Diamant’s ‘The Boston Girl’ Selected As One Book One Belmont 2016

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Photo: The cover of the novel, “The Boston Girl” by Anita Diamant.

Anita Diamant’s best-selling novel “The Boston Girl” has been selected as the featured title for One Book One Belmont 2016, Belmont Public Library’s sixth town-wide reading program.

The library and 11 co-sponsoring community groups invite town residents to read the book and participate in book discussions and other related activities throughout the month of April.  

Diamant, the author of “The Red Tent” and “Day After Night” will speak in Belmont on Tuesday, April 26.

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Author Anita Diamant.

Dora Levy Mossanen in the Huffington Post, called the book,“the story of every immigrant and the difficulties of adapting to and accepting an unfamiliar culture.”

The novel unfolds as 85-year-old Addie Baum attempts to answer her granddaughters’ question, “How did you get to be the woman you are today?” Baum begins by describing the one-room tenement apartment in the North End where she grew up with her Russian immigrant parents, two sisters, and sometimes a boarder during the early years of the 20th century.  

Through a book club for young women at the Salem Street Settlement House and several life-changing summers in Rockport, Baum is introduced to a new world where women can go to high school and college, have a career, and live on their own. Against the opposition of her parents, Baum charts her own course during a time of upheaval; World War I, Prohibition, the great flu epidemic, the Depression and passage of women’s right to vote. 

The One Book One Belmont Planning Committee, made up of representatives of the library and various town departments and commissions, selected the book after reviewing suggestions from library patrons and staff.

“’The Boston Girl’ was the third most checked-out book at the Belmont Public Library in 2015,” said Library Director Peter Struzziero.

“So you can see it strikes a chord with our readers. I think it reminds them of their grandmother’s story, or their mother’s story, or even their own story, the immigrant experience of being torn between two cultures,” he said.

One Book One Belmont Co-Chair Emily Reardon hopes the book will inspire readers to share their own stories with other family members. This spring, the Library is collaborating with the Council on Aging, the Belmont Media Center, and the Belmont Citizen-Herald on an oral history project along the lines of StoryCorps, recording interviews of Belmont citizens conducted by their grandchildren and other relatives and friends.

One Book One Belmont 2016 is supported by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library and the cosponsors: Belmont Against Racism, Belmont Citizen-Herald and WickedLocal Belmont, Belmont Gallery of Art, Belmont Historical Society, Belmont Library Foundation, Belmont Media Center, Belmont Public Schools, Belmont World Film, the Council on Aging, Porter Square Books, and the Recreation Department.

You can borrow “The Boston Girl” from the library in many different formats: hardcover, paperback, large print, book on CD, ebook or audiobook from the Overdrive catalog, and on some of the Library’s circulating Kindles. To place a request, visit the library website at belmont.lib.ma.us or call the reference desk, 617-993-2870

To place a request, visit the library website at belmont.lib.ma.us or call the reference desk, 617-993-2870.

BREAKING: State Approves School District’s Plan to Renovate Belmont High School

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Photo: The MSBA voting to invite Belmont to begin the process to renovate Belmont High School.

A decade of applications and waiting ended at 10:44 a.m. Wednesday morning, Jan. 27 in a crowded board room at 40 Broad St. in Boston as the Massachusetts State Building Authority voted to invite the Belmont School District to begin the process that Belmont officials anticipate will result in the complete renovation of Belmont High School and the construct of a new science wing at the Concord Avenue campus.

Massachusetts Treasurer Deb Goldberg, who heads the MSBA, made the announcement before nearly 100 school administrators and staff, politicians and local elected officials, including Belmont Superintendent John Phelan, Belmont High Principal Dan Richards and Belmont School Committee Chair Laurie Slap. 

“This is great news for the town of Belmont,” said Slap after the vote. 

See a video of the Belmont delegation responding to the vote: (from left: Superintendent John Phelan, School Committee Chair Laurie Slap and Belmont High Principal Dan Richards. 

