What to Do Today: Clay Pit Pond Walkabout, HS Jazz Collective at the Beech

By Leave a Comment

• The Belmont Conservation Commission is hosting a site visit at Clay Pit Pond at 6 p.m. with a design Charrette (held in Room 113 at the Belmont High School) to immediately follow the site walk. The Charrette is an opportunity for interested shareholders from the public, the schools and high school cross-country enthusiasts to meet and work with The BETA Group, the landscape architects that have been selected to create the phased Master Plan for an Intergenerational Walking Path Project. The site walk and meeting are open to the public. This is a great opportunity to work with a professional design team and create a community park at Clay Pit Pond park.

• The Belmont Historic District Commission will discuss the status of a proposal to clean the railroad bridge leading into/out of Belmont Center at 7:20 p.m. in Town Hall.

• Learn to protect your home and other assets for your spouse or family by planning ahead as attorney John Hope presents “Protecting Your Assets from the Cost of Nursing Home or Other Care” at the annual presentation by the Massachusetts Bar Association at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. at 1:15 p.m. Legal documents can be prepared in the event you need state assistance to pay for Long Term Care services either at home or in a nursing home. Presented by Attorney John Hope.

• Retiring teachers and staff from Belmont Schools will be feted by the Belmont School Committee at 7 p.m. in the Large Community Room at the Chenery Middle School.

• The Belmont High School Jazz Collective, an 18-piece big band that performs a wide range of jazz repertoire from the classics of the Swing Era to contemporary selections by current jazz artists – will be performing at the Beech Street Center at 4:30 p.m. This free concert is open to everyone in the community.

• Belmont High School finals study hall will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

This Week in Belmont: Farmers Market Returns, Brendan’s Home Run Sunday,

By Leave a Comment

• The award-winning Belmont Farmers Market begins a new season with State Rep. Dave Rogers cutting the tomato ribbon on Thursday, June 12 at 2 p.m. in the Claflin Street Parking Lot in Belmont Center.

• The 13th annual Brendan’s Home Run 5K race & walk is being held on Fathers’ Day, Sunday, June 15 with the 5K Charity Walk beginning at 9:30 a.m. with the road race commencing at 10 a.m. There will also be a 400 meter/800 meter youth races for kids 6 to 12. On-site entry fee on Father’s Day morning is $25. There is no charge for the 400/800m youth races.

• Belmont High School finals study hall will be held on Monday and Tuesday, June 9 and 10 from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. 

• The Belmont Conservation Commission is hosting a site visit at Clay Pit Pond on Tuesday, June 10, at 6 p.m. with a design Charrette (held in Room 113 at the Belmont High School) to immediately follow the site walk. The Charrette is an opportunity for interested shareholders to meet and work with The BETA Group, the landscape architects that have been selected to create the phased Master Plan for an Intergenerational Walking Path Project. The site walk and meeting are open to the public. This is a great opportunity to work with a professional design team and create a community park at Clay Pit Pond park.

• The final “updated” report on a proposed Community Path through Belmont will be presented to the Belmont Board of Selectmen on Monday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Selectmen’s Room in Belmont Town Hall.

• The Community Path Advisory Committee will hold its final meeting to present its recommendations for and future action on a community path running through Belmont on Wednesday, June 11 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Gallery of Art on the third floor of the Homer Building located in the Town Hall Complex in Belmont Center.

• Retiring teachers and staff from Belmont Schools will be feted by the Belmont School Committee on Tuesday, June 10 at 7 p.m. in the Large Community Room at the Chenery Middle School.

• Learn to protect your home and other assets for your spouse or family by planning ahead as attorney John Hope presents “Protecting Your Assets from the Cost of Nursing Home or Other Care” at the annual presentation by the Massachusetts Bar Association at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. on Tuesday, June 10 at 1:15 p.m. Legal documents can be prepared in the event you need state assistance to pay for Long Term Care services either at home or in a nursing home. Presented by Attorney John Hope.

• The Belmont High School Jazz Collective, an 18-piece big band that performs a wide range of jazz repertoire from the classics of the Swing Era to contemporary selections by current jazz artists – will be performing at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, June 10 at 4:30 p.m. This free concert is open to everyone in the community.

