Belmont Voters Support Prop 2 1/2 Override to Decisive Victory [Update]

By 3 Comments

Photo: Ellen Schrieber, a co-chair of the Yes for Belmont committee.

Endorsing a recommendation to stabilize school funding and help fund road repairs, Belmont voters came out in big numbers to support a $4.5 million Proposition 2 1/2 override during the annual Town Election on Tuesday, April 7.

With a little more than half of all registered voters taking ballots, the “yes” for Question 1 received 4,728 votes, nearly a 900 vote margin over the 3,836 “no” votes.

“We are so grateful to the hundreds of volunteers who made this happen,” said Ellen Schreiber, one of the co-chairs of the “Yes for Belmont” campaign that spearheaded the effort to pass the override.

“The turnout was unbelievable and serves as a tangible reminder of why this is a truly special community,” she said.

Securing a “yes” victory came from two of Belmont’s precincts, 1 and 6 where the yes’ swamped the no vote by 328 and 338 votes.

The “No” side could only take three of the eight precincts (precincts 2, 4, and 8) with margins never reaching triple figures.

After more than a dozen years since the last time voters endorsed hiking property taxes were ready to pony up an average extra $650 a year (on a house assessed at $847,000) for stable school funding and road repair for at least three years. Supporters believe the funds can be stretched up to five years.

Selectman Mark Paolillo, who headed the Task Force, said he viewed the override “as more than just a three year commitment. The [new funds] will sustain us for many years in the future.”

Schreiber agreed with Paolillo, stating the Yes Committee is “thrilled that the town of Belmont has voted to protect our town for future generations.”

“This is the first step in a strategic plan, outlined by the Financial Task Force, that will move Belmont toward more financial stability in the future,” she said.

Since Proposition 2 1/2 was approved by state voters in 1980 (the law went into effect in 1982), Belmont voters have approved half of six override measures on the ballot, the last two “yes” votes were in May 2001 ($3 million) and April 2002 ($2.4 million) for school and town operating expenses.

Before Tuesday’s vote, registered voters rejected the last attempt at an override, a $2 million schools, public safety and roads in June 2010.

The override was recommended by the Financial Task Force, a group created by the Belmont Board of Selectmen in 2014, which sought to secure extra funding to fill a growing deficit – $1.7 million in fiscal year 2016 – facing the Belmont School District due to skyrocketing enrollment and higher expenses, in part due to unfunded state mandates.

Paolillo said he would be reaching out to the leadership of the group who worked to defeat the measure.

“We have to bring the people who voted ‘no’ with the ‘yes’ voters to work together to move us forward,” said Paolillo, and bring them into the Financial Task Force fold.

“This was a spirited campaign, and we want to acknowledge the hard work put in by our opponents. We share the same of goal: making sure Belmont thrives; though we differ about how to achieve that goal,” said Schreiber.

[Update: In an earlier version of this article, it was incorrectly reported the “no” vote received the majority of ballots cast in Precinct 7. That was incorrect; the “yes” side prevailed in the precinct.]

Breaking News: Override Passes, Williams Shocks Rojas for Selectman Seat

By 9 Comments

Photo:

Belmont voters passed a $4.5 million Proposition 2 1/2 override that will secure long-term level funding and help with road repair.

The measure passed, 4,728 to 3,818, according to the Belmont Town Clerk’s office

In the race for Selectman, Andy Rojas lost a chance for a second three-year term as first-time challenger Jim Williams of Glenn Road defeated the incumbent by nearly 500 votes, 4,047 to 3,528.

Town Election 2015 in Belmont: Updated Through the Day

By 1 Comment

Photo: Tom Martin voting for the first time. 

7:45 p.m.: Precinct 8, the Winn Brook precinct: 1.200 ballots cast. 60 percent participation with many younger voters – 7 at booths when I was there – coming in.

