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

News acorns

farringtonFarrington Nature Linc offers family events
  • Farrington Nature Linc will host a Fall Family Hike on Sunday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to noon. The hike will feature family games in the woods and a chance to test out your stick-building skills.
  • At Fall Fun Day on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 1-4 p.m., visitors can paint their own pumpkins, make and taste test fresh apple sauce, and hike amid the fall colors. The first 10 registered families get a free pumpkin (more pumpkins will be available for sale).
  • Start your Thanksgiving celebrations with activities to improve your night vision and a moonlit night hike on Farrington NatureLinc’s Full Moon Night Hike on Wednesday, Nov. 25 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The suggested donation for all of these events is$5 per person. Click here for directions to Farrington Nature Linc.

Hydrant flushing next week

As part of its water quality and distribution maintenance program, the Lincoln Water Department will start its Annual Flushing Program on Monday, Sept. 28. Water mains will be flushed between 8:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. Monday through Friday and will continue for three to four weeks. Residents may experience discoloration of the water as the system is flushed and should avoid using washing machines and dishwashers during daytime hours. If the water in your home becomes discolored, please run an outside tap to remove any accumulated sediment from the service. For more information on the flushing program, please call the Water Department at 781-259-8997 or 781-259-1329 (open on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.). As in the past, the Water Department appreciates the cooperation and patience of Lincoln residents.

Lincolnites in the news
  • Lincoln resident and composer Patrick Greene was featured in a September 21 New York Times review of a performance in a Brooklyn church of his 2013 composition for organ, Steel Symphony. Each movement is based on a sculpture at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, including the mound of steel cylinders titled Lincoln.
  • The Old Sudbury Road horsies were featured for the second time in the Boston Globe on September 21. The equine herd expanded by about a dozen members after the first article appeared on the front page of the Globe (complete with a video and photo gallery) on September 4.
Build your own scarecrow

Welcome autumn and have fun making your own unique scarecrow on Wednesday, Oct. 7 from 1-4 p.m.  and Saturday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Stonegate Gardens (339 South Great Road, Lincoln). For $15, Stonegate provides hay, twine, markers, stakes, and instructions. You provide a pillowcase for the head, old clothing, and accessories. Lincoln School students can display their scarecrows on campus until November 1 or take them home.

St. Anne’s Church news notes

New Sunday evening service—St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church (147 Concord Road, Lincoln) will begin a new Sunday evening service at 5 p.m. on September 27. Everyone is invited to join this weekly worship service for a time of contemplation and communion before beginning the new week. Services will vary, with some featuring music and others grounded in silence and guided meditation. Others may have healing prayer, Holy Eucharist, or traditional Evensong with the parish choir or guest leaders from outside the parish.

animals

The Blessing of the Animals service at St. Anne’s.

Blessing of the animals—All creatures have a place at St. Anne’s on Sunday, Oct. 4 when humans and animals come together to celebrate the Feast of St. Francis, patron saint of all creatures. The church will celebrate Blessing of the Animals at both the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. services. Live animals are welcome on leashes or in carriers; stuffed animals and photos are welcome, too.

Climate Justice Ministry book signing—St. Anne’s invites the public to the church’s Flint Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. when St. Anne’s and the Thoreau Society will be co-hosting a book signing and celebration for Wen Stephenson’s soon-to-be-published book, What We are Fighting for Now is Each Other: Dispatches from the Font Lines of Climate Justice.

All are welcome at St. Anne’s. For more information of any of these events, visit www.stanneslincoln.org or call 781-259-8834.

Letter to the editor: muzzle unleashed dogs

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To the editor:

On a recent stroll around Flint’s Pond, I met a woman taking two young dogs for a walk. They were about knee-high with short brown hair, long-legged and skinny—perhaps whippets, although I am not sure of the breed. The dogs, which were not on a leash, charged toward me, ignoring the owner’s futile efforts to assert control.

One dog ran past me, and while I watched to see what the second would do, the first turned around, leaped up and sank its teeth into my upper arm—hard enough to break the skin in five places through my shirt and create severe bruising that will take weeks to heal.

