Belmont Votes: Presidential And State Election ’24; Schools, Town Offices Will Be Closed Nov. 5

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Photo: Belmont goes to the polls to vote for President on Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Voting in the Presidential and State Election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Belmont public schools and town offices will be closed for the day.

Any questions about elections in Belmont can be found here, or contact the Town Clerk’s Office at (617) 993-2603. (although the clerks will be very busy Tuesday.)

Voters will cast their votes for President and Vice President of the United States, US Senator and member of the US House of Representatives, Massachusetts State Senate and State House seats, Governor’s Council, and Middlesex County Clerk of Courts and Register of Deeds. Here is a sample ballot.

There are five ballot questions which voters can support or reject.

Belmont’s eight polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters must go to their assigned voting precincts:

Precinct One: Beth El Temple, Zonis Auditorium, 2 Concord Ave.

Precinct Two: Belmont Town Hall, Select Board Room 455 Concord Ave.

Precinct Three: Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

Precinct Four: Daniel Butler School Gym, 90 White St.

Precinct Five: Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

Precinct Six: Belmont Fire Headquarters, 299 Trapelo Rd.

Precinct Seven: Burbank School Gym, 266 School St.

Precinct Eight: Winn Brook School Gym, 97 Waterhouse Rd., Enter from Cross Street.

Voters can also return their mail-in ballots by dropping it off in-person at Town Hall using the green drop-box located at the base of the stairs. It is available 24/7 until it closes at 8 p.m., Tuesday.

Voters who have been informed that their voting status has been changed to Inactive should be prepared to present identification before being permitted to vote.

Due to the number of offices up for grabs, five ballot questions and interest in the election, expect to wait in line to cast a ballot. So come early on Tuesday and avoid the last minute rush.

Senior Tax Relief One Step Closer As Working Group Gets Its Charge

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Photo: Beech Street Center, home of the Belmont Senior Center

Belmont took one giant step towards a promise linked to this year’s successful $8.4 million override when the Select Board voted unanimously at its meeting on Oct. 21 to formalize the Senior Tax Relief Working Group.

“It is something that has been talked about for years and we finally are moving towards a best case solution,” said Working Group member and Belmont Library Board of Trustees Chair Kathy Keohane. Mark Paolillo, formerly on the Select Board, Comprehensive Capital Budget Committee member Aaron Pikcilingis, and the team’s pro-tem Chair, Financial Director Jennifer Hewitt, made up the working group.

Created in July, “a good bit of what we’ve been doing is just understanding the current state and then outlining … what actions could we take short-term, medium-term, and long-term,” according to Keohane.

At last Monday’s meeting, the task force highlighted the need to formalize their responsibilities and membership. As of Monday, the committee was only a quasi-formal group acting in an advisory role to the Board. Having never been sworn in by the Town Clerk, their actions were limited.

“I think the charge [the specific set of responsibilities, goals, and objectives assigned to a group] is going to make them a whole committee,” said Town Administrator Patrice Garvin.

The committee’s first objective is to present an article at the upcoming Special Town Meeting next month asking the members to accept the provisions of MGL Chapter 60, Section 3d, which will allow the town to establish a fund to defray the real estate taxes of elderly people. The article also indicates that the fund will be administered by a new committee made up of the Chair of the Assessors, the town Treasurer, and three residents.

After successfully adopting Chapter 60, the major goal facing the Work Group will be reviewing the list of available options under the dozens of potential clauses in the general law and presenting a subset of those to the annual Town Meeting in May 2025. Under the law, the town is limited to a single exemption plan.

And one such clause in the law favored by the Task Force is what several towns have gravitated to: creating a donation fund.

“Residents would be able to donate to a fund [which] would be administered by the committee, and it would be allocated according to eligibility rules,” said Hewitt. Keohane said, “Many surrounding towns already have and implement such a fund… many years ago. So this would be a very positive step forward, and we can work through the mechanics.”

The Select Board’s Roy Epstein questioned who actually establishes the eligibility criteria: Does the new committee create them, or are they simply recommendations to the Select Board that can be approved, rejected, or enhanced? Hewitt believed that would need to be determined.

The task force discussed the importance of establishing guidelines and the committee’s role in determining which seniors are eligible to participate in the program. The group is also eager to receive community input, especially regarding establishing guidelines and the committee’s role in determining which seniors are eligible to participate in the program.

