Planning Board Awaits ‘Groundhog Day’ Meeting on Cushing Village

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Photo: Groundhog Day, the movie.

Some may find it ironic that the developer of Cushing Village, the troubled retail/residential/parking project at the corner of Common Street and Trapelo Road, will be before the Planning Board on Groundhog Day, Tuesday, Feb. 2.

Wry laughter reverberated through the Board of Selectmen’s room when the Planning Board’s Karl Haglund mentioned the confluence at the board’s Tuesday, Jan. 19 meeting. It was not lost on most people the long-stalled development reminds many of the classic 1993 film of the same name in which Bill Murray finds himself repeating the same day (Groundhog Day) over and over again.

Only here, it is the board and residents who had been reliving the same issues and promises from Cushing Village’s developer, Chris Starr of Smith Legacy Partner Series, since July 2013 when the Planning Board approved a special permit and design and site plan review to allow construction to start on the 164,000 sq.-ft., three building project.

All that is missing is hearing Sonny and Cher sing, “I’ve Got You, Babe” that starts each new/same day in the film.

Cushing Village and its future were part of the Planning Board’s agenda this week as the body received a written update from Starr’s development team, a board request made earlier in the month after Smith Legacy failed to meet a series of “hard” deadlines it had committed to meet in December.

This second update, dated Jan. 19, was revealing for its lack of specifics and the acknowledgment that Starr is using the two abandoned buildings on the site as his main collateral to secure construction financing. It also avoided mentioning Starr purchasing the municipal parking lot adjacent to Trapelo Road, which is a key to moving the project forward.

“I’m surprised that we still haven’t heard the target date about the closing (on the parking lot) given that we heard many times that the date was close, and all but one document was needed the last time they were here in December,” said Planning Board member Barbara Fiacco.

“I was expecting this update to address the closing date issue,” said Fiacco.

Even the supposed good news of finding potential tenants for the troubled project, there is a concern the news is not as bright as it appears. 

For the second time in as many weeks, Starr said his search for a “small-format food store anchor tenant” is “progressing” yet could not confirm that a lease was close to being signed. 

“We are in discussions with a financially strong, experienced, market[-]leader that prides itself on providing fresh, high-quality prepared food and other necessities in a small format store,” wrote Starr, saying the store will take up 15,000 sq.-ft. 

While announcing the signing of two leases – a store and a restaurant – to fill the 38,000 sq.-ft. retail space, Starr refused to detail the who, what, and how long of the potential occupants.

The restaurant, dubbed “Arigna”, is only described as taking 5,000 sq.-ft. Starr does not name the owner or the type of establishment, although there is some indication that it would be in the Irish pub category as Arigna is the name of a small coal mining town in Ireland. The only other establishment with that name is in Pawtucket, RI.

And while heralding the signing of a “major national tenant,” Starr claims “confidentiality.” While noting the national brand coming to the site, it will likely be a small outlet. Saying the three retail operators will take up 22,400 sq.-ft. and the restaurant and market using 20,000 sq.-ft., the national tenant would be in the 2,400 sq.-ft. range. Some popular commercial uses for that space requirement includes reduced-sized bank branches or a 7-11 convenience store. 

Even if Starr can close on three leases, the retail component will only be 60 percent of capacity, with 15,000 sq.-ft. remaining “vacant.” In comparison, two under-construction commercial buildings in nearby Watertown have sold out their retail space which is in the 25,000 sq.-ft. range. Starr has stated that “construction financing has hinged in the past on our retail pre-leading activity.” 

But it was Starr’s explanation why demolition has not yet begun that raised the eyebrows of some board members and those in the audience. He revealed the two abandoned and dilapidated buildings on the site, the former S.S. Pierce & Co. and the First National/CVS, is the development company’s “current bank collateral for our mortgage.” 

“While our current bank [Wells Fargo] bank might allow us to perform selective small-scale demolition, we don’t think doing a portion of he demolition destruction will help move [along] the project,” said Starr. 

“I was surprised that they are only revealing now that the existing, mostly vacant buildings are the collateral for their existing mortgage because part of the agreement they made was to do the demolition on an early timetable,” said Haglund. “Maybe he was optimistic moving on to the closing.” 

