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

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News acorns

L-S Spring Instrumental Concert this week

The L-S music department presents the Spring Instrumental Concert on Thursday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lincoln-Sudbury Auditorium. Ensembles performing include the Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band. The orchestra is directed by Mr. Kyung-Nam Oh, and the bands are directed by Thomas Grandprey.

Four senior violinists — Katherine Feng, Michael Yue, Evan Lee, and Emma Christman — will be featured on “4 Violins Concerto No. 10 in B minor” (RV 580) by Vivaldi. Members of the Concert Band’s percussion section will be featured on an eclectic work entitled “Arabian Dances” by Brian Balmages. The orchestra and bands will combine for “Grand Finale, Music from the DreamWorks film Gladiator,” and there will be awards for the student musicians. L-S Friends of Music will sell concessions to help support instrument purchases and fund master classes for the music program.

Bird-a-Thon fundraiser coming up

Mass Audubon’s annual Bird-a-thon fundraiser will take place for 24 hours on Friday and Saturday, May 10–11 from 6 p.m.–6.p.m., when hundreds of birders of all abilities will compete to ID the most species statewide over a 24-hour period. Bird-a-thon takes place in the midst of the spring migration, when millions of birds are returning to Massachusetts to breed and raise young, or stopping to rest and feed in the Bay State before continuing farther north. 

Not a birder? Not a problem! Bird-a-thon Boosters participate by fundraising for their favorite teams. Boosters may bird non-competitively, do their own nature-focused activity, or simply rally support for those spending long hours in the field. Last year’s participants raised more than $255,000—the highest amount since the event began in 1983—and identified 275 species, the most ever recorded. Sponsors this year include Presenting Sponsor, Comosse Masonry Supply of Worcester, and WBUR. Click here to participate, donate, and learn more about Bird-a-thon.

Food project selling seedlings, CSA shares

Purchase vegetable, herb, and flower seedlings to start your garden at The Food Project’s Baker Bridge Farm (94 Concord Rd., Lincoln) on Saturday and Sunday, May 11–12 from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (rain or shine). The Food Project also has Lincoln CSA shares still available; visit csa.thefoodproject.org for details.

Community Capture the Flag

Join fellow Lincolnites for an all-ages Community Capture the Flag on Saturday, May 4 from 4–6 p.m. at the Pierce House. Rules will be explained when you arrive. Please wear clothing with your team color: blue for last names beginning with A–K, red for last names beginning L–Z. There will be extra uniforms for those in need. Park on the grass alongside Weston Road.

LLCT seeks summer help

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust is looking for a part-time summer land management intern who will work closely with the LLCT Stewardship Coordinator on land management activities, trail maintenance, baseline monitoring, and special projects. The position is for 15 hours a week over two days from the week of June 1 through August 15(11 weeks), and additional weeks may be considered. Click here details about the position and how to apply. Applications are due by May 15.

Lincoln Dems to hold caucus

The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee will hold its caucus on Saturday, May 18 from 9–11 a.m. in Bemis Hall. All Democrats registered in Lincoln are invited to elect delegates and alternates to the 2019 Massachusetts Democratic State Convention on September 14 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Democrats from across the state will come together to discuss party business and focus on policies for the Democrats to support leading into the 2020 election.

Pre-registered Democrats who will be 16 by May 11 may participate and run as a delegate or alternate. Lincoln can elect five delegates and four alternates to the convention. Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as a delegate or alternate may apply to be add-on delegates to the caucus or at www.massdems.org. Questions? Contact DTC co-chairs Barbara Slayter (bslayter@comcast.net) or Peter Pease (ppease72@gmail..com).

Youth in Philanthropy Program accepting applications

The Foundation for MetroWest is now accepting applications for fall Youth in Philanthropy. All MetroWest high school students interested in making an impact in their communities are encouraged to apply. Programs will take place in Hopkinton, Natick, and Sudbury (dates, times, and meeting locations vary). Click here for more information and to apply. The priority application deadline is Friday, June 7. Students who apply after June 7 will receive an admission decision on a rolling basis as program space allows.

