Belmont Boys’, Girls’ Hoops Sunk in SpyPonder’s Court

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Both the Belmont High Boys’ and Girls’ basketball teams returned home from their short trip to neighboring Arlington on Wednesday, Feb. 4, a little worse for wear as both Marauder squads were defeated by their SpyPond hosts.

The boys’ – with their entire varsity squad healthy and playing for the first time all year – nearly pulled off the upset against an undefeated Arlington team, but could not hold onto a second-half advantage as Arlington’s top player, who will be playing for Division 1 Syracuse next year – on the soccer pitch – lead the SpyPonders to the 65-56 victory.

Girls’ Head Coach Melissa Hart said recently the team’s most glaring flaw – this from a squad that thrives on defensive intensity – is giving up too many three-point buckets. That deficiency was highlighted Wednesday when Arlington stroke nine threes, including three consecutive treys by SpyPonder junior guard Margaret Ammondson (15 points) in the second quarter, to avenge a loss to the Marauders in January, winning in Arlington, 56-41.

Boys’ Hoops

The loss to 15-0 Arlington was there for the taking for the Marauders. Using its speedy backcourt of senior Ben Lazenby (7 points) and Matt Kerans (16 points), the outside shooting of the guards and junior sixth-man Cole Bartels (6 points) and senior forward Seth Altman (9 points) and keying off All-Star senior center Adam Kleckner (16 points), the Marauders lead after the first 17-16 and at the half, 34-32, as the game came was a give and take affair, much of it from beyond the three-point line.

In the third quarter, SpyPond senior forward Miles Robinson (21 points) – the soccer sensation who “likes” basketball – took center stage, running off eight consecutive points (3 hoops and 2 from the line) on Arlington possessions to lift his team to a 46-43 lead at the end of three.

But Altman came through early for Belmont in the final stanza, hitting inside and outside (a three pointer) to put the Marauders on top by two. But that man Robinson scored quickly and his compatriot, senior guard Josh Lee (22 points) made a steal and a bucket and then hit a big three pointer to give the hosts a 55-50 lead midway in the quarter.

Belmont cut the lead to three at 55-52 and in control of the ball when Robinson stole the ball once again for a layup to extend the lead to five. The next time downcourt, the Marauders coughed up the rock leading to another uncontested hoop and the ball game.

The Boys will host Woburn, who stunned the Marauders in January by going on a 9-0 run in the final 90 seconds to win at Woburn High School.

Girls’ Hoops

In Hart’s eyes, Arlington stepped up their game since the last time they encountered the Marauders – in which Belmont came back from 9 down in the third to win – who unfortunately decided to have its poorest all-round game of the season.

“Not our best game,” said Hart. “But Arlington played very well.”

Arlington came to play, taking off to a 19-4 first quarter lead with that included 3 threes – two from Grace Carter (11 points) – with the Marauders scoring through forwards junior Sarah Stewart (2 points) and Elena Bragg who finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds on another productive night for the senior.

Belmont made its run in the second quarter as Belmont held Arlington to eight points – although they gave up the first six points of the half – and squeezed in 16 of their own. Junior forward Samari Winklaar (5 points) and senior point guard Sophia Eschenbach-Smith (6 points and 5 assists) each hit two buckets to trim the lead to 27-20.

Belmont got the lead down to three points at 27-24 early in the third but there would be no comeback for the Marauders this time around as Ammondson hit her three straight threes, as the SpyPonders put up two more threes in the quarter to run off to an insurmountable 46-26 lead at the end of three.

Next up for the Girls’ will be a rematch with one loss Woburn on Friday, Feb. 6, at home, where the team is undefeated.

Talks on Possible Private/Public Partnership to Rebuild Skating Rink Underway

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Photo: Belmont’s ‘Skip’ Viglirolo Skating Rink.

First, the White Field House. Then, the new Underwood Pool. Next, the town’s skating rink?

After two successful public/private partnerships restored and saved a pair of town/school facilities in the past year, word is spreading that negotiations are underway for a possible collaboration between the town of Belmont and either an individual or a group to renovate the town-owned ‘Skip’ Viglirolo Skating Rink located adjacent to Harris Field at 297 Concord Ave.

