Belmont Farmers Market Opens 11th Season Today, Thursday, June 9

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Photo: “Miss Tomato” cuts the ribbon to start last year’s market season.

The 11th season of the Belmont Farmers Market opens today, Thursday, June 9 when the ceremonious “tomato” ribbon is cut by special guest Peter Struzziero, Belmont’s library director, at 2 p.m. 

The market is located in the rear of the Claflin Street Municipal Parking Lot near the intersection of Cross Street and Channing Road

There will be a special opening day concert at 4:30 p.m. as members of the Chenery Middle School’s  7th grade Orchestra, 7th grade Band, 7th grade Jazz Combo, along with 3rd graders on violin and cello duets will perform. 

Other events include:

Tastings in the Events Tent
2:30 p.m.: Tasting by Belmont’s own Phinix Grill

Storytime
4 p.m.: Stories for all ages, sponsored by the Belmont Public Library.

Community Table
Popup Library at the Market: Check out children’s books and cookbooks.

Weekly vendors
C & C Lobsters and Fish, Mamadou’s Artisan Bakery, Dick’s Market Garden, Boston Smoked Fish Co., Goodies Homemade, Sfolia Baking Company, Hutchins Farm, Kimball Fruit Farm, Foxboro Cheese Co.

Belmont Food Pantry
Drop off non-perishables items each week.

Rescheduled Memorial Day Ceremony Set For Sat. June 18

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Photo: Belmont Cemetery. 

Belmont will be holding a Memorial Ceremony to make-up for the parade and ceremony cancelled on Memorial Day due to inclement weather.

The rescheduled event will take place at the Belmont Cemetery off Grove Street on Saturday, June 18 at 10 a.m. Members of the community are invited to attend. 

Should weather be an issue on June 18, the event will be moved to the Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue. Follow the Town of Belmont website (www.belmont-ma.gov) and official social media accounts for updates on the event. 

For more information, contact Veteran Service Officer Bob Upton at 617-993-2725 or by email to rupton@belmont-ma.gov 

Belmont High Graduation Set for 3 PM Sunday

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Photo: Graduation in the Wenner Field House.

A total of 303 Belmont High School seniors – the largest number in more than three decades – will receive diplomas this afternoon, Sunday, June 5, at the school’s 2016 graduation.

The ceremony will take place in the Wenner Field House at Belmont High School at 3 p.m. The class of 2016 will be led by Class President, Richard “Trey” Butler. 

Later tonight, the newly-minted alumni will participate in the All-Night Party in the High School’s cafeteria.

Belmont Yard Sales, June 4 and 5

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Photo: Yard sale in Belmont.

Yard sales in the “Town of Homes.”

• 29 Bay State Rd, Saturday, June 4, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• 19 Broad St., Saturday, June 4, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• 9 Little Pond Rd., Saturday, June 4, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• 41 Marlboro St., Saturday, June 4, 9 a.m. to Noon.

• 159 Slade St., Saturday, June 4, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 

 

Memorial Day Friday: The Price of Freedom, Paid Forward

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Photo: WWII Veteran Jim Boozier at Friday’s ceremony.

The students flanked the walkway at the entrance of Belmont High School where just a week previous several strode with their dates to the buses taking them to this year’s prom.

The young freshmen, sophomores, and juniors – the newly-liberated seniors were spending a day in community service – were in marked contrast to the aging men who now filed between them towards the white flagpost at the foot of Clay Pit Pond on the warm May morning.

As the school’s marching band played “Anchors Away,” the assembled students gave a steady applause to the men who marched before them, who once, just a few years older than the present students, put on their country’s uniform to defend the nation.

The yearly observance of Memorial Day at Belmont schools – at the High School and the Butler and Winn Brook this year – allows the generation that served and fought to be a testament to students of sacrifice for a greater good. 

The dozen or so veterans – who served in all branches of the armed services from WWII to Iraq and Afghanistan – stood under the flag pole as speeches were made and lessons taught.

“The bitter lesson of history is that freedom is never guaranteed,” said Belmont High Principal Dan Richards.

