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

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July 4 daytime events cancelled; fireworks on July 5

flagDue to the anticipated tropical storm, the town of Lincoln is cancelling all Fourth of July 4th daytime activities. The road race, children’s bike parade, reading of the Declaration of Independence, main parade, Boy Scout cookout and tennis tournament are all cancelled. The Codman Pool will operate normal hours with standard weather protocols. The evening activities that were scheduled for July 4 starting at 7 p.m., including the concert, BBQ and fireworks display are being postponed to Saturday, July 5. The pool will be open from 12:30-7 p.m.

Because of this last-minute change in plans, the Parks and Recreation Department is in dire need of volunteer manpower to help with parking, money collection and event support on Saturday evening. Please contact Dan Pereira at dpereira@lincnet.org or 781-259-0784 if you can provide any assistance.

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acornDrive-in movie on Wednesday

The Lincoln School eighth-grade parents and students invite Lincoln families to celebrate the end of the school year with a drive in screening of “The Little Rascals” on Wednesday, June 25 at the Codman Pool parking lot. The movie will be projected on the wall of the Brooks Gym.  The screening will start at 8:30 p.m.; space is limited, so come early to secure a spot (and get some popcorn). Suggested donation: $10 per car. All proceeds to support the Legacy Fund of the Lincoln Schools.

Kids’ summer kick-off party at library
Children of all ages are invited to the Lincoln Public Library on Thursday, June 26 from 3:30-5 p.m. for face painting, crafts, a raffle, make-your-own sundaes and a magic show with Ed Popielarczyk at 4 p.m. Kids cal also pick up their summer reading challenge forms. In the event of rain, this event will be held at Bemis Hall. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library. Click here to see other summer programs for kids at the library.

Hospice decision not expected until fall

The most recent proposal for a hospice facility on Winter Street at the Waltham town line.

The most recent proposal for a hospice facility on Winter Street at the Waltham town line.

By Alice Waugh

A consultant for the Zoning Board of Appeals is reviewing revised technical plans submitted by Care Dimensions, which wants to build an inpatient hospice facility on Winter Street, and will most likely report to the ZBA at is July 10 meeting.

[Read more…] about Hospice decision not expected until fall

Groups appeal Jet Aviation decision

Two nonprofit preservation groups have filed an appeal with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in an attempt to block construction of a new hangar and parking.at Hanscom Field.

Jet Aviation, a commercial firm that leases land at Hanscom owned by Massport, applied to the Lincoln Conservation Commission under the state Wetlands Protection Act for permission to encroach on a wetlands buffer zone for its project. The company  declined to apply under the local Lincoln wetlands bylaw, saying that Massport as a state agency is exempt from non-zoning local regulations and that this exemption extends to anyone who leases land from Massport. After five public hearings, the commission approved Jet Aviation’s application with conditions under the state provisions by a 5-2 vote, noting that the proposed work is in fact subject to review under the town of Lincoln’s Wetlands Protection By-law.

Save Our Heritage and ShhAir (Safeguarding the Historic Hanscom Area’s Irreplaceable Resources) filed an appeal with the DEP on May 27, arguing that Massport and its tenant, Jet Aviation, should be required to adhere to local wetlands regulations. Lincoln resident Kati Winchell of Save Our Heritage noted that while the groups want to protect wetlands and forestall increases in traffic, jet noise and air pollution that could accompany Hanscom’s growth, they’re also worried that the case could have much wider ramifications.

“This is a precedent-setting case extending beyond wetlands issues,” the groups said in a press release. In challenging Massport’s claims to exemption from local regulations, a successful appeal “may open new doors for Hanscom-area town boards who until now have worked under the long-held assumption that their hands were tied in matters concerning Hanscom Field development.” This assumption that local boards have no jurisdiction over Hanscom other than zoning has left Massport “free from meaningful local control and [provided] businesses who lease land from Massport with special privileges and immunities not available to other area businesses that play by local rules. Now, for the first time in decades, this may change with regard to non-zoning matters, pending the outcome of this case.”

