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

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Fall Ball benefits South Sudanese programs

A Fall Ball to raise funds for South Sudanese Enrichment for Families (SSEF) will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7 in Bemis Hall. The event includes a potluck dinner of American and Sudanese food and dancing. At the First Parish Church, kids can make art and bird houses, watch movies, and visit wildlife stations presented by Drumlin Farm.

The event will benefit the SSEF’s preschool and and Saturday Bridges programs, as well as scholarships for summer camp. This year, SSEF granted $25,000 in preschool scholarships and almost $14,000 in camp scholarships, enabling 30 kids to go to Camp Calumet and Camp Merrowvista in New Hampshire. The Saturday Bridges program at the Hartwell pods offers care for infants and preschoolers, trips to Drumlin Farm for school-age kids, and classes for parents on parenting skills, understanding the school system, financial literacy and job-hunting.

The Fall Ball starts at 6:30 p.m. but most Sudanese will not arrive until 8 p.m. No admission fee, but there will South Sudanese-style fundraising where people will be asked to put money into a hat while the group dances (most families will contribute between $50 and $200). Questions? Call Susan Winship 781-424-8774 or Laper Kom at 978-332-6881.

“Executive Transitions” with Tom Casey

Companies of all sizes will have to address the implications of aging baby boomers retiring from the work force. Hear Lincoln resident Tom Casey on Monday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library speak on his recently published book Executive Transitions 2: Leveraging Experience for Future Success! Casey, the author of seven books, is the founder and managing principal of Discussion Partner Collaborative, a global executive advisory film. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Management Executive Management Program as well as a licensed clinical social worker. Free and open to all.

“Tom of Finland” screening at library

The Lincoln Library Film Society presents “Tom of Finland” (2017, Finnish with English subtitles) on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. in the library’s Tarbell Room. Award-winning filmmaker Dome Karukoski shows the life and work of artist Touko Valio Laaksonen (a.k.a. Tom of Finland), one of the most influential and celebrated figures of 20th-century gay culture.

Beer, music, and art at the deCordova

Enjoy “Art and Ales” at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum on Thursday, Sept. 12 from 5–8 p.m. Seasonal craft beers from Somerville’s Aeronaut Brewing Co. will be accompanied by live music by the Ways and Means Committee, tasty treats for purchase from Compliments Food Truck, and a view of the sunset from the Sculpture Terrace. Tickets including two full-size beers or four tastings, and access to art on view are $20 for members and $30 for nonmembers (free for kids 17 and under). Additional beer will be available for purchase. Click here for tickets.

Become a volunteer at Lincoln’s hospice house

Are you able to visit with patients, listen to their concerns, and provide a supportive, comforting presence? Can you hold a hand or engage in a shared interest or hobby? Care Dimensions will offer a four-week training program beginning in mid-September. Choose from two schedules: Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 1–3:30 p.m. from September 18 to October 11, or Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6–8:30 p.m. from September 17 to October 10. All sessions are at the Care Dimensions Hospice House at 125 Winter St. in Lincoln. For more information, contact Abigail Langmead at 781-373-6583 or ALangmead@CareDimensions.org.

LLCT presents walks, talk on bird feeding

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust’s “Noticing Walks” with John Calabria return on Tuesday, Sept. 3 from 1–2:30 p.m. Meet at the Lincoln Station parking lot to walk to Farm Meadow and into Bergen-Culver conservation land. Subsequent walks will be on October 1 and November 5 (locations TBA; visit www.lincolnconservation.org). These gently paced walks are a great way to slow down, unplug, and enjoy nature. Walks are co-sponsored with the Lincoln Council on Aging and geared towards 55+ but all are welcome. In case of inclement weather, call the LLCT at 781-259-9251 after 10 a.m. on the morning of the walk for information.

Join the LLCT and Tia Pinney for “Bird Feeding 101: Feeding and Caring for Birds in an Era of Climate Change” on Tuesday, Sept. 24 from 7–8:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Pinney will cover everything from types of feeder, seeds for different birds, when to feed, and more, as well as the benefits of creating diverse habitats in the yard that enhance local ecosystems, help mitigate the impacts of climate change, and attract birds for us to enjoy. Pinney is the senior naturalist and ecological management and adult program coordinators at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary.

14 Lincolnites to pedal in 40th Pan-Mass Challenge

On Aug. 3 and 4, more than 6,700 riders, including 14 from Lincoln, will pedal up to 192 miles in the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) with the goal of raising $60 million for cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Cyclists from 43 states and 12 countries will convene in Massachusetts to participate in the PMC, taking on one of 12 routes that pass through 47 towns and range from 25 to 192 miles, designed to cater to all levels of cycling and fundraising ability. Riders range in age from 13 to 88 and include everyone from seasoned triathletes to weekend warriors. Many ride to honor a family member or friend who has battled cancer, while more than 950 riders and volunteers are cancer survivors or current patients themselves.