“Obviously, anytime you put something out there, more sets of eyes just provide more information and more feedback. So you just go and continue to refine and retool and update as we go,” said Hewitt.

Paolillo noted that while the group is leaning towards a donation model, all recommendations must undergo a financial analysis to determine their short—and long-term effects on the town’s budget.

“I think we are open-minded about all the different options. Clearly, the financial impact of that has to be considered.”

Hewitt also discussed the potential for a petition for a separate tax relief program and the impact of the new state-approved Hero Act on veterans’ exemptions.

The new task force will report in greater detail to the Select Board in February/March.

“We’ve been working on some updates to some existing programs, focusing on outreach and education, updating and enhancing policies and procedures,” said Hewitt. “We are definitely a work in progress.”

Citizens Bank Closing Star Market Branch On Trapelo Road In January ’25

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Photo: The Citizens Bank branch inside the Star Market located at 535 Trapelo Rd.

For the past two decades, it appeared that banks couldn’t open enough branches in Belmont, so much so that residents and town officials worried that the storefront under renovation would soon be scooped by yet another financial institution was coming to the Town of Homes.

That’s not the case in 2024.

This week, Citizens Financial Group, Inc., the parent company of retail banking giant Citizens Bank, announced it will be closing its bank branch located in Star Market at 535 Trapelo Rd., one of 15 branches shutting down in the next months.

“We’ve been on a journey at Citizens to evolve how our customers bank with us, and we continually review customer patterns to evolve and adjust branch strategy across our network,” the bank said in a press release.

Citizens Bank is the second bank this year to announce it is closing a Belmont branch office. This summer, TD Bank shut its brink and mortar operation adjacent to the Belmont Fire Department Headquarters at 307 Trapelo Rd.

The closures come as banks turn away from the traditional retail banking structure of tellers and loan officers and towards on-line operations.

MBTA Communities, Citizen’s Petition On 5 Member Select Board Headlines Three Nights Of Special Town Meeting

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Photo: Mike Widmer, Belmont Town Moderator

Expect some late nights next month in the Belmont Middle and High School Auditorium as the Town Moderator announced the schedule for the Special Town Meeting.

Mike Widmer, the town’s long-standing Town Moderator, announced in a Friday, Oct 18 email after a planning session took place concerning the fall Special Town Meeting.

The “Special” will take place on three consecutive nights: Monday, Nov. 18; Tuesday, Nov. 19 and Wednesday, Nov. 20.

“We will not meet for a fourth night under any circumstances,” said Widmer, as the extra day(s) would bleed into the week of Thanksgiving which the planners said would be too inconvenient for members planning to travel and preparing for the extended holiday.

With a 72-hour limitation in mind, there’s a good possibility members can expect some rare – for Belmont Town Meetings – “Cinderella” meetings taking place.

“Though I would prefer not, we may need to go as late as 11 p.m. in order to complete our business in just three nights,” said Widmer.

Unlike previous annual and special Town Meetings when the more important articles are taken up on the final nights, Widmer said the fall special will begin with the big ticket items: implementing the MBTA Communities Act (3A) and amendments to the Inclusionary Housing and Design and Site Plan Review zoning sections. A citizens’ petition article to expand the Select Board to five members will be the first item of business on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

And due to the complexity of the zoning issues, Widmer set an earlier deadline of noon, Tuesday, Nov. 5 for members to submit proposed amendments to alter the articles.

While a growing number of member have been hankering for a virtual meeting, Widmer said given the current limits of town resources, the Special will only take place in person. But those campaigning for off-site attendance, Widmer said that “town leaders are committed to holding some form of hybrid at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting [in May 2025] and into the future if permitted by state law.”

The current remote and hybrid entitlement approved by the state legislature during the pandemic is due to expire in early 2025. “While this is my final year as Moderator, I will strongly recommend to my successor that Town Meeting have a permanent hybrid option, if permitted,” said Widmer.

Marauders Loss Top Two QBs In First 13 Minutes Of Season As Football Falls, 48-0, To Shawsheen In Opener

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Photo: Belmont’s Daniel Martins (53) and Enzo Passos (70) pressure Shawsheen’s QB Sid Tildsley into throwing an interception in the season opener.

