Belmont Health Dept. Holding Covid/Flu Clinic This Wednesday, Jan. 25 At Beth El Temple

Photo: The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine (credit: Pfizer)

Belmont Health Department is offering vaccinations and bivalent boosters for Covid-19, and a seasonal flu shot to all eligible residents, ages three and older, on Wednesday, Jan. 25, from 10 a.m. to noon at Beth El Temple Center, 2 Concord Ave.

What to know about the clinic:

  • Primary vaccine series for anyone ages 3+
  • Bivalent booster of Pfizer (5+) or Moderna (6+) COVID vaccine for anyone who has completed a primary vaccine series of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months after last dose or last booster dose
  • Flu shots will be available for ages three and up
  • Find complete guidance on booster eligibility here.

For children under 18 years of age, this form must be signed by a parent or guardian and presented at the time of vaccination (parent/guardian may not be present as long as signed consent is received). 

Look here for information and to register for a vaccine appointment.

Please bring your insurance (medical and prescription) and COVID-19 vaccination cards to the clinic.

  • COVID vaccines are free for all regardless of insurance coverage
  • Insurance is required for flu vaccines
  • For those covered by Medicare, please bring your red, white, and blue Medicare card in addition to any other insurance cards.

Please present insurance cards, photo ID, and vaccination cards at your appointment.

This clinic will be operated through a partnership between VaxinateRX and the Belmont Health Department. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available.

Cardboard Drop-off: DPW Yard, 37 C St., Saturday, Jan. 14 – 8AM to 1PM

Photo: Last chance to get rid of all that cardboard at one fell swoop

The holidays are over and it’s time to get rid of all that cardboard your gifts came in.

The Belmont Department of Public Works will be holding a cardboard drop-off event at 37 C St., DPW Yard on Saturday, Jan. 14, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Instructions:

  • No early drop offs, cardboard drop-off will begin at 8 a.m. and not a minute sooner.
  • Must be a Belmont resident to register.
  • Please remain in your car at the Yard.
  • All cardboard must be in the trunk or rear of the car.
  • All cardboard should be flattened prior to drop-off.

Please Click Here To Register 

Final Week For Christmas Tree Pickup

Photo: This week is your final chance to place your holiday tree on the curbside for pickup

The Belmont Department of Public Works want residents to know they have one last chance to have their Tannenbaum go “auf wiedersehen.”

Christmas trees are being collected at curbside on the first two full weeks of January. The final week starts Jan 9. If you miss this pickup, you will have to schedule a bulk item pickup with the town.

Please plan accordingly, according to the DPW, or you will have to hold on to your tree for a year (!) or you’ll need to have it hauled away by a private contractor. Or you can recycle your tree yourself: They make a great covering for flower or vegetable gardens.

Since the trees are being chipped and composted, they must not have any ornaments, tinsel or lights on them.

Also, the trees can’t be in a bag.

Finally, per the DPW, make sure that your tree is not covered by snow and ice, to facilitate putting it in the truck.

29th MLK Jr (Virtual) Breakfast Celebration Set For Monday, Jan. 16 At 9AM

Photo: 29th Martin Luther King Community Breakfast, Jan. 16

The Belmont Human Rights Commission invites the Belmont community to attend Belmont’s 29th Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community (virtual) Breakfast on Monday, Jan. 16 at 9 a.m.

The Keynote address is “Understanding and Resisting Hate in New England” by Calum Farley, Investigative Researcher, ADL Center on Extremism. A Q & A with Farley will follow.

The breakfast will include music by Belmont High students and an update on the METCO program and the METCO Support Fund.

Admission is free. Click here: bit.ly/BelmontMLK23 for the Zoom link

Watch in Belmont on Belmont Media Center InfoTV (Ch. 96 on Comcast or Ch. 30 on Verizon) or watch from anywhere on belmontmedia.org/infotv

Town Offices, Library, Post Offices Closed Monday, Jan. 2; Trash Collection Delayed A Day

Photo: Trash and recycling has been pushed back a day

While nearly all retail and some firms are back to work on Monday, Jan. 2, town, state and federal government will be taking the New Years Day holiday on the second day of 2023.