Participants are required to raise between $600 and $8,500, depending on their chosen route, though the average cyclist raises more than $8,825. If the PMC reaches its 2019 fundraising goal of $60 million, Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne, a cancer survivor and PMC rider, has committed to donate an additional $1 million to the cause.

One hundred percent of every rider-raised dollar is donated directly to Dana-Farber through the its fundraising arm, the Jimmy Fund, and the PMC is the institute’s largest single contributor, accounting for more than 55% of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue. In 2018, the PMC donated $56 million to Dana-Farber, bringing its 39-year contribution to more than $654 million.

Riders from Lincoln are listed below. To make a financial contribution to a rider or become a virtual rider, click here or call 800-WE-CYCLE. You can also connect with #PMC2019 and #PMC40 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

  • James Alden
  • Don Alden
  • Peter Blacklow
  • Mark Deck
  • Jack Fultz
  • Keith Gilbert
  • Richard Glanz
  • Erica Gonella
  • Weston Howland
  • Kim Mooney
  • Julia Parrillo
  • Dan Pereira
  • Kimberly Phillips
  • Tom Wilmot

Kids run for a good cause (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Dozens of families from the Birches School and the Waltham Boys & Girls Club dashed through the woods behind the school on Bedford Road earlier this month in the Run for Good, an event to build a foundation of healthy habits and connect kids with nature in their own backyard. The fundraiser for the Birches School and the Waltham Boys & Girls Club was cosponsored by Saucony. (Photo by Joshua Milne)

Council on Aging activities in July

Sip and paint a masterpiece by the numbers
July 3 at 10 a.m.
Come “sip and paint” with some nonalcoholic wine while you “paint by the numbers.” The first of four sessions will be on Wednesday, July 3 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall. The COA will provide the paint-by-number kits. The class is almost full, but call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up or be put on the waiting list.

[Read more…] about Council on Aging activities in July

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Hospice volunteers come to Drumlin Farm

Care Dimensions volunteers at Drumlin Farm (click photo to enlarge).

More than a dozen Care Dimensions employees recently volunteered at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm in Lincoln to plant vegetables, herbs, and flowers that will the farm will go to CSAs, farmers’ markets, and cafeterias. The farm day was part of the company’s employee volunteer program in which selected employees volunteer with a community organization located within the company’s service area. Last year, the Care Dimensions company opened an 18-bed hospice house in Lincoln, and it also has offices in Waltham and Danvers.

Food donations needed in summertime

Summer is a particular time of need for donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. During the school year, students can get free or reduced-price lunch at school, but now that the academic year is over, more food is needed to compensate for the loss of these lunches. Please donate canned goods, cereals, spaghetti sauce, diapers, snack foods, etc.  The pantry is always looking for healthy treats, gluten-free, and reduced-salt items as well. Bring items to St. Joseph Church (side door, basket on the floor) or the Parish Center at St. Julia Church (374 Boston Post Rd., Weston).

Get free books at the library

Summer is actually spring-cleaning time at the Lincoln Public Library, where summer interns help process discarded books for the public to pick up for free. The library scans selected books to see if its used book re-seller will take them, then offer put them on the discarded books cart in the library’s lower stack level downstairs. Some of the books are in good condition; others have been well loved and will be replaced by newer copies. Note: The books aren’t meant to take the place of our Friends Book Sale Cart — those books are all in good condition, and sales support the library programs.

Residents can now apply for building permits online

The Lincoln Planning Department is updating its services to include online applications for building permits. Applicants may click here, create an account, and apply for a permit. Only building permit applications are available online, but electrical, plumbing and gas will be added in the future. Anyone with questions regarding the system may call Lincoln IT Director Michael Dolan at 781-259-2702.  

Two new outdoor installations at deCordova

“Sunday, Sitting on the Bank of Butterfly Meadow” by Wardell Milan.

Two new sculptures were recently unveiled at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum and will be on view until the end of December. In “PLATFORM 24: Wardell Milan, Sunday, Sitting on the Bank of Butterfly Meadow,” New York artist Wardell Milan adapts one of his lush, intricate photo-dioramas to a monumental scale. Working with photography, sculpture, drawing, and collage, he stages intricate maquettes of found imagery to create compositions of pastoral landscapes populated by bodies of diverse genders and racial identity. The PLATFORM series at the deCordova includes one-person commissioned projects by early- and mid-career artists that engage with deCordova’s unique landscape.

