Obituary: Dan Pergamo, Retired Acting Belmont Police Chief

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Daniel Patrick Pergamo, who served in the Belmont Police Department for more than four decades retiring as its acting Police Chief, died Saturday morning, April 9, 2016.

He was 80 years old.

Pergamo was born in the Kerry Corner neighborhood of Cambridge which once stretched along the Charles River and Putnam Avenue. After serving in the Navy on a submarine, he joined the Belmont Police Department where he spent 33 years on the force, moving up the ranks to end his career as the acting police chief. He attended school nights to earn his undergraduate degree from Northeastern University and then his master’s degree in Criminal Science from Anna Maria College in Paxton.

When asked what he did before he retired, he would say “I worked for municipal government.”

Daniel and his wife, Helen – with whom he raised four children – loved to dance and would spend Saturday nights either at the Canadian American Club in Watertown, the Irish American Club in Arlington, or Hibernian Club in Watertown with their many friends dancing the nights away.

Daniel leaves his wife of 57 years, Helen (Poirier), and his children; Carole Sceppa and her husband Joseph of Burlington, Patti Naylor and her husband Michael of Billerica, James and his wife Susan of Belmont and Joanne Shortell and her husband John of Burlington. He is the grandfather of Michelle Proehl, Daniel Naylor, Kristen and Nicole Sceppa, Michael and David  Pergamo, and Brendan and Erin Shortell and great-grandfather of Matthew Proehl.  He was predeceased by his siblings; Joseph Pergamo, Mary Mercer, and John Pergamo.

Visitation will be held at the Edward V Sullivan Funeral Home (which supplied the information for the obituary) in Burlington (Exit 34 off Rt. 128/95, Woburn side) this morning, Tuesday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at noon Tuesday. Burial will be private.

Instead of flowers, memorials in Daniel’s name may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org

Belmont High Sheltered in Place During Bomb Hoax That Struck The Region

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Photo: Belmont High School.

In a more innocent time, pulling the fire alarm on the day the Red Sox opened the season in Boston – so they could sneak out in the confusion – was considered par for the course in student stupidity.

That is no longer the case in the world today.

When Belmont High School officials received a robocall this morning just before 9 a.m., Monday, April along with more than a dozen high schools in greater Boston, the school’s students were sheltered in place for 50 minutes until the threat was declared over. 

“We just remained in classes,” a student text to the Belmontonian. “No one could leave the class but there was no learning disruption,” the student added.

While the school was in place, Belmont Police officers along with Belmont Fire conducted a sweep of the school, searching trash cans and closet spaces. Belmont’s K9 Grim also was used. The students were not evacuated during the threat assessment. 

Coincidentally, Grim along with several other K-9 teams from area police and public safety agencies conducting a routine sweep of Belmont High School on Friday morning, April 8.

“We knew that other schools were being called so we knew it was some kind of hoax,” said another BHS student who contacted the Belmontonian.

Belmont High Principal Dan Richards sent an e-mail blast to parents advising them of the situation.

“[Public Safety officials] have deemed the threat to not be credible. At this time I am lifting the “Hold in Place” and students should report to their … class,” said Richards.

7 News’ Sports Director Amorosino At Belmont Woman’s Club Wednesday

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Photo: Joe Amorosino of 7 News.
Belmont youth and adults are invited to meet Emmy recipient 7 News WHDH-TV’s Sports Director Joe Amorosino, who will speak at the Belmont Woman’s Club/the 1853 Homer House at 661 Pleasant St. on Wednesday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m.

Amorosino covered all four Patriots Super Bowl wins (2002, 2004, 2005, 2014), all three of the Red Sox recent World Series wins (2004, 2007, 2013), the Celtics’ most recent NBA Championship win (2008) and the Boston Bruins most recent Stanley Cup Championship (2011).

The talk and a reception with Amorosino will last one hour.  

 
Th public is cordially invited with free admission.

Letter To The Editor: Ruban Thanks ‘All Who Supported Me’

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To the editor:

Thank you to everyone I had the pleasure of meeting along the campaign trail, and a special thank you to those who supported, voted and volunteered for me. I knew that Belmont was full of intelligent, talented, educated, dedicated people, but you surpassed my expectations. We could not have come as far as we did in such a short amount of time without that.

I embarked on this journey because I wanted to begin a dialogue about how Belmont government does business.  I am proud to say we have had that conversation, in particular, about building the new high school and Community Path; creating greater transparency for citizens to participate in town government; implementing rezoning and other vision plan recommendations, and streamlining business processes. I know that talking about these projects and bringing them to fruition are two very different things and understand Mark has a challenging job ahead of him. I want you to know that I support him in these endeavors on behalf of the town as he begins his next term as our selectman.

Thank you again to all who supported me. It was a tremendous honor to have your faith. I hope that now you will join me in helping our town government work to achieve the best Belmont for all of us.

Alexandra Ruban

Letter to the Editor: Tomi Thanks Voters, Residents’ Interests ‘Paramount’

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To the editor:

I wish to thank all of my supporters for their support during my campaign for Housing Authority.  Your conviction evidenced by your hosting a sign, delivering and mailing cards, speaking to friends, getting friends out to vote,  and voting for me,  all added up to a victory.

I promise to represent our collective interests in housing and sheltering those less fortunate.  Our residents’ interests and our community’s interest will always be paramount in my decision-making.

I thank you for your confidence in me and I look forward to representing you and our community.