Belmont High was the only high school to be selected, joining seven elementary schools from Harvard, Lexington. Ludlow, Manchester Essex, Marlborough, Tisbury and Triton Regional districts to make the final cut.

A total of 26 building projects were vying for approval this year, including Arlington High School and the Maria Hastings Elementary School in Lexington. 

With the MSBA vote, the clock begins running as the district enters a 270-day “eligibility period” in which the district is required to complete preliminary steps including forming a school building committee, hiring a building manager and conducting a feasibility study which establishes a process for the district to be reimbursed for eligible expenses. This is the first of eight “modules” the district and town will need to complete to receive the state grant. 

(The process of creating a building committee is already underway as the special town meeting on Feb. 8 will include a vote to create a high school building committee.)

“During those 270 days, we’ll work all that information through and then meet with the community,” said Phelan.

For the Belmont delegation, the next few weeks will be educating themselves on what the state expects from the district.

“That’s what we going to find out in the next meeting, it’s the details,” said Richards.

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The project price tag, based on an updated 2008 estimation, was calculated at $79.6 million. With eight years of inflation added to the 2008 figure, the total cost is now closer to $100 million.

With a third of the eligible costs reimbursed by the MSBA, Belmont taxpayers will be responsible for $66 to $70 million of the total cost.

“This [project] has been on everyone’s minds for years and years,” said Slap. “Everyone understands the need for a renovated school so our job is to make sure that we plan this as carefully and thoughtfully as we can. We are always very respectful of taxpayer’s dollars but this is a critical project that has to be done.” 

“We are going to have lots of time to educate the community and lots of community involvement. Stay tuned, there is lots to come,” said Slap. 

Under the 2008 revision of the 2004 Belmont High School master plan:
  • Construction at the school will take place in four phases over four years so students will remain on the existing campus,
  • All construction will be within the 257,000 sq.-ft. footprint of the current building, and
  • A 34,000 sq.-ft. Science wing will be built in the parking lot adjacent the Wenner Field House and the Higginbottom Pool.

The renovation of the five-decade-old school building is critical as it is currently “structurally unsound” and “jeopardize the health and safety of the school children,” according to Belmont’s 2014 SOI submitted to the MSBA.

The new science center will add 13.5 percent more classroom and lab space to the school, with the hope of “eliminat[ing] the existing severe overcrowding” at the school. The district is predicting an additional 254 students at the high school by fiscal 2024.

Town Meeting Warrant Opens in February for Citizen Petitions

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Photo: Belmont Town Meeting.

Have you ever said, “There ought to be a law in this town!

Here’s your chance to do just that.

The town warrant – the document that calls for the annual Town Meeting which Board of Selectmen voted to approve at last night’s Selectmen’s meeting – will be “open” from Feb. 1 to Feb. 29 for residents who wish to add their own article to be heard and voted on by the 290-member Town Meeting in May.

“Citizens are welcomed to submit petitions,” said Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman.

Under Massachusetts law, residents may place articles before the annual Town Meeting without approval by the Selectmen by petitioning the Town Clerk to insert the article into the warrant. Officially, it only requires ten signatures on the petition from residents to secure a place on the warrant although Cushman recommends 15 to be on the safe side.

While not all petitions are successful, a good portion succeeded to become bylaws. In the past few years, citizen’s petitions on banning smoking in town playgrounds, combining school and town building supervision, restricting yard sales and requiring residents to shovel snow from sidewalks have passed Town Meeting muster and included into the bylaws.

For those residents thinking about putting their stamp on the town’s bylaws, Cushman advises petitioners to do their homework and be prepared to work with town officials and government groups to construct their appeal to have the chance of a favorable vote before Town Meeting.

For those seeking changes to the town’s zoning bylaws should meet with the Planning Board and the town’s Office of Community Development while those looking to alter the town’s budget priorities need to get in touch with the Warrant and Capital Budget committees and the town’s financial departments, said Cushman.

