The view from a window on Beaver Pond Road. (Photo by Susan Taylor)
Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to news@lincolnsquirrrel.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.
To the editor:
Last week (Feb. 6, 2015) marked the 227th anniversary of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution by “Convention of the delegates of the People of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, February 6th 1788.” Coincidentally, Massachusetts legislators took a big step toward restoring a genuine democracy in the United States by introducing the We the People Act (HD 1988, An Act for a U.S. Constitutional Amendment and Amendments Convention). The bill, introduced by state Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) and state Rep. Cory Atkins (D-Concord), has 62 cosponsors in the House and 19 in the Senate.
Lincoln’s Sen. Michael Barrett and Rep. Thomas Stanley have joined as cosponsors in endorsing this important bill. If the measure passes, Massachusetts will become the fourth state to call for a convention, after California, Illinois and Vermont.
The legislation calls on Congress “to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution affirming that a) rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of natural persons, i.e. human individuals only, and that b) Congress and the states shall place limits on political contributions and expenditures…”
Under the measure, if Congress fails to act within six months of the bill’s passage, the Massachusetts legislature will join with other states under Article V of the Constitution to petition Congress to call a convention to propose amendments to the Constitution. This will proceed when two-thirds of the states have applied for a convention.
A resolution will also appear on Lincoln’s Town Meeting agenda in March to join with other cities and towns across the Commonwealth to endorse this bipartisan bill. Across the political, social and economic spectrum, Massachusetts voters have said they want a democracy amendment to the U.S. Constitution. For instance, in a national poll conducted by the Washington Post in 2010, 85 percent of Democrats, 76 percent of Republicans and 81 percent of independents said they opposed the Citizens United decision. Sixty-six percent of small businesses believe that decision is bad for business, according to the American Sustainable Business Council.
Sponsors, cosponsors, and citizens alike agree with Sen. Eldridge that “when corporate dollars flood elections, people’s voices are not only drowned out, but the policies and principles that keep families economically secure begin to erode. It is clear that the rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution are for people, and not corporate special interests.” He says further that “big corporate money poses an immediate threat to our democracy. The integrity of our political system is at stake. This bill sends a strong message that our democracy isn’t for sale.”
Sincerely,
Gary Davis
20R Indian Camp Lane
Chair, Lincoln Democratic Town Committee
Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrrel.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.
Two previously announced COA events have been rescheduled to the following dates and times.
Join Jai Kaur Annamaria San Antonio on Wednesday, Feb. 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bemis Hall (rescheduled from Friday, Feb. 13) for a delicious and auspicious time (just past the Valentine’s Day/midwinter mark), sure to warm the cockles of your heart and throw off the winter doldrums! According to Ayurveda (the traditional health care system from India) and yogic philosophy, a holistic approach to heart health requires you to nourish the emotional heart as well as the physical heart. The heart is not just a pump — it’s the fountainhead of all emotions, whether it’s joy and exhilaration or sadness and frustration. Mental and emotional stress can disrupt the emotional heart. Both modern medicine and Ayurveda concur that there are things you can do every day to keep your heart healthy. Practicing meditation daily has been shown in research studies to help in lowering blood pressure, reversing arterial blockage and enhancing resistance to all types of stress. Share heart wisdom, lore and meditation that focuses on healing and opening the heart. Delicious heart-healthy treats and a sweet will be served. If you are so inclined, bring a favorite poem or song to share sure to pluck the heart strings and keep love in your heart at all times. May the great thaw begin! Please sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811. A donation is requested to cover the cost of the food.
Join Lincoln illustrator and muralist Ed Koehler on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 2:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall (rescheduled form January 27) for “Coffee with the Artist” to celebrate his exhibit, which will end after the coffee, in the Bemis Hall Artists Gallery. Koehler has been drawing since he was eight years old. His commissions include architectural and artistic projects such as murals, portraits, historic scenes and varied drawings. He was an architect in Boston and Cambridge for 55 years while maintaining partnerships and independent commissions. A veteran of the Korean War, he is presently working on murals at the VA Hospital in Bedford.
In the February 10 “news acorn” about the upcoming “Live in Lincoln Center” concert at the First Parish Church on February 22 at 3 p.m., pre-concert times have been updated: doors will open at 2:15 p.m. nd the pre-concert talk will begin at 2:30 p.m. Also, the title of the event should have been “English String Serenade.”
The Lincoln K-8 School Committee is creating a Class Size Research Committee to survey and summarize the recent educational research about the effects of class size on student achievement. The research committee will comprise one member of the School Committee and two to four members of the Lincoln community. We invite members of the community who are interested in participating in this effort to contact the School Committee and tell them about your relevant background.
The School Committee has reviewed its class size policy every seven years or so. The last comprehensive review was in 2007, and so now the School Committee wants to know whether there is recent research that might justify a broader review of the current policy. The specific aims of the research committee will be to identify any new research, to clarify the findings that might be relevant to the Lincoln Public Schools, and to present to the School Committee a summary of the high-quality evidence and insights that might guide a formal review of the whole policy. (The broader review would then consider expenditures on class size reduction in the context of the district’s educational and fiscal priorities and of the town’s spending plans and capacity.)
Any interested member of the community should submit his or her name to the School Committee at schoolcomm@lincnet.org by Friday, Feb. 27. The School Committee will appoint the members of the Research Committee at its meeting on March 5. TheClass Size Research Committee would then work for six weeks, and would submit its final report to the School Committee by April 20.
“Snowman Mailbox” by Team Webber, 11 Minebrook Rd.
