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

seniors

Council on Aging activities for September

bemisSeptember 1 at 2:30
Coffee with artists Victoria and Bill Pearmain
Join Lincoln-born artists Victoria Pearmain (painter) and brother Bill Pearmain (multimedia visual artist) on Sept. 1st at 2:30 p.m. at a coffee to celebrate their exhibit at Bemis Hall’s Lincoln Artists Gallery. The exhibit will include paintings, photographs and sculpture and will be on view September and October. Victoria graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and her work has been in many shows and collections. Her paintings are primarily plein-air. Bill’s studies include New England College and Brandeis University. He has also exhibited in multiple shows and collections.

September 2 at 1 p.m.
Meet with an aide to Congresswoman Clark
You are invited to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, September 2 at 1 p.m. to meet with Anthony Moreschi, Constituent Service Representative for Congresswoman Katherine Clark. He will be available to assist residents with Social Security, Medicare and MassHealth/Medicaid. You are also welcome to discuss other matters that he may be able to help with. [Read more…] about Council on Aging activities for September

Campus master plan design consultant approved

The Community Center Study Committee's "preferred option." Click on the image for more options and interior design ideas.

The Community Center Study Committee’s “preferred option” for the site of a new community center on the east side of the Lincoln School campus (see the Lincoln Squirrel, March 26, 2015).

The Campus Master Planning Committee (CMPC) has selected LLB Architects of Pawtucket, R.I. as the design consultant for the Ballfield Road campus, where the town hopes to build a new community center and renovate the Lincoln School.

The School Committee and the Board of Selectmen, which jointly appointed the CMPC, approved the hiring in mid-July.

“LLB brings a wealth of experience and a talented team of experts to the campus master planning project,” said Town Administrator Tim Higgins. “This is one of the most important projects facing Lincoln right now. We recognize that the plan will need to accommodate both the current and future education and recreational needs of our town’s resident population. I’m confident that LLB will be able to successfully assist the Campus Master Planning Committee in their charge to study the basic infrastructure and physical layout of the Ballfield Road campus and inform the planning for the contemplated school building and community center projects.”

“LLB’s technical experience, team-based approach, community focus and ability to see the ‘big picture’ make them a solid choice,” said School Committee Chair Jennifer Glass. “The project team, led by Project Executive Greg Smolley, has completed more than three dozen publicly bid projects in the Commonwealth in the last five years.”

LLB Architects, formerly Lerner Ladds Bartels, was founded in 1936. Their portfolio features design work on the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles and several projects at Brown University and the University of Rhode Island. In Massachusetts, the firm has done design work on public libraries in Bolton, Maynard, Scituate, Walpole and Watertown as well as the town halls in Acton and Harvard.

A report by Abacus Architects and Planners last March estimated that a community center just east of the Parks and Recreation pod on the Hartwell side of the campus would cost about $13 million, including a new access road, parking lot and repairs to the pods. The new building would be home to the Parks and Rec and the Council on Aging as well as various community groups.

For the rest of the summer, the consultants will review data on the campus’s physical and geographical conditions (roads and parking, wetlands, septic systems, major trees, etc.) and establish the short and long-term programmatic needs of all potential stakeholder groups. They will present their initial findings at a public workshop in October, where they will also gather public input and “identify conceptual options and present positive and negative aspects of each,” according to the firm’s preliminary project approach and timeline.

LLB will also make a presentation and gather input at the State of the Town Meeting on November 14 and at another public workshop in December before submitting their final report before the end of the calendar year.

“Lincoln is a community that values its historical buildings and spaces and engaging the public in setting direction for the future,” said LLB Project Executive Greg Smolley. “All of us at LLB Architects treasure the history of New England and have built the firm on a wide range of civic and public projects. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with everyone in Lincoln and are looking forward to getting started.”

For more information, residents are encouraged to attend any of the committee meetings, which are posted on the CMPC web page.

Council on Aging activities in August

bemisDid you enjoy the strawberry social? Come hear more jazz!
August 6 at 2:30 p.m.
Did you hear the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Sextet belting it out while you munched away? Did you like what you heard? Well, there’s more where that came from. The sextet will be back at Bemis on Thursday, Aug 6 at 2:30 to give you their renderings of those tunes and others like them. So come on down, put your feet up or tap them to the music, and hum along. What better way to spend a pleasurable hour on a summer afternoon?

