Townie, Thought Provocateur, Gen Xer and Town Meeting member shares the Good, Bad, and Ugly in Belmont. What you don’t hear in the local news but is shared daily at Dunk’s, barber shops and nearby pubs. A mixture of history, opinion, humor and thought provoking issues that everyone should be entitled too.
Eminem sang “Snap back to Reality, oh there goes gravity” seems fitting for those returning from the annual Belmont Summer exodus.
Let me get you caught up and if you are “woke” beware that I am a member of the protected over 50 class which also makes me a Gen Xer and immune from your nonsense and approved for an AARP card. I also know where the bodies are buried in Town. This article is meant to provoke conversation and entertain, and is my opinion so enjoy or be infuriated.
The Belmont Marauder Football team has been invited to play at Fenway Park on the day before Thanksgiving against the Watertown Wat-rats. This marks the 100 th matchup between the teams. A couple of things have changed since the original meeting. Belmont is now the Town with rats and Watertown is super rich and building Schools without over-rides because of an abundance of commercial development. If only… Somewhat of a theme in Belmont but for Townies we know who fought against the commercial development at McLeans Hospital and the Uplands… same people advocating for relentless overrides. In the old days, you could drop a wager on the game at a not to be named former barbershop run by a legend… soon we will be able to wager on our phones as the Legislature approved sports gambling in MA. If it matters, the Marauders are 1.5pt favorites.
Overt bias… look it up. It is why we have a new bike travel lane on Concord Ave. The Transportation Committee (aka Bike Proponents) intent is to improve cyclist safety and encourage cycling (The data provided by Selectman Epstein challenges that Concord Ave. was a dangerous route for cycling in the first place). Apparently, pedestrian safety and the safety of motorists exiting cars was not a priority. This plan may work in some areas in some Towns, but it doesn’t work on Concord Ave in Belmont. If you have doubt, go sit in front of the post office or Library for an hour and watch. The only way this new design would work is by removing our tree lined median and expanding the travel lane. This would add great expense and upset many who love the aesthetics of the street. The alternative is going back to what we had and show respect for our Seniors and others that need space getting into and out of their vehicles. Mark Paollilo draws the short straw on this one… he accepted this on a trial basis. The trial is a disaster but if you don’t let him know then you own it. mpaolillo@belmont-ma.gov. BTW… yes, we are building a several million-dollar bike/community path covering the same route along the railroad tracks.
Overt bias II… Happy with the new $295m High School? Did you know it is still on budget? If you don’t know who the suckers are in Town, look for a mirror. Apparently, the promised parking lot, removal of White Field House, new athletic fields, and other work on the school is not going to be done as part of the Debt Exclusion. We also used some of the $7.8m Covid money from the State to fill the gap to stay “on budget”. Be happy though because we are keeping the couple million-dollar fire hazard (correction solar panels) on the building. Did I mention the BHSMS Building Committee plans to tear down the White Field House but has no locker rooms provisioned for the Fall and Spring sport teams? Prepare to hide the youngsters’ eyes as kids change out in the open. Did I mention we eliminated Tennis courts altogether at the HS? Did I mention the school was built based on an overall student population of @5,000. Following population trends, it was not surprising at all that we peaked at 4,633 in 2019 as those fit with the baby booms of the Y2K and 9/11. Last official count from 10/2021 was 4,285 students down from a peak of 4,633. Close an elementary School anyone. Give it 5 years and who knows.
I really hope we didn’t use the solar panels Amazon bought or we may need a new Middle School soon. Did I mention the Chenery needs a new roof? What’s $1.6m between friends. I would say it’s about the same amount we transferred in Covid funds to BHS/MS and less than the BHSMS Solar panels cost. Seems like the green community priorities are overtly prioritized over basic maintenance like roof replacement. We need to transition away from fossil fuels, but it takes decades to do it responsibly. I spoke with the energy Committee and their mandate is zero carbon (not economic feasibility or risk of environmental harm). Apparently, California is having an ecological nightmare as an early adopter of Solar they have no plans to recycle solar panels (some with chemicals that when disposed can leak and pollute drinking water). I followed up with the Solid Waste/Recycling Committee and they said they would add the issue to the fall agenda. Climate change is one of many issues. In Belmont Government it feels like leadership is afraid to push back and has an overt bias to this movement’s priorities like cyclists.
This should give you enough for a lively dinner or Dunk’s conversation… next up I’ll expose real dirt, discuss the $40M Library replacement and expansion, and disrespect of Town workers. If you want a rebuttal, go to that boring Belmont blog. If you are entertained… I am known to occasionally frequent the watering holes in and around Town and Bud Light is my choice. If you don’t agree with me then your uncle that always joked, you were dropped on your head as an infant, is probably right.