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

agriculture and flora

Tree removal hearing on May 21

A public hearing will be held by the tree warden, deputy tree warden and/or their designees will hold a public hearing on Monday, May 21 at 7 p.m. at the DPW office (30 Lewis St.) to consider the removal of the below trees in the public right of way. The cutting and removal of the following trees has been made at the request of Eversource Energy. The trees have been marked with hearing notices and are being considered for removal because they are dead, in decline, or otherwise pose a safety or operational hazard to the safe and reliable operation of the Eversource Energy electrical system. The trees are marked as to size and type along the following roads:

  • Mill Street, 30″ oak, between poles 17/13 to 17/14
  • Mill Street, 30″ oak, between poles 17/13 to 17/14
  • Mill Street, 30″ oak, 40′ East of pole 17/14
  • 130 Lexinton Rd., 26″ hickory
  • 126 Lexington Rd., 33″ oak
  • 116 Lexington Rd., 18″ oak
  • 90 Lexington Rd., 20″ pine
  • 84 Lexington Rd., 33″ oak
  • Lexington Road, at pole 22/55, 22″ maple
  • Lexington Road, between poles 22/63 and 22/64, 35″ oak
  • 83 Page Rd., 33″ oak
  • Page Road, between poles 13/30 and 13/31, 20″ oak and 33″ oak
  • Page Road, between poles 13/31 and 13/32, 20″ oak
  • Page Road, at pole 13/35, 16″ oak
  • 44 Page Rd., 28″ oak
  • 40 Page Rd., 28″ oak
  • 83 Page Rd.across from 29, 15″ pine and two 26″ pines
  • 29 Page Rd., two 26″ pines
  • Page Road, at pole 13/49, 34″ locust
  • 49 Lincoln Roa Rd., 33″ maple
  • 100 Lincoln Rd., 33″ oak
  • Lincoln Road, between poles 24/45 and 24/46, two 20″ oaks
  • 233 Lincoln Rd., 33″ oak
  • Lincoln Road, across From 237, 20″ oak leader
  • 237 Lincoln Rd., 33″ oak
  • 244 Lincoln Rd., 36+” oak
  • 260 Lincoln R Rd.oad, 28″ oak

The following marked trees, are also being considered for removal by the DPW because they are dead, in decline, are posing a safety operational hazard, or at the request of the abutting property owner. These trees are marked as to size and type along the following roads:

  • South Great Road, two 21″ maples, across from pole 7/77
  • 80 Tower Rd., 30″ pine
  • 80 Tower Rd., 36″ pine
  • 80 Tower Rd., 36″ pine
  • 80 Tower Rd., 12″ Tree
  • 82 Conant Rd., 30″ pine

Lincoln quilters show their wares at Codman Community Farms

The latest projects by the Lincoln Quilters—individual scenes about Codman Community Farms rendered in fabric—are now on display (and for sale) in the CCF farm store.

Click on a thumbnail below to see a larger image:

Drawn together by a shared interest in quilting and fiber arts, the nine Lincoln Quilters—Anne Crosby, Nancy Constable, Tricia Deck, Linda MacNeil, Margaret Olson, Lucy Sachs, Kate Sacknoff, Jane Solar, and Dilla Tingley—began meeting five years ago to inspire each other, share their creations, get suggestions from others on personal projects, and develop new pieces as a group. They generally have a project going that stimulates and challenges members and their creativity.

The nine framed fabric art pieces by the quilters are on display in the Codman Barn inside the farm store. Proceeds from sales will be donated to Codman Community Farms.

Blue Heron Organic Farm closes

A dumpster can be seen at the Blue Heron Organic Farm in February.

Ellery Kimball of Blue Heron Organic Farm on Rte. 117 announced on LincolnTalk today that she has closed the farm.

“We are sad to see Ellery go since she has done such a super job with Blue Heron Organic Farm,” said Conservation Director Tom Gumbart. “The Conservation Commission needs to determine the property’s future use, but it will certainly stay in agricultural production. Its long history as an organic farm certainly lends itself to continuing that use for organic food production. However, no determination has yet been made since we only recently found out about Ellery’s departure.”

When asked for further details about her plans or why she closed the farm, Kimball responded via email, “Thank you for your questions but I wrote everything I’d like to share in the letter.” Her announcement is reprinted here with her permission:

Dear Town of Lincoln,

After 17 years as the farmer at Blue Heron Organic Farm on Rt. 117, I have decided it is time for me to move on to new ventures. I will always treasure my time on this land and I have loved working in my home town, and, at the same time, I am excited about moving on to new opportunities.

