Power Outage 2.0: Tuesday’s Lights Out Set For 11 PM

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Photo: Out goes the lights.

A wide swath of Belmont including Belmont Center to the Waverley Square neighborhood will experience a second “eclipse” in as many days.

But the blackout on   will occur when Belmont Light switches off the power to 67 streets as the municipal electrical utility starts the process of transferring the current electrical delivery system to one fed through the new Blair Pond substation which was commissioned earlier this summer. 

The streets impacted by the outage can be found here.

Belmont Fire and Police departments and other emergency service have been coordinating with the utility to ensure that the public’s safety will be met.

Call Belmont Light at 617-993-2800 with any concerns or questions.

Updates can be found at Belmont Light’s web page and on Facebook and its Twitter feed.

15th Annual Meet Belmont Set For Next Tuesday, Aug. 29

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Photo: Exhibitors at last year’s Meet Belmont

Residents, new and old, and those thinking about moving to Belmont are invited to learn more about town departments, local government, schools, nonprofits and volunteer opportunities at the Meet Belmont Community Information Fair taking place on Tuesday, Aug. 29, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School, 95 Washington St.

The 15th annual event is free of charge and fully accessible.

While designed to introduce new residents to community resources, all residents are encouraged to attend.

More than 90 exhibitors will be on hand, along with local government representatives and others. The Town Clerk’s Office will be registering people to vote. Everyone is asked to support the Belmont Food Pantry by bringing a non-perishable food or toiletry item.

The Meet Belmont Community Information Fair is presented by the Belmont Vision 21 Implementation Committee, also producers of Meet Belmont “Talk of the Town” and the Meet Belmont podcast series.

The fair is co-sponsored by Belmont Public Schools with support from Belmont Light and Belmont Car Wash. For more information about Meet Belmont find us on Facebook at facebook.com/meetbelmont or email meetbelmont@gmail.com

Come To Belmont’s Eclipse Viewing Party Monday

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Photo: The poster for Monday’s Eclipse Viewing Party.

Looking for a place to see the (unfortunately for us in Belmont will be a partial) solar eclipse that’s happening on Monday afternoon? 

Then head to the front steps of the Belmont Public Library, 336 Concord Ave., as the library is holding an Eclipse Viewing Party on Monday, Aug. 21 at 2:15 p.m.

The staff will have official eclipse glasses, star candy and other celestial snacks to celebrate this rare heavenly event with town residents and patrons.

Belmont’s Resident Astrophysicists Ready For Monday’s Big Eclipse

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Photo: Belmont’s resident astrophysicists, Steven Saar and Andrea Prestwich, ready for Monday’s solar eclipse.

Andrea Prestwich is approaching viewing Monday’s total solar eclipse of two minds. As an astrophysicist at Harvard’s Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory who explores the vastness of space through an orbital x-ray telescope – the Chandra X-ray Observatory – the coming eclipse is, well, disappointing ordinary.

“The rational part of me is underwhelmed. This whole event is just a shadow, after all!” said Prestwich, who is a member of the Belmont School Committee. “It is nowhere near as significant as, say, the discovery of gravitational waves or cosmic X-ray sources.”

But by Monday afternoon, Prestwich said she’ll revert to her five-year-old self who first discovered an interest in the heavens.

“The kid in me is wildly excited! I get to see the [sun’s] corona with my own eyeballs!”

Monday will be a special day for Prestwich and her husband, Steven Saar, who happens to be the other astrophysicist in the family – working at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics – as it will be the first time either has witnessed a total solar eclipse.

For Saar, the blotting out of the sun Monday is something akin to his line of research as a member of the Solar and Stellar X-Ray Group, researchers who study solar and stellar atmospheres.

Saar and Prestwich joined the Belmontonian via e-mail from Boone County, Missouri, to discuss the upcoming solar eclipse.
 
Belmontonian: What’s happening on Monday afternoon, Aug. 21?
 
