assessments as we refine what and how we teach, and how to gauge the district’s success? School and community members gathered several times in 2019 to generate ideas and priorities. To contribute your thoughts, please respond by Monday, Jan. 13 to this quick online survey that asks you to think about the purpose of school and the current and future challenges and needs in the country and the world to help the schools create a first draft of a portrait of a learner.

Borrello headlines next LOMA

Matt Borrello

Matt Borrello is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, Jan. 13 in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. The event runs from 7–10 p.m., and Borrello will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. He is a Bob Dylan acolyte, regularly performing at Dylan tribute shows, and plays venues like Passim, Lizard Lounge, Toad and the Rose Garden, and further afield through the Mid-Atlantic to the Carolinas. Admission is free and refreshments are provided. Performers can sign up at the event or email Rich Eilbert at loma3re@gmail.com for a slot. There is a sound system with mikes and instrumental pickups suitable for individuals or small groups.

Panel explores sexual exploitation in the community

Massage parlors in the area and all over the country have been the focus of police raids targeting sexual exploitation. Do you wonder if people choose this life are are being forced into it? Would legalizing prostitution make things better for all involved? How is the issue of prostitution being addressed locally and within the state of Massachusetts? Join the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable for a panel presentation and discussion on “Sexual Exploitation: It’s Happening In Our Communities” on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 3 p.m. in the Wayland Public Safety Building (38 Cochituate Rd., Wayland).

Panelists will include Peter Qualliotine, co-founder of the Seattle-based Organization for Prostitution Survivors (OPS), and an advocate from RIA House, a local program that supports women with experience in the commercial sex trade and its associated exploitation, trafficking and prostitution. The remaining panelists will be community members who knew something wasn’t right and explored ways to deal with what was happening in their community.

Council on Aging activities in January

Musical jazz lunch
January 3 at noon
Celebrate the end of the week by grabbing a table at Bemis Hall 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 at the store to share. The COA provides beverages and dessert.

Explore the poetry of Robert Frost
January 4 at 2 p.m.
Join Stephen Collins for a free four-session interactive seminar on the poetry of Robert Frost at 2 p.m. on Saturdays, Jan. 4, 11, and 25 at the Lincoln Public Library, and on January 18 at Bemis Hall. Sponsored by the Council on Aging and the library. Stephen performs one-man shows and teaches courses on historical figures like Melville, Walt Whitman, James MacNeill Whistler, and William Shakespeare.

What new discussion groups would you like?
January 6 at 10 a.m.
The COA loves to offer discussion groups for people who would like to discuss their experiences in a supportive group environment where they can share with others their concerns and challenges and get and give tips and strategies. We want to make sure that they are providing the groups you are most interested in. In the past, they have held groups about coping with losses, change, and difficult family issues. Which of these topics would you like to see offered again or what new topics would you like to talk about? Come to Bemis Hall at 10 a.m. on January 6 to brainstorm with the COA, or call Carolyn at 781-259-8811 with your ideas. [Read more…] about Council on Aging activities in January

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Ugly sweater party to benefit FELS

The Rustic Twenty-Nine restaurant (29 Hudson Rd., Sudbury) is hosting an Ugly Sweater Party on Thursday, Dec. 26. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Foundation for Educators at Lincoln-Sudbury. Bring friends and enjoy holiday movies, festive cocktails, door prizes and raffles in support of FELS. No reservations necessary — just don your ugliest attire and bring what’s left of your holiday cheer. Show your Facebook RSVP at the door to get two free raffle tickets.

Indian ballet performance at Bemis

Biswajit Das, the lead dancer from the international Saptavarna troupe that toured the United States and visited last summer, is returning to the Boston area over the holidays and will perform in Lincoln on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 4 p.m. in Bemis Hall. the event is free for Lincoln residents. Das will perform the traditional new year ritual that takes place each year at the Konark Sun Temple in India.