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

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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

June events at the Council on Aging

bemisBelow are June events sponsored by the Lincoln Council on Aging. For more information, call the COA at 781-259-8811.

Coffee with artist Ellen Milan
June 5 at 2:30 p.m.
Indulge your senses in the grace and liveliness of paintings on silk, prints, pastels, and scratch board engravings by Ellen Milan in the Bemis Hall Artists Gallery this month. You are also invited to meet Ellen at the “Coffee with the Artist” on June 5 at 2:30 p.m.Ellen’s work has been included in public and private collections and shows in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New York, Israel and Europe. Locally, her work has been part of group shows at the Danforth Museum, Concord Art Association and elsewhere. Last year she had exhibitions at the Lincoln Library and the Harvey Wheeler Community Center. You can see the full scope of her work in various media, including wearable art, at www.ellenmilan.com.

[Read more…] about June events at the Council on Aging

Isbell gets special award from COA

Isbell's award.

Isbell’s award.

Susan Isbell (right) receives her "Woman of the Year" award from the Council on Aging.

Susan Isbell (right) receives her “Woman of the Year” award from the Council on Aging.

Susan Isbell of Virginia Road received a special award at the recent Lincoln Council on Aging volunteer luncheon, was proclaimed “Woman of the Year” for her extensive work helping at Bemis Hall during the medical leave of COA assistant director Pam Alberts. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging and hosted by St. Anne’s church, the luncheon was enjoyed by over 100 COA volunteers at a buffet catered by Richard Silver of the Pierce House.

Council on Aging events for May

bemisHere are the events scheduled for May by the Lincoln Council on Aging.

Sublime sunflowers: pastel paint like the masters
May 2 at 1 p.m.
The COA is pleased to present award-winning pastel artist Greg Maichack who will offer his new hands-on workshop for beginners to advanced artists in pastel painting on Friday, May 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Maichack will provide insights into the lives of sunflower painters van Gogh, Monet and O’Keefe, and then participants will be coached to create their own sunflower paintings. The workshop is free, but please call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up. This workshop is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

[Read more…] about Council on Aging events for May

Early May is packed with Lincoln events

calendar4Here are just a few of the events coming up in Lincoln early next month. Click the links for details in the Lincoln Squirrel calendar or on the website of the group that’s running the event.

May Day Merriness — Thursday, May 1
1-2:30 p.m., Drumlin Farm
We’ll make and decorate May baskets, then gather flowers from spring’s bounty to fill them. Plant some flower seeds in the garden and some to take home. This is a great family program for all ages. Registration is required; $12 for Mass Audubon members, $15 for nonmembers. More info…

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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

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

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.