Saar: A total eclipse of the Sun, when the moon completely covers the disk of the Sun for at least some viewers on Earth. It is the first total eclipse to pass over the US since 1991, where one clipped Hawaii. Before that, you have to go back to 1979 to find one hitting the continental US (and then only in the Pacific Northwest).  
 
It doesn’t happen very often, because the moon’s orbit around the Earth is slightly inclined to our motion around the Sun, and so not only must the Earth, moon, and Sun all line up, but the moon must also be at this “crossing point” in its orbit. In Belmont, we are a little off from this perfect alignment, [so] the Sun will still be about 60 percent covered, and look like a crescent.”
 
Belmontonian: Have you seen a total solar eclipse before? What are your memories? 
 
Saar: I’ve seen several partial eclipses like what [will occur] in Belmont … but the only total eclipse I tried to see was in Helsinki, Finland in 1990. Unfortunately, it was totally cloudy. I did get to see the shadow of the moon rushing across the sky from horizon to horizon, and hear the crickets start chirping, thinking night had fallen. 
 
Andrea: This is my first total eclipse! My research is more X-ray astronomy/black hole populations, and I haven’t ever needed an eclipse to do science.
 
Belmontonian: As astrophysicists, is the run-of-the mill total solar eclipse interesting compared to black holes and the creation of galaxies?
 
Saar: Since eclipses come fairly rarely, each new one is a chance to try out newly developed instruments and equipment that can do and see new things that were impossible in previous eclipses. For example, in this eclipse, some members of our solar group at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics located in Cambridge are flying a brand new instrument aboard a NASA jet to measure the magnetic field in the solar corona. The magnetic field is what confines the corona’s hot, electrified plasma into the beautiful filaments you see sprouting out from the Sun during the eclipse, but they are very weak and have not been measured directly before.   
 
Andrea: Total eclipses are very interesting from a historical perspective. In 1919 the British astronomer Sir Arthur Eddington used a total eclipse to measure the positions of stars near the sun to show that light was being bent by the sun’s gravity, a key prediction of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. On occasions when eclipses are mentioned in ancient texts, they can be used as a chronometer to pin down the exact date of the event which otherwise can be open to interpretation.
 
Bemontonian: What will expert scientists be looking at that most sky gazers might miss?
 
Saar: Since it will be my first “total”, I will be enjoying the sheer beauty of it like everyone else: the flower-like corona, Bailey’s beads (a string of glowing dots caused when the last bit of sunlight before totality sneaks past the edge of the moon in lunar canyons and craters seen on edge), the diamond ring (when these beads merge into a thin ring with glowing “jewels” where more Sun is getting past).  There will also be several planets visible during totality: Mars Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter will all pop into view once the blinding Sun is covered. And I might steal a glance at the ground during totality; I’m told that you can get some faint shimmery effects due to diffraction around the moon, but this has been hard to capture on film.
 
Prestwich: I’m looking out for all of the above and the expressions on our kid’s faces!
 
Belmontonian; What would you advise people to experience or keep in mind when they see the (partial) eclipse in and around Belmont?
 
Saar: Never look at the Sun directly without the protection of certified eclipse glasses!  Normal sunglasses are NOT sufficient. You can permanently damage your retina!  Noone wants a sun-sized blind spot permanently etched in their field of vision. Learn how to make a simple pinhole camera (plenty of websites give details, and practice beforehand!). This can be a very effective way of seeing the eclipse. 
The [peak] of the eclipse will be about 2:45 p.m. in Belmont, but the duration of the lunar passage will last about two-and-a-half hours altogether.
 
Prestwich: I thoroughly recommend the Smithsonian Eclipse App, available free for IOS and Android. This app was put together by colleagues at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and includes cool stuff like an interactive eclipse map, views of the sun from solar observatories, and NASA live stream of the event.
 
Belmontonian: Where will you be? 
 
Saar: In Columbia, Missouri with our family. We’re having an eclipse holiday!  
 
Belmontonian: What if it’s cloudy?

