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

charity/volunteer

Letter to the editor: support deCordova measure at Town Meeting

To the editor:

I’d like to ask for your support and vote affirmatively at Town Meeting this Saturday for the proposed integration between deCordova and The Trustees of Reservation.

My wife and I have had the wonderful opportunity to be involved in both organizations, she on the board of deCordova and I on the board for The Trustees. Through this mutual engagement, we know both organizations share overlapping purposes in seeking to connect people to special places of cultural and natural importance and inspire unique experiences that improve quality of life. Being part of The Trustees will secure deCordova’s future and create a long-lasting, strong financial future for our beloved institution.

if you haven’t been able to attend one of the many open forums, you can read more details on this proposed integration in this online FAQ, or simply drop me a note and I’ll be happy to connect. We all lead busy lives, but please take a moment this Saturday morning to come out and offer your vote for deCordova. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Bob Mason
207 Old Concord Rd.

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 Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.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

L-S Pops Concert on Thursday

The L-S Music Department presents its annual Pops Concert on Thursday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the L-S auditorium. Performing groups include the orchestra, concert band, symphonic band, concert choir and more. The concert will feature the combined music ensembles performing “The Circle of Life” under the direction of new orchestra director Kyung-Nam Oh. Free and open to the public.

11th annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival on tap

OARS, a nonprofit that works to protect, improve and preserve the Assabet, Sudbury, and Concord Rivers, their tributaries and watersheds, is hosting an evening of award-winning films from the largest environmental film festival in the nation on Wednesday, March 27 from 7–10 p.m. (doors open at 6:15 p.m.) in Maynard’s Fine Arts Theatre Place (19 Summer St.). Enjoy fabulous film making, gorgeous cinematography and wonderful storytelling that celebrates the wild and fragile beauty of our environment, the animals and plants that populate it and the people that work to protect and preserve it. Tickets are $15; buy online at oars3rivers.org as seats sell out every year. Questions? Call OARS at 978-369-3956 or email office@oars3rivers.org.

Recycle electronics and support L-S softball

The L-S softball program and Friends of Lincoln-Sudbury Softball (FOLSS) is sponsoring an electronics recycling fundraiser on Saturday, March 30 from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at Chiswick Park (490 Boston Post Rd., Sudbury). Safely dispose of electronics such as computer equipment, office equipment, and small appliances/electronics. Large appliances and items containing chemicals/hazardous waste materials cannot be accepted. Questions? Email FriendsofLSSoftball@gmail.com. 

Mushroom-growing seminar offered

Want to learn how to grow mushrooms? The Lincoln Agricultural Commission is sponsoring a seminar on the cultivation of edible mushrooms on Thursday, April 4 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall, Lincoln. Elizabeth Almeida, owner of Fat Moon Farm, will discuss small-scale commercial mushroom farming of a variety of fungi species. Her presentation will be followed by a workshop led by Lincoln’s Louise Bergeron demonstrating techniques for growing shiitake mushrooms in inoculated wood logs in your backyard.  

Screening of “Lucky” coming up

The Lincoln Library Film Society will screen “Lucky” (2017, not rated) on Thursday, April 4 at 6 p.m. in the library’s Tarbell Room. Directed by John Carroll Lynch and starring Harry Dean Stanton, David Lynch, Ron Livingston, Ed Begley Jr., and Tom Skerritt, the movie follows the spiritual journey of a 90-year-old atheist, and the quirky characters that inhabit his off-the-map desert town. Free and open to all.

Help tidy up Battle Road Trail

On Saturday, April 6, join fellow volunteers for Park Day 2019 at Minute Man National Historical Park and assist with landscape rehabilitation along the Battle Road Trail. Activities include removing invasive plants, raking leaves, and improving trails to prepare for commemorative tactical demonstrations and reenactments. The day will start at 9 a.m. in the Minute Man Visitor Center (3113 Marrett Rd., Lexington). The park will provide tools, safety gear, and a free T-shirt for the first 100 registrants, and refreshments, as well as an overview of the site’s history.

Clarification

An item about a March 19 book talk and signing with author Amy Bass in the March 6 News Acorns was unclear about admission coat for the event. The event is free and open to all, but a $15 donation is suggested to go toward Birches School financial aid fund. Copies of her book, One Goal: A Coach, A Team, and the Game That Brought a Divided Town Together, are $10 when purchased online until March 18 at www.birchesschool.org and will be sold for $15 at the event. The original Acorn and calendar listing have been corrected. Click here for more information.

