intensity just shows that people are interested in what's going on in their towns and that's something you want from the citizens and you know everywhere you are every corner you walk by these signs and everyone's really going out there and voicing their opinion and it's not just adults you know it's high schoolers everyone i've seen little kids you know holding signs and you better start of them is about to start them early so that's that's great to see out there yeah i mean it's really awesome to see so much like community involvement to see how much everyone cares and you know today like i was leaving school i saw a bunch of people holding up signs like for who they're supporting like tons of people all around the library around belmont center all over town that's important local elections are port the decide a lot of things for the town i mean we see the new school how it's going to be carried out and we were obviously seeing a lot of things that are going to be important to the town and it's great that we see a lot of turnout especially since last year we had a record very low turnout of sixty percent yeah i mean there has been a we've seen a trend of a decreasing turn on the past couple of years but things might be looking up this year and saying yeah it's been so it's been going down and obviously i think with with this this year it's going to be a difference because a lot of people going out i mean if you ask me last year was i didn't see this much activity and i think i was paying as much attention but i had the sea it seems they something in the air and that's i love to see that i love to see that everyone's getting involved not you know th can't vote obviously but they get involved and that's important you know supporting a candidate because i think the next couple years from belmont going to be very important and then to determine a lot and it's important that people go out there who are going out there was no opinions and just getting their hands heard yeah and i think a lot of that is due to the new plans for the high school actually the new big construction the super expensive plan and so everyone's waiting to see who's going to be elected to take care and manage the whole project but i mean people are realizing it's very important me a lot of my friends action high school when i campaigned for several candidates and i think it's great i mean probably throw my name's matt let him i'm supporting any check away for school committee because i think she'll do a fantastic job getting helping the community in getting us to the new school  i haven't given it a great deal of thought at this point but i'm really hoping to when people told me that thanks look good although i don't know really what to expect i don't know what they do here but my term of the work committee runs out on june there's a lot of things kind of credit people are very looking for the visions of you this is been discussion about a new town library about a new high school i mean the p q park has been a renovated recently all right we're just going to go right live only on face there all right and now we're talking about the new arena the new innovations happening in don obviously we have the new school coming up and they've been talking about the library what you guys think about this i mean i think it's about time in the schools but i mean i think it's due for at least the renovation and we're just missing the libraries kind of getting it a bit older it's a bit less technologically was modern as you would want in such a good towners suburb as bomb and i mean of course i mean we've always known that beaumont is really highly ranked i mean in most frank and he's going to give us some of the results obscene ran away with the race in precinct two but that's still just one of eight so we'll see in a few minutes when the rest of the results come in just been told our voyage thing is running away with it in precinct two which is surprising this cool commit is a very close race and so is same with the housing committee and that's interesting i expected i mean it's surprising that it's been very close so far i mean obviously we only have a results in from the nd precinct and we have we have  problems i mean right now i bet if you are still in the high school soon and you could definitely name a couple of problems off the top of their heads i mean there and you guys can think over and i mean it's overcrowded the cafeteria the library you know that was supposed to be a quiet space it's just an office you know i talk to the librarian over there those student population that doesn't make sense especially for a school because yeah i mean i know sometimes i mean it's even more than just the cafeterias and you know trying to find a quiet spot to work in which is crucial obviously i mean it's even hard to get by in the hallways sometimes to do you know how crowded school system it's an upgrade it's one thing that is going to make us take it it's going to have the next step and i really thought i should go to funding i mean beaumont actually doesn't as much money as you'd expect from other top schools that are similar in quality and that i think is one of the surprised that they got to they got to before we did but you know it's great now you go to see vs you don't have to get a plastic bag and it's a small step that matters you know with a plastic bag then it seems it seems so small but at the end of the day it makes a big impact on the environment and i think it's again belmont's taking good steps moving forward all right we're going to go to the street side video with some of the voters on the voter issues control the money in the roads the roads are a mess traffic safety basically the top issue for me i live election street which is pretty busy so in terms of control the money how does that affect day to day life well i've been people like me i'm seventy two years old it's getting so expensive to stay in my own house that's wrong get any suggestions on how they can do that yes st of all anybody who and they also want to build a library they want to build a new police station maximize its use i am very concerned when i see duplication and a national issue that you think needs local attention or that we can do anything about it all comes down to jobs very important how we can do things more better and trade fair trade for everybody it's the biggest issue i think it's figuring out how we're going to pay for all the things that we need to do in belmont we're just not to say i don't think the thing should get done i think we need the new school need the community path we need the roads paved but i think we do need