Proposed Traffic Changes In Wellington Area Under Discussion at Public Meeting

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Photo: Map of changes being proposed in the Wellington neighborhood.

With the building of the Belmont Middle and High School well underway, the impact of the new building on a number of neighborhood streets will be significant. One area that have identified were traffic and transportation challenges will occur are those streets adjacent to the Wellington Elementary School including School, Orchard, Goden.

The High School Traffic Working Group is hosting a public meeting on Thursday night, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall to discuss a proposed trial period of recommended changes to traffic patterns. The recommendations by the group are:

  • Create a one-way section of Goden Street between School and Orchard, allowing the intersection of Goden and School to be squared up instead of offset.
  • Create a four-way stop at Orchard and School streets.
  • Create a four-way stop at Orchard and Goden streets.
  • The pair of four-way stops are dependent on acceptance of the one-way on Goden.

The group’s consultant, BSC Group Consulting, will be at the meeting to explain the recommendations and answer questions.

Concert In Two Places; The First In Belmont Saturday,​ Oct. 12

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Photo: Paul-André Bempéchat

The public is welcomed to hear renowned Franco-Canadian pianist Paul-André Bempéchat perform Haydn, Schubert, and Chopin on Saturday, Oct. 12, at 7:30 p.m at The First Church, 404 Concord Ave.

The recital celebrates 30 years of partnership between The First Church and the Unitarian Church of Désfalva, a remote, ethnically Hungarian village in the Transylvania region of Romania. Bempéchat will travel to Désfalva later in October to perform the same program for the villagers.

The recital is free with contributions welcome to benefit the education fund for high school and college-bound students in Désfalva. A reception will follow.

Stormy Weather: Farmers Market Cancelled Thursday Due To ‘Nor’easter’

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Photo: Not this week.

The Market bell will not be ringing in Belmont tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 10. Blame it on stormy weather.

“The Belmont Farmers’ Market for Oct. 10 has been canceled due to the nor’easter coming in,” according to Hal Shubin of the Belmont Food Cooperative.

“The forecast calls for rain and strong winds all day, with gusts up to 40 mph. That makes it unsafe for our vendors, shoppers and volunteers.”

The storm will move slowly and close enough to the Massachusetts coast this week to bring several coastal impacts to the Eastern Seaboard, including rough surf, coastal flooding, heavy rain and strong winds, according to the Weather Channel.

There are three more dates this season: Oct. 17, 24 and 31. The Market is on Thursdays, in the parking lot in Belmont Center, from 2 p.m. to 6 pm.

Belmont Fire Holds Open House Wed. Oct. 9

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Photo: Belmont Fire Open House on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

The Belmont Fire Department is holding a free Open House, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at the BFD’s headquarters, 299 Trapelo Rd. Sponsored by the Dedham-based pizza chain Papa Gino’s, the open house is aimed at teaching families fire safety and prevention practices.

“This event allows us to reach out to the community and arm local families with fire safety tips and procedures,” said BFD Chief David Frizzell. “Our open house allows families to get together and better prepares them to react if a fire does start.”

Commemorating October being National Fire Safety Month, attendees will receive safety tips such as “stop, drop and roll,” learn how to plan escape routes and how to crawl safely through a smoke-filled room. In addition, Papa Gino’s will provide free pizza and children’s fire safety activity sheets.

2019 Belmont Serves Up New Afternoon Volunteering Opportunities

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Photo: A lot to be done during Belmont Serves

Belmont Serves has expanded the opportunities for residents to help their community.

Now in its 11th year, the annual volunteering event to make the town a better place for all will expand into two shifts: 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and noon to 4 p.m. held on Monday, Oct. 14, the Columbus Day holiday.

The event is piloting a second shift after hearing from some residents that mornings are filled with family responsibilities, said Jennifer Hoyda, president of the Belmont Religious Council which sponsors the event.

Individuals and families will be able to select a project at the start of the day, complete the entire project, “and then come together for some pizza and ice cream to celebrate a job well done,” she told the Belmont Select Board on Monday, Oct. 7 which endorsed this year’s day of giving.