News acorns

Learn first-hand about ranked-choice voting

Learn how ranked-choice voting could improve the fairness and effectiveness of elections when Jim Henderson, a board member of Voter Choice Massachusetts, leads a session on Sunday, March 10 at 3 p.m. in Bemis Hall (rescheduled from January 20). Coffee and tea will be served starting at 2:45. The presentation will include a simulation using the growing array of hopefuls for the Democratic presidential nomination for 2020.  

Update on deCordova/TTOR integration

There will be a public forum on the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum/The Trustees of Reservations integration plan on Wednesday, March 13 from 7–9 p.m. in the Town Office Building. Representatives of the town, deCordova, and the Trustees will offer a status report, including a preview of the bylaw amendments that will be voted on at the Annual Town Meeting on March 23.

Book talk with Amy Bass benefits Birches School

Amy Bass, author of One Goal: A Coach, A Team, and the Game That Brought a Divided Town Together, will give a talk and book-signing on Tuesday, March 19 from 7–8:30 p.n. on Brooks auditorium. The book tells the story of how the Lewiston, Maine community and its newly arrived Somali immigrants came together on the soccer field to capture the first state soccer championship in city history.

Click here for more information about this event, which is presented by the Birches School in sponsorship with the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, the Parks & Recreation Department, and Lincoln Youth Soccer. Proceeds will benefit the financial aid fund at the Birches School.The event is free and open to all, but a $15 donation is suggested to go toward Birches School financial aid fund. Copies of the book are $10 when purchased online until March 18 at www.birchesschool.org and will be sold for $15 at the event.

Seniors invited to enjoy music with Magic Garden’s youngest

The Magic Garden Children’s Center invites Lincoln seniors to volunteer in their new Music Together classes with infants and toddlers aged 2 months to almost 3 years old on Tuesday mornings from 9:30–10:30 a.m. in the Stone Church. Volunteers will assist the children as they enjoy the music and activities. Please contact Lori at Magic Garden at 781-259-8161 for more information, or call the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811 to volunteer.

 

News acorns

Purcell group performs “The Tempest”

The Purcell Society performs “The Tempest.”

“Live in Lincoln Center” proudly presents the Henry Purcell Society of Boston and the Poets’ Theatre in an original adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest at the First Parish in Lincoln’s stone church on Sunday, March 24 at 3 p.m. Suggested donation of $40 payable at the door, though any amount is appreciated

John Dryden and William Davenant’s 1667 version for the London stage was the inspiration for the music by Baroque-era composers Matthew Locke, John Banister, and Pelham Humfrey. This presentation, produced by Jessica Cooper and music-directed by conductor and harpsichordist Ian Watson (music director at the First Parish in Lincoln) has added selections from Purcell’s incidental theater music. The score will be performed on historical instruments alongside newly created narration by renowned scholar and poet Laurence Senelick.

Lenten events at local churches

St. Julia/St. Joseph

  • Lecture series — “Themes of Sacred Scripture” with Fr. Bob Branreuther from March 13 to April 17 from 10–11:30 a.m. in the St. Julia/St. Joseph Parish Center (374 Boston Post Rd., Weston).
  • Book discussion — The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity by Matthew Kelly on Wednesday, March 13 from 7:30–8:30 p.m. in the Parish Center.
  • “The Light Is On” — Sacrament of Reconciliation on Wednesday evenings, March 13 to April 10 from 6:30–8:00pm in St. Julia Church.
  • Lenten prayer circle — prayer baskets are located in both St. Julia Church and St. Joseph Church in Lincoln. You can also sign up for a day to pray for these intentions.   

First Parish in Lincoln

The First Parish in Lincoln (FPL) is offering a five-week Adult Learning Program for Lent on Thursdays, March 14, 21, 28, April 4 ,and 11 from 12:30–2 p.m. in the FPL Garrison Room (14 Bedford Rd.) Join Rev. Jenny Rankin, interim minister, for “Lenten Journey,” a faith sharing group for a pilgrimage through Lent. Each class will be structured with some “solo time” and some group sharing, as we spend time with different contemplative practices (prayer, meditation, Bible study, lectio divina, silence, writing).  We will also be reading selections from Pilgrim Road: A Benedictine Journey through Lent by Albert Holtz.

Please call the church office by Wednesday, March 6 to sign up for all dates (781-259-8118 x110 and leave a message with your name, email address, and phone number) or email gert@fplincoln.org. You will be notified by March 11 as to whether there are enough participants for the class to run. Attendance at each meeting is expected, but please e-mail jenny@fplincoln.org if this is not possible. You do not have to be a member of First Parish in Lincoln to join; all are welcome.

