News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.
Allen Vander Meulen captured this closeup of a forget-me-not (click to enlarge).
Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.
Nancy Selvage photographed this swirl of pollen in Valley Pond.
Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.
Affordable housing forumCome find out more about the town’s new Affordable Accessory Apartments Program in a forum especially for homeowners and tenants. On Wednesday, June 14 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall, members of the Housing Commission will give information and answer questions. What are the benefits for homeowners and tenants? How does the Housing Commission match up tenants with homeowners? What is the lottery? Why do I have to choose a tenant from your list? How long will I wait for an affordable apartment. Come join the Housing Commission and get answers.
The Fatherhood Project presents “A Celebration of Fatherhood: Strengthening Family Connections” with guest speaker Andre Dubus III, author of Townie, The Garden of Last Days, and House of Sand and Fog on Friday, June 16 from 6:30–9 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Click here for more information.
RiverFest, an annual celebration of the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Rivers, takes places on Saturday and Sunday, June 17–18 with more than 40 events for all ages—free walks, talks, hikes, paddles, concerts, and art—in nine communities from Lowell to Framingham.
Among the events close to Lincoln: a guided walk at the Walden Woods conservation area with naturalist Peter Alden as he looks for plants and birds along Fairhaven Bay; in Sudbury where participants can join a Mass Audubon naturalist on a visit with native wildlife, birds and reptiles that live along riverbanks; and the closing solstice event at the Old Manse in Concord. For a full listing of events and maps, visit riverfest.sudbury-assabet-concord.org or call 978-223-5049 with questions.
Lincoln Public Library will be open late for Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School students studying for final exams on Thursday, June 15 and Monday, June 19 until 10 p.m. Snacks will be provided and staff will be on hand to monitor students to provide a safe place, though no library services will be provided.
The library will be open on Saturdays this summer from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. on July 8, 15, 22 and 29.
From Sunday, June 18 through early September, St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church will celebrate a single service of Holy Eucharist at 9 a.m.
The School Building Committee invites residents to a kickoff workshop on Wednesday, June 14 from 7:30-9 p.m. in the Brooks gym. Attendees will have the chance to met SBC members, learn about the next steps and the draft timeline, and help develop the town’s decision criteria for a school project.
Children of all ages are invited to the library on Thursday, June 15 from 3:30–5 p.m. for balloon sculpting, crafts, a raffle, make-your-own sundaes, and a magic show by Ed Popielarczyk at 4 p.m. Kids can pick up their reading Challenge forms. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.
Lincoln resident Gwyn Loud will give an informal talk on the basics of identifying birds and bird calls on Tuesday, June 20 from 9:30–10:30 a.m. at the Lincoln Public Library in the terrace off the first-floor link (rain date: Wednesday, June 21).
The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum will stage Park Fest on Saturday, June 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as a 5K trail run starting at 9:30 a.m. (click here to register). Signature collaborative activities from deCordova’s Learning & Engagement Team will include:
Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band
June 2 at 12:30 p.m.
On Friday, June 2, the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band will be in the house once again from 12:30–1:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Once again they will lift your spirits with upbeat favorite tunes for you to tap your toes to or sing along with. What? You’ve never been to even one of the past 38 concerts? Come find out what the regulars are enjoying while you’ve been sitting at home.
Lincoln Academy with Ben Horne—”The Essence of Bhutan”
June 5 at 12:30 p.m.
Ben will discuss, with pictures, a trip he and Jean took last October to the tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, known for its peace, happiness, and dramatic beauty. While many trips to the Himalayas can be classified as “treks”, this trip was more a brief immersion in the kingdom’s magical, mystical culture and history. 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. All ages welcome.
Tour the New Hanscom Middle School
June 8 at 10 a.m.
The Lincoln Public Schools and the Council on Aging invite you to tour the new Hanscom Middle School. A bus will leave the Donelan’s parking lot at 10 a.m. on June 8 and return about 1 p.m. You must call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up by noon on June 2, giving your full legal name and date of birth in order to be granted access to Hanscom Air Force Base. The new Hanscom Middle School is an 85,000-square-foot serving 300 students in grades 4-8. The $34 million construction cost was funded entirely by the Department of Defense Education ActivityThe firm of Ewing Cole designed the school building to support 21st-century education with 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. The building includes many energy-efficient features. The tour will be led by Superintendent Becky McFall.
