Upcoming Events

Walking Group – Tuesdays at 9am starting September 4

Everyone is welcome to join the walking group each Tuesday. The location of each walk varies to keep it interesting – we aim for about 90 minute walks. Deb will email the night before with the location (waiting until Monday evening avoids last minute changes due to weather). Some paths are flatter / stroller friendly and some are not – we’ll do our best to let you know trail conditions beforehand. No RSVP necessary – just show up, ready to walk. If you’re running late, call or text Deb & we’ll make arrangements to meet you.

Email Deb at debbra.zucker@gmail.com to be added to the email group and receive the weekly walk details.

Our first walk of the season is Tues., Sept 4 at 9am. Meet at Starbucks on Bedford St. (60 Bedford Street, Lexington). We will walk the bike path which is paved & shaded.

Book Club – Thursday, September 13 at 7:30pm

This month’s book is “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng. The Richardson family lives in the planned community of Shaker Heights, Ohio—a place of wealth, comfort, and stability—and they are a clan that embodies those traits. But when Mia, a single mother, and her fifteen year old daughter, Pearl, rent a house in the area, their very different lives will merge with those of the Richardson family and begin to contort the carefully laid lattice that supports their views. Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of long-held secrets and the ferocious pull of motherhood-and the danger of believing that planning and following the rules can avert disaster, or heartbreak

Host: Sue Stapleton. RSVP to Priya at priyanpatel@yahoo.com

Lunch Bunch – Friday, September 14 at 12:00pm

Join your LNN friends for a delicious local lunch. This month we’re dining Lexx, a long-standing Lexington favorite.

RSVP to Kim Cramer at kimwcramer@gmail.com

Ladie’s Movie Night – Thursday, September 20 7:30pm

Please join us for a fun and entertaining ladies’ night, hosted in the home of an LNN member. We will have time to socialize with friends old and new before watching a movie together. Snacks will be provided. Members are kindly asked to bring a beverage to share. RSVP to Lesley at lesleysegal@hotmail.com for location details.

Bunco (& Left-Right-Center) – Tuesday, September 25 at 7:30pm

Bring: $5 ante for Bunco; $3 for L-R-C (exact change appreciated!); and a beverage or snack to share
RSVP: email Kessa at kessaglisic@gmail.com for location details

About the Games: Bunco is an entertaining, simple dice game, with no experience required. It’s played in multiple rounds with players alternating turns rolling the dice to match the target number. Whoever wins the most rounds is the overall winner. And because players rotate tables, it is a great way to meet and chat with different people. Left-Right-Center is an even simpler game, faster moving than Bunco, and is played at the end of the evening. Did we mention there’s no experience required?

Open House Coffee

Wednesday, September 26, 10:00-12:00

Join us for an open house to kick-off the 2018-2019 LNN season. This event is open to both current members looking to catch up with old friends and non-members interested in learning about what LNN offers. Feel free to bring along someone new to Lexington or looking to expand their community.

No RSVP: Just drop in!

Host: Angela Benson. Any questions or if you are interested in hosting a future coffee, email Angela at jammbenson@sbcglobal.net

Men’s Pub Night – Thursday, September 27 at 7:30pm

Please join us at Via Lago (on Mass Ave across from Cary Library) to reconnect over drinks!  Expressions of interest sent to normrichter@comcast.net are appreciated, so that Norm can let Via Lago know how many stools to set aside.

Save the Date!

November 4 – 23rd Annual Genesis Battle Green Run

more details about these events to follow….

Announcements

Don’t forget to renew your membership!

Renew before September 15 for $40 . After that dues increase to $45. Please remember to renew by October 1 in order to keep your membership up-to-date. Membership entitles each household to our newsletter and access to all of our activities. There are two ways to pay: 1) Paypal or 2) By check. Note that new members are requested to complete a membership form. Please feel free to pass on membership information to any newcomers or neighbors who you think may be interested in joining!

Want to get more involved with LNN?

