hello everyone welcome to the belmont journal belmont's hyper local news program and community affairs programming i'm your host roger coulton we've got a great program set up for you today we're going to talk a little with franklin tucker of the belmont county and about the expected property tax bills for the coming year we're going to have a conversation with joanna jubal s at the belmont citizen harold about liquor licenses and we're going to introduce you to belmont new town administrator that is going to come on board next year belmont has incredibly talented students two of those students appear to laney and in  howard will be dancing with the world famous boston ballet in the nutcracker over the holiday season we've had an opportunity to sit down with p r nonny and we're going to listen to them talk about what it means to dance on the big stage first went i cliff a lot of the professionals and i think it's just so funny i had only ever dreamed of seeing i had never actually talked to them or danced with them before so i think that being with welcome to this week in the belmont county and now mounts online source of hyper local news today we've got franklin tucker the publisher and editor of the belmont county and with us senate and reporter and photographer and re dollars for here we have broken that seven figure barrier and now the average assessment means anything above and below you know everything you need to take the mix is is one  exactly no think about it you know that truly is a state statement that is something that incredible i think for belmont you know we've seen it with lexington wellesley and west and we knew about those towns being very you know  decreased the actual tax rate from twelve dollars and sixty nine cents to twelve dollars and fifteen cents that's about a four percent or three and a half percent decrease but because the assessed values went up by seven percent we're actually going to see an increase in about three and a half percent in taxes so go ahead so a three and a half percent increase can you explain to me how that fits with dollars about two hundred forty one dollar increase in your tax bill for an average assessed value home so that's enough i would think and that's without any of the new expected taxes that are coming down the line that's right that's just come out high this is just year to year growth that's exactly right this is just your average this is your annual assessed value where the tax rate and the assessed value are put by comparable buy comparable worth of homes whether it's and in belmont so you look at a house it's selling a colonial let's say which is a which is the quintessential belmont house you look at how many of those are sold you compare it to the other homes in the area or whether or homes there are colonial right so if you have twelve colonials or go for a million dollars then the conal that you have is going to be established in that kind of rate in that kind of and you talked about the board of assessors this really doesn't have anything to do with the county budget it's almost a mathematical exercise it is exactly that exactly what it is how how the money is spent is maybe not so much for homeowners knowing that you're living in a million dollar community thank you frank and we've been with franklin tucker with the belmont ernie the board of selectmen recently hired patrice gavin from shirley as  new town administrator gavin will be joining her belmont starting her new job on january fifteenth of two thousand and eighteen gavin comes to belmont from the town of surely with numbers and in dealing with the public because january fifteenth gavin's first day at work is martin luther king day and as a holiday in belmont the board of selectmen have invited gavin to join the community at the martin luther king breakfast at belmont high school at the high school on the fifteenth if you're interested in watching the belmont board of selectmen decision making on gavin's hiring you can see that on demand at belmont media dot org hello everyone we're back in today we are with joanna juva last she is the senior multimedia journalist for wicked local belmokhtar thanks for joining us joanna you are the editor of the citizen herald happy to be here yes my title recently changed but it's not a big deal i still do the same thing and mainly i write so liquor license regulations have officially changed in belmont at town meeting in may they voted to make them nontransferable for retail and restaurants all alcohol and and wine and beer licenses which basically means if a business owner wants to sell their license to a new owner like to say they're selling their business or say they just want to get out of out of it and you know maybe they're in debt and they wan know make a little money to help pay off that debt they can't they can't do that anymore roger they have to turn their license back over to the town who owns the license in the first place well and there are a lot and then the selectmen have to the new owner that the person interested in the license has to apply for it and then it's up to the selectmen who gets so if someone like mark and tony is in question square once to simply so the business to a new person right which he recently did actually and that's included in the story roger he recently did sell his business to a long time employee and he said it was like a nail a nail biting experience for him even though this was an official at the time  it wasn't if it has it just became official december eighth so when nick marcantonio sold his business this wasn't technically an official regulation signed off by governor charlie baker but they did have a stipulation the socceroos said it will approve the license for your new owner as long as the new license agree you know as long as he agrees that if he ever wants to sell he has to turn the license back over to the town so it was concerned that would like blow the whole deal for him but luckily it did yeah there are people worried about if you are a small business person it seems like your business or you perhaps just down a bit or black is what the that's what they're concerned about i interviewed the owner of coo of a fine wines he's concerned about it you know art specialties concerned if they're all concerned about it they just they just hope that you know the selectmen will do what's right when the time cons and approve the the transfer to the new owner so what will happen is if someone selling their business and they want order to get the liquor license they turn it back over to the town and then the sense of the sale will be contingent upon selectman approving the license and so it would be the legislature is now approved in the governor's approved that and that is a done deal now right and this you know this will prevent things like the loading dock transferring the license to star market you know from happening again which i'm happy