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

Correction

A May 30 article headlined “New preschool opening at Minuteman” incorrectly stated that the addition of the Colonial Children’s Academy (CCA) will the number of preschools in Lincoln to five. There will actually be six, as the Teddy Bear Club and the Drumlin Farm Community Preschool were inadvertently omitted—but the CCA itself will be in Lexington rather than Lincoln when it opens (although it will move over the town line into Lincoln along with the rest of Minuteman High School once the new school is completed). The original article has been amended to reflect this correction.

 

 

New preschool opening at Minuteman

(Editor’s note: This article has been amended to reflect a correction regarding CCA’s initial location and the number of preschools in Lincoln.)

Minuteman High School will open the door in August to the Colonial Children’s Academy, staffed by certified preschool teachers and enriched by high school interns enrolled in Minuteman’s Early Education and Teaching program.

The Colonial Children’s Academy (CCA) curriculum will feature STEM activities, outdoor and indoor recreation, music, literacy, and cooperative play. Activities will be developed from the children’s interests and skill levels. CCA, which serves children between 2.9 and 5 years of age, will be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and and will follow Minuteman High School’s school year calendar.

The CCA will be on the Lexington side of the Minuteman campus until the new school building is completed in the fall of 2019. Once it moves into the new building on the Lincoln side, it will bring the number of preschools in Lincoln to seven. The others are Lincoln Country Day School, Magic Garden Children’s Center, Lincoln Nursery School, the Teddy Bear Club, Drumlin Farm Community Preschool and Lincoln Preschool operated by the Lincoln Public Schools.

“At Colonial Children’s Academy, the learning will extend beyond the classroom walls,” said Michelle Roche, director of career and technical education at Minuteman. “Preschool students will get to explore all that Minuteman has to offer with the help from our expert teaching staff. Children can take field trip with the environmental department to explore pond life or visit the automotive department to see what an engine looks like. We’re excited to be able to offer project-based learning even for our youngest students.”

Minuteman’s high school setting will allow the preschoolers to explore many of the school’s career and technical education programs and use facilities such as a large indoor gym. Student-to-teacher ratios far exceed the state standards, allowing adults to provide additional guidance and support throughout the day, Roche said.

The program offers discounted prices for in-district families and staff members of the Lexington Public Schools and Minuteman High School. Enrollment space is limited. For more information on enrollment and tuition, please call Roche at 781-861-6500, ext. 7326 or Mroche@minuteman.org.

Council on Aging activities in June

Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band
June 2 at 12:30 p.m.
On Friday, June 2, the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band will be in the house once again from 12:30–1:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Once again they will lift your spirits with upbeat favorite tunes for you to tap your toes to or sing along with. What? You’ve never been to even one of the past 38 concerts? Come find out what the regulars are enjoying while you’ve been sitting at home.

Lincoln Academy with Ben Horne—”The Essence of Bhutan”
June 5 at 12:30 p.m.
Ben will discuss, with pictures, a trip he and Jean took last October to the tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, known for its peace, happiness, and dramatic beauty. While many trips to the Himalayas can be classified as “treks”, this trip was more a brief immersion in the kingdom’s magical, mystical culture and history. The Council on Aging 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.

Tour the New Hanscom Middle School
June 8 at 10 a.m.
The Lincoln Public Schools and the Council on Aging invite you to tour the new Hanscom Middle School. A bus will leave the Donelan’s parking lot at 10 a.m. on June 8 and return about 1 p.m. You must call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up by noon on June 2, giving your full legal name and date of birth in order to be granted access to Hanscom Air Force Base. The new Hanscom Middle School is an 85,000-square-foot serving 300 students in grades 4-8. The $34 million construction cost was funded entirely by the Department of Defense Education ActivityThe firm of Ewing Cole designed the school building to support 21st-century education with grade-level “neighborhoods” where individual classrooms are clustered around common areas and small break-out spaces. This creates a flexible environment that fosters collaboration, accommodates project work, and provides opportunities for small, class-sized, or grade-level groups. The music room, art room, library, full kitchen, and gymnasium all have direct access to a central commons that features a stage and serves multiple functions: cafeteria space during lunch, performance center for music and drama, and a place to practice presentation skills for individuals and groups of students.  The building includes many energy-efficient features. The tour will be led by Superintendent Becky McFall.