Starr said he expects to close on the parking lot on or before Feb. 2. 

 

Obituary: Vinny DiGiovanni; Owned Hillside Garden

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Photo: Vinny DiGiovanni.

The final time Dante Muzzioli saw Vincent DiGiovanni was the day before his friend passed away.

“I knew Vinny since I was four years old and, along with my father, inspired me and made me who I am today,” said the Belmont businessman and long-time Belmont High School Boys’ Hockey Coach.

Muzzioli said he was able to tell DiGiovanni of his love for the lifelong Belmontian and the quiet, honest way he lived his life.

“He taught me the biggest lesson of my life, that hard work is the great equaliser, that you are not entitled to anything,” Muzzioli said.

“I saw a man who lived his life through perseverance and that’s why I admired him,” he said. 

DiGiovanni, the owner of Hillside Garden & True Value at 280 Blanchard Rd., who spent his entire 95 years in Belmont, passed away on Tuesday Jan.19, 2016 surrounded by his family.

“My heart is heavy but make no mistake, Vincent went to heaven, I’m sure of that,” said Muzzioli. 

Known just as “Vinny” to generations of gardeners and frustrated handymen, DiGiovanni’s dedication and hard work made his little supply store a success. 

“He was there every day, getting to know the customers. He knew where everything was in his store. There wasn’t a time when he wasn’t around the store,” said Stephen Rosales, a former member of the Board of Selectmen. 

When age caught up to him, DiGiovanni would continue to man the key-making machine, cutting and buffing duplicates that performed better than the original. 

Born in 1921 into a house that would soon be filled with nine brothers and sisters – Guy, Rocco,”Skippy,” Anna, Tony, Mary, Louis, Joe and Charlie – he attended Belmont schools graduating from the High School in 1939. When war broke out in 1941, he quickly joined the U.S. Army Air Corp, serving in China, Burma and India until the hostilities ended in 1945.

Coming home, DiGiovanni did two things: start his gardening and supply business and marry his lifelong business partner and best friend, Antonette Mazzola. They were married for 64 years when  Antonette died in 2010. 

Soon after opening, Hillside became the “go to” store for gardening and household needs. DiGiovanni was known both for the quality of his supplies and material he sold.

“In our house, we always went to Vinny’s, not Hillside Supply,” said Ellen Cushman, Town Clerk and lifelong resident. “He grew all his flowers and plants from seed. I still go to pick up my Memorial Day geraniums from him,” she said.

And there was DiGiovanni’s key-making skills, which Cushman said he “had a real art for.”

The reason his duplicate keys worked so well “is because he took pride in everything he did,” said Rosales. 

That attention to detail was just part of his character.

“[Vinny] was so generous. A really lovely, soft-spoken man who would greet patrons with a real idea of customer service, like the old days,” said Cushman.

“If someone can say, ‘what a good guy. He conducted himself with integrity, people liked him and he liked people,’ that’s not a bad way to go,” said Rosales. 

As he said his goodbye to his friend, DiGiovanni told Muzzioli how proud he was of him.

“I wasn’t his kid, his son, but he found the time to tell me that,” said Muzzioli.

DiGiovanni was the devoted father of Anne Carignan of Bedford, Alice DiGiovanni of South Portland, Maine, Joseph DiGiovanni of Ipswich, Mary DiGiovanni of Waltham, Gerard DiGiovanni of Belmont, Joan Klos of Ipswich, Rose McBride of Amesbury, and Carol Calabro of Acton. He is predeceased by Vincent DiGiovanni Jr. He leaves behind many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, his surviving brother and sisters and a community of friends. 

Visiting hours will take place in St. Joseph Church, 130 Common St., on Thursday, Jan. 21 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Joseph Church on Friday, Jan. 22 at 9 a.m. Burial, next to his wife, will take place at Belmont Cemetery after Mass. 

Instead of flowers contributions in his name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or St. Vincent DePaul Society, 18 Canton Street, Stoughton, MA 02072 or Pine Street Inn, 444 Harrison Ave. Boston, MA or to the charity of your choice.