Public Safety cookout
June 9 at 11 a.m.
Join Public Safety on Friday, June 9 at 11 a.m. for a cookout at the Pierce House. You’ll start off by finding out more about current trends in frauds and scams and how to avoid being a victim; home safety from both police and fire perspectives; and services offered by Public Safety. At noon, Public Safety will be cooking up hamburgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers with all the fixin’s. Because the event will be under the tent, the cookout will go on rain or shine. Please sign up by June 2 by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.
Lincoln Academy with James Harrison—”The Food Project and food justice in Massachusetts”
June 12 at 12:30 p.m.
James Harrison, executive director of The Food Project, will provide an update on the organization as well as the current state of food justice in Massachusetts and the role of The Food Project in creating multi-generational communities that work together to build sustainable and equitable food systems. 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. All ages welcome.
Free wellness clinic for all ages
June 13 at 10 a.m.
Meet with a nurse at Lincoln Woods on Tuesday, June 13 from 10 a.m. to noon. Blood pressure, nutrition and fitness, medication management, chronic disease management, resources, and more. Funded by the Ogden Codman Trust and provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care.
Medicare 101: What to know, how to choose
June 13 at 7 p.m.
Come find out the basics of Medicare on Tuesday, June 13 at 7 p.m. at Bemis Hall with Minuteman Senior Services SHINE counselors Don Milan and Anne Meade. This introduction to Medicare is especially for those who will be signing up soon, but is also for those who just wish to learn more and understand their 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, avoiding penalties when you sign up late, and more. Bring your questions and concerns.
Gloucester and the Cape Ann Museum
June 14 at 9:30 a.m.
On Wednesday, June 14, the COA will head to the Cape Ann Art Museum in downtown Gloucester. There the group will have a docent-led tour of the collection of Fitz Henry Lane paintings, the luminist, marine painter (1804-1865) of this historic seaport, the museum’s collection of 18th-century portraits and contemporary art, and the fisheries, maritime and granite galleries. Lunch will be together at your own cost at a nearby restaurant. If the weather is good you will have time to wander Main Street filled with galleries, a wonderful artists’ cooperative, restaurants and shops. The bus will leave the Lincoln Mall at 9:30 a.m. sharp, returning to Lincoln around 4 p.m. The non-refundable cost of the trip is $22. This trip, supported by the Hurff Fund, is open to Lincoln residents 60+. Reservations must be made by June 8. Send checks payable to FLCOA/Trips to Donna Rizzo, 22 Blackburnian Road, Lincoln, MA 01773. Please include your phone number and email address. Please call Donna at 781-257-5050 with questions.
Next steps for affordable accessory apartments
June 14 at 10 a.m.
Come find out more about the Town’s new Affordable Accessory Apartments Program in a forum especially for homeowners and tenants. On Wednesday, June 14 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall, members of the Housing Commission will be here to give information and answer questions. What are the benefits for homeowners and tenants? How does the Housing Commission match up tenants with homeowners? What is the lottery? Why do I have to choose a tenant from your list? How long will I wait for an affordable apartment. Come join the Housing Commission and get answers.
Strawberry ice cream social
June 15 at noon
Celebrate this special time of year at the annual strawberry ice cream social at Bemis Hall on Thursday, June 15 at noon. The event is sponsored by the COA and the Friends of the COA. Bring a bag lunch at noon or just come for dessert. Make your own ice cream sundae with luscious ice cream topped with strawberries, chocolate, and more, then share conversation with friends old and new. Please RSVP to the COA by calling 781-259-8811 and tell them if you will need a ride.
Ethics and climate change
June 16 at 9:30 a.m.
Climate change has not only a scientific component, but an ethical one as well that relates to political, economic, and other actions on local, national, and international levels. Come hear a presentation and discussion led by John Terrell, Ph.D., on Friday, June 16 at 9:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall on the many facets of ethics and climate change. Terrell will highlight the most recent successful Annual Town Meeting warrant article and a critique of the Paris Agreement including the possibilities of various alternate energy options and the economic and political necessities to effectively combat climate change. Come with your questions, concerns, and ideas.
