Letter to the Editor: Dash’s Experience, Ideas Make Him Ideal Selectman

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Adam Dash

To the Editor:

I write in support of Adam Dash for Selectman and hope that you will support him, too. I’ve heard Adam speak a couple of times about how he sees the role of Selectman and have been impressed on several levels.

  • First, I am struck by his extensive experience on the Warrant Committee, the fiscal watchdog for the town.  We need a selectman who has the facility with the town budget from Day One.
  • Secondly, I am impressed by his recognition that Belmont needs to get moving on its Climate Action Plan, enacted in 2008 but without any pathway to implementing it.  All over the country, action on climate change must now happen on the local level, now that we have an administration that is openly denying its existence.
  • Finally, I like his ideas on local business and how to make Belmont more business-friendly through better-permitting processes, zoning, and working with surrounding neighbors.

As a practicing attorney in the field, Adam has extensive professional zoning experience and has served on the Belmont Zoning Board of Appeals.  He also sees underused properties in town as opportunities and has the experience to help convert them into tax paying, successful businesses.

I encourage you to learn more about Adam at his website, electadamdash.com. He will serve Belmont well as our next Selectman.

Debora Hoffman

Goden Street 

Town Election ’17: Carbone Creates Committee, Announces Team for Selectman Run

By Leave a Comment

Photo: The Carbone team. Guy Carbone (left), Ana Helena Silva Cruz and Erin Lubien.

Guy Carbone was the first candidate to obtained the required signatures to run for the open selectman’s seat. On Thursday, March 2, the Woodfall Road resident arrived with his campaign team to the Town Clerk’s office at Town Hall to submit the paperwork to officially open his campaign.

And as the first-time town-wide candidate noted, he’s putting his campaign in the hands of some capable women.

IMG_8524 IMG_8533

“I listen to one [woman] at home and two in this race,” said Carbone. Chairman of the campaign committee is Precinct 5’s Ana Helena Silva Cruz who was accompanied to Town Hall by two of her three children. It’s a familiar name managing the campaign with Erin Lubien taking that role. She helped Jim Williams upset Andy Rojas in the 2015 selectman’s race and ran Alexandra Ruban’s campaign in her race for selectman in 2016. The committee’s treasurer is Fred Kelley of Beatrice Circle.

Carbone and Adam Dash of Goden Street are on the ballot for the one seat on the board this year. Incumbent Sami Baghdady decided last month not to run to retain the seat.

Town Election is April 4. 

Sports: A Call For 3s as Belmont Girls’ Hoops Rip Triton, 62-32, in Playoff Opener [Video]

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Jenny Call after breaking the 3 point record in a playoff game with Triton.

The Belmont Fire Department should have been called to the high school’s Wenner Field House on Friday night as Jenny Call set the place on fire.

The junior co-captain shot the area-code J for seven 3s, breaking the school’s game record for the trifecta on her way to a season and game high 27 points leading the top-seed Marauders as it took apart the visiting Triton Regional Vikings, 62-32, in the quarterfinals of the Division 2 North sectionals March 3.

“It was like all the energy in the building really helped,” said Call about the large home crowd and loud student section.

“My teammates wee able to get me the open shots, so it was all about finishing,” said the three-year varsity player, who was named last week to the Middlesex League Liberty all-star team. 

Somewhat lost in Belmont’s scoring outburst was the Marauders’ trademark stellar lock-down defense which limited Triton to a scant 13 second half points while placing the clamps on the Viking’s all-star senior center Tessa LaFrance who was held to 14 points with just a pair of baskets in the final three-quarters.

“We clearly wanted to limit [LaFrance’s] touches on the ball,” said Belmont’s Head Coach Melissa Hart. “That was the most plan-like thing we did besides just working really hard defensively and not giving up a lot of shots,” she said.

It was a tight start for Belmont, having to wait nine days since its last game, falling behind 5-4 midway through the first as LaFrance was Triton’s offense.

