Image courtesy DeathCafe.com.
By Alice Waugh
Death, like sex and money, is not usually considered a topic for frank conversation in America. But an event in Lincoln later this month aims to challenge and overcome that reluctance.
Editor’s note: See a profile of Antia in the Lincoln Squirrel, June 10, 2014.
To the editor:
My name is Sharon Antia, and I am the independent candidate for State Representative in the Ninth Middlesex District in Massachusetts. This district includes Lincoln as well as Waltham wards and precincts 1, 2, 3, 4.1, 5.2, 6.1 and 7.1.
I am writing to let everyone know that my opponent, Tom Stanley, will not participate in a candidate forum. Forums provide voters the opportunity to hear and candidates the opportunity to express, their views. By refusing to engage, he is depriving citizens the chance to observe, compare and contrast their options for representation in Boston.
I urge you to contact Mr. Stanley and ask him to engage in a candidate forum. November 4th is drawing close, and I would very much like the opportunity to come before you and have our voices heard.
Sincerely,
Sharon Antia
165 South Great 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 Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.
Lincoln residents are invited to learn more about Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary‘s planned New England Wildlife Explorations (NEWE) exhibit at one of two behind-the-scenes tours (adults only, please) of Drumlin’s wildlife exhibits and wildlife care facility on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m.
[Read more…] about Drumlin Farm hosts behind-the scenes wildlife tours
Drumlin Farm offers winter CSA programRegistration for the winter Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program at Drumlin Farm is now open. Winter CSA shareholders will receive eight distributions from early November through mid-February of vegetables from the Drumlin Farm root cellar, including garlic, onions, brussels sprouts, cabbage, potatoes, sweet potatoes, radishes, beets, winter squash and more. Drumlin Farm offers full share, half-share and work share options, with greens share (fresh lettuce, arugula, and Asian greens from the greenhouse), egg share, and other add-on opportunities. Those with work shares, which are available for both the full and half-share options, commit to work with us for eight hours during October and early November for a $50 discount on the regular winter share.
Share pickups are Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m. The winter CSA at Drumlin Farm always sells out, so register early. Register online or download a registration form and mail with payment to CSA Coordinator, Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, 208 South Great Road, Lincoln MA, 01773. To register for a work share, please contact our CSA Coordinator at dfgrower@massaudubon.org.
The next Friends of the Lincoln Public Library (FOLL) book sale is on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 9 a.m. to noon in Bemis Hall. Check out the selection of good-quality scary fiction, non-fiction and children’s books and support the library. Hardbacks are $1, paperbacks are 50 cents, and a grocery bag full of books is only $10 Gift-quality books are individually priced. Book sales occur on the second Saturday of each month except August. Donate used books in good condition in collection bin in the vestibule at Bemis Hall. If you have valuable antique or collectable books you’d like to donate, please email FOLL@lincolntown.org. The FOLL cannot accept donations of magazines, textbooks, or materials with mold or writing in them.
There are still spaces available in the two free self-defense sessions for women run by the Lincoln Police Department in October and November. Each session will be two nights for three hours each night. On the first night, participants will talk about general safety and then begin practicing physical self-defense moves like strikes, blocks, kicks, and knee strikes. On the second night, an officer suit up in a padded suit will “attack” participants, who will use moves to escape. This part of the course is intense but empowering.
If you have any questions or want to sign up, please email Jena Salon at jenasalon@gmail.com
St. Anne’s in-the-Fields welcomes everyone for Taizé Evening Prayer with Communion on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. We’ll gather for meditative song, scripture contemplation and periods of silence in the manner of the Taizé monastic community in Taizé, France. Designed by our teen pilgrims Anna Hubbell, Nina Haines and Caleb Smith, who traveled to Taizé last February and supported by a quartet of professional singers, this candlelit service is sure to be a gift of stillness and beauty. Offered monthly, this late-afternoon series is open to all who wish to gather in meditation and prayer, regardless of faith background. Each month we explore innovative ways of worshiping together characterized by a range of prayer practices and a variety of musical expression. Worship will be followed by a simple supper served Taizé style. Young and old alike are welcome. All are welcome to St. Anne’s for the service and afterwards for food and conversation
The Lincoln Public Library is offering “Jump Into Improv!” for kids in grades 4-7 on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on October 21 through December 9. During improv exercises, participants create characters and stories and act them out. Learn acting games and skills. No previous experience needed, and no lines or staging to learn—just lots of fun, laughter and creativity. The class will be taught by actor/teacher Sally Kindleberger. To register, visit or call the library at 781-259-8465.
Anyone on Medicare as well as their family members and other caregivers should plan to attend the sessions on “Medicare 2015 Updates” and “What You Need to Know to Change Plans” on Friday, Oct. 24 at 10 a.m. in Bemis Hall. The event offers an opportunity to find out changes in Medicare’s benefits and costs, as well as get information directly from supplemental insurance companies, the state’s Prescription Advantage program, and the town’s Veterans Services Officer. The program will be presented by Don Milan and Anne Meade, Lincoln’s SHINE counselors, along with staff from Minuteman SHINE, the health benefits counseling program. It is co-sponsored by the Lincoln Council on Aging and Minuteman SHINE. It is especially important to learn up-to-date Medicare information now, because this year’s open enrollment period (the primary opportunity to change plans) is October 15 to December 7. After that time, people with Medicare Advantage plans (HMO and PPO), and people with Part D prescription coverage may only change plans under special circumstances such moving, losing your employer’s coverage, etc.
A still from Levey’s latest video, “Lincoln Wildlife: The Month in Review.” See more of his videos on his website, The Natural World.
