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

Letter to the editor: Picker running for library trustee

To the editor:

I am running for the open seat of Lincoln Library Trustee with a three-year term and I respectfully ask for your vote at the March 2019 town elections.

The Lincoln Library is an esteemed, well patronized, core institution in our town that provides valuable services across all age groups. It is served by a highly professional, competent, and experienced staff. It is one of the centerpieces of our community. If elected, as a trustee I would focus on working with the other trustees and staff to help establish priorities for library spending, collections, programs, facilities, staffing, and new initiatives. This needs to be done within constraints such as budget, space, and staffing.

I believe that it is very important for the library to maintain a good and current understanding of what services the people of Lincoln would like it to provide in this rapidly changing world. I would also work with the team to look at collaborations with other town boards and non-government organizations in town to look for new opportunities and to strengthen existing collaborations.

I look forward to your support on election day.

Sincerely,

Dennis Picker
58 Page Rd., Lincoln

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters 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 Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Magic Garden gets ready to welcome Ducklings and Explorers

Magic Garden staff along with two of its founders get ready to open the new rooms. Left to right: assistant director Susan Scalisi, director Lori Leo, founding parents Barbara Low and Mary Jo Haggerty, Little Duckling teachers Karen Puglielli and Michele Landurand, and Little Explorer teachers Linda Pham, and Ligaya Ferguson. Click to enlarge, and see more photos below.

The sunny rooms are gleaming with brand-new toys, books, cribs, and tiny chairs—all ready for little children next month and a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 3:30 p.m.

Staff from the Magic Garden Children’s Center are busy preparing for the March 1 opening of two new rooms in a satellite location at the First Parish in Lincoln’s parish house on Bedford Road. For the first time, Magic Garden will care for babies age 2–15 months in its Little Ducklings room, as well as adding a Little Explorers room for toddlers age 15–24 months. Until now, the youngest kids at Magic Garden’s main Hartwell facility were 15 months old.

Two longtime teachers from the Hartwell facility—Michele Landurand, a pre-K teacher in the Starburst room for 27 years, and Karen Puglielli, a teacher in the Moonbeam room for 25 years—will staff the new rooms, along with two teacher aides. 

Magic Garden has two rooms of its own in the parish house and will share two other rooms with the church’s education program. The renovations maximize the space with folding and sliding doors, and a wide exterior door was put in place of a window in case of emergency, when teachers will put the infants in one or two wheeled cribs and roll them outside.

One of the shared rooms has a wall-height bulletin board on wheels that can be swung back and forth 180 degrees for use by either set of children. Margit Griffith, the education director at First Parish, will lead Magic Garden’s music class, and there are also plans afoot to involve seniors (“grandfriends”) from the Council on Aging across the street.

Click images below to see larger versions. Photos by Alice Waugh.

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Talk on education in the age of AI

Charles Fadel

“Educating Our Children in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” will be the subject of a talk on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at the First Parish Church in Lincoln. The guest speaker is futurist, education expert, author and inventor Charles Fadel, who is convinced that “AI and biotech are about to redefine what it means to be human, and that the overarching goals of a modern education should be to nurture wise, versatile ‘Renaissance’ humans who have learned how to learn.” The Adult Education Committee at the First Parish is hosting this program, which is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged to ensure seating. For more information, contact Mary Helen Lorenz at mhelen@rcn.com.

See movies on Amazon, dragonflies

Movie night at the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust will feature “Wild Amazon” on Monday, Feb. 11 and “Skyhunter: World of the Dragonfly” on Thursday, March 14 at 7:30. Both movies start at 7:30 p.m. in the LLCT office at the Lincoln mall and are free.

“Wild Amazon” (45 minutes) filmed by Nat Geo Wild reveals dense forest concealing a hidden world of unusual wildlife and extraordinary stories of adaptation and survival—but human impact on this natural world has already dramatically altered it. Dragonflies existed 90 million years before the first dinosaurs hatched and are still found all over the world. “Skyhunter” (50 minutes) follows these predatory monster-larvae as they hover over ponds and pools. Their dazzling metallic colors and unique ways of flying are captured in slow-motion photography, and their journey in time is documented using remarkably realistic CGI animation.

