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

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Lincoln Fire Department receives fire education grants

The Lincoln Fire Department recently received two state grants totaling more than $6,500 for fire education for children and seniors. Lincoln’s was one of 228 Massachusetts fire departments to receive Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) program grants to work with classroom teachers to deliver fire and life safety lessons. Of those, 212 departments also received a Senior SAFE program grant to work with older adults on fire and life safety. The town’s grant amounts were $3,951 S.A.F.E. and $2,596, respectively.

The S.A.F.E. Program’s allows trained firefighter-educators to work with teachers to deliver age-appropriate fire and life safety lessons that also meet the requirements of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Health Curriculum Frameworks. In the 21 years of the program’s existence, the average number of children who die in fires each year in Massachusetts has dropped by over 70 percent, according to a release from the office of Gov. Charlies Baker.

Seniors are most at risk of dying in fires in Massachusetts. Using the Senior SAFE program, fire departments partner with local senior service agencies to better educate seniors on fire prevention, general home safety and how to be better prepared to survive a fire.

Middle school stages “The Lion King Jr.”

The Lincoln School production of “The Lion King Jr.” takes place in the school auditorium on March 29, 30 and 31. Seventy student actors and 20 crew members have been rehearsing the show’s drum beats and chant-filled choruses since December. Tickets will be sold at the door ($5 for students and seniors, $10 for adults). Show times are 3:30 p.m. on March 29, and 7 p.m. on March 30 and 31.

Panel looks at journalism and democracy

For a lively conversation on the state of journalism from a local, state, national and international perspective, come to the annual FELS Talk on “Breaking News: Journalism and Democracy in the 21st Century” on Wednesday, April 5 at 7 p.m. at the LSRHS auditorium. Panelists will be:

  • Deborah Becker, senior correspondent and host, WBUR
  • Isaac Feldberg, journalism major and correspondent for The Boston Globe
  • David Grace, L-S history faculty member
  • Anne Mostue, Bloomberg News radio anchor
  • Charles Sennott, founder and executive director of The GroundTruth Project
  • Alice Waugh, founder and editor of The Lincoln Squirrel, an online newspaper

Julie Dobrow, senior fellow, media and civic engagement at the Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University, will moderate the evening. Tickets are $10 at the door. All proceeds will benefit the Foundation for Educators at Lincoln-Sudbury.

Passover seder at First Parish

The First Parish in Lincoln will celebrate Passover with a family seder service and meal on Wednesday, April 5 at 6 p.m. in the Parish House (14 Bedford Rd.). The seder will have the elements of a traditional family haggadah and a meal of hummus and tabbouleh. It will be very participatory and feature activities for everyone in the family.

Passover celebrates the foundational story of Judaism—the release of Jews from captivity in Egypt described in Exodus. The spiritual themes of Passover remain central to the spiritual themes of Christianity and Unitarian Universalism, and are very much a part of the spiritual life of the First Parish in Lincoln. RSVPs are required. Please contact Mandy Beal, ministerial intern, at mandy@firstparishinlincoln.org or 857-208-3482.

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Absentee ballots available

Absentee ballots for the March 27 town 2017 election are now available in the Town Office Building. Residents can come in and vote over the counter or apply by mail. Under state law, the town cannot allow anyone to deliver a physical ballot to a voter. A family member may apply for an absentee ballot to be mailed to another family member. Click here for more information on absentee voting.

Haitian dance performance at L-S

The Jean Appolon Expressions dancers.

On Friday, March 10, there will be a performance by the Haitian dance company jean Appalon Expressions at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. The performance, “Angaje” (which means “engaged” or “committed” in Haitian-Creole) is inspired by the struggle against homophobia and the power of Haitian cultural tradition in the fight for justice. It is a reflection of various forms of social oppression and more particularly the violence against LGBTQ people in Haiti, who are not only victims of discrimination, but also the targets of violence by anti-gay groups.

There will be a reception starting at 6:30 p.m. and the performance will start at 7:30 in Kirshner Auditorium. The performance is free, but donations will be accepted to benefit Partners in Health. The event is hosted by the L-S French Department and the METCO program and sponsored by SERF (Sudbury Education Resource Fund).

