Belmont Farmers Market Opens Its 20th Season On Thurs., June 5

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`Photo: Belmont Farmers Market opens for the 2025 season on Thursday, June 5

Celebrate 20 years of the Belmont Farmers Market at its Opening Day on Thursday, June 5, in the Clafin Parking Lot, Belmont Center. The ceremony starts at 1:40 p.m., and the opening bell will be rung at 2 p.m.

The market takes place, rain or shine, on Thursdays in June to Oct. 30, 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (6 p.m. in October).

Special speakers and guests will help start the 20th season with a bang. The ceremony begins at 1:40 p.m.; the opening bell is at 2:00.

The market will host the fourth annual Food Assistance Information Fair to explore its efforts to help feed our neighbors.

Coming back this season is the POP Club, where young shoppers/club members $3 in POP Bucks to buy any produce or food-producing plants that they want! Parents say it helps kids try new foods, and they have more fun at the market. And they’ll enjoy our Activity Days on the last Thursday of each month.

You can contact market reps at https://www.belmontfarmersmarket.org/contact-us

On A Sunny Monday, A Ceremony For The Nation’s and Belmont’s Honored Dead

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Photo: A day of ceremony in Belmont on Memorial Day 2025

After seemingly weeks of rain and clouds, Memorial Day Monday, 2025, was full of sunshine and warm temperatures. For many, Monday was a harbinger of summer.

Bob Upton, the town’s Veteran Agent and host of the Belmont Memorial Day Ceremony at the Belmont Cemetery on Grove Street, told the assembled, “Memorial Day was a day to remember ancestors, family members, and loved ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice.”

“But now there are some that celebrate the day without more than a casual thought to the purpose and meaning of the day. How do we honor the 1.8 million plus who gave their life for America since 1775? How do we thank them for their sacrifice? Upton believes the town’s Memorial Day ceremony “is one way for all of us here today to remember and honor our fallen heroes.”

Upton recognized Carmela Picone, who hand-washed the 65 veterans’ headstones in the cementery, the Belmont High School student athletes who took their time, in the driving rain, to placed flags at all veterans grave, and the town’s workers who prepared the site for the ceremony.

“That’s where you start. We remember those of Belmont who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Upton, who pointed out the community’s Gold Star families – the Curtis and Ray families – attending the service.

Elizabeth Dionne, Belmont Select Board chair and the day’s keynote speaker, said the command to “remember” appear more than 550 times in the Old Testament.

“It matters that we remember,” Dionne said. “As fellow Americans, we gather today to remember that it is at the heart of our Memorial Day observances. 2025 is a particularly poignant year, as on April 19 this year, I gathered with other elected officials on Lexington Battle Green to watch a re-enactment of the Battle of Lexington on the 250th anniversary of the day on which eight men were the first to die in defense of their families and their freedoms.”

“Our nation’s history is complex. There have been too many times when we have not extended full citizenship rights to those legally within our borders, yet we strive to exercise tolerance, and expand our tent. We embrace those who love liberty, who dream of contributing to a country where they could be judged, in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr, not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,” Dionne noted. “The US military has been one of the great equalizers in American history, a place where those who serve their country can demonstrate the content of their character.”

Dionne spoke of the Navajo code talkers who served in WWII, creating an unbreakable code that played a crucial role in securing victory for US forces in the Pacific Theater.”

“I read a memoir by Chester Nez, one of the six code talkers. Chester begins his book by stating, ‘I’m no hero. I just wanted to serve my country,’ even though his home state of New Mexico denied Native Americans the vote. Chester volunteered as a Marine in April 1942, a few months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Of that decision, he wrote, ‘I could have stayed in high school. Maybe I should have. But as a warrior, how could I ignore the fact that my country had been attacked’,” she said.

“At the close of his book, Nez writes about what he gained from his military service. ‘My fellow Code Talkers might become part of a new oral and written tradition, a Navajo Victory, with our culture contributing to our country’s defeat of a wily foe’.”

“The story of the code talkers has been told on … the reservation and recorded in the pages of history books forever. Our story is not one of sorrow like the Long Walk and the Great Livestock Massacre, but one of triumph.”

“As Americans, we are often self-critical, keenly aware of when reality falls short of our ideals. In a fallen world populated by imperfect humans, failures are inevitable, and learning from our mistakes is a good thing. But as we remember today, I want to focus on what we get right, on the ideals that motivate us to sacrifice for the common good,” she said.

Sharing her own experiences, Dionne said in June 2018, she visited the Normandy American Cemetery perched on the bluffs above Omaha Beach in France, where the remains of 9,400 US armed forces personnel who participated in the D-Day invasion. Forty-five of those graves contain paired sets of brothers, a memorial wall in the Garden of the Missing includes the names of an additional 1,500 servicemen whose bodies were never found.

“As I walked past rows of crosses interspersed with Stars of David, I read the names of men who had given their lives in the cause of liberty, and I wept. Each name, each set of dates told a story so much youth, so much promise, so much life and love snuffed out.”

