Not Again! Town Day Rained Out: Postponed ’til Sunday, Sept. 14; Garden Club Flower Sale Still On

By Leave a Comment

Photo: It’s a three-peat of rainouts for Belmont Town Day

For the third consecutive year, a forecast of noon-time spring showers has caused the postponement of the annual Belmont Town Day that was to take place on Saturday, May 17, in Belmont Center along Leonard Street.

Hosted by the Belmont Center Business Association and sponsored by Watertown Savings Bank, the event has been moved to Sunday, Sept. 14.

The annual Belmont Garden Club Flower and Plant Sale remains a “go” on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to noon outside the Belmont Lions Club at the WWI memorial on Common Street and Royal Road.

With No Rain In The Forecast, Belmont’s Town Day And Garden Club Sale Set For Saturday, May 17

By Leave a Comment

Photo: This Saturday, May 17. Belmont Center. It’s Belmont’s Town Day

After May showers caused it to be pushed back to September for the past two years, the weather forecast for the weekend is looking good for the 36th annual Belmont Town Day, hosted by the Belmont Center Business Association and sponsored by Watertown Savings Bank.

Town Day will take place on Saturday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. along Leonard Street in the heart of Belmont Center.

The Belmont Lions Club will get things underway with a pancake breakfast at its clubhouse, 2 Common St., from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

There will be multiple tables and tents with local groups, non-profits, retailers and restaurants, along with kiddie rides, basketball hoops, and a always popular dunk tank which the proceeds go to Belmont Helps. There will be mini-race car driving, robots, and drone flying for kids.

On Saturday, the Belmont Garden Club is holding its annual Perennial Sale from 9 a.m. to noon, and they’ll be doing it rain or shine at the Lions Club, 1 Common St., across from the WWI memorial and the commuter rail station. Elsa from “Frozen” (10 a.m. to noon) and Spiderman (noon to 2 p.m.) will be at the Watertown Savings Bank tent. Musicial groups will play all day at the main stage.

Also on Saturday, the Belmont Garden Club is holding its annual Perennial Sale from 9 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. There will be an assortment of sun and shade perennials, including dozens of native plant species, all dug from Garden Club members’ gardens. Cash or Visa/MC/debit card for purchases over $25. The proceeds fund the Club’s community plantings, scholarships, and other activities.

Habitat Annual Plant Sale Saturday … Along With Goats!

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Come kid around with the Habitat goats on Saturday

Come for the plants, stay for the goats as the Mass Audubon Habitat on Juniper Road is holding its annual extravaganza on Saturday, May 3.

The Habitat Plant Sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. where you can buy a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, annuals, and pollinator plants for your garden.

And from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., bring your own kids and hang out with the Habitat’s goats. Enter a raffle for prizes, enjoy goat-themed games while getting up close-and-personal with this playful herd.

Parking is limited, so it would be best to carpool or get dropped off.

What’s Open, Closed On Patriots’ Day; Trash/Recycling Delayed A Day

By Leave a Comment

Photo: The 2023 Boston Marathon

Patriots’ Day, the Bay State’s homegrown holiday, will this year commemorate the 250th anniversary of the battles of Lexington, Concord, and Arlington. Oh, and there will be a road race Monday.

While the first shot was fired in Lexington and the Regulars were halted at North Bridge in Concord, more than half of all casualties that day occurred in modern-day Arlington. Minutemen from surrounding towns converged on Menotomy to ambush the British over the short distance from Foot of the Rocks – at the intersection of Lowell Street and Massachusetts Avenue – to Spy Pond on their retreat back to Boston.

On Monday, April 21, Belmont residents can participate in the celebrations by heading to Arlington Town Hall at 730 Massachusetts Ave. At approximately 12:30 p.m., join the “Menotomy Welcoming Committee” in its annual tradition in greeting riders reenacting the rides of Paul Revere and William Dawes. While awaiting the riders, you are invited to join in family-friendly activities and enjoy light refreshments.

Most of the day’s attention is focused on the Boston Athletic Association’s annual 26.2 miles marathon. It will be a great day for runners and fans as the forecast calls for highs in the low- to mid-60s, with clouds during the race.