“Ow! That damn dog bit me,” I yelled.

The dogs were both in front of me now but I kept them at bay by threatening to kick them. I never took my eyes off them while I told the owner to “get those f***ing dogs out of here.”

I didn’t stop to talk to the owner. Perhaps she would have apologized, but why give the dogs another chance to attack? Last time an owner tried to “introduce me” to her dog, the animal seized the opportunity to bite me.

I have had too many encounters with aggressive dogs on my frequent walks around town not to be wary of any animal not on a leash. In the 10 years I have lived here, dogs have bitten me on several occasions so I have developed both vocal and physical defenses to minimize the risk of attack. Today, those tactics were of no avail.

I understand that dog owners want to let their animals wander freely in the woods without a leash. Most owners keep their dogs under proper control, too. But some do not, and those animals pose a threat to anyone who happens to use the trails at the same time.

The solution is simple: Lincoln should adopt a muzzle law. Any dog not on the owner’s land must be either on a leash or muzzled. The dogs would still have their freedom, and the rest of us would be safe from attack.

Suppose the dog that bit me had sunk its teeth into something less forgiving than my upper arm flesh. Its jaws reached almost four feet off the ground; had they connected with the face of a pre-teen child, the youngster would have been disfigured for life.

Let’s muzzle those mutts before a rogue animal causes permanent injury.

Sincerely,

Neil O’Hara
4 Hawk Hill 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 must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, 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: volunteers sought for selection committee

letter

Editor’s note: This letter refers to the space currently leased by the Magic Garden Children’s Center in the Hartwell building on the school campus. By law, the town must periodically seek proposals from any parties who might be interested in leasing the space for educational purposes.

To the editor:

In accordance with Massachusetts General Law, the Lincoln School Committee has released a Request for Proposals soliciting interest in the lease of four classrooms in the Hartwell Building for programs with an educational purpose. The School Committee seeks two town members to serve on the five-person Selection Committee, which will evaluate the proposals and select the most advantageous for School Committee approval.

Proposals for lease of the space will be received on November 10, and the work of the Selection Committee is expected to occur immediately thereafter. The Selection Committee members must be over the age of 21 and a resident of Lincoln. They must have no connection to any proposer, and will be expected to sign an affidavit to that effect.

If you’d like to be part of the Selection Committee, please send me a brief expression of interest by email to bcreel@lincnet.org or by letter to Business Office, 6 Ballfield Road, Lincoln MA 01773. If you have any questions, please call me at 781-259-2623.

Sincerely,

Buck Creel
Administrator for Business and Finance for the School Committee

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, 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.

DeCordova hires two in development

decordovaThe deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum has hired Bruce Smith as its Deputy Director for External Affairs and Sharon Glennon as deCordova’s Director of Corporate Relations and Art Loan Program.

“The position of Deputy Director for External Affairs is essential to realizing our mission and strategic plan. Bruce stood out among the candidates for his deep and broad experience in fundraising, his ability to connect with people, and his positive, generous spirit,” said deCordova Executive Director John Ravenal.

Smith previously served for five years as Chief Development Officer at Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, where he oversaw a 100% increase in fundraising totals and the launch of the quiet phase of a capital campaign. Prior to Walnut Hill, Smith was Vice President for Institutional Advancement at General Theological Seminary in New York City. During his tenure, the seminary completed the largest capital campaign in its history and opened the Desmond Tutu Center on its historic landmark campus.

Smith holds an MFA in theater from the University of California at San Diego and spent many years in New York acting, writing, and directing before beginning his career in fundraising. He received his BA in English and history from University College Cork, Ireland. He is married to Rev. Kate Malin, rector of St. Anne’s Church in Lincoln.

Glennon’s  priorities will include expanding the pools of corporate members and lending artists, and cultivation corporate partners for deeper support of deCordova’s projects, Ravenal said. Glennon, who has more than 25 years of experience in arts administration and donor and client relationships. previously served as the Executive Director of the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown, where she increased revenue by $500,000 and doubled arts and education programming.

