Belmont’s Veterans Agent Bob Upton Retiring After Memorial Day

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Photo: Bob Upton at the 2019 Memorial Day parade

Robert Upton, who tirelessly advocated for Belmont’s veterans and put his heart and soul in events honoring those who served and died for their country, will be retiring as the town’s Veteran’s Services Officer on June 3, days after the Memorial Day parade and commemoration.

The announcement was made by Wesley Chin at Monday’s Board of Health meeting.

Upton did not return a call for comment.

”There are no words to say what Bob does and how much he means to the town,” said Donna David, chair of the board on Monday. “It will be a huge pair of shoes for someone to fill, that’s for sure.”

Upton will come before the Select Board next week to ask for permission to hold the town’s annual Memorial Day parade and ceremony, this year on Monday, May 30.

Upton was appointed as the town’s veterans agent in January 2015. Soon after, Upton established regular meetings at the Beech Street Center to allow veterans an outlet to voice their concerns and to catch up on the myriad of services and benefits available to them and their families.

Upton is likely best known throughout town for his involvement in the planning and hosting Belmont’s observances of Memorial Day and Veterans Day events, which involves countless hours of coordinating with town officials and numerous groups to help recognize current and past residents who served their country.

He has also initiated the annual Purple Heart Day Ceremony held in August, headed Belmont’s commemoration of the Armistice Day Centennial and worked with Belmont Eagle Scout Oliver Leeb to create a database to easily locate the 1,800 military service dead in the town’s two cemeteries.

A Peabody resident, Upton – who has been a Realtor since the 1980s – has been involved in supporting veterans for well over a quarter century.

The job will remain a 26 hours a week, part-time position with benefits, said Chin.

“We know from past experience that with part time positions, it’s really hard to find good people,” he said.

2022 Town Election: Epstein, Lemay Easily Win Re-election; Light Advisory Slate Fills New Light Board; CFRB Takes A Tumble [VIDEO]

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Photo: Roy Epstein is returning to the Belmont Select Board

It was a good day for incumbents as both Roy Epstein and Julie Lemay withstood challengers to return to their respective boards for three year terms while the first-ever elected Municipal Light Board will be filled by four members of the current Light Advisory Board, according to results from the 2022 Belmont Town Election held on Tuesday, April 5.

Tuesday turned out to be a particularly revealing night for the austerity advocacy group Citizens for a Fiscally Responsible Belmont which not only saw the two town-wide candidates its members were backing go down to defeat but also saw a pair of its top leaders loss their Town Meeting seats.

Unofficial election results can be found on the Town Clerk’s web page here.

Seeking a second three-year term on the board, Epstein won reelection to the three-member board by a more than two-to-one margin over first-time candidate Jeff Lasseter, 3,138 to 1,530, when a little more than a quarter of registered voters – 27 percent or approximately 4,800 voters – visited polling stations on a perfect day for voting.

“I have to think our message that we repeated over and over again that the town is better served by somebody with experience and a relevant background and an ability to work with everybody” was the reason he was re-elected, said Epstein who briefly visited Town Hall Tuesday night as the votes were being tabulated.

Roy Epstein comments on his reelection to the Select Board.

Two term incumbent Lemay returns for another three-year stint on the Board of Health defeating another first-time office seeker, Marina Atlas, by more than 800 votes, 2,270 to 1,454.

The four members of the light advisory board who ran as a slate – although they never officially said so – to fill the five-person elected board: Stephen Klionsky, Michael Macrea, Travis Franck and David Beavers, easily won their races. In the two competitive races, for the pair of two-year terms, newcomer Jeff Geibel, who had the public backing of CFRB members, lagged behind Klionsky and Macrae, while Andrew Machado took the one-year seat over Christopher Morris by just under a 1,000 votes.

While the candidates their members backed had a less than satisfying night, several CFRB members and supporters came up short. Marie Warner, CFRB vice president who was active on social media supporting Lasseter and Geible during the election run up, lost her Precinct 6 seat coming in 37th, one place outside member status in the newly re-precincted district. Dawn MacKerron, the group’s President, finished 22 votes from securing a seat in Precinct 1 while Secretary Allison Lenk hung on to the 36th and final seat in Precinct 8 by a single vote. Supporters and Town Meeting incumbents Jin Chang Xu and Ed and Mary Ann Kazanjian lost their seats while one of the group’s charter supporters, Gang Zhao, will represent Precinct 2 winning a seat by three votes.

