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

Letter to the editor: Uphold First Parish decision

letter

(Editor’s note: The First Parish Church will go before the Zoning Board of Appeals on June 19 to appeal the Planning Board’s denial of the its request to extend one side of the Stearns Room—see the Lincoln Squirrel, May 15, 2014.)

To the editor:

Ever since the 1700s, Lincoln residents have been concerned about development pressures and carefully crafted thoughtful mechanisms to preserve their beloved agrarian community. In the 1730s, area farmers led by the Flint family began a lengthy effort to separate and remain agrarian. The first step was to convince the Great and General Court that there was a need to be a distinct, self-governing community. The key lay in establishing that travel to existing parishes was prohibitive during certain seasons. Thus, they should be able to create their own parish, easily accessible to area farmers. Land was donated by the Flint family for both a parish building and for a cemetery.

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News acorns

Town Clerk intern sought

Massport is sponsoring a paid summer internship in the Town Clerk’s office this summer for a period of six weeks starting July 7. Qualified candidates should be 16 or older, computer adept, and able and willing to work independently. The position is for 20 hours per week and must be filled by or before Friday, June 27. If interested, please call the Town Clerk’s office at 781-259-2607.

 Self-defense class for teen girls

The Lincoln Police will be hosting a teen female self-defense class on August 9 and 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Carroll School on Baker Bridge Road. The class is primarily aimed at girls who are about to start college, but others are welcome as long as space is available. As of today, there are four spaces left. Anyone interested in participating should contact Jena Salon at 215-514-5963 or jenasalon@gmail.com.

bjork plaque

The plaque commemorating Betty Bjork outside the Lincoln School’s computer lab (click to enlarge).

Former teachers makes the Hall of Fame

Former Lincoln teacher Betty Bjork will be inducted into the Association of Teachers of Mathematics in Massachusetts (ATMIM) Hall of Fame. Betty’s husband Al will accept the award on Betty’s behalf. Superintendent Becky McFall will represent the Lincoln Public Schools at the ceremony on June 30.

At the Lincoln School, Bjork served as assistant principal, mathematics supervisor and computer coordinator. From 1964-1974, Bjork worked with Robert B. Davis, a renowned mathematics educator, on the innovative Madison Project curriculum. As reported in her obituary in the Lincoln (Maine) County News, she was a leader in the 1908s in implementation of computer technology in the classroom. In 1985, she founded and directed the EdCo Computer Center, a resource center for teachers and administrators in the Boston area. She was also a partner in the Education Technology Center at Harvard University.

Bjork and her husband moved to Lincoln in 1967 and later lived in New Harbor, Maine. She died in 2007 at age 70.

 

Sharon Antia.

Sharon Antia

Meet state rep candidate Sharon Antia on June 27

Lincoln resident and candidate for State Representative Sharon Antia is hosting a Listen and Learn session at the Whistle Stop on Friday, June 27 from 12-1:30 p.m (See the profile of Antia in the Lincoln Squirrel, June 10, 2014.)

 

 

 

Ise Gropius

Ise Gropius

See and learn about Gropius jewelry

Historic New England associate curator Laura Johnson will give a talk on “Small But Perfect Things: The Style and Jewelry Collection of Ise Gropius” on Friday and Saturday, June 27 and 28 from 7-9 p.m. at the Gropius House (68 Baker Bridge Rd.). the talk will touch on Ise Gropius’s stylistic trendsetting and collection of unique designs using intriguing modern materials. Join an intimate gathering on a summer evening at the Gropius House for light refreshments, a talk, and evening house tour with special examples of jewelry on view.

Tickets are $25 for Historic New England members and $35 for nonmembers. Space is limited and registration is required. Please call 781-259-8098 for more information or buy tickets online at www.historicnewengland.org.

 

Community Center exploration moves forward

communitySix residents and three town officials have been named to the new Community Center Study Committee, and the town is advertising for a consultant to look at various options for a facility to house groups including the Council on Aging and the Parks and Recreation Department.

