Select Board Place More Streets Off Limits To Student HS Parking, Adding Spots Along Concord, Pool

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Photo: The Underwood Pool parking lot will be available for student parking this week.

Based on recommendations from the Middle and High School Traffic Working Group, the Belmont Select Board added three new streets to an expanding number of side streets in which High School students are banned from parking on school days while expending the time the existing “temporary” restricts will be in place by three weeks.

The new streets were added to the inventory of roadways at the board’s Jan. 24 meeting after residents complained their streets were impacted by students migrating from side streets placed under parking restrictions approved by the Select Board on Dec. 20.

“This announcement has generated quite a response,” said Roy Epstein, the Select Board’s vice chair who ran the meeting as Chair Adam Dash recused himself as he lives on one of the streets [Goden Street] under the regulations.

Epstein noted the Task Force recommendations are prompted by resident complaints of student drivers parking along side streets since the opening of the high school wing of the Belmont Middle and High School that is under construction.

“It has created a situation that we had to address. It made the streets dangerous for pedestrians and impassable for vehicles on numerous occasions and we felt we had to act,” said Epstein. The first set of restrictions – no parking from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. beginning on January 3 – were focused on Oak and Orchard streets off the southside of Concord Avenue.

The result of the initial action was students migrated over to nearby Stone and Louise roads. The reaction by those residents were as expected: move the kids.

The new streets with restricted parking bans include:

  • Stone Road,
  • Louise Road from Concord Avenue to the intersection with Emerson Street, and
  • Emerson Street from Concord Avenue to the intersection with Louise Road.

The ban takes effect Jan. 31.

The Board also extended the end date of the trial from Jan. 28 to Feb. 18 to allow the board to consider further recommendations from the Traffic Working Group to be presented on Valentines Day.

But Epstein wanted to make it clear: the committee’s aim is to disperse student parking and not to make it impossible for students to park. In recognition that parking options are being taken off the board on the three streets, the task force made three endorsements to make up for those lost spaces.

The first is to remove the reserved parking spaces on the north (or school) side of Concord Avenue from Underwood Street to the light pole across from Becket Road as “virtually no students have parked there since September,” said Epstein. The school administration provided 100 permits at the beginning of the school year to seniors with corresponding spaces. Yet only 50 to 55 of the spaces are filled on a daily basis, said Lawrence Link, one of the resident members of the working group.

While the committee did not speculate why the spaces were unused, there is some indication that many of the first time drivers find it unnerving to parallel park on a busy roadway such as Concord Avenue during the morning rush hour and feel safer sliding into a space on a quiet side street.

This action will allow more parking along Concord Avenue for students who did not receive permits and the public.

The second and third recommendations are to allow all-day parking in the Underwood Pool lot and on the Concord Avenue pool drop-off area stretching from Myrtle Street to the library exit, freeing up an additional 15 spaces.

While there has been some parents questioning the steps taken by the task force as targeting students, Link believes more parents will “now feel more comfortable because they know spots are available.”

Epstein said the committee’s expectation is to fill in the unused space on Concord Avenue and use new spots near the pool “to accommodate all of the students currently parking on the side streets.” If it becomes evident that more spaces are needed, there is a possibility the task force will recommend a limited number of student drivers via permits to park on side streets, said Epstein.

The adjustments will allow the Task Force ample time to conduct a complete evaluation before presenting final recommendations to the Select Board on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.

Hoops: Both Marauder Squads Stumble In Visit To Lexington

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Photo: Tyler Arno throwing up a three against Winchester.

It was a frustrating start to the holiday weekend for the Belmont High boys and girls basketball teams as their visits to cross border rivals Lexington on Friday, Jan. 14 as both teams came home nursing one-sided losses to the Minutemen.

Belmont High Girls’ came to the contest to halt both a scoring drought and losing streak which the Marauders averaged just 26 points vs Watertown and Woburn.

Belmont’s attempt to run its offense through the paint was hampered by a strong Lexington perimeter defense that produced several steals and Marauder miscues. While Belmont preferred to work inside, Lexington showed no such disinclination shooting from downtown, hitting nine threes while the Marauders came up blank from beyond the arc.

And it didn’t help that Belmont’s biggest bugaboo was going to the free throw line where the Marauders went 11 for 27, leaving 16 valuable points on the floor.

The game didn’t start well as the Marauders fell behind 7-0 after about 70 seconds before Sophie McDevitt buried two from the charity stripe. After cutting the lead to three, 7-4, on a Mia Ferrari, long two point jumper, Lexington scored twice off steals to finish the quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 16-6 lead entering the second. The Minutemen stretched the advantage throwing in a trio of threes in two minutes to up the lead to 28-12 midway through the frame before Belmont scored the final five points with Cortney Howell nailing a fall away two at the buzzer to end the half trailing 28-17.

