Sophomore Shows The Way To Become A Belmont Idol [VIDEO]

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Photo: Mia Hallet, winner of Belmont Idol 2018.

For Mia Hallet, being up on stage performing is “where I’m supposed to be.” 

The Belmont High School sophomore proved that statement was on point as she wowed the audience and judges at Belmont Idol 2018 to walk away with the title on Friday, April 6. 

The dance ensemble Dance the Music made up of Yolei Chen, Dinara Mardanova, Kamila Mardanova and Nitya Sharma placed second with three-time contestant Krasma (Stefan Ingesias, Eamon O’Connor, Andrea Russi) coming in third. 

Performing solo accompanied by her gorgeous orange-stained Gretsch Electromatic Hollowbody guitar, the long-time singer let loose a rendition of BØRNS’ “Electric Love” to the receptive audience in the High School’s auditorium and three judges made up of local professional musicians.

With a father was in a band in his younger days and she has been singing since elementary school, Hallet first picked up the guitar two years ago with the idea of playing first before her classmates and then a wider audience. 

“My goal is to perform on stage, to make a living as an artist,” she said. “And this is a step towards that.”

The Yellow Room Set To Bring Color To Second Friday Coffeehouse On Friday

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Photo: “The Yellow Room” (Facebook)

Second Friday favorites “The Yellow Room” aka Heather Quay and Jon Svetkey headline this month’s Second Friday Coffeehouse on Friday, April 13, from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the First Church Belmont situated at the intersection of Common Street and Concord Avenue (404 Concord)  just outside Belmont Center.

Quay and Svetkey have been singing and strumming together for nearly 20 years. Their original songs combine elements of classic pop, folk and country music while showcasing their love of two-part harmony and fun. As one half of Quay & O’Conor, Heather performed at colleges and clubs throughout the Northeast, including Columbia University, CBGBs and Club Passim, and released an album of original music. Jon, and his band, The Loomers, have performed at venues such as The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, The Hatch Shell in Boston, Club Passim, Caffe Lena, and Fenway Park. He co-headlined writers-in-the-round nights with folks like Kristian Bush of Sugarland, Dar Williams, and Ellis Paul. Jon has released 10 albums of his music and his songs have appeared on CBS, Cinemax, The CW, MTV, NBC, and PBS.

As a special added bonus, Jeff Isen will join them for a few songs.

  • General Admission: $12
  • Students and Seniors: $8

Belmont World Film’s International Festival Takes You To An Indonesia Spaghetti Western

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Photo: A scene from “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts”

The Belmont World Film annual International Series presents the New England premier of the 2017 Indonesian film “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts” tonight, Monday, April 9 at Belmont’s Studio Cinema, 376 Trapelo Rd.

A witty and darkly subversive revenge movie about a young widow who turns the tables on her would-be attackers. Deeply rooted in the cultural and geopolitical landscapes of Indonesia, this eastern-style Spaghetti Western is also a welcome change from male-centric cinema culture.

The night’s guest speaker will be Veronika Kusumaryati, a native of Indonesia and a PhD Candidate in the Department of Anthropology/Film and Visual Studies at Harvard.

For more information contact:
Belmont World Film
P.O. Box 104
Belmont, MA 02478
Telephone: 617-484-3980
info@belmontworldfilm.org

Want Talent? Come To Belmont Idol This Friday

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Photo: Past Idol winner Lea Grace Swinson.

American Idol? How about something much better: Belmont Idol!

Everyone – students, residents, families – are invited to attend this year’s talent competition taking place on Friday, April 6 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont High School auditorium. 

Expect solo acts, groups, musicians, rappers and more talent than one stage can hold. And they mean talent: Lea Grace Swinson, Belmont High class of ’17, who won Belmont Idol as a freshman was awarded a full scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music.

Tickets can be purchased at the door:

Students: $10

Adults: $15

Kids under 12: $5

All proceeds to benefit diversity programming at Belmont High School.

Belmont Votes: 2018 Town Election

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Photo:

The annual Belmont Town Election takes place on Tuesday, April 3, 2018.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

And below is information that will make the process of casting your ballot all that much easier.

