So, just FYI, if you’re wondering if your town has a NIMBY problem, terms like “controversial” and  ”bike path” popping up in close proximity to one another in the town paper are a good sign that, in fact, you do!

That said, I suppose I can see Rep. Brownsberger’s point that the pamphlet (which I read and enjoyed) presents a vision of the finished path when, in reality, the details of what the path will look like and where it will run are very much open to study and debate. More distressing were the comments of Channing Road residents, which are filled with the kind of amorphous fears of  big city drug pushers and thugs that have  been used in chichi towns like Weston to veto or fight bike path- or commuter rail extensions into their towns. My favorite quote in the article comes from Channing Road resident Bruce MacKinnon in reference to the current unsightly scrub land that runs between his back yard and the tracks. “Kids drinking and the swearing back there goes with the territory, but now they want to put a bike path in there!” My GOD. They want to bring middle class people in to exercise back there! What’s next? Orgies?

Let me just say that I run the Minuteman Trail at least once a week. I’ve run it all the way from Alewife to Concord and here’s what i’ve seen – and in great numbers: People biking. People walking. Couples strolling with their kids. Teenagers  and younger children on bikes riding – free and unafraid of being hit and killed by clueless drivers. Businesses — bike shops and cafes — posting signs on the path to attract the crowds to their shops. Bird watchers. Here’s what I haven’t seen: anybody who looks even remotely like a drug dealer, homeless person or active member of the Crips, Bloods or MS-13. Bike paths are infrastructure – and they’re clean, beautiful, community building, good for business -good for the environment infrastructure. The short jump from the current bike path terminus on Brighton to Belmont Center might seem like a small matter, but it isn’t: there are plans for a shared-use bicycle and pedestrian path that extends beyond Belmont Center and running, someday, all the way west to Northhampton. Let’s put fear on the shelf just for once, Belmont, and actually make this happen. OK?

Turnout was huge, according to data released by the Town Clerk. Patch has coverage here. Fully 67% of the town’s 16,596 registered voters turned up. Almost without exception, those voters backed Democratic candidates. Among the highlights:

• Gov. Deval Patrick and Tim Murray won handily in town, winning 59% of the vote compared with 36% for the Republican ticket of Baker and Tisei.

• Belmont voters backed U.S. Rep Ed Markey over his opponent Gerry Dembrowski 68% to 31% .
• We picked Democrat Martha Coakley for Attorney General by 71% to 29% for Republican opponent James McKenna. Democrats Bill Galvin took the town vote for Secretary of State and Steve Grossman for Treasurer by similar margins.
• Belmont resident and State Rep. Will Brownsberger defeated his Republican opponent, Lalig Musserian, 70% to 30% for a third term in office.
• Democrat Suzanne Bump garnered 52% of the votes in town for the State Auditor position.

Perhaps the biggest surprises came on the State-wide and local ballot initiatives. In particular, Question 4: a local initiative to have Belmont adopt the State’s Community Preservation Act (CPA) passed by a margin of around 200 votes. Supporters, led by former Selectman Paul Solomon, chair of the Belmont CPA Ballot Question Committee, made impassioned arguments in favor of adopting the CPA, a 10 year-old State program that will both raise local money and make matching State funds available for preserving open space, building affordable housing and preserving historic buildings in town. Prospects looked dim following the April rejection of the Proposition 2 1/2 Override, a contentious campaign that revealed deep skepticism of Town and School administration  by at least some voters. In the wake of that vote, a proposal to raise average property taxes by $100 a year to support things like “open space” and historic preservation would have seemed preposterous. But, by a margin of 200 votes, Belmont said “Sign us up!”

That could be a very good thing for town, especially with much needed repairs on tap at Underwood Pool, Electric Light Building, railroad overpass and other infrastructure.

So too the town’s vote on a couple other “small government” ballot initiatives: solid margins voted “No” on both Questions 2 to repeal the 40b affordable housing law and 3 to slash the State sales tax.

State Rep. Will Brownsberger, though always a strong favorite, won a strong mandate for a third term, with 70% of the local vote.

