Indigenous Peoples’ Day Is Monday, Oct. 14: What’s Open/Closed In Belmont; Trash Pickup Delayed By A Day

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Photo: Monday is a federal holiday.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day, celebrated annually on the second Monday of October – this year Oct. 14 – is a new federal holiday observed by the Town of Belmont to celebrate Native American peoples and commemorate their histories and cultures. 

You can read an essay on the native people who live in what is today’s Belmont by resident Dr. Mark Jarzombek, PhD, a history and theory of architecture professor at the MIT School of Architecture and Planning that was first published in the Belmont Citizen’s Forum of March/April 2024.

Curb side trash and recycling pickup will be delayed by one day due to the holiday.

What’s Closed:

  • Belmont Town offices, Belmont Public Library, and Belmont Light are closed.
  • The US Postal Service will not deliver mail, and post offices are closed.
  • Most banks, although branches will be open in some supermarkets.

What’s Opened:

  • Retail stores
  • Coffee shops
  • Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts
  • Supermarkets and convenience stores
  • Establishments that sell beer and wine are also allowed to be open.

MBTA: Holidays such as Juneteenth, Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples Day, and Veterans Day do not have modified schedules; all services will operate on a regular schedule today and on those days.

Belmont High Football Gets Off The Schneid With 9-6 Road Victory At Lexington

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Photo: Belmont High kicker John Townsend lines up the winning field goal vs. Lexington High.

After being blown out (and shutout) in three of its first four games, Belmont High Football finally put together just enough offense to support an outstanding defensive performance to walk off of Lexington High grass field with its first victory of the season, 9-6, over hosts the Minutemen.

A 80 yard kick off return by junior Casey Regan to start the second half and a clutch 26 yard field goal from senior John Townsend with just under five minutes remaining put Belmont in the win column (1-4) and gave Belmont Head Coach Francois Joseph his first career varsity victory.

“It feels great,” said Joseph, with what was left of his voice, after the game held on Thursday night in windy and cold conditions that included a rare peek of the aurora borealis.

“It’s our first year with a whole new group and we didn’t want to go 0-for. I just wanted to give the seniors an experience and just wanted to win one game for them. I want them to remember this game and how they gutted it out,” said Joseph.

While there were several candidates for “player of the match”, the honor would certainly be handed out to the four defensive linemen – seniors Daniel Martins and Zak Zaddem and juniors Enzo Passos and Seamus Murphy – that made the night a Halloween-like nightmare for the Minutemen offense.

The match itself wasn’t pretty in any manner of speaking. The first half resembled a reenactment of a medieval battle with both sides ramming into each other in between the 20s, ending in a characterless 0-0 stale-mate. But all that changed when Regan gathered the second half kick then sprinted down the right sideline untouched, giving Belmont its first lead of the season and scoring for only the second time since the final minute against Cambridge.

Belmont would show streaks of offensive punch with senior QB Wyatt Sclafani at the helm including flipping the field when a quarterback scramble picked up 28 yards to the Minutemen 39 yard line in the third quarter.

Belmont experienced some anxiety in the final quarter after Sclafani left the game suffering from an acute calf injury. But replacement signal caller junior Kyle Curtis produced a timely 15 yard pass over the middle to junior Andre Chavushian placing the ball on the Lexington 9 yard line with 7 minutes to go. Four plays later, Townsend – an outstanding kicker on Belmont’s top-ranked rugby squad – coolly drilled the ball through the uprights to increase Belmont’s advantage to 9-0 with 4:48 to play.

“[Townsend] is one of the best kickers in the state and we haven’t been able to get him close enough to make kicks like that,” said Joseph, who says Townsend routinely kicks 40-45 yard field goals in practice.

Lexington quickly cut the Marauders’ lead back to one possession with a 79-yard pitch and catch to wide receiver Amari Mow to cut Belmont’s lead to 9-6 after the missed PAT. And the Minutemen would have one final opportunity after blocking Townsend’s attempted punt with 2:23 to go. But the D line would come up big keeping the Minutemen in check. A 4th down pass was knocked down to seal the W.

“With the win, the team can now look ahead for a second win and then a third,” said Joseph.

Belmont will travel to neighboring Arlington on Friday night, kick off at 6:30 p.m.

Mill Street Construction Work Beings Thursday, Oct. 10; Will Disrupt Traffic For Three Weeks [Map]

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Photo: Contruction starts at 7 a.m. on Thursday

On Thursday Oct. 10, town contractor Newport Construction will begin day-time road construction work on Mill Street between Trapelo Road and Stanley Road. The estimated time the work will be completed – which will impact travel around McLean’s Hospital – is three weeks.

