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

Glass brings School Committee experience to bid for selectman

Jennifer Glass.

After nine years on the School Committee during a period when the town planned and then failed to advance a school building project, committee chair Jennifer Glass is hoping to apply what she’s learned to a new town government position: Board of Selectman member.

Glass is running against Allen Vander Meulen for the remaining year in the term of Selectman Renel Frederiksen, who is resigning from the board as of this month. Also on the ballot for selectman in the March 27 town election is Jonathan Dwyer. He is running unopposed for the open seat of Selectman Peter Braun, who is stepping down after two terms.

The Glass family—Jennifer her husband Andrew, an attorney, and their daughters Caroline and Emily, who are juniors in college and at Lincoln-Sudbury, respectively—have lived in Lincoln since 2006. She has a bachelor’s degree in Russian studies and a master’s in education, and taught kindergarten in Newton before from Brookline to Lincoln, where she has been a full-time parent and volunteer.

“I moved here and jumped in pretty quickly [into school matters], and I’ve enjoyed the fact that this is a town that welcomes people who want to do that. It’s easy to feel engaged, and it’s what has made our time here a lot of fun,” she said.

“What drew me to [running for selectman] was the confluence of events going on in the town right now,” said Glass, referring to a renewed school project push as well as a municipal solar installation at the landfill, economic development in South Lincoln, a possible community center and the Complete Streets initiative. “There are a lot of pieces that individual committees have talked about for a while but are all coming together in a big picture, which I find very interesting and exciting… I believe the experience I’ve had in meeting with other [town government] committees will help further the conversation about how we manage all of these different ideas and projects that seem to be coming together at the same time.”

School building saga

During the first school building process (which ended in defeat in late 2012 when less than two-thirds of voters approved a $49 million total expenditure at a Special Town Meeting), Glass had many dealings with other areas of town government including the selectmen, the Finance Commission, the Capital Planning Committee, the Council on Aging, and the Parks and Recreation Committee.

Reflecting on those events four years later, the failure to advance the project was “really due to a combination of factors,” she said. “There was some initial sticker shock—these are big numbers we’re talking about for the town. To support a project of that magnitude, you have to feel like you’re getting good value for the money you’re spending. Though we had a majority, not everyone was ready to say ‘yes, this was the right value for my dollars,’ whether it was because of the layout of campus, a purely financial decision, or a desire to better understand the connect between a building and the delivery of education,” she said.

Getting formal town consensus on a school and campus design before the funding vote “was really that missing step. We had public forums and neighborhood coffees and so forth, but somehow that step where we made a choice between keeping the building in the general shape it is now and approving the other scheme, somehow there just wasn’t enough vetting of that,” Glass said.

Asked what lessons she drew from the 2012 experience, Glass said, “I’ve certainly learned the importance of talking early and often, whether with other boards or the public. We tried to be very transparent at the time, but you can never stop trying to be transparent. You just have to be very clear and up front about what the decisions are.”

The reversal didn’t sour Glass on the town’s commitment to education—far from it. “Immediately after the [2012] vote, people came to me and said, ‘I couldn’t vote for this but I want to help. What can we do?’ That told me it was not that the town didn’t want to do something, but that we had to go back and figure out how to do a better job of communicating,” she said. “We knew we had to put in place a moment where, after developing a bunch of options, we would come back to the town to get a vote” on one of those design option before the actual funding vote.

Asked about how a community center might fit in with a school project, Glass said she was “very much in favor of those two processes going forward together.” Actual construction may have to be staggered, “but we just don’t know the answers yet. Both feel like good long-term solutions. What we’re trying to aim for is how do we get the most out of both projects.”

Likewise, planning for South Lincoln should move forward even though the town doesn’t yet know the final plan, Glass said. “Depending on what budgetary implications there are, we have to see if the town has the bandwidth, but the conversations have to keep going, even if means there isn’t immediate action on development.” The commercial district can benefit fairly soon from relatively low-cost measures such as marketing and signage, she added.

A young board

Regardless of who is elected to the Board of Selectmen this month, the group will be short on experience, with two new members and a third (James Craig) who has been serving for only a year. “It means that there would be a steep learning curve, clearly. But there’s a deep institutional knowledge in Town Hall,” Glass said. “And there are many people in town who have served in this role before who I’ve always found to be very wiling to give their input and advice and fill in on the historical info that I may not have at my fingertips.

“While I certainly have a lot to learn, I understand how town government works and how the meeting law works and how all of these pieces fit together. I don’t see it as a problem because I know there’s this kind of support network out there” of professionals and volunteers,” she said.

Glass feels that the past nine years have honed her political skills a well as procedural knowledge. “I think I’ve shown that I have a fair amount of perseverance and willingness to continue difficult conversations and find common ground. I think I’m willing to listen and keep talking and try to find solutions that bring people together,” she said.

