Serving Those Who Serve Us All

By Heather Aveson  |  Ryan Lennon is the face of the new American veteran. He is thirty-ish, college educated, has a young family, served in Iraq and knows the pain of losing friends and fellow soldiers to an IED attack on a dusty road. In many ways this is the story of military men and women through out our history. That shared story is part of what makes Ryan passionate about serving other veterans.

Ryan Lennon

Lennon knew the value of serving his country from an early age. He grew up at Fort Devens where his father was career army in the Special Ops division. Ryan joined ROTC at Northeastern University and become the fourth generation of army officer in his family, and a third generation paratrooper. During 2006 and 2007 he spent a sixteen month deployment on a combat tour in Iraq. His combat experiences and family background strengthened his commitment to the armed services and his fellow soldiers.

Ryan Lennon in Iraq

In April of this year Ryan stepped into the role of Veteran Services Officer for the Town of Lexington. It was a natural fit. “My unit, the 82nd Airborne, had some of the worse losses in the war. It wasn’t unusual to get 6 – 8 catastrophic IED strikes during your deployment. Several guys on my team had TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). When we got back I was helping a lot of them get benefits. It was just rewarding,” says Lennon.

Now he has the opportunity to help many more fellow servicemen and women. There are over 1.200 veterans living in Lexington according to the 2010 census. Most of them served in World War II or Korea. Add to that the surviving spouses and dependents and the number grows much higher. There is also an influx of those who qualify as veterans since 9/11, including National Guard reservists.

One of the challenges Lennon faces in his new position is finding those people who would benefit from the programs offered by the Veterans Administration. Because of strict privacy laws he isn’t notified when a service member returns to town. He can only help those who reach out to him. Lennon realizes how tough that can be for a returning soldier, “Veterans by nature are stoic, they don’t want to search out help. Unless they know benefits are out there or their neighbor knows they need help, they’re not necessarily going to contact me or I’m not going to come across them in my daily travels. I know there are older widows and dependents in town who need services and don’t want to ask for them.”

On the other side, HIPAA and other privacy laws ensure that all communication and services are kept confidential.

Massachusetts is unique in its support of veterans and their families. Chapter 115 of the General Law guarantees veterans and their families, need based financial assistance for everything from a heating allowance and help paying a mortgage to medical co-pays and insurance premiums.

According to a 2011 Bureau of Labor Statistics report the unemployment rate for veterans who served since 2001 was just over 12%. That’s 50% higher than the national average. New educational and job training programs are available to unemployed Massachusetts veterans. Lennon knows firsthand the importance of having job programs available to vets once they’re back in the community. “When I was getting off active duty I went through the standard out-processing procedure. They tell you about job search programs and other helpful stuff. I just wanted to put Fort Bragg in my rearview mirror,” he remembers, “It’s kind of like telling an 8th grader how he has to save for an IRA.” That’s where programs like Veterans, Inc. of Worcester are stepping in. Job skills and training in growing fields such as green and renewable energy, healthcare, security, construction supervision, and technology are offered for free. Many of the programs lead to licensing and certificates and job placement services are available, Veterans Inc. also serves very low income, homeless or at risk of becoming homeless veteran families across New England through a Veterans’ Administration grant.

Also on the federal level, The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 is enhancing medical care benefits by providing veterans’ caregivers with training, counseling, supportive services, and a living stipend as well as guaranteeing health care to the family caregivers of injured veterans.

Right now the Veterans’ Administration is facing a perfect storm that is causing delays in processing federal claims says Lennon. “The World War II guys are getting older, needing more services. The Vietnam Vets are realizing they should get their benefits set up. At the same time young guys are coming off 4 -5 deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. A typical flash to pay can take two years.” That’s one reason Ryan encourages local veterans to seek out services under the Massachusetts statutes, they can be a valuable lifeline until federal benefits come through.

With so many programs available, Lennon is putting a lot of effort into getting the word out to both older veterans and those just returning about the benefits available to them. He has a full line up of meetings with community groups, including the Lion and Rotary Clubs and the Interfaith Council. This October he will reinstitute the Veterans’ Day Breakfast in conjunction with the Lexington Rotary Club (see inset). It’s a great way for veterans from all eras and all branches to come together and be honored. Working with the community to bring veterans together is a facet of the job that Lennon is trying to grow. He points out that the Veterans Services Officer isn’t there just for benefits assistance, “There is so much stuff I can pull into my job.” On a recent day he helped an older veteran navigate through the technology of mobile banking, then he was at the cemetery checking on a headstone he had ordered for a widow in town and an hour later he was visiting the mental health clinic at the Bedford VA Hospital.

Ryan can’t say enough good things about the work of the Massachusetts Veterans Administration. “The Mass VA is amazing – progressive – they were among the first to look at the mental health of soldiers. They’ve tapped into other top notch health care facilities in the Boston area if you need a specialist.” They have also created ‘Welcome Home Wings’ and ‘Women’s Wings’ at the VA hospitals to address the needs of those particular populations.

The first step Lennon recommends for all veterans? “Enroll in VA health benefits. It’s always better to be enrolled now, in case you run into problems later.” And Ryan is happy to help you enroll or answer any other questions you might have.

Veterans’ Resources

Ryan Lennon   |  Veterans’ Service Officer

Lexington Senior Center, 1475 Massachusetts Ave Lexington, 02420. 781-861-0194

rlennon@lexingtonma.gov

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Veterans, Inc.

508-791-1213

www.veteransinc.org.

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Civil War Quilts~Pamela Weeks to Speak at Heritage Museum

Pamela Weeks

In both the North and the South, Civil War buffs are legion. This American tragedy, now being commemorated on its 150th Anniversary, has generated research on everything from specific battles and famous leaders to social institutions. For example, in June 1861 the United States Sanitary Commission came into existence to “improve sanitation, build large well-ventilated hospitals, and encourage women to join the newly created nursing corps.” Responding to the Sanitary Commission’s requests, civilians on the home front began making quilts to send to soldiers. Thousands of quilts were sewn, though only a few exist today.

This very human side of the conflict will be discussed on October 20, 2012, at the National Heritage Museum when quilt historian and author Pamela Weeks presents “Quilts for Civil War Soldiers: Stories from the Home Front and the Battlefield.” Her program will include an overview of “the origins of the U. S. Sanitary Commission at the beginning of the War, the roles women played on the home front and the battlefield, and … the stories of fourteen actual Civil War soldiers’ quilts.”

 Saturday, October 20, 2:00 p.m.

Quilts for Civil War Soldiers:  Stories from the Home Front and the Battlefield

National Heritage Museum

Weeks, now curator at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, had started making quilts during the Bicentennial in 1976, but she became a quilt historian in 1999, the day she started researching a quilt that her aunt had bought at a New Hampshire auction. Weeks had been seeking and collecting signature quilts that carried the names of her ancestors who had lived in New Hampshire for ten generations. Dated 1847, her newly-acquired quilt featured stars and signatures, including her relative Sarah A. Leavitt. It was made with silk and composed of individually self-bound blocks.

The unusual, though not unknown, method of quilt construction led Weeks to ask experts about this quilt-as-you-go sewing technique. She had noted that “each block was individually bound with pale blue silk and then the blocks were closely whip-stitched together on the back.” They appeared to be “elegant eleven-inch-square potholders” fashioned into a quilt. Well-known quilt experts such as Gerald Roy, Stephanie Hatch, and American Quilt Society appraiser Vivien Lee Sayre confirmed that this “block-by-block” method (the preferred description) was informally known as making “potholder” blocks. The experts suggested more research be done on the origins of Weeks’ quilt and on the heritage of the potholder style.

The quilt above is from the collection of the Mystic Seaport Museum, made in Portland, ME in 1864 by the Portland Ladies Soldiers Aid Society. Right: Detail of one of the quilt squares.

