Brownsberger: The ‘Sad’ End to Silver Maple Forest

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As the Philadelphia-based commercial real estate firm O’Neill Properties continues to clear an eight-acre portion of the Belmont Uplands for the construction of a 299-unit apartment complex off of Route 2, the hindsight analysis has begun of what many believe is the destruction of the Silver Maple Forest situated on the border of Arlington, Belmont and Cambridge.

One of the first and most detailed reviews of the failed efforts to preserve a Massachusetts mainstay environmental preserve comes from State Sen. Will Brownsberger.

“As the saga of the Silver Maple Forest winds to a sad end, the question recurs: What will the state do to help save the forest? The discouraging short summary appears to be: nothing,” wrote Brownsberger.

 “It is with great sadness and a sense of defeat that I report these realities. For me, the Silver Maple Forest is a special place,” he said.

To read the entire essay, go here.

Belmont Fire Log: Ambulance Crew Losing Patience With Runaway Patient

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Just a bit of deadly gas; nothing to worry about

Oct. 19 – Just before 8 p.m., Engine 2 took off to a Stone Road house to investigate why the carbon monoxide detector was blaring. The owner said his gas stove burners and oven would “periodically” malfunction releasing gas into the house. “This is the first time the alarm went off,” he said. The firefighters quickly shut off the stove and the heating system. The gas company shut off the main gas supply to the house as well as the air handling unit. Heating unit and stove were red tagged for service, and the homeowner was informed of the process.

Losing patience with runaway patient

Oct. 19 – At 20 minutes past 6 p.m, the Advance Life Savings ambulance was sent to Park Road for a medical emergency. But once there, they couldn’t find the patient! The person who called 911 said her boyfriend did not feel well, but did not want her to call 911. Apparently the “possible patient” fled the scene when his friend called 911. Belmont Police and the Engine 1 crew searched the surrounding neighborhoods for said patient. When the reluctant patient was not found, the department told the woman to call back if the patient contacts her or is located.

Killing a mosquito with a cannon 

Oct. 20 – Two minutes ’til 7 p.m., crews arrived at a Marlboro Street home after a resident called 911: she burned a plastic spoon on the stove.

 

If a tree falls in Belmont …
Oct. 23 – At 25 minutes past 8 p.m., Engine 1, Ladder 1 speed through town heading for Davis Road after a tree fell onto the house. Sure enough, the tree was resting on one side of the house but with no visible inside damage. All occupants were escorted out of the building to a safe area as the Belmont Highway Department, and the town’s tree service was on-scene upon the fire department’s arrival. The town’s building inspector came out also. As the crews were about to leave, a large tree limb fell onto the same electrical wires. Command requested the Light Department come back to the scene.

Sports: Boys’, Girls’ Soccer Await Playoff Fate

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It’s now all about waiting for the Belmont High Boys’ and Girls’ teams as they prepare for their first round matches in the Div. 2 North sectional playoffs that begin this weekend.

Coming off emotional wins over Lexington High School last Tuesday, Oct. 21 – the boys’ defeating the ranked Minutemen, 3-2, while the girls’ defeated their hosts 1-0 – the teams took points in their final two games.

Girls’ missing scoring punch in final two draws

On a rare Saturday evening romp on Oct. 25, the Girls’ team celebrated Seniors Night at Harris Field with a hard-earned 1-1 draw with arch-rival Winchester. A wonderful shot 15 meters out from forward Kristen Gay screamed by the outstretched arms of Winchester goalkeeper Sofia Herron with three minutes remaining in the first half.

“The goals I’ve had this season have all come from the great work down the wings. All of them are team goals,” said Gay who has become Belmont’s scoring threat in the past two weeks with her aggressive nature and ball striking skills.

Paul Graham, who is currently at 298 wins in his career, said he placed freshman Emma Sass on Winchester’s star player, Alix Curtin, “and she came up huge. [Sass] shut her down.”

Graham continues to sing the praises of another freshman Natalie Marcus-Bauer who is taking up the important task of keeping speedy forwards from moving into the penalty box.

Belmont also received stellar work from senior goalkeeper Linda Herlihy who made solid saves throughout the night, including a reaching glove save off a shot that was heading into the far right corner.