• The Butler Elementary School 4th Grade Chorus will sing a variety of choral works written especially for children on Thursday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. This 42-member chorus has been rehearsing once a week since September! They will sing a variety of choral works for you written especially for children. Their conductor, Rosanne Mili, has been a teacher at the Butler for 31 years. Their accompanist, Craig McMahon who is a recent graduate of Boston University, is the music teacher at the Wellington School and assists Mili with both the 3rd and 4th grade choruses at Butler.

The Weekend in Belmont: Learn About Organic Gardening Saturday, Benton’s Late Friday

By Leave a Comment

• Join Belmont Food Collaborative, the parent organization of the Belmont Farmers’ Market, and Sustainable Belmont for Organic Gardening Coffee Hour ‘Beyond the Privet: How to Safely Grow & Thrive in Your Belmont Yard!’ on Saturday, June 7 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Hear short presentations from experienced Belmont gardeners, then share questions and best practices on the topics of the morning:

  •       Common weeds and how to safely remove them
  •       Companion plants for vegetable/fruit gardens
  •       Integrated edibles with typical decorative plantings
  •       Basics of home composting or worm composting

This is a free talk and open to the public; all experience levels are welcome!

• Stop by the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer library at the corner of Old Middlesex and Oakley, on your way home or after dinner as the library will be open from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday, June 6. Use their wi-fi connection, browse the collection including the New York Times best sellers and purchase some of the reasonably priced sale books; all proceeds benefit the library. The Benton is open on the first Friday evening of every month.

• Sustainable Belmont in conjunction with Boston Metrowest Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Control will be holding a talk at the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room on Saturday, June 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help Belmont residents learn about creating a stable climate.

What to Do Today: Lemonade for Chenery Kids, Tech Support and Take a Survey

By Leave a Comment

• Chenery Middle School students: Bring your homework by the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library on early Wednesdays from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. for lemonade and cookies. This is for middleschoolers only!

• The Belmont Public Library will give tech-challenged residents an opportunity to sign up for 30-minutes of one-on-one tech help and start accessing your 24/7 digital library. Today’s begin at 11 a.m. Here are a few things they can help patrons with:
  • eBooks & eAudiobooks,
  • Sign up to read free digital magazines,
  • Get Database help or an orientation to online library research and
  • Manage your Library Account online, place holds, freeze holds, pay fines with a credit/debit card.

Call 617-993-2870 for an appointment, or sign up online at the events calendar.

• Help Belmont by taking a quick survey! In 2001, the Town of Belmont adopted a vision statement entitled “A Working Vision for Belmont’s Future,” which included several goals for the town. 

The survey can be found here or at this web address: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BelmontVision21

The members of Belmont’s Vision 21 Implementation Committee invite and encourage residents to participate in a survey to assess the Town’s progress in addressing the goals of the Town’s Vision. Survey results will guide the Town and the Implementation Committee regarding Belmont’s priorities for the future.

The complete Vision can be found here: http://www.town.belmont.ma.us/Public_Documents/BelmontMA_BComm/vision21/index.

• On this day 25 years ago, the Tiananmen Square protests are violently ended in Beijing by the People’s Liberation Army, with at least 241 dead.

What to Do Today: Chenery Courtyard Celebration, Butterflies and Library Tech Help

By Leave a Comment

• The Belmont community is invited to the 10th annual Chenery Courtyard Celebration of the Arts, taking place from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., come rain or shine, in the Chenery Middle School courtyard. Theatrical and musical performances by Chenery students and the Belmont Senior Center’s The Bellaires will accompany the artwork by the Chenery students inspired by the courtyard gardens. Refreshments will be served.
• Attract butterflies and other pollinators to your garden by choosing host plants at “Pollinator Gardens – Buzz and Flutter” hosted by the Massachusetts Audubon’s Habitat Sanctuary’s Barbara Brown at the Beech Street Center  from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Learn a bit about some common plants and flowers and their connection to butterflies. This talk is open to the entire community.
• Both today and tomorrow, Wednesday, June 4, the Belmont Public Library will give tech challenged residents an opportunity to sign up for 30-minutes of one-on-one tech help and start accessing your 24/7 digital library. Today the sessions begin at 7 p.m. and 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Here are a few things they can help patrons with
  • eBooks & eAudiobooks,
  • Sign up to read free digital magazines,
  • Get Database help or an orientation to online library research and
  • Manage your Library Account online, place holds, freeze holds, pay fines with a credit/debit card.

Call 617-993-2870 for an appointment, or sign up online at the events calendar.