She discovered that this potholder technique is predominantly a New England style, frequently from Maine, and often used by groups to make community-project quilts. It was the easiest way for a club or church group to make a quilt because each contributor took the instructions, worked at home, and then returned the finished block. Though it might appear this was also a quick way to make a quilt, the reality is that many such quilts made for Civil War soldiers and other reasons, such as fundraising, presentation, or friendship, took as long as a year. The earliest known potholder quilt – dated 1837 – is in the collection of the Concord Museum; other may be seen at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut and at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Her research showed Weeks that the potholder style was common during the years of the Civil War (1861-1865), as well as before and after. Noted historian Dr. Virginia Gunn estimated in 1985 that more than 250,000 quilts were made for Civil War soldiers – 125,000 were distributed by the Sanitary Commission during the war. Yet, with the impressive output, fewer than 20 quilts made for Civil War soldiers have survived today. Eleven of these were made by the potholder method. Most Civil War soldier’s quilts that have survived are inscribed with names and dates, which probably contributed to someone setting aside the cherished old quilt instead of pitching it into the trash.

In her book, Civil War Quilts (Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 2011), Weeks shares her research as she teams up with Don Beld whose interest in American history had led him to establish the Home of the Brave Quilt Project in 2004. This nationwide movement honors the fallen heroes of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars by creating handmade quilts to present to families, in an effort to show gratitude and provide a measure of comfort. Inspired by quilts made during the Civil War, Beld leads volunteer quilt-makers who construct hand-pieced quilt patterns and use 19th century reproduction fabrics almost exclusively. Their book tells the stories of selected Civil War quilts and the women who made them. Techniques and patterns for making reproduction quilts or information on participating in the Home of the Brave project blend to make this a unique tribute to the Civil War legacy.

 

Weeks’ free lecture at the National Heritage Museum is sponsored by Ruby W. Linn. Copies of Civil War Quilts by Pam Weeks and Don Beld will be available for purchase. Contact the Museum at 781-861-6559.

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Author and Harvard Professor Michael Sandel discusses “What Money Can’t Buy”

Monday October 15, 2012
7:30 PM at Temple Isaiah
55 Lincoln Street, Lexington    

Michael Sandel. (Photo by Stephanie Mitchell)

By Jeri Zeder|  We hire private contractors to fight our wars. We pay children to incentivize them to read books or to get good grades. If we have the means, we can pay our way out of standing in long lines at the airport or amusement park. We give away naming rights of public schools and sports arenas to corporations. Some of our corporations purchase “dead peasants insurance” on the lives of their employees, not for the benefit of their employees’ families, but for themselves.

These are just a few examples of the ways in which markets and market values have infiltrated areas of our lives where different values once held sway. Is this trend good? Is it ethical? Should markets, which above all else value efficiency and maximizing utility, be limited to particular segments of society so that they do not overtake other human values?

Michael Sandel, a professor of government at Harvard University, explores these questions in his new book, What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets (Farrar, Straus & Giroux 2012). His fantastically popular course, Justice, was a nationally televised series on PBS, and became the first Harvard course to be made available free online (http://www.justiceharvard.org/). The course has been translated into many languages and viewed by millions of people around the world.

Sandel will be discussing What Money Can’t Buy in Lexington in October at Temple Isaiah in a forum moderated by Lawrence S. Bacow, president emeritus of Tufts University. He recently spoke with Colonial Times Magazine.

Colonial Times Magazine: What will you be speaking about when you come to Lexington?

Michael Sandel: The central question of the book and of the lecture is, what should be the role of money and markets in our society? Over the past three decades, we’ve witnessed a quiet revolution. Markets and market thinking have been reaching into spheres of life previously governed by other values, from family life and personal relations to health, education, and civic life. Where do markets serve the public good, and where do they not belong? Where might they crowd out or undermine moral and civic values worth caring about? The lecture will include interactive components. I will try to engage the audience in a lively discussion of some of these questions, which, after all, involve big questions about the role of ethics in public life.

CTM: In your book, you talk about the “skyboxification” of American life. What is that?

MS: When I was a kid growing up in Minneapolis, I was a big Minnesota Twins fan. At the baseball stadium, the difference in the ticket prices between the best box seat and the cheapest seat in the bleachers was two-and-a-half dollars: three-fifty for a box seat, and a dollar to sit in the bleachers. The effect was that, when you went to a baseball game, you could find the CEO and the mailroom clerk sitting side-by-side, more or less. When it rained, everyone got wet. It was a democratizing experience, everyone rooting for the home team under roughly similar conditions. Over the past three decades, this has changed. Most stadiums now have skyboxes where the affluent and the privileged can isolate themselves from the common folk in the seats below. This is a metaphor, I think, to what’s happened in our society as a whole in recent decades. I call it the “skyboxification” of American life.

CTM: Why do you see that as a problem?

MS: As money and markets dominate more and more domains of life, we find that the affluent and people of modest means lead increasingly separate lives. There are fewer and fewer public places and occasions where people from different walks of life, from different social and economic backgrounds, encounter one another and share in-common experiences, and this is, I think, damaging to democracy, corrosive of the commonality on which democratic life depends. I think it’s connected to the growing tendency of money and markets to dominate, not only in the sphere of material goods, but in most every sphere of life.

CTM: Besides democratic values, what other values do you think are becoming displaced by money and markets?

MS: My book discusses many examples, but let me give just one more here. In many school districts around the country, they are experimenting with paying students a financial reward to get good grades, or even to read books. This is one of the topics that I plan to pose to the audience. Is the use of a cash incentive to try to motivate academic achievement a good idea, or is it objectionable? And if it is objectionable, why, exactly? This is an example of another kind of value—the love of learning for its own sake—that is arguably crowded out or eroded where monetary incentives come to substitute for intrinsic motivation.

CTM: Your course, Justice, is a runaway hit at Harvard and has been viewed online by millions. China Newsweek named you the most influential foreign figure of the year. To what do you attribute the popularity of Justice?

MS: I think that there’s a great hunger among students around the world and also among citizens generally to engage in serious discussion about big ethical questions in public, to reason together in public about questions such as justice, rights, the common good, and what it means to be a citizen. Too often, public discourse doesn’t really address big questions. I think this is a source of frustration for a great many citizens, and rightly so, not only in this country, but around the world. I think this is the reason for the astonishing response to the online Justice course. It is a reflection of this hunger for public discussion of big, sometimes controversial ethical questions that really matter to people.

This interview was conducted, edited, and condensed by Jeri Zeder.

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First Parish to host weeklong forum on end of life issues

 

Front row:Marianne DiBlasi, Rev. Peter Boullata, Parish Minister, and Jane Eckert
Back row: Dorothea Bowen, Jane Beswick, Bill McKenney, Chair of the First Parish Board, and Marilyn Campbell

By Laurie Atwater  |

Question 2, the Death with Dignity initiative has been the most hotly debated of the ballot questions that Massachusetts voters will decide this fall. Because of its deep implications for one of the most profound human experiences, and its moral, religious, legal and ethical dimensions DWDA presents Massachusetts voters with complicated questions about a subject that most people would rather ignore.

Jane Eckert read an article on this question by Scott Helman in the April 2012 Boston Globe Magazine, and she was so moved by the story that she decided to bring an idea to her minister at First Parish in Lexington, Reverend Peter Boullata. “This is something that we never talk about,” Jane says, “that we don’t know how to talk about, and I thought, ‘wouldn’t is be great if we could do something on end of life issues at the parish?’”

They in turn presented the concept to the parish board. The result: an upcoming program called Choices at the End of Life: The Death with Dignity Initiative: A week-long exploration of personal, ethical and practical issues.