“There are talks, but that’s all I know,” said Belmont Town Administrator David Kale after Wednesday’s meeting of the Warrant Committee, adding that he does not know who is the outside party who reached out to Belmont officials.

People in the sports community and town government have echoed Kale’s refrain: someone or a group has shown interest in renovating the rink, the condition of which is, at best, threadbare.

But other than acknowledging there are discussions, those in the know are keeping tight-lipped.

There is little debate the skating rink, owned by the town and run through the Recreation Department, is badly in need of a complete renovation.

Built in 1971 during the height of popularity of the Boston Bruins and their star, Bobby Orr, the nearly 29,000 sq.-ft. rink was originally an open air facility until the early 1980s when it was enclosed. The rink is home to the Belmont High School Marauders Hockey teams and Belmont Youth Hockey. The rink is also available to residents for recreational use.

 

The unheated rink is known for its steel panel walls with gaping openings that allow the frigid outdoor temperatures to seep inside. While many hockey players say the ice benefits from the blast of cold outdoor air making for improved skating, spectators are forewarned to bundle up before venturing inside. Several years ago, a visitor from Canada told the Belmontonian editor he attended games at outdoor rinks in Calgary which were warmer than the inside of the ‘Skip.’

It is unlikely the required work needed to upgrade the skating rink is on the horizon.

According to a recent study by the Capital Budget Committee, renovating the skating rink will cost an estimated $5 to $6 million. The committee also noted such a repair is not a current priority for the town; a new $20 million police station or a $28 million Department of Public Works Yard are higher on the list of needed capital projects.

For those reasons, a collaboration between the town and outside financing is the best chance for a renovated rink in the near future. In addition, Belmont is coming off two highly successful public/private ventures in 2014. A group of residents led by Frederick Jones contributed $100,000 and hours of sweat equity to extensively renovate the eight-decade old White Memorial Field House before the start of the 2014-15 fall sports season at Belmont High School.

Last fall, Belmont Savings Bank led the effort to raise $400,000 in public money by contributing half of the amount to save the construction of the new Underwood Pool after a low bidder withdrew its bid.

Sold in Belmont: Did Location Unfairly Depress Oak Street Bungalow?

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A weekly recap of residential properties bought in the past seven days in the “Town of Homes.”

• 16-18 Dalton Road. Framed two-family (1920) Sold: $938,000. Listed at $895,000. Living area: 3,790 sq.-ft. 15 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 3 baths. On the market: 83 days.

• 4 Oak St. Early Bungalow (1899), Sold for: $661,000. Listed at $849,900. Living area: 1,9 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 321 days.

The house on the corner of Oak Street and Concord Avenue is likely one of the earliest examples of a bungalow-style residence in these parts. The popularity of the design didn’t begin to take hold around the country for at least a decade after this single family was built in 1899, just a couple of years after the road was laid out. With a little more digging, the Oak Street structure could discover that it has architectural, historical significance.

Despite its age, it appears to have held up well – there’s an active television antenna on the roof – with many of the rooms retaining beautiful wood and plaster ornamentation, especially the dining room with the original lower decor molding. It was last sold in 1988 for what was then close to the average value of a Belmont house.

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Despite having a lot going for it, especially for a young family seeking a Belmont address, the owner could not give this house away. Trotted out for last year’s spring selling season, this 115-year-old house soon resembled the Tom Petty song: “Free Fallin’.”

Original: 3/13/2014: $849,900

4/1/2014: $819,900

4/23/2014: $799,900

5/14/2014: $779,900

6/19/2014: $759,900

7/9/2014: $749,900

8/6/2014: $699,900

Sold: $661,000.

Sure, the initial listing price was ambitious – the town assesses the property at $747,000 – but despite the demand for housing in and around the median price of residential property in the “Town of Homes,” this bungalow only found its floor after losing a quarter of the proposed sale price. That’s a free fall.

