Town To Peer Review Toll Bros. Plan To Clean Cushing Village Land

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Revised on Tuesday, Jan. 24 to update status of RAM material.

Photo: A public meeting Tuesday will discuss how the land of the future Cushing Village be cleaned to allow construction to begin.

The Belmont Board of Selectmen voted Monday, Jan. 24, to hire an environmental firm to peer review the state-approved plan developer Toll Brothers will use to clean the contaminated property where the 167,000 sq.-ft. Cushing Village project will be built.

The remediation plan along with an initial schedule for the project will be presented at a public meeting scheduled for tonight, Tuesday, Jan. 24, at the Beech Street Center. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m.

The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m.

Selectmen Chair Mark Paolillo said he and some residents felt it would be prudent for the town to have an independent licensed site professional (LSP) conduct “a town-sponsored review” of the developer’s Release Abatement Measure (RAM) Plan. The plan details the environmental contaminates in the property located in the heart of Cushing Square and how the firm’s contractors will remediate the land, so it is safe to build the three building development. 

An LSP oversees the assessment and cleanup of contamination property. More information on what an LSP does can be found at the LSP Association website.

The plan details the environmental contaminates in the property located in the heart of Cushing Square and how the firm’s contractors will remediate the land, so it is safe to build the three building development. 

Besides retail stores, a supermarket and a municipal parking lot, the property also was one home to dry cleaners.

The draft Cushing Village RAM will be sent to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection by Toll Brothers’ LSP after the 20-day comment period. It would then take a week for the state to approve the RAM.

“I’d like [Belmont’s LSP] to look at the RAM” that will occur during a state-mandated 20-day comment period that starts when the plan is presented to residents and business owners Tuesday night, said Paolillo.

While the state prohibits additional language or requirements from being added to the abatement plan, Toll Brothers “have expressed to [the town] it wants to be collaborative” and would seriously consider concerns from the town’s professional, said David Kale. Belmont town administrator. 

“The RAM is what the RAM is,” said Paolillo, “we just want to provide our comments.”

Belmont Under Wind Advisory til’ Tuesday, Outages Possible

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Photo: Trees could be coming down due to high winds.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for Belmont as a power storm that swept through the Southeast US will be blowing through New England beginning Monday afternoon, Jan. 23, 

The advisory, which was issued at 5:11 p.m. Monday, will remain in effect until 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Steady winds from the northeast between 20 mph and 30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph will occur between 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

“These winds will be capable of downing a few trees and may result in isolated power outages … [and] may also cause localized property damage,” said the NWS advisory.

Belmont Light customers who are experiencing an outage should call Belmont Light’s emergency line at 617-993-2800. 

Belmont High Medical Club Has Good Taste In Fundraiser Wednesday

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Photo: Poster for Wednesday’s fundraiser.

Belmont High School junior Mahima Sindhu is the founder and president of MedExplo, an initiative created to educated her peers about the opportunities in the medical field through guest speakers, fundraisers, tours, and experiments. 
Sindhu’s club is hosting a fundraiser for the Boston Children’s Hospital at the Alewife/Fresh Pond Chipotle in Cambridge on Wednesday, Jan. 18, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. where 50 percent of a purchase goes to the hospital. All you have to do is mention the fundraiser “MedExplo Helps BCH.”

DPW Accepting Holiday Cardboard Recycling Saturday, Jan. 7

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Photo: Cardboard collection.

With all the holiday presents and gifts received, the one lasting memory most residents have from the holidays are the stacks and piles of cardboard boxes they came in.

But rather than spend time cutting up and wrapping them into bundles so they can be collected during the weekly trash/recycling collection, this weekend all you’ll need to do is take a drive to the Department of Public Works Town Yard at the end of C Street.

On Saturday, Jan. 7 between 9 a.m. and noon, the Belmont’s Highway Department will accept uncut but folded cardboard packaging for recycling. 

Residents will be able to drop off folded cardboard

While Belmont’s trash and recycling contractor collects cardboard, it must be cut into pieces no larger than 3 feet by 3 feet and tied or taped together to make a stack no more than nine inches high.

The new pilot program will take place one last time on Feb. 4. The DPW will then evaluate the scheme to determine if it will become an annual service. 

Wallace and Gromit Animator Highlights 14th Belmont World Film’s Family Fest

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Photo: Animator Merlin Crossingham

A talk and workshops from the animator responsible for the award-winning Wallace and Gromit films and the movies “Chicken Run” and “Shaun the Sheep” will highlight this year’s Belmont World Film’s 14th Annual Family Festival, “Where Books Come Alive,” Jan. 13-16.

