Learn About A New Belmont Library At Virtual Public Forum Thursday, June 9

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Photo: A drawing of the facade of the new Belmont Public Library

The Belmont Public Library Building Committee will be presenting the seventh open public forum on Thursday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m.via ZOOM. The forum will give residents and patrons an opportunity to see the new library’s plans including site plan, floor plan, budget, timeline, and exterior and interior renderings.

The forum will be held virtually: participants can register for the Zoom link or click here to join: https://tinyurl.com/yc5kf3v3

Belmont Boys’ Lax Wins First Ever Home Playoff Match, 8-7, Over Peabody; Next No. 1 St. John’s Prep Thursday

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Photo: Belmont High’s Matt Pomer celebrating the game-winning goal vs. Peabody.

A goal by sophomore Midfielder Matt Pomer – his fourth of game – with 4:03 left in the match secured a historic victory as Belmont High (10-9) defeated Peabody Veterans Memorial High, 8-7, in the preliminary play-in game of the Division 1 MIAA Boys’ Lacrosse tournament at Harris Field on Tuesday, June 7.

The win was the first home tournament victory in program history as well as the first playoff game ever held at Belmont High. It is Head Coach Josh Streit’s first playoff victory of his career. (Belmont has won postseason games in the past: 7-5 vs host Masconomet in 2008 and 13-4 at Shawsheen in 2010).

“I thought we were moving the ball so well. The team was dodging to move the ball and you saw that in our goals,” said Streit.

Pomers’ goal came after the Mustangs (9-9) tied the match, 7-7, with a little less than seven minutes remaining in a tight match that justified the teams’ power rankings Belmont 32nd and Peabody 33rd.

After giving up the opening goal Peabody’s impressive sophomore long stick John Lucas – who ended up with three goals on as many shots, an assist and five ground-balls – Belmont sprinted to a 4-1 lead in a little over three-and-a half minutes in the first quarter: Pomer’s first (whose solo run was described as watching a ”freight train”) to tie it up followed twice by senior attack co-captain Spencer Scali, the first on a quick give and go from junior mid Quinn Leary and the second scooping up a Peabody drop ball in front of goal. Pomer finished the scoring with a long-range bullet.

Belmont was able to secure the ball and stay on the offense for most of the game by the grunt work “in the X” (the face off circle) from senior Ian Burns who Streit named the ”Man of the Match” for winning 90 percent of the draws he was involved.

”It’s all mentality with face offs,” said Burns. ”Peabody’s player got into my head a little bit but I made sure to stay on my game. And it was a big, big team win and I definitely tried to play my part the best I could.”

But Peabody, who finished with a winning mark in the season, came storming back scoring twice in 12 seconds midway through the second to level the contest at 4-4 before Pomer’s third in the half from a smart Leary assist gave Belmont the one goal margin at the half.

But the third was Peabody’s whose defense forced four consecutive ground ball turnovers as Belmont’s attack and middies were dodging into Mustang players ”and they were quickly doubling up on us and that led to our problems,” said Streit. On the other side of the field, it was that man, the defender Lucas, who twice outran the Marauder midfielders to score two minutes apart to give the visitors a 6-5 lead entering the final quarter.

But Belmont came out on the attack with senior attack Aubrey Talanian scoring the best individual goal of the afternoon, spinning the defender the wrong way to launch an uncontested tally 31 seconds in the quarter. Exactly one minute later, Talanian was mismatched against a smaller defender and powered Belmont in the lead at 7-6.

Despite two big saves by sophomore goalie Nate Moss – top notch against every attempt from distance – to keep the lead at one, Peabody would tie it up at 7s with 6:53 to go with overtime a real possibility. But Pomer, who had been quiet for the half, found himself open to the right of Peabody goalie Derek Patturelli and slotted his fourth goal of the game and secured the victory.

While the Peabody match was one of power ranking equals, Belmont’s round of 32 contest will see the Marauders taking on defending state Division 1 champions and number 1 seed St. John’s Prep in Danvers on Thursday, June 9 at 5 p.m. Streit said he had not been looking beyond Peabody so would have a quick look at tapes of the Eagles. ”We don’t know much about them, but then, they probably know very little about us, which is good,” said Streit.

