Belmont’s Shea To Toe The Start Line At National X-C Championship in San Diego

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Ellie Shea

Belmont High sophomore Ellie Shea will be at the start of the Eastbay Cross Country Championships National Finals in less than two weeks after finishing 6th in the Northeast Regionals this past Saturday, Nov. 27.

Racing over 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) in historic Van Cortland Park in the north Bronx, Shea clocked in at 17 minutes and 55.3 seconds for her top-ten performance and an automatic entry to the finals to be held on Saturday, Dec. 11 at Balboa Park’s Morley Field in San Diego, Calif.

Senior Angelina Perez from Lakeland Regional High School in New Jersey claimed the Northeast title in 17:21.5.

The Northeast finals comes four and a half months after Shea shattered the freshman 5K track record in the National High School Track Championships in Eugene, Ore. while winning the race. Showing she was primed for Saturday’s race, in October Shea placed second in the BAA Mayor’s Cup Cross Country championship in 17:12 against former collegians and professional runners including current 10,000 meter national record holder and two time Olympian Molly Huddle.

Belmont High’s only other participant in the National Finals – then known as the Footlocker Cross Country Nationals – was Victor Gras who finished 9th (earning All-American status) in 2003 after being the runner up in the Northeast race. As a junior in 2002, Gras finished 28th in the finals.

Post-Thanksgiving Covid Testing in Belmont/Lexington on Dec. 4-5: Register Now

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Covid testing will be held in Belmont and Lexington this week

In an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, Belmont is partnering with Lexington to offer free COVID-19 PCR testing following Thanksgiving. There will be two upcoming testing events, and both are open to residents of Belmont and Lexington, regardless of the testing location.

Testing for the virus remains one of the most important tools we have to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19. Celebrate safely with your loved ones this holiday season and take advantage of this free testing service for residents.

You must have an appointment to be tested. Proof of residency is required. Testing is available for anyone who has reached their first birthday.

The dates and locations are:

  • Saturday, Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
    Chenery Middle School, 95 Washington St., Belmont (indoor testing)
    Limited walk-ins may be accepted 9 a.m. – 11 a.m., appointments strongly recommended.
  • Sunday, Dec. 5 from noon to 5 p.m.
    173 Bedford St., Lexington (drive-through testing—remain in your car)
    No walk-ins will be accepted at the Lexington event.

Register for a COVID-19 test on either Dec. 4 or Dec. 5 here:
Registration Link

PhysicianOne Urgent Care will be providing the testing.  Please note: You will need to set up an account on their website through the highlighted link below to register for a COVID-19 test, and to view your test results.

Further Info and Tips:

PhysicianOne Urgent Care uses the Project Beacon online platform for account registration and test scheduling. If you have any issues with registration or scheduling, please contact Project Beacon by email at help@beacontesting.com, or call 617-741-7310, Mon.-Fri. from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

What’s Open (Coffee, CVS) And What’s Closed (Everything Else) In Belmont For Thanksgiving

By 1 Comment

Photo: Saying Grace” Norman Rockwell (1951)

Thanksgiving is a national and state holiday – one of only ten recognized by the federal government – and while most businesses along with federal, state and town offices are closed shut, there are a few places where you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the kitchen or pick up a coffee or hot chocolate (you’ll need it today!) before the 99th Belmont/Watertown high schools football game which will be at “Victory” Field in H2O-town with kick off  at 10:15 a.m.

What’s open!

  • Starbucks in Belmont Center is open from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Dunkin’ at Trapelo Road and Beech Street will be operating under normal hours from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. The location on Church Street (in Waverley Square) will be open from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. The store at 350 Pleasant St. will be open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • CVS at 264 Trapelo Rd. is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. while the pharmacy is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • CVS in Belmont Center on Leonard Street is operating from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The pharmacy is closed.
  • Star Market in Waverley Square is closed all day.

Welcome Home: Belmont Garden Club’s Holiday Door Tour Set For Dec. 5

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Design Captains, Carolyn Boyle and Sara Townsend who is also the Belmont
Garden Club co-President

Belmont Garden Club’s Holiday Door Tour is next week!

