This Week: Net Metering Group Starts, Magic with Mike Bent, Cheryl Arena at Payson Park

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On the government side of “This Week”: 

  • The inaugural meeting of the Temporary Net Metering Working Advisory Group takes place on Monday, July 6, at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall in which it will discuss its goals and criteria for the creation of a solar tariff. 
  • The Belmont School Committee is holding a rare summer session on Tuesday, July 7, at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School. There will be a few minor issues that will be bookend by executive sessions. 
  • The Community Path Implementation Advisory Committee is holding an early morning meeting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 8, at Town Hall where it will continue to identify the challenges it faces.
  • The Community Preservation Committee is holding its monthly meeting on Wednesday, July 8, at 5 p.m. at Town Hall in which it will go over the progress of outstanding projects going back to 2014.  
  • The Temporary Net Metering Working Advisory Group holds its second meeting on Wednesday, July 8, at 7:45 p.m. at Town Hall where it will get into the data heavy concerns of tariffs; the current Belmont Light subsidies, tariffs at other municipal utilities and “spot prices.”

• Pre-School Summer Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer run library, at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, July 7. 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. 

• State Rep. Dave Rogers will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on Tuesday, July 7, at 9:30 a.m.

• The Belmont Public Library is screening Movies for Children on Tuesday, July 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the library’s Assembly Room. 

• A wonderful summer event as The Magic Show with Mike Bent – who has entertained at the White House’s Easter Egg Roll – arrives on Wednesday, July 8, at 2 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. The show by the Belmont resident is for kindergarteners and older kids.

• Belmont native Cheryl Arena, the winner of the 2013 Blues Audience Newsletter Reader’s Poll for “Most Outstanding Harmonica Player,” will join “The Love Dogs” as this week’s featured artists at the Payson Park Music beginning at 6:45 p.m., Wednesday, July 8, at Payson Park Playground at Payson Road and Elm Street.

• Sustainable Belmont holds its monthly meeting on Wednesday, July 8, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• It will be Superhero Storytime for pre-Kindergarteners at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, July 9, in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. 

• Belmont Farmers Market takes place in the Belmont Center municipal parking lot on Thursday, July 9, from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  

• The Senior Book Discussion Group will meet on Friday, July 10 at 11 a.m. at the Beech Street Center where it will two short stories: “Indian Camp” and “Big Two-Hearted River (Part 1 and Part 2)” from In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway.

Raising the Flag for the Fourth on Homer Road

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Photo: Gregory Arabian raising the flag in front of his house on Homer Road. 

If you have never heard of Israel Bissell, then you should come by and ask Gregory Arabian.

The Homer Road resident held a July 4th flag raising on Friday, July 3 at this house with a contingency of Belmont Fire – including Chief David Frizzell who came with Engine 1 – and Belmont Police present to honor a great, but now relatively unknown American Patriot.

Bissell, it turns out, was a 23-year-old post rider ordered by John Hancock in April 1775 to spread the word of the Battle of Lexington and Concord down the east coast from Watertown to Harford, New York and Philadelphia.

“That act help unite the United States of America,” said the attorney whose practice is located in Watertown.

The retired US Air Force officer and Commander of the Belmont AMVETS Post 2008 said that “many things are forgotten. July 4th is forgotten. July 4th is remembered only for barbecues, days off.”

“But the reason why July 4th is so important is that we are independent and free and we should enjoy this nation,” he said.

And to the sounds of the “National Anthem,” Arabian raised the flag – which flew over the Capitol Building in Washington DC – to honor those freedoms.

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This Weekend: Nearby 4th Fireworks, Power’s ‘3 Piggie Opera’, Benton Story Time Friday

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Photo: The view of Boston’s fireworks from Robbins Farm in Arlington. (arlingtonpictures.com)

• Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer run library, on Friday, July 3 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. 

• The Powers Music School is bringing little pigs to Belmont with a performance of “Three Piggie Opera” at noon, Friday, July 3, at the school located at 404 Concord Ave. The performers are Powers’ Pow-Wow Prep students, ages five to nine, who attended a two week total immersion in a musical environment. 

Alas, Belmont does not hold a 4th of July celebration, but nearly every other neighboring town and city does. Here are just a few events and fireworks in adjacent communities and in Boston. 

Friday, July 3

• Boston/Fenway Park: The Red Sox will hold a postgame Independence Day celebration after the Red Sox-Astros game. The celebration will include a pyrotechnics show, which will be set to special 4th of July music. The show will take place approximately 15 minutes after the conclusion of the game and is expected to last about six minutes.

• Lexington: The annual Fourth of July Carnival takes place at Hastings Park through July 4 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Youth Games take place on July 4th at 10 a.m.

Saturday, July 4

• Boston: 10 p.m. Over the Charles River adjacent to the Esplanade. (Don’t want to trek to Boston for the show? Try scouting out a space at Robbins Farm in Arlington.)

• Newton: 9 p.m. Albermarle/Halloran Field, located on Watertown Street, Route 16.

• Waltham: 9:15 p.m. Leary Field, 19 Athletic Field Rd.

