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

Obituary: Laurence W. Zuelke, 84

Larry Zuelke as a Lincoln MinuteMan in 2006. Photo courtesy Henry Hibben.

Larry Zuelke as a Lincoln MinuteMan in 2006. (Photo courtesy George Hibben)

Laurence W. Zuelke, 84, passed away on December 1 at the Chestnut Hill Benevolent Association. He was a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean conflict and had a long and distinguished career working for The Architects Collaborative (TAC) in Cambridge for 28 years and in private practice until 2010.

He and his wife Nancy Augustus were happily married for 58 years, including more than 50 years in Lincoln. As a wedding present to each other, they purchased a 1957 VW bug that Larry restored and enjoyed driving (see the Lincoln Squirrel, Jan. 17, 2013). He also participated in many Revolutionary War reenactments with the Lincoln Minute Men and was captain for one of their most important events, the inaugural parade for President Clinton.

Services and interment will be private. Donations in his memory may be made to a nonprofit organization of your choice. Click here for the full obituary.

 

 

First Parish gearing up for Christmas

Nancy Fleming and Karin Levy (pictured L to R), co-chairs of First Parish in Lincoln’s upcoming Touch of Christmas Fair, bring wreaths to the church to be decorated in preparation. The Fair will be held Saturday, December 12 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Nancy Fleming (left) and Karin Levy, co-chairs of First Parish’s upcoming Touch of Christmas fair, bring wreaths to the church to be decorated in preparation.

The First Parish Church in Lincoln will hold its Touch of Christmas Fair on Saturday, Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m at the Parish House (14 Bedford Road). Children can have their photo taken with Santa starting at 11 a.m. The fair will also feature decorated wreaths, holiday centerpieces, baked goods, crafts, and a cash raffle. In addition to Santa’s visit, Touch of Christmas offers many children’s activities, including the Children’s Room, where young people can do their own holiday shopping. Kids can decorate cookies or ornaments, and “go fishing” on a Christmas tree for a gift. For further information, contact Nancy Fleming at nlfleming@comcast.net or Karin Levy at karinlevy54@gmail.com.

The First Parish will hold its Christmas Pageant, a presentation of the traditional Christmas story, on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 11:15 a.m. in the Parish House auditorium. There is a part for every child already enrolled in the church’s religions education program who wants to participate. Rehearsals will be held December 6 and 13 during religious education. Admission is free, and refreshments will be available following the production.

As part of its “Live in Lincoln Center” series, the First Parish will present Handel’s Messiah on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. in the Parish House Auditorium. The traditional holiday musical production will feature the Lincoln Baroque Players and Chorus and is conducted by Ian Watson. Suggested donation is $30, but any amount is appreciated. Seating is limited and is first-come, first-seated basis; doors will open at 2:30 p.m.

The First Parish in Lincoln will hold its Winter Solstice Service on Monday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. in the church sanctuary (10 Bedford Road). This service marks the longest night of the year and celebrates the return of light as days start to lengthen. It will include music, dancing, and the lighting of candles.

The Lincoln Ringers will present a candlelight handbell concert on Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. in the parish house auditorium.

 

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boxDonate your cardboard boxes to FOLL

As the holiday season ramps up and you receive boxes from Santa and fulfillment packages from Amazon, the Friends of the Library could use your discarded boxes for storing and mailing books. Drop them at Bemis Hall entryway, or if you have too many to deliver, please email Belinda Gingrich at belinda.gingrich@verizon.net and she will pick them up.

“Star Wars” movie marathon at the library

In anticipation of the new Star Wars movie opening in theaters on December 18, the Lincoln Public Library will host a daylong Star Wars marathon of the original trilogy on Saturday, Dec. 12:

  • Episode IV: A New Hope – 10 a.m.
  • Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back – 12:15 p.m.
  • Episode VI: Return of the Jedi – 2:30 p.m.

There will be raffle prizes as well. All movies are rated PG; recommended for ages 6 and up. Adults welcome!

Letter to the editor: climate change bill presented

letter

To the editor:

State Senator Michael Barrett’s bill S1747–An Act Combating Climate Change as previously endorsed by the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee was recently presented to the Senate Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities & Energy. The hearing room was packed, showing broad bipartisan support by business, civic, environmental, and academic communities.

Senator Barrett and the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee fully understand the science and reality behind climate change and appreciates the need to take urgent steps to reduce carbon emissions as one means of helping to reduce global warming. The bill is based on the successful 2008 precedent used in British Columbia that charges a fee to users on their use of carbon-based fuels. However, because this bill is revenue-neutral, it encourages conservation, and collected fees are returned to businesses, institutions, and individuals, so it does not put an unfair burden on the poor or small business.

