This Week: ‘Anything Goes’ Gets Going, Candidates’ Night Thursday, Shhhhhh Wednesday

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Photo: BHS/PAC’s “Anything Goes.” 

Two highlights “This Week”

• The Belmont High School Performing Arts Company presents its spring musical, Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” on Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27 at 7 p.m. and two shows on Saturday, March 28, a 1:30 p.m. matinee and at 7 p.m. Tickets: Adults: $15 in advance/$18 at the door; Students: $10; Chenery 8th Grade Students: $5. Buy tickets online: Buy Tickets and at Champions Sports in Belmont Center.

• The Belmont League of Women Voters is holding its annual “Candidates’ Night” on Thursday, March 26 at 7 p.m. in the Chenery Middle School auditorium.

The schedule is:

  • 7 p.m.: Meet your Town Meeting Members at their precinct
  • 7:30 p.m.: Town Meeting Members introduced themselves in order of precinct number 
  • 7:45 p.m.: Unopposed town-wide candidates will speak to the audience.
  • 8 p.m.: The candidates for Belmont Board of Selectmen will answer questions.

The Proposition 2 1/2 ballot question will be address, if necessary.

On the government side of “This Week”

  • The Capital Budget Committee will review its fiscal 2016 budget on Tuesday, March 24, at 5 p.m. in Belmont Town Hall.  
  • The Belmont School Committee will discuss the 2015-16 school year budget (including a request to add a religious holiday) and the latest application from the School District to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for a grant to help pay for a new Belmont High School. It all takes place on Tuesday, March 24, at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School.
  • The Community Path Implementation Advisory Committee is meeting on Wednesday, March 25, at 6 p.m. in Town Hall where the committee will discuss the challenges to each possible path and the systematic approach to review those challenges.

Tuesday is story time at both of Belmont’s libraries. 

  • Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer run library, at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
  • The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will be holding two sessions of Story Time for 2′s and 3′s, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 

• Mel Simons will be presenting Everything’s Coming up Irish at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on Tuesday, March 24, at 1:15 p.m. The popular homegrown radio personality, author, and entertainer is back with an all Irish show in honor of St. Patrick’s Day (a little bit late). Irish songs, Irish jokes, Irish trivia; all Irish all the way.

• The Belmont Book Discussion group will discuss The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room on Wednesday, March 25, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.  Copies of the book can be requested through the library catalog or call the library Reference staff at 617-993-2870.

• Quiet Belmont will be holding a community meeting Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room on Wednesday, March 25, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Quiet Belmont is a citizen’s advocacy group fighting the airplane noise increase over Belmont. You can reach the group at quietbelmont@googlegroups.com

• The film, The Iron Lady, the biography of Margaret Thatcher which actress Meryl Streep received the Academy Award, will be screened for free on Friday, March 27, at 1 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

This Weekend: Hoop Shoot-Out, Puppet Band, Belmont World Film Begins

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• Malaria is preventable yet claims a life every 60 seconds in Sub-Sahara Africa. On Saturday, March 21 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., you can help stem the disease’s tide by participating in the annual Imagine No Malaria’s Hoop Shoot-Out at Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church at 421 Common St. Anyone eight-years-years and older can join in on the fun: come ready to shot as many foul shots you can make in two minutes pledging any amount of money per made basket.

The funds raised will buy bed netting which will protect a family of four from infected mosquitoes. All shooters and sponsors are welcome. No registration is needed; make your own pledge sheet and just show up. Enter through the rear doors off the parking lot. 

• Toe Jam Puppet Band will be performing at the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room on Saturday, March 21, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

• The 14th annual Belmont World Film International Film Series, “Secrets and Lies,” begins Sunday, March 22 at 7 p.m. in a new location – the West Newton Cinema at 1296 Washington St. – with the New England premiere of Ghadi, a good natured satire about bigotry and redemption that was the 2015 Oscar entry from Lebanon for Best Foreign Film. Get in contact with BFW at 617-484-3980 or egitelman@belmontworldfilm.org

The screening is preceded by a reception at 5:45 p.m. at the theater featuring Lebanese cuisine (a separate $15 admission) and is co-presented by American Friends of SESOBEL, which helps improve the quality of life and supports the families of children with mental and physical disabilities in Lebanon.