Also as part of World Language Week next week, the public is invited to the 14th Annual World Language Declamation Contest in the L-S Auditorium on Thursday, March 9 during block 4. Students including Lincoln residents Zoe Belge, Marissa Cannistraro, Cal Hamandi and Irene Terpstra will recite pieces they have memorized in the languages they are learning. World Language Karaoke will take place on Friday, March 10 in Kirshner Auditorium during blocks 6 and 7 with singing in French, Mandarin, German and Spanish (karaoke lyrics will be supplied). Email World Language Department Coordinator Joan Campbell at joan_campbell@lsrhs.net for more information.

Free after-school classes for kids

The Learning Hub at the Lincoln Public Library is offering free Friday afternoon classes for children ages 7-11 on four Fridays this month from 3:30-4:40 p.m. Topics include:

  • Picasso Cubism Paper Bag Art  (March 10)
  • Catapulting with Marshmallows (March 17)
  • Make a Simple Glider (March 24)
  • Build a Bubble Rocket (March 31)

To sign up for any or all of the classes, contact the library at 781-259-8465 ext. 4 or email jflanders@minlib.net. Classes are provided by The Learning Hub in Worcester.

Elder law clinic on March 13

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 Council on Aging is offering a legal clinic with elder law attorney and Lincoln resident Sasha Golden on Monday, March 13 from 2-4 p.m. There is no charge for the 30-minute consultation, but please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

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Green Energy Committee seeks survey responses

The Lincoln Green Energy Committee is partnering with Wayland and Sudbury to apply for another round of Solarize, a program sponsored by the Mass Clean Energy Center that will allow Lincolnites to install solar at reduced prices. For Lincoln to qualify for the MassCEC’s application process, they need residents’ answers to a short online survey. Whether you’re interested in solar, already have solar, or aren’t sure what this solar business is all about, responding to the survey will help the Lincoln Green Energy Committee design the program to meet the town’s needs. Click here to take the survey before the deadline of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Residents are also invited to “like” the group’s Facebook page to get occasional news posts

Climate change film screenings

St. Anne’s Church in Lincoln is hosting two screenings of the documentary The Age of Consequences on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 2 at 7 p.m. The film explores the effects of climate change on national security and the global order with extensive interviews with defense and intelligence officials. The showings are free of charge and open to the public. Donations will accepted to defray the cost of screening rights. At the February 28 screening, a light supper will be served before the film.  For more information, email contact Alex Chatfield at adchat@aol.com.

First Parish offers Beethoven concert

Ian Wilson and Susan Ogata.

The First Parish in Lincoln (FPL) presents “Live in Lincoln Center: The Beethoven Project—Final Installment” on Saturday, March 11 at 3 p.m. in the parish house auditorium (14 Bedford Rd.). The program includes Ludwig van Beethoven’s Opus 1, No. 1 in D major, No. 2 in A major and No. 3 in E flat major, featuring Susanna Ogata on classical violin and Ian Watson, FPL’s music director, on a replica of an 1805 Walter fortepiano.

The performance marks the culmination of a four-year project to record all 10 sonatas for fortepiano and violin by Beethoven on period instruments. “Using instruments from the period in which the music is written is not an historical or academic exercise,” said Watson. “We use them to imbue the music with the same passion and white-hot intensity with which it was created.”

There will be a reception during the program’s intermission. Suggested donation is $30, but any amount is welcome.

Students invited to apply to Lincoln Scholarship Committee

The Lincoln Scholarship Committee has opened its application cycle for 2017. Graduating seniors who are Lincoln residents are invited to review the criteria and eligibility requirements and consider making an application. Instructions and further information can be found on this Lincoln town web page. The application deadline is April 3.

Sap-to-Syrup Farmer’s Breakfast at Drumlin Farm

Maple sugaring season has begun at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, just in time for the annual Sap-to-Syrup Farmer’s Breakfast. On Saturday and Sunday, March 11 and 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., diners of all ages can feast on hearty pancakes with real maple syrup, as well as Drumlin Farm sausage and roasted potatoes. Diners are welcome to stay at the farm for as little or as long as they’d like and enjoy special maple-themed activities:

  • See how sap is collected from our majestic maple trees.
  • Explore the natural history of trees as you learn about the distinctly northwoods product of maple syrup
  • Learn about Native American sap-to-syrup techniques
  • Purchase maple syrup made at Drumlin Farm to take home with you

Tickets are $13 for Mass Audubon members, $15 for nonmembers, and free for children under 2. Register online or by calling 781-259-2206.

