history

“To Kill a Mockingbird” performance, book group planned

May 25, 2016

Richard Clarke pointing at the Bible as he portrays Clarence Darrow.

Lincolnites of all ages are invited to come to Bemis Hall on Sunday, June 5 at 2 p.m. for a special performance by acclaimed actor Richard Clark of his one-man show “Atticus,” based on the iconic American character created by Harper Lee in her novels To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman.

Enrich your experience with an intergenerational book group on both books co-sponsored with the Lincoln Public Library on Saturday, June 11 at 2 p.m. in the library’s Tarbell Room. Copies of both books in various formats are available at the circulation desk of the library.

In Clark’s performance, Atticus Finch steps from the pages of To Kill a Mockingbird and brings to life the tragedy and triumph of Harper Lee’s classic novel. As a loving father, compassionate friend and uncompromising attorney, Atticus represents the divine spark in the human spirit as he leads a cast of unlikely heroes in this story. The courtroom drama, the poignant interactions between a father and child, and the harsh realities of bigotry and hatred all blend to make this a compelling theatrical event for all ages.

Richard Clark is an actor with over 30 years of experience in New England regional theater, New York theater and television. His “Keeping History Alive” series brings historical figures such as Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie, Clarence Darrow, John Barrymore, Ernest Hemingway and William Shakespeare back to life. His shows are based on biographies, autobiographies personal letters, books and the works of various playwrights.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. For more information, call the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811 (Atticus performance) or the library at 781-259-8465 (book group).

News acorns

May 25, 2016

Tour historic homes for free on June 4

Historic New England is having an open house with hourly guided tours on Saturday, June 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gropius House and the Codman Estate in Lincoln as well as the Browne House in Watertown. Most Historic New England properties are open for free on the first Saturday in June, when visitors can learn about the people who lived in stone-enders, urban mansions, rural estates and working farms. All tours are first-come, first-served.

Magic Garden hoedown on June 4

Join the Magic Garden community at its annual hoedown event on Saturday, June 4 from 6-10 p.m. in Codman Barn. Enjoy mechanical bull riding, dancing, barbecue by Firefly’s Restaurant, beer and wine, and a silent auction. All proceeds support educational programming and the Tuition Assistance Program at Magic Garden. Tickets are $50 each, or $40 if you purchase four or more. Please contact the Magic Garden Office at 781-259-8161or office@magic-garden.org to purchase.

Used book sale returns to Bemis

The Friends of the Lincoln Public Library book sale is back! Come to Bemis Hall on Saturday, June 11 from 9 a.m. to noon. Browse the large selection of good-quality used fiction, nonfiction and children’s books and support the library and its many programs while finding great reading material. Hardcovers are $1 and paperbacks are 50 cents, or fill a grocery bag full of books for only $8. CDs are also available for $1.

DeCordova’s Montross wins award for exhibit publication

Sarah Montross

The Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) has granted deCordova Scultpure Park and Museum Associate Curator Sarah Montross a first-place Award for a catalogue/publication for Past Futures: Science Fiction, Space Travel, and Postwar Art of the Americas. Published by MIT Press, this catalogue supported the eponymous exhibition she curated in 2015 while in her role as Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellow at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. Montross has been at deCordova since April 2015 and is co-curator with Chief Curator Jennifer Gross of the 2016 deCordova Biennial that will open on October 7, 2016. “We’re excited to have this caliber of curatorial excellence on deCordova’s team and look forward to sharing Sarah’s work as co-curator of the upcoming Biennial exhibition,” said deCordova Executive Director John Ravenal.

Amy Herrera headlines next open-mike night

Amy Herrera will perform starting around 8:30 p.m. at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) Night on Monday, June 13. The event takes place in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room from 7-10 p.m. Herrera has played venues including last year’s Providence Folk Festival and has three CDs to her credit, most recently Goodnight, Nobody featuring the song Stumble Into You. Perform (sign up at the event or emailRich Eilbert at loma3re@gmail.com) or just come listen to acoustic music and spoken word. Admission is free and refreshments are provided.