“[Herlihy] is starting to play her best right before the playoffs,” said Graham.

Twice in the second half it appeared Belmont would score the critical second goal; sophomore forward Julia Cella‘s breakaway shot from eight meters out was parried away by Winchester substitute goalkeeper freshman Silvia Dowdel.

A rebound off Dowdel from a corner that freshman Carey Allard put into the net was ruled a no goal due to a Belmont player being in an offsides position.

It appeared that Belmont would walk away with both available points, but Winchester was fortunate that a quick counter pass into the Marauders penalty box came just as the Belmont back line began moving forward. Winchester’s Emily Price stayed on side and slipped the ball past a defenseless Herlihy.

Graham said he would like to see more scoring punch from his forwards but all-in-all, “we are in good shape heading into the playoffs.”

On Monday, Belmont traveled to Medford but could not get the same result as when the Mustangs came to Belmont, a Marauder win. The match ended in a scoreless draw. The girls’ record is 9-5-4.

Boys’ scoring and winning

The boys’ wrapping up the regular season with a 3-1 victory away at Winchester on Saturday, Oct. 25 and a 2-1 squeaker against Div. 3 Pentucket Regional at Harris Field on Monday, Oct. 28.

Rediscovering its scoring touch, the Marauders put a pair past the Winchester goalkeeper with forward Daron Hamporian driving the first one home 12 minutes into the game with Luke Gallagher netting the second at the half hour mark taking a pass from midfielder Norman Kilovutitu. Tokio Kobyashi finished the scoring with a breakaway blast with a dozen minutes to play.

On a glorious fall afternoon, Belmont hosted the emerald-clad Pentucket Regional High School squad to Harris Field. Monday became the breakout performance for sophomore Marvyn Dorchin to scored a brace in the first half.

Belmont’s back-up goalkeeper to senior standout Peter Berens, fan-favorite Dorchin – who spent his early years in France – has proven to be a skilled defender and recently a dangerous attacking midfielder. Monday, Dorchin became a Gallic goal scoring machine with his two within five minutes of each other late in the first.

Berens would not get his 12th shutout of the season as Pentucket’s Ian Sands punched one passed the ‘keep with 11 minutes remaining.

 

Painting the Town Scary: Belmont Center a Window to Halloween

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Maeve Miller, 10, decided to take a different tact on just what to paint on the large window at Starbucks in Belmont Center.

“It’s a monster cake,” said the Belmont resident as she slowly applied green paint onto the glass while amused patrons sat inside with their coffees. The resulting art work produced a Frankenstein-type monster with a squiggly mouth at the base of a frightening pastry.

All day Saturday, Oct. 25, Belmont Center businesses up and down Leonard Street saw their windows transformed into pumpkin patches, ghostly havens and other scenes of specters and ghouls during the second annual Belmont Center Halloween Window Painting Contest.

Kids from second to eight grade – with parents in tow – paid for the privilege to express their scary vision of Halloween on the town’s main drag. Unlike the first contest that took place on a cold and dank fall morning, this Saturday was warm – maybe a bit too warm as windows on the sunny side of the street began flaking under the cloudless sky – and allowed many strollers to come out to see the kid’s artistic prowess.

Halloween-season window painting has a long tradition in other towns – several of Newton’s villages have participated for the past 15 years – and was brought to Belmont with the help of the owners of A Chocolate Dream.

Sponsored by the Belmont Center Business Association, the event’s proceeds were donated to the Foundation for Belmont Education.

Sports: Volleyball Spiked by Minutemen in Four Sets

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Despite losing for the second time this season to a strong Lexington High School team, Belmont High Volleyball Senior Becki Sandvos came off the Wenner Field House court with a smile on her face.

“It’s definitely tough but it’s really fun to play against these good teams,” Sandvos said after Belmont suffered it’s fifth loss of the season on Friday afternoon, Oct. 24, falling to the Minutemen 3-1 (15-25, 25-14, 10-25, 19-25) to see their record sit at 14-5 going into the last game of the season against Winchester on Monday, Oct. 27.

