watch and listen to the talking news every day at twelve noon and six pm on channel ninety six comcast x finity and channel thirty for rise and it can also be heard mondays and tuesdays at four thirty pm and wednesday at twelve thirty pm on channel nine x finity and channel twenty nine five listen any time on the b m c podcast network on sound cloud and i tunes just search for the belmont media podcast network now on to the talking news parents schools to combat sexual assault by christy armstrong the topic of sexual assault could not be more current over the past few weeks newspaper headlines have been in bla ed with the names of people in positions of power who are being accused of sexual assault belmont resident wendy murphy director of the women's and children's advocacy advocacy project at the center for law and social responsibility at the new england school of law has made it her life's work to educate young people and men and the public of the rights and protections that do exist for women when they have been the victims of sexual assault this topic and how title nine protections apply particularly to sexual assault issues was the object was the objective of the november thirteenth belmont high p t s o and belmont women's club sponsored presentation given by murphy and her co presenter any lewis o'connor who is the director of the care clinic of brigham and women's hospital many people think of title nine as legislation relating to girls and sports presenters said but in fact it is a gender equality mandate that guarantees women equal access to education and protection from harassment and violence title nine obligates schools to deal promptly equitably and effectively with campus based reports of violence based on sex murphy said she believes most young women experiencing this kind of trauma are not supported and defended women suffer far more serious discrimination for assault and old volvo they are protected by the law in practice women and girls do not receive the same protection murphy said it's very important that women know that their rights and how to enforce them in murphys eyes colleges and universities do not do enough to help student victims of sexual assault a school's primary interest is to protect the institution said murphy they'll send you to counseling and give you flexibility with exams but they won't take effective steps according to murphy callie and universities sometimes respond as if a sexual assault were a response or a are acceptable on some levels and blame the victim the aftermath and lack of respect from the school can be as traumatic as the event itself for sexual assault victims dealing with the trauma of sexual assault is where lewis o'connor comes in the coordinated approach recovery and empowerment or care clinic at women brigham and women's hospital was founded by louis o'connor to provide treatment to victims of gender based violence domestic and sexual abuse and human trafficking lewis o'connor stated that the primary goal of the clinic is to help these women land strong and well and healthy and she is involved in all of the facets of making sure they get the medical psychological and emotional care they need we respect the autonomy of victims and support them in how they choose to handle it said lewis o'connor often only two sides are addressed either it was sexual assault or it wasn't and we need focus on the victim and stop discussing the grey area both louis o'connor and murphy stressed the parents need to have conversations with their children and teenagers sexual assault how to watch out for it how to deal with it and how to vented the likelihood is that it will be some someone they know and trust stated lewis o'connor kids should always hav adult a parent a relative or a close family friend who they feel can they can confide in and something like this occurs high school and college students also need to be aware of how to keep themselves safe from sexual assault talk about how to drink responsibly and how to intervene and stand up for a person who is in a vulnerable position if you are a bystander s important boys need to be raised and actively taught not to engage in or support behavior that promotes sexual assault it's such a significant problem and it's not being handled in other ways said murphy young women don't know what they will face and no over the clear thank you bob belmont books presents trans poet and professor by hope kelly stephanie barrett is not an easy person to describe the new york times called the forty one year old belmont resident one of the most influential poetry critics of his generation that was two thousand twelve when stephanie barrett was known as stephen barrett peart officially announced her agenda transition this summer but has been a visible and vocal advocate of transgender rights in queer culture for years she is also a poet a tenured professor of english at harvard and with her wife jesse bennett a parent of two sons in the belmont schools bird recently published her fourth book of poetry and an enthusiastic audience gathered at belmont books on nov sixteenth to hear her read she arrived a bit late and breathless straight from library night at school it was a fitting entrance for a poet who writes extensively about parenting and raising a family in a small suburban town she opened with just such a poem from an earlier collection which is title simply don't want quote it's about settling down and settling in and trying not to settle for about three miles from the european core with a not quite turkey looking so lost and inquisitive next