Belmont Treasurer Carman Will Not Seek Re-election, Opens Up Vote On Appointed Post

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Photo: A 2014 photo of Town Treasurer Floyd Carman

Floyd Carman, Belmont’s long time Treasurer, announced late Friday, Dec. 30, his decision not to seek re-election to the post in the April 2023 town election.

“I am retiring and not running for re-election on April 4, 2023, as your Elected Town Treasurer and Tax Collector after 18 years on the job,” said Carman in an email to residents. “It has been a privilege and honor to serve Belmont.”

The announcement makes official what was speculated in the fall when the Select Board’s Roy Epstein revealed that Carman would not seek a seventh three year term as the town’s leading financial official. Carman would later say in November that he would decide whether to run to keep the post “sometime in the new year.”

With Carman’s decision, the Select Board will move forward with its plan to seek Town Meeting approval to restructure the Treasurer’s position from an elected position to one which is appointed by the Town Administrator. The Board is seeking to implement one of the major recommendations proposed in a report by the Collins Center for Public Management released in August 2022. The report called Belmont “one of the most decentralized town structures of its size existing in the Commonwealth” resulting in a “significant diffusion of responsibilities and authority across the executive branch.” The Center made nearly 20 recommendations including the change to an appointed treasurer to allow a more cohesive approach to budgeting and financial management.

The Special Town Meeting will be held in February for member to vote on an article to establish an appointed treasurer post. If adopted, a ballot question will be presented to voters at the Town Election. During this time, any eligible voter can run for the open post to fill the three year term. If the voters approve the appointed treasurer post, the winner in the general election will serve until the legislature approves the voters initiative which will occur in a matter of weeks. If the voters rejects the proposal, the winner will serve the three year term.

The Select Board has come out in strong support for the appointed post as have many members of the influential Warrant Committee. Additionally, Elizabeth Dionne, the sole candidate seeking to fill the seat on the Select Board held by Adam Dash who is not running for re-election, has said she supports a appointed treasurer. Critics of the change have said there are highly qualified residents who can fill the post who will then be beholden to the voters rather than a non-elected Town Administrator.

With ‘Tripledemic’ Still Around, Belmont Health Offers Flu, Covid Clinic Thursday, Dec. 29

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Photo: The Dec. 29 clinic will be open from 10 a.m. to noon.

With the “tripledemic” – COVID, influenza, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) – remaining a threat to children and adults, Belmont Health Department is offering vaccinations and bivalent boosters for Covid-19 and a seasonal flu shot to all eligible residents, ages three and older, on Thursday, Dec. 29 from 10 a.m. to noon at Beth El Temple Center, 2 Concord Ave.

What to know about the clinic:

  • Primary vaccine series for anyone ages 3+
  • Bivalent booster of Pfizer (5+) or Moderna (6+) COVID vaccine for anyone who has completed a primary vaccine series of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months after last dose or last booster dose
  • Flu shots will be available for ages 3 and up
  • Find full guidance on booster eligibility here.

For children under 18 years of age this form must be signed by a parent or guardian and presented at the time of vaccination (parent/guardian may not be present as long as signed consent is received). 

Look here for information and to register for a vaccine appointment.

Please bring your insurance (medical and prescription) and COVID-19 vaccination cards to the clinic.

  • COVID vaccines are free for all regardless of insurance coverage
  • Insurance is required for flu vaccines
  • For those covered by Medicare, please bring your red, white, and blue Medicare card in addition to any other insurance cards.

Please present insurance cards, photo ID, and vaccination cards at your appointment.

This clinic will be operated through a partnership between VaxinateRX and the Belmont Health Department. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available.

If you have difficulty with registration call  617-993-2720 or Email: dekman@belmont-ma.gov for assistance

Town Offices And Library Closed, Trash/Recycling Delayed A Day For Holiday; Tips On Holiday Recycling

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Photo: Trash and recycling delayed a day

With Christmas falling on a Sunday, federal and state law says that today, Monday, Dec. 26 – yes, Boxing Day – will be observed as the holiday.

And while many retailers and other businesses will be open for post-Christmas sales and returns, federal, state and local government will be closed including the Belmont Town Hall and all town offices and departments. The Belmont Public Library will be closed as will the two US Postal Service offices on Trapelo Road and Concord Avenue.

Due to the holiday, trash and recycling will be delayed by one day. So if your pickup day is Monday, cool your jets for a day and haul those carts out on Tuesday.

Holiday Recycling

With the holidays coming up, it is very important to know what gets recycled around your house. Now is the best time to do your part, according to the Department of Public Works.

What holiday items DO belong in the blue recycling bins?

