Photos: Sophia Estok and Zach Tseng.
Belmont Boosters’ October Athletes of the Month are:
• Sophomore Sophia Estok of the Belmont High School Girls Volleyball Team
• Senior Zach Tseng of the Belmont High School Boys Cross Country Team.
Letter to the Editor: A Quieter Leaf Blower and Community
Dear folks,There’s something I’d love to give thanks for next year at this time – a world, or at least a town, without leaf blowers. I actually forbid our landscaper a few years ago from using one after a spring when one of his workers blew down hundreds of our daffodils. Now he uses a rake on the lawn and a broom on the driveway; and the leaves that fall on the garden stay there to turn into mulch. He doesn’t complain, actually, and he didn’t raise his rates.I was inspired to find this website by a letter in last Sunday’s Globe: https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/letters/2017/11/19/that-sound-you-hear-push-for-quieter-leaf-blowing-solutions/VCTX5eJlmBawTBVfY0Up8I/story.htmlHere’s the organization’s site: https://www.quietcommunities.org/Wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving,Sue BassConcord Avenue
‘Play, Music!’: 76 Belmont Student Musicians Earn Acceptance to Senior District Festival
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The following announcement is from Arto Asadoorian, director of Visual & Performing Arts for the Belmont Public Schools.
This past Saturday, Nov. 18, 132 students from Belmont High School traveled to North Andover High School to audition for the Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) Northeastern Senior District Festival. These students spent weeks and months preparing an audition that required them to perform a piece of solo repertoire and demonstrate high levels of proficiency playing selected scales and sight reading. Auditions are judged by professional musicians, and the highest performing students are selected to perform in the MMEA-NED Band, Chorus, Orchestra, and Jazz Ensemble.
This year we are very proud to announce that 76 students from Belmont High School were accepted in the Senior District Festival. The question I will be asked by many in the community is, “Is this the most students that have ever been accepted?” The answer to that question is, “I really have no idea!”, since we don’t keep statistics like this on hand. What I can say is that I have been writing these e-mails every year for quite a while, and I don’t ever remember typing a number higher than 77.
Along with the students who were accepted, we must also congratulate those who auditioned and were not accepted – some by only the narrowest of margins. There are dozens of students who were one or two points shy of being accepted, which of course tells us that they are well-deserving of a place in the District ensembles.
The fact that so many of our students perform so well at these auditions each year is a direct result of their hard work, the support they receive from their parents, the excellence of the teaching faculty who work with them, and to the high value, our community places on music education in our schools.
Below is the list of students who were accepted to perform at the 2018 MMEA-NED Senior District Festival. Congratulations to these students and their families on this impressive achievement!
| Idris Abercrombie | Trombone |
| Rebecca Anderson | Tuba |
| Eli Barnes | Chorus |
| Merrill Barnes | Chorus |
| Sam Bastille | Chorus |
| James Boyle | Chorus |
| Stephen Carvalho | Chorus |
| Alyssa Chen | Violin |
| Jason Chen | Clarinet |
| Jessica Chen | Viola |
| Katarina Chen | Viola |
| Grace Christensen | Chorus |
| Miriam Cubstead | Chorus |
| Eleanor Dash | Trumpet |
| Sylvian Davidson | Tenor Saxophone |
| Tori Dignan | Chorus |
| Emily Duffy | Chorus |
| Garrett Eagar | Trombone |
| Joia Findeis | Viola |
| Mariko Findell | Euphonium |
| Elizabeth Galli | Chorus |
| Mary Galstian | Chorus |
| Christopher Giron | Bassoon |
| Alicia Grassia | French Horn |
| Catherine Graves | Chorus |
| Cameron Gurwell | Euphonium |
| Sammy Haines | Chorus |
| Honor Hickman | Jazz Tenor Saxophone |
| Eva Hill | Chorus |
| Allen Jang | Chorus |
| Seiyoung Jang | Trumpet |
| Wonyoung Jang | Euphonium |
| Ethan Jin | Jazz Trumpet |
| Nate Jones | Jazz Trombone |
| Daniel Joh Kang | Violin |
| Emily Kim | Violin |
