Get Rid of Your Household Hazardous Waste This Saturday

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Half-used paint, mothballs, antifreeze and insecticides are just a few of the common household products that are hazardous waste that most residents have in their homes or garages.

Belmont residents looking to clear their homes of these harmful chemicals will have an opportunity this Saturday, Aug. 16 as the Belmont Health Department is registering households that will allow them to haul the material to Lexington’s Minuteman Hazardous Products Facility site at no cost. 

Once you sign up by calling the Health Department at 617-993-2720, the department will mail the required “free ticket” to residents to enter the Minuteman facility. Because the next pickup date is this Saturday, the department is requesting anyone interested in utilizing the service to call them “ASAP.”

Here is a list of acceptable and unacceptable materials as well as a video.

West Nile Risk Now at Moderate Risk Level in Belmont

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The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced yesterday, Thursday, Aug. 7 that West Nile virus mosquito samples have been identified recently in Boston and Newton. The risk level for Boston, Newton and neighboring communities including Belmont has been increased to moderate, according to a press release from the Belmont Department of Health.

WNV is most commonly transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. The mosquitoes that carry this virus are common throughout the state and are found in urban as well as more rural areas. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over 50 are at higher risk for severe infection.

As always, there are a few precautions people can do to protect themselves and their families:

Avoid Mosquito Bites

  • 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. If you are outdoors at any time and notice mosquitoes around you, take steps to avoid being bitten by moving indoors, covering up and/or wearing repellant.
  • Clothing Can Help to reduce mosquito bites. Although it may be difficult to do when it’s hot, wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
  • Apply Insect Repellent when you go outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m- toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

  • Drain Standing Water: Many mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or getting rid of 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: Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors.

Information about WNV and reports of WNV activity in Massachusetts during 2014 can be found on the MDPH website at http://www.mass.gov/dph/wnv. Recorded information about WNV is also available by calling the MDPH Public Information Line at 1-866-MASS-WNV (1-866-627-7968).

Belmont Real Estate Taxes Due by Friday, Aug. 1

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It’s that time of the year: Belmont Real Estate taxes are due once again.

First quarter Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes will need to be in the town’s Treasurer’s Office by Friday, Aug. 1, at 1 p.m. so not to be deemed late.

There are several methods a ratepayer can use to submit their bill:

• In person at the Treasurer’s Office which is located on the first floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex in Belmont Center. Just a reminder that the office closes at 1 p.m. on Fridays during the summer.

• Payments for Real Estate, Personal Property, and Excise Tax bills can be submitted after hours using the secured drop box located to the left of the Homer Building entranceway. Tax bills will be considered “on time” if they are placed in the drop box before 7 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 4.

• Go to the Town of Belmont’s website mcc.net to make an online payment or to sign up for paperless billing.

If you need assistance, please call (617) 993-2770.

Belmont Light Reminds Residents Summer is Outage Season

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Belmont Light wants to remind its customers that strong wind and rain events, like those that often occur throughout the summer, may lead to electric power outages.

Its reminder comes following a stormy July 4th weekend during which Light crews were busy restoring service to local residents who were left without power in the aftermath of heavy downpours and stiff winds.

According to Belmont Light Operations Manager Ed Crisafi, several outages occurred prior to and throughout the holiday weekend, beginning during the evening hours of July 3, continuing into the following day, and happening again at the end of the weekend.

Crisafi said the longest outage on both days lasted only about an hour and a half.

“We were able to quickly restore power to those affected on Thursday evening, with cleanup efforts occurring during the early morning hours of July 4th,” Crisafi reported.

He added that, “because our staff was on hand and working so effectively, we were very well prepared when Hurricane Arthur passed to our east later in the day on the 4th.”

A separate event related to an underground cable caused outages on Saturday, but all permanent repairs were resolved by Monday evening.

Belmont Light General Manager James Palmer attributed the swift resolution of the outages to the reliability and dedication of town employees.

“Once again, our crews, public safety, and public works did a great job,” he stated.

Palmer went on to say that while weather-related outages are inconvenient, they should be anticipated—especially during hurricane season. Belmont Light customers should be prepared for severe weather during summer months by taking the following precautionary steps:

Prior to an Outage

  • Make sure you have enough emergency supplies on hand in case you are without power for an extended period of time.
  • Have plenty of fresh batteries and flashlights; don’t use candles during a power outage unless absolutely necessary.
  • Use a portable, battery-powered radio and/or television to be aware of any updates.
  • Get a wind-up or battery-powered clock.
  • Stock up on nonperishable food and plenty of bottled water.
  • Keep cash on hand, ATMs may not work when the power is out.
  • Make sure that everyone knows how to manually open and close any electric security or garage doors.
  • Protect electric equipment, such as computers, FAX machines, televisions, DVD and Blu- ray players and microwaves, by installing surge suppressors or other power protection (smart strip) devices.
  • Have a battery back-up system if your smoke alarms are wired to your home’s electrical system.
  • Have an emergency plan in place if a member of your household depends on life-support or needs other medical equipment. This may include a back-up power source or transportation to another facility.
  • Know how your gas appliances operate. Appliances with electronic ignitions will not work because electricity is needed to ignite the natural gas. Appliances that require fans or other electric devices to run – such as central heating units and gas clothes dryers – won’t work.
  • If a storm is expected, make sure your cell phone, laptop computers and tablet devices are charged.