Letter to the editor: DeLisi running for Planning Board reelction

letter

 

To the editor:

I am enthusiastically running for re-election to the Planning Board of the town of Lincoln.

I am an academic psychiatrist and during the day work outside of Lincoln, mainly treating veterans with serious mental illnesses and conducting research projects that hopefully will improve the quality of life of all people with these illnesses.

Some time back, I decided that it was time to devote a portion of my life to public service that extends beyond my relatively small circle of colleagues sharing my work interests. I thus volunteered for an opening on the Planning Board when it was advertised because I love the uniqueness of Lincoln and enjoy its surroundings so much that I wanted to contribute to the lives somehow of my neighbors and the wellbeing of the town in general.

Thus, during my four years on the board, I had a steep learning curve to be able to understand the town zoning bylaw and how to protect it. I was tutored extensively by my fellow board members on how to protect our wonderful environment that is filled with rich farmland and wildlife of all kinds. During these years, I actively participated in several issues and task forces, including serving on the committee that recruited a new director of planning for the town (Jennifer Burney), and composing a report with recommendations for revitalizing the center of South Lincoln. I was also involved in several controversial decisions that affected residents and their neighborhoods in major ways.

Finally, I worked with the new director of planning to change and simplify some of the burdensome processes that new homeowners find in dealing with the Planning Board. Hopefully, when you now come before the Planning Board, you will see a changed atmosphere and a desire of all of us to help you with your building projects and expedite their progress, yet still responding to and respecting  the requests of abutters.

In the next three years, I will continue to advocate for the preservation of our unique Lincoln environment, and the sponsorship of new regulations if needed to preserve that atmosphere. I will, most of all, be sensitive to the needs and concerns of the town and its residents during these changing times.

I believe in preserving the beauty of our historic district. I believe in the highest quality of education available to our children and in the modernizing of the facilities in which their education occurs. I believe also in a safe and supportive set of facilities and functions for our senior residents. I would like to see a vibrant community center for all. Most important, I stand for maintaining the peacefulness and natural environment of our residential neighborhoods and the health and safety of our residents.

I hope you will consider allowing me to continue to serve you as a member of the Planning Board over the next three years. I welcome comments, suggestions, and requests at any time. You can email me at DeLisi76@AOL.com or call me at 781-257-5046.

Lynn E. DeLisi
South Great Road

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.

Vander Meulen charts a people-centered path

Allen Vander Meulen.

ADDENDUM: This article was updated on March 2 to include Vander Meulen’s campaign website.

(Editor’s note: The Lincoln Squirrel will profile Board of Selectman candidate Jennifer Glass on March 2. Click here for an earlier story about candidate Jonathan Dwyer.)

Allen Vander Meulen has been an IT executive and a minister. Now he hopes to parlay his experience in facilitating communication and “finding solutions where no one had even thought of them” into a new role as selectman in Lincoln.

Vander Meulen is competing with Jennifer Glass for the remaining one year in the term of resigning Selectman Renel Frederiksen. Also on the ballot for selectman in the March 27 town election is Jonathan Dwyer. He is running unopposed for the open seat being vacated by Selectman Peter Braun, who is stepping down after two terms.

After studying history at North Central College in Naperville, Ill., Vander Meulen spent 25 years in the information technology field in managerial and executive roles, “oftentimes fixing chaotic situations… I could come in, calm people down, and negotiate with both the IT folks and our clients,” he said. “I was good at it and I enjoyed it, but my focus was always on the people, not the technology.”

Living all over the country with his first wife, a conservative Christian, Vander Meulen attended all sorts of churches. “It gave me a real appreciation of the depth of the faith experience and the racial experience in this country,” he said. He subsequently decided to become a minister and earned his M.Div. degree from Andover Newton Theological Seminary in 2013. His father was a minister in Vermont but later became a professor of economics; “I went in the opposite direction, but it took me a lot longer to get to that point,” he observed.

Vander Meulen was a student minister at the Memorial Congregational Church in Sudbury and more recently a part-time minister at a church in Dalton, a post he is leaving in June. He has lived in the Boston area since 2006 and moved to Lincoln two years later with his wife Stephanie Smart, a chiropractor, and their seven-year-old son, who attends a private school in Lexington.

Lincoln appealed to Vander Meulen and his wife because of the open space and the town’s “leadership in zoning and conservation values,” he said. In the eight years since moving to town, he came to appreciate the supportive culture of volunteer town government.

“One thing I’ve noticed about Lincoln is that there are so many people who not only work hard at trying to build consensus and making sure people are heard, but who also really want people to succeed,” he said. He is now co-chair of the Housing Commission and expects to be involved one way or another with the South Lincoln Implementation Planning Committee. (If elected to the Board of Selectmen, he will resign from his other town positions.)

