Winter Storm Warning For Belmont: 5″ to 8″ Of The White Stuff On Friday

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Belmont and communities inside the Route 128 corridor are under a Winter Storm Warning as between five to eight inches of snow is expected on Friday, Jan. 7.

The warning, issued at 3:24 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 6 by the National Weather Service, forecasts heavy snow from 1 a.m. to 7 p.m. in portions of eastern and southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Travel could be very difficult, warned the service, as hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute.

“If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,” reads the press release. The latest road conditions for the state can be obtained by calling 511.

Belmont Schools Start An Hour Later Monday For Masks, Possible Covid Testing For Teachers

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Photo: A KN95 mask will be given to Belmont educators and staff on Monday, Jan. 3 (Credit: ProtoplasmaKid Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0)

Belmont’s six public schools will return from the holiday break on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022 with an hour delay in start times to allow teachers and staff to be equipped with state-issued KN95 masks so educators will comply with new Covid-19 guidelines which the state’s Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary Education have adopted for all school districts.

Start times with a one-hour delay are:

  • Belmont High School: 8:35 a.m. with first classes at 9 a.m.
  • Chenery Middle School: 8:55 a.m.
  • Burbank, Butler, and Wellington: 9:40 a.m.
  • Winn Brook: 9:50 a.m.

In addition to the delay:

  • Morning preschool sessions are cancelled on Monday, Jan. 3.
  • LABBB Collaborative Administration has cancelled for Monday. Jan. 3.
  • If your child(ren) attends a before-school program, the program leaders will communicate directly with parents and guardians about their plans for Monday morning.

In addition to the masks, staff will take Covid-19 tests if the state-provided kits arrive by Monday morning, a press release issued on Jan. 1, 2022 from the Belmont School Superintendent John Phelan. The one-hour lead time will also allow school nurses to answer emails concerning health questions from parents and guardians.

 “If you have emailed the nurse with a question about a COVID scenario, please keep your student home until you receive a response from the nurse,” said Phelan.

The delay comes after two state teacher unions called for schools to be closed on Monday to allow teachers to be tested over concerns of potential exposure to the Covid-19 virus during the holiday vacation. During the past week, Massachusetts recorded the highest infection rate since the beginning of the pandemic with more than 21,100 new cases.

Adherence to the guidelines

“Our Belmont community has done a great job since September monitoring symptoms and staying home when sick,” said Phelan. “Your conscientious adherence to the guidelines has allowed us to keep schools open. Following the guidelines will be even more important in the coming days and weeks as we face the increase in cases due to the Omicron variant.”

Reminders and recommendations are:

  1. Use the symptom checker every morning. Submit the form to your school nurse and keep your student home if they exhibit symptoms.
  2. Send your student to school with the best masks possible. N95, KN95, or KF94 masks are recommended for the best protection. The district has purchased additional masks as a back-up for students if needed.
  3. If you haven’t already done so, register your student for Routine COVID Pooled Testing. Here is the link to register. Pooled testing is important for vaccinated students as well. 
  4. Get your student vaccinated and boosted. 
  5. If you have access to at-home testing, please use this as an additional safety measure. We are reviewing our ability to modify our pool-testing schedule.

“This year it has been our primary goal to open safely and to remain open. We remain committed to this goal through our multiple mitigation strategies, which include universal masking, air purifiers in all classrooms, strict adherence to monitoring symptoms and staying home when sick, participating in pooled testing, and getting vaccinated and boosted when eligible. We are reviewing protocols for all aspects of the school day, especially lunch and snack, in order to maximize social distancing,” said Phelan.

Winter Advisory; Icy Roads and Sidewalks For Tuesday’s Morning Commute

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Photo: Ice coated roadways, sidewalks and stairs expected Monday night and into Tuesday morning

The National Weather Service in Boston issued a Winter Weather Advisory from 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 27 until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 28 warning of freezing rain with ice accumulations of up to one-tenth of an inch of a light glaze coating sidewalks and roadways in Belmont and throughout Massachusetts.

The NWS calls for residents to plan plan on slippery road conditions that could impact the Tuesday morning commute.