Dionne also spoke about her son’s church-sponsored mission to Bolivia, a poor South American country experiencing great civic unrest.

“As his mother, I was worried, but he learned some profound lessons about the privilege of being an American. In one of our weekly phone calls, he said, ‘Mom, people at home criticize America and complain about everything wrong with our country, but everyone here just wants to be there. They would give anything to live in America’.”

“The most important way to honor those living and dead who have served in our nation’s armed forces is to take up our quarrel with the foes of peace and our democratic ideals, and we remember the tremendous privilege we enjoy of being Americans who have the right to vote, to work, to worship freely or not to worship at all, to assemble, to criticize our elected government and to change that government in free and fair elections,” said Dionne.

“Above all, we remember the sacrifices of those who have served in wars and times of war. To you, we say ‘thank you’ and pledge that we will always remember in memory of our fallen dead. I would like to close with the lyrics of the “Mansions of the Lord,” a hymn her church choir sang last week to prepare for Memorial Day,” said Dionne.

To fallen soldiers let us sing
where no rockets fly nor bullets wing
our broken brothers let us bring
To the mansions of the Lord

no more bleeding, no more fight
no prayers pleading through the night
just divine embrace, eternal light
in the mansions of the lord

Where no mothers cry
and no children weep
we shall stand and guard through the angels sleep
while through the ages safely keep
the mansions of the Lord

Upton then recognize Belmont High student, Eva Cohen, who participated in the Voice of Democracy last year, an annual nationwide scholarship program sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

“I think is such an important day, especially for our community, because we don’t take that much time in our daily lives to be grateful for everything we have,” said Cohen. “Think about everything that we get to enjoy these days. Think about going to school, voting, or playing in the marching band, and it’s all things to lay their lives down so we can have these things.”

Cohen then joined her fellow Belmont High School Marching Band members as they marching down Grove Street and Bright Road to the Veterans Memorial under a cloudless sky.

Special Town Meeting: Confusion Sinks Senior Center Citizens’ Petition

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Photo: Bob McGaw (left) speaking on the Citizens’ Petition at the Special Town Meeting

A citizens’ petition that would upend the transition of Recreation Department staffers into the Beech Street Center collapsed as Special Town Meeting voted on Wednesday, May 21, to table the Special Town Meeting article after members said the language of the article was “confusing” about what it was proposing to do.

“This is seemingly a simple motion. But, in fact, it’s rather confusing,” said Jack Weis (Precinct 1). “We are being asked to vote for something that is apparently not fully baked, and we haven’t even been given detailed information on what we’re being asked to approve.”

During the Special Town Meeting held on the final night of the annual Town Meeting season, the citizens’ petition—STM Article 3: “To Protect the Beech Street Center”—presented by petitioners Robert McGaw and Paul Joy was the most discussed article this spring. Senior Center supporters raised concerns about a proposal from the town to relocate three recreation personnel and the town’s Veterans Agent from the Homer Building to the Beech Street Center.

Supporters of the status quo believe the transfer violated a 2011 Memorandum of Understanding between the town and the Friends of Belmont Council on Aging in which the primary operation of the Center would be senior-based until 2049 unless Town Meeting by a two-thirds vote authorized a change of use. 

While it received approximately 300 resident signatures, the petition had an uphill battle in its attempt to undo the movement of personnel. The town presented a legal opinion by the Boston law firm Anderson & Kreiger saying that adding three staffers within the administrative offices did not constitute a change of use of the mission of the Senior Center and thus did not trigger the requirement of a two-thirds vote by Town Meeting, said Town Moderator Mike Crowley. 

Even if it came before members, a “yes” vote on the citizens’ petition article would be a “non-binding resolution that expresses an opinion about the [town’s] plan,” according to the Town Council. The town noted that the legal opinion was authored by the same person, Town Council George Hall, who wrote the MOU 15 years before.

Finally, the petition’s wording didn’t assist the petitioner’s case. Claiming the MOU did not specify how to stop changes to the Senior Center, the supporters were asking members to defeat the town’s proposal by voting “no” rather than writing the article where it would seek a “yes” vote.

The debate

Crowley placed a tight hold on the debate by establishing rules, including “experimenting” with a 40-minute limit (with a 20-minute extension if needed) on questions and comments. While saying members can certainly talk about proposed changes and advisability, Crowley said the meeting would not debate the legality of the 2011 memorandum nor question the management structure of the Beech Street Center or how senior services are managed, as all would be deemed out of scope.

Joy (Precinct 7) kicked off the debate by proclaiming Belmont to be more than “just a place. It’s a promise of community, trust, and care for every generation.” He evoked the work of former town meeting member Barbara Miranda, who was a leader in constructing the Senior Center, and how her legacy isn’t just history—”it’s a living promise. The 2011 memorandum is not just legal jargon. It’s Belmont’s word to the people who poured their lives into this town.”