Like many Lincolnites, Vander Meulen is pondering the best way forward for the Lincoln School, which will have to be substantially repaired or replaced, most likely without state funding. “Replacing the entire structure, particularly doing it at one shot, is a bad idea,” he said.

A new school that attracts lots of young families may have unintended consequences, he added. “If we put in a big beautiful new building all at once, we could become another Sudbury,” where people move to town only for a few years and then leave once their kids are out of the house. When he was a student minister in Sudbury, “It was very apparent that was the case… people came, stayed for 12 years and moved, but people in Lincoln move here and stay,” Vander Meulen said.

Although more expensive in the long run, it would be wiser to rebuild the school a piece at a time, he said. This would also give the town a chance to adjust to changing enrollments without being “locked into a set of assumptions about how many students there will be.” An incremental approach would also lower the year-to-year cost by spreading payments over a longer period of time, Vander Meulen added, saying, “we don’t need to replace it all in the next five years or 10 years.”

Affordable housing, economic development

Affordable housing is another important issue facing Lincoln, which is in danger of falling below the state-mandated 10 percent minimum when the 2020 census is taken. “We’re right on the knife’s edge,” Vander Meulen said. If this happens, a developer could be allowed to build affordable housing as part of a large subdivision that normally wouldn’t pass zoning muster. Creating more affordable housing with incentives for accessory apartments would avoid large-scale construction while maintaining the economic diversity of Lincoln. “We need people in town other than those of us who are wealthy,” he said.

Vander Meulen is also in favor of more economic development, especially in South Lincoln, as well as measures to encourage people who visit Lincoln for one reason (such as going to Drumlin Farm) to sample other attractions such the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, or Codman Community Farm. He’d also like to make it easier for pedestrians to get from the library area to the deCordova, and along Route 117 from the police station toward Stonegate Gardens.

“When Allen approached me about running for the Board of Selectmen, I said great—not because we’ve been here forever, and not because he has any firm opinions about how Lincoln needs to change, but because he has the skill set to help the government achieve what they want to happen,” Smart said.

“I want everyone to have a seat at the table. People may sometimes be irritating, but they need to be listened to,” Vander Meulen said. “The emotion is always valid, so you need to understand why they’re feeling that way.”

Students sponsor three Town Meeting citizens’ petitions

L-S students Lucy Bergeron (left) and Anjuli Das with a single day’s worth of discarded water bottles at the high school.

This year, the eighth-graders’ group assisted by Town Clerk Susan Brooks and Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden is hoping to have Lincoln voters approve funds for two portable, 15-foot aluminum benches with backrests and shelves for use by sports teams who play on the fields next to Codman Pool. The benches would cost $800 to $1,200 apiece, according to Maria Hamandi, one of the students.

“A lot of times, [athletes’] personal belongings get in the dirt, including the mouth guards, which we find pretty unsanitary,” Hamandi said. The bench’s shelves will keep phones and other items off the ground, which will be especially helpful during rain (“they don’t only play when it’s beautiful weather outside,” she noted).

Other students involved in the 2017 citizens’ petition effort are Max Borden, Maya David, Achla Gandhi, Sophie Herant, Rhea Karty, Sarah Lammert and Dasha Trosteanetchi.

The Environmental Club at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High school is proposing two warrant articles in both Lincoln and Sudbury (though Sudbury’s Annual Town Meeting is not until May 1). One measure seeks to ban single-use plastic check-out bags at supermarkets and other retail stores. Thin-film plastic bags without handles that are used for meat, produce, newspapers, dry cleaning, etc. would not be affected.

The other measure would ban the retail sale of plastic single-use water bottles in town. Specifically targeted are polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles of 1 liter (34 ounces) or less containing noncarbonated, unflavored drinking water. Bottles could still be given away, however. The ban, if approved, can also be lifted if there is ever an emergency affecting the availability and/or quality of drinking water to residents.

L-S junior Lucy Bergeron of Lincoln wrote the bottle article based on one that was passed in Concord in 2012. “We spoke to people there and they say it’s going pretty well,” she said.

Several other cities and towns including Cambridge have banned supermarket check-out bags. In that city, whose law went into effect a year ago, customers must bring their own reusable bags for their groceries or purchase paper bags for 10 cents apiece. The Lincoln proposal says stores may charge a fee to recoup the cost of providing paper bags (or selling reusable bags) but does not specify a price.

In time-honored Lincoln political tradition, Bergeron surveyed residents at the transfer station about how inconvenient it would be to stop using plastic water bottles and how important the environment was to them.

“I got pretty positive feedback,” she said. “Most people said [disposable] water bottles are not that important to them; they use them mostly if they’re traveling or don’t have a better alternative.”

Bergeron and Lincoln freshman Anjuli Das noted that fossil fuels are used to manufacture and transport plastic bottles. Also, “some people seem to think that bottled water is better, but often it’s just tap water,” Bergeron said.

