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News acorns

May 17, 2017

L-S art students host open house

In celebration of its students’ creative accomplishments, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School’s Fine, Applied and Technical Arts Department will be hosting an open house on Tuesday, May 23 from 6–8 p.m. The AP studio art students will have a show and reception, and rockets, solar-powered water heaters, woodworking projects and more designed by the Technology and Engineering program students will be on display. Come see 3D printing and CNC routing in action, drive the 2017 Warrior Robotics robot, and hear music from the L-S Jazz Ensemble. The shows will be on the B200s level near the cafeteria.

Former minister Bill Gregory at appear at First Parish

Rev. Bill Gregory on a visit to the Galapagos Islands in 2015.

H. William (Bill) Gregory, senior minister at the First Parish in Lincoln from 1970–1984, will speak at the church on Sunday, May 28 at 10 a.m. Rev. Gregory will speak on the topic of “Reflecting: Saved from Regret for Gratitude.” His appearance kicks off the celebration of the congregation’s 75th Jubilee Year, marking the merger between the Congregationalist and Unitarian churches in Lincoln.

Now retired, he and his wife Nancy live in Yarmouth, Maine, where he leads spiritual growth groups and works for the health of Maine’s Royal River. They are the parents of Layne of Falmouth, Maine, Jay of Lincoln, and Jan of Westbrook, Conn.

“The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” on tap

The next screening by the Lincoln Library Film Society will be The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie starring Maggie Smith and directed by Ronald Neame (1969, rated PG) on Thursday, June 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the library. The film is about a headstrong young teacher in a private school in 1930s Edinburgh who ignores the curriculum and influences her impressionable 12-year-old charges with her over-romanticized world. Popcorn will be served.

Hear 1775 news at Hartwell Tavern

Minute Man National Historical Park will host “In the News” on Saturday, June 10 from 1–4 p.m. In colonial Massachusetts, taverns were hubs of news and communication.Travelers brought news and perspectives from far away places, and locals read newspapers, advertisements, and public notices. Current events were discussed and political issues were debated. What were local people talking about in 1775? Visit Hartwell Tavern, talk politics with local residents of 1775, and discuss the potential impact of events.

Alice Howe at next LOMA night

Alice Howe is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, June 12. The event runs from 7-10 p.m., and Howe will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. Her musical sensibility springs from ’60s folk and ’70s Southern California songwriters, the pure, distilled sounds of artists like Joan Baez, Kate Wolf and Joni Mitchell. LOMA is a monthly event. Admission is free and refreshments are provided.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.

Dog art event benefits Phinney’s Friends

Come find the artist in your dog at Paws in Bloom at two Pet Source locations to benefit Lincoln-based Phinney’s Friends. We’ll dip your dog’s paw on washable, pet-safe paint and imprint it on artist paper canvas, then turn the paw prints into flower paintings. The resulting pictures cost only $20 and you take it home that day. All proceeds will go to Phinney’s Friends, which helps low-income people keep their pets by providing financial assistance and pet care. The events will take place on Saturday, June 10 from 11 am. to 3 p.m. at Pet Source at 1173 Main St. in Concord, and on Saturday, June 24 at the Pet Source at 1141 Boston Post Rd W. in Marlborough.

Talk by artist/activist/author at library

Lincoln Public Library presents a talk by Suzanne Hodes, author of Studio Days: A Memoir, on Saturday, June 10 from 2–3:30 p.m. in the Tarbell Room. “Studio Days” is about Hodes’ creative process in her 50-year career as an artist. She will share how she combined family life and peace activism with her art career despite having a serious illness, as well as several dozen images from her memoir as they relate to her story and the shared stories of our time, from the Kennedy and King Assassinations to the 9/11 attacks. She will also discuss the creation of Artists for Survival, which was devoted to supporting the nuclear freeze and several other social justice causes. A limited number of copies of Studio Days will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

Letter to the editor: Town Meeting funding preserves a piece of Lincoln history

May 2, 2017

To the editor:

The residents of Lincoln approved a Community Preservation grant at the 2017 Annual Town Meeting to restore an important Lincoln sampler to its finest glory and prepare it for public display at Town Offices, including framing it with museum-quality UV filtering glass or acrylic. This is truly a beautiful piece of art, made by young Sophia Adams during her youth on Lincoln’s historic Battle Road in 1826.

The town of Lincoln has had the good fortune to have this beautiful 19th-century sampler donated to it by Cynthia Williams. She recently decided to move from Lincoln to be near her children, but she felt the sampler was created in Lincoln, and it should remain in Lincoln. It was wrought by her late husband’s great-grandmother, Sophia Adams, at 13 years of age. When she made it, this young teenager lived in Lincoln on Route 2A, the Battle Road. Then popularly known as Foster’s farm, her home was very close to the Paul Revere capture site. It had once been part of the property owned by William Smith, captain of the Lincoln Minute Men, who fought the British on April 19, 1775.

