About Town: Sixty-Seven Minutes of Your Time Doing Something Charitable

Good morning and welcome to another 90-degree-plus day in our fair city.

A few minutes of your time

Just a reminder that tomorrow, July 18, is International Mandela Day, a day set aside by the United Nations for each of us to do at least 67 minutes somethimg charitable for others. International Mandela Day, named in honor of former South African president Nelson Mandela, who was born on July 18, 1918, was designated in 2009 by the UN. The 67 number is not arbitrary, either, but represents the number of years Mandela devoted to improve the quality of life for all of us.

This great man spent 67 years helping others, I am sure we can each spare 67 minutes - though I know many of us do this already. I am interested to hear how each of you spends your 67 minutes. I don’t know what I will do yet, but I’ll think of something and let you know next week what it was.


Top Story

There has been a sighting of our dear friend Alice Lehmann who is up and about. A few weeks back, Alice was hit by a car while riding her bike at the intersection of Thoreau Street and Sudbury Road. She got banged up but nothing keeps Alice down. She’s back at the gym working out with her husband Bill. Her spirits are as bright as ever and she plans to spend the week looking for a new bike. Welcome back, Alice!

Frame Concord’s Most Beautiful Sights

Isn’t the photo that accompanies this piece gorgeous? It was taken right here in Concord by photographer and naturalist Cherrie Corey. If you would like to know how to capture and frame as beautiful landscapes, you can sign up for a workshop with Cherrie this Sunday morning from 8:30 to 11 a.m. You and other aspiring nature photographers will focus on Concord's East Quarter Farmlands, where this photo was taken.

Thanks to Concord's conservation and agricultural priorities and the National Park's historical mission, many acres in the town's East Quarter have remained open and farmed, much as they have for centuries. Today local farmers continue to work this land and several nonprofit and community farming ventures are thriving - including Battle Road Farm and First Root Farm on NPS land, Gaining Ground (adjacent to Thoreau Farm) on Virginia Road, and the in the heart of the East Quarter.  Through the lens, the group will explore these fertile fields - their flowers, crops, and animal life -- at the height of their summer abundance.

Tips on composition, lighting, exposure, and depth of field will be shared along the way.  Bring a digital or film camera and pleased familiarize yourself with its basic operation prior to this event.

This program is led by Cherrie Corey, local photographer and naturalist

Meet in the large parking lot to the right of the building at the end of Meriam Road, in Concord. Meriam Road is off of Old Bedford Road.

The cost is $25 and this opportunity is limited to 10 participants, ages 12 to adult.
Register on-line, http://sense-of-place-concord.blogspot.com, or send a check to Cherrie Corey, 277 Old Bedford Road, Concord, Mass.

Please call or email to let Cherrie know if you're registering by mail:cherrie.corey@verizon.net or978-369-4289 (voice mail box 1, if no answer).

On the subject of photos …

Last week, I ran this great photo of Concord’s winning relay team, but I didn’t have the runners’ names. Here they are, thanks to Lorie Bolio: from left, Aiden Bolio, Michael Wholihan, Carter Wilson and Alex Ross.

Hope you find a way to stay cool.

til next week, …

Do you have something you would like to share? Contact me at costellomaureen@gmail.com or Stefanie at stefanieac@comcast.net and we will be happy to help you spread the good news! And follow us on Twitter: Stefanie is @stefanie3131 and I am @cosmo1162.