Burbank Elementary School

Was rated the second-best Elementary School in Massachusetts by US News and World report. Belmont was rated the #3 suburb of Boston to live in. People should be driving over here now with $1.7 million in cash to scoop up my house before it triples in value. 

ABC “The View”

The mainstream media is in free fall after losing the trust and respect of most Americans. CNN is looking to eliminate its overpaid on-air talent. MSNBC is losing viewers faster than a Kamala dude can spell Starbucks. Now we find out ABC is desperate for a Trump voter to add to the cast of “The View”. Patrick Young and I are front runners for the job, but he is leading because my good looks would distract the mainly female audience. That and the fact I use the term female put me at a disadvantage. 

Journalistic integrity…

An avid reader of TownieTalk02478 has suggested we have a “sex pool” except in this case it’s an office pool predicting who among Belmont is paying for the deed.  All I need to do is create a list of 50 Belmont men who think they are important and then let others bet on whether those people are on the actual list of 28 men the DA is charging with soliciting prostitution. As Belmont’s most respected and leading news and opinion site I can’t in good faith do that with insider information and all. I can say that like the Dean’s list you won’t find my name on that list. 

Speaking of lists… 2024 

The year 2024 in Belmont will be remembered for the attacks on free speech and diversity of opinion by those in power. The Select Board with Chair Liz Dionne, Matt Taylor, and Roy Epstein have turned democracy upside down. Town Moderator Mike Widmer also shares some blame for failing to allow open criticism in a Town in desperate need of transparency or give the Belmont Police a chance to defend Civil Service prior to our vote. My advice is less gavel and more listening even when its criticism. 

Let me make a list of some voices… not all… that have had their voices stifled and or been demeaned for not toeing the line. 

Who is next… look for the Police and Fire Chiefs to go from strong to weak as they lose hiring ability and for the Town Clerk to be an appointed position vs elected.  

Holiday season has arrived… 

You now have permission to wear those classic Holiday sweaters, the more the better, and I mean everywhere… work, church, school, wakes, and job interviews.  You can eat pumpkin pie, drink egg nog and watch a ton of holiday classics. 

I have watched five holiday classics this month… 

Belmont Savings Bank Foundation 

just handed out some “beer money” to a couple projects in Town. The Donald J Trump Library is getting $2 million, and the “Skip Vigs” Skating rink is getting $1 million. Both buildings have advanced to the framing process. In other news, Corbett Pond will not be open for skating this winter as the library took the pond over for storage of construction material, debris and parking. The Corbett family is considering selling naming rights to their pond to Belmont Savings for $1.5m. 

Belmont MBTA community housing shocker!!!!

There are those who think and then there are those who know. TownieTalk readers know. Common sense would say any zoning change that can add 1,600 to 2,200 new housing units (15-20% increase in our housing stock) would be a massive disruptive change that impacts the entire Town. Our already overburdened Town services, school system, congested roads, and rat problem will go from bad to chaotic.  

Now those who think but don’t know will say it’s just a zoning change and not much will come from it. Those who know will point to Lexington MA…. 

“Lexington has seen seven applications for new developments under its MBTA Communities zoning, for a combined total of 960 proposed housing units. The town’s Planning Board has so far approved two of those projects.” Boston Globe

Less than one year from approving the change and Lexington has 960 units proposed. Does anyone with common sense think developers won’t come aggressively into the #3 rated suburb of Belmont and scoop up and aggressively build. Can you picture dozens of Beatrice circle developments in whatever zones get approved? Total transformation of Belmont to an urban community and it will happen fast and furious like Lexington. 

The only way to stop this insanity is for residents to contact their Town Meeting members and ask them to reject all MBTA Act proposals at next week’s Town meeting and wait until the State Supreme Court rules on the Town of Milton’s challenge to the legality and enforceability of the unfunded MBTA community act mandate. 

Select Board members talk the talk on public safety but don’t walk the walk and it’s making you less safe.

Imagine former Select Board member, Mark Paolillo, walking through the Center and waving to a Police officer. The officer being a professional, waves back but in his head is thinking wow there goes the guy who shafted me. Trust me it’s not a stretch to say many feel that way about Mark since his speech at Town Meeting on Civil Service withdrawal. 

While it’s not fair to blame one person for the public safety crisis that exists in Town… it is fair to point out those who added kerosene to the fire. Last November, Mark Paolillo stood before Town Meeting and gave his blessing to remove the Belmont Police from Civil Service without collective bargaining. It was a huge blow to fairness and oddly Paolillo citing his family ties to law enforcement said, “Trust Us” and assured us the negotiations with the Police Unions would be “fair and balanced”. It was dumbfounding as all leverage would be removed from the Police, and they would be negotiating with the same Town administrator that was called out by 7 Union heads in a letter to the Select Board for her alleged demeaning behavior, but Mark was willing to put his integrity and legacy on the line and stand by it.

Prior to the vote we had 3 police vacancies. We now have 9 with two officers transferring to Waltham and one to Burlington. We have 4 new officers in the academy that hopefully will graduate and start patrolling in May of 2025 and we have another 3 candidates offered positions, but we don’t know if they will accept the offers or even make it to the academy. In simple words, we have an exhausted workforce that feels dismissed and demeaned by Town leadership and has no incentive to remain in Belmont. This is happening at a time they are greatly needed for their professionalism and experience to help mold the new officers coming. It’s insane when you have a staffing issue that you would make things worse by provoking existing employees, but this is current Belmont Town leadership.   

The Town Administrator and Select Board have decided their offer is the best the Town will do and since the Police have no leverage the Town will enact it. The offer is a one time $2,000 bonus. Comparative to other Towns that fairly negotiated the change out of Civil Service that is absurd and demeaning but that is apparently what Mark Paolillo, and the Select Board consider “Fair and Balanced” barring a town meeting intervention. I fully expect the Police Union to file suit against the Town for 1^st amendment and fair labor violations. The whopping $74,000 the Town is paying out in bonuses will be surpassed in weeks on lawyer fees. 

At the recent Select Board meeting, Town Meeting members like Paul Roberts and I spoke up about the dire public safety emergency facing the Town and how the Town needs to fix it now. Chair Liz Dionne wanted nothing to do with it, slammed the gavel, and moved onto more pressing needs like an update from the recreation commission on the number of trick or treaters at Town Hall. At the end of the meeting, I scoured the parking lot to look for the clown car. They must have walked instead.  

So, what does Mark Paolillo do now? He could weasel out and say he is just one voice and be “that guy” or he can “man up” and fix things by offering an amendment to return the Police to Civil Service until a collectively bargained replacement is negotiated. He faces the classic are you a “man of the people” or “elitist” dilemma.  

You can’t make this up… Part 1

Massachusetts voters eliminated the MCAS as question 2 passed. Already, MCAS 2.0 is being discussed that would include grading students on being a “Global Citizen”. The Socialists continue to ruin public education. Global citizens don’t believe in American exceptionalism or capitalism. Just what we need is a generation of dead beats.  

