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

Series on Iraq and ISIS continues on Friday

iraqThe second in a series of discussions on the origins of ISIS, the U.S. involvement in Iraq and how the psychology of our current political leaders plays into these issues will be led by retired counseling psychologist Michael O’Brien on Friday, May 27 at 9:30 a.m. at Bemis Hall.

The first session on May 20 focused on an article published March 13 in Boston Globe Magazine titled “An Iraq Reckoning” describing how two key decisions by Paul Bremer in Iraq in 2003 shook the Middle East and paved the way for ISIS. At this week’s session, attendees will watch the 2007 documentary No End in Sight that presents a “staggering portrait of arrogance and incompetence in our chain of decisions that led Iraq into a state of chaos and civil war following our occupation.” The third session, “Fiasco in Iraq” on Friday, June 3, will discuss the May 27 film and the book Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq by Thomas Ricks, senior Pentagon correspondent for the Washington Post.

Each of these Friday morning sessions, co-sponsored by the Lincoln Public Library and the Lincoln Council on Aging, will run from 9:30-11 a.m. at Bemis Hall. For more information on the series, call the Lincoln Council on Aging at 781-259-8211

O’Brien will also speak on Monday, June 13 about “Making Sense of Our Crazy Politics: How Psychology Can Change What We See.” It will consist of a 30-minute talk followed by discussion as part of the Lincoln Academy series regularly held on Mondays from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. O’Brien will focus on how psychological research on various developmental needs—as well as narcissistic and socially dominant personalities, submissive-follower types, and even differing views on God and reality—can illuminate what we’re seeing in our current national political contests.

Attendees are urged to read the Boston Globe article before the next two discussions, as well as Ricks’s book prior to the June 13 session. For those unable to attend the May 27 screening, No End in Sight is available on DVD and from some libraries.

O’Brien, a longtime Lincoln resident, has a doctorate in counseling psychology and an master’s degree in theology. Now retired, he has long focused on phenomenological approaches to the study of personality. He worked for many years as a clinical counselor and therapist at counseling and testing centers at both Boston University and Northeastern University. Earlier, after years of theological study, he taught courses on biblical exegesis at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.

Cleaning the cruiser (Lincoln Through the Lens)

Lincoln School eighth-graders gave Lincoln Police Department Officer Matt Forance’s cruiser a good cleaning on Saturday, May 21, one of dozens of cars that were tended to during a car wash fundraiser for graduation. Sixty-two students will celebrate at Bemis Hall after the graduation ceremony on June 15. (Photo by Susan Taylor)

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.

News acorns

Lincoln Family Association seeks feedback and ideas

The Lincoln Family Association is celebrating 20 years as a community group for Lincoln families by providing social activities, fun and support for parents and their children. They’re interested in hearing from the entire community, both current members and non-members, to learn about their interests, generate new ideas, and welcome new volunteers. Please take a moment to fill out this brief survey to tell us what you think of the LFA’s current kid-centered and adult activities, and your thoughts about new services and community outreach.

New resource directory useful for all ages

Do you need assistance in finding services and other kinds of help to live your fullest life possible? The Council on Aging’s newly released 2016 edition of the Elder Services Resource Directory can help. While focused on elder services, the directory also includes information that will benefit residents of all ages and all ages are welcome to receive a copy. The directory includes information about local, state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations and businesses that offer services to Lincoln residents. Categories include:

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  • adult day programs
  • advocacy and consumer protection
  • Alzheimer’s information
  • concierge services
  • de-cluttering resources
  • disabilities assistance
  • driver safety
  • elder abuse and neglect
  • financial assistance
  • groceries online

[/one_third][one_third]

  • health care and coverage complaints
  • home care agencies
  • home equity conversion counseling
  • home modifications
  • continuing care retirement communities
  • rental/subsidized housing
  • medical equipment

[/one_third][one_third_last]

  • money management
  • pet care
  • respite care
  • Social Security
  • social and recreational programs
  • support groups
  • transportation
  • veterans’ services

[/one_third_last]

Appendices provide information on selecting a home health agency, kinds of home care assistance, and local housing authorities accepting Section 8 applications. The 32-page directory is free and available by visiting the COA, downloading it from the COA website, or calling (781) 259-8811 and asking to have it mailed to you.

Chickens come home to roost—but the roost moves

Coops on Wheels

The rolling chicken coops that are doing double duty as portable fertilizing machines (click for larger version to see the chickens).

Could this be more affordable housing in Lincoln?

You may have noticed the “chicken condos” on the Codman South pasture land. Pete Lowy, farm manager at Codman Community Farm, has established a moving free-range, egg producing, soil-improving, locally sourced, sustainable agricultural enterprise there.

The 1,000 Golden Comet hens are fed natural certified organic grains and given plenty of water each day. But they also scratch out a living from the soil in the large fenced in area. In doing so, they aerate the soil and fertilize it at the same time. Pete moves the coops forward every two days to ensure the birds have plenty of fresh grass to eat.