This Week: Evening eCamp at the Library, Tea and Cake Meet and Greet

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Photo: Hoopla, a software reader that allows library patrons to instantly borrow free digital movies, music, and more, 24/7 with your library card.

On the government side of “This Week”: 

  • The Board of Health meets on Tuesday, June 30 at 5:30 p.m., in Town Hall. The agenda includes a meet and greet with the owner of Arlington’s Vintage Tea and Cake while John Maguranis, the town’s animal control officer, reviews the Off-Leash Permit Assessment Procedure.
  • The Planning Board is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, June 30, at 7 p.m. in Town Hall for a few special permits and continued talks on the citizen petition zoning amendment.
  • The Underwood Pool Building Committee holds its meeting on Wednesday, July 1, at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall.

• Two days of roadway paving gets underway on Monday, June 29, along the Belmont Street/Trapelo Road Corridor from Cushing Square to School Street. Paving runs from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Prepare for detours and delays. 

• An evening session of Belmont Public Library’s eCamp takes place on Monday, June 29, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Young Adult Room. Reference Librarian Joanna Breen and Technology Librarian Ellen Girouard will teach how to access the library from wherever you find yourself this summer, talk about Zinio and hoopla, and demonstrate other ways the library connects patrons to online media, in this free-flowing demonstration plus Q&A session. Enjoy snacks, practice with your device or a library laptop, and get connected to magazines, movies, music, and more.

• The Belmont Public Library will have a Drop-in Crafts Program for kids in kindergarten and older on Wednesday, July 1, from 2 p.m. in the Assembly Room.

• The Reminisants, playing the music of the 50s to the 90s, headline this week’s Payson Park Music Festival concert taking place at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1. 

• Come over and color the sidewalk at the Belmont Public Library as the library hosts “Chalk the Walk” on Thursday, July 2, from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

• The Belmont Farmers Market rings the market bell each Thursday in the Belmont Center commuter parking lot on Claflin Street. The market is open from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Belmont Yard Sales: June 27–28

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Photo: Yard sales in Belmont.

Yard sales in the “Town of Homes.” 

• 19 Ash St., Saturday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• 69 Carleton Rd., Saturday, June 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 58 Cedar Rd., Saturday, June 27, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• 333 Common St., Saturday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 100-102 Fairview Ave., Saturday, June 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 50 Flett Rd., Saturday, June 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 52 Harvard Rd., Saturday, June 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 69 Oak Ave., Saturday, June 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 72 Oxford Ave., Saturday, June 27, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• 80 Palfrey Rd., Saturday, June 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• 180 School St., Saturday, June 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 38-40 Unity Ave., Saturday and Sunday, June 27 and 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Belmont Corner Neighborhood Association.)

• 72 Waverley St., Saturday, June 27, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This Week: Meetings Before Summer, Final Day of School, Housing Lottery

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On the government side of “This Week”: 

  • The Belmont School Committee will meet at 6:15 p.m., Monday, June 22, at the Chenery Middle School. A crowd is expected. 
  • The Belmont Light Board will meet at Belmont Town Hall on Monday, June 22, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss net metering and the a buyback tariff. 
  • The scheduled meeting of the Board of Selectmen takes place at 7 p.m., Monday, June 22, in Town Hall. While the schedule includes an application for a beer and wine license and other routine items. it’s expected a petition with nearly 500 signatures will be presented concerning recent design changes made to the Belmont Center Reconstruction project that was approved by the board earlier this month. 
  • Municipal Light Advisory Board  will meet Tuesday, June 23, from 7:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m., at Town Hall.
  • The Community Path Implementation Advisory Committee will meet to discuss going on a walking tour of potential paths while identifying future challenges. The meeting takes place at Town Hall on Wednesday, June 23, at 6 p.m.

The Belmont Public Library will be closed Monday, June 22, as new floor tiles will be installed. The building will reopen Tuesday, June 23, at 9 a.m.

Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer run library, this morning, June 23, 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. 

Tuesday, June 23 is the final day of the 2014-15 School Year. Summer recess begins before noon. Several schools will have “moving on” ceremonies; for 4th graders heading off to Middle School and eighth graders going to Belmont High in the fall. 

Join Clarence Richardson for a presentation to find out what estate planning documents you need and why on Tuesday, June 23, 2015, at 1:15 P.M. at the Beech Street Center. Participants will leave the presentation with a better understanding of documents you may have heard of like Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, and Health Care Proxies. Richardson will discuss why he thinks everyone should have some of these documents, but not necessarily all of them.

Yoga for everyone at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, June 23 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.: join Susan Harris, a registered yoga teacher and associate professor of Nutrition at Tufts University for this Iyengar-inspired class which practices yoga postures slowly and with attention to alignment and safety, adapted to the abilities and needs of individual students. Practice is done with bare feet; mats and props are provided. Cost: $15/class. Non-seniors, beginners and experienced are welcome. This is a non-Council on Aging class held at the Beech Street Center. For more information, call Susan at 617-407-0816.

The Belmont Housing Trust will be holding its Homebuyer Assistance Program GAP Lottery on Tuesday, June 23, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library. The random selection of the three households of the eligible applicants will give them the opportunity to search, select, and buy homes in Belmont with financial assistance from the program, funding by the Community Preservation Committee Fund.