7:30 p.m.: The heavy rains held off and people have been coming in steady to the eight polling stations in Belmont. Not many signs around town although Dawn MacKerron and Bill Trabilcy were in Cushing Square with a big “No” sign, receiving a long horn blast from a late-90s Cadillac with State tags.

2:20 p.m.: The election is just past mid-way and the numbers at the eight precincts indicate a good deal of interest in the contested Selectman’s race and the Prop 2 1/2 ballot question. 

Precinct wardens said the voters “have been really out there,” (Precinct 6), polling stations are “busy constantly,” (Precinct 3), activity is “brisk,” (Precinct 7) with voters coming in at a “steady pace.” (precincts 1 and 8).

So here are the raw numbers between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.:

  • Precinct 1: 665
  • Precinct 2: 604
  • Precinct 3: 473
  • Precinct 4: 358
  • Precinct 5: 479
  • Precinct 6: 617
  • Precinct 7: 438
  • Precinct 8: 638

According to Town Clerk Ellen Cushman, the election could reach 40 percent participation rate or about 7,500 to 8,000 voters coming out. 

1:50 p.m.: It was rough going for Tom Martin as he tried to vote at Precinct 2 in Town Hall. The Belmont High senior first attempted to leave the polling station with both the ballot and the folder in his hands when Precinct Warden Henry Kazarian steered Martin to the official voting scanner. There he attempted to insert the manilsa folder into the slot. At that point, Kazarian instructed Martin on the proper process of voting. 

Despite flubbing the process a bit, everyone in the polling station gave a Martin a round of applause as it was the first time the 18-year-old ever voted. 

“It was good, it was interesting,” said Martin, who received a handshake from Kazarian on his way out. 

In the second-floor lobby, Martin said he wanted to cast his ballot because of the override.

“At Belmont High School, there has been a lot of talk about this [override] vote among the students,” said Martin, a co-captain of this year’s boys’ basketball team and player on Rugby. “We know the election is important for the future of the high school.” 

“And now I’m 18, I should have my voice heard,” he said. 

Noon: It was suppose to be raining by now but … nada. 

10 a.m.: So where are the sign holders? At the Beech Street Center, of course, where precincts 3 and 5 are located. And we found Selectman candidate Jim Williams with his campaign manager shaking hands and talking to Precinct 5 Town Meeting incumbent Frank Lombardo and former town employee  Austin ‘Butchie’ Bennett holding the fort for Andy Rojas.

“I have my coat so I’ll be here even if it rains,” said Butchie.

IMG_4003

8:45 a.m.: A lonely figure at Precinct 2: Jim Gammell, a member of the leadership team for the Nos, poll watching. Will have to take a look around town to see if anyone else is out and about looking over lists of voters. Standing outside the Center’s parking lot, 

8:15 a.m.: Here are the first data dump of the day; the total number of absentee ballots received as of yesterday (there’s one more rush of ballots around 5 p.m.) and by precinct:

Total received/sent:

604/702

  • Precinct 1: 123
  • Precinct 2: 91
  • Precinct 3: 61
  • Precinct 4: 42
  • Precinct 5: 64
  • Precinct 6: 104
  • Precinct 7: 40
  • Precinct 8: 79

7:30 a.m.: Belmont’s Town Election 2015 gets underway under a gray overcast and cool conditions with some good voter participation at Precincts 1 (at the Belmont Public Library) and 8 (Winn Brook School) with a dozen voters waiting to enter Precinct 1 and more than 20 residents voting in the first 10 minutes at 8. At Town Hall, the level is described as “brisk.” 

IMG_3995

One thing missing? Sign holders at the three precincts visited. Just one at 1 and 8, both with “Yes for Belmont” signs.

Town Election Day in Belmont: What You Need to Know to Vote Today

By Leave a Comment

Today, Tuesday, April 7, Belmont voters will have the opportunity to cast ballots in the annual Town Election to elect members of Town Meeting, town-wide office and one ballot question.

Times

Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Who can vote

Those who are legally registered to vote and are residents of Belmont.

