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

LSF spelling bee is a B-L-A-S-T

By Liz Lieblich

The Lincoln School Foundation‘s ninth annual town-wide Spelling Bee, a springtime ritual for grades 3-6, saw another record-breaking year, with 137 excited and bright students from Lincoln and Hanscom schools participating in the April 10 event. The Star Wars-themed event was filled with teamwork, spelling and even a Wookie.

The third-grade teams kicked off the day with three heats of competition, the winners of which went on to the championship round. The Omega Ms team with Mia Arvelo, Miguel Bannister and Morgan Gibson won the championship round with the word prohibit.

Three heats of fourth-grade teams competed to make it to the championship round. Under the team name Sparkleberries—Micayla Herlihy, Annabella LaPuma and Travis Rabe won with their final word pursue.

In keeping with the LSF’s mission to bring innovative ideas into our schools, this year’s fifth-graders helped pilot a new style of Spelling Bee competition. Every team was given the same word to spell out on a whiteboard and double elimination helped ensure that one extraordinarily hard word didn’t wipe out the whole group unfairly. A big congratulations goes out to fifth-grade team Buzz Killers—Oliver Ansin, David Christenfeld and Henry Johnson-Cramer won for the third year in a row by spelling the final word imagery.

For the sixth grade, it was Amal Dirrane, Emily Feng and Emma Griffith who won as Werd Nerds, ending the Bee by correctly spelling the word dramatically.

The LSF extends a special thank-you to Callahan’s Karate in Bedford. Richard and Winnie Callahan and a team of martial arts students dressed up as Star Wars characters and put on an exciting light-saber demonstration for the audience.

As always, the LSF had great support from school faculty and the community. Many thanks to the pronouncers: Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall; Assistant Superintendent Patricia Kinsella; Principals Beth Ludwig, Sharon Hobbs and Erich Ledebuhr; and the judges: teachers Jennifer Mastrullo, Deb Carpenito, Joe Colombo, Nancy Rote and Blake Siskavich as well as Officer Ian Spencer from Lincoln Police Department, Lincoln Parks and Recreation Director Dan Perira, and Lincoln Public Library children’s librarians Debbie Leopold and Denise Shaver.

The LSF is also immensely grateful to the local businesses that sponsored the Bee: 440 Labs, Budget Printing in Concord, Boston Sports Clubs, Callahan’s Karate, Cambridge Trust Company, Coldwell Banker, Doherty’s Garage, Donelan’s Supermarkets, Doug Carson Real Estate, the Hanscom Air Force Base Commissary, Marquis Tree Service, Mystic Valley Music Together, Party City, Something Special and the Whistle Stop.

The LSF is a nonprofit organization that solicits community donations for projects proposed by Lincoln Public Schools teachers and staff to enhance education. Click here to see projects funded by the LSD in 2015-16. Individuals may also donate to the LSF’s HATS program (Honor a Teacher and Staff) to fund grants.

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Council on Aging events in May

bemisMeet with an aide to Congresswoman Clark
May 4 at 1 p.m.
You are invited to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, May 4 at 1 p.m. to meet with Anthony Moreschi, Constituent Service Representative for Congresswoman Katherine Clark. He will be available to assist residents with Social Security, Medicare, and MassHealth/Medicaid. You are also welcome to discuss other matters with him that he may be able to help with.

We honor veterans: end-of-life and survivor benefits
May 6 at 9:30 a.m.
Veterans and their families have special needs when it comes to end-of-life care, whether related to the unique life and health care experiences of veterans or to the benefits of the Veterans Administration for end-of-life health care, burial benefits, or survivor benefits. “We Honor Veterans” is an initiative of the Veterans Administration and local hospices and other care providers to make sure that veterans receive sensitive and compassionate care and know about all their benefits. Come find out more when Mary Beth Kawalek of Brookhaven Hospice comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, May 6 at 9:30 a.m.