With all petitions Town Counsel, George Hall will review each, to determine that they do not violate the state or US constitutions.

“So it’s important that citizens start the process earlier than later to receive advice in drafting their petitions and getting the support they need to give themselves a good chance before Town Meeting,” said Cushman.

Williams: Belmont’s Unfunded Benefits Policy ‘No Longer Valid’, Town Must Restructure Debt Now

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Photo: Selectman Jim Williams.

To the Belmontonian:

Some supporters have related that the “Belmont Street” is critical of the ideas I have put forth around the town’s management of its unfunded benefits obligations because it’s unlikely that I’ll be living in Belmont in 2026. While I have no idea as to whether we’ll be living in Belmont (or even living for that matter, but let that go), we all have some idea of the magnitude of the commitments Belmont has already made and is making to its employees and retirees. Also, we have some idea of how the town is currently managing these duties and my professional opinion is that the Belmont’s current policies and strategies are no longer valid based on what we know.

More specifically:

  • Town Counsel George Hall confirmed that the Belmont Retirement Board is responsible for managing the town’s pension obligation and manages that responsibility in part by determining how pension obligations are funded thru annual negotiations with the Board of Selectmen. The BOS then puts forward an annual warrant addressing the agreed funding schedule for review by the Warrant Committee and consideration by Town Meeting, which appropriates funding if agreed.  
  • The BOS is responsible for town’s pension policy and strategy. The same is true for OPEB policy and strategy albeit Town Treasurer Floyd Carman did propose and gain approval from past BOS administrations to set up and begin minimal funding the town’s OPEB Trust. So, the town treasurer is not responsible for benefits policies and strategies; the board is.
  • First Southwest, Inc. has not advised the current or past selectmen on town pension or OPEB policy or strategy and has not been formally engaged by the town to do so.

Given the above as background and because the financial and operating challenges Belmont faces over the next decade are unprecedented, the following are proposed for our consideration:

  • The status quo pension and OPEB strategies need to be addressed in the fiscal 2017 budget cycle and require our immediate attention.
  • The town can issue a Request for Proposal to engage a financial advisor to assist us in evaluating new strategies to meet our known benefits obligations. My recommendation is that the Town meet with the following firms: Stifle, Inc.; Kopelman and Paige PC; Seagal Group, Inc.; and FirstSouthwest, Inc.  
  • As a policy, Belmont should restructure its unfunded pension obligation amortization schedule by 1.) extending its maturity to 2035 using a straight line amortization schedule and 2.) structure a partial refunding (amount to be determined) by issuing a 20-year pension obligation bond to reduce near term cash outflow and extend the commitment.
  • As a policy, the town should undertake the funding of the Net Present Value of its current OPEB obligation estimate for the 30th year of the forecast using a discount rate of 7.75 percent annually going forward. This should be accomplished beginning in fiscal 2016 using funding from free cash flow.
  • Belmont should restructure its pension obligations and fund its resulting current obligations annually.

Mark Twain said: “Never make projections, especially about the future.” It would be so nice if we could use this idea as the basis for managing our benefits obligations, but we can’t because the cost of these long term commitments can be readily estimated as committed and they need to be funded annually with present value funding. If not, Belmont will end up with enormous obligations payable as we go forward, and this debt will beggar our operating, capital, and financial capabilities. 

It’s simply not fair to future Belmont generations which bring me back to the opening remarks of this opinion. It may be that the town might be better off if we all assume that we are not going to be around in 2026 because it draws attention to how unpredictable the future is and the need to take care of today’s business today.

Jim Williams

Belmont Selectman, Town Meeting Member

Sports: Tournament-Bound Belmont Boys’ Basketball Await Watertown

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Photo: Matt Kerans after Friday’s victory at Wakefield.

For Belmont Boys Basketball Head Coach Adam Pritchard, it’s great to see his team earn a return trip to the post-season MIAA tournament.

