This Weekend: Green Garden Tour Sunday, Pet Some Instruments, Honesty in Art

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Photo: Poster for this year’s Green Garden Tour.
Artist’s Limited Exhibit at Bellmont Caffe
 
Belmont Gallary of Art and Belmont Art Association artist Shahen Zarookian will present his “Four Hour Exhibit” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (thus the name of the exhibit) on Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Belmont Caffe, Leonard Street.
 
Green Garden Tour  Sunday

Explore organic gardens in town as Sustainable Belmont hosts its 5th annual Green Garden tour on Sept. 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. rain or shine.

This free self-guided garden tour highlights a variety of safe and healthy organic garden practices. You’ll have a chance to visit Belmont’s only farm, talk to the gardeners at the Burbank Elementry School, and Belmont High School students who are growing food for Belmont’s food pantry. Also visit local growers who specialize flowers or vegetable gardens, chicken-raising, composting, and bee keeping. Participants will have an opportunity to enter a chance to win a free home-garden visit with master gardeners, Nancy Forbes and Lucia Gates, with each garden you visit.

Garden Tour maps can be picked up at the Beech Street Center at 266 Beech Street on Sept. 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 pm, or you can find information here www.sustainablebelmont.net

Pet and Play Musical Instruments at the Powers

The Powers Music School, 380 Concord Ave., is holding its annual open house and instrument petting zoo from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday,  Sept. 13. Visitors can take several different instruments for a test drive, speak to teachers at the zoo, make a craft to take home and listen to a demo from an early childhood class, including Music Pups, Dalcroze Eurhythmics and Suzuki classes. Admission to the event is free, and registration is not required.

Sports: Lynch Pins Field Hockey Win in Opener, Volleyball Fall to Powerhouse

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Photo: Belmont High Field Hockey.

Field Hockey: Melrose 0, Belmont 6

Belmont Head Coach Jessie Smith was hoping that senior forward Kerri Lynch – one of the strong core of returning starters from last year’s playoff team – would profit from being the forward the squad would be targeting to score this season.

After the opening game of the 2015 season on Wednesday, it appears that Lynch is taking to her new role just fine.

In the season opener against host Melrose, Lynch scored four times and assisted on another to lead the Marauders to an emphatic 6-0 shutout.

“Lynch is playing center forward for us and she clearly played an excellent game today,” said Smith. “Kerri is extremely athletic and she knows how to score. I’m hoping to see a lot more of this in the next two months.”

Sophomore Christine MacLeod – who is coming off a very strong softball season as the Marauders’ leading pitcher – had 6 saves in net in her first start on the varsity.

“We came out a little flat initially, but really stepped it up in the second half,” said Smith. “The passing in the second half led to multiple goals. The kids are using 10-15 yard passes really nicely.”

Smith praised senior defender and captain Molly Thayer as she is “so steady and so reliable” and pointed out that “Kate McCarthy really stepped up her play today. Her goal in the second half was a beautiful drive from the edge of the circle.” 

Smith added that Serena Nally “is excellent at center midfield. She has a quick shot and she’s able to distribute the ball so well.”

Volleyball: Melrose 3, Belmont 0

Last year, Melrose Volleyball was one of the best in the state, in the top 20 poll for the entire year, going 20-2 in the regular season and was the number 1 seed in the regional playoffs. So Belmont, coming off a 16-6 record, knew it would be a tough hill to climb in the season opener. The results, a Belmont loss,  25-13, 25-16, 25-8, will serve as a marker for the rest of the season for the young Marauders. 

Sold in Belmont: Time for a Pricing Haircut Across Housing Types

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Photo: 275 Brighton St.

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

483 Pleasant St. Condominium (1986). Sold: $840,000. Listed at $895,000. Living area: 2,175 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 155 days.

54-56 Falmouth St. Multi-family (1900). Sold: $780,000. Listed at $825,000. Living area: 3,684 sq.-ft. 13 rooms, 7 bedrooms, 3 baths. On the market: 64 days.