  • CLEAN plastic jars, jugs, and bottles but nothing over five gallons.
  • CLEAN metal food cans, and tin foil
  • CLEAN glass bottles or other containers
  • Flattened cardboard WITHOUT plastic covering
  • Wrapping paper and holiday cards WITHOUT foil or glitter

What holiday items DO NOT belong in the blue recycling bins?

  • Ribbons or bows
  • Batteries
  • Christmas lights, string lights, bulbs
  • Clothing
  • Plastic packaging, toys, bags, wrap or film
  • Food or liquid
  • Electronics. Does it need a sticker
  • Christmas trees
  • Metals

Clothes should be donated, not be thrown away. There are plenty of textile bins located around Belmont that you can use to donate your clothes. If the textile bin is full, please do not leave bags of clothes outside of the container. Make sure the textiles aren’t wet, moldy or have any hazardous waste on them. Learn more by going to this link: Textile Recycling

Photo:

With Christmas falling on Sunday, under federal and state law the holiday period is being extended to Monday, Dec. 26 (Boxing Day). While businesses are open for post-Christmas sales and returns, federal, state and local government offices will remain closed for the holiday on Monday. The Belmont Public Library will also stay closed. The USPS offices on Concord Avenue and Trapelo Road will open on Tuesday, Dec. 27.

The extended holiday also means that curbside trash and recycling will be pushed back a day. So Monday pickup reverts to Tuesday in the collection universe, and Tuesday to Wednesday, etc.

What’s Closing Early On The 24th; What’s Open And Closed Christmas

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Photo: Christmas ginger bread house stamps (credit: USPS)

Christmas is a day of gift giving and reflecting on cheerful times from past years around the dinner table before decamping to watch the latest holiday movie on the Hallmark Channel, professional sports events, or just relaxing with family and friends.

For those who don’t celebrate the day, several fine Chinese restaurants will be open and, if you want to risk it, some great movies are premiering on the big screen on Christmas week – “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,””I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” the Whitney Houston biopic, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” and “Women Talking.” [Editor’s suggestions: “The Whale,” “Menu” and “The Quiet Girl.”]

And if you have a “need” to get out of the house, here are a few places around town closing early Christmas Eve and open on Christmas.

Christmas Eve early closings:

  • Star Market at 535 Trapelo Rd. closes at 6 p.m. The pharmacy closes at 5 p.m.
  • CVS: The store at 264 Trapelo Rd. is closing at 11 p.m. (the pharmacy at 6 p.m.) and 60 Leonard St. at 10 p.m. (with the pharmacy shutting its doors at 5 p.m.)
  • Starbucks at 110 Trapelo Rd. in Cushing Square will close at 1 p.m.
  • Dunkin’ at 353 Trapelo Rd. and 52 Church St. are closing at 9 p.m. The store at 350 Pleasant St. will shut it down at 6 p.m.
  • Craft Beer Cellar at 87 Leonard St. in the Center will be open ’til 5 p.m.
  • US Post Office at 405 Concord Ave. will close at noon and 492 Trapelo Rd. Is closed on Christmas Eve.
  • MBTA buses and subway lines will run on a Saturday schedule. The commuter rail is on the weekend schedule.

Christmas Day

Dunkin’

  • The Dunkin’ at 353 Trapelo Rd. proclaims it is “Open on Christmas.” So it’ll be operating from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.
  • The 52 Church St. location in Waverley Square and the operation at 350 Pleasant St. will be closed on Christmas.

Starbucks

  • The “Cushing Village” location at 110 Trapelo Rd. will be closed.

CVS Pharmacy

  • The store at 264 Trapelo Rd. will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • The operation at 60 Leonard St. in Belmont Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Christmas.
  • The pharmacy on Trapelo Road is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Belmont Center site will be closed.

Star Market

  • Belmont’s supermarket located at 535 Trapelo Rd. is closed for the day.

If you are looking to get around on the MBTA:

  • The Fitchburg/South Acton Commuter Line will operate a Sunday schedule while buses that operate in Belmont will also be on a Sunday schedule.

Teens and Substance Misuse: Q&A

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Photo: The danger of alcohol and marijuana is not merely the chemical threats. Instead, teens’ brains are still developing.

By Lisa Gibalerio, MPH Public Health Educator, Wayside Youth and Family Support Network and Belmont Wellness Coalition

Parents often ask: “Is there anything I can do to prevent or reduce my teen’s use of substances (alcohol/marijuana)?”  Then, some parents rather hopelessly add: “It’s inevitable, isn’t it? We all drank back in high school. Kids today are no different …”

Parents, please know you can make a meaningful difference.

Below, I outline six evidence-based strategies to help guide your teen in making good choices.  

But first, let’s review how Belmont teens are doing with respect to substances.

What’s happening with Belmont teens and substance misuse?

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), last administered in Belmont in Spring 2021, revealed that about 25 percent of our high school teens reported drinking, vaping, and/or using marijuana in the 30 days before they took the survey. The older the teen, the more likely they were to be experimenting.

