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

Spring jackets (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Sarah Cannon Holden photographed these flowers eagerly bursting through the forest floor.

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.

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Coming up at the deCordova

Chanel Thervil, “Glee,” 2017. Courtesy of the artist.

  • Collaborate with Biennial artist Chanel Thervil to represent your superpower though vibrant color and bold, abstract shapes in “Towers of Power: Self Portrait Sculptures” on Sunday, May 5 from 1–3 p.m. (rain or shine). Add your unique element to a massive community installation punctuating deCordova’s landscape. This special ArtWeek program is great for all ages. Free with admission or membership; registration requested.
  • Take a dynamic, indoor/outdoor tour of the history and art of the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum on Saturday, May 18 from 11 a.m.–noon. Learn about the transformation of the de Cordova family’s summer cottage built in 1880 to the “castle” that became their year-round residence at the turn of the century to the contemporary art museum of today. Free with admission or membership; registration requested.
  • Join Biennial artist Emilie Stark-Menneg with collaborators Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon and Desmond Bratton for a live performance of dancing, music, and poetry in deCordova’s galleries on Thursday, May 23 from 6–7 p.m. Their piece will be in dialogue with Stark-Menneg’s film “Confirmation” featured in the Biennial. Free; registration requested.

Help fight invasive garlic mustard

Help the Conservation Department fight invasive plant garlic mustard across town. Neighborhood pull season is April 30 through May 31. Join your neighbors and pull garlic mustard — you choose the time and place. Free paper leaf bags will be distributed to residents at the transfer station on Saturday, May 4 from 9 a.m.–noon. After that, bags will be available at the Conservation Department office in Town Hall and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust office at the mall. Click here for a fact sheet with pictures of garlic mustard.

There will be a spot behind the DPW facility on Lewis Street for residents to drop off their filled bags (no wall lettuce or yard clippings, please). Hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Though dropoffs are preferred, Conservation staff will pick up full bags of garlic mustard in neighborhoods through May 31, but only if you contact them at 781-259-2612 or stacyc@lincolntown.org (allow a few days for pickup).

Council on Aging activities in May

Musical jazz lunch
May 3 at 12:30 p.m.
Celebrate the end of the week by grabbing a table at Bemis while the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band serenades you with familiar good old tunes. Bring a bag lunch and, if you like, food purchased already prepared to share. The COA provides beverages and dessert.

Watercolor class with Jane
May 6 and 20 at 9 a.m.
Rediscover your joyful soul through art and nature in Jane Cooper’s watercolor class. Two classes of four sessions each will be offered on Mondays and Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m. beginning Mondays, May 6 and 20. The cost is $30 for each class of four sessions, materials included. Call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up.

Lincoln Academy with Timothy Johnson, MD: The future of medicine
May 6 at 12:30 p.m.
Dr. Johnson will review current problems with American health care and propose possible solutions for each. He will also predict what will happen in the next ten years. Johnson was the chief medical correspondent for ABC News, giving medical information to millions of Americans in a way that was accurate yet accessible. The COA provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion. All ages welcome.

Noticing walks with John Calabria
May 7 at 1 p.m.
Location: TBD
Enjoy a gently paced walk through nature guided by John Calabria on May 7 from 1–2:30 p.m. at a location posted at lincolnconservation.org. Bring walking sticks or walking poles if you like. Another walk will be held June 4. If the weather is bad, call 781-259-9251 after 10 a.m. the morning of the walk for an update. Co-sponsored by the COA and Lincoln Land Conservation Trust. [Read more…] about Council on Aging activities in May

Codman Farm: its seasons and its chickens

By Sarah Cannon Holden

Three of the hundreds of new chicks for 2019 (click image to enlarge; all photos by Sarah Cannon Holden).

Spring has arrived, and the activities at Codman Farm in Lincoln are unfolding at a rapid pace as Farm Manager Pete Lowy prepares for the arrivals of peeping baby chickens, young sheep, soft and fluffy goslings, and joyful piglets.

These newcomers to Lincoln will join the 20 calves and their ten mothers who have wintered at the farm, along with their common father, Codman’s very large bull. Chickens that have spent the winter at Codman will be replaced with new layers (economically, it doesn’t make sense to keep laying chickens for more than one year; after that, their egg production declines rapidly.) In mid-May, 1,300 new hens will arrive to replenish the flock. Soon all the animals will be put out to pasture in multiple locations around town.

