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

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Public notices

  • The Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing on Monday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. to consider the application by Lincoln Station LLC, 145 Lincoln Road, Lincoln, MA for the transfer of an on-premises all alcoholic beverages restaurant license.
  • There will be a bank auction of the property at 129 Concord Rd. formerly owned by Richard D. Salwitz and Susan Fulmer Salwitz on Friday, Oct. 12 at 11 a.m.

Open house at Masonic Lodge

Members of Joseph Warren-Soley Masonic Lodge of Lincoln invite the public to an open house on Saturday, Oct. 20 from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Residents can learn about Freemasonry, the numerous local charities they support, educational and leadership skills they impart, and the ability for qualified men to seek the best version of themselves. The lodge is in the old South School at 181 Lincoln Rd. On a recent Charity Night, the Lincoln group donated more than $17,000 to regional charities.

Train schedule change will happen Oct. 29

The adjustments to the commuter rail schedule  affecting Lincoln will take effect on October 29, not October 22 as originally announced. Click here for the October 1 News Acorn.

Parent-child ceramics at deCordova

Parents and children age 6-9 can create unique ceramic sculpture together in deCordova’s professional clay studio during “Family Clay Saturdays: Parent-Child Ceramic Series” on Saturdays, October 13 to November 3 from 10 a.m.–noon. Learn basic hand-building and glazing techniques as you work side by side to create a hanging mobile and a seasonal spirit house. Click here for more information and registration. Questions? Contact Julie Bernson at jbernson@decordova.org or 781-259-3649.

Concert, open house at First Parish

The First Parish in Lincoln will present a “Live in Lincoln Center” concert on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 3 p.m. in the Parish House (14 Bedford Rd.) with works by Corelli, Handel, Vivaldi, Bach and de Boismortier performed by musicians from the Handel & Haydn Society. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. Suggested donation is $30.

The following day (Sunday, Oct. 21), the church will hold an open house coffee at 11:15 a.m. in the sanctuary’s Stearns Room (4 Bedford Rd.). following the 10 a.m. worship service. Everyone interested in learning more about First Parish in Lincoln is welcome to attend.

Author talk by Cai Emmons

The Lincoln Public Library will host a talk by Lincoln native Cai Emmons, author of the recently published novel Weather Woman, on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. Tarbell Room. Emmons, who grew up in Lincoln, teaches in the University of Oregon’s Creative Writing Program and is the author of two earlier novels, His Mother’s Son and The Stylist. Copies of Weather Woman will be available for purchase and signing.

Talk on Codman Estate portraits

From high-end works by John Singleton Copley and Gilbert Stuart to others by once-famous artists to humble family snapshots, the Codman Estate’s portrait collection extends over 200 years of changing styles. “Portraits and Personalities” on Saturday, Oct. 27 from 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. takes a fresh look at this collection, including rarely seen works of art. Hear the real stories of the people behind these pictures, both the subjects and the artists. $15 for Historic New England members, $20 for nonmembers. Registration required; call 617-994-6690 or click here.

Two new classes at L-S Adult Ed

Lincoln-Sudbury Adult Education has added two classes to its fall/winter offerings. Lisa Cukier, a partner with Burns and Levinson will host sessions on estate planning and probate administration in Massachusetts on two Wednesdays, Nov. 7 and 14, from 7–8:30 p.m. in Room B330. She will also discuss estate litigation, family disputes, and financial exploitation by caregivers relating to the assets of individuals with diminished mental capacity. “Les Petits Chefs” is a hands-on cooking class for seventh- and eighth-graders 0ffered by L-S faculty members Dot Samsi and M.J. Galano (the ability to speak French is not required). A mini-lesson on French culture will accompany each session. The class will he held on three Thursdays (Nov. 29, Dec. 13, and Jan. 24) in Room C124. Click here for more information and to register for classes.

LSB Players announce 2018-19 season

The LSB Players at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School will stage several plays this year and invite area residents to subscribe.