The festival offers nearly four days of some of the world’s best films for children and adults, screened in English, or their native language with subtitles. Many are being shown in the US or on the East Coast for the first time; it might be your only time to see them in New England.  

A list of this year’s movies and workshops can be seen here.

“Where Books Come Alive,” features films based mostly on books: from Robert McCloskey’s American favorite Make Way for Ducklings, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, to a new film version of Heidi starring Bruno Ganz, based on Johanna Spyri’s Swiss classic childen’s book.

There are films about new siblings, friendship in South Korea, Vietnamese immigrants in Germany, Little League Baseball in Uganda, three 12 year-old boys from Brooklyn with a $1.8 million record deal, and so much more!

Thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the festival is bringing Aardman Animation’s Creative Director Merlin Crossingham “across the pond” from the UK to talk and sign autographs after a screening of the Oscar-winning “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” on opening night and to lead two workshops on model making – with Shaun the Sheep and Gromit – on Saturday, Jan. 14, hosted by the Belmont Media Center.

Donate a new or gently used children’s winter coat to Cradles to Crayons and receive a $1 discount on shorts programs and a $2 discount on feature length films.

Sponsors include:

Continent Sponsors: Jackson Walnut Park Schools, Henry Bear’s Park

Nation Sponsors: German International School of Boston, Dutch Culture USA

Province Sponsor: swissnex Boston

Capital Sponsors: Arlington Center for the Arts, Belmont Media Center, Guard Up

This program has also applied for support from the Arlington, Belmont, and Watertown Cultural Councils and Cambridge Arts.

Garden Party 2.0: Girls’ Hoops to Play At TDGarden Sunday, Jan. 8. Get Your TIX Now

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Photo: Last year was a Belmont Garden Party.

On Sunday, Jan. 8, at 9:30 a.m., the Belmont High School Girls Basketball team returns to the Boston TD Garden to face neighboring SpyPonders from Arlington High School in the Good Sports Invitational Day of high school games in the Garden.  

The proceeds of this event benefit Good Sports, a non-profit organization that provides athletic equipment and opportunities for kids and programs who cannot afford it.

Last year, Belmont upset Division 1 Chelmsford, 50-36, on the parquet court, home of the NBA’s Boston Celtics.

“We would love for you to come to our game and support the girls as they take on league foe Arlington High,” said Belmont Head Coach Melissa Hart.  

“It is an excellent chance to experience Boston Garden while supporting our team.  As well, there are 18 high school teams playing throughout the day, both boys and girls (see below), and your ticket allows you entry to any and all games (including re-entry). There will be plenty of great high school basketball to see!” she said.

“Part of the team’s commitment to be part of this great event is selling 400 tickets so if you are coming, please buy the tickets from us,” said Hart.

Each ticket purchased benefits Marauder Girls Basketball and Good Sports. 

“Even if you cannot go, you can support by purchasing tickets to donate to others as it will enable us to get more fans there, particularly students from the high school who would like to go! We do also have youth players playing at halftime of our game.”

“So, I humbly ask to please consider supporting our team by purchasing/donating tickets (and hopefully coming too),” said Hart.

Information to do so can be found at: www.supportbelmontkids.wix.com/bhsgirlsbball.

Tickets cost $15 (+$1 fee if paying online). If you want to pay by check, please email mmhart32@gmail.com to indicate how many tickets you would like and we can arrange getting them to you. Tickets are also available for purchase at the door.

Belmont Youth Basketball is selling tickets at http://belmontyouthbasketball.com/

SCHEDULE FOR Good Sports Invitational, Jan. 8:

  • 8:00 am Austin Prep vs Lowell Catholic (boys)
  • 9:30 Belmont vs Arlington (girls)
  • 11:00 Wellesley vs Lincoln Sudbury (girls)
  • 12:30 pm Wellesley vs Needham (boys)
  • 2:00 Newton North vs Waltham (boys)
  • 3:30 Malden Catholic vs. Cardinal Spellman (boys)
  • 5:00 Bedford vs Concord Carlisle (boys)
  • 6:30 Pingree vs. Thayer Academy (girls)
  • 8:00 Pingree vs. Thayer Academy (boys)

Going Out New Year’s Eve Night: MBTA No Fare After 8 PM

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Photo: Taking the MBTA to Boston? It’s free after 8 p.m.

Thinking of heading off to Boston’s First Night celebration and witness the fire works at Copley Square at 7 p.m., the MBTA will be running a special schedule for the final night of 2016 and the first morning of 2017. 

