School Committee Gives Initial Nod to Proposed New Rink/Rec Center

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Photo: Bob Mulroy.

The Belmont School Committee gave its initial “OK” Tuesday night, Sept. 8, for a youth sports organization to begin the process that could result in the construction of a new multi-purpose town recreation center. 

“We are not just looking at our needs, but … of the entire community,” said Bob Mulroy, who gave the presentation for Belmont Youth Hockey Association, which is leading the project that would include an NHL-sized skating rink, a second “half” skating surface that would transform into a field house for half the year, modern locker rooms, a community fitness center, and many more amenities.

While the proposal has received high marks from public and elected officials in August when the Board of Selectmen was presented with the proposal, those deciding the fate of the project are taking a long-view of the process. 

“I see this as the first step … I don’t see this as a significant substance discussion but just to understand what the proposal is before us,” said School Committee Chair Laurie Slap, as the committee members voted the proposal was “worth exploring.”

The $6.5 million complex – which would include off-street, on-site parking – would be overseen by a non-profit public/private partnership that would incorporate a wide array of town departments, the school committee, youth hockey and funders on the board.

In exchange for the land to build the center, Belmont schools, and high school teams will have use of the facility at no cost. 

Both sides acknowledge the first significant hurdle to clear is where to locate the center. Under BYHA’s ideal scenario, the complex would be built on the current home of the Belmont High softball team abutting the Mobile service station and across Concord Avenue from the Belmont Public Library.

But that is the same site where in May 2013 the school committee rejected a request by the Board of Library Overseers to place a new $19.5 million town library, actually killing the hopes of supporters for more than a decade.

The alternative location would place the recreation center on the existing rink footprint, across Concord Avenue from the Underwood Pool.

“We are aware that fields are crucial in town, and we are not looking to reduce that [amount],” said Mulroy.

The proposal would both help find solutions to real recreational needs – providing adequate changing space and locker rooms for all sports teams – in Belmont as well as replace the 45-year-old “Skip” Viglirolo Skating Rink, which Mulroy described as “toast.”

The rink, with gaps in the walls, few comforts, and antiquated mechanical systems, has past its useful life “long ago,” said Mulroy.

Belmont Youth Hockey is the rinks biggest customer, taking three-quarters of the available rental time.

Mulroy told the meeting the cost to renovate the current structures to current code would be the same as building a new recreation center. 

Under the current blueprint, the proposed center would include:

  • A 25,000 sq.-ft. NHL-sized rink (approximately 200 feet by 85 foot).
  • A half-sized skating rink used for seven months then transformed into a field house for tennis, soccer and community events.
  • Six modern year-round locker rooms.
  • A 5,000 sq.-ft. health club/gym open to the public.
  • Exercise classrooms.
  • A skate shop.
  • Concession stand.
  • Meeting rooms.
  • Athletic offices.
  • A trainers/medical center.

The proposed building would cost between $8 and $9 million, with construction priced between $6 to $7 million financed with private debt. The cost of field renovations would be $1 million with the funds coming from a Community Preservation Committee grant and the final $1 million used to outfit the new space and purchase equipment.

The reasoning behind adding a second, smaller rink to the NHL-sized sheet of ice is financial, said Mulroy. Under economic models of similar existing arenas in New England, Mulroy said the Recreation Center will take in just over $1 million in income annually with expenses of $600,000 for a net “profit” of just under $500,000 a year. 

Mulroy told the Belmontonian after the meeting that several funding sources are prepared to step forward to provide the debt financing. 

Mulroy said he anticipated the planning and design stage – when the details on financing, governance, and zoning will be hammered out – to take a year with construction an additional nine months. He believes the entire project will take 24 months to complete.

From the town’s perspective, the private/public venture is a win/win on many fronts; it is financially sustainable without requiring town funding to run, it takes an enormous expense off of the town’s “to-do” list of capital projects, and it provides Belmont with a new facility at limited cost.

While amenable to the project, School Committee members joined Board of Selectmen Chair Sami Baghdady that many details on financing, governance and a myriad of issues “will need to be flushed out over time” before final approval is granted. 

Member Elyse Shuster suggested that the school committee use the proposal to begin a discussion on the “whole [Belmont High School] campus” as an integrated whole. 

“I would encourage us to think about integrating the [the high school’s Higgenbottom Pool] and making it a true recreational facility,” she said.

