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

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.

Council on Aging activities in February

Could you pay less for prescriptions?
February 1 at 11 a.m.
If you have costly prescriptions, you might be able to pay less through company programs, foundations that help with co-payments, discount cards, generic medications, and more. Find out about these options when Colleen Massey of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m. She will also let you know about the many programs and services of MCPHS that can help you manage your medications.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the Lincoln Trad Jazz Band
February 1 at 12:30 p.m.
Don’t miss the free COA Valentine’s Day concert of traditional jazz music of the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s on Friday, Feb. 1 at 12:30 at Bemis Hall. The band will play music by such greats as Fats Waller, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and more, and you’ll get a chance to sing along on tunes made great by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald or Louis Armstrong. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Lincoln Academy with Alex MacLean: imagining sea level rise from above
February 4 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, Feb. 4 at 12:30 when Alex MacLean discusses “Imagining Sea Level Rise from Above.” Alex will speak about his most recent work documenting with aerial images the impacts and vulnerabilities caused by sea level rise. Sea level rise is a definite indicator of global warming and climate change that is undeniable. It is also universal, permanent, irreversible and its rate of rising is accelerating. These photographs are intended to motivate us to act without delay in cutting our carbon emissions personally and collectively towards zero. 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.

Medical marijuana: what you need to know
February 8 at 10 a.m.
More and more these days doctors are prescribing medical marijuana for a host of health issues including anxiety, pain from many causes such as headaches, cancer, or nerve pain, nausea, seizure disorders, Crohn’s disease, and many others. But is it safe? Will you become addicted? How do you obtain and take it? What are the side effects? Find out the answers to these and other questions you may have on Friday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. when Tricia McGean, Lincoln’s public health nurse, comes to Bemis Hall. Bring questions and concerns.
[Read more…] about Council on Aging activities in February

Public hearings coming up

L-S School Committee

The Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Conference Room B at the high school regarding (a) the FY20 school budget and (b) school choice. 

Historical Commission

The Lincoln Historical Commission will hold two public hearings on Tuesday, Feb. 5 starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Donaldson Room to consider the following applications

  • Lincoln Public Schools, to demolish more than 25 percent of the Smith School on Ballfield Road.
  • 9 Lewis Street Realty LLC, to demolish the entire front structure and more than 25 percent of the rear building at 9-13 Lewis St. 
Conservation Commission

The Lincoln Conservation Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m, in the Lincoln Town Offices. This is in response to the Notice of Intent filed by Peter Blackler of Valley Pond Corp. for the management of seasonal algae blooms within the swim pond within the Valley Pond property.

Property sales in December

27R South Commons — Richard Golay Trust to Jena Salon for $592,000 (December 18).

1 Mary’s Way — John Morrissey Trust to Civico Oriole Lincoln LLC for $2,225,000 (December 7).

111 Lexington Rd. — James Roberge Trust to Jonathan D. Prange and Sarah D. Sherlock for $1, 250,000 (December 7).

215 Concord Rd. — Gordon D. Winchell Trust to Christopher Dubois and Emily Belz for $1,775,000 (December 18).

22 Birchwood Lane — Joan K. Rubin to Linda L. Emanuel for $509,000 (December 20).

Groundhog Day to feature new focus on climate

Ms. G of Drumlin Farm. (Photo by Eric Roth)

Drumlin Farm is set to host its annual Groundhog Day event on Saturday, Feb. 2, with a new focus on climate science and weather. “Climate Action Day” will feature activities centered on what children and adults can do to learn about and respond to the effects of climate change.

The event will again feature Ms. G, the official state groundhog of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as she emerges from her winter hibernation and determines whether or not spring will come early this year.

“The impact of climate change on people and wildlife in New England is already evident, but that doesn’t mean that there is nothing that we can do about it,” said Drumlin Farm Sanctuary Director Renata Pomponi. “Climate Action Day is intended to be a way for families to engage with a serious issue in a positive way, focusing on the small but meaningful actions that they can take in their own lives to help meet this challenge. As the Commonwealth’s most prominent wildlife ambassador, Ms. G serves as a symbol of the animals and their habitat that we all can help to protect by working together in our communities.”

The traditional Groundhog Day ceremony and forecast start at 10 a.m. (encore at 11:15 a.m.), followed by winter activities such as meeting resident wildlife, exploring wilderness trails, and learning how to identify animal tracks in the snow. A live music performance will take place at noon, and hot cocoa will be provided throughout the day.

Drumlin Farm will be open on February 2 from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. This special event takes place from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. and is free with paid admission ($9 for adults and teens, $6 for children 2–12 and seniors, and free for Mass Audubon members). 

