Final Market Day in Belmont, Come Rain or Shine

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Photo: Giving thanks.

Today, Thursday, Oct. 29, is the last Market Day of the Belmont Farmers Market 2015 season.
What started in the humid heat of June ends on a muggy, warm October afternoon in which the sun will set 15 minutes before the market closes.
As you stock up on storage veggies and visit with your favorite farmers, bakers, fish vendors, cheese makers, and cooks, take a minute to write down your thoughts about the market in the events tent. The market’s staff will display the messages and share them with the vendors.
Located in the municipal parking lot behind Belmont Center on Claflin Street, the market offers a variety of organic and conventionally produced food in a range of prices. 

Schedule of Events

2 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Share Your Thoughts and Talents
4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Storytime


Weekly Vendors

Boston Smoked Fish Co., C&C Lobsters and Fish, Dick’s Market Garden Farm, Flats Mentor Farm, Foxboro Cheese Co., Gaouette Farm, Goodies Homemade, Hutchins Farm, Kimball Fruit Farm, Mamadou’s Artisan Bakery, Nicewicz Family Farm, Sfolia Baking Company, Stillman Quality Meats, Valicenti Pasta Farm

Monthly and Occasional Vendors

Couët Farm & Fromagerie, Fille de Ferme, Seta’s Mediterranean Food, Soup N’ Spoon.

SNAP Benefits Accepted

The Market accepts SNAP benefits (food stamps) and matches up to $25 for each SNAP shopper each week, thanks to generous donations to the Market. Benefits are processed quickly and easily at the blue Market tent. You can donate to this much needed community effort at www.belmontfarmersmarket.org

Belmont High Marching Band Replace Roots Saturday as Jimmy Fallon’s Ensemble

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Photo: The Belmont High Marching Band with Jimmy Fallon at Harvard.

It’s not every Saturday that Cambridge Police will close down a portion of Massachusetts Avenue to let the Belmont High School Marching Band parade past Harvard College.

But on a gloomy Saturday afternoon, Oct. 24, the 100-strong Marauder Marching Band lined up near the intersection of Arrow Street to head up Mass Ave. with a police escort needed to keep the fans at bay.

Oh, did I mention that the Tonight Show’s host Jimmy Fallon was also there?

And while the band sounded top-notch, the thousands of cheering fans who lined the Mass Ave., Holyoke Street and Mt. Auburn Street came to see Fallon – wearing a black bow tie and sunglasses while riding in a chariot and wearing a laurel crown – named the “Emperor of Comedy” by the student social club, the Harvard Lampoon.

The students presented the former Saturday Night Live alum with the Elmer Award for Excellence in Humor along with a large check for 85 cents at the steps of its clubhouse on Bow Street. 

It was there that the band was mentioned, as one of the students told Fallon there was a mix up with the buses and his regular band, The Roots, was playing at the Belmont High football game. (Note: The game was played the night before.)

Performing the Tonight Show theme – arranged for marching band! – along with “Sweet Caroline” and “Final Countdown,” the band smartly followed drum majors Helena Kim, Gillian Tahajian and Eleanor Carlile through the crowds – screaming “Jimmy” all along the route – and the narrow side streets. The parade was halted for a few minutes as a red Mazaratti suddenly blocked the road at Holyoke Center. (It moved.)

Before the show, the band played selections at the courtyard of the Inn at Harvard with many band parents (including the chair of the School Committee).

The Marauders “replaced” The Roots, when the school received a call about a week ago from a former student who had connections with the Lampoon, which was seeking a marching band to lead the parade, said Arto Asadoorian, the district’s arts director.

If the Lampoon would pay for a couple of buses to ferry the kids to Harvard and back, then they could have their music, said Asadoorian, who came to the parade with the receipt. Band Director Paul Ketchen got the group up to speed with the new music, and it was all systems go for Saturday.

For the band, it was a thrill to play before the biggest collective crowd this year.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

“It was an out of body experience,” said Carloias, as she stood watching Fallon receiving the Elmer Award. “Everyone was friendly, and we got to take our phones and take photos.”