I started working on the Umbrello parcel of conservation land in Lincoln, Massachusetts in 1993 when I was 17 and a senior in high school. The farm was then called Down to Earth Organic Farm (established in 1992) and I happily worked as an intern on the land in the summers from 93-98. I returned to the Umbrello Field in 2001 to start Blue Heron Organic Farm after Keith, of Down to Earth, left to begin a farm in western Massachusetts.

After running Blue Heron Organic Farm for two years in 2003 I applied for official Organic Certification and, in all, the land has been farmed organically since 1992. In 2005, after raising money through fundraisers held at the farm, I hired a company to dig a well and added electricity to the farm. Thanks to these generous donations irrigation and electricity is now available to the future farmers of the Umbrello Field. 

I have countless people to thank for helping me make this dream of running a small organic farm in my home town a reality. Thank you so much to the town and the Conservation Commission for their support and encouragement over the years. Thank you for believing in me and for giving me this opportunity. Many thanks to Keith for teaching me how to farm in the 90s and for encouraging me to start Blue Heron Organic Farm in 2001. Many thanks to my good friends who helped me on the farm harvesting pumpkins, picking up rocks and pounding in tomato stakes.

I wish to thank the customers who shopped at the farm stand, the organic plant sales, and at the farmers markets. There are so many people I will remember not only for their loyalty and for returning to buy vegetables, flowers and plants every year, but also for their positive words of encouragement, support and kindness. I am so glad I had the opportunity to grow vegetables and flowers for you. Thank you so much. I will miss seeing you all at the farm and at the farmers markets.

Thank you to the groups of farm camp kids who helped me on Fridays every summer, I could always count on them to put a smile on my face and they have given me hope for the future. Thank you to all the volunteers and interns who worked on the farm with me. Farming isn’t easy work, its long days in the sun and rain, with endless weeding and harvesting. I appreciate everyone who worked with me in the field growing vegetables and flowers.

Thank you to the Lincoln Farmers Market and the Davis Square Farmers Market and to all the people involved in making these markets thrive.

Thank you to all the wonderful chefs who placed orders twice a week throughout the growing season. I will miss bringing fresh vegetables to you in your kitchens, hearing about your recipes, seeing your smiles and feeling your appreciation for fresh local foods. Thank you for supporting local farmers.

Thank you to the Lincoln farmers who shared encouragement and equipment and support. And thank you to the town for encouraging farmers to continue Lincolns rich farming heritage.

And, last but not least, thank you to my family for believing in me and encouraging me to follow my dreams. Thanks to my brother for designing the farms website and for being a great sibling.

I am grateful that I have known this beautiful field in all weather and seasons for almost 25 years. Most of my adult memories were created on this land and I have learned so much by working with the soil, hoping for rain, picking up rocks, chasing deer, planting, harvesting and learning from others. I am comforted knowing this land is forever protected and will always remain an open field. Thank you to the Conservation Commission, the Rural Land Foundation, and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust for the important and incredible work you do in keeping Lincoln beautiful, wild, and green.

I am excited to move on and explore other dreams and opportunities in new locations. I am so grateful that I had this opportunity to farm these seven acres in Lincoln in my 20s and 30s.

Sincerely,

Ellery Kimball

Resident raises money for cow shelters, but farmer questions need

Lincoln resident Barbara Peskin has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for two permanent cattle shelters at Codman Community Farms—an effort that’s highlighted differing perceptions of animal welfare and the funding needs of the farm as a whole.

Peskin started thinking about the campaign after seeing CCF cows exposed to stormy weather last fall. She noted that the MSPCA had recommended a shelter for a field that didn’t have one, so Farm Manager Pete Lowy placed a livestock trailer in that field for the winter. Another cattle pasture already has permanent shelters.

“It honestly broke my heart that the cows were out there with no protection. I just felt a strong compassion for the cows. I have a strong compassion for all animals. I’ve learned from the MSPCA that while cows raised for beef have very little protection in Massachusetts, they are supposed to be given protection in severe weather,” Peskin said.

However, beef cattle are hardier than they may appear, and shelters can actually cause other problems, Lowy said.

“Beef cows don’t need shelter, just a windbreak,” he said. “As long as they have access to plenty of hay and water, they’re sturdy and fine. Even the cows on the hill rarely hang out in the shelters. Manure building up in the shelters becomes a health issue, which is why most farms with beef cows don’t have shelters.”

There are no cows on the Codman North field during the winter since it lacks permanent fencing. In the summer, they need shade but not protection from the rain, so they have a portable sun shade that can be moved along with the temporary electric fencing that the farmers shift every few days to rotate grazing areas.

