At Winn Brook Elementary, for example, Principal Janet Carey wrote this week that she fielded around 700 applications for four open positions at that school to replace retiring staff or accomodate larger than expected classes: one first grade teacher, two, fourth grade teachers and an art teacher. That’s 175 applicants per position, or an acceptance rate of just over one half of one percent, on average. Compare that with Harvard University’s comparatively generous 7% acceptance rate (2,046 of 29,112 applicants) this year. No surprise: Belmont ended up with some top flight candidates to fill those open positions.
Month: July 2009
Proposed MBTA service cuts could hit Belmont
Courtesy of Rep. Will Brownsberger’s Web site: The MBTA’s 72 and 78 bus routes could be discontinued and weekday and weekend service cut in half on remaining routes to help the agency balance its books. The T will hold public hearings to discuss possible service cuts in the coming weeks.
Vigil in support of diversity, tolerance in Watertown this Saturday
Vandals burned a Rainbow flag flying in front of the Unitarian Church in Watertown. Was it a hate crime? The Church is sponsoring a vigil this Saturday evening (July 25) in support of tolerance and diversity.
Wellington goodness…not so good
I’ve heard from the Wellington Building Committee that my recent post on Wellington goodness which presented some artist’s renderings and site plans for the new Wellington Elementary presented site plans that are not the latest and greatest and that there’s some confusion about some of the content of those drawings. I’ve been asked to take down both the site plans and the artist’s renderings of the school interior to avoid further confusion, and complied with that request.
Meeting tomorrow (Thur) to review Wellington site plans
There will be a public meeting tomorrow evening to discuss the progress of the New Wellington Elementary project.
Recession meme: college is optional?
Given that the middle class dream of affording a college education for our kids is slipping out of reach, I suppose its natural (or at least comforting) to wonder whether it is really what’s best for our kids, anyway.
Town: officials didn’t violate Open Meeting (but will meet publicly anyway)
The Belmont Citizen Herald is reporting that Belmont’s legal counsel has issued a response to the Middlesex District Attorney that claims town officials who met behind closed doors to formulate plans to discuss the consolidation of School and Town services were not doing so in violation of the State’s Open Meeting Laws.
Teeny tiny little cars…but are they green?
I got the chance to head over to the Larz Anderson Car Museum in Brookline for their annual Micro Mini Car Day — a gathering of some of the tiniest vehicles you’ve ever seen. Detroit was nowhere to be seen.
Bike path plans rolling along
The planned bike path construction between Brighton Street and Alewife Station is set to move ahead, along with other, more extensive bike and pedestrian access projects. Now about that extension into Belmont Center…!
Cultural Council announces grant recipients, seeks input
The Belmont Cultural Council has sponsored an online poll to get your feedback on how it can better server the community. Take part! This year, the Council’s grants will support a variety of artistic projects and activities in Belmont, including exhibits, festivals, short-term artist residencies and performances in schools.