The Week Ahead in Belmont: Chenery Courtyard Celebration, Climate Control and Curry

By Leave a Comment

• The Belmont community is invited to the 10th annual Chenery Courtyard Celebration of the Arts, taking place on Tuesday, June 3 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., come rain or shine, in the Chenery Middle School courtyard. Theatrical and musical performances by Chenery students and the Belmont Senior Center’s The Bellaires will accompany the artwork by the Chenery students inspired by the courtyard gardens. Refreshments will be served.
• Attract butterflies and other pollinators to your garden by choosing host plants at “Pollinator Gardens – Buzz and Flutter” hosted by the Massachusetts Audubon’s Habitat Sanctuary’s Barbara Brown at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, June 3 from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Learn a bit about some common plants and flowers and their connection to butterflies. This talk is open to the entire community.
• The Boston College Legal Assistance Bureau Clinic is coming to the Beech Street Center on Friday, June 6 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Services are free if you are over 60 and a resident of Belmont, Brookline, Waltham, Watertown and other surrounding communities. Appointments are 15 minutes long. Among the issues they handle are: Public Benefits (SSI, SSDI, MassHealth), housing, divorce, custody, child support, elder issues, and issues related to low-moderate income entrepreneurs. They can refer you to other resources if you need further assistance.
• Chenery Middle School students: Bring your homework by the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library on early Wednesday, June 4 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. for lemonade and cookies. This is for middleschoolers only!
• The annual meeting of the Friends of the Belmont Public Library will be held Thursday, June 5 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.
• Sustainable Belmont in conjunction with Boston Metrowest Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Control will be holding a talk at the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room on Saturday, June 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help Belmont residents learn about creating a stable climate.

• The Powers Music School will be holding their All-School Recitals throughout the day on Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8 at the All Saint’s Church at the corner of Church and Common streets.
• Learn what 1.2 billion people already know: making Indian food is both simple and tasty. Learn about creating one-pot Indian meals at a cooking demo with Kathy Chandrakasan and Priya Senthil at the Beech Street Center on Friday, June 6 from 1:30 p.m. They will show how simple the preparation of an Indian (vegetarian) entrée can be – with only a few herbs and spices.

The Weekend In Belmont: Town Day, Graduation, Concert at First Church, Yard Sale For Fire Victims

By Leave a Comment

• Belmont Town Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Belmont Center on Saturday, May 31. There will be food, music and rides and entertainment for the kids while businesses and community groups will have tables out in the middle of Leonard Street. Don’t be scared off by the small threat of rain.

• Belmont High School Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2014 will take place at 2 p.m. in the high school’s Wenner Field House on Sunday, June 1. Later, the newly-minted alumni will participate in the All-Night Party in the High School’s cafeteria.

• The Belmont Police is holding a Gun Buyback event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the town’s DPW Yard at 37 C St. on Saturday, May 31. It is a “no questions asked” service provided by the Belmont Police and the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office; gift cards will be provided to those who participate courtesy of the Belmont Religious Council.

• A Neighborhood/Marketplace Yard Sale for the nine victims of the fire on Marlboro Street will take place on Marlboro Street between Unity and Fairview from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 31. 

• A Chamber Music Concert to benefit the SPARK Pediatric Division of Boston Medical Center will take place at The First Church Belmont, Unitarian Universalist, 404 Concord Ave. at 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 31. Music of Bach, Handel, Purcell, Dowland and Gilbert & Sullivan is on the playbill.

• Belmont High School Girls Tennis will likely host a quarterfinals match this weekend in the Div. 2 North sectionals but there has been no indication when that would occur as of Friday morning.

Take A Walk On the Little River Side

By Leave a Comment

Come on a spring nature walk and imagine the time of the ice industry and other historical adventures along the Little River in Cambridge and Belmont during the Little River History Nature Walk led by Anne-Marie Lambert of the Belmont Citizens Forum. Walkers will pass cattail marshes, tributaries and maples to an idyllic view of Little Pond in Belmont.

The walk will take place on Sunday, June 1 from 10 a.m. to noon starting at the public parking lot at 15 Acorn Park Drive in Cambridge.

Bring high boots for the mud, and, optionally, a walking stick. The walk is one mile to Little Pond and the same one mile back.

Walkers will learn about geologic, Native American history, farming, industry and railroad histories of the area. The trip will travel along the river, meadow, and forest habitat which is home to wildlife such as deer, red fox, coyote, river otter, mink, cottontail rabbit, voles, mice and many residential birds including wild turkey, blue heron, red-tailed hawks, ducks, swans, robins and woodpeckers.

