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	<title>Belmont Citizens Forum</title>
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		<title>Problems with Existing Massachusetts E-Bike Laws and a Possible Fix</title>
		<link>https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/31/problems-with-existing-massachusetts-e-bike-laws-and-a-possible-fix/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frederique]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2026 15:24:17 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Bicycles and bike paths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newsletter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[November/December 2026]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traffic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Belmont]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Belmont Hight School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bikes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[E-bikes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teenagers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traffic]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/?p=8169</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[By David Chase Decades of improvements in batteries and motors have made e-bike assists practical and affordable, putting far more of them on the road today. People use them to commute, transport children, shop, make deliveries, and just for fun. These same advances have spurred a variety of other motor-assisted “micromobility” devices—e-scooters, e-skateboards, hoverboards, and <a href='https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/31/problems-with-existing-massachusetts-e-bike-laws-and-a-possible-fix/' class='excerpt-more'>[READ MORE]</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8169</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Controlling Invasives Along the Future Community Path</title>
		<link>https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/31/controlling-invasives-along-the-future-community-path/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frederique]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2026 14:45:31 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Bike Paths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newsletter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[November/December 2026]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasives]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/?p=8163</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[By Vincent Stanton, Jr. Construction of the Belmont Community Path (Phase I) will encompass significant landscaping work, including planting 354 trees and 478 shrubs along the path. For example, 32 new trees and 11 shrubs will be planted along a 425-foot section of path behind the old BMLD building, the Belmont Police Station and the <a href='https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/31/controlling-invasives-along-the-future-community-path/' class='excerpt-more'>[READ MORE]</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8163</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>At One Year Old, Belmont’s Miniforest Rewards a Closer Look</title>
		<link>https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/30/at-one-year-old-belmonts-miniforest-rewards-a-closer-look/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frederique]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2026 22:05:12 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Climate Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newsletter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[November/December 2026]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Belmont]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Belmont High School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miyawaki forests]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/?p=8159</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[By Nicole Estvanik Taylor An intergenerational group of locals gathered on Saturday, October 3, to sing happy birthday to the pocket-sized forest in front of Belmont High School. The party, organized by Miyawaki Forest Action Belmont (MFAB), marked the first anniversary of the lively October 2025 planting day that drew hundreds of participants. The Miyawaki <a href='https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/30/at-one-year-old-belmonts-miniforest-rewards-a-closer-look/' class='excerpt-more'>[READ MORE]</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8159</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Restoration of Jerry’s Pond: A Master Class in Restoring Urban Wilds or a Missed Opportunity?</title>
		<link>https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/29/restoration-of-jerrys-pond-a-master-class-in-restoring-urban-wilds-or-a-missed-opportunity/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frederique]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2026 23:42:24 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newsletter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[November/December 2026]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Open Space]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greenspace]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jerry's Pond; Conservation]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/?p=8154</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[By Jeffrey North and Eric Grunebaum The abbreviated answer is both. Jerry&#8217;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 <a href='https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/29/restoration-of-jerrys-pond-a-master-class-in-restoring-urban-wilds-or-a-missed-opportunity/' class='excerpt-more'>[READ MORE]</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8154</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Homer Building Gets a Facelift</title>
		<link>https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/29/homer-building-gets-a-facelift/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frederique]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2026 23:19:26 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Historic Preservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[November/December 2026]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homer Building]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Municipal buildings]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/?p=8151</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[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. The 1899 building, originally constructed as a high school, has served as town office space since 1937 and holds a prominent place in Belmont’s civic architecture. A 2023 facilities <a href='https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/29/homer-building-gets-a-facelift/' class='excerpt-more'>[READ MORE]</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8151</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Municipal Light Building: Belmont’s Beautiful, Expensive Mess</title>
		<link>https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/29/the-municipal-light-building-belmonts-beautiful-expensive-mess/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frederique]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2026 23:13:41 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Historic Preservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newsletter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[November/December 2026]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Concord Avenue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Municipal Light Building]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/?p=8146</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[By John Beaty Anyone who has walked past Belmont Center&#8217;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 <a href='https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/29/the-municipal-light-building-belmonts-beautiful-expensive-mess/' class='excerpt-more'>[READ MORE]</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8146</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Citizens Forum Donates Land to Belmont for Community Path</title>
		<link>https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/29/citizens-forum-donates-land-to-belmont-for-community-path/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frederique]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2026 22:58:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Bicycles and bike paths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bike Paths]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[History]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newsletter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[November/December 2026]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Belmont Community Path]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community path]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[railroad history]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/?p=8138</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[By Vincent Stanton, Jr.     On August 10, 2026, the Belmont Select Board approved the land transfers and easements necessary to secure the right of way for the Belmont Community Path. Right-of-way acquisition, together with path design, constitute the town’s obligations with respect to financing the community path. It now becomes a MassDOT construction project, <a href='https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/29/citizens-forum-donates-land-to-belmont-for-community-path/' class='excerpt-more'>[READ MORE]</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8138</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Our Environmental Stewards: Casey Bowers, Environmental League of Massachusetts </title>
		<link>https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/28/our-environmental-stewards-casey-bowers-environmental-league-of-massachusetts/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frederique]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:09:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Climate Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newsletter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[November/December 2026]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/?p=8130</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[This article is part of the Belmont Citizens Forum’s series on environmental leadership in 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 <a href='https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/28/our-environmental-stewards-casey-bowers-environmental-league-of-massachusetts/' class='excerpt-more'>[READ MORE]</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8130</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Nutty Nuthatches Are Cozy Little Creepers</title>
		<link>https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/27/nutty-nuthatches-are-cozy-little-creepers/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frederique]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2026 13:06:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newsletter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[November/December 2026]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[birding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[birds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Keep Massachusetts Beautiful]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/?p=8097</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[by Fred Bouchard For unfailing cheeriness, perky curiosity, and its amiably purring “henk-henk,” White-breasted Nuthatches get my vote for favorite yard bird. With no flashy looks, melodious songs, nor commanding calls to vouch for them, ‘nuts’ are your year-round, work-a-day, dependably peppy garden gremlins: twist this-that-a-way to grab a bug, glean a gnat, slam a <a href='https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/10/27/nutty-nuthatches-are-cozy-little-creepers/' class='excerpt-more'>[READ MORE]</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8097</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Read the September/October 2026 BCF Newsletter</title>
		<link>https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/09/01/8045/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frederique]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:00:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Newsletter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[September/October 2026]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/?p=8045</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Cambridge Real Estate Developments: Context for Hill’s Crossing Overlay District By Vincent Stanton, Jr. At Town Meeting this fall (or possibly next spring), the Belmont Planning Board, in collaboration with the Office of Planning and Building, will sponsor an article proposing a new zoning overlay for the Brighton Street General Business district, the Hill’s Crossing <a href='https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2026/09/01/8045/' class='excerpt-more'>[READ MORE]</a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8045</post-id>	</item>
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