Letter to the Editor: Dash Provides Forward Thinking As Selectman

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Photo: Adam Dash

To the Editor: 
Monday night’s debate at the League of Women Voters’ Candidates Night made it clear that this is a lively campaign for Selectman. Both candidates have a lot to offer the town.

On balance, I believe that Adam Dash is more forward-looking and therefore better prepared to deal with these challenges creatively. For one thing, his support for the Community Path seems stronger. That is the single biggest step Belmont can take to cut traffic and enhance the two business centers it would pass through, Belmont Center and Waverley Square.

Please consider giving Adam your vote.

Sue Bass
Precinct 2 

How A 18-Year-Old Wants To Change Belmont Town Meeting For The Better

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Photo: Here’s Devan at Candidates Night.

Devan O’Toole will be seeking higher office at Tuesday’s Town Election from his present position as president.

What’s that?

The presidency O’Toole currently holds – for the second-year running – is the Class of 2018 at Belmont High School. And if his door-to-door campaign for Town Meeting Member in Precinct 2.

And if successful on Tuesday, O’Toole will become the youngest Town Meeting Member in Belmont history at 18, breaking the age record of his good friend, Daniel Vernick, who was elected to Town Meeting from Precinct 1 last year. 

A real “townie,” – he’s always lived in Belmont and attended Winn Brook, Chenery and is a senior at Belmont High – O’Toole lives with his parents and sister, Angela, on Beatrice Circle. 

Known for his quick laugh and sunny personality, O’Toole is at the ready to volunteer or take charge of an event or cause. He says serving as his class’ president for the past two years has been his favorite role while a close second has been Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer at the annual Belmont Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.

But will his success and accomplishments in high school translate to confidence by Precinct 2 voters to elect him to one of the 15 open seats available on Tuesday? The Belmontonian asked O’Toole about his vision and goals if elected to Town Meeting.

[The interview was cut for clarity and because O’Toole can talk up a storm.]

Q: Why is an 18-year-old running for town meeting? Should you be hanging out in someone’s basement rec room rather than spending three days in May voting on bylaw changes?

A: Sadly there is a lack of rec rooms in Belmont, so I decided that running for office was a good substitute. As much as I love spending my nights playing foosball in the basement of the YMCA, creating a better Belmont for everyone in our town is a higher priority. I knew that as soon as I registered to vote, I wanted to participate in the town government.

During high school, I tried to get involved with helping our town as much as possible. As the Senior Class President, I have coordinated community building events and fundraisers. Working with Belmont High School’s Building Committee, I have been able to work on educational policies for our school, hiring new staff, and creating plans for a new building. 

Although I have enjoyed these opportunities to work with the town immensely, I knew that serving in Town Meeting was the next step toward helping our town to a greater degree. It’s a passion of mine to create solutions to assist people with their problems. I hope to serve in Town Meeting because I want to represent the needs of the people of my precinct, and the people of Belmont, so that solutions can be created to benefit our community.

Q: What has been the reaction to your candidacy? What has been your family’s reaction?

A: Throughout this entire campaign, I have loved talking to the people of my precinct. It’s so interesting to see our neighbors’ different perspective on the current condition of our town, and what specific community issues each person prioritizes. Hearing these diverse perspectives has helped me learn about our town, and I hope to use this knowledge to create informed solutions to resolve these town problems.

Q: What issues are you running on?

A: First of all, I am a product of the Belmont school system, so maintaining and improving Belmont’s incredible learning environment is a key priority of mine. I have a little sister who will be a freshman at Belmont High School next year, and I want nothing but the best for her and all the other future Belmont High School students.

I also plan to increase transparency in this position. I truly believe that receiving feedback from the people of my precinct is a vital part of the job. I will constantly make myself available online and in person before voting begins in town meeting. In fact, if anybody is reading this wants to get in touch with me about community issues and discuss issues I should work on, please shoot me an email at devantownmeeting@gmail.com. Some residents may suggest that since you are a dependent – a kid – you really don’t have a stake in town?

Q: Some residents may suggest that since you are a High School student, you don’t have a stake in running the town.