Also not coming back to Town Meeting include long-time member and avid speaker Don Mercier, former School Committee Chair Ann Rittenburg, Bob Sarno (by a single vote), Anthony Ferrante, Amy Trotsky, (also by a vote), Kathleen Baskin, James Sullivan, Patricia Kelley, Susan Titus, Kevin Brosnan and Karnig Ostayan.

And the top vote getters in six of the eight precincts were women.

Town-Wide Covid Vaccination Clinic At Beth El Temple Tuesday, April 12

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Photo: Vaccine/booster shots will be provided to public school students and staff on April 12. (Credit: Wikimedia)

The Belmont Health Department is offering COVID-19 vaccines to eligible residents, including first, second and booster shots on Tuesday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to noon at Beth El Temple Center, 2 Concord Ave.

Register for a vaccine appointment here.

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

The CDC recommended in late March that all individuals over the age of 50 and certain immunocompromised individuals get an additional booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines. The decision follows authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a second booster dose for these groups four months after receiving a first booster of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Those eligible include:

  • Individuals 50 years of age and older at least 4 months after getting a first booster.
  • Individuals 18 and older with certain medical conditions may get a second Moderna booster at least 4 months after first booster.
  • Individuals 12 and older with certain medical conditions may get a second Pfizer booster at least 4 months after the first booster.
  • In addition, per the CDC, individuals 18 and older who received a primary vaccine andbooster dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months ago may now receive a second booster dose using an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

Residents may access booster doses from more than 1,000 locations, with appointments readily available for booking across the Commonwealth. Visit mass.gov/COVIDVaccine to make an appointment.

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

Having difficulty registering? Call 617-993-2720 or Email: Lsharp@belmont-ma.gov for assistance

Belmont Girls’ Hoop Coach Hart Fired

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Photo: Belmont High Girls’ Basketball Head Coach Melissa Hart working the sideline at the TD Bank Garden.

Melissa Hart, who led her alma mater’s girls’ basketball team for the past 11 years, will not have her contract extended for the 2022-3 year.

In a brief conversation, Hart said she was informed on Monday, March 28, by Adam Pritchard, the acting athletic director, that she would not be returning. Hart said the action came as a surprise to her as there was no indication of problems with her coaching or the program. She sent private emails to players and parents on the matter.

Pritchard did not respond to a request for comment.

Born and raised in Belmont, Hart was the starting senior goalkeeper on the 1985 state girls’ soccer championship team. She was a three-sport star at Hamilton College where she still holds records in women’s basketball.

Hart came to Belmont after coaching soccer and basketball at MIT and before that at Emerson. After missing the state tournament for six years, Belmont Girls’ under Hart’s coaching would go on an impressive run reaching three North Sectional finals and two semifinals from 2015-19. In 2019, Hart’s team was undefeated in the Middlesex League and finishing the season at 19-1 while being ranked the number one team in Eastern Mass by the Boston Globe. Including making the playoffs in 2020, the Belmont hoopsters put together an 88-32 record over six seasons.

Hart is the second long-time coach to leave the high school athletics program as Paul Graham is no longer the girls’ soccer coach after more than three decades at the helm.

Vote! Town Election Day 2022 Is Tuesday, April 5: A Little Different Look To The Ballot

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Photo: It’s election day in Belmont

Belmont annual Town Election is today, Tuesday, April 5!

Registered voters may cast their ballots in person only on Election Day; polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the traditional polling locations: 

  • Precinct One: Belmont Memorial Library, Assembly Room, 336 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct Two: Belmont Town Hall, Select Board Room, 455 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct Three: Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct Four: Daniel Butler School Gym, 90 White St.
  • Precinct Five: Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct Six: Belmont Fire Headquarters,  299 Trapelo Rd.
  • Precinct Seven: Burbank School Gym, 266 School St.
  • Precinct Eight: Winn Brook School Gym, 97 Waterhouse Rd., enter from Cross Street.

If you are wondering if you are a registered voter and your voting precinct, go to the Town Clerk’s web page or phone the Town Clerk’s office at 617-993-2600.

A list of the candidates for town-wide office and Town Meeting can be found in the League of Women Voters guide here.

The ballot for the 2022 annual Town Election will look a little different. In addition to the customary town-wide elected offices, a new elected Municipal Light Board has been created and five members will be selected.  

In addition, for Precincts 1, 2, 6, and 8, the voters will elect 36 Town Meeting Members instead of the usual 12. Precincts 3, 4, 5 and 7 will elect 12 Town Meeting Members. Belmont, like many other communities, was required to redraw Precinct borders to balance the population, as reported by the 2020 federal census, across the eight voting precincts.

