Bella English’s excellent story about Belmont’s Burke family and their struggle to raise three lovely daughters who were born with Sanfilippo syndrome, a very rare and fatal degenerative brain disease, put a very human face on the otherwise sterile and bureaucratic machinations on Beacon Hill, where talk of “reductions in services” and “necessary cuts” often mask a more brutal reality. Without help from the State, the caseworkers and educators who help them shoulder the load of caring for three profoundly disabled children will disappear, the lives of families like the Burkes, already hard, will get much harder.
Category: discussion
Information session on the Wellington – Tuesday evening!
A town-wide forum to answer questions about the Wellington Elementary project is being held this Tuesday, May 19, at 7:00 pm. Officials from the State, Town and School Dept. will be available to talk about the
State’s fiscal freefall could jeopardize local aid
A precipitous drop in State revenues could jeopardize local aid payments and eviscerate funding for social services and education. Suddenly “Read my lips: No new taxes!” doesn’t sound so cool.
Survey asks for ideas on Belmont’s future
A new survey from the Belmont Planning Board asks about residents hopes and visions for a future Belmont. Make your voice heard!
The kids are alright: new book argues for less parent supervision
A new book (and blog), Free-Range Kids, tries to explain why we’re so afraid to let our kids go unsupervised and encourages parents to set their kids free.
News without Newspapers
An article in the New York Times talks about the growth of hyperlocal news, led by community and neighborhood blogs. In Belmont, the Citizen Herald says it will do a revamp of its print edition in the coming months to modernize the look and coverage of the paper and BloggingBelmont is planning changes as it nears its second anniversary!
Get involved: important meetings happening this week
There’s a full schedule of important meetings this week covering everything from school funding to the town’s budget and an opportunity to have your thoughts on education heard by leaders at the state level. Check it out.
Report: Romney to sell Marsh St. residence
According to a report in the Boston Globe, Mitt Romney’s Marsh St. home is one of two he is putting up for sale, along with a spacious ski lodge at the Deer Valley resort in Utah.
Homeless families at Gateway Inn need help
75 homeless families including an estimated 100 homeless children are being put up at the Gateway motel on Rte 2 in Cambridge. The families are staying for 2-3 months on average, and living out of hotel rooms equipped with microwave ovens and mini- refrigerators. They need help from the community. Here are some ideas of ways to help these families in need.
Who let the dogs out?
Oberdorfer throws a wheelhouse punch at everything that he perceives to be wrong in town. Those include: “so-called liberals,” the Senior Center, town administrators (there are too many of ’em) and, of course, “our beknighted School Department,” “compliant School Committee” and … wait for it… “greedy” parents. Oberdorfer accuses this last troika of a “conspiracy against suffering property owners.”