Belmont Girls’ Hoops Host Newton North Tigers In Opening Round Of Division 1 State Tourney Friday

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont High Junior Sophia McClendon (center) in action vs. Woburn

In its preview of the MIAA girl’s state tournament, the Boston Globe noted that the best first-round matchup in Division 1 will be 18th-ranked Newton North (12-8) at No. 15 Belmont (13-7) at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28. 

And why not think that? The Belmont High Girls are entering its third consecutive playoff run after a solid season finishing second in the Middlesex League Liberty behind 19-1 Woburn and earning a home game in the post-season. And for four-year head coach Shantell Jeter, the match will be her third attempt at winning her first playoff game since taking the helm. 

Newton North has had nearly identical records and power rankings as Belmont for the past three years. With similar game scoring (Newton North at 52 points per game), the game will likely be a nick-and-tuck affair, so fans can expect to stay until the final buzzer. 

“The girls have been improving through the season and I have been asking them to keep the intensity on,” said Jeter. “We’ve been looking towards the playoffs so we can’t let up. 

The Marauders scored an impressive 54 points per game average behind senior co-captain forward Linda Sheng and league all-star and co-captain junior true forward Sophia McClendon, averaging double figures. 

Joining the scoring pair include first-year youngster Sarah Geller and junior Sophia Pang, who play in the more traditional guard positions and are the keys to Jeter’s high-pressure person-to-person defense. 

Join League Of Women Voters’ ‘Brown Bag’ Lunch On Senior Tax Relief Friday

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Join the Zoom meeting on Senior Tax Relief on Friday, Feb. 28 at noon

Join the Belmont chapter of the League of Women Voters for a virtual “Brown Bag” lunch on Friday, Feb. 28, from noon to 1:30 p.m. for an information session on Senior Tax Relief.

Come learn about the programs that are currently available and possible future programs to help defray residential property taxes for those over 65. Find out if you are eligible to reduce your tax burden. Note that the annual senior tax relief application deadline is April 1.

With nearly one-in-five Belmont homeowners having reached senior status, this is a subject that will hold a great deal of interest for many citizens.

Leading the session will be the town’s Senior Tax Relief Working Group: Aaron Pikcilingis, Geoff Lubien, Kathy Keohane, and Mark Paolillo. Also in attendence will be Marsha Semuels from the Town Staff, Assessing Administrator Dan Dargon, and Assistant Town Administrator/Finance Director Jennifer Hewitt.

There will be plenty of time for questions.

Enjoy your own brown bag lunch in the comfort of your home while we gather together on Zoom.

The Zoom session can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/LWVBrownBag

Zoom Meeting ID: 880 3835 5536. The sessions passcode: LWV

Belmont Tells Residents: ‘Get Off The Fields!’

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Grove Street Playground

Mud season has arrived in Belmont! A foot of snow and ice, the arrival of Spring-like temperatures, and several rain events in the coming week can easily result in the town’s parks and open spaces being destroyed as residents and sports teams heads back to the grounds.

So, due to the ongoing snow/ice melt and in order to preserve the integrity of the fields for the coming year, Belmont has temporarily closed all grass playing fields. There is one exception: Payson Park Playground.

Public access, dog walking and all ball playing – that includes baseball, lacrosse, and soccer – is not permitted until the fields are deemed no longer water logged.

The Belmont Police have been asked to assist in enforcing this temporary closure. “We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and understanding until the fields are reopened,” said the police.

Got a question? Contact the DPW at 617-993-2680.

Suspect In Clark Lane Shooting Remains At Large, Victim Hospitalized

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Clark Lane in Belmont

A suspect in the Monday night shooting of a man on Clark Lane remains at large as Belmont Police continues its investigation into the incident that left a victim hospitalized.