Want to sit back and enjoy some old-fashioned harmony?
May 6 at 12:30 p.m.
A melody you can sing along with? Hum, tap your toes to? The Lincoln Traditional Jazz Sextet will be bringing those tunes you know and love to Bemis Hall on Friday May 6 at 12:30. “Geezers” swingin’ on piano, trumpet, clarinet, trombone, sax, bass and drums will be there to entertain you. Come join the regulars singing along to When You’re Smilin’, put a smile on your face with Ain’t Misbehavin’, do the Charleston or the Lindy Hop if you’re up for it. Or just put your feet up and relax.

Lincoln Academy with Kathi Anderson—The Walden Woods Project: keeping Thoreau’s legacy alive in Lincoln and beyond
 May 9 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, May 9 at 12:30 to hear Kathi Anderson discuss “The Walden Woods Project: Keeping Thoreau’s Legacy Alive in Lincoln and Beyond.” 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.

May 11 at 7 p.m.
Medicare 101: basics for those about to sign up and others
Learn the basics of Medicare on Wednesday, May 11 at 7 p.m. at Bemis Hall with Minuteman Senior Services SHINE counselors Don Milan and Anne Meade. Come if you will be signing up soon or you just wish to understand your 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, timeframes for enrolling to avoid penalties and more. [Read more…] about Council on Aging events in May

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Lincoln_Plant_SaleMother’s Day plant sale

The Food Project is holding a Mother’s Day Weekend Plant Sale on Saturday and Sunday, May 7-8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. On sale will be vegetables, herbs and flower seedlings to start your garden. The Food Project is located at the intersection of Rt. 126 and Baker Bridge Road.

Baroque concert reminder

The First Parish in Lincoln presents its spring concert at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Church on Friday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. Baroque music by Vivaldi, Bach, Telemann and others will be performed by world-class musicians from the Handel & Haydn Society in Boston. Suggested donation is $30 per person. Click here for more information.

Frozen yogurt fundraiser for 8th-graders

Orange Leaf Yogurt at 400 Boston Post Rd. in Wayland is hosting a fundraiser for the Lincoln School’s 8th-grade graduation on Wednesday, May 4 from 4-8 p.m. Customers who mention “Lincoln 8th grade” will have 15 percent of their frozen yogurt purchase donated to the graduation fund.

Hundreds of Lincolnites flock to the fair

Dancing around the maypole in Pierce Park.

Dancing around the maypole in Pierce Park.

There was something for everyone at Saturday’s “40 Years of Community” fair, and Lincolnites of all ages flocked to Pierce Park on a bright and sunny spring day to connect and have fun.

Visitors enjoyed music from Colonial fifes and drums, a grand piano, guitars and an a capella group; hundreds of hamburgers, hot dogs, snow cones and ice cream; bounce houses and fair games; an art exhibit; and tables showcasing dozens of Lincoln organizations where they could learn about everything from 19th-century rifles and toys to People for Pollinators, the Lincoln Diversity Committee, The Food Project and the Town Archives.

Lincoln Police Chief Kevin Kennedy, who helped out at the barbecue, estimated the attendance at well over 1,000. “It’s a great day for Lincoln. It’s been a lot of fun,” he said.

Here’s a gallery of images from the fair. For best results, view the pictures on a desktop computer. Click one of the images to see a larger version in the lightbox that pops out. Then you can:

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Photos by Alice Waugh

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masksMiddle schoolers perform Baghdad Zoo on Friday

On Friday, April 29 at 4:30 p.m. in the Brooks auditorium, students will perform a short play, Baghdad Zoo, before performing it at the day-long Massachusetts Middle School Drama Festival in Fall River on Saturday. Drama teacher Kristin Hall has been working with students in grades 6-8 since September on the play, and the cast and crew would love an audience at their dress rehearsal on Friday. Baghdad Zoo by Kevin Dyer is a moving one-act play that tells the story of seven frightened children who protect the animals of the Baghdad Zoo during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Due to its serious themes, this play is appropriate for grades 4 and up. Free admission.

