Special Town Meeting Warrant Briefing at the Beech Tonight

By Leave a Comment

The Belmont League of Women Voters and the Warrant Committee is co-sponsoring a warrant briefing tonight, Thursday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Beech Street Center.

This is an opportunity for Town Meeting member as well as the general public to ask questions of town officials and department heads about the single article on the warrant – concerning the funding for the 2.8 million Belmont Center Reconstruction project – prior to Special Town Meeting to be held on Monday, Nov. 17 at the Chenery Middle School.

Raffi Manjikian, vice-chair of the Warrant Committee, will preside.

Curtain Raises on Performing Arts Company’s ‘Twelfth Night’ Tonight

By Leave a Comment

Screen Shot 2014-11-03 at 8.38.22 AM

The curtain goes up tonight, Thursday, Nov. 6 on the Performing Arts Company’s production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” a comedy about a cross-dressing, ship-wreck surviving, poetry-loving girl who finds herself at the center of a not-so-average love triangle.

The production, produced and directed by Ezra Flam, will begin at 7 p.m. at the Belmont High School auditorium.

The play will also be staged on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 7 and 8, at 7 p.m. 

Tickets are adults: $12 in advance/$15 at the door; students: $10.

Tickets are available online and at Champions Sports in Belmont Center.

Chenery 8th Grade Students: reserve a free ticket when you order online using coupon code: CMS8. Belmont Schools Staff: reserve a free ticket online with coupon code BPSSTAFF or by e-mailing tickets@bhs-pac.org 

IMG_2391-2 IMG_2384 IMG_2387

Sports: Boys’ Soccer Wins Playoff Opener, Heads Off to Chelsea Saturday

By Leave a Comment

Winning ugly, as the saying goes, is still winning.

And Belmont High School Boys’ Soccer learned that lesson Monday, Nov. 3 after the Marauders defeated North Andover High Scarlett Knights, 1-0, in the first round of the Div. 2 North Sectional finals.

“We got away from a lot of things we were doing well at the end of the season,” said Belmont Head Coach Brian Bisceglia-Kane.

“It was not the best we’ve played because we were nervous because they know this is a game they should have,” said Bisceglia-Kane, saying the team performs better as an underdog than when it is expected to win easily.

“It was ugly, but a really entertaining game to watch,” he said.

The victory sends the Marauders on a trip to 4th-seed Chelsea High School (15-3-1) on Saturday, Nov. 8 to meet the Commonwealth League Upper Division Champions at 4 p.m.

Belmont (14-3-2) got the only goal it needed with 12 minutes remaining in the first half when substitute junior forward/midfielder Trevor Kelly made an outside run and sliced a shot 15 meters from the left of the box that curved into the back of the right side the goal.

For many Marauders on the field, the match with the 12-seed Scarlet Knights was a rematch of last year’s quarterfinals when North Andover scored in the first 30 seconds and kept the lead for the entire match to win 1-0.

While North Andover was able to move the ball into the Marauders end with short passes through the middle, Belmont’s midfielders, led by center midfielder and senior co-captain Ben Lazenby, stepped into passing lanes and use their physical approach to win the 50/50 challenges.

“I was just trying to play hard and communicate and work together as a team,” said Lazenby, who assisted on the goal.

“I was trying to get headers but really it was just playing non-stop,” he said.

Belmont’s goalkeeper Peter Berens took home another clean sheet with big senior defender Matt Lawson stepping up to win headers and break-up at least two semi-breakaways in the second half.

It got hairy for Belmont 28 minutes into the final half when a goal-bound shot off a Berens save was cleared twice from the goal mouth by Lawson and senior Amar Fernald to secure the shutout.

Belmont now has a lengthy wait until its quarterfinal with the Red Devils.

Senior captain Wilbert Tejada leads Chelsea as its playmaker who sets up the team’s two leading scorers, Carlos Cartagena and Derilson DePina.