 

This Week: Learn About Gap Years, Affordable Housing in Belmont and The Great War

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On the government side of This Week:

  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen has a light agenda before them on Monday, March 16 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. The group looking to build a cul-de-sac and two houses at 863 Concord Ave. near McLean Hospital will before the Board of Survey (which the Selectmen also are) while the Selectmen will continue a deliberation on whether to award a beer and wine license to Jimmy’s Food Mart at 297 Belmont St. (the former Shore Drug). 
  • The Planning Board will meet Monday, March 16 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall to deliberate issuing special permits and potential cases while discuss preparing for a zoning forum. 
  • The Selectmen will hold the second of two Precinct Meeting on the fiscal ’16 budget, the Financial Task Force’s final report and the proposed Proposition 2 1/2 override at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., at 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 20. 
  • The School Committee is meeting on Friday, March 20 at 3:30 p.m. No agenda so I can’t tell where or what they will be doing, but I’m guess it has something to do with the precinct meeting. 

• The annual Chenery Middle School Honors Concert, which includes band, chorus and orchestra ensembles, will perform Monday, March 16 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School.

Tuesday is story time at both of Belmont libraries. 

  • Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer run library, at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
  • The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will be holding two sessions of Story Time for 2′s and 3′s, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 

• The staff from U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark’s office will be holding office hours in Belmont at the Beech Street Center, on Tuesday, March 17, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

• Join Heather Hurd of Blue Cross Blue Shield for a lecture, Heart Health, on Tuesday, March 17, at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center about how aging can cause changes in the heart and blood vessels which may increase a person’s risk of heart disease. The good news is there is much that seniors can do to delay, lower, or possibly avoid or reverse their risk.

• The Belmont Art Association is meeting Tuesday, March 17 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the  Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. 

• Learn all about the advantages and challenges of taking a gap year after graduating from Belmont High as parents and students are invited to attend “A Gap Year Panel” being held in the Belmont High School Library on Tuesday, March 17 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

• Peeps dioramas will be assembled in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library on Wednesday, March 18 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. 

• The Belmont Historical Society presents former Belmont Selectman Dan Leclerc who will will speak about Belmont and World War I in his talk, “The Yankee Division in the Great War,” on Wednesday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Leclerc, a retired history teacher and former vice-president of the Belmont Historical Society, will speak about heroic roles played by Belmont residents in the division’s action during World War I.  

• The Chenery Middle School PTO will hear a school budget presentation on Thursday, March 19 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School, 95 Washington St. 

• State Sen. Will Brownsberger office will be holding office hours on Friday, March 20 at 10 a.m. in the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. 

• Judie Feins, a long-time member of the Belmont Housing Trust and the Belmont League of Women Voters, will present a slide show on affordable housing in Belmont called “What’s the Plan?,” part of the League of Women Voters’ Brown Bag Lunch series, being held in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library on Friday, March 20 from noon until 1:30 p.m. Hear about the Town’s housing needs and potential strategies for meeting them.  

This Weekend: Karen K & the Jitterbugs Saturday, Vanessa Trien also Saturday, Battling Robots Sunday, The Art of Teabags

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• Karen K & the Jitterbugs will be giving a free concert from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday March 14 at Chenery Middle School, sponsored by Belmont Savings Bank.  The show is ideal for kids ages 2 to 7 and their parents. Karen K & the Jitterbugs have been delighting audiences up and down the east coast with their crowd-engaging, theatrical show. Hear some of the music of Karen K & the Jitterbugs here.

Karen K and Belmont Savings request that guests bring a non-perishable food item to the concert for the Belmont Food Pantry.

In addition, parents can enter their kids to be honorary Jitterbugs by uploading a photo of them at the concert to Instagram with the hashtag #belmontsavingsbug. The Instagram post with the most likes will win free Karen K and the Jitterbugs CD and a $25 iTunes gift card. The post with the most “Likes” by 10 a.m. on Monday, March 16 will be the winner. To participate in the bank’s Instagram contest, post settings must be “public,” and participants must be 18 years or older to enter.

• Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys will be in concert supporting the Belmont Coop Nursery School at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 14 in the Social Hall of St. Joseph Church, 130 Common St. There will be great music, an auction, pizza, a bake sale and more. $10 per person with a $30 max for a family. Kids under 2 are in like Flynn. 

• Belmont artist Christiane Corcelle will give a talk on her show (which has been receiving great reviews in arts publications)  Kaleidoscope: The Art of Tea at the Belmont Gallery of Art on Sunday, March 15, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. This eclectic and unique exhibit includes both two and three-dimensional objects created using the common tea bag and its components. The Gallery is located on the third floor of the Homer Building located in the Town Hall complex off Concord Avenue in Belmont Center.

• Don’t miss Lexington High School Robotics’ presentation on the challenging, exciting world of teen competitive team robotics, taking place Sunday, March 15 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. See robots in action, try your hand at building-block robotics, and learn how to start your own team from veteran FIRST competitors.

