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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.

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).

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.

Here 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.

The 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

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.