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.  

Before Saturday’s Final, Head to Annual Hoop Shoot-Out to Halt Malaria

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Photo: The poster for Saturday’s “Hoop Shoot-Out.” 

Before heading off to Woburn to support the Belmont High Girls’ Basketball team in their championship run, find out just how difficult it is to make a free throw.

The Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church’s annual “Hoop Shoot-Out” to raise funds for Imagine No Malaria will take place Saturday, March 12, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the church’s gym located at 421 Common St., Belmont.

Enter the gym via the doors at the parking lot off Palfrey. 

The church is nearing the conclusion of a very successful national INM campaign. In the past five years, the children’s death rate from malaria has been reduced from once every 30 seconds to once every two minutes. This is a significant improvement allowing more children to reach adulthood and allowing for a more productive society. As little as $10 saves lives by providing insecticide-treated bed nets, education, and treatment.

Shooters and sponsors are needed. Anyone of all ages can participate: the idea is to sink as many foul shots as you can in two minutes. Just bring a list of sponsors (amount per basket or flat rate). Or come for the fun!

Show up anytime between 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and your cheering squad is welcome.

For more info, contact the church at 857-600-1282 or office@bwumc.org

Hotel Takes Step Closer To Town OK as ZBA Requests Technical Data

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Photo: The development team for the proposed hotel in Belmont: (from left, standing) Jennifer Conley, president of Conley Associates; Robert Levy, attorney with Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott; Waltham developer Michael Columba; and Andy Rojas, architect.

For the two dozen residents who attended the Monday, March 7 meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeal anticipating a decision to approve a small hotel at the base of Belmont Hill, at least, they had to opportunity to view an impressive new art installation at the Belmont Gallery of Art where the board meetings take place.

For a second time in as many months, the ZBA voted to continue its hearing, postponing a final vote on the request by Waltham developer Michael Columba to secure five special permits to allow construction of a 19-unit “European-style boutique hotel” at the corner of Brighton Avenue and Pleasant Street at the location of the now vacant Mini-Mart convenience store.

But with public support the proposed development has received and the technical nature of the data the board is requesting, it’s beginning to appear that the first new hotel in several decades, if not a century, could be up and running in early 2017.

“I do feel good that this is a win, win with the town,” said Columba after the meeting.

“I understand the concerns of neighbors, and I take [those] personally. It is something I want to resolve,” he told the Belmontonian after the meeting. 

At the conclusion of the meeting, the board asked Columba for additional technical information on issues such as sound measurements from the HVAC system, venting, and lighting, attempting to assure themselves that assumptions being made by the development team were accurate.

Former Selectman and the project’s architect Andy Rojas reiterated the projects highlights from his presentation last month: renovating the two-building, two-story structure at 334 Pleasant St. – the old Mini Mart convenience store and offices – to open a boutique hotel consisting of 18 guest rooms, a cafe for guests, a fitness room, a business center and management offices on the 14,400 sq.-ft. site.

The building’s exterior will not be altered – with the exception on new siding – significantly in an attempt to “express Belmont’s agrarian history.”

Rojas said the hotel would have less impact on local traffic than what can operate on the site “as right” (without needing any zoning change) including a retail store, and will generate tax revenue from lodging and meals “without having an impact on the schools.”

Colomba, who purchased the property last year, said he rented rooms “to a lot of people visiting Belmont” at his first hotel, the Crescent Suite Hotel in Waltham, whether it was for a funeral, graduation parties or visiting patients in hospitals and beliefs there is a demand for European-style lodging.

He said his experience showed the hotel will be three-quarters occupied with the majority of guests registering during the day and coming back to their rooms between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. at the latest.

Jennifer Conley, president of Conley Associates, a Boston-based transportation planning, and engineering firm, said a small hotel will generate around 160 total trips in the day with a maximum of 12 trips per hour during rush hours, much lower than the 35 trips per hour a convenience store would attract.

As he did in February, ZBA Chair Eric Smith again questioned the team just how a hotel fits within the town’s bylaws. Since there is no mention of hotels in the table of uses in the zoning documents, “so the closest … is apartments which are a prohibited use in [this zoning district],” said Smith.

Robert Levy, an attorney with Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott representing Columba, said his reading of the zoning bylaw and its parking requirements – which does briefly refers to hotel use – suggests the hotel would be more akin to a daycare center or a catering business, retail and service uses that are allowable at the site with a special permit. 

For the most part, board members wanted to nail down several techical assumptions made by the developer, including just how noisy climate control systems will be running at the same time.

