welcome to talking news we are delighted to have you with us listening to our presentation by members of the beach street center and jonathan and martha we will be reading local news and happenings from the community newspaper shedding light on liquor licenses by jack kelley belmont officials say they want to push for changes to local liquor license laws to keep business owners from selling them to each other following a present taishan by town council george hall at the december twel of selectmen meeting all three selectmen should be enacted to restrict the ability of the liquor license holder to transfer the license  out of business or closes the liquor license should revert back to the town said board chairman mark payola low current belmont has sixteen beer and wine restaurants three full restaurants two full retail stores and four beer and wine retail stores all said that belmont as yet hit that quota and could issue additional liquor licenses all suggested that a special act should be drafted that puts all the rules and requirements for local licenses including transfer ability into one state law the selectmen will see to get belmont state representative dave raja's and state senator lil rounds parker involved in a public discussion of these issues a special town meeting would be required to vote on changes to the twenty fourteen legislation moves to move stems from star market vote the issue arose as a result of the decision taken by the  a two to one vote payola has the dissenting vote on october sixth to approve the transfer of the loading dock all alcohol license it's to star market loading dock owner fuad macaca received a four hundred thousand dollars from the transfer which was approved by the massachusetts intentions of the twenty thirteen town meeting that licenses should only be granted to small retail specialty stores to increase local businesses but not to competition and official appeal to stop the liquor license transfers filed by several belmont resident has apparently failed i would expect the approval of the license ones generated after twenty thirteen did not this raises the question of whether the non transfer restriction still remains on letter licenses granted before two didn't cover transfers hall movie came to town council and twenty eleven said we need to look back at the legislation and determine if the transfer of dilatory restriction could be reinstated he said he reviewed his notes from the twenty thirteen town meeting and there was little if any discussion of transfer ability there was no talk a restrictions discussion revolves around the desire not to allow package stores to belmont be added consequently the twenty fourteen home rule petition regulating belmont's additional their car licenses didn't really talk about transfer ability he said adding it is unclear how a report a court would rule on the right to transfer a belmont liquor license received before twenty thirteen hall confirmed vice chairman seventy baghdad is understanding of important reason for denial of the transfer he added the size of the company receiving the trance or it's also not an appropriate factor for denial it was for these reasons baghdadi said he did not think they selectman had the direction to restrict the transfer to a star market and there are over six vote i didn't want to expose the town potential for tyshan as it as a result of a denial he said jonathan twin sisters love of landscape for almost thirty years its frequently changing colorful window displaying its jewelry and art products is one any passer by may not be able to resist stopping to look at during their travels f charlotte trilling and annie o'malley of arlington have been a two person operation at terra firma since taking over in one nine hundred eighty eight the window reflects the heart and soul of the store throughout the quality prior to becoming the owner of terra firma trilling work for an educational technology company her background of operations management and a customer service her talent for creativity and decorating comes naturally she said the inventory includes gift items such as jewelry jewelry boxes glass vases picture frames wall art clocks makeup raincoats brain jacket long skirts and greeting cards in a wide range of prices and styles designed by creative artists from around the world trilling started out as a weekend sales associate at terra firma as previous owner still within five years her part time position evolved into becoming the fulltime store manager and later resulted into purchasing the store she said terra firma remains firm on the ground solid earth according to trailing she admits times have been difficult since macy's closing and due to construction but she remained standing firm it hasn't been easy we have depended on our loyal customers and word of mouth she said the two sisters take a lot of pride in what they do and have a great working and personal relationship purchasing inventory and managing the store together with the same principles we have always gotten along great we complement each other very well in the store she said they like to think of terra firma as belmont hidden gem the specialness of the store has spread over the years by word of mouth said trolling trolling and act as consultants to many of their local chris customers helping them choose jewelry oftentimes customers come in to shop for their spouses girlfriends boyfriends friends or family members but do not know what to get we love our customers and enjoy helping them to find the perfect gift for themselves or their friends we offer a friendly and knowledgeable experience and personal service with a variety of options marching