Grove Street Playground Public Meeting Set for Monday, April 13

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Photo: The Grove Street Playground.

Draft plans for one of Belmont’s most used playgrounds will highlight the third round of public meetings on a proposed Grove Street Playground Master Plan to be held on Monday, April 13, at 7 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

According to the Belmont Department of Public Works, information, data and suggestions gathered at the initial public meetings on March 4 and 9 have been incorporated into several draft design concepts of the playground by consultant Activitas Inc. and are ready to be reviewed for additional feedback.

An Intimate View of Cuba and Its People at the Belmont Gallery of Art

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Photo: Works in “Cuba From a Different Angle”

With US/Cuba relations undergoing rapid and transformative changes, a new photography exhibit opens tonight, Friday, April 10, at the Belmont Gallery of Art that explores the intimate lives of the Cuban people as well as the country’s architecture and geography. 

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The opening reception for “Cuba From a Different Angle” by photographer and Harvard lecturer  Jonathan Hansen, will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the gallery located on the third floor of the Homer Municipal Building, 219 Moore St., in the Town Hall complex.

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“As a historian, I am drawn to the sedimentary quality of private lives, public spaces, and political and cultural institutions. The collection of photographs, … represents my attempt to capture the geological layers of Cuba’s built environment, while conveying the dynamism and exhuberance of its social life,” said Hansen, a lecturer and senior faculty associate at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard. 

The Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4.

Sold in Belmont: A Well-Designed Kitchen/Eating Area Sells This 95-Year-Old House

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Photo: Where the kitchen is located.

A weekly recap of residential properties sold in the past seven days in the “Town of Homes.”

• 41 Pequossette Rd. Center-entry Colonial (1922). Sold: $984,900. Listed at $950,000. Living area: 2,028 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 67 days.

• 52 Alexander Ave. “The White House” Modern colonial, new construction (2014). Sold: $1,885,000. Listed: $2 million. Living area: 3,500 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 4 full baths. On the market: 208 days.

• 51 Davis Rd. Ranch (1953). Sold: $499,900. Listed at $550,000. Living area: 1,137 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 80 days.

• 215 Brighton St. “Old Style” brick house (1929). Sold: $725,000. Listed at $689,000. Living area: 1,504 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 70 days.

Four unique homes sold in Belmont last week, with something special in each.

• Do you want to see how to renovate a kitchen? 41 Pequossette Rd. is the place; smart design from sectioning off a place for the preparation with glass kitchen cabinets with drawers and storage, a cooking area, a flush inset refrigerator, a correctly-sized (i.e. small) eating island with the dining area set into a quirkily designed addition that was built with three large windows and a glass door to the porch. Add a minimum number of lighting fixtures and a splash of design features (tiles), you have a kitchen that makes for efficient cooking and enjoyable dining. It certainly brings a modern “pop” to the nearly century old house in the Benton Estates. 

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• The “White House” at 52 Alexander Ave. has it all: modern construction that is special in so many ways with its clean lines and European design sensibilities. In addition, its location has become a big plus, less than a block from the new location of Foodies and the Belmont Farmers Market. If the new owner is a foodie, you’ve struck gold.

• The simple ranch at Davis Road was purchased for just under $500,000 which has brought entry in the the community with an inexpensive residential property. 

• Since the past owner bought the house at 215 Brighton St. for $578,000 early in 2013, they spent $12,000 on the roof, $21,000 to put in a patio and repair the outside stairs and did a good job on the kitchen (love the large floor tiles). They sold it for nearly $150,000 above the past sale price in two years; that’s an annual appreciation rate of $75,000. Not bad. 

Watertown Firm To Head Belmont Center Reconstruction Project

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Photo: What the completion of the Belmont Center Reconstruction project.

The Belmont Board of Selectmen on Wednesday, April 9, awarded Watertown’s Charles Contracting Company a nearly $3 million contract to complete the Belmont Center Reconstruction Project slated to be completed by the end of this year’s construction season.