You may be asked for ID

Did you fill out your town census form mailed earlier in the year? If you did not, then you are known as an “inactive” voter. Luckily, an “inactive” voter may still vote but first must provide adequate identification proving the voter’s identity and current place of residence. Usually a Massachusetts Driver’s License or State issued ID are sufficient.

Whom and what’s on the ballot

Find out here with the Belmont League of Women Voters’ election guide.

Transportation to the polls

The League of Women Voters of Belmont is offering rides to the polls from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 617-771-8500 to schedule transportation.

Questions about or during voting

Most questions – including who is eligible to vote in Belmont – that arise during voting can be answered by the precinct warden at the polling station. Other questions should be addressed to the Town Clerk’s Office at 617-993-2600.

Where do I vote?

Don’t know where to vote? Call the Town Clerk at 617-993-2600, or read/download the handy map included on this web page that includes a street directory.

Polling Places:

  • Precinct 1; Belmont Memorial Library, Assembly Room, 336 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct 2: Belmont Town Hall, Selectmen’s Meeting Room, 455 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct 3: Beech Street Center (Senior Center), 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct 4: Daniel Butler School, 90 White St.
  • Precinct 5: Beech Street Center (Senior Center), 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct 6: Belmont Fire Headquarters, 299 Trapelo Rd.
  • Precinct 7: Burbank School Gym, 266 School St.
  • Precinct 8: Winn Brook School Gym, 97 Waterhouse Rd (Enter at Cross St)

Opinion: Chenery Students Credit to Horace Mann’s Legacy

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Horace Mann

Eighth-grade History is all about our changing American nation. It’s focused on the issues of 2015, but the amount of connections that students make between the past and the present by looking at the American Revolution, how our system of government formed, and how society grew and changed during the 19th century is remarkable. I’m fortunate to work at the Chenery Middle School with a group of passionate educators and motivated students. Your students care – not just about their learning, but also about their role in the bigger picture as the next generation of leaders. For them, the override vote and the debate that it brings up couldn’t have come at a better time.

Together we’ve been looking at how our founders set up the system of government, reaching back through the Jacksonian era, when public participation and involvement in government was heavily promoted. Just last week, we were looking at reforms our country made in the 19th century, one of which was the push by Horace Mann for public education. We looked at excerpts of Mann’s The Common School Journal and one of the biggest principles it emphasized was the idea that education should be paid for, controlled and sustained by an interested public.

I can’t tell how you excited as an educator it made me when students came in early; or stayed after school just to tell stories of the forum that they attended on the override’s yes/no debate and how many connections they made to the Jacksonian era because of it. They had about arguments both for and against the override, and how those made them think of the principles that Horace Mann was promoting. One of my students proudly proclaimed last week how great it felt to be able to go canvassing with her father, and be able to add something to the discussion when meeting and talking to potential voters not just about the work that goes on in our public schools but about why they should care about it.  

Much of the learning and sense of community we have is possible because of our “team model.” At Chenery we focus on fostering a safe learning environment that allows kids to step out of their comfort zones and become better students and bigger thinkers. Getting to know each and every one of my students not just as learners but also as people is the best part of my job. We build relationships and give kids the community they need looking out for them, caring for them, and giving them the tools and support to succeed. We meet in our teams to discuss their progress, growth, and social/emotional well being regularly. Each year our classes get a little bit bigger, and each year it gets a little bit harder to keep maintaining those relationships with a growing student body, and keep fitting those meetings into the busy daily schedule – but it still gets done. We know how important it is not just to the kids, but to their families as well.

The public forum at the Beech Street Center last Monday was a great example of your students in action. I was so proud to be standing with some of my colleagues listening to high school students, and even a middle schooler too, talk about the cuts they feared would make their way into our system if the override didn’t pass. Those participants are the ones we should recognize the most. They might not have a vote, but they care about what will happen and one day will be the thoughtful decision makers in Belmont. Throughout each and every step of their journey this community, and the educators who love to serve it, have supported them. Students have benefited from the strong team model at the Chenery among many other academic and extracurricular opportunities and support systems that our system is able to provide.

