New Hours Of Operation At Town Hall, Homer Building To Better Serve Residents

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Photo: The Homer Building.

In an effort to better serve Belmont residents seeking services, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Monday, June 4, to implement on a trial basis new operating hours at town offices in the Town Hall complex including Town Hall and the Homer Building.

Beginning this coming Monday, June 11, and running through Friday, Nov. 2, Town Hall and Homer building offices will remain open until 7 p.m. on Mondays after opening at 8 a.m. Hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will remain at the current 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday’s will see offices closing at noon. 

Offices in Town Hall include the Town Clerk, Town Adminstrator, and human resources. Over in the Homer Building is the Treasurer’s Office, Assessors, Recreation Department, Public Works, and Office of Community Development where building permits are issued.

“This is a trial change,” stated Patrice Garvin, Belmont’s town administrator. In October, the selectmen will review the operation and make a final determination on extending Monday hours permanently.

“The [selectmen] welcome your feedback on this change,” said Garvin in an email who added the town appreciations Belmont’s town employees, the workers impacted by the change, for working to resolve this matter to better serve the people of Belmont.

Questions related to this change can contact the Selectmen at 617- 993-2610 or e-mail to selectmen@belmont-ma.gov

2018 Town Meeting; Final Night, Segment B

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Photo: Town meeting.

It’s the final night of the 2018 Belmont Town Meeting and the only suspense will be how early we end the session. 

I’m predicting 9:15 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. while Ann Marie Mahoney and Ellen Cushman believe 9:45 p.m. to 10 p.m.

We are underway at 7:06 p.m.

Moderator Mike Widmer gives a well-earned shout out to the Town Clerk staff and employees of the town which put together the meeting.

A heartfelt tribute by Town Meeting to Dan Kelleher, Belmont’s Mr. Hockey, who recently passed away. 

7:15 p.m.: State Rep. David Rogers gives his report, the highlights are an increase in general government funds by 3.5 percent that helps the town’s overall revenue picture. Belmont will see an increase in ed funding (Chapter 70) by 16 percent. Increases in higher ed scholarship and financial aid, METCO, and legal aid. Legislatively, Rogers points to criminal justice reform, media literacy, restrict access to firearms for those who pose a significant danger to themselves or others, and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. 

7:30 p.m.: Bill Lovallo, chair of the Belmont High School Building Committee, presents a project update of the proposed building. Widmer is allowing Lovallo 30 minutes to make the case for the $300 million 7-12 grade building. The reason for the new school is due to skyrocketing enrollment causing overcrowding, and the high school is no longer big enough to hold the students who will attend in the future. The physical plant is threadbare and falling apart. How to make the improvement? “The when is now,” said Lovallo. If a debt exclusion is approved by voters in November, construction will begin in June of ’19 with the 12-9 grade building open in 2021 and the rest of the building in 2022. “We are at a crossroads,” he said. “We have a one time opportunity to find a solution for overcrowding,” he said. Lovallo is greeted with a round of applause for a very effective speech.

8:05 p.m.: Floyd Carman, town treasurer, presents the first article of the night, Article 24, which adjusts the benefit to spousal survivors from $6,000 to $12,000 for three residents. Selectmen and Warrant Committee vote favorable  It will increase the budget by $15,500. For more information, read about it here. Carman said it’s an issue of fairness for “short money.” Selectman Chair Dash said he voted against the measure last year and while he remains worried about unfunded pensions and benefits, it only increases that amount by a small amount. The question is called and passes 191-24. 