It’s even nicer to reach that goal in January. With a record of 11-3, there is no need for a late season rush, or sitting on the sidelines hoping other teams will fall to the wayside after the Marauders’ beat back a resilent Wakefield team on the road this past Friday, Jan. 22.

“Life’s good,” said Pritchard after the 55-49 victory. “We got a great effort from a lot of different players.”

While Wakefield (8-3) was able to stay close in the first half, Belmont would take the lead in the second quarter from deep outside, hitting five consecutive three-point shots accounting for Belmont’s 15 points, leading at the half, 29-26.

The Marauders sank 10 threes including four from captain senior point guard Matt Kerans (who finished with a game high 20 points) and three from the big man, senior center Justin Wagner (11 points). 

“We worked on it yesterday. We suspected that they were going to use a ‘box and one’ (where four players commit to a zone defense while the fifth player takes on the other team’s best player one-on-one) with Cole (Bartels, the team’s shooting guard) absent so we said we are going to shot as many threes until they come out man-to-man against us. Luckly the shots went in,” said Pritchard. 

During that time, Belmont relied on role players, such as Bryan Goodwin (5 points including a three), Tomas Donoyan (a pair of baskets) and sixth-man junior Daron Hamparian (2 points) who played significant minutes in the middle quarters. 

“We have a lot of good basketball players on the team who worked hard in practice. As we say, adversity equals opportunity and since we have a starter injured, it was an opportunity for some of those guys to get in there and contribute,” 

Wakefield made a run at Belmont in the third behind its scoring leader Corey Imbriano who scored 8 of his team’s high 10 points in the quarter to have the Warriors level with the Marauders at 43 points entering the final eight minutes.

But as Pritchard has said in the past, it’s good to have Kerans out on the court in the final frame as the pre-season Middlesex League co-MVP hit a three and was sent to the line to make 3 of 4 from the line, equaling Wakefield’s total for the quarter as Belmont’s defense prevented the Warriors from taking any comfortable shots.

Next up for Belmont is the rivalry match with Watertown High at the Wenner on Tuesday, Jan 26 at 7 p.m. 

 

Will bfresh Finally Save Developer’s Vision of Cushing Village?

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Photo: bfresh in Belmont?

According to two sources with knowledge of talks transpiring between the parties, it appears the developer of the long-stalled Cushing Village development is seeking to bring a new small-format supermarket developed by a large international chain to become the project’s anchor tenant.

According to sources, developer Smith Legacy Partners is in discussions with Ahold, the Netherland-based parent of Stop & Shop Supermarket Company of Quincy, to bring its test model bfresh concept market to the 164,000 sq.-ft. residential/retail/parking complex at the corner of Common Street and Trapelo Road in the heart of Cushing Square.

The bfresh concept was created by Fresh Formats; a Ahold company started in 2014 to explore new and innovative format opportunities, in an attempt to compete with other smaller stores such as Traders Joe.

According to Suzi Robinson, marketing magus for Fresh Formats would only say “we’re exploring opportunities for future stores in the greater Boston area, but don’t have any news to share yet.”

A representative from Smith Legacy has not yet responded to questions. In the past week, Starr said his search for a “small-format food store anchor tenant” is “progressing.” 

The importance of a large retail tenant to secure the future of the project was stressed in a pair of updates Starr provided the Planning Board since the beginning of the year, stating “construction financing has hinged in the past on our retail pre-leading activity.” As of Jan. 25, the development team said they have secured only two 

As of Jan. 25, the development team said they have obtained only a pair of leases in the 31 months since it was granted approval to begin construction. The two potential tenants – a restaurant/pub and an unnamed “national” retailer so far will fill about 12,000 of the 38,000 sq.-ft. retail space available. 

It will be crucial for the Smith Legacy team to “land” a multi-year lease to reassure lenders of its financial wherewithal. It is why Starr has been trumpeting the fact his team is actively courting bfresh. 

“We are in discussions with a financially strong, experienced, market[-]leader that prides itself on providing fresh, high-quality prepared food and other necessities in a small format store,” wrote Starr in the second of the updates.

