Perennials, Please! Garden Club Yearly Plant Sale Saturday, May 21

May 20, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: The annual plant sale on Saturday.

Belmont Town Day would be incomplete if you did take home something for your garden or that empty patch from the Belmont Garden Club’s 2016 Annual Perennial Sale.

The plants are grown by the members and include shade and sun-loving perennials, annuals and herbs.

The sale takes place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 21 in front of The Lions Club adjacent the MBTA commuter rail station, at the intersection of Common Street and Royal Road.

The proceeds raised from this annual event help fund the club’s community projects and its scholarship fund.

Belmont High Senior Prom Today; Promenade Begins At 4 PM

May 20, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker 1 Comment

Photo: The pre-prom promenade

Be advised to drive carefully through Belmont this afternoon as residents will be blocking the roadway with their vehicles as others haphazardly cross the street to get a good look at what’s happening.

Are people staring at the aftermath of an accident? Is a natural phenomenon about to occur which residents want a good look?

It turns out the gawking is connected to an annual occurrence in which many teens are transformed from ultra casual to totally chic, having photos taken in front yards or at Clay Pit Pond in Belmont’s version of “Fashion Week.”

That’s because Friday is Belmont High School Senior/Junior Prom.

What is becoming a great annual community event will begin at approximately 4 p.m. as the students attending the big dance will take part in the Pre-Prom Promenade, in which the high schoolers are “presented” before fawning parents, siblings, friends and the public in the Belmont High School auditorium.

The students will then head into the cafeteria (for the “once over” by school officials) before boarding buses to take them to a ritzy hotel for a night of dancing and fun.

Pats Give a Boost To High School Sports Supporters Group

May 19, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo:

The stands along the court’s edge at Belmont High School’s Wenner Field House Monday, May 16 – was filled with boisterous kids and rambunctious adults to cheer on a half dozen member of the New England Patriots that took on a team of high school athletes and residents. At half time, the lines to have the players sign autographs stretched across the length of the basketball court.

While the final score was not that important, the outcome of ticket sales and sponsor donations will help the Belmont Boosters in supporting its mission of assisting sports in the public schools. In the past six years, the Boosters have donated close to $170,000 to the athletic programs at Belmont High School including renovating the fitness room, placing a new floor on the basketball court in the field house and remaking the White Field House.

According to Booster’s Vice President Larry Christofori, the game with Patriot players such as running back LeGarrette Blount and Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler generated between $15,000 to $20,000.

“It is not the biggest fundraiser for the Boosters, but without a doubt it is truly important because each of our three historically ‘big’ fundraisers – the basketball game, the annual fall Booster Drive and the yearly Golf Tournament – are comparable in terms of net proceeds to the Boosters,” said Christofori.

And while the Patriots usually has a three-game maximum series at each town, “we are negotiating now for future games as so many enjoy the game,” said Booster’s President Jim Reynolds.

New Cushing Square Traffic Light Pattern Set to Start May 31

May 19, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker 1 Comment

Photo: The intersection at Cushing Square.

As of May 31, driving efficiency will be coming to Cushing Square, whether you’re ready or not.

While it was apparent that many residents were happy with the old pattern of traffic lights at the busy intersection of Trapelo Road and Common Street, one entity that wasn’t were the engineers from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation which has been working on the $17 million Trapelo Road/Belmont Street Corridor Reconstruction project for the past two years.

According to State Sen. Will Brownsberger in a note to his constituents, the engineers will introduce a new traffic light phasing that will allow a greater number of vehicles to move through the square than under the current system.

This is the state’s second attempt to alter the long-time pattern of red and green lights at the corner – last fall it tried unsuccessfully to change the light phasing only to go back to the pre-project configuration.

The current system allows vehicles on Common Street headed towards Watertown get a green light to either travel straight or take a left while cars headed down Common into Belmont have to stop at a red light. Then, that reverses happens.

“This is very inefficient because most of the traffic in both directions would like to go straight. One wants the two straight movements to share green time,” noted Brownsberger. “After a lot of debate, a new approach has emerged which should be clear for drivers and is more efficient than any of the previously attempted configurations.”

The engineer’s explanation of this new approach appears below (with some additions from me):

For vehicles traveling on Trapelo Road, there will be no change.
The south bound Common Street (towards Watertown) lights will have a left arrow and a green ball light that still turn green simultaneously.
But, the south-bound green arrow will turn to red while the south bound straight ball light remains green, allowing vehicles on Common Street heading toward Watertown to continue towards Watertown. But vehicles in the left turn lane which are turning left onto Trapelo Road will have to stop.
When that south-bound left arrow goes red, the north-Belmont bound Common Street lights will go green for both north lanes. For south bound vehicles on Common Street in the right lane and heading toward Watertown, they will find that, during the latter part of their green phase, traffic will start coming from the opposite direction of Common Street and some of that traffic will be wanting to turn left in front of them.
The North Belmont bound vehicles will see green balls only (no left arrow), as is common at many intersections around the state. There will be a “left-turn-yield-on-green ball” sign, again as is common at many intersections. For vehicles on Common Street coming from Watertown, they will now find that traffic will be coming from the opposite direction of Common Street when they have the green indication and the vehicles turning left into Trapelo Road toward Waverley Square will need to yield to traffic coming from the other direction of Common Street.