Belmont came out strong in the third cutting the Minutemen’ advantage to seven points with a Ferrari jumper. But the Minutemen responded with two threes and a bucket while Belmont missed three of four free throws to restore a double digit lead, 36-21, before extending it to 44-28 entering the final quarter And while the Marauders did go 5 for 8 from the free throw line in the final quarter, Lexington was never threatened as it won by 18, 55-37.

Belmont currently sits at 3-7 over all and 3-5 in the league.

It was showtime as the Lexington boys’ literally running away from Belmont High Boys’ Hoops early to take home a rather sloppy 75-49 win in the second game of the doubleheader. Lexington’s speed, physicality on offense and defense and their touch from outside proved too much for a Marauders team that simply couldn’t keep up with the hosts.

Not that the Minutemen didn’t give Belmont opportunities to take control of the game as Lexington players, especially in the first half, were more than happy to turn the ball over in attempts at the spectacular – they had more failed dipsy-dos then the returns department at the dipsy-do factory – when a jumper or pass would have sufficed.

While Lexington’s haphazard playing allowed Belmont a sniff at getting back into the game, the Marauders’ couldn’t get out of their own way; in one sequence down by ten, Belmont committed a pair of traveling violations and an offensive foul in three trips up the court while Lexington scored on each turnover..

Belmont did come out with a hot hand from distance with Donovan Holway hitting the first basket for a three and senor guard Tyler Arno going two for three from the arc to keep the deficit to seven early in the second quarter, 18-11. But Lexington’s League MVP candidate CJ Cox was not going to be stopped by Belmont, hitting from outside (3 for 4 from three point range in the first 10 minutes) before finishing off a fast break with a dunk to stretch the host’s advantage to 18 (29-11) just two minutes into the second quarter. At half time, Belmont was down by 17, 38-21.

For the remainder of the game, Belmont could only match basket for basket only to be victimized by Lexington’s quick hands defense and downtown shooting. After three quarters, Minutemen shot 10 for 19 from three compared to Belmont’s 4 for 11.

Belmont sits at .500 both in the Middlesex League 4-4 and overall 5-5 with a visit from Wakefield next.

Checkoway Submitting Papers For Re-Election To School Committee

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Photo: Amy Checkoway

There will a familiar name on the ballot at Town Election in April as current School Committee Chair Amy Checkoway said she will be taking out nomination papers this week for re-election.

“I have decided to run for re-election to the School Committee,” said Checkoway in a Jan. 11 email. “I plan to go to Town Hall to pick up papers on Thursday or Friday of this week.”

“As you know, it has been an extremely busy, complicated, and challenging first term, and I hope that I have the opportunity to continue to help lead and serve our community,” she said in an email to the Belmontonian.

Checkoway won election to the committee in 2019 with 3,104 votes, topping the ticket with 41 percent of the ballots. The Pequossette Road resident became chair this past April after Andrea Prestwich resigned to take a position with the National Science Foundation.

An education policy researcher for a large international consulting firm, Checkoway as committee head has been a steadying influence on the board looking for committee-wide consensus on several issues including Covid mitigation and the school budget while chairing the committee during the opening of the high school wing of the Belmont Middle and High School project. She also led the committee in confronting a rash of racist messaging left at schools.

Town Sets Covid Community Testing And Vaccine/Booster Shots For Jan. 17, 18

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Photo: Belmont will hold vaccination and testing on Jan. 17, 18. (Credit: © Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

With Covid infection rates in town and across the country reaching historic heights, the Belmont Health Department has scheduled a pair of events to secure the health of residents during this surge of the coronavirus.

Community Testing Day – Pre-registration and Proof of Residency is required

In an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Towns of Belmont and Lexington are partnering to offer free COVID-19 PCR testing following the upcoming long weekend. There will be two upcoming testing events, and
both locations are open to residents of Belmont and Lexington. Testing is available for anyone aged 1 year or older.

  • Monday, Jan. 17, 2022, from 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Lexington Public Schools Administrative Building Gymnasium, 328 Lowell St., Lexington. The building address is 146 Maple St. but you must enter via Lowell Street (indoor testing)
     
  • Monday, Jan. 17, 2022 from 2 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
    Chenery Middle School, 95 Washington St.,(indoor testing)

Register for a COVID-19 test on Jan. 17 here: https://testing.p1uc.com/register/with-code/?code=BLADLT
Proof of residency required at appointment.

Vaccine/Booster Clinic – Pre-registration required 

The Belmont Health Department is offering COVID-19 vaccines to eligible residents, including 1st, 2nd, and booster shots. This clinic will be operated through a partnership between VaxinateRX and the Health Department, where Pfizer vaccines will be available.