St. Anne’s

Please see the February 25 edition of News acorns.

LOMA night features Decatur Creek

Friends of the Lincoln Public Library and LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mic Night) present Decatur Creek on Monday, March 11 in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. The event runs from 7–10 p.m., and Decatur Creek will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. The New Hampshire-based combo regularly appears at music festivals such as Keene and Antrim, coffeehouses and markets.

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.

Lincoln Quilters display their work

There will be an opening reception for “A Quilted Look at Lincoln,” a quilt show by the Lincoln Quilters running through April, on Tuesday, March 5 at 2:15 p.m. in Bemis Hall. The Lincoln Quilters are a group of nine Lincoln women (Anne Crosby, Nancy Constable, Tricia Deck, Linda MacNeil, Margaret Olson, Lucy Sachs, Kate Sacknoff, Jane Solar, and Dilla Tingley) who began meeting five years ago to inspire each other, share their creations, and develop new pieces as a group.

Quilts in this show were created from Lincoln scenes that each artist chose to represent. Proceeds from the sale of the quilts will be donated to the Lincoln Food Bank. The group has made quilts for organizations such as Camp Sunshine, a Maine camp for children affected by life-threatening illnesses, as well as fund-raising events. After a recent show at the Lincoln Public Library, eight quilts were auctioned to benefit charities chosen by the successful bidders.

News acorns

Actress to portray Abigail Adams

Abigail Adams, wife of a president, mother of a president, and sister of the captain of Lincoln Minutemen, will be portrayed by Sheryl Faye in a one-hour show on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. at Bemis Hall. The show is sponsored by Friends of the Council on Aging and the Lincoln Historical Society as a tribute to Harriet Todd. (Note: the “Ford Flappers, and Fitzgeralds” session scheduled for the same day has been postponed until Thursday, March 7 in Bemis Hall.)

Evensong, Climate Justice Ministry film at St. Anne’s

The St. Anne’s choir.

On Sunday, Feb. 24 at 5 p.m., St. Anne’s will present a service of choral evensong, a beautiful Anglican liturgy in which the word of God is illuminated by music. The choir will chant the psalm and prayers, and offer the mystical “Collegium Regale” settings of the “Magnificat” and “Nunc Dimittis” by Herbert Howells.

There will be a showing of the film “The Devil We Know” at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church on Tuesday, Feb. 26 as part of the church’s ongoing series of films on climate justice. “The Devil We Know” is the story of how a synthetic chemical used to make Teflon products contaminated a West Virginia community. But new research hints at a much broader problem: nearly all Americans are affected by exposure to non-stick chemicals in food, drinking water, and consumer products. A representative of the Toxics Action Center will discuss the organization’s work. A simple vegetarian soup supper will be served at 6:30 p.m. and the film will begin at 7 p.m. Donations will be accepted to help with the cost of screening rights.

South Sudanese program seeks volunteers

The South Sudanese Enrichment for Families program is looking for volunteers for its Saturday Bridges program, which brings together Sudanese children, parents, local students, volunteers, and professionals for enrichment programming during the academic year. Offerings include:

  • Preschool with pre-literacy and early literacy support for 3-4 year olds
  • Outdoor experiential education at Drumlin Farm for elementary and middle school students
  • Infant care
  • Adult workshops covering topics including parent-teacher conferences, Individual Educational Plans (IEPs), how to find resources in the community to support families, and how to look for signs and symptoms of trauma.
  • Personalized tutoring for adults

The program runs on Saturdays from 1:30–5:30 p.m. on March 16, April 6, April 27, and May 11 in the Hartwell pods. Orientation training for all volunteers will be held on Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m. at 10 Meadowdam Rd. in Lincoln. For more information, see www.SSEFBoston.org and email Keith Johnson at kjohnson@lincnet.org.

Cross-cultural film workshop for kids

A free cross-cultural filmmaking workshop for students aged 12–14 interested in collaborative movie-making with a twist will take place on Saturday, March 16 from 12:30–4:30 p.m. at the Flint Farmstead at 39 Lexington Rd. in Lincoln. Facilitated by Tom Flint and Japan’s only youth filmmaking organization, Children Meet Cinema, students team up for a filmmaking experience that allows them to explore the magic of cinema and create their own version of a famous film. The experience will consist of collaborative discussions, shooting, editing, screenings, and more. Space is limited to eight participants. For questions or registration, contact Flint at tflint@alumni.risd.edu or 617-930-1560.