While Belmont knows little or nothing of Chelsea’s game, Lazenby said the team will not dwell on that issue.

“When you play a new team, you don’t know what to expect, you don’t know what team they’re going to be,” said Lazenby.

“That’s why we have to focus on our game. We can’t control our opponent, we can only control our own game and I think where we are strong in a lot of areas,” he said.

Belmont’s Sweet Peach Diner Changes Hands

By Leave a Comment

Dennis Dyer knows diners.

Dyer has owned the New York Diner on Mt. Auburn Street in Watertown Square for the past eight years, helping to approve what’s served and other aspects of the business.

And in the next few days, the Watertown resident will add Belmont’s Sweet Peach Diner to his inventory of investments.

On Monday, Nov. 3, the Belmont Board of Selectmen approved unanimously a change of ownership of the Trapelo Road eatery at its scheduled meeting at the Chenery Middle School.

“I heard it was for sale, I looked at it, [the current owner and I] agreed on the price and that’s basically it,” Dyer told the Belmontonian at an earlier visit to the Selectmen.

“I like it because it’s a new place, all the equipment is new and clean,” he said.

Dyer, who owns commercial and rental property in Watertown and Boston, is purchasing the two-year-old restaurant located at 628 Trapelo Rd. for cash for an undisclosed amount.

Dyer told the selectmen that he enjoys the diner’s current menu and has talked to the staff and has no plans to change either.

Known for its breakfasts and southern-inspired menu, the Sweet Peach, opened by Ellen Carter, was highlighted on “The Phantom Gourmet” in 2013. It replaced Andro’s Diner.

 

Sports: Belmont Field Hockey Season Ends in Extra Time and Tears

By Leave a Comment

Belmont High Field Hockey senior co-captains Olivia Castagno and Suzanne Noone had tears in their eyes minutes after a world-class goal ended the team’s successful season in a 1-0 overtime defeat at the hands of second-seed Andover High School in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Div. 2 North sectional finals.

On a blustery, cold Sunday night, Nov. 2, the pair said the tears were not just in losing a game in which the 10th seed Marauders (12-5-2) were the equals to the pitch with the one-loss Golden Eagles (18-1-1) who’ve been ranked for the entire season in the top five teams in the Boston Globe’s Top 20 ranking.

The tears were also that the pair, who have played on the varsity for the past three years, along with ten fellow seniors would never play together again.

“This was a really great team. We like each other a lot. We had so much fun, and we have a great attitude all the time. It’s just a good group,” said Noone.

“We’re all such good friends and get along so well and we’re sad to see its over,” said Castagno.

“I love this team,” said head coach Jessica Smith who didn’t try to wipe away her emotions.

“Coming to practice each day was fun. I mean, there’re 12 seniors, so just that makes it a joy. I never cancelled practice which they were sometimes made at me for but I love being there with them,” said Smith “They became just as close as my family because my family’s there (Smith has her three small children at games and practices). So it’s really, really sad.”

Belmont’s accomplishment Sunday is especially striking since the team comes from a school district with the least number of students, 1,183, of the eight teams in the Div. 1 North quarterfinals.

Andover High with 1,799 students in 2013-14, has 616 more pupils or about 300 additional female students to recruit to the team. That advantage is the equivalent of Belmont’s entire graduating class in 2016. If Belmont had made the finals, it would have likely meet Acton-Boxborough Regional, the number 1 seed, a school with 1,960 students.

“It’s so ridiculous,” said Smith on being placed in Division 1, which occurred four days before last year’s playoffs.

In a game which Belmont found outstanding first-half goalkeeping from senior Kate Saylor and the exceptional end line-to-end line work by sophomore AnnMarie Habelow, the Marauders weather a first half storm to outplay the champions of the perennial Merrimack Valley champions for the majority of the second half, garnering a slew of shots and penalty corners during a 15 minute stretch.

