This Week: Lots of Authors and Speakers and a Trip to See the Harvard Rothkos

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• A quiet week on the government side: the Belmont Conservation Commission will discuss an application for keeping bees at Rock Meadow while there will be an update of the construction of the Underwood Pool by Town Administrator David Kale at the Recreation Commission. Both meetings are at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at Town Hall. There will be an update on the off-leash program (that’s for dogs) at the Board of Health meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 5:30 p.m. at Town Hall. The Community Preservation Committee will be review the final application for grants at its meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 5 p.m. at Town Hall.

• Author Richard Primack will speak on his book Walden Warming:  Climate Change Comes to Thoreau’s Woods, as part of the Belmont Public Library’s Books and Bites program on Monday, Jan. 12 at 11 a.m. A Boston University professor and Newton native,  Primack searched for evidence of climate change at Concord’s Walden Pond, made famous by Henry David Thoreau. Primack tells the deeply instructive story of the challenges he and his dedicated graduate students faced during the past decade as they identified the many plants that have disappeared since Thoreau’s time and those which are flowering earlier in successive years as spring temperatures rise. All are welcome to attend this free program.  Refreshments will be provided.  Books will be available for purchase and signing.

• Tuesday, Jan. 13 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. Over at 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. 

• Photographer Carole Smith Berney will present a multimedia show with images and music at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 1:15 p.m. as she shares the surprising variety of the local natural world, including colorful flowers, autumnal fruits, and even winter wonders. Berney’s photography exhibit, “Seasonal Colors,” is currently featured at the Center. 

• The Friends of the Belmont Public Library welcomes author Adam Tanner who will speak on his book, What Stays in Vegas: The World of Personal Data – Lifeblood of Big Business – and the End of Privacy As We Know It, at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at the Belmont Public Library. Tanner takes readers beyond the headlines of national government snooping to unveil how private businesses are gathering personal data on multitudes of individuals every day. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

• Dr. Jolene Ross of the Foundation for Wellness Professionals will speak on “Natural Solution to Executive Function Struggles and ADHD,” on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at  7 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library. All are welcome to attend this free program.

• The Council on Aging will be visiting the newly-opened Harvard University Art Museum on Thursday, Jan. 15 with the bus leaving Belmont at 9:30 A.M. and returning at 1:30 p.m. The cost is $17; $13 for admissions plus $4 for the bus transportation. Harvard spent six years renovating their Quincy Street space, incorporating three of its existing museums. The result is exquisite. Current exhibits include the famous Mark Rothko (restored) Harvard murals and bronzes from the Mediterranean and ancient Near East.

• The Book Discussion Group for Lower Middle School students in 5th and 6th grades will take place on Thursday, Jan. 15 from 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Belmont Stormwater Working Group meeting will take place on Thursday, Jan. 15, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. 

• State Sen. Will Brownsberger will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 16.

• Well-loved local musician Liz Buchanan performs original songs and traditional favorites at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 16, in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. 

This Weekend: Chamber Music, Snapshots and Flying Nelsons

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• The Powers Music School is holding the 2015 Stein Chamber Music Festival on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 5 p.m., at All Saints’ Church, 17 Clark St.  The festival is a musical celebration that gives area musicians an opportunity to perform and enjoy chamber music. The festival includes music of all genres performed by musicians of all ages, ranging in abilities from beginning students to amateurs and professionals.

• The 14th annual Brendan Grant Wrestling Tournament is taking place on Saturday Jan. 10 from noon to 6 p.m. at Belmont High School’a Wenner Field House.  Last year thirteen high school wrestling teams competed in this all day tournament.  Previously referred to as the Belmont Invitational Wrestling Tournament, for the last 34 years this event has become one of the classic High School Wrestling gatherings of its kind in the Northeast region with approximately 600 attendees throughout the day.

• The Belmont Gallery of Art is presenting for its latest exhibit, “Photovoice: A Lens into Our Lives,” on Sunday, Jan. 11 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is located on the third floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex at 19 Moore St.

Rally to Support Belmont’s Police Officers Set For Saturday Noon

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Inspired and modeled after rallies including a recent example in Boston, Belmont residents will be meeting in front of Belmont Town Hall at noon on Saturday, Jan. 10 in a show of support for the men and women of the Belmont Police Department.
A rally organizer, who wished not to be named, said the rally is in response to a recent increase in “anti-police rhetoric” and the murder of New York Police Department officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu on Dec. 20. 
“[I]t is a difficult time for law enforcement and their families and we want them to know that for every person condemning them, there are folks out there who appreciate them too,” the organizer said.
She said last week many officers from Belmont attended the funerals of the slain NYPD officers “and we just felt it would be nice to feel as though they have community support following a difficult time and endeavor.”
“After seeing similar rallies in Dorchester and surrounding towns, we, the organizers, felt that it would be nice for anyone in town to take a moment to show our support for the men and women who keep us safe,” she said.
A march and demonstration seeking change to how law enforcement and the justice system views African-American men was held in Belmont on Dec. 14.
There will be no speakers at the rally and sometime after noon, the group will head for locations residents hold political signs during election times including the Town Common facing the commuter rail tunnel and the intersection of Concord Avenue and Leonard Street.
“We welcome folks to bring signs of support or just [show up],” she said.

