[UPDATE] Police: Elderly Man Missing From School Street Home Wednesday

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Photo: Joseph Gallagher.

UPDATE: (10/26/2017) Belmont Police officers have found the elderly man missing from the School Street home for the past 24 hours.

“Mr. Gallagher has been found safe! We’d like to thank all of our Facebook and Twitter followers for sharing!” read a Twitter message from the BPD dated Oct. 26.

PHOTO:

The Belmont Police is asking the public to help locate an elderly man who is suffering from Alzheimer’s who is missing from his home at 583 School St. 

The man is Joseph Gallagher. He is a 72 years old white male, 5’10”, 135 lbs, blue eyes, grey hair.

Gallagher was last seen early this morning and last heard from at 2:30 p.m. He is known to frequent the Payson Park area. 

If you have seen someone fitting this description, call the Belmont Police at 617-484-1212.

Living With Coyotes In Belmont, Thursday At 6:30PM At Belmont Media

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Photo: A coyote.

When asked what to do when residents see a coyote taking a stroll through neighborhood streets or backyards, Belmont’s long-serving Animal Control Officer John Maguranis told the Belmontonian that people should follow a simple three-word phrase when they encounter the animal. 

“Don’t freak out,” said Maguranis, who is one of the leading experts on coyotes and their growing interaction in urban spaces. Too many residents immediately revert to “panic” mode when one of the wild canines is in the vicinity of their homes, which Maguranis said is unnecessary in nearly all cases when people and coyotes cross paths. 

Maruranis, who is the Massachusetts representative to Project Coyote, a national coalition of scientists and educator working to promote coexistence between people and coyotes, will be presenting a multimedia presentation about all-things coyote in Belmont on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m. in Studio A at the Belmont Media Center, 9 Lexington St.

Maruranis will talk about:

  • Common misconceptions about the animal
  • Management and coexistence with coyotes
  • Human and pet safety 
  • The right way to haze coyotes, and
  • Tracking the animal.

The public is invited to ask questions after the presentation. The event will be televised live and rebroadcast for future viewing. 

Maruranis will give the same presentation at The First Church in Belmont, Unitarian Universalist on Wednesday, Nov. 15 from noon to 2 p.m.

Allard Breaks Century Mark As Belmont Girls’ Soccer Downs Rockets, 3-0

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Photo: Carey Allard of Belmont.

In her first varsity game as a freshman four years ago, Belmont High senior co-captain Carey Allard scored five goals including the game’s first four in an eight-minute stretch in the first half  and added an assist in the Marauders’ 10-0 blitz of arch-rival Watertown High School.

“She’s going to have some career if she can keep that up,” said Head Coach Paul Graham back in September 2014.

Just how good Allard would be since that hot summer morning was answered on a muggy and damp Tuesday evening, Oct. 24, when the four-year starter broke the career century point mark scoring a brace against visiting Reading High on Seniors Night as Belmont downed the Rockets, 3-0.

The two goals gave the co-captain 101 points with two games remaining in the season and upping her goals this season to 18 with seven assists.

Allard is the first Marauder to reach 100 points since Michelle (Sheehan) Henry accomplished that goal in 2006. Henry is currently in her second year as the varsity assistant coach with Graham. 

The record-breaker came midway through the second half with Belmont leading 1-0. Playing on her off side near the right sideline, Allard cut with the ball 20 meters from goal and hit a pinpoint shot into the left side of the net. 

Allard – who will be playing defense for Division 1 University of North Caroline Wilmington next fall – finished the scoring burying a penalty kick after she was pushed from behind inside the penalty area with about 10 minutes remaining in the game. 

While Tuesday’s game was the final home game of the season, Belmont’s 13-1-0 record will likely see it playing a pair of home playoff games in the Division 2 North Sectional tournament. And likely more points into Allard’s high school point tally. 

Dress Up for Halloween Masquerade Concert Wednesday at 7PM

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Photo: Halloween Masquerade Concert, Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. 