”We just have to keep an open mind. We know the team is going to be a really good team. But we’re going in what the underdog mentality and I think it’s good to stay together as a team and keep our heads up going into the next game,” said Burns.

Educators Union Continues Push For Contract As First Group Reach Agreement With School Committee

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Photo: Belmont teachers rally for new three-year contract

Before a sea of red-clad co-workers last week, Bethany Fitzsimmons put forth what most people are not willing to reveal to the public.

“I’m a 20-year employee,” said Fitzsimmons, a professional aide at Winn Brook Elementary. “And I made $29,000. Twenty years in Belmont. $29,000. OK, I am sorry, that’s embarrassing,” she told more than 100 members of the Belmont Education Association who gathered along Concord Avenue adjacent to the new Belmont High School.

With contract negotiations stalled after nearly a year of negotiations, members of the Belmont Education Association have stepped up public events and direct action to push the Belmont School Committee towards what they believe is a reasonable offer to help fairly compensate members for several years of stagnate wages which assisted the town and school committee in balancing past budgets.

BREAKING: The first group of Belmont educators have reached an agreement during the current negotiations with the School Committee on Monday, June 6. The agreement between members of Unit B – made up of assistant principals and system wide directors – and the committee has yet to be announced although it appears the group has agreed to a 80/20 split to its insurance policy over the next three years. More to come.

Described as one of the “the connective tissue that holds the Beaumont public school system together” by her “comrade in arms” Burbank teacher and Unit A’s Clifford Gallant, Fitzsimmons noted during the current talks to produce the next three year contract, Unit D personnel – which includes aides, paraprofessionals, administrative and classroom assistants – are being offering a 50 cents an hour increase.

Her dedication to the profession requires Fitzsimmons and many of her fellow Unit D colleagues to work multiple part-time jobs to continue to do the work they love.

“We qualify for fuel assistance. We qualify for food stamps. We are insured through the Affordable Care Health Insurance because the insurance the town is offering is too expensive. I am a 50-year-old woman and I live at home with my father because I cannot afford my own [place],” Fitzsimmons said.

“So how is it possible that in a town like Belmont, you have employees that qualify for federal and state assistance? That is embarrassing and that should not be happening,” she said to the cheers of members and residents.

Speaking before the membership, BEA official and Belmont High teacher Marc Lefebvre said time has run out for nothing short of a new contract.

“Why now? Why this time? Don’t we deserve a modest cost of living? Why don’t we deserve to keep our benefits stable? Why don’t we deserve a little more time for professional learning and collaboration? Why does [the school committee] seem more interested in power then smoothing he extraordinarily difficult task of educating the children of this town. I think I can tell you why. Because they believe they’ve got us into a corner and they hope we’ll think we’re out of options.

“But we are here today to say we are done, done with protracted negotiations, done with hoping they’ll respect what we’ve been through these past few years,” said Lefebvre. “We’re sending a very clear message that the time to settle is now, time for them to be responsible is now and it’s time for a fair contract.”

“At a time when educator morale is low, when the hiring season is busier than I had ever seen, and experienced candidates are scarce, we need this contract settled and you need it settled now,” said Elizabeth Baker, a Unit B representative and district director of science, health and tech education.

Supporters of the union cause came out to voice their concerns. Resident, parent of two students and Town Meeting member PJ Looney said fairness transcends political differences as teachers should be treated as the valued members of the community they are.

BHS senior Angus Abercrombie who graduated Saturday pointed to his teachers who taught him not just about facts and data but about the world around him.

“Your job is not just to create the next generation of workers, it is to create the next generation of voters. You taught me about my history, about my country and about the power and responsibility that I have to change it. And knowing that is the real reason I’m here because there is nothing else I can morally be doing on a Wednesday evening than standing here and supporting you,” Abercrombie said.

339 Earn Diplomas At Belmont High School 2022 Graduation Exercises

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Photo: Caps into the air at the conclusion of the Belmont High School 2022 Graduation exercises.

