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

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‘Nutcracker” reading and dancing

The Lincoln Public Library will host a reading of The Nutcracker with dancers from the Commonwealth Ballet Company on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. During the event, which is geared toward young children, dancers will act out some of the parts in rich and colorful costumes.

Give nature-based holiday thanks at Drumlin Farm

On the day after Thanksgiving, join Massachusetts-area artists at Drumlin Farm for the annual “Giving Thanks for Nature and Our Senses,” a family outdoor art experience. Welcome back your senses on a nature walk with interactive artist demonstrations, enjoy art installations throughout the farmyard, and make your own nature-inspired crafts on Friday, Nov. 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Highlights include:

  • 4-H Club Food Drive: Bring non-perishable goods and our 4-H club will donate all items to Open Table in Concord.
  • The Grey Whisker Pickers
  • Wildlife sketching
  • Natural sculpture by William Turville
  • Nature crafts workshop with Musketaquid artists
  • Installations and gallery artwork by local sculptors, painters, and photographers
  • Storytelling with Ron McAdow

Admission: $9 for adults, $6 for seniors and children. Free for Mass Audubon members and Lincoln residents. Cohosted by Mass Audubon and Musketaquid Arts & Environment.

mangotreeSupport families in shelter from domestic violence this holiday season

On Sunday, Dec. 4 from 1-5 p.m., Mango Tree Artisans at 410 Boston Post Road in Sudbury will host a special shopping event to benefit the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable. Enjoy light refreshments while you shop, and mention the Roundtable to have a portion of your purchase donated to the organization.

Each year, the Roundtable sponsors a family from one of three local agencies for the holidays. Those agencies need help to provide happy holidays for families in shelter and to meet the ongoing needs of additional families who have been victims of domestic violence. Sponsored families are anonymous, though the agency will share the number of family members and their ages. Match yourself with a smaller family to sponsor, or invite relatives, friends, and colleagues to join you in sponsoring a larger family. For those who can’t sponsor a family, gift cards for food, clothing and other necessities to stores such as Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, CVS, Target, and Stop & Shop are welcome. Wrapping paper, ribbon and tape are also needed. To learn more about how you can help, contact:

Ornament workshop at deCordova

Create an ornament of your own design at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum’s ceramic ornament workshop on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For adults and children 10+ accompanied by an adult. The cost is $25–$45; click here to register.

Santa paws (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Allison Tobia of Wayland and her golden retriever Penny get their photo taken with Santa at Saturday's Paws for the Holidays Festival at the Pierce House hosted by Lincoln-based Phinney's Friends. (Photo: Alice Waugh)

Allison Tobia of Wayland and her golden retriever Penny get their photo taken with Santa at Saturday’s Paws for the Holidays Festival at the Pierce House hosted by Lincoln-based Phinney’s Friends. (Photo: Alice Waugh)

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.

Kids plant bulbs to help next spring’s honeybees

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Lincoln School fifth-grader Nour Azzouzi gets into the gardening.

Hundreds of daffodils and crocuses will bloom next spring in the People for Pollinators meadow thanks to the efforts of 25 Lincoln School students.

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT) and the METCO Coordinating Committee organized the October 19 planting of 1,000 daffodil and crocus plants at the People for Pollinators meadow close to the Smith school building. Twenty-five Lincoln School students from Lincoln and Boston participated and were joined by students from the Birches School and community members.

“The METCO Coordinating Committee is always looking for fun ways to engage our Boston-based and Lincoln-based students in exciting and enriching community-building events, and the pollinating garden event was the perfect opportunity for us,” said Pilar Doughty, METCO Coordinating Committee chair. “Our students were able to meet and collaborate with individuals from various schools and organizations across our community. As an added bonus, they learned more about pollinators and gardening techniques, and helped to make an impressive contribution to our pollinator ecosystem.”

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Pilar Doughty (second from left), the Lincoln METCO Coordinating Committee chair, gets down in the dirt with students at the pollinator meadow.

People for Pollinators members prepared the meadow site for planting and helped with the bulb installation. The LLCT and Conservation Commission loaned equipment to help the effort, including shovels, trowels and rakes.

Daffodils and crocuses bloom in early spring and provide an essential early source of nectar for emerging queen bumblebees. Unlike honeybees, which can survive in a colony of many thousands over the winter, only a queen bumblebee survives and hibernates, and then re-emerges the following year to establish new colonies and the next generation of bumblebees, which help pollinate many local foods such as cranberries and apples.

The meadow got its start at a community-wide planting event last spring after several organizations and schools collaborated to form People for Pollinators, which aims to protect and create native habitat that supports the vitality of pollinators in the face of bee colony collapse.

News acorns

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Sample ballot (click to enlarge).