Is it that 1,900 square feet isn’t enough livable space anymore? The lack of a large backyard? Being too close to the High School? Or was it that twice each weekday, Concord Avenue is filled with a boatload of vehicles cutting through town for the outer suburbs? Whatever the reason, this early bungalow was bought cheaply.

Belmont’s Snow/Ice Removal Budget ‘Burned Through’ in a Fortnight of Storms

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When calculating the snow and ice removal budget each year, the town looks at historical data and prices for raw material before determining that final figure.

This winter, the town’s determined it would likely clear about 45-inches of snow as well as sanding and salting the roads for approximately $600,000.

“You make your best estimate and go with it,” said Belmont Town Administrator David Kale last week.

“Some years, $600,000 is OK,” said Kale.

But with any prediction, sometimes you get it right and sometimes the odds get thrown out the window.

In the past two week, Mother Nature decided to throw a wooden shoe into the Belmont budget maker’s forecasting machinery, dumping nearly a season’s worth of snow – a whopping 40 inches – during the fortnight.

With Belmont’s Department of Public Works crews and approximately 40 private contractors worked around the clock attempting to clear the town’s streets and main sidewalks, the dual storms have busted the town’s snow removal budget, as well as making it more difficult for the school district to resolve its river of red ink.

“While we are still receiving bills from our vendors and calculating the costs, it’s likely true we’ve already burned through the $600,000 budgeted for removing snow,” said Kale after the Warrant Committee meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

Fiscal 2015 will mark the second year running the snow and ice budget will end up in the red. Last fiscal year, Belmont spent $709,000 on snow removal, $142,000 over the budgeted amount.

And with still half of winter to come, Kale said the town is likely facing a significant hole to fill in the account by the end of the fiscal year on June 30.

But residents should not fear Belmont roads being left untouched until spring once the snow and ice account spends its final dollar. The annual town budget has a reserve funds account – a sort of rainy day fund – for just these sorts of incidents. The account, which has $400,000, can be tapped through a transfer of funds requiring Town Meeting approval.

While it appears the town will find the money for snow and ice removal, the same reserve account was being eyed by the Belmont School District as it currently sits in a $500,000 hole midway through its fiscal 2015 budget, according to Anne Lougee, the School Committee’s representative to the Warrant Committee.

With costs associated with the rapid increase in enrollment in Belmont schools, including nearly $1 million in added expenditures in the special education line item, the district had been counting on the reserve account to cut the deficit.

Residents Group to Present Argument for ‘McMansion’ Moratorium

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The newly-created Belmont Citizens for Responsible Zoning is hosting a meeting for Precinct 7 Town Meeting Members in the Flett Room at the Belmont Public Library tonight, Thursday, Feb. 5, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m where it will present its case for  a moratorium on construction of oversized single-family dwellings in a large section of the precinct.

Last month, the residents group submitted to the Town Clerk’s Office a citizen’s petition seeking to place a one-year suspension of oversized single-family dwellings in a portion of Belmont’s Single Residence C Zoning District. The amendment to the zoning bylaws has been accepted and will be presented to the annual Town Meeting in May. The petition will need to achieve a two-thirds margin of acceptance to be approved.

The area – known by long-time residents as Shaw Estate – includes single-families within the bounties of School, Washington and Grove streets and Grosvenor, Dalton and Bacon Roads.

See the group’s flyer here.

The group believe oversized replacement homes – popularly known as McMansions – change the character of neighborhoods by excluding middle-income families from buying single-family homes as assessments and values of surrounding homes increase, crowd out sunlight and natural habitats while taking advantage of zoning that is not as strict as existing rules for renovations and additions.

 

The group will also lead a discussion on recruiting candidates to fill vacancies in the precinct’s Town Meeting delegation.

Hike in Parking Fees Spark Belmont Business Owners Ire

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Photo: Bells & Whistles’ Meghan Aufiero at the community parking lot behind Belmont Center, Tuesday, Feb. 3. 

There was a surprise waiting for Meghan Aufiero as she arrived for work at Bells & Whistles, the home furnishings, gifts and accessories store on Leonard Street on a frigid Tuesday morning, Feb. 3.

