Belmont Broker Boyle Makes the Move to Gibson Sotheby

Photo: Carolyn Boyle.

Long-time Belmont resident and real estate broker Carolyn Boyle is on the move.

Boyle has joined Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty’s team of experienced agents, according to Larry Rideout, the firm’s CEO/co-owner.

“Carolyn has a track-record of success and is dedicated to providing superior service for her clients,” said Rideout. “As a senior real estate specialist and accredited buyer representative, she has the knowledge and expertise to best serve her clients. We’re delighted to have her as part of our team.”

Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty is Boston’s largest independent real estate company. Founded in 1962 by Betty Gibson in Boston’s South End, the firm has several offices in Boston, Cambridge and Greater Boston area.

With 20 years of marketing and finance experience, Carolyn offers her clientele a wealth of knowledge to guide their real estate experience. Her extensive experience staging homes and strong analytical skills to effectively price properties ensures her seller clients command the highest price potential for their home.

A Belmont resident for 21 years, Boyle has been devoted to the community through her extensive volunteer work for the Foundation for Belmont Education, Chenery Middle School and Wellington Elementary School PTOs, Belmont High School Performing Arts Company and Belmont Activities Committee.

Boyle matriculated at Amherst College and earned an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.

Second Town Gun Buy Back Event Result in Less Gun, More Food

Photo: (from left) Patty Mihelich of the Belmont Food Pantry receiving a check for nearly $2,500 from Amy Starzec and Belmont Police Chief Rich McLaughlin.

Belmont’s second annual Gun Buy Back resulted in making the community a bit safer and the Belmont Food Pantry a little richer.

Belmont Police Chief Richard J. McLaughlin reported that the

Held this past June at the town’s DPW yard, residents were able to discard in a safe way unwanted firearms and ammunition, said Belmont Police Chief Richard McLaughlin.

Working in partnership with the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office, Belmont Religious Council, individual Belmont houses of worship and our regional police partners Cambridge, Arlington, Watertown and Somerville, the Belmont Police collected a variety of firearms during the day-long event including rifles, shotguns, and pistols.

All firearms turned in at the Gun Buyback will be turned over to the Massachusetts State Police for destruction following the law. 

And $2,469.97 in leftover grocery gift cards and cash, which were purchased by individuals, local businesses and houses of worship and given in exchange for the firearms, was donated to the Belmont Food Pantry to help the 60 local families that require assistance in purchasing food each month.

If residents have questions regarding the Gun Buy Back Program or would like information on what to do with unwanted and unused firearms and ammunition, contact Belmont Police Lt. Kristin Daley at 617-993-2554 or via email kdaley@belmontpd.org 

Tennis Players, Rejoice: Selectmen Backing Reconstruction of Grove Courts

Photo: The drone view of the Grove Street Playground tennis courts.

Belmont residents could soon see another set of tennis courts undergo a complete renovation as the Board of Selectmen voted at its Monday night meeting, Sept. 26, to sponsor a proposal before the Community Preservation Committee to replace the courts at the Grove Street Playground.

The project adjacent Dalton Road, which will cost $336,000, is the third of three repairs to tennis courts town-wide the board has backed in recent years. Work is set for the Winn Brook courts adjacent to the elementary school and Joey’s Park at Cross Street while the renovation of the Pequosette Park courts has been completed. 

The new courts, which will include replacing the surface and laying a new foundation, are expected to last for up to 20 years, said David Kale, Belmont town administrator.   

The project still needs the approval of the Community Preservation Committee and finally Town Meeting in May 2017. 

Chenery’s Modulars Have Arrived, Flat Tires and All [Video]

Photo: The new look at the Chenery: modular units on the tennis court.

When Branchaud Road’s Milo Pikcilingis heard the trucks in the Chenery Middle School parking lot around 9 a.m. on Saturday morning, he had to see what was happening.

As he peered outside, he saw big flatbeds carrying what looked like buildings coming towards his house. Milo’s day was set! 

In fact, what Milo saw were modular classrooms – bathrooms included – ready to be placed on what  was once the school’s tennis courts. 

“So far so good,” said site manager Rich Russo from Littleton-based Triumph Modular overseeing the construction.