But then Belmont went on a 8-0 run over a minute with junior forward Greta Propp scoring a two plus one, junior point guard Carly Christfori drain the first of Belmont’s nine 3s and Call hitting a jumper while being fouled (Despite her record night, Call would go 0-5 from the charity stripe) for a 12-5 lead. 

But a pair of 3s by senior Melanie Primpas and LaFrance cut the Vikings’ deficit to one, 12-11 before Call made the first 3 of her night to spur on a 7-2 run to end the first quarter with a 19-13 lead. 

Belmont started the second with a Call baseline runner, and a Propp (6 points) layup off the inbounds put Belmont up by double digits, 23-13. LaFrance’s defense – with six blocks on the night – got the Vikings as close as 25-19 before Call ended the quarter with a bomb from outside to allow the Marauders to leave the court at the half up by nine, 28-19.

There were only two things to know about the third quarter, Belmont defense and”the run” sparked by Call. After she opened the half with a quick trey from the corner, sophomore guard Meghan Tan (and with Christofori, joined Call as a league all-star) who had been given the job of defending LaFrance, stole the ball and hit a pair from the line. Then Call’s rained in a pair of consecutive 3s that sent the student section into hysterics and the lead to 41-23 midway through the quarter. 

For the remaining quarter and a half, Belmont increased the lead while frustrating Triton by out rebounding and hustling them up and down the court. The only suspense was if/when Call would break the 3 game record. And when she did, the stands erupted. 

For Hart, the win was due to the team’s focused approach to the game which has been a hallmark of this season’s squad.

“I’m really proud of their effort [tonight]. It’s the same thing they’ve been doing every day at practice,” she said.

The win propels Belmont into the sectional semifinals against Arlington Catholic, the same team they met in last year’s semifinals which Belmont won.

IMG_8653 IMG_8643 IMG_8628 IMG_8625 IMG_8616 IMG_8614 IMG_8612 IMG_8610 IMG_8594 IMG_8591 IMG_8585 IMG_8582 IMG_8580 IMG_8578 IMG_8573 IMG_8571 IMG_8568 IMG_8564 IMG_8559 IMG_8557 IMG_8544 IMG_5902 IMG_8652

Sports: Belmont Boys’ Basketball Wins Sectional Opener Over Chelsea

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont point guard Danny Yardemian.

Belmont High Boys’ Basketball’s Head Coach Adam Pritchard had one piece of advice to his team in their playoff opener against Chelsea on Wednesday, March 1.

“Everything is fast tonight,” Pritchard told the team early in the first quarter.

A simple enough request, but it would be the core of Belmont’s impressive 70-51 victory over the Red Devils of the first round of the Division 2 North sectional tourney.

The win advances the sixth-ranked Marauders (16-5) to a quarterfinals meeting with the third-seed Lynn Classical (18-3) on Saturday, March 4 at 2 p.m. in Lynn.

Wednesday’s game saw Belmont supply defensive pressure creating too many problems for the entertaining but sloppy Red Devils is it brought the ball upcourt. The Marauders put the accelerator on the offensive end allowing for fast break opportunities and open shots.

Leading Belmont was sophomore point guard Danny Yardemian who ran the offense while punishing Chelsea’s loose defense to sneak through for one of several clean breaks to the basket. He would finish with a team-high 19 points.

Just seconds after winning the tip off, Yardemian nailed a 3 and Belmont would never lose the lead. They upped the advantage to 10-2 with a putback from junior forward Tomas Donoyan (8 points) which forced a timeout by Chelsea’s coach Judah Jackson just two-and-a-half minutes in. 

While Chelsea did pull back within three twice, the final time at 16-13 behind the Red Devils’ dynamic guard/forward Franklin Cruz (with a game high 20 points), Belmont senior guard Bryan Goodwin buried a three to double the lead to six at 19-13 with a minute remaining in the first. 

Taking an eight-point lead into the second, 23-15, Belmont showed its range on offense with senior Daron Hamparian sinking a pair of 3s – two of five 3s he drilled as he ended with 17 points – the second with a minute to go in the second to give Belmont a 16 point edge, 37-21.

