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

history

Play highlights Lincoln woman’s role in American Revolution

Palmer Faran holds a copy of “Heroine of the Battle Road.”

A newly digitized short play, available royalty-free on a town website, dramatizes the little-known role of Lincoln’s Mary Hartwell in the dramatic events that began the American Revolution.

The idea for the play, Heroine of the Battle Road, came about “because I’ve always been interested in the lives of ordinary people caught up in the events of history—those who fell through the cracks. Ordinary people were an important part of that,” said author and Lincoln resident Palmer Faran.

Mary Hartwell was the wife of Samuel Hartwell, a farmer and a Lincoln Minute Man. On the evening of April 18, 1775, she played a crucial role in passing the word about the British troops marching from Boston. Fast-forward to the early 1990s, when Mary Ann Hales suggested to her friend Faran, a veteran of Houghton Mifflin and American Heritage, that she write something about Mary.

After doing some research with the help of Lincoln town historian Jack MacLean, Faran realized there wasn’t enough material for a biography of Hartwell, so she wrote the story as a short play that could be read and performed in schools. Hales — a librarian and the owner of the Cottage Press in Lincoln — published Heroine of the Battle Road as  paperback in 1995. The play was carried by the Minute National Historical Park and by several stores in Concord and Lincoln.

The cover of “Heroine of the Battle Road.”

In 1996, the play was performed at the Lincoln School, “and it was very much a successful community effort,” Faran said. Eventually the book went out of print, and work began on making it available to a larger audience via an online version. Jim Cunningham (like Faran, a Lincoln Historical Society board member, scanned illustrations and formatted the book (retyped by Celina Zanjewski) for the LHS website.

On Patriots’ Day in April, people will once again recall how Paul Revere was captured in Lincoln — but they can also learn how Mary Hartwell was a crucial link in the chain, warning Lincoln Minute Men Captain William Smith about the advancing British as her husband rode off to prepare for the coming fight.

As Mary Hartwell’s grandson George proudly notes in Heroine of the Battle Road, “The Lincoln Minute Men were the first to arrive at Concord and the North Bridge. That was because of Grandma.”

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Actress to portray Abigail Adams

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

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

The St. Anne’s choir.

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

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

South Sudanese program seeks volunteers

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

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

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

Cross-cultural film workshop for kids

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

Film: “Anton Chekhov’s The Duel”

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

Events for parents of 8th-graders

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

Discussion on Modernism in Lincoln

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

Council on Aging activities in February

Could you pay less for prescriptions?
February 1 at 11 a.m.
If you have costly prescriptions, you might be able to pay less through company programs, foundations that help with co-payments, discount cards, generic medications, and more. Find out about these options when Colleen Massey of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m. She will also let you know about the many programs and services of MCPHS that can help you manage your medications.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the Lincoln Trad Jazz Band
February 1 at 12:30 p.m.
Don’t miss the free COA Valentine’s Day concert of traditional jazz music of the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s on Friday, Feb. 1 at 12:30 at Bemis Hall. The band will play music by such greats as Fats Waller, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and more, and you’ll get a chance to sing along on tunes made great by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald or Louis Armstrong. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Lincoln Academy with Alex MacLean: imagining sea level rise from above
February 4 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Feb. 4 at 12:30 when Alex MacLean discusses “Imagining Sea Level Rise from Above.” Alex will speak about his most recent work documenting with aerial images the impacts and vulnerabilities caused by sea level rise. Sea level rise is a definite indicator of global warming and climate change that is undeniable. It is also universal, permanent, irreversible and its rate of rising is accelerating. These photographs are intended to motivate us to act without delay in cutting our carbon emissions personally and collectively towards zero. The COA 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.