Since Pete’s arrival in 2016, Codman Farm is now a pasture-based farm. There’s a lot more happening than what see from the corner of Codman and Lincoln Roads. When some people visit the farm, they may ask, “Where are the animals?” At any time of year, one can see thousands of eggs being washed in the lower barn, and maybe some cattle in a nearby field. They can see farming equipment near the historic white barns, but from spring to fall, most of the animals — the cattle, chickens, pigs, and sheep — are grazing all over town on 80 acres of mostly town-owned fields.

In keeping with the town’s agricultural heritage, Codman Farm pastures animals on 4.5 acres off Old Sudbury Road, 20 acres behind Donelan’s on Farm Meadow Field, 12 acres at Mt. Misery, and 25 acres on Codman Road fields, in addition to some private acreage and 30 acres at Minute Man National Park.

In the early days of winter, the animals are gathered in from those distant fields. During the winter months, the cows and their calves live at the farm. Half the stock of chickens is kept over the winter so the farm has eggs for its farm store; other chickens are sold as live birds, while still others are sold for tasty chicken soup. Pigs are sent off to the butcher, and turkeys and geese are raised to maturity in time for Thanksgiving.

Andy the guard dog with the flock of poultry he protects.

At the same time, the farmers transport the chickens back to the farm, where they’re housed in a greenhouse known on the farm as a “high tunnel.” It’s a large arched steel pole structure covered with translucent plastic that is heated by the sun up to temperatures of 60 degrees even on a cold winter’s day.

Come early April, the farmers move these mature laying hens back out to pasture on either North or South Codman Field near Rt. 126. When this year’s new birds are old enough to be in the pastures, last year’s hens are sent to market. Each summer, all the Codman chickens feed on grass and grains while fertilizing the fields, thus increasing the fertility of the soil and making for green verdant pastures for all to enjoy.

Farmer Pete Lowy mans the egg washer.

The layer chickens graze under the watchful eye of Andy, one of the livestock guardian dogs, a special Anatolian shepard/Akbash breed. You might see him resting by day, as his major job is to protect the chickens from nocturnal predators. On occasion, a wise old owl catches onto Andy’s daytime patterns and dives into the flock to snatch an unwary chicken before the dog wakes up!

The customs of a hatchery and the chicken market in general are not exactly common knowledge. Over the winter, the farmers make many decisions about the upcoming season’s chicken flock. Pete buys his chicks from a hatchery in Pennsylvania, one of the hatcheries that exist in clusters around the country. If you buy a so-called “straight run” of eggs for meat birds, you get whatever hatches. You have a 50-50 chance of chicks that will become hens or roosters. It turns out, however, that male meat birds are sold at maturity at discounts. Or for a higher price, you can order only female chicks. Each hatchery has its specialist “sexer” who can determine whether the chick is male or female so farmers can make their choice. The hatchery industry is complex and lives in its own world of trade.

The meat chickens have an entirely different life cycle from the layers. In early spring, the meat chicks are fed and kept warm under heat lamps in the brooder. In a few weeks, they’ll be ready for the green pasture of the fields and the farmers will move them along with their large mobile coop, water, and feeding bins to the Mt. Misery fields located off Old Concord Road. They are enclosed in small hoop houses on that lush field which the farmers move every few days to ensure fresh green grass.

When it comes time for the meat chickens to go to market, a group of volunteers gathers with the farmers for “chicken catch night” — a social event with a farming chore. The challenge is to catch the chickens and get them to a Rhode Island processing facility the next morning. The following day, the farmers pick up the USDA-inspected meat at the processor and bring them back to the farm, where they’re sold in the Codman Farm Store. This process occurs every three weeks during the summer months.

A visit to Codman Farm and a walk to see the chickens will remind any visitor of the work it takes to put healthy food on our tables. It demonstrates the importance of not overgrazing the land, and the role of chickens in the scratching and fertilization of the soils.

Stop by the farm store and see the incredible variety of meats, eggs, and produce available — all grown here in Lincoln.

To read more about Codman Farm, see “Codman Community Farms grows by adopting modern practices” (Lincoln Squirrel, November 2, 2017).

Boy Scouts retrace 1775 Minute Men march through Lincoln

Don Hafner answers Boy Scouts’ questions as Captain William Smith, Commander of the Lincoln Minute Men.

