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

Halloween events for kids of all ages

jackolanternPumpkin decorating and parade

The Lincoln Family Association will host pumpkin decorating in Codman Barn on Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 12-2:30 p.m. and its annual LFA Halloween Party and Parade at Codman Barn on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, email Laura Taylor.

Movies, muffins, music at Lincoln Public Library
  • Halloween Movies and Muffins — Friday, Oct. 23 at 3:30 p.m. Not-too-scary short Halloween films based on beloved children’s books. For ages 2 and up.
  • Halloween Concert with the Stacey Peasley Band — Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. Come hear a special not-too-spooky Halloween concert by this Parents Choice award-winning band. For all ages. Drop in.
Trunk or Treat

The Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring “Trunk or Treat,” a free event on Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 5-6 p.m. in the Brooks Gym parking lot, where young trick-or-treaters can roam the closed lot amid parked cars and trucks whose back ends are creatively decorated for Halloween. Get a reserved spot for your trunk by registering for the activity on the Parks & Red website, then decorate and pass out candy or non-candy items to the trick-or-treaters. If you can’t participate, candy donations are welcome. Registered cars can enter lot between 3:30 and 4:15 p.m.

“Tales of the Night” at Drumlin

At “Tales of the Night” at Drumlin Farm on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 29 and 30 from 6:30-9 p.m., kids can put on their favorite costumes, grab a flashlight, and join one of Lincoln’s the silliest, spookiest, and most family-friendly Halloween traditions. Check the Fright-o-Meter when you arrive to see what activities will trick or treat you. Visitors will have the chance to:

  • Learn about animals at a nocturnal wildlife demonstration
  • View our display of over one hundred jack-o-lanterns
  • Enjoy some spooky treats, spider cider, and witches brew at the ghoulish graveyard
  • Step into a story on our Nursery Rhyme Trail to meet your favorite characters
  • Venture out into the fields for a Haunted Hayride full of spooky surprises for the brave at heart (7-8:30 p.m.)

This is a fundraising event that provides critical support for Drumlin’s education and conservation programs. Click here to purchase; tickets are $12 for members and $13 for nonmembers in advance, or $14 and $15 if purchased on October 29. Advance registration is strongly recommended as this event often sells out.

Garden Club beautifies Station Park with native plants

Left to right: Lincoln Garden Club members Cathy Moritz and Ann Park, NEWFS intern Lauren Weeks, NEWFS Horticulture Director Mark Richardson, and club members Janet Ganson and Patty Hilpert.

The Lincoln Garden Club recently created and installed a new flower bed with over 400 plants native to Massachusetts at the town-owned Station Park where Lincoln Road meets Ridge Road.

“This native plant bed is a great example of how we can apply more sustainable landscaping practices at our homes without  giving up on beauty. The choice of plants will bring different colors to Station Park at every season,” said club co-President Belinda Gingrich.

“Native plants attract pollinators, such as insects, birds and mammals, which restores nature to a more heathy state,” added co-President Agnes Wiggin.

The Lincoln Garden Club (LGC) paid for the project with donations from people who supported the LGC Garden Tour in June.  Installation was made possible through the combined efforts of club members; New England Wildflower Society staff; students and teachers from the Minuteman High School; and the town of Lincoln.

The new flower bed at Station Park.

The new native flower bed at Station Park.

The transfer of the existing plants, the design of the new bed and its installation was done during July, August and September. The design and list of native plants can be found on the LGC website. Lauren Weeks wrote a maintenance plan that Club members will use in the future, when caring for the bed as it grows.

New England Wildflower Society intern Lauren Weeks, who designed the bed, will give a short talk and answer questions about native plants at the Park on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 2 p.m.  The public is invited to attend. For other questions about the project, please contact LGC member Cathy Moritz at 781-259-3161 or cathymoritz@gmail.com.

News acorns

The Lincoln Garden Club's finished project at Station Park.

The Lincoln Garden Club’s finished project at Station Park.