“Kitchen Trees” by B. Wurtz.

“Kitchen Trees” is the first large-scale, public work by B. Wurtz. Its trunk is composed of blue colanders stacked in a slender column with thin metallic branches leading to overturned pots and pans, out of which plastic fruits and vegetables appear to fall. The sculpture’s form is partially inspired by the bulbous bronze fountain in New York’s City Hall Park where “Kitchen Trees” was first displayed alongside four other sculptures from the same series. At deCordova, the whimsical piece evokes a tropical palm tree, in striking contrast to the towering pines and elegant beeches that thrive in New England.

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Artist’s open house with Peter Sugar

There will be an open house at the Lincoln Public Library on Sunday, June 2 from 3–5 p.m. to mark the opening of an exhibit of charcoal drawings of trees by Lincoln resident Peter Sugar. The exhibit will be on view until June 20.

Codman campout and BBQ coming up

On Saturday, June 15, Codman Community Farms will hold its annual barbecue and campout starting at 5:30 p.m. This year’s menu features Codman-grown proteins, including CCF’s 100% grass-fed burgers and hot dogs as well as tasty pasture-raised pork sausages and chicken drumsticks. After dinner, enjoy ‘smores, songs around the campfire, and then stay and sleep under the stars.

Tickets must purchased by all campers and are also available to those just wishing to come for the evening. Since the far is serving its own food this year and need to plan, please buy tickets by Friday, June 7. Campsites are $35 (membership to the farm is required). Dinner is $25 for adults and $15 for kids. Click here for more information and to register.

Champagne with Chicks to benefit Lovelane

Lovelane Special Needs Therapeutic Horseback Riding’s Run for Love  second annual fundraiser takes place Saturday, June 8 at 6:30 p.m., at 18 Cerulean Way. This year’s theme is Champagne with Chicks — a glittery, adults-only cocktail party for Lovelane with a herd of adult (miniature) farm animals on the loose in co-host Joanna Schmergel’s house and backyard.Two ensembles (Hessie Swain’s and Mary Crowe’s) will be performing live jazz and blues. Women are encouraged to wear anything with lace, shimmer, sparkle or shine. Get dressed up and cuddle an adult emu, miniature donkey, goat, horse, sheep, pig, puddleduck or alpaca and enjoy hors d’oeuvres, champagne, wine, and a raffle. Minimum donation to attend is $100 per guest. Please RSVP online by Sunday, June 2. 

Sign up in advance for July 4 Firecracker Run

If you plan to run the Lincoln Firecracker Run on the Fourth of July, please click here to register in advance. Registration for the 2.5 or 4 mile scenic run is $20 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under and includes a T-shirt. Registration is held at the Town Hall, 16 Lincoln Road, Lincoln, MA 01773. The registration link will be open until midnight on July 3.

Register now for 2019-20 youth soccer

Lincoln Youth Soccer registration is now open for all ages for the 2019-2020 season.If you have a child entering grades 3-8, please register them as soon as possible to guarantee your child a spot and determine the number of travel teams by age group to submit to BAYS. To register, click here. Please note that if you have a child entering third grade, you must also order a uniform through the online registration process.

For those entering grades 7-8 only, there will be mandatory tryouts for the 2019-2020 season on Wednesday and Thursday, June 12 and 13 at Wang Field, 100 Bedford Rd. Only registered players will be allowed to try out. If there needs to be more tha one team, players will be placed on either the A team or B team based on skill level. Click here to submit your RSVP for tryouts. Children should come prepared to play soccer with cleats, shin guards and water. Tryouts will be run by Aiden Dobens, director of coaching for Lincoln Youth Soccer (aidendobens@gmail.com) on:

  • Wednesday, June 12: 4:30-6 p.m. for U14 girls, 6-7:30 p.m. for U14 boys
  • Thursday, June 13: 4:30-6 p.m. for U14 boys, 6-7:30 p.m. for U14 girls

Registrants are eligible for refunds of 90% of the registration fee before July 1; there will be no refunds after that date.

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Lincoln team wins Latino and African American Tenacity Challenge Competition

The winning L-S Tenacity Challenge Team, “America’s Future.”

The L-S Tenacity Challenge Team “America’s Future,” whose members are all Lincoln School alumni, won first place in the 2019 Latino and African American Tenacity Challenge Competition on April 27 at Bedford High School. Their victory marks the first time a Lincoln-Sudbury team has placed in this competition. Each year, teams of LatinX and African-American students from urban and suburban high schools across Massachusetts compete for scholarship prize money. This year’s theme was “The Social and Political Significance of Hip Hop, Rap and Spoken Word.”