“The beauty of this approach is that (a) the signage will be simpler — the complicated signs with three-headed arrows will be less critical; and (b) if north-bound traffic makes the mistake that it tends to make — thinking that the straight move to continue on Common Street is a left turn, they will actually not conflict with the straight movement from the other direction,” said Brownsberger.

The only time they will need to think is when they are making the hard left onto Trapelo and on that movement, it is reasonable to expect the drivers will exercise the caution that they generally should on a left turn with no arrow, he noted.

Sold In Belmont: Not All-That-Special Colonial Barely Misses $1Million Sales Price

May 19, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker 1 Comment

Photo: A nearly $1 million house with just one-and-a-half baths and oil heat.

A weekly recap of residential properties sold in the past seven-plus days in the “Town of Homes”:

102 Crestview Rd., Brick Ranch (1961). Sold: $1,019,000.

81 Taylor Rd., Classic Colonial (1956). Sold: $975,000.

54 Newton St., Bungalow-ish (1925). Sold: $775,000.

340 Common St., Early 20th-century two-family (1918).

23 Bartlett Av., First-floor condo (2/3 Family)(1964). Sold: $530,000.

29 Homer Rd., Colonial (1928). Sold: $1,385,000.

11-13 Thomas St., “Standard” two-family (1928). Sold: $750,000.

100 Lexington St., Apt. B7, Condo (1972).

60 Richardson Rd., Colonial (1927). Sold: $935,000.

26 Trowbridge St., Condo (1890). Sold: $469,500.

60 Creeley Road Unit 1, Condo (1927). Sold: $469,500.

• 81 Taylor Rd., Classic Colonial (1956). Sold: $975,000. Listed at $875,000. Living area: 1,924 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 66 days.

• 54 Newton St., Bungalow-ish (1925). Sold: $775,000. Listed at $729,000. Living area: 1,221 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 80 days.

• 340 Common St., Early 20th-century two-family (1918). Sold: $1,060,000. Listed at $1,050,000. Living area: 3,251 sq.-ft. 16 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 3 baths. On the market: 66 days.

• 23 Bartlett Av., First-floor condo (2/3 Family)(1964). Sold: $530,000. Listed at $479,000. Living area: 1,068 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 67 days.

• 29 Homer Rd., Colonial (1928). Sold: $1,385,000. Listed at $1,299,000. Living area: 3,011 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 38 days.

• 11-13 Thomas St., “Standard” two-family (1928). Sold: $750,000. Listed at $829,000. Living area: 2,392 sq.-ft. 12 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 73 days.

• 60 Creeley Road Unit 1, Condo (1927). Sold: $469,500. Listed at $469,900. Living area: 999 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. On the market: 109 days.

• 26 Trowbridge St., Condo (1890). Sold: $469,500. Listed at $469,900. Living area: 999 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. On the market: 109 days.

• 60 Richardson Rd., Colonial (1927). Sold: $935,000. Listed at $949,000. Living area: 1,985 sq.-ft. 9 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 74 days.

• 100 Lexington St., Apt. B7, Condo (1972). Sold: $337,500. Listed at $299,900. Living area: 772 sq.-ft. 3 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 bath. On the market: 81 days.

• 102 Crestview Rd., Brick Ranch (1961). Sold: $1,019,000, Listed at $1,249,000. Living area: 1,754 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 86 days.

You may have heard of Taylor Road but likely never traveled on it; it’s one of the rare dead end streets in Belmont which you can get to from Dana (off of Bright) or Glenn roads. One advantage of living in one of the post-war homes built in the 1950s is being neighbors to the historic 10-acre Richardson Farm which was part of a land grant from Charles I of England and has been cultivated since 1634. It will be used for agricultural purposes into perpetuity as the land is protected by an Agricultural Preservation Restriction thanks to the local Land Trust.

Knowing that you’ll always have a view of farm life could be one reason the “classic” Colonial at 81 Taylor was so very attractive to one buyer. When the final check was passed at the closing, it was a cool $100,000 over the list price, nearly topping the $1 million mark.

This is not the first time the favorite architectural style of Belmont residents has garnered a price that may seem a bit excessive at first (and second and third and fourth) glance. In fact, the structure is kinda small (at under 2,000 sq.-ft.) and, frankly, not that special. The living room measures 14 by 25 feet, the “master” bedroom is 14 by 13 while the other bedrooms are just 2 feet shorter lengthwise. Nearly a million dollars for one-and-a-half baths (that need updating) and oil heat. Not one-and-a-half baths on the first floor; for the entire house.

