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

Rescheduled Council on Aging events

bemisTwo previously announced COA events have been rescheduled to the following dates and times.

Throw off the winter doldrums

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.

Coffee with artist Ed Koehler

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.

 

Correction

correction-smIn 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.”

School panel seeks volunteers for class size policy reasearch

schoolThe 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.

News acorns – 2/10/15

"Snowman Mailbox" by Team Webber, 11 Minebrook Rd.

“Snowman Mailbox” by Team Webber, 11 Minebrook Rd.

Snow sculpture winners announced

Awards have been announced for the Lincoln Winter Festival snow sculpture competition (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Feb. 3, 2015).  The winners are:

  • Most Accurate and Huggable – “Olaf the Snowman” by Team Bishop, 6 Blueberry Lane
  • Most Use of Color and Most Aquatic – “Sea Creatures” by Team Dutkewych, 15 Linway Rd.
  • Most Artistic and Adorable – “Polar Bear Dreams” by Team Kramp, 152 Sandy Pond Rd.
  • We Come in Peavc and Most Out of This World – “Area 51” by Team McGean, 51 Old Concord Rd.
  • Most Patriotic and Vive la France – “Snowpolean” and “Tank” by Team Pelon, 145 Trapelo Rd.
  • Most Inviting and Most Relaxing/Difficult to Leave – “Snowcuzzi” by Team Uhrich, 88 Old Sudbury Rd.
  • Walter’s Pick and Best for Man’s Best Friend – “Doggie Dream” by Team Volpone, 80 Old Sudbury Rd.
  • Best in Form and Function – “Snowman Mailbox” by Team Webber, 11 Minebrook Rd.
  • Best in Show and Best Homage to a Lincoln Institution – “Snowcordova” by Team Snell, 84 Old Sudbury Rd.

The awards were handed out on February 5 by representatives of the Parks and Recreation Committee.

String concert at First Parish

“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.

deCordova announces spring gala

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.

 

News acorns – 2/7/15

acornFanning event postponed

With 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.

Second leaf blower forum scheduled

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:

 

 

 

 

 

Letter to the editor: another former Lincolnite on the gas pipeline

letter

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.

News acorns – 2/4/15

"Dusk at Flint's Field" by Susan Richards (click to enlarge image).

“Dusk at Flint’s Field” by Susan Richards (click to enlarge image).

Lincoln’s Richards wins art prize

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.

Film screening of The Holy Mountain on Feb. 5

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.

Valentine’s Day ceramics for couples

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.

College scholarships available from Lincoln Scholarship Committee

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.

Water Commission still looking for a member

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.

Snow sculptures bring out the artists in Lincoln

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.

For best results, view the pictures directly on the Lincoln Squirrel website rather than in your email. On the website, click one of the images to see a larger version in the lightbox. Once you’re there, click in the “i” icon at the bottom of the image to see the caption at the upper right of your screen. To move between photos, move your mouse cursor to the far left or right of your screen and click on the white arrow that appears. To return to the Lincoln Squirrel, click the “x” in the upper right of your screen.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”10″ gal_title=”Snow sculptures 2015″]

News acorns – 2/2/15

Left to right: Evan Lee, Katherine Feng, John Dale and Jada Edwards.

Left to right: Evan Lee, Katherine Feng, John Dale and Jada Edwards.

Lincoln School students excel

At a January 31 audition, four Lincoln School music students qualified for the Eastern District Music Festival in March: violinist and concert mistress Katherine Feng and second violinist Evan Lee (orchestra), second trumpet John Dale (band) and soprano II Jada Edwards (chorus). Also auditioning were Kent Mashimo, Kevin Sheppard, Tara O’Malley, Jaelynn Rodney and Colin Christian.

