Dozens of families from the Birches School and the Waltham Boys & Girls Club dashed through the woods behind the school on Bedford Road earlier this month in the Run for Good, an event to build a foundation of healthy habits and connect kids with nature in their own backyard. The fundraiser for the Birches School and the Waltham Boys & Girls Club was cosponsored by Saucony. (Photo by Joshua Milne)
Proudly showing off their colorful bench are (left to right) Girl Scouts Lucy Dwyer, Courtney Mitchell, Marielle Soluri, and Rebecca Lupkas.
Lincoln Girl Scout Troop 82742 has installed a pair of six-foot-long benches at the Lincoln Mall shopping area after building them as part of a Silver Award project.
To earn the award, seventh-grade Girl Scouts Lucy Dwyer, Rebecca Lupkas, Courtney Mitchell, and Marielle Soluri adhered to a specific problem-solving regimen that includes identifying issues they care about, exploring the community to identify needs, finding areas where needs and cares overlap, and engaging stakeholders while developing a long term solution that is also sustainable.
The benches, made of materials generously donated by Concord Lumber, meet a community need that gives students a place to eat without interfering with other shoppers. Over the course of nine months, the Girl Scouts interviewed students, shopkeepers, landlords, and town officials about problems, researched various solutions, reviewed alternatives with these audiences and responded to feedback
Lucy Dwyer and Courtney Mitchell work on building their Scout troop’s bench.
During the construction process, they learned how to choose materials and waterproofing treatment, transfer design specifications to materials, use a radial arm saw and drills, fasten materials, and apply finishes. The award requires the project to consume more than 50 hours of effort each, which was easily surpassed.
The troop installed the benches at Lincoln Station and are continuing to work with the Rural Land Foundation to add additional bins for trash, recycling, and possibly compost as well as signage for the bins, which was also an identified need.
— Submitted by Carolyn Dwyer and Tara Mitchell, leaders of Troop 82742
By Ginger Reiner
Saturday night, June 15 — a full moon illuminates the barnyard and surrounding fields. Tents dot the landscape: in the community garden, on the grass in front of Barn B, and one right next to the lamb pen. A campfire is roaring, surrounded by farm friends singing (to the tune of “Country Road,” of course!):
Codman Road, take me home,
To the place, where I belong.
We’ve been thinkin’, that we love Lincoln,
Take me home, Codman Road
Further away, little flashlights flicker in and out as a massive game of flashlight hide-and-seek occupies most of the under-12 set.
The Codman Campout has always been one of my favorite farm events. A low-key June dinner outside the barn, lots of kids playing lots of different games, a night under the stars. This year was made all the more special as we enjoyed Codman’s own beef, pork, and chicken for dinner. We ate farm-raised hamburgers, sausage, chicken drumsticks, hot dogs, and veggie sandwiches, plus brownies and s’mores for dessert!
Click on images below for larger versions and captions:
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(See story and photos from the 2012 Codman Campout)
The moon remained bright, but eventually the guitar playing wound down, all the hiders were found by the seekers, and the whole farm, animals and humans, conked out for the night. We were up with the animals the next morning for bagels, orange juice, and lots of coffee for the adults, and an early-morning hide and seek game began again almost immediately.
A huge thanks to the Codman Board and volunteers for organizing this year’s spectacular event, I’m already looking forward to next year, and brushing up on my campy Codman songs
Ginger Reiner is the treasurer for Codman Community Farms.
Join the National Park Service, Walden Woods Project, and naturalist Peter Alden in a mega-bio-blitz on Saturday, July 6 from 2–4 p.m. at the Hartwell Tavern lot area, 106 North Great Rd., Lincoln. Observe and identify plants, birds, insects, amphibians, and other living organisms, and learn to use the iNaturalist app and contribute to our goal of recording 2,000 species in a day. Naturalist-led tours in the park depart at 2 p.m. from the Hartwell lot. For more information, visit www.waldenbioblitz.org.
The Lincoln GearTicks “Rover Ruckus” machine.
There’s now video available of the Lincoln GearTicks robot that recently competed at the FIRST World Championship in Detroit. Students from teams all over the world had to design robots that could deliver “minerals” (gold cubes and whiffle balls) from a “crater” into the “lander” (an elevated box with separate containers). Click here to watch on YouTube (the GearTicks segment begins at 1:23:00 and the GearTicks “Rover Ruckus” robot is labeled 6055), or click here to download a 30-second video. The original story has been updated to include these link.
The Lincoln Public Library will be open on Saturdays during July from 10 a.m.—1 p.m. (weekday hours remain the same), and the library will be closed on Saturdays during August. Regular Saturday hours (10 a.m.—5 p.m.) will begin on September 7.
