Eagle Scout Project Saturday Seeks Bikes For Donation

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Photo:

Owen Thomas is combining his love of bikes with helping others by asking Belmont residents to donate bicycles no longer being used to be sent far away where they are needed.

On Saturday, May 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thomas, a 13-year-old Chenery 7th grader and member of Boy Scout Troop 66 in Belmont, is spearheading a bike drive for Bikes not Bombs, a Boston-based non-profit that collects used bikes, parts and accessories. The non-profit rehabilitates the donated bikes and ships them to economic development projects in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

The bike donation/drop-off location will be at 17 Clark St. at the corner of Common and Clark streets in the parking lot of All Saints Episcopal Church.

The donated bikes become the primary means of transportation and economic opportunity for individuals living in developing economies.

“It’s spring and many people are cleaning out their garages and donating or getting rid of older items,” says Thomas. “This project gives Belmont residents an opportunity to help underprivileged people in Massachusetts and around the world by donating used bicycles that will provide a reliable, eco-friendly, low-maintenance mode of transportation to school and work. These bicycles will transform people’s lives.” 

There is a $10 tax-deductible, suggested donation to Bikes not Bombs to support refurbishment and shipping of each bike. Tax receipts will provide at the drop-off location. All types of bikes are desired such as road, hybrid, mountain, BMX, and tandem, along with bike parts, tools and other accessories (helmets, bags, lights, pumps, locks, etc.). 

“My goal for this drive is to gather at least 50 donated bicycles,” says Thomas, “And I hope that Belmont community members will share the word with friends and neighbors to help us reach our target.” He is an active Scout and a candidate for the Eagle Scout rank, which this project will help him achieve. 

Bikes not Bombs also engages Boston-area youth in fixing the donated bikes as part of summer activity programs. Youth nurture a love of biking, develop useful mechanical skills and are eligible to earn a bike of their own. They are also trained in safety for urban bikers, get physically fit and participate in biking field trips throughout summer.W

Annual Town Meeting Gets Underway Monday, April 29

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Photo: Town Meeting in action.

While there doesn’t appear to be any “blockbuster” articles before them, the Belmont annual Town Meeting which convenes at 7 p.m., on Monday, April 29 at Belmont High School, there will be a few items that will spark interest of the 290 member body.

One of those items is likely to be Article 1 of the Special Town Meeting on May 1 when the building committee for the renovation of the Police Headquarters and the DPW returns to request up to $3.5 million over the $7.4 million last year’s meeting approved to do the job. The extra money is needed to relocate the police personnel offsite, for more extensive renovations and the higher cost of construction. It’s not unusual for Town Meeting to scrutinize any second go-around for funds after approving a project the year before they assumed was complete.

Another is the proposed change to the inclusionary housing zoning bylaw – which sets the number of affordable units in residential housing projects – bringing Belmont’s By-Law into alignment with peer communities and clarifies and simplify subsections of the By-Law by reducing the threshold for when affordable housing is required, from 40 dwelling units to 20 (in which 12 percent of the development will be affordable); deleting a provision that regulates mixed-use developments differently and simplifying the cash option to building affordable units. These measures could come under fire as dampening future large residential development in Belmont.

The Town Meeting will hearing the motions in the following order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 8, 9 and 11.

  • The first two articles are housekeeping items.
  • Article 3: Amending the “Inclusionary Housing” Zoning By-Law (needs a two-thirds vote)
  • Article 4: Another Zoning By-Law change which involves a small section of Pleasant Street within two blocks of the Route 2 off ramp that will “ensure that tear down/rebuilds and additions reflect the current character of the neighborhood in terms of density, mass, bulk, height, etc.”
  • Article 5: Article on kennels and dogs.
  • Article 6: The one which will do away with 160 years of tradition by making gender neutral the name of the Board of Selectmen to the “Select Board.”
  • Article 7 will be withdrawn as it was a citizen’s petition that is now taken up by Article 6.
  • Article 10 is to support a home rule amendment to change the term of the Town Moderator from 1 to 3 years.
  • Article 8 and 9 are non-binding articles; 8 is the Belmont Climate Action Resolution while 9 is to support efforts on the state level to allow the right to repair on electronic equipment.
  • Article 11 is to approve projects to be funded by the Community Preservation Committee.

If the meeting does not conclude the Segment A warrant articles on Monday, April 29, it will continue th meeting to Wednesday, May 1 at 7 p.m.   

On Wednesday, May 1 at 7 p.m., the meeting will reconvene starting with a report by Anne Marie Mahoney, chair of the DPW/Police Project Building Committee. At 7: 30 p.m. the meeting will recess from the Annual Town Meeting warrant and take up the articles in the Special Town Meeting, in the order: 2, 3, 4 and 1. 