Cattle shelters are not high on the funding priority list for CCF, but Lowy told Peskin to “go for it” if she wanted to raise money on her own and donate the shelters, which will cost a total of $7,240.

“We have a long list of projects for the farm for 2018 and 2019, and we’re focusing on improving the pastures through improved fencing and animal rotations rather than fixed shelters,” Lowy said.

Peskin’s GoFundMe page acknowledges that CCF “has many pressing issues that require funds” and shelters are not a high priority for Lowy or the CCF board. However, while the cows may not need shelter to survive, “surviving is not all there is to life… we can improve their well-being and comfort by providing them with shelter.”

In an email to the Lincoln Squirrel, Peskin added that, “they [the cows] are beings, and I think the shelters would set an example for Lincoln children and all our visitors that we have compassion for all animals. I would note that the Drumlin Farm cows do get these shelters and better (I know Drumlin has more money and volunteers). The shelters are a small but important gesture we can do for the Codman cows that will give them some protection from driving rain, driving snow, and high heat.”

Codman Community Farms grows by adopting modern practices

Codman chickens stroll and roost in their dust-bath holes. See more photos in gallery below. (Photo by Alice Waugh)

By Alice Waugh

Lots of fresh air, lying around in the warm sun or cool shade, munching on fresh grass in a spacious field, a change of scenery every few days—what more could an animal ask for?

Horizons have expanded for Codman Community Farms livestock since Pete Lowy took over as farm manager in early 2016. Human visitors have also noticed some changes, including a major expansion of the farm store and—ironically—fewer animals to be seen in and around the familiar white barns.

When visitors see the mostly empty coops and pens, “they say, ‘Oh, you’re not farming anymore?'” Lowy said. “Everyone hates the term ‘petting zoo,’ but it was sort of like that before—there were a few animals here and there, but it wasn’t really a working farm. Our challenge is conveying how this is better for the quality of the land and the livestock.”

Making the farm a going concern

By using new equipment such as a large moveable cattle shade and lightweight electric fencing, he’s been able to go beyond CCF’s 18 acres and utilize a total of about 80 acres for grazing livestock in various locations around town. Now, instead of a henhouse with a few dozen chickens, this summer there were more than 1,000 laying hens and 600 meat chickens puttering around off Codman Road and Old Concord Road, 125 turkeys on the north side of Codman Road, 80 pigs (mostly in the Van Leer field on Old Sudbury Road), and 26 Red Devon beef cattle in three different meadows—one of which includes a habitat for bobolinks.

The lower barn was converted earlier to an enlarged and modernized facility for washing and packing the 70 dozen eggs that those 1,000 hens lay each day. Just this week, workers began framing and insulating part of the space so it can be used for this year-round. Other recent additions to the farm include an energy-efficient walk-in freezer and several fruit orchards and plots for rhubarb, raspberries, tomatoes, kale and chard.

Some of these improvements are being funded by grants from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and Lincoln’s Ogden Codman Trust as well as private donations. In the past year, $100,000 has been invested in infrastructure including the portable fencing, new water lines, a greenhouse for the chickens in the winter, tractors and other equipment. However, CCF’s operations are not subsidized by the town, which is responsible only for the upkeep on the buildings. Money to lease conservation land, buy and feed livestock, maintain the land, and pay Lowy and assistant farm manager Jared Martin has to come largely from sales of meat, eggs and produce.

While many of these items are sold in the CCF store, local restaurants including Lincoln Kitchen/Trail’s End and 80 Thoreau in Concord now buy eggs, while Moody’s in Waltham buys stewing hens to make chicken stock and other products. The store itself has new glass-front refrigerators as well as a high-tech self-service checkout. Customers scan bar codes corresponding to what they’re buying and then use a touchscreen to pay via credit card or ApplePay—though leaving cash in a paper envelope is still an option.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”81″ gal_title=”Codman Community Farms 2017″]

 

The first stop on a tour via electric golf cart and pickup truck was the vegetable garden and high-density apple orchard between the barns and the Codman Estate. In modern practice, fruit trees are planted very close together, clipped to trellises, and pruned aggressively to yield more fruit per acre than a traditional orchard.

This fall’s yield also included pumpkins, winter squash and a few potatoes; Lowy hopes to plant more spuds next spring. None of the produce is sold to outside buyers, however’ “it’s just to round out the products we have here,” he said. “One of the keys to successful farming is being diversified.”