Part 2…. 

Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton had a moment of honesty and shared he didn’t want his daughters being trampled on the playing field by men/boys or biological men/boys. It is an opinion shared by a large majority of Americans and Moulton is by no means transphobic. Didn’t matter as members of the Salem School Committee and City Council, his own staff manager, the Poly Sci Dept. head at Tufts University and his own State congressional delegation attacked Moulton for speaking his truth. Boy has the Democratic party changed over the decades. 

Part 3… 

A Melrose high school teacher allegedly wrote: “Happy Veterans Day to any Vet who didn’t vote for Trump.” “Otherwise, I hope your Veterans Day is filled with tears and PTSD,”. 

A Millbury School Committee member resigned after a social media post: telling Trump supporters she hopes they choke on a “piece of (expletive) covered in broken glass.” 

Black students in Stoughton MA received text messages saying they have been “selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation” as part of a nationwide hate campaign randomly targeting black students. The texts imply the new Trump presidency will have “executive slave catchers”.  It is reported the texts were sent through a service called “Text now” that supposedly offers untraceable burner phones. Hard to believe the FBI doesn’t know who is behind this hate fearmongering and its politically inconvenient.  

Precinct 7 

Jeff Liberty and Bill Trabilcy both volunteered to fill an empty seat on Town Meeting in precinct 7. Such a shame as I thought both were reasonably smart. Now at least one of them is going to be ruined by the insanity of Town meeting. Make sure your cellphone is fully charged at all meetings as you will quickly figure out who to tune out and will need a distraction.

Election Update…

The GOP completed the trifecta winning the House. President Trump is already paying dividends as Countries and Businesses adapt to America First policy. He has also started nominating a solid cabinet ready to “drain the swamp” and restore peace.  Unfortunately for President Trump, the American media will now start to honestly report on how atrocious the economy really is and start printing revision after downward revision. His task is monumental and for the sake of America let’s hope he can deliver.  

BTW… if you are moving to Canada, you will need $200,000 in your bank account and a job in hand. Imagine if the US followed the same process. 

Happy Thanksgiving. 

We are down to just two more issues. 

Cheers, 

PJ Looney

Townie Talk 02478

“AMDG” “Never Forget” “Never Again”

League of Women Voters (LWV)… racist event?

To most Boomers and Gen X, brown bagging meant bringing your lunch to school or work versus buying a meal. I was blessed to have a mom, who made very good peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on Wonder bread. Unfortunately, our snack was Fig Newtons or Nilla wafers while privileged friends had Twinkies and Ring Dings.  Anyways, I digress. What is the outrage? Well, as Belmont’s award-winning  journalist, the LWV’s poor choice of nomenclature needs to be called out.  

The League of Women Voters is hosting a “Brown Bag event” this Friday to discuss the MBTA Communities Act which forces housing density on Towns ill equipped to support it and takes zoning power away from local communities. According to woke sources… it is grossly improper to use the term “brown bag” as it alludes to the Brown Paper Bag test which according to Wikipedia is a racist and colorist practice of comparing a person’s skin color to the color of a brown paper bag. Those whose skin color was darker than the bag would be denied privileges afforded to White people. 

Now I am not comparing the LWV to Mayor Michelle Wu who openly had a reverse brown bag test to attend a holiday party as I believe the LWV is just not aware of how insane “cancel culture” has become where Wu thrives on racism. We do however live in a Town that fed into and amplified Mendelian thinking (Wellington mascot replacement) and a Town that officially denigrated Columbus Day by applying modern day revisionism to 15^th Century Life. So, it would be a missed opportunity not to point out the insanity of wokeness.  

Senior Center/REC and COA

The pow-wow with Donelan, Dionne, Garvin and Senior Citizens turned out to not be the picnic hoped for. (BTW, pow-wow and picnic are also cancelled words). There is a follow up meeting scheduled for today and an odd twist has developed still being vetted on my end. The COA has one job and that is to look out for the best interests of Seniors which is at odds with the Town Admins current consolidation plan of the Senior Center and Rec department.

We have been down this path before of different goals between appointed boards and Town leaders…. as in the Claypit path. The Conservation Commission had negotiated with the BHSMS building committee that they could use  1/3^rd of the Claypit walking path to stage materials during construction under the condition the path was fully restored at the finish. The conservation commission was treated like bilge at a meeting in which they were bullied to not only accept the work wouldn’t be done as promised but also to accept there was no commitment to prioritize or find funding to restore it. Imagine these folks volunteered to be treated this way. 

Belmont High Boys Soccer

The BHS Boys soccer team entered the week ranked in the Top 20 in eastern MA. The Girls are also on path for post season play. The girls recently topped Arlington 1-0 while the boys got spanked by Arlington.  

Belmont Rumor…

Four residents are interested in challenging Roy Epstein for his seat on the Select Board this April. TownieTalk02478 has been looking into the backgrounds of all 4 before the scrubbing begins. There is a possibility that an additional seat will be added depending on Town Meeting. Obviously, there is mutual agreement that the Town is on the wrong track and there may be agreement on the need for a new Town Admin. Belmont Government always had a large role for residents willing to volunteer their expertise/services, but the current board seems to see residents with opinions as counterproductive to their goals and the TA as a tool to silence them. 

Town Hall for early in person voting. 

In person voting is the only 100% certain way to know your vote is counted. Mail in ballots can get lost and or have signature challenges. 

The November Election Questions…

Question 1 asks voters whether the auditor should be allowed to investigate the state legislature, overseeing and evaluating at least some of its activities

Polling indicates a large majority of voters are voting YES to allow the State Auditor to audit the State Budget. Somewhat shocking that this isn’t already being done and makes you wonder what they are hiding. YES, seem reasonable

Question 2 Eliminating the MCAS graduation requirement.

Currently, prior to graduating, High School Seniors need to pass the 10^th grade MCAS. A YES vote would eliminate the requirement but not the test itself. 700 out of approximately 73,000 students did not graduate due to the inability to pass the 10^th grade level test. 

I am a NO on this one. A HS degree must have some value. Get rid of the graduation requirement and Teachers will likely focus even more of their time on the educational haves at the expense of the have nots. 

Question 3    A Union for Uber and Lyft Drivers   

Not easy on its face. A YES vote could be counterproductive as the cost of Uber and Lyft is getting to the point that consumers may stop tipping which could have a more adverse impact on drivers than any benefits it derives. At the same time there is not enough transparency for Drivers in what users are paying. 

I’ll flip a coin on this one.

Question 4 would allow a group of naturally occurring psychedelic drugs — psilocybin, psilocyn, mescaline, DMT, and ibogaine — to be grown, shared, used at home, and offered by licensed professionals in a more clinical setting.

A simple No. 

Question 5  The minimum wage for tipped workers 

Tipped workers can make as little as $6.75 an hour minimum wage versus the $15 minimum wage. A YES vote would force restaurant owners to increase that wage to $15 an hour by 2029. 