On the opening game of the season, Belmont High School Football team learned a new word by living it: Friggatriskaidekaphobia – the fear of Friday the 13th.

With the game falling on Friday, the 13th of September, it shouldn’t have been surprising that the Marauders would experience one of the most bewitching days in its history. Within mere minutes of the opening kick-off, Belmont’s top quarterbacks were being helped off Harris Field as the team was run over and shut out, 48-0, by the visiting Shawsheen Valley Tech Rams.

“We know we have to work more on getting guys in the right places,” said Belmont’s new Head Coach Francois Joseph. “Our [offense and defensive] lines are huge across the board. We’re just not blocking well right now. We have to fix a lot of mistakes that we made tonight.”

Belmont knew it was in for a tussle. The team from Billerica was undefeated in the regular season last year while reaching the Div. 5 state semifinals. Belmont was coming off its own successful campaign, winning the Middlesex League for the first time in 59 years, making the playoffs, and romping over rivals Watertown, 47-0, on Thanksgiving.

Joseph said this year would be about rebuilding the program after the graduation of key positions including quarterback, an entire receiving corps, a lead running back and a slew of linebackers.

One area of hope came from senior Lucas Cadet, Belmont’s opening-day QB. A raw talent – tall, solid,and with an accurate arm – Cadet was seen by the coaches as someone whose considerable athletism would make up for his lack of experience under center.

Belmont did show a spark on defense when linemen Daniel Martins and Enzo Passos pressured Shawsheen’s QB Sid Tildsley into throwing a weak pass on third and long that Will Hendrickson intercepted. Cadet could do little with its first possession which led to a punt by senior kicker John Townsend. Tildsley would make up for his earlier miscue, and behind a well-placed lead block, returned the punt 90 yards down the left sideline for Shawsheen’s first TD at 8:12 in the first quarter.

Belmont would soon say farewell to its first signal caller when, after Cadet threw a completion – called back for holding – he was dropped by a late hit resulting in a roughing the passer penalty. It would turn out to be more than just your normal roughing as Cadet immediately knew he had suffered a significant injury to his non-throwing arm and would leave the game.

The game turned for the worse when Townsend’s second punt was taken again by Tildsley who this time cruised down the right sideline 60 yards for his second TD to double the Rams lead, 14-0.

Coming into the game on short notice, back-up QB junior Kyle Curtis had the most experience in the critical position, having played with his teammates during the summer in 7-on-7 competition. He did appear to be a little rusty as he would go three and out in his first possession.

While the Belmont offense sputtered, Tildsley took the Rams down the field on its second possession, finding Dyllon Pratt in the end zone for an 18-yard TD pass, which increased their lead to 21-0 with 10:54 remaining in the half.

Curtis would learn on Belmont’s second drive of the second quarter the value of having a teammate protecting his blind side. As Curtis stepped back to pass on second down, Shawsheen’s Quinn Carbone came untouched off the edge at a full sprint and planted an unsuspected Curtis into the home field turf. Carbone’s hit caused a fumble, which Tildsley’s younger brother, James, gathered and scampered 21 yards for a touchdown and a 28-0 lead. 

Curtis did not see the touchdown as he stared into the evening sky for several minutes. He would come off the field, and soon, his arm was wrapped in ice, and he ended up sitting on the bench for the remainder of the game.

With Belmont running back Wyatt Sclafani placed into the role of emergency QB, the Rams’ defense pinned back their ears as Belmont was limited to running the ball, primarily for losses behind the line of scrimmage. On Sclafani’s first play under center, Belmont running back Amir Mollineau was stripped of the ball by James Tildsley. Four plays later, the Rams were up 35-0.

For the rest of the first half, it was one-way traffic. The Belmont defense couldn’t make an important stop, and the Rams ran the ball for another touchdown. Shawsheen’s only disappointment during the half was missing an extra point.

When Shawsheen scored early in the third with a one-yard rush, increasing the score to 48-0, the game reverted to running time, where the clock stops only for scores, official timeouts, and the end of the quarter. This resulted in a second half lasting less than 30 minutes. By that time, everyone—the players, fans, officials, and the band—wanted to go home.