But the market for Colonials have exploded (as we all know): the assessed value of the house was happily stuck in the low-to-mid $600,000 range for more than a decade until 2015 when it shot up to $709,000 and then jumped approximately $100,000 to $800,000 this year.

Just wait until the relocating GE employees start arriving looking for a great school system and a Colonial to occupy.

Curtain Rises on Chenery’s Production of ‘Cinderella’ This Week

May 18, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: The opening scene from the Chenery Middle School production of “Cinderella.”

The curtain goes up for the Chenery Middle School production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s ‘Cinderella,” with performances at 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, May 19, 20 and 21.

Under the direction of the school’s new Theater Director, Paige Revens, more than 60 students will take part in the production, from featured singers, dancers, chorus and more than a dozen leads.

“Please come and support our CMS students, and take advantage of the opportunity to share a theater experience with your children of all ages,” said Revens.

Student tickets are $8, and adult tickets are $10 when purchased online at www.cmstheater.weebly.com. Tickets will be sold at the door for $12.

The dressing room scene from the Chenery production of “Cinderella.”

Sports: Belmont Baseball Punches Ticket Early For 14th Playoff Trip

May 17, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Nate Espelsda

After a mid-season stumble in the past fortnight, Belmont High School Baseball appears to have straightened out some nagging problems on the mound and at the plate.

The result: two wins on Friday and Monday, securing the Marauders’ 14th trip to the Division 2 North Sectional playoffs.

On Friday, the 13th, Belmont Head Coach Jim Brown handed the ball to 10th grader Nate Espelsda who won his third game of the season (3-1) and second against the Tanners as the Marauders claimed a 7-3 victory.

All-star junior catcher Cal Christofori hit a homer and a double to collect three RBIs in win as Espelsda’s fellow sophomore Max Meier came on in relief.

On Monday, Belmont’s ace senior pitcher Cole Bartels recorded his third shutout this spring as the Marauders’, behind 3-3 hitting from Connor Dacey, defeated host Lexington 6-0.

Belmont (11-3) will be busy this week with three games:

Wednesday, May 18 v. Winchester at the Grant (home), 3:45 p.m.
Thursday, May 19 @ Arlington Catholic, 3:45 p.m.
Saturday, May 21 @ Reading, 4 p.m.

The Write Stuff: Blacker Awards Presented Wednesday, May 18

May 16, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: The Blacker Awards.

The Belmont High School English Department invite residents and the public to the presentation of the annual Lillian F. Blacker Prizes for Excellence in Writing this Wednesday, May 18, at 6:30 p.m. in the Peter Holland Library at Belmont High School.

This year, three seniors; Sophie Klimasmith, Emma Pierce-Hoffman, and Abi Judge, will be honored for their outstanding writing.

The Blacker Prizes are presented each year to three BHS seniors for outstanding writing ability on their senior theses. Each senior reads, researches, and writes a lengthy thesis paper investigating a literary topic. English faculty members determine the winners after an extensive reading process.

At the awards ceremony, the Blacker Prize winners will read from their papers and discuss the evolution of their ideas. Underclassmen are encouraged to attend the ceremony to learn more about the senior thesis process. Refreshments will be served.

Community Dialogue on Impact of Mental Health, This Tuesday

May 16, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: The Belmont Health Collaborative.

The Belmont Health Collaborative will be holding a community dialogue on “Exploring and Sharing – A Look at Mental Health and its Impact on our Lives” on Tuesday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

The event is for people who struggle with mental illness and for the families and friends of those who struggle. The collaborative invites the public to come together, share stories, lend support, and learn about local resources.

The dialogue will begin by hearing briefly from a panel of individuals living with mental illness, family member and professionals.

“We hope you will consider sharing your experiences and concerns as well. Let’s engage together in this important conversation,” said the Collaborative’s Lisa Gibalerio.

For more information or questions:

LGibalerio@BelmontHealthCollaborative or Stacey at 617-932-9310.

Patriots’ Set To Give Belmont Sports a Boost at Today’s Hoops Match

May 16, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker 1 Comment

Photo: The crowd, the players, the Boosters.

The 2015 Super Bowl Champions New England Patriots Celebrity Basketball Team takes on the Belmont Boosters “All-Stars” in the third annual New England Patriots Basketball Game tonight, Monday, May 16, at Belmont High School’s Wenner Field House.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Residents, school faculty members, students, business owners and other community members will “square off” against members of the NFL football team – which experts are calling the league’s best coming into the new season this fall – with the net proceeds benefiting the Belmont Boosters, a 501(c)(3) organization, whose mission is to encourage participation in and provide financial support to the Belmont High School athletics programs.

Attendees will have autograph opportunities, as well as a chance to win a Pats autographed football.

For information and tickets, call 617-904-7542. Any questions? Check out the Booster’s website .

The Belmontonian

Belmont's Independent Media Outlet Covering the 'Town of Homes'