Belmont High’s Vice Principal Dan O’Brien looked around to see just that type of unexpected episode someone running a big event doesn’t want to encounter.

Just as the long scarlet line of Belmont High seniors where to start their slow walk from the school to Harris Field for the graduation celebration, their classmate Lamique Neal arrived, running a little late with his graduating cap and gown still in the plastic bag.

Wondering for a second if he should get in line with his classmates without being dressed up, O’Brien told Neal that “now” was the time to hurry into his robe and join his class.

“You earned this!” said O’Brien finding Neal’s assigned spot. ”He’s not missing it,” O’Brien said later.

On Saturday, June 4, Neal and more than 339 students did earn their high school diploma after four years of hard work and accomplishments to become graduates of the Belmont High Class of 2022.

Under a brilliant morning sunshine, the ceremony began with Belmont High Principal Isaac Taylor speaking how society is beset with hardening divisions, ”this is the time in the world when compromise is not just a nice thing to have, it is essential.”

“When I graduated from high school almost 30 years ago, there was a sense of predictability in the world that does not exist today. In 2022, it is clear that humanity will need to find consensus on many important things that affects the infrastructure of our planet,” said Taylor, noting that requires an acceptance of people of all cultures and ethnicities.

“We live in a world of computers, algorithms and machines. Be we require more than fuel to power us and we need more than information to learn. We are people and people do our best work when we have time, space, love, understanding, acceptance and respect. It is hard to give to other people when we withhold from ourselves.”

Senior Class President Hamza Masoud ranked the important lessons each senior should have learned at their time at Belmont High: First, don’t fear rejection (Masoud told of being rejected by two classmates from going to the prom with the second time he didn’t even ask the person); the second, via ”honorary doctor, philanthropist and sometime musician Taylor Swift,” is to ”shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake” those who doubt you “off,” and the third is “how imperative it is that we don’t become haters ourselves.”

“Overtime, each of us has learned that being jealous of one another only prevents us from appreciating just how amazing we all are,” said Masoud.

Katherine Arkin, who was presented with one of the two School Committee Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship – Derek Chen was attending a national biology competition – spoke how her classmates navigated from a typical school experience to one of uncertainty in which a worldwide pandemic required an entirely different approach to learning.

Arkin, who will matriculate at Georgetown in the fall, said despite the experience, ”people all over the world regardless of their circumstances are taking action today in hopes of creating a better tomorrow” whether it is by initiating actions such as organizing walkouts or just by checking in with people when they feel line they’re having a rough day.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but we don’t want to be in the position where we regret not being a part of something not standing up for what we believe in and not helping to make the world a better place.”

The graduating class included Molly Babcock who attended with her service dog, Enzo, who was wearing his own cap and gown. A varsity swimmer, Babcock said Enzo has been with her for the past two years and holds the distinction of being the first daily service animal at the high school.

In a quick hour and 40 minutes, the newly-minted graduates were launching their caps skyward at the end of the ceremony.

”They can’t take this from me,” said one enthusiastic graduate holding his diploma. ”It’s mine now.”

Last In Belmont Boys’ Lacrosse Entertains Peabody Tuesday, June 7 In Division 1 Prelims

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Photo: Belmont High will be playing in the MIAA Division 1 Boys’ Lacrosse tournament

It doesn’t matter how you make the postseason, just that you did. And by the skin of their teeth, the Belmont High’s Boys’ Lacrosse will be playing next week in the Division 1 state championships.

Under the MIAA state tournament system, the top 32 teams in the power rankings are invited to the playoffs much like the NCAA system. And for the final weeks, Belmont were hovering around that coveted final spot to extend its season.

And the Marauders (9-9) came through with 6 wins in their final 8 matches and in the final rankings, Belmont got an automatic bid … as the 32nd seed.

Whew!

Under the tourney system, any team with a winning or .500 record also are invited in to play the lowest seeded teams, which includes Belmont. As a result, Belmont will welcome 9-7 Peabody Veterans High School to Harris Field on Tuesday, June 7 at 6:30 p.m. in a play-in match.