It was definitely a game to forget: Belmont’s defense did have a turnover but gave up 48 points before both teams sent in backups. The offense did not pick up a first down and lost more yards than it gained.

Friggatriskaidekaphobia, indeed.

Next up for the Marauders are our neighbors to the east, Cambridge Rindge and Latin, as the Falcons visit Harris Field on Friday, Sept. (not the 13th) 20 at 6:30 p.m.

‘Spectacular!’: Town Administrator Garvin Aces Annual Merit Review Going ‘5’ for ‘5’

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Photo: Patrice Garvin, Belmont Town Administrator

Belmont Town Administrator Patrice Garvin received a “perfect” five out of a possible five cumulative score from the Belmont Select Board at her annual merit pay review on Monday, Sept 9.

“Spectacular!” said Kelli King, the town’s Human Resources Manager, after reading the results. The score is due to Garvin’s exceptional skills in finance, administration, staff development, and problem-solving, said King.

“Patrice is a patient yet courageous change agent who is creative, forward-looking, and resilient under pressure. Her integrity is unquestionable, and she quickly resolves mistakes when they occur. Her confidence in managing daily operations has allowed the Board to focus on strategic growth initiatives,” said Kelly, summerizing the Select Board’s comments. “Patrice’s ability to multitask, organize, and lead through change has been essential to Belmont’s continued success in areas of opportunity.”

King said Garvin “plays a key role in balancing challenges, changes, and investments in under-resourced departments. She navigates diverse opinions within the town diplomatically and remains insightful in her recommendations for progress and overall comments.” 

The one concern the Board has about Garvin’s performance is her ceaseless work ethic, which has the Select Board worried about “potential burnout.” But with a strong team surrounding her, “it is hoped that she can take more time to rest.” 

“Her tireless efforts have made the board more effective, and she continues to perform her duties at the highest level, and [it] is a privilege to work alongside her,” said King.

Select Board Chair Elizabeth Dionne added Monday that Garvin’s score, in particular, reflects her work justifying and helping the town pass this year’s Proposition 2 1/2 override.

“If that override had not passed, we would have decimated town institutions and services. The current status of the town very much owes itself to Patrice and her efforts, among many, many others, but Patrice was critical in that effort,” said Dionne.

“If the scale went to six [out of five], I would go to it,” said the Select Board’s Roy Epstein at Monday’s meeting.

Since Garvin has been a target of online criticism and social media attacks from residents, the Select Board reiterated its full support of the administrator, making clear to the public that she is executing its decisions and not acting independently. 

“I have seen Patrice at times express reservations or concerns about the course of action the Select Board decided to take,” said Board Chair Elizabeth Dionne, noting the Board’s decision to end Civil Service at the Police Department. “We asked her to do it. She did it anyway, without complaint and without ever suggesting or even hinting that she was concerned about the timing.”

Thanking the Select Board, Garvin noted that while “it’s a tough job sometimes” … “[c]learly, your support gets me through difficult evenings”, including the contentious meeting with the Council on Aging that took place one hour earlier on the organization of the new Human Services Department.

“I want the community to understand that my dedication to the position in the community is evident in the work I do with the staff I lead. If anything, I can’t do any of it without the staff that’s in place and without the volunteers. That is a team effort,” she said.

“I’ve always put my heart and soul into everything I’ve done. It’s been a privilege working here,” said Garvin. 

Dionne said budget constraints limited Garvin’s merit increase to two percent, which upped her annual salary by an estimated $216,800. The Board did provide a sweetener with a change to her contract to provide a two-to-one match for deferred compensation up to $10,000, whereas for every $100 Garvin contributes to a compensation plan, the town will contribute $200.

“And to be clear, even if she reaches the $10,000 [ceiling], she is still below market when we look at comparables for other towns,” said Dionne.

For comparison, the annual salaries for town managers/administrators in nearby communities:

  • Arlington’s Sanford Pooler received $188,583 in 2022;
  • Lexington’s James Malloy took home $238,142 in 2023;
  • Winchester’s Beth Rudolph made $215,995 when she was hired in 2023.
  • Concord’s Kerry Lafleur received $246,671 in 2023.
  • Burlington’s Paul Sagarino Jr. received $243,834 in 2023.