Veterans summer BBQ
August 10 at 12 p.m.
Veterans and their spouses are invited to a special barbecue on Monday, August 10 at 12 p.m. at Bemis Hall featuring a delicious lunch of barbecued pork or chicken. The COA is hoping to create a dynamic veterans community here in Lincoln and would love to see you and your spouse at the barbecue. You must sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811 by August 3 so that they will have enough meals. Unfortunately, they will not be able to accommodate those who do not sign up. A $5 donation is requested.

What you need to know about rescuing animals
August 17 at 10 a.m.
Lincoln residents share our backyards, our conservation land, and more with animals who come from the wild or, sometimes, may have been bought as pets but then left on their own for one reason or another. Knowing what to do when you encounter an animal, especially one who may be sick or who is in danger, is essential to your own and the animal’s safety. Find out about the animals you may come across in Lincoln and what to do when you would like to help but do not know how. Daniela Caride, President of the Board of Phinney’s Friends, comes to Bemis Hall on Monday, August 17 at 10 a.m. Caride will also discuss the mission and services of Phinney’s Friends, a Lincoln-based nonprofit dedicated to helping people keep their pets in times of crisis.

Searching Consumer Reports online free
August 20 at 10 a.m.
Consumer Reports has information about products from cars to airlines to cleaners to shoes, food, insurance, and everything in between. Because the Lincoln Public Library has a subscription, any Lincoln resident can search for product reviews from their homes on their computers for free! Get a demonstration of how to do this when Kate Tranquada, one of Lincoln’s reference librarians, comes to Bemis Hall on Thursday, Aug. 20 at 10 a.m.

Is your home safe for your pets?
August 24 at 10 a.m.
Sometimes even the most loving home can be dangerous for pets. Food, plants, medicine, and household chemicals can be toxic. Furniture with sharp edges can cause injuries. Pets can get locked into rooms, dryers, and other places. Buttons and strings can cause choking and more. Find out what you need to know to make sure your home is safe for your pets when Lincoln veterinarian Doug Meade comes to Bemis Hall on Monday, Aug. 24 at 10 a.m. Doug will let you know what to look out for and answer your questions.

—Hold the date: Friday, Sept. 25—
Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate
Learn about the U.S. Senate in an interactive and exploratory way on a trip to the new Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the US Senate on Friday, Sept. 25. After a short introduction, folks can independently wander through the museum with a tablet which allows them to engage fully in the democratic process. An issue of the day also enhances the experience. A full-scale replica of the U.S. Senate Chamber and other exhibits are also on view. The Institute opened this past March to rave reviews. Note that this is a self guided tour with quite a bit of walking, but that there are places to sit throughout the building. The tour lasts between an hour to an hour and a half. The bus will leave the Lincoln Mall at 9:30 a.m. and return about 3 p.m. The cost is $15 per person. Lunch is still to be arranged. For more information about the Institute, go to https://www.emkinstitute.org. Signup begins in September.

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.

July activities at the Council on Aging

bemisWhat to expect when you or your loved one has Alzheimer’s disease
July 13 at 9:30 a.m.
One of the most difficult aspects of Alzheimer’s disease, whether in yourself or a loved one, is not knowing what to expect as the disease progresses. Knowing that certain changes and behaviors are part of having the disease, rather than your fault or the fault of your loved one, can help you cope and reduce stress. All are invited to find out more when Pamela Taylor, LICSW, Community Educator with CareDimensions, comes to Bemis Hall on Monday, July 13 at 9:30 a.m. She will discuss changes in the brain, why some behaviors occur, and how to minimize unwanted behaviors, and give suggestions on improving communication with someone with the disease. All ages welcome.

Stay cooler and prevent heatstroke
July 16 at 10 a.m.
Summer heat can be dangerous, especially for those who are older. Even if you never had trouble with the heat before, age-related changes can make you more susceptible to falling ill from the heat. Come hear the Lincoln Fire Department on Thursday, July 16 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall talk about why heat can send you to the hospital, how to keep yourself cooler, symptoms of heat stroke, and what to do if you think you may be getting heat stroke.