This is an easy NO. President Trump has promised to eliminate income tax on tips for those in the service industry. Most tipped workers make far more than $15 on average per hour in tips. Increasing the wage leads to an increase in menu prices, a decrease in customers, and a threat that consumers will stop tipping (tipping is somewhat of an American tradition but give someone a reason and it will go away quickly). 

Question #6  non-binding vote in support of Single Payer healthcare.

100% NO. If you want single payer healthcare, then join the armed services. You see they have single payer healthcare as in the VA system. The VA is known for horrendous quality of care. Not convinced then move to Canada. You will get good treatment if you can live in pain long enough to receive it. Need an MRI (a year or so). Surgery after the MRI (another year or so). 

Our healthcare system is already in tatters after Obamacare added millions to the healthcare rolls. I literally watched a woman with a hole in her neck in which her trachea was visible wait an hour in the emergency room to be seen. This is what happens when you increase demand with a shrinking supply of medical professionals to serve them. 

Massachusetts news of note….

Drake Maye debuts…

He wasn’t great and he wasn’t awful. With a better team he may be a top 20 QB. Time will tell. 

Secretary Galvin…

When you are the Secretary of State and responsible for election integrity you shouldn’t withhold voter roll information. Not only is it against the law… it raises legitimate concern over what you are hiding. 

US News of note

FBI lays an egg…

The FBI tried to hide a recent revision to its 2022 violent crime statistics in the footnotes. The agency previously reported violent crime fell by 2.1% in 2022. In fact, violent crime rose by 4.5% in 2022. This is a major revision which like the faulty Bureau of Labor Statistics downward jobs revision of 818,000 screams of election interference. These are just two of the examples why trust in Government is at an all-time low. Either it’s intentional or incompetent but the result is the same. 

Reparations…

Kamala Harris was pressed on reparations and passed. Townie Talk supports reparations involving any current owners of slaves being forced to compensate those slaves they benefited from. So, if you held Nike or Apple stock we are coming after you. Inconvenient truth is slavery may have ended in the United  States 160 years ago, but it is alive and well in other Countries as you read this, and most people are benefiting from it. This is a great reason to bring back manufacturing to the USA that has worker protection laws.

2024 Election Update   

As of press time, I have the election as Trump 296 to Harris 226 with Nevada and Wisconsin to close to call. 270 is needed to win. Trump is winning the online betting platform at 54.9%.

Another bad week for Kamala Harris. Interestingly, Harris is not putting on an act with her hard to follow word salad answers. Her Howard University yearbook quote was: 

“The thing that Howard taught me is that you can do any collection of things, and not one thing to the exclusion of the other. You could be homecoming queen and valedictorian. There are no false choices at Howard.”

Week in review…. 

President Trump

Survived the week without being shot at. 

Gave multiple two-hour campaign speeches.

Announced he would move to eliminate Federal Taxes on Social Security income. 

His VP Vance called out Martha Raddatz for implying it is no big deal that Venezuelan gangs were occupying a handful of apartment complexes in Colorado. 

Actor Dennis Quaid endorses Trump citing illegal immigration and increasing crime as reasons California is becoming unlivable. 

NASCAR Driver Danica Patrick endorses Trump

VP Kamala Harris

“Wouldn’t change anything” about the last four years in office, The View Sonny Hostin

Proposed tax cuts/incentives for Black people.

Posed for a 2^nd Vogue cover while Hurricanes ravaged the South. 

Proposed giving first time home buyers $25,000 (Seriously… everyone can now increase their ask price)

Proxy, Bill Clinton says that Lakin Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia, would be alive today if the illegal immigrant who entered the Country in 2022 had been vetted.  

Barack Obama tells Black men not to think and just vote for Kamala. Implying they are misogynists.

Actress Jennifer Garner says men who vote for Kamala are sexy.  

VP candidate Walz went Pheasant hunting but didn’t know how to load his rifle.

President Joe Biden praises Governor DeSantis on cooperation in Hurricane planning.

US House Rep. Raskin (D) refuses to say he will certify the 2024 election results if Trump wins. 

FWIW… 

Massachusetts will vote for Kamala Harris by a fair margin. Don’t waste your breath arguing with friends and neighbors in a State that has no impact on this election unless you are doing it for sport. Upset over Harris or Trump signs… Why? They don’t matter. I see Massachusetts as Harris at 60%, Trump at 29% and third party at a whopping 11% (mainly  protest votes against Biden/Harris for GAZA policy). 

Some Great news for America and the World…

Elon Musk: Space-Ex successfully caught a returning rocket booster into its base station. A huge accomplishment. They also launched a rocket to Jupiter. Check back in 2029 for details. 

Nuclear Energy: Great news for clean reliable energy fanatics. SMR’s and small reactors are gaining steam with both the US government and Data Center firms. Companies like  OKLO, a Sam Altman (OPEN AI founder) backed company and Kairos are advancing quickly in the desperate need to increase America’s surging electricity need. 

Cheers, 

PJ Looney

Townie Talk 02478

“AMDG” “Never Forget” “Never Again”

Autumn in New England; there is really nothing like it. There is a distinct moment when the  air shifts, cooler and crisper, signaling that summer has officially passed. Leaves change  color and pumpkins sprout on porches. A walk around Belmont, the Town of Homes, on a  sunny fall day is a beautiful thing.  

And every four years, lawn signs touting a presidential candidate join the leaves, pumpkins,  and Halloween decorations. It is part of American culture, a simple and benign expression  of free speech as guaranteed in the constitution. Yet many people have told me I am brave  for displaying TRUMP*2024. Brave? I know firefighters, soldiers, police officers, and first  responders who are truly brave. I know adventurers and athletes who put themselves at  risk to explore their boundaries. That takes guts and I think they are brave. If Belmont  residents must be brave to express themselves, then something is wrong with Belmont. 

In the few weeks that my TRUMP*2024 sign has been on display, the reaction has been  more positive than negative. Yes, one female runner passing by saw the sign and, without  breaking stride, raised her hands above her head and shouted, “Go Kamala, F*** Trump”.  Not a lot of people can run, shout and maintain stride so I applaud her fitness. It does seem  however, a good example of Trump Derangement Syndrome. It was a stunningly beautiful  autumn day, she has the good fortune to be out running on a weekday, and she stains it.  Then again, her right to free expression, no matter how base, is protected. 

Ironically, in the evening of the same day, another woman rang our doorbell and introduced herself. She said “I saw your sign and had to stop by. I have lived here for several years, and  I feel so alone.” Indeed, our town has become so proud of its tolerance that it is intolerant  of any dissenting opinion and is quick to shun. 

The last time more Belmont voters supported the GOP candidate than the DEM candidate  was 1980. Since then, the gulf has grown to a very unhealthy 80 – 20 ratio.

Looking at this data while considering the “you are brave” comments, what should one  conclude? That 80% feel empowered to commit acts of vandalism and violate someone’s  constitutional rights? I certainly hope not, although when political lawn signs have been  vandalized in the past, it is the “red” ones that suffer the abuse.  

