The Lincoln Squirrel – News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

conservation

Lincolnites get tips on becoming climate change activists

Andrew Gordon speaks to the Bemis Hall audience about climate change action.

By Barbara Slayter and Peter Pease
Co-chairs, Lincoln Democratic Town Committee

Dozens of Lincoln residents turned out to learn how to become effective advocates around the issues of environmental justice and climate change at a session led by Andrew Gordon, legislative coordinator from 350 Mass, a grassroots environmental organization.

Gordon, who spoke on April 6 at the invitation of Lincoln’s Democratic Town Committee, began by outlining his organization’s agenda:

  1. Environmental justice — acknowledging that race and class usually correlate closely with pollution, unequal protection, and vulnerability, and that the communities most negatively affected by climate change and fossil fuel pollution must be central to implementing new policies and must not be harmed by them.
  2. Renewable energy — aiming for 100% by 2045 including heating and transportation, with 100% renewable in electricity by 2035
  3. Equitable and green investment in our communities to become net zero in greenhouse gas emissions, directing revenue and resources to disadvantaged communities that are less able to take effective action without help from the Commonwealth.

Gordon also introduced some new names, policies, and concepts, including:

  • Marshall Ganz, a prominent Harvard professor who writes and lecturers on leadership, organizing communities and mobilizing for change.
  • The Transportation and Climate Initiative, whereby 13 states are developing a regional low-carbon transportation policy to set up a carbon pricing mechanism to reduce transport emissions.
  • Carbon pricing — levying an added charge on carbon-emitting fuels, with variations including a revenue-neutral proposal long advocated by Sen. Michael Barrett, or a Massachusetts House version by Rep. Jennifer Benson in which fees charged would be returned to poorer communities for green infrastructure.
  • Mass Power Forward, a coalition of various environmental and other civil society groups working to provide Massachusetts and the broader region with clean, affordable reliable energy and a thriving economy.

Attendees had detailed questions and comments about costs, trade-offs, timelines, and the magnitude of the challenges ahead as Massachusetts and the nation try to address the problems of climate change.   Buzz Constable went to the heart of the issue, asking, “Can we really solve social problems and climate change at the same time?” Is there an inherent conflict between “going slow together to get it right” and the urgent timeframe for diminishing carbon emissions?

Larry Buell asked about approaches for galvanizing disadvantaged communities and ways to provide incentives for poorer communities to participate in climate change policies. Joan Kimball raised a concern about the high levels of compartmentalization of professionals such as those working in the health and environmental fields.

Gordon made a compelling argument for the need to “push and expand the narrative of what is possible” if we wish to transform our economy and address the escalating problems of climate change.  He reminded us of the years required to enact comprehensive, effective policies. The text cannot be filed and then voted into law in the same year. Everyone needs to be able to take ownership and help refine the policies, he said.

Some suggestions for effective advocacy, particularly with regard to the Massachusetts legislature, emerged from event for activists of all stripes:

  • Build coalitions with like-minded groups and organizations.
  • Let your voice be heard and be vigilant in expressing your views.
  • Be inclusive, bring in the stakeholders, and bring key people to the table.
  • Figure out your next “ask,” and then ask it with persistence.
  • Activate your networks outside Lincoln.
  • Make sure your representatives know you want them to direct resources to other, disadvantaged communities.
  • Be proactive in your expenditure of political capital.
  • Build and sustain the connections between electoral activities and issues-oriented organizations in order to change policy outcomes.

Click here to watch a recording of the event, including charts (the sound is missing only for the first minute or so).

News acorns

Coming up at the deCordova

Chanel Thervil, “Glee,” 2017. Courtesy of the artist.

  • Collaborate with Biennial artist Chanel Thervil to represent your superpower though vibrant color and bold, abstract shapes in “Towers of Power: Self Portrait Sculptures” on Sunday, May 5 from 1–3 p.m. (rain or shine). Add your unique element to a massive community installation punctuating deCordova’s landscape. This special ArtWeek program is great for all ages. Free with admission or membership; registration requested.
  • Take a dynamic, indoor/outdoor tour of the history and art of the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum on Saturday, May 18 from 11 a.m.–noon. Learn about the transformation of the de Cordova family’s summer cottage built in 1880 to the “castle” that became their year-round residence at the turn of the century to the contemporary art museum of today. Free with admission or membership; registration requested.
  • Join Biennial artist Emilie Stark-Menneg with collaborators Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon and Desmond Bratton for a live performance of dancing, music, and poetry in deCordova’s galleries on Thursday, May 23 from 6–7 p.m. Their piece will be in dialogue with Stark-Menneg’s film “Confirmation” featured in the Biennial. Free; registration requested.

