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Valerie Wencis

Valerie Wencis is a Belmont Voice correspondent.
A white church under some trees.

Belmont Fails to Secure PILOT Payments from Wealthy Nonprofits

April 14, 2024
As Belmont struggles to increase its tax base, the town is potentially missing out on money from tax-exempt organizations that could be making a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, a program that has successfully increased revenue in neighboring communities, including…
A train stopped at a station.

Belmont Plans for 1,632 New Homes Under New MBTA Rule

February 13, 2024
Belmont faces a state mandate that could increase the town’s housing inventory by 15%. The MBTA Communities Act requires Belmont to zone for at least 1,632 new housing units. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council is calculating the exact number and type of…

Belmont Teens Raise Money for Rosie’s Place

November 19, 2023
What happens when you combine a challenge to a pingpong tournament with a desire to do good? Raising money for a charitable cause, of course. At least, that’s what happened when Reese Campbell, Melis Demirtas, and Eleonora Spada combined their interests and…

Belmont Residents Frustrated by Back-to-School Traffic

September 24, 2023
Julie Ebin turned in her seat at Belmont Books’ Black Bear Café when she heard the word “traffic.” The Arlington resident, whose child goes to school on the Belmont-Cambridge line, has noticed a significant difference in the morning commute with the start…

Belmont Opens State-of-the-Art Middle School

September 2, 2023
The much anticipated Belmont Middle School — part of the $295 million project that combines grades seven through 12 — will officially open with the start of the school year on Wednesday, September 6. Those walking through the 450,000 square-foot building will immediately notice…