“Have everything written down,” requested Mariann Scali, a long-time resident.

If all goes to plan and the Board awards the special permits to Columba, work at the site will begin within weeks and will be completed in six to eight months. 

Annual Acoustic Coffeehouse Thursday to Help End Homelessness

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Photo: Image.

Belmont High School’s Working to Help the Homeless Club will host its third annual acoustic Coffeehouse on Thursday, March 10 at 7 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria.

With music, ice cream, and homemade goodies, it is sure to be a great night. Open to all, tickets – which includes ice cream and other treats – are $5 at Champions Sporting Goods in Belmont Center and at the door.

Our performers will include:

  • Naria Sealy, Ashley Townsend, and Nic Neves
  • Wonyoung Jang, Evan Wagner, and Ben Crocker
  • Jasper Wolf, Nico Albano, Tommy Slap, Tino Decoulos, Aidan Hamell
  • Isabella Jaen Maisonet and Olivia Pierce
  • Ashley Townsend
  • Michael Rodriguez and Nathaniel Taylor
  • Becca Schwarz and Amelia Ickes
  • Kail Pellicane
  • Navya Jain and Mahima Sindhu
  • Jen Tan, Emily Logan, and Lilikoi Bronson
  • Josie Cooper and Kiara Holm
  • Elizabeth Galli and Viola Monovich
  • Rafi Wagner, Benton Jones, Jack Merullo, Matt Thompson, Bella Martin, Haig Hovsepian, Nic Neves, Clay Moyles, Danny Holt and Joe Wenzel
  • Ben Covell
  • Barry Eom

Last year’s coffeehouse was a huge success, raising over $1600 for the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter Youth Housing Initiative (Y2Y Harvard Square). Working to Help the Homeless Club decided to donate the money to the same cause this year as well.  Y2Y Harvard Square is the second youth-only shelter in the Boston area, serving homeless people between the ages of 18 and 24. The shelter, which opened in November, is run by Harvard students and works to create safe and secure futures for homeless youth (hence the name Y2Y, or youth to youth).

The Coffeehouse for a Cause is sure to be a blast and benefits an excellent cause. Show your support for Belmont High School’s exceptional performers and the Working to Help the Homeless club.

Championship Bound: Belmont Upsets Arlington Catholic for Spot in Sectional Finals

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Photo: Samari Winklaar (center) after the team’s victory vs. Arlington Catholic. (photo by 

With just seconds left in the third quarter and Belmont with a tenuous three-point lead over favorite Arlington Catholic, Belmont High’s senior co-captain Samari Winklaar wasn’t thinking about playing it safe and holding onto the ball near the right corner of the court to allow the clock to run out.

“I knew I was going to take that shot,” said Winklaar.

With a pair of Cougars draped over her and off a bad angle, Winklaar half pushed/half flung a prayer towards the basket as she fell into the first row of the benches in the Billerica High gym in front of a bus load of noisy Belmont fans.

And as the buzzer went off, the prayer was answered as the ball hit nothing but the bottom of the net.

As Winklaar (who led Belmont with 13 points (2 threes) and going 7-8 from the free-throw line) dove into her teammates arms, the Marauders’ lead doubled to 29-23 while the confidence of the 2014 State Champions was all but crushed by the improbable hoop.

“We said ‘we made it this far, we just need to keep going,” said sophomore point guard Carly Christofori. 

Employing its trademark suffocating defense and running past the Cougars in the third quarter, Belmont defeated the three seed – the third higher seed the team has beaten – in a Division 2 North semifinal thriller, 45-38, on Tuesday, March 8. For the first time in decades, Belmont will play in a sectional final on Saturday, March 12.

“We kept our composure well. We didn’t rattle easily today and even though we had trouble scoring, we gritted it out,” said Belmont Head Coach Melissa Hart.

[Unfortuantly, the game was virtually ignored by the three major sports outlets – the Boston Herald, Boston.com and ESPN Boston – while the media focused on nearly all other playoff games on Tuesday.]

While the time and location remain to be determined, the Marauders’ opponent will be the winner of the Triton/Watertown match on Wednesday, March 9, which could result in a dream match with the defending Division 2 North champions attempting to repeat with its traditional rivals standing in its way.

“Another shot at Watertown. I love it,” said Hart.

Belmont is heading to the finals on a foundation of a tenacious defense that proved as psychologically devastating as it is physically exhausting for Arlington Catholic. 