More than one-quarter of voters cast early ballots

As of Wednesday morning, 28 percent of the Lincoln electorate has voted, according to Town Clerk Susan Brooks. Though her office has not been tracking ballots cast by registration, the largest segment of the Lincoln electorate is unenrolled (53 percent), followed by Democrats at 36 percent and Republicans at 11 percent. Registered voters can cast their ballots in the Town Clerk’s Office (16 Lincoln Rd.) through Friday, Nov. 4 at 4:30 p.m. Hours for voting are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and until 8 p.m. on Thursday.

Order pies by Thursday to benefit L-S teachers

The deadline to order Thanksgiving pies from the Foundation for Educators at Lincoln Sudbury (FELS) is Friday, Nov. 4. Online and paper orders are welcome. Proceeds support grants to Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School faculty and staff, allowing them to pursue their professional and personal interests and passions. Click here for the online form, or here to download a paper form. Pies will be available on Tuesday, Nov. 22.

Minuteman mulling middle-school career exploration program

Minuteman High School is looking for feedback from in-district middle school families on whether their children might like to participate in an after-school career pathway exploratory Program, possibly to begin next spring. The program would provide a wide variety of career exploration opportunities and an opportunity for middle school students to identify early on what they love to do and what they do well.

Minuteman will hold an informational evening on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 4 p.m. in the Paul Revere Room for parents and guardians. Register for this event by taking a brief online survey. Lincoln has voted to leave the Minuteman district, but the departure does not take effect until July 2017.

Lectures on Israel/Palestine

The GRALTA Foundation continues its exploration of the Israel-Palestine conflict with two lectures in November. Boston College sociology professor Eve Spangler will speak on “Understanding Israel/Palestine Through a Human Rights Lens” at the Lincoln Public Library on Thursday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 13 in Bemis Hall at 2 p.m. Her popular seminar, “Social Justice in Israel/Palestine,” culminates when she leads a trip to the region during BC’s winter break. There is no charge, and light refreshments will be served.

Tea and gift ideas with children’s librarians

Join the children’s librarians for tea, scones and book suggestions for holiday gift-giving for grandchildren and other young readers in your life at a Grandparents’ Tea on Wednesday, Nov. 16 from 4-5 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library Tarbell Room. This event is open to all adults, not just grandparents.

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Home energy workshop next week

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Jennifer Haugh, Sue Klem and Lynne Smith will be among those who will answer questions at the Residential Energy Workshop.

Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee will sponsor a Residential Energy Workshop on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. at Pierce House. Experts will answer questions on a broad range of home energy topics, including energy efficiency, solar, and buying electricity using renewable energy. Anyone with questions may contact Sue Klem at Susan.M.Klem@gmail.com.

Newcomers’ event on Nov. 6

People who have moved into Lincoln within the past two years are invited to a Welcome Newcomers event on Sunday, Nov. 6 from 3-5 p.m. at Pierce House. This informal event is a great way for new residents to meet neighbors, new and old, and to learn more about what is fondly referred to as “the Lincoln way.” Representatives from the town’s elected and volunteer boards, committees and membership organizations will be on hand to meet newcomers and answer any questions about getting involved in the life of Lincoln. Light refreshments will be served. Advance registration is requested; please email Virginia Rundell at vq@verizon.net.

Paws for the Holidays Festival

Paws for the Holidays Festival is anew holiday tradition hosted by Phinney’s Friends on Saturday, Nov. 12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pierce House. There will be caroling, Santa pictures for the family, live music, a caricaturist, baked goods, and a silent auction as well as items for sale such as dog costumes, toys, pet treats and cupcakes. Admission is free; kids and leashed dogs are welcome. Phinney’s Friends is a Lincoln nonprofit that works to help pet owners care for their animals in the event of illness or disability.

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Dr. Timothy Johnson to speak at St. Anne’s

tim2Join Dr. Timothy Johnson at St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Church on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 9 a.m. for the first of a two-part forum series on his book, Finding God in the Questions: A Personal Journey. Ranked #8 on The New York Times Hardcover Advice Bestseller List, Finding God urges us to ask the probing questions of whether God is real, if religion is relevant to our lives, and whether faith is possible for each of us. All are welcome at St. Anne’s, located at 147 Concord Road in Lincoln.

L-S teacher/staff/student variety show on tap

Want a good laugh? Come to the 12th annual Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Faculty, Staff and Student Variety Show on Friday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Kirschner Auditorium at L-S. The event is a benefit for FELS (Foundation for Educators at Lincoln-Sudbury) and the LSTA Scholarship Fund. Acts include live music, dance, film, comedy and more. Advance tickets are $6 for students and senior citizens, $8 general admission, and will be sold from 11-12:30 p.m. outside the L-S cafeteria from October 24-28. Tickets at the door are $8 for students and senior citizens and $10 general admission. For more information, please contact Paul Sarapas at paul_sarapas@lsrhs.net.