“I think that as a religious community,” says Reverend Boullata, “we are uniquely poised to have this conversation. Human mortality—that’s what religion does well.” And, he says, since First Parish is historically the “town church” it felt right to host this conversation with the town.

The forum is open. All are welcome according to Bill McKenney, Chairman of the parish board. “This is a natural fit for our mission.” he explains. “As Unitarian Universalists, we address complex issues with an open mind to seek information and learning. Our congregation really doesn’t have a position on this—if you talked to ten people here you’d probably come up with eight different opinions.” McKenney stresses the importance of “providing a safe and open environment” where he hopes people can disagree and disagree in a way that is respectful. “We want this to be a forum that is informative and supportive for discussing something as difficult as end of life.”

Reverend Boullata agrees, “It’s part of our calling as a faith community to be a venue for people asking questions which are spiritual issues as well as moral issues.”

Jane Eckert is particularly thrilled that they have been able to put together such a well-rounded week of informative sessions with an impressive list of speakers. “We’re hoping to have a diversity of perspectives represented—to see both the differences and the similarities. “Having lived through the past few years where there has been such rancor,” Eckert reflects, “We really want to nurture respect for differences and viewpoints here.”

Dr. Marcia Angell

The week will kick-off on Sunday October 21st with a panel discussion on the ballot question moderated by NPR health reporter Dick Knox. Dr. Marcia Angell who has been actively advocating for the ballot initiative will serve on the panel. Dr. Angell, who is a physician and served as the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, is currently a senior lecturer in social medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Angell was the first of the original 14 petitioners to put the Massachusetts Death with Dignity Act on the ballot in November and is a member of the Massachusetts Death with Dignity Coalition (www.dignity2012.org). Also serving on the panel is John Kelly, a disability rights advocate and Director of Second Thoughts an organized opposition group (www.secondthoughts.org). John has been making the rounds of radio talk shows and forums (he spoke at Jay Kaufman’s last Open House) to add his special perspective to the opposition. Another opponent of the initiative, Mark Rollo, a physician in Fitchburg, Massachusetts will also serve on the panel.

The remainder of the week’s programming will focus on hospice and palliative care, legal issues around end-of-life, the Five Wishes program, talking with children and teens about death and finally the different religious views around death and dying. “We have been very fortunate with our panels,” Eckert says. We wanted to have a mix of professionals and real folk involved—not just people with a professional stake.”

BALLOT QUESTION 2 On Sunday October 21st the initial panel discussion at First Parish will take on the many issues surrounding the Massachusetts Ballot Question 2, Prescribing Medicine to End Life, or the Death with Dignity Act. The law would allow willing doctors to provide a patient with a prescription for drugs that when self-administered will end their life. Many patients have a DNR (do not resuscitate) directive or MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) orders in place. Both of these documents can direct hospitals, EMS personnel and other healthcare to withhold CPR, or intubation in cases of a life threatening event. Question 2 goes beyond both these instruments by allowing terminal patients to end their own life willfully and lawfully with a lethal dose of medication when and where they choose.

To qualify to receive the life-ending prescription, the patient must have a medical prognosis of six months or less to live. They must be informed by the doctor of all treatment alternatives. The patient must be determined to be competent, the doctor must be willing to participate (doctors can refuse to participate) and the patient must make the request three times including once in writing witnessed by two people (one who is not a relative by blood or adoption). The patient must be capable of ingesting the medicine without assistance. The patient must be an adult and can change their mind at any time. There is a waiting period imposed between requesting the prescription in writing and receiving the script from the doctor. A similar law passed in Oregon in 1997 and Washington State in 2009. The language of the Massachusetts act is virtually identical to the Oregon law. Massachusetts would be the first state on the East coast to approve the measure if it passes which means all eyes are on Massachusetts as a test case for advancing the law to other states.

John Kelly

The Massachusetts Medical Association (MMA) is opposed to Question 2. They argue that the proposed safeguards against abuse of the law are inadequate. On their website (www.massmed.org) the MMA outlines their opposing position saying, “Enforcement provisions, investigation authority, oversight, or data verification are not included in the act.” The MMA position paper ends with a quote from past president Dr. Lynda Young who states that “physician assisted suicide is incompatible with the physician’s role as a healer.”

Proponents of the measure like Dr. Marcia Angell disagree with the MMA position. In response to an email inquiry Dr. Angell wrote, “I think nearly everyone knows someone who has died a lingering, difficult death, despite state-of-the-art palliative care. Some of these patients would like the choice of ending their lives sooner and more peacefully. The Death with Dignity Act, which will be Question #2 on the November ballot, would give Massachusetts the same law that has worked well in Oregon for the past 14 years, and is now supported overwhelmingly by the public in that state.”

Dr Angell stresses the matter of personal choice, “It would permit dying patients in Massachusetts, with no more than six months to live, to ask their doctor for a prescription for medication that would allow them to die more peacefully, if — and only if — they choose, and if their doctor agrees. This would be an option, not a requirement, for both dying patients and their doctors. Most patients with terminal illness, of course, will not need this law, but some will, and I see no reason to require suffering patients to continue an agonizing, inexorably downhill course against their wishes.”

John Kelly sees the downhill course differently. I spoke by phone with John who is a passionate opponent of the measure. As a disabled person (a quadriplegic due to an accident early in life) and a disability advocate, John worries that independence, autonomy are equated with worthwhile quality of life in this argument. “We see this as a direct threat when the characteristics of our own lives are justification for state-supported suicide.”

Since disabled people are to varying degrees dependant on other people for their care, Kelly also believes that this characterization would send a dangerous message to the disabled. “This bill does not solve that problem. The real problem is that some people don’t get the care that they deserve or the social support that is necessary,” he says.

Critics of the bill worry about everything from incorrect diagnoses, callous profit-driven insurance companies, and cash-strapped families exerting pressure on sick family members because they can’t afford care or greedy heirs that may want to hasten their inheritance.

As part of their law, the Oregon Heath Authority has been required to do surveillance and to issue yearly reports. So far, Oregon’s data has not shown cause for alarm. The median age for those ingesting the medication was 71 in 2011. Most were white well-educated cancer patients; some had A.L.S. Only 1 person of the 71 was referred for a psychiatric evaluation. Doctors’ reports from Oregon indicate that people were most concerned with their quality of life, specifically the inability to participate in enjoyable life experiences (90.1 %), loss of autonomy (88.7%) and loss of dignity (74.6). Fear of pain does not seem to be a driving concern for those seeking the life-ending prescription. The data shows that remarkably few people actually take advantage of the law. In 2011, 114 individuals requested a life-ending prescription and 71 of those individuals actually died from the self-administered dose. However, use of the option has increased since its inception. In 1998 only 16 people died from the prescription they had requested. [Source:http://public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Documents/year14.pdf]

PALLIATIVE CARE & HOSPICE CARE For many in the medical community, the answer is palliative care and hospice not physician-assisted suicide. Palliative care and hospice provide for comfort and give the patient the ability to die at home. Most agree that there has been a tremendous amount of progress around the practice of palliative care which provides pain management, anxiety relief, psychological support and panoply of alternative treatments. All of these alternatives are designed to help the dying patient make the most of their last days with the least amount of suffering. This will be the topic of the Tuesday forum: Hospice and Palliative Care-What are they? The program runs from 7-9PM.

Advocates of the Death with Dignity Act feel that palliative care and hospice can exist in harmony with the proposed law. Dr. Angell, who has been articulating the proponent argument around the state over the past few months often, turns the opposition argument on its head. When asked by local NPR host Callie Crossley why she supported the initiative, Dr. Angell said, “Why would anyone—the state, organized medicine—anyone be against it? You should let the patient decide when palliative care and hospice are over.”

