春 節: Belmont Chinese American Association Holds New Year Celebration At Chenery

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Photo: Chao Tu, Adam Dash, May Ye, Xia Zhou, and Sharon Wei at the Belmont Chinese American Association Gala Lunar New Year Celebration.

The Belmont Chinese American Association‘s Gala Lunar New Year Celebration took place at the Chenery  Middle School on Sunday, Jan. 27.

(The Chinese New Year begins on Tuesday, Feb. 5, which is the Year of the Pig, and lasts until Feb. 19.)

The celebration included a Chinese Cultural Festival in the cafeteria. There were small stage performances include a tea ceremony, lantern riddle, hand-crafts, paper cutting, calligraphy, Peking Opera costumes, Hanfu, Sugar Figure Blowing Art, Chinese specialty snacks, musical instruments display, and experiences.
The festivities concluded with a Lunar New Year Performance in the Chenery auditorium. 

Get Your Free Tixs Now For Third Annual ‘Talk Of The Town’ Tuesday, March 19

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Photo: Meet Belmont.
It’s here! The third annual MEET BELMONT Talk of the Town will be held on Tuesday, March 19 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Chenery Middle School Auditorium.
This yearly community event showcases the diverse and cutting-edge work and views of Belmont residents through presentations that model after the TED Talk format. The event attracts approximately 400 residents each year and is available for viewing on the Belmont Media Center community channels.
This year’s lineup includes:

HOST: Jane Clayson Johnson, Journalist and author

PRESENTERS:

  • Leah Hager Cohen: author and Barrett Professor of Creative Writing, College of the Holy Cross
  • Gianna Burgess: Student, Chenery Middle School
  • Amanda Fernandez: Founder and CEO, Latinos for Education
  • Brianna Liu: Student, Belmont High School
  • Deb Roy: Associate Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Co-founder and Chair of Cortico

MEET BELMONT Talk of the Town 2019 is presented by the MEET BELMONT Committee with generous support from the Town of Belmont, and is co-sponsored by Belmont Public Schools, with Belmont Books as the book partner and public safety partner the Belmont Police Department. 

Reset: Belmont World Film’s Family Festival Movies Moves To Saturday, Jan. 27

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Photo: A scene from “The Witch Hunters”

See the New England premieres of two award-winning international films for children, from China and  Serbia, at Belmont World Film’s Family Festival taking place at the West Newton Cinema (1296 Washington St.) on Saturday, Jan. 27 (both have been rescheduled due to cancellation from this past weekend’s storm). Both films also feature English subtitles that will be read aloud through headphones for young readers.

Both films are co-presented by the ReelAbilities Boston Film Festival. ​​For more info, visit www.belmontworldfilm.org​.​​​

Officially On The Hook: Selectmen Approve Bonding For New 7-12 School

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Photo: The latest from Perkins + Will architects, facing Clay Pit Pond.

There was the debate, the vote by residents, the approval of Town Meeting. And on Monday, Jan. 7, the Belmont Board of Selectmen made it official in a five-minute signing: the town’s taxpayers are now on the hook to pay for the new 7-12 school building set to open five years down the road.

And the final dollar amount that’s on Belmont’s bill was calculated by Town Accountant Floyd Carman at (drum roll, please) $212,764,911. 

That number is the difference of the total project cost set by the architect Perkins + Will and general contractor Skanska at $295,159,189, subtracting $1,750,000 approved by Town Meeting last year for preliminary design and $80,644,278 in a state grant approved by the town’s partner, the Massachusetts School Building Authority, on Aug. 29, 2018. 

If for whatever reason, the project expenses overrun the projected cost, the selectmen will be required to seek the additional funds from Town Meeting, a prospect Carman believes would not be an enjoyable one. 

Carman told the selectmen the town is set to make its first borrowing of $100 million in March which taxpayers will see in February 2020. The second borrowing for $85 million will take place in March 2021 with its impact felt in February 2021. The final short-term borrowing of $27 million will be in March 2021. The borrowing will hike taxes on a $1 million home by $1,800 in February 2022.

Town Clerk Sends Winn Brook Girl Scouts … To Jail!

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Photo: Adam Dash, Ellen Cushman and Patrice Garvin with Brownies Troop 72470.

Descending the backstairs from the Town Hall auditorium, Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman walked slowly in front of the youngsters, leading them all to … jail! Carrying the big brass key to open the cell’s heavy metal door, Cushman was about to introduce the group to Belmont’s cooler, pen, slammer, poky and Sing Sing.

While the moderate-sized room was once the town’s Hoosegow, the Winn Brook Brownies Troop 72470 weren’t being incarcerated but now visiting what today is the location of files and office equipment kept by the town.

The nearly two dozen girls along with a half dozen parents paid a call to the Town Hall as part of a badge requirement on government. Belmont Board of Selectmen Chair Adam Dash discussed how Belmont is run, the differences of a town and city and other interesting facts while Town Administrator Patrice Garvin spoke on how just a few years previously, there weren’t that many women in her position and how today’s Brownies will help change that.

Besides throwing the kids into the town’s “clink”, Cushman showed them the town auditorium – once the home of Town Meeting – and described how her office is the local record keeper, showing them documents of 100 years ago.