During an Outage

  • Don’t call 911 to ask about the power outage. Check the neighborhood to see if everyone is without power and then call Belmont Light at 617-993-2800 to report the outage.
  • Stay indoors, but if you do need to go out, use extreme caution, especially on roads without working traffic signals. Be cautious of any downed power lines – they may be live.
  • Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to prevent food spoilage.
  • Never use your gas grill or charcoal grill indoors for cooking.
  • Shut-off any electronic equipment that was operating when the power went off.
  • Shut-off all your major electric appliances to stabilize the electric system when power is restored.
  • If the power is still on when you go to bed, shut-off electronic equipment such as computers, televisions, DVD/VCRs, microwaves and fax machines.
  • Leave one light on so you know when power is restored.
  • Belmont Light crews will be out in force to restore power as quickly and safely as possible which may not be until the storm has passed.

When Power is Restored

  • Wait a few minutes before turning on major electric appliances. This will help eliminate problems that could occur if there’s a surge in demand immediately after power is restored.
  • If you think that electric power has been restored to your area but your home is still without power, call Belmont Light at 617-993-2800.

If You Own a Generator

  • Never plug a generator into any electric outlets. Generators can feed electricity back into the power lines, causing dangerous conditions for our repair crews. You could damage your appliances or your neighbors’ appliances.

Should you experience an outage, please call Belmont Light at 617-993-2800.

Three Nights of Construction on Trapelo Road Begins Monday, July 28

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For the next three nights, from Monday July 28 to Wednesday, July 30, Waverley Square will be “under the lights” as Trapelo Road is repaved as part of the $17.2 million Trapelo/Belmont Corridor reconstruction project.

From 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., trucks and repaving equipment will be on Trapelo Road from Mill Street to White Street as well as on Lexington and Church streets.

The construction work was approved by the Belmont Board of Selectmen a week ago to lessen the impact on approximately 30,000 daily commuters and businesses in the area, according to Glenn Clancy, director of Community Development and the town’s engineer.

“We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this operation. As you are aware this work is very much necessary and every effort will be made to minimize impacts to residents while work is occurring,” said Clancy in a press release. He stated that residents with any concerns can call he at 617-993-2659 or by e-mail at gclancy@belmont-ma.gov.

Clancy said that homeowners and residents who have questions or concerns during construction hours can contact Ryan Gleason of Newport Construction at 603-765-2173.

Dig It Up: Water Main Work Begins This Monday

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On the heels of Belmont naming 11 dilapidated roads to be reconstructed this year comes another list of streets, only this one highlights roads to be dug up.

This Monday, July 28, the Water Division of the Belmont Department of Public Works will begin water main replacement work on 10 byways in town, with the work lasting until Nov. 15.

The streets include:

  • Charles Street
  • Edward Street
  • Orchard Street from Common to Beech streets
  • Winthrop Street
  • Warwick Road
  • Garden Street
  • Holt Street
  • Somerset Street from Pleasant Street to Shady Brook Lane
  • Wellington Lane
  • Richmond Road

The infrastructure work – to replace aging mains to provide “an ample volume of high quality drinking water … and improve water pressures throughout the town,” according to a DPW press release – will take place Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As with any water main work, residents will experience service disruptions during the construction process. Homeowners and businesses will be provided with at least 24-hour notification of all planned water main shutdowns, where water service will be interrupted for a period longer than two hours.

The water system improvements will require some residences to have water supplied through a temporary above ground water main until the new main is complete.

Questions relating to the project or schedule should be directed to the Belmont Water Division at 617-993-2700, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday or by calling Water Division Construction Supervisor Dave Powers at 617-438-2079.

Project updates can be found on the Department of Public Works Water Division web site. http://belmontma.vt-s.net/dpw-water-division.

West Nile Virus Found in Belmont

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The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced today, Thursday, July 24, that West Nile virus has been detected in one mosquito recently collected from Belmont, according to a press release from the Belmont Health Department.

“WNV is most commonly transmitted to humans by the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe infection,” according to the state.

The first detection of the virus was in Clinton on July 3.

As always, there are a few precautions people can do to help to protect themselves and their families:

Avoid Mosquito Bites

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. Otherwise, take extra care to use repellent and protective clothing.

Clothing Can Help reduce mosquito bites. Although it may be difficult to do when it’s hot, wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

Apply Insect Repellent when you go outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age. Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to 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 getting rid of items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Make sure rain barrels are covered or screened. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools, and change water in birdbaths frequently.

Install or Repair Screens: Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors.

Information about WNV and reports of WNV activity in Massachusetts during 2014 can be found on the MDPH website . Recorded information about WNV is also available by calling the MDPH Public Health Information Line at 1-866-MASS-WNV (1-866-627-7968).