Some experts feel that adopting the DWDA in Oregon has created better palliative care in the state because doctors want to make sure that a life ending prescription is truly a last resort for the patient.

A COMPLEX QUESTION A recent Suffolk University poll (http://www.suffolk.edu) of likely Massachusetts voters indicates that 64% of Bay Staters are in favor of the Prescribing Medication to End Life law, or Question 2. Western New England University Polling Institute conducted a poll in May showing 60% in favor.

Anyone who has been following this issue knows that it is a big topic with many overlapping themes, emotional hot buttons, religious implications and medical and legal repercussions. What makes good social policy? Good law? If it doesn’t affect your personal choice, should it matter if others have the ability to choose differently? And what about mistakes? What is the proper role of religion in this discussion? Can well meaning laws have unintended social consequences? Is it ever morally acceptable to hasten death?

These are some of the questions that will be explored at the Sunday forum and it is your chance to ask questions and think deeply about this difficult issue right here in Lexington among friends and neighbors.

“One of the things we Unitarians do well is that we talk. We don’t always agree, but we talk,” says Jane Eckert. “Even if you don’t come to the first night, there’s so much going on during the week including a night on how to talk about death with children.” Bill McKenney says, “Our hope is that people will come out and join us so we can all learn together.”

“We need to puncture those bubbles—that taboo.” adds Reverend Boullata, “I am hoping that people will begin to have some sense of what it means to die well, to begin thinking ‘How do I want to spend the last weeks and days and hours of my life and what will it mean to be well cared for in that circumstance?’ Maybe in a small way this week of programming will help with that.”

 

 

 

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Opening Day Schedule~The 300th

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
9:00am
Opening Ceremony and Pre-Show
Cary Hall and High School

Seating is reserved and tickets for the opening ceremony are sold out.

Tickets must be picked up between September 8 and 13. Please note your assigned seating location when you pick up your tickets.

If you were unable to get tickets, there is a waiting list at the Town Hall–please call the Town Clerk’s Office. If you have tickets that you are not intending to use, please consider turning them in. If you cannot make it to Town Hall to pick up your tickets, please call the Town Clerk’s Office for assistance.

Those without tickets can watch live coverage on LexMedia.

Participants in the Opening Ceremony are invited to parade in a procession to the Country Fair.

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8:00am – 10:00am
Country Fair Blue Ribbon Contest
Hastings Park

Entry forms due on August 31st. Go to the website to print out your entry form.

Participants may enter special categories to compete for ribbons. See details right.

All entries must be delivered to Hastings Park between 8 and 10 AM on September 22nd.

Blue Ribbon Contest Details

 

Are you an up and coming chef? Do you like to experiment in the kitchen? If so, this is your event! To celebrate the 300th anniversary of Lexington, Lexington’s Country Fair will be holding a Blue Ribbon cooking contest on Saturday, September 22nd, at Hastings Park. Children and adults are invited to participate. Food categories include Family Favorite Corn Dish, Quick Breads, and Jams and Jellies. You can enter a homemade jam or jelly, family corn dish, or quick bread in the food contest.

Cooking not your thing? Test your green thumb by competing for the widest sunflower head, tastiest tomato, or oddest vegetable in the garden contest.

If you are 17 and under, you are also eligible for the special youth categories. You can enter chocolate chip cookies, a container garden and more. Do you cook, bake or grow plants? This is your time to shine!

Registration deadline is August 31st.

Go to the website to print out your entry form.

In addition to downloading the Blue Ribbon Contest forms and requirements, you can obtain entry forms and make payment at the Town Clerk’s office, 1625 Massachusetts, Ave., Lexington, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

 

For more information, contact the Blue Ribbon Contest Committee. There is a $5 fee per entry to help cover fair costs.

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11:00am – 4:00pm
All-Town Country Fair and Picnic
Hastings Park

Visit the tercentennial tent featuring games and activities from the past three hundred years, craft booths and more. (Shuttle bus transportation will be provided to the Country Fair from satellite parking lots around town. Please check www.lexington300.org for the location of a parking lot near you.)

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11:00am – 4:00pm
Complete the 300th Scavenger Hunt
Country Fair, Hospitality Tent

If you have been participating in the ongoing Scavenger Hunt (see website for details), visit the hospitality tent on 9/22 to receive the last clue and complete the hunt! All participants will be rewarded.

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11:45am
Outdoor Opening Celebration
Center Track

If you were not able to get tickets for the indoor Opening Ceremony, join us for a public ceremony at the Country Fair and All-Town Picnic.

12:00 pm (Tentative)

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All-Town Photo
Center Track, Lexington High School

Those who wish to participate in the all-town photo should gather at the Center Track at noon on 9/22.

12:30 pm – 3:30pm

Race Through Time

Start Line at Track

Teams will compete in a race through town.

Teams must pre-register and spaces are limited. Go to the website to register a team or to register as an individual.

See the website for information on available spaces.

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6:30pm – 10:00pm
Dance Revolution 300
Lexington High School

Join us at a community dance, all ages welcome! The beginning of the evening will feature live music with instructor-led folk dancing, waltzes, and swing (6:30-8pm). Then Saigel Entertainment takes over with a DJ (8-10pm) playing everything from Elvis and the Beatles to Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. Suggested donation of $3 per person.

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Lexington’s Community Farm~What’s Next?

By Heather Aveson  |  CSA. Slow Food. Locavore. Sustainability. These are all words that have become part of our vernacular in the last several years. Add to that Community Farm. It’s a phrase we’ve gotten very familiar with here in Lexington. But, put away any preconceived notions of what it means.

A Community Farm has been approved by Town Meeting to take root on a significant part of the former Busa farm property on Lowell Street. There are more than 10 Community Farms within a 10-mile radius of Lexington. Each has a distinct mission, structure and evolution. What Lexington’s Community Farm will look like and when it will become a reality is still unknown.

Although each community farm is unique in many ways, they share common concerns–the first of which is economic sustainability. It’s a concern that’s recognized by town government, local growers and the group that advocated preserving the farm, the Lexington Farm Coalition, better known as LexFarm. Although open to all ideas about how a Community Farm might be structured in Lexington, Selectman Peter Kelley is clear about one thing, “There are no tax dollars to be expended for farm operations.”

Janet Kern of LexFarm at the Busa Farm property.

Jim Wilson, owner and head farmer at Wilson Farm has been in the business of farming since he was knee high to a pea pod. He knows the vagaries of both farming and business, “In the discussion of farm sustainability one thing that’s often overlooked is the issue of economic sustainability. Unless a farm has the financial means to stand on its own, it isn’t going to last. It’s artificial. I know a lot of guys who are very good farmers and terrible businessmen. And that’s a recipe for disaster.” LexFarm understands those concerns and has developed a business plan to address them. “You can’t have a successful community farm if you don’t have a successful and sustainable farm. It has no integrity if it’s not actually sustainable economically,” says Janet Kern, President of the Lexington Farm Coalition.

Dennis Busa in the Busa Farm Stand.

Farming is a front-end loaded enterprise. Machinery, seed and materials must be bought, and an experienced farmer hired before you even break ground. Whoever operates Lexington’s community farm will be under immediate pressure to build an operation that can stand on it’s own. But with so many other community farms in the area there are lessons to be learned.

THE BUSA FAMILY FARM

The Busa family is one of Lexington’s oldest farming families. The 12 acres along Lowell Street has been farmed by generations of Busas since the early 1900s. Through out the years family members worked together and some set off on their own. The land was divided among the members and shares passed from generation to generation. By the early 2000s the family made the difficult decision to sell the land. Dennis Busa remembers that time, “It was too small to support three families. When my mother died we knew we had to sell it.” Developers were interested, but the town of Lexington had the first right of refusal. In the spring of 2009 a Special Town Meeting approved purchasing the land with CPA funds. “We were resigned to the fact that it would be wanted for soccer fields and maybe some other use. We made no demands,” says Busa.