Picture This: Your Great Outdoors, the Lincoln-based Mass Audubon’s annual statewide photo contest, invites shutterbugs of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of experience to share the natural beauty of the Bay State through their photography. The competition, which continues through September 30, has two age divisions (18 and older, and under 18) and six subject areas: people in nature, birds, mammals, other animals, landscapes, and plants and fungi.
Contestants may submit up to 10 images apiece. Photographs must have been taken any time prior to or during the 2019 contest period, but must have been shot in Massachusetts or at Mass Audubon’s Wildwood Camp in Rindge, N.H. One Grand Prize winner will be awarded a $250 gift card and will be featured in Mass Audubon’s member newsletter, Explore. Eleven winners will receive $100 gift cards, and at least six honorable mentions will receive $50 gift cards. Additional honorable mentions may be awarded at the discretion of the judges. To enter and to review contest information, including rules and how to submit photos online, visit massaudubon.org/picturethis.
The Lincoln GearTicks at the world championship. Top row: Ben Morris, Alex Payne, Ken Hawkey, Jack Hutchinson, Amelia Pillar, Audrey Gammack, Kevin Ji, and Olivia Crisafi. Bottom row: Emily Appleby, Erin Crisafi, Andreas Muzila, Prerna Karmacharya, and Howie Tsang.
By Kevin Ji
The Lincoln GearTicks were finalists for the top award at the FIRST World Championship in Detroit, impressing the judges with their community outreach and robot design.
Teams came from all over the world at the end of April to take part in three-day event, the culmination of the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) for middle and high school students. Teams design, build, and program robots to compete in a specific challenge each year while also promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) in their communities. The GearTicks advanced from the state championships in Pennsylvania earlier this year.
For the Rover Ruckus challenge in 2018-19, teams had to design a robot that could deliver “minerals” (gold cubes and whiffle balls) into the lander (an elevated box with separate containers). Robots got extra points for attaching to the lander and lifting off the ground. Each team could also program a set of instructions for a 30-second autonomous period at the start of the match, where robots got points for finding a mineral and dropping off a “team marker,” along with other tasks.
After the state competition in March, the GearTicks worked to improve their robot’s intake mechanism to significantly boost the rate of capturing minerals. Team members made some other refinements, such as a new four-directional drive system, as well as welding a new hook.
The GearTicks robot picks up “minerals” (gold cubes and whiffle balls).
Matches went on for a couple of days, with the GearTicks winning some and losing others. Additionally, they discovered that their hook mechanism wasn’t actually tall enough to hook onto the lander — a major blow to the number of points they could achieve. But with the help of a local workshop, the students were able to weld a new hook and continued to rank competitively at the world championship.
The GearTicks also enjoyed meeting other teams from other states and countries. There was a Taiwanese team showing off local traditions and toys, a Romanian team with a very interesting robot design, a Minnesotan team who got to work with the United Nations, and a New Hampshire team that ended up winning the robot tournament at the worlds.
The GearTicks were a finalist for the Inspire Award finalist — the highest FTC award, judged on a combination of robot design along with community outreach events and core values. The team was very proud of the work they’ve done throughout the season, and can’t wait to learn even more next year. They also thanked graduating seniors Howie Tsang, Irene Terpstra, Jack Hutchinson, and Evan Lee for putting in so much time and effort for the team.
Click here to watch the robot in action on YouTube (the GearTicks segment begins at 1:23:00 and the GearTicks robot is labeled 6055), or click here to download a 30-second video.
Kids ages 5–14 are invited to join us for the 15th annual Lincoln Kids Triathlon that starts on Saturday, June 15 at 8:30 a.m. at Codman Pool. Race distances are as follows:
Register through Lincoln Parks & Rec website by clicking “Register for Activities” and then selecting the triathlon and the appropriate age group. The $30 fee includes a T-shirt and a finisher’s medal. Race day registration is $40 so register early. Organizers also need volunteers to help out on the morning of the race; please email Ginger Reiner at ginger.reiner@gmail.com.
The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum offers four Sundays of family yoga in the park on June 9, July 14, August 11, and September 8 with kids’ classes at 10:30 a.m. and adults’ classes at 11:30 a.m. Teachers from On the Mat Studio lead vinyasa yoga surrounded by sculpture and nature. Bring a mat and water bottle; click here to sign up.
Practice gentle hatha yoga with Melinda Bruno-Smith, certified hatha yoga instructor, in the Station Park Garden (160 Lincoln Rd. at the intersection with Ridge Road) on Saturdays, June 8, 15, 22, and 29 from 9–10 a.m. Sessions are free; bring a yoga mat, towel, or blanket to practice on and wear loose-fitting clothing. The session will be cancelled in case of rain. No experience necessary. For more information, contact Bruno-Smith at melindabruno@hotmail.com.
