Police And Fire Chiefs Receive Merit Pay Increases As Of Start FY ’24

By Leave a Comment

Photo: James MacIsaac (left) and David DeStefano

Recently, the Belmont Select Board approved merit pay increases for Belmont’s public safety department leaders. Each increase has an effective start date of July 1, 2023.

Belmont Police Chief James MacIsaac received a 3 percent bump to his salary as part of his yearly review. The Board scored MacIsaac with an overall score of 4.93 on a scale of 0 to 5, with Board Chair Roy Epstein saying that “he’s a model of a modern police chief bringing a unique balance of experience, calmness, and humor, and to a host of challenges of management issues.”

Board Vice Chair Elizabeth Dionne noted MacIsaac’s “strength in public communication, leadership and tackling difficult issues head-on and is clearly concerned about the well-being of the department including the morale and adequate staffing while delivering effective and proactive public safety for the town.”

Belmont Police Chief James MacIsaac

“When you hear stories about police departments everywhere in which things go wrong. I think consistently Chief MacIsaac has demonstrated an ability to take on difficult situations and have a positive outcome and avoid trouble,” said Epstein.

“Overall, Chief MacIsaac is a tremendous asset, and he looks forward to serving the community for many years,” he said.

MacIsaac’s annual salary is currently $210,642.79.

Belmont Fire Chief David DeStefano saw his pay increase by 2.5 percent to $168,642.79.

“I could not be more happy with the fire chief and his performance,” said Town Administrator Patrice Garvin of DeStefano’s tenure. “I think the department’s morale has gone up tremendously… and he’s building a great team. He’s instituted ways to make the department more visible in terms of promotions … and he’s always coming up with creative ways to get the fire department more visible into the community.”

Belmont Fire Chief David DeStefano

Pink Out! Field Hockey Holding Breast Cancer Awareness Fundraiser On Tuesday, Oct. 10

By Leave a Comment

Photo:

The Belmont High School Field Hockey team will hold a breast cancer awareness fundraiser on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. during its game with out-of-league opponent Brookline High at Harris Field.

Proceeds from a bake sale, a 50/50 raffle, and donations will go to the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Organization, which focuses on patient navigation and advocacy, providing resources for breast cancer patients to understand the American medical system.

If you are coming to the game, wear pink!

An Open Letter To The Planning Board On Creating Less Restrictive Zoning Bylaws On Business

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Meg Moriarty

An Open Letter to the Planning Board:

Supporting business development in Belmont can be good for our schools. Relaxing restrictive zoning bylaws for restaurants in Belmont should provide commercial tax revenue that pays for operating the schools, sponsorship, and support for school programs and after-school activities, job opportunities for Belmont students, and places for Belmont students and families to enjoy.

I have seen the support that local businesses provide in Belmont, both on the School Committee and the Butler PTA. I have also seen It throughout Massachusetts as a professional evaluator of programs that foster broader participation and deeper engagement of students with science, technology, engineering, and math.

This support can be both financial and non-financial support. Based on my professional experience in communities with dense local business development, local businesses partner with schools, sponsor educational programs, provide resources, and donate funds. Local businesses sponsor sports teams, arts programs, and other extracurricular activities, alleviating the financial burden on schools and allowing them to offer a wider range of activities for students. Such partnerships enhance the educational experience for students.

Engaging with local businesses fosters a sense of community. Business leaders and employees may participate in school events, mentor students, and collaborate with schools to develop curricula that align with the skills needed in the local job market. Local businesses also provide jobs for students and prepare them for future employment.

Businesses also generate tax revenue. Although the necessary, short-term option for increasing funding for Belmont schools is to pass an override in April, supporting business development is a feasible long-term strategy for generating additional tax revenue that can fund our schools while offloading the tax burden felt by many in our community. Making our zoning bylaws friendlier to restaurants is a necessary step for encouraging business development.

As a School Committee member, parent, and educator, I spend a lot of time thinking about the core ingredients of effective schools and learning opportunities for all students. I am in good company with my education preoccupation in Belmont: the schools are one of the top reasons that people move to Belmont.

And, being involved in local politics, I notice that we all share the same agenda: increase sources of revenue to offload the tax burden on individuals. Getting clear on how we can achieve that goal means we all get to row in the same direction. Making zoning bylaws less restrictive will help us move closer to generating more tax revenue for maintaining and even expanding or improving learning opportunities for all students in Belmont.