Saylor “saved our asses in the first half. We were flat and played a little scared,” said Smith “You’re here in Andover with a top seed, you know it and it’s scary.”

Saylor made numerous pad, and kick saves and took away a pair of great goal scoring opportunities midway in the first half by diving for balls on Andover sticks within the scoring circle. She also benefited from the goalkeepers best friend when a hard shot hit the post midway through the half.

“Everyone played amazing especially since the conditions [were not optimal] because it was really cold,” Saylor said.

“It was all or nothing in what could be the last game of the season,” said Saylor.

While the defense was stretched by the Andover speedy attack, Belmont’s back line, anchored by junior defender Molly Thayer and senior center back Emma Pejko, kept the Golden Eagles contained by keeping the attack in front of them.

On the field, Andover used its size – several times overwhelming Belmont players to take possession – and great speed advantage to compensate for stick skills that didn’t “wow” the Belmont bench. They moved actively to the ball and were disciplined and organized in the back.

The player who did “wow” the spectators – a good number of vocal Belmont parents and friends outnumbered the home team’s supporters – was 10th grader Habelow who proved to be an unsolvable puzzle for Andover’s attacking forwards. Numerous times Habelow would flatten her stick and outmaneuver an attacking player to the ball for a clean steal. More than once, her full-swing clearing shots from deep in Belmont’s end sent Andover midfielders scrambling for cover.

After relying on Saylor in the first half, Belmont began playing its game of quick passing through junior midfielder Serena Nally mixed with strong running from Noone who kept Andover’s midfielders honest by forcing them to remain further back in their end of the field than they wanted. Statistically, Belmont held the edge on shots and penalty corners in the half.

“The second half turned it around, and we start playing our game, passing to each other,” said Smith. “You know, we realized that we were just as good skill-wise as they were.”

In the later stages of the second, Belmont had their best chances in the game; a powerful run by senior forward Haley Sawyer who placed the ball on the goalie’s pad, a strong run by Noone down the right wing who took a strong shot that skipped through the goal mouth just missing a charging Beth Young, a run by junior forward Kerri Lynch on the left that was stopped at the last minute and Habelow down low on a penalty corner whose dribble five meters out was batted away by defender Jillian Hughes.

Andover wanted no part of a sudden death as they pushed up nine players – a usual corner has six players – for a penalty corner in the final minute only to have the maneuver thwarted by Thayer.

When the whistle blew to end regular time, Smith felt confident that her overtime line up – teams are limited to a goalkeeper and six field players as opposed to 11 during normal time – of Lynch, Nally, Sawyer, Noone, Habelow, Thayer and Saylor would give the Marauders the advantage in sudden death.

“We didn’t have any great scoring opportunities in the game. But I really thought when we got into overtime; we could do it,” said Smith.

But Belmont never established a strong attack with Habelow’s two trips down the right wing coming empty.

“They started with the ball and got it down in our end. It was hard to connect tonight. We didn’t quite have it,” said Smith.

At the eight minute mark, a sideline pass found Hughes at the top of the scoring circle who got low and shot the ball into the roof of the goal.

“It was an amazing field hockey shot so there was nothing we could do about that,” said Smith.

But we did an amazing job. It was a great game, and they just had a lucky goal,” said Saylor, who ended the game with 10 saves.

“I’m so lucky to have played with all of these seniors and that I’m not going to play with them again is, well … ,” said Saylor as she accept the hug.

Contrary Belmont: Voters Support Coakley, Yes on Casino Ban, Gas Tax Index

By Leave a Comment

Belmont was true blue for Martha Coakley as the left-leaning town’s voters gave the Democrat their support in her run for Massachusetts governor against Republican Charlie Baker in the Massachusetts General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

But the “Town of Homes” backing wasn’t enough as Baker won a squeaker over Coakley by just fewer than 38,000 votes as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6.