This Week: Peeps on Parade, Yale Students Dancing, Teens Self Publishing

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On the government side of “This Week”:

  • The Belmont School Committee will hold a meeting on Tuesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School.
  • The Belmont Historic District Commission will discuss the proposed moratorium on oversized single-family homes and nominations of the Preservation Awards on Tuesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.
  • Find out what’s happening with Belmont Light’s substation and the transmission project at the meeting of the Belmont Municipal Light Advisory Board on Tuesday, March 10 at 7:15 p.m. at Belmont Light’s headquarters on 40 Prince St.
  • The Belmont Energy Committee will review and discuss the committee’s projects and Belmont Climate Action Plan recommendations at its meeting on Wednesday, March 11 at 8 a.m.
  • The Community Preservation Committee meets on Wednesday, March 11 at 5 p.m. will discuss open space and housing inventory along with project updates.

• Author Jessica Lander will speak on her book Driving Backwards as part of the Belmont Public Library’s Books and Bites series at 11 a.m. on Monday, March 9 at the library’s Assembly Room. This debut work of non-fiction captures the modern-day charm and character of Gilmanton, a small town in New Hampshire where Lander spent her summers. Lander also writes an education-focused blog, Chalk Dust, about experiences in and out of the classroom.  She currently lives in her hometown of Cambridge, near to family and friends.

• The Belmont School District will be making a presentation before the Burbank Elementary PTA at 7 p.m., Monday, March 9 at 266 School St.

Tuesday is story time at both of Belmont libraries. 

  • Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer run library, at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
  • The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will be holding two sessions of Story Time for 2′s and 3′s, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 

The Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., will be holding three great events on Tuesday, March 10:

  • 11:30 a.m.: Chinese New Year Program. Features performers wowing you with dance, singing, incredible instrumental music, and other arts.
  • 1:15 p.m.: Tell Your Heartwarming Tale of the Blizzards of ’15.
  • 5 p.m.: Yale University Ballroom Dance Team. Marvel at this outstanding group of students as they compete in a variety of International dance competitions; their repertoire encompasses many styles – from tango and salsa to waltz and hustle. Expect to be awed, so bring a friend!

• It’s an early release day for elementary and high school students.

• Belmont’s new Veterans Service Officer, Robert Upton, will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on Wednesday, March 11, from noon to 2 p.m.

• Chenery Middle School students can stop by the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room on Wednesday, March 11 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., work on your homework, enjoy some hot chocolate and try out an activity. This is for middleschoolers only!  Provided to you for free, thanks to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

• Residents and kids can build Easter-inspired Peeps dioramas on Wednesday, March 11 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. in the Flett Room. 

• The International Fiction Book Club will hold its inaugural meeting where it will discuss Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie at the Belmont Public Library on Wednesday, March 11, at 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Flett Room. Join the club on the second Wednesday of the month for fun conversation, tea and snacks. Each month they’ll talk about one book chosen by the group, either fiction or memoir. If you don’t have time to read the book, come anyway. We’ll talk about favorite recent books people have read. Everybody is welcome. If you have questions, contact Kylie at ksparks@minlib.net.

• Middle and High school students are invited to hear local author Sharisse Zeroonian speak about her play One Plus One is Two, which she self-published when she was a teenager at the Youth Adult Room in the Belmont Public Library on Thursday, March 12 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Learn tips and tools for how you can self-publish as a teenager.

• The Belmont League of Women Voters will be meeting on Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Belmont Board of Selectmen is holding a precinct meeting to discuss the fiscal ’16 budget options at the Beech Street Center on Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m. 

• The Senior Book Discussion Group will meet on Friday, March 13th at 11 a.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., to discuss The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

• A Powers Music concert – Songs without Words – will take place on Friday, March 13, at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center. Cellist Laura Blustein and pianist Kathryn Rosenbach will lead the audience through Mendelssohn’s beloved “Songs Without Words” as well as transcriptions of Brahms and Schubert that are used in pieces from popular musicals and pop standards.

 

This Weekend: Wellington Winter Carnival, Gospel Concert, Garden Fair and ‘The Art of Tea’

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• There is an answer for the late-winter blues: Come down to Belmont High School’s Wenner Field House on Saturday, March 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the Wellington School Winter Carnival! There will be lots of fun things to do for elementary and preschool kids with a clown making balloon animals, bounce houses and slides, games, crafts, face painting, pizza, bake sale and a book sale! Take a break from the cold and come down. The cost for the activities is between two-to-four tickets; 10 tickets for $5, 20 for $20.