Whose running for town wide and Town Meeting 

Click here for the Belmont League of Women Voters Guide for candidates and their campaign message.

Polling Places

For voting purposes, Belmont is divided into eight voting precincts, located as follows:

  • Precinct 1 – Belmont Memorial Library, Assembly Room, 336 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct 2 – Belmont Town Hall, Selectmen’s Room, 455 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct 3 – Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct 4 – Daniel Butler School, Gymnasium, 90 White St.
  • Precinct 5 – Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct 6 – Belmont Fire Headquarters, 299 Trapelo Rd.
  • Precinct 7 – Burbank School, Gymnasium, 266 School St.
  • Precinct 8 – Winn Brook School, Gymnasium, 97 Waterhouse Rd. (Enter from Cross Street)

Please adhere to the posted parking restrictions and use caution to ensure the safety of pedestrians around the voting precincts.

Are You Registered to Vote in Belmont and Eligible to Vote April 3? 

If you are wondering if you are a registered voter and your voting precinct, go to the Town Clerk’s web page or phone the Town Clerk’s office at 617-993-2600.

Arrive early, consider traffic and limited parking 

Belmont Police will designate some voter parking at each of the polling locations however with a  busy election, parking close to the polling places is often a challenge.

Plan ahead: consider walking, carpooling with a friend or voting “off peak” during the middle of the day. Only voters who arrive at the precinct and are in line for the Voter Check-In before the close of polls at 8 p.m. can be permitted to vote; those who arrive too late will miss out.

Election Day campaigning

The Town Clerk and the Board of Registrars of Voters remind all residents that campaign signs, stickers, buttons or materials may NOT be displayed within 150 feet of each polling place. This prohibition, per Massachusetts General Laws, Ch. 54, §65, even extends to a candidate whose name is on the ballot, when the candidate is not actively voting.  The Town Clerk’s website posts a map displaying the 150-foot radius under Campaigning: Running for Elected Office and Town Meeting.

Election Results – How Do I Find Out the Results?

Election results for each precinct are announced by the Warden of each precinct after the close of the polls. The unofficial town-wide results will be announced at Town Hall and posted on the home page of the Town website as soon as they are available Tuesday evening or phone the  Town Clerk’s office at 617-993-2600 on Wednesday morning. Campaign representatives are welcome to wait at Town Hall for the printed results.

Belmont World Series Presents ‘All the Dreams in the World’ on Monday, April 2

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Photo: Pamela Ramos stars in “All the Dreams in the World”

The North American premiere of the France/Portugal film “All the Dreams in the World” (“Tous les rêves du monde”) will be screened on Monday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Belmont’s Studio Cinema, 376 Trapelo Rd., as part of the Belmont World Film 17th annual International Film Series.

Loosely inspired by renowned Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa’s poem, “I am nothing. I’ll never be anything. I couldn’t want to be something. Apart from that, I have in me all the dreams in the world,” the film portrays a teen living with her first-generation Portuguese parents in France is caught up in her contradictions, failures, and unconditional love for her family. After reconnecting with a childhood friend during her annual summer holiday in Portugal, she finds the courage to choose the path of freedom and the unknown.

Speakers include the film’s director Laurence Ferreira Barbosa and José Rui Velez Caroço, Consul General of Portugal in Boston.

The night is sponsored by the Boston Portuguese Festival and the Camoes Institute.

Big Street Closures/Delays Monday, April 2 in Belmont

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Photo: Upper Concord Avenue between Winter and Marsh streets.

The Belmont Police Department has issued a pair of street advisories that will impact traffic in and through Belmont on Monday, April 2.

On Monday and Tuesday, FE French Construction will close the outbound (heading towards Lexington) upper Concord Avenue between Winter and Marsh streets starting at 7 a.m. The detour will impact westbound traffic on Concord.

Also on Monday, Grove Street road construction resumes.

Expect delays and detours on these important Belmont thoroughfares.

Pats Are Back! Tixs, Sponsorships Are On Sale Today For May 23 Game

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Photo: To the hoop with the Patriots and Boosters.