Artists talk and kids’ vacation activities at deCordova

The deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park offers “Art for February Vacation” on Wednesday–Friday, Feb. 20–22 from 1–3 p.m. (drop-in). Stack, balance, knot, knit, and string sculptures together, inspired by the range of work included in “Sheila Pepe: Hot Mess Formalism.” Designed for families with children ages 5–12, but all are welcome. Free with admission or membership.

Exhibiting artist Sheila Pepe will give an artist’s talk on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 6:30–7:30 p.m. From ancient Rome to feminism to her personal biography, Pepe weaves together many far reaching subjects through her expansive fiber art installations and multimedia works. Free admission; registration requested.

DCR seeks comments on Walden Pond renovations

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation invites area residents to comment on alternatives for renovation of the Walden Pond State Reservation bathhouse and universally accessible connections between the Route 126 crosswalk, the bathhouse, and main beach. Click here to view a January 30 presentation. Comments may be submitted online through Friday, Feb. 15 or in writing to the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Office of Public Outreach, 251 Causeway St., 6th floor, Boston, MA 02114.

Domestic violence group offers volunteer training

The Domestic Violence Services Network, Inc. (DVSN) is holding its next Volunteer Advocate Training program at the Concord Police Department from March 12–30. This 40-hour training session is provided at no cost to attendees and is being held on evenings and Saturdays. Classes will be Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30–9:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m–3 p.m. on March 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28, and 30.

Once trained, DVSN’s volunteer advocates provide direct service over the phone, at the Concord District Court, and at Emerson Hospital to people affected by domestic violence. The training is designed to familiarize the volunteers with the many aspects of domestic violence and give them the skills necessary to provide confidential and appropriate services to DVSN’s clients. Those interested should call 978-318-3421 or e-mail to dvvap@concordma.gov. Applications are due by March 4.

Who’s running for town office in March

Here is a list of those who have filed appears with the Town Clerk to run for office in the March 25 election. Click here for links to the web pages for these boards and committees, which list current members. Candidates have until February 20 to withdraw in time to have their name not appear on the ballot.

Board or CommitteeOpenings/termsCandidates
Board of AssessorsOne (3 years)Laura Sander*
Board of Health
One (3 years)Steven Kanner*
Board of SelectmenOne (3 years)James Craig*
Cemetery CommissionOne (3 years)Conrad Todd*
Commissioners of Trust FundsOne (3 years)Douglas B. Harding*
DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park TrusteesOne (4 years)Linda Hammett Ory*
Housing CommissionOne (3 years)Keith Gilbert*
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School CommitteeTwo (3 years)Kevin J. Matthews,* Cara Endyke-Doran
One (1 year)Candace Miller*
Parks and Recreation CommitteeOne (3 years)Anita Spieth
Planning BoardTwo (3 years)Margaret Olson,* Stephen Gladstone*
School Committee (PreK-8)One (3 years)Trintje Gnazzo**
One (2 years)Susan Taylor
One (1 year)Adam Hogue**
Town ClerkOne (3 years)Valerie Fox**
Trustees of BemisOne (3 years)Sara Mattes*
Trustees of Lincoln LibraryOne (3 years)Dennis Picker
Water CommissionOne (3 years)Heather Ring

* incumbent running for reelection

** previously appointed to fill vacancies in 2018 (Trintje Gnazzo replaced Jena Salon and Adam Hogue replaced Alvin Schmertzler; Valerie Fox replaced Susan Brooks)

Town Meeting article list approved

The Board of Selectmen has approved the following articles for the Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, March 23. They’re scheduled to vote to sign the warrant with descriptions of each article on February 11. Keep reading the Lincoln Squirrel for more in-depth coverage of these items in the coming days and weeks.