The Wheel of Life for gratitude and growth
July 20 at 1 p.m.
The Wheel of Life is a visual representation of the many components of our lives—physical, spiritual, financial, work/volunteering, social, mental, and family. Come find out how you can use the Wheel of Life both to enhance your gratitude and for personal growth when Pamela Mizrahi, LICSW, of the COA, presents a workshop at Bemis Hall on Monday, July 20 at 1 p.m. You’ll learn how to look at each component singly and in relation to one another and live more fully, healthfully, and happily. All ages welcome!

Basic self-defense
July 27 at 1 p.m.
Whether you are at home in Lincoln or traveling, you need to know how to prevent crime or, if you find yourself in a dangerous situation, how to get away unharmed. Find out the best ways to secure your home and your vehicle as well as learn strikes, blocks, kicks, and patterns of movement to get you out of a situation in which you are being attacked when Ian Spencer of the Lincoln Police and Jena Salon come to Bemis Hall on Monday, July 27 at 1 p.m. The methods you learn will use minimal energy with the goal being escape. Those who attended the previous workshops will benefit from the refresher provided by this workshop.

What you want to know about drug addiction but are afraid to ask
July 29 at 1 p.m.
Abuse of prescription medications is replacing alcoholism as the most common form of addiction for residents of affluent communities. And among teenagers, heroin use has become an epidemic in our suburbs. The impact of addiction to these substances can be devastating for both the addicts and their families. Spouses, parents and grandparents are often confused about what to do and are too embarrassed to ask for advice. On July 29tfrom 1 p.m. to 2:30 at Bemis Hall, Dan Boynton, the founder of Bay Cove, Boston’s leading drug treatment facility, will provide a practical overview of today’s addictive drugs and the treatment options that work. His wife, Janet Boynton, will show brief video interviews with young people in recovery. Participants will be encouraged to share their concerns.

Save the date:

Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate

Learn about the U.S. Senate in an interactive and exploratory way on a trip to the new Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate on Friday, September 25. After a short introduction folks can independently wander through the museum with a tablet which allows them to engage fully in the democratic process. An issue of the day also enhances the experience. A full-scale replica of the U.S. Senate Chamber and other exhibits are also on view. The Institute opened this past March to rave reviews. Note that this is a self guided tour with quite a bit of walking, but that there are places to sit throughout the building. The tour lasts between an hour to an hour and a half. The bus will leave the Lincoln Mall at 9:30 a.m. and return about 3 p.m. The cost is $15 per person. Lunch is still to be arranged. Signup begins in September.

 

 

Campus Master Plan Committee is up and running

The Community Center Study Committee's "preferred option." Click on the image for more options and interior design ideas.

The Community Center Study Committee’s “preferred option” for the location of the facility on the Hartwell campus.

The Campus Master Plan Committee (CMPC) has begun meeting and is moving quickly, with plans to interview consultant finalists on July 16.

The committee is charged with examining the implications of a Hartwell campus community center on Ballfield Road campus roadways, traffic, parking, public safety and accessibility, and recreational facilities, and to understand site issues such as wetlands, conservation land, septic fields and geotechnical conditions. One of the CMPC’s first tasks is hiring a firm with the skills needed to do this work. Residents authorized $75,000 for this purpose at Town Meeting in March.

Members of the committee are Renel Fredriksen from the Board of Selectmen, Jennifer Glass  and Tim Christenfeld from the School Committee; Bryce Wolf from the Planning Board; Ken Bassett from the Roadway & Traffic Committee; Dilla Tingley from the Council on Aging board; Patricia Donahue from the Parks and Recreation Committee; either Peter von Mertens or Jim Meadors from the Conservation Commission; and at-large members Carole Kasper, Vin Cannistraro and Paula Cobb. There are four nonvoting members as well: Town Administrator Tim Higgins, Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall, Council on Aging Director Carolyn Bottum, and Parks & Recreation Director Dan Pereira.

Letter to the editor: Help Lincoln boomers build community

letter

To the editor:

On any given day, a visit to Bemis Hall will find it buzzing with activity and bursting at the seams with people socializing, participating in programs, volunteering, seeking counsel and more. And it’s about to get a lot busier, if a newly formed group of self-described “boomers” has anything to do with it.

