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

News acorns

Palestinian storyteller at library

Fidaa Ataya

Fidaa Ataya, a traditional Palestinian storyteller, puppeteer, drama-in-education specialist and actress, will tell stories for children age 3-9 at the Lincoln Public Library on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. Drop in. Sponsored by GRALTA.

Springsteen ticket auction to benefit Codman Farm

Codman Community Farms is holding a benefit silent auction for a pair of tickets in the first 10 rows of the center orchestra section at a “Bruce Springsteen on Broadway” concert in New York this fall. The winner can choose the date of the show they would like to attend between September 26 and December 14. The auction ends on Saturday, Sept. 22 at noon, and the winner will be announced at the Harvest Feast that night. Click here to enter a bid.

Plans underway for First Day 2019

Plans for the Lincoln New Year’s Day open house (known as First Day 2019) at the Pierce House are underway, and organizers are looking for help. AVolunteer Planning Committee is forming to help with:

  • Ideas for improving the event
  • Soliciting monetary support from other associations, private individuals
  • Planning food and beverages to be served
  • Organize volunteer staffing for day of event (setup/food prep/clean up)

If you would like to join the committee, contact Nancy Beach at nancy@piercehouse.com or call 781-259-9757.

Open house on new adult programs at Minuteman

Minuteman Technical Institute (MTI), a branch of the Minuteman School District, is hosting an open house on Wednesday, Sept. 12 from 6–8 p.m. to share information on five new evening training programs for adults beginning October 1. Click here to register for the open house.

New MTI offerings include culinary arts, electricity, metal fabrication and joining, and advanced manufacturing. Students must have a high school diploma or GED. Discounted rates are available to in-district residents. You may also call 781-861-7151 or e-mail MTI@minuteman.org. Click here for details including start dates, hours, costs, and how to apply. Minuteman Technical Institution and Minuteman Community Education also offer additional day, afternoon, and evening programs for adults and school-age students.

Jewelry workshops at deCordova

Design and create unique jewelry made of glass, stone, and found objects as glass artist Emily Bhargava offers three mosaic jewelry workshops at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum:

Each session is $40 for deCordova members or $45 for nonmembers. Sign up for one workshop or all three by clicking on a title above. No mosaic experience necessary; all materials will be provided.

“Rally Sunday” at First Parish

The First Parish in Lincoln will hold “Rally Sunday” on Sunday, Sept. 16 at 10 a.m. in the Parish House (14 Bedford Rd.). With the service marking the official start of the church year, new visitors are encouraged and welcome to attend. Interim Senior Minister Jenny Rankin will lead worship. There will be an opportunity to learn about First Parish and register for its religious K-8 education program, which also starts September 16 (and there will be bagels and muffins for kids as well).

Founder of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives to speak

Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., co-founder and president of the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, will introduce the FDFI’s “One Million Abolitionists” project and speak to the issue of abolition from the days of Thoreau and Douglass to the present on Monday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Walden Woods Project (44 Baker Farm Rd., Lincoln). Morris is the great-great-great grandson of Frederick Douglass and the great-great grandson of Booker T. Washington.

Attendees are asked to donate at least $4 to cover the cost of a special bicentennial edition of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave for a school with limited financial resources. Doors open at 7 p.m. for a wine and cheese reception. Seating is free but limited; click here to RSVP online or register by phone at 781-259-4707. Co-sponsored by The Robbins House; reception supported by the Cheese Shop in Concord.

Adult education classes at L-S

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Adult Education is offering new enrichment classes this fall including classes on foreign languages, WordPress, creative arts, cooking, fitness, finance, and college planning. Visit the LSAD website for more information, schedules and registration.

Primary results for Lincoln

In the September 4 primary for Massachusetts governor, Lincoln opted for Democrat Jay Gonzalez by a margin of 71% to 29% and Republican incumbent Charlie Baker, 78% to 22%, in the only category where both parties had a contested primary. The tables below show Lincoln’s results for the contested races for each party (write-in and blank ballots are not included in the totals).