NOTE: Articles 27–33 are proposed zoning bylaw changes and thus require a two-thirds majority to pass.

#Article
STANDARD TOWN MEETING ARTICLES
1Election ballot:
2Vote for committees, and other elected officers
3Accept reports of town committees and officers
4Set salaries of elected officials
5Hear a report on property tax relief
6Senior tax work-off program: vote to renew
7Veterans tax work-off program: vote to renew
OPERATING BUDGET
8Town operating budget
CAPITAL ARTICLES
9Cash capital expenditures (detailed project list will appear in motions)
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION
10Community Preservation Fund (CPA) (detailed list will appear in motions)
11Community Preservation Fund (CPA) (athletic fields)
ROUTINE BUILDING MAINTENANCE
12Annual classroom maintenance: $45,000
13Town buildings maintenance: $111,363
14Library maintenance: $50,000
OTHER APPROPRIATIONS
15Debt stabilization fund: appropriation to increase fund balance
16OPEB trust fund (Town of Lincoln): appropriation to increase fund balance
17OPEB trust fund (LSRHS): appropriation to increase fund balance
18State roadway funds (chapter 90): annual vote to accept state highway grant
19Lincoln school budget supplement: SpEd Medicaid reimbursement
20Annual Bright Light Award
21Revolving funds: annual vote to reauthorize existing revolving accounts
22Cable television revolving fund: required annual appropriation
23Transfer from cemetery perpetual care and/or sale of lots
24Water Department: authorize bond for capital improvements to the water treatment plant (detailed list in motions)
25Water Department: vote to appropriate and transfer to support the FY19 budget
26Free cash article: annual article to balance budget/reduce tax rate
GENERAL AND ZONING BY-LAWS
27Section 13.6.3(a) solar energy systems general standards bylaw amendment
28Section 4.1(c) non-conforming lots amendment: regarding land takings
29Section 4.1(e) non-conforming use or structure amendment
30Create parking benefit district
31DeCordova: amend bylaw governance
32Historic district bylaw amendment: Modernist homes
33Demo delay bylaw amendment
34Proposed general bylaw: use of leaf blowers
CITIZENS' PETITIONS
35Proposed general bylaw: ban on e-cigarette sales
36Resolution in support of changing the state flag and seal of Massachusetts

Outdoor events at Farrington Nature Linc

Farrington Nature Linc (295 Cambridge Turnpike, Lincoln) is hosting the following family-friendly events:

Owl Prowl
Saturday, Feb. 9 — 4–6 p.m.
Have you ever seen or heard an owl in the woods? Join Farrington Nature Linc and Eyes on Owls for a live owl program in conjunction with an outdoor Owl Prowl.

Naturalist Marcia Wilson of Eyes on Owls will introduce the audience to owls found in New England and as well other parts of the world. Then we will head outside for a guided walk around Farrington’s property where will we do some “owling” (learning about owl calls and keeping our eyes out for owls). $10 per person, $20 for a family of four — click here for tickets.

Galileo Star Party
Saturday, April 13 — 7–9:30 p.m.
Do you want to learn more about the stars? Have you ever used a telescope to stargaze? Ever wanted to know more about the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei? See an evening performance by talented and professional actor Mike Francis as Galileo — perfect for all ages to learn about astronomy. Afterward, outside to our fire circle, we’ll have s’mores, and we’ll also set up and use telescopes, courtesy of the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston, to stargaze. Free; click here to register.

Fairy Festival
Saturday, May 4 — 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Calling all fairies, elves, gnomes, and other magical creatures! Farrington is hosting its annual Fairy Festival on May 4. We will feature our Fairy Post Office where you can write to the fairies and they will write back. Join one of our guided hikes through our enchanted woods to meet the Fairy Queen, make a fairy house in our pine forest, and create and take home three small fairy crafts. $20 for each adult/child pair — click here for tickets.

