West Nile Virus Returns to State; Prevention The Best Defense From Illness

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Photo: Mosquitoes with West Nile Virus have been detected in the state.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced Thursday, July 7, that West Nile virus had been detected in mosquitoes in Massachusetts for the first time this year from three mosquito samples collected on July 1 in Worcester.

No human or animal cases of WNV or Eastern Equine Encephalitis have been detected so far this year. There is no elevated risk level or risk level change associated with this finding.

“This is an expected finding at this time of year and given the heat and dry conditions we have been experiencing, we are expecting to see more and more WNV activity,” said DPH State Epidemiologist Dr. Al DeMaria.

In 2015, there were 10 cases of WNV infection statewide. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people 50 and older are at higher risk for severe disease. Most people infected with WNV will have no symptoms. When present, WNV symptoms tend to include fever and flu-like illness. In rare cases, more severe illness can occur.

People have an important role to play in protecting themselves from mosquitoes-borne illness.

Avoid Mosquito Bites

  • Apply insect repellent when outdoors. Use a repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient (DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] or IR3535) according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months and should be used in concentrations of 30 percent or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.
  • Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours. The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning in areas of high risk.
  • Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites. Wearing long-sleeves, long pants, and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

  • Drain Standing Water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or discarding items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools, and change water in birdbaths frequently.
  • Install or Repair Screens. Keep mosquitoes outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors.

Protect Your Animals

  • Owners should also speak with their veterinarian about mosquito repellents approved for use in animals and vaccinations to prevent WNV and EEE. If an animal is suspected of having WNV or EEE, owners are required to report to DAR, Division of Animal Health by calling 617-626-1795 and to the Department of Public Health (DPH) by calling 617-983-6800.

More information, including all WNV and EEE positive results, can be accessed from the Arbovirus Surveillance Information web page or by calling the DPH Epidemiology Program at 617-983-6800.

Have All Your Sharpening Done At The Farmers Market

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Photo: Knife and tool sharpening today.
Siraco Sharpening Service, a Market Day favorite, will be at the Belmont Farmers Market today, Thursday, July 7. Siraco’s sharpening van will be parked next to the market for all of your knife and tool-sharpening needs.
Flats Mentor Farm has joined the market for the rest of the season, with an incredible variety of Asian vegetables. This week, be on the look out for strawberries, green beans and a wide range of lettuce. 
Open 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays through October, the Farmers Market is located in the municipal parking lot at the corner of Cross Street and Channing Road.
 
Community Table
4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: State Rep. Dave Rogers is holding office hours. 
Events

3 p.m.: Joe Zarro Belmont resident and pastor at the Plymouth Congregational Church, Zarro will be playing a series of solo acoustic covers, ranging from classic rock to folk.

4 p.m.: Storytime Enjoy stories and songs about food and farms, an event for “children of all ages.” 

4:30 p.m.: Jeremy Doran A Belmont resident, Doran will be performing music on piano this week. A world traveler, Jeremy has lived in the Boston area for the past seven years. He plays with folk bands, classical vocal and instrumental ensembles, as a solo performer, and in local churches.

Ideas Needed: Belmont ‘Staycation’ Needs Your Help

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Photo: A walk through Habitat.

It’s summer and that means vacation season. But going away for a week or two could mean putting a strain on the environment and your pocketbook. 

Traditional vacations can cost hundreds to possibly even thousands of dollars, with air travel resulting in the usage of massive amounts of fuel. For example, a Boeing 747 burns around one gallon of fuel every second, meaning a 10-hour flight will use 36,000 gallons.

In order to reduce carbon footprint, the Belmont Citizens Forum is creating a Belmont “Staycation”, a vacation in our own town which will be safer for the environment and your wallet. The forum’s summer intern, Shodai Inose, is collecting ideas to create family-friendly and fun experiences, and he needs your help.

  • Do you know of any locations (preferably in Belmont) that you think people would enjoy?
  • Are there any local businesses you would like to share with the rest of the community?
  • How does a family like yours spend time in town?

