John Hammond
John Hammond, 81 (September 16) — Harvard business professor and management consultant who championed environmental causes. A celebration of his life will take place on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. at the Pierce House. Feel free to come in your gardening clothes to enjoy ice cream and hear a few John stories.. Click here for full obituary.
Julianne Etcheverry
Julianne Etcheverry, 57 (August 19) — goldsmith and jewelry designer. Click here for full obituary.
Work has begun on a visitor-friendly “pocket park” at the entrance to the residents’ commuter lot.
Construction has begun on a small outdoor welcome center in South Lincoln next to the entrance to the resident commuter rail lot, and officials are seeking more input on the area through an online survey.
The “pocket park” is one of the projects suggested by the South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee (SLPIC) to revitalize the area near the train station/mall and make it more welcoming to visitors and pedestrians. When complete, the park will have a welcome kiosk with maps, a bike repair system, bike racks and a granite bench donated by the DPW.
After the pocket park/welcome center is completed, a wayfinding system will be installed that will lead pedestrians and cyclists from there to Drumlin Farm, with stops along the way at Codman Farm and Codman Estates. Future funding will allow the town to expand this system and complete Phase II of the pocket park/welcome center, which will include pavers to replace stone dust as well as a a trail connection to Codman Farm.
An image of the signs that will be installed in South Lincoln.
As it thinks about ways to encourage a vibrant, mixed use, pedestrian-oriented village center in South Lincoln, SLPIC is asking residents to offer their opinions about various design options. This survey includes summaries and questions on a series of images of things like business frontage, housing and business architecture, bike and pedestrian routes, signage, and more. The deadline for participating in the survey is Sunday, Sept. 30.
Part of SLPIC’s work includes developing a proposed zoning bylaw amendment to encourage mixed-use, transit-oriented development that can accommodate a variety of housing choices. The group is also conducting a feasibility study of the town-owed Department of Public Works site on Lewis Street for look at opportunities to consolidate public works functions that could free up some or all of the four-acre site for a potential housing development.
With the help of state grants, the town has already completed improvements to some sidewalks and roadside paths and installed a new pedestrian island on Route 126 at Lincoln Road. The town is hoping for more funding to make several improvements to the train stops on either side of Lincoln Road.
Planning BoardThere will be a public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. on two proposed changes to the zoning bylaws relating to marijuana businesses in Lincoln. Residents will be asked to vote on the measures at a Special Town Meeting on October 20.
The Zoning Board of the Appeals will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m. to hear and to act on the following petitions:
Ruth Sartori
Ruth Sartori, 86 (September 17) — longtime teacher aide in Lincoln schools. Visiting hours on Thursday, Sept. 20 from 4–8 p.m. in the Dee Funeral Home (27 Bedford St., Concord); funeral Mass on Friday, Sept. 21 at 10 a.m. in St. Joseph Church in Lincoln. Click here for full obituary.
Peter Rubel
Peter Rubel, 87 (August 17) — Held patents for metallurgy and plastics production processes. Click here for full obituary.
Quentin Palfrey, Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, addresses the rally at Bemis Hall.
By Barbara Slayter
Nine leaders from five organizations spoke to an audience of several dozen residents at a Lincoln Democratic Committee rally on September 19. The event aimed to build grassroots enthusiasm for efforts to get out the vote for Democratic candidates in the November 6 midterm election.
Quentin Palfrey, a candidate for lieutenant governor and former Obama administration staffer, made the case for supporting the Democratic candidates at the top of the Massachusetts ticket based on issues included environment, health care, education, jobs for the middle class, the economy, and the justice system.
Democratic Coordinated Campaign members Diana Goswami, Maureen Kelledy, Jess Lieberman, and Kelsey Perkins talked about field management jurisdictions, volunteer options, and various new technology “assists” including VoteBuilder and Minivan.
Sarah Higginbotham, Election Team organizer for Minuteman Indivisible (MI), part of a network intended to promote a vigorous democratic process, told the audience about the Minuteman Muster, an MI newsletter that offers information about various progressive political events in the Metro West area. She identified the five out-of-state Congressional candidates that MI is supporting and invited those present to join in various aspects of the campaign including fundraising, phone banking, and writing postcards in support of their candidacies.