Here’s your chance to preview your Halloween costume and have a great time listening to music of the season as the Belmont High Wind Ensemble and Concert Orchestra presents the seventh annual Halloween Masquerade Concert this Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. in the high school’s auditorium.

This family-friendly Halloween Concert is free, and costumes are encouraged.The two ensembles will perform a family-friendly variety of seasonal selections, including creepy classics like the 

The two groups will perform a family-friendly variety of seasonal collections, including spooky classics and modern-day show tunes which are pretty scary on their own.

Breaking: Two Planning Board Members, Including Former Chair, Resign

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Photo: (left) Barbara Fiacco; Liz Allison

Former Chair Liz Allison and member Barbara Fiacco suddenly resigned from the Belmont Planning Board since Monday, Oct. 23.

The departure of the pair comes less than a fortnight after associate member Raffi Manjikian angerly resigned on Oct. 13 due to a “hostile work environment” created by newly-elected Chair Charles Clark. 

As of Tuesday afternoon, the board has three members – Clark, Karl Haglund, and newly appointed Stephen Pinkerton – efficiently making it redundant to make decisions as it needs a fourth member. It will be up to the Board of Selectmen to appoint replacements.

Allison, Fiacco, and Clark could not be reached at this time. The article will be updated if they decide to respond. 

Allison and Fiacco’s letters – received on Monday, Oct 23 and Tuesday, Oct. 24 – were brief statements that did not elaborate the reason for their decisions.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with some very fine people and served a fine town,” said Allison.

Fiacco was more specific for her resignation, noting her “current workload and travel schedule. I am unable to dedicate the time necessary to address … challenges [facing the board] effectively this year.”

Allison and former member Manjikian were accused by Clark of abuse of power in September after it was revealed the pair had advocated moving the Belmont Public Library to a public/private Waverley Square development to revitalize the once-vibrant business center. The scheme, dubbed the ‘Big Idea,’ turned controversial when supporters of the library said they were never informed of the project or the move.

In the past month, a group of residents submitted a citizens’ petition to be heard at the Nov. 13 Special Town Meeting to consider changing the Planning Board from an appointed to an elected body.

Professionally, Allison is a noted economist who has served on the town’s Warrant, and Finance committees and Fiacco is a partner at the Boston law firm Foley Hoag. 

Swimming: Unbeaten Belmont Girls’ Ready To Host Perfect Reading Friday

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Photo: Relay Exchange; Lexington at Belmont.

First-year Belmont High Girls’ Swimming Head Coach Gretchen Turner looks at the scoring sheet after a recent meet against Winchester and shakes her head: two freshmen swimmers had just qualified via time to swim the 100-yard breaststroke the state finals. That makes eight Marauders who have met the time requirement, but Belmont can only take four to the finals.

“What am I going to do with all those swimmers?” Turner asked.

Talk about an embarrassment of riches for Belmont’s new coach, who this year took over the squad from the legendary Ev Crosscup.

After spending two years as Crosscup’s assistant, Turner has made a smooth transition at the helm leading the team to a 7-0-1 Middlesex League record. The only blemish was due to “a classic rookie mistake” which resulted in a tie against a mid-level Stoneham squad.

But that small bump in the road has been the only one Turner, and her team has encountered. In the past week, Belmont defeated arch-rival Lexington and a good Winchester group.

But on the horizon looms the giant shadow of one of the strongest teams in eastern Massachusetts. Reading High has returned to being the dominating squad in Division 2 swimming as they come to Higgenbottom Pool on Friday, Oct. 20 as the two-time Middlesex League and last year’s state champions.

“We know where Reading stands regarding their times. So we’ll continue to try and get sectional and state times and having a good team come at the end of the season will pump our swimmers up,” said Turner.

Even before the final two league meets – against Reading and Melrose – and the Middlesex League meet, Belmont has qualified a multiple number of swimmers in each event with the relays all securing their place. 

“We’re going to have a big team at sectionals and states which puts us in the running,” Turner said. 