Film: “Anton Chekhov’s The Duel”

The Lincoln Film Society presents “Anton Chekhov’s The Duel” (2010, in English) on Thursday, March 7 at 6 p.m. Escalating animosity between two men with opposing philosophies of life is played out against the backdrop of a decaying seaside resort along the Black Sea coast, leading to a duel as comically inadvertent as it is inevitable. Directed by Dover Kosashvili.

Events for parents of 8th-graders

“Life at L-S,” a parent-to-parent conversation about the 8th-to-9th-grade transition with Lincoln School Principal Sharon Hobbs and L-S veteran parents and administrators, will take place on Monday, March 4 (rescheduled from February due to snow) from 7–8:30 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room. The program will focus on extracurricular elements of a busy high-schooler’s life so families have contextual knowledge prior to the L-S course selection process in March. There will also be an information session and building tour for middle-school parents on Thursday, March 7 from 7:30–8:30 p.m. For more information, contact Carole Kasper at carolemkasper@gmail.com or Hobbs at SHobbs@lincnet.org.

Discussion on Modernism in Lincoln

Please join us on Sunday, March 24 from 4–6 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library to listen to a recent interview with Doug Adams about his relationship with Walter Gropius — part of an ongoing effort to record oral histories of Lincoln residents with interesting connections to modernism. Adams will be on hand for informal discussion afterwards.

News acorns

Talk on education in the age of AI

Charles Fadel

“Educating Our Children in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” will be the subject of a talk on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at the First Parish Church in Lincoln. The guest speaker is futurist, education expert, author and inventor Charles Fadel, who is convinced that “AI and biotech are about to redefine what it means to be human, and that the overarching goals of a modern education should be to nurture wise, versatile ‘Renaissance’ humans who have learned how to learn.” The Adult Education Committee at the First Parish is hosting this program, which is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged to ensure seating. For more information, contact Mary Helen Lorenz at mhelen@rcn.com.

See movies on Amazon, dragonflies

Movie night at the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust will feature “Wild Amazon” on Monday, Feb. 11 and “Skyhunter: World of the Dragonfly” on Thursday, March 14 at 7:30. Both movies start at 7:30 p.m. in the LLCT office at the Lincoln mall and are free.

“Wild Amazon” (45 minutes) filmed by Nat Geo Wild reveals dense forest concealing a hidden world of unusual wildlife and extraordinary stories of adaptation and survival—but human impact on this natural world has already dramatically altered it. Dragonflies existed 90 million years before the first dinosaurs hatched and are still found all over the world. “Skyhunter” (50 minutes) follows these predatory monster-larvae as they hover over ponds and pools. Their dazzling metallic colors and unique ways of flying are captured in slow-motion photography, and their journey in time is documented using remarkably realistic CGI animation.

Artists talk and kids’ vacation activities at deCordova

The deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park offers “Art for February Vacation” on Wednesday–Friday, Feb. 20–22 from 1–3 p.m. (drop-in). Stack, balance, knot, knit, and string sculptures together, inspired by the range of work included in “Sheila Pepe: Hot Mess Formalism.” Designed for families with children ages 5–12, but all are welcome. Free with admission or membership.

Exhibiting artist Sheila Pepe will give an artist’s talk on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 6:30–7:30 p.m. From ancient Rome to feminism to her personal biography, Pepe weaves together many far reaching subjects through her expansive fiber art installations and multimedia works. Free admission; registration requested.

DCR seeks comments on Walden Pond renovations

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation invites area residents to comment on alternatives for renovation of the Walden Pond State Reservation bathhouse and universally accessible connections between the Route 126 crosswalk, the bathhouse, and main beach. Click here to view a January 30 presentation. Comments may be submitted online through Friday, Feb. 15 or in writing to the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Office of Public Outreach, 251 Causeway St., 6th floor, Boston, MA 02114.

Domestic violence group offers volunteer training

The Domestic Violence Services Network, Inc. (DVSN) is holding its next Volunteer Advocate Training program at the Concord Police Department from March 12–30. This 40-hour training session is provided at no cost to attendees and is being held on evenings and Saturdays. Classes will be Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30–9:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m–3 p.m. on March 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28, and 30.

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 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. Those interested should call 978-318-3421 or e-mail to dvvap@concordma.gov. Applications are due by March 4.

Domestic Violence Roundtable collecting Valentine’s Day donations

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan joins Roundtable members in 2018 in filling Valentine’s Day bags for families in area domestic violence shelter programs.