Lincoln’s Page wins Malice Domestic’s Lifetime Achievement Award

A poster showing all of Page’s books (click to enlarge).

Page’s award.

Mystery writer and Lincoln resident Katherine Hall Page received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Malice Domestic mystery writers’ conference. She is one of the only authors to have won an Agatha Award in all three categories: Best Novel, Best Short Story and Best First Novel. Page’s latest book, The Body in the Wardrobe, is the 23rd installment in the series starring part-time sleuth, minister’s wife and caterer Faith Fairchild along with Sophie Maxwell, last seen in The Body in the Birches and now a newlywed living in historic Savannah, Ga., where she crosses paths with murder. Established in 1989, Malice Domestic is an annual convention that celebrates the traditional mystery genre, best typified by the works of Agatha Christie.

Series on Iraq and ISIS continues on Friday

May 23, 2016

The second in a series of discussions on the origins of ISIS, the U.S. involvement in Iraq and how the psychology of our current political leaders plays into these issues will be led by retired counseling psychologist Michael O’Brien on Friday, May 27 at 9:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall.

The first session on May 20 focused on an article published March 13 in Boston Globe Magazine titled “An Iraq Reckoning” describing how two key decisions by Paul Bremer in Iraq in 2003 shook the Middle East and paved the way for ISIS. At this week’s session, attendees will watch the 2007 documentary No End in Sight that presents a “staggering portrait of arrogance and incompetence in our chain of decisions that led Iraq into a state of chaos and civil war following our occupation.” The third session, “Fiasco in Iraq” on Friday, June 3, will discuss the May 27 film and the book Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq by Thomas Ricks, senior Pentagon correspondent for the Washington Post.

Each of these Friday morning sessions, co-sponsored by the Lincoln Public Library and the Lincoln Council on Aging, will run from 9:30-11 a.m. at Bemis Hall. For more information on the series, call the Lincoln Council on Aging at 781-259-8211

O’Brien will also speak on Monday, June 13 about “Making Sense of Our Crazy Politics: How Psychology Can Change What We See.” It will consist of a 30-minute talk followed by discussion as part of the Lincoln Academy series regularly held on Mondays from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. O’Brien will focus on how psychological research on various developmental needs—as well as narcissistic and socially dominant personalities, submissive-follower types, and even differing views on God and reality—can illuminate what we’re seeing in our current national political contests.

Attendees are urged to read the Boston Globe article before the next two discussions, as well as Ricks’s book prior to the June 13 session. For those unable to attend the May 27 screening, No End in Sight is available on DVD and from some libraries.

O’Brien, a longtime Lincoln resident, has a doctorate in counseling psychology and an master’s degree in theology. Now retired, he has long focused on phenomenological approaches to the study of personality. He worked for many years as a clinical counselor and therapist at counseling and testing centers at both Boston University and Northeastern University. Earlier, after years of theological study, he taught courses on biblical exegesis at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.

Lincoln Minute Men to appear in a song-and-dance on Thursday

May 16, 2016

The Lincoln Minute Men will appear in a show at the Old South Meeting House in Boston this Thursday, May 19 in a show written by Lincoln resident Martha Lufkin to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the repeal of the Stamp Act.

As you may recall from history class, the British government in 1765 imposed the Stamp Act on the American colonies to require payment of a tax on various official documents including marriage certificates. This gave rise more than two centuries later to Marriage is Taxing, Lufkin’s comedy about the little-known fact that there was a rush on marriages to avoid the new tax before the Stamp Act went into effect.

Lufkin, an attorney and a member of the Lincoln Minute Men, has published light mysteries involving lawyers in Alfred Hitchcock magazine. She was casting about for a mystery plot involving lawyers set in the colonial era and happened to learn abut the marriage rush as a result of the British legislation.

Martha Lufkin

“Since I’m a lawyer and tax planner for families, I thought this was so funny that I sat down and write a story about it,” she said. Recently she learned that the Old South Meeting House was celebrating the 250th anniversary of the repeal of the Stamp Act. “I contacted them and they loved the idea” of performing Marriage is Taxing, which is told as a series of letters written by a woman to her sister, she said.