Awards have been announced for the Lincoln Winter Festival snow sculpture competition (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Feb. 3, 2015). The winners are:
The awards were handed out on February 5 by representatives of the Parks and Recreation Committee.
“English Strings Serenade” featuring 12 top professional string players is the next “Live in Lincoln Center” concert hosted by the First Parish Church on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m.
The event will feature English music for strings spanning four centuries, from Purcell in the 17th to Elgar and Britten in the 20th. First Parish Music Director Ian Watson will conduct from the harpsichord (an exquisite replica of a 17th-century instrument) and will also give a pre-concert talk, which provides an educational component that will bring a deeper understanding of the works to be performed.
Seating in the Parish House auditorium (14 Bedford Rd.) is on a first-come, first-seated basis. Doors will open at 2:30 p.m. The suggested donation is $20 per person (any amount is appreciated). A reception following the performance will give the audience a time to gather, celebrate and meet some of the musicians.
The deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park will hols its annual fundraising gala, “Black and White in the Park,” on Saturday, May 30 at 6 p.m. The event, co-chaired by Joyce Linde and Dan Mathieu, honors Barbara Krakow. Tickets start at $500 and tables at $5,000. Click here to purchase or make a contribution, or contact Lizbie Harbison, development coordinator, at lharbison@decordova.org or 781-259-3621. Reservations must be received by Sunday, March 1 to ensure donor listing on event materials.
Fanning event postponedWith a winter storm watch now in effect, Sunday’s Bemis Free Lecture Series event featuring David Fanning from “Frontline” has been postponed. Fanning has kindly agreed to make himself available for a later date to be announced.
On Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m., Lincoln’s Leaf Blower Study Committee will host a second public forum to discuss the status of leaf blower regulations and alternative approaches and seek feedback. The forum will be held in the upstairs conference room at Town Office Building (16 Lincoln Rd.). Previous coverage and letters to the editor in the Lincoln Squirrel:
To the editor:
I wanted to write to clarify a few of the points made in Jean Palmer’s Jan. 23 letter to the editor regarding gas pipelines in the state. There is actually no natural gas exported by ships out of Massachusetts or the Northeast. The one active LNG terminal in Massachusetts (in Everett) is actually to import natural gas, and supplies about 20 percent of New England’s natural gas. Thus, any natural gas pipelines from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts are to supply the region’s demand and could reduce the need for imports. There is currently only one facility in Louisiana that is exporting LNG by ship; the rest of natural gas exports occur via pipeline to Canada and Mexico.
Sincerely,
Marian Swain
Berkeley, CA (143 S. Great Rd. from 1990-2012)
marianswain@gmail.com
Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrrel.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.
“Dusk at Flint’s Field” by Susan Richards (click to enlarge image).
Susan Richards of Lincoln was one of eight winners in the Concord Art Association‘s Members Juried 1 painting and sculpture show that runs through February 15. She was recognized for her painting entitled “Dusk at Flint’s Field.” Click here for details on the exhibit and images of other entries.
Consider the deCordova exhibition Walden, revisited in connection with its cinematic inspirations! Watch and discuss The Holy Mountain, a Mexican-American avant-garde film about what greed can do to the modern world, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5. This film was selected by Walden, revisited artist William Lamson. The screening will be followed by a staff-led discussion. Light refreshments provided. Doors open at 6 p.m. This program is free for all visitors.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day at the deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park on February 13 or 14 with an evening of ceramics activity for couples. During “Date Night with Clay,” work as a team on the wheel, decorating clay “hearts,” or building your own signature romantic sculpture. The workshop includes wine, refreshments, materials and tools for building, firing services, and 1.5 hours of instruction and assistance in building and decorating a unique Valentine’s Day gift. All levels welcome; no ceramic experience necessary. For ages 21+. Please note: Although clay won’t permanently stain garments, participants are encouraged to bring a change of clothes or wear protective garments if dinner arrangements are planned before or after the workshop.
Sessions will be held on Friday, Feb.13 and Saturday, Feb. 14 from 6–8 p.m.The cost is $65 per couple for members or $75 per couple for nonmembers. Limit 10 couples per session. Advance registration is required; click here for details and online registration.
The Lincoln Scholarship Committee’s scholarship and awards application process is now open for 2015. The organization offers funding to Lincoln resident senior high school students who are planning on attending an institution of higher education following graduation. For more information and an application for one-year needs-based scholarships, the four-year Ogden Codman Scholarship and Codman Opportunity Scholarship, and the Fannie Campbell Academic and Sumner Smith Community Service awards, go to this Town of Lincoln webpage. The deadline for applicants is 3 p.m. on Monday, April 6 by mail, email or in person as indicated in the application instructions.
Please note that while the Lincoln Scholarship Committee has a similar name and mission to the Lincoln-Sudbury Scholarship Fund Dollars for Scholars, the LSC is a separate organization and requires applicants to complete a different application form. An application to each of the two groups is necessary to be eligible for the various scholarships and awards offered by the two organizations.
The Water Commission is seeking a resident to fill out the congenial three-member group, which has a small time commitment (about two hours a month) and requires no technical background. Meeting times can be set at the convenience of the new member since the two current members have flexible schedules. Anyone who wants to run, even as a write-in candidate, should call the Town Clerk for instructions at 781-259-2607.
The Blizzard of ’15 showed up just in time for the Lincoln Winter Carnival‘s annual snow sculpture contest, as seen in these photos taken by Margit Griffith. The Parks and Recreation Department will announce the winners later this week. Click on the artwork titles in the captions for the deCordova sculpture facsimiles to see more information on the deCordova website.
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