Agriculture related events in the Belmont Area - December edition

Contents:

T-Shirts
License Plates

LivableStreets Lecture

Selectmen Meeting results


Gift giving!

A beautiful Belmont Farmers' Market t-shirt is a terrific gift idea
that will help support the Belmont Farmers Market. Not available in
stores, these shirts are 100% organic cotton, and we have special
pricing to encourage you to buy one for the whole family. $10 for one,
$9 each for two, and $8 each for three or more. See the website for a
photo of the t-shirts, and to order online. You can also simply reply
to this email for further information. www.BelmontFarmersMarket.org.


Massachusetts Ag Tag

Just in time for your holiday gift-giving, the department of Motor
Vehicles is offering GIFT CERTIFICATES for agricultural license
plates. It's easy shopping and no trip to the mall necessary. And for
those who face this dilemma annually, you can plan to renew the plate
for the recipient every other year and get a jump start on future
shopping. Please note that the plates themselves will not be available
until 2008.

We will have forms available to mail you if you are interested, but if
you don't want to wait, please contact Mary Greendale at
mgreendale@... and we will try to expedite your order.

Remember, every Ag plate purchase helps ensure steady revenue for
local agriculture. If you want a specific number between 350 and
1,600, we will not charge you the extra $10 administrative fee. If
that's the case, be sure to include the number you want reserved. This
offer is for December only.


FREE Lecture

How Can Belmont Be More Bike and Pedestrian Friendly?

Date: Wednesday, Dec.12

Time: 7:30 to 8:30 pm

Location: Selectmen's Room at Town Hall (second floor). The meeting will also be
available on Local Cable television.

Sponsor: Sustainable Belmont

Two speakers from LivableStreets Alliance will discuss concrete ways
that Belmont can make our town more pedestrian and bike friendly. We
have asked them to keep in mind that the town has limited financial
resources. From a planning perspective, we expect this to be
thought-provoking lecture. We know it's a busy time of year, but we
hope you can make it. Below is some information about LivableStreets
Alliance. Although based in Cambridge, we've asked them to create a
presentation with Belmont's size, demographics and population in mind.


LivableStreets Alliance is a non-profit organization formed in July,
2005 that believes transportation has the power to make more
connected, livable cities and towns. We challenge people to think
differently and to demand a system that balances transit, walking, and
biking. Streets that are enjoyable to use will better support
neighborhoods and small business districts.

We:

*Inspire a vision by sharing innovative transportation ideas from

around the world that encourages governments, communities, and the

public to think about the crucial role that transportation plays in

vibrant life.

*Build partnerships with other advocacy groups, providing
resources,tools, and support that help them collaborate effectively and speak
with a more powerful voice.

* Empower Communities, providing practical knowledge that helps them
envision better transportation and take charge of their neighborhoods.
*Create change in the way government approaches projects, improving results.
We build consensus for balanced, actionable transportation plans that result in
more livable streets.


Finally, many of you may have seen on television or read about the
Farmers' Market Committee meeting with the Belmont Board of Selectmen.
Thanks to all who wrote in support of the market, and if you would
still like to write a review of your experience with the Farmers'
Market, there's still a need!


We had a great showing at the Selectmen's meeting of 13 well dressed
(wearing our t-shirts) committee members to meet with Belmont Center
Business owners and the three Selectmen. We were effectively granted
permission to hold the market in the same location in the summer of
2008, but we were asked to have a follow up meeting with the Belmont
Center business representatives which we are planning on. The follow
up meeting will give us a chance to brain storm ways that the market
can benefit the commerce in Belmont Center, and vice versa. There are
many good ideas about how to do this, and we look forward to building
those relationships.

At the meeting itself, The Farmers' Market was granted the honor of
"Most thorough packet of review material ever" by Angelo Firenze,
thanks to the creative and diligent work of the committee members who
compiled evidence of the work we have done to ensure that the market
will be as successful as possible.


Thanks also to those of you contributed on site or online to our
shoppers survey. The data we collected were impressive to the
Selectmen and are valuable tool to reflect on the success and impact
of the farmers' market to the town of Belmont and its citizens. We
plan to continue data collection this coming season, so if you see a
high school volunteer with a clip-board at the market, be a good sport
and spend 30 seconds with them to give your voice toward our market
review efforts.