A herd of cows grazes on a field next to the solar and septic facilities for Lincoln Woods. Like most of the other livestock, the cows are moved en masse every few days to a new section when the farmers pick up and relocate areas of flexible electric fencing (some of it solar-powered) within the meadow. Moving the animals frequently means that they always have fresh grass, and the field can recover in stages while also getting fertilized evenly over time, thanks to their four-legged guests.

Although it’s better for the land and animals, this technique is more labor-intensive than keeping livestock in larger fixed fields. Lowy and Martin have to move the fencing and animals themselves, and they also need to keep the section edges trimmed, because wet grass touching the electric fence above will cause a short circuit. It also requires mental work, since each spot has unique amounts of rocks, slope, and wetness.

“You have to keep it all in your head and know what you have to do each time, and what fields are best for what,” Lowy said.

Fowl play in the fields

Chickens populate the field on the south side of Codman Road near Route 126. Inside their fenced area are feeders, a moveable water tank, and a coop on wheels where they can take shelter and lay their eggs. Despite the fencing, the birds and their eggs would be easy prey for coyotes, fisher cats, and raccoons, but they have protection in the form of Toby. He’s an Anatolian shepherd, a type of dog specifically bred to guard flocks of poultry, and he’s unperturbed by the dozens of clucking birds trotting around his legs.

Although the chickens don’t tear up the grass as much as cows or pigs, they have another habit that can pose a hazard for the farmers if they don’t keep their eyes on the ground while feeding the birds and collecting their eggs every day—the field is pitted with shallow holes that the chickens scratch out to give themselves a dust bath and then nestle in to rest. But with plenty of room for their excavations, the chickens are more spread out, so they don’t peck each other or spread illnesses as quickly.

Across Codman Road is a field with similar enclosure for turkeys guarded by Andy, another Anatolian shepherd, while a field near Mount Misery is home to the stewing chickens. The dogs live in the enclosures with the birds 24/7, sharing their water and eating raw meat provided by the farmers. Like the birds, they take advantage of the shade provided by the mobile coops to doze on hot summer days.

The dogs aren’t expected to kill predators—they just keep them away by barking and marking boundaries in the way dogs generally do. However, living with the dogs does put some limits on where the birds can be located—if they’re too close to houses, their canine guards will keep the homeowners awake at night with their barking.

Perhaps the most contented livestock this summer were the pigs, who live in the field on the south side of Old Sudbury Road. They spent their time rooting for plants, socializing, and enjoying the muddy spots (“that’s the air-conditioned section,” Lowy joked). “That’s why our animals taste good—they eat great food, get a lot of fresh air, and run around.”

Winter plans

Now that the cold weather is coming, the chickens and Toby will soon be moved to the greenhouse, which will offer shelter and light at least 12 hours a day (so the hens keep laying eggs) but is also open to the outdoors. The turkeys, alas, will not survive the winter—mainly because they’re all spoken for, with Thanksgiving coming up.

As fall deepens into winter, the farmers will bring the pigs back to the main farm to live in a barn and fenced area. The sows will be slaughtered after having their first litter of piglets and the meat brought to smokehouses in Connecticut and Vermont for eventual purchase by New England Charcuterie in Waltham as well as CCF store customers.

The cows will stay outside during the winter in a field closer to the barn. Lowy is installing an insulated frost-free drinker that uses water from the new piping, and they’ll eat the hay that was harvested over the summer. But the best is yet to come for three young cows—Lowy plans to rent a bull to breed the lucky heifers in the front pasture (hopefully at a moment when no children are visiting).

Meanwhile, the store is still expanding its selection with yogurt from Sidehill Farm in Hawley, Mass. (also a supplier for Whole Foods), and bread, baguettes, and bagels from Bread Obsession in Waltham available on Fridays and Saturdays. These products are sold alongside eggs and chicken with the Pete and Jen’s Backyard Birds label, which dates from when Lowy and his wife raised chickens while he was assistant farm manager at Verrill Farm in Concord.

Once winter is here, Lowy and Martin will be freed of their fence- and animal-moving duties and will spend more time doing repairs and maintenance around the farm, cleaning and painting the chicken coops, and other tasks in addition to caring for the livestock. Lowy and the CCF board will also be thinking about how they can illustrate for visitors the operations of a farm that, at first glance, doesn’t seem to have many animals.

The hard work in the fields starts again in the spring, when Lowy has lots of ideas for further reinvigorating Codman Community Farms: more haying and vegetable gardening, more field acreage, more turkeys—and some sheep to join the other livestock. He also hopes to find a part-time coordinator for volunteers, who play a big role in haying, mowing, gardening and other tasks. Once the weather warms, up, “we can always find things for folks to do,” he said.