Wishes Do Come True: Town Release List of Streets to be Reconstructed in ’14

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They will be dancing on a number of Belmont streets – repaired streets! – later this year as Belmont’s Director of Community Development Glenn Clancy released the list of 11 roads that will be reconstructed and repaved hopefully by the end of the 2014 construction season.

The list – submitted to the Belmont Board of Selectmen at their Monday, July 21 meeting – include a number in eastern Belmont. Work by contractor E.H. Perkins Construction of Waltham will begin in August.

The list includes:

  • Brighton Street: Pleasant Street to the cul-de-sac
  • Knowles Road: Holt Street to the Waltham town line
  • Whitcomb Street: Lexington Stret to the Watertown town line
  • Wellesley Road: Village Hill to Crestview roads
  • Fairview Avenue: Payson Road to School Street
  • Hoitt Road: Newcastle Road to Dean Street
  • Brettwood Road: Common Street to Homer Road and Hastings to Horace roads
  • Radcliffe Road: Scott to Frontage roads
  • Falmouth Street: Fairview Avenue to Belmont Street
  • Concord Avenue: Cambridge city line to Louise Road
  • Unity Avenue: Falmouth Street to Park Road

Clancy said while the town uses a ranking system to determine which roads are to be considered for repair, he said some of the roads on this year’s list would not have made the cut as there are worse roads in town. But due to delays in the Water Divisions  of the Department of Public Works’s capital improvement program, replacement of water mains on dilapidated streets have not taken place and the town will not reconstruct a road if a new main is needed.

Belmont Selectmen Approve Raises for Non-Union Workers

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At their Monday, July 21 meeting, the Belmont Board of Selectmen approved a two percent cost of living raise for the 55 town employees not represented by unions.

The vote came after the board meet with Diane Crimmins, the town’s Human Resources Director, in executive session before the night’s meeting.

The action will impact employees such as parking control officers, budget analysts, administrative assistants and the library director, said Crimmins.

“I put in a request for these employees for a cost of living increase each year and I’m happy that [the board] approved it,” Crimmins told the Belmontonian.

“We need to stay current with what comparable towns are paying their employees so we can recruit the talent the town needs,” said Crimmins, who said she calculates the percentage increase after doing research of other municipalities along with the consumer-price index.

Night Moves: Trapelo Road Paving Begins Monday 7 PM

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Work on the Trapelo/Belmont Corridor Project goes under the lights next week as the repaving of Trapelo Road from Mill Street to the Belmont Car Wash and the “triangle” encompassing Lexington and Church streets in Waverley Square begins Monday evening, July 28 at 7 p.m.

While the Massachusetts Department of Transportation – the $17 million roadway construction is a state project – and the project contractor were set begin work this week, the Belmont Board of Selectmen Monday, July 21, pushed back the starting date five days to allow residents along the route time to prepare for three days of 12 hours of construction outside their front doors.

According to Tony Barrile, vice president of operations for project contractor Newport Construction of Nashua, NH, the combination of high temperatures, heavy commuter traffic and the narrowness of the roadway would lead to chaotic conditions performing the job during the work day.

Answering questions concerning the MDOT’s request to proceed with night work, Barrile said the new asphalt must cool after being laid forcing traffic on a single lane at certain choke points near the Shaw’s Supermarket on Trapelo Road, impacting rush hour traffic in the morning and afternoon, resulting in lengthy backups and delays.

Switching to a night schedule, “we wouldn’t have to deal with the sheer volume of traffic” that transverse Waverley Square with the added benefit that most of the square’s businesses closed for the day, he said.

Saying that he doesn’t like to work after normal hours, “[i]t’s just so congested there that it makes sense to do it at night,” said Barrile.

While the selectmen were supportive of the time change for the repaving, they were not happy with the DOT’s initial proposal to begin the work on Wednesday, July 23, just two days after their meeting.

 

“There are quite a few residences in that area that will be only given a day notice before construction starts and I have a concern with that,” said Selectman Mark Paolillo.

While conceding construction noise will impact residencies, Glenn Clancy, Belmont’s director of the Office of Community Development, said “the tradeoff goes back to 30,000 vehicles trying to get through there during a work day coupled with the fact that businesses trying to operate during the day; the night work seems to be the best alternative to get the job done quickly.”

But Paolillo said the idea of beginning a major construction work through the night and the early morning, “right outside your house” will not give residents the opportunity to make other arrangements.

Selectmen Chair Andy Rojas offered up a Monday start “that gives us time to adequately to notify residents of the nature of the work.” Along with a series of mitigation suggestions – such as positioning construction lighting so it is directed onto the street and a contact number for residents to call the contractor during construction – the selectmen voted to approve the night time work request.

The five day delay will not have much of an impact on the project’s schedule, said Barrile.

“We’ll continue to work on other items such as sidewalks and paving,” he said. “We just want to have that piece of roadway nice and smooth for a change.”