Belmont Stormwater Working Group meets in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library on Thursday, June 25, beginning at 7 p.m.

Belmont Yard Sales: June 20–21

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Photo: Yard sales in Belmont.

Yard sales in the “Town of Homes.” 

• 82 Bay State Rd., Saturday, June 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• 36 Hurley St., Saturday and Sunday, June 20-21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• 7 Leslie Rd., Saturday, June 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• 27 Leslie Rd., Sunday, June 21, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

• 17 Sycamore St., Saturday, June 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• 60 Washington St., Saturday, June 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

• 133-135 White St., Saturday, June 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This Weekend: Score a Home Run Sunday, Book Sale at the Benton, Summer in the Gallery

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Photo: The start of the Brendan’s Home Run.

• The 14th annual running of “Brendan’s Home RunTM” 5K Race & Walk will take place on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 21, at 10 a.m. at the Belmont High School’s Harris Field. The walk begins at 9:30 a.m., the race at 10 a.m. with youth races for kids a few minutes after the runners leave the field. The annual event raises funds to enhancing youth development, and has been instrumental in the support of key initiatives that perpetuate the best core values of healthy parent-child relationships. The race is sponsored by Belmont Savings Bank, Fitness Together Belmont and the Belmont Dental Group.

• The Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, is holding its monthly Saturday Book Sale, this Saturday, June 20, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Bring the family and make selections from our recently acquired sale books; all proceeds benefit the library. Borrow from the collection. Use our Wi-Fi. The Benton is open on the third Saturday afternoon of every month.

• “02478” is the summer exhibition of the Belmont Art Association is now being shown at the Belmont Gallery of Art, located on the third floor of the Homer Building which is in the Town Hall complex off Moore Street. The gallery is open Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The show offers an opportunity to meet many of the artists—both amateur and professional—who live and work in our community. Showcasing work by BAA members, the exhibit includes work in a wide variety of media from painting, drawing, printmaking and collage, to sculpture, ceramics, textiles, and photography. Founded in 2013, the Belmont Art Association’s mission is to “create a community of and for Belmont-based visual artists by sharing information and resources and creating opportunities to display their work.” For more information about the organization visit its website.

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Battle of the Bands A Knockout Opener for Payson Park Music Festival

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Photo: Will Goldsmith (right) of “The Nutrition Facts” at Payson Park Music Festival’s Battle of the Bands.

Will Goldsmith, the guitarist for the rock trio “The Nutrition Facts” (“The name is subject to change” he said) is bouncing around the stage like a pro during his band’s set during the Battle of the Bands at the Payson Park Music Festival; grimacing, windmilling, jumping up and down with beat like a mini-Angus Young – the lead guitarist of ACDC which happens to be Will’s guitar inspiration. 

“I picked up [the guitar] because I thought it was cool and I wanted to be cool,” said the Newton resident who attends the The Meadowbrook School in Weston. 

“I love it, it’s really fun,” said Goldsmith, who finished the set with a series of serious chops and a fist pumping in the air. 

Oh, by the way, he’s 11. As in elementary school. E-lev-en. 

Goldsmith’s band was one of four outstanding groups which rocked Payson Park before a packed grounds – Payson-palooza? – on Wednesday, June 17, the opening act of the festival celebrating its 25th anniversary. 

“It’s fun and great to see the kids play,” said Tomi Olson, the founder and director of the festival.

“It’s a great start to the summer. It’s nice to be able to come out and hear music outside. It’s revitalizing,” she said. 

For the second year, the season began with groups made up of high school, and this year, middle school (and with the case of Goldsmith, even younger) students who proved that you’re never too young to rock. 

The Dominoes from Newton are made up of sixth grade classmates from the Charles Brown Middle School, fronted by standout soloist Abby Matthews, who is just a year older than Goldsmith.

Since getting together a year ago, “we are really so much better,” said Matthews who captured the crowd with covers from Katy Perry and Adele. 

“It’s really exciting to be here in front of these many people,” she said, which included the group’s parents who were just as enthusiastic just listening to their kids. 

Along with Radium, made up of members of the Waltham High School Show Band (which finished the sets with a James Brown cover that was a show stopper) was Belmont’s own Free Shipping, a sophomore quintet that had considerable support of several female classmates in the audience taking Instagram photos during their set. 

“I follow them everywhere,” said Chloe Brown of Belmont. “They work hard and they have a good vibe.” 

And the band, fronted by Jasper Wolf, with Tino Decoulos (guitar), lead guitar Nico (Bono) Albano, Aidan Hamell (guitar and keyboard) and drummer Tommy Slap, was named the night’s winner – receiving a $250 gift certificate from the night’s sponsor Belmont Savings Bank – with a set that was both smooth and edgy.

Laurie Slap, the drummer’s mom and School Committee Chair, said her son’s playing was “sensational” and the band “is a testament of the great music program we have in Belmont.” 

Asked about having a drummer in the house since third grade, Slap said “I like [Tommy’s] playing.”