Sports: Brams Ties Record with Third Middlesex League Meet Title

November 3, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Powering home, Belmont senior Leah Brams wins third Middlesex League Meet title.

Just past the mile mark in the 2.5-mile course, as the runners crest the steepest hill on the course, doubt entered Leah Brams head.

Running from the front in the Middlesex League Meet in Woburn on Monday, Nov. 2, the two-time champion of the race was caught by Melrose senior Elizabeth Hirsh and a Lexington runner, who began pushing the pace.

“For a while in the race, I didn’t think I could hold them off because they were right up with me,” Brams said afterwards.

“There were a couple of times when I was like, ‘I’m gonna stop. I’m OK with third’,” Brams said with a laugh.

“Then I said ‘I don’t want what happened last year’ – referring to her second place finish to Woburn’s ‘I can do it’,” she said.

And she did, taking a five-meter lead after two miles and stretching it out to more than 50 as the Belmont senior sprinted home in a personal best for the race of 14 minutes and 56 seconds on the Woburn Country Club course, followed by Hirsh and junior Tarvis Hintlian of Winchester.

Brams joins a select group of runners who have won the championship three times including Lexington’s Natasha Roetter (who ran for Duke), Diane Connolly of Woburn (who became a miler and relay specialist at BC) and Stoneham’s Kristen Seabury (a two-time All-American at Alabama and twice US Olympic Trials participant).

Brams three crowns is one better than Belmont’s Marian Bihrle, who won twice in 1997-8, although Bihrle still holds the best time by a Belmont runner at the meet with a 14:50.

It is unknown if any of the other women with three victories had finished second in the year they didn’t win. If not, Brams appears to be the most successful runner in Middlesex League Meet history, having lost only once in four years of dual meets.

Brams led Belmont to a solid second place in the team competition (behind powerhouse Lexington with 37 points) as the Marauders finished with 59 points, its best showing in 15 years.

The surprise of the meet was Belmont junior Sara Naumann, who ran a hard solo run behind the lead pack and cruised into 4th in 15:31.1. Freshman Audrey Christo took 15th (16:11.3) followed closely by seniors Meredith Hughes (16:17.3) and Sophia Klimasmith (16:23.9) in 18th and 21st place.

While not scoring, Belmont’s Camilla Carere (16:55.8) and Emma Chambers (17:05.2) ran impressive times, placing 30th and 38th.

“I can’t tell you how impressed I was with the girls this entire season and especially today. They really turned up today, all of them,” said Belmont Head Coach Brian Dunn.

“This was great for the team because we haven’t been this good since the 1990s,” said Brams.

The boys placed 9th with 245 points, led by sophomore Calvin Perkins in 31st, senior Mike Ferrante in 40th, sophomore Zack Tseng 44th, Ian Bowe 61st and junior Wilder Manion coming in 70th.

Looking to the future, Belmont’s Eleanor Amer finished second in the girls’ freshman 1.75-mile race, and Kai Takayama finished 23rd among the boys’ freshmen.

For Brams and the girls, next up will by the Eastern Massachusetts meet next week and then the state championships a week later.

Then Brams will make a quick transition from the spikes to the skis as she heads for the US Senior Nationals in cross country skiing as an under-18 participant.

“I love skiing, and I’ll see where it takes me,” she said.

Lucky 13: Town Names Streets To Be Resurfaced in 2016

November 3, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker 1 Comment

Photo: Palfrey Road.

It’s appropriate that Palfrey Road is adjacent to the large United Methodist Church in Cushing Square. Many drivers seek the solace of prayer before navigating the roadway’s deep potholes and numerous ruts that have destroyed their fair share of residents’ vehicles suspensions, alignments and tires over the past decades.

Now those prayers have been answered as the town’s director of Community Development Glenn Clancy announced at Monday’s Belmont Board of Selectmen meeting on Nov. 2, that the entire 1,705 feet of Palfrey along with a dozen other streets will be reconstructed next year as part of the town’s 2016 Pavement Management Plan.

“Here’s some good news,” Clancy told the board announcing an agreement with the town’s long-time pavement management consultant Vannasse Hangen Brustlin for $106,400 to perform pavement design and contract development for the streets being repaired.

The roadways in the 2016 Pavement Management Plan are:

Clifton Street from Beatrice Circle to Prospect Street
Barlett Avenue from White Street to Harriet Avenue
Winslow Road from Hammond Road to Palfrey Road
Palfrey Road from Gilbert Road to Common Street
Payson Terrace from Payson Road (east) to Payson Road (west)
Glendale Road from Common to Orchard streets
Cushing Avenue from Pine Street to Payson Road
Sharpe Road from School to Washington streets
Marion Road from Belmont to Grove streets
Albert Avenue from Tobey Road to both Lake and Brighton streets
Simmons Avenue from Scott Road to Brighton Street
Middlecot Street from north of Cowdin Street to both Claflin and Cross streets
Sherman Street from Brighton to Dean streets.