We are looking for anything enjoyable to do here without breaking your wallet or the environment. Any input would be very beneficial to the project, and we hope you will be a part of this adventure!

The Belmont Citizens Forum is an organization aiming to preserve Belmont’s small-town atmosphere by creating public awareness and interest in Belmont’s historical, architectural, environmental, and general cultural heritage.

Help us reduce the carbon footprint of Belmont residents for years to come by contacting us. Please send your “Staycation” ideas to belmontstaycation@gmail.com by July 20. For more information, see http://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/

Preliminary Applications For 2017 Community Preservation Funding Now Available

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Photo: A path along Clay Pit Pond has received funding from the Community Preservation Committee.

Do you or your group have a community project that could use a few dollars to complete?

Does the project involve acquiring or improving open space and recreation land, rehabbing or preserving historic sites, or goes to support affordable housing? If you can say “yes” to those two criteria, the town’s Community Preservation Committee has about a million dollars waiting to spend on your worthy venture in the coming fiscal year. 

The committee, which distributes the total of a 1.5 percent surcharge on property taxes and an annual contribution of state funds for a wide-range of proposals, has released preliminary applications for the 2017 funding cycle. 

The deadline for the initial applications – which is available online here – is Sept. 30 for those projects to be eligible for the next round in the process.

The CPC will also hold a public meeting on Sept. 9, at which time interested parties can ask questions regarding the application process.

In the past, CPC funding has been distributed to the Belmont Housing Authority for much-needed infrastructure upgrades of housing under its control, to jump start the construction of the new Underwood Pool, the design and construction of a multiuse path around Clay Pit Pond, updating Town Clerk’s records, and for the repair of tennis courts around town. 

For more information, contact the Community Preservation Hotline at 617-993-2774 or send an e-mail to Michael Trainor at mtrainor@belmont-ma.gov

Habelow In Tryouts For Junior National Field Hockey Squad

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Photo: AnnMarie Habelow in action. 

The past two months has been busy ones for Belmont High School rising senior AnnMarie Habelow.

In early May, Habelow was named by MAX FIELD HOCKEY one of its “TOP 50 2017 Field Hockey Players” participating in high school and prep schools.

Later that month, she was a catayst on her club [Boston Field Hockey] team’s U19 (under the age of 19) squad that won its third consecutive regional title which qualified it to compete in the US national championships in mid-July in Pennsylvania. Also on the club are Belmont High to-be-senior Julia Chase (who has verbally committed to play at the University of New Hampshire) and 2016 graduate Serena Nally.

And this week, after attending the National Futures tournment in Pennslyvania, Habelow was invited to tryout for the Junior National Team (U19 team), one of 40 players nationwide selected to tryout. If she is named to the team, Habelow will have a chance to play internationally with the US Junior Team.

“It’s a pretty exciting summer for us!” wrote her mother, Eileen.

Sold in Belmont: And ‘Poof’ The House Was Off The Market

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Photo: A unique home just off School Street. 

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

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• 10 Anis Rd., Colonial with front extension (1940). Sold: $860,002. Listed at $760,000. Living area: 1,865 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 52 days.

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• 10 Pine St., Philadelphia-style condo (1915). Sold: $512,000. Listed at $465,000. Living area: 1,762 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 59 days.

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• 15 Francis St., Condominium (1927). Sold: $406,150. Listed at $375,000. Living area: 991 sq.-ft. 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 68 days.

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• 104 Stony Brook Rd., Classic Ranch (1960). Sold: $930,000. Listed at $929,000. Living area: 1,720 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 54 days.

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• 99 Louise Rd., English Colonial (1929). Sold: $1,150,000. Listed at $1,150,000. Living area: 2,676 sq ft. 10 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 81 days.

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• 115 Channing Rd., Expanded Cape (1942). Sold: $655,000. Listed at $699,000. Living area: 1,527 sq.-ft. 5 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 103 days.