to figure out how to pay for all that  on the national international stage that you think we should be concerned about here locally education is big i guess climate change comes to mind i think there's a lot of sensitivity to that and  i think that's really important on the local level as well it was on the national  all right and we got some hot takes from the streets and something that stood out was that the traffic safety and that's something that we've all been noticing on the way driving here though some potholes on the street they just can't avoid it and it's been something been noticing you know driving  finally got my less than been driving the streets and i don't know if it's because it's winter or what's the what's causing it but it's it's unsafe because there's a lot of potholes and you just don't see them and you hit them it's so the traffic safety is something that i find that important and  st the st resident brought up a very good point i think that there is a big issue i mean traffic safety i mean you don't want a pothole to be the reason someone gets hurt or injured or worse i mean i think it also raises another point and that is muddy i mean a lot of the people who raise the issue of money i mean they don't want their taxes increasing i mean it's but it's also a link with the school and everything and i mean so you need a balance between cost of living taxes and all these things that people want to get done right new school new library better roads and so funny t balance is one of the major problems and i mean pleasing everyone and you know trying to solve everyone's problems obviously a tough thing but i would say the polls are definitely a problem i mean should be on the list for a getting fixed yeah and so the safety is something i think it's number one on my list at least and brought up a great point with climate change and just it's a very touchy the very touchy subject in belmont so far i believe people are making efforts in people making individual efforts what i want to see is a town wide effort to combat climate change i see people you know driving electric cars i believe paul positrons i drive an electric car and that is that is a great move i think it's it starts with the a person responsibility and then we can make it a in own electric cars or have solar panels their house i think it's it's a town effort it becomes so much more effective when it's a town effort and so and i think it's great that a lot of the most citizens are already making efforts to that they're making personal personal choices that you know lead them to have a smaller footprint and that's the but i think the town should kind of take i guess more responsibility on the town should lead us somehow because i think once we get the town involved it's going to become much more unified all right we're going to throw it over to the town hall update with joanna street and it does seem that both both candidates that are running for selectman do see this as a concern and are willing to take up this challenge and work on it and i mean already we've seen i mean not directly related to climate change but just you know efforts for the environment with the important part of the big chain yeah you can complain about that but i also think one of the gentleman on the street brought up a good point what some people just don't have the money that to the taxing is getting the taxing is getting taxing on the people  no pun intended right there but that's a fair point taxes can especially on the elderly population or the young taxes can become a bit too much but i think in my perspective especially for the for the new school i think the sacrifice that we need to make the gentleman brought up a good point is he has had this is going to be the rd school build in his lifetime and that's that's worrisome but that deep down there gives me you know a sense of hope that means that belmont is still an attractive place to live that means that people are interested and people want to live in belmont the money is still a hot place to live in and at the end of the day even though in the taxing is going to be taxing on the people but i do think it's important to know that the reason we're getting a new schools not just because education system and which in the end is a big reason for why all these people want to move here i mean a reason why i would say like our town versus others get so many many people every single year that are moving in is because of our highly ranked public schools yeah on the subject of education  always partner i mean check was one of the three school committee candidates in the race for the two seats and she did win her home precinct which is precinct six and the other school committee member that one precinct six very close nd with three hundred and eighteen so tommy olson did win precinct six we're still waiting to hear who won precinct six for selectman what was that other thing that you were show me m so precinct one andrea prestwich and amy check away one precinct twelve precinct two i believe franklin already reported on andrea and amy one i just  seven amy check away and andrea prestwich and amy actually came in st in precinct seven with three hundred and thirty eight votes and andrea got three hundred  understand from allen our town clerk she said voter turnout at five hundred and thirty dollars was about twenty one percent seventeen thousand voters only about three thousand seven hundred voted and that includes seven percent absentee ballots we have a voter turnout in belmont and she actually said the highest turnouts for precincts was precinct one which is jesse bennett's precinct and precinct six which is roy's precinct and the lowest turnout for voters was precinct five interesting information for people who like numbers how are you matt we're doing good excited with what we've seen and we're trying to remain hopeful for the last few to come in but so far it's been an exciting day are around and kind of the big climax of the whole thing so good you campaigned pretty hard for amy well we we both did try to help possible and she certainly was doing a lot a lot of campaigning and trying to get out there and meet as many people as possible so hopefully a few people got to know her a little bit and i think if they did then hopefully that made it pretty clear who who i thought would be the best person for the results for precinct six for selecting men and jesse bennett one precinct six with three hundred and ninety nine votes roy epstein this is his home precinct received three hundred and forty volts so jesse bennett has one precinct six all right we have gotten some interesting