We Give Up: Schools, Town, Library Closed For Thursday’s Nor’easter

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Photo: School’s out for … Thursday!

Belmont has surrendered to tomorrow’s Nor’easter.

With approximately a foot of snow predicted to fall from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, most of Belmont will be shut down for the day.

  • Belmont Public Schools will be closed due to the snow and associated events and sporting contests will be postpone or rescheduled.
  • Town government and other town offices will also be shut tight.
  • The Belmont Public Library has cancelled events for the day and will remain closed until Friday at 9 a.m.

But one scheduled event will take place: Thursday trash and recycling pickup is still “on.”

Breaking: Parking Ban Begins 6 PM Thursday, Ends 6 AM Friday

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Photo: Snow Emergency declared for Thursday, Feb. 9 at 6 p.m.

The Belmont Police has issued a snow emergency parking ban on all streets, municipal and school parking lots in Belmont effective at 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 9, until 6 a.m., Friday, Feb. 10. 

ALL VEHICLES PARKED IN VIOLATION OF THE BAN WILL BE TOWED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE.

If you have any questions please call the snow emergency hotline at 617-993-2698. 

Belmont Police ‘Not in the Habit’ of Asking Immigration Status

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Photo: Belmont Police badge and patch. 

When asked about the department’s policy regarding persons with illegal status in the country, Belmont Police Assistant Captain James MacIsaac said while the department does not have written guidelines, when it comes to conducting local policing, “Belmont’s officers are not in the habit of asking about the immigration status of a victim, witness, or suspect.”

But while being an illegal immigration will not solely lead to that person’s arrest, if Belmont Police is asked by federal authorities to detain a person not lawfully in the country who is in custody for a crime, “I would expect our officers to cooperate,” said MacIsaac. 

The question of police cooperation with federal immigration law is at the heart of a likely citizen’s petition being prepared by residents which would make Belmont a “sanctuary” community through a vote at May’s annual Town Meeting. 

Belmont sanctuary supporters are pointing to a effort in Arlington, using similar language that would prevent local police from “engaging in or assisting in Immigration and Customs Enforcement in reporting, arresting, detaining deporting, or taking any other law enforcement action unsupported by separate and distinct warrants or probable cause from criminal conduct unrelated to immigration status.” 

Belmont Police’s current policy appears to takes a hands-off approach to the legal status of residents and visitors to Belmont: being an illegal immigrant or migrant is not of the utmost importance for law enforcement. 

MacIsaac said typically Belmont officers will encounter a person whose immigration status would be “questionable” occurs during a traffic stop.

For example, if a driver does not have a license, the officer may discover the person is a foreign citizen who is unable to obtain a Massachusetts RMV license because they do not have legal status in the US.

But that is as far as Belmont Police will go on the person’s status

“[T]he the fact that the immigration status would be questionable does not lead to actual questioning about the status,” said MacIsaac.

“Officers in these circumstances handle their business with a possibly illegal immigrant using state laws about driving unlicensed and then move on,” he said.

MacIsaac said only when a person is arrested would their illegal status officially come to the department’s attention.

As with all who are arrested f0r a crime in Belmont, the arrestee’s fingerprints are transmitted to the Massachusetts State Police and the FBI which assists the Department in identifying the person arrested, if they have a criminal record and determining if there are outstanding warrants.

One of the databases that fingerprint records are checked against, automatically, is one maintained by Homeland Security.

In response to the information that an alien with illegal status is in currently in Belmont PD custody, an official with Homeland Security could send to Belmont Police an “immigration detainer” which allows them to hold the person in custody for up to 48 hours in addition to whatever time they might be arrested for any state charges.

In Belmont, cooperating with the federal government’s request is part and parcel of good policing.

“In the media, one hears the heads of different law enforcement agencies say that they do or do not cooperate with these detainers. For my part, I expect that our officers will assist every US law enforcement agency in the accomplishment of their [legitimate] objectives, just as we would expect the same cooperation from those agencies in the accomplishment of our objectives,” said MacIsaac.