When the town bought the land the general consensus was that the land would be used for additional playing fields with a portion set aside for affordable housing through LexHab. Selectman Peter Kelley says, “ I’d never heard of a community farm when we bought the Busa Land. None of us had ever heard of it.” Creating playing fields depended largely on acquiring “the donut hole”. This small piece of land within the Busa property had been sold privately to the Goldinger family, an abutter. Negotiations between the town and the Goldingers had been moving along. Selectman Kelley explains, “The Goldinger property was essential to recreational fields. In the early stages of negotiations their desire was to protect themselves and their neighbors on Farm Rd. from increased traffic and noise. They wanted a buffer.”

Then, two things happened that derailed any plan for recreational playing fields. A group of citizens got together and formed the Lexington Farm Coalition and in February 2011 the Goldingers sent a letter to the Busa Farm Land Use Proposal Committee (BLUPC) that basically killed any chance of siting playing fields on the land.

“After watching this process for the past many months, and the good work that your committee has done, we agree with the committee’s early assessment as to the overwhelming support from the community to maintain a farm, especially from the local neighborhood. It is a uniquely-shaped property, and most of the other proposals have struggled to put in place a workable design that would not unduly interfere with the neighborhood…Although we never wanted to be an impediment to a good design put forth by the community, we have always been clear that we had no interest in selling more than a small sliver of the property to make a design work. Currently, given the clear community support for a farm, it is very unlikely that we would be willing to sell any portion of the land.”

-Kim and Jim Goldinger

Source: February 2011 letter to the Busa Land Use Proposal Committee

Peter Kelley gives credit to the Lexington Farm Coalition for making the difference. “LexFarm got legs very quickly thanks to Janet [Kern] and the group. The Goldingers supported their effort. In my assessment it wasn’t worth pursuing recreational fields any longer.” That left the community farm and affordable housing proposals on the table.

When the letter arrived the BLUC was putting the finishing touches on their Final Report with recommendations. In the report presented to the Selectman on March 14, 2011 the group unanimously supported a Community Farm with some set aside for affordable housing to be built by LexHab.

The Busa Land Use Proposal Committee is enthusiastic about its support for a community farm. We believe this is an exciting and unique opportunity for the Town of Lexington to embrace both its past and its future, and to respond to the desires of a currently underserved population. The majority also support affordable housing on this site, in a modest, integrated way, if it is compatible with the farm operation. Two members also support an athletic field, under appropriate conditions.

Our recommendation is based on this site, its distinct soils, its existing infrastructure, its ecological context, an overwhelming demand for farming in Lexington, and the desire of the members of the BLUPC to see this land benefit the residents of Lexington.

Source: Section 6.7 Final Statement from theFinal Report of the Busa Land Use Proposal Committee.

A year later, in March 2012 the Selectman accepted their recommendations. Lexington will have a community farm. Dennis Busa says it best, “I’m glad LexFarm stayed with it, they deserve a lot of credit. But there’s a long way to go.”

As an advocate for the preservation of the farm, LexFarm had accomplished their goal. A significant portion of the land would remain a farm. LexFarm president, Janet Kern feels good about that. “I have accomplished my goal. But as president of LexFarm Coalition I have committed to seeing it through to its best use. I’ll be thrilled if LexFarm gets approval to farm the land, but I’ll also be relieved and happy to see an organization that has experience that can make good use of this land come in.”

Wait a minute. What is she talking about “whoever is operating the farm”? After all their hard work to preserve the land isn’t LexFarm the obvious group to run the farm? That may be the common assumption, but there’s actually no guarantee LexFarm will run the farm.

A LONG ROW TO HOE

Because the town owns and will be leasing the land, a Request for Proposal process is mandated. No decision can be made on an operator until that process is completed. The town, through the Town Manager’s office, has to create the RFP, submit it to the Selectman for input, finalize it, put it out for bid and then make a decision based on the strength of each proposal.

Dennis Busa says it best, “There’s a long way to go.”

STRUCTURING A COMMUNITY FARM

There are a number of community farms in towns around Lexington. Each farm has it’s own goals and organizational structure. Gaining Ground in Concord donates all it’s produce food pantries and relies completely on private support and fundraising. Others have farm stands, sell at local farmers markets or offer CSAs and support educational programs. Lexington is sandwiched between two towns with organizational structures that are very different from each other, and from Lexington’s situation. Waltham Community Fields leases land from private groups and is run independent of the city. The Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester is owned by the town and run by a town appointed board. Both are examples of increasingly successful community farms.

FarmerAdrienne Altstatt (in green) and helpers bunch fresh picked garlic to hang and dry.

WALTHAM FIELDS COMMUNITY FARM

The Waltham Fields Community Farm (WFCF) began farming fields owned by the University of Massachusetts on Beaver Street near Bentley University in 1995. Two years later they added a CSA program and began educational offerings shortly after that. Executive Director Claire Kozower says the group set out with a very clear mission, “We were growing food to donate for hunger relief. We started out using all volunteers, but quickly realized that it takes a professional staff. We started the CSA to generate revenue to hire a farmer.” Over the years, Waltham Fields has expanded their acreage by leasing other fields. None of the land is city owned. They negotiate leases directly with the landowners and have no city oversight.

Their fields now produce about $26,000/acre. On 11 acres that’s close to $300,000 a year. Twenty percent of what they grow is committed to support hunger relief, which includes a low-income voucher program, donations to food pantries and a Farm to School program. The remaining 80% of the crop goes to the CSA program and a small retail operation. These help support the farm operation, salaries for the Farmer, Assistant Growers, Education and Outreach Coordinators as well as administrative costs.

The WFCF education program began in response to a specific request. “The education program definitely evolved. It started because a Cambridge summer camp approached us in 1998. They saw it as a way to connect their urban campers to the land and the food they ate. We still work with them.” Education programs have become very successful. Claire adds, “We now run three seasons of educational programming. Including programs through the Waltham Recreation Dept.”

Waltham Fields began as a volunteer program, Claire says, “There are lots of models starting out, you have to adapt to changes. Because our goal is to produce food – we can’t be volunteer dependent. Our volunteers are now really part of the education program.” She points out that when you are volunteer-dependent you have to engage people on their level. In 2011 more than 750 volunteers gave approximately 3,000 hours to the farm.

WRIGHT LOCKE FARM CONSERVANCY

On the other side of Lexington, just up Whipple Hill from the Busa farmland is the Wright Locke Farm Conservancy (WLFC) in Winchester. The town of Winchester purchased the 20-acre farm in 2007. Before that, it had been farmed for more than 300 years and was the last working farm in town. Most people know Wright Locke Farm as the place to take the kids to pick raspberries on warm summer days. And those raspberry bushes played a key role in keeping the young Community Farm afloat.

 

The family was negotiating with a developer who planned a dense, large-scale housing development on the site. Since the family had received an Agricultural Tax Deferment the town claimed their first right of refusal and bought the land. In order to fund the purchase Winchester voters overwhelmingly backed a tax override. According to WLFC President, Jim Whitehead, the override only covered interest payments. The town planned to sell off part of the site to recoup the purchase costs.

“Very few people knew any more about the farm than the raspberries,” says Whitehead, “People who got to know more about the farm became passionate about keeping some part of it a farm.”

The battle cry became, SAVE THE RASPBERRIES.

In early 2008 a Master Plan Task Force was created to study the idea and the town was soliciting proposals for the sale or development of a portion of the land. In the meantime a small group of volunteers cared for the raspberries and brought in between $17,000 and $18,000 in sales the first year.

