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

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Lincoln Winter Carnival events planned, snow or shine

“Snowman Mailbox” built by Team Webber (11 Minebrook Rd.) for the 2015 Winter Carnival.

All weekend: Online snow sculpture contest
Build your snow sculpture, then snap a photo with you in it and send it to dsequeira@lincnet.org. Submit as many sculptures as you like! We will accept submissions until 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2 and then post them online for voting. Winners will be chosen on Sunday, Feb. 3.

Thursday, January 31

Bauhaus: The Face of the 20th Century
7–9 p.m., Lincoln Public Library
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus, FoMA and Historic New England offer this 50-minute film looking at the development of the Bauhaus, its work, its key figures, and footage of its founder and Lincoln resident Walter Gropius. The film examines the political unrest and economic chaos of the Weimar Republic in Germany and offers rare footage of the Bauhaus at Dessau. Enjoy refreshments and conversation after the film.

Friday, February 1

Evening at Gropius
5–7 p.m., Gropius House (68 Baker Bridge Rd.)
During this evening house tour, see how Walter Gropius’s innovative lighting scheme comes to life at night. Gropius, founder of the German design school the Bauhaus, was one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century. His 1938 home show cases the clean lines of Modernist design. Light refreshments provided. Call 781-259- 8098 for more info. Free to residents.

LPTO family bingo night
5:30–7:30 p.m., Brooks gym
Come celebrate Family Bingo Night with even more chances to win. Prizes awarded for each winning board. Awesome raffle prizes up for grabs. Pizza dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. with snacks and drinks available for purchase all night. Free entry. Bingo cards are $5 (15-game multi-pack); raffle tickets are $1 each, or six for $5 and 15 for $10 (suggested donation).

Saturday, Feb. 2

Community pancake breakfast
8–11 a.m., First Parish Church parish house
Start Off Winter Carnival Saturday with delicious pancakes with real maple syrup, courtesy of the Lincoln Girl Scouts. Plain, blueberry, choc chip, and gluten-free pancakes with pure maple syrup along with coffee, tea, orange juice, and fruit. Meet friends, catch up with neighbors, enjoy crafts and of course, Girl Scout cookies will be on sale. $5 for those under 12, $10 for everyone else ($30 family maximum).

Snowshoe tours
10:30 a.m.–noon and 1–2:30 p.m., deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum
Enjoy nature and art in winter. Discover a fun and active way to explore the Sculpture Park. Tours are led by a museum guide and an EMS instructor. Visit decordova.org/calendar to purchase tickets. Rent snowshoes or bring your own.

Fun and games at Magic Garden
11 a.m.–1 p.m. Magic Garden Preschool
Enjoy carnival games, arts and crafts activities and indoor “ice skating” in your socks. Magic Garden is located in the Hartwell building on the Lincoln School campus. Follow the walkway up the hill, past the toddler playground to our front door. We look forward to seeing you there. This event is best suited for children ages 2 to 5 years.

Lincoln holistic wellness fair
Noon–3 p.m., Bemis Hall
Wellness practitioners will provide a drop-in “clinic” to help address what ails you while providing information about alternative/complementary medicine. Receive care from practitioners of acupuncture, therapeutic massage, reflexology, holistic nutrition, yoga, ayurveda, integrative imagery, therapeutic touch, dowsing and more. Healthy teas and treats will be available. Contact Jai Kaur Annamaria at asanajai@verizon.net with questions.

Community skating  and bonfire
1–3 p.m., Cemetery Pond, Lexington Road
Enjoy skating, hot chocolate, and toasted marshmallows by the campfire. Bring your own skates. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we will be hosting a Capture the Flag event instead, so stay tuned to www.LincolnRec.com for updates.

LFA Energy Blaster
3:15–5:15 p.m., Brooks gym
Jump in a bounce house, run through an obstacle course, climb, and slide. The gym will be filled with fun ways to let out some energy. Free for 2019 LFA members ($10 per child for non-members). A new 2019 LFA membership or renewal on the spot ($50/year) gives you admission, or renew online at www.lincfam.org.