“I’ve worked with them in the late 80’s and the 90’s and they have a good reputation,” Community Development Director Glenn Clancy told the board of the Rosedale Road firm.

Charles Contracting was the lowest of two bidders, said Clancy, noting the Watertown business’ offer of $2,934,000 was substantially lower than the competing bid of $3.7 million.

Clancy said the relatively high bids on the $2.8 million project was primarily due to the necessity of hiring a number of subcontractors for the work.

“This is not just a curb and street construction job,” said Clancy, noting the project requires electrical infrastructure work and landscaping expertise, forcing the general contractor to seek out the right “sub” to the do the work.

“You risk this type of bid” when there are many specific tasks making up the overall project, Clancy told the board.

In November, 2014, a special town meeting approved a two-part $2.8 million financing plan for the project in which an initial $1.3 million downpayment taken from the town’s free cash account is followed by the town issuing a $1.5 million, 15-year bond with the debt paid from same free cash account.

While slightly higher than the town’s offer, Clancy said funds already spent on underground sewer and water infrastructure will allow the bid to come under budget.

“They can do the work at that price,” Clancy said, noting the offer has a five-percent contingency in the town’s estimate.

Clancy said a timetable for construction would be coming soon, and the town will be setting up a hotline to answer questions or resolve problems.

Clancy expects the work to be completed by Nov. 1 but told the Board final landscaping could be delayed until the spring of 2016.

Baghdady Named Chair of Belmont Board of Selectmen: “Time for Healing”

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Photo: Sami Baghdady.

One year after being elected to the Belmont Board of Selectmen, Sami Baghdady was named the board’s new chair at the first meeting of the group after the Town Election.

“I am honored to be named and selected,” said Baghdady after the board’s meeting Wednesday night, April 8.

Baghdady’s colleague and longest serving member of the board, Mark Paolillo, was named as vice chair.

“I will need your experience” running the board, Baghdady told Paolillo.

A real estate and corporate attorney with a solo practice in Arlington, the nearly life-long resident of Belmont – Butler, Chenery, Belmont High alum – lives with his wife, Rola, and family near Belmont’s Central Square. Before winning election to fill an open seat on the board with the retirement of Ralph Jones, Baghdady is best known for his leadership of the Planning Board from 2010 to 2014.

Baghdady replaces Andy Rojas, defeated in Tuesday’s election to the board’s newest member, Jim Williams.

After the meeting, Baghdady told the Belmontonian his first act as chair will be to bring together both sides of the contentious $4.5 million Proposition 2 1/2 Override ballot question to work towards common goals.

“The time for healing needs to begin,” he said, adding that he will work to highlight the concerns of the supporters of the override – approved by nearly 900 votes Tuesday – and those who raised questions about the amount requested and spending the additional funds in the correct line items.

In the lead up to the election, the level of charges and counter-charges of petty vandalism to political signs and neighbors acting unneighborly to each other over their stance on the override resulted in the Town Clerk and Belmont Police to issue a town-wide notice for all sides on the issue to be more civil in their discourse.

“As I said at the meeting, it is the role of the Board of Selectmen to unite the community since we are all neighbors,” said Baghdady.

Belmont Voters Support Prop 2 1/2 Override to Decisive Victory [Update]

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Photo: Ellen Schrieber, a co-chair of the Yes for Belmont committee.

Endorsing a recommendation to stabilize school funding and help fund road repairs, Belmont voters came out in big numbers to support a $4.5 million Proposition 2 1/2 override during the annual Town Election on Tuesday, April 7.

With a little more than half of all registered voters taking ballots, the “yes” for Question 1 received 4,728 votes, nearly a 900 vote margin over the 3,836 “no” votes.

“We are so grateful to the hundreds of volunteers who made this happen,” said Ellen Schreiber, one of the co-chairs of the “Yes for Belmont” campaign that spearheaded the effort to pass the override.

