Sports: Belmont Baseball Punches Ticket Early For 14th Playoff Trip

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Nate Espelsda

After a mid-season stumble in the past fortnight, Belmont High School Baseball appears to have straightened out some nagging problems on the mound and at the plate.

The result: two wins on Friday and Monday, securing the Marauders’ 14th trip to the Division 2 North Sectional playoffs.

On Friday, the 13th, Belmont Head Coach Jim Brown handed the ball to 10th grader Nate Espelsda who won his third game of the season (3-1) and second against the Tanners as the Marauders claimed a 7-3 victory.                                                                                                                                                                                                   

All-star junior catcher Cal Christofori hit a homer and a double to collect three RBIs in win as Espelsda’s fellow sophomore Max Meier came on in relief.

On Monday, Belmont’s ace senior pitcher Cole Bartels recorded his third shutout this spring as the Marauders’, behind 3-3 hitting from Connor Dacey, defeated host Lexington 6-0.

Belmont (11-3) will be busy this week with three games:

  • Wednesday, May 18 v. Winchester at the Grant (home), 3:45 p.m.
  • Thursday, May 19 @ Arlington Catholic, 3:45 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 21 @ Reading, 4 p.m.

The Write Stuff: Blacker Awards Presented Wednesday, May 18

By Leave a Comment

Photo: The Blacker Awards.

The Belmont High School English Department invite residents and the public to the presentation of the annual Lillian F. Blacker Prizes for Excellence in Writing this Wednesday, May 18, at 6:30 p.m. in the Peter Holland Library at Belmont High School. 

This year, three seniors; Sophie Klimasmith, Emma Pierce-Hoffman, and Abi Judge, will be honored for their outstanding writing. 

The Blacker Prizes are presented each year to three BHS seniors for outstanding writing ability on their senior theses. Each senior reads, researches, and writes a lengthy thesis paper investigating a literary topic. English faculty members determine the winners after an extensive reading process.

At the awards ceremony, the Blacker Prize winners will read from their papers and discuss the evolution of their ideas. Underclassmen are encouraged to attend the ceremony to learn more about the senior thesis process. Refreshments will be served.

Community Dialogue on Impact of Mental Health, This Tuesday

By Leave a Comment

Photo: The Belmont Health Collaborative.

The Belmont Health Collaborative will be holding a community dialogue on “Exploring and Sharing – A Look at Mental Health and its Impact on our Lives” on Tuesday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

The event is for people who struggle with mental illness and for the families and friends of those who struggle. The collaborative invites the public to come together, share stories, lend support, and learn about local resources. 

The dialogue will begin by hearing briefly from a panel of individuals living with mental illness, family member and professionals.

“We hope you will consider sharing your experiences and concerns as well. Let’s engage together in this important conversation,” said the Collaborative’s Lisa Gibalerio.

For more information or questions:

LGibalerio@BelmontHealthCollaborative or Stacey at 617-932-9310.

Patriots’ Set To Give Belmont Sports a Boost at Today’s Hoops Match

By 1 Comment

Photo: The crowd, the players, the Boosters.

The 2015 Super Bowl Champions New England Patriots Celebrity Basketball Team takes on the Belmont Boosters “All-Stars” in the third annual New England Patriots Basketball Game tonight, Monday, May 16, at Belmont High School’s Wenner Field House. 

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Residents, school faculty members, students, business owners and other community members will “square off” against members of the NFL football team – which experts are calling the league’s best coming into the new season this fall – with the net proceeds benefiting the Belmont Boosters, a 501(c)(3) organization, whose mission is to encourage participation in and provide financial support to the Belmont High School athletics programs.
 
Attendees will have autograph opportunities, as well as a chance to win a Pats autographed football.

For information and tickets, call 617-904-7542. Any questions? Check out the Booster’s website .

Belmont DPW Recycling Event, Saturday, May 14

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Recycling event, Saturday, May 14.

Belmont is holding its annual town-wide Recycling Event this Saturday, May 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Department of Public Works Town Yard, 37 C St.

It will be a one-day drop off of the following items:

  • Rigid plastics
  • Textiles
  • Styrofoam
  • Paper shredding (with a secure mobile document shredding)

For more information: call 617-993-2689 or learn more online at: http://www.belmont-ma.gov/dpw-highway-division/pages/recycling-trash-information

BELMONT RESIDENTS ONLY: IDs REQUIRED.

Spring Clean All Electronics at Butler Elementary’s Recycling Day

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Recycle all electronics.

The annual Butler Elementary PTA Electronics Recycle Day will take place this Saturday, May 14, from 8:30 a.m. at the school, 90 White St.