Though the data is self-reported, it’s worth noting that the clear majority of kids (75 percent) report not experimenting with substances regularly.

Why do teens use substances anyway?

Students in focus groups have reported blowing off steam and because “it’s fun.”

What are they stressed about?

Belmont teens are primarily stressed from academic pressure, from feeling marginalized (e.g., kids of color and kids who identify as LGBTQ), and as a result of intense schedules.

Some teens may gain access to alcohol or weed via older siblings, older friends, fake IDs obtained online, or right at home. Students reported their parents didn’t know that they were drinking/or getting high – neither how frequently nor how much.

Is substance misuse risky? 

The danger of alcohol and marijuana is not merely the chemical threats (liver and lung damage, etc.) Instead, teens’ brains are still developing. The part of the brain that exercises good judgment is a decade away from being fully developed. So when teens drink, for example, they tend to drink too much. This puts them at greater risk for alcohol poisoning, car crashes, injuries, and/or unprotected/unwanted sex.

What can parents do?

1. Talk with your kids about the impacts of substance misuse.

2. Set your expectations clearly and concisely.

3. Wait up at curfew time! 

4. Offer your kids strategies on how to decline substances, e.g., “I’m driving,” or “My parents would kill me,” or delay answering, “No thanks, not right now.”

5. Reach out to their friends’ parents. For example, if there is a gathering at a house, text the parents and ask if they will be at home monitoring the event.

6. Do not relax your family rules during the holidays; it can be challenging to return to previous expectations.

These steps may not completely prevent experimentation with substances. But the data is clear: families who engage in ongoing conversations about the risks of substance misuse are often successful in delaying use and/or creating more moderate users.

If you have questions, reach out to me at Lisa_Gibalerio@Waysideyouth.org.

Wishing you all a safe and happy holidays!

With High Wind Warning in Effect, Widespread Outages In the Mix

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Photo: Blustery, it is

Power up your computers and phones because “the weather outside is frightful” and you may loss your power due to a storm that’s bringing strong, damaging winds through Christmas eve.

At 3:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 23, the National Weather Service issued a High Wind Warning for Belmont and all of eastern Massachusetts that will remain in effect until 7 a.m., Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24.

The wind will be coming in from the South at 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 60 mph, according to the NWS advisory. Isolated gusts up to 65 mph will occur this morning along the coastline.

Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines, toss trash and recycling bins to parts unknown and will defeat any and every umbrella. “Widespread power outages are expected,” the NWS noted. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles such as 18 wheel and box trucks as well as SUVs.

If your power does go out, you can call the Belmont Light outage number at (617) 993-2800. You can see real time outage locations at the Belmont Light Service map.

Pick Up Covid Rapid Tests and Kn95 Masks At Town Locations In Belmont

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Photo: Tests, masks and thermometers are avaliable for pick up

The Town of Belmont has rapid tests and other Health Department supplies currently available to resident for pickup. Rapid tests, Kn95 masks and a limited number of thermometers will be available while supplies last. Rapid Tests are good to use until February 2023 due to FDA extensions.

Pick Up Locations and Hours 

Belmont Health and Recreation Departments 

19 Moore Street, Homer Building 2nd Floor — Open Monday 8AM-7PM, Tuesday-Thursday 8AM-4PM and Friday 8AM-12PM

Belmont Public Library 

336 Concord Avenue — Open Monday-Wednesday 9AM-9PM, Thursday 11AM-9PM, Friday 9AM-5PM and Saturday 9AM-1PM 

Beech Street Center 

266 Beech Street — Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8AM-4PM, Tuesday 8AM-7PM 

Belmont Town Clerk

455 Concord Avenue — Open Monday 8AM-7PM, Tuesday-Thursday 8AM-4PM and Friday 8AM-12PM

Belmont Town Administrator (second floor)

455 Concord Avenue — Open Monday 8AM-7PM, Tuesday-Thursday 8AM-4PM and Friday 8AM-12PM

With Participation Climbing, Belmont High Wrestling Sees A Growing Future

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Photo: Belmont High wrestler Jaden O’Connor

Nearly 30 Belmont High wrestlers crowded on end of the on one end of the mat, cheering on senior Amir Nurhussien as he grappled with his Melrose opponant and is getting the better of him. Even if it was a junior varsity tilt, Nurhussien’s team mates couldn’t have been more involved if it was a final match for a tournament win.

With a slew of new converts – some having only wrestled for a grand total of 12 days – and returning vets, Belmont High wrestling is re-energizing its program that was a force in the 1990s with multiple state medalists and teams that could rack up the points in tournaments and meets.