  • Article 2 of “The Special” will approve transferring $3,663 excess premiums from the sale of general obligation bonds to the Kendall Fund.
  • Article 3 will approve the spending of a State Transportation Infrastructure Fund which will go to the improvement of the intersection of Lexington and Sycamore.
  • Article 4 is the paying of old bills.

It’s anticipated Article 1 of the Special will be taken up on Monday, May 6.

If all of the business of Segment A of the Annual Town Meeting and the Special Town Meeting does not conclude on May 6, the Meeting will resume on May 8.

Segment B Articles – all budget-related items – of the Annual Town Meeting will be taken up beginning Wednesday, May 29.  

Correction: In an earlier version of the article, there was a reference to an amendment to the planning board’s change to the “inclusionary housing zoning bylaw” as watering down the number of affordable units. That was an incorrect reading of the amendment and has been corrected.

Lone Tree Hill Volunteer Day Saturday, April 27; 9-Noon

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Photo: Planting trees in Belmont’s Lone Tree Hill (belmontcitizensforum.org)

On Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to noon, the Belmont Citizens Forum in conjunction with the Judy Record Conservation Fund is sponsoring the seventh annual Lone Tree Hill Volunteer Day, and we invite you to participate, come rain or shine.

This year, there are having two work sites,

• plant white pines along the Pine Allee,

• clean up the trash and/or clear invasive plants along South Pleasant Street, across from Star Market and Artefact Home and Garden shop.

If you’d like to work on the Pine Allee, meet at the Belmont Citizens Forum white canopy in the Lone Tree Hill parking lot on Mill Street. Please bring a shovel and gloves to plant the trees along the Allee.

If you’d like to work on the much-needed trash or invasive plant removal along South Pleasant Street, meet at the green-and-white “Belmont Bikes” Belmont Citizens Forum tent at the bottom of Coal Road, opposite Star Market. Please bring a shovel and gloves to remove the knotweed at upper Coal Road.

High school and middle school students can earn community service credits—check in at the Belmont Citizens Forum tent or table, and make sure we sign off on your work.

Volunteers are suggested to wear closed shoes, long sleeves and long pants to protect against potential sensitivities to plants and insects. Bring gloves, bug spray, and a water bottle.

This volunteer event is made possible by our corporate sponsors, including: Gold Level Sponsors: Ann Mahon Realty, Belmont Land Trust, Cityside Subaru, East Boston Savings Bank, and Watertown Savings Bank.

Prescription Drug Take-Back At DPW Yard; Sat., April 27

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Photo: Poster for the national drug take-back day.

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., (off Waverley) on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 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 Belmont Police on the 27th.

Prescription drugs are highly susceptible to misuse by family and friends. In addition, 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 www.dea.gov . You may also contact Assistant Chief James MacIsaac at jmacisaac@belmontpd.org

The Belmont PD also has a permanent Rx drug collection kiosk located in the lobby of the police station that is accessible 24/7.

Belmont Votes: 2019 Town Election

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Photo: Get out and vote.

The annual Belmont Town Election takes place on Tuesday, April 2, 2019.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

And below is information that will make the process of casting your ballot all that much easier.

Whose running for town wide and Town Meeting 

Click here for the Belmont League of Women 2019 Voters Guide for candidates and their campaign message.

Polling Places

For voting purposes, Belmont is divided into eight voting precincts, located as follows:

  • Precinct 1 – Belmont Memorial Library, Assembly Room, 336 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct 2 – Belmont Town Hall, Selectmen’s Room, 455 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct 3 – Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct 4 – Daniel Butler School, Gymnasium, 90 White St.
  • Precinct 5 – Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct 6 – Belmont Fire Headquarters, 299 Trapelo Rd.
  • Precinct 7 – Burbank School, Gymnasium, 266 School St.
  • Precinct 8 – Winn Brook School, Gymnasium, 97 Waterhouse Rd. (Enter from Cross Street)

Please adhere to the posted parking restrictions and use caution to ensure the safety of pedestrians around the voting precincts.

Are You Registered to Vote in Belmont and Eligible to Vote April 2? 

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.

Arrive early, consider traffic and limited parking 

Belmont Police will designate some voter parking at each of the polling locations however with a  busy election, parking close to the polling places is often a challenge.

Plan ahead: consider walking, carpooling with a friend or voting “off peak” during the middle of the day. Only voters who arrive at the precinct and are in line for the Voter Check-In before the close of polls at 8 p.m. can be permitted to vote; those who arrive too late will miss out.

Need a ride to the polls? Rides to the Polls will be provided by the Belmont League of Women Voters. If you would like a ride to a Belmont polling place, please contact: rides@BelmontLWV.org, or call 617-771-8500. Please include your name, address, precinct (if you know it), phone number, and what time you would like a ride.