Halloween lantern walk at Minute Man NHP

hartwell-autumn-cms_1The Friends of Minute Man National Park (FMMNP) will host its annual Halloween Lantern Walk on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 5:30 p.m. at Hartwell Tavern (136 North Great Road in Lincoln). Come in costume or just as you are to enjoy an autumn evening accompanied by special colonial guests on a lantern walk along the Battle Road. The walk will be followed by spooky Halloween stories in Hartwell Barn performed by the Guild of Historic Interpreters (appropriate for children age 7 and up). FMMNP, a nonprofit that supports park initiatives and engages the community in educational events, will provide lanterns and glow in the dark bracelets to all for a suggested donation of $5 per person or $10 per family. All funds received will support programs and services of Minute Man National Historical Park. For more information or to become a member of FMMNP, call 978-318-7822 or visit www.friendsofminuteman.org.

Piano recital by Rhapsody

Rhapsody will stage its annual piano recital on Sunday, Oct. 30 at 3 p.m. in Bemis Hall. The performance is free and open to the public. Rhapsody was formed in 2003 by amateur pianists who sought a venue in which to perform for each other, both to grow musically and to share their musical journey with others. It has since grown to 18 people from the Boston metropolitan area, and members have met continuously for 13 years. Now an annual event, this will be their seventh public performance on the beautifully restored Steinway at Bemis Hall in Lincoln. The program will feature selections from Bach, Beethoven, Celentano, Chopin, Delej, Dvorak, Gliere, Saint-Saens and Tchaikovsky.

Help out at deCordova Fall Work Day

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DeCordova volunteers, trustees, and staff take a break during Work Day in June (click to enlarge).

Bring friends, a water bottle and work gloves to deCordova Fall Work Day on Sunday, Oct. 30 from 2–4 p.m. Pruners and rakes are also helpful (make sure they’re labeled). The Fall Work Day is a fun way to help deCordova get ready for winter with a little help from its friends. Kids who are old enough and inclined to follow directions are welcome, too. All participants will receive a Friends of the Park T-shirt. Meet in front of the deCordova STore; RSVP to rsvp@decordova.org.

Learn about energy efficiency for your house

Interested in learning the ins and outs of home energy efficiency, solar options and financing, or purchasing electricity from renewable sources? Want to know about cost savings, loans and rebates, or share your own experiences? Come to the Residential Energy Workshop at the Pierce House, on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. Experts from the Lincoln Green Energy Committee, Co-op Power, and HomeWorks Energy will provide answers and refreshments. House and condo owners and renters are all welcome. For more information, contact Sue Klem at Susan.M.Klem@gmail.com or go to LincolnEnergyChallenge.org.

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pieThanksgiving pie purchases benefit L-S teachers

FELS (the Foundation for Educators at L-S) announces its annual Thanksgiving pie fundraiser. Get a gourmet home-baked pie while supporting summer enrichment grants for teachers and staff. Apple, pumpkin, pecan and chocolate pies are $18. Order for your family or donate to a listed local organization or charity (one donation of $18 can benefit two organizations). Order online at www.felsgrant.org. Note: pies must be ordered by November 4 due to an apple shortage from the drought.

Learn about Wheeler Farm, RLF roots

A presentation titled “‘So Much Then Remains for Us to Do’:  Lincoln’s Wheeler Family and Farm–Roots of the Rural Land Foundation” will take place on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. at The Commons (please use the Route 2 entrance). Thoreau was moved to express these words by the death of his Harvard roommate, Charles Stearns Wheeler of Lincoln. Town Historian Jack MacLean will give an overview of the Wheelers (a prominent early Lincoln family), their homes, and the development of their farmstead, and how a visionary approach to preserve that farm lead to the formation of the Rural Land Foundation.

There will also be a tour of the Wheeler Homestead and its historic farm setting on Saturday, Nov. 5 from 1-3 p.m. and a reception from 2-5 p.m. at the Pierce House. The homestead, now under a historic preservation restriction, was previously owned by the Marsh family and is now the home of Kathryn and Christopher Boit. Members of the Historic District Commission will be on hand to answer questions, as will contractors who did the restoration work on the house. Please park at the Pierce House; the Lincoln Historical Society will provide shuttle bus service to the Wheeler House and Farm from 12:25-4 p.m. Representatives of the Rural Land Foundation will be on hand to provide further information about the RLF’s history.

