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

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News acorns

satelliteTalk on high-schoolers and satellite missions

Can a high school design, build and operate a satellite mission to the moon and beyond? Come hear Paulo C. Lozano, Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics Director at MIT’s Space Propulsion Laboratory, when he speaks at the Lincoln Public Library on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. Rethink space exploration and consider how advances in miniaturization and spacecraft engineering allow students to design their own satellite and put it in space.

Run for local office in Lincoln

Looking for a rewarding if occasionally vexing way to feel more connected? Willing to undertake new challenges? Unafraid to speak up? Then run for local office! The annual Town Election will take place on Monday, March 28, 2016. Nomination papers are available at the Town Clerk’s Office now. Papers must be returned by 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 8. For additional information, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 781-259-2607.

The following offices will appear on the March ballot: Board of Selectmen for three years; Board of Assessors for three years; K-8 School Committee for three years; Water Commissioner for three years; Board of Health for three years; Cemetery Commission for three years; Planning Board, two seats for three years; Commissioner of Trust Funds for three years; deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park for four years; Housing Commission for three years; Parks and Recreation Committee for three years; Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School Committee, two seats for three years each; Bemis Trustee for three years; Town Clerk for three years; and Library Trustee for three years.

Aka Bistro discount for Lincoln Public Library patrons

The Lincoln Public Library and Aka Bistro are offering Lincoln residents who hold Lincoln library cards a 1o percent discount on food at Aka Bistro during the months of January and February. Drinks are not included, and the offer is not available on Valentine’s Day weekend (February 12-14).

hermione

Photo: Philippe Leray/Thalassa

Hear about seven months at sea

Come to an hourlong presentation detailing the maritime adventures of Adam Hodges-LeClaire, recently returned from seven months of sailing aboard the recreated frigate l’Hermione on her maiden voyage from France to the United States, on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Adam, currently a history major at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, grew up in Lincoln and brought his love for recreating the 18th-century to work on this French tall ship. Hi’s adventures were the subject of a lengthy article in the Boston Globe this year. Topics he’ll address include the context of the original l’Hermione, its connection to Lafayette, and its significance in French naval operations during the War of American Independence.

Codman Farm has new farming family

Pete and Jen xxx and their two-year-old son Abraham. Photo courtesy Angela Klempner Phtography

Pete and Jen Hashley and their two-year-old son Abraham. (Photo courtesy Angela Klempner Photography)

Editor’s note: This is an edited version of an item that appeared in the most recent Codman Community Farms member newsletter.

The new year brings new faces and changes to Codman Community Farms (CCF) with the arrival of Peter Lowy and Jennifer Hashley as the farm management team at Codman.

For the past decade, Pete and Jen have operated Pete and Jen’s Backyard Birds in Concord and Sudbury, growing vegetables and raising pasture-based livestock. They’ve moved their mini-store to CCF, so visitors will notice a new look at the Codman Farm Store, including a selection of Backyard Birds products alongside Codman’s. Pete and Jen are committed to growing high-quality, tasty food for Lincoln and surrounding communities, so they’ll be expanding production, revamping the Farm Store, and supplying area restaurants and farm stands.

[Read more…] about Codman Farm has new farming family

News acorns

acornGroup forms to study vocational education possibilities

The newly formed Vocational Education Options Working Group will hold its second meeting on January 11 to explore options for Lincoln students in the event the town decides to withdraw from the Minuteman High School district.

At its first meeting on December 29, the group discussed its change and composition, with formal votes expected on Monday, Jan. 11 at 6 p.m. in the Selectman’s conference room. Members thus far are Selectman Peter Braun, Town Administrator Tim Higgins, Finance Committee member Laura Sander, Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall, and at-large member Patricia Mostue, a member of the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Committee.

The Board of Selectman decided to form the Vocational Education Options Working Group on December 21, the same night it scheduled a Special Town Meeting on February 23 at which Lincoln residents will vote on whether to withdraw from the Minuteman district and whether to ratify the new regional agreement. Students from Lincoln will still be able to enroll at Minuteman if the town withdraws, though they will not be guaranteed a spot.

Card still working on coffee shop/bookstore plan

Lincoln resident Richard Card is still looking for a location for his planned bookstore, coffee shop, and cocktail bar because the first site he had in mind fell through due to parking issues.