We are always looking for members to host events (bunco, parties, book club, coffee talk, etc) and likewise we are open to suggestions for new activities/excursions. If you are interested in hosting, have any suggestions or want to help out with LNN in any way contact us at lncexecs@lexington-newcomers.org.

23rd annual Genesis Battle Green Run

The 23rd annual Genesis Battle Green Run will take place Sunday, November 4 in Lexington.  LexFUN! and Lexington Neighbors & Newcomers have joined forced to become a team:  Spencer’s Sprinters, because a local pre-schooler needs our help!  Lexington’s cutie-pie, Spencer Smith, has been diagnosed with Sanfilippo Syndrome, a terminal, progressive disease – LIKENED TO CHILDHOOD ALZHEIMER’S, with devastating effects on the brain – that doesn’t have a cure…YET.  We are participating in this race to help Spencer and other kids with Sanfilippo by raising money for the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation.  We hope you’ll join our team!!  You can do the 5K Walk, 5K Run or 10K Run.  There will be more info to come in an email soon on how to register for the run or walk and join our fundraising team.  In the meantime, if you have questions or are eager to register before then, contact Peg at margaretkastnerus@yahoo.com.

President’s Notes

Dear Newcomers,

What a year! From our various parties, museum tours & outings, coffees, walks, lunches, book clubs, buncos, men’s pub nights, and community service projects, there have been many exciting opportunities to make new friends! Whether you are brand new or more of a veteran, we appreciate your participation in our events.

As many of you know, the past two years have not been the easiest for my family, given my son’s terminal diagnosis, and I want to thank you for your support and kind thoughts. The club has been my second family since I joined six years ago and it’s been wonderful to lead the club as president these past two years. Next season, I plan to stay on the board and help with the secretary position.

Leading the club next season will be our two new co-presidents, Pam Richter and Katie Walter. Both have been board members these past two years, helping with Tuesday Walking Group, Lunch Bunch, and the recent revision of our by-laws. The club is in great hands!

This is the last newsletter of the 2017-2018 season. Thank you, everyone, and have a wonderful summer!

Alli Smith, LNC President, allihinman@hotmail.com

Announcement: We’re changing our scope, name…

We are expanding our membership eligibility to include Lexington residents regardless of how long they have lived here. And we are changing our name, to the Lexington Neighbors and Newcomers Club (LNNC), to reflect our broader scope. During our research of other community newcomer clubs, we noted that similar clubs have moved towards including longtime residents who wanted to join a vibrant social community that allowed them to get to know new faces. Newcomers have also commented that they would appreciate getting to know residents with history and experience in the community. We hope you will welcome this evolution in our purpose, and use it as a great opportunity to encourage your neighbors and friends to join our growing Lexington club!

Help Wanted!

We’re doing the end-of-season shuffle at LNC when board members join, change roles, or retire. We have two open positions starting next fall. If you would like to get more involved in our merry band of planners. Feel free to reach out for more information.

Bunco Coordinator: Once per month, collect RSVPs and run this fun dice game. Contact: allihinman@hotmail.com

Website: Update website with the current month’s events and other new info as needed. Contact: asmithziegler@gmail.com

Tuesday Walking Group

Join us for our weekly walk n talk. We meet every Tuesday, weather permitting, and walk for about 90 minutes on a local outdoor trail. Contact our organizers to get on the distribution list so they can email you the prior Monday with meet-up details.

TUESDAYS @ 9:00am (please be prompt)

Organizers: Deb Zucker debbra.zucker@gmail.com and Katie Walter katiebwalter@gmail.com.

International Potluck!

SAT June 2  7pm-10pm @ home of host Natalie & Derek Reynolds

We have just a few spots left for our annual potluck celebrating our diversity through food! If you would like to attend, email Nassma at nassmahalaseh@hotmail.com. Bring a food item and beverage that reflect your many varied life experiences, a family tradition, or just something you love to make!  

Coffee Talk

WED June 6  9:30am-11:30pm (Note earlier start/end times)

Host: Sheila Tweeddale

Start your day with a smile. Chat with friends while enjoying coffee and a nibble.