“A lot of [today’s match] was a mental game. We know we can play better than that,” Sandvos said. But Belmont has the same issue so many teams have while playing the Minutemen and that is junior Nikita Selivan, a 6 foot, 160 pound who is one of the best middle-hitters in the region.

With a powerful shot and an approach jump of more than 9 feet, it’s small wonder that Division 1 college programs are already knocking on her door. In the game with Belmont, Lexington would routinely pass up easier set ups at the net and direct its attention to Selivan who would beat the majority of blocks set up by Belmont’s front line. She would also block a number of shots from Belmont players.  

In the second set, Belmont took control. Trailing 7-8, Belmont rode Sandvos’ serving and junior Kabita Das and senior Rosy Fitzgerald’s excellent play at the net to a 8-0 run to lead 15-8, an advantage Lexington could not break.

“We had a lot of confidence in the second set. Everything we did was working,” said Sandvos, who played one of her best games of the year especially setting up offensive strikes.

Early in the third set with the score 3-7, the Lexington head coach vigorously disputed a call and yelled at a supposed fan touting him (which turned out to be Belmont AD Jim Davis simply viewing the action). That stoppage seemed to both rattle the Marauders and take it out of its rhythm. Lexington build the lead to 16-9 as the Minutemen continually going to Selivan on the left side of the court.

With the score knotted at nine in the fourth set, Belmont committed several errors on its service, preventing any semblance of a rally to occur. The Minutemen pushed the lead up to four, 14-18, which the Marauders cut to 17-19. But that’s as close as Belmont would get.

Despite the loss, Belmont will likely have a home playoff game in the Div. 2 North sectionals that begins this week.

“We’re gonna come back and practice and work hard and be ready for for the states,” Sandvos said.

This Week: Spooky Things at the High School; Is That a Spelling Bee?

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“The Journey to College” featuring Belmont Savings President and CEO Bob Mahoney will be held on Monday, Oct. 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Chenery Middle School. Joining Mahoney will be Dr. Laurie Nash, an Independent Educational Consultant, to discuss the college admissions process, including choosing a school and how to increase a child’s chances of getting accepted. The talk is part of a series of lectures between the Belmont Savings Bank Foundation and the Belmont After School Enrichment Collaborative (BASEC) that will offer parents information on topics such as college, conflicts and anxiety.

Geoffrey Brahmer, an accomplished researcher and popular lecturer, will present “The Diary of Herman Kruk: A Librarian in the Vilna Ghetto” at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 1:15 p.m. In 1944, while detained in Vilna in now Lithuania, Kruk, a socialist librarian , was asked by fellow prisoners, “Why write a diary? We are all going to be killed anyway.” Kruk responded, “Drunk on the pen trembling in my hand, I record everything for future generations.”

Belmont resident Gerry Connolly – a graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts Professional Chef Program – will be conjuring up some great easy-to-make “tailgate” delicacies such as Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Vegetable Chili, Hummus, Tabouli and Mock Boursin on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Library’s Assembly Room. Connolly’s events are always well attended and space is limited, so please sign up online or by phone by calling 617-993-2870.

Justin Martin will speak on his book Rebel Souls: Walt Whitman and America’s First Bohemians at the Friends of the Belmont Public Library’s Author Series on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Library’s Assembly Room. Martin shows how this first bohemian culture – imported from Paris to a dingy Broadway saloon – nurtured an American tradition of rebel art that thrives to this day. All are welcome to attend this free program. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Teens in 7th to 12th grade can start their Halloween early by attending Fright Feston Thursday, Oct. 30 from 
1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. Come enjoy games, snacks and festivities.

Two big events at Belmont High School this Thursday, Oct. 30 to get the family into a Halloween state of mind.

The fourth annual “Masquerade Concert” with the Belmont High Wind Ensemble and Concert Orchestra will begin at 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium. The two ensembles will perform a family-friendly variety of seasonal selections, including creepy classics like the Tocatta and Fugue in D minor by Bach, selections from The Dark Knight Rises and FROZEN! Audience members should arrive in costume to maximize the fun. As always, the concert is free.

There will be a Halloween Haunted House at Belmont High School from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. All profits made from this event will go to the Make a Wish Foundation. There will be a range of spooky activities for people of all ages. For younger guests there will a face painting station and a pumpkin painting station.

