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

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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.

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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).

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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.

News acorns

acornLincoln Democratic Town Committee to meet

At its next meeting on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to noon in Bemis Hall, the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee will provide an overview of events and speakers at the recent state Democratic convention, and Lincoln resident John Terrell will discuss his pending 2016 Town Meeting resolution asking the town to divest all investments in companies involved in the fossil fuel industry as a means of mitigating climate change. Attendees will also discuss recent national events including visits by Pope Francis and Chinese President Xi Jingping and discussion of immigration, climate change, preparation for the upcoming Paris Climate Conference, and reliance on diplomacy as a priority rather than military force in resolution of international conflict. The meeting is open to the public.

Presentation on helping traumatized children

The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable presents “Helping Children Cope With Common Childhood Challenges” on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of the Goodnow Library (21 Concord Road, Sudbury). Speakers will be:

  • Stephanie Howard, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and director of Project We Can Talk About It (the domestic violence team at Children’s Charter Trauma Clinic, a division of the Key Program). Combining research, clinical experience and thought-provoking discussions, she brings to life the devastating impact of domestic violence on children.
  • Joel M. Ristuccia, Ed.M., a certified school psychologist with over 25 years of experience working in the public schools. He has consulted on the impact of trauma on student learning to the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative (TLPI) and is co-author of Helping Traumatized Children Learn. He has consulted for the MGH Department of School Psychiatry, and nationally on topics related to the impact of trauma on students’ behaviors that can lead to punitive discipline and school failure.
 “Ogden Codman Jr.: Transatlantic Tastemaker”

Lincoln’s Ogden Codman Jr. attained professional prominence in Gilded Age society as a co-author with Edith Wharton of the best-selling design manual The Decoration of Houses. Drawing on classical influences from both sides of the Atlantic, he designed buildings and interiors for clients including Vanderbilts and Rockefellers. An architectural historian, he also documented historic structures in America and France, a legacy that continues to aid scholars today. Discover the life and oeuvre of this transatlantic tastemaker during a talk on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 1-3 p.m. at the Codman Estate’s Carriage House featuring quotes and images from Historic New England’s archives, followed by a tour highlighting Codman’s 1890s redecoration of his family home, the Codman Estate.

The lecture is followed by an optional tour of the Codman House museum. Registration is required. Please call 617-994-6690 for more information or buy tickets online (Historic New England members and Lincoln residents $10; nonmembers $15).

St. Joseph’s gets new choir director/organist

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Daniel Farretta, the new organist for St. Joseph’s Church.    Photo: Patricia Fitzsimmons

Daniel Farretta is the new choir director and organist for St. Joseph’s Church in Lincoln. He plays at the 10:30 Mass on Sunday mornings, beginning with a prelude of music at 10:15.

Faretta noted that the choir needs a soprano (singers needn’t have experience or be Catholic). For more information, email Sylvia Kennedy at sylpky@verizon.net.