So, “How can you vote for Trump?”, you ask. Well, to be honest, he’s never been my cup of  tea, my first choice, or the image of a President that I favor. Nevertheless, I am casting a  vote for humanity and world peace. The planet is closer to nuclear war now than at any  time since the Cuban Missile Crisis (classified events not withstanding). The push for  NATO expansion is a misbegotten gambling with our lives. Similarly, enabling Iran and  weakening Israel has brought war and misery to the Middle East with a broader war or  nuclear exchange possible any day now. I am also voting for a secure border, enforcement  of immigration laws, Title IX, women’s sports, and free speech. If the collaboration  between government agencies and big tech to control the narrative doesn’t scare you, then  the gross misapplication of the law in the last 4 years should. Between inflations and  foreign policy, things haven’t been this bad in America since the Carter administration, and on election day in 1980, Belmont voted for Reagan. I have no delusions of Trump winning  Belmont, but I expect to see more Trump supporters being brave in the remaining weeks  without fear of molestation. 

Credit: Belmont Media Center

The Mission of the COA Board is to “enhance the quality of life for seniors“. The COA Board is “appointed by the SelectBoard to oversee programs and policies of the COA.”  (COA Mission Statement)

The proposed merger was recommended by the Town Administrator at the May 2024 Select Board meeting. (See SB presentation )  At the next COA Meeting, despite the brevity of time, a SubCommittee was established for the purpose of analyzing and evaluating the “proposed merger”, scheduled for Fall 2025, after the Library leaves.   The subcommittee has met twice since then.

At the dedication of the Beech Street Center several years back the SelectBoard promised that it would be used for the sole purpose of seniors until 2049. This promise was made to the seniors, and the Friends of COA  whose involvement with and dedication to this cause, advocated and raised money for the Beech Street  Center.  

I have assembled the information below for the COA Board’s review of this matter. 

First it must  be noted that  the timetable for the “proposed merger” has been moved up to NOW from the Fall 2025, as originally advised.  Fall 2025 was to coincide with the time when the Library was scheduled to leave.   I believe it is also important to consider the brief turnaround time provided to make these changes.

 Since being told that the”proposed merger” would not take place until after the Library vacated (Fall 2025),  a Human Services Administrative Coordinator, COA/Recreation  (Closing date: 7/25/2024.) has been hired . This new position is listed on  the”proposed merger.”  new organization chart 

The former Recreation Asst Director is now the Asst Human Services director.

Comparing the new “proposed merger” organization chart  (COAorg charts) to the current organization chart, it appears that there are more administrative positions which, by their nature, are more costly, than the current positions.

Secondly, Enhanced Communication is one of the reasons suggested for the “proposed merger”. (See SB presentation).  Yet the “tall ” organization proposed  compared to the existing “flat” organization chart of the current  COA model  creates more people to go through for decision making, discouraging communication.  Note below the accepted Human Relations concern of  Tall Organizations.

Disadvantages of Tall Organizations

“Organization is less responsive to change and can be expensive to run, due to high wage costs (many managers) restricted freedom and authority for staff members.”

What’s a Tall Organization and Is It Out of Fashion? – Functionly

Other claims of the “proposed merger” are Best Practices.

The Best Practices document (COAbestpractices) has been compiled by former Directors of the COA.  It is what the COA has used throughout the Board’s tenure, so it is  questionable whether the”proposed merger ” would have any significant advantage.It  “presumes that the COA Director has an advanced degree in some area of human services along with significant experience with the aging population.”  Topics include:  Communication Programming, delivery of Social Services, delivery of Core Services, Transportation and Nutrition, and Involvement with other agencies. It concludes with ” the Director’s primary purpose is to support, advocate for and implement policies and programs that enhance the quality of life for seniors in the Town.”

Also below is a compilation of other Human Service programs in communities comparable to Belmont.  It is notable that only 1 of the 9 Human Services departments  includes Recreation.

• Somerville – https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/health-and-human-services
• Newton – https://www.newtonma.gov/government/health-human-services/social-services
• Worcester – https://www.worcesterma.gov/hhs
• Bedford – https://www.bedfordma.gov/195/Health-Human-Services
• Natick – https://www.natickma.gov/1050/Human-Services
• Arlington – https://www.arlingtonma.gov/departments/health-human-services
• Ashland – https://www.ashlandmass.com/229/Department-of-Prevention-Human-Services
• Lincoln – https://www.lincolntown.org/132/Council-on-Aging-Human-Service
• Littleton – https://www.littletonma.org/226/Elder-Human-Services

Finally I am disturbed by the actions of Town Administration toward Former employees, Board members, Real Estate Owners and members of the community, including  Town Treasurer (Floyd Carmen), Town Retirement Board (Tom Gibson), Assessors Board (Reardon, Laverty and Patrick Murphy), COA Directors ( Nava and Dana), Chair of the Planning Board (Jeff Birenbaum), Member of the Warrant Committee (Marie Warner AND CFRB) and Real Estate owner,( Locatelli).

The Board may also remember that as a Board we asked at our  February  meeting to schedule the annual potluck luncheon that we have always had for the Staff.  We were advised that the Staff had concerns that we were critical of them.  Having spoken with COA staff I have never found any reluctance to communicate their concerns.  Town Administration’s  behavior of vilifying and slandering former employees, Board members and members of the community  is not suggestive of an intent to serve the community.  By extension, this “proposed merger” has questionable merit.

Curtesy of Belmont Media.

“Can Equity and Excellence co-exist?”

The answer lies in the definition of equity. Traditionally, we were thought to believe of equity as fair and impartial or in similar context as “equal opportunity” however, like most things these days, the meaning has been bastardized by the left. In Public education and now housing, equity is now determined by outcome. This word is regularly used by Public School administrators, and at every chance Parents and taxpayers should demand the definition they are using. One meaning is equal opportunity and the other is equal outcome and those are very different in practice. Pay attention Parents.   

Equity of outcome is a political concept that is central to some political ideologies and is used regularly in political discourse¹. It requires that individuals have some share of goods, not merely a chance to obtain them without the hindrance of some obstacles². It is the opposite of equality of opportunity, which pertains to a theory that broadly illustrates “just competition” for significant positions and jobs in a way that competitors have fair opportunities to beat such positions³. Wikipedia

Belmont Skating rink update…

The Belmont Sports Complex committee wants more money. $1.3 million on top of their budgeted $29 million.

This amount would keep the complex on schedule and keeps the disputed Harris field locker rooms (an issue that the BHSMS building committee negligently excluded from the campus plans). It eliminates the Solar panels (although sources say there is State money available to add the panels next year) and uses a new technology that greatly reduces water usage and carbon emission. 

Town meeting will vote on the request in a couple weeks. The request would be to take funds from a capital reserve fund. The most likely debate will be is this the best use of those funds. Some have already targeted those funds toward replacing the Chenery roof. 