“Slow down and use caution while traveling,” the service advises.

Belmont Records First Covid Death In 9 Months As Positive Cases Spike

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Photo: The latest update of Covid in Belmont

A resident died two week ago due to the Covid-19 virus, the first Belmont victim since March, as the number of positive cases in town and across the nation are approaching all-time highs over the holiday season.

The death occurred during the week of Dec. 10-17, the first fatality linked to the coronavirus since March 19 when two Belmontians succumbed to the virus.

The deaths comes as the number of positive Covid cases have skyrocketed to near record numbers not seen since the worst days of the pandemic in January 2021. Belmont recorded 106 new positive cases in the week ending on Dec. 24, up from 61 in the pervious week. There has been 1,741 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Belmont since the first cases in the pandemic were reported in March 2020. Currently, Belmont and Middlesex County remains at “high risk” for the spread of Covid according to guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“I wish I could say we’re in a better place but we continue to in the wrong direction like much of the states,” said Wesley Chin, Belmont’s Health director, pointing to the Omicron variant of Covid-19 which is sweeping across the country. The Washington Post reported top US health officials warned that the country “will probably see record numbers” of cases as the new variant “spreads rapidly.”

Of the new cases in Belmont, 57 percent are breakthrough which is an infection that occurs to a fully vaccinated person, said Chin. A further 8 percent of those infected involve those who have received a booster, or third, shot.

The one piece of good news during this surge is that hospitalizations of those infected is quite low. “This month we’ve learned of two hospitalizations,” said Chin, with most people being able to be treated at home with mild to moderate symptoms.

“The takeaway message is it seems like the booster shots are helping, so we want to encourage people to get their … shots,” said Chin.

The Health Department is holding a “booster” clinic on Tuesday, Dec. 28 at Beth El Temple Center geared for students between 16 and 17 years old who are now eligible for the shot.

What’s Closing Early On The 24th; What’s Open And Closed Christmas

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Photo: Christmas Lights (Credit: mattbuck, Wikimedia)

A Merry (as much as you can make it) Christmas, Belmont. While a second year of surging Covid numbers has once again dampened the season’s festive spirit, Dec. 25 is a day of gift giving and reflecting on cheerful times from past years around the dinner table before decamping to watch the latest holiday movie on the Hallmark Channel, a slew of professional sports events – the NHL being the exception – or just relaxing with family and friends.

For those who don’t celebrate the day, several fine Chinese restaurants will be open and, if you want to risk it, some great movies are premiering on the big screen on the 25th – “A Journal for Jordan” (which will make you cry), “American Underdog” about St. Louis Rams QB Kurt Warner, and Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s love letter to 1970s SoCal, “Licorice Pizza.”

And if you have a “need” to get out of the house, here are a few places around town closing early Christmas Eve and open on Christmas.

Christmas Eve early closings:

  • Star Market at 535 Trapelo Rd. closes at 6 p.m. The pharmacy closes at 5 p.m.
  • CVS: The store at 264 Trapelo Rd. is closing at 10 p.m. (the pharmacy at 6 p.m.) and 60 Leonard St. at 9 p.m. (with the pharmacy shutting its doors at 4 p.m.)
  • Starbucks at 110 Trapelo Rd. in Cushing Square will close at 1 p.m.
  • Dunkin’ at 353 Trapelo Rd. and 52 Church St. are closing at 9 p.m. The store at 350 Pleasant St. will shut it down at 6 p.m.
  • Craft Beer Cellar at 87 Leonard St. in the Center will be open ’til 5 p.m.
  • US Post Offices at 405 Concord Ave. and 492 Trapelo Rd. are closed on Christmas Eve.
  • MBTA buses and subway lines will run on a Saturday schedule.

Christmas Day

Dunkin’

  • The Dunkin’ at 353 Trapelo Rd. proclaims it is “Open on Christmas.” So it’ll be operating from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.
  • The 52 Church St. location in Waverley Square and the operation at 350 Pleasant St. will be closed on Christmas.

Starbucks

  • The “Cushing Village” location at 110 Trapelo Rd. will be closed.