With Cases Increasing, Belmont At ‘High Risk’ Of West Nile Virus

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Photo: Mosquitos transit West Nile virus so keep them away (Image by mika mamy from Pixabay) 

Massachusetts’ public health agency has named Belmont as a “high risk” community for infection from the West Nile virus.

On Tuesday, Sept. 10, Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced three additional human cases of West Nile virus in Massachusetts in the past week, bringing the total year-to-date number of 10.

As a result, WNV risk levels were raised to high in Belmont, Arlington, Malden, Medford, and Melrose in Middlesex County; Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop in Suffolk County, and Saugus in Essex County.

WNV is usually transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. There were six human cases of WNV and no animal cases in 2023. No animal cases of WNV have been detected so far this year.

“The risk of West Nile virus in Massachusetts will continue until the first hard frost. While the temperatures may be a bit cooler, September is still within the peak time for West Nile virus activity in Massachusetts,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “As we all adjust to our post-summer schedules, one routine that everyone should continue is using mosquito repellent when outdoors.”

There have been 286 WNV-positive mosquito samples so far this year detected from Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Hampden, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, and Worcester counties.

People have an important role to play in protecting themselves and their loved ones from illnesses caused by mosquitoes.

Avoid Mosquito Bites

Apply Insect Repellent when Outdoors. Use a repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient, such as DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), or oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) or IR3535) according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30 percent or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three.

Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours. The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning in areas of high risk.

Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites. Wearing long sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

Drain Standing Water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by draining or discarding items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty unused flowerpots and wading pools and change the water in birdbaths frequently.

Install or Repair Screens. Keep mosquitoes outside by having tightly fitting screens on all windows and doors.

More information, including all WNV and EEE positive results, can be found on the Arbovirus Surveillance Information web page at Mosquito-borne Diseases | Mass.gov, which is updated daily, or by calling the DPH Division of Epidemiology at 617-983-6800.

Early Voting For State Party Primary Election Starts Saturday, Aug. 24

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Photo: Early voting starts Saturday, Aug. 24

Voters will decide their political party’s candidates for the general election in November at the State Primary Election on Tuesday, Sept. 3 – the day after Labor Day – with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 pm.

But why wait until the day after the summer holiday to vote when you can perform that task before you head off for the beach or backyard? In Person Early Voting begins on Saturday, Aug. 24 and lasts until Noon, Friday, Aug. 30. All in person early voting will take place at the Belmont Town Hall. Here’s the schedule:

DateTime
Saturday, August 2410 AM to 4 PM
Sunday, August 25No Early Voting
Monday, August 268 AM to 7 PM
Tuesday, August 278 AM to 4 PM
Wednesday, August 288 AM to 4 PM
Thursday, August 298 AM to 4 PM
Friday, August 308 AM to Noon

The final day to register to vote in the primary is Saturday, Aug. 24:

  • by 5 p.m. for in-person requests at Town Hall,
  • by 11:59 p.m. for online requests, and
  • postmarked by the deadline date for mail-in requests.

Voter registrations received after 5 p.m. on the 24th will be entered after the election.

There is a caveat to vote in this election: voters enrolled in either the Democratic, Libertarian or Republican party can vote only in that party’s primary. Enrollment in a political party does not affect your right to vote in the general election.

Unenrolled voters may cast a primary ballot for any party. Voters in political designations are treated as “Unenrolled” voters for primary purposes, and so they may choose to vote in any one of the party primaries.

If you have any questions on elections in Belmont, contact the Town Clerk at ecushman@belmont-ma.gov or call (617) 993-2604.

Town, Select Board Proposing Major Change To Town Meeting Calendar For ’25

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Photo: Belmont annual Town Meeting will be a May event

In a move away from a more than decade long practice, the town administrator and Belmont Select Board are recommending “stream lining” the annual Town Meeting from two freestanding “segments” held in May and June into a single meeting on consecutive Monday and Wednesday nights beginning the first week of May and running straight though until all articles and citizen petitions have been acted on.

“What we’re looking to do is condense Town Meeting,” said Patrice Garvin, Belmont’s Town Administrator, as she was presenting to the Select Board the town-wide “budget calendar,” a detailed schedule for developing fiscal year 2026 town and school budgets from “now until the end of June.”