PJ Rogue to play at next LOMA event

PJ Rogue.

PJ Rogue (Paul Rogoshewski) is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, March 13. The event runs from 7-10 p.m., and PJ will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. An award-winning songwriter with a velvety voice and dynamic guitar style, he made finalist in the 2015 RISA performing songwriter competition. You can sample PJ’s music on his website.

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 student advances to state poetry event

Piyusha Kundu

Piyusha Kundu of Sudbury took top honors at the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School finals of Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation contest, at an event at Bemis Hall on February 3.

Sixteen students competed, including Lincoln residents Rebecca Dubrovsky and Owen Finsthwait, and Sudbury residents Ethan Minkoff, Marisa Singh,  Lara Garabedian, Michaella DeSantis, Melody Phu, Elina Suter, Ella Houlihan, Parker Simon, Mary Lee, Julia Martin, Kate Molloy, Lee Goff and runner-up Kendall Dawson.

Kundu will represent L-S on March 4-5 at the regional semifinals. If she makes it to the top tier, she will move on to the state finals on March 12 in the Old South Meeting House in Boston. This event is free and open to the public.

At the finals in Lincoln, students read poems by a variety of authors from Audre Lord to Robert Frost to Li Young-Lee. Judges for the event were L-S history department coordinator Phil James, English teacher Susan Frommer, and L-S School Committee members Nancy Marshall and Radha Gargeya. Organized at L-S by English teacher Danielle Weisse for the sixth year, Poetry Out Loud involved approximately 200 students in the preliminary rounds. The classroom winners competed in the semifinals at L-S on February 1.

Each winner at the state level will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip with an adult chaperone to Washington to compete for the national championship. A total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be awarded at the national finals. The winner of the National Poetry Out Loud Contest wins $20,000.

Poetry Out Loud is a program supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, who have partnered with state arts agencies to encourage the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. The program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.

GearTicks qualify for state championship

Lincoln GearTicks Jack Hutchinson, Dante Muzila and Calvin Terpstra operate the team’s robot.

The Lincoln GearTicks FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics team had another successful tournament earlier this month, winning all their events plus an additional award at the “Twister on Lowder Street” qualifier in Dedham.

FTC is an annual challenge in which teams of students in grades 7-12 build and program small robots to play a game that changes each season. The game is played in a 12-by-12-foot playing field with each match consisting of four randomly partnered teams on two alliances. This year’s challenge involves tasks such as shooting small balls into two large hoops in the center of the field, pressing buttons on beacons to capture them for one’s alliance, and lifting and capping the center hoops with yoga balls—quite a challenge for a robot that has to fit in an 18-inch cube at the start of the match.

After winning all five of their qualification matches, they proceeded to the alliance selection, in which the top four ranked teams choose two additional teams to join their alliance. The GearTicks selected Loose Screws Robotics and Hailstorm, with whom they continued through the semi finals and into the finals before becoming the winning alliance.

“Our alliance partners were really great and had awesome robots,”  Driver Calvin Terpstra. Teammate Anna Sander added, “It was fun to see Loose Screws again, as they competed with us last year from our league all the way through the World Championship.”

In addition to being the captain of the winning alliance, the GearTicks also received the Think Award, which is given to the team whose engineering notebook best reflects the team’s engineering design process journey.

Next stop: the state championship on March 4 at Natick High School. The event is free and open to the public. The team is also planning to demonstrate their robot outside Lincoln’s Town Meeting on March 25. You can find out more about the GearTicks at gearticks.com.

The winning alliance: The GearTicks, Loose Screws Robotics and Hailstorm (click to enlarge).

News acorns

Con Com seeks member

The Conservation Commission is looking for a new commissioner to complete the term of a member who has moved out of town. The group, which meets every third week on Wednesdays from 7-10:30 p.m., approves or denies permits under the guidelines of the state wetlands law and town bylaw. The Con Com also maintains 80 miles of trails in town and stewards 200 acres of agricultural land. Commissioners are expected to participate on related town boards or committees as representatives from Con Com.