8:18 p.m.: Article 25 is the increase in the cost of living adjustment for town employees from $12,000 to $13,000, which will increase the unfunded liability $873,000 to be 100 percent by 2029 or about $130,000 by fiscal 2020. The selectmen voted yes, 3-0, while the Warrant Committee voted it down, 10-3. Bob McLaughlin, pct 2, said: “Enough is enough.” The town is not obligated to increase this benefit and “we can’t afford it.” The town meeting needs to show fiscal responsibility knowing that in five months voters will ask to approve a $225 million debt exclusion for a new high school. He fears that voting for added debt is poorly thought out. Geoffrey Lubien and Michael Crowley of the Warrant Committee said the town can support the debt (adding 1 percent on an $80 million debt) without affecting the overall fiscal health of the town, saying that savings can be found to fund the additional liability. Both talked about fairness to former employees. Jack Weis and Anne Helgen also of the Warrant Committee voted against the measure in the committee. Roy Epstein, chair of the Warrant Committee, said its a mistake to think that all retirees are living in poverty, that we don’t know what other income retirees have available to them. He said the $130,000 added debt is a big deal and it shouldn’t be minimized. Dash said last year the cola increase was higher but the retirement board came back with a smaller increase and the town should show the board some flexibility. In an emotional appeal, Kathleen “Fitzie” Cowing, pct 8, said the idea that public servants have “other” sources of retirement income is a fantasy. As a teacher married to a police officer – neither receiving social security – Cowing said the pension is a necessity. The motion is called and it passes 134 – 83 and I lose my bet. 

8:51 p.m.: Now before the members is Article 14, which asks the town to appropriate $770,000 to cap the incinerator on Concord Avenue. Glen Clancy, director of Community Development, gives a history of the site and the hoops the town had to jump through to own the land from the state. The town has a balance of $754,000 appropriated by past town meetings in 2007 and 2013 – years the Red Sox have won the world series! – to cap the site. It’s estimated that it will take $1,524,000 over the next two years to clean the site, which is the $770,000 coming from the town’s stabilization fund which is currently $3.5 million. The new amount for the fund after the $770,000 will be $2.7 million. With an estimate of $3.6 million to cap the site creates a shortfall of $743,340 which Mr. Clancy has no idea how that will be paid for. Passes on a voice vote. 

9:13 p.m.: After the required five-minute break, the fiscal year ’19 budget comes before the Town Meeting. Epstein presents an overview of the budget. Some good news but a lot of apprehensions in the near future with an operational override likely. 

9:33 p.m.: Here we go with the budget which is Article 19:

Employee benefits, retirement expenses: $7.9 million. Passes.

Employee benefits, other reserves: $3.3 million. Passes.

Public Safety: $14.5 million. Claus Becker, pct 5, has been asking for the past years for more data and information to compare with other communities so to benchmark expenses. Christine Doyle, pct 1, said this data research is important not just for public safety but throughout all departments. Selectman Mark Paolillo said, in fact, the information is out there and it should be provided, Passes.

Public Schools: $57.0 million. Superintendent John Phelan presents the budget which includes the always frightening enrollment numbers – there is going to be 1,667 high school students in the near future! – how the district compares with other towns, the number of positions added in the coming year, and a lot of detail. Judith Feins, pct 6, urges caution on predicting that enrollment will only go up as there is a baby bust in the nation, and the department should not be locked into the numbers the district is predicting. Sue Bass, pct 2, agrees with Feins that the enrollment numbers appear to be out of whack. Paul Roberts, pct 8, said while the district 

 

 

You Can Ring My Bell: Belmont Farmers Market’s Opening Day Thursday, June 7

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Photo: The Farmers Market is back for another season.

The Market Day bell will be heard throughout Belmont Center as the Belmont Farmers Market returns for another season on Thursday, June 7 in the Claflin Street Municipal Parking lot. Opening Day events include:

• 1:55 p.m.: Fanfare by Dave Douglas of the Arlington Philharmonic Orchestra.
• 2 p.m.: Ribbon-cutting by Patrice Garvin, Belmont’s Town Administrator and the ringing of the Market bell.
• 3:10 p.m.: Fred Astaire Dance Studio demonstration.
• 4:30 p.m. Irish and Anglo-American folk songs with Lindsay Straw.

Here is a list of this season’s vendors.

Storytime

• 4 p.m.: The Belmont Public Library returns with stories for kids and parents.

Community Table

The Popup library sponsored by the Belmont Public Library. Browse and check out a variety of books.

Belmont Food Pantry

Bring non-perishable items to support the Belmont Food Pantry. Drop them off at the Manager’s Tent.

Location: The municipal parking lot in Belmont Center, at the intersection of Cross Street and Channing Road, behind the now-closed Foodie’s Market on Leonard Street. Get directions at Google Maps.