Sports: Two Late Goals Gives Boys’ Hockey Thrilling Tie against Reading

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Photo: Belmont’s assistant captain senior Evan Biette celebrates the first goal vs. Reading.

The Belmont High Boys’ Ice Hockey may have kept their fans on the edge of their seats until late in their home match with Reading Memorial High on Saturday, Jan. 16.

And with less than six minutes to go, two team captains sent the Belmont supporters leaping out of those same seats as the Marauders (4-4-2) roared back from two goals down to tie Rockets, 3-3, in an afternoon mantinee thriller at the Skip. 

“For our guys, we’ve been waiting for a turning point where they realize they can win against the top teams in the league. And I have been waiting for them to respond like this and I’m hoping that we have tuned that corner,” said Belmont’s first year Head Coach Fred Allard. 

Senior forward Dave Bailey’s shot from the right of the goal beat Reading’s junior goalie Devon Bruzzese on the power play with 3 minutes 51 seconds left in the game to secure the valuable one point to the one loss but five tie Rockets (3-1-5). The play started with a smart reaction on the blue line from junior defender Adam Cronin who found fellow defender, big Kevin Quick, who set Bailey up with the tough angle shot.

Bailey’s goal came 98 seconds after senior co-captain Cole Michael got the Marauders within a goal with a shot by Bruzzese’s glove from a great assist by sophomore linemate Steve Rizzuto. 

Belmont was able to stay in the game in large part due to the smooth and steady goaltending of junior Cal Christofori who was helped by a few cross bars saves. While the Rockets were able to pepper Christofori in the first two periods, many of the shots were from distance due to the hard work from senior defenders co-captain Trey Butler and assistant captain Evan Biette to deny Reading’s forwards from collecting passes inside the slot.

It was Biette who put Belmont on top, 1-0, against the run of play with 2:48 left in the first period who, like Bailey, scored from a tight left side shot. 

Reading’s top players which brought the Rockets back in the second period as junior Matt Thomson and junior speedster Kevin Tobin scored; Thomson pushing the puck past a prone Christofori who appeared to have made the save and Tobin showing some skating magic on the power play.

After Belmont went down by a pair early in the second, the Marauders appeared to be on the assent, just missing out on a second goal mid-way through the final 15 minutes from a quick whistle as the puck was bouncing around the goal mouth before rolling in. 

Saying it “is a great group who now have to believe in themselves,” Allard said the team has one goal for the season; 20 points.

“We’re ten points from qualifying for the [MIAA post-season] tournament,” said Allard. “We have 20 points on the [drawing] board [in the locker room] and we are knocking the points off towards that goal which will be a return to the tournament in five years. It’s that simple. Keep knocking the points off until where at zero.” 

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‘We Have Work To Do’: Challenges Continue As Belmont Honors MLK

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Photo: State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry.

While many national political figures have decided to ride the popular wave of refusing to assist the refugees from a chaotic world, State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry will not stand silent. 

“When Dr. King said the measure of a man is not where he stands in a moment of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenges and controversy,” she told a full house during her keynote speech at the 22nd annual Martin Luther King Day Breakfast held on Monday, Jan. 18 in the Belmont High School cafeteria.  

We face these choices every day, said Forry.

“It is the choice of an elected official to remind us that this country welcomes all people, especially those who seek refuge in a time of war or terror because it is the right thing to do,” she said to the applause of those in attendance at the yearly event which serves as a fundraiser for the METCO Support Fund which provides services to those students who travel from Boston to attend Belmont schools.

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Samari (left) and Merly Winklaar performing at the MLK Breakfast.

“We have work to do,” declared Forry, as she spoke of the lasting legacy of King and how his life continues to influence the pursuit of civil rights in today’s America. 

Forry told the crowd King knew that equality could not be won through violence but by boycotts, marches, and peaceful demonstrations.

“But today we see both,” she said, pointing to events in Baltimore and Fergeson, Missouri, where violent actions “have overshadowed, but no silence the peaceful calls for change from demonstrators from across our country.”

Follen spoke about her upbringing in a Haitian household and recognize the struggle of both an African-American and first-generation immigrant family, and how through hard work she would be speaking Monday as the state senator from the First Suffolk District.

