Update on Belmont/Trapelo Corridor Project Set for Tuesday, March 15

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Photo: The project.

Wonder why all the new street signs along Belmont Steet and Trapelo Road so big? When is the MBTA going to return electric buses on Route 73? And when will the final paving start along the main corridor through Belmont between Cambridge and Waltham?

These and other questions, along with a chance for the public to give its two cents on the state-financed Belmont/Trapelo corridor project, will be answered as State Sen. Will Brownsberger will  be hosting an update meeting on the project, Tuesday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Belmont Art Gallery on the third floor of the Homer Municipal Building, next to Belmont Town Hall in Belmont Center.

Residents can get the latest on the project’s status here.

School Committee Candidates QW: The One Issue The Board Should Focus On

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Photos: (from left) Murat Bicer, Kimberly O’Mahony, Andrea Prestwich.

Welcome to the first QW (Question of the Week) for the three candidates seeking to fill to two open three-year seats on the Belmont School Committee at town election on April 5. The order in which the candidates answered this week is by alphabetical order. 

Name the one issue you believe the board should focus on in your tenure on the school board?

Murat Bicer

I believe the most important issue facing the school board over the next three years is increasing enrollment. Families with school-age children are moving to town as housing comes to market, and new multi-unit developments are likely to bring additional students. A growing number of students require mandated English language learning and special education. These two factors put pressure both on our school budget and on our facilities.  

In the fall of 2012, the town convened a task force to study the issue of increasing enrollment and recommend strategic solutions. While a number of viable solutions were proposed, there was little budget to affect the changes. Since that time, two very important developments have occurred.  First, Belmont residents passed a $4.5 million Proposition 2.5 override. Second, the Massachusetts School Building Authority voted to move Belmont High School forward in its process, which will provide state cost sharing in the construction of a much needed new campus that can reflect our current and future needs.  

As a school committee member, I will use my deep experience in financial management and operational planning to ensure that the best decisions are made for immediate impact as well as future stability for our excellent schools. I will look to recommendations already made by the task force and welcome new ideas, while measuring each against the fiscal cost to our community. It is imperative that every dollar we spend on our schools has a direct, positive impact on the education of our children. Our focus needs to be on building a high school facility that can last us another 50 years, and enough flexibility in our lower schools to respond to enrollment fluctuations.

The most pressing issue facing the Belmont Public Schools over the next three years is the management of increasing enrollment. There is a lack of space throughout the district and the population of the town is ever-growing. The quality of our education system is the reason that people come to Belmont and is why they will continue to come; it’s why my husband and I moved here 12 years ago! We knew the reputation of the schools in Belmont and wanted our family to be educated in the best public schools in the area. 

In order for our town to uphold this reputation, we have an obligation to ensure every child is supported, especially at the elementary level where many children are learning to speak English. Belmont has a very diverse community, which makes living here so rich and rewarding.  With that diversity, though, comes more responsibility – especially in supporting and scaffolding children’s abilities.

As a first step, the School Committee voted unanimously to decline participation in School Choice at last Tuesday night’s School Committee meeting. Participating in School Choice would only add to the enrollment pressures that we already feel with the population that resides in Belmont. The School Committee will be critical in identifying solutions that will bring about positive change to alleviate the pressure of this issue.

Andrea Prestwich

The most critical issues facing Belmont schools are spiraling enrollment and the need for a new high school. Both of these issues require careful strategic planning by the School Committee and a willingness to advocate for an override to fund the new high school. These issues must be addressed otherwise our schools will fall apart (almost literally in the case of the high school!

We also need to transition BHS and Chenery to healthier (i.e. later) start times. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control both recommend that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. to allow adolescents to get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation among adolescents is a serious public health issue. Although there is an overwhelming medical consensus in favor of later start times,  this issue seldom gets to the top of a School Districts’s  priority list – there are always competing issues! If elected to the School Committee, I will devote time and energy to working for healthier school hours. I will not let later start times be squeezed off the agenda by managing the enrollment and a new high school. Enrollment and a new high school are critical, but so is sleep. We must work on all three.  