Medical marijuana: what you need to know
February 8 at 10 a.m.
More and more these days doctors are prescribing medical marijuana for a host of health issues including anxiety, pain from many causes such as headaches, cancer, or nerve pain, nausea, seizure disorders, Crohn’s disease, and many others. But is it safe? Will you become addicted? How do you obtain and take it? What are the side effects? Find out the answers to these and other questions you may have on Friday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. when Tricia McGean, Lincoln’s public health nurse, comes to Bemis Hall. Bring questions and concerns.
[Read more…] about Council on Aging activities in February

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Upcoming events at the library

  • Open house for Barbara Peskin’s “Moments in Nature” photography exhibit at the library — Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 6–7:30 p.m.
  • Lincoln Library Film Society screening of “The Heart is  a Lonely Hunter” starring Alan Arkin and Sondra Locke — Thursday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. (note new starting time from now on). Based on the novel by Carson McCullers. 
  • Harp recital with Tess Maxwell — Saturday, Jan. 26 from 1–3 p.m.
  • “The Roaring 20s” with Dr. Gary Hylander (part 2 of 6) — Sunday, Jan. 27 from 1:30 – 3 p.m.
  • “Bauhaus: The Face of the 20th Century” — Thursday, Jan. 31 from 7–9 p.m.

Click here for a calendar of all events offered by various clubs and book groups  for adults and children.

Guest minister at First Parish

Rev. Mariama White-Hammond

Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, associate minister for ecological justice at Bethel AME Church in Boston, will give a guest sermon at the First Parish in Lincoln on Sunday, Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. White-Hammond is an advocate for ecological and social justice, youth engagement, and spirit-filled organizing.

Monthly Memory Café kicks off Jan. 24

The Lincoln Memory Café will debut on Thursday, Jan. 24 from 9:30–11 a.m. at The Commons in Lincoln with an open house for family, friends, and caregivers of those with dementia from Lincoln and area towns. Beth Soltzberg, director of the Alzheimer’s/Related Disorders Family Support Program of the Jewish Family and Children’s Service, will talk about memory cafes and their benefits to families experiencing dementia.

Ongoing sessions of the free Lincoln Memory Café, which will feature refreshments, entertainment and activities, will be held on the fourth Thursday of each month from 9:30–11 a.m. at the Commons beginning in February. The café is a joint effort of The Commons in Lincoln, Right at Home in-home care and assistance, and the Lincoln Council on Aging. The goal is to offer an opportunity for elders and their care partners to spend relaxed, fun, social time together and with others who share their same experience. For information, contact Amy Gagne of Right at Home at 781-275-1400 or amy@rightathomecare.com.

LLCT film and lecture

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust will host a movie night this week and a lecture on water supply protection later this month.

“Bearwalker of the Northwoods” will be screened on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the LLCT offices at Lincoln Station. In the forests of northern Minnesota, biologist Dr. Lynn Rogers follows the fortunes of black bear June and her three cubs over a year. (Note: the film shows the passing of a cub to disease and the opening of hunting season, which might be difficult to watch for some viewers.)

David Kaplan

David Kaplan, watershed manager for the Cambridge Water Department, will speak on “Cambridge Watershed: Water Supply Protection in a Developed Environment” on Sunday, Jan. 27 from 2–3 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Come learn about this fascinating body of water, its history, and how it’s maintained.

Events look at special ed issues and teens

Sessions on topics including anxiety, ADHD and making friends will be hosted by the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) starting on January 29. All events are free and open to the public. Check the SEPAC calendar for details.

  • “The Impact of Anxiety and Depression on Learning” with Dr. Erica Kalkut, Child & Family Psychological Services — January 29 at 7 p.m., Goodnow Library (21 Concord Rd., Sudbury).
  • “Tips for Managing ADHD at Home and at School” with Brendan Mahan of ADHD Essentials — February 12 at 7 p.m., LSRHS conference room B.
  • “Helping Kids Make and Keep Friends” with Donna Shea, founder of the Peter Pan Center — February 28 at 7 p.m., Curtis Middle School (Pratt’s Mill Road), Sudbury.
  • “Executive Function Workshop for Parents and their Teens” with the executive function coaching team of Engaging Minds — March 7 at 6:30 p.m., Goodnow Library (21 Concord Rd., Sudbury).
  • “Guardianship and Special Needs Financial Planning” with attorney Meredith Greene of Fletcher Tilton — March 27 at 7 p.m., LSRHS conference room B.
  • “Special Education Mediation” with Leslie Bock, mediator with the Mass. Bureau of Special Education Appeals — April 2 at 6:30 p.m., LSRHS library classroom.