“What’s really special about this day is it’s super family-friendly so young kids can sort food or do some gardening work,” she said.

The event will be headquartered at First Church Unitarian Universalist, 404 Concord Ave. Typically between 200 to 300 residents will participate with middle and high schoolers receiving community service hours, said Hoyda.

Individuals and families will be able to select a project at the start of the day, complete the entire project in one morning of work, and then come together for some pizza and ice cream.

For all projects (including advance distribution of grocery bags), residents should use the on-line registration form to register and select a preferred project.

This year the sponsors will be distributing 7,000 brown paper bags to households around town to fill with groceries and sundries for the Belmont Food Pantry.

“You can help make a real difference in our town, have some fun, and meet others who share a willingness to serve the community,”

Service Projects

This year’s projects are still being finalized, but will likely include:

  • Door-to-door food drive for the Food Pantry
  • Conservation projects at town properties like Rock Meadow and Lone Tree Hill on former McLean property.
  • Clay Pit Pond clean-up and improvements
  • Elementary School gardening projects

More projects will be added, and are suitable for a wide range of ages and skill levels.

Schedule of Events

  • 8:30 am – All volunteers sign-in at First Church UU and enjoy some light breakfast. (Donations to cover food costs are appreciated.)
  • 9:00 am – Service projects begin
  • noon – Service projects end, return to First Church UU for pizza and ice cream celebration.
  • 1:00 p.m. – AfternoonService projects begin; once completed, you can head directly home.

Project Descriptions

Door-to-door collection for the Food Pantry— Teams of volunteers will be assigned to specific routes, collecting bags of groceries left at doorsteps for delivery to the Food Pantry. These grocery bags are distributed door-to-door throughout the town during the week before Belmont Serves day. This project in the past has yielded between 1,500-2,000 of groceries. This year we hope to do even better!

Conservation projects at town properties like Rock Meadow and Lone Tree Hill (former McLean property): Volunteers will help clean trails and brush. Dress accordingly and bring gloves, rakes and shovels with your name on them if you have them.

Claypit Pond clean-up: Volunteers will work on pruning existing shrubs, cutting/removing invasives, and picking up trash and debris.

Elementary School grounds: Help with gardening, and distributing wood chips in garden areas. If you can bring shovels and gardening tools, that would be helpful. Be sure to put your name on the tools you bring.Sign up today!

WHAT TO WEAR: Clothing suitable for outdoor activities. Wear long pants and long-sleeve shirts, with jackets and/or sweatshirts if it gets cold. On the conservation and planting/weeding projects, expect to get dirty and possibly encounter poison ivy. On the painting project, you will most likely get paint on your clothes, so dress appropriately.

WHAT TO BRING: A refillable water bottle. Work gloves (for all outdoor work projects).

We need a few metal rakes, pruning shears, loppers (including those with extendable arms, for cutting off high branches), shovels and gardening trowels. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO PUT YOUR NAME ON ANY TOOLS THAT YOU BRING.

Tzom Kal: Yom Kippur Begins Tuesday at Sunset

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Photo: The painting is a detail of “Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur” by the 22-year-old Maurycy Gottlieb c. 1878.

Yom Kippur, also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year for the Jews.

Yom Kippur begins at sundown on Tuesday, Oct. 8.

The day’s central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 24-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days or sometimes the Days of Awe.

Belmont schools have advised teachers to should be aware of the holiday when assigning homework and tests as students will be attending religious services. In addition, Belmont High athletics joins many school districts in suspending games for the two days of the holiday’s observance.

Winter Town Meeting Likely Put On Ice As Skating Rink Pushed Up Against Party Primaries

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Photo: Jack Weiss speaking to the Select Board on slowing down the process of approving a new skating rink.

The prospects of Town Meeting Members putting on their heavy coats and boots early in 2020 to attend a rare winter Special Town Meeting to approve two important requirements for a new town skating rink appears to have been put in the deep freeze.

