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

Appealing bark (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Morning sun backlights a Japanese paper bark maple on Beaver Pond Road. (Photo by Allen Vander Meulen)

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.

deCordova readies museum-wide photography exhibition

Karl Blossfeldt, Urformen der Kunst (page 41), 1928/1929, photogravure. Gift of Arlette and Gus Kayafas in honor of Jennifer Gross. Photograph by Clements Photography and Design, Boston.

The Trustees and deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum announce the fall opening of Photosynthesis, a museum-wide celebration and examination of photography spanning a range of topics and artists. Opening October 12 and on view through March 29, 2020, Photosynthesis comprises three separate shows featuring works drawn from deCordova’s permanent collection along with loans from artists and private collectors. All of deCordova’s galleries will be devoted to photography during this period.

All the Marvelous Surfaces: Photography Since Karl Blossfeldt explores the impact of Blossfeldt’s acclaimed 1920s series “Art Forms in Nature” on present-day approaches to ornamentation, scale, and abstraction. Peter Hutchinson: Landscapes of My Life offers visitors a rare opportunity to view photographs and photo collages by an underrecognized pioneer of Land Art. Truthiness and the News examines the evidentiary role of photography from the first half of the 20th century to the current age of post-truth politics.

Charles “Teenie” Harris, Girl reading on stacks of Pittsburgh Courier newspapers, c. 1940, printed 2001, silver gelatin print. Gift of Gus and Arlette Kayafas. Photograph by Clements Photography and Design, Boston.

“We are excited to present three timely exhibitions that unite photography’s expansive capacity for artistic expression and engagement with urgent contemporary issues,” said Sarah Montross, senior curator. “Photography is often considered the most democratic artistic medium — a form of imagery that we all use and absorb daily but may not have time to question and appreciate. These shows blur the lines between nature and art, fact and fiction, and reveal photography’s potency in shaping perception of the world around us.”

Other events related to Photosynthesis:

Art and Journalism in the Era of Post-Truth Politics
Saturday, Nov. 2, 1–4:30 p.m.
In conjunction with Truthiness and the News, this symposium brings together journalists, historians, and artists to reflect on how we look at images and read the news critically in an age in which the concept of truth seems to hold ever less weight. Free with admission or membership

Gallery Talk with Artist Lucy Kim
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Join artist Lucy Kim and curator Sarah Montross for an in-gallery conversation about Kim’s work in relation to photographs in All the Marvelous Surfaces. Free; registration requested.

Peter Hutchinson, Conflicting Seasons: Alliterative Landscape Series, 2002, photo and ink on board. Collection of the artist. Photograph by Clements Photography and Design, Boston.

What’s Your Truth? Art-Making Workshop with Emily Bhargava
Saturday, Nov. 16, 10 am–12:30 pm
Using newspapers, magazines, and advertisements as source materials, put your truth on display with a glass and collage project inspired by the Truthiness exhibition. Tickets required ($40 for members, $45 for nonmembers).

Art and the Environment: A Local History
Thursday, Nov. 21, 6:30–8 p.m.
How have artists responded to New England’s diverse coastal and river ecosystems, as well as the region’s layered indigenous, colonial, and industrial histories? Art historian Kirsten Swenson connects past and present environmental art and landscape design, from Frederick Law Olmsted to Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Mags Harries, and Lajos Héder. Free; registration requested.

Art Nouveau Mosaic Workshop
Wednesdays, December 4 and 11, 6:30–9 p.m.
Inspired by exhibition artworks and Karl Blossfeldt’s art nouveau influences, create a nature-inspired mosaic in this two-session workshop with artist Emily Bhargava. Tickets are $75 for members, $90 for nonmembers; click here to purchase.

Curator-led tour of Truthiness and the News
Thursday, Jan. 30, 6–7 p.m.
Join Koch Curatorial Fellow Sam Adams for an in-depth walkthrough of exhibition Truthiness and the News. Free; registration requested.

Correction

An item in the September 11 edition of News Acorns incorrectly stated that Drumlin Farm was rescheduling its annual Harvest Feast originally planned for October 6. The event is hosted by Codman Community Farms, not Drumlin Farm, on Saturday, Nov. 2. (Drumlin Farm is having its own Fall Harvest Celebration on Saturday, Sept. 14). The News Acorns have been updated.

News acorns

“Embrace Change” sessions at library cancelled

All evening sessions of the “Embrace Change” series at the Lincoln Library have been cancelled. Daytime programs will be held at Pierce House as scheduled (see updated News Acorns, Sept. 4, 2019). For more information, see FullyEmbraceChange.com.

Garden Club event for prospective members

All Lincoln residents with an interest in gardening and the natural environment that surrounds us are welcome to the Lincoln Garden Club’s fall wine and cheese party for new and prospective members. Come learn about their activities on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 5 p.m. RSVP to Annparke@verizon.net, Lucypage@aol.com or Membership@lincolngradenclub.org to receive the event location.