Belmont voters also bucked the state-wide trend on two of the four ballot questions, voting for a casino ban in Massachusetts and supporting continuing the automatic increase of the state’s gas tax by the rate of inflation.

Residents did support the measure requiring employers to provide paid leave and voted no on expanding the bottle bill.

Nearly three of five Belmont voters turned out to cast a ballot at the town’s eight precincts, according to Town Clerk Ellen Cushman. A total of 10,310 voters cast ballots on Tuesday.

“We have strong voter interest across town,” said Cushman at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, noting lines were common through out the day at polling places.

The 57 percent participation rate is significantly lower than the 67 percent who showed up for the last gubernatorial election in 2010 when 11,140 voter went to the polls.

Complete results can be found at the Town Clerk’s web page here.

In the feature Governor’s race, Coakley defeated Baker, 5,598 to 4,296, or 55 percent to 42 percent. Independent Evan Falchuk received 224 votes, or 2.2 percent, slightly lower than his statewide result of 3.3 percent.

Baker slightly improved on his result in Belmont of four years ago when he was defeated by sitting governor Deval Patrick, 6,514 to 3,953.

On the ballot questions, Belmont voters ran counter to the state on the casino bill, Question 3, voting to approve a casino ban by a wide margin, 56 percent to 44 percent. Statewide, the measure was soundly defeated, 60 percent to 40 percent.

Belmont also voted against the rest of the state on removing the automatic indexing of the state gas tax, Question 1. Statewide the measure passed 53 percent to 47 percent, while being voted down by residents, 58 percent to 42 percent.

Residents joined state voters in rejecting expanding the bottle bill, Question 2, but by a tighter margin, 55 percent to 45 percent, as opposed to the overwhelming vote, three to one, statewide. And they approved in greater numbers the earned sick time measure, Question 4, 65 percent to 35 percent, while Massachusetts voters approved the question 60/40.

And 74 percent of residents voted in favor of the non-binding Question 5, asking State Rep. Dave Rogers to vote in favor of legislation that would regulate and tax marijuana in the same manner as alcohol.

Benefit Provides A Shoe Box Full of Hope for Gerry

By Leave a Comment

Anne Marie Picone came straight from her second job to Conley’s Pub and Grille on the Watertown side of Belmont Street.

The Belmont resident wasn’t there to watch Monday Night Football or grab a beer.

She came for Gerry.

“My first job ever was working at CVS (in Belmont Center) so I always cut through Champions. I’d always see Gerry and he was absolutely fantastic,” said Picone, describing Gerry Dickhaut, the long-time owner of Champions Sports Goods on Leonard Street.

So when she heard on Facebook Monday that Dickhaut had lost his house to an electrical fire last week, she immediately decided to stop by a benefit Dickhaut’s friends quickly assembled at Conley’s.

“I wanted to make sure I got to donate. Gerry’s a great guy,” she said.

Picone was just one of hundreds of residents, fellow business owners and people who Dickhaut got to know over the years who stopped by to place a donation into an athletic shoe box near the pub’s entry.

Tim Graham, who along with Andrew McLaughlin organized the benefit, opened the box to show it  jam-packed with gift cards, checks, packages and cash, all for a man that many are calling a community asset.

“The turn out was absolutely amazing. It’s a Monday night and the place was packed all evening. The generosity was stunning,” said Graham.

According to residents, the money will go to help Dickhaut replace household and personal items destroyed in the fire as well as help pay for living arrangements for the next five months while the house is being restored.

Graham, who like so many other young people worked for Dickhaut while he was at Belmont High School and after college, said he heard a few days ago of Dickhaut’s misfortune “and Gerry is an amazing man who has done so much in the community that we just wanted to do something, anything for him.”

Graham said he couldn’t even make a “guest-imate” of the total contributed, “but I have seen some of the amounts that people have donated and it really is overwhelming.”