Facing our futures with hope and love
June 16 at 12:30 p.m.
Join Rev. Lilian Warner, spiritual director/chaplain of Newbury Court, on Friday, June 16 at 12:30 for informal coffee, pastries, and conversation while she shows a video and shares her thoughts on how we can be molded and mended into new beings—different from who we were and still valuable—and create a better future for ourselves and others with the “Triple L, Double C of Living,” or how we must “Listen, Learn, Love, Care and Connect.” Call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up.
Lincoln Academy with Tom Gumbart—backyard butterflies, dragonflies and more
June 19 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, June 19 at 12:30 to hear Tom Gumbart, Lincoln’s conservation director, discuss “Backyard Butterflies, Dragonflies, and More.” Tom will give a photo show and talk on insects and other small critters found locally. Featured photos will be close-up images, especially of pollinator species on flowers. 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.
Coffee with Lincoln artist Loretta Arthur
June 20 at 2:30 p.m.
Join Loretta Arthur for a reception celebrating her art exhibit that will be in the Bemis Artists Gallery through June on Tuesday, June 20 at 2:30 p.m. A Lincoln resident since 1994, Loretta has recently begun painting again after a 25-year hiatus while she raised three children and practiced with her husband in the firm D.W. Arthur Associates Architecture. She was a studio art major at Brandeis with a concentration in sculpture, and received a master’s in architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design. The paintings for this exhibit include still life and landscapes.
The COA Science and Technology Club—technical challenges of making measurements on human beings
June 22 at 10 a.m.
Both human beings and instrumentation can often be very fragile, especially in medical, transport, and hospital environments. Paul Svetz will lead a discussion on Thursday, June 22 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall on some of the interesting and unusual technical challenges of designing and building devices for making measurements of physiological functions. Everyday contact with physical, electrical, and chemical items that offer little risk in daily life can be quite hazardous in the medical area.
Managing arthritis with exercise
June 23 at 12:30 p.m.
Please join Ryan Stoddard, orthopedic clinical specialist of Emerson Hospital’s Center for Rehabilitative and Sports Therapies, on Friday, June 23 at 12:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. The notion of living a long healthy life appeals to all of us. The Center for Rehabilitation and Sports Therapies advocates for a life to be active and engaging. Exercise and activity promote a healthy life. Active longevity is about staying active and engaged as long as possible and improving your quality of life. You will learn some tips on how to manage osteoarthritis as well as some safe exercises to promote joint health and keep you staying active longer.
Fireside chat: the U.S. Constitution
June 28 at 10 a.m.
Do you have a favorite line from the Constitution? A favorite amendment? Something that confuses you or excites you? Have you ever read it? Come to Bemis Hall for a discussion of the U.S. Constitution. Join others in a lively but respectful discussion facilitated by Sharon Antia using questions and answers on Wednesday, June 28 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall. The purpose is not to convince others of your opinion, but to share ideas so as to create dialogue and understanding.
Canal & Mill Tour – Lowell National Historic Park
Save Tuesday, July 25 for a fascinating day at the Lowell National Historic Park. Find out about the famous “mill girls,” the technology that powered the mills, and how immigrants have contributed to the industrial city. First, the group will hop a trolley to the Swamp Locks. There you will board a canal boat and cruise the Pawtucket Canal, maybe even all the way to the Pawtucket Falls. Then you’ll have lunch at one of the many ethnic restaurants in the area. Finally you’ll visit the Boott Cotton Mill Museum and Mill Girls and Immigrants Exhibit. The air-conditioned bus will leave Donelan’s parking lot at 9:15 a.m., returning at approximately 4 p.m. This trip is rated moderate for physical ability, as there will be some walking and entering/ exiting the canal boat entails steep steps. Non-refundable cost including lunch is $32, and drinks are on your own. This trip is funded by the Hurff Fund and is therefore open to Lincoln seniors only. To reserve a space, send a check made out to FLOCA/Trips to Donna Rizzo, 22 Blackburnian Road, Lincoln, MA 01773. Be sure to include your phone number and email address. Your reservation is complete when your check is received. Questions? Contact Donna at 781-257-5050 or donna@ecacbed.com.
