Strat’s playground has been closed indefinitely.
By Alice Waugh
The popular Strat’s playground behind the Hartwell school building has been closed for safety violations and will probably need to be torn down and rebuilt from scratch.
[Read more…] about Strat’s playground closed for safety violations
The escapee cows as photographed by Old Sudbury Road resident Julie Brogan though her window.
A Lincoln police cruiser was on hand to keep order until the cows came home.
A group of adventurous bovines apparently took “spring break” to a new level, briefly escaping from their pasture on Old Sudbury Road before being returned to their enclosure with no harm done.
The cows were photographed by alert resident Julie Brogan after they apparently escaped from their enclosure and strolled down the road on a stormy day in late April. Lincoln police were called and responded quickly, though fortunately there was no need for a high-speed chase. Police arrived at about the same time as the cows’ farmer, who herded his charges back home.
“They decided to take a little nature walk in a rainy day,” said Lincoln Police Officer Ian Spencer. “I guess they needed a change of scenery and decided to break out.”
Police chiefs in 10 communities including Lincoln announced the arrest of two men suspected of committing numerous housebreaks in Middlesex and Norfolk counties since late February.
[Read more…] about Multi-town police effort bags burglary suspects
Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary announces new Family Farm Days—free, accessible explorations for families with children with special needs throughout the spring and summer. Family Farm Days will offer a fun and engaging way to build community within a setting that welcomes and encourages people of all abilities to participate in a variety of farm and nature activities. Discover life on the farm at your own pace through accessible nature trails, garden and barn chores, hands-on activities with our teacher-naturalists and much more.
Many Family Farm Days take place at times when the farm is not open to the general public (indicated on the schedule with a “Q”), allowing those who need a quieter, less busy atmosphere to enjoy our working farm. An ASL Interpreter will be available on select dates (indicated below with “ASL”).
Pre-registration is requested. You can register online or by contacting Erin at 781-259-2247 or epitkin@massaudubon.org.
The garden at the Codman estate.
Please help eradicate this invasive plant. There are several “group pulls” you can join:
Get free paper leaf bags on Saturday, May 3 at the transfer station or any time at the Conservation/Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT) offices over the post office, courtesy of the Lincoln Garden Club. Drop off bags of weeds Monday through Friday (plus Saturday May 3 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. behind the DPW on Lewis Street near the cell tower. Bag pickup is available now through May 31. Call the Conservation Department at 781-259-2612 or email laytonj@lincolntown.org. For more information, see the Lincoln Conservation Department website. This event is sponsored by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, the Lincoln Garden Club and the LLCT.
Garlic mustard weed.
Volunteer alongside Historic New England’s staff experts and members to care for and learn about historic gardens and landscapes at the Codman Estate. Work includes seasonally appropriate tasks, such as weeding the gardens and paths, dividing plants, planting new materials, removing invasives, and other cleanup activities. You may choose ongoing participation or just try it out for a day. You’ll also get a $10 discount on membership to Historic New England. The next volunteer opportunity is Wednesday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to noon. Other dates (same time) are May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, Sept. 3 and Oct. 1. Meet at the estate’s Italian Garden.
Lindentree Farm is looking for new members this summer. Buy a share of delicious, certified organically grown vegetables, berries, flowers and fruits for 20-22 weeks starting in June. Pickup is at the farm in Lincoln. Choose from among two share sizes and three pickup days (Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday). All adult members do four hours of work each total during the season from April through end of October, and children are encouraged to help as well. All new members must attend a preseason orientation on one of three dates. For more information and an application, call 781-259-1259 or email lindentreecsa@gmail.com. Lindentree is also looking for a full-time or part-time crew member who is experienced in growing, planting, tractors, is willing to work in all weather conditions, and is in good physical condition.
Lindentree Farm has served the Lincoln Farmer’s Market for 25 years and has been offering CSA (community-supported agriculture) shares for 21 years. The farm hosts the Field of Greens (volunteers welcome), which grows fresh food for hunger relief organizations in Cambridge. For the last five years, it has been practicing biological, nutrient dense growing methods which help with soil and vegetable and ultimately human health.