Final Day a Crowded One As Residents ‘Test Drive’ Underwood Pool

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Photo: Lifeguard Elizabeth Levy, 17, watching over the wadding pool at the Underwood Pool on Labor Day, Sept, 7, 2015.

A line of nearly 20 people – young, old, families and singles – lined up outside the entry of the new Underwood Pool complex at around 5 p.m. on a hot and hazy Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.

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The reason for the delay getting inside the one-month-old facility? Simple popularity. The weather and knowing it would be the last day residents would be able to use the $5.3 million double pool for nearly 10 months brought the crowds out to at least “test drive” the structure that replaced the former 102 year old outdoor “pond” once before it goes into hibernation. 

One lifeguard at the entrance said more than 1,000 people had come during the Monday holiday, causing the pool to be temporarily closed due to the sheer numbers enjoying the amenity. 

“This is great. We need to build another one,” said Adriana Poole of Belmont, as she made her way up and back in one of the lanes in the deep end of the pool. 

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Another resident said he came “just to see what I paid for,” referring to the $2.9 million debt exclusion approved by Belmont voters in 2014.

The verdict: “Very nice, although I’d like it more if it was open tomorrow,” he said, noting Tuesday’s highs would top 90 degrees.

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Psst: Can You Keep a Secret? Private/Public Scheme to Build New Skating Rink

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Photo: “Skip” Viglirolo Skating Rink.

It’s the worst kept secret in Belmont: a proposal to build a new private/public skating rink and field house on the site of the existing nearly half century old “Skip” Viglirolo rink and the White Field House adjacent to Harris Field off Concord Avenue.

Not that this latest news required a “spoiler” alert for its official unveiling at a big joint meeting at the Chenery Middle School on Tuesday, Sept. 8, as information surrounding the proposal has leaked to the public over the summer.

According to four separate sources, the project – final cost is still to be determined but its likely several million dollars – to replace the existing structures have been on the minds of many for decades.

Now, after recent examples of private donors using their wallets and connects to successfully improve, maintain or rebuild municipal and school properties – laying down the new varsity court in the Wenner Field House being the latest – a new group has set their sights on what many consider a town asset that has seen its best days pass it by, the “Skip” Viglirolo Skating Rink. 

Built in 1969 during the rise of the Boston Bruins and Bobby Orr, the rink’s limitations and faults are legendary to visitors, players and parents. The physical structure was never fully constructed with heavy sheet metal side walls with gaping openings that allow both the weather – whether it is blistering cold or spring time warmth – and birds to migrate inside.

There is no heat or comfortable seating for viewers; the locker rooms are old, and the lighting is far from adequate while the only “warm up” space for spectators is the small snack room.

Editor’s note: One visitor from Calgary, Canada – no stranger to wind swept blizzard conditions – told the Belmontonian editor in 2002 there were warmer outdoor rinks in his hometown than the indoor Viglirolo rink.

But despite its threadbare condition, the rink is an asset to the town and hockey programs from beginners to high school varsity programs, providing a place to skate and practice at an affordable price. 

“Many towns would die to have its own rink,” said one

In addition, the White Field House – dedicated to a Belmont High alum who died during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 – while structurally sound, doesn’t provide space for the large number of female athletes who could use a changing area adjacent to the main athletic field.

In past documents, town officials and Capital Budgets placed the rink was one of the town’s major capital expenses that required addressing.

The sources – all who spoke on background as they promised not to reveal the proposal – said a spokesperson representing a group of residents advanced an initial proposal in early 2015 to a Financial Task Force subcommittee during the later stages of its tenure. to replace the dilapidated rink with a new structure and provide a new field house using private fund.

The initial response from town and government committees was enthusiastic yet guarded. While the outline was interesting, the group was told much more work needed to be done in both how the deal would be financed and, just as important, provide greater detail concerning the governance and use of the facility once it is built.

Recently, a dispute has been brewing in Wilmington over the Ristuccia Arena, constructed with the town’s help in the 1980s to provide access to town youth and adult hockey programs, which is accused of now catering to professional hockey teams, private school programs and elite skating clubs over local interests. 

The private group returned in late July for a formal presentation to the Belmont Board of Selectmen with representatives of town departments and the Captial Budget and Warrant committees as well as the Planning Board in attendance. 

Highlights of the proposal:

  • A new rink design will require taking some land from surrounding practice fields using by Belmont High School and youth sports programs.
  • The design of the rink and field house will allow for on-site parking, which will relieve traffic and parking congestion along Concord Avenue.
  • The town will benefit financially from the rink’s hourly rental fee that will be an income
    stream.
  • Belmont Savings Bank will take a major role in financing the proposal.