Last year, the Environmental Club collected the plastic water bottles discarded in a single day at the high school and used them to build a tower showing how much plastic they used (the tower still stands in one of the school lobbies).

Those in favor of banning single-use plastic grocery bags note that they pose significant environmental hazards because they do not readily biodegrade and can harm animals and fish that ingest them. Discarded bags are also harder to recycle than other products (the Lincoln transfer station does not accept them, for example), and they can wind up as unsightly litter and clog storm drains.

Acting on last year’s eighth-grade citizens’ petition, residents approved the purchase of a hydration stations for the Lincoln School’s Reed Gym. Students can use them to refill their reusable plastic water bottles with filtered tap water as well as get a quick drink, as with traditional water fountains.

Letter to the editor: Mostue running for fourth term on L-S School Committee

letter

To the editor:

I am declaring my candidacy as an incumbent for the Lincoln-Sudbury (L-S) School Committee. I have enjoyed serving for nine years on the committee and would be honored and delighted to continue for a fourth term.

I view among the priorities of the L-S School Committee the continued maintenance of high standards of learning, fine teaching and reasonable class sizes for which L-S is known. We must also continue ongoing collaboration with our K-8 feeder schools to strengthen curriculum coordination; establish appropriate models for teacher assignments and teacher loads; and implementation of pertinent mandates from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The committee will continue to balance educational priorities with the available fiscal resources.

Professionally, until recently I was an administrator for the Worcester Public Schools as director of testing and assessment for 15 years. In that position, I oversaw testing programs for both regular and special education students and conducted all data analyses. I have been a member of the faculty at Framingham State University, where I most recently  taught a graduate course on research and statistics. In the past, I worked as a statistician in both management and marketing consulting firms.

It has been such a pleasure working with the other five committee members in an atmosphere of trust and collaboration, representing the citizens of both Lincoln and Sudbury, as well as students in the METCO program. I would appreciate your support of my candidacy and am available evenings at 781-259-4347 to answer any questions or discuss any issues you may have. I look forward to speaking with you.

Sincerely,

Patricia Mostue
3 Lexington Road

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.

Letter to the editor: Rundell seeks re-election to Planning Board

letterTo the editor:

I am writing to announce my candidacy for re-election to the Planning Board and to ask for your support. It has been an honor to serve for the past four years as a Planning Board member, as liaison to the Historic District Commission, and as Planning Board chair in 2015.

Over the past year, streamlining our administrative processes and the addition of an energetic new Director of Planning and Land Use, Jen Burney, have enabled a renewed focus on planning for the community, including the following important projects:

  • Creating a South Lincoln Planning Implementation Committee (SLPIC) for actionable projects improving the sustainability of the Lincoln Station commercial area, fulfilling the vision of the Comprehensive Long Range Plan.
  • Advocating for the creation of an Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) supporting collaboration across Lincoln’s for-profit and nonprofit business community.
  • Working with the Agricultural Commission to support Lincoln’s commitment to small-scale farming.
  • Working with the Housing Commission to balance our housing stock with diverse housing options while maintaining its inventory to meet state affordable housing requirements.
  • Mitigating the effects of the new Minuteman school project on the adjacent Lincoln neighborhood.

I look forward to working collaboratively on town-wide projects while continuing the important work of balancing the ideals of conservation and stewardship with thoughtful development to accomplish our shared vision of a vital town center, affordable housing and a new school project. I am happy to bring my experience and professional expertise to these endeavors.

I am a Massachusetts registered architect with over 30 years of experience in the building industry; a member of the American Institute of Architects; and hold credentials from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program of the U.S. Green Building Council. I presently work in the software industry with Autodesk, where I lead innovation programs focused on the architecture, engineering and construction market. I hold a master’s degree in architecture from Harvard University and a B.A. in engineering science from Dartmouth College.

My wife Virginia and I came to Lincoln in 2012 with our two children and small flock of chickens, drawn by its unique character, connection to nature and the thoughtful planning of its beautiful neighborhoods. The children are now at college and the flock has flown—and meanwhile Virginia and I have become deeply committed to the community, serving on several local volunteer boards and organizations.

Between the engagement of our many involved citizens and the astute work of our predecessors, Lincoln has a powerful model for accommodating change in a thoughtful and deliberate way. I look forward to continuing to contribute in a meaningful way to our civic process. Please feel free to contact me at rrundell.lpb@verizon.net. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Richard L. (Rick) Rundell
76 Todd Pond Road

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.