Democratic candidatePrecinct 1Precinct 2Total
GOVERNOR
Jay Gonzalez482249731
Bob Massie198101299
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Quentin Palfrey500263763
Jimmy Tingle15580235
SECRETARY OF STATE
William Galvin468243711
Zakim246120366
GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL
Marilyn Petitto Devaney274137411
Nick Carter391201592
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Marian Ryan210127337
Donna Patalano484233707
Republican candidatePrecinct 1Precinct 2Total
GOVERNOR
Charlie Baker9667165
Scott Lively281947
U.S. SENATOR
Geoff Diehl473684
John Kingston242044
Beth Lindstrom402768
ATTORNEY GENERAL
James McMahon464188
Dan Shores422264
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
John Hugo413677
Louis Kuchnir402868

School Building Committee workshops on Wednesday

The School Building Committee will hold a pair of identical community workshops on Wednesday, Sept. 5 from 8–10 a.m. and 7–9 p.m. in Reed Gym to recap its work over the summer since the Special Town Meeting vote on June 9. Topics will include:

  • Floor plans – Where are the grades located? How are the hubs and the commons laid out? Where is the new kitchen?
  • Site plan – Traffic flow, pedestrian paths, bike paths, parking.
  • Sustainability – What needs to be done to try to reach our goal of a net zero building?
  • Phasing – Where will students go during renovation?
  • Next steps – What is the SBC working on over the next couple of months?

Topics of future meetings this fall before the December 1 Special Town Meeting to vote on financing the project:

  • September 26 — Review preliminary cost estimates
  • October 3 — Review reconciled cost estimates and value engineering items
  • October 17 — Approve final cost

For more information and a full schedule, see the SBC website or watch videos of past meetings.

Letter to the editor: kudos for stormwater specialist

To the editor:

Did you see the August 15 letter to the editor from Amanda Smith? She is the Lincoln stormwater specialist. And if you’re like me, and didn’t know that Lincoln had a stormwater specialist, or even what a stormwater specialist is, I encourage you to read Amanda’s very informative, very friendly description of her role in helping to manage Lincoln’s stormwater setups, issues, and, uh, catastrophes. (My choice of the word “catastrophe” is based on my own growing awareness of the bizarre changes in our weather.)

Reading Amanda’s letter will also help you be prepared for running into her, either on your own property, nearby, or out in the wild places. Her photo, which accompanies her letter, makes her look both engaging and technically prepared for the complex task she describes.

I’m hoping that I’ll be one of the Lincolnites who gets to meet her—here, there, and possibly everywhere—and that you will be, too.

Sincerely,

Toby Frost
14 Woodcock Lane, 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.

September activities at the Council on Aging

Join the memoir group
September 5 at 10 a.m.
If you’re interested in writing your memoir or just curious about what goes on in the memoir group, please come to the first meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 5 from 10 a.m.–noon at Bemis Hall and find out what they do. If you want to continue, the cost of the eight-session term is $75. The dates are Sept. 5 and 19; Oct. 3, 17, and 31; Nov. 14 and 28; and Dec. 14. For more information, contact Connie Lewis at 781-259-9415 or conlewis1000@gmail.com.

You’ve been selected…
September 5 at p.m.
To drop by and visit with a member of the Board of Selectmen. Bring your ideas, feedback, questions, or favorite Lincoln anecdote. Whether you stop by for a minute or stay for the hour, the Selectmen hope to see you from 2–3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 5 at Bemis Hall.

Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band
September 7 at 12:30 p.m.
Celebrate Fall at Bemis Hall on Friday, Sept. 7 at 12:30 p.m. when the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band share their love of this lively music in a delightfully spontaneous rendering. Tap your feet or get up and dance as they belt out favorites such as Sweet Georgia Brown, Ain’t She Sweet, Carolina in the Morning and others we all know and love. The group are all amateur musicians who give life to the hot jazz of the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s.