Belmont took care of business beating visiting Lexington by emphasizing the Marauders’ depth in the meet relays, resulting in 24 points – three firsts, a second and a third – from the three events. 

“I did that on purpose trying to get better times on our A relays by putting our three fastest swimmers in each which limited them to a single individual event,” said Turner. 

“And it worked as each swimmer hit their split times which means they were swimming really hard even though they didn’t have anyone swimming next to them,” she said. 

Belmont got off to a fast start going 1, 3 and 4 in the opening 200 yards medley relay with the quartet of Anna Doherty, Caroline Daskalajkis, Sophie Butte and Julia Bozkurtain taking the win in 2 minutes, 3.51 seconds.

Angela Li took the 200 free with a 2:10.5 while Belmont’s Katarina Chen prevented a Lexington sweep taking third in the 200 IM as Grace Zhang won the 200 yard free in 2:31.89.

Bozkurtain returned to win the sprint 50 free in 26.19 seconds with Doherty following in second in 26.93 to give Belmont a 33-29 lead at the diving break.

Lexington’s sole diver Ava Barrentine with consistent scores in the 6.5 range took first with 191.475 Belmont’s Marina Cataldo with 185.12  Sophie Cormier in second in 175.3

In the best race of the afternoon, Belmont senior Julia Cunningham overtook Lexington’s Irene Cheng in the final 40 yards to power to the victory in the 100-yard butterfly in 1:07.27.

Butte dipped under the minute mark to take the 100 free in 56.77 while Mary Kilcoyne broke the six-minute barrier in the 500 free (5:59.00) while Kate and Camille Sandage came through in fourth and fifth place.

The foursome of Bozkurtain, Ella Baurele, Doherty and Butte swam away with the 200 free relay in  1:47.81

By the time of the 200 free relay, the score was 86-85 in Belmont’s favor. Win the relay, win the meet. And Bozkurtain, Doherty, Butte and Angela Li finished the job with a first in 3:53.70 and a 94-91 victory.

‘Sooner Than Later’: Lottery Is Returning To Waverley Star Market

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Photo: Star Market in Belmont.

“Sooner than later.”

Those were the words of Star Market General Manager and Vice President Steve Duran when asked by the Belmontonian the date Massachusetts Lottery tickets, and card games will be sold at the supermarket’s Waverley Square outlet after the Belmont Board of Selectmen unanimously approved a request by the state’s lottery commission to resume their sale at its board meeting on Monday, Oct. 16.

The approval comes a year after the supermarket chain agreed not to sell lottery tickets as a condition by the board to the transfer of a full retail liquor license for $450,000 from The Loading Zone. The restriction was part of a long-standing practice by the selectmen to decouple the sale of both tobacco and lottery products to retail establishments acquiring any town-issued alcohol license. 

But since the transfer, the state lottery had quietly lobbied the town to reintroduce sales its products. Officials noted the state returned $2.2 million in lottery revenue to Belmont in the 2017 fiscal year in direct local aid. 

The sitting Board of Selectmen earlier this year indicated a willingness to assist the lottery – which has seen activity flatten for the past few years – by returning sales to Belmont locations with retail licenses.

Sports: Boys’ Soccer Upsets Lexington (Again); Field Hockey Fit To Be Tied; W for Girls’ Soccer

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Photo: Belmont High Junior Alex Rokosz is patroling the midfield.

Boys’  Soccer Upsets Top-Five Lexington, again

For the second time this season, Belmont Boys’ Soccer has played spoiler to Lexington High’s drive to repeat as the state’s Division 1 champions as the visiting Marauders’ (8-3-2) defeated the 5th-ranked (in the Boston Globe poll) Minutemen (10-2-1), 2-1, on a second-half goal by senior forward Andrew Karalis. Along with its 1-1 tie at home in September, Belmont has taken 3 of 4 points from the c0-Middlesex League leaders along with Arlington.

The Marauders have three games remaining in the season, at Winchester on Thursday, Oct. 19; at Reading on Tuesday, Oct. 24; and home vs. 17th ranked Arlington on Seniors Night, Thursday, Oct.26.