“The turnout was unbelievable and serves as a tangible reminder of why this is a truly special community,” she said.

Securing a “yes” victory came from two of Belmont’s precincts, 1 and 6 where the yes’ swamped the no vote by 328 and 338 votes.

The “No” side could only take three of the eight precincts (precincts 2, 4, and 8) with margins never reaching triple figures.

After more than a dozen years since the last time voters endorsed hiking property taxes were ready to pony up an average extra $650 a year (on a house assessed at $847,000) for stable school funding and road repair for at least three years. Supporters believe the funds can be stretched up to five years.

Selectman Mark Paolillo, who headed the Task Force, said he viewed the override “as more than just a three year commitment. The [new funds] will sustain us for many years in the future.”

Schreiber agreed with Paolillo, stating the Yes Committee is “thrilled that the town of Belmont has voted to protect our town for future generations.”

“This is the first step in a strategic plan, outlined by the Financial Task Force, that will move Belmont toward more financial stability in the future,” she said.

Since Proposition 2 1/2 was approved by state voters in 1980 (the law went into effect in 1982), Belmont voters have approved half of six override measures on the ballot, the last two “yes” votes were in May 2001 ($3 million) and April 2002 ($2.4 million) for school and town operating expenses.

Before Tuesday’s vote, registered voters rejected the last attempt at an override, a $2 million schools, public safety and roads in June 2010.

The override was recommended by the Financial Task Force, a group created by the Belmont Board of Selectmen in 2014, which sought to secure extra funding to fill a growing deficit – $1.7 million in fiscal year 2016 – facing the Belmont School District due to skyrocketing enrollment and higher expenses, in part due to unfunded state mandates.

Paolillo said he would be reaching out to the leadership of the group who worked to defeat the measure.

“We have to bring the people who voted ‘no’ with the ‘yes’ voters to work together to move us forward,” said Paolillo, and bring them into the Financial Task Force fold.

“This was a spirited campaign, and we want to acknowledge the hard work put in by our opponents. We share the same of goal: making sure Belmont thrives; though we differ about how to achieve that goal,” said Schreiber.

[Update: In an earlier version of this article, it was incorrectly reported the “no” vote received the majority of ballots cast in Precinct 7. That was incorrect; the “yes” side prevailed in the precinct.]

Breaking News: Override Passes, Williams Shocks Rojas for Selectman Seat

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Photo:

Belmont voters passed a $4.5 million Proposition 2 1/2 override that will secure long-term level funding and help with road repair.

The measure passed, 4,728 to 3,818, according to the Belmont Town Clerk’s office

In the race for Selectman, Andy Rojas lost a chance for a second three-year term as first-time challenger Jim Williams of Glenn Road defeated the incumbent by nearly 500 votes, 4,047 to 3,528.

Town Election 2015 in Belmont: Updated Through the Day

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Photo: Tom Martin voting for the first time. 

7:45 p.m.: Precinct 8, the Winn Brook precinct: 1.200 ballots cast. 60 percent participation with many younger voters – 7 at booths when I was there – coming in.

7:30 p.m.: The heavy rains held off and people have been coming in steady to the eight polling stations in Belmont. Not many signs around town although Dawn MacKerron and Bill Trabilcy were in Cushing Square with a big “No” sign, receiving a long horn blast from a late-90s Cadillac with State tags.

2:20 p.m.: The election is just past mid-way and the numbers at the eight precincts indicate a good deal of interest in the contested Selectman’s race and the Prop 2 1/2 ballot question. 

Precinct wardens said the voters “have been really out there,” (Precinct 6), polling stations are “busy constantly,” (Precinct 3), activity is “brisk,” (Precinct 7) with voters coming in at a “steady pace.” (precincts 1 and 8).

