Indian Restaurant Opening At Former Golden Garden Location on Concord Ave

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Photo: The location of the new Indian restaurant in Belmont.

His name is Sukhsimran Gill but you can call him Rusty. And if all goes to plan, you’ll be calling Rusty the owner of  Belmont’s latest restaurant to be called Spice Delight.

Gill is prepared to turn the location of a now-closed Chinese restaurant on Concord Avenue into a mid- to upscaled Indian eatery by mid-November after winning approval of a Special Permit for a change in ownership from the Belmont Zoning Board of Appeals on Monday, Oct. 1. 

“We’re hoping to bring some nice Indian food your community,” Gill told the board.

Gill is the owner of Gill Pizza of Londonderry, NH, a wholesale pizza company that services a large number of school districts (including Belmont … New Hampshire) and businesses in the Granite State and Massachusetts. But the New Hampshire resident has also had a hand in the retail end of the food industry for the past 15 years, owning both Indian and Italian restaurants. 

His last restaurant, Zaika Taste of India, was doing swimmingly at the Meadow Glen Mall in Medford. Then last year Wegmans Food Market arrived and took over 120,000 square feet of mall space, resulting in his business and all the other eateries being kicked out of the revamped development. Rusty had been seeking another site since.

And Gill and his partner who lives in Everett believed they found what they were looking for at the cubby corner locale that was home of the closed Golden Garden restaurant at 63 Concord Ave. They soon signed a lease until 2023 with two five year options. 

The menu will primarily be northern Indian cuisine – chaat, tandoor, and curries such as tikka masala and korma will be familiar to many – and will be prepared by a chef Gill has employed at numerous locations for 15 years.

“He is excellent,” said Gill.

The storefront, which has 44 seats, will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and noon to 10 p.m. on weekends. He believes the business will be half takeout and the other half sitdown service. The restaurant does not have a liquor license but Gill said they will soon approach the town for a beer and wine restaurant licence 

Questions were asked about parking; Belmont’s zoning code requires one spot for every two seats. But the parking – all on- street – is grandfathered. 

 

Belmont Field Hockey Hosts Watertown In Battle Of Top Ten Undefeated Teams Thursday 6 PM

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Photo: Belmont team captains, (left) Mia Kaldenbough, Morgan Chase and Jordan Lettiere (that’s one of the Smith kids in front) prepare for Thursday night’s clash with Watertown.

It’s a match of the unbeaten – if not unblemished – records. A pair of Top Ten squads meeting on the field hockey pitch.

It’s Belmont vs Watertown tonight, Thursday, Oct. 4; cross-town archrivals clashing at the mid-point of the season. The game takes place at 6 p.m. at Harris Field. Admission is free. 

It is the first time the teams – which has faced the other for decades – are undefeated during a regular season game. It has been a while since the Marauders have gotten the better of the Raiders as Belmont has not defeated Watertown since the 1990s.

It is a game between two pedigree programs; Watertown dominating the Division 2 state championships winning ten consecutive titles and Belmont a perennial playoff team. This season Watertown (6-0-1) is ranked 5th in the Boston Globe’s Top 20 with Belmont (7-0-0) at number 9.  MAX Field Hockey, a website that follows the sport nationally, ranks Belmont 20th in New England and Watertown at 6th.

Coming into the game, Watertown needed a late goal from Olivia Lampasona to salvage a 1-1 home tie against a strong Lexington squad Tuesday. After falling behind early, Belmont defeated hosts Melrose, 6-2, Tuesday with senior co-captain Jordan Lettiere scoring four times.

It could be a high scoring affair with Belmont scoring 44 goals and Watertown putting in 32 balls over their first seven games. And it will be a family affair Thursday as Watertown’s longtime head coach Eileen Donahue will be facing her niece, junior Emma, who anchors Belmont’s backline.

Obituary: Brian Rogers, Who Nurtured Belmont’s Sports, Died at 65

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Photo: Brian Rogers at the 2018 Brandan Home Run 5K in June.