In a press release from Belmont Polie dated Feb. 25, at 9:12 p.m. Monday, the Belmont Communications Center received multiple 911 calls reporting gunshots as well as a person shot in the vicinity of Clark Lane, a dead-end road off of Royal Road lined by multi-unit dwellings that end near Pearson Road.
When officers arrived, both the suspected shooter and the victim had fled the scene. Belmont Police and officers from Watertown, Waltham, and Arlington collected evidence at the scene while searching for the individuals. Soon afterward, the police learned the wounded man had driven himself to Mt. Auburn Hospital. 

The suspect remains a fugitive as of Wednesday. Belmont Police have yet to identify either the victim or shooter but have reassured residents “that this was not a random act of violence, and there is no immediate threat to the community,” noted the press release. 

The investigation remains active, and anyone with information is urged to contact Belmont Police Detectives at 617-993-2550.

Belmont Boys, Girls Hockey Open MIAA Tournament With A Pair Of Home Matches

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont High Boys’ Hockey after winning the Ed Burns Coffee Pot trophy after winning the tournament beating Arlington.

Fans of Belmont High hockey will have a double dose of playoff action this week as the boys and girls squads will host “home” openers of the 2025 MIAA Division 1 state tournament, which will be played at the JAR—that’s the John A Ryan Arena—in Watertown.

The girls take the ice on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 5:45 p.m. against Arlington Catholic while the boys will face off against Bishop Feehan at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27.

Both teams will have a second home contest if they come off the ice victorious this week. 

Marauder Girls’ 

The 8th-ranked Marauders (15-1-4) will be seeing some familiar faces in the two home games. They will start off against the 25th-ranked Arlington Catholic (7-11-2), which the girls’ met two weeks ago, winning 1-0. Belmont’s Sweet 16 opponent is likely to be Middlesex Liberty rival Reading Memorial (13-6-1), who will take on Pope Francis in the first round. The 9th-ranked Rockets lost to the Marauders 4-3 in January and tied up Belmont 3-3 in February.

Belmont is backstopped by junior goalie Jil Costa—who has given up one goal per game for the season—along with a solid defense made up of youngsters, including the first-line defense pairing of eighth grader Amelia Long with sophomore Elsie Lakin-Schultz.

The offense will depend on leading scorer junior Mackenzie Clarke and the team’s lone senior Sadie Taylor to spark the attack over the tournament, receiving help from first-years Alexcia Fici and Mia Smith and eighth-grade standout Mackenzie Tierney.

Belmont stumbled a bit leading up to the tournament, waiting late to tie a non-tournament Lexington in its penultimate game before losing its only contest of the season against Waltham, 3-2, in the season’s finale. Belmont does have some momentum behind them, capturing its second Middlesex League title in as many years.

For second-year Head Coach Brendan Kelleher, the season—which started on Dec. 2—has been a long one, but he sawthe team continue to battle the entire way. 

“These girls have answered the call every time in the last few games,” he said. Kelleher admitted losing an undefeated season in the final two minutes of the last game “stings a bit” but said as a team “we’ve never talked about wins and losses all season. We’re extremely proud of these girls, of what they’ve accomplished,” he said.

Kelleher said the postseason is “an exciting time for all these student-athletes, for the town and the high school and these families. Anything can happen. Now it’s a survive and advance situation.”

Belmont Boys’

The Boys undertook one of the toughest regular season schedules of any Bay State team, including encounters with five teams in the Boston Globe’s top 20, including Pope Francis (twice), Hingham, and Catholic Memorial, to finish with a 15-6-1 record and ranked 6th in Division 1.

Tuesday’s opponent is Bishop Feehan from Attleboro, who enters the rink with a 9-12-1 record and is ranked 27th. The Crimson and White’s likely next opponent will be Middlesex Liberty rival 11th-seed Winchester (12-10-0), which the boys beat twice in the regular season (4-1, 3-1). If the seeding holds up, Belmont will face third-rank Hingham in the Elite Eight, which they defeated in the semi-finals of the Ed Burns tournament, 2-1.

