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.”

Payson Park Music Festival Celebrates Quarter Century with Battling Bands

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Photo: 2014 Battle of the Bands (Belmont Media Center screenshot)

(This article was sent as a Letter to the Editor from Tommasina Olson, the festival’s founder)

Dear editor:

This year Payson Park Music Festival celebrates 25 years of summer concert music. When we first began we were one of 2 Summer Concerts Series in all the Commonwealth, the only other in the Berkshires.

Our first concert this year is Wednesday, June 17, starting at 6:45 p.m., and is compliments of Belmont Savings Bank. Belmont Savings has assembled some great talent for this year’s “Battle of the Bands.”

The Series runs every Wednesday evening beginning approximately 6:45 p.m. although start time in August is a bit earlier in due to failing sunlight. We offer the opportunity to those Belmont children who wish to have their own lemonade to manage our Popsicle stand. And yes, there are presently 11 openings for Popsicle vendors  (See the website for information)

 We also produce four children’s concerts on Fridays at 1030 a.m. In case of rain, the Kiddie Concerts will move inside to the Library. The Kiddie Concerts are the generous gift of former Selectman Ralph Jones and his wife Sherry.

In total, the Series produces between 15 and 16 concerts each Summer.  All of this is done, without any financial burden to the town, through the kindness of Belmont neighbors and friends, local businesses, members of several Town departments.

There are several notable people who I would like to mention for their inspiration and commitment to the Payson Park Music Festival:

  • Linda Oates for beautifying the Park before we knew what we would use it for
  • Selectman Mark Paolillo for being a Board Member.
  • Dr. David Alper one of the original Supporters, an annual Sponsor,  and a committed Cheerleaded
  • Illustrator Alan Witchonke the designer of our fabulous and timeless logo
  • Attorney Stephen Rosales who put together our 501c3 application many years ago
  • Brian Saper who donated the concrete for our stage and the Highway Department for pouring the concrete.
  • Sharon Rich and Nancy Reed who served several years as volunteer fundraisers.
  • Town employees who I knew as Butler PTA parents who have given willingly of their time.
  • June Howell of the Recreation Department
  • Joe Urciolo of the Department of Public Works
  • Jimmy Salmon, recently retired from the Light Department
  • And finally, Emily and Hank Thideman who oversaw the Kiddie Popsicle Stand for many season.

A quarter century is a proud milestone for Payson Park Music Festival. We hope to see you at the Park!

Peeking Behind the Hedges: Private Gardens Opened on Club’s Tour [Video]

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Photo: A stop on the Belmont Garden Tour. 

Six private homes and a familiar location adjacent to the Belmont Public Library were highlighted on the 85th Anniversary Garden Tour hosted by the Belmont Garden Club on Saturday, June 13. 

Vehicles attempted to find parking along narrow streets on Belmont Hill as residents and garden enthusiasts descended to see what are private refuges.

Dedicated to the late Anne Allen, the club focused on homeowners “who have created beautiful garden spaces for themselves and their families to enjoy and who have generously opened these spaces for our edification and enjoyment.

Money raised by the tour will be used for community plantings, maintenance of the Woodland Garden which is located on the library’s grounds, garden therapy at Belmont Manor, college scholarships and educational offerings to the public on horticulture and floral design. 

14th Brendan’s Home Run Set to Burn Up Streets on Father’s Day

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Photo: Dads and kids at Brendan’s Home Run.

Oh, sure. You can celebrate Father’s Day the old way by having an overpriced brunch in a crowded eatery. Or you could running a quick five kilometers with the kids and help Belmont’s own Brendan Grant Foundation. 

Belmont Savings Bank, Fitness Together Belmont and the Belmont Dental Group proudly present the 14th annual running of “Brendan’s Home RunTM” 5K Race & Walk will take place on 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. 

With its collection of really fast runners at the head of the race and a flat, easy course for the less than fast folks, the race has become a must-do event in Belmont.

Register early as the road race will be capped at 500 entrants. Entry fee for the walk or run is $22 until June 18. On-site entry Father’s Day morning is $25. There is no charge for the 400 meter youth races.

This Week: Instrument Petting Zoo Monday, Summer Reading Party Thursday

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Photo: A new sort of petting zoo.

The government side of “This Week”:

  • The Belmont Conservation Commission will introduce the final plan for intergenerational path around Clay Pit Pond on Monday, June 15, at 7 p.m. at Belmont Town Hall.
  • There will be a public meeting the Beech Street Center as a continuation of the ongoing project for the Grove Street Park Master Plan on Monday, June 15, at 7 p.m. Interested residents are invited to attend and provide feedback.
  • The Planning Board will meet on Tuesday, June 16, at 7 p.m. to discuss the next step for the Citizens Petition Zoning Amendment. 
  • The Municipal Light Board (which is the Belmont Board of Selectmen) will appoint the members of the Temporary Net Metering Working Group at the Chenery Middle School on Tuesday, June 16, at 7 p.m.

• Music & Movement with Rubi is a movement and music program for kids three to five year olds but two year olds are welcome. There will be two sessions on Monday, June 15, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. at the Belmont Public Library.

• The Elementary Schools Instrument Petting Zoo is an opportunity for elementary students to do some “hands-on” experimentation with instruments before choosing one to study in the fall. Come by on Monday, June 15, at 5 p.m. in the Chenery Middle School auditorium for a look see.

• Learn to build a robot with the Lexington High School Robotics Team as it presents “Lexrobotics” on Monday, June 15, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. Discover the steps of how to make the next R2-D2, Wall-E, or Optimus Prime! For Grades 4 and up. No registration required.

• US Rep Katherine Clark will have office hours on Tuesday, June 16, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

• The Belmont Public Library’s eCamp takes place on Tuesday, June 16, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 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 Art Association meets on Tuesday, June 16, at 7 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The International Fiction Book Club will be reading “This is How You Lose Her,” by Junot Diaz Wednesday, on Wednesday, June 17, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room. Explore different cultures and read great books in our international fiction book club. Join the club on the third Wednesday of the month for fun conversation, tea and snacks. Everybody is welcome. If you have questions, or need help finding a copy of the book, contact Kylie at ksparks@minlib.net.

• The Summer Reading Open House Party happens on Thursday, June 18, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Young Adult Room of the Belmont Public Library. Eat snacks, check out our new books, help write and decorate shelf-talkers for your favorite books, and learn about the summer reading program. We’ll also have a raffle to win free books. Drop by anytime over the two hours. 

• A free informational talk on the new SAT will take place on Thursday, June 18, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. This is for parents of high school students on the new SAT and how it differs from the old one.

• State Sen. Will Brownsberger is holding office hours on Friday, June 19, at 10 a.m. in the Beech Street Center.