to the stop for the seventy four quote we have learned to carry everywhere sunscreen and insect repellent and pretzel sticks and aquaphor in case any shrubs chris scratched the kids we mean it when we say we like it we feel sure it's safe around here and once we feel safe it's our nature to say where unsatisfied and pretend to seek more birds poetry is full of local references seventy four refers to the m b t a bus route bird settled in belmont ten years ago when her oldest son was still in the stroller ode to home bird published belmont in two thousand and thirteen it's really the being a responsible parent trying to figure out what you can do for your partner and kids in your town and the neighborhood book i'm still really happy with it all of those poems are connected in some way to making the life you want to have for him with your young children there was a time when that w she said she says each of her collections has coincided with a major transition every time i publish a book of poetry something happens in my life and it changes all the changes are good but the big adjustments my first book of poetry came out i got a job we left new york and moved to minnesota my second book of poetry came out and our older kid was two weeks old on the publication date and so now i'm a parent the third book of poetry which is belmont was in press around the same time the new york times did this piece about me as quote poetry cross dressing kingmakers she said it was a widely read article with a provocative title kingmaker was a reference to birds rising influence as a literary critic with the power to shape writing careers as for the cross dressing bird had been wearing women's clothing publicly for years still she says the article marked the beginning of the coming out process she says her new book advice from the lights coincided with the end of the process i'm a woman all the time now it's very simple transgender women are women i'm a woman and that's what's going on now process happened while this book was physically be imprinted she said exploring her past advice from the lights is burt's fourth poetry collection in is full of what bird calls invented girlhood memories quote like if i had grown up as a real girl and people knew i was a girl all along what would that be have been like other poems contain actual memories of childhood and adolescence in a body that always felt a mess my nine hundred seventy five is the books opening poem quote i was mr spock being raised by dr spock i was told i was free but only free to be me i knew i loved my digital clock i would have trusted my instincts if i had any or if i could have given them a name i was deceived by the body that i missed took far a bad penny by the shimmery beauty of my immediate peers which i mistook for fame pert also read fifth grade time capsule i dream of the day when i am d coded in volunteered of a floral float in a parade if not a chauffeur to evening on the town the people who pick me up can never be the same as the ones who put me down my family and i are in the right place at this point bert still answers to stephen she is tolerant even forgiving when people use masculine pronouns to refer to her and her work it's not ideal she wrote on facebook announcing her transition but it won't ruin my day as to what it's like to be trans in belmont birth says she feels welcome to and accepted then focuses the rest of her experience as a parent now here's max thanks claire three ways to donate to the food pantry by joining a case of violence one support gifts of hope fundraisers ten independently owned local businesses are giving back this holiday season by hosting gifts of hope fund raisers to benefit the belmont food pantry as you make your lists and check them twice be sure to support these fundraisers on nov thirtieth zia's clothing outlet donated ten percent of all sales if you're not sure what to get owner karen cost again and her staff offer personalized service to help you make the best selection for your recipients on december eleventh nine belmont center businesses including bells and whistles everybody is toyshop of belmont cambridge where thirty pedals boutique champion sporting katrina who has been supporting gifts of hope for the past decade will donate a percentage of sales from lunch and dinner to the pantry to gifts of hope telethon the belmont media center collaborated with the belmont citizen herald in wicked local belmont with a telethon from noon to five pm back on saturday december second residents were encouraged to call six one seven four eight four two four four three or stop into the studio located at nine lexington street belmont to make a monetary or food donation to the belmont food pantry items needed included shampoo toothpaste into the brushes soap b sanitary napkins razors and shaving cream household cleaners spray bottles and wipes coffee tea can chili with meat and stews canned beats peas and mixed vegetables mushrooms cooking oil tuna fish and canned fruit checks should be made payable to the belmont food pantry or number three you can mail your donation gifts of hope raised more than forty thousand dollars in two thousand  for the moment food pantry thanks to contributions from local businesses and residents the pantry is open five times each month and helps feed sixty bellman families the extra funds raised during the holiday season help the pantry purchase gift cards to target to help families purchase food and gifts for their families for the holiday season mail your tax deductible donation payable to the belmont food pantry to