The Task Force came back with a recommendation that a conservancy be created to oversee any farming operation. The Task Force wanted to make sure all of Winchester was represented. They created an eleven-member board with no more than two members from any one precinct. Three members would come from the Selectmen, four from the Town Moderator and one each from the Council on Aging, Historical Society, Finance Committee and Conservation Commission.

As the first President, Jim Whitehead wasn’t sure to expect, “This kind of miracle happened. In spite of the fact that the board came from such a diverse group – it works really well.”

Wright Locke Farm Conservancy President Jim Whitehead shows off eggs at the new Farm Stand.

The group has made tremendous progress in just three years. They have doubled the income from raspberries by expanding their other crops. They decided early on not to go the CSA route after meeting with representatives of the Trustees of Reservations who run Appleton Farm in Ipswich. “They looked at the acreage and said we’d never get enough shares to make it profitable,” says Whitehead. Instead, they’ve opened a farm stand and sell their produce at local farmers markets.

But their growing pains were similar to those felt by Waltham Fields. “We began to learn very quickly that there is a big difference between gardening and farming. We didn’t know what we were doing.” They started a vibrant fundraising program and added the education program to boost their bottom line. They now support a full time professional farmer and two other paid farm hands. This is the first year they have offered education programs. It’s been a huge success. They ran a sold-out pilot program in April, a sold-out K -2 program is running now and spots for the Grades 3 – 5 program that’s coming up are filling up fast. They hired a Lead Instructor and two college students to run the program. The program is not only paying for itself, it’s making money.

Because the conservancy is appointed by the town to oversee the farm operation, they have been spared the RFP process. But they do have to negotiate a lease. Last year the town signed a 30- year lease agreement with the Conservancy for 7.6 acres at Wright-Locke Farm. The only financial benefit the farm receives under the lease agreement is the payment of their utility bills for the next five years. Jim Whitehead elaborates, “There’s no specific lease amount, but if we generate a profit we have to reimburse the town for the utilities and then pay some negotiated lease amount.” Turning a profit might be a problem just about any farm would welcome. The remaining acreage, approximately 4.5 acres has been set aside for sale or development.

The intricacies and nuances of negotiating a lease with the town aren’t lost on Lexington Town Manager Carl Valente. In his last position he dealt with a community farm that drained town resources. He approaches the current process with trepidation. “Will we give preference to Lexington groups? Do we want to limit it to non-profits or will we open it up to everyone? What restrictions will there be? Will we require educational programs? What will the lease terms be?” Valente wants to see these questions answered before putting out the Request for Proposal.

THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL MOVES FORWARD IN LEXINGTON

Although the business model and relationship to the community for each farm is different, taking a look at how other farms have structured themselves, evolved and learned to support themselves can have an impact on how Lexington goes forward in the process.

The Town Manager’s office is currently working on a draft proposal that will be presented to the Selectman’s Meeting at their July 30 meeting. Valente will be looking to the Selectmen for guidance on policy questions.

Selectman Peter Kelley says there’s no general consensus on the board as to what the farm should look like, but he is clear on several administrative and financial issues, “There would have to be a citizen’s committee that would review the lease every 3 – 5 years. And there would have to be benchmarks that are met for an option to renew.” He’s already said there are no tax dollars to be expended for farm operations, but he’s keeping an open mind in setting policy. “I’m going to be more of a listener. I don’t think you want to be restrictive in any way that would limit people’s imaginations. I think we might want some education and part of the harvest might go to the food pantry.”

The LexFarm group is working hard to be ready when the Request for Proposal goes out. “We’re looking at what the farm needs, what resources are available. There’s still opportunity to engage with us and say, ‘This is our community farm. This is what we’d like to see.’ We’ll have to know all that before we put together our proposal. We don’t want to put together a concept; we want to put together a proposal that we feel confident in. That’s also going to determine our success,” says Kern.

Neither Kelley nor Kern has the sense that there are many other groups out there interested in operating the farm. But whoever comes in will have to put forth a solid business plan that addresses the immediate financial needs of a community farm. Jim Whitehead has this advice for any group starting out. “I would suggest they should do nothing but raise money for the first year. We had the benefit to ride the raspberries for the first few years. Farming is very front end loaded.”

THE BOTTOM LINE

There is a clear consensus that a basic measure of a community farm’s success is financial independence.

LexFarm has done their homework and put together a detailed business plan that could include low interest loans, certainly fundraising and a CSA. “It’s the CSA that provides income to operate the farm and pay the farmer. When we ran our business model it showed that in a few years you might be able to take some of that money and start supporting education programs. But most of the money that supports education, public events and everything else does have to come from engaging the community through fundraising and volunteering.”

Dennis Busa has already introduced the CSA model in his business and sees the benefits going forward. “It’s going to have to be self supporting, whether it’s CSA or some other means. We’re doing between 175-200 CSA shares and that’s less than a third of our business.” He points out that CSAs can have extra benefits. Busa Farm offers a 50% discount if you pick it yourself and a 10% discount if shares are paid for up front.

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK

A draft RFP will be presented to the Selectmen for input and review at their July 30 meeting. At the same meeting the Selectman will continue discussions on land delineation and housing units presented by LexHab. It’s not clear if the RFP for the farm operation can go forward until it’s determined how many acres will be set aside for housing and where they’ll be sited.

Town Manager Carl Valente hopes to have the RFP ready to go out in mid-September, but he says, “It’s more important to do it right than do it quickly.”

For now the land is continues to be farmed by Dennis Busa who holds the lease until April 2013. LexFarm has a calendar in mind to get up and running right after that, if they are given the lease. “The hope would be to have our new Lexington Community Farm up and running during Lexington’s 300th celebration,” says Kern. The timing is getting tight. Dennis Busa has left the door open to extend his lease on the land until a decision is made and to partner with the new operator as their lead farmer.

Janet Kern and LexFarm appreciate the need for the open process. “A community farm is equal parts community and farm. You can’t have one without the other.” Kern says, “Look at Wright Locke Farm. They’re an example of a farm that has gone through a similar situation. They’ve been able to take the next step because they’ve been supported by the town.

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Minuteman High School Students Earn Medals at State Skills USA Competition

By Judy Bass  |

Congratulations to all students from Minuteman High School in Lexington who competed at the SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference, featuring championships and state officer elections, in Marlboro, Mass., from April 26 to 28, 2012. More than one-third of the Minuteman students attending brought home medals from the competition.

SkillsUSA is a national organization for vocational students that sponsors competitions in dozens of technical areas at the local, district, state and national levels.

Bronze medalists include: James Cardillo (Peabody) for Residential Construction Wiring; Michael Dasaro (Arlington) for Occupational Safety & Health; Nicholas Frotten (Medford) for Employment Application Process; Breanna Harfst (Woburn) for Job Interview; and Gabrielle Fitzgerald-Leger (Waltham), Eric Gulbicki (North Reading), and Kelsey Wakelin (Arlington) for Career Pathways Showcase in Agriculture Food, and Natural Resources.

The silver medalist was sophomore Graham Fortier-Dube (Lexington), who won in Computer Programming.

The following 10 Gold medalists from will represent Team Massachusetts as the best in their career field at the National SkillsUSA Competition from June 23 to 28, 2012 in Kansas City, Mo.: Patrick Boisvert (Arlington) for Post-Grad Plumbing; Michael Bowe (Bolton) and Annie Viggh (Boxborough) for Web Design; Dylan Caples (Lexington), Peter Kelly (Arlington), and Lindsay McGrail (Framingham) for Career Pathways Showcase in Engineering, Science, Technology, and Math; Dan Dangora (Medford) and John Lessard (Medford) for Mobile Robotics; Ryan Gleason (Bolton) for Action Skills; and Christine Hamilton (Stow) for Sustainability Solutions.