Shortly after sunrise on Friday, April 19, some 60 Boy Scouts and adult leaders met to hike in the historic pathway of American Revolution events of April 19, 1775. They were following the Minutemen’s Pursuit Trail, a National Historic Trail of the Boy Scouts of America that was created by the Spirit of Adventure Council and Concord Scout House.

As the militia-hikers crossed into Lincoln from Concord on the Battle Road trail and approached the Bloody Angle within the Minute Man National Park, they could hear fife music played by Lincoln’s Don Hafner, who portrayed Lincoln Minute Men Commander Captain William Smith and answered hikers’ questions. The music had the same intended effect on this group as it would have in 1775 — reviving tired souls five miles into the 20-mile pursuit. 

Around sunset, with the Boston skyline in the background and the Grand Union Flag hoisted above the tired but proud Scouts atop Prospect Hill Tower, they recognized the heroic actions of those who inspired the creation of this hike. Next year, April 19 will be on a weekend, making it an opportunity for even more Scouts to better understand what happened that day in 1775.

Lincoln’s new Wang Field is open for play

Courtney Wang cuts the ribbon for Lincoln’s new athletic field next to the house he grew up in (click to enlarge).

Lincoln’s first new athletic field in more than 50 years officially opened last week with a ribbon-cutting by Courtney Wang, the son of the couple whose land the field now occupies.

Computer entrepreneur An Wang and his wife Lorraine raised their children on Bedford Road close to Route 2. After Lorraine passed away in 2016, the Rural Land Foundation and the Birches School together bought the Wang’s 16-acre property. The house was renovated and became the school’s new permanent home, and the other 12 acres is now Wang Field.

Attendees at the April 24 ribbon-cutting ceremony applauded the people and groups that made the project possible: Geoff McGean, executive director of the RLF; Dan Pereira, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, which will oversee use of the field (purchased from the RLF by the town in 2017); the Ogden Codman Trust, which provided a seed grant of $50,000; Patty Donahue, who was instrumental in raising funds for the field construction; and Courtney Wang, who flew in from Texas for the occasion.

Stone benches and bricks carry the names of Lincoln residents who made donations to fund the field construction.

Wang (cofounder of O-File and a trustee of the Wang Foundation) told the story of playing in a smaller area close to his house as a boy. The little field was not exactly ideal, being uneven and rocky, so he asked his parents for help in fixing it up — but the answer was no. “You guys can ride your bikes to the school fields—that’s what they’re there for,” he recalled them saying.

Now, seeing the beautiful new field in what was once his back yard, “the 10-year-old in me says ‘whoah, this is totally awesome—this is a dream come true!’ I hope you find it as special for you as it was for me growing up,” Wang said. He then “broke in” the field by kicking a soccer ball into one of the goals, and the ball was later signed by guests at the ribbon-cutting for him to take home as a souvenir.

News acorns

L-S Spring Instrumental Concert this week

The L-S music department presents the Spring Instrumental Concert on Thursday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lincoln-Sudbury Auditorium. Ensembles performing include the Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band. The orchestra is directed by Mr. Kyung-Nam Oh, and the bands are directed by Thomas Grandprey.

Four senior violinists — Katherine Feng, Michael Yue, Evan Lee, and Emma Christman — will be featured on “4 Violins Concerto No. 10 in B minor” (RV 580) by Vivaldi. Members of the Concert Band’s percussion section will be featured on an eclectic work entitled “Arabian Dances” by Brian Balmages. The orchestra and bands will combine for “Grand Finale, Music from the DreamWorks film Gladiator,” and there will be awards for the student musicians. L-S Friends of Music will sell concessions to help support instrument purchases and fund master classes for the music program.

Bird-a-Thon fundraiser coming up

Mass Audubon’s annual Bird-a-thon fundraiser will take place for 24 hours on Friday and Saturday, May 10–11 from 6 p.m.–6.p.m., when hundreds of birders of all abilities will compete to ID the most species statewide over a 24-hour period. Bird-a-thon takes place in the midst of the spring migration, when millions of birds are returning to Massachusetts to breed and raise young, or stopping to rest and feed in the Bay State before continuing farther north. 

Not a birder? Not a problem! Bird-a-thon Boosters participate by fundraising for their favorite teams. Boosters may bird non-competitively, do their own nature-focused activity, or simply rally support for those spending long hours in the field. Last year’s participants raised more than $255,000—the highest amount since the event began in 1983—and identified 275 species, the most ever recorded. Sponsors this year include Presenting Sponsor, Comosse Masonry Supply of Worcester, and WBUR. Click here to participate, donate, and learn more about Bird-a-thon.