Reiterating the article’s main argument, Joy said the MOU’s requirement that Town Meeting approve a change of use by a 2/3 vote is “not a suggestion, it’s a contract, it’s someone’s word binding us to those that came before and those still to come.” 

“Is it not unreasonable to conclude that these plans come with significant long-term implications,” Joy warned. “We must ask how these changes will affect the seniors’ identity as a senior center over time, especially if recreation expands.”

“So I ask you tonight, from the bottom of my heart, will you stand with them? Will you vote ‘no’ on Article 4 and tell the world that Belmont is a town that listens, that it keeps its word, that it believes in its people.”

McGaw (Precinct 2) pointed to the April 23rd COA meeting, which alarmed seniors and saw them sign the petition “to seek to protect the Senior Center, to keep the town focused on senior needs, to maintain the ability of the Senior Center to provide additional programming, to serve an increasing senior population, which is now over 25 percent of Belmont.” 

“Our position is simply this: if the town wants to convert portions of the Senior Center to other uses, it should follow the process outlined in the 2011 memorandum,” and obtain a 2/3 approval from the Town Meeting, said McGaw.

Select Board Vice Chair Matt Taylor—also the board’s liaison to the Council on Aging—defended the move, saying the Rec Department personnel “time and again” assist in tasks for a short-staffed COA to sustain COA services for seniors. This is a team effort.” 

“What the petitioners saw in April was us collaborating and consulting with the COA” without any demands by the town to create a separate space for the Rec Department staff,” said Taylor. “All of this was to support seniors in programming,” he said.

Taylor also reiterated the board’s support for a trial run of the staffers at the Center, which will monitor, gather data, and ” be responsive to any issues that may arise affecting Senior Services.”

“No one at any time is suggesting or trying to change the primary purpose of the Beech Street Center,” Taylor said. 

After Maryann Scali (Precinct 2) helped define what “junior” seniors and “senior” seniors as she advocated for a no-vote, the first whiff of trouble for the petitioners came from the third speaker, Mary Lewis (Precinct 1), who said she found “this motion … deeply confusing.” Lewis said the article required a no vote to support preventing the proposed alterations, conversion, and use of space at the Center by the Recreation Department staff. But at recent presentations, the town has said it will not be building out areas of the Senior Center, such as creating a new door to accommodate the recreation-related business.

“So if we vote yes, we are affirming something untrue. If we vote no, we are agreeing with something that we might disagree with,” Lewis said, summing up the dilemma facing members.  

“This is fundamentally a decision around the utilization of office space by town departments, and I would submit that a body of 288 people who have been given scant information about this is not the right body and not the right time for us to make a decision about that,” said Weis who said he would be voting “abstain.”

Angus Abercrombie (Precinct 8) was the first of three members who questioned whether the best use of the Beech Street Center would be accomplished by placing restrictions on having recreation personnel in the building. Taylor said that the town has “robbed the Recreation [Department] of staff and attention in order to sustain the services at the COA.” Having the recreation staff in the office space will allow 

Judith Feinleib (Precinct 6), who authored a lengthy online defense of voting no, said the debate isn’t about “all the great things” at the Beech Street Center but rather “whether the nature of the agreement between the town and its citizens, especially seniors, is being changed.” Since she believed it would be, Feinleib said voting no is the only option. 

After Ade Bapista (Precinct 3) attempted to call the question early on —it failed by a wide margin—Ann Marie Mahoney (Precinct 1) went before the microphone to outline the history of the choices and decisions made regarding creating the Beech Street Center.

Mahoney said her message was that “we make choices and that things change,” noting that Chenery Middle School was designed and built for grades five through eight but now houses grades four, five, and six, which have very different requirements. “The Chenery is still a school regardless of which grades are housed, and we’ve adjusted and created a wonderful environment.” 

“I view this reorganization of our department heads and staff as an opportunity. It’s an opportunity for senior programming, not an intrusion or incursion. With careful planning, the primacy of the senior citizens can be respected and promoted at the Beach Street Center, and the vibrancy of recreation opportunities can be added.”

“We make changes. We are one town. We should make changes for the positive. If I can close with my favorite person, Winston Churchill, “To improve is to change. To be perfect is to change often.”

Jean Widmer (Precinct 5) said that as the former School Committee chair, teacher, and educator, she had repeatedly contacted seniors to ask for their support of many Prop 2 1/2 overrides and debt exclusions for the town and schools. “Without the support of those seniors, the overrides would never have passed,” she said, and Town Meeting members should repay that debt by keeping the Center for seniors.

Christine Doyle, (Precinct 6) who is also the chair of the Comprehensive Capital Budget Committee, said no matter where citizens stood on the 2023 override vote, “both sides begged to the town staff and Select Board to look for ways to increase revenues and reduce expenses.”

“In my mind, this potential proposal improves services for constituents and residents, it improves services for employees … and improves space optimization” in several town buildings, said Doyle.