  • The season begins with the energetic, family-friendly musical Once Upon A Mattress, a goofy take on the classic fairy tale The Princess and the Pea. Performances are November 14–17 at 7:30 p.m.
  • The second main-stage offering, the annual theater-for-young audiences production, is Lion and Mouse Stories. This production will employ audience participation, lobby activities for young children, and a sensory-friendly performance at the Saturday matinee. Shows are January 18–20, with early evening shows at 6 p.m. and weekend matinees at 2 p.m.
  • Two L-S seniors will direct winter one-acts: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Fifth Period and The Insanity of Mary Girard. They will be performed ion February 1 at 7:30 p.m., and on February 2 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
  • The LSB Players will explore a sobering moment in U.S. history with Radium Girls by D.W. Gregory. This historical drama is a compelling examination of the American obsessions with health, wealth, and the commercialization of science. Radium Girls will be performed on April 5–6 at 7:30 p.m., and April 6–7 at 2 p.m
  • The year will end with COLLAGE XXV, a collection of scenes, one-acts and original pieces selected and directed by students on June 7–8 at 7:30 p.m. (free admission for all).

Tickets for all shows are $8 for students and senior citizens, $15 for adults. Benefactors and season ticket holders receive advance notice and reservation opportunities before tickets are available to the general public. Season tickets are $40 for adults, $20 for students and senior citizens. Benefactor tickets are $60. All season ticket holders and benefactors are named in each program of the year. (For the 2018-2019 season, they may use their tickets for only one of the two winter shows.) To​ ​become​ ​a​ ​subscriber,​ please fill out this form and send in payment.

Volunteers are instrumental in keeping the LSB Players vibrant and thriving. The group welcomes help with sets, lights, costumes, makeup, tickets, publicity and more. If interested, please email Carly Evans at carly_evans@lsrhs.net.

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Talk on Lincoln and the Revolutionary War

“April 19, 1775: The Battle of… Lincoln?” is the subject of a talk by author/historians Rick Wiggin of Lincoln and Don Hafner on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Minute Man National Park Visitor Center in Lincoln. How did the people of this small farming community respond to the April 19 alarm? What effect did a prolonged war have on them? Wiggin and Hafner will discuss the distinctive features of the town of Lincoln, its leadership, and the historical quirks that placed it at the center of American history. Free and open to the public.

Kids invited to apply for philanthropy program

The Foundation for MetroWest is currently accepting applications for its Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program for seventh- and eighth-graders interested in learning about philanthropic outreach in their community and becoming civic leaders. Students from any town in the area are eligible to participate in the program, which meets at the Lexington Community Center on Wednesday nights beginning November 28. Applications are due by Friday, Oct. 5 and are available online at www.yipmetrowest.org.

Twenty students will work together to evaluate grant applications and distribute funds to nonprofits as they learn about understanding budgets, public speaking, reaching consensus, and case-making. Lincoln School students in the program selected Save a Dog and Lucy’s Love Bus to receive grants in 2017. Since 1997, YIP has educated over 1,250 students who have granted over $1.1 million to over 200 MetroWest youth development organizations.

Join others in biking to school

The Cycling Safety Advisory Committee is organizing Bike/Walk to School days each Friday this fall. Organizers hope Lincoln kids will join their friends to get to school under their own power in order to get some exercise, help the environment, and have fun. Anyone interested in being reminded of Bike to School days, finding out who in your neighborhood bikes to school, or contacting other family biking enthusiasts in Lincoln to discuss routes, gear, etc., may join an email list by clicking here.

Monthly book sale benefits library

Support the Lincoln Public Library by shopping at the Friends of the Lincoln Library (FOLL) book sale on Saturday, Oct. 13 from 9 a.m.–noon in the basement of Bemis Hall. New books are added each week from the donation box in the bemis Hall entryway. Hardcovers are $2 and paperbacks are $1. The FOLL has also added a book sale cart in the first-floor hallway at the library. Bemis Hall book sales take place on the second Saturday of each month except August.

Workshops on special ed at the high school

SEPAC (the Special Education Parent Advisory Council at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School) is hosting four workshops this fall. Each begins at 7 p.m. and offers a chance to ask questions about the special education process and services, transitioning into or out of high school and chat with like-minded parents. For more information, email lssepac.chair@gmail.com.