En plein air drawing with Bernadette Quirk at Lincoln Tree Tour sites
Enjoy the outdoors while learning to draw nature’s glory outside with the Council on Aging’s new class, En Plein Air Drawing with Bermadette Quirk. The class will take place on six Wednesdays at 9 a.m. beginning on July 12. Meet at Bemis Hall the first week. Then each class will take place at each of the five Lincoln Tree Tour locations. Bernadette will e-mail you the list of materials needed for this class. No previous experience necessary; beginners encouraged. The cost is $20 per session. Please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811 and leaving your contact information.
Lyrica Boston Chamber Music will give a free concert on Saturday, April 29 at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall. On the program will be Schubert’s Trout Quintet and other works in a surprising array of styles. A reception with light refreshments will follow the concert. Musicians will include Laura Bossert (violin), Annie Bartlett (viola), Mariel Bossert (piano), Mina Kim (cello) and Donald Palma (bass). The Lyrica Boston Chamber Music series was founded by Lincoln resident Laura Bossert to provide a launching ground for young emerging artists to perform alongside seasoned professionals. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging.
Dave Whitney and his Big Band will play in Bemis Hall on Sunday, April 30 from 2–5 p.m. Presented by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.
Local residents—particularly parents of high school students—are invited to a powerful 90-minute film-based workshop about relationship violence on Thursday, May 4 at 7 p.m. in the L-S auditorium. Escalation tells the story of two college students who fall in love, but whose relationship ultimately turns violent. After the screening, participants are encouraged to talk about relationship violence in a group conversation led by trained facilitators.
The workshop is produced by the OneLove Foundation and presented locally in conjunction with the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund by the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable with Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School’s Mentors in Violence Prevention team. L-S seniors will have the opportunity to take part in the Escalation Workshop as part of the L-S “Courage to Care Conference.”
As part of Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area “Hidden Treasures 2017,” a regional celebration, Farrington Nature Linc will host a pair of events. At Wake Up the Nature Linc Garden on Saturday, May 6 starting at 10 a.m., visitors can weed, turn over the soil, plant annuals, and then hike to vernal pools to look for tadpoles and frogs. At 2 p.m., there will be a talk about Farrington Memorial’s history. Farrington’s clerk, Susan Taylor, will share what we know about life on one of Lincoln’s oldest farmsteads starting with the first structure in 1650 through the 18th-century chestnut barn and the 1911 Donaldson-built dormitory, up through today’s work bringing youth from low-income, urban communities out into nature. Please RSVP for both events to Wendy@NatureLinc.org.
Also as part of the celebration, there will be free admission to the Gropius House and Codman Estate on May 6.
On Saturday, May 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lincoln Town Hall, a selection of plants from Stonegate Gardens and gifts from the Lincoln PTO will be available for purchase at the PTO’s biennial plant sale and fundraiser. You’ll find flats and potted arrangements, fun and affordable Mother’s Day gifts, and a free kid’s potting activity (be sure bring your child’s old boots for the project!) Plant sale is rain or shine, and lemonade and treats will be available for sale by the Brooks School class of 2018. Volunteers will be available to assist in loading.
Four new nature-themed backpacks, designed by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, are available for two-week check out in the Children’s Department at the Lincoln Public Library.
The “Birding, Trackers, Insects, and Trees Etc.” backpacks contain laminated field guides and books for identifying animals and plants; tools to assist with exploration such as magnifying lenses, binoculars, and insect nets; activities to record observations and engage in hands-on learning (story books, nature logs, and plaster casts of animal tracks); and reference materials including a Lincoln trail map, environmental ethics awareness cards, and information on ticks and mosquitos. Many items were sourced and purchased at discount with help from staff at the Audubon Shop at Drumlin Farm.
