A historic health care agreement was signed this week between the town and its unions in which employees are required to pay an increase in co-pay deductible resulting in savings to the town totaling $1.3 million. The new agreement, outside collective bargaining, was allowed by amendments to state law signed by Gov. Patrick last summer. Belmont is one of the first communities to take advantage of the new state law.

Buses to and from Belmont Center as well as late night and weekend commuter rail service will continue as the MBTA has decided to raise rates to deal with its $185 million budget deficit. But Belmont commuters said that some of the bus routes into the Center have experienced a reduction in service, something that State Sen. Will Brownsberger will investigate.

The proposed Cushing Village development team came before the Planning Board to show reductions in massing and changes to architectural design that were suggested in previous meetings by abutters. But a late dispute on the number of residential units required to make the project financially viable led to allegations that the Planning Board was going beyond its purview as stated in the town's bylaw creating a special zoning district in Cushing Square.

Financial reports submitted to the Town Clerks office shows that Board of Selectman candidate Andy Rojas has raised more than double the amount of donations and spent more than twice the amount raised by his challenger Dan Scharfman.

The candidates for the Belmont School Committee debated this week on Belmont Media Center.

Belmont attorney Margaret Hegarty, who ran for Town Clerk in 2010, has taken out nomination papers for a possible run for the state's House of Representatives seat formerly held by now State Sen. Will Brownsberger.

A Belmont resident was taken for $2,500 in a what is called a 'Grandparents Scam' that has victimized 60,000 elderly citizens in the US last year. 

Belmont's Titanic Connection to the coming centennial event.