Featured programs
  • Learn the forecast for spring’s arrival from Drumlin’s woodchuck weather expert (six more weeks of winter if she sees her shadow; an early spring if she doesn’t).
  • Visit with more of our resident wildlife and farm animals, learn about winter tracking, and explore the wildlife sanctuary’s trails.
  • Listen to live music performed by the local band Sweet Wednesday from noon–3 p.m.
  • Make winter crafts to take home,
  • Investigate our local climate with Don McCasland of Blue Hill Observatory Science Center,
  • Purchase produce grown at Drumlin Farm,
  • Learn how climate change impacts hibernating species in New England,

Ms. G was declared the Official State Groundhog by then-Governor Deval Patrick on July 31, 2014, when he signed the proposed bill submitted by Wellesley’s Hunnewell Elementary School students, enacting it into law.

News acorns

Dobrow to give talk on Emily Dickinson book

Lincoln author Julie Dobrow on Monday, Jan. 28 will speak on Monday, Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall about her new book, After Emily: Two Remarkable Women and the Legacy of America’s Greatest Poet — a mother/daughter biography of Mabel and her only child, Millicent Todd Bingham. This book tells the story of Mabel and Millicent’s fascinating lives that pushed the boundaries of what women of their respective eras did, how Mabel’s 13-year-long love affair with Emily’s brother Austin led her to the Emily Dickinson work that defined her career and her life, and how Mabel and Millicent’s own complex relationship complicated it all.

Food Project to hold Winter Institutes for youth

The Food Project will offer two Winter Institutes, bringing together social-justice-minded youth development and agriculture professionals from around the country and the world. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation is the sponsor of the both weekends (a session on January 3–February 2 was added to accommodate demand after the February 7–9 session was filled).

The three-day Institute is packed with activities, workshops, and conversations for participants to learn about youth leadership and sustainable agriculture from The Food Project’s staff and youth as well as from each other. To learn more about the 2019 Winter Institute including how to register, click here.

The Food Project has long been a leader in youth development, healthy food access, and sustainable agriculture. Rather than replicating its work elsewhere, the organization provides training and tools to other organizations and people who are developing similar models, specific to the needs of their own communities. 

Talk on responding to climate catastrophe

Join veteran journalist, author, and activist Wen Stephenson as he leads a frank conversation about responding to climate catastrophe—with a little help from Buddha, Jesus, and the prophets—on Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church.

In a recent program, Stephenson, drawing from Zen Buddhist and Christian tradition, reflected on how we might still speak and act with honesty and compassion in the face of dire scientific and political realities. “According to climate science,” Stephenson said, “it’s almost certainly too late to stop ‘catastrophic’ climate change on some scale; it’s already happening. But that same science tells us there’s still a wide range of possible futures. Just how catastrophic it will get and how fast is unknown, and still depends a great deal on what human beings do—most importantly, what we do politically—in the coming years.”

Guests who arrive at 6:30 will be served a light vegetarian supper. The program, which is free and open to the public, will begin shortly after 7 p.m.   

Hospice house offering volunteer training

Care Dimensions, the region’s largest provider of hospice care, will hold training classes for those interested in becoming volunteers to greet visitors and help out at the Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln, as well as visit patients in their homes. Two training options are available: Wednesday and Friday afternoons, February 27–March 22, from 1–3:30 p.m. at the Lincoln hospice house (125 Winter St.) or on Tuesday and Thursdays, February 26–March 21, from 6–8:30 p.m. at Microsoft Corp., 5 Wayside Rd., Burlington. To register or to learn more, call 781-373-6509 or email MSu-Leland@CareDimensions.org.

Help update the Lincoln directory

It’s time to update your favorite paper-based search engine, the iconic Lincoln Directory. The volume is compiled by the Friends of the Library biennially and contains the telephone numbers of residents, local businesses, and town offices. A yellow card was mailed to residents with instructions on updating or adding your information and for businesses to take advantage the advertising space. To update your information via email or to learn about volunteering or advertising, email LincolnPhoneBook@gmail.com. The Lincoln Directory is mailed free to every household in Lincoln. The deadline for updates is March 1.

Correction

In the obituaries published on January 17, Martha Loomis Grabill’s name was spelled incorrectly. The error has been corrected in the original post.

Packing their bags… for Open Table (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Members of the Lincoln Family Association and First Parish in Lincoln (FPL) purchased items and packed 100 “Kids’ Bags” for Open Table, which had a special distribution for those affected by the government shutdown (especially Hanscom Air Force Base families) on January 19. Two members of FPL’s youth group, Isabel DiMambro (left) and Emma Griffith, helped deliver the bags. Margit Griffith, who organized a community meeting to plan and publicize efforts to help, reports that the social worker at Open Table was delighted to receive the list of resources compiled by the Lincoln Shutdown Task Force that met last week, and he plans to keep copies available for Open Table clients.