Led by advisor and history teacher Caroline Han, students Jada Edwards, Keith Hylton, Kares Mack, Jaelynn Rodney, and Jesus Tejeda prepared for four events: the Science and Math Quiz Bowl, Latino and African-American Literature Response, History Oral Argument, and Mural Challenge. By earning the highest overall score out of 34 schools, members of the L-S team will each receive a $1,000 scholarship.

L-S Community Sing this week

The L-S Music Department presents its annual Community Sing on Thursday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the L-S auditorium. Come hear L-S’ five student-led vocal groups and Chamber Singers perform. The featured piece is Eric Whitacre’s “Five Hebrew Love Songs” with string quartet, piano, and the L-S Concert Choir, choir alumni, parents and community members.  If you would like to join us in singing the Whitacre, contact L-S Choral Director Mike Bunting at michael_bunting@lsrhs.net for details. The event is free and open to the public.

Sales of snacks and refreshments will support the L-S Friends of Music, which invites everyone to their annual meeting on Thursday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m. in Conference Room A at L-S. All parents of music students and community members are welcome. Talk to board members, meet fellow music program supporters, and learn about opportunities to get involved.

Wash your car, help the eighth grade

Saturday, May 18 is the annual 8th-grade car wash and bake sale. The event is a key source of funds for all activities around graduation, including the student dance party, the family party, T-shirts, etc.  Each wash is only $10. Swing by Town Hall any time between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. If you’re away or would just like to make a donation, please click here.

Get down at Club Codman

Dance to the music of the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and beyond (and wear costumes to match your favorite era) at Club Codman, an adults-only fundraiser in the Codman barn on Saturday, May 18 from 8:30–11:30 p.m. Cash bar. Tickets are $45 for CCF members and $60 for nonmembers; click here to purchase.

Test-drive an electric vehicle

Tired of going to gas stations and paying for oil changes and also want to do something significant about climate change? Please come and test-drive an electric vehicle (EV) at the First Parish in Lincoln (FPL) on Sunday, May 19 from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. There will be two Teslas available, and possible a Chevy Bolt and Hyundai Kona as well. EV owners will also be on hand to share their experiences.

As an example, a 2018 Chevy Bolt last year gets over 300 miles per charge in the summer and (over 200 miles in the winter) and costs as little as half the current list price when you factor in available federal and state subsidies and the volume discount that has been negotiated by Lincoln’s partner, the Green Energy Consumers Alliance. Replacing an internal combustion engine car with an EV will remove 3–5 tons of CO2 emissions annually from your total carbon footprint, which works out to an overall carbon footprint reduction of around 20% for typical car owners. Please click here to RSVP. Call Green Energy Committee Chair Peter Watkinson at 339-224-0000 with questions.

See Lincolnites in “None But the Best”

In Good Company Theater presents “None But the Best” by Patrick Gabridge (original music by Dan Ryan) on Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. It tells the remarkable story of Boston publisher Daniel Sharp Ford, who quietly used his wealth to help thousands of disadvantaged people during the turbulent post-Civil War/Gilded Age years. Two Lincoln residents are in the cast — Cindy Bencal plays Ford’s wife Sarah, and Nancy Knight sings “The Fire” in a trio. Tickets are available at ingc.co/lincoln (use discount code “Lincoln” to get $5 off).

Candidate for cable committee sought

The Board of Selectmen is seeking a volunteer to fill a vacant seat on the Cable Advisory Committee. The CAC represents the board in all aspects of cable television licensing, including advising and negotiating on renewal licenses or original licenses, monitoring compliance, and serving as custodian of all reports and records made under the terms of any cable television license. The complete charge can be found here. Letters of interest should be sent to Peggy Elder, Administrative Assistant in the Selectmen’s Office, elderp@lincolntown.org by May 31. For information call the Selectmen’s Office at 781-259-2601.

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French cartoon to be screened at high school

Come see “Astérix et les Vikings,” a family-friendly movie organized by L-S students in a fifth-year French Cinema class, on Friday, May 17 at 7 p. m. in the L-S auditorium. The 79-minute movie based on a French comic strip follows Asterix and Obelix as they set off in hot pursuit to rescue Chief Vitalstatistix’s lazy nephew, Justforkix, from the Viking Olaf after the chief asks them to toughen up his nephew.