News acorns

Green Energy Committee seeks survey responses

The Lincoln Green Energy Committee is partnering with Wayland and Sudbury to apply for another round of Solarize, a program sponsored by the Mass Clean Energy Center that will allow Lincolnites to install solar at reduced prices. For Lincoln to qualify for the MassCEC’s application process, they need residents’ answers to a short online survey. Whether you’re interested in solar, already have solar, or aren’t sure what this solar business is all about, responding to the survey will help the Lincoln Green Energy Committee design the program to meet the town’s needs. Click here to take the survey before the deadline of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Residents are also invited to “like” the group’s Facebook page to get occasional news posts

Climate change film screenings

St. Anne’s Church in Lincoln is hosting two screenings of the documentary The Age of Consequences on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 2 at 7 p.m. The film explores the effects of climate change on national security and the global order with extensive interviews with defense and intelligence officials. The showings are free of charge and open to the public. Donations will accepted to defray the cost of screening rights. At the February 28 screening, a light supper will be served before the film.  For more information, email contact Alex Chatfield at adchat@aol.com.

First Parish offers Beethoven concert

Ian Wilson and Susan Ogata.

The First Parish in Lincoln (FPL) presents “Live in Lincoln Center: The Beethoven Project—Final Installment” on Saturday, March 11 at 3 p.m. in the parish house auditorium (14 Bedford Rd.). The program includes Ludwig van Beethoven’s Opus 1, No. 1 in D major, No. 2 in A major and No. 3 in E flat major, featuring Susanna Ogata on classical violin and Ian Watson, FPL’s music director, on a replica of an 1805 Walter fortepiano.

The performance marks the culmination of a four-year project to record all 10 sonatas for fortepiano and violin by Beethoven on period instruments. “Using instruments from the period in which the music is written is not an historical or academic exercise,” said Watson. “We use them to imbue the music with the same passion and white-hot intensity with which it was created.”

There will be a reception during the program’s intermission. Suggested donation is $30, but any amount is welcome.

Students invited to apply to Lincoln Scholarship Committee

The Lincoln Scholarship Committee has opened its application cycle for 2017. Graduating seniors who are Lincoln residents are invited to review the criteria and eligibility requirements and consider making an application. Instructions and further information can be found on this Lincoln town web page. The application deadline is April 3.

Sap-to-Syrup Farmer’s Breakfast at Drumlin Farm

Maple sugaring season has begun at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, just in time for the annual Sap-to-Syrup Farmer’s Breakfast. On Saturday and Sunday, March 11 and 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., diners of all ages can feast on hearty pancakes with real maple syrup, as well as Drumlin Farm sausage and roasted potatoes. Diners are welcome to stay at the farm for as little or as long as they’d like and enjoy special maple-themed activities:

  • See how sap is collected from our majestic maple trees.
  • Explore the natural history of trees as you learn about the distinctly northwoods product of maple syrup
  • Learn about Native American sap-to-syrup techniques
  • Purchase maple syrup made at Drumlin Farm to take home with you

Tickets are $13 for Mass Audubon members, $15 for nonmembers, and free for children under 2. Register online or by calling 781-259-2206.

PJ Rogue to play at next LOMA event

PJ Rogue.

PJ Rogue (Paul Rogoshewski) is the featured performer at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) night on Monday, March 13. The event runs from 7-10 p.m., and PJ will perform a half-hour set starting around 8:30. An award-winning songwriter with a velvety voice and dynamic guitar style, he made finalist in the 2015 RISA performing songwriter competition. You can sample PJ’s music on his website.

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.

 

 

L-S student advances to state poetry event

Piyusha Kundu

Piyusha Kundu of Sudbury took top honors at the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School finals of Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation contest, at an event at Bemis Hall on February 3.

Sixteen students competed, including Lincoln residents Rebecca Dubrovsky and Owen Finsthwait, and Sudbury residents Ethan Minkoff, Marisa Singh,  Lara Garabedian, Michaella DeSantis, Melody Phu, Elina Suter, Ella Houlihan, Parker Simon, Mary Lee, Julia Martin, Kate Molloy, Lee Goff and runner-up Kendall Dawson.

Kundu will represent L-S on March 4-5 at the regional semifinals. If she makes it to the top tier, she will move on to the state finals on March 12 in the Old South Meeting House in Boston. This event is free and open to the public.

At the finals in Lincoln, students read poems by a variety of authors from Audre Lord to Robert Frost to Li Young-Lee. Judges for the event were L-S history department coordinator Phil James, English teacher Susan Frommer, and L-S School Committee members Nancy Marshall and Radha Gargeya. Organized at L-S by English teacher Danielle Weisse for the sixth year, Poetry Out Loud involved approximately 200 students in the preliminary rounds. The classroom winners competed in the semifinals at L-S on February 1.

Each winner at the state level will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip with an adult chaperone to Washington to compete for the national championship. A total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be awarded at the national finals. The winner of the National Poetry Out Loud Contest wins $20,000.

Poetry Out Loud is a program supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, who have partnered with state arts agencies to encourage the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. The program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.