Gone will be separate chunks of articles exclusively for the budget (known as Segment B) and general articles (Segment A) with several weeks of inactivity between the two. The current set up was adopted in the early 2010s to allow the Meeting to have a clearer idea of the amount of fiscal aid the town and schools would be receiving in the state budget.

Garvin said while going over the that several of the annual meeting’s processes were “very cumbersome and just seem to go on and on for pretty much forever.” Working with Jennifer Hewitt, the town’s finance head/assistant Town Administrator, schools Superintendent Jill Geiser, Town Moderator Mike Widmer, and Town Clerk Ellen Cushman, the recommendation calls for the upcoming 2025 annual meeting will begin on May 5 and run for a proposed six meetings over three weeks, ending before Memorial Day. Garvin said at the request of the schools, the budgets will be taken up during the later part of the newly-schedule Town Meeting.

Select Board Chair Elizabeth Dionne noted that “those [June] evenings turned out to be really hard for people whether it was in terms of travel, or family, or graduations events.”

“Because it would be more efficient not to start and stop, we hope that we wouldn’t have quite as many sessions of Town Meeting, and ease the burden on Town Meeting [Members],” said Dionne, who supports the Garvin recommendation. She also noted when Town Meeting runs deep into June, it’s difficult for the town to close its books before the end of the fiscal year on June 30.

The recommendation was seconded by the official who has presided over the past 16 Town Meetings.

“It makes a lot of sense for all the reasons you’ve laid out,” said Widmer, who will retire from his post in April, 2025. “It will take some changes and cooperation but on balance these are the right steps.”

The Select Board delayed a vote on the recommendation until the School Committee discussed the proposed budget schedule.

The Town Meeting change will also impact the budget process of both the town and schools, which Dionne said would create “challenges” for the schools. Geiser said the change will actually be helpful by reducing the time distance between the release of the schools “final” budget in late March and a likely vote by Town Meeting in middle May, as it will be “further along” than in previous years.

Amy Zuccarello, school committee member and chair of its finance subcommittee, told the Select Board that in her opinion – the School Committee has yet to discuss Garvin’s recommendation – would like to come before Town Meeting in May with an article that “is very close to what our final budget is going to be.” A prompt deadline, she believes, will result in “more shifting” within its budget “as we won’t know earlier about staff resignations … and other things we haven’t accounted for.”

“The balancing act is that its a good thing to bring something before Town Meeting which represents the best efforts of the school administration and School Committee where we are at that moment. While [a budget] is a living document and there is potential of change, I would like to see it be as close to the budget we ultimately end up with,” Zuccarello said was her concern.

Managing Belmont’s Farmers’ Market [Video]

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Photo: Patrons can find Mirela at the Belmont Farmers’ Market from the first week of June to the last week in October

It’s a not-so-hot summer Thursday as Mirela strolls the Claflin Street parking lot in Belmont Center, where the Belmont Farmers Market is located and where she’s one of the Market’s two managers.

From a small town near Barcelona, Mirela has been giving her time to the Market – one part of the Belmont Food Collabrative – for nearly a decade with its mission to make healthy food part of everyone’s home, said Mirela.

“[The Belmont Farmers Market] is an important part of the community, and I feel wonderful working here,” she said.

Volunteers like Mirela and her staff provide the structure that allows the Market to offer local produce, meat and fish, baked goods, prepared meals, breads, and freshly made goods to more than 800 patrons each week.

Starting in the first week of June and ending the last week of October, Mirela sets up and takes down the stalls and tents used by the Market, makes sure the nearly two dozen vendors are happy and hydrated (with water provided by the Market), and answers a litany of questions from patrons. Mirela also works to find new vendors by visiting other farmers’ markets during the year. 

The Market also provides food assistance to shoppers, including doubling SNAP benefits up to $25 per week and participating in the state’s Farmers Market Nutrition Program, which offers coupons to WIC families and eligible seniors. In 2023, these programs added more than $59,000 to shoppers’ budgets.

Last year, the Market started its free POP Club, targeting the youngest patrons. Each week, nearly 70 kids between 5 and 12 years old are provided $3 in POP Bucks, which can be used to purchase fruit and vegetables—”No cookies!” said Mirela—to make their own healthy food choices and learn where their food comes from while making the Market a fun experience.

And this week the market is asking POP participants how the program is doing with a POP Club Survey