Painting the Town Scary: Belmont Center a Window to Halloween

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Maeve Miller, 10, decided to take a different tact on just what to paint on the large window at Starbucks in Belmont Center.

“It’s a monster cake,” said the Belmont resident as she slowly applied green paint onto the glass while amused patrons sat inside with their coffees. The resulting art work produced a Frankenstein-type monster with a squiggly mouth at the base of a frightening pastry.

All day Saturday, Oct. 25, Belmont Center businesses up and down Leonard Street saw their windows transformed into pumpkin patches, ghostly havens and other scenes of specters and ghouls during the second annual Belmont Center Halloween Window Painting Contest.

Kids from second to eight grade – with parents in tow – paid for the privilege to express their scary vision of Halloween on the town’s main drag. Unlike the first contest that took place on a cold and dank fall morning, this Saturday was warm – maybe a bit too warm as windows on the sunny side of the street began flaking under the cloudless sky – and allowed many strollers to come out to see the kid’s artistic prowess.

Halloween-season window painting has a long tradition in other towns – several of Newton’s villages have participated for the past 15 years – and was brought to Belmont with the help of the owners of A Chocolate Dream.

Sponsored by the Belmont Center Business Association, the event’s proceeds were donated to the Foundation for Belmont Education.

This Week: Spooky Things at the High School; Is That a Spelling Bee?

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“The Journey to College” featuring Belmont Savings President and CEO Bob Mahoney will be held on Monday, Oct. 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Chenery Middle School. Joining Mahoney will be Dr. Laurie Nash, an Independent Educational Consultant, to discuss the college admissions process, including choosing a school and how to increase a child’s chances of getting accepted. The talk is part of a series of lectures between the Belmont Savings Bank Foundation and the Belmont After School Enrichment Collaborative (BASEC) that will offer parents information on topics such as college, conflicts and anxiety.

Geoffrey Brahmer, an accomplished researcher and popular lecturer, will present “The Diary of Herman Kruk: A Librarian in the Vilna Ghetto” at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 1:15 p.m. In 1944, while detained in Vilna in now Lithuania, Kruk, a socialist librarian , was asked by fellow prisoners, “Why write a diary? We are all going to be killed anyway.” Kruk responded, “Drunk on the pen trembling in my hand, I record everything for future generations.”

Belmont resident Gerry Connolly – a graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts Professional Chef Program – will be conjuring up some great easy-to-make “tailgate” delicacies such as Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Vegetable Chili, Hummus, Tabouli and Mock Boursin on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Library’s Assembly Room. Connolly’s events are always well attended and space is limited, so please sign up online or by phone by calling 617-993-2870.

Justin Martin will speak on his book Rebel Souls: Walt Whitman and America’s First Bohemians at the Friends of the Belmont Public Library’s Author Series on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Library’s Assembly Room. Martin shows how this first bohemian culture – imported from Paris to a dingy Broadway saloon – nurtured an American tradition of rebel art that thrives to this day. All are welcome to attend this free program. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Teens in 7th to 12th grade can start their Halloween early by attending Fright Feston Thursday, Oct. 30 from 
1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. Come enjoy games, snacks and festivities.

Two big events at Belmont High School this Thursday, Oct. 30 to get the family into a Halloween state of mind.

The fourth annual “Masquerade Concert” with the Belmont High Wind Ensemble and Concert Orchestra will begin at 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium. The two ensembles will perform a family-friendly variety of seasonal selections, including creepy classics like the Tocatta and Fugue in D minor by Bach, selections from The Dark Knight Rises and FROZEN! Audience members should arrive in costume to maximize the fun. As always, the concert is free.

There will be a Halloween Haunted House at Belmont High School from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. All profits made from this event will go to the Make a Wish Foundation. There will be a range of spooky activities for people of all ages. For younger guests there will a face painting station and a pumpkin painting station.

