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

health and science

News acorns – 04/27/15

(Editor’s note: This incorporates a correction to the second item made on April 29.)

Talk this Sunday on Flint homestead

The Lincoln Historical Society and the Lincoln Historical Commission present “The Flint House: Past, Present Future” on Sunday, May 3 at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Come hear a talk by local historian Jack Maclean and see historic images of the Flint house, which was built on a mid-17th-century grant of 750 acres to the Flint family. The program also describes a planned tour of the house on October 4. This event also includes a brief annual meeting of the Lincoln Historical Society.

The Flint family homestead, across Lexington Road from the large white barn commonly referred to as Flint’s barn, dates back to the early 1700s and is filled with mementos of the town and the Flints. The house is protected by a Preservation Restriction Easement, the first agreement of its kind in Lincoln, which will be explained by the Lincoln Historic Commission.

Wednesday walks, other activities offered

springTrail walks led by Conservation Department staff are taking place until June 3, rain or shine, on Wednesdays from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Click here for a list of dates and locations. Sponsored by the Lincoln Conservation Commission and the Lincoln Council on Aging.

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT) is organizing three other events. For more information, see this LLCT web page.
  • “Bogs and Baas,” a two-part walk led by Ellen Meadors and Betty Levin on Thursday, May 21 at 10 a.m.
  • The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT) annual meeting featuring naturalist and photographer Cherrie Corey apeaking on “Our Sense of Place” on Tuesday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall.
  • “Caterpillars LIVE,” a family-friendly program on caterpillars with naturalist photographer Sam Jaffee on  Sunday, June 14 at 3 p.m. at Hartwell Pod A. Jaffee and his helpers will bring along live specimens for a show-and-tell presentation. Then he’ll lead small groups of participants on a short walk around the area to find specimens in their natural habitat, showing how easy it is to get into nature and make your own discoveries. Requested donation of $5 per person or $15 for families of three or more.
Maple syrup fundraiser brings in over $1,000

Lincoln School third-graders and Matlock Farm raised $1,000.50 for UNICEF during this year’s second annual maple syrup fundraiser. They would like to thank all those who bought their syrup and made this possible.

Garlic mustard pull is gearing up
Garlic mustard weed.

Garlic mustard weed (click to enlarge).

Lincoln’s annual garlic mustard weed pull is about to get underway. Free paper bags for the weeds will be distributed to residents at the transfer station on Wednesday, April 29 and Saturday, May 2 from 9 a.m. to noon, courtesy of the Lincoln Garden Club. The Department of Public Works will have a designated area at its Lewis Street facility for residents to drop off their bags of garlic mustard. Additionally, the Conservation Department will pick up full bags of garlic mustard in neighborhoods through May 31 if you contact them beforehand at 781-259-2612 or mckinnond@lincolntown.org. The DPW and the Conservation Department ask that you not put any wall lettuce in your bags.

Residents are also invited to pull garlic mustard as a group at the deCordova Sculpture Park and adjacent conservation land on Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to noon (park at the far end of the deCordova parking lot). To volunteer, contact Conservation Department ranger Jane Layton at 781-259-2612 or laytonj@lincolntown.org.

Lincolnites raise cancer research funds aerobically

runLincoln resident Allison Wiggin Paolisso is running in Monday’s Boston Marathon to raise money for lymphoma research, while Patricia Levy and her sixth-grade son are coordinating Lincoln’s first Pan-Mass Challenge Kids Ride on Sunday, May 3. Lincolnites are also invited to participate in Emerson Hospital Auxiliary’s annual 5K Run/Walk for Cancer on May 30.

[Read more…] about Lincolnites raise cancer research funds aerobically

News acorns – 4/3/15

acornBunny Bonanza at Pierce House this Saturday

All Lincoln School families are invited to hop on over to the Pierce House on Saturday, April 4 at 10 a.m. for the Lincoln Family Association‘s Bunny Bonanza. Welcome springtime with musicians, refreshments, and of course a massive egg hunt for all ages (please bring your own basket). Festivities begin promptly at 10 a.m. LFA members are free; non-members are $10 per child.

Meetings to discuss special education issues

[Read more…] about News acorns – 4/3/15

April activities offered by the Council on Aging

bemisConversation with inventor Jim Nicholson
April 3 at 10:30 a.m.
Have you ever spent time in a hospital bed and they put those big white stockings that inflated and deflated around your legs every so often? Well, come and hear your neighbor Jim Nicholson, an MIT graduate inventor and holder of over 50 international patents, tell his story of how he created this life saving system which has saved probably tens of thousands lives from a deadly blood clot on Friday, April 3 at 10:30 a.m. Jim will be interviewed and videoed taped by Harold McAleer and there will be time for discussion after he tells you his story.