The request for proposals from consultants is the next step in a process that began with a study and report by the Community Center Feasibility Study Committee in 2012 and a discussion at the State of the Town meeting in fall 2013 (see the Lincoln Squirrel, November 3, 2012).

While Park and Rec is satisfied with its current location in the pods, the buildings are getting old and will need repairs soon. The Council on Aging has outgrown its Bemis Hall headquarters, which also lack private consultation areas. There are also parking and safety issues, since visitors who park across the street in the church lot must cross Bedford Road to enter Bemis

The committee’s report looked at several possible sites for a community center, though it did not evaluate them in detail. Those sites are the administration building and pods in the Hartwell side of the school campus, the Smith school building, the Pierce House, The Groves (now The Commons), Farrington Memorial, the First Parish Church, Lincoln Woods on Wells Road, the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, and Lewis Street.

For a base price of $55,000, the town is looking for a consultant to do a “detailed evaluation of the benefits, challenges, and costs of the options” as well as any other options they might identify, according to the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) published by the Board of Selectmen on June 11. Firms have until June 30 to submit proposals.

Town officials hope to have “concept-level plans/options” to present to the community at the State of the Town Meeting in the fall. The consultant will develop schematic design and cost estimates for “the option(s) deemed by the Selectmen based on feedback from the community, to be the most viable and attractive options” to be presented for discussion at the Annual Town Meeting in March 2015. The consultant is also responsible for helping the new committee hold public workshops and hearings as necessary.

Film group offers movies about bicycles

movie reelDuring June and July, the Lincoln Library Film Society will present “Wheels on Reels: A Festival of Films About Bicycling.” Bikes are not just a means of transportation; they can also signify a livelihood, an identity, a way of life, and the empowerment of the human body. Hop on your slick road racer or dust off the old commuter and come for a ride through the many characters of the bicycle.

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Residents invited to join Fourth of July parade

flagThe Parks and Recreation Department’s 2o14 Events Subcommittee Parade Crew is inviting all Lincolnites to participate in the annual July 4 parade. This year’s parade theme is “Lincoln: Something to Crow About!” to celebrate Lincoln’s pride in its agricultural heritage that continues today with numerous farms and hundreds of farm animals.

The parade marshal will be retiring Police Chief Kevin Mooney. After 36 years of service, Chief Mooney is stepping down on June 30, but he’ll make one last appearance in uniform for the town during the parade, when spectators will have the chance to salute his service to Lincoln.

Residents are also invited to create a float or creative entry that has some fun with the parade theme theme or our marshal. Prizes will be awarded for the most creative floats as participants march in the parade. Download a parade application here and email the completed form to eventssubcommittee@gmail.com or mail it to the Parks and Recreation Department, 16 Lincoln Rd. On the morning of July 4, please meet on Ballfield Road before 9:45 a.m.

Parade organizers remind paraders that  throwing candy along the route is not allowed, because children are prone to running into harm’s way in pursuit of treats. Handing candy out alongside your float will be just as appreciated and much safer for all.

Parade subcommittee members are Maggie Dwyer, Michela Eckhouse, Sam Kupperstein, Riley McCabe, Eve Montie and Nick Virkler.

Letter to the editor: Thanks for car wash help

letter

Dear Lincolnites,

On behalf of the Lincoln School 8th-grade class and the parent committee working with them to plan graduation activities, I want to thank you for your incredible generosity at last weekend’s car wash at Town Offices. The students were able to raise a record $1,900! This money will be used to purchase spectator benches that will go on the Codman and Smith Fields, where at present there is no place for fans to sit. Any money that is left over will be donated to the Legacy Fund, which helps to ensure that all children, regardless of financial circumstance, are to go on class field trips to the Museum of Science and Washington, D.C.

Thank you for getting your cars washed, buying our baked goods and simply making donations.