Owl prowl at Farrington
4:30–6 p.m., Farrington Nature Linc (291 Cambridge Turnpike)
Join us for a free guided “owl prowl” for the whole family with ornithologist Clay Graham on Farrington’s unique 75-acre property. We’ll make an owl-themed craft, learn about types of owls local to our region and their calls, and take a short early-evening hike to look and listen for owls, followed by a story and hot chocolate by our wood stove. All ages welcome, but geared toward families with children ages 4+. Registration is limited to 30 people—click here to register online.

Lincoln acoustic coffeehouse
7–10 p.m., Bemis Hall
Our annual night to showcase local musicians and performers. We have over 14 acts—some returning, some new—ready to play for you, and there’s a good chance you know some of them. Coffee and desserts will be served. Tickets are available online at www.LincolnRec.com. General admission is $10 and a table for eight is $160.

Sunday, February 3

Discover Drumlin in winter
Drumlin Farm, 208 South Great Rd.
Visit our animals in their winter homes, look for wildlife tracks or other signs of animals in the snow, or check out our feeders at our wildlife blind. Drop-in programs take place at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 2:30 p.m. Free for Lincoln residents.

Make your own pinecone owl
10:30–noon, deCordova carriage house
Join Lincoln Nursery School in partnership with deCordova to craft your own pinecone owl. Bring your own pinecone or use one of ours. Appropriate for all ages.

Let the games begin
12:30–2 p.m., First Parish in Lincoln parish house
Join us after lunch for some old-fashioned unplugged, battery-free fun: Boggle, Jenga, marbles, Scrabble and, and cocoa and community. Prizes for all ages. Visit fplincoln.org for more info.

Hiking, wine tasting, and board games
1–3:30 p.m., Pierce House/Turtle Creek Winery
3:30–5:30 p.m., Pierce House
Gather at the Pierce House for a short hike through the woods to Turtle Creek Winery to partake in a wine tasting before returning to the Pierce House for hot cider, snacks, and board games (bring your favorite if you like). Come for one or both events. Wine tasting is limited to 15 persons, age 21+. $15 per person. Registration required at www.LincolnRec.com. Questions? Contact Nancy at nancy@piercehouse.com.

Hula La!
2–3 p.m., Lincoln Public Library
Chase away those winter blues at our tropical island dance party. In their fun, interactive musical show, the band Hula La will entertain the whole family with a blend of Hawaiian, calypso and reggae music that will take you to the islands.

Strike up the band (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Lincoln School musicians directed by music teacher Karen Sheppard were one of seven schools, colleges, and local musicians who gave holiday performances at the Watertown Mall shortly before Christmas. Other schools were Boston University Academy, Perkins School for the Blind, St. Jude’s School, Belmont Hill School, and Watertown middle and high schools. It was the first year that the Lincoln School performed.

Above (front row, left to right): Simon Karty, Kalash Manandhar, Elizabeth Cooke, Sebastiano D’Ambrosio, Sage Gorman, and Hunjun Lee. bStanding in back: Georgia Buendia and Alexandar Balogh.

Standing in back (left to right): percussionists Nicholas Volpone, Georgia Buendia, Aubie Wells, and Alexander Balogh. Front row: Karen Sheppard (conductor), Sebastiano D’Ambrosio, Hunjun Lee, Nina Gill, and Olivia Wilkinson.

Six-year-old thrilled to win Pierce House raffle

William Kaluzniacki sits proudly next to the Pierce House dollhouse he recently won in a raffle (click to enlarge).

William Kaluzniacki of Lincoln won the Pierce House dollhouse raffle, and he couldn’t be happier—fixing up dollhouses is his thing, even though he’s only six.

“This is perfect—he really loves carpentry, and he’s always creating small-scale furniture at home,” said his mother, Joanna Wills. Her son got interested in carpentry after his older brother took wood shop and made some furniture at Belmont Hill School, and he’s already working on a dollhouse project, His Lincoln School teacher, Siobhan Rooney, let him take her mother’s dollhouse home to make some minor repairs.

The Pierce House dollhouse was originally owned by Barbara Frentz Kurson, an interior designer and decorator who lived in Concord. She commissioned the Pierce House replica dollhouse and decorated it with furniture. After her death, her daughter, Robin Frentz Isaacs of Lincoln, donated it to the Pierce House. The proceeds from the raffle will help fund ongoing maintenance and repairs to the full-size version of the house, which was built in 1900.  