Guarding the chickens especially at night when they could easily fall prey to coyotes, owls and hawks is Toby, a trained livestock guardian dog who lives in and among his feathered friends. Toby is a Anatolian Shepherd/Akbash dog and loves being a working dog with purpose. Pete asks that people not try to pet Toby or give him anything to eat. He is a working dog and, while very friendly, has a serious job to do and should not be distracted from his work. Also, the fence around the yard is electrified and should not be touched, especially by eager children. Check out the chickens and come to the Codman Barn to but some super-local fresh eggs.

Outdoor watering restrictions now in effect

water tapAs a result of the new water permit issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the town must implement a mandatory outdoor water conservation measure from May 1 through September 30.

The town experiences excessively high water demands during the summer months, primarily due to lawn watering activities, so the Lincoln Water Department has instituted an odd-even schedule for all nonessential outdoor watering. House addresses that end with an even number may water on Tuesday and/or Thursday. Addresses that end with an odd number may water on Wednesday and/or Friday. There is no nonessential outdoor watering on Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Also, watering will not be permitted on any day between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.; thus it is allowed only in the late evenings and early mornings.

Restricted outdoor watering activities include irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems, washing of vehicles, and washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks. Watering lawns, gardens, flowers or ornamental plants by means of a hand-held hose or bucket is permitted.

According to the Massachusetts Cooperative Extension System, healthy lawns require only one inch of water weekly, either from rain or irrigation or a combination of both.  Watering once a week with a deep soak is preferable. Watering a lawn lightly on a frequent basis encourages shallow rooting and crabgrass growth while making the lawn more susceptible to drought injury. Watering on hot and sunny days results in a majority of the water evaporating before it reaches the root system.

If you have a sprinkler system, please consult the system’s owners manual or contact a sprinkler company to correctly program your automatic sprinkler controller. This mandatory water restriction will be a yearly requirement, so programming the sprinkler controller now will eliminate the need for future adjustments.

Water Department staff will be monitoring sprinkler use in town and will stop to remind residents of the restriction policy. A second notice will result in a $50 fine, and subsequent violations will result in $100 fines. Anyone with questions may call Water Department Superintendent Greg Woods at 781-259-1329.

Letter to the editor: Tom Stanley running for reelection

letter

To the editor:

Serving as your state representative on Beacon Hill is an incredible honor and privilege. Working to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our community, seeing the results of this effort and the positive impact this work has had on so many people is amazing. But our work is not done. I have more to contribute to make Lincoln and Waltham even better.

Throughout my tenure in the legislature, I have prioritized supporting programs and policies that improve our lives and strengthen our community. As a member of the Joint Ways and Means Committee, I have helped deliver millions of dollars of local aid, road repair and public education funding. Also through the state budget process, I have directed thousands (and in some cases millions) of dollars in funding through amendments supporting such programs as the Hardy Pond Great Pond restoration, Fragile Beginnings for premature babies, domestic violence and shelter support services, and the education of the children of retired military at Hanscom Field, among others.

Over my years of service, I have been proud to work with our state delegation and local officials for the district’s best interest. Together, we have:

  • Earmarked $2 million for a new visitor center at Walden Pond in the Environmental Bond Bill (2014)
  • Fought with federal, state and local officials in the BRACC [Base Realignment and Closure Commission] process to keep Hanscom open
  • Fought the expansion of commercial aviation at Hanscom Field
  • Created a new budget line item to fund municipal school transportation for homeless children
  • Passed legislation to protect open space in the western Greenway
  • Transferred control of the Fernald property to Waltham, preventing its overdevelopment
  • Earmarked millions in a bond bill for the proposed UMass Urban Center for Sustainability
  • Advocated and arranged meetings for public school building funding assistance for Lincoln
  • Helped secure $350,000 for the invasive aquatic species removal in the Charles River and other watersheds with an amendment to the fiscal year 2017 budget
  • Increased funding for Council on Aging servicing our seniors

The most rewarding part of the job is assisting the hundreds of people who have contacted me through the years with their personal or family struggles. And, most recently, it has been an honor to work with you all as we struggle to tangle our state’s fight against addiction and the stigma that comes with it.

Lincoln and Waltham need an experienced and effective State Representative who has demonstrated leadership and accomplishment at the state and local level. In this year’s election, I ask for your support and vote so that we can continue to move forward and build stronger and safer communities for everyone.

Sincerely,

State Rep. Tom Stanley (9th Middlesex)
Waltham

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: diversity event a great success

letter

(Editor’s note: This event, which can be viewed online here, was organized by the Lincoln Diversity Committee, which includes writer Sharon Antia.)

To the editor:

At the “Discovering Diversity in Lincoln” event on May 2, much of what our panelists had to say was new to those in the audience and in fact quite eye-opening. About 80 people heard the panelists — Police Chief Kevin Kennedy, School Superintendent Becky McFall, First Parish Senior Minister Manish Mishra-Marzetti, Domestic Violence Services Network Executive Director Jacquelin Apsler and Council on Aging Director Carolyn Bottom — provide an overview of the work they do and some of the needs they see in Lincoln.