 

Updates on multitude of issues planned for State of the Town

An agenda chock-full of information and discussion about issues affecting Lincoln’s future will greet residents at the State of the Town meeting on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in the Lincoln School auditorium. The event offers informational updates on important issues in town and (in some cases) a preview of measures that will come up for votes at the Annual Town Meeting in spring 2018.

The first 90 minutes will consist of presentations the two proposed campus building projects: the Lincoln School building project and the Community Center project. Recent Lincoln Squirrel articles on these topics include:

Other agenda items are below, and are also discussed in the latest Selectmen’s Newsletter. There will then be an open forum from 11:40 a.m.–noon and an opportunity to talk to representatives of the groups who presented during the meeting at information/discussion tables from 12:30–1 p.m.

Lincoln Station

The South Lincoln Implementation Planning Committee is studying improvements to the Lincoln Station area as well as possible rezoning, though a proposed zoning bylaw change is not likely by spring. There are five teams working on different topics for SLPIC, which reports to the Planning Board.

Plastic bags and bottles

The Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Environmental Club is revisiting its push to regulate the sale of disposable plastic grocery bags and single-use plastic water bottles in Lincoln. Warrant articles were tabled in Town Meeting in 2017 but passed in Sudbury. Town Meeting will feature either warrant articles or a general bylaw change proposal.

Recreational marijuana

The Board of Selectmen is forming a committee to help the town understand the 2016 statewide measure that legalized the cultivation, personal use and retail sale of recreational marijuana. The group will assess the law’s implications for Lincoln and make recommendations regarding potential policies, bylaws and regulations that may be desired and/or required to protect the town’s interests. Town Administrator Timothy Higgins said this week that a bylaw proposal may come up at a Special Town Meeting later in 2018 rather than the annual spring meeting.

To learn more about the committee, contact Higgins at 781-259-2604 or higginst@lincolntown.org. To apply, submit a letter of interest to Administrative Assistant Peggy Elder at elderp@lincolntown.org.

At Town Meeting in 2017, residents approved a moratorium on allowing use of land or structures for recreational marijuana establishments until November 30, 2018 pending new regulations from the Cannabis Control Commission and possible zoning amendments in Lincoln.

Historic District

The Historic District Commission and Friends of Modern Architecture are working with property owners interested in adding their Modern houses to the Lincoln Historic District. At Town Meeting, residents will vote on a proposal that would allow at least 17 owners of Modern homes to voluntarily join the Lincoln Historic District. The district currently consists of 73 properties in four different areas.

Sanctuary Town

A planned Town Meeting measure seeks to make Lincoln an official Sanctuary Town, which organizers hope will safeguard illegal immigrants in Lincoln from federal immigration enforcement and otherwise help immigrants feel protected

Mothers Out Front

This group has been working on local responses to climate change such as curbing greenhouse gas emissions by fixing gas leaks from underground pipes. Members are expected to propose a resolution at Town Meeting calling for the repair of utilities’ leaking gas pipes.

Food project workers grow food justice awareness along with crops

Ben S. of Winchester and Mariell A. of Roslindale pick carrots. (Photo by Alice Waugh)

They say you reap what you sow, but few people take it to heart more than the Food Project‘s Seed Crew.

The group of 26 youths aged 14-17 spent more than six weeks in July and August getting their hands dirty in Lincoln doing the hard work of farming. They were paid a stipend but also earned valuable knowledge about sustainable food systems, personal development, and serving at hunger relief organizations.

The Food Project hires teens from diverse cultural, racial, economic, and geographic backgrounds to work on Seed Crews at their farms in Lincoln, Boston, Beverly, Wenham, and Lynn. The crews work in the fields and take part in workshops on issues including sustainable agriculture, food access, and social justice. The teenagers also spend one day a week at a local hunger relief organization preparing and serving the produce they’re grown.

Seed Crew members can progress after their first summer to the Dirt Crew, which designs and executes a self-directed project to address food access issues in a community during the academic year. Root Crew members have more responsibility running the Food Project’s farms and markets in a yearlong program where they also serve as peer leaders for the Seed Crew and teach others in the community about food justice and food systems. They play important roles in the organization’s mission to promote access to fresh and affordable produce by building raised-bed gardens for residents and organizations, offering garden-based educational programming, and providing opportunities for people to use SNAP/EBT benefits to purchase fresh food.