No RSVP: Just drop in! Questions: Contact Viki Deardorff, milwaukeemeow@yahoo.com

Bike Ride / Lunch Bunch

FRI June 8 

Meet us for a bike ride from Lexington to Concord, for lunch in Concord, or both.

11am Bike Ride: Meet on the bike path behind Lexington Depot Square. Bring a bike chain/lock. We will cycle together to the Trail’s End Café restaurant. If rain is forecasted, bike ride portion will be cancelled by Thurs., June 7.
12pm Lunch: Meet at Trail’s End Café, 97 Lowell Road, Concord, MA

RSVP: Pam, pamrichter7@gmail.com, and specify whether biking, lunching, or both. Please provide Pam your cell.

ESCAPE: Kayaking in Concord!

WED June 13 @ 10am @ South Bridge Boat House, 496 Main Street
(route 62), Concord

Good exercise, good company and beautiful views! We can’t think of a better way to spend the morning than paddling with us on the Concord River. Kayaks and canoes are both available for rent (paddles and life jackets included). We will plan to spend two hours on the water, floating to the famous North Bridge.

Cost: Double kayak $17/hour; single kayak $16/hour; canoe $13/hour. The boat house accepts cash only. Note that LNC will subsidize the fees—per person cost depends on the number of participants. You can choose your boat and arrange for boat sharing, if desired, at the boat house.

RSVP: Lesley Segal, lesleysegal@hotmail.com

Book Club…The Lost Wife (Alyson Richman)

TUES June 19 @ 7:30 pm
Host: Lorri Kern

A rapturous novel of first love in a time of war–from the celebrated author of The Rhythm of Memory and The Last Van Gogh. In pre-war Prague, the dreams of two young lovers are shattered when they are separated by the Nazi invasion. Then, decades later, thousands of miles away in New York, there’s an inescapable glance of recognition between two strangers…

RSVP: suemstapleton@gmail.com

Community Service: LexRAP

WED June 20
Shift 1: 9:30am-10:30pm
Shift 2: 10:30am-2pm

We are partnering with LexRAP (Lexington Refugee Assistance Program) to help with a special lunch that will also fall on Global Refugee day. Choose one or both shifts. During shift 1, we prepare food at a volunteer home, then, during shift 2, we deliver the lunches to the International Institute of New England in Lowell. The goal is to offer a healthy meal, and give the refugees the opportunity to practice their English while connecting with one another.

RSVP/Questions: Email Nassma Halaseh at: nassmahalaseh@hotmail.com

Men’s Pub Night

WED June 20 @ 7:30pm-whenever @ Via Lago, Lexington Center

Let’s raise a glass in June to toast the arrival of summer and the last week of school, before taking a break for July and August. No RSVPs needed, however expressions of interest helpful in making arrangements with our venue. Also, if you’re not already on Norm’s distribution list, send your contact info so he can notify you of last minute changes.

Contact: Norm Richter, normrichter@comcast.net.

Bunco (& Left-Right-Center)

THURS June 21 @ 7:30pm
Bring: $5 ante for Bunco; $3 for L-R-C (exact change appreciated!); and a beverage or snack to share.
RSVP: email Alli Smith, allihinman@hotmail.com, for location details.

About the Games: Bunco is an entertaining, simple dice game, with no experience required. It’s played in multiple rounds with players alternating turns rolling the dice to match the target number. Whoever wins the most rounds is the overall winner. And because players rotate tables, it is a great way to meet and chat with different people. Left-Right-Center is an even simpler game, faster moving than Bunco, and is played at the end of the evening. Did we mention there’s no experience required?

President’s Notes

Dear Lovely Newcomers!

Well praise be, flowers. Green grass and warmer temps. Finally.

This time of year, Lexington blooms with activity too. We hope you enjoy some of its offerings in addition to our events this month.

We have a special museum outing and an IMPORTANT message for our Book Clubbers. Please check the details, and as always, we welcome you to email us with questions and suggestions.

Alli Smith, LNC President, allihinman@hotmail.com

Tuesday Walking Group

Join us for our weekly walk n talk. We meet every Tuesday, weather permitting, and walk for about 90 minutes on a local outdoor trail. Contact our organizers to get on the distribution list so they can email you the prior Monday with meet-up details.