182 Waverley St. Condominium (1891). Sold: $477,000. Listed at $479,000. Living area: 1,095 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 52 days.

275 Brighton St. Colonial with extension (1946). Sold: $875,000. Listed at $895,000. Living area: 2,010 sq.-ft. 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 105 days.

Data compiled by Zillow, the online real estate database company, report that long-term sale prices for all housing in Belmont has hit its peak and will begin a slight downturn in values in 2016. 

So, was that the reason the four home sales – including two condos, a single- and a multi – that occurred last week in Belmont each failed to reach its initial list price? Is the hot real estate market cooling along with the seasons?

Probably not. While, indeed, the homes required a “haircut” of its list price to move the sale, there remains a short inventory of homes in Belmont. Also, mortgage rates remain low, enticing potential homebuyers as the market awaits the Federal Reserve raising grates by at least 25 basis points later in the month.

More likely, the failure of list prices to hold their position could be influenced by the small number of sales in the sample, half the usual number impacted by the holiday. Or sellers and their Realtor/sales person continue to overvalue homes, hoping to squeeze as much money from their houses.

So not to worry; there is no Belmont bubble homeowners need to be concerned over … yet.

New Date for ‘Real World Career Day’, Young Professionals Wanted

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Photo: The poster for “Real World Career Night” at Belmont High School.
 
For Belmont High Schoool Senior Tess Hayner, last year’s first-ever “Real World Career Night” – her idea of having young professionals discuss with high school students the ins and outs of finding a career – is well worth holding again. 
 
“Based on positive feedback, I know the students appreciated the chance to interact with relatively recent college graduates, now working in the real world.” said Hayner 
 
The second annual “Real World Career Night” will take place on (new date) Monday, Sept. 21, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Belmont High School cafeteria.

“We were thrilled with the wide variety of professions that attended last year’s event, and now hope to recruit even more professionals from different fields,” said Hayner, who is managing this year’s event with junior coordinator Anya Sondhi.

And like last year, the event is seeking a wide-array of workers in their 20s and the early 30s who graduated from any high school between the years of 1999-2011, to volunteer and hold short, informal conversations with Belmont High juniors and seniors.

Registration to volunteer ends on Friday, Sept. 18.

“My goal is by the end of the night, after many conversations with various young professionals, the juniors and seniors of Belmont High School will feel less intimidated, and perhaps inspired when it comes to turning their hobbies and interests into lifetime careers,” said Hayner.

All professions are welcome. Business people, educators, graphic artists, technicians, medical workers, scientists, accountants, you name it!

An introductory video and volunteer entry form can be found here, or email Tess and Anya at rwcareernight@gmail.com for more information.

“Whether you’re in your dream job, working towards your dream job, or still unsure of what that dream job even is, we want to hear from all of you,” she said. 

School Committee Gives Initial Nod to Proposed New Rink/Rec Center

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Photo: Bob Mulroy.

The Belmont School Committee gave its initial “OK” Tuesday night, Sept. 8, for a youth sports organization to begin the process that could result in the construction of a new multi-purpose town recreation center. 

“We are not just looking at our needs, but … of the entire community,” said Bob Mulroy, who gave the presentation for Belmont Youth Hockey Association, which is leading the project that would include an NHL-sized skating rink, a second “half” skating surface that would transform into a field house for half the year, modern locker rooms, a community fitness center, and many more amenities.

While the proposal has received high marks from public and elected officials in August when the Board of Selectmen was presented with the proposal, those deciding the fate of the project are taking a long-view of the process. 

“I see this as the first step … I don’t see this as a significant substance discussion but just to understand what the proposal is before us,” said School Committee Chair Laurie Slap, as the committee members voted the proposal was “worth exploring.”

The $6.5 million complex – which would include off-street, on-site parking – would be overseen by a non-profit public/private partnership that would incorporate a wide array of town departments, the school committee, youth hockey and funders on the board.

In exchange for the land to build the center, Belmont schools, and high school teams will have use of the facility at no cost. 