The six classrooms – equipt with their own bathrooms and powered with underground electrical wiring – will hold up to 25 students, making a dent in the rapid increase in student enrollment in Belmont schools. The district bought the units for $1.4 million, funded from the town’s “free” cash account. 

“A new modular has a lifespan of between 10 to 15 years, and even longer if maintained,” said Russo.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

For the rest of the day, Russo’s crew would gently back the large units so they would slide in-between units and then moved sideways into place. 

Constructed in the mid-west, the units were shipped to Triumph’s Littleton office before making its final journey to Belmont. On the way here, the crew lost nearly 400 tires due to the pressure of transporting the heavy structure.

Russo said it will take five weeks to make the units ready for students.

As for Milo, his attention to everything going on caught the attention of the workers who made him a “manager,” providing him a hard hat and neon yellow safety vest.

“I’m amazed how fast they built it,” said Milo’s dad, Aaron Pikcilingis as his mom, Laura Burnes, and older sister, Eloise, came by to also watch the excitement.

“Yesterday it was a tennis court and today, classrooms. Amazing.”

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Top 10 Belmont Field Hockey Unarm Minutemen with (Another) Guden’s Hat Trick

Photo: Seniors Molly Goldberg (left) and Julia Chase defend behind junior goalie Christine MacLeod with senior AnnMarie Habelow in the scrum during Belmont’s 3-0 shutout of Lexington.

So what did Katie Guden do after the freshman forward for the undefeated Belmont High School Field Hockey team was named the New England Player of the Week last Monday by a national field hockey website?

She just went out and scored hat tricks in consecutive games (and three this season) including one against a one-loss Lexington High School Minutemen on its home turf in Belmont’s 3-0 victory, Thursday, Sept. 22.

That’s what.

As the 14-year-old 9th grader goal total now reaches 13 and makes her one of the leading scorers in the state, Guden has become an integral piece of Head Coach Jessica Smith’s unbeaten (6-0-0) squad which is ranked 10th by the Boston Globe as it moves forward to retaining the Middlesex League Liberty Division title.

Monday brings another strong challenger as Winchester High School comes to Harris Field, the only non-state championship side to beat the Marauders last season. That defeat – Belmont gave up a three-goal lead in the final 11 minutes to lose 5-4 at Winchester – still haunts both coach and players who were there.

“This year’s motto is ‘Never Settle’ because we settled for a 4-1 lead against Winchester and lost the game. We’ll always remember that,” said senior co-captain AnnMarie Habelow

Winchester comes into the match with a record of 5-1-1 and is on a five-game winning streak. The game starts at 6 p.m.

After a hard fought 2-0 win at Wilmington a week earlier, Belmont’s match with Lexington was the most challenging of the season as the Minutemen change tactics after falling behind 1-0 midway through the first half – via a Guden tip of a Habelow drive – by putting eight of its ten field players into the Marauders defensive zone.

“It took us a while to get used to having so many girls together in one place,” said Smith. 

While the offense has been Belmont’s bread and butter this season – with 35, the Marauders are one of the most prolific teams in the state – it was Belmont’s defense that stifled the Minutemen onslaught. Led by senior co-captain Julia Chase with senior Molly Goldberg on the right and Meri Power on the left, Belmont absorbed the multiple attacks from Lexington’s forwards. 

Junior goalie Christine MacLeod made three saves in the first half, but she stood out on a play that would not be recorded in the scorebook. With about eight minutes before the half, Lexington drove deep into Belmont’s end when the ball squirted to MacLeod. The second-year varsity starter trapped the ball in her feet and wouldn’t allow anyone to either squeeze the ball between her pads or dislodge it. For 10 seconds, with Goldberg and Chase positioned defensively behind her and Habelow joining the scrum for the ball, MacLeod kept possession. Finally, Habelow popped the ball out towards midfield to relieve the pressure.

Slowly, Belmont began to take control in the second half as midfielders sophomores Morgan Chase and Bridget Gardiner, along with forwards Lilly Devitt, Jordan Lattiere, and Alexa Sabatino started using long passes and dribbling to beat the Lexington press. Morgan Chase assisted on Guden’s second goal – a shot past the goalie’s far post pad  – and Habelow got her second helper on the freshman’s hat trick goal.