March activities at the Council on Aging

Domestic Violence Services Network office hours
March 1 at 10 a.m.
If you are experiencing violence or abuse by a family member, whether physical, emotional or sexual, or you are concerned about someone who is, come to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, March 1 between 10 a.m. and noon to have a confidential discussion with an advocate from the Domestic Violence Services Network, Inc. Come find out more about domestic violence and how to cope with it, as well as learn about available resources in a supportive, nonjudgmental environment. All conversations are completely confidential.

Free wellness clinic for all ages
March 1 at 10 a.m.
Meet with a nurse at Lincoln Woods on Wednesday, March 1 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Lincoln Woods community room. Get blood pressure checks, nutrition and fitness information, medication management, chronic disease management, resources, and more. Funded by the Ogden Codman Trust and provided by Emerson Hospital Home Care.

Parenting after 45 and loving it
March 1 at 1 p.m.
More and more people are becoming new parents after age 45 for a variety of reasons. This can be uniquely rewarding for both parents and children, but also exhausting and frustrating. Join others in a discussion of the special challenges and joys of parenting after 45, including strategies for coping, with Pam Mizrahi, the COA’s Assistant Director and a social worker, on Wednesday, March 1 at 1 p.m. at Bemis Hall. All are welcome, whether you are a parent or prospective parent or not. Please call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up.

Meet with an aide to Congresswoman Katherine Clark
March 1 at 1 p.m.
Jimmy Santos, constituent services and military liaison for Congresswoman Katherine Clark, will hold office hours at Bemis Hall on Wednesday, March 1 from 1-2 p.m. on federal benefits and other concerns. No need to sign up.

Lincoln Trad Jazz Band third anniversary
March 3 at 12:30 p.m.
It’s hard to believe that the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Band has been playing here at Bemis Hall each first Friday of the month for three years! Come join in the celebration on Friday, March 3 at 12:30. The musicians are mostly retirees, spirited amateurs who give life to your favorite music of the 1920s to 1940s by greats like Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and Louis Armstrong.

Lincoln Academy with Lucretia Giese—Winslow Homer and Belmont
March 6 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, March 6 at 12:30 to hear Lucretia Giese discuss “Winslow Homer and Belmont.” Winslow Homer’s name conjures up images of Prouts Neck, Maine and its craggy coast, his home from the 1880s. But Homer had an earlier home in Belmont. Thirty years before and for over a decade, Homer visited that town again and again. Why? What was Belmont like then? What features attracted Homer? What work resulted and what effect did his stays in Belmont have on his career? Find out more in this Academy talk. Bring a bag lunch. 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 artist George Thomas
March 7 at 2:30 p.m.
Join George Thomas on Tuesday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m.to celebrate his painting exhibition in Bemis Hall that will run through March. George is a Korean War veteran who spent most of his career educating aircraft mechanics and being an avid model builder. After retirement, he took classes at the deCordova Museum and began to paint, often painting scenes from places he has visited. He has participated in two shows at the Lincoln Library and also had a showing at the gallery in the Greek Institute in Cambridge.

Lunch and the latest updates on wound care and prevention
March 10 at noon
A wound that will not heal can be both painful and potentially life-threatening. The Advanced Wound Center at Emerson Hospital will be offering lunch and a presentation on wound care on Friday, March 10 at noon at Bemis Hall. Learn to prevent wounds, when you should seek medical care, what the most up-to-date treatments are, and what the center offers. Call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up for the lunch of sandwiches and salads.

Lincoln Academy with Alex Maclean—Aerial interpretations: the connection between agriculture and climate
March 13 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, March 13 at 12:30 to hear Alex MacLean discuss “Aerial Interpretations: The Connection between Agriculture and Climate.” The focus of Alex’s aerial photography for the past 10 years has been on the causes and effects of climate change as seen through land patterns. He has published six photographic books on land use and energy related issues. He is now focusing his photography on food production and agriculture in relation to climate change. Bring a bag lunch. 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.

Free legal clinic
March 13 at 3 p.m.
Got a question about a legal issue? The Council on Aging provides a monthly legal clinic with elder law attorney and Lincoln resident Sasha Golden on Monday, March 13 from 3-4 p.m. There is no charge for the thirty-minute consultation, but advance registration is required. Walk-ins will be accommodated if space is available. Register in advance by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Coffee with a cop
March 16 from 1 to 3 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Thursday, March 16 from 1-3 p.m. to meet privately with a Police Officer. Do you have a security concern regarding yourself, a family member or neighbor? An idea the police should try? Would you like guidance about a situation? Come on down! No need to make an appointment. An officer will be at Bemis each third Thursday of the month.