Both sides acknowledge the first significant hurdle to clear is where to locate the center. Under BYHA’s ideal scenario, the complex would be built on the current home of the Belmont High softball team abutting the Mobile service station and across Concord Avenue from the Belmont Public Library.

But that is the same site where in May 2013 the school committee rejected a request by the Board of Library Overseers to place a new $19.5 million town library, actually killing the hopes of supporters for more than a decade.

The alternative location would place the recreation center on the existing rink footprint, across Concord Avenue from the Underwood Pool.

“We are aware that fields are crucial in town, and we are not looking to reduce that [amount],” said Mulroy.

The proposal would both help find solutions to real recreational needs – providing adequate changing space and locker rooms for all sports teams – in Belmont as well as replace the 45-year-old “Skip” Viglirolo Skating Rink, which Mulroy described as “toast.”

The rink, with gaps in the walls, few comforts, and antiquated mechanical systems, has past its useful life “long ago,” said Mulroy.

Belmont Youth Hockey is the rinks biggest customer, taking three-quarters of the available rental time.

Mulroy told the meeting the cost to renovate the current structures to current code would be the same as building a new recreation center. 

Under the current blueprint, the proposed center would include:

  • A 25,000 sq.-ft. NHL-sized rink (approximately 200 feet by 85 foot).
  • A half-sized skating rink used for seven months then transformed into a field house for tennis, soccer and community events.
  • Six modern year-round locker rooms.
  • A 5,000 sq.-ft. health club/gym open to the public.
  • Exercise classrooms.
  • A skate shop.
  • Concession stand.
  • Meeting rooms.
  • Athletic offices.
  • A trainers/medical center.

The proposed building would cost between $8 and $9 million, with construction priced between $6 to $7 million financed with private debt. The cost of field renovations would be $1 million with the funds coming from a Community Preservation Committee grant and the final $1 million used to outfit the new space and purchase equipment.

The reasoning behind adding a second, smaller rink to the NHL-sized sheet of ice is financial, said Mulroy. Under economic models of similar existing arenas in New England, Mulroy said the Recreation Center will take in just over $1 million in income annually with expenses of $600,000 for a net “profit” of just under $500,000 a year. 

Mulroy told the Belmontonian after the meeting that several funding sources are prepared to step forward to provide the debt financing. 

Mulroy said he anticipated the planning and design stage – when the details on financing, governance, and zoning will be hammered out – to take a year with construction an additional nine months. He believes the entire project will take 24 months to complete.

From the town’s perspective, the private/public venture is a win/win on many fronts; it is financially sustainable without requiring town funding to run, it takes an enormous expense off of the town’s “to-do” list of capital projects, and it provides Belmont with a new facility at limited cost.

While amenable to the project, School Committee members joined Board of Selectmen Chair Sami Baghdady that many details on financing, governance and a myriad of issues “will need to be flushed out over time” before final approval is granted. 

Member Elyse Shuster suggested that the school committee use the proposal to begin a discussion on the “whole [Belmont High School] campus” as an integrated whole. 

“I would encourage us to think about integrating the [the high school’s Higgenbottom Pool] and making it a true recreational facility,” she said.

Sports: Girls and Boys Soccer Start Seasons Shutting Down Melrose

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Photo: Belmont’s Carey Allard (right) after scoring the first goal of the season as Belmont defeated Melrose, 5-0, in the season opener on Sept. 8. 

Girls’ Soccer: Belmont 5, Melrose 0

If you are looking for a high power opening act, you can’t get any better than Belmont’s Carey Allard.

In the last two opening games of the season, the 10th grader has scored a total of seven goals including a brace on Tuesday, Sept 8, as Allard spearheaded a quick Belmont High Girls’ Soccer team (1-0-0) to a 5-0 home win over physical Melrose High team to open the fall season. 

“She’s the real deal,” said Belmont head coach Paul Graham of his right wing.