The New England Patriots are returning for another visit to Belmont!

The Belmont Boosters will be holding its fifth annual New England Patriots Basketball Fundraiser on Wednesday, May 23, at 7 p.m. at Belmont High School’s Wenner Field House. Members of the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots will compete against the Belmont Booster All-Stars, consisting of various members of the Belmont community. Attendees will have autograph and photo opportunities with the players, as well as a chance to win an autographed football.

ASK US HOW YOU CAN PLAY IN THE GAME! Business sponsorships that involve a direct solicitation of the entire Belmont community are also available.

Tickets and business sponsorship sales have begun. For information, please call 617-904-7542. You can also email the Boosters at belmontmaboosters@gmail.com.

 

The Belmont Boosters Club a 501(c)(3) organization is a community organization made up of volunteers excited and committed to promoting the athletic experience at Belmont High School. The Boosters’ mission is to provide funding for items that are outside the athletic budgets.

Foregoing Plastic: A Forum on Belmont Bag Ban Tuesday March 27

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Photo: Plastic bags on the way out in Belmont? One group hopes so.

The Belmont Bag Ban Group, an ad-hoc group advocating for the ban single-use plastic bags at the check-out lines, is holding a forum to hear details of the proposed bylaw, and ask questions on Tuesday, March 27 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Speakers will include Belmont organizers as well as environmental activists. Citizens are welcome to attend.

The proposed ban will be before the annual Town Meeting in May after the Belmont Board of Selectmen’s unanimous vote in March to place an article on the Town Meeting warrant prohibiting single-use plastic bags at stores.

The Belmont Bag Ban Group is hoping Belmont will join the 61 towns and cities in the Commonwealth and hundreds across the country and world that approved similar bans. One of the campaigners, Terese Hammerle, is excited that Belmont is poised to be part of a growing list of districts moving towards a more environmentally sustainable future.

“Simple alternatives such as reusable shopping bags and biodegradable single-use shopping bags are available everywhere and The Belmont Bag Group is working to ensure that anyone who needs reusable bags has access to them,” Hammerle says. Paper bags, which biodegrade naturally, will still be available at no cost to the customer, Hammerle notes.

“Several stores in Belmont are already prepared because they operate in communities in which a plastic bag ban is in effect,” she states.

One trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide each year, harming wildlife and littering our environment, making up the third largest type of litter from land-based sources found on U.S. coasts. While plastic bags are convenient and cheap, the Sierra Club cautions the environmental expense far exceeds the cost retailers pay to provide them. The flimsy material harms wildlife as they are often mistaken for food in our waterways and are sometimes used as nesting materials.

“Take a walk around town and see the bags caught in tree branches and trapped on sewer grates; they are so aerodynamic that even when properly disposed of, they blow away,” says organizer Mark Carthy. “And it takes estimated 200-plus years for plastic to photodegrade.”

“The forum will provide a good opportunity to hear from our community and provide educational materials. We’ll also have a number of items to a raffle that encourages sustainability,” adds Linda Levin-Scherz, another organizer.

Residents are encouraged to bring extra lifetime bags that the Bag Ban Group will launder and distribute to those who might find purchasing a bag a burden.

If you would like more information please contact: Terese Hammerle at teresehammerle@me.com

Thursday’s Nor’easter: School Delayed Two Hours, Parking Ban Starts At Midnight

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Photo: Maybe not this much …

While the expected snow totals have been falling all night, the Town of Belmont isn’t taking any chances with the fourth potential Nor’easter in the past month. The town and school department have issued updates on possible closings and delays for Thursday, March 22:

  • There will be a two hour delayed opening for all Belmont Public Schools on Thursday.
  • There is a Snow Emergency Parking ban effective as of midnight Thursday until further notice. Vehicles must be off streets and out of municipal and school parking lots or they will be towed.
  • Trash and Recycling WILL be picked up Thursday as scheduled.
  • All town offices will open at  8 a.m. as scheduled.

Residents will be notified of any further changes based on updated weather conditions.

Please call 617-993-2698 with questions.