“40 Years of Community” fair is on Saturday

The whole town will celebrate the 40th anniversary of three Lincoln institutions at the “40 Years of Community” fair on Saturday, April 30 in Pierce Park from 1-4 p.m. (rain date: May 1). Among the participants will be the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee, which will welcome two special guests: state Rep. Katherine Clark  and state Sen. Michael Barrett, who will meet and greet residents from 1-2 p.m. Visitors to the Lincoln Housing Commission table can make an origami house and help decorate a dollhouse while learning about the group’s 47-year history of creating affordable housing and the new Affordable Accessory Apartment Program. See the fair’s website for a list of participating organizations, exhibits and more.

Urban farming talk in May

Join a discussion on the urban farming movement and the agricultural connections between Lincoln, Boston, the U.S. and the world at “Urban Farming: Growing Food in Our Communities” on Tuesday, May 10 from 7-9 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Speakers will be J. Harrison, executive director of the Food Project and a member of the Massachusetts Food Council Advisory Board, and Jen Hashley of Codman Community Farms, director of Tufts University’s New Entry Farming Project. Sponsored by the Lincoln Agricultural Commission.

Letter to the editor: new Minuteman building opens doors for programming

letter

(Editor’s note: the most recent Lincoln Squirrel article on Minuteman High School can be found here.)

To the editor:

Anyone who doubts the Commonwealth’s commitment to vocational, technical and agricultural education should look closely at the Baker administration’s $85 million proposal to fund capital projects, expand programming and provide financial incentives for vocational-technical schools and community colleges to cooperate. Industry leaders across the state are working with these innovative high schools and community colleges to align curriculum and offer practical learning experiences to help the future workforce.

At the forefront of these efforts to improve vocational-technical education in Massachusetts is Minuteman High School in Lexington. Minuteman is on the verge of funding and building a long-overdue new campus. A new school lies at the heart of the school’s mission to provide 21st-century vocational and technical education with pathways to higher learning, entry into the workforce and career advancement.

Minuteman is proposing a smaller, high-tech school with 16 career and technical education programs grouped into two Career Academies. The campus is designed to better serve students, the businesses that will ultimately employ them and the taxpayers that support the school. What is proposed at Minuteman is a robust educational model that focuses both on student educational goals and local workforce needs.

In order to fully utilize its new campus, Minuteman is exploring collaborations with state colleges and universities, including the University of Massachusetts, Stockbridge. These discussions could result in early college or dual enrollment programs where high school students earn college-level credits or programs where Minuteman High School students earning college degrees. Another possibility is the creation of an Agricultural Academy. All of these innovations and more are possible with a new campus.

The outcome of the debate over construction of a Minuteman High School is critical for both the students served by the district and by business seeking qualified and enthusiastic employees. Fortunately, the district now appears headed toward a successful outcome, including a series of town approvals authorizing the capital financing of the project.

The new Minuteman campus will have a positive impact from several perspectives: creation of new jobs, development of a sustainable workforce, and creation of an educated, diverse and talented pool of workers. Minuteman’s success is our success and it will help ensure the region’s educational and economic vitality.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Stulin (Needham), chair of the Minuteman School Committee

Ford Spalding (Dover), chair of the Minuteman School Building Committee

Christopher Bateman (Lexington), president of the Minuteman Futures Foundation, Inc., a private, nonprofit organization established to support Minuteman High School

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.

MBTA monopole session postponed

Yellow stars indicate the three sites in Lincoln where the MBTA is proposing to put monopoles (click to enlarge).

Circled yellow stars indicate the three sites in Lincoln where the MBTA is proposing to put monopoles (click to enlarge).

Tonight’s scheduled presentation to the Planning Board about a plan to build three monopoles along the commuter-rail right of way in Lincoln has been postponed after federal officials recommended reclassifying the proposal as a multi-use WiFi project.

