Belmont Firefighters Agree To Drug/Alcohol Testing In New Contract

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Photo: Belmont Fire in action.

Drug and alcohol testing policy is now part of firefighters job after the Belmont Board of Selectmen approved a three-year contract with the 54 members of the International Association of Firefighter Local 1637 at its Monday, April 25 meeting. 

“The firefighters really stepped up to the plate with the town” reaching an agreement after two years of negotiations, said Belmont Fire Department Chief David Frizzell. 

While the mandatory testing is new to the department, “it’s becoming the norm among the majority of top tier fire departments,” said Assistant Fire Chief Angus Davison.

The contract, which is retroactive to July 1, 2014, and runs through June 31, 2017, provides for an annual salary cost and living adjustment of two percent and while 13 personnel will see their yearly Advanced Life Savings stipend bumped up from $2,000 to $2,750. 

New employees will pay more for their health insurance contributions, from 20 to 25 percent, while seeing a 25 cent increase per hour in compensation. There are also changes in benefits for personnel who obtain associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in fire science. 

Stand-Up Campaign Hosting ‘Kindness, Decency and Civil Discourse’ Sunday, May 1st

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Photo: The poster for The Stand-up Campaign event.

The Stand-up Campaign, a non-partisan, non-political initiative formed to promote civil discourse and community engagement, is hosting an interactive community conversation titled “Kindness, Decency and Civil Discourse” on Sunday, May 1 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Assembly Room at the Belmont Public Library, 336 Concord Ave. A social time will run from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Adults, teens, educators and school officials, town administrators and elected officials, coaches and sports administrators, public health and safety officers from Belmont and surrounding communities are encouraged to attend and to share experiences and best practices.

“There is increasing polarity in our country, and we have heard from many in the community who are committed to bringing people of differing opinions together to find common ground,” said Donna Ruvolo, the Stand-Up Campaign’s spokesperson and co-founder. 

“This event will be an upbeat, ‘hands-on’ conversation on ideas and plans for future programming and events.”

The Stand-up Campaign has partnered with Belmont Against Racism and the Unitarian Universalist Social Action Committee for this event.

 For more information, please contact Donna Ruvolo at 617-489-5446.  

Citizen Petition Triggers Special Town Meeting Targeting Wireless Antennae at Plymouth Church

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Photo: The Plymouth Congregational Church.

A group of residents, many who have led the effort to halt the installation of cellular antennae inside the steeple of Plymouth Congregational Church on Pleasant Street, have successfully filed a citizen’s petition that now requires the town to hold a Special Town Meeting in June aimed at placing a steep roadblock to the plans by the church and its telecommunication giant partner.

As the petitioners are pushing to add more stringent requirements on this and other future wireless projects, church leaders told the Belmontonian they are moving forward with a revised plan they anticipate will pass muster before a small governmental commission that is hearing the proposal.

The Special Town Meeting, which Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman said will likely take place on June 8 during the budget session of the annual Town Meeting, will ask Members to change the town’s bylaw on the installation of internal wireless telecommunications facilities.

The language of the petition – signed by 242 residents – seeks to modify the town’s current zoning bylaws in which smaller cell installations are currently “allowed by right” – in which no town oversight is needed to obtain a building permit – to requiring property owners to get a “special permit” before commencing work, “giving interested Belmont residents an opportunity to provide input to the deliberations of the Zoning Board of Appeal.”

Precinct 4’s Judith Sarno – who with Karen Herosian, Danny Morris and Ron Creamer sponsored the petition – said the petition is a “modest amendment to bring the zoning for wireless telecommunications facilities into the 21st century and offer residents a voice,” and not an attempt to disallow these operations from operating in Belmont.

“[We] are simply asking Town Meeting to allow for more transparency and some notice to concerned neighbors, by simply changing [the bylaw] to a Special Permit,” said Sarno.

