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

You can now advertise in the Lincoln Squirrel!

Dear readers,

After many weeks of discussion and behind-the-scenes work by ace web developer Amy Helfman (who also recently updated some of the design elements of the website), the Lincoln Squirrel is pleased to be able to accept display ads. Your ad can be either at the top of the page (a banner ad) or in the right-hand column. For details on pricing and how you can submit an ad, see our Advertising page. If there’s enough interest, we might offer a classified ad section with inexpensive text-only ads on a separate page of the website.

This is new territory for the Squirrel, and we’d love to hear what you think or how we can make this feature better—just email lincolnsquirrelnews@gmal.com. Thanks!

— The Lincoln Squirrel

Vacation-week activities for kids at library

The theme of the Lincoln Public Library’s February vacation programs for kids is DIY (do it yourself).

Kids Cartoon Workshop
Tuesday, Feb. 18 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Kids ages 8-12 can learn to create their own characters during this hands-on workshop with comic artists Andy and Veronica Fish of the the Undercover Fish Group. Sign-up required; call 781-259-8465

Yo-yo Show and Workshop
Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 4 p.m.
Yo-yos attached to bouncy balls and multiple yo-yos looping while hula hooping are just some of the highly skilled feats the Yo-Yo People perform. The show for all ages is at 4 p.m. The workshop for kids ages 5 and up (yo-yos provided) is at 5 p.m. Signup required for workshop only; call 781-259-8465.

Lincoln Library’s First Ever Do-it-yourself Craft and Invention Fair
Thursday, Feb. 20 at 4 p.m.
This is your chance to shine! Display your handmade craft or invention! Show off your talent and see what other kids have created. Each child will get their own display area. For kids 5 and up. Sign up in advance by picking up an entry form at the library children’s desk.

The library runs many other programs on a regular basis for children, including Lapsit Stories, Terrific Twos, Preschool Stories, Super Saturday Stories, Together Time Tales,  Books and Bites, Lego Club, Do-it-yourself Library Skills Workshop for kids and families, reading to therapy dogs Phoebe and Lexie, and Singalong with Ed Morgan. See the Children’s Programs web page for more information.

Letter to the editor: First Parish expansion

letter

To the Editor:

Following another round of meetings with neighbors, and nearly 12 years after the Flint family generously gave land to the church to expand the Stearns room, the First Parish has completed a revised and final plan. We have worked hard to respond to the concerns of neighbors, church members, and state and local authorities. The building design has undergone numerous thoughtful refinements; it will be attractive, meet the church’s needs, and be 535 sq. ft. smaller than the original sketch made in 2002. It merits Planning Board approval.

[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: First Parish expansion

Drumlin Farm family programs

sheepDrumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary has plenty of programs to keep you busy through this cold winter season. Check out this sampling of upcoming programs! For more information about our programs or to register, call 781-259-2200 or visit www.massaudubon.org.drumlinfarm.

Winter Wool Craft Series: Knitting II – Building Skills
Saturday, Feb. 8, 10 a.m. to noon
What can you make from wool?  Join other teens 13-17 interested in creating amazing projects and developing craft skills. Visit with the sheep and build on your basic knitting skills. $20 for members, $24 for nonmembers.

Chickadee Birders: Eagles and Owls
Sunday, Feb. 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The North Shore is a perfect place to go in search of all our favorite wintering birds, such as ducks, eagles, and owls. We will introduce elementary age children (ages 7-11 or grades 2-5) to the basics of birding, bird life, and seasonal migration. Birding is a lifelong skill that can lead to a greater interest in the outdoors and the environment as a whole. $30 for members, $36 for nonmembers.

Kinglet Birders: Owl Prowl
Sunday, Feb. 9, 1:30-3 p.m.
Share the exciting and fascinating world of birds with your 4-6 year-old child as we search for owls and meet some of Drumlin Farm’s owl residents. Meet some of Drumlin Farm’s birds up close and explore field, forest and wetland looking for the birds that make these habitats their home. Learn activities that you can take home to expand your experience, wherever you live. $10 for members, $12 for nonmembers.

Wondrous Wool
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 1-2:30 p.m.
Visit the soft and fluffy sheep all snug in their barn. After our visit share sheepish stories and make a woolly toy to take home. A great family program! $12 for members, $15 for nonmembers.

Owl Always Love Ewe
Friday, Feb. 14, 3:30-5 p.m.
It’s Valentine’s Day—what would Ewe want? Owl might have a different idea; mice are so very nice. Let’s visit with the sheep and make some wooly valentines. Perhaps Owl could teach us a Love Song to woo someone special. Whoo, whoo, who loves Ewe? A great family program! $12 for members, $15 for nonmembers.

