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

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Obituaries – 7/18/15

Joanna Crawford, 89 (died July 1) – instrumental in social justice work with the Martin Luther King Action Project at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. “How many Habitat trips, Food Bank expeditions, homeless shelter dinners, alternative service vacations did she make possible? Innumerable. She believed in service and in an education that took us out of our ‘comfort zones.’ She paid her rent to the planet,” former L-S history teacher Bill Schechter wrote in a Facebook post on the day of her death.

Robert Sutherland

Robert Sutherland

Ann Janes

Ann Janes

Robert Sutherland, 80 (died June 26) – won the Lincoln Council on Aging’s Man of the Year Award in 2013.

Ann Janes, 85 (died June 13) – author of historical works, longtime member of St. Joseph’s Church and Lincoln Public Library volunteer.

Marian Cook, 88 (died December 3, 2014) – mother of Peter, John and Catherine Cook.

News acorns – 7/6/15

parade

The Lincoln Minute Men march down Lincoln Road on July 4.

Watch video of the July 4 parade

Harold McAleer has posted a video of the first few minutes of Lincoln’s July 4 parade. Click here for a five-minute version or watch the full 18-minute version (including a glimpse of the Lincoln Squirrel at the 13:20 mark).

Berkshire condo rentals benefit Friends of the COA

A  generous Lincoln resident has donated 20 nights at a time-sharing condo resort in South Lee, MA in the Berkshires, just 20 minutes from Tanglewood. All proceeds from renting these condos will go to benefit the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of Lincoln’s senior citizens.

These condos are two bedroom/two bath with sleeping accommodations for six, including a sleep sofa in the living room. Each condo has multiple TVs, controllable air conditioning, a Jacuzzi tub, and many other amenities. One condo is available from 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 25 until 1 p.m. on Friday, July 31. Two other two condos are available from 4 p.m. on Friday, August 14 until 1 p.m. on Friday, August 21. The condo that’s available in July rents for six days at $1,500 and the two condos available in August rent for seven days at $1,700 each. All three condos are also available at $265 daily, with a minimum two-day stay.

This is an unprecedented chance for you to relax in the bucolic Berkshires this summer, enjoy world-class music and an feel good about helping Lincoln seniors weather next winter’s frigid blasts! Call (617) 378-1415 for further information on how to make these donations to the Lincoln Council on Aging.

Codman meat now available

Stop by the Codman Community Farm store to purchase Codman-raised beef and pork right from the freezer. Packages are individually priced and marked. This is an honor system, so please be sure to fill out a payment envelope, enclose cash or a check, and place it in the payment box. Products include bacon, ham, hamburger, sausage, ground pork and more, and all meat is free of antibiotics and hormones.

Scholarships announced for Lincoln graduating seniors

The Lincoln Scholarship Committee announces the winners of two awards and two named scholarships for Lincoln graduating seniors for 2015. They are:

  • Clara Cousins received the Fanny Campbell Award for academic achievement
  • Leah Kanzer received the Sumner Smith Community Service Award
  • Katherine Flanagan received the Ogden Codman Scholarship
  • Savannah Snell received the Ogden Codman Opportunity Scholarship

The Lincoln Scholarship Fund also offers need-based scholarships based in part on the community’s response to its annual appeal letter. The recipients of those scholarships will be determined in mid-July. To date, Lincoln community members have contributed $4,695 to the Lincoln Scholarship Fund 2015 appeal. The members of the committee are appreciative of all those who have helped launch these seniors on their next steps in their education. Anyone wishing to add to this support may do so by sending a check to The Lincoln Scholarship Committee, P. O. Box 6283, Lincoln, MA 01773.

Lincoln parades its best on Fourth of July

Here’s a gallery of photos from the Fourth of July parade in Lincoln. All pictures except the yellow T-bird were taken by Ben Dubrovsky, consort to the Lincoln Squirrel. For best results, click on the headline to go directly to the Lincoln Squirrel website and then click on the lower-case “i” at the bottom of the image to see the caption. To see a video of the parade, click
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”17″ gal_title=”July 4 2015 parade”]

Town Office Building wins LEED Silver energy efficiency staus

The Lincoln Town Office Building

The Lincoln Town Office Building

The renovated Lincoln Town Office Building has won LEED Silver certification for energy efficiency, which is a vast improvement over the days when officials had to use space heaters in winter and stifle in the summer.

To receive LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, building projects must satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification (platinum, gold, silver and “certified”). Since the renovation was completed in 2013, the building is now 35 percent more energy efficient than the average building, according to a press release from Donham & Sweeney Architects, which designed the renovations.