 

This Week: Concerts, Talks, Championships; It’s All Happening in Belmont

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On the government side of “This Week”:

  • The Belmont Housing Authority will meet on Monday, Oct. 26 at 5:30 p.m. at Town Hall to discuss the fiscal year 2016 budget.
  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen will vote on amendments to the Land Development Agreement related to Cushing Village at an early morning Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 8:15 a.m. at Town Hall.
  • The Planning Board is meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall to vote on a special permit for a new house at 54 White St. and discuss the a Shaw Garden and Hittinger Farm Overlay Districts.
  • Community Path Implementation Advisory Committee will discuss a finalized list of identified challenges at its meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at Town Hall.
  • The Warrant Committee and town officials are holding a public education forum on the committee’s recently-released pension report at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. The meeting will give residents an opportunity to ask questions of officials and the committee. Michael Libenson, chair of the Warrant Committee, will preside.
  • The Tree Committee will be holding a hearing to discuss removing four five-foot tall Newport plum trees from around Belmont Savings Bank in Belmont Center at its 7 p.m. meeting, on Thursday, Oct. 29 at Town Hall.

• It’s a Teen Halloween at the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday night Oct. 26. Come for henna tattoos with Mandy Auberge, origami making with Anthony Khoory, pizza and snacks. Costumes/cosplay are welcome. For preteens in the 5th grade to teenagers. Questions? Email Kylie Sparks at ksparks@minlib.net.

Tuesday is story time at both of Belmont libraries.

  • Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
  • Pre-School Storytime at the Belmont Public beginning at 9:30 a.m.We’ll read longer books, sing and dance, and make simple crafts. For 3-5-year-olds with a longer attention span.

The Beech Street Center is holding a panel discussion on “Reducing Homeownership Costs for Seniors” on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center. Join us for a panel discussion on cost-saving options for seniors who own their home and renters. Panelists will include:

  • Daniel Dargon, Town of Belmont Assessor;
  • Jennifer Shaw of the Metro Boston Housing Partnership;
  • Becca Keane of Belmont Light;
  • Mary McKenney of Community Teamwork, Inc.;

• Senior Leah Brams, one of the best harriers in Belmont High School history, will run one final time on her home course, Clay Pit Pond Cross Country course as Belmont, at 5-1, hosts Watertown at 3:45 p.m., on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Brams is undefeated at home and has lost only a single race in the Middlesex League in her four years as a varsity runner. 

• “Why are Vampires Sexy?” (If you have to ask!) Tom Greene gives us the backstory on the subject, from Dracula to Edward Cullens, on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. A professor of English at Northern Essex Community College, Greene outlines the evolution of the modern vampire legend and reveals how vampires captivate us by addressing not only our deepest fears, but also our most secret desires.

• “Progress Since Laramie: A Community Dialogue on Inclusivity,” will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Belmont High School Library, 221 Concord Ave. The discussion, in coordination with the Performing Arts Company’s fall play, “The Laramie Project,” will include panel discussion with staff members from the Belmont Public Schools, some students as well as community members. There will be time for Q&A, including an opportunity to submit questions anonymously to the group. The event is free and open to the public. This event is co-sponsored by the BHS GSA and PATRONS.

• It’s early release for the elementary and middle school students on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

• Chenery Middle School students are invited on early release Wednesday to head over to the library’s Assembly Room on Wednesday. Oct. 28 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., to do your homework while enjoying some hot chocolate. This is for middle schoolers only so high schoolers are on their own. This event is provided for free, thanks to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

• Students in second to fourth grades are invited to explore Lego WeDo robotics on Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Flett Room. Register by calling the Children’s Department at 617-993-2880.

• It is the meet that will determine the Middlesex League Girls Swimming and Diving championship as Belmont, led by multiple individual state champion senior Jessie Blake-West, takes on Reading Memorial at the Higgenbottom Pool (at the high school) at 4 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28. If you have never been to a swim meet, this is the one to attend. Oh, and bring your ear plugs – it gets loud. 

• Everyone is invited to Chinese Storytime which will take place in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. 0n Wednesday, Oct. 28. 

• The annual Masquerade Concert, a family-friendly Halloween-themed concert, will take place on 7  p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28 in the Belmont High School Auditorium. Admission is free. Wear your costumes!