to the beat of their own drum line by christie presenting the best band in the land the pride of belmont the murat is the marching band anyone who has ever attended a bellman high school football game has probably heard these words as halftime begins the crowd goes wild as the beat from the drum line begins and from across the field re drum mages in white begin marching followed by a legion in maroon and black ninety seven members strong this year stepping to the b the b h s marching band had its beginnings back in the early one nine hundred seventy s when music department director dr nicholson developed an old school one hundred piece marching band with color guard  since then it has experienced its highs and lows shrinking to a mere thirty or so members in the one nine hundred ninety s but has always been a town fixture creating enthusiastic connection between the belmont public schools music program and the community one might wonder what would possess ninety seven teenagers to want to participate in such a self described super nerdy activity i think there are basically two parts to the appeal first the initial hook and then the deeper gratification at the end of a season said paul kitchen director of the  marching band for the past three years to some the group dynamic is essential everyone is doing marching band because they enjoy the community it fosters it's integral to everyone's high school everyone is awesome i know so many upper classman for a marching band and it makes the school seem a little smaller she said the delayed gratification is the work keeps the students coming back taking part in the marching band is hard work kitchen said but as with any project that involves hard work and a great deal of practice and refinement the finished product provide students with a deep sense of accomplishment and just marching band preparations begin in august with leadership camp for the three drum majors the high profile profiles student leaders who conduct the band on the field and in the stands and nineteen section leaders all of these students must interview and be chosen for their leadership positions and then attend meetings before every rehearsal and performance during the school year to ensure that ensemble communications is clear players are prepared and equipment to set the week before school begins new participants and band veterans report to band camp where many hours will be spent developing visual techniques before the members can learn the forty plus drill sets and corresponding moves in the field show all of the music for the halftime show must be memorized and then played while marching in precise patterns if you forget what you're supposed to be playing the band members around you will notice if you forget where you're supposed to be marching to crash into someone nearby the whole process requires a significant amount of time energy and commitment so how does catching get the students to work so hard a lot of this comes from  band and not from me he said we have so many vets that know what it feels like to work through the season and feel a rush of excitement accomplishment and pride at the completion of a show belmont books launches website what do you do when a complete stranger tells you to open an online bookstore your lesson back in october standing around with a bunch of parents at a school picnic philmont books owners kathy crowley and chris have boosted both belmont residents were discussing the long slow process of getting their bookstore opened one of the parents asked well why are getting rid of your book and more has ready why don't you set up and on line store then people who are excited about your bookstore can buy from you now they looked at each other they looked at him out of this tiny for president suggestion from a caring stranger was born in belmont books dot com a full service online bookstore with thousands of books available we're not trying to compete with the big online store set of booze it we're just trying to give our customers a place where they can buy the books they walk and know that dollars have staying in the community not disappearing out into the clouds the site has first reviews staff recommendations holiday gift ideas even special discounts and reduced shipping the store on the street is still our primary mission we caught wait for the day when we can meet all of our customers face to face but until then well mom books dot com is a great way for us to connect with our future customers said  jonathan new arctic civet at lobe and logan shines light on mental illness they're musicians and librarians fashion designers and fitness instructors actors athletes and artists their sisters and wives brothers and fathers from new england and around the nation what do they have in common all have been affected by mental illness and its stigma and are brought together in a beautiful of a compelling new photographic exhibit opened december ninth at logan international airport in boston the exhibit is part of a national public awareness campaign sponsored by mclean hospital in collaboration with logan airport and several mental health advocacy groups with the goal of changing the way mental illness is perceived deconstructing stigma changing thought can change a life features dramatic larger than life photographs of courageous people who have shared their stories with the hope of changing how people with psychiatric illness are viewed shame and stigma are still far too prevalent when it comes to the psychiatric disease and to the fear and isolation many people feel deconstructing stigma is an unprecedented effort to spark conversation about behavioral and mental health said scott