“I’m sure Gerry will be blown away. While he’s a very generous person, he’s also quite private so he might feel a bit awkward accepting this. But he’ll be amazed that so many people are thinking of him,” said Graham.

Sports: After Nail Biter, Volleyball Attempts to Bag a Cougar Tonight

By Leave a Comment

It went quickly from treat to trick for the Belmont High School Volleyball squad on Halloween.

After building a comfortable two-set advantage in the opening-round playoff match held at Belmont’s Wenner Field House on Friday, Oct. 31, the Marauders saw that lead turn into a pumpkin by a young but talented Danvers High squad which stormed back to tie match.

During the one-minute break before playing the critical fifth set, Belmont senior co-captain Alexandra Davis recalled how “we all took a deep breath and told ourselves ‘first to eight in the fifth’,” referring to reach the eight point mark first in the abbreviated 15-point final set.

“We work a lot on mentally preparing ourselves to push through hard times. We said we had to stay in ‘green light’, always ready to go,” said the middle blocker.

And that little bit of mental stability allowed Belmont to pull out a nail biter against the Falcons, 3 sets to 2 (25-19, 25-21, 18-25, 16-25, 15-9) in the first round of the MIAA Div. 2 North sectionals.

“We wanted this game more and came out aggressive and didn’t miss while [Danvers] didn’t know how to handle the pressure,” said Belmont Head Coach Jen Couture.

Friday was Belmont’s first playoff win since 2010.

Today, Tuesday, Nov. 4, the seventh-seed Belmont takes the short trip to Arlington to meet Arlington Catholic HS in the quarterfinals match beginning at 6 p.m.

The 16-5 Marauders will attempt to bag the second-seed Cougars (18-3) which won its first round game with Tewksbury High, 3-0. AC is ranked 17th in the Boston Globe Volleyball Top 20. Leading the Cougars are junior middle blocker Demi Fogarty and sophomore Monica Royo from the back.

Belmont opened the Halloween matinee with impressive serving by junior opposite hitter Kabita Das and the combined blocking from junior Kately Messer (who ended the set with a block winner) and Davis, who had a critical block point when the score was tied at 17.

“We came into the game wanting this so we came out strong so we could set the tone of the game. So I thought it was my part to take charge,” said Davis.

“I’ve been working on my blocks and my timing a lot. It was a great feeling getting them,” she said.

The second set was tied at 18 (after Danvers went on a 11 to 4 run) when senior Rosy Fitzgerald had a kill from junior setter Faye Regan and a block winner and senior co-captain Becki Sandvos hit a slicing winner to push the score to 24-21 with Fitzgerald getting the final set-winning shot.

In the third set, Danvers came out “with nothing to lose and they started playing more aggressively,” said Couture.

“We were a little slow to their play, and they didn’t let up through the fourth set,” said the head coach.

Tied at 11 in the third, Danvers’ forwards collected a number of kills while net violations vexed Belmont. And despite Das’ four service aces to open the fourth set, 5-0, the Marauders soon found themselves tied at 12 before Danvers went on a 13-4 run to win the set.

“You could tell on our faces that we lost a lot of energy, so we were playing down to their team’s level that we have struggled with before,” said Alexander.

“They got into our heads and caused a bit of confusion, and we started to doubt ourselves especially with the net mistakes,” said Couture.

Between the penultimate and final sets, Couture told the team to relax and play that same game as they opened the contest.

“During timeouts we were saying that we had to play at our speed and push ourselves,” said Alexander.

Down 5-6, Das won a point off a block, Sandvos dipped a ball between Danvers’ front and back line and Messer had a critical block winner to give the Marauders an 8-6 lead as the teams changed ends of the court.

Now it was Danvers’ turn to tighten up, committing service and shooting error that allowed Belmont to race ahead to a 12-9 advantage. Senior libero and co-captain Sam Nelson made one of her numerous dig saves resulting in a Danvers hitting error. Belmont finished the game and, by the skin of their teeth, is playing today.