Called “Welcome Home – A Holiday Door Tour,” the club’s big holiday fundraiser will take place on Sunday, Dec 5 from noon to 3 p.m.

The Garden club members are busy getting ready to decorate the doors and entryways of nine Belmont homes creating a festive and fun holiday event for the town. There will also be free hot cocoa and cookies and local musicians at some of the homes.

Tickets are $25 in advance, and $30 day of. Children under 12 are free. Tickets are available ONLINE at belmontgardenclub.org or at Westcott Mercantile and Westcott Mercantile Home & Garden in Belmont Center, or by calling Sue Kelleher at 617-650-2086.

Proceeds from the event provide the Belmont community with horticultural enhancements and the continued beautification of Belmont spaces.

Pre-XMas Cardboard Drop-Off Set For This Holiday Season At Belmont DPW Yard

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Cardboard drop-off will occur on Dec. 18 at the DPW Yard

With a record number of packages set to be delivered to US homes this holiday season, it’s expected Americans like those living in Belmont will be desperate finding a way to depose of the mountains of cardboard boxes their gifts came in.

“I already have cardboard piling up,” admitted Select Board Chair Adam Dash.

In fact, calls and texts to Belmont town and elected officials on just that subject began in October, Department of Public Works Director Jay Marcotte told the Board at its Monday, Nov. 15 meeting.

Well, the town has heard those pleas and announced it will hold its cardboard “event” in which residents can relieve themselves of the burden of corrugated fiberboard by coming down to the DPW with the cardboard in tow. And this year, it will take place before Christmas.

“We’re trying to say ahead of the curve,” said Marcotte of the predicted tsunami of spent packaging.

The drop-off will take place on:

Saturday, Dec. 18 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the DPW Yard. A $5 fee will be required when residents sign up for the event. The sign up process using the Recreation Department’s website will be announced in the next weeks.

Select Board’s Vice Chair Roy Epstein advocated for the fee and at least 100 pre-registrants as a threshold for holding a drop-off.

“I’m not looking to make money just trying to cover costs,” said Dash.

A fee and minimum required participants shouldn’t be a problem if what occurred 10 months ago is any measure. At last season’s only drop off on Jan. 9 at which time the $5 fee was first introduced, 348 vehicles left a whopping 10 tons of cardboard filling five box containers and several of the DPW’s loading bays. The combination of the fee revenue and the amount received on the sale of the cardboard, Belmont made a $250 “profit” over expenses of $2,640.

“That was a lot of cardboard,” said Marcotte.

What’s Opened, Closed In Belmont On Veterans Day; Trash Delayed A Day

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Veterans Day

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday in 1938.

Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans—living or dead—but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.

There will be a short ceremony at the Veterans Memorial at Clay Pit Pond at noon.

Trash and recycling pickup will NOT take place Thursday; it is delayed until Friday.

What’s Closed:

  • Belmont Town offices and Belmont Light are closed. 
  • US Postal Service offices and regular deliveries.
  • Banks; although some branches will be open in some supermarkets.

MBTA: Operating on its regular weekday schedule.

What’s Opened:

• Retail stores

• Coffee shops; Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are serving coffee

• Supermarkets

• Convenience and drug stores (CVS) open regular hours

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

BHS Performing Arts Company Presents ‘The Servant Of Two Masters’ For Fall Play

By Leave a Comment

Photo: From the poster of The Servant of Two Masters presented by the BHS PAC on Nov. 18-20.

The Belmont High School Performing Arts Company is presenting its fall play, THE SERVANTS OF TWO MASTERS, on Thursday, Nov. 18, Friday, Nov. 19, and Saturday, Nov. 20 in the high school’s Black Box Theater.

Written by Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni in 1746 and revised in 1789, The Servant of Two Masters is a comedy for audiences of all ages. Based on the traditional Commedia dell’arte, the play features physical comedy, wordplay, music, slapstick gags, wild costumes, candy colored scenery, and a madcap plot that will leave your head spinning.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $7 for children and $5 for BHS students/staff. Tickets can be purchased online, and advance ticket purchase recommended as these performances sell out.

Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., with a special 2:40 p.m. performance on Friday just for BHS students/staff.

Details about the show and ticket sales at bhs-pac.org

As we invite audiences back into our schools, here are some guidelines for those who plan to attend theater events this year:

  1. MASKS WILL BE REQUIRED for all audience members.
  2. Food/drinks will not be allowed in performance spaces.
  3. The size of our Black Box Theater means that there is not a guarantee of distancing for audience members. We encourage family units to sit together, but at sold out shows, you will be seated directly adjacent to others.
  4. Some students performing on stage for theater events will be unmasked. These students have been required by the Belmont School Committee to be vaccinated.
  5. Anyone experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19 should not attendperformances. You can reference the BPS Student Symptom Checker here.

We appreciate your compliance with these requirements. 

Belmont High Ski Team To Benefit From New Equipment Purchases Nov. 20

By Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont High ski team, circa 2019 (credit: BHS Ski team Facebook page)

Belmont High School Ski team will be the beneficiary of all those upgrading their skis, boards, and clothing this season.

SkiHaus in Burlington will be donating a percentage of sales for families that let them know the Belmont Ski Team sent them to the team.

The sale will take place on Saturday, Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the SkiHaus, 1 Wheeler Rd. in Burlington (opposite Dunkin’ Donuts.)

“Tell them the Belmont Ski Team sent you!”

School Committee Chair Responds To Rash Of Hate Incidents At Belmont Schools

By 1 Comment

Photo: Racial, homophobic and anti-Semitic incidents have occurred in Belmont schools in the past three years.

In October, there were multiple reports of racist, homophobic, and antisemitic hate speech scrawled on the walls of Chenery Middle School and racist slurs posted in the library of Belmont High School. These incidents, and the beliefs that they reflect, are not new to Belmont or any other community, and cannot be interpreted as another troubling outcome of the pandemic. 

I write as an individual School Committee member, Town Meeting member, and parent to condemn these acts. Every time a slur is written or spoken, there are people who feel less welcome in Belmont. We should all be concerned about the impact of recent incidents and what could happen next. I also worry about how to ensure that responses not only help heal and bring us closer together, but also help prevent future incidents.

I urge everyone – especially those with systemic privilege and power – to not stay silent, to denounce injustice when it happens, and to contribute to actions to improve our systems.

Amy Checkoway, Belmont School Committee

I witness the hard work that our leaders, educators, and staff are doing to foster safe and supportive environments for all students. More detailed protocols are being developed to ensure immediate and effective responses. The district is working to add layers of preventative measures to try to stop incidents before they happen.

Achieving a more inclusive and equitable school communitywill not happen overnight. As leaders, we must identify where the system is falling short. One current focus is the external equity audit of the Belmont Public Schools. The audit is identifying issues and challenges that the district – and our students and families – face with the goal of supporting each student to reach his/her/their potential. With the audit findings in hand by early 2022, the district will develop a strategic actionplan that includes concrete steps forward by the spring.

I urge everyone – especially those with systemic privilege and power – to not stay silent, to denounce injustice when it happens, and to contribute to actions to improve our systems. We must be clear that racist, homophobic, and antisemitic actsare unacceptable, that those who threaten others will face consequences for their actions, and that it is our collective responsibility to speak up for one another. We especially owe this to our children, who are watching, listening, and counting on us. I should have made this public statement sooner.

Amy Checkoway

Pequossette Road

Santa’s Coming For Belmont’s Tree Lighting, Thursday, Dec. 2

By 1 Comment

Photo: Yup, Santa and Mrs. Claus will make their return to Belmont

After being cancelled in 2020, Belmont’s traditional start of the holiday season returns to Belmont Center as Santa and Mrs. Claus will lead the annual tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 2 starting at 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The event, which will include closing Leonard Street to allow for caroling, food and merchants stalls, and the arrival of the Claus’ on top of a Belmont Fire engine, is sponsored by the Belmont Center Business Association.