While the Selectmen, department heads and governmental committees who attended the presentation came away eager to move forward with the plan, the land on which the rink and field house reside is “owned” by the Belmont School Committee. The six-member committee will need to sign off on any proposal to see it advance from the blueprint stage.

This marks the second time the School Committee will be asked to allow land assigned to athletic fields to be used for a development; in May 2013, the committee denied a request from the Library Board of Trustees to use a small section of the same playing field for a proposed $19 million library. 

While nearly all  is enthused about the proposal, all sides decided to keep a somewhat tight lid on the plan in deference to the School Department who will have the first say about whether the proposal will work or not.

“We don’t want a repeat of the library fiasco,” said one source. 

Belmont Light Asking Customers to Limit Usage Over Next Two Hot Days

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Photo: Air conditioning units use a great amount of electricity.

Who said Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer?

The next two days will see temperatures in Belmont hit the 90s, and with that comes higher than normal energy usage and higher costs.

Sagewell, Inc. –the Woburn-based administrator of Belmont Light Energy Efficiency – is asking its 11,000 customers to help Belmont save energy and money by reducing their electricity consumption between 3 p.m.and 6 p.m. during the next two days.

Electricity cut during peak times helps Belmont mitigate rising utility costs, according to Sagewell.

“Nearly one-third of your electric bill is for the cost of procuring sufficient capacity for peak days and these costs are continuing to increase for all utilities across New England,” Sagewell notes.

Here are some tips to reduce Belmont peak electricity consumption:
●     Adjust air conditioners between four p.m. and 6 p.m. and turn off the AC in rooms that are not used. Adjusting the thermostat even by 2-3 degrees helps.
●     Use a microwave oven or an outdoor grill instead of a stove or a regular oven.
●     Shift laundry and dishwasher use to after 6 p.m.
●     Shift other electricity use to before 3 p.m. or after 6 p.m.

Residents and businesses with questions or would like advice on how to decrease peak energy consumption, feel free to contact Sagewell at support@sagewell.com or by calling 617-963-8141.

This (Short but Busy) Week: Stormwater Forum, LEGOs, Rink Presentation

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Photo:
 
On the governmental side of “The Week.”
  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen, the Belmont School Committee and the town’s Capital Budget Committee will hold a joint session to hear a presentation on the construction of a new skating rink and field house at the present site off Concord Avenue. The meeting is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at the Chenery Middle School.
  • The Belmont School Committee meets for the first time this school year at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at the Chenery Middle School. In addition to the Hockey Rink presentation, new staff members will be introduced and lots of reports and goals announced.
  • The Belmont Planning Board will meet to continue public hearing on a number of existing applications and one new application at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 in Town Hall. 
  • The Belmont Historic District Commission will discuss Demolition Delay and the cleaning of the commuter rail bridge at its 7 p.m. meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8 in Town Hall. 
  • The Energy Committee is meeting at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 9 at Town Hall.
  • The Community Preservation Committee is meeting at 5 p.m., Sept. 9 at Town Hall in preparation to its Sept. 17 public meeting. 
• Pre-School Summer Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer run library, on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings can join with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
• State Rep. Dave Rogers will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8. 
• The Belmont Public Library, in partnership with the Belmont-based non-profit Science for the Public, will offer the program Origami: Art and Science, on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 7  p.m. in the Assembly Room. The presenter for the program is Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan, Ph.D., de Valpine Professor of Applied Mathematics; Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology; Professor of Physics, Harvard University.
 
• Join Julie Goetze for traditional songs and nursery rhymes, played on her guitar on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the library’s Assembly Room
 
• A jobs workshop on “Changing Careers: Reinventing Oneself in Today’s Job Market” with employment expert Gary Gekow will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Transitioning into a new profession can be a challenging and daunting undertaking. Gekow will discuss and explore various strategies to help make the transition from one industry to another a smooth one.  This is a group discussion where everyone’s experiences and opinions are welcomed.  No sign-up necessary.
 
• Belmont Historical Society is holding its board meeting Wednesday, Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the Library’s Claflin Room.
 
• The LEGOs Club is back! If you love building with LEGOs, this program is for you!  Kids in grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade will build with our LEGOs and we’ll put all the creations on display in the Children’s Room. The fun begins Thursday, Sept. 10, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the library’s Assembly Room.
 