So here are the raw numbers between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.:

  • Precinct 1: 665
  • Precinct 2: 604
  • Precinct 3: 473
  • Precinct 4: 358
  • Precinct 5: 479
  • Precinct 6: 617
  • Precinct 7: 438
  • Precinct 8: 638

According to Town Clerk Ellen Cushman, the election could reach 40 percent participation rate or about 7,500 to 8,000 voters coming out. 

1:50 p.m.: It was rough going for Tom Martin as he tried to vote at Precinct 2 in Town Hall. The Belmont High senior first attempted to leave the polling station with both the ballot and the folder in his hands when Precinct Warden Henry Kazarian steered Martin to the official voting scanner. There he attempted to insert the manilsa folder into the slot. At that point, Kazarian instructed Martin on the proper process of voting. 

Despite flubbing the process a bit, everyone in the polling station gave a Martin a round of applause as it was the first time the 18-year-old ever voted. 

“It was good, it was interesting,” said Martin, who received a handshake from Kazarian on his way out. 

In the second-floor lobby, Martin said he wanted to cast his ballot because of the override.

“At Belmont High School, there has been a lot of talk about this [override] vote among the students,” said Martin, a co-captain of this year’s boys’ basketball team and player on Rugby. “We know the election is important for the future of the high school.” 

“And now I’m 18, I should have my voice heard,” he said. 

Noon: It was suppose to be raining by now but … nada. 

10 a.m.: So where are the sign holders? At the Beech Street Center, of course, where precincts 3 and 5 are located. And we found Selectman candidate Jim Williams with his campaign manager shaking hands and talking to Precinct 5 Town Meeting incumbent Frank Lombardo and former town employee  Austin ‘Butchie’ Bennett holding the fort for Andy Rojas.

“I have my coat so I’ll be here even if it rains,” said Butchie.

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8:45 a.m.: A lonely figure at Precinct 2: Jim Gammell, a member of the leadership team for the Nos, poll watching. Will have to take a look around town to see if anyone else is out and about looking over lists of voters. Standing outside the Center’s parking lot, 

8:15 a.m.: Here are the first data dump of the day; the total number of absentee ballots received as of yesterday (there’s one more rush of ballots around 5 p.m.) and by precinct:

Total received/sent:

604/702

  • Precinct 1: 123
  • Precinct 2: 91
  • Precinct 3: 61
  • Precinct 4: 42
  • Precinct 5: 64
  • Precinct 6: 104
  • Precinct 7: 40
  • Precinct 8: 79

7:30 a.m.: Belmont’s Town Election 2015 gets underway under a gray overcast and cool conditions with some good voter participation at Precincts 1 (at the Belmont Public Library) and 8 (Winn Brook School) with a dozen voters waiting to enter Precinct 1 and more than 20 residents voting in the first 10 minutes at 8. At Town Hall, the level is described as “brisk.” 

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One thing missing? Sign holders at the three precincts visited. Just one at 1 and 8, both with “Yes for Belmont” signs.

Town Election Day in Belmont: What You Need to Know to Vote Today

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Today, Tuesday, April 7, Belmont voters will have the opportunity to cast ballots in the annual Town Election to elect members of Town Meeting, town-wide office and one ballot question.

Times

Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Who can vote

Those who are legally registered to vote and are residents of Belmont.

You may be asked for ID

Did you fill out your town census form mailed earlier in the year? If you did not, then you are known as an “inactive” voter. Luckily, an “inactive” voter may still vote but first must provide adequate identification proving the voter’s identity and current place of residence. Usually a Massachusetts Driver’s License or State issued ID are sufficient.

Whom and what’s on the ballot

Find out here with the Belmont League of Women Voters’ election guide.

Transportation to the polls

The League of Women Voters of Belmont is offering rides to the polls from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 617-771-8500 to schedule transportation.

Questions about or during voting

Most questions – including who is eligible to vote in Belmont – that arise during voting can be answered by the precinct warden at the polling station. Other questions should be addressed to the Town Clerk’s Office at 617-993-2600.

Where do I vote?