To the extent that the modestly sized Commonwealth can form a part of a universal climate solution, this initiative provides an effective way for Lincoln and Massachusetts to combat climate change and provide a constructive example to others.

Based on the presentation of Senator Barrett to the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee last January, the report of the Senate Committee Hearing, and his very thorough carbon pricing resource material, the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee has been pleased to support and endorse this important climate change bill since its original introduction.

Sincerely,

Gary Davis (chair, Lincoln Democratic Town Committee)
20R Indian Camp Lane

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Campus study draft to be presented next week

The current school campus showing when various sections were built.

The Campus Master Planning Committee (CMPC) will receive a draft report from its consultants with recommendations for reconfiguring the Lincoln School campus on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room.

Residents heard an interim report at the State of the Town meeting in November from LLB Architects, who outlined some examples of how the building areas, pedestrian walkways, playing fields, and roads on the campus could be configured to accommodate a school project and a new community center somewhere on the Hartwell side. They did not include site work cost estimates for the scenarios.

The CMPC also released results of an informal survey of residents who attended an October 17 public forum. About 160 people responded to seven statements with answers ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” The results of Questions 1 and 5 indicate support for reducing the footprint of the school building, which would most likely mean a two-story structure, although the overall character of the campus is still seen as important.

1. Gaining additional field space is a worthy reason to reduce the overall school footprint.

Agreed or
strongly agreed		 Neutral Disagreed or
strongly disagreed
52% 20% 25%

2. Locating parking near building entrances and fields is more important than the character of the campus.

Agreed or
strongly agreed		 Neutral Disagreed or
strongly disagreed
17% 21% 60%

3. Pedestrian walkways should take precedence over vehicular drives and parking lots.

Agreed or
strongly agreed		 Neutral Disagreed or
strongly disagreed
54% 30% 15%
4. The campus character is tied directly to the current footprint of the buildings.

Agreed or
strongly agreed		 Neutral Disagreed or
strongly disagreed
38% 25% 31%

5. We should consider reducing the footprint of the school in order to gain building efficiencies, better educational layout, and more space on campus for playing fields and other uses.

Agreed or
strongly agreed		 Neutral Disagreed or
strongly disagreed
62% 14% 19%

6. The value (functionality, appropriateness, and life expectancy) of the projects should take precedence in decision making if the costs exceed the previously projected costs.

Agreed or
strongly agreed		 Neutral Disagreed or
strongly disagreed
8% 19% 67%

7. Future projects should aim to reduce the impact on the regulated areas [wetland buffers, riverfront setbacks] to the extent that is practical.

Agreed or
strongly agreed		 Neutral Disagreed or
strongly disagreed
27% 25% 42%

The final report is due to town officials on December 31. The CMPC and its consultant have been working for six months on the project and have presented information at five public forums this fall.

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art paletteArtisan and craft show this weekend

The annual Gift Local artisan and craft show will take place on Saturday, Dec. 5 from 6-9 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 6 from noon to 5 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Gift Local, hosted by the Old Town Hall Exchange and sponsored by the Lincoln Cultural Council, is a holiday market highlighting local businesses from Lincoln, Concord, Wayland, Weston, and other surrounding towns. On offer will be items created by painters, illustrators, photographers, jewelry makers, soap makers, bakers, candle makers, glass artists, and more. Sunday’s event will also include a mobile brick-oven pizza company serving pizza for lunch.

LEAP hosts Hour of Code

For the second year in a row, LEAP (the Lincoln Extended-Day Activities Program) will participate in the national Hour of Code event, and parents and other are invited to the first session on Monday, Dec. 7 in Hartwell pod C. The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science in celebration of Computer Science Education Week organized by the nonprofit Code.org. The organization believes is dedicated to expanding access to computer science and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color and believes that every student should have the opportunity to learn computer science, which helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity.

LOMA features Diamond and Abatelli

Lori Diamond and Fred Abatelli will be the featured performers at the next LOMA (Lincoln Open-Mike Acoustic) on Monday, Dec. 14 from 7 -10 p.m in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room. Admission is free and refreshments are provided. The pair will perform a half-hour hour set starting around 8:30 p.m. The duo has performed with well-known musicians including John Gorka, Peter Yarrow, Joan Osborne, and Amy Ra and have appeared at venues including the main stage of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Boston’s First Night, and the Wachusett Valley Music Festival. Diamond and Abatelli have realsed fouyr CDs and can be seen performing the title cut from True in this video.

