Gravitational Waves: Belmont Astrophysicist Tells What the Fuss Is All About [Video]

Photo: Belmont’s Andrea Prestwich of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory at Harvard.

It’s not every day that an astrophysicist walks through the doors of Belmont Town Hall.

So when it happened on Friday, Feb. 12 the Belmontonian took the opportunity to ask one; Andrea Prestwich of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory at Harvard – and a Belmont resident, to boot – to explain the discovery of gravitational waves reported the day before, on Thursday, Feb. 13. 

Called by the BBC’s “The Science Hour” host Claudia Hammond as “one of the most exciting scientific breakthroughs in the history of science,” the announcement made Thursday morning at a National Science Foundation meeting in Washington D.C. confirmed a critical component of Albert Einstein’s General Relativity made a century ago. 

Listen to the BBC’s podcast which provides an overview of the achievement. 

Prestwich – who matriculated at Queen Mary College, London, with a degree in physics and completed her Ph.D. in Astrophysics at Imperial College London – expressed the excitement of the announcement and explains what it all means.

Banner Time! Belmont Boys’ Hoops Is Middlesex League Liberty Championship

Photo: The 2015-16 Middlesex League Liberty Division champions: Belmont High School

The lockers took a beating from Belmont High School’s Boys Basketball players as they added a celebratory beat to the joyful roar emanating from the visitors locker room at Reading Memorial High School as the Marauders raucously celebrated winning the Middlesex League Liberty Division championship after defeating Reading, 60-54, on Friday night, Feb. 12.

“We met with the juniors last year and talked about goals and a league title was always one of them,” Belmont’s long-time head coach Adam Pritchard told the Belmontonian after the game.

“I just thought it was something that they should expect and have to earn. I thought we had to the ability to do it,” he said.

Belmont now stands at 15-4 with four games remaining including a final league match with visiting Lexington at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18. The team will also take part in the Sharon Tournament where they will meet three teams – Braintree, Cathedral and Sharon – that have made the MIAA playoffs.

If winning the championship was a great accomplishment, the game in which they won it was not, as the game tapes are worthy of being burned. Midway through the first quarter, Belmont led 2-1 before going on an 8-0 run on threes from senior guard Cole Bartels and junior Paul Ramsey (9 points). At the end of the quarter, the two playoff-bound teams scored an anemic total of 21 points (12-9 Belmont).

The second quarter was slightly more productive as strong defense and less than stellar shooting sent Belmont into halftime with a five-point edge, 26-21, as co-sixth men guards Daron Hamparian (2 points) and Tomas Donoyan (3 points) came off the bench to up the defensive intensity 

“We went in at half time and I told them we have not shot a free throw, they have a two to one offensive rebounding advantage and we’re up by five, held them to 21 points in the first half and we haven’t played well on our end,” said Pritchard.

“If we can hold them defensively, our offense will win the game,” he said.

Bartels started the third quarter with a three pointer (one of three in the game for a team high 16 points) and a bucket and one in the first two minutes to give Belmont a nine point lead (36-27). Reading would keep it close behind its go-to senior guard Jared Thorpe-Johnson (three tough baskets in the third quarter, part of his game high 21 points) to cut the lead to six, 37-31. But Belmont would counter with a Steph Curry-like teardrop three from Matt Kerans (part of his 15 point night) to put the team up by nine (46-37) at the start of the fourth quarter. 

The Marauders was able to pull away early in the final quarter as senior forward Luke Peterson (4 points) – who is coming back from injury – was nearly credited with a dunk which was waved off for a foul (he hit the two foul shots) while Bartels drained a three to see Belmont up its lead by 13 with 4:47 left in the game. While Reading did make a late run to come with five points at 57-52, Bartels (16 points) drained a three to end any upset ideas from the hosts.

While not wanting to rate this squad to other league championship or good squads he’s coached in the past, Pritchard said “[t]hey are similar to a couple successful teams in that they are a nice, tight team. They go to dinners together, they are very supportive of each other and we have very good students and high character kids. They’re fun to be around.”

Pritchard is now looking forward to the post season with some practical advice to his team.