Anyone interested in this or other town volunteer opportunities should visit this Volunteer web page, download the application and send it to Peggy Elder in the Board of Selectman’s office. Appointments are made by the board. For more information, please contact Tom Gumbart in the Conservation Department office (781-259-2612) or any commissioner.

Library activities for kids this week

  • Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 11 a.m. — Luna Goes to Mars! is a play about 11-year-old Luna who is determined to build a rocket to go to Mars, with a little help from her pet hedgehog, Astro. A production of ArtsReach, from UNH. Recommended for ages 6 and up. Drop in.
  • Thursday, Feb. 23 from 4- 5 p.m. — Brixology! Kids will learn about different types of engineering and then team up to construct an engineering-themed project using LEGO bricks. Ages 6 and up. To register, call the library at 781-259-8465 ext. 4
  • Friday, Feb. 24 at 10:30 a.m. — Movies and Muffins. Gentle science-themed films based on beloved children’s books. Ages 2 and up. Drop in.
  • Saturday, Feb. 25 at 11 a.m. — Meet author Joshua Funk, who will read from his picture book about the funniest food fight ever: Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast. Recommended for all ages. No registration necessary. Join us after the story time for mini pancakes and waffles.

Library to screen “Seven Beauties”

The Lincoln Public Library Film Society presents Seven Beauties directed by Lina Wertmuller (rated R. approx. 121 minutes, in Italian with English subtitles) on Thursday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. This 1976 film stars Giancarlo Giannini as a petty crook with seven unattractive sisters to support, and it features a picaresque, World War II-era journey through a prison asylum, army service and a Nazi concentration camp. Giannini became a 1970s international icon partially on the basis of this work.

Tour the new Hanscom Middle School

Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Becky McFall and Principal Erich Ledebuhr will lead tours of the new Hanscom Middle School school on Wednesday, March 8 and Monday, March 13, both from 9-11 a.m. The 85,000-square-foot building serves 300 students in grades 4-8 and cost $34 million, funded entirely by the Department of Defense. The school’s design is based on grade-level “neighborhoods” where individual classrooms are clustered around common areas and small break-out spaces. This creates a flexible environment that fosters collaboration, accommodates project work, and provides opportunities for small, class-sized or grade-level groups. The music room, art room, library, full kitchen and gymnasium all have direct access to a central commons that features a stage and serves multiple functions: cafeteria space during lunch, performance center for music and drama, and a place to practice presentation skills for individuals and groups of students.

Tour participants must sign up in advance in order to be granted access to Hanscom Air Force Base. Please contact Mary Gately at gatelym@lincnet.org or at 781-274-7720. The signup deadlines are Marchy 3 for the March 8 tours, and March 8 for the March 13 tour.

Spelling bee registration coming up

Registration for the Lincoln School Foundation’s 10th Annual Spelling Bee will begin on February 27 and run through March 10. The bee will take place on Sunday, April 2 in the Brooks Auditorium from 1-6:30 p.m. This fun, multi-community event is open to all students in grades 3-6 from Smith, Brooks, the Hansom Schools, and Lincoln residents who attend private school or are home-schooled. Children within the same grade will register as a two- or three-person team and compete against other grade-level teams. For more information, see the LSF website or email Gabby Berberian at bee@lincolnschoolfoundation.org.

Fireside Chats on civic engagement, American opportunity

Sharon Antia will lead two Fireside Chats in Bemis Hall on “What Does Civic Engagement Mean to You?” on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 11:30 a.m., and “Is America Still a Land of Opportunity?” on Wednesday, March 22. Both events run from 10-11:30 a.m.

America prides itself on being a place where anyone can succeed, but is this still true? Do some people grow up receiving a better education which leads to better jobs, health and other benefits? How much of an advantage does coming from a wealthier family convey? What do the answers to these questions mean for our society? Come join others in a lively but respectful discussion of this topic facilitated by Sharon Antia using questions and answers on March 22. The purpose of the Fireside Chats is not to convince others of your opinion, but rather to share information and ideas so as to create dialogue and greater understanding.