YIP’s experiential learning program teaches participants how to become engaged and informed civic leaders in our community via the importance of philanthropy and the needs that exist in our backyard. Students work together to evaluate grant applications and distribute funds to worthy area nonprofits. YIP also helps local youth develop valuable skills including critical thinking, understanding budgets, public speaking, consensus building, and case-making.

Upcoming events in deCordova galleries

  • Join  Biennial artist Emilie Stark-Menneg with collaborators Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon and Desmond Bratton for “Confirmation: A Live Performance” in the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum galleries on Thursday, May 23 from 6–7 p.m. Free; registration requested.
  • In “Art and Neuroscience: A Gallery Talk with Nancy Etcoff” on Saturday, June 1 from 1–2 p.m., psychologist Etcoff will draw connections between art and the mind, offering a unique perspective on the Biennial. Free with admission or membership; registration requested.

News acorns

Learn about natural burial

There will be an informational session about natural burial on Saturday, April 27 from 3-5 p.m. at the Ryan Estate facilitated by Lincoln resident Carol DiGianni, a former candidate for the Lincoln Cemetery Commission. Participants can learn and ask questions about the benefits of natural burials, which offer an alternative to the expense and environmental toxicity of traditional burial practices.

Spring cleanup at Codman

Some of the volunteers at a previous year’s Codman Community Farm spring cleanup.

Come volunteer at Farms Spring Cleanup Day at Codman Community Farms on Sunday, April 28 from 1-5 p.m. Bring gloves, work clothes, and a sense of fun; the farm will provide snacks and gardening tools. For more info and to RSVP, click here.

Event covers Mughal period in India

The next seminar in the India Discovery Center’s series on the history of India in Bemis Hall takes place on Saturday, May 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will cover 1500–1800 AD, when Mughals ruled the country and established Islam and imposed the Persian language. Lincoln’s Bijoy Mishra will be one of the presenters. The organization is asking for a $25 donation but is offering 10 complimentary admissions for Lincoln residents. Click here for more information and registration.

Taraz performs at next open mic night

Diane Taraz

Diane Taraz is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, May 13 in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. The event runs from 7–10 p.m., and Taraz will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. She directs the Lexington Historical Society’s Colonial Singers and draws inspiration from Celtic, British, French-Canadian, and American folk traditions. Click here for a video of the title cut from her 2014 CD release “Let’s Do It.” 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.

“35 Shots of Rum” film screening

The Lincoln Library Film Society presents “35 Shots of Rum” (2008, unrated) directed by Claire Denis on Thursday, May 2 at 6 p.m. in the Tarbell Room. The movie is an intimate family study centering on a widower and his adult daughter in Paris.

News acorns

Ramsey honored for philanthropy

Meg Ramsey

Foundation for MetroWest, the community foundation serving the 33 cities and towns of MetroWest Boston, has announced that Lincoln resident Margaret “Meg” Ramsey will receive the Community Philanthropist Award.

In addition to being a trustee for the Foundation for MetroWest, Ramsey is a past board member of Belmont Day School and a past chair of the Lincoln Scholarship Committee. She also serves as a board member at the Discovery Museum in Acton, chair of the Lincoln Cultural Council, and a member of the Parents’ Council at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is founder and managing trustee of the Ramsey McCluskey Family Foundation, which funds projects in arts education and general education in eastern Massachusetts.

“Meg has been involved with the work of the Foundation for more than 15 years, originally getting involved through our Youth in Philanthropy program,” said Judy Salerno, executive director of the Foundation for MetroWest. “She has always had an interest in philanthropy education, and she truly represents what it means to be not only a philanthropist and a board member but also a caring member of the community.”

Ramway will receive her award at the Spring Inspiration Breakfast on Thursday, April 25 from 9–11 a.m. at the Wellesley Country Club.