Public Safety cookout
June 9 at 11 a.m.
Join Public Safety on Friday, June 9 at 11 a.m. for a cookout at the Pierce House. You’ll start off by finding out more about current trends in frauds and scams and how to avoid being a victim; home safety from both police and fire perspectives; and services offered by Public Safety. At noon, Public Safety will be cooking up hamburgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers with all the fixin’s. Because the event will be under the tent, the cookout will go on rain or shine. Please sign up by June 2 by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Lincoln Academy with James Harrison—”The Food Project and food justice in Massachusetts”
June 12 at 12:30 p.m.
James Harrison, executive director of The Food Project, will provide an update on the organization as well as the current state of food justice in Massachusetts and the role of The Food Project in creating multi-generational communities that work together to build sustainable and equitable food systems. The Council on Aging 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 wellness clinic for all ages
June 13 at 10 a.m.
Meet with a nurse at Lincoln Woods on Tuesday, June 13 from 10 a.m. to noon. Blood pressure, nutrition and fitness, medication management, chronic disease management, resources, and more. Funded by the Ogden Codman Trust and provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care.

Medicare 101: What to know, how to choose
June 13 at 7 p.m.
Come find out the basics of Medicare on Tuesday, June 13 at 7 p.m. at Bemis Hall with Minuteman Senior Services SHINE counselors Don Milan and Anne Meade. This introduction to Medicare is especially for those who will be signing up soon, but is also for those who just wish to learn more and understand their benefits better. Don and Anne will discuss traditional Medicare, Medigap plans, Advantage plans, and medication drug coverage (Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D), how to go about choosing the plan or plans that are best for you, avoiding penalties when you sign up late, and more. Bring your questions and concerns.

Gloucester and the Cape Ann Museum
June 14 at 9:30 a.m.
On Wednesday, June 14, the COA will head to the Cape Ann Art Museum in downtown Gloucester. There the group will have a docent-led tour of the collection of Fitz Henry Lane paintings, the luminist, marine painter (1804-1865) of this historic seaport, the museum’s collection of 18th-century portraits and contemporary art, and the fisheries, maritime and granite galleries. Lunch will be together at your own cost at a nearby restaurant. If the weather is good you will have time to wander Main Street filled with galleries, a wonderful artists’ cooperative, restaurants and shops. The bus will leave the Lincoln Mall at 9:30 a.m. sharp, returning to Lincoln around 4 p.m. The non-refundable cost of the trip is $22. This trip, supported by the Hurff Fund, is open to Lincoln residents 60+. Reservations must be made by June 8. Send checks payable to FLCOA/Trips to Donna Rizzo, 22 Blackburnian Road, Lincoln, MA 01773. Please include your phone number and email address. Please call Donna at 781-257-5050 with questions.

Next steps for affordable accessory apartments
June 14 at 10 a.m.
Come find out more about the Town’s new Affordable Accessory Apartments Program in a forum especially for homeowners and tenants. On Wednesday, June 14 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall, members of the Housing Commission will be here to give information and answer questions. What are the benefits for homeowners and tenants? How does the Housing Commission match up tenants with homeowners? What is the lottery? Why do I have to choose a tenant from your list? How long will I wait for an affordable apartment. Come join the Housing Commission and get answers.

Strawberry ice cream social
June 15 at noon
Celebrate this special time of year at the annual strawberry ice cream social at Bemis Hall on Thursday, June 15 at noon. The event is sponsored by the COA and the Friends of the COA. Bring a bag lunch at noon or just come for dessert. Make your own ice cream sundae with luscious ice cream topped with strawberries, chocolate, and more, then share conversation with friends old and new. Please RSVP to the COA by calling 781-259-8811 and tell them if you will need a ride.

Ethics and climate change
June 16 at 9:30 a.m.
Climate change has not only a scientific component, but an ethical one as well that relates to political, economic, and other actions on local, national, and international levels. Come hear a presentation and discussion led by John Terrell, Ph.D., on Friday, June 16 at 9:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall on the many facets of ethics and climate change. Terrell will highlight the most recent successful Annual Town Meeting warrant article and a critique of the Paris Agreement including the possibilities of various alternate energy options and the economic and political necessities to effectively combat climate change. Come with your questions, concerns, and ideas.

Facing our futures with hope and love
June 16 at 12:30 p.m.
Join Rev. Lilian Warner, spiritual director/chaplain of Newbury Court, on Friday, June 16 at 12:30 for informal coffee, pastries, and conversation while she shows a video and shares her thoughts on how we can be molded and mended into new beings—different from who we were and still valuable—and create a better future for ourselves and others with the “Triple L, Double C of Living,” or how we must “Listen, Learn, Love, Care and Connect.” Call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up.