Susan Labandibar, regional coordinator for Swing Left, and Tom Hallock, co-chair of Force Multiplier, identified “flippable” Congressional seats—those seen as toss-ups between Republican and Democratic candidates and where efforts to reach local voters could make a significant difference.
Michelle Olson, Co-founder and CEO of Elect435, noted that her organization offers a single source for identifying, researching, and supporting candidates for Congressional candidates who reflect progressive values and priorities.
From the floor, Joan Kimball, Lincoln coordinator for Grandmothers for a Brighter Future, provided information about how to get involved with postcard writing by Lincoln women (and a few men) in support of three Senatorial candidates—Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and Jacky Rosen of Nevada. Grandmothers for a Brighter Future, cofounded by Margot Lindsay, a former Lincoln resident, is a national organization with members in 46 states and the district of Columbia.
Lincoln resident Mike O’Brien offered suggestions and avenues for encouraging Lincoln’s progressive writers, and Gabriella Muscolo identified her work with registering new citizens through the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. Other Lincolnites raised important questions on the utility of phone banks, ways to strengthen voter turnout, and out-of-state candidates deserving the support of Lincoln residents.
For additional information, contact Gary Davis at garyddavis04@gmail.com or Barbara Slayter at bslayter@comcast.net.
Smithsonian Museum Day is an annual celebration of boundless curiosity hosted by Smithsonian magazine. Participating museums and cultural institutions across the country provide free entry to anyone presenting a Museum Day ticket, which provides free admission for two people on Saturday, Sept. 22. Guided tours of Lincoln’s Gropius House from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. and the Codman Estate from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Go to this Smithsonian magazine website for tickets.
All Lincoln residents are cordially invited to the Lincoln Garden Club’s wine and cheese evening for new and prospective members on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 5 p.m. Come hear about the club’s many horticultural events, meet some members and receive information about joining. For location, please RSVP to Ann Parke at annparke@verizon.net or Lucy Sprayregen at lucypage@aol.com.
The Lincoln Library Film Society will screen Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring on Thursday, Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. Rated R, in Korean with English subtitles, written and directed by Ki-duk Kim. A boy is raised by a Buddhist monk on an isolated floating temple where the years pass like the seasons.
Matlock Farm on Lexington Road Lincoln, continually run by the Flint Family since the 17th century, will be hosting its first-ever pumpkin picking event on each Saturday and Sunday in October from 1–5 p.m., weather permitting. There will be hay rides, farm-themed photo ops, crafts for sale and more for those who swing by the farm for some fall family fun. Pumpkins are priced depending on size. Hayrides are $5 per person (family discounts available) and family photos are $25 per family. Payments by cash or check only.
The Friends of the Lincoln Library (FOLL) raised over $40,000 for the Library in Loiza, Puerto Rico by raffling two pair of Hamilton tickets from the Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Family. The lucky winners were Katherine McCarroll of New Mexico and Linda Mae Breen of Hull, Mass.
“I am astounded by the generosity of the Lincoln residents and the raffle purchasers, most of whom were from Greater Boston,”said event chair Julie Brogan. “I got emails from people thanking the Friends of the Lincoln Library for doing this. So many people love libraries and want to help Puerto Rico.” The Hispanic Federation’s UNIDOS Fund for Puerto Rico will match $20,000 of what FOLL raised. The Miranda family created the UNIDOS fund after the Hurricane Maria and has distributed over $60 million in aid to the Island.
Lincoln musician Trevor Berens presents “Sonorous Vessel,” a program of new and experimental piano music on Bemis Hall’s beautiful restored Steinway grand on Friday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. There will be works by Lincoln residents Richard Cornell and Trevor Berens, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Luther Adams, New Englanders Alvin Lucier and Peter Garland, and new music luminaries Helmut Lachenmann and James Tenney complete the program. Berens’ programming has been referred to by a recent audience member as “yoga for the ears” and his music has been described as “transportive.” Free and open to the public.
Minute Man National Historical Park (MMNHP) invites all ages to join distinguished naturalists on a quest to document as many species as possible during a BioBlitz event on Saturday, Sept. 22.
A BioBlitz brings together educators, scientists, naturalists, and the public to encourage outdoor exploration and enhance our understanding of biodiversity. The MMNHP event will focus on locating, identifying, and counting as many species as possible within the 1,038-acre park area in Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington. Participants will gain skills in identifying and recording species and a stronger connection to their natural environment.