Horace Mann would probably be proud. Belmont is definitely a place where there is an interested public, and they certainly care about their public education system. Belmontonians should be proud too, because the “kid constituency” in town that might not be able to vote is definitely a part of the debate. They’re not just watching it; they’re participating in it and learning from it. Let’s make sure to preserve the supports they deserve and the educational community that they need so that when years from now they become the next generation of leaders they’ve been well prepared because of their strong foundation built in the Belmont Public Schools.

Adam Weldai
Chenery Grade 8 History 
Member of the Malden School Committee

Editorial: Cast Aside Politics and Fear, Vote Yes for the Override

By 11 Comments

Photo: The Yes campaigners. 

The Belmontonian endorses a “yes” vote on Question 1, the Proposition 2 1/2 override measure on the ballot to be decided on Tuesday, April 7. 

This question allows residents the opportunity to follow “the better angels of our nature,” when we can set aside manufactured tension and fear and replace it with good, positive, constructive acts.

The proposed override was born after a year-long gestation by the Financial Task Force of sober, careful analysis and facts of the financial constraints facing the community. The task force – including Selectman Mark Paolillo, Town Treasurer Floyd Carman, Town Administrator David Kale, School Committee Chair Laurie Slap, Capital Budget Chair Anne Marie Mahoney and Charles Laverty III of the Board of Assessors, all respected for their dedication and work for Belmont – held dozens of open and public meetings and forums, requested information and data and worked cooperatively with all.

The task force’s final report recommended the Belmont Board of Selectmen call for a $4.5 million multi-year override to both stems the rapidly growing funding deficit due to skyrocketing enrollment and rapidly increasing expenses in our schools. In a vote called a “brave decision,” the Selectmen unanimously approved the recommendation in February.

But just as vital as supplying funding, the override secures up to three, but likely many more years of stability for Belmont schools. While not ideal or even desired, assured level-funding will provide educators over the long-term, Town Meeting and our state legislators the time to commit to fundamental improvements and other necessary changes to retain the outstanding reputation of the schools, our community’s greatest resource.

The override will exact a burden onto Belmont property owners, about $650 on the medium valued house assessed at $847,000. No one should say it’s “only” $162 on the quarterly bill; that is a hardship to some.

But it is time Belmont residents face the fact the community has been attempting to run a modern, urban municipality on the cheap. Belmont has one of the lowest average tax bills in the state and an extremely low cost-per-pupil expenditures (coupled with one of the highest student-to-teacher ratios). It’s little wonder the town is a laughing stock for it’s disgraceful roads, but that happens when you won’t pay an adequate amount for their upkeep. The band Midnight Oil spoke to what Belmont needs to realize: “The time has come/To say fair’s fair/to pay the rent/to pay our share.”

There are worthy opponents to the override. Former Selectman Anne Marie Mahoney, a task force member, is opposing the ballot question as she takes the lonely role of sponsoring the large ticket capital projects – a new High School, police station, Department of Public Works complex to name a few. Her cause requires Town officials and Town Meeting to be acknowledged and brought fully into the fold of long-term planning.

The same can not be said for the “Vote No on Ballot Question 1 Committee,” a tiny renegade group from the Warrant Committee, made up of members past and present, supporting its campaign with little more than empty phrases and promises.

The No committee claims its complaint with the override supporters is fiscal, the Financial Task Force’s careful analysis on revenue assumptions by well-respected town members is wrong, the recommendation producing a “mega” override. All that is needed is to fill the announced $1.7 million deficit the schools will encounter in the next fiscal year.

The Nos has no completing reports to back its claim the money is out there; they counter with “trust us.”

What should take every resident aback is the solution being proposed from the Nos if the override is defeated; this group of non-elected residents will come before the elected Board of Selectmen with their “list” of residents and town members they hope to see on an unelected “budget committee” which will solve the fiscal issues facing the town, all within “three to six” weeks.

