Belmont Votes: Presidential And State Election ’24; Schools, Town Offices Will Be Closed Nov. 5

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont goes to the polls to vote for President on Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Voting in the Presidential and State Election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Belmont public schools and town offices will be closed for the day.

Any questions about elections in Belmont can be found here, or contact the Town Clerk’s Office at (617) 993-2603. (although the clerks will be very busy Tuesday.)

Voters will cast their votes for President and Vice President of the United States, US Senator and member of the US House of Representatives, Massachusetts State Senate and State House seats, Governor’s Council, and Middlesex County Clerk of Courts and Register of Deeds. Here is a sample ballot.

There are five ballot questions which voters can support or reject.

Belmont’s eight polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters must go to their assigned voting precincts:

Precinct One: Beth El Temple, Zonis Auditorium, 2 Concord Ave.

Precinct Two: Belmont Town Hall, Select Board Room 455 Concord Ave.

Precinct Three: Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

Precinct Four: Daniel Butler School Gym, 90 White St.

Precinct Five: Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

Precinct Six: Belmont Fire Headquarters, 299 Trapelo Rd.

Precinct Seven: Burbank School Gym, 266 School St.

Precinct Eight: Winn Brook School Gym, 97 Waterhouse Rd., Enter from Cross Street.

Voters can also return their mail-in ballots by dropping it off in-person at Town Hall using the green drop-box located at the base of the stairs. It is available 24/7 until it closes at 8 p.m., Tuesday.

Voters who have been informed that their voting status has been changed to Inactive should be prepared to present identification before being permitted to vote.

Due to the number of offices up for grabs, five ballot questions and interest in the election, expect to wait in line to cast a ballot. So come early on Tuesday and avoid the last minute rush.

Senior Tax Relief One Step Closer As Working Group Gets Its Charge

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Beech Street Center, home of the Belmont Senior Center

Belmont took one giant step towards a promise linked to this year’s successful $8.4 million override when the Select Board voted unanimously at its meeting on Oct. 21 to formalize the Senior Tax Relief Working Group.

“It is something that has been talked about for years and we finally are moving towards a best case solution,” said Working Group member and Belmont Library Board of Trustees Chair Kathy Keohane. Mark Paolillo, formerly on the Select Board, Comprehensive Capital Budget Committee member Aaron Pikcilingis, and the team’s pro-tem Chair, Financial Director Jennifer Hewitt, made up the working group.

Created in July, “a good bit of what we’ve been doing is just understanding the current state and then outlining … what actions could we take short-term, medium-term, and long-term,” according to Keohane.

At last Monday’s meeting, the task force highlighted the need to formalize their responsibilities and membership. As of Monday, the committee was only a quasi-formal group acting in an advisory role to the Board. Having never been sworn in by the Town Clerk, their actions were limited.

“I think the charge [the specific set of responsibilities, goals, and objectives assigned to a group] is going to make them a whole committee,” said Town Administrator Patrice Garvin.

The committee’s first objective is to present an article at the upcoming Special Town Meeting next month asking the members to accept the provisions of MGL Chapter 60, Section 3d, which will allow the town to establish a fund to defray the real estate taxes of elderly people. The article also indicates that the fund will be administered by a new committee made up of the Chair of the Assessors, the town Treasurer, and three residents.

After successfully adopting Chapter 60, the major goal facing the Work Group will be reviewing the list of available options under the dozens of potential clauses in the general law and presenting a subset of those to the annual Town Meeting in May 2025. Under the law, the town is limited to a single exemption plan.

And one such clause in the law favored by the Task Force is what several towns have gravitated to: creating a donation fund.

“Residents would be able to donate to a fund [which] would be administered by the committee, and it would be allocated according to eligibility rules,” said Hewitt. Keohane said, “Many surrounding towns already have and implement such a fund… many years ago. So this would be a very positive step forward, and we can work through the mechanics.”

The Select Board’s Roy Epstein questioned who actually establishes the eligibility criteria: Does the new committee create them, or are they simply recommendations to the Select Board that can be approved, rejected, or enhanced? Hewitt believed that would need to be determined.

The task force discussed the importance of establishing guidelines and the committee’s role in determining which seniors are eligible to participate in the program. The group is also eager to receive community input, especially regarding establishing guidelines and the committee’s role in determining which seniors are eligible to participate in the program.

“Obviously, anytime you put something out there, more sets of eyes just provide more information and more feedback. So you just go and continue to refine and retool and update as we go,” said Hewitt.