Teen Birders: Eagles and Owls
Saturday, Feb. 15, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Birders aged 12-17 can travel with us to Newburyport and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for a full day of searching for eagles, hawks, owls and more! $35 for members, $42 for nonmembers.

Naturalist Walk
Saturday, Feb. 15, 1-3 p.m.
Are you interested in the natural world around you? Join us on these Saturday afternoon excursions that will focus on observing, exploring and appreciating the world around us. We’ll cover wetlands to uplands, exploring all the habitats of the sanctuary, as we look for amphibians, reptiles, mammals, flowering plants, trees, shrubs, lichens, fungi, insects, and birds. We’ll follow the seasonal changes that occur on the sanctuary as the year progresses. Each walk will focus on a particular area or habitat as we build our understanding of ecological communities and our mutual interdependence. This program is open to adults or teens 16-17 accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration is not required. $10 for members, $12 for nonmembers.

Library events postponed due to storm

snowcloudBecause of the impending snowstorm, the Lincoln Public Library has postponed the Kids Lego Club and the Photoshare events scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 5.

The drop-in Lego Club for children age 5 and up will meet next on Wednesday, Feb. 12 from 4-4:45 p.m. The next monthly Photoshare meeting will be on Wednesday, March 5 at 7 p.m.

 

Robichaud takes over as head farmer at Codman

Andy Cook

Eric Robichaud served his secret-recipe pancakes at Codman’s Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast on January 11, where staff and board members honored long-term volunteers who help with animal care and egg collecting each week. (Photo courtesy Codman Community Farms)

This is an edited version of an article appeared in the January issue of the Codman Community Farms member newsletter.

Codman Community Farms recently welcomed a new head farmer, Eric Robichaud, who grew up on a farm—Codman Farm, to be exact.

[Read more…] about Robichaud takes over as head farmer at Codman

Two reminders: donations and digital archiving

toothbrushFeb. 7 deadline to donate toiletries

Women and children who are in shelters remaking their lives after experiencing domestic violence need toiletries like shampoo, soap, toothpaste, hand and body lotions, and more. If you have unopened toiletries from hotels or stores that you can’t use, please bring them to the Council on Aging at Bemis Hall by Friday, February 7. A volunteer will take them to local domestic violence organizations for Valentine’s Day distribution. Your donation will make a difference in the lives of these women and children in need.

Learn about new storage methods for old  materials

Two experts will talk about the art and practice of creating and disseminating historical records with modern archival digitization technology at a presentation on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Demonstrating how to access, search and contribute to these resources are Tom Blake, Digital Projects Manager at the Boston Public Library, who will speak about the Digital Commonwealth and its online repository of archival material from Massachusetts institutions, and Marie Wasnock, who oversees the Lincoln Town Archives, who will speak about digitizing projects at the Lincoln Public Library.

Co-sponsored by the Lincoln Historical Society and the Lincoln Public Library. Admission is free.

This event wraps up Lincoln Winter Carnival 2014—see the Lincoln Squirrel (Jan. 22) for details on all the events starting tomorrow (Jan. 30).

Church members serve lunch at homeless center

A multigenerational group of First Parish Church parishioners prepared and served lunch to guests on January 20 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) at the Community Day Center in Waltham, which serves homeless people in Waltham and several other western suburbs. The center also received a donation of $6,559 gathered from the annual Christmas offering organized by the church’s Outreach Committee.

The church supports several local and international groups and also serves lunch several times a year to Boston homeless people at the Arlington Street Church.

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First Parish Church members served lasagna and salad lunch at the Community Day Center in Waltham. Left to right: Beth Taylor, Julie Land, Marilyn Lee-Tom (center director), Mary Gaylord, Geoff Borggaard, Student Minister Rebecca Hinds with (front row) Alex and Owen Finsthwait and Atticus Borggaard. Also helping but not pictured: Stephen Brand, Peter Pease, Doug Swain, Susan Taylor and Linda MacMillan.

Joint meeting on school renovations set for Feb. 12

Four town-government groups will get together on Wednesday, Feb. 12 to discuss a timeline for planning a renovation project for the Lincoln School. The meeting will begin at 7:3o p.m. in the Smith gym.

Members of the the School Committee, Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee, and  Capital Planning Committee will discuss topics including:

This is an open meeting, and the community is encouraged to attend.