By Alice Waugh
In a town already well known for its love of nature and wildlife, Lincoln resident Norman Levey offers a breathtaking new view of the natural world with the videos on his blog, The Natural World, including his latest effort—an immersion in the sights and sounds of summer called “Lincoln Wildlife: The Month in Review.”
[Read more…] about Resident documents wildlife with stunning videos
To the editor:
It’s time to stop litter and clean up Massachusetts!
A “yes” vote on Question 2 will update the successful 30-year-old beverage container deposit law, also known as the Bottle Bill, to require bottles of water, iced tea and sports drink to have the same 5-cent deposit currently on soda and beer bottles. These newer bottles litter our ballfields, our beaches and parks, and our city streets.
There is widespread support for updating the bottle bill from the public, including organizations such as Sierra Club and Mass Audubon, and over 200 city and towns that passed resolutions to update the bottle bill and 400 businesses that endorsed the updated bottle bill.
Currently, 80 percent of containers with a deposit are recycled, while only 23 percent of containers without a deposit, such as water and sports drinks bottles, are recycled. The remaining 77 percent become litter or end up in landfills.
When we began returning bottles and cans for a deposit over 30 years ago, soda and beer bottles were all that we had to worry about. It’s time to update the bill so beverages which have come on the market more recently, like water bottles and sports drinks, will also be recycled. Updating the Bottle Bill will save our cities and towns about $6.7 million a year—or an average of $1 per person in our state—in litter pickup and trash disposal costs. It will also mean less waste going to landfills and incinerators. Saving money for our communities is a common-sense action that helps everyone. And any unclaimed deposits will go to a state fund earmarked for recycling and environmental purposes.
I strongly urge Lincoln residents to join in me voting yes on Question 2!
Christy Foote-Smith
Director, Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary
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.
By Alice Waugh
Programmatic flexibility, opportunities for collaboration, and a connection to the community and the outdoor environment are among the key educational values that support the need for a Lincoln School building project, Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall told officials at a multiboard meeting on September 30.
Also at the meeting, architects from Dore & Whittier presented an analysis of the results of a charrette held at a September 16 meeting where about 70 residents broke into teams and identified key issues and priorities for a project, as well as what they thought would define a successful project.
[Read more…] about McFall outlines educational needs for school
Due to problems that some have experienced in trying to register for the Ralph Nader talk on November 9 (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Sept. 22, 2014), the link has been changed. Please click on this Google form to register.
St. Anne’s parishioners (left to right) Franklin Maddux, Mary Kitses, Dugan Maddux and Joan Perera.
All creatures have a place at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Church this Sunday, Oct. 5, when humans and animals come together to celebrate the Feast of St. Francis, the patron saint of all God’s creatures. We’ll 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.
St. Francis was born in 1182 in Assisi, Italy. At age 24, he embraced poverty and dedicated his life to serving the sick and the poor. Francis’ tenderness of heart overflowed to loving all of creation, including animals, birds and insects.
Bring the kids and come along to the annual Build-a-Scarecrow at Stonegate Gardens on Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 1-4 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. This year we will be displaying the scarecrows on the Lincoln School grounds. For $15, Stonegate will provide hay, twine, markers, stakes and instructions. Parents provide a pillowcase for head and some old clothing and accessories to dress your scarecrow. Children will have the option to label their scarecrow for all their friends to admire! All proceeds go the Lincoln PTO. Note: parental supervision is required.
On Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room, unlock Boston’s history of murder and suspense at a narrated slideshow presented by Boston by Foot that captures a few of the city’s most exciting and bizarre events. Revisit the molasses flood, the Brink’s robbery and the murder of George Parkman. Guaranteed to entertain and mystify.
FoMA offers tour of four period Lincoln housesFriends of Modern Architecture/Lincoln (FoMA/Lincoln) is hosting the Peirce Hill Historic Houses Tour, an afternoon stroll through history on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 2-5 p.m. (rain or shine) in a one-time-only architectural tour of four period homes in one of Lincoln’s most documented historic neighborhoods. The houses include a pre-Revolutionary War 1731 Colonial; a quirky 1895 Queen Anne style house that was built from a Sears, Roebuck & Co. plan; a warm Early Modern house built in 1937 and renovated twice since then; and a 1958 Late Modern house designed by prominent Boston architect George W.W. Brewster and set on the crest of a hill. Visitors can also meet the creative homeowners and discover how they live in their historic houses.
Tickets are $50 apiece or $75 for a couple and must be purchased in advance online. For more information and a link for buying tickets, see this FoMA/Lincoln website.
In October, the Lincoln Public Library is the place for films from India. Last year we celebrated the centenary of Indian cinema, which, while older than the nation itself, continues to turn up exciting and thought-provoking surprises.
Mumbai is the home of India’s Hindi-language film industry, commonly known as Bollywood, which produces over 1,000 films (and sells more than 3.5 billion tickets) annually. With a giant like that—purveyor of glamorous stars, elaborate song sequences, and narrative incomprehensibility—dominating film production in India, it is not surprising that the more artistic, independent and socially engaged films get overlooked. “Beyond Bollywood ’14: The Many Faces of Indian Art Cinema” attempts to right that wrong by highlighting the overlooked.
To the editor:
For the first time in many years, Lincoln has an opportunity to complete a long-held dream of many citizens by the addition of a multigenerational community center on a Lincoln community campus.
Lincoln first expressed the dream in 1932 and began its long tradition of celebrating diversity and inclusion with one small step—it built a ballfield. An anonymous donor, believing the town needed a place for the townsfolk of all ages and from all walks of life to come together and celebrate community, gifted a sum of money to allow the town to purchase the land that now forms the center field of the school campus. The field was deeded to the town, to be overseen by the Board of Selectman. The field became home of Lincoln’s semipro baseball team, the Mohawks.
[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: Celebrate inclusion with community center