Register for a vaccine appointment here: https://www.appointmentquest.com/scheduler/2180061935? schedule=belmontvaccineclinic

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Change To ‘Final, Final’ Rules Frees Up Covid Funds For Unrestricted Town Use

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Photo: The American Rescue Plan signed on March 11, 2021

It’s true: the squeaky wheel did get greased.

A last-minute reversal of state regulations which likely would have forced Belmont to hand back a substantial portion of millions of dollars in federal Covid-19 relief funding will now allow the town to spend the entire $7.6 million as it sees fit.

“As of Thursday afternoon … we were informed that the interim final rule changed yet again. I’m told this is the final, final interim final rule, which puts the town in a great position,” said Patrice Garvin, Belmont Town Administrator who with the town’s state and federal elected representatives.

After a quick word with the town auditor, “we were able to all of our money as revenue loss if we choose and we can use it as unrestricted as we’d like,” Garvin told the Select Board on Monday, Jan 10.

“We were concerned that we had to return [the 7.8 million],” said Adam Dash, select board chair. “This is phenomenal.”

While the grant does nothing to solve the massive structural deficit looming over Belmont, it will allow the town’s planners breathing room for at least the next two budget cycles as the funds will come in two $3.9 million segments with the second available next fall.

In mid-March 2021, Belmont received $8.8 million as part of the Biden Administration’s $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan – dubbed the American Rescue Plan Act – with $1 million going off to the schools. But as Belmont was preparing to incorporate the funds to replace revenue lost during the pandemic, it became apparent regulations imposed by the state would placed a stranglehold on the funds.

After a careful reading of the rules and regulations, the town’s auditor – Craig Peacock, a partner with Powers and Sullivan – determined that during the tight 18 month window the state is using to calculate lost revenue, the 2018 voter-approved debt exclusion used to finance the building of Belmont’s new Middle and High School, as well as the state’s partial reimbursement of expenses constructing the building was seen by Beacon Hill as a revenue “gain” for the town.

“As you remember, we had the town auditor come in and report out that … we could not find any revenue loss calculation” under the then final interim regulations, said Garvin on Monday.

While he could not give the town a financial balm, Peacock suggested a more political avenue of relief. “As they say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease so I don’t think it ever hurts to try to contact” state legislators, said Peacock at the time.

And that’s what Belmont did.

At the urging from the Select Board to air its consternation of the rules, Garvin sent a letter before Christmas “prompted by a lot of the town’s frustration with the final interim rule” to the town’s elected officials – State Sen. Will Brownsberger and State Rep. Dave Rogers – as well to [US Rep.] Katherine Clark, “letting her know that we are we’re in a really tough position with revenue lost calculation given the interim final rule,” said Garvin.

The result was a letter from the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation to the US Secretary of the Treasury asking to provide relief to Belmont and a number of other small and mid-sized municipalities which found themselves in a similar predicament.

On Thursday, Jan. 6, came the good news from the state that the new change will allow any community to use up to $10 million in ARPA funds to recover revenue lost which has no bearing on each town’s final calculation.

“We will be able to take all of the money that we received from ARPA … and not have any restrictions for it,” said Garvin.

Cardboard Drop-Off Returns, Jan. 29; ‘Popular’ Mattress Recycling Program Continues

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Photo: Mattress removal is a popular service, says Belmont DPW (Credit: Rubbish computer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Did you miss the town’s last cardboard drop off before Christmas? Do you now have a pile of boxes that can be qualify as a small mountain? Is the thought of the pile of corrugated fiberboard staring at you for the next 12 months unappealing?

Well, you and your fellow on-line purchasing neighbors don’t have to fret as the Belmont Department of Public Works is hosting a post-holiday Cardboard Recycling Event at the Public Works Yard at 37 C on Saturday, Jan. 29 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

There a $5 fee to dispose all you can carry in your vehicle.

PRE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED, HEAD TO THIS LINK TO PRE REGISTER

Jason Marcotte, DPW director, said he is being flooded with phone calls “pretty much asking us when are we going to have a next cardboard event.” Marcotte said last month’s drop-off on Dec. 18 was “very successful” by not only the number of vehicles but due to a new system implemented to streamline the collection process, the event did not have a traffic jam to enter the yard.

Marcotte also announced that the town has signed a five month extension of its contract with Green Mattress of Milford for curbside pick up of used mattress at $25 per item. For the past 17 months, the town was using a state grant – which will end Jan. 31 – to cover the cost of the program which Marcotte called “very popular” with residents as the town has taken away 2,282 mattresses or about 140 a month.

As of Feb. 1, the town will now cover the cost of Green Mattress to remove the items. Green Mattress recycles up to 84 percent of each mattress into sellable components. Massachusetts will ban towns from placing mattresses in state landfills as of Nov. 1, 2022.