Brian Rogers, the creative talent who nurtured Belmont sports from road racing to youngsters playing ball, died suddenly after being taken to Mt. Auburn Hospital on Sunday, Sept. 31, 2018.

A School Street resident, Rogers was 65. No cause of death was given.

“Brian was a gifted man, with a graceful intelligence and strong moral compass that came from somewhere deep within his soul,” said Casey Grant, who Rogers volunteered in managing the foundation honoring Grant’s son, Brandan. “His legacy in providing selfless, humble service to our local community and beyond [measure] and timeless.”

“He was a quiet, soft-spoken gentleman who never had a bad word to say about anyone, who loved his family and his town, and who made the town a better place to live,” said Peter Noone, a lifelong resident, and close friend. 

For the past two-and-a-half decades, Rogers was known as the race director of the Brendan’s Home Run 5K, running the Father’s Day event since its inception in January 2002. Rogers was one of Brendan Grant’s youth coaches and immediately after the young man’s death in 2001, “provided leadership to the organization and its annual road race to help ensure Brendan’s memory lived on and helped turn the tragedy of his sudden death into many years of incredibly positive things for the town,” said Noone in an email.

Rogers took the small race and developed and promoted it into an all-out annual community fundraiser and get together where Olympians and rising talent ran alongside Belmont residents whose only exposure to running occurred once a year. He saw the race as more than just an athletic event but as a coming together of the people of Belmont, from those who volunteered, contributed time and prizes to the runners themselves, the vast majority being residents.

“This race works on a lot of levels, and that’s the beauty of it,” all of “which keeps the memory of Brendan alive today,” said Rogers at the 2017 race.

But it was baseball where Rogers’ sports affections lied.

“He loved baseball more than even the most die-hard fans,” noted Noone. “He was like an encyclopedia of baseball and had an unmatched love of the history of the game.” He took that love for the game and channeled it working several decades with Belmont Youth baseball, first as a coach, then director, board member, and trustee.

During his tenure at youth baseball, Rogers ran every aspect of the program, from scheduling, organizing teams, cleaning equipment, and running tryouts, as he steered the program in a way that made the baseball program an outstanding youth program that cared about helping every kid, no matter how talented.

“He devoted his life for many years to the program and the kids of the town. He followed the kids in the news after they graduated from High School and moved on to college baseball. Even after he retired from the Board, he would send in clips from newspapers throughout the country that described the successes of Belmont’s players,” said Noone.

Born in Geneva, NY, Rogers graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a Bachelors in Fine Arts in Communication Design. Rogers started his career as a graphic designer in Chicago and Boston but moved towards the creative side of design as a new business/creative developer at Foster Design Group in  Natick.

In 2000, Rogers and Jeremy Wirth co-founded Labor Day Creatives of Natick, a design firm that creates annual reports, branding, advertising, direct mail, trade shows, packaging and Web design for its client firms.

“He had many roles that channeled his positive energy into making our world a better place,” said Grant. “We are profoundly heartbroken, and we will dearly miss Brian and all the good that he brought to our world.”

He is survived by his wife, Nancy H. (Hall) Rogers, and their son, Justin A. Rogers, both of Belmont. Rogers is the son of Charles Rogers of Marlborough and the late Mary (Connors) Rogers; brother of Charles Rogers of Norristown Penn., Jay Rogers of Wayland, Jon Rogers of Hopkinton and the late Clare Matthews; and uncle of Mark Matthews, Daphne Remarcke, Christopher, Andrew, Megan, Tia, and Grace Rogers.

Visiting hours will be at the Stanton Funeral Home, 786 Mt. Auburn St. in Watertown, on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The funeral will begin from the Stanton Funeral Home on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018, at 9 a.m. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated in the Church of St. Luke, 132 Lexington St., Belmont at 10 a.m. Burial will be private.