“Our defense frazzled them, and Arlington Catholic is a good team,” said Hart as Belmont’s in-their-face defensive approach prevented the Cougars from running its set plays, requiring them to search for alternatives, and launching more difficult shots.

In the key matchup of the game, Arlington Catholic’s big players 6′ 1″ Lena Perez and 6’3″ Demiana Fogarty were kept in check by Belmont’s counterparts; senior Sarah Stewart and freshman Jess Giorgio.

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(from left) Jess Giorgio and Sarah Stewart.

“The problems for us happened when she got the ball, so we just tried to stop her from getting it. She didn’t have much success because she wasn’t getting that many put-backs,” said Giorgio after the game.

And it is no coincidence that the effort opponents need to put out against Belmont has affected them in one important area. Against Belmont, the three opponents have gone 29-74 from the free throw line, a dismal 39 percent. Last night, AC hit 8 of 22 from the charity strip, about 36 percent.

Belmont came out shooting in the first, but only hitting a fraction of what they put up, finally scoring on a Jenny Call baseline bucket and a foul shot to give Belmont the lead, 3-2, after three minutes of play.

Call hit a floater to bring Belmont within one, 8-7, before Winklaar swished a three to give Belmont a 10-8 lead entering the second quarter.

While Belmont kept the Cougars to seven points, the Marauders’ only found the basket once, via a Stewart jumper as the teams went into the half 15-12 AC.

The Cougars took its biggest lead when freshman guard Erin Donlan hit a straight away three giving her team an 18-12 lead. But an Irini Nikolaidis put-back of an offensive rebound, a Meghan Tan layup, a Giorgio free throw and a Tan three at 2:47 in the third tied the score at 20.

In the final two-and-a-half minutes, Belmont made its move: after Perez had missed a pair of free throws, Stewart hit a jumper, Giorgio took a perfect pass from Tan to hit her only basket of the night and Winklaar hit both free throws after being fouled with 50 seconds remaining. With a three point lead and 20 seconds remaining, Belmont didn’t get the shot they wanted, but Winklaar made it count.

Neither team was all that productive in the first four minutes, with Belmont stretching its lead to 34-24. And while AC cut the lead to four, 36-32, with two minutes to play, a Stewart spin jumper for two, and a slew of Marauder free throws shut the door on Arlington Catholics comeback. 

When the final buzzer went off, the Belmont players exploded off the bench as they thoroughly enjoyed the celebration. 

“With had so many fans come here, we had to give them what they came for, and that was a win,” said Christofori.

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Photo by Kenneth Leinbach

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Letter to the Editor: The Facts Eclipse Allegations on Town’s Trash Contract

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Photo: Trash collection in Belmont.

To the editor:

“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.” This bit of wisdom from Daniel Patrick Moynihan is important, particularly during town elections. Paul Roberts submitted a letter to the editor to The Belmontonian that is all opinion. No facts. Belmont residents deserve to know the facts.    

According to Paul, his candidate (Alexandra Ruban) was drawn into politics by the “… sneaking suspicion that something was amiss in the town’s relationship with its recycling contractor.”  Alexandra “ … discovered that Belmont this year simply renewed its contract without soliciting bids from competing firms and that the Town had been doing this for more than a decade!”  In other words, she suspects that Belmont has been wasting money because of malfeasance by town officials.

The head of the Department of Public Works negotiates all contracts. Therefore, this fabricated allegation is a slur on the reputation of two distinguished town employees: [current DPW chief] Jay Marcotte and his predecessor, Peter Castanino. 

I will not remain silent when the work of these good men is subject to baseless allegations. Castanino devoted two decades of honorable service to the citizens of Belmont. He is one of the finest civil servants ever to serve our town.    

Even in political campaigns, there is no room for this type of attack. I am reminded of a time when a Boston attorney challenged a politician with these words: “Have you no decency, sir?”

Let’s review the facts about this year’s contract extension. 

  • FACT:  the two-year bridge contract did not exist when Roberts wrote his letter to the editor. It was considered by the Selectmen on Monday evening, March 7, and Alexandra (who opposed it) did not attend the meeting.  
  • FACT: when looking for cost savings for our taxpayers, it often is easier to get those savings from an existing contractor.
  • FACT: the cost increase in this new contract was driven by a wage increase required by the State’s prevailing wage statute. The two-year extension is a good deal as a bridge to a new five-year contract. Doug Koplow, chair of the former Solid Waste/Recycling Committee testified on Monday night and concurred in this assessment.   