This marks the second time this season teams from Belmont and Peabody will meet in a preliminary round match as the Mustangs defeated the Marauders, 1-0, in Boys’ Soccer last fall.

Winning the play-in may just be a pyrrhic-victory as the team left standing will face the number 1 seed and perennial Division 1 powerhouse St. John’s Prep at Danvers.

But, that team will be playing one more game.

2022 Town Meeting Segment B: Swan Song For Capital Budget’s Stalwarts As One-Time Windfall Meets This Year’s Needs

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Photo: Anne Marie Mahoney, chair of the Capital Budget Committee, in action.

For 15 years, Anne Marie Mahoney has identified, found the funding for, and shepherd Belmont’s capital needs through the Town Meeting process with her usual aplomb as the longstanding chair of the Capital Budget Committee.

Known for her meticulous reports, having every fact down cold and at the ready all which she presented in a good natured but firm disposition of a school teacher she once was, Mahoney has long been the model in town of how to present – and importantly, pass – an article before, at times, testy audiences of nearly 300 Town Meeting Members.

On Wednesday, June 1, Mahoney – along with her fellow long-serving Capital Budget stalwarts Jenny Fallon and Betsy Vose – presented their final capital budget before Belmont’s legislative body on the first night of Segment B of the annual Town Meeting held virtually. (It is also the final action of the Capital Budget Committee as it has been absorbed into the newly-formed Comprehensive Capital Budget Committee.)

Calling the trio “the oldies but goodies,” Mahoney said she and her compatriots “loved our time working for the town particularly love capital” having served on the committee for so long. “But at the same time, it’s good to recognize when it’s time to move on and do other things,” she said before the meeting.

“If we were in person, we would have a loud standing ovation for these individuals,” said Town Moderator Mike Widmer.

And ending this chapter of their Town Meeting history with a flourish, Mahoney stated that in fiscal ’23, Belmont has more than enough money to meet its capital needs! Well, at least for this coming fiscal year.

“For the past ten years, I have stood before you and reminded you that the Capital Budget Committee needs at least $3 million a year to keep on top of routine requests,” said Mahoney, saying it would be lucky to come up with half that amount. This year, finally, all the financial stars aligning, with the sale of the Cushing Square parking lot ($1.043 million) and end-of-the -year turn backs to town coffers ($545,121) resulted in a robust $3.138 million in available revenue. And since half the total came from these one-time funds, “this windfall came with the obligation to choose wisely” which was to target one-time projects, said Mahoney.

Mahoney preceded to present the articles, with a significant amount of the facilities department’s allocation – $1.2 million – directed to the Butler Elementary School, the town’s oldest school building, which will include façade repair, replacement windows and a new PA system.

(The full list of capital allocations can be found at the bottom of the page.)

The extra revenue also allowed the committee to add a new Project Bid Reserve line item for $205,738. Like a building contingency fund, when the cost of a capital budget job runs over its allocated bid price, the department can use the funds rather than waiting until the next Town Meeting to seek the difference.

As part of the annual roads and sidewalks, $1,857,772 was appropriated for paving projects, and $237,730 for sidewalks.

By the end of the 10 separate votes, you could count on two hands the number of negative tallies as Mahoney left the stage one last time.

As a final word, Mahoney reminded the meeting that while the funds were available this year, there remains “projects without end” facing the town from building envelopes, roads, sidewalks, culverts and water mains that will quickly require attention.

And it wouldn’t be a Capital Budget presentation from Mahoney if there wasn’t a quote or, this year, a story enlightening the members on the process the committee followed. Mahoney was taken with a performance of a contemporary work at a recent Boston Symphony Orchestra Friday afternoon concert which featured non-musical items such as sandpaper and cellophane as important sounds in the work as well an artist playing two pianos simultaneously then plucking its strings.

“What is my capital budget takeaway? We have the score for the concerto to follow which is our process and our legal requirements. But we also have ingenuity within the limitations with unusual instruments such as creative playing techniques, everyday items play to deliver something exciting. We hope that what the Capital Budget Committee has done this year is equally exciting,” said Mahoney.