North bound traffic will remain open during the day. Residents and commuters should seek alternate routes between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we thank you for your patience,” read a press release. For any questions or concerns about the project, contact Tom Hodgson of the Town of Belmont’s Engineering Division at 617-993-2656

Late Goal, Later Save Secures Belmont High Field Hockey Win Over Winchester; Top 10 Reading On Thursday

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Photo: Belmont High junior co-captain Mackenzie Clarke

Belmont High senior co-captain Ryan Brodigan’s game-winning goal with three minutes remaining followed by a match saving stop by first year netminder Zoe Bruce with less than 10 seconds left on the clock securing a key 3-2 victory over a top-ranked Winchester squad on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at Harris Field.

The afternoon matinee was a back and forth affair that was contested between the scoring circles with both team’s outstanding junior midfielders – Winchester’s Samantha Gal (2 goals) and Belmont’s Mackenzie Clarke (1 goal, 1 assist) – directing the offenses.

Belmont twice took the lead – through an early first quarter goal from Brynn Connolly and a spot penalty shot by co-captain Clarke in the second quarter – only to see the Red and Black answer back to knot the game entering the final quarter. The match was finally decided by the steady pressure applied by the Marauders which bottled up Winchester in its end of the pitch.

The game winner came when Belmont intercepted a Rossoneri clearing attempt. Clarke advanced the ball off the left side just outside the scoring circle than sent a low screamer that found Brodigan who slotted the ball into the back of the net with 3:07 remaining.

But Winchester would not get on their bus without a final say when the Red and Black had a clear shot at the net in the final ten clicks of the game. But Bruce, who was playing in her eighth ever game in the nets, denied the shot that would have stolen a win from Belmont’s grasp.

“I’m sure I burned 9,000 calories during the game,” Belmont Field Hockey Head Coach Jess Smith told her team after the match. Smith reflected on the total team effort that secured the victory.

“”It’s like what [Brodigan] said [after the game], ‘Everyone brought it today. Everybody worked as hard as they could for as long as they could.’ When I took kids off the field and gave them instructions, they made the moves I asked them to make.”

The victory was the fourth of seven consecutive win for the Marauders (9-2-0) keeping them in the mix for the Middlesex Liberty title. In the latest MIAA power rankings – which will determine the placement of the teams in the divisional playoffs – rated Belmont 10th in Division 1.

Belmont will welcome one-loss Reading Memorial – 6th in the Boston Globe top 20 poll – to Harris Field on Thursday, Oct. 10 as the 18th ranked Marauders will seek redemption for a 2-1 away loss to the Rockets in the fourth game of the season. The ball gets rolling at 4:15 p.m.

The Winchester victory had its origins a fortnight before after a disappointing performance against the leading team in the Middlesex Liberty division. After loss, 2-1, at the time an unbeaten Reading on Sept. 13, which left her team at .500 at 2-2, Smith identified fairly quickly the major problem plaguing the team.

“We may have had a slight advantage on the field, but with the exception of Clarke, we just weren’t taking that many shots on their goal. We didn’t give ourselves the opportunities we could have had,” said Smith.

So, on the next Sunday before a busy week on the pitch, Smith called an extra evening practice where the players had one objective: firing balls into the net. The extra work appeared to do the trick for the next three games as the Marauder took home three wins netted 17 goals.

Complimenting the reenergized offense has been the Marauders outstanding trio of defenders. Belmont’s backline of junior Niamh Leskin, sophomore Elise Lankin-Schultz with senior co-captain Ana Hopkins anchoring the middle of the defense proving themselves as one the league’s leading D-lines with the quickness to cover speedy forwards and the ability to slide into the offense on the counter attack.

“The backs are really pushing their forwards and midfield away from the [scoring] circle,” said Smith.

“Normally, I tend to hang back,” said Hopkins. “But Coach [Smith] was just talking about pushing up the field. It really helps to just go for the ball because Elise and Niamh can get back on defense quickly. We did that against Watertown (a good performance despite a 0-3 final score line) and when the forwards press, it definitely helps a lot,” she said.

Smith remains hopeful the team can continue to mesh the offense and defense to find success in the backend of the season.

“They really pulled through and got it done. That was a huge win so now we got to keep rolling.”

State Rep. Rogers Is Holding October Office Hours

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Photo: Belmont’s State Rep Dave Rogers

State Rep. Dave Rogers, who represents Belmont and parts of Cambridge and Arlington, has announced his October office hours. They are:

If you wish to speak to Rogers directly, email your comments to Dave.Rogers@mahouse.gov so that he can ensure that he will be attending. If Rogers cannot make it, he can always set up a meeting at a mutually convenient time.

HOOONNNKKKK! Touch A Truck Returns To Belmont Center On Saturday, Oct. 12

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Photo: Large vehicles like a Belmont Fire Truck will be at Touch A Truck this Saturday

Bring your noise cancelling headsets or earplugs! The noise returns to Belmont.

