history

News acorns – 9/18/14

September 17, 2014

Open house features Lincoln Minute Men, refurbished historic home

At an open house on Saturday, Sept. 20, the Lincoln Minute Men will do musket-firing demonstrations at 10 a.m., noon and 1 p.m., as well as drills for children, fife and drum music, and demonstrations of sewing, spinning and colonial clothing throughout the day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will take place at the Captain William Smith House in the Minute Man National Historical Park on Route 2A near Bedford Road (park in the Hartwell Tavern lot).

Lincoln Minute Men (soldiers, musicians and townspeople) will greet the public in colonial attire and welcome them into the Smith House, which has been refurbished thanks to the concerted effort of the Lincoln Minute Men and the support of friends through donations. The Minute Men worked with the National Park to locate and donate items similar to those that might have been found on that day in the three ground floor rooms of a New England house: the formal parlor, the keeping room and the kitchen. Come and see the walking wheel for spinning wool, the infant’s cradle with reproduction tick and blanket, the kitchen cupboard stocked with redware and pewter, items for cooking on the hearth, a tilt-top table set for tea, a gate-leg table set for Catharine and William’s dinner, a desk where the Smiths could pay bills and write correspondence, and much more.

Also open to the public on September 20 are two other “witness houses” to the events of April 19, 1775: the Hartwell Tavern, where there will be demonstrations of historic crafts and trades, and the Col. James Barrett House in Concord, where His Majesty’s 63rd Regiment of Foot will be displaying British uniforms of the period.

June events at the Council on Aging

June 4, 2014

Below are June events sponsored by the Lincoln Council on Aging. For more information, call the COA at 781-259-8811.

Coffee with artist Ellen Milan
June 5 at 2:30 p.m.
Indulge your senses in the grace and liveliness of paintings on silk, prints, pastels, and scratch board engravings by Ellen Milan in the Bemis Hall Artists Gallery this month. You are also invited to meet Ellen at the “Coffee with the Artist” on June 5 at 2:30 p.m.Ellen’s work has been included in public and private collections and shows in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New York, Israel and Europe. Locally, her work has been part of group shows at the Danforth Museum, Concord Art Association and elsewhere. Last year she had exhibitions at the Lincoln Library and the Harvey Wheeler Community Center. You can see the full scope of her work in various media, including wearable art, at www.ellenmilan.com.

Council on Aging events for May

April 24, 2014

Here are the events scheduled for May by the Lincoln Council on Aging.

Sublime sunflowers: pastel paint like the masters
May 2 at 1 p.m.
The COA is pleased to present award-winning pastel artist Greg Maichack who will offer his new hands-on workshop for beginners to advanced artists in pastel painting on Friday, May 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Maichack will provide insights into the lives of sunflower painters van Gogh, Monet and O’Keefe, and then participants will be coached to create their own sunflower paintings. The workshop is free, but please call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up. This workshop is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Lincoln Minute Men events start Saturday

April 10, 2014

minutemen-sm The Lincoln Minute Men (LMM) will be involved in the following events surrounding Patriots Day.

Saturday, April 12 – Paul Revere Capture Ceremony
Minute Man National Historical Park, 3 p.m.
The LMM march down Battle Road and narrate the story of Revere’s capture at the actual site. Hear Revere, Samuel Prescott, William Dawes, Mary Hartwell, even Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Music, dramatic reading and musket fire in the Park. For all ages.

Saturday, April 19 – 18th-century Life and Battle at Tower Park
Hartwell Tavern in Minute Man National Historic Park, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; Tower Park in Lexington, 4 p.m.

The LMM recreate life at Hartwell Tavern on April 19, 1775 and in the afternoon regroup to battle the Regulars at Tower Park, Lexington at 4 p.m. Details at www.battleroad.org.

Sunday, April 20 – Lincoln Salute: Festival of 18th-century Fife and Drum Music
Pierce Park, 2-3:30 p.m.
The LMM host musical groups from near and far, including the stalwart 1st Michigan and the U.S. Army’s Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps, making a first appearance. Bring your picnic and lawn chairs for rousing entertainment.

Sunday, April 20 – Alarm and Muster at the White Church
Library Lawn opposite First Parish, 7 p.m.
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 church to receive their marching orders to defend Concord. Then march with the LMM to Pierce House for a firing demonstration.