What does this mean? Well – one thing I think is clear is that turnout matters. The voting trends we’ve seen in recent elections are very consistent and paint Belmont as a pretty progressive town, let’s face it. This includes the Presidential election in 2008 and the special election to refill Sen. Kennedy’s seat, in which Belmont voted for Martha Coakley. So how to explain votes like last April’s? Well – tax increases are always a tough sell, that’s to be sure. But I think the tendency to shuffle these Override votes into special elections definitely helps the “No” side. Less than 40% of registered voters turned out in April to weigh in on the Prop 2 1/2 override. Even then, the question fell short by fewer than 400 votes. I think its safe to say that if the turnout was 67% – as it was today – the outcome would have been far different.

There are lots of reasons to stop relegating overrides to special elections – there’s the cost of carrying them out and the difficulty of getting voters to engage for a one issue ballot. One other reason, as this election suggests, is that Belmont’s body politic may actually look and vote very differently than one would assume by reading the tea leaves on the April special election.

My 2c. I’ll be interested to see the reactions from folks in town to Tuesday’s results.

What types of programs might be considered? A recent article in the New York Times (thanks to the Belmont Yahoo Group for the heads up)  highlights the steps that other suburbs are taking to curb carbon emissions and to encourage. They include town-financed home energy improvements and zoning changes to allow businesses to generate their own electricity with wind turbines, solar and other green energy sources.

The big test of the next three to five years is whether Belmont will be able to move from planning and committees to actual implementation of some of the great recommendations and ideas in the CAP, and whether Belmont residents and businesses will get a helpful hand in making their homes and businesses greener — or continue to try to do the right thing in the face of a stiff headwind.

Beginning in Seattle in 1998, One Book, One Read programs seek to connect readers across entire communities by reading the same book. Since then One Book, One Read programs have stretched across the United States, from Alabama through Wyoming. Different communities can also read the same book, and this year just in Massachusetts, Groton, Northampton, and Williamstown have also selected Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

The One Book, One Belmont program follows the goals of other One Book, One Read programs to build community and to promote reading. In 2009, the One Book, One Belmont program also celebrates the town’s 150th anniversary with a book reflecting Belmont’s agricultural history. “From 1859 to the mid-twentieth century,” the Belmont Public Library writes, “Belmont was a town of farms, dotted with greenhouses full of flowers, fields bursting with fruits and vegetables, and pastures grazed by the first Holstein cattle imported to the United States.”

Continuing until October 8^th, One Book, One Belmont has featured an array of events with more to come:  a composting workshop on Sept. 30 at the Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary at 3:00, 3:45 and 4:30 (ages 5 and up), a screening of  HomeGrown, a documentary presented by Belmont World Film on October 5, and a One Book One Belmont Day at the Farmer’s Market on October 8 with guest chef appearances at 2:00 PM, 3:00PM and 4:00PM.  More details about One Book, One Belmont—including event details—are available on the One Book, One Belmont Web site.

When the blue Belmont Public Library One Book, One Belmont banners come down around town after October 8^th, you will know that the planning committee will soon be meeting again once a month to review titles for next year’s book.

Now – Oct. 2 “From the Garden to the Kitchen to the Table:” Belmont Gallery of Art, 3rd floor Homer Municipal Building, 19 Moore St.: Thirty-two Belmont artists exhibit work that addresses food-related themes. See www.belmontgallery.org for hours. Closing reception: Fri. Sept. 25, 6-8 PM.

Sept. 9 Frances Moore Lappé on “Food Choices for a Small Planet:” 7:00 PM Wed., Town Hall Auditorium, 455 Concord Ave.:   Author of the bestselling Diet for a Small Planet, Frances Moore Lappé explores which food choices are best for our bodies, the earth, and the people who tend it.

Sept. 11  Book Discussion Group -  11:00 AM Fri., Flett Room, Belmont Public Library - Everyone is Welcome

Sept. 12-19   Food for Fines- to benefit the Belmont Food Pantry. Bring nonperishable foods to the library in place of overdue fines.