The “special” scheduled for Monday, Feb. 24, 2020 to approve a public land sale for the rink as well as the approval of a new zoning bylaw to allow for a recreational building to be constructed will likely be shelved at the Select Board’s meeting this Monday, Oct. 7, due to the town needing to prepare for the 2020 Massachusetts Presidential Primary set for Tuesday, March 3.

According to town officials, the dates are too close to allow proper preparation for either events in such a short time frame.

It now looks likely the issue of the public/private agreement and the new bylaw will be taken up during the annual Town Meeting which will convene in late April 2020.

The date change to next spring for the new skating rink proposal [see what the new rink will be comprised of here] to come before Town Meet is in stark contrast to the lightning speed town and school officials had initially hoped the proposal to have taken place. The first version called for the bid to be accepted, a lease created, the Town Meeting vote and a contract awarded by December 2019.

Town and school officials pushed for the fast track approval process as the town’s existing ice surface, the nearly 50 year old ‘Skip’ Viglirolo Skating Rink adjacent Harris Field off Concord Avenue, is on the verge of failing. Without a replacement, the town would need to secure ice time for the high school hockey programs at a considerable hit to the school department budget.

But after listening to residents – such as Jack Weis and Bob McGaw – who warned at a public meeting last month that a project done in haste could result in costly mistakes, the Select Board in September extended the procurement of a public/private partnership by an additional 15 weeks. Rather than a mid-December date for the school committee signing a final lease with the winning bidder, the new date for the lease signing will be in late March 2020.

But this latest delay will now push the final lease signing into May 2020.

The additional two months will also allow residents who questioned the rink’s location, traffic generation and hours of operation to campaign for restrictions to be placed in the lease to mitigate those concerns.

It is reported that residents led by Anne Paulsen are seeking town wide support to locate five tennis courts on the new Middle and High School property in the general area of the proposed rink.

State Rep Rogers Announces October Office Hours

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Photo: Dave Rogers

State Rep. Dave Rogers, who represents the “ABC” district (Arlington, Belmont and Cambridge) announced his October office hours:

  • Tuesday, Oct. 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m at the Beech at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
  • Friday, Oct. 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Black Bear Cafe (Belmont Books), 79 Leonard St.

Feel free to contact Rogers’ office at any time with questions: by phone at 617-722-2013 or by email at dave.rogers@mahouse.gov

Discover Rock Meadow With Belmont Historical Saturday, Oct. 5 at 1 PM

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Photo: Rock Meadow Conservation Land

The Belmont Historical Society invites the public to explore one of Belmont’s great open spaces with a Walking Tour of Rock Meadow this Saturday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. The walk is free and open to the public.

Learning about the history of Rock Meadow by walking the conservation land with Anne-Marie Lambert. Discover the history and uses of the land off Mill Street which include:

  • wetland habitat for fish and beavers,
  • hunting and fishing grounds for the Pequosette,
  • hay meadow,
  • bird watching area,
  • key part of McLean Hospital Farm with its wells, orchards, pastures and piggeries
  • a place for respite for immigrant workers and
  • site of the Victory Garden.

Participants will meet in the Rock Meadow lot off Mill Street with addition spaces across the street in the Lone Tree Hill parking lot. Bring water, closed shoes, and weather appropriate clothing.

Gallery Of Art Hosts Talk On Why Climate Change Is True On Sunday, Sept. 29 @ 2PM

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Photo: David L. Marino

Join the Belmont Gallery of Art’s a special hour-long family friendly event with Science Communicator David L. Marino: “Climate Change: How We Know It’s True.”

The talk will take place at the Gallery on the third floor of the Homer Building (located off Moore Street in the Town Hall complex in Belmont Center on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 2 p.m.

Marino’s presentation will address the difference between weather and climate, how we know what we know, and possible solutions to the warming trend.

A principal of DLM Communications, Marino has written and produced presentations most recently for the Museum of Science, Harvard, MIT and the Union of Concerned Scientists among others.

The talk coincides with the gallery show: “Impact Climate Change: Contemporary tapestry from Tapestry Weavers West and Tapestry Weavers in New England.” The show continues until Oct. 13 than opening in San Francisco’s Mills Building on Dec. 16.

Students through adults are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. And it’s free.