  • Tuesday, Oct. 2 (L-S conference room B) — An overview from the Federation for Children with Special Needs of the transition planning process for families of students with disabilities ages 14-22 who are on IEPs.
  • Monday, Oct. 15 (Goodnow Library, Sudbury) — “Strategies for Reducing Academic Stress and Creating Successful Students.” Learn how to help your child get “unstuck” when he/she has trouble initiating tasks, help your child keep track of his/her belongings and schoolwork, enhance working memory and sustain attention.
  • Thursday, Nov. 1 (L-S conference room B) — Victor Hernandez, deputy assistant commissioner at the Department of Developmental Services, will review resources available to families of students with special needs, regardless of income.
  • Tuesday, Jan. 29 (Goodnow Library, Sudbury) — “The Impact of Anxiety and Depression on Learning.” Diagnoses including depression and anxiety can significantly alter cognitive functioning, particularly memory retention and the absorption of knowledge. 

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Free tours of Gropius House, Codman Estate

Smithsonian Museum Day is an annual celebration of boundless curiosity hosted by Smithsonian magazine. Participating museums and cultural institutions across the country provide free entry to anyone presenting a Museum Day ticket, which provides free admission for two people on Saturday, Sept. 22. Guided tours of Lincoln’s Gropius House from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. and the Codman Estate from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Go to this Smithsonian magazine website for tickets. 

Garden Club to hold open house for new members

All Lincoln residents are cordially invited to the Lincoln Garden Club’s wine and cheese evening for new and prospective members on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 5 p.m. Come hear about the club’s many horticultural events, meet some members and receive information about joining. For location, please RSVP to Ann Parke at annparke@verizon.net or Lucy Sprayregen at lucypage@aol.com.

Korean film on tap

The Lincoln Library Film Society will screen Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring on Thursday, Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. Rated R, in Korean with English subtitles, written and directed by Ki-duk Kim. A boy is raised by a Buddhist monk on an isolated floating temple where the years pass like the seasons.

Pumpkin events at Matlock Farm

Matlock Farm on Lexington Road Lincoln, continually run by the Flint Family since the 17th century, will be hosting its first-ever pumpkin picking event on each Saturday and Sunday in October from 1–5 p.m., weather permitting. There will be hay rides, farm-themed photo ops, crafts for sale and more for those who swing by the farm for some fall family fun. Pumpkins are priced depending on size. Hayrides are $5 per person (family discounts available) and family photos are $25 per family. Payments by cash or check only.

Town raises over $40,000 for Puerto Rican library

The Friends of the Lincoln Library (FOLL) raised over $40,000 for the Library in Loiza, Puerto Rico by raffling two pair of Hamilton tickets from the Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Family. The lucky winners were Katherine McCarroll of New Mexico and Linda Mae Breen of Hull, Mass.

“I am astounded by the generosity of the Lincoln residents and the raffle purchasers, most of whom were from Greater Boston,”said event chair Julie Brogan. “I got emails from people thanking the Friends of the Lincoln Library for doing this. So many people love libraries and want to help Puerto Rico.” The Hispanic Federation’s UNIDOS Fund for Puerto Rico will match $20,000 of what FOLL raised. The Miranda family created the UNIDOS fund after the Hurricane Maria and has distributed over $60 million in aid to the Island. 

Piano concert of experimental music

Lincoln musician Trevor Berens presents “Sonorous Vessel,” a program of new and experimental piano music on Bemis Hall’s beautiful restored Steinway grand on Friday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. There will be works by Lincoln residents Richard Cornell and Trevor Berens, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Luther Adams, New Englanders Alvin Lucier and Peter Garland, and new music luminaries Helmut Lachenmann and James Tenney complete the program. Berens’ programming has been referred to by a recent audience member as “yoga for the ears” and his music has been described as “transportive.” Free and open to the public.

BioBlitz at national park on September 22

Minute Man National Historical Park (MMNHP) invites all ages to join distinguished naturalists on a quest to document as many species as possible during a BioBlitz event on Saturday, Sept. 22.

A BioBlitz brings together educators, scientists, naturalists, and the public to encourage outdoor exploration and enhance our understanding of biodiversity. The MMNHP event will focus on locating, identifying, and counting as many species as possible within the 1,038-acre park area in Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington. Participants will gain skills in identifying and recording species and a stronger connection to their natural environment.