Lincoln Minute Men members Don Hafner, Steve McCarthy, Doug Unkel, Ruth Hodges and Bev Malone participate in the performance, interacting with the guests and chatting about the joyous news about the repeal of the Stamp Act. The evening will also feature 18th-century music by Kairos, a Boston-based flute and harp duo, and dinner.

Tickets are $40 and include a light supper, one complimentary beverage and dessert. A cash bar with beer, wine and soft drinks will also be available. To reserve tickets, click here or call 800-838-3006.

News acorns

May 11, 2016

Town Archives invite residents to help celebrate

The Town Archives Advisory Council is celebrating two important milestones—the acquisition of the Sophia Adams tapestry (a gift of Lincoln resident Cynthia Williams) and the appointment of Jack MacLean as town historian—on Wednesday, May 18 from 5-6 p.m. in the Donaldson Room at the Town Office Building. RSVPs are helpful but not required; call 781-259-2607.

Annual jazz concert on May 29

Come to the annual Live Jazz Concert on Sunday, May 29 from 2-4 p.m. in Bemis Hall sponsored by the the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library, Inc. The show will feature Steve Taddeos and the Swing Senders with special guest Ken Peplowski bringing back the sounds of the 1930s and 1940s. Free and open to music lovers of all ages!

RESIST training for teens and young adults

The Lincoln Police Department, in collaboration with the Domestic Violence Services Network (DVSN), is offering a RESIST self-defense class for all female-identified high school and college-age students in Lincoln or Sudbury on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 7 and 8 from 3:30-6 p.m. at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. The goal of the two-day course is to learn how to escape from an attacker by using instinct-based moves. The course is free, but space is limited. Preregister by emailing Jena Salon at jenasalon@gmail.com.

Council on Aging events in May

May 2, 2016

Meet with an aide to Congresswoman Clark
May 4 at 1 p.m.
You are invited to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, May 4 at 1 p.m. to meet with Anthony Moreschi, Constituent Service Representative for Congresswoman Katherine Clark. He will be available to assist residents with Social Security, Medicare, and MassHealth/Medicaid. You are also welcome to discuss other matters with him that he may be able to help with.

We honor veterans: end-of-life and survivor benefits
May 6 at 9:30 a.m.
Veterans and their families have special needs when it comes to end-of-life care, whether related to the unique life and health care experiences of veterans or to the benefits of the Veterans Administration for end-of-life health care, burial benefits, or survivor benefits. “We Honor Veterans” is an initiative of the Veterans Administration and local hospices and other care providers to make sure that veterans receive sensitive and compassionate care and know about all their benefits. Come find out more when Mary Beth Kawalek of Brookhaven Hospice comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, May 6 at 9:30 a.m.

Want to sit back and enjoy some old-fashioned harmony?
May 6 at 12:30 p.m.
A melody you can sing along with? Hum, tap your toes to? The Lincoln Traditional Jazz Sextet will be bringing those tunes you know and love to Bemis Hall on Friday May 6 at 12:30. “Geezers” swingin’ on piano, trumpet, clarinet, trombone, sax, bass and drums will be there to entertain you. Come join the regulars singing along to When You’re Smilin’, put a smile on your face with Ain’t Misbehavin’, do the Charleston or the Lindy Hop if you’re up for it. Or just put your feet up and relax.

Lincoln Academy with Kathi Anderson—The Walden Woods Project: keeping Thoreau’s legacy alive in Lincoln and beyond
May 9 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, May 9 at 12:30 to hear Kathi Anderson discuss “The Walden Woods Project: Keeping Thoreau’s Legacy Alive in Lincoln and Beyond.” Bring a bag lunch. 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.

May 11 at 7 p.m.
Medicare 101: basics for those about to sign up and others
Learn the basics of Medicare on Wednesday, May 11 at 7 p.m. at Bemis Hall with Minuteman Senior Services SHINE counselors Don Milan and Anne Meade. Come if you will be signing up soon or you just wish to understand your 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, timeframes for enrolling to avoid penalties and more. [Read more…] about Council on Aging events in May

Hundreds of Lincolnites flock to the fair

May 2, 2016

Dancing around the maypole in Pierce Park.