Glenn Wong (Precinct 7) came on Zoom to make a motion to dismiss. His reason for the postponement was the general confusion of the main motion, where a yes vote “did not reflect my understanding of the situation and voting no didn’t [reflect his] understanding from the debate.”

Several members attempted to use the debate to continue advocating, only to have calls of “point of order!” as the body had heard enough. After one hour and 40 minutes, the citizens’ petition was dismissed, 172-68-4.

And the rest of the night

A Special Town Meeting overwhelmingly passed a long-promised Senior and Veterans Tax Relief (STM Article 2), 227-3-1. However, members were far from happy with the details, feeling the amount of relief and the number of elder residents being helped were insufficient compared to the levels of support in cities such as Somerville and Cambridge.

Chair of the Senior Relief Task Force Geoff Lubien admitted to the body that the article was not the easiest to explain, but he got through it. The package is made up of several provisions: 

  • Adopting a state law providing an additional real estate exemption for taxpayers,
  • Adjust the veteran’s exemption to the state’s inflation rate,
  • Adopting a second state law allowing residents to pay less in taxes if their exemption is greater than the previous year, 
  • Provide a statutory exemption for low-income seniors with limited assets of $40,000,
  • Reduce the minimum eligibility age from 70 to 65.

Only 21 homeowners are currently taking advantage of the town’s existing program, but Lubein said that number is “the foundation of the future program.” 

Liz Allison (Precinct 3) asked how much the new program would cost the town and where it would be made up. Lubien said the immediate impact could be up to $50,000 in maximum benefits. The Select Board’s Matt Taylor said the Board of Assessors Overlay account – a state-required withholding to cover abatements and exemptions – will pay for the expense. Jack Weis (Precinct 2) said the amount in relief would have an “inconsequential marginal impact” on the town’s $150 million operational budget, so as “a matter of fairness,” it should pass. 

Town Administrator Patrice Garvin presented STM Article 4 on using $600,000 released from the Board of Assessors Overlay account for three one-time funding needs:

  • $100,000 to the Conservation Commission towards work required to establish a conservation restriction for Rock Meadow,
  • $275,000 to the Capital Stabilization Fund, and 
  • $225,000 to begin a playing field maintenance program.

Speaking on the first motion, Conservation Commission Chair Chris Morris said the funds will go towards resource mapping, title research, and creating a master plan for the popular conservation area—which includes the town’s Victory Garden—which will result in the land being placed under a conservation restriction, a legal agreement designed to permanently protect the conservation values of a property by defining allowed uses.

“This is step one … of all the work that will require us to be good stewards of this property and to actively maintain it appropriately,” said Morris.

Anyone who has walked or played on the town’s 23 acres of parks and playing fields will know “deteriorating conditions are becoming more evident to users each day,” said Town Administrator Patrice Garvin. The reduction of DPW staff, budget constraints, the continuous activity by youth athletics teams, and the damage from unrestricted dog use have resulted in the town “triaging our fields rather than maintaining them with a formal plan,” she said.

With an infusion of $225,000, the town proposes “ramping up maintenance by outsourcing professional expertise” to help the fields recover from years of deferred upkeep and “allow for a better understanding of usage patterns and long-term sustainability,” said Garvin.

“This is not a short-term fix. It’s the beginning of a smarter, more sustainable building management strategy that addresses past conduct and sets up the future,” she said.

Ira Morganstern (Precinct 7) asked if this plan is the best use of town funds, saying it’s not clear what the true cost of this long-term program will be.

Yes,” answered Garvin. “We have to start somewhere.”

Taken together, the three measures were approved 208-4-2. 

Back to the Town Meeting for a final article, the Community Preservation Committee approved $472,338 to revitalize the West of Harris Field softball field and effectively complete the Middle and High School campus. The restored JV softball diamond and grass soccer and field hockey pitch have been discussed for years by the School Committee that controls the field. Work will begin this fall, just as the rink construction is completed, with an opening date of Spring 2026.

Peg Callahan (Precinct 7) reiterated a point made by several members that the only reason the town is picking up the nearly half-million dollar tab for the renovation is that the Middle and High School Building Committee “completely abandoned” the $3 million reconstruction of the fields it had promised to complete as part of the original 2018 plan approved in a $213 million debt exclusion approved by voters.

“Fitzie” Cowing (Precinct 8), who is a strong proponent of youth sports, proclaimed, “I’m really sorry softball” when she said she’d be voting no as she believed that the funding “is an expenditure of community funds without a community process.” Had there been a public engagement on WoHF, citizens would have shown a lack of support, as the town can not maintain the current fields. Rather, the town should invest in “turf” or synthetic fields to take the burden off grass fields.

Chris Doyle said that under current state restrictions, a turf field can not seek Conservation Preservation Commission funding. Thus, any synthetic surface pitch, which would cost nearly $2 million to install, must be in the CCBC’s inventory, which is backlogged with a slew of projects, including replacing the Harris Field turf in two years at $1.9 million. 