Sports: Belmont Girls’ Soccer Jets Off to East Boston for Playoff Opener

November 3, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont High School Girls’ Soccer team.

The Belmont High Girls’ Soccer team will be heading to Eastie on Thursday, Nov. 5 to begin postseason play as the 10th-ranked Marauders visit the 7th-seeded Jets of East Boston High School in the first round of the MIAA Div. 2 North Sectionals.

Head coach Paul Graham’s team (11-6-0) will take on the Jets (11-3-2) which is coming off being upset by Latin Academy, 4-2, in the City League title game, the first time since 2010 East Boston has not been the champs.

The game will take place in the newly renovated East Boston Memorial Park adjacent to Logan Airport on Thursday. It is unknown at what time the game will be held.

If victorious, Belmont will meet the winner of the second-seed Marblehead High (15-2-1) and Melrose (7-9-2). A Melrose upset would result in a home game for Belmont on Monday, Nov. 9. A Marblehead win will result in a long, difficult drive to the home of the Magicians.

Stewart Sworn in As Newest Belmont Police Officer

November 2, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont Police Officer Michael Stewart being sworn in by Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman on Nov. 2. Police Chief Richard McLaughlin (right) witnessed the ceremony.

Belmont’s newest police officer Michael Stewart was sworn in by Town Clerk Ellen Cushman on at Town Hall on Monday, Nov. 2. Belmont Police Chief Richard McLaughlin was in attendance.

On Friday, Oct. 30, McLaughlin and Belmont Town Administrator David Kale attended Stweart’s graduation ceremony from the Lowell Police Academy and Municipal Police Academy.

Stewart passed the 27-week intensive academy program where he served as the Academy’s Class President.

Sports: Belmont Field Hockey Seeded 4th in North Sectional with Two Possible Home Games

November 2, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont High Field Hockey.

All the hard work and persistence paid off for the Belmont High School Field Hockey team as the 14-2 Marauders are seeded 4th in the Division 1 North sectional tournament, giving Belmont possibly two home games until the semifinals.

The Middlesex League Liberty Division champions will host 13th-ranked Central Catholic of Lawrence (10-6-2) from the tough Merrimack Valley Large League on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 2:30 p.m. at Harris Field.

If victorious, Belmont will take on the winner of the 5th-seed Masconomet Regional of Boxford, which won the Cape Ann League, at 15-2-1 and 12th-seed Haverhill High (10-6-1).

The quarterfinal match will likely take place on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Harris Field. A time has not been set just yet for the game.

If the Marauders win its home games, it will likely mean a clash with undefeated and untied Acton- Boxborough, (19-0-0), the second-ranked team statewide behind only Watertown and number one seed in the sectionals. Last week, the Colonials were ranked 9th nationally by MAX Field Hockey.

Trapelo Road Paving Resumes Monday, Except Delays Along Route

November 2, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Paving work in Belmont.

Starting at 5:30 a.m., Monday, Nov. 2, construction crews will resume paving Trapelo Road between Waverley and Cushing squares, according to Belmont Police.

The current construction schedule has paving work occurring on Monday, Nov. 2, Wednesday, Nov. 4, and Thursday, Nov. 5.

Police and town officials warn motorists to expect delays along the major thoroughfare that runs the length of Belmont from the Waltham to Cambridge town lines.

Town officials said that paving work is weather dependent and that the current schedule may fluctuate, although the latest forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures reaching the mid-60s into the 70s by the end of the week.

Due to cold temperatures it is not possible to complete the work during the overnight hours, necessitating daytime paving.

Questions about the project may be directed to the Office of Community Development at 617-993-2650.

Sports: Belmont Swimming Can’t Defuse Rockets at Home, Sets Sights on League Meet

November 2, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker 1 Comment

Photo: Jessica Blake-West swimming the 100 butterfly against Reading.

“No tears,” said long-time Belmont High Head Coach Ev Crosscup as he talked to his girls’ swimming and diving team after falling to the visiting Reading Memorial High School in the final dual meet of the season, and clinching the regular season Middlesex League championships to the Rockets on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

And like a good coach will also do, Crosscup took the blame for the 96-84 defeat at the Higgenbottom Pool.