CVS Belmont Center Sold…?

TT Sources say the Belmont Center building fetched $2.8m… below its $3.5m ask. This building was targeted for expansion to 3 levels during prior development discussions. The new owners plan to build a on the site. Look for this to be addressed at September Town Meeting. 

My home is now available for $1.71 million. Bidenflation and the override have upped the price. Also everything looks better in the late Spring and Townie Talk 02478 has more viewers than a Taylor Swift new song release.  

Memorial Day 2024 

On this day we honor and mourn the US military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is a day of remembrance,  a reminder that freedom isn’t free, and that these people made the ultimate sacrifice for us. People like Army Spc. Jonathan Curtis, whose actions saved seven lives during Operation Enduring Freedom. This day is for them. It is the one day of the year that Americans can spend a few moments contemplating what the American flag truly represents…. Incredible sacrifice for freedom. 

Throw them out.

Met up with some friends from Western Ma for dinner and Belmont came up in the conversation. Apparently, an acquaintance of theirs worked construction on the new BHSMS project and alleged that the Town ordered the wrong windows for the project and ended up just throwing them away. Is it true? My response would be… finding the truth in this Town is onerous as the closer you get the more roadblocks get in your way.

McKibben scandal???

When did the School Committee receive the McKibben enrollment projection report? The report was dated January 2024. The results were unfavorable to override proponents as it showed the school population shrinking further a decade out than the current enrollment which is close to 600 students shy of prior expectation. A ton of money has been allocated based on those projections and the override continued to assume a Covid recovery that has not and will not occur. Was the report intentionally delayed till after the election? FOIA requests have been made. 

Hmnn… what’s going on here.

The Town IT Administrator and assistant have recently left or announced plans to leave. All communications between Town employees and elected and appointed committee members are considered public and can be requested by the Public through FOIA requests. Funny thing is the computer illiterate think they can delete emails and they are gone. Even Hillary Clinton knew she had to acid wash the server to make it harder to find her emails while in office. Stay tuned.  

Lexington Brawl erupts….

In the last Townie Talk, it was pointed out that Governor Healey took over the National Guard Armory in Lexington to house dozens of illegal immigrants. We implied it may impact the schools but forgot to mention public safety. In the you can’t make this up category… within hours of opening a massive brawl broke out between illegal immigrant families fighting over free food as if they pay for anything anyways. The melee required not just Lexington Police but State Police and other nearby communities to respond. The very next day another melee broke out requiring the re-location of some of the disruptive illegal immigrant families. The only reason Belmont is so far immune to the violence and negative impact the open border Democratic policy is having is we don’t have hotels or empty buildings but is that going to change soon?  Read between the lines people. 

Airbnb and Rental properties put Belmont at risk?

Most read Townie Talk for the wit and wisdom and chuckle and others for the muckraking. Years back the Belmont Zoning Board was looking to take up Airbnb regulation to give neighbors avenues to fight against unsavory renters. It didn’t go anywhere. Now we have a new level of risk… Housing illegal immigrant families. 

Recently, the Town of Westbrook Maine announced plans to subsidize private homeowners to house illegal immigrants (they Democrats call them new Mainers and future voters up there). It is just a matter of time before Massachusetts follows suit. You heard it here first.  

BTW In case you are wondering… the shameless Massachusetts House Democrats rejected Amendment 1393 by a 130-27 roll call vote which would have prioritized Massachusetts residents over immigrants for emergency shelter. First, the Governor kicks out US veterans to house illegals and now Mass residents  de-prioritized by the Democrats. So much for citizenship meaning anything in this soon to be cesspool of a State. Voting matters. 

Board of Assessors recount

Yours truly petitioned the Town clerk for a recount of Question 2 which was the Board of Assessors appointment vs elected measure. The end count did not change the result but did reduce the margin to just 4 votes. Here is the rub…. Dozens of votes were rejected for missing signatures or conflicting signatures either on the mailing envelope and/or the ballot itself.  Over a hundred were rejected as they arrived in the ballot box outside Town hall past 8pm. In total about 150 votes were not counted. 

While Belmont should be proud of our Town Clerk and the team surrounding it as well as the volunteers who assisted in the recount… Let it be known that a mail in ballot is at higher risk for not being counted as it requires multiple checks and balances. The only way to guarantee your vote counts is in person or by absentee voting at the Clerk’s office. If the signatures don’t match (say a parent requested the ballot and the kid signed it) the vote is dismissed. Lesson learned. 

If you dispute your home assessment, I know a guy recently dismissed from the Belmont BOA because of the vote who can probably help you win your appeal as he has intimate knowledge of the process and State rules. The Town will likely see a surge in appeals in part due to introducing bias into the Board (the newest hire is a salaried Town employee so talk about conflict of interest) and the new tax surge of a couple thousand dollars per home from the possibly tainted Override vote (McKibben report delay) will outrage many who don’t pay attention to local elections. 

Karen Read

This is clearly a future TV mini-series. If I were on the jury, I would find her not guilty. I don’t know if she struck the boyfriend with her vehicle, but I am confident it wasn’t intentional and there is reasonable doubt. In the end a man is dead, and it seems no one cares about him. He is the least discussed person in the story. Very strange almost on the Charles Stuart level. 

Anti Semitism re-appears…

It seemed like since the disturbance at Katherine Clark’s appearance in Belmont, that things had died down in Town. However, a recent resurgence occurred prior to College graduations in the area and at least a handful of Belmont students participated in the disturbing protests. Kids today don’t realize that social media lasts a lifetime and explaining what you thought was righteous at the time will fall on deaf ears in the professional world. It’s not the 80’s… smarten up. 

Protesters say they are on the right side of history. Maybe if the Germans won WW2 that would be the case. The Germans did not win, and the right side of history is simply the winning side which has no interest in the elimination of Israel.  

Cheers,  

PJ Looney

Townie Talk 02478

“AMDG” Never Forget, Never Again

Volunteers Needed for Lawsuit

It’s become abundantly clear the MBTA forced density housing plan has housing advocates salivating. So much so that they want to take Star Market in Waverley Square by “eminent domain” and build a massive 6 story housing complex on the site. 

The Good news is communities are pushing back against the constitutionally questionable mandate. Milton and Marshfield have challenged the mandate and now a citizen’s group in Wakefield and another in Rockport are suing their Town’s to fight back against the mandate. The Belmont Select Board is asleep at the wheel on the damage this housing density plan can cause so a lawsuit may be the only way to wake them up. Someone please save our Town. 

Boston Red Sox – Belmont High Grad 

Katie Manganelli, BHS class of 2018, and former BHS softball player is a major contributor to the media coverage of the Boston Red Sox. Manganelli covers the Red Sox and most of her work can be found at www.bosoxinjection.com. 