Getting there The Market is near the MBTA commuter train and the 74 bus stops in Belmont Center. The market also has bicycle parking. Also, observe parking regulations on the street and in the lot.

Dates:  Thursdays, June 7 through October 25.

Hours:  Our hours change after Labor Day because the sun sets earlier:
•2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. from June through Labor Day
• 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. after Labor Day until the end of October

Weather: The market is open rain or shine (but not in violent storms). Events and Storytime may be canceled even if the Market is open; check with the Library on very hot or stormy weather.

Last Year’s Failed Articles Return On Town Meeting’s Final Night

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Photo: Floyd Carman, town treasurer.

“If at first you don’t succeed, Try, try, try again,” goes the old proverb by Thomas Palmer. And on the final night of the 2018 annual Town Meeting, two articles that failed in 2017 will return for a second try before the town’s legislative body.

Articles 24 and 25 are not financial expenditures for renovating buildings or purchasing material, but rather, is a matter of “fairness” as each measure makes adjusts payments to retirees and spousal survivors, according to Town Treasurer Floyd Carman who is sponsoring the measures.

Tonight’s meeting – which reconvenes at 7 p.m. at the Belmont High School – will take up the remaining budgetary articles come before the 300-plus members, including the big-ticket articles such as the school ($57 million) and town budgets in Article 19, along with a vote to expend $770,000 from a stabilization fund to “cap” the former incinerator site on Concord Avenue at the Lexington town line. 

While the financial articles make up more than 90 percent of the town’s $116.2 million fiscal year 2019 budget, the articles are unlikely to stir-up members at Town Meeting as they have been vetted by the Warrant Committee and many members have discussed the motions at Warrant meetings. That is not the case with the two returning articles.

Speaking before the Board of Selectmen on May 30, Carman said the changes being proposed would bring benefits to town employees and spouses to the level what school teachers receive. 

Article 24 will increase the annual spousal benefit to surviving spouses from $6,000 to $12,000. While it is the doubling of the monetary outlay, only three survivors currently collect this benefit with a further 11 who could collect the perk. If accepted, the budget will increase by $15,456 in fiscal year 2019. 

In Article 25, the maximum cost of living adjustment (COLA) for town employees will be upped by $1,000 to $13,000 which is the level of Belmont School teachers, marking the first increase in 20 years. The change will provide eligible employees an extra $30 a year. The jump will impact the fiscal ’19 budget by an additional $9,960.  

Both articles were defeated by the 2017 Town Meeting by a nearly two to one margin as members, who feared the town was likely to seek an operational and schools override in 2019 and were not in a mood to bring employees up to the benefit level of teachers. 

But Carman told the Selectmen that for “short money” the town will “bring a level of fairness” to all employees by providing a level playing field for all retirees. The Selectmen voted 3-0 to seek “favorable action” by members on both articles.

Track: Krafian Repeats As Hurdles State Champ; Perkins 2nd In Record Time

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Photo: Anoush Krafian

Belmont High School Senior Anoush Krafian finished her Massachusetts High School track career in style by repeating as champion in the 100 meters hurdles, coming within one-one hundredth of a second of the state record as she left a talented field in her wake at the MIAA All-State Outdoor Track and Field Meet held at Fitchburg State University on Saturday, June 2. 

The Dartmouth-bound Krafian flew over the 10 33-inch barriers in 14.26 seconds, a personal best and a Belmont High School record to win by more than half-a-second over runner-up Saige Tudisco of Pentucket Regional in 14.80. Krafian’s time was .01 of a second back of the state record of 14.25 set in 2011 by Brockton’s Vanessa Clerveaux who currently runs for Haiti internationally.

Earlier in the meet, Krafian jumped to a fourth-place finish in the high jump with a 5-foot, 6-inch effort, which tied with two other athletes for the second highest attempt (Krafian took fourth on the number of misses she accumulated in the meet) behind Anna Jordahl-Henry of Wellesley who won scaling 5’8″.

On Thursday, Krafian came close to repeating as the state’s pentathlon champion – a title she won indoors in February – as she broke her own state outdoor record by nearly 150 points. But she was overtaken by sophomore Jada Johnson of Sharon who destroyed her own personal best by 300 points to win the five-event competition, 3,529 to 3,408.