Free wellness clinic for all ages
September 11 at 10 a.m.
Meet with a nurse at 50 Wells Rd. in Lincoln Woods on Tuesday, Sept. 11 from 10 a.m.–noon. Blood pressure, nutrition and fitness, medication management, chronic disease management, resources, and more. Services provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care.

Navigating the emotional terrain of “aging with in place” with intent, care, and a sense of humor (1st session)
September 12 at 9:30 am
Join Alyson Lee, a social worker and life coach who has led many Lincoln COA groups, in a new group to share insights into some of the emotional aspects of “aging in place” that are just as important as downsizing or getting your legal paperwork in order. The free group begins September 12 and runs for six Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall. This group will not only give valuable information, but will also provide an opportunity to discuss your own experiences and concerns. You may attend all sessions or just those you choose. The topic on September 12 will be “Intent: Becoming the ‘Captain of Your Own Ship’ So You Can Take Action.”

Metamorphosis: art shows featuring the South Sudanese
September 13 at 2:30 p.m.
Come to two art shows running from September 1–30 featuring the South Sudanese. Do you ever wonder what happened to the three young men from South Sudan resettled in Lincoln in the early 2000’s? Come to Bemis Hall’s Metamorphosis: From South Sudan to Lincoln to find out what they went through, what changes they experienced and where they are now. The library’s visual and audio tour Metamorphosis: From South Sudan to Massachusetts tells what changes they have gone through since coming to America. On Septe,ber 13, a COA reception will be at Bemis Hall from 2:30 p.m. to 4 while receptions hosted by the South Sudanese Enrichment for Families will be at Bemis Hall and the Library from 6–8 p.m. the same day with South Sudanese vendors selling cookies, tablecloths and cows. Questions? Email SusanWinship@comcast.net. Both shows curated by Jeff Brown, Ellen Morgan, William Maluil, and Susan Winship.

LGBT-focused group for older adults to share tea and conversation
September 14 at 10 a.m.
All are invited to enjoy tea and conversation at a new LGBT-focused group to be held the second Friday of each month at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall. Come share your thoughts, ideas, and life experiences. Dates for this fall are September 14, October 12, and November 9. Older adults from other towns most welcome.

How’s your hearing? Free screening with Mass Eye and Ear
September 14 at 10 a.m.
Hearing well is essential for remaining engaged and independent. A wide range of devices can help those with hearing losses ranging from mild to profound. Come to a free hearing screening given by Mass Eye and Ear on Friday, Sept. 14 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at Bemis Hall. You’ll receive a private, 10-to-15-minute screening to determine if a comprehensive hearing test is needed. If you have hearing loss, you will receive information on scheduling a ;comprehensive hearing test and possible options for treatment. If you have a known hearing loss and/or wear hearing aids, a hearing screening is not going to provide the diagnostic information needed for your hearing loss. Contact information will be available for Mass Eye and Ear in Concord to book a comprehensive hearing test. Please call the COA at 781-259-8811 to book a hearing screening.

Lincoln school project update
September 14 at 1 p.m.
Please join us at Bemis Hall on September 14 at 1 p.m. to hear the latest updates on the school building project. The School Building Committee (SBC) has continued to meet during the summer where many topics have been discussed including floor plans, site circulation, sustainable design features and more. It’s been a busy summer so stop by Bemis on the 14th for an update, ask questions and participate in a Lincoln school project conversation. All SBC meetings were videotaped over the summer. To view the meetings please click on the “watch meeting videos” link on the SBC website at www.lincolnsbc.org. 