A sampler is a piece of embroidery worked in various stitches, commonly created by girls and young ladies as a specimen of skill and a testament to perseverance. Many samplers are family registers, recording births, marriages and deaths in a person’s life.

This sampler was a family register of Joseph Adams, created in 1826 by his daughter Sophia. Douglas Stinson, a local appraiser of antiques, estimated its value to be $10,000. At 31.5 inches x 21.5 inches, it is particularly significant because it is quite large compared to other samplers of its time. The textile curator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston recommended a reputable restoration conservator to assess this complex, fragile and significant piece.

The Sophia Adams sampler (click to enlarge).

The stitching was embroidered onto a particularly fine plain weave fabric and has a plain weave cotton backing. The yarn used was plied and unplied silk, and the stitching includes cross, satin, split stem and French knot stitches. Due to the fineness of the backing—unlike the coarser linen backing used on many samplers—this exquisite work would have been especially challenging for the 13-year-old to stitch. The register records the birth, four marriages and death of Joseph Adams, born March 10, 1759, to John and Abigail Adams of Milton, Mass. He was a distant cousin of President John Adams.

The sampler gives us an interesting insight into Joseph’s life. It lists his first marriage to Betsey Davis and each of the five children that marriage produced. Betsey died at age 34, less than two weeks after her youngest son’s birth. Ben was born August 7, 1799, and Betsey died on August 18. Having five young children to raise, Joseph married Rebecca Patch just over two years later. This was short-lived as Rebecca died within nine months. The sampler records that he then married Mehitable Hildreth, who bore him three children, the youngest being Sophia, who created the sampler. Mehitable died when Sophia was six.

Joseph married for the last time in 1821. He wed Lincoln widow Lydia Winship, née Wheeler, who may have taught Sophia to sew. Lydia owned the Foster property, which had been left to her on the death of her first husband, Benjamin Winship, in 1819. Winship had originally purchased this land from widow Catherine Louisa Smith, whose husband Captain William Smith was a younger brother of Abigail Adams, wife of the second President. Benjamin and Lydia Winship had only one daughter, also named Lydia, who died at age 16. All three of them have their final resting place at Meeting House Burial Ground behind Bemis Hall.

Joseph Adams moved to Lincoln with his family when he married Lydia Winship. Interestingly, Lydia wrote an agreement—with her husband’s consent—that the land would not become Joseph’s, as was tradition, but it remained in Lydia’s name. Just before Lydia Adams’s death in 1825, she leased the property to her dear friend Susan Brooks with conditions, engaging her friend to lease it back to her husband Joseph, “to hold to him the said Adams for and during the term of his natural life provided the said Joseph does not again get married.” Lydia provided that if Joseph remarried, he would lose the option to lease the property.

This agreement was very unusual during a period when a wife’s holdings normally become the husband’s property to control. Perhaps this was due to a lesson learned from the previous owner of the land, Catherine Louisa (Salmon) Smith. Catherine Louisa had received the land from her stepfather, but upon her marriage to William Smith, it became the property of her husband. William Smith had financial difficulties, so the farm was mortgaged to Catherine Louisa’s father-in-law a number of times, but he eventually returned it to her and her children. There were two houses on the Smith property: one where the Smiths lived, which is still standing across from the end of Bedford Road; the other was a rental that became the Foster-Winship-Adams residence where Sophia worked on her sampler. While her home is no longer standing, the site is now part of Minute Man National Historical Park.

Sophia’s father was a housewright by trade, more commonly known today as a builder, and he likely built some of Lincoln’s early houses during his years living here. In 1827, for $500, he sold his right to lease the 90-acre farm. Joseph died in Concord in 1830, leaving notes in hand (cash assets) to the value of $2,133.73 and $178.18 worth in furnishings and tools. Sophia herself later married and had two sons and a daughter.

Lincoln is very fortunate to now have Sophia’s sampler as a permanent reminder of our community’s historic roots and of the fabric of families who once called Lincoln home.

Sincerely,

Valerie Fox, Deputy Town Clerk
250 South Great Rd.

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

News acorns

April 30, 2017

Parent discussion on life at L-S for incoming freshmen

All Lincoln parents of eighth-graders (regardless of where they’re enrolled) who will be going to Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in the fall are invited to “Life at L-S” on Thursday, May 4 from 7–8:30 p.m. Lincoln School parent alums will offer information and support for the transition to L-S life. Because orientation to L-S so far has focused almost exclusively on academics, this session will touch on other aspects of L-S life such as sports, clubs and activities, social life, time management, and Boston family experiences. The event will be facilitated by Lincoln residents Nancy Marshall (member of the L-S School Committee) and Carole Kasper, parent volunteer and former PTO chair, as well as middle school Principal Sharon Hobbs.