$10,000 Raffle

The Belmont Lions Club raffle drawing is this Saturday May 4^th, at the Watertown Sons of Italy club, 520 Pleasant Street in Watertown MA opens at 7pm. Tickets are $100 and includes one raffle ticket to win $10,000 but also gets you in the door for a night of Trivia. Light fare and cash bah. 300 tickets will be sold, and 10 tickets will be drawn. Then the fun starts… if all 10 numbers drawn agree to share the pot… each will get $1,000. If just one of them say no, then they remove one ticket at a time until either all agree on splitting the pot or just one remains. Proceeds benefit the Lion’s club a charitable Town club. I have my ticket. Rules and disclosures on back of ticket. 

School Committee Scandal?

The Belmont School Committee funded a Demographic study by McKibben Demographic Research LLC. The report is dated January 2024. Shortly after the Override vote, the School Committee released the findings. The findings show the obvious at least to anyone with a brain. Belmont’s student population is returning to historic norms and will be sub 4,200 by 2034. Why did the School Committee wait to release the January study which was material to the override vote? 

How does the Warrant Committee respond to a shortfall of 600-800 students after years of the school system sucking up a disproportionate share of the budget at the expense of the Town side based on the now debunked explosive enrollment growth expectation? We have and have had a Top 10 school system for decades. The law of diminishing returns clearly applies here. There are plenty of areas outside education that would provide a greater return to residents and the Town overall. It’s long past due to revisit the unsustainable budget split. 

Come back to BPS.

There are rumors about starting a “Return to Belmont” campaign for the 500 or so students who are home schooled or choose to attend private or parochial schools. Apparently, the fancy new $300m+ 7-12 school didn’t make a difference. The problem was never the school buildings… it was the school system. Was it the disabling Covid response by Town and School leaders who should be mocked for their absurdity especially as evidence rolled in that lockdowns were not effective? Maybe it is the extreme progressive political indoctrination pervasive in the schools today, or maybe the “good enough” attitude toward children with varying levels of learning disabilities while the bulk of attention was spent on the elite students for bragging reasons. Plenty of reasons to choose from and none will be addressed.  

Belmont Public Schools Enrollment numbers now and projected over a decade.

Lexington Ma. residents just found out that Governor Healey has chosen Lexington to house 57 illegal immigrant and homeless families. The immediate response from Lexington families was what impact this would have on MCAS results. Rest assured Governor Healey said this is temporary transition housing (sure thing wink/wink). Somehow, I suspect the temporary inhabitants will end up in Framingham or Chelsea just prior to test time. Is Belmont immune… maybe as we have little unoccupied space for now?

Lizzie Speaks 

The Select Board chair is the gift that keeps on giving so “Lizzie Speaks” is becoming a regular headline. 

Lizzie certainly has a bee in her bonnet with longtime Belmont taxpayer/landlord Locatelli properties. Her latest salvo is the absurd threat of using “eminent domain” to seize commercial properties in Belmont that don’t fill the desired wants of the Select Board. What would Lizzie like to see in Belmont… well boutique hotels of course. Does she know the State has been seizing hotels and other facilities to house illegal immigrants and the homeless? Has she talked with Bedford and Concord over the harm those seizures have caused. Does she not understand that Belmont residents are the biggest offenders in not supporting local businesses? Anyways… stay tuned for the next Lizzie speaks headline. You never know what she may say. If any property gets seized by eminent domain, it should be mine. Please, please… you could fit a couple families inside and several tents in the back yard. $1.7m is fair. USD not Bitcoin. 

$39.5 million New Belmont Memorial Library News 

The good news so far is the new Belmont Library project remains on budget according to a spokeswoman at the recent Town Meeting. That is good news. There was no mention of any contamination issues contrary to the rumor in Town that during demolition asbestos in the library walls was released into the nearby brook. That would be an environmental nightmare as the brook feeds into the claypit. I believe the Conservation commission would have oversight and would have alerted the Town if such an issue occurred. Fingers crossed as no one wants an EPA issue.  

Save the “Skip” Rink News

After the new rink committee tried to be everything to everyone in Town… the Skip Viglirolo skating rink is on the verge of becoming a parking lot. Why? The original $29.9m cost ($28.6m after donations) is now expected to cost north of $34.2m. This is what happens when you take a rink that needed replacing and turn it into a sports complex for pickle ball and yoga and place $1.3m solar panels on the roof. The increase is being blamed on bird poop and Bidenflation by committee members although TT sources have implied there is linkage to the BHSMS committee dumping of the work West of Harris field that contributed to the deficit. Worse yet there were rumors the facility would no longer carry the longtime HS Hockey Coach and former Town DPW commissioner’s name. More details will come forward in June. 

Boycott ends.

My 1-year boycott of Bud Light is over. Hopefully, vendors will learn from this and stop pushing political ideologies either way. BTW… the coldest beer available since Jamaica Jeff’s closed is easily the Bud Light draft at the Chateau for those wondering. 

Public Service announcement

In the last edition of TownieTalk it was suggested, home sellers have a 1–3-year window to sell before the crash. Based on new information that window is closer to 9-18 months. Recently, the Boston Globe ran a story about how Belmont real estate experienced a 7% drop in home prices over the 2022-2023 timeframe. The price decline was blamed on the surge in interest rates under the Biden Administration combined with already excessive prices keeping buyers on the sideline. Belmont’s Realtor to the Stars has informed me that prices have rebounded at the start of 2024 but for how long. Belmont has seen a major increase in homes north of $2m on the market and even had a home sell for $6.25m making the $1.7m price tag for my home and TT no more than bubble gum and comic book money. Still no takers but I know progressives only like to spend other people’s money so why not use CPA funds and buy it for some low-income family or to house illegal immigrants. It’s got 5 bedrooms so you could really squeeze dozens of them in and it would help with the school population problem (more later).  

Why did the timeframe change suddenly? Jamie Dimon (JP Morgan Chase CEO) just renewed his belief that STAGFLATION was becoming a higher risk. For those who don’t recall the term it’s because we haven’t experienced it since the late 1970’s under then President Carter. Essentially it means stubbornly high inflation with rising unemployment and slowing or negative growth in GDP. The recent disappointing Q1 GDP growth of 1.6% along with inflationary pressures will likely lead to layoffs and recent college grads are already seeing a less than ideal environment for jobs in their fields. Pay attention folks. 

Why do so many protesters wear Covid masks??

A survey came out recently that showed Anti-Israel campus protests are not having the effect organizers wanted unless uniting antisemites and the LGBTQ movement is a goal. Turns out embracing Hamas and Hezbollah was a bridge too far for most American’s. Americans tend to hold favorable views of Israel and Palestinian people but that opinion sours when terrorist organizations are exulted. 

Protesters are now upset that there are repercussions for their law breaking. Suspensions and expulsions are only part of the punishment… since arrests records are permanent and unmask the masked. The stench of participating in such events will stay with these misguided students forever and will make applying for jobs difficult. 

On a positive note, it appears the Belmont protests have lost interest after public opinion changed when a Katherine Clarke event was disrupted by protesters. 