For more information or to sign up as a performer, email Rich Eilbert at loma3re@gmail.com.

Schools seek parent input on 2016-17 school schedule

calendar4Lincoln parents are being asked for input about next year’s academic calendar, which the School Committee will discuss at its meeting on December 3.

At issue is the fact that in 2016, Columbus Day and Yom Kippur fall in the same week—Monday and Wednesday, Oct. 10 and 12, respectively. As a result, Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall is recommending that the annual teachers’ professional day (which is usually scheduled for the day after Martin Luther King Day) move to October 11, creating a five-day weekend.

“In addition, it will provide the school district with the opportunity to provide faculty with professional development earlier in the school year that will benefit students throughout the year,” McFall said in en email to parents.

In a two-question survey, parents are asked which day they prefer for the professional day, and whether they would rather see the school year start before Labor Day or not end until June 27 (assuming five snow days). The survey closes on Thursday at noon.

“At this time, I anticipate recommending that the School Committee approve Version 2 of the calendar in which students begin school on August 29, prior to Labor Day. However, your survey responses will help to inform my recommendation and the final approval by the School Committee,” she wrote. The committee meets on Thursday in the Hartwell multipurpose room at 7 p.m.

The School Committee is not expected to make any other changes to the academic year calendar because it did a comprehensive survey and review two years ago regarding vacations and holiday observances.

Letter to the editor: town working on zoning rules for small farmers

letter

To the editor:

These remarks were intended for presentation at the State of the Town Meeting on November 14. Unfortunately, time constraints prevented us from getting to them.

At the Annual Town Meeting in March 2011, the town passed “The Right to Farm” bylaw, a new section of the town’s general bylaws. This was done to broadly inform residents of state law regarding agriculture and to recognize the town’s general support of farming. Since that time, the Planning Board has been working together with the Agricultural Commission to bring our zoning bylaws (ZBL) into conformance with state law, while making refinements that reflect our local needs and circumstances.

State law provides for very modest local control over agriculture practices on properties greater than 5 acres. Therefore, our efforts have largely been focused on properties less than 5 acres. We are also respectful of rights currently held by residents, especially those enjoyed for personal use, such as keeping a backyard pony, a few beehives, or a small flock of chickens.

Our ZBL already allows for the raising and sale of produce (defined by our Zoning Board of Appeals as plant-based—vegetables, fruit, etc.) by an owner or tenant. But what should be done regarding the small farmer raising livestock and selling animal products, on less than 5 acres? These include sheep farmers, beekeepers, and poultry raisers, among others.

Our primary focus has been attempting to craft a permitting process under a definition of commercial agriculture, possibly based on sales per acre. This is still very much a work in progress. We are trying very hard to strike a balance between the needs of small farmers and non-farming residents. Public hearings on our proposed amendments will be scheduled in the near future and we look forward to your feedback. We hope to be ready for the March 2016 Town Meeting.

I would especially like to thank Lynne Bower, Jim Henderson and Ari Kurtz of the Agricultural Commission for their hard work. Please feel free to contact any of us if you have questions or concerns.

Bryce Wolf, Planning Board vice chair
52 Birchwood Lane

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

MBTA delays changes in commuter rail schedule

MBTA copyDisgruntled commuter rail riders—including many from Lincoln—scored a reprieve when the MBTA announced it would not eliminate Lincoln stops beginning December 14 as previously announced.

Five state senators and six state representatives from communities affected by the schedules gave MBTA and state officials a stack of complaints from constituents about planned changes on four commuter rail lines, the Boston Globe reported last week. One of the changes was eliminating the 5:30 p.m. train from North Station that stops in Lincoln, as well as the 7:50 a.m. inbound stop.

Among the complaints were letters from Lincoln residents and a petition circulated by Lincolnite Ruth Rothstein that garnered more than 200 signatures.

In the meetings with state officials, “I explained that these schedule changes will create tremendous hardship for my constituents,” state Sen. Michael Barrett said in a statement last week. “I’m pleased to report that we’ve scored a victory, if not forever, then for now. The T will delay cuts in train stops in Concord and Lincoln until May of 2016. It has committed to reconsidering its prior schedule changes and will be entertaining ‘robust public engagement’ before making any new scheduling decisions.

“A new proposed schedule is expected next month, following which there will be the kind of opportunity to comment that was lacking this time around. As their revised plan moves forward, I’ll be sure to let you know of new developments. Let’s keep pushing on this,” Barrett added.