Election Day campaigning

The Town Clerk and the Board of Registrars of Voters remind all residents that campaign signs, stickers, buttons or materials may NOT be displayed within 150 feet of each polling place. This prohibition, per Massachusetts General Laws, Ch. 54, §65, even extends to a candidate whose name is on the ballot, when the candidate is not actively voting.  The Town Clerk’s website posts a map displaying the 150-foot radius under Campaigning: Running for Elected Office and Town Meeting.

Election Results – How Do I Find Out the Results?

Election results for each precinct are announced by the Warden of each precinct after the close of the polls. The unofficial town-wide results will be announced at Town Hall and posted on the home page of the Town website as soon as they are available Tuesday evening or phone the Town Clerk’s office at 617-993-2600 on Wednesday morning. Campaign representatives are welcome to wait at Town Hall for the printed results.

Belmont Open Sing: Handel’s ‘Utrecht Te Deum’ Sunday, March 31, 7:30

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Photo: “Allegory of the Peace of 1714 (Treaty of Utrecht)” by Paolo de Matteis

Beginner and experienced singers are invited to join the Powers School of Music to the age of Queen Anne (depicted in the film, “The Favourite”) for the second Belmont Open Sings event of the season, George Frederick Handel’s “Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate,” on Sunday, March 31, 7:30 p.m., at Payson Park Church, 365 Belmont St.

Come participate in performances of the great masterworks for chorus and orchestra. Experience the thrill of singing your favorite works accompanied by a professional-level orchestra, and revel in arias sung by some of Boston’s finest soloists, led by Artistic Director Mary Beekman. First timers are welcome. Vocal scores and a choral warm-up are provided.

Tickets: $10 per person; No reservations needed. All ages welcome, and we encourage you to bring your family and friends to enjoy these masterpieces together

“Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate” is a sacred choral composition written by Handel to celebrate the Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, ending the War of the Spanish Succession. 

Spring Corrugate Cleaning: Cardboard Drop Off Saturday, March 30

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Photo: Cardboard drop off Saturday.

Have you got so much cardboard its overwhelming your recycling cart? Rather than waiting every two weeks to place it on the curb (and still have more stored in the garage), this Saturday, March 30, from 9 a.m. and noon, the Belmont’s Highway Department will accept dry and flattened cardboard packaging for recycling.

The drop off will take place at the DPW Yard, 37 C St. (off of Waverley Street)

Cardboard will be the only item taken. And the DPW will accept as much as you can fit into your vehicle.

Join Town Wide Clean Up On Saturday, April 6

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Photo: Belmont Clean Up, April 6.

Debby Fenn, a local resident and owner of Away It Goes and Anne Mahon of Leading Age Real Estate are sponsoring a “Belmont Clean Up” on Saturday, April 6, from 9 a.m to 1 p.m. with a rain date of April 7.

The idea for the clean up developed after Debby, while walking her dog, noticed that there seemed to be more trash lying around on sidewalks. “Walking around town made me see that we need to both be more aware of the problem and solve it by picking up the trash.”  Please join the fun! 

Community service is available – email Debbyfenncpo@gmail.com to sign up for community service. Sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c4ea8a92ea1fb6-volunteers

Two New Belmont Firefighters Off To Training At Fire Academy

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Photo: New Firefighter Paramedics meet the Belmont selectmen (left) Firefighter Paramedic Michael Goode, Firefighter Paramedic Justin Perino, Selectmen Chair Adam Dash, Selectmen Tom Caputo, Mark Paolillo and Fire Chief David Frizzell

Two newly hired firefighters will soon begin three months of recruit firefighting training at the Brookline Fire Academy as they start their careers with the Belmont Fire Department.

On Monday, Feb. 4, Firefighter paramedics Justin Perino and Michael Goode were sworn in by Town Clerk Ellen Cushman, starting two months of orientation and training within the department. After returning from Brookline, the pair will be on shift in July. Both firefighters grew up in Belmont and still live in the Town.

“I welcome firefighters Perino and Goode to the Department,” said Fire Chief David Frizzell.

“I wish them a long healthy and safe career serving the residents of the town. Their families and friends should be proud of their commitment to their profession and community.”

Nearly Here: Deadline To Register To Vote In Town Election March 13

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Photo: Get registered!

The deadline to register to vote and be qualified to vote in the annual Town Election (this year on Tuesday, April 2) is 8 p.m. March 13.

Eligibility requirements to register to vote in Massachusetts:

  • must currently live in the town or city that your voting in, 
  • At least 18 years old and
  • A citizen of the United States.

Property ownership alone does not qualify one to become a registered voter.

Online Voter Registration: You can register here for residents who have a current Massachusetts Driver’s License or Massachusetts State ID issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Voter Registration Documents are also available at the Town Clerk’s office in Town Hall, 455 Concord Avenue or online at the Town Clerk’s web pages. 

Questions can be directed to townclerk@belmont-ma.gov or 617-993-2600.