Instead, Doyle advised the Town Meeting to “grab the money and run” from the CPC, but continue the dialogue to obtain the needed turf pitch.

The WoHF measure passed 167-19-5, and with the clock reading 11:23 p.m., the Town Meeting came to a quiet end. It will be back for the fall Special in October.

What’s Open/Closed Memorial Day 2025: Trash/Recycling Collection Delayed A Day

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Photo: Memorial Day at the Belmont Cemetery

Memorial Day is a national holiday in the United States which honors and mourns the military personnel who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The holiday this year is observed on Monday, May 26.

Belmont will commemorate the day with the annual Memorial Day Ceremony and Parade at the Grove Street Cemetery, 121 Grove St., starting at 11:30 a.m. A parade will conclude at the Veterans Memorial at Clay Pit Pond off of Concord Avenue. Games, music and food trucks will be waiting for you!

What’s Closed:

  • Belmont Town offices, temporary library locations and Belmont Light are closed. They will reopen to the public on Tuesday, May 28.
  • US Postal Service offices and regular deliveries.
  • Banks; although branches will be open in some supermarkets.

MBTA: Buses and subways on a Sunday schedule, while the commuter rail is on a weekend schedule. Go to www.mbta.com for details. 

Trash and recycling collection: There will be no collection Monday; trash and recycling will be delayed ONE DAY this holiday week.

What’s Opened:

  • Retail stores.
  • Coffee shops: Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are serving coffee all day.
  • Supermarkets.
  • Convenience and drug stores (CVS/Pharmacy) open regular hours.
  • Establishments that sell beer and wine are also allowed to be open.

Want To Learn More About ADUs? Public Info Event On Accessory Dwelling Units Wed. May 28

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Photo: ADU public event on Wednesday, May 28 (credit: Commonwealth of Massachusetts)

Want to learn about Accessory Dwelling Units – those self-contained housing units located on the same lot as a primary dwelling – and could you benefit from an ADU? The Belmont Age Friendly Action Plan Committee and the Belmont Housing Trust are sponsoring a public event on Wednesday, May 28, at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., where experts will be answering residents questions about:

  • What are the zoning requirements?
  • What is involved in planning/building an ADU?
  • How do I find an architect and contractor?
  • What might costs be and are there financial resources available?

Belmont’s Memorial Day Ceremony, Parade on Monday, May 26, At Belmont Cemetery

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Photo: Memorial Day ceremony at Belmont Cemetery

On Monday, May 26, Belmont will honor the men and women who made the supreme sacrifice in defense of our country at its annual Memorial Day Celebration and Parade.

The traditional observation will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Belmont Cemetery – across from the Grove Street Playground – with speeches, the Belmont High School marching band playing the National Anthem, decorating of graves, reading the names of Belmont residents who died in service of their country during conflict, and the playing of taps.

This year’s parade will step off immediately following the ceremony and will march down Grove Street to Bright Road. The parade will turn left on Concord Avenue, and travel to the new Veterans Memorial at Clay Pit Pond.

‘Statement’ Win As Belmont High Girls’ Lacrosse Edge Defending State Champs, 13-12

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Photo: Belmont High’s junior midfield all-star Niamh Lesnik

What better way is there to prep for prom than taking down the defending state champs at home? Ask the members of Belmont High Girls Lacrosse because they did just that edging Central Catholic, the Division 1 2024 state champions, 13-12, on Thursday, May 15, at Harris Field.

Four consecutive goals over five minutes in the fourth quarter – the final pair from junior midfield all-star Niamh Lesnik – and four minutes of shut down defense allowed the Marauders (11-6, 14th in the MIAA Power Rankings) to pick up its biggest win as the season heads to the home stretch this week.

For Head Coach Dan O’Brien, it was a lot more than putting the program into double digits in wins.

Belmont High’s senior defense Keira Healy

“This was a statement win not just for the season, but for the program,” said O’Brien, as it not only came against a top 10 squad – CC is 7th in the MIAA Division 1 power rankings – the Marauders came from behind for the vistory, coming back from two goals down (8-10) with two minutes to go in the third quarter to outscore a perannial top playoff seed five goals to two.

“We had a ton of confidence in the forwards. We have eight different goal scorers against a top 10 team. We don’t have to rely on just one player,” said O’Brien. One of the goals came from an unlikely source, senior defender Tyler Mayall, who celebrated by jumping up and down to her teammates delight.

On the break: Belmont High’s senior mid Anna Santos

Lesnik – who scored her 200th career point in a win over Woburn on Tuesday, May 13 – continues to brings a spark to O’Brien’s lineup. After a slow start, Lesnik ended the game with five goals, a lot of ground balls, and, when needed, winning critical center draws. Junior goalie Brooke Whalen once again collected double digit saves as Mayall, juniors Julia Leveroni and Ellie Baird, and seniors Bailey Cumbo and Keira Healy were stellar in the defensive half.

