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 five verizon fi os it can also be heard mondays and tuesdays at four thirty pm and wednesdays a twelve thirty pm on channel nine x finity and channel twenty nine fi os listen any time on the b m c podca network on sound cloud and i tunes just search for the belmont media podcast network now on to the talking news belmont veterans remember primi is by ellen schreiber for the first time belmont's veterans tell their stories in a new documentary film belmont veterans remember i think i had something to say to the people watching said bill mcavoy who grew up on belmont street i always wanted to get into the service but you have to go in eyes wide open it's not like on t v then added we stand together many veterans spoke of both the men and women they served with from so many different places backgrounds and beliefs but none of that mattered you know who has your back you know that they will be there for you mcavoy said of his former comrades in arms on sunday november the fifth at four pm at town hall auditorium the belmont veterans memorial committee will present the premier screening of belmont veterans remember a film created for him from oral history interviews that were conducted by belmont high school history students in macia of twenty thousand the veterans in the film served during world war two vietnam korea iraq and afghanistan as well as peace they were military police pilots logistics engine is translators and soldiers they were privates and generals the film follows them from basic training to their posts overseas and in the s and back home again there is no interviewer on screen no narration telling you what to think it's just a veteran telling his or her story the film's creators believe these veteran stories a worth telling i've had a lifelong interest in military history said jerry miller serve a belmont media center producer and editor of the film i look forward to this project there wasn't one interview that wasn't captivating in some way i wanted to show their good humor and bright personalities their stories were vivid missouri of said what was most mind blowing to me there are these guys from world war two talking about their experience they were in the ninety's and they remember everything preserver explained the film is a collaboration between the belmont veterans memorial committee belmont high school and belmont media center on a power and chloe were high school sophomore was last year when they interviewed veterans to be one hundred  percent honest i never thought what i was that what it was to be a soldier and to leave everything behind it was i opening power said these are people who saw it firsthand when one of the veterans told us a story i could tell he remembered it like it was yesterday it was a meaningful experience for both students and veterans i could sit and listen and ask follow up questions for i love doing it then she added they gave us good advice to have a similar reaction i put it into perspective a lot of things we've been learning about in class it's so different from reading a textbook to he directly from the people who have done great things in their lives they taught us how difficult the times were and how a country overcame things together the oral histories and film projects were conceived by the belmont veterans memorial committee a group of committed belmont residents current and past who have worked tirelessly to raise money to restore and enhanced the veterans memorial pit pond and now from a one hundred thousand dollar challenge grant from the belmont savings bank foundation they have launched a fund raising campaign to pay for repairs and upgrades the more memorial has seen better days what we have now is a plaque that is broken on a flagpole that is far too high and an area that has been neglected a military historian and committee member the new memorial will be used by veterans families of servicemen and women and the public at large we want to create a place to reflect and an elegant memorial be fitting of belmont's veterans who have served since eight hundred sixty one he added with a location on the soon to be built intergenerational walking path along cl pit pond the memorial will be highly visible and over to clare thank you bob experts no amount of alcohol safe during pregnancy alcohol use during pregnancy can lead to lifelong on effects by allison lorieau news contributor when cathy mitchell became pregnant with her daughter carly no one knew that drinking alcohol could cause serious disorders that impact the baby and the entire family for the rest of their lives i was like oh woodstock kid she said when i got pregnant i stopped doing drugs everybody knew that could be bad for the baby i drink wine i didn't even know it wasn't until nine hundred seventy three the year cali was bawn that research first stated alcohol was causing birth defects mitchell said she didn't know about it right away though and by then kylie had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy when carly was about thirteen or fourteen i was on the road to recovery and was taking classes to become a counselor when i stumbled on alcohol syndrome information mitchell said not having the correct diagnosis is more common than not doctors aren't asking the questions about alcohol exposure most of the time it is parents who figure it out september is fetal alcohol syndrome awareness month and the goal is to get the word out that fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are a range of lifelong disabilities are completely preventable the key message is simple no alcohol is safe during pregnancy it's important because prenatal alcohol exposure candia midge a developing brain at every stage of pregnancy while primary prevention is the foremost public health concern those who work in the field also stressed the importance of helping the affected persons in their families with treatment and support the national organization on fetal alcohol syndrome or no fuss states on its website that it was started in hundred ninety by patty monterey who recognized him packs of fetal alcohol syndrome amongst two tribes across her state of south dakota fetal alcohol syndrome awareness month was started in september two thousand and fifteen as a national campaign to raise awareness of the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy and the needs of children and tells living with f a s d in two thousand and fourteen this c d c launched the strategic cross discipline partnership with the national association of social workers the american academy of pediatrics and other leading medical organizations and several universities to help prevent fetal alcohol syndrome the national social work discipline team led by texas member and clinical social worker sandra gonzales an instructor at baylor college of medicine includes practitioners from baylor the university of texas at austin school of social work and the university of missouri told in a us news in april two thousand and sixteen that the group's goal was to build a multidisciplinary team approach through partnerships to bridge the research to practice gap in fetal alcohol syndrome prevention preventing fetal alcohol syndrome gonzales in past president of the tennessee chapter said she was drawn to the fetal alcohol syndrome