Saar: The day before we will study the local weather carefully, and be prepared to drive a bit to a clearer spot if needed.  If we can’t get to one, we will pout a lot, but still, enjoy the natural phenomena that are still visible.

Prestwich: We’ll watch it on the SAO App! 
 
Steve to Andrea: Nerd.

Wednesday Night’s Power Outage Set For Large Section Of Belmont

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Photo: As Pat Travers would say, “Boom Boom, Out Goes the Lights.”

Get out the candles and flashlights; at least you know Wednesday night’s power outage is coming.

At 11 p.m. on Aug. 16, the lights – and television and everything depending on electricity – will be going out for up to an hour as Belmont Light, the town’s utility will begin the process of transferring the current electrical delivery system to one fed through the new Blair Pond substation. 

The streets that will be impacted by the outage can be found here.

The work required to connect the substation “has been carefully planned, and Belmont Light does not expect any complications to occur over the approximately one hour period of the outage,” according to a statement from Belmont Light.

Belmont Fire and Police departments and other emergency service have been coordinating with the utility to ensure that the public’s safety will be met.

Call Belmont Light at 617-993-2800 with any concerns or questions.

Updates can be found at Belmont Light’s web page and on Facebook and its Twitter feed.

After Violent Weekend, Belmont Stands with Charlottesville

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Photo: Belmont Stands in Solidarity with Charlottesville event Monday, Aug.14

In the growing dusk of Monday evening, Belmont residents came together to light the way back from fear towards hope.

After a weekend of violence and death in Charlottesville, Virginia that shook the nation and on the night a 17-year-old suspect vandalized a glass panel of the Boston Holocaust Memorial, more than 200 residents came to the front lawn of the First Church Belmont at Concord and Common on Monday, Aug. 14 to raise their voices in prayer and song to start a collective healing and understanding.

“Belmont is a safe and welcoming community, and its citizens stand in solidarity against injustice and hate,” said Donna Ruvolo, founder of The Stand-up Campaign which organized the town meeting “Belmont Stands in Solidarity with Charlottesville” in less than a day with the assistance from Belmont Against Racism, the Belmont Religious Council, the town’s Human Rights Commission and the Belmont Police.

“That’s our town. That is who we are,” she told the gathering.

Ruvolo said the disturbing images from Virginia where an organized force of alt-right and white supremacist clashed with counter protesters after a decision by the city to remove the statue of Confederate Gen Robert E. Lee from a park in the center of the city. 

“The events from this past weekend were so disturbing to me and everybody in Belmont,” said Ruvolo. 

“We needed to connect and felt that in a very short time we could get the word out and bring people together in solidarity with Charlottesville,” she said, noting that while Stand up seeks out proactive events – its first action was Hands Around The Pond this past December  – “it was imperative that we took a stand on this one.”

After a poem was read by Wellington 4th grader Hazel Donner and a musical solo from clarinetist Marguerite Levin, Rabbi Jonathan Kraus of Beth El Temple Center spoke on how to respond when confronted by the “darker side of our humanity” present over the past few days.

Krause said people should remember the wise words of those who had faced “tests of faith, humanity and hope,’ such as Martin Luther King who said ‘Hate can not drive out hate, only love can do that.’ When confronted by those who are “yelling, ugly hateful words,” one must “keep your humanity while others have abandoned theirs.” 

“Believing the world can be better, that we can be better, to look with compassion, to open our eyes to the ugly, often disturbing face of fear and anger and somehow not turn away, but instead with compassion, give a piece of ourselves,” said Krause.

While scary to do so, “it’s also a measure of courage, patience and, yes, faith. The faith of keep showing up to light a candle in the darkness.” 

The night’s event ended with Carolyn Howard of First Belmont’s choir leading everyone in stanzas of the civil rights anthem, “We Shall Overcome.”

Ruvolo said the outpouring of support from those at the event and from those who could not attend was “overwhelming.”