Lincoln Academy with Tom Gumbart—backyard butterflies, dragonflies and more
June 19 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, June 19 at 12:30 to hear Tom Gumbart, Lincoln’s conservation director, discuss “Backyard Butterflies, Dragonflies, and More.” Tom will give a photo show and talk on insects and other small critters found locally. Featured photos will be close-up images, especially of pollinator species on flowers. The Council on Aging 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.

Coffee with Lincoln artist Loretta Arthur
June 20 at 2:30 p.m.
Join Loretta Arthur for a reception celebrating her art exhibit that will be in the Bemis Artists Gallery through June on Tuesday, June 20 at 2:30 p.m. A Lincoln resident since 1994, Loretta has recently begun painting again after a 25-year hiatus while she raised three children and practiced with her husband in the firm D.W. Arthur Associates Architecture. She was a studio art major at Brandeis with a concentration in sculpture, and received a master’s in architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design. The paintings for this exhibit include still life and landscapes.

The COA Science and Technology Club—technical challenges of making measurements on human beings
June 22 at 10 a.m.
Both human beings and instrumentation can often be very fragile, especially in medical, transport, and hospital environments. Paul Svetz will lead a discussion on Thursday, June 22 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall on some of the interesting and unusual technical challenges of designing and building devices for making measurements of physiological functions. Everyday contact with physical, electrical, and chemical items that offer little risk in daily life can be quite hazardous in the medical area.

Managing arthritis with exercise
June 23 at 12:30 p.m.
Please join Ryan Stoddard, orthopedic clinical specialist of Emerson Hospital’s Center for Rehabilitative and Sports Therapies, on Friday, June 23 at 12:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. The notion of living a long healthy life appeals to all of us. The Center for Rehabilitation and Sports Therapies advocates for a life to be active and engaging. Exercise and activity promote a healthy life. Active longevity is about staying active and engaged as long as possible and improving your quality of life. You will learn some tips on how to manage osteoarthritis as well as some safe exercises to promote joint health and keep you staying active longer.

Fireside chat: the U.S. Constitution
June 28 at 10 a.m.
Do you have a favorite line from the Constitution? A favorite amendment? Something that confuses you or excites you? Have you ever read it? Come to Bemis Hall for a discussion of the U.S. Constitution. Join others in a lively but respectful discussion facilitated by Sharon Antia using questions and answers on Wednesday, June 28 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall. The purpose is not to convince others of your opinion, but to share ideas so as to create dialogue and understanding.

Save the date:

Canal & Mill Tour – Lowell National Historic Park

Save Tuesday, July 25 for a fascinating day at the Lowell National Historic Park. Find out about the famous “mill girls,” the technology that powered the mills, and how immigrants have contributed to the industrial city. First, the group will hop a trolley to the Swamp Locks. There you will board a canal boat and cruise the Pawtucket Canal, maybe even all the way to the Pawtucket Falls. Then you’ll have lunch at one of the many ethnic restaurants in the area. Finally you’ll visit the Boott Cotton Mill Museum and Mill Girls and Immigrants Exhibit. The air-conditioned bus will leave Donelan’s parking lot at 9:15 a.m., returning at approximately 4 p.m. This trip is rated moderate for physical ability, as there will be some walking and entering/ exiting the canal boat entails steep steps. Non-refundable cost including lunch is $32, and drinks are on your own. This trip is funded by the Hurff Fund and is therefore open to Lincoln seniors only. To reserve a space, send a check made out to FLOCA/Trips to Donna Rizzo, 22 Blackburnian Road, Lincoln, MA 01773. Be sure to include your phone number and email address. Your reservation is complete when your check is received. Questions? Contact Donna at 781-257-5050 or donna@ecacbed.com.

En plein air drawing with Bernadette Quirk at Lincoln Tree Tour sites

Enjoy the outdoors while learning to draw nature’s glory outside with the Council on Aging’s new class, En Plein Air Drawing with Bermadette Quirk. The class will take place on six Wednesdays at 9 a.m. beginning on July 12. Meet at Bemis Hall the first week. Then each class will take place at each of the five Lincoln Tree Tour locations. Bernadette will e-mail you the list of materials needed for this class. No previous experience necessary; beginners encouraged. The cost is $20 per session. Please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811 and leaving your contact information.