Belmont Youth Activities and D.A.R.E. Inc. in partnership with Belmont Center Business Association will present Belmont Touch-A-Truck on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cavlcade of vehicles will be located at the Claflin Street Municipal Parking Lot in Belmont Center.

Take a tour of the parking lot for an up-close view of tractors, trucks, diggers, police cars, and fire engines from Belmont DPW, Light, Fire, and Police along with several local businesses and potentially room for a couple more. Sit in the driver’s seat, honk the horn, and take a photo in the front end shovel of the construction vehicles.

The rain date is Saturday, Oct. 19.

Belmont High Girls Volleyball Host ‘Marauders Dig Pink’ Match On Thursday, Oct. 10 [VIDEO]

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Photo: Funds raised by Side-Out go toward a clinical trial specifically for patients with stage 4 breast cancer,

Belmont High Girls Volleyball is hosting a “Dig Pink” match on Thursday, Oct. 10 against Reading with the junior varsity/first year game starting at 4:15 p.m. with the varsity to follow at 5:30 p.m. The team is raising funds for the Side-Out Foundation, a metastatic breast cancer research organization. There will be a concession stand and link/QR code for fans to donate to the cause. 

Belmont High Head Coach Jen Couture said the team is “excited to be part of The Side-Out Foundation and its Dig Pink initiative, and we need our fan’s help to make our campaign successful.”

Funds raised for Side-Out go toward a clinical trial specifically for patients with stage 4 breast cancer, the most advanced form of the disease and the least funded area of research.

Town Looks To Revamp Its Website From ‘Meh’ To ‘Wow’

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Photo: Out with the old: A new and improved town website will be rolled out later in the fall

As one resident said at a recent Select Board meeting, the best word to describe the Town of Belmont’s current website would be “meh.” He called it an example of a “last generation utilitarian site” with the basic components like a calendar, notices, and lists of departments and committees, but lacks that “wow” factor that would draw the average residents to use it.

But in the next month or so, the town will be launching a revamped website with a brand new appearance that will bring a vastly improved user experience the town is hoping will engage the public.

“We’ll be rolling out a new website later this fall,” said Belmont Town Administrator Patrice Garvin last week, with the aim of “putting a lot more on the website so people can easily access information and then, obviously, making more transparent,” she said.

“Hopefully it will have a new look and definitely a better and more information,” said Select Board Vice Chair Matt Taylor at the board’s meeting.

The path to building the new town website began in 2019 after complaints piled up for years pointing to the site’s rather meager usability.

“There was a lot of complaints that we had outdated material, you couldn’t find anything, and it’s hard to navigate and the like,” Garvin told the board. The site was “sorely in need updating,” she said.

The new website’s evolution resembles a relay race: A committee started to work out a solution before the pandemic that resulted in a list of recommendations “where we should be going,” said Garvin. A consultant was engaged to create a concept which was followed up by a review by key town officials Finance Director Jennifer Hewitt and the DPW’s Matt Haskell. Recently they passed the baton over to the town’s new Chief Innovative Officer Chris McClure who is tasked to “bring [the new site] over the finish line” where the goal is that it will be “more numble and efficient,” said Garvin.

Before an official launch date, the public will catch glimpse of the new design and features on the website as it is updated.

“At some point soon, we’re going to do some demos and tests,” said Garvin. “We’re very excited about that.”

Belmont Health Holding COVID/Flu Vaccine Clinics In October

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Photo: Belmont Health Department’s next COVID/flu vaccine clinics Oct. 22, Oct. 30

The fall marks the beginning of the cold, flu and COVID season so join Belmont Health Department’s next COVID/flu vaccine clinics on:

  • Tuesday Oct. 22, and
  • Wednesday Oct. 30.

Register here: www.starmarket.com/vaccinations/group-clinic/TownofBelmontVAX

The clinics will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Beth El Temple Center, 2 Concord Ave. The updated COVID-19 vaccine is available for anyone 12 years and older. There will also be flu vaccine (regular and high dose), RSV, Pneumonia, Tetanus/Whooping cough (TDAP), and shingles vaccines available for those eligible. Contact your primary care doctor with any questions about eligibility.

Please call the Health Department with any questions, concerns, or for help registering at 617-993-2720.

Belmont Light’s Second Annual Public Power Week Open House On Monday, Oct. 7

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Photo: The Open House will take place on Monday from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Belmont Light will be hosting its second annual Open House in honor of Public Power Week.

The Open House will take place on Monday, Oct. 7 from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Belmont Light’s headquarters located at 40 Prince St., and will feature activities for the whole family such as:

  • Touch-a-Truck
  • Dress as a Line Worker
  • Safety Demonstrations
  • Kids Activities, and more

Public Power Week is a national event celebrating community-owned utilities and their benefits, such as reliability, accountability, and local focus.

Parking is available onsite. Refreshments will be served.