“I like our team now. They do have to work on some things, but they are getting better each game,” said Smith. “We just need to be consistent each game and not let down because many of our games have been pretty easy. That’s why Winchester is going to be a challenge.”

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Sold in Belmont: Loft Living on Waverley Street, No Longer on Goden for Concord Ave.

Photo: 112 Waverley with the antebellum balcony.

A weekly recap of residential properties sold in the past seven 25-plus days in the “Town of Homes.”

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264 Concord Ave., Unit 2. Downstairs condo in two family (1915). Sold: $680,000. Listed at $699,000. Living area: 1,350 sq.-ft. 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 81 days.

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685 Belmont St., Two-family (1918). Sold: $689,900. Listed at $699,000. Living area: 2,250 sq.-ft. 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 102 days.

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112 Waverley St., New construction Colonial (2015). Sold: $1,210,000. Listed at $1,210,000. Living area: 3,200 sq.-ft. 8 room, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 66 days.

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• 262 Concord Ave., Unit 1. Upstairs condo in two family (1915). Sold: $664,000. Listed at $659,000. Living area: 1,350 sq.-ft. 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 81 days.

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• 55 Trapelo Rd., Classic ‘Belmont’ Colonial with attached four-room office space (1920). Sold: $930,000. Listed at $998,000. Living area: 2,400 sq.-ft. 10 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 118 days.

[Below is the personal opinion of the writer and not of the Belmontonian, which loves all homes and those who sell, make and buy them.]

Apparently, anything a residential contractor/architect/developer constructs in Belmont today will sell for top dollar.

Case in point, the newly built lump of wood at the corner of Waverley and Waverley Terrace. 

First the outside; The front-facing exterior is attempting to appear like a Colonial which is fine if it was wide enough for the number of windows required: while five (windows on the second floor) over four (first floor) is the traditional arrangement, there should be some spacing between them. But with the boxy nature of the house rather than a more expansive rectangular shape found in Colonials, you have to squeeze the windows way too tight to get them all in. I won’t even mention the windows should have correctly proportioned shutters, but that’s for another day.

The basic problem on Waverley is like so much new construction in Belmont; developers are attempting to pack so much livable square footage into a relatively small lot created about 100 years ago. This one is hammered into a tiny parcel that once housed a modest single family. That’s why there’s a back “strip” since it doesn’t qualify as a back “yard.” Not that you could find any value in looking at the blank walls and dull windows on three sides of the house, particularly the garage side with three windows with shutters and for some unknown reason, the ones closest to the rear without. The neighbors who have to see this side thank you. 

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And what’s with that bizarre landing/balcony above the front door? Colonial (Colonial Revivals) main entries are accented with a pediment, that traditional triangular crown above the door. A popular variation is an extended pediment that is supported by columns to form a covered porch. But on Waverley Street, what you have is a throw on from an antebellum Atlanta manse that makes no sense whatsoever in New England. How is Scarlett O’Hara to get onto the balcony? There’s no door so I guess she’ll have to crawl with her hooped skirt through the middle window.

How do you defend this?

Observer: What’s with the phony balcony above the entry.

Developer: It’s pretty.

Observer: But it doesn’t belong on a Colonial-style house.

Developer: It’s pretty.

Observer: It’s like putting a big red ball nose on “Whistler’s Mother.”

Developer: It’s pretty.

Want to know why true Colonials have pediments and not Southern-themed terraced balconies? Because New England gets sixty inches of snow a year and Atlanta doesn’t! Who’s going to shovel this decorative miscue? With the front facing south, we all know what that means: icicles the size of stalactites. It’ll look like a scene from the “The Game of Thrones” come February.

Then, there is the interior. There certainly is a “wow” factor coming through the front door, but not the “wow” value you’d want because what you are confronted with is an aesthetically vapid empty space. It’s loft living, Belmont style! I have been in a room in an Archduke’s palace where Mozart premiered an opera and I swear it was performed in less space. Yell “hello” at the entry and the echo coming off the back wall will give you whiplash (Hello! hello! hello! hello …).