“As a parent, grandparent, former science teacher, and former director of environmental education in the Lincoln Public Schools, I’ve had lots of experience seeing the value of getting children outdoors exploring nature on local trails and in their backyards. Children are curious and love making discoveries on their own, with a few friends or even a grandparent, and the backpacks will facilitate these opportunities,” said Gywn Loud, a trustee for Lincoln Land Conservation Trust.
The nature backpacks are funded by Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and Friends of the Lincoln Library.
Harold McAleer caught this swan strutting its stuff on the Sudbury River.
Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.
Resident Audrey Kalmus sent this photo of one of the signs on Silver Hill Road warning drivers to beware of crossing amphibians. The primate was added to the signs by a person or persons unknown. “Dave McKinnon, our land manager, noticed it yesterday,” Conservation Director Thomas Gumbart said on Friday. “We both thought it was pretty funny.”
Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.
The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust will host a talk on March 23 as well as movie on climate change, a vernal pool walk, and birding expeditions in April.
Thursday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m.
LLCT/RLF office, 145 Lincoln Rd., Suite 102A, Lincoln (second floor). Free.
To the extent that she is remembered today, Mabel Loomis Todd is known either as Emily Dickinson’s first editor or as Austin (Emily’s brother) Dickinson’s lover. Her daughter, Millicent Todd Bingham, is mostly relegated to footnotes for her work on Dickinson’s poetry. But both women have another important legacy as conservationists.
This talk by Lincoln resident Julie Dobrow will explore the untold stories of the influences that led Mabel and Millicent to make major land purchases in both Massachusetts and Maine, and their efforts to have the land preserved in perpetuity. There are many Lincoln connections, including early contact with Henry David Thoreau, Louise Ayer Gordon’s gift of her home and 215 acres to the Mass Audubon Society, and even Paul Brooks’s work to publish Rachel Carson’s seminal work, Silent Spring. These and other influences give insight into these two trail-blazing women, and also into the way that the nascent environmental movement in this country developed.
Dobrow teaches in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development, and in the Environmental Studies and Film and Media Studies Programs at Tufts University.
Thursday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m.
LLCT/RLF office, 145 Lincoln Rd., Suite 102A Lincoln (second floor). Free; movie refreshments provided.
The Oscar-nominated film Sun Come Up shows the human face of climate change and the story of some of the world’s first environmental refugees. The 38-minute film follows the relocation of the Carteret Islanders from their ancestral land, located on a chain of tranquil islands in the South Pacific, to a new place to call home. A group of young islanders are followed to war-torn Bougainville, 50 miles across the open ocean, and the film documents their journey as they search for land and build relationships.
Lincoln resident Jennifer Haugh, a member of Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee, will provide commentary and answer questions about the impacts of climate change. Haugh founded Iconic Energy Consulting in 2014 to help institutions find ways to motivate sustainable behavior through public art and design. In 2015, she launched the Harvard Energy Feedback Sculpture project, which features a winning design by Cambridge firm INVIVIA to provide a visual representation of freshmen conservation efforts.
Saturday, April 1 at 1 p.m.
Meet and park at the far end of the parking lot beyond Donelan’s. Free and family-friendly.
Dress for weather conditions. Participants should wear footwear for a one-mile walk and wet ground conditions.
Matt Burne, a herpetologist and conservation director for the Walden Woods Project, will lead a walk to explore a vernal pool in Lincoln. Participants will look for signs of spotted salamanders, wood frogs, and fairy shrimp, and will hopefully see some creatures up close as well. Listen for the wood frogs’ duck-like calls and the high-pitched chorus of tiny spring peepers, a species of tree frog. Learn about the importance of vernal pools and how to protect them.
Co-sponsored by Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, the Walden Woods Project, and the Lincoln Conservation Commission.
All outings are from 7:30-9:30 a.m. Bring binoculars and dress for the weather conditions (walks will not take place if it is raining).
Find out why birders love early mornings in spring as you learn to identify birds by sight and song, and explore some birding “hot spots” in Lincoln. At least two of the following local birding experts will lead each walk: Vinny Durso, Nancy Hammond, Norman Levey, Gwyn Loud, and Nancy Soulette.
This nuthatch seems to be taking an antipodean approach to a seed bell. Photo by Harold McAleer.