Letter to the Editor: Ruban Has The Right Ideas For Belmont

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Photo: Alexandra Ruban

Letter to the editor:

I will be voting for Alexandra Ruban to be Belmont’s next selectwoman. I encourage readers to join me. 
Alexandra is an accomplished professional and the mother of two children. She has a deep, personal investment in the continued excellence of our public schools. Alexandra wants to make Belmont’s government work better for residents: opening its opaque operations to the light and saving taxpayer money that can be invested in the services we care most about schools, roads, and public buildings. 
Like many in town, Alexandra was drawn into politics by curiosity, civic responsibility and the sneaking suspicion that something was amiss. In her case, the issue was the town’s relationship with its recycling contractor. 
She began asking questions of Town Hall and discovered that Belmont this year simply renewed its contract without soliciting bids from competing firms. More outrageous: the Town has been doing so for more than a decade! Alexandra knows Belmont can do better, saving money, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and putting the town back on track with its own Climate Action Plan in the process. 
A campaign was born.
Mark Paolillo is a good and gentle man from an esteemed family. I count him as a friend. But elections aren’t about demeanor or personal style. Elections are about your record in office and your job performance. 
On far too many issues: from the Town Center redesign debacle to the multi-million dollar deficits that have been a fixture of his tenure, Mark has voted with Sami Baghdady and other staunch conservatives on the Board. During that time, residents have seen fees rise, capital investments deferred and school and town services cut. 
Alexandra has the right ideas for Belmont and the courage of her convictions. I ask you to join me in voting for her in April.

Paul Roberts

Town Meeting Member, Precinct 8

Opinion: Mark Paolillo, The Leadership Belmont Needs

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Photo: Mark Paolillo.

By Ellen Schreiber and Sara Masucci

Leadership, experience and vision matter on our Board of Selectman.

Last year, we led the override campaign to protect our town – to keep the schools strong; to fix our roads, sidewalks, and buildings; and to avoid encroaching on other town services we all depend on.

This work is not done. Belmont is now facing some of its most exciting and most daunting challenges ever.

These challenges require Mark Paolillo’s strong leadership, experience and vision.

Mark believes in a community where individuals make a difference. He is a parent who “put his money where his mouth is” to guarantee the excellence of our schools. With Mark, everyone has a voice, every perspective is important, and a consensus is a worthy goal.  In Mark’s Belmont, unique places like the Underwood Pool, the Viglirolo Skating Rink, Butler playground, Joey’s Park, the emerging Community Path, and the Senior Center define this “Town of Homes.” He fosters the vision that we become a community when we serve our neighbors and strive together to be better.

Mark’s priorities are our priorities, including:

  1. Shepherding the renovation/rebuild of Belmont High School,
  2. Relieving the budget pressure caused by skyrocketing school enrollment,
  3. Extending the positive impact of the Proposition 2 1/2 override,
  4. Leading the implementation of identified revenue opportunities and fiscal discipline,
  5. Achieving consensus on the community path,
  6. Navigating the murky waters of the Minuteman High School project,

Plus many more.

Mark is uniquely capable of accomplishing these tasks.

  • Mark was a key architect of the override. The Financial Task Force he led performed the analysis that created the override proposal, and he was a primary advocate for passage.
  • Mark has always been a strong supporter of the Belmont schools as a parent and town leader.
  • Mark has 12-years of experience analyzing and optimizing Belmont’s complex, $100-plus million budget.
  • During his tenure as Chair of the Board of Selectmen, Belmont benefitted from Mark’s skill in consensus building and negotiation. Time after time, he demonstrated his commitment to listen to all residents as a key part of his decision making.
  • Mark has experience with building projects, as selectman during the construction of the Wellington School and the Underwood Pool.

We believe the effectiveness of the Board of Selectmen would be compromised without Mark.

