Belmont Fire Department Open House Set For Sat., Oct. 28

Photo: Belmont Fire Department headquarters

The Belmont Fire Department invites you to join them for an Open House Event at Fire Department Head Quarters on Saturday, Oct. 28, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The event is free and is sure to be fun. There will be demonstrations, hands-on activities, actual firefighter equipment, and many fire-safety education opportunities. Pizza and soda will also be available. 

Your Invitation: Dedication Ceremony For Completed Belmont Middle/High School Sat., Oct. 21

Photo: The dedication of the completed Belmont Middle And High School will be on Saturday, Oct. 21

The Belmont Public Schools is inviting the town community to attend the dedication ceremony of the completed Belmont Middle and High School taking place on Saturday, Oct. 21.

The ceremony consists of a formal dedication program, an opportunity to view the new learning spaces and a tour the new BMHS Campus. The event will begin at the schools’ Auditorium at 11 a.m., where the district will thank the many partners who helped create the state-of-the-art school.

There will be an Open House from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., where members of the Belmont community will be able to see the student learning spaces.

In anticipation of high attendance for the event, the district requests attendees walk or car pool to the ceremony if possible and obey all campus, street and parking restrictions.

Fast And Furious: 3 TDs In First 9 Minutes, Stellar D Sees Belmont Football Dispatch Lexington, 36-7

Photo: Belmont High Senior Brian Logan in the clear scoring his second TD reception in Belmont’s 37-7 victory over Lexington

Three touchdowns in the first eight minutes by the offense coupled with a second strong performance by the its defense culminated in one of the most complete victories in head coach Brian McCray’s tenure as Belmont High football dismissed Lexington High, 36-7, under the Friday Night Lights at Harris Field on Oct. 6.

Belmont QB Jayden Arno on the move

The victory sends Belmont top of the Middlesex League Liberty Divison table at 2-0, 3-2 overall, with a Saturday, Oct. 14 encounter with Arlington. Kickoff will be at noon.

The first quarter couldn’t have been a dream start for the Marauders as it recovered the squib kickoff that eluded the Minutemen return team. On the second play co-captains connected as senior QB Jayden Arno dropped the ball to fellow senior Brian Logan on a sideline route to give Belmont a 7-0 lead after a mere 36 seconds.

Belmont sophomore defensive back Casey Regan returning the interception

On the Minuteman’s first offensive play, sophomore defensive back Casey Regan intercepted Lexington QB Adam O’Shaughnessy to give Belmont the ball on Lexington’s 38-yard line. On the next play, Belmont senior running back Adrien Gurung took the ball up the gut and didn’t stop until he crossed into the end zone for the Marauders’ second TD in the opening minute. An Arno to senior Max Corneilus two-point conversion upped the lead to 15-0.

After the Marauder defense stifled the Lexington offense to a three and out, Belmont took over near its goal line. Returning to a strategy of grinding out yards that wore down Winchester in its previous game, Belmont took six minutes off the clock with its running attack highlighted by an Arno to Logan 15 yard pass deep in Belmont territory. And it would be through the air that produced the Marauders’ third touchdown of the quarter as Arno once again found Logan on a slant in the middle of the field that allowed the big receiver to stride 46 yards into the end zone to give Belmont’s a 22-0 advantage with 3:27 left in the first.

Belmont senior RB Adrien Gurung (#1)

Lexington’s offensive highlight of the night came on their next possession as RB William Marcin took a swing pass from O’Shaughnessy, turned the corner and waived goodbye for a 65 yard TD.

But Belmont would go on its second long drive of the half ending with Gurung’s four yard burst off the right side of the line for the touchdown that gave Belmont a 29-7 half time lead. The single high point of the second half came in the fourth quarter where Arno’s scrambled 36 yard for his longest ground gain of the night and the touchdown that provided the 36-7 final.

Dress Up In Your Costume Best For FBE Halloween Apple Run 5K

Photo: Scary run through Belmont on Oct. 29

With a new date and route all with a holiday theme, the Foundation for Belmont Education’s Apple Run 5K is not just about how fast you run but do you have the best costume?

The 2023 5K Apple Run will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29, with the shorter 2K race starting at 10:45 a.m.

Now being held on the weekend before Halloween, the annual road race that benefits improving educational opportunities for students and teachers at the Belmont Public Schools is expecting its share of ghouls, ghosts, and Marvel superheroes racing through the streets of town.

There will be exciting and fun new prize categories for this year’s Halloween Apple Run, including awarding prizes for Best Individual Costume and Best Team Costume and the fastest runner in age groups and fastest team! A complete list of prizes can be found here. So get working on those costumes!

The first 400 registrants receive our limited edition 2023 Apple Run t-shirt! Register today to reserve one: they’re almost all gone!

Volunteers are needed! Is running not in the cards? We need lots of help to organize and run this amazing community race. Click here to sign up and help out.