Getting ready for Town Meeting: School Committee asks the community to start planning a school project
March 17 at 12:30 p.m.
Last year Lincoln applied to get state funding to help with a major renovation of the Lincoln School. In December the town learned that we were not accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) funding pipeline. After much discussion, the School Committee has voted unanimously to recommend that Lincoln start planning a town-funded school building project. At the 2015 Town Meeting, the town voted to set aside $750,000 to do a feasibility study if we were accepted by the MSBA. At this year’s Town Meeting (Saturday, March 25), the School Committee will ask voters to allow that money to be used now. Join School Committee Chair Jennifer Glass and Superintendent Becky McFall to learn more about the warrant article and the reasons for the School Committee’s recommendation on Friday, March 17 at 12:30 p.m., Bemis Hall. Please come with questions.

Cabaret concert: Tell me the truth about love
March 20 at 12:30 p.m.
Join vocalist Mary Crowe and pianist Evelyn Harris for a free cabaret concert with historical interludes on Monday, March 20 at 12:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. You’ll find out more about this artistically rich and exciting musical style and hear familiar and lesser known songs by Britten, Weil, Sondheim, Rogers and Hammerstein, Mary Crowe and others with different perspectives on love.

Senior dining
March 21 at 11:30 a.m.
Lincolnites 60 and older are invited to enjoy a delicious gourmet meal with new friends and old at 11:30 on Tuesday, March 21 at St. Anne’s Church. Please reserve by calling the COA at 781-259-8811 at least a week ahead, even if you have previously attended. The cost of each meal is $5. Caregivers are welcome to come with those for whom they are caring. Let the COA know 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. A special dessert will be provided by the staff and children of the Magic Garden Children’s Center.

Fireside chat: Is America still a land of opportunity?
March 22 at 10 a.m.
America prides itself on being a place where anyone can succeed, but is this still true? Do some people grow up receiving a better education which leads to better jobs, health, and other benefits? How much of an advantage does coming from a wealthier family convey? What do the answers to these questions mean for our society? Come join others in a lively but respectful discussion of this topic facilitated by Sharon Antia using questions and answers on Wednesday, March 22 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall. The purpose of the Fireside Chats is not to convince others of your opinion, but to share information and ideas so as to create dialogue and greater understanding.

Visit the Harvard Museum of Natural History and glass flowers exhibit
March 23 at 10:30 a.m.
Join the COA on Thursday, March 23 for a visit to the Harvard Museum of Natural History which will include a docent-guided group tour of the newly restored glass flowers exhibit and time to explore other exhibits. The group will depart the Lincoln Mall via Doherty’s school bus at 10:30 a.m. and proceed to a Cambridge restaurant for lunch followed by the museum visit. They will arrive back in Lincoln by about 4:30 p.m. While there’s plenty of seating within the museum, the tour itself takes place in a gallery where there are no chairs. The non-refundable cost of the trip is $15 with the lunch together at your own cost. The trip will be limited to 24. Reservations must be made by March 20. Send checks, payable to FLCOA/Trips, to Claire Mount, 123 Tower Rd., Lincoln, MA 01773. Please include your phone number and email address. Any questions, please contact Claire at 781-259-8695.

Relax with a mini-massage
March 24 at 11 a.m.
Jai Kaur (Annamaria San Antonio) will be offering seated mini back and neck massages as a gift or by donation March 24 from 11 a.m.to 1 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up for a 15-minute appointment.

Lunch and jazz piano concert
March 24 at 11:30 a.m.
Traditions of Wayland invites you to a free special gourmet luncheon of delicious seasonal fare and a concert of jazz piano music Friday, March 24 at 11:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall. On the menu will be braised stuffed flank steak with gravy, green beans and croquettes, and strawberry cake. Music will be provided by pianist and songwriter John D’Ambrosio, who plays everything from Ellington to the Beatles in an elegant and distinctive style. Please call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up by March 17.

Lincoln Academy with Zach Woods—Why we teach STEAM at smARTroom
March 27 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, March 27 at 12:30 to hear Zach Woods discuss “Why We Teach STEAM at smARTroom.” Most folks are familiar with the push for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in our schools, but what are the additional benefits of STEA(Arts) M? Why add the arts to the mix? Zach, co-founder of smARTroom, will talk through his experiences in bringing STEAM education and fun to both young and old. Bring a bag lunch. 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.

Geology rocks—a musical performed by Birches students
March 31 at 8:30 a.m.
Students from Birches School invite Lincoln seniors to their third annual school musical, Geology Rocks, on Friday, March 31 at 8:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall. This 35-minute musical production will feature Birches School students in grades K-6. Professor Rock has disappeared! His loyal students go on a quest to find him, joined by the (mostly unhelpful) Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Along the way they meet volcanoes, sea shores, canyons, suspicious ferns, and even Snow White—and learn about the earth’s geological cycles and features as they go. Who’s behind Professor Rock’s disappearance, and will he ever be found? Find out!