Help fight invasive garlic mustard

Help the Conservation Department fight invasive plant garlic mustard across town. Neighborhood pull season is April 30 through May 31. Join your neighbors and pull garlic mustard — you choose the time and place. Free paper leaf bags will be distributed to residents at the transfer station on Saturday, May 4 from 9 a.m.–noon. After that, bags will be available at the Conservation Department office in Town Hall and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust office at the mall. Click here for a fact sheet with pictures of garlic mustard.

There will be a spot behind the DPW facility on Lewis Street for residents to drop off their filled bags (no wall lettuce or yard clippings, please). Hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Though dropoffs are preferred, Conservation staff will pick up full bags of garlic mustard in neighborhoods through May 31, but only if you contact them at 781-259-2612 or stacyc@lincolntown.org (allow a few days for pickup).

News acorns

Dozens of bikes collected for Bikes Not Bombs

Louis D’Angelo, a volunteer from Bikes Not Bombs, and Ethan Webber, a junior at Lincoln-Sudbury, with the bikes collected in the Hartwell lot.

The Bikes Not Bombs collection in Lincoln on April 7 netted 83 bikes and monetary donations. Volunteers prepped the bikes for shipping during the day as well. The organization collects about 5,000 used bicycles and tons of used parts each year in greater Boston and New England; most are shipped to economic development projects through international partners in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Green burial information session

On Saturday, April 27 from 3–5 p.m. at the Ryan Estate (140 Lincoln Rd.), Lincoln resident Carol DiGianni will host an informational session on green burial with legal facts, logistical details, and a discussion of the personal benefits of caring for your loved one at home after death and having a natural or green burial with minimal environmental impact.

St. Julia Parish event marks 100 years

St. Julia Parish’s Centenary Gala will be on Saturday, May 4 in the St. Julia Parish Center Hall at 374 Boston Post Rd. in Weston (St. Joseph Church in Lincoln is part of the St. Julia parish). Dinner will be served at 7:15 p.m. with a cash bar. There will also be a raffle/silent auction. Tickets ($50 per person) will be on sale after Masses on March 30-31 and April 6-7 and in the parish offices until April 29. Ticket price is $50 per person. To reserve a table, please call 781-899-4734.

deCordova sponsors 5K trail run, Party for the Park 

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum’s annual fundraising gala, Party for the Park, will he on Saturday, May 11. The festive event—which includes cocktails, dinner, an auction of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and a dance party in the galleries—will celebrate deCordova’s integration into the Trustees of Reservations. The evening’s special guest is Anita Walker, Executive Director of Mass Cultural Council. Ticket and table proceeds from Party for the Park will help to make partnership with the Trustees possible while providing vital funds to support deCordova’s exhibitions, lectures, and programs. Tickets starting at $500 can be reserved by emailing rsvp@decordova.org or online at decordova.org/party.

The fourth annual Art and Nature 5K Trail Race kicks off at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 22. The course begins in deCordova’s Sculpture Park and continues through Lincoln’s conservation trails alongside Flint’s Pond (note that this is a trail run with lots of rocks, roots, dips, turns, and some uphill terrain). Participants are welcome to run or walk the race, and everyone gets a deCordova 5K T-shirt.

There’s also a pre-race yoga session from 8:45–9:15 a.m. New this year: children 9 and under can participate in a free 50-yard dash at 10:15 a.m. (space is limited; registration required). Register online by Tuesday, April 30 for a $5 early-bird discount. Organizers are also looking for volunteers to help with check-in, water stations, trail wayfinding, and general assistance for runners and their families. Please contact Sarah Oh at soh@decordova.org. 

Margaret Ramsey honored for philanthropy

Margaret Ramsay

Foundation for MetroWest, the community foundation serving the 33 cities and towns of MetroWest Boston, has announced that Lincoln resident Margaret “Meg” Ramsey will receive the Community Philanthropist Award.

In addition to being a trustee for the Foundation for MetroWest, Ramsey is a past board member of Belmont Day School and a past chair of the Lincoln Scholarship Committee. She also serves as a board member at the Discovery Museum in Acton, chair of the Lincoln Cultural Council, and a member of the Parents’ Council at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is founder and managing trustee of the Ramsey McCluskey Family Foundation, which funds projects in arts education and general education in eastern Massachusetts.