Food project selling seedlings, CSA shares

Purchase vegetable, herb, and flower seedlings to start your garden at The Food Project’s Baker Bridge Farm (94 Concord Rd., Lincoln) on Saturday and Sunday, May 11–12 from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (rain or shine). The Food Project also has Lincoln CSA shares still available; visit csa.thefoodproject.org for details.

Community Capture the Flag

Join fellow Lincolnites for an all-ages Community Capture the Flag on Saturday, May 4 from 4–6 p.m. at the Pierce House. Rules will be explained when you arrive. Please wear clothing with your team color: blue for last names beginning with A–K, red for last names beginning L–Z. There will be extra uniforms for those in need. Park on the grass alongside Weston Road.

LLCT seeks summer help

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust is looking for a part-time summer land management intern who will work closely with the LLCT Stewardship Coordinator on land management activities, trail maintenance, baseline monitoring, and special projects. The position is for 15 hours a week over two days from the week of June 1 through August 15(11 weeks), and additional weeks may be considered. Click here details about the position and how to apply. Applications are due by May 15.

Lincoln Dems to hold caucus

The Lincoln Democratic Town Committee will hold its caucus on Saturday, May 18 from 9–11 a.m. in Bemis Hall. All Democrats registered in Lincoln are invited to elect delegates and alternates to the 2019 Massachusetts Democratic State Convention on September 14 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Democrats from across the state will come together to discuss party business and focus on policies for the Democrats to support leading into the 2020 election.

Pre-registered Democrats who will be 16 by May 11 may participate and run as a delegate or alternate. Lincoln can elect five delegates and four alternates to the convention. Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as a delegate or alternate may apply to be add-on delegates to the caucus or at www.massdems.org. Questions? Contact DTC co-chairs Barbara Slayter (bslayter@comcast.net) or Peter Pease (ppease72@gmail..com).

Youth in Philanthropy Program accepting applications

The Foundation for MetroWest is now accepting applications for fall Youth in Philanthropy. All MetroWest high school students interested in making an impact in their communities are encouraged to apply. Programs will take place in Hopkinton, Natick, and Sudbury (dates, times, and meeting locations vary). Click here for more information and to apply. The priority application deadline is Friday, June 7. Students who apply after June 7 will receive an admission decision on a rolling basis as program space allows.

YIP’s experiential learning program teaches participants how to become engaged and informed civic leaders in our community via the importance of philanthropy and the needs that exist in our backyard. Students work together to evaluate grant applications and distribute funds to worthy area nonprofits. YIP also helps local youth develop valuable skills including critical thinking, understanding budgets, public speaking, consensus building, and case-making.

Upcoming events in deCordova galleries

  • Join  Biennial artist Emilie Stark-Menneg with collaborators Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon and Desmond Bratton for “Confirmation: A Live Performance” in the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum galleries on Thursday, May 23 from 6–7 p.m. Free; registration requested.
  • In “Art and Neuroscience: A Gallery Talk with Nancy Etcoff” on Saturday, June 1 from 1–2 p.m., psychologist Etcoff will draw connections between art and the mind, offering a unique perspective on the Biennial. Free with admission or membership; registration requested.

Obituaries

Peggy Elliott, 1931–2019

Peggy Elliott

Peggy Pegram Elliott passed away peacefully in her sleep April 12 at The Commons in Lincoln, where she had been residing for the last two and a half years.

Born in Houston on December 28, 1931, Peggy spent most of her childhood in Boerne, Texas. She attended St. Mary’s Hall in San Antonio through 12th grade, and got her degree in English at the University of Texas. She later moved to Chicago, where she met Bill (William G.) Elliott, the love of her life, whom she married in 1957. Bill and Peggy moved to Massachusetts to pursue Bill’s studies and work pursuits, living in Lexington for several years until settling in Lincoln in 1962. 

Peggy was active in local and national politics, was a Registrar of Voters, and was instrumental in starting the local Recycling Committee. She was also a homemaker who raised four children. She had a love for local theater, from acting and dancing in Lincoln Players in the 1960s to producing large musicals for the Concord Players into the mid-2000s.