World-renowned local naturalists Peter Alden and Edward O. Wilson initiated the Biodiversity Day concept in 1998 at Walden Pond, and included MMNHP within the study area. They repeated the event with dozens of experts in 2008, and collectively recorded over 2,700 species within a five-mile radius of Walden Pond.

Concord-Carlisle High School student Liam Beguhn initiated the current event to spotlight the area’s biodiversity on September 22 (National Public Lands Day) and to update the findings by using the iNaturalist app.

The MMNHP event starts in the morning at the North Bridge Visitor Center at 174 Liberty St. in Concord, where guides will begin quests at 8 a.m., 9 a.m., and 10 a.m. Each quest will focus on the guide’s expertise, which will include birds, plants, mammals, insects, reptiles, fungi, and more. After a break at noon (bring a bag lunch), it will continue at the Hartwell Tavern parking lot/park ranger station at 101 North Great Rd. in Lincoln. Guides will begin afternoon excursions from the parking lot at 2 p.m. and wrap up all quests by 4 p.m.

Data collected by participants who want to record findings using iNaturalist will be recorded on the app’s website, and prizes will be awarded to participants for numbers of identifications recorded in the park.

“Thousands of species are here in our community. This event will highlight the wonders of nature and inspire participants to better understand and protect biodiversity,” Alden said.

Questions about the project and program can be directed to Liam Beguhn via Margie Coffin Brown, the Park’s Natural & Cultural Resource Manager at 617-620-2942 or Margie_coffin_brown@nps.gov. 

Visual and audio exhibits focus on South Sudan refugees

Two exhibits of original art created by refugees from South Sudan together with audio segments are on display in Lincoln, and there will be receptions for both on Thursday, Sept. 13. 

At Bemis Hall is “Metamorphosis: From South Sudan to Lincoln and Beyond”—photographs and audio of the three “Lost Boys” who were resettled in Lincoln in the early 2000s. The exhibit shows what they went through, what changes they’ve experienced, and where they are now. There will be a reception on Thursday at 2:30 p.m., as well as a marketplace of with South Sudanese vendors selling traditional crafts.

“Metamorphosis: From South Sudan to Massachusetts” in the Lincoln Public Library is a visual and audio exhibit with artworks by numerous South Sudanese refugees. Thursdays’ reception there is from 6–8 p.m.

Both exhibits are curated by Jeff Brown, Ellen Morgan, and Susan Winship of South Sudanese Enrichment for Families (SSEF). The organization was founded in 2004 when three South Sudanese young men—Kuol, Leek, and Charles—lived at Codman Farm and went to Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. SSEF continued to raise funds for their education and also another 200 Sudanese in the Boston area at that time.

The organization continues to support South Sudanese refugees in the area by offering help with housing, preschool tuition and summer camp. In Lincoln, its Saturday Bridges family program offers care in the Hartwell pods for the youngest kids, an outdoor education program at Drumlin Farm for older children, and tutoring and workshops for adults.

The Lincoln exhibits run through September 30. For more information or to donate, see the SSEF website, call 781-322-0063, or email SouthSudaneseBoston@gmail.com.

Here are some of the paintings that can be seen in the “Metamorphosis” exhibits.

"Girl with Bag"

Image 1 of 9

 

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Palestinian storyteller at library

Fidaa Ataya

Fidaa Ataya, a traditional Palestinian storyteller, puppeteer, drama-in-education specialist and actress, will tell stories for children age 3-9 at the Lincoln Public Library on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. Drop in. Sponsored by GRALTA.

Springsteen ticket auction to benefit Codman Farm

Codman Community Farms is holding a benefit silent auction for a pair of tickets in the first 10 rows of the center orchestra section at a “Bruce Springsteen on Broadway” concert in New York this fall. The winner can choose the date of the show they would like to attend between September 26 and December 14. The auction ends on Saturday, Sept. 22 at noon, and the winner will be announced at the Harvest Feast that night. Click here to enter a bid.