Get the little ones ready for the Halloween festivities with a Musical Spooktacular with Philip Alexander on Friday, Oct. 31 at 10:30 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. Philip promises not to be too scary.

The Cushing Square Business Association will be holding its annual Cushing Square Halloween on Friday, Oct. 31 with the trick or treating begins at 3 p.m.

After filling up on sugar and chocolate the previous night, more than 500 Belmont students from kindergarten to 6th grade will participate in the 14th annual Foundation for Belmont Education Youth Spelling Bee on Saturday, Nov. 1. beginning at 3 p.m. The six-hour long event, which takes place in the Belmont High School auditorium, will see the students – many in team costumes – show off their spelling skills with words such as “frog” for the kindergarteners to “escargot” which won the bee in 2012.

The Beech Street Center is holding its annual Diwali Festival on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Center, 266 Beech St. Sponsored by the Belmont Council on Aging and Friends of the Indian Senior Citizens’ Organization, enjoy a fun-filled evening of cultural programming and three course vegetarian dinner.

Cost in advance: $7 per person, non FISCO members: $10, Children ages 6-12 $5 each. Cost at the door: FISCO members  and immediate family, $14 per person. Nonmembers $20 per person, Children ages 6-12, $10 each

To purchase tickets in advance call Nava at 617-993-2975.

Belmont Yard Sales on Oct. 25-26

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Here are this weekend’s yard/moving/garage sales happening in the 02478 zip code:

Permitted yard sales by the Town Clerk

• 81 Hammond Rd., Saturday, Oct. 25, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 60 Horne Rd., Sunday, Oct. 26, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Not (yet) permitted sales

• 354 Payson Rd., Saturday, Oct. 25, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• 350 Prospect St., Saturday, Oct. 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Giant Rummage Sale at Belmont Hill School’s Jordan Athletic Center.

Remember, Belmont requires (free) permitting for yard sales. Apply here. 

This Weekend: Powers Music Tells Babar’s Story Saturday, Recycling Day Saturday

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The Powers Music School is teaming up with the Belmont Public Library in presenting “The Story of Babar”, part of the school’s Musical Storytelling Series taking place on Saturday, Oct. 25 at the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. There will be two showing’s of the popular story at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. But be advised to come early as space is limited. The show is free and sponsored by Cambridge Savings Bank.

The Belmont Department of Public Works is holding its Belmont Recycling Day on Saturday, Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the town’s “transfer station” – the site of the former incinerator – at 1130 Concord Ave. near the Lexington town line. This is the day when residents can bring all those big ridged plastic items, textiles (Are you really going to keep those old drapes in the basement for another year?), paper that needs shredding, Styrofoam and electronics (you may have to pay a small charge). Belmont Savings is bringing its Universal Shredding machine and will be raffling off a $100 Target gift card. For more information, call 617-993-2689 or go online to.

Saturday afternoon, Oct. 25 will see a rare weekend sports doubleheader at Harris Field with Belmont High School Field Hockey taking on arch rival Lexington High at 2 p.m. – rescheduled from Wednesday due to the rainstorm – while Belmont High School Girls’ Soccer hosts Winchester High under the lights at 6 p.m. Come early for the soccer match as it’s Belmont’s Senior Night.

The Belmont Historical Society presents ‘The Belmont Uplands: A History of the Changing Use of Land and Water” by Belmont resident Anne-Marie Lambert on Sunday, Oct. 26 from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. The presentation is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Contact the Belmont Historical Society for more information at 617-993-2878.

Bridging Cultures at Belmont Gallery’s ‘Continental Drift’ Exhibit Opening Friday

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The print above is a detail of Iréne Jensen, Troðnar slóðir l /The Paved Way 1, Etching

The Belmont Gallery of Art invites the public to the opening of its latest show: “Continental Drift: Printmakers Converge,” an exhibit of work by members of the Boston Printmakers and the Icelandic Printmakers Association.