| Isabelle Kim | Violin |
| Edward Lee | Chorus |
| Miro Leeb | Viola |
| David Leigh | Flute |
| Meri Lochhead | Chorus |
| Chris Lynch | Trumpet |
| Philip Lynch | Trumpet |
| Raffi Majikian | Chorus |
| Jackson Mann | Chorus |
| Natalie Marcus-Bauer | Chorus |
| Clare Martin | Alto Saxophone |
| Noah Merfeld | Chorus |
| Matthew Miller | Clarinet |
| Sebastian Newell | Chorus |
| Charlotte Nilsen | String Bass |
| Christina Noonan | Chorus |
| Alex Park | Jazz Trumpet |
| Chloe Park | Trombone |
| Jessica Peng | Flute |
| Calvin Perkins | Trumpet |
| Olivia Pierce | Chorus |
| Elisabeth Pitts | Chorus |
| Audrey Quinn | Violin |
| Connor Quinn | Chorus |
| Valentine Reynolds | Chorus |
| Annalise Schlaug | Cello |
| Becca Schwartz | Chorus |
| Lila Searls | Alto Saxophone |
| Walter Shen | Chorus |
| Ian Svetkey | Chorus |
| Jason Tang | Clarinet |
| Will Thomas | Chorus |
| Shankar Veludandi | Chorus |
| Allan Wang | Clarinet |
| Alex Wilk | Viola |
| Amy Wu | Oboe |
| Andrew Xu | Bass Clarinet |
| Alex Yang | Cello |
| Clark Zhang | Oboe |
| Henry Zuccarello | Trombone |
Rats Begone! Joey’s Park Reopened; Town Asks Patrons To Carry Out Trash/Food
Photo: Joey’s Park, certified rat free.
After being closed for nearly a month due to an infestation of rats, Joey’s Park will reopen Wednesday, Nov. 22 – just in time for the Thanksgiving Holiday – to the public after the “rodent problem” has been resolved, according to a press release from the Belmont Department of Health.
The play structure adjacent to the Winn Brook Elementary School on Cross Street has been off-limits to the public since mid-October when the Belmont Department of Public Works and the Health Department discovered rats nesting in and around the facility. The town contracted Assurance Pest Solutions, a professional pest control operator to both investigate and treat the infestation using a non-chemical irritant to force the rodents out of the area.
“We are pleased to inform you that the rodent problem has been safely resolved at Joey’s Park and the park is again open for Belmont residents and the general public to enjoy!” read the press release.
To help prevent future rodent infestations at Joey’s Park, the Health Department is encouraging those using the park “to carry in/carry out any food, drinks, and trash items, which may attract nuisance wildlife to the area.”
Put Your Two Cents In: New Belmont High On-Line Survey Ends Nov. 30
Photo: Survey illustration.
The Belmont High School Building Project Community Input Survey is online, and the residents behind the proposed development want to hear from you! Share your opinions on the Belmont High School Building Project by filling out the BHSBC Survey HERE before the end of the month.
The Belmont High School Building Committee has received surveys from more than 1,200 community members, but we still want to hear from you. Take five minutes to complete the survey before the Nov. 30 deadline.
You can also sign up for email updates and learn more about the project, including timelines, videos, meeting schedules, presentations, and more, at www.belmonthighschoolproject.org
Questions can be sent to: BHS-BC@belmont-ma.gov
Bradford Update: First Steel Frame Going Up After Thanksgiving
Photo: The foundation takes form at the future home of the Bradford in Belmont.
The metal superstructure for the first of three buildings will begin raising from the ground next week as work on The Bradford project marches on, according to the latest news from the former Cushing Village site.
The structural steel erection of the Winslow building – on the former municipal parking lot adjacent Trapelo and Williston roads – “will begin after Thanksgiving and continue through the end of the year,” said Otto Weiss, project manager for property owner and developer Toll Brothers Apartment Living.
Also, sewer tie-in work on Williston Road for the new building was expected to be completed this week with no further in-road utility work scheduled for the near future, noted Weiss.
The Winslow, a three-story residential structure with ground level stores, is expected to be the first building completed by the team in approximately the early fall of 2018. The Winslow will be the location of the new Starbucks Cafe, replacing the popular coffee shop leveled in the spring.