The reason a deal has not been struck so far has to do with the experimental nature of the concept itself – Ahold wants to take a longer look at the stores’ performance (a second outlet was opened in Fairfield, Conn. in October) – and what appears to be a very competitive environment for this model in Belmont, with the existing Russo’s Market in nearby Watertown and a Foodies Urban Market to open in Belmont Center in the fall of 2016 with a Cushing Village operation unlikely ready until 2017.

Ahold opened its inaugural bfresh store in Boston’s Allston neighborhood in September in a former Staples at 214 Harvard Ave. a block from Comm. Ave. bfresh is a test model store that “presents itself as a solution for neighborhood shoppers — particularly young people — frustrated by compromises on quality, price and convenience at typical food stores,” reported Supermarket News on Aug 20, 2015.

The small for supermarket 10,000 sq.-ft. store is “focused on “fresh foods, smart value, and right in your hood” according to the Ahold website, offering “more natural and organic options than a typical market, vegan and gluten-free options, and foods from around the world.”

Stores also stock freshly prepared foods in its “Little Kitchen™, a fresh-on-the-spot experience that brings made from scratch, always fresh, seasonal meals into the store. Menus change daily, showcasing simple recipes made with fresh ingredients for maximum taste.”

This Week: Cooking Tasting, Valentines for Veterans, Transition to College

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Photo: Pasta e Fagioli.

On the government side of “This Week”:

  • The Board of Selectmen is meeting on Monday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall to extending the trash contract and open and discuss the Special Town Meeting warrant.
  • Community Path Implementation Advisory Committee will hold a meeting updating the committee’s work from 8 a.m. to 9. a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at Town Hall.
  • The Warrant Committee meets at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 27 at the Chenery Middle School to discuss its recommendation on the Special Town Meeting and review the four-year financial model. 
  • Precinct 5 Caucus to elect a new Town Meeting Member when it meets at the Beech Street Center at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28. 

• Music & Movement with Rubi, a movement and music program recommended for ages 3 to 5 (but 2-year-olds are welcome) will be held in the Flett Room on Monday, Jan. 25. There will be two sessions: 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

• The Burbank Elementary School grade 3 and 4 band, orchestra and chorus will perform at the school on Monday, Jan. 25 at 9 a.m. 

• ESL Conversation Circle for beginners takes place on Monday, Jan. 25 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• Girls Who Code will meet on Monday, Jan. 25 from 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• Belmont Boosters is meeting Monday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. in Room 113 at Belmont High School. 

• Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, at 10:30 a.m on Tuesday, Jan. 26. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.

• The Wellington Elementary School grade 3 and 4 band, orchestra and chorus will perform at the school on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 9 a.m. 

• There will be a free Cooking Demo and Tasting on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at noon in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. It will include the preparation and tasting of the traditional and simple Italian Pasta e Fagioli (pasta with beans) to be followed by sharing of ideas on how to create other healthy and low-budget Italian dishes using legumes. Sponsored by the Belmont Food Collaborative.
 
• Learn iPad Basics on Wednesday, Jan. 27, from 11 a.m. to noon in the Young Adult Room of the Belmont Public Library. Register by calling the Reference Desk at 617-993-2870.
 
• Teen Book Club will discuss Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom on Tuesday, Jan. 26
7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Young Adult Room of the Belmont Public Library. Snacks will be provided. If you have any questions, please e-mail Kylie Sparks at ksparks@minlib.net or call 617-993-2873.
 
• The Winn Brook Elementary School grade 3 and 4 band, orchestra and chorus will perform at the school on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 9 a.m. 
 
• Valentines for Veterans program will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 27 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Come make valentines that will be given to U.S. military veterans. For children of all ages.
 
• The Belmont High School Speakers Series presents: “The College Transition: Embracing Challenges” on Wednesday, Jan. 27 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Belmont High School Little Theatre. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker, PhD and Catherine Bell from McLean Hospital will speak and take questions from the audience. This is free and open to the public.
 