It’s time to “Spring Clean”, so head out to your garages, into the forbidden closets and damp and scary basements. Prices charged are:

  • $10 each for computer monitors
  • $15 each for TVs 27” diagonal or less
  • $20 each for TVs more than 27” diagonal or wood console TVs
  • $25 each for projection TVs
  • $15 each for large appliances (examples: washers, dryers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, etc.)
  • $35 for “all you can bring”: laptops, CPUs, cameras, CD-ROM/DVD drives, servers, speakers, iPods & accessories, computer accessories, mice, keyboards, video equipment, copy/fax/scanner/printers, wires and parts, plugs, audio equipment, phones and phone systems, DVD players, stereos, UPS (backup systems), VCRs, walkmans & microwaves

Prices are lower than the town, and no need to purchase pickup stickers. Don’t miss this opportunity to de-clutter and free up space. We look forward to seeing you there! Please share with others!

We accept cash or checks only!

44th Annual Belmont POPS On Friday and Saturday

By Leave a Comment

Photo:

It’s one of the best nights of music each year: The POPS is here.

Parents of Music Students is proud to present the Belmont High School Department of Fine and Performing Arts’ 44th annual Belmont POPS concert on Friday and Saturday, May 13 and 14 at 7 p.m.

The concert takes place in the Belmont High School cafeteria which is transformed into a “Pops”-style arrangement with table seating where audience members will be entertained by Belmont High musicians while having light snacks and other refreshments.

The yearly fundraiser to benefit POMS features the high school bands, chorus’ and orchestras with tickets available at the door: $15 for adults and $10 for students and senior citizens.

To the Editor: Plymouth Congregational ‘Still Very Much A Church’

By 3 Comments

Photo: Joe Zarro, pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church.

To our neighbors and friends in Belmont:

Over the past two years, the members of Plymouth Congregational Church have considered proposals from multiple carriers to install cell antennas in our church steeple. There are immediate benefits to the community from this installation:

  • improved reception in the town center and area neighborhoods,
  • improved access to emergency services from people without landlines in the home,
  • improved wireless for health and other devices, and
  • an interior installation that is not visible from the street and neighborhood.

We have one current lease agreement with Verizon, and Verizon has pursued approvals in accordance with town laws and regulatory processes. Our neighborhood discussions made clear that some people objected, mostly on health grounds. Town boards have made clear that health cannot be a reason to deny permits in this case. Multiple health professionals and scientists in our church and this community have assured us of the safety of these antennas. Experts have assured us that these antennas are safe and well within existing standards. Multiple residential and commercial buildings have these antennas in Belmont and surrounding towns, hospitals, educational and other institutions. It is not an experimental technology, but something that has been implemented worldwide for decades.

Plymouth leadership wrote abutters Danny Morris, Ron Creamer and Glenn Herosian, who claim leadership in a group opposed to our project, in January telling them we did not think Community Preservation Act funds were an appropriate or realistic source of funds for the church, but that we were happy to meet to share our research and decision-making. They would not meet with us unless we abandoned the project, a demand we considered unreasonable.

Their recent charge that because of this lease we are not a church, but a cell phone business, is simply wrong. We are being singled out because we are a house of worship. Belmont Savings Bank is still a bank with antennas at their main branch. 55 Hill Rd. is still an apartment building (far more densely populated) with its antennas. The Belmont Police Station in Belmont Center is still a police station with its antenna installation. We will still very much be a church. 

Plymouth will be far from the first church to enter into a lease with a telecommunications company: Trinitarian Congregational Church in Concord is a nearby example of a historic building, in a historic district, with a nursery school, which has antennas hidden away in a similar manner. 

Plymouth has been part of this community since 1899, and our commitment to mission and ministry here is much deeper than a couple hours of worship on Sunday morning. We support the Belmont Food Pantry, food assistance at the Farmer’s Market and the annual community-wide Belmont Serves. We run a soup ministry out of our kitchen for the homeless and for those in transient housing. I’m president of the Belmont Religious Council and work with other houses of worship to address important issues, such as assistance for refugees being resettled in Massachusetts. Support for these kinds of ministries was in our minds when we signed the lease with Verizon. Our 2016 church budget will give away more than $40,000 to our mission partners, more than we receive from this lease and more than enough to paint the church steeple, for which Creamer and Herosian propose we use CPA funds. We are not a dying congregation trying to keep the lights on; this has always been about doing more as a faith community.  