The dollhouse is in pretty good shape overall, and repairs will be a lot easier because it came with all the original documentation, paints and other materials. So far, William has replaced some of the tiny cedar shakes on the roof “and maybe a mullion or two,” and he even made a miniature table saw and ladder to sit outside the house to show it’s under construction. He might even install electric lighting inside, she said.

“It’s given him a little more of a creative outlet,” Wills said. “He looks forward to showing it to everyone who comes to the house.”

Girl Scouts spearhead successful donation program for seniors

Girl Scouts collect donations for Lincoln seniors from fellow students at the Lincoln School.

Thanks to a donation drive by the Lincoln Girl Scouts, 28 bags “full to the brim” with donated items will be distributed to needy seniors in Lincoln, said Council on Aging Director Carolyn Bottum.

The Scouts teamed up with the Lincoln Council on Aging to host a holiday gift basket drive during the weeks before Thanksgiving to benefit homebound, frail, and economically disadvantaged seniors living in Lincoln. The Scouts collected donations of toiletries, cleaning supplies, socks, and helpful household items that COA staff will deliver on home visits. Many other Lincoln residents donated items to the COA as well.

For two weeks, the girls stood in the foyer of the Lincoln School during arrival time to greet and solicit participation from their peers,. They also made morning announcements on the PA system to the school and even spent an afternoon outside Donelan’s getting the word out to local residents.

The hands-on, goal-oriented project taught Scouts marketing and social skills even as they learned about the importance of giving back—and they were impressed by the amount of donations they collected. During the “sorting party,” one girl exclaimed “We did this! Because of us, over 40 homes will get a beautiful gift basket with all this stuff!”

This was the second year that the COA has assembled gift bags but the first in which the Girl Scouts played a leading role. Girl Scout troop leader Tomasina Lucchese noted that the group is thankful to the entire community and especially the COA “for all the wonderful work they do all year round.”

Pierce House needs help with First Day 2019

Lincoln residents and their guests are invited to First Day 2019 on January 1, 2019 from 1–5 p.m. at the Pierce House—and organizers need help in making the annual event happen.

The drop-in event celebration, which is a great way to meet neighbors and fellow Lincolnites, features food, desserts, refreshments, children’s activities, and music by the Ancient Mariners. Last year’s event, initially threatened by a lack of funding, came together with the support of town organizations, private citizens, and volunteers; this year, more volunteers are needed for setup, serving, and cleanup. Though the actual event runs from 1–5 p.m., organizers need hands to help from 10 a.m–7 p.m. Please click this volunteer signup form to pick a task and time slot.

Financial contributions are also needed; if you can donate to the celebration, please contact Nancy Beach at nancy@piercehouse.com or 781-259-9757.

New climate justice program for teens at Drumlin Farm

A new Youth Leaders for Climate Justice program announced by Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary aims to engage youth in grades 9-12 to create and implement local climate action projects.

This program, stressing commitment to community through a lens of climate action, begins with a Climate Learning Intensive Program on January 26, 2019 at Drumlin Farm for leadership and education workshops. Working alongside Mass Audubon’s climate professionals and local climate activists, each team of 3-12 students will create and implement a unique action project in their communities and will present the project at a Climate Summit on May 18, 2019.

To apply, student teams need not have determined what their project will be; all they need is an adult sponsor and an interest in climate justice. Click here for more information and an online application. The deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 21. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. The fee for accepted teams is $300. Mass Audubon will work with any team that needs assistance funding the participation fee.

This program is made possible by grants from the Foundation for MetroWest and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Church holiday events scheduled

St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields

The church’s annual Christmas Lessons and Carols service is Sunday, Dec. 16 at 5 p.m. This annual service features stories read by clergy and parishioners, anthems sung by the choir, and hymns sung by everyone. Bring a treat to share afterwards at the festive reception. Christmas Eve services on Monday, Dec. 24 will be at 3 p.m. (family service), 7:30 p.m., and 10 p.m.

First Parish in Lincoln

Karin Levy and Nancy Fleming, co-chairs of the First Parish in Lincoln’s Touch of Christmas Fair that takes place on December 8 from 10 a.m.– 1 p.m. in the parish house.