  • Mark has a unique skill set on the board as a CPA, who leads a global accounting practice.
  • Mark is the only selectman with 12-years of Belmont budget experience, compared to the other selectmen who have 1-2 years of experience.
  • Mark’s institutional knowledge is irreplaceable on the board; he is well versed on every important issue that Belmont has faced for the last 18 years.

This is not the time for “change for the sake of change.” 

Of course, there are always things we can do better. A government is a work in progress. And none of us are perfect. We believe Mark sincerely regrets the vote that led to the contentious atmosphere surrounding the Belmont Center project, and he was part of collaboration that achieved a compromise.

Mark’s leadership has helped Belmont take huge steps forward. We wouldn’t have the override without Mark. Or the Underwood Pool. Or the new Minuteman agreement. Or the Financial Task Force. Mark is the “go-to” selectman to resolve Belmont’s most thorny issues.

There is no one more committed to Belmont’s children and seniors, homeowners and renters, businesses and employees, than Mark Paolillo. He is dedicated to serving this community.

In these exciting and challenging times, Belmont is lucky that Mark Paolillo wants to continue to serve on the Board of Selectmen.

Letter to the Editor: Preserve the Architectural Integrity of the Plymouth Congregational

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Photo: 

[Editor’s note: The Belmont Historic District Commission will hear from Glenn Herosian and Ron Creamer as the commission continues discussion of Plymouth Congregational Church on Tuesday, March 8 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall.]

To the editor:

The Plymouth Congregational Church is the single important and centrally-located building in Belmont’s Pleasant Street Historic District (BHDC). Its commanding steeple and symmetrical buildings are a visual focal point for the neighborhood and visitors passing through Belmont. The Church represents an important style piece that holds together and defines the diverse historic fabric of the district.

Fortunately, the church falls under the strict “Design Guidelines of the Belmont Historic District.” Despite these safeguards, the threat of losing this historic building remains a deep neighborhood concern after the unfortunate demolition of the Waverly Congregational Church. The town’s Demolition Delay Bylaw was enacted as a reaction to this emotional loss for the Waverly community. However, this bylaw will not be enough to keep the same fate from happening to the Plymouth Church should the congregation weaken or relocate in future years.

Our neighborhood group insists that the BHDC enforce its stringent guidelines and follow its documented policy of allowing only the use of original wood materials in all necessary changes to the church’s exterior.

We demand the immediate action by the church and the BHDC to maintain and preserve the building’s architecturally-important details with a strict interpretation of its design bylaws without compromise. As the heart of the Historic District and the gateway used by innumerable citizens to access many conservation areas and town center, the church and the BHDC has a responsibility to its citizens to preserve the historical integrity of this church and maintain the harmony of this community.

The Neighborhood Group Against the Plymouth Church Cell Phone Tower

Why I’m Running: Kim O’Mahony for School Committee

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Photo: Kim O’Mahony

My name is Kim O’Mahony, and I am running School Committee.

My husband and I have lived in Belmont for 12 years. I have run a successful child care business in Waverley Square for the past eight years and we have three daughters attending the Butler School. I am excited to serve this town as I am deeply committed to it.  It would be a privilege to apply my experience to help Belmont move forward!

What is my experience?

I hold a BS in Accounting and worked professionally in systems analysis, auditing and business analysis. Currently, I own an early childhood education business. The combination of a business background and an expertise in education make me uniquely qualified to sit at the School Committee table. I understand zero-based budgeting and I am steeped in the developmental needs of children.  

There are many financial challenges facing the Schools, e.g., contract negotiations, ever- increasing enrollment, and the potential for a new/renovated high school. My experience positions me well to offer informed, balanced ideas that can help make a positive impact on solutions to these issues.  

While standing at the playground, on sidelines of soccer games, or attending Dolphin swim meets, I have listened to the concerns of fellow parents. What is clear to me is that the needs of our excellent school system must be balanced against the needs of the community as a whole. We are, after all, One Belmont.  