World-renowned local naturalists Peter Alden and Edward O. Wilson initiated the Biodiversity Day concept in 1998 at Walden Pond, and included MMNHP within the study area. They repeated the event with dozens of experts in 2008, and collectively recorded over 2,700 species within a five-mile radius of Walden Pond.
Concord-Carlisle High School student Liam Beguhn initiated the current event to spotlight the area’s biodiversity on September 22 (National Public Lands Day) and to update the findings by using the iNaturalist app.
The MMNHP event starts in the morning at the North Bridge Visitor Center at 174 Liberty St. in Concord, where guides will begin quests at 8 a.m., 9 a.m., and 10 a.m. Each quest will focus on the guide’s expertise, which will include birds, plants, mammals, insects, reptiles, fungi, and more. After a break at noon (bring a bag lunch), it will continue at the Hartwell Tavern parking lot/park ranger station at 101 North Great Rd. in Lincoln. Guides will begin afternoon excursions from the parking lot at 2 p.m. and wrap up all quests by 4 p.m.
Data collected by participants who want to record findings using iNaturalist will be recorded on the app’s website, and prizes will be awarded to participants for numbers of identifications recorded in the park.
“Thousands of species are here in our community. This event will highlight the wonders of nature and inspire participants to better understand and protect biodiversity,” Alden said.
Questions about the project and program can be directed to Liam Beguhn via Margie Coffin Brown, the Park’s Natural & Cultural Resource Manager at 617-620-2942 or Margie_coffin_brown@nps.gov.
Lincoln Dems to hold planning sessionJoin the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee planning session and discussion on Saturday, Sept. 15 at Bemis Hall with coffee, fruit, and pastries at 8:30 a.m. and discussion from 9–11 a.m. Gain perspectives, insights, and campaign strategies for canvassing, grassroots organizing, remote voter contact activities, voter registration, getting out the millennial vote and more from:
The Lincoln Family Association playgroup at First Parish in Lincoln will begin meeting Wednesday mornings from 9:30-11:30 a.m. beginning Wednesday, Sept. 26 in the Parish House (14 Bedford Rd.) Designed for children aged 0-5 and their parents/caregivers. Adults must accompany their children; this is not a drop-in program.
The Lincoln-Sudbury Parent Organization presents comedian and neuropsychologist Matt Bellace speaking on “Supporting Teens in Reducing Their Stress (and Ours)” on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. in the L-S auditorium. This presentation (primarily for parents, but students are welcome) is about reducing stress, adolescent brain development, substance abuse and encouraging teens to be resilient.
On Wednesday, Oct. 3 from 7:30-9 p.m. in the L-S cafeteria, Connections is hosting an evening for parents to hear, think about and discuss the five greatest factors that put our children at risk for addiction. Learn more about Connections and hear about conversations families may want to have in and around substance use. Also on hand will be the new L-S school resource officer Kim Walch to introduce herself and explain what her role will be in the school, as well as discuss ways that parents can work with the school and the police to help keep our kids safer. Click here to register.
The Lincoln Public Library and the Lincoln Council on Aging present “The Supreme Court with Walter Bossert” on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 2–4:15 p.m. at the library. First you’ll watch a video by C-Span including interviews with 11 justices about the role, traditions, and history of the Court and a tour the Supreme Court building. Bossert (a Lincoln resident) will then discuss Central Hudson v. PSC (1980), a seminal Supreme Court case on commercial freedom of speech. Bossert was a co-author of the winning brief in the 8-1 decision.
The School Committee is seeking an interim member to fill an unexpired term, while the First Parish in Lincoln has announced an interim minister for the next two years.
The School Committee invites residents who are interested in serving as an interim member (replacing Jena Salon, who resigned as of August 31) to submit a statement of interest detailing their qualifications and experience. Statements should be emailed to schoolcomm@lincnet.org by Thursday, Sept. 20.
There will be interviews of all candidates in a joint open meeting of the School Committee and the Board of Selectmen on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Hartwell Multipurpose Room. Each candidate will be asked to make a brief opening statement, respond to a set of questions from the committee and board members, and have an opportunity to ask questions of the members. The members will vote at that meeting to select one of the candidates to serve as an interim member of the School Committee.