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The reason for this expanse of air is that the area for the kitchen, dining room and living room are combined into a single area comprising 900 square feet. There are condos for sale with that much livable space. 

What this expanse of space tells any owner is: you’re on your own! This floor plan is likely to be a royal pain for the simple reason the homeowner (more likely an interior decorator) will need to map out and then execute elements – shelving, furniture, screens – to “define” space for certain activities. Why? Because we humans crave it. It’s the reason we left the caves. We want a designated area for casual living, for cooking, for eating, for formal dining, for quiet space. Where is the privacy with such a busy first floor? How can you relax with a good book when the television is on, someone is cooking in the quarry and teens are going up and down the open staircase, all within view. I suspect there will be a line of people wanting to use the first-floor office and the bathroom simply because they have doors that can be closed. And you really want to hide the kitchen as visitors will mistake it as a granite quarry. Welcome to the 1980s.

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The reason for the open area is that walls would take up space and show the true dimensions of the first floor. The house is listed at 3,400 sq.-ft. but 800 sq.-ft. is in what is being called the family room but, hey, it’s an unfinished basement that you throw the kids in the winter. Include the garage and utility (electrical) room and you’re looking at a 2,300 sq.-ft. house on two floors. Add walls, common areas (hallways) and the rest, well, it’s a lot less than the overabundance of space most buyers want in new construction. 

The second floor shows the problem of squeezing as much space into a smallish lot: There isn’t a  landing or a hallway when you reach the top of the stairs but a tiny common space where you’re facing three doors. 

And the depressing fact is that it doesn’t have to be this way. There has been great new construction and renovations in Belmont – here’s one – with elements that an architect can steal for their own site. But developers today would rather select a common design out of a book than think about the people who will occupy the space. It’s if Frank Lloyd Wright decided, what the hell, why not select a beach house design for that land by the falls? 

So despite the long list of fails, there were 1,210,000 million reasons why this example of architectural malpractice was built. But then again, the purchaser is unlikely to spend a lifetime here. As was noted in this weekly article months ago, it appears that many owners of million dollar homes – why does the term “million dollar homes” seem so out-of-place on the “Terrace” – will leave by the time the second coat of paint is dry. Why be bothered by the strangely empty space and tight space upstairs? We’ll be gone soon enough.

So, it doesn’t matter what you construct: build it and they will come, cash in hand.

• • • • •

Here’s a new one, the owner of a home at the corner of Goden and Concord has decided that a Concord Avenue address would suit the sale of the condos better than keeping the old address.

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“Official address has been changed from 4 Goden St. to 262 Concord Ave., Belmont” said the sales blurb with a similar one for the other unit. Does Concord Avenue now hold more cachet than Go(l)den Street?

To be fair, the structure’s front door does face Concord Avenue which would lead you to believe the address change is a correction 101 years in the making.

• • • • •

JJ Watt is one of the best defensive linebackers in the NFL, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year (although he had surgery for a herniated disk during the summer and is not 100 percent) and a big deal for his team the Houston Texans. So, let’s just imagine Watt was traded by the Texans to the hometown New England Patriots. And let’s just imagine he loves the new Belmont Center so much he wants to live in the “Town of Homes.” So that means not just a trade of players but also of homes.

In Houston, Watt lives in what is called a “modest” home in Pearland, Texas: Built in 2005, the traditional-style, four-bedroom, three bathroom home measures 4,169 square feet and sits on a quarter-acre lot. It features a saltwater pool, patio with pergola, and outdoor kitchen. The two-story family room has a fireplace and specialty molding. There’s also a master suite on the main floor.

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The price: $465,000.

So what can Watt get in Belmont? Try this NFL-ready “modest” condo on Gilbert Road: Built 90 years ago, the quaint 990 square foot first floor unit in the sought after Cushing Square area of Belmont features hardwood floors, a sun-filled living room that opens to a formal dining room with a built-in china cabinet, two bedrooms and a tiled bath. Other pluses: updated utilities, replacement windows, ample basement storage, a porch and fenced yard, one car garage, and three car driveway parking. 