Ezekiel Mercer-McDowall (left), who is in his 10th year at the Food Project, harvests beets with second-year worker Brendan Murtha of Watertown. (Photo by Alice Waugh)

On a midweek day in August, workers in bright green Seed Crew T-shirts were harvesting bright orange carrots from the brown soil in one section of the Food Project’s 30-acre site near Route 126 and Baker Bridge Road. Nearby, a melon patch was protected by flash tape (twisted Mylar tape that flashes silver and red in the breeze to scare off birds).

Another weedy patch of land nearby was lying fallow. Last summer, it held a potato crop that was devastated by Colorado potato beetles. Because the Food Project uses only organic farming methods, pesticides are not an option, so Seed Crew workers are sometimes assigned to don gloves, pick the beetles off the plants and squash them, explained supervisor Angel Araiza. Crew members undoubtedly find digging up bright orange carrots of all shapes and sizes more satisfying.

“I like the outdoors and gardening and also social justice—both of those things brought me out here,” said Seed Drew member Ben S. of Winchester (the Food Project does not release the last names of teenage volunteers to protect their privacy).

The field work is not easy. Seed Crews weed, harvest and do other outdoor tasks even if it’s raining. Very hot days are tough on the crops as well as the workers because they have move fast to wash, transport and and store the fruits and vegetables in a walk-in cooler.

“On hot days, we have a lot of moving parts—we have to get the field heat out of the crops as fast as possible,” Araiza explained on an unusually cool August morning. “Any time we can get a day like this, it’s a blessing.”

Gardening quartet (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Four women took a short break from restoring the Codman Farm flower garden to allow Ken Hurd to capture the moment on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Left to right: Heidi Nichols, Robin Wilkerson, Hilary Walker, and Nancy Fleming. “Let me assure you, Rosie the Riveter’s got nothing on them!” Hurd says. (Click to enlarge)

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.

Council on Aging activities in June

Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band
June 2 at 12:30 p.m.
On Friday, June 2, the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band will be in the house once again from 12:30–1:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Once again they will lift your spirits with upbeat favorite tunes for you to tap your toes to or sing along with. What? You’ve never been to even one of the past 38 concerts? Come find out what the regulars are enjoying while you’ve been sitting at home.

Lincoln Academy with Ben Horne—”The Essence of Bhutan”
June 5 at 12:30 p.m.
Ben will discuss, with pictures, a trip he and Jean took last October to the tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, known for its peace, happiness, and dramatic beauty. While many trips to the Himalayas can be classified as “treks”, this trip was more a brief immersion in the kingdom’s magical, mystical culture and history. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion. All ages welcome.

Tour the New Hanscom Middle School
June 8 at 10 a.m.
The Lincoln Public Schools and the Council on Aging invite you to tour the new Hanscom Middle School. A bus will leave the Donelan’s parking lot at 10 a.m. on June 8 and return about 1 p.m. You must call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up by noon on June 2, giving your full legal name and date of birth in order to be granted access to Hanscom Air Force Base. The new Hanscom Middle School is an 85,000-square-foot serving 300 students in grades 4-8. The $34 million construction cost was funded entirely by the Department of Defense Education ActivityThe firm of Ewing Cole designed the school building to support 21st-century education with grade-level “neighborhoods” where individual classrooms are clustered around common areas and small break-out spaces. This creates a flexible environment that fosters collaboration, accommodates project work, and provides opportunities for small, class-sized, or grade-level groups. The music room, art room, library, full kitchen, and gymnasium all have direct access to a central commons that features a stage and serves multiple functions: cafeteria space during lunch, performance center for music and drama, and a place to practice presentation skills for individuals and groups of students.  The building includes many energy-efficient features. The tour will be led by Superintendent Becky McFall.

Public Safety cookout
June 9 at 11 a.m.
Join Public Safety on Friday, June 9 at 11 a.m. for a cookout at the Pierce House. You’ll start off by finding out more about current trends in frauds and scams and how to avoid being a victim; home safety from both police and fire perspectives; and services offered by Public Safety. At noon, Public Safety will be cooking up hamburgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers with all the fixin’s. Because the event will be under the tent, the cookout will go on rain or shine. Please sign up by June 2 by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Lincoln Academy with James Harrison—”The Food Project and food justice in Massachusetts”
June 12 at 12:30 p.m.
James Harrison, executive director of The Food Project, will provide an update on the organization as well as the current state of food justice in Massachusetts and the role of The Food Project in creating multi-generational communities that work together to build sustainable and equitable food systems. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion. All ages welcome.

Free wellness clinic for all ages
June 13 at 10 a.m.
Meet with a nurse at Lincoln Woods on Tuesday, June 13 from 10 a.m. to noon. Blood pressure, nutrition and fitness, medication management, chronic disease management, resources, and more. Funded by the Ogden Codman Trust and provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care.