Under the special permit requirement, a property owner would be required to present its plan before the Zoning Board of Appeals to demonstrate that a cell tower would not place a burden on the neighboring community. The new requirement would also require notification of neighbors and allow for comments from residents before the ZBA.

In recent rulings, the ZBA has demonstrated a propensity to rule against commercial proposals, from some small day care operations to larger enterprises including a hotel, a Dunkin Donuts franchise and placing stringent restrictions on individual homeowners who put their properties on the popular Airbnb room sharing website.

There are nine existing wireless cell facilities in Belmont; in Belmont Center, a large tower adjacent to the new Highland Cemetery on Concord Avenue and on 125 Trapelo Rd. in Cushing Square, which handles four of the biggest cell providers: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint.

The suggested change to the zoning bylaws after the church finalized an agreement with the telecommunication giant Verizon, which is about to present a revised plan to the Historic District Commission, which must OK any exterior structural changes to the steeple before the major construction can take place.

“Verizon will be presenting a revised design plan to remove the air-conditioning compressors and to retain the wooden louvers, thus eliminating the noise concerns of neighbors and preserving the current appearance of the steeple, respectively,” said 

Verizon has begun preliminary work in the area in January after the Planning Board approved the design and site plan review to place the antenna inside the steeple.

“As of now the work is related solely to Verizon and does not require a building permit,” Glenn Clancy, director of the Office of Community Development, told the Belmontonian in February.

“The Verizon work is allowed as it would be for any private property owner” with the owner taking the “risk onto themselves” if the permit is ultimately not issued, said Clancy.

From the church’s view, a majority of town residents will benefit from better cell reception.

“Town officials and Town Meeting members should take the actions that are appropriate to providing better-quality and reliable cell service to improve the ability of all its residents, visitors and businesses, alike, to conduct business, education and social interactions,” said Chet Messer, chair of the Board of Trustees of Plymouth Church.

Sports: Belmont Remain Undefeated With Shutout Win Over Woburn

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Photo: Belmont sophomore southpaw Nate Espeline.

Break up the Marauders!

After its 3-0 shutout win Monday afternoon, April 25 over Woburn behind another stellar outing from sophomore southpaw Nate Espelin (a two-hit, six strikeout workmanlike afternoon), Belmont High Baseball has been playing some of the best baseball in the state.

Monday’s victory at the Grant was Belmont’s sixth win in as many games this season and atop the Middlesex Liberty Division, a place Marauders head coach Jim Brown is happy to be in.

“You always want to be 6 and 0,” he said.

A little over a third of the way through the season, Belmont has found a little pop in its bats which serves an impressive pitching staff – sophomores Espelin and Max Meier, both 2-0, have complimented last year’s Middlesex MVP Cole Bartels who has a 0.00 ERA in his two wins, striking out an average of 13 batters per game.

In its six games, the pitching staff has given up just two earn runs. And this is with senior starter Joe Shaughnessy on the shelf with a tweaked shoulder.

“Our young pitchers are throwing strikes and not getting into trouble. That’s a nice thing to have,” said Brown.

Espelin got all the runs he needed with two outs in the first with the big blow coming from centerfielder Bryan Goodwin who singled in two runs, part of a four hit barrage started by catcher Cal Christofori’s double and followed by singles from Belmont’s big boys, first base Dennis Crowley (with the rbi) and DH Ryan Noone.

It was left up to the lefty to hold the lead. Espelin never faced more than four batters in the innings he pitched, giving up just a pair of singles.

Next up for the Marauders is Lexington, a team they have had difficulty beating in the last three years, at home on Wednesday, April 27 at 3:45 p.m.  The Minutemen will be matched up against Bartels. 

Celebrate Plymouth Nursery’s 70th Birthday This Saturday

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Photo: The Plymouth Nursery’s playground.
The Plymouth Nursery School is celebrating its 70th year. And all former PNS students and parents are invited to a birthday party celebration on Saturday, April 30, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the school, located at 582 Pleasant St. 
If you would like to attend please RSVP by email at pnsadmissions@plymouthnurseryschool.com

Since 1946, Plymouth has fostered the intellectual, creative, and social development of thousands of children in the Belmont area. Plymouth’s teachers provide a warm, nurturing environment that is responsive to the developmental needs of each child.

