By Alice Waugh
Residents got their first glimpse of some cost options for repairing and renovating the Lincoln School at a School Building Advisory Committee forum on September 16.
News acorns – 9/18/14
Open house features Lincoln Minute Men, refurbished historic home
At an open house on Saturday, Sept. 20, the Lincoln Minute Men will do musket-firing demonstrations at 10 a.m., noon and 1 p.m., as well as drills for children, fife and drum music, and demonstrations of sewing, spinning and colonial clothing throughout the day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will take place at the Captain William Smith House in the Minute Man National Historical Park on Route 2A near Bedford Road (park in the Hartwell Tavern lot).
Lincoln Minute Men (soldiers, musicians and townspeople) will greet the public in colonial attire and welcome them into the Smith House, which has been refurbished thanks to the concerted effort of the Lincoln Minute Men and the support of friends through donations. The Minute Men worked with the National Park to locate and donate items similar to those that might have been found on that day in the three ground floor rooms of a New England house: the formal parlor, the keeping room and the kitchen. Come and see the walking wheel for spinning wool, the infant’s cradle with reproduction tick and blanket, the kitchen cupboard stocked with redware and pewter, items for cooking on the hearth, a tilt-top table set for tea, a gate-leg table set for Catharine and William’s dinner, a desk where the Smiths could pay bills and write correspondence, and much more.
Also open to the public on September 20 are two other “witness houses” to the events of April 19, 1775: the Hartwell Tavern, where there will be demonstrations of historic crafts and trades, and the Col. James Barrett House in Concord, where His Majesty’s 63rd Regiment of Foot will be displaying British uniforms of the period.
Joint meeting on hospice this Thursday
A sketch of the latest site plan for the Care Dimensions hospice facility (click to enlarge).
Two Lincoln land-use groups will continue their review of a proposal for an 18-bed hospice facility on Winter Street at a joint meeting on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Office Building.
Care Dimensions of Danvers originally proposed a 42,400-square-foot facility straddling the Lincoln/Waltham town line but scaled it back last spring after residents and town officials said it was too big (see the Lincoln Squirrel, March 26, 2014). The nonprofit company later submitted a scaled-down 27,600-square-foot plan with 64 parking spots rather than the original 89. On Thursday, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Board will hear the latest information, including a report from a peer review consultant who has been reviewing drainage plans and other engineering issues.
The Planning Board will continue its public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 23 to review lighting and landscaping and “clean up any other site details,” said Director of Planning and Land Use Chris Reilly. The ZBA will probably close its hearing on October 2 and may vote on the proposal that night.
Just plain nuts (Lincoln through the lens, 9/16/14)
Alice Waugh, editor of the Lincoln Squirrel, gets ready to spread the word at the September 10 PTO picnic about how the Squirrel keeps residents abreast of Lincoln news. (9/13/14)
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.
Conservation events scheduled
The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust has scheduled the following events in September and October.
Fall Plant Walk
Thursday, September 18 at 10 a.m.
As a follow-up to her spring plant walk, local botany enthusiast Ellen Meadors will lead a walk to observe and talk about the wonderful native flowers that bloom as fall approaches. Dress for the weather. Please park and meet at the horse riding ring off of Weston Road near the intersection of Silver Hill Road and Weston Road. This is a free program.
Early Fall Foliage Ramble: Stonehedge Road to Weston Town Forest
Saturday, October 4 from 10 a.m. to noon (meet near the mailbox at 49 Stonehedge Road)
Join Michele Grzenda, local naturalist and Weston’s Conservation Agent, on an early fall foliage walk through Lincoln and Weston conservation land. Participants should be prepared to walk approximately 3 miles over uneven terrain and dress for the weather. Due to limited parking, group size is limited to 20. RSVP required; please click here to sign up or visit lincolnconservation.org.
Living with Black Bears
Monday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m., Bemis Hall
Presenter: Laura (Hajduk) Conlee, Black Bear Project Leader, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Spend an evening with MassWildife expert Laura Conlee to learn about black bears. Find out where bears are common, get advice on the best actions to take when you see a bear, and take away some valuable tips on how to be a good neigh-bear!
Scarecrow Classic 5K Walk/Run
Sunday, Oct. 19 at 9:30 a.m.
Run, walk or volunteer at the second annual Scarecrow Classic 5K road and trail race starting at the Mall at Lincoln Station. All proceeds go to support the work of the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust. Register at www.scarecrowclassic5k.com or call the LLCT at 781-259-9251 for more information.