for star market i think it's great that that they they got it but also in talking to the businesses they are hurting a little bit as a result of it because they said you know they can't blame a loyal customer who's she star market you're sure convenience it's just all about convenience and in another story y back january eighth so j marc marc caught to be a director he's he's very concerned because china is this is a global issue china is banning recycling from america because it's contaminated they're saying so unless recent less we clean up our recycling really really pristine recycling you know what that means that means you actually want your package ing in you know you keep you think that that plastic card packaging is recyclable but you know according to kalman recycling coordinator it's not it's not people think certain things it's called wishful recycle so you think of plastic toys recyclable you think a straws recyclable but it's not and that's how recycling gets contaminated so china is saying no more unless you can read up on it not just in my story but if you if you google china recycling you'll find lots of stories about it and then another thing you are writing about is my good friend gerry boyle gerry boyle who was the  plate facility as a public facility right he's been in his role for a little over four years and it was a new role at the time as a result of the consolidation of the town and school facilities into one department so he he oversees all the facilities for the town and the schools for about four and a half years now and you know he decided on not four and a half a little before he decided to retire because his wife retired and he wants to spend more time you know in just enjoying life in fishing and maybe moved close to the ocean he said maybe he'll move to the cape and he currently lives in somerville well more power to him he's done any number of things for  square we have haven and hair on trip hello road and the belmont media center has had an opportunity to sit down with him let's let's hear from haven in here christian square  really important that we found a line that not only performed really well give you an amazing experience and in the shower every morning or with styling your hair every day but also treated the planet with kindness and fairness and that that's why  in belmont in the next few weeks when jane peters looks at the community calendar hello i'm gene and i'm going to be bringing you into the new year with this and next week's community calendar calling all bookworm generous book fairs happening all week from monday the eighteenth through friday the twenty second check off the readers on your holiday list and support the general library with this fundraiser during school hours and after school  articles a colas windiest and driest place on earth on tuesday december nineteenth barry pell world traveler and photojournalist will discuss and show us photography of this most magnificent and unique  enjoy holiday music with a twist and support a good cause by doing so when three songs in eleven part harmony a collaborative group will be performing reinvented holiday hymns and pop gems at the first church in belmont universalist on wednesday december twentieth you can enjoy joy to the world on baritone ukulele or e harmonization of winter wonderland in a deeply satisfying liner and much more proceeds of the concert will benefit the waltham house at the home for little wanderers belmont light invites you to celebrate the winter solstice on thursday december twenty first from three to seven pm share the warmth by bringing in your donation of new and gently used light up the night as we welcome winter look your best for the new year l a based professional cosmetologist dina gregg will demonstrate how to use makeup to highlight your natural beauty and how to bring out the best in mature faeces be sure to bring your makeup bag this free event is limited to twenty participants so sign up early in order to attend one day she'll know how far she'll go catch disney's milan at the beach street center on december twenty sixth for this free intergenerational movie that's fun for the whole family about a young girl who ventures far away from her perspective island home to save her village with the help of a prideful demi god the movie starts at one pm and popcorn will be available for classic movie time the recreation department is offering lessons in several winter sports beginning the first week in january register early to have your child rolled children's ice skating a starting up its second session on january sixth and will run on saturdays through feb twenty fourth classes range from beginners for ages three through five and levels one through eight for skaters age six and up classrooms range for each group so learn more on the rect permits website if your child is in grades five they may register for figure skating lessons with the rec department on sundays from five thirty to six thirty january seventh through february twenty fifth all levels beginner through advance are eligible to learn to skate or improve  if hitting the slopes is more your speed the rec department sponsors a saturday night ski program tonight show with valley ski area for children in grades five through twelve transportation is provided by coach bus from v h s and all chaperones are offered a lift ticket and rentals no charge online registration is not available for this program but you can find a registration form in the department's online brochure on their website find more information for all three of these programs on the wreck department's website as well and that's a wrap on twenty seventeen we wish you a happy holiday season and new year if you'd like an event featured in belmont journals community calendar you can email jane at belmont media dot org with your event information see you in twenty along with cold weather and ice winter months means the hockey season is again upon us at belmont high school boys hockey coach fred allard has high expat high expectations of the team this year the boys hockey team returns lots of experience this year the goalie is back from last year the boys hockey team returned two of its top score scores three of its top defense people the boys hockey team is talking about the fact that not only does it want to make the statement this year but is hoping to win some games in the tournament in advance through the tournaments this year next up here's what's happening on the belmont media centers local channelers channels but first i'd like to remind you that this show really is your show it depends on your participation if you have local news tips community events or local happenings you can contact the belmont media center by sending an e mail to frederick regal at fred at belmont media dot org well that's it for this week's edition of the belmont journal i'm your host roger coulton i'll see you next time