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Belmont Farmers’ Market Opens June 9

 May 2016, Newsletter, Uncategorized  Comments Off on Belmont Farmers’ Market Opens June 9
May 202016
 
Belmont Farmers’ Market Opens June 9

It must be spring. The farmers’ market is coming. The Belmont Farmers’ Market opens on Thursday, June 9, 2-6:30 pm, in the Belmont Center municipal parking lot, rain or shine. Now celebrating its 11th year, the Market offers a variety of organic and conventionally grown and produced food in a range of prices. You’ll find old favorites like Kimball Fruit Farms, Mamadou’s Artisan Bakery, and Stillman’s Quality Meats, along with newcomers like Belmont’s own Vintage Tea and Cakes, Warren Farm and Sugarhouse, and Julia Cooks. Find everything you need for a healthful and satisfying dinner, including wine from Massachusetts vintners. [READ MORE]

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Seven Community Benefits of Bikeways

 Bike Paths, May 2016, Traffic, Transit, Uncategorized  Comments Off on Seven Community Benefits of Bikeways
May 202016
 
Seven Community Benefits of Bikeways

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council passed along this article to our office recently. It was written in 2014 by Taz Loomans, addressing congestion in her native Phoenix. Points of it apply to Belmont and our surrounding communities as well. We have edited it considerably; but you may read the full article at BloomingRock.com. 1. Bikeways make places more valuable. A 2006 study found that in Minneapolis, median home values rose $510 for every quarter-mile they were located closer to an off-street bikeway. In Washington DC,, 85% of nearby residents say the 15th Street bike lane is a valuable community asset. [READ MORE]

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Clay Pit Pond Walking Path Gets Funded

 Historic Preservation, May 2016, Open Space  Comments Off on Clay Pit Pond Walking Path Gets Funded
May 202016
 
Clay Pit Pond Walking Path Gets Funded

By Jim Roth, Mary Trudeau, and Margaret Velie On May 2, the Belmont Community Preservation Committee (CPC) approved the application by the Belmont Conservation Commission for $228,350 for the construction of the Intergenerational Walking Path and its entrances. Town Meeting approved the funds on May 4. Golf is often described as “a good walk spoiled.” Those traversing the often muddy path around Clay Pit Pond in front of Belmont High School echo a similar sentiment. Recreational walkers, joggers, dog walkers, cross-country skiers, and the high school crosscountry teams all use the well-worn earthen trail, even though it is often impassible due to [READ MORE]

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“Belmont Goes Solar” Sails Past Initial Goal

 May 2016, Solar Power  Comments Off on “Belmont Goes Solar” Sails Past Initial Goal
May 202016
 
"Belmont Goes Solar" Sails Past Initial Goal

Campaign Extended Until June 30. by John DiCocco In our November-December 2015 issue, we ran a story by Roger Wrubel, “The Sun Rises for Belmont Solar Customers.” (Wrubel is the director of Mass Audubon’s Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, and lives in Belmont.) His story focused on the long-running issues that have hindered solar development in Belmont, including policies and objections raised by Belmont Light. He provided information on the benefits of solar and listed several vendors. He also introduced the Belmont Goes Solar campaign to our readers. This is an update. Let the sun shine in. Belmont Goes [READ MORE]

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80 Natural Gas Leaks in Belmont

 Air Quality, May 2016  Comments Off on 80 Natural Gas Leaks in Belmont
May 202016
 
80 Natural Gas Leaks in Belmont

by John DiCocco “If the fumes were purple, we’d have action a lot quicker. Because we can’t see them, we don’t realize they’re there.” So said Ania Camargo, a manager at Case Associates and a volunteer for Mothers Out Front, describing the plumes of methane gas leaking into the air all around Greater Boston, including 80 spots in Belmont. “Gas companies began adding a ‘rotten egg’ smell decades ago, because methane is colorless and odorless,” says Camargo. “But apparently even that bad smell isn’t enough to spur corrective action. This is far more serious than people realize.” She was addressing an April 21 meeting of concerned citizens from Belmont and surrounding towns sponsored [READ MORE]

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Lone Tree Hill Cleanup–Volunteers Needed May 14

 Newsletter, Uncategorized  Comments Off on Lone Tree Hill Cleanup–Volunteers Needed May 14
Apr 082016
 

Belmont Citizens Forum 4th Annual Lone Tree Hill Volunteer Day Rain or Shine! Saturday, May 14, 9 am­–1 pm On Saturday, May 14, from 9 am­–1 pm, the Belmont Citizens Forum is sponsoring our fourth annual Lone Tree Hill Volunteer Day, and we invite you to participate—rain or shine! This year, we are having two different work sites, one to spread wood chips along the Pine Allee, and a second to clean up the trash along South Pleasant Street, in the area across from Star Market and Artefact Home and Garden. Pine Allee Work If you’d like to work on [READ MORE]

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Let’s talk about Belmont gas leaks.

 Uncategorized  Comments Off on Let’s talk about Belmont gas leaks.
Mar 282016
 

Did you know that within its 4.6 square miles Belmont has 80 gas leaks, with the oldest dating back to 1996?  Of these, only 7 are scheduled to be fixed within the next 12 months. Here is a link to a map showing Belmont’s gas leaks as of December 2015, when there were 90 leaks: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z0qdj8hs9BsE.kQB_bhOI6Dtg Gas leaks are a threat to health – they exacerbate asthma and other respiratory illnesses – and the methane they leak is 84 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over a 20 year period, contributing to climate change. And who pays [READ MORE]

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BCF Wants YOU as an Intern

 Uncategorized  Comments Off on BCF Wants YOU as an Intern
Mar 142016
 

The Belmont Citizens Forum is seeking high school and college interns to work with board members and volunteers during spring and summer vacations. Specific areas of current interest include the use of water quality monitoring, GIS, and social media tools to educate citizens about local stormwater issues, historical analysis of impervious surfaces in Belmont, and research related to the economics of bike path alternatives. Please send a description of your availability, interests, and background to bcfprogramdirector@gmail.com by April 1 for a one-week spring internship and by May 1 for a summer internship. Interns typically work one-to-one with a mentor to define a [READ MORE]

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