Codman Community Farms Harvest Feast rescheduled

Due to concerns about Eastern equine encephalitis and the potential risks of holding evening events before the first hard frost, Codman Community Farms has decided to move its annual Harvest Feast from October 5 to Saturday, Nov. 2. The annual CCF Harvest Fair will be held as scheduled on Sunday, Oct. 6.

Fall events at Farrington Nature Linc

The following children’s events will take place at Farrington Nature Linc (295 Cambridge Turnpike, Lincoln):

Goat Yoga with Chip in Farm and Julie Aronis of Little Elephant Yoga
Sunday, Sept. 15 from 10–11 a.m.
Join us for an outdoor yoga class featuring a herd of friendly baby goats from Chip-In Farm. Goat kids are naturally curious and playful and our little goats love to cuddle. While this may not be the most meditative and relaxing yoga class you’ve ever been to, it will surely be the most memorable. Learn more on leader Julie Aronis’s Facebook page. Bring your own mat, blanket, or towel but be prepared for the goats to potentially taste test everything. We recommend towels for easy cleaning. In case of rain, the class will be inside the barn. $25 class fee includes 50 minutes of yoga instruction with 10 minutes of goat cuddling and photos.

Tales and Treats Family Storytelling with Doria Hughes
Saturday, Sept. 21 from 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Join us for a crisp evening by the fire as Doria Hughes tells us stories about the fall, nature, and animals and everyone makes s’mores.

Wild Edibles with Stephen DeFlorio
Saturday, Oct. 5 from 9 a.m.–noon
Led by Naturalist Stephen DeFlorio, a 30-year veteran of outdoor education. Explore the world of ethnobotany. The class will focus on edibles in the woods but also cover medicinals such as lip balms, salves, tinctures, poultices, etc. Geared for adults, but children welcome. Limited to 25 attendees.

Slightly Spooky, Mostly Kooky Fall Fun Fest
Saturday, Oct. 19 from 4–9 p.m.
Come as a family wearing your favorite Halloween costumes to enjoy fall crafts, outdoor games, a hike and some Halloween treats.

Mah Jongg Mondays set to begin

Have you always wanted to learn mah jongg? Are you a new or former player looking to improve your skills? Are you an experienced player looking for a friendly game? Every Monday from 1–4 p.m. beginning on September 30, the Lincoln Council on Aging in Bemis Hall will host Mah Jongg lessons as well as a drop-in game for those who know how to play. It is a four-player tile game of strategy, luck and skill that offers many of the same cognitive benefits as chess and bridge. Bring your 2019 Mah Jongg card or we will provide one for $9. For more information and to register for lessons or a game, contact Joan Ingersoll at ingersollj@lincolntown.org or 781-259-8811.

“Hikes Through History” presentation at library

The Lincoln Public Library presents “Hikes Through History” with Alison O’Leary on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. A hike is more than a stroll through the woods when you know how the land was used in the past. O’Leary is coauthor of AMC’s Best Day Hikes Near Boston. This program is sponsored by Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.

Tour historic houses and neighborhood

On Sunday, Oct. 6, Friends of Modern Architecture/Lincoln and Historic New England are offering a rare opportunity to compare the interior and exterior of Gropius House and the 1939 home of Walter Gropius’s esteemed Harvard colleague, Walter Bogner. This special, ninety-minute tour begins at Gropius House and continues with a short walk through the adjacent Woods End Road neighborhood. Woods End Road features an exceptional cluster of Modern houses, including a home designed by celebrated Modern architect and designer Marcel Breuer, and the home of Harvard ethicist and housing specialist James Ford and writer Elizabeth Morrow Ford, designed by Gropius and Breuer. Tours start at the Gropius House (68 Baker Bridge Rd.) every half-hour from 1:30–4 p.m. Tickets are $65. Click here to register and select a time.

Kids to learn first-hand about recycling

Lincoln children are invited to bring discarded plastics they’ve collected from their homes the previous week to an educational recycling event at the transfer station on Wednesday, Sept. 18 from 2–3:30 p.m. The event is being organized by Kim Jalet, chair of community service events for the Lincoln Family Association, along with Laura Berland and Susan Donaldson.

There will be a short presentation about trash and recycling in Lincoln, and the kids will determine which plastic items will go into the trash and which plastic items can be recycled. Jalet will then help them make reusable bags out of old pillow cases and read stories about being good stewards of the environment while Berland facilitates a discussion about ways to reduce plastic waste. The event is open to anyone with kids in Lincoln, but advance signup is required; click here to register.

Donations of old pillowcases are needed (they can’t have any holes, but can otherwise be well worn). Jalet can pick them up; email her at jaletkl@gmail.com.

Town to offer composting service at transfer station

Lincoln residents will soon be able to bring their food waste and other compostable items to the transfer station under a new service provided by the Department of Public Works.

