Hanukkah’s Light Shines A Third Time In Belmont Center

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Photo: Rabbi Avi Bukiet of the Center For Jewish Life of Arlington-Belmont

The third time was more than a charm for Belmont’s Jewish holiday tradition.

During this year’s third annual Belmont Grand Menorah Light Celebration, Rabbi Avi Bukiet of the Center For Jewish Life of Arlington-Belmont told the two dozen attendees at the second-night lightening at the outdoor menorah—a candelabra with holders for eight candles—in the Belmont Center delta that something that happens three times in a row has a special meaning in Judaism.

“This is our third year in a row in Belmont, and the Talmud says that when you do something three times, it has a chazakah, which means ‘a strength.’ Now it’s a permanent pattern,” said Bukiet, who praised the town’s administration for being the first town in the Center’s service area, as opposed to a synagogue or other religious organization, to support the placement of an outdoor menorah.

“The Center for Jewish Life has built over the last few years a wonderful relationship with the town of Belmont, and we’re really thankful for those who helped make it happen. When I came for approval in the town, it didn’t even want to bring it up to the Select Board. It was already a done deal,” said Bukiet.

“The town has been welcoming, and everyone has been wonderful in making this happen and wanting this to happen. Thank you for including the Jewish community as part of the Belmont celebration. It’s important that we’re here and have a presence here.”

With Christmas and the start of Hanukkah falling on the 25th, which happened to be one of the coldest days of the winter, the number of participants was half that of the previous year. But those who attended – including visitors from Oregan and other out-of-towners – would have their fill of latkas from Whole Foods (editor’s note: tasty) and get to guess the number of dreidels in a dreidel container.

Bukiet said the strength projected by lighting a candle every evening is especially poient this year as approximately 100 of “our brothers and sisters across the world are being held hostage and are not able to celebrate with their families and with their communities for the second Hanukkah in a row.

“Let’s pray and hope and let’s wish that before the end of Hanukkah, the hostages are brought home to Israel, and those that are fighting for their freedom should continue to have strength from strength to strength to make this happen and to protect the Jewish people in Israel and all around the world as we continue to do our part.”

Bonnie Friedman, who came dressed in colorful tights and a coat with florescent sneakers to celebrate the holiday, said that despite the cold, holding an outdoor observation has significance in raising awareness of the Jewish community in Belmont.

“What’s beautiful about this is everyone has a menorah at home. It’s important to feel and be Jewish at home, but it’s also important to show our Judaism on the street. It’s important to show our pride, show the strength that we have, and be proud to be who we are,” said the Belmont resident.

Select Board member Roy Epstein hopes the menorah sheds light on current events.

“Hannauka is an event that happened in the Middle East a long time ago. A lot of people got slaughtered, and it was ended by a miracle. And I think here in 2025, I would like people to stop getting slaughtered, but I don’t think we can count on a miracle,” said Epstein.

I think what we have to hope for is for people of goodwill and courage to step forward and try to find an end to this madness and have a decent life for everybody, for Israel and everybody else in the Middle East. It’s one planet, and we’re all supposed to live here,” said Epstein.

Done! After Two Decades Of Delays, Beaver Brook Culvert Finally Replaced

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Photo: The new roadway over the Beaver Brook culvert at the Waltham/Belmont line.

After two decades of delays in deciding who would pay what part of a several million-dollar infrastructure project, a brand new tunnel carrying Beaver Brook under the main thoroughfare between Belmont and Waltham is now in operation.

The days of vehicles bouncing over steel plates as they crawled over a crumbling underground culvert, which allowed Beaver Brook to cross Trapelo Road at the border of Waltham and Belmont, have finally ended.

“The culvert? It’s finished,” said Glenn Clancy, Belmont’s long-serving Town Engineer, at a recent Select Board meeting. But don’t expect a ribbon cutting when the remaining items on the “punch list” are tidied up in the new year.

“I think everyone involved is just happy that it’s done,” said Clancy, Belmont’s contact on the project.

The more than three-decade delay in the rebuild was due to the culvert’s location: half of the infrastructure lies in Waltham, and the other half in Belmont. During this time, the two municipalities could not agree on which should pay for what.

“That’s always been a contentious thing. We knew we wanted to replace it, but the biggest issue preventing that was jurisdiction: was it Waltham? Or was it Belmont,” said Clancy.

Finally, in 2019, it was agreed that the two communities would split the project 50/50, although, in the end, Waltham performed more work and accrued additional costs, said Clancy. Belmont’s Town Meeting approved spending up to $800,000 from the town’s Sewer Enterprise Fund, accompanied by a $100,000 state earmark.

In 2022, the state legislature responded to requests for funding by appropriating $2 million to replace the culvert. In October 2022, Waltham—which took the lead on the work—requested bids and, in March 2023, granted the contract to E.T. & L. Corp.

The work began in early July 2024. It included razing the existing culvert and building the new tunnel and its wing walls. It also called for creating a new block wall on the downstream/Waltham side, constructing a moment slab and bridge railing, and constructing a flood wall on the upstream/Belmont side. Finally, minor drainage work, new sidewalk construction, paving, guardrails, and other minor work were and will be completed.

Celebrate Chanukah With Menorah Lighting at Belmont Center, Thursday Dec. 26

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Photo: The poster of the Belmont Center Menorah Lighting

Join your neighbors at this year’s Belmont Center Menorah Lighting taking place on Thursday, Dec.26 at 6 p.m. The ceremony featuring music, songs, and Chanukah treats will take place at the delta (Concord Avenue and Leonard Street} in front of the M&T Bank branch.

The annual event is coordinated by the Center for Jewish Life Arlington-Belmont which provides synagogue services, spiritual guidance, community outreach and education to inspire all Jewish people to discover a common bond of faith and observance.

New Belmont Library ‘Topping Off’ Set For Thanksgiving Tuesday, Nov. 26

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Photo: The steel frame of the new Belmont Public Library on Nov. 24

The Library Building Committee is welcoming the community to a “topping off” ceremony for the new Belmont Public Library at 336 Concord Ave. The event will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 26 starting at 11:30 a.m.

The ceremony comes as the steel frame of the two story, 41,500 sq.-ft. structure has been erected in the past month by contractor G&R Construction. Speaking before the Special Town Meeting last week, Library Building Committee member Kathy Keohane said the building is on schedule with the completion of construction by late summer 2005 with an opening day set for sometime in the fall.

The practice of “topping out” a new building began with a Scandinavian tradition of placing a small tree on the top of a new building to appease the tree-dwelling spirits that had been displaced by the new building.

The last topping off occurred in Belmont was the Middle School section of the High and Middle School in March 2022.

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.