Area meeting on 5G wireless technology

A recent FCC ruling on fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology has cut local government control and reduced revenue options to towns from wireless carriers. Come learn about local options and what communities are doing in response at a meeting of HATS (Hanscom Area Town Selectmen from Bedford, Concord, Lexington, and Lincoln) on Thursday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Town Office Building.

Cecelia (Cece) Doucette, technology safety educator and founder of Wireless Education, will speak. Topics will include:

  • How will the 5G build-out work?
  • How does the recent FCC ruling on 5G limit local government control?
  • What are the revenue implications for towns?
  • Have any towns generated model Small Cell Policies, and what do they include?
  • What are the health and safety concerns associated with 5G?
  • How will the 5G infrastructure interact with 3G and 4G?
  • What are 5G’s implications for privacy, energy conservation, and legal liability?

Wine-tasting, volunteer training offered by domestic violence groups

The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable invites the public to a free wine and beer tasting to support its annual Shower for Shelters. The event at Sudbury Wine and Spirits (410 Boston Post Rd., Sudbury) will be on Friday, April 26 at 7 p.m.

Please bring a new, unwrapped housewarming gift to the event to help survivors of domestic violence establish new homes. Requested items include twin-size sheets and pillowcases, summer blankets, and comforters as well as bed pillows, crib sheets, bath towels and face cloths, unscented cleaning products and laundry detergent, laundry baskets, kitchen utensils, flatware, dishes, drinking glasses, and small appliances. Gift cards are also welcome. Donations also help the Shelters and Transitional Housing Programs of Reach Beyond Domestic Violence, The Second Step, and Voices Against Violence.

This year’s event will also include a raffle of items including gift baskets donated by Sudbury Wine and Spirits and Starbucks of Sudbury. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase at the event; winners do not need to be present to win. Proceeds will be used to purchase additional gift cards as part of Shower for Shelters.

Volunteer advocate training

The Domestic Violence Services Network (DVSN) is holding its next volunteer advocate training program at the Concord Police Department from May 29 to June 14. This 40-hour training session is provided at no cost. The classes are scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with a mix of “long” (9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) and “short” (9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) days.  Classes will be held on the following dates: May 29 (long), May 31 (long), June 3 (short), June 5 (short), June 7 (long), June 10 (short), June 12 (short), June 14 (long).

Once trained, DVSN’s volunteer advocates provide direct service over the phone, at the Concord District Court, and at Emerson Hospital to people affected by domestic violence. The 40-hour training is designed to familiarize the volunteers with the many aspects of domestic violence and give them the skills necessary to provide confidential and appropriate services to DVSN’s clients at these venues and in its 12 member towns. For more information or to request an application, call 978-318-3421 or e-mail dvvap@concordma.gov. Applications are due by May 23.

News acorns

Dozens of bikes collected for Bikes Not Bombs

Louis D’Angelo, a volunteer from Bikes Not Bombs, and Ethan Webber, a junior at Lincoln-Sudbury, with the bikes collected in the Hartwell lot.

The Bikes Not Bombs collection in Lincoln on April 7 netted 83 bikes and monetary donations. Volunteers prepped the bikes for shipping during the day as well. The organization collects about 5,000 used bicycles and tons of used parts each year in greater Boston and New England; most are shipped to economic development projects through international partners in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Green burial information session

On Saturday, April 27 from 3–5 p.m. at the Ryan Estate (140 Lincoln Rd.), Lincoln resident Carol DiGianni will host an informational session on green burial with legal facts, logistical details, and a discussion of the personal benefits of caring for your loved one at home after death and having a natural or green burial with minimal environmental impact.