Meg Moriarty, Garfield Road

Belmont School Committee Chair

After Three Years, 14 Belmont Teachers Recognized For Earning Professional Status

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Jennifer Mackenzie, who worked in biotech before becoming a first-grade teacher at Winn Brook, was recognized for obtaining her professional teaching status

Just a few years ago, Jennifer McKenzie worked as a critical quality control specialist for a local biotech firm, part of a powerhouse industry which is on the cutting edge of science discovery.

Today, McKenzie has traded in her lab coat for a first grade classroom at Winn Brook Elementary where the height of scientific inquiry is watching a seed grow into a leafy plant.

While some may find exchanging the world of high-end pharmaceuticals for teaching six-year-olds the mysteries of the comma or adding three sets of numbers a surprising one. But McKenzie would not have any other way.

“I took this journey to do something that I knew I would love every day,” she said.

And on Tuesday, after spending three years teaching kindergarten, second grade and finally first grade for the past two years, McKenzie and 13 fellow educators and administrators were recognized by the Belmont School Committee on earning Professional Teacher Status in the district.

Under state law, Professional Status signifies that a school employee has served a certain probationary period, successfully, meeting the four Professional Practice Standards of the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation System, and has obtained some job security with substantive and procedural protections against dismissal and suspension.

The district’s Director of Human Capital Michael McAllister told those attending that earning Professional Status is no small accomplishment as it requires not only teaching their students successfully but also that they “meet the expectations of the Belmont community and the leadership of public the school.”

“These educators here tonight … fill out different roles. They are classroom teachers, they’re nurses, they’re specialists. They work in a lot of different places, in classrooms and offices in multiple schools. But whatever role they play, they all contribute to the larger mission of the Belmont public schools, which is educating children and preparing them for their future.”

Director of Human Capital Mike McAllister congratulated his former student Timothy Berens on earning Professional Teacher Status.

It’s an achievement that is extra special for McKenzie.

“It means a lot to me as I’m a career changer. I worked in biotech and my background is microbiology,” said McKenzie. “It’s taken me a while to get here.”

The group honored Tuesday were put on the spot on their first day as they were hired in the fall of 2020, “when COVID pandemic was literally all any of us can think of.,” said McAllister.

“Starting my career during that time put me on the same level playing field as my coworkers. We were all kind of starting in a time that was new and different,” said McKenzie.

“Teaching is no small feat. You have classes full of students, with varying needs and learning profiles, and need to make sure they leave your classroom ready for the next phase of learning,” said Belmont Superintendent Jill Geiser.

“This requires skills around lesson design, engaging students in learning, communicating with families, collaborating with colleagues, and other facets that go into the daily work of teaching. These teachers have shown themselves to live up to that task with the clear focus on students, and for that I thank you,” said Geiser.

As the teachers received a small token of their accomplishment, McAllister noted the first name on the list was especially important to him as Timothy Berens, a special education teacher at Belmont High, was among the students he taught in his first year of teaching, “which wasn’t that long ago!”

The teachers and administrative staff earning professional status Tuesday are:

Timothy BerensHigh SchoolSpecial Education 
Elizabeth BruecknerWellington Special Education 
Mary CarbeckWinn BrookNurse
Kenneth Gable CheneryMusic
Alyssa HubbertWellington 1st grade
Kathryn HutchinsonChenery Science, 6th grade 
Siobhan McKennaCheneryEnglish, 7th grade
Jennifer McKenzie Winn Brook1st grade
Kevin Pillone CheneryScience, 6th grade 
Arielle RosascoCheneryMath, 7th grade
Donna Stanton High School/CheneryELS teacher
Jason TavaresButler1st grade
Jimaira VazaquezHigh SchoolSocial Studies
Joseph Wright CheneryMusic

Belmont Health Dept’s Covid-19, Flu, And Vaccine Clinic Set For Wed., Oct. 11

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Vaccine clinic run by the Belmont Health Department will occur on Wednesday, Oct. 11.

With infection rates for both COVID-19 and the flu outpacing last year’s numbers, the Belmont Health Department has announced its next vaccine clinic for the fall season.

This week’s clinic will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration is now open. Click here to register.

The clinic will occur at the Beth El Temple Center, 2 Concord Ave., with vaccines available for Covid, flu, pneumonia, RSV, shingles, and tetanus.

If anyone has trouble registering or isn’t comfortable going online, they are welcome to call the Health Department at 617-993-2720, and we can register them over the phone. At this clinic, we will most likely only have Pfizer available for COVID-19 boosters, but if Moderna becomes available, it will also be offered as a choice at the time of the clinic.