So far, the department has only seen one or two of these detainers, said Macisaac and its cooperation had been limited to providing the detainer to the district court for its action when we transfer a prisoner.

“It has certainly been less burdensome than other forms of civil detention in which the department is involved,” said MacIsaac.

For MacIsaac, the primary job of the department is to protect Belmont’s residents and visitors from crime, no matter the citizenship or immigration situation of the suspect.

“If inquiring into and using the immigration status of a person might help [us] remove from our community a serious criminal more quickly or effectively for the protection of our residents, I certainly support our officers in doing so,” said MacIsaac.

Burbank Crossing Guard Back To Support Walk to School Day

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Photo: Crossing Guard Jim Marcantonio with parent Heather Barr.

Today was a great day for Jim Marcantonio. The Belmont resident was working as a crossing guard in front of the Burbank Elementary School when he was clipped by a vehicle on Jan. 11, sending him to the hospital.

The accident prompted a protest the next day and added a greater sense of safety for students walking to the school along School Street. 

This morning, Wednesday, Feb. 1, Marcantonio was back at his post, this time as a visitor, to participate in a Winter Walk to School Day. Marcantonio, who had been a guard for the past three years, greeted students as parents, town leaders (Selectman candidate Adam Dash) and state officials (Massachusetts Department of Transportation Representative Keith Doty) learn more about ongoing efforts to make Belmont’s streets safer.

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Jim Marcantonio with 1st Grader Reece Bundy.

“We are working with the town planning department on various measures to make the crosswalk safer, which will need to be supported through the town’s budgeting process,” said Reed Bundy, a School Street homeowner who lives across from the Burbank who with his wife, Kelly Fanning, has been a leader in the safety efforts. 
“By gathering on Wednesday morning we can show that we value walking to school and care about making our routes to school safer,” he said.

Police Release Drawing of One Suspect in Sunday’s Armed Robbery

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Photo: Belmont Police drawing of one of two suspects in the armed robbery of a Waverley Square gas station on Sunday, Jan. 29.

The Belmont Police Department released a drawing of one of two suspects in an armed robbery that occurred Sunday night Jan. 29 at the Gulf Waverley Square Service Station located at 27 Lexington St. 

According to a Wednesday, Feb. 1 press release from the Belmont Police, the first suspect who enter the gas station was a black male approximately 5-feet, 9-inches tall, medium build and in his mid-twenties.  He was wearing a gray sweatshirt, black winter cap, and a black ski mask.  This suspect was armed with a black semi-automatic handgun.   

The second suspect – who is pictured in the drawing – entered the gas station after the first.  He was a black male, about 5-feet, 9-inches tall, medium build and in his mid-twenties.  He was wearing a black sweatshirt, jeans and has medium length black hair.

The first suspect pointed the handgun at the clerk and demanded money. He threatened to shoot the clerk if he did not comply. Both suspects ordered the clerk to the ground prior to exiting the station.  

If you have any additional information that will help aid the police in this investigation, please contact the Belmont Police at: 617-993-2501 or leave a message on our tip line: 617-993-2569 or email to crimetip@belmontpd.org

Waverley Square Service Station Robbed at Gun Point Sunday PM

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Photo: The location of the robbery in Waverley Square in Belmont.

A person with a gun robbed Waverley Square Service Sunday evening, Jan. 29, according to the Belmont Police Department

The Gulf-branded service station at the corner of Lexington Street and Thayer in the heart of Waverley Square was robbed at 7:35 p.m. The police has not released a description or photo of the suspect or how much money was taken.

Belmont Police is asking anyone “who witnessed anything unusual in [the] area around that time” to call them at 617-993-2501.

20 Year Old ID’d as Victim Of Deadly Trapelo Road Fire

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Photo: House destroyed by fire on Monday.