Don’t know where to vote? Call the Town Clerk at 617-993-2600, or read/download the handy map included on this web page that includes a street directory.

Polling Places:

  • Precinct 1; Belmont Memorial Library, Assembly Room, 336 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct 2: Belmont Town Hall, Selectmen’s Meeting Room, 455 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct 3: Beech Street Center (Senior Center), 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct 4: Daniel Butler School, 90 White St.
  • Precinct 5: Beech Street Center (Senior Center), 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct 6: Belmont Fire Headquarters, 299 Trapelo Rd.
  • Precinct 7: Burbank School Gym, 266 School St.
  • Precinct 8: Winn Brook School Gym, 97 Waterhouse Rd (Enter at Cross St)

Opinion: Chenery Students Credit to Horace Mann’s Legacy

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Photo: Horace Mann

Eighth-grade History is all about our changing American nation. It’s focused on the issues of 2015, but the amount of connections that students make between the past and the present by looking at the American Revolution, how our system of government formed, and how society grew and changed during the 19th century is remarkable. I’m fortunate to work at the Chenery Middle School with a group of passionate educators and motivated students. Your students care – not just about their learning, but also about their role in the bigger picture as the next generation of leaders. For them, the override vote and the debate that it brings up couldn’t have come at a better time.

Together we’ve been looking at how our founders set up the system of government, reaching back through the Jacksonian era, when public participation and involvement in government was heavily promoted. Just last week, we were looking at reforms our country made in the 19th century, one of which was the push by Horace Mann for public education. We looked at excerpts of Mann’s The Common School Journal and one of the biggest principles it emphasized was the idea that education should be paid for, controlled and sustained by an interested public.

I can’t tell how you excited as an educator it made me when students came in early; or stayed after school just to tell stories of the forum that they attended on the override’s yes/no debate and how many connections they made to the Jacksonian era because of it. They had about arguments both for and against the override, and how those made them think of the principles that Horace Mann was promoting. One of my students proudly proclaimed last week how great it felt to be able to go canvassing with her father, and be able to add something to the discussion when meeting and talking to potential voters not just about the work that goes on in our public schools but about why they should care about it.  

Much of the learning and sense of community we have is possible because of our “team model.” At Chenery we focus on fostering a safe learning environment that allows kids to step out of their comfort zones and become better students and bigger thinkers. Getting to know each and every one of my students not just as learners but also as people is the best part of my job. We build relationships and give kids the community they need looking out for them, caring for them, and giving them the tools and support to succeed. We meet in our teams to discuss their progress, growth, and social/emotional well being regularly. Each year our classes get a little bit bigger, and each year it gets a little bit harder to keep maintaining those relationships with a growing student body, and keep fitting those meetings into the busy daily schedule – but it still gets done. We know how important it is not just to the kids, but to their families as well.

The public forum at the Beech Street Center last Monday was a great example of your students in action. I was so proud to be standing with some of my colleagues listening to high school students, and even a middle schooler too, talk about the cuts they feared would make their way into our system if the override didn’t pass. Those participants are the ones we should recognize the most. They might not have a vote, but they care about what will happen and one day will be the thoughtful decision makers in Belmont. Throughout each and every step of their journey this community, and the educators who love to serve it, have supported them. Students have benefited from the strong team model at the Chenery among many other academic and extracurricular opportunities and support systems that our system is able to provide.

Horace Mann would probably be proud. Belmont is definitely a place where there is an interested public, and they certainly care about their public education system. Belmontonians should be proud too, because the “kid constituency” in town that might not be able to vote is definitely a part of the debate. They’re not just watching it; they’re participating in it and learning from it. Let’s make sure to preserve the supports they deserve and the educational community that they need so that when years from now they become the next generation of leaders they’ve been well prepared because of their strong foundation built in the Belmont Public Schools.

Adam Weldai
Chenery Grade 8 History 
Member of the Malden School Committee