In Belmont, town offices will be closed as will the Belmont Public Library. The two US postal service sites on Concord Avenue and Trapelo Road will be shut while the MBTA’s subway, bus, and The RIDE will run on a Sunday schedule and commuter rail will run on a weekend schedule.

Due to the holiday, trash and recycling pickup will be delayed by one day.

With ‘Tripledemic’ Still Around, Belmont Health Offers Flu, Covid Clinic Thursday, Dec. 29

Photo: The Dec. 29 clinic will be open from 10 a.m. to noon.

With the “tripledemic” – COVID, influenza, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) – remaining a threat to children and adults, Belmont Health Department is offering vaccinations and bivalent boosters for Covid-19 and a seasonal flu shot to all eligible residents, ages three and older, on Thursday, Dec. 29 from 10 a.m. to noon at Beth El Temple Center, 2 Concord Ave.

What to know about the clinic:

  • Primary vaccine series for anyone ages 3+
  • Bivalent booster of Pfizer (5+) or Moderna (6+) COVID vaccine for anyone who has completed a primary vaccine series of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months after last dose or last booster dose
  • Flu shots will be available for ages 3 and up
  • Find full guidance on booster eligibility here.

For children under 18 years of age this form must be signed by a parent or guardian and presented at the time of vaccination (parent/guardian may not be present as long as signed consent is received). 

Look here for information and to register for a vaccine appointment.

Please bring your insurance (medical and prescription) and COVID-19 vaccination cards to the clinic.

  • COVID vaccines are free for all regardless of insurance coverage
  • Insurance is required for flu vaccines
  • For those covered by Medicare, please bring your red, white, and blue Medicare card in addition to any other insurance cards.

Please present insurance cards, photo ID, and vaccination cards at your appointment.

This clinic will be operated through a partnership between VaxinateRX and the Belmont Health Department. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available.

If you have difficulty with registration call  617-993-2720 or Email: dekman@belmont-ma.gov for assistance

What’s Closing Early On The 24th; What’s Open And Closed Christmas

Photo: Christmas ginger bread house stamps (credit: USPS)

Christmas is a day of gift giving and reflecting on cheerful times from past years around the dinner table before decamping to watch the latest holiday movie on the Hallmark Channel, professional sports events, or just relaxing with family and friends.

For those who don’t celebrate the day, several fine Chinese restaurants will be open and, if you want to risk it, some great movies are premiering on the big screen on Christmas week – “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,””I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” the Whitney Houston biopic, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” and “Women Talking.” [Editor’s suggestions: “The Whale,” “Menu” and “The Quiet Girl.”]

And if you have a “need” to get out of the house, here are a few places around town closing early Christmas Eve and open on Christmas.

Christmas Eve early closings:

  • Star Market at 535 Trapelo Rd. closes at 6 p.m. The pharmacy closes at 5 p.m.
  • CVS: The store at 264 Trapelo Rd. is closing at 11 p.m. (the pharmacy at 6 p.m.) and 60 Leonard St. at 10 p.m. (with the pharmacy shutting its doors at 5 p.m.)
  • Starbucks at 110 Trapelo Rd. in Cushing Square will close at 1 p.m.
  • Dunkin’ at 353 Trapelo Rd. and 52 Church St. are closing at 9 p.m. The store at 350 Pleasant St. will shut it down at 6 p.m.
  • Craft Beer Cellar at 87 Leonard St. in the Center will be open ’til 5 p.m.
  • US Post Office at 405 Concord Ave. will close at noon and 492 Trapelo Rd. Is closed on Christmas Eve.
  • MBTA buses and subway lines will run on a Saturday schedule. The commuter rail is on the weekend schedule.