Talk at St. Anne’s on Nicaragua efforts

Sarah Junkin Woodard from the Center for Development in Central America (CDCA), a nonprofit, faith-based organization, will speak at St. Anne’s Church on Sunday, May 19 at 11:15 a.m. Woodard, who has worked in Nicaragua for 25 years, will explain how the CDCA responds to human needs created by natural disasters and poverty in the second-poorest nation in the western hemisphere. Joining her is Grace Sweetser, a former Lincoln resident and St. Anne’s parishioner who served for six months as a volunteer at the rural medical clinic run by the CDCA Jubilee House after college. 

Have coffee with an L-S School Committee member

Carole Kasper of the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee will host listening sessions on the following dates:

  • Friday May 10: 9–10 a.m. at the deCordova Café, and 11 a.m.–noon at Sudbury Coffee Works (15 Union Ave., Sudbury)
  • Tuesday, June 4: 9–10 a.m. at the deCordova Café, and 11 a.m.–noon at Karma Coffee (100 Boston Post Rd., Sudbury)

Talk on attracting birds and butterflies

Naturalist John Root will present a program on “Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Beneficials to Your Garden” on Thursday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library. This is one of the activities listed in the “Hidden Treasures” booklet published by Freedom’s Way, a nonprofit that works in partnership with the National Park Service to help people explore (natural, cultural or historical treasures hidden in plain sight through family-friendly community organized programs in greater Boston. Pick up a copy of the brochure at the library.

This free program is supported by in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Additional funding was also provided by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.

Celebrate L-S grads with balloons

Do you know someone in the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Class of 2019? If so, congratulate him or her with a graduation balloon in a fundraiser for the Class of 2021. Large

blue foil balloons imprinted with “Congratulations L-S Grad” are being sold for $6 each and will be delivered to graduates’ homes a few days before graduation, accompanied by a good luck card. All proceeds go to the Class of 2021 Steering Committee. Order from this LSPO web page by May 20.

Community sessions on heating and cooling with heat pumps

Learn about cold-climate air-source heat pumps, geothermal systems, and heat pump water heaters at events hosted by HeatSmart Carlisle/Concord/Lincoln and EnergizeWayland. Perfect for those who:

  • want to learn why electricity for heating/cooling is environmentally friendly
  • don’t have air conditioning but want it before summer temperatures arrive
  • have an old heating system (e.g.,more than 15 years) and want to know about replacement options to oil, propane or gas

Meet installers to learn what systems might work for your home. Find out about the financial incentives available to you. Hear from neighbors who have installed systems and local installers. Meet your community coach who can help you sort it all out.

The events are on Saturday, June 8 from 1:30–3:30 p.m. in the Concord-Carlisle High School Learning Commons (500 Walden St., Concord, 2nd floor) and Tuesday, June 11 from 7–8:30 pm. in the Wayland Public Library (5 Concord Rd., Wayland).

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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.

Lincoln’s new Wang Field is open for play

Courtney Wang cuts the ribbon for Lincoln’s new athletic field next to the house he grew up in (click to enlarge).

Lincoln’s first new athletic field in more than 50 years officially opened last week with a ribbon-cutting by Courtney Wang, the son of the couple whose land the field now occupies.

Computer entrepreneur An Wang and his wife Lorraine raised their children on Bedford Road close to Route 2. After Lorraine passed away in 2016, the Rural Land Foundation and the Birches School together bought the Wang’s 16-acre property. The house was renovated and became the school’s new permanent home, and the other 12 acres is now Wang Field.

Attendees at the April 24 ribbon-cutting ceremony applauded the people and groups that made the project possible: Geoff McGean, executive director of the RLF; Dan Pereira, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, which will oversee use of the field (purchased from the RLF by the town in 2017); the Ogden Codman Trust, which provided a seed grant of $50,000; Patty Donahue, who was instrumental in raising funds for the field construction; and Courtney Wang, who flew in from Texas for the occasion.

Stone benches and bricks carry the names of Lincoln residents who made donations to fund the field construction.

Wang (cofounder of O-File and a trustee of the Wang Foundation) told the story of playing in a smaller area close to his house as a boy. The little field was not exactly ideal, being uneven and rocky, so he asked his parents for help in fixing it up — but the answer was no. “You guys can ride your bikes to the school fields—that’s what they’re there for,” he recalled them saying.

Now, seeing the beautiful new field in what was once his back yard, “the 10-year-old in me says ‘whoah, this is totally awesome—this is a dream come true!’ I hope you find it as special for you as it was for me growing up,” Wang said. He then “broke in” the field by kicking a soccer ball into one of the goals, and the ball was later signed by guests at the ribbon-cutting for him to take home as a souvenir.