Lunch and learn: keeping your brain in shape
March 31 at noon
Deaconness Abundant Life Services invites you to come to Bemis Hall on Friday, March 31 at noon for a special lunch of assorted entrée salads and homemade cookies and a presentation and discussion of the latest research on what does and does not work, to maintain your ability to think and memory. Steve Menichetti, RN, BSN of Deaconness will explore the role of nutrition and supplements, “brain fitness” exercises, sleep, disease and wellness, and more, give practical suggestions, and answer your questions. Please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811 if you would like lunch.

Save May 5 for the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Spend a delightful afternoon with the COA on a trip to a matinee performance of the Boston Symphony Orchestra on Friday, May 5. Andris Nelsons will conduct works by Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff and Mahler featuring pianist Leif Ove Andsnes and soprano Kristine Opolais. The program includes Shostakovich’s suite from the incidental music to King Lear, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 4, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4. (Symphony Hall is handicapped accessible.) You may have a sumptuous buffet lunch at Symphony Hall or you opt to arrange for your own lunch. This trip is open to Lincoln seniors only. Space is limited. Look for more details in the April COA newsletter. Questions? Contact Marilyn Buckler at 781-259-8886 or mbuckler1@comcast.net.

Free income tax preparation help

Volunteers certified under the AARP TaxAide program will prepare your federal and Massachusetts personal income tax returns or answer your tax questions. This free service can answer most of the tax issues faced by low- and middle-income taxpayers, with special attention to those over age 60. Appointments begin in February. Call the COA office at 781-259-8811 to schedule a confidential appointment and get a list of documents to bring.

Hand drumming for fun and wellness

Come learn to do hand drumming from cultures around the world in a six-week course with acclaimed drummer Mike Connors from the Concord Conservatory of Music. The class will be held for six Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall beginning on April 4 at a cost of $60 for the course, payable to the Concord Conservatory of Music. Topics to be covered include technique for hand drumming, rhythms from Africa, South America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe, developing a rhythmic vocabulary for improvisation, and exercises to improve internal pulse. This is a fun and engaging way to learn about rhythm and experience the joy of drumming in a supportive group environment. No need to bring a drum, but bring one if you have one. Please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811 now—space is limited.

Ogden Codman Trust funds Positive Psychology Practices class

Positive Psychology is the scientific study of strengths and “what is working” to build transformative change, increased happiness, and a more meaningful life—whether personal, family, professional or community! The Ogden Codman Trust is generously supporting a free, eight-session course in Positive Psychology Practices beginning Wednesday, April 5 at 9:30. Everyone welcome—everyone benefits! No need to have attended last fall’s class which covered the theory and history of Positive Psychology. Learn proven tactics to increase your own happiness level and take them home to try them on in your daily life. Instructor: Alyson Lee, co-active life coach, social worker and certified Positive Psychology instructor.

Easy yoga your way

Yoga improves flexibility, strength, energy and more. Try gentle yoga on the floor or in a chair, Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. for 12 weeks beginning April 5. You may sign up for the whole course for $120 ($156 for those under 60) or five-class packs, and drop-in is $10/class ($13 for those under 60). Taught by Jai Kaur Annamaria San Antonio. Please call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up.

GearTicks qualify for state championship

Lincoln GearTicks Jack Hutchinson, Dante Muzila and Calvin Terpstra operate the team’s robot.

The Lincoln GearTicks FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics team had another successful tournament earlier this month, winning all their events plus an additional award at the “Twister on Lowder Street” qualifier in Dedham.

FTC is an annual challenge in which teams of students in grades 7-12 build and program small robots to play a game that changes each season. The game is played in a 12-by-12-foot playing field with each match consisting of four randomly partnered teams on two alliances. This year’s challenge involves tasks such as shooting small balls into two large hoops in the center of the field, pressing buttons on beacons to capture them for one’s alliance, and lifting and capping the center hoops with yoga balls—quite a challenge for a robot that has to fit in an 18-inch cube at the start of the match.

After winning all five of their qualification matches, they proceeded to the alliance selection, in which the top four ranked teams choose two additional teams to join their alliance. The GearTicks selected Loose Screws Robotics and Hailstorm, with whom they continued through the semi finals and into the finals before becoming the winning alliance.

“Our alliance partners were really great and had awesome robots,”  Driver Calvin Terpstra. Teammate Anna Sander added, “It was fun to see Loose Screws again, as they competed with us last year from our league all the way through the World Championship.”

In addition to being the captain of the winning alliance, the GearTicks also received the Think Award, which is given to the team whose engineering notebook best reflects the team’s engineering design process journey.

Next stop: the state championship on March 4 at Natick High School. The event is free and open to the public. The team is also planning to demonstrate their robot outside Lincoln’s Town Meeting on March 25. You can find out more about the GearTicks at gearticks.com.

The winning alliance: The GearTicks, Loose Screws Robotics and Hailstorm (click to enlarge).