Lincoln Academy with Judith Foster: How our bodies use food as a fuel  to extract energy and maintain weight… what can go wrong?
September 17 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Sept. 17 at 12:30 to hear Judith Foster discuss “How Our Bodies Use Food As a Fuel To Extract Energy And Maintain Weight… what Can Go Wrong?” One of the major health concerns in modern, industrialized nations is the alarming increase in both average body weights and obesity, especially among children. In order to understand how an increase in body weight relates to dietary intake and lifestyle, this lecture will review the molecular basics of how energy is stored in food and how it is transformed in our bodies to sustain our basal metabolic rate, body temperature and physical activity. Dr. Foster will discuss the classes of molecules that comprise different food types and their unique effects on metabolic pathways despite having similar caloric amounts. Foster is an Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry at Boston University School of Medicine. She recently moved to The Commons In Lincoln from Brookline. 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.

Free elder law clinic
September 17 at 3 p.m.
Got a question about issues such as estate planning, MassHealth, protecting assets for a loved one with a serious disability, guardianship, conservatorship or probate? The COA provides a monthly legal clinic with elder law attorney and Lincoln resident Sasha Golden on Monday, Sept. 17 from 2–3 p.m. at Bemis Hall. There is no charge for the thirty-minute consultation, but please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Senior dining is free in your birthday month
September 18 at 11:30 am
Lincolnites 60 and older are invited to enjoy a delicious gourmet meal with new friends and old at 11:30 on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at St. Anne’s Church. Please reserve by calling the COA at 781-259-8811. The cost of each meal is $5. Caregivers are welcome to come with those for whom they are caring. Let them know when you call if you need transportation or a seating partner. The lunch is co-sponsored by the COA, the Friends of the COA, Minuteman Senior Services, Newbury Court, St. Anne’s, and the Lincoln Garden Club. Enjoy a lunch free during your birthday month. Just let them know. 

Care: how to prepare emotionally for the challenges of aging in place
September 19 at 9:30 am
See September 12 for details.

Meet Lincoln’s new town nurse and veterans services officer
September 20 at 10:30 a.m.
You are cordially invited to meet Tricia McGean, RN, Lincoln’s new town nurse, and Peter Harvell, our new veterans services officer, on Thursday, Sept. 20 at 10:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall. Tricia, who has 22 years of experience as a community health nurse, will continue offering well being clinics at Lincoln Woods and Bemis Hall but will also investigate cases of communicable diseases and tick/food borne illnesses. Tricia has already set the date for the return of the flu clinic for seniors 60+ on October 19 from 10 a.m.–noon at Bemis Hall. Harvell will be assisting our town’s veterans with their federal, state, and local veterans benefits and navigating federal and state veterans services, offering information and education on veterans benefits and related issues, raising awareness in the town of veterans issues, and more. Peter will have office hours at Bemis Hall each Thursday from 9 a.m. till noon. He retired from the U.S. Army after 23 years of service and was the veterans services officer in Sudbury and Framingham for 13 years.

Cooking for one: a new way of eating
September 21 at 10 a.m.
Cooking for one can be both a challenge and an opportunity to try new foods and ways of cooking. Whether you have lived alone for a long time or it’s a new experience for you, come to Bemis Hall on Friday, Sept. 21 at 10 a.m. when Karen Halloran of CareOne in Concord will provide a demonstration of how to cook efficiently and deliciously for one and then give some tips on using healthy and alternative food choices. Please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Make a health care proxy on the spot
September 21 at 1 p.m.
Your health care proxy is one of the most important advance planning documents you have. It designates a person of your choice to make medical decisions and ensure that your wishes are followed if you are temporarily or permanently incapacitated. Come to a “proxy party” on Friday, Sept. 21 at 1 p.m. at Bemis Hall when Lincoln resident and elder law attorney Sasha Golden and Tricia McGean, RN, Lincoln’s public health nurse, will discuss the importance of health care proxies and what happens if you do not have an updated proxy in your records, help you complete your form on the spot, and discuss how to begin conversations with your proxy holder and family about your wishes for medical treatment. Please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Share tips or get help at smartphone meetup
September 24 at 11 a.m.
Do you have a smart phone that you would like to learn more about or be able to use better? Or, can you give smart phone pointers? Come to a group that will be facilitated by Carol Peskin for smart phone users to share tips and get help on Monday, Sept. 24 at 11 a.m. at Bemis Hall. This isn’t a class, but rather a chance for people to teach each other. Whether you’re new to smart phones or a pro, this group is for you.