“We’re still in a building phase right now but it’s growing fast,” said Craig Janjigian, Belmont’s new head coach. “Because if my memory serves me right, this is the largest turnout that we’ve had since I was [ a student] here.”

Belmont welcomed current Division 3 state champion Melrose to its new spacious, brightly lit home on the floor of the Wenner Field House. “And they showed to us they are state champs,” said Assistant Coach Andy MacAulay

“But there was no quit in us tonight,’ said MacAulay who stepped down from leading the program to take on an assistant role. “And that’s always what you got to have first before you can do anything else. And most of them were offensive minded, which I’m thrilled because a lot of kids in their first season aren’t. I’m very excited to see where we are in the middle of February.”

“Belmont does not shy away from competition,” said Janjigian.

This season, Belmont brings back its only state finalist from last year, senior Rowan Devitt at 113 lbs., who lost a close match against the Raiders, and a pair of outstanding grapplers: Andre “AJ” Sweet (132 lbs.) and Jaden O’Connor (145 lbs.)

In his match, Sweet was down 6-1 midway into the second period when he decided the time was right to end the match by pinning his competition.

Belmont’s dominating performance at the meet came from O’Connor as he went up 10-0 after one period with a series of quick combination moves. But towards the end of the second and up 12-3, O’Connor found himself with his back to the mat in danger of being pinned. But O’Connor reestablished his dominance, finishing the win on his back, exhausted.

The program’s future was on display last week with the JV wrestlers, many made up of those two week wonders. There were victories for the aforementioned Nurhussien and learning moments for others. The loudest noise from the stands came when Ava Svistunov (106), the sole girl on the team, strode into the circle. After controlling much of her match, Svistunov’s Melrose opponent took advantage of his upper body strength to pin her. But her performances have demonstrated to her coaches that she “is the real deal.”

With 7th and 8th graders attending classes in the same building beginning this coming September, it will allow the sport to establish a middle school program on site using the same facilities.

“That’s how I got my start was a youth program. It’s crucial to have a feeder program because you’re not exposed to wrestling like kids are to most other sports like basetball or football.,” said Janjigian. “We actually have a good amount of kids who are going to be successful this year. Success breeds success; it’s a positive feedback.”

Give The Gift Of Movies As Tickets On Sale For Belmont World Film’s 20th Family Festival

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Photo: A still from the film “The School of Magical Animals 2 (Deutschland 2022)”(Copyright: Leonine)

Looking for a gift for a young one that’s entertaining, will expand a view of the world and begin an appreciation (or even a passion) for the art of cinema? Belmont World Film 20th Family Festival fills all of those boxes.

Belmont World Film’s Family Festival is a must-attend event for families with children ages 3-12, offering some of the world’s top films for children – providing a window into the lives of children around the world – as well as filmmaking workshops that will enrich your children’s lives. This year’s festival features sixteen exciting film programs and four workshops.

The festival will run in person on the Martin Luther King holiday weekend from Saturday, Jan. 14 to Monday, Jan. 16 and Saturday, Jan. 21. Three films will be screened virtually from Friday, Jan. 20 to Sunday, Jan. 22.

All in person screenings take place as follows:

Saturday, January 14 | West Newton Cinema

Sunday, January 15 | Majestic 7 Cinema Watertown

Monday, January 16 | Brattle Theatre, Cambridge

Saturday, January 21 | Regent Theatre, Arlington

The Junior Film Critics Workshop takes place in person at the New Arts Center @ Trio in Newtonville on Saturday, Jan. 14.

Tickets for individual films or passes can be found at this link.

Boston Society of Film Critics commended Belmont World Film as part of their annual awards for its “20 years of programming foreign-language films in coordination with local and international organizations to heighten awareness on a wide range of global issues.”

Below is the trailer for the film “The School of Magical Animals 2”

Cinema trailer for the movie “The School of Magical Animals 2 (Deutschland 2022)”

Town Accountant Latest Official To Bid Adieu To Belmont

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Photo: Glen Castro, Belmont Town Accountant

We don’t known what route Belmont Town Accountant Glen Castro will be taking when he “makes that California trip” next month, just that it will be permanent as Castro submitted his resignation to the town effective Jan. 5, according to Town Administrator Patrice Garvin.

Castro’s departure – he is returning to “The Golden State” where he grew up – comes as the town continues to seek to fill important posts such as the director and assistant director at the Human Resources Department, several mid-level management positions and a reported deficit of 10 employees at the Department of Public Works.

As with Castro, the worker gaps in town departments are due in part the social trend The Great Resignation which has impacted industries, businesses and governments since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

Castro was named Belmont’s full-time town accountant by the Select Board in July 2021 after being the town’s acting accountant since Oct. 2020. Castro first came to the Town Administrator’s office in 2010 as a budget analyst, a position he held for eight years before transitioning to the town’s budget director in 2018.