The questions that arise with this “solution” are numerous and unnerving:

  • Will the “budget committee” be open to all or closed to a few?
  • Who will lead it?
  • Will it have any authority?
  • Shouldn’t it be approved by Town Meeting before it starts?
  • Will the committee be subject to the open meeting laws?
  • What if the solution from the “budget committee” differs from the renegade Warrant Committee members?

The No committee is making it up as it goes. Its solution is not based on democracy, but power.

And, to misquote Hamlet, therein lies the rub: The No Committee’s mission is political, not financial. The amount could have been $4 million, $3 million or $2 million, the Nos would have pegged the override with the puerile label “mega.”

But the prime target for the Nos is the schools and the “hardcore” union representing Belmont teachers. It wouldn’t surprise anyone that the Nos have circulated lists of teachers pay prompting one supporter wondering at candidates’ night paying a kindergarten teacher $90,000. Several times, one member of the group have suggested that the union must be made to heal to lead the town into a financial nirvana. In addition, by providing annual funding rather than a long-term approach, the school district will be beholden to the “budget committee.”

If the Nos had declared its agenda up front, they would be seen as honest brokers, rather than a very small fraternity of political operatives.

With only seven contributors and a campaign paid by a single source, the Nos remain a powerful opponent, playing to a substantial number of residents who view Belmont as the same small town of several generations past, those who believe providing a “good enough” education – in a world that punishes those who are only “good enough” – is what is required, while nervously viewing their own finances as economic forces beyond everyone’s reach ever change.

We, Belmont, must reject the fear and mistrust being pushed by the No committee.

We, Belmont, must be for something, rather than be opposed to stability and taking responsibility for the true cost of running the town.

We, Belmont, must grab the opportunity to move forward with facts and realism rather than be led back with half truths and the empty “trust us.”

Vote for the override.

Letter to the Editor: Lessons on Democracy from Kids in Starbucks

By 3 Comments

To the editor: 

Yesterday [Sunday, April 5] after our Easter brunch was over and my uncle had gone, the kids had tired of playing both indoors and out, so we made our way to the town-center Starbucks for a change of scenery.

Grouped around a table were five teenagers studying AP biology.  My six-year-old pointed out to me that one of them had a “Yes for Belmont” sticker on her laptop. She seemed pleased that he had noticed and we began to talk. She was a junior, 17, too young to vote. I asked about her parents: they wished they could vote in favor but are not U.S. citizens; she was hoping that people like me could vote for it. It turned out that some of the other kids at the table were in the same situation. I found myself wondering if these bright, articulate, hard-working kids perhaps had benefited when they were younger from the ELL classes that the “No” campaign wants to (illegally) do away with. 

This chance encounter came as a reminder: Citizenship is a privilege that we don’t all have. We owe it to those who can’t vote – our children, other people’s children, and the immigrant population of Belmont that helps make this town what it is – to exercise our right on Tuesday. 

This is going to be a close election. If ever there were a case of “every vote counts,” this is it! If you have voted absentee already, thank you. If you haven’t, please remember to vote Tuesday, April 7. And please budget enough time. The polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. but there may be lines. Please don’t walk away if the line is long; you will be relinquishing a vote that those kids in Starbucks (and their parents) wish they had. 

And if you’re in the same situation as those kids’ parents, ask your friends who are citizens to vote. Democracy only works if we make it work. 

Mary Lewis

Randolph Street 

Belmont Savings’ Egg Hunt a Thunderous Success

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Finding eggs with a smile at the 15th annual Egg Hunt in Belmont.

When the “crack” of an early Saturday morning thunderbolt woke her up, the first thought in Susan Condrick’s mind was “What about the hunt?”

The event she was referring to was the Belmont Savings Bank’s 15th Annual Belmont Egg Hunt taking place in just a few hours at the Chenery Middle School playing field, on Saturday, April 4.