A Lens into the Lives of the ‘Disempowered’ at the Gallery of Art

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In a partnership with Belmont’s McLean Hospital and the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University, the Belmont Gallery of Art is holding an opening reception this evening, Jan. 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for its latest exhibit, “Photovoice: A Lens into Our Lives.” The exhibit runs from today, Jan. 8 to Jan. 31.

The gallery is located on the third floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex at 19 Moore St.

Photovoice is a public research process that gives cameras to people who have been disempowered, to take photographs of their communities. These photos are narrated with the goals of promoting critical dialogue and knowledge of personal and community issues and to promote possible solutions to policy makers.

The exhibit was created as part of a “peer-led anti-stigma program” which was implemented at Waverley Place, the community program of McLean Hospital located in the heart of Waverley Square at 12 Church St., and was developed by BU’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation.

Hours for the show are Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Oh, Christmas Tree, You Can Place It On the Curb Beginning this Week

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Today, Jan. 5th, is Twelfth Night, which marks the end of the Christmas holiday (it’s the night before Epiphany, the day when the nativity story says the three wise men visited the infant Jesus), which in the past was a time of revelry and merry making.

And with the end of the holiday comes another tradition: the dumping of the family Christmas tree onto the curb.

And starting today, the Belmont Department of Public Works will collect your Christmas trees at the curb for regular trash pickup on the designated trash day during the first two full weeks of January.

This Week: A Bit of Everything Happening in Belmont in the New Year

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Welcome back from the holidays and winter recess.

• On the government side of the week, the Zoning Board of Appeals will approve the specifications for the pump and force main required in the comprehensive permit for the proposed housing development at Belmont Uplands on Monday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Gallery of Arts located on the third floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex. On the same day and at the same time, the Belmont Board of Selectmen will be at Town Hall to have a really short meeting with the Belmont Police presenting its new “Smart 911” program. On Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m., the Planning Board is meeting at Town Hall where it will discuss potential zoning by-law amendments while the School Committee (at the Chenery Middle School) will present a preliminary budget along with program changes at the High School. The Municipal Light Advisory Board will discuss the substation project and carbon reduction at the Light Department Headquarters at 40 Prince St. at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8.

• Music & Movement with Rubi, a movement and music program recommended for ages 3 to 5 (but 2 year olds are welcome) will be held in the Flett Room on Monday, Jan. 5. There will be two sessions: 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

• The 7th-8th Grade Book Club will discuss “Jackaby” by William Ritter, on Monday, Jan. 5, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Young Adult Room of the Belmont Public Library. Enjoy some snacks and choose February’s book.

• Tuesday, Jan. 6 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. Over at 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 be holding office hours in Belmont at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 9:30 p.m. 

• Head over to the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 1:15 p.m. for a sing-along with Arnie Rosen. A Belmont resident, Rosen has become one of the favorite musical performers at the Center. A multi-instrumentalist, he has played guitar for more than 50 years and has a nice repertoire of songs.

• Yoga for everyone at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Jan 6, 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.: join Susan Harris, a registered yoga teacher and associate professor of Nutrition at Tufts University for this Iyengar-inspired class which practices yoga postures slowly and with attention to alignment and safety, adapted to the abilities and needs of individual students. Practice is done with bare feet; mats and props are provided. Cost: $15/class. This is a non-Council on Aging class held at the Beech Street Center. For more information, call Susan at 617-407-0816.

• There will be a sing-along with Julie Goetze in the Children’s Room of the Belmont Public Library on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

• The Belmont Public School invites Chenery Middle School students on early release Wednesday to come over to the library’s Assembly Room today, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., to do your homework while enjoying some hot chocolate. This is for middleschoolers only so high schoolers are on their own. This event is provided for free, thanks to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Belmont Public Library LEGO Club is for kids in kindergarten through second grade who want to meet and create their own unique structures. All LEGOs will be provided so just bring your imagination to the Assembly Room from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8.

• The Book Discussion Group for 3rd and 4th grades will take place on Thursday, Jan. 8, 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Belmont League of Women Voters meeting will be held on Thursday, Jan. 8, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Senior Book Discussion Group at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. will discuss “Sense and Sensibility” by Jane Austen on Friday, Jan. 9 at 11 a.m. 

• Belmont’s Powers Music School will be giving a concert for the community at the Beech Street Center on Friday, Jan. 9, at 1:15 p.m. Dubbed “Characters and Conversations,” the concert will feature faculty members Ben Fox (oboe), Meghan Jacoby (flute), and guest Ellie Parrone (piano). The concert is supported in part by East Boston Savings Bank. All residents are welcome to attend.