Choosing the right home contractor
April 3 at 1 p.m.
Whether you need ice dam removal, a renovation, or something else, learn to choose and work with the right contractor when Dan Walsh, Lincoln’s Building Commissioner, comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, April 3 at 1 p.m. He’ll explain about the process for getting good estimates, determining a contractor’s credentials and insurance, criteria for choosing a contractor, legal requirements for contracts and permits, inspecting the work when completed, and what to do if you have a problem. [Read more…] about April activities offered by the Council on Aging

Leaf blower regulations tabled at Town Meeting

leafblower-compositeAfter months of hearings and public debate about whether to restrict the use of leaf-blowers in Lincoln, a motion to approve new regulations was passed over at Town Meeting at the request of the Leaf Blower Study Committee, which decided in light of feedback that “this was not the time to propose regulations,” LBSC chair Jamie Banks told the audience.

[Read more…] about Leaf blower regulations tabled at Town Meeting

Letter to the editor: leaf blower controls aid “the commons”

letter

To the editor:

The Leaf Blower Study Committee has worked hard to gain support for regulating the use of leaf blowers in Lincoln. They have earned limited support from the Board of Health for regulation in South Lincoln, but no support for town-wide regulations either from the Board of Health or the Conservation Commission.

[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: leaf blower controls aid “the commons”

News acorns – 2/28/15

acornCodman Community Farms to hold CSA presentation at annual meeting

Codman Community Farms’ annual meeting, which is open to the public, will be held on Thursday, March 12 at the Pierce House from 6:30-8 p.m. Meet the newest board members for CCF and enjoy chili made with Codman Farm-raised grass-fed beef, beverages, coffee and desserts. The meeting will begin with election by CCF members of new board members Brendan Coughlin, John Mendelson, Dana (DJ) Mitchell and George Travis, followed by a panel presentation at 7 p.m. on “Community-Supported Agriculture and Locally Grown Food.” The panel will include directors, farmers and CSA coordinators from local farms in Lincoln and surrounding towns, including Ed Barker, executive director of Land’s Sake in Weston; Eric Robichaud, head farmer at CCF; and Ari Kurtz, owner and farmer of Lindentree Farm in Lincoln. The panel will discuss the latest trends in the growing farm-to-table movement and answer questions from the audience.

To find out more about Codman Farm’s meat CSA (which runs through June) or discuss a prorated share. visit www.codmanfarm.org or call 781-259-0456.

Multi-board meeting to discuss Town Meeting questions on school project

To learn more about the Town Meeting warrant articles relating to a school building project and the context in which they will be considered, the public is invited to attend a multi-board meeting/public forum on Tuesday, March 17 at 7 p.m. in the Reed Gym. For more information, see this letter to the editor from School Committee chair Jennifer Glass.

State senators do Commonwealth tour on Monday

[Read more…] about News acorns – 2/28/15

Council on Aging activities for March

bemisArabic Conversation
March 2 and 16 at 9:45 a.m.
Ms. Azza Omer from Sudan has generously offered to teach a free informal, light and easy conversational Arabic language class on Monday, March 2 and Monday, March 16 at 9:45 a.m. at Bemis Hall. Learning something completely new is great for brain fitness and for having fun. You’ll learn the alphabet and some common words and phrases. Come give the class a try!

Meet with an Aide to Congresswoman Clark
March 4 at 1 p.m.
You are invited to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, March 4 at 1 p.m. to meet with Natalie Kaufman, Constituent Service Representative for Congresswoman Katherine Clark. She will be available to assist residents with Social Security, Medicare, and MassHealth/Medicaid. You are also welcome to discuss other matters with her that she may be able to help with. [Read more…] about Council on Aging activities for March

News acorns – 2/23/15

acornMassPort to present Hanscom plans at HATS meeting

On Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m., the Hanscom Area Towns Committee (“HATS”), an alliance of the Selectmen of Lincoln, Concord, Lexington and Bedford will host officials from MassPort as they present the agency’s recently adopted strategic plan, including plans for Hanscom Air Field. The presentation will be made by MassPort’s chief executive officer, Tom Glynn, and other senior staff. The meeting will be held at the Lincoln Town Offices and the public is welcome. A video of the meeting will be available several days later on the HATS web site.

Second leaf blower forum scheduled

On Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m., Lincoln’s Leaf Blower Study Committee will host a second public forum to discuss the status of leaf blower regulations and alternative approaches and seek feedback. The forum will be held in the upstairs conference room at the Town Office Building (16 Lincoln Rd.). Previous coverage and letters to the editor in the Lincoln Squirrel:

Group presents documentary on social rejection

On Tuesday, March 10, the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable will present the new documentary film Reject at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln-Sudbury High School Auditorium ( 390 Lincoln Road, Sudbury). Admission is free.

Reject offers a powerful look at the cost of social rejection at a young age and a timely analysis of real-life educational techniques to nurture positive social development from preschool age up. The film highlights some of the devastating consequences for victims of chronic, repeated rejection over time. Not only is rejection hurtful, but it has the potential for erupting as violence. A study of the backgrounds of school shooters found that the majority were victims of ostracism.

Reject is a “must see” for any adult who parents, teaches, coaches, leads or is otherwise engaged with preschool through high school children. The film can be used in workshops or training programs to raise awareness about ostracism and provide facts for discussion. Information about how to acquire the film will be distributed at the March 10 showing. The film is in limited release but later in 2015 it will be available for purchase at a modest cost.