Blazes was hoping to work out a lease at 10 Lewis St. in part of the space owned by the Food Project, but the parking at that site wasn’t sufficient, he said. He declined to specify other possible sites. Card added that he has “investors who are very, very interested but haven’t signed anything yet,” but may do so once a site is secured for the business.

 

News acorns

Matthew Swoveland

Matthew Swoveland

Swoveland speaks at domestic violence roundtable

The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable will host a discussion on “Reframing Masculinity: Vulnerability and Responsibility” on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room of the Goodnow Library (21 Concord Road, Sudbury). Featured speaker Matthew Swoveland will discuss ways to help boys and young men own both their strength and their vulnerability. Matthew is deputy director at The Second Step, where he leads programming to reach young survivors of domestic abuse, build their resiliency, and create bright futures. Previously, he was among the first men to take calls on the 24-hour hotline for the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center.

The session is a follow-on to the 2014 workshop entitled “What Should a Violence Prevention Program Look Like in Our Communities?” The program is free and open to the public. [Read more…] about News acorns

News acorns

acornPreschool event at library on Dec. 31

Preschoolers are invited to join us for “Movies and Muffins” with a screening of three short films based on beloved children’s books—The Snowy Day, Bear Snores On, and a mystery title—on Thursday, Dec. 31 at 10:30 a.m. Recommended for ages 2 and up; no advance signup necessary.

First Parish supports program for displaced Syrians

The First Parish in Lincoln’s (FPL) Outreach Committee is leading a drive to support the Karam Foundation, a Chicago-based nonprofit founded and largely directed by Syrian-Americans. Since 2011, Karam (Arabic for “generosity”) has been dedicated to delivering humanitarian and educational “smart aid” through donations and through its network of volunteers to displaced Syrian families within Syria and in neighboring countries. Karam’s programs have included provision of ambulances and supplies for teams rescuing victims of barrel bombs; support for an orphanage in Aleppo; provision of a safe and steady supply of infant formula and food baskets through a distribution center in northern Syria; provision of medical supplies to at-risk children and families; clothes drives for refugees in Syria, Jordan and Turkey; emergency aid for children and elderly in refugee camps at risk of malnutrition and disease; a small business initiative for displaced women artisans; a sponsorship program for individual Syrian refugee children; and support for a school in Turkey that includes leadership and Turkish language programs for teenagers.

If you’re interested in supporting this organization, please make a check payable to First Parish in Lincoln and mail to: First Parish in Lincoln, PO Box 6218, Lincoln, MA 01773-6218.

Free wellness clinics announced

Lincoln residents of all ages are invited to meet with a nurse to get your blood pressure checked, ask questions, or learn about wellness resources. These free clinics will be held at the Community Building at Lincoln Woods at 50 Wells Road from 10 a.m. to noon on January 8, February 5, and March 4. These clinics are funded by the Ogden Codman Trust and provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care. For more information, please call the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811.

Council on Aging activities for January

bemisFrom drawing to pastel painting with Juliet
January 4 at 10 a.m. (first class)
Express your most vibrant self with the brilliant colors of pastels in a new class with Juliet Rago. She will begin with a short introduction to drawing for those who feel they need it. The class will meet from 10 a.m. to noon on January 4, 11, and 25, and February 8, 15, 22, and 29 at Bemis Hall. No experience necessary. All materials will be furnished. Please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811. Limit of six people. The fee is $40.

Tai chi: new year, new you
January 4 and ongoing
Beginners may now sign up for the COA’s winter tai chi classes which will run 12 weeks from the week of January 4 until the week of March 21 on Mondays from 2-3 p.m., Wednesdays from 1-2 p.m., and Thursdays from 9:15-10:15 a.m. at Bemis Hall. You may take one or two classes per week at a cost of $60 for one and $80 for two. You will learn qi gong warm-up, six moves from tai chi form, and how to integrate tai chi principles into daily life. Sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811. [Read more…] about Council on Aging activities for January

Tree-cutting dismays some South Lincoln residents

Trees were recently cut down on Greenridge Lane (top) and at Lincoln Woods. Photos: Alice Waugh

Trees were recently cut down on Greenridge Lane (top) and at Lincoln Woods. Photos: Alice Waugh

By Alice Waugh

In scenes reminiscent of the controversy over the Route 2 tree-cutting in 2013, residents on Greenridge Lane and Lincoln Woods were surprised and unhappy when a number of mature trees near their homes were recently cut down.

[Read more…] about Tree-cutting dismays some South Lincoln residents