Students in the Lincoln School’s Model UN extension were recognized for excellence at events in recent weeks. At the United Nations Association of Greater Boston (UNAGB) conference at Northeastern University for over 450 students, Lincoln seventh-graders Tara O’Malley and Darcy Flaherty were assigned to the World Health Organization (WHO) committee. As delegates from South Korea, they received a perfect score for their position paper on pandemic response. Eighth-graders Elena Christenfeld and Irene Terpstra and seventh-grader Keith Hylton, representing Nigeria, were also in the WHO committee. They earned Best Delegation award—the highest award possible—for a combination of the work they did on their position paper and negotiating skills during the conference. Then at the December Invitational Model United Nations (DIMUN), 80 students from all over New England had to respond to a pandemic outbreak using real-time information that would change the experience throughout the day for students. At the end of the day, Irene received one of six awards for Best Negotiator.

Six Lincoln School students made honor roll in the AMC-8 exam sponsored by the American Mathematics Competition. The Lincoln School also made the the School Honor Roll, which is unusual for such a small school. The awardees were seventh-grader Zachary Tam (distinguished honor roll); honor roll awardees were eighth-graders Irene Terpstra and Howie Tsang, and seventh-graders Laura Appleby, Piper Bau and Collin Graf.

Downton Abbey finale screening at Pierce House on Feb. 22

For the second year in a row, the pleasure of your company is requested by the Pierce House Committee at a screening party for the final episode of Season Five of Downtown Abbey on Sunday, Feb. 22 from 7-10 p.m. Join your fellow Lincoln Downton-ophiles to watch the popular drama together in the elegant parlor of historic Pierce House. Hats and gloves optional; tea, champagne and sweets will be served. Admission contribution is $10 at the door. Seating is limited, so contact Virginia Rundell (vq@verizon.net or 781-259-0201) to reserve your place now.

Letter to the editor: Kinder Morgan in Colorado

letter

To the editor:

Peggy Flint, a childhood Lincoln friend whose family is still in Lincoln, just forwarded the “Letter to the editor: gas pipeline concerns” [Lincoln Squirrel, Jan. 23, 2015]. A granddaughter of George Grosvenor Tarbell (1886–1968), I grew up in Lincoln from 1941 to 1958. Peggy Flint and I rode our horses on “the pipeline,” not knowing or caring at the time that it was part of Kinder Morgan’s operations.

Now I’m living in southwest Colorado—Montezuma County, atop the McElmo Dome, which contains the greatest concentration of CO2 in the world (according to Kinder Morgan). For the last 15 years, life in this agricultural area, which also has the highest concentration of ancestral Pueblan archaeological sites in the U.S. (Canyons of the Ancients National Monument), has been very pleasant. Most of the land is publicly owned and managed by the BLM [Bureau of Land Management], and much of the remaining private land has had the mineral rights sold off. To a relatively minor extent, oil, natural gas, uranium, and CO2 exploration and extraction have been going on for decades. But in the last two years, Kinder Morgan [KM] has been conducting subsurface studies to determine optimal locations at which to drill for CO2. There are now half a dozen CO2 wells within a couple of miles of my little house, and, according to whomever one listens to, plans for another two dozen more or less, in the good agricultural fields around me. The CO2 is piped to Texas, where it is injected into old oil wells, in order to extract more oil.

I have asked KM personnel several times why atmospheric CO2 cannot be captured rather than extracting more from below ground. The answer is, as one would expect, “too expensive.” A few years ago when fracking issues first presented in and threatened our community, I asked a KM official about responsible disposal of used (produced) fracking fluids. He told me the technology is available to inject and extract fracking fluids at the drilling site, then recycle it by means of a closed system moveable device/machine, which can travel from well to well. This technology, I was told, is “too expensive,” so open-air settling ponds are the preferred (cheapest) disposal method for used fracking fluids. KM injects their used fracking fluid into deep drilled wells (disposal wells)—probably less worse than settling ponds. They claim it doesn’t affect aquifers and potable water supplies…

My experience with KM until recently has been that they have more respect for the environment, archaeology, agriculture and other aspects of life than other extraction and mining companies. That said, it seems to me that the entirety of the extraction and mining industries, including the transportation of their products, needs ongoing examination, reasoned public input and well-considered regulation. Pipelines themselves aren’t the problem, but rather, extensions of the primary problems.

At least there are new beginnings—people beginning to recognize some of the problems and becoming involved, hopefully toward better solutions.

Sincerely,

Nancy Tarbell Carman
Pleasant View, Colo.

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.