Jewelry trunk show at Old Town Hall Exchange

The Old Town Hall Exchange is hosting a jewelry trunk show on Saturday, May 6 from 1–5 p.m. Enjoy browsing local artisans’ work on the weekend before Mother’s Day. Lincoln artists include Ji Hwang Jewelry, Shing Jewels, and L. Alexandra Designs, with other local jewelers Susan Warren Jewelry and CB Miller Metals. The Exchange will be also open for business with cards, stationery, soaps, candles, pottery, and more.

Historical Society hosts event

The Lincoln Historical Society invites residents to “Our Unhappy Connection: The ‘Lost Letters’ of Abigail Adams and Her Brother, Captain William Smith”—a fictional exchange based on history on Sunday, May 7 at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Special guests the Lincoln Minute Men will salute their captains past and present.

Page Turners at next LOMA night

The Page Turners (Carolyn Kendrick and Jake Howard) are the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, May 8 at the Lincoln Public Library. The event runs from 7-10 p.m., and the Page Turners will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. Their rustic vocal harmonies are complemented instrumentally by Carolyn’s fiddle and Jake’s mandolin and guitar. LOMA is a monthly event. Admission is free and refreshments are provided.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.

L-S invites singers to join Vivaldi performance

The L-S Concert Choir invites residents who enjoy singing to participate in their annual Community Sing on May 11, where they will perform Vivaldi’s Gloria for their May concert. The choir’s tradition for its May concert is to learn and perform a longer work for choir and orchestra and to invite L-S staff, choir alumni and community members to sing the piece with them. The time commitment is minimal: dress rehearsal is Monday, May 8 from 7–8:30 p.m. and the concert is on Thursday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. There are audio practice files online for each part (soprano, alto, tenor, bass), as well as scores available to borrow. Anyone interested may contact L-S Choral Director Mike Bunting (Michael_Bunting@lsrhs.net or 781-259-9527, ext 2210).

Film and video offerings for Lincolnites

April 19, 2017

Overwhelmed by your tween or teen’s time spent on social media, video games, or any device? Concerned about the real long-term effects and ramifications on their developing brains and of their disengagement in society? The critically acclaimed documentary Screenagers will be shown in the Brooks auditorium on Tuesday, May 9 at 7 p.m. A Q&A with experts in the field of adolescent development will follow the one-hour film. Tickets are $10 (order online here) and proceeds will benefit the Eighth-Grade Graduation Fund. For more info, please view the trailer on. Kids are strongly encouraged to attend was well. This event is open to the public (including surrounding towns), so reservations are recommended.

The Lincoln Library Film Society will show The Wave directed by Dennis Gansel on Thursday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. (1 hour 47 minutes, in German with English subtitles, 2008). The film is based on a real event at a Californian high school in which a teacher’s experiment to demonstrate to his students what life is like under a dictatorship spins horribly out of control when he forms a social unit with a life of its own.

The recently released and Oscar-nominated claymation film Ma Vie de Courgette (My Life as Zucchini) will be shown by the Lincoln-Sudbury French Club on Friday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m.in the L-S auditorium. The event is free, but voluntary donations will benefit Doctors Without Borders. The film (subtitled in English) tells the story of a young boy named Courgette—sent to foster care and after being neglected by his mother, he soon learns to love again. There will be a reception beginning at 6:30m. with light refreshments and live music.

Artist, photographer and Lincoln resident Miranda Loud created an eight-minute video and slideshow montage from the Patriots Day reenactments in Lincoln and in Concord at the Old North Bridge. Click here to watch.

News acorns

April 12, 2017

Volunteer at Minute Man National historic Park this Saturday

Volunteer at the Battle Road Demonstration at Parker’s Revenge at Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, Lincoln and Lexington on Saturday, April 15. Learn about the opening events of the American Revolution and assist with event logistics during the morning shift (9 a.m. to noon) or the afternoon shift (noon to 3 p.m.). Also learn about the recent archaeological discovery on the Parker’s Revenge battle site and the park’s plan to restore the battlefield landscape, and watch the Battle Road demonstration at 2 p.m. To volunteer, email margie_coffin_brown@nps.gov.

Dinner benefits women and children in South Asia

St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Church is holding its semi-annual Lincoln Child Haven Dinner on Saturday, April 22 at 6 p.m. to raise funds for Child Haven International, which supports, educates and employs formerly destitute women and children in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Tibet. The evening also features a silent auction and craft table with crafts from South Asia. Tickets are $35 per person and are available from Chris Damon (781-879-5870, christinehdamon@gmail.com) or pay via credit card on this Child Haven page.