Get the little ones ready for the Halloween festivities with a Musical Spooktacular with Philip Alexander on Friday, Oct. 31 at 10:30 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. Philip promises not to be too scary.

The Cushing Square Business Association will be holding its annual Cushing Square Halloween on Friday, Oct. 31 with the trick or treating begins at 3 p.m.

After filling up on sugar and chocolate the previous night, more than 500 Belmont students from kindergarten to 6th grade will participate in the 14th annual Foundation for Belmont Education Youth Spelling Bee on Saturday, Nov. 1. beginning at 3 p.m. The six-hour long event, which takes place in the Belmont High School auditorium, will see the students – many in team costumes – show off their spelling skills with words such as “frog” for the kindergarteners to “escargot” which won the bee in 2012.

The Beech Street Center is holding its annual Diwali Festival on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Center, 266 Beech St. Sponsored by the Belmont Council on Aging and Friends of the Indian Senior Citizens’ Organization, enjoy a fun-filled evening of cultural programming and three course vegetarian dinner.

Cost in advance: $7 per person, non FISCO members: $10, Children ages 6-12 $5 each. Cost at the door: FISCO members  and immediate family, $14 per person. Nonmembers $20 per person, Children ages 6-12, $10 each

To purchase tickets in advance call Nava at 617-993-2975.

Belmont Girls Swimming in League of Their Own Winning Middlesex Title

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Ev Crosscup isn’t known for showing much emotion poolside when his Belmont High School Girls’ Swimming squad is competing. He’s usually sitting placidly with his assistant coaches, reviewing times and quietly watching as the action swirls around him.

But after reviewing the score with one event remaining in the biggest duel meet this season, the long-time Marauders’ leader briefly pumped his fist as a little smile come to his face as he headed for the rear of the pool at Minuteman Tech.

“We got it,” Crosscup said while passing to meet the girls.

For the past two seasons, host Lexington High came to the 400 yard freestyle relay to prevent Belmont from securing outright the coveted Middlesex League title.

Not this time.

In a maelstrom of screaming teenagers (and parents), suffocating humidity and over-the-top drama, Belmont revamped its event lineup and received important contributions from the deep and talented squad to pile up just enough points to make the final event irrelevant as the Marauders defeated the Minutemen, 84-82, to win sole possession of the Middlesex League title on Friday evening, Oct. 24 in Lexington.

“What a meet and what a win for the league championship,” said Crosscup. “We knew it was going to be a close on and it came down to the end so you have to credit all the kids and coaches,” he said.

The win left team veterans, who twice felt the sting of an only defeat of the year to the Minutemen, speechless.

“Knowing that we just won, I really have no words to explain how I feel right now,” said senior Kaitlin Feloney, who was first in line to congratulate the Minutemen after the win was announced.

“We knew we were strong this year and that it would come down to Lexington. It’s incredible that I was able to lead the team with the three other captains” said Feloney, who shares the team’s captaincy with fellow seniors Eunice Lee, Klaudia Nagrabska and Maya Nagishima.

“We kept a positive attitude throughout the year, and it all paid off tonight,” she said.

The meet was as much a chess match as a contest of straight-line swimming speed when Crosscup dropped his two best swimmers, juniors Jessica Blake-West (the defending Div. 2 state champion in the 100 butterfly and second at states in the 200 individual medley) and Emily Quinn (a state finalist in the 100 breaststroke) into freestyle events which have been Belmont’s weakest stroke for the past few years.

In the meet’s biggest showdown, the pair would battle it out in the 100 freestyle with the Minutemen’s free specialist Jayne Vogelzang, who finished second in the same event at last year’s Div. 1 state championships with a 54.27.

But on this night, Blake-West showed why she, along with Bishop Feehan’s senior Mari Reidemeister (who will attempt next month to qualify and represent Costa Rica in the 2015 World Swimming Championships) are two of the best all-around swimmers in the state by powering away from Vogelzang to win by a second-and-a-half in 54.69 seconds.

Quinn took the vital third place (1:00.27) points with the ever-improving freshman Ophelie Loblack – who was an impressive youth swimmer in Maryland – stormed home in fourth (1:01.15). The event gave Belmont 11 points to Lexington’s 5 to build a 52-42 lead midway through the meet.