Sincerely,

Julie Dobrow
103 Conant 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.

Intergenerational crafts workshops in July

palette-smThe Old Town Hall Exchange is offering four intergenerational crafts workshops at Bemis Hall featuring artists associated with the Exchange. The workshops are for middle or high school students and adults. Each workshop costs $15 per person. Please sign up by calling the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811.

Precious Metal Clay Jewelry — Join Hilary Taylor of Merlin’s Silver Star Studio on Wednesday, July 2 from 1- 2:30 p.m. to make a pendant or pair of earrings using clay embedded with fine silver. After firing, the clay burns off, leaving the piece in silver. Bring items with texture (bits of nature, lace fabric, a piece of metal with a texture) to use in your piece. No experience is needed and we are sure you will enjoy your finished piece! You’ll receive your piece 10 days later.

Mixed Media Collage — Learn to make a mixed media collage with artist Laurie Bogdan on Wednesday, July 9 from 1-2:30 p.m. Laurie will show you how to take everyday objects—game set pieces, magazine and catalog pictures, fabric, photos, and more—and combine them into a beautiful, sometimes whimsical collage using glue, paint, markers, and anything else you can imagine.

Chain Maille Jewelry — On Wednesday, July 16 at 1 p.m., Shing Hsieh will show you how to create chain maille jewelry by weaving together metal jump rings in a 2-1/2 hour workshop. She will demonstrate two different techniques: the byzantine and mobius weaves. Participants will leave class with a pair of earrings and, time permitting, the option to start a bracelet. Participants should bring two pairs of flat nose or needle nose pliers, preferably without teeth, but bring what you have and we can modify at workshop.

Instant Books — Learn how to make a book out of one piece of paper in a matter of minutes with Suzette Durso on Wednesday, July 23 from 1-2:30 p.m. Each page of this book will have a pocket where small photographs or business cards can be stored. This book is small enough to fit in a pocketbook or a back pocket. Books can be decorated with flowers and ribbon.

These workshops are supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Donelan’s receipts yield treasure trove for school

Some of the educational materials that the Lincoln School bought via redeemed Donelan's receipts.

Some of the educational materials that the Lincoln School bought via redeemed Donelan’s receipts.

Students at the Lincoln School will have a pile of new educational games, puzzles and other items to work with, thanks to residents who saved their Donelan’s receipts during the year.

Lincoln School PTO members led by Kimberly Bodnar gathered and tallied many shopping bags packed full of receipts totaling $157,290—a 14 percent increase over last year’s $138,428 total. School principals Steve McKenna and Sharon Hobbs redeemed them through the Register Tapes for Education program to purchase the following item:

  • Solar Calculators (10)
  • Folding Geometric Shapes™ (4 sets)
  • Money Sudoku (4)
  • Match It Up™ Math Puzzles – Money (4)
  • Match It Up™ Math Puzzles – Time (4)
  • Fractions Sudoku (4)
  • Fraction Formula™ Game (4)
  • Fun-to-Know® Puzzle (2)
  • Guess Who?® (4)
  • Number Balance (4)
  • Modular Flip Chart: Money (4)
  • Hot Dots® Learn-to-Solve Word Problems Card Set for grades 1-3 (2)
  • Grape-scented Washable Stamp Pad (2)

WBUR remembers Dr. Keevil

candle2On June 10, WBUR aired a remembrance of Dr. Charles Keevil of Lincoln, who died on April 8 at the age of 88 (see obituary here). The piece was part of The Remembrance Project, WBUR’s series of broadcast obituaries about non-celebrities who led meaningful lives (“Alongside the famous deaths in the newspapers, there are the small print columns about the equally loved but lesser-known—ordinary people who have lived extraordinary lives,” its website notes). Dr. Keevil was also the subject of this letter to the editor.

There will be a concert in memory of Lincoln’s Bill Elliot on June 14 (see the Lincoln Squirrel, June 9, 2014).