“This case is lifting the curtain on Massport’s presumed freedoms and local boards’ presumed limitations,” Winchell said on Tuesday.

“This appeal… challenges Jet Aviation’s casual invocation of a claimed Massport exemption without factual demonstration, recent legal authority, or Massport even being an applicant here,” said Greg McGregor, an attorney with the firm hired by Save Our Heritage and ShhAir.

The appeal asks the DEP to either send the application the project back to the Lincoln Conservation Commission with directions that Jet Aviation is required to file under the local bylaw (under which the ConCom could theoretically insist that no part of the project be built on the wetlands buffer zones in question), or to overturn the approval because it allegedly did not, in fact, conform with state wetlands regulations.

The DEP has scheduled a site visit for June 24 as part of the appeal process.

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Town Clerk intern sought

Massport is sponsoring a paid summer internship in the Town Clerk’s office this summer for a period of six weeks starting July 7. Qualified candidates should be 16 or older, computer adept, and able and willing to work independently. The position is for 20 hours per week and must be filled by or before Friday, June 27. If interested, please call the Town Clerk’s office at 781-259-2607.

 Self-defense class for teen girls

The Lincoln Police will be hosting a teen female self-defense class on August 9 and 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Carroll School on Baker Bridge Road. The class is primarily aimed at girls who are about to start college, but others are welcome as long as space is available. As of today, there are four spaces left. Anyone interested in participating should contact Jena Salon at 215-514-5963 or jenasalon@gmail.com.

bjork plaque

The plaque commemorating Betty Bjork outside the Lincoln School’s computer lab (click to enlarge).

Former teachers makes the Hall of Fame

Former Lincoln teacher Betty Bjork will be inducted into the Association of Teachers of Mathematics in Massachusetts (ATMIM) Hall of Fame. Betty’s husband Al will accept the award on Betty’s behalf. Superintendent Becky McFall will represent the Lincoln Public Schools at the ceremony on June 30.

At the Lincoln School, Bjork served as assistant principal, mathematics supervisor and computer coordinator. From 1964-1974, Bjork worked with Robert B. Davis, a renowned mathematics educator, on the innovative Madison Project curriculum. As reported in her obituary in the Lincoln (Maine) County News, she was a leader in the 1908s in implementation of computer technology in the classroom. In 1985, she founded and directed the EdCo Computer Center, a resource center for teachers and administrators in the Boston area. She was also a partner in the Education Technology Center at Harvard University.

Bjork and her husband moved to Lincoln in 1967 and later lived in New Harbor, Maine. She died in 2007 at age 70.

 

Sharon Antia.

Sharon Antia

Meet state rep candidate Sharon Antia on June 27

Lincoln resident and candidate for State Representative Sharon Antia is hosting a Listen and Learn session at the Whistle Stop on Friday, June 27 from 12-1:30 p.m (See the profile of Antia in the Lincoln Squirrel, June 10, 2014.)

 

 

 

Ise Gropius

Ise Gropius

See and learn about Gropius jewelry

Historic New England associate curator Laura Johnson will give a talk on “Small But Perfect Things: The Style and Jewelry Collection of Ise Gropius” on Friday and Saturday, June 27 and 28 from 7-9 p.m. at the Gropius House (68 Baker Bridge Rd.). the talk will touch on Ise Gropius’s stylistic trendsetting and collection of unique designs using intriguing modern materials. Join an intimate gathering on a summer evening at the Gropius House for light refreshments, a talk, and evening house tour with special examples of jewelry on view.

Tickets are $25 for Historic New England members and $35 for nonmembers. Space is limited and registration is required. Please call 781-259-8098 for more information or buy tickets online at www.historicnewengland.org.

 

Donelan’s receipts yield treasure trove for school

Some of the educational materials that the Lincoln School bought via redeemed Donelan's receipts.

Some of the educational materials that the Lincoln School bought via redeemed Donelan’s receipts.