belmont food pantry o box two nine one belmont mass oh two four seven eight over to you bob thank you max winter in bloom by mary rinds the birds are flown when the leaves of fall and but that doesn't mean there is no place for colorful godden plants during the cold months indoors spreads holiday cheer is with blushing poinsettias snowy orchids and the red and white  the christmas cactus which blooms in december all the lemon cypress tree with the citrus smelling leaf add a life and color to the season below local garden cent experts share their fall and winter selections and offer great advice about gifts for god nurse flowers some people prefer to take on a holiday tone with the traditional point of other plants that transition well after the holiday season are orchids citrus plants and amaryllis they bring a sense of enjoyment in the home and after the holidays are over citrus plants a lot of plants can successfully bear fruit indoors in the went to season then put the plant outside when the weather is warm again a mayor lemon tree is a popular one there's also some orange trees a lot of these are available in a dwarf size so it's a little bit more manageable herbs we always suggest  rosemary is a popular one during the holidays anything that you can put in a kitchen window useful tools we recommend corona pruners it's just a real quality brand and there's a lot of different models for people who a left handed it's definitely a go to brand here plants for decorating a lot of people are gravitating towards flowering plants and foliage based arrangements that are not overtly holiday but a little more winter that can take them right through to christmas and maybe a new year's eve party flowers  hydrangeas papal whites white orchids and cycle men they're seeing the white palette trending more it's a little bit cleaner looking a lot of people pair them with succulents eucalyptus is another popular item it has a nice fragrance and pretty leaf and it's festive jasmine is another big popular item with a beautiful fragrance pretty white flower foliage people mix and match take a succulent or something like a firm which has the green and pier it was something that has a pretty white bloom sometimes people will take cut greens like time or ball some and incorporate them into the table skate and make it feel more holiday with some mini lights like a win to godan within the table scape and over to clare thanks bob you need holiday shopping event f l mod gallery of art come celebrate the holidays and find unique art gifts for friends and family at the belmont gallery of its annual small works and sale during two special weekends in december eighth to the tenth and december fifteenth to the seventeenth first started in two thousand and eight the b g ace small works show in sale is an opportunity for gallery visitors to purchase affordable one of a kind art gifts for the holidays while also supporting the local arts community the two thousand and seventeen small works holiday show office or original art by over two thousand local artists in a variety of media including paintings ceramics prince photographs and textile art as well as jewelry and cards small works are priced from ten dollars to two hundred dollars and selected by the artist with gift giving in mind all art presented in the show is available for sale with items taken at the time of purchase holiday open house december nine new this year is the be gas holiday open house taking place on saturday december ninth from noon to five pm this national event will feature lots of art gifts cider and sweets and live music with vocalist beth purcell and pianist jo reed p g a events are free and open to the public the b g a is especially looking forward to having the public visit the gallery during its first holiday open house says b g a director rebecca richards i'm excited that the event includes live music she ad beth and joe's performance of songs of home and holidays will not only give gallery visitors a truly festival shopping experience but will also add to their enjoyment of the b g is home exhibit also on display please note that the belmont gallery of it will be open special extended shopping hours on thursday and friday nights and saturday afternoons for the small works show the belmont gallery of it is located in the homer municipal building third floor part of the town hall complex and now over to max thank you clare new high school designs presented officials review for different three dimensional diagrams by joanna cates of ellis perkins and will the architectural firm hired for the feasibility phase of the belmont high school building project presented four different three dimensional diagrams of design options for the school at a joint meeting with the b h s building committee the belmont board of selectmen and the school committee on nov sixteenth one option is for a major renovation with a minor addition two of the options are for minor renovations with major additions and one is for an all new construction the cost of the options according to project manager thomas get soonest with daedalus will be about five hundred dollars per square foot the current building is two hundred sixty thousand square feet the options being considered are three different grade configurations grades nine through twelve grades eight through twelve and grades seven through twelve ranging from three hundred fifty thousand square feet to four hundred fifty thousand square feet it soon as estimated the project cost one hundred eighteen million to one hundred thirty two million dollars to upgrade