Christmas Day

Dunkin’

  • The Dunkin’ at 353 Trapelo Rd. proclaims it is “Open on Christmas.” So it’ll be operating from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.
  • The 52 Church St. location in Waverley Square and the operation at 350 Pleasant St. will be closed on Christmas.

Starbucks

  • The “Cushing Village” location at 110 Trapelo Rd. will be closed.

CVS Pharmacy

  • The store at 264 Trapelo Rd. will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • The operation at 60 Leonard St. in Belmont Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Christmas.
  • The pharmacy on Trapelo Road is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Belmont Center site will be closed.

Star Market

  • Belmont’s supermarket located at 535 Trapelo Rd. is closed for the day.

If you are looking to get around on the MBTA:

  • The Fitchburg/South Acton Commuter Line will operate a Sunday schedule while buses that operate in Belmont will also be on a Sunday schedule.

Give The Gift Of Movies As Tickets On Sale For Belmont World Film’s 20th Family Festival

Photo: A still from the film “The School of Magical Animals 2 (Deutschland 2022)”(Copyright: Leonine)

Looking for a gift for a young one that’s entertaining, will expand a view of the world and begin an appreciation (or even a passion) for the art of cinema? Belmont World Film 20th Family Festival fills all of those boxes.

Belmont World Film’s Family Festival is a must-attend event for families with children ages 3-12, offering some of the world’s top films for children – providing a window into the lives of children around the world – as well as filmmaking workshops that will enrich your children’s lives. This year’s festival features sixteen exciting film programs and four workshops.

The festival will run in person on the Martin Luther King holiday weekend from Saturday, Jan. 14 to Monday, Jan. 16 and Saturday, Jan. 21. Three films will be screened virtually from Friday, Jan. 20 to Sunday, Jan. 22.

All in person screenings take place as follows:

Saturday, January 14 | West Newton Cinema

Sunday, January 15 | Majestic 7 Cinema Watertown

Monday, January 16 | Brattle TheatreCambridge

Saturday, January 21 | Regent Theatre, Arlington

The Junior Film Critics Workshop takes place in person at the New Arts Center @ Trio in Newtonville on Saturday, Jan. 14.

Tickets for individual films or passes can be found at this link.

Boston Society of Film Critics commended Belmont World Film as part of their annual awards for its “20 years of programming foreign-language films in coordination with local and international organizations to heighten awareness on a wide range of global issues.”

Below is the trailer for the film “The School of Magical Animals 2”

Cinema trailer for the movie “The School of Magical Animals 2 (Deutschland 2022)”

Belmont High’s Big Winter Concert Set For Wednesday, Dec. 14 In The BHS Theater

Photo: Belmont High School’s Concert Chorale along with Watertown High’s chorus at Fenway Park.

The musicians of Belmont High School have been working hard throughout the fall and are excited to present the first musical event of the school year, the Belmont High School’s Winter Choral/Orchestral Concert on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. in the school’s theater.

The concert will consist of performances by the Concert Chorale, Chamber Singers, Jazz Ensemble, Belmont High Combined Orchestra, and the Belmont High Wind Symphony.

The snow date for the concert will be Tuesday, Dec. 20.

Belmont Center Will Be Home To A Menorah For The Holiday Season

Photo: It’s menorah time in Belmont Center

Belmont Center will be home to a Hanukkah menorah as the Belmont Select Board unanimously approved on Dec. 5 having a public display of the chanukkiyah over the eight nights of the holiday.

The first lighting will occur on Sunday, Dec. 18 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the delta in from of M&T Bank. It is open to the Belmont community with dreidels, donuts and menorahs for the public.

The menorah will stay on the delta with an additional candle – it is an electrical candelabrum – is lit until the final candle lights up on Sunday, Dec. 25.

Luna Bukiet, co-founder at Center for Jewish Life of Arlington-Belmont, told the board there was a really nice showing last year – even though it was a ”very last minute event” – “so much so that community members and Belmont members have been asking us already if we were planning to do this again.”

“It’s cool. I support that,” said Board Chair Mark Paolillo.