Learn about raising healthy bees

Beekeepers can learn how to keep bees healthy and raise their own queens with Charlotte Trim at Lindentree Farm (10 Old Concord Rd.) on Saturday, April 22 from 2-4:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 20 from 3-5:30 p.m. There will be a hands-on demonstration in the field, weather permitting (bring your suits). Cost for both sessions is $120. Pre-registration for $30 is required. Email charlotte.trim44@gmail.com or lindentreecsa@gmail.com.

Portrait tour at Codman Estate

One of the portraits at the Codman Estate.

“Painters and Personalities: Portraits at the Codman Estate” will be held on Saturday, April 22 from 1-3 p.m. at the estate (34 Codman Rd.). From high-end works by John Singleton Copley and Gilbert Stuart to other pictures by the once-famous on down to humble family snapshots, the Codman portrait collection reveals over 200 years of changing styles. A specialty tour will take a fresh, focused look at this collection, including the rarely seen. Hear the real stories of the people behind these pictures, subjects and artists both. Space is limited and registration is required; tickets are $15 for Historic New England members and $20 for non-members. Call 617-994-6690 or buy online.

Donate bikes to Bikes Not Bombs

Do you have unused bicycles or biking accessories kicking around in your garage? Wondering what to do with them? Bring them to the Lincoln bike drive on Sunday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hartwell lot on Ballfield Road. The Lincoln Recycling Committee partners with Bikes Not Bombs (BNB), which ships about 4,800 donated bikes from Massachusetts to economic development projects (micro-enterprise bike businesses, sustainable technology projects, and youth training programs) in Ghana, Tanzania, Guatemala, and Nevis Island every year. The remaining collected bikes are used in the BNB’s Jamaica Plain location for the youth Earn-a-Bike programs, and others are repaired by teenage mechanics in vocational training programs. Please note that BNB requests a $10 donation per bike to defray storage, processing, and shipping costs. The organization can provide a signed, dated receipt for the cash donation and the value of each donated bicycle. For information, contact Laure Berland (lauraberland@comcast.net) or Bernadette Quirk (quirkx4@msn.com).

Job fair at Minuteman

Minuteman High School will host its annual Career and Job Fair on Wednesday, April 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is open to all students, alumni, employers, and the general public. For more information, contact Joseph Pitta, Minuteman’s Coordinator of Workforce and Economic Development, at 781-861- 6500, ext. 7361 or jpitta@minuteman.org. Employers wishing to set up a booth must register on the Career and Job Fair website. Students and employers can learn more by visiting the online Minuteman job board.

Talk on climate change impact

Ellen Mecray

What will be the impact of global warming on our regional environment? What can we do to delay the process of global warming? The Lincoln Public Library presents “Global Warming” with Ellen Mecray, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s regional climate services director for NOAA’s eastern region, on Thursday, April 27. Due to a scheduling issue, attendees are asked to arrive at 6:45 p.m. so the program can begin promptly at 7 p.m. Mecray helps bring NOAA’s climate information to other federal agencies as well as state and local entities. She has also been an oceanographer with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Lincoln Minute Men stepping off with historical observances

April 4, 2017

The Lincoln Minute Men (LMM) have several activities to observe events surrounding Patriots Day starting this Saturday, April 8. Click here for a listing of events at Minute Man National Historic Park or click here for a map of the park.

Saturday, April 8 — The Capture of Paul Revere

March behind the LMM down Battle Road or join them at the capture site where Paul Revere’s ride ended in Lincoln. See Revere, Samuel Prescott, William Dawes, Mary Hartwell, and Major Mitchell tell the true story, despite poetic efforts by special guest Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Music and musket fire.

Minute Man National Historic Park Visitors Center, 2:45 p.m.
Capture site, 3 p.m.

Saturday, April 15 — Battle Road: Capt. Smith, Parker’s Revenge, and Tower Park

The LMM interpret the home of William Smith and his wife Catharine Louisa in the 1775 home of their first captain. Later, hundreds of British and Colonial soldiers recreate the running battle along the deadly stretch of road on the border of Lincoln and Lexington. Then both sides regroup to battle at Tower Park in Lexington.

Captain William Smith House, 9:30 a.m. to noon
Parker’s Revenge battle site behind Visitors Center, 2 p.m.
Battle of Tower Park (1200 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington), 4 p.m.

Sunday, April 16 — Lincoln Salute: Festival of 18th-century Fife and Drum Music

The LMM host fife and drum groups from as far away as Michigan in a musical performance. Bring your picnic basket and lawn chairs for rousing entertainment.

Pierce Park, 2-3:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 16 — Alarm and Muster

An ancient Revolutionary War veteran reminisces about those fateful early hours of April 19, 1775. Capt. William Smith rides down the hill to alarm the citizens of Lincoln. Bells ring, drums roll and the LMM fall in to receive their orders to defend Concord. Then march with the LMM to Pierce House for a firing demonstration.