Touch of Christmas Fair (Saturday, Dec. 8 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m.)
Shop local for antiques, tableware, costume jewelry, crafts and baked goods. There will be many hands-on activities for children including Christmas cookie decorating, a fishing tree, a decorate-your-own-ornament activity, and a special children’s shopping room complete with holiday wrapping help. Santa will arrive at 11 a.m., and children can have photos taken on Santa’s lap. The fair will feature homemade holiday wreathes and centerpieces for sale made by dozens of volunteers the week of the fair. A lunch featuring Psalm soup, salad, and pita bread will be available for purchase at noon. Admission is free. 

Hand bell choir concert (Tuesday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m.)
The First Parish hand bell choir presents its holiday concert in the Parish House auditorium. 

Handel’s “Messiah” (Saturday, Dec. 22 at 3 p.m.)
“Live in Lincoln Center” presents Handel’s Ian Watson and select members of the Handel and Haydn Society orchestra and chorus will perform this iconic and moving piece. Suggested donation: $30 per person.

Nativity pageant (Sunday, Dec. 23 at 10 a.m.)
A traditional nativity pageant, in a rendition that aspires to Cecil B. DeMille and hits a bit closer to Charlie Brown. There are parts for any child who wants one, even if you show up only on December 23.

Robotics team hosts expo for aspiring young engineers

The GearTicks’ Laura Appleby (second from right) and Evan Lee (far right) congratulate teams in a blue-wigged high-five line at the awards ceremony.

By Evan Lee

Dozens of students gathered at Lincoln School’s Reed Field House on November 17 for Lincoln Legopalooza, an exciting day of fun with LEGO robotics and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

FIRST Lego League Jr. (FLLJr) is a new addition to Lincoln’s robotics programs, allowing students as young as 5 to enter the STEM world. For the past two months, small groups of K-3 students have been industriously working in teams building and programming LEGO models as well as creating a “ShowMe” poster documenting their process.

Each year, FIRST creates a challenge for teams to tackle. This year’s “Mission Moon” challenged teams to learn about the moon and how to support a living environment in a moon base. The GearTicks, Lincoln’s local robotics team, organized the Legopalooza—Massachusetts’ first FLLJr Expo this season. The team’s middle- and high-school students helped kick-start and mentor all six of Lincoln’s FLLJr teams, bringing them together at the event to showcase their work.

The students’ excitement shone through the entire day and their season, highlighted in their quirky team names. GearTicks members served as reviewers, evaluating each of the teams’ models and posters. Camille of team Moon Ice Cream explained their moon base’s sliding door: the team used sensors to automatically open and close it. Pointing to a printout of their WeDo block programming code, she aptly noted, “It’s really, really long! It took us most of [a whole meeting] to program.”Moon Ice Cream’s obstacle-avoiding car won them the Master Programmer award.

Debra Daugherty, the team’s coach, appreciated GearTicks team members’ mentoring role through the season. “They tried to get the kids to think for themselves and to problem solve instead of just handing them the answers. The kids loved the final product,” she said.

Team Galactic Bots was thrilled with their Inquiring Minds award.

Team Blast to the Past took a recreational approach for their moon base, including a central area with campfires and diving boards. The students’ focus on fun was evident as they proudly presented their model and poster. Each team won a unique award, recognizing the strengths of each of their presentations.

Legopalooza also had a slew of other fun activities for the kids. Imaginations ran wild at the LEGO free-build table, and students were able to give their medal name tags a unique personal touch with colorful LEGO studs and cones at the medal decoration table. The Green GearTicks FIRST LEGO League had a display alongside the GearTicks FIRST Tech Challenge robot, introducing the younger generation to the next steps in the organization’s progressions of competition and inspiring them to continue pursuing STEM activities.

The event was a significant step in fostering a culture of STEM with Lincoln’s young students. “The FIRST progression of programs is beautifully designed to increase the challenges as students grow,” said Tim Hawkey, a coach of both FLL and FTC teams. Richard Gammack agreed. “It’s incredible how rapidly they progress from simple fun toy robots to sophisticated, engineered, 3D printed and machined robots,” he said. “I was thrilled to share my love of STEM with these aspiring engineers, and I hope we continue to organize FLLJr teams and events in years to come!”