“Only in this country could this happen,” she said. 

She spoke of falling in love and marrying an Irish Bostonian (Bill Forry, editor and publisher of the Dorchester Reporter, Boston Irish Reporter and Boston Haitian Reporter), of raising four children in a multicultural household in their Dorchester home.

Forry said it was ten years ago that she ran and won a state House seat from Boston, serving for eight-and-a-half years a district that encompassed urban neighborhoods and suburbs including Milton where she worked with Belmont’s current school district superintendent John Phelan.

During that time she sought to bring urban and suburban leaders to the table “although we think there is nothing in common, there is always common ground.”  

In 2013, she won the election to succeed Tom Finnerian whose state senate seat includes South Boston, the bastion of opposition to racial desegregation in the 1970s and 1980s.

One of her first challenges was that, as South Boston’s state senator, she would host the long-standing St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast, a political roast that was until 2014 the bastion of Irish-American men. Soon after winning the seat, Boston City Council President Bill Linehan and some press outlets said only a South Boston native should host the event.

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“But the thing those guys didn’t know realize is that I’m the real ‘Black Irish,’” Forry said. And while the incident was hurtful, she had her champions including the former state senators William “Billy” Bulger and current US Rep. Stephen Lynch, who spoke up and declared that “Of course she’s going to host it.” 

“I saw the best of my friends and supporters during that period. They did not stand silent. They stood with me and … that they would be there for me,” she recalled.  

Forry said moments like that when she feels like lashing out, “I remember Dr. King’s words. ‘Love is the only force capable of turning an enemy into a friend’.”  

“We have an opportunity in these times of challenges and controversy to work to realize King’s dream. As a nation, we have already come far, but there is so much more we can do,” she said, including advocating for diverse education, supporting growth in local businesses to lift families out of poverty along with creating jobs and combat income inequality.

“We have work to do,” she said. 

 

 

Waltham Hotel Owner Proposing Boutique Inn at Pleasant and Brighton

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Photo: A rendering of the proposed Belmont Inn Suites at the corner of Pleasant and Brighton streets.

A Waltham entrepreneur has pulled permits with the Office of Community Development to renovate the former Mini-Mart Market at the corner of Pleasant and Brighton streets into a “luxury boutique hotel” similar to ones he both ran and is proposing in Waltham.

Mike Colomba is seeking to create a two-story “The Belmont Inn Suites” at 334 Pleasant St. consisting of 18 guest rooms, a cafe for guests, a fitness room, a business center and management offices on the 14,400 sq.-ft. site, according to documents at Town Hall.

Colomba is scheduled to come before the Zoning Board of Appeals on Tuesday, Feb. 2 to present the proposal. If the ZBA approves four special permits – on various setbacks and height variances – the hotel will be the first in Belmont in decades.

This month, the ZBA narrowly denied special permits to transform the abandoned service station across Brighton Street into a Dunkin’ Donuts after hearing from neighbors who complained about possible increase traffic and noise issues.

The project will not be new construction but a “complete exterior renovation” to create a building that is “a veritable gem” in what Colomba calls an “up and coming commercial area” in Belmont.

The hotel will have 19 parking spaces and “lush” landscaping.

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The view from Pleasant Street of the proposed Belmont Inn Suites.

Brighton-based Rojas Design, Inc. created the designs. The architectural and landscape firm is owned by former Belmont Selectman Andy Rojas.

Colomba, who owns the restaurant Brelundi on Felton Street in Waltham and recently sold the Crescent Suite Hotel in the same town. He is currently proposing to build a 45-room hotel on the 200 block of Moody Street in Waltham.

A Youtube presentation by Waltham News Watch with Colomba describing Crescent Suite Hotel is below:

Colomba could not speak when reached on Tuesday, Jan. 19 but will be giving interviews on the concept later in the week.

In his permit documentation, Colomba said: “[T]he transformation (of the site) will improve the property values for the entire neighborhood.” His past hotel projects generated room, meals and sales taxes for the hosting community while noting that a lodging project “will not overload school and generates less traffic” than other uses at the location.

“My hotels are quiet and respectful” of the surrounding neighborhoods, said Colomba.

