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Seeing pedals, a bike frame, and an “e-bike” label, parents may assume a machine is as safe as a bicycle, when it actually possesses motorcycle power.
Problems with Existing Massachusetts E-Bike Laws and a Possible Fix
By David Chase
E-bikes are transforming how people commute, run errands, and travel around Greater Boston. But as faster and more powerful electric vehicles enter the market, questions about safety and regulation are becoming harder to ignore. Read more.
Controlling Invasives Along the Future Community Path
By Vincent Stanton, Jr.
Hundreds of new trees and shrubs are coming to the Belmont Community Path, but creating a thriving green corridor involves more than planting. From battling invasive species to restoring habitat along the railroad right-of-way, discover how the path project could reshape Belmont’s landscape for years to come. Read more.
At One Year Old, Belmont’s Miniforest Rewards a Closer Look
By Nicole Estvanik Taylor
In honor of Belmont High School’s Miyawaki miniforest first 12 months, here are a dozen conversation-starters for your next stroll past the high school or around Claypit Pond.. Read more.
Restoration of Jerry’s Pond: A Master Class in Restoring Urban Wilds or a Missed Opportunity?
By Jeffrey North and Eric Grunebaum
Jerry’s Pond sits behind a chain-link fence on Rindge Avenue in North Cambridge, a short walk from the Alewife MBTA station, across the street from Cambridge’s largest environmental justice community, and near the Belmont line. Since 1962, the pond and surrounding land have been visible but off-limits: a nine-acre remnant of The Great Swamp, and later a site of clay extraction, industry, and outdoor recreation. Read more.
Homer Building Gets a Facelift
By Belmont Citizens Forum
The Homer Municipal Building at 19 Moore Street, known to many as the Town Hall Annex, is midway through its first major exterior restoration since 2005. Read more.
The Municipal Light Building: Belmont’s Beautiful, Expensive Mess
By John Beaty
Anyone who has walked past Belmont Center’s Town Hall complex has seen it: a stately 1934 brick building on Concord Avenue, its Colonial Revival/Georgian Revival lines echoing the Police Station next door. Fewer people have been inside—and for good reason. Behind its handsome facade, the old Municipal Light Building is, by every recent account, a mess. Read more.
Citizens Forum Donates Land to Belmont for Community Path
By Vincent Stanton, Jr.
What does a long-abandoned railroad corridor have to do with Belmont’s future? This article traces the history of the former Central Massachusetts Railroad right-of-way, the Belmont Citizens Forum’s acquisition of a key parcel in 2008, and the recent land donation that helped clear the way for construction of the Belmont Community Path. Read more.
Our Environmental Stewards: Casey Bowers, Environmental League of Massachusetts
The Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM), founded in 1898 as the Massachusetts Forestry Association, is the Commonwealth’s oldest environmental advocacy organization. Working at the state level on Beacon Hill, ELM advocates for policy that meets the scale and urgency of today’s environmental challenges, from decarbonizing the electric grid and transportation to protecting land, water, and public health. The Belmont Citizens Forum spoke with Casey Bowers, interim president. Jeffrey North conducted the interview. Read more.
Nutty Nuthatches Are Cozy Little Creepers
By Fred Bouchard
For unfailing cheeriness, perky curiosity, and its amiably purring “henk-henk,” White-breasted Nuthatches get Fred Bouchard’s vote for favorite yard bird. Read more.
Volunteer with Belmont Citizens Forum
Help shine a light on the people, places, and issues that matter in Belmont. The Belmont Citizens Forum is seeking a profiler, along with writers, researchers, photographers, and other community members who want to help inform and engage their neighbors. Read more.
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