Library lawn opposite First Parish Church (3 Bedford Rd.), 7 p.m.

Monday, April 17 — Dawn Tribute and March to the Concord Parade

The LMM salute the patriots buried in the Old Meeting House Cemetery as they emerge from the mists of the burial ground for roll call. Fifers play a lament and the muskets fire a volley. Then join the LMM on their walk to Concord (3 miles) amid colonial music and musket fire. There will be bus transportation across Route 2 courtesy of Doherty’s Garage. All ages welcome.

Outside Bemis Hall, 6:45 a.m.; Concord parade, 9 a.m.

Sunday, April 23 — Old Burial Ground Tribute

March with the LMM and the Regulars from Pierce House to the Old Burial Ground on Lexington Road to honor the patriot dead and five British soldiers killed in Lincoln along the Battle Road. Hear Mary Hartwell tell her story of their burial. Ceremonies include music and musket salutes by both sides. A reception follows, courtesy of the Lincoln Historical Society.

Pierce House, 2:30 p.m. (reception at 4 p.m.)

Capital Planning, Community Preservation spending approved

March 27, 2017

Voters approved a total of $441,760 in Capital Planning Committee (CapComm) expenditures and $740,936 for Community Preservation Committee (CPC) projects at the March 25 Town Meeting.

CapComm received 26 requests and recommended 14 of them for voter approval. along with three capital exclusions totaling $300,000 ($75,000 apiece for a bucket truck and dump truck and $150,000 for a community center feasibility study). Those three requests were approved at Town Meeting and Monday’s town election.

Among the requests not recommended by CapComm:

A new command vehicle for the fire chief ($47,000)
A school safety/security upgrade ($35,000 )
A library facility review ($13,750)
A speed display trailer for the Police Department ($1,500)

Capital project	Cost
Instructional display and audio technology for schools	$163,000
New marked police cruiser	$45,185
New unmarked police cruiser	$34,015
New operating system for town IT servers	$30,000
New courier food service van for schools	$29,000
Radio communications system for the DPW and Communications Department	$25,055
Repair existing guardrail	$25,000
Additional funds for a ramp and stairs at the end of the Library Lane sidewalk	$20,000
Electronic vote tabulators	$18,000
IT backup system for town computer servers	$15,000
Replace library's public access computers	$13,000
Design study for use of the library's first floor	$10,000
Upgrade Public Safety Building video recording system	$9,685
Two police cruiser radar units	$4,820

Community Preservation requests

Four of the CPC projects totaling $40,000 are for work at the Pierce House (chimney repair, a new kitchen floor, renovated bathrooms, and exterior wood clapboard and trim).

The only item that provoked discussion was a $10,800 request by the library for historic preservation of an embroidered tapestry by Sophia Adams depicting her family register. Some residents questioned whether this was the best use of CapComm funds, but Planning Board Chair Margaret Olson said it was “a no-brainer when I saw it. It’s a very beautiful piece of town history.”

“It’s a rare opportunity for people of the town to see how important the history is of one of our families,” said library director Barbara Myles, noting that Adams made the tapestry as a Lincoln teenager in the early 1800s. Her family tree includes John Adams, the second president of the United States, and great-grandson Richard Adams Williams, whose widow, former Lincoln resident Cynthia Williams, donated the tapestry to the town.

“They really came back to us with a much sharper pencil,” said Chris Fasciano, chair of the CPC, in reference to the library’s original set of historic preservation project requests. The slate of CPC requests was approved with only a couple of nay votes.

CPC funds come from a 3 percent property tax surcharge and a partial match from the state, and the fund replenishes annually by about $950,000. They may be used only for projects relating to historic preservation, conservation, recreation, or affordable housing.

Community preservation project	Cost
Debt service payment for town office building renovation project	$398,875
Debt service payment on Wang property acquisition	$135,500
Debt service payments on permanent borrowing for previously voted CPA projects	$93,150
Housing reserve	$55,257
Transfer to Conservation Fund for open space	$40,000
Renovation of two Pierce House interior bathrooms	$15,000
Preservation of the Sophia Adams family register	$10,800
Replacement of Pierce House kitchen floor.	$10,000
Replacement of Pierce House exterior wood clapboards and wood trim	$10,000
Preservation of the poll and estate tax assessments for 1861, 1863, 1864, and 1866	$7,412
Preservation of Lincoln School Records Box 7	$6,259
Preservation of Lincoln School Records Box 10	$5,940
Restoration of Pierce House chimney	$5,000
CPC administrative expenses	$3,000

Council on Aging activities for April

March 27, 2017

Lincoln Academy with members of the First Parish: Seeing the Arizona-Mexico borderlands for ourselves
April 3 at 12:30 p.m.

Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, April 3 at 12:30 to hear members of First Parish discuss “Seeing the Arizona-Mexico Borderlands for Ourselves.” Members of the First Parish group that traveled to “the wall” on the Arizona borderlands last November will present and then discuss Janet Boynton’s stunning 20-minute video showing photographs and interviews from the participants’ experiences with the complex issues of migration and border security. 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.

Hand drumming for fun and wellness
April 4 at 9:30 a.m.
Come learn to do hand drumming from cultures around the world in a six-week course with acclaimed drummer Mike Connors from the Concord Conservatory of Music. The class will be held for six Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall beginning on April 4 at a cost of $60 for the course, payable to the Concord Conservatory of Music. Topics to be covered include technique for hand drumming, rhythms from Africa, South America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe, developing a rhythmic vocabulary for improvisation and exercises to improve internal pulse. No need to bring a drum but bring one if you have one. Sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Positive Psychology practices class
April 5 at 9:30 a.m.
Positive Psychology is the scientific study of strengths and “what is working” to create transformative change, build increased happiness, and lead a more meaningful life. The Ogden Codman Trust is generously supporting a free, eight-session course beginning Wednesday, April 5 at 9:30 at Bemis Hall on daily practices that build on concepts presented in the fall. No need to have attended the fall class. Learn proven tactics to try in your daily life. Instructor: Alyson Lee, co-active life coach, social worker and certified Positive Psychology instructor. Call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up!

Domestic Violence Services Network office hours
April 5 at 10 a.m.
If you are experiencing violence or abuse by a family member, whether physical, emotional, or sexual, or you are concerned about someone who is, come to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, April 5 between 10 a.m. and noon to have a confidential discussion with an advocate from Domestic Violence Services Network, Inc. Come find out more about domestic violence, and how to cope with it, as well as learn about available resources in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. All conversations are completely confidential.

Meet with an aide to Congresswoman Katherine Clark
April 5 at 1 p.m.
Jimmy Santos, constituent services and military liaison for Congresswoman Katherine Clark, will hold Office Hours at Bemis Hall on Wednesday, April 5 from 1-2 p.m. on federal benefits and other concerns. No need to sign up.

Coffee with photographer Ed Robson
April 6 at 2:30 p.m.
Join Lincoln photographer Ed Robson on Thursday, April 6 at 2:30 p.m. for a reception to celebrate his exhibit that will be in Bemis Hall through April. “I’m a hobbyist photographer who lives at Battle Road Farm in Lincoln,” says Ed. “I enjoy trying to capture and edit creatively what catches my eye, whether it’s people or animals, or scenes in the city or in nature.” The photos in the exhibit range from flowers and trees to a spider and pet pig to Walden Pond and the Boston Women’s March.

Pastels class
April 10 at 10 a.m.
Express your most vibrant self with the brilliant colors of pastels in a class with Juliet Rago. She will begin with a short introduction to drawing for those who feel they need it. The class will meet from 10 a.m. to noon on April 10, 14, 21, 24, and 28 at Bemis Hall. No experience is necessary. All materials will be furnished. Please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811. The fee is $40. Limit of six people.

Lincoln Academy with Josh Grindlay: Designing and building a Harvard-MIT student instrument to map an asteroid in 2019
April 10 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, April 10 at 12:30 to hear Josh Grindlay discuss “Designing and Building a Harvard-MIT Student Instrument to Map an Asteroid in 2019.” Over the past five years, students at Harvard and MIT designed and then built an X-ray imaging spectrometer that is one of five instruments on the OSIRIS REx mission launched in September 2016 to rendezvous with an asteroid in 2018. The REXIS instrument will make X-ray maps of the concentration regions of elements (iron, magnesium, etc.) on the asteroid surface in 2019 to help in choosing a location to gather a sample for return to Earth in 2022. Dr. Grindlay will describe how this project developed, from initial concept to the harrowing schedule to deliver the instrument to the spacecraft for final integration and launch, and the work now underway to prepare for the data. 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 elder law clinic
April 10 at 3 p.m.
Got a question about issues such as estate planning, MassHealth, protecting assets for a loved one with a serious disability, guardianship, conservatorship, or probate? The COA is pleased to provide a monthly legal clinic with elder law attorney and Lincoln resident Sasha Golden on Monday, April 10 from 3-4 p.m. at Bemis Hall. There is no charge for the 30-minute consultation, but please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Free wellness clinic for all ages
April 11 at 10 a.m.
Meet with a nurse at Lincoln Woods on Tuesday, April 11 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.

Using iPhones, iPads, and social media
April 13 at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.
Andy Payne will be at Bemis Hall on Thursday, April 13 at 10 a.m. to give you information on the operation and features of iPhones and iPads and answer your questions. If you have tips for using your iPhone or iPad, bring those, too. At 11:30 a.m., Andy will also discuss how to use social media—Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram and such—to get the word out about events and issues and stay in the know. All ages welcome to both classes.