Town Seeking Election Workers to Help During ‘Busy’ 2016

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Photo:

It will be a busy 2016 for voters in Belmont with four planned elections. And the Belmont Board of Registrars and Town Clerk are committed to administering fair, open and efficient elections. 

To do this the Town Clerk’s office rely on the dedicated services of the more than 100 election workers and we’re always looking for more top-notch Belmont voters to join this group. Election workers play a vital role in the democratic process. To properly staff polling locations, we need to add to our pool of election workers for the upcoming 2016 elections:

  • Tuesday, March 1: Presidential Primary Election
  • Tuesday, April 5: Annual Town Election
  • Thursday, Sept. 8: State Primary Election
  • Tuesday, Nov. 8: Presidential General Election.

Applicants must be registered to vote in Belmont. Training is provided before each election. You’ll learn how elections actually work while earning $10 an hour. 

There are typically two shifts on Election Day:  6 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. to approximately 9 p.m.  Workers are not required to work every election; you let the Clerk’s office know which dates and shifts you are available.

“It’s a great way to meet new  people, and learn about elections from the inside,” said Town Clerk Ellen Cushman.

Interested? Visit the election workers page on the Town Clerk’s site or email to townclerk@belmont-ma.gov

Preservation Committee Approves $818K in Grants; Next Stop, Town Meeting

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Photo: PQ Playground.

The Community Preservation Committee will recommend to the annual Town Meeting in May spending a little more than $800,000 on six projects set to preserve the town’s historical records, enhance the open space around a landmark and provide recreation to town residents.

The committee voted on Wednesday, Jan. 13 to approved six out of the seven final applications totaling $818,350. A $50,000 request to the Conservation Commission to create a fund to purchase land was withdrawn by the commission before the vote. 

The list of approved projects include:

• Construction of an Intergenerational Walking Path at Clay Pit Pond. Sponsor: Mary Trudeau, agent, Belmont Conservation Commission. $228,350.

• Preserving Belmont’s Original Vital Records. Sponsor: Ellen Cushman, Belmont Town Clerk. $80,000.

• Digitizing Belmont’s Town Meeting Records, Sponsor: Ellen Cushman, $85,000.

• Town Hall Exterior Railings Improvements. Sponsor: Gerald R. Boyle, Facilities Dept, $75,000.

• Pequossette Playground Revitalization study. Sponsor: Julie Crockett, Friends of PQ Park, $25,000.

• Reconstruction of Winn Brook tennis courts, Sponsor: Jay Marcotte, Belmont DPW, $325,000

The projects sponsors and the CPA committee are scheduled to meet with the Warrant Committee on March 2, said CPC member Floyd Carman while meetings with the Board of Selectmen and Capital Budget Committee are being arranged. 

Adopted by Belmont voters in 2010, the Community Preservation Act fund is financed by a 1.5 percent property tax surcharges  and annual distributions received from the state’s “Massachusetts Community Preservation Trust Fund.”

This Week: Tasteful Home Staging, Teen Dance Party, Learn Bollywood Dance Gold

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The government side of “This Week”:

  • The Planning Board will meet at Town Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. where it will finalize proposed zoning amendments for Single Residence C Zoning districts and discuss the decision-making process for GR Zoning District applications. And, an update on Cushing Village … AGAIN.
  • The School Committee meets on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School to hear updates on the district’s facilities, school calendar and from the Space Task Force. 
This week Belmont High School is holding mid-term exams so give all stressed-out teenagers plenty of room.
Tuesday is story time at both of Belmont libraries:
  • Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, 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 located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
  • Pre-School Storytime at the Belmont Public Library beginning at 9:30 a.m. We’ll read longer books, sing, and dance, and make simple crafts. For 3-5-year-olds with a longer attention span. At 10:30 a.m., is Story Time for 2’s and 3’s.

• State Sen. Will Brownsberger will hold office hours at the Belmont Public Library on Tuesday, Jan. 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• Staff from U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark’s office will be available for walk-in office hours at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Jan. 19 from noon to 1 p.m.