Borrow gadgets from the library

The Lincoln Public Library loans more than books and music. Borrow a digital converter to preserve VHS home movies, a portable WiFi hotspot for an upcoming trip, a Kill A Watt meter to measure energy use at home to see where you can save, or a USB floppy drive to read old floppy disks. For a complete list of items, click here.

Residents can sign up for “well being” calls

The COA and Public Safety Department offer well-being telephone calls during storms and other emergencies. The COA will call you when storms cause extensive power outages, during extended spells of extreme cold, and other similar situations. If they can’t reach you by phone, Public Safety will do a well-being check at your home. To sign up for this service, call the COA at 781-259-8811 and give your name, address, and any phone numbers you would like us to call (a cell phone or family member, for example), as well as any other pertinent information you would like to share, such as special medical needs. You may ask to be taken off the list at any time.

Corrections

The original stories and listings have been updated online to reflect these corrections.

 

Council on Aging activities in January

Tap your toes to trad jazz tunes
January 4 at 12:30 p.m.
Come join your fellow COA neighbors to tap your toes and bob your heads and sing to those tunes of yesteryear that we all know and love. Yes, the grandchildren can shake their heads and think we’re nuts, but we know where it’s at. Led by the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band, we’re gonna have a good time — you might even say a ball — around the old Steinway upstairs at Bemis Hall on January 4.

Lincoln Academy with MaryBeth Wise: From source to tap — Lincoln’s water system
January 7 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Jan. 7 at 12:30 when MaryBeth Wiser, Lincoln’s Superintendent of the Water discusses “From Source to Tap: Lincoln’s Water System.” How does water get from its source in nature to your tap and what happens to it in between? Find out where Lincoln gets its water, how it is treated, how it is tested, what it is tested for, how you know if there is ever a problem with your water, and how the Water Department makes sure that water will be available when you turn on the tap. The COA 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 clinics for all ages
January 8 at 10 a.m.
Meet with a nurse at 50 Wells Rd. in Lincoln Woods on Tuesday, Jan. 8 from 10 a.m.–noon or Bemis Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 15 from 9–11 a.m. Blood pressure, nutrition and fitness, medication management, chronic disease management, resources, and more. Services provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care. The Bemis Hall clinic is supported by the Pierce House.

Would you like to share writing memoirs with others?
January 9 at 10 a.m.
If you are interested in writing a memoir or just curious about what goes on in the memoir group, please come to the first winter meeting of the Memoir Group on Wednesday, Jan. 9 from 10 a.m.–noon at Bemis Hall and find out what we do. If you like what you hear and you want to continue, the cost of the ten-week term is $75. The dates for the term are January 9 and 23; February 6 and 20; March 6 and 20; April 3 and 17; and May 1 and 15. If you want more information, call Connie Lewis 781-259-9415 or email her at conlewis1000@gmail.com. [Read more…] about Council on Aging activities in January

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Give the Squirrel as a gift!

What do you get the Lincolnite who has everything? A one-year gift subscription to the Lincoln Squirrel for friends, neighbors, relatives, and business associates is the gift that keeps giving all year round, with fresh stories almost every weekday about our always-interesting town of Lincoln. Yearly subscriptions are usually $48, but act before December 24 and get one (or more) for just $39. Call 617-710-5542 or email lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com for details.

CCF’s Hashley profiled

Jennifer Hashley, Pete Lowy, and their son Abraham at Codman Community Farms.