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• The Joyful Voices of Inspiration returns to Belmont to gave a soul stirring, spirit moving, heartwarming gospel concert at the Belmont-Watertown Methodist Church, 421 Common St. on Saturday, March 7 at 3 p.m. The concert is a fundraiser benefiting the Belmont, Watertown and St. Patrick’s food pantries. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, free for children under 12. There is a $30 family maximum.
• “Kaleidoscope – the Art of Tea,” the art installation by Christiane Corcelle at the Belmont Gallery of Art, is currently featured in the March issue of Art New England with a review by editor-in-chief Deb Hagan. Come see why Hagan gave the work such praise by seeing the work that features art made with repurposed tea bags and their components – including labels, strings and boxes – together with other found objects which, not only makes for a truly unique show, but also shows gallery visitors and other artists the possibilities of creating art with recycled and collected objects. The gallery is located on the third floor of the Homer Municipal Building in the Town Hall complex. It is open on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
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• A Healthy Yards and Gardens Fair, sponsored by Belmont Food Collaborative and Sustainable Belmont, will be holding forth in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library on Saturday, March 6 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

First Grove Street Playground Master Plan Meeting Tonight at 7 PM

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The first public meeting on a proposed master plan for the Grove Street Playground is being held tonight, March 4, at 7 p.m. in the Board of Selectmen Room of Town Hall. 

The town’s Department of Public Works and Activitas Inc. – a Dedham-based development company that led the redevelopment of Belmont High School’s Harris Field – will speak to neighborhood residents and seek their input to better understand issues facing residents.

Tonight’s meeting and a second gathering to be held March 9 geared towards youth groups that use the field are part of the process in writing a comprehensive, long-term strategy for the heavily-used open space/playground on the Cambridge town line in east Belmont. 

Last year, the Capital Budget Committee allocated and Town Meeting approved $30,000 to fund the study of one of the most used playgrounds in town. With three dedicated ball fields, Grove Street is the home for youth baseball in Belmont. The soccer field in the lower section is used from early spring to late fall by Belmont Youth Soccer. In addition, the park has four tennis courts, a basketball court, a new playground as well as being a popular sledding site during the winter. 

Start Up: Group Seeking ‘Yes’ on Override Holds Initial Gathering

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Photo: Residents who came to the Belmont Hill School to discuss passing the Prop. 2 1/2 override in April.

The snowfall that arrived Sunday afternoon, March 1, made driving difficult, particularly attempting to putter up the Prospect Street’s steep incline.

But the weather and the climb did not deter approximately 120 residents who braved the conditions to drive to the Belmont Hill School’s Jordan Athletic Center to listen to the leaders of a newly-formed community group.

Its message: Pass the override.

Yes for Belmont is seeking to marshal support for the passage of a $4.5 million Proposition 2 1/2 override – recommended by the Financial Task Force and placed on the April 7 Town Election ballot by the Board of Selectmen – in an effort to forestall potentially deep cuts in next year’s budget including laying off 22 full-time positions in the school district.
Not a rally nor a policy debate, the half-hour meeting had the feel of a “meet and greet” where supporters could get a chance to get to know the Yes for Belmont leadership team and ask questions about .

Sign-up sheets and forms on what residents are willing to do (holding signs, being part of an outreach team) where on tables for attendees while orange yard signs – that can be found on snow drifts around Belmont – were ready to be taken home.

For Sara Masucci, a seasoned political campaigner and co-chair of Yes for Belmont, the need for an operational override – which permits the town to exceed the 2 1/2 percent annual limit on the increase in taxes a municipality is permitted – is real; deteriorating roads, exploding enrollment in schools with additional costs for special education and English learners has overwhelmed current efforts to pay for it.

“We’re all here because this is a very big deal and we are deeply concerned and we want to make sure that we do what we need to do to make the quality of this town stay at the level that it should be,” said Masucci.

Yet the plan is not to push too hard, be too passionate when discussing the need for additional tax revenue as those residents less supportive of the override “to claim that we are being ‘too emotional’, that we are overblowing the issue, that we are creating a panic,” said Masucci.

Masucci said there are several avenues for residents to take to support the effort; personal networking with friends and colleagues, writing letters of support to media outlets and getting out the vote.

“That’s when will be counting on you, the people, to get out there and make those connections and make that final push to make sure that person you know who supports us but doesn’t really vote gets out there on Tuesday,” Masucci said.

Lars Kellogg-Stedman came to the meeting because of his concern for the future of education in Belmont.

“I have two kids at the Burbank [Elementary] and they’ve really been enjoying their time here and seeing the depth of cuts that are possible if the funding doesn’t come through makes me sad for them because they will be missing a lot of opportunities,” he said.

“I’m going to be writing letters and standing on street corners with signs while talking with all the parents that I know,” he said.