The reception takes place this Friday, Oct. 24, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The exhibit will run from Oct. 24 to Dec. 5.

The Gallery is located on the third floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall Complex, 19 Moore St., right off Leonard Street in Belmont Center behind the Belmont Savings Bank building.

The 60-plus prints showcase a variety of ancient and modern printmaking techniques including etching, Chine-colle, silkscreens, monoprints, woodcuts, intaglio, lithography and digital and electro-photo processes.

 

This cross-cultural show was inspired by the Boston printmakers’ August 2014 trip to Iceland and the resulting collaboration between the two groups of artists.

“Continental Drift” showcases the similarities as well as the differences that exist between the two printmaking groups, but ultimately forges a bridge between the two cultures. “Continental Drift” showcases the art that was created during that process — first exhibited in Reykjavik two months ago and now displayed in Belmont and Newton.

The Scandinavian Cultural Center’s Nordic Hall in West Newton hosts a “Continental Drift” companion exhibit through November with a collection of recent prints by Icelandic artists “inspired by landscapes and human nature.”

The Belmont Gallery of Art will host an Artists Print Talk with American and Icelandic printmakers on Nov. 23, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Scandinavian Center’s Nordic Hall will host its Artists Reception and Talk, Thursday., Nov. 20, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.

Society has long embraced the printed image: from the earliest depiction of saints in medieval woodcuts through Andy Warhol’s Pop Art silkscreens of modern day symbols. Printmaking as an art form is practiced around the globe—with the images as varied as the regions and cultures that practice the craft.  “Continental Drift: Printmakers Collide” gives art lovers the opportunity to celebrate printmaking traditions—new and old–from two unique–yet connected–world cultures: the US and Iceland.

Please visit the BGA’s website for gallery hours and directions and for more information. Nordic Hall Icelandic Prints exhibit/Artists Talk information can be found at www.scandicenter.org

‘Shubha Deepawali’: Diwali Festival Begins Today

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http://vimeo.com/53444736

Diwali, the festival of lights for Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, is celebrated today, Thursday, Oct. 23.

Diwali – Sanskrit for “a row of lights” – symbolizes the victory of light over dark, good over evil and knowledge over darkness. The festival is celebrated for five continuous days with the third day, today, as the day for celebrations. 

Diwali is celebrated by wearing new clothes, lighting oil lamps, setting off firecrackers which the festival is associated, decorating the home, giving out mithai – sweets and pastries – and partying with friends and family. Diwali is never complete without the exchange of gifts. This is also the day on which many Hindus begin their new fiscal year.

Sikhs celebrate by reading from the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy text.

Here is a great article by the Wall Street Journal on 5 Things to Know About Diwali. 

 

Rain? Today Remains the Penultimate Market Day in Belmont This Season

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It may be the second straight week in which it’s raining on Thursday but that will not stop the vendors and staff of the Belmont Farmers Market from showing up for the penultimate Market Day of the 2014 season.

The Belmont Farmers Market is open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Belmont Center municipal parking lot at the corner of Cross and Channing.

It might be late October, but there is plenty that’s “in season” at the market today: acorn squash, amaranth, apples, broccoli, carrots, chard, collards, cucumbers, delicata squash, eggplant, garlic, kale, onions, parsley, peppers, potatoes, pumpkin greens, radishes, scallions, summer squash and turnips.

Occasional vendors Bedford Blueberry Goat Farm, Coastal Vineyards, Matt’s Amazing Smokehouse, Seasoned and Spiced and Soluna Garden Farm join the regulars this week: C&C Lobsters and Fish, Carlisle Honey, Dick’s Market Garden, The Farm School, Fior d’Italia pasta, Flats Mentor Farm, Foxboro Cheese Company, Goodies Homemade, Hutchins Farm, Kimball Fruit Farm, Mamadou’s Artisan Bakery, Nicewicz Family Farm, Sfolia Baking Company and Stillman’s at the Turkey Farm.
In the Events Tent:

  • Music by Bridget Curzi; 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Storytime; 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Clay demo and “clay play” by Indigo Fire; 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Belmont’s il Casale Is On ‘Top Chef’ Main Course Tonight

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Belmont Center’s il Casale will be featured tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 22 on this week’s episode of Bravo TV’s hit cooking series “Top Chef.”