Ramsey, who has degrees in computer science and electrical engineering, spent 20 years in software research, development, and consulting, including research positions at Bell Laboratories, teaching at Rutgers University, and co-founding a software startup company. 

“Meg has been involved with the work of the Foundation for more than 15 years, originally getting involved through our Youth in Philanthropy program,” said Judy Salerno, executive director of the Foundation for MetroWest. “She has always had an interest in philanthropy education, and she truly represents what it means to be not only a philanthropist and a board member but also a caring member of the community. She has been a wonderful friend to the foundation and an asset to our region.”

Mary Gordon, founder and president of Roots of Empathy, will be the 2019 keynote speaker at the Spring Inspiration Breakfast, where Ramsey will receive her award. The event will be held on Thursday, April 25 from 9–11 a.m. at the Wellesley Country Club, 300 Wellesley Ave.

Codman Community Farm to draw all its power from the sun

These historic barns at Codman Community Farm will soon sport 21st-century solar photovoltaic arrays.

(Editor’s note: this story was updated with corrected figures on April 8.)

Codman Community Farms will install solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of three barns and that will provide 100% of the facility’s electricity by this summer.

Work will begin soon on reshingling the barns (which were last replaced more than 20 years ago) at a cost of $110,000, paid for via Community Preservation Act funds approved at last month’s Annual Town Meeting. SunBug will design and build the solar photovoltaic array at a cost of $150,000, but two grants totaling $50,000 will offset some of that. Donations to CCF (including its ongoing capital campaign) will cover the rest.

The 54 kW system will generate all the electricity CCF needs. “With our conversion to a high-efficiency heat pump, we will no longer be reliant on fossil fuels and will effectively become ‘net zero’,” said David Alperovitz, president of CCF’s Board of Trustees.

CCF qualified for the $20,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for American Program (REAP) due to its robust farm activities, with more than 50% of its income derived from agricultural products. Codman is only the second nonprofit to receive a REAP grant and the first in many years. The other grant for $30,000 came from the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources.

The farm will also save or earn roughly $15,000 a year on electricity and Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program tariffs, Alperovitz said. The state’s SMART program is a long-term sustainable solar incentive program that offers compensation for lean energy usage calculated as a proportion of the kilowatt hours of the electricity that a solar-powered facility produces.

Codman Community Farms will be the first town-owned entity to go solar, but certainly not the last. The Rural Land Foundation is hoping to build a 250 kW solar canopy in the mall parking lot this year, and the rebuilt Lincoln School, with a 700-770 kW system according to 2018 estimates, will be net zero for energy use when it comes online in 2023. The First Parish Church is also planning a 20 kW array.

Other nonresidential solar arrays are already up and running at St.-Anne’s-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church and in the meadow behind Lincoln Woods.

Further down the road, officials are hoping for town-owned solar PV arrays on the Public Safety Building roof and atop the transfer station. That complex project is still tackling issues such as getting access to the grid through land owned by Minute Man National Historical Park. If and when the two projects are completed, they could generate up to 50% of the electricity used by town facilities.

“Working with the town of Lincoln has been amazing,” Alperovitz said. “[Town Administrator] Tim Higgins and [Town Facilities Manager] Michael Haines have been enormously supportive and helpful, and without them this would not have been possible. They pushed for funding for the shingles to be redone in a time frame that’s in keeping with our grant restrictions, and they’ve allowed us to thread a fine needle (still in process) through many obstacles and hurdles.”

The Historic District Commission has also been “wonderful and supportive,” he added.

“I’m reveling in the fact that the farm buildings will soon be powered by the sun (our eggs are already washed by water heated by the sun as well), and the fact that establishing this system will help to put the farm on better footing financially for the years to come,” Alperovitz said.

News acorns

Town seeks tax work-off program coordinator

The town of Lincoln seeks qualified applicants for a stipend position of Work-Off Programs Coordinator. Under the direction of the Council on Aging director, this position will oversee implementation of the town’s Senior and Veterans’ Tax Work-Off Programs. Duties include assisting participants with applications and other forms, matching applicants and positions, and preparing and submitting administrative forms to the town. Excellent administrative, organizational, and verbal and written communication skills required. Annual $1,500 stipend. The Work-Off Coordinator may not participate in either work-off program while serving in this role. Please submit a cover letter and resume to Mary Day, Town Office Building, 16 Lincoln Road, Lincoln MA 01773 or jobs@lincolntown.org by Friday, April 19. The position begins July 1, 2019.