But Chelsea scored three hoops in the final minute, using its superior height inside and the great first step of Cruz to whittle the lead at the half to 37-27. 

And the Red Devils would stay close in the third, but Belmont was out-hustling their opponents. When the Marauders needed to stop a mini-run by the Red Devils, senior captain and center Paul Ramsey – who was named a Middlesex League all-star this week – came up big, freeing himself under the basket for three buckets and a free throw for 7 of his 17 points. 

The Marauders’ finished the quarter with a play that typified the game as reserve forward senior Noah Riley (2 points) outrebounded two Chelsea players on the offensive boards then bulleted a pass to senior Cal Christofori (4 points) for the layup and a 56-45 point lead.

The fourth quarter saw both teams revert to more standard half court games without the manic-style defense from the previous 24 minutes. Belmont would slowly inch ahead until the margin hit 20 points, 67-47, late in the game. 

Hamparian said the win “shows just how much potential this team has and well we can do when we play as a team.” He said despite coming in with a height deficit, “we show a lot of heart to do this well especially winning rebounds.”

What can fans expect from the Marauders at the Saturday matinee against Lynn Classical?

“Running, running and more running,” he said.

IMG_8371 IMG_8376 IMG_8381 IMG_8387 IMG_8390 IMG_8395 IMG_8397 IMG_8408 IMG_8437 IMG_8446 IMG_8457 IMG_8464 IMG_8467 IMG_8476 IMG_8492 IMG_8499 IMG_8515 IMG_8523

Nominate Excellent Educators For Outstanding Teachers of the Year

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont High Biology teacher Suzanne Lijek named one of “Outstanding Teacher of the Year.”

The community now has a chance to honor the talented and dedicated teachers who work hard every day to make a difference for our students and for the Belmont Public Schools.

The Foundation for Belmont Education announced the 2017 Outstanding Teacher Awards. Sponsored by Belmont Savings Bank Foundation, the program recognizes and celebrates the extraordinary contributions made by teachers in the Belmont Public Schools.  

Community members, colleagues, parents of students, and high school and middle school students can submit nominations for teachers who deserve this special recognition. Nominations can be made until March 31.

The online nomination form can be found at www.belmontsavings.com/FBEOutstandingTeacher

Teachers from Belmont’s six public schools are chosen for this award. The recipients are honored first at a surprise ceremony in his or her classroom during the week of April 24 and then at a district-wide award ceremony on May 2, at the Chenery Middle School.

Questions can be directed to Elizabeth Dustin, FBE president at president@fbe-belmont.org

Record Players To Perform Annual JKR Conservation Fund Concert Mar. 4

By Leave a Comment

Photo: The 2017 Record Players, (from left), Sarah Freiberg, cello; Anne Black, viola; Ray Jackendoff, clarinet; Andrea Mason Nolin, flute; Colin Davis, violin. (courtesy The Record Players)

The Record Players will celebrate their 17th year of tribute to the Judith K. Record Memorial Conservation Fund with a chamber music concert at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 4 at The First Church in Belmont, 404 Concord Ave.

The concert is free and open to all, with contributions accepted at the door. A reception for all attendees will follow the concert at this wheelchair accessible venue. 

The JKR Fund works to conserve and protect Belmont’s unique and historic property at Lone Tree Hill and other local open spaces enjoyed by the public.    

The program will include music for strings and wind instruments composed by Hovhaness, Quantz, Mozart, Wilson, and Reger. 

The JKR Fund was founded in 2001 to honor Judy Record’s dedicated efforts in support of Belmont’s conservation areas. The Fund’s principal work during the past year past has been continuing to oversee and underwrite the restoration of the century-old Pine Allee on Lone Tree Hill Conservation Land.

Tax-deductible gifts may be made to Mass Audubon/JKR Fund, P.O. Box 79138, Belmont, MA 02478. More information on the fund and open spaces in Belmont can be found at JKRFund.org.