The race sponsors are Cityside Subaru of Belmont (PLATINUM SPONSOR), Belmont Orthodontics (RESULTS SPONSOR), Belmont Youth Activities, and D.A.R.E. Inc. (BIB SPONSOR), and East Cambridge Savings Bank (WATER TABLE SPONSOR)

You can find more information about the FBE, and the FBE Apple Run 2023 at this website.

Police And Fire Chiefs Receive Merit Pay Increases As Of Start FY ’24

Photo: James MacIsaac (left) and David DeStefano

Recently, the Belmont Select Board approved merit pay increases for Belmont’s public safety department leaders. Each increase has an effective start date of July 1, 2023.

Belmont Police Chief James MacIsaac received a 3 percent bump to his salary as part of his yearly review. The Board scored MacIsaac with an overall score of 4.93 on a scale of 0 to 5, with Board Chair Roy Epstein saying that “he’s a model of a modern police chief bringing a unique balance of experience, calmness, and humor, and to a host of challenges of management issues.”

Board Vice Chair Elizabeth Dionne noted MacIsaac’s “strength in public communication, leadership and tackling difficult issues head-on and is clearly concerned about the well-being of the department including the morale and adequate staffing while delivering effective and proactive public safety for the town.”

Belmont Police Chief James MacIsaac

“When you hear stories about police departments everywhere in which things go wrong. I think consistently Chief MacIsaac has demonstrated an ability to take on difficult situations and have a positive outcome and avoid trouble,” said Epstein.

“Overall, Chief MacIsaac is a tremendous asset, and he looks forward to serving the community for many years,” he said.

MacIsaac’s annual salary is currently $210,642.79.

Belmont Fire Chief David DeStefano saw his pay increase by 2.5 percent to $168,642.79.

“I could not be more happy with the fire chief and his performance,” said Town Administrator Patrice Garvin of DeStefano’s tenure. “I think the department’s morale has gone up tremendously… and he’s building a great team. He’s instituted ways to make the department more visible in terms of promotions … and he’s always coming up with creative ways to get the fire department more visible into the community.”

Belmont Fire Chief David DeStefano

Pink Out! Field Hockey Holding Breast Cancer Awareness Fundraiser On Tuesday, Oct. 10

Photo:

The Belmont High School Field Hockey team will hold a breast cancer awareness fundraiser on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. during its game with out-of-league opponent Brookline High at Harris Field.

Proceeds from a bake sale, a 50/50 raffle, and donations will go to the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Organization, which focuses on patient navigation and advocacy, providing resources for breast cancer patients to understand the American medical system.

If you are coming to the game, wear pink!

An Open Letter To The Planning Board On Creating Less Restrictive Zoning Bylaws On Business

Photo: Meg Moriarty

An Open Letter to the Planning Board:

Supporting business development in Belmont can be good for our schools. Relaxing restrictive zoning bylaws for restaurants in Belmont should provide commercial tax revenue that pays for operating the schools, sponsorship, and support for school programs and after-school activities, job opportunities for Belmont students, and places for Belmont students and families to enjoy.

I have seen the support that local businesses provide in Belmont, both on the School Committee and the Butler PTA. I have also seen It throughout Massachusetts as a professional evaluator of programs that foster broader participation and deeper engagement of students with science, technology, engineering, and math.

This support can be both financial and non-financial support. Based on my professional experience in communities with dense local business development, local businesses partner with schools, sponsor educational programs, provide resources, and donate funds. Local businesses sponsor sports teams, arts programs, and other extracurricular activities, alleviating the financial burden on schools and allowing them to offer a wider range of activities for students. Such partnerships enhance the educational experience for students.

Engaging with local businesses fosters a sense of community. Business leaders and employees may participate in school events, mentor students, and collaborate with schools to develop curricula that align with the skills needed in the local job market. Local businesses also provide jobs for students and prepare them for future employment.

Businesses also generate tax revenue. Although the necessary, short-term option for increasing funding for Belmont schools is to pass an override in April, supporting business development is a feasible long-term strategy for generating additional tax revenue that can fund our schools while offloading the tax burden felt by many in our community. Making our zoning bylaws friendlier to restaurants is a necessary step for encouraging business development.

As a School Committee member, parent, and educator, I spend a lot of time thinking about the core ingredients of effective schools and learning opportunities for all students. I am in good company with my education preoccupation in Belmont: the schools are one of the top reasons that people move to Belmont.

And, being involved in local politics, I notice that we all share the same agenda: increase sources of revenue to offload the tax burden on individuals. Getting clear on how we can achieve that goal means we all get to row in the same direction. Making zoning bylaws less restrictive will help us move closer to generating more tax revenue for maintaining and even expanding or improving learning opportunities for all students in Belmont.

Meg Moriarty, Garfield Road

Belmont School Committee Chair

After Three Years, 14 Belmont Teachers Recognized For Earning Professional Status

Photo: Jennifer Mackenzie, who worked in biotech before becoming a first-grade teacher at Winn Brook, was recognized for obtaining her professional teaching status

Just a few years ago, Jennifer McKenzie worked as a critical quality control specialist for a local biotech firm, part of a powerhouse industry which is on the cutting edge of science discovery.