Before that, she held several leadership positions at Berklee College of Music, where she was involved in music creation and production; educational and fundraising events across the world; and the management of international partnerships, study abroad programs, and the Office of International Programs. Glennon graduated from SUNY Brockport and also attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She has exhibited her work throughout New England and in New York.

News acorns

First Parish seeks teachers

The Youth Programs Committee at the First Parish Church in Lincoln is looking to hire two teachers, one for the nursery class and one for the K/1 program. The commitment is four hours per Sunday on 15 Sundays per year from September 27 until the end of May 2016.

The ideal candidates are those who enjoy and relate well with young children, have the ability to motivate and lead, and a willingness to work closely with parents. Preference will be given to those with previous experience working with children in a classroom or volunteer setting. To learn more, please contact Kathy Kronin, Acting Director of Religious Eduction, at kathycronin@firstparishinlincoln.org.

Yoga class starts this week

“Gentle Kundalini Yoga” will be presented at Bemis Hall for a 10-week session class from Wednesday, Sept. 23 through November 25 from 9:30–10:45 a.m. The class is subsidized for seniors by the Council on Aging, but all ages are welcome and encouraged. If you are 60 or over, the cost is $100 for the series; for those under 60, the cost is $150. If you’d like to try it out, you may attend two classes at $10 per class to see whether it’s a good fit for you. All yoga supplies are provided but you’re welcome to bring your own mat, pillow, blanket, or anything else for your comfort. Please bring water to class. For more information or to sign up, please contact Jai Kaur Annamaria San Antonio at asanajai@verizon.net or 781-738-1920.

The Flint homestead.

The Flint homestead.

Horse show on Saturday

On Saturday, Sept. 26 starting at 8 a.m. at the Browning Field (Weston Road just north of Conant Road), share in Lincoln’s horsey history at the Lincoln Horse Show. Versions of this show, now primarily a low-key schooling event, have been taking place in Lincoln since the mid-1950s. The Old North Bridge Pony Club sponsors the most recent iteration and all money raised through entry fees goes to the maintenance of the town-owned ring.

This is a free, family-friendly, informal event that is perfect opportunity to enjoy a part of Lincoln’s unique history and perhaps introduce yourself and/or your child to the world of horses.

Tour the Flint homestead

The free tour on Sunday, Oct. 4 from 1-4 p.m. is a unique opportunity to view the interior of  this historic Lincoln house dating  back to the early 1700s. It has been in the Flint family for 11 generations and is filled with mementos of the town and the Flints. The homestead is on the National Register and is protected by a preservation restriction easement, the first agreement of its kind in Lincoln. The house is located on Lexington Road adjacent to Flints’ Field, across the road from the large white barn commonly referred to as Flint’s barn. There will be a special activity for kids as well. The tour is sponsored by the Lincoln Historical Society and the Lincoln Historical Commission.

Library news notes
  • Sunday hours to resume—Starting on October 18, the library will be open on Sundays from 1-5 p.m.
  • Delivery for home-bound residents—Books and other library materials can be delivered to Lincoln residents with temporary or chronic physical limitations. This is a service of the Friends of Lincoln Library (FOLL). For details, call the library at 781-259-8465, or Belinda Gingrich of FOLL at 781-577-7004.
  • “A Slice of Life with Ron Boisseau”—Join Lincoln resident Ron Boisseau on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 2-4 p.m. in the library’s Tarbell Room as he shares with you inspirational short pieces exploring love, politics, nature and more, including slices of his own life and those he has witnessed. Ron will entertain and inspire people of all ages as he brings his unique and insightful perspective to experiences we’ve all shared as well as those that are more unusual. Co-sponsored with the Lincoln Council on Aging.

News acorns

owl-on-branchCorrected time for OWL parent orientation

The First Parish Church has sent updated information on the mandatory parent orientation for the OWL program (Our Whole Lives) described in the September 18 News Acorns. The parent orientation is on Sunday, Sept. 27 from 7:30-9.p.m. in the Garrison Room of First Parish. For more information, email kathycronin@firstparishinlincoln.org.