We regret that a small minority of our neighbors have resorted to tactics like questioning our integrity as a church simply because they disagree with the church’s decision to lease space to Verizon. Angry letters have been put on parishioners cars while they are in worship, and I was jeered at by two neighbors when leaving the May 3 Planning Board meeting.

I am saddened that a church like ours, filled with good-hearted people trying to do what is best, has not been afforded more respect during this process. We hope that peace can be restored to our neighborhood and that civility can prevail going forward.

Rev. Joe Zarro

Pastor, Plymouth Congregational Church

It Is Friday the 13th: Vehicle Climbs To New Heights During Morning Commute

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Up in the air (by permission Lucas Tragos)

It’s bad enough getting into an accident, but to do it in such a unique and spectacular fashion as one driver did in Belmont on Friday, the 13th; now that’s seriously bad luck. 

Thankfully, the driver of this late model sedan was not injuried in this single car crash on Hittinger Street that caused traffic delays in the area of Belmont High School. 

While there is nothing amusing about a collision with a pole, some of the comments on the Belmont Police Department’s Facebook page are rather astute.

Jeff Levy Oh yea….The old “stuck on a utility pole while popping a rear lighty” happens all the time to me.

William Brimmer Nice driving skills. Wish I could park my car sideways at that angle without shattering the windshield or the laws of physics.

Dave Osterberg an electric car desperate for more juice????? BHS’ new parking plan???? Drivers ed snap quiz on parallel oops sorry perpendicular parking????

And my favorite:

Tom Griffiths Viral marketing campaign for the all-new 2017 Chevy Wallenda?

Sports: Softball Blowouts, Baseball Stumbles, Boys’ Lacrosse Missed Opportunity

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont High Varsity Softball. 

Softball

In the past few days, Boston sports media has been all worked up that the Boston Red Sox scored 27 runs in two games vs. the hapless Oakland A’s.

Well, Belmont High Softball scored 34 in their last two complete games, and they won both with shutouts.

So there!

After a rough patch in which the team faced the established teams in the Middlesex League, Belmont righted the boat with a 22-0 victory over a very young Watertown squad and took some revenge from Arlington, beating the SpyPonders at home, 12-0 (called after 5 innings) on Wednesday, May 11 after losing the first encounter of the season, 13-1.

The wins – in between the finish of a halted contest with Burlington (a 10-1 loss) – brings the Marauders up to 5-7 and within a realistic chance of making the playoffs for the first time in several years.

“We certainly have a chance of breaking through into the postseason,” said first-year coach Melissa O’Connor, who praised the girls for bringing “great intensity to the game, from the first inning to the fifth.”

Taking part in Wednesday’s slug fest was senior catcher Meghan Ferraro who collected two doubles, a triple along with a single to go 4-4 and 5 RBIs, second base Katrina Rizzuto (three singles, three runs), third base Lia Muckjian (3-4 with 3 RBIs) and first base Irini Nikolaidis whose 4th inning bases-loaded triple sealed the victory. Sophomore pitcher Christine MacLeod struck out five Arlington batters for the win.

“We know we can score runs, 10 to nine a game, so we are going to be in every game for the rest of the season,” said O’Connor.

Baseball

Just about ten days ago, Belmont High Baseball was undefeated (8-0) and ranked 16th in the Boston Globe’s top 20 baseball poll. It looked like clear sailing the rest of the way into the playoffs.

Well, not so fast, Marauders.

Since that red hot start, Belmont Baseball has allowed themselves to flutter into the wind and lost its early momentum, going 1-3 in their last four, as ace pitcher Cole Bartels struggles with his release point and patient hitting by their opponents is paying off.

On Wednesday, Belmont played host to Arlington High and played that role to perfection, allowing the SpyPonders to take an early lead, stretch it with some key errors – leaving a good performance by sophomore pitcher Max Meier out to dry – and never finding any offensive punch with the exception of a Bartels double that this the base of the wall in deep center.

The final was an 8-0 drubbing; the first shutout of Belmont this season.

“You would expect with first place in the Middlesex League on the line, we would have responded,” said long-time head coach Jim Brown.

“We didn’t show anything today. Errors killed us, and our hitting was non-existent as we were upper-cutting everything,” said Brown.

Belmont will attempt to tack the boat back into the wind Friday, May 13 away against Woburn behind sophomore righty Nate Espelin.

Boys Lacrosse

Tuesday night, May 10 was going to be a celebration of a resurgent Belmont High Boys’ Lacrosse team with a late afternoon game to allow parents and fans to fill the stands at Harris Field.

But it was visiting Watertown which left with a good feeling, upending Belmont, 11-10, to send the Marauders to 5-8 and likely end their pursuit of a playoff spot.