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The price: $489,000.

While Watt may balk (inter-sports reference) at trading up to Belmont, this condo is actually a great starter for a young couple looking to establish themselves in town. Just not a 6 foot, 5 inch, 290-pound transfer. It is quite charming with the period interior detail throughout and a foyer entry. I even think it would be great for empty nesters as they save up to buy a Rhode Island retirement home.

Football: Belmont Drains SpyPonders, 17-14, on Final Play Field Goal

Photo: It’s good as Aidan Cadogan (#3) is congratulated after hitting the winning points vs. Arlington.

After the final whistle blew, a person on the sidelines said, “Belmont doesn’t win games like this.”

It does now.

A 31-yard field goal by junior kicker Aidan Cadogan splitting the uprights on the final play of the game gave the Belmont High Marauders a thrilling 17-14 victory over Arlington High in a Middlesex League football matchup before a large, boisterous crowd at Belmont’s Harris Field under the Friday night lights, Sept. 23.

“I’m just so proud of our guys. They live what we preach; ‘Big Play, Next Play’, ‘Livin’ in the Reap.’ All credit is due to them. I just call the play, and they go out and execute it,” said Belmont third year head coach Yann Kumin.

“It’s a new era,” said Ben Jones, the team’s workhorse who smashed 200 rushing yards for the game.

“Coach Q started it, my brother [Max Jones] started it, everyone started it who was before us. We couldn’t have done this without them. This is a new Belmont,” he said.

Belmont is currently 2-1 and 1-1 in the Middlesex League with a two-game winning streak.

On the final drive of the game as the Marauders’ was driving down the field in the closing three minutes, kicker Cadogan said he was thinking “just get it in field goal position and the team did and I’m just excited to hit the field goal.”

As he was preparing for the kick, Arlington called a timeout in an attempt to “freeze” the junior. “Normally I don’t really get iced, that’s just me. When they tried it, I said, ‘I’m going to hit this!'”

For the second consecutive week, the night’s star was senior back Jones who carried the ball 40 times for 242 yards and running in both of Belmont’s touchdowns.

“I was able to do this is because of the [offensive] line. They’ve given me holes, given me places to run,” Jones the Belmontonian outside the White Field House after the game.

“We just kept pounding it down their throats and they couldn’t stop us,” Jones said, who has scored seven touchdowns and gained 576 yards in the past two games.

“It’s just keeping up with the Jones’. That’s all we’re trying to do,” said Kumin.

The game did not start out as planned as Arlington’s junior running back Alijah Woods took the ball on the game’s third play 54 yards down the sideline to Belmont’s 6.

But on the next four plays, Belmont’s defense stood firm – led by Adam Deese, Dennis Crowley and Ryan Noone – halting the SpyPonders on Belmont’s two-yard line.

For most of the night, the preferred option was only given Jones the ball and let him pick up four, five or six yards a carry. Mixing up the plays, QB Cal Christofori hit receiver Dylan Ferdinand down the middle for 32 yard to the Arlington 33. But as Belmont was preparing to score, they lost a fumble at the 8. But two plays later, they recovered an Arlington miscue leading to Jones scoring with 12 seconds remaining in the first quarter. 

Despite having the ball for most of the second quarter, Belmont could not convert. But Arlington did in spectacular fashion. After punting with 30 seconds left in the half, Arlington’s junior Jaden Dottin took a slant pass from sophomore QB Adam Bowler and simply outran the Belmont defensive back to score with 20 seconds left in the half to tie up the game at 7.

If Arlington was hoping its fast strike would shift the momentum, it simply wasn’t coming this time in Belmont. Getting the ball to start the second half, QB Cal Christofori handed the ball off to Jones who would pick up five to seven yards with each carry, ending when Jones went to his favorite right side and popped into the end zone to give Belmont a 14-7 lead.

“Arlington’s a tough team, but I think we are a little bit tougher. We have been preaching that all season. We want to be the hardest hitting team by far and they felt it and that’s why we went took the lead,” said Jones.

But Belmont enjoyed the lead for a mere 20 seconds when senior John Nascimento ran the kickoff – which was pushed back due to a knocking the kickoff out-of-bounds – down the right sideline 70 yards for the equalizing TD.