There was something for everyone at Saturday’s “40 Years of Community” fair, and Lincolnites of all ages flocked to Pierce Park on a bright and sunny spring day to connect and have fun.

Visitors enjoyed music from Colonial fifes and drums, a grand piano, guitars and an a capella group; hundreds of hamburgers, hot dogs, snow cones and ice cream; bounce houses and fair games; an art exhibit; and tables showcasing dozens of Lincoln organizations where they could learn about everything from 19th-century rifles and toys to People for Pollinators, the Lincoln Diversity Committee, The Food Project and the Town Archives.

Lincoln Police Chief Kevin Kennedy, who helped out at the barbecue, estimated the attendance at well over 1,000. “It’s a great day for Lincoln. It’s been a lot of fun,” he said.

Here’s a gallery of images from the fair. For best results, view the pictures on a desktop computer. Click one of the images to see a larger version in the lightbox that pops out. Then you can:

Click on the “i” icon at the bottom of the image to see the caption at the upper right of your screen
Click the diagonal arrow button to see the maximum size image
Move between photos by moving your mouse cursor to the far left or right of your screen and clicking on the white arrow that appears.
To return to the Lincoln Squirrel, click the “x” in the upper right of your screen.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”42″ gal_title=”40 Years of Community”]

Photos by Alice Waugh

Fair celebrates 40 years of three town institutions

April 13, 2016

Lincoln is gearing up for the “40 Years of Community” Fair packed with activities, art, music and history on Saturday, April 30 to recognize four decades of the Council on Aging, Parks and Recreation and the Lincoln Review.

The fair will feature children’s games and activities including a live animal demonstration, games and activities, storytelling, crafts related to Lincoln’s architectural heritage, a photo booth with a frog cutout, reading by “grandparents,” a scavenger hunt, a trackless train, 18th-century games, a sewing project, carnival games, a sketching demonstration and chance to meet a canine author, an activity table, and seed bomb and pollinator habitat making.

Lincoln’s history will be front and center, with displays on Lincoln history and iconic Lincoln buildings and landscapes. The Lincoln Minute Men will demonstrate aspects of life in Lincoln in the 18th century. Local organizations will provide information and demonstrations on such important topics as energy efficiency, agriculture, heirloom plants, nature and pollination. They’ll also have valuable information about their activities, programs and services.

Lincoln and Lincoln-associated artists will show their best work in the Pierce House, which will also feature historic photos from the Town Archives. The exhibit in Pierce House will also be open on Saturday, April 30 from noon to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 1 from noon to 3 p.m.

What’s a fair without food? The Lincoln Police Department will host a barbecue while the Minute Men will offer baked goods and cider for a small cost. You’re also welcome to bring a picnic basket and blanket and enjoy a meal or a snack on the grass in the park.

While you’re enjoying all the activities, exhibits and art, you’ll be regaled by music by some of Lincoln’s many virtuoso musicians. Bands and performing groups will play outside on a stage while more musicians will play and sing classical and other musical genres inside the Pierce House. The Lincoln Minute Men musicians will also be on hand.

Among the groups participating are the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Drumlin Farm, First Parish, Food Project, Friends of the Lincoln Public Library, Green Energy Committee, Historic New England, LEAP, Lincoln Council on Aging and Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging, Lincoln Family Association, Lincoln Garden Club, Lincoln Historical Society, Lincoln Minute Men, Lincoln Parks and Recreation, Lincoln Police Department, Lincoln PTO, Lincoln Review, Lincoln School Foundation, Magic Garden, METCO Coordinating Committee, Old Town Hall Exchange, People for Pollinators, and the Town Archives.

For more information about the fair, call Carolyn Bottum at the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811 or Dan Pereira at Parks and Recreation at 781-259-0784. Local businesses interested in donating goods are also welcome to call Carolyn or Dan.