• Deb Lockett will lead a free workshop on Tasteful Home Staging at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 1:15 p.m. She will share tips on what home buyers are looking for and how homeowners can prepare their homes to be competitive in the marketplace. If you are not planning to move soon, staging your home makes it attractive for you and visitors while you live in it and also gets you ready should you decide to move in the future. 

• Meet Belmont artist Roz Grunmann at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 3 p.m. who has her pastels on display at the Center through Jan. 29. Learn the inspiration and story of her tropical themed works, and ask questions about her technique and travels. Refreshments provided.

• It’s exam week at Belmont High Schools so what better time for a dance party. The Belmont Public Library will be hosting a “Just Dance” teen dance party from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19 in the library’s Assembly Room.

• The Beech Street Center will present a five-week class teaching a new exercise class, Bollywood Dance Gold, over five weeks beginning Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 4 p.m. One of the fastest growing dance forms in the world, Bollywood Dance is a full cardio workout, strengthens muscles and helps you stay fit. It incorporates Indian bhangra, belly-dancing, jazz, and pop music. Learn basic rhythm, arm and foot movements in creatively choreographed sessions with upbeat Bollywood dance tracks. The dance is paced for members age 50+, and no dance experience required. Cost: $15.

• Infant Storytime, for infants up to 12 months and pre-walkers, includes a short program of songs and rhymes followed by time to play and socialize. The fun takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• The Belmont Book Discussion Group will read and discuss “We are Completely Beside Ourselves,” by Karen Joy Fowler on Wednesday, Jan. 20 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the library’s Flett Room. Everyone is welcome to attend. Copies of the book can be requested through the library catalog or call the Reference library staff at 617-993-2870.

• Attention teens, grades 9 and up!  Looking for a new community service opportunity that will look great on your college applications? Come to the Belmont Public Library Teen Advisory Board meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 20, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the library’s Young Adult Room. Sign up to attend by stop by the library’s reference desk, or call 617-993-2873.

• The Chenery Middle School Honors Concert will be held in the school’s auditorium at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 20.

• Storytime for 1’s is for walkers and toddlers under 24 months will be held on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 10:30 a.m. in the library’s Flett Room. They will share simple stories, songs, and nursery rhymes, and end with time to play.

• Join other 2nd and 3rd graders to talk about this month’s book, Squish: Super Amoeba by Jennifer Holm on Thursday, Jan. 21 from 3:30 p.m. to  4:15 p.m. in the Flett Room. Please register by clicking on the hand icon here or by calling the Children’s Department at 617-993-2880.

• Dr. Jolene Ross of the Foundation for Wellness Professionals will speak on “Natural Solutions for Executive Function Struggles and ADHD” on Thursday, Jan. 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room  All are welcome to attend this free program.

• The Belmont Storm Water Working Group will be holding its monthly meeting on Thursday, Jan. 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• Literacy Playgroup is a parent and child group that supports child’s language and literacy development on Friday, Jan. 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room. You’ll play, read, sing and take home new ideas. Presented by educators from the CFCE grant program; for children age 4 and under.

• Local health counselor and wellness coach Sigal Bar-Gill will offer ways to lower chronic inflammation at a talk at the Beech Street Center on Friday, Jan. 22 at 1:15 p.m. 

• The school district is declaring Jan. 22 to Jan. 24 as a homework free weekend. This decision will give your student more time clearing snow from the sidewalks. 

Sports: Belmont Girls Hoops Wear Down Rockets, 53-41

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Photo: Carly Christofori (left) and Sarah Stewart on defense for Belmont.

Friday night’s tussle with the one-win Reading High Rockets was just the type of game Belmont High will benefit from, said Marauders’ Head Coach Melissa Hart.

Sometimes your team just has to grind out a victory over an opponent that wouldn’t go away.

“That was a tough game that we had to play hard to stay in front,” said Hart of her team’s 53-41 victory over the Rockets, and upping the Marauders record to 5-2 in the Middlesex League Liberty Division. 

What looked like a potential blowout after the first four minutes in which Belmont raced to a 9-0 lead on sophomore Jenny Calls’ three-point and some slashing inside drives by point guard Carly Christofori.