“I told [the girls] they should hold their heads up high. It was just some little things that, in hindsight, we could have done better, and I accepted the blame for that,” said Crosscup.

“They did nothing wrong. I should have had them just a little bit better prepared. But we can’t take anything away from Reading. They were the better team today,” he said.

In fact, the meet came down to the final relay, the 4×400-yard freestyle, in which Belmont needed to win and a second for a win, and a win and a third place finish for a tie. By the final leg, as Belmont’s senior captain Jessie Blake-West took off from the blocks, she was nearly 10 yards behind Reading’s sprint specialist senior captain Christina Tzianabos, who finished eighth in the 100-yard freestyle in last year’s state championships. But in one of the most impressive swims of the season, Blake-West cut seconds off the advantage, chasing down and nearly catching Tzinanbos, being inched out by less that a half a second as the standing-room-only crowd urged her on.

“She’s exceptional. [Blake-West] is a once-in-a-lifetime swimmer to coach,” said Crosscup.

While Reading, coached by Hall of Famer Lois Margeson – in her 28th season – threw down personal best times, the Marauders appeared less than sharp in the water.

The sense that something was amiss came in the first event, the 200-yard medley relay in which Belmont is the defending Div. 2 state champions. While Blake-West (in her favorite butterfly) and breaststroker Emily Quinn established a lead, it wasn’t enough of a buffer as Tzinanbos swam down Belmont’s Solvay Metelmann to out touch the senior by six-hundredth of a second (1:55.50 to 1:55.56).

And while Belmont won the same number of events as Reading (five to five with a tie), the Rockets came up big in what has been a Belmont bug-a-boo for the past two years, the sprint freestyles, (the 50 and 100 yards) taking home a total of 22 points to only 10 for the Marauders.

One bright spot in the frees was Belmont’s freshman Nicole Kalavantis, who dominated the distances, winning the 500 yard going under five-and-a-half minutes (5:28.91) and the 200 (2:04.59) where she pulled away from Reading’s freshman phenom and winner of the 100 yards free, Marie Letendre.

“Our freestylers did a wonderful job. [Reading] just has some real strong ones,” said Crosscup.

Blake-West dominated the two individual events in which she won at last year’s state championship, the 200 individual medley (2:14.62) and the 100 butterfly, in which she swam in 57.10.

Belmont’s diving stalwart Cynthia Kelsey took home a comfortable 266.70 to 199.73 point decision over freshman Maddie Doyle in the 1 meter.

In some surprising results, Belmont lost each of the relays (200, 400 and medley) and Quinn, who finished third in last year’s state championships, was caught and passed in the 100 breast by yet another Rocket freshman, Anna Roberts, 1:11.00 to 1:11.57.

When Blake-West could not make a remarkable comeback in the final event and the handshakes given, the team sat before Crosscup, who was sitting on a starting block. Rather than speak about the meet, he congratulated swimmers who set times that qualified them for the coming sectional and state championships.

And Crosscup was already thinking about the league meet being held Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 4 and 5, at Bentley College.

“We should be solid at the league meet. I think we could win that,” he said. “I’ve always felt that the League meet is the true test of who is the best.”

Before leaving the pool, the senior co-captains led the team in the team cheer, as they looked forward to the league meet and the state championships.

This Week: Curtain’s Up on ‘The Laramie Project’, Early Release Wednesday

November 2, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

On the government side of This Week:

The Board of Selectmen will be meeting at 6:45 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2 at Town Hall.
The Planning Board is also meeting on Monday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. but in the Homer Building where they will hear requests for decks, a floor addition and two special permits for home day care centers.

• Music & Movement with Rubi, a movement and music program recommended for ages 3 to 5 (but 2-year-olds are welcome) will be held in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room on Monday, Nov. 2. There will be two sessions: 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

• Belmont’s Leah Brams will seek her third title in four years when she and the Marauders race at the Middlesex League meet at Woburn Country Club on Monday, Nov. 2. The race should begin at 3:30-ish p.m.

• The Belmont Boosters are meeting in Room 113 at Belmont High School, 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2.

Tuesday is story time at both of Belmont libraries.

Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
Pre-School Storytime at the Belmont Public beginning at 9:30 a.m.We’ll read longer books, sing and dance, and make simple crafts. For 3-5-year-olds with a longer attention span.

• State Rep. Dave Rogers will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 3.

• It’s an early release day for Belmont’s elementary, middle school and high school students on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

• Crafternoon is for students in Kindergarten and elementary school (first to fourth grades) where students can get creative and do an assortment of crafts on this early release day, Wednesday, Nov. 4 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

• The Belmont Public Library is hosting the Harry Potter Fan Club on Thursday, Nov. 5 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Flett Room.