Allard led a sophomore rush on the scorer’s sheet as fellow underclassmen Emma Sass and Eliza Filler – via a header in the second half – each tallied a goal in the contest with senior captain Kristin Gay scored the game’s third from in close after Allard tip-toed along the goal line before sending a nifty short pass to the midfielder at the 27 minute mark of the first half. 

Junior Georgia Parsons made her first varsity start a memorable one earning the shutout. 

After a first 10 minutes in which both teams missed stellar chances in front of the net, the game opened up at the 12 minute mark when Allard caught up to a Gay pass and snuck the ball by the Melrose keeper. 

Belmont doubled its lead two minutes later as Sass launched a high-arching shot into the net after the Marauders swarmed the Melrose’s goalie box causing a great deal of confusion. Allard pocketed her second goal with an assist from Filler at the end of a series of quick passes inside the Melrose 18 meter zone. Allard could have doubled her goal total if not for a blown kick in front of an open net and another drive hitting the crossbar. 

In winning his 299-game in a career beginning in 1993, Graham praised the work of his very young team especially the defenders – made up of a pair of freshmen, a sophomore and a junior – including frosh Megan Tan and junior Rachel Berets “who has been unbelievable on the back line tonight.”

Belmont hosts Stoneham on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.

Boys’ Soccer: Melrose 0, Belmont 1

A goal from senior Arreg Krikorian with 10 minutes remaining in the first half was all the scoring Belmont would need as the Marauders began its 2015 campaign with an important away win at Melrose on Tuesday, Sept 8.

In a game in which the physical contact was ever present, Belmont used its conditioning and ball movement to control the time of possession at the later stages of the first half.  

Belmont’s breakthrough came in the 30th minute as a through ball into the 18-meter box from junior Daron Hanparian reached Krikorian who touched once before clinically finishing.

Matt Thompson‘s first varsity game was also his first shutout in the nets.

Second-year head coach Brian Bisceglia-Kane will lead the Marauders into Stoneham on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m.

Final Day a Crowded One As Residents ‘Test Drive’ Underwood Pool

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Photo: Lifeguard Elizabeth Levy, 17, watching over the wadding pool at the Underwood Pool on Labor Day, Sept, 7, 2015.

A line of nearly 20 people – young, old, families and singles – lined up outside the entry of the new Underwood Pool complex at around 5 p.m. on a hot and hazy Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.

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The reason for the delay getting inside the one-month-old facility? Simple popularity. The weather and knowing it would be the last day residents would be able to use the $5.3 million double pool for nearly 10 months brought the crowds out to at least “test drive” the structure that replaced the former 102 year old outdoor “pond” once before it goes into hibernation. 

One lifeguard at the entrance said more than 1,000 people had come during the Monday holiday, causing the pool to be temporarily closed due to the sheer numbers enjoying the amenity. 

“This is great. We need to build another one,” said Adriana Poole of Belmont, as she made her way up and back in one of the lanes in the deep end of the pool. 

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Another resident said he came “just to see what I paid for,” referring to the $2.9 million debt exclusion approved by Belmont voters in 2014.

The verdict: “Very nice, although I’d like it more if it was open tomorrow,” he said, noting Tuesday’s highs would top 90 degrees.

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Psst: Can You Keep a Secret? Private/Public Scheme to Build New Skating Rink

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Photo: “Skip” Viglirolo Skating Rink.

It’s the worst kept secret in Belmont: a proposal to build a new private/public skating rink and field house on the site of the existing nearly half century old “Skip” Viglirolo rink and the White Field House adjacent to Harris Field off Concord Avenue.

Not that this latest news required a “spoiler” alert for its official unveiling at a big joint meeting at the Chenery Middle School on Tuesday, Sept. 8, as information surrounding the proposal has leaked to the public over the summer.

According to four separate sources, the project – final cost is still to be determined but its likely several million dollars – to replace the existing structures have been on the minds of many for decades.