Belmont Votes: Where, Who, When, What in the State General Election

By Leave a Comment

Today, Tuesday, Nov. 4, Belmont voters have the opportunity to cast ballots in Massachusetts General Election for state-wide candidates, federal office holders and four ballot questions.

Time

Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Who can vote

All legally registered voters affiliated with any number of political parties and un-enrolled. 

You may be asked for ID

Did you fill out your town census form mailed earlier in the year? If you did not, then you are known as an “inactive” voter. Luckily, an “inactive” voter may still vote but first must provide adequate identification proving the voter’s identity and current place of residence. Usually a Massachusetts Driver’s License or State issued ID are sufficient.

Who’s running?

Find out about the state-wide candidates here.

What are the ballot questions?

Number 1: Eliminating Gas Tax Indexing

Number 2: Expanding the Beverage Container Deposit Law

Number 3: Expanding Prohibitions on Gaming

Number 4: Earned Sick Time for Employees

Transportation to the polls

Questions about or during votingThe League of Women Voters of Belmont is offering rides to the polls from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 617-771-8500 to schedule transportation.

FAQ

Most questions – including who is eligible to vote in Belmont – that arise during voting can be answered by the precinct warden at the polling station. Other questions should be addressed to the Town Clerk’s Office at 617-993-2600. 

Where do I vote?

Don’t know where to vote? Call the Town Clerk at 617-993-2600, or read or download the handy map included on this web page that includes a street directory.

Polling Places:

  • Precinct 1; Belmont Memorial Library, Assembly Room, 336 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct 2: Belmont Town Hall, Selectmen’s Meeting Room, 455 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct 3: Beech Street Center (Senior Center), 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct 4: Daniel Butler School, 90 White St.
  • Precinct 5: Beech Street Center (Senior Center), 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct 6: Belmont Fire Headquarters, 299 Trapelo Rd.
  • Precinct 7: Burbank School Gym, 266 School St.
  • Precinct 8: Winn Brook School Gym, 97 Waterhouse Rd (Enter at Cross St)

Police HQ Heading for Incinerator Site? Find Out Tonight

By 1 Comment

It was just a couple of sentences during a joint meeting held at Belmont Town Hall this past Wednesday, Oct. 29.

But the short statement by Board of Selectmen Chair Andy Rojas introduced a new, and potentially game changing use to the mix of opportunities being proposed for the 16-acre former town incinerator site off upper Concord Avenue.

“There are five to six options including a police station with the capping being discussed,” said Rojas during a meeting with the Selectmen, Capital Budget and Warrant committees, bringing up for the first time a new location for the  Belmont Police Department headquarters.

The state is housed in a threadbare Depression-era building at the corner of Concord Avenue and Pleasant Street across from Belmont Town Hall. The replacement of the headquarters is on the list of capital projects being considered for funding by the Capital Budget Committee and the Board of Selectmen.

On of the last issues facing a revamped headquarters is finding an adequate location. For several years, the Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue was the likely site for a new station if the town approved contraction of a new library. But three times in the past decades those plans have been scrapped.

The construction of a new headquarters is a high priority of Police Chief Richard McLaughlin.

The possibility of a modern headquarters for the police will be discussed at a precinct meeting tonight, Monday, Nov. 3 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School auditorium.

Constructed in 1959, the incinerator operated until 1975, when it became the town’s transfer station for two decades. It is currently used by the Belmont DPW for equipment storage, leaf composting and placement of debris.

In January, Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation presented by State Rep. Dave Rogers authorizing the sale to the town of the state-owned land. The law allows Belmont to purchase the land after an appraisal determines the fair market value of the property. In addition, the town will be responsible for the site’s costly remediation of environmentally hazardous material.

Some of the possible uses for the site discussed in the past include a solar farm, recreational playing fields, open space, use by the Highway Department and even a marijuana plantation to supply the medical marijuana industry.