Walking Directions from Alewife T station, take a right, cross the bridge over Little River, a left onto DCR’s “Alewife Park Greenway,” stop at the end (10 minutes from Alewife)

Driving directions from Belmont: take a right at the end of Cross Street onto Lake Street, first right onto the Route 2 access road, first right onto Acorn Park Drive (before Route 2 on ramp at left), stop at the end.

This walk is co-sponsored by the Belmont Citizens Forum, Friends of Alewife Reservation, the Mystic River Watershed Association and the Coalition to Preserve the Belmont Uplands.

What to Do Today: How Cambridge Built Their Library, Playoff Tennis, 6th Grade Concert

By Leave a Comment

• Never say die. “A New Library: An Impossible Dream Realized” is a talk by Susan Flannery, director of libraries for Cambridge, about the dream of a new public library realized in Cambridge; how it impacts the functions the library serves and what it means to the community. The talk, hosted by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The post-season comes to Belmont as the 12-4 Belmont High School Girls’ Tennis team hosts Tewksbury High in a first-round match of the Div. 2 North sectionals at the High School tennis courts beginning at 3:30 p.m.

• The Chenery Middle School 6th Grade Band, Chorus and Orchestra Concert is taking place at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School auditorium.

Belmont’s Gun Buyback Event This Saturday, May 31

By Leave a Comment

In the wake of increasing incidents, nationally and locally, of accidental injuries and deaths from guns, the Belmont Religious Council, faith communities in town, the Belmont Police Department and the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office have joined for a community Gun Buyback event on Saturday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Belmont DPW Yard, 37 C St.

The Belmont event is modeled on recent successful gun buyback events held in other towns across Massachusetts and in other parts of the country, including one held in Arlington in September 2013.

Belmont Police officers and the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office will be on hand to accept any and all hand guns, rifles, shotguns, assault weapons, BB guns and air guns, working or non-working, antique or modern, registered or not, and ammunition for safe storage, followed by disposal in accordance with state law.

A key aspect of the event is the “No questions asked! No identification required!” policy. Amnesty will be extended for gun law violations by residents traveling to the event. Firearms must be brought to the event with empty chambers, clips or magazines unattached, safeties on and in a carrying case, box or other container.

Those who bring in firearms will receive gift cards to local grocery stores, in the following amounts:

  • $25 for BB or pellet gun or inoperable firearm
  • $50 for a revolver, semi-automatic, shotgun, or rifle.
  • $100 for an assault weapon.

The Belmont Police Department has set up a special phone line to receive questions and requests for assistance in transporting firearms to the event: 617-993-2529.

Aided by the Religious Council, seven faith communities – All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Belmont, Belmont- Watertown United Methodist Church, Beth-El Temple, First Baptist Church of Belmont, The First Church in Belmont, UU, Plymouth Congregational Church, UCC, and the St. Joseph and St. Luke Collaborative parishes – banded together to push for the program, which is supported by Belmont’s state legislators, State Sen. Will Brownsberger and State Rep. Dave Rogers.

“In addition to removing unwanted firearms from homes, another benefit of the gun buyback is the dialogue that has developed among community members on how we can all work together to reduce gun violence in Belmont and beyond,” said Jean Dickinson, a member of the First Church in Belmont UU, who led the initiative.

Belmont Police Chief Richard McLaughlin said, “Personally, I feel that it is a very worthwhile voluntary program and an opportunity for our residents to dispose of unwanted firearms and ammunition, especially in light of some of the tragic situations we have seen throughout Massachusetts, the country and the world.”

“On average, more than 34,000 people are accidentally shot or commit suicide using a firearm each year. I believe that providing residents with a safe way to dispose of firearms they no longer want can help reduce these numbers,” said Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian.

“These buybacks also encourage dialogue among those involved about ways to make our communities safer.”

Several Belmont businesses have already stepped forward to make donations in support of the event. The Belmont Gun Buyback Committee invites other businesses and individuals to do the same. The Committee hopes to raise $5,000 to purchase grocery gift cards to be provided in exchange for firearms. Any leftover grocery gift cards will be donated to the Belmont Food Pantry.

Donations may be made by sending a check or money order payable to: Belmont UMC/Gun Buyback Program and mailed to: Belmont United Methodist Church, 421 Common Street, Belmont, MA 02478, or via pay pal on www.belmontgunbuyback.org