A: Belmont must be a place that supports the needs of all people in this town, regardless of age or any other distinction. I truly live and breathe Belmont; I had always tried to make myself aware of the problems our town faces, even before I decided to run for Town Meeting. I believe that there are no age restrictions on wanting to make Belmont a better place for everyone

It’s true that I don’t yet pay taxes myself, but since this position is all about representing the people of precinct 2 and the people of Belmont, I aim to represent them fully. Making myself available so that the people of my precinct can voice their concerns is vital, because that is the best way I can make a decision about how to vote for fiscal issues that includes everyone’s perspective.

Q: How has your youth helped/hindered your candidacy?

The people I’ve talked to seem to be happy that an 18-year-old is running. The median age of town meeting members is about 60, so a lot of the people in my precinct have told me that it would be good to have a youth perspective in town government.

My experience growing up in Belmont has given me a unique view into Belmont’s issues. For example, I’m just finishing going through the Belmont school system, so I have a firsthand look at some of the needs of our education system. There are a lot of people in Belmont that move here for our town’s schools. A lot of parents with children in Belmont schools that I have talked to seem to like the idea of a high school Town Meeting Member.

I have also heard numerous times along the campaign trail that people are concerned that there are too little changes in Belmont. Belmont has a little bit of a legacy of being opposed to change, so I hope that by providing a new perspective I can change this legacy to being a town that supports change that makes people’s lives better.

Q: Any funny incidents on the campaign trail?

A lot of people thought I was trying to sell them something when I first started campaigning. I don’t think they knew I was a candidate because I’m a teenager.

I was walking through a nice, quiet neighborhood when I heard a car roll up behind me. Apparently, the driver was worried by my clipboard because she leaned out her window and screamed “Solicitor! Solicitor! Everyone lock your doors and don’t look at him!” She then proceeded to run as fast as Usain Bolt up her stairs into her house, completely in a panic. I wasn’t even upset, I couldn’t stop laughing. She pretty much pulled a Paul Revere on me, and I guess she thought I was a Red Coat.

[This article has been revised with the correct age of the subject]

Letter to the Editor: Carbone Has Unmatched Experience for Belmont

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Photo: Guy Carbone

To the editor:

I write in support of Guy Carbone for Selectman for the Town of Belmont and hope you will join me in voting for him on Tuesday, April 4.  

Guy comes with an experience unmatched by his opponent. I firmly believe his skill-set and qualities will help ensure success in the massive projects facing Belmont in the immediate future. Guy has experience in building and managing large capital projects for the state. His projects were on time and under budget, once returning $5 million back to the state of Massachusetts. I hope and believe that Guy will deliver the same type of results for Belmont. He certainly has in the past. For example, when Belmont entered into a lawsuit over faulty construction in the two new fire stations against the architect and general contractor, it was Guy Carbone, using his background as an engineer and lawyer, who uncovered the key information that led to a successful resolution returning nearly $1 million to the town; the work done by Guy’s client was not at fault.

This skill set is particularly important in this election. Belmont faces four large capital projects or updates in the near future: the town’s library, high school, DPW station, and police station. Guy has innovative and thoughtful ideas to help finance these projects – alleviating our already high tax burden which has been a key driver to the rising rents affecting our seniors and young families. Equally important, I trust that Guy will labor endlessly to ensure these projects are properly vetted, prioritized, and implemented in a prudent manner.

Guy is hardworking and earnest in his efforts to diligently serve the people of Belmont. He’s open, honest, and willing to listen and hear everyone – qualities extremely important for someone seeking this position.

Richard Hansen

Town Meeting Member, Precinct 5

Throw Out The Barrels: Belmont Eyeing Carry In, Carry Out Trash Policy

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Photo:

If the Belmont Department of Public Works has its way; the trash you make on town property will be equal to the trash you take out.

At a recent meeting before the Belmont Board of Selectmen, the DPW’s Highway Division proposed a town-wide initiative of removing all trash barrels in municipal parks and commercial business areas, according to DPW head Jay Marcotte.

Instead, the town will take a garbage in, garbage out approach to the problem of barrels overflowing with the gross stuff that people throw away.