But Reading would scrape back behind the three from Julia Sullivan (6 points) to tie the game at nine before sophomore Greta Propp and junior forward Reagan Haight dropped in shots to up the Marauder lead to four (13-9) after one-quarter. 

Belmont’s advantage would grow to seven (22-15) when Propp (8 points) scored two free throws with 1:11 left in the half although the Rockets would climb back to keep it close at the half, 22-18.

The third quarter was more a display of hope over skill as at point both teams had more fouls than points. Stepping up in the quarter were Call and Christofori as Call hit two from distance (part of her game-high 14 point night) and Christifori (13 points) went 4-6 from the line to go along with two baskets to keep Belmont out in front, 36-30, going into the final eight minutes.

Belmont put the game away with a 15-point fourth quarter as senior co-captain Irini Nikolaidis (11 points) scored nine going 5-7 from the charity stripe. 

Next up for Belmont is a 3 p.m. exam week contest Tuesday vs. a strong Burlington team. 

Sports: Starters Push Belmont Past Reading to Take League Lead

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Photo: Belmont Joe Shaughnessy dunks the ball against Reading. 

Three starters scored 61 of Belmont High’s 76 points as the Marauders’ climbed to the top of the Middlesex League’s Liberty Division with a hard fought 76-71 victory over the visiting Reading Memorial High Rockets in a battle for first place Friday night, Jan. 15 at the Wenner.

Seniors Matt Kerans (21 points) and Joe Shaughnessy (20 points) joined junior Paul Ramsey (20 points) to power the Marauders offense as its five starters played the majority of the game.

“Sometimes that happens. I didn’t feel that anyone was in jeopardy of fouling out, our defense was pretty good and everyone was making good decisions and most of all, they were playing together,” said Belmont’s long time head coach Adam Pritchard whose team currently stands 8-3 overall and 6-1 in league play.

“It’s a great goal,” said Pritchard on leading the league nearing mid-season. “This is this group’s chance to set their mark and it’s something that we will be working for.” 

Belmont came fast out of the gate, jumping to a 14-5 lead as the Marauders took advantage of its height advantage to get inside and score from in close. Ramsey was able to make three baskets inside along with a free throw in the first.

“Everyone on this team knows what Paul has done for us. He’s just an incredible rebounder and takes the tough defensive assignments,” said Pritchard.

But before you could say “Jared Thorpe-Johnson,” the Rocket’s senior forward hit a bucket and a three-pointer with 9.5 seconds left in the period to finish off a 11-2 run and tie the score at 16 (with Thorpe-Johnson accounting for 12) after one-quarter. 

The second quarter saw the shoe on the other foot as Reading out hustled Belmont to a 23-19 lead. But in this game of momentum changes, the Marauders stepped up their defense and fast break to pull off a 9-0 run to lead 28-23 midway through the quarter.

Back came the Rockets and the lead see-sawed between the squads before being knotted up at 34 at the half.

The second half saw Belmont exploit the height advantage of having senior forwards Justin Wagner (7 points) and Shaughnessy down low.

“I think tonight [Shaughnessy] showed what he can do with his back to the basket. He is one of the best post-up players in the league,” said Pritchard. 

As Reading backed in to stop the pass inside, that left Kerans free to hit a three-pointer at the five-minute mark to give Belmont a 40-39 lead. On the next possession, Kerans found a wide open Shaughnessy to the right of the basket who proceeded to dunk the ball, bringing the Belmont fans to their feet.

Reading – who had four players in double figures for points – would not go away as they were able to convert several second chance opportunities, including three consecutive three-point baskets (a pair from guard Carl Gillies (10 points)) early in the fourth quarter, to cut the lead to 64-62 with 4:40 left in the game. 

But it was Belmont’s other big man who defused the Rockets as Wagner took a Shaughnessy (10 points on three baskets and 4-4 from the line in the 4th quarter) pass as he was cutting to the basket to make the two-point basket and head for the line for after being hacked underneath to give Belmont a five-point advantage. 

After a Thorpe-Johnson (a game-high 27 points) layup cut the lead to three (70-67), Wagner tipped in an offensive rebound as the 30-second clock expired to up the Marauders’ lead back to five points. Belmont would hit three of their four final free throws for the win.