“A couple of players from the [Super Bowl winning Denver] Broncos that said their coach told them all you have to be is better than everyone else for the next month. I told the boys you have to be better then everybody every day.”

So, can this team win what will be a tough Division 2 North Sectionals? How about a state title? 

“Absolutely they can do it. They are a talented group, they have good leadership, they are smart basketball players. It is always a tough road ahead, but why not us?”

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Residents Seek to Halt Cell Tower In Church Steeple; Town: ‘We Are On Solid Ground’

Photo: Attorney Ted Hess-Mahan (standing) addressing the Historic District Commission with Pleasant Street resident Glenn Herosian (seating, right) listening.

“Simple fairness.”

For Glenn Herosian, that is the primary reason he and many of his neighbors are aggressively averse to a cellular network’s antenna in the steeple of the Plymouth Congregational Church on Pleasant Street.

The lack of fairness Herosian refers to is the perception the town is allowing the church to skirt the rigid design and material guidelines enforced on every structure within the historic district for a second time in three years.

“[The church] thinks they can bowl everyone over, and they’re not going to do it this time,” the Pleasant Street resident told the Belmontonian who, along with two dozen supporters, came before the Historic District Commission on Tuesday, Feb. 9 to preview their opposition to the church’s anticipated request to the commission at its March meeting where it and the telecommunication giant Verizon “hopes to continue the historic degradation of the church.”

The protestors complaints come the same week contractors hired by telecommunication firm Verizon were performing non-specific construction on the steeple to prepare it for the installation of a cellular antenna system, which the complainants contend is being done without a proper building permit.

While Herosian and his supporters believe the current work is in violation of the state building code, the town department says the church can move forward with the work.

“As of now the work is related solely to Verizon and does not require a building permit,” Glenn Clancy, director of the Office of Community Development, told the Belmontonian Wednesday, Feb. 10.,

“The Verizon work is allowed as it would be for any private property owner” with the owner taking the “risk onto themselves” if the permit is ultimately not issued, said Clancy. 

For Hersoian and the 95 residents who have signed a petition supporting his efforts – he said he will have more than 150 by next month – the Historic District Commission is seen by the church’s abutters and neighbors as their final bulwark against the proposed alterations.

Last month, the Belmont Planning Board approved the design and site plan review to place the antenna inside the structure which Rev. Joseph Zarro, Plymouth’s spiritual leader, in 2014 said would be a “win-win” for the church and community.

The Planning Board did include a condition to its opinion in which the Historic Commission is to review the proposal before a building permit is issued. 

With that caveat in hand, Herosian and his supporters are seeking to sway the Commission to invalidate the Planning Board’s approval by agreeing that the building’s aesthetics will be further compromised if the work the church outlined to the Planning Board is allowed to proceed. 

“They are taking an incredibly important landmark that the town has in the Historic District and are degrading it,” said Herosian. 

For the cellular equipment to function properly will require the existing louvers (wooden shutters with horizontal slats) to be replaced with fiberglass replicas, compounding what Herosian called the “degradation” of the building when the commission approved – against evidence from preservation experts – replacement columns and railings in August 2013  he said was made with composite material and “cheap” plastic covering that has not weathered well over the past three years. 

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Herosian, who lives with his wife, Karen, in a 60-year-old renovated custom ranch across Pleasant Street from the church, said he looks at the church out his sweeping front window every day wondering how a landmark was allowed to make major renovations outside the strict regulations imposed on all property owners.

“We went through the same historic district review, and it saved us from ourselves,” said Herosian as suggestions and rules resulted in a better design and project on his house.

“If this is allowed to stand this will likely have a devastating adverse impact on the fabric of our community, the entire Pleasant Street Historic District and the Belmont Historic Commission itself,” said Ted Hess-Mahan, the Herosian’s attorney who presented their case to the commission.

While the protestors are seeking the reversal of the 2013 Commission decision on the columns and railings as well as a denial of the current changes, Commission Chair Joseph Cornish said overturning an existing ruling “has never happened in our history.”

Herosian said he hoped to work with the church in securing Community Preservation Commission funds to repair and return the building “to its original beauty.” 