The complete list of Capital Budget expenditures which were accepted by Town Meeting include:

FACILITIES DEPT. $1,485,017

2022 Hybrid Utility Vehicle: $55,666
Butler Masonry Façade Repair: $487,000
Butler KalWal Replacement: $415,000
Butler PA System: $300,000
Electric Van: $54,756
Wellington Heat Pump: $97,595
Winn Brook Fire/PA Systems: $75,000

FIRE DEPT. $583,665
Air Packs: $376,584
Ambulance Replacement: $80,000
Cardiac Monitor Replacement: $7,000
Ambulance Power Load Cot System: $45,081
Replace Staff Car: $75,000

IT DEPT. $230,000
Fiber Optics Burbank/Wellington: $20,000
Network Storage:$60,000
Fiber Line to Antenna Site $150,000

POLICE DEPT. $42,000
Radio Amplifier: $30,000
Replace EMD Server: $12,000

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS $409,070
Tree Inventory: $55,000

Cemetery Pick-Up Truck: $58,310

Parks Front End Loader: $112,450

Parks Pick-up Truck: $58,310

Replace Trees $25,000
Sidewalks from Balances $100,000

OFFICE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Roads Rebuild and Patch $150,000

Capital Roads Non-Discretionary $1,857,772
Sidewalks $ 237,730
Total Paving/Sidewalks $2,095,502

Project Bid Reserve $205,738

Parade And Ceremony Marks Belmont’s Memorial Day, 2022 [Photos]

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Photo:

The weather cooperated – brilliant sunshine, low humidity, upper 70s – as Belmont returned to he public celebration of Memorial Day.

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that the numbers along the route and at the commemoration were down from 2019 as the ceremony booted up for the first time in three years with the parade that started in Cushing Square and traveled to Belmont Cemetery adjacent the Grove Street playground led by a contingency of veterans and guests, girl and boy scouts, all serenaded by the Belmont High School marching band.

At the cemetery, the solemn tribute for the fallen who died in defense of the country commenced with Bob Upton, Belmont’s Veteran’s Service Agent who is retiring at the end of the week, who spoke of those who were honored on this holiday.

“Let’s appreciate our time together here in this beautiful place within this wonderful community of Belmont,” said Upton. “We are here today because of the sacrifices made by so many Belmont families. We are here because of the willingness of someone we love or maybe someone we many not even know who laid down their life for our freedom. We are here to honor them.”

Nor should the day be best known as the unofficial start of summer, suggested the chair of the Belmont Select Board.

“Memorial Day has become a day of picnics, barbecues, parades a day to spend time with family and friends as we look forward to their carefree days of summer,” said Mark Paolillo. “But it must remain a day to pause from our very busy lives to reflect, honor and thank those individuals that have given all to defend our freedoms. We must remember them.”

Speaking on his tenure as the vets rep in town, Upton spoke of some of his most personal rewarding efforts which may have flown under the radar such as creating a low-key coffee hour for veterans at the Beech Street Center, coordinating a trip for an aging WWII vet to Washington DC on an Honor Flight or negotiating what can seem to be an overwhelming amount of paperwork to allow vets survivors to receive the benefits they rightfully have earned.

“Some of my most proudest moments here in Belmont has been working with our veterans and their family members and the stories I heard at events and activities such as today,” said Upton.

Finally Upton read the names of Belmont’s fallen from the Civil War to the War on Terror, taps was played and the parade reassembled to the Veterans Memorial at Clay Pit Pond for a brief commemoration.

Belmont Boys’ Rugby Host St John’s Prep June 10 In Tourney Semis; Girls’ Await State Finals June 18

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Photo: Belmont Boys’ and Girls’ ruggers are seeking to repeat the dual state championships in 2019

It’s tournament time and Belmont High Boys’ and Girls’ ruggers will be seeking to repeat its dual state championships from 2019.

