Blogging Belmont

08/20/2025

The needlessly long and toxic debate over the rededication of the ice rink is sowing anger, discontent and distrust in the Town’s leadership when they can least afford it. The solution to the rink problem? Skip it!...

The needlessly long and toxic debate over the rededication of the ice rink is sowing anger, discontent and distrust in the Town’s leadership when they can least afford it. The solution to the rink problem? Skip it! Read more →

08/14/2025

"Our schools have been living on a starvation budget and the School Committee has arbitrarily drawn a line in the sand to force a budget that will further harm our schools, rather than explore a path to a sustainable, fair solution for students and staff. The School Committee’s refusal to look at creative funding solutions is not strategic budgeting, it’s entrenched austerity and has resulted in forcing educators to scramble to preserve the quality of our schools." - Belmont Education Association

In a statement, the BEA called out Belmont's School Committee for refusing to consider fixes for the Belmont Public Schools' budget woes.

07/17/2025

Mary Byrne over at the Belmont Voice has an interesting article on the future of the “golden bowl.” that damp, ugly, used patch of public land located in the heart of Belmont. Here’s an idea: let’s turn it into a lawn... or a pocket park...or a skatepark. Just not a ditch filled with goose p**p! :-P https://belmontvoice.org/whats-the-future-of-the-golden-bowl/?

For as long as the town has had some iteration of the Underwood Pool, a large grassy pit — known colloquially as the Golden Bowl — has existed at the base of the hill between the pool and Concord Avenue. Decades ago, the land was deeded to the town with the restriction that it must be used for r...

03/24/2025

Belmont's local election is just over a week away on April 1st with competitive races for Town Moderator, Select Board, School Committee and Board of Health. Here are my picks....

Belmont's local election is just over a week away on April 1st with competitive races for Town Moderator, Select Board, School Committee and Board of Health. Here are my picks. Read more →

11/06/2024

Got broken stuff? On November 16th, the Belmont Public Library will host its first FixIt Clinic since 2019 at the Beech Street Center from 11AM to 2PM. FixIt coaches will be there to help you diagnose problems and repair your personal electronics, home appliances, furniture, lamps, clothing, toys and more. Also: Peter Mui, an MIT alum and the founder of the FixitClinic movement will be a special guest in attendance at the event, hosted by the Belmont Public Library! Use links in the blog post to make an appointment with a repair coach or - if you're handy - to be a fixit coach at the event.

A week from this Saturday, on November 16th, Belmont will host FixIt Clinic #1275 - the first in town since before the COVID pandemic. Peter Mui, an MIT alum and the founder of the FixitClinic movement will be a special guest in attendance at the event, hosted by the Belmont Public Library!Read more...

10/26/2024

The Foundation for Belmont Education - FBE Halloween Apple Run is tomorrow (Sunday Oct 27) starting at 9:00. If you haven't registered you can do so today (Saturday) between 10 AM and 2 PM at the Chenery Middle School parking lot, or tomorrow morning before the race! https://www.fbebelmont.org/run

07/02/2024

Read about the latest incidents reported to the Belmont, MA Police Department in Belmont Media Center's News Blogging Belmont
https://belmontmedia.org/news-events/belmont-police-log-june-24-june-30-overnight-car-break-ins-tree-limb-falls-car-douglas

03/27/2024

Do Belmont Town Meeting members have a right to criticize their government? Amazingly: its a topic of debate in the race for Town Moderator. Check out this exchange from the recent candidate's debate!

03/27/2024

Belmont’s Moderator Mike Widmer declared emphatically in a debate Monday evening that, if he is re-elected, Town Meeting Members will not be permitted to speak critically of the Town’s appointed committees, equating criticism of town officials and committees with personal, “ad hominem attacks” and abusive speech worthy of censorship.

Belmont Moderator Mike Widmer said that, if re-elected, he will forbid criticism by Town Meeting members of Town committees and individuals.

03/25/2024

For the first time in years, Belmont voters have the opportunity to enact big changes to the Town’s leadership. Given the way things are going, it’s not an opportunity we should pass up! Here are my picks for the April 2nd 2024 Town Election.

For the first time in years, voters have the opportunity to enact big changes to Belmont’s leadership. It’s not an opportunity we should pass up. Change is on the ballot, Belmont. Let’s make it happen! Here are my picks for the April 2nd 2024 Town Election. Read more →

03/21/2024

With the Town's election just around the corner, its time to weigh in on the big issue on this year’s ballot: Question 1, an override of Proposition 2 1/2 that will add $8.4 million to our Town’s operating budget and prevent disastrous cuts to town services and our schools. That seems like reason enough to vote, but - for the sake of some election season conversation: here are the top 3 reasons that I will be voting YES on Question 1!

On April 2nd, residents will be asked to approve Question 1, which raises our property tax levy to fund critical Town- and school operations. Check out the top 3 reasons that I am going to vote YES. Read more →

03/15/2024

Is criticizing Town Officials speech that should be censored? That's the question I had after Moderator Mike Widmer shut me down at a June, 2023 Town Meeting for 'impugning the motives' of our Select Board and Warrant Committee. So I asked the ACLU to weigh in on whether he crossed a line. Their take? He may well have.

Did our Moderator Widmer engage violate the State Constitution by declaring speech critical of Town officials out of order? I asked the ACLU.