TUESDAYS @ 9:00am (please be prompt)

Organizers: Deb Zucker debbra.zucker@gmail.com and Katie Walter katiebwalter@gmail.com.

Men’s Pub Night

WED May 2 @ 7:00pm-whenever @ Via Lago, Lexington Center

Please join the guys again for drinks and conversation.

No RSVPs needed, however expressions of interest helpful in making arrangements with our venue. Also, if you’re not already on Norm’s distribution list, send your contact info so he can notify you of last minute changes.

Contact: Norm Richter, normrichter@comcast.net.

Look forward to seeing you then!

Book Club…The Other Wes Moore (by Wes Moore)

THURS May 10 @ 7:30 pm
RSVP to Sue Stapleton, suemstapleton@gmail.com

Two kids with the same name were born blocks apart in the same decaying city within a year of each other. One grew up to be a Rhodes Scholar, army officer, White House Fellow, and business leader. The other is serving a life sentence in prison. Here is the story of two boys and the journey of a generation.

Your response is needed…

Book Club Titles for Next Season

We will be sending a survey soon to establish the list of titles for next season’s Book Club. If you are a book club goer or would like to be, please send us your title “wish list.” You will vote on the compiled list and the most popular titles will be selected for next year’s roster.

Send your wish list to Lorri Kern at lorrikern@gmail.com by May 30.

MFA: Escher & Lunch
C. Escher: Infinite Dimensions

Let your imagination get lost in the iconic art of M.C. Escher. Join us at our next museum at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and explore original prints by the famous Dutch graphic artist. After the exhibit, come to lunch at the museum’s Bravo Restaurant.

FRI May 11

Join for the exhibit, for lunch, or both.

10:30am:    Escher exhibit @ Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115

12:30pm:    Lunch at MFA’s Bravo

Cost: LNC discounted rate of $10/person (w 10+ participants, otherwise $15/person).

Carpool: Will be organized from Lexington.

RSVP: By May 7 to Natalie Hackel-Auer, natalie_auer@hotmail.com.

Coffee Talk

WED May 23 10am-12pm

Start your day with a smile. Chat with friends while enjoying coffee and a nibble.

No RSVP: Just drop in!

Contact Viki Deardorff, milwaukeemeow@yahoo.com, for location/parking details

Bunco (& Left-Right-Center)

THURS May 24 @ 7:30pm
Bring: $5 ante for Bunco; $3 for L-R-C (exact change appreciated!); and a beverage or snack to share.
RSVP: email Kessa Glisic, kessaglisic@gmail.com, for location details.

About the Games: Bunco is an entertaining, simple dice game, with no experience required. It’s played in multiple rounds with players alternating turns rolling the dice to match the target number. Whoever wins the most rounds is the overall winner. And because players rotate tables, it is a great way to meet and chat with different people. Left-Right-Center is an even simpler game, faster moving than Bunco, and is played at the end of the evening. Did we mention there’s no experience required?

President’s Notes

Dear Lovely Newcomers!

Welcome Spring (finally)! Yes, we have snow on the ground, but that’s New England’s little joke.

We have an abbreviated roster this month because of school ‘s Spring break.

Please check out the details of our events in this newsletter. And as always, we welcome you to email us with questions and suggestions.

Alli Smith, LNC President, allihinman@hotmail.com

Tuesday Walking Group

Join us for our weekly walk n talk. We meet every Tuesday, weather permitting, and walk for about 90 minutes on a local outdoor trail. Contact our organizers to get on the distribution list so they can email you the prior Monday with meet-up details.

TUESDAYS @ 9:00am (please be prompt)

Organizers: Deb Zucker debbra.zucker@gmail.com and Katie Walter katiebwalter@gmail.com.

Book Club…What She Knew (by Gilly MacMillan)

TUES April 10 @ 7:30 pm | PLEASE RSVP: suemstapleton@gmail.com

In her enthralling debut, Gilly Macmillan explores a mother’s search for her missing son, weaving a taut psychological thriller as gripping and skillful as The Girl on the Train and The Guilty One.

