Payson Park Music Festival Celebrates Quarter Century with Battling Bands

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Photo: 2014 Battle of the Bands (Belmont Media Center screenshot)

(This article was sent as a Letter to the Editor from Tommasina Olson, the festival’s founder)

Dear editor:

This year Payson Park Music Festival celebrates 25 years of summer concert music. When we first began we were one of 2 Summer Concerts Series in all the Commonwealth, the only other in the Berkshires.

Our first concert this year is Wednesday, June 17, starting at 6:45 p.m., and is compliments of Belmont Savings Bank. Belmont Savings has assembled some great talent for this year’s “Battle of the Bands.”

The Series runs every Wednesday evening beginning approximately 6:45 p.m. although start time in August is a bit earlier in due to failing sunlight. We offer the opportunity to those Belmont children who wish to have their own lemonade to manage our Popsicle stand. And yes, there are presently 11 openings for Popsicle vendors  (See the website for information)

 We also produce four children’s concerts on Fridays at 1030 a.m. In case of rain, the Kiddie Concerts will move inside to the Library. The Kiddie Concerts are the generous gift of former Selectman Ralph Jones and his wife Sherry.

In total, the Series produces between 15 and 16 concerts each Summer.  All of this is done, without any financial burden to the town, through the kindness of Belmont neighbors and friends, local businesses, members of several Town departments.

There are several notable people who I would like to mention for their inspiration and commitment to the Payson Park Music Festival:

  • Linda Oates for beautifying the Park before we knew what we would use it for
  • Selectman Mark Paolillo for being a Board Member.
  • Dr. David Alper one of the original Supporters, an annual Sponsor,  and a committed Cheerleaded
  • Illustrator Alan Witchonke the designer of our fabulous and timeless logo
  • Attorney Stephen Rosales who put together our 501c3 application many years ago
  • Brian Saper who donated the concrete for our stage and the Highway Department for pouring the concrete.
  • Sharon Rich and Nancy Reed who served several years as volunteer fundraisers.
  • Town employees who I knew as Butler PTA parents who have given willingly of their time.
  • June Howell of the Recreation Department
  • Joe Urciolo of the Department of Public Works
  • Jimmy Salmon, recently retired from the Light Department
  • And finally, Emily and Hank Thideman who oversaw the Kiddie Popsicle Stand for many season.

A quarter century is a proud milestone for Payson Park Music Festival. We hope to see you at the Park!

Belmont Schools Honor Eight Retirees Who Provided 200 Years of Educational Grit

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Photo: Retiring: (from left) Mary Dominguez, Anne Mullany, Rosemary Peterson, Roseanne Mili and Georgia Patterson.

They had a collective experience of nearly two centuries working in the Belmont schools; a testament to their commitment to education.

At a ceremony held on Tuesday, June 9, Belmont School Committee honored eight educators and staff members as they prepared to retire from the district at the end of the 2015 school year. 

Susan Blanchard, Mary Dominguez, Roseanne Mili, Anne Mullany, Georgia Patterson, Ellen Payne, Rosemary Peterson and Colleen Ryder were feted by the reading of a resolution from the School Committee, providing a brief glimpse of their skills and personalities that were hallmarks of their careers.  

Below are samples of the accomplishments of these educators and staff members:

“She finds ways to engage every learner – by giving extra time and attention to those who struggle, by stretching those who are ready for enrichment, and by never forgetting the needs in the middle either.” – Susan Blanchard.

“Teachers know that they can count on Mary to figuratively and literally bring science to life in their classrooms. She delivered crayfish to third grade classrooms, wrangles those that escape and fearlessly trains reluctant teachers and students to handle them.” – Mary Dominguez. 

“Aside from the wealth of knowledge and skills Mrs. Mili has provided the children of Belmont over the years, she has given them a joyful music-making experience that has fostered a love of music that they will carry with them throughout their lives.” – Roseanne Mili. 

“She has developed teaching skills that present as genuine, professional magic with which she invites students to learn.” – Anne Mullany. 

“Her pivotal role in the Student Services department allowed her to truly leave a mark on the facilitation of services for our students, and the success they ultimately achieved due to those added supports and assistance.” – Georgia Patterson.

“She is endlessly patient with her students – most of whom struggle in school – and her true grit is in convincing students that they are capable and that she will believe and support them until they believe in themselves and can support themselves.” – Ellen Payne.