“It is only those great and noble men and women who have been our guaranteers of our freedoms who we have come here to honor and those who are not able to join us, we owe you more than any ceremony can recognize,” said Richards.

For the veterans, the day is special for the recognition of their service as well as the opportunity to be a living history lesson.

“Twice a year, the veterans who come to these programs, we feel like rock stars when we leave for the day,” said Roger “Kip” Gaudet, Jr., commander of the Waverley VFW Post 1272 on Trapelo Road.

While it is an emotional time for the honorees to participate in the annual observations, “but it means more to us to have you people come out and support what we’ve done in the past,” said Gaudet.

“We are the Old Guards of the freedoms that you have today. And you people standing out here, are the guards of our future freedoms,” he said. 

“Freedom is not free. There is a price to be paid for it,” said Gaudet. 

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Breaking: Belmont Memorial Day Parade, Cemetery Ceremony Cancelled

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Photo: Last year’s parade.

Due to a forecast of a heavy morning and afternoon rainstorm on Monday, May 30, the Belmont Memorial Day Parade and the ceremony at Belmont Cemetery on Grove Street have been cancelled. 

A reverse 911 call from the Belmont Police Department to town resident at 6:41 p.m. Sunday, May 31, made the announcement of the cancellation. 

Third Annual Battle Of The Bands Set For June 22 At Payson Park

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Photo: Last year’s winning band, Belmont’s own Free Shipping.

Belmont Savings Bank will be sponsoring the upcoming third annual Battle of the Bands on Wednesday June 22 at Payson Park. Middle school and high school bands from local communities are able to compete to be Battle of the Bands Champions.

The annual event opens the Payson Park Music Festival’s 2016 season.

Band interested in competing can contact Belmont Savings at marketing@belmontsavings.com. The concert begins at 6:45 p.m. Or if you would like to enter a band into the contest, contact marketing@belmontsavings.com.

All the participating bands will receive a $25 iTunes gift card. The winning band will get a $250 grand prize. The concert is proudly sponsored by Belmont Savings, which will be on-hand to add to the festivities by giving away a free Bose Soundlink.

The bank will also post a video of each band in advance of the concert on its Facebook page. which The band with the most votes (“Likes”) will receive a “Favorite on Facebook” award: a $50 AMEX gift card.

The bands so far are:

  • The Hitchikers
  • Mother Russia
  • Non Prophet
  • Waltham Show Band

For more please visit: https://www.belmontsavings.com/community/battle-of-the-bands/

Movie Under The Stars Comes To Belmont Friday, June 3

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Photo: The cast photo of “The Sandlot.”

A fun family activity that happens across the US each summer is coming to Belmont next Friday as the Belmont High School Class of 2019 presents “Movie Night Under the Stars” featuring “The Sandlot” on June 3, at 8 p.m. on the Brendan Grant Field. next to Belmont High School.

Tickets are $5 per person with a $25 family cap. Bring your own blankets and pillows. Popcorn and beverages will be available for sale.

All In Ten Minutes: Annual One Act Plays On Stage Friday, Saturday

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Photo: The poster for the 2016 One-Act Plays.

A man falling from a plane who spends his final moments on a business call, a bedtime story that goes terribly awry and the tale of a boy becoming a man with a topsy-turvy ending you’ll see coming from miles away. 

These are just a few of the stories being presented by the Belmont High School Performing Arts Company at its annual One-Act Plays. In performance Friday and Saturday in the Little Theater at Belmont High School, the eight plays – a combination of comedy, drama, satire and romance – are directed by 11th and 12th-grade students and acted by their classmates. And each just about 10 minutes long. 

Here is a clip of “Sure Thing,” a favorite one-act play.

Performance Information:

  • Friday, May 27 at 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 28 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. 

Tickets: Adults: $12, Students: $5, FREE for BHS staff.

Tickets are on sale online and at Champions in Belmont Center.

Always popular, One Act Performances may sell out so buy tickets in advance. A very limited number of tickets or wait list seating will be available at the theater.