Making ourselves anew in our later years
April 14 at 9:30 a.m.
Join the Reverend Lilian Warner, spiritual director/chaplain of Newbury Court, on Friday, April 14 at 9:30 when she leads a discussion of how, even in our elder years, our spiritual creator, however perceived, can help mold us into new beings, mending and using us in different ways to be of value. She will also touch on her “Triple L, Double C of Living,” or how we must “listen, learn, love, care and connect” with others. Continental breakfast will be served. Call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up.

Senior dining
April 18 at 11:30 a.m.
Lincolnites 60 and older are invited to enjoy a delicious gourmet meal with new friends and old at 11:30 on Tuesday, April 18 at St. Anne’s Church. Please reserve by calling the COA at 781-259-8811 at least a week ahead even if you have previously attended. The cost of each meal is $5. Caregivers are welcome to come with those for whom they are caring. Let the COA know if you need transportation or a seating partner. The lunch is co-sponsored by the COA, the Friends of the COA, Minuteman Senior Services, Newbury Court, St. Anne’s, and the Lincoln Garden Club.

The COA science group: how the Internet works
April 20 at 10 a.m.
How does a web page get from a web site to your browser? Come learn the workings of the Internet when Tom Aprille comes to Bemis Hall on Thursday, April 20 at 10 a.m. Don’t worry, it will be a high-level talk with occasional dips into medium-level explanations. Several applications will be discussed, including World Wide Web page capture, email and streaming. Packet routing and your home network (called an Ethernet network) will also discussed. All ages welcome.

Coffee with a cop
April 20 from 1 to 3 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Thursday, April 20 from 1-3 p.m. to meet privately with a police officer. Do you have a security concern regarding yourself, a family member, or neighbor? An idea for the Police should try? Would you like guidance about a situation? Come on down! No need to make an appointment. An officer will be at Bemis each third Thursday of the month.

Manage your pain with alternative and complementary methods
April 21 at 10 a.m.
Learn about different modalities and treatments used by therapists to help decrease pain and improve one’s functional ability when Pete Frye, doctorate in physical therapy and Emerson Hospital rehab director, comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, April 21 at 10 a.m. In addition, learn about home remedies that you can do to decrease pain and improve your functional ability.

Paying for long-term care with Medicare, MassHealth, and VA benefits
April 21 at 12:30 p.m.
Many people rely on Medicare and MassHealth/Medicaid to pay for long term care, yet these benefits are usually quite limited. Find out what Medicare and MassHealth/Medicaid actually cover, for how long, and at what out-of-pocket costs when Minuteman Senior Services SHINE—health benefits counseling program comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, April 21 at 12:30 p.m. They will discuss benefits from the traditional Medicare program as well as supplemental plans, what to ask when considering long term care benefits in those plans, and more. In addition, Priscilla Leach, Lincoln’s veterans services officer, will explain long term care benefits for veterans. Bring your questions and concerns! The program is co-sponsored by the Lincoln COA and Minuteman Senior Services.

Amalgamates a capella concert
April 23 at 2 p.m.
The COA invites all ages to a family-friendly a capella concert by the award-winning Tufts University group The Amalgamates on Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m. at Bemis Hall. The Amalgamates perform the latest pop hits to oldies rock to spirituals and more in venues from baseball stadiums to street corners to Barcelona, Spain. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultutral Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Lincoln Academy with Christina Thompson—Sea people: the puzzle of Polynesia
April 24 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, April 24 at 12:30 to hear Christina Thompson discuss “Sea People: The Puzzle of Indonesia.” Christina Thompson, editor of Harvard Review and the author of Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All, shares her quest to understand who first settled the islands of the remote Pacific, where they came from, how they got there, and how we know. 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.

Fireside chat: how we live our values
April 26 at 10 a.m.
How do we live out our core values? Do we even know exactly what our values are? How do they affect our daily interactions as well as our most consequential decisions? Join others in a lively but respectful discussion facilitated by Sharon Antia using questions and answers on Wednesday, April 26 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall. Our purpose is not to convince others of your opinion, but to share ideas so as to create dialogue and understanding.

Answers about long-term care insurance
April 28 at 12:30 p.m.
Is long term care insurance right for you? What does it cover? What might it cost? How do I go about choosing a plan? What are these new hybrid policies that I’m hearing about? How do I make sure it will really cover what it needs to when I don’t know what kind of care I might require? Find out the answers to these and other questions you might have about long term care insurance when independent agent and long term care insurance educator Tobe Gerard comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, April 28 at 12:30. Tobe has been involved with long term care insurance for 19 years and served on the long-term care committees of both the National and Massachusetts Associations of Health Underwriters for many years. Please call the COA at (781) 259-8811 to sign up so Tobe knows how many sets of materials to bring.