“We [Carolyn Boyle, her business colleague at Hammond Real Estate and Egg Hunt co-director] had said rain, snow, mud or shine, but we hadn’t thought about lightning,” she said Saturday morning.

When they arrived at the playing field off Oakley Road, “[w]e were really relieved when we saw the little bit of blue sky,” she said.

And by the time a few hundred kids and their parents arrived at the site at the 10 a.m. start time, the rain had long past, the field was relatively dry and snow free and the sun was just preparing to peak out from behind the clouds.

With the help over the past two weeks of about 20 Chenery sixth graders and a fifth grade Girl Scout troop (#75023), 10,000 brightly-colored plastic eggs were filled with candy and prizes and sowing the field and the small playground for the toddlers.

And with a year’s experience in their pocket, Condrick and Boyle had their helpers in place, the eggs on the ground and hundred’s of kids eager to break the tape holding them back.

Condrick could only reach to “four” in her countdown before a wave of early-morning kids energy burst onto the landscape, searching for each egg in sight.

The kids, followed by parents and siblings, scoured the grounds, picking clean the land of every candy-laden egg in less than five minutes. And for the vast majority of kids, the day was a success.

“Last year, we were new at this and it didn’t run as smoothly as we would have liked. So this one ran smoothly,” she said.

For Condrick and Boyle, the yearly event is more than just a morning running after youngsters picking up colored eggs.

“This is a great introduction to Belmont for newer families in town with younger kids. And it is a nice time away from the fairly contentious political discussions that have been happening of late,” she said.

Along with the Belmont Savings Bank, which served as the lead sponsor, other backers include: 

  • Pediatric Dental Arts
  • Hammond Residential Real Estate
  • Cultural Care Au Pair
  • Moozy’s Ice Cream and Yogurt Emporium
  • Paprika Kids
  • Rancatore’s
  • Toy Shop of Belmont

 

This Week: Book Clubs Young and Old, Lemonade and Cookies, Town Business

By Leave a Comment

On the government side of This Week:

  • The Zoning Board of Appeals is meeting on Monday, April 6, at 7 p.m. on the third floor of the Homer Building (in the Town Hall complex off Moore Street). It will hear several requests for special permits for additions and such on residential property.  
  • The Community Preservation Committee is meeting at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, at Town Hall to discuss its fiscal year 2016 budget and an update on the projects it funded in the past two years. 
  • The Board of Selectmen will meet on Wednesday, April 8, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall to reorganize (include selecting a new chair), sign the contract for the Belmont Center Reconstruction project, get an update on the commuter rail track repairs and sign the official warrant for Town Meeting. 
  • The Planning Board is meeting on Wednesday, April 8, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall where it will discuss the upcoming Zoning Forum and related issues before Town Meeting next month.
  • The Capital Budget Committee meets on Thursday, April 8, at 5 p.m. in Town Hall to have a talk with reps from the facilities, schools and police departments as well as discuss its fiscal ’16 budget, in general terms.

• If you love music, come over to the Belmont High School auditorium, Monday, April 6, at 7 p.m. for Jazz Night featuring the Chenery Jazz Ensemble and the Belmont High School Jazz Collective with guest artist Trent Austin. And it’s free!

• The 7th-8th Grade Book Group from the Chenery Middle School meets Monday, April 6, at 7 p.m.  to discuss My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger, choose May’s book, and enjoy some snacks.

• Tuesday is Town Election in Belmont. Get out and vote!

• Mat Yoga, a new six-week exercise class taught by Susan Harris, begins this Tuesday, April 7, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. The level of difficulty of the new class is somewhere between the well-received Wednesday afternoon chair yoga class with Carol Wilson and Harris’ Tuesday evening yoga class. Cost: $48.

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. 
• The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will be holding two sessions of Story Time for 2’s and 3’s, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 

• On early release Wednesday, April 8, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., Chenery Middle School student can stop by the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room, work on your homework, enjoy some lemonade and cookies, and try out an activity.  This is for middleschoolers only, so high school students can do something else. The activity is funded by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library. Just drop in, no registration required.

