Dorrance Leaving Facilities, Third Department Head To Leave In Past Month

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Photo: Steve Dorrance

Steve Dorrance, Belmont’s influential director of facilities who held the job for the past two and a half years, has been hired by the city of Haverhill to maintain its 41 school and city buildings.

Dorrance is the third department director who has or is leaving Belmont’s Town Hall complex in the past month, joining Human Resources’ Jessica Porter and the Town Accountant Chitra Subramanian.

Dorrance’s final day in Belmont is Nov. 27.

In an announcement by Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini, the city’s School Committee voted on Oct. 29 to provide the Georgetown native a three-year contract with an annual salary of $145,000. Dorrance’s current salary is in the $125,000 range.

Since 2018, Dorrance has been a prominent member of each of Belmont’s development and redevelopment projects including the $295 million Belmont Middle and High School as well as advocating for a greater investment in infrastructure and maintenance.

In an (Lawrence) Eagle-Tribune article, Haverhill School Superintendent Margaret Marotta said Dorrance’s experience taking a leadership role with Massachusetts School Building Authority projects was important to the department’s decision.

“Given our school buildings projects, which include several large-scale multimillion-dollar initiatives such as district-wide HVAC repairs, a new high school gymnasium roofing project nearing acceptance with the Massachusetts School Building Authority, and the ongoing Consentino School building project, in addition to our day-to-day and COVID-19 related custodial management and supervision expectations, we are particularly pleased to have such an impressive leader joining the team,” Marotta said in the article.

Soccer Night In Belmont Returns Nov 7, Nov 11

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Photo: Belmont girls in action

The Belmont High School Girls’ and Boys’ Varsity soccer teams will headline the 5th annual Soccer Night in Belmont matches on Saturday, Nov. 7 (Girls’) and Wednesday, Nov. 11 (Boys’), both games vs. Arlington High. A modified version event is planned this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the teams will still vie for the Phoenix Cup and the honor of having their team’s name engraved on it.

Normally, the varsity players are joined at the event by hundreds of younger players from the Belmont Soccer Association, their coaches, and thousands of other members of the Belmont soccer community.  This year, fans will not be permitted to enter Harris Field, but the community can watch live thanks to the Belmont Media Center on one of these Comcast channels: 8, 9, or 96 or Verizon channels: 28, 29, 30 or 2130. In addition, you can watch the live stream via www.belmontmedia.org.

The girls will take to the Harris Field to take on the Spy Ponders Saturday afternoon, Nov. 7 at 4 .p.m. The boys will face their Middlesex League rivals at 9 a.m. on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11.

“This event showcases our varsity teams and recognizes the role of Belmont Youth Soccer in nurturing the talent that makes up these teams year in and year out,” said event organizer and founder John Carson. “Despite the pandemic, we can all tune in to support our varsity teams on live television.”

In addition to the trophy, the Players of the Match will be awarded following each game, with each player receiving a new pair of cleats thanks to Puma, a longtime Soccer Night in Belmont supporter.

Soccer Night in Belmont is sponsored by the Belmont Soccer Association, Belmont Boosters, Parents of Music Students (POMS), Phoenix Landing, and Friends of Belmont Soccer (FOBS), with special thanks Belmont High Athletic Director Jim Davis.

Belmont Votes: 2020 Presidential Election

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Photo: Go out and get your sticker

Voting in the Massachusetts Presidential Election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3. 

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters wishing to cast their ballot on Election Day must go to their assigned voting precinct.

All voters are requested to wear a mask when entering the polling place to keep our election workers and other voters safe. Please be alert to the changes in the flow of access for each precinct as the layouts have been changed to support proper social distance. In most cases, one-way access has been instituted. Please be patient as a limited number of voters will be permitted in the polling places at any time.

Belmont’s voting precincts:

  • Precinct One: Belmont Memorial Library, Assembly Room, 336 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct Two: Belmont Town Hall, Select Board Room 455 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct Three: Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct Four: Daniel Butler School Gym, 90 White St.
  • Precinct Five: Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct Six: Belmont Fire Headquarters, 299 Trapelo Rd.
  • Precinct Seven: Burbank School Gym, 266 School St.
  • Precinct Eight: Winn Brook School Gym, 97 Waterhouse Road, Enter From Cross St.

Inactivated Voters

Voters who have been informed that their voting status has been changed to Inactive should be prepared to present identification before being permitted to vote.

If You Requested a Vote By Mail Ballot But Prefer to Vote In Person

Voters who have requested an absentee or an early vote by mail ballot should expect that the precinct will check with the Town Clerk to determine if a ballot has already been received for that voter.

All the information you need to know about elections in Belmont can be found here.