Our beautiful town has a rich and varied membership that includes people from a wide variety of backgrounds, gifts and challenges. It was gratifying to learn that one of our many gifts is the wisdom and compassion to help those in our community when they are in need. As Carolyn said, “We are not giving charity, we are not giving to people. We are enabling people to stay in our community who we really need in our community… we are lucky to have them.”

The second half of the evening was given over to the audience, and while participation started a little slowly (I know, surprising for Lincoln), by the time the hour was over, I had to wrestle back control of the microphone to call it a night!

People in attendance were honestly interested in hearing what was said. There were moments when quite heartfelt comments and concerns were raised and it was an honor to be in a room where folks felt safe enough to speak their truth. People shared experiences as low-income residents of our town, Native American, gay, young and worried for the future and having young children and wishing for grandparents to help guide them. We were not there to “solve” anything, and we did not make the attempt. What we did was try our best to provide a venue for all of us to begin to know the people in our neighborhood, and we all agreed it was a good first step.

There was some concern that the majority of the audience was “of a certain age” and not as representative of the town as we may have liked. We struggle with how to reach out to the people that were not there. It was suggested that perhaps, as Rev. Manish pointed out, what works for the people in the audience may not work for the people at home, and one of our jobs is to find out how to engage them.

This meeting was the first of what the newly forming Lincoln Diversity Committee hopes will be many ongoing conversations and activities designed to help all of us better support one another. We are not looking to change the makeup of our community and we certainly do we want to decide who should live here. We believe those of us living here are the people who should be here, and our charge is to ensure they, you, me and we all feel welcome and empowered to be our best selves.

As we wrapped up the evening’s events, many of the attendees stayed and talked for up to another 45 minutes. The sense that we are building community was palpable and people were excited to share their thoughts. We plan to have more of these conversations and hope even more people will be able to join us. Stay tuned and thank you to everyone that came.

Sincerely

Sharon Antia
165 South Great Rd.

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.

Tully running for 9th Middlesex seat

Stacey Gallagher Tully

Stacey Gallagher Tully

Stacey Gallagher Tully of Waltham has announced her candidacy for State Representative for the 9th Middlesex District, which includes all of Lincoln and part of Waltham and has been held by Rep. Thomas Stanley since 2001.

Tully, a Waltham native, serves on Waltham’s Board of Recreation in the City of Waltham and as president of the Friends of Waltham Senior Citizens. She is a graduate of Boston College and a long-time dance and fitness instructor, She was also a director of Gulf Resources, an international corporation based in London, and worked for several years in the hotel industry in human resources, personnel and training.

“My campaign will focus on issues important to the 9th Middlesex constituents, including education, veterans, senior citizens, traffic/transportation infrastructure, and the opioid crisis,” Tully said in a statement. “I plan to work hard, and work together, with the people of Lincoln and Waltham.”

In 2014, Lincoln resident Sharon Antia ran unsuccessfully for the 9th District seat.

 

Squirrel is experiencing technical difficulties

correction-smDear readers,

You may have noticed in the last day or two that when you click on a link in the Lincoln Squirrel website, you get an error message. Our web developer is working on the problem and will have it fixed as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience.

— Alice Waugh, Lincoln Squirrel editor

Lincoln Minute Men to appear in a song-and-dance on Thursday

stampThe Lincoln Minute Men will appear in a show at the Old South Meeting House in Boston this Thursday, May 19 in a show written by Lincoln resident Martha Lufkin to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the repeal of the Stamp Act.

As you may recall from history class, the British government in 1765  imposed the Stamp Act on the American colonies to require payment of a tax on various official documents including marriage certificates. This gave rise more than two centuries later to Marriage is Taxing, Lufkin’s comedy about the little-known fact that there was a rush on marriages to avoid the new tax before the Stamp Act went into effect.

Lufkin, an attorney and a member of the Lincoln Minute Men, has published light mysteries involving lawyers in Alfred Hitchcock magazine. She was casting about for a mystery plot involving lawyers set in the colonial era and happened to learn abut the marriage rush as a result of the British legislation.

Martha_Lufkin_1

Martha Lufkin

“Since I’m a lawyer and tax planner for families, I thought this was so funny that I sat down and write a story about it,” she said. Recently she learned that the Old South Meeting House was celebrating the 250th anniversary of the repeal of the Stamp Act. “I contacted them and they loved the idea” of performing Marriage is Taxing, which is told as a series of letters written by a woman to her sister, she said.

Lincoln Minute Men members Don Hafner, Steve McCarthy, Doug Unkel, Ruth Hodges and Bev Malone participate in the performance, interacting with the guests and chatting about the joyous news about the repeal of the Stamp Act. The evening will also feature 18th-century music by Kairos, a Boston-based flute and harp duo, and dinner.

Tickets are $40 and include a light supper, one complimentary beverage and dessert. A cash bar with beer, wine and soft drinks will also be available. To reserve tickets, click here or call 800-838-3006.