Voters in Precincts 1, 2, 6 and 8 whose precinct number and voting location have been changed by the redrawing of the precinct lines have already been mailed a postcard with their new 2022 voting information.  Precincts 3, 4 ,5 and 7 are unchanged.

A view of sample ballots for each precinct can be found here.

Results will be posted after 10 p.m., Tuesday, April 5 on the Town Clerk’s web page.

Q&A With Amy Checkoway, Seeking Re-Election To The School Committee

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Photo:

Amy Checkoway is running unopposed for a second three-year term on the Belmont School Committee where she is the current chair. Checkoway has been a senior project manager for nearly 20 years with the research consultancy Abt Associates and was active in her local PTO and school activities before running for public office in 2019. She matriculated at Brown (Public Policy and American Civilization) before earning her Masters in Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School.

Q: You served during what everyone has said was the most trying time to be a school committee member. From making snap decisions on new procedures and ways of learning to what a segment of the residents/parents believed were harsh restrictions on in-school instruction and mask mandates. What was the most difficult decision that you made during the pandemic for you personally and do you have second thought about it?

A: One of many difficult decisions was to start the 2021-22 school year remotely. With hindsight, I have second thoughts about many decisions made during the pandemic and how we approached planning generally. The School Committee should have worked more closely with district leadership during the summer of 2021 to develop better and more agile hybrid plans. We were too reactive and there was too much waiting for guidance from above, and not enough proactive planning. We should have done a better job at communicating and partnering with parents/guardians. We also should have been more transparent about our decision-making processes and more open about the challenges that we were facing.

Q: How has living through the pandemic change the relationship of the school committee with the school administration and parents? Is it for the better? 

A: Living through the pandemic certainly intensified the relationships between all parties. We were all forced to interact in ways and about issues that we never had encountered before. I do not think that confidence and trust has been completely restored yet, as some relationships remain frayed. One thing that I hope we can hold onto and continue to improve is deeper family engagement and participation in School Committee meetings and district decision-making.    

Q: There continues to be tension with segments of the population and the schools. What would you do to “lower the heat” and bring a sense of collegiality for all sides.  

A: This will require a lot of listening, assuming positive intent, a willingness to compromise, making space for all sides to share their perspectives, and trying to see value in all suggestions, even if our immediate instinct is to disagree. Social media tends to “raise the heat” and be dominated by a small number of voices. Creating more opportunities for in-person interactions and two-way conversations with different segments of the population will be helpful.

Q: What are some of ideas/concerns/objectives will you personally advocate for during the next three years?

A: Some of my priorities include supporting more authentic family engagement; strategically managing the district’s budget and resources; using data to inform decision-making; working toward more equitable policies, practices, and outcomes; and holding leadership accountable for meeting the goals that the School Committee sets out.

Q: What do you enjoy about being a member of the school committee? 

A: I enjoy building relationships with and learning from other School Committee members, district staff, students, and parents. I enjoy when I can serve as a bridge between the school community and district administration. I enjoy when I can effectively facilitate and/or influence a discussion about how to better serve students. And I enjoy when I can answer a question or help a parent/guardian with an issue.

Q: What’s it like having a trombonist in the house?

A: Loud. And my other son is a percussionist!

11 Programs Awarded Belmont Cultural Council Grants

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Photo: A painted transformer by artist Liz LaManche at Concord and Pleasant streets adjacent to Town Hall.

State Rep Dave Rogers, State Sen. Will Brownsberger and Chair of the Belmont Cultural Council Vicki Amalfitano recently announced the award of 11 grants totaling $7,900 for cultural programs in Belmont during 2022, through Belmont’s allocation from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

As COVID-19 restrictions have been of continued concern, the Cultural Council looked largely to support those long-standing institutions that have enriched the Belmont Community with music, fine arts, interpretive science and humanitarian initiatives throughout the years.

The 2022 grantees are:
• Belmont Porchfest Mural Project, received $1,300
• Belmont World Film’s 20th International Film Series, received $800
• Payson Park Musical Festival Concert, received $1,100
• Belmont Art Association: Beautifying Belmont’s Transformer Boxes, received $1,000
• Belmont Chinese American Association Documentary Screening and Discussion with
the Filmmakers, received $400
• Daniel Butler Elementary School Multicultural Fair, received $400
• Musical Baseball Show at the Belmont Senior Center, received $300
• The Dorothy & Charles Mosesian Center: ASL Interactive Storytime Workshop Program,
received $600
• International Asian Music Festival, received $900
• The Benton Lending Library, received $500
• Powers Music School: Musical Storytelling Program, received $600.