At the request of Lincoln officials, MBTA representatives had planned to attend tonight’s Planning Board meeting to answer questions about the agency’s proposal to put three poles, each about 70 feet high, along the train tracks in Lincoln. The poles here and elsewhere on the MBTA commuter rail system will carry telecommunications equipment allowing the MBTA to comply with a federal mandate for emergency train-stopping technology, also known as Positive Train Control. The poles could also hold third-party equipment to improve WiFi access on the trains.

Because the pole sites are within the MBTA’s right of way and not located in wetlands areas, the agency is not required to obtain approval from town land use boards.

“When compliance paperwork was initially filed with the FCC, a number of the monopoles were to be used for Positive Train Control, while a majority were to be used for commuter rail WiFi multipurpose guidelines,” MBTA Deputy Press Secretary Jason Johnson said on Tuesday. “In reviewing the findings, the FCC determined that not all of the monopoles were dedicated to PTC use and recommended to us that the filing would have to be reclassified as a multi-use WiFi project.”

The classification change “gives the MBTA the flexibility to utilize the infrastructure for future projects, reducing the need to build potentially redundant structures along the rights of way, saving future projects time and money,” Johnson added.

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Climate justice film series kicks off Tuesday

St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Church will show Just Eat It, the first in a series of films on climate justice, on Tuesday, April 26. A soup supper will be served at 6:30 p.m. and screening begins at 6:50 p.m. The evening is free and open to the public, though a donation to help cover the screening cost is appreciated. Just Eat It notes that as a society, we devour countless cooking shows, classes and blogs—so how could we possibly be throwing nearly 50 percent of our food in the trash?

The next film in the series, Divest: The Climate Movement on Tour, is on May 24. On June 28 is Oil and Water, the true story of two boys coming of age as they confront one of the world’s worst environmental disasters.

Second ‘fireside chat’ on refugees and asylum April 27

As a follow-up to the Council on Aging’s January “fireside chat” about challenges facing asylum seekers and refugees in the U.S., the group decided to continue the discussion and also consider how interested people in our community can lend a hand. On Wednesday, April 27 at 10 a.m., participants will discuss what they learned in January, the situations of refugees and those seeking asylum in our country and globally, and what opportunities to provide assistance locally, nationally and internationally those in the group might like to pursue. All are welcome whether you attended the January session or not. Sharon Carlson, one of the founders of Dignity in Asylum who spoke at the  January meeting, will attend.

On Wednesday, May 25 at 10 a.m., group members will discuss their own stories of times when they felt they were treated as being “other,” whether because of demographic characteristics or other aspects of who we are. What happened? How did we feel? What did we learn about how and why people are made to feel as if they are “other” than the majority of people in our society? The Fireside Chat is a monthly discussion group where we respectfully discuss issues and experiences using questions and answers facilitated by Sharon Antia. All are welcome!

HATS meeting on Thursday

The next meeting of the Hanscom Area Towns Committee (HATS) will be on Thursday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Office Building. Paul Regan, executive director of the MBTA Advisory Board, will be speaking. Other agenda items include Fitchburg monopole installations in MBTA right-of-way, and possible updates on the Route 2 and Route 128 highway projects.

Read a story to a child at the town fair

At the “40 Years of Community” fair on Saturday, April 30, the Council on Aging is sponsoring a story time to celebrate the powerful relationship between grandparents or “grandfriends” and the important children in their lives. They’ve selected books from around the world from diverse cultures which embrace the connection between generations. Come and grab a good story, a blanket and snack, and take time from a busy day to have a quiet time to share a good book with a beloved child in your life. You don’t have to be a “real grandparent” to participate. In addition to stories, there will be music provided by Packy Lawler, Rob Todd and friends, who will sing old favorites and invite the audience to sing along when appropriate. The musical portion of the COA’s program will be from 2:30-3:00 p.m. Books and blankets may be borrowed any time from 1-4 p.m.

Garden Club plant sale on May 7

Paul Gingrich digging up Spirea for the Lincoln Garden Club plant sale.