Medicare 101: What to know, how to choose
June 13 at 7 p.m.
Come find out the basics of Medicare on Tuesday, June 13 at 7 p.m. at Bemis Hall with Minuteman Senior Services SHINE counselors Don Milan and Anne Meade. This introduction to Medicare is especially for those who will be signing up soon, but is also for those who just wish to learn more and understand their benefits better. Don and Anne will discuss traditional Medicare, Medigap plans, Advantage plans, and medication drug coverage (Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D), how to go about choosing the plan or plans that are best for you, avoiding penalties when you sign up late, and more. Bring your questions and concerns.

Gloucester and the Cape Ann Museum
June 14 at 9:30 a.m.
On Wednesday, June 14, the COA will head to the Cape Ann Art Museum in downtown Gloucester. There the group will have a docent-led tour of the collection of Fitz Henry Lane paintings, the luminist, marine painter (1804-1865) of this historic seaport, the museum’s collection of 18th-century portraits and contemporary art, and the fisheries, maritime and granite galleries. Lunch will be together at your own cost at a nearby restaurant. If the weather is good you will have time to wander Main Street filled with galleries, a wonderful artists’ cooperative, restaurants and shops. The bus will leave the Lincoln Mall at 9:30 a.m. sharp, returning to Lincoln around 4 p.m. The non-refundable cost of the trip is $22. This trip, supported by the Hurff Fund, is open to Lincoln residents 60+. Reservations must be made by June 8. Send checks payable to FLCOA/Trips to Donna Rizzo, 22 Blackburnian Road, Lincoln, MA 01773. Please include your phone number and email address. Please call Donna at 781-257-5050 with questions.

Next steps for affordable accessory apartments
June 14 at 10 a.m.
Come find out more about the Town’s new Affordable Accessory Apartments Program in a forum especially for homeowners and tenants. On Wednesday, June 14 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall, members of the Housing Commission will be here to give information and answer questions. What are the benefits for homeowners and tenants? How does the Housing Commission match up tenants with homeowners? What is the lottery? Why do I have to choose a tenant from your list? How long will I wait for an affordable apartment. Come join the Housing Commission and get answers.

Strawberry ice cream social
June 15 at noon
Celebrate this special time of year at the annual strawberry ice cream social at Bemis Hall on Thursday, June 15 at noon. The event is sponsored by the COA and the Friends of the COA. Bring a bag lunch at noon or just come for dessert. Make your own ice cream sundae with luscious ice cream topped with strawberries, chocolate, and more, then share conversation with friends old and new. Please RSVP to the COA by calling 781-259-8811 and tell them if you will need a ride.

Ethics and climate change
June 16 at 9:30 a.m.
Climate change has not only a scientific component, but an ethical one as well that relates to political, economic, and other actions on local, national, and international levels. Come hear a presentation and discussion led by John Terrell, Ph.D., on Friday, June 16 at 9:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall on the many facets of ethics and climate change. Terrell will highlight the most recent successful Annual Town Meeting warrant article and a critique of the Paris Agreement including the possibilities of various alternate energy options and the economic and political necessities to effectively combat climate change. Come with your questions, concerns, and ideas.

Facing our futures with hope and love
June 16 at 12:30 p.m.
Join Rev. Lilian Warner, spiritual director/chaplain of Newbury Court, on Friday, June 16 at 12:30 for informal coffee, pastries, and conversation while she shows a video and shares her thoughts on how we can be molded and mended into new beings—different from who we were and still valuable—and create a better future for ourselves and others with the “Triple L, Double C of Living,” or how we must “Listen, Learn, Love, Care and Connect.” Call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up.

Lincoln Academy with Tom Gumbart—backyard butterflies, dragonflies and more
June 19 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, June 19 at 12:30 to hear Tom Gumbart, Lincoln’s conservation director, discuss “Backyard Butterflies, Dragonflies, and More.” Tom will give a photo show and talk on insects and other small critters found locally. Featured photos will be close-up images, especially of pollinator species on flowers. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion.

Coffee with Lincoln artist Loretta Arthur
June 20 at 2:30 p.m.
Join Loretta Arthur for a reception celebrating her art exhibit that will be in the Bemis Artists Gallery through June on Tuesday, June 20 at 2:30 p.m. A Lincoln resident since 1994, Loretta has recently begun painting again after a 25-year hiatus while she raised three children and practiced with her husband in the firm D.W. Arthur Associates Architecture. She was a studio art major at Brandeis with a concentration in sculpture, and received a master’s in architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design. The paintings for this exhibit include still life and landscapes.