Paolillo noted that while the group is leaning towards a donation model, all recommendations must undergo a financial analysis to determine their short—and long-term effects on the town’s budget.

“I think we are open-minded about all the different options. Clearly, the financial impact of that has to be considered.”

Hewitt also discussed the potential for a petition for a separate tax relief program and the impact of the new state-approved Hero Act on veterans’ exemptions.

The new task force will report in greater detail to the Select Board in February/March.

“We’ve been working on some updates to some existing programs, focusing on outreach and education, updating and enhancing policies and procedures,” said Hewitt. “We are definitely a work in progress.”

Citizens Bank Closing Star Market Branch On Trapelo Road In January ’25

By Leave a Comment

Photo: The Citizens Bank branch inside the Star Market located at 535 Trapelo Rd.

For the past two decades, it appeared that banks couldn’t open enough branches in Belmont, so much so that residents and town officials worried that the storefront under renovation would soon be scooped by yet another financial institution was coming to the Town of Homes.

That’s not the case in 2024.

This week, Citizens Financial Group, Inc., the parent company of retail banking giant Citizens Bank, announced it will be closing its bank branch located in Star Market at 535 Trapelo Rd., one of 15 branches shutting down in the next months.

“We’ve been on a journey at Citizens to evolve how our customers bank with us, and we continually review customer patterns to evolve and adjust branch strategy across our network,” the bank said in a press release.

Citizens Bank is the second bank this year to announce it is closing a Belmont branch office. This summer, TD Bank shut its brink and mortar operation adjacent to the Belmont Fire Department Headquarters at 307 Trapelo Rd.

The closures come as banks turn away from the traditional retail banking structure of tellers and loan officers and towards on-line operations.

Belmont High Volleyball On Seven Win Run As Marauders Enters A Gauntlet This Final Week

By Leave a Comment

Photo:

After coming off a “season to remember” last year – finishing 15-2 and wearing the Middlesex League Liberty crown for the first time – the 2024 campaign for Belmont High Girls’ Volleyball was, at best, underwhelming. For a team that returned a slew of veterans from Head Coach Jennifer Couture’s championship squad, the Marauders stumbled out of the blocks going 4-6 for September.

One big reason for the slow start was the loss of graduating senior Bella Radojevic who was the team’s offensive stalwart who could be relied on to ring up points in bunches. While Couture’s defensive set up is solid, finding the right combination of a new “go to” outside hitter and a steady setter from a group of candidates who were not-as-tall as the players they were facing across the net proved frustrating.

“So we have (junior) Sadie Boaz as our middle [blocker] and she is amazing (18 attacks, nine kills and no errors against powerhouse Melrose), but we are not swimming in starting level middles and [an outside hitter]. We were switching players from other positions to see what could fit where,” said Couture.

“This year is one of those years where we have what we need to do well, but we’re still figuring some things out,” she said.

And soon after a loss to Burlington, all the pieces fell into place as the Marauders are coming off a 7-0 winning streak to up its record to 11-6. Stepping into the hitters role, junior Wuyee Ke (one of nine juniors on the 15 player roster) leads the team averaging 20.5 kills in the last two games with a rocket of a shot which has translated into 50 serving aces this season. Much of Ke’s success comes from the steady hand of returning setter junior Sophia Qin.

Belmont’s team foundation is built on the D. Junior Erin Dailey has become a presence as its defensive specialist who is the team’s top ranked server (7 aces while placing 26 of her 27 serves in play in a clutch performance against Concord-Carlisle which Belmont won 3-2) Add Boaz blocking skills – she is joined up front by sophomores Yekaterina Polina and Stella Ivkovic – with senior Gabrielle Hashioka who leads the team in digs and the Marauders’ defense with the best in the Middlesex League.

And they will need to be at their best during the final week of the regular season as the Marauders will be heading into a gauntlet of top teams beginning with a visit Tuesday, Oct 22, by 14-3 Lexington who defeated Belmont 3-2 in September. On Thursday, the opposition just gets tougher as league leaders Winchester, sporting a 15-2 record, welcomes the Marauders. The Red and Black also defeated Belmont, 3-2, when they met earlier. To finish the season, Belmont travels to a strong D-3 Wayland squad, (11-4) who handed the Marauders a 3-0 defeat at home.

At 11-6, Belmont will make the post season as they currently sit 26th in the MIAA Division 1 Power Rankings.