First thing to know: The MBTA will not collect fares after 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

• The Fitchburg/South Acton Commuter Rail Line will operate a modified Saturday schedule with an additional train leaving North Station at 1:15 a.m.

• Buses from Belmont Center and along Trapelo Road/Belmont Street will operate on a Saturday schedule.

• The Red Line will operate on a Saturday schedule with additional trains operating at rush-hour levels of service throughout the evening from 3 p.m. until approximately 2 a.m. 

 

Residents Give Good Tidings (and Coffee) to Town Crews Working Christmas

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Photo: Brighton Street on Christmas Eve.

It was already a cold and dank Christmas Eve afternoon as the sun was setting on two crews from Belmont Water Department’s Distribution and Maintenance services.

After spending hours digging up Brighton Street next to the Hill Estates seeking a major water main leak, the workers discovered the break was not in the 10-inch main but a six-inch pipe – bearing the date “1888” – on the other side of the street.

“It occasionally happens that our best guess is wrong,” said Mike Bishop, the Department of Public Works’ Water Division manager on Tuesday, Dec. 27. It would mean filling in the first trench and dig a new one in the dark hours before Christmas.

Around the same time, homeowners on Washington Street called the town to report a “geyser” of water was gushing out of a manhole cover directly across from the entry of the Chenery Middle School.

‘That turned out to be an eight-foot long slit in a 10-inch main,” said Bishop, likely caused by air in the system introduced into the pipe from recent work along Common Street.

“That pocket of air was just looking for a weak point in the system,” said Bishop.

Two major breaks at the same time which just happened to be on Dec. 24th.

“Unfortunately we can’t predict when these will happen. We just have to send the crews out and get the job done,” said Bishop.

As the employees began breaking up the street for the second time, word got out among those living on Pond Street, Hill Road and Brighton Street of those workers preparing for a long night to provide town services.

First one, then another and still more came by to drop off coffee, pastries, food and a “thank you” to the half-dozen or so digging for a pipe in the dark. The Brighton Street work was completed just before St. Nick flew into Belmont around midnight.

When the crews came to make the repairs on Washington in the late morning of Christmas Day, residents from around the site stopped to wish them Merry Christmas and leave off gifts of food and drinks.

For Bishop, the response of residents was gratifying.

“It was phenomenal,” he said of the gestures of good will.

“It’s the little things that go a long way for the crews,” said Bishop, who used social media to thank the town folks.

“Sometimes [the employees] don’t see how appreciated their work is. But this one time that [residents] just coming by did a lot of good.”

A Yontif a Sheyner! Hanukkah Begins Sunset Saturday

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Photo: A menorah. 

Hanukkah, the Jewish observance celebrating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt, begins on sunset tonight, Saturday, Dec. 24, with the lighting of the first candle on the nine-branch menorah, continuing through Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017. 

It is also a time for playing dreidel, collecting Chanukkah gelt and eating oil-based foods such as jelly doughnuts and latkes.

Christmas Eve, Christmas Services in Belmont

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Photo: St. Joe’s in Belmont.

St. Joseph’s, 130 Common

  • Dec. 24: 4 p.m.
  • Dec. 25: 10 a.m.

St. Luke’s, 132 Lexington

  • Dec. 24: 4 p.m.; 6 p.m.
  • Dec. 25: 8:30 a.m.; 11:30 a.m.

All Saints Episcopal Church, 17 Clark (at Common)

Dec. 24: 5 p.m. 

Dec. 25: 10 a.m. 

First Church in Belmont, UU, 404 Concord

Dec. 24:

  • 2 p.m.: Junior Choir 
  • 4 p.m.: Chancel Choir
  • 6 p.m.: Youth Choir (lessons, pagent)
  • 11 p.m.: Alumni Choir (lessons, carols)

Belmont-Watertown United Methodist, 421 Common

Dec. 24: 

  • 5 p.m.: Led by Light service
  • 7 p.m.: Candlelight service

First Armenian Church, 380 Concord

  • Dec. 24: 5:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 25: Joint service with Armenian Memorial Church, 32 Biglow Ave. Watertown

Payson Park Church, 365 Belmont

  • Dec. 24: 5:30 p.m., Candlelight seervice 
  • Dec. 25: 10:30 a.m.: Combined service with Plymouth Congregational Church

Plymouth Congregational Church, 582 Pleasant

Dec. 24: 

  • 4 p.m.: Family service with Brass Quintet
  • 11 p.m.: Candlelight service

Dec. 25: 10:30 a.m.