Second-seed Belmont Boys’ will host third-ranked St. John’s Prep in the MIAA Division 1 semifinals at Harris Field at 6:30 p.m., Friday, June 10. The contest will be a rematch of the final game of the season when Belmont (5-1-0) traveled to Danvers and took down the previously undefeated Eagles,14-12.

If they win next week’s game, the Marauders will head to the D1 state finals on Saturday, June 18 at 4 p.m. at Curry College in Milton, to face the winner of defending champions and number 1 seed Boston College (3-2-0) vs the winner of the Milton High (the only team to defeat Belmont this season)/Xaverian Brothers tussle on June 2.

After going undefeated this season, the Belmont Girls’ are an automatic qualifier to the state Division 1 finals where they will meet the winner of the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional/Brookline High contest. The match will take place on Saturday, June 18 at 2 p.m. at Curry College.

This marks the fourth consecutive trip to the state championship match for the Marauders (5-0-0) where they will seek a four-peat, being victorious in every finals since the sport was accepted in the MIAA in 2017.

Sunnyside Up And Running: Chenery Solar Panels Officially Turned On

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Photo: Chenery Middle School Principal Karla Koza at the ribbon cutting for the solar array at the school

In the end of a week when the news about schools was dark, Chenery Middle School Principal Karla Koza said Friday, May 27, that she was happy to have some good vibes coming from her school.

“This is pretty cool being the first school to have this type of ribbon cutting,” said Koza as sixth grade students town and school officials and representatives of Belmont Light gathered in the school to cut the ribbon for the official start of the solar array located on the south facing side of the school.

While the solar panels – the first to be placed on a municipal building in Belmont – have been permitted and energized since January, the newly operational video information screen located near the school’s Main Office will show through charts and real-time data the amount of energy being produced by the panels. For sixth grade students now and in the future, monitoring the level of energy produced by the array will become a part of their science curriculum targeting the use of carbon-free sources to reduce the town’s fossil fuel usage to avoid the dangers of climate change.

The day’s event came about through the efforts of past and present students, residents and the town to place the solar panels at the Chenery. James Booth, a member of the town’s Energy Committee, said a $29,000 donation from the solar installer who worked with Belmont Goes Solar along with $15,000 from an anonymous donor and matching funds paid for the array set up. The installation required the collaborative effort of Belmont Light, town departments, the school district and committee and the firm Sunbug Solar.

The panels will produce 35,000 kilowatts, which will only put a small dent in the 1 million kilowatts the school uses each year. But as Belmont Light’s General Manager Craig Spinale said, ”the town has spoken by passing the Belmont [Climate Action Roadmap adopted by Town Meeting in 2019] on what they want so we will be offering our services to meet those initiatives.”

The array is expected to save the town $130,000 in utility costs over its lifetime.

Belmont Farmers Market Opens For The Season Thursday, June 2; 2 PM to 6:30 PM

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Photo: Scenes from the Belmont Farmers Market

Belmont Farmers Market opens for the 2022 season on Thursday, June 2 at 2 p.m. with its traditional fanfare, ringing of the market bell and a ribbon cutting at its home in the rear of the Claflin Street Municipal Parking Lot just off Belmont Center.

The market, run by the Belmont Food Collabrative, will be open on Thursday afternoons from June to October from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with closing times at 6 p.m. in October.

This season, the Market is asking patrons to bring their brown paper shopping bags with handles along with non-perishable food donations when shopping at the market to the manager’s tent, and they will be donated to the Belmont Food Pantry.

Opening Day includes the market’s Food Assistance Information Fair. Meet representatives of local and state-wide agencies who’ll have info about how people facing food insecurity can stretch food budgets.

In 2021, our food assistance program added more than $37,000 to the budgets of shoppers who are facing food insecurity.

The Information Fair will help people learn about their eligibility for food programs. But we want everyone to know about these programs. Even in Belmont, often thought of as a very prosperous town, there are many people who need assistance to buy enough healthy food for their families.

Read the full press release about the Information Fair. And find out more about our food assistance programs.

Community & Events Tent Preview

2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Inaugural Food Assistance Information Fair
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Performers A & W Ukulele Players
4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Storytime
4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Henna Art with Niyathi Srinivasan