Hello Neighbors & Newcomers,
Welcome back! We hope you are having a fabulous summer and are gearing up for kids returning to school, eventual fall weather, and most importantly – your regularly scheduled LNN activities!! The excitement builds as we work on planning an awesome assortment of activities for the upcoming season. Read on to see what we have in store for September, including our end of summer potluck party!
We are also excited to share our executive board and at-large board members for this year!
President: Rikke Bitsch-Nørhave
Secretary: Rachel Brownell
Treasurer: Mary Reynolds
Membership: Alona Joynt
Events: Helena Wennbo
Book Club: Liliana Kondracki & Melanie Wood
Social Media: Lydia O’Donoghue
Lunch Bunch: Carol Colwell
Bunco: Lara Kallander
At-Large: Alexia Duc, Jo Rao, Lisa Van Oossanen, Mari Defay, Rosa Sousa, Saskia Houwing, Tania Bojanowski
Don’t forget to follow the Lexington Neighbors & Newcomers Members Facebook group and our Instagram to get the latest updates on our activities.
Best Wishes,
Rikke Bitsch-Nørhave, LNN President & Rachel Brownell, LNN Secretary
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WELCOME TO 2023/2024 | Important Notice about Membership
Welcome to September and a new membership period. We are excited about all the fun events in store.
Membership will again be $50 for your household, and you may pay via PayPal or check.
Questions?
Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to Alona/Membership on email: lexingtonma.newcomers@gmail.com
If you do not wish to renew your membership, please also let us know so we can take you off the newsletters list and update our records accordingly.
Walking Group
Keep an eye on our Facebook group for walking plans at really pretty local spots, especially as we get into that nice late summer/early fall weather. Or feel free to post your own walking plans to invite some neighbors along!
It’s a Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood – Historic House Tour & LNN Lunch Bunch Joint Event
Thursday, Sept 14 @ 9:15am
Join us for an eye-opening tour of the historic Hancock-Clarke House, a National Historic Landmark, located here in Lexington.
Built in 1737, Hancock-Clarke House was the parsonage for the town of Lexington during the 18th century. Reverend Jonas Clarke was hosting patriot guests statesman and Founding Father John Hancock and Samuel Adams when they were awakened by Paul Revere on his famous “Midnight Ride” to warn Hancock and Adams that British troops had left Boston in the early hours of April 19, 1775.
The Lexington Historical Society has graciously offered us a private LNN member-only tour lasting approximately 1.5-2 hours.
**As an added bonus, The Lexington Historical Society hopes you will also visit their two other historic house museums and is offering all LNN tour participants a free house visit ticket for either Monroe Tavern or Buckman Tavern for use at another time.**
Please note that this event can accommodate a maximum of 15 people.
Cost: Group Rate of $10 per person. Free for members of the Lexington Historical Society – please bring your membership card.
Please join us, if you are able, after the tour for the LNN Lunch Bunch at your neighborhood Thai restaurant, Love at First Bite, 1710 Mass Ave., at 11:30am (see below).
Lunch Bunch
Thursday, Sept 14 @ 11:30am
It’s a Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood continues with…..
our first LNN Lunch Bunch of the season right in our very own beautiful downtown Lexington.
We are happy to offer our members this joint event but you are always welcome to attend either the tour or the lunch if you can’t join us for both.
When: Thursday, September 14 at 11:30am.
Where: Love at First Bite
1710 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington
Lunch Menu: https://www.loveatfirstbitema.com
Experience the vibrant flavors of Thailand in every bite!
Men’s Night
Thursday, Sept 14 @ 7pm
Please read the following aloud within earshot of your husband (bonus points for compelling vocal performances):
“Hey honey, LNN is restarting Men’s Nights with a new organizer. The next one will be at Revolution Hall on Thursday, September 14th, starting around 7pm. You should go and check it out! I heard that a bunch of husbands were getting roped into going, so you’ll be in good company! Also, Rev Hall is easy to pop in and out, so you won’t have to worry about showing up late or ducking out early.”
Indicate your interest in this and/or future events (and provide suggestions for other activities that you’d like to see) by filling out the form linked in the newsletter.
Coffee Talk
Thursday, September 21 10am-12pm
Join us for coffee on Thursday, Sept 21st at Tatte Arlington. Feel free to drop in for a bit and even bring a friend. Be on the lookout for a Facebook event to RSVP in case we need to communicate further, but RSVP is not required.
Book Club
Thursday, September 21 @ 7pm
Welcome to the 2023-2024 Book Club Season! Join us on Thursday, September 21st to discuss our first selection “Our Missing Hearts” by best seller author Celeste Ng (Little Fires Everywhere, Everything I Never Told You).
Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve “American culture” in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic—including the work of Bird’s mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old.
Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn’t know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn’t wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is pulled into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change.
On the morning of September 21st, we will email the time of the meeting and the address of our host to all attendees. Please bring a drink of your choice and/or snacks to share.
End of Summer Potluck
Saturday, September 23 6:30-9:30pm
Join us for our official end of summer party! While we are sad to see summer go, we are excited to celebrate a new season of LNN kicking off with you all.
We will enjoy a member’s lovely backyard on the evening of Saturday, September 23rd (or Sunday the 24th in case of rain). This will be an international potluck, so bring your favorite dish to share with others that represents where you are from, somewhere you have traveled, or somewhere whose cuisine you greatly enjoy. LNN will provide the desserts, so we appreciate if you can focus on appetizers, mains, or sides. Consider 10-20 servings per dish, if possible, and know that food can be made or purchased! While some non-alcoholic drinks will be provided, you may also want to bring a beverage of choice for yourself or to share.
Note that this event is oriented at our adult members. We can’t wait to see you there!
Community Announcements
Munroe Center for the Arts
- FALL CLASS REGISTRATION is open for MCA classes in visual arts & theater. Class descriptions are online at www.munroecenter.org. We are excited to be offering classes for teens and adults in our new printmaking studio, as well as returning favorites in visual arts, ceramics and youth theater.
- NEW CLASSES – Ceramics Handbuilding with artist Judith Cooper, Evening Watercolor class for adults, Printmaking for teens and adults, Short Semester Bookmaking class, Saturday Young Artist Morning.
- RETURNING FAVORITES – Adult, teen and youth ceramics, Figure Drawing, Youth Painting & Drawing
- CALL FOR ARTISTS! The Munroe Center for the Arts will be hosting a holiday art & crafts market JUST for artists 18 and younger on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9TH. Stay tuned for more information, and in the meantime, please share with youth you know who might want to use some time to build their inventory.
- GRANDPARENTS DAY EVENT on Saturday, September 9th from 10-12pm. This is a FREE PUBLIC EVENT led by artist Alice DelDonno who will be teaching how to make art books with collage and paint. All ages and abilities are welcome. Space is limited – register at www.munroecenter.org/grandparents-day
Lexington United Soccer Club
- You may not be too late to sign your kids up for K-2 Soccer Saturdays! Though the deadline has officially passed, since many kids hear about this program from friends as they head back to school, they can usually still be added late.
Register here: https://lexingtonunited.org/k-2-soccer-saturdays/