With her first, second and fourth place showings, Krafian earned all of Belmont’s 23 points to place 6th out of 71 schools scoring in the meet. 

On the boys’ side of the ledger, Belmont High Senior Calvin Perkins repeated last year’s All-State result placing second in a school record 48.16, this time to Phillips Magre of Somerville who dipped below the 48 second line in 47.98. Perkins took a half-second off last year’s race time to come close to the state record set by Boston College High’s Mike Greene 35 years ago. 

Belmont’s 4X400 relay team of seniors Max Serrano-Wu, Mel Nagashima, Bryan Huang and junior Nicholas Picardi took 7th in finals in 3 minutes, 24.75 seconds. 

Belmont’s Boys finished 25th with 10 points out of 77 teams scoring.

A Coach’s Tribute To Dan Kelleher, Belmont’s Mr. Hockey

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Photo: Belmont Mites, 2017 (credit: Agganis Arena)

By Paul Graham

In the suburbs of Boston, nestled between Cambridge and Waltham, and in a constant battle to the north with Arlington and to the south with Watertown, lies the hockey enclave of Belmont.

Although it does not receive the same fanfare as places like Warroad or Edina, Belmont is steeped with a tradition of producing hockey players. Since the 70s, hundreds of kids have come out of the Belmont Youth Hockey program and gone on to play in high school. Dozens have gone on to play college hockey. Many of these players have been good enough to play Division 1. We’ve even had a few make it all the way to the NHL. Regardless of what level you ultimately played, the love you have for the game can be traced back to that first team with that first coach. 

Belmont’s hockey culture has been around since the first half of the 20th century. Names like Red Marsh and Skip Viglirolo played on the 1959 US National team and represent some of the early champions of the game in our town. Since at least the mid-1970s, one person has coached every Mite Hockey player in the town of Belmont and therefore has been everyone’s first coach in that span.

That person is Dan Kelleher.

A lot of towns, I’m sure, have a person like Coach Kelleher. These are the people who are always around the rink and ballfield, teaching the game, and creating a culture of competitiveness fertilized with fun. In Belmont, we were lucky to have Coach Kelleher. Hundreds of kids can thank, to a very large degree, Coach Kelleher for their love of the game regardless of how many years, or what level of hockey, they ultimately played.

Thanks to Mr. Kelleher, as young kids, we were able to play in contests like the Perini tournament and the Arlmont Cup. Later he started the Belmont Christmas Mite Tournament. These tournaments, for a 5-, 6-, and 7-year-old, may as well have been for the Stanley Cup. They were competitive, and they were fun. When I run into some Arlington kids, they still sting from their 1980 Arlmont Cup defeat. Mr. Kelleher made these memories possible for us. All of us had parents who wanted their kids to experience the lessons and joys of teamwork and competing, but none of our parents could have asked for a better first coach for us. 

Aside from coaching Mite hockey for our travel program, Mr. Kelleher also ran “Rec” Hockey which was Belmont’s “in-house” program on Sunday mornings at the town rink. Mr. Kelleher would divide the players up into teams named after the Beanpot schools, and we would just play. It was awesome. Parents would plan which Mass to attend based on which hour of “rec” you had that week. When you would go to Mass, you would see your buddies, already dressed in their equipment, walking down the aisle to receive communion. Thirty minutes later, you’re lined up at a faceoff across from these same kids. That’s just the way it was, and it was great! It was Mr. Kelleher who volunteered his time, and who rounded up his friends to help him so that all of us could have these opportunities to have more ice-time through “rec hockey.” That’s a lot of time and effort that he put in for so many of us. Many towns may have someone playing this role, but nobody else had Mr. Kelleher. 

Of course, it was a family affair for the Kellehers. To give that kind of time to the kids of our town, he had the First Lady of Belmont Hockey working with him and doing all the behind-the-scenes stuff. Mrs. Kelleher is the best. She knew who the kids were who would block shots and pay the price to win the battles in the corners and in front of the net. She also knew exactly who would shy away from contact and not pay the price – of course the latter was not acceptable behavior in Belmont. If she told you that you had a “nice game,” you were probably on the good list that day!