Survivor to speak at Domestic Violence Roundtable

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Round Table will present  “A Survivor’s Story” on Tuesday, April 9 at at 3 p.m. in the Community Safety Building (38 Cochituate Rd., Wayland). The speaker will share her journey of survival, recovery, and the reclamation of her strength and power. For more information or to volunteer for Roundtable events, please visit www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org.

Household hazardous waste collection dates announced

Pre-registered Lincoln residents may bring materials to the Minuteman Household Hazardous Products Regional Facility at 60 Hartwell Ave. in Lexington on one of eight dates in April through November. Choose a date that’s convenient and contact the Board of Health to obtain a registration form, which you must bring with you to the facility. You may visit the Board of Health in the Town Office Building Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed on Fridays in the summer), or call Elaine Carroll at 781-259-2613. You will receive directions to the site and information about acceptable materials and how to dispose of unacceptable materials.

The site is open on the following days from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.:

  • April 20
  • May 18
  • June 15
  • July 20
  • August 17
  • September 15 (Sunday)
  • October 19
  • November 2

Wedding showcase at Pierce House

​The Pierce House and Boston Event Divas invite you to a wedding showcase on Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28 from noon–4 p.m. at the Pierce House. Vendors including wedding planners, caterers, florists, and photographers and more will be on hand. There will be door prizes, and during the April 28 event, the Lincoln Minutemen and His Majesty’s Troops of the Boston Garrison muster at the Pierce House. Tickets on both days are $10 for groups up to four people; click here to register.

Talk on Codman and Edith Wharton

Historic New England is hosting a brown bag lunch and slide talk on “Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman: A Creative Kinship Talk and Tour” on Wednesday, April 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall, followed by a special access tour of Codman House from 1:30–2:30 p.m. (a single exception to the closure for construction; see News Acorns, March 26). Ogden Codman, Jr. and Edith Wharton wrote the 1897 classic The Decoration of Houses. Using original letters from Historic New England’s Codman collection, this illustrated talk offers an inside peek into their artistic friendship, which spanned more than 40 years.

Free to Lincoln residents, $10 for Historic New England members, $15 for nonmembers. Registration recommended; please call 617-994-6690 or buy tickets online. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Krzysztof Wodiczko

Lecture features artist Krzysztof Wodiczko

The 2019 Paul J. Cronin Memorial Lecture featuring acclaimed artist Krzysztof Wodiczko takes place on Friday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. Wodiczko is renowned for his large-scale slide and video projections on architectural facades and monuments that address themes of trauma, collective memory, and the power of mass media to disseminate and manipulate information. $5 for members and students; $10 for nonmembers; click here to register. Come early for a casual reception starting at 6 p.m. with wine, beer, and nonalcoholic beverages. Your lecture ticket includes one complementary drink ticket; additional alcoholic drink tickets will be available for $5 each.

Pastel painting workshop at library

Have you ever wanted to do a landscape, portrait, or special project in pastels? Bring a simple photo or just come to participate in an art workshop, lecture and demonstration with award-winning pastel painter Gregory John Maichack on Saturday, April 27 from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. Participants will receive an engaging hands-on experience of basic pastel painting as well as advanced techniques. Everyone will receive help tailored to their projects, whether landscape, still-life or portraiture.

Participants are encouraged to experiment with the artist’s professional-grade hard, soft and super soft pastels, professional pastel paper, etc. However, if you have your own pastels, please bring them. For adults and those over 14 if accompanied by an adult. Class is limited to 30 people and registration is required. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Funding for the workshop was also provided by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.

One-man play about Herman Melville

Stephen Colins as Herman Melville

Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Herman Melville’s birth by enjoying a free performance of “Sailing Towards My Father” by actor Stephen Collins on Sunday, April 28 at 2 p.m. at Bemis Hall. The play chronicles the life of Melville (best known for his whaling epic Moby-Dick) from youth to old age, concentrating on his evolution as a writer and his complex relations with God, his parents and siblings, his wife and children, and Nathanial Hawthorne. It was written and directed by Carl A. Rossi. For more information, call the Council on Aging at 781-259-8811.