• Everyone is invited to Chinese Storytime which will take place in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. 0n Wednesday, Nov. 4.

• Sustainable Belmont is holding its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

• The Belmont Historical Society’s Board meeting will be held in the Belmont Public Library’s Claflin Room, on Wednesday, Nov. 4 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• The Belmont Council on Aging will host its inaugural Veterans’ Breakfast sponsored by East Cambridge Savings Bank, free for veterans on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 9 a.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. Meet Belmont Veterans’ Service Officer Bob Upton, Council on Aging staff, and local representatives over coffee and breakfast. Breakfast is limited to 50; please call the Health Department at 617-993-2720 to reserve your seat.

• If you love building with LEGOs, the LEGOs Club is for you! Kids in grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade will build with our LEGOs and we’ll put all the creations on display in the Children’s Room. The Club meets on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the library’s Assembly Room.

• The Belmont League of Women Voters monthly meeting is being held on Thursday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the library’s Flett Room.

• The Belmont High School Performing Arts Company’s fall play, “The Laramie Project,” will be performed on Nov. 5, 6, and 7 at Belmont High School’s auditorium. The play is about the reaction of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, which was considered a hate crime. The play deals with sensitive subject matter and contains mature content and, therefore, is not suitable for children and parental discretion is strongly advised for young teens. A powerful night of theater. See here for more information. Buy tickets now online and at Champions in Belmont Center. Tickets: $15 adults, $10 non-BHS students, FREE for BHS students and staff.

• Literacy Playgroup is a parent and child group that supports child’s language and literacy development on Friday, Nov. 6, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the library’s Flett Room. You’ll play, read, sing and take home new ideas. Presented by educators from the CFCE grant program; for children age 4 and under.

• The Belmont Dramatic Club’s fall production of Tom Stoppard’s two one-act plays, “Dogg’s Hamlet, Cahoot’s Macbeth” directed by Francine Davis will be performed on Nov. 6, 7, and 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. in the auditorium of Belmont’s historic Town Hall. On-line tickets: $20 at wotinfo@ or call belmontdramaticclub.org (617-460-2504 and leave a message.) The Christian Science Monitor calls the play: “A blend of comic nonsense and astringent political satire.”

Sports: Johnson’s 368 yards, 5 TDs Leads Belmont by Boston Latin, 50-20

October 31, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont High’s Mekhai Johnson.

Belmont High School senior Mekhai Johnson solidified his place as one of the premier running backs in the state with a career highlight performance of 368 yards and five rushing touchdowns to lead the Marauders to a 50-20 win over host Boston Latin at Boston’s White Stadium in Boston.

Under the Friday night lights, Johnson tore through the Wolfpack defense for touchdown runs of 69, 8, 32, 22 and 24, to power Belmont to its third win of the season (3-5), matching the number of victories the Marauders had last season.

Johnson’s rush total is likely a new school one-game record while his 106 points on 17 rushing touchdowns are second only to Plymouth North’s Myles Uva’s 22 TDs and 132 points.

Johnson scored this first four TDs in between two Latin scores, to lead the Marauders to a 27-14 lead at halftime. Belmont kept the ball in Johnson’s hands and one the ground overall as the Marauders marched for 485 team rushing yards as junior QB Cal Christofori scored from a yard out to put the game out of reach.

Belmont finished off the scoring with a Ben Jones 15-yard scamper and a 32-yard field goal from Aiden Codgan.

Next Friday, Belmont will travel to Somerville to take on the Highlanders, which coincidently lost its game 50-20 to Masconomet Regional.

Halloween Comes to HELLcrest Road. All Hail the Black Cat!

October 31, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Spooky on Hillcrest Road.

For 364 days a year, the residents of Hillcrest Road live normal lives of jobs, school and community, like their fellow Belmont neighbors.

But for one night a year, beginning at sunset on October 31, the tranquil tree-lined neighborhood transforms into a path of the dead, as the street metamorphizes into “Hellcrest” Road.

The skeletons of the dead arise from the ground and attics of the homes, to haunt all those who dare walk the street begging for treats. The remains of runners, soccer players, those who spent too much time in the sun and one superhero who spent a bit too much time around Kryptonite. There are ghosts and ghouls in the trees and big spiders on the ground.

And they all point to the master of them all, reigning over the dead from the house on top of the ridge: The monstrous black cat, with its mad grin, towers over us all for one night. Hail, evil black cat! We are all but Kibble™ to your malicious Halloween plans.