Read a synopsis of the plays here

9.8 METERS PER SECOND PER SECOND

Directed by Sophia Lubarr & Tenny Gregorian

BALTHAZAR: Oliver Leeb

BAR MITZVAH BOY

Directed by Emma Giallongo & Katie MacAuley

SAMUEL: Raffi Manjikian

STACIE: Josie Cooper

DJ: Jack Merullo

NOTHING

Directed by Daphne Kaxiras & Katie Mabbott

SON: Sri Kaushik

DAD: Nic Neves

MRS MALBY: Miriam Cubstead

DAN TOLLISON: Patrick Bean

JENN GROUT: Maerose Pepe

MRS. TELLER: Julia Cunningham

AMBER CARLSON: Clara Miller

ALIENS: Naria Sealy, Melanie Aftandilian, Kirsten Poulos

FIFTEEN MINUTES

Directed by Andre Ramos & Jasper Wolf

NANCY: Molly Thomas

ANTHONY: Alex Aleksandrov

LIBBY: Lilikoi Bronson

DR. BLEDSOE: Al Hughes

AUDIENCE: Conor Bean, Giulianna Ruiz-Shah

SURE THING

Directed by Helena Kim & Rafi Wagner

BILL: Nick Borelli

BETTY: Nicole Thoma

BELL RINGERS: Alyssa Bodmer, Megan Bodmer

COLD READING

Directed by Hannah Messenger & Kyra Armstrong

PRODUCER: Tess Hayner

MAN: Danny Holt

DIRECTOR: Grace Christensen

ARTHUR: Ben Crocker

EMILY: Natalie MacKinnon-Booth

COSTUMER: Zoe Armstrong

STAGE MANAGER: Zoe Chase

PASSION, POISON AND PETRIFACTION

Directed by Benjy Cunningham

LADY MAGNESIA: Olivia Pierce

GEORGE FITZTOLLEMACHE: Lennart Nielsen

ADOLPHUS BASTABLE: Victor Dankens

PHYLLIS: Abigail D’Angelo

LANDLORD: Sam Sorensen

POLICE CONSTABLE: Edward Stafford

DOCTOR: Evan Wagner

THE GREAT SPA FIRE: A ONE ACT IN TWO HUNDRED ACTS

Directed by Aaron Fairbanks & Cameron Fetter

FATHER: Clark Addis

CHILD: Sammy Haines

MOMOMO: Jocelyn Cubstead

GLABBO: Wonyoung Jang

CLOWN: Becca Schwartz

SPAMEISTER: Callie Reagan

SPAWORKER 1: Nathan Miller

SPAWORKER 2/MELINDA: Sarah Jane Henman

SPAWORKER 3/MOM: Isabella Jaen-Maisonet

TREE: Haley Brown

Belmont Observes Memorial Day With School Events Friday, Parade Monday

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Photo: At Belmont Cemetary

Parades and remembrances mark Memorial Day in Belmont.

Belmont Public Schools will observe the holiday Friday, May 27 with a morning of exercises at three schools.

  • 8 a.m.: Breakfast with veterans at Belmont High School 
  • 8:30 a.m.: A program at the flagpole in front of the high school’s entrance.
  • 9:15 a.m.: Burbank Elementary program.
  • 10 a.m.: Winn Brook Elementary program.
  • 11:30 a.m.: Luncheon at the VFW Post, 310 Trapelo Rd., sponsored by the vets. 

On Monday, May 30, the town honors the holiday with its annual parade from Cushing Square to Belmont Cemetary on Grove Street. The parade steps off at 11 a.m. 

Marching bands from Belmont High and Chenery Middle school, color guards and members from the Belmont Police and Fire departments, veteran motorcyclist, marchers from local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts troops and veterans will all take part 

All veterans and current military personnel are invited and welcome to join the other vets at the head of the parade.

Lining the route – up Trapelo Road before making a left at Grove Street and continuing to the Belmont Cemetery – will be families and residents cheering the marchers.

At the cemetery, a wreath laying ceremony will take place, speeches will be read, flowers laid at the graves of veterans, the names of Belmont citizens who died for this country will be honored, “Taps” played and a final salute will be given.