In Memoriam

Chris Grande was a “Facebook” friend, and I enjoyed reading his contributions to Town and World issues. Chris was a graduate of Arlington Catholic and it showed in his passion and beliefs which served a higher purpose. Chris passed away this week suddenly at the age of 51, leaving behind wife Sophia and two children, Christian and Kimi. It’s a devastating loss for the Grande family and the loss of a valued voice for the community. Rest in Peace Chris.  

Former Belmont Superintendent of Schools, Peter Holland, recently passed away. Holland was instrumental in bringing Belmont into the LABBB Collaborative during his tenure. 

James “Jim” Shaughnessy recently passed. Jim leaves behind his wife Mary, and boys Jay, Michael, and Jeff. Jim was a regular figure in the Belmont sports scene.  

MAC JONES 2.0

I am going on record that drafting Drake Maye (a QB with mobility issues and trouble getting past the first read) is repeating the same mistake Bob Kraft made by forcing Belichek to select Mac Jones. Just because you like the face of the franchise does not excuse the glaring lack of ability to carry a team. They should have traded down and taken Minnesota’s two first round picks and next years first rounder. Build your OL and WR’s up now and draft a QB next year with one of your 2 first round picks. The last few years have exposed that Kraft was the weak link that broke up the dynasty. His forcing bill to trade Jimmy G and then his failure to spend on prized free agents created a wedge between Tom and Bill and here we are.   

Cheers,  

PJ Looney

Townie Talk 02478

“AMDG” Never Forget, Never Again

In Memoriam…

James Michael Trodden… Mr. Trodden was my favorite hockey coach growing up. Just a great guy that you wanted to play for. It wasn’t wins and losses with him. He truly wanted all his players to learn and love the sport and many of his sons went on to compete at higher levels of play. Mr. Trodden was a retired US Marine and leaves behind his wife (Maureen) and five children (Arlene, Dan, Brian, Ted, and Mark) … their spouses and 19 grandkids. Good man from a great family. RIP Coach. 

Daniel Higgins… BHS class of 1985 and Providence Friar, passed recently after a freak accident. I have known Dan for decades. His gift for gab is only surpassed by his brother John and I would argue his late Father. Dan was a gentle giant whose passion was watching his kids grow. Dan’s son Brendan gave the eulogy and from what I heard Dan has reason to be proud. Taken too soon, Dan leaves behind two children, Brendan and Brietta, and his brother John (wife Kelly) and his niece and nephew. RIP Danny Boy

Mary (McLucas) Daniels… if you grew up in Belmont in the 80’s/90’s you knew at least one of the Daniels kids. Mary was the matriarch of the family and passed in January. She leaves behind her children Elliot, Marshall, Elizabeth Dragone, and Mary Ellen Birnbaum and 9 grandchildren. RIP Mrs. Daniels.  

Belmont Hill Development looking at massive HOA increase. 

The Woodlands development HOA (former McLean property) turned into high end condo’s, recently notified condo owners that their HOA fees would be rising over the next two years to pay for repairs and replacement of roads and sidewalks in the development as well as growing the contingency fund. How much you ask? Depending on your condo the HOA increase will be between ($2,000 a month for 2 years) to ($3,000 a month for two years). This doesn’t even factor in the impact the debt exclusions and massive override will add. 

As I read that keep in mind my house is available for a paltry $1.7 million and there is plenty of parking and no HOA fee. Seriously, isn’t that like a one-month rental in the Hamptons these days. Put an end to my misery please. 

Anyways, sources close to Townie Talk indicate a growing number of condo owners are seeking a stop order (arguing the existing infrastructure is fine and 2 years to cover that amount of money in my words is “Grey Poupon” money. Again, this is unrelated to the average $2,500-$3500 property tax increase many of those units can expect with a Yes vote on the override. 

Belmont Voice…

Kudos to the Belmont Voice #1. While there certainly is bias in how issues are reported with a leftward slant… they proved their value with breaking a story on how the Town was hiding a very expensive screw up in the Assessors office where an inexperienced Covid hire and/or poorly trained employee in the office failed to pay withholding taxes to the IRS from the Belmont Retirement fund. The mistake has cost over $45,000 in fines with another possible 6 figure fine pending. Pay Attention Folks!

Kudos to Belmont Voice part 2. 

Wittingly or not the Belmont Voice March 9^th print edition exposed a secret on the override. In the article, Town Administrator Patrice Garvin admits that cuts discussed in prior meetings exceed the actual need.  This is precisely what the No campaign is arguing that this is a “fear campaign” based on speculation. This also falls into the comment made by Warrant Committee member Chris Doyle with now Select Board member Elizabeth Dionne nodding in approval that taxpayers must “feel the pain” for the override to be successful. 

OBEY!

Borrowed from the “PR guru” in Belmont is simply applied to anything the Select Board says these days. The only Committee with more arrogance in Town is the BHSMS Building Committee. What happens when those two get together… complete dismissive behavior. This week’s victim none other than the Conservation Committee. 

The Conservation committee negotiated that the path around Claypit would be fully restored after construction of the new school was finished. This was a condition that the BHSMS Building Committee agreed to so construction could start. Now that the BHSMS building is finished they are looking to receive the final $5m in State funding for the project. This won’t be transferred until the checklist is complete. The path has not been restored (about 40% is not passable) and that is standing in the way of the $5m. The BHSMS building Committee bluntly told the Conservation Committee they will not rebuild the path they destroyed and to pound sand. The BHSMS BC complained to the Select Board that the Town is paying $1,000 a day in interest on a carry loan because the Conservation Committee won’t release the Building Committee from their obligation. Estimated cost is about $300,000 or so. 

The Select Board essentially belittled the Conservation Committee as being irresponsible for holding things up and costing the Town money. The Conservation Committee just wants a guarantee from the Select Board the path will be finished. The Select Board told them to pound sand and now the Conservation Committee is on their own to find the money. Good luck. 

Pay attention folks…. If you have read Townie Talk consistently you will see a pattern of citizen’s and committees being disrespected and a combination of false intellectual superiority and elitism.

Boston Globe a few weeks late…

Ok, Townie Talk beat the Globe in pointing out the obvious… young professionals want out of High-cost Boston citing rent, home cost, and job availability. A recent survey by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce says 25% intend to move elsewhere in the next 5 years. My advice is move now… it’s not going to get better and the areas they are fleeing to will eventually start seeing rising costs.  

Kudos to Coach Kelleher and the Belmont/Watertown Girls Hockey team…

It wasn’t long ago that the BHS girl’s hockey team was scouring the Chenery for players. This season it ended up Middlesex League Champs and just missing a final four appearance. Nicely done Coaches and Ladies.

Something Rotten

BHS PERFORMING ARTS is putting on a production of “Something Rotten” at the BHS Auditorium. 

Tickets go fast so go get them. Thursday March 14^th 7pm, Friday the 15^th 7pm, and Saturday the 16^th 2pm and 7pm. This is a fun play and a talented cast. 