So, what’s opened and what’s closed?

Closed

  • Belmont Town Hall, offices, and buildings are closed, as is the Belmont Public Library currently in the Beech Street Center and the Benton Library.
  • Belmont public schools are closed Monday as they are shut for the week-long spring-time break.
  • State offices such as the Register of Motor Vehicles and courts are closed.

Due to the holiday, trash and recycling curbside pickup is delayed a day. If your removal day is Monday, don’t! Bring it to the side of the road on Tuesday.

Open

As it is a state holiday, the US Post Offices on Concord Avenue and in Waverley Square are open as are federal offices.

Star Market on Trapelo Road is open as are retail and convenience stores, eateries and restaurants, and liquor establishments. 

Marathon Monday on the MBTA

While the Red Line subway at Harvard and Alewife will be running on a weekday schedule, buses are on a weekend timetable. In addition:

  • Various bus routes on the marathon route’s North and South sides will be detoured.
  • Due to congestion, bikes are prohibited on all MBTA vehicles on Patriots’ Day.
  • Copley Station on the Green Line will be closed Monday. 
  • View the MBTA’s Patriots’ Day schedule here.

Freedom Is Focus Of 2025 Belmont World Film’s International Series Beginning March 31

By Leave a Comment

Photo: DJ Ahmet is the opening feature of Belmont World Film’s 23rd International Film Series that starts March 31.

The focus of Belmont World Film’s 23rd International Film Series is “Freedom on Film,” beginning Monday, March 31, and running weekly through June 16 at Apple Cinemas in Cambridge and the West Newton Cinema.

The series presents eleven films that were screened at the biggest international film festivals in which three were their countries’ submission for the Academy Award’s Best International Feature film.

The powerful lineup explores the many dimensions of freedom, from personal liberation to political resistance, showcasing compelling stories from around the globe and shedding light on the struggles and triumphs of those who dare to break barriers. The series invites audiences to engage with diverse perspectives on what it truly means to be free.

Opening night features the East Coast premiere of DJ Ahmet, winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award and the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The film depicts a sweet, coming-of-age drama about 15-year-old Ahmet, who finds solace in music while navigating tradition, family expectations, and first love in a remote Macedonian village. The screening at Apple Cinema in Fresh Pond will be preceded by a dinner reception at the theater featuring North Macedonian cuisine from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Other highlights include: 

  • Reading Lolita in Tehran, based on the best-selling memoir by Azar Nafisi on April 28. 
  • Under the Volcano, about the trials of a Ukrainian family on vacation in Tenerife, Spain on the eve of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The film was Poland’s submission for the Best International Feature Film Oscar.
  • The closing night film of the main series is Four Mothers. A heartfelt Irish comedy starring James McArdle is about a gay Young Adult novelist on the cusp of literary success, who’s unexpectedly tasked with caring for his ailing mother and three of his friends’ mothers over a chaotic weekend. Tickets includes an optional closing night dinner featuring Irish cuisine.

Funding for the International Film Series is provided by Juliet Jenkins/Leading Edge Realty and the Quebec Delegation of Boston. The Belmont LGBTQ+ Alliance is a community partner.

Individual tickets are $14 in advance (no fees) and $16 at the door with cash or check. “Passports,” which can be shared with one other person, offer eight films for $95. Memberships, for which individuals receive tickets or passports and other benefits, are also available. EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholder tickets and passes are half-price. The opening and closing dinners have separate admissions.

For tickets, passes, or for more information visit www.belmontworldfilm.org or call 617-484-3980. Like us at www.Facebook.com/BelmontWorldFilm or follow us on Instagram @Belmont_World_Film or X at @BelmntWorldFilm.

Hair Metal Returns! BHS Performing Arts Company Rocks Out Spring Musical With ‘Rock Of Ages’

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Poster of the BHS PAC spring musical Rock of Ages

It’s a story about just a small town girl who took the midnight train going … to Los Angeles. It’s a story about a city boy born and raised in South Detroit who took the midnight train going … to Los Angeles. Both with stars in their eyes and a song in their heart.