Though there won’t be a special LEED float in the Fourth of July parade, Eckhouse will announce the LEED certification before the Declaration of Independence is read, and the Board of Selectmen float will acknowledge it as well, he said.

There were limits in how “green” the building could get because of its historic nature and a reluctance to go  as far as installing composting toilets and exclusively natural ventilation, said Selectmen Noah Eckhouse. Still, “we always knew LEED certification was a goal form the start in our design philosophy,” he said.

The old building had extremely inefficient heating and insulation and no air conditioning, meaning that around this time of year, people at Board of Selectman meetings would be sticking to their seats, Eckhouse said. And though it’s also a nice decorative touch, the cupola was primarily intended to vent hot air and allow cooler air to enter the building from below, he added.

LEED certification for the former schoolhouse was based on green design and construction features including:

  • Modern energy-efficient lighting
  • Water efficiency measures that save an estimated 160,000 gallons of water each year, and a reduction in storm water runoff
  • Exterior lighting designed to maintain the dark night sky
  • Regionally extracted, processed, and manufactured construction products, including brick, concrete block, structural steel, slate shingles, copper items, light gage metal framing, plywood and composite board veneer panels, drywall, and toilet partitions
  • Reuse of more than 75 percent of the original building’s exterior walls, floors, roof structure, and roofing
  • Recycled and regionally sourced interior materials and finishes
  • Designated parking spaces for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles

There were also some features that exceeded the project’s LEED requirements, including the use of green power, educational outreach to the community, the use of environmentally safe cleaning products, and low mercury products.

News acorns – 6/30/15

Teen volunteers needed to help with July 4 evening festivities

The Parks and Recreation Department is looking for some teenagers to help out at Lincoln’s fireworks celebration on Saturday, July 4. We need help from 4-11 p.m. at the Lincoln School campus. Duties include:

  • Event setup (setting up tables, tents, trash barrels, fencing, PA systems, etc.)
  • Money collection (with Lincoln police officers)
  • Trash removal
  • Event cleanup (packing up everything above)

This event has been clear with the MLK Project at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School and community service hours will be given. Contact Dan Pereira at dpereira@lincnet.org if you can help out.

Getting the scoop at the recent ice cream social (click on picture for slide show).

Getting the scoop at the recent ice cream social (click on picture for slide show).

They all scream for ice cream

Harold McAleer assembled photos of the June 25 strawberry ice cream social at Bemis Hall accompanied by music from the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Sextet. Click here to watch.

Getty Foundation awards grant to Gropius House

Historic New England has announced that the Gropius House in Lincoln has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Getty Foundation. The foundation recently announced grants for projects at 14 exemplary 20th-century buildings in eight countries as part of its Keeping It Modern initiative.

At the Gropius House, the Getty grant will support the development of a conservation management plan for the building and site to ensure the preservation of its characteristic features for the home’s continued use as a teaching tool to transmit the tenets of Bauhaus design and ensure that the public can enjoy this 1938 Bauhaus icon for generations to come.

Library activities and reading challenges for kids this summer

book cartHere are some children’s events hosted by the Lincoln Public Library.

  • Stories & Crafts — July 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 11 a.m. For ages 3 and up. Sign up in advance by calling 781-259-8465.
  • Rainforest Reptile Show — Wednesday, July 8 at 4 p.m. A hands-on introduction to exotic crawlers, unusual slitherers and fascinating creepers as herpetologists teach you all about rainforest reptiles.
  • Movies and Muffins — Friday, July 10 at 10:30 a.m. Preschoolers are invited to a screening of short films based on beloved children’s books. Recommended for ages  2 and up. Drop in.
  • Summer Storytime Picnics — Monday, July 13 and Monday, August 10 at 6:30 p.m. Join children’s librarian Jane Flanders on the library lawn and enjoy a picnic supper while listening to stories. Bring a picnic, a blanket and your favorite adult. Geared for children ages 2-5 but all are welcome. In case of rain, we will picnic in the library. The July 13 is a Reddy Bear Picnic, so being your favorite teddy bear. On August 6, we’ll read stories about dirt and diggers.

The library is also running its annual summer reading challenge for kids in three age groups. Pick up forms and a copy of your reading list at the library or find them by by clicking here.

  • Pre-readers through grade 3 — for all children, including children who are being read to, up to entering third grade. Kids who complete the challenge will receive a certificate and prize.
  • Entering grades 4-7 — those who complete the challenge will be invited to the Great Summer Sleepover at the library on Friday, August 21.
  • Entering grades 8-12 (new this summer) — all participants will win a small prize and be eligible to enter a raffle to win an Amazon Kindle Fire.

All programs sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library, Inc.