Students at the Lincoln School will have a pile of new educational games, puzzles and other items to work with, thanks to residents who saved their Donelan’s receipts during the year.

Lincoln School PTO members led by Kimberly Bodnar gathered and tallied many shopping bags packed full of receipts totaling $157,290—a 14 percent increase over last year’s $138,428 total. School principals Steve McKenna and Sharon Hobbs redeemed them through the Register Tapes for Education program to purchase the following item:

  • Solar Calculators (10)
  • Folding Geometric Shapes™ (4 sets)
  • Money Sudoku (4)
  • Match It Up™ Math Puzzles – Money (4)
  • Match It Up™ Math Puzzles – Time (4)
  • Fractions Sudoku (4)
  • Fraction Formula™ Game (4)
  • Fun-to-Know® Puzzle (2)
  • Guess Who?® (4)
  • Number Balance (4)
  • Modular Flip Chart: Money (4)
  • Hot Dots® Learn-to-Solve Word Problems Card Set for grades 1-3 (2)
  • Grape-scented Washable Stamp Pad (2)

WBUR remembers Dr. Keevil

candle2On June 10, WBUR aired a remembrance of Dr. Charles Keevil of Lincoln, who died on April 8 at the age of 88 (see obituary here). The piece was part of The Remembrance Project, WBUR’s series of broadcast obituaries about non-celebrities who led meaningful lives (“Alongside the famous deaths in the newspapers, there are the small print columns about the equally loved but lesser-known—ordinary people who have lived extraordinary lives,” its website notes). Dr. Keevil was also the subject of this letter to the editor.

There will be a concert in memory of Lincoln’s Bill Elliot on June 14 (see the Lincoln Squirrel, June 9, 2014).

 

 

Concert in Lincoln on June 14 for the late Bill Elliott

William Elliott

Bill Elliott

An organ concert in memory of former Lincoln resident William Elliott, who died on March 24 at the age of 82, will be performed in the First Parish Church in Lincoln on Saturday, June 14 at 11 a.m. on the church’s newly refurbished organ by music director Ian Watson.

Elliott worked with the space program to develop infrared missile launch detection from satellites, did heavy metals analysis on astronauts’ hair to determine physiological changes due to space flight and zero gravity, and invented a novel kind of analytical instrument that is the basis of many patents. Later in life he helped draft legislation to ensure safe drinking water for Massachusetts residents, and served as the chair of the Shutesbury Board of Health for many years.

Other recent obituaries:

Dorothy B. Foust, 87 (May 21)—former clerk of First Parish Church

Richard Dickie, age unknown (April 28)—World War II veteran and father of Willard Dickie of Lincoln

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Police warn residents of chimney repair scammers

A number of Lincoln residents have received calls or visits from the Lysco Chimney Maintenance and Repair Co. saying they’re in the area and asking if homeowners would like their chimneys cleaned. The Lincoln Police warn that this company has a long list of complaints against them for being very aggressive on the telephone and then, if the homeowner agrees to have them clean the chimney, wanting to perform other costly repairs that do not need to be done and are not done properly. The workers are using a white van with the word Lysco on it. If you have concerns or have had Lysco come to your home, please call Lincoln Police Officer Surette at 781-259-8113.

Drumlin Farm hosts Strawberry Day

Madeline in field Celebrate the strawberry harvest by heading to Drumlin Farm on Saturday, June 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dig in the dirt with our farm staff, meet some berry-loving animals, and pick your own strawberries to take home. Drumlin’s strawberries, like all of its produce, are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides.

All activities except strawberry picking are free with admission ($8 for adults, $6 for seniors and children 2-12, free for Mass Audubon members). Pick-your-own strawberries will be available for purchase from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., weather permitting and while supplies last, with a limit of one quart per person picking.