As she was putting dollar bills into the parking machine, she discovered the daily rate to park in the Belmont Center commuter lot would cost her an extra $2 a day to $5.

“This is a bummer,” the Winchester resident said when she discovered the 75 percent increase in the price of parking in Belmont’s commercial hub.

Aufiero is just one of dozens of employees of small businesses and franchises feeling the impact of the near doubling of the daily parking charge, approved late last year by the Belmont Board of Selectmen at the recommendation of a citizens/town group that spent more than a year determining the parking operation was not paying its way.

The new parking scheme, which went into effect Sunday, Feb. 1, includes the new fee structure and an attempt to monetize the vast number of commuters who have parked on Belmont streets for nothing, or close to it, for decades.

In addition to the hourly and daily fees jumps, the town has created 10 new weekday parking spots along Royal Road adjacent to the MBTA’s commuter rail station at Belmont Center and spaces in the Belmont Center commuter parking lot reserved for commuter pass holders. Those monthly passes are going for $90 a pop, an increase of $30.
The jump in fees, delayed a month at the request of local businesses, has been as welcome as the two snow storms that have hampered businesses in the town’s main commercial area.

“I can’t, and won’t, tell you how angry I am about this,” said a Leonard Street business proprietor.

Owners say the result of the new commuter parking plan is their staffs are left holding the bag, which needs to be filled with quarters to feed the parking machine.

For Belmont Toys owner Deran Muckjian, the increase will be an additional burden on his employees.

“The are now being asked to pay $1,200 or more this year just to come to work,” he said.

For Shelley MacDonald, who travels from Clarendon Road to Belmont Center, the additional cost of parking is making it harder for her to justify coming to work at the town’s only toy store.

“These little businesses don’t make enough to offset the new price for their employees. How can they retain good workers?” MacDonald asked.

Muckjian is not just upset by the added costs to his employees, but whether the increases are justified. Muckjian said his parking costs in towns where he has other stores are considerably less; in Lexington, he pays $250 a year each for two employee passes while Winchester does not charge a nickel for employee parking permits.

“What are the costs to park here? Keep the blacktop repaired? Making sure the parking machine is working?” Muckjian said.

At the very least, said Muckjian, a discount should be provided to the employees with the subsequent decrease in revenue be made up by increasing the fees on commuters.

A monthly pass at the nearby Alewife Station in Cambridge is $7 a day while the parking lot at the Fitchburg/Acton commuter line stop at the Brandeis stop in Waltham is $4 daily.

So far, there has been little communications between owners and the town on resolving the matter.

Champions Sports Goods owner Gerry Dickhaut said he has yet to receive a reply to a Belmont Center Business Association letter on business owners’ concerns. The single-page note, dated Dec. 8, suggests cutting the increase in the daily rate in half, up a $1 to $4 a day, retain the $60 a month pass for employees while jacking up the cost to commuters to $15 a day, which would still be half the cost of parking in downtown Boston.

But the town official who presented the case for the fee hike at a pair of public meetings last month said the increases in daily and monthly rates are past due.

Belmont Town Treasurer Floyd Carman, said rates have been kept steady since January 2009 while the demand for parking spots is outstripping supply.

“Belmont parking is at a premium. We are not like other towns that either has the space for big lots or a lot of industry that can subsidize parking,” said Carman. “Belmont does not have that luxury; We have a limited number of parking spaces. That’s the facts.”

He said the town’s parking advisory group, made up of residents and town officials, made an extensive analysis of the parking rates in many communities, not just neighboring municipalities. The new price structure “is a function of what it takes to run the program and what’s fair.”

Carman said the need for the town to employ three parking enforcement personnel and keeping all the equipment running requires the town to raise about $35,000 a year on fees to make the program pay for itself.

“Believe me, the town is not getting rich on this increase,” said Carman.

As for alternatives and price breaks for employees, Carman said he has not seen any proposals “come across my desk.”

“If the business association comes to me with a proposal, I am ready to talk to them and then presented to the Board of Selectmen,” said Carman.

