hello and welcome to the belmont journal i'm your host mike crowley this week belmont journal is your program for hyper local news and community updates and the program really depends on you so please send us your news tips your community updates and if you'd like to get involved please send frederick rigo an e mail at belmont media dot org saturday december second the belmont media center host of the annual gifts of hope telethon to benefit the belmont food pantry over five thousand dollars was raised and we would just like to thank all of the many people who stop by to volunteer their time and of course donate both both money as well as food for the food pantry they really depend on your support and i understand that we have a little bit of video clip from the event there's still time to get involved in the fundraising for the belmont food pantry on monday december eleventh several businesses in the belmont center will be dope and donating their proceeds to the food pantry so so your shopping and your participation would really be appreciated the season of giving continues with the city's side subaru and their annual campaign to benefit the foundation for belmont education we have a short video clip with nathan white the general manager for city side subaru my name is nathan white i work here at city side subaru i'm the general manager subaru develop this program called share the love in two thousand and eight this is our sixty year working with  education known as f b in which we get to work with a local organization on some of the monies that subaru raised nationally so this program as it runs donates two hundred  fifty dollars for every car that sold we've done different donations over the years two years ago we gave almost thirty thousand dollars we expect to give a similar amount this year in total in the time that we've been supporting the foundation for belmont education we're getting we're bent over seventy thousand dollars subaru corporate has raised one hundred ten million dollars or they'll hit one hundred ten million dollars in this year if the program is successful as been in the past the local community is really been very supportive of us and we just hope that that continues there's no pressure to come and buy cars but it's all coming back to the local community and we certainly appreciate their support welcome to this week and the citizen the herald i'm here with joanna jewboy us and i think we have four big headlines this week right first up we have the selection of a town administrator it looks that way so that on december fifth there were two final candidates that were interviewed maynard town administrator kevin sweet and shirley towne administrator patrice garvin and they voted to offer the position to patrice garvin it was a tie that was a close tie they really liked both candidates but there was something about garvin that captured especially mark and adam something about her quiet forcefulness and we're going to show a little clip of that when so then so the next step mike is contract negotiations and background check next time next time you check in with me i should have a better idea of maybe her potential start date so that's i think it's pretty exciting i think we'll be in good hands but so so next story we have a decision on the community power yes so there's a recommended route after almost three years of work by the community path implementation advisory committee what a mouthful that is they came up with a recommended route and this is part of the mass central rail trail so it's connecting the waltham border and the fitch burg cut off path so people could potentially ride all the way to was start but now now the question is when is this going to get done and what's the next step it's going to cost twenty seven point nine million dollars i know a lot of people are looking forward to it my own family we buy so so we're excited right so the next step is going to seek funding and go from there and if all goes well it could potentially be built in twenty twenty one but we have to see what happens next let's talk about the high school project yes well the high school project is really under way now people really should pay attention to all the upcoming meetings about it very important meetings a lot of decisions to be made and if you go to these meetings you'll learn more and you'll read about it in  now ok so two new members were appointed by the selectmen on december fourth they are dhanam who has about twenty five years of experience as an architect and a planner she actually is a senior project manager for mit and admin stands ik who also has about twenty years of urban planning and development experience and he is a senior planner for mass of development and  charles actually mentioned that he needed to fill gaps on the planning board which is why he wanted them both of these people have substantial urban planning right experience twenty to twenty five years right now which will help with some of these very important to we also have issues that will be coming up in terms of the medical marijuana decision that we have to be made that well the yes the recreational the medical marijuana sunsets and the recreational take this project will be coming out of the ground at some point in time we also believe that there's some stirrings from the owners on self pleasantry as well and we're going to look at the studies that have been done for south wasn't street really made a lot of people in belmont very excited to have a celebrity like matt damon in belmont it was just just it was a big headline from a believer not that's great great and i think it i think it probably drew up  belmont lions club all right well joe and i thank you and we'll see you next time yes next up we have some video and a tour of a new local store in belmont center and local route welcome to the tricks and local route this is local route the kitchen store pots pans cooking tools and baking i know i use and night sharpening this area here we're sort of transitioning into dietrich's we have some crossover products that are both dietrich's and local route but here we're really starting to come into two d drinks we have new things coming in all the time big part of our business is the outdoor furniture and we you're dinnerware and glassware over here oh i think i'm i think this is just a really great place to come and shop and to to explore some products that you haven't seen before so so what's important this week well i think we're getting to the point where we can actually imagine what the new belmont high school is going to look like now no one's saying that there is a specific design i mean it's a trend was starting to happen and the trend was going towards one design and the design is being nicknamed either the bow tie or the chromosome design it's actually a very it's actually a very beautiful and kind of practical is that that every body that almost everybody in all the committees with the board of selectmen or the school committee they're all they all want to keep two elements of the current school there and that is the field house to the winter field house and the pool