That’s the set up for the musical “Rock of Ages,” (Teen Edition) this school year’s spring musical produced and performed by the Belmont High School Performing Arts Company.

“Nominated for five Tony Awards® including Best Musical, Rock of Ages will take you back into the iconic music era of the 80s, where rock-n-roll dreamers line up to turn their fantasies into reality — and you can be in the front row to watch it all come to life.” – Playbill

“Set in L.A.’s “infamous” Sunset Strip in 1987, Rock of Ages tells the story of Drew, a city-boy from South Detroit and Sherrie, a small-town girl, both in L.A. to chase their dreams of making it big and falling in love. Rock of Ages​ takes you back to the times of big bands with big egos playing big guitar solos and sporting even bigger hair!” – BHS PAC

ROCK OF AGES
​Book By Chris D’Arienzo, Arrangements and Orchestrations by Ethan Popp Including music by a bunch of Sweet 80’s bands including Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and more groups you’ll can ask your parents about.

  • ​PERFORMANCES
  • Thursday, March 13 at 7 p.m.
  • Friday, March 14 at 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 15 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m​.
  • TICKET INFO
  • ADULTS: $15 in advance, $18 at the door
  • STUDENTS/CHILDREN: $10
  • BHS Students: $5 Thursday and Saturday Matinee, $10 Friday and Saturday 7pm performances.

State Rep Rogers Announces March Office Hours

By Leave a Comment

Photo: State Rep. Dave Rogers

State Rep Dave Rogers has announce his March office hours in and around Belmont. They will be:

  • Tuesday, March 11, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
  • Friday, March 21, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Bellmont Caffe, 80 Leonard St.
  • Monday, March 24, 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Robbins Library, 700 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA, 02476
  • Thursday, March 27, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Tilde Coffee, 3476 Massachusetts Ave., North Cambridge, MA, 02140

Feel free to contact Rep. Rogers’ office at any time with questions by phone at 617-722-2263 or by email at dave.rogers@mahouse.gov

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

By Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

There will be plenty of time for questions.

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

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

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

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

By Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

Closed

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

Open

• Retail stores

• Coffee shops; Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are open

• Supermarkets

• Convenience stores, and

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

Belmont World Film’s 22nd Annual Family Festival This Holiday Weekend Jan. 18-21, and Jan. 26

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Robin and the Hoods (2024) is one of the feature films presented by Belmont World Film’s Family Festival

One of Belmont’s most cherished annual cultural events is back as the German International School of Boston presents Belmont World Film’s 22nd Family Festival which takes place from Jan. 18-20 and 26.

This year’s lineup, which features numerous North American and US premieres and cinematic gems geared to children from 3-12, will he screened in West Newton, Arlington and Cambridge.

  • Saturday, Jan. 18: West Newton Cinema
  • Sunday, Jan. 19: Regent Theatre, Arlington
  • Monday, Jan. 20: Brattle Theatre, Cambridge
  • Sunday, Jan. 26: Regent Theatre, Arlington

Pick up a broucher of the films being screened here.

Two examples of long form films at this year’s festival:

Films inspired by beloved classic and contemporary children’s books are a festival hallmark. More than half of this year’s selections are adapted or re-imagined from literature. These films ignite a love for books and reading, and also complement the Massachusetts Public School Curriculum Frameworks. They will be shown on Sunday, Jan. 19 and Monday, Jan. 20; films devoted to reclaiming green spaces will screen on Sunday, Jan. 26.

The festival also welcomes renowned animator David Feiss, director of the recent animated hit, Hitpig!, who will participate in a Q&A after the screening of his fim. He will also lead a workshop where kids can learn to draw characters from the Minions and Hotel Transylvania films.

Tickets & Passes:
Feature length films: $12
Shorts programs: $8
Films Only Pass: $35 Includes admission for one person to all 15 screenings (best if you plan to watch at least 3 films)
VIP Film Pass: $100, includes admission for one person to all 15 screenings and the workshop, a Family Festival t-shirts, recognition in our programs for a year, and our appreciation.

Obtain tickets here