The new system, dubbed Carry In Carry Out, is straightforward and direct: All trash and waste generated by a resident on town property will now be taken “out” by that same person.

Currently, the town empty barrels on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays while the town’s trash removal contractor, FW Russell & Sons, removes waste from containers in Belmont’s business districts on the same days. From April to December, the DPW has a two-person crew going to the town’s fields and parks on Saturdays.

But Marcotte noted that with containers, “it’s the ‘Field of Dreams’ concept: If you build it, they will come. If you have trash barrels, trash will come.” 

What Highway crews have long discovered is people toss household trash into the containers. Also, industrial and contractor waste are found by the DPW. Other times, residents attempt to squeeze large boxes into a barrel, clogging it up. And when the containers are filled, people will place their trash along the side.

Rather than canisters and waste baskets, signs and notices would take their place requiring all participants in remove the waste generated to be put in home containers and recycling bins.

The DPW is moving forward with what appears to be counterintuitive to keeping parks and spaces clean due, in large part, to the almost daily abuse and neglect of the town’s barrels. Despite emptying the containers several times a week, many in popular areas are constantly filled to the brim.

The hope is that containerless town sites will promote residents to keep parks and recreation land clean and minimize illegal dumping. People using the sites will be more likely to use reusable containers and bottles and will be more willing to recycle items they bring home.

The policy of taking away the trash is gaining in popularity locally and around the country. Nearby Walden Pond in Concord, the Boston Harbour Islands, the National Park System and the municipalities of Gloucester, Reading, and Needham have joined the trend.

While the Health Department isn’t eager to see the barrels be removed, they are for the removal with a one-word response: vermin! Dr. David Alper, longtime chair of the Belmont Board of Health, said the most efficient method of reducing the number of rats, birds, wasps and squirrels is by removing their food source.

Only the most secure trash containers made of steel with small openings – which are quite expensive – would be as effective in preventing pest infestation as not having barrels at all, said Alper.

And after seeing photographic evidence of the abuse, some residents are heaped upon barrels and other containers, the Selectmen voiced their support for a change.

“I can’t believe this. It is disgusting … This is totally unacceptable,” said Selectmen Chair Mark Paolillo of a photo showing the aftermath of a men’s summer league championship at the Belmont High School softball field with the area surrounding a barrel marked with empty beer cans and sparkling wine bottles.

Paolillo said the Recreation Department should be issuing warnings to teams that abuse the sites and leaving garbage at town locations, “or we will revoke the league’s permit!”

Marcotte said his department would like to start the new policy in the spring and chronicle the impact. They are only waiting for the town’s Park Commissioners – which is made up of the Board of Selectmen – to give the OK.

It’s ‘RAMA’ Saturday With Stringarama, Bandarama At High School

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Photo: Lots of musicians this Saturday.

This is no joke: April 1 will be your chance to hear from the youngest to the most experience musicians on a “Rama” day in Belmont.

Moved from its traditional pre-Christmas date to allow the younger musicians to be a bit more proficient, the Belmont Public Schools Fine and Performing Arts Department presents the long-time tradition Stringarama and Bandarama on April Fools’ Day.

First will be the Stringorama Concert, featuring more than 400 string students in Grades 3-12, at the Belmont High School’s Wenner Field House. The performances start at 1 p.m. 

Each grade will perform a selected piece that showcases their best work, and then the entire ensemble will perform the first ever Grand Finale.

Then at 4 p.m., the Wenner will house another group of several hundred student musicans as the Wenner becomes the largest band room around as the 45th annual Bandarama takes place. You’ll hear from elementary, middle and high school bands in works the performers have been preparing do perform.

Candidate’s Statement: Guy Carbone – ‘Make a Real Decision About Belmont’s Future’

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Photo: Guy Carbone, candidate for Belmont Board of Selectmen.

My name is Guy Carbone. I ask you to vote for me for Selectman on April 4 and by doing so, make a real decision about Belmont’s future.

Belmont must balance its spending needs against the ability of its residents to pay for them. However, the actions of a small group of residents, whose desires and promises far exceed our ability to pay for them, may make it impossible for Belmont to meet spending needs in a fiscally and socially responsible manner. The result will be that even more of our neighbors and friends of all ages and lifestyles will leave Belmont because they can no longer afford to live here. That is something that must be stopped.