the existing high school for the grade nine to twelve configuration either renovation with the addition or new construction the estimated cost is two hundred million to two hundred thirty million dollars for the grade eight to twelve option the estimated cost is two hundred thirty to two hundred seventy million dollars for the grade seven to twelve option it is estimated to cost two hundred  sixty two to three hundred million dollars included in this preliminary estimate is the cost for a moving hazardous waste material from the high school site this will be necessary no matter what the final option is which is estimated to cost ten million dollars new construction versus renovation and in addition the new four storey compact construction option would be the least intrusive option for students occupying the high school building and the fastest to complete however it would not include a pool and would have a smaller gymnasium the massachusetts school building authority m s b a will not provide funding for a new pool the current gymnasium is thirty thousand square feet the new gymnasium would be twenty thousand square feet all of the renovation and addition options would preserve the current gymnasium and field house as well as the upstairs gymnasium as principal dan richards responded to a question from b h s building committee chairman bill the valar about how a compact school would impact teaching and learning richard said it would be easier to keep an eye on everybody there would be less walking it would bring staff and students together and give teachers more opportunity to collaborate the playing fields for all the options would need to be adjusted and the orientation of the fields would be improved parking for some of the options would be distributed more rather than the current concentration that exists today the current location of the skip of the rice rink would be changed would not be changed excuse me all of the options presented to perkins and we'll have use of clay pit pond and green areas and locate parking in the back back to you bob thank you max pantry director looks back at two to provide food and household items to belmont families in need at the special town meeting on nov thirteenth the tele belmont on of the pantry with a proclamation from the board of selectmen but highly each knew there was a need for a local pantry and belmont and wrote a letter to the selectmen twenty five years ago asking him if there was space somewhere in town where they could use where they could use to start one the basement of the form a fire station on propeller road was the original location she remembers sixteen people came the first day they opened clients of the pantry need to show proof of residence with the utility bill or lease the high lich said the pantry has grown consistently over the past twenty five years about one percent every year the current location is the basement of mount hope church fifty one lexington st belmont is the fifth location for the pantry in the past twenty five years  highlights hopes to find a permanent location which has enough room for sorting as well as a refrigerator to store perishable food after receiving the proclamation on behalf of the pantry  expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the hundreds of volunteers and donors who helped them make what they do possible she highlighted the most successful fund raisers and collections held every year including belmont serves the belmont leduc area's food drive the generally middle school food drive produce from the belmont food collaborative and belmont high school godden and the belmont citizen harold gifts of hope campaign for more than twenty years a biggest monetary funding has been through the belmont citizen harold give some hope campaign said my lunch in recent years donations collected through the campaign during the holiday season total between forty five thousand and sixty five thousand dollars and now over to clare thank you bob the road into problem at joey's park is resolved the park is open it's been about one month since joey's park closed due to have a dense of rats under the place structures assurance pest solutions a professional pest control operator was hired by the department of public works to investigate and treat the rodent problem which is now resolved it reopened on november twenty second to help prevent future rodent infestations that joey's park public works would like to encourage guests of the park to carry on and carry out any food drinks and trash items which may attract nuisance wildlife to the area please help us keep our parks clean and safe for everyone to enjoy and now to max thanks claire town holds annual veterans breakfast the third annual veteran's breakfast at beach st center was sponsored by east cambridge savings bank many local veterans family and friends attended the belmont high hill school be flats acapella entertain the veterans there was presentation to a korean war veteran honoring dana macdonald with the korean peace medal this process is now being made available to korean war veterans through the consulate general of the republic of korea in boston to learn more about the process and to obtain an application for korean war veterans to receive the korean piece of metal contact bob upton at veterans service office in belmont at our up belmont dash a dot gov back to bob along with my colleagues claire and max we thank you for listening to the talking news and hope you have enjoyed the show we will return next week for another edition of local news happenings around belmont