A 20-year-old man has been identified as the person killed in an early morning fire on Trapelo Road Monday, Jan. 23.

The Middlesex District Attorney’s office said Kevin Rossell was the person found by firefighters on the third floor of the two-family house at 606-608 Trapelo Rd. after a 4 a.m. three-alarm blaze destroyed the structure. 

No one else was hurt in the fire that halted traffic for a short time on the busy roadway running through town. 

Burbank Community Protest Dangerous Roadway After Guard Hurt [VIDEO]

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Photo: Concern on School Street.

When Kelly Fanning heard Wednesday, Jan. 11 well-liked crossing guard James Marcantonio was hit and then hospitalized by a vehicle on School Street in front of the Burbank Elementary School, the mother of two who lives steps from the crosswalk knew it was time for the community to take action.

“[James] is a friend to everyone, he knows all the children and really looks after them,” said Fanning.

(A press release from the Belmont Police said Marcantonio suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the accident that occurred at 8:11 a.m. The driver was cited for not yielding for a person in a crosswalk.)

“If this could happen to him, it shows how dangerous the road is now,” said the mom of Reece Bundy and Mabel Fanning. “There recently have been three accidents before [Marcantonio] including another pedestrian, all happening in front of the school.”

Parents have pointed to the increase in pass-through traffic along School Street, how the crosswalk is just beyond a blind corner as traffic travels from Washington Street and the lack of traffic-calming devices leading to the crosswalk.

“I know that the town knows the yellow [warning] lights don’t work. It’s just another thing that lets drivers not pay attention to the crosswalk,” said Jimmy Busa, who was standing in for his fellow crossing guard.

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Later Wednesday, Fanning and her husband, Red Bundy, began mobilizing their social media contacts to bring together parents, students and residents to demonstrate Thursday morning before school in support of better safety leading in both directions to the crosswalk.

“There are several things the town can do including put a curb along [the south side of] School Street up to the crosswalk and raise the crosswalk,” said Randolph Street’s Peter Dizikes, a parent, and a Precinct 1 Town Meeting member.

On a cloudy, chilly Thursday morning, Fanning brought colored poster board and Sharpies for students and parents to write out signs.

“Ten parents sent back messages that they would attend,” said Fanning. “That would be a good start.”

Soon, parents walking students to school came by and joined the growing numbers who carried signs – “Stay Alert and Slow Down” and “Kids Crossing” – and brought their voices and even cowbells (“More cowbells” advised one parent to the students ringing away).

By the beginning of the school day, more than 60 students and residents were loudly proclaiming their support to make the roadway and crosswalk safer.

“I hope that the [town] will see that there is a lot of people who want something to happen here. This is a serious safety issue that needs to be addressed,” said Fanning.

Belmont Under Winter Storm Warning; Phone Number to Have Close at Hand

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Photo: At least it’s taking place on Saturday.

Belmont will see anywhere between six inches to a foot of snow by midnight, Sunday, Jan. 8, according to the National Weather Service.

At 11:40 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 7, the NSA issued a Winter Storm Warning that will remain in effect until 1 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 8. Snow will fall moderately to heavy at times into the early evening hours before tapering off around midnight with gusty winds that could reach 35 mph.

Here are the phone numbers and information that you should keep close during the storm:

Belmont’s SNOW EMERGENCY HOTLINE: 617-993-2698.

Belmont Light’s Outage Line: 617-993-2800.

See winter storm information from the Department of Public Works: Winter Weather Brochure

Snow Removal Bylaw:

Snow Emergency Parking Ban Starts 9PM Saturday

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Photo: It’ll get snowy soon.

The Belmont Police has issued a Snow Emergency Parking Ban in Belmont on all roadways and municipal parking lots and schools effective at 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7 until 9 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 8. 

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

Residents who have any questions call the snow emergency hotline at 617-993-2698.