Tommasina (Tomi) Olson

Member Housing Authority

Oh, Boys! Learn More About Your Son’s Development At BASEC Talk Monday

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Photo: Dr. Michael Thompson in action.

The Belmont After School Enrichment Collaborative’s Parent Lecture Series presents Dr. Michael Thompson who will speak on “It’s a Boy! Understanding your Son’s Development.” on Monday, April 11 at 7 p.m. in the Chenery Middle School auditorium.

Parents of boys often find themselves bewildered or frustrated by certain aspects of boy development: their little-boy anger, their inattentiveness in elementary school, a lack of motivation in middle school or their reluctance to talk to their parents during the high school years.

In this funny and reassuring talk, Thompson –  the supervising psychologist for the Belmont Hill School and author of nine books on the development of boys – addresses the greatest worries that parents of boys have from infancy through high school, distinguishing between what is normal boy development and those behaviors that are worrisome.  

Author To Speak on Kennedy’s ‘Hidden’ Daughter Monday at Library

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Photo: Cover of the book:”Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter” by Kate Clifford Larson.

Author Kate Clifford Larson will speak on her book “Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter” at Books and Bites on Monday, April 11 at 11 a.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

Rosemary, Joseph and Rose Kennedy’s daughter, was intellectually disabled; a secret fiercely guarded by her powerful and glamorous family. Now using major new sources – Rose Kennedy’s diaries and correspondence, school and doctors’ letters, and exclusive family interviews – Larson bring Rosemary alive, revealing both the sensitive care that Rose and Joe gave to Rosemary and then – as the family’s standing reached an apex – the often desperate and duplicitous arrangements the Kennedys made to keep her away from home as she became increasingly intractable in her early twenties. Finally, Larson illuminates Joe’s decision to have Rosemary lobotomized at 23, and the family’s complicity in keeping the secret.

Larson is the author of two critically acclaimed biographies: “Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero” and “The Assassin’s Accomplice: Mary Surratt and the Plot to Kill Abraham Lincoln.”

All are welcome to attend this free program, sponsored by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Refreshments will be provided. The Assembly Room is handicapped accessible.

Sold In Belmont: Townhouse Condo Gets Love From Buyer

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Photo: A townhouse condo that took off like a single-family.

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80 Maple St., Townhouse condominium (1993). Sold: $715,000.

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133 White St., Condominium (1928). Sold: $513,000. Listed at $515,000.

A weekly recap of residential properties sold in the past seven-plus days in the “Town of Homes”:

• 80 Maple St., Townhouse condominium (1993). Sold: $715,000. Listed at $639,000. Living area: 2,008 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 66 days.

• 133 White St., Condominium (1928). Sold: $513,000. Listed at $515,000. Living area: 1,431 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 87 days.

Two former two families now individuals condominiums sold last week with differing outcomes. The newly-converted condo that once was a multiple family on White Street was able to hit its list price of just more than $500,000.

While over on Maple Street, the more traditional townhouse hit the right note for one buyer resulting in a $75,000 premium over the $639,000 list price. The final sales price is a whopping $150,000 more than the town’s appraised value of $561,000 and $220,000 more than when was last sold in 2009.

The nearly quarter-century old townhouse does provide three bedrooms and approximately 2,000 square feet, although the interior appears to have all the hallmarks of a townhouse; open floor plan, narrow room on the ground floor – note how tiny the living room is (is it more a living “space” with the small divider separating the entry way/front door), an updated but smallish kitchen area, and not so spectacular room details.

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But with the medium price of single-family homes reaching the high six figures, buyers are willing to put down extra for a condo that resembles a traditional residential structure even if it does share a common wall with its neighbor. Take a look at the newly-constructed townhouse that sold last month on Trapelo. Despite being located across the street from the Fire Department headquarters, next to the VFW, a funeral parlor, a popular park and fronting a busy state highway, it sold for a million dollars. 

Join Becca Sunday in the Pizzi Family Fun Run

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Join World Marathon Champion Becca Pizzi for the first ever Becca Pizzi Family Fun Run organized by the Belmont Boosters and sponsored by Belmont Savings Bank.

The Becca Pizzi Family Fun Run is a new race in Belmont celebrating Pizzi being the World Marathon Challenge Champion. The 5K race will also act as a special send-off celebration for Becca Pizzi and all Boston Marathon Runners.

The course will begin and end at the Belmont High School track. Registration and bib pick-up begins at 7:30 a.m., with the 5k beginning at 9 a.m., with the 1-mile kid’s race starting at 9:05 a.m.

The race will also include a 1-mile run for kids around the Belmont High School track.

T-shirts will be available to the first 200 5K registrants.

Proceeds will benefit the Becca Pizzi Scholarship Fund and Belmont Boosters.

Stick around after the race for awards and fun activities.

Registration:

Register here on Racewire.com. Registration fee is $25 for 5K runners and $10 for kids running in the 1-mile race (ages 12 and under).

Belmont Rugby Starts Division 1 Season With Saturday Matinee, April 8

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Photo: Rugby!

The Belmont High School Rugby Club – the most successful Massachusetts public school playing rugby XV – begins its 2016 Division 1 season with special Saturday matinee, Saturday, April 9 at 2:45  p.m. when the team takes on an always strong Needham High squad at Harris Field.  

And set aside “Tax Day” Friday, April 15 as the team hosts Boston College High in a rematch of last year’s state championship. The game is at 7 p.m.