Lyrica Boston Chamber Music performs Schubert’s Trout Quintet
April 29 at 2 p.m.
The Friends of the Lincoln COA cordially invite those of all ages to a free concert by Lyrica Boston Chamber Music on Saturday, April 29 at Bemis Hall at 2 p.m. On the program will be Schubert’s beautiful and renowned Trout Quintet and other works in a surprising array of styles. A reception with light refreshments will follow the concert. The musicians will include Laura Bossert (violin), Annie Bartlett (viola), Mariel Bossert (piano), Mina Kim (cello) and Donald Palma (bass). The Lyrica Boston Chamber Music series was founded by Lincoln resident Laura Bossert to provide a launching ground for young emerging artists to perform alongside seasoned professionals.

Save the date:

Boston Symphony Orchestra matinee on May 5
Spend a delightful afternoon with the COA on a trip to a matinee performance of the Boston Symphony Orchestra on Friday, May 5. Andris Nelsons will conduct works by Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff and Mahler featuring pianist Leif Ove Andsnes and soprano Kristine Opolais. The program includes Shostakovich’s suite from the incidental music to King Lear, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 4, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4. (Symphony Hall is handicapped accessible.) Participants will meet at the Donelan’s parking lot at 10:45 a.m. You may have a sumptuous buffet lunch at Symphony Hall or opt to arrange for your own lunch. The cost of the trip is $45.50 with lunch on your own, or $75 with the lunch buffet. This trip is funded by the Hurff Fund and is therefore open to Lincoln seniors only. Space is limited. To reserve a space, send your check made out to FLCOA/Trips to Marilyn Buckler, 12 Hiddenwood Path, Lincoln, MA 01773. Be sure to include your phone and email. Your reservation is complete when Marilyn receives your check. Questions? Contact Marilyn Buckler at 781-259-8886 or mbuckler1@comcast.net.

Watercolors class
Jane Cooper will offer fun dabbling in watercolor painting of scenes of nature, landscapes or some favorite sky. Two sessions of four classes will be offered Fridays and Mondays in May from 9-11 a.m. beginning May 1 and 15. Cost is $30 per session. Please call the COA at 781-259-8811 now to sign up. All materials are included in the fee. No prior experience necessary.

News acorns

March 23, 2017

Historical Society hosts talk

The Lincoln Historical Society will host a talk, book-signing and reception, with Donald L. Hafner, captain of the Lincoln Minute Men and author of William Smith, Captain: Life and Death of a Soldier of the American Revolution on Sunday, April 2 at 3 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library.

Holy Week and Easter schedule at St. Anne’s

Sunday, April 9 — Palm Sunday services at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Thursday, April 13 — commemoration of the Last Supper with a Maundy Thursday service at 7 p.m. The service includes foot-washing and Holy Eucharist.
Friday, April 14 — two Good Friday services: one at noon with the Passion gospel and venerating the cross, and a family service at 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 15 — celebration of Holy Saturday with the Great Vigil of Easter beginning at 7 p.m. We kindle the new fire and light a new Paschal candle, and then read bible stories by candlelight. The service ends with the first Eucharist of Easter.
Sunday, April 16 —Holy Eucharist with special music and flowers at both 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. (On April 16, there is not a Still Your Soul service.)

All are welcome at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, located at 147 Concord Road.

Jennifer Glass, candidate for selectman in Monday’s election, braved the cold on Wednesday to meet residents including Rick Mandelkorn at the transfer station (right) and hand out flyers.

GearTicks apply tech savvy to MMNHP project

March 15, 2017

Margie Coffin Brown and Roger Fuller of Minute Man National Historic Park with three of the GearTicks (Evan Lee, Dante Muzilz and Catherine Appleby) and the park’s donation lanterns.

The Lincoln GearTicks, known for their high-tech robotic wizardry, applied their talents to a historical enterprise when they recently brought two donation boxes into the 21st century.

At Minute Man National Historical Park (MMNHP), visitors often drop coins and bills into the lantern-shaped donation boxes, which have to be designed in a way that prevents tampering and theft, since the money sometimes isn’t collected for several days. To bring the donation boxes up to current security standards, the park needed to added a security baffle to each box.

Margie Coffin Brown, resource manager at MMNHP, reached out to the GearTicks, the Lincoln-based high school robotics team that qualified for the state championship in the FIRST Tech Challenge tournament held earlier this month. After reading the National Park Service specifications on donation box construction, the students felt they could build the internal components needed to bring the old boxes up to standards.

To make the baffles, the GearTicks used a wire-bending jig to make precise bends in sheets of plastic, a common component used in the construction of small, competitive robots. In previous robot projects, the team used a heat gun, but had recently acquired the new jig to improve the functionality of their robot.

The reconditioned donation boxes (whose design was inspired by the signal lanterns hung in the Old North Church on April 19, 1775) were installed at the park late last month.