Letter to the editor: Exploring the need for a community center in Lincoln
Editor’s note: for background information about the community center, see the Lincoln Squirrel, July 31, 2014.
To the editor:
In May, the Board of Selectmen appointed the Community Center Study Committee (CCSC) to evaluate the concept of a new community center for Lincoln. Their charge requires that we evaluate options for the long and short-term facilities needs of the Parks & Recreation Department and Council on Aging. That evaluation will include what succeeds and what fails with respect to their current locations. Many towns recognize the value of a facility serving both populations and as a central gathering place for all residents. Our goal is to make this evaluative process comprehensive, open and transparent.
On Wednesday, October 8 from 6-9 p.m., we will hold a town-wide planning charrette at Hartwell School Pod B. Everyone is encouraged to attend and participate. Refreshments will be served. You can attend for the entire evening or come and go as you please. We are seeking residents’ views on what form a community center might take in Lincoln and where it should be located.
[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: Exploring the need for a community center in Lincoln
“Lincoln Through the Lens” debuts
Today the Lincoln Squirrel is pleased to introduce a new feature called “Lincoln Through the Lens.” Readers may submit photos for consideration; if your photo is published, you’ll receive credit. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and any names of people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.
Take THAT!
Sally Kindleberger pummels a well-upholstered Lincoln Police Officer Ian Spencer during a workshop on self-defense given by the police at the Council on Aging in late August. The popular classes have been offered periodically since late last year (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Jan. 13, 2014), and new classes will begin on October 28. —Photos by Harold McAleer
News acorns – 9/14/14
Public forum on school project this week
The School Building Advisory Committee will hold the first of four public forums on Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 7-9 p.m. in the Smith gym as part of the planning process for Lincoln School renovations and/or additions (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Sept. 8, 2014). The forums will be iterative in nature, beginning with a discussion of cost estimates of renovation components and moving through the development of a range of solutions.
More on election (and a correction)
According to the Boston Globe’s town-by-town map of the September 10 primary results, Lincoln was one of only five mainland towns east of Worcester where the majority voted for Don Berwick for governor. The other four were Concord, Carlisle, Upton and Wellfleet. The only other towns east of Worcester that went for Berwick were West Tisbury, Chilmar, Aquinnah (all on Martha’s Vineyard), and the densely populated town of Gosnold, which comprises the Elizabeth Islands including Cuttyhunk. Berwick won 40 percent of the Gosnold vote, while 30 percent each went for Coakley and Grossman. That’s four, three and three votes respectively.
In the Lincoln Squirrel story about the September 10 primary election, several figures in the state-wide percentage column were transposed. The errors have been fixed in the original post.
News acorns – 9/10/14
Codman Community Farm dinner and harvest fair on Sept. 20-21
Spend a beautiful evening at Codman Community Farm on Saturday, Sept. 20 beginning at 5 p.m. and enjoy a dinner catered by Blue Ribbon Barbecue and dessert pies by Verrill Farms. This is a great way to enjoy and support Lincoln’s own community farm. Tickets are on sale now and need to be purchased in advance. Buy tickets online or call 781-259-0456.
On Sunday, Sept. 21 from 1-4 p.m., come to Codman’s old-fashioned country fair with food, games, family contests, and a rooster run. Admission is $5 at the door, and tickets to play and eat are available at the fair. Adult volunteers to help on the day of the fair are most appreciated. Take a shift or lend a hand in any way you can. Call the farm at 781-259-0456 or email info@codmanfarm.org.
Garden Club tea
All Lincoln residents are invited to a Lincoln Garden Club tea on Monday, September 29 at 11 a.m. at the home of Janet Ganson at 55 Baker Bridge Rd. Come learn about the Lincoln Garden Club and its activities and meet some members. Please RSVP to Susan Seeley (781-259-0841) or Ann Parke (781-259-0276), or email membership@lincolngardenclub.org.
Obituary
William King, 82 (August 28)
Get a benefits checkup with the COA
Would you like to know what government programs you might be eligible for that you might be missing? Call the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811 to make an appointment to come down and have a benefits checkup courtesy of BenefitsCheckUp.org. You can fill out a form at home, and then bring it in so that one of the COA staff can enter it into a special program developed by the National Council on Aging. You’ll then learn which among the nearly 200 programs covered by BenefitsCheckUp you may qualify for. Programs include Social Security, Alzheimer’s programs, caregiver and respite services, education and employment programs, help with housing and foreclosures, pension assistance, Medicare and other health insurance, health care and dental services, programs for those with disabilities, transportation programs and more.