“It was a good move,” said Crosscup. “In this particular incident, it took a first place away from their best swimmer with our best swimmer. That matched up perfect. You worry about it working out, but this time it did so wonderfully.”

Belmont was building on a lead after the opening event, the 200 yard medley relay – in which the four relay members swims a different stroke – when Belmont’s top team (Blake-West, Quinn, Nagishima and Alison Sawyer) won going away in 1:56.12 with Belmont’s second squad, made up of Nagrabska, Molly Thomas, Julia Bozkurtian and Solvay Metelmann, took a strong second (by a third of a second over Lexington’s ‘A’ team) as the Marauders’ third relay – Sarah Osborn, Sarah Stewart, Stephanie Zhang and Julia Cunningham – came in fourth, giving the Marauders a 12-2 advantage off the bat.

Crosscup’s tactical move meant the team would need to rely on many underclassmen and role athletes scoring well against an experienced Lexington team. And in nearly every race, a Marauder challenged for placements from their host to cut the points the Minutemen could accumulate.

“I know for a fact whether you swam first heat or second or you came in first or sixth, we won that meet because of our emotion and depth. They may have been a better team, but we relied on that emotion,” said Feloney.

In the 200 freestyle, Sara Noorouzi took 4th (2:11.35) by just over a tenth of a second, Dervla Moore-Frederick finished 5th in individual medley (won by Blake-West) to win the event 9 to 7, Loblack and Sawyer took second and third in the 50 free (27.15 to 27.16) that would not have been anticipated in September while Nagashima and Thomas broke up the top two Lexington backstroke specialists by bringing home a second and third.

“I couldn’t be prouder and pleased with what they contributed,” he said.

“The one I was most pleased with was [co-captain Eunice] Lee. Because of her times and the situation we found ourselves in, I had her go in the 100 [butter]fly (finishing second after a false start moved her up a spot in 1:08.03), rest an event and then go the 500 free (taking 4th in 5:52.15). That was an ironman type of job. And despite the lack of rest, she did beautifully,” said Crosscup.

“I could have used another swimmer who would have been good, but that swimmer could not make up the seconds Lee has in the 500,” he said.

With Lexington just four points back coming into the penultimate event, Crosscup pulled out three aces there were up his sleeve; a trio of the best breaststroke swimmers in Eastern Massachusetts. At last year’s state championship, Quinn (3rd), Nagrabska (4th) and Osborn (10th) were three of the four Belmont swimmers in the top 10. And the experience of swimming in big meets paid off as the three swept the event, Quinn (1:11.53) first, Osborn (1:13.60) second and Nagrabska (1:15.87) third.

The wins pushed Belmont’s lead to 14, 85-71, with the 400 free relay to come. With only 12 points available to the Minutemen, the long-awaited league victory was secured. While the crowd and swimmers could only guess at the score – no announcement is given and the score is not put up on a scoreboard – they knew something was up when Blake-West and the other top swimmers did not line up for the final event.

All that was left was an exchange of hugs and high fives, congratulate Lexington and for the team to scream in unison as it traveled through Belmont Center and by the football field.

“We’re Middlesex League champions. That’s a nice sound,” said Crosscup.

 

Belmont Yard Sales on Oct. 25-26

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Here are this weekend’s yard/moving/garage sales happening in the 02478 zip code:

Permitted yard sales by the Town Clerk

• 81 Hammond Rd., Saturday, Oct. 25, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 60 Horne Rd., Sunday, Oct. 26, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Not (yet) permitted sales

• 354 Payson Rd., Saturday, Oct. 25, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• 350 Prospect St., Saturday, Oct. 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Giant Rummage Sale at Belmont Hill School’s Jordan Athletic Center.

Remember, Belmont requires (free) permitting for yard sales. Apply here. 

Belmont Savings Records Quarterly Earning Record Despite Down Industry News

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Don’t tell Belmont Savings Bank you can’t make money taking in deposits and selling loans

Bucking a downward trend affecting the US financial sector where many banks are struggling with sluggish loan growth, BSB Bancorp, the holding company of Belmont Savings Bank, announced record quarterly earnings yesterday, Thursday, Oct. 23, as the Belmont-based state chartered savings bank doubled its net income compared to the same three-month period last year.