• The Belmont League of Women Voters monthly meeting is being held on Thursday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the library’s Flett Room.
 
• A stormwater forum titled “Water Trouble: A Neighbor-to-Neighbor Dialogue about Storms, Floods, and Water Quality” will take place on Thursday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Winn Brook School. Registration starts at 6:45 pm. Representatives from grass root organizations from Arlington, Belmont, and Watertown organized the forum. We have panelists from all three towns.
 
• Join Lenka from Belmont’s Music Together on Friday, Sept. 11 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 
in the library’s Assembly Room for singing, playing with egg shakers and dancing!  For kids 5 and under.
 
• The senior book discussion group will meet on Friday, Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. at the Beech Street Center to discuss Middlemarch by George Eliot.
 
• The Belmont Gallery of Art invites the public to the closing reception for “!02478,” Belmont Art Association’s Summer Show, on Friday, Sept. 11, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Belmont Art Gallery located on the third floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex.

• The Benton Library, Belmont’s independent library, is open on Friday, Sept. 11, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., come by the Benton on the way home or after dinner. Get a free library card if you don’t have one already. Explore the collection. Select some of our gently used sale books; all proceeds benefit the library.

Final Chance to Visit New Underwood Pools is Labor Day Monday

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Photo: Belmont’s new Underwood Pool.

One month since its grand opening, the new Underwood Pool facility at the corner of Cottage Street and Concord Avenue will close for the season today, Monday, Sept. 7, according to the town’s Recreations Department.

With weekday admissions exceeding 1,000 visits, the $5.2 million, two pool space located on the site of the historic, 102-year-old “pond” has been a popular destination for families and individuals during the “dog days” of summer. And that includes today, Labor Day, with temperatures expected to reach the low 90s.

The pool will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; those with memberships can head straight in and claim a favorite spot on the grass while those requiring a day pass will be charged $10 per adult and $5 for teens and children between 18 and toddlers. 

Sold in Belmont: ‘Tired’ Homes on the Hill Sell Below List

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Photo: 60 Stony Brook on Belmont Hill. 

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

48 Summit Rd. Townhouse condominium (2005). Sold: $1,345,000. Listed at $1,375,000. Living area: 2,520 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 84 days.

19 Thayer Rd. Condominum (1958). Sold: $263,750. Listed at $259,000. Living area: 625 sq.-ft. 4 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 42 days.

89 Bay State Rd. Colonial (1928). Sold: $1,050,000. Listed at $1,050,000. Living area: 2,616 sq.-ft. 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 70 days.

60 Stony Brook. Custom-design/ranch (1959). Sold: $1,100,000. Listed at $1,400,000. Living area: 2,616 sq.-ft. 10 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 3 baths. On the market: 161 days.

112 Winter St. Renovated (1946/2001). Sold: $895,000. Listed at $929,000. Living area: 3,100 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 78 days.

58 Crestview Rd. Ranch (1959). Sold: $1,025,000. Listed at $1,100,000. Living area: 2,816 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 4 baths. On the market: 70 days.

If you’ve lived in Belmont for any amount of time, you know that not every house on Belmont Hill is a brick manse with sculptured gardens with a view of Boston. Yes, they are pricey but many are beginning to show their age especially in their design and style.

Likely the custom-built house on Stony Brook Road was a humdinger of a residency when it was constructed half a century ago. Just how trendy was it to have a two-car garage projecting out from the Colonial-style split ranch with a brick wing jutting from the side. Not like those boring Colonials! Well, while those “boring” Colonial are much sought after, this mish-mash of styles looks and feels old. The interior is cramped with little in ways of options to use the available 2,600 square feet. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the structure’s asking price fell by $300,000 before selling at $1.1 million. 

The same could be said for the ranch on Crestview (in the shadow of the Boston Temple), and the terrible retro build structure on Winter, each selling below their list. Sometimes “location” can’t help a tired old building sell for what their owners think. Sorry to say but these homes would be suitable candidates for demolition with a new building on the foundation. 

Tomatoes Heading Out, Apples Coming In the Belmont Farmers Market

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Photo: Apples and tomatoes.

The Belmont Farmers Market welcomes September; a month of transitions: the return to school, the change from summer to fall, the close of tomato season and the beginning of the apple harvest. 

