thank you for joining us today for a weekly reading of the talking news welcome to our new readers max bob and claire will be reading local news stories from the current belmont citizens harold belmont light joins hurricane erma recovery effort belmont light has sent a crew of lines workers to join in the recovery effort in florida following the devastation to first class line workers tom costello and rob clancy were dispatched from belmont to homestead florida on saturday september the ninth as part of a large contingent led by the northeast public power association which represents municipal electric utilities across new england according to belmont light executive assistant aiden leary costello and clancy a working sixteen to eighteen hour shifts every day they will be there through the end of the week after this week the situation on the ground will be re evaluated to determine whether they are still needed we will also be having them come back to give them a break and sending another crew down said larry the belmont light crew is working with municipal aid crews from across the u s to restore power to florida over a two week period at the end of two weeks the restoration process will be reassessed before a decision is made whether to extend the belmont crews work as of september fourteenth two point six million electric customers was still without at the september eighteenth meeting on her group's progress the working group was tasked by the board of selectmen in early two thousand and seventeen with forming a plan for addressing both appropriate sites and construction parameters for the department of public works facility a new police station and a new belmont public library our focus has been on the d p w in the police station we at this juncture consider the needs of both those facilities to be in an emergency situation safety for employees and the public is our number one priority and needs to be addressed said mahoney she said the working group is attempting to form short term solutions for both the facilities and intend to come to the special town meeting nov thirteenth asking for funding for the short term solutions the facilities are an appalling condition she said mahoney said the working group had has discounted the incinerators site as an appropriate location for a new police station the land belmont recently acquired from the state which has been used over the years for storage as well as a transfer station on september twenty eighth at seven is of the current d t d p w site have been invited to a meeting at the beach treat center with the major capital projects working group to review their  for the d p w yard we want to import from the neighborhood before we go too far down the road said mahoney a public meeting will also be held at seven pm on october nineteenth at the beach street center to see the working groups presentation on proposals for solutions to the d p w police station and a library in anticipation of a special town meeting in november the plan will include a proposed scope of work along with construction and funding timetables within the context of the belmont high school building project this meeting will give the public an opportunity to give input on the working groups recommended solutions to these major capital projects which the town must addressed in the very near future the selectmen also met with the chairman of the library board of trustees kathy keogh and and vice chairman alain ali good at the september eighteenth meeting to discuss drafting an article for special town meeting to appoint a building committee to begin fundraising for a new belmont public library the selectmen vice chairman mock pale willow made a motion to ask interim town administrators phyllis marshall to draft a warrant article that includes appointing a building committee for the library as well as funding for a schematic design estimated to cost three hundred thousand dollars and his max thanks claire weiner honored for service to the term she worked for more than forty years with the belmont recreation department susan k y narev burlington has retired from the belmont recreation department b or d after more than forty years of service she was recently honored at the oakley county country club by more than one hundred former colleagues along with parents siblings and friends of those with special needs weiner was presented with a proclamation from the town of belmont commemorating her forty plus years of service speakers at the retirement party include mary beth mcmahon president and c e o of special olympics massachusetts who repeatedly thanked weiner for all she had done for people with special needs and for running such a wonderful program and longtime sport coach and belmont police lieutenant kristen daly commented quote sue was not just a director but also a friend and is always there to help the coaches out always bringing her positive attitude and smiled unquote former colleague bob spinoza from watertown recreation department belmont sport program coordinator h barbie aero mary ann miller and jean morrow parents of current sport participants also share their words of appreciation for weiner under the umbrella of b r d is bill murray sport special programs organized for recreational time an all inclusive program with activities for people with special needs weiner was director of belmont sport for more than thirty years weiner began her time at b hundred sixty nine as a counselor in the camp willow summer program for children with special needs in one thousand nine hundred seventy one she began the b r d's first school year program for individuals with special needs forty five years later the saturday mini camp as it is referred to is still flourishing later in the one nine hundred seventy s weiner started up the friday night social program with coke ordinator bob spinoza from watertown's recreational department by the mid one nine hundred eighty s b r d had asked weiner to take over additional programs run for people with special needs all activities were later combined officially into the bill months aboard special programs organization for recreation time program with weiner being named director during the same time period belmont sport became a regional program for special olympics of massachusetts during the one nine hundred ninety s the sport program continued to grow and athletes competing in special olympics traveled across the state and country and as far away as china one of weiner's most important responsibilities by this time was the recruitment of coaches and volunteers because of all her efforts belmont sport is a model program and special olympics massachusetts in one nine hundred ninety eight weiner was inducted into the the message use its special olympics hall of fame weiner always look for ways to keep fees affordable for participants and have the foresight to organize the nonprofit support organization friends of belmont support in one thousand nine hundred nine through their various fund raising projects this hardworking