• Belmont Storm Water Working Group meeting takes place in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library, Thursday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• Jeannie Mack performs the perfect combination of songs, stories, rhymes and hand displays about pumpkins, trick-or-treating, jack-o-lanterns, spiders, and silly witches to delight children from 1 to 5 years old on Friday, Oct. 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. Halloween costumes are encouraged. 

• Learn about protecting your security online and avoiding malicious software and scams at a presentation by Belmont Police Officer Jim Schwab, experienced cyber crimes investigator, and Paul Roberts, town meeting member and writer for Security Ledger, held at the Beech Street Center on Friday, Oct. 30 at 1:15 p.m.

• Halloween starts early in Belmont as the Cushing Square Business Association sponsors the annual Cushing Square Halloween Extravaganza on Friday, October 30, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Common Street and Trapelo Road.

DPW’s ‘Drop Off’ Recycling Day, Saturday, Oct. 24

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Photo: 

The Belmont Department of Public Works is giving Belmont residents the chance to recycle items and material hard to place in the blue/green bins.

On Saturday, Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the DPW’s Town Yard at 37 C Street, the DPW will take the following items from residents with ID:

Electronics: Small appliances, cell phones, iPods, cables, keyboards, hard drives. There is a $15 fee for monitors, laptops and TVs.

Bulky rigid plastic: old toys, lawn furniture, milk cartons, large water containers, buckets.

Textiles: Blankets, drapes, curtains, all sorts of clothes, sweaters, shoes. 

Styrofoam: coffee cups, coolers, pipe insulation, packing blocks and “peanuts” and bubble wrap.

Eyeglasses

Books, CDs, DVDs: Up to five boxes of books, no self-made CDs or DVDs (keep your mix tapes at home).

Paper shredding: There will be a portable shredder that will destroy all you personal records.

For more information, cal 617-933-2689.

Belmont Yard Sales: Oct 24-25

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Photo: Yard sale in Belmont.

Yard sales in the “Town of Homes.”

• 88 Dalton Rd., Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• 21 Hastings Rd, Saturday, Oct. 24, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• 44 Hastings Rd, Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• 55 Hastings Rd, Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• 55 Lincoln St. Rd, Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• 109 Winter St., Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24 and 25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In addition, there is a giant Rummage Sale at Belmont Hill School, 350 Prospect St., Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Superheroes, Butler Students Run to Fund Programs

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Photo: Is that Supergirl or first-grade teacher Jenna McNulty? (Photos credit to Michael Desmond Cox.) 

For the second year running, Belmont’s Samuel Butler Elementary School was overrun by superheroes taking part in the Butler Fun Run, which took place this year last Friday, Oct. 16. 

Screen Shot 2015-10-23 at 2.29.02 PM

Principal McAllister as Spiderman.

In reality, the school-wide run allowed students to collect donations for each lap completed the course (up to 1 mile) that will be used to fund enrichment programs such as field trips, in-school enrichment, library books, teacher supplies and professional development for the Butler staff.

This year, the students raised close to $18,000 while enjoying a brisk run and or walk on the course designed by PE teacher Ted Trodden. 

Screen Shot 2015-10-23 at 2.33.04 PM

First grade teacher Caeli McGaunn with student Jonathan Weinstein and his mom, Kate Weinstein.

Support BHS Making Strides Team While Supporting Small Businesses

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Photo:

Here’s a chance to shop at local Belmont small businesses while supporting the American Cancer Society.

The following nine merchants are generously offering promotions on certain days to help the Belmont High School’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer team. 

Each will donate a percentage of proceeds or a specified amount on certain days in October to the American Cancer Society through our Making Strides team. 

Last year the team raised more than $15,100, making it the third-ranked team in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides High School Challenge for the metro area. 

Friday, Oct. 23: 15 percent of sales comes to our team at these stores in Belmont Center:

  • A CHOCOLATE DREAM
  • BELLS & WHISTLES
  • BESSIE BLUE
  • CHAMPIONS SPORTING GOODS
  • THIRTY PETAL

Sunday, Oct. 25: 40 percent of sales:

  • NICK’S PLACE II (Belmont Center) from 5 p.m. to 9 .m., either take out or delivery.  