• The Butler Elementary School grade 3 and 4 band, orchestra and chorus will perform at the school on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 9 a.m. 
 
• Storytime for 1’s – for walkers and toddlers under 24 months – will be held Thursday, Jan. 28, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room. We’ll share simple stories, songs, and nursery rhymes, and end with time to play.
• Everyone is invited to Chinese Storytime which will take place in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library from Thursday, Jan. 28, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
 
• Literacy Playgroup is a parent and child group that supports child’s language and literacy development on Friday, Jan. 29, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library. You’ll play, read, sing and take home new ideas. Presented by educators from the CFCE grant program; for children age 4 and under.
 
• Midterms are over so it’s time to celebrate; Belmont High will hold its semi-formal, all school dance at Belmont High School on Friday, Jan. 28. 

Sports: Belmont Girls Hoops’ Holds Garden Party at Chelmsford’s Expense

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Photo: Belmont High wins at the Good Sports Invitational.

On the biggest stage this season, Belmont High’s Girls’ Hoops put together its best and most complete game as a suffocating defense and clutch shooting powered the Marauders by a strong Chelmsford High Lions squad, 50-36, on the parquet court of the TD Garden, Sunday, Jan. 24, at the Good Sports Invitational.

In a game which Belmont Head Coach Melissa Hart used her entire bench (10 Marauders would grace the score sheet) allowing each player an opportunity to play on an NBA court, Belmont stayed with its Division 1 opponents in the first half before clamping down on the Lions shooters in the second half, limiting the Merrimack Valley Small Conference leaders to a total of 14 points in the final 16 minutes.

“We had some really good moments on the floor,” said Hart, whose team now stands at 8-3.

“The girls really communicated well in a big new place and nerves didn’t seem to be a factor,” she said.

Leading the Marauders was its senior co-captain center/forward Sarah Stewart who controlled the action in the paint (in front of the basket) with her rebounding against taller opponents, blocking and harassing shots and hitting a series of timely baskets including an offensive put-back as time expired in the third quarter to up Belmont’s the lead to 10.

“My coach said it starts with defense and that’s what I focused on, on boxing out and just being a bigger person on the court both mentally and physically,” said Stewart who finished the morning with 8 points. 

“When you do defense first, the offense will come with it,” she said.

Stewart’s dominance gave her teammates room to find space to score near the basket. After going “Oh-for” (no points) two nights before against Wakefield in a disappointing loss (42-38), sophomore Jenny Call responded by scoring a game-high 19 points, 12 in the second half on drives to the hoop and from range with a pair of threes.

Quarterbacking the offense was sophomore point guard Carly Christofori, who scored 12 points while picking herself off the floor after driving to the basket. 

Belmont got out to a fast start, going up 12-4 in the first four minutes. But the Lions used three-point marksmanship and pinpoint passing, took the lead in the second quarter behind Chelmsford’s 1,000 points senior captain Claire Markey (10 points) and center Annie Donahue, who had 9 of her 11 points in the first half. 

The Lions took a six-point lead, 22-16, midway through the quarter which saw Hart used her role players. And while the Belmont starters sat, their teammates chipped into the lead while wearing down the Chelmsford five. A mid-range basket by freshman Jane Mahon (2 points), a hoop from Call and a three-pointer from Christofori at the buzzer finished off a 7-0 run and secured a 23-22 halftime lead for the Marauders. 

“I think our depth actually helped by playing everyone. We were able to run so much, and while the game was close, we had fresh bodies out there, and that helped in the second half,” said Hart.

The second half saw Belmont slowly pull away from the tiring Lions as the Marauders took control of all aspects of the game. A spinning hook by sophomore Greta Propp (2 points) gave Belmont a 6 point lead with just under two minutes to play in the third and Stewart’s buzzer beater upped the advantage to nine, 39-30, with eight minutes to play.

While the Lions got within six points (41-35) midway through the quarter, Call would respond with a three-pointer and going 4-4 from the charity stripe to close the deal.

