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

seniors

Council on Aging events in April

bemisFollowing are events scheduled by the Lincoln Council on Aging for the rest of April.

Gentle yoga
April 9, 16, 23, 30, May 7, 14 at 9 a.m.
Would you like to try yoga but are concerned it may be too rigorous for you? Try the COA’s new gentle yoga class with experienced instructor Jai Kaur Annamaria San Antonio. The class will be held on six Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m. beginning on April 9 at a cost of $30 for the course. You may do the class on the floor or in a chair and the instructor will help you adapt the poses to your special needs. You may try one class free. Please sign up in advance by calling the COA at 781-259-8811. This class is subsidized by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs

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Ohio man writes column on memories of Lincoln

tribtodayBruce Thomas hasn’t visited Lincoln in decades, but he always remembered his grandfather’s hometown with affection—and he wrote a column about it for his local newspaper.

Thomas’ column, which appeared in February on the website of the Tribune Chronicle in Warren Ohio, reminisces about summer visits in the 1930s to the Lorreys, his grandparents and aunt who lived on Farrar Road. He recalls playing near Farrar Pond and, much later, watching the moon landing on TV with his grandfather.

Reached by phone in Ohio, Thomas’ wife Sally (who spoke for him because his speech has been affected by a stroke), said Bruce, now 83, grew up in western Massachusetts. He’s retired after a career in software and nonprofits.

News acorns

New “spring greens” CSA offered by The Food Project

To get a jump-start on the growing and distribution season, The Food Project has launched a brand new “Spring Greens” community-supported agriculture (CSA) share. For $200, you get five weeks of cooking and salad greens (4 pounds a week on average) grown in our high tunnel greenhouses in Lincoln. Distributions on Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. will start in May at the Lincoln farm on Baker Bridge Road (the exact start date will be determined depending on the weather). Visit The Food Project website to sign up online, or call 781-259-8621 x20. Spaces are limited.

Codman Community Farm and Drumlin Farm are also offering CSA shares—see the Lincoln Squirrel, March 5.

Meals on Wheels needs delivery volunteers

The Lincoln Council on Aging needs people to deliver Meals on Wheels either regularly or as occasional substitutes. Drivers pick up the meals in Concord at about 10:30 a.m. and deliver them to two to three homebound residents in Lincoln. The meals are absolutely essential to those who receive them, and we would be so grateful if you could help! For more information, please talk to Carolyn at the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811. Meals on Wheels is administered by Minuteman Senior Services.

folpocketFill out your File of Life

A File of Life is a red plastic envelope that attaches to your refrigerator or a small folder to put in your wallet that holds a piece of paper with essential information that would be needed by emergency medical services should you ever have a medical emergency. Lincoln residents of all ages are welcome to pick up one more free Files of Life at the Council on Aging at Bemis Hall anytime Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. You will receive both the envelope or folder and the paper that goes inside with spaces to fill in your information. You may also call the COA at 781-259-8811 and they will mail a File of Life to you.

Financial help with winter fuel, other emergencies available

billsIf you need help paying your winter fuel bill, the Commonwealth’s Fuel Assistance Program may be able to help. The program provides a cash benefit (payable to an authorized fuel provider) for both home owners and renters whose incomes are eligible. How much you receive depends on your household income, how many people you have in your household, and your heating costs. Recipients may also be eligible for other benefits, such as weatherization services, heating system repairs, discount utility rates, and Citizens Energy heat assistance programs.

To apply for fuel assistance, residents of all ages should call Pam Alberts of the Lincoln Council on Aging at 781-259-8811 to set up an appointment. The Southern Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) will review the application to determine whether you are eligible or not.

For Lincoln residents who have an unforeseen and extreme financial emergency that threatens their wellbeing, the Lincoln Emergency Assistance Fund (LEAF) and the Small Necessities Project may be able to help. LEAF provides assistance of up to $700 per year or $1,000 per lifetime in those situations where that amount will allow someone to stay in our community. LEAF is supported entirely by the Ogden Codman Trust, the First Parish Church, and donations.

The Small Necessities Project can provide immediate help if a resident has no food in the house, needs emergency medication, needs a night or two of lodging due to a fire or flood, or has a similar need. This project is funded by the Ogden Codman Trust and donations.

For more information or to ask for assistance, call Pam Alberts at the COA at 781-259-8811.

Church members serve lunch at homeless center

A multigenerational group of First Parish Church parishioners prepared and served lunch to guests on January 20 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) at the Community Day Center in Waltham, which serves homeless people in Waltham and several other western suburbs. The center also received a donation of $6,559 gathered from the annual Christmas offering organized by the church’s Outreach Committee.

The church supports several local and international groups and also serves lunch several times a year to Boston homeless people at the Arlington Street Church.

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First Parish Church members served lasagna and salad lunch at the Community Day Center in Waltham. Left to right: Beth Taylor, Julie Land, Marilyn Lee-Tom (center director), Mary Gaylord, Geoff Borggaard, Student Minister Rebecca Hinds with (front row) Alex and Owen Finsthwait and Atticus Borggaard. Also helping but not pictured: Stephen Brand, Peter Pease, Doug Swain, Susan Taylor and Linda MacMillan.

Park and Rec announces winter activities

Winter 2014_Page_01

(click on image to download brochure)

The Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department’s Winter 2014 brochure is now available online at www.lincolnrec.com. Classes beginning next week include:

  • Ballroom Dance Drop-in for adults (Friday nights)
  • Latin Dance for adults (Thursday nights)
  • Open Studio for adults (Thursdays)
  • Chess Wizards for school age children (Thursdays)
  • Musical Theater for school age children (Tuesdays)
  • Music Together for preschoolers on (Mondays and Fridays)
  • Gymnastics for preschool and school age children (Wednesdays)

For more information, call the Parks and Recreation Office at 781-259-0784.

Winter wellness clinics for all ages starting Dec. 6

Lincoln residents of all ages are invited to meet with a nurse at no charge at one of several wellness clinics. Get your blood pressure and/or BMI (body mass index) checked, ask questions, or learn about wellness resources.

Clinics will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on the following Fridays at the Community Building at Lincoln Woods at 50 Wells Road:

  • December 6
  • January 10
  • February 7
  • March 14

There will also be a clinic at St. Joseph’s Church (142 Lincoln Road) on Wednesday, December 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

These clinics are funded by CHNA 15 and provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care. For more information, please call the Lincoln Council on Aging at (781) 259-8811.