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. 12 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, non-violent 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 5-12.

Packing their bags… for Open Table (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Members of the Lincoln Family Association and First Parish in Lincoln (FPL) purchased items and packed 100 “Kids’ Bags” for Open Table, which had a special distribution for those affected by the government shutdown (especially Hanscom Air Force Base families) on January 19. Two members of FPL’s youth group, Isabel DiMambro (left) and Emma Griffith, helped deliver the bags. Margit Griffith, who organized a community meeting to plan and publicize efforts to help, reports that the social worker at Open Table was delighted to receive the list of resources compiled by the Lincoln Shutdown Task Force that met last week, and he plans to keep copies available for Open Table clients.

Lincolnites pitching in to help victims of government shutdown

A government employee at the January 10 “Stop the Shutdown” rally in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Many families in Lincoln are feeling the pinch of the ongoing government shutdown, but town-wide efforts are underway to try to help those who are being affected.

The efforts arose as a result of a rapidly organized community meeting on January 14. At the meeting were representatives of the Lincoln Public Schools, the Council on Aging (COA), the Lincoln Family Association (LFA), Minuteman National Historical Park (MMNHP), and the Lincoln Food Pantry, as well as several other individuals.

Among those affected during the shutdown are 73 Coast Guard families who are housed at Hanscom Air Force Base and all but a few of the 17 employees at MMNHP. (Those in the Air Force and other branches of the military are deemed essential government employees and have not been furloughed, but Coast Guard members, including those who work in Boston and live at Hanscom, are not being paid.) Many people who work for government contractors are also missing their paychecks.

The LFA has set up a government shutdown page on its website where people can find out how to help, or can reach out if they need help themselves. Among the needs that have been identified thus far:

  • Volunteers to stuff already-donated items into kids’ bags for Open Table on Friday, Jan. 18 at the First Parish in Lincoln’s parish house across from Bemis Hall. The bags include healthy food for younger guests of Open Table, which offers weekly community dinner programs and food pantries in Concord and Maynard. The organization will also have a special distribution day for families of unpaid government workers on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 33 Main St. in Maynard.
  • Personal care items including soaps (body, hand, dish, laundry), deodorant, shampoo/conditioner, razors and shaving cream, toothpaste, toilet paper, diapers (all sizes), and wipes. Drop off items in bins at the Lincoln Public Library, the COA, the First Parish, St. Anne’s Church, and the Smith and Brooks school buildings.
  • Donations of nonperishable food at the existing Lincoln food pantry bins in Donelan’s and at St. Joseph’s Church.
  • Cash donations to help families pay for field trips, sports and other activities. Families of some Hanscom Middle School eight-graders may be unable to afford the spring civics/history trip to Gettysburg, Washington, D.C., and Hersey Park, according to teacher Jay Peledge.“I don’t want our kids to be even more impacted than they already are by their military family lifestyle. They already need to move around frequently, learn to adapt to new environments, say goodbye to some friends and work to make new ones. I don’t want them to lose out even more because the sacrifices they already make just aren’t enough in the current political climate,” Peledge said.

Donors may send checks to the new Hanscom Families Support Fund or to the existing Legacy Fund, which serves the same purpose for children at the Lincoln School. Write the name of the fund on the check and mail to Lincoln Public Schools Business Office, 6 Ballfield Rd., Lincoln, MA 01773.

Adam Hodges-LeClaire (left), son of Ruth Hodges and John LeClaire of Trapelo Road, and Donald Hafner gather trash collected at Minute Man National Historical Park (click to enlarge).

Meanwhile, volunteers at MMNHP have already pitched in to collect trash. Last week at the park, a group of historical interpreters in full 18th-century costume (including Lincoln Minute Men Captain Donald Hafner and three other Minute Men) spent a morning collecting and removing about 100 pounds of rubbish from the Battle Road trail along the 1.5 miles from the Hanscom access road to the Brooks Tavern. A few days before, another group did the same along the mile of the Battle Road from the Paul Revere Capture site to the Minute Man Visitor Center.

“As you might imagine, we historical re-enactors are very devoted to passing along the heritage of our nation’s founding, and so for us, the Battle Road is hallowed ground, to be respected and preserved,” Hafner said. Those interested in helping out can email him at hafner@bc.edu.

There are also programs to help furloughed veterans, seniors, Coast Guard members, and others of any age experiencing financial hardship.  For more information on how to donate or to get help, see the government shutdown page on the LFA website or call the COA at 781-259-8811.