MBTA Communities, Citizen’s Petition On 5 Member Select Board Headlines Three Nights Of Special Town Meeting

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Mike Widmer, Belmont Town Moderator

Expect some late nights next month in the Belmont Middle and High School Auditorium as the Town Moderator announced the schedule for the Special Town Meeting.

Mike Widmer, the town’s long-standing Town Moderator, announced in a Friday, Oct 18 email after a planning session took place concerning the fall Special Town Meeting.

The “Special” will take place on three consecutive nights: Monday, Nov. 18; Tuesday, Nov. 19 and Wednesday, Nov. 20.

“We will not meet for a fourth night under any circumstances,” said Widmer, as the extra day(s) would bleed into the week of Thanksgiving which the planners said would be too inconvenient for members planning to travel and preparing for the extended holiday.

With a 72-hour limitation in mind, there’s a good possibility members can expect some rare – for Belmont Town Meetings – “Cinderella” meetings taking place.

“Though I would prefer not, we may need to go as late as 11 p.m. in order to complete our business in just three nights,” said Widmer.

Unlike previous annual and special Town Meetings when the more important articles are taken up on the final nights, Widmer said the fall special will begin with the big ticket items: implementing the MBTA Communities Act (3A) and amendments to the Inclusionary Housing and Design and Site Plan Review zoning sections. A citizens’ petition article to expand the Select Board to five members will be the first item of business on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

And due to the complexity of the zoning issues, Widmer set an earlier deadline of noon, Tuesday, Nov. 5 for members to submit proposed amendments to alter the articles.

While a growing number of member have been hankering for a virtual meeting, Widmer said given the current limits of town resources, the Special will only take place in person. But those campaigning for off-site attendance, Widmer said that “town leaders are committed to holding some form of hybrid at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting [in May 2025] and into the future if permitted by state law.”

The current remote and hybrid entitlement approved by the state legislature during the pandemic is due to expire in early 2025. “While this is my final year as Moderator, I will strongly recommend to my successor that Town Meeting have a permanent hybrid option, if permitted,” said Widmer.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day Is Monday, Oct. 14: What’s Open/Closed In Belmont; Trash Pickup Delayed By A Day

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Monday is a federal holiday.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day, celebrated annually on the second Monday of October – this year Oct. 14 – is a new federal holiday observed by the Town of Belmont to celebrate Native American peoples and commemorate their histories and cultures. 

You can read an essay on the native people who live in what is today’s Belmont by resident Dr. Mark Jarzombek, PhD, a history and theory of architecture professor at the MIT School of Architecture and Planning that was first published in the Belmont Citizen’s Forum of March/April 2024.

Curb side trash and recycling pickup will be delayed by one day due to the holiday.

What’s Closed:

  • Belmont Town offices, Belmont Public Library, and Belmont Light are closed.
  • The US Postal Service will not deliver mail, and post offices are closed.
  • Most banks, although branches will be open in some supermarkets.

What’s Opened:

  • Retail stores
  • Coffee shops
  • Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts
  • Supermarkets and convenience stores
  • Establishments that sell beer and wine are also allowed to be open.

MBTA: Holidays such as Juneteenth, Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples Day, and Veterans Day do not have modified schedules; all services will operate on a regular schedule today and on those days.

Mill Street Construction Work Beings Thursday, Oct. 10; Will Disrupt Traffic For Three Weeks [Map]

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Contruction starts at 7 a.m. on Thursday

On Thursday Oct. 10, town contractor Newport Construction will begin day-time road construction work on Mill Street between Trapelo Road and Stanley Road. The estimated time the work will be completed – which will impact travel around McLean’s Hospital – is three weeks.

North bound traffic will remain open during the day. Residents and commuters should seek alternate routes between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we thank you for your patience,” read a press release. For any questions or concerns about the project, contact Tom Hodgson of the Town of Belmont’s Engineering Division at 617-993-2656

Late Goal, Later Save Secures Belmont High Field Hockey Win Over Winchester; Top 10 Reading On Thursday

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont High junior co-captain Mackenzie Clarke

Belmont High senior co-captain Ryan Brodigan’s game-winning goal with three minutes remaining followed by a match saving stop by first year netminder Zoe Bruce with less than 10 seconds left on the clock securing a key 3-2 victory over a top-ranked Winchester squad on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at Harris Field.

The afternoon matinee was a back and forth affair that was contested between the scoring circles with both team’s outstanding junior midfielders – Winchester’s Samantha Gal (2 goals) and Belmont’s Mackenzie Clarke (1 goal, 1 assist) – directing the offenses.