The COA Science and Technology Club—technical challenges of making measurements on human beings
June 22 at 10 a.m.
Both human beings and instrumentation can often be very fragile, especially in medical, transport, and hospital environments. Paul Svetz will lead a discussion on Thursday, June 22 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall on some of the interesting and unusual technical challenges of designing and building devices for making measurements of physiological functions. Everyday contact with physical, electrical, and chemical items that offer little risk in daily life can be quite hazardous in the medical area.

Managing arthritis with exercise
June 23 at 12:30 p.m.
Please join Ryan Stoddard, orthopedic clinical specialist of Emerson Hospital’s Center for Rehabilitative and Sports Therapies, on Friday, June 23 at 12:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. The notion of living a long healthy life appeals to all of us. The Center for Rehabilitation and Sports Therapies advocates for a life to be active and engaging. Exercise and activity promote a healthy life. Active longevity is about staying active and engaged as long as possible and improving your quality of life. You will learn some tips on how to manage osteoarthritis as well as some safe exercises to promote joint health and keep you staying active longer.

Fireside chat: the U.S. Constitution
June 28 at 10 a.m.
Do you have a favorite line from the Constitution? A favorite amendment? Something that confuses you or excites you? Have you ever read it? Come to Bemis Hall for a discussion of the U.S. Constitution. Join others in a lively but respectful discussion facilitated by Sharon Antia using questions and answers on Wednesday, June 28 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall. The purpose is not to convince others of your opinion, but to share ideas so as to create dialogue and understanding.

Save the date:

Canal & Mill Tour – Lowell National Historic Park

Save Tuesday, July 25 for a fascinating day at the Lowell National Historic Park. Find out about the famous “mill girls,” the technology that powered the mills, and how immigrants have contributed to the industrial city. First, the group will hop a trolley to the Swamp Locks. There you will board a canal boat and cruise the Pawtucket Canal, maybe even all the way to the Pawtucket Falls. Then you’ll have lunch at one of the many ethnic restaurants in the area. Finally you’ll visit the Boott Cotton Mill Museum and Mill Girls and Immigrants Exhibit. The air-conditioned bus will leave Donelan’s parking lot at 9:15 a.m., returning at approximately 4 p.m. This trip is rated moderate for physical ability, as there will be some walking and entering/ exiting the canal boat entails steep steps. Non-refundable cost including lunch is $32, and drinks are on your own. This trip is funded by the Hurff Fund and is therefore open to Lincoln seniors only. To reserve a space, send a check made out to FLOCA/Trips to Donna Rizzo, 22 Blackburnian Road, Lincoln, MA 01773. Be sure to include your phone number and email address. Your reservation is complete when your check is received. Questions? Contact Donna at 781-257-5050 or donna@ecacbed.com.

En plein air drawing with Bernadette Quirk at Lincoln Tree Tour sites

Enjoy the outdoors while learning to draw nature’s glory outside with the Council on Aging’s new class, En Plein Air Drawing with Bermadette Quirk. The class will take place on six Wednesdays at 9 a.m. beginning on July 12. Meet at Bemis Hall the first week. Then each class will take place at each of the five Lincoln Tree Tour locations. Bernadette will e-mail you the list of materials needed for this class. No previous experience necessary; beginners encouraged. The cost is $20 per session. Please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811 and leaving your contact information.

 

Hydration station opens in Station Park

Lincoln Garden Club members Sue Seeley and Agnes Wiggin, and Lincoln DPW foreman Steve McDonald.

The Lincoln Garden Club dedicated the new public hydration station at Station Park in South Lincoln on May 6. The water fountain will allow pedestrians and bicyclists to stop for individual drinks of water and fill water bottles.

In a brief ceremony, Garden Club members thanked some of the people who helped create the facility, including Chris Bibbo, superintendent of the Department of Public Works, and his foreman, Steve McDonald, who performed the installation; and the Board of Water Commissioners and Greg Woods, superintendent of the Water Department, who funded the water connection. The Garden Club provided funding from previous fundraisers, particularly the garden tour in 2015. Sue Seeley cut the ribbon to officially open the hydration station.

Station Park was created in 1970 and has been maintained by the Garden Club since 1972. In 2015, the club installed a native flower bed with over 300 plants.

After that everyone enjoyed a refreshing glass of Lincoln water. The photos courtesy of Bob Wadsworth is of Lincoln Garden Club members Sue Seeley and Agnes Wiggin and Steve McDonald, Lincoln DPW Foreman. The other is of Denise Bienfang, Club president

Denise Bienfang, president of the Lincoln Garden Club.