 

News acorns

Dairy Day in its final year

Dairy Day at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary will take place for the last time on Saturday, June 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This annual festival celebrates National Dairy Month, highlighting sustainable farming practices and the many products made using milk, from ice cream and butter to soap and lotion. Bring a picnic lunch and watch milking demonstrations with Drumlin Farm’s beloved dairy cow Jane (while milk supply and Jane’s patience lasts!) and try milking on your own at our practice stations. There will also be crafts and games for kids in our Get Moovin’ zone; cheese, butter, and ice cream-making demonstrations; up-close viewing of our heritage breed cattle; and hayrides to celebrate the crowning of the Drumlin Farm Dairy Princess. Click here for a detailed schedule.

“We’re just trying to think of new ways to keep things fresh at the farm,” said Drumlin Farm spokesperson Mimi Palmore, explaining the discontinuation of Dairy Day. Other programs will include element of the event, such as ice cream at an upcoming concert series.

Tickets are $10 for Mass Audubon members, $12 for nonmembers, and free for children under age 2 (walk-ins only; no advance ticket sales). Dairy Day will take place rain or shine.

Register for fall soccer by May 31

If you have a child entering grades 3-8 who’s interested in Lincoln Youth Soccer, please register for the Fall 2017/Spring 2018 as soon as possible, but no later than Wednesday, May 31. Timely registration is needed so we can determine the number of travel teams by age group. Click on this link and then click on “Registration” next to “Fall 2017–Spring 2018.”

Lessons on painting Codman Estate’s Italian garden

Join artist Dustin Neece, a classically trained Impressionist painter, for four sessions of en plein air painting in the setting of the Codman Estate Italian Garden at the height of its June blooming season. Learn how to capture shifting light and shadow, how to mix colors for quality and energy, and how to compose a landscape. This class is suitable for adult students from beginners to advanced.

The sessions are on June 12, 15, 19 and 22 at the Codman Estate Italian Garden at 34 Codman Rd. (rain dates TBD). A suggested material list will be sent with registration confirmation. Cost is $140 for Historic New England members, $180 for non-members. Registration is required. Call 617-994-6690 for more information or register online.

Upcoming public hearings

The Lincoln Conservation Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, May 31 at 8:30 p.m. in response to a Request for Determination of Applicability by A Blade of Grass, LLC for masonry and landscaping activities in the Outer Buffer Zone Resource Area at 67 Sandy Pond Road.

The Zoning Board of the Appeals will hold a public hearing on Thursday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. to hear and act on the following petitions:

  • St. Anne’s-in-the-Field Church, 149 Concord Road, for a special permit to demolish and reconstruct two existing buildings.
  • Kenneth Hurd, 21 Lexington Road, for a special permit for an accessory apartment.
  • Builder’s Club of Lincoln, Inc., 181 Lincoln Road, for renewal of a special permit.
  • Laura Berland and Jonathan Wyman, 15 Hillside Road, for a special permit to construct a deck at the back of the house.

The Lincoln Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 13 to review an application for site plan review. The applicant, John Crawford, 20 Old Concord Road, proposes to renovate and construct an addition to an existing home.

Lincoln softball ready to launch second season

The Lincoln Mohawks in an undated photo.

Lincoln softball enthusiasts are gearing up for the second season of the Lincoln Co-Ed Softball League, which now has a website with photos of town games from last year—and decades ago.

Returning in 2017 are the five teams from last year: the Chiefs, Coyotes, Grapes, Mohawks and Trailblazers, but more players are needed and a sixth team will form if necessary. Players—who must be 18 or over but needn’t be Lincoln residents—can register for $40 apiece ($50 after June 16) by going to lincolncoedsoftballleague.website.siplay.com. There will be games starting the week of June 17 on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays at the Codman Pool field; each team will play one or two games per week, plus playoffs.

Once the season gets going, the website will feature schedules, standings and rosters, and photos to supplement the pictures from last year—as well as historic photos from the Lincoln Mohawks baseball team, which played in the Paul Revere League from the late 19th century until the mid-20th century.

“I like the tribute to the old team—it gives continuity. I’m a history guy and I always try to at least nod to the past,” said league co-founder Richard Card. The historic pictures were photographed in the Lincoln Town Archives by David Elmes.

Teams must have at least one woman playing in the infield and outfield each inning (not counting the pitcher and catcher), and the batting order must have one woman for every two men.