Author talk on fly-fishing and friendship

The Lincoln Public Library presents a book talk and signing on The Confluence: Fly-fishing & Friendship in the Dartmouth College Grant with former Lincoln resident Phil Odence on Thursday, March 9 at 7 p.m. In a collection of intertwined essays, seven authors who head north each June to a remote cabin reveal how their friendships have grown deeper as their lives flow into middle age, with laughs, tears and insight into the intersection between humanity and the natural world. The reader comes along to experience New England wilderness wonders, stinky outhouses, original watercolors, floods, a wine tasting, a dramatic search and rescue… and fly-fishing for native brook trout. Odence and his family, who are now Waltham residents, lived in Lincoln for more than a decade. He was a long time coach and president of Lincoln Youth Soccer. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

 

News acorns

Library seeks Board of Trustees member

The Trustees of the Lincoln Public Library announce that there is an opening for a self-perpetuating trustee on the board, and they encourage interested Lincoln residents to apply. A summary of the trustee responsibilities is available at the library circulation desk. Under guidelines adopted for the appointment of self-perpetuating trustees, preference will be given to candidates expected and willing to serve for six years. Interested candidates are asked to apply in writing to Peter Sugar or Kathleen Nichols, c/o Lincoln Public Library, Bedford Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 by Monday, Feb. 20. For further information, call Library Director Barbara Myles at 781-259-8465.

A walk through the history of shoes

Are you curious about the footwear of years gone by? If so, explore the evolution of shoes since the reign of Queen Victoria through the 20th century on a “walk” through the history of shoes by Karen Antonowicz of the Rhode Island School of Design on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library Tarbell Room. We will discover the developments that occurred in footwear for women and men of the 19th and 20th centuries, emphasizing the influences that precipitated these changes. The talk is in advance of a trip to see the Peabody-Essex Museum’s “Shoes: Pleasure and Pain” exhibit on Saturday, Feb. 25, but the talk is open to all including those who did not sign up for the trip. Sponsored by The Friends of the Lincoln Public Library .

Seventh-grader chosen for music festival

Emily Feng

Lincoln School seventh-grader Emily Feng was selected through a vigorous audition process to participate in the Massachusetts Music Educators Eastern District Junior Festival to be held at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School on March 3 and 4. The program is offered by the Massachusetts Music Educators Association – Eastern District as an enrichment opportunity that brings together the top musicians in our schools. Over 900 music students in grades 7–9 from 30 school districts auditioned on January 28; less than half were accepted. Emily will play in the first violin section in the orchestra.

 

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Winter Carnival skating replaced with new event

Due to mushy and unsafe ice conditions, the community ice skating that was to be held on Saturday, Jan. 28 on the cemetery pond from noon-3 p.m. has been cancelled. Instead, there will be ab all-ages game of Capture the Flag in Pierce Park from 12:30-2:30 p.m. that day. Rules will be explained when players arrive. There will be two teams; those with last names beginning with the letters A-K will be on the blue team and should wear blue clothing. Those with last names beginning with L-Z will be on the red team and should wear red clothing. There will be extra uniforms for those in need. No sign up—just show up.

Teacher’s book sale on Feb. 8

There will be a Teacher’s Valentine’s Day Book Sale on Wednesday, Feb. 8 from 4-7 p.m. in the Bemis Hall basement, offering gently used books including children’s series, chapter books, early readers, nonfiction, professional books and more. Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Lincoln Library.

 

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LSSC hosts Lincoln presentation on High Tech High

L-S faculty and staff who traveled out to High Tech High in California to delve a bit more deeply into maker spaces, innovation hubs and social entrepreneurship (areas being explored for future classes and extracurricular at L-S) will give a presentation at the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee’s meeting in the Hartwell multipurpose room on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m.

PTO talk on anxiety in kids

The PTO welcomes Jessica Minahan for an evening presentation on “Reducing Anxiety in Kids” on Monday, Feb. 6 from 7- 9 p.m. in the Brooks auditorium. Minahan—a behavior analyst, author, special educator, and consultant to schools—will discuss the importance of understanding the role anxiety plays in children’s behavior and how to use preventive strategies and interventions to help reduce anxiety and increase self-regulation and self-monitoring.