CVS Pharmacy

  • The store at 264 Trapelo Rd. will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • The operation at 60 Leonard St. in Belmont Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Christmas.
  • The pharmacies at both locations will be closed.

Star Market

  • Belmont’s supermarket located at 535 Trapelo Rd. is closed for the day.

If you are looking to get around on the MBTA:

  • The Fitchburg/South Acton Commuter Line will operate a Sunday schedule while buses that operate in Belmont will also be on a Sunday schedule.

Belmont Town Offices Closed Dec. 27, 31; Library Shuts For Christmas Eve

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The holiday hours for town departments and buildings has been set with departments closing at noon on Christmas Eve, Friday, Dec. 24 and reopening on Tuesday, Dec. 28.

The town offices will be closed on Friday, Dec. 31 for the New Year’s Holiday with departments opening bright and early Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.

The Belmont Public Library will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, Friday and Saturday, Dec. 24 and 25. It will by closed for New Year’s on Friday, Dec. 31 and Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.

Vaccine Clinic/Booster Shots For Students, Young Adults on Dec. 28; Covid Surge Testing Jan. 8-9

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Photo: Belmont will be providing booster shots and testing in the coming weeks for the youngest residents in town. (credit: Spencerbdavis, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0)

“Booster shots help,” said Adam Dash, chair of the Belmont Select Board at its Monday, Dec. 20 meeting. And along with Covid testing can mitigate the surge of the coronavirus’ Omicron variant.

But as Dash noted, “Getting the booster shot has been difficult” as people clamber for the chance to get their third dose of the vaccine. As for testing, home Covid kits have all but sold out in most stores while state health officials said daily testing sites have handled between 75,000 to 135,00 people for the past week with waits typically running two hours and more. The line at a free testing site in the Cambridgeside Galleria in Cambridge extended up and around the three mezzanine levels.

So here is some welcome news: Belmont will be providing booster shots and testing in the coming weeks for some of the youngest town residents.

The Health Department is holding a pediatric vaccine clinic on Tuesday, Dec. 28 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Beth El Temple Center at 2 Concord Ave. “This clinic is going to be geared primarily towards 16- and 17-year-old who are recently eligible for booster shots,” said Wesley Chin, Belmont’s health director.

  • Individuals 5-11 can sign up to receive their first or second dose of the pediatric Pfizer vaccine
  • Individuals 12+ can sign up to receive their first or second dose of the adult Pfizer vaccine, or Moderna if they are 18+
  • Individuals 16-17 can also sign up to receive a Pfizer booster shot*
  • Individuals 18+ can also sign up to receive either a Pfizer or Moderna booster shot*

Register for a vaccine appointment here: https://www.appointmentquest.com/scheduler/2180061935?schedule=belmontvaccineclinic

For the second time after a holiday, Belmont and Lexington will be holding joint Covid testing clinics for their residents.

The testing in Belmont will be held on Jan. 8 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School; Lexington will hold its on Jan. 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lexington public school administration building gymnasium, 146 Maple St. Residents of either town can

Call the Health Department with any questions at 617-993-2720.

Restrictions On Side Streets To Control HS Student Parking Start Jan. 3

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Photo: Concord Avenue adjacent to the new Belmont Middle and High School

The Belmont Select Board on Monday, Dec. 20, approved a four-week trial plan to force the majority of high school students who drive to the new Belmont Middle and High School off of side streets and back to parking on the main thoroughfare that runs by the facility.

The proposal will take place from Monday, Jan. 3 to Friday, Jan. 28 afterwards the plan will be reviewed and extended, ended or revamped.

Advanced by the Traffic Working Group – Middle and High School, it comes after town officials heard an earful from local residents concerning throngs of high school pupils who found the best parking spaces to the building was right off the main road.

“One of the purposes of the proposal is to restore the status quo of students not parking on side streets,” said Martin November, a task force member who led the effort.

The high school’s parking plan for seniors and juniors is a temporary one itself as there will be no student parking on site until the middle school wing is built. One hundred spaces along the north side of Concord Avenue was allocated to students by the school through a lottery. The spaces are in two sections along Concord Avenue from Underwood Road to the Belmont Public Library with another 90 off-street parking spaces linked to a new skating rink that would be built on the west side of Harris Field.