Decisions about which activities to support are made at the community level by a council of municipally appointed volunteers who are all Belmont residents. The members of the Belmont Cultural Council are Chair Vicki Amalfitano; Secretary Jenny Angel; Evelyn Corsini; Volkan Efe; Treasurer Annette Goodro; Kathleen Hagan; Non-voting member Nancy Linde; Gloria Pimentel; Co-Chair Millie Rahn; Non-voting member Rebecca Richards; and May Ye.

Q&A With Roy Epstein, Seeking Re-Election To The Select Board

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Photo: Roy Epstein

Roy Epstein is serving his first term on the Belmont Select Board. A 28-year resident who lives on Cushing Avenue, Epstein is a consulting economist and adjunct professor of finance at Boston College. He previously was chair of the town’s Warrant Committee. Epstein matriculated at Wesleyan (economics) before earning his PhD in Economics at Yale.

Q: If reelected, what are some issues facing the town that you would bring to the fore that may have been neglected or set aside due to more important concerns such as the town’s fiscal condition or Covid?

A: Covid slowed down some work but we’re getting back up to speed.  

Progress on a new rink is one example.  

The town would benefit from certain changes in the management of our pension assets to increase investment returns and decrease administrative expenses.  I hope the Retirement Board, which is independent of the Select Board, will be receptive to taking suggestions for increased efficiency from the Select Board.  

Many of our peer towns made the correct decision to leave Civil Service to promote efficiency and diversity in hiring new police and firefighters, and I expect we will explore new avenues to get there.  

Our fiscal condition will continue to absorb a great deal of my time, in any scenario. We need to face the reality of our looming structural deficit in FY2024 or 2025 when one-time ARPA funds run out.

Q: There has be talk in the past of reconstituting the select board as a policy body and giving more of the mundane necessities – approving annual business permits and approval of the water rates – to the Town Administrator. Could you support that change?

I could support handing off tasks that are mostly clerical, like approving business permits or other licenses, as long as it’s permitted by state law and that there is an appeal process that could bring a contested decision back to the Select Board for review. Water rates or any other decision that could involve a significant amount of money should stay with the Select Board for deliberation and also to allow for sufficient public comment. The items that could be handed off generally don’t require much time in the grand scheme, so the potential for streamlining the work of the Board in this way is rather limited.

Q: What is your guiding philosophy of good governance? Do you have an example of one?

I’ve always combined thorough research, public input, knowledge of financial impacts, and critical thinking in making my decisions. Examples from my first term include my work that led to more senior housing units at the McLean development, making the Light Board an independently-elected body, and finding a cost-effective way to do more pick-up of trash in the parks and business areas. I would also add that regulations should have a clear rationale, be easy to understand, and be easy to enforce. I hope to demonstrate those principles with a leaf blower bylaw in a few weeks.  

Q: What do you wish residents would know about the Select Board they may have a misconception? 

First, we really do pay attention to the huge volume of emails we get from residents. Second, nearly all things related to the schools are under the control of the independently elected School Committee, not the Select Board — that’s determined by state law. Third, we take the Open Meeting Law and all ethics matters very seriously. We share a commitment to transparency and accountability in all we do.

Q: One town official said too many town and elected officials “just can’t say no.” Should the select board say “no” and can you tell a time you did so.

I don’t know which official you’re referring to. The Select Board is often unanimous but not always. We had a split vote on the $12.5 million override in July 2020. We also had a split vote on recommending the new Light Board. We also just had a split vote on the traffic plan for Leonard Street this summer.

Q: What do you “enjoy” about being on the board?

I care deeply about Belmont and our residents, and for me it’s a pleasure to find solutions to hard problems. I enjoy the challenge of trying to find common ground when there are so many different opinions in town. I also enjoy working with our highly capable Town Administrator, department heads, and fellow elected officials, who are all genuine public servants.

Do Your Part: Complete And Return The Annual Town Census

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Photo: The town of Belmont is counting on you to return the census

Belmont’s Annual Town Census mailing was delayed until March 12th this year due to the Re-Precincting for four of our voting precincts. The Town Clerk encourages all residents to complete and submit the yearly town census. This is an important task as most town programs require proof of Belmont residency for enrollment and Emergency Response Personnel will know for whom they are looking in the event of a 911 call.

Residents should notify the Town Clerk’s office in writing of any change of their primary residence location, within Belmont or out of town. Please note that to remove a registered voter from the census, an original signature from the voter is required.