Scarecrow-building reminder

Build your own scarecrow at Stonegate Gardens on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stonegate will donate all proceeds to the Lincoln PTO or the Birches School. Click here for details.

Garden Club talk on native plants

The Lincoln Garden Club created and installed a flowerbed with over 400 plants native to Massachusetts at Station Park. New England Wildflower Society (NEWFS) intern Lauren Weeks, who designed the Lincoln Garden Club’s new flower bed at Station Park (between Cambridge Trust and the railroad tracks), will give a short talk and answer questions about native plants at the park on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

“Boooz in the Barnyard” benefits Codman Farm

Join the fun at Codman Community Farm’s first-ever Adult Halloween Dance Party on Saturday, Oct. 17 from 7-10:30 p.m. in the Codman barn. Enjoy great dance music, snacks, beer, and wine in the barn, and shake your “boooo-ty” in costume. Tickets may be purchased online for $40 (adults only, please).

Open Studio artists’ reception

Lincoln’s Open Studio painting group will hold a reception on Sunday, Oct. 18 from 2-4 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library, where a collection of their works is on display during the month of October. For more information, call Ruth Henderson at 781-259-8465. The group meets every Thursdays in Hartwell pod B from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and new artists are welcome. Register through the Parks and Recreation website or call 781-259-0784.

Women’s self-defense class in November

The Lincoln Police Department has scheduled its next two-session women’s self defense class on Wednesday, Nov. 4 and Tuesday, Nov. 10 (to avoid Veteran’s Day) from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Parks and Recreation Department. The classes are free, but you must sign up in advance. on the first night, we’ll go over basic safety and then learn basic self-defense tactics and moves. On the second night, we’ll practice the tools we’ve learned and then an officer will suit up in full pads and we will go through common scenarios where you will be “attacked” and need to fight your way out.  For more information or to sign up, contact Jena Salon at 215-514-5963 or jenasalon@gmail.com.

Keeping things sheep-shape (Lincoln Through the Lens)

This photo of Lincoln resident Ellen Raja on her farm was featured at #23 in September’s Photos of the Month gallery in the Boston Globe.

Ellen Raja repaired a fence where sheep graze in Lincoln. (Photo by Joanne Rathe/Boston Globe Staff)

Ellen Raja repaired a fence where sheep graze in Lincoln. (Photo by Joanne Rathe/Boston Globe Staff)

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 open meeting Wednesday evening

On Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. the Lincoln Family Association is hosting a wine and cheese social and open meeting for parents, to kick off its 20th season. Enjoy some snacks and refreshments, find out about upcoming events, and offers your ideas and suggestions. The LFA is actively looking for a few good folks to help continue its annual and seasonal programming. Iif you know someone new to town with children, please invite them as well. Please RSVP to LFA President Erica Gonella at egonella@gmail.com for event address and so we can ensure that we have enough libations and snacks on hand.

The 1940 Gaskill House in Lincoln designed by John Quincy Adams.

The 1940 Gaskill House in Lincoln designed by John Quincy Adams.

Tour Lincoln houses on Saturday

Friends of Modern Architecture/Lincoln and Docomomo-US have organized a tour of seven modern houses in five area towns, including two in Lincoln, on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The seven houses on the tour, designed between 1930 and 1960, include the 1940 Gaskill House (John Quincy Adams), and the 1942 Jacobs House (Walter Bogner), both of whom lived in Lincoln. Other towns included in the tour are Belmont, Concord, Carlisle and Weston, with houses by Edwin Goodell, Carl Koch, and Marvin Goody.

Participants will be greeted by volunteers at each home on this self-paced tour. Light refreshments will be available at the Concord Museum from 9:30- 11 a.m. Tickets are $85 for general public and $70 for members of FoMA/Lincoln, the Concord Museum, Docomomo, and students. To purchase, visit the Concord Museum website or call 978-369-9763.