This Weekend: ‘Touch The Wall’ with BATs, Farmers Market Meeting Sunday

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• BATs can swim, at least in Belmont. And this Sunday, Jan. 4 at 1:30 p.m., the Belmont Aquatic Team is having its very own day at the movies holding a fundraiser screening the just-released documentary, “Touch the Wall,” at the West Newton Cinema.

The documentary highlights 17-year-old swimming phenom and 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Missy Franklin who was destined for greatness at an early age, but it wasn’t until the arrival of three time Olympic veteran Kara Lynn Joyce did those sky-high expectations began to take shape. As training partners, competitors, and friends, Missy and Kara redefine what it means to win.

Due to some facilities problems, the first venue for the movie, the Belmont Studio Cinema, was unable to show the film. The West Newton Cinema is located at 1296 Washington St. in Newton (617-964-8074.)

Tickets are $10 and you can obtain them online here.

• Belmont Food Collaborative/Belmont Farmers Market is meeting Sunday, Jan. 4 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

 

New Year’s Eve: MBTA (Very Late) Schedule, First Night and the Library Closing Early

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It’s New Year’s Eve and Belmont residents are preparing for the celebration by stocking up for house parties, heading to Boston for performances and fireworks or just staying home.

Here’s some information you can use before heading out (or in) tonight.

First Night Boston 2015 takes place all day in Boston with artistic events and fun stuff for kids and adults. The Grand Procession along Boylston Street will begin at 5:30 p.m., the Family Fireworks will be held on the Common at 7 p.m. with the grand fireworks at midnight over Boston Harbor.

First_Night_2015_Program_Guide

The best way into the city is via public transportation; the MBTA has extended schedules through the day and night:

• Buses and trackless trolleys to Waverley Square (73) and Belmont Center (74 and 75) will operate a regular weekday schedule. 

• If you are picking up the subway at Alewife or Harvard Square, the Red Line will operate a modified weekday schedule with additional trains operating at rush-hour levels of service throughout the evening from 3 p.m. until approximately 2 a.m.

• The Fitchburg/South Acton Line of Commuter Rail will operate a modified weekday schedule with additional service provided, including 12:10 a.m. and 2 a.m. trains back to Belmont and Waverley while the scheduled 12:10 a.m. train will be delayed until 1 a.m.

Don’t wait to get your books and DVDs; the Belmont Public Library will be closing at 5 p.m. today.

Town offices will remain open until 4 p.m.

For those seeking adult beverages to welcome in 2015, the Craft Beer Cellar is closing early at 8 p.m. And don’t wait too long to get your sparkling wine or champagne at Vintages in Belmont Center or The Spirited Gourmet in Cushing Square.

This Week: Funny Magic Show, an Old-Fashioned Mixer Tuesday With Sensibility Friday

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• The Belmont Board of Selectmen will be meeting at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at Town Hall for some executive sessions and end-of-the-year approvals.

• The Benton Library, Belmont’s independent- and volunteer-run library, will hold Story Time at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30. 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.

• Ed Popielarczyk’s Comedy Magic Show, a wonderful program of kids, will be held on esday, Dec. 30 from 2 p.m to 2:30 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. 

• An old-fashioned mixer is being held at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Start the New Year by meeting someone new. So show off your party clothes and enjoy good company, tasty desserts and a complementary 30-minute dance lesson with teacher Paul Hughes at 6 p.m.

• The Academy Award-winning film, Sense and Sensibility, will be screened at the Beech Street Center on Friday, Jan. 2, at 1 p.m. This 1995 adaptation of the Jane Austen novel – which will be discussed at our book group on Jan. 9 at 11 a.m. – follows the Dashwood sisters, members of a wealthy English family, whose circumstances result in their sudden destitution, forcing them to seek financial security through marriage. The version stars Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman. 

Screen Shot 2014-12-29 at 11.52.45 AM

Town Offices and One Library Closed on Boxing Day in Belmont

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Town offices and the Belmont Public Library will be closed today, Boxing Day, in Belmont.

Belmont’s other library, the independent and volunteer-run Benton Library at the corner of Oakley and Old Middlesex, will be open today, Friday, Dec. 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for families and individuals to use and enjoy.

Thursday’s trash collection will occur today due to Christmas. 

The MBTA is running regular weekday service.

Cats LOVE Boxing Day.

You all should know by now that Boxing Day is not the annual organizing of rounds of fisticuffs to settle scores – you are likely thinking of the “Airing of Grievances” that is part of the Festivus Celebrations – but commemorating the custom in which tradespeople and servants received “Christmas boxes” of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year. 

A paid holiday in the UK and most Commonwealth countries – the day is spent fox hunting, recovering from “making merry” the day before and watching “football on the telly” – the tradition was popular in Boston until the 1920s as my grandmother recalled receiving on the 26th a small, gold-colored wooden box with her yearly bonus in cash. She didn’t get to keep the box.