The Lincoln Water Department is seeking two high school or college students who want some very flexible part time hours between July 1 and August 16. Pay is $12/hour. Positions are maintenance worker (lawn mowing and weed-hacking) and office assistant (filing and data entry). If interested, please email jobs@lincolntown.org.
The Lincoln Public Library offers free 30-minute one-on-one help sessions to learn how to borrow and read e-books to read on your phone, tablet, Kindle or tablet on Thursdays from 3–5 p.m. in the Reference Room. Drop in or make an appointment by emailing Kate at ktranquada@minlib.net.
The fifth annual Lincoln PMC Kids Ride to raise money to fight cancer will be held on Sunday, May 12 starting on the Lincoln School campus at 7:30 a.m. for kids age 2–12. The program engages youth in philanthropy, instills the value of working for the benefit of others, and promotes physical activity. There is a short loop in front of the Brooks gym for the youngest riders on tricycles, bicycles with training wheels, and balance bikes (a parent is required to remain at the loop to supervise and cheer on their rider) and a 2-mile loop around the school center green. The registration fee is $20 ($25 on the day of the event), and entrants must raise a minimum of $30. Over the past four years, Lincoln children have raised over $30,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Click here for more information and to register.
There will be an L-S Chamber Concert at the Lincoln Public Library on Thursday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free. Performing groups under the direction of Kyung-Nam Oh include two string quartets, a cello trio, and a string octet, as well as a violin ensemble and flute choir directed by Thomas Grandprey. Works from Schubert, Telemann, Popper, Borodin, and Mendelssohn will be featured. This is a new concert in the L-S music calendar, and organizers hope it becomes a tradition in bringing the students into the communities to share an evening of music with Lincoln and Sudbury residents.
The new Lincoln phone directories are in the mail this week after being stuffed into envelopes by 17 volunteers. The free directories are compiled and mailed every other to each household in town by the Friends of the Lincoln Library.
If you’re interested in perfecting your writing technique, whether for your own personal enjoyment or as part of a writing project, the Write Stuff might be just the right place for you. Authors (and aspiring authors) of all literary styles are welcome. The group meets on the 2nd and fourth Wednesday evenings of each month at the Lincoln Public Library. Share your work and gain insight into improving your work through thoughtful and considerate criticism. Members are encouraged to share their work on a rotating basis every six to eight weeks. When not reading from your own work, you’ll be helping others with their writing. For more information, email lrothenberg@minlib.net or call the library at 781-259-8465 ext 202.
Don Hafner answers Boy Scouts’ questions as Captain William Smith, Commander of the Lincoln Minute Men.
Shortly after sunrise on Friday, April 19, some 60 Boy Scouts and adult leaders met to hike in the historic pathway of American Revolution events of April 19, 1775. They were following the Minutemen’s Pursuit Trail, a National Historic Trail of the Boy Scouts of America that was created by the Spirit of Adventure Council and Concord Scout House.
As the militia-hikers crossed into Lincoln from Concord on the Battle Road trail and approached the Bloody Angle within the Minute Man National Park, they could hear fife music played by Lincoln’s Don Hafner, who portrayed Lincoln Minute Men Commander Captain William Smith and answered hikers’ questions. The music had the same intended effect on this group as it would have in 1775 — reviving tired souls five miles into the 20-mile pursuit.
Around sunset, with the Boston skyline in the background and the Grand Union Flag hoisted above the tired but proud Scouts atop Prospect Hill Tower, they recognized the heroic actions of those who inspired the creation of this hike. Next year, April 19 will be on a weekend, making it an opportunity for even more Scouts to better understand what happened that day in 1775.
The L-S music department presents the Spring Instrumental Concert on Thursday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lincoln-Sudbury Auditorium. Ensembles performing include the Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band. The orchestra is directed by Mr. Kyung-Nam Oh, and the bands are directed by Thomas Grandprey.
Four senior violinists — Katherine Feng, Michael Yue, Evan Lee, and Emma Christman — will be featured on “4 Violins Concerto No. 10 in B minor” (RV 580) by Vivaldi. Members of the Concert Band’s percussion section will be featured on an eclectic work entitled “Arabian Dances” by Brian Balmages. The orchestra and bands will combine for “Grand Finale, Music from the DreamWorks film Gladiator,” and there will be awards for the student musicians. L-S Friends of Music will sell concessions to help support instrument purchases and fund master classes for the music program.