News acorns

FELS pie ordering deadline extended

The FELS Thanksgiving Pie order deadline has been extended through midnight on Sunday, Nov. 11. Online orders will be accepted for pies for pickup, as a gift for Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School teachers/staff, or donation—go to www.FELSGrant.org.  Pecan, pumpkin, apple and chocolate pies will be available for pickup on Tuesday, Nov. 20 in Lincoln or Sudbury. FELS will also deliver gifts of pies to teachers and staff at L-S and will gratefully accept donations of pies for the L-S Senior Citizen Thanksgiving Luncheon, food pantries in Lincoln or Sudbury, or Lincoln or Sudbury fire and/or police.

COA seeks donations for holiday gift baskets

During the holidays, Lincoln Council on Aging staff visit homebound, frail, and needy seniors to deliver baskets full of basic necessities. They are collecting new, unopened, unscented, full-sized items to fill the baskets: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, tissues, paper towels, toilet paper, lip balm, deodorant, disposable razors, shaving cream, kitchen sponges, trash bags, laundry soap, socks, coffee and tea, postage stamps, and pharmacy gift cards. Questions? Call Abigail at 781-259-8811. Please bring your donations to the Council on Aging in Bemis Hall by December 7.

Youth in Philanthropy accepting applications

For eighth-graders and high school students interested in making an impact in their community and becoming a civic leader, the Foundation for MetroWest is currently accepting applications for their Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program. Lincoln School eighth-graders and high school students who live or learn in MetroWest communities are eligible; meetings take place from January to May (dates, times, and locations vary by program). The Lincoln School program meets Mondays and Fridays from 2:20–2:50 p.m. starting Monday, Dec. 3. High school program details and applications are available online at www.yipmetrowest.org/students and are due by Friday, Dec. 7.

YIP helps participants become engaged and informed civic leaders in our community by teaching the importance of philanthropy and the needs that exist in our backyard. YIP also helps local youth develop valuable 21st-century skills including critical thinking, understanding budgets, public speaking, reaching consensus, and case-making. Ultimately, the group of 20 students work together to evaluate grant applications and distribute funds to worthy nonprofits working to serve youth in our communities.

Since launching in 1997, the Foundation for MetroWest’s Youth in Philanthropy program (one of the largest youth philanthropy education programs in the country) has educated over 1,250 students who have granted over $1.1 million to over 200 MetroWest youth development organizations. For more information, visit www.yipmetrowest.org.

GearTicks teach robotics at Girl Scout event

The GearTicks at WPI for the “Geek is Glam” event: Howie Tsang, Ben Morris, Prerna Karmacharya, Andreas Muzila, Erin Crisafi, Amelia Pillar, and Kevin Ji (click to enlarge).

By Prerna Karmacharya

The GearTicks, a local robotics team based in Lincoln, demonstrated their vacuum pump and helped the Girl Scouts build prosthetic hands and drive LEGO Segways at the Girl Scout “Geek is Glam” event on October 13 at WPI in Worcester.

At the event, the Lincoln GearTicks interacted with girls in grades 4–8, teaching them about how robotics is fun and getting them interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

Prerna Karmacharya shows a 3D-printed prosthetic hand to a Girl Scout.

The GearTicks also take part in a competition called FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) for middle and high school students, where they design, build, and program robots to compete in a challenge once a year. Teams all over the globe compete in this competition. FTC also encourages community outreach.

Last year for FTC, the GearTicks designed a vacuum pump as part of their design for their robot and built the pump from parts they made on their 3D printer. The team also spent lots of time perfecting the custom vacuum pump and enjoy sharing knowledge about it with others.

The GearTicks also 3D-printed prosthetic hands as part of the e-NABLE prosthetic hand project. Through building the hands, they are able to give back to the community using their knowledge, and share their skills with others.

The Girl Scouts came in four groups of about 100 kids in each group. Overall there were about 440 Girl Scouts there. Other exhibitors were iRobot and Bose, along with other groups including a few FRC teams.

Lincoln GearTicks team members Amelia Pillar, Erin Crisafi, Howie Tsang, and Andreas Muzila get ready for the Girl Scouts event. 

One of the Girl Scouts worked with GearTick members Prerna and Amelia to build the prosthetic hands. It turned out that this Girl Scout’s foster sister had a prosthetic hand that was also from e-NABLE.

“It overjoyed me to learn about someone who had benefited from these hands,” Prerna said.

The GearTicks hope that they can keep helping the community. They really enjoyed teaching the Girl Scouts about science and engineering, as well as getting them more interested in STEM. The team strives to use their STEM skills to help their local community.