“She worked consistently over the years to define and develop a strong school health program for the district, and provide oversight and guidance to nursing staff, administration and community partners.” – Rosemary Peterson. 

“She possessed endless empathy for students and families who struggled and always fought on their behalf. Her kindness and supportive nature and the impact she has had on our entire community will be sorely missed.” – Colleen Ryder.

Peeking Behind the Hedges: Private Gardens Opened on Club’s Tour [Video]

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Photo: A stop on the Belmont Garden Tour. 

Six private homes and a familiar location adjacent to the Belmont Public Library were highlighted on the 85th Anniversary Garden Tour hosted by the Belmont Garden Club on Saturday, June 13. 

Vehicles attempted to find parking along narrow streets on Belmont Hill as residents and garden enthusiasts descended to see what are private refuges.

Dedicated to the late Anne Allen, the club focused on homeowners “who have created beautiful garden spaces for themselves and their families to enjoy and who have generously opened these spaces for our edification and enjoyment.

Money raised by the tour will be used for community plantings, maintenance of the Woodland Garden which is located on the library’s grounds, garden therapy at Belmont Manor, college scholarships and educational offerings to the public on horticulture and floral design. 

Wagging Tails, Good Food Hoped to Lessen Anxiety of Belmont High Finals

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Photo: Dog BONES recently at MIT.

“Finals.”

That single word creates more anxiety for high school students around the world than just about any other.

And it’s no different for students at Belmont High School, as high expectations from home and school added to being an adolescent while taking one test after another can, at times, seem overwhelming.

“Students noted that stress at Belmont High is a large issue and wanted to address this,” said Becca Tananbaum, a Belmont High junior who is a member of the school’s Student Leadership Team, a group made up of approximately 74 students who are given the opportunity to take charge of certain aspects of student activities on campus.

At the beginning of the year, Belmont High School Asst. Principal John Muldoon asked the Leadership Team to propose ideas for activities that would enhance the school environment. And what better place then the culmination of the a year’s worth of study.

With a general idea of attempting to improve the general atmosphere surrounding a week’s worth of cramming and worrying, the team focused on giving themselves and their peers a chance to ease up on the academic accelerator.

The result is the school’s inaugural “Stress-Free Brunch” taking place on Wednesday, June 17.

“We have worked closely with Mr. Muldoon and [Belmont High School Principal Dan] Richards to get approval and coordinate our plans,” said Tananbaum.

Team members Erin Cantor and Solvay Metelmann proposed having food available to students between exam periods to alleviate stress. The result will be a brunch with bacon, eggs and hash browns served specially for the event by the cafeteria staff. They are organizing donations as well as working with cafeteria staff and other clubs to provide the food. In addition, student volunteers are baking various foods for the brunch. 

Along with nourishment will be a treat in the auditorium: cute dogs.

“I suggested bringing in therapy dogs during finals week, as spending time with animals has been proven to reduce stress,” said Tananbaum, noting that many universities including Tufts and MIT have found them to be effective in reducing anxiety during exam season.

Partnering with Dog B.O.N.E.S., a Scituate-based organization that provides trained, certified therapy dogs to individuals, medical settings and at elementary, middle and high schools in towns such as Hingham and Ashland.

If successful, the Stress-Free Finals could become a tradition at the High School, noted Richards at a recent School Committee meeting. 

Petition to Restore Original Belmont Center Plan Coming to Selectmen

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Photo: The original plan for the Belmont Center Reconstruction project.

Residents and Town Meeting members are expected to present a Petition with 400 signatures to the Belmont Board of Selectmen Monday afternoon, June 15, requesting the board reject a series of controversial last-minute changes it approved last month to the $2.8 million Belmont Center Reconstruction Project.

“We plan on presenting our petition during the … Selectmen’s Office Hours at 6 p.m. [on Monday],” said Paul Roberts, a Cross Street resident and Precinct 8 Town Meeting member, being joined by Town Meeting colleagues and members of the Traffic Advisory Committee which developed the project over four years.

If the board ignores their concerns, Roberts said he will begin collecting 200 signatures that will allow him to ask the Town Clerk to call a special Town Meeting where it will debate the project’s changes before the 300-member legislative body.

Roberts petition comes after an unanimous vote by the selectmen on May 28 to change the project’s original design – known as Plan A – after 96-year-old Lydia Ogilby approached the board with 200 signatures in an effort to alter the project’s blueprint despite the knowledge that major work had commenced.