The episode will be aired at 10 p.m. and repeated at 11:30 p.m.

It was back on May 20 when a production company decamped with trucks and vans on Leonard Street for most the day with the contestants and the series stars – Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Padma Lakshmi – seen outside Dante de Magistris’ award-winning restaurant to the thrill of many residents who are fans of the show.

According to the Bravo website, tonight’s show, titled “Boston’s Bravest and Finests,” will include Boston Police and Fire department personnel.

Here is what Bravo says about the episode:

The famous signal “one if by land and two if by sea” plays a role in the ingredients the chefs must use in their Quickfire Challenge to create the ultimate surf and turf dish for guest judge Todd English. Then the chefs break into teams for the Elimination Challenge to serve Boston’s Finest in the police and fire departments. Using surprise ingredients, each team must work together to cook one cohesive dish. Tempers and dishes boil over in the kitchen as the chefs learn how to cook together for the first time. Chef Dante de Magistris guest judges the Elimination Challenge.

Local Celebs Will Walk the Fashion Runway Sunday for the Homer House

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If you missed going to New York Fashion Week last month, no need to fret. This Sunday, Oct. 26, Belmont will be home to a unique jour de haute couture.

The Belmont Woman’s Club is holding its own fashion show with some of the most sought after local celebrities modeling the latest from CAbi (women) and UNIQLO at 3 p.m. at the historic Oakley Country Club off Belmont Street in Watertown.

And look who will be strutting the catwalk this Sunday:

  • Selectman’s Andy Rojas (known for his taste in ties),
  • School Committee’s Laurie Slap,
  • Belmont Fire Chief David Frizzell,
  • TV legal analyst Wendy Murphy,
  • Belmont Savings CEO Bob Mahoney,
  • Henry Frost Children’s Program’s Iris Ponte,
  • Town Treasurer Floyd Carman,
  • Belmont Police’s Jamie MacIssac,
  • and all the way from the French Department at Belmont High, Jacqueline Kaiser, to name just a few.

This afternoon of fashion and fun will raise funds for the Preservation of the historic Homer House, the long-time headquarters of the Woman’s Club located across Pleasant Street from Belmont Town Hall.

Tickets are $65 per person and checks can be made payable to the Belmont Woman’s Club.

Three Night Run of ‘Twelfth Night’ by BHS Performing Arts Company

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It’s a story about Viola, a shipwrecked noble-woman who is disgusted as a boy to become the page of Count Orsino, who loves Lady Olivia but she, Olivia, falls for Viola (who is going by the name Cesario) who is madly in love with Orsino.

So Viola loves Orsino, Orsino loves Olivia, and Olivia loves Cesario which makes everyone miserable.

And I haven’t gotten to Olivia’s relatives, a right lot who are about to foul things up to the ‘n’th degree. Oh, did I tell you about Viola’s presumedly drowned twin brother, Sebastian? Olivia marries him, thinking he’s Cesario. Or Viola.

If this sounds like a comedy by Shakespeare, you’d be right. And “Twelfth Night,” will be performed over three nights by the Belmont High School Performing Arts Company: Thursday, Nov. 6 to Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at the high school auditorium.

Tickets are adults: $12 in advance/$15 at the door; students: $10.

Tickets are now available online.

Tickets will be on sale soon at Champions Sports in Belmont Center later this month.

Chenery 8th Grade Students: reserve a free ticket when you order online using coupon code: CMS8. Belmont Schools Staff: reserve a free ticket online with coupon code BPSSTAFF or by e-mailing tickets@bhs-pac.org