rush president and psychiatry  chief of mclean hospital shawn shinnick has lived with obsessive compulsive disorder since his teens and was the first person to volunteer for the campaign i want to help others who struggle with mental illness know that they are not alone said shawn now thirty six i still struggle some days but i am confident enough hopeful enough inspired enough and motivated enough to be a part of this life also lending his voice to the campaign literally is darryl d m c mcdaniels the founding member of the legendary hip hop group run and d m c although he seemed to have everything a person could want what the public couldn't see was that depression alcoholism use were destroying his spirit and his body i had everything i was king of rock we were touring and making money and everyone knew who we were but i didn't feel right and not a day passed that i didn't think about suicide darryl said today darryl fifty two is back in the recording studio as a bestselling book about his experience of mental illness  become a local mental health advocate blending celebrities such as d m c and how him and and everyday people is a key come component of the campaign because mental illness does not affect only one demographic or group in fact one in five americans will be a dog knows diagnosed with a mental illness this year mental health affects everyone whether we recognize it or not i am proud that massport has collaborated with n a m i and now mclean working to reduce stigma said thomas glynn c e o of massport the exhibit deconstructing stigma is another example of how we are all working together to help our state and country make strides in this area despite the concerns about being labeled and for and risking further stigma the volunteers in this project are sharing their stories of hope and resilience so th public can have an opportunity to walk in their shoes and perhaps step away with a different view of what it's like to have a mental illness each person associated with this project is determined to make a difference in the lives of other people affected by mental illness adriana bob and chalk senior director of public affairs and communications mclean whose team is spearheading the campaign after two hundred forty nine hours of photography sessions and twenty five thousand written words we feel we've created a campaign that is meaningful and impactful and one that has the potential to change someone's life and  will be leaving his position as this an assistant principal at b h s at the end of the school year to become principal of the shanghai american school in china starting in july twenty seventh teen for the past four years mr maule doun has served as inspiration and leader he has led many school and district initiatives works the excess fully with families students faculty staff and the belmont community his leadership continues to shape the vision of belmont high school and is greatly appreciated said richards in his e mail announcement doune has been in his current position for four years and has played an active role in bringing the social emotional learning initiative to be h s classrooms developing specific classroom practices focal abberation communication and helping students take an independent approach to learning it's an amazing opportunity for us to personally experience a new culture meet new people and explore a new part of the world said he said he learned about the opportunity in china through mutual acquaintance and was encouraged to visit it was his first time visiting china muldoon role be as principal to seven hundred international students in grades nine through twelve he said the students speak english and are predominantly ethnic families who have lived in the united states and children of international business employees in china wife works for a company which has an office in shanghai so the move is working for both of them he said he believes the school is very familiar similar to be h s it's a dynamic diverse community with high performing students he said i feel like working here has prepared me in a lot of ways to go there and for the transition to be pretty seamless he sees it as a phenomenal growth opportunity to grow personally and professionally i've come a long way since the mountains of new hampshire where i'm from but never in a million years did i think i would be working in a screw in a really dense highly populated part of china he said muldoon was one of the finalists for the generally middle school principal position recently acquired by former butler elementary school principal michael mcallister he said he was excited to be considered for that role and  equally excited about this new opportunity he currently resides in arlington and does not see this as a permanent move i would love nothing more than to return to my dr at home  law that passed in november selection at the december twelve selectman meeting belmont voted fifty three to forty seven percent to approve ballot question for in the november general election we have to start the ball rolling quickly on its implementation before january twenty eighth teen otherwise well not be able to control the number of marijuana stores that can open and operate he said in particular belmont needs to address the issue of oedipal marijuana packaged as candy or other feeling foods that may encourage their consumption by children the law does not restrict oedipal to he said consequently if belmont wants to control the process it has to come before the community for a vote in the november twenty seventh ina lections that means an article will need to be drafted williams noted and stated that belmont will be able to charge