Sept. 15   When Belmont was a Town of Farms- 7 PM Tues., Assembly Room, Belmont Public Library: Writer Jane Sherwin gives a multi-media presentation on the history of Belmont farms and farming families. Co-sponsored by the Belmont Historical Society.

Sept. 16  Book Discussion Group- 3:00 PM Wed., Flett Room, Belmont Public Library

Sept. 21-25 (KIDS EVENT) Belmont Public Schools to serve locally grown food – part of statewide Mass. Harvest for Students Week by purchasing, serving and highlighting locally grown food.

Sept. 22   Farming in Belmont Today- 7 PM Tuesday, Assembly Room, Belmont Public Library Panel discussion with Nathan L’Etoile, Assistant Commissioner of the Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources; Henry Ogilby and Sal Sergi of Belmont’s last working farm, also known as Sergi Farms; and Joan Teebagy, an avid gardener who keeps bees and chickens.

Sept. 24 (KIDS EVENT) Herbal Soap Workshop for Teens- for grade 5 and up: 3 PM Thurs, Chenery Middle School Teachers’ Dining Room – Make soap with Phyl Solomon of the Haitat Intergenerational Program (HIP) using herbs grown at Chenery. Registration required; call 617 993-2880.

Sept. 30 (KIDS EVENT) Composting Workshop ages 5 and up: 3:00, 3:45 and 4:30, Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary, 50 Juniper Road. Lisa Becker of Mass Audobon’s Habitat will lead 30 minute, hands-on programs on composting. Registration required; call Children’s Room at 617 993-2880.

Oct. 5 HomeGrown, a documentary presented by Belmont World Film- 7 PM Mon., Belmont Studio Cinema, 376 Trapelo Rd.  See how the Dervaes family goes “off the grid” and harvests 6,000 lbs. of produce yearly on a quarter-acre property in Pasadena. Preceded by two short films, “Viva La Food” and “Hot Bread Kitchen.” Ticket prices at www.belmontworldfilm.org.

Oct. 7 Book Discussion Group- 7:30 PM Wed., Flett Room, Library. Co-sponsored by Sustainable Belmont.

Oct. 8  One Book One Belmont Afternoon at the Farmers’ Market- Market opens 1:30 PM, Municipal parking lot in Belmont Center  – Come see the wide variety of fresh and freshly prepared foods at the market, and watch Belmont’s own chefs prepare locally grown foods! Cooking demonstrations by:

• 2 PM Michael Ehlenfeldt, chef/general manager, Stone Hearth Pizza
• 3 PM Joh Kokubo, chef/owner, Kitchen on Common
• 4 PM Dante de Magistris, chef/owner, il Casale

Belmont Farmer's Market - best in Boston

It wasn’t mentioned in the Boston magazine piece, but I’d add Baba Ganoush and Hummus from Belmont’s own Samira’s Homemade, which the Roberts family is crazy about. The article has the ring of truth: I know of a few friends who trek over from Arlington, Watertown and other locales to get what Belmont’s Farmer’s market has to offer, even though their towns offer perfectly respectable alternatives. Boston Mag gave Lexington’s Farmer’s Market at Union Square the runner’s up award. In its fourth season, Belmont Farmer’s Market takes place every Thursday through October 29 in the municipal parking lot in Belmont Center (behind Macy’s, etc.). Check it out!

According to the US Census, about 90% of all metropolitan growth occurred in suburban communities in the last ten years. Urbanites who loathe the freeways, big box stores and bland aesthetics stereotypical of suburbia may secretly root for the end of sprawl, but demographic trends indicate that exurban growth is still on the rise. In a future where limited natural resources will force us to find better solutions for density and efficiency, what will become of the cul-de-sacs, cookie-cutter tract houses and generic strip malls that have long upheld the diffuse infrastructure of suburbia? How can we redirect these existing spaces to promote sustainability, walkability, and community?