issue for the same reason social work drew her in consideration of the unique needs of vulnerable and out risk groups not only the children and families of those with us but ways we can prevent it with the partnership with professional organizations and medical societies we're trying to get information out to a nationwide audience about preventing preventive services that can be delivered by the areas outreach agencies she said doctors that's something we are working on gonzales said we're training physicians in their staff from small practices to lodge a health systems social workers and other health care providers it includes providing information that women should not drink at all if they are planning to become pregnant she said o training includes talking with health care professionals about the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and encouraging them to discuss options for reducing the risk gonzales said ultimately we want to send a clear message that there is no safe time no safe amount and no safe type of alcohol during pregnancy now he has max thanks claire examining solutions for d p w police working on short term and long term solutions for facilities in dire need of upgrades renovations by joanna the major capital projects working group gave interested residents a sneak peek at the short term and long term solutions they will be proposing for belmont's public works and police facilities at the upcoming special town meeting nov thirteenth according to chairman emory mahoney both facilities are in dire need of upgrades and renovation said mahoney employees and townspeople need a safe and accessible place to visit with equal facilities for male and female employees said the short term solutions would give eight to ten more years of use for each facility the same amount of time they would that would be needed to fund the bond borrowed to pay for the renovations the short term innovations for the department of public works facility would create an appropriately sized break space locker rooms rest areas shower and toilet facilities for both male and female employees appropriate heating and ventilation and accessible office space a building would also be added for washing vehicles the price tag for these renovations would be one point six million dollars the police station renovation would include a locker room for female officers the addition of a sally port where prisoners would be brought into the station a safe area to lock up weapons and improved booking area additional evidence storage and elevator a handicap ramp and additional parking the price tag for these short term renovations would be two point eight million dollars mahoney said her working group still needs to do more research and put the finishing touches on the short term solutions before a special town meeting the amount of money they would be asking town meeting members to approve is for the schematic designs for the short term solutions for each of the facilities one hundred twenty three thousand one thousand dollars for the d p w building and two hundred sixty thousand two hundred eleven dollars for the police department building mahoney also presented the working groups ideas for long term solutions for each of the facilities which would include building a brand new public works facility and police station on the existing site thirty seven c street mahoney said the buildings would be designed with low sight lines and plenty of screening for neighbors another requirement would be for the plan to work would be to change woodland street from a private way to a public road so police and public works vehicles could access pleasant street and not create additional traffic on nearby residential streets belmont police chief richard mclaughlin said the new location would work much better than the current congested location unconquered av being closer to the public works yard would also give officers easier access for fuel and repairs for their vehicles it is also closer to the belmont fire department headquarters and belmont light department mahoney said relocating the police station would also free up the existing building to be sold for private use which would help fund the new buildings tours will be held at the public works facility on saturday town meeting member precinct eight recommended building the new police station rather than spending almost three million on the short term fixes he also recommended a steel structure for the public works facility because such a facility may cost less to build and can survive an earthquake jack weiss town meeting member precinct one said he was concerned about the visibility and accessibility of the police station moving from its current location in the center of town to the public works campus weiss also asked if the working group considered rebuilding the police station on the existing site using the belmont municipal light plant building once it is no longer needed by belmont light mclachlan reiterated the current site has too many negatives including traffic the railroad and the hill mahoney said the working group will explore the option why is it proposed roger colton town meeting member precinct eight asked if the working group might consider considered selling the municipal like department building as another potential source of capital funding he said he is a proponent of multiple of municipal light companies brook elementary school in belmont is now closed due to a rat infestation we are not allowing students to use joey's pock it has been determined that there is a rat infestation below the play structure principle janet carey wrote in an e mail to parents on october nineteenth while students and staff have not reported sightings in the pock tunnels are apparent and numerous poc and recreation department overseers joeys poc and they are moving swiftly to address the situation in the meantime i wanted you to be aware of the problem and be assured that the pot will be off limits to the students until the problem has been resolved kerry added on october twenty third a letter from belmont public works director j marcotte and director of belmont health department wesley chin treat the rutan barros with rat out gel a deterrent substance that consists of active ingredients such as golic oil and white pepper and trap the nuisance wildlife in baiting stations located throughout the poc stated caught and chin in a letter the letter adds this section of the poc will be regularly monitored and treated by the professional pest control operator over the next three to four weeks and it will remain closed until the problem is safely resolved educational material on how to keep property clean and less likely to experience a rodent infestation was included with the letters to the wind brick residence it includes how to locate evidence of rodent burrows and information on conditions that may attract rats and instructs residents to contact a professional pest control service if they find evidence of rodents public works director jason mock caught sent a letter to the town administrator oct twenty which is on the town website it states the joeys pock playground will be closed temporarily to mitigate the rodents in the area town officials working with an experienced contractor to implement an appropriate plan to end the situation and to safely