Central Catholic is the sort of elite opponant O’Brien scheduled throughout the season. “You get to be the best by playing the best,” he said, noting he continues to up the quality of opponent the squad takes on. And accepting that challenge has begun to pay dividends.

“We are holding our own against top teams like Andover (7-9), North Andover (9-10), losing on a last second winner) and Westford (9-11). And at this point of the season, we are executing our game plan to where we are now in the position to win.”

Belmont goes against one loss Lexington on Monday, May 19, and finishes the season against Winchester and Billerica.

Belmont High’s sophomore attack Natalie Merrow
Game winner from senior mid all-star Niamh Lesnik

Breaking: Select Board Agree On Aspects Of COA Memo On Senior Center’s Future;

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Photo: Karen Donelan, Chair of the Council on Aging

The Belmont Select Board moved to support the leading aspects of a memorandum authored by Karen Donelan, Chair of the Council on Aging, on the future of the Beech Street Center, the town’s senior center. The memo will transition three recreation department staff members into the Beech Street Center on a “trial” basis beginning this summer. 

“So, let’s give it a try,” said Donelan, who reported that the COA had approved the memo unanimously earlier in the afternoon. 

This spring, the proposed staff move has been a highly controversial issue, resulting in heated meetings and a citizens’ petition. It is unknown how this partial agreement will affect the citizen’s petition, which will be the first article at the Special Town Meeting on Wednesday, May 21. 

At the Select Board meeting held before the fourth night of the 2025 Town Meeting, Donelan said the “rules of moving forward” regarding the town’s effort to move the recreation employees are that the town will maintain “senior” hours—currently 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (with one day a 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. shift)—at the Beech Street Center and maintain a senior-based parking scheme. 

In return, the town and COA agree to evaluate the move to determine its impact on the senior services and elder patrons. The Select Board also agrees to abandon the plan to build a separate entry for recreational operations.

“This gives everyone a breather,” said Matt Taylor, the board’s vice chair and COA representative.

[This is an ongoing article and will be undated.]

Town Meeting Day Three: Clean Sweep For CPC Proposals

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Photo: Chair Aaron Pikcilingis, Community Preservation Committee  

It was CPC Night on the third session of Belmont’s annual Town Meeting as six of the eight applications from the Community Preservation Committee were overwhelmingly approved by the members at the meeting held Monday, May 12, at the Belmont High School auditorium. One proposal was removed for future consideration, and another will be voted on at the Special Town Meeting on May 21.

“The main thing we do is review applications for funding of the Community Preservation Act,” said the committee’s new Chair, Aaron Pikcilingis. 

He pointed out that this year “is a little unusual, due mainly to a change in our policy about how much money – about $5 million – we hold in reserve. There is more money available this year … In future years, we’ll return to having about a year’s revenue available.”

Pikcilingis said CPA funding has reached $20.5 million since voters passed the measure in 2011 – $15.5 million from the real estate surcharge and $4.5 million in state contribution—with the CPC sending $4.9 million in projects this year to the Town Meeting. 

The list of Community Preservation Committee projects (italics indicates project not receiving a vote; Bold indicatesa vote on Wednesday, May 21)

Amount10 percent Reserve Project NameCategory
$ 2,000,000$ 200,000Chenery Park Renovation – Phase 2Open Space/ Recreation
$ 100,000Clay Pit Pond Walking Path – Full Design with Construction Document and DrawingsOpen Space/ Recreation
$ 429,433$ 42,900West of Harris Softball FieldOpen Space/ Recreation
$ 650,000Predevelopment Planning for Redevelopment of Belmont VillageCommunity Housing
$ 60,000Complete Restoration of “Burial Hill” Original Cemetery – DesignHistoric Preservation
$ 550,396$ 55,000Homer Building Restoration (Town Hall Annex)Historic Preservation
$ 750,000$ 75,000Restore Failed Retaining Wall, Town HallHistoric Preservation

The night began with a visit from State Rep. Dave Rogers who discussed the upcoming Fiscal ’26 state budget – thatincludes critical local aid to municipalities – and how it will be affected by “a high level of uncertainties” coming from the Trump administration and slower than expected state growth. “Things were level funded that might have otherwise gottenincreased,” said Rogers.

That being said, Rogers said his year’s House Budget has increased Chapter 70 funding for K-12 received a 5.6 percent increase via the new “millionaires” surtax passed by voters last year. He also highlighted his efforts to increase funding for immigrant legal defense to hire attorneys to represent those in deportation proceedings, including “some whose due process rights may not be being observed.”

Rogers said he tries to find a few bucks in the budget to direct to the town. “While I can’t get a ton of money, I fight for earmarks for Belmont,” Rogers said. These include:

  • $75,000 for renovations – adding a fifth court – to the Winn Brook tennis courts.
  • $75,000 to expand the town’s tree canopy.