Special programs during the day:

  • 10:30 a.m. — Garden Guests: Wonder who may be nibbling in your garden? Meet one of our animals and find out!
  • 11:30 a.m. — Wild Wetlands: Get an up-close look at what’s going on in our local ponds
  • 12:30 p.m. — Fields for Food: Visit with some of the wild birds and mammals that make fields their habitat
  • 2 p.m. — Foxes Love Strawberries: Learn more about our fascinating foxes as our wildlife care staff feed and care for them
  • 2:30 p.m — A Taste of Drumlin: Sample the first fruits (and veggies!) of the season
  • 3:30 p.m. — Seeing Seeds: Explore the magic of how a seed turns into a new plant
  • 3:45 p.m. — Turtles Love Strawberries Too: Meet one of New England’s turtles up close

Below are some of the other programs coming up at Drumlin. See the Drumlin schedule website for details on events, costs and ages.

  • Fairies and Fireflies — Wednesday, June 11 from 7:30-9 p.m.
  • Evening Hayride and Campfire — Friday, June 13 at 4:30 p.m. or 6 p.m.
  • Morning Chores — Saturday, June 14 from 8-10 .a.m
  • The Bird Next Door Field Trip II — Saturday, June 14 from 3-9:30 p.m.
  • Great Blue Heron Rookery — Sunday, June 15 from 8-10:30 a.m.
  • Fungi Field Walk — Sunday, June 15 from 1-3:30 p.m.
Monthly book sale this Saturday

The Friends of the Lincoln Library’s monthly used book sale is on Saturday, June 14 from 9 a.m. to noon in the basement of Bemis Hall. You can fill a paper grocery bag with adult and children’s books for only $10 (tax included). We also have a good selection of individually priced special books, as well as some CDs, DVDs and audio books.

We always need more books, so donations may be left in the wooden boxes in the Bemis Hall entrance on Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No textbooks, no magazines or books that are musty or have been written in, please.

Berryfield Farm offers therapeutic programs

Berryfield Farm in Lincoln is offering Hooves, Paws & Claws (HPC) and Pony Partners. HPC is a  six-week program for young adults age 18-22 years with a focus on teaching adult social skills and accountability to the group and the horses. Appropriate students for this program are able-bodied, have receptive and expressive language, can follow directions, and are able to do simple tasks with minimal support. The six-student  program meets on Friday afternoons from 3:30-5:30 p.m. starting Friday, June 13 and costs $235 (limited scholarship aid is available) Fore more information, contact Director of Programming and Instructor Allie Richardson at friendsfortomorrow@gmail.com or 617-823-5271.

The Pony Partner Program is an experiential empowerment group for able-bodied girls age 8-10 who have a love of animals and are struggling socially, personally and/or academically. PonyPartners is not about learning to ride; it’s a chance to explore and develop knowledge of horses, the herd (both two- and four-legged) and the power of body language. The six-student program will meet on Friday afternoons from 3:30-5:30 p.m. for 10 weeks starting September 5 and costs $550. Limited scholarship aid is available for both programs. Interested parents should contact instructor and program coordinator Lucy Cornish at lucyfcornish@gmail.com or 781-538-6769.

Scholarship application deadline is June 16

Reminder: students who are already attending higher education institutions have until Monday, June 16 to apply for a need-based scholarship. These awards are available only to Lincoln residents who are currently attending a college, university, vocational school or community college. n institution of higher education. Application instructions and forms are available on the Lincoln town website.  Funding for this program has been provided by the Ogden Codman Trust. 

Drumlin Farm honored for science education work

Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm has been honored for its dedication to science education and their commitment to collaborative partnerships at this year’s Museum Institute for Teaching Science (MITS) annual meeting. MITS is an umbrella organization that brings together museums, nature centers, and other science and cultural organizations to provide professional development programs for educators with the goal of improving STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. The event spotlighted the role of informal science organizations like Drumlin Farm in increasing scientific literacy among both students and teachers.

Lincoln vets socialize at COA lunch
Lincoln veterans and their spouses enjoyed a special barbecue lunch at the Council on Aging on May 30. Photo collage by Howard McAleer.

Lincoln veterans and their spouses enjoyed a special barbecue lunch at the Council on Aging on May 30 (click to enlarge). Photo collage by Howard McAleer