As a School Committee member, it would be my responsibility to represent my fellow community members and to bring the scope and depth of my fiscal and education experience to the table.  

I look forward to the opportunity of serving Belmont in this way.

Thank you for your consideration, and please be sure to vote on Tuesday, April 5!

Letter to the Editor: Back Bicer for School Committee

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Photo: Murat Bicer

To the editor:

We encourage everyone in Belmont to consider Murat Bicer for School Committee.    

Murat is uniquely qualified and brings sound financial and investment expertise to a School Committee, which will be facing a number of challenging issues in the years ahead that have a short and long-term impact on our community.    

As a well-regarded venture capital professional in the global technology community, Murat understands what it means to evaluate complex situations and provide sound financial counsel.   He has successfully invested tens of millions of dollars in growing companies; one of the best track records in the industry. Senior executives trust Murat with evaluating critical operational decisions that have immediate consequences on his investments.    

Now take a moment and translate this kind of experience to the most important investment of all: our children. Like Murat, we have young children who are still in pre-school. Our families will have children in the school system for at least the next 15 years. We share a long-term perspective on schools and how important they are to the foundation of Belmont.

In the next couple of years, we will be faced with critical decisions: the cost of a new high school, rising class sizes, teacher contracts, and the continued influx of new families. We need the best talent possible for our community to lay out frameworks to make sensible choices and be an informed voice of reason when there are millions of dollars and our children’s educational future at stake. 

Belmont has some unique financial challenges. We want the answers to those challenges to come from talented people who objectively have the experience of investing for the future. In the next few weeks, you will see that Murat is clearly qualified to play such a role in our community.

Matt Goldstein and Dr. Adrienne Allen 

Harris Street

Town Election Update: Sullivan Drops Out of Housing Race; Turnout Best in 6

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Photo: Matt Sullivan.

Sullivan abandons run for Housing Authority

On the final day to withdraw from town-wide and Town Meeting contests, Hammond Road’s Matt Sullivan decided to remove his name in the race for a five-year seat on the town’s Housing Authority.

A frequent candidate in town, Sullivan did not mention a reason to town clerks when he abandoned his challenge. Realtor Ann Mahon is now the only candidate on the ballot for the seat.

A pair of residents – Tomi Olson and Paul Rickter – are on the ballot seeking a three-year position on the authority.

The numbers are in and the precinct with the greatest number of voters is …

The votes have been counted and there is a bit of an upset for the precinct with the greatest percentage number of voters in the Presidential Primary as Precinct 6 noised out Precinct 1, 60.7 percent to 60.5 percent. The biggest surprise of the night came from Precinct 7, known for having quiet polling areas, were voting participation nearly topped,a;

The biggest surprise of the night came from Precinct 7, known for having quiet polling areas, saw 57.6 percent venture out to take a ballot. 

But there were no real losers this year as all precincts registered for than 54 percent voters turnout with a town-wide total number of 57.3 percent, a high figure in historical terms. Precinct 1; 60.52%

The number per precinct (thanks to the Town Clerk’s Office)

Precinct 1; 60.52%

Precinct 2; 54.07%

Precinct 3; 55.55%

Precinct 4: 55.04%

Precinct 5; 56.79%

Precinct 6; 60.65%

Precinct 7; 57.59%

Precinct 8; 58.93%

Total: 57.41%

Primary: Trump, Clinton Top Belmont as Voters Came Out in Force

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Photo: Dana Harrington of Holt Street feeling the “Bern.”

Twenty-two Belmont voters were waiting to vote at the door leading into the gym to cast their ballot in the Massachusetts Presidential Primary on Tuesday, March 1. 

What was unusual was the voters were in line at the Burbank Elementary, at Precinct 7 whose citizens are known for their leisurely voting practices. 

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The line at Precinct 7 at the Burbank School.

Whether it was the slew of candidates, a national focus on the vote or the beautiful weather, Belmont’s residents came out to vote Monday.