As a co-operative nursery school, parent and teachers are partners in the education and growth of the children and stewards of the school and its mission. Our longevity as an institution would not have been possible without the dedication and generosity of generations of families.

It’s Official; the Last Day of the School Year Is …

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Photo: 

Belmont schools will begin the summer recess this spring.

At the Belmont School Committee’s meeting on Tuesday, April 26, Schools Superintendent John Phelan thanked residents and students for their “understanding” for trudging through a few heavy snow days this winter as the administration decided against declaring a snow day.

And since the district only cancelled classes once due to weather, the reward is that school children will begin summer break on one of the earliest dates in memory.

The Committee voted unanimously to approve Thursday, June 16 as the final day of the 2015-16 school year.

The day will be an early release day for students and a full day for staff. 

Butler’s Principal McAllister Named to Chenery’s Top Post

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Photo: Mike McAllister. 

Daniel Butler Elementry Principal Michael McAllister is returning to the Chenery Middle School where he started his Belmont career as a fifth-grade teacher.

But this time, McAllister is coming back in September as the Chenery’s new principal.

“Principal McAllister was chosen from a field of very strong candidates who participated in a rigorous interview and selection process,” said Belmont School District Superintendent John Phelan. 

McAllister, a Bedford resident (who is on his town’s School Committee for the past three years), replaces Kristen St. George, who announced she would be leaving her position in March. He was a finalist for the Chenery position with Belmont High School Assistant Principal John Muldoon and Watertown Middle School Principal and Belmont resident Kimo Carter.

A Bedford native (as is his wife, Meg), he graduated from Bedford High School in 1995. He and his wife have two children. McAllister holds a B.A. in Political Science and English from Northeastern University and an Ed.M. in Teaching and Curriculum from Harvard University.

McAllister was named principal of the Butler in 2009, having previously been the district’s social studies director and a teacher at the Chenery. 

“McAllister is a proven leader in the district, who brings a breadth and depth of knowledge and experience as an educator and leader. I am confident in his ability to advance the good work already happening at the Chenery and to work together with the Chenery staff,” said Phelan.

Unanimous: Selectmen Recommend No on $144 Million Minuteman Building

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Photo: A rendering of the new Minuteman School.

In a surprise vote of unity, the Belmont Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to recommend a “no” vote by the annual Town Meeting on a request to finance a new $144 million building for the Minuteman 

“I was not expecting a 3-0 vote from the board,” said John McLaughlin, who has been advocating that the town rejects the proposal.

“That said, I am delighted with the vote,” said McLaughlin, who was part of the town’s task force that spent two years atttempting to construct a new district plan and attempt to build and finance a new school.

McLaughlin noted that nearly all the remaining nine community town meetings have or are likely to approve the measure, saying the Selectmen were showing the same courage to act on principal as is the theme of the play “Twelve Angry Men.”

“It shows leadership to vote and not be influenced or motivated what others are doing,” he said.

For Jack Weis, Belmont’s representative on the Minuteman School Committee, the negative vote was not unexpected.

“I not surprised by the vote because [the Middlesex school authorities] had a high bar to clear” which it could not do because “the project had major flaws,” said Weis. 

“This is a really tough call,” said Mark Paolillo, chair of the board, as the selectmen reviewed and voted on each of the articles that will be before Town Meeting in the May session which includes all non-budgetary items as well as the scheduled Special Town Meeting.

“As a group, we are not ready to move forward” on the measure since the building selected is “too big” for the students committed to attend, said Paolillo.

Saying that while the board is not saying a new school building – the current structure dates from the early 1970s and was nearly shut down by the Lexington Fire Department four years ago for safety concerns – “it’s just that we could have a white elephant” on the town’s financial books, said Paolillo.