Instead of flowers, contributions in Brian’s memory would be appreciated to:

  • The Brendan Grant Foundation, P.O. Box 184, Belmont, MA 02478-0184 or
  • the Boston Bulldogs Running Club, P.O. Box 470558, Brookline, MA, 02447-0558

Wellington Walk: Celebrate International Walk To School Day This Wednesday

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Photo: International Walk to School Day.

Wednesday, Oct. 3 marks the 22nd International Walk to School Day, which has become an annual event of pedestrian fun for students, parents and staff of Wellington Elementary.

For nearly a decade, the Wellington has celebrated the day with “celebrity walkers” – teachers, staff, town officials, and a few celebs – who lead groups parents and students from designated locations east and west of Common Street down to the Wellington. 

Beginning in 1997, Walk to School Day is a global event that involves 4,800 schools in more than 40 countries who are all walking and biking to school on the same day with the goal of beginning a worldwide movement for year-round safe routes to schools for walkers and bike riders. The event is sponsored by The National Center for Safe Routes to School which is committed to empowering communities to make walking and bicycling to school a safe, appealing, preferred choice for families.

Want to join? Here are the locations; you can walk from as far away as Grove Street and Unity Avenue (that’s a hike!) to as short as School and Goden streets. Come join the fun.

WHO WHEN WHERE

Ms. Becca Pizzi

World Challenge Marathon Women’s Champion

Ms. Colleen McBride

2nd Grade Teacher

7:30 a.m.

Grove St. and Unity Ave. triangle

Fire Chief David Frizzell

Belmont Fire Department

Mrs. Susan Tudisco

Retired SPED Professional Aide

Mr. Craig McMahan

Music Teacher

7:45 a.m.

Elm St. and Lewis Rd.

Mr. John Phelan

Belmont Schools Superintendent

Mr. Steven Tenhor

4th Grade Teacher

Mrs. JoAnn Papalia

Retired Main Office Clerical Aide

8:00 a.m.

Payson Rd. and Common St.

Ms. Aimee Doherty

Physical Education Teacher

Mrs. Melissa Hart

Belmont Soccer Assoc. Board Member & Coach

8:00 a.m.

Oakley Rd. and Payson Rd. triangle

Ms. Mina Vahedi & Ms. Lindsay DeBello Kindergarten Teachers

Mr. Ray Johnson

PTO Co-President

8:05 a.m.

Horace Rd. and Brettwood Rd.

Mr. Stephen Lambert

Wellington Interim Principal

Ms. Annemarie Stewart

Wellington Assistant Principal

Ms. Sheila Walsh

Wellington Guidance Counselor

8:15 a.m.

Hillcrest Rd. and Common St.

Ms. Joanna Kaselis-Tzouvelis

Mrs. Ali Skelly

Pre-K Teacher

Mr. Jason Greenwood

Speech Therapy

8:15 a.m.

Orchard St. and Amelia St. triangle

Mrs. Kristen (Mrs. B.) Bell

1st Grade Teacher

Ms. Ellen Fink

Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Christina Cammarata

Art Teacher

8:15 a.m.

Hillcrest Rd. and Goden St.

Ms. Meghan Clow

3rd Grade Teacher

Mrs. Meryl Junik

PTO Co-President

8:15 a.m.

Clark St. and Thomas St.

Ms. Rachel Overbeck

Children’s Librarian, Belmont Public Library

Officer Kristine Pugliese

Belmont Police Department

8:20 a.m.

School St. and Goden St.

The Moozy Cow

Moozy’s Ice Cream and Yogurt Emporium

“Joey” Launch Mascot

Launch Watertown

8:20 a.m. Waving to greet everyone

Entrance to Wellington School

 

Want To Vote Nov. 6? Registration Deadline Is Oct. 17; Early Voting Starts Oct. 22

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Photo: Now is the time to register to vote.