Belmont must deal with four large building projects that require solutions in the near-term.  These projects should be prioritized and sequenced, so they do not unduly burden our residents whose property taxes and rents fund our schools as the public services the town provides. To do this, the Board of Selectmen needs a member with engineering and legal experience; I have three degrees in Civil Engineering from MIT, retired as a Colonel in the US Army Corps of Engineers and have a law degree from Suffolk Law School.  

I bring broad experience to Belmont’s issues.  As Commissioner of the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), I led the cleanup of the Boston Harbor, Charles River, and downstream basins; as Belmont’s appointed representative to the MWRA, I represented our town for ten years.  I was Chief Engineer of the Government Center Commission responsible for design and construction of the state buildings there.     

I am not new to elected office: I was elected to four terms on Watertown’s School Committee and two terms as its Selectman before we moved to Belmont.

Why should you vote for me?

  • I am a town government outsider whose executive and professional experience will bring fresh, educated solutions to Belmont’s issues.
  • I will restore Belmont’s inclusivity and mutual respect.
  • My experience directly relates to the capital projects ahead of us, including, but not limited to, a new high school, library, police station, and public works campus.   
  • You will benefit from my ideas on how to decrease Belmont’s reliance on fossil fuels and improve the impact we make on our environment.
  • I will save our open spaces, increase the use of solar installations on appropriate municipal buildings, and encourage more use of electric vehicles, which will greatly reduce our carbon footprint.
  • I support providing high-quality municipal services, as is maintaining and supporting best-in-class education that includes arts, athletics, and STEM.
  • I have experience fostering commercial development, know how to preserve Belmont’s very special character and its diverse array of neighborhoods, and can thoughtfully diversify our tax base.

Belmont is a community where many are active in civic matters. It is this involvement that keeps all of you informed and represented at the town level. My wife and I both know this is having raised our son, Anthony, a very active athlete, in Belmont where we have lived for 30 years. 

Most important, I listen to all of you, I hear all of you, and I promise to represent each and every one of you. Progress is best achieved as part of a balancing act between our fiscal responsibilities for our current town services and buildings with the desires of many for responsible Green initiatives. Working with my colleagues on the Board of Selectmen, I will balance Belmont’s expensive needs with your ability to pay for them.

Please cast your vote for me, Guy A Carbone, on Tuesday, April 4. To learn more, visit www.carboneforbelmont.org or my Facebook page.

Candidate’s Statement: Adam Dash – “I Ask For Your Vote”

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Photo: Adam Dash, Candidate for Board of Selectmen

To my Belmont Friends and Neighbors,

I am writing to ask for your vote.

It has been very humbling to run for Selectman. I have walked throughout Belmont, knocking on doors and speaking with residents. You have told me about your children and grandchildren. You have shared your frustrations. And you have sent me on my way with a richer understanding of our community.

If elected, I will work every day to live up to your expectations.

I will always be honest with you. I will tell you what I know and what I don’t know, even if it is not popular. I will ask for input and advice, and I will take it to heart. I will respect the opinions, decisions, and work of Town Meeting, and our boards, committees, and departments. Everything I do will be transparent, and you will always have my ear.

I am running for Selectman because I want to make a difference for our community. 

For the last ten years, I have learned about the issues currently facing the town and schools, and I have worked hard to make a significant contribution.

  • I have analyzed the budget, line by line, for eight years on the Warrant Committee, currently as vice-chair.
  • I have studied and applied our zoning by-laws on the Zoning Board of Appeals.
  • I helped build the highly successful Underwood Pool as the vice-chair of the Building Committee.
  • I helped bring additional state funds to Belmont as chair of the Community Preservation Act Study Committee.
  • I helped provide additional, necessary funding for schools, roads, and sidewalks as the spokesperson for the YES for Belmont override committee.
  • I provided free legal work to various non-profits in town.
  • I am raising two children in Belmont, and I have experienced our excellent schools at all levels.

My experience is important.