Now, after recent examples of private donors using their wallets and connects to successfully improve, maintain or rebuild municipal and school properties – laying down the new varsity court in the Wenner Field House being the latest – a new group has set their sights on what many consider a town asset that has seen its best days pass it by, the “Skip” Viglirolo Skating Rink. 

Built in 1969 during the rise of the Boston Bruins and Bobby Orr, the rink’s limitations and faults are legendary to visitors, players and parents. The physical structure was never fully constructed with heavy sheet metal side walls with gaping openings that allow both the weather – whether it is blistering cold or spring time warmth – and birds to migrate inside.

There is no heat or comfortable seating for viewers; the locker rooms are old, and the lighting is far from adequate while the only “warm up” space for spectators is the small snack room.

Editor’s note: One visitor from Calgary, Canada – no stranger to wind swept blizzard conditions – told the Belmontonian editor in 2002 there were warmer outdoor rinks in his hometown than the indoor Viglirolo rink.

But despite its threadbare condition, the rink is an asset to the town and hockey programs from beginners to high school varsity programs, providing a place to skate and practice at an affordable price. 

“Many towns would die to have its own rink,” said one

In addition, the White Field House – dedicated to a Belmont High alum who died during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 – while structurally sound, doesn’t provide space for the large number of female athletes who could use a changing area adjacent to the main athletic field.

In past documents, town officials and Capital Budgets placed the rink was one of the town’s major capital expenses that required addressing.

The sources – all who spoke on background as they promised not to reveal the proposal – said a spokesperson representing a group of residents advanced an initial proposal in early 2015 to a Financial Task Force subcommittee during the later stages of its tenure. to replace the dilapidated rink with a new structure and provide a new field house using private fund.

The initial response from town and government committees was enthusiastic yet guarded. While the outline was interesting, the group was told much more work needed to be done in both how the deal would be financed and, just as important, provide greater detail concerning the governance and use of the facility once it is built.

Recently, a dispute has been brewing in Wilmington over the Ristuccia Arena, constructed with the town’s help in the 1980s to provide access to town youth and adult hockey programs, which is accused of now catering to professional hockey teams, private school programs and elite skating clubs over local interests. 

The private group returned in late July for a formal presentation to the Belmont Board of Selectmen with representatives of town departments and the Captial Budget and Warrant committees as well as the Planning Board in attendance. 

Highlights of the proposal:

  • A new rink design will require taking some land from surrounding practice fields using by Belmont High School and youth sports programs.
  • The design of the rink and field house will allow for on-site parking, which will relieve traffic and parking congestion along Concord Avenue.
  • The town will benefit financially from the rink’s hourly rental fee that will be an income
    stream.
  • Belmont Savings Bank will take a major role in financing the proposal.

While the Selectmen, department heads and governmental committees who attended the presentation came away eager to move forward with the plan, the land on which the rink and field house reside is “owned” by the Belmont School Committee. The six-member committee will need to sign off on any proposal to see it advance from the blueprint stage.

This marks the second time the School Committee will be asked to allow land assigned to athletic fields to be used for a development; in May 2013, the committee denied a request from the Library Board of Trustees to use a small section of the same playing field for a proposed $19 million library. 

While nearly all  is enthused about the proposal, all sides decided to keep a somewhat tight lid on the plan in deference to the School Department who will have the first say about whether the proposal will work or not.

“We don’t want a repeat of the library fiasco,” said one source. 

Belmont Light Asking Customers to Limit Usage Over Next Two Hot Days

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Photo: Air conditioning units use a great amount of electricity.

Who said Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer?

The next two days will see temperatures in Belmont hit the 90s, and with that comes higher than normal energy usage and higher costs.

Sagewell, Inc. –the Woburn-based administrator of Belmont Light Energy Efficiency – is asking its 11,000 customers to help Belmont save energy and money by reducing their electricity consumption between 3 p.m.and 6 p.m. during the next two days.

Electricity cut during peak times helps Belmont mitigate rising utility costs, according to Sagewell.

