November/December 2018 Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter & PDF

 Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2018  Comments Off on November/December 2018 Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter & PDF
Nov 052018
 

View or download the November/December 2018 issue as a color PDF here, or read single articles below.   Articles in this issue: Belmont: Town of Homes and Trees An overview of the status of town trees, past and present by Lucia Gates In Belmont, we hold our trees in esteem for their beauty, shade, and the value they add to our property. Our magnificent copper beeches grow throughout town. A wonderful example of these trees stands just east of Cushing Square, along Trapelo Road. Moreover, Belmont has all of the standard Eastern urban trees—callery pears, ginkos, Norway maples—as well as [READ MORE]

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Belmont: Town of Homes and Trees

 Environment, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2018  Comments Off on Belmont: Town of Homes and Trees
Nov 052018
 
Belmont: Town of Homes and Trees

An overview of the status of town trees, past and present By Lucia Gates In Belmont, we hold our trees in esteem for their beauty, shade, and the value they add to our property. Our magnificent copper beeches grow throughout town. A wonderful example of these trees stands just east of Cushing Square, along Trapelo Road. Moreover, Belmont has all of the standard Eastern urban trees—callery pears, ginkos, Norway maples—as well as the standard Eastern forest trees—maples, oaks, and pines. One of the most notable trees* is the large dawn redwood growing in back of the town library parking lot. [READ MORE]

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Tree Stewardship

 Environment, Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2018, Plants  Comments Off on Tree Stewardship
Nov 052018
 
Tree Stewardship

By Carolyn Bishop Illustrations by Ian Todreas, Updog Gallery   When surrounded by beauty, we often take it for granted until we notice its decline. So it may be with our town trees. Many Belmont streets are distinguished by a canopy of large, gracious trees. But are we protecting this valuable asset? What silent threats should we be aware of to preserve this beauty? Compacted soil and chemical leakage from cars parked off the pavement at the edge of the road, failure to water street trees during dry times, road salt, and improper pruning all weaken our trees, making them [READ MORE]

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LimeBikes: We Tested One for You

 Bicycles and bike paths, Board of Selectmen, Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2018, Traffic, Transit  Comments Off on LimeBikes: We Tested One for You
Nov 052018
 
LimeBikes: We Tested One for You

Two engineers analyze the pros and cons of Belmont’s bike-share pilot program By Sumner Brown and David Chase   LimeBikes are not great bicycles, but they may be the best bike for you. They came to Belmont this past July, seemingly in plentiful supply. You probably noticed them. They are bright green and yellow and designed to be noticed. Anyone with a smartphone and a credit card can rent a LimeBike anytime. You locate an available bike with the LimeBike app, and when you finish your ride, you lock it and leave it. At $1 per half hour, LimeBikes are [READ MORE]

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Bike-Share Comes to Belmont: A Conversation with Belmont Town Planner Spencer Gober

 Bicycles and bike paths, Environment, Nov-Dec 2018, Traffic  Comments Off on Bike-Share Comes to Belmont: A Conversation with Belmont Town Planner Spencer Gober
Nov 052018
 
Bike-Share Comes to Belmont: A Conversation with Belmont Town Planner Spencer Gober

Questions by Mary Bradley; responses by Spencer Gober Q: What was the impetus behind bringing LimeBikes to Belmont? As a little background, the program is led by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), who approached Belmont in the fall of 2017 to gauge interest in participating in a regional, dockless bike-share system. There are 14 other municipalities participating: Arlington, Bedford, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Milton, Needham, Newton, Revere, Waltham, Watertown, and Winthrop. MAPC observed numerous municipalities within the region piloting their own dockless bike-share programs and believed that if dockless bike-share was going to be successful and effective, it [READ MORE]

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Where Your Drinking Water Comes From

 Environment, Nov-Dec 2018, Water Quality  Comments Off on Where Your Drinking Water Comes From
Nov 052018
 
Where Your Drinking Water Comes From

By Ria Convery All photos, maps, and illustrations courtesy of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority unless otherwise noted. Have you ever wondered where your water comes from? Well, it’s kind of a long story. The short answer is that Belmont, like most of eastern and central Massachusetts, gets its water from two reservoirs of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA): the Quabbin Reservoir in Belchertown and the Wachusett Reservoir in Clinton. General Plan of the MWRA Water System Our region’s water system is one of the oldest in the country. Its long history started with local wells in the 1700s, [READ MORE]

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Environmental Events, November–December 2018

 BCF Events, Environment, Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2018  Comments Off on Environmental Events, November–December 2018
Nov 052018
 

Owl Prowl and Sunrise Birding Saturday, November 10, 5:30–8 AM Take advantage of the early start time, when it’s much easier to listen for great horned and screech owls and other night sounds. With first light, we will continue birding and hope for some unusual stray or lingering migrants at Rock Meadow. (Rain date is Sunday, November 11.) Fee: $16 member/$20 nonmember.Register at massaudubon.org, call 617-489-5050 or write to habitat@massaudubon.org. Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, 10 Juniper Road, Belmont. Audubon Night Hike Saturday, November 10, 6–7:30 PM Have you been out in the woods at night? Everything seems so different! Spend [READ MORE]

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