I have built a deep understanding of the town, our challenges and opportunities, and the way things work. We have many issues that must be addressed now, and I can hit the ground running without a learning curve.

The role of the Warrant Committee is advisory – members dig into every financial issue and make recommendations to Town Meeting.  I, like others, have had many ideas over the years that would save money, improve town services, or otherwise benefit Belmont, but we have no authority to implement them.  The Board of Selectmen sets the agenda and oversees the town departments.  Without the Selectmen, nothing happens.

I want to do more.

The challenges we face – in our schools, neighborhoods, businesses, buildings, and the environment – affect the quality of life of every Belmont resident.  

  • We must solve our school enrollment and space crisis. 
  • We must creatively address our critical building projects, with Belmont High School at the top of the list thanks to a one-time opportunity for 30 percent funding from the state.
  • We must methodically rebuild our roads and sidewalks. 
  • We must create vibrant business districts and expand our commercial tax base. 
  • We must protect the character of our neighborhoods.
  • We must move to leverage federal funds to build the Community Path. 
  • We must follow through on the town’s commitment to climate action, as instructed by Belmont voters. 

Clearly, there is a lot to do.

As a Selectman, I will use what I’ve learned in my ten years of service to Belmont to lay the groundwork for the next decade and beyond. 

  • I will be guided by the shared values that make Belmont great – family, education, community and inclusivity.
  • I will make sure that every Belmont resident has a voice in our town government.
  • I will keep the focus on action. We have many challenges — and opportunities — but we need to get things done.

To move forward, we must communicate better, listen more, and streamline decision making. We can work collaboratively with all stakeholders to find common ground and create win-win solutions. Belmont residents want a voice – on big issues and small – and as Selectman, I would make it a priority.

But I need your partnership.

Thank you to everyone I’ve met during the campaign over the last few months. Your ideas and your concerns have both inspired me and shaped my thinking.

 I ask for your vote on Tuesday, April 4, and I look forward to earning your trust.

Adam Dash

Letter to the Editor: Elect O’Toole In Precinct 2, A Bold Student Voice

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Photo: Devan O’Toole (left)

To the editor:

Belmont faces many challenges and immense opportunities in the coming years. It’s up to Town Meeting to seize those opportunities and to work toward innovative solutions. That requires Town Meeting Members unafraid to ask tough questions and put in the necessary work. It also requires a range of perspective in Town Meeting. The voice of Belmont students and young people continues to be lacking.

The Belmont High School Building Commission has zero student representation. Decisions on school funding and education issues that affect students’ lives each day are often made with little student input. When the administration asked students to give feedback on Mr. Sullivan as part of the significant decision of whether to fire him, the virtually unanimous student opinion was blatantly ignored. Belmont schools are experimenting with new technologies that are promoted by administrators and education corporations as “innovation,” but in reality can be counterproductive to learning. Talk of diversity and civil rights in our schools is often thrown around without input from our students of color. In discussions about recreational marijuana regulation, the danger to teenagers and young people is consistently brought up as one of the primary reasons against loosened marijuana laws. It’s critical that young people have a seat at the table in these decisions. In fact, ensuring that students are part of the conversation strengthens our judgments and benefits everyone in Belmont.

In an era of regression and uncertainty due to Trump at the national level, it’s more important than ever for Town Meeting and local government to push forward with new ideas and bold leadership. It’s vital that Town Meeting Members don’t just talk but walk the walk and put in the work necessary to drive real change. We must not accept the longtime status quo just because it is “how things are done.” It’s important to ask questions and hold our leaders accountable. I’m confident that Devan will bring a fresh, valuable, and much-needed voice to Town Meeting.

There’s no better person to stand up for our schools than Devan, who has been in discussions with school officials as Belmont High School Senior Class President and Student Representative to the School Committee and has already worked to support the new high school. He was also co-leader of the school’s Make a Statement Day, helped with the student Yes for Belmont effort, and has been deeply involved in the Belmont High School and Belmont communities in more ways than can be explained in this one article. Perhaps most importantly, being in the classroom five days a week simply allows for a unique and critically important perspective. Devan understands our schools’ intricacies and has a thorough understanding of the needs facing a new Belmont High School.