Town Meeting 2019 roundup

Here are some of the measures approved by residents at the March 23 Annual Town Meeting. See previous stories for coverage of the votes on the leaf blower bylaw and the deCordova/Trustees of Reservations integration.

Town budget

Voters approved a FY 2020 budget of $41.55 million, a 10.3% increase from this year’s budget of $37.68 million. The total includes $4.29 million in debt service for the school building project and a 2.39% increase in the operating budget. Property taxes on the median-value house (assessed value of $998,400) will increase by about $1,781 or 12.7%. See pages 4 and 6 of the Annual Town Meeting Financial Section and Warrant for pie charts showing revenues and expenditures by category.

Capital and community preservation items

Voters approved the requests from the Capital Planning Committee and Community Preservation Committee (see the Lincoln Squirrel, March 14, 2019). Also approved in a separate vote was an appropriation of up to $400,000 for an irrigation systems for the Codman athletic field next to the pool. This will be the second irrigated field in town; the first is the new Wang field on Bedford Road set to open this spring (the town’s first new athletic field in 60 years).

The largest capital item was $600,000 for a new roof for the Hartwell school building. The roof was installed 31 years ago but was designed to last for only 20, and the Finance Committee recommended doing it this year “because we could fit in in budget and we are worried about long list of capital projects on the docket in coming years,” FinCom chair Jim Hutchinson said.

Recognitions

This year’s Bright Light Award went to Gary Davis, who was recognized for outstanding volunteerism. Davis, a retired architect, headed a project to digitize and create a searchable index of Planning and Department of Public Works documents, as well as updating the Planning Department filing system.

Tim Higgins was recognized for his 25 years of service as Town Administrator. His citation noted his “integrity, accessibility to the community, creative problem solving. tireless diplomacy, eternal optimism, endless patience and thoughtful leadership.”

“There are very few dull moments in Lincoln; we seem to move from one interesting and challenging project to another,” Higgins said in accepting the award, which included his very own parking spot at Town Hall. “If you’re a public policy nerd like I am and a history-oriented person, you can’t imagine a better place to spend your career.”

Departing Water Commission chair Packy Lawler and School Committee chair Tim Christenfeld were also thanked for their service.

Solar bylaw

Residents approved changes to new definitions for roof-mounted solar systems, energy storage systems and carport/canopy PV systems; financial and ownership arrangements to allow power purchase agreements; increased height limits for canopy-carport solar arrays; and adding a general waiver section. See section starting on page 11 of the list of motions (Article 28) for details.

State flag and seal

Residents voted to support creation of a state commission to study the idea of changing the Massachusetts state flag and seal, which some believe depicts oppression of Native Americans by English settlers.

“I would put to you that this is your version of the Confederate flag,” said Patricia Thornton Wells, who grew up in Georgia. “It has symbolism that means certain things to certain people that is very offensive. Most people in my town growing up didn’t take offense, but every African American does. I think this needs to be reconsidered from the context of all the people in our community.”

Noting that the motto on the flag and seal reads in part, “By this sword we seek peace,” resident Peter Pease said, “If that is not an aggressive statement… It seems so wrong to put people who owned this land before we came and have them on a flag… with a sword over their head. Please, let’s get this out of here.”

About a dozen residents voted nay, including Michael Coppock. He referred to the Native American on the flag, partly modeled on Metacomet, who led a rebellion known as King Philip’s War. “It was most deadly war in U.S. history as a percentage of population loss… he abandoned his father (Massasoit’s) of peace,” he said.

Other measures approved

  • Authorization to bond $1.1 million for the Water Department
  • Bylaw changes:
    • Adding an exception for nonconforming lots that were reduced in size by an eminent-domain taking
    • Adding two new properties to the Brown’s Wood Historic District
    • Clarifying the definition of “demolition” under the demolition bylaw
  • A ban on sales of e-cigarettes (a preemptive measure since no stores on Lincoln currently sell them). A handful of residents voted no.

News acorns

Gordon to speak on climate change action

On Saturday, April 6 at 10 a.m. in Bemis Hall, the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee will host Andrew Gordon, the legislative coordinator with grassroots climate movement 350 Mass, will give a talk on “Becoming an Effective Advocate on Climate Change and Environmental Justice.” Following a brief presentation, Gordon will lead a conversation about how we can make a difference. Coffee and pastry will be served starting at 9:45 a.m.