If you are looking to vote on the Belmont 7-12 School debt proposal, several ballot questions or for the slew of federal, state or district candidates seeking office this fall, the voter registration deadline is Wednesday, Oct. 17 to be eligible to vote in the Nov. 6 state election.

A person can register to vote in Belmont if:

  • You are living in Belm0nt; and
  • You are at least 18 years old or will be 18 years old on or before Election Day; and
  • You are a citizen of the United States.

Property ownership alone does not entitle a person to register to vote in Belmont; you must also live in Belmont.

In order to be eligible to vote in the upcoming state election, the voter registration must be received or postmarked by the 20th day preceding the election, on Oct. 17.  The Town Clerk’s office will remain open until 8 p.m. to receive voter registrations and changes to voter registrations on Oct. 17.

Check your current voter registration status at the Secretary of State website.

Are you a registered voter in another Massachusetts town or a different state?

If you were a registered to vote in another Massachusetts town or state, you must register to vote in Belmont in order to vote here.  See below for voter registration access.

Have you moved or changed your name since you registered to vote in Belmont or last voted in Belmont? 

The deadline for registered Belmont voters who want to make changes of address within Belmont, or name or party affiliation is also Oct. 17.  See below for voter registration change.

Online Voter Registration for residents who have a current Massachusetts Driver’s License or Massachusetts State ID issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Voter Registration Documents are also available at the Town Clerk’s office in Town Hall, 455 Concord Avenue or online at the Town Clerk’s web pages.

Find out if you are registered to vote and where you vote, sample ballots and more

Change of Belmont address forms for voters who are already registered to vote in Belmont

Change of Party affiliation forms for voters who are already registered to vote in Belmont

Early Voting will be available at Town Hall Oct. 22 starting at 8 a.m. through Nov. 2 at Noon.

Any registered voter of Belmont can choose to cast an Early Voting ballot for this election. Belmont’s Early Voting will take place only at Town Hall; the Early Voting Period is dictated by law.  Early Voting is different from Absentee Voting, in that any voter can cast an Early Voting ballot but only those voters who qualify may request us to mail an Absentee Ballot (see the qualifications below).  If you’ll be in Belmont during the Early Voting period, why not consider stopping into Town Hall to cast your ballot instead of having us mail an Absentee Ballot to your home?

The full schedule of extended Early Voting times and dates, including evening and Saturday hours, will be published next week and updated on the Town Clerk’s web pages,

Starting Oct. 1, Close Your Trash Lids Or You’ll Be Left At The Curb

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Photo: NO! The incorrect way to leave your trash carts for the hauler.

Starting Monday, Oct 1, trash carts whose lids are not fully closed will be left behind on the curb. And don’t go crying to the town about having to wait a week to have your garbage taken away.

That’s the word from Belmont Department of Public Works Director Jay Marcotte who told the Board of Selectmen at its Friday, Sept. 29 meeting that Waste Management – Belmont’s hauler of household garbage and recyclables since July 1 – has decided it was the right time to have the Town of Homes follow the procedures the company has at its service locations around the country. 

The reason the lids must be closed is to prevent spillage from overflowing carts when they are lifted into the receptacle trucks. 

For those residents who are scofflaws to this new enforcement measure, Waste Management will sticker barrels that are not closed or have unofficial bags on top of trash barrel lid. The town will not send the hauler back to empty stickered trash. Those citizens will have to wait until the following week and then the process must be done correctly; the cart lid closed and excess trash placed in official overflow bags next to the cart.

While Mike Santoro, the head of the highway division, said there is a little leeway for carts whose lids are slightly open, Selectman Mark Paolillo – who has become a crusader against wayward trash around town – was rigid in his support of a completed closed lid, saying there should be no wavering in the law’s application, noting he regularly uses the supplemental bags.

The overflow bags can be purchased at Star Market on Trapelo Road, Hillside True Value on Blanchard Road and the DPW Office at 19 Moore St. The cost is $15 for a sleeve containing five 32-gallon bags.