Field hockey fit to be tied

In what Head Coach Jess Smith called a “sluggish” performance, Belmont High Field Hockey could only take away a 1-1 tie against host Lexington on Wednesday, Oct. 18. After falling behind 1-0 early in the match, sophomore midfielder Katie Guden slotted in the equalizer midway through the half. Despite some golden chances, the Marauders could not find the final touch in front of Lexington’s net in the second half.

The tie leaves Belmont at 9-1-2 as it awaits Middlesex League leader and 5th-ranked Winchester, who comes to Harris Field on Friday, Oct. 20 with a record of 13-0-1, its tie coming against the Marauders. Belmont finishes the season at home (Seniors Night) against Arlington next Friday, Oct. 27 at 5:30 p.m.

Girls’ Soccer wins again

Belmont Girls Soccer took the measure of Lexington, 3-0, at Harris Field on Tuesday, Oct. 17, upping its record to 12-1-0 atop the Middlesex League Liberty Division and ranked 5th by the Boston Globe. Senior Co-Captain Carey Allard scored a brace in the one-sided affair.

The Marauders will finish the season against three tough opponents who they beat by single goals the first time around: Reading on Seniors Night on Tuesday, Oct. 24; away to Arlington on Thursday, Oct.26 and finishing the season away against 11-1-2 Winchester next Saturday, Oct. 30.

Make Way for Hinckley: Town OK’s Call For New Street Name

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Photo: Steven Wheelwright (right) with Glenn Clancy before the Board of Selectmen.

Good-bye Frontage Road. Hello Hinckley Way.

Belmont will soon have a new street name for the roadway best known as the exit ramp from Route 2 as members of the town’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints community filled the Board of Selectmen’s Room on Monday, Oct. 16 to support changing the byway’s moniker to Hinckley Way.

Glenn Clancey, director of the Office of Community Development, said the “new” road will run from the end of the state highway – there’s a sign noting its location – just before Ledgewood Place to the intersection of Park Avenue.

The reason for the change, according to Steven Wheelwright who presented the proposal to the Selectmen, is to end what has become an all-too-common occurrence for out-of-state visitors who have come for a family reunion or meeting friends at the “Boston” Temple.

“Unfortunately, there is a Frontage Road in Boston so when you put into your GPS ‘Boston Temple, 86 Frontage Road,’ the first thing that pops up is the Boston address,” Wheelwright told the Belmontonian before the meeting.

So rather than a stately temple of Olympia white granite, some visitors have found themselves outside the MBTA’s bus washing facility in the city’s South End neighborhood.

Since the only address on Belmont’s Frontage Road is the LDS Temple, the name change would not impact any home or business nor would it replace a prominent or popular street name, Wheelwright told the board.

“It was named Frontage Road by the state when it built the modern Route 2. It’s a town road, but no one ever got around to give it another name,” said Wheelwright, who is the current Temple president. The former Brigham Young University–Hawaii president, Wheelwright was one of the principal movers in the 1970s in purchasing the land where the Temple and the LDS Meetinghouse stand as well as overseeing the temple’s construction in the late 1990s.

Wheelwright told the board he and others in the community solicited comments from Belmont Hill residents on nearby connecting streets to gauge if there would be any issues with the new name. 

With no opposition and with the town’s blessing, the selectmen approved the request unanimously to the applause of many in the audience.

And why Hinckley? Wheelwright said there are no other Hinckley Way in the state thus avoiding any future GPS confusion and that Hinckley is a “good sounding New England name” referencing Thomas Hinckley, the governor of the Plymouth Colony in the late 17th century.

While unsaid by the proponents, Hinckley Way could also be a lasting tribute to Gordon Hinckley, the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who, during his 12-year tenure, accelerated the construction of Mormon temples around the world. Hinckley’s goal of building 100 temples by 2000 was reached when he came to Belmont to dedicate the Boston temple in October of that year.

Gordon Hinckley, center, at the dedication of the Boston Temple in October, 2000.