Monday, Oct. 26: 15 percent of sales: 

  • MOOZY’S (near Cushing Square), Food and ice cream

Wednesday, Oct. 28: 15 percent of sales: 

  • BERTUCCI’S at ALEWIFE : 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Dine-in, take out or delivery
    You MUST present the coupon (either on your smartphone or as a hard copy)

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Until Oct. 31: 100 percent of sales from:

  • BODY TRIO (yoga, pilates, barre)

Purchase any number of $10 class cards for students. Online click on the “Class Sign Up” button, and buy “Pinkapalooza Class Tickets”  OR In person (21 Alexander Ave.)  OR By telephone 617-489-1319 and make a credit card purchase.

Penultimate Farmers Market Focus on Cold Weather Crops

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Photo: The sign of the times.

Only two market days remain in this season of the Belmont Farmers Market which is good news for those who stock up on cold weather crops.

Carrots, parsnips, leafy greens, and other cold-hardy crops actually get sweeter after frosty weather, as they produce sugar as protection from the freeze. 

The Belmont Farmers Market is open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays until the final week of October. The market is located in the municipal parking lot at the intersection of Cross Street and Channing Road in Belmont Center.
Those monthly and occasional vendors coming by this week are Carlisle Honey, Couët Farm & Fromagerie, Fille de Ferme, Just Add Cooking and Turtle Creek Winery.
Schedule of Events
  • 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Music by The Hoot Owls
  • 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Storytime
  • 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.:  Music by The Harmonators

Ruggers Ready to Give a Hand with Inaugural Campus Clean Up

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Photo:

The Belmont High School Rugby Club is one of the most successful at the High School, winning a pair of state championships and respected in the rugby world as one of the best-run youth organizations in the sport.

This weekend, Belmont Rugby will provide a hand to the wider community with its inaugural “Campus Cleanup.’

Come join the Belmont High School Girls and Boys Rugby teams in an effort to clean our campus.

Who: All students, staff, residents and community groups are welcome.                                                  

What: Community service project to clean our campus.

When: Sunday, Oct. 25, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Meet in the Wenner Field House parking lot by 1 p.m.

  • Trash bags and gloves will be provided; we just need yourselves. 
  • Community service hours provided; Please bring form for signature on the day

“This event is being organized by the boys and girls rugby teams and is a way for students to take a bit of pride in their campus and give back just a little bit,” said Belmont Rugby Head Coach and BHS teacher Greg Bruce.

“We will focus our efforts on the area surrounding the pond and the main school building, but will branch out across larger areas of the campus if our numbers warrant it,” he said. 

Craig Raubenheimer, an avid rugby supporter as well as CEO of Roan Solutions, a Cambridge-based IT support and consulting firm, is generously sponsoring the event and helping with supplies and food for the volunteers, said Bruce. 

MBTA, State To Discuss Waverley Station’s Future At Nov. 16 Meeting

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Photo: Waverley Station/Fitchburg line.

The Belmont Board of Selectmen and officials from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and Massachusetts Department of Transportation are holding a public meeting next month to updated the public on the future of the Waverley Commuter Rail Station.

At an initial meeting held on  Sept. 28, the MBTA expressed a desire to build a new commuter rail station near the present Waverley station, either on Pleasant Street or to the west of the business center and closing down the existing stations at Waverley and adjacent Belmont Center.

The meeting, which will take place on Monday, Nov. 16, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., will discuss:

  • potential options to bring the facility into required compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations,
  • the future of the Belmont Center Station, and
  • a possible new Belmont Station alternative on Pleasant Street, as well as other options.

The meeting is an opportunity for the public to provide ideas to the MBTA. Any resident or community member who has an interest in this matter is highly encouraged to attend.

View a power point presentation made by the MBTA to the selectmen on Sept. 28 at www.belmont-ma.gov/sites/belmontma/files/file/file/belmont_meeting_09282015.pdf

In addition, State Sen. Will Brownsburger provides a detailed explanation and breakdown on why a small level of repairs could lead to the building of a new facility.