New workshop on the Enneagram

On Monday, Sept. 21 at 9:30 a.m., Dan and Janet Boynton will begin a series of six weekly 90-minute classes at the Lincoln Council on Aging in Bemis Hall to explore the Enneagram, an ancient system of identifying our individual pathways to deeper self-realization. The Enneagram teaches us that people of various personality types respond differently to life issues such as stress, conflict and intimacy, and that people of each type can adopt a specific path which can result in greater happiness and fulfillment. There is no fee for this course.

Watch rebroadcast of Pope Francis’s address to Congress

The Climate Justice Ministry at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church invites the public to the church’s Flint Hall on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. for a rebroadcast of Pope Francis’s address to the joint session of Congress. Pope Francis will speak that morning about many issues that concern the practice of Christianity in America, and after the address will have a discussion about how Christians are called to participate and engage in calls to justice. For more information, visit www.stanneslincoln.org or call 781-259-8834.

 

Feeling “fawnda” wildlife? (Lincoln Through the Lens)

fawn montage2There were several imaginative answers left in the comment section below yesterday’s “Lincoln Through the Lens” picture of a mystery animal photographed by Stephanie Smart, though no one suggested it was a chupacabra. We also received a picture of a similar creature sent by Rosamond Delori (left photo). In the opinion of the Lincoln Squirrel, who is not an expert on wildlife, what we have here is a fawn (generic image at right), which is not intuitively obvious considering (a) it is sitting exposed in the middle of a field, and (b) it has has much bigger ears and a bigger, blacker nose than we thought. Any other opinions of either a serious or whimsical nature are welcome. Perhaps white-tail deer have a common ancestor (at least from the neck up) with kangaroos…

News acorns

modernism
Architecture talk on “American Glamour: Making a New World”

Wellesley College Professor Alice T. Friedman presents a talk titled “American Glamour: Making a New World” on the influence of American consumerism and popular culture in the making of a handful of key Mid-Century Modern architectural projects on Thursday, Sept. 24 from 7-9 p.m. at the Codman Carriage House.  In particular, she examines the sometimes uneasy relationship between post-World War II American modern architecture with well-known European precedents, including the works of Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier. An optional evening tour of Gropius House follows the talk.

Tickets are $10 for Historic New England members and Lincoln residents, $15 for non-members. Registration is required. Please call 781-259-8098 for more information or purchase tickets online.

Three COA groups still have spaces

Even though these Council on Aging groups have started meeting, there’s still room for newcomers. For more information, call the COA at 781-259-8811.

Finding Our Voice: SeniorSpeak Performance Workshop

Senior citizens have so much to share with the world—a wealth of experience and the wisdom that’s gained from it. Yet many older adults lack the opportunity to speak out and share their experiences with others. In a new workshop entitled “SeniorSpeak,” older adults and Baby Boomers will rediscover their voices. Drawing on their memories, feelings, and convictions, members will create a performance piece that incorporates key moments and thoughts that shaped their lifetime—individually and as a whole—through scenes, poetry, and music. The free workshop presented by Leslie Kilgore will be held on Thursdays in Bemis Hall from 2:30-3:45 pm. The next session is Thursday, Sept. 24. No need to sign up.

Learn to Live Better with Chronic Disease

This free, interactive course provided by Minuteman Senior Services is an evidence-based program developed by Stanford University that provides tools and support for living with chronic disease, including healthy eating and exercise, dealing with pain, fatigue, and stress, problem-solving, and more. You will set and meet personal goals, identify and try simple techniques to improve quality of life, and build a network of support.  The next meeting is Wednesday, Sept. 23 from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Bemis Hall. The class ends on October 21. Please sign up now by calling the COA at (781) 259-8811.