Lincoln’s Jennifer Hashley, director for New Entry Sustainable Farming Project (a Tufts University initiative that works to strengthen local food systems by supporting new farmers) is one four women farmers profiled by Edible Boston in its winter issue (click here for story). She is also advisor to her husband Pete Lowy, the farm manager at Codman Community Farm, where they live with their son.

Library closings

The Lincoln Public Library will be closed for Christmas on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 24 and 25. It will close at 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and will be closed all day on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019.

Lecture series on the 1920s

A six-part lecture series on “The Roaring ’20s: Ford, Flappers and Fitzgerald” with history professor Gary Hylander begins on Sunday, Jan. 6 at 1:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library. The era was known for the booming popularity of movies and the automobile as well as women’s suffrage and Prohibition.

Hylander led an earlier series in Lincoln on FDR’s America last spring. He is a visiting professor at Framingham State University and Boston University School of Education and a frequent lecturer at library forums, historical societies, and professional organizations. The talks are free and open to all; no registration necessary. Subsequent dates are January 27; February 10, 17, and 24; and March 31.

Lincoln commemorates 100th anniversary of World War I armistice

Among the World War I memorabilia on display from the collections of Beth Ries and Peter Harvell were fearsome hand-to-hand weapons but also “trench art” created by soldiers from spent shell casings and other materials.

One hundred years to the day after the World War I armistice was signed, voices rose in song and the memories of the three Lincoln servicemen killed in World War I were honored on November 11.

More than 100 attendees filled Bemis Hall for the Veterans Day event in a parallel to a celebration held in the same exact spot (Bemis Hall) in May 1919. The singers and speakers were different, but the songs sung and the servicemen honored were the same, culminating with the presentation of Massachusetts Medal of Liberty to four descendants of one of those who died.

In 1917 when the United States entered the way, Lincoln had 1,200 residents. Of those, 32 percent were foreign-born and thus not eligible to serve in the military, but 72—or about about 40 percent—of the other men in town joined the service.

“For most who served, the war was brief but intense,” said Donald Hafner, an expert in international politics and American foreign policy.

Among the Lincoln veterans who survived were Bertram Anderson, a bugler with the 7th Cavalry who fought as part of Canadian and British forces, served in a balloon squadron, and was the white commanding officer of an all-black engineering service battalion. Another, Ralph Bamforth, spent two years on a training battleship on the East Coast, where German submarines sank 32 Allied ships in the summer of 1918. A third, Thomas Eliot Benner, volunteered to be a long-range bomber pilot—a job where the life expectancy was 90 days for those who survived the training, Hafner said.

One of the Lincolnites who did not return was John Farrar Giles, who enlisted as age 20 even though no one under 21 was subject to the draft. He was killed in battle during a German artillery barrage in Seicheprey, France. Another from Lincoln, Pvt. Wilder Marston, was wounded in the Second Battle of the Marne in July 2018 and later died of his wounds in an Army hospital—one of 12,000 American dead and wounded in the battle.

A third Lincoln resident in the service, Charles A. Cunnert, died in an army hospital of scarlet fever. The son of German immigrants, he joined army before the United States declared war and served on the Mexican border under Gen. John “Black Jack” Pershing fighting raids by Mexican revolutionary general Pancho Villa.

On the home front, in addition to stocking first aid kits and knitting items for servicemen, women moved into traditionally male roles, Palmer Faran said. Women took up farming and also worked as telephone operators, factory workers, and stenographers. This shift in roles and attitudes played a major role in passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote in time for the 1920 election.

Lincoln women certainly did their part as well, BJ Sheff said. Louise Derby was one of many who enlisted as yeomen in the U.S. Navy to free up the male sailors for combat duty. Helen Osborn Storrow offered up her summer house on Baker Bridge Road (now the Carroll School) as a convalescent home for injured soldiers, and Ruth Alden Wheeler volunteered for overseas duty with the Red Cross in France and later Switzerland after the war, where her duties included writing letters home for soldiers and searching among the wounded for those reported missing.

Descendants of John Farrar Giles surrounded by Lincoln Veterans Officer Peter Harvell (far left) and Sen . Michael Barrett (far right) during the medal ceremony.