marijuana as store as a two percent sales tax on marijuana purchases adding that even though voting ballot for he was concerned about the potential legal ramifications for belmont because now i wanna sale and consumption is prohibited by federal law this obviously is a question that needs to be addressed by the task force which david calle said should include the town council hall cal k three landscape architecture on the status of the community path disabilities study on december seventh at the general middle school the meeting was designed to review the various alignments or alternatives for the community path and discuss the hot topics raised three previous public meetings held on october twenty sixth nov ninth and november sixteenth the committee path has three proposed segments the western and from beaverbrook reservation to the eastern end of the department of public works property the central section from the eastern end of the d p w property alexander ave and the eastern and from the belmont center railroad bridge to brighton st in kicking off the meeting russell leno chairman of belmont's committee path implementation implementation advisory committee said the multi use community path is meant to fill the gap between cambridge and wall time as part of the planned one hundred four mile mast central matrix to us assess the alternatives this metric says included inputs from the public at previous meetings surveys emails from residents to geoffrey wheeler the senior planner community development planning division and recommendations the community path advisory committee in the board of selectmen he said following up on this comment study project manager amy archer from pear corp said the study is indeed to advance to conceptual design and develop cost estimates by defining the path options quantify impacts to property and resources and the costs based on the path options and to weigh and rank the pros and cons of alternatives in our matrix we are seeking to develop an evaluation process that ensures the selected alternative is justified she added the hot topics and key issues derive from the consulting teams public engagement were path access and length and the directness of connections roadways and rail ray railroad crossings proximity to vehicles proximity to residences dedicated bike space versus intermingled use edge treatments path amenities such as parking parks bike racks and signage and hours of operation and maintenance archer's said edge treatments pa amenities hours of operation and maintenance schedule were beyond the scope of the study these issues would be decided by the belmont officials she said adding that the board of selectmen will make the final decision on the selection of the committee path throu both archer and kathleen fastener from k three landscape architecture outlined what they termed fatal flaws are criteria that would eliminate a proposed alignment these include in compatibility with the site or design characteristics of the violate a community go code initiative or requirement a direct impact to existing residential structures significant impacts to high quality wetlands maintenance is feasible because of access and an excessive number of required roadway or driveway crossing an average of over five driveways crossings with five hundred linear feet in closing the briefing archer said our next steps will be to develop detailed closs cost alternatives complete and expanded matrix and begin the assessment of the overall routes she expects the study to become please early in spring twenty seventeen the overriding concern expressed by participants following the briefing was the issue of safety particularly where cyclists and walkers on the committee path would interact with motor vehicles especially on alignments proposed on leonard street near the railroad underpass and along concord avenue this safety concern was pointed expressed by belmont resident dave cornet a who was hit by a car and conquered avenue near belmont high school last march  house speaker paul ryan representative kevin brady chairman of the ways and means committee and representative tom price chairman the budget committee who is president elect donald trump's nominee for the secretary of health and human services are among the republican leaders in the u s house who support legislation to privatized medicare by converting it to a premium support system i urge you newspaper to tory allies against their efforts to change medicare to a voucher plan that will raise the cost of health care for seniors just because the republican party has majorit in the house and senate and the president elect is not a mandate to destroy medicare with a voucher plan to pay outright subsidies to insurance companies who make big contributions to many members of congress in april two thousand and eleven the republican majority in the u s house of representatives passed in a twenty twelve budget blueprint a proposal to replace traditional medicare with voters this ignited a firestorm of opposition from congressional democrats american seniors and the general public back then an analysis of the proposal by the congressional budget office concluded that turning medicare over to private insurance plans would result in seniors paying twice as much for their care would raise administrative costs and would not keep medical inflation as low as traditional medicare has done it is astonishing that after the bashing delivered to republicans on the voucher proposal in twenty eleven that they would be reviving it again matha thank you for joining us for this episode of talking news please join us when we resume again on january tenth after the holidays