The changes – dubbed Plan B – restored a small number of parking spaces in front of the main branch of Belmont Savings Bank and preserving a “cut through” connecting Moore Street with Concord Avenue, allowing drivers to avoid Leonard Street when seeking parking.

The result of the new changes meant the elimination of a new “town green” located in front of the bank. Under the alternative design, the green space would remain an island surrounded by vehicle traffic and parked cars.

Since the May 28 vote, an increasing number of residents have expressed their dismay at the board’s action in comments to articles and on-line. The main complaint is as much procedural as esthetic, as the Plan A design was accepted by a majority of Town Meeting members eight months earlier.

“This was the only plan that was presented to [the Special Town Meeting] in November, with the understanding that it was a plan that would be put out to bid and completed,” Roberts said.

Also, Roberts said he and many Town Meeting members “voted for that plan specifically because of the Town Lawn feature and were shocked when the board simply removed it and submitted new plans.”

“We are hopeful the [Selectmen] will recognize this and restore it to the original plan” by the board’s June 22 meeting, said Roberts.

If the Selectmen refuse to reinstate Plan A, said Roberts, it could use its authority to call a Town Meeting into an emergency session, and allow the legislative body to choose between the competing plans.

“I would support that, as well, and think that this would have been the proper response to the May 26 hearing, especially since Town Meeting was in session at the time,” he said.

If the board refuses to pursue either of the options, Roberts and his supporters can collect and submit the 200 signatures and call Town Meeting into session to clarify that the vote to fund the reconstruction was a vote to fund Plan A and not any other plan.

Roberts is confident that he could raise the number of signatures to bring Town Meeting back into session.

“I don’t believe you can simply repurpose signatures; you have to use a special form. But, again, with [more than] 400 signatures, getting 200 to request a special Town Meeting to resolve this dispute shouldn’t be a problem,” he said.

14th Brendan’s Home Run Set to Burn Up Streets on Father’s Day

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Photo: Dads and kids at Brendan’s Home Run.

Oh, sure. You can celebrate Father’s Day the old way by having an overpriced brunch in a crowded eatery. Or you could running a quick five kilometers with the kids and help Belmont’s own Brendan Grant Foundation. 

Belmont Savings Bank, Fitness Together Belmont and the Belmont Dental Group proudly present the 14th annual running of “Brendan’s Home RunTM” 5K Race & Walk will take place on Sunday, June 21, at 10 a.m. at the Belmont High School’s Harris Field.

The walk begins at 9:30 a.m., the race at 10 a.m. with youth races for kids a few minutes after the runners leave the field. 

With its collection of really fast runners at the head of the race and a flat, easy course for the less than fast folks, the race has become a must-do event in Belmont.

Register early as the road race will be capped at 500 entrants. Entry fee for the walk or run is $22 until June 18. On-site entry Father’s Day morning is $25. There is no charge for the 400 meter youth races.

This Week: Instrument Petting Zoo Monday, Summer Reading Party Thursday

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Photo: A new sort of petting zoo.

The government side of “This Week”:

  • The Belmont Conservation Commission will introduce the final plan for intergenerational path around Clay Pit Pond on Monday, June 15, at 7 p.m. at Belmont Town Hall.
  • There will be a public meeting the Beech Street Center as a continuation of the ongoing project for the Grove Street Park Master Plan on Monday, June 15, at 7 p.m. Interested residents are invited to attend and provide feedback.
  • The Planning Board will meet on Tuesday, June 16, at 7 p.m. to discuss the next step for the Citizens Petition Zoning Amendment. 
  • The Municipal Light Board (which is the Belmont Board of Selectmen) will appoint the members of the Temporary Net Metering Working Group at the Chenery Middle School on Tuesday, June 16, at 7 p.m.

• Music & Movement with Rubi is a movement and music program for kids three to five year olds but two year olds are welcome. There will be two sessions on Monday, June 15, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. at the Belmont Public Library.

• The Elementary Schools Instrument Petting Zoo is an opportunity for elementary students to do some “hands-on” experimentation with instruments before choosing one to study in the fall. Come by on Monday, June 15, at 5 p.m. in the Chenery Middle School auditorium for a look see.

• Learn to build a robot with the Lexington High School Robotics Team as it presents “Lexrobotics” on Monday, June 15, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. Discover the steps of how to make the next R2-D2, Wall-E, or Optimus Prime! For Grades 4 and up. No registration required.

