Read the September/October 2020 Newsletter, or enjoy individual articles below.
Habitat in Transition
Pomponi Takes Over Habitat Sanctuary
Renata Pomponi. Photo courtesy of Renata Pomponi
Renata Pomponi, who is now managing Habitat, understands how special Habitat is, for the natural habitat it protects and the community that considers it their own. Read more.
Wrubel Connected People With Nature
Roger Wrubel, entomologist, teacher, conservationist, and community activist, became the director of the Habitat Wildlife Education Center and Sanctuary in 2000 and retired this June. Trained in the study of insects, he spent time at Tufts and UMass Boston teaching and writing and was conscious of the need to build strong bonds between the natural world and people. Read more.
Roger Wrubel and volunteers clean up Lone Tree Hill. Photo: Radha Iyengar
Persistence Built Western Greenway
To me, protecting the greenway was important for two primary reasons. First, having a large continuous expanse of undeveloped “natural” land in our densely developed region of the state provided a unique, local recreational experience. Second, it was extremely valuable habitat for wildlife. Read more.
How Affordable Housing Works in Belmont
With 32 townhouses proposed for a half-acre site at 91 Beatrice Circle, Belmont is buzzing with questions about how a developer can suggest such a dense development. The answers—because this question does not have a single, simple answer—have to do with a law known as Chapter 40B, aka the “Massachusetts Comprehensive Permit Law,” the legal definition of “affordable housing,” and how Belmont has developed up to now. Read more.
Affordable Housing on Belmont Hill
Affordable housing and Chapter 40B affordable housing are not exactly the same. Read more.
Letter to the Editor
Thank you for the article on leaf blowers by Ian L. Todreas (“Leaf Blowers Damage Environment, Health,” July/August 2020 Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter.) Working at home as I do, I find leaf blowers a miserable nuisance. Read more.
25% Belmont Bike Path Design Presented
Recent meetings offered a first look at the official 25% draft plan for the Belmont Community Path. Phase 1 includes the rail trail from Brighton Street through Belmont Center to the Clark Street pedestrian bridge, the railroad underpass from Alexander Avenue to Belmont High School, and the route to Concord Avenue. Read more.
Illustration of the Alexander Avenue Underpass from the July 16 presentation. Graphic: Nitsch Engineering.
Belmont Waterways Get Failing Grades
The Mystic River’s most recent water quality report card, released on August 13, gives Winn’s Brook an F for 2019—and the Little River and Alewife Brook earned Ds. Read more.
Belmont Spreads Compost Townwide
Since its inception in 2018, Belmont Composts!, a project of the nonprofit Belmont Food Collaborative, which also runs the Farmers’ Market, has urged curbside composting to reduce Belmont’s trash, saving both town funds and the environment. Read more.
The Litter Guy Cleans Up Belmont
Equipped with a 30-gallon yellow trash bag with a shoulder strap, a pointy-tipped spear, a pair of pincers that are good enough to pick up cigarette butts, and a bright yellow safety vest to protect me from traffic, I began picking up litter in Belmont over a year and a half ago. Read more.
BCF Editor Publishes The Truth About Baked Beans
Read all about this new book—with a cameo by William Underwood. Read more.
Belmont Roots
Well, it’s fall, and most meetings are still being held via screens and speakers. I’m sorry. The following organizations are offering a variety of virtual events. Read more.
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