The LSB Players at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School will stage the final two performances of The 39 Steps tonight and tomorrow, May 2 and 3, at 7:30 p.m. in Kirschner Auditorium. Based on the classic Hitchcock movie, The 39 Steps is an hilarious farce of mistaken identity, who done it, and deadpan humor. Produced in conjunction with the English Department’s Drama in Production class, the show will incorporate complex stagecraft sure to be crowd-pleasing. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. Go to the LSB Tickets webpage to reserve seats.
Also at L-S in May, the Lincoln-Sudbury Civic Orchestra (LSCO) will wrap up its 2013-2014 season with its spring concert on Friday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m. Interim Conductor Ray Daniels will direct the orchestra in the overture to Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute, Gabriel Faure’s Pavane for a Dead Princess, Alexander Borodin’s On the Steppes of Central Asia, and Felix Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony (#5). L-S senior and Sudbury resident Emily Liang is the featured soloist in the Concerto in A minor, RV 356, by Antonio Vivaldi. Admission is a suggested donation of $10 for adults or $5 for students and senior citizens. A reception will follow the concert.
LSCO is a volunteer community orchestra comprising high school students and adult community members who share a love for preparing and performing substantial orchestral repertoire. The members have classical music training at the intermediate to advanced level and rehearse weekly. Neither professional performing experience nor residence in Lincoln or Sudbury are requirements for membership. Daniels also serves as associate conductor for the Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra and has conducted symphony orchestras throughout the U.S.
For more information about this concert or about participation as a performing member, contact the orchestra at lscivicorchestra@gmail.com.
Please join us for Codman Farm’s Volunteer Spring Cleanup Work Day on Saturday, May 3 starting at 8:30 a.m. Come for the day or come for an hour. Volunteers will be treated to a great lunch. We’ll find a task to suit your energy level and time commitment. Tasks include:
Dance Spot at deCordova.
Try out your moves on outdoor dance floors in the deCordova Sculpture Park on Sunday, May 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Multimedia artist Elisa H. Hamilton pairs colorful diagrams, site-specific dance routines and songs in her participatory installation Dance Spot. Free with admission or membership.
Also on Sunday at the deCordova: celebrate jewelry artist Wiwat Kamolpornwijit, Artist of the Month at the deCordova Store for May 2014, during a drop-in weekend reception at 2 p.m. Admission to deCordova Store is always free.
Get out your trowels and potting soil—it’s time for the Lincoln Garden Club’s biennial fundraiser plant sale on Saturday, May 10 at the Codman Barn. There will be something for every type of garden including perennials from local gardens, rare and unusual specimens, patio planters, herbs and shade plants. This year we have an abundant number of peonies and unusual lilies and irises, as well as hostas, ornamental grasses, echinacea, daisies, geraniums, anemones, spirea, trillium, astilbe, bee balm, bleeding heart, coriopsis, rubeckia, and much more. To entertain the kids, the Garden Club has a fun hands-on craft planned that will make a perfect Mother’s Day gift.
Plants will be sold from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., so plan to spend the morning browsing for plants. This fundraiser supports the Garden Club activities such as the planter in front of the library, floral arrangements for home-bound residents, and public lectures on gardening topics. Questions? Email Belinda.gingrich@verizon.net. Learn more on the Lincoln Garden Club website and hear news about meetings and events.
Join fellow Lincolnites for a night of a capella at Bemis Hall on Friday, May 16 from 7-10 p.m. to support LEAP (the Lincoln Extended-day Activities Program). There will be food, drinks and fun, as well as a silent auction and raffle to support LEAP, Lincoln’s longtime afterschool program. Prizes to bid on include dinner and a movie with babysitting, gift certificates to salons, a basket of wine, a loaf of bread every month for six months from Nashoba Valley Bakery, 18 holes of golf, Red Sox tickets, and more. Tickets are $25 ($30 at the door). Come to LEAP to purchase tickets in advance. Child care for the event will be provided at LEAP for $10 per child. Reserve a spot by May 14. To donate something to our benefit auction or raffle, please contact Kathryn Hawkins at978-505-8751.