reopen the playground the prego playground will reopen as soon as possible we appreciate your patience during this time ma cut said the pox crew noticed big holes under the gazebo he said he is investigating the safest possible solution it's a problem in metro boston and eliminating food sources is the first thing to eliminate the pockets heavily used and trash barrels are always overflowing said caught according to belmont health directo wesley chicken the town first became aware of the problem october thirteen when it concerned mother called the health department to report seeing possible rat barros health and d p w immediately went over to the poc to verify the complaint d p w then took steps to determine if the barros was still active this process took a few days to confirm in the meantime  w has been licensed pick control operate his access to poc and is in the process of reviewing treatment plans that will be submitted said chin in an e mail on october twenty age of urban environment he said is not sure why there are rats joeys pock but if there is an easily accessible food source such as food scraps and even dog waste they will likely be attracted to it rats are a natural part of our urban environment we often bring food and snacks to enjoy at parks so it is not entirely unexpected that rats might follow close behind and find their way into the parks too it is important for people clean up after using up box adoption of a carry in carry out mentality might be one way to prevent future problems said she in an e mail on october twenty public works is working with town officials and town department of health the belmont public schools the belmont police department to resolve this issue as quickly as possible however a timeline will be based on what the pest control operator thinks is the most effective and safe way to resolve the problem according to chin they have been forty percent increase reported rat sightings in belmont these are based on calls tallied between may through august of this year in comparison to last year that translates to twenty three calls last year and thirty four this year during that same period this is a trend that many communities in the greater boston area may also be experiencing chin and over to clare thank you to more planning board members resigning by joanna cases of alice planning board delmon planning board members liz allison and barbara fiasco have each submitted letters of resignation to the board of selectmen the letters submitted october twenty third come exactly one week after planning board member rafi submitted his letter of resignation claiming misconduct by the current chairman charles clarke at a september fifth board meeting alison's and fiascos letters were very concise alison's did not give a reason for her resignation quote i am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with some very fine people and served a fine town it states please let me know if there is anything i can do to be helpful as the process moves forward i look forward to seeing you at the november town meeting now to max thank you clear state m p s scores are down below my high school is now a level two bill my high school state accountability rating was downgraded following the results of the spring two thousand and seventeen m cas tests just half of massachusetts students in grades three through eight met or exceeded expectations on the new next generation and cast test in math and english language arts yele a the first time the test this is the first time the administered massachusetts education officials released the spring two thousand and seventeen test results on october eighteenth state education officials were quick to caution against making direct comparisons between a student performance on the new test and the original nearly twenty year old m k s scoring for the new test falls into four categories exceeding expectations meeting expectations partially meeting expectations and not meeting expectations as a result some students who scored proficient on last year's and cast test may find they only scored partially meeting expectations on the new tougher exam we establishing a new baseline so comparisons with the pastor difficult said state education secretary james pizer they really are apples and oranges the new hybrid exam mixes elements of the familiar boston comprehensive assessment system and cas test with another test aligned with federal common course state standards known as the partnership for assessment of readiness for college and careers or p a r c c test which was developed by a national consortium that includes massachusetts dome of high school knocked for insufficient progress in belmont across grades three through eight in both e l a math seventy five percent of students scored in the meeting or exceeding its chief mid levels them a high school students took the legacy m k s in two thousand and seventeen and the accountability system remains the same as before the high school is level two this year because our students in the high need subgroup economically disadvantaged students with disabilities and english and english language learners did not make sufficient progress toward the target of all students achieving proficiency said assistant superintendent janice darrius various high school administration curriculum leaders and special educators have been analyzing the data since the end of august and  reviewing with student how students with disabilities are supported to access the curriculum both in terms of how special educators support the students and how teachers support the students over to you bob thanks max decoding dyslexia to host information session decoding dyslexia massachusetts and local chapter of decoding dyslexia belmont will host an afternoon of experts speakers discussing the latest research considering the science of dyslexia from two to four pm november eighteenth at the belmont public library three thirty six clock at ave the event will feature three local researches who will present the latest research on best practices for the assessment and re mediation of dyslexia speakers include doctors needing gab sch hayes and melissa orcon everything from the neuro science of dyslexia to affective interventions will be discussed this event is free and open to the community and over to clare thank you bob beat street center to host a veterans breakfast beach street center two sixty six beach street belmont will host its third annual veterans breakfast from upton and local representatives over coffee and breakfast boston high school's b flats will perform and help serve the meal breakfast is limited to seventy five memoir the duel for local author amanda mckenzie who grew up in belmont and lives in cambridge will speak on her memoir the do over at seven pm nov first in the parlor of plump with congregation l church five eighty two pleasant street belmont the do over is a story about waiting for clarity trusting in her wisdom and the turns life takes after her talk the author will be signing books purchase a copy of the do over at the talk or belmont books for sixteen dollars and back to you bob along with my colleagues claire and max we thank you for listening to the talking news and hope you  enjoyed the show with over return next week for another edition of local news happenings around belmont