Other clinic dates include:

  • Wednesday, Oct. 18: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 1: 10 a.m – 2 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 8: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day Is Monday, Oct. 9: What’s Open/Closed In Belmont

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Indigenous People’s Day in Monday, Oct. 9 at 2023

Indigenous Peoples’ Day, celebrated annually on the second Monday of October – this year Oct. 9 – is a new federal holiday observed by the Town of Belmont to celebrate Native American peoples and commemorate their histories and cultures.

Curb side trash and recycling pickup will be delayed by one day due to the holiday.

What’s Closed:

  • Belmont Town offices, Belmont Public Library, and Belmont Light are closed.
  • The US Postal Service will not deliver mail, and post offices are closed.
  • Most banks, although branches will be open in some supermarkets.

What’s Opened:

  • Retail stores
  • Coffee shops
  • Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts
  • Supermarkets and convenience stores
  • Establishments that sell beer and wine are also allowed to be open.

MBTA: Holidays such as Juneteenth, Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples Day, and Veterans Day do not have modified schedules; all services will operate on a regular schedule on these days.

Belmont High Football Waits Until Late To Earn the ‘W’ Over Unbeaten Winchester, 15-9

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont senior running back Adrien Gurung taking flight.

Winchester High School Football’s Friday night game had all the hallmarks for a big night for the Red and Black. Undefeated at 3-0, on their new turf field at Knowlton Stadium with its outstanding kicker being honored as the best kicker in the country, it was all there for Winchester to show its dominance over a Belmont High squad coming off a disappointing home loss against Westford Academy.

But as Lee Corso says on ESPN’s College Game Day: “Not so fast, my friend!” Behind a pair of time consuming fourth-quarter touchdown drives – the second coming with just about two minutes remaining to play – and a stellar performance by its defensive front over the entire game, Belmont ended the night putting the Red and Black in the loss column defeating Winchester, 15-9, in both team’s Middlesex League, Liberty Division opener.

Belmont (2-2) will host Lexington High (1-3) at Harris Field under the Friday Night Lights on Oct. 6 at 6 p.m.

Friday night’s game was a pondering affair, slowed by one running play after another, penalties, and solid work from both teams defenses. Belmont did show some punch via senior back Adrien Gurung who pounded his way just short of the century mark and senior QB Jayden Arno who was able to both keep the ball on the ground and wing it when needed to his receiving corp. But it was Belmont gritty run defense that blunted Winchester’s attack.

The first-half’s highlight was Winchester’s Kieran Corr, the Under Armour All-American as the number one ranked high school kicker in the US. And the Harvard commit was as impressive as advertised, splitting the uprights from 44 yards – remember, this is high school – with at least 10 yards to spare to give Winchester a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter that would last into halftime.

After the break, Belmont looked as it would strike first, having stopped Winchester on a 4th and 2 at its 42. Gurung would scamper 31 yards off the left side to Winchester’s 8 yard line, but after three runs resulted in no gain, Belmont missed a 25 yard field goal attempt.

On the very next play, Winchester QB Harry Lowenstein found a streaking George Nelson for an 80 yard Red and Black touchdown. Despite a botched extra point, Winchester was up by two scores, 9-0, with 6:20 remaining in the third.

Now it was the Marauders team time to shine as Belmont would hang onto the ball for nearly eight minutes over 62 yards. Belmont would convert a pair of 4th and 1 on the run-heavy drive culminating in an Arno keeper from a yard out to cut the lead to 9-7 at the 10:30 mark in the fourth.

After converting a first down, Winchester was put on its back heel as the entire defensive line sacked Lowenstein on a 3rd and 11 forcing a punt with 6:45 left in the game. Starting at its 25, Belmont benefited immediately from a face mask call taking the ball to the 40 yard line. Two Arno keepers for nine yards and a critical 21 yard pass completion to Donovan Holway brought the ball to the Winchester 12 with 4 minutes remaining.

Belmont then served up a diet of punishing runs from Gurung ending with the senior running back crossing the goal line standing from a yard out with 2:12 on the clock. Arno’s pass to Austin Lasseter for the two point conversion saw Belmont increase its lead to 15-9.

