Attempted Murder, Cocoa Crawl, Budget Crisis
Nurses on Demand, TT Advice, Russia
Start with the Good news….
Belmont Boys High School Hockey is killing it again this season. Currently ranked #6 in Massachusetts the Boys take on Top seeded Marshfield in the Ed Burns Tourney in Arlington on Sunday.
The 1st Annual Belmont Center Cocoa Crawl is Thursday February 2nd from 4-8pm in Belmont Center.
Tickets are $10 and 100% of the proceeds go to the Belmont Food Pantry. Not a bad deal as you get a Cocoa Mug and Cocoa and a chance to help out the community. Tickets can be purchased at “A Chocolate Dream” and other participating Center businesses.
BTW… The best chocolate fudge in Massachusetts is sold at A Chocolate Dream. Much better than the Cape and slightly better than Rockport. So good that sometimes they sell out.
Rink Debt exclusion…
Expectations are the long sabotaged new skating rink will go back to the ballot in April. Rumors are it will be greatly stripped down in recognition of Belmont’s fiscal crisis. The current rink is beyond any repair. Let’s hope the rink brain trust can work some magic.
Trivia…
New Englanders love Ice Cream. The surrounding area had legendary shops like Chadwick’s, Cabot’s, Dean Dairy and innovators like Steve’s. Can you name 9 different ice cream shops that called Belmont home since 1975?
Hint: I am being generous in my definition of Ice Cream.
Hint #2 Candy was sold at a few of them, and one had the legendary Belmont Twigs.
Prentiss Lane Crime
Cars were stolen from two Prentiss Lane homes this week. BPD was able to retrieve the stolen vehicles days later. This was no HS hijinks or sell the parts to feed a habit crime. The suspected thieves were later arrested for involvement in serious crimes.
Obviously, the lesson from this crime is don’t leave your keys in your car. Apparently, car thieves can tell when keys are left in your car based on whether the side mirrors have folded in. That must be a feature on higher end vehicles but generally that’s what they target.
Arrest in Attempted Murder…
BPD also arrested a Belmont teen on attempted murder and unlawful possession of a firearm charge in relation to the shootings at Olmstead Ave. Nicely done.
Talent…
Singing is a gift. It is a gift I never attained so I was forced to respond to critics with the classic “if you don’t like my singing, you aren’t drinking fast enough”. I am not musically gifted. My biggest foray into the arts was as a guitar player in the “King and I” at Chenery Middle School in the early 80’s. Mr. Trunfio must have been really desperate to put me up there. I was so bad, I was third row and after the first couple chords, I faked it. Burnt out in 7th grade.
So, when I say I tuned into the BHS Winter Concert (Still available on Belmont Media Center website) … wow. There must have been 60 kids playing every shiny instrument known to mankind… and some kids hitting sticks on cue in the background (maybe I quit too soon). The thing is the music was fantastic. You would think with that many kids… a couple would lay an egg and you would hear it. Kudos to the Teacher and students on a great performance.
Real Estate
Goldman Sachs released it’s 2023 real estate prediction for the Boston and Suburbs market and it’s not good but not catastrophic. They expect a 10% decline in home values in 2023. Areas like Austin Texas and San Jose CA. are expected to lose up to 25% of their value.
That means about a $140k equity hit for homeowners in Belmont in 2023 and if they sell there is the new 9% tax on income over $1m the State just approved. Yes, it includes proceeds from the sale of a home or business.
Nurses on Demand…
Never fails to amaze me the drive and creativity of Townies. The latest is https://Nurses-on-demand.com. A Belmont company that provides at home concierge nursing services for adults.
The company enables Seniors and others in need of regular nursing services the ability and comfort to remain in their homes while receiving care. Details can be found on their website.
Town Election update…
Only Elizabeth Dionne so far is willing to take on the herculean task of fixing the rudderless ship known as the Select Board. I am hoping she will be a vessel for change. The Town has been without leadership for a long time.
Free Advice #1 for Elizabeth Dionne
#1 Don’t be a hypocrite.
In June of 2020 a march by 100’s of supporters of George Floyd through Belmont was celebrated by the board. Less than a week later a couple hundred Class of 2020 grads got together outdoors to toss their caps in the air in the most significant act of Civil disobedience by students in recent history and it was condemned by the same board. Apparently, the board felt Covid was only contagious on a football field.
#2 Have some fun. God knows we could use someone with humor on the Board.