right and the reason for that is that because you can't get reimbursed for those big projects inside a new high school so they said well let's keep them there they're wonderful there are solid we and they will just be an asset to a new school so other than that this is a brand new school this is and it's set up where it is has two specific areas one is for the upper on your screen you'll have two entryways be so you'll you'll be separate the big kids from the small kids the academic viewpoint will be all green space or the pond so it's rather nice it's it's it's situated so a lot of light can be used natural light like we do with like like they designed the wellingtons although those who are concerned about sustainability and energy usage and lighting and all of that will will be pleased and that's and that's what you'll find public will have an opportunity to to provide input on some of the thoughts about this design to other designs right that's correct you're going to have to design charette and a design trade is basically where an architect will say here's our this is what we're looking at what would you like in this design in this and this is a meeting that's happening on december fourteenth that is correct and that is something that the architects who are perkins and will they are going to take very seriously your your input so it's incumbent that if you really would like to see something at the school whether it's increased an ability increase use of lights a baseball field pack grass on the roof you e configuration the high high school is going to be ok i think that's not going to be the biggest surprise i think it's pretty much evident that this new school be a seven through twelve and the reason for that is because it's just grade configuration what will happen is that we would have to build the new heights of new elementary school in belmont we don't have the money we don't have the space well so if people if people in in town have any thoughts about the high school these are the franklin we'll see you next time thank you and now we have our community calendar with jane peters and she'll be talking about some of the exciting things coming up in town this week hello i'm james and this is your community calendar for this upcoming week december eleventh first seventeenth last spring community health network area seventeen interviewed belmont residents to better understand the successes and challenges that african americans have in getting mental health services in belmont a seventeen a local coalition funded by mao auburn and mclean hospitals will be sharing what they learned from these interviews and hope to hear what you think c h any seventeen will use the information to help improve mental health services in the community on tuesday december twelfth belmont garden club will be visiting the beach street center for a seasonal centerpiece workshop materials will be provided for you but please bring your own garden scissors and loves if you have them sign up early to join in on making your own evergreen arrangement to take home for your dining room or coffee table yet another author is scheduled to visit belmont books this week elizabeth burg author of the story of arthur true love we reading from her most recent novel you can listen or read from seven to eight on wednesday december thirteenth someone has left candy canes all over town field bring your flashlight to the beach trade center and town field on friday december fifteenth from four to five thirty to help find them this family event for all ages will feature hot cocoa and holiday crafts as well as a hunt for the canes that are scattered about the area space is limited so register for this event by december thirteenth in order to attend and later that evening you can leave your kids at the beach street center with recreation department staff from six to nine pm for parents night out kids will enjoy a holiday craft project fun and games and a screening of the polar express pizza juice and holiday cookies will be provided so that parents can get out for some holiday shopping or simply enjoy a night out all kids ages five and up are welcome register by december thirteenth in order to attend if holiday music is just something to gain with the holiday spirit and there's a lineup of concerts for you grade six band and chorus is holding their winter concert on monday the eleventh at seven pm at henry middle school followed by b h s as winter concert on wednesday at seven in the b s auditorium and grade seven and eight will be performing on generally and on friday the fifteenth you can visit the b h just cafeteria for the belmont high school performing art company's holiday coffeehouse fundraiser featuring live music food and fun from six to eight thirty pm different acts will perform throughout the evening as you sip and socialize and all weekend you can enjoy the belmont gallery of art small works holiday show in sale this show features small arsing crafts perfect for giving on friday you can visit the gallery of art from ten to four and from five to eight pm and on saturday and sunday you can visit from noon to five those are just a few great events going on this week in belmont if you have an event coming up that you be featured in belmont journal's community calendar you can e mail your event info to jane at belmont media dot org the next week we'll conclude our show this week with an update on programming on your belmont media center channel time the following editorial contains views and opinions of the speakers and are not those of belmont media center of the town of belmont comcast or horizon good evening everyone i'm ann reynolds and as you can remember i do a little bit called shaking my head but not today today i want to talk about the people i've met in the last ten days here in belmont i've covered for businesses that are family owned that  local i've covered two charities and i am overwhelmed by how great this town is these four companies working hard every day having their families their given back to the town all for them had done something for some kind of charity it was amazing this weekend i was really lucky to be on the telethon for the belmont food pantry i was surrounded by kids i was surrounded by business owners i was surrounded by people that really care that really give back i'm not the biggest charity person i gotta admit i have a heart of stone but i was really moved and then on sunday i was lucky enough to be asked to cover the fact that matt damon was at the lions club you think that's news that's nothing the guys around the li club are amazing they work hard they play hard they get along great they do so much for this town they turn all the money they get into local charities like who does that it's just so heartwarming i just want to tell everybody merry christmas it's a great town you're all great and please support all of our local businesses thank you speak out belmont encourages differing opinions if you would like to appear on this segment please call the belmont media center at six one seven four eight four two four four three or e mail us at fred at belmont media dot org