This is the last week that the Market will remain open until 6:30 p.m. Starting next week, Sept. 10, the market will begin closing at 6 p.m. for the rest of the season.

This week also marks the return of volunteer Storytime readers, taking over from the Belmont Public Library children’s librarians who hosted the event this summer.

The Belmont Farmers Market is open from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays throughout the summer until the final week of October. The market is located in the municipal parking lot at the intersection of Cross Street and Channing Road in Belmont Center.
 
Schedule of Events
  • 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.: Music by Branson Bofat 
  • 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Belmont Public “Pop-up” Library
  • 3 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.: Julia Lenef is a Belmont High School graduate who has played violin since 3rd grade. She plays jazz, classical, and occasionally rock.
  • 4 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.: Storytime by the Library
  • 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.: Activities for kids by the Mount Auburn Cemetery: Staff from the cemetery will offer a make your own butterfly activity for children of all ages. In addition, they will be distributing copies of their new “Mount Auburn Family Nature Guide,” an activity guide to explore the cemetery in all seasons. 
Monthly and occasional vendors at the market this week are:  
Coastal Vineyards, Couët Farm & Fromagerie, Seta’s Mediterranean Foods, Soup N’ Spoon.
Weekly Vendors: 
Boston Smoked Fish Co., C&C Lobsters and Fish, Dick’s Market Garden Farm, Fior D’Italia, Flats Mentor Farm, Foxboro Cheese Co., Gaouette Farm, Goodies Homemade, Hutchins Farm, Kimball Fruit Farm, Mamadou’s Artisan Bakery, Nicewicz Family Farm, Sfolia Baking Company, Stillman Quality Meats.
Food Truck in the Belmont Center Parking Lot
Jamaica Mi Hungry 

Opinion: Time to Reset When Belmont Schools Start The Day

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Photo: Sleep deprivation among adolescents is a chronic problem across the country and here in Belmont.

By Andrea Prestwich and Steve Saar, Belmont Start School Later

For one Belmont High School senior, the beginning of the school year – which starts today, Wednesday, Sept. 2 – is a double edge sword; the excitement of their final year in the public schools is dampened in trying to stay awake to enjoy the moment. 

“It’s really difficult to maintain your focus in class when you don’t get enough sleep. Belmont High School is a great school with high standards, but it’s difficult to keep up when you’re chronically tired,” the senior said, who manages to sleep seven hours on a “good” night.

Our daughter is another example. She is a 12-year-old Chenery Middle School student who says she feels “heavy, slow, grumpy and lethargic” on most school mornings.

What’s wrong with these kids? As it turns out, NOTHING! Many – if not most – middle and high school students in Belmont struggle with chronic sleepiness as they are forced out of bed at 6:30 a.m. or earlier to get to school.

Numerous scientific studies have shown that as kids hit puberty their sleep rhythms change. They naturally fall asleep later and get up later. Asking a teen to get up at 6:30 a.m. is like asking an adult to get up at 4 a.m.; they are deep into their natural sleep cycle. Studies also show adolescents need eight-and-a-half to nine-and-a-half hours of sleep each night.

Depriving kids of sleep at such a crucial period of their development can lead to serious long-term health consequences, including:

  • increased risks of obesity
  • diabetes
  • hypertension
  • stroke
  • depression
  • anxiety
  • substance abuse
  • Accidents while driving.

Sleep deprivation among adolescents is a chronic problem across the country, linked to poor impulse control and self-regulation – sleepy kids make bad decisions – impairments in attention and memory and deficits in abstract thinking.

Student athletes are especially impacted by sleep deprivation. A study highlighted by the American Academy of Pediatrics showed that “athletes who slept eight or more hours each night were 68 percent less likely to be injured than athletes who regularly slept less.”

The scale of the problem has been recognized by the Center for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, the Society for Pediatric Nurses, the National Association of School Nurses, and the National Sleep Foundation, all endorsing later school start time, with middle and high schools opening no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

So, with just about every professional medical organization in the country endorsing later school start times, why does Belmont begin the Chenery day at 7:55 a.m. and Belmont High at 7:35 a.m?

Sometimes the reason is economics. Many schools set start times decades ago to save transportation costs by running the same busses in three cycles for the high school, middle school and elementary school. Starting schools early also leaves more time in the afternoon for athletics and other after-school activities.

The current schedule would make sense if adolescents had a “sleep mode” button, but sadly, evolution has not seen fit to equip them with one. You just can’t put teens to bed at 9:30 p.m. and expect them to go to sleep immediately and wake bright and early at 6 a.m. as the schedule is contrary to their natural sleep rhythms.