The interim member will serve until the next annual election this spring, at which time there will be an election for a one-year term on the School Committee (filling out Salon’s term) as well with an election for a three-year term.
Rev. Jenny Rankin
Rev. Jenny Rankin has been named interim minister at the First Parish in Lincoln effective August 15. She succeeds Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti, who left after two and a half years in Lincoln to become senior minister at the First Parish in Ann Arbor, Mich., one of the anchor churches of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).
Ordained in 1988, Rankin began her career as acting university chaplain at Tufts University before serving congregations in Hopedale, Hingham and Cohasset as an interim minister. Called to First Parish in Concord in 1997, Jenny served as minister there for 15 years, followed by interim ministries in Gloucester, Lexington, and Franklin. She has taught and lectured on Transcendentalism, Emerson, and Margaret Fuller as well as Celtic spirituality, spiritual autobiography, the contemplative tradition, and creativity as a spiritual practice.
Both religious organizations to which the First Parish belongs (the UUA and the United Church of Christ) require a two-year term for an interim ministers. “The time between settled ministers is a great opportunity for the congregation to take a fresh look at itself, see what areas might need attention, and grow clearer about who they are and how they’re called to serve the world,” Rankin said. A permanent minister is expected to start in August 2020.
Registration is now open for religious education classes at the First Parish for children in grades K-7. 7 as well as the OWL (Our Whole Lives) classes. OWL is a human anatomy and sexuality course that’s open to all eighth-graders, including those whose families do not attend First Parish in Lincoln. Required parent orientation night is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 4 from 7–9 p.m. OWL will meet approximately twice each month on Sundays from 7–8:30 p.m. beginning October 14.
For more information about First Parish religious education programs, click here or contact Education Director Margit at 781-259-8118 x112 or Margit@FPLincoln.org.
Retiring children’s librarian Jane Flanders at her desk in the Lincoln Public Library (click to enlarge).
After serving as the Lincoln children’s librarian for half her life, Jane Flanders is retiring (no doubt to curl up with a good book), and Lincolnites are invited to contribute to a memory book and say farewell at a September 28 gathering.
Flanders, 62, said she “wanted to be a librarian since I was a little girl,” so the Lincoln job has been something of a dram come true. Assistant children’s librarians Deborah Leopold and Denise Shaver will take over her role in a job share—much as Flanders initially did with former children’s librarian Amy Govalis. “I just know that Amy’s and my legacy will go on with this awesome team here,” she said.
”It’s sad to leave. I love this place so much—I love the job and the community. It’s pretty great to come to work every day and just look forward to it,” Flanders said. “The patrons here are wonderful and so supportive. They’re more than just patrons—they’re really friends. I love that about this place.”
A point of pride for Flanders was co-founding a program where special-needs students from the Cotting School come to the library to help out. “We’ve learned more from them than they have from us,” she said. One of those students, Peter Garron, graduated and is now working at the library shelving books.
Being a children’s librarian for more than 20 years inevitably means that some of the babies and toddlers that Flanders read stories to are now returning and bringing their own children to story time with her. “At first I was kind of horrified,” she said with a laugh, ”but now it’s so great.”
Jane Flanders “in uniform” reading to children (click to enlarge).
Although digital technology has profoundly changed how and what libraries do in the last two decades, the children’s department has not been as much affected, she noted. ”Parents still want to read to their kids, and they still take tons of books out. We still have storytellers, music and so forth—we balance the technological life with basic but wonderful imaginative programs that don’t involve screens.”
Like most people at the close of their careers, Flanders looks forward to spending more time with family and friends and do a little traveling. She also plans to sing with the Mystic Chorale and get outdoors more—but one of her plans is closely involved with children: she wants to be a baby rocker for infants in hospital intensive care units when their parents can’t be with them. “It’s all about human contact—I’ve been wanting to do that forever,” she said.
The library is inviting patrons past and present to send in up to two 8.5 x 11 sheets of well wishes or memories to her. Ideas include but are not limited to photos of children and families, stories involving Flanders, kids’ drawings, or titles of favorite children’s books that she helped you discover. The submissions will be inserted into clear sheet protectors and put into a three-ring binder.
The farewell reception is Friday, Sept. 28 from 4–6 p.m. with musical entertainment from 4:30–5:30 and refreshments sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.