• US Rep Katherine Clark will have office hours on Tuesday, June 16, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

• The Belmont Public Library’s eCamp takes place on Tuesday, June 16, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Young Adult Room. Reference Librarian Joanna Breen and Technology Librarian Ellen Girouard will teach how to access the library from wherever you find yourself this summer, talk about Zinio and hoopla, and demonstrate other ways the library connects patrons to online media, in this free-flowing demonstration plus Q&A session. Enjoy snacks, practice with your device or a library laptop, and get connected to magazines, movies, music, and more.

• The Belmont Art Association meets on Tuesday, June 16, at 7 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The International Fiction Book Club will be reading “This is How You Lose Her,” by Junot Diaz Wednesday, on Wednesday, June 17, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room. Explore different cultures and read great books in our international fiction book club. Join the club on the third Wednesday of the month for fun conversation, tea and snacks. Everybody is welcome. If you have questions, or need help finding a copy of the book, contact Kylie at ksparks@minlib.net.

• The Summer Reading Open House Party happens on Thursday, June 18, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Young Adult Room of the Belmont Public Library. Eat snacks, check out our new books, help write and decorate shelf-talkers for your favorite books, and learn about the summer reading program. We’ll also have a raffle to win free books. Drop by anytime over the two hours. 

• A free informational talk on the new SAT will take place on Thursday, June 18, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. This is for parents of high school students on the new SAT and how it differs from the old one.

• State Sen. Will Brownsberger is holding office hours on Friday, June 19, at 10 a.m. in the Beech Street Center. 

Belmont Yard Sales: June 13-14

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Photo: Yard sales in Belmont.

Yard sales in the “Town of Homes.” 

  • 14 Branchaud Rd., Sunday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • 236 Brighton St., Saturday and Sunday, June 13-14, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • 60-62 Channing Rd., Saturday and Sunday, June 13-14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • 85 Cross St., Sunday, June 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • 124 Dalton Rd., Saturday, June 13, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • 125 Lewis Rd., Saturday, June 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • 225 Orchard St., Saturday, June 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • 54 Pine St., Saturday, June 13, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • 11 Prince St., Saturday, June 13, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • 18 Skahan Rd., Sunday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • 174 Slade St., Saturday, June 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Letter to the Editor: Customer Wants Bank CEO to Re-Deposit Original Center Plan

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Photo: Belmont Center.

[Editor’s note: This message was originally sent to Robert Mahoney, CEO of Belmont Savings Bank.]

Dear Mr. Mahoney:

My husband and I are customers with accounts at the Belmont savings bank. We are also residents of Belmont.

We are outraged at the last minute change to plan B for the Belmont Center renovations which would reduce the originally planned and approved green space in Plan A. We and many members of the community have contacted the selectmen, and there is a petition to restore to Plan A. You have been named in the Belmontonian website news article of supporting plan B even against the overall community’s support of Plan A that was developed over the years. 

Under Plan A, there would be families and students and folks of all ages who could enjoy being in the green space under the large sign of Belmont Savings Bank. There couldn’t be a better long term advertisement for generations to come who would associate their childhood memories with the bank.  And the bank would physically be a central part of the community’s activities. Under Plan B, it is at risk of being a dead and obsolete space with the bank sitting in its ivory tower.

Although you are not one of the selectmen who voted for plan B, you are an influential person to them, and sadly the communities’ voice does not seem to be enough of an influence to our representatives.

So, I urge you to reconsider and contact the selectmen to endorse plan A 

Gi Yoon-Huang

Final Senior Project for Silverfine: Run Fast at New Englands

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Photo: Ari Silverfine is competing in the New England Regional Track Championships.

Ari Silverfine’s final day in class at Belmont High School was back in mid-May while his senior finals and projects are now memories. And this past Sunday, Silverfine received his High School diploma at graduation.

But the resident as one final test to take before he finishes his Belmont High obligations: run really fast.

The three-sport standout will compete in final time in the maroon and white when he toes the line running the 800 meter finals at the New England High School Outdoor Championships being held Saturday, June 13, in Saco, Maine.

Silverfine earned the invitation to race against the region’s best runners by running two laps in a personal best of one-minute, 56.73 seconds at the Middlesex Conference meet on May 19, making him one of the best in the state and New England. 

In addition to his PR, Silverfine ran a 1:57.12 in the Massachusetts All-State Championships on June 6.

At graduation, a day after the All-State meet, Silverfine stated he would be looking to drop his best by a significant amount.

“I can and hope to go faster,” he said.