#3 Look back to SB legends like Monahan, Paulsen, and Firenze. Your job isn’t to get along or rubber stamp. It is too lead. Split decisions usually show an actual discussion and debate has occurred.
Town Meeting…
I will never forget when some TM members tried to imply that our voting should be a rubber stamp for the election result and we should not consider the Town’s finances when voting. to my somewhat shock but great admiration Moderator Widmer admonished those claims and said quite frankly the Town’s finances are germane.
Town Meeting votes…
Town Meeting will vote whether to keep or change the currently elected position of Town Treasurer on January 30th. As previously mentioned, Floyd is retiring. His retirement should not be seen as Belmont being on the brink of bankruptcy (wink/wink) …. No really it has nothing to do with that. Please don’t think that but Floyd may have been the last voice of reason against spendthrift ways in Town. You still have Townie Talk till someone takes my $1.7m offer on the home.
I will be voting to keep the position elected.
Townie Talk free advice #2… to Elizabeth Dionne
#1 Repeal the new Library project. It works out to about $2.2m in annual spending over life of DE.
#2 Repeal the Community Preservation Act and the $1.6m fee paid by Belmont taxpayers.
#3 Sell the Benton Branch and use funds to start repairs to the main Library.
#4 Get the rink done but be a stick in the mud that it is just a rink that is built in a way to allow future additions.
Townie Talk free advice to the School Committee
#1 When picking a Superintendent remember that the last few years have not been received well by the community. Parents send their kids to learn not to be indoctrinated. Too many Parents have pulled their students from Belmont schools and its not because they like dropping $40k on private schools. Go back to the basics of education.
#Parents are sick and tired of the Administration and a certain Principal acting like they own the new HS and their anti-event attitude. The All-Night Party is an expectation and they don’t care if a certain individual isn’t a fan. It’s easier to replace a principal than to deal with a couple hundred Parents turning their angst on the new Superintendent. The anger is growing so an intervention may be in order.
#2 Think creatively. We have a major divide presently between where public education is going in Massachusetts (DEI driven mediocrity) and what many Parents in Belmont want which is every child challenged on their individual ability. Just an idea but what about opening a School within a School at the new 7-12 school that is an exam school for gifted and talented students. We should have the space but to fund it we would need to guarantee slots to students from surrounding Towns who would send students for a fee. It’s essentially imitating the Vocational tech approach just on a Boston Latin modus operandi. Jeff Reilly (Commissioner DESE) is a Townie. Maybe we could work with him on a PILOT even if it’s just Advanced Math and Science program to start. Maybe Arlington could offer one for the Arts.
#3 Form a committee looking at school re-configuration. The potential $6-$7m in cuts is only 18 months out. Better to have answers than send out pink slips not knowing.
#4 Look at re-instating FDK fees. It won’t be popular, but leadership isn’t easy and it wasn’t that long ago Parents were paying the fee.
FY24 assumes we use all remaining free cash.
FY25 and FY26 assumes the school reduction in FY24 occurs.
The $2,354,000 in School budget reduction is not a y/y cut but rather a cut in their ask.
What does this mean?…
It means barring some monstrous increase in State Aid or a massive override that Belmont’s operating budget will require massive cuts to the school system and non-critical services like the Recreation department and Library as soon as July 2024. As previously discussed, Police and DPW are already at minimum staffing levels and let’s just say it wouldn’t be surprising to see some Jakes depart for greener pastures. This should not be a shock as those who supported the $5m repair of the Library over the $35m new library tried our best to warn residents that the Town was essentially broke and massive overrides would be on the horizon. The YES side played like Ostriches in the sand intentionally avoiding the issue which in my world is a lie by omission.
Does any of this matter…
One could argue with President Biden thirsty for war with Russia, our border unsecured, loan defaults growing, strangling inflation in key categories, layoffs growing in White Collar jobs, and a Country that has lost all hope that there isn’t time to fix Belmont’s pending doom. Reality is the actions we take now will limit the need for layoffs of the most critical Town and School staff. You can roll the dice on an Override (I am 100% opposed to any override until common sense solutions are enacted) or act now. I can tell you what the SB will say when the Override fails… the voters had their say as if they have no responsibility. Leadership??? Not.
Trivia…
Brigham’s (2), Friendly’s, Baskin Robbins, Baileys, Angelato, TCBY, A Chocolate Dream, Moozy’s, Rancatores.