In the end, the selectmen could not justify building a new school for roughly 630 students when the now reconstituted ten community Minuteman school district is sending little more than half – 330 pupils –of that number.

“It really is froth with uncertainity,” said Selectman Jim Williams.  

In addition, the Selectmen were concerned that many assumptions being made by the Minuteman administration – of increasing enrollment, the hope the state would approve placing a $8,400 tuition surcharge on the nearly 45 percent of the school’s population that come from “out of district” communities (such as Watertown and Waltham) to help pay for the new school – were too risky to undertake considering that Belmont would be saddled with between an annual charge of $372,000 to $500,000 in capital expenses for the next 20 years. 

“That’s a lot of money to spend when [Belmont] sends 26 students there a year,” said McLaughlin, 

The selectmen’s vote came two days before the Warrant Committee, the Town Meeting’s financial watchdog also votes on the Minuteman measure. In previous meetings, a majority of Warrant Committee members voiced similar concerns with the proposal.

If Belmont rejects the Minuteman school, the new building scheme – which the Massachusetts School Building Authority has pledged nearly $45 million to its construction – would be set aside while several options are considered by the state and Minuteman administration. 

One alternative would be a district-wide vote in the remaining 10 communities in which a simple majority of the 10 communities would ratify the deal or if the district ejects the town from the school district. 

The vote came after the town in February voted to overwhelmingly approve joining an newly structured Minuteman School District.

But McLaughlin said Town Meeting Members should not confuse that approval of a new district structure should automatically lead to approving a new building,

“For towns like Belmont and Arlington that rely on their residential tax base, it would really hurt if something that is overbuilt and over priced is crammed down their throats,” he said. 

‘The Boston Girls’ Author Anita Diamant Caps One Book One Belmont With Talk

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Photo: Anita Diamant

Best-selling author Anita Diamant, author of “The Red Tent” and “Day After Night,” will read from and talk about her most recent novel, “The Boston Girl,” tonight, Tuesday, April 26 at 7 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

Diamant’s talk is the capstone of a month-long series of events associated with One Book One Belmont, which picked Diamant’s novel as its 2016 selection.

Author Stephen McCauley (“The Object of My Affection,” “Insignificant Others”) will introduce her and her work.

After a question and answer session, books will be available for purchase and signing.

One Book One Belmont 2016 marks the sixth time that the Belmont Public Library has joined with a broad range of co-sponsoring organizations to offer a community-wide reading program.

This year, the programs include an art exhibit, walking tour, programs on women’s suffrage and immigration, an oral history project, book discussion groups and children’s and teen programs

The goal of One Book One Belmont is to build a spirit of community by bringing together individuals and groups through a series of book-related events and discussions and to promote reading as an enjoyable and mind-opening activity. It is patterned after community reads held in hundreds of cities and towns across the country.

Belmont Drug Take-Back Set For Saturday, April 30

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Photo: The Belmont Police will have a collection point Saturday, April 30.

The Belmont Police Department in conjunction with the Belmont Auxiliary Police and the Drug Enforcement Agency will be hosting a Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative to prevent the abuse and theft of old, unused and expired prescription drugs.

The Belmont Police will have a collection point set up at the DPW yard, 37C St., on Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Unfortunately, these drugs are highly susceptible to misuse by family and friends. Also, they can be improperly disposed of and end up in our environment, posing a potential health hazard.

Old or unused prescription drugs – no liquids – may be dropped off for free with no questions asked. You won’t even have to get out of your car.

Please take some time to check your medicine cabinet and visit us on Saturday. Unfortunately, these drugs are highly susceptible to misuse by family and friends. Also, they can be improperly disposed of and end up in our environment, posing a potential health hazard.

For more information on the Rx Drug Take Back Initiative or a list of additional collection sites visit the DEA’s website. You may also contact Lt. Daley at kdaley@belmontpd.org. We also have a permanent Rx drug collection kiosk located in the lobby of the police station that is accessible 24/7.