April 2^nd Election… how I plan to vote. (These are not endorsements just why I am voting how I am)

Question #1    NO

I find it repulsive that I live in a Town that would choose pickle ball courts over firemen, teachers, and Senior Center counselors. Yet, that is exactly the assbackwards way this Town is currently run. We have a spending problem, and a YES vote just encourages more fiscal irresponsibility. The road to recovery starts with a No vote and provides at least some temporary relief to a citizenry that is overburdened as the Town report says and struggling with inflation. The Yes campaign slogan “Invest in Belmont” is insulting to taxpayers who approved $370 million on oversized and luxurious new buildings in the last 5 years. 

Question #2 NO

Select Board member Mark Paolillo said one of the top complaints he gets on the Select Board is resident’s complaining about their home assessments. Currently, the Select Board has no say in the makeup of the Board of Assessors and as such they are unable to influence individual home assessments. A Yes vote changes that and puts Select Board members in a position of influence over assessments and that is a recipe for corruption. 

Moderator Mike Widmer

Over a decade ago, Mike Widmer interviewed me for a seat on the Warrant committee. He went a different direction (someone with legal or building engineering expertise over my high IQ and great looks). One could argue that was the biggest mistake Mike ever made. Maybe Belmont wouldn’t be so materialistic, and spending wouldn’t be beyond any reasonable means. Regardless, Mike gets my vote. He does a good job running Town meeting but needs to do better with appointments to the Warrant Committee (I would like to see more economic diversity represented like fixed incomes Seniors and middle-income folks). 

Unfortunately for Mike Crowley, past performance is a good indicator of future performance. (I sound like Jeff Lasseter) Mike was a member of one of the most destructive School Committee’s in Belmont history. The pain still lingers. 

Select Board   Geoff Lubien

If Geoff Lubien were an ice cream flavor, I would say he is Vanilla. Not showy or fancy he digs into the numbers, listens, and keeps focused. He is not an ideologue. Of all the candidates I think Geoff is most likely to hear the message voters send on election day which I hope is “enough is enough” and reacts accordingly. 

School Committee Meg Moriarty

This may surprise some because I don’t agree with Meg on several priority issues, but Meg was true to her word on academic excellence and supported advanced math classes at the Chenery. On a super “woke” school board that probably was a hard position to take. That earned her my vote. 

As for the others I look at things differently then many. I value “quality” Teachers and Staff over “quantity”. I believe a well-paid quality Teacher is much more valuable than 2 less capable lower paid Teachers. I believe there is a push among school committees to dumb down Teaching requirements to increase the pool of Teachers and allow them to pay less for Teachers. Teaching is like health care as in knowledge and experience are critical to success. Great Teachers will identify obstacles and work with Parents early on to make a difference. Is class size more important that we can dumb down pay and education requirements for Teachers?  Ask the candidates. In theory, smaller class sizes produce better results with all things equal. In practice, Belmont has done fine with their competitively paid Teachers regardless of class size. That may change if Teachers choose better paying districts. 

I would ask the remaining candidates if they would agree with the suggested cuts in the Schools for FY26. Recently, due to heightened interest at the High School and their DEI obsession “AP African American Studies” was added to the curriculum. I know all we hear about are cuts but Yes things get added as well. I get why students want the course as it looks great on the College resume. What I want to know is… is the School Committee as committed to Athletics which has had record student participation since pre-covid? Are sports not education? Does interest not drive offering? I still recall the lukewarm reception by the School Committee to a new rink. Holding signs for the library was a common sight but the rink was an afterthought. Are athletics a priority with any of the other three candidates and if so, get on record now. 

Town Meeting Members

I lost a lot of respect for my fellow Town Meeting members when 2/3rds of them voted to remove the Police department from civil service without collective bargaining. It wasn’t just anti-union it was an elitist vote that sent the message you work for us and will “Obey”. With that said I will not vote for any who supported the measure. Their names can be found on belmontbriefing.com under the December 5, 2023, Townie Talk issue “Santa’s Naughty List”.  

Belmont Dancing with the Stars…

Limited Tickets are still available for “Dancing with the Belmont Stars” fundraiser by the Belmont Woman’s Club. Friday April 5^th at the Beech Street Senior Center. Cash Bah. 

Early favorites include Charles “Twinkle Toes” Laverty and Anne Marie “Cha-Cha-Cha” Mahoney. Don’t be surprised if the “Greek Goddess” Joanna Tzouvelis does a Triple Lindy for the upset.  

GET THE LED OUT

April Vacation is not just for the kids. Friday April 12^th at the Chevalier theater in Medford Ma. one of the better Led Zeppelin tribute bands takes the stage. If you like pure Rock and great guitar and drums… this is your concert to see. 

March 17^th   An Irish Blessing for all

“May God give you… For every storm, a rainbow, For every tear, a smile, For every care, a promise, And a blessing in each trial.

For every problem life sends, A faithful friend to share, For every sigh, a sweet song, And an answer for each prayer.”

Cheers, 

PJ Looney

Townie Talk 02478

“AMDG” Never Forget Never Again

I was not insulted by his tardiness BUT I was infuriated by the outright lying to the American public.  Lying or “telling of half-truths” has become the norm in politics.  

Similarly, I am infuriated at the VOTE Yes Committees flyers which continue this campaign of lies and half-truths.

“Belmont residents will not be allowed to check out the 6 million books due to the loss of Minuteman network accreditation.”  A lie!  Look it up!  Any resident of Massachusetts may use the Minuteman network.

“Sports, theatre, clubs will be cut at the High School.”  Parents pay now for their students to participate!  $450 per sport plus monies raised by parent groups and the Boosters.

“Most school buses will be eliminated.”  Busing is required for all students who live more than 1-1/2 miles from their school.  Most other riders pay for the service which compliments the required expenses.

“Eliminate Town funded rubbish collection and add new fees.”  The “trash collection override of 1990” continues to provide more than enough funds to support the present rubbish/recycling contract. 

“Closing the Burbank School.”  There has been no decision regarding Burbank.  Indeed, this would be a terrible decision.  Instead, make all schools K-6 (saves busing costs).  Then close Chenery, sell it to a developer for millions and create 100 units of over 55 housing.  Netting millions in revenue with no impact on the schools.

Let’s look at other cost reductions and sources of new revenue.  

Enrollment is down 500 students from the projections used to justify the new High/Middle School.  (Why should they be so far off?)  There should be staff reductions based on this alone.

Energy costs for the new school should be way down, as a result of the investment in geothermal and solar installations.  Where is this reflected?

A new High/Middle School, Library, and Rink should result in further savings in maintenance and operations costs.

McLean Hospital is budgeting $1.5 million for PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) for FY 25.

Send the message that fiscal responsibility and solvency must come first and without further burdening our over-taxed citizens. 

An operating override is too much to ask!  Join me and vote NO!

Edward A. Kazanjian is a retired facilities engineer, registered educational facility planner, executive director and head consultant for a nonprofit, national public school consulting firm and an assistant superintendent of schools. He has been a Belmont resident for over 50 years.