In other news, foundation work is moving forward at the Hyland building site – located at the corner of Belmont and Common streets – while excavation of the large parking garage and the Pomona building, at the intersection of Trapelo and Common, will continue through the winter. The Pomona will house a 35,000 square foot retail space, a centerpiece of the 168,000 sq.-ft. apartment/retail/parking complex.
The development is expected to be fully occupied and all detail work finished by the first day of 2020.
Outside the construction site, the MBTA will be relocating one of its catenary poles located along Trapelo Road. While this work in not being performed by Toll Brothers or its construction partners Nauset, “we are unable to give you specific scheduling information, it’s our understanding that the work may take place during the week of the [Nov.] 27th and will be done off hours,” noted Weiss.
Finalists for Town Administrator’s Post to Meet the Public Dec. 5
Photo: Shirley Town Administrator Patrice Garvin (left) and Kevin Sweet, town administrator in Maynard.
The working group created to nominate candidates to fill the post of Belmont Town Administrator recommended two finalists who will meet with town officials, department heads and the public in the first week of December.
Shirley Town Administrator Patrice Garvin and Kevin Sweet, town administrator in Maynard were selected by the Temporary Town Administrator Screening Committee with help from the management firm of Gerux White Consulting and presented to the Belmont Board of Selectmen on Monday morning, Nov. 20.
The selectmen will vote for the new administrator at its scheduled Monday, Dec. 11 meeting after the candidates are presented to town employees and residents on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. in Town Hall.
The candidates will fill the position vacated earlier this year when David Kale returned to Cambridge after serving four years in Belmont.
Committee chair Catherine Bowen along with Rick White of Gerux White Consulting, the municipal management consulting firm that recruits chief executives and other key staff, told the board it had whittled down the number of candidates from 19 in September to 10 and then three with one of the finalists dropping out at the last moment. Bowen noted the committee “accelerated” the process “mindful of the of the market for town administrators” is quite strong
“We would love to have more [applicants] … but we believe the remaining candidates are strong,” said Bowen, with each seasoned and with a proven track record.”
“We were looking for candidates with the proclivity and inclination to with independent boards and residents on difficult decisions in the future,” said White.
According to his blog site, Sweet “joined the Town of Maynard in 2009, and served in a variety of leadership roles as the Director of Public Health, Executive Director of Municipal Services and Assistant Town Administrator. On April 1, 2013, he began his tenure as Town Administrator.” Sweet received his bachelor and master of science degrees from Massachusetts Maritime Academy and a Masters in Public Administration from Norwich University.
You can find out more about Sweet here.
Garvin has been Town Administrator in Shirley since 2013. She previously served for six years as executive assistant to the Groton Town Manager and before that was recording secretary for selectmen and other boards in Chelmsford from 2004-2008. Garvin received her bachelor of science degrees in political science and sociology from Suffolk University and matriculated at Boston College where she earned her master’s in education, developmental and educational psychology.
In a recent evaluation of her job performance, Garvin received high marks from the Shirley selectmen.
Garvin has been quite active in the town administrator job market having been a finalist in three previous towns; Leicester, Upton and Easton. In September, Garvin just missed out being named Easton’s administrator, coming out on the short end of a 3-2 vote, her chances reportedly hurt by the town’s residency requirement.
Sweet has also placed his name and experience out in the market, having been a finalist in Scituate.
“This is a big deal for us,” said Selectman Mark Paolillo on the upcoming decision. “It a big decision that will affect the town for years.”
Immigrants Tell Their Stories at Belmont Interfaith Thanksgiving Service This Sunday
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The iconic Mayflower story of the Puritan Pilgrims voyage to the New World is the first tale of immigrants coming to Massachusetts. On Sunday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. at Beth El Temple Center, 2 Concord Ave., the Belmont Clergy Association will host the group’s annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service.
This year, instead of a sermon, there will be several short testimonies from today’s immigrants on the blessings and challenges of making a home here in America. There will also be readings and songs, with representation from Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Baha’i voices.
Participants will include:
- Rabbi Jonathan Kraus and Cantor Louise Treitman, Beth El Temple Center
- Rev. Joe Zarro, Plymouth Congregational Church
- Holly Javedan and Jen Hoyda, Baha’i faith
- Rev. Joseph Garabedian, First Armenian Church
- Rev. David Bryce and Sana Saeed, First Church in Belmont Unitarian Universalist
- Rev. Eric Wefald, Payson Park Congregational Church
- Father Thom Mahoney, New Roads Catholic Community
- Farah Abbas, Belmont Muslim Friends
There will be an Interfaith Choir singing, led by Cantor Treitman. If you are interested in singing in this choir, please arrive at 6 p.m., and if you are interested in getting advance music, you can contact Cantor Treitman at cantortreitman@betheltemplecenter.org.