In a heartbeat, everything changes…Rachel Jenner is walking in a Bristol park with her eight-year-old son, Ben, when he asks if he can run ahead. Rachel has no reason to worry—until Ben vanishes. Police are called, search parties go out, and Rachel, already insecure after her recent divorce, feels herself coming undone. As hours and then days pass, everyone who knew Ben is called into question, from Rachel’s newly married ex-husband to her mother-of-the-year sister. Inevitably, media attention focuses on Rachel too, and the public’s attitude toward her begins to shift from sympathy to suspicion. As she desperately pieces together the threadbare clues, Rachel realizes that nothing is quite as she imagined, not even her own judgment. And the greatest dangers may lie not in the anonymous strangers of every parent’s nightmares, but behind the familiar smiles of those she trusts the most. Where is Ben? The clock is ticking…

Coffee Talk

WED April 11 10am-12pm @ Caffé Nero, in Burlington Mall

Start your day with a smile. Chat with friends while enjoying coffee and a nibble.

No RSVP: Just drop in!

Questions: Contact Viki Deardorff, milwaukeemeow@yahoo.com

Chocolate Tour & Lunch Bunch

TUES April 24 | 11am Chocolate Tour | 12:30pm Lunch

Bring your appetites for chocolate AND lunch. We have arranged this wonderful twofer, combining a tour of the Taza Chocolate Factory (sampling included!) and lunch at nearby Muqueca, a Brazilian restaurant.

Taza Chocolate makes “stone ground chocolate that’s seriously good and fair for all.” See how it’s done.

Muqueca’s Brazilian seafood stew in traditional clay pots is the main attraction at this bright, funky eatery.

Join for the tour, for lunch, or both.

11:00am: Taza Chocolate Tour @ Taza Chocolate
561 Windsor St, Somerville, MA
Fee: $5 (Subsidized by LNC.)

12:30pm: Lunch at Muqueca
1008 Cambridge St., Cambridge MA

RSVP: By FRI April 20
Email Pam Richter, pamrichter7@gmail.com, and specify tour, lunch, or both.

Bunco (& Left-Right-Center)

THURS April 26 @ 7:30pm
Bring: $5 ante for Bunco; $3 for L-R-C (exact change appreciated!); and a beverage or snack to share.
RSVP: email Kessa Glisic, kessaglisic@gmail.com, for location details.

About the Games: Bunco is an entertaining, simple dice game, with no experience required. It’s played in multiple rounds with players alternating turns rolling the dice to match the target number. Whoever wins the most rounds is the overall winner. And because players rotate tables, it is a great way to meet and chat with different people. Left-Right-Center is an even simpler game, faster moving than Bunco, and is played at the end of the evening. Did we mention there’s no experience required?

Escape: Cheese Tasting!

SAT April 28 @ 7:30pm @ a member’s home in Lexington

Back by popular demand, bring your palate to our post-dinner cheese tasting party. We will provide an array of cheeses selected from the Concord Cheese Shop. (We will have a different selection from last year, so repeat customers welcome!) We ask each guest to bring a beverage to share.

Max: 30 guests. Spots go quickly, so sign up soon!

RSVP: email Lesley at lesleysegal@hotmail.com.

President’s Notes

Dear Lovely Newcomers!

We have a busy month with some special events beyond our monthly regulars. Check out our escapes: Georgia O’Keeffe on FRI March 2 (hurry in w RSVPs!) and our Foodie excursion on FRI March 16.

Please check out the details of these and all our events in this newsletter. And as always, we welcome you to email us with questions and suggestions.

Alli Smith, LNC President, allihinman@hotmail.com

Tuesday Walking Group

Join us for our weekly walk n talk. We meet every Tuesday, weather permitting, and walk for about 90 minutes on a local outdoor trail. Contact our organizers to get on the distribution list so they can email you the prior Monday with meet-up details.

TUESDAYS @ 9:00am (please be prompt)

Organizers: Deb Zucker debbra.zucker@gmail.com and Katie Walter katiebwalter@gmail.com.