In classic Lincoln fashion, the inspiration of one has turned into an ad hoc discussion group of how to introduce more baby boomers to current community offerings, especially those offered by the Council on Aging at Bemis Hall, and how to evolve and enhance existing programs to meet new and growing needs without compromising the valued programs and critical services currently in place. While some boomers have been enjoying COA programming, many are not. And the newly formed group is out to find out why…and to come up with strategies to help more boomers to find their way to Bemis.

At the first gathering of this new group, much discussion focused on “branding” and how that influences perception. Questions were raised as to how to better reach out to communicate the range of community activities that currently exist at Bemis and throughout town. Several saw their interests and needs as variations of the current COA and Parks & Recreation programming. This group of boomers, looking into the future, saw the benefit of a true multigenerational community center that could accommodate the needs of all and reinforce a sense of coming together as a community.

The work of this new group—yet unnamed—will benefit from previous work done by the COA in 2013, where many similar questions were explored, and by the more recent work of the Community Center Study Committee. The energy, enthusiasm, and creative thinking of this group may well take things to the next level and test the limitations of Bemis Hall beyond the challenge posed by existing programs and services. This is not a bad thing—this is a reflection of the natural evolution of a vibrant community growing and changing over time. In fact, this is a cause for celebration—ingenuity and grass-roots initiative is alive and well in Lincoln.

The next gathering of the unnamed boomers ad hoc discussion group is on Tuesday, June 16 at 8:15 a.m. in Bemis Hall. They are spreading the word to encourage others to join them to think of creative ways to introduce community activities for all.

Sincerely,

Sara Mattes
71 Conant Rd.

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrel.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Council on Aging events in June

bemisAn exploration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition
June 5 at 2:30 p.m.
The 19th-century Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky is an ambitious musical work in 10 movements, each inspired by a particular artwork at an exhibition he visited. Come hear a live performance and learn about how and why it was composed as well as about the artworks that each movement interprets when Abla Shocair plays and discusses this work on Friday, June 5 at 2:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. She will also play Papillons by Robert Schumann, which is believed to have had an influence on the Pictures suite and Franz Liszt’s Rhapsody #6 as it relates to Mussorgsky’s piano training. Abla, a civil engineer originally from Jordan, started playing piano at age 4.

[Read more…] about Council on Aging events in June

News acorns – 6/4/15

Sam Bayer

Sam Bayer

Sam Bayer featured at Monday’s open mic night

Sam Bayer will be the featured performer at this month’s LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mic Acoustic) on Monday, June 8 from 7-10 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. He’ll perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30 p.m. Bayer has performed at First Night, Passim’s, Sally O’Briens, the Nameless Coffeehouse and other venues and has four CDs to his credit.

[Read more…] about News acorns – 6/4/15

Lincoln veterans invited to join new group

military-logosLincoln military veterans are invited to come together to form a new veterans’ group to have occasional meetings and perhaps a service project to advance a worthy veterans’ cause.

The group is open to all who have served in any of America’s five formal armed services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines), including Reserves and National Guard.

Organizers need veterans to respond to news articles such as this one because they can’t easily be contacted as a group directly. Although residents’ veteran status is part of the information collected in the U.S. census, the Town Clerk is not permitted to release a list of those names.

“We don’t even know who they are in Lincoln—that’s why we’re putting out this word,” said retired Navy Capt. Tom Risser of Lincoln, a former flight surgeon who served in Iraq and one of the effort’s organizers.

Risser said he hoped to find more riflemen for the town’s annual Memorial Day celebration as well as a contingent of veterans to march in the parade that day and in Independence Day.

“That parade is getting smaller and smaller,” said Priscilla Leach, the town’s Veterans’ Service Officer, who helps connect veterans with services and apply for federal, state and local benefits (including property tax abatements).

Participation in the group will be entirely optional, and organizers guarantee there will be no solicitation for donations or activities that each vet doesn’t choose to make time for. Anyone who’s interested should contact one of the people in Lincoln below.

Tom Risser
thomas_risser@hms.harvard.edu
781-789-6253

Adam Hogue
Commanding Officer, 1166th Transportation Company, Massachusetts Army National Guard
adam.m.hogue@gmail.com
978-828-6184

Priscilla Leach
Lincoln Veterans’ Services Officer
lincolnvetservices@gmail.com
781-259-4472