Now There Are Two: Warrant Committee’s Epstein Pulls Selectman Papers

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Photo: Roy Epstein

It didn’t take long for the race to fill the open seat on the Board of Selectmen to became a real contest.

Warrant Committee Chair Roy Epstein picked up nomination papers at the Town Clerk’s Office on Friday morning, Jan. 11, two days after Town Meeting member Jessica Bennett obtained hers, setting up a particularly interesting town election with two – for now – possible candidates with strong views on the direction the town should take.

A well-known member of numerous boards, working groups and committees – he currently serves on four and sat on five others in the past – the 24 year resident touts his extensive knowledge working on the financial and policy nuts and bolts of Belmont’s town government.

“Why me?  I have the professional background and actual town experience that has an unmatched record of solving the hardest problems and saving the town millions of dollars,” said the adjunct professor of finance at Boston College who earned a PhD in Economics for Yale after matriculating at Wesleyan University.

“I think I will do the best job for the town as a whole. I will continue to be an independent, reliable voice and will always welcome public input from everyone; left, right, or center,” said Epstein who lives with his family on Cushing Avenue.

(The Belmontonian will conduct detailed interviews with all candidates after nominations close on Feb. 12).

Kindergarten Parent Information Night Set For Thursday, Jan. 24

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Photo: Kindergarten Parent Information Night.

The Belmont Public Schools is holding its Kindergarten Parent Information Night on Thursday, Jan. 24, at 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Chenery Middle School auditorium located at 95 Washington St. Parking in the school’s lot is off Orchard Street.

(Snow date is Thursday, Jan. 31).

This is a general information night for parents and guardians of students entering kindergarten at Belmont Public Schools in the 2019-2020 school term with the four elementary schools represented; Mary Lee Burbank, Daniel Butler, Roger Wellington, and Winn Brook. Presenting will be Belmont Superintendent John Phelan along with school and central office personnel.

New in March is Kindergarten Central Registration for families with kindergarten students entering in 2019-2020. More details will be presented at Kindergarten Information Night and information is also available on the Belmont Public Schools website .

Please note: Kindergarten Parent Information Night is for adults only.

 

Belmont Police Collecting Coats And Clothes For Cradles To Crayons Starting Friday

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Photo: The Cradles to Crayons warehouse. 

The Belmont Police Department along with the non-profit Cradles to Crayons will be holding a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service collection drive.

We will be collecting new or like new warm winter essentials for children up to age 12. Items most needed are:

  • Winter Coats: boys and girls size newborn to adult medium.
  • Winter Boots: boys and girls size child 0-13 and adult 1-10.
  • Winter clothing: boys and girls sizes newborn to child 18/20 or adult medium.

A collection bin will be in the Belmont Police Department lobby. Items can be dropped off starting on Friday, Jan. 11 at 4 p.m. through Monday, Jan. 21 at 1 p.m.

Items can also be dropped off at Belmont High School from Monday, Jan. 14, thru Friday, Jan. 17, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Monday, Jan. 21 at 9 a.m.

Cradles to Crayons provides children from birth through age 12 living in homeless or low-income with the essential items they need to thrive at home, at school, and at play.

If you have questions about the drive please call Lt. Kristin Daley at 617-993-2554.

 

New Rules And Times For Leaving Your X-Mas Tree For Pickup

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Photo: New rule on X-Mas tree pickup.

As Christmas is fading into the distance, the annual “de-dressing” of o’ Tannenbaum has begun and it’s off to the sidewalk for the family Christmas tree. 

And the Department of Public Works has a message to all residents:

Starting this year, Christmas trees will only be picked up during the two weeks from:

Jan. 7 to Jan. 17. So residents will have two opportunities to have trees picked up.

Please plan accordingly, according to the DPW, or you will have to hold on to your tree for a year (!) or you’ll need to have it hauled away by a private contractor. (Or you can recycle your tree yourself. They make a great covering for flower or vegetable gardens.)

Since the trees are being chipped and composted, they must not have any ornaments, tinsel or lights on them.

Also, the trees can’t be in a bag.

Finally, per the DPW, make sure that your tree is not covered by snow and ice, to facilitate putting it in the truck.

The trees will be recycled this year and will be diverted from the Waste to Energy plant.

Ho-ho-ho: What’s Open and Closed on Christmas Day in Belmont

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Merry Christmas, Belmont. If after unwrapping all your presents and watching the latest holiday movie on the Hallmark Channel you have a “need” to get out of the house, here are a few places around town open on Christmas.

Dunkin’ Donuts

• The Dunkin’ Donuts at 353 Trapelo Rd. near Beech Street will be open from 5 a.m. until 9:30 p.m.

• The store located on Church Street in Waveley Square is closed today.

Starbucks

• The Belmont Center store at 47 Leonard St. is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

CVS Pharmacy

• The stores at 264 Trapelo Rd. and 60 Leonard St. in Belmont Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Christmas, although the pharmacy at both locations will is closed.

What would Christmas be if the local movie theater was closed? Thankfully, Belmont’s Studio Cinema at Trapelo and Beech will be open and screening “Mary Poppin Returns” (rated PG) at 7:30 p.m.

If you are looking to get around on the MBTA:

• The Fitchburg/South Acton Commuter Line will operate a Sunday schedule while buses and trackless trolleys that operate in Belmont are likewise running on a Sunday schedule.