Paul Gingrich digging up Spirea for the Lincoln Garden Club plant sale.

Buy perennials, plant plugs and more at the Lincoln Garden Club‘s biennial plant sale on Saturday, May 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Codman barn. Some of the plants on hand will include trillium, bloodroot and phlox, plus innovative container gardens designed by garden club members just in time for Mother’s Day.

This year the club will be selling four species of native plant plugs: Sedum ternatum “Larinem Park,” Stokesia lavevis “Peachie’s Pick,” Cheolone lyoni “Hot Lips” and Pycnanthemum muticum. These are all popular with the pollinators and not with deer! There will also be the popular table of garden bric-a-brac. The sale will be held at Codman Barn, 58 Codman Rd, Lincoln, from 9am to 1 pm.

The sale supports Lincoln Garden Club activities such as arrangements for home-bound, plantings for the watering trough at Five Corners and the Codman/Lincoln Road intersection, and presentations for the whole town such as the April lecture in conjunction with the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust on landscaping for song birds. It’s also a great time to meet neighbors and friends, ask gardening advice, and get inspiration for your garden.

Green Energy Committee offers free home assessment

Lincoln Energy Challenge members get ready for the Lincoln Town Fair. Left to right: John Snell, Lynne Smith, Ed Lang, Jennie Morris and Sue Klem.

Lincoln Energy Challenge members get ready for the “40 Years of Community” fair. Left to right: John Snell, Lynne Smith, Ed Lang, Jennie Morris and Sue Klem.

The Green Energy Committee (GEC) is sponsoring the Lincoln Energy Challenge to help residents reduce their home energy consumption, increase rooftop solar and community solar farms, and sign up for renewable sources of electricity, particularly solar and wind.

The first stop on the way to saving money and energy is a no-cost home energy assessment tailored specifically to your home and done by auditors and insulation staff with new Lincoln Energy Challenge partner Co-op Power. The firm specializes in implementing the recommended energy savings upgrades including air sealing, insulation, and furnace, boiler and appliance upgrades with the help of state-incentivized rebates. An energy assessment can be performed if more than two years have passed since your last one.

Please visit the GEC at the “40 Years of Community” fair on April 30 (rain date: May 1) in Pierce Park to learn about what you can do and to sign up for a no-cost home energy assessment. Or you can schedule an assessment by calling Co-Op Power at 877-266-7543 or visiting www.LincolnEnergyChallenge.org. Anyone with questions may email GEC member Sue Klem at susan.m.klem@gmail.com.

Second annual Lincoln PMC Kids Ride is May 1

PMC Kids Ride Photo

The start of the 2015 Lincoln PMC Kids Ride at the Lincoln School.

Bicyclers are gearing up for Lincoln’s second annual PMC Kids Ride on Sunday, May 1. The ride to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund starts at 8:30 a.m. at the Pierce House.

Children from ages 3-15 can participate by riding or volunteering. There are three routes: a loop around the Pierce House garden for the youngest riders (including those on tricycles and with training wheels) as well as two-mile and four-mile routes. Volunteers on bikes and on foot supervise the riders, who can register to ride singly or as part of a team. This year the Magic Garden Children’s Center has created a team of riders.

The Lincoln ride was organized last year for the first time by Will Levy, 13, who had been riding in similar events since he was six. The inaugural event (one of 37 rides modeled after the Pan-Mass Challenge for adults) drew more than 80 riders and raised more than $7,500. This year, Will made a presentation at the Lincoln School and distributed event bands. He also created an awareness day with a table at the transfer station.

Will Levy designed this PMC bracelet on sale at Something Special for $10.

Will Levy designed this PMC bracelet on sale at Something Special for $10.

Wally the Green Monster will make an appearance to congratulate the children for making a difference in the fight against cancer. Something Special is selling PMC Bracelets for $10 to support the community event. Click here for registration for riders and volunteers or to make a donation. Anyone with questions may email pattylevy.pmckidslincoln@gmail.com.