The church’s governing board said in a 2014 article in the Belmontonian that a long-term lease – typically lasting more than 20 years and can bring in up to $2,000 to $4,000 a month in rent – will allow the church to renovate the building and expand social service activities. It is not known the contents of the contract signed between Verizon and the church. 

Also, Clancy believes the church and town have done their due diligence on all possible objections, referring to the approvals by the Planning Board in January and three years ago from the Historic District Commission. 

“We are aware of the allegations. I think the Town is on solid ground,” said Clancy.

But Herosian is adamant that supporters will not be pushed aside and ignored as, he claims, opponents were during the Planning Board decision. He has filed a formal complaint against the town stating that required mailed notification of the hearing to abutters was not delivered to several neighbors, reportedly due to errors in the addresses on mailers.

Herosian is seeking the reopening of the Planning Board hearing to allow additional information to be submitted and voicing opinions from the neighborhood. 

But for now, Herosian focus is square on the Historic District Commission.

“This is far from over,” he said.

Paper Saver: Belmont Kindergarten Registration Now Just a Click Away

Photo: It’s registration time.

From the beginning of time – probably the 1970s – registering your five-year-old into Belmont kindergarten was both a joyful occasion (the beginning of 13 years of public education) and an odious process in which parents would need to deal with mountains of papers, forms, documentation and subsequent copies to place your child into the school district.

Well, the need to scale Mount Paper is now a thing of the past as the Belmont Public Schools announces its new online registration process for incoming kindergarten students.

Registration for incoming kindergarten students will be initiated online at the following link.

The online registration portion should be completed by March 1. After completing this step, parents will be notified via email of the next steps in the registration process.

Kindergarten Parent Information Night

A general information and orientation program for all parents of incoming kindergarten students is scheduled, as follows.  Each elementary school will host its own program at each school.  

  • Butler School: Tuesday, March 22 at 7 p.m.
  • Burbank School: Thursday, March 24  at 6 p.m.
  • Wellington School: Thursday, March 31 at 5:30 p.m.
  • Winn Brook School: Thursday, April 7 at 6:30 p.m.

In order to qualify for admission to kindergarten, a child must be five years old on or before Sept. 1, 2016.  As always, proof of residency is required. 

Town Election Update: Where are Precinct 7’s Candidates? Election Workers Needed

Photo: Election workers at Precinct 5. 

Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman told the Belmontonian Wednesday that she anticipates by next Tuesday’s deadline there will be at least a dozen candidates seeking the 12 three-year Town Meeting Member seats up for grabs in each precinct at April’s Town Election.

Well, all the precincts except Precinct 7, Belmont’s perennial laggard when it comes to residents running for Town Meeting. And this year the numbers are disappointing by even 7’s minimum standards.

With 15 seats (12 three-year members and three one-year members) up for grabs in Precinct 7 – located in western Belmont abutting the Cambridge city limits – so far only five incumbents are seeking re-election and three residents have been out nomination paper, leaving nearly half the seats wanting of a candidate.

The lack of people running could result in almost a majority of seats being won by just a handful of write-in votes.

That’s not the case in neighboring Precinct 8 where nine incumbents are running while eight residents have taken out nomination papers so voters will have 17 residents to vote for 12 seats.

The same volume of candidates is being seen in Precinct 1 where nine residents want to keep their Town Meeting seats as nine registered voters have taken out papers.

So if anyone in Precinct 7 would like to make a quick decision to run for one of those open seats, here is what you have to do:

To be considered a new candidate for Town Meeting Member, you must be at least 18 years old and a registered Belmont voter. If you are currently serving as a Town Meeting Member, who was elected at a caucus, not by Town ballot, you will need to submit nomination papers as a new candidate.

Signatures of at least 25 registered voters of your precinct are required on the nomination papers. The Town Clerk must certify these signatures, so we always suggest obtaining about 20 percent more just to be safe. Deadline is 5 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Election Workers Still Needed

The town continues to seek residents who would like to serve as election workers who will properly staff the town’s eight polling locations.

Applicants must be registered to vote in Belmont. Training is provided in advance of every election: You’ll learn how elections work. 

Poll workers earn $10 per hour.  Typically there are two shifts on Election Day: 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., and  1 p.m. to approximately 9 p.m.  Workers are not required to work every election – you let us know which dates & shifts you are available. It’s a great way to meet new people and learn about elections from the inside.   