Lincoln Minute Men events for Patriots Day

April 4, 2016

The Lincoln Minute Men invite residents to join in the following events around Patriots Day.

Saturday, April 9

The Capture of Paul Revere
2:45 p.m. — Minute Man National Historical Park Visitors Center (250 N. Great Road, Lincoln)
3 p.m. — Capture Site
March behind the Lincoln Minute Men (LMM) down Battle Road or join us at the capture site where Paul Revere’s ride ended here 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. For all ages.

Tuesday, April 12

Lecture: “Lincoln’s Minute Men after April 19, 1775”
7:30 p.m., Bemis Hall (15 Bedford Rd., Lincoln)
Rick Wiggin, LMM historian and author of Embattled Farmers, will trace the journey of Lincoln men who fought at North Bridge, from the Siege of Boston through the Revolution to their lives in the new republic.

Saturday, April 16

Battle Road: Captain Smith, Parker’s Revenge, Tower Park
9:30 a.m. to noon — The LMM interpret the home of William Smith and his wife Catharine Louisa.
2 p.m. — Parker’s Revenge Battle, behind Visitors Center
4 p.m. — Battle of Tower Park (1200 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington).
The LMM inhabit 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.

Sunday, April 17

Lincoln Salute: Festival of 18th-Century Fife and Drum Music
2-3:30 p.m. — Pierce Park (17 Weston Rd., Lincoln)
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.

Sunday, April 17

Alarm and Muster
7 p.m., library lawn opposite First Parish Church (3 Bedford Rd., Lincoln)
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 on the steps of the meeting house to receive their orders to defend Concord. Then march with the LMM to Pierce House for a firing demonstration.

Monday, April 18

Dawn tribute and march to the Concord parade
6:45 a.m., outside Bemis Hall (15 Bedford Rd., Lincoln)
9 a.m., 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 (three miles) amid colonial music and musket fire. There will be bus transportation across Route 2 courtesy of Doherty’s Garage. All ages welcome.

Sunday, April 24

Old Burial Ground tribute
2:30 p.m. — Pierce House (17 Weston Rd., Lincoln)
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 at Pierce House at 4 p.m. courtesy of the Lincoln Historical Society.

For a full description of events in Lincoln and surrounding towns, see www.battleroad.org or www.lincolnminutemen.org.

News acorns

March 4, 2016

Kids and staff enjoying Farrington Nature Linc.

Learn about Farrington Nature Linc

This year in Lincoln, nearly 2,000 city children experienced the peace and freedom of nature with the Nature Linc project at Farrington’s 75 acres just off Route 2 (see the Lincoln Squirrel, April 17, 2015). Nature Linc provides a connection to the natural world for children who otherwise might never have a chance to go sledding, run barefoot through the grass, or walk quietly where they can see nothing man-made. Come learn more about this venture in our own backyard on Monday, March 7 from 12:30–1:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall for the COA Lincoln Academy program about Farrington Nature Linc. Trustee Susan Taylor, Executive Director Wendy Matusovich, and Program Director Brianne Studer will share stories and slides of the past, present and future plans for Farrington, its vision, mission and strategies.

Revolutionary War reenactors at Muster Day March 19

Revolutionary War reenactors at a previous muster.

On Muster Day—Saturday, March 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.—dozens of volunteer colonial and British reenactors from New England will fall in for inspection at Minute Man National Historical Park‘s visitor center (250 North Great Rd.). The National Park Service has invited reenactment groups to the park for an inspection of arms and accouterments to facilitate Patriots Weekend events in April. At Muster Day, guests can meet and talk with reenactors as well as take photos and record video. Commemorating the actions of the “embattled farmers” who risked their lives and livelihoods is what the Patriot’s Day celebration is all about.

Companies of colonial minutemen and British regiments, with many volunteers traveling a great distance, will participate. Last year, approximately 7,000 spectators attended the event. For the Battle Road event, dozens of British and colonial reenactors will stage a running battle demonstration along a half-mile of the original Battle Road that has been restored by the National Park Service. For more information, call 978-318-7833 or email phil_lupsiewicz@nps.gov.