Monday, April 21 – Dawn Tribute and March to the Concord Parade
Outside Bemis Hall, 6:45 a.m.; Concord parade, 9 a.m.
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 as they walk Sandy Pond Road to Concord amid colonial music and musket fire. All ages welcome for this three-mile walk.

Tuesday, April 22 – “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World: April 19, 1775”
Bemis Hall, 7:30 p.m.
The LMM invite you to an illustrated lecture by Concord Museum curator David Wood and Skinner specialist Joel Bohy on the museum’s new exhibition: “The Shot Heard Round the World.” They will present an hour-by-hour account of that fateful day and discuss artifacts from their exhibit that shed new light on the day’s events.

Sunday, April 27 – Old Burial Ground Tribute
Pierce House, 2:30 p.m.
March with the LMM and the Regulars 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 tributes, music and prayers for both sides, with musket salutes by the LMM and the Regulars. A reception follows at Pierce House at 4 p.m., courtesy of the Lincoln Historical Society.

Council on Aging events in April

April 8, 2014

Following are events scheduled by the Lincoln Council on Aging for the rest of April.

Gentle yoga
April 9, 16, 23, 30, May 7, 14 at 9 a.m.
Would you like to try yoga but are concerned it may be too rigorous for you? Try the COA’s new gentle yoga class with experienced instructor Jai Kaur Annamaria San Antonio. The class will be held on six Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m. beginning on April 9 at a cost of $30 for the course. You may do the class on the floor or in a chair and the instructor will help you adapt the poses to your special needs. You may try one class free. Please sign up in advance by calling the COA at 781-259-8811. This class is subsidized by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs

Ohio man writes column on memories of Lincoln

March 27, 2014

Bruce Thomas hasn’t visited Lincoln in decades, but he always remembered his grandfather’s hometown with affection—and he wrote a column about it for his local newspaper.

Thomas’ column, which appeared in February on the website of the Tribune Chronicle in Warren Ohio, reminisces about summer visits in the 1930s to the Lorreys, his grandparents and aunt who lived on Farrar Road. He recalls playing near Farrar Pond and, much later, watching the moon landing on TV with his grandfather.

Reached by phone in Ohio, Thomas’ wife Sally (who spoke for him because his speech has been affected by a stroke), said Bruce, now 83, grew up in western Massachusetts. He’s retired after a career in software and nonprofits.

Cool stuff coming up in Lincoln

March 11, 2014

Events in the next few days in Lincoln include a trip down memory lane with several former Lincoln police chiefs, a town candidate forum, and Drumlin Farm’s annual Sap-to-Syrup breakfast.

On Friday, March 14, the Lincoln Council on Aging will screen “50 Years of Public Safety” starting at 1 p.m. in Bemis Hall. The 2004 DVD features former Lincoln Police Chiefs Leo Algeo and Allen Bowles—both of whom will be there to participate in a panel after the film, along with another former Lincoln chief, Dominic Arena, and current chief Kevin Mooney. Find out how public safety in Lincoln has changed over the years, reminisce, tell some stories of your own, and ask questions.

On Saturday, March 15, the Republican and Democratic Town Committees are co-sponsoring a nonpartisan candidate forum at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Meet the 20+ candidates who are on the ballot for the March 31 town election, and learn their qualifications and interests, and become informed about important issues that may impact the town for years.

There are a few spots left for the Sap-to-Syrup breakfasts at Drumlin Farm on Saturday and Sunday, March 16 and 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets ($15 for adults and $12 for children over age 2) include a half-hour seating for a breakfast of pancakes with real maple syrup, Drumlin Farm roasted potatoes and sausage, plus access to special programming around the farm. See how sap is collected, explore the natural history of trees, learn about Native American sap-to-syrup techniques and purchase maple syrup made at Drumlin Farm to take home with you. Call 781-259-2206 or register online.

Memoir group open to new members in January

December 18, 2013

The memoir group is a good place to try out your writing on a supportive audience. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t written a word or if you’ve already written enough for two lifetimes—the group will welcome you and help you move along in the process. (They will also laugh and cry with you sometimes.) If you’re interested in joining the group or if you just want to know more before making a commitment, please get in touch with facilitator Connie Lewis at con.lewis@comcast.net or 781-259-9415.