Plans underway for First Day 2019

Plans for the Lincoln New Year’s Day open house (known as First Day 2019) at the Pierce House are underway, and organizers are looking for help. AVolunteer Planning Committee is forming to help with:

  • Ideas for improving the event
  • Soliciting monetary support from other associations, private individuals
  • Planning food and beverages to be served
  • Organize volunteer staffing for day of event (setup/food prep/clean up)

If you would like to join the committee, contact Nancy Beach at nancy@piercehouse.com or call 781-259-9757.

Open house on new adult programs at Minuteman

Minuteman Technical Institute (MTI), a branch of the Minuteman School District, is hosting an open house on Wednesday, Sept. 12 from 6–8 p.m. to share information on five new evening training programs for adults beginning October 1. Click here to register for the open house.

New MTI offerings include culinary arts, electricity, metal fabrication and joining, and advanced manufacturing. Students must have a high school diploma or GED. Discounted rates are available to in-district residents. You may also call 781-861-7151 or e-mail MTI@minuteman.org. Click here for details including start dates, hours, costs, and how to apply. Minuteman Technical Institution and Minuteman Community Education also offer additional day, afternoon, and evening programs for adults and school-age students.

Jewelry workshops at deCordova

Design and create unique jewelry made of glass, stone, and found objects as glass artist Emily Bhargava offers three mosaic jewelry workshops at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum:

Each session is $40 for deCordova members or $45 for nonmembers. Sign up for one workshop or all three by clicking on a title above. No mosaic experience necessary; all materials will be provided.

“Rally Sunday” at First Parish

The First Parish in Lincoln will hold “Rally Sunday” on Sunday, Sept. 16 at 10 a.m. in the Parish House (14 Bedford Rd.). With the service marking the official start of the church year, new visitors are encouraged and welcome to attend. Interim Senior Minister Jenny Rankin will lead worship. There will be an opportunity to learn about First Parish and register for its religious K-8 education program, which also starts September 16 (and there will be bagels and muffins for kids as well).

Founder of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives to speak

Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., co-founder and president of the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, will introduce the FDFI’s “One Million Abolitionists” project and speak to the issue of abolition from the days of Thoreau and Douglass to the present on Monday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Walden Woods Project (44 Baker Farm Rd., Lincoln). Morris is the great-great-great grandson of Frederick Douglass and the great-great grandson of Booker T. Washington.

Attendees are asked to donate at least $4 to cover the cost of a special bicentennial edition of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave for a school with limited financial resources. Doors open at 7 p.m. for a wine and cheese reception. Seating is free but limited; click here to RSVP online or register by phone at 781-259-4707. Co-sponsored by The Robbins House; reception supported by the Cheese Shop in Concord.

Adult education classes at L-S

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Adult Education is offering new enrichment classes this fall including classes on foreign languages, WordPress, creative arts, cooking, fitness, finance, and college planning. Visit the LSAD website for more information, schedules and registration.

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Lovelane hoedown benefit on Sept. 15

Lovelane’s 2018 Hoedown, celebrating its 30th anniversary, will be held Saturday, Sept. 15 at Duck Puddle Farm in Wayland from 4–9:30 p.m. The jeans-and-boots outdoor tented event features 15 Boston-area celebrity chefs creating mouth-watering specialties just for this occasion.  Returning favorite local band French Lick will kick off the evening followed by the headliner, multi-platinum Nashville recording artist Josh Turner. Billy Costa is also returning as emcee.

Tickets are $500 each, groups of 6+ tickets are $375 each, and a variety of sponsorship opportunities range from $5,000 to $100,000. For additional information about this event or Lovelane or to purchase tickets, click here or contact Eliza Wall at 781-259-1177 ext. 24 or eliza@lovelane.org.  

Lovelane Special Needs Horseback Riding Program is a pediatric therapeutic horseback riding program that provides services to 130 children with special needs each week with the help of 197 volunteers. The benefits from therapeutic horseback riding derive from using the movement of the horse to work the muscles of the rider. Therapeutic horseback riding combines occupational, physical and/or speech therapy techniques with the fun of riding a horse, as well as promoting independence, confidence and joy.

“60 Years of Inflatable Arts”

In conjunction with the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum exhibition Sculpting with Air: Ian McMahon and Jong Oh, guest lecturers Mary Hale and Kate Balug will discuss how inflatable structures have been used in architecture, art, and engineering since the emergence of the hot air balloon in a talk titled “60 Years of Inflatable Arts” on Tuesday, Sept. 11 from 6:30–7:30 p.m. Free admission; registration required.