St. Julia Parish event marks 100 years

St. Julia Parish’s Centenary Gala will be on Saturday, May 4 in the St. Julia Parish Center Hall at 374 Boston Post Rd. in Weston (St. Joseph Church in Lincoln is part of the St. Julia parish). Dinner will be served at 7:15 p.m. with a cash bar. There will also be a raffle/silent auction. Tickets ($50 per person) will be on sale after Masses on March 30-31 and April 6-7 and in the parish offices until April 29. Ticket price is $50 per person. To reserve a table, please call 781-899-4734.

deCordova sponsors 5K trail run, Party for the Park 

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum’s annual fundraising gala, Party for the Park, will he on Saturday, May 11. The festive event—which includes cocktails, dinner, an auction of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and a dance party in the galleries—will celebrate deCordova’s integration into the Trustees of Reservations. The evening’s special guest is Anita Walker, Executive Director of Mass Cultural Council. Ticket and table proceeds from Party for the Park will help to make partnership with the Trustees possible while providing vital funds to support deCordova’s exhibitions, lectures, and programs. Tickets starting at $500 can be reserved by emailing rsvp@decordova.org or online at decordova.org/party.

The fourth annual Art and Nature 5K Trail Race kicks off at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 22. The course begins in deCordova’s Sculpture Park and continues through Lincoln’s conservation trails alongside Flint’s Pond (note that this is a trail run with lots of rocks, roots, dips, turns, and some uphill terrain). Participants are welcome to run or walk the race, and everyone gets a deCordova 5K T-shirt.

There’s also a pre-race yoga session from 8:45–9:15 a.m. New this year: children 9 and under can participate in a free 50-yard dash at 10:15 a.m. (space is limited; registration required). Register online by Tuesday, April 30 for a $5 early-bird discount. Organizers are also looking for volunteers to help with check-in, water stations, trail wayfinding, and general assistance for runners and their families. Please contact Sarah Oh at soh@decordova.org. 

Margaret Ramsey honored for philanthropy

Margaret Ramsay

Foundation for MetroWest, the community foundation serving the 33 cities and towns of MetroWest Boston, has announced that Lincoln resident Margaret “Meg” Ramsey will receive the Community Philanthropist Award.

In addition to being a trustee for the Foundation for MetroWest, Ramsey is a past board member of Belmont Day School and a past chair of the Lincoln Scholarship Committee. She also serves as a board member at the Discovery Museum in Acton, chair of the Lincoln Cultural Council, and a member of the Parents’ Council at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is founder and managing trustee of the Ramsey McCluskey Family Foundation, which funds projects in arts education and general education in eastern Massachusetts.

Ramsey, who has degrees in computer science and electrical engineering, spent 20 years in software research, development, and consulting, including research positions at Bell Laboratories, teaching at Rutgers University, and co-founding a software startup company. 

“Meg has been involved with the work of the Foundation for more than 15 years, originally getting involved through our Youth in Philanthropy program,” said Judy Salerno, executive director of the Foundation for MetroWest. “She has always had an interest in philanthropy education, and she truly represents what it means to be not only a philanthropist and a board member but also a caring member of the community. She has been a wonderful friend to the foundation and an asset to our region.”

Mary Gordon, founder and president of Roots of Empathy, will be the 2019 keynote speaker at the Spring Inspiration Breakfast, where Ramsey will receive her award. The event will be held on Thursday, April 25 from 9–11 a.m. at the Wellesley Country Club, 300 Wellesley Ave.

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.

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.

Letter to the editor: local initiative aims to help regional crisis

Editor’s note: for more information, see “New program aids Lincoln homeless and those at risk” (Lincoln Squirrel, January 14, 2019).

To the editor:

Last year, Gov. Charlie Baker declared a housing crisis in Massachusetts, and the issue of affordability largely stems from what many people count as positives: rising home prices and a booming economy.

Forgotten, however, are the individuals and families who can’t keep up — and homelessness is growing in Massachusetts. Last year, an estimated 20,068 people were experiencing homelessness, representing a 20.6 percent increase compared to 2010, according to an annual report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The numbers, advocates say, are woefully undercounted.