If you put teens to bed at 9:30 p.m. they will toss and turn until 11 p.m. when they will finally start to feel drowsy. The adage “early to bed and early to rise” doesn’t apply to adolescents; they are creatures of the night!

So why not change Belmont to a healthier, later schedule? First, there’s a widespread belief that if schools start later kids will stay up later. This is not true. A landmark study looked at 18,000 high school students in Minneapolis before and after the district’s school start time changed from 7:15 a.m. to 8:40 a.m. The main conclusion was that high school students slept an hour longer on average when their school started later. They went to bed at the same time as before the time change and slept longer. 

Athletics is another consideration. Currently, schools in the Middlesex League have early starting times. If Belmont were to shift to a healthier, later schedule, our athletes would be out of sync with the rest of the league. Practice times would also have to change, possibly causing a ripple effect and impacting youth groups who use the same facilities.

Other barriers to a later schedule include the need to re-think before- and after-school programs and the impact on some kids with part-time jobs. 

There are certainly obstacles to shifting Belmont High and the Chenery to start later but none is insurmountable. For example, bus schedules could be reversed so that Winn Brook starts first at around 7:45 a.m., then the High School just after 8:30 a.m., Wellington, and Chenery later. Elementary school kids are usually up with the larks, bouncing on their beds – they have sleep rhythms naturally suited to an earlier start. 

Start School Later has local chapters across Massachusetts working for later start times, and we are working with Massachusetts legislators. Hopefully, Belmont will join other districts as they shift times.

Even though there are difficulties in changing school start times, it is not acceptable for our kids to be sleep deprived, any more than it is acceptable for them to go without food or any other life necessity. And sleep is a necessity of life. Our kids should start the school day well fed and rested. The current start times make this impossible.

School districts around the country have shifted to healthier schedules with very positive results: kids are more alert and less grumpy, there are lower rates of tardiness and fewer missed school days. They arrive at school ready to learn.

We ask Belmont School Superintendent John Phelan and the Belmont School Committee follow the recommendations and shift Belmont schools to healthier schedules.

 

They’re Back! First Day of School in Belmont Wednesday, Sept. 2

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Photo: Crossing the street at the Burbank. 

Remember the alarm clock? It probably hasn’t been heard since the last week in June; but starting today, it returns as a weekday companion for parents and children as Wednesday, Sept. 2, marks the first day of school in Belmont for student in 1st through 12th grades.

Kindergarten students get to sleep in for a week, as the youngest Belmont students start on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 8 and 9.

Belmont High School starts at 7:35 a.m.; Chenery Middle School at 7:55 a.m.; the Burbank, Butler and Wellington elementary schools at 8:40 a.m.; and the Winn Brook at 8:50 a.m. 

For school hours, the school-year calendar, bus routes, lunch menus, and more information, go to www.belmont.k12.ma.us/bps/

With students being greeted by temperatures reaching the lower 90s on both days – and with several schools lacking adequate air conditioning – school officials are suggesting students come to school with water and stay hydrated.

On these first two days of the 2015-16 year – the six Belmont public schools will be closed Friday, Sept. 4 through Monday, Sept. 7 for the Labor Day holiday – Belmont Schools Superintendent John Phelan is asking for parents and students to be safe and patient.

Phelan said due to street closures and road construction throughout the town, drivers learning new routes and parents giving long goodbyes to children on their first days, buses will likely be delayed. 

Parents driving their children to school along with students driving to Belmont High School are also being asked to be patient while each school’s administration works out the kinks of their drop-off and pick-up plans.

In addition, Phelan and the Belmont Police are asking all drivers “to be mindful of our students who are walking or biking to school.”  

“The sidewalks, streets,  and parking lots will be congested and we want to make sure all can share the road safely,” said Phelan. 

Beginning this year following a suggestion by Phelan, the district has adopted a pre-Labor Day opening to the school year. Phelan hopes starting school for two days, followed by the four-day Labor Day holiday and four days of school “will facilitate a smooth transition for our children.”

“This gradual start will give our students a chance to meet their teachers this week, find out expectations for the year, and set up their school routines,” said Phelan in his opening day memo sent to parents and teachers.

“Then, hopefully, they can spend the four-day weekend stress-free and return to school Tuesday refreshed and prepared to learn,” he noted.