Feel good, said Belmont Head Coach Tim Foley. “And we have some work to do. We have some things to work on, but obviously we’re heading in the right direction.”

Belmont enters the playoffs with silverware in hand, having won the Burns tournament and the Cardinal Classic, where they defeated number 1-ranked Pope Francis, 2-0. With a first line of junior Leo Packard, sophomore phenom Liam Guilderson (21 goals, 43 points), and senior captain Adam Bauer, Belmont can score on nearly all defenses and goalies in the state. 

A wall of solid defenders, including sophomores John Connolly, Michael Rowan, and seniors PD Dimas and Tim Carere, has garnered Foley’s praise. 

“Our defensemen are just so fundamentally sound, good stick positions all the time. It’s something we work on a lot, and it’s something they really thrive on. They take pride in keeping pucks out of and on net, not scoring goals,” said Foley.

Sophomore goalie Ethan Bauer—Adam’s younger brother—has been standing on his head in the past month, giving up a single goal over three games in the Ed Burns tourney and shutting out the state’s number one and two teams. 

“Bauer is so solid, when we do make a mistake, we have that extra layer back there. That’s what you want, a hot goaltender going into the tournament,” said Foley.

Belmont Election Ballot Set With Competitive Contests In Five Town-Wide Races

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Voting will take place on April Fool’s Day

Belmont voters will have their hands full with five competitive races for town-wide posts at this year’s town election on Tuesday, April 1.

Two of the top contests will have new comers seeking to fill seats for Town Moderator and Select Board, while incumbents are running to retain their posts against opponents for Board of Health, Board of Health and the School Committee where four are running for two spots.

Candidates for town-wide races included:

Town Moderator (Vote for not more than one for 1 Year)
MICHAEL F. CROWLEY 119 Farnham St.
MARK A. PAOLILLO 42 Pilgrim Rd.

Select Board (Vote for not more than one for 3 Years)
PAUL ROBERT JOY 9 Harvard RD.
TAYLOR YATES 85 LAWRENCE LANE

Town Clerk Vote for not more than one for 3 Years
ELLEN O’BRIEN CUSHMAN 38 Scott Rd. (Candidate for Re-election)

Board of Cemetery Commissioners (Vote for not more than one for 3 Years)
WILLIAM JOSEPH CHEMELLI 11 Ripley Rd. (Candidate for Re-election)

Board of Health (Vote for not more than one for 3 Years)
JULIE C. LEMAY 37 Statler Rd. (Candidate for Re-election)
MICHAEL TODD THOMPSON 9 Jonathan St.

Members of the Housing Authority (Vote for not more than one for 5 Years)
SARAH M. BILODEAU 203 Trapelo Rd. (Candidate for Re-election)

Trustees of the Public Library (Vote for not more than two for 3 Years)
MARK CARTHY 21 Stone Rd. (Candidate for Re-election)
EDWARD P. BARKER, JR. 21 Garfield Rd.
TARA DONNER 47 Payson Rd.

Municipal Light Board (Vote for not more than two for 3 Years)
DAVID BEAVERS 316 Trapelo Rd. (Candidate for Re-election)
JESSICA KIT HARRISON 29 Williow St.

School Committee (Vote for not more than two for 3 Years)
JEFFREY W. LIBERTY 43 Worcester St. (Candidate for Re-election)
ZEHRA ABID-WOOD 306 Pleasant St.

BRIAN L. PALMER 210 Clifton St.
MICHAEL TODD THOMPSON 9 Jonathan St.

In the race to replace long-serving Town Moderator Mike Widmer, former School Committee member Mike Crowley who sought the post last year, will meet Mark Paolillo, who served four-terms on the town’s Select Board.

The race for Select Board will see a pair of newcomers as Planning Board Chair Taylor Yates who shepherd the MBTA Communities By-law through Town Meeting is taking on Paul Joy, the chair of the Economic Development Committee who led the effort to change the Select Board from a three to a five member policy-based entity.