The DPW and Mothers Out Front – Lincoln, which has been working with town officials to get the composting program underway, are also asking residents to answer an anonymous online survey about their current recycling and composting habits. Organizers are trying to learn about effective ways to reduce the amount of waste sent to the incinerator and move the town toward “zero waste.” Click here to take the survey.

Once the program starts, residents can collect their compostable materials in biodegradable compost bags or paper bags and drop them in one of three 64-gallon closed and lined compost barrels at the transfer station (loose items will not be accepted). The DPW will offer buckets and compost bags to residents for a modest fee. There will be education tables at Donelan’s and the transfer station in coming weeks with more information.

The compost material will be picked up each week by Black Earth Compost at a cost of about $2,000 per year — but diverting compostable materials from the trash will actually save the town about $15,000 to $20,000 annually. The general industry standard is that compostable material (primarily food waste) accounts for 25% of the waste stream, according to DPW Superintendent Chris Bibbo. Lincoln currently pays $69.54 per ton to have trash hauled from the transfer station to the Wheelabrator trash-to-energy incinerator in North Andover.

Residents also have the option to sign up for curbside compost pick up with Black Earth Compost for $3.80 a week (plus purchase of an animal-proof 13-gallon bin for $24). The service will run in Lincoln if at least 30 households sign up, and customers get compost delivered to them several months later. Click here for details and to preregister.

For those with outdoor space, the DPW sells home composting bins at its Lewis Street headquarters for $60 apiece.

Lincoln joins other cities and town in Massachusetts (including the city of Boston) that are starting or expanding their composting programs to reduce their municipal waste and carbon footprint.

News acorns

Piano concert by Wanda Paik

Lincoln resident Wanda Paik will give a free piano concert on Friday, Sept. 26 at noon in Bemis Hall featuring works by Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, and Rachmaninoff, with refreshments to follow. Handicap accessible; all are welcome.

American Girl dolls sought for social entrepreneurship program

Lincoln’s METCO Coordinating Committee (MCC) is seeking donations of American Girl dolls for use in a new social entrepreneurship program for both Boston and Lincoln students led by Lincoln METCO Director Marika Hamilton this year. She will be teaching the students finance, accounting, marketing, home economics, and social responsiveness. Students will create attire for American Girl dolls that will become part of American Girl baskets that will be sold at the huge MCC estate sale on November 15-16 here in Lincoln.

Please place your gently loved American Girl dolls in a bag and drop them in one of the labeled donation bins in the Smith and Brooks School main lobby. Please contact Marika if you would like a 501(c)3 receipt for your American Girl Doll donation at mhamilton@lincnet.org.

Drug disposal kits available at Bemis

Expired or unneeded drugs in your medicine cabinet can be deadly temptations to family members or others. You may drop off unused drugs at the Public Safety Building, but you can also pick up one or more Safe Disposal Drug Kits at Bemis Hall. Empty medications into the pouch, fill halfway with warm water and wait 30 seconds, then seal, shake, and throw it out with the regular trash. See Carolyn Bottum or Joan Ingersoll at the Council on Aging at Bemis Hall to get kits.

Volunteers sought at Old Town Hall Exchange

The Old Town Hall Exchange (the nonprofit that maintains the 1848 Greek Revival building across from the town offices) is looking for volunteers. The Exchange sells consigned antiques, artisanal crafts, baby gifts, books, penny candy, etc., and crafters and consignors retain 70% of retail prices. Profits raised contribute to the operations and maintenance of the Old Town Hall. This is an all-volunteer organization working to maintain a part of Lincoln’s history, going strong since 1962. Volunteer commitment is 2.5 hours per week; no special skills needed. For details, email Stacy Osur at stacyosur@gmail.com.

Town seeks bids for road work this fall

Town officials hope to resurface or repair several roads in town this fall and have asked for bids to be submitted by September 30. If all goes well, contractors will be hired and the work completed by the end of October, though DPW Superintendent noted that paving contractors are very busy and the timetable will depend on their availability.

The areas targeted for work are:

  • Bedford Road (segment at the Five Corners intersection)
  • Bedford Lane (segment)
  • Sunnyside Lane (segment)
  • Route 117 (South Great Road) from railroad tracks east to #327, plus Tower Road apron
  • Lincoln Road northbound from Codman Road to first driveway (patch repair only)

“It’s a clean machine…” (Lincoln Through the Lens)

The Lincoln Fire Department’s ladder truck got a good scrubbing from toddlers and preschoolers at the annual Wash a Police Car and Fire Truck event at the Magic Garden Children’s Center last month. Firefighters parked the engine on the walkway to the Hartwell building than on the paved “dot” on the field below (owing to concerns that the septic tank underneath would buckle under the vehicle’s weight) and the children happily watched the suds wash down into the parking lot.

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.