If your household does not receive a census addressed to your family or one addressed to “Current Resident,” contact the Town Clerk’s office to have one mailed to you by calling 617-993-2603 or voting@belmont-ma.gov  

Q&A With Jeff Liberty, Candidate For School Committee

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Photo: Jeff Liberty

Jeff Liberty‘s background is an impressive collection of experiences in education. The Dorchester native has been classroom teacher, administrator, the inaugural leader of an in-district Boston charter school and currently works at an educational consultancy. He is running unopposed for the open seat on the Belmont School Committee. A 12 year resident of Worcester Street, Liberty matriculated at Brandeis University (History) and received his MFA in creative writing from Emerson.

Q: You have an unique background for school committee members being a multifaceted education careerist: You have been a teacher, administrator, charter school leader and now in education consultancy. How do you anticipate working and collaborating with your five fellow committee members who don’t have your practical experience in the field? 

A: I do have a lot of experience and I’m happy to share it with my fellow Committee Members and members of the BPS administration.  At the same time, all of the other Members bring tremendous skills and experience, including experience being on the School Committee and other elected offices, so I expect it should be very easy to collaborate with my colleagues on the Committee. I’m honored to serve with such a committed and intelligent group of humans and I expect to learn as much as I teach. 

Q: You have spoken about concerns you have as a parent and resident on how much students have “lost” educationally and emotionally during the pandemic. Is it possible for individual students to “recover” that gap in classroom learning and social emotional skills or should the district take a more holistic approach of moving grades forward with supports?

A: When it comes to foundational academic skills and human development/social-emotional skills, students must be supported to recover from lost opportunities to learn and grow.  Otherwise, we do not afford them the opportunity, as a generation, to achieve to their fullest potential. At the same time, the pandemic has shown us, in every facet of our lives, what is truly important. In that spirit, I don’t think it’s essential to obsess about going back and trying to “cover” every bit of content that was missed.  That ship has sailed.  The most important skills and content are the ones that are essential to student success at higher levels.  There should be an effort to quantify and communicate, both in the aggregate and at the individual student level, where we are in terms of meeting those benchmarks and what we will commit to do to support students who have not yet reached the grade-level standards of academic performance and/or social-emotional growth. The Committee and the public will need to hear from the Superintendent and his team soon about what we have learned about students’ progress and what resources and programs are being developed and put in place to help students to accelerate their learning and personal development before the start of the next school year.     

Q: Could you see anytime that you could support a return of mask mandates? Why or why not.

A: The pandemic has taught us that it is difficult to say for certain what the future holds.  If the Board of Health and the School Committee determine that, by metrics we can all agree to, that the continuation of in-person instruction requires all educators and students to wear masks for a period of time, I would be open to supporting that policy for a limited period and with very clear benchmarks for when mask-wearing would be made optional again.   

Q: You wrote a letter to the editor saying that you were angry – about who the school committee and district could not manage the system through COVID, how the town was unable to come up with a plan to manage the structural deficit and the pot holes on your street – but was still going to vote for the override. Are you still angry?

A: I would not describe myself as an angry person generally (I try not to be–life is too short!).  At the same time, it has been very challenging as an educator and as a parent to watch our town fumble our way through policies and processes that have had a detrimental effect on students and families.  That would make any reasonable person angry.  I continue to see some of the same behaviors and habits that manifested themselves during the worst days of the pandemic like a lack of data-based decision making and un-rigorous assessment of the efficacy of programs and initiatives.  This frustrates me but it also motivates me to make improvement in those areas a central focus of my work on the Committee in the years ahead.  We can and we must do better to regain the public’s full confidence in our schools.  

Q: The majority of what school committees does is deal with the everyday “mundane necessities” of a district: reviewing elementary school curriculum, professional development for teachers, hearing concerns of coaches that they are not being paid the same as their peers. What “mundane necessity” will you champion as a member of the committee and why is it important?

A: I don’t think any of the things you listed are mundane.  I do think we need to prioritize the work of the Committee so we stay focused on our most important statutory responsibilities–supervising and supporting the Superintendent, creating and revising policy, overseeing the budget and ensuring it aligns with educational priorities, negotiating contracts that are fair and sustainable, and approving the program of studies.  If we manage to do this–and to celebrate our successes along the way–nothing we do will be mundane.

Q: What will get you excited about coming to a school committee meeting on a cold and snowy Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.?

A: In the 12 years our family has lived in Belmont, I’ve met hundreds of wonderful young people and their parents and caregivers. I am highly motivated to bring purposeful, transparent, and ethical leadership to my work on the Committee on behalf of my fellow Belmontians, no matter what the weather might be.  To me, public schools are just about as sacred as secular institutions can be. When they are good, they are the best examples of excellent civic life and hope for our future that we have. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?