And on a day where nearly three out of five eligible voters went to the polls, Belmont followed the state’s preference for giving its collective nod to Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton in the big races of the day.

Officially, 57 percent of registered voters came out to vote, compared to 23 percent in 2012. Tuesday’s vote was more than the 9,616 votes cast in 2008 when Pres. Obama topped Clinton by 400 votes.

Full results can be found at the Town Clerk’s web page.

Trump was the clear victor among Belmont’s voters who took Republican ballots receiving 1,080 votes, nearly 400 votes better than Ohio Gov. John Kasich (689) and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (655). Texas Sen. Ted Cruz received 211 followed by Dr. Ben Carson (43) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (25). 

As a percentage, Trump took two of every five Belmont voters (39  percent) compared to a quarter of the electorate who selected Kasich and Rubio. 

Statewide, Trump garnered a much wider margin, 49 percent of Massachusetts voters chose the Republican frontrunner. Kasich took in 18 percent and Rubio 17 percent. 

“We need a complete overhaul of Washington, and it can’t be done with people who have anything to do with that place,” said a Belmont resident holding a sign for Steven Aylward, the Watertown residents who won the Republican State Committee district position that includes Belmont.

The resident did not want to give his name “since I have to live [in Belmont]” which he called “deciding left of center.”

His opinion of wishing to keep his conservative leanings from his fellow residents was somewhat justified by two voters who were exiting the Burbank school after voting at Precinct 7.

“She’s a Republican?” asked one about a neighbor of theirs. “But she seems so normal!”

Over on the Democrat side, the enthusiasm surrounding the candidacy of socialist populist Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders could not overcome the establishment’s choice as former senator and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton clearly won Belmont by nearly 1,000 votes, 4,031 to 3,029, or 57 percent to 43 percent.

Clinton’s margin was much closer to the state, as she defeated Sanders with 51 percent of the ballot, as opposed to 48 percent,

“Personal problems aside, Hilary will make a good president,” said Lynne Wright of Cedar Road, a “lifelong Democrat” whose 12-year-old daughter is “a huge Hilary fan.” 

“She wants to see a woman President,” said Wright outside Precinct 1 at the Belmont Public Library. 

Standing at the traditional “sign holding” site across from the commuter rail tunnel at the intersection of Common and Concord, Dana Harrington was holding a homemade “flaming” sign to go with Bernie Sanders placards.  

“I’ve never done this before,” said the Holt Street resident concerning holding a political sign.

“But we have to take back our government from the corporate special interests and [Sanders] is the only one who is saying what needs to be said.”

Over at the Beech Street Center, 22-year-old Isaiah Berson of Harding Avenue said it probably didn’t come as any surprise that someone his age was voting for Sanders.

“I really admire that he’s not a standard politician who is beholden to the corporate infrastructure,” he said. “I have a problem with other candidates who are untrustworthy and whose judgment has been poor.” 

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Presidential Primary Day: Live Blog Updated All Day

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Photo: Precinct 1 is open and busy.

2 p.m.: Voter’s participation running high in Belmont

Four years ago, it seemed as if half the world’s media had descended on Belmont for the Presidential Primary as the one-time resident and eventual Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was voting at his home precinct at the Beech Street Center.

Satelite television trucks, bus loads of press from around the country and world and secruity forces clogged Beech Street as the spectical attracted residents and people from around the area.

What it didn’t do was increase voter turnout. In 2012, in which both parties were fairly secure in their national candidates – President Obama was running unopposed and Romney was stretching his lead in the Repubican primary – turn out in Belmont was fairly anemic, just under 23 percent of voters casted ballots for a total of 3,835 residents taking the time to vote.

This year, with active races in both parties, Belmontians are taking advantage of the great weather to make their ways to their polling places, according to Belmont’s Town Clerk Ellen Cushman.

“We are averaging 500 to 600 voters so far,” said Cushman at 1 p.m., which translates with about 30 percent participation, far exceeding the last primary’s total.

Cushman said Belmont could see up to 50 percent participation if trends hold steady.