First Parish hosts speaker on immigration

Aviva Chomsky

Aviva Chomsky

The First Parish in Lincoln welcomes Professor Aviva Chomsky to its service on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. at the Parish House (14 Bedford Rd.). An expert on immigration in the U.S., Chomsky (a professor of history and coordinator of Latin America, Latino and Caribbean Studies at Salem State University) will speak about the moral and spiritual dimensions of migration. She will also lead a question-and-answer session from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Chomsky’s academic interests include the Cuban revolution, northern Columbia’s coal industry, and immigration in the United States. She is the author of Undocumented: How Immigration Became Illegal. Her visit precedes a congregational mission trip to the Arizona/Mexico border from November 12-18.

News acorns

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Election worker training offered

A training for those wishing to serve as election workers in the 2016 Presidential Election will be offered on Wednesday, Oct. 5 in the Donaldson Room at Town Hall from 7-9 p.m. Please call the Town Clerk’s Office at 781-259-2607 to pre-register; space is limited.

‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ screening

The Lincoln Library Film Society presents My Beautiful Laundrette (1985, rated R) on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. in the library’s Tarbell Room. Directed by Stephen Fears, My Beautiful Laundrette is an uncommon love story that takes place between a youth South London Pakistani man (Gordon Warnecke) who decides to open an upscale laundromat to make his family proud, and his childhood friend, a skinhead (Daniel Day-Lewis) who volunteers to help make his dream a reality. The culture-class comedy is also a subversive work of social realism that addresses racism, homophobia and sociopolitical marginalization in Margaret Thatcher’s England. Refreshments will be served.

Open house for nursery school

Lincoln Nursery School, a cooperative preschool at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, will hold its annual Open House on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 9-11 a.m. This is a relaxed opportunity for interested families to tour the studios and play areas as well as meet some of the current parents, teachers and director Nancy Fincke.

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Rev. Kate Malin (kneeling) with Pam Bartter and Jane Bartter (right) at last year’s Blessing of the Animals service.

Blessing of the Animals at St. Anne’s on Oct. 2

On Sunday, Oct. 2, St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church will honor St. Francis, patron saint of animals, with Blessing of the Animals at both morning services( Holy Eucharist at 8 a.m. and Holy Eucharist with Choir at 10 a.m.). Animals on leashes or in carriers are welcome; photos and stuffed animals are welcome, too. The “Still Your Soul” service will take place at 5 p.m. with a service of Holy Eucharist for Healing and Wholeness with laying-on of hands.

Build a scarecrow at Stonegate Gardens

Stonegate Gardens’ annual Build-a-Scarecrow event will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 5 from 1-4 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its retail location (339 South Great Road, Lincoln). All proceeds will benefit the Lincoln Parent Teacher Organization, which provides enrichment programming at the Lincoln School. For $15 per scarecrow, Stonegate Gardens provides hay, twine, stakes, craft supplies for decorating and embellishments, and step-by-step instructions. Bring a pillowcase for their scarecrow’s head, old clothing (pants with belt loops and long-sleeve shirts; teenage or adult sizes are best), and any personal accessories such as hats, masks, light-sabers, etc. Everyone will have the opportunity to further personalize their scarecrows by giving them a name. Lincoln PTO volunteers will be there to lend a hand, but parental supervision is required (this is not a drop-off event). Students and community members may opt to take their scarecrows home or display them along Ballfield Road.

Youth in Philanthropy program kicks off in Lincoln

The Foundation for MetroWest is launching a Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program in Lincoln, with meetings starting on Thursday, Oct. 6 from 3-4 p.m. in the Lincoln School (Room B135). The program is open to all seventh- and eighth-grade students who live or go to school in Lincoln. The fall schedule can be found here.

YIP is a unique opportunity for students to take the lead on grant-making. During the program, they form their own board of trustees, run for leadership positions, do fund-raising, research and visit local nonprofit organizations, and distribute the Foundation for MetroWest youth development grants. Since 1997, 1,100 students have participated in YIP, giving more than $1 million to local, youth-serving nonprofits. Launched in 1997, it remains one of the largest youth philanthropy education programs in the country. For more information, see the YIP website or watch this video.

Learn how to start a conversation about abusive relationships

Have you ever been concerned about a friend or family member’s relationship but didn’t know what to say? Join the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. in the Raytheon Room at the Wayland Public Library to learn the warning signs of an abusive relationship and how to support a loved one in an unhealthy relationship. Featured speakers will be Jessica Teperow, Director of Prevention Programs for REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, and M.J. Wright, a Wayland librarian who has spoken on behalf of REACH Beyond Domestic Violence to share her personal experience as a survivor from domestic abuse. The event is free and open to the public.

Kirsten Maxwell at next LOMA event

Kirsten Maxwell

Kirsten Maxwell

Kirsten Maxwell is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) on Monday, Oct. 17 from 7-10 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. Maxwell will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. She performs the title cut of her new album “Crimson” in this video.

LOMA is a monthly event. 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.