Donate used bikes to benefit Bikes Not Bombs

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School junior Ethan Webber is organizing a Bikes Not Bombs Bike Drive to collect used bikes to benefit Bikes Not Bombs on Sunday, April 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of Hartwell Pod A on the Lincoln School campus. Bikes Not Bombs is a nonprofit organization that collects used bikes and ships them to international programs in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, or uses bikes to teach local youth about bicycle mechanics. 

Ethan’s volunteer work at Bikes Not Bombs preparing bike shipments to Ghana and El Salvador inspired him to launch a bike drive in Lincoln and support the use of bikes for international social change. Suggested donation of $10/bike to defray storage, processing, and shipping costs.

Garden Club hosts talk on Thoreau and trees

The Lincoln Garden Club invites residents to a lecture on “Thoreau and the Language of Trees” by author Richard Higgins on Tuesday, April 9 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall, in anticipation of the group’s Lincoln Tree Tour event this coming June. The talk is free of charge and open to the public. Higgins (a photographer, former Boston Globe staff writer, and co-author and editor of several books) will explain how trees inspired Thoreau’s creativity as a writer, his work as a naturalist, his philosophical thought, and his spiritual life. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

Leaf blower restrictions narrowly approved at Town Meeting

A new bylaw restricting the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in Lincoln was approved at Town Meeting by a leaf-thin six-vote margin after more than a dozen residents spoke passionately for and against the proposal.

The new bylaw allows residents to use gas-powered leaf blowers only during the fall and spring cleanup seasons with some exceptions, though electric and battery-operated machines can be used all year round. Police or the building inspector can issue a warning after the first violation and a $100 fine for subsequent violations of the bylaw, which takes effect on October 1.

  • More coverage of the 2019 Annual Town Meeting in the Lincoln Squirrel tomorrow

Supporters argued that gas-powered leaf blowers are unacceptably noisy and polluting and harm Lincoln’s rural atmosphere. “Gas blowers are the most polluting machine ever made,” one resident said. “It fills my entire house with fumes… they’re very noisy, very polluting, and very stupid. Get an electric blower or a rake.”

Eric Harris, who lives near Route 2, said he doesn’t notice the highway traffic noise much, “but the difference when you have a leaf blower is enormous, not just decibels but the kind of noise it makes — it’s the kind of noise you can’t escape from. I wish this proposal had been more draconian than it is.”

“This is a reasonable solution to a problem that’s resulted in over 70 unsolicited complaints on our website,” said John Koenig, a member of the Leaf Blower Study Committee, which has been studying the issue for several years and proposed the bylaw.

Other residents in favor of the new rules said limiting the use of gas-powered leaf blowers is the responsible thing to do for the environment, given climate change and the particularly polluting exhaust of the two-stroke engines that many of the devices use.

But others said the bylaw was an overreach and unfairly singles out just one of many noise-producing landscaping devices. Some electric leaf blowers are no quieter than gas-powered models, and because they’re not as powerful, “they’re making just as much noise and they’re out there three or four times longer,” said Jeff Sutherland. Also, since gas-powered devices can still be used during primary leaf-clearing times of year, the regulation won’t have any effect during the periods of heaviest use, he added.

Ironically, the rural town character that the bylaw is trying to protect is also a cause of the problem, noted Margaret Olson. “We have leaf blowers because we have big pieces of property because of our zoning… if you’re banning a consequence of the look we’ve created in Lincoln, that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”

“We are a rural town, and we have chainsaws, yard trimmers, lawn mowers and log splitters. These are the tools we use to maintain our property. Try farming without a tractor,” said Andy Payne.

“This issue really makes me sad. When we start legislating behavior against each other, there’s no end to it,” Noah Eckhouse said. Also, if police have to get involved in enforcing the new rules, “there’s a nonzero chance that our police force will be busy writing a ticket in some corner of town” when they’re needed for a medical emergency elsewhere, he added.

“There’s got to be a better way to do this. I’m really disappointed,” Eckhouse said.

It would be nice to be able to ask neighbors to tone down their use of noisy leaf blowers, “but I have businesses and condos around me, so I can’t do that. For those of you not surrounded by conservation land, it’s a real problem,” said Jessica Packineau.

Although the proposal needed only a simple majority to pass (because it is a general bylaw rather than a zoning bylaw), the voice vote sounded like a tie, which it almost was — the subsequent standing vote revealed a final tally of 112 votes in favor and 106 votes against.