Lincoln Academy with Lawrence Buell: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at 200—the novel, the films, the legends, the influence
September 24 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Sept. 24 at 12:30 to hear Lawrence Buell discuss “Frankenstein at 200: The Novel, the Films, the Legends, the Influence.” Find out about the amazing story of how a teenager’s brainchild became a literary classic, a household word, and a prophetic fable for modern science. 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.

Sense of humor: strength-based aging
September 26 at 9:30 am
See September 12 for details.

Healing motion for life: a free movement workshop
September 28 at 9 a.m.
Being in touch with the way our bodies move, and working to keep our movements unrestricted and fluid help bring health and clarity to every aspect of our lives. Join Susanne Liebich on Friday, Sept. 28 at 9 a.m. at Bemis Hall to experience a variety of sustainable exercises including expressive movement, breathing and relaxation in a program sponsored by Deaconess Abundant Life Services and Newbury Court. Susanne’s movement practice helps you achieve body awareness, presence, physical strength, balance, focus, and serenity. Other sessions will be held in October and November.

Explore the flora and fauna of our town’s cemetery
September 28 at 10 a.m.
Lincoln’s cemeteries are a uniquely beautiful and rich ecological environment with abundant species of trees, flowers, insects, birds, and other wildlife. Come take a walk through Lincoln’s Lexington Road Cemetery with Susan Harding of Lincoln’s Cemetery Commission and Conservation Director Tom Gumbart on Friday, Sept. 28 at 10 am. Meet by the map of the roadways at the end of the entrance road and park along Pine Way behind it. They will introduce you to the many forms of life that inhabit the cemeteries, discuss these amazing places, and answer your questions.

Social Security overview and update
September 28 at 1 p.m.
Whether you’re getting Social Security soon or have been receiving it for years, come hear Sabrina Feliciano of the Social Security Administration at Bemis Hall on Friday, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. Sabrina will give an overview of retirement benefits and Medicare as well as update you on some of the new features of Social Security and Medicare, like doing many transactions online. She will also answer questions and address your concerns.

Extra hours for absentee voting this week

For those wishing to cast absentee ballots in advance of the September 4 state primary election, the Town Clerk’s office will be open from 7 a.m.–5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 30 and 31. Voters can come to the office and vote in person by absentee ballot if they expect to be out of town during normal polling hours on September 4, or due to physical disability or religious belief.

Voters must submit written requests for absentee ballots. All ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 4. For more information, call 781-259-2607.

News acorns

Library kicks off several fall series

Lincoln Library Film Society

The first film this fall shown by the Lincoln Library Film Society will be Sami Blood (2016, in Swedish with English subtitles) on Thursday, Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Tarbell Room. A reindeer-breeding Sámi girl who is exposed to the racism of the 1930s at her boarding school starts dreaming of another life. But to achieve it, she has to become someone else and break all ties with her family and culrure.

Book groups

Copies of books in various formats will be available at the library two weeks prior to each meeting. New members and occasional drop-ins are always welcome. For more information, contact Lisa Rothenberg at lrothenberg@minlib.net.

  • Who Picked This Book? Club — starts Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. to discuss The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. The group reads current fiction (maybe even nonfiction) that are entertaining and well written.
  • Friday Morning Book Group — This fall, the group will read American and British historical novels starting with Caleb’s Crossing by Gersldine Brooks on Friday, Sept. 14 at 9:30 a.m.
  • Mystery Mondays — starts Monday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. with The Poacher’s Son by Paul Doiron.

