S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 5
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north bridge magazine
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s I write this, two-foot-long icicles hang from my roof, and
the snow on my back porch comes almost up to the top of
the sliding door. This has been a long and punishing winter,
which makes it that much sweeter that we are now in April.
Purple crocuses are blooming; the days are longer; and, most importantly for many readers,
baseball season officially begins.
The Concord Museum knows this too and has scheduled its new exhibit, "The Art of
Baseball," to open this month. Concord resident Doris Kearns Goodwin is the honorary
curator for this exhibit featuring 45 extraordinary pieces of baseball art. As Steve Maas,
who writes about this exhibit for us, notes, "Baseball is as much a part of American history
as the Old North Bridge."
Another story in this issue is about new beginnings — also appropriate for spring. As you
may know, the Northeastern Correctional Center, located near the Concord rotary, offers
rehabilitation programs for its minimum security inmates. One of the most successful is its
culinary arts program, under which the prison operates the Fife and Drum restaurant, open
to the public for lunch four days a week.
According to our regular writer Peter Golden, if you can get past some mild discomfort —
such as emptying your pockets of everything but car keys, a few dollars to pay for the meal,
and your driver's license — going to the Fife and Drum is an extraordinary experience. The
food is fresh, plentiful, and homemade, and lunch will set you back an amazing $3.21!
But it's more about being part of something bigger. As Peter wrote me after his visit, "Just
lovely people [the staff and inmates] all around and a group of inmates working really,
really hard to do the right thing and get on with their lives."
On another note, I enjoyed writing a story on Sudbury Valley New Horizons Music
(SVNHM), a Wayland-based organization that welcomes all adults who would like to play
in a concert band or string orchestra — even beginners. They have created a musical envi-
ronment that is non-competitive, non-intimidating, and fun. And, according to frequent
concert attendee Julie Secord, director of the Wayland Council on Aging, "The SVNHM
band always delights our summer outdoor concert crowds."
In this spring/summer issue, we also look at a story of growth. The village of West
Concord is seeing new living space, restaurants, and retail stores. We look at the excite-
ment, as well as growing pains, that have resulted from this recent expansion.
Hope your spring makes up for our tough winter.
editor's letter
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BY KERI LYMAN k e r i @ e l m b a n k m e d i a . c o m