With School Committee member Amy Checkoway deciding not to run for a third term, incumbent Jeff Liberty, Zehra Abid-Wood, Brian Palmer and Michael Todd Thompson are seeking election to the two seats up for grabs.

And, no, you aren’t seeing double as Thompson is also running against three-time incumbent Julie Lemay for the lone spot on the Board of Health. There is no provision in the town’s bylaws from running for as many posts as one wishes.

And there will be a lively race for the one seat on the Library Trustees as incumbent Mark McCarthy is running against former School Committee member Tara Donner and Edward Barker, president of the Belmont Library Foundation.

What’s Open/Closed On Presidents’ Day 2025 In Belmont; Trash/Recycling Delayed A Day

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Presidents’ Day in Belmont, 2025 (credit: USPS)

Two for the price of one. Living in Massachusetts allows residents to have your choice of who we are celebrating on the third Monday of February.

Presidents’ Day is a commemoration of George Washington’s Feb. 22 birthday. And since it fell near the Feb. 12 birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the federal government in 1971 included the two birthdays under one holiday.

And here is a bit of trivia: The Bay State officially celebrates “Washington’s Birthday” on the same day as the federal holiday. So take your pick.

Trash and recycling curbside pick up is delayed by a day.

Closed

  • Belmont Town offices – Town Hall, Homer Building – and Belmont Light.
  • Belmont Public Schools are on winter recess.
  • Belmont Public Library at the Beech Street Center and the Benton Library.
  • US Postal Service offices on Concord Avenue and Trapelo Road: No deliveries.
  • Banks; although some branches will be open in supermarkets.
  • MBTA: Operating on a Saturday schedule. See www.mbta.com for details.

Open

• Retail stores

• Coffee shops; Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are open

• Supermarkets

• Convenience stores, and

• Establishments that sell beer and wine are also allowed to be open.

Snow Emergency Parking Ban in Belmont Starting Sat., Feb. 15 at 9 PM With Forecast Of Snow And Ice

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Snow with a coating of ice will make travel on Sunday “nearly impossible”

Effective Saturday night, Feb. 15 at 9 p.m., a SNOW EMERGENCY PARKING BAN on all roadways, municipal, and school parking lots has been announced by the Belmont Police Department. The parking ban will continue until further notice. All vehicles parked in violation of of the parking ban will be towed at the owners expense.

The ban comes as the National Weather Service at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb.15, a Winter Weather Advisory that will remain in effect until 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16. The weather event will result in a mix of snow and sleet with accumulations between 2 and 6 inches and ice accumulations between a trace and 0.15 inches.

“Slow down and use caution while traveling,” noted the NWS. “Be prepared for slippery roads. Slow down and use caution while driving. If you are going outside, watch your first few steps taken on stairs, sidewalks, and driveways. These surfaces could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.”

“Travel could be nearly impossible,” said the NWS.

School Committee Sets ’25-’26 Calendar: Opening Day Wednesday, Sept. 3

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont School Committee approves 2025-26 calendar

The Belmont School Committee voted unanimously to approve the 2025-26 calendar at its scheduled meeting on Feb. 11.

So parents and students can start planning this year’s summer break plans as opening day for the district has been set.

“That means that the start of the school year for 2025-26 will be Wednesday, Sept. 3 for grades 1 to 12,” declared School Committee Chair Meg Moriarity. Belmont continues its long standing tradition of beginning the year after Labor Day. The first day will also be a half day for students.

Half of the kindergarteners will report on Sept. 4 and Sept 5. Preschoolers will be welcomed to visit their schools on Sept. 5 with their first day on Sept. 8.

The planned final day of the school year is Thursday, June 25. That date includes five ‘snow days’ added to the proposed day in anticipation of the schools being closed for bad weather. If there are no day closures in 2025-26, the last day of school will be Thursday, June 18, as June 19 is the Juneteenth Independence Day holiday.

