Lexington – Salem Happenings

Tax Day: Taxation with Representation

Chances are, you’re probably familiar with Benjamin Franklin’s famous line “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” In fact, if you’re really not a fan of taxes (and let’s face it, who is), you may be familiar with some of the other great quotes that tax-haters have said over the years (like Will Rogers’ not-quite-as-famous line “the only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.”) However, in the end, it doesn’t really matter how many great quotes you know or how much you loathe the prospect of giving up your hard-earned cash, you still have to pay the piper in the end. And, as you have probably already realized, today marks the day where just about everyone has to pay up because it’s the last day you can file your taxes. Fortunately, just because you have to file today doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t still have some fun this weekend, and if you’re looking for a way to have some fun and get your mind off of the tax man (or tax woman as the case may be), there’s no better way than to hear the stories of the men and women who fought to get us taxation WITH representation in the first place.

If this sounds like an interesting way to spend part of your weekend, then you should definitely head over to the Pilgrim Church on Coolidge Ave in Lexington, MA. This is because the Pilgrim Church is hosting the 10^th anniversary performance of “In Their Own Words” on Sunday from 8:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. This performance will give you the opportunity to learn about the beginning of the American Revolution through the words of the people who actually lived it as a group of talented actors read from the diaries, depositions, letters, and sermons of the active participants in and the witnesses of the events that began the revolution. For more information on “In Their Own Words” and/or to order tickets for the event, please visit the Lexington Historical Society’s website.

Photo credit: denisbin via Visualhunt / CC BY-ND

Works Consulted

“Benjamin Franklin.” BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2016. 15 April 2016. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/benjamin_franklin.html

“Will Rogers.” BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2016. 15 April 2016. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/will_rogers.html

Are You Ready for the Spring Yet?

I don’t know about you, but I think we’ve had enough snow for one year. I mean 65 inches of snow should really be enough for just about anyone. Unfortunately, there’s a certain groundhog (who will remain nameless) that insists we are going to have another 6 weeks of winter, so what’s an exhausted snow shoveler to do? Well, there really are only two things you can do. You can try to get your mind off of the snow or you can move south. If the first choice sounds more practical, that’s probably because it is. As a result, you may want to know some of the things that you can do this weekend to get your mind off of the snow and to focus on the lovely season that makes all of the white stuff go away (eventually at least.)

First, if you’re looking for a way to get you mind off the snow or you’re looking for a safer way to satisfy your fascination with fire than taking a blowtorch to the ice in your driveway, you may want to check out Fire & Ice: A Winter Festival. This festival, which is sponsored by the Somerville Arts Council, is a celebration of all things hot and cold, and it’s a great way to celebrate the fact that it won’t be this cold forever. In fact, you, your friends, your family, and anyone else you feel like dragging along with you will have the opportunity to warm themselves up with a hot cup of coffee or freeze themselves to the bone with some ice cream while they watch fire spinners perform amazing feats and ice sculptures take shape right in front of their eyes. For more information on Fire & Ice: A Winter Festival, which is scheduled to take place in Union Square Plaza tomorrow from 3:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M., please visit the Somerville Arts Council website.

Secondly, if fire isn’t really your thing (“Fire bad!”) or the very mention of the word ice makes you cringe (“Ice worse!”), you may want to check out the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society’s Polymer and Beading Show entitled “Spring Starts Here!” This show, which begins tomorrow and runs every day from Tuesday through Sunday until the 16th, is a collection of artistic works that have a garden or spring-related theme. However, what really makes the show impressive is the fact that each of the works in the show are constructed completely out of polymer clay and/or beads, which means that each flower, wreath, and/or other spring-related piece of artwork took weeks, if not months, to complete. For more information on the Spring Starts Here Polymer and Beading Show, please visit the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society website.

Photo credit: *~Dawn~* / Foter / CC BY

Friday Fun: Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is a time to go outside, fire up the grill, and most importantly, honor the memories of all of the brave men and women who have given their lives to protect our way of life. Unfortunately, a lot of the activities that we typically associate with Memorial Day weekend are difficult to perform in poor weather. Let’s face it. Trying to fire up a grill or watch a parade is no easy task when the rain is pouring so hard that you look like a drowned rat as soon as you get out the door. As a result, many people are already trying to figure out what they are going to do if it really does rain all weekend. Fortunately, if you are one of these people and you’re more than a little concerned about the weather, there are a number of events occurring in the Boston area that will allow you to celebrate the holiday without getting too wet.

First, if you’re a big fan of art or just a big fan of Boston, you may want to check out the Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum of Fine Arts is not only offering free admission and discounts in the museum’s stores this weekend, but is also displaying a series of special exhibits that are designed to honor the City of Boston and show support for all of the people who were affected by the Boston Marathon bombing. In fact, the museum is planning to donate all of the money that it receives from on-site contributions this weekend to the One Fund to help the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing and their families. For more information on the events happening this weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts, please visit the MFA website.

Secondly, if you’re a big fan of maritime history, you may want to head down to the USS Constitution Museum. The USS Constitution Museum is holding a series of special activities this weekend that are specifically designed to teach children and their parents what it was like to be a Marine or a Sailor aboard the USS Constitution. Some of the activities occurring at the museum this weekend include lessons on how to march, how to make an Officer’s Hat, the tools that Marines and Sailors had to use, and, for an additional fee of $2, how to build a ship. For more information on these events, please visit the USS Constitution website or call (617) 426-1812.

Finally, if a museum just doesn’t seem like a fun way to spend your Memorial Day weekend and music is more your thing, you may want to make your way over to Lexington. The Lexington Symphony is holding a special concert on Memorial Day to honor the 300th anniversary of the Town of Lexington. This concert will actually feature several never-before-heard pieces that explore freedom, the American Revolution, and a number of other patriotic themes. For more information, please visit the Lexington Symphony Website.