Shannon Cain (Arlington) was also selected to serve as a National Voting Delegate.

Finally, for the fourth year running, a Minuteman student has been elected to serve as a State Officer. Congratulations to Lisa Willms (Arlington), who was elected to serve as a 2012-2013 Massachusetts State Officer. Rounding out the list of 13 Minuteman students going to Nationals is Anthony Senesi (Arlington), will also be representing Team Massachusetts as a current Massachusetts SkillsUSA State Officer.

Congratulations to all participants, and a huge thank you to the advisors who made all of this possible: Mr. Rafter, Mr. St. George, Mr. Blank, Mr. King, Mr. Boisvert, Ms. Griffin, and Ms. Withrow.

 

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Rotary Awards Record Number of Scholarships

The Rotary Club of Lexington awarded a record number of scholarships this year to deserving members of the Class of 2012 from from Lexington High School, Minuteman High School and Lexington Christian Academy. The club is proud to provide charitable support to the local community as part of its overall commitment to service. A total of $27,000 was awarded to these students pictured below who attended the awards luncheon at Waxy O’Conner’s.

With cost of college and other post-secondary programs escalating, scholarships help students to deal with the high cost of tuition, room and board, and ever-increasing fees. The Rotary Scholarships Program recognizes students’ leadership skills, academic achievement and commitment to community service. Lexington High School Recipients: Joseph Higgins, Leah Buckley, Michelle Batrio, Raymond Stebbins, Elaine Choi, Malik Alfred, Keaghan Adley, Danny Paul Godwin, Connor Zanin, Colleen Hughes, Lillian Hochman, Victoria Kendall, Alicia Russo, Ronald Beaulieu, Hannah Brown, Emme Hede Brierley, Isabella Brandao, Steve (Sung Kyung) Jung, Bronwen Stern. Lexington Christian Academy recipients: John Rosa, Jr., Allana Matthews, Sophie Damas, Kevin Klein, Sam Doran. Minuteman Regional High School recipients: Pierre Chanliau, Dylan Caples, Anna Parsons.

 

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The Prank Heard ‘Round the World!

By Marilyn Rae Beyer  | 

Armored Forces Supplement Colonial Firepower at Rehearsal for Patriots Day 2012  |

Bill Mix and Tom Fortmann inflate the “tank.” Photo courtesy of Marilyn & Rick Beyer.

It was a covert operation employing a time-honored military tactic, the element of surprise. On the Lexington Green on Sunday, Lexington Militia Capt. Bill Mix gave orders to Lexington militia man Bruce Leader, and Andrew Coots of Gardner’s Charleston Militia to commandeer two inflatable rubber Sherman tanks in order to startle and befuddle His Majesty’s 10th Regiment of Foot as a practice battle ensued on Lexington Green on Sunday – April 1st. Just as the King’s Troops Commander, Paul O’Shaughnessy blustered and bellowed for the rabble from Lexington to “Lay down your arms and disperse!” the unified local forces shouted a unison rejoinder, “Oh, yeah?”

Tom Fortmann, Rick Beyer, the two militiamen, plus late recruits in the persons of Rita & Mike Cramer, David Brossi and Michelle Berniere & sons Ben, Jeremy, Christian Berniere charged onto the Green bearing the faux armored vehicles, causing the staunch Redcoats to bust a gut and sending O’Shaughnessy into fits of laughter. Upon recovering his wits, the Redcoat leader barked, “Fix bayonets!” and ordered a unit to charge, threatening to poke holes in the balloon-like weaponry and thus taking the wind out of the brazen bearers of the buoyant battlefield prank tanks. Mix ordered a hasty retreat and the rehearsal proceeded in earnest, with the usual annual outcome at the expense of the Lexington Militia.

Battle Ready...Mix and Bruce Leader inspect the equipment. Photo courtesy of Marilyn & Rick Beyer.

Just about a month ago, after a committee including Fortmann and other Lexingtonians mounted a fund-raiser for local filmmaker Rick Beyer’s WWII documentary The Ghost Army, Fortmann had a bright idea. Goofy, yes, but bright, as is the wont of the MIT PhD engineer turned educator and former member of the Massachusetts Board of Education. Why not use the inflatable fake tanks from The Ghost Army event to put one over on the Redcoats during the April 1 re-enactment rehearsal? He called up the commander of the Lexington Minutemen, Mix, who portrays Captain John Parker on Patriots Day. The two cooked up the plan.

Redcoats charge, tanks retreat. Photo by Peter Lund.

About an hour before the practice battle, Fortmann and friends inflated the phony tanks and hauled them onto the lawn across the street from the Green. On cue, the crew hoisted the bright green dummies onto the field. Afterwards, the pranksters admitted that – even though the rubber tanks were filled with air – dragging them the 100 yards to the battle line was hard work. Fooling the Redcoats, however, was well worth it. Beyer noted, “The look on O’Shaughnessy’s face was priceless! I have no idea what he said, though, because he was laughing so hard.”

While the battle is a somber chapter of early American history, and, indeed, the yearly Patriots Day re-enactment honors that revered history, the early-April practice sessions frequently include such tomfoolery.

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LexFun Celebrates 70 Years

LexFun partial board

By Marie Manning  |

LexFUN! will celebrate its 70th Anniversary this year! When I began researching this article, the phrase that kept coming to mind was: “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change,” a quote by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa in his novel The Leopard. Over the past seven decades, LexFUN! has weathered, indeed initiated, many changes. Yet at its core, it remains the same. LexFUN! is, and has always been, about community.

Archived records show that the organization has changed its name twice since its inception. Originally called the Lexington Pre-School Association, it was formally organized on September 7, 1942 by the President of the Lexington Council, Mrs. Robert C. McAnaul. The inaugural meeting was hosted by Mrs.Gandolfo Adolina at her Lexington residence. She was the first President of the association. To this day monthly board meetings take place in the homes of board members throughout Lexington. In 1942 it is reported that Mrs. Adolina served tea. Often, the hosts of modern-day LexFUN! board meetings treat their guests to hors d’oeurvers, desserts and wine…and, yes, sometimes, tea. The first hour and a half of each is dedicated to business. Jennifer Velis, President of LexFUN! during the 2010-11 seasons, has been known to state on more than one occasion, “This Board could lead a fortune 100 company! So on task they are with projects and desires to help serve the community.” Additionally, their members hail from a remarkable range of backgrounds such as attorneys, executives, doctors, event planners, technology experts, fundraising directors, stay-at-home parents, writers and entrepreneurs. As their current name suggests, they understand the essential benefits of play. So, the wrap-up portion of the evening Board meetings are spent catching up with each other socially.

Halloween Parade

The official minutes from the 1942-43 Annual Report clearly identified the mission of LexFUN!’s predecessor: “The object of this association shall be to study all problems of child nurture prior to the school age and to promote child training for parenthood and homemaking.” To that end, the Board invited special guests to speak about topics relevant to that time period: “Discipline;” “Controlling Communicable Disease;” “Intelligence Rating and Religious Education of the Pre-school Child;” and “Meals for Little Folks.” Though some of the subjects have changed, decade through decade, this organization has provided the forum for parents to continue their educations in parenting. The more recent seminar themes reflect the busy lives we live today, as well as the most pertinent challenges parents face: “Sleeping Soundly: How to Help Your Child and Yourself Sleep Better;” “Raising Sons;” “Raising Daughters;” “Preparing Your Will;” “Strengthening the Couple Relationship.”

The 1942 report continued by identifying that, “It has the distinction of being the first pre-school association in Massachusetts to be in membership with the Massachusetts State Branch of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers.” To this day, LexFUN! is an avid supporter of the Massachusetts PTA. Rallying behind causes such as the “YES For Our Schools” campaign, LexFUN! ensures its members’ voices are heard and their children’s educations protected.