Mr. and Mrs. Kelleher produced five sons who would play at least college hockey. That’s incredible but now think of the math involved to shuttle five boys to X number of rinks throughout a weekend let alone a week during those youth hockey years. Then, add in the rinks where Mr. and Mrs. Kelleher would be when none of their boys were playing in the game or practice. There is no real way for the rest of us to express gratitude for time and energy they devoted to the hockey playing (and baseball playing for that matter) youth of Belmont. 

Most of us had Dad’s who taught us to give firm handshakes and look people in the eye while shaking hands. This process was next to impossible when shaking the hand of Mr. Kelleher. His hands were massive and powerful. To shake his hand, even into adulthood, one had to be mentally prepared. Focus in and do your best to get a good grip. Even if you succeeded up to this point, the best you could do was try to flex the tips of your fingers, and even then, you were touching all palm. His hands engulfed yours. All you could do was give it your best so you could look your own father in the eye afterward. Nothing worse than giving a fish handshake especially to someone who commanded respect like Mr. Kelleher. You did everything you could to accomplish the impossible when shaking his hand. 

Coach Kelleher expected you to give it your best, to compete, and to have fun. Of course, it’s hard to have fun when you lose, but we were lucky enough to grow up in Belmont. We really didn’t know too much about losing other than that was what Watertown and Arlington did when we played them.

He was one of many in Belmont who would teach teams how to play the game, but he was the one who laid the foundation for all of us by being our first coach. So much of what you learn about the game, about “team,” about hustle, and about competing stems from your first team. For over 40 years, Belmont kids can point to Dan Kelleher as that first coach. 

Thank you, Mr. Kelleher. 

Graham is the long-time coach of Belmont High School Girls’ Soccer who also coached Boys’ Lacrosse.

Belmont Garden Club Is Selling Plants And Showing Off On Saturday

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Photo: Perennials, please!

The Belmont Garden Club will be holding its annual Perennial Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to noon on Belmont’s Town Day, Saturday, June 2. Plants, annuals, and herbs will be on sale with all proceeds going to the club’s college scholarships, town plants and community programs. 

The sale will take place in front of the Belmont Lions Club at the corner of Royal Road and Common Street near the commuter rail tunnel at the entrance of Belmont Center.

Coinciding with the sale, the Garden Club is holding its summer show at the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room from 10 p.m. to 2 p.m. 

 

Redo: Great Activities At Belmont’s Town Day Set For Saturday, June 2

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Photo: The crowd comes out for Town Day

Belmont Town Day 2018 is being held, come rain or shine, on Saturday, June 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Leonard Street in Belmont Center. Belmont Savings Bank is proud to be once again the presenting sponsor of Town Day.

The day’s schedule includes:

  • 9 am – 2 pm: Classic Car Show at Belmont Savings
  • 9 am – 3 pm: Basketball Shooting Contest in front of Il Casale
  • 9 am – 3:30 pm: Dunk Tank in front of Il Casale
  • 9am – 3:30 pm: Crafts Tables
  • 9 a.m. – 4 pm: Face Painting in front of Belmont Savings
  • 10:30 am – 2:30pm: Pony Rides will take place under the bridge, across the street, beside gazebo. Free rides sponsored by Belmont Savings Bank.
  • 11 am – 1:30 p.m.: Camel Ride on Moore Street
  • Noon – 12:30 pm: Belmont Savings Dog Show

ENTERTAINMENT ON MAIN STAGE | Sponsored by East Boston Savings Bank

  • 8:30 am – 10 am: Don Pentleton Trio
  • 10 am – 10:30 am: Taekwondo Demonstration
  • 10:30 am –11 am: Fred Astaire Dance Studio
  • 11 am – 2 pm: The Loved Dog Band
  • 2:15 pm – 3 pm: Hornography

Below are a few of some of the favorite activities:

5th Annual Belmont Savings Dog Show

Belmont Savings is proud to host our 5th annual dog show for Town Day!  Come by to “ooh” and “aaah” over some of the cutest furry four-legged friends in town.