“To see this number of people was outstanding,” pointing out the diversity of the crowd, “from those with differing religious backgrounds, cultural and ethnic background, different ages from people who brought babies to our seniors,” she said. 

“It’s a testament to who we are in Belmont that there was this outpouring of support to stand against hate and violence.”

Belmont Candlelight Vigil Supporting Charlottesville Monday, 7:30PM

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Photo: Candlelight memorial in Charlottesville (WTVR)

A candlelight vigil will take place Monday, Aug. 14 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. at First Church Belmont, Unitarian Universalist on Concord Avenue across from Belmont Center that organizers are calling Belmont Stands in Solidarity with Charlottesville.

The campaigners are asking the Belmont community to stand together against the violence and hate that occurred over the weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia after clashes between white supremacists and members of the alt-right and counter protesters left three people – a counter protester and two Virginia State Police officers – dead.

This event is nonpartisan; all are welcome.

Belmont Yard Sales: Aug. 12-13

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Photo: Yard sales in Belmont.

Here are this weekend’s yard/moving/garage sales happening in the 02478 zip code:

• 65 Clark St., Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 12 and Aug. 13, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

• Lexington Street (at Riply Road), Saturday, Aug. 12, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

• 117 Maple St., Saturday, Aug. 12, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

• 70 Oxford Ave., Saturday, Aug. 12, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

• 4 Worcester St. Apt. 1, Sunday, Aug. 13, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Paving On Cross, School Streets To Make Friday’s Commutes A Pain

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Photo: Road closing for paving.

On Friday, Aug. 11, paving contractor E.H. Perkins will begin work on the binder course on Cross Street between Brighton and Lake streets in the morning and the top course of asphalt on School Street between Temple and Washington streets in the afternoon, according to Belmont Police.

Road closures and delays are expected during construction hours between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Cross Street and 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. on School Street.

On both Cross and School streets, vehicular access to homes in these sections will not be available, overnight parking on adjacent roads will be allowed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience.

Residents and commuters are advised to seek alternate routes for both locations, the BPD suggests.

For any questions or concerns about the project, contact Ara Yogurtian, assistant director in the Office of Community Development, at 617-993-2665.

Cushing Square Fall Festival Slated for Sept. 23

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Photo: Moonshine Hollar at last year’s festival.

Mark Saturday, Sept. 23 on your calendar when you can head over to the corner of Common Street, and Trapelo road as the Cushing Square Merchants Association holds its third Cushing Square Fall Festival.

“I think this will be really great for Cushing Square. I think it needs a boost,” Mary Westcott Thomajan, owner of two Westcott Mercantile stores in Belmont and president of the 25-member Merchant Association, told the Belmont Board of Selectmen which approved her application on Monday, Aug. 7.

For the past two years, a much smaller version of the festivities dubbed the “October Festival” took place in front of Thomajan’s store in the first weekend of October. But with the completion of the Trapelo/Belmont Corridor roadway reconstruction earlier in the year and the 167,000 square-foot Bradford development underway, “it’s time to promote the square and the businesses.”

On the 23rd from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Common Street will be closed from Trapelo to the crosswalk at Palfrey Road – Payson Road will stay open – and a small portion of one way Cushing Avenue adjacent to the UPS store. 

There will be approximately 25 table spaces for local stores and if there are any empty spaces to encourage businesses from outside the square to participate. Visitors can expect local eateries to dish out their specialties and stores to set up shop as well as bluegrass music and activities such as stilt walking classes. 

While there will be four or five of the same kiddy rides which take place in Belmont Center in May, “we are not trying to mimic [Town Day] but wants to keep it locally grown,” said Thomajan who has received help organizing the event from Gerry Dickhaut, owner of Champions Sports Goods in Belmont Center and chair of the Belmont Center Business Association which manages the annual Town Day celebration.

“To have a fall event and a May event in Belmont should work well,” she said.

“This sounds exciting,” said Selectman Adam Dash. “You guys have put up with so much with construction; this is the least we can do.”