The group meets on Wednesdays, usually twice a month from 10 a.m. to noon. The schedule for the winter/spring term isn’t set yet, but the first meeting will be on January 15. The cost is $50 if the group continues with the six-meeting schedule or $75 if they decide to meet eight times.

December activities at the Council on Aging

November 29, 2013

Here are the Lincoln Council on Aging’s events and activities for the month of December.

Coming up in Lincoln

October 21, 2013

Film about Lincoln architect Henry B. Hoover – Oct. 25

At its members’ appreciation event on Friday, October 25 at 7 p.m. at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, the Friends of Modern Architecture/Lincoln (FoMA) will hold a premier screening of the film Breaking Ground: The Architecture of Henry B. Hoover.

Commissioned by Hoover’s children, Harry Hoover and Lucretia Giese, and directed and produced by Molly Bedell, the film features biographical background, interviews, and stills and footage of several Hoover houses. Hoover (1902-1998) received his M.Arch. from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1926 and was among the pioneers of modernism in Lincoln.

Hoover designed some 100 houses from 1937 to 1988, with his last important commission in 1972. For Hoover, the site was all-important. Writing about one house, he commented, “the design has been taken care of by the site… the view was hidden by a ledge outcropping. Distance and height were unseen until one climbed around the cliff side, when space seemed to burst open. It was superb.” His objective was to try to “preserve that surprise.”

FoMA is especially pleased to hold the event at the deCordova, which was founded in 1950 and was an important center for contemporary art during this period. Besides highlighting New England art, it was a community center for lectures, music, and studio art classes. “The kind of museum I believe in is a social force; I’ve always treated art as a celebration,” said founding director Fred Walkey, noting the importance that modernists placed on the idea of community. Modern architecture celebrated art and science and was meant to inspire community through thoughtful design that which was affordable and accessible to all.

Space for the event is limited; members are admitted free but must RSVP in advance. There is a $25 fee for non-members. To become a member, go to the FoMA website and follow the “Join” link at the top of the page. Hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer, and beverages will be served.

FoMA works to preserve Lincoln’s Modern architectural heritage. The town’s collection of Modern houses spans the range of a short-lived idealistic architectural period ranging from the 1930s through the 1960s.

Drumlin Farm Food Day – Oct. 26

Come for a day of tasty fun as Drumlin Farm celebrates statewide Food Day on Saturday, October 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Explore in the garden with farm staff, meet some native wildlife, and enjoy a taste from Drumlin’s farm stand. Farm teachers will be on hand to share the bounty of the fall harvest and help you learn how tasty sustainable agriculture can be. All activities are free with admission, which is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and children 2-12, and free for Mass Audubon members.

Special programs throughout the day:

10 a.m. — A Taste of Drumlin: Sample the fruits (and veggies!) of the season.
10:30 a.m. — Flying over Fields for Food: Visit with one of the wild birds that loves a farmland habitat.
11:30 a.m. — Garden Exploration: Open your senses during a garden scavenger hunt.
12:30 p.m. — Beyond Butter: Shake the jar with us to find out how easy it is to make your own flavored herb butter.
2 p.m. — A Taste of Drumlin: Sample the fruits (and veggies!) of the season.
2:30 p.m. — Chickens and Eggs: Scramble up a few fresh eggs with us and meet one of the chickens that laid them.
3:30 p.m. — Turtles Eat their Veggies: Meet one of our resident reptiles and watch him enjoy a favorite treat.
3:45 p.m. — Seeing Seeds: Explore the magic of how a seed turns into a new plant.

Lincoln Garden Club hosts talk on sustainable landscaping – Nov. 4

The Lincoln Garden Club and co-sponsor Greening Lincoln welcome Mark Richardson, the newly appointed Director of Horticulture at the New England Wild Flower Society, on Monday, November 4 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall.

Richardson, who oversees Garden in the Woods in Framingham and Nasami Farm in Whately, Mass., will update us on the new standards in sustainable landscaping. He will give examples in public gardens as well as our own Lincoln properties. He holds BS and MS degrees in urban horticulture and has lectured at Longwood Gardens and Brookside Gardens.

This is the Garden Club’s biggest program of the year and the public is invited, so bring extra friends and family for this function you wouldn’t want to miss.