All dogs entered for and present at the event will be judged for the title of “Best in Show”!  Plus, each entrant will receive a gift bag valued at over $50. Walk-ups entrants the day of the show will be accepted but early entries are rewarded with a chance to win an additional contest.

Cash Cube

Belmont Savings will bring out the Cash Cube, giving you a chance to walk away with some free cash for yourself and a matching amount donated to the Foundation for Belmont Education. Cash Cube hours: 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.  

Inaugural Gift Card Giveaway

Belmont Savings Bank is sponsoring the inaugural gift card giveaway! The Belmont Center Business Association has donated a total of 20 gift cards valued at $25 each) to be awarded to anyone who enters online. 20 winners will be drawn right after the Dog Show at the Main Stage.

Merchants include: Terra Firma, Thirty Petals, Irresistibles, A Chocolate Dream, Belmont Toy Shop,  Champions Sporting Goods, Patou Thai, Kashish, Craft Beer Cellar, Alchemy 925, Quebrada, Bessie Blue, Foodies, Rancatores Ice Cream and Yogurt, Gregory’s House of Pizza, Stone Hearth Pizza, Bells and Whistles, Westcott Mercantile, Local Root/ Didriks, and Cuvee Fine Wines. 

Enter now to be one of the lucky gift card winners pulled at Town Day. (Winners do not need to be present to win. All winners will be contacted on Monday, June 4.) 

BREAKING: Foodie’s Closing Thursday After Failing To Attract Customers

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Photo: Au revoir, Foodies

The rumors have been swirling around Belmont Center for the past few months: Foodie’s Market was on its heels financially. Business owners on Leonard Street heard the number of customers coming to the store had never materialized as the Roxbury-based business and landlord, Locatelli Properties, had hoped. Recently, the market suddenly removed an application before the Zoning Board of Appeals to place a small cafe in the store to attract people to have lunch and dinner in the store. 

“It’s not a good sign,” said Gerry Dickhaut, owner of Champions Sporting Good and president of the Belmont Center Business Association, said just last week. 

Today, the scuttlebutt proved true. According to a spokesperson at Foodie’s headquarters in Boston, the supermarket in the former Filene’s’ store will close on Thursday, May 31, nearly a year after opening in the center. 

“All I can say is we are closing our Belmont operation. That’s it,” the spokesperson said.

No reason was provided, yet a person who works closely with Foodie’s speaking on background said a highly-competitive food marketplace – a Whole Foods, a Trader Joe’s, and two Star Market locations are within two miles of the smallish (15,000 square feet) Foodie’s outlet – and the market’s challenging layout in the basement of the new building which forced shoppers to climb down a long stairwell from the Leonard Street storefront proved a “hard nut to crack.” 

Breaking: Belmont’s Mr. Hockey, Dan Kelleher, Dead

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Photo: A banner honoring Dan Kelleher for his 40 years volunteering with Belmont Youth Hockey.

Daniel “Dan” Kelleher who for five decades volunteered as a coach and mentor with Belmont Youth Hockey and was the first coach to generations of Belmont hockey players, has died. 

The long-time resident with his wife, Maura, of Long Avenue, was in frail health for the past few years. Yet he was frequently seen rink-side during Belmont High School’s playoff run this past season, having coached the majority of players a decade earlier.

“Belmont Hockey and the entire town have lost a legend,” twitted Belmont High Hockey. “40 plus years of volunteering for hockey and baseball. Had an impact on thousands of young athletes. Will be missed but never forgotten.”

“On the ice or off, Dan Kelleher was the kind of guy you wanted your kids to learn from,” wrote Kevin Kavanagh, executive director at Massachusetts Hockey.

Kelleher will best be remembered as the coach of Belmont Youth Hockey’s Mites, the eight-year-old and under players who play in their first competitive games against other towns. He hosted the annual holiday Mite tournament over the Christmas break that attracted teams from around eastern Massachusetts to Belmont. 

Kelleher also coached baseball with the Middlesex Senior Babe Ruth League.

Kelleher is a member of the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame (2001) and the 2001 recipient of the William Thayer Tutt Award, USA Hockey’s highest volunteer award.

He is survived by five sons, all of who played college hockey. Last year, his son Patrick was named the executive director of USA Hockey, the sport’s national governing body.