When the organization was founded in 1942 “pre-school” as we know it today simply did not exist. There was no confusion about who was eligible for membership and who was not. If you had children who were not yet old enough for elementary school, you had “pre-schoolers” and were welcome to join the association. This was clarified in the preamble of the charter, “All mothers of pre-school children are cordially invited to attend these meetings, and it is hoped that a large number will be interested enough to become members…” In September of 1958, the still young organization began using the designation “Lexington Pre-School P.T.A.” in conversations and on its official forms: “LPPTA.”

From top to bottom: LexFun annual Consignment Sale. LexFun at Youville place. Deb Rourke president 04-05 and Jen Vogelzang. LexFun open house.

While the term “kindergarten” was coined in Germany in the mid 1800’s, it wasn’t until the mid 1960’s that common thought in the United States turned toward pre elementary schooling. Publicly funded Head Start pre-schools were established in 1965 for low-income families. This shifted the paradigm. Privately funded pre-schools existed prior to this, such as Montessori and Waldorf that had been emerging throughout Europe and in scattered parts of the USA for a half-century. But this era marked the increase dedication to early childhood education. By 2005, census informs us, almost 70% of children nationwide attend some form of pre-school by the age of 4. Thus, the word “pre-school” had taken on a new definition. Here in Lexington, the LexFUN! membership committee was challenged when recruiting new members because of the implied restriction in its prior name. Newcomers, especially parents with infants and very young children, asked continuously, “My child is not in pre-school, can we still become members?” Knowing that for every person that asked this question aloud, many others silently assumed they were not eligible to join, the LexFUN! leadership knew something had to change.

The organization took this identity crisis in stride and undertook as part of their mission to find a new name. Leslie Zales was the President of the Board when the name change occurred. “I was co-President for 2 years and before that on the Board for many years! I was happy to Chair the name change my last year on the Board.” On September 1st, 2009 a press release was issued unveiling their new name: “Lexington’s Five and Under Network: LexFUN!” Former co-President, Gretchen Reisig said, “Our new name is a reflection of who we are as a group, and who we are in the community.”

Community is synonymous with LexFUN! Sandy Schwartz tells us, “When I first moved to Lexington I had just a 6 month old and did not know many people. I was very lonely. Once I found LexFUN! I instantly had so much to do and met almost all of my Lexington friends.” Audra Myerberg echoed this sentiment, “I moved here from Waltham last June and the very first thing I did was to join LexFun and it was the best decision I could have made! It is a great way to meet people. Everyone is so welcoming and there are so many ways to be involved.” Meredith Applegate, current co-President says, “I joined the LexFUN! Board when my first child was several months old and have met so many wonderful people ever since! Getting involved with LexFUN! Is also a great way to become connected in the community as you realize the number of familiar faces that you get to know over the years. It is also a way to feel good about doing good work in the community.” Scott Bokun (Yes, father’s can join too!) voiced his experience with the group, “I joined LexFun! because I was an at-home dad new to Lexington and I needed a support group, some friends for me and my children…I’m still close with many of the friends I met 13 years ago in LexFUN!…It brings together young families and gives them great opportunities for fun and support. When you’ve got little kids, it’s great to have playgroups and activities for them that don’t break the bank. And it helped keep me sane; being at home with young children can drive you crazy!” Leslie Zales encourages those in career-parent transition, “Being on the board helped bridge my former professional life to being a Stay-at-Home Mom–using talents, skills and energy outside of motherhood. It was grounding, yet lifesaving! LexFUN is an impressive, well-oiled non-profit organization that serves our young families, our local businesses and charitable causes. I met my best friends while being on the board of LexFUN! We’ve all graduated but we remain close….we’ve grown up together with our children. I buy a membership every year in support of LexFUN! for all it has given me and my family.” Jen Vogelzang, who recounted how she was in labor during a December LexFUN! Potluck Board Meeting, cherishes her time spent with the group, “It is multi-faceted. You have a support network. You have an outlet for your creative talents. Once you join, you have a gift!”

Deb Rourke brought to light how advances in technology transformed the group. “It used to be that if the newsletter was late – it was a crisis! It contained the monthly calendar and our members wanted it delivered on time.” She spoke of the phone tree that existed when she was co-President in 2004-05. It was used when there was an event cancellation or member emergency. Deb smiled when she remembered the navigation that had to take place the year the widely attended Halloween Parade had to be cancelled. A form of the phone tree exists today, but more often than not, email is the mode of contact. Newsletters and calendars are distributed via the Internet. LexFUN! even has a Yahoo Group Listserv and a presence on FaceBook. Deb continued by saying, “The heart of the organization has not changed, but the efficiency has.” Technology has revolutionized the 1950s Rummage Sale the LPPTA hosted, to the current Annual Spring LexFUN! Consignment Sale. Consignors create an online account via LexFun.org to list their inventory. Bar code price tags are printed and Voila! The goods are ready for drop off. This year’s Consignment Sale is on Saturday, May 12th from 8:00am-2:00pm at St. Brigid’s Parish, 2001 Massachusetts Ave in Lexington.

LexFUN! has a number of committees for volunteers to serve on and the community to benefit from: Community Service, Early Education Liaison, Events, Fundraisers, Membership, Seminars, Social. Every season LexFUN! offers ways members can contribute to community service such as their on-going assistance with the Meals on Wheels program and visits to Youville Place Assisted Living. Many in-kind donations are made to Cradles to Crayons and to local shelters, such as the “Birthday in a Box” program for children and the “Esteem Boxes” they give to homeless mothers. Yes – homeless. Lexington is not immune to the current economic reality so many Americans are faced with. As a 501c3, LexFUN! raises money to make financial contributions to organizations in alignment with their goals including: the Early Childhood Committee; the Cary Memorial Library and the Lexington Education Foundation. LexFun! created the LexFUND Preschool Scholarship Fund. Awards range from $500-$3,000 per child. LexFUND granted over $30,000 in the past two years alone.

There are SummerFun and WinterFun drop-in centers to meet up with other parents as your children play together. The Social Committee coordinates an Annual Member Recognition Night each November, the Bicentennial Park Potluck in June, and regular Moms-Night-Out evenings. Couples are encouraged to attend the Annual Date Knight celebration. LexFUN! publishes The Annual Guide for Young Families in September which is distributed to their membership. Other benefits of membership are discounts at many local businesses and restaurants.

The founding members of the 1942-1943 Board included: Mrs. Gandolfo Andolina, Mrs. Frank H. Ready, Mrs. William P. Clark, Mrs. Stanley Robbins, Mrs. George Wood, Mrs. Lynman Carlow, Mrs. Handel Rivinius, Mrs. George Regan, Mrs. Bertram Gustin, Mrs. Ernest Rogers. Feminists may be taken aback to see such civic-minded women listed on record without any recognition of their first, let alone original sur, name. This is one more of many changes that mark the turning of the tide of this organization. The once ten member board has now grown to more than 60 women, from many walks of life. Each dedicate what time they have to fulfill LexFUN!’s current mission: “to offer social, educational, and recreational opportunities to families with young children [birth through age five].” LexFUN! has over four hundred member families. Only time will tell what cultural changes and influences the future has in store for this thriving group that has become the soul of our community. “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.” LexFUN! you have proven your ability to do just so. Happy Anniversary.

Jennifer Velis and Lisa O’Brien represented LexFUN! on the television show “Contributions to Earth.” It is available on-demand at www.LexMedia.org and excerpts can be seen at: www.TVforYourSoul.com. To find out more about LexFUN!,

visit: www.LexFUN.org

 

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Filed Under: Archived Stories, Lexington Organizations, Lexington People