Music Appreciation: Unwrapping the Music

It’s time to develop your musical listening skills and music appreciation, so try this course presented at the COA by the Concord Conservatory of Music. Learn about different musical genres by covering the music history, and the forms and function that shaped the musical styles. Soon you’ll recognize musical elements, identify style, time, and even the artists. The next class is on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The course, which consists of 11 more classes including September 22 costs $108. The class will be taught by flutist Ela Brandys of the Conservatory’s faculty. Sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Parent orientation for Our Whole Lives class

Lincoln eighth-graders and their parents are invited to participate in the First Parish Church’s “Our Whole Lives” (OWL), a 14-week progressive and comprehensive sexuality course developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and United Church of Christ. This program is firmly rooted in the values of self-worth, sexual health, personal responsibility and social justice. There is a fee for non-members of the First Parish.

Parents must attend a mandatory OWL parent orientation on Sunday, Sept. 27 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the church’s Garrison Room in order for their children to participate and sign a permission slip. For more information, email kathycronin@firstparishinlincoln.org.

Lincoln Garden Club to hold open house

On Monday, Sept. 28, the Lincoln Garden Club is having an open house, and all Lincoln residents are invited. Refreshments will be served and fertile conversations will be encouraged. No skill or expertise required—all you need is an interest in gardening.

The club beautifies and serves the community in many ways, including designing, planting and maintaining public planters and gardens such as Station Park across from the mall; creating and sharing flower arrangements for the library and for senior dinners; and bringing flowers to shut-ins during holidays. The garden club hosts monthly speakers on topics related to horticulture, floral design, conservation, and whatever other ideas may be germinating as well as workshops and field trips.

For more details about the open house, call Susan Seeley (781-259-0841) or Ann Parke (781-983-7018) or send an email to membership@lincolngardenclub.org.

“A Woman’s Guide to Life Planning”

A workshop titled “A Woman’s Guide to Life Planning” will provide an overview of how to handle major life changes including  dramatic swings in the stock market, the disability or death of loved ones, and the all-too-frequent-change in marital status can cause stress and anxiety. The event takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room.

Learn whether your investments are properly managed to help you achieve your goals, understand the most costly estate planning mistakes and how to prevent them, and examine the process of getting divorced or separated from your spouse. The presentation will be led by Della Spring, a life transitions coach and owner of Spring Awakenings; Anna Byrne, principal of Eckert Byrne LLC, a life and legacy planning law firm; Leigh Bivings, founder and CEO of Artemis Financial Advisors LLC; and Heidi Webb, founder of Consilium Divorce Consultations.

Meetings on affordable housing, Hanscom coming up

The Hanscom Area Towns Committee (HATS) will host several officials who will speak about plans and activities to maintain and enhance the Hanscom Air Force Base on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall.

Chris Willenborg, the recently appointed executive director of the Massachusetts governor’s Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force, will discuss the task force’s plans and activities. He will be joined by MassDevelopment’s expert on military installations, Senior Vice President Anne Marie Dowd. Adam Freudberg, senior advisor to the chief technology officer at the base (and former executive director of the task force) will discuss efforts to enhance the base’s collaboration and innovation activities.

The public is welcome to attend all HATS meetings, which may also be viewed live or several days after the fact on Lincoln public access media via lincolntv.pegstream.com, Verizon channel 33, or Comcast channel 8, or viewed several days later by going to lincolntv.pegcentral.com.

HATS is an alliance between the Selectmen and other officials of Lincoln, Concord, Lexington, and Bedford, focusing on Hanscom Air Force Base, Hanscom Air Field, regional transportation, and other regional matters.

Affordable housing forum

Come learn about what the Lincoln Housing Coalition has been working on in the recent past and the current state of the town’s affordable housing stock at a forum on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 1-3 p.m. in the Town Hall’s Donaldson Room.

Attendees can hear and discuss plans for the future, learn what the state requires in order to allow accessory apartments to be counted in the town’s affordable housing inventory, discuss the benefits and the costs of pursuing this option, and weigh in on what can or should be done about the growing number of elderly who can no longer afford to live here (see this letter to the editor from Lincoln Housing Commission member Sharon Antia).

The Lincoln Housing Coalition is a collaboration of the town’s Housing Commission, Affordable Housing Trust, and the Lincoln Foundation. Housing applications are available by calling Elaine Carroll at 781-259-2613 or clicking here.