Escape: Georgia O’Keeffe | POSTPONED b/c of weather

COMING SOON!! RSVP TODAY

Join us at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem for a private guided tour of the works of an iconic American artist, in the exhibit, “Georgia O´Keeffe: Art, Image, Style.”

If you also love great coffee and pastry, meet us before the tour at A and J King Bakery (a five-minute walk from the museum).

Finally we will finish our weekday escape with lunch at the well-known Hawthorne Hotel.

FRI March 2

10:30am—Coffee/Pastries @
A & J King Bakery, 48 Central Street Salem, MA

11:20am—Guided tour Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit @ Peabody Essex Museum,161 Essex St., Salem, MA.
$20 for tour and museum admission.

12:45pm—Lunch @ The Hawthorne Hotel, 18 Washington Sq. W., Salem

RSVP: Natalie Auer at 847-494-5349 or natalie_auer@hotmail.com

Book Club…City of Thieves (by David Benioff)

THURS March 8 @ 7:30 pm

From the critically acclaimed author of The 25th Hour and co-creator of HBO’s Game of Thrones, a captivating novel about war, courage, survival — and a remarkable friendship that ripples across a lifetime. During the Nazis’ brutal siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov is arrested for looting and thrown into the same cell as a deserter named Kolya. Instead of being executed, Lev and Kolya are given a shot at saving their own lives by complying with an outrageous directive: secure a dozen eggs for a powerful Soviet colonel to use in his daughter’s wedding cake. In a city cut off from all supplies and suffering unbelievable deprivation, Lev and Kolya embark on a hunt through the dire lawlessness of Leningrad and behind enemy lines to find the impossible.

Men’s Pub Night

THURS March 15 @ 7:00pm-whenever @ Via Lago, Lexington Center

Please join the guys again for drinks and conversation.

No RSVPs needed, however expressions of interest helpful in making arrangements with our venue. Also, if you’re not already on Norm’s distribution list, send your contact info so he can notify you of last minute changes.

Contact: Norm Richter, normrichter@comcast.net.

Look forward to seeing you then!

Escape: Foodie Fun!

FRI March 16

11am—Grocery Tour: 99 Asian Supermarket, 60 Broadway, Malden, MA

12pm—Dim Sum: Ming’s Seafood Restaurant, 19 Pleasant Street, Malden

Please join us for an informal tour of Asian grocery, 99 Asian Supermarket, led by LNC’s own Minna and Shelly. After the market, we will head to nearby Ming’s Seafood Restaurant for delicious dim sum. Come to one or both of these locations with us.

Carpooling will be arranged for those interested.
RSVP by March 10: email lesleysegal@hotmail.com.

Coffee Talk

WED March 21 @ 10:00am @ Farhana Stevenson’s home, 4 Hampton Rd., Lexington

Start your day with a smile. Chat with friends while enjoying coffee and a nibble.

No RSVP: Just drop in!

Questions: Contact Viki Deardorff, milwaukeemeow@yahoo.com

Lunch Bunch

TUES March 27 @12:00pm @ Moody’s Delicatessen
468 Moody Street, Waltham

Bring your appetites. Moody’s features its own hand crafted dry-aged meats with farm fresh, locally-sourced veggies. Moody’s mission: provide quality, responsibly-produced products for its guests.

RSVP: Email Pam Richter pamrichter7@gmail.com.

Bunco (& Left-Right-Center)

THURS March 29 @ 7:30pm
Bring: $5 ante for Bunco; $3 for L-R-C (exact change appreciated!); and a beverage or snack to share.
RSVP: email Kessa Glisic, kessaglisic@gmail.com, for location details.

About the Games: Bunco is an entertaining, simple dice game, with no experience required. It’s played in multiple rounds with players alternating turns rolling the dice to match the target number. Whoever wins the most rounds is the overall winner. And because players rotate tables, it is a great way to meet and chat with different people. Left-Right-Center is an even simpler game, faster moving than Bunco, and is played at the end of the evening. Did we mention there’s no experience required?