numbers twenty one percent voter turnout that's huge so i mean right off the bat when you see twenty one percent i mean it might not seem like them much but compared to last year the last couple of years that is a great voter turnout we have seen a lot more people coming out and it's very early in the night it seems we have a lot of time left it's a sixteen percent i mean the previous years twenty and twenty two so it's back to the numbers it's booked in a local election so it's  it to contest elections two hundred and one two thousand and sixteen is you have your precinct captains at the because they post the results on the door of the precinct and so they just call them and so many times before you even announce the winner  knows where they want to last i don't know whether that's the case is it a way i think that's typically how it happened so right maybe get the results as it is but that's an interesting what about the school committee race what's going on there i think i'm just which is i think she won both the precincts was really nice so it was so emotional even after nine years i i thoroughly enjoyed my service to the community as blessed and thankful to the residents for have allowed me to serve for nine years i think i think we've accomplished a lot and hopefully improve the quality of life for the residents in town i do have mixed feelings but i really i tell you we have missed the work of the miss the people particularly the town employees in the department heads who i think do incredible job for our community and you all receive their services every day and you know we're not perfect you know i was brought up with my father to to get back to the communal queue all here are doing today so i want to continue service i've been asked to serve on the screen committee for the new police chief and i have an interest in council on aging i think we need to do more for our seniors in who also have an interest that there's an opening on the human rights commission perhaps to volunteer there and i had opportunity to talk to send a bronze burka last night i think we're all concerned about what's going on at the national level and i want to get more ball both locally and nationally and ask them how we can bittersweet evening i'm happy with the decision i don't regret it i think it's important whether wins tonight it's just the avoid i think it's important to have a new voice i'm a firm believer in term limits and i think that  in sports i think if you continue to perform at the level that he performs and i think you sort of hang in there and you know the other thing i said to my colleagues is that i'm sad to be walking away from serving with them because i think both of them have been terrific they're really smart to have the but i don't think we'll ever see term limits in our lifetime because the people have to vote for term limits are the ones that are sitting there i mean i'm not up my father my son is a real historian means a lot about the funny far this but i don't think they believe i don't think they felt that people who serve it was a full time career and look there are many individuals and congressmen and women that serve admirably and stay there long time but i just don't think that that's what the the idea was that if you go in you do your service you know you give back to the community you give back to the state or the good of the country and then you step aside and have someone else step in and institutional knowledge is wonderful and i bring a lot to the table but you know you can learn and you bring new ideas and i think term limits would go a long way at the national level to create more effective government because i know how you all feel but i kind of feel like many times both parties frankly democrats and republicans make decisions based on what's best for their party and then secondarily what's best for the country they'd like to suggest i'm like i want to some i respect their service and you know it's hard to sacrifice you know give a lot you sacrifice a lot but i think it's become now today you know what's best for the then you can i think complete complacent becomes an issue when people you know you get comfortable and we don't get new ideas about and i think term limits what they what they really fact about it's getting new ideas out there just a new perspective and that's i think that's important in leadership and it's really difficult i mean it's really difficult even to local level to make decisions at times might be counter to what your supporters want you to do and it's important to listen to everyone but sometimes there are supporters that want you to do a certain thing and you might believe in your heart based on listen to all the facts and points of view that you want to do something different i think if they're on term limits and you're worried about the next election you have a tendency sometimes to govern based on what your supporters want rather than what you think is best and i mean look i'm not  almost you see people who really want to give to commute back to their community and they want to stay and they want to do the most they can but also it's important to get your ideas and also to increase you know people you want them to do something quick and  i mean a lot of the time i think people bring up you know the fact that you know four years for presidential term isn't enough you know how am i going to get anything done but i don't agree with those point i think those that for your you know sort of time limit be like alright here's four years now we're going to we're going to cut away to town hall with some live with some results ok i just i have someone who is reporting at all the precincts for me and i really want to thank her for this and twenty two tommy olson received seven hundred and twenty one i don't have the totals for our school committee yet and again these are unofficial these are from someone reporting to me from all the precincts we don't have the town clerks on official results yet but this is what i've been told and as far as school committee i i need a calculator to yet but based on what i'm seeing it looks like andrea press which and amy check away one the school committee seats with peter pan to stop us getting quite quite a few votes for a newcomer residents who live in public housing in belmont that you are victorious i'm hoping that it's going to mean that they're going to get involved now and they're going to have a real voice and we're going to be able to make it a better place for this town and for them it's well you think your victory says something about the town that it's more accepting now and maybe in the past