Don’t Be Like Kerry: Belmont Sidewalks Must be Cleared by 8 PM

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After last week’s blizzard, Secretary of State John Kerry was fined $50 for failing to clear snow from the sidewalk on the side of his Beacon Hill home in Boston. And Boston Code Enforcement officers didn’t give the former Massachusetts senator a pass just because he was in Saudi Arabia during the storm. (He did “happily” pay the fine.)

And Belmont is about to follow Boston’s lead as town officials are putting out the message that residents have until tonight to clear their sidewalks. 

“The sidewalk snow removal bylaw grace period ends at 8 p.m. [Wednesday, Feb. 4]. Sidewalks MUST be cleared of snow in accordance with the bylaw…” said a message sent from the town’s web site. 

Belmont’s General Bylaws (Section 60-800I) require sidewalks to be cleared on paved public sidewalks adjacent to residential property and made safe for pedestrians by being clear of snow, slush and ice adjacent to their property to ensure safe pedestrian passage.

For enforcement information, residents call the Office of Community Development at 617-993-2664. Someone will then come by for a look see.

The snow removal bylaw was passed by a Special Town Meeting in November 2013. It is set to be expire on April, 30, 2016 unless reintroduced and approved at the 2016 Town Meeting. 

The Remainder of The Week: Lots for Toddlers to Do and LEGO Club is Back

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Thanks to the snow storms, “This Week” is an abbreviated one:

• Sing-along with Julie Goetze will be happening Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 10:30 a.m. at the Belmont Public Library’s Children’s Room. 

• The Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., is holding free hearing tests on Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mass Audiology offers this service free of charge to our Center participants.

• Infant Lapsit Storytime is for infants and pre-walkers. Enjoy songs, finger plays, and rhymes chosen especially for our littlest readers on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 10:30 a.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The LEGO Club for kindergarteners through second graders is back on Thursday, Feb. 5 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Drop in anytime. Members will be creating their own unique LEGO structures.  All LEGOs  will be provided. Just bring your imagination!

• Precinct 7 Town Meeting members will be holding a precinct meeting on Thursday, Feb. 5 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room. Everyone from around Grove Street Playground and the Harvard Lawn/Belmont Corner neighborhoods is invited. 
• Pre-School Storytime will be held at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer run library, at 10:30 a.m., Friday, Feb. 6. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5 with Denise Patnod or Mary Creedon. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex. 

Future Pols and Policy Wonks: Brownsberger Announces Summer ’15 Internships

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Photo: State Sen. Will Brownsberger (left) with former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

State Sen. Will Brownsberger announced today that up to four part-time unpaid internships in his State House office will be available to students from his district for the summer of 2015.

Legislative internships offer students a wide variety of experiences including issue research, constituent service, legislative work and budget tracking. Daily seminars on different aspects of state government are scheduled by the Senate.

Internships are open to undergraduate college students and to high school students who will have completed their sophomore year. All applicants must have a permanent residence in the senator’s district which includes Belmont.

Each internship will require a commitment of 10 to 12 hours a week in the office, with potential additional research work outside scheduled hours.

The application deadline is Friday, March 6. A cover letter and resume should be sent to barbara.miranda@masenate.gov or mailed to:

State Sen William Brownsberger

State House, Room 413C

Boston, MA 02133

Interviews will be conducted in March and applicants will be notified of their status by April 10.

Tickets Now On Sale for Foundation for Belmont Education’s Spring Dinner

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The social event of the year in Belmont is just around the corner as tickets are on sale for the Foundation for Belmont Education’s 16th annual Spring Dinner set for Saturday, March 21, the first day of spring.

You can obtain tickets here.

“Mad for Education” is this year’s theme for a night of dinner, dancing and a fast paced auction led by Neal J. Fay.

The event takes place at the Belmont Hill School from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Early bird tickets can be purchased until March 2. It’s advisable for anyone thinking of attending to obtain their tickets early since for the past five years, the event has been sold out before the early reply date.

For more information, email the FBE at springdinner@fbe-belmont.org