“We’re trying to make everyone welcome, whether you’re a beginning or experienced player,” Card said, echoing the league’s mission statement proclaiming itself to be a “mildly competitive league dedicated to recreation, sportsmanship, gender equality, and community.”

Community center, school group both seeking more residents

The School Building Committee (SBC) is seeking volunteers for an Outreach sub-committee. The Outreach Team’s focus is to communicate SBC updates and key community forum details, but also to warmly welcome community input in all our outreach messages and encourage engagement from our residents. The time commitment of our committee members will vary and depend on the role the volunteer chooses, for there are many. Please volunteer if you…

  • Are interested in acting as a neighborhood “captain” to ensure SBC communications reach your neighborhood
  • Would like to be involved in hosting coffees or small group community sessions
  • Have an expertise in updating and managing website content
  • Have an expertise in photography or videography
  • Would like to be involved in communicating community forum details and listening sessions to encourage greater community engagement.

If you’d like to volunteer or just learn more about this subcommittee, please email SBC@lincnet.org.

Community center panel

Selectmen are still seeking candidates to serve on the CCPPDC who have experience in fields that are relevant to the committee’s work, such as architecture, planning or design, project management, or community engagement. There will be four at-large community members on the committee. More information on the committee’s duties can be found here.

Those interested should send letters of interest (mentioning relevant experience) to the Board of Selectmen via email to at ElderP@lincolntown.org by Friday, June 2. The board will appoint members of the CCPPDC at its meeting on June 12. The committee will hold its first meeting the following week and will present public updates (including at the fall 2018 State of the Town meting). If possible, there will be a final report and/or town vote at the spring 2018 Town Meeting.

Property transfers

  • 21 Blackburnian Rd. — Thomas C. Driscoll Jr. to Mary Alice Williamson for $1,619,500 (March 22).
  • 0 Conant Rd. — Maybelle Dean to Town of Lincoln for $25,800 (March 20).
  • 36 Bypass Rd. — Adam Knochowski to Li Baiqing and Han Mei for $1,112,500 (March 15).
  • 364 Hemlock Circle — Barbara Chin to Benjamin J. Parillo and Julia P. Craig for $432,500 (March 10).
  • 94 Mill St. — Haskel Straus to LSF9 Master Participation Trust for $898,829 (March 6).
  • 10 Brooks Hill — Fran Lipson to Li Lin and Judy Su for $980,000 (March 1).
  • 324 Hemlock Circle — Lynn Avery Gargill to Patricia Lewis for $459,000 (March 1).

Dozens of Lincolnites attend district Democratic event

U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark

More than 40 Lincoln residents attended the 3rd Middlesex Area Democrats’ annual spring breakfast in Waltham on May 13, when Gary Davis, co-chair of the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee, was re-elected co-chair of the Middlesex Area Democrats (MAD).

Also in attendance were about 175 Democrats from Bedford, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Sudbury, Waltham, and Weston, though Lincoln had the highest number of residents at the event. It was the best-attended 3rd MAD breakfast in recent memory.

In talks on the theme of “Moving Forward and Fighting Back in the Trump Era,” U.S. Reps. Seth Moulton and Katherine Clark stressed the critical importance of capturing Democratic seats in the House and Senate in 2018 and the central role of local grassroots organizations in doing so. Moulton identified ways in which he is trying to work across the aisle, particularly on veterans’ affairs, and Clark noted her efforts to search for shared values and sensible bipartisan solutions to problems. Their legislative work is being undertaken within the context of a vigorous pushback against the Trump policies damaging to education, health care, the environment, and institutional integrity.

Guests also heard from Lincoln’s state senator, Michael Barrett, who emphasized legislation he has developed to ensure transparency on the part of all Massachusetts candidates for elective office, as well as legislation focusing on prison reform. Gubernatorial candidates Jay Gonzalez, Bob Massie and Setti Warren, as well as state Sen. Jamie Eldridge and state Reps. Cory Atkins and Jay Kaufman, also made brief remarks.

State Rep. Michael Barrett

“Clearly, local Democrats are responding with energy and alarm to the policy proposals, executive orders, confusion and misrepresentations of the current White House,” said Lincoln attendee Barbara Slayter. “This atmosphere has generated commitments by Democratic activists to intensive advocacy for preservation of the environment, strengthening opportunities for affordable health care, building our educational programs and assuring the integrity of our institutions.”

Lincoln delegates will also be attending the Massachusetts Democratic Party 2017 Convention on June 3 at which a new Massachusetts Democratic platform will be approved.