“Nearly one-third of your electric bill is for the cost of procuring sufficient capacity for peak days and these costs are continuing to increase for all utilities across New England,” Sagewell notes.

Here are some tips to reduce Belmont peak electricity consumption:
●     Adjust air conditioners between four p.m. and 6 p.m. and turn off the AC in rooms that are not used. Adjusting the thermostat even by 2-3 degrees helps.
●     Use a microwave oven or an outdoor grill instead of a stove or a regular oven.
●     Shift laundry and dishwasher use to after 6 p.m.
●     Shift other electricity use to before 3 p.m. or after 6 p.m.

Residents and businesses with questions or would like advice on how to decrease peak energy consumption, feel free to contact Sagewell at support@sagewell.com or by calling 617-963-8141.

This (Short but Busy) Week: Stormwater Forum, LEGOs, Rink Presentation

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Photo:
 
On the governmental side of “The Week.”
  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen, the Belmont School Committee and the town’s Capital Budget Committee will hold a joint session to hear a presentation on the construction of a new skating rink and field house at the present site off Concord Avenue. The meeting is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at the Chenery Middle School.
  • The Belmont School Committee meets for the first time this school year at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at the Chenery Middle School. In addition to the Hockey Rink presentation, new staff members will be introduced and lots of reports and goals announced.
  • The Belmont Planning Board will meet to continue public hearing on a number of existing applications and one new application at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 in Town Hall. 
  • The Belmont Historic District Commission will discuss Demolition Delay and the cleaning of the commuter rail bridge at its 7 p.m. meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8 in Town Hall. 
  • The Energy Committee is meeting at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 9 at Town Hall.
  • The Community Preservation Committee is meeting at 5 p.m., Sept. 9 at Town Hall in preparation to its Sept. 17 public meeting. 
• Pre-School Summer Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer run library, on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings can join with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
• State Rep. Dave Rogers will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8. 
• The Belmont Public Library, in partnership with the Belmont-based non-profit Science for the Public, will offer the program Origami: Art and Science, on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 7  p.m. in the Assembly Room. The presenter for the program is Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan, Ph.D., de Valpine Professor of Applied Mathematics; Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology; Professor of Physics, Harvard University.
 
• Join Julie Goetze for traditional songs and nursery rhymes, played on her guitar on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the library’s Assembly Room
 
• A jobs workshop on “Changing Careers: Reinventing Oneself in Today’s Job Market” with employment expert Gary Gekow will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Transitioning into a new profession can be a challenging and daunting undertaking. Gekow will discuss and explore various strategies to help make the transition from one industry to another a smooth one.  This is a group discussion where everyone’s experiences and opinions are welcomed.  No sign-up necessary.
 
• Belmont Historical Society is holding its board meeting Wednesday, Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the Library’s Claflin Room.
 
• The LEGOs Club is back! If you love building with LEGOs, this program 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 fun begins Thursday, Sept. 10, 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, Sept. 10, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the library’s Flett Room.
 
• A stormwater forum titled “Water Trouble: A Neighbor-to-Neighbor Dialogue about Storms, Floods, and Water Quality” will take place on Thursday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Winn Brook School. Registration starts at 6:45 pm. Representatives from grass root organizations from Arlington, Belmont, and Watertown organized the forum. We have panelists from all three towns.
 
• Join Lenka from Belmont’s Music Together on Friday, Sept. 11 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 
in the library’s Assembly Room for singing, playing with egg shakers and dancing!  For kids 5 and under.
 
• The senior book discussion group will meet on Friday, Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. at the Beech Street Center to discuss Middlemarch by George Eliot.
 
• The Belmont Gallery of Art invites the public to the closing reception for “!02478,” Belmont Art Association’s Summer Show, on Friday, Sept. 11, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Belmont Art Gallery located on the third floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex.

• The Benton Library, Belmont’s independent library, is open on Friday, Sept. 11, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., come by the Benton on the way home or after dinner. Get a free library card if you don’t have one already. Explore the collection. Select some of our gently used sale books; all proceeds benefit the library.