The elections this year are:

  • Tuesday, March 1: Presidential Primary Election 
  • Tuesday, April 5: Annual Town Election 
  • Thursday, Sept. 8: State Primary Election
  • Tuesday, Nov. 8: Presidential General Election. 

If you are interested, visit the town’s web page, select Town Clerk, Elections: Information for Residents and Media or go directly to:

http://www.belmont-ma.gov/town-clerk/pages/election-workers

or email to townclerk@belmont-ma.gov for more information.

 

 

 

Sports: Girls’ Hoops Off The Snide with Winchester Win, One Game from Playoffs

Photo: Defense is the name of the game for Belmont.

For Belmont High Girls’ Basketball Head Coach Melissa Hart and her team, the postseason has already begun.

“I feel like every game is our first tournament game,” said Hart after the Marauders halted a four-game losing streak with a solid 54-30 victory over winless Winchester (0-16) Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 9.  

The win brings Belmont (9-6) within one game of clinching a spot in the Division 2 North playoffs. Belmont needs to capture one win in their final five matches to secure a place in the dance.

“It really is game to game for us,” said Hart. Belmont plays a much improved Reading Memorial High team away before heading to a North Shore tournament and finishing up with Lexington at home on Feb. 25. 

The game was close early as both teams had not taken the court for a while due to Friday’s snowstorm.

The long layoff – a week since its last game, a loss to undefeated Woburn – “affected our shooting a little tonight, so we were a little cold,” said Hart, noting it took nearly three minutes before the first basket – a three-pointer from Belmont’s sophomore point guard Carly Christofori (14 points), with the Sachems taking a 9-8 lead entering the second quarter.

As with the past five games, Belmont was able to stay close with an aggressive defense, holding Winchester to four points in the second to take a 19-13 lead into the half, scoring the last 6 points of the quarter behind sixth man sophomore Alexa Sabatino who had a clever assist to frosh Megan Tan (5 points with a three) and scored her only basket off a steal.

“Our defense, in the end, is what made the difference. We keep telling them that,” said Hart.

Winchester did creep back into the game behind junior captain Julie Fitzgerald who scored 7 of her co-game-high 14 points in the third (all from free throws) as the Sachems pulled within 5 (25-20) with 3:40 left in the quarter before Tan and sophomore forward Jenny Call (5 points) hit outside threes to give Belmont a 31-25 lead entering the final eight minutes.

Unlike the past few games, Belmont’s offense came to life as the defense wore down the Sachems. A layup by senior co-captain Irini Nikolaidis (8 points), a bucket and one and a steal and layup by Christofori gave Belmont a 12 point lead with six minutes remaining, and that was the game. 

Co-captain Samri Winklaar hit for 8 points, Greta Propp (6 points) went 2-4 from the line along with two hoops while role players Sofia Cellucci (with a great three pointer) and Riley Haight (2 points) got in the book. 

Belmont held Winchester to five points in the fourth as the squad swarmed the ball time and time again.

“Offenses are great but defenses are better,” said Hart.

Just as the Denver Broncos. 

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Vehicle ‘Total Loss’ After Wednesday Morning Fire on Winter Street

Photo: Belmont Fire Department.

The driver of an SUV was unharmed, but her vehicle was a total loss after it caught fire on Winter Street near Partridge Lane this morning, Wednesday, Feb. 10, according to the Belmont Fire Department. 

“An interesting way to start the morning,” Belmont Fire’s Capt. Kenny Gardiner told the Belmontonian as he described the incident near the intersection of Concord Avenue. 

Gardiner said a call came in at 7:30 a.m. of a vehicle fire outside 21 Winter St. When fire equipment arrived at the scene five minutes later, they spotted a Kia Sorento “fully involved” in a fire that began in the engine compartment. The vehicle’s driver, who was not from Belmont, was not injured and was waiting outside the SUV. 

Gardiner said firefighters pulled a pair of hoses from the engine and quickly doused the flames while closing Winter between Marsh and Concord Avenue. 

Fire crews were done by 8:30 a.m. and the roadway opened by 9 a.m.