The bank, headquartered on Leonard Street in Belmont Center, saw net income in the third quarter of 2014 – in July, August and September – reach $1.2 million with an emphasis on commercial real estate lending and municipal banking. In the first nine months of 2014, the bank reported net income of $2.9 million as compared with $1.3 million in the first three quarters of 2013. 

Since the beginning of the year, the bank’s assets have grown by $281 million to total $1.3 billion on Sept. 30, nearly doubling the size of the bank from $688 million in June 2011 when Belmont Savings went public.

“I am so proud of the work of each of our colleagues. Few teams could accomplish this level of growth while maintaining credit quality and expense control,” said Robert Mahoney, the bank’s CEO and president, in a press release.

Belmont Savings’ stock price (BMLT), $18.40 a share at Friday, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m., is just off its 52 week high of $18.71.

Deposits totaled $931 million, an increase of $168 million or 22 percent from $764.8 million at Dec. 31, 2013. The 33 percent annual growth in deposits in the second quarter of the year, is nearly triple the growth rate of the other 58 Massachusetts banks and double the 17 percent growth among its peers with assets between $925 million to $1.4 billion.

 “We are very pleased that core deposit growth has remained strong. Customer counts and relationship expansion continue to increase in our retail and small business franchises,” said Hal Tovin, the bank’s executive vice president and COO.

But it’s in lending where the bank continues to take big strides. Since the beginning of the year, net loan growth increased by $255 million, up 30 percent. Residential one-to-four family loans, commercial real estate loans, home equity lines of credit, and indirect auto loans increased by $120 million, $63 million, $32 million and $23 million, respectively.

While the bank continues to churn out commercial and business loans – one example being a $18 million loan for Fresh Pond Circle, a 40 unit modular apartment complex in Cambridge – its portfolio is ranked first in lending safety with less than a quarter of one percent (.23 percent) of loans are non-performing. Statewide, the rate is 1.01 percent.

The bank’s lending activity was honored by winning the Best Commercial Real Estate Lending category in Banker & Tradesman’s Best of 2014 issue.

The bank is also increasing its community outreach. Since its creation as a result of the IPO (when it was initially infused with $2 million), the Belmont Savings Bank Foundation has given more than $400,000 to approximately 40 non-profits and educational institutions in Belmont, Watertown, Waltham, Newton and Cambridge. Last month, the foundation  provided a $200,000 matching grant that helped secure the contraction of the new Underwood Pool in Belmont.

This Weekend: Powers Music Tells Babar’s Story Saturday, Recycling Day Saturday

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The Powers Music School is teaming up with the Belmont Public Library in presenting “The Story of Babar”, part of the school’s Musical Storytelling Series taking place on Saturday, Oct. 25 at the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. There will be two showing’s of the popular story at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. But be advised to come early as space is limited. The show is free and sponsored by Cambridge Savings Bank.

The Belmont Department of Public Works is holding its Belmont Recycling Day on Saturday, Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the town’s “transfer station” – the site of the former incinerator – at 1130 Concord Ave. near the Lexington town line. This is the day when residents can bring all those big ridged plastic items, textiles (Are you really going to keep those old drapes in the basement for another year?), paper that needs shredding, Styrofoam and electronics (you may have to pay a small charge). Belmont Savings is bringing its Universal Shredding machine and will be raffling off a $100 Target gift card. For more information, call 617-993-2689 or go online to.

Saturday afternoon, Oct. 25 will see a rare weekend sports doubleheader at Harris Field with Belmont High School Field Hockey taking on arch rival Lexington High at 2 p.m. – rescheduled from Wednesday due to the rainstorm – while Belmont High School Girls’ Soccer hosts Winchester High under the lights at 6 p.m. Come early for the soccer match as it’s Belmont’s Senior Night.

The Belmont Historical Society presents ‘The Belmont Uplands: A History of the Changing Use of Land and Water” by Belmont resident Anne-Marie Lambert on Sunday, Oct. 26 from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. The presentation is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Contact the Belmont Historical Society for more information at 617-993-2878.