Trivia?
Who owned the Belmont wine vineyard along Trapelo Road in 1922? Where could you buy fireworks in Belmont in the 1920’s?
Foodies
Shout out to the Wellington Restaurant in Belmont Center. Many overlook the kitchen staff but not them. Two thumbs up.
It’s very troubling that I must drive to Klemm’s Bakery (Ohlin’s) in NH to get a real donut. Linda’s were very good, but they seem not to have them anymore.
There are plenty of posers calling their mini cakes (donuts) and then there is whatever Dunkin calls a donut. Townie Talk has learned McDonalds is teaming with Krispy Kreme
to introduce donuts on a trial run in Louisville. Any TT readers with family in that area please advise.
Rumor
The average person consumes 8 spiders a year while sleeping. Townie Talk says False. I mean who would do a study watching a person sleep for a year and count the spiders crawling in. Now, we do consume about 1 to 2lbs of bugs a year but that’s because they are hidden in our food. Enjoy your Lunch today.
Belmont Public Schools
Latest enrollment numbers from October show 4,324 students. Down about 299 students from the 2019 peak. Belmont has seen an uptick in ELL and OOD students likely attributed to the Covid affect.
The MS portion of the new building appears to be on time for a Fall 2023 opening. Not surprisingly Massachusetts students hit a 19 year low in reading and math scores from Covid disrupted learning.
Taking the FUN out of School… what started in 2020 seems to be sticking around. The Senior All Night party almost was eliminated but survived in a watered-down version. Now Townie Talk is told the 8th grade rite of passage also known as the Washington DC trip will not be happening. I would suggest a rogue trip but that is a little too much of a challenge so maybe just wear masks of Biden, Trump, and Obama to School for the next week.
Party before the Hangover
No Override is likely next year even though the structural deficit is expected to grow to $8m. How do we reconcile the last few years…
In 2001 the $6.4m Override request was to address the growing structural deficit for a few years as the WC and SB felt using one-time funds was just digging a deeper hole and each year without an override the deficit would just grow.
The override failed. The Town used free cash, $7.9m in Covid funds, higher than expected State funds and large Department budget turnback’s from unfilled positions to cover the deficit in FY22, FY23 and now FY24.
Long story short we have $15.5m in certified free cash for FY24 and will use $6m of it plus $2m of Covid funds to plug the structural deficit. This leaves us with $2m in free cash plus whatever FY23 turnback’s (our current year) to apply toward FY25. The Town prefers to carry over a minimum of $2m in free cash annually so FY25 would appear to be an Override year but FY23 continues to be difficult to fill positions so it’s hard to say how large. Once the positions get filled (more likely as layoffs are starting in many industries) then the free cash shrinks faster and the deficit becomes leads to cuts.
A perfect storm is brewing with inflation, falling home values, high interest rates, reduced government spending and new layoffs looking to take its toll in 2023. Townie Talk recommends enjoying this Holiday season with as many friends and family as possible as next year is looking ugly for the World as the piper comes a calling or as Jeff Bezos put it recently “batten down the hatches”.
$5m alternative to SAVE the Belmont Public Library
The NO on Question 5 “Not This Library” Committee delivered much needed good news last week as they released a report from a highly respected structural engineer that the current building is structurally sound and can be repaired along with enhancements to ADA conditions for about $5 million or (the same amount fundraised so far) negating the need for new construction or pricey debt exclusion. That would be a huge win for environmentalism and the Town taxpayer already stressed with top 10 taxes in the State. A No vote on #5 paves the way.
Accidents
Two car accidents this week involving injury. The first in Belmont Center involved a single vehicle crash in which the vehicle flipped over (speed doesn’t appear to be the issue). The second involved an auto striking a pedestrian on Lewis Road. The pedestrian sustained serious injuries.
Answers
Salvatore Tricomi owned the vineyard off Trapelo road. Palfrey Spa sold Fireworks.
Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, Chinese New Year, Kwanzaa, Festivus gift ideas for the Belmont person who needs nothing……
Make a $20 contribution or greater to the Belmont Historical Society and they will receive the quarterly Belmont Historical Society Newsletter. Contact (617) 993-2878 and learn more fun Belmont Facts. They also sell books about Belmont’s history and how Roads were named. If you want to know where the bodies are buried, you will still need to read Townie Talk.
Farmers Market
We have some very interesting people in Town. I won’t name names, but one can tell you about the Beatles connection to Belmont. The Neumann to my Jerry was there and we had a spirited exchange of “can I quote you on that”.
What is the top question you get when holding a No on 5 sign?
Easy… what’s your position on the rink? No on 5 is not campaigning for or against the rink. It is campaigning for restoring the current library over demolition and replacement. The committee has those who support the rink and those who don’t. Each project should be weighed on its own merit. I heard several say the library attracts more people than the rink. While probably true I don’t understand the relevance. People in Town should want a library and a rink. What they include and what they cost is what should be debated. Belmont would be worse off not having one or the other. I don’t know anyone who supports this Town not having a library although some fearmongers say (it could burn down tomorrow, and we would be without). I hope the Town feels the same way about a rink (not the burning part). With all that said we have an $8m structural deficit and struggling residents with limited dollars to spend so what we spend now will impact what we can spend later.