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Green Sisters at next LOMA night

The Green Sisters.

The Green Sisters are the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, Feb. 11 in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. The event runs from 7–10 p.m., and the Green Sisters will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30 with combinations of guitar, violin, mandolin, banjo and bass. Here’s their version of the classic 1950s hit “Walkin’ After Midnight.” 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.

Talk on “Countess Maritza” operetta

“Opera for Everyone” with Erika Reitshamer will feature a look at Countess Maritza by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kalman on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. The three-act operetta libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grunwald had its world premiere in Vienna in 1924.

Reitshamer has lectured at the library on numerous occasions she was fundamental in the formation of the Boston Lyric Opera Company more than 35 years ago. She is a board member of the New England Opera Club and former vice president of the Boston Wagner Society. The program is sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.

Scholarship fund accepting applications starting Friday

On Friday, Feb. 1, the 2019 Lincoln Scholarship application process will open to Lincoln resident high school seniors and other applicants who fulfill the eligibility requirements as stated in the instructions for the Ogden Codman Trust Scholarships. The Lincoln Scholarship Committee awards multiple one-year, need-based scholarships to graduating high school seniors, thanks to public support. They are also administrators of two endowed awards, the Fannie Campbell Academic Award and the Sumner Smith Community Service Award, as well as multiple four-year scholarships that are supported by the Ogden Codman Trust. The deadline for all applications is April 1 at 3 p.m. Questions? Email LincolnScholarship@lincolntown.org.

deCordova gets $150,000 grant for exhibition

The deCordova Sculpture Park and has received a $150,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to support Visionary New England, an exhibition and catalogue opening in 2020, organized by Curator Sarah Montross.

“We’re honored and grateful to receive this incredibly generous grant from the Henry Luce Foundation,” says John B. Ravenal, Executive Director at deCordova. “Not only does it greatly support our efforts in bringing this significant exhibition to the public, but it also speaks to the creativity, thoughtfulness, and innovation demonstrated by our curatorial team.”

Visionary New England is a group exhibition of contemporary art inspired by the rich history and ongoing impact of New England’s visionary, spiritualist, and utopian practices. From Transcendentalism and utopian agrarian communities in the mid-1800s to the merging of mysticism and psychology in the early 20th century to the psychedelic experiments of the 1960s, New England has long nurtured alternative ways of creating community and social reform. Grounded in this legacy, Visionary New England will feature artwork that will offer a perspective on society and power, as well as a hopeful vision for future harmony between humanity and the natural world. An array of public programs, lectures, performances, and partnerships with nearby historic sites will enrich the exhibition. Visionary New England has also received support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and other funders.

 

Domestic Violence Roundtable collecting Valentine’s Day donations

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan joins Roundtable members in 2018 in filling Valentine’s Day bags for families in area domestic violence shelter programs.

Area residents are invited to donate items and help fill Valentine’s Day bags for those temporarily living in local domestic violence shelters and transitional housing programs on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. in the Wayland Public Safety Building.

Each February, the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable collects gift bag  items for women, children and men who are being assisted by REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, The Second Step, and Voices Against Violence. The bags were decorated by the children from the Sudbury Extended Day program. Small gestures like the gift bags let families know they are supported in their decision to leave an abusive situation and brighten their day.

Items needed for the bags include gift cards for CVS, Target, grocery stores, etc.; personal items such as full-size bath products, socks, cosmetics, nail polish, hair products, phone cards, journals, postage stamps etc.; and items for children such as crayons, coloring books, small stuffed animals, non-violent toys, and stickers, as well as bath and hair products, books, diaries, movie passes, iTunes cards and candy for older kids.

Anyone interested in contributing to the collection may contact the Roundtable at info@dvrt.org. There will be a collection basket in the lobby of the Wayland Public Safety Building (38 Cochituate Rd.) from February 5-12.

Using film to build bridges between kids from different cultures

Tom Flint at home in Lincoln.