But soon after the September opening of the new high school wing complaints from homeowners started that their streets were teeming with cars during school hours; parking close to driveways and intersections, creating pinch points where traffic can travel and making deliveries and trash collection much more difficult. When they did call to complain, police response was slow due to current staffing levels.

An October survey conducted by residents on behalf of the working group found approximately 120 student cars coming daily to the school with 56 parking on Concord, six on Goden Street, 12 on Oak Street, approximately 20 in the Orchard/Orchard Circle/Stone Road loop and 20 occupying the jug handle site opposite the library.

November told the Select Board’s Mark Paolillo and Roy Epstein – Select Board Chair Adam Dash recused himself from the discussion and vote as he lives on Goden Street – that students, some who possess reserved passes for the coveted 100 lottery spaces, were parking along adjacent roadways such as lower Orchard Street for a simple reason: it’s less of a trek to the school than parking on Concord Avenue closer to Harris Field and the skating rink.

“We do want them back on Concord (Avenue),” said Paolillo.

The proposal will consist of four steps:

  • Identify the side streets to be targeted.
  • No parking from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on school days unless the vehicle has a town-approved placard.
  • Commercial vehicles and those on public business will be exempt.
  • Residents will receive a placard that exempts them from the parking ban.

And the targeted streets are:

  • Goden Street below School
  • Oak Street
  • Orchard Street below School
  • Trowbridge Street
  • Underwood Street
  • Baker Street
  • Concord Street east bound (the southside of the roadway) from Cottage Street to Louise Road.

No parking signs will be placed on cones and on existing posts on the targeted streets.

MLK Community Breakfast Will Zoom To Belmont On Jan. 17

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Photo: Rahsaan Hall is the keynote speaker at the 2022 annual MLK Community Breakfast which will once again be a virtual event

Belmont’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Breakfast, historically intended to bring the Belmont and Boston communities together in a program of unity around Dr. King’s legacy, will once again take place via Zoom on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022 at 9 a.m.

This year’s keynote speaker, Rahsaan Hall, director of the Racial Justice Program at American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Massachusetts, has chosen this year’s theme to be “The Arc and the Pendulum: The Long Journey toward Racial Justice.”

In this role, Rahsaan helps develop the ACLU’s integrated advocacy approach to addressing issues of racial justice. Through legislative advocacy, litigation and community engagement, the program works on issues that impact communities of color and historically disenfranchised communities. Rahsaan also manages the ACLU’s What a Difference a DA makes to educate residents about the power and influence of distract attorneys.

Adam Dash, Belmont’s Select Board chair, looks forward to the annual Belmont MLK event. While he
misses the in-person breakfast where people can mingle and meet, he looks forward to the perspective
each speaker brings to the presently virtual event.

“We can’t talk about race too much” and how the speaker forces local candidates for office to confront issues. Dash recalls how “blown away” he was by the MLK breakfast where former METCO students returned to give their accounts of what a difference the METCO program had made in their lives.

The Belmont Human Rights Commission, in conjunction with Belmont Against Racism and Belmont Media Center, will be the lead sponsor and organizer. The Commission is dedicated to fighting discrimination in all forms; increasing awareness of issues regarding diversity and discrimination in our community; and responding to allegations of discrimination.

Advanced registration can be found at Eventbrite at: https://bit.ly/MLKBelmont2022 For more information about this event, please contact the Commission at belmont.hrc@gmail.com or call 617-993-2795.

Winter Arrives With The Solstice At 10:59AM, Dec. 21

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Photo: Winter is here

Winter will officially arrive to the northern hemisphere at a minute before 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 21, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.

Best known for the shortest day of sunlight during the year, the sun will rise at 7:09 a.m. and sets this afternoon at 4:16 p.m., a mere 9 hours and 5 minutes of daylight – although last light will occur at 4:47 p.m.

Still it’s more light than what the residents of Oslo as those Norwegians will have less than six hours of daylight with sunrise at 9:18 a.m. and sunset just after lunch at 3:12 p.m.