Town Election Update: One Week Left to Get Signatures, Paolillo is In, Four Possible for Housing

Photo: Selectman Mark Paolillo and his mom, Mary, as he turns in his nomination papers to Town Clerk Ellen Cushman.

One Week to Turn in Nomination Papers

You’ll likely have neighbors stalking the streets with pen and clipboard in hand this weekend as residents who took out nomination papers for town-wide elected office and Town Meeting have one week to turn them into Town Clerk Ellen Cushman. 

The deadline to bring signatures into Town Hall is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Residents seeking town-wide office will need 50 certified signatures of registered Belmont voters, 25 certified signatures of Belmont registered voters dwelling in the appropriate precinct are required for Town Meeting. 

Paolillo Makes It Official: He’s on the Ballot

Belmont Board of Selectman Mark Paolillo will in all likelihood be on the April Town Election ballot as the two-term incumbent turned in more than 100 signatures to Town Clerk Ellen Cushman at noon, Tuesday, Feb. 9 at Town Hall. 

Accompanied by his mom, Mary, Paolillo said he is looking forward to running “one final time” for town-wide election, noting that he will not seek a fourth term if elected in April.

“We accomplished a lot in the past six years but there is more to do,” said Paolillo. He pointed to finishing the work of the Financial Task Force, the need to finalize a community path through the community and take a hard look at a renovated Belmont High School and other municipal buildings.

“I talked to many supporters in town and former selectmen and they really encouraged me to run and stay on the board for another three years,” he said.

Alexandra Ruban of Claflin Street has also taken out nomination papers for the board.

A Quartet for Housing Authority

Add another person with papers out seeking one of two seats on the Belmont Housing Authority. 

Paul Rickter of 119 Cross St. came drudging through yesterday’s snow storm to pick up nomination papers, making it a possible quartet running town-wide for the places on the body which manages programs providing housing assistance for low-income families, veterans, and the elderly.

Also taking out papers are Anne Mahon and Tomi Olson while Matt Sullivan has already submitted his paperwork.

Wednesday, Feb. 10 Deadline to Register, Change Parties for Mar. 1 Presidential Primary

Photo: Register to vote.
The Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman reminds residents that tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb 10 is the deadline to register to vote if they wish to participate in the Massachusetts Presidential Primary on March 1.
 
Feb. 10 is also the deadline for registered voters who wish to change party enrollment either to another party or to “unenrolled,” which is commonly referred to as “independent.” This should not be confused with the United Independent Party (UIP); a party that will have ballots available but with no candidates printed on them. Voters registered in UIP will NOT be eligible to take a Democratic, Republican, or Green-Rainbow ballot, according to Cushman. 
 
“With spirited contests in both parties, pervasive advertising and intense coverage in early primary states, some voters may want to vote for a candidate in a different party from the one they are registered in now,” said Cushman.
 
To do that, however, the voter must switch to the other party or to “unenrolled” status by 8 p.m. Wednesday. 
 
Unenrolled voters or voters enrolled in political designations can ask for any party ballot on Primary Day, but someone registered in a party can only vote on that party’s ballot. A Democrat cannot take a Republican ballot, and a Republican cannot take a Democratic one.
 
The Belmont Town Clerk’s office at Town Hall will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10 for voters who wish to change their party registration status or for persons wishing to register for the first time.
Persons who are United States Citizens, residents of Massachusetts, and who will be at least 18 years old on or before March 1st are eligible to register to vote. Those meeting these qualifications who have a Massachusetts Driver’s License can submit their registration online. Those registering by mail should have their form hand-canceled by the Post Office to ensure it is postmarked before the deadline.
 
For more information, feel free to contact the Belmont Town Clerk’s Office at townclerk@belmont-ma.gov or 617-993-2600.

Library Closing at 12:30PM Monday; Town Offices at 1PM Due to Snow

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Due to the pending snow storm, the following town services will be closing early today, Monday, Feb. 8:

  • Town offices including Belmont Town Hall and the Homer Building will close at 1 p.m. 
  • Belmont Public Library is closing at 12:30 p.m. All events scheduled this afternoon and tonight at the library have been canceled. 
  • All Belmont Recreation Department programs and events have been postponed.