for people from other sort of than upper middle class lifestyles i absolutely think that it says something about the town and i think that saw when they were interviewing people on the road i mean a lot of people their focus was i mean the cost of living it's very high and you have to manage both things i mean public projects and cost of living and taxes and i think the center page and roy obscene are both kids that are going to be focused on hoping another live update from town hall elected here and if so we're really super excited about that i think you know amy is just a fantastic person and so so qualified for this and i think it's going to mean great things for the students and  for the school system which is really so important here so we're really excited about that most definitely and for our kids as well so you know this is this is really so little overwhelming i'm sure most definitely for her even a little bit just a little for myself but if i think is going to great for the for the schools for a family just a really exciting time and i know she's really happy about the opportunity to try to work with the town and work on this stuff and she very excited about that so i think it's going to great that is chuck always partner very excited for her i think she has a school committee and officially has a school committee on lock and i'm interested because i think the school committee will have again and the next couple of years will bomb on going to be very very interesting and very challenging because again we have the new school system we have a growing population and i think it's just going to be you know juggling a lot of things and i'm confident in the unofficial leadership of chug a way i mean i think her and her and purse which as well are both going to the school committee board members i think it's interesting because they're going to have to deal with us grades seven to for april nd two thousand and nineteen this is with eight precincts reporting moderator michael chaney widmer three thousand seven hundred and seven ballots write in votes sixteen even run again for towns like next time around and what's actually very exciting about this this is not the full this is not the end of the any of the political careers for any of these candidates who did not win i think it's only the beginning even though they might not have gotten  special spot they wanted i think knowing these candidates i think they will still participate and they will still you know volunteer and really get involved so it's i mean it's bittersweet for some but i think i mean the results i'm happy with the results and i know think this is big focuses on money as the calmest he really knows how to balance budgets and i'm do it right money wise and i think that's really what people were looking for yes all right so right now we have the board of selectmen up on the screen timothy flood coming in with one hundred and thirty six and the next one we have coming up is the school committee and we have any check away with three thousand one hundred and five followed by a again very close difference of you know some four hundred votes three hundred something so that is very close and i guess that's that's great news we would like that's what that means that we have two very qualified candidates and it just came it came down to numbers and i think that that gives hope to both the winner and the person came in nd place and gives hope that they are qualified and it's not the end of a political riyad think it's the beginning if anything i think ideally i mean you have as many people running as qualified and you also have voter turnout quite high i mean obvious you see in local races around twenty percent i mean you obviously in a perfect world you want to run one hundred percent but i think it's good the voter turnout has been up since last year and yes i mean i mentioned it and i'm very interested in finding out what the and so far already passed that so i think number one it's what had a better turnout than last year and i think that's credit to all the all the campaigning that everyone did not just the not just the adults it's everyone not just the people who are running it was anyone that could voice could voice their opinion they did that high schoolers even middle even little kids and that's that's impressive and i think that gives me hope for the future seeing that everyone's getting involved and as a small town especially i think that's it's very important and it's very important we have that for  leaders to know that you know what people are interested in what's going on out of town and i think that's one great thing that we can appreciate about belmont you know and i mean something very meaningful about this i would say is the fact that you know as you said like high schoolers and middle schoolers even people who aren't i mean  with the high school is at five and as high school as we're telling you would love that a lot of the sleep deprivation for high schoolers i think that's it's important that we're focusing on sleep deprivation and the start time because it's important you know  tossup i think it was and i could have gotten it and i mean i'm excited that's all i can say the things we saw a lot of people i'm worried about you know prices and taxes and all of that i think the main reason or one of the main reasons why a lot of people saw hope or had hop because of all his you know his and porn and impressive economic background and everything into do with budgeting for the school and getting it all done on time so i think that was one of the one main reasons definitely or one of the main convincing points for people to vote for last time and i think the want people are interested and people want to get in touch and people want to make sure that whoever's in office is representing them and that's great for my high school i think that's great for the future and everyone getting involved but it's important and i think that relates to i mean last year we only had one person a great turnaround and i mean as far as i can tell you know from me and my friends and people around me i can see a lot more young people have been involved and excited about the elections and when this upward trend continues i mean we love to see more and more voters coming out every year and more people getting involved with local think this is the beginning for this a beginning with a little career for everyone involved from the little kids are helping campaign to the adults to the high schoolers to the one winning the scenes to the one being runner ups i think it's the beginning of something great and i think that's been it for