Film, talk on Zionism hosted by GRALTA

The GRALTA Foundation (Grass Roots Awareness, Learning, Travel and Action) will screen the Academy Award-Nominated documentary Promises on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall. The film, which is included in the Lincoln Public Schools’ seventh-grade curriculum, introduces seven Palestinian and Israeli children living only 20 minutes apart in a Palestinian refugee camp, a West Bank Israeli settlement, and East and West Jerusalem neighborhoods. On Sunday, Feb. 5 at 1:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library, GRALTA hosts Mitchell Silver, professor of philosophy at UMass Boston, who will give a talk on “The Origins of Zionism: A History of Modern Jewish Nationalist Thought.”

Speakers sought for Lincoln Academy, sci/tech club

The Lincoln Council on Aging is looking for speakers of all ages for two of its lecture series, the Lincoln Academy and the COA Science and Technology Club.

The Lincoln Academy is a weekly lecture series held each Monday from 12:30-1:30 p.m. from September through June. Speakers generally are Lincoln residents or have a Lincoln connection of some kind. Topics range from history to travelogues to the arts and humanities to interesting projects making the world a better place to science and beyond. Speakers may talk about professional work they are doing, a fascinating trip they took, a historical, arts, or humanities subject they have studied, a moment in history they participated in, and more. The COA is happy to provide technical assistance in preparing the presentation and is particularly looking for speakers for the fall of 2017.

The COA Science and Technology Club offers presentations on a wide variety of science and technology topics in a new series on the third Thursday of each month at 10:15 a.m. Previous and scheduled subjects have included Internet security, ethics and climate change, the evolution of science, and breeding miniature sheep. Again, speakers may present on current work they are doing or a science/technology topic they have studied and would like to share. The COA, which is looking for speakers for both the spring and fall of 2017, can’t provide an honorarium for either series, but we do have enthusiastic and engaged audiences.

People of all ages are welcome to not only be presenters but also to attend presentations in either series. Information on speakers and topics for any given month is generally available on page 3 of “News from Bemis Hall” newsletter and is listed in the Lincoln Journal and the Lincoln Squirrel. If you’re interested in speaking, please call Carolyn of the COA at 781-259-8811 or bottumc@lincolntown.org.

Upcoming library events

  • Family movie: The Secret Life of Pets—Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m.
  • The Lincoln Library Film Society presents The Conformist directed by Bernard Bertolucci on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m. A weak-willed Italian man becomes a fascist flunky who goes abroad to arrange the assassination of his old teacher, now a political dissident. Rated R; in Italian with English subtitles. Movie style refreshments will be served.
  • Friends of the Lincoln Library book sale—Saturday, Feb. 11 from 9 a.m. to noon in the Bemis Hall basement.
  • Valentine’s Day Dance Party for ages 6 and under—Saturday, Feb. 11 from 11 a.m. to noon. Come shake it with your kids!  We’ll have a sweet time dancing to children’s songs, oldies and some pop favorites. Drop in.

February vacation classes at Minuteman

Minuteman High School offers February vacation courses on Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 21-24 for kids in grades 1-9. Morning sessions are from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and afternoon sessions run from noon-3 p.m; you may register for one or both sessions. Programs include a mix of old favorites and new offerings: Alien Planet, Artrageous Art, Aspiring Chefs, Beginner Baking, Creative Writing, Digital Photography, Engineering and Electricity, Games Galore, Graphic Design, Kids’ Cool Chemistry, and Minuteman Sports. Register online, by phone at 781-861-7150, by fax at 781-861-7250, or in person.

Ms. G gets ready to strut her stuff

The incomparable Ms. G.

Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary is set to host their annual Groundhog Day event on Thursday, Feb. 2. Watch Ms. G, the Official State Groundhog of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, deliver her 10th prognostication.

The live groundhog forecast starts at 10 a.m., followed by winter activities such as meeting Drumlin Farm’s resident wildlife, exploring its trails, and learning how to identify animal tracks in the snow. Hot cocoa will be provided.

Featured Programs:

  • Learn the forecast for spring’s arrival from our woodchuck weather expert
  • Visit our resident wildlife and farm animals
  • Meet Don McCasland of Blue Hill Observatory Science Center
  • Learn about winter tracking
  • Make winter crafts to take home
  • Purchase produce grown right at Drumlin Farm

Admission is $9 for adults, and $6 for children ages 2–12 and seniors (free for Mass Audubon members). Activities are free with admission.