Reburbia is a contest to reimagine the suburbs

The contest is open ended: architects, urban designers, planners and engineers were invited to submit ideas for solving some of the problems facing suburban space: sprawl, box stores, a disconnected, low density landscape more geared to cars than people. These are some of the same problems that our own Town Planner, Jaz Szklut raised in his opinion piece about rethinking Waverley Square. The organizers received more than 400 entries and have whittled the list down to around 20 finalists. Even among that select list, there are some pretty whacky ideas: One vote leader is the more fanciful T-Tree a “Towering Community of Sustainable Residences” that kind of looks like a…well…tree. It’s a cool enough looking idea, but it reminds me of the 60s and 70s fad for residential pod complexes, and we know how that turned out. Other, more spiteful plans call for unused swimming pools or abandoned McMansions to be used as biofilters for water treatment.

T-Tree sustainable living quarters

But many make a lot of sense. The two vote leaders are an Urbran Sprawl Repair Kit, which provides imminently sensible and easy to follow design guidelines for turning typical sprawl-ly planning into more pedestrian friendly, high density developments — say: a fast food joint surrounded by a parking lot that is transformed into the hub of a new town square, with “taxpayer blocks” of stores that are so familiar in Cushing and Waverly Square surrounding the restaurant and filling in under-utilized parking lot space. Box stores that have been abandoned by big chain retailers can (and are) being reclaimed as community space, planting gardens in unused (or underused) parking lots. One entry simply proposes rezoning suburbs to make them less…well…suburby.

The meeting is being held in The Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room at 7:00 PM tomorrow, Wednesday, August, 5, 2009 and will be an opportunity to learn about ongoing grassroots and town efforts to reduce vehicle idling, deploy clean diesel technology, and promote walking to school and bike friendly activities.

Come learn about efforts to improve air quality in Belmont

Some background: over the past three years, organizers have worked collaboratively with school officials and parents, town departments, faith-based organizations, and others as part of the Cleaning the Air Campaign. State environmental experts, Belmont’s Chief of Police, Belmont Citizen Forum leadership, and Sustainable Belmont volunteers will discuss progress and plans, and the public is strongly encouraged to participate in shaping 2009-2010 activities.

The agenda for tomorrow evening looks like this:

Presentation on Belmont’s Cleaning the Air Campaign (1 hr. 10 min)
Moderators: Sustainable Belmont members Jeri Weiss, Ian Todreas and Deb Lockett
Guest Speakers:

• MA Department of Environmental Protection’s Julie Ross
• Belmont Police Chief Richard Mclaughlin
• Belmont Citizen’s Forum rep. on proposed new bike path
• Electric City Cars owner Paul Elwood on electric vehicles in Belmont

Next Steps – Open Discussion (40 minutes)

- Are there any “hot spots” that need attention?

- What would the community like to see happen?

- Education vs. punitive efforts (post cards)

- Steps taken

- Future plans

Now these suckers are small…but are they “green”? Certainly, in terms of tailpipe admissions, they’ve got nothing on the Prius or even a late model gas powered car. But these are no 8 cylinder monstrosities. As the Larz Anderson Museum Web site notes “Most are powered by 1 or 2 cylinder, 2 stroke motorscooter engines.” Think of them like lawnmowers with style. The owner of the Messerschmitt (the cherry red car above that looks like an airplane without wings, including the handlebar/prop style steering wheel), said the car could do 40mph on the highway but that it had direct steering — just like a go-cart — that got very “touchy” at high speed. He said at 40mph, just thinking about lanes was usually enough to get the car to move over, forget about touching the wheel.

The coolest entries were probably the BMW Isettas – tiny, three wheeled bubble shaped cars with hoods that double as front doors. And just to prove that all that’s old is new again, looks like BMW is planning to reintroduce the Isettas with a new design and (presumably) new guts, too.

Detroit, alas, was nowhere to be seen at this show. But judging from the crowds and the enthusiasm for the minis, it wouldn’t hurt GM, Chrysler and Ford to send a few scouts to these shows to get an idea of new directions that might sustain them after the govt. money runs out!