Lincoln Country Day Preschool open houses scheduled

Lincoln Country Day Preschool (LCDP) is hosting two morning open houses and one evening open house for prospective students from 2.9 years of age in September 2016 through 5-6 years of age for our pre-K program. The morning open houses will be held on Friday, Oct. 16 and Tuesday, Oct. 20 from 9:30-10:30 a.m., and our evening open house will be held on Thursday, Nov. 12 from 5-7 p.m.

Parents and their children are invited to take a tour of our school, speak with our teachers, and play in our Threes, Fours and Pre-K classrooms. Please RSVP at 781-259-8607. If you cannot attend any of these open houses, feel free to call to schedule another time and day to meet. The preschool is currently accepting applications for the 2016-2017 school year. LCDP is located in St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Church (147 Concord Road in Lincoln) and welcomes families from Lincoln, Concord, Sudbury, Wayland, Weston and other local towns.

Lincoln from the air (Lincoln through the lens)

Lincoln resident and pilot Philip Greenspun recently offered free helicopter rides Lincoln to town residents, and several took to the air with him armed with their cameras. Turns out it’s not so easy to navigate Lincoln from above, since so many of the roads are concealed by trees—and a house that looks so prominent from the ground can be almost impossible to spot amid the dense foliage. Here are some photos by Dennis Liu (who posted several on his Facebook page, including aerial views of his daughter’s soccer game) and Ben Dubrovsky. Greenspun was flying a Robinson R44 helicopter from the East Coast Aero Club at Hanscom Field.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”20″ gal_title=”Helicopter ride”]

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

harvestHarvest feast at Drumlin Farm

For the first time ever, Drumlin Farm will play host to their locally sourced Fall Harvest Feast on Sunday, Oct. 11 from 4:30-7 p.m. The event, arranged by Food and Farm Educator Emma Scudder, will feature the sustainable farm’s just-picked fall harvest and late summer yield preserves.

“We wanted to create casual, family-friendly dinner that happens to be made using all of the freshest, local ingredients,” says Scudder. “Farm-to-table is about community. It’s about appreciating the food we have growing around us and the farmers who grow it.”

Starting at 4:30 p.m., guests can roam the fields with Scudder and Katarina Goldenberg, Drumlin Farm CSA Coordinator, who will share their knowledge about sustainable farming and agriculture. After working up an appetite, guests can bundle up by a warm fire in Drumlin Farm’s Nature Center and enjoy pizza made with late summer and early fall harvest produce and meat. Also on the menu is squash soup, a heart kale salad, homemade beverages, and festive ice cream.

Advance registration is required.or Mass Audubon members are are $20 for adults and $12 for children, or $25 and $15 for nonmembers.  Register online or call Jennifer Riley at 781-259-2200.

Three school committees to hold public forum

Two communities, three districts… Are there ideas or topics that the Lincoln and Sudbury school communities should talk about together? Do you have questions about transitioning to the high school or community supports for social and emotional health, or are you interested in hearing about current research regarding school start times? The Lincoln preK-8, Sudbury K-8, and L-S School Committees invite Lincoln, Sudbury and Boston METCO community members to a public forum on Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 7-9 p.m. in Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School library. The forum will begin with a short presentation period followed by an opportunity to brainstorm topics that are relevant to all three districts, and will conclude with a joint meeting of the three school committees.

Operatic divas, meditation programs, and Isabella Stewart Gardner at the library
  • Meditation workshop with Natalia Cepeda — Saturday, Oct. 17 from 3-4:30 p.m. Learn and practice easy meditation techniques and key philosophical principles to implement right away, plus tools for reducing stress, improving relationships, or just having more joy in your life.
  • “A Voice Fest: Operatic Divas with Erika Reitshamer” — Sunday, Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. in the library’s Tarbell Room. This lecture and multimedia presentation will feature world-renowned divas including Renata Tebaldi, Maria Callas, Leontyne Price, and Beverly Sills, as well as fabulous singers of the present day.
  • A reminder that character re-enactor Jessa Piaia will present a dramatic portrayal of Gardner in “A Visit with Isabella Stewart Gardner: America’s First Patroness of the Arts” at the library on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. (see the Lincoln Squirrel, September 4, 2015).