There were also two earmarks from the state’s supplement budget – that’s the millionaire’s surtax – including:

  • $75,000 for sidewalk safety improvements.
  • $100,000 towards the Chenery Park revitalization.

Warrant Committee Chair Paul Rickter gave a standard overview of the fiscal ’26 budget, including how the $166.2 million budget is segmented (education receives 43 percent or $70.9 million) and some historical context, such as the fact that exempted debt has increased by 247 percent in the past 12 years, from $4.8 million to $16.6 million. 

But what Rickter stressed in his report was the importance of the “revenue-first balanced budget” process, first used by town and school budget writers for the fiscal ’25 budget, a development he and the committee were “overjoyed” to see being used as it created a disciplined approach to the process.

“Keep doing it,” advised Rickter. 

The projects

The CPC approved and sent to the Town Meeting a request for $650,000 allocated to Belmont Village, one of Belmont’s three public housing projects. The funds will go to complete the conceptual design for the revitalization of the nearly 70-year-old development, with the opportunity to double the number of units to 200 apartments on the 6.6-acre site. In 2020, the Town Meeting approved $173,000 in an initial request. 

With the funding, site planning work will kick off in the summer with a study draft by the end of the year. An additional $1.2 million will then be needed for final architectural and engineering plans, consultants’ fees, and extra costs to finish the pre-development phase.

Gloria Leipzig, chair of the Belmont Housing Trust, which sponsored the measure, told the members that their support for the redevelopment efforts at Belmont Village and Sherman Gardens “will provide housing for our residents, seniors, those with disabilities, and families. And very importantly, we’ll also create additional and much-needed affordable housing here in Belmont.” 

Matt Zajac of the Cambridge Housing Authority—which has partnered with Belmont as a co-developer of the Belmont Housing Authority’s sites since 2021 —said that after the study is completed, the BHA/CHA can begin to leverage state and federal financing sources. He said that it will take three, five, or ten years before construction will take place.

During the questions, members asked about spending funds on a project in which millions of dollars in funding will be required to upgrade units and construct new structures that have not been secured. “Is there any visibility for funding sources to carry out these plans? Otherwise, this is income transfer to white-collar professionals, not improvements in the affordable housing conditions,” asked Liz Allison (Precinct 3). Zajac replied that the most likely potential funding source will be the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program.

Some members were disappointed that the CPC wasn’t banking the funding remaining in this year’s housing “bucket” for future housing requests. Angus Abercrombie, Precinct 8, said he would vote against the other CPC measures—despite being in favor of their approval—as a symbolic protest against the town’s inaction. 

The measure passed 222-6-3.

Laura Burnes and Nicole O’Connell, Friends of Chenery Park

The biggest ticket item before members Monday was $2 million—$200,000 from the CPA and $1.8 million from the undesignated fund balance—to renovate the dilapidated Chenery Upper Middle School grounds and play area. This request came on top of a $1 million CPC request approved by the Town Meeting last year for construction costs and $300,000 for the project’s design and engineering.

Laura Burnes and Nicole O’Connell, the co-chairs of the Friends of Chenery Park, said the groundwork for this application to redo the nearly quarter-century-old field and playground with outreach to the community, sports leagues, and the town to develop an overview of the project. When the first chunk of funding was received in 2024, the Friends began holding community engagement events to collect data and comments on what the public wanted to see in the project.

On Monday, the Friends presented a final design dubbed the Play Sandwich, in which sports programming is the “bread” and the play area is the “middle” filling. “We’ve got lots of multi-sports use … tennis as well as street hockey and soccer and basketball, but the space can also accommodate volleyball and badminton,” said O’Connell. The main field holds two renovated softball diamonds. 

While the request totals a whopping $3.3 million, the project had broad support. Many members said visiting the site would convince those initially skeptical to support the measure. Just as crucial to its passage was Burnes and O’Connell’s well-planned public participation blueprint, which allowed the wider community to enthusiastically buy in on the project. Future large projects would be wise to use the Friends playbook as a template for a successful campaign.

The Chenery playground renovation – which begins this summer – passed 222-5-1.

Facilities Director Dave Blazon says the Homer Building restoration will allocate $550,396 to repair and replace deteriorating architectural elements. The bill passed 222-7-6.

Restoring the failed Town Hall retaining wall so the ramp and stairs on the Concord Avenue entrance don’t collapse, said Blazon. Members, by a 231-6-4 margin, thought spending $850,000 for the job was a good thing.

The commissioning of a design to completely restore the “Burial Hill” area of Belmont Cemetery got out of the CPC by a single vote, 4-3-1, which usually spells trouble for a measure. However, the request was initiated by resident Ron Sacco, who told DPW Director Jay Marcotte this past August of his difficulty finding an ancestor’s grave in the northeast corner of Belmont Cemetery, which holds its oldest internments. Upon inspection, the steep incline was overgrown and deteriorating, making identifying the exact locations of graves impossible. 