Light refreshments will be served after worship, and we will be taking a collection to benefit the Belmont Food Pantry.
BREAKING: Teachers’ Union, School Committee Reach Tentative Contract Agreement
Photo: Belmont Education Association logo.
After working without a contract for the past two and a half months, representatives from the union representing Belmont’s teachers and the School Committee told the Belmontonian they had reached a tentative multi-year contract.
While attorneys for both sides are hammering out the final wording, a contract will be presented to the union membership and the school committee members “soon,” said John Phelan, superintendent of the Belmont School District.
“We have come to an agreement,” said John Sullivan, president of the Belmont Education Association on Tuesday night.
A joint press release will be issued with the contract’s details including salary and benefits “before Thanksgiving.”
The contract will cover approximately 500 union members, of which 330 are teachers and educators in Belmont’s six public schools and those working in the district. The BEA employee contract is the largest in the town; at $26.2 million in fiscal year 2018, it just under half of the school budget of $53.0 million.
The last three-year contract between teachers and the town ended on Aug. 31, just days before the school year began.
Sources said the delay in forming a contract was due to benefits and added responsibilities being asked of educators rather than salaries.
Belmont Swimmers/Divers Head to States After Claiming 4th in North Sectionals
Photo: Belmont’s 2017 senior swimmers: Alison Sawyer, Sophie Lefebvre, Olive Kozelian, Olivia Hardy, Caroline Daskalakis, Julia Cunningham, Julia Bozkurtian. (Captains: Kozelian, Daskalakis, Cunningham and Bozkurtian)
A strong performance against some of the toughest Division 1 competition last Saturday has Belmont looking for a top-five finish as the Marauders head to the Division 2 state finals early Sunday morning in Worcester, Nov. 19.
Belmont’s 165 point total at the North Sectionals at MIT, Saturday, Nov. 11 earned the Marauders fourth place, one point ahead of Middlesex League rival Melrose. Andover took the title with 409 points followed by Reading (356) and Acton-Boxborough (264).
After so many recent season without top-line sprint talent, Belmont has three as junior Sophie Butte and senior Julia Bozkurtian both recorded season-best times in the 50 yard freestyle with Butte finishing fourth in 24.74 seconds and Bozkurtian in seventh in 25.49, while sophomore Anna Doherty brought home a 10th place medal taking nearly a second off her best for a 25.68.
Bozkurtian returned to the sprints with an eighth in the 100 free (55.35) while Butte equaled her teammate’s placement in the 100 backstroke in 1 minute 1.84 seconds, dropping nearly four seconds from her qualifying time. Senior Julia Cunningham took two and half seconds off her previous best to grab 12th in the 100 butterfly in 1:02.49 while Doherty finished 15th in 1:02.86. Cunningham would come back with a one-point grab taking 16th in the grueling 500 free (5:44.19, taking 11 seconds off her best) following sophomore teammate Mary Kilcoyne who finished 13th in 5:42.80.
Belmont put two swimmers in the scoring column in the 100 breaststroke with junior Angela Li (1:12.07) and sophomore Katarina Chen (1:13.41) coming in 12th and 15th.
Over in the diving area, two of Belmont’s three freshmen competed with Marina Cataldo finishing in 10th with 328.95 points followed by Sophie Cormier (319.2 points) in 12th. Also scoring for the Marauders was Li in the tough 200 individual medley coming in 11th in 2:17.29.
Belmont garnered a total of 72 points from three outstanding relays; a 9th in the 200 free (Doherty, Olive Kozelian, Kate Sandage and Anna Bauerle in 1:47.72), 7th in the 200 medley (Butte, Li, senior Julia Cunningham and Bozkurtian in 1:55.32, an improvement of four seconds from qualifying) and 4th in the premier relay event, the 400 as Doherty, Li, Bozkurtian and Butte powered through in 3:44.00, taking 4th.
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