Lincoln Open Mike Night

The Friends of the Lincoln Library and LOMA present Lincoln Open Mike Night with Rob Lytle on Monday, Sept. 10 from 7–10 p.m. He’ll perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30 p.m. Lytle played a key role in the 1990s Boston folk explosion working with legends such as Geoff Bartley, Dar Williams, and Ellis Paul.

LOMA is a monthly event. 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.

“Plants and Pollinators” walk and talk

The Conservation Commission presents “Plants and Pollinators” with Conservation Director Tom Gumbart and master gardener Robin Wilkerson on Sunday, Sept. 9 from 1-3 p.m. in the People for Pollinators near the Smith school parking lot on Ballfield Road. Learn about the plants in the meadow and field, and observe the bees, butterflies, dragonflies and other pollinating wildlife that visit this habitat in  September. An informational tent will be set up with reference guides and resources. Bring binoculars to zoom in on the wildlife and a camera to record your observations for upload to the meadow’s citizen scientist site at iNaturalist.org. Dress for the weather, including protection from sun, ticks and mosquitos, and wear sturdy shoes. In case of inclement weather, call LLCT’s general line at 781-259-9251 after 10 a.m. the morning of the walk.     

Harvest Celebration at Drumlin Farm

Explore Drumlin Farm’s gardens and crop fields with farm staff, meet some native wildlife, create fun crafts, and enjoy nature’s best from the farm’s vegetable stands on on Saturday, Sept. 15. Drumlin Farm teacher-naturalists will present family-friendly activities throughout the day to share the bounty of the fall harvest and help visitors discover how tasty sustainable agriculture can be.

All activities are free with admission ($8 for adults, $6 for seniors and children 2-12, free for Mass Audubon members). Drop-in activities will run from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and the wildlife sanctuary will be open from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Click here for a schedule of free drop-in activities (weather permitting).

Letter to the editor: support Patalano for Middlesex DA

To the editor:

Last year, a friend suggested we stream a movie on Netflix by Ava DuVernay called 13th. The movie title refers to the 13th amendment, which forbids involuntary servitude—thus ending slavery—except as a punishment for crimes. DuVernay’s documentary forcefully demonstrates the perpetuation of slavery since the Civil War through the criminalizing of behavior and convict leasing. The footage is raw and painful, and the interviews are powerful and moving.

Having opened my eyes to the injustice in our criminal legal system, I set out to learn more. The more I learned, the more troubled I became. I learned about the injustice of imposing bail on defendants charged with minor infractions who are too poor to pay, resulting in pre-trial incarceration. I learned that these defendants often lose their homes, jobs, and even their children due to their incarceration. I learned that in Massachusetts, young adults make up 10 percent of the general population but nearly 30 percent of people arrested. I learned that Massachusetts incarcerates people of color at a rate over five times that of whites. 

And importantly, I learned that the DA’s office is the key to reforming the criminal justice system. While the recent Massachusetts justice reform legislation was a significant step in the right direction, the power to bring charges, impose bail, recommend sentencing, provide evidence, and set prosecutorial policies still rest with the District Attorney.

This is why I’m supporting Donna Patalano for Middlesex DA. Donna understands the legal implications of the criminal justice system from both sides as she served as both defense attorney and as a prosecutor. Donna is committed to:

  • Expanding the use of diversion and restorative justice programs
  • Focusing on ways to reduce the incarceration of young people by creating a Juvenile and Emerging Adult Bureau
  • Increasing transparency and equality by collecting and releasing data on prosecutions
  • Prioritizing fairness and ethical prosecutions over severity of sentencing

Donna vision is to transform the District Attorney’s office into one that values transparency, accountability, fairness, racial justice, community engagement and fiscal integrity and she has the experience to make it happen. I hope you’ll join me in voting for Donna in the Democratic primary on September 4.

Sincerely,

Laura Berland
Hillside Rad, 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.