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

Halloween-themed events coming up

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LFA pumpkin decorating and parade

The Lincoln Family Association is sponsoring two events at Codman Community Farms: pumpkin decorating on Wednesday, Oct. 15 and a Halloween parade on Sunday, Oct. 26. These are LFA member events. For more information on joining, see the LFA’s membership web page.

Girl Scouts host Pumpkin Fair

The Lincoln Girl Scouts will hold its third annual Pumpkin Fair on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 2-5 p.m. Proceeds to benefit our troops. We will also have fresh baked goods, face painting and more. Rain date is Sunday, Oct. 19 at the same time. For questions please contact jillharrison@me.com.

“Tales of the Night” at Drumlin

Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary is once again hosting “Tales of the Night,” a special Halloween-themed celebration with tricks and treats appropriate for the whole family, on Thursday and Friday, October 23 and 24 from 6:30-9 p.m.

“Tales of the Night” activities target everyone from young toddlers to teens. “We offer fun activities that provide the thrills that older kids are looking for and a Nursery Rhyme trail for little ones on the lower end of the ‘fright-o-meter’ as well,” said Drumlin Farm Sanctuary Director Christy Foote-Smith. Visitors can enjoy a special haunted hayride, get up close to insects in the Creepy Critter Mansion, or meet their favorite storybook characters on the Nursery Rhyme Trail. Witches’ brew, spider cider, and tasty treats can be purchased and enjoyed while you peruse a display of more than 100 jack-o’-lanterns or learn about nocturnal wildlife from Drumlin Farm teacher naturalists.

Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. Tickets are $11 per person if purchased on or before October 23. Tickets purchased on the days of the event are $13 per person and may be bought online at massaudubon.org/drumlinfarm or by calling 781-259-2206.

Trunk or Treat!

Bring young children and the whole family on Wednesday, Oct. 29 from 5-6 p.m. to “Trunk or Treat” in the roped-off parking lot behind the Brooks gym, where kids incostume can stroll safely among vans and trucks decorated in a variety of fun themes. Games and treats as well. Sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department. For details, call 781-259-0784.

New School Committee member named

schoolThe School Committee and the Board of Selectmen jointly voted last week to appoint Peter Borden as the interim School Committee member. Borden will serve as an appointed member until town elections in late March.

Borden replaces Tom Sander, who stepped down in September. Other candidates for the interim position were Vin Cannistraro, Lisa Freedman, Philip Greenspun, Randy Harrison, Caitlin Hogu and Aldis Russell.

Foggy morning (Lincoln through the lens, 10/11/14)

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Codman Road between Lincoln Road and and Route 126 on a foggy morning. —Photo by Julie Sax

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.

Letter to the editor: Support Sharon Antia

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To the editor:

I have only met Ms. Antia briefly, but I am confident that she will be more responsive to her constituents than Tom Stanley has been. I’ve followed Stanley’s voting record for the past few years and have marveled at his weird choices. How could we have voted for this guy? His views seem so far from the everyday politics of my Lincoln neighbors. (True, his father was mayor of Waltham for years and years, so his name is almost synonymous with our neighboring city.)

I truly hope we’ll get a chance to hear more from Sharon Antia in a public forum, where she’ll be a great contrast to Mr. Stanley.

Sincerely,

Diana Abrashkin
181 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.

Letter to the editor: Political signs being stolen

letter

To the editor:

Political candidate lawn signs that comply with town policy are being stolen.

Judging by experiences in this and the past few elections, and in spite of frequent publication in local media, there seems to be a lack of understanding or appreciation regarding political signs. A policy was issued by the town of Lincoln in August 2012. In the words of the town officials, this policy was developed to recognize the historical practice of town residents in the apparent interest of restraint, fair play and courtesy, and to be consistent with statewide legal precedent protecting free speech. Following are the key points.

One political sign may be placed by right on private land, not to exceed 8 square feet and for no more than 180 days prior to the election. Political signs can be held by right (without a permit) on town-owned land as long as they don’t impact safety or constitute a hazard for either motorists or pedestrians. Unattended political signs can be placed by right on town-owned land at the designated intersections in Section 16.2 (d) of the Zoning Bylaw. These five locations are at the intersections of:

  • Sandy Pond Road and Lincoln Road
  • Ballfield Road and Lincoln Road
  • Lincoln Road and South Great Road
  • Bedford Road and Morningside Lane
  • Codman Road and Concord Road

It was noted at the time that the historical practice or habit of town residents has been to limit the display of these political signs to one week before election, a practice that political campaigns and candidate supporters are expected to respect. It should also be noted that such political signs are the private property of the relevant candidate’s campaign and the resident on whose property the sign has been placed. As such, vandalism and/or unauthorized removal is illegal.