Today, McKenzie has traded in her lab coat for a first grade classroom at Winn Brook Elementary where the height of scientific inquiry is watching a seed grow into a leafy plant.

While some may find exchanging the world of high-end pharmaceuticals for teaching six-year-olds the mysteries of the comma or adding three sets of numbers a surprising one. But McKenzie would not have any other way.

“I took this journey to do something that I knew I would love every day,” she said.

And on Tuesday, after spending three years teaching kindergarten, second grade and finally first grade for the past two years, McKenzie and 13 fellow educators and administrators were recognized by the Belmont School Committee on earning Professional Teacher Status in the district.

Under state law, Professional Status signifies that a school employee has served a certain probationary period, successfully, meeting the four Professional Practice Standards of the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation System, and has obtained some job security with substantive and procedural protections against dismissal and suspension.

The district’s Director of Human Capital Michael McAllister told those attending that earning Professional Status is no small accomplishment as it requires not only teaching their students successfully but also that they “meet the expectations of the Belmont community and the leadership of public the school.”

“These educators here tonight … fill out different roles. They are classroom teachers, they’re nurses, they’re specialists. They work in a lot of different places, in classrooms and offices in multiple schools. But whatever role they play, they all contribute to the larger mission of the Belmont public schools, which is educating children and preparing them for their future.”

Director of Human Capital Mike McAllister congratulated his former student Timothy Berens on earning Professional Teacher Status.

It’s an achievement that is extra special for McKenzie.

“It means a lot to me as I’m a career changer. I worked in biotech and my background is microbiology,” said McKenzie. “It’s taken me a while to get here.”

The group honored Tuesday were put on the spot on their first day as they were hired in the fall of 2020, “when COVID pandemic was literally all any of us can think of.,” said McAllister.

“Starting my career during that time put me on the same level playing field as my coworkers. We were all kind of starting in a time that was new and different,” said McKenzie.

“Teaching is no small feat. You have classes full of students, with varying needs and learning profiles, and need to make sure they leave your classroom ready for the next phase of learning,” said Belmont Superintendent Jill Geiser.

“This requires skills around lesson design, engaging students in learning, communicating with families, collaborating with colleagues, and other facets that go into the daily work of teaching. These teachers have shown themselves to live up to that task with the clear focus on students, and for that I thank you,” said Geiser.

As the teachers received a small token of their accomplishment, McAllister noted the first name on the list was especially important to him as Timothy Berens, a special education teacher at Belmont High, was among the students he taught in his first year of teaching, “which wasn’t that long ago!”

The teachers and administrative staff earning professional status Tuesday are:

Timothy BerensHigh SchoolSpecial Education 
Elizabeth BruecknerWellington Special Education 
Mary CarbeckWinn BrookNurse
Kenneth Gable CheneryMusic
Alyssa HubbertWellington 1st grade
Kathryn HutchinsonChenery Science, 6th grade 
Siobhan McKennaCheneryEnglish, 7th grade
Jennifer McKenzie Winn Brook1st grade
Kevin Pillone CheneryScience, 6th grade 
Arielle RosascoCheneryMath, 7th grade
Donna Stanton High School/CheneryELS teacher
Jason TavaresButler1st grade
Jimaira VazaquezHigh SchoolSocial Studies
Joseph Wright CheneryMusic

Belmont Health Dept’s Covid-19, Flu, And Vaccine Clinic Set For Wed., Oct. 11

Photo: Vaccine clinic run by the Belmont Health Department will occur on Wednesday, Oct. 11.

With infection rates for both COVID-19 and the flu outpacing last year’s numbers, the Belmont Health Department has announced its next vaccine clinic for the fall season.

This week’s clinic will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration is now open. Click here to register.

The clinic will occur at the Beth El Temple Center, 2 Concord Ave., with vaccines available for Covid, flu, pneumonia, RSV, shingles, and tetanus.

If anyone has trouble registering or isn’t comfortable going online, they are welcome to call the Health Department at 617-993-2720, and we can register them over the phone. At this clinic, we will most likely only have Pfizer available for COVID-19 boosters, but if Moderna becomes available, it will also be offered as a choice at the time of the clinic.

Other clinic dates include:

  • Wednesday, Oct. 18: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 1: 10 a.m – 2 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 8: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day Is Monday, Oct. 9: What’s Open/Closed In Belmont

Photo: Indigenous People’s Day in Monday, Oct. 9 at 2023

Indigenous Peoples’ Day, celebrated annually on the second Monday of October – this year Oct. 9 – is a new federal holiday observed by the Town of Belmont to celebrate Native American peoples and commemorate their histories and cultures.

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

What’s Closed:

  • Belmont Town officesBelmont 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 on these days.