group of friends and family members continue today to help defray costs related to the support program at the retirement party ari weiner parents and sports and friends of belmont sport board member gene morrow it's a spoke about what weiner has meant to the families and parents of the participants quote in one nine hundred ninety eight belmont sport launched the first of its annual family summer trips in addition to all her other talents sue definitely demonstrated that she has the makings to be a first class travel agent the trip to hersheypark pennsylvania in one thousand nine hundred eight was the first of now twenty unforgettable jampacked adventures unless you're a parent or a family member it's almost impossible to explain how it feels to be able to travel in a group where everyone understands your challenges and accept your family members for who they are there is no way to express our appreciation to sue for creating these priceless experiences said mara over to you bob thanks max belmont restoration project seeking volunteer as volunteers in needed to assist with the work for restoration project a nonprofit recently relocated from concord and acton to belmont restoration project is a nonprofit vocational program in belmont for individuals would mental illnesses and brain injuries saloon the crafts furniture finishing and upholstering and work in the organization thrift shop to improve confidence and transferable work skills when they were ready to work independently the non profits job developer helps them choose and find employment volunteers a currently needed to sorting donations pricing stocking new items on the floor carrying furniture loading unloading the van cleaning wrapping customers purchases and communicating restoration projects mission to customers in addition volunteers a needed who are willing and able to drive a car go van developing and picking up furniture store hours a ten am to six pm wednesday through saturday and noon to six pm on sunday the group hopes to expand its hours so volunteers with retail experience who can run the store are needed on mondays and tuesdays with four and eight hour shifts anyone with a mental illness will bring injury in their family a welcome to volunteer together restoration project recently moved to belmont and opened a thrift store the store has added a new retail component to its job training services in an effort to get the stool going furniture finishing and upholstery not being done for the public at this time but the nonprofit planned to resume accepting projects in the near future the store sells donated new and gently used home furnishings and home soul items clothing and fashion accessories music and books and zero on to claire liquor license changes approved regulations at its september eighteenth meeting one of the major revisions to the alcohol beverage as policy rules and regulations is that a licensed retail establishment m sell state lottery tickets if approved to do so by the board of selectmen and the commonwealth of massachusetts selectman adam dash worked on the revisions which town council approved this change will bring belmont into conformity with other communities which do not be on retail liquor license holders from selling lottery tickets and who will support the state lottery revenues on which belmont relies in its budget budget he said in an interview after the meeting star market acquired its all alcohol liquor license on october sixth two thousand sixteen when the selectmen approved the transfer of the license from the loading dock to stock market two to one with selectman mock pay a little low a post at the time star market agreed to give up tobacco in lottery ticket sales selectman chairman jim williams wanted to make a motion to approve star market in the spirit it going made to sell lottery tickets at the september eighteenth meeting he asked interim town administrators phyllis marshall to notify all the liquor license holders in belmont that they have the option to seek the board approval to sell lottery tickets if approved by the state the massachusetts look state lottery commission approached selectman in april asking them to rethink their prohibition on allowing retail establishment with liquor license says such as star market to also sell lottery tickets noting sales have gone down considerably since they stopped selling them a moratorium was placed on allowing retail establishments holding liquor licenses to also sell lottery tickets when the original all alcohol license was granted to the loading dock on may first two  march sixteenth two thousand and fifteen the selectmen denied an application from jimmy's food match for a look at a license with one of the reasons being the store did not want to give up lottery ticket sales jimmy's food matt closed its doors permanently following a fire on april eighteenth two thousand and fifteen one month after its liquor license application was baucus there is a new shopping destination in belmont for buyers of mid century furniture it's mob twenty gallery located at fortress hello road in belmont developer chris starr managing partner of smith legacy partners which owns the building is the man behind mud twenty he has been collecting mid twenty needed century furniture since two thousand and one and has wanted to open his own store  past decade quote i now have more time on my hands and can get involved and fun projects that excite and interest me unquote he said what are town resident katie riley is mob twenty's gallery manager and belmont know olson is its business manager riley used to work for machine age a well known mid century furniture store in boston she has loved collecting mid century furniture since she was a high school rowley are very knowledgeable about the designers of every piece they carry and take pride in the quality and workmanship of their collection for people who aren't familiar with mid century furniture it is furniture made between the one nine hundred thirty s and  seventy s rally said the pieces are built to last made for living and have stood the test of time everything in their inventory will have one thing in common an interesting eclectic design to them they are timeless set rally stars that mob twenty will have one of the biggest collections of inventories for unique one of a kind pieces of mid century furniture in the area such as tables side boards chests couches chairs lighting and more every piece will be posted on the website mot twenty dot com that's m o d two zero dot com he recently returned from a shopping trip in denmark which he said is the hub of mid century designer furniture if someone wants to see the furniture on the website which is not in the store was star said they will have a warehouse very close to the store and can show pieces by appointment in addition to furniture sales mach twenty will also consign mid century furniture re upholstery and interior decorating service will also be offered twenty he will also ship pieces anywhere nationally and internationally temperatures