In the 1980s, Peggy got her master’s degree in social work, and worked with various agencies until her retirement. More recently, Peggy was active in the Lincoln Council on Aging. She would go dancing whenever possible. Peggy lived in her house until 2016 when it became no longer feasible.

Peggy is predeceased by Bill, who passed away in 2014. She is survived by her children Mark of Lincoln, Randy (William R.) of Pawtucket R.I., Jocelyn of Lincoln, and Lawrence of Brooklyn, N.Y.; her sister, Joyce Jones of Memphis, Tenn.; her grandchildren Zachary of Deerfield, Mass., Jack Vilas of Charlotte, N.C., and Elizabeth Vilas of Amherst, Mass.; and her step-grandchildren Terese Quirk of Lincoln, Thomas Quirk of Lowell, and Tim Quirk of Durham, N.H.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, June 1 at 10 a.m. in the First Parish Church in Lincoln. Her ashes will be interred at a future date with her family in Boerne, Texas. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Lincoln Council on Aging, c/o Town Offices, 16 Lincoln Rd., Lincoln, MA 01773.

Bill Munroe, 1930–2019

William Munroe, William C. Munroe, Jr., an attorney and longtime Lincoln resident, died at his home on April 22 at the age of 90.

Bill graduated from Brown University and Harvard Law School, and was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, serving aboard the USS Randolph. He leaves his wife, Mary; daughters Hannah Munroe and Libby Munroe-Overberg; daughter-in-law Karen Munroe; his sister, Mary West; and seven wonderful grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son, William A. Munroe.

Bill loved his family, his home, and the town of Lincoln. He will be deeply missed. He was buried at Lincoln Cemetery on April 24 during a private service, surrounded by his family.

Arrangements for both Elliott and Munroe are under the care of Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord. To share a remembrance or to send a condolence in the online guestbook, please visit www.DeeFuneralHome.com.

Property sales in March

169 Lexington Rd. — David Spertner to Cao Yunfei and Wang Shuhui for $957,500 (March 29)

7 Tower Rd. — Andrew Thompson to Michael Fiore and Caroline Malcolm for $812,000 (March 28)

112 Codman Rd. — David Crisafi to Benjamin Pless for $1,381,900 (March 28)

216 Aspen Circle — Michelle Selinger-Schamberg to Nicholas H. Morgan for $615,000 (March 15)

11 Huntley Lane — Sheik Mehrdad Trust to Gilbert and Judith Roeder for $950,000 (March 8)

 

News acorns

Learn about natural burial

There will be an informational session about natural burial on Saturday, April 27 from 3-5 p.m. at the Ryan Estate facilitated by Lincoln resident Carol DiGianni, a former candidate for the Lincoln Cemetery Commission. Participants can learn and ask questions about the benefits of natural burials, which offer an alternative to the expense and environmental toxicity of traditional burial practices.

Spring cleanup at Codman

Some of the volunteers at a previous year’s Codman Community Farm spring cleanup.

Come volunteer at Farms Spring Cleanup Day at Codman Community Farms on Sunday, April 28 from 1-5 p.m. Bring gloves, work clothes, and a sense of fun; the farm will provide snacks and gardening tools. For more info and to RSVP, click here.

Event covers Mughal period in India

The next seminar in the India Discovery Center’s series on the history of India in Bemis Hall takes place on Saturday, May 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will cover 1500–1800 AD, when Mughals ruled the country and established Islam and imposed the Persian language. Lincoln’s Bijoy Mishra will be one of the presenters. The organization is asking for a $25 donation but is offering 10 complimentary admissions for Lincoln residents. Click here for more information and registration.

Taraz performs at next open mic night

Diane Taraz

Diane Taraz is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, May 13 in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. The event runs from 7–10 p.m., and Taraz will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. She directs the Lexington Historical Society’s Colonial Singers and draws inspiration from Celtic, British, French-Canadian, and American folk traditions. Click here for a video of the title cut from her 2014 CD release “Let’s Do It.” Admission is free and refreshments are provided. Performers can sign up at the event or email Rich Eilbert at loma3re@gmail.com for a slot. There is a sound system with mikes and instrumental pickups suitable for individuals or small groups.

“35 Shots of Rum” film screening

The Lincoln Library Film Society presents “35 Shots of Rum” (2008, unrated) directed by Claire Denis on Thursday, May 2 at 6 p.m. in the Tarbell Room. The movie is an intimate family study centering on a widower and his adult daughter in Paris.