“There are many divisions that, not for the first time, that seem to split us as American citizens… but the one institution that survives to unite us is the idea of military service… despite misgivings about particular wars,” said Mass. Rep. Michael Barrett before the medal presentation to Giles’s descendants. “For individual servicepeople, we stand with profound respect.”

Seventeen veterans were just elected as new members of Congress from both parties, Barrett noted. “There’s something on which to build back a sense of commonality and sense of shared commitment.”

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Halloween-themed events for kids

  • Dance in costume to children’s songs and Halloween favorites at two Halloween dance parties on Saturday, Oct. 20 and Wednesday, Oct. 31, both at 11 a.m. in the Lincoln Public Library. For ages 6 and under. No registration required.
  • Kids and car owners are invited to the Parks and Recreation Department’s annual Trunk or Treat in the Brooks parking lot on Wednesday, Oct. 24 from 5–6 p.m. Decorate your trunk or back of your car and pass out candy or toys, or have fun games for the kids. Car owners may register at www.lincolnrec.com or in the PRD office. Kids don’t need to register—just show up in costume
  • Come enjoy a fun live-action game event, “Escape from the Creepy Crypt,” led by gamemaster Matt Donle from Wicked Fun Games in two sessions on Monday, Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. For ages 10+. Registration required; email dleopold@minlib.netor call 781-259-8465 x4.

Wildflower Society expert to speak

New England Wildflower Society propagator and stock bed grower Dan Jaffe will give a talk titled “Weeds!” on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Sponsored by the Lincoln Garden Club.

“Cat’s Play” on the screen

The Lincoln Public Library Film Society will screen Cat’s Play (1974) on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. It’s a heartbreaking story of two unmarried sisters who cast wistful glances back at their lives while still believing in hope and love. In Hungarian with English subtitles. Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.

Blues musicians play Bemis

Sax Gordon Beadle and Toni Lynn Washington

All ages are invited to a free concert by renowned blues vocalist Toni Lynn Washington and acclaimed saxophonist Sax Gordon Beadle on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. at Bemis Hall. The performance is the second annual Ronna Cooper Memorial Concert (a gift from Margo Cooper in celebration of her mother’s life) and is sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging. Washington has received the Boston Blues Festival Lifetime Achievement Award and seven Blues Music Award nominations, and released five CDs. Beadle has performed around the world and won numerous awards. The Duke Robillard rhythm section (Bruce Bears on keyboard, Jesse Williams on bass, and Mark Teixeira on drums) will play backup. For more information, call the Council on Aging at (781) 259-8811.

Program looks at Lincoln and World War I

The Lincoln Historical Society will present “Lincoln and the Armistice: A Centennial Celebration of the End of WWI” on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall. This event, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI, recalls the celebration held in Lincoln when the war ended 100 years ago. The program, which looks at Lincoln’s role in WWI and the impact that the war had on the town, will include biographical sketches of Lincoln’s World War I veterans, the awarding of service medals, and a discussion of life on the home front highlighting the role of Lincoln and New England women. There will also be a display of World War I artifacts, tastings of period foods, and renditions of patriotic songs from the period.

“Once Upon a Mattress” at L-S

The LSB Players, the theater performance company of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, will present Once Upon a Mattress, the musical based on The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Anderson, in the L-S Kirshner Auditorium on Wednesday through Saturday, Nov. 14–17 at 7:30 p.m. Directed by Carly Evans, music-directed by Michael Bunting, and conducted by Tom Grandprey. Tickets (15 for adults and $8 for students and senior citizens) may be reserved by e-mailing LSBtickets@gmail.com.

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Two events on Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The GRALTA Foundation is sponsoring two upcoming events at the Lincoln Public Library. On Thursday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m., there will be a video presentation by Israeli Knesset member Aida Touma-Sliman, who will who explain and analyze the impact of a new law that declares Israel as “the Nation-State of the Jewish people.” Touma-Sliman heads the Knesset’s Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality. She founded the Women Against Violence Association and is the former editor in chief of Al-Ittihad newspaper.