“This is important to our family,” Kellogg-Stedman said.

This Week: Spring Concert at the High School, Child Safety, Coffeehouse and Robots

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On the government side of “This Week”:

  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen is meeting on Monday, March 2 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall to initially convene as the Board of Survey to spend a half hour talking about 863 Concord Ave. then as the board to hear an update from the Logan Community Advisory Committee about noisy airplanes taking off over Belmont.
  • The Zoning Board of Appeals will hear an application for a construction parking plan at the Belmont Uplands and several special permits on Monday, March 2 at 7 p.m. in the Art Gallery of the Homer Building located in the Town Hall complex.
  • The Belmont Human Rights Commission is meeting on Thursday, March 5 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. On the agenda, the commission will hear from Athena Edmonds on public accommodation and transgender individuals in Belmont.

• The Seventh and Eighth Grade Book Group will meet Monday, March 2 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Young Adult Room of the Belmont Public Library to discuss this month’s two books: Ripper by Stefan Petrucha and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe by Douglas Adams. Snacks included!

Tuesday is story time at both of Belmont libraries. 
• Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer run library, at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex. 
• The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will be holding two sessions of Story Time for 2’s and 3’s, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 

• State Rep. Dave Rogers will hold office hours at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, March 3, at 9:30 a.m.

• Learn how a geriatric medical evaluation differs from that of a non-senior at a talk on Geriatric Primary Care on Tuesday, March 3, at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. Offered by Belmontian and Mount Auburn Hospital staff member Dr. Mab Butterfield.

• There will be a Parent Workshop on Child Safety on Tuesday, March 3, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Powers Music School will be holding a panel discussion on “Affordable Music Education” in the Betsy Washburn Cabot Room at the school, 380 Concord Ave., on Tuesday, March 3, from 6:30 p.m. The free discussion will discuss how the high cost of music programs is keeping kids from a quality arts education. There will be school representatives who will answer questions and discuss financial aid scholarships.

• The monthly meeting of the Belmont Woman’s Club will take place on Wednesday, March 4, from 9:30 a.m. to noon in the Belmont Historical Society’s Claflin Room in the Belmont Public Library. 

• The Belmont High School’s Department of Fine & Performing Arts presents its Spring Chorus and Orchestra Concert on Wednesday, March 4, at 7 p.m. in the BHS auditorium. This concert will feature the first of our annual Solo Competition Winners, sophomore Haig Hovsepian, who will be performing the third movement from the Aram Khachaturian Violin Concerto. Also performing will be the Men’s Chorus, Women’s Chorus and Chamber Singers , the BHS Concert Orchestra and the Combined Choruses and Orchestra performing several movements of Vivaldi’s Gloria in D.

• Sustainable Belmont will be holding a presentation and Q&A on “Gardens & Recycling” on Wednesday, March 4, at 7 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Belmont of League of Women Voters will hold an education meeting on Thursday, March 5 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The LEGO Club for kindergarteners through second graders is back on Thursday, March 5 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Drop in anytime. All LEGOs will be provided. Just bring your imagination.

• The Working to Help the Homeless Club will be hosting a WTHH Coffeehouse on Thursday, March 5, at 7 p.m. at the High School’s Cafe. Here is your chance to see Belmont High students showcase their talents. There will also be ice cream and baked goods. Tickets are $5 at the door or at Champions.

• Belmont Police Lt. Kristin Daley and Communications Manager Dan MacAuley (“The Voice of Belmont”) will be giving a presentation on Smart 911 on Friday, March 6, at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center. Smart 911 is a new system that helps emergency dispatchers make faster decision and shorten response times for getting you the help you need.

• Robots will be invading the Belmont on Friday, March 6, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. as the good people from iRobot will talk about their robots, what they do, and the amazing technology that makes them work in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. This is geared for all students curious about the the future of robots and how they will take over the world and enslave humans. (just kidding). 

 

Novelist Sarah Payne Stuart Stops to Talk ‘Guilt, God and Real Estate’ at BPL Sunday

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The Friends of Belmont Public Library’s Author’s Series presents novelist Sarah Payne Stuart who will speak on her book “Perfectly Miserable: Guilt, God and Real Estate in a Small Town,” today, Sunday, March 1, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The book is a wryly comic memoir that examines the pillars of New England WASP culture – class, history, family, money, and, of course, real estate – through the lens of mothers and daughters.

Stuart – who was raised and later lived in Concord – has written for The New Yorker and The New York Times Book Review. She divides her time between Maine and New York.

All are welcome to attend this free program. Books will be available for purchase and signing. The Assembly Room is handicapped accessible.