Bird-a-Thon fundraiser coming upMass Audubon’s annual Bird-a-thon fundraiser will take place for 24 hours on Friday and Saturday, May 10–11 from 6 p.m.–6.p.m., when hundreds of birders of all abilities will compete to ID the most species statewide over a 24-hour period. Bird-a-thon takes place in the midst of the spring migration, when millions of birds are returning to Massachusetts to breed and raise young, or stopping to rest and feed in the Bay State before continuing farther north.
Not a birder? Not a problem! Bird-a-thon Boosters participate by fundraising for their favorite teams. Boosters may bird non-competitively, do their own nature-focused activity, or simply rally support for those spending long hours in the field. Last year’s participants raised more than $255,000—the highest amount since the event began in 1983—and identified 275 species, the most ever recorded. Sponsors this year include Presenting Sponsor, Comosse Masonry Supply of Worcester, and WBUR. Click here to participate, donate, and learn more about Bird-a-thon.
Purchase vegetable, herb, and flower seedlings to start your garden at The Food Project’s Baker Bridge Farm (94 Concord Rd., Lincoln) on Saturday and Sunday, May 11–12 from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (rain or shine). The Food Project also has Lincoln CSA shares still available; visit csa.thefoodproject.org for details.
Join fellow Lincolnites for an all-ages Community Capture the Flag on Saturday, May 4 from 4–6 p.m. at the Pierce House. Rules will be explained when you arrive. Please wear clothing with your team color: blue for last names beginning with A–K, red for last names beginning L–Z. There will be extra uniforms for those in need. Park on the grass alongside Weston Road.
The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust is looking for a part-time summer land management intern who will work closely with the LLCT Stewardship Coordinator on land management activities, trail maintenance, baseline monitoring, and special projects. The position is for 15 hours a week over two days from the week of June 1 through August 15(11 weeks), and additional weeks may be considered. Click here details about the position and how to apply. Applications are due by May 15.
The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee will hold its caucus on Saturday, May 18 from 9–11 a.m. in Bemis Hall. All Democrats registered in Lincoln are invited to elect delegates and alternates to the 2019 Massachusetts Democratic State Convention on September 14 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Democrats from across the state will come together to discuss party business and focus on policies for the Democrats to support leading into the 2020 election.
Pre-registered Democrats who will be 16 by May 11 may participate and run as a delegate or alternate. Lincoln can elect five delegates and four alternates to the convention. Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as a delegate or alternate may apply to be add-on delegates to the caucus or at www.massdems.org. Questions? Contact DTC co-chairs Barbara Slayter (bslayter@comcast.net) or Peter Pease (ppease72@gmail..com).
The Foundation for MetroWest is now accepting applications for fall Youth in Philanthropy. All MetroWest high school students interested in making an impact in their communities are encouraged to apply. Programs will take place in Hopkinton, Natick, and Sudbury (dates, times, and meeting locations vary). Click here for more information and to apply. The priority application deadline is Friday, June 7. Students who apply after June 7 will receive an admission decision on a rolling basis as program space allows.
YIP’s experiential learning program teaches participants how to become engaged and informed civic leaders in our community via the importance of philanthropy and the needs that exist in our backyard. Students work together to evaluate grant applications and distribute funds to worthy area nonprofits. YIP also helps local youth develop valuable skills including critical thinking, understanding budgets, public speaking, consensus building, and case-making.
What skills and knowledge will our children need in the future? In an educational system that hasn’t changed in over 100 years in a world of Google, how can our schools evolve to give children the critical skills and knowledge they’ll need? How do we then task and support our faculty to teach these skills?
Join Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall and Assistant Superintendent Jess Rose for a chance to help construct a “Profile of a Learner” for the Lincoln Public Schools. on Wednesday, April 24 from 8:15–9:45 a.m. or Thursday, April 25 from 7–8:30 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room. This event is for parents, caregivers, and community members of all ages.
More dates may be announced for late spring or early fall. Anyone with questions may contact Janice Gross at jgross@lincnet.org or 259-9409.
The Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) will host the following three sessions on special-education topics for parents. All events are free and open to the public. Check the SEPAC calendar for details. Please RSVP to lssepac.info@gmail.com to make sure there are enough materials for everyone.
Birches School in Lincoln is offering a summer program at its Bedford Road campus taught by Birches School faculty. Kids will enjoy nature-inspired fun through yoga, art, forest explorations, biomimicry, engineering, water play, vegetable gardening and more. Open to rising K-6 students. Weeklong programs ($525 a week) run on August 12-16 and August 19-23 from 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; sign up for one or both. Early and after care is available. Click here for more information and to register.