Film or video is often used as a tool to tell a story or record an event. But Lincoln’s Tom Flint is trying to expand that tool to bring together people from different cultures through the process of creating a video.

The goal of each program is not to teach students how to make films in the usual way (writing a script, creating storyboards, and shooting preplanned scenes)—“just executing what you’ve already decided,” Flint said. “I’m interested in other ways students can grow from the process, not focusing exclusively on making a good-looking product. It’s a discovery-based approach to filmmaking where the students don’t know what film they’re even making until they’re finished.”

Flint earned his master’s degree in art and design education from the Rhode Island School of Design last year after spending 13 years in Japan, where he taught English and film and did freelance film work. When he first arrived, he struggled to learn Japanese, but over time, he became immersed in the country’s culture and eventually married a Japanese woman. They now live with their two-year-old daughter on the Lexington Road farm where Flints have lived continuously since the 1600s (Tom’s mother, sisters, and brother-in-law also live there).

Last summer, Flint’s organization, Zoom-In, Zoom-Out, led a workshop where local high school students teamed up with some of his former students from Japan, shooting video at deCordova Sculpture Park, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, and Mt. Auburn Cemetery. Over the course of three days, the students got to know each other and then collaborated in planning, shooting, performing, and editing eight-minute videos. They used a video camera but no lights, tripods or special sound equipment, and did the editing on a computer.

There were just a few basic rules: the theme was “In Between,” and each film had to have a beginning, a middle and end, and had to have some kind of narrative twist. The story had to contain at least one identity-oriented memory from each member of the team, and the dialogue needed to incorporate each team member’s native language. The resulting films offer glimpses of how the students saw each other and the places they were in. They combine elements of cinema verité, scenic videography, and mood-creating story sequences with actors speaking in English or Japanese (usually without subtitles).

Checking the footage they just shot at deCordova are Mew Kano, Enzo Goodrich of Lincoln, and Keietsu Fukushima.

Along with Flint, the workshop was guided by Hiroyuki Oda from Gunma Kokusai Academy in Japan, and Paul Sarapas, the media and visual arts teacher at L-S.

Flint held a similar workshop at RISD over the summer where American high school students teamed up with teenagers from the Congo, Syria, and Afghanistan involved with the nonprofit Refugee Dream Center in Providence, which helps families who have been granted asylum to assimilate to life in Providence. “That turned out to be a fantastic experience as well, but so different from the one before,” he said.

Flint works with younger kids as well. This past fall, he led a film-making workshop at the Birches School in Lincoln. Eventually he hopes to offer after-school filmmaking programs for students in diverse communities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and eventually abroad.

“The overall goal is to break borders and build bridges among kids who would never otherwise meet each other,” Flint said.

Group to study property taxes in Lincoln

The $93 million school building project has many residents worried about whether they’ll be able to afford the inevitable higher property taxes in Lincoln, so the town is forming a Property Tax Study Committee to see what financial tools the town has available to shape tax policy and promote economic diversity.

The committee will be appointed by the Board of Selectmen in February and get to work right away, presenting an update at the March 2019 Annual Town Meeting. They will make recommendations to the board by the end of September and will report at the 2019 State of the Town Meeting and/or at a concurrent Special Town Meeting to vote on any proposals.

Members will study tax relief programs such as the extended Circuit Breaker Program currently under consideration at the state level, and the residential exemption that cities and towns can use in setting their local property tax rates. They’ll also seek community input to gauge the appetite for such programs in the context of other town priorities, and work with town agencies and residents to decide how private fundraising efforts could be best utilized to soften the economic impact of successive building projects (the school, and a community center to follow after that project is complete).

Residents interested in serving as one of the four at-large members should send a letter of interest to the Selectmen’s Office (elderp@lincolntown.org) by Thursday, Jan. 31 or call 781-259-2601. The committee’s complete charge can be found here. A description of tax relief programs already in place in Lincoln can be found here.