Lincoln’s Council on Aging (COA), in partnership with The Commons in Lincoln, a senior living community, is undertaking a new initiative to prevent homelessness in this area. Through the Staying at Home in Lincoln project, the council and The Commons in Lincoln will help people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless locate temporary emergency housing. The town’s social service staff also will assist the individuals in finding permanent housing and services to ensure they successfully remain in their new homes. The temporary emergency housing would be in places such as area hotels or motels, assisted living facilities, or other supportive housing.

The Commons in Lincoln is invested in the community, and this partnership with the COA is an example of that commitment. We want to help Lincoln and its residents work to stem homelessness, and start a ripple effect throughout the entire area where similar projects will emerge.

In Massachusetts, six out of 10 older adults living alone can’t afford the basic necessities of life such as food, housing in a safe community, and health care. This data hits close to home and is the driving force in what became of the Staying at Home in Lincoln project.

People of all ages are homeless or are at risk of being homeless. Some have lived in Lincoln for decades, while others are new to our area. Some have been highly paid professionals, while others have never had the advantages that have allowed them to earn a living wage. Some are single and alone, while others are the heads of families with small children. But for all those people, homelessness or the risk of homelessness is their main concern.

Sincerely,

Reynaldo LeBlanc
Executive director, The Commons in Lincoln

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

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.

Residents approve plan to integrate deCordova with TToR

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum will move forward with plans for integration with The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) after a unanimous vote of approval at the March 23 Annual Town Meeting.

The deCordova sought a partnership because it was not on stable footing financially. Its income from membership and admission fees and other sources has not been enough to sustain the organization, which has relied for years on large gifts from a handful of donors to keep operating.

“Our structural weakness puts enormous pressure on contributed income,” said John Ravenal, the deCordova’s executive director, said on Saturday. Donations provide 45 percent of the $4.94 million operating budget, said Paul Blanchfield, a Lincoln resident and member of the integration working group.

The integration agreement reached by the boards of the two organizations last year was contingent on the town’s vote to approve changes to the bylaws that govern the structure of deCordova’s board, as well as the completion of a $15 million fundraising campaign ($10 million of which will go into the deCordova’s endowment). The campaign is still $3.5 million short of its goal; donations can be made online or by calling 781-259-3628.

Under the new arrangement, Lincoln will continue to own the deCordova land and buildings, but they will be maintained by TToR. The integration (which officials hope to complete by July 1)  is not officially a merger because TToR will assume management of the deCordova as one of its affiliates, while the deCordova retains its own 501(c)(3) status.

The TToR manages more than 100 properties. Previous TToR integrations included the Boston Natural Areas Network in Boston in 2008, the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard in 2016, and The FARM Institute in Edgartown in 2016. 

The deCordova’s activities, curatorial mission, and holdings will not change, and Lincoln residents will continue to have free access to the grounds and museum. TToR plans “significant investment in landscaping and deferred maintenance” but expects to see savings through “staffing efficiencies, greater membership, and marketing capacity to help stabilize dipping attendance,” Ravenal said.

There will be “no adverse impact on the cherished small-town quality” of the deCordova, and the organization will not ask the town for funding in the future; in fact the integration wll “eliminate the risk” of the town having to step in financially to maintain the property, which could have required $1 million a year, Ravenal said.

“The town of Lincoln takes its responsibility as steward and landowner of the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum very seriously, and town officials have worked diligently to ensure transparency, public involvement, community input, and strong collaboration with The Trustees throughout this process,” Town Administrator Tim Higgins said in in a statement after the meeting. “We are pleased that our residents had the opportunity to understand the issue before their positive vote and the town is thrilled to have found a partner that shares our core values.”

“We are so pleased to receive this vote of approval from the town of Lincoln and thank everyone from the community who came out to offer their support,” Barbara Erickson, TToR president and CEO, said in the statement. “Today’s vote brings us another step closer to realizing this important partnership between two organizations who believe in the power of connecting people to nature and culture through engaging art experiences. We look forward to the prospect of welcoming the deCordova into The Trustees family.”