Remember the memorable final line in the outstanding film “The Usual Suspects”? 

“And like that, poof. He’s gone.”

You could change a few words, and you have a metaphor for the Belmont real estate market.

“And like that, poof. The house for sale was gone.”

In the past week, six of the seven homes and condos that sold were bought just weeks after being listed on the market. And in half the sales, the final price was greater than the original list price. 

The reason is simple enough to deduce for anyone who stayed awake for at least half of their Econ 101  Macroeconomics class: The residential housing market is being dictated by the lack of supply with an eager number of buyers. 

According to research done by Real Estate Attorney Richard Vetstein, who runs the informative Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog, inventory for residential homes in Boston’s suburbs frankly stinks. Speaking to brokers and salesperson, Vetstein discovered there isn’t much out there to sell in the spring which has bled over to the summer. And if you have a “quality” property (not beat-up, has some detail, not overpriced), expect a torrid of people attending your open house. 

And with buyers dreaming of living in a community of great schools, bad roads and a pretty quick commute (unless you work in Marblehead), these homes were snatched up, pronto. The average time on the market was just over two months, and most of that time was likely taken up trying to determine which of the multiple offers to accept. 

But there is one caveat to that supply/demand function for real estate in Belmont: don’t be greedy. There have been numerous examples – many involving high-end homes reported in the Belmontonian – of sellers who had to put their tails between their legs and recalculate (i.e., cut) the listing price. Buyers are willing to pay a premium but not a ransom for a house. Winchester is just one town over, and it has better roads, a new high school, and the same housing stock.

And in the past week, sellers and their brokers kept that initial list price reasonably close to the value of the homes calculated by the town’s assessors.

Property       Assessed value     List price 

10 Anis Rd.            $759,000          $760,000

10 Pine St.             $506,000          $465,000

104 Stony Brook  $865,000          $929,000

99 Louise Rd.      $1,038,000        $1,150,000

115 Channing Rd.  $612,000          $699,000 (reduced to $679,000 after a month)

And just a word on 99 Louise Rd., if you discount some of the interior updates (what’s worse than natural-color granite countertops? Granite countertops dyed shamrock green) the house has some beautiful details – in-the-wall custom bookshelves, ventilation windows, built-in cabinets – and original wooden floors that gives you an idea what so many homes in Belmont looked like that were built before the Market Crash of 1929 when less expensive material began being used. 

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Olmsted Selected to Fill Library Trustee Post

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Photo: Corinne McCue Olmsted

Corinne McCue Olmsted joins the Belmont Board of Library Trustees at a time when the library, once again, is moving forward with a vision for a new building and its place as a resource for town residents.

Appointed unanimously by a joint committee of the Board of Selectmen and the Library Trustees on May 21, the Stone Road resident joins the “team” as it moves forward with its important feasibility study for the renovation or construction of a new library, ready to help in the development of programs and using the new physical space efficiently.

“I think that libraries are moving towards … places where people can gather,” she told the joint boards, moving away from being a quiet spot to “becoming more noisy, frankly, and that will be a good thing.” 

“I want to see it become more vibrant community space so where more people like me would come in,” McCue Olmsted said, and increasing the percentage of residents with library cards from the current 65 percent. 

Growing up on Long Island and matriculating at Skidmore, McCue Olmsted earned her Master’s and Ph.D. in Economics at UConn. She worked in research before moving to Nexus Associates and then seven years as a transfer pricing economist at Ernst & Young. She and her husband, who is also an economist, are parents of a six-year-old and nearly three-year-old twins.

McCue Olmsted joins the six-member board to finish the single year left of the term and will be up for election in April 2017 and then will need to run again for election in April 2018.

Her favorite book is “Four Kitchens: My Life Behind the Burner in New York, Hanoi, Tel Aviv, and Paris” by Lauren Shockey, a book on cooking, travel, and life.

The Belmontonian: As a trustee, you’ll be bringing the prospectus of a young woman with children, which is a considerable percentage of library users. Do you see yourself being the point person for that important constituency?