Snow Day: Belmont Schools Closing On Friday Due To Pending Winter Storm

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Photo: Snow day in Belmont

Belmont School Superintendent John Phelan’s Thursday afternoon announcement was short and concise:

“Due to the storm, Belmont Public Schools will be closed on Friday, January 7, 2022.“

The storm is also moving the scheduled Boys’ and Girls’ away varsity basketball games up a day to Saturday, Jan. 8 vs. Woburn.

Breaking: Belmont Under Snow Emergency Parking Ban Starting 6 AM; Town Offices, Library, Beech Street Center Will Be Closed

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Photo: Ban on on-street parking and in municipal and school parking lots starts at 6 a.m.

Belmont has issued a Snow Emergency Parking Ban effective at 6 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 7 at 6 a.m. on all roadways, as well as in municipal parking lots and Belmont Public School parking lots. The ban will be in effect until further notice. 

All vehicles parked in violation of the ban will be towed at the owner’s expense. 

In addition, town offices, the Belmont Public Library and the Beech Street Center will close on Friday.

Winter Storm Warning For Belmont: 5″ to 8″ Of The White Stuff On Friday

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Photo:

Belmont and communities inside the Route 128 corridor are under a Winter Storm Warning as between five to eight inches of snow is expected on Friday, Jan. 7.

The warning, issued at 3:24 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 6 by the National Weather Service, forecasts heavy snow from 1 a.m. to 7 p.m. in portions of eastern and southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Travel could be very difficult, warned the service, as hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute.

“If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,” reads the press release. The latest road conditions for the state can be obtained by calling 511.

Belmont Schools Start An Hour Later Monday For Masks, Possible Covid Testing For Teachers

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Photo: A KN95 mask will be given to Belmont educators and staff on Monday, Jan. 3 (Credit: ProtoplasmaKid Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0)

Belmont’s six public schools will return from the holiday break on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022 with an hour delay in start times to allow teachers and staff to be equipped with state-issued KN95 masks so educators will comply with new Covid-19 guidelines which the state’s Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary Education have adopted for all school districts.

Start times with a one-hour delay are:

  • Belmont High School: 8:35 a.m. with first classes at 9 a.m.
  • Chenery Middle School: 8:55 a.m.
  • Burbank, Butler, and Wellington: 9:40 a.m.
  • Winn Brook: 9:50 a.m.

In addition to the delay:

  • Morning preschool sessions are cancelled on Monday, Jan. 3.
  • LABBB Collaborative Administration has cancelled for Monday. Jan. 3.
  • If your child(ren) attends a before-school program, the program leaders will communicate directly with parents and guardians about their plans for Monday morning.

In addition to the masks, staff will take Covid-19 tests if the state-provided kits arrive by Monday morning, a press release issued on Jan. 1, 2022 from the Belmont School Superintendent John Phelan. The one-hour lead time will also allow school nurses to answer emails concerning health questions from parents and guardians.

 “If you have emailed the nurse with a question about a COVID scenario, please keep your student home until you receive a response from the nurse,” said Phelan.

The delay comes after two state teacher unions called for schools to be closed on Monday to allow teachers to be tested over concerns of potential exposure to the Covid-19 virus during the holiday vacation. During the past week, Massachusetts recorded the highest infection rate since the beginning of the pandemic with more than 21,100 new cases.

Adherence to the guidelines

“Our Belmont community has done a great job since September monitoring symptoms and staying home when sick,” said Phelan. “Your conscientious adherence to the guidelines has allowed us to keep schools open. Following the guidelines will be even more important in the coming days and weeks as we face the increase in cases due to the Omicron variant.”

Reminders and recommendations are:

  1. Use the symptom checker every morning. Submit the form to your school nurse and keep your student home if they exhibit symptoms.
  2. Send your student to school with the best masks possible. N95, KN95, or KF94 masks are recommended for the best protection. The district has purchased additional masks as a back-up for students if needed.
  3. If you haven’t already done so, register your student for Routine COVID Pooled Testing. Here is the link to register. Pooled testing is important for vaccinated students as well. 
  4. Get your student vaccinated and boosted. 
  5. If you have access to at-home testing, please use this as an additional safety measure. We are reviewing our ability to modify our pool-testing schedule.

“This year it has been our primary goal to open safely and to remain open. We remain committed to this goal through our multiple mitigation strategies, which include universal masking, air purifiers in all classrooms, strict adherence to monitoring symptoms and staying home when sick, participating in pooled testing, and getting vaccinated and boosted when eligible. We are reviewing protocols for all aspects of the school day, especially lunch and snack, in order to maximize social distancing,” said Phelan.