The remainder of the game until the final drive was each defense took charge. Belmont’s Tyler Reynolds knocked away a 40 yard pass from Bowler to Dottin that would have given Arlington the ball deep in Marauders territory with three minutes remaining. 

The last drive, with only 2:17 left in the game, saw a trio of big plays: a pitch to Jones who rounded the left side for 28 yards to the Arlington 37, a quarterback sneak by Christofori on fourth down to the SpyPonder’s 23 with 23 seconds left and dump pass from a scrambling Christofori to junior fullback Adam Deese who hugged the slideline going out on the 8 with only five ticks on the scoreboard.

“Adam just popped out of his protection and gave [Christofori] an outlet and that abled us to get down inside the 10 [yard line]. We got the best kicker in the Middlesex [League], and he proved that for us tonight,” said Kumin

After Cadogan hit the ball through the uprights – the kick would have been good from 40 plus yards – all that needed to be confirmed with the end of the game which came after half a minute of discussion from the refs. The whistle blew and the celebration commenced.  

“Ask me when it becomes real. It’s not real!” said an ecstatic Kumin, who high-stepped across the field after the traditional handshake a-la Michael Flatley.

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Belmont Yard Sales: September 24

Photo: Yard sales in Belmont.

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

Permitted yard sales by the Belmont Town Clerk are in bold:

92 Bartlett Ave., Saturday, Sept. 24, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

25 Carleton Rd., Saturday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

48 Concord Ave., Saturday, Sept. 24, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

104 Cross St., Saturday, Sept. 24, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

56 Dartmouth St., Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 24 and 25, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

41 Waverley St., Saturday, Sept. 24, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

285 Waverley St., Saturday, Sept. 24, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Stroll The ‘New’ Belmont Center Saturday Afternoon

Photo: Poster for the Stroll.

Just a little grass at the newly constructed “triangle” is all that’s needed to finally finish the Belmont Center Reconstruction Project.

So why not commemorate the completion of the $2.8 million project with a walk around the place?

On Saturday, Sept. 24, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Belmont Savings Bank is sponsoring a “Fall Stroll” to celebrate Belmont Center’s Grand Re-opening and rediscover the shops and restaurants in the “Center” while enjoying sales, outdoor dining, live music and promotions.

“We welcome town residents and families to Belmont Center this Saturday as part of our sponsorship for this year’s Fall Stroll,” said Bob Mahoney, CEO and president of Belmont Savings Bank. 

“In particular, we are thrilled to support an event that will drive traffic to the Center’s many vibrant businesses, especially through Belmont Savings’ ‘Stroll the Center’ game where attendees can earn a free area merchant gift card,” Mahoney said.

The “Stroll the Center” game will allow attendees earn a free merchant gift card, plus be entered to win an additional $100 gift card. 

People can pick up a game card from the BSB tent:  

  • As they visit merchants they should ask for a sticker to be placed on their card.
  • When they come back to the Bank’s tent, they can RANDOMLY pull a gift card out of a basket. These cards were donated by the merchants and range in value from $5-$20.
  • In addition, their card enters them to win 1 of 10 $100 gift cards from the stores on the game card. Winners will get to pick which store they would like a gift card.

Opening Reception for ‘Three Artists: Voices Surface’ Friday at Gallery of Art

Photo: “OUT ON THE TOWN” by Anne Johnstone.
The opening reception for THREE ARTISTS: VOICES SURFACE, the new show and exhibit at the Belmont Gallery of Art takes place Friday night, Sept. 23 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Gallery in the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex.
The exhibit of mixed media collage art features the distinct styles from three unique women artists: Anne Johnstone and Belmont Art Association members Helen Canetta and Carol Wintle.
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“SECRET SPACES” by CAROL WINTLE

Live acoustic jazz by Charlotte Dumont and Daniel Shapiro will be featured on an evening of vibrant art, interesting people and live music.
A gallery talk about the show will be held on Sunday, Oct. 23, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. 
The show will run ’til Nov. 20.
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“APRIL” by HELEN CANETTA.