After a scare on the kick off – Winchester appeared to have crossed midfield with Lasseter making a touchdown-saving tackle only for a block in the back penalty rendering the gain mute – Belmont’s defense held firm forcing a long pass by Lowenstein on 4th down that senior WR/DB Brian Logan intercepted closing the book on an impressive – and confidence boosting – road win.

Angus On The Run: Teen Town Meeting Member Seeks School Committee Seat

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Angus Abercrombie, 19, has confirmed he will be running for school committee in the 2024 Town Election

In June 2022, Angus Abercrombie crossed the raised daïs at Harris Field to receive his high school diploma from Belmont High School in spirit; he was attending the Democratic Party’s State Convention that day as one would expect from an ambitious young man with his eyes on his political future.

If everything goes according to his plans, by June 2024, Abercrombie will be setting school policy, approving the school district’s multimillion budget, and negotiating with school unions – whose members only two years before were his teachers – as the 19-year-old Winn Street resident has announced his campaign for one of two seats up for grabs on the Belmont School Committee next year.

Abercrombie is the first person to submit a Statement of Organization of Candidate’s Committee with the Town Clerk’s Office (Nomination papers are still weeks away from being available). The Emerson freshman already has a campaign web page up and running and is active on X (formally Twitter), TikToc, Facebook, and Instagram, where Abercrombie is seen chummy with local, state, and national Democratic leaders.

A lifelong Belmont resident educated in the Belmont public schools, Abercrombie ran and was elected to Town Meeting in April, which at the time caught the attention of the Boston Globe. Since then, the Democratic Party activist has been featured in the Globe, WBZ-TV, and National Public Radio, which described him as one of a growing number of “Gen Z politicians pushing to become leaders of today.”

At first glance, dismissing the teenager as a passing fade would be to the challengers’ disadvantage. An energetic campaigner, Abercrombie topped Precinct 8 Town Meeting results with 544 votes, the second largest town-wide tally. He is a frequent participant at public, board, committee, and school meetings where he is gaining a reputation for thoughtful, engaging comments.

School Committee Chair Meghan Moriarty and Jamal Saeh are up for reelection in April 2024.

The Belmontonian interviewed Abercrombie after the 2025 Budget Public Forum at Town Hall.

You have submitted organization papers with the Town Clerk. Are you considering running for School Committee?

Abercrombie: Yes, I’ve decided to seek a seat on the School Committee.

Why?

Abercrombie: “[Belmont] is really at an inflection point. We’re about to ask voters for the biggest override ever, and we need to prove that we have the leadership to spend that money how it needs to allocated. I’ve attended our schools recently and I’ve watched the cuts get made to programs and increased fees that were imposed from when I was in kindergarten to the Winn Brook [Elementary] and the High School . I’ve watched every part of the school experience – not just in the classroom but also transportation issues, sports, activity fees – becoming tougher and tougher, especially for our families who don’t have the time and money to push for their kids outside of school. I want to advocate for them on the committee.

You’ve said you will bring the insight and interests of students to the school committee which, you’ve noted, is the largest constituency who doesn’t have the opportunity to be heard via the ballot box.

Abercrombie: Absolutely. There are a lot of students who have a deep attachment to this community. But the first time they’re actually able to vote on the issues that matter of this community, they’re often going ready to go off to college and university. That makes it really difficult for us to properly hear their voices and for the people who are in the halls of power to weigh those voices correctly.

What are the three main goals that you will bring to the school committee?

Abercrombie: Number one, we need to fix our long-term Special Education program with good wraparound services. Ensuring we are serving every student’s needs, and when possible and appropriate, keeping them in-district.

Number two, transportation. The way students get to school, right now, is unfeasible. It’s getting students to and from school in a climate conscious, low-traffic impact, and safe manner. And that also means pushing back school start times because student drivers who are tired are not safe drivers.

Number three is communication. Leveraging my background in campaigns, communications, and community organizing to better connect and engage families with school programming. We can’t allow students to fall through the cracks just because their parents don’t have time for what is sometimes a full time job; keeping up-to-date on in-school opportunities and needs.

You’re 19 and a full-time college student at Emerson. How do you respond to those who believe you lack the experience to take on the job?

Abercrombie: Well, last year at Emerson College, I ran the allocation of a $1.1 million budget. I did it. Everyone has spoken to has been happy about how that budget went down. Look, Belmont has six people on our school committee who bring different experiences, and we need to make sure that every part of the conversation about our schools is represented on our school committee. That includes parents, students, and people in the town who are not currently in either of those groups, but still deeply feel the effects of our school department. That’s why I’m running.