News acorns – 6/23/15

Library closing on July 3 and Saturdays; book sale on July 17

The Lincoln Public Library will be closed on Friday, July 3 in honor of Independence Day. The library will be open this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. but will then be closed on Saturdays until September 12 (the first Saturday after Labor Day). On Saturday, July 11, the Friends of the Lincoln Library will hold another half-price book sale in the basement of Bemis Hall  form 9 a.m. to noon. That part of Bemis Hall will close for construction later that month.

Summer self-defense class for girls and young women

The Lincoln Police are running their self-defense class for high school and college-age girls from Lincoln and Sudbury on August 11 and 13 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The class will take place at the Parks and Rec Department in Lincoln. This is the same class that takes place during the year at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. On the first day, we’ll talk about general safety and dating safety, and then we’ll begin practicing physical self-defense moves like strikes, blocks, and knee strikes. On the second day, we’ll have an officer in a padded suit “attacking” participants, who will use moves they’ve learned to escape. This part of the course is intense but amazing and empowering. The goal of the course is escape. These classes are extremely popular and space is limited, so please contact Jena Salon at jenasalon@gmail.com to sign up or ask questions.

Library book club meets

bookwormCome to the next “Who Picked This Book?” Club meeting at the Lincoln Public Library on Monday, July 6 at 7 p.m. when they will be discussing The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro. The book’s jumping-off point is the art heist at The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Filled with local scenes and flavor—what better why to start the summer off? Copies in various formats are available at the library’s circulation desk. The August 3 meeting will discuss The Children Act by Ian McEwan. For more information, please visit the club’s web page or call 781-259-8465 ext.202. Refreshments will be served.

Summer exhibition opening reception at deCordova

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Musuem is holding an opening reception on Wednesday, July 8 from 7-9 p.m. (rain date, July 15, 7-9 p.m.) for Architectural Allusions. One of deCordova’s first themed outdoor exhibitions, it explores the presence of architecture in contemporary sculpture as artists reinvent architectural traditions, from ancient ziggurats to modernist pavilions. This international group exhibition includes new commissions, long-term loans, and permanent collection works. Artists include Stephanie Cardon, Dan Graham, Esther Klas, Sol LeWitt, Monika Sosnowska, Kenneth Snelson and Oscar Tuazon. Free and open to the public. Please RSVP by emailing rsvp@decordova.org.

St. Julia’s Parish summer schedule

The summer schedule for the St. Julia Parish (including St. Joseph’s Church in Lincoln) is as follows:

  • Saturday at 4 p.m. – St. Julia
  • Sunday at 9 a.m. – St. Julia
  • Sunday at 10:30 a.m. – St. Joseph
  • Sunday at 5 p.m. – St. Julia

Note to readers: technical difficulties

correction-smThe Lincoln Squirrel website is looking rather odd at the moment because of a technical snafu which we’re trying to resolve. However, the stories are still up to date, so don’t worry about the side columns for the time being. We’ll let you know when things are back to normal. Thanks for your patience.”

Alice Waugh
Editor, The Lincoln Squirrel

Energy-efficient lighting projects completed

greenlights montageThe Lincoln Department of Public Works and the Town Administrator’s office recently completed two projects that incorporate effective LED lighting.

At the transfer station, the old fluorescent lighting at the swap table shed was replaced with new lighting that will provide residents with a better and safer environment to enjoy the swap areas. Also, the old incandescent street lights at the intersection of Routes 126 and 117 were recently replaced by more efficient LED traffic signal and pedestrian heads. These new signal heads will not only use less electricity, but will also serve to reduce service calls and bulb replacement calls.

News acorns – 6/20/15

mcadow

Ron McAdow

Meet Lincoln resident/author Ron McAdow

The Lincoln Public Library presents an evening with Lincoln resident and author Ron McAdow on Monday, June 29 at 7 p.m. in the library’s Tarbell Room. McAdow, is a former teacher and animated film-maker, will be on hand to talk about his newest book, the novel Ike. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

Summer exhibition opening reception at deCordova

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Musuem is holding an opening reception on Wednesday, July 8 from 7-9 p.m. (rain date, July 15, 7-9 p.m.) for “Architectural Illusions.” One of deCordova’s first themed outdoor exhibitions, it explores the presence of architecture in contemporary sculpture as artists reinvent architectural traditions, from ancient ziggurats to modernist pavilions. This international group exhibition includes new commissions, long-term loans, and permanent collection works. Artists include Stephanie Cardon, Dan Graham, Esther Klas, Sol LeWitt, Monika Sosnowska, Kenneth Snelson and Oscar Tuazon. Free and open to the public. Please RSVP by emailing rsvp@decordova.org.