Lincoln picks its favorite novels

The Great Lincoln Reads results are in, and two books were tied for first place among those who voted: Outlander by Diana Gabladon and Beloved by Toni Morrison. The Lincoln Public Library’s reader survey earlier this summer was based on the PBS series “The Great American Read” about America’s 100 most-loved novels. Other books that received votes included Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. Click here for a complete list of titles or check out the list (and the books!) at the library.

Food Project teens dig in (Lincoln Though the Lens)

Earlier this month, the Food Project welcomed 100 teenagers from diverse cultural, racial, economic, and geographic backgrounds to work as Seed Crew members on their urban and suburban farms in Lincoln and three other towns. During the summer season, they work together to grow vegetables and to donate or distribute nearly 200,000 servings of produce to increase food access throughout eastern Massachusetts—all while developing important leadership, teamwork, and civic participation skills. Photos courtesy Ross Condit of the Food Project.

Lincoln library spearheads “Hamilton” raffle to aid Puerto Rico

To help Puerto Rico in its ongoing recovery from Hurricane Maria, the Friends of the Lincoln Library (FOLL) will raffle two pairs of the best seats in the house for the musical “Hamilton” at the Boston Opera House. Proceeds from the raffle will aid the public library in the hurricane-ravaged city of Loíza, Puerto Rico.

The tickets being raffled are for center orchestra seats, and the winners get to submit their preferred dates and times to the producer. Raffle tickets are $50 each and only 1,000 tickets will be sold. Each raffle ticket holder gets two chances to win.

Raffle ticket sales will take place from Thursday, June 28 until sold out or at 5 p.m. September 7, whichever comes first. The FOLL will randomly select the winners on September 8 at the library. You do not need to be present at the drawing to win. Tickets may be purchased online.

In addition to selling raffle tickets (which are not tax-deductible under Massachusetts gaming law), the FOLL is accepting tax-deductible donations for the Loíza library. Checks should be made payable to the “Friends of the Lincoln Library for Loíza” and sent to 3 Bedford Rd., Lincoln, MA 01773.

After voting to raise money to help a Puerto Rican library that needed help with storm damage, the FOLL wrote to Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Hamilton” creator, in hopes of getting tickets to the Boston run of the show to raffle. Though he receives hundreds of ticket requests, the letter from the Lincoln library caught his family’s eye. The next thing they knew, FOLL board member and raffle chair Julie Brogan and Ray Shepard, then president of the FOLL board, were on the phone with Lin-Manuel’s father, Luis A. Miranda Jr.

The elder Miranda, who has been on the ground in Puerto Rico every other week since the hurricane, was intrigued by the Lincoln request because he sees rebuilding libraries as essential for Puerto Rico’s long-term recovery efforts, so he paired Lincoln with a library in the coastal city of Loíza.

Luis Miranda is a political consultant in New York and founder of the Hispanic Federation, the nation’s premier Latino nonprofit membership organization. When Hurricane Maria devastated his birthplace, the Miranda family put their star power behind the Hispanic Federation’s UNIDOS Disaster Relief and Recovery Program, which will match up to $20,000 of what the FOLL raises for Loíza.

Though not far east of San Juan, Loíza is a world away from the towering resorts of the capital. Sandwiched between the Rio Grande de Loíza River on one side and the El Yunque rainforest on the other, the city was isolated until 1983, when a bridge was built over the Rio Grande. Public transportation didn’t reach Loíza until 2005. Loíza’s seclusion helped the city maintain its rich Afro-Caribbean culture and a coastal landscape unspoiled by development, yet the isolation came with a cost. Loíza is one of the poorest cities on the island—almost 50 percent its residents live below the poverty level.

“The Loíza library is more than a library. It functions like a community center,” said Julio Alves, director of the Jacobsen Center for Writing at Smith College. “It’s a bright spot in an otherwise very depressed area now, even more than ever. The people there are wonderful and very devoted to the library.” Alves befriended the library in Loíza 10 years ago when he was vacationing with his son in Puerto Rico.