For Belmont, it was a rare occasion not just to play on the same court as the Boston Celtics, but to celebrate a victory in the Garden.

“At first, the adrenaline was really crazy. Just being here was unreal, so it was nice to see familiar faces in the crowd instead of random people,” said Stewart.

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Sold in Belmont: What Would $785K Get You in Oregon? Nicer, Bigger, Better

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Photo: Belmont (left) and Lake Oswego. No contest.

A recap of residential properties sold in the past seven-plus days in the “Town of Homes”:

• 48 Middlecot St., Brick and shingle ranch (1953). Sold: $785,000. Listed at $749,000. Living area: 1,423 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 52 days.

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The one residential sale last week in Belmont is a fairly standard post-war ranch-style single family. The house on Middlecot Street in the heart of Winn Brook, that sold about $100,000 over its assessed value, has a treadbare feel to it – just look at the wear patches on the kitchen flooring and door frame. In addition, there’s a thrown together vibe through out the interior, from the hidious  1970s paneling in the basement to the mismatching bathroom detail. 

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So, is the best $785,000 can get you? Or better yet, what can you get in communities that resemble our “Town of Homes”? It didn’t take long to find one; a 45 hour, 3,088 mile road trip due west.

Lake Oswego, Oregan is an upscale suburb of Portland (Portlandia!) known for its residential character. It has an outstanding school district that attracts aging hipsters who decide they would rather invest in a pricy home then stay in their artsy Portland loft and spend a fortune on private school fees. Its impressive downtown (it’s a harbor!) and shops supports a population of 36,000 with a per capita income of $53,000, compared to Belmont’s $57,000.

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So here it is: for $758,000 this remodeled Craftsman Bungalow could have been yours. It’s so pretty, a late example from 1930 that was lovingly restored and renovated. The fireplace’s decreative surround, wood floors and the traditional four-over-one windows are all nice touches. Along with a landscaped yard, you get 1,000 additional  square feet, two full bathrooms and nice-sized bedrooms. 

Just for comparison, the Craftsman basement is thought out in color scheme and arrangement while the Belmont cellar is just creepy.

Why can’t we have nice things? 

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BREAKING: MBTA Rejects New Belmont Commuter Rail Station, But Waverley’s Future Still Up in the Air

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Photo: The future of the Waverley Station remains up in the air. 

The MBTA has rejected plans to construct a modern commuter rail station along South Pleasant Street to replace the century-old stop in Waverley Square, State Sen. Will Brownsberger told the Belmontonian this afternoon, Friday, Jan. 22. 

“They heard the concerns from commuters and residents and have abandoned the idea,” said Brownsberger.

In a subsequent note on his web page, Brownsberger said the “MBTA was able to report today that they have concluded categorically that they will not pursue a new station located between Waverley and Belmont Center.” 

The decision comes after residents and town officials at a Nov. 16 public meeting with MBTA officials  voice considerable opposition to the plan initially presented to Belmont in September to construct a $20 million state near the North America Central School Bus depot at 1000 Pleasant St., a few hundred feet from Star Market.

The MBTA advanced the new station plan as a solution to a decision by the state’s Architectural Access Board that earlier ordered the transportation authority to improve access to the Waverley Square commuter rail station in the near future which would allow handicap citizens to take public transportation.

But today’s decision does not assure the future operation of a Waverley Square station, which is currently in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act access requirements.

With the estimated cost of a Waverley Station upgrade – which lies several dozen feet below the street grade and would require – at $35 million, and with less than 120 passengers using the station on weekdays, closing the station remains a possibility.

However, said Brownsberger, “they are still working on defining the options for Waverley station itself given the requirements of the AAB.”

“The MBTA is going over its capital budget and we will know within a month,” said Brownsberger. 

“The MBTA has been devoting considerable attention to internal conversations about how to resolve the questions created by the AAB’s ruling related to Waverley,” said Brownsberger on his web page.