Let’s review the previous decade. We achieved substantial savings. Belmont has done an excellent job of controlling costs. There have been two five-year contracts. 

  • FACT: the cost of solid waste and recycling has increased by 1.6 percent per year from FY ’05 through FY ’15.  That is less than the annual increase in the town budget. That is good management for Belmont taxpayers.   
  • FACT: all contracts have been reviewed in public by the Warrant Committee and the Board of Selectmen.

Finally, citizens should understand that Alexandra knew most of these facts. Marcotte explained the history of solid waste and recycling contracts to her in a telephone conversation earlier this year. It appears that Alexandra ignored facts that did not fit her narrative. Governing requires an ability to listen and learn.

In an election year, facts matter. Civility matters. Character matters.

I urge you to re-elect Mark Paolillo as Selectman on April 5. 

Ralph Jones

Town Meeting Member, Precinct 3, former Chair of the School Committee, Warrant Committee, and Board of Selectmen

Assistant Principal Coplon-Newfield Leaving Chenery

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Photo: Daniel Coplon-Newfield

A week after the Chenery Middle School’s principal announced she was stepping down in June, her second-in-charge told parents and staff Monday, March 7, he is also leaving the Belmont middle school at the end of the school year.

Daniel Coplon-Newfield, a long-time teacher and assistant principal for the Upper School since 2011, wrote in an email he leaving the Chenery to become Head of School at the Vassal Lane Upper School in Cambridge. One of five public schools for 6th-8th graders, Vassal Lane accepts students who have completed local Montessori schools.
“This represents a great opportunity for me as I continue to develop as a school leader and I am excited about this big next step,” wrote Coplon-Newfield, who first came to the school in 2005 as a Behavior Specialist; Special Education Teacher.
“I cannot overstate my respect for the tremendous teaching staff here at Chenery. They are, without a doubt, some of the best middle school educators in the country and I will miss working with them,” said Coplon-Newfield
Coplon-Newfield statement comes a week after Chenery Principal Kristin St. George announced she was stepping down from her role. The departures leave a large gap in experience and leadership to be filled before the last week in August when classes begin in the 2016-17 school year. 
 

Time Change: Belmont/Arlington Catholic Sectional Semis at 5:30 PM Tuesday

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Photo: Belmont High Girls’ Basketball team.

Tipoff for today’s Division 2 North sectional semifinals Tuesday, March 8, between Belmont High and Arlington Catholic, has been moved up to 5:30 p.m. from 7 p.m. 

The matchup between the 10th-ranked Marauders (13-9) and the 3rd-seed (19-3) Cougars will take place at Billerica High School.

Belmont is the third Middlesex League team Arlington Catholic has met in the tourney, having beaten Wakefield (in overtime) last week and Melrose on Sunday. Belmont has upset its first two higher-seeded opponents, Marblehead and Newburyport, to reach the Division 2 North sectional semifinals for the third time in four years.

AC is led by seniors Demi Fogarty and Marie Gaffney – Fogarty had 22 points and wrapped up 15 rebounds in the Cougars’ latest win and Gaffney had 24 points against Wakefield – while freshman Erin Donlan is capable of hitting open threes.

Belmont uses a smothering defense to generate its offense which is led by sophomore guard and Middlesex all-star Carly Christofori. 

Two Months After the Fire, Il Casale Reopens Monday

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Photo: The interior of il Casale which reopens for business on March 7. 

A smokey fire in an exhaust flue on Jan. 7 not only sent Belmont and Arlington fire departments to 50 Leonard St., it resulted in il Casale Belmont in Belmont Center being closed so owners Dante, Damian and Filippo de Magistristo could make the necessary repairs to the landmark restaurant.

Today, Monday, March 7 – two months to the day of the fire – the de Magistris’ are opening the doors to their eatery which did not undergo any major renovations aside from some minor aesthetic upgrades. 

“While the damage to the restaurant was minimal, it has been no small feat for us to re-open,” said Dante, who is il Casale’s chef.

“We are a small 100 percent family-run local business with 50 talented and dedicated employees who are eager to serve and awaiting the moment when guests fill our space with their convivial spirits,” he said.

The chefs have been busy setting up the line to cook il Casale’s tried and true favorite dishes and will be introducing some new menu items including roasted swordfish “chop” al livornese and roasted skate wing – oreganata with brown butter and celery spears

“We are so grateful for the support of our local community over the past seven years and appreciate all of their support in getting us back on track for many more,” said Dante.

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