News acorns

artshow

Open Studio art to be displayed in library

During the month of October, artworks by members of Lincoln’s Open Studio group will be displayed and on sale at the Lincoln Public Library.The show features the group’s best work in recent years in a variety of styles. The group meets every Thursdays in Hartwell pod B from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and new artists are welcome. Register through the Parks and Recreation website or call 781-259-0784.

Pumkpin fun at Codman Farm

The 4th annual Lincoln Girl Scouts Pumpkin Sale takes place on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 2-5 p.m. at Codman Farm (rain date: Oct. 25). Come and support the Lincoln Girl Scouts and enjoy a bake sale, face-painting and pumpkin decorating as you stock up on pumpkins for Halloween.

Talk about death at the Death Café

St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Church is hosting a Death Café on Sunday, Oct. 25 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. as it did last year (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Oct. 8, 2014). Death Café is an international movement started in Europe dedicated to taking death out of the closet and discussing it publicly. At a Death Café, people come together to eat cake, drink tea and to discuss death in a relaxed and non-threatening setting. There are no agendas or objectives. It is not a bereavement or grief support group, nor is it a counseling session; it is simply conversation. The event is free, but space is limited and preregistration is required. Register via the St. Anne’s website. Learn more at www.DeathCafe.com.

Kids’ book author visit, ongoing groups

Sarah Brannen, who grew up in Lincoln, reads and discusses her new picture book Madame Martine Breaks the Rules on Wednesday, Oct. 14 from 4-5 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library. Recommended for ages 4-7 but all are welcome; no registration necessary. The library also has several children’s book groups starting up:

  • Together Time Tales — For kids in grades 2 and 3 and their parents; meets on the first Monday of the month from 6-6:45 beginning October 5. Each family will receive one copy of the book to be read together. Books will be available two weeks prior to the meetings. The first book is The Firework-Maker’s Daughter by Philip Pullman. Advance signup required; email dleopold@minlib.net.
  • Books and Bites — for kids in grades 4-6; meets every other Thursday from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. beginning October 8. Books are available at the Children’s Desk two weeks prior to the meeting. The book for the Oct. 9 meeting will be The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett. No signup required.
  • Middle Grade Book Share — for seventh- and eighth-graders; meets on the last Monday of the month from 7-8 p.m. beginning on October 26. No signup required. This is an opportunity to share what you’re reading and discover new books based on other kids’ recommendations.

See the children’s program page on the library’s website for other reading groups and activities for kids of all ages.

Campus Master Plan Committee schedules forum

The Community Center Study Committee's "preferred option." Click on the image for more options and interior design ideas.

The Community Center Study Committee’s “preferred option.”

The Lincoln Campus Master Planning Committee (CMPC) invites all Lincoln residents as well as Lincoln School faculty and staff to attend its first public forum on Thursday, Oct. 15 from 7-9 p.m. in the Brooks Gym.

The CMPC, which was jointly formed by the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee in June, is in the process of evaluating the infrastructure and layout of the Ballfield Road campus to inform plans for the renovated Lincoln School and a contemplated community center building. The group met regularly throughout the summer and is working alongside external consultants LLB Architects as they review the earlier School Building Advisory Committee efforts and the Community Center Feasibility Committee study conducted last year, share initial findings, and solicit input from the community—especially those who visit the campus frequently.

Town officials and consultants also presented options and price estimates for both projects at the November 2014 State of the Town meeting.

Residents are also encouraged to attend one of two follow-up CMPC forums on Friday, Oct. 30. The CMPC will present at the PTO’s monthly meeting from 8:15-9:30 a.m. in the library story room and also at a Council on Aging session at 1 p.m. in Bemis Hall.