When Sacco asked the DPW if it could “start digging,” Marcotte said he had a better plan and approached a consultant. A design plan focusing on headstone repairs and restoration, searching for missing headstones, erosion control, and vegetation options would cost $60,000. This would be followed by a CPC request in 2026 for the still-to-be-determined cost of the construction.

What closed the deal was that Sacco’s relative is buried among veterans. When a member didn’t believe the request was “a wise use of funds because somebody can’t find this relative” as it would “[set] a precedent which is not good,” Ann Marie Mahoney (Precinct 1) rose to say “as the daughter, spouse and mother of veterans, we owe these people no matter how many hundreds of years ago they were down for we owe them the restoration and the appropriate care.”

“It’s also for the respect for everyone that made a commitment and the expectation that they will be taken care of basicallyforever. And it’s just respect for the dead and to care for those that entrusted us to take care of the burial site forever,” said Mahoney.

The measure passed 218-10-8.

The issue with the Clay Pit Pond Walking Path is that while nearly 2/3 of the trail has been completed, the remaining path clashes with an established asphalt lane bordering Belmont Middle and High School. The town didn’t believe the Town Meeting would approve the Conservation Commission’s request to seek a parallel footpath. For allowing the town to remove the request, the town is proposing to an request seeking a parallel footpath. For allowing the town to remove the request, the town is proposing to allocate an equivilant amount towards improvements at Rock Meadow Conservation Land.

Fundraiser For Arlington-Belmont Crew After Club Lost Nearly A Dozen Shells After Wild Police Chase

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Photo: The aftermath of the truck/trailer chase on Blanchard Street(Credit: Jay Connor)

After having 11 racing shells “destroyed” in the aftermath of a wild police chase through three towns on Saturday night, May 17, that left boats, vehicles, and property damaged, a police officer injured, and a Belmont roadway closed for an hour, the Arlington-Belmont Crew is seeking funds to get the club that attract local high school athletes to the sport back in the water.

Donations can be made directly to the team’s fundraising page.

The incident, that ended on Blanchard Street Saturday night, began at the crew’s Pond Lane clubhouse located at Arlington’s Spy Pond after the team returned from a last-minute replacement meet after its scheduled USRowing Regional Championship regatta in Lowell was cancelled Friday.

In an note to supporters on its website, Salpi Der Stepanian, president of the club’s board of directors, said the trailer was to be unloaded by team members at their practice on Monday. But shortly after the pickup truck and trailer was parked at 8:45 p.m., the suspect jumped into the truck, “and drove it up a wooded embankment and onto the [nearby] Minuteman Bike Path,” wrote Der Stepanian. Arlington Police reported three vehicles were involved in accidents with the truck.

According to a media report in Cambridge Day, Cambridge Police spokesperson Bob Reardon said the suspect entered Cambridge along Route 2 around 9 p.m. Soon afterwards, Cambridge Police “received reports of hit-and-run crashes at multiple locations in West Cambridge, all involving a pickup truck towing a trailer of … boats.”

“The truck, which it was learned had been reported stolen to the Arlington Police, was said to have been involved in several hit & run crashes at multiple locations – including the rotaries where Concord Avenue meet Fresh Pond Parkway and Alewife Brook Parkway – resulting in non-life-threatening injuries and significant property damage” as well as leaving one of the shells in the middle of the road, according to a Cambridge Police social media post. Reardon said.

During the chase, Cambridge Police reported the stolen truck also hit a Cambridge police cruiser. “The police officer driving the cruiser was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries,” according to police.

After leaving a trail of destruction in Cambridge, the pickup and trailer were located entering Belmont turning onto Blanchard Road towards Route 2. The chase ended near the MBTA commuter rail tracks when the trailer “ultimately flipped, and the truck was stopped … by Belmont Police,” said Der Stepanian. The suspect was arrested and will be arraigned in Cambridge on Monday, May 19.

“The suspect’s actions caused damage to several other vehicles and destroyed most, if not all, of the 11 boats on the trailer,” said Der Stepanian.

“We extend our thanks to the Arlington, Belmont, and Cambridge Police Departments and all agencies involved for their swift response in stopping the vehicle and for their continuing assistance. We are working with the police in their investigation to determine exactly how this terrible incident occurred. We extend our sympathies to anyone affected by this event, including property owners, drivers, pedestrians, and other members of the Arlington, Belmont, and Cambridge communities,” Der Stepanian said.

In an account reported by the media site Your Arlington, a parent of one of the athletes wrote of the team’s shock of the incident on Reddit:

“I’m a mom of one of the rowers whose boat was snapped in half during this reckless incident. The team is devastated. It’s been a tough season for them due to all the rain. Yesterday’s race was originally scheduled for this entire weekend in Lowell but the river wasn’t safe (again) and it was canceled late Friday. Coaches worked hard to find another race they could participate in and the kids got up at 4am to get there and didn’t get home till 7pm—only for this to happen two hours later.”

Special thanks to the independent media sites Your Arlington and Cambridge Day for its reporting on the incident.