drop woodstoves in fireplace inserts might seem indulgent but they're actually cost effective and super cozy according to bruce kelty owner of commonwealth fireplace him nor norwood fireplace inserts which a stove is installed seamlessly into open fireplace is a great physician heating because there warmth is distributed to a smaller area for a longer amount of time making the heating process more satisfying and less expensive he said people who use inserts often save money the heating the space that they spend the majority of their time in with what is  essentially a smaller furnace kelty said wood stoves and gas stoves are also efficient zone heating systems they can be installed with vents going up through the roof or through a chimney going the side of the house for those who don't want to reconfigure the heating system and outdoor fire pit is an easy inexpensive way to enjoy a wood burning fire and entertain in the backyard in cooler weather don't forget to bring the marshmallows learn a boat fireplace inserts wood stoves and fire pits below fireplace inserts according to kelty a fireplace insert will increase the heat efficiency of a fireplace from ten to twenty percent to sixty to eighty percent it dramatically increases the efficiency of the wood burning he said and they still get the nice  of the wood burning fire he explained that inserts can use one of three types of heat sources wood pellets and gas learn more about each one below w wood burning inserts have a pleasant and have high a burn times than a bare fireplace the fire is contained behind glass and the insert has an air watch system to prevent all owners can easily enjoy the fire view as the heat is distributed cost about two thousand dollars to three thousand dollars for the insert plus one thousand to one thousand five hundred dollars for the installation plus the cost of wood which is about two hundred twenty five dollars per cord with pellets pellets a made from essential would by products so they packed with energy but they do require electricity according to kelty the flame is more blowtorch here than a wood burning fire but they are a dependable fuel source for a primary heating system cost two thousand five hundred to four thousand five hundred dollars for the insert plus one thousand to one thousand five hundred dollars for installation plus the quart of wood pellets which is about two hundred fifty dollars per t with gas a gas insert is remarkably efficient it has a direct vent system which means that it brings combustion air through the chimney and then vents the exhaust back out creating a totally closed system unlike wood and pellets gas doesn't need to be constantly loaded into the insert and it doesn't need to be cleaned on a regular basis gas inserts also we have a lot of decorative options including logs rocks glass or driftwood and they've been run with a remote control or a thermostat and over claire thank you  firefighters fill the boot on october five belmont firefighters will be out on the streets of belmont asking motorists to help fill the boot to help support the muscular dystrophy association every dollar that is passing motorists can pitch in to the firefighters boot will assist local sixteen thirty seven in raising funds to support local children and adults with  neuromuscular diseases through medical treatments and support services the n you will drive will take place from seven to ten am firefighters in volunteers will be at three locations those locations are belmont center waverly square and at the intersection of cross and bright and streets donations can be made in cash or by check make checks payable to belmont firefighters for m d the international so she ational firefighters has been a national m d a partner for more than fifty years and remains committed to the fight to end neuromuscular diseases the feel the boat funds also are used to support some of the three hundred worldwide research projects seeking to better treatments and working towards a cure for the more than forty neuro muscular diseases covered by m d a including dushanbe muscular dystrophy spinal muscular atrophy and a ls over to max thanks claire davis convinces k k k members to leave belmont native has attended klan rallies cross burnings and even invited been invited to homes of prominent clan leaders by adam senate darrell davis said he can still remember people throwing bottles and rocks at him as he marched with the cub scouts from lexington the concord in one thousand nine hundred sixty eight it was the first time that then ten year old belmont resident and only black kid marching that day had experienced racism a month later dr martin luther king was assassinated and davis began to ask how can you hate me when you don't even know me that was the beginning of my journey davis said well davis only lived in belmont for less than a year he said he has spent the past forty nine years seeking the answer to that question in one nine hundred ninety he began reaching out to members of the ku klux klan to talk to them for his eventual book clandestine relationships a black man's odyssey in the ku klux klan he has attended klan rallies cross burnings and has even been invited to the homes of prominent clan leaders he has since formed friendships with hundreds of members of the klan and said he has convinced between forty and sixty members to turn their backs on the organization through the course of my meetings with many of these people and sitting down and talking with them some of them came to realize they had more in common with me than they did in contrast david said and they ended up leaving the klan davis said that some of his former klan friends have given him their robes and hoods once they leave i want a lot of robes and hoods from different clamp different clan of people who i have copd come who have come to know just to talking davis  he said he someday hopes to open a museum to display the robes and other klan paraphernalia he has acquired over the years it's part of american history davis said we should always face our history the good the bad the ugly and the shameful belmont played key role davis ability to maintain composure in the face of overt racism can be traced back to the brief period he lived in belmont he says he remembers playing kickball with his friends at a playground after his ill fated march with the boy scouts during the game a little girl began shouting a racial slur at him and wouldn't stop that was the first time i'd ever been called an  word davis said davis said his parents told him not to let people get under his skin and to just ignore anyone who referred to him using that word davis said the of girl eventually walked right up behind him and continue shouting racial epithets at him i spun around and i tried to get or davis said and she took off running like a bat out of hell davis said several of his friends ordered the girl and brought her back to the playground to make her reading today please join us when we return next week for another edition of talking news