McCue Olmsted: Yes, and I would like to be that person. When enrollment in schools increases, the uses of the children’s area of the library does so also. I will be an advocate for expanding programs for both adults and children. For children, I’d like to see similar space changes to the children’s room because it’s small and a little dark. While the librarians do a wonderful job with the arrangement of books and material, we can do more with this room.

Q: What would you like to see in a new or renovated building?

A: While the building shape is still the same [since its opening in 1967] … I would like to see this become more of a communal social space so that people just don’t come to take out books but to socialize. We should also commit in a new building to more energy efficient practices, more natural light and recycling, the same concepts used at the Wellington [Elementary].

Q: Does digital media have a role in your plans?

A: I see the library evolving into more of a space where people can come together and use the digital resources. The types of media products the library provides will continue to expand and [the library] can become the place where information literacy is taught in the community including the schools. But I still have an affinity for physical books. That’s the reason people continue to go to bookstores. Children get interested in things by looking at them physically, and that’s why the Children’s Room is so important to the community. 

Q: What is the first item that you’re interested in tackling as a Trustee?

A: I would like to take a look at the programs. To see if there are places that can be expanded or filled in. I also want to talk to Peter [Struzziero, Belmont Public Library Director] how he is increasing space. While other challenges are facing the town such as the construction of a renovated Belmont High School that will likely take precedence, the library still faces urgent problems such as the boiler issue [which will need to be replaced], the type of non-exciting things that need to be resolved to keep the building running. 

Fireworks, Kids Events Fill The Schedule Near Belmont On The 4th of July

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Photo: Fireworks in Newton.

Unfortunately, Belmont does not hold a 4th of July celebration, but many neighboring and close-by town and city do. Here are just a few events and fireworks in adjacent communities and in Boston. 

• Lexington: The annual Fourth of July Carnival takes place at Hastings Park through July 4 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Youth Games take place on July 4th at 10 a.m.

• Boston: Fireworks will fill the sky over the Charles River adjacent to the Esplanade after the Boston Pops concert just after 10 p.m. 

• Newton: Not just fireworks but also an open air market, food vendor and children’s activities beginnng at 1 p.m. at Albermarle/Halloran Field, located on Watertown Street, Route 16. The fireworks get underway at 9 p.m.

Today, from 10 a.m. to noon, is Kids Morning (for children from 3 to 12) at Newton Centre Playground at Tyler Terrace. There will be a Grande Pet Parade, a Teddy Bear Parade, Decorated Doll Carriage Promenade and Foot Races. There will also be free ice cream by Cabot’s Ice Cream

• Waltham: Concert and festivities begin at 7:30 p.m. with the fireworks beginning at 9:15 p.m. at Leary Field, 19 Athletic Field Rd.

• Arlington: At Robbins Farm Park, just over Route 2 from Belmont. Beginning at 6 p.m., there will be musical entertainment provided by thea “The Reminisants”, and of course, the Boston Pops Orchestra and fireworks on the giant screen (fireworks start at 10:30pm). The event is free and open to all.

Personnel Comings And Goings At Belmont Police

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Photo: Belmont’s newest officer Richard Murphy (second left) with his parents and Belmont Police Chief Richard McLaughlin and Assistant Chief James MacIsaac.

Belmont’s newest Police Officer, Richard Murphy, was sworn in by Town Clerk Ellen Cushman in the Selectmen’s Room of Town Hall on Thursday, June 30.

Murphy graduated from the Boston Police Academy on Wednesday, June 29, with Belmont Police Chief Richard McLaughlin and Belmont Town Administrator David Kale at the ceremony. Murphy ranked number one academically in the class of 67 officers, graduated after a 27-week intensive academy program hosted by the Boston Police.

Murphy has begin training in the field with senior officers. 

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Belmont Dispatcher Ed Hudson at his station.

The next day, Friday, July 1, was Dispatcher Ed Hudson’s last shift with Belmont Police. Hudson is leaving to join the Rye, NH Police Department.