I don’t know what Rupert Murdoch has ever done for me, but I’ll say this: Ted Kennedy’s work opened doors for my three daughters that will transform their lives, helping them build confidence and insuring that they will be treated as full equals of their male counterparts in the classroom, on the playing field and in the workplace.
Category: discussion
Has Belmont’s home market turned the corner?
Zillow’s Real Estate Market reports have Belmont home values up by 3.9% in the second quarter 2009, compared with the same quarter in 2008. The average home price, now at $622,000 has come up abruptly from its nadir in Q1, when Zillow’s index of home prices and values was down to $585,000.
Comparing stimulus plans: Great Depression vs. Great Recession
$38 million in federal stimulus funds for Belmont? You betcha! That was the value, in today’s dollars, of a town plan, approved by the federal government, to rapidly modernize Belmont after World War II.
Reburbia: reimagining the suburbs
A contest from inhabitat.com and dwell asks folks to imagine ways to transform suburban space. The contest is down to 20 finalists, from 400 entries. Some ideas are zany…some are pretty darned cool!
Are textbooks going the way of the horse and buggy?
An interesting article in yesterday’s New York Times on changes coming to a classroom near you: digital textbooks. The article, by Tamar Lewin, talks about pilot projects in school districts in Arizona, Louisiana and California that are replacing traditional printed textbooks with online, digital equivalents, or even “open source” texts compiled from materials and lessons generated by teachers or from public (and reliable) sources of information online.
Opinion: One person’s ideas on Waverley Square
What change should be promoted to encourage a more pedestrian friendly environment in Waverley Square?
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.
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.
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.