On Sunday, Oct. 21 at 2 p.m., there will be a screening of Voices Across the Divide followed by a discussion of the film and other topics by co-director Alice Rothchild.The film is a documentary and oral history project exploring the Israeli/Palestinian conflict through rarely heard personal stories. Rothchild is a physician, author, and filmmaker who has focused her interest in human rights and social justice on the Israel/Palestine conflict since 1997. For more information, contact Steve Low at 781-259-1300 or steve.low@gordianconcepts.com.

Exhibit, presentation focus on World War I posters

The Lincoln Public Library will host two events and an exhibition as part of “America at War: Patriotic Posters of WWI” to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.

On Sunday, Oct. 28 at 1:15 p.m., join a reception with Lincoln residents George Seeley and Jenifer Burkett-Picke, who will be exhibiting a selection of original posters from their extensive collection of World War I posters advertising the need for full national participation in the war effort. The exhibit will be changed in mid-month to more fully illustrate America’s total commitment to the war through shipbuilding and military recruitment (October 28–November 13), and then bond drives and food conservation efforts (November 14–25).

Seeley will give a multimedia presentation on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 1:15 p.m. of original World War I-era posters and songs and a discussion of how these represented a much different mood and spirit in the America of a century ago than one could ever imagine today. Though actively involved in the fighting for just two years, America produced more war posters in that time than all the other combatants combined. These colorful large-scaled prints are by many of the best-known lithographers from that era such as James Montgomery Flagg , Howard Chandler Christy, and Charles Livingston Bull.

Lincoln musicians perform in upcoming concerts

There will be two concerts featuring Lincoln musicians at Bemis Hall in coming weeks. On Sunday, Oct. 28, members of Rhapsody will offer a piano recital at 3 p.m. in Bemis Hall in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Rhapsody was formed in 2003 by a few visionary amateur pianists including Lincoln’s Ken Hurd 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 this is the ninth annual concert on Bemis Hall’s restored Steinway. The program will feature selections from Albeniz, Brahms, Celentano, Grenados, Grieg, Guastavino, Liszt, Mozart, Piazzolla, Scarlatti, Scriabin, and Schumann. 

The Sonic Liberation Players featuring Lincoln pianist and composer Trevor Berens will play on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Last season, SLP performed a U.S. premiere, a commission and five Boston premieres. SLP plays uncommonly heard works and commission new works that investigate the area between “academic/intellectual” and “pop-influenced classical. “At the November 18 concert—inspired in equal parts by gardens, birds, and music—they’ll present two more Boston premieres, Nachtlied by Dean Harold and Dreamgarden by Ian Wilson, as well as Canticle of the Birds by John Luther Adams, Ryoanji by John Cage and Birds in Warped Time 2 by Somei Satoh. Tickets are $15 at the door.

Thanksgiving pie sales aid FELS and local charities

FELS (the Foundation for Educators at L-S) is sponsoring its annual Thanksgiving pie sale featuring gourmet apple, pumpkin, pecan and chocolate pies baked by Joyce’s Pies of Leominster. Pies are $19 each. Order for your family or donate to a listed local organization or charity; one donation of $19 can benefit two organizations. Proceeds fund enrichment grants for L-S faculty and staff. Order online at www.felsgrant.org by Friday, Nov. 9 and will be available on November 20.

Paws for the Holidays

Daniela Caride (center), president of Phinney’s Friends, and companions at Paws for the Holidays.

Pets and their humans are invited to the Paws for the Holidays festival on Sunday, Nov. 11 from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at the Pierce House. There will be baked goods, live music, arts and crafts, Santa pictures with the whole family (human and canine), activities for children, a silent auction, Thanksgiving baskets, a pet yard sale and more. All proceeds go to Phinney’s Friends, a Lincoln-based organization that helps low-income and chronically ill people keep their pets.