Belmont twice took the lead – through an early first quarter goal from Brynn Connolly and a spot penalty shot by co-captain Clarke in the second quarter – only to see the Red and Black answer back to knot the game entering the final quarter. The match was finally decided by the steady pressure applied by the Marauders which bottled up Winchester in its end of the pitch.

The game winner came when Belmont intercepted a Rossoneri clearing attempt. Clarke advanced the ball off the left side just outside the scoring circle than sent a low screamer that found Brodigan who slotted the ball into the back of the net with 3:07 remaining.

But Winchester would not get on their bus without a final say when the Red and Black had a clear shot at the net in the final ten clicks of the game. But Bruce, who was playing in her eighth ever game in the nets, denied the shot that would have stolen a win from Belmont’s grasp.

“I’m sure I burned 9,000 calories during the game,” Belmont Field Hockey Head Coach Jess Smith told her team after the match. Smith reflected on the total team effort that secured the victory.

“”It’s like what [Brodigan] said [after the game], ‘Everyone brought it today. Everybody worked as hard as they could for as long as they could.’ When I took kids off the field and gave them instructions, they made the moves I asked them to make.”

The victory was the fourth of seven consecutive win for the Marauders (9-2-0) keeping them in the mix for the Middlesex Liberty title. In the latest MIAA power rankings – which will determine the placement of the teams in the divisional playoffs – rated Belmont 10th in Division 1.

Belmont will welcome one-loss Reading Memorial – 6th in the Boston Globe top 20 poll – to Harris Field on Thursday, Oct. 10 as the 18th ranked Marauders will seek redemption for a 2-1 away loss to the Rockets in the fourth game of the season. The ball gets rolling at 4:15 p.m.

The Winchester victory had its origins a fortnight before after a disappointing performance against the leading team in the Middlesex Liberty division. After loss, 2-1, at the time an unbeaten Reading on Sept. 13, which left her team at .500 at 2-2, Smith identified fairly quickly the major problem plaguing the team.

“We may have had a slight advantage on the field, but with the exception of Clarke, we just weren’t taking that many shots on their goal. We didn’t give ourselves the opportunities we could have had,” said Smith.

So, on the next Sunday before a busy week on the pitch, Smith called an extra evening practice where the players had one objective: firing balls into the net. The extra work appeared to do the trick for the next three games as the Marauder took home three wins netted 17 goals.

Complimenting the reenergized offense has been the Marauders outstanding trio of defenders. Belmont’s backline of junior Niamh Leskin, sophomore Elise Lankin-Schultz with senior co-captain Ana Hopkins anchoring the middle of the defense proving themselves as one the league’s leading D-lines with the quickness to cover speedy forwards and the ability to slide into the offense on the counter attack.

“The backs are really pushing their forwards and midfield away from the [scoring] circle,” said Smith.

“Normally, I tend to hang back,” said Hopkins. “But Coach [Smith] was just talking about pushing up the field. It really helps to just go for the ball because Elise and Niamh can get back on defense quickly. We did that against Watertown (a good performance despite a 0-3 final score line) and when the forwards press, it definitely helps a lot,” she said.

Smith remains hopeful the team can continue to mesh the offense and defense to find success in the backend of the season.

“They really pulled through and got it done. That was a huge win so now we got to keep rolling.”

State Rep. Rogers Is Holding October Office Hours

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont’s State Rep Dave Rogers

State Rep. Dave Rogers, who represents Belmont and parts of Cambridge and Arlington, has announced his October office hours. They are:

If you wish to speak to Rogers directly, email your comments to Dave.Rogers@mahouse.gov so that he can ensure that he will be attending. If Rogers cannot make it, he can always set up a meeting at a mutually convenient time.

HOOONNNKKKK! Touch A Truck Returns To Belmont Center On Saturday, Oct. 12

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Large vehicles like a Belmont Fire Truck will be at Touch A Truck this Saturday

Bring your noise cancelling headsets or earplugs! The noise returns to Belmont.

Belmont Youth Activities and D.A.R.E. Inc. in partnership with Belmont Center Business Association will present Belmont Touch-A-Truck on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cavlcade of vehicles will be located at the Claflin Street Municipal Parking Lot in Belmont Center.

Take a tour of the parking lot for an up-close view of tractors, trucks, diggers, police cars, and fire engines from Belmont DPW, Light, Fire, and Police along with several local businesses and potentially room for a couple more. Sit in the driver’s seat, honk the horn, and take a photo in the front end shovel of the construction vehicles.

The rain date is Saturday, Oct. 19.