• The Book discussion group for elementary school students in the 3rd and 4th grades will be held Thursday, April 9 from 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• The Belmont Vision 21 Implementation Committee will be meeting Thursday, April 9 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room. 

• The Senior Book Discussion Group will meet Friday, April 10 at 11 a.m. at the Beech Street Center to discuss Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece, War and Peace  (Part 1 through Part 7).  On Friday, May 8, the group will continue the discussion of War and Peace, starting at Part 8 through the end of the book.

Belmont Rugby Dominates State Champs Hendricken in Historic Home Win

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Senior Wing/Center Norman Kilavatitu heading downfield with everyone in tow.

Belmont High School Club Rugby’s midweek match with visiting arch-rival Bishop Hendricken High School was expected to be a titanic battle between the finalists of the past two Massachusetts Youth Rugby Organization state championships.

But the match did not follow the anticipated script. Instead, on Wednesday night, April 1, the hosts placed a historic marker on the 2015 season by dominating the Hawks, 29-5, before the biggest crowd in recent memory for a rugby contest at Harris Field.

“A great night. I couldn’t be happier for the kids, they played fantastic,” said Belmont Head Coach Greg Bruce as he grabbed jubilant players to give each words of praise and encouragement.

The win marked Belmont’s first regular season victory over Hendricken in five attempts and only the second time it came off the field on top (the other time was Belmont’s 2013 state championship win).

On the pitch, the man of the match was senior flyhalf Paul Campbell to scored three five-point trys (the equivalent  of a football touchdown) and kicked a two-point conversion as he demonstrated the prowess and talent which made him a three-year starter.

Campbell’s opening try was a thing of beauty and smarts. Receiving the ball from captain and senior scrum half Darren Chan, Campbell kicked the ball over the heads of the defenders, charged through them, catching the ball between a host of Hendricken backs and carried Hawks over the touchline.

IMG_3608

The first half – a game has 35-minute halfs – saw Belmont knocked back against its touch line twice but was able to withstand the initial push with overpowering scrums and rock solid defense as Chan repeatedly tackled his scrum half counterpart before he even could pick up the ball to start the offense and Campbell and Campbell McCready each made solid open field tackles that sent the Belmont sideline yelling its approval.

After Belmont’s first try, the Belmont steadily built momentum – as a number of key players arrived from performing in the High School’s Spring Concert – which allowed Campbell to handoff to Marco Perrone playing blind side flanker for the first time. With help from senior lock Nick Ryan, Perrone – hardly the biggest player on the grounds – rammed his way into touch.

Hendricken would not go quietly, producing a wonderful try with a 35 meter open field run and was gaining momentum as Belmont was down a man due to a 10-minute penalty when the half was called.

But the Hawks was feeling the effects of Belmont’s physical forwards and chasing the host’s speedy ends. Soon, it was Belmont going on wild runs down the sidelines, placing them in position to see Campbell collect a hat-trick and Perrone his second. With five minutes left, both teams began substituting senior players with youngsters as the victory was already sealed.

The keys to the victory were learned on the practice field, said Bruce.

“Hard work, lots of it, total commitment and no regrets every single day. That’s one of our mantras and they did it tonight,” said Bruce, pointing out Ryan “played out of his skin tonight” along with Bryce Christian, Peter Durkin, sophomore Eli Gullage and the big men up front, Deshawn Frederick, Jacob Hale and Omar Escobar.

“It was incredible. We asked the kids just react a little bit faster to everything, just a second faster. We knew if they did that, we’d win the game,” said Bruce, who has been the team’s head coach since the club’s inception.

The game will because a touchstone for the remainder of the season, said Bruce.

“We know BC High is coming into the season with high hopes so they are definitely someone to look out for, and St. John’s Prep, always dangerous. These are schools with a thousand-plus boys (Belmont High School has just a hair more than 550 young men). For some of those teams, it’s not a matter of rebuilding but reloading,” he said.