I hope this will clarify misunderstandings and become fully appreciated by town residents and campaign supporters alike.

Sincerely,

Gary Davis
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 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.

Coming up in the arts in Lincoln

William Lamson, Untitled, 2014

William Lamson, Untitled, 2014 (click to enlarge)

deCordova winter exhibits opening

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum’s first winter exhibit this year, PLATFORM 15: Oscar Tuazon, Partners, opened on October 8 and will be up until Sept. 1, 2015. Two more winter exhibits, Walden, revisited (featuring works by contemporary artists inspired by Walden Pond and Henry David Thoreau) and The Social Medium (largely inspired by a recent gift of one of Andy Warhol’s Little Red Books) open on October 31 and run through April.

 

Organ concert “Live in Lincoln Center” on Oct. 19

The First Parish Church will host a concert celebrating the renovation and expansion of its 1970 Noack 2-manual, 19-stop tracker organ on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. Ian Watson, organ virtuoso and resident conductor of the Handel & Haydn Society as well as director of music at First Parish, will display the organ’s euphonious capabilities as he plays works by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Viernes. Accompanying the organ will be Amy Watson, violin, and Guy Fishman, cello.

Seating is limited and is first-come, first seated; doors will open at 2:30 p.m. A reception will follow the performance. Suggested donation is $20 per person. but any amount is appreciated. At this event, the church will also offer a CD of the May 2014″Via Vivaldi” concert as a thank-you gift (while they last) to our most generous donors—those who contribute double the suggested donation.

Please mark your calendar for our winter concert, when Arcadia Players perform The Messiah at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20.

The Wednesdays come to Lincoln on Monday

The Wednesdays will play a half-hour set at about 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20 at the Lincoln Public Library as part of the LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mic Acoustic) series, which takes place once a month starting at 7:30 p.m.

In two short years, The Wednesdays (Meg Smallidge and Jeff Harris) have made a strong impression in the Boston-area folk/Americana scene with sold-out appearances at clubs such as Passim, Lizard Lounge and Sally O’Brien’s.  Their heartfelt, catchy tunes are supported by close harmonies and well-choreographed guitar and piano work from Meg and Jeff.  Their first CD, Red Letter Day, was issued last year. You can hear some of their songs on their Soundcloud page.

LOMA is a monthly event of acoustic music and spoken word. Performers can sign up at the event or email Rich Eilbert at loma3re@gmail.com before noon of the open-mike day for a slot. Names of those who are signed up by 7:15 p.m. will be drawn at random. We have a sound system with mikes and instrumental pickups suitable for individuals or small groups playing acoustic-style. Local high school and college-age residents are encouraged to perform and/or listen to their friends play acoustically. We expect everyone will have a chance to perform one or two pieces. Refreshments will be served.

Learn how art and landscape intersect

Sue Klem, local author and Lincoln Land Conservation Trust trustee, will lead a tour through the deCordova Sculpture Park on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. The tour will focus on the art and how geologic history formed the landscape on which it’s placed. Admission is free for Lincoln residents.

Peter Sugar

Peter Sugar signs copies of his new book

Longtime Lincoln resident and architect Peter Sugar will sign copies of his new book of pen-and-ink drawings, Impressions of Italy, on Sunday, Oct. 26 from 4-6 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library. Copies of the book, as well as his earlier Impressions of Lincoln, can be purchased from Sugar’s website.

 

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Sandeep Das and Mike Block of the Silk Road Ensemble (click to enlarge).

Silk Road Ensemble concert on Nov. 16

The Birches School presents a Silk Road family concert with musicians from Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 3:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Sandeep Das (Indian tabla drums) and Mike Block (cello) will also explain their instruments and the musical traditions of the Silk Road as those traditions are interpreted and transformed by the Silk Road Ensemble. Admission is free. Supported by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council.

 

 

Lincoln through the lens – 10/9/14

A tree in its autumn finery across from the Lincoln Town Office Building. —Photo by Harold McAleer

A tree in its autumn finery across from the Lincoln Town Office Building. —Photo by Harold McAleer

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing it to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit. 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.

Follow-up: contact for Tom Stanley

ballotA reader of the letter to the editor by independent State Representative candidate and Lincoln resident Sharon Antia has asked the Lincoln Squirrel to post Rep. Tom Stanley’s contact information, which is as follows:

There’s more information on about Stanley on his Massachusetts legislature profile page. Information about Antia can be found on her Democracy.com web page.

Letter to the editor: Antia challenges Stanley to debate

Editor’s note: See a profile of Antia in the Lincoln Squirrel, June 10, 2014.

letter

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.