In the coming years under Trump, local government is where progress can and must continue. There’s so much work to do. To rebuild Belmont High, ensure adequate education funding, and facilitate the highest quality education. To push forward on clean energy and take action to protect our environment. To support immigrants and refugees in an uncertain time. To ensure transparency and accountability in town government. Devan has the energy, commitment, and leadership skills to meaningfully contribute to Town Meeting discussions and to make concrete progress.

I’m energized and beyond excited to support Devan O’Toole’s candidacy for Town Meeting in Precinct 2. Join me in supporting a bold student voice for Belmont’s future. Email devantownmeeting@gmail.com to get involved, and be sure to vote on Tuesday, April 4.

Daniel Vernick

Town Meeting Member, Precinct 1

Cushing Village Update: Dig, Dig, Dig; Starbuck Around ’til July 4th?

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Photo: Diggin’ it in Cushing Square.

Dig this … which is exactly what construction crews are doing on the proposed site of Cushing Village, according to developer Toll Brothers.

In his monthly update, Otto Weiss, the project manager for Toll Brothers’ Apartment Living division which is building the 168,000 square foot development in the heart of Cushing Square, said the project was on the ground as the site was being prepared for the building of the foundations for the three-building complex.

Current site activities include:

  • Moving dewatering equipment onto the location along Trapelo Road where they will begin the dewatering the soil on the week of April 3
  • The pavement in the former municipal parking lot and the foundations of the old buildings along Common Street has been removed.
  • Public comments and responses to the company’s Release Abatement Measure (RAM) Plan have been uploaded to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

Next up for the project include:

  • Excavation and soil removal in the former parking lot will begin in a week or two.
  • Detailing the architectural plans continues during the coming months.
  • Foundation construction for the Winslow Building – located on the municipal lot –  will begin in the Spring.

As for the last tenant on site, Starbucks will remain open until late Spring/early Summer this year, according to Weiss. 

Letter to the Editor: For Belmont’s Children, Vote Adam Dash

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Photo: Adam Dash
To the editor:

Two years ago, I was inspired by kids studying in Starbucks to share my opinion that passing the override was crucial to our children’s future, and that of subsequent generations.

While those specific kids may have graduated by now, Belmont’s children haven’t gone away. In fact, there are only more of them. Since writing that letter, enrollment in Belmont Public Schools has increased by almost 200 students. Nor is this an isolated bubble: over the past five years, enrollment has soared by more than 500 children, and school committee projections show the trend not only continuing but exacerbating.

We need a leader who is committed to maintaining excellent schools without overburdening taxpayers. Adam Dash is that leader. He has direct experience overseeing the budget on the Warrant Committee.  He has terrific ideas on how to expand small businesses in Belmont. Moreover, he will finish the Community Path with federal funding, which will bring pedestrian and bike traffic to our business districts. And he will ensure that we meet the state’s deadline to benefit from a 30 percent subsidy for renovating or rebuilding the high school. Put quite bluntly; we literally cannot afford to miss this opportunity. If we do not make the right decisions now, we will not only cheat our kids of the school they need but ourselves of savings we could have had.

Dash has a proven track record of leveraging both public and private investment in important town projects. He spearheaded acquiring Community Preservation Act funds. He was the public face of the campaign to prevent drastic cuts to our schools and to add the teachers we needed for keeping up with soaring enrollments. As Vice Chair of the Underwood Pool Building Committee, he worked with Belmont Savings Bank to establish a matching grant campaign that allowed us to build our beautiful new pool after the lowest bidder broke his contract. I helped fundraise for that campaign and saw first-hand the kind of dedication and know-how it takes to quickly and efficiently make such public-private partnerships happen.

In his decade of service to the town on important committees, Dash has demonstrated that he can build consensus and get things done. His opponent touts service from almost forty years ago in a different town. Which do you think is more relevant to our future?

There are still kids studying in Starbucks. They still can’t vote. We owe it to them, once again, to bet on their future and that of all Belmont’s children. Please join me in voting for Adam Dash on April 4.

Mary Lewis
Randolph Street