Trapelo Road Paving Resumes Monday, Except Delays Along Route

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Photo: Paving work in Belmont.

Starting at 5:30 a.m., Monday, Nov. 2, construction crews will resume paving Trapelo Road between Waverley and Cushing squares, according to Belmont Police.

The current construction schedule has paving work occurring on Monday, Nov. 2, Wednesday, Nov. 4, and Thursday, Nov. 5.

Police and town officials warn motorists to expect delays along the major thoroughfare that runs the length of Belmont from the Waltham to Cambridge town lines.

Town officials said that paving work is weather dependent and that the current schedule may fluctuate, although the latest forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures reaching the mid-60s into the 70s by the end of the week.

Due to cold temperatures it is not possible to complete the work during the overnight hours, necessitating daytime paving.

Questions about the project may be directed to the Office of Community Development at 617-993-2650.

This Week: Curtain’s Up on ‘The Laramie Project’, Early Release Wednesday

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On the government side of This Week:

  • The Board of Selectmen will be meeting at 6:45 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2 at Town Hall.
  • The Planning Board is also meeting on Monday, Nov. 2  at 7 p.m. but in the Homer Building where they will hear requests for decks, a floor addition and two special permits for home day care centers.

• Music & Movement with Rubi, a movement and music program recommended for ages 3 to 5 (but 2-year-olds are welcome) will be held in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room on Monday, Nov. 2. There will be two sessions: 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

• Belmont’s Leah Brams will seek her third title in four years when she and the Marauders race at the Middlesex League meet at Woburn Country Club on Monday, Nov. 2. The race should begin at 3:30-ish p.m.

• The Belmont Boosters are meeting in Room 113 at Belmont High School, 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2.

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.

• State Rep. Dave Rogers will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 3.

• It’s an early release day for Belmont’s elementary, middle school and high school students on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

• Crafternoon is for students in Kindergarten and elementary school (first to fourth grades) where students can get creative and do an assortment of crafts on this early release day, Wednesday, Nov. 4 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

• The Belmont Public Library is hosting the Harry Potter Fan Club on Thursday, Nov. 5 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Flett Room. 

• Everyone is invited to Chinese Storytime which will take place in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. 0n Wednesday, Nov. 4.

• Sustainable Belmont is holding its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. 

• The Belmont Historical Society’s Board meeting will be held in the Belmont Public Library’s Claflin Room, on Wednesday, Nov. 4 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• The Belmont Council on Aging will host its inaugural Veterans’ Breakfast sponsored by East Cambridge Savings Bank, free for veterans on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 9 a.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. Meet Belmont Veterans’ Service Officer Bob Upton, Council on Aging staff, and local representatives over coffee and breakfast. Breakfast is limited to 50; please call the Health Department at 617-993-2720 to reserve your seat.

• If you love building with LEGOs, the LEGOs Club is for you! Kids in grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade will build with our LEGOs and we’ll put all the creations on display in the Children’s Room. The Club meets on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the library’s Assembly Room.
 
• The Belmont League of Women Voters monthly meeting is being held on Thursday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the library’s Flett Room.
• The Belmont High School Performing Arts Company’s fall play, “The Laramie Project,” will be performed on Nov. 5, 6, and 7 at Belmont High School’s auditorium. The play is about the reaction of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, which was considered a hate crime. The play deals with sensitive subject matter and contains mature content and, therefore, is not suitable for children and parental discretion is strongly advised for young teens. A powerful night of theater. See here for more information. Buy tickets now online and at Champions in Belmont Center. Tickets: $15 adults, $10 non-BHS students, FREE for BHS students and staff.
 
• Literacy Playgroup is a parent and child group that supports child’s language and literacy development on Friday, Nov. 6, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the library’s Flett Room. You’ll play, read, sing and take home new ideas. Presented by educators from the CFCE grant program; for children age 4 and under.
• The Belmont Dramatic Club’s fall production of Tom Stoppard’s two one-act plays, “Dogg’s Hamlet, Cahoot’s Macbeth” directed by Francine Davis will be performed on Nov. 6, 7, and 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. in the auditorium of Belmont’s historic Town Hall. On-line tickets: $20 at wotinfo@ or call belmontdramaticclub.org (617-460-2504 and leave a message.) The Christian Science Monitor calls the play: “A blend of comic nonsense and astringent political satire.”

Halloween Comes to HELLcrest Road. All Hail the Black Cat!

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Photo: Spooky on Hillcrest Road.

For 364 days a year, the residents of Hillcrest Road live normal lives of jobs, school and community, like their fellow Belmont neighbors.

But for one night a year, beginning at sunset on October 31, the tranquil tree-lined neighborhood transforms into a path of the dead, as the street metamorphizes into “Hellcrest” Road. 

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The skeletons of the dead arise from the ground and attics of the homes, to haunt all those who dare walk the street begging for treats. The remains of runners, soccer players, those who spent too much time in the sun and one superhero who spent a bit too much time around Kryptonite. There are ghosts and ghouls in the trees and big spiders on the ground.

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And they all point to the master of them all, reigning over the dead from the house on top of the ridge: The monstrous black cat, with its mad grin, towers over us all for one night. Hail, evil black cat! We are all but Kibble™ to your malicious Halloween plans. 

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Belmont Yard Sales: Oct 31

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Photo: Yard sale in Belmont.

Yard sales in the “Town of Homes.”

• 65 Bow St., Saturday, Oct. 31, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• 85 Grove St., Saturday, Oct. 31, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

• 285 Waverley St., Saturday, Oct. 31, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

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. 

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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. 

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