Rev. Daniel MacDonald and Eva Elder of St. Anne’s show off their pie-baking skills.
St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church is hosting a pie-baking competition as a fundraiser for the youth mission trip this summer. The event takes place starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 16 in Flint Hall. We’ll have pies for judging, pies for eating and pies for buying.
You can submit a pie to be judged in any one of four pie categories (fruit, custard and cream, savory, and exotic); prizes will be awarded for each category as well as Best in Show. Register online at www.stanneslincoln.org. There will also be a pizza pie dinner and live music with admission to this fabulous event. Come hear more about our mission trip to New York City in July, and help support its funding by entering a pie, or buying a pie, or just coming to enjoy the festivities.
The Lincoln METCO Coordinating Committee (MCC) will present the 45-minute film What Makes Me White? on Monday, May 19 at 6 p.m. in the Brooks Auditorium. The documentary discusses the role of race in the daily lives of white people. Designed as a gentle tool for the classroom, boardroom, and house of worship, the film avoids blame, guilt, or “political correctness.” The hope is to inspire individuals to reflect on the invisible influence of whiteness on personality and life. The audience will engage in a discussion of the feelings and thoughts raised by the film. Students in grades 6-8 can also see the film on Wednesday, May 21 at 12:40 p.m. Lunch will be provided courtesy of the MCC.
Haven’t installed a rain barrel yet? Did you install one last year and need a second one to collect more water? The Lincoln Water Department has again teamed up with Upcycle Products Inc. to offer low-cost barrels. Order them online by May 10 from the Upcycle.com website (click on the Lincoln form in the right hand column). The barrels will be delivered for pick up at Stonegate Gardens on South Great Road on Saturday, May 17 from 4-6 p.m.
Using rain barrels to water your gardens reduces the water drawn from our drinking water supply, helping Lincoln to achieve the DEP’s water conservation goals while simultaneously saving you money. The soft, chemical-free rain water is very good for grass and other plants. During a rain storm, an enormous quantity of water runs off a roof, so you may want to order more than one. Each 4’ x 8’ section of roof that receives a quarter-inch of rain will fill a 55-gallon barrel.
“Peter Pease has been our best customer so far,” says Lincoln Water Commissioner Ruth Ann Hendrickson. “I went to see his installation. He uses four to supply soaker hoses and two to fill buckets for hand watering. Peter reports that he had to use sprinklers far less last summer in spite of the weeks without rain.”
All the Upcycle Products plastic rain barrels were originally used for transporting food products to the U.S. from overseas, while the oak barrels were used for whiskey, so this program not only promotes water conservation but also diverts large quantities of material from the waste stream. Reuse is the best form of recycling.
Here are the events scheduled for May by the Lincoln Council on Aging.
Sublime sunflowers: pastel paint like the masters
May 2 at 1 p.m.
The COA is pleased to present award-winning pastel artist Greg Maichack who will offer his new hands-on workshop for beginners to advanced artists in pastel painting on Friday, May 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Maichack will provide insights into the lives of sunflower painters van Gogh, Monet and O’Keefe, and then participants will be coached to create their own sunflower paintings. The workshop is free, but please call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up. This workshop is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Here are just a few of the events coming up in Lincoln early next month. Click the links for details in the Lincoln Squirrel calendar or on the website of the group that’s running the event.
May Day Merriness — Thursday, May 1
1-2:30 p.m., Drumlin Farm
We’ll make and decorate May baskets, then gather flowers from spring’s bounty to fill them. Plant some flower seeds in the garden and some to take home. This is a great family program for all ages. Registration is required; $12 for Mass Audubon members, $15 for nonmembers. More info…