Notable breaks in the school year include:

  • Nov. 27-28: Thanksgiving Recess
  • Nov. 22-Jan. 2: Winter Recess
  • Feb. 16-20: February Recess
  • April 20-24: April Recess

Belmont High Girls’ Hockey Sneak By A Tough Red And Black, 3-2, To Remain Unbeaten

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Eight-grader Kate Townsend (right) celebrating her game-winner in Belmont High Girls’ Hockey 3-2 victory over Winchester

The best thing about the end of the Belmont vs. Winchester Girls Hockey tussle for the home team was the Marauders had seen the last of the Red and Black for this season.

After a combined 90 minutes over two highly competitive games concluding Saturday night, Feb. 1, the teams were separated by a single goal as the Marauders defended their undefeated 2024-25 campaign with a 3-2 victory played at the JAR (John A. Ryan Arena) in Watertown, thanks in large part to the goal-scoring prowess of the Marauders’ backline.

Sophomore Elise Lakin-Schultz, senior Thea Monovich, and 8th grader Kate Townsend’s game-winner connected from distance in each period as the trio of defenders provided the offense punch that propelled Belmont to its 13th victory with only an earlier tie against the Rossoneri to blemish its record.

The Marauders are 9-0-1 and atop the Middlesex Liberty table. They are ranked 13th in the Boston Globe Top 20 and 8th in the MIAA Division 1 Power Rankings.

“Winchester is a good team, and we had some kids who weren’t feeling well; they were under the weather tonight. When you have that, the sign of a great team is kids stepping up to fill those spots,” said second-year Head Coach Brendan Kelleher. “We got three goals by three different players, three on defense. And Jil [Costa, Belmont’s outstanding junior goaltender] did a great job stopping 22 shots. She gives you the confidence a team needs, which helps in these tight situations.”

At the start of the game, it was all Belmont as it controlled play up and down the ice. Just after the halfway point in the first, Lakin-Schultz launched a rocket of a slap shot that flew by senior goalie Claire Zhang to give the hosts the first goal in the rivalry.

But after a Belmont penalty two minutes later, the ice tilted toward Belmont’s end for the remainder of the period as Costa was required to be on her toe box as the Red and Black occupied their offense zone, at one point keeping the Marauders on the ice for two minutes.

Belmont regained the game’s momentum in the second and scored when co-captain Monovich got into a long rebound and ripped it home at the 10-minute mark. But as Carrie Bradshaw says, “And just like that … ” Winchester was back level. Just 18 seconds after Belmont’s second, knuckler from first-year defender Anna Beaudry handcuffed Costa, giving the Red and Black a lifeline at 2-1. Two and a half minutes later, while on the power play, Winchester knotted it up at two when a rugby scrum suddenly occurred in Costa’s crease, resulting in the puck – along with Belmont’s goalie – pushed into the back of the net with senior defender (yes, yet another from the D line!) Amelie Corvi credited with the goal.

For the remainder of the second and into the first half of the third period, the game was a toss-up, with both teams moving the puck into dangerous positions as Costa and Zhang held down the forts.

It took one of the youngest players on the ice to put her stamp on the game as Townsend took a pass from fellow Chenery classmate Mackenzie Tierney and placed her shot just under the crossbar with 10 minutes left on the scoreboard. While Belmont had two great chances that Zhang saved, they were not needed as Belmont’s defense stood solid as the clock hit triple zeros.

With the season down to a handful of games, the Marauders will see the likes of at Reading (9-5-0), Woburn (8-5-0), and Arlington (9-4-0) over the biweek. But